Chapter 4: A Celebration
"Do you need to go into the studio today?" Robin asked as Regina silenced her alarm. He propped himself up on his elbow as he looked at her.
She picked up her phone, finding a message from Nimue there. Regina shook her head. "I've been instructed not to come into the studio until tomorrow. They're probably trying to figure out what to do with Percy."
He frowned. "It's not complicated. He needs to be taken off the show. Period."
"I know," she said, wishing it could be just as simple as that. "But we both also know how contracts work as well."
"Right," he replied with a sigh. "They are probably deep in negotiations with whatever team Percy has left."
Regina nodded, checking her phone again. "Since Nimue said I should still come in tomorrow, I guess they're hoping to have it resolved by then."
"There's only one way to resolve this," Robin said. "You should not be forced to dance with him. Same for Anna."
"Definitely," she agreed, curling against him. He laid back down and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead as she smiled. "Well, now I have the day to spend with you and the boys."
He grinned as well. "I like the sound of that. What do you want to do?"
She bit her lip as she thought about it. "Roland has been mentioning a hayride not far from here. Maybe we could all do that," she said.
"I think that sounds great," he replied. "Unplug for a bit and keep Percy's fallout far from us."
"Yeah," she agreed. "I don't think I want to even open Twitter now."
"Then don't. Just close your eyes and get some more sleep. Then we can let the boys know our plan and head out there, all without ever checking social media," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her. "Deal?"
She chuckled before nodding. "Deal."
He kissed the top of her head. "Then sweet dreams, sweetheart. I'll see you in a few more hours."
"Sweet dreams, Robin," she replied, closing her eyes. "See you then."
They drifted back off to sleep together, wrapped up in each other's arms.
"Okay, we need to find some place that makes candy apples," Regina said, finishing the one she got from the farm. "I think they might be my first craving."
Robin chuckled as he hit the button to open the gates to their house. "I'll keep that in mind. If it is in my power, I promise you will have all the candy apples you want."
"You're the best," she said, grinning at him before he drove up the driveway to the house.
"I'm not going to complain," Roland said, finishing off his candy apple as well. Regina glanced behind and chuckled, seeing how red his face was. He had a date with a facecloth as soon as they walked into the house. And so did Henry, though his face wasn't as bad as his stepbrother's.
Robin put the car into park and turned off the engine. "Here we are! What else do we want to do today?"
"Can we eat outside? And have a game night?" Roland asked, bouncing in his seat as he unbuckled himself.
"That actually sounds like a lot of fun," Henry said. "Maybe we could also play some music too?"
Robin chuckled, nodding. "Of course we can."
They all climbed out of the car as Emma and Killian exited the house to meet them. Both looked excited to talk to them and Regina wondered what had happened while they were gone. "What's up?" she asked them.
"You need to check social media," Emma said, motioning to Regina's bag.
Confusion filled her before a pang of dread hit her, wondering what Percy had said now. Robin wrapped his arm around Regina and she looked up to find he was frowning. "We agreed on no social media today. It doesn't seem to be a good place right now."
"And usually I would agree but today seems to be an exception," Emma replied.
Killian nodded. "It seems Percy's statements ignited something on social media but rather than ganging up on him or even supporting him, the majority are supporting and celebrating women."
"That sounds really great," Regina said, curious now. She pulled out her phone as Robin did the same. She opened Twitter while he checked Instagram.
"Everyone is using the hashtag Women Belong," Emma told them. "There are the few obligatory trolling Women Belong in the Kitchen or something dirty but most are really, really positive. Across all the platforms."
Regina bit her lip as clicked on the hashtag, finding it trending worldwide. Several tweets popped up and she started to scroll it, reading tweets from people honoring and celebrating the women in their lives. Her heart melted as she felt happiness surge through her. "These are so sweet," she said.
"They are," Robin agreed, scrolling through posts on Instagram. "We need more positivity like this these days."
"You should check out your mentions, Regina," Emma said, tapping her phone. "I think you'll like them."
Regina glanced down at the icon, her eyes widening when she saw how many notifications she had. "I've been mentioned a lot, it seems."
Emma nodded. "Your Royal Court has not let you down."
"Nor have your colleagues and friends," Killian added. "A lot of people have celebrated you."
"I see that," Robin said, still scrolling through Instagram. "I'm starting to feel like a shitty husband."
She chuckled, kissing his cheek. "I can assure you that you are far from that. You have been an amazing husband and you don't need an Instagram post to prove it."
"Aww," he replied, hugging her. "Thank you."
"But it would still be nice if you posted about me too," she said, teasing him as she winked at him.
He laughed, nodding. "Alright. I'll find the perfect picture and post it with the most amazing caption."
"The show is doing a lot of restructuring for Monday," Killian told her. "Tomorrow is likely going to be a long day. I think we're going to have to learn some new routines in a short time."
"Well, I'm up for it," she said, knowing she was likely out of the competition. It was just group numbers for her until the finale, especially as she was sure that Percy was not going to be asked back for that.
Claire appeared in the doorway, looking amused. "Why don't you all come inside? I'm sure you'll be more comfortable sitting on couches rather than standing around the driveway."
"Yeah," Robin agreed. He motioned to their boys. "Come on. Let's head inside."
"Can I see some of the posts too?" Henry asked, leaning against his mother as he peered over her shoulder.
She chuckled. "We can look at them together. How's that?"
"Sounds good," he replied, heading inside with Emma and Killian. Roland took Regina's hand and they headed in with Robin, all ready to continue their relaxing day. It seemed that something good had come out of her partner's disastrous interview after all.
Percy's hateful words certainly had spurned a lot of love.
Regina scrolled through Twitter and Instagram, astonished at all the posts dedicated to proving Percy wrong and celebrating women. Some highlighted great women from history and those who were current public figures but most praised the women in their lives from mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, teachers, neighbors, coworkers and more. A lump formed in her throat and tears ran down her cheeks as she read heartfelt words honoring all these extraordinary ordinary women.
But the ones she loved most were about the women she knew.
The show really seized on the chance to have some positive publicity and flooded the hashtag with posts celebrating several women on the show. Each female pro was given her own post and Regina smiled at the compilation of her dances the show put together for the post. They did the same with her colleagues and she marveled at some of Tink's earlier routines - the petite dancer certainly was spry and daring.
August posted about Belle, praising his co-host and the show had added a video of her as both a contestant and a host. The show also tweeted about Ingrid as well as the judges. David echoed the show's comments before adding a post about his wife. In it, he gushed about Mary Margaret and how lucky he was to be married to her.
While she thought it was sweet, she was still going to tease him mercilessly about it. After all, that's what sisters and brothers did.
Killian and the other male dancers also posted homages to their colleagues. He also posted a lovely picture of Emma from Regina and Robin's wedding, writing a beautiful tribute to her as well. Regina knew she would tease him as well but for now, she was so happy that her friend had found someone who loved her as much as Robin loved Regina.
But she had to admit reading all the posts about her was her favorite part. They warmed her heart and made her smile so hard she thought her face was going to crack. She laid curled up on the couch as she scrolled through her mentions, noting who made posts about her. Most came from her Royal Court but there were also many from her colleagues and former competitors. Past partners also commented and Graham put out a lovely tribute to her, calling her his favorite partner.
"You still looking through all the posts?" Robin asked, handing her a cup of tea. He then sat down next to her on the couch.
She nodded as she sat up, sipping her tea. "There are so many great posts. It's so amazing."
"I agree," he said. "Very positive today. Especially all the ones about you."
"I do love them," she agreed. "But I'm a bit disappointed. Someone very close to me hasn't posted about me yet."
He sipped his tea as he raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? When was the last time you checked?"
She knew what that meant - he had recently posted. Giving him a look, she went back to his Instagram account and checked out his latest posts. There was a picture of him as a toddler with Claire paired with a picture of the two of them at his and Regina's wedding. He had written a lovely tribute to his mother and she choked up reading it. "Have you shown your mother this?" she asked.
"I have," he replied. "She cried."
"I'm sure. I'm choked up just reading it," she said, scrolling to the next post that was dedicated to his bandmate Mulan.
After his post about Mulan, she saw a picture of Marian. Robin still did not publicly share much about his life with his first wife even after revealing his relationship with her during their season of Dancing With the Stars. So she knew he really supported the movement if he was willing to post a picture of Marian, showing her working with her nonprofit organization, and talk about her - praising her selflessness, her loving personality and how vibrant she had been as well as how good a mother she had been to Roland.
It was times like this that Regina wished she had been able to meet Marian. She believed they would've been good friends.
Then she got to Robin's latest post and her smile grew even bigger as she swiped through the pictures. First was the two of them dancing their tango on the show and then there was a picture of them kissing after winning the mirrorball trophy, confetti frozen around them. It was followed by a picture from their wedding day, the two of them posing by a tree. His arm was wrapped around her as she leaned against him, their foreheads touching and their eyes closed while they smiled. Next was a picture of her cuddling on the couch with Henry and Roland, the picture clearly taken without any of them noticing. And last was a black and white picture of her in their dance studio, dancing on her own.
She was already choked up before she read the caption and when she did, tears started to roll down her cheeks.
And finally, I want to celebrate my partner, my queen, my wife - Regina_Mills
My life changed the moment I walked into that rehearsal room and met you, my partner for Dancing With the Stars. I had hoped to leave the show with the mirrorball trophy and a new friend but I got so much more. Not only did I get the mirrorball trophy, I left with a second chance at love with the other half of my soul.
"The other half of your soul?" she asked, sniffling.
Robin nodded, reaching over and taking her hand. "You are my soulmate. I feel complete when I'm with you."
"I feel the same," she replied, letting him gently pull her until she was resting against him. He wrapped his arm around her as she continued to read his caption.
I am honored that you agreed to share your life with me and that I get to see what the rest of the world only gets glimpses of on the show. You are the most amazing wife, dancer, Majesty and Mom ever. But most importantly, you are the one and only Regina Mills. There is no one like you and anyone who can't see how special you are is either blind or, frankly, an idiot.
"Couldn't help but get in that dig at Percy there I see," she said, looking up at Robin through her tears.
He chuckled, giving her a quick kiss. "Of course not. He's an idiot and deserves to be called one."
She turned her attention back to the screen. "True. Let me read what else you wrote."
I love you so much and as always, you lead and I will follow. #WomenBelong wherever their dreams can take them.
"I love you too," she said, setting the phone down and turning to face him. She straddled him as she took his face in her hands. "So, so much."
He placed his hands on her back as they closed the gap between them, kissing each other. Robin held her close as they exchanged slow kisses and she hoped he enjoyed the intimacy as much as she did. She was so grateful she got to spend her life with him and experience this every day.
Robin broke the kiss and rubbed her back. "Do you feel up to a dance?"
"A dance?" she asked, intrigued. "What kind of dance?"
"Well, I have a song in mind and I'll play it for you then you can tell me what style would fit it best," he said, gently moving her so he could stand. He held out his hand to her and grinned. "Coming?"
She took his hand and let him help her stand. "Absolutely."
"Follow me then," he said, lacing his fingers with hers. He led her to his studio before releasing her hand to approach the stereo. Robin pressed play and a song filled the room.
Regina heard a familiar voice and she grinned. "Is this a new one of yours?"
He shook his head as he approached her. "This is an old one. Not as popular as some of my other ones but I thought it appropriate after yesterday."
"Is that so?" she asked, listening to the words. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She leaned against him, nodding. "Yeah. It's appropriate."
"And what dance style do you think fits this best?" he asked her.
She listened to the melody and debated in her mind, torn between a waltz and a rumba. The waltz was graceful and beautiful but the rumba held a special place in her heart, especially when it came to Robin. It was during their rumba on the show that she realized she was in love with him and he was in love with her.
"Rumba," she said. "I think a rumba would work for this song."
"It's been a while since we've done a rumba," he said, grinning. "Sounds good to me."
She nodded. "Are you going to start the song over or we just going to start mid-song?"
He chuckled, jogging back over to the stereo. "I'll start it over and then you can just let me know what moves we're going to do as the song plays."
"I lead and you follow, right?" she asked, though she knew the answer. She followed him over to the stereo.
"I think this time I would like to lead," he said, starting the song over. "If you don't mind?"
She looked him over, knowing he had come a long way when it came to dancing even after the show had ended. Regina nodded. "Alright. You lead and I'll follow."
They entered hold and Regina counted them in. Robin stepped forward and she moved backwards as they started with some basic steps. She let them do that for a few beats as she drank in the lyrics.
As the first verse came to a close, they were moving more and really rocking their hips in rhythm to the music. Robin led them in the cucarachas and she smiled, impressed with how far he had come as a dancer. She followed his lead as they started their next move ahead of the chorus. He released her hand and she went into the New York easily before he held up her arm, indicating he wanted her to do a hockey stick.
As she walked under his arm, he lowered his hand so her arm was wrapped around her chest. He then pulled her closer to him, his left arm lying on top of her arm while his right hand rested on her hip, stopping her hockey stick halfway through. Robin rocked his hips against hers and she matched his rhythm as warmth pooled deep inside her.
He pressed his forehead against her head, kissing her head as she closed her eyes for a few moments. She felt safe and loved as he held her close, humming in her ear. Ever since he had entered her life, Regina knew that he was always there for her. For a moment, she recalled the terrifying night that Sidney Glass had broken into her house and how Robin had come running the moment Henry had called. He had held her as panic and fear coursed through her and then took her home, comforting her and keeping her safe the entire time.
She was certain that if Percy were to come into that room right then, she would still be safe and unharmed.
Robin raised her arms as he whispered: "Sliding doors."
"Yes, sir," she replied teasingly, moving to the left as he moved to the right and swayed her hips. They then switched positions, doing the same thing until he released her hands. She stepped away from him with rumba walks and he stood there, watching her as he swayed in Cuban rocks.
He held out his hand to her and she took it again, letting him pull her closer to him again. "This is the perfect choice," he told her.
"So is the song," she replied, quickly kissing his cheek. She knew he tended to express himself best with music and now was no different.
She twisted her hips against him as they moved in small squares in the middle of his dancefloor. He held her close, their bodies moving together as he kissed her forehead again as the chorus began again. Robin then whispered: "What's the move where we opened up but still held hands as we faced the judges?"
"Fallaway," she said. She released his hand and they stepped away from each other, creating a small V with their bodies. "Now what?"
"Ladies' choice," he replied. She tried not to laugh as she figured he had run out of choreography and that was his way to turn it over to her.
Regina took the lead as she said: "Three Alemanas. Do you remember how to do it?"
"I believe so," he replied. "Let's do it."
She walked toward him and he lifted his arm so she could cross under it. He then twirled her three times before she walked under his arm once more. As she finished, they went back into hold and into the three threes. She twisted her hips as she moved until she was pressed against his side, the two facing each other. They moved together for a few beats before she moved away again, twisting her hips as she did so.
Regina gripped onto Robin's arms as he twirled her around in a circle. She spread out her legs and closed her eyes, almost feeling for a moment as if she was flying. All her cares and worries were forgotten at that moment. Only Robin and the music existed for her, making her feel even lighter.
Robin pulled Regina back up into hold. He spun her around and then pulled her against him so they ended with Robin's arms wrapped around Regina and her back pressed to his. He held her close, kissing her neck and then the side of her head. "You can always count on me," he whispered.
"I know," she said, even though she found that a bit cheesy. "I love you."
He kissed her, spreading his fingers out over her flat stomach. She smiled against his lips, thinking about their baby and eager to become a mother again with Robin by her side. At least they had some joy amidst the clusterfuck that the current season of Dancing With the Stars had been for her.
She broke the kiss, gently bopping his nose with hers. "Shall we go take a bath before heading to bed?"
"I think that sounds perfect," he said, taking her hand. "Let's go."
They left the studio and she leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around her and she smiled up at him. "You're still my favorite partner," she told him.
"And you're still mine as well," he replied. "I couldn't imagine dancing with anyone else."
Robin led her upstairs and she peeked into her son's room. Henry looked up from the comic he was reading and smiled. "Bedtime?"
"Yep," she said. "If you've brushed your teeth, five minutes then lights out. If not, put the comic down and go do that."
He set the comic book down and climbed out of bed, hugging Regina. "Goodnight, Mom."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," she said, glad he still liked to hug her. "Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Robin," Henry then said, releasing her to hug his stepfather. Robin told him to have a goodnight as he hugged him back.
After Henry disappeared into the bathroom, Robin and Regina moved onto Roland's room. Their younger son was already sound asleep in bed, his own book fallen to the wayside. Regina stepped forward and picked it up, marking his place for him before setting it aside. She kissed his forehead as Robin tucked him in, kissing his forehead as well. "Sweet dreams, my boy," he whispered.
Once they left Roland's room, Robin and Regina headed to the bathroom. He ran them a bath as she shed her clothes. After he helped her into the water, he quickly took off his own clothes and climbed in with her. She settled between his legs, her back pressed against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "This is nice," she sighed.
"It is," he agreed, kissing the side of her head. "This is a perfect way to end the day."
"I miss this when you're away," she told him. "This and falling asleep in your arms. I feel a lot better when you're here."
He hummed in response, kissing her shoulder. "I feel a lot better when I'm here too. I definitely sleep better."
"I've slept on your tour bus," she replied. "It's definitely not as comfortable as our bed."
"It was almost as comfortable when you were there," he said. "And the boys seemed to love their beds."
She chuckled. "The boys loved sleeping on a tour bus."
"True," he agreed. "And they weren't there long enough for the novelty to wear off. And likely, they will never be on it long enough for that."
"Is that your secret for staying cool forever?' she asked him, glancing up at him to give him a teasing smile.
"Oh, damn, you figured out my secret plan," he replied in deadpan before kissing her. "I much prefer being home."
She sighed, cuddling against him. "I prefer you being at home as well."
"Well, you're going to have me home for a long time," he said. "I've already spoken to Tuck and we'll talk with the band, but we likely won't tour for a while. I want to be here for every moment of our child's first months on earth."
Regina had known that would be how he would proceed - after all, he had done it when Roland had been born. Still, it touched her and she felt a sense of relief knowing that her husband wouldn't be rushing off to a tour while she dealt with an infant. "Good."
"Though by the end of that time, you might be pushing me back onto that tour bus," he joked.
"You might be running onto that bus," she told him, joking right back with him. "Escape the insanity."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer. "Or we're just going to be so stupidly happy with our perfect family we'll never want to leave the house again."
She hummed, smiling as she imagined the two of them enjoying their lives with their three children. Then she imagined their two sons dealing with their parents being home a lot more and chuckled. "Then our sons will probably push us out so they could have some time without us. And Emma will help them."
"My mother too," he agreed. "But that will be okay. We can just go have a nice dinner and wait for them to cool down."
"Glad we already have a plan," she said, laughing at the turn their conversation took.
He laughed as well before kissing her head again. "I know how much you love a good plan."
"I do," she said. "But no more plans for now. I just want to relax with you."
"Alright, sweetheart," he replied and she felt him relax as well. "We can do that."
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth from his body and the water seep into her bones. Regina felt herself relax more and she smiled, perfectly content with her life.
"I have an important announcement to make," Nimue said, standing in the middle of the dancefloor. Everyone gathered around though Regina suspected that they all knew what the announcement was. After all, there was a very conspicuous absence.
"You probably have noticed that Percy is not here," she continued. "The show has made the decision to disqualify Percy. He has therefore been immediately eliminated from the competition. Percy has also been banned from the show. So I think we should all give Regina a round of applause for all the work she did with him this season."
Everyone gathered applauded her and Killian let out a whistle. Though it wasn't how Regina imagined leaving a season, she was relieved as she took her bow. She could stay far away from Percy Pellinore at last.
"We are making some last minute changes to tomorrow's show," Nimue continued as Ingrid stepped up to stand next to her. "There's going to be a new group number and Regina, I want to talk with you about Percy's routine. I think you should still get a chance to show it off on the telecast and I want your opinion on who you want to dance it with."
Surprised but pleased, Regina nodded. She was glad her Argentine tango would still get a chance to be seen. Her mind began to consider who she wanted to dance with for the show. It would likely have to be either a member of the troupe or a pro who was already eliminated, which ruled out both Killian and Walsh - her two most common partners in group dances. Thomas was the third and so she likely would request him, though she wasn't sure she would have the same fire in her tango the audience was used to from her. Killian came the closest but if she were honest, there was only one partner who would really help her bring her tango to life.
And she had a feeling Nimue would agree to him.
Ingrid clapped her hands together. "Alright, we need to adjust the opening number since Percy won't be here and there's a new group number I want to teach everyone before we run through the show. So let's get started."
"We'll talk later," Nimue told Regina. "Come find me before you leave, okay?"
Regina nodded, seeing Ingrid approach out of the corner of her eye. "Will do. Thanks, Nimue."
Nimue walked away as Regina turned to Ingrid, who pointed to Thomas. "You can pair with him for the opening now, okay?"
"Sounds good," Regina said, heading over to Thomas. She pushed thoughts of Percy and her tango from her mind as she focused only on the opening number.
It was time to work.
"Thank you for having us over!" Mary Margaret said, hugging Regina tightly. Regina chuckled, hugging her stepsister back as well.
"I feel a bit better coming here now that you're no longer in the competition," David said, standing behind Mary Margaret as he held a squirming Neal in his arms. "This way I can't be accused of favoritism."
Regina rolled her eyes as she released her stepsister to take Neal from David. "Oh, please. I doubt anyone would accuse you of that. You squeak when you walk."
He chuckled. "Fair enough."
"And how are you, Neal?" Regina asked, addressing her young nephew now.
"Good!" he chirped, hugging her. "I missed you, Aunt Regina."
Her heart melted a bit as she kissed his cheek. "I missed you too. I'm so glad you and your parents are here."
Neal struggled against her hold and she set him down, watching as he ran over to his Uncle Robin. He held up his arms and Robin picked him up, giving him a hug. Meanwhile, Henry was hugging David while Roland hugged Mary Margaret. They were all one big happy family, something she had never thought would happen when she was a teenager hating every moment she spent living under Leopold Blanchard's roof.
It certainly was a pleasant surprise.
"So, wait, is it official? Percy is off the show?" Emma asked, looking between Regina and Killian.
They both nodded. "It will be announced on the show tomorrow but he's been disqualified," Regina explained.
"Does that mean you won't be dancing?" Mary Margaret asked, looking at Regina with a frown.
Robin frowned as he slung his arm around Henry. "No one will get to see the tango we choreographed?"
"They will," she said, wanting to talk about that with him later. "Don't worry."
He nodded, looking somewhat placated. "Good. It's a damn good tango, if I say so myself."
"Well, I look forward to seeing it," David said. "And not having to judge it so I can just enjoy it."
Claire stepped out of the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, so if everyone wants to take a seat, we can get started."
"Thank you, Claire," Regina said, grateful for her mother-in-law's hard work. "I appreciate this and I'm sorry I couldn't help."
"Oh, nonsense," Claire replied, hugging Regina. "You had enough on your plate this week."
Regina nodded, knowing that was true. "Well, I'll have less starting tomorrow so I can help out more around the house now."
Claire glanced down at Regina's midsection. "We'll have to see about that."
It seemed her mother-in-law was still in overprotective Mama Bear mode over her pregnancy.
Everyone settled around the dining room table with Neal seated between Regina and his mother. Regina sat next to Robin as she looked out over the dinner Claire had made, feeling even more guilty. She really owed her mother-in-law and needed to find a way to thank her for everything she had been doing.
Regina sipped her seltzer as she looked around the table at her family. It had certainly grown from her, Emma and Henry sitting at their kitchen table. Now she had a loving husband, a stepson who she loved as her own, and a mother-in-law who cared for her - even if she was a little too overprotective at the moment. She had also reconnected with her stepsister and developed a relationship with her and her family. And Emma had found love. It sometimes was still surreal that it was with Killian Jones but as long as he kept making her friend happy, Regina was okay with it.
She would never ask for a different family. Hers was perfect.
Well, almost.
"I have an announcement to make," Regina said, wanting to share her good news with the rest of her family. She took Robin's hand and he smiled as he squeezed her hand. Taking a deep breath, she said: "I'm pregnant!"
Mary Margaret's head whipped toward Regina and her mouth fell open. "Really?"
"Wait, is that why you really passed out last week?" David asked, tilting his head as he smiled knowingly.
"Yes," Regina replied, rolling her eyes but not surprised that it would be his first comment. "It contributed to my low blood sugar."
Mary Margaret stood and hurried over to Regina's chair. Standing, Regina caught her stepsister as she threw her arms around her. "Oh, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations, Regina!"
"Thank you," Regina said, hugging her. "We're all very excited to welcome a new member to our family."
After releasing Regina, Mary Margaret then hugged Robin. "And congratulations to you, Robin! Are you excited to become a dad again?"
"I am," he replied. "Being Roland's father and Henry's stepfather has been the greatest honor of my life. And I can't wait to have another child to love and cherish."
Regina's insides melted a bit as she glanced over at Roland and Henry. Both beamed at Robin's words and it made her heart swell a little, knowing how much Henry looked to Robin as a father figure in his life.
"Congratulations, Regina," David said, hugging her now. "I take it the show knows?"
She nodded. "Obviously Killian knows. I told him because we're often paired together in group numbers. Ursula also knows as does Ingrid. We're keeping who knows limited right now but I'll likely tell the others before we go public."
"Sounds good," he replied. "No one will hear anything from me."
"Thanks, David," she said, reaching out to take his hand. "I knew I could trust you."
He nodded before frowning. "Did Percy know you were pregnant?"
"Thankfully no," Regina replied. "We were going to tell him this week but fate kept intervening. So then I was going to tell him if we survived elimination tomorrow but Percy took that out of everyone's hands."
David let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I wouldn't put it past him to blab it before you and Robin were ready to announce it."
"That was our worry as well," she said. "We were going to have Mal, Nimue and Tuck threaten him to kingdom come and back."
He crossed his arm. "That could've worked or could've blown up in your face. Percy is very volatile."
She sighed, knowing he had a point. "True. But at least we don't have to worry about it now."
"And we're all grateful for that," Claire said, standing. "Now, who wants dessert?"
Everyone's hands went up and she chuckled, heading into the kitchen. Emma followed her and Regina knew she would have a better chance of getting Claire to let her help. Mary Margaret looped her arm with Regina's, looking up at her with a bright smile. "So, when are you due?"
Regina sat down with Mary Margaret, answering her questions about her pregnancy as Claire brought out the desserts with Emma's help. Neal also loudly declared that her new baby was going to be his best friend, which made everyone chuckle though it warmed Regina's heart. It was the perfect end to a weekend that had a rather shocking start.
"That was a lovely evening," Regina said, climbing into bed that night. "We should have Mary Margaret and them over more often."
Robin tucked his hand under his head, chuckling. "I agree. Especially now that you won't be competing on the show next season. It won't look like favoritism if you're seen spending time with a judge."
"True," she replied, curling next to him. She rested her hand on his chest as she sighed. "Though it's David. No one ever accuses him of favoritism even though I'm technically his sister-in-law."
"I know, but the show wants us to be careful," he reminded her.
She sighed. "True. But you're right. I don't have to follow their rules for at least a year. And that sounds like a vacation honestly."
"It does," he agreed. "You know, you can always stop doing the show if you want. You can open that school you've always wanted."
Regina smiled as she thought of the dance school she had dreamed of owning since she realized her competition career was drawing to close. But she still did enjoy competing on the show and wasn't sure she was ready to stop. "I'll have to think about it," she said.
"Alright," he replied. "Whatever you do, I'll support you."
"I know. And I love you for it," she said, raising her head to kiss him. He responded eagerly, carding his fingers through her hair.
They broke apart and Robin eased her back down. "Time to get some sleep before our baby decides they didn't like dinner after all."
"Don't give them any ideas," Regina said, closing her eyes. She sensed when Robin turned off the lights and sighed, feeling her body relax as it prepared for sleep.
She sank deeper, knowing she was going to need all the rest she could get. Though she and her partner had been disqualified, she still had a big performance on the show the next day. And she couldn't wait for America to see it.
A/N: Here's the latest chapter! Percy is out of the competition and sparked a wave of love, a lot directed at Regina.
Any guesses on who will dance the tango with Regina in the next chapter?
I hope you all have a great weekend!
-Mac