Week Six Part One
"What do you mean Robins dead?" Regina gasped while Emma just gaped silently beside her.
"It would appear that he may have drowned Mrs Locksley" the sheriff replied calmly.
"But he's a strong swimmer, how does a such a strong swimmer drown?" Regina exclaimed.
"Even the strongest of swimmers can get into trouble in the water" the sheriff spoke softly his tone oozing empathy, "but we don't yet know the exact details surrounding Mr Locksley's death" the sheriff smiled a small, saddened, apologetic smile before he continued with his explanation.
"Officer Nottigham attended the lake house property late last night as you requested, he didn't get an answer so he let himself in and that was when he found your husband in the pool" he told Regina "But I'm afraid that it was too late to save him, his body is with the coroner as we speak, and his autopsy has been made a top priority." He added giving Regina as much as he could knowing that it was going to be of little if any comfort to the dead man's new widow.
"But why?" Emma asked finally finding her voice while Regina became the one to nod mutely beside her.
"I mean if he got into trouble and drowned then it was a just a horrible accident so why the need for a fast-tracked autopsy to confirm what you already know?"
"Regardless of what we already know or think we know, we still have to look into any sudden death of an apparently previously fit and healthy person Miss Swan" the sheriff replied "Just to formally confirm our suspicions and rule out foul play" he explained and Emma nodded her understanding while shuffling closer to Regina and wrapping an arm around her slumped shoulders because the silent woman appeared to be fighting back tears.
"I appreciate that this must be very hard" Sheriff Graham spoke kindly "So we won't keep you any longer tonight, we might have some questions later though, we'll pass on the results of the autopsy and details of when we can release the body to you just as soon as we have them and Mrs Locksley we're really very sorry for your loss" he added with nod towards his partner indicating that it was time for them to go.
"Thank-you" Regina replied in small voice rising to her feet with them and Emma ready to see the officers to the door.
The despondent duo turned their backs on the closed door that the officers had just left through and silently made their way back through the house returning to their seated positions on the sofa the silence stretching further between them, as they both worked to process what they had just been told, until Regina's timid voice cut through it.
"Is it wrong that I feel free in some ways" she murmured, wide, worried brown eyes meeting, green filled with understanding.
"What? No of course not" Emma exclaimed "after what that bastard put you through, you have every right to feel any way you want towards him!"
"Thanks Em, you're always on my side" Regina offered a timid smile as she reached across the space between them and took the blondes hand from where in rested on the sofa's seat lacing their fingers together, her face visibly relaxing.
"Always" Emma repeated gently squeezing the hand that held hers, green eyes dropping to glance at their joined digits before rising to meet deep brown again.
A smiled graced her lips as Regina suddenly attempted to stifle a huge yawn until Emma herself seemed to catch it and found herself trying and failing to stifle her own seconds later.
"I think it's time to go back to bed" Regina sighed "we still have a few hours before the boys will be up, I don't know how successful we will be, but we should probably at least try to get some more sleep."
"Okay" Emma smiled and nodded her agreement, standing up with her fingers still laced though Regina's pulling her up behind her as she went, meeting no resistance from the brunette who would have followed her anywhere at that point.
Emma led them to the stairs and back up to the upper landing before pausing to drop Regina's hand and turning to face her.
"I'll say goodnight here, shall I?" she smiled.
"What do you mean?" Regina frowned.
"Well, I just thought that given everything that's happened tonight you probably need some space." Emma shrugged.
"No" Regina replied, "space is the last thing I need right now, please stay with me, I need you to stay with me." She pleaded.
"It's okay baby" Emma pulled Regina into her arms unable to bear the look of desperation that had suddenly appeared in her eyes. "Of course, I'll stay with you" she murmured kissing the top of Regina's hair and feeling relief course through her as she felt Regina's tense body relaxing into hers.
"Come on, let's go to bed" Emma murmured linking their hands together again and leading her down the hallway towards the guest room that the two of them had been sharing.
They moved without speaking, quietly entering the room and slipping between the rumpled sheets Emma turning to face the middle of the bed while Regina turning her back towards her snuggled back into her welcoming arms. Emma held her tight and dropped another light kiss onto her hair.
"I love you Regina" she murmured and Regina letting out a contented sigh whispered back.
"I love you too Emma" then the silence returned, as they led together heads racing with a thousand thoughts each one making less sense than the last until they all blurred together, and sleep claimed them.
It was a somewhat subdued duo still suffering the effects of fatigue from their interrupted night sleep, that exited the bedroom early the following morning their feet leading them through the house following the sounds of noisy cartoons that filtered towards them until they finally came to stop at the doorway to the same lounge where Sheriff Graham had broken the news of Robins untimely demise to them just a few short hours earlier.
Now in the bright light of day Roland smiled over to them from his seat on the sofa that Regina and Emma had previously occupied, with Henry by his side, his eyes still glued to the cartoon playing out on the huge screen in front of him. Regina hadn't been bothered about having a huge TV, but Robin had to have the biggest and best of everything, Emma always said that he was making up for what he was lacking sending Regina into peals belly shaking laughter.
"Henry made us breakfast" Roland announced milk dribbling down his chin and onto his already milk stained bed shirt.
"So I see" Regina smiled wearily, normally she would have told them off for being in here with messy food like cereal, they both knew better, especially Henry but today she couldn't find it in herself to care especially not with news that she would soon have to break to them, her newly found freedom had come at the expense of their grief and that felt very unfair to Regina, so unfair that she couldn't quite bring herself to enjoy her own gain from the situation.
She sighed and moved into the room grabbing a wet wipe from a nearby packet and using it to mop away the milk from Roland's chin. Why did everything have to be so unfair and messy as far as Robin was concerned, even in death he was still a giant pain in her ass.
"Sorry mom" Henry said looking a little guilty as he turned to watch her progress "Zelena wasn't here, and we were hungry, but I know we should be sat at the table" he glanced down looking every bit like Emma when she had been caught out doing something she shouldn't.
"It's okay Henry" Regina assured him "thank-you for taking care of your brother, now you two stay in here and finish off while Emma and I go and get some coffee."
"Really?" Henry asked looking amazed.
"Really" Regina smiled "But only this once, you know the rules" she added giving her eldest son and affectionate bop on the nose before turning to leave with Emma.
In truth she wanted to talk to Emma without risk of being overheard and as the breakfast bar was in the kitchen, she wouldn't get the chance to do that anytime soon if she made the boys move now, even in the unlikely scenario that they chose to sit at the dining table over the kitchen island the chances of being overheard would still be far too high to risk them talking about what were currently still private matters, but in the lounge watching noisy cartoons they were well out of earshot.
Regina braced herself before she stepped into the kitchen, usually Henry and Roland doing any kind of food prep alone was a recipe for disaster but she was pleasantly surprised when she found the kitchen reasonably clean and tidy today with only a few splashes of milk that they had missed when they had evidentially tried to clean up after themselves being the only evidence of them having poured their own cereal, little Roland appeared to be wearing more milk on his shirt than what was left on the kitchen side.
The second thing that Regina had noticed as she entered the room and her eyes had fallen onto the splashes of white liquid was the inviting aroma of coffee rising to fill her nostrils and filling her heart with a renewed sense of dread as she moved to the sink to retrieve the washing up sponge that resided there, the whole thing was muddied brown with wiped up coffee.
Bracing herself anew she swilled the sponge clean and wiped up the remnants of milk before turning her attention to the coffee machine.
Dark brown liquid filled the glass jug below the filter and emanated the enticing aroma, she moved relieved to find that the mess here was at a minimum too, brown marks stained the side with trail marks from the sponge running through it and there was some spilled powder in places that it shouldn't be on the machine but it was nothing that took her more than a few seconds to put right and then she was just left to deliberate whether or not to actually try what Henry appeared to have made for her, it was incredibly sweet and thoughtful of him, but would it taste good to her?
Emma took the choice out of her hands when she approached the coffee pot, settled mugs beside it and poured them a cup each adding a dash of milk and as she watched the liquid lighten Regina had to admit that the coffee didn't look half bad, still she lifted the cup to her lips with scepticism in her mind.
"That's not bad at all, A little on strong maybe but god do I need it this morning" Regina smiled taking a second sip.
"Yeah, the kid did good" Emma replied after swallowing a mouthful from her own cup.
A comfortable silence settled over them as they drank their first coffee then poured another, Regina moving to the sink when they were done to wash up the cups and empty coffee jug the welcoming buzz of caffeine making her feel a little more human than she had felt before her morning coffee.
"So, when are you going to tell them?" Emma finally plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been hanging over them since they had seen the boy's watching TV that morning.
"Later, after school" Regina replied without hesitation because ever since she had first looked in on them that morning, Even through her worries about the possible state of her kitchen Regina had thought about nothing accept what the answer to that question should be.
"Are you sure you want to wait that long?" Emma spoke softly, there was no questioning of judgement there, just a quiet quest for confirmation an assurance that Regina wasn't about to do something that she would later live to regret.
"Yes" Regina nodded firmly "I won't lie to them if they ask about him, but I don't think they'll ask about his whereabouts this morning, they're used to him not being here when they get up, he always leaves for work way before school so I doubt they'll question anything and I'm hoping that we'll have some more definite answers as to what happened by the time they get home school, so I think it best that they go about their day as they usually would, none the wiser of their fathers unfortunate fate, and as soon as they are settled after school we'll tell them, news or no news" she said with a curt nod of emphasis.
"Why do you think I should tell them sooner?" she asked her brow furrowing into a frown as she suddenly appeared less sure of herself.
"No, not at all" Emma assured her "I think that your plan is a good one."
"Good" Regina nodded "because there's one more thing that I need to discuss with you, something that we need to do while they are at school."
"Oh" Emma quirked an eyebrow her curiosity showing.
"The camera's" Regina grimaced glancing towards where she knew one was hiding then back to Emma.
"What about them?" Emma asked.
"We need to get rid of them" Regina stated "The Sheriff said that they might be back to ask questions and if they start poking around here the last thing I need is them finding hidden camera's all over the place, it'll look weird and maybe even suspicious, I don't want to risk the very things that were supposed to help set me free sending me to prison instead." She shuddered and reached to rub her suddenly aching temples, whether caused by fatigue, stress, too much caffeine or all of the above Regina's head was beginning to throb painfully.
She moved to the medicine cupboard helping herself to a couple of aspirin, her smile causing her to wince when she turned back to get a glass of water and was faced with Emma already holding one out to her.
"Thank-you" she smiled and winced again as she took the offered glass and swallowed her pills.
"No problem" Emma shrugged nonchalantly "And don't worry about the cameras, I'll get rid of them as soon as the boys have left for the day."
"Thank you Emma" Regina nodded moving closer to the blonde and leaning up to kiss her gently on the lips, a kiss that was returned with chaste one of Emma's own.
"Now if we don't get those two monkeys ready for school soon, they'll never be out on time" Regina said moving to exit the kitchen before they could get carried away, with Emma following in her wake.
"Come on Roland" Regina smiled as she walked back into the lounge "time to get ready for school, you too Henry" she added glancing over at the ten-year holding the TV remote.
"Why are you getting us ready today, Mommy?" Roland enquired as he hopped up from the sofa and took his mother's hand "where's Aunty Zee?"
"Yeah, where is Zelena?" Henry asked pointing the remote at the TV and turning it off.
"Zelena, had a little accident and she's had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days" Regina answered truthfully.
"Did she fall out of the window like me?" Roland asked eyes wide as saucers at the same time as Henry replied.
"Is she going to be, okay?"
"No, she didn't fall out of the window like you sweetheart, it was just a really little bump in her car" Regina pulled Roland into a tight hug looking at Henry over the top of his curly head.
"And she's just fine" she added "In fact she said that they only kept her in for observation and she should be out later today."
"Good" Henry nodded solemnly then getting up he crossed the room exiting through the door just ahead of his mother and brother who followed closely behind.
Emma saw Henry onto the school bus while Regina drove Roland to pre-school and by the time the brunette returned childfree Emma had already packed up most of the previously hidden cameras.
"Thanks" she smiled moving to brew a fresh jug of coffee and settling at the breakfast bar while she waited for Emma to finish up and join her.
"You're anxious" Emma observed when she sat next to her a few minutes later and took a deep sip from her own cup, even in the short time that Emma had been in the room she had witnessed Regina glance from the resolutely dark screen of her phone where it currently sat on the kitchen island close to Regina's mug, to the clock on the kitchen wall which to Regina's ears was unrelentingly ticking excessively loudly in what had otherwise been a silent room and back to the phone again.
"It's just waiting for this call about Robin, it's got me all agitated" Regina sighed, and Emma nodded knowingly in response.
"I get it" Emma tried to assure her, reaching out to hold Regina's hand to offer her physical comfort too "But it's not healthy to be on edge watching the clock all day" she said "maybe we should go for our run after this, the fresh air would do us good and a change of scenery might distract us for a while, I mean it's not like either of us are actually going to work today so we've plenty of time on our hands" she shrugged and Regina's jaw slackened falling open.
"Shit, work" she gasped continuing to gape in horror "with everything that's happened I totally forgot to call in" Regina grabbed for her phone now and tapped the screen so that it flared to life.
"Stop panicking Regina" Emma smiled affectionately, "I haven't called my work yet either, I thought I'd do it now, it'll be fine".
"You don't know what John Little's like" Regina sighed frantically searching her contact list for the right number to call.
"Regina your husband just died, a fact that you only discovered at like three o'clock this morning, and as if that wasn't already enough, your only nanny is currently a resident of Storybrooke general, even that ass hole can't give you a hard time over this, and even if he does what's the worst that he can do to you? You hate that job, what was it you said again" she pretended to think hard "Oh yes" she said as though she had, had a light bulb moment "that you'd take great pleasure in leaving that place once your divorce comes through. You're only working in that god awful place because Robin makes you, and guess what sister dead men don't sing, you're free now and about to become a wealthy as fuck window, so you should get used to it." she smiled and Regina taking it all in nodded slowly.
"You're right" she suddenly grinned back and hit the dial button.
John had been annoyed with her at first but Emma had been right and even he could stay angry after she broke her news to him, in fact he instantly changed his tone, offering her his condolences and inviting her to take the next few weeks off on compassionate leave, fully paid of course and whilst Emma's work was also empathetic and didn't give her a hard time they somewhat understandably weren't quite so generous with offering her leave, telling her that they expected to see her back in by Thursday morning, still three days were better than none Emma thought, at least she could be here for Regina and hopefully they would get the results of the autopsy before Emma had to return to work.
They wouldn't come today though.
Emma and Regina did go for their run, and they did feel a little better for it, Then Emma ran the bagged-up cameras round to her apartment because Regina worried that if the police happened by, they might search her blonde friends car, she didn't want to take any chances and she breathed much easier with them totally gone.
At Regina's insistence Emma had thrown some items of laundry into the bag with the cameras and packed another one with several clean changes before she had left her apartment again, so that if anyone was watching they would think that Emma was just dropping her washing home and picking up some clean bits to take back to Regina's with her, nothing suspicious about that right?
Emma kept trying to reassure Regina but the woman remained extra jumpy all day and then the time to collect Roland drew near and Regina had to leave to collect him, not only was there no sign of a call from the police but she hadn't heard from Zelena again either and the red head had not arrived back home that day like she had said she would be and both Regina and Emma were beginning to worry about what that might mean.
It was a happy, excitable Roland that flew out of the preschools doors and collided with Regina's legs that day, skinny arms worming their way around her waist and squeezing her tightly.
"Oof" Regina gasped pretending to have been winded by his strength and making him laugh in the process.
"Did you have a good day?" she asked looking down into his smiling face and feeling a pang of guilt at knowing that she was going to be the one you destroy that carefree happiness in a matter of hours as Roland enthusiastically nodded his response.
"That's good my little prince" she said ruffling his curls. "Now let's get you in the car" she smiled sadly and took him by the hand, leading him to her car where she settled him into his car seat before she slid into her own, listening as Roland talked ninety to the dozen about his day.
"And I painted with my fingers" the little boy exclaimed as they pulled into the drive a few minutes later.
"That's wonderful Roly" Regina replied adjusting her rear-view mirror so that she could see him properly now that they had stopped "I can't wait to see your masterpiece."
"Really?" he asked beaming back at her, his little face filled with pride.
"Really" she replied moving to get out "Now what do you say we go in and have a snack?" she offered.
"Yes" Roland punched the air triumphantly and scrambled out of the car after his mother.
"Do you think Daddy will like seeing my masterpiece too?" he asked as he caught hold of Regina's hand and began to walk with her to the house.
"I'm sure that your father would love it" Regina replied, the painful pang in her chest returning for the grief that she knew that her young son would soon suffer.
Roland was sat at the kitchen island eating his snack with half a glass of milk in front of him and proof of what he had already drunk in the form of a white moustache across his upper lip, when Emma walked in with Henry in tow.
Regina greeted her first born with a warm smile and asked Henry how his day was.
"It was alright I guess" he shrugged reaching for an apple from the fruit bowl and taking a bite.
"Can I fix you anything else to eat?" Regina asked him.
"No, the apples good thanks mom" Henry replied, "I was gonna head straight up to my room and get my homework done so that I play games online with Nick later" he explained.
"Okay" Regina nodded "But first I need to speak to you and your brother" no sense in delaying the inevitable any further she thought with a sigh.
"What about?" Henry asked eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Let's just wait for your brother to finish his snack, then we can go through to the sitting room and talk" she said, and Henry's eyes seemed to narrow further, something was up, he didn't know what it was, but something was definitely very wrong and as it happened he didn't have to wait very long to find out.
"I'm done" Roland announced seconds later jumping down from his stool and grinning toothily up at his mother with a milk beard dribbling down his chin to match his moustache.
"Come here, messy pup" Regina smiled taking a wet wipe from a nearby packet to wipe his face before she led her family into the lounge where it seemed that all of these difficult conversations were set to take place.
"So, what's going on mom?" Henry asked getting straight to the point the second that he was settled on the couch with Regina sitting between Roland and himself and Emma sitting in a nearby armchair trying to look as inconspicuous as humanly possible.
Regina took a deep breath and looked her son in the eye.
"It's about your father" she began, glancing from Henry's face to Roland's and back again.
"I'm afraid that something happened at the lake house, your father…" she looked between her boys again as she spoke "he was hurt pretty badly."
"Is daddy going to be, okay?" Roland squeaked and Regina's heart broke for him when her eyes found his, wide as saucers and filled with concern for his father.
"No Roly" Regina choked out "I'm afraid he's not, Daddy's gone to heaven sweetheart." She explained gently. Roland's eyes immediately welled with tears, and he clambered into Regina's lap crying into her chest as she held him tight.
"What happened?" Henry asked his jaw tense and his eyes dry.
"We aren't sure yet Henry" Regina told him "We have to wait for the…" she trailed wondering how to word it better than just coming out with words like autopsy.
"Well there's things that have to happen before we can know what happened to your father" she explained.
"You mean an autopsy" Henry stated, and Regina nodded mutely, mentally kicking herself for not knowing that Henry already knew what an autopsy was.
Henry seemed to think on it for a moment more and then he turned to his mother and said.
"Can I go to my room now?"
Regina nodded and the boy got up leaving the room without another word.
Emma and Regina checked on him sporadically throughout the evening between then until they settled him down to sleep and he seemed strangely okay, Regina saw that he'd even done his homework before he had turned on his game console to play online with his best friend Nick. In fact, if the two women hadn't known any better, they would have thought that nothing was amiss with him at all.
Roland on the other hand seemed to be struggling with the big emotions that he was feeling so Emma had gone to hers and Regina's guest room alone that night while the brunette had curled up with son to hold him as he slept.
"I'm going to call you both in sick today" Regina announced over breakfast the following morning "If I can get compassionate leave from work then you can sure as hell get the same from school" she said with defiant nod.
"It's okay mom, I want to go in, it'll be good to keep my mind busy" Henry shrugged.
"Well, I want to stay home mommy" Roland said looking up at her through wide imploring eyes.
"Okay, but only if you're sure" she said looking at Henry, but it was Roland who answered making Henry laugh.
"Of course, I'm sure Mommy" Roland said.
"And so am I" Henry added moving to get ready for school.
"Okay" Regina shrugged picking up her phone to call Roland's pre-school "Just call me if you change your mind at school and I'll come straight away to pick you" she promised, and Henry nodded exiting the kitchen.
Emma left to walk Henry to the bus stop at his usual time, the two of them walked peacefully together Emma trying gauge what might be going on in her sons head, because Henry was still her son, Regina had always seen to it that she would be a mother of sorts in his life and his decision to start calling her ma had cemented that.
Emma thought it had been a dream come true finding the Locksleys or more specifically Regina, she had always been attracted to her, though she had never in her wildest dreams expected for her feelings to be reciprocated and she had accepted the fact that they never would be the second that she acknowledged their existence in her heart.
Regina was a married woman after all and one who along with her husband had welcomed her into their home with open arms and she could never disrespect that.
Her attraction to Regina had only grown stronger after Henry's birth, watching her with the baby and witnessing how her face shone with joy and love as she gazed upon his tiny features and made Emma's own heart swell, she had known from that first encounter that she had made the right choice for Henry, but she hadn't expected what came next.
Regina's insistence that she stay and remain a part of Henry's life had come like a bolt out of the blue to Emma, but it was something that had been quietly playing on Regina's mind ever since the eighteen-year-old blonde had stepped across her threshold with a hugely distended abdomen and a pair of the puffiest ankles that Regina had ever seen.
She had nothing with her save a backpack containing her most prized possessions at first Regina had thought that Emma had just packed a small bag of her belongings to use for the duration of her stay leaving the rest of her things in her home. But she had quickly learned the sad truth that all of Emma worldly possessions were in that bag, and she had no home to go back to and with that hit another raw realisation for Regina.
This young woman was not here through choice, because such a thing as choice didn't exist for her, she was selflessly giving up her child to give him a better life than she currently could and to Regina that was heart-breaking, she had decided then and there that Emma wasn't going anywhere.
Now Emma curiously watched her ten-year-old son for signs of what he might be thinking as they walked down the sidewalk together.
Henry held his feelings so close to his chest that it often made him difficult to read, he reminded Emma a lot of himself in that sense but she had always though it natural for her to protect her heart given the amount of times she had faced being let down and disappointed in her life, Regina was the only person to have gotten her to lower her defences and expose her vulnerable heart to her.
Why Henry did it was a bit more of a mystery to her, he had the love and stability that she never had growing up, yet still he seemed to close himself off in some ways, it was puzzle that perplexed Emma who even found herself wondering if it might just be a genetic trait that they shared.
Realising that they were fast nearing the end of their walk together Emma decided to break the silence that had grown between them.
"How you doing kid?" she asked. Henry just shrugged in response, but Emma couldn't just leave it at that.
"You know it's okay to feel sad that your dad died" she told him.
"That man was not my dad" Henry retorted his jaw visibly tensing.
"Henry" Emma spoke tentatively but the boy cut her off before she could get any further.
"Do you think that I didn't see how he treated you and mom?" Henry asked.
Well, he had Emma there what could she say to that?
"He was so horrible to you both ma, I hated it and I hated him, I'm not sorry that he's dead, maybe now mom actually has a chance to be happy" he stated promptly ending their conversation there by running to greet Nick because they had just made it within sight of the bus stop.
Emma stayed back watching his apparently carefree laughter for a few seconds before she waved him goodbye and turned to walk home pausing just out of site to make sure that he was safely on the bus before she completely left him without cramping his style.
Her heart hurt for him as she watched him with Nick acting completely unaffected by the recent turn of events in his life, she had, had no idea that he had noticed so much about Regina's situation or that he felt the way that he did towards Robin and though a part of her wondered if he truly felt that indifferent towards the man that had been raising him this past ten years, the only father figure he had ever known and someone that he had at least at one time been close to, she also now had some understanding as to why the kid wasn't upset and just wanted to go to school and carry on as normal, as far as he was concerned life just got better for him and his moms, not for poor Roland though, he didn't see things the way that Henry did and that small boy did feel the sorrow that came with the sudden loss of his father at such a tender age.
"Here you go" Regina smiled down at him as she settled him on the couch, remote in hand and tucked a blanket around him, leaning in to nuzzle her nose against his and plant a gentle kiss in the centre of his little forehead.
"Thanks mommy" Roland sniffed looking up at her through red rimmed eyes.
Regina remained squatted to the floor beside him and gently stroked his hair.
"It''ll be okay sweetheart" she soothed.
"Are you going to die too mommy" Roland sniffed again much louder, and fat fresh tears rolled down his eyes as he voiced his single greatest fear aloud.
"What? no of course not, I'm staying right here with you for a long time yet my little prince" she gave him a small reassuring smile knowing that she couldn't really make any real promises about what time she may or may not have left but sincerely hoping that she was right about it being a long time yet, with any luck Roland would be well into adulthood long before she had to take her own walk into the light.
The little boy looked at his mother for a long moment then nodded and turned his attention to the TV screen, flicking through the channels until he settled on a cartoon, popping his thumb into his mouth as he watched.
Regina's legs had begun to protest painful from being in a squatting position for so long, so she lowered herself to sit on the floor where she remained next to Roland until she heard the front door closing alerting her of Emma's return.
"I'm just going to talk to Emma, but I'll only be in the kitchen if you need me, okay?" she smiled, and Roland eyes still fixated on the glowing TV screen nodded silently in reply his little face still far more solemn than a little boy of his age features should be.
"He said that" Regina gasped over a steaming coffee after Emma had finished relaying her conversation with Henry to her a short while later.
"Yup" Emma replied taking a sip of her own drink.
"Wow" Regina breathed falling into silent thoughts.
"I honestly don't know what to say" Regina admitted a few short moments later.
"So don't say anything" Emma shrugged "Let's just give the kid some space and see how he goes, he might be masking his true feelings and if he is then the truth will come out eventually but it will happen in its own time, trying to force it will push him away and then there's the possibility that, that really is his true feelings, we just have to be here for him, when and how he needs us whatever happens."
Regina listened and nodded appreciatively; Emma was right.
"Wow, you may actually have some brains in there after all Emma Swan" she teased playfully poking the blonde in the tummy, "there might actually be hope for you yet" Regina laughed, and Emma grabbed her pulling her into her embrace.
"Oh, you'll find hope, brains and so much more in me" she breathed suddenly capturing Regina's lips in a searing kiss that made both of their hearts flutter and left them both flustered and breathless in equal measure.
"Hmmm" Regina sighed contentedly as they parted, "I don't think that I could ever get enough of that" she murmured.
"And you'll never have too" Emma smiled back leaning in for a second kiss.
But their lips had barely met when Roland's piercing tones cut through them from down the hall.
"Mommy!" he bellowed sounding upset.
"What is it, Roland?" Regina called as she raced towards him trying to hide the concern from her own tone "What happened?" she asked as she skidded to a halt just inside the doorway of the lounge where she could see her boy looking visibly upset but otherwise okay.
"I had an accident" he admitted, he's cheeks flushing red in his embarrassment.
"Oh Roly, It's okay." Regina smiled warmly, quietly relieved than that was the only thing wrong "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"
Roland nodded and chewed his bottom lip anxiously.
"you've done nothing wrong so stop worrying" Regina instructed firmly but kindly as she took him by the hand and led him up to the bathroom, where she filled the tub with warm bubbly water before she gently lowered him into it.
The bath seemed to perk Roland up no end, his features relaxed fully for the first time that day and laugher replaced his solemn look as he played with his favourite bath toys and for a short while forgot his grief.
He stayed in the water until it was so cold that he started shivering and he only got out then because Regina insisted that he should, lifting his wrinkly little body out of the tub and bundling him into a fluffy white towel that was really much too big for him, she steered him into his bedroom smiling as he cuddled into the towel's cosy depths.
By the time they got back downstairs Emma had already cleaned all traces of Roland's accident off of the leather sofa seats, replacing his soiled blankets which she had already put on to wash, with freshly laundered ones.
"Thank-you" Regina silently mouthed at her as she settled onto the sofa alongside Roland to which Emma just shrugged nonchalantly and joined them, sitting on Roland's other side.
Not much else happened that day, no news of Robins autopsy came, and Regina spent much of the day sitting with Roland, making sure that he was comfortable and well provided for until Henry returned home, and she finally left her youngest sons side to prepare dinner for everybody.
They ate in a sombre silence, then Henry excused himself to his room to play video games with Nick before bed.
Regina settled Roland to sleep again but that night, but this time she didn't stay with him for the whole night.
Once he was sound asleep, she slipped out of the bed and inspired by the idea to hide cameras around the house Regina dug out her old baby monitor, plugged one half in, in Roland's room, taking the other half with her so that she would know immediately if he woke up needing her.
She crept out the room, pausing at the door to look back at her sleeping sons form then went to re-join Emma in the lounge where she placed her half of the monitor on the coffee table before she settled into Emma's welcoming embrace holding the glass of red that Emma had poured for her in her absence and taking a deep, delicious swig from it.
She was just starting to feel a little of the tension leaving her shoulders when the knocks came on the front door, three of them, short, sharp, and obviously meaning business.
Placing her glass back on the table next to the silent monitor Regina rose to her feet heading for the hallway with Emma hot on her heels.
"What is it now?" she sighed. Would she ever catch a break?
She reached for the front door and opened it to find a grim looking Officer Nottingham standing on the other side.
"I'm afraid that I'm going to ask you to step outside of the house mam" the officer said without so much as good evening or greeting of any kind.
"What? but why?" Regina asked complying without even realising she was doing it until rough hands grabbed her arms and slapped cuffs onto her wrists.
"What the hell are you doing?" Regina demanded to know at the same time as Emma shouted from the doorway behind Regina "What's going on?"
"It's best if you stay out of this mam" the officer said addressing Emma now "I believe that there are children in the house are there not?" he asked and Emma nodded, "I thought so and I would really rather not have to arrest you too and have to find them a foster home for the foreseeable, especially not with everything they are currently going through".
"What do you mean arrest me too" Emma gasped tears springing in her eyes as she watched him manhandle Regina towards his car, "wait where are you taking her?" Emma demanded to know a feeling of dread settling in her stomach like a led weight.
"Just do as he says" Regina pleaded tears welling in her own eyes, "and call my lawyer, let her know where I am and that I'll be in touch shortly, her numbers in the little book in my bedside table under Dreggan. And try not to worry, I'll be fine Emma" she promised, and Emma nodded.
With that said, the officer paused next to his car to address Regina again and that was when Emma noticed all the police lights lined up on the street just beyond the house for the first time, it looked as though the whole of Storybrookes police force had turned up and some.
"Regina Locksley, I'm arresting on suspicion of murdering Robin Locksley" the officer said before he pushed Regina down into the car and drove off leaving a shocked Emma in his wake to face the onslaught of what was to come alone.
As an unfamiliar officer approached the startled blonde with a warrant in hand a baby monitor crackled to life next to a barely touched glass of wine on the table in the depths of the house as a little boy woke and cried out for his mommy….