We Can Love Again

Under Fire

It was beginning to get late. Regina was at home with Roland and Caroline, but Robin was nowhere to be found. She supposed he had just went out somewhere after work, but she hadn't received any sort of notice from him, and that made her nervous.

The sun was sinking in the sky; she was planning on waiting to start dinner until he came home, but eventually she decided against it. Roland was getting restless, and that wasn't something Regina wanted to deal with. So she and her son shared a rather awkward dinner together, with her holding her baby in the crook of her arm as she attempted to eat.

"Where's Daddy?" Her boy asked, for what seemed like the tenth time.
Regina sighed, feeling tempted to check her phone again. "I don't know. But you're going to have to go to bed soon, whether he's here or not."

This resulted in a whine from the boy as he shoveled his vegetables on his plate.

"No," he replied stoutly, "I want Papa and I want Henry."

"They'll both be home soon," Regina tried to reassure, gently rocking Caroline.

But Roland still refused to do anything. He was stubborn, just like his father. It took a solid hour for Regina to put her daughter down and to get her son ready for bed. She was beginning to feel irritated by the fact that Robin wasn't there to help her, though she was nervous that something bad might have happened to him.

"It's past your bedtime, you need to sleep!"

Roland squirmed under his sheets. "I don't want to!" He groaned, despite his mother's protests. Regina was just about to pin him to the bed when the door opened downstairs, causing her heart to leap with a sudden excitement- he was finally home.

"You stay here," she ordered firmly, "Daddy will come in and say goodnight."

Thankfully, the five year old obeyed, and she quickly began her decent down the stairs. She smiled when she saw him, absolutely relieved he was home safe; the anger of him not contacting her slowly began to fade.

"Where were you?" Regina asked, wrapping her arms around his forest green jacket.

Before he could answer, she scowled with confusion- she could smell something odd on him.

"I was with Killian and Charming," Robin responded, in a thick voice that didn't match up.

His eyes were dazed, his body seeming on the verge of tipping over.

"You were out drinking, weren't you?" She accused hotly, glaring at him in his wary state.

"It was just a few drinks... Nothing bad." He tried to justify, though even then he knew his fiancé wouldn't buy it.

"I've been worried sick about you Robin! Do you know how long I went without knowing where you were?"

He didn't have an answer, causing Regina to sigh irritably.

"Almost five hours! I've had to take care of Roland and Caroline all by myself; I was worried about you, wondering if you were okay... And this whole time you've been at the bar having the time of your life?"

She had seldom been this angry with him, mostly because he had seldom been so reckless.

He let out a light, hollow laugh. "I don't see what the problem is- I'm home now."

"Yes but you could have at least-" Regina stopped herself when she realized it was useless. "We have a child together, which means you can't act any way you want anymore. You have a responsibility here at home-"

"I've just been stressed out okay?" Robin shot at her, immediately piercing her with an unintended force.

"Just... Go to bed." She sighed, slowly turning around and heading up the stairs. It was difficult getting her son to go to sleep when she told him that his father wasn't going to be able to tuck him in. When she did, she changed into her pajamas and silently slipped into bed next to the man she was going to marry, who seemed to be passed out cold on his side of the bed. She curled up her exhausted body, still sore from running, with her back facing him, trying to sleep, though she knew she was going to have to be there for Caroline when she woke up.