Finding You Always

Friction

Chapter 147: Friction

Regina gently rocked the baby, as she gazed out the window in the baby's nursery. It had been a fitful night for Jade and she was watching her to allow Zelena to get some sleep. She didn't mind at all; in fact she adored the time with her niece. Things were slowly improving between the two sisters, though Robin had been avoiding her like the plague. She didn't blame him at all and it was a very complicated situation. Still, Robin adored his daughter too and she knew he would never take what Zelena had done out on his daughter.

Things weren't strained between them, but decidedly not quite the same as they had been before all of this either. And it was worrying her deeply. Usually she would go to Snow for reassurance and comfort. She had often in the years since she had married Robin. Snow and David's marriage was so incredibly solid and Snow always knew the exact advice to give her. She always assured her that no matter the problem, that love would win out. But her step-daughter had her own problems lately and she was extremely worried about her and David. With Hyde still alive, it made her wonder what was happening in their land. She missed them both and knew their children did too. She also missed Snow's reassurance when it came to Robin and she found herself desperately needing it right now.

They were carrying their days on as mostly normal, but there was a definite undertone of strain between them. It wasn't that she blamed him for what happened; quite the opposite in fact. It was the Queen's implications that the real Marian had been executed when she was the Evil Queen. And as Robin came into the room to check on the baby, she could no longer stand the amiable farce they kept putting on in front of each other.

"She seems a bit less fussy today," he mentioned. She smiled thinly.

"Nothing a full tummy and a lullaby won't do," she replied, as awkward silence hung in the air around them.

"Robin..." she started to say, but he held up his hand.

"Regina...I don't want to go there," he protested.

"Maybe we need to," she protested in return. He sighed.

"And what purpose will that serve?" he questioned.

"At the very least, it will clear the air between us. Because I am tired of this hanging between us!" she argued.

"You know I don't blame you for it!" he retorted.

"Maybe you should..." she replied. He sighed.

"Regina...we don't even know if that was the real reason she died," he admonished.

"Because I killed so many that I don't remember!" she cried. He sighed and put a soothing hand on her back.

"But you are not the same person anymore," he reminded.

"I know," she replied.

"But that doesn't really change the fact that Marian was probably arrested in my quest to kill Snow and I remember what fate those that were her sympathizers usually received," she continued. He looked deeply troubled by this.

"I love Roland as my own, but what happens when he finds out one day that the only mother he has ever known probably is the reason his biological mother is dead?" she asked.

"What happens when he finds out I may have killed her? Maybe not directly, but on my orders," she added.

"He doesn't need to know something like that. What good could ever come from telling him that?" Robin asked.

"We might not need to tell him, but that doesn't mean someone else won't. There are still people out there in this town and the Enchanted Forest that have neither forgiven nor forgotten all that I did," Regina replied. He sighed.