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Regina stepped out of her house and glanced around. The scare of the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys discouraged many people from walking along the streets of Storybrooke. Her shoulders hunched, Regina balled her hands into fists and shoved them into her coat pockets before setting her pace. She loathed having to admit that she missed the noise and chatter of the Charming family and friends, but the silence from her house was beginning to eat away at her.
She swallowed back the tears she felt welling in her eyes. She'd already spent too many nights crying herself to sleep over the lack of recognition in Henry's eyes. Her son, her little prince, and he had no idea who he was or how much he meant to her. What she wouldn't give to have him smile at her and wrap his arms around her waist, to tell her he loved her. She revisited that afternoon she sent him away from Storybrooke with Emma. More tears threatened. Each time Henry looked at her with no recognition in his expression felt like a dagger being thrust into her heart.
A bitter laugh escaped her. Zelena wanted to hurt her, but Regina herself was the one responsible for the gravest pain she felt right now. This was the price she paid for doing the right thing. Maybe lunch at Granny's wasn't the best idea. Perhaps she really didn't want to be surrounded by all those people after all. Torn between wanting to see Henry and not wanting to see the lack of recognition from Henry, Regina paused.
"Regina!" A child called out to her.
Lifting her head, Regina scanned to find the source.
"Regina!"
She heard the voice and the sound of running feet. With a glance over her shoulder, she saw a dark-haired little boy running toward her. A smile wreathed his face as he called her name again. She turned toward him, furrowed her brow.
Regina stood rooted in place when the child wrapped his arms around her legs and offered her a warm, sincere smile. The uninhibited show of affection took her by surprise, and she smiled down at the little boy. "Well, hello there," she said, brushing a hand over his curls.
The boy stepped back and reached out his arms to her.
She blinked, stunned at his familiarity.
He tilted his head, arms still outstretched toward her. "Regina?"
She gave into temptation, lifting him in her arms. "Do I know you?"
The boy frowned. "You don't 'member me? I 'member you. You're Regina the Queen. I'm Roland. You're my friend."
His words stunned her. This little child knew her, but she had no idea who he was. He leaned close and wrapped his arms around her neck. "It's okay. Papa doesn't 'member things too."
"Roland, where are you?"
Regina heard someone running toward them and turned toward the noise. "The thief," she murmured, tightening her hold on the boy in her arms.
"Papa! It's Regina. She's here," the boy called out to the man.
Regina sighed softly, watched the man slow from a run to a walk as he approached. When he reached the pair, she arched a brow.
"Milady, I'm sorry. I turned..."
"You turned your back for a moment, and he was gone like a flash?" she asked. A smile teased her lips.
Robin nodded. "Aye, exactly like that." He smiled at her.
"I'm quite familiar with how quick they can get away from you, but perhaps you should pay better attention. The streets of Storybrooke aren't exactly as safe as they once were." Regina started to hand the little boy to his father, but the boy tightened his hold on her. She glanced at the child.
"It's my fault, Regina. Don't be mad at Papa," he said in a hushed tone.
The contrition in the child's tone left Regina a bit breathless. He reminded her of Henry at that age, and her heart ached at the thought. She smiled at him. "Never mind, little one. You're safe now."
Robin reached for his son, but the boy snuggled closer to Regina. "My apologies, milady, but my son seems determined to stay with you." He cleared his throat. "We were going to Granny's for the midday meal. Would, would you care to join us?"
"Please, Regina," the boy said.
Regina swallowed, glancing between father and son. Her expression softened, and she smiled at the boy. "Well, I am somewhat hungry, and company would be nice."
The child bounced in her arms, loudly placing a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you." He squirmed, resting his hands on her chest and pushing away. "Down now."
His father chuckled, and Regina smiled at the man after setting the boy on the ground. His eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed or smiled, and she wondered for a moment if this was a ploy he'd developed to tease her after their last encounter. When the boy grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward Granny's, she realized the father had little to do with what had just happened. The child's familiarity puzzled her, but she brushed that aside for now, basking instead in a child's attention.
Everyone grew silent the moment Regina, Robin, and Roland stepped into the diner. Regina felt the intensity of their stares. "Perhaps this isn't a good idea," she said, glancing at the man beside her.
He rested his hand in the small of her back. "Nonsense." He nudged her toward one of the empty booths. "You need to eat lunch, we need to eat lunch, so why waste a table?"
***
The noise and chatter resumed while the trio made their way to an empty booth. Robin watched Roland interact with Regina. The boy seemed familiar with her, treating her as if they were old acquaintances. He didn't recall introducing Roland to the mayor, but someone else might have. Watching the pair interact made his heart ache for what Roland lacked - a mother to smile at him in the same way Regina was doing at this moment.
Someone across the room from them laughed, and Regina went still for a brief moment. Robin glanced around the room, locating the source of the laughter. A teenager sat with the Charmings and their daughter, all of them enjoying a meal together. He knew the boy was the son of the daughter of Snow White and Prince David, but there seemed to be something more that he was missing.
Ruby reached their table, interrupting his musings. "What'll you have?" she asked, eyeing Regina with wary caution before turning her gaze on him. She flashed him a semi-flirtatious smile.
He blinked at the obvious difference in treatment then gazed at the woman sitting next to his son. Resting his arms on the table, he leaned toward them and offered a warm smile to Regina. "Regina, what would you recommend?"
Regina stared at him a few seconds before dropping her gaze to the child beside her. "The, um, the grilled cheese and tomato soup was, um, is always a hit with kids." She lifted her head and looked at him. "Some adults like it as well. Comfort food, if you will."
Robin nodded, allowing his smile to reach his eyes. "Well, that sounds like the perfect repast for us, milady." Without breaking eye contact with Regina, he said to Ruby, "We'll have three grilled cheese and tomato soups."
"Okay, then," the young woman replied.
Only after they were once again alone did Robin break eye contact with Regina. He softly cleared his throat. "So, what is this grilled cheese and tomato soup? I cannot imagine how it would be prepared, but then I've been living off hunter's stew and the like for quite some time."
Regina blinked several times then began to laugh softly. "Oh dear."
He furrowed his brow. "What is it?" He cast a quick glance around the room, half expecting to see Zelena or one of her flying simian creatures.
"You...you think this soup made from some sort of grilled cheese and tomatoes, don't you?" she asked.
Nodding, Robin replied, "That does seem to be the obvious assumption based on the name."
Regina laughed again. "We just ordered grilled cheese sandwiches to be served with tomato soup, not bowls of soup made from grilled cheese and tomatoes."
"Well, that's a relief," he murmured. "I was not sure I could stomach a soup or stew made from grilled cheese and tomatoes." He gazed at her, the corner of his lips curving upward. "Beastly creatures, those grilled cheeses."
Regina lost her composure and began giggling. The sound of her mirth thrilled him more than he cared to admit. Seeing her face alight with humor made her even more stunning than usual. Gods, but she is beautiful.
As she struggled to recapture her composure, Robin found himself chuckling along with her. It took several seconds before he realized the rest of the patrons at the restaurant had gone quiet and were staring at the queen they'd once all called evil. For a brief moment, he locked gazes with the sheriff's son, the teenager whose earlier laughter had rendered Regina quiet and still. Something flickered in the boy's expression, some unknown emotion.
***
Something broke in Regina when she dissolved into a fit of giggles over Robin's misunderstanding. She'd cried so much that she needed the laughter for balance. The lightness of the moment offered healing and cleansing of her soul. When she finally calmed, she took a moment to look at the man across the table from her. Handsome and rugged, but not beautiful. His gaze held a hint of mischief, perhaps more. The most obvious thing about the man was his deep love for his son, and she understood that bond.
Focusing most of her attention on the little boy seated next to her, Regina stole the occasional glance at his father. The first time their gazes met, she felt her cheeks grow warm, but she refused to be the first to look away, until he arched his brow and she had to break eye contact. How easily her resolve to avoid looking at him again crumbled when he laughed at something Roland said.
Ruby arrived at that moment, bearing a tray with the food. One by one, the younger woman served the bowls of steaming soup and the plates bearing the grilled-to-perfection sandwiches. Just as before, she didn't say much to Regina, focusing instead on the little boy beside her.
"Do you need some help with that, young man?" Ruby asked, smiling.
Roland shook his head then turned to smile at Regina. "No. Regina will help me."
Regina stared down into the little boy's face, searching for any sign of guile or secret agenda. She swallowed, momentarily ashamed for thinking this innocent child could have ulterior motives, but it's become second nature in her to consider this. She smiled back and nodded. "Of course, Roland."
Lifting her gaze from the child to the younger woman serving their food, she offered a smile to Ruby. "Thank you, Ruby."
Ruby blinked a few times then smiled back. "You're welcome." She turned away and returned to the counter.
Regina focused her attention on Roland again, tugging his plate toward her and cutting the sandwich into small, bite-sized pieces. "There's a fine art to eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup," she said, adopting a semi-serious tone. "First, you take a piece of the sandwich then dip it into the soup. Make sure you keep your hand under it to keep from making a mess with the soup. Then hurry up and bring it to your mouth so you can enjoy the melty cheese and tomato-ey goodness together."
Roland lifted a small piece. "Like this, Regina?" he asked, dipping the bit of sandwich into his soup and bringing it to his mouth quickly. He chewed it carefully then grinned at her. "Yummy." She waited until he started eating with gusto before looking across the table at his father.
Her reaction to Robin's expression shocked her. She didn't expect this breathless feeling. He was watching the pair of them with a rapt interest and a look of longing. Regina didn't want to share his longing for this moment of family, but she did. She cast a quick glance in Henry's direction before pulling her bowl of soup closer. Head down, she dunked a corner of the sandwich in the soup bowl and brought it to her mouth. The melted cheese and the acid of the tomato reminded her of happy times with her son, the young boy who no longer recognized her.
"Show me how to wrangle this, this sandwich." Robin's request brought her back to the present with a start, and she lifted her head to gaze at him.
***
He offered her a sheepish grin, lifting up half of his sandwich. "It doesn't look like a meal that would defeat a hunter and thief, but I'm flummoxed."
Regina arched a brow. "Really, Thief? You never miss where you aim your bow and arrow, and a grilled cheese sandwich flummoxes you?"
With a shrug and a chuckle, Robin replied, "What can I say, milady?"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's quite simple." She lifted her sandwich and turned the corner toward her bowl of soup. "Corner into soup, carefully bring it to your mouth so you don't make a mess. Bite, then chew." She demonstrated then watched him while she chewed.
"Like this?" he asked. He mimicked her actions. The combination of flavors were different from the food he typically ate, but it was not unpleasant.
"See? Not so difficult after all?" she teased. He met her gaze and returned her smile.
"No, and rather delicious as well."
They fell into a companionable silence, glancing at each other from time to time. For the most part, Robin found it easy to block out the whispered comments as patrons came and went, but he soon realized Regina was not immune to the barbs from those murmurings.
When she pushed her plate and bowl away from her, her sandwich and soup unfinished, he met her gaze. He wanted to say so much, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. She masked the flash of pain in her eyes as the whispers struck home, and he watched as the mask of the icy queen fell into place. He wanted to do or say something, anything to convince her that he saw her with different eyes, despite his knowledge of her reputation from the Enchanted Forest.
Before he could utter a word, she spoke. "I think I should be leaving. I have a few errands I need to run before I get home." She turned her head to smile at Roland. "I enjoyed our lunch, Roland. Perhaps we can do this again some time?"
The little boy grinned at her and nodded. "Yes, please. Soup, sandwich, and maybe ice cream?"
She reached over to ruffle his hair. "That sounds delightful." Before she could make a move to stand, the little boy wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you, Regina."
The restaurant went silent. Everyone turned to stare at the sight of the Evil Queen being hugged by the Outlaw's son. More than one patron was stunned by Regina's reaction to the boy's words.
She hugged him close and pressed a kiss to his head before hastily rising. She felt the stares and wanted to get out of the restaurant before the tears fell. The child's innocent declaration of love left her breathless.
Robin grabbed her hand. "Regina?"
"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I've got to go." She dashed out the front door and ran down the sidewalk until she was a block away. She slowed to a walk and let the tears trickle down her cheeks. Her lunch with Roland reminded her just how much she missed her son and made Henry's current lack of recognition hurt all the more.