"Have we decided on a name yet?" one of the nurses asks as Mary Margret is learning to breastfeed her son.
Both parents look down at their nursing son and then at each other.
"Jacob," Mary Margret says.
"Jacob Leon Robert Nolan," David says with a smile.
"That is quite a handsome name," the nurse says gently. "I'll come back for him later."
Soon the couple is left on their own once more. They can't keep their eyes off their son. Their hospital room is filled with presents from their friends and David's phone is buzzing with congratulatory messages from officers at the station.
"He looks so much like you," Mary Margret whispers, stroking her son's tiny cheek. A few tears roll down her cheeks. "I just wish Emma was here to meet him."
"Me too," David says, kissing his wife's head. "But keep hoping for the best, without hope, you have lost everything."
The new mother nods and watches her son sleep peacefully in her arms.
"He is our new beacon of hope," she whispers.
…
"Sir are you sure that this is your license plate number?" August asks over the phone. He sits in a coffee shop with his laptop and a notepad open. He had just got in touch with the man in Connecticut who claimed that his plates were switched a few weeks back.
The voice on the other end confirms it.
"Thank you so much sir and where were you when this happened?"
As the private investigator listens to the response, he sees a redhead and a light-haired man walk in together. He recognizes the redhead from the hospital, one of Emma's friends, but the man is new. He doesn't think much of it until they sit down with their coffees together, within eavesdropping distance of the PI. He tries to take notes from the witness on the phone, but the redhead begins speaking very loudly, limiting his hearing.
"Robin, if you really want this custody crap to be over with, just hire me," Zelena was saying.
"I don't know Zelena…" Robin says, sipping his coffee.
"Robin, I'm a fully qualified lawyer and I've hardly ever lost a case. Divorce cases are my specialty. I helped Regina through her two divorces."
Robin's blue eyes go wide.
"R-Regina was married?"
"Yeah twice," Zelena says, her red lips curling into a smile. "Very long and drawn out cases, the finances were the biggest problem."
"Why… why did they end?"
"I think both were over infidelity…" Zelena pauses. "Her mostly, but one of the reasons the second one listed on the papers was that she was very controlling and manipulative."
The personal trainer takes a deep sip of coffee, trying to process this information. Regina didn't seem like that type of person at all. She seemed like a sweet and selfless woman. Hardly to be considered controlling or manipulative.
"But the caboose on that train wreck was that she couldn't have children, that was actually one of the reasons her first husband gave…"
Robin again doesn't want to speak. He knows this isn't right, talking about Regina's private life like this and yet Zelena keeps going on and on, bashing her half-sister in every way that she can. In fact, most of their current conversations were about how bad Regina was or how selfish she could be. This could hardly be considered a date, Zelena had kind of forced him to accompany her to the coffee shop, but it certainly didn't feel very romantic or interesting. Robin found himself staring into Zelena's blue eyes, thinking about anything but her… and more specifically anyone.
Suddenly, Zelena's phone rings and she answers it without hesitation.
"Hello?" she says. "Yes… yes… oh really… Does he want to settle? That's great I'll be right over," she hangs up and looks at her reluctant "date" with his coffee.
"I'm really sorry Robin, but that was the firm and the opposing client wants to settle. I have to go," she explains, pulling her things together.
"That's… perfectly all right," he says. However, inside of him, he feels great relief.
"I'll text you later," she says, kissing him on the cheek before heading out the door.
August had been watching this interaction, pretending to be typing something, but really listening in. He could tell that Zelena had some sort of ulterior motive. After studying so many clients for so long, he could tell based on body language and tone of voice when someone was genuine or not. He knew Zelena had some interest in Robin, but no romantically. This was all for revenge against Regina. She just wanted to get under her half-sister's skin by pretending to date him and bashing her at any chance she got. It was meant to ruin Regina's chance of being with this man and then maybe, her cold revenge dish would be served.
Cold hearted witch, August thought to himself as he typed something into his computer. He kept an eye on this Robin from the corner of his eye. Clearly, this poor man was overwhelmed and very confused, he was merely a pawn in this villainous redhead's game. From the information that the PI had heard, the man was having a hard enough time on his own with a divorce and custody, the last thing he needed was some vixen trying to use him to get even with her sister.
Robin eventually finishes his coffee and leaves the shop. He's on his way up the street when he spots a pale-faced woman with long raven hair walking along, coming over to his side of the street. Her dark eyes recognize his face and her red lips pull into a smile.
"Robin?" she says.
"Hello Regina,"
"How are you?"
"I'm alright, I suppose," he answers.
"You suppose?" Regina says, cocking her head to the side. "Is something wrong with Roland?"
Is she actually concerned for my child? Robin thinks to himself.
"Uh no, I've just had a rather hard day, Marian has been non-stop with the phone calls and half my trainees didn't show up today. And on top of that, I've had the most unpleasant conversation with someone on what I think was kind of a date."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she says sympathetically. She then gets a pleasant smile on her face. "Would you like to see something to cheer you up?"
Robin swallows. He begins to get lost in Regina's deep brown eyes. His heart races as he takes on her beautiful face.
How could someone so beautiful be so manipulative and have two failed marriages?
"Uh, Robin?" Regina says in confusion. "Earth to Robin."
"Sorry," he says, coming out of his trance. "Sure, I would like that very much."
"Just let me get a coffee and I'll show you something that will make your day."
…
"He is really handsome," Robin says. He stands at the window looking into the nursery in the hospital. Jacob is on the far right in his tiny little hat and swaddled in a hospital blanket. Several other babies around him cry, but he waves his tiny fist around as if trying to get someone's attention.
"He certainly was very sturdy, considering what his mother went through in the past month," Regina says. "He also has a pair of lungs."
"He definitely has his father's eyes," Robin comments, a smile on his face. Regina had been right, this did make him feel better, seeing a brand-new life wiggle and explore, so small and innocent. It reminds him of how much of a blessing life is and how sometimes you have to stop and look for the smaller and happier joys in life.
"He really does," she sighs. Regina swallows a large lump in her throat, thinking that this was as close as she would ever get to holding a baby.
"He reminds me of Roland," Robin says reflectively. "He gave us quite a scare, coming a few weeks earlier than expected. I always thought that he was in a rush to see the world. He's still like that now, always curious."
Regina forces a smile on her face, but tears are welling up in her eyes.
She turns away from the window and starts to walk away.
"R-Regina," her companion says, rushing to catch up with her. Her reaches out and touches her shoulder.
"Leave me alone," she whispers.
"Not when a woman is crying like this," Robin says. He forces Regina to turn around and face him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing that you would understand," she says quietly, wiping a few tears from her eyes. She tries to turn away again, but Robin keeps her facing him. She keeps downcast at her shoes and the floor.
"Regina, if your hurting, it's better to tell someone about it… I promise I won't judge you. I can lend a sympathetic ear like you did for me."
Regina doesn't want to look at Robin, she's too embarrassed and she's afraid. She doesn't want to drag him into her problems, especially since he already had a life of his own with a child… while she… was sleeping on a camp bed in her friend's apartment and had a man who was hardly ever around for her to talk with. Her life was just a complicated mess, something this nice and handsome man didn't need.
"Regina," Robin warns. "I won't let go until you tell me."
She locks eyes with this man and her heart melts. His bold blue eyes and strong chin made her just want to fall into his arms and never have him let her go. She wanted Robin so badly, but her life, in general, was so complicated and it already seemed like Zelena had her sights set on him anyways. It made her sad and angry at the same time, but one look at Robin's eyes and she gave in.
She told him everything that was bothering her, from not having a child to her unstable relationship and everything in between. She told him that she felt so empty and those stupid mistakes she made in her teens cost her what should be one of the best experiences of her life. She even goes as far to tell him about her failed marriages, unknowingly unraveling her sister's lies. The two sit in some chairs in the hospital, Regina's head on Robin's shoulder as he listens. She feels so at home with him. She feels she can trust him and that he won't judge her for any reason. She just wants to hold him tight and never let him go. She wants him for herself, and yet he had his own problems, a wife, a child, a career… everything that made her life so inferior to his.
When she's done talking, the two sit in silence, watching the doctors and nurses move around the hospital doing their jobs, ignoring the two people with very messy lives and very complicated problems.
"I'm really sorry you feel so awful Regina," Robin says. "It must not be easy to endure such tragedies in your life. I really wish there was a way I could make you feel better."
Regina leans up from Robin's shoulder, becoming lost in his eyes. Very slowly the two lean forward and their lips meet. For a brief moment, the world becomes quiet and the two people with very messy lives become one, lost in the love and comfort both provided.
Sorry if this chapter isn't very good, it's more of a filler. I was really distracted by the Oscars tonight. Peace to all, good night.