Chapter Eighteen: Fireworks

June melted away as July rolled in, heat ablaze throughout the island of Manhattan that caused even skeptics to come to terms with Climate Change. The sun was brutal as it beat down on the hectic city, its inhabitants irritable during their sweaty commutes.

The morning of the Fourth, Regina was hard at work preparing her food for the potluck. She decided on a pasta salad: whole wheat rotini, sweet red peppers, cubes of provolone cheese, and sliced black olives coated with robust Italian dressing. She'd put together a small Tupperware of a gluten-free version using tofu pasta for Robin, unsure of what he'd actually be able to eat at the barbecue.

She had to admit, she missed waking up with him each morning. After sleeping next to the person you love, it's never quite the same without them. But their children had returned and they needed to be responsible.

Henry had gotten himself up and ready, showering while Regina finished the pasta salad. She'd been up, dressed, and ready to go for hours. She was anxious about the party; more importantly, who would be attending.

Her son came gliding into the kitchen searching for a small snack to hold him over. He'd opened a few cabinets before deciding on a granola bar and went to the fridge. He stopped when he spotted a banana and decided he'd eat that as well, then poured himself a generous glass of almond milk. Before he took his seat at the counter, he wrapped his arm around his mother's shoulders with a smile and said, "I'm really proud of you."

"Of me? What ever for?" Regina smirked and placed her hand on her son's hip.

"For going to this barbecue. Ya know, since things haven't been so great with Emma. But I'm glad you're going anyway. Maybe you can fix things," the boy offered. He liked seeing his mom happy and thought if her and Emma were friends again, things could only get better.

Before Regina could respond, the apartment door swung open revealing two very excited, festively-dressed Locksley men. Roland wore American flag sunglasses with bright red shorts and a white short-sleeved polo; she couldn't contain her smile when he looked that incredibly adorable. Robin was sporting a pair of khaki shorts and a red polo, patriotically colored boat shoes on his feet and a case of beer in each hand as his contribution to the potluck.

"Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans," Robin said happily in his best American accent. Everyone laughed in response and Regina shook her head pretending she didn't enjoy how silly he could be. He approached her suddenly, after putting the beer on the floor, and lifted her into his arms. They spun around the kitchen, Regina giggling in surprise and Robin humming the tune to 'Grand Old Flag' because he didn't know all the words. He stopped humming and said, "To the potluck we go!"

"Robin, put me down! I have to grab the pasta salad," she said, still laughing as he hoisted her higher to hang over his shoulder.

"Negative, milady. Roland: pasta. Henry: beer," he ordered playfully. The boys saluted before grabbing the designated items. "Go on now, men! We haven't much time! The British are coming! The British are coming!"

They hurried out the door and Robin closed it behind them. Regina huffed in surrender, giving in to the reality that he planned to carry her all the way to the rooftop.

They took the elevator to the top floor, using the staircase for the remaining distance to the roof. Henry held the door open as Roland entered apprehensively with his father following close behind, Regina still hanging over his shoulder. He placed her down gently, but kept his arms around her waist.

"I love you," he said and she smiled. No matter how many times he told her, she'd never grow tired of hearing it.

"I love you more," she leaned in and placed a tender kiss to his lips, which he was all too eager to reciprocate.

"You made it!" Neal shouted from the grill when he spotted the couple and their children settling into the party.

"That we did," Robin responded, releasing Regina from their embrace, but keeping a comforting hand on her lower back as they approached the other guests.

Among the people already on the roof were Neal and Emma, of course, Mary Margaret and David Nolan, Mallory and Lily Bolla, and Trina Bell. The Bollas were obviously invited for Regina's sake, although Lily happened to be close with Trina (a pixie of a woman with blonde hair and green eyes who lived on the second floor across from Emma). The Nolans were a couple who lived in the building as well with their twins, Jack and Jill, that were just a little younger than Roland and already playing with him nearby. Mary Margaret was Henry's English teacher at the high school and David was a detective in Emma's precinct.

Not long after they arrived did Jefferson Chapeau enter with his daughter, Grace. She immediately went to Henry and her father made his round of greetings before ending with Regina.

"Hello my dear," he leaned in and kissed the brunette on the cheek. He turned to Robin with a genuinely pleasant smile and said, "And you must be Robin. A pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," he shook the man's hand and continued, "I've heard a few stories from your days at university so it's nice to put a face to the name."

"She started with the peyote story, I hope," he joked and nudged Regina to which her lover laughed and nodded. "I tease. Regina has always been an exceptional person who deserves nothing less than everything."

"I couldn't agree more," Robin smiled, holding her tighter to him. "And I must compliment you, Jefferson. Grace is a very bright young lady, well-mannered. You must be very proud."

"More than you know," the man smiled, but a bit of sadness reflected in his eyes. Regina placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort, knowing exactly how he must be feeling without Alice around to see their daughter grow up.

"Jefferson!" Mallory exclaimed, approaching the group with a red plastic Solo cup in her hand.

"Mallory, darling. I feel like it's been ages. Let me take a look at you," the designer in him clearly making its presence known as he spun the blonde around. "I've always admired your taste."

"And I've always admired your compliments," she joked, kissing the man on the cheek. "So I've just been informed that Robin and Regina are now to be referred to as 'Robina.'"

"Yes, I received the formal newsletter from Emma via text," Jefferson replied and the group laughed, Robin included, while Regina rolled her eyes. Noticing her discomfort, he said, "Come Robin, let us take a walk."

"What can I get you, love?" Robin turned to the brunette with compassionate eyes.

"Whatever you're having. You know what I like," she smiled and he pecked her lips before starting toward the food table.

"Mal? Anything for you?" Jefferson asked and she shook her head raising her cup to the sky, letting that be a sign she was content with her beverage.

"So, how's it going?" Mal asked, sipping from her cup.

"It's been wonderful, actually," she replied with a soft smile. "He's wonderful."

The women moved to a table, sitting down to make small talk. She occasionally glanced over in Robin's direction to see if Jefferson was interrogating him.

The men stood around the table, gathering various little foods onto their plates. Neal and David joined them for a bit, discussing the upcoming football season (American football) and talking shop about their careers. Suddenly another man approached the table who hadn't been at the party just moments ago. He was a rather handsome gentleman, from what Robin could tell, with light brown hair. He was a bit rugged-looking, his beard slightly overgrown to match his wavy hair and his style loose and comfortable yet charming all the same.

"Sorry I'm late, fellas," he said, roughly pressing his hands into the shoulders of the men beside him.

"Graham, you handsome devil," Neal chuckled and pulled him into a handshake hug.

Emma made her way over to Regina and Mal who were deep in conversation. She hated to interrupt, but she felt a bit lonely with only Mary Margaret to talk to. Especially since Lily and Trina ran off to blow up Snapchat or whatever it was young women did.

"Hey," the blonde smiled, looking down at the slightly intimidating eyes peering up at her. "Mind if I join you?"

"It's your party," Regina said, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"I know you don't eat red meat so I had Neal stop off at the market yesterday for some turkey burgers. I'm sure other people will eat them too, but I wanted to make sure you had something," she mentioned as she sat down and the brunette sighed, slightly moved by the younger blonde's effort.

"That was thoughtful," Mal commented, most likely trying to assist in building the bridge over the gap between the women beside her.

"It was. Thank you, Emma," Regina said, her voice losing a bit of its harshness. It was like Robin said; they were civil. Until they talked about what happened, they'd never be anything more than that.

"Regina, can I speak to you for a moment?" Robin appeared beside her, nearly scaring her half to death. She jumped and placed her hand over her racing heart as she looked up at him. He looked upset, or perhaps flustered was the better word, but she couldn't tell what was bothering him.

"Of course," she nodded and turned back to the table, "Excuse me."

He led her to a spot on the roof with a bit of privacy, wanting to avoid the gazes of curious, gossiping bystanders. She tilted her head when they stopped walking, confused as ever by his sudden change in attitude.

"Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost," she held her palm to his cheek. He was hot, but it wasn't a fever. She realized then that it was rage. Robin was angry, taking deep breaths to control it. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Who is Graham Humbert to you?" He asked simply, his voice clearly struggling to remain steady. Regina was taken aback. She caught a glimpse of the cop in question from her peripherals and sighed. That was it. That moment she was dreading. The reason she didn't want to go to the barbecue in the first place.

"It's complicated," she offered before realizing that may not have been the best choice of words.

"Regina, please just answer the question," he begged, not wanting to take his anger out on her.

"I'm not sure exactly what he was to me, but whatever it was, it's in the past. I've moved on," she replied.

"You dated?"

"No. Not even once," she assured him.

"Then what? Because the minute he saw you were here-" he cut himself off to release a frustrated groan before continuing, "It was the way he looked at you, Regina. It seemed familiar and it didn't please me in the slightest."

"What do you mean?"

"It was like he knew- like he could get something from you," he said between gritted teeth.

"What are you talking about? Get what from me?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. He wasn't making any sense.

"Like he wanted to fuck you!" He said forcefully, but he retreated back to deep breathing before adding, "What bothered me was that he believed he could."

"Whatever I had with Graham in the past was purely physical. It meant nothing to me, Robin," she said, her voice soft as she stepped closer to him. "We're human, we had needs. But we all make mistakes. Graham Humbert is one of mine."

"But then why do I get the sense he thinks he can still get to you?" Robin asked, the tension in his body lessening.

"Do you blame him? You've been with me," she began, her voice low and sultry. "I'm an incredible fuck. I imagine I'm not that easy to get over."

Robin grabbed her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She knew it wasn't a heated passion by the desperation in his movements. It was devotion, commitment, respect. It was real. It was something she certainly never shared with Graham.

"Regina," he whispered when he leaned his forehead against hers, his voice serious, but gentle. "I never once, not even the first time, fucked you. You're much too precious to be treated like nothing more than a body."

"It was a time in my life when my body was all I had to offer anyone because the rest of me still belonged to Daniel," she admitted, but she wasn't sad about it; she was accepting of it.

"And now?"

"And now I'm yours. Body, mind, heart, soul, and any other part of me. All of it. It's for you," she reassured him and he was finally able to relax. "Are you okay now?"

"I will be, my love," he said taking a deep breath. "But whether you're difficult to get over or not, if he looks at you that way again, he'll have to go through me."

"Such a tough guy," Regina teased and kissed him gently before they returned to the party hand-in-hand.

After an hour, Regina decided the barbecue wasn't so bad after all. Her pasta salad was a huge success and she had to admit that the turkey burger hit the spot. She enjoyed the fruit platter and some of the vegetables provided by the other guests. She even found herself indulging in a slice of carrot cake she shared with Robin.

He sat beside her for a while, not ready to reunite with the guys until he knew he could stay calm. He hurried away when he heard Roland crying a short distance from them, having skinned his knee after tripping over an untied shoelace.

"Oi, that's a nasty cut you've got there," a voice stated from behind him while he tended to his son's scrape. He turned his head for a moment and found that it was Graham; a warm, friendly smile on his face directed at the boy. "Nothing like a father's soothing touch."

The Locksleys didn't speak, but Roland had stopped crying and decided he looked kind of cool with the cut. Whatever made the boy feel better, Robin thought. He helped his son to his feet and brushed off any dirt from his pants before letting him return to his new friends.

"How old?" Graham asked, seeming to be making polite conversation with his new neighbor.

"Seven," he replied, not sure he was ready for small talk with the ex-lover of his current significant other.

"I heard you're new to the building. I apologize I never introduced myself before," the man offered his hand and reluctantly, Robin shook it. "Third floor, yeah?"

"That's right," he said, pulling his hand away.

"I see it didn't take you long to cozy up with your neighbor in Apartment 13," he chuckled and Robin clenched his fist. Graham didn't seem to notice since he continued, "Hang on to that for as long as you can, mate."

"Excuse me?" Robin's temper was flaring. Regina was not a thing and who was he to insinuate that they wouldn't last?

"She's a real spit fire, that one. But then again, I'm sure you already know that," he shook his head, reminiscent of the many encounters he shared with the brunette. "That woman really knows how to give a man what he needs, am I right? I envy you. What I wouldn't do to get her between the sheets again... Whew."

Robin couldn't see anything, but red. He was blinded by his anger to the point that he almost didn't process his actions. But he knew what he was doing. And according to him, this bloke deserved it.

He pushed his hands against Graham's chest forcefully, the man stumbling backward from the contact and shouting, "Oi! What do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing? What are you doing?!" Robin was in his face, yelling with so much angry power that spit was landing on the man's cheeks. "You're a real wanker, ya know that? Thinking it's alright to say whatever you bloody well like about a woman."

"Come off it!" Graham yelled and pushed him out of his face. "I was trying to be friendly, ya tosser!"

"Friendly?! You think walking about asking blokes 'How's your father?' is friendly?!" He countered before Regina was by his side, her arm across his chest to pull him away from Graham.

"Robin, let it go," she said, eyes narrowing at the other man as a warning.

"What the hell is going on over here?" Emma said as she approached.

"Nothing. I'm handling it," Regina muttered, her grip tightening as she tried to use her strength to pull him away.

"Doesn't look like you're handling it," she countered with a bit of an attitude. "Looks to me like you've managed to become the center of attention, once again."

"Seriously, Emma? You want to do this right now?" She bit back, her anger rising to the same level as Robin's. The blonde stepped forward to meet the brunette face to face before Graham stopped her.

"Don't. It's not worth it," he said and added an aside under his breath, "He's just a bender who can't get a biggie for his girlfriend so he's picking a fight with someone who can."

What was meant to only be heard by the blonde was also heard by the raging man who could no longer be held back by his lover. He freed himself from her grasp, grabbed Graham by the shoulders, and turned him. The next thing he knew, his fist was pulled back gaining power and then instantly colliding with a 'crack' against his cheekbone.

"Holy shit!" Emma covered her mouth.

"Robin!" Regina shouted at him in disbelief.

Graham fell to the ground clutching the side of his face. The adrenaline coursing through Robin's veins overpowered his need to grip his throbbing fist. Mary Margaret and David gathered the children and escorted them from the rooftop to their apartment, Jefferson and Mallory instructing Grace and Henry to go as well. Neal had stepped up now, pushing Robin away from his fallen victim and urging him to calm down.

"Damn it, Regina!" Emma yelled in frustration.

"How is this my fault?!" She cried, standing between her lover and the woman she was arguing with. Their next exchange happened so quickly it felt like watching a tennis match, their words volleying back and forth with great power.

"Why can't you just leave your baggage at home where it belongs?!"

"My baggage?! When are you going to acknowledge your own? You're only upset I slept with Graham because you never could!"

"I'm upset because I found you fucking him when he was supposed to be with me!"

"Have you ever thought that maybe you should be upset with him instead of me?! I didn't know he was supposed to be at work. How should I have known, Emma?"

"I put my life on the line and he wasn't there to have my back because he was too busy banging yours against the wall!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Regina yelled so loudly that everyone on the roof cringed. It was silent for a moment before she spoke again, her tone still harsh, but her volume not nearly as excessive. "He never told me he skipped a stakeout with you to be with me. I was told, by Graham, that you were both sent home early that night. That's the only reason I went. I never would have gone if I knew it would put you in danger. But if you ask me, you had a really shitty partner and you were too blinded by your own jealousy to see that I did nothing wrong."

Regina turned on her heels in the midst of the silence and walked toward the exit. She didn't bother to look at anyone, not even Robin. She didn't know how to deal with anything or what she could even say to anyone after that. All she knew was that she was right: they never should have gone to the barbecue.

A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for your kind reviews of Modern Fairytale so far. It's actually a story I've written in completion and posted to wattpad, but I made this account specifically because I know it reaches a wider fan base. I'm thrilled you all seem to be enjoying it and forgive me for my ignorance; I'm still getting used to the site. I can't wait to read what you all think as the story continues. Xoxo.

British Slang Key:

- Bender: derogatory term for male homosexual, like "poof"

- Biggie: erection

- 'How's your father?': euphemism for sex

- Tosser: like wanker, derogatory term for male masturbator