A Fairytale for Christmas

Chapter 12

It was dark when Robin pulled up to his uncle's house. He had spent several hours at the nearest beach – located at a lake about an hour away from Storybrooke since the ocean itself was a few hours away. Robin had been tempted to finally make the drive out there and see if he could stay the night but it was Christmas Eve. No matter what was waiting for him at home, he didn't want to be alone for the holiday. So he went to the lake instead.

There were some people at the beach. One couple walked their dog as it darted between the shore and the waves while a family helped their child fly a kite. And one other person was there alone, sketching the scene as they held a giant sketchpad. Robin chose a spot on the beach and sat down on the cool sand, not caring about his pants. He stared out at the water as it lapped the shore and let his mind finally wander as he reflected on the past month.

Well, more than just the past month. He honestly reflected on his life since coming to America to live with Uncle Richard and Keith.

John was right. After losing his parents and his home, he had always worried about losing another one. Keith had realized that and used it to his advantage, manipulating Robin into doing whatever Keith wanted him to do. All he had to do was just insinuate that Robin would lose his only home and remaining family and Robin would cave. It wasn't much different from how Regina's mother used the money to control her. And just as Regina had taken steps to free herself from that control, Robin needed to do the same. He realized that he finally needed to find his home and while he hoped it was at Uncle Richard's because he loved the man and wanted to stay close to him, he was ready to leave and find it if need be.

He also believed what he had told Keith – if this wedding destroyed their party planning business, then he would rebuild it. And he would do so without his cousin, even if it meant turning down help from Uncle Richard. He would finally be the boss and the face of the company. It was time for him to shine and get the credit he deserved rather than hiding behind Keith. He had thought that Keith was the one who managed to charm their clients but Robin realized it was all him. After all, he was the one who did most of the communicating with them. They wanted to work with him, not Keith, and he knew he would be fine without his cousin. Maybe he would be even better once he was able to completely focus on the party and not on also babysitting Keith.

That only left Regina.

Robin knew that he had deep feelings for her, deeper than he had felt for anyone before. They had shared something so special the past month and he wanted to explore where that connection would take them. However, he knew they both needed to have a long and serious talk about everything that had happened and what they wanted to happen next. Robin hoped that Regina would want to pursue a relationship with him but he understood if she needed to focus on building a new life now that she had given up everything. Maybe he was just meant to be in her life to give her the courage to break free of her mother's control and they would go their separate ways. But there was still a chance at forever.

It was a chance he was willing to take. He just hoped Regina felt the same way.

He had left the beach as the sun set with a clearer head. Now as he parked his van, he felt ready to see how bad the damage was in the aftermath of the failed wedding. Robin climbed out of the van and entered the house, finding it very quiet and dark. Not even the Christmas decorations were lit, which made his stomach twist into a knot.

A dark figure appeared at the end of the hall and Robin held his breath until he heard his uncle's voice. "Robin? Is that you?"

"Yes, Uncle Richard," Robin said, moving toward him with his heart pounding. It was time to talk with his uncle and see how bad things were for him here at home.

When he got close enough, Uncle Richard pulled him in and hugged him tightly. "We've been worried sick about you. None of us could reach you and Will and John couldn't find you in your usual spots. You just missed them."