Once Upon a Time Family

Regina placed the last of the ingredients up on the counter and then glanced over at the clock with a small sigh.

Several months ago, she and Emma had come to an agreement as to who would have Henry and when. This weekend just so happened to be Emma's turn...and it also happened to be Mother's Day.

Thankfully, Emma agreed to have breakfast with Henry and then give him to Regina for the rest of the day.

It was reasonable, Regina agreed but she was still eager to see her son who wouldn't be arriving for another hour or two.

It was a little tradition of theirs, starting when Henry was three, to make Regina's favorite dish on Mother's Day. Henry had wanted to make her something but at three years old Regina wouldn't trust him with a fork on his own. So she helped him, pretending to let him do all the work but helping all the steps of the way. As he grew older, this tradition continued and even though he was able to do most of it on his own, she loved to help him and he loved it too.

She had briefly wondered if he still wanted to do this tradition. Last year he was with Emma in New York, memory-less and the year before that he was convinced she was evil and they were all dealing with the curse and Mother's Day completely passed them by.

She was delighted that when she proposed the idea, his face lit up and he jumped at the chance to agree.

Regina was suddenly startled by the sound of her doorbell ringing and glanced at the clock again wondering if she had misread the time.

There was still a couple hours before Henry was supposed to be arrive. She frowned in curiosity and headed toward the door.

She opened the door and found not Henry but another important man in her life. "Robin." A smile graced her lips at the very sight of the man.

Robin smiled back at her a little sheepishly. "Good morning, m'lady. I do hope I haven't disturbed you." He glanced over her shoulder looking for any sign of Henry.

She shook her head. "You haven't...Henry's not here yet." She turned her head curiously. "Not that it isn't good to see you but what are you doing here?"

"Roland insisted we pay a visit." Robin told her and then glanced down. Regina followed his gaze and saw Roland hiding behind his father's legs, peering out at her shyly.

At the sight of the small boy her smile grew. "Oh hello Roland...I didn't see you see there, sweetie." She lowered herself to be eye level with him and her brow twitched as he hid further behind Robin's legs. It was unlike him to shy away from her, from the moment they met he was open and accepting and she glanced curiously up at Robin.

He gave her a small smile and placed his hand over Roland's back, giving the boy an encouraging shove forward. "Roland, don't you have something for Regina?"

Roland looked up at his father and then back at Regina whose brow rose inquisitively, encouraging him with a warm smile. Then he nodded his head but sunk further behind Robin.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what has gotten into him." Robin said as Regina rose back to her feet. "He was practically dragging me over here before."

Regina smiled softly and then stepped aside. "Why don't you come in? Henry won't be here for a little while."

"Are you certain? I know this is your day with him. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You won't be intruding." Regina told him. "Please, come in." She opened her arm invitingly and he nodded, reaching up to scoop Roland into his arms.

He stepped in through the doors and Regina closed the door behind them.

"We can go sit down." She said and led them into the family room. "Maybe he'll feel more comfortable there."

Robin sighed. "I apologize again..."

"Don't." Regina shook her head with a soft smile. She walked over to sit on one of the couches and then patted the seat beside her, looking at Roland.

"Go sit near Regina, Roland." Robin said to his son and then let him down. Roland glanced up at Robin who gave him an encouraging nod and smile and Roland slowly made his way over to the couch and climbed up beside her.

"Hi Roland..." Regina greeted sweetly. "I hear you have something for me, is that true?"

Roland nodded quietly and she smiled, inching closer to him. "Well I would love to see it."

Roland blinked at her a moment and then a smile tugged at his little pink lips. "Really?" He sat up and she nodded.

"Really."

His little face now lit up, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded, slightly crumpled piece of paper and thrust it out towards her.

Regina smiled as she took it from him. "What's this?" She wondered and unfolded it once to see a drawing of two stick figures holding hands, one small one with a lump of brown squiggles on its head and a taller one with hair just like hers. Roland hopped over to her side and pointed eagerly at them both, "That's me and you!"

"Oh it is!" She gasped happily. "I can see the resemblance." She looked down at Roland who giggled happily and then pointed at it again. "Open it up!"

"Oh there's more?" She smiled as Roland nodded and she unfolded the card again and three words written there nearly made her heart stop. They were obviously not written by the child but by his father but there was a smiley face and a heart drawn under it that came from Roland.

Happy Mother's Day!

She sat gaping at the card far longer than she should have and Roland, who was gauging her reaction, started to frown.

His hand reached out and touched her wrist and he eyed her, worry pooling his little brown eyes. "Do you like it, Regina?"

The sound of her name on the child's lips caught her attention and she looked down at him, tears stinging at her eyes.

"Oh Roland..." She whispered and a smile crossed her lips and she leaned down, ushering the boy into her arms and giving him a gentle, tender hug. "I love it." She told him earnestly and kissed the side of his head. "I love it so much. Thank you."

She sniffled quietly as she pulled away a moment later and grinned down at Roland who was smiling back up at her.

"I know you're not my mommy but Papa said I could make you the card because you act like my mommy sometimes."

Regina swallowed thickly and looked past Roland to his father who stood watching them, his eyes shining in love and affection. He caught her gaze and smiled at her, giving her a small nod.

"And he said one day you might be my new mommy."

"Roland!" Robin protested, his eyes widening as his face turned a nice shade of pink and Regina rose her brow, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Oh he said that, did he?"

He cleared his throat and gave her a hesitant smile before dropping his gaze to the floor and she fought back a laugh.

"Well," Regina started, turning back to look at Roland, and reaching out to brush the hair away from his forehead. "I would love to be your new mommy one day."

Roland's eyes widened and then his face lit up. "Really?"

"Really." She smiled at him and then tapped his nose affectionately and then suddenly Roland was springing forward and wrapping his arms around her neck. She let out a small oomph as the weight of his body slammed into her but she quickly reciprocated, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him in closer.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled into the comfort and warmth of his small body. It had seemed like both forever ago and just yesterday that Henry was this small. She never thought she'd be lucky enough to have this experience again. Henry was her little blessing and she would have been content if it was just him. But with the entrance of Robin and Roland into her life she realized there was room for more in her heart and to have the opportunity to love a child again, to have the love of a child, it was more than she ever could have asked for.

She released him once again when he started to wriggle in her arms. She smiled at him once more and then picked up the card. "Tell you what, Roland. There is a table right outside this room, through there..." She pointed to the archway. "It has a few pictures of Henry on it. Would you mind putting this on that table for me?"

"Okay!" Roland grinned happily and took the card back from her and hopped off the couch, scuttling past his father and out of the room.

Regina straightened out her dress as she rose to her feet, smirking as she met Robin's eyes.

He cleared his throat and laughed uncomfortably. "I apologize...he...he wasn't supposed to say that."

Regina smiled and shook her head as she walked over to him slowly. "I don't mind. You see me in your future and his...how could I possibly find harm in that?"

He extended his hand out and the black ink on his wrist jumped out at her. She had gotten used to seeing it and what it meant, though she still hadn't gathered up the courage to tell him its significance.

Her hand slipped into his and their fingers threaded together as he guided her to his side. "We're still in our early days. I thought talk of the future might frighten you."

She nodded slowly. "It does...but at the same time it doesn't." She squeezed his hand with a warm smile. "I'm in this for the long run."

A smile lit up his face that caused her insides to melt and he turned to face her. "As am I."

They shared a smile and her arms moved to wrap around his neck as she pulled him in for a sweet kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered as they parted and she met his warm gaze.

"What for?" He answered, his brow twitching.

"For bringing him here. It meant more to me than you could ever know."

He smiled. "No need to thank me. It was all Roland's idea. You are so wonderful with him, when Henry told him about Mother's Day he knew he wanted to thank you."

Regina felt that thickness in her throat as emotion welled deep inside her. "Well then thank you for letting me into his life."

He gave her such a genuine smile then that it nearly took her breath away. "There is no one I'd rather have."

A small, happy smile pulled at her lips and she once again leaned in to kiss him. His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer as he responded softly.

"Ewwww!" A short cry followed by a giggle broke them apart and they both turned their heads to see Roland peeking around the corner. Smiles adorned both their faces as they saw the boy's smiling face.

Robin laughed as he released Regina and turned toward his son, opening his arms for him. Roland giggled as he bolted toward his father and hopped up into his arms.

Then Robin started to attack his son with soft kisses and tickles causing the boy to squeal in laughter and try to shove away from him as best as he could. "Papa, no! Papa stop!" He flapped his hands and pushed against his father's chest as laughter wracked his little frame. He looked over at Regina and stretched out his arm toward her. "Regina, help me!"

Robin paused only for a second to cast a playful look toward her and she smirked in return.

"Regina is going to have to catch us first." He laughed as he started to step away from her.

"No!" Roland squealed and wiggled against his father, turning to look over his shoulder, his arms stretching out towards Regina.

Regina grinned back at them and started after them. They circled around the couch once or twice all laughing as Robin gently tossed Roland around in his arms to avoid Regina.

Then whether he let her or not, Regina swooped around and snatched the boy out of his arms and Roland eagerly wrapped his arms around her neck, clinging to her. "Regina, you got me!"

"Yes I got you!" Regina laughed as she smiled at him. "Victory is ours!"

"Yes!" Roland cheered and then giggled happily.

Robin shook his head in amusement, grinning at them affectionately. Roland rested his head in the crook of her neck and she lightly rested her head on his, keeping her eyes on Robin, a smile on her lips.

This was going to be her family, in some ways they already were, and Regina knew she couldn't have wished for anything better.


End file.
