She's not entirely sure what she expected to happen when the Savior came to Storybrooke, but she had expected something–after all, that was the whole point of the Savior.

Yet Emma Swan had come and gone. While it's naive to think that Emma simply being in Storybrooke would have been enough to break the curse, her arrival should have sparked something–even if she wasn't sure what that something was. But, there'd been no bolts of lightening or crashing thunder, there were no gusts of wind or fleeing birds, and while those sorts of signs seemed to be a tad too hyperbolic, there was no indication that anything was different at all, and it was business as usual in Storybrooke.

The night that they'd met Emma was a Friday, and when she and Henry got home, he washed up and put on his pajamas–and then begged for the already-promised popcorn and extra chapters of Harry Potter. Her heart fluttered as she nodded, already knowing that she was going to give in and let him stay up late that he should. He got the book and an extra blanket while she made the popcorn, and they read together until he fell asleep at a time that was hours past his bedtime. She hadn't had the heart to wake him up, so she'd slowly and awkwardly pulled the empty bowl away from him and adjusted the blanket up around him as she leaned over to turn off the light–and a few hours later, when she woke up, he was still lying against her. She could feel the beat of his heart and she stroked his hair, saying a silent prayer to whatever power might be listening that he'd sleep through what was left of the night without the nightmares that too often plagued him.

At some point, she'd dozed off and when her eyes opened again, the sun was shining into the living room and Henry was still beside her, thumbing through The Goblet of Fire–and she couldn't help but smile when he told her that he was rereading one of his favorite parts, then promptly asked if they could make breakfast. Regina agreed easily and Henry began rattling off what he'd like to eat as she lagged behind him. They'd settled on bacon, fried eggs and toast, and Henry giggled as he pressed his fork into the egg, breaking the yoke and swirling his fork through it before pulling back his hand so that Regina could flip the egg as bacon sizzled beside them. When the toast popped up, Henry's attention was redirected and Regina shook her head and sighed as Henry slathered too much jelly onto his toast.

Carrying the plates to the counter, she sets them in front of two of the stools and she reaches for a craft of apple juice. "So, um… what did you think?"

Henry climbs up into his stool and blinks. "About what?"

A small smile spreads over her lips as he cuts into one of the eggs–smiling as he examines the fluffy yoke. "About yesterday," she begins in a tentative voice. "About meeting your… birth mother."

"Oh," he murmurs as he shoves the egg into his mouth, considering as he chews. "It was okay."

"Just okay?"

He nods. "She was nice and she answered my questions…"

Regina watches as he reaches for a slice of bacon. "But…"

A shy little grin forms on his lips, and he looks up at her like he doesn't want to disappoint her. "I don't know it was just… I thought it'd be different," he says, looking from her to the slice of bacon at his fingertips. "It was really nice getting to meet her and it was fun showing her around town and stuff, but… I just… I wasn't really sad when she left."

"No?

Shaking his head, he blinks up at her and his cheeks flush a little. "I… kinda kept thinking about other stuff." His bottom lip catches between his teeth and he looks back to his plate. "I kept thinking about how it was Friday and we should be watching a movie with Roland and Robin and…" He sighs as his eyes shift back to her. "The Mummy was on last night and Roland hasn't seen it."

"The Mummy?"

"It's one of my favorites," he admit, as he bites off a piece of bacon. "Do you think we could try to find some place that has it and rent?"

"I don't see why not," she replies, reaching for her apple juice and taking a long sip, unable to stop herself from smiling over its rim as Henry's focus shifts to tombs filled with treasure…

For the rest of Breakfast, Henry chatters on and on–from curiosity over treasure-filled tombs to the excitement of the anticipated Tri-Wizard Tournament to singing the praises of Spiderman–and Regina soaks it all in. She blinks a few times, feeling tears welling in her eyes and there's a soft flutter in her chest as she listens and nods along–and she finds herself caught up in just how happy this little boy has made her. His hazel eyes light up and he gives her the cliffsnotes version of the last Avengers comic that he got in the mail–and she continues to nod along, providing all the expected reaction when his voice dips and piques, and for a moment, she'd overwhelmed by how much she loves him; and when he smiles and laughs as he bites into his toast, the jelly that lacquers it gets all over his lips, he looks up at her and it's more than obvious that he feel the same way–and she finds herself thinking that if she's ever done anything good in her lifetime, the proof of it is sitting right in front of her.

"Okay," she murmurs as she takes his plate to the sink. "I think it's time to get dressed."

Henry's face scrunches. "But I like these pants."

"Those aren't pants. Those are pajamas."

"But they have Thor's hammer all over them… which makes them cool and…"

"That may be so, but they are still pajamas, not real pants," Regina cuts in. "Go put on something that isn't made out of fleece or covered in superheroes or has an elastic waistband."

"Fine," Henry sighs as he slides from his chair. "I'll just put on some boring jeans."

"And a sweater."

"Can that have superheroes on it?"

Regina's eyes roll as Henry's brow arches. "Yes," she murmurs as she watches as Henry slides from his chair and a grin twists onto his lips–and then, he rushes forward. His grin changes and he can see the emotion in his eyes, and her chest flutters as his arms wrap around her waist. Her free hand fold around him, hugging her against his legs and her breath gets caught in her throat when his arms tighten around her. And then, he pulls away, looking up at her with a sheepish little grin spread across his lips–and before she can say anything, he takes off running toward the stairs and she has to swallow back her tears. She stands there for a moment, looking toward the stairs and listening as Henry's bedroom door closes behind him–and as much as she hates to admit it, she's relieved that everything feels so normal, that there were no noticeable changes and that Emma Swan's brief appearance hadn't changed anything.

By the time she's dressed, Henry is waiting for her by the door–and she can't help but smile when she notices that he's dressed in Gryffindor colors and the wizard's want that he got for Christmas is sticking out from the top of his backpack. She takes his hand, tugging him out the door, and they decide to walk to the park to meet Robin and Roland. Her shoulders relax as Henry swings their hands back and forth as they walk, and the whole way there, he chatters on and on about the Tri-Wizard Tournament–and the fact that he already know how it'll all play out doesn't in any way put a damper on his excitement.

As soon as they reach the park, Henry lets go of her hand and dashes toward Roland–who she can't help but notice is wearing Hufflepuff colors and a cape, and when he sees Henry he holds up and wildly waves his wand. Robin smiles at her from the bench and waves, and she can't stop her own smile from tugging onto her lips as she shoves her hands into her pockets and makes her way to the bench.

"I wanted to call," Robin murmurs as she sits down beside him. "But I thought you and Henry could… use some time alone without my interruption." He pauses for a moment and she can see him struggling with his question, realizing its depth. "So, uh, things… seemed to be going well when you came into the shop."

"Yes," she nods. "Things… did go well."

He blinks. "Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"I don't know," she says, chuckling awkwardly as her shoulders shrug. "It wasn't what I expected."

"No?"

"No," she says, shaking her head. "But I… also don't know what I expected." She takes a breath. "She was… nice enough. She let Henry ask about his adoption and she was honest with him and… was interested in him." And then she hesitates. "I thought he might… feel a connection to her or… something…" She smiles as she watches Roland and Henry climbing onto the jungle gym a handful of yards away from them. "But he really did just want to know why she gave him up and if she regretted the choice."

"How did she respond? I don't imagine that was an easy question to answer.

A little edges onto Regina's lips. "She told him that… it was the right choice at the time and she thinks that he's where he's supposed to be."

"He is where he's supposed to be," Robin tells her. "And, uh… the… other thing?"

"The curse?" She asks, her voice dropping an octave as she looks over at him and shakes her head. "Nothing's different."

"That's… too bad."

"Yeah," she nods, not completely agreeing but also not wanting him to know that. "I guess I'll just… have to count on the epic love of Prince Charming and Snow White to break my curse… and if that doesn't work… well… then I don't know. I guess I'll… just have to figure it out."

For a second, Robin doesn't say anything and she redirects her attention to the boys, watching as they reach the top of the jungle gym and point their wands at each other. "Just, uh, remember that… if you can't that's not the end of the world." She looks over at him and watches a faint grin stretches across his lips. "I know it's not what you want to do, but we could always leave. I want you to know that will always be an option."

"That wouldn't be fair."

"I know," Robin says with a slight nod. "But I'm not all that concerned about what's fair.'

"You?" She asks, her eyebrow arching as a little chuckle escapes her and her stomach drops. "The good and noble Robin Hood aren't concerned about fairness?"

Robin's eyes roll and she can see him chewing at the inside of his cheek as his eyes narrow. "You know that I have a code…"

"I do and I'd hate to think you'd give that up for… me and my mistakes."

"You're worth throwing all of that away for," he says, his voice firm and sincere. "I care about this town and the people who live here, and I do think they deserve to know who they are. But there are three people in this world I care about just a little more than the rest and if there's ever a choice in losing you and everything we're building together and someone else and the lives they don't know they're missing out on… that's not by any stretch of the imagination a difficult choice to make."

"You could… live with me know that I…"

"You're trying, Regina, and if you fail, then… it won't have been because you didn't care enough or didn't try hard enough. You're not trying to take the easy way out, but if that's the only option you have left, then that's how it'll have to be."

"You're serious…"

"I am," he nods. "I want a life with you." Swallowing hard, she blinks at him. It's not the first time he's alluded to this and it's not the first time he's said it; but somehow, in the wake of the Savior's appearance in Storybrooke, it feel heavier and more than just a possibility to a pipedream. "And if I'm faced with the possibility of losing you–of losing my memories of you, my son's memories of you–then my code means nothing to me. I choose you, Regina–you and our boys."

"Our boys…"

Robin offers her a crooked little smile, and she feels her throat tightening as tears well in her eyes. She wants to respond, but she can't seem to push out her voice–this is something she never thought she'd have.

When Daniel died, she'd given up on the possibility of love and a family; and every time she dared to think that it was possible, fate–and her own self-doubt–seemed to intervene. She'd walked away from Robin in the tavern, even though the pixie dust that led her to him was a sure bet; and then, when she dared to find him again, her mother had tricked her into believing he was someone else and she lashed out, hurting herself more than anyone else. Then, years and years later, when she decided to open up her heart to a different sort of love, she'd managed to convince herself that the baby boy who filled her heart with so much joy would be better off without her.

And for the first time, she finds herself understanding–and perhaps, more importantly, believing–that love is comfort. It's not a weakness or something that has to be coupled with pain or hardship; it came be support, it can bring acceptance and understanding, and it can offer hope in the bleakest of times.

"I love you," she breathes out, not able to say anymore as her hand finds his and she gives it a tight squeeze as if hanging on for dear life–and he easily murmurs back the same.

They're in the kitchen preparing dinner–and once more, she's glad for the normalcy of it.

She hadn't even realized that in the week leading up to Emma Swan's visit just how on edge she'd been–she hadn't realized how tense her shoulders were or how tired she was, and she hadn't realized how her wondering and worrying crept into even the quietest of moments. She hadn't wanted to admit to herself that she felt threatened by Emma and feared that Emma would live up to each and every idealized version of herself that Henry had spent a lifetime creating. While she told herself most of her trepidation centered around the Savior and the curse and all that that could mean, it'd simply been a facade to keep herself considering the possibility of losing her son–and somehow, with Emma Swan out of the way, the curse seemed so much less imposing.

For dinner, Henry selected fajitas and spanish rice; then, it'd been Robin's idea to make flan for dessert–and they'd spent the better part of the early evening preparing it all.

Robin and Henry tackled the flan–and her heart swelled as Robin let Henry teach him how to make it, letting him lead him step-by-step through the recipe and asking all sorts of questions she knew he knew the answer to; and she couldn't help but smile as Henry patiently answered each and every one his his questions. Robin nodded and listened intently, and as Henry explained how caramelize sugar.

While Henry and Robin worked on the flan, she and Roland worked rest. A soft laugh escaped her as Roland scrunched up his nose and bat his hand over his eyes as she cut into an onion, but nonetheless leaned in closer and watched the way she chopped.

"How do you do that so fast?" He asked, sniffling and blinking back the onion-induced tears. "It's like you're The Flash!"

"I've practiced a lot," she tells him as lifts the knife and runs her finger over the flattened side. "You wanna try?" Roland eyes widen and he looks unsure. A smile twists onto Robin's lips as he looks back over his shoulder and she offers him a quick wink as she drags Roland and his stool over to the cutting board. "Okay," she begins as she grabs a wedge of onion. "Are you ready?"

"I think," Roland begins, sniffling again, "I am."

"Take the handle," she instructs, watching as Roland slowly does and then looks up at her in seek of her approval. "Good… just like that," she murmurs as she places one hand over his and ses the other to guide the onion–and then, she begins to shop. Roland laughs out as the knife moves up and down, cutting the wedge of onion into tiny little pieces. "See, that wasn't so hard."

"Can we do a pepper, too?" Robin turns and his eyebrow arches. "I like the green ones."

"Okay," Regina nods, her eyes shifting toward Robin. "But how about we do some of the other colors, too?"

Roland considers for a moment. "Okay, but I'll only eat the green ones."

"Really? But the red and orange ones are sweeter. You're missing out." Again. Regina glances to Robin and she stifles the urge to laugh when his lips part as Roland conders. "They really put the green ones to shame," she says as her attention shifts back to Roland. "How about we start chopping while you decide."

She and Roland continue to chop and Robin and Henry mix the cream and eggs and overly generous splash of vanilla–and Robin scoffs as Roland tentatively bites into a spear of orange pepper, then takes a larger bite as a smile edges onto his lips. Regina laughs and tells him to go wash the onion off of his hands, adding that it'll make the peppers taste even better as she scoops them into a bowl–and a moment, she gets swept up in the lightheartedness of the moment.

And then, it comes to a crashing halt.

"The sky isn't as pretty tonight," Roland says, his voice rising over the handheld beater.

"What do you mean?" Henry asks, as his the beater slows. "The sunset is always pretty."

"But yesterday," Roland begins as he turns to face them all with soapy hands. "The clouds were fluffy and purple. They looked like cotton candy… if the blue kind and the pink kind got mixed together."

Henry's eyes widen. "That sounds so cool. I didn't notice it though."

"Well, we were… a little busy yesterday," Regina tell him, her eyes slide to Robin's, and it takes him only a moment to understand. "I… didn't notice it either."

"Daddy and John thought it might an eclair."

"Eclipse, Roland," Robin says.

"Same thing…"

Henry giggles. "An eclair is like a… long doughnut filled with cream and has chocolate sauce on the top. An eclipse is…" His brow furrows and he looks to Robin and Regina. "I don't actually know what an eclipse is." He pauses. "And I've never had an eclair…"

Robin chuckles as Regina takes a breath. "Why don't you two go wash up upstairs while we make the rice and fajita meat." She watches as the boys nod and walk toward the stairs–as Roland tries to describe what an eclair tastes like–and then Robin turns to her. "That… wasn't an eclipse last night, was it?"

"No," she says, breathing out a long breath as her hands find her hips. "Not it wasn't an eclipse."

"Magic?"

She nods, "Something like that." Her teeth catch her lip and she looks at him, unsure. In the Enchanted Forest it would have been a sign that something was magical was coming. She remembers standing in the window of her castle, moments after casting the Dark Curse, watching as the sky turned a deep shade of purple. She remembers the panic that overtook the village, the way they'd been both frenzied and immobilized with fear. But the impact had been almost immediate–and the next morning she found herself smiling as she looked out another window in another world. "It means… that something is coming. I'm… not sure what, exactly, or when… just that it is."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"I… think so," she nods. "I want to think so." She pauses and momentarily gets lost in her thoughts–momentarily wondering if she'd been mistaken before, that perhaps the Savior's arrival had been enough to break the curse, but her stay had simply been too short, and perhaps they were now all stuck in limbo. "Do you… think that… it's possible that…" Her voice trails off as she tries to choose the words, and when can't find them, she looks to Robin.

Robin hesitates for a moment. "You know more about this sort of thing than I do."

"Right," she says quietly. "That's true…"

"What does your gut say?"

"My gut…" she murmurs back, looking up at him.

"Your gut reaction, what is it?"

For a moment, she considers–and then a small smile edges onto her lips and for a reason she can't explain, she finds herself thinking of Emma Swan and something she said to Henry while they were eating at Granny, something about being exactly where he was supposed to be. "I think… this is just… another piece of the puzzle coming together," she says, nodding and growing more secure in her answer. "First, I had to find a way for Henry to believe in something and now the Savior's brought the possibility of magic to Storybrooke… and the rest… will happen when it happens."

"You sound sure," he says, a grin tugging up at the corner of his mouth. "You sound calm."

"I… feel calm," she admits as a slight laugh rises into her voice. "For now, at least."

"For now," he repeats, nodding as he reaches for a box of rice. "Calm for now is a very good thing." He offers her a little wink and shakes the box. "Now, do you want to handle the rice or the steak?" Grinning, she grabs the box of rice.

They spend the rest of the evening eating fajitas and flan, and playing the Harry Potter version of Clue–and in the moment, it's easy enough to forget about the curse and what should come next. Henry's excitement only fuels Roland's, starting with the rule book that looks like the Daily Prophet to the ever-shifting passageways in the game to the frequent trips to Dumbledore's office in search of clues to the final reveal the culprit was none other than Draco Malfoy in the Great Hall using the Portkey.

Henry opts not to ask to read more of the Goblet of Fire and instead, after the trundle beneath Henry's bed is pulled out and the boys are both tucked in, Robin sits on the edge of trundle telling them adventurous tales of highway robberies and breaking into the castles of greedy tyrants. He swears that the stories are made up, that they're figments of his imagination, but as she sits beside Henry on the edge of his bed, she can't help notice the underlying theme that each story has–how closely they tow the line of his code–and she wonders if these aren't the real adventures of Robin Hood–the stories that only Robin Hood himself could know.

Robin wraps up the last story as both boys' eyelids grow heavy and Regina flicks on the nightlight before they kiss them goodnight–and then it's time for them to go to bed. As she closes the door, she can see Robin's smile and shining eyes through her mirror, and when she turns to him, his hands find her hips and he guides her to him.

"You're in an awfully good mood today."

"I am," she says, nodding agreeably. "Today's been a good day."

"Any particular reason?"

"Well," she begins as her arms link around his neck. "I got to spend it with three of my favorite people…" She pauses as a chuckle rises into her voice. "And, I don't know what it is, i just feel… calm about everything."

"Calm…"

"I know it's only the calm before the storm, but…" Her shoulder shrug. "I just want to enjoy that before the next round of… stomach-dropping, sleep-deprivation, practically crippling anxiety sets in."

"I see," he murmurs as his eyes narrow. "I… can't help but notice that this newfound serenity has found you now that Emma Swan is in your past."

Her smile tightens. "That… may have contributed."

"I told you that you didn't have to worry about her…"

Regina sighs. "I know, but… he had eight years of expectations and…"

"That's a lot of anyone to live up to."

"But I thought maybe she could. I mean, she's… the Savior, she's supposed to be this… force to be reckoned with, this magnetising persona who…"

"Who can't hold a candle to you in Henry's eyes," Robin interjects, his eyes soft as his fingers press into her hip. "You sell yourself short far too often."

"My ego has never been…"

"Anything more than a mask." Momentarily, her eyes fall away from his and when she looks back, she finds her cheeks flushing as a little grin tugs up from the corners of her mouth. "You're a pretty amazing person. I just wish you saw that." Her cheeks flush deeper as he takes a step back and her fingers clench around his hand, keeping him from drifting too far away. "So, do you… want to keep this good feeling going?"

Her head tips to the side and she lets him lead her into the adjoining bathroom. Her eyebrow arches as he flips on the lightswitch and tugs her close. "You seem to have something in mind…"

"You're right," he says as his hand presses into the small of her back. "I missed you yesterday."

"We saw each other…"

"But that was only for a couple of minutes and… as much as I missed you, I could recognize that you and Henry needed some time together, some space…" A grin twists onto his lips. "But even though my head understood that, my heart just couldn't stop thinking about you."

She laughs a little as his grin brightens. "Is that so?"

"Indeed it is," he murmurs. "And I got to thinking that it'd be nice to just… let go for a bit." His eyes move away from her, momentarily falling to the shower doors and her lip catches between her teeth as she follows his gaze; and when she looks back to him, he's focused on her. "You were so anxious all week–you barely slept. And now that it's all over, you deserve a…."

"A long, hot shower?" She asks, arching her eyebrow. "Perhaps with my favorite thief?"

His eyes shine as a laugh rumbles up from his chest. "I knew you found that to be an endearing trait…" Shaking her head she rolls her eyes and, again, his fingers press into her hip. "Besides, the steam will do wonders for all that residual tension."

"Residual tension, hm?"

Robin's hands slide up her back, his fingertips pressing firmly as they travel. "What about the boys?" She murmurs as her eyes close and his hands begin to knead at the spot just below her shoulder blades. "They're…"

"Sound asleep down the hall," Robin supplies. "And even on the nights Henry wakes up, he usually gets a few hours of sleep before that happens." He grins as she rolls her shoulders. "We've got plenty of time."

Laughing a little, she nods. "A hot shower does sound like a nice way to end a long week."

It's not long after that that they're encompassed by steam. Her back is against the cold tile and her legs are wrapped around him as the hot water beats down onto them–and for a while the stress of the week and any yet to come is the furthest thing from her mind.

When it's all done and their adequately dried off, they put on pajamas and crawl into bed. Robin tugs her toward him and she rests her head on his still-warm chest, breathing in the soft scent of her soap on his skin. He presses a kiss to her hair, and for awhile the quiet serenity continues–and then, just like all of the good things in her life, reservations slowly begin to seep in.

"Can I ask you something?" She asks, tilting her head up and resting her chin on his chest. "Before… in the Enchanted Forest, when I was…. the Evil Queen…"

"Regina…"

"No, I just… I need to ask…" A lopsided smile tugs up at one corner of her mouth. "I already know the answer, but…" Her voice trails off and she takes a breath. "Was everyone terrified of me?"

She watches him hesitate. "When you were Queen," he begins carefully, intentionally leaving out the moniker that accompanies the title, "you had to do what you had to do to maintain order and…"

"That's not what I asked," she cuts him, appreciating his attempt to shield her. "You've made your thoughts perfectly clear about my… governing abilities and you've done a good job of putting them into context." She takes a breath, swallowing hard as his hand rubs at her back. "And that's all fine and… in a lot of ways it is comforting, but… I'm asking how people felt about it, not whether it was justified or if it's common. I'm asking how people felt about it."

Again, he hesitates. Bringing his hand up, he tucks her hair behind her ear and lets the back of his hand fall against her cheek–and she can tell he doesn't want to be honest with her and he doesn't want to hurt her. "Yes, they were terrified."

"I know…"

"They didn't kn–"

"Why would have they have wanted to know me?" She offers a tight smile. "And unlike me, they haven't had a couple of decades to calm down."

"Well," he begins as his brow creases. "Neither did I, and… I got over it pretty quickly."

"That's different. You… care about me."

Robin laughs softly and shakes his head. "There's an understatement, if I've ever heard one…"

"I just mean that your relationship with me is… different." Taking a breath, a small smile spreads across her lips. "I've done nothing to change anyone's opinion of me… because… I thought I'd never have to."

"Until Henry came along." She nods and her smile warms at the mention of her son. "I happen to know that Mary-Margaret Blanchard likes you."

At that, her eyes widen and she laughs out. "I hardly think some cupcakes and volunteering at school functions are going to erase the years I spent trying to murder her."

Robin grimaces a little. "Maybe not but… it has to matter that for all these years, she's been a sitting duck and you've done nothing to harm her." He pauses as his thumb rubs down the length of her jawline. "Where is this coming from?"

For a moment, she doesn't respond because she's not quite sure how. While her sudden change of mood is seems abrupt, it's a problem that's been looming in the back of her conscious for awhile–it's just that more pressing matters took the forefront. "I just… suddenly realized that… Henry could lose me and now that his birth mother has come and gone, there won't be a savior to swoop in and… take him away from it all if… that happens."

"Regina, nothing is going to happen to you."

"You… don't know that," she says, sighing as she pulls herself up. "When I find a way to break the curse that's… going to be messy. People are going to be angry and they're going to want retribution and… not even I would blame them for…"

"Stop."

"Robin, for Henry's whole life, every time things have gotten really hard and really scary, he's had this… image to hang onto. He had this image of his birth mother, whom he built up to be this perfect, invincible wonder woman who'd spent a lifetime trying to find him… a lifetime trying to rescue him."

"He told you that?"

"No," she admits quietly. "Archie did. He told Archie."

"Ah…"

"He doesn't have that image anymore. Emma was… wonderful with him. She was interested and the was nice, but she was human and… that shattered the image of this superhero who'd save him whenever things got really tough for him." Shrugging her shoulders and takes a breath. "Now, he just has me and…"

"And you are a wonderful person to have."

A slight smile edges onto her lips. "Maybe, but… if something were to happen to me…."

"Regina, don't…"

"Would you take care of him?" She cuts in, her voice piquing as her breath catches in her chest. "Would you make sure that… he was alright and he…"

"Yes," he says, not hesitating as he sits up. "Just like I will always be there for you, I'll always be there for Henry. I can promise you that." He smiles a little sadly and his hand slides over her hip. "And I can also promise you that I'm not just going to let something happen to you. I don't care how these people feel about you and I don't care how angry they are or what they feel you owe them or about whatever consequence they decide you deserve, I am not going to let them hurt you."

Her chest tightens and she nods, leaning in and resting her forehead against his. She wants to say something, but she's not quite sure what to say because everything seems to fall short. His lips find hers and he kisses her softly, easing them back as he reaches for the lamp beside the bed, turning it off and making the room go dark. Breaking the kiss, he cuddles her to him, dropping a quick kiss to her hair as he murmurs something about getting sleep.

She nods and cuddles in as her eyes begin to flutter. She nuzzles closer and her eyes slowly open, and from beneath the door there's a tiny strip of light.

"The boys are up," she says in a loud whisper as she lifts her head.

"What?"

"I can see light from under the door."

"Oh…"

"I wonder if Henry's alright," she murmurs, looking back at him momentarily before she pull away.

Before he can respond, she's out of bed and he's trailing behind her and when she opens the door, she hears the boys giggling. A little wave of relief washes over her, but still, she continues toward Henry's bedroom; and when she peeks in, she spots Roland sitting on Henry's bed. His legs are folded beneath himself and Henry's sitting up in bed, wide-eyed and grinning as Roland tells a story.

"What's going on in here?" She asks, stepping in as a smile stretches over her lips and Robin steps in behind her.

"Roland's telling me about this dream he had," Henry explains as Roland turns to look at them. "We're we too loud? Did we wake you guys up?"

"We hadn't even gone to bed yet," Robin says easily as his arm forms loosely around her waist.

"I had a dream that I was wearing this funny outfit. I had a puffy shirt on, like the one Captain Hook wears in Peter Pan and I was spinning around in circles in this big field and then," he pauses as a giggle rises into his voice. "And I fell backward into the shallow part of a river and…" Roland laughs out as he looks back at Henry, and Regina feels Robin's arm tighten around her. "And this duck started quacking at me really loud because I splashed him!"

Regina smiles at the image Roland's created and then, as Robin's fingers press into her hip, she realizes that Roland's dream wasn't a dream at all– it was a memory. And her stomach drops.