Week Two
"I thought i might find you here" Emma whispered lowering herself onto the seat beside a thouraghly defeated looking Regina and following her gaze out to sea.
"I'm such an idiot" Regina sniffed fresh tears leaking from the corners of already puffy red eyes.
"Hey" Emma soothed taking one of Regina's hands in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze "Don't do that, you're the farthest thing from an idiot."
"I've screwed everything up now Emma" Regina choked out turning her gaze onto Emma.
"No you haven't" Emma murmered in response meeting Regina's watery brown eyes with her own earnest seas of green, her heart breaking at the sight of the desperation that she saw there.
"Why couldn't i have met you first" an overcome Regina suddenly sobbed throwing herself into a shocked Emma's arms and crying openly into her shoulder.
Trying not to think to much on what the emotional brunette had just said or on how her heart had sped up as she had heard those words fall from Regina's lips, Emma brought her arms up to embrace her friend holding her close until she had cried out all of her tears.
"So it wasn't Ashley" Emma let out a small sigh and handed Regina a clean hanky watching her dab at her eyes a few times before she continued.
"That just means that we've ruled one person out, but we don't give up, we keep looking until we find whoever the hell he's seeing behind your back and then we out the slimey bastard and then you'll finally be free to live the life that you deserve with Henry and Roly" Emma smiled a look of sheer dtermination shining in her eyes.
"What if there isn't anybody?" Regina asked lip quivering as not for the first time she doubted her own mind "He made me feel like i was going insane when he was cheating with Rolands mom, I should have run then, why didn't i run then?" she berated herself.
"Because you're a good person Regina" Emma promptly supplied "You wanted to be there for Roly, give him a family, you thought he would change but men like that they never change Regina and it's nothing that you've done, you have to know that" she said reaching to gently cup Regina's chin in her hands, lifting it so their eyes met again and Regina could see the truth in hers.
"I know" Regina's shoulders sagged sadly "It's just i don't know if i can survive all of that again, I thought I was going mad last time and I feel like I'm going mad now, how do i know that i'm not? After everything that's happened maybe i am" Regina shuddered.
"You listen to me" Emma retorted her tone firm with determination "You weren't going mad last time and whatever you feel you aren't going mad now either, I have faith in you Regina and if you think that Robin is cheating then I believe you, besides íts not like those knickers made their own way into your bed now is it? We just need to regroup is all, think about it and try to figure it out, like one of those mystery novels that you're so fond of" Emma smiled as her words envoked a small watery chuckle from Regina.
"There that's much better" she said "now what do you say we get you home, a nice hot shower would do you the world of good right now."
"I'd much rather come home with you and freshen up there before I go home to him, if it's all the same to you, Zelena's already caught me alone in the dark crying into a glass of brandy once" Regina admitted "I don't want her thinking that i'm completely nuerotic."
"Oh Regina" Emma pulled her back into her embrace giving her a tight squeeze before standing up and taking her by the hand lead her to the bug.
Regina really did feel better after a steaming shower at Emma's loft, she stepped out of the tiny bathroom to find a pair of Emma's freshly laundered cotton shorts and a vest top waiting for her and slipped them on venturing out into the kitchen where she had just flipped the kettle on to boil, when Emma walked in through the front door a box of laundry detergent in one hand and a bottle of fabric softener in the other.
"I put your clothes in the wash" she explained entirely unnecessarily for Regina had ascertained that much for herself "I thought you'd want to go home feeling and looking completely fresh" she smiled.
"Thanks Emma" Regina replied returning the smile then turning to lift the kettle that had just clicked off the boil "you're a true friend" she added, and Emma tried to ignore the plummeting of her heart at the word 'friend' as she watched Regina pour steaming water into two mugs.
They passed the next hour going over everything that they knew which to Regina's growing frustration she realised was nothing much at all.
"We're back to square one" she sighed slamming Emma's file of photos closed.
"Not quite" Emma smiled over the rim of her mug "We know it's not Ashley now."
"But how do we find out who it is" Regina groaned "Robin's clever Emma, it's what makes him such a good lawyer."
"So, we just have to be smarter" Emma replied a smile slowing spreading across her lips as an idea began to form in her mind. "We won't find out anything if Robin still thinks you suspect him so here's what you do…"
A much fresher and more confident Regina stepped out of Emma's bug and walked up the drive into her house to be greeted as expected by a fuming Robin.
"What the hell is wrong with you Regina!" he yelled red in the face, spittle flying from the corner of his mouth "Do you have any idea how humiliating your little performance was."
"Can we not do this please" Regina sighed rubbing her temples as though she had a headache coming.
"We have to do this Regina" Robin replied a look of desperation in his eyes "I thought we'd moved passed all this cheating nonsense."
"We have" Regina sighed giving her best sorry look, "It's just that it's been harder moving down here than I thought, I'm so sorry Robin it won't happen again." she assured him.
Robin blinked at that looking a little taken aback as though he had expected more of an argument from her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he continued to look at his wife.
"Where have you been all afternoon?" he asked sceptically.
"I went to see a therapist" Regina lied smoothly, Robin frowned as though he didn't believe her, so Regina slipped a hand into her back pocket retrieving a card for the therapist that she and Emma had found not more than half an hour earlier.
Robin apprehensively took the card from Regina looking down at it for a few seconds before nodding seemingly satisfied.
"I've sent a few clients to Hopper, he's one of the best, far too good for this tiny town, I've never understood why her chooses to stay here" he grunted and shook his head as he handed the card back to Regina.
"Well I for one am glad he did, I've made another appointment for later in the week" Regina told him and this part was actually true, Regina really had booked an appointment with Doctor Hopper and she really would attend it because if Robin was going to buy into this act it had to be good and she wouldn't put it past Robin to have an associate hanging around the doctor's office at her appointment times just to make sure that she went. So, Regina would happily attend sessions with Doctor Archie Hopper for as long as it took to out Robin for the cheat that she knew he was. "I realised after today that I need help" she sighed shoulders sagging.
"I'm proud of you Regina" Robin smiled a smile that as always didn't quite reach his eyes and stopped in front of his wife bringing up his hands to grasp the tops of her arms, giving them a gentle squeeze, but his touch wasn't comforting like Emma's was and Regina had fight against the urge to flinch away and shrug him off as she smiled and nodded back to him, waiting in place until he moved away before she too moved and headed deeper into the house.
The next few days passed without incident; Emma still tailed Robin whenever she could but frustratingly enough though not really surprisingly, she still discovered nothing new. On Wednesday afternoon Regina found herself diligently climbing the staircase to Doctor Hoppers office for what would be her first appointment though Robin of course believed it to be her second. Regina almost found it laughable that he had brought her story so easily and she had acted like the ever-dutiful wife since leaving Robin even more satisfied that Regina's accusations had been nothing more than a mere hiccup.
"Good afternoon, Mrs Locksley, please take a seat and make yourself comfortable" the pleasant looking doctor who had already positioned himself in a high-backed armchair with a notebook in hand, invited indicating towards the sofa opposite him.
Regina glanced at it for a while wondering what she was supposed to do, was this where she was meant to lie out on the sofa and spill out all her fabricated woes to Doctor Hopper?
In the end she settled for sitting at one end, busying her nervous hands by pouring herself a glass of water from the jug that sat on the table between her and the doctor and taking a sip.
"It's okay to feel nervous but know that you're always safe in here" Doctor Hopper murmured softly having correctly read her mood, Regina cleared her throat and nodded putting her glass of water back onto the table before she finally replied.
"Thank-you" she said returning the man's reassuring smile. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty using this man like this and essentially wasting his time, but she had to keep up appearances, "and please call me Regina" she said.
"And how can I help you this afternoon Regina?" The doctor asked.
"I'm paranoid that my husband is cheating on me and it's ruining our marriage" she said the words tumbling out all at once but the doctor who's entire focus was on his patient caught them all despite the rush in which they had left Regina's lips, and his eyes softened with empathy before they dropped to his note book where he quickly scribbled out some notes, Regina didn't ask what he was writing but she assumed it be what she had just told him.
"And how long as this been going on for?" He asked looking back up at her as he spoke.
"I don't know" Regina shrugged "weeks maybe months".
"I see, and has he ever given you reason to believe that he's cheating before?" the doctor replied.
"We have a five-year-old son from his last affair" Regina stated, and the Doctor looked unsurprisingly shocked as he began to ask other questions all of which Regina answered truthfully until her time ran out and she had to leave but not before making an appointment to return the following week.
"How did therapy go?" was the first thing that Robin asked when Regina greeted him at the door later that evening.
"Great" Regina smiled hugging her husband "but don't worry about that now, not when your dinners on the table getting cold" she took his jacket from him hanging it up as he took his briefcase through to the dining room with him.
"How was work today sweetheart" Regina asked sweetly as she settled into the seat opposite to him a few minutes later noting that while she had waited for him to return home before eating he hadn't extended her the same curtesy, he'd already begun digging in before she had even gotten back to the room, but she didn't say a word about that as she took her first mouthful of her meal and waited patiently for him to answer her question as she chewed.
"Same as always" he finally shrugged noncommittedly, and Regina silently continued to eat.
She didn't ask him anything else and he didn't seem to have any interest in her day beyond wanting to confirm that she had attended her therapy session, so the silence stretched on between them as they both focused on their meals, that was until a little voice suddenly cut through it.
"I don't feel well momma" Roland's little voice spoke up from the doorway where the young boy now stood.
"What's the matter Roly?" Regina asked immediately dropping her cutlery onto her plate with a clatter and quickly picking up her napkin to wipe her mouth before hastening towards her son at the same time Robin who didn't even bother to look up from his meal grunted out.
"Don't fuss Regina it's probably nothing."
"He's burning up and he's all clammy" Regina replied as she reached the boy and placed a hand on Roland's burning hot forehead.
"My throat hurts and I feel all achy" Roland croaked.
"My poor baby" Regina murmured pulling his hot clammy body into a quick hug "Come on let's go get you some medicine and pop you into bed" she said releasing him from her embrace, taking him by the hand and leading him into the kitchen, leaving a completely unconcerned Robin behind them eating his dinner opposite his wife's abandoned half-eaten meal.
"There we go" Regina smiled as she picked Roland up and sat him on top of the kitchen cabinet closest to the higher up medicine cabinet, then she reached up to the cabinet beside him and began to wrestle with the blasted child lock that she'd insisted on having fitted when they had first moved in not that Robin had really seen the need but he'd gone along with it anyway but not before loudly expressing how ridiculous he thought the idea was.
"Now let's see what we have in here" she murmured moving bottles around as she searched for the one that she needed.
"Can I help?' a voice suddenly asked from nearby startling Regina who hadn't heard Zelena enter the kitchen into promptly dropping the bottle that she was holding in her hand.
"No, it's fine" Regina replied as she quickly picked the dropped bottle up from where it had landed undamaged next to Roland and put it back on its shelf.
"Poor Roland isn't feeling well and he's burning up so he might be home from school tomorrow, but this is nothing I can't handle" she said finally finding the right bottle.
"This is your time Zelena, and you should take it" Regina smiled at the nanny who had moved closer to the pair and was peering at Roland through concerned eyes.
"Are you sure?" Zelena asked, "because I really don't mind helping you know."
"I know you don't" Regina replied, "and I really appreciate that, but we're honestly okay, I'm just going to give Roly a dose of this and then I'm going to take him upstairs and settle him into bed."
"Okay" Zelena shrugged moving to the fridge and taking out a bottle of cold water "sleep well and feel better soon little man" she added as she left.
"Thanks Aunty Zee" Roland smiled toothily.
"Aunty Zee huh" Regina grinned once they were alone again, and she was sure that Zelena was out of earshot.
"Yeah, is that okay?" Roland asked his sweaty brow furrowing into a frown as he suddenly became unsure of himself.
"Zelena said she didn't mind but if you don't like it, I won't call her Aunty Zee anymore" the boy spoke so resolutely even adding a definitive nod at the end that it made Regina's smile if possible, grow even wider.
"Of, course I don't mind" Regina reassured him "in fact I think it's wonderful".
"Really?" Roland asked his eyes lightening up with pure joy.
"Really" Regina replied "Now come on take your medicine so we can take you up to bed" she instructed holding out the little measuring pot that she had filled to the correct line with the strawberry flavoured liquid that would hopefully make Roland feel better at least long enough for him to doze off peacefully.
Roland scrunched up his face, but he took the measuring pot without complaint and up ended it into his mouth swallowing it with a shudder then he followed his mother up to his bedroom where she helped him change until he was only wearing his underpants and a light cotton vest and then he clambered into bed settled back onto his pillow with a wide yawn and waited for Regina to tucked him in.
"It's hot in here" he whined as he wiggled about in a bid to get comfortable.
"It's okay" Regina replied moving to open the window thinking that a bit of fresh air circulating might do Roland some good, she pushed it open a little way and the carefully applied the window lock so that it couldn't open any further and then she kissed his damp forehead and sat with him until he fell asleep.
When she got back downstairs, she found Robins empty dishes still on the table in front of his seat opposite the now stone-cold remnants of her own meal, but the man himself was nowhere in sight, probably in his study she thought letting out an irritated sigh as she began to clear away by herself.
The next morning, she checked in on Roland before she went out and found him still sleeping soundly, a gentle breeze playing across his flushed face, she kissed him lightly on his hot forehead then left him to sleep on while she went on her morning run.
Emma still had nothing new to report, so the two women had taken their run together, then returned to the house where they both took a shower and dressed for work. Then Regina checked on Roland one last time before leaving with Emma who dropped Regina off at work which was where the brunette sat now staring blankly out of the window with an elastic band ball clasped in her hand feeling bored out of her skull and painfully worried about Roland, wishing for anything more interesting to do or that she was at the very least still at home with her boy.
Robin had of course scoffed at the idea when she had suggested staying home that morning, telling her that she was being silly and flapping, that Roland would be fine with Zelena and the boy would probably be better by the time she got home anyway, so she should just stop worrying about nothing and go to work.
Regina hadn't wanted to go but she also needed to keep Robin on side as much as was possible at least for the time being and she truly did believe that Roland would be fine with Zelena, though she wasn't so confident that he would be well again by the end of the day.
Still, she couldn't help but worry about how Roland was doing, the worry was making it impossible for her to focus on work that day, but not wanting to be seen as being unreasonable or hysterically as Robin often liked to refer to her when he thought that she was worrying too much, she was trying to wait until lunchtime before she called to check in on her son's wellbeing, waiting and watching while the clock ticked painfully slowly.
Forty-five minutes to go and the mobile on Regina's desk lit up, the sudden shrill tones ringing through the previously silent room startling the brunette so much that she almost didn't answer the call on time but she the second that she saw Zelena's name flashing across the screen she grabbed the phone and heart hammering she hit the answer button as quickly as she could.
Regina had left that morning putting Zelena under strict instructions to call her immediately if Roland were to take a turn for the worst, trusting her to follow those instructions was the only thing that kept Regina from picking up the phone much earlier. Was that what this call was? Regina wondered heart filling with dread as she answered the phone with trembling hands, had her son become sicker since she had last seen him this morning?
"Regina" Zelena sobbed hysterically into the phone before the brunette could even speak "You need to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, it's Roland, there's been an accident."
"What!" Regina exclaimed "What the hell happened?"
"I don't… I can't…" Zelena stammered "Just get here now" she pleaded then the line went dead.
A terrified Regina helplessly at the phone for a few seconds desperately trying to process what she had just heard then still none the wiser about what was wrong with her son she dialled Emma's number and asked her to pick her up.
Emma was there in minutes, and they were at the hospital only ten minutes or so after that.
"What's happened?" Emma asked as she drove the terrified mother across town.
"I don't know, Zelena wouldn't or couldn't tell me" Regina replied her voice etched with the worry that she felt inside.
"What!" Emma exclaimed feeling angry at the babysitter for leaving her friend in the dark like this.
Emma parked in the first space they came to and both women ran into the hospital lobby where they found Zelena waiting for them.
"I'm so sorry, I don't know how it happened, but he…. he just fell" the hysterical woman sobbed.
"What do you mean he fell, fell where" Regina demanded her face paling, Emma moved to comfort her, her greens eyes never leaving Zelena as they waited for her reply.
"Out of his bedroom window" Zelena said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Take me to him right now!" A horrified Regina demanded, and Zelena still visibly very upset complied leading the way to Roland's room, as soon as her job was done, she ducked away again returning to where Emma waited in the lobby because Roland wasn't permitted to have any visitors outside of his parents for the time being.
Pushing open the door with fear in her heart over what she mind find on the other side, Regina was taken by surprised when she found one of the last things that she had expected to find, Robin, sitting next to their sleeping, flushed face son whose head was held secure by a brace, holding one of the boys pale hands in his own, looking every bit the dutiful father.
Regina knew that this wasn't the time or the place but after his off handed reaction to Roland's illness the night this phoney display of concern made her angry.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded to know "I thought you'd be at work."
"I was" Robin replied, "but when Zelena called me about Roland's accident, I dropped everything and came straight here".
"Well, isn't that so very noble of you" Regina sneered.
"There's really no need for that Regina" Robin sighed "He's my son too you know, of course I was concerned about him".
"Well, it's a shame that you didn't remember that yesterday when he got sick" she spat back.
"Come now Regina don't be like that" Robin retorted.
"Oh, and about Zelena I want her gone" Regina stated.
"What, you can't do that, it wasn't her fault, come now you're upset you aren't thinking rationally" he replied.
"Yes, I am upset, I'm very upset because our irresponsible sorry excuse of a babysitter's carelessness has led to our son falling out of an upstairs window" she all but bellowed.
"Or maybe you just forgot to put the window locks on" Robin accused scathingly.
"Excuse me" Regina retorted.
"You heard me" Robin replied.
"How dare you! Of course, I put them on" Regina seethed.
"Are you sure about that?" Robin asked evenly.
"What sort of question is that?" Regina asked, "Of course I put the window locks on, don't be so absurd."
"Being stressed and not taking your pills can so easily lead to oversights and mistakes" Robin stated.
"Nice try Robin but I took my pill yesterday just like I took it this morning and every other bloody morning and yes I was worried about Roland being sick but I did not forget to put the damn child locks on which means that somebody else must have taken them off again and not closed the window afterwards" Regina stated adamantly while Robin glared back at her, he opened his mouth to argue back but another little voice spoke up before her could.
"Momma" Roland's frightened cry immediately attracted all of Regina's attention to him.
"No, no baby don't do that, stay still sweetheart" Regina murmured as he tried to sit up and found that his was preventing from doing so by the straps and braces that had been secured to his body to keep it straight so as not to compromise and possible injuries that hadn't been diagnosed yet.
She moved closer to his bed taking the seat on the opposite side to Robins and taking the boys other hand in hers, he immediately stopped struggling to sit up and settled for moving his eyes to look at her instead.
"You're here" he grinned.
"Of course, I am baby boy" Regina replied tears pricking in the corner of her eyes.
"Don't cry momma" Roland pleaded "I'm alright".
"And I'm glad to hear that" Regina sniffed "I just love you so much and I got a bit scared" she said offering him a watery smile and reaching to stroke his hair with the hand that wasn't holding his.
"Do you remember what happened?" she asked continuing to stroke his hair as she spoke.
"Honey I really don't think…" Robin began but a frowning Roland cut him off before he could finish telling Regina whatever it was that he didn't think, though she felt sure that she could have guessed how the rest of that sentence would have gone.
"I got cold, so I tried to close the window, but it was open to far and I couldn't reach so I fell" he recanted "but I fell in the big bush" he added as though that best accomplishment in the world.
Regina on the other hand felt horrified to think of her son falling that far, bush or no bush and something else was bother her as she thought about Roland trying to close his window and plunging to the ground. Was Robin right, was this her fault? Had she really forgotten to put the child locks on the window, she had been so sure that she had done it but now, well now she just couldn't sure, and would it really be fair to fire Zelena who was still in hysterics over this being comforted by Emma out in the lobby. Zelena who had been so good to their family and so amazing with the boys until now, if she couldn't be certain about what had actually caused this?
"Yes, and that bush probably saved your life young man" a new voice spoke up interrupting Regina's thoughts and causing her to turn away from her son to look at the new arrival, the doctor who wore a white lab coat and sported a shock of bleach blonde hair had paused at the foot of Roland's bed to take his notes out of their slot and was glancing over them.
"So, is he okay doctor?" Regina asked desperate for some information on her son's condition.
"He seems to be" the doctor smiled looking up over the notes her "I looked at his x-rays before I came here and everything looks clear, so we'll be able to get all of these straps off very soon, you've been a very luck boy all things considered" he smiled at Roland then moved closer to him on Regina's side.
"I just want to take his pulse" he said, and Regina nodded releasing Roland's hand so that the doctor could take it instead and place his fingers over the pulse point on the boy's wrist, his eyes found the clock on the wall and then he began to count.
From this distance Regina could read the name on the badge that was pinned to his jacket, and she quietly waited for the doctor to gently place her son's hand back at his side where she quickly reclaimed it with a gentle squeeze before she addressed him as he moved back at the foot of the bed to record his latest findings in Roland's note.
"So, what happens next Doctor Whale?" she asked.
"What happens next" the doctor replied returning the notes to their original position and raising his eyes to meet Regina's as he dropped his pen back into his jacket pocket "Is that someone comes in to take all of these things off of your very lucky young man here, no running around though" he warned looking at Roland now.
"I want you taking it easy" he instructed, "your x-rays look clear, but you've a lot of bruising and some swelling so you'll be sore for a while and I'd like to do follow up x-rays in few days, just to be on the safe side, so it's best for you to rest for a now."
"How long for?" Regina asked.
"For at least the next few days I'm afraid, I also want to keep an eye on him in case of concussion, he doesn't appear to have a severe head injury, but I've booked him for a scan this afternoon just to make sure, plus he's still got that fever going on so overall I think this is the best place for him for the time being" the doctor smiled reassuringly.
"Yes, I couldn't agree more, Thank-you very much Doctor" Robin spoke up for the first time and stood to offer the doctors his hand.
"No problem, Mr Locksley" Doctor Whale smiled accepting the handshake before he turned to leave the room "Somebody will be along shortly to take the straps off" he added as he left.
A few minutes later the promised nurse arrive to release Roland from his confines and help him to sit up more comfortably, she gave him the controller for his bed and showed him how to use it much to the boy's amusement, then she showed him how to work the television in the room and finally she left returning minutes later with medication to help with Roland's pain, fever and swelling.
Once he was settled and happy with his favourite cartoon playing, Regina excused herself just long enough to fill Emma and a now much calmer Zelena in on what was happen, both women wanted to see him, and the staff nurse okayed it so they accompanied Regina back into room.
Regina didn't miss the look of distain that Robin threw Emma's way as they all entered the room together, but she also didn't call him out on it as Zelena began to flap over Roland and Emma asked him how he was feeling.
Roland pleased with all the attention he was receiving showed his two new visitors how his bed worked and asked Aunty Zee to sit next him and watch the rest of his cartoon with him mercifully totally oblivious of the looks that his father was throwing at his mother behind Emma's back.
"I should be getting back to work" the man suddenly said rising to his feet.
"But his hasn't had his scan yet" Regina exclaimed unable to believe that Robin wanted to leave so soon.
"Yes, but you heard the doctor my love, he seems fine and he has plenty of people here for him so I see no need for me to stay any longer , you can call me with his test results later" he said and with that he walked out the room pausing at the door to say a quick goodbye to his son and then he was gone.