Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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Robin stood in the ballroom with a champagne glass made of pure diamond, he was dressed in a deep purple doublet made of pure silk which cost more than some homes, he should be happy. But it was the first anniversary of his wedding to Queen Ruth, so how could he possibly be happy?

He had heard the rumours of course, everyone had, before he was married to her: she was rumoured to be the daughter of a fairy and a king, to have once been the kindest purest soul, that there had once been two princes not just Prince David, that she had withstood abuse from King Robert and was finally free when he died, that she was heartless to all even to her only child. He had heard them but it wasn’t until he took her hand in marriage that he understood how right the rumours were.

He hadn’t expected the marriage to be one based on love, he wasn’t stupid, he was young and expected to help produce heirs to continue Ruth’s family’s rule, and Robin got… well he got to be king, and if his father had his way he would be king as soon as Ruth and David died before their time.

Robin didn’t want to kill them, even after David had been the one to spill about his relationship with the scullery maid Marian, even after Ruth started to hit him. Robin didn’t want to kill them and he hadn’t thought he’d get a choice.

But Robin hadn’t been able to hate David for long, only a few weeks into his marriage he fell in love with the boy, and a week or so after that he decided no matter what he would put David first, that David was his son even if they didn’t share blood. David had been one of the only sources of light in the last year, in fact in Robin’s entire life.

The other source of light Robin had met on his wedding night, and it certainly wasn’t Ruth. No, King Robin had been dancing with other royals, as was his duty, when he was paired with a minor royal, the daughter of Prince Henry, they had both been subtly laughing at one of the traditional dances they were expected to perform. The slipped out of the ballroom to a quieter room, neither had wanted to stay in that room with all those bloodthirsty royals. They had gotten to talking and had found that they had hit it off. Their lives were similar, they had loved one of their parents and been abused and controlled by the other, they had both tried to escape only to have their loved one killed, and Robin had a new son, David, while Regina had two boys, Henry and Roland. They hit it off on other subjects too, they both had the same sense of humour, they both wanted to do what was good for their family and for strangers, they both liked the same books and had watched the same plays. They stayed in the room talking for three hours before they were discovered. They had both agreed to lend each other support, to continue their conversations, to write to each other.

They had met at first just the two of them, but soon they would bring their sons along, Robin had never seen five year old David smile so much. And Robin had smiled more than he had in his life. At David. At Henry. At Roland. And at Regina…. He smiled a lot at Regina.

They had fallen in love.

He had been hoping to bide his time, he was waiting until the opportunity where both his father and Ruth were away from the castle, then he would run away with Regina, taking David with him. But recently Francis had been losing his patience, he had expected Robin to have an heir by now, and to have killed David. There wasn’t time to wait for the opportunity. They had to run. Tonight.

Regina had already left the party, to finish packing ready to sneak away from Cora. Ruth had long left the party, she didn’t like spending time around people who smiled, she didn’t like joy, Robin was just happy that she hadn’t decided to end the party early by killing someone. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Robin had told David to pack quickly, just the things he really wanted, Robin had already prepared a bag with clothes for the both of them and some food, along with money to get the five of them far away from this land and to Arendelle.

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“Excuse me, your highness.”

Robin turned. It was a small red haired teenage boy, thin and pale, he knew he was one of his father’s servants. This couldn’t be good. “Yes?”

“Your- erm, Prince Francis asked me to pass on this note.”

“Thank you.” Robin took it and pulled the wax tab to open it.
‘Meet myself and your Queen upon the heath. This is about your heir.’

Robin swallowed. It was about David? What the hell was going on? Why were Ruth and Francis there together? Robin wouldn’t put it past Ruth to be won over by Francis, to do away with David, he had seen how dark she had become. He would not let either of them touch his son.

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Robin raced his horse to the nearby heath where Robin had met Francis many times. It was dark and damp but the stars and the moon shone above head, a little bit of light to guide him on his way, as his mother would have said. The figure of Francis was clear despite the dark thanks to a glowing deep purple flame floating in the air.

Ruth was there, he shouldn’t be surprised that Francis was telling the truth he was a bastard but he didn’t often lie, at least not to Robin, but he was surprised to see Ruth smiling.

Robin glanced from smiling Ruth to his father nervously. “What is this?”

“Well, our Queen has news for you, but first I have to talk to you, my son.”

Shit, did they know he was going to snatch David and run?

“My loyal, faithful, obedient son.” Francis was smiling but it wasn’t friendly, it was a sneer.

He was mad, super mad, this wasn’t good, Robin would have to think on his feet.

Francis waved his hand and suddenly an invisible sparkling pair of handcuffs encircled Ruth’s hand. She stopped smiling but there was a magical patch appeared on her mouth to stop her from saying anything. Francis could use magic, thought normally he preferred to inflict pain with his own hands: up close and personal.

“Father-.”

“No.” Francis growled. “You were tasked with killing the queen, and the brat.”

Robin could see anger in Ruth’s eyes. “I was… I was waiting to produce an heir.” He lied.

“Congratulations, my son, you’ve produced one.” He looked almost regretfully at Ruth.

“W-What?!”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Francis sighed. “You disappointed me. I know of your plan, with the brat and with that, that common -“

A sudden fire of bravery alit inside his heart. “Do not talk about David or Regina like that. They are better, kinder, people than you will ever be.”

Francis’ face scrunched up. He looked at his son as though he was a particularly unpleasant type of unidentifiable algae. “Why on earth would I ever want to be kind?”

Robin’s stomach turned. When he was a child he had hoped his father was secretly kind, that he was wearing a mask of evil for some reason, later he had hoped he would turn good. Now Robin knew that he genuinely didn’t understand being nice or kind or good.

“What are you going to do to me?”

“You? I think you mean what am I going to do to this entire kingdom. Someone close to you helped me prepare something special. You disappoint me Robin. This was all going to be ours, power was finally within our grasp, nearly.” He sighed again, a heavy genuinely disappointed sigh. “Anyway, let us try again, in a new kingdom. It will require a sacrifice though. Only this time, you will do as you are told.”

Robin steeled himself. “Father-.”

Francis drew a shining dagger from his belt.

With one flick of the wrist the dagger went flying, cutting Ruth’s throat before imbedding itself in a tree with a flunk.

Robin hadn’t loved Ruth, he hadn’t even liked her, hell he hated her but as he watched the blood spurt out of her throat in forced silence thanks to Francis’ magic, Robin let out a yelp of protest. But he couldn’t move for fear of it being done to him too, and he would leave David defenceless. “B-But she meant nothing to you! She wasn’t a sacrifice-!”

“I wasn’t lying about your child. That’s the sacrifice I am making.”

“You’re deranged!” But as he spoke Ruth’s blood rolled through the dirt into a dip in the ground Robin was only just noticing…. It was bubbling as though it was being boiled.

Green fog rose from the sordid ground thick and fast, engulfing them and spreading quickly across the entire kingdom.

“What the fu-.”

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When the fog faded all the people had gone.

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There was a weird bell ringing.

No.

It was his alarm clock buzzing.

Robin groaned. He needed a holiday, a vacation as it was called in this realm, realm? He meant country, of course. He pushed himself to sit up in his bed, everything was in its usual place but it felt strange, he felt strange, he had had the strangest dream… his father… David… nope, it was gone.

He scrubbed his hand over his face and forced himself out of his bed.

He went about his usual morning routine; he showered, trimmed his beard so it was fashionably short yet present. His work ‘uniform’ was all pretty similar, an expensive suit in grey, navy, or black, a well fitting shirt, and a tie. He dressed and spritzed cologne before heading downstairs.

He headed to the kitchen and prepared what was sure to be the first of many coffees that day. He didn’t bother to start breakfast, he’d already decided to grab food on the way to work, instead he headed into his office, he had already gotten things in order the night before but he took them out of his briefcase and flicked through some of the cases he was working on, he flicked through emails, sending quick rather curt replies to several, he was ready for work early.

That was the easy part.

He headed back upstairs, stopping before he could reach his own bedroom door, he pushed it open and walked in.

He perched on the side of the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp on. He smiled for the first time that morning when the little blonde head came out from inside the burrow of blankets on the bed.

David wasn’t even awake properly yet and there was already a pout on his face and a small whine accompanying him being woken up.

“Hey there, Sunshine. It’s time for school, we’ve gotta get going soon.” He tugged the blankets down knowing if he didn’t David would try and bury back down again, especially today, even if David didn’t understand why.

David pushed himself to sit up, a mini-mirror of his step father’s waking up habits, he rubbed his eyes with his fists, but instead of moving to stand up he slumped against him, hiding his face against Robin’s soft cotton shirt. “Daddy I’m poorly.”

Robin frowned, David never admitted to being sick, even if he was puking his guts up he would claim he was okay.

“I’ve gotta stay home with you.”

Robin squeezed his eyes and let his head drop as he realised exactly why it was David was admitting to being ‘sick’, he had been doing this all week but he seemed okay. He pressed a kiss onto the top of his blonde slightly curled hair, David looked at him with those beautiful blue puppy dog eyes. He pretended to feel for his temperature quickly, he was a little warm but that was due to being wrapped up to his forehead in layers of duvet and blankets for the past ten hours.
“Hmm, you don’t seem to have temperature, do I need to take you to see the doctor.”

“No!” David pulled a face. He didn’t like doctors clinics and hospitals, they smelt weird and he didn’t like Robin having to say some things quietly to David’s doctor, he didn’t like not knowing if Robin was about to disappear. “I just need to stay with you.”

“Davey, you’ve got to go to school, it’s the law. If you still feel poorly at the weekend I’ll take you to get checked over and I’ll stay home with you next week.” He promised.

“It’s not fair.” David crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

“I know.” Robin soothed. He stood up off his bed and picked him up under his arms placing him down so he was forced to stand up and start getting ready. “Go the loo mate, I’ll get your school uniform out, we really need to get a move on or we’ll both be late.” He rolled his eyes as the little boy made his way out of his room, deliberately making his footsteps as loud as possible without outright stamping.

Robin grabbed David’s uniform, he went to local the public school, Storybrooke Elementary but they still wore school uniforms, it reminded Robin of his own primary education back in England, he’d hated wearing them too.

He grabbed what David needed and laid it all on his bed, quickly making his bed as he did so, their housekeeper would be coming today to put new bedding on but Robin liked the house to look at least a little neat before she got there. He had gotten that from his mother.

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Robin went downstairs and grabbed the food he had gotten ready the night before and packed it into David’s lunchbox, then he went hunting for the signed forms for David’s field trip, and the cheque for his after school care for the next month, and for David’s homework and reading books, he never understood how the kid somehow managed to lose everything even if Robin did his best to put them safe.

David came down the stairs still pouting, Robin knew he didn’t realise that it was actually just adorable not in a ‘win them over’ sort of way. It didn’t work on Robin. It really, really, really didn’t.

“C’mere mate.” He crouched down and straightened up his polo shirt collar so it was straight and the buttons were done up. He quickly switched which feet David’s shoes were on. He grabbed David’s brush to try and tame his wild hair at least a little. “Perfect.” David’s face showed it was anything but. “C’mon Davey, kindergarten isn’t that bad.”

“I wanna stay with you.”

Robin nearly broke hearing how sad he sounded. “I know, I would love to spend the day with you too. But you know what daddy does for his job, right?”

“You make sure people don’t get in trouble?”

“Well,” fuck, “kind of, I help people who don’t have anyone else to help them, I make sure they don’t get in trouble for things they didn’t do.”

He also, sometimes helped people who did do it, though legally he never asked it was just easier that way, and sometimes he helped people who did have other people but also had money and could pay him so he could afford to help those who needed it most. But that was a little complicated to explain to a five year old.

“Do you understand why I need to go to work today?” He still felt bad. David nodded and he felt worse because he knew he couldn’t win. “Good boy. Let’s get some breakfast, yeah? We can go to Granny’s cafe.”

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David had cheered up enough by the time they were seated in Granny’s that Robin wasn’t double guessing pulling a sickie.

Robin drank tea and ate eggs and toast, while he had treated David to waffles.

“Remember to drink your milk.” He nudged the glass closer to him. “It’ll help you grow up big and strong.”

“Did you?”

“Of course! It’s how I’m so tall and strong!” He showed off his muscles, pulling a funny face to make David giggle. He felt surprisingly flattered when David drank his milk despite the laughter.

Robin heard someone clearing their voice and ice ran down his spine, he found himself clutching the cutlery as he turned around. Francis. He didn’t look happy.
“Father. It’s good to see you. You’re looking well.” He didn’t look unwell but he definitely looked angry, but Robin couldn’t begin to think why.
He also was surprised to see him stood in line to get coffee here- his large house was between Storybrooke and his offices in the city, the opposite direction. Why would he need to get coffee here when he could get some from a million other places?

“Hello Grandad Francis.” David greeted politely.

Robin looked at his son how he often did, with pride, but he couldn’t help but wish that Francis was a few hundred miles away from the two of them.

“David.” Francis greeted curtly. He looked at Robin and David curiously. His jaw clenched in thinly veiled and unreasonable rage. “What a nice stepfather - stepson outing.”

Robin didn’t have to look at David to know that upset him, hell it upset Robin too. He had been in David’s life since for nearly three years half of David’s life, and had been David’s only parent for the past two years - he was the only one who could claim to be David’s father, he wasn’t a step anything.
“Father, it was nice bumping into you, but I must take David to work, I have cases to examine at work.” He smiled but it was as cold as Francis’.

“Ah yes, of cause. Perhaps lunch then?”

“I’m sorry, I have a business lunch. Perhaps another time?” He was not about to give a date for when, not if he could help it.

“I will hold you to that. I hope you behave at school today David.” He stood for thirty seconds before his name was called. “That’s me.” He nodded a goodbye and took his leave.

Chapter Text

Francis had woken up pleased with his new cursed life, he was a powerful business man, a CEO of something he didn’t necessarily understand or care about, and a CEO of the newspaper ‘In Hyperion Heights’, he had the power he craved, he was the most powerful man in the entire city of Hyperion Heights, and the most powerful man in the large town of Storybrooke. But that was the problem, he was the most powerful man in the land, the most powerful woman was the mayor of Storybrooke, none other than his sons mistress, Regina. She stood in the way of his complete power again. Not only that but if she existed it was only a matter of time before Robin found her.

Then there was the problem of David, well he was less of a problem in this land, but Francis didn’t like that the prince had won Robin over before, that a five year old had bested him. And now he was living with Robin happily. Francis would look into that.

The curse had been almost perfect, in fact most people would have been very happy with it, but it fell short in Francis’ expectations. So he had called upon the Blue fairy, in the Enchanted Forest she had been the fraternal twin of Ruth’s mother, part of the reason why the Queen could use magic, but here thanks to her youthful looks she was called Liviana and was Ruth’s sister. And she was apparently one of his cohort, she had helped him in his cursed past, and in his uncurled past, if anyone were to remember their real past it would be her : the woman who had helped orchestrate it all.

“Francis.” Liviana smiled in greeting.

“Blue.” He tested.

“Pardon?”

Huh. Apparently not. This might make this harder.
“I said hello. Thank you for joining me for lunch today, Liviana.”

“I was surprised that you called, I suppose it has been long enough since my sister’s demise that our meeting will be inconspicuous. How are you keeping?” She took a seat on the other side of Francis’ desk. There was already takeout salads for the two of them and they began to eat.

“Well, I would be a lot better if… You see, Ms Nolan I am a very ambitious and very successful man, I get results and I get what I want. Some would call me a control freak, but that’s not strictly true, I don’t think, you see I want power. I was meant to be the most powerful person in all of Storybrooke and Hyperion.”

“But you’re not.” She finished for him, smiling sweetly. “You are the most powerful man for certain, but the most powerful person in Storybrooke must be Mayor Mills, surely?”

Francis’ eyes narrowed. “Hmm. I think we should work to change that, you will of course receive something in return, whatever you want.”

“Then it seems that we have a deal.”

“There is something else.” Francis added. “I am not sure I like my son’s current living arrangements, his stepson… I have heard rumours about David’s parentage.”

Liviana smiled slowly. She was impressed with how subtle Francis was being she didn’t realise he had the ability to control himself, she was also impressed with how quickly he was adapting to this new strange land, but that didn’t mean that the fairy was going to show her own hand just yet.

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Two months into Their Royal Highnesses, Queen Ruth and King Robin’s, marriage.

“Come here, squirt.” Robin crouched down, David was only four but was fairly competent at dressing himself, still Robin wanted to make a good impression today. So he straightened up David’s tunic, it was only when David was ready and Robin straightened again that he realised they were both dressed in the same colour emerald.

“Where are we going daddy? Are we going somewhere with my mother?”

Robin had hated him calling him that at first. He had protested it only two months previous, but David was relentless, and Robin had found himself softening, even loving him. Not that he’d admit that to anyone… well, nearly anyone.
“We are going to see a friend of mine. Her name is Regina and she has two sons one is twelve and the other is nine, I thought you might like to be friends with them. Your mother is going to stay here.”

“Oh.” David fidgeted uncomfortably. He didn’t have friends, they were all scared of his mother or were just mean, and they weren’t the only ones who was scared of Ruth.

Robin paused and crouched down again. He gently took hold of his step son’s hands in his own. “David, we’re going to have fun today but it has to be a secret, okay?”

“Okay. Will… will my mother know? She doesn’t like me… she says princes’ can’t have fun.”

Robin hated that, it was the same mentality his own father had for all of Robin’s life, his mother had taught Robin how to keep having fun a secret. Still if Ruth didn’t approve it would work to Robin’s advantage.
“It will be just between us. Okay? No telling your mother or my father.”

“Okay.” David shrugged. “Can I ride a horse on my own?”

“Sure.” Robin smirked.

“Really!”

“When you’re eight.”

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Robin had managed to convince David’s nanny and his own guards that David and Robin would both be safe and that they would be back in a few hours.

As they rode Robin’s stomach turned, he knew they weren’t being followed, he knew that Regina and the boys would be able to get away, but he was worried about what would happened if David didn’t get along with them. He wasn’t his son, not really, but he was slowly becoming important to Robin, as were Regina and her boys, he didn’t want to be torn between the two because he didn’t know who he would pick.

They reached the meadow near to a beautiful lake, Regina and the boys were already there, along with a picnic set out. Robin jumped down and lifted David down. He saw Regina smiling easily at him and he was powerless to avoid smiling back. He felt his heart flutter.

David looped his arm around Robin’s leg and stuck himself against his leg.

Robin stopped walking. He placed his hand upon David’s head to get him to look at him. “C’mere squirt.” He scooped him up into his arms. “David this is my friend, Regina.”

Regina had meant to curtsy, but David was just a little boy, and he was scared to meet them, she found her maternal instincts flare. Instead she smiled kindly at him. “Hello David, it’s very nice to meet you, your step father has been telling me all about you.”

“R-Really?” His head tilted to the side, in his surprise he had lost his fear.

“Oh yes. He told me that you were sick a couple of months ago, and that he read you stories about King Arthur. He told me that you like drawing. My sons Henry and Roland enjoy drawing too.”

Before Robin knew it David had come out of his shell, he was running around with Regina’s sons, he seemed so carefree and normal, Robin found himself to feel the same way.

“Tig.” Robin’s eyes went wide when David ran past hitting his leg with his hand and ran away. “Davey, I’m not playing!”

“I think you are now!” Regina laughed as the three boys sped away.

“Oh really?” He raised one of his brows before running towards her. She tried to run but he caught her in his arms, spinning her around, both of them laughed contagiously.

Robin set her back onto her feet. They were face to face. A breath away.

Regina nudged his nose with her own, he moved his head down, they kissed. His lips were softer than she had thought they’d be, they were warmer too. He moved his head back and she cupped his wind bitten cheeks with her hands pulling him back down. They kissed again, deeper this time, a way she had not kissed anyone in years.

When they finally pulled apart they felt their hearts beating in sync.

They were in trouble now.

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Robin reached David’s school later than he usually did, he immediately felt bad, he had meant to get their early, but his ‘meeting’ at lunch had been with his girlfriend Regina, and it had overrun which had thrown off his entire day.

He reached the table David was sat at by himself. “Hey David.” He didn’t get a response. He crouched down and placed his hand on his son’s back. “Hey Sunshine,” he whispered, “I know I’m late, I’m sorry, I know I said I’d be early.”

“You said as soon as I got here.”

“I know.” His voice was still low and soothing. “I’m sorry that you had to come to after school club, I’m really really sorry I’m late. Work was very busy.”

David gave a small sigh but nodded.

Robin felt bad. He kissed his son’s forehead. He looked back at what David had been doing, he wasn’t surprised to see a piece of paper with a drawing on it, the five year old loved drawing. “Whoah! Did you draw this?”

“Yeah.”

“No way! I thought an older kid must have drawn it, that’s so good buddy!” He knew from David’s smile that he forgave him. “Have you been playing with the other kids or just been drawing?” There were several other children David’s age running around, playing some game, but David was sat quiet and sad looking.

“Just drawin’. It’s me and you and Gina and Henry and Rolo.” He pointed to each of them in turn.

Robin smiled and kissed the top of his head.
He was so relieved that David got along with Robin’s girlfriend and the boys, they were still careful the relationship wasn’t new per say, but all the boys had suffered losses, David had lost both Robert and Ruth and was only five. Robin didn’t want to hurt him. He wondered if perhaps he and Regina should talk about moving forward with their relationship. But that risked bringing their relationship to the attention of Robin’s father and Regina’s mother.
“That’s very good. We should put it on the fridge, we can show Regina and the boys next time we see them, yeah?”

“Today?”

Robin’s heart fell. “Not today, we’re going to go and see your mummy.” He watched his son’s shoulders slump, his relationship with Ruth had been complicated, even now she was gone. “Let’s get your stuff buddy.”

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The cemetery always seemed to be cold no matter the weather in the rest of town, it was two years since Ruth died but Robin felt as though it was yesterday, he still remembered feeling free as he watched the coffin being slowly lowered into the dirt. He remembered David being stuck as close to him as humanly possible, he had wondered if David also felt free, Ruth had come to hurt him just as much, Robin had hoped that in the past two years those memories would fade but David seemed to remember them as clearly as Robin did.

He wasn’t sure why he still visited the cemetery, he hadn’t loved Ruth, when he found out that Ruth had hurt David Robin hated her, maybe he did it for David, to get him to understand loss, or maybe it was because Robin hadn’t just lost Ruth that night.

Robin plucked two flowers from the bouquet of white chrysanthemums. “Do you want to put these flowers in the vases?” He asked David.

David shrugged his shoulders. Truthfully he didn’t want to be there. He just wanted to go home and to be cuddled by his dad until bedtime. He took the flowers though, and carefully place one in the metal vase on the left and the other on the metal vase on the right. He looked at his dad hoping he was going to say they had to go, but Robin was staring at the grave, there were tears in his eyes.

David thought about taking hold of his hand or hugging him, but he remembered hearing Francis point out that David was only Robin’s stepson that morning, David knew that Robin was looking at the words on the grave which said ‘John William Hood’, it was the name given the baby who was in his mommy’s tummy when she died, the name of Robin’s real son.

So David didn’t comfort Robin, instead he wandered a few graves down, he took long strides over the widths of the graves, Robin always told him not to stand on them but David didn’t understand why: he couldn’t hurt the people they were deep down in the graves. He reached a dark grey slab proclaiming to be the resting place of ‘Robert Jedediah David Nolan', there were some dead flowers in the vases, David didn’t know who they were from because he and Robin never put any in. David had some memories of Robert but the same way he remembered monsters in nightmares, he remembered trying to make him happy but he could never do it. He had smelt like ‘dad drinks’ and got angry quickly,  he shouted a lot about god so David thought he must have been very happy when he got to move to live in heaven forever.

David traced the letters with his finger, reading it out slowly as he did so. “‘Day-vid No-lan’”. He felt someone walk behind him and knew instantly that it was Robin, he felt pressure on the top of his head and the sound of Robin laying a kiss on top of his golden curls. David twisted to look up at him.

For once Robin didn’t hesitate or wait for David to ask to be held, his just picked him up into his arms. David wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face in the darkness between one of those arms and Robin’s neck. He cupped the back of his head. “I know sunshine. It’s been a long day, huh?” He stood for a moment, in the cold and windy graveyard, darkness slowly nipping at their toes, just Robin holding David tight. “Let’s get some tea, yeah? Some pizza for our dinner.” He clarified, even if David knew that Robin had meant, it was habit for him to correct his English idioms.

He didn’t wait for an answer, he knew he wasn’t about to get one, he just carried David back to his BMW. “Davey, you’re going to have to let go of me, you need to go in your car seat to ride.”

“Can’t we just walk?” The kindergartener whined, he didn’t want his dad to put him down because that would mean trying to get him to pick him up again.

“It’s too far Davey, and we can only get takeout in our car.” The promise of pizza was finally enough to get him to let go

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The rest of their night finally fell back into their usual routine: David hadn’t been as school for long but now he was it meant he was spend about twenty minutes slowly reading to Robin, then while he was drawing and writing about the book in his homework book Robin would finish sending emails or would look over his itinerary for the next day, he’d check over David’s words making sure they were spelt correctly.

Robin ran a bath for David, the boy had an artistic streak and he couldn’t go a day without covering his hands or clothes with felt tips or paints. “C’mon bud.” He sat down on the small stool so he could keep an eye on him and talk to him. He knew he was rumpling his suit trousers and shirt, it was one of those things his father would have cared about, but he couldn’t care less. “Did you play lots today?”

“I did some drawings.” David smiled playing with the bath toys they had, he pretended to be making a magic potion by pouring the water into different vial like bottles.

“Yeah I can tell that, did you get any on the paper?” Robin teased, he gently took hold of his son’s hand and using body wash he scrubbed the pen off as gently as he could. “Did you make any new friends?” 

David paused. He scrunched up his mouth and became suddenly very interested in his toy boat. After a minute or two of silence he looked up, meeting Robin’s blue eyes with his own. “Not really…. I don’t think they like me.”

“Who, baby?” His voice was so soft it was barely audible.

“Everyone.”

“Just let them get to know you, then they’ll all adore you, trust me.” He gently bumped his knuckles against his chin, giving him a sympathetic smile in support. “They’ll all want to be your friend.”

He had David turn around so he could wash his back. Robin hated this part. Running over nearly the entire length of David’s spine stood a raised scar. It was a little over two years old. It had been the reason Robin had decided he would have to look into both gaining the custody of and abused step child and divorce. He could put up with Ruth hurting him, but finding out that she had hurt David, a toddler at the time, so severely that it scarred, that Robin rushed David to hospital for treatment, leaving Ruth home alone when someone broke in, it was a burglary gone wrong, apparently. It was then that Robin found out that Ruth had been pregnant with their son. What if she hadn’t died? If he had stayed with her and David and baby John, how long would it take her to hurt his baby too?

“Daddy?”

Robin realised that David had been calling his name. “Yes?”

“I’m done washing.” Robin had finished a while ago and David had turned back around not wanting him to look at his back, but Robin was lost in his head, as David’s teacher often said about him.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey y’know what? I think your scar is going to turn you into Frankenstein on halloween.” He cracked a smile making David laugh.

“I’ve gotta be taller to be Frankenstein, tall like you, maybe when I’m nine or ten.”

Robin laughed, he lifted his son out of the bath and wrapped him in a big fluffy towel. “Ah good to know that’s the only difference between you and Frankenstein. King Arthur or spooky stories for bedtime?”

“King Arthur.” David said with absolute certainty. He loved stories about brave, good, and true kings.”

Chapter Text

Henry had spotted the book first. He and his younger brother Roland had been given a few dollars each by their mother and allowed to walk from the town hall where her office was down to the corner store to get a magazine or something, she had a lot of paperwork and had not been able to get it done like she normally did, for some reason or other.

Anyway, Henry had bought a comic, a Captain America one he had read but didn’t own, and a chocolate bar. Roland elected to get a Spiderman comic and a couple of Laffy Taffy sticks, as they walked Roland was talking to him about something which happened at recess with him and his friends, that was when Henry spotted it.

He wasn’t sure why he spotted it, it wasn’t that big or bright, and its was obviously silent, it was a book after all. But for some reason he saw it and he stopped.

“What are-” Roland started to ask but his brother walked away heading down the alley. He threw up his hands. “Mom said not to wander off!” But he followed him.

The book was quite beautiful, it wasn’t bright and colourful, but it looked like books he saw in movies a brown leather bound cover and stylised gold writing. ‘Once Upon a Time’, Henry was thirteen he was too old for fairy tales, but even before opening this one, or even picking it up, he knew it was different. He picked it up off of the ground, it wasn’t dirty like he would have expected with it being left in an alleyway, and when he touched it… it felt like he should never let it go. He traced the lettering with finger.

“Whoah.” Roland said reaching him. He reached out and gently touched the title. And like his brother he suddenly felt different. “Can we keep it?” He asked Henry, Henry was three years older than his and generally seemed to know what to do in every circumstance, Roland would have happily kept it without any thought to where it might have come from, but Henry normally insisted on doing what was right.

This time though Henry was torn, he had been taught by his mother and his father (before his untimely demise) to do what was right, they had taught him that from the moment they had adopted him, and normally it came easy. but he was worried that if he asked around someone would take the book for themselves. For some reason that possibility scared him, it felt wrong, like it wasn’t meant to happen. But he heard Daniel’s voice in his head, gently reminding him…

“Let’s ask in there.” He nodded his head to the shop the book was leant against, the side of Gold’s Antiques. The book looked pretty old, he couldn’t help but hope though that the strange owner would tell them to go away. “If it’s not then, well we tried.”

Roland grinned. He too was hoping that they could keep it. He let his brother lead the way into the shop.

There was a clear ring as they entered the store, Roland tilted his head and spotted a shining gold bell. They took cautious steps into the store, wood creaked under the boys’ feet. The place was piled high with what Roland would only have described as treasure. The jumble of jewellery, procession of paintings, and mounds of mysterious boxes  looked as though it should be in the hold of a pirate ship, or in the safe someone would steal from in a heist movie.

“Hello.”

Both Henry and Roland jumped out of their skin, they automatically took a step closer, ready to protect one another if need be. Their heads snapped towards the owner of the sharp Scottish accent.

The man had nearly shoulder length greying hair, there were some lines on his face, as Henry took steps closer to the counter he couldn’t tell what colour his eyes were but he could tell that they were old. Very old, much older than his face, Henry felt a little uneasy, as though he was looking in a mirror or at a painting which was just a little distorted.

“Hi, I’m Roland Mills, this is my brother Henry.”

Henry was surprised when Roland spoke, he hadn’t realised he had been staring at the pawnbrokers face for that long.

“Ah, Mayor Mills sons. I am Mr Gold.” He held out his hand to each of the boys and smiled as they somewhat uneasily shook it. “And what, exactly, brought you young men into my shop? Looking for a gift for your mother, perhaps?”

Henry shook his head slowly. He had been carrying the book tucked underneath his arm but now he brought it out, he thought about placing it on the counter for him to see, but there was something off about the man, he wouldn’t put it past him to just take it. “We were walking back to our mom’s office and we found this in the ally next to your shop.”

Gold hadn’t noticed the book in the older boy’s hands until he showed it him. There was something about that book… It wasn’t…. I looked familiar, but he knew for certain that he had never seen that book in this - his- life. He leant over the counter, close enough that the older boy looked like he was about to step back, but he didn’t. Gold didn’t look at him, instead with one hand on his cane he reached across and touched the cracked gold lettering of the book with his other.

He suddenly straightened.

Henry could have sworn he saw a light ripple through the old mans eyes, he would have thought he imagined it, but it must have happened, how else would he have been able to tell he had eyes the colour of the brown fall leaves? Henry spared a look at his brother, he was looking as confused as Henry felt, they didn’t seem to be in danger but they shared a look knowing they were prepared to run at a moment’s notice, if need be.

Mr Gold’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side. “What did you young men say your names were?”

“Roland, Roland Nicholas Mills.” He held out his hand again, he looked at him with defiant bravery, and gave Gold’s hand a firm and certain shake.

Henry watched the man turn his head to look at Henry then, he squinted, as though he knew Henry, as though he was trying to understand something. The man very slowly, as though trying to give himself more time, held his hand out to Henry. Henry took it, just as cautiously. “Henry Daniel Mills.”

There was a beat of silence.

“It is very nice to meet you, both of you.”

“So do you know whose book it is?”

Gold blinked in surprise, he had forgotten all about the book, clearly Roland hadn’t. “It is mine. Well, it was, I think perhaps it’s yours now.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Henry blurted out.

“Of course it does, it is not my fault if you don’t understand.” Gold levelled him with a bemused look. “I think that book is destined to be with the two of you. It was mine, now it is the two of yours’, no deals required.”

“Deals?”

“Payment. No deals, no payment, every. It’s a freebie.”

Roland looked at Henry. This man was clearly mad. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t accept something from him… right?

“Erm…. Thanks.” Henry said slowly. He looked at his brother, trying to make sure he wasn’t about to insult Mr Gold, because he was acting strange and their mom didn’t know that they had come here.

Mr Gold saw their fear and nodded his head to them. “You should go back to your mam, enjoy your comics and sweets.” He turned to head to the back room again, then stopped, he turned his head to look at the boys who were nearly at the shop door. “Oh, and remember, all books have meanings… if you look hard enough.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————

Rumplestiltskin stood in his castle, around him were piles and piles of books and papers, some were covered in dust, others had not long been discarded. His hands shook, his skin glittering in the light which crept through the heavy velvet curtains.

“Yes, yes, ye-ye-yes, yes.” He chattered circling the table like a shark.  “Finally. Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally.”

On the table led a brand new brown leather bound book.

He had made a deal for it, of course; a man who didn’t know he was The Author, who had lost too much money playing blackjack, he dealt away the book in return for a handful of riches. Foolish, foolish man.

Still, it had gained Rumplestiltskin the book he had been searching for since he had formulated this plan.

He had seen the future, an age ago, and it had haunted his dreams. He wouldn’t stop it, no, it was his only chance to get to his son. He would go to this strange world, he would find his son, he would do anything to make all these years of absence.

There had been an obstacle, this curse which the meddling prince and the fairy were putting together would leave him not knowing who he was, he would not leave it breaking to chance.

So he had hunted for the mythical book. It had been at least two life times, at least for other people, before he found it, it was the key to him remembering.

“The ink, the ink, get the ink, make the ink…” He only had a small bottle of it, but it would be enough. He dipped a paintbrush into the bottle.

The title on the book was dark but as Rumplestiltskin brushed the squid ink over the title it shone gold.

He covered it several times over, there was only a year or so to go until the curse hit, and he had to make sure that it would still work by the time he found the book.

And when he remembered who he really was he would do three things: He would rid the world of that pesky Blue Fairy, he would turn that minor prince Francis into the slug he was, and lastly, most of all, he would find his boy again.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————

Henry sat at the table in his mother’s office papers strewn around it he frowned looking at the paper, trying to remember how they were shown in class to approach the math questions.

He had just remembered when his brother appeared at his side, the book they had found was in hand.

“Yeah?” He knew that look on his face, the eager and curious one.

“Henry, we’re in this book!”

“What?”

“Look,” He flicked it open to a random page, the story of Beauty and the Beast, with a twist, he prodded the picture of the princess dancing with a prince, “that’s the teaching assistant for my grade, Ms French, and that man, he looks like-“

“-The librarian, the one in the city.” He stuck in Henry’s mind because he owned an ice cream van which he kept trying to do up, he said he was going to turn it into a book shop, which seemed both magical and ridiculous, the kind of thing which would stick in two boys minds.

“It’s not just them there’s loads of people, some we know.” Roland flicked through the pages pointing several people they knew. “Mom and Dad are in it.” Daniel had died before Roland had been a month old, but there were pictures and even videos, which Roland treasured. “We’re in it too. It says our names!” He pointed at a picture in the book. A man, a woman, a little boy, and a baby, almost a perfect copy of a picture which was in their own home.

Henry stared at the picture until the ache for his father radiated in his heart. He turned a few pages.

“I’m nearly finished, I promise, I’m sorry I had lunch, I had a late lunch.” Regina called over apologising to her sons. “We can get takeout, anything you two want, make sure you do your homework and we can watch a movie too.”

Henry and Roland both looked at her, automatically, they both froze, they felt something stirring in the air. The way their mother looked right then, tired yet smiling, her head at that angle, the light hitting her just like that… well she looked remarkably similar to the picture on the page they had just turned to, the picture of Princess Regina, who just so happened to have sons with their names, and a dead husband who had their father’s name.

“……Okay.” Henry said numbly, Regina looked back down at her paperwork and he continued to stare.

Roland tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “Henry!” He whispered urgently.

Henry looked down at him, he knew they felt the same way, that they had sensed some knowledge falling upon them. Henry was thirteen, his grandmother would insist he was too old to believe in magic, hell she would insist that ten year old Roland was too old too: but they hadn’t grown up with Cora, they had grown up with their grandpa, and with their mom, and for the last year and a half they had Robin, who had made their mom smile without a care again, which was certainly magic in their eyes.

“Maybe we should read this book closer.” He whispered back to his brother. How there was too many coincidences for this to be unrelated to their lives.

Henry was going to find out what was going on.

Chapter Text

They had been running on time that morning, Robin was over the moon, he felt refreshed after falling asleep talking to Regina. He had a case in court that day and he knew he was arguing for what was right, he was certain in his case’s validity and that he was going to win. It was a good morning.

Until he woke David up.

From the moment the five year old woke her was being difficult, Robin had woke happy, but David had clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

“I’m not going to school.” David whined, he pulled his covers over his head.

“Davey, come on squirt, we’ve been through this, you have to go to school, and I have to go to work, it’s just how it is.”

“You can go to work I’m staying here!”

Robin sighed, he managed to tug the covers from his hands. “You only have today and tomorrow at school, you can handle that can’t you? C’mon you can’t stay here by yourself.”

David’s hands darted down the bed, he grabbed the covers again, pulling them over himself once again. “I don’t care! I’m staying here.”

Robin mentally counted to three, calming his annoyance. “David you can’t it is illegal, I’ll be arrested and put in jail, you don’t want that do you?” He heard a mumbled response. “Squirt I can’t hear you with the covers over your head.”

David grumbled but pulled them down. “I’ll stay with Gina or Vicky then.”

Robin would have been touched that David was so close to Robin’s girlfriend had it not been for the fact that he was sick of having this argument every day for four days straight. “Gina has very important work too. And Vicky is at college, she’ll pick you up from after school club tonight and bring you home, I think she told me something about you guys watching a movie.” He tried to get him excited.

“It’s not fair!”

“David, do not shout at me.”

“I wanna stay home and play with my toys!”

“David if you shout again I’m going to take a star off your sticker chart.” He warned him.

“I don’t care!” David shouted even louder.

Robin rolled his eyes, he should have known that wouldn’t work.

“I’m sick.”

“David.” Robin sighed again, he knew that David must be running out of excuses if he was relying on that, David hated being sick and would never ever admit to it.
“If you’re really sick your teacher can ring me at work and I’ll come and get you and I’ll take you to the clinic.”

He watched David pull a face and he felt bad, David hated doctors for reasons Robin didn’t quite understand, but he felt bad for scaring him with that threat. He checked his watch, they were no longer early, in fact they were well on the way to being late.

“I wanna stay with you.” David was fully pouting and sniffling now. He looked up at Robin with his big blue puppy dog eyes.

Robin nearly broke, but he knew he couldn’t, he was in court there was no way anyone could watch David. “C’mon sunshine, please, for me, can you get ready for school? I can help you get dressed. I miss you during the day too but this is what we have to do.”

Robin ended up having to help David get dressed, in fact he practically had to dress David himself, David on the other hand had two more meltdowns and barely touched his morning cereal.

Robin tried to stay calm but he ended up snapping at him a couple of times, particularly when David started to kick the back of Robin’s seat as they drove to the school.

An early bedtime was definitely needed.

He felt relieved when he finally got to school and dropped him off, David started to cry but his teacher assured him that David would be fine in a minute.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

He was in his office, two hours later going over his argument for the case he would be presenting in an hour when he heard a small knock on his office door.

He looked up and standing in his doorway was his girlfriend, Regina. His eyes travels from her black heels up her legs to her pencil skirt, her long coat was draped over her bright red shirt, and when his eyes met her face he realised her lips matched the shirt. In her hands she held two coffees and two cardboard boxes he realised were from one of their favourite lunch places. He dropped his pen and stood up to meet her.

“Gina?” He smiled despite his confusion.

“I thought you would probably miss lunch, and I have meetings for most of the day so neither of us are going to eat, I figured we could have an early lunch.” As always there wasn’t a hint of question in her voice.

Robin kissed her, gently at first then a little deeper, he was aware he was in his office still, and being careful that she didn’t spill the coffees. “You have a heart of gold.”

“Well, don’t let everyone hear, I have a reputation to maintain.” She smirked.

The two settled at a table in Robin’s office, they were sat close enough that their thighs pressed together, they started to dig into their salads. As they did Robin told Regina about his work day, he didn’t mention his difficulties with David that morning, he didn’t want to dampen the mood.

They were nearly finished and their time was nearly up when Regina told Robin about a story book her sons had found the previous day, how she was only sure that they hadn’t taken it from Gold’s because the pawnbroker hadn’t knocked on her door demanding it back, and how the two had been reading it all night, she had even noticed Roland slipping it into his backpack for school.

“How did yesterday go?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ruth’s grave, and John’s, how did it go?”

Her voice was soft and understanding and Robin was grateful for that. “Same as usual. It feels as though it was yesterday, or,” he trailed off and felt her hand slip into his. He brought it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it. “I don’t know if David understands, to really, he was only a baby himself, He remembers them, well Ruth, and Robert.”

“He remembers Robert?”

“Yeah, I know he was only young, but he used to talk about mummies and daddies having to be nice to each other and to their babies, and he had nightmares about ‘the angry man’,” Robin shrugged, “maybe they’ll go as he gets older.” He didn’t say that he suddenly hoped that David wasn’t going to take after Robert with his temperament. “He stood at Robert’s grave, he barely looked at Ruth’s and definitely didn’t look at John’s, I guess it was because his brother wasn’t born yet, and his name is on Robert’s grave.”

“Maybe he feels left out, or jealous, you and Ruth were going to have a baby together, he was Robert’s.”

“I’m his dad.” He shook his head slightly and bunched his face up in confusion.

“I know that.” She soothed quickly. “I know that and David knows it too, but seeing that must make him feel left out.”

Robin thought about how David had seemed down after Francis had pointed out that Robin was his step father not his father. “How did you get so smart?”

“I was just born this brilliant.” She smirked. “Have you thought any more about adopting him?”

Shit. He had meant to do that. “…Other things came up.” He admitted sheepishly. “Do you really think it would make that big a difference?”

“Do you?”

The answer was clearly a yes, it would mean that he wouldn’t have to explain his relationship to David and that Robert and Ruth were dead so often, he was already David’s legal guardian, technically it was more of a long term fostering situation, but he had thought of David as his son for nearly as long as he had known him. “Yes.” He agreed finally.

“Then do it.” She kissed him. “For both of your sakes.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Robin was certain in his case, sure he was against George Spencer who was known for his impeccable win record, but Robin had one of those too and unlike George he didn’t simply pick the cases he was certain he would win.

George was prosecuting Robin’s client who in Robin’s eyes had been desperate and had sought shelter and food during a storm in what she believed to be a summer house, in George’s eyes Gilda Barrie had broken into a cottage, stolen a three course meal’s worth of food, watched television, then passed out in a house of a young couple, mentally scarring their young chid when they returned home. George had also tagged on plenty of B.S charges which weren’t even slightly true and Robin found himself having to waste time protesting the lack of evidence.

Robin would be lying if he felt himself growing angry, for once, at his opposition - it would be one thing if D.A Spencer didn’t have empathy for Gilda, in fact Robin might understand that, but George didn’t have sympathy for the Browns, the family who owned the house. Spencer just wanted to win and to send Gilda to jail for as long as possible.

“Your honour,” Robin protested in his summary, “my client, Ms Barrie has no criminal record, which is an impressive feat growing up in situations such as she did, either in neglectful or abusive and unstable homes, or on the street. She not only admits that she committed the crime but she is truly remorseful, even the Brown family have agreed this when they received a letter of apology from her. My client was desperate and homeless, there was a storm which would have put her health in danger and in her fear she broke into the house, she did so in a way which was not aggressive nor did she at any point use a weapon nor did she resist arrest when she realised her mistake. Your honour my client is trying to change her life around, she is currently living in a halfway house, she is holding down a steady job and volunteering in Storybrooke at the animal shelter where she is already a model employee. She had attained her GED and is hoping on attending college next fall, once she has saved up more money. Your honour my client has been dealt a bad hand in life, but she is trying her best, I truly believe that she will become a model citizen and will greatly improve our community, if we only give her a chance. A criminal record or jail time will destroy her chances of better herself, and will affect her chances of college or getting a job. Please your honour, I ask you today to give Gilda Barrie the second chance that she never even dreamed she would have in life.”

They paused for a brief time, in fact Robin only had time to buy himself and Gilda a coffee before they were called back into court to hear the judges permission.

Robin watched the joy on Gilda’s face when the Judge ruled for community service and took into account the volunteering she had already done for the animal shelter, which she had already fulfilled. She was a free woman. Robin saw that she had never expected to be given another chance. The judge had agreed that one day Gilda would become an amazing woman, if shown kindness today.

Robin chuckled as she pulled him into a hug. It was days like this that made the long hours worth it.

“Thank you so much Mr Hood.”

“Like I said call me Robin. And you did all this, not me, just keep it up, yeah?”

She nodded her head eagerly. “You should come the animal shelter soon, you have a son right? I can give you a tour, we have activities going on for halloween all next week, you should both come!”

Robin was about to turn it down, he knew if they went there David would turn on the puppy dog eyes and Robin would end up letting him get a bloody emu or something, but then he thought for a second. David would really enjoy it. “That sounds great, I might have to take you up on that.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

9 months into marriage:

Robin couldn’t stop smiling as he walked around the castle, it was the only sign that his two week ‘diplomatic mission’ wasn’t necessarily above board, it was the only sign he had actually spent the week in a cottage with just Regina.

They were careful not to mark each other, despite wanting to, wanting to show everyone that they belonged to each other. In the throws of passion they nearly marked each other, it was the fear of Francis and Ruth finding out, that Cora would find out, they would force them apart, they would take away their love and their hope.

He wondered, if perhaps people knew despite his precautions, as soon as he got back he was bombarded with the most mundane meetings for four days straight, it seemed like he was being punished.

When he finally got a spare minute he realised he hadn’t seen David since he left. He frowned. Normally his son would be attached to his hip, he would often sneak into Robin’s meetings and draw the people in the meetings, as well as a five year old could, he didn’t care that the meetings were boring so long as he was next to Robin.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

David had been restless and bored the minute he had watched Robin’s carriage disappear out of the castle grounds. He felt his heart ache, it was a stark contrast between when his mother had to go away, in those times he felt joy and freedom, it meant he was allowed to do whatever he wanted, and it meant he and Robin got to visit Regina and Henry and Roland.

But with Robin gone he was scared.

He had tried to climb inside Robin’s luggage but his new father had easily lifted him out, he had begged him to allow David to go, but Robin told him not this time, even though David promised that he would be as good as gold.

With Robin gone there was no one to excuse him from the knight training he was forced to attend. He was much younger than the other Lords and minor princes who were also in the training, he had turned five as winter had turned to spring, the other boys were ten and eleven and were both taller and stronger than him. They trained with wooden swords so heavy that they made David’s hands and arms ache, and the other boys seemed to find any excuse to pummel David.

If that wasn’t enough his tutor was particularly cruel and controlling, knowing that Robin wasn’t about to walk in and berate the man, in fact the man had hit his knuckles multiples times for not knowing or remembering the correct words in a language which no one spoke but David was expected to have perfected by now.

In short, David was tired, so terribly tired.

He wanted Robin, he wanted his daddy, he wanted to be away from the castle and all the cruel people inside of it, he wanted to spend his time with Robin and with Regina and Henry and Roland. He wanted to no longer be a prince.

And he certainly didn’t want to be a knight, he was expected to be one, but he didn’t want to be a knight, he never wanted to hurt anyone or anything.

So instead of heading to his knight training he snatched food from the kitchen and packed it into a sack along with one of his drawing pads and his pencils, then he disappeared.

He had lived in the castle for all of his life, he knew all the hidden parts of it, he knew how to explore, he knew how to hide.

He stayed in the rafters from the time the sun rose until the bell in the clocktower rang midnight, he had watched the sun set and the stars appear. It was dark in the passages but he could see the stars and he knew he was not alone.

He made his way back to his tower, he had thought that without Robin there no one would notice his absence, perhaps his nanny but David thought that perhaps she preferred it when he hid, at least then she knew he was safe.
But when he reached his bed chambers it was not empty.

His mother was there.

In the candle light he could see her dark eyes narrowed at him, her nostrils flared, and the veins stood out on the back of her ghostly white clenched hands. David was only young when his father died, but he remembered him, parts of him, he remembered this look on King Robert.

“I was told that you waylaid your responsibilities today, David. You were supposed to be at your training. You are supposed to be a man now, you are no longer a baby, you have responsibilities in this kingdom!” She noticed the sketchpad and pencils clutched in David’s hands and her face turned red, her hands held so tight to the  “I will not allow you to be a weak man. You will be the warrior king we need to protect yourself and to not just protect the kingdom but to defeat other kingdoms, to enlarge our kingdom, so no one will be able to hurt us, the kingdom again.”

It might have been all the time he had spent around Robin and Regina which gave him the bravery, or made him forget that his mother wasn’t like Regina, David was told he could be open and ask questions to and around Regina, he could speak his mind. He wasn’t supposed to do that around his mother.

He was supposed to hide.

He forgot this.

“I don’t want to be a warrior, Mother, I don’t want to fight anybody. I, I want to draw, and have adventures, I want to fall in love, true love, like in da- in father’s stories.” He just about managed to remember his mother didn’t approve of him calling Robin daddy, it wasn’t right for a prince, but remembering that wasn’t enough.

He felt ribbons wrap around his torso, he looked down and he could see his clothes tightening, he realised that there were invisible ribbons, they pinned his arms to his sides, there was a clatter and a thud as his pencils and his sketchpad fell to the floor.

David was span around.

The next thing he heard was the crack of a whip, he didn’t feel the pain for a second, then a line of fire alit on his spine.

The next hit came.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

——————————————————————————————

Robin finally made it up to David’s chambers, after searching the dinning halls for him Robin had headed to the kitchen, to a cook name Nora who had taken a liking to Robin and David, a kind lady with fiery red hair and  doughy hands, who always made them food when Robin and David would sneak out of the castle, and asked no questions when the picnic was made for three of for five instead of for two.

She had a sad expression on her face when she told Robin that the young prince was laid up in his bed. That he should see him right away. He nearly sped off but she passed him a basket of food with glass bottles of juice.

Something was wrong.

When he finally got to the top of David’s tower which housed his bed chamber he found David led on his front on his bed, his teddy bear Robin had bought him was cuddled in his arms as though his life depended on it. That was the first thing Robin noticed. The next was that his back was covered in fabric dressings, they were obviously meant to be white but they were scarlet and amber in places from blood and from the weeping of an open wound which took up the length of David’s back.

He wasn’t alone in the chamber, his nanny was there too, a pot of tea in hand and a worried look on her face.

“What happened?” Robin gasped. He looked at the nanny as though he himself had been hurt - as though David was an extension of himself.

“I… I can not speak badly of our Queen.” The nanny whispered, she so wanted to, but the rumours were that the queen could hear and see everything, she wasn’t sure if it was true but she wasn’t about to chance it, she had her own family, and she wanted to be around the castle to try and help David.

Robin gritted his teeth. How could Ruth have done this to David? He was still a baby, for the gods sake! He had never hurt a soul, he was so gentle, and he only saw the best in people - even Ruth! And she had done this. Robin was certain she was darkened beyond even he had guessed, she was so dark there was no coming back from it, and there was no way she would allow David to be who he was.

Robin looked at David’s nanny, she looked livid, he had a feeling that if it had not been for David she would have quit on the spot. “Understood.” He sent her a look to tell her that he really did. He understood what had happened. What needed to be done.

He walked over to David’s bed, he placed the picnic basket on his bedside table, he felt nauseous it was so much worse up close. He toed off his shoes and threw his cloak onto the end of the bed. He settled himself down onto David’s bed he started to stroke David’s hair, which was now a dull blonde as he hadn’t been able to bathe, he was fairly certain David was awake.

Robin looked back at David nanny, her face had softened seeing Robin with David, she didn’t look as though she was preparing to defend the boy. “Please will you inform my valet that I will be unable to attend meetings for the rest of the month, no matter their importance. Please have Rudolph sit in my place as my substitute for meetings of royal importance, and for the others have him… please tell her that I’m sorry.”

He was sure that his relationship with Regina was a secret, his most trusted ally Rudolph knew, and he thought that perhaps David knew but he also knew to keep it quiet, after what happened with Marian. But David’s nanny nodded her head and left without questions, perhaps it wasn’t an as closely guarded secret as he thought it was, he’s have to reexamine that.

He stared down at the boy that despite no shared blood he considered his. He kept stroking his hair until eventually David turned to look up at him. His face was as white as the sheets he slept on, and his eyes were rimmed  with red the same shade at his curtains, he looked as though he had been crying for a month.

Robin’s heart broke. He gently moved David so that he was now led with his head on Robin’s chest, Robin couldn’t touch his back so this was as best as they could cuddle. He wished he had blown off all his meetings and gone and seen David straight away. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry sunshine. I’m never leaving you again. Ever.” He swore.  He pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he felt David cuddle closer. Relief flooded his veins, David didn’t hate him.

“Promise?” His voice came out as small as he was.

“I promise, sweetheart, you’ll never be hurt again. Not on my watch.”

He needed to form a plan, an escape plan, for him and David; before Ruth destroyed David, before she started to turn his little boy dark, or before she killed one of them.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

9pm:

Robin knew it was late, and he was tired, but he was looking forward to spending some time with David, he had been short with him that morning, he hadn’t meant to be, he hadn’t said sorry before leaving him for work. David was always still up on Thursday nights when Robin got home, he went from his after school club back home with the babysitter; Vicky, and when Robin got home David would tell him about his day and they would watch a movie.

Robin chucked his keys onto the side table as he let himself into their home. He shrugged off his coat and kicked off his shoes. He expected to hear the sound of Paw Patrol or perhaps even Peppa Pig, coming from the living room, but there was the sound of the news. He reasoned that perhaps David had fallen asleep, he hadn’t taken Vicky as the type of person who would enjoy the news, but looks were often deceiving. He wasted no more time and walked through the open doorway.

Fear ran like electricity up Robin’s spine. The news was on the television but David wasn’t asleep, he was holding his beloved teddy in his arms, beside him wasn’t the college student, it was Francis.

“David.” He barked. He pointed towards the stairs and a stern look set upon his face. “It’s past your bedtime. Go brush your teeth, get to bed, I’ll tuck you in later.”

“But daddy-!”

“No, David! Go to bed, now.” Robin snapped, not looking away from Francis.

David got down from the couch and stomped over to the stairs, not looking at Robin as he did. “It’s not fair! You just got home! You never let me do anything!”

That was all Robin needed, a five year old having a tantrum, what felt worse was that he couldn’t even calm him down right then, not when he was trying to keep Francis from staying in his house any longer. “You’re right, I don’t, but you’re stuck with me. So do as you are told.”

“I hate you! I wish I had a different daddy!”

He listened to more stamping louder, angrier, heading towards the bathroom, after a minute or so the stomping trailed from the bathroom to David’s bedroom.

“If that had been you I would have whipped it out of you by now. That’s what’s wrong with your generation, too lenient, you don’t know how to make them obedient.”

“You won’t go near him. Don’t touch him. He’s my son I can raise him without your input.”

“Hmm, I’m sure that’s what you think.” He trailed off into a mumble. He stood to his feet as a laugh fired from his mouth.

Laughter was ugly coming from his father, it was never from joy, he used laughter like a weapon. “I hear you were in court today-.”

“I am most days.”

“-Don’t interrupt.” Francis snapped. He watched his son stiffen before replacing the laughing mask he was wearing. “I found it funny, that is all, that you were in court against the man who adopted David’s older brother.”

Robin had been about to move to throw Francis out, but those words stilled him. “David doesn’t have a brother.” But… he had, hadn’t he? A baby who died many years before David was born, Jame-

“James.” Francis said aloud, unknowingly finishing Robin’s thought. “He is a lot older than David, in his twenties I believe, rumour is, well, it doesn’t matter…”

“Ruth sold her son?” Ruth had been cruel and uncaring, Robin knew that, but part of the reason she was like that was because James had died young.

“Well, not her, Robert. Rumour was his company had been going through dire straights, they were desperate and Robert was in need of a lawyer, George and his wife wanted a baby. So Robert gave him one of the babies he had acquired.”

“Acquired? Babies?” Robin’s eyes narrowed. “There was more than one?David’s brother, James, he was adopted?”

“Well, over the years.” Francis said slowly. “You have seen pictures of your predecessor, Robert, and I’m sure you remember Ruth? Did you never wonder how two people with brown eyes and dark hair had a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes?”

Robin dropped down onto the couch. He had never even thought, never wondered, he had stopped thinking about Robert and Ruth the day he decided that David was his. “Who?”

“Pardon?”

“Who? You know everything that happens in this town, in the city, you have sources everywhere. Who are David’s biological parents?”

Francis paused, he looked at his perfectly manicured fingernails, he flicked away imaginary dirt, feigning disinterest. “A Ms Landon, and a Mr Galanis. I believe they both live in the city.”

Robin felt fear like he had never experienced before. “Don’t tell him. Please.” His voice came out broken and raw, he felt as though he was a child again, begging his father for compassion or mercy.

“Don’t tell him who his mum and dad are?”

“He’s my son!”

Francis was as stoic as Robin was emotional. “Technically not. Let’s do this again soon, shall we say dinner, in a fortnight?”

It wasn’t a nice familiar request, it was a power play, and Robin knew it. Robin was a hell of a lawyer, he could argue his way out of a paper bag, but against his father he was still a scared, powerless, child, Francis would simply tell David the truth and would find a way to put David back there, it hadn’t sounded like a legal adoption. He nodded his head.

——————————————————————————————

Robin could still hear the front door closing and Francis’ words ringing in his head.

No not just his words, Robin’s phone was ringing too, he fumble for it, his phone said Regina. He picked it up. Her voice sounded alarmed, on edge, and for a moment he wondered if perhaps Francis has gone to visit her too.

“Robin?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m here. I’m, yeah.”

“What happened? Are you okay? I tried calling you three times.”

Robin nodded his head then remembered that she couldn’t see him. “Yeah I… No.” He sighed, why was he lying to her? “I just got home and David was still up but Vicky wasn’t here.”

“What! Is David okay? Why did she leave?”

Robin could hear the puzzlement in her voice, even if he couldn’t see her face, absently he noted that it was touching that she cared about him so much. “Because David’s grandfather arrived and told her she could leave, that I was working late, and you know how convincing Francis can be.”

Robin listened to Regina sigh over the phone. Out of habit he moved around putting David’s toys into their toy box and straightening things up.

“Is David okay? Francis didn’t say or do anything did he?”

“No, I mean I kind of,” Robin sighed this time, he scrubbed his hand over his face, hiding his shame, “I kind of lost it at him, I shouted at him to go to bed. I told him that he was stuck with me. I think he hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you, you were just worried about him, you can make it up to him. He idolises you, babe, trust me he doesn’t hate you.” When he remained quite she spoke again. “Robin, did something else happen? You sound shaken. You can talk to me.”

“I know, I just, let me just check David and tuck him in, yeah?” He stayed on the phone as he walked up the stairs. “Tell me about the rest of your day?”

As he approached David’s room he could hear coughing, he let out a small sigh which was half a chuckle, David had been trying to stay off school for days at least now he was making it more convincing, maybe he’d let him stay off the next day, it was only kindergarten after all. He slowly pushed open David’s door and was about to tell Regina he’d call her back in ten, when he saw David sitting up in bed, his coughing was getting worse, not only that he was making a funny noise as he gasped for breath. He didn’t even notice Robin.

“David!” He sprinted the short distance to David’s bed, it took him less than a millisecond to notice that David’s lips were blue. He hit the speaker button on his cellphone. “Regina, call nine one one, please, it’s David he, he can’t breathe, his lips are all blue!”

David felt weak, he felt tired, and he couldn’t breathe. He tried to gasp for breath but he couldn’t get the air inside him and every time he did he would cough more. Suddenly Robin was there, he reached out for him, he was scared and tired, he wanted his dad to make it all better.

Robin pulled the five year old into his arms. “It’s okay, sunshine, it’s okay.” He rubbed his back as he coughed. Over the phone he heard Regina telling him that an ambulance was on its way. “Try and breath slow.”

“Tired.” David managed to get out through a cough.

“I know, I know sweetheart, I need you to stay awake, can you do that for me? Please? I promise you’re going to get better soon, there’ll be a cool ambulance, and I’ll be here with you the whole time. Just stay awake please, I’m sorry…” He pressed kisses onto the top of his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, David had been telling him he felt ill for the past few days, Robin hadn’t even checked, he had just thought the boy had been avoiding going to school. He should have checked. He had fucked up.
“Just stay awake for me baby, you can watch as much Paw Patrol as you like, I’m not going to leave you, just stay awake.”

It didn’t take long, only a lifetime, for the paramedics to arrive, Robin felt as though he was outside of his body, Regina had rung nine one one minutes earlier but listening to David’s wheezing had felt like forever.

He felt out of place, confused, he didn’t like not understanding why David was suddenly so ill. He watched one of the paramedics clipped something onto David’s finger, and placed an oxygen mask onto his face, he kept rubbing his back trying to keep him calm even if he didn’t feel calm himself.

“How long has your son had asthma?”

“Wha- he doesn’t, he doesn’t have asthma, he said he was sick, I thought he was just trying to get out of school, is he going to go to hospital?”

“Yes I think that will be best, the ambulance is already on its way, he was sick?”

“A couple of days, Monday, I think.”

“It’s okay, sometimes asthma comes on fast

“So he has asthma?”

“I think so, but a doctor will check him over when you get to hospital, they’ll be able to make the official diagnosis. How about family history, any family history of asthma or conditions like it?”

“I, I don’t know, his mum died a couple of years ago, he was nearly four, his father had died a couple of years before that, I’m his step father, I’m the closest family he’s got. I don’t know his family medical history though.” He stumbled over his words.

“Okay.” The paramedic nodded.

David could breathe a little easier, but he was still struggling, and he was still scared. The mask had smoke coming through through it, David was unsettled by that, but it tasted nice, and he could breathe somewhat better.

He kept hold of his dad, even as more people appeared in his bedroom, even as he was put in a moving chair and carried down the stairs but he wished he could be held properly not just holding his hand. He would normally be amazed by the ambulance, and that he was getting to ride in it, but he had things attached to him and a mask on his face and he had to sit where he was told, he couldn’t cuddle Robin.

Riding in the ambulance Robin kept being assured that it wasn’t his fault, that asthma came on quickly especially with colds, but Robin knew better, he had made the wrong call.   

Chapter Text

David awoke slowly, the first thing he noticed was the weird smell like the smell when he stayed late at school and people came around the classrooms cleaning them, then he heard beeping, it was annoying and he thought that perhaps it was his dad’s alarm clock. He groaned and he started to move without opening his eyes to get out of bed. But two strong hands appeared on his arms, he had no doubt that they were his dad’s, and when he cracked open his eyes he saw Robin’s smiling, if somewhat tired, face looking down at him. 

Robin had been told that David would be okay many times through the night but he hadn’t slept a wink, and had barely looked away from his son, in his head he was replaying David saying he felt sick, he was racked with guilt over not checking, but also with Francis’ words to him; revealing David’s parentage. 

That was if he was telling the truth. 

But as Robin watched David sleeping he realised that there wasn’t a hint of Ruth or Robert in the boy. He was a little relieved, he knew David was a kind and gentle boy, but Ruth had been kind and gentle once too, he hoped that perhaps this meant that taking after them wasn’t his destiny. Though he was an educated man and knew that nurture often bested nature. He would have to look into the names his father had given him. He couldn’t let either of them take his son…. If his son ever woke up. He had been told that he would, by nurses, doctors, machines, and charts, but seeing his baby so pale and so incredibly small in the hospital bed… it was all Robin’s fault.

When David woke and tried to climb out of bed he let out a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. 

“Hey sweetheart. You’ve got to stay in bed, you’re hooked up to these machines, you can’t move about just yet.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to David’s forehead. 

David frowned and looked around for the first time. “Where am I?” The room was brightly coloured and had characters on the walls, there was a television but it was playing the boring news his dad normally had on, maybe they had been there for a while. 

“Hospital, Davey.” He pushed his hair from his eyes seeing the fear in them. “I’m sorry, you were very poorly last night, you had to stay here overnight so that the doctors and nurses could make you all better.” He realised David was frowning- he was clearly trying to remember. “Do you remember the ambulance?” 

“I went in am-ambulance!?” 

Robin stifled a laugh, David sounded so betrayed that he had basically missed the whole ride, or at least couldn’t remember it due to oxygen deprivation. Robin turned the television off and perched on the side of David’s bed facing him. 

He pushed back his hair again, he couldn’t stop touching him, seeing David gasping for air and passing out made Robin believe that he was going to die. 

“Yeah, you did. You scared me there, David.” 

“Am I in trouble?” 

Robin’s face scrunched up, he tipped David’s head back under his chin so his son would look up at him again, he was struck by a weird sense of deja vu. “Why would you be in trouble?”

“You said David, you only call me David when I’m in big trouble, or it’s something serious.” 

Robin’s face fell and he tried to hide it. “Monkey, you’re not in trouble, at all. You tried to tell me that you were sick, and I didn’t listen, I'm so sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” David shrugged. “I’m better now.” Then he frowned. “Is it time for school?”

Robin was always astounded at David easily forgiving him, well for big things, he would hold grudges on things like bedtimes and the only one viewing of Lilo and Stitch a day.
“Nope. You’re still getting better, you have to take special medicine, and a special puffer to help you breathe because your body finds it a bit hard sometimes.” He made a mental note to take David to some children’s science museum when he was better, there would surely be an exhibit which could explain this better than him.
“But you don’t need to worry about any of that, I’ll look after all of that, you just have to focus on getting better, I’ll be home all week with you.” 

“All week?” His eyes widened in excitement but there was also a little doubt in them, wary that he would be let down, again. 

Robin knew he was a bit of a workaholic but he felt bad when he saw the extreme reaction from his son. He would work on that. “Yeah, monkey, all week.” He kissed his face again.

“Daddy you’re all scratchy!” David whined giggling a little but he didn’t move away from him. 

“Oh am I?” A light flashed in his eyes and a smirk appeared on his lips. He dived forward and attacked David’s neck with kisses, tickling his sides making the child laugh, he only stopped when David had a coughing attack. Robin rubbed his back until he stopped coughing.
“I haven’t shaved yet, I will when we get home, will that be okay with you?” He teased gently.

“Hmm.” David pretended to debate it. “Okay. Can I shave too?” 

“Yeah.” He didn’t know how he’d do it but he’d figure it out, he’d do anything for his son, and he was his son, he’d fight to the ends of the earth for that kid.
“You can shave with me, and we can watch Lilo and Stitch, and play with Legos, you have to rest though and take it easy. Got it?” 

“Can we go to the park?”

Robin chuckled. “That’s not exactly taking it easy, is it? You’ll give me grey hairs.” 

David knelt up onto his knees and examined Robin’s hair. “I found them! They’re very grey.” 

“What! No, I’m not grey yet! I’m still young.” He noticed David’s mischievous smile and he pulled him into a bear hug, not too tight his brain reminded him.
“Uh huh, really funny, tough guy.” 

He kissed him again before letting him out of the hug. 

But David clearly had other ideas.

There was part of Robin which had feared that David being in kindergarten would suddenly make him want to be cool and no longer be super clingy and cuddly, but it was clear that he still was, never more so than when he was sick. Robin turned and placed his son onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him and kissing the top of his head. “You want to watch some cartoons? They’ll be bringing you some breakfast soon.” He had filled out the sheet for what David would eat for breakfast while the kid was still asleep. 

David cuddled close to Robin as Peppa Pig played on the tv across from his bed, he realised that his favourite teddy Not was on the bed, he quickly picked it up into his arms. 

The bear was named after the brief honeymoon period after Robin and Ruth’s marriage had ended, approximately one month to the day since their wedding day:

Robin had bought it for him two years previously, he had called him a teddy bear but David insisted that he was Not a teddy bear he was a real bear who just looked like a teddy for the time being.

- Robin had gone to work early one day and Ruth had Not remembered to give David breakfast before preschool so David and Not had pretended to eat the play food at preschool and David had pretended that he was Not hungry.

- They had gotten home and Robin had remembered to feed him, David and his bear had pretended Not to hear Robin badmouthing Ruth.

- That night David had tried Not to cry when he had been shouted at for not tidying up his toys quick enough and made to stand in time out for hours by his mommy.

- He had Not been used to anyone sticking up for him, so he hadn’t understood why Robin had tried, especially when Ruth had hit Robin in return.

- David had pretended to be asleep when Robin had put him to bed, and he had tried Not to be scared when Robin left their house and David had wet the bed. He had tried to pretend it hadn’t happened but Ruth uncharacteristically came to check he was asleep and had smelt it.

- He had Not let go of the teddy bear as Ruth had attacked him and left him crying and bleeding on his bedroom floor, his back split open, Robin had finally returned and rushed a mute and shaking David to hospital.

Robin had stayed holding him the entire time, even when the cops came wanting to speak to Robin, David had clung onto him, he hadn’t understood when they had told them that Ruth had been at home and someone had hurt her, he hadn’t understood because he was so used to Ruth being the one hurting him or Robin.

-They had told him that Ruth was asleep forever and would never wake up. And neither he nor Robin had cried, Not one simple tear. They cried later, they were humans after all, Robin cried because Ruth had a baby in her tummy who had died too, that was a new word died, David was slow to come to understand this and he had cried because despite everything he had loved his mother even if he didn’t think that she loved him back.

- And since then the newly named Not had Not left his side.

But David never told people that, not even Robin, he simply said it was because he was not a toy, adults never seemed to understand the way thoughts collided in children’s minds like bubbles, so easily and quickly, a connection, but one that despite careful explanations adults never understood. 

David watched the cartoons on the small over bed television through hooded eyes, really he wanted to go back to sleep, but he felt as though he hadn’t been cuddled by Robin like this for a long, long, time. Maybe after this was all over he could finally work on making David officially his, he didn’t really know why he hadn’t already. He felt as though he had been in a deep sleep and was only just now waking up.

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“You two look like you could use some breakfast.” 

Robin looked up at the voice, he wasn’t surprised to see Regina stood there, a smirk on her lips but worry in her brown eyes.
He knew her voice as well as he knew the beat of her heart. He knew that she would not be able to stay away from David when he was sick, she cared about David as deeply as she cared about her own sons, or nearly, he felt the same for her and her boys.
They kept their distance in public so his father would not be able to see and try and break them, but that excuse was starting to seem flimsy to Robin, perhaps he simply didn’t propose taking it a step further because he was terrified of losing her.
That excuse would become a self-fulling prophecy the longer he left it that way.
His to do list was becoming longer and longer by the second.

“Gina!” David’s face broke into a huge smile, a smile so big it showed off all of his baby teeth and made his eyes squint nearly entirely closed. 

“Hello pumpkin.” She walked into the room, she placed the paper bag she was carrying onto the over bed table, along with the paper cups. She hugged him carefully, scared of hurting him, she pulled away and felt his head feeling a temperature, maternally. She looked to Robin expectantly. 

“He has a chest infection and he had an asthma attack, he needs rest and antibiotics and he has inhalers for every day.” He filled her in quietly. 

“It’s not your fault.” 

Robin had realised he was showing his shame. “I didn’t listen to him.” He told her as quietly as she had spoken to him. He felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down at David biting his lip and looking at him eagerly. “What’s wrong? Do you feel poorly?” He went to reach for the button to call for the nurse but Regina beat him to it.

“I’m hungry.” He whispered so loudly that he needn’t have bothered, it was more out of habit born from an early life with Ruth.
His hand pointed at the bag Regina had brought with her, a scrumptious smell was sneaking from the small gap in the bag, like it would in a cartoon. 

Robin let out a breath of relief. He wondered if he would ever stop being scared when it came to David. Probably not.
“Okay sunshine, me and Gina were doing boring talking, huh?” He chuckled when David nodded his head to agree. 

Regina had gone to a little cafe she and Robin would often frequent for breakfast or brunch, when they were both kid free, there were a fair amount of other English people in Storybrooke and the city, but there was only one traditional English cafe, basically a greasy spoon, really. Robin had always been surprised that Regina had liked the place, she was a very healthy eater, and well this place was the opposite. He supposed he was pretty healthy too, he tried not to be vain but he liked to look good, his girlfriend always looked good and he wanted to make an effort for her which she deserved. 

Regina unpacked the food with the help of Robin, she passed him David’s things first, banana chocolate chip pancakes made specially for him when she had told their usual waiter that David was sick in hospital. She had oatmeal and a fruit salad, while she had gotten Robin a ‘bacon butty’, something which she knew would comfort him and make him think of his birthplace, hopefully the happier memories of his childhood. 

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As they ate and drank tea, or chocolate milk in David’s case, they listened to David’s cartoons, David was already seeming better, but Robin’s eyes were cloudy he was clearly trapped within his thoughts- Regina had a feeling that something was wrong, something more than David being in hospital, she tried her best to quietly nudge Robin into revealing what was wrong, but he seemed distracted, his eyes not quite meeting hers when he reassured her that all that was worrying him was his son. 

David had managed to eat three quarters of his breakfast before falling asleep to an episode of Peppa Pig which he had seen so much that both he and Robin knew the words off by heart, it had caused David to memorise some englishisms, his babysitter assumed it was because Robin was English, he felt a little ashamed and weirdly unpatriotic when he admitted he didn’t hear too many from him, it was all Peppa and George’s fault. Nowadays his patriotism came out in his fondness for greasy spoons and a ‘chippy tea’ on a friday, most of the time he resisted these two things, he still embraced football though, and despite how many times people in his office tried to tell him it was soccer but he had remained firm. 

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Robin carefully moved all their paper plates of food into the bag, grease had stained the bottom of the bag a couple of shades darker, then walked across the room to throw it in the trash can. He walked slowly trying to collect and sort his thoughts, as best as he could. When he got back to David’s bed he carefully moved him so that he was reclined ever so slightly against the bed, the blanket tucked around him, Not carefully cuddled to him as he seemed to always be. When he had fussed as much as he could he took up his place back in the uncomfortable, slightly squeaky, armchair, beside the one which Regina was perched on. 

“What’s going on, Robin?” Regina finally asked when the silence had dragged on too long for her and he had clearly not even noticed.  

Robin did a double take not knowing, at first, that Regina was talking to him and it was just another question whizzing around in his head. “I’m just worried about the kid.” He said finally.

“Tell me that you can’t tell me yet, but don’t lie to me.” Regina told him without hesitation, there was no heat in her voice, no anger, perhaps a tiny hint of disappointment, but she was clearly trying to hide that. 

Robin bit his lip looking down at the speckled blue floor, he felt bad, he really did, but he managed to say to her. “I can’t tell you, not yet.” 

“Okay.” She reached over and took his hand, and just like that it was, it would be okay. 

Robin brushed his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. I promise.”

They sat there for a while, silent but together,before the doctor entered the room, Regina stood up and told Robin she would go and check on some things at work but would see him later, Robin felt suddenly very alone.

The Doctor quickly scanned the chart the nurses had been writing their observations in through the night and early morning, and quickly looked at the machine where David’s current heart rate and oxygen level was being displayed. He pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and noted something on the chart before hooking it onto the end of the bed as it had been before. He finally smiled at Robin and extended a hand towards him. “Mr Nolan?” 

“Hood.” Robin took his hand and shook it. “Robin, I’m David’s step father, and his legal guardian.” He added before the doctor could look around for a biological parent. 

“Of course, of course.” The doctor said as though he hadn’t even thought about it, though he had, it had been an automatic reaction. “I am Doctor Al Dehiri, I’m one of the pediatric consultants here, I hear that young David here suffered from an asthmatic attack last night, and that he has never been diagnosed with asthma?”

It wasn’t exactly a question but Robin nodded anyway. “Do you need him awake? He fell asleep during breakfast.” He said, partially because he liked to be as prepared as possible, and partially in search of something to say. 

“That would be good, please.”

Robin was glad to have something he could actually do, even for just a second. He gently shook his son’s shoulder, calling ‘Davey’ and ‘Sunshine’.

Eventually the boy opened those long lashed eyes and blinked slowly up at his dad who was smiling down at him. “Daddy, wha-” A frown appeared on his brows as he remembered where he was. 

Robin pressed a kiss on his forehead where his eyebrows were threatening to meet from his frown. “The doctor’s here, he needs to speak to you, it’s okay sunshine I’ll be here with you.”
He ran his hand through the messy blonde curls, the boy had slept practically sat up yet somehow he had still formed what looked like a birds nest made of hay in his hair over the past couple of hours. His son leant his head into Robin’s hand, Robin knew for a fact that it was because he was nervous but wanted to seem brave in front of the doctor. So Robin kept his hand stroking David’s hair. 

“Hello David, I’m Doctor Al Dehiri.” 

The way he said it he expected the doctor to hold out his hand for the small boy to shake like he had to Robin. 

Instead the doctor smiled warmly at David and added. “But you can call me Ali, I’ve heard that you’ve been very brave, that you got to ride in an ambulance last night.” 

A small smile appeared on David’s face. “....Yeah. But I was asleep. I missed it.” 

“Ah well, I’m sure that it was boring anyway. Is it okay if I use this to listen to your breathing please?” He showed him the stethoscope he was wearing around his neck. 

David knew that way of speaking by adults meant that it wasn’t a proper question, if David said no the man would just try and talk him around and ask him again and again until he and Robin had got him to, it was easier to just nod. His frown returned when Robin’s hand left his curls and he took a small step away from the bed so that the doctor could do his work, but before he could move too far away David’s small hand grabbed for Robin’s. 

Robin more than happily took the small hand in his own, he stroked his thumb in a circle on the baby soft skin on the back of his hand automatically, a soothing gesture he had done for years.

The doctor listened to his breathing, wrote something down, looked in his eyes with his pen light, and measured his temperature. “Thank you very much David.” The man’s hand dived into the pocket of the stark white coat he was wearing and he brought out a handful of stickers of various cartoon characters, he handed all of them to David with a wink. “I’m just going to talk to your,” he faltered for a millisecond before smoothly continuing, “daddy.” He picked the moniker correctly, it was sometimes difficult to guess with step parents. 

Robin kissed the top of David’s head and led his way to the other side of the room so that the two adults could speak quietly.

“As suspected David does have asthma, sometimes this is something he’ll grow out of by the time he’s a teenager, sometimes it’s something he will have all of his life, he might have an attack a week, he might never have an attack again unless he’s unwell. I’ll prescribe him inhalers to take for them, two different ones, to be taken when he wakes up and before he goes to sleep. He also has a chest infection which probably made the asthma worse, I’ll prescribe some antibiotics for the rest of the week, it’s preferable that he takes the week off so that he can rest and recover better, if it’s possible.”

“Of course.” Robin said without hesitation. He could take some time off or he could work from home, it wouldn’t be too hard, and it was what was best for David. 

The doctor smiled as though surprised. 

Robin realised that he probably looked like a workaholic, having come in at night hours clearly dressed in nice work clothes, it wasn’t completely incorrect so he couldn’t fault the doctor. He ran his hand through his own hair, messier than it usually was as though the stressful night had gone to his hair. 

“Once his chest infection has gone I would like to see him back here at our children and adolescents asthma clinic, but I will send an appointment through the mail.” 

Robin nodded his head, his face was calm but his head was filing away all of this information carefully, making notes to search for information on everything possible as soon as possible. His mind was swarming so much that he almost missed the doctor saying

“Other than that you’re free to go.”  

Robin blinked fast a couple of times just like David had when he had woken him. He looked back at his son who was staring at his teddy bear, then back at the doctor. “Just like that? We can go?” 

“Yes.” He told him patiently. 

“But he, he’ll be okay? He had an oxygen mask on last night. What if he needs that again?”

“He’s not needed it for several hours, it seems to have done the trick, but if he starts to cough and wheeze and struggle again his inhaler will work.”

Robin bit his lip hesitantly. 

“Mr Hood, I know that it may seem scary at the moment, but David will be okay. He seems like a very happy young man, and he will bounce back from this very soon. I’ve found that often parents are more worried and scared of this than the children are. If there’s any problems I’d be more than happy to see him again, other than that keep him rested and he will be okay.” 

Robin finally nodded, despite the doctor’s encouragements being short it had settled his mind. He held his hand out to the doctor. “Thank you, Doctor Al Dehiri.” 

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Robin carried David out of the cab in his arms, an hour after Robin had spoken to the doctor, Robin carefully shifted David and the bag of medicine in his arms so that he could unlock their front door. Once inside Robin kicked the door closed behind him. It was a safe neighbourhood, and he did have security alarms and cameras, pretty much everything he could, but he remembered his father’s words about David’s parentage and two shadowy figures formed in his mind’s eye like bogey men ready to snatch his son, he quickly locked the door.

He placed David down on the couch, in the corner as was David’s favourite seat, David led down with his head on a cushion, his arm looped around the arm of his teddy bear. Robin pressed a kiss onto the top of his mop of curls. 

He moved over to the kitchen, he could still see David from where he was, but he was also afforded a little privacy.
He placed the paper bag onto the kitchen island and took things out one at a time, there was a bottle of medicine, antibiotics, he could see the light yellow tinge to the medicine and he remembered the taste of the banana medicine he had when he was David’s age, there was a smile on his face as he reminicist, there had been some good times in his childhood, mostly due to his mother.
There was a long cylinder shaped spacer with a mask attached to the end, and a couple of boxes the same shaped with either a blue or a brown stripe, he unpacked one of each and found an inhaler matching the colour box it had been packed in. Memories of someone in one of his Primary School classes using them after P.E classes formed in his mind even though he had not thought of it for years. 

He grabbed the liquid medicine and then poured some orange juice into a cup for David. He carried both over to the young boy and helped him sit up. “Hey squirt, let’s get this into you.”

David let out a whine. “I don’t want it. Later, please?” 

“The quicker this is into you the sooner you’ll feel better.” He promised. He poured out a spoonful of the yellow medicine onto the correct side. “Y’know I used to have to take this one when I was your age.” He said slowly, he knew for a fact that this would work. 

“....Really?” David waited for Robin to nod then opened his mouth, letting Robin feed it to him. He screwed his face up as he swallowed. “‘Nana flavour.” He told him finally. 

“Not good?” He asked him gently noticing the face he was pulling.

David shrugged his shoulders. “It’s ‘kay.” 

Robin smiled. “You’ve been so brave, my Davey.” He kissed his head yet again. “How about me and you have a pj day? Just us two? I know we’ve not been spending a lot of time together recently. That’s going to change, I promise.” He added swearing to himself and to David that would be true. 

David smiled easily, it was a smile which brightened his white pallor and made his eyes sparkle. “Lilo and Stitch?” 

Robin rolled his eyes but there was a smile on his face. “Sure baby, any movies you want.” He ruffled his hair. “Let’s get you in the tub and some clean jammies, don’t pull that face, Sunshine, I need to take a shower too, then we can stay on the couch all day, I promise.”

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Once Robin had run some warm bathwater he peeled off David’s pyjamas and lifted him into the bath, he had found some bubble bath which Regina must have put in there though he wasn’t certain when, and he had made a thick layer of bubbles in the bath, knowing it would keep David occupied while Robin showered. He washed him fast and made sure that David was safe, sitting on the non-slip bath mat in the tub, he wasn’t breathless apart from the occasional cough, he played with some bath toys telling Robin he would bake a cake while Robin showered, as he mixed water and bubbles in the plastic play pots and pans Robin moved the few feet away to hop into the shower.

The shower was hot and as it fell on him he could feel the tension falling from his shoulders, down onto the shower tray, then down the sink hole. He felt as though he could breathe again. He also knew what he had to do, but it could wait, he was desperate but it could wait. 

He scrubbed his hair with shampoo and rinced it off seconds later, then he quickly scrubbed his body with a shower gel the same brand as one Regina had gifted him once, she had liked it and Robin had liked it even more because Regina had liked it. He felt the sweat of the previous day and night finally rolling off of his body, he scrubbed his skin until it felt raw and new, before finally bracing himself and leaving the warmth of the shower. 

True to his word he dressed in loungewear, sweats which had been worn often enough that they have been softened, and an old university sweater which looked faded and a little cracked because he had worn it even more often. He walked back over to the bath with a smile on his face, he felt like his old self again. 

He was surprised to see that despite having napped only a couple of hours previously David was looking sleepy once again, apparently even bathing had been tiring for the sick kid. 

“You still want to shave like daddy?” He asked, and David seemed to wake up and his face brightened and looked a little less tired once more, David nodded and Robin grinned, swooping him up into his arms and wrapping him in a warm, soft, towel. 

Robin had come up with a plan while he had stood underneath the shower, he had promised David while he was in hospital and he was determined not to let him down. He stood him on a soft mat on the tiled bathroom floor and started to dry him off. 

“Daddy,” David dragged the name out with a whine, “I wanna shave, you said I could.” 

“You are going to buddy, but you also need clothes on, you can’t shave in the nude.” He tickled David’s sides through the towel until he giggled.
He helped his son step into a pair of Jake and the Neverland Pirates pyjamas pants, he pulled the matching top over his son’s head, his blonde curls springing out as his face emerged once more. Robin smiled, how he loved those messy blonde curls, he ran his hand through them on the illusion of combing his hair with his hand. He suddenly felt a small fear which he was fairly certain all parents had, that one day way too soon his kid was going to grow up, and wouldn’t want to spend all of his time with him. “Are you all comfy?” 

“Yup.” David nodded his head. “Can we shave now, please?” He sent him puppy dog eyes. As he pointed over towards the sink, they were in Robin’s en-suite and David knew where Robin kept his shaver (safely away) as he had watched Robin shaving many times in his life. 

Robin sat David in the sink. He covered his own lower face in shaving cream before shaving his beard until it was back to being a stylish five o’clock shadow, he could see David’s eyes on him studiously, he half expected him to be taking notes like a college student. He then covered the same area of David’s face with shaving cream. He couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures on his phone then pressing the button to film.
“Say hi to Gina.” He encouraged lightly, partially because his kid was adorable, partially because she had reamed him for taking a cab instead of asking for a lift from her and he wanted to prove the kid was still alive. 

“Hi Gina.” David grinned waving his hand, he coughed a little which was becoming a normal noise now, his smile was nearly as wide as his face showing off his pearly white teeth. “I’m shaving just like my daddy!” 

Robin’s heart fluttered as David beamed with pride at being like him, Robin couldn’t help but feel as much, perhaps even more, pride as David. He finished the video and saved it for himself before sending it to Regina, he would send her actual pictures later, he knew she’d find them cute. 

He took a shaver he didn’t use, made sure that the safety guard was still firmly on and had no chance to come off, then he had David turn to face the mirror and hold the shaver with Robin. They slowly but surely ‘shaved’ the shaving cream off of his face, really it was just being gently scraped off, but David was clearly giddy and Robin couldn’t help but smile. 

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After shaving they headed back to the living room, Robin cranked the heating up and pulled up the Lilo and Stitch movie, knowing it would distract David while he made him some lunch. He found a tin of soup and some bread and heated soup up, it had vegetables in it but for some reason David would eat it without complaint. He made himself a sandwich as he waited for David’s to be done.

They ate their lunch and watched Lilo and Stitch then Cars with David cuddled as close as he could to Robin, and Robin found that he was more relaxed than he could remember being in recent times, it felt as though everything had been blurry until now, or perhaps the past few days. He frowned ever so slightly, he knew that it was probably just because he had been working hard for, well for a while. He just didn’t know why he was finding it so weird, which made it weirder. 

He shook his head, realising he had been staring at the screen for a little too long without really seeing what was on the screen, he looked down and realised that David had fallen asleep in his arms. Robin smiled at the sight and that weird feeling faded. He remembered everything about this little boy, his son, since the moment he met him. He held him tighter and led his head on the top of David’s head, his lip’s on the curls as though he was kissing it, very slowly and drawn out. 

Eventually, as an idea entered his mind, he led David down on the couch with his head on a cushion and covered him with a throw from the back of it, making sure that he had his teddy there. He could hear David’s wheezy breaths but they were miles better than they had been the night before. Still, instead of going to his office to make the call he went to the kitchen, that way he would be near David if he needed him. 

His secretary, Peter, answered on the third ring, he realised that he had probably just got back from lunch. They made small talk for a minute or two, Peter was asking after David, apparently everyone at their work sent their love, Robin wasn’t surprised, everyone who met him fell in love with him. He answered a few questions Peter had about some cases he needed to file or contact clients about. Finally he forced himself to request what he had been wanting to.
“Peter, I need a favour. I need you to compile folders on two people - I believe that they live in the city, I don’t have first names or dates of births or even occupations, but people have hinted to me that they have criminal records.” He didn’t want there to be any hint that this had anything to do with his father at all. “But they have fairly unique names, and if you can’t find them it’s no problem. I need any information you can, names, dates, people, places, incarcerations, anything and everything you can, as soon as possible. There’s a Mr Galanis, and a Ms Landon.” 

“Should I ask what this is about, boss?” 

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. “Best not, Pete. Ring me when you’ve found their first names, I want to do some of my own research. Thanks mate.” 

He hung up, grabbed his laptop and made himself a coffee. He was about to move back to the couch to do some work when his phone rang.

He didn’t even look at the screen of his phone, he picked it up and said “Yes?” Without giving the person calling a chance to even greet him.

“Wow. That’s very business, everything okay?”

“Oh, Regina.” Dammit, he wished he had bothered to look at the screen now. “Yeah, sorry, I was just waiting to hear back from my secretary about something.” Perhaps it was because of the conversation they had that morning, or perhaps it was something in his voice which made her not ask about the expected phone call’s contents. So he quickly moved on. “Is everything okay? What’re you up to?” 

“Are you sure? I can call back?” 

“No, no it’s okay, tell me about your day?” He requested moving to the couch when he heard David cough. 

He sat there listening to his girlfriend, stroking David’s hair as he listened, David was still fast asleep so it was more for Robin’s comfort than for his own. 

He finally hung up half an hour later, having listened to her day, listened to her telling him off for getting a cab home instead of calling her she had already told him off through a text after he told her they had gotten home, and they spent a little while talking about their boys, all three of them, agreeing to have a dinner with all of them the next day, it was Friday so Regina’s boys wouldn’t have clubs or anything, and Regina’s workload was always lighter then. 

His phone rang as soon as he placed it into his pocket. He must have knocked the button because his ringtone rang out loud, he dived for it fast, but despite his best efforts David was stirring. Robin stroked his hair hoping he would fall asleep. 

“Haden Galanis and Malory Landon, both live in Hyperion Heights but don’t appear to be in contact with each other, I’ll have more information for you by tomorrow evening.” 

“Thank you Pete, thanks very much.” Robin watched David opening those beautiful blue eyes and he wondered how the hell he ever believed that he was Ruth’s and Robert’s, neither of them looked anything like him, hell he looked more like Robin than he looked like Robert. “I’ve got to go. Thanks again.” 

“Who’s that?” David yawned, he moved to lie his head against Robin’s arm, he glared at the laptop open on Robin’s lap, sure he had fallen asleep, but it had replaced him. 

Robin shut his laptop and placed it on his otherside then pulled David into his arms. “It was just Peter, buddy, you know everyone in my office says that they hope you feel better soon?” 

“I want to get better now.” His lips formed into pout. 

“I know you do. I want you to be better too. You will be soon, I promise, you just need to keep taking medicine.” Robin laid his hand on David’s forehead. “Speaking of, you need some medicine.” 

But when he tried to put David onto the couch so he could go and grab it David clung onto him. “Come on buddy.” He laughed softly. “Come on you need your medicine. Do I have to carry you to the kitchen like you’re my little baby?” He teased, expecting David to immediately let go of him as he always did nowadays and protest that he was big, but he was still clinging onto him. “Monkey?” 

“You put me on the couch when I fell asleep.” He pointed out still pouting. “And you didn’t come home last night until it was so late, and I was bored with Grandpa Francis here- he didn’t watch any cartoons, and I had to go to bed when you got home.”

Robin paused for a second before forcing himself to smile. David was always so sensitive and picked up on too much, he didn’t want him to see Robin frown and decide he couldn’t cling onto him, or not so subtly hint at needing affection. “I guess that means I owe you a lot of cuddles then, huh?” His smile widened when David nodded his head. “Okay monkey, if you’re going to cling like a little monkey you’ve got to ride like baby monkeys do.” He moved David to cling onto his back like they had watched in nature documentaries. 

David giggled and laughed and coughed a little as Robin made monkey noises on their way to the kitchen to grab David’s medicine, he laughed more when Robin said it was banana flavoured medicine because David was a monkey. 

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They were having their dinner sat on the couch watching an old nature documentary on Netflix, their dinner was potato smiles and chicken dinosaurs: a simple and comforting if not the most healthy food. 

“You know,” Robin said carefully, “you don’t have to call Francis ‘Grandpa’ if you don’t want to.” 

David paused dipping his nugget in some sauce but quickly resumed. “I want to. Everyone in my class have grandmas and grandpas, they brought them in for reading morning at school. I told Grandpa Francis about it but he doesn’t want to come.” Really he had told him that he was his step-grandfather and they weren’t allowed to do that. 

“I’m sorry, Sunshine. I promise I will start coming to them, as much as I possibly can. I’m not going to break these promises David, I promise. I double-double promise.” He joked a little. 

David smiled and led his head against his arm once more. “I wish I had real grandmas and grandpas.” 

“I’ll read you some King Arthur stories for bedtime, my mummy used to read them to me, so it’s something from your grandma, I know she’d love you.” But in his head he was thinking about the fact that David could easily have grandparents out there, in the city, in their district, their county, this world...in their town. And Robin was planning on keeping them from David, no matter the cost.

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A month into marriage:

Robin tried his best to avoid the rest of the royal family as much as he possibly could. The rest of the royal family was only Ruth and David so he thought he should have easily been able to avoid them, Ruth was fairly easy to avoid, they sometimes had joint meetings or joint meals, and of course the obligated hours alone at night they would spend together, trying to produce an heir. David was only young, he should be easy to avoid, but he seemed to be everywhere, trying to constantly be near Robin, to do what he was doing. 

Robin had given up on hating the child not long before, with those blonde curls and those blue puppy dog eyes, and the persistent happiness and love for everything and everyone he saw, it was understandably impossible to hate him. Even if he had inadvertently caused the death of the woman Robin had loved, Francis kept trying his best to stoke this flame, but Robin wouldn’t be fooled by this, he knew full well that it was wrong to blame a kid. 

Robin had been stood in the common early one morning, a month into his marriage, it was a rare time where he was on his own and he chose to spend this time firing arrows at targets set up all around the common. It was one of the few times he could, it was so quiet that he would be guaranteed not to hit anyone, not that he ever missed. 

“Can you teach me?” 

Robin jumped at the small voice suddenly speaking up next to him, there was a dull thud as the arrow hit the straw packed target, just shy of the bullseye. He looked down at the boy stood beside him, he was in a starched white nightshirt and a pair of fur pyjamas, he wasn’t sure if it was the early morning light or if David was a little paler than usual.
“Why are you awake this early? Why are you outside in your nightclothes?” 

David shrugged trying to hide a shiver and failing. “I couldn’t sleep… and I’m bored.” 

“Why don’t you play with your toys until breakfast, or do some work before your tutor arrives. Or you could go and find a book in the library?” Robin suggested. “Arrows aren’t toys.” 

“My tutor’s not coming, and I’m not allowed in the library until I’m no longer poorly - I mean unwell.” David was pouting now and sniffling ever so slightly.

Robin frowned, he hadn’t realised that he was unwell, his pallor made sense now. As did the fact he looked as sad as Robin had ever seen. “I’m sure that if you spoke to your mother she would allow you to go.” 

“I’m not allowed near Mother until I’m better, she doesn’t want to be made unwell, no one wants her unwell. Nanny checks on me,sometimes, and the healer, but I have to stay by myself so people don\t become poorly-” He took an exaggerated step back. “Sorry, I didn’t think about you getting sick too. I’m sorry…. I’ll go back to my bedchamber.” 

Robin watched as David headed back to his tower as fast as he possibly could, coughing as he did. Robin felt a stab in his heart. How he had so wanted to hate the child… But….

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Robin handed his bow and arrow off to a servant as soon as he re-entered the castle, instead of heading to his own tower and bedchamber he headed down into the bowels of the castle, where the kitchen and the healer’s quarters were.

The servants all stopped talking and stood up straighter when they saw the King down in the depths of the castle, there had never been a monarch down this deep in the castle, he smiled ever so slightly at them all trying his best to put them at ease as he headed to the head cook.

The head cook was a portly woman with deep brown hair with so many grey streaks it was hard to even see the brown anymore. Her cheeks were flushed a deep pink from the heat of the ovens.
“King Robin, your highness, is there something I can help you with?” 

“Yes..” He hesitated for a second trying to steel his nerves. “Yes… I’ve been made aware that Prince David is unwell, and I was told that you are from the same area of the kingdom as my mother, in fact you used to work at our castle, I’m sorry I didn’t know that until now.” 

The cook curtsied again. “There is no need to apologise, your highness, none at all.” 

“I remember, when I was a boy and was unwell, you used to make a chicken soup which always made me feel better.” He took a deep breath. “I was wondering if you could make it again, for the Prince, if you’re not already. 

The cook beamed. “I would be honoured to. Prince David’s nanny has me making a clear broth for him, should I tell her that you asked me to change it?” 

“I’ll tell her. Thank you, Nora.” He started to walk away then turned back to look at her. “Oh erm, could you please have it sent to my room, I’d like to keep an eye on my step son while he’s ill.” He could see that it clearly pleased her that he was taking charge of the boy, she smiled and nodded. 

He headed next to the healers, there he gathered both the healer in charge of David, and an older, quieter, healer. He frowned hearing that the original healer had done little to actually help David’s illness, he asked the older healer if she knew of anything to help his illness and his lung problem, she nodded quickly and explained a little about some potions she could make using herbs to help, and that she would teach David’s previous healer them too.

The younger healer protested that it was David’s physician who had told her to give David the antiquated medicine. Robin gave her a look he had learnt from his father and she soon shut up.

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Robin’s blood was boiling, by the time he reached David’s tower. He took the stone stairs two at a time. His own father had been terrible, much like David’s, but at least he had his mother. Queen Ruth basically had her own son locked in a tower whenever he was sick, away from her, and barely able to even talk to anyone. 

It wasn’t right. 

He flung the door open with a little too much gusto, David hadn’t been near it (luckily) but he still scrambled back, dropping the wooden horse and cart he had been playing with. 

“I’msorryI’msorry.” David skidded to the corner of the room bringing his arms up to protect his head. 

Robin stopped and crouched a little from David. “Whoa, what are you sorry for?” The boy didn’t answer so he was forced to think, then it dawned on him. “You think you’re in trouble because you went outside while you’re sick?”

“Because I went near you. You’re”

His voice was so small and heartbreaking that Robin forgot (at least momentarily) that he had vowed to get his revenge on David for getting Marian killed. “ David, I’m not angry.” He sighed. “You’re a child, and you’re sick; that means you get to stay close to those who love you, or at least those who know you should be cared for.” 

David lowered his arms, tilted his head to the side, but stayed quiet.

Robin sighed again. “I’m only doing this because you’ll be too sick to remember it properly.” He picked the boy up into his arms, he noticed a slightly worn teddy bear on the boys bed and passed it to David. 

“Where are we going?” David was beyond confused as Robin left the room and started to carry him across the castle, and up the stairs of a tower he had never stepped foot inside.

Robin didn’t say anything as he carried him through the door at the top of the tower, to his own room.

He placed David onto the bed and pulled the blankets up around him. He tucked him in and took a seat beside him on the bed. 

David looked around the room, it was bigger than his own but had the same large four poster bed. The curtains on the bed had deep green velvet curtains, compared to his own red ones, though both had the same gold piping. In fact there was a lot of green around the room, including a forest mural which wrapped around the room. When he finally looked back at Robin he was tucking yet another blanket around him.
“This is your room?”

“It is. It’s warmer than yours, and as soon as you’re feeling better you’re going back to your room.”

“Okay.” David agreed quickly, and mostly just to make sure Robin wasn’t going to kick him out immediately. 

Robin remembered the times he would crawl into his mother's bed when he was sick, he had always sworn to himself he would be as kind and caring as her, he had assumed he was going to be able to do so with his own kids with Marian. Now the only way he would be able to do this with his own biological children was if he produced an heir with Queen Ruth, like everyone was urging them to, it was expected of them.

He stood up quickly. 

David knew that Robin must have realised his mistake in bringing David here. “I’m sorry I- I knew I shouldn’t have come here, I’m really really sorry Robin. You’ll get sick, I’m not allowed to get anyone important sick, I’m not allowed near you, mother will be furious.” 

Robin felt his blood boil again. “I’m going to kill-”

“- I’m sorry! ”

“No! No, not you David.” Robin moved quickly to stop the boy from scrambling out of the bed, he already looked like he could be knocked over with a feather. “Lay back down now, you’re not going anywhere. You’re not to blame for being unwell, that idiot of a swordsman had you practicing sword movements in a storm. I’m not mad at you I’m mad at-...”

He stopped himself knowing he shouldn’t say what he really wanted to, that he was mad at Ruth.

“You’re staying here until I say so. I wasn’t moving to do anything, I was simply going to bathe and change clothes, I was outside practicing for a long while before you came to join me outside.”  

Robin started to walk to his bathing room where he knew a hot bath would be waiting for him. He stopped and looked back at the small boy shivering in the massive bed. “You’re meant to be looked after. You’re going to be from now on.”

“...Robin?”

“Yes?” 

David hesitated, he shouldn’t say it but his fever made the control impossible. “I wish you were my real dad.” 

Robin’s eyes widened and he became frozen. What could he say to that? He finally managed to move again. “Get some sleep David.” He said as he moved into his bathing chamber. 

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He stayed in his bath for longer than normal, he was hoping that David would be asleep when he went back through to his bedroom, but the boy was stubbornly avoiding his fevered dreams. 

Robin walked over to his desk and picked up a battered old book. 

He took a seat on the bed next to David again. He opened the book and started to read to David, it was a book of legends his maternal grandfather had gifted him one Yuletide.

He paused only when he felt a sudden pressure against his side, he looked down and saw David was curled into his side, nearly asleep, Robin refrained from pushing him away, instead he continued to read until the boy was finally asleep. 

With the fire burning high, the rain lashing against the windows, and David sleeping soundly cuddled against his side, it was no surprise that Robin was soon quietly snoring too.