#confessions verse

Regina had adjusted to her new life, that sleeping beside Robin was no longer awkward. It was just a part of life. There was the attraction she felt for him, but somehow that didn’t make things any worse between the two of them. She knew that it was purely physical, he was a good looking man. They could lay side by side, him snoring most nights, and it wasn’t an issue.

 One night in April ended up changing all of that for them.

 It started out innocent enough. They woke up and went through their routine, same as normal. While he showered, she brushed her teeth and made sure the kids were getting up and getting themselves ready. Then they’d switch and he’d help the girls as needed, reminding the boys about backpacks and homework. The end of the process landed the six of them around the kitchen table, enjoying breakfast together while they made plans for the day.

 Once the kids had left in their various carpools, the two of them were left alone. Robin pulled on his jacket while Regina slid her feet into black heels. They were almost perfectly in synch after all that time.

 “So,” he said. “You don’t have any functions tomorrow do you?”

“Nope. The wedding I’m planning isn’t until next week.”

“Great, and the kids are spending the night at Mal’s.”

Regina tilted her head. “Yeah, they are.”

“Well, Will and Anastasia are engaged. I’ve decided that I want to throw them an engagement party at the bar. Maybe you could come, as my plus one.”

Regina wiggled her eyebrows. “Robin, are you asking me on a date?”

Robin laughed, shaking his head. “A bit awkward considering we’re married, but yes. It doesn’t have to mean anything, I just figured this is something that husbands and wives do, right? They attend their friends’ parties together.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been married.”

“Right, well, it’s what they do.”

She laughed. “Of course. Do you need any help with the party?”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure that Mary Margaret and David have it all under control. I would’ve asked you, since you’re an event planner and all, but I figured you were busy.”

“It’s fine. It might be nice to actually attend a party where I didn’t have to worry about catering menus or paying the band.”

That handsome smile went across Robin’s face once more, causing butterflies to fill Regina’s stomach. “It’s a date then.”

Robin slowly began to regret the choice to have the party at the bar. It made the most sense, saved money on a venue and no one’s house was big enough to fit everyone. Their friends would still buy drinks and such, but Robin still worried about this kind of stuff. Bars and restaurants easily went out of business in Storybrooke. Probably the longest running eatery in town was Granny’s Diner, and that was only because Eugena Lucas was probably the only person the town’s landlord feared. Even so, David promised him that they would be fine. It was one Saturday of the entire month, and besides, most of the town would be coming anyways.

 Most of the day was so busy, he almost forgot that he had asked Regina to be his date. He spent the early afternoon at the bar with the usual lunch crowd and then ushered the kids around town before dropping them off at Mal’s. She loved having them for sleepovers. Lily was getting too old and surly for her to have any fun with, so the Locksley-Mills children were a fun change of pace for her.

 He headed back to the house and quickly showered, changing his clothes before heading downstairs and making a few calls to make sure the party went off without a hitch. Regina hadn’t entered his mind at all, until he heard her voice.

 “We can’t be late, it’s a surprise isn’t it? We want to beat Will and Ana there.”

 He looked up, watching as she walked into the kitchen. The sight of her nearly took his breath away. He had seen her dressed up before, but this was a little different. She wore a red dress, which proved to be backless when she turned to check her makeup in the mirror. As usual she was wearing heels to boost up her normally short stature, but tonight they seemed to accent her legs. How had he not noticed just how sexy they were before then?

 Robin wasn’t blind, he was well aware of just how attractive Regina was. He’d be lying if he said that he hadn’t at all felt anything for her since their marriage of convenience seven months prior, but he shrugged it off to the fact that she really was just a great person. She was smart, witty, always had a comeback ready and above all, was an amazing mother. He had watched her stress over planning a huge wedding and coming home exhausted with clear intentions of soaking in the tub, but when Evie and Bryony had asked if she could have a tea party with them, she agreed almost instantly.

 He was falling for her, right in that very moment, there was no denying it

 Regina turned around to face him and obviously caught the look in his eye. “What is it? Is it too much?”

“It’s…it’s…” For the first time in a while, Robin found himself at a loss for words. He took a few steps forward. “It’s unfair, is what it is.”

Regina looked puzzled at that. “Unfair?”

“You look really sexy right now and I can’t do anything about it, because we have to leave for the party.”

 As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he worried he had crossed the invisible line that they had set out. Sure, they were married, but it was clearly for convenience purposes only. They needed to be able to adopt the girls and it was the only way that they could get to know the biological daughter they had been separated from.

 Yet, in that moment, he just wanted to be a normal husband and wife. The thought scared him to death. He had been on dates since Marian died, heck, he had even slept with someone else. This was different. This had the potential to be serious. If he and Regina ever did anything, it would change the course of their relationship forever. They wouldn’t just be co-parents anymore, husband and wife of convenience.

 Before he could even try to take it back, Regina took hold of his hand, a smile on her own face. “Well,” she said. “There’s always after the party.”

Regina had come to really like Robin’s friends. Will could be a bit crude at times and he often spoke without thinking, but he was really funny. Anastasia was harder to read, but at the end of the day, no one could doubt that they were made for one another. The rest of the bar staff always treated her kindly and unsurprisingly due to their small town, most of the people Robin knew, she did as well.

 Even so, she found herself so impatient that night. She wanted to take her husband home and fuck him so had.

 Regina couldn’t believe that she was even thinking about him in that way. After he called her sexy, though, it was as if her eyes had opened. Of course she had feelings for Robin. He was sexy, intelligent and a tremendous father to boot. She realized she had fallen for him months earlier, around Valentine’s Day. Henry had been so nervous to talk to his crush and Robin walked him through it like a pro. Seeing how good he was, with a kid that he had only known for a short while, made her so happy. The sight of his smile brought butterflies to her stomach, as clichéd as it sounded.

 Even that night at the party, she watched him make the rounds and she felt slightly jealous that she had to share him. It was the first time since they said “I do”, that she actually felt like a wife.

 Was this what marriage was like? Watching your husband and counting down the minutes until you could have sex?

 Thank God the kids were with Mal.

 Regina ran her mind through the obvious things. She had been on the pill for years, ever since Evie was born. It regulated her period and for the rare date that she had, she wanted to stay safe. Both of her children had been planned and she didn’t have time for any “whoops” with a one night stand. She searched her mind, trying to think of who the last person had been, realizing it was probably Ursula Triton. That had been 5 months before she even found out about the switch. Robin had told her previously that he hadn’t been with anyone since Zelena.

 The anticipation was killing her.

 After the last non-employees had left the party, Regina and Robin stayed behind to help clean up. Once the busboys had assured them that they could handle the rest, they drove back to the house. It being quiet was so unusual. With four kids, their life was normally anything but.

 They walked inside, standing in the dark foyer for a moment. Neither moved to turn on the lights and Regina still had her black clutch in between her fingers. The only source of brightness was the porchlight outside  Robin took a step closer to her, his hand grazing her back.

 “I meant what I said about this dress being unfair,” he mused.

Regina softly smiled. “Do you want to do something about it?”

“I do…if you do.” He was quiet for a moment. “We’re husband and wife, this shouldn’t be so weird.”

“To be fair, this isn’t the most…traditional of marriages.”

“I guess it’s not.”

Regina brushed her fingers over his stubble. “I’ve wanted this. I wouldn’t let myself think about it…but I wanted it.”

“You should’ve said something.”

“And risk what we have?”

“I feel like we’re overthinking things.”

 He cupped her cheek and kissed her, causing Regina to drop her clutch. The butterflies were replaced by a warm tingly feeling, almost as if she were merely getting wet by his tongue grazing her own. She wasn’t that easy…was she? No, no, she told herself. It had just been awhile and it was so long overdue…

 Fuck, she didn’t want to think anymore.

 By the time they pulled away for air, Regina was already leading the way up to the bedroom. Along the way, clothes were discarded along with any undergarments they had underneath. Regina took in Robin’s body once they reached the bedroom. She had seen him without a shirt before, but never his lower half. He was already hard, his cock quite large.

 “Someone’s eager,” she whispered.

Robin grinned, taking her in as well. “Those breasts.”

 He took a step forward, cupping them in his hands. Robin began kissing her neck, somehow finding her sweet spot within moments. Regina let out a soft moan, tilting her head back. His hands traveled lower, locating her own downstairs department. It had been a busy couple of days and she hadn’t had the time to shave, so there was a little fuzz. If Robin minded, he didn’t say anything. His fingers pulled onto the bits, causing her to let out another moan.

 “Protection,” he mumbled, half-heartedly.

“On the pill.”

 That was all he needed to pull her into his arms and lay her backwards on the bed. There would be no staying on their respective sides that night, she was placed right in the middle. Robin leaned down, acting like he was learning a new trades. He kissed various parts of her body, trying to find what made her moan the hardest. His fingers slipped inside her clit and he was gentle, aware of the lack of lubricant to protect her. Even so, she could feel herself becoming wetter by the moment. She easily could’ve orgasmed to that alone, but she didn’t want to.

 “Robin,” she gasped, as his fingers went a bit deeper.

“Mmm…”

“As much as I love that, I don’t want our first time to be me coming all over your fingers.”

He chuckled, pulling out and carding his clean hand through her hair. “Oh? What is it you want?”

Regina decided to take charge, leaning up and grabbing hold of him by the waist. “You know exactly what I want, so you better give it to me. From the looks of it, your cock is ready as well.”

A smirk tugged across Robin’s lips, knowing full and well that his erection was waiting on them. “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

 Robin straddled her and once he was inside, she knew she couldn’t be on the bottom anymore. With a little force, he got the message to pull out and roll over, so she could ride him as she wanted. Her fingers gripped onto his dirty blonde hair, staring down into his deep blue eyes. He was moaning all the while, she could swear he’d whimper a bit whenever she pulled away from him. The sound made her chuckle, as she leaned down to graze his lips with a kiss.

 They lasted for longer than she originally imagined, despite how ready they had felt before. She realized that some things simply couldn’t be rushed. The end result was worth it, feeling him come inside of her and the orgasm that followed was truly wonderful. She wouldn’t be able to walk the best the next day, but it would definitely be worth it.

 Laying beside him, Robin wrapped his arms around her. For the past 7 months, they had fallen asleep on their respective sides of the bed and yet always wound up tangled up together the following morning. Both blamed it on the fact that that they moved in their sleep. Tonight was different, they chose to cuddle up in one another’s arms before they did. As she looked up at the man she had just had sex with, Regina realized that she loved Robin Locksley. It was too soon to say it, but fuck it if it wasn’t true.

 She fell asleep in a man’s arms for the first time since Daniel died. No other person, man or woman, had ever actually spent the night nor had she at their place. That was intimate to her. Doing it with Robin, it just felt right.

 Little did she realize, Robin was not falling asleep that easily. He held her in his arms, watching as she drifted off. While she felt pure bliss, he suddenly felt very scared. He too had come to the realization that he was falling in love with Regina Mills.

 He had only ever been in love once before, that was with Marian. Her death had left him shaken. Despite the warnings from the doctors and their several discussions over the what ifs, the event itself had been enough to traumatize Robin. In one moment, they were celebrating the birth of their beautiful baby boy. In the next, Marian was gone. There had been no time for infamous last words, no goodbyes or “I love you”s were exchanged. No, she had a seizure and he was rushed out of the room with the baby. Within a half hour, he got the news. They had done all they could, but there was no saving her.

 Robin gained a son, but lost his wife. He did his best to keep it together. He put himself last for a very long time, to the point that his health was compromised. He learned how to ask for help, he learned that he could feel whole again. Losing his parents had been hard and at the time, he thought it’d possibly be the hardest thing he’d go through. In the end, it had been losing Marian that destroyed him

 “What have I done,” he muttered to himself as he watched Regina sleep. He had allowed his emotions to get the best of him, he was falling for her and that was dangerous. What if he committed his heart and then he lost her? What if she left him in the same way that Marian had?

 Robin couldn’t give his heart to Regina. Not because it still belonged to Marian, but because of what she represented. He couldn’t let his heart go through that pain again. Marian had been the last loss he could possibly suffer and he’d cling to her if it meant no more pain.

 “I am so sorry, Regina,” Robin whispered.

The movie went great for Regina, Bryony and Roland. They sat together, laughing at the latest Pixar creation. Bryony seemed to be able to follow it just fine with her hearing aid turned up. She only had to ask Regina what was said a couple of times, which surprised her. As soon as the movie let out, she texted Robin asking how things were going. He said that they were still only three quarters of the way done with the aquarium and that they needed some more time before they could meet up. Regina decided to take the little ones with her to the park near the theater.

 She learned that Bryony liked the slides the best. Luckily, the park wasn’t too crowded, so she could go down as much as she wanted. Roland ran into a friend of his, playing with him in the play structure. The friend’s mom approached Regina, a small smile on her face.

“You must be Regina, Robin’s wife.”

That title was still hard to adjust to. Regina nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m Aurora, that’s P.J.” She pointed over to the red head that was playing with Roland. “Where’s Robin?”

“We decided to split up the kids, get to know them individually.”

“I can’t imagine going through what you two are. I don’t know what Mulan and I would do.”

“You just have to do what’s best for the kids.”

“But does it change how you feel about your other daughter? I mean, Bryony is your flesh and blood. If none of this had happened, you never would’ve met…Eva, Robin said her name was?”

“Evie,” Regina corrected, folding her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. “Short for Evangeline. And I…I wouldn’t trade either of my daughters for the world.”

“You’re a better person than I. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to forgive the nurse that screwed up on that one.”

 Regina had nearly forgotten the story they had told other people. They didn’t want Bryony to ever find out that it had been Cora or the why, so they had played it off as a hospital error. It wasn’t that hard to believe. Zelena had sent her baby straight to the nursery and Regina was having surgery. It was hours before the children would be reunited with the parents who would raise them.

 Would Regina ever forgive her mother for this? Was it right that she was angry with her? Aurora was right. If Cora had never stepped in, she would’ve raised Bryony from birth. She never would’ve missed a second. Maybe there would’ve been other choices that would’ve been made.

 Yet, she never would’ve gotten Evie. How could she be so angry, while also not wanting to change how things turned out?

 She was quiet for the rest of the night, only asking Evie and Henry how their day with Robin was. She was happy to see that Evie was getting closer to Robin. They definitely weren’t anywhere close to being true father and daughter yet, but she actually spoke to him and sat next to him at the diner. Bryony and Roland chatted as well, wanting to fill their father in on everything they had done.

 Robin apparently noticed, because once Roland, Bryony and Evie had gone to bed and Henry went to play video games, he brought it up.

 “You want to spill why you’re so quiet? Did something happen at the movies?”

“No. At the park, we ran into P.J and his mom.”

Robin let out a sigh. “What’d Aurora say? She’s kind of known for having zero filter.”

“It’s nothing.” He gave her a pointed look. “I just…she brought up how forgiving I seem to be about the whole situation and I’m not. I’m so pissed with Cora.”

“So am I. That’s normal.”

“But if I could turn back time, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t change having Evie in my life.”

Robin frowned. “Well…I suppose I wouldn’t change anything either.”

“But is that, right? The fact that we’re so affected by the switch and yet we wouldn’t go back and change anything?”

“I think it makes us human and good parents. We love our daughters, but we acknowledge that the way we got them was fucked up.”

Regina sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “I guess.”

“It’s okay to feel both ways, like I said, I do too.”

“It helps having someone that gets it. I mean, Mal is a mom…”

“But she’ll never understand this.”

 There was another beat of silence as he poured them some tea.

 “So, when did Evie lose all the hearing in her left ear?” She asked. “You said she was born with it reduced.”

“According to tests, when she was a little over a year old.”

“And you never…you never considered the cochlear implant?” Robin gave her an odd look. “I did some research into it.”

“Then you know it’s costly and there’s a chance that it won’t work.”

“Of course.” She could see the defensiveness and anger in his eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting we do it. I just…wondered if you wanted to back then.”

“I looked into all the options and they said if I was ever going to, I should before it affected her speech entirely. While it’d potentially make things easier…I just didn’t think it would be worth it. I didn’t want to change a part of her that made her, her.”

 Regina felt a strange sense of pride in the pit of her stomach. She had come to the same conclusion and probably would’ve back then, but there was no way that Cora would’ve. She would’ve insisted on the cochlear, she probably would’ve talked Regina into it. Robin had embraced who his daughter was, he didn’t want to change her.

 “Besides,” Robin continued. “It’s not something that should be my choice or yours. If Bryony got older and wanted to get it, then it’d be a discussion.”

“I agree.”

“I’ve never wanted to act like it’s something she needs to be ashamed of, it’s why I chose that pre-school for her. There are other kids like her there and I’ve looked into schools that have similar programs.”

“You really embraced this.”

“It was that or go into it ignorant. You’d be surprised how many parents at the school are like it. There’s one mom that won’t even learn sign language and her child is a hundred percent deaf.”

Regina winced. “She sounds like Cora.”

“Probably.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “The way I look at it, these kids are going to face enough adversity in their lives…why start it at home?”

“You’re right.” Regina took his hand. “You’re a good dad, you know?”

Robin softly smiled. “You’re a good mom. Evie and Henry are really smart. I feel like they taught me stuff at the aquarium.”

Regina laughed. “Henry’s the type of kid to pick up a subject and not let it go. I think he rubbed off on Evie. Not necessarily a bad thing.”

“She doesn’t seem to hate me anymore.”

“She never hated you. It’s just new. We talk about how hard all of this is on us, but can you imagine them? Evie’s gone her whole life without a dad, Bryony’s gone hers without a mom. Suddenly this is all thrown at them and they barely have time to process it.”

“They can never know the full truth, can they?”

Regina shook her head. “It’s not even to protect Cora, it’s to protect Bryony. I never want her to feel how I did growing up. Nothing I ever did was good enough, I had to measure up to her. It’d be even worse, feeling like she has to compete with a ghost.”

Robin shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“What were yours like? You never talk about them.”

 Robin looked away and Regina worried she had crossed a line, but eventually, he pulled out a picture from his wallet. It was faded polaroid, turning a bit yellow in the frayed white corners. There was a woman that looked near identical to Evie and a man that shared a lot of Robin’s features.

 “They died when I was 10,” he explained.

“Oh, Robin…”

“Please don’t say sorry, everyone says that.”

“I won’t. I just…” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine being that young.”

“I didn’t have any family, so I ended up in the system. No one wants a 10 year old, I guess, so I bounced around a bit until I was 16 and ran away.”

Regina shut her eyes, trying to not imagine a young Robin living on the streets. It was too painful. “You were on your own?”

“Just until I met Marian. She made everything right again.”

She smiled a little. “The people you love can do that.”

“Anyway, my father’s name was Aslan. My mother’s was Kate.”

“You named Bryony after her?”

Robin nodded. “I was going to name her Isabelle Kate, that was what Marian and I had picked out for a little girl. It didn’t seem right, though. She wasn’t Marian’s…she needed a name all her own.”

“I understand. Besides, she doesn’t exactly seem an Isabelle.”

He chuckled. “She doesn’t, does she? It’s weird to think that she could’ve been Evie.”

“That definitely wouldn’t fit.”

“And I can’t see Evie as a “Bryony” either.”

 He looked behind Regina, towards the fridge. A picture of Henry and Evie hung there, the two were smiling and wearing matching outfits.

“Maybe this wasn’t fate or destiny, but…it was just supposed to be how things worked out. You were supposed to raise my daughter for the first few years, while I had yours. Maybe we were supposed to meet for a reason.”

Regina arched an eyebrow. “You really think that?”

“I have to. There has to be a good reason for all of this outside Cora being vindictive.”

“It’d certainly make it easier for me to sleep at night.”

“Maybe we’re not supposed to think about it. Cora did what she did and we’re in our situation. If we keep going into the whys or the guilt, it’s only going to make us feel worse. We’re a family now…it’s all going to work out.”

“It’s just hard to rationalize.”

“So don’t try to. Don’t try to plan it out. Let’s just go with it, there’s nothing we can do.”

 Robin clearly didn’t know her that well. All of Regina’s life had been planned out, ever since Daniel died. She didn’t schedule in time to get her life flipped upside down, not since her wedding night. She never wanted to be hurt like that again.

 That was the thing about events like that, though. A person couldn’t plan for them. If they could, they’d choose not to do it in the first place.

 She was a perfectionist, but if any of it was going to work, she’d have to let go a bit. She had to roll with the punches. She had figured it out once, she could do it again.

 Regina raised her mug. “To rolling with the punches.”

“To rolling with the punches.”

 Their mugs clashed together and they stared into each other’s eyes. Robin could tell that she was still trying to figure out the future. He knew that neither of them could predict what the next few months would hold for them.

 They’d spend them trying to become a family. They’d spend them getting to know the children they didn’t know were out there, along with the boys that came along with the package of their new family. Bryony would get closer to her mother and Evie would adjust to having a father in her life period. Henry would find himself going to Robin for advice, especially when he got his first crush around Valentine’s Day. Roland would ask Regina to help him with his project for his first Science Fair entry. The girls would get closer, even referring to one another as sisters. Robin and Regina would find them sneaking into each other’s room to share a bed.

Regina had been nervous when Evie said she wanted to move out to California for college. It was all the way across the country and it wasn’t like she could drive there quickly if anything went wrong. Evie also had a huge heart. A good kid, she cared about others, but she went out of her way to help people and that sometimes could land her in a boatload of trouble.

 Robin had talked her into it. He reminded her that because of her big heart, it meant she was a smart kid, a good kid. She could take care of herself, he trusted her. He trusted that she could handle all of what life threw at her.

 “It’s time we let her spread her wings,” he had told Regina after they had visited San Diego State University.

 So, Regina had relented. On the condition that Evie called at least once a week and e-mailed frequently so they knew she was alive, she could go out west.

 The day they dropped her off at her dorm and headed back to the airport was the hardest of Regina’s life. This was the fourth child she was putting through college (they had already dropped Bryony off in Boston) and this was the furthest any of them had gone. She had been worried when Henry chose New York, but that was nothing compared to what was going on now.

 Overtime, Evie seemed to prove that she was doing just fine. Her first semester she made the Dean’s list and showed off lots of friends on Facebook. She even worked a part time job during all of it. She seemed like superwoman in Regina’s eyes and Robin just reminded her that she took after her mom, so hardworking and sociable.

 Little did they know, despite how great she was doing…Evie was holding back a huge secret.

 Regina would never forget the day she got the call. She had just gotten through putting together a seating chart for a wedding she was planning when an unfamiliar number came through her personal phone. She almost pressed ignore, thinking it might be a sales call, but then she noticed it was a California number. Sliding the green bar over, she held the phone to her ear.

 “Hello?”

“Is this Regina Locksley Mills?”

“Yes, this is she.”

“My name is Detective Weaver, I’m calling you from San Diego.”

Regina’s heart shot to the bottom of her stomach. “Is my daughter okay?”

“I’m sorry to report that she’s just been rushed to the hospital. She suffered a gunshot wound.”

“A gunshot wound?!?” Regina jumped out of her seat. “Wait, wait, I’m confused. Was she mugged?” She began pacing the area around her desk. This was what she was afraid of. San Diego wasn’t like Storybrooke, there was far more crime. “Who did this to her?” The tears burned in her eyes and it was taking all she had not to cry.

“Mrs. Locksley Mills, your daughter wasn’t mugged. She was at a known drug dealer’s house when a rival cased the place?”

“Is she…is she okay?”

“She’s in critical condition. The hospital will have more information for you.”

 Weaver gave her the name and Regina quickly scrawled it down, throwing open her laptop to look up the first flight to California. Henry could look after his younger sibling, she’d go get Robin at work. As she was typing in the travel website, she swallowed a bit.

 “Detective…what was the drug dealer’s name?”

“Zelena Greene.”

Robin had once thought the longest ride of his life was when he got the call that there was a baby for him at the hospital. He hadn’t even known that Zelena was pregnant and suddenly, there was her baby waiting on him. A little girl that was his, that would be his daughter.

 Little did he know at the time that someone had interfered and he wouldn’t end up with the baby Zelena had delivered, but he had still be afraid.

 That was nothing compared to the ride to the airport, followed by the nearly 6 hour flight to California. It was about as silent as the first ride, Regina hadn’t said anything since breaking into Aesop’s, tears streaming down her face. He had shouted some orders at Will, confirmed that their youngest child was being taken care of and off they went.

 He thought of Zelena, the biological mother of his second daughter. He hadn’t heard a word from her since she signed away her rights, as far as he knew she had denied any contact with Evie. How had the two of them been in touch? Since when was Zelena a drug dealer? The last time he had known her, she had been a dancer, she was just trying to find her way in life.

 How had he allowed any of this to happen? Regina had been convinced that California would be a bad idea, but he insisted. Evie was a good kid, she had her head screwed on straight. If it had been Bryony or Roland, he would’ve been worried. They were also good kids, but not the most responsible. Though, he wouldn’t have even expected them to get caught up with a drug dealer of all people.

 He knew he couldn’t have predicted it, but guilt burned his gut. He was supposed to look out for his kids, he was supposed to tell when something bad was about to happen. Robin had known that Bryony wasn’t really meeting up with friends the night she snuck out to a wild party. He had known that Henry was dating someone in secret long before he introduced Jacinda to their family. The kids liked to joke that he not only had eyes in the back of his head, they followed them everywhere.

 How could he have not seen this coming? How could he not have been able to protect his little girl?

 What if he lost her?

 Oh God, he could lose her.

 Because of Cora, he had missed 3 years of her life and he had never been able to shake that. Over the years he had found ways to make up for it. They spent as much time together as they could, they bonded over soccer and cooking. He was the one she went to when her first boyfriend broke up with her. He knew how to make her smile, how to get her to open up. They had come a long way from the little girl that sobbed and claimed she didn’t want a father. They had 16 amazing years as father and daughter.

 And Robin could lose it all due to some drug dealers with guns.

 As soon as they landed, they got in a cab and headed to the hospital. They didn’t have a hotel room, their duffel bags were packed with things that Regina thought they’d need but they still weren’t sure of her condition. They got the run around at first, but when it became clear that they were the parents of the 19 year old that had been gunned down, they were directed to a doctor’s office where he explained it the best he could.

 Evie had been found in Zelena’s apartment, she had been shot twice in the stomach and once in the shoulder. They had done surgery as soon as she arrived, but things were still pretty touch and go. Evie had lost a lot of blood and they had done a transfusion, yet the next few hours were going to be pretty crucial. Already, the bullet was going to hinder the use of her shoulder for the next year.

 Zelena had gotten out of all of it unscathed, which angered both of them. They didn’t want her dead-or maybe Robin did, he wasn’t sure what was the anger in him and what was the rational-but the fact that she hadn’t been hurt and their little girl had was too much. She was arrested given the amount of drugs around, which meant less answers than anything. They were lead to Evie’s room and prepared that she’d be hooked up to some machines but they were all for her own good.

 Seeing her laying there in that hospital bed, she seemed so tiny, so much younger than 19.  True to the doctor’s word, she was hooked up and her left arm was in a sling. Regina inched her way forward, pushing a strand of the young girl’s blonde hair out of her face. She kissed the center of her forehead and let out a deep breath.

 “Oh Evie, what the hell happened?”

 Robin walked to the other side of his daughter, taking his hand into hers. He noticed her self-made manicure, remembering back to the days when she’d paint his own nails. Shutting his eyes, he tried to picture her happy, healthy…only to have his heart break when they opened again.

 “Are we good parents?” He whispered.

Regina looked up at him, surprised to hear his first words in over 6 hours. “Robin…”

“I mean, you’re a good mom,” Robin rambled on. “The best mom in the world. This is my fault, though. I told you we should let her go, I promised you she’d be fine and…”

“Hey.” Regina met his gaze and shook her head. “This isn’t your fault.”

“But…”

“This is the fault of the bastard that shot at her and we will make sure he pays for what he’s done. We didn’t do anything, you didn’t do anything.”

“We could lose her.”

“We’re not going to.”

 He could see the doubt in her eyes, though and it scared him. Reaching over, he grabbed her free hand and they squeezed each other tightly.

 “Just don’t blame yourself,” Regina continued, her voice in a whisper. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Evie didn’t wake up that night, but her vitals were good and according to the doctor, that was all they could ask for. While Regina called to Storybrooke to check on their children there, Robin put in a call to Boston. Henry had promised to let his siblings know and Bryony had been blowing up his phone, clearly worried about her sister.

“Daddy,” Bryony whispered as soon as he answered the phone.

“Hey Peanut,” he said, softly. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m scared. How is she?”

“Her vitals are good, that’s what matters.”

“Did they catch the guy who did it?”

“Yes. He and Zelena are both locked up right now.”

He could hear her swallow on the other end of the line. “Daddy, this is all my fault.”

Robin sighed. “Oh Bry…” Sometimes they were too much alike.

“No, just hear me out. I…I knew about Zelena.”

He paused. “What?”

“Evie told me. Zelena came into the café she worked for and she recognized her. She was a regular and they got to talking…soon Evie was hanging out at her place a lot, though she didn’t tell Zelena who she really was.”

Robin shut his eyes. “Did she know about the drugs?”

“…Yes.”

“And you did, too?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell your mother and I? Why did you lie to me?”

“Evie made me swear not to. She was afraid you’d make her come home.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

This wasn’t the first time that Bryony and Evie had teamed up to hide things from their parents. This was just the first time that they had gotten away with it. Though, Robin was starting to wonder if that was true.

“I am so sorry, Dad,” Bryony continued. “I didn’t think this would happen.”

Robin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “This isn’t your fault, Peanut. It’s not Evie’s either. You two should’ve told us…but this was bigger than both of you. You couldn’t have stopped it from happening.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“I know you are. We’re going to talk more about it later, but I just need you to promise me that you’re going to take care of yourself.”

“I will.” A pause. “Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t be too hard on Evie when she wakes up. She…she just never wanted to hurt Mom.”

“Well, this isn’t exactly helping your mother either.”

Evie didn’t wake up for two more days. They had gone 36 hours without seeing those beautiful blue eyes and they had feared that they never would again, but she persevered. They didn’t talk about the situation much at first, they let the doctors run their tests and explain the injuries to her. She wouldn’t be able to return to school for a few weeks at least and her best bet would be to withdraw from the semester, retaking it at another point.

 It wasn’t until hours later that they had the chance to sit down and talk about it. Evie looked between her parents and knew what was going to happen.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never thought this would happen.”

“You knew Zelena was on drugs,” Regina said, not judgmental, just matter of fact. “Why would you go to her apartment?”

“I just…I wanted to know her. Maybe if she saw who I was…”

“Then she’d want you?”

Evie ducked her head. “It was stupid, I know that now.”

“You could’ve died, Evangeline,” Robin bit his lip, shaking his head. “We could’ve lost you.”

“I didn’t think this was going to happen. I…I never thought…”

 Tears built up in her eyes. All she had wanted was to get to know her birth mom and it had gotten her shot. The memories of the men with the guns…

Then

They were minor things he noticed at first. The fact that she has brown eyes rather than blue or green like he expected. Her hair isn’t red or blonde, it’s brown. No, it’s raven black. She doesn’t resemble him in the slightest, nor does she Zelena.

 “Is she really mine?” Robin asked when she was 6 months old and they were at the court for Zelena to sign away her rights.

Zelena raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Is she mine?”

“How can you ask me such a thing?”

“Because she doesn’t look a damn thing like me.”

 He watched as Zelena peered into the car seat, setting eyes on the child for the first time since she left the hospital. He could see a flicker of doubt go across her eyes and what he can’t tell, is that she was noticing how different that baby looked from the one she had held briefly in the hospital. Instead, she blinked and looked up at him.

 “She’s yours.”

“Really? Because your eyes say different.”

“My eyes say that I’m done with this conversation, Robin. She’s yours. Don’t believe me, get a DNA test.”

 With that, Zelena signed the papers and walked out of the room. Robin lifted the baby girl into his arms, staring deeply into her eyes-those eyes that looked intently up at him. She smiled and it set his heart on fire. She was his daughter, that much he knew.

 Even if they didn’t share the same blood.

 Now

Robin sat at the table, across from Evie, watching her intently. If he had to picture a child to look like him, she would be it. Roland favored Marian in terms of looks and he had expected that, from before he was even born. Her mother had once made a snide comment “You don’t expect him to look like you, do you?” And he hadn’t. He had looked forward to the little baby that would favor his wife’s beautiful looks. It was what got him through the hard times.

 Evie, though…she had bits of her that reminded him of his own mother. From her blonde hair to her nose. He didn’t have very many memories of her, but she was beautiful. When Bryony had come along and looked nothing like him (while also resembling nothing of Zelena), he hadn’t been disappointed. She was beautiful, in each and every way.

 Sitting next to Evie, was the person from which she inherited such beauty. There was no doubting that Regina was beautiful. She took very good care of herself and he found it hard to believe that she had birthed two children. Just as Evie looked like him, he found that Bryony looked so much like her. They were like twins almost.

 They had fallen into a routine with the kids, but things were a bit awkward. While Bryony and Roland had taken to Regina doing things for them, Evie was a bit more hesitant when it came to Robin. She asked her mother if she needed help with something. If he dared to kneel beside her while she played, she’d distance herself. He understood, he wasn’t angry.

 It still hurt.

 “So,” Regina said, breaking the silence of everyone eating. She smiled briefly at Robin and he returned it. They had been sharing a bed for two weeks and every morning, seemed to wake up in the same position, tangled up in each other’s arms. They didn’t talk about it. They just smiled. “Today, we’re going to be doing things a little differently.”

“What do you mean?” Roland asked.

“Well, you and Bryony are going to come with me to the movies. Henry and Evie are going to head to the aquarium.”

Evie’s face scrunched up. “Mommy…”

“But then we’ll all meet up for lunch,” Regina continued, giving her daughter a small look. “Does that sound good?”

Bryony nodded excitedly. “Can we get popcorn?”

“I don’t see why not.”

 Once breakfast was finished, Evie and Bryony went into the living room to play together. So far, they were the ones that weren’t struggling. Robin wondered if it was like an extended playdate for them. They shared their toys, but didn’t really speak much. Robin did notice that Evie was copying Bryony’s sign language, almost as if she was picking it up herself.

 Roland and Henry headed off to get ready, leaving the adults to clean up the kitchen. “Are you sure this going to work out?” Robin asked. “I mean…maybe I should just hang out with Henry.”

Regina snorted. “Seriously?”

“He likes me and he’s not…afraid of me.”

“Evie isn’t afraid of you. It’s just so new.”

“She looked like the thought of hanging out with me was the least appealing idea to her.”

“It’ll be fine.” Regina took his hand. “You’re going to be fine.”

Robin sighed. “I hope so.”

“You don’t think I’m nervous? Right now, Bryony just looks at me like this friend, maybe a nanny.”

“Regina…”

“And that’s okay. I just…don’t know where the line is.”

“We agreed, we just have to act natural. Parent them how we would our other kids.”

Regina tilted her head. “You’re comfortable with that?”

“I guess I’m going to have to be.”

The ride to the aquarium was quiet and Robin worried that would set the stage for the rest of the day. When they got there, however, Evie started asking Henry to describe each and every exhibit that they saw. Robin smiled as the two chatted. Their dynamic was so interesting in his eyes, it differed so much from Bryony and Roland’s. There was a bigger age gap and Evie looked up to her brother as if he was all knowing. Robin found that he was the quiet one, until they reached the touch and feel room. Henry glanced over at Robin and grinned.

 “Um, I think I need to use the restroom.”

“Oh, I saw one right back through there. Do you want…”

“I’m 10, I can handle it.”

 With that, he walked off, leaving Robin and Evie alone. The aquarium was pretty quiet for a Saturday afternoon, so there were only a few kids by the tank, feeling the sting rays and starfish. Evie slowly floated towards the tank, but clearly couldn’t reach up to touch. Robin walked behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and turned around.

 “Do you want a boost?”

 Evie hesitated, then nodded. He lifted her into his arms for the first time since he met her and crouched down so she could feel the animals. She was stiff in his arms for a minute, but then slowly started to relax. He carefully sniffed the top of her head, just as he did Bryony or Roland. Even as a toddler, she still had that sweet baby smell. She was tiny, smaller than Bryony was.

 His mind flashed back to the nursery, when he had held Bryony. There had been a baby beside her, another girl. He had been in that nursery for hours, but no one came to get her at first. According to the nurse, her mom was in surgery. He felt bad, she was only held whenever she needed a feeding or a change by the nurse. There were other babies in the nursery, but his mind had gone to that one.

 Had that been Evie? Had he been that close to his daughter all that time and had no idea?

 “They feel weird,” Evie said, when her fingers got to the sting ray. “Slimy.”

“I suppose they do.”

“Do you like them?”

“Um, I’m not much of a water animal guy. I prefer monkeys and lions.”

“Like Simba?” She looked up at him with her eyes shining, for the first time since they met.

He smiled. “Yeah, like Simba.”

“Henry loves the Lion King. Sometimes he holds me over the couch like I’m Simba.”

“That sounds like fun. Maybe I could try it sometime.”

She gnawed on her lip for a minute. “I don’t think Henry could lift you up.”

Robin snorted. “I meant, I could lift you up like that.”

“Oh.” A pause. “Maybe.”