The house was almost completely quiet. All the animals had just been fed and so were mostly dozing and sluggishly quiet, while Zelena had decided to go out for the day to meet with her sister. It had been a while since the two of them had a chance to sit and talk about things other than villains and disasters or curses looming over their heads. Robin had originally been out as well, hunting and taking a few spare hours in her day to practice her shooting in order to keep her skills sharp. Or at least that was what she had told her mother she was doing that morning when she left. In reality she was actually using that as an excuse in order to go and meet with her girlfriend in secret.

They had met in the usual place; a clear opening deep in the woods, a little far off from the main trail, some time after noon just as they had planned the week before. After their initial greeting, the two girls took a slow walk through the woods to their favourite little spot by the river where they sat down and dipped their feet into the cool water for a few minutes, catching up with one another on their past week. On a spontaneous whim, Robin had then invited Alice back to her place, knowing her mother wouldn't be back for a few more hours at the very least, giving them some much preferred privacy. It would be the first time that Robin would be bringing anyone home like this. It would also time Alice had ever been invited to someone's home as well. Needless to say, both girls were a little nervous.

"How long have you lived here?" Alice asked as they approached the gates of Robin's home. She had no idea what to expect, knowing only that Robin lived on a small farm like closure with just her mother – her father had died not long after she was born and her half brother lived in another land.

"For a few years now." Robin shrugged, locking the gates behind them before she led Alice inside. "We lived in Storybrooke for most of my childhood but after I got older, around the time when I could look after myself-" She held up her bow as proof, "-Mum moved us out here."

"How come?" Alice asked, following along beside her.

"We just got tired of the happy little town life." Robin explained. "I wanted more adventure, to go to a place where I could be close to my father and mum was never a fan of Storybrooke to begin with. Even less after Aunt Regina and Belle both left. She got on with the other people there okay but she wasn't exactly friends with any of them. Not really."

For some reason, Alice had expected a bigger house, but instead it seemed Robin and her mother lived in a cosy little cottage that was only a couple feet bigger than the main room in Alice's tower. And it was truly cosy rather than small, it was the kind of building that was purposely avoiding being too large because it neither needed nor wanted to be. Robin stepped ahead and opened the smooth wooden door, stepping inside to a long corridor that had doors either side and a single set of stairs at the end, leading to the second floor. Alice had half expected the house to be various shades of green after all she had heard about the Wicked Witch and seeing Robin's usual clothing choice, which was personally fit and coloured for the appropriate camouflage a huntress might need out in the woods. Instead the hallway had brown floorboards and a light brown, almost sunset orange wall paint with golden lights hanging overhead that lit up the hallway brilliantly. It was very warm and inviting and Alice felt an immediate longing that she couldn't quite put into words.

"Would you like me to show you around?" Robin asked, hanging her cloak with the others on the hooks by the door before offering to take Alice's.

"Sure." Alice grinned, looking around excitedly at the doors either side.

Robin couldn't help but smile at her. There were many things about Alice that drew Robin to her, and one of the top things was just how excitable she always was. After years of living trapped in a tower with only her father for company, almost any new experience got a rise out of Alice in the most positive way and Robin loved it. She was just so much fun to be around, so giddy even, and it pulled out the best in Robin even on her worst days.

The house may have been simply cosy but that didn't mean it wasn't well decorated, never being overly stuffed with things or too empty at the same time. Everything was finely designed, all with matching colours and materials that complimented each other perfectly, making the rooms look nice as well as comfortable. The living room was closest and was probably the most stuffed with sofa chairs, an open fireplace and a short coffee table between with an open clear window view of the front garden that took up most of the wall with the other wall covered almost completely in a stuffed bookshelf. Opposite was the dining room where an old fashion table sat with several matching chairs surrounding it, even if most of the chairs went unused as they never had enough people round at a single time, with a fancy bowl of green apples sitting at its centre and matching flowers standing in each corner of the room. Further down was the kitchen which was probably the most empty of all the rooms with plain counters lining the wall and a couple of cupboards that seemed like they were mostly bare, and Alice could only imagine that Zelena probably used magic for most of her cooking.

"This rooms always locked." Robin explained, waving a hand to the room opposite the kitchen. "It leads to the basement where mum keeps her magical items and has a series of protective spells to keep anyone from getting inside. I have an key but its for emergencies only".

"So, like a panic room to hide away in?" Alice blinked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Robin nodded.

Alice paused, raising an eyebrow at her. "I can't imagine you hiding away from the trouble."

Robin smirked. "Well, that's what I've told mum I'll do. When the situation comes around things may play out a little differently."

"That sounds more like it!" Alice laughed.

Grinning and feeling a little prouder than she would have had anyone else said that to her, Robin showed Alice around the staircase where a door was hidden that led to a small bathroom. It was probably the same size as the bathroom Alice had in her tower, with one exception of having a bathtub that took up one side of the wall and seemed at least big enough for two. Alice raised a suggestive eyebrow and, without a word being said, Robin knew immediately what she was thinking.

"Definitely something to try later." Robin grinned, taking her hands and pulling her along. "So let's hurry up and finish this tour already!"

"How much is left?" Alice blinked. She'd lived in a tower with nothing but a single room (not including the corner bathroom that couldn't really be counted as a room, but more of a corner with a curtain loosely wrapped around it). While she had seen plenty of houses from the outside, the closest she had got to another persons home was tents like the ones the people with her father were using at the base camp of the Resistance.

"Not much." Robin promised, guiding her upstairs to where a similar hallway matched the one bellow them but with three doors instead of four, and at the end of the hallway was a tall window that took up the whole wall.

To the left was a small storage room that Zelena used for random bits and pieces that didn't have a place yet in the rest of the house or that they simply hadn't decided what to do with yet. Then next to that room was Zelena's bedroom, which they left undisturbed, while opposite that room to the right was Robin's. It was almost as empty as the dining room with just a single bed in the middle of the floor and a wardrobe with her clothes hanging inside pushed against the wall opposite, with a fancy looking desk sitting to the side that had a series of sharp objects that Alice recognised as what Robin often used to make her own personalized arrows. It also had a large glass door that led out to an open balcony with a single wooden fence surrounding the edge that gave a beautiful view of the front of the farm, right down to the forest of trees that had a series of markings painted over them.

"Mum and I share this balcony," Robin explained, pointing to a second glass door that led into her mothers bedroom. "But I use it more than she does. It's got a beautiful view." She smiled proudly.

"It's... Really beautiful." Alice said, turning to look around. The balcony was mostly empty with firm wooden floorboards under their feet and a matching fence that had been freshly painted white. It was empty except for a single soft brown bench that was leaning against the wall between the two doors that had a bow and arrow and a witch hat carved into the back rest.

Robin heard something in her voice and frowned. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no!" Alice said quickly, her cheeks turning a little pink as she looked at her with a tight smile.

"Hey," Robin reached over, grabbing her hand. "What's the matter?" She pressed.

Alice smiled at her, but the smile was still strained. "I'm sorry. It is a cool view, but..." She waved a hand over the balcony. "Views of the land aren't really new for me. Actually, it's kind of depressing. I get a little deja vu from it and I always feel a little sick."

"Right." Robin winced. "I'm sorry. I should have thought about that."

"It's no big deal." Alice shrugged. "I'm not going to freak out over it and demand we go back inside. I just... I dunno... I guess I just don't think much of them like other people do. Views mean little to me. I prefer to see things up close and personal now."

"I can get that." Robin nodded. "You don't have to pretend to like it just because I do."

"I know I just feel a little bad when people go on about how great the view is and I'm just thinking... 'meh'." Alice shrugged.

"Well the view is nice, but I only really use the balcony for target practice." Robin explained, pointing to the trees. "Mum put permanent pictures on the trees of animals and other targets for me to aim for. Otherwise this is just kind of open unused space. Even if you like views, it doesn't have much of one besides the trees and a bit of the farm."

"Can I see?" Alice asked suddenly.

"See what?" Robin blinked.

"See you shoot." Alice grinned. "I wanna see if you're really as good as you like to brag that you are."

Robin smirked. "Oh I am."

A few minutes later, Robin had shot several arrows down to the trees bellow, hitting the painted pictures exactly where Alice instructed her to. At first she started off easy, using the binoculars that Robin got for her from her bedroom to double check and make sure she wasn't cheating. Not that she needed to. Robin could only miss if she wanted to. When it became clear that hitting the images themselves was truly child's play for the huntress, Alice began to name specific body parts and areas, even trying to trick her out a couple of times with more than one target. However when Robin was able to get the dear and the rabbit both in the centre of the eye (despite the fact that they were on either end of the line of trees), Alice was willing to throw in the flag.

"Okay, show off." Alice said, putting her hands on her hips. "You win, you're really that good."

"And don't forget it." Robin grinned, winking at her as she picking up her quiver and bow, turning away from the balcony. "So why don't we go back inside?"

"Can if you want." Alice shrugged casually, but was already halfway back inside. Whether she realised it or whether it was an unconscious thing, it was clear balconies were more than just 'kind of depressing' even if she didn't fully realise it.

Robin followed Alice inside, placing her bow and quiver at her desk and turning to find Alice casually looking around the room, keeping her back to the glass door and balcony. Robin still felt bad about not thinking about that earlier, especially because she knew full well how Alice had spent so many years locked in the tower, so it was only natural that she had a few triggers. She could probably do with a distraction from it... And Robin knew just what would work for a girl who spent all her years locked up in a tower in the Enchanted Forest and who craved all things new and adventurous.

"Hey, you wanna see something cool?" Robin asked with a grin.

"What?" Alice asked cocking her head to the side curiously.

Robin went to her wardrobe and opened one of the doors, reaching for the shelf towards the top. She pulled down a small round grey object in both hands that she then set on the floor by the door. It was something Alice had never seen before. It was probably the length of Robin's chest and half as tall with a grey cover and light grey buttons along the tops and side with a long metal pole that folded into the back and lighter grey sides that had a series of small pinpricks covering them. Once she had set it on the floor, Alice watched curiously as Robin pressed a series of button on the top before flicking a little black scroll in the middle, which immediately released a loud burst of music, a kind that Alice had certainly never heard before.

"What is that?" Alice blinked, moving to crouch beside her, gently touching the box. It was cold metal, but the sides seemed to actually beat along with the pounding of the music like a living heart.

"It's a stereo. A music player that plays CDs from the other world. Mum let me bring it and she keeps it powered with her magic so it never runs out." Robin explained. "I have a bunch of CDs to go with it. This particular one is my favourite. What do you think?"

Alice paused, listening to the song for a second before nodding her head in time with the gentle beat and grinned up at her. "I like it!" She reached over, scrolling the volume up even louder like she had seen Robin do.

Robin climbed to her feet, stepping back slightly and bowing. "May I?" She asked in an overly posh tone, holding out a hand.

Still grinning, Alice copied her, jumping to her feet and bowing down to her as well. "Why of course, m'lady."

Taking her hand, Robin thread their fingers together and wrapped her other arm around Alice's waist, feeling Alice place her hand against Robin's back between her shoulder blades so they were stood just inches apart. She grinned at her, squeezing her hand slightly before they began to move slowly around the room, dancing clumsily in time with the music behind them. More than once Alice stood on her toes and just as many times did Robin accidentally dance them into the bed, but each time they both giggled and kept moving, ignoring the bumps and bruises with nothing more than slight winces and open smiles at just how bad they were.

They didn't always keep in time with the music – at one point they completely ignored the music, putting their arms around each other completely and moving slowly with their faces close – but that didn't stop them from having the music loud. Just loud enough so that it drowned out everything but their own giddy laughter. So much so that their laughter began to become distracting, which caused them to be even more clumsy on their feet. Not that it mattered. Neither girl had lessons and neither cared to. It was a lot more fun to do it this way.

When they got too close to kicking the stereo, Robin pulled Alice close and spun her around, resulting in them giggling as they took turns twirling one another before pulling each other close again. At one point Alice spun Robin out and pulled her back into her embrace, crossing her arms around her and rocking slowly (and once again out of tune to the music) with her chin resting on her shoulder. Robin turned, pecking her cheek before she broke free of her hold to grab Alice's hands and dance her back and forth across the room, stomping her feet along the floor in time with the drum solo in the song.

Meanwhile, as the girls continued their inconsistent dancing, Zelena stepped into the house and let out a loud sigh. "Robin!" Zelena called. "The musics a little loud, don't you think?"

When she didn't get a reply she sighed again. Teenagers.

Dropping her bag on the floor by the living room door to put away later, Zelena started for the stairs, climbing them steadily one at a time. Robin was normally good when it came to her music, she hadn't even needed any ground rules when she originally set it up, just knowing not to play it too loud and to switch it off at night before falling asleep. Zelena couldn't help but feel maybe something was off. What if she upset about something and was using the music to drown out the rest of the world? Or even to drown out her own crying? If so, Zelena could hardly just ignore it. She had to check to make sure everything was okay.

As she came to the top of the stairs she heard a sudden bang, like someone had just thrown themselves onto the bed with double the force. That definitely wasn't Robin's style. Not unless there was something bothering her. It seemed something really was wrong if she was physically throwing herself around like that. But what could have upset Robin so much in such a short time? She'd left the house perfectly fine. Had a hunt gone wrong? No. That wouldn't get this reaction from her, it must be something more serious.

"Robin?" Zelena said, feeling a sudden panicked fear and charging into the room. "Sweethearts what's the mat-"

Alice and Robin both froze in place on the bed.

During their dance, they had once again lost balance during a ridiculous twirl that led to Alice falling backwards, dragging Robin down to land on top of her on the bed. She had fallen with one of her hands cupping the side of Alice's hip (incredibly close to her backside) while the other was now supporting her by resting beside Alice's head. And like a seriously bad joke, Zelena had charged in just as Alice had reached her legs up to wrap around Robin's waist, keeping her close and locking her ankles together behind her to keep her from escaping.

"-ter..." Zelena finished lamely, blinking owlishly at the girls from the doorway.

"Mum." Robin said finally, feeling her face heat as she subtly tried to sit back on her heels, feeling Alice's legs drop to lie either side of her on the bed. "I... Didn't realise you'd be back so soon."

"Regina had to deal with some revolution business." Zelena said slowly, staring from her daughter to Alice with a bemused expression on her face. "So I came back early."

"Oh..." Robin swallowed hard and forced a tight smile, though her face seemed to be turning even pinker the longer her mother hovered beside the still blaring stereo. "Well, mum. This is Alice."

"Hi." Alice squeaked, waving a hand before she remembered that her skirt had fallen halfway to her thighs when she wrapped them around Robin's waist. Scrambling to sit up, she pulled her skirt down and jumped to her feet, putting a bit of space between her and Robin. "Um. It's a pleasure to meet you." She paused, then added quickly. "Robin's told me all about you!"

"Well. That's nice." Zelena said quietly then smiled. It looked almost manic on her face and she seemed to realise that as she shook her head like clearing her thoughts and her smile became a little less intense. "Sorry to barge in! I'll just go downstairs and... Make something for dinner." She paused and smiled to Alice. "Are you staying, dear?"

"Uh..." Alice glanced at Robin who shrugged. "Sure?"

"Lovely." Zelena beamed, showing every tooth behind her lips. She glanced at Robin with a little shine in her eye and a knowing smirk that made Robin blush for a whole new reason. Zelena paused to wave a hand, turning down the stereo music with a slight raised eyebrow before she nodded once more at the two girls with the same over the top smile that looked it was was going to bruise her cheeks later.

After shutting the door behind her, Zelena paused with a stupid smile on her face. Only when she was completely out of sight of the two girls in the room behind her did Zelena press a hand to her lips and let out the slightest chuckle. It was certainly a surprise to walk into that when she had been expecting to find something almost the exact opposite, and naturally Zelena was relieved that Robin wasn't upset but there was more to it than that. Despite everything else she had gone through over the years, this was the moment when it finally clicked for Zelena in the best possible way.

Her baby girl was growing up!

O*U*A*T

"Oh my God, I was a second away from pulling off your shirt." Alice said, burying her face in her hands.

"Well my hand was as close to your ass as it could get," Robin giggled nervously, massaging her temples to ward off the threatening headache. "I have no idea how I am ever going to be able to look her in the eye after this."

Alice walked over, dropping onto the edge of the bed hard. "I should have never come back here."

Robin paused, looking at the back of her head from where she was still kneeling behind her on the middle of the mattress. "Never?"

"Never." Alice snorted. "We should have stuck with the woods."

Robin hesitated again. "I mean. I wouldn't say never." She wet her lips and began fiddling with her thumb nail. "I mean, I did want you to meet mum eventually. Not how I would have chosen to do it but... You know." She shrugged. "Had to happen somehow."

Alice turned to look at her, frowning slightly. "You wanted me to meet your mum?"

"Yeah, of course I did." Robin shrugged with a half smile. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno. Because that's what serious couples do." Alice said, feeling awkward and shifting on the spot.

"Well we are serious. Aren't we?" Robin asked softly.

Alice opened her mouth but words failed. So instead she turned around and reached out, grabbing Robin's shoulder and kissing her hard. She held the kiss for a few moments, shutting her eyes and enjoying the warmth of Robin's open mouth against hers, her hot breath sending a shiver down her spine before she pulled away. "I-" Alice stopped short and smiled. "I really like you, Robin."

"I really like you too," Robin whispered. "But did you really not think we were serious?"

"I guess, I just kind of assumed that you..." Alice blushed and half shrugged. "Might be embarrassed."

"By what?" Robin laughed.

"Robin, you've done so much!" Alice laughed uneasily, waving at the stereo. "You've been to other worlds, lived a life of adventure and danger. You've done things I've only ever dreamed of. Because when it comes down to it, I'm just some nobody girl who lived most of her life with just her papa for company in a tiny room at the top of the tower. You're so amazing and I'm just... Just the most unluckiest and boring girl in the whole land."

"Is that really how you see yourself?" Robin asked, standing and stepping up to her. "Because you are so much more than that. Alice, I wish you could see the you that I see. The you who has a smile that makes the entire room warmer. The you who has this constant excited expression on her face, and a light in her eye that never seems to die. The you who has had the worst luck for so much of her life and who still has dreams and hopes and who still can make those around her laugh and be silly! And who's smart and so, so, beautiful." Robin reached up, brushing some hair from Alice's face. "I- I really like you, Alice. I think I might even be falling head over heels in love with you because you're just so amazing."

The shock was obvious on Alice's face. She'd almost been close to saying it herself but stopped herself short, and now it seemed Robin had beat her to it.

"I really do." Robin went on, still smiling as she looked into Alice's eyes. "And I can't wait for mum to get to know you and see the girl that I see. This amazing girl who shines even in the darkest of places, and who's very glance makes my heart jump in my chest and who can make me feel so happy even if I've had the crappiest of days. Because you are... Indescribable!"

Alice was shaking. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes itched. She glanced down at her shivering hands and saw the beginning of goose bumps showing on her arms. When she looked up, she was smiling again. "Actually I think you used a lot of description just now."

Robin laughed, cupping Alice's cheek and leaning forward to kiss her softly. The soft kiss grew deeper and the girls wrapped their arms around each other. When they pulled away, they still pressed their faces close and looked at one another, their bodies unconsciously rocking to the music of the stereo behind them once more. They could have stayed there forever.

However, forever was cut short. Dinner was ready.

O*U*A*T

Zelena had taken her time making dinner, giving the girls plenty of time to compose themselves and a few extra minutes to simply be together. Young lovers liked their privacy. Zelena may not have as much experience in that department first hand (she hadn't found love until later in life) but she could imagine well enough.

When she called them down she made herself appear busy, setting the table until they entered, one at a time like they were doing their best not to openly touch one another. It was probably a bit of a shock, even for Robin, at the sight of the dining room. Zelena may have gone a bit all out, at least more than she normally did. She had moved the fruit out of the way and had taken some of the cushions from the living room and places them on the dining room chairs, as well as using her very best plates and cutlery with a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting at one end of the table. There were candles on each corner of the table and the dinner she had prepared was an over the top roast that Zelena had made up last minute with the help of her magic. She wasn't sure what Alice liked, so she had given her a bit of everything, so much so that it nearly didn't fit on her plate.

Finally Zelena settled in the cushioned chair that faced the other two, smiling in the same over the top way as Alice and Robin cautiously walked over to join her. Robin was looking suspicious, like she expected there to be some kind of a trap hidden, while Alice was very obviously gnawing the inside of her lip and the girl seemed to be positively trembling and doing her best not to make eye contact with anyone as she dropped hard into her seat.

"Are you cold, Alice?" Zelena asked instantly, standing from her seat and waving a hand before either girl could say anything. Suddenly the fire in the living room light up. It was across the hallway but they could already feel the heat coming in through the open door.

"Thanks." Alice said nervously, sitting down quickly before she continued to bite the inside of her lip. Under the table she felt Robin take her hand and clung to her, not caring if it made eating more difficult.

Zelena smiled at the two, watching as Robin smiled at her encouragingly. She was so busy smiling at them that she hadn't realised just how pointedly she was staring until Robin, after several bites of her dinner, coughed loudly and glared pointedly at Zelena and her untouched plate.

"Oh sorry!" Zelena laughed. "I was just... Thinking." She laughed again and Robin winced, turning to look at Alice and mouthing an apology of her own.

Feeling she should say something, Alice looked up and forced herself to catch Zelena's mothers eye. "This is very nice." She said, pointing to the roast.

"Thank you." Zelena beamed. "Don't worry if you can't eat anything. It won't go to waste and I wasn't sure what you liked."

"I can pretty much eat anything." Alice shrugged.

"So." Zelena asked, taking a small bite of her meal and watching them both with a cheeky look in her eye. "Where did you two meet?"

Alice looked like she had asked if they had had sex yet, the panic and nervousness in her face was so intense that Zelena almost felt guilty for asking (and also twice as curious). However Robin was unaffected and gave a half shrug. "Just in a random abandoned tower in the woods. Nowhere special. Alice was stuck and couldn't leave so I helped her get out."

"Sounds like a pretty typical meeting here." Zelena smirked then asked; "How long have you two been dating?"

"Mum. We're hungry." Robin said tensely, pointing to her dinner.

"Oh of course, sorry. I don't mean to distract you. Go on, dig in!" Zelena beamed, waving her hands and watching them again.

"Mum. Eat." Robin hissed.

"Oh!" Zelena laughed and began to eat her own meal, which was becoming increasingly difficult as she still wouldn't stop smiling up at them. Somehow the silence during their dinner was even more awkward than the silence after Zelena had walked in on them upstairs. It probably didn't help that, even while eating, Zelena watched the two girls constantly, ignoring Robin's sharp looks and sometimes even returning them with a little smirk.

Halfway through the meal, just as Alice was beginning to find herself struggling with her food and looking for an excuse to let it go cold, she glanced up shyly. "Um." Alice started, wincing at how Zelena immediately locked on her. "You have a lovely home, Miss Mills."

"Oh sweetheart, call me Zelena." Zelena said immediately. "We don't need to be so formal."

"Okay... Zelena." Alice said, quickly turning back to her meal and feeling the tightness in her stomach ease off slightly. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

When Zelena once again paused mid meal to just smile at the girls in a way that was beginning to feel nightmare worthy, Robin sighed and looked up at her. "Mum. You're being rude."

"I'm sorry!" Zelena said. "Sorry, Alice, dear. I'm just... Taken back. This is the first time Robin's brought anyone home." She smiled pointedly at her daughter. "You two must be very close."

Alice choked on the sip of water she had been about to take. Either Robin's mother had an incredibly poor choice of words, or a twisted sense of humour and was cheekily referencing how she had walked in on them while the two girls were as close as they could get. And with that smile still on her face, it was impossible for Alice to tell just which one it was.

"So, Alice, sweetheart, why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" Zelena asked.

"Mum." Robin warned.

"There's not much to tell." Alice shrugged. "I've lived a pretty boring life so far."

"Well trust me, Alice. Sometimes boring is better." Zelena said pointedly. "What about your parents. Do they live in town?"

"Um... Dad... Lives with some people. Near town." Alice said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I don't see him that much."

"Why not?" Zelena asked, blinking and ignoring Robin's not so subtly taps under the table.

"We're cursed." Alice admitted quietly, gripping Robin's hand out of sight. "We can't be near each other without bad things happening."

"Oh. I'm so sorry." Zelena said, wincing and wishing she had listened to Robin's taps. "That must be hard. Do you stay with your mother th-OW!" Zelena yelped when Robin's taps turned into a full on kick.

Robin was glaring and Zelena cringed, ducking her head slightly. It didn't take a genius to guess she'd put her foot in her mouth again. Things were never this complicated back in Storybrooke! But then, to be fair, everyone knew everyone in Storybrooke so they already knew what subjects to avoid. Maybe if Robin had given her a heads up, she might have thought things through and considered that some might be loaded but everything had been sprung on her!

Still, that was no excuse. Zelena had mother issues of her own, she should have checked herself before she just grilled Alice for what was obviously painful information.

However Alice surprised them both by growing a little taller from the question. She sat up straighter and looked up with suddenly hard eyes and her mouth pressed into a thin line of someone preparing themselves for a painful blow. "My mother abandoned me in a tower to take her place so she could run away right after I was born."

"I see." Zelena said, snorting and shaking her head, catching even Robin off guard. "Well I actually understand that better than most. My mother abandoned me for a better life for herself as well."

"Really?" Alice blinked, she hadn't expected that.

"You never told me that." Robin said, equally surprised.

"Yeah. Not my proudest of memories. We sort of made up a while back in hell-"

"Long story." Robin grinned at the shocked look Alice flipped her.

"-but I don't think I'll ever truly forgive her." Zelena continued, picking up her cup and holding it out to Alice. "Well, who needs them. We're better off without them bitches in our lives."

Despite her nerves, Alice felt herself giggle. Grinning, she picked up her cup and tapped it against Zelena's. "Definitely better off!"

Beside her, Robin relaxed a little, watching the two with a small smile. The three seemed to have broken the ice at that point and turned back to their meal (it was lukewarm at this point but Zelena quickly fixed that with a brief flick of her fingers). The conversation was a lot easier and natural (mostly about Storybrooke and their adventures in hell) right up until they finished and Zelena vanished only to return with a large chocolate cake. It was instantly mouthwatering and Alice had to physically swallow back the drool as Zelena cut her a generously large piece. She suddenly found she had a space in her stomach for more food after all.

"So, do you see your father often?" Zelena asked.

"When I can." Alice admitted. "We just can't physically touch."

"You certainly sound like you've had it hard." Zelena noted sadly. "Well, just so you know, you are welcome in our home any time. In fact you can stay the night if you'd like."

"Oh no, it's okay-" Alice started.

"No I insist! Just no funny business." Zelena said pointing at her daughter.

"Mum!" Robin snarled, burning red in the face. Just when she thought the embarrassing part of the meal was done with.

Zelena held up her hands in surrender. "I'd be a poor mum if I let you two just run around-"

"Mum!" Robin shouted.

"I'm just saying-"

"Well stop saying!" Robin insisted angrily.

Zelena nodded but was not so subtly fighting the urge to smile, which both baffled and infuriated Robin. In the end the younger girl rolled her eyes and pushed away the remains of her cake.

"I'm done. Alice, why don't we go for a walk." Robin suggested.

Zelena jumped up, walking around and wrapping Alice in a hug before she even had a chance to reply. The hug was tight but warm and she felt Zelena still smiling against her cheek.

"It was wonderful meeting you, Alice. I hope you come and visit more often now." Zelena smirked at her daughter. "Robin needs someone to help keep her in line."

"Very funny." Robin said, rolling her eyes at her, but the previous irritation had vanished. Even after everything, it was nice seeing her mother so excited about Alice.

Zelena let go of Alice, her eyes suddenly becoming very glassy and she pressed her lips together, reaching over to hug her daughter as she stood up. She squeezed her tightly, tearfully clinging to her.

"I'm so happy for you." Zelena whispered.

Robin forced a smile for Alice's sake before she turned and hissed into her mothers ear. "We're not getting married. Dial it back!"

Zelena pulled away, smiling at Robin cheerfully. "Never." She beamed. "It's part of the fun of having kids."

With that, Robin was caught between being impressed and being infuriated. In the end she settled for a mix of both, shaking her head and smirking at her mother as she reached over, taking Alice's hand and leading her from the house.

"So that could have gone better." Robin grumbled.

"Actually, I think it went pretty good." Alice said quietly, smiling softly. She reached around, putting an arm over Robin's shoulder as they walked. "You're lucky to have a mum like that."

"Just promise me you'll look away if she tries to show you any baby pictures or anything." Robin groaned.

"I'm sorry, Robin." Alice said seriously. "But I'm afraid I can't make such a promise."

O*U*A*T

After the girls had gone, Zelena used her magic to clear away the mess, smiling the whole time. It was certainly unexpected, and not just walking in on them like that. But Zelena hadn't even considered that Robin might be interested in other girls. If anything she had assumed Robin wasn't interested in anyone (though maybe that was just the wishful thinking of a mother). But despite her original assumptions, Zelena found herself thrilled. She worried that she had brought Robin to this world when she was too young, that she might not have had a proper chance to make real relationships (friends and more) and that her isolation in this world might make it harder for her. But now she saw Robin was doing just fine.

And she really was doing fine, Zelena thought, cleaning the table quickly before she began to collect the left over chocolate cake for storage. Alice was a very sweet girl. Which made it all the more surprising when you considered her sad history. Zelena understood some of it, but even she had a somewhat normal childhood, even if her adopted father had hated her, her adopted mother had at least taken care of her. Meanwhile poor Alice was stuck with a mother who abandoned her to save herself somehow, and she had a father whom she was cursed to never be able to even be with. That was just tragic. Her childhood must have been so harsh. In fact, one of the best days of her life was probably meeting Robin that tower, though what the two girls were doing up in a random tower, Zelena had no idea...

Wait a minute... Didn't Alice say she was abandoned in the tower? And that Robin saved her from it?

Zelena paused in the hallway, the cake left overs still in her hand and she stopped mid turn towards the kitchen. Suddenly the thoughts began to come together. She was suddenly reminded of something that Regina had told her during one of her visits. Her sister had filled her in on almost everything that was happening at the resistance, including the people who had joined it. And now, the pieces began to click.

A mother who abandoned her to save herself... A father who was cursed to never be able to be with her... And a tower she was trapped in...

No...

"Oh my God," Zelena dropped the cake at her feet. "My daughter is dating the fake pirates girl!"

A/N: I wanted Zelena to be a dorky mum who puts her foot in it a lot and is overly pleased. She cools out a lot later once she gets used to having Alice around but for the moment she still can't help but be over the top happy with them.

Not sure if I'm happy with the dinner conversation or not. If you can, give me some feedback. Did it come off as a bit of a ramble or too awkward? (And I mean awkwardly written: the scenes kind of meant to be awkward in a way lol).

Next chapter will be the girls telling Alice's father about them.