#fbdarkangel

What a bloody mess they have on their hands, Robin sighs softly to himself, concerned their quick trip to the docks has gone on a tad too long. As he drops his gaze onto an empty spot, a bright sharp jolt of panic seizes his heart as he quickly scans the docks for the boy in an electric blue and red raincoat. His eyes fall on Roland, huddled under the eaves of a nearby building, cradling a small bundle under his coat. Robin’s face eases into a small smile as he takes in the picture Roland makes against the worn wood of the shipping house. Turning to give Regina a reassuring glance, Robin makes his way over to Roland to take a look at his hidden treasure.

Easing down into a crouch, Robin beams at his waterlogged son and his peculiarly moving stomach.  “What do you have there, my boy? Did you come across a water sprite?”

Giggling, Roland opened his coat to reveal his new friend, “Noooo. Papa I found a puppy! He’s all alone and his momma is in heaven and I just wanted to say hi, but he was shaking and I just put him in my coat to keep him dry!”

Reaching out to pet the pup, Robin took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. Roland thought this dog’s mother was in heaven, the ‘like mine’ suspended in the air between them, loaded with emotion. Roland had long before developed an innate curiosity about the world. His early years had been filled with hours exploring the Enchanted Forest, locating smooth rocks dressed in garnet and citrine, splashing in small brooks with moss covered rocks dotting the banks, and spying on woodland creatures with their young following closely behind. But he had never so closely identified with a creature before now. Robin wondered with a pang if the amount of drastic changes his son had experienced in the past year were taking an unexpected toll on the boy.

“Well done, son. He most certainly looks dry now, but unfortunately you do not. Time for us to get out of this weather and into some warm, dry clothes.” Robin stood up, reaching out his hand to help his son off the ground, taking the small pup in hand momentarily.

Roland’s eyes fell on Regina as she joined them. “Regina, I found a puppy!”

Moving her umbrella to her other hand, Regina softly laid a hand on Robin’s arm as she glanced down at the tiny ball of fur in his arms. “A pit bull puppy…How adorable.” Robin’s head shot up at the strained note in Regina’s voice. A beat of silent communication fell between the two parents, the promise of ‘later’ clear by Regina’s slightly tilted head.

‘Well, lets get both you and your new friend out of this rain, shall we?”

“Robin, I’m sorry but the dog can not stay.”

“Why ever not? I think this would be a great gift for Roland and a wonderful addition to the family. We have plenty of room in the backyard for the pup and more than enough dog walking help.”

“It’s a pit bull.” After Robin’s blank stare continued on a second too long for her, Regina continued, “They are dangerous dogs. They are quick to anger, they don’t like humans, and they are vicious when they feel threatened.”

“Ahh well, you two should get along quite well then, I think.”

“Your jokes are not funny, Thief.”

Regina’s acid tone alerted Robin more than any words ever could that she truly was concerned about the safety of their family. He slowly approached Regina, gauging her mood, deemed it close to a simmer, and reached forward to pull her into his chest. Her head fell onto his shoulder as their arms wrapped around one another. “Robin, in a few months we will have a baby in the house. We can’t introduce a potentially hostile element into our lives right now.”

“Tell me why you think this dog is so dangerous, love. Help me understand.” Robin’s voice was soft and steady next to her ear, “because I’ve never seen Roland bond with something as much as he has bonded with this pup.”

Regina could hear the heartbreak in Robin’s voice and took a moment to think beyond the fear. Why did she have such strong feelings about this particular dog?

“You know, honestly, everything I know about pit bulls comes from things I’ve heard in the past. I’ve never had a need to pay attention to where the information came from.”

“So could we do that now? Do a little research into what might be in store for us? I just hate to disappoint Roland once again. I feel like I have done that so much lately.”

Regina’s arms tightened around his back in sympathy. She knew how heart-wrenching it was to have your child look at you with eyes full of betrayal.   

“Regina, he told me the dog’s mother was in heaven.” Robin’s body began to close in around her as he took solace from her. “He sees himself within this pup in a way I don’t think we could ever truly understand and I can’t take that away without knowing it is absolutely the right thing to do.”

Pulling away slightly to meet his eyes, Regina made a promise. “Robin, whatever we decide, it will be the right decision. For all of us.”

“Roland!”

“Yes!”

“Come down stairs please and make sure to bring the puppy! We’re going to a special store.”

“Okay!”

Robin softly chucked to himself as he listened to the muffled sounds coming from Roland’s room as he imagined what a time his son was having trying to corral a wiry puppy out of the door. The sounds of Regina’s heels clicking across the hardwood floor hit his ears next as she emerged from the kitchen with Henry in tow.

“Are we ready to head out?”

“Not quite yet, but we are getting there. What’s the name of this place again?”

“The Littlest Vet Shop,” Henry offered up with a smirk.

“I don’t know why I let that damn Farquaad keep that name after the curse broke.”

“Ehh, I don’t know. It has a certain….charm to it.” Robin couldn’t keep in his amusement as he caught Henry’s gaze directly to the right of Regina’s slightly scowled face.  

“Ready!” Roland and the puppy caught the attention of the group as they gingerly made their way down the stairs to join everyone in the foyer.

“Ready for your first check up, Natasha?” The dog’s tail wagged in excitement as Regina leaned down to rub her hand over the pups short coat of hair. “You’ll be an official member of the family by the end of the day.”

Roland couldn’t wait.

A/N: I couldn’t help but add a little angst into this. Also if you are interested in reading up on Pit Bulls as pets here are a few links: 

https://www.aspca.org/adopt/truth-about-pit-bulls