Tea Party

"Henwy! Henwy!" Rosie called, pushing the door of her room open. "I found it."

Henry suppressed a groan and put on a smiling face as his little sister put a necklace of pink beads around his neck. "Am I all done?" he asked, hopeful.

"Almost," she said. "I need to find something else!"

Henry glared as Roland snickered where he sat in the corner. "You don't look any better," he said to his younger brother. "Or maybe you do look prettier!"

Roland gave his older brother a deadpan expression and threw a pillow at him.

Roland and Henry had been playing video games when Rosie woke up from her nap. Their Mom wasn't home yet and their Papa was currently buying some take-out for dinner. Robin had left Henry in charge of both his younger brother and sister.

About fifteen minutes after he left, the little girl had cried upon waking up from her nap – wanting either Mommy or Papa – so, to appease little Rosie, the brothers had suggested they would play with her; any game she wanted. Worst mistake of their lives.

Their offer had stopped Rosie's crying immediately and she had a smile on her face that reminded Henry very much of their Mom – when she had a clever yet unpleasant plan (unpleasant for everyone else, that is).

"OK," Rosie had said enthusiastically, "I decide to have a tea party!"

Henry looked at Roland, who nodded his head. The two brothers had a silent conversation where they decided it didn't sound so bad – they would sit in Rosie's little table and drink pretend tea; not bad at all. Boy, where they wrong!

And here they were now. Products of their little sister's creation.

Rosie had dressed Henry in all pink, wrapping him in his mother's old bathrobe, stuck on his hair were little butterfly clips, and his little sister had painted pink goo all over his nails – plus the beaded necklace she just added.

Roland, on the other hand, was wearing one of Rosie's tutus with a pink boa scarf wrapped around his neck. His nails were also painted and Rosie had drawn two pink circles on his cheek. Rosie had also taken advantage of Roland's long curls by placing them into pigtails.

And now, she was coming back, two tiaras in her hand and one on her head. "Here, you go," she said, smiling sweetly, "Now, were all princesses!"

"Hooray," Roland said, not at all happy.

"Come on," Rosie said, taking both of their hands and leading them out of her room, "I made the table ready."

She led her brothers to the basement, where the playroom was, and sure enough she had readied the table. All of her pink and glittery tea cup sets were on hand – with some of the seats on the table already filled with some stuffed animals.

Roland looked closer. "Is that Monkey?" he exclaimed, looking at his little sister.

Rosie bit her bottom lip, "Mommy says we all have to share."

The younger brother looked at Henry, who could only shrug his shoulders. "Fine," Roland said evenly, "But you have to promise not to spread all the fairy dust that Auntie Tink gave you all over Monkey."

Rosie beamed, "Promise." Then she sat down on one of the chairs, "Now sit."

The two brothers reluctantly took a chair. Henry's knees were almost to his chin, considering how low the chair was – he had to wonder briefly if he would break it. Roland wasn't faring any better, the tutu he was wearing getting all up in his face.

"Henry! Roland!" Their dad was calling them from upstairs – the boys looked at each other with wide eyes.

"PAPA!" Rosie screamed, standing immediately and running up the basement stairs.

Robin put down the bags of take-out and caught his daughter in his arms as she came running at him. "Hey there, Princess!" he greeted her with a kiss, and looked at her attire.

"Hi, Papa!" Rosie said happily, smiling at her father as he put her down.

"Where are you brothers?"

Rosie giggled.

Robin eyed her suspiciously. "What?" he asked her.

"They're downstairs," Rosie then said, taking his hand. "Come on."

The sight that met Robin as he followed Rosie to the basement was something he would never forget. He wanted to laugh out loud so bad; but the look on his sons' face said that if he did, they would never forgive him.

So, Robin kept a straight face. "Well," he began, "I do apologize; for what kind of father would ever leave his three daughters home alone?"

Henry narrowed at his eyes at his Pops, shaking his head in silent protest. Roland was pouting, and trying to wipe the nail polish from his fingers.

"OK," Rosie then said. "It's almost tea time."

Robin nodded his head, "Well, when you three princesses are done here – you can come up to the kitchen and I shall have your dinners ready for you."

Henry and Roland nodded, but Rosie tilted her head at her Papa. "Aren't you going to play first, Papa?" she asked, innocently.

Robin balked as both Roland and Henry gave him matching satisfied smirks. He looked at his daughter, "But, who's going to get dinner ready?"

She pouted, her bottom lip sticking out so far – Robin sighed. She had him wrapped around her little finger. Finally, he took a seat in one of her chairs too, careful not to put his whole weight on it as he will probably break it.

"I just have to get you some stuff," Rosie said to her Papa. "You can't come to a tea party like that."

Robin looked at his sons as they waited for Rosie, "Not a word of this to your Mother, understand?"

"Yeah, obviously," Henry said. "Knowing Mom, she'll take pictures and put it on the town flyer!"

"And then she'll give some to Aunt Snow to put up in school," Roland added.

Just then, Rosie came back, with a giant pink blanket, a headband, and some glitter which she expertly placed on her father.

The little girl finally sat down, and said: "Tea Time."

:::::

Regina wanted to just swipe all the papers off her desk. She is now wondering why she called for that second election. Because you didn't think you were going to win, a voice in her head exclaimed.

She let out a frustrated sigh. Maybe this was why Charming seemed almost too gracious when it was announced he would be Vice-Mayor – because right now, he had already been home for the past two hours while Regina was still stuck in the office!

Finally, she sighed. Screw all this, she wanted to go home. Robin had called a few minutes ago saying he was on his way home with take-out. Judging by the time, she knew they were probably just getting ready for dinner. Slamming her pen down on the desk, Regina poofed out of her office and into their home.

Her senses were immediately met by the wonderful smell of Chinese food as soon as the purple smoke cleared around her. She looked to see that Robin had all about dropped the food in the middle of the foyer – that was odd.

She picked it up and was about to call for everyone when she heard voices from the basement – the door to the lower floor wide open.

Quietly, she tiptoed down the steps and paused at the sight she saw. She covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing out loud: her husband and two sons were currently all decked out in pink, with tiaras and tutus on, and all had their pinkies up in the air as they drank imaginary tea from Rosie's teacup set. Regina had to hand it to her daughter, she knew how to command.

Silently, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone; something like this needed to be commemorated. Snap. She paused. Snap. Snap. Snap. Oh, a short video wouldn't hurt.

Finally satisfied she had all the proof she needed, the Mayor of Storybrooke made her presence known. "Well, well, well…isn't this a lovely tea party?"

Robin was so surprised to hear his wife's voice that he accidently put his weight on the tiny chair, causing it to break immediately and he to fall flat on his bum.

All of their children laughed as their Papa fell. "Papa, you broke my chair," Rosie pouted, but still couldn't stop laughing.

"I will fix it, baby girl," Regina said, tugging her daughter towards her to give her a big kiss – one wave and chair was good as new.

"Hey Mom," Henry called – at the same time as Roland's: "Hey, Mommy!"

She looked at Henry closely, "Is that my robe?" The teen shrugged.

"Aren't they all pretty, Mommy?" Rosie asked her mother.

Regina tried to suppress her laughter. "Not as pretty as you," she said to her daughter. Then she turned to her boys, "I'd say passable."

"I think you look pretty, Henry," Roland said to his older brother, jokingly.

"Drink you tea," Henry replied, with a hint of amusement.

"What about me?" Robin asked, who was now fully on his back.

"You're beautiful, Papa," Roland supplied – high-fiving with Henry at the same time.

Regina finally put down Rosie and gave her husband a helping hand.

He groaned as he got to his feet and pulled Regina close. "Will the Queen honour a princess with a kiss?" Robin joked, pointing to his cheek.

And at that moment, Regina fell in love with him even more (if that was even possible). Here he was, Robin Hood – King of Thieves, feared but respected Deputy of Storybrooke – dressed as a princess because he loved his children to no bounds. And it seems his sons took after him, too!

She smiled lovingly at him and gave him a peck with a quick whisper to his ear, "I think the Queen might be more generous tonight."

Robin smiled at her briefly before turning back to their brood. "Alright, who's up for dinner now?"

All three yelped their agreement – as the boys started to take their 'costumes' off. Regina took Rosie to her hip, looking disappointed, "Oh, and here I thought me and Rosie will be dining with princesses tonight."