Notes: Alright so this was not what I had planned for this update, but after a long conversation with itsmeBadetski, I somehow got convinced that this needed to happen now.

Plot wise, this takes place some eight months after the last update, when after spending a couple of months isolated in the woods, the Locksley-Mills are back in London, working. Here, Regina is very much pregnant and even more stressed and as always, she is not dealing very well with her emotions. So maybe keep that in mind before you get mad at her? With that said, I'll leave you to read…

The Proposal

She was in a bad mood…

Actually, if she had to be completely honest with herself, Regina would have to go ahead and admit that more than simply being in a bad mood, that she was angry, seething, and for some reason so damned irked, that she could feel her blood boiling like liquid fire as it ran through her veins.

It was something she couldn't quite explain, as she had no concrete reason to feel like that, but she was definitely reviving that familiar sense of anger that used to consume her whole; the one she thought she has banned from her being long ago but that apparently still lived in her.

It was a growing thing, expanding, consuming… and as much as she has been trying to control it, weeks and weeks of suppressing herself had done nothing more than fuel the feeling… until it was now this breathing thing taking control of all of her emotions.

Now, could it be that she was feeling like that because her hormones were a mess? Probably, she was after all about to give birth and all the changes in her body were making her act all kinds of off.

Take her moods for example, they would go from indifferent, to angry and then to total depressed mode and to be honest, trying to ignore all of that so that she could keep being the mom, the wife and the business woman, was exhausting. Because of that, her patience was every time scarcer and her moods ever changing; adding to that all the discomforts of an advanced pregnancy and voila, she was feeling like a time bomb.

What could she say? She was cranky, and how could she not when she wasn't sleeping well? Then it was how she couldn't even look at her toes if she felt the need to take a look at how swollen she was sure her feet had gotten and what was worse, how she couldn't even bend down to pick her own daughter up.

Her own baby, she… just couldn't. That was the latest of her trials and tribulations, because having to look into those blue eyes of hers to tell her that no, that mommy couldn't pick her up hit her like nothing has ever hit her before. It made her go from weeping silently in her bathroom, to feeling angry all of a sudden.

That was how she was having it; by then it has all turned so bad that she could barely stand herself, and she was sure that with the intensity of her ill humor, anyone who would stand as close as six feet near her, could choke on the fumes transpiring from her pores.

That's why she needed him, why she needed her husband; because he was the only person in the world who could appease her and make her feel a little more grounded.

The only problem with that logic was that Robin has been at the office while she was home with the kids. That was how they have been working ever since London went back to normal after the Pandemic, one week he would be the one at the office, and the following one, it would be her…

Well, that has been the initial plan, but for the last month, Robin volunteered to take on her weeks as well as it was obvious that with her numerous mood swings, she would be less prone to snap at the employees out of nowhere if she simply set an office at their home.

It was easier that way for her and more comfortable, especially the more her due date approached; but in days like the one she was having, she wished he would be more accessible.

Now yes, it was true that maybe she has been acting a bit off with him as well and that her pregnancy had somehow made her have something against him and all his little habits, but as annoying as she now thought he was, there was no denying that his mere presence was also a force that could calm her like no other.

"I too wanted to kill my late husband when I was pregnant with Ruby's mother, and much to my penance, that girl couldn't have acted more like him even if she tried; so be ready, because all these little things that annoy you from Robin now? Your child will have them all."

That has been Granny's take when Robin told the old woman in one of their visits to her, that Regina was suddenly irked by everything that he did. And yes, he was right, the same way she found annoying the fact that he went to Granny to tell on her.

That was why that night she made him sleep with the kids, as she simply couldn't deal with him.

'Go and tell Granny about this too' Has been her words as she slammed the door to his face.

Cringing because she has been a bit intense that night, Regina shook her head, glad that Robin knew her like nobody ever could and that's why he was acting like a champ with everything she was putting him through.

Despite her ill humor, Regina smiled at that, wondering how surprised Robin would be to see her there. If she had to guess, she would say that a lot, because he was very much aware that as a rule, she didn't like leaving their children with a sitter.

But well, that day and with her mood, she thought it was going to be best for everybody, especially the kids, if she stepped out to blow some steam, and even when at first her intention was to have a walk in the park, she ended up at the office, searching for Robin.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Mills."

Someone said to her, greeting that she reciprocated by lifting a hand in an awkward gesture that could either mean hello, as well as go fuck yourself. But she didn't have time to stop and wonder how it was taken, so she just focused on getting into the elevator and straight towards her husband.

Who knew? If he was done for the day, maybe they could go out and have that walk together, as she definitely needed the fresh air and the exercise.

That right there had been the thoughts occupying her mind as she approached the executive office, but the closer she would get, the more her thoughts would drift…

Because… wasn't that, that she was hearing, Robin laughing?

Furrowing her brows, the pregnant woman walked closer and closer, the rich raspy sound of her husband laughing reverberating inside her skull because yes, that was without a doubt him, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was another laugh accompanying him. Softer, more feminine, but all the same clear enough for her to pick up.

"It's nothing." She thought, because really, she would be surprised if the man would ever be broody like her. But then she opened the door and something in what she saw, made the blood running through her veins turn from scalding hot, to icy-cold.

Sure, it wasn't much… maybe it was nothing, but the way the woman jumped almost ten feet in the air as soon as she saw her, didn't settle well with her.

"Regina." Robin said, the smile still on his lips as he stood up from the chair. There was also a little frown on his face, which told her that yes, she really ended up surprising him.

"Mrs. Mills." The woman said, getting up as well. She remained on the spot though, while Robin quickly made his way to her.

Now, instead of replying to either one of them, the brunette arched an eyebrow, the full weight of her pregnant stomach suddenly feeling like ten thousand pounds on her.

"Is everything alright?" Robin said as he approached, kissing her cheek a bit too quickly.

Yes, her cheek… he didn't kiss her lips this time, but her cheek, and even if the gesture was more than what she liked them to put on display while in the office, this time she couldn't help but to resent how cold it felt.

"I don't know, Robin, is it?" She asked low enough so that he would be the only one listening.

"I'll go and finish the report on my desk, excuse me." The woman said, sending Regina a soft smile as she walked out of the office.

"Was there something wrong with her desk before?"

At her question, Robin chuckled. "No, I don't think so, we were going through some numbers and… anyway, what are you doing here?" He asked, grabbing her hand and making her step into the office, guiding her straight towards the chair he has been occupying a minute ago. Meanwhile, he sat over the desk, his eyes shining as if she didn't just catch him getting all too familiar with one of her employees.

And how was it that she was called? Elsa? She wasn't sure, but she was sure as hell that she didn't like her.

She didn't like her stupid braid over her shoulder, she didn't like her big blue eyes that looked like a cow taking a dump and she didn't like how she felt so at ease around her husband as to laugh to freely with him.

"What was so funny about the numbers? I mean, I could hear you laughing all the way to the lobby."

"Oh, we weren't laughing about the numbers. I was showing her that video of Roland you sent me the other day, you know, the one he was doing that little dance with the Batman costume."

"Hmm." She hummed, her jaw clenching and her eyes narrowing; her foot was also tapping impatiently against the floor, thing that should have told him she wasn't in a good mood.

"You know, as we talked about the kids and all that, it came into the conversation that she has a sister who was a teacher before the whole pandemic thing but now is sitting home. And I don't know, I was thinking maybe we could hire her to look after the kids?"

Blinking a couple of times and then snorting, Regina lifted her arms a bit up in the air. "You want to hire a nanny? Because what, you think I'm doing a shitty job of looking after the kids myself?"

Probably surprised at her outburst, Robin did a double take. "What? No, Regina… I didn't say that at all. But, you know, with another baby coming, we could definitely use the help."

"We, is a lot of people; I am the one taking care of the kids so say it how it is, you think I can't handle my own kids."

Blowing a breath out of his mouth, Robin ran a hand down his face, obviously uncomfortable. "It was just a suggestion, alright? We don't have to do it and let alone argue about it." With that said, he reached for her hand and caught it between his, giving her a small squeeze as she leered at him.

But the thing was, that she did want to argue about it. About the nanny idea and even more so, about how cozy and familiar he was with Elsa.

Could it be that the blonde was the reason why Robin volunteered on being the one doing office hours? It wouldn't surprise her, because with how difficult she was being as of late, Elsa looked like the perfect escape.

She seemed nice, delicate and had an easy laugh, while Regina has been doing nothing but brooding for the last month or so. Then it was the physical aspect, because while she was as huge and uncomfortable as she has ever felt in her life, Elsa was there looking oh so pretty...

"It was a terrible idea. The question is, was it yours or hers?"

"Who, Elsa? She didn't suggest it, it was mentioned and it just crossed my mind."

"What crossed your mind, getting a Nanny or the thought of getting your little friend's sister into my house?"

Robin's brows furrowed again and his mouth twisted. "Actually, getting my wife a little break was all I was thinking by it. Babe, is everything alright?"

Babe… babe, hearing him call her like that made her feel like grabbing the iPad sitting on the desk and breaking it on his face, but no… she wasn't going to do such a thing… as she wasn't not a violent person...

"She's pretty… this Elsa, isn't she?"

"Oh I see what this is all about…" He laughed, climbing down from the desk and getting near her. "And I'm not going to fall in that trap; so I'll say that... no, she's not, no more than you, anyway." He tried to kiss her then, the stupid asshole tried to kiss her as if that was going to settle everything.

But no, she was not going to have it, so moving her face away, she groaned. "Now don't you fucking lie to me, Robin, it was clear that you were flirting with her before I got here."

Pulling a bit away, he scoffed, blinking a couple of times as his face became a little somber. "Are you serious right now?"

Feeling fueled, she lifted her chin up.

"Oh I am very serious. Who knows what I would have found if I came here a bit later, or worse, what would have happened if I didn't come here like at all."

For what felt like an eternity, Robin just stared at her, his eyes digging into the hard brown of hers as if he was trying to dig something out of them. It wasn't exactly the kind of stare off a man who was guilty of cheating would have gone for and a part of her brain was telling her that she needed to drop whatever crazy theory she was having about Robin and Elsa; after all, this was Robin, her Robin and he would never play her like that.

But, she wasn't exactly acting like herself, she wasn't thinking straight and as always, that was going to be her downfall.

"So you're not going to say anything." She hissed, her voice almost dripping with venom because if you asked her, his silence was louder than a thousand words. "You're unbelievable."

"I don't know… I honestly don't know what to say. You really think I would cheat on you? After everything we've gone through, you think I would do that, with an employee of all people?"

Shrugging and fighting the tears forming in her eyes, Regina bit on her tongue. She should say that no, that she didn't believe it, but instead, her lips curved in a wicked smirk as she looked him dead in the eye. "It wouldn't surprise me."

"Wow." He said, pressing the tip of his fingers to his lips as he tore his eyes away from hers. He focused them instead on a spot right above her head as he set his jaw so hard, she could see the muscle there twitching.

He didn't say anything more to that, and for the longest while, all that reigned in that office was silence and a tension so thick, she was sure she could choke on it.

"You haven't denied it."

Robin looked at her then, the blue of those eyes that she loved so much a shade darker than usual and casting a shadow like none she has ever seen out of them. "I'm not cheating on you, I haven't cheated on you and… fuck Regina, the fact that you think I would is just… mind blowing. I don't even know if I'm mad, hurt or disappointed… I really don't know."

"I want you to fire her."

Blinking a few times, he snorted. "What?"

"If there's nothing between you too, prove it and fire her."

"Prove it… you say that like I haven't been proving not only my commitment, but what I feel for you for the past few years."

"I'm not talking about the past few years, I'm talking about now and here."

Pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, he nodded. "You know… if you want to fire her, do it yourself. I'm not going to fuck up someone like that just because you are acting up and making these crazy stories in your head that make no sense."

"No sense? Are you even… you say that as if I didn't just find you two, in my office, chumming it up. A few minutes later and I would have found you fucking her in this desk."

"You are unbelievable. But let me tell you this, Elsa and I? We were just talking, like I talk to every fucking person in this building, and you know why I do that? To make up for the fact that you, as their boss, act like you don't give a crap about them. You come in here and don't even bother to answer a good-morning and I fucking know how that is because I was there not so long ago and I know how that fucking sucks. So yes, excuse me for trying to make your employees feel like they are appreciated as people and not just like a name in payroll."

"Yeah, Saint Robin they call you, making people smile and laugh while working, how sweet of you. Maybe you should use that same energy at home, with your wife and kids, because all you've been doing there, is leaving us."

"To work, to cover up for you." He almost yelled, his eyes wild and yes, angry. She has never seen him look like that and instead of calling for a truce like she knew she should, she pushed a little harder.

"To work, or to see Elsa?"

"For Christ's sake, Regina, you're exhausting… really."

Feeling as if he punched her right on the stomach with those words, Regina sucked in a breath because what he said right there, was both a wake-up call and the catalyst of everything that was to come.

It was done… she was done, because she knew in that moment, that she pushed and pushed until she had him at the edge of the cliff, and when he was there, she gave him that last push that made him fly away.

She wanted to reach to him, but something in her simply wouldn't yield.

"Well, if I'm so exhausting to you, maybe you should skip coming back home tonight. I can imagine many places you would rather be in."

Robin licked his lips, his cheeks aflame and she was so sure that he was going to be the reasonable one and say that no, that he wasn't going to go anywhere and that they would fix the misunderstanding whether she wanted it or not.

She knew he would… because that was what he always did. Then she would apologize because really, deep inside, she knew he wasn't fooling around on her...

But... this time he didn't reach out, he just blew out a breath and in defeat, he said the last words she would hear out of him that day or even the next one. "As you wish."

With that said, he was gone, and Regina was left in that office speechless, full of regrets and thinking that this time, she definitely pushed him too hard. So hard, that she sent him away… like she always knew she would end up doing...