Chapter Twenty-Three: The Countdown

That night, he held Regina in his arms as she slept. Her head rested on his chest, her brown hair scattered against his bare skin. He stroked his fingers through it, admiring how much it had grown and how healthy it felt between his fingers. He thought about her standing in the bathroom, weak and crying as she tried to shave it all. His heart broke at the memory, his body aching as his muscles relived the feeling of having to take the buzzer from her and finish the job. He closed his eyes tight, wishing the pain away as he tried to recall a happier memory. The first thing that came to his mind was the conversation they had over Edgar Allan Poe in his apartment. It was the first real discussion they shared and he found himself smiling as he remembered her brilliance and the vibrant way in which she shared her opinions to a man she only just met. He fell in love with Regina that night as he listened to her discussing literature on such an intellectual level with him; he felt alive as he remembered why he fell for the woman he held so close to him in that moment.

"Regina?" He whispered, hating to wake her, but needing to talk to her. She stirred slightly, but didn't respond. He smirked, enjoying her innocence in the still of the night, "Regina, I just need you to listen, love."

She hummed and rolled her body, stretching as she pressed her chin into his chest and looked up into his eyes through the tired slits in hers, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, my sweet," he kissed her forehead, "I was just thinking about tomorrow. I forgot there's something I need to do during the day with Henry. Could you remember to pick up Roland at the Nolan's apartment by noon?"

She nodded through her yawn before saying, "That wasn't something that could wait until the morning?"

He chuckled and smoothed her hair, "I'm afraid not. I'll be out the door long before you wake and I didn't want to forget."

"I'll pick him up," she nestled her cheek against his chest again and closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep as she asked, "Where will you and Henry be going?"

"It's a secret," he said, rubbing his palm along her back over the material of her satin nighty, "I'll be back in time to get ready for Emma's party."

"Do we really have to go to that?" She complained through her raspy, tired voice, "I'd love to curl up on the couch with you instead."

He laughed softly, "Perhaps we'll make a brief appearance to please our friends and then we can return here so I can hold you the rest of the night. How does that sound?"

Regina hummed again, finding his suggestion to be a pleasant one before she finally drifted back into dreamland. He ran his fingertips along her hip bone as he closed his eyes, relaxing into the feeling of having her close to him. Tomorrow would be a long day and he needed as much rest as he could get. He fell asleep smiling that night, looking forward to another day spent with the woman he loved.

Robin awoke to the sound of his alarm clock the following morning, groaning as he rolled over to silence it. He huffed as he let his head fall back against the pillow, realizing after a brief moment that Regina's head was no longer nestled into his chest. He rolled onto his side and found her curled into a ball, sleeping soundly as she faced the balcony. He smirked and wrapped his arm around her, pressing the front of his body against the back of hers as he placed gentle kisses on her shoulder. He caught her smiling in her sleep as she took his arm and pulled him closer to her for extra warmth and comfort. He could wake up this way everyday for the rest of his life. And he intended to do just that.

"Someone's excited this morning," she said through a tired voice, referring to his member pressed firmly into her backside. She rolled over to face him, a smile spread across her face as she opened her eyes to look at him.

He chuckled and pulled her tighter to him, "I'm always excited to be near you, my love. And if I didn't have to leave so early this morning, I'd take you this instant."

"Can't you delay your day with Henry for just a little while?" She asked, reaching her hand down the front of his underwear and stroking his length.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers as he exhaled deeply, "As tempting as your offer is, my sweet, I mustn't keep our son waiting. He's expecting me to meet him in half an hour."

"That's all the time we need," she wrapped her leg over his so her body was above him, their foreheads still pressed together. She smirked and met his lips in a passionate kiss, feeling the wetness pooling between her legs when his tongue maneuvered its way into her mouth.

Robin moaned and gripped her hips, wanting to thrust his way inside her so desperately. She pushed herself down to feel his hardened length brushing against her pelvis. He couldn't take it. He dug his fingers into her sides and flipped them over so he could be on top. Their lips parted and she smirked, waiting for him to ravish her the way she knew he wanted. But instead, he pinned her down and stared into her eyes as he said, "I want you so badly, Regina, but there's something I have to do first."

She hummed, not getting the serious undertones in his voice, "I love it when you warm me up."

He smirked, wanting a taste of her more than anything, but knowing he only had a short amount of time before meeting their son. He stroked her cheek with his thumb as he said, "Later, my beauty, I promise."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his hips, her palms resting softly on his bare back, "I'm holding you to your promise."

"You have my word," he smiled, meaning more in that statement than she realized.

Robin met Henry at Granny's Diner, their usual breakfast spot, for the perfect start to his busy day. To his son, it was just a casual meal with the man he now considered to be his father, but to Robin, it was much more than that. They sat comfortably across from one another in a booth along the window facing Madison Avenue, the teenager enjoying the last of his hot cocoa with cinnamon while his dad poured cream into his second cup of coffee. Their plates were nearly empty when the man finally decided to start a conversation with the boy that was more significant than simple small talk, "Henry, there's actually a reason I asked you to breakfast this morning."

He placed his mug on the table and wiped his hands on his napkin, "What's up?"

Without saying another word, Robin reached into the pocket of his jacket and revealed a small box, placing it in front of his son. Henry looked at him puzzled, opening it and immediately peering at his father with surprise when he heard him say, "I spotted it in a window while shopping in Essex back in July. I've kept it hidden in the apartment because I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do considering your mother's health, but-"

"You want to marry my mom?" He asked, looking from his father back at the ring placed before him.

He nodded and said, "It's a tradition that the man asks the woman's father, but that's not quite possible in our case. However, you've been the man in your mother's life all these years so I thought it would be appropriate for me to ask you."

"Are you serious?" Was all the boy could think to say in response.

Robin released a soft chuckle and said, "Quite serious. It's been a topic of conversation between your mum and I for some time now and recent events have led me to believe it's finally the right time. With that being said, I'd like to ask you Henry: may I have your blessing to take your mother's hand in marriage?"

He considered his question for a moment, choosing to pose one of his own before providing a direct answer, "You seemed pretty hesitant about it on Christmas. What changed your mind?"

Robin smiled, appreciating Henry's protective instincts, "Your mother was willing to give up her dream of marriage to please me. As much as I appreciated that, I realized I couldn't let her do it. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and in doing so, it is my responsibility to make her dreams come true. I only regret that it's taken me this long to realize that this is my dream as well; not only for us, but for our family."

His son nodded and allowed his words to sink in before replying, "I've never seen her happier than when she's with you."

"And I will continue to make her the happiest woman alive, Henry."

"I know you will," he said, turning the box so the ring faced Robin, "Which is why I'm giving you my blessing."

He was thrilled to see the way his dad's face lit up with excitement at his words, reaching his arm across the table to pat Henry's arm appreciatively, "Thank you, lad."

"So when are you gonna ask her?"

Robin took the box and closed it before returning it to its place inside his jacket pocket, "Tonight. There are some things I need to do first and I was wondering if you'd join me."

"Sure, anything you need," he responded.

He pulled out his wallet and placed money on the table to pay for their bill, leaving a hearty tip for Ruby for her exceptional service. He stood, watching as his son followed suit before saying, "We better be off then. I'll explain everything on the way."

"I called Grandma Cora," Henry said as they walked to their next destination, "Grace and I will stay with Roland in the apartment to set everything up for you and she said she'll pick him up whenever we're finished so he can stay the night with her. And I already planned to stay at Grace's again, anyway."

"Perfect," Robin smiled and pat the teenager firmly on the back, "Thank you, son."

"Sure thing. She's gonna love it," he smiled back. He turned his head and realized where they were heading. He looked back at his father with a confused expression, "What are we doing here?"

"There are some people I need to see," he replied as they approached Daniel's grave, "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

Henry nodded, "Of course," and headed toward the tree just out of earshot.

Robin knelt down before the headstone and took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking, "I'm going to ask her to marry me tonight. I know you planned to make her dreams come true before the accident and I commend you for that. I wish I could have been as brave as you were and asked her sooner. But the past is the past and tonight will be a big step toward the future for us. I've asked Henry for his blessing, but I'm here in hopes that I might have yours as well."

Henry observed from afar, finding it incredibly honorable that Robin would go out of his way to talk to his father in this way before continuing on his lifelong journey with his mother. He respected him greatly although he couldn't hear a word he was saying. He was proud of Robin and especially proud to call him his dad; he admired him in that moment and realized he was exactly the kind of man Henry himself wanted to become.

Robin stood and approached Henry with a smile. The teenager wasn't sure exactly what came over him, but he wrapped his arms around his dad and hugged him tight. No words were spoken as the man held his son close to him; then again, no words were necessary. He sighed and kissed the top of his head, "Take a minute to be with your father. I have someone else to visit. I'll meet you back here."

Henry nodded as he was released from the embrace and walked over to his father's grave. Robin strolled to another headstone just a few plots over. He didn't kneel this time as he stood before it, staring at the name written into the cement: Marian Moza.

"I'm not here because I miss you or believe you deserve any sort of respect, especially not from me," he said before taking a deep breath, finding this task to be a lot more difficult than he expected, "But it's time for me to move on, Marian. I've spent far too many years hating you and as long as I continue to hold a grudge against you, I'll never be able give Regina the life she deserves. So I'm here to forgive you. As difficult as it is for me to do this, I forgive you for breaking my heart, destroying our marriage, and ruining any chance for you to know Roland. You can rest in peace now and I can finally be with Regina without your sins hanging over my head." He took a step back to leave, but decided to add one last thing, "This is goodbye, Marian. For good."

"Did you have a good time with the Nolans?" Regina asked as they entered the apartment that afternoon.

Roland smiled and replied, "It was so much fun. Mrs. Nolan baked cookies and the twins showed me how to play Twister."

"You never played Twister before last night?" She asked, surprised.

He shook his head as he plopped down on the couch, "Nope. We should get it and play with daddy and Henry."

Regina smiled at the thought, imagining a tiny Roland curled underneath the rest of the family as they all struggled to put their left feet on the green circles, "We should. Are you hungry?"

"Nah, I had breakfast over there."

She nodded and suddenly remembered, "Oh! You got a package this morning. Hold on."

The boy sat up, excited to receive mail, but unsure who would be sending him anything, "Who's it from?"

Regina reentered the living room from the guest bedroom where she kept the box. She placed it on the coffee table and sat down beside her son, "I think it's a Christmas present from Fifi and Tata."

"Woah, really?" The boy asked, surprised that Daniel's parents would think of him when he wasn't really their grandson.

She smiled, "Go ahead and open it."

He did exactly that, ripping open the cardboard shipping box before working his little fingers around the wrapping paper of the present. When it was finally opened, he gasped and looked at his mom with a large grin across his face, "It's a Hogwarts Express puzzle!"

Her grin matched his with the exception of dimples when she said, "That would look so good in your room."

"Yeah!" He exclaimed, "Can you help me put it together?"

She nodded, "Of course. We could glue the pieces together and frame it to hang on your wall."

"That would be awesome!"

She laughed, "You open the box and I'll go get the glue."

Regina stood as he ripped the plastic from around the box excitedly. She entered the kitchen and pulled open the drawer where she kept the puzzle glue she bought when the Trotter's called to inform her of their gift to the little boy. She thought it was sweet of them to think of Roland in addition to sending their present for Henry. She already sent them a gift card for dinner for two as a thank you and Robin called them personally to express his gratitude the minute she told him what they'd done.

She returned to her seat beside her son as he started to arrange the pieces. She watched him intently, enjoying the happiness radiating from his features as he worked at the puzzle. For her, it was small moments like this that made life worth living. She couldn't keep herself from smiling as she smoothed his curls and said, "I love you, Roland."

He looked up at her, his dimples prominent as he replied, "I love you too, mommy."

"Regina, are you almost ready?" Robin called from the front door, anxious to be on their way to Emma's New Year Party.

She stood in front of the mirror putting the final touches on her red lipstick before making her way down the hallway. She spotted Robin standing in a pair of black jeans and a red sweater. She loved red, but he so rarely wore anything in that color. She smiled, finding him to be exceptionally handsome with his wild wisps of hair and scruffy beard standing before her in her favorite color.

He returned the gesture while he drank in her beauty as she walked toward him. He held open her black peacoat to help her into it; the forest green cocktail dress she wore was a bit too revealing in the cold winter air. She slipped her arms into it as he said, "You look marvelous, my love."

"Worth the wait?" She chuckled, wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"Always," he replied softly, placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek. He looked over at the children watching them from their spots on the leather sofa. He said, "Grace is in charge."

Roland giggled when Henry gasped, "What?!"

Regina laughed and walked to her kids, kissing each of them, "Just be good. We'll be home soon."

Robin held the door open for her and she walked through it. He took a step forward and turned when he heard Henry call for him, "You have the you-know-what?"

He nodded and tapped his pocket, "Safe and sound."

"Good luck," his son smiled and Robin did the same as he closed the door behind him.

They spent a few hours at a dive bar located Uptown just above Central Park, celebrating the New Year with their friends and neighbors. Regina let loose and treated herself to a Washington Apple or two during their time there, but she noticed that Robin wasn't drinking at all. He hadn't even indulged in a beer or a glass of wine. She put her hand on his cheek as they swayed together in the middle of the dance floor, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged, "You're not drinking."

"I just want to keep my wits about me this evening, that's all," he stated, pulling her closer to him as he spun them through the other dancing couples. He looked up at the clock and noticed it was about fifteen minutes until the new year began. He leaned down, his lips grazing her earlobe as he whispered, "I believe I owe you some alone time."

"Right now?" She asked, directing her attention to the clock, "It's almost time for the ball to drop."

"We won't be long," he replied, "I have something I want to show you."

She leaned back and narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what kind of romantic trick he had hidden up his sleeve. She smirked, "Lead the way."

They walked to the door of the pub where he helped her into her coat and held the door open for her. He took her hand immediately and began their stroll away from the bar. After a few minutes, Regina lifted their hands to peer down at his watch as she said, "We're going to miss the countdown."

He shook his head and led her into Strawberry Fields where the Imagine mosaic was designed into the pavement. He stopped them in the middle of the peace sign and turned their bodies so they faced one another, "I think you'll like this a lot better."

She chuckled and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Do you remember the last time we were here?" He asked, gazing into her eyes as he took her hands in his.

She nodded, "Last summer. It was after the incident on the roof. You sang all my favorite songs to apologize."

"What was the last song I sang to you?"

She felt her heart beating so hard in her chest as she replied, "Oh! Darling."

"And with that song, I told you I'd never leave you and begged you to trust me with your heart. My question for you now is this: do you trust me?" He asked her, squeezing her hands slightly as he felt his forehead sweating from nerves.

"With everything I have," she said without hesitation.

He looked down at his watch and then back to her, "Ten seconds."

"Robin, what are you-"

He shook his head, "Eight, seven, six."

She joined him, "Five, four, three."

He took the small velvet box out of his pocket and dropped to one knee in front of her. She covered her mouth and watched him in complete shock as he said, "Two, one" and opened it to reveal an engagement ring.

Tears started to fall down her cheeks as he took the ring from the box and held it between his fingers, gazing into her glistening brown eyes as he spoke, "Last night, I thought about The Pit and the Pendulum; everything you said about loving someone so completely that it causes you physical and emotional agony. I realized that I've been put in that situation with you, Regina. My stubbornness almost kept me from the most important moment of our lives together because I was so blinded by the inevitable, or what I thought was the inevitable, of the pit and pendulum. However, I forgot that the beauty in life is that we are given choices and you have made so many in order to satisfy my selfish needs. I want this new year to serve as a new chapter for us. Last year was the year from hell, but we survived it; officially survived it as of two minutes ago. Now we have the chance for a new beginning and I'd like to take that journey with you."

"But I don't understand," she said, wiping the mascara that was running down her face, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It wasn't a change of heart, my love. More like a change of mind. I've had this ring since July. I knew I wanted to do this, but you were right: I had a lot of insecurities I needed to work through and some I still need to address, but I'd like you to be by my side as I do that. I want to make your dreams come true, Regina; I want, more than anything, to spend the rest of my life with you. So with that being said, I'd like to properly ask you a very important question," he said, smiling from ear to ear.

"And what could that possibly be?" She giggled through her tears, appreciating his attempt at creating suspense.

He took her hand and continued to look into her eyes as he asked, "Regina Mills, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Not just roommates anymore?" She asked, a tone of humor in her voice. He laughed and she never felt happier than when she did hearing the sound of his deep laughter in that moment. She leaned down to him, placing her right hand on his cheek and answered softly, "I would be honored to become Mrs. Locksley."

He pushed the ring up the finger of her left hand before standing and taking her in his arms. He lifted her from the ground, which wasn't difficult considering she practically jumped the minute he stood. He spun her around and kissed her passionately before placing her feet gently back on the mosaic. When their lips parted, they rested their foreheads against one another and laughed together. Robin wiped the tears from her face as he said, "I'm so sorry I've kept you waiting like this."

She smiled sweetly and whispered, "I'd wait forever for you."

"Well, now you don't have to," he said. He parted from her just enough to take her hand and view the way the ring glistened on her finger. He looked at her, noticing the way her eyes lit up with joy as she stared at the diamonds that were now hers. He kissed her cheek softly and asked, "Do you like it?"

She nodded and bit her lower lip before saying, "I love it."

"I've arranged for a special surprise in the apartment. Roland is spending the night with your mum and Henry is staying with Grace again," he stated, taking her hand and beginning to guide her toward the exit of the park.

She smirked, "Does this surprise have something to do with the promise you made me this morning?"

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple before he replied, "You'll see."

And with that, the couple strolled along the path toward the exit to Central Park. They smiled and laughed together, stopping every so often to share tender kisses as they took the next step on their road to forever.

The End.