April Joys

Regina entered Robin's store, the bell tingling as the door opened. She glanced around, hoping not to spot her husband's familiar form. A few customers milled around the store and John manned the cash register but there was no sign of Robin. Relief filled her and she approached John.

"Hello, Regina," he greeted her warmly. "Robin isn't here. He had a meeting with a supplier."

"Good. I want to talk to you about him. Specifically, his birthday," she said.

He tilted his head, checking the calendar pinned up behind him. "It's still a few weeks away, Regina. His birthday is…"

"April eighteenth," she finished. "I know that. And I know it's over a month away but we know how fast things can go. I want to throw a surprise party for him but Easter is going to get in the way."

John nodded. "We probably should have it before then. But are you sure you want to plan a surprise party on top of your wedding ceremony?"

Regina bit her lip, knowing he had a good point. She and Robin had decided to get married at the end of June, right after school ended for their boys and before the real heat of summer could kick in. Their plan was to then celebrate the 4th of July with their family and friends before sending Henry and Roland to a two-week sleepaway camp. During that time, she and Robin were going on a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean for their honeymoon. She knew it didn't leave much time for planning but she wasn't trying to throw a big wedding, just a small ceremony to give them what Santa had robbed from them—memories of actually getting married.

That didn't mean there still was a lot to plan for the wedding, though. But Regina was getting a lot of help from both Tink and Mary Margaret, so she felt confident she could pull off a surprise party for Robin as well.

"I'm not planning anything big," she told John. "Probably just a small gathering in the backyard. Tink's helping with the wedding, so I was hoping you could help with this."

John smiled, nodding. "I'd be happy to help. Just let me know what you need me to do."

Regina grinned, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it out to him. "Do you think you can take care of these?"

He took the paper and unfolded it, scanning the items she had written down. John nodded. "Looks easy enough."

"Good," she said, relieved. "This is a big help."

"Anything to make sure Robin has a great birthday. He deserves it," he replied, tucking the list into his pocket.

She nodded, leaning back. "Thanks. I'll be in touch when I can. I think we can pull this off."

"Me too," he agreed. "Can't wait to see the look on Robin's face."

Excited, Regina said goodbye to John and headed out of the store. This was going to be the best surprise party she had ever planned.

Robin deserved nothing less.

It had been a crazy morning. Robin had barely taken his first sip of coffee when Regina had shoved a list at him. Apparently she liked to create big baskets for Henry to open on Easter morning and this year was also making one for Roland. There were a lot of things she needed and she tasked him with picking all of it up without the boys while she went food shopping with them. Robin sighed but kissed her cheek, agreeing to do it. After all, how hard could it be to grab everything?

Very hard, apparently, as he had to run to three different stores to get everything on the list—especially as Regina had been very specific about each item's color, size and brand. He loved that she was a perfectionist but sometimes, it drove him crazy.

Almost three hours after he left, he finally returned home. Robin pulled into the driveway and killed his engine, just taking a moment to take a few deep breaths before carrying everything inside. He hoped all he had to do now was just relax with his wife and sons.

Robin opened his car door and quickly retrieved everything from the back of his truck. He did his best to only have to make one trip and his muscles strained as he carried the bags and baskets into the house. By the time he got to his bedroom, there was a definite burn. He dumped everything into the closet before rubbing his arms.

It was then he noticed how quiet the house was.

Too quiet.

His eyes narrowed and he stepped out of the house. Even with the boys in tow, she should've beaten him home. Unless there were a few more errands she had to run, he figured. He sighed and decided to enjoy the silence while he could.

Robin hit the last step and was about to head to the kitchen when Regina's voice stopped him. "Robin? Are you home?"

"Yes," he replied, turning around to find his wife coming from the backyard. He frowned. "I didn't think you were home."

She nodded. "I stopped by because I wanted to check our propane tank ahead of barbeque season. Can you come help me?"

"Sure," he said, heading toward the backdoor. "If you want, though, I can always get the tank during the week."

"Let's just check it out, okay?" She held open the door for him and he stepped out into the warm April sun.

"SURPRISE!"

Robin stood frozen to the spot just outside the backdoor as he slowly took in the backyard. His friends filled it, standing around folding tables covered with green tablecloths and white and green balloons as centerpieces. He slowly turned to face Regina, noticing the "Happy Birthday" banner hanging over the door. She beamed, clearly happy and proud of herself.

She had thrown him a surprise party.

"Happy birthday, darling," she said, going up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him, grinning. "You sly minx."

"Careful," she said, dropping her voice. She glanced over his shoulder. "We have company."

Robin chuckled, nodding. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he turned to face the family and friends standing in their backyard. Shrugging, he grinned as he announced: "You got me!"

"Papa!" Roland raced from the crowd and leapt into his arms. Henry was right behind him and Robin gathered him up too, holding his sons close.

Roland hugged him. "You were surprised?"

"I was," Robin assured him. He kissed his cheek before kissing Henry's cheek. "This is the best party ever."

Henry giggled. "It just started! How can you say that?"

"Well, are you here?" Robin asked. When Henry nodded, he continued. "And Roland? And your mum?"

"Yes," he replied. "And yes."

Robin nodded. "And all our friends, right?"

Henry looked around the yard before nodding. "Yep."

"That sounds like the best party ever to me then," he finished.

"I guess it is," Henry agreed. He beamed as he looked over at his mother. "We threw the best party ever, Mom!"

Regina laughed, rubbing his back as she pressed Roland to her side. "I'm glad to hear it. We all worked really hard on this for your father."

"Are we going to stand around all day or are we going to party?" John called out, a beer in his hand.

Chuckling, Robin put Henry down. "Well, if we're going to party, someone needs to get me a beer. Namely someone whose name rhymes with Con."

John let out a belly laugh before heading toward the cooler. "Fair enough, mate. Your usual?"

"Yep," Robin said. "And make it the coldest bottle in that cooler. It's pretty hot out here."

Regina wrapped her arm around him, resting her hand against his back. "We really lucked out with the weather. I was worrying about it all week."

Things clicked as he recalled her religiously watching the news every night, hushing him and pushing him away whenever the weather was on. She was cagey whenever he asked about it, muttering excuses about starting her garden or doing something with the boys, before changing the subject. Now it all made sense.

He kissed the side of her head. "I'm glad it all worked out."

"Regina worked really hard to plan this," John said, handing Robin his beer. "She wanted this to be a great day for you."

Robin glanced down at Regina, whose cheeks had turned pink as she stared at the lawn. It made his heart skip a beat and he smiled softly. "She makes every day a great day for me."

"Ugh." John wrinkled his nose. "I'm going to walk away before I'm sick."

He walked away as Robin took a sip of his beer, hiding his smile. Regina looked up, gently poking him in the side. "We should join our other guests. After all, they are here for you."

"Good point," he said, moving toward the rest of the crowd. As he took another sip of his beer, he felt himself relax and knew this was going to be a fun party.

"Here you go, sweetheart," Regina said, handing Roland a plate filled with chicken nuggets, French fries and salad.

He crinkled his nose. "I didn't ask for salad."

"I know but you need something healthy to eat as well," she told him. "Henry and I are going to have salads too."

"As am I," Robin added, placing his hand on his son's back. He crouched down, saying: "You know your mother knows best, right?"

Roland nodded. He then looked up at Regina. "Thank you for the salad, Mom."

"You're welcome," she said. "And if you eat it all, then you can have a big piece of cake later."

He gasped and smiled, giving her a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Mom!"

She watched as he skipped toward the table Henry and the other children sat at, eating their meals. Beside her, Robin nudged her. "You're spoiling him."

"Him and Henry," she said. "Besides, it's your birthday party. Seems like a good reason to spoil them."

He chuckled, hugging her close to him. "It is a good reason. And I'm sure you're also hoping they run off the sugar high before the party ends."

She laughed, loving how well he knew her. "Guilty as charged. But I think it's a good plan."

"Oh, I agree," he said, heading over to load his plate up with some food. "By the way, who did the cooking?"

"It's mostly Granny. Mary Margaret and Tink helped too," she said. "And I made the cake."

He placed some pasta on his plate and paused, his eyes lighting up. "You made the cake? Then I should definitely save room. I'm going to want a big piece myself."

She laughed as she loaded her plate with some salad and placed strips of grilled chicken on top of that. Leaning closer to him, she whispered: "Me too."

They carried their plates over to the closest table, sitting down on one side by Tink and Little John. Mary Margaret, David, Ruby and Archie sat on the other side of them. "This is a great party, Regina," Mary Margaret said.

David nodded. "I'm glad we have an excuse to celebrate such beautiful weather. Thanks for being an April baby, Robin."

"You're welcome?" he asked, sounding confused.

Regina chuckled. "This is to celebrate him, not the change in weather."

"I know," David protested as Mary Margaret just shook her head. He sighed. "I'll just stop talking now."

His wife patted his hand. "That's probably a good idea."

"We could talk about the wedding ceremony instead," Tink said. She looked over at Regina with bright eyes. "I'm going to need you to stop by soon for another fitting."

"Make sure to see me before you leave. We'll find something that works," Regina replied, trying to figure out when she had room in her schedule soon.

Mary Margaret smiled, pushing some of her potato salad around on her plate. "I can't wait to see the dress. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful."

"How go the other plans?" David asked, stealing a fry off his wife's plate as she tried to bat his hand away from her food.

"We're going to choose the flowers next weekend," Regina said. "Robin has some friends and they sent us some examples. They do some beautiful work."

"My favorite task was the cake tasting," David replied with a grin while Mary Margaret rolled her eyes.

Robin chuckled. "I'm looking forward to that. And picking out the menu for the reception."

"Food is very important," Regina added, taking a bite of her salad.

"And the music?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Something tells me that's not as important as the food," Robin replied, drawing laughter from everyone at the table.

She scowled at him before softening into a grin. "Okay, I may have walked into that one. I just wanted to know if you two had decided what you were doing for music. Band? DJ? String quartet?"

Regina scrunched up her nose. A string quartet sounded like something her mother would insist on for the wedding and so she didn't want it at all. "Not that last one. I guess it would be between a band and a DJ."

"I think I would prefer a band over a DJ," Robin said. "But it would be up to the budget and who we can find."

David raised an eyebrow. "You two have a budget? Really? Aren't you both richer than the queen now?"

"I wouldn't say the queen," Robin replied, shifting on the bench. Regina took his hand, knowing he was still uncomfortable with their friends knowing exactly how rich he was. He didn't like to consider himself as a billionaire and preferred that everyone still saw him as the humble store owner he was.

Tink chimed in. "Just because they're both rich doesn't mean they have to spend a lot of money on their wedding."

"Thank you, Tink," Regina said, grateful for her interjection. "At least somebody gets it."

"Yeah, big splashy weddings don't seem to be Robin's deal anyway," John said, clapping his friend on the back. "He and Marian had a beautiful, small and intimate one."

Mary Margaret glanced over at Regina, sadness in her eyes. Regina knew what her stepsister wanted to say but held back because of the memories it brought back up. Memories that didn't hurt as much anymore, so she said: "Daniel and I were planning a rather small wedding. It drove my mother nuts as she wanted to invite everyone in the county."

Robin chuckled, sipping his beer. "Yeah, I can see that. Didn't she tell you she had a list of people we absolutely had to invite only a few days after Christmas?"

"She did," Regina replied, "and she was horrified that I didn't have a guest list prepared despite how quickly everything had happened."

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "Sounds like Cora. She almost took over our wedding until Daddy put his foot down, giving David and me more control."

"We still ended up inviting about a hundred more people than we had intended," David said, scowling at his plate since Cora wasn't there.

"And Mother still complained about your wedding being too small for the social event of the year," Regina recalled, shaking her head.

John's eyes widened. "I feel like I missed a real spectacle."

"You did," she replied. She paused before adding: "Zelena's wedding."

Mary Margaret and David groaned in unison. "I had forgotten about that whole lavish affair," he said.

"I remember you asking if I wanted to elope after that," his wife said, shuddering. "I almost said yes."

Robin frowned. "What exactly happened at Zelena's wedding?"

"What didn't happen at Zelena's wedding," David countered, shaking his head.

"I'm starting to already hope there are plenty of pictures of this," John said, looking excited. "It sounds good."

Tink chuckled. "There are tons of pictures and videos. Zelena and Hades have a whole website dedicated to their wedding that is still active. I like to check from time to time. You know, for shits and giggles."

"Can you send it to me?" John asked. She nodded, picking up her phone and typing something.

Robin wrapped his arm around Regina, pulling her close as he said: "I still want to hear about this spectacle."

"Well, you can hear it from the maid of honor herself," David replied, motioning to Regina. He then motioned to his wife. "And a bridesmaid. Just one of many. I didn't know Zelena had so many friends."

"She doesn't. Glinda was her college roommate and I know they are still in touch. But the rest were just daughters of Mother's socialite friends," Regina replied, thinking of the women she had spent so many hours of wedding preparation with and then had never seen again.

Mary Margaret nodded. "I still see them from time to time but I don't think any of them really keep in touch with Zelena except for the usual pleasantries at functions. Honestly, I feel bad for Zelena. I don't think she really has any friends."

"Who would want to be her friend?" John countered, frowning a bit.

Despite her strained relationship with her sister, Regina still felt the need to defend her. "I think she would find friends if she were to be herself. Unfortunately, I think she's been so focused on pleasing Mother, she doesn't know who she is."

"You almost sound like me," Archie teased her, looking amused at the other end of the table.

She grinned at him. "You were bound to rub off on me sooner or later."

"But has Regina rubbed off on him?" David asked, raising an eyebrow. "I guess that remains to be seen."

Robin shook his head. "I hate to break this up, but I'm still eager to hear about Zelena's wedding."

"Well, Mother decided that none of the churches in Storybrooke were big or grand enough for such a wedding," Regina said. "So the wedding ended up being in a cathedral a couple towns over, even though Hades wanted to marry in his own church."

"I thought you weren't religious," he said.

She shrugged. "We're not. But I guess her society friends made a big deal about their daughters being married in churches, so she figured she had to about Zelena's wedding. And it had to be the best."

"Naturally," he replied. "I take it that's why she had so many bridesmaids too?"

"Probably," Regina said. "I don't really want to consider what Mother's motives were for that, honestly."

"Cora Mills-Blanchard's mind is a dangerous place," Tink declared, making everyone chuckle.

"What color did she make you all wear again?" David asked. "Was it rose gold?"

Regina shook her head. "It was champagne. Mother's choice. Zelena wanted us to wear emerald and honestly, I think it would've flattered most of us and photographed well. Mother dismissed it and insisted champagne was classier."

"Yeah, that sounds like Cora," Robin replied dryly. "Isn't champagne just a fancy way of saying gold?"

The women looked at each other and shrugged. "It's a bit more muted than gold, but yeah, I guess so," Tink finally said.

"I'm sticking with a nice shade of blue for ours," Regina assured Robin, patting his hand. "Don't worry."

He nodded. "So I know what color the dresses were. What did they look like?"

Mary Margaret and Regina groaned again. "Like an overstuffed pastry," Regina replied. "The skirt was so voluminous, I was afraid it was going to swallow me up."

"I was afraid of tripping," Mary Margaret said. "I thought if I did, Cora would literally kill me."

"Mother would've killed anyone who made the wedding less than the perfect affair—bride and groom included," Regina agreed.

David nodded. "Even the groomsmen got a lecture from her about our tuxedos. She even sent out guidelines for our haircuts!"

"That's intense," Robin replied, looking a bit afraid now.

"I think that's a good way to describe that whole wedding," David said. "Intense."

Tink leaned forward. "Didn't you all have to take ballroom dancing classes for the reception?"

"Yes. There was an elaborately choreographed routine for Zelena and Hades' introduction. It was like something out of a movie," Regina replied. She then glanced at Robin and added: "Yes, there is a video."

He grinned. "Can I see it?"

"Yes," she said. "Late at night, when the boys are asleep and there is plenty of wine around. I am not reliving that sober."

"Fair enough," he replied, chuckling. "I probably don't want to experience that for the first time sober either."

"Good call," David replied, sipping his own beer.

John shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this wedding anymore."

"How about we table all wedding talk?" Robin suggested. "It's my birthday and I'm placing a moratorium on the topic."

Everyone nodded and Tink changed the subject for them. "So, who is excited that winter is finally over?"

As the others agreed that they were glad the cold and snow was behind them, Regina leaned closer to Robin. She kissed his cheek. "I know our wedding ceremony is going to be beautiful and perfect for us," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. He then smirked. "Especially because your mother is not allowed anywhere near it."

She chuckled, nodding. "Agreed."

As he wrapped his arms around her, she sighed happily. This was a perfect day all around and she knew it was going to be just one of many she would experience with Robin.

By the time night fell, the air had turned cold again. Regina bundled up in her coat and gloves as she finished cleaning up from the party. It wasn't too much as many of the guests had helped to clean before they left but there were still a few things she didn't want to leave out overnight.

"The boys are in bed," Robin said, coming out the backdoor. He picked up a trash bag. "What else has to go?"

She pointed to a few empty beer cans. "Can you toss those in the recycling bin, please? I think that will be it then."

He nodded, kissing her cheek. "I'll be right back. And then I'm taking you to bed to really thank you for my party."

"Looks like I'm getting a present too," she flirted, leaning closer to him. She kissed his jaw. "You better hurry up then."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her before heading over to gather up the beer cans.

Regina tied up the bag she had been filling and carried it toward the bins along the side of her house. She tossed it into one as Robin dropped the beer cans into the blue bin marked for recyclables. He took her hand, pulling her close. "Time for bed."

"I agree," she replied, kissing him. "Do you want to lead the way?"

"Gladly." He pulled away as he took her hand. They walked into the house and took off their coats, hanging them up.

Robin scooped her into his arms, causing her to let out a little squeak. "Don't worry. I got you," he assured her.

"I believe that," she said, settling into his arms as he headed upstairs. "Just a bit of a surprise, that's all."

He hummed, kissing the side of her head. "I know you're not a fan of the spontaneous…"

"This is fine," she replied. "I would think anyone would make a noise of surprise if they were just suddenly scooped up off the ground. Don't you think so?"

"I guess," he replied, laying her on the bed. He held up a finger before rushing back to the door, closing and locking it.

Robin turned from the door, grinning at her. "There. We'll only be interrupted by knocking if the boys need us. Which hopefully they won't as I want you to myself all night long."

"Who am I to deny the birthday boy?" She chuckled, motioning for him to come to bed.

He climbed onto the bed, grinning. "You know what I want to do first?"

"I think I have a good idea," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hovered over her. "But it's your birthday, so you should be pleasured."

"And what makes you think I don't get any pleasure out of giving you pleasure?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm always sure about eating you out," he told her, grinning. "But first, I think we're both overdressed for this."

"I agree," she replied, turning around so he could reach the zipper on her dress. She heard him unzip it before the dress slid off her shoulders and he pressed kisses to her skin there.

He then kissed her neck. "You're absolutely stunning."

"Just because my shoulders are bared?" she teased him, trying to look back at him.

"Oh, yes," he replied in a teasing tone. "You know how just the hint of bare skin will drive a red-blooded man like me wild. No impulse control and all that."

She laughed. "Is that so?"

He hummed, pulling her dress off her and discarding it. Robin gently rolled her onto her back, helping her lay down as he straddled her. "Beautiful."

"Why thank you," she replied, though she felt herself flush. She still was getting used to how easily Robin complimented and praised her. It was a change after years of her mother's and sister's criticisms.

She pushed thoughts of them aside as she tugged on his shirt. "But you're still overdressed for this part of the celebrations. Let me fix that."

Regina sat up, tugging his green sweater over his head. He raised his arms to help her and she tossed it aside before working on the buttons of his shirt. As she slowly popped them over, he peppered the side of her head with kisses and ran his hands over her bare skin.

His hands reached her ass, giving the cheeks a squeeze as she slid his shirt off him. She ran her fingers down his chest, toying with some of the blond hairs there before pressing a kiss over where his heart was. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied, nuzzling her as she unzipped his pants. "You're still the best present I've ever gotten."

She helped him out of his pants as he continued to kiss every part of her he could reach, including a few ticklish places. Regina wiggled a bit as she giggled. "Stop—not there!"

Robin paused, smirking. "Are you…Are you ticklish? How am I just discovering this?"

"It hasn't been this bad before," she replied, feeling somewhat defensive. "I'm usually not this sensitive."

"That's intriguing," he said, smirking at her. "Where else are you ticklish, I wonder?"

She pushed his hands away. "If you want sex tonight, you won't dare to find out—birthday or not."

He paused before nodding. "Fair enough. I don't want to get exiled to the couch. Santa's magic won't return me to your side this time."

"No, it won't," she replied, smiling softly at him. "But I'm not trying to kick you out of bed. I like sleeping next to you."

"Good," he said, nuzzling her again. "I like sleeping next to you too. Thought right now, I'm focused on doing other things with you."

She gasped as he went lower, her fingers grabbing at his hair as she knew it was going to be long time before they slept that night.

Regina sank into the mattress, her limbs like jelly, as Robin rolled off her. He landed with a small bounce on the mattress, panting still. "Well, that was certainly one way to celebrate my birthday, even if it's a few days earlier," he said.

"And it can be how we celebrate your birthday every year," she told him, rolling over to cuddle against him. She pressed a kiss to his chest. "If you want, that is. "

He kissed her head. "And if you want. I don't want you to feel obligated to have sex with me just because it's my birthday."

She nodded. "I know. And I would think by now that if I don't want to do something, I won't."

"True. You are very stubborn," he agreed. He then gave her a little squeeze. "We're well-matched in that regard."

"We are," she agreed, her eyes starting to close. "I think it's time to sleep now, though. Good night, Robin."

He kissed her head again. "Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams."

Robin wrapped them in their blankets as he continued to hold her close. The heat radiating off them warmed her body and just fell into a deep sleep feeling warm and content.

Robin's phone alarm went off and Regina groaned, rubbing her eyes. She opened them, watching as her husband slipped out of bed. "What time is it? And where are you going?"

"Early," he told her, leaning against their headboard. "But I need to hide the eggs before the boys wake up. You go back to bed. This won't take too long."

She nodded, laying her head back down on her pillow. "Just make sure you remember where you put all the eggs. I don't want us discovering one six months from now due to the smell."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I will make a note on my phone after hiding them so we can retrieve any that don't get found. And I'm going to put out the baskets too. Is there a place you usually put it?"

"The coffee table in the living room," she replied, "but if you think the baskets should go someplace else, I'll trust your judgment."

"Coffee table sounds good," he said, kissing her head as she started to drift off to sleep again. "Sweet dreams, my love."

It seemed like only minutes later when Regina awoke to two excited boys yelling from downstairs. She sat up, noticing that Robin was back in bed with her. As he stretched out, waking up again, she checked the time.

Nine AM.

Well, it was better than 7 AM.

She sat up just as the door opened. Roland and Henry climbed onto the bed, both smiling at her and Robin. "Happy Easter, Mom and Dad!" Henry declared.

"Happy Easter, boys," she replied, opening her arms to them. Both threw themselves at her and she hugged them tightly to her, kissing their heads.

Robin scooted closer to them, wrapping his arm around her. He winked at her. "So, do you boys think the Easter Bunny came?"

The boys gasped as they looked at each other. Roland started to crawl toward the edge of the bed. "Come on, Henry! We have to find the eggs so we can find our baskets!"

"I bet I'll find more eggs than you!" Henry said, following his brother off the bed.

"Nah uh," Roland replied, shaking his head. "I'm the best at finding eggs. I found all of them last year. Right, Papa?"

Robin chuckled. "You did. But I'm sure Henry did the same."

"He did," Regina confirmed, proud of her son. "So you two together should find the eggs in no time!"

Henry and Roland studied each other before Roland held out his hand. "Partners?"

"Partners," Roland agreed, shaking his brother's hand. He then pulled on it and headed for the door. "Come on!"

They raced out of the room and Regina pushed the blankets back, climbing out of bed. "We should follow them," she said.

"Yeah," Robin replied, getting out of bed too. "Roland can get a little too excited when searching for eggs."

"Henry too," she said. "They are quite the pair."

He chuckled. "They really are brothers."

"Santa certainly knew what he was doing when he made us a family," she agreed, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. She then grabbed her bathrobe and slid it on. "Come on, let's go."

They headed downstairs, finding the boys already at work finding eggs in the kitchen. Henry checked some of the cabinets while Roland checked the drawers. Robin wrapped his arm around Regina's waist, the two watching them from the doorway.

"Are they close?" she asked him in a whisper.

He nodded. "There are a couple very close to where they are looking. They'll probably find them any minute now."

"Good," she said, leaning against him again as she resumed watching the boys continue their quest.

Henry opened the microwave and gasped, pulling out a blue egg and holding it up triumphantly. "I found one!"

"Way to go!" Robin praised him. "Looks like the Easter bunny left a bowl on the table for you to put the eggs in. Why don't you put that one in there?"

"Okay, Dad." Henry bounded over to the table and carefully put the egg in the bowl.

Not wanting to fall behind, Roland had continued to search the kitchen for more eggs. He reached into Robin's favorite mug and his face lit up as he pulled a yellow egg from it. "I found one too!"

"Way to go!" Regina praised, taking the egg from him so she could put it in the bowl. "You two are doing a great job!"

"I think the Easter bunny may have hidden one more egg in here," Robin suggested. "And then you should probably check the rest of this floor."

Roland and Henry scrambled to check some of the other places in the kitchen. Henry found the third egg in the refrigerator, a green one sitting next to the lettuce in the crisper. "He tried to trick us!" he declared, holding it up.

"Well, we're smarter than that!" Roland said, nodding proudly. "Let's see what other tricks that bunny tried!"

They hurried from the kitchen after Henry placed the egg in Regina's hand. She held it as she gently pushed Robin after them. "The Easter Bunny told you where the eggs are, so go keep an eye on them. I'm going to make us some coffee."

"Thank you," he said, kissing her cheek before picking up the bowl to take with him. He then hurried to follow the boys, who were now scouring the foyer for eggs.

It took a few minutes but Regina soon joined the rest of her family, carrying two mugs of coffee. Roland and Henry had moved into the living room with Robin watching them from the doorway. The bowl in his hands held a few more eggs. She handed him his mug as she asked: "How many more do they need to find?"

"Four. They found two in the downstairs bathroom and two in the foyer," he replied, sipping his coffee. "They should find them easily enough."

She nodded, taking a sip of her own coffee. Henry found an egg between the couch cushions just as Roland found one next to their DVD player. They both hurried over to drop the eggs in the bowl before continuing their hunt for the remaining eggs.

"Okay, there are two more eggs remaining," Robin told them. "Let's find them and I think you'll find some nice surprises with them."

Both boys' eyes lit up and they raced toward the other end of the room. Regina moved closer to him, whispering: "Are they with the baskets?"

"Yep," he replied. "It's always tradition in our house. I hope you don't mind that I brought it with us."

She shook her head. "I like it. It's a clever idea."

Two identical squeals drew their attention to behind the couch. He grinned. "I think they found them."

"Why don't we go check?" she suggested, setting down her mug and taking his hand. He placed his mug next to hers as they headed around the couch.

Roland and Henry sat on the floor, each holding a basket on their laps. Two eggs sat abandoned by them and Regina retrieved them as she watched the boys examine their goodies. "Wow. Looks like the Easter bunny thought you two were really good this year."

"Yeah," Henry agreed before gasping. "Is that Spider-Man? That's so cool!"

"I got Iron Man!" Roland said, just as excited. "The Easter Bunny is the best."

Regina frowned, not remembering those going in the basket the night before. She looked up at Robin, who was also frowning. They shared a look and she realized that if Santa was real, then the Easter Bunny certainly was as well. He must've brought those presents for their boys.

And he didn't even hide the eggs for them.

Then again, she was probably grateful for that as they would've been in trouble had the boys been unable to find all the eggs.

"Can we have some of the chocolate, Mom? Please?" Roland asked, looking up at her with doe eyes.

Putting aside thoughts of an actual bunny having been in her house, Regina shook her head. "Breakfast first, chocolate later. How about I make us some pancakes?"

They both cheered, setting aside their baskets and jumping up. Robin chuckled, motioning for them to come with him. "Let's go wash our hands while Mom gets everything started, okay?"

"Okay," the chorused, taking his hands and letting him lead them from the room. Regina picked up the bowl of eggs and carried them into the kitchen, placing them in the refrigerator before retrieving the ingredients for pancakes.

Robin returned with the boys, telling them to take their seats at the table. He approached her at the counter. "Do you need any help?"

"I think I'm fine here," she told him, kissing his cheek. "Why don't you and the boys set the table for me, please?"

He nodded, reaching up into the cabinet to get the plates. "You know, the Easter Bunny probably owes us just as much as Santa," he whispered to her.

She glanced back at the boys, who were lost in their own conversation. Looking back at Robin, she said: "We'll discuss that later."

"Okay," he replied, carrying the plates to the table. She focused on the stove, preparing breakfast as she contemplated how Santa and the Easter Bunny were indeed real. The Tooth Fairy probably was as well.

How strange her life had become!

"And they are down for the count," Robin said, entering the living room. He joined Regina on the couch, slipping under the blanket she had wrapped around her legs.

She hummed, curling against him. "I'm surprised after all the chocolate they consumed. I thought they would be up all night long."

He chuckled, cuddling with her. "They eventually had to crash. And they crashed hard. Pretty sure both nearly fell asleep brushing their teeth."

"Well, we all had a wonderful Easter," she said, patting his leg. "Thank you for a great day."

"I think all the credit goes to you," he replied. "You made a great dinner and were a wonderful hostess to Mary Margaret, David and Baby Neal."

She hummed, cuddling closer to him as she closed her eyes. "I love when they bring him over. Though he's getting so big. He's almost out of that cuddly phase."

Robin kissed her head, a question popping into his head. Or more like an idea, an image of her rocking a baby. "Do you want more children?"

She opened her eyes again, pulling back to look up at him. "What?"

"We skipped a lot of discussions we probably would've had before getting married," he explained, hoping he hadn't ruined the mood. "And one would've been about children. Namely, do we want more?"

"We have Henry and Roland," she pointed out, her eyes still wide.

He nodded. "And they are more than enough for me, if that's what we decide."

"You would like more," she said, not posing it as a question.

"I would," he replied. "I was an only child and always wanted a big family of my own."

She drew up her knees and hugged them to her chest. "I understand that. But I had more of a relationship with my stepsister than my real sister."

"Well, I think that's more because your mother pitted you against each other," he pointed out. "And while I think Roland and Henry will always have a special bond, it doesn't mean they are going to alienate any other siblings they may have."

"But what if I become like my mother?" she asked softly, fear in her voice and eyes.

Cursing Cora Mills-Blanchard, he moved closer to his wife and pulled her into his arms. "You won't."

She rested her head on his shoulder, sniffling. "How do you know? How do you know that I won't create some competition between my children?"

"Because you don't now," he told her. "Roland is as much yours as Henry is and you show no preferential treatment between them. And I have no doubt that you would do the same if we have another child."

"You think so?" she asked, sounding almost like a little girl.

He kissed the top of her head. "I know so."

She breathed out. "I wish I saw me as you see me."

"Me too," he replied, rubbing her arm. "But we're all working on it, right?"

"Right," she agreed, giving him the ghost of a smile. "Thank you."

They sat there and he continued to hold her, doing his best to offer her comfort since he couldn't go back in time to save her from Cora Mills-Blanchard. All Robin could do was give her a happier family than the one she had been raised in and just keep loving her with his entire heart and soul.

"I do," she whispered, breaking the silence that blanketed them.

He pulled back a bit, confused. "What?"

"I want more children," she clarified, looking him in the eyes. "I don't care how—if I get pregnant, if we adopt. I just want at least one more."

"Okay," he said, gently cupping her face. "Do you want to start trying or wait a bit longer?"

She bit her lip. "Part of me wants to say we should wait until after Christmas, to get through our first year together."

"That does make sense," he agreed. "However, I'm sensing a but in there."

"We've never used protection," she pointed out. "I'm not on birth control and you've never used a condom."

He frowned, realizing she was current. It had been years since he had needed to use them and when they had unexpectedly ended up married, condoms hadn't even crossed his mind. Nor had he ever thought to ask if she was on birth control. With everything else that came with their magical marriage, family planning just never came to his mind.

Robin's mind came up with one possibility and his eyes widened. "Do…Do you think you're already pregnant?"

"No," she told him. "I got my period a couple weeks ago and I haven't been showing any symptoms."

"Okay," he replied, somewhat relieved.

She moved closer to him. "I just meant I don't know if I want to start using any protection. It wouldn't make much sense to go on birth control just to come off it in a few months. And I really don't want you to start wearing condoms."

His mind processed her words as she played with his hair, twirling some of it around her finger as best she could. Robin leaned closer her. "Are you saying that you just want to let nature take its course?"

"I guess I am," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "If you're okay with that as well."

"I am," he assured her. "Thought I'm surprised you're advocating not planning this and being spontaneous."

She chuckled. "Maybe you've just rubbed off on me."

"Maybe," he said, chuckling as well. He eased them down until they were lying together—his back pressed against the couch while he held her against him. "Now, what do you say we enjoy this time to ourselves?"

"I say that's a very good idea," she replied, sliding her hand up his shirt and stroking his chest. He kissed her in response, glad the boys were in bed so they could just make out like teenagers on the couch in peace.

Later that night, when they had long moved to their bed, Robin held her as she slept. His mind filled with images of her pregnant with his child, glowing and happy, and he pressed his hand to her flat stomach. Though he would love to have those dreams come true sooner than later, he knew he just had to be patient.

Everything would happen in its own time.

The smell of coffee woke Robin a couple days after Easter. He opened his eyes, finding Regina's spot in bed empty. Sitting up, he guessed she was making him breakfast like he had for her birthday. It made him smile and he pushed back his blankets, eager to get ready and join his family.

Just as his feet hit the floor, the door opened. He glanced over, smiling as Regina entered with a tray. "Breakfast in bed?"

"Yes," she replied, approaching the bed as the boys followed her. "So get back under the covers, please."

Robin did as she asked as Henry and Roland climbed onto the bed. They knelt next to him as she laid the tray over his legs. "We made your favorites," Roland explained.

"Mom's French toast, bacon and coffee," Henry said, pointing out each food item on the tray. Each one made Robin's stomach growl.

"And don't worry, I put an ungodly amount of sugar into your coffee for you," Regina added, giving him a bright smile.

He chuckled but took a sip, the coffee tasting just how he liked. She certainly knew how to prepare his coffee, just as he hoped he prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. "Thank you," he said.

"Happy birthday, love," she said, kissing him.

"Yeah, happy birthday, Papa," Roland agreed, hugging him as Regina reached out to hold the tray steady.

Henry hugged him more carefully. "We love you, Dad."

"I love you all too," Robin replied, kissing the top of their heads. "This family is the best present I could ever get."

"But that was for Christmas. This is your birthday," Roland pointed out.

He laughed, hugging his son closer. "You, Henry and Mom are the gifts that keeps giving all year round."

"That was cheesy, Papa," Roland told him as Henry nodded in agreement.

Regina crinkled her nose. "I have to agree too."

"Oi! It's my birthday. I'm pretty sure you have to be nice to the birthday boy," he reminded them, though his attempt at indignation failed as he couldn't stop smiling at his family. He reached up and urged Regina to sit next to him.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You should probably eat and drink that before it gets cold."

He chuckled, cutting into his French toast. As he enjoyed his breakfast with his family around him, he already knew this was going to be the best birthday he had in a long time no matter what they did. Just as long as he was with them, he'd be happy for the rest of his life.

A/N: Okay, this one took longer than I wanted to get out. But here it is! And I'm not going to wait until April to post it. I hope you all don't mind.

In the next chapter, our favorite family celebrates Mother's Day. And hopefully it won't take me months to write that one!

If you want to read the birthday smut, you need to head over to AO3 or Wattpad.

-Mac