I know, I know, this has been long awaited... but I have had so many requests to give you all a small little epilogue that I couldn't resist doing so as soon as my exams were over. Plus, I have a long summer ahead so expect to hear plenty more from me!

I hope this is the kind of thing you guys were after and, once again, I would like to thank the support you have all had for this story, it has warmed my heart and it was a pleasure to write for such lovely reviews.

Thank you, Mo, for looking this over for me and for your suggestions!

Enjoy!

It's a Saturday morning and the sun is out, shining over Storybrooke. It would be a perfectly peaceful day which would be spent outside with a good novel and a midmorning glass of wine did Regina not have last minute finishing touches to prepare for the party at noon. The living room has been cleared (why they didn't hire a venue, she doesn't know) and baby blue banners and helium filled balloons litter the hallway and the rest of the downstairs in an organised fashion.

Regina sighs as she ices the last of the decor onto her homemade lemon and elderflower sponge, wiping at the icing sugar that sticks to her flushed cheeks as she steps back to admire her handiwork. Now, she has just about enough time to shower and change so that she can be ready to greet the guests before she is needed back in the kitchen to prepare appetisers and various other nibbles. Regina is not one to disappoint when it comes to hosting parties, be that big or small.

"Looks delicious," a strong accented voice grasps her attention, her husband. Regina turns to find the man licking his lips as he leans against the kitchen island. "Lemon?" Robin asks, detecting the subtle sour scent amongst that of icing sugar and baked patisserie.

The brunette smiles and nods, carrying the three-tiered masterpiece to the counter and placing it in front of her husband so he can admire it fully, "And elderflower," she adds, watching as sapphire blue eyes search the deep blue decor, icing shaped into balloons and teddy bears, stars and stripes on the middle and bottom tier in every shade of blue Regina could fashion. "What do you think?" she asks as she steps back and places her hands to her hips as Robin's eyes lift to meet hers.

"Magical," he compliments with a grin causing his wife to snicker and shake her head as she moves to hang her apron up by the cooker and it's as she has her back turned that Robin leans forward to sweep his finger across the top of the rosette piping.

"Ah! Don't you dare!" Regina scolds as she turns just in time to find his finger hovering dangerously close to the icing; however, her tone is quick to make him retract as he stands up straight and shakes his head.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

...

By 1pm the house is full of chatter amongst the reticent background music, Regina's infamous apple whisky meatballs are on high demand as Roland and his father pass the treats around to the grabby hands of eager guests. Grace has invited a few of her friends who are playing out in the garden on the swing set Robin had put up (with an amusing amount of difficulty) during summer with the help of Henry. So that leaves the adults and the baby sitting together in the living room whilst Regina is locked away in the kitchen, once again.

"Hey," Robin greets warmly, pulling her into his arms from behind as she places the last few candles onto the cake. "Mary Margaret and Emma are here," he announces pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek.

"So that's everyone?" she clarifies, humming as Robin presses another soft kiss to the skin behind her ear, tells her yes and that compliments of the party are being thrown his way left, right and centre. "Mmm, well I am glad all of this hard work has paid off," Regina states, placing her hands on her hips and looking back to Robin with a smile as he steps back.

"It has indeed, and to think, he won't even remember it."

Regina frowns in slight irritation, "No, but he will have the photos to look back on," she argues, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to face him, "Radley will only turn one once, Robin," she huffs out but Robin is eager to retract his statement as he shakes his head and takes her hand.

"I didn't mean it like that, my love," he assures, bringing her knuckles to his lips to kiss, "Myself, and everyone else, thinks that this is a wonderful party."

"They better," Regina retorts, raising a brow before letting a smirk curve her lips. "Go and make sure everyone is gathered and ready to sing happy birthday, I am going to light the candles," she announces, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to Robin's lips before he leaves the room and makes his way back to the guests.

Regina sighs as she turns back to the cake, tilting her head this way and then that as she tries to figure out whether she should add another candle or two, she doesn't want to overdo it. However she barely gets the time to mull the situation over properly when suddenly her husband is back and his voice is urgent when he asks, "Where is Radley?"

"I thought he was in the living room with you," Regina replies before furrowing her brow and shaking her head, waving her hand in frustration, "Well we can't sing happy birthday to someone who isn't present!" she adds, becoming flustered as she tries to fathom where her young boy has gotten to in the short space of time that Robin had let him out of his sight for. She pushes past her equally clueless husband telling him to look for him outside as she makes her way to the living room, to double check. Not because she doesn't trust her husband's words but because, though a thief he may have been, being observant isn't one of his strong suits, not when it comes to looking for things that have gone missing. After all, he is usually the one to have misplaced the item in the first place.

But Robin was right, Radley's nowhere to be seen, his toys discarded in the centre of the room as the guests continue their idle chatter amongst one another completely oblivious to the missing child- and it's then Regina starts to panic, and of course she shouldn't, he's in the house somewhere, he has to be. But what if he's in trouble? Her heart drops to her stomach as she thinks of all of the possibilities: what if he has tried to climb the stairs and fallen? What if he's locked himself in somewhere and can't get out?!

Making her way out of the living room, she glances out of the window, noticing that Grace is no longer playing on the swing set with her friends and as if on cue she hears a familiar giggle echo through the floorboards above her head: her and Robin's bedroom. "Oh, God," she breathes, taking off in a light jog as she takes the stairs in an impressive time and rushes into her bedroom where the giggling becomes louder.

The sight Regina is greeted with is one she most certainly hadn't been expecting, as she pushes her bedroom door open. However, it's one that has all the breath leaving her at once and her eyes growing almost comically wide. "Grace!" she exclaims incredulously as she rushes towards the bed which is now littered with the contents of the mayor's make up bag. Quickly, Regina snatches her lipstick from the blonde's hand before she can do anymore damage. "No. You do not touch Mummy's make up!" she scolds angrily, looking then to her poor son who is donning a bright red smile and whose eyelids are cloud of royal blue which Regina didn't even realise she owned. Honestly, she wouldn't be seen dead in such a colour, but that's not the issue, not when her son's face and white sheets have been painted every colour under the sun. "What possessed you to do such a silly thing?!" Regina snaps, looking furiously towards her daughter.

"I was making him look pretty for his party!" Grace defends, and she can tell by the clench in her mother's jaw and the vein popping in her forehead that she is mad, very mad.

Regina lifts a hand to rub across her temple as she quickly feels a headache brewing, "No." She bites, closing her eyes as she shakes her head before catching the timid blue eyes of her daughter, "You know you shouldn't have done it otherwise you wouldn't have hidden him away. You are in big trouble, Miss. And you are certainly not getting any birthday cake," she chastises with a pointed finger in her child's direction. Grace whines dramatically, pushing her bottom lip out in a quivering pout. However her mother takes no notice as she turns her attention to her son and cautiously takes him into her arms. "Oh Radley, sweetie..." she coos with a heavy heart as she brushes his dark curls from his sticky forehead. Grace has managed to get make up in every nook and cranny.

"Oh good, you've found him!" Robin's voice comes from the doorway before he is stepping in. Yet, the relieved smile which was curving his lips is quick to fall when Regina shifts Radley on her hip so that his dramatic appearance can be witnessed by his father. The young boy gurgles as he offers Robin the widest smile and a small wave despite the stunned silence. "Oh- Oh my- What happened?!" he asks, looking first to his subtly furious wife and then to Grace.

"I was making Radley look pretty." Grace confesses with a defeated huff as she goes to wipe her make-up smeared fingers on her crisp white dress but Robin quickly lunges forward, grabbing her wrists before she can do so.

"No you don't. Let's get you cleaned up before mummy has a fit," he replies, taking Grace by the hand and not saying another word (he's sure Regina has already said one or two of those already) as he leads her into the en suite.

Regina takes a deep calming breath as she watches the retreating form of her husband and their mischievous daughter retreat into the bathroom before dropping a sympathetic kiss to the crown of Radley's head. "One day you'll get her back, sweetheart," she whispers with a slight smirk, her son giggling despite his obliviousness before she is waving her fingers over his face and ridding him of the muck. She doesn't have time for makeup remover.

"Hurry up, you two. I don't want to keep people waiting any longer," she sighs impatiently, eyeing the door of the bathroom before two figures emerge as one, Grace snuggled onto Robin's hip. She always sucks up to her father when she's in trouble, knows that daddy's the soft one of the pair. The brunette simply rolls her eyes at the sight before leading her way back downstairs to fetch the cake.

...

Everyone has left by 5pm, the kids full up on party food and crashing as the adrenaline runs thin not long after 7pm. The house is still and the air is quiet save the subtle thudding of balloons as they collide in the breeze outside. It has been a successful day, despite the makeup fiasco earlier that afternoon. Radley had revelled in the attention, in the 'oo'ing and the 'ah'ing every time he did anything remotely sweet. Robin may have been right in the sense that their son will never remember the day on his own accord, but Regina shall take great pride in watching the videos back which Henry and the other guests had taped on their phones.

At the time Radley had been a surprise, not only to Regina and Robin but to the entire town, however that makes him no less wanted, no less cherished or loved. In fact Regina is completely head over heels in love with the boy. He reminds her of the days when Henry was a babe, how far she's come since she first held a baby boy in her arms.

She often wonders where that time has gone, often feels as if she had hit a momentary pause button and before she knew it she was pressing skip in an attempt to press play. But she takes great pride in her children, in watching them grow and mature and create unforgettable moments be that funny or sad or ones to laugh about later. She wouldn't trade those moments for anything, not even a second chance to start again, to be the hero from the start; because though she may still battle the hidden evil inside, it grows more and more subdued as the years go by, and without that darkness she wouldn't have found her light. Her friends, her Robin, her family...

Regina smiles as she lifts Radley from his Moses basket, her lips meeting his forehead in a light and loving kiss. Robin had taken Grace to bed, all bad temperament having been forgotten after a few kisses and cuddles and an uttered apology. Regina hums and hushes softly as the babe begins to stir at the change in warmth, the shift in position.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she whispers softly as he begins to settle once more, a deep sigh emanating from his nose before he is snuggling into his mother's bosom. "Just don't grow up anymore," she teases, lifting a hand to run through his ebony curls as she admires her baby boy in her hold. One year today and so much has happened in such a short space of time, it all makes Regina terribly nostalgic.

A final kiss to her son's hand and she is carrying him upstairs and to his room where she tucks him in tightly and watches to make sure he settles. The floorboards creak along the hallway and the stream of light, which reflects on the carpet, is blocked as a figure comes to stand in the doorway.

"He's so precious," she whispers, sighing softly as she is reluctant to leave the cribs side.

Robin smiles, watching the encounter adoringly before stepping forward and joining his wife's side at the edge of the cot. "That he is," he replies, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her in close.

A small silence passes as the two of them simply gaze upon their little surprise before Regina is yawning, leaning more of her weight against Robin. It's been a long day; they should go to bed. Robin drops a light kiss to her head before he is giving her arm a squeeze, leading her away and out of the room back to their own.

"You know... when I was stacking the dishwasher up after the cake had been served I counted twenty one dishes when one of those twenty one guests were told they weren't allowed any cake. You don't know how that came about, do you?" Regina asks as she undoes the zip at the side of her dress before letting it fall to the ground and pool at her ankles, not turning to look at her husband who she knows is most probably red-cheeked with guilt.

"Grace said you had changed your mind," he mutters quietly, not wanting to lie to Regina as he now knows he should've known better than to have listened to his daughter over his wife.

Regina hums, reaching around to unclasp her bra, allowing the straps to slip noiselessly down her shoulders before the whole garment falls forward and to her feet. Still she remains with her back to her husband. "She did, did she?" she asks, "Well then it must have been true," she adds sarcastically as she wriggles slowly from her remaining underwear with a sashay of her hips.

Robin swallows thickly, his mind quickly becoming distracted as he licks his lips and leans forward practically on his tiptoes ready to pounce. At his silence Regina turns around, hands confidently at her sides as she raises a brow. However, Robin's eyes are anywhere but her face and it has her smirking, has her feeling sexy and confident as she struts towards her half naked other half.

"I didn't- it was Radley's birthday and-"

"No. No excuses. You disobeyed me, Mr Locksley," Regina interrupts, pressing a perfectly manicured nail up against Robin's parted lips. "And do you know what happens to people who disobey the queen?" she husks, allowing her hand to drop and that same finger nail to run along the curve of her husband's neck, across his chest and to circle his nipple, "They get punished."

Robin shivers at the sexual pull in her voice, the sexiness of her demeanour and though Regina is very much in control he cannot help but reach out and grab her waist, pulling her close as his lips fall to hers, tasting the remnants of icing sugar and elderflower syrup in an intoxicating mix. She doesn't fight off the contact but she is quick to dominate it, swinging the both of them in one swift movement (she's far stronger than she looks) so that Robin's back is pressed against the bedpost, his hands in hers as she pins them back and around the wood.

A cool sensation tingles around Robin's wrist and as Regina steps back to admire her handiwork he glances back to notice he is handcuffed to the bedpost. "Did I ever mention-"

"You love me?" she questions before nodding. "A few times." she husks, her hand lifting to her breast, watching her husband's eyes grow unbelievably wide as she takes her nipple between thumb and forefinger and tugs lightly, moaning for show. "All the time in fact," she breathes as her eyes fall closed and she pulls again, harder, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.

This is his punishment: to watch, to not touch; and quickly he is starting to hate this delicious torture, especially when her free hand is falling to her stomach, but it doesn't stay there, no. It begins a slow descent down, down, "Regina, please," he practically whimpers, unsure as to whether he can watch this without being able to do something, anything.

"Please what, Robin?" she asks, not stopping, instead letting two fingers come into contact with her clit as she rubs slow tantalising circles which make's Robins head spin. "Forgi- Mmm- forgive you? Let you touch me?" she whispers, rubbing again, harder, "Like this?"

"Fuck. Please, yes." he moans, his cock throbbing at the delicious sight of his wife touching herself. God, she could punish him any way she'd like, but when she knows she's so irresistible, this punishment is pure evil and she knows it, knows he'd rather be denied climax after climax if it meant he could touch her, bring her pleasure.

"Say sorry," she commands, eyes fluttering open to look him straight in the eyes as she does not stop until she gets what she wants. And she does.

"I'm sorry," Robin replies quickly, comically and it makes her chuckle, but she doesn't stop, she shakes her head, grins as she continues pressing, reaches with her free hand for the opposite bedpost to keep her stable.

"Diction-" she begins her breath hitching before she is licking her lips to wet them. "Too fast," she manages to chastise, just as her fingers speed up.

Robin's voice is lost, his throat dry as he opens and closes his mouth like a fish, his eyes drawn to his wife and unable to look away. She's such a tease. He shakes his head, swallowing harshly before forcing himself to pull himself back together and replying slowly, "I'm sorry." And then, "Please Regina, let me touch you," he begs and he could almost cry with relief as her hands fall reluctantly to her side at his plea, a slow menacing smirk curving her lips as she steps forward towards him again on slightly shaky legs.

"Since you asked so nicely..." Regina whispers, her hands creeping around her husband's jaw before she's grinning and pressing her lips back to his, revelling in the groan of relief he gives at the contact. She loves the effect she has on him.

And so they kiss, and they kiss and they kiss, lips messy yet persistent as they both get riled up into a heated mess. Both itching for more, for a peak, for-

"Oh, fuck. I know now's not the time, but I forgot to tell you," Robin mumbles against his wife's lips before she is pulling away with a furrowed brow.

"Mmm?" she hums curtly, obviously irritated from being interrupted.

"Dr Rocker called, he wanted to wish Radley a happy birthday and apologise again that he couldn't make it," he announces dropping a softer kiss to the corner of his wife's extremely kissable lips and watches her demeanour soften slightly as she momentarily falls out of character. He smirks slightly, "He said he misses his favourite clients."

Regina chuckles lowly, wrapping her hand around her husband's neck and pulling him closer, "I'm sure he does," she purrs before lifting a perfectly shaped brow and looking her husband dead in the eyes, daring him to continue the mood killing conversation, "Now that's enough talking about our ex therapist. Instead..." she drawls, running her fingers through mousy brown locks as her free hand drifts down to seek the bulge pressed snugly against her hip, "I want you listen as I tell you exactly what I'm going to do to you... Mr Locksley."