Happy Endings

"I hate this tradition," Regina sighed, her eyes peeled on the window beside the bed, watching as the daylight that brightened the room wasn't so strong anymore. She could feel Robin chuckling beneath her, which immediately put a smile on her lips too, as well as his warm breath on the top of her head when he brought his lips to her hair to plant a comforting kiss in that area. She was lying with her head above his heart, his heartbeat echoing in her ear, and lulling her into a sense of security while her fingertips traced slow patterns on his bare and sweaty chest.

How was she supposed to spend a night without this man? All she wanted was to wake up the next morning like they were now, legs intertwined, arms around each other to keep them close, and hands caressing the other's skin... but she could have none of those things because of that stupid tradition that kept them from being together the night before the wedding.

"We don't need to follow it if you can't," he teased, being half-serious about his suggestion. He didn't want to spend the night without her, either... god, he didn't even want to leave that bed at that point, let alone sleep without her in his arms a whole night. Luckily for them, Henry had spent the previous night (and most of the present day) at Emma's, and Roland had insisted on coming with him, which gave the couple more time to focus on each other, despite the other two kids they had with them, and to whom they needed to pay attention.

The thought of stay with him that night and just part ways before the ceremony, immediately made Regina hum, and she buried her head deeper in his chest, kissing his skin above his beating heart, and causing the words to come out muffled when she addressed him, "As tempting as that sounds," she began, lifting slightly her head so she could meet the blue pools that were his eyes, noticing a bit of hope in them when he stared back at her, "I have to admit that it will probably make it better when we see each other tomorrow."

She had a point, but that didn't keep him from feeling a small disappointment at her change of mind. He knew deep down that they wouldn't go back on their word of spending that night apart, neither their friends would allow, but his selfish side seemed pleased to know he wasn't the only one who didn't love the idea.

"I can't wait," he whispered, eyes locked with hers as he brought his hand to her face to caress her cheek. She was anxious too. Like he was already awfully impatient to see her in a wedding dress the next day, she was looking forward to seeing him wearing his suit, waiting for her at the end of the aisle with a smile plastered all over his face... They couldn't believe they would marry the next day, it had been a year (and a month) since he had proposed, their baby had been born two months ago, and all that was missing was just that ceremony. It was the next step of their life together.

But at that very moment, the next step was to leave that bed, which none of them seemed too willing to do. Regina had laid her head on his chest again, closing her eyes and breathing his scent, while he just remained to stare at her, caressing her back and watching as she seemed so serene in his arms. But they needed to go, Robin had promised Will he would meet him and the guys for their dinner, and he still had to get ready, drop Regina off to Mary Margaret's and pick their eldest sons to go with him. They really needed to hurry if they didn't want to be late.

"I think we should be going, love," he said quietly, knowing that the longer they took, the harder would be for them to get out of there. Regina seemed to agree, and struggling to leave his warmth, she sat straight, so Robin could do the same, and pulled the sheet to her chest, addressing him at the same time he moved to sit on the edge of the bed with his back to her, picking his boxers from the ground and putting it back on.

"Will you return my sons in one piece tomorrow?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow when he turned to her with his teasing smile on his face and leaned forward to capture her lips in a quick peck before, finally, get out of the bed.

"You're lucky I can't bring my younger boy with me, he'd like this guys' night," he joked, making her laugh at the same time he moved to get a bathing towel, grabbing her robe along the way and handing it to her, right after he placed his towel on his shoulder.

"You have Roland and Henry, it's only fair Ryan and Hailey stay with me," she argued, leaving the bed too and wrapping the robe around her naked body. Ryan was two months now, and it was clear he needed to stay with his mama, so she could take care of him, but even if Robin knew that too, he liked to tease and pick on her, so he couldn't waste that opportunity.

"I'm not sure about that, but," he replied, helping her with her task of gathering all the clothes they had spread all over the floor, moments before, "I guess I will have to accept."

She had her wicked smile on her face when she walked towards Robin, stopping in front of him and tossing the pile of fabrics into his hands as she addressed him, "Put this in the hamper when you get into the bathroom."

"You come?" Robin asked, staring at her like a pleading child. What was the matter with them that day? They just couldn't stay away from each other. But if they wanted to leave that house in time of their meetings, she needed to control the situation for both of them.

"No way, that will just make us..." she began, peering over his shoulder to check the clock on the nightstand. Great, ten to seven. They had ten minutes to take a shower, get dressed, get the baby things ready and be in front of Mary Margaret's house. That would be impossible, "I would just say late, but I'm going to take a chance and say, even more late."

He glanced back at the clock too, widening his eyes when he saw the red numbers on the screen. Shit, he would be so mocked by the guys.

"You take a shower while I'm getting the kids and things ready," she said, walking towards the door with Robin right behind and reaching for the doorknob to open it and make them hurry.

"It seems a good plan."

#

He stopped the car in front of the building of the Charmings' house, leaving his seat right after Regina to help her to get the kids from the back seat. He took Ryan's seat out of the car, holding it by its handle and waiting until Regina walked towards them with Hailey by the hand, walking clumsily beside her mother.

"Are you sure you don't want help to carry them?" he asked one more time, placing the baby seat next to her to give her time to adjust the bags with hers and the kids' things on her shoulder.

"I'm sure, go, you're late," she assured, bringing her free hand to his cheek to pull him for a kiss. They were really late, almost 45 minutes late, and she already could picture Mary Margaret and the others throwing them their looks and question them about their delay, but if they would just see each other the next day, they needed at least to say goodbye properly.

"Dada," Hailey's babbling reached their ears, making the couple pull away and share a giggle when they saw big blue eyes staring at her father.

Robin immediately focused his attention on his baby girl, crouching in front of her and brushing her tiny hairs out of her eyes as he addressed her, "Be good, and take care of mommy for me."

They knew she would be upset when she saw him leave. She used to cry when one of them needed to leave her for some reason, so they always needed to be gentle when it comes to 'goodbyes'.

"Can you give daddy a kiss?" Regina addressed the baby girl with her motherly voice, watching as she always did the same thing, lean her forehead until it bumped with Robin's, because she still didn't give kisses, making her parents smile and Robin to kiss her brow and mutter an 'I love you', and the most important, reassure he would return later before he pull away from her and get back on his feet.

"Can you tell boys to come down?" he addressed Regina, trying to not pay attention to Hailey's watery eyes when he opened the door to get in the car, right after he helped Regina to pick the baby boy's seat, and leaning forward to peck her lips one last time.

...

She didn't actually cry, since as soon as they stepped into Mary Margaret's house, all the attentions were focused on her and her baby brother, letting Regina finally breathe after she had dropped off the two bags she carried, and had handed the baby seat to Mary Margaret, so she could place it on the couch between Emma and Belle. At least, Regina had managed to convince the brunette that she should get ready for the wedding at her house the next day, it was the least since she wasn't even allowed to sleep in her own bed that night, and she couldn't even imagine if she had to bring all the stuff with her.

Henry and Roland had left her with a kiss and a hug, dying to meet Robin and start his 'stag party', though Robin didn't call it that way. For him, was just a dinner with his friends and his two boys.

As Regina had anticipated, and after everyone greeting her and the kids, she was immediately bombarded with questions about what had caused her delay. It was her party, why couldn't she be late? She had managed to avoid the interrogation, at least while she was organizing her things and taking care of the kids, Ryan needed to be fed and she took advantage and dressed Hailey in her pajamas, returning to the living room half an hour later, to find the four women staring at her from the couch.

"What?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and trying to keep a straight face when all of them were smiling like idiots at her.

"You, guys, couldn't make it, right?" Mary Margaret broke the silence, her smile fading like she was scolding a little child, but her voice was kind and gentle, making Regina scoff at her attempt to worry about her private life. If she just minds her own business... "What I mean is," she quickly interrupted the brunette before she even could say something, "you shouldn't sleep together the day before the wedding."

"No," Regina replied promptly, shifting all attentions to her and raising her brows in disbelief, "we shouldn't sleep, in the literal sense of the word, together the night before the wedding," why were they even discussing that? She could do whatever she wanted, she even couldn't have agreed with that stupid deal, let alone have to explain herself to them, "And we're not going to talk about that in front of my kids."

Her eyes shifted between the baby in her arms and the little girl walking around the room, happily finding Neal's toys, even though Regina have brought some of hers for her to play with, including her stuffed monkey, her Christmas present from Emma. It wasn't until that moment she noticed Neal wasn't there, imagining he must have gone with David, probably with a little help from Roland, who she was sure had insisted in have the little boy's company to play.

...

"Is Neal here?" Roland asked as soon as his father opened his door to let him get out of the car and collect the packages with his and Roland's suits for the next day, as well as the bag with his things for the night, since Henry's and Roland's were already there because they had spent the previous night with Emma.

"I don't know, son, but I believe we'll find out soon enough," he smiled, walking with the boys towards the front door of Emma's house, one she had decided to buy a few months ago, and that that night she had offered them to spend the night.

They were greeted by Will, who was already waiting for them at the entrance, and Roland quickly left his father's side to run into the house and meet his younger buddy in the living room, being followed by Robin and Henry, after all the bags were carefully placed on the hooks by the door.

"I found the missing groom," Will announced when they entered the room, patting Robin on his back and tossing a beer into his hands. Killian, David and Little John were already there, sipping their own drinks, while Roland and Neal were making a mess on the floor with the toys, "We were patiently waiting for you to dinner," he mocked, leaving Robin's side to occupy a free spot on the couch.

"I apologize for the wait, but-"

"If you could keep it in your pants, we wouldn't have to wait," Will interrupted, making all the men laugh except Robin, who immediately scolded his friend and wrapped an arm protectively around Henry.

"Watch your mouth, Will," Robin warned, maybe more harshly than he intended, but the last thing he needed was scar his stepson for life on the night they were supposed to be bonding, the night before his marriage with his mother.

"It's okay, Robin," the boy assured, smiling when he noticed he was trying to protect him at all costs, "I didn't need to hear that, but it's okay," he shrugged, making his stepfather chuckle and tighten his grip around Henry's shoulders, "I'm glad she'd chosen you."

A warm fuzzy feeling overtook Robin at the boy's words. He knew Henry liked him and all he wanted was to see his mother happy, but hearing the boy say, directly to him, that of all the people he was the one who he'd rather have with his mother, was the best gift he could give to him.

A sincere smile played on Robin's lips as he thanked his stepson and released him from his embrace, watching as he joined Roland and Neal in their game on the floor.

"See, Robbie? No one would judge you," Will started again, this time just earning a glance from the man, who didn't want to start that conversation one more time.

"I believe you said you were waiting for me to have dinner?" Robin raised his brows, clearly ending the talk and shift the attentions to their meal.

...

Neither the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs was enough to make Regina look away from her almost sleeping babies. After dinner, she had told her friends she would be upstairs trying to get Hailey and Ryan to sleep, but after half an hour she just had been able to accomplish half of her goal, and just Ryan was sleeping deeply between his mother and sister. Hailey was making some baby noises to trying to fight against her sleep, but Regina knew she wasn't winning, the moment she started to pull the blanket over her face, a habit Regina hated, but that she used to do every time she started to drift off to sleep.

"How's it going with the babies?" it was just when Tink whispered from behind Regina that she slightly lifted her head from her arm to look at the blonde, causing her daughter to reawaken from her almost sleep, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Regina replied, straightening herself to sit against the headboard and pull the little girl into her lap to make room for the other woman to sit, "She didn't want to fall asleep, anyway."

It didn't escape her the way her friend was staring at her, a friendly smile on her lips as she watched her holding Hailey in her arms, keeping the little girl against her chest and lulling her so she wouldn't have the chance to wake completely. It looked like she'd been made to be a mother.

"I never thought I would see you like this," Tink spoke after a moment of silence, making Regina turn her head to her friend, reliving the memory of the night on the tavern when she should have met her soulmate. The fairy had told her that was her destiny, but she was just too stubborn to accept the truth.

"I'm sorry," Regina muttered almost imperceptible. She had her lips against Hailey's hair, which caused the words to come out muffled, but was enough to make the blonde change her position to look back at her, already knowing what she was talking about, but choosing to ask anyway,

"Sorry for what?"

"You know what," Regina replied, not wanting to repeat out loud her wrong choices and her bad attitude towards the fairy back then. Tink had lost her wings to help her, and she didn't even have made use of that help and had just pushed her away from her bedroom with a lie. But then her friend's words caught her off guard, making her widen her big brown eyes in an expression of her shock.

"Because you drank that potion?" the blonde asked quietly, afraid to see her friend's reaction, but knowing it was about time for Regina to know she'd always known.

But how could she know? She'd never told her, or anyone, anything about that issue. Neither Whale, that had followed her two pregnancies, had known.

"Before you ask, it was Blue who showed me. Just to prove you weren't worthy of any help," Tink explained, more sadness in her voice than actual anger, "Do you have any idea how mad I was at you? It seemed you were just making wrong choices. One after another," she continued, seeing the guilt in Regina's eyes as she stared blankly into space, her arms tightening around Hailey's little frame as to make sure she wasn't going anywhere, "You cost me too much, but I've never stopped believing you could have your happy ending. Not really," Tink's confession made tears come to Regina's eyes, and the tiny woman quickly reached for the brunette's hand, comforting her and saying everything was fine now, for both of them, "I even have three wonderful nephews and a beautiful niece."

"Yes, you have," Regina chuckled, returning her the smile, at the same time both of them glanced at the two sleepy babies.

"I should let them, and you, rest. You'll have a big day tomorrow," the blonde said, standing up from the bed and walking towards the stairs to leave Regina and her kids alone.

...

Robin left the confusion in the living room half-hour before midnight, the beer bottles on the coffee table and the laughing of his friends were becoming too much for him and, at that moment, he just wanted a quiet place and a coffee to recover from the small effects the drinks were started to left on him. He needed to check on Roland, who went to bed with Henry half an hour ago, and making sure the boys were sleeping and not staying up reading like they used to do when they slept in the same room.

He walked into the kitchen first to make a cup of coffee, right before he went upstairs to Emma's room and find the kids already tucked in bed. The sound of the other men talking downstairs filled the chamber, only for a few seconds until he get inside and close the door behind him to muffle the noise. They seemed to be sleeping deeply, the shutters completely closed, without letting any light reach inside the house, but Robin could spot their bodies underneath the covers, smiling when he saw most of the blankets falling from Roland's side of the bed. He always did that when he used to sleep with Robin, 'steal' all the covers and then let them fall to the floor. He approached the bed, pulling the sheet and the blankets over the two boys again, and causing Henry to start to move as his eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Robin whispered, trying his best to not wake the other boy too, but he knew Roland was really caught up in his sleep and nothing would wake him at that point, "I was just checking on you. I'm downstairs if you need me, go back to sleep."

He was already at the door when the boy's rough voice from sleep drew Robin's attention, calling him back and gesturing to him to sit beside him on the bed.

"Is everything ok?" he asked as he did exactly what Henry asked, taking the seat at the edge of the mattress on the boy's side and turning on the light of the table lamp.

"Yeah, I just wanted to congratulate you," he answered, yawning at the same time and trying to sit straight against the headboard, earning a chuckle from his stepfather.

"Thank you," Robin replied honestly, but he knew better than that and he was sure there was something more that just a congratulation for his wedding the next day, "Something more you want to tell me?"

When the boy remained in silence, Robin didn't need anything else to know he was right. Something was on Henry's mind and he wouldn't leave him there struggling if he could help somehow, but he wouldn't push him either, so he just waited until Henry sigh, probably deciding if he wanted to share his thoughts with Robin.

"You'll take care of her, right?" Henry asked, looking straight into Robin's eyes, not wanting to frighten him because Robin knew he liked him like a father, but his mother comes first and after everything she went through, he felt the responsibility of making sure she would never suffer again.

Robin understood that too, and in a commitment gesture, he brought one hand to his chest, and together with a smile on his lips, he addressed the boy, "You have my word, Henry."

It was the suffice to put a smile on Henry's lips, and it was probably what he wanted to hear, but since he had started that conversation, Robin knew he wanted to give him the certainty of his feeling for the boy's mother. It just seemed right, "I promise not only to take care of her, but take care of you, your brothers and your sister. You were the best thing that ever happened to me," he assured, smiling and trying to stop the tears that were prickling his eyes, "and as for your mother, you know how much I love her and what she means to me, but I think what you should know is that I truly admire her for having been able to grow into the women she is today. Your mother made it through a rough path, and I know you played a key role in that. She couldn't ask for a better son, and I couldn't ask for a better family, so it's my job and will to keep you all from suffering."

He waited to see any reaction, but Henry was just staring at him, an unreadable expression one his features, and for a moment Robin wondered if it had been too much for a boy who had just wakened up and was simply asking for a short, but reassuring, answer. But then all his doubts were gone the moment Henry threw his arms around his stepfather, hugging him tight and silently thanking him for his answer.

"I think we should sleep now if we don't want your mother to stress about the bags we'll have tomorrow under our eyes," Robin quipped when they parted, helping the boy to get under the covers before leaving the room to head towards one of the others free rooms.

#

Regina took a deep breath as she stopped in front of her vanity, sitting in the comfortable chair and staring at her image in the mirror, in the silence of her bedroom. It was her big day. Their big day, and she couldn't deny she was starting to feel restless and nervous about the whole thing. She was excited and more than ready to marry her soul mate, but what if something went wrong? What if she wasn't really meant to be happy?

A knock on the door pushed her away from her thoughts and very slowly, the bedroom door opened, making Regina rise from her seat when she saw Tinkerbell's head peeking through the door opening.

"I have someone here to meet you, can we come in?" the blonde woman asked, noticing Regina was still wrapped up in her bathrobe.

She knew who was on the other side of that door, and without a second thought she let them in, her smile widening as she watched Tinkerbell walking in, hand in hand with Hailey and Roland, Henry just behind, holding his younger brother in his arms. Regina had completely lost track of time. The plan was for David to drop the two boys at her house when everything was ready at Emma's, so they could walk with her down the aisle, so if Henry and Roland were already there, that just could mean Robin had already left for the ceremony. She needed to hurry.

They were already all dressed up, Tinkerbell in a strapless light green dress, perfect for her tiny silhouette, and with her blonde hair up in a braided bun. Hailey released the fairy's hand as soon as she spotted her mother, running towards the brunette with her stuffed monkey in one hand, stretching out the other for Regina to take.

"Look at your dress, honey," Regina cooed, looking at the little white dress with a light golden waistband around her daughter's belly and a cardigan the same color over the outfit, "You look like a princess," she grabbed her hand, knowing she wanted her to pick her up, but she needed to get dressed too and she didn't want to crinkle her dress, so she tried to shift her attention to somewhere else, "Let's see your brothers," she smiled, approaching her sons and stopping in front of Henry and Roland to look closely at their outfit.

"Do I look like daddy?" Roland asked hopefully, a big smile on his face, which let Regina know immediately who had chosen the outfit for the little boy. He had a dark suit over a white shirt with a little bow tie around his neck, and he, indeed, looked a mini version of Robin.

"You look!" Regina agreed, noticing how his smile with the dimples was getting more and more similar to his father's. He definitely had his mother's eyes, but his expressions were starting to look exactly like Robin's, especially when he smiled, "My little Locksley," she winked at him, caressing her cheek with her free hand before shifting her attention to her older son.

Henry had a blue shirt with a suit jacket over it and dark pants, without any type of tie on his neck, making him look classy and formal, but suitable for his age.

"You look so handsome, honey," she gasped emotionally, running her fingers through the boy's hair in an attempt to fix it, but it was impeccable, without one strand of hair out of place.

She couldn't handle much more, seeing all her kids so well dressed and ready for her wedding with the love of her life will make her break, and she had already tears prickling her eyes, but then she glanced at her youngest son, laughing when she saw his outfit. "Oh, honey, what has Tink dressed you?" she cooed, caressing his cheek with her finger before turning to her friend, "This was not what I gave you for him to wear," she laughed, just receiving a shrug of shoulders in return from the blonde women.

"I thought would fit for the occasion," Tink replied, smiling and looking proud at the onesie with the words 'Sorry Ladies My Daddy's Taken' she had chosen to wear him.

"It definitely suits," Regina chuckled, glancing at all of them one last time until Tink's voice captured her attention.

"Emma and David are waiting for us outside," she informed, and Regina knew it was her cue to get ready too. With a flick of her wrist, her bathrobe was quickly replaced by the strapless wedding dress she had chosen, and her hair was pinned back in an updo, revealing a pair of silver rings, matching the necklace around her neck.

"Mommy, you look like a queen!" Roland widened his eyes, causing Regina to almost started to cry and, thank god her makeup was waterproof because she knew that day would leave her a total mess.

"We should be going then?"

#

"Robin, you ask me once more the time, and I'll-"

"It's been an hour, Will," Robin argued, rubbing his hands and leaning towards his best man so he could hear his whisper through all the noise in the room. He couldn't help the nervousness. Almost everyone in Storybrooke was there to witness their wedding and in the last hour, he just had been able to talk with Will, keeping his back to the crowd without knowing how he could face the group of people behind him, "What if-"

"She's ready," Tink suddenly appeared beside the groom, together with David, and a smile formed on her lips when she heard the 'Thank god!' coming from Robin's best man, before she took her place and straightened up her dress and her hair from the little run to the end of the aisle, where they were already waiting for the bride.

"I'm not sure if I can handle it," Robin admitted when the music started playing, keeping his back turned to where all the whispers were coming from as soon as Regina appeared across from them.

"Mate, you'll definitely want to see this," Will encouraged, keeping his gaze on the scene behind his friend and missing how Robin was trying so hard to control his breathing, "Your lass is really fit!"

If he wasn't so nervous and if they weren't about to start his wedding ceremony, Robin would never let his friend get away with that comment in British slang, but Regina was finally there, waiting for him to turn and see her walking down the aisle towards him, with her eyes shining and a smile plastered all over her face, so he just took a deep breath, glancing one last time at his best man and finally turning to see his fiancée.

But she was not the first thing he saw. First, he spotted Emma, his maid of honor, in her salmon dress and curly hair, carrying their baby boy along the carpet, followed by Roland and Hailey who walked hand in hand in front of their mother.

He was already emotional just to see his kids walking her down the aisle, how he was supposed to hold the tears when he actually saw his fiancée?

His gaze remained steady on the scene in front of him, but he was completely lost in his thoughts and he missed the moment Emma had taken her place beside Will, right after she handed the baby to Mary Margaret, who was seated in the front row, now with Hailey and Roland on her side.

He promised he wouldn't cry, but that promise was quickly forgotten the moment he could see the entire figure of Regina in her wedding dress. It was just her and Henry walking down the aisle at that moment, their hands intertwined as the boy led her toward him at a slow pace, allowing them to seize the moment.

She was beautiful, he was very handsome, and for the two of them, they were the only ones in that room at that point. Regina was just focused on him, she couldn't even understand what the people around her were saying since all her attention was on Robin, and the same happened with him. He just couldn't take his eyes off her.

She just looked away from Robin when they stopped in front of him and Henry brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it before giving it to his stepfather and receiving a tender caress on the back of his neck.

"I love you," she gestured with her lips, letting him take his seat between Paige and Roland on the front row.

Their attention was back on each other in seconds, both with a smile and watery eyes, because that was real. They will really get married and their dream was about to come true.

The pastor started the ceremony, and they heard the whole wedding speech, always holding each other's hand, until the moment he asked for them to exchange their vows, but that definitely couldn't be done without their wedding rings.

Roland waited until Mary Margaret made him a sign that he could leave his seat and walk toward his parents, which he was more than willing to do, totally focused on his task of carrying the rings in his little hands under the watchful eye of every person in the room. They didn't even have rehearsed. Roland had claimed that he didn't need to, that he was a big boy and could definitely do that for his parents, and, of course, they trusted him despite they had just given him the rings on the wedding day.

Regina couldn't stop the tears she was holding since the beginning of the ceremony, Roland was such a precious little boy and he was growing more and more every day, right in front of them. Clearly the rehearsal wasn't necessary.

"Thank you, son," Robin winked at him, grabbing Regina's ring as he waited for her to do the same.

But instead, she crouched in front of the boy, accepting the ring from him before she planted a kiss on his forehead, at the same time she caressed his cheek with her thumb, "Thank you, sweetheart."

He left her side, bouncing all happy for succeeding in his task until he reached his seat and focused again on the ceremony, watching as his father was preparing to say his vows.

"Regina, I want to thank you for giving me the honour to be your husband, to call you my wife regardless of what remained in the past or what lies in our future together, because I love each and every part of you with all my soul. I love every moment we spend together, our hectic routine day after day, the crazy mornings to get the kids ready for school, our afternoons in your office," she widened her eyes, but he continued his speech without stopping, just smiling when he saw her cheeks getting a shade of red upon hearing his words, "and now our sleepless nights, taking care of our baby. You and the kids are the most important thing in my life, and for our family, I promise to always be there, to love and take care of you as long as I live. You gave me my happy ending and I just hope I can do the same for you."

"You already did," she whispered, smiling as she watched him, through all the tears in her eyes, placing the ring on her finger, at the same time she took advantage of that moment to trying to calm down and starting her speech.

"Robin, I never thought I would find someone who could change my entire life and make me love so deeply again. I had given up on love a long time ago, but then you showed up and taught me how to love again, especially how to love myself. You healed my heart and for that, I'll be forever grateful. You're my second chance, one that makes me extremely happy and that I'm not willing to lose this time. I promise to be faithful to you, to be your rock whenever you need and the best wife I can. I couldn't ask for a better husband than my man with the lion tattoo, and yes, you already gave me my happy ending. The best I could ask for," she smiled, placing the ring on his finger as the tears threatened to fall again.

They almost didn't wait for the pastor to pronounce them husband and wife before Robin cupped her face and pulled her for the kiss they were waiting for so long. They were finally married and no one could take that from them.

"Mum, daddy!" the couple parted when they felt something, or someone, touching their legs, and they knew exactly who was trying to call their attention before they could leave to start the party and the dinner that was due to take place after the ceremony.

"My ring bearer," Regina smiled, picking him up and placing him on her hip, not really caring if her dress could get all wrinkled as she held him tight, "You were great."

They were quickly surrounded by all of his friends and family, wanting to congratulate them and, of course, greet and pick up their youngest kids to Hailey's displeasure, who just wrapped her little arms around her father's leg, and hid her face in the crook of Robin's neck as soon as he held her in his arms.

They walked with their kids towards the spot they had chosen to take the photos, Ryan was still on Mary Margaret's lap, which allowed them to find the best way for them to pose for the picture before the brunette returned the baby to his mother. The couple stood in the middle, with Henry beside Robin and his sister, who had decided she didn't want to leave her father's lap, while Roland had his arms wrapped around Regina's waist, who had an arm around him too and the other clutching Ryan to keep him facing the camera. She needed to frame that one. They had taken a lot more pictures after that, some of the couple with each one's man and maid of honour, and others just of the newlyweds with small pecks in the middle, earning them a few disgusted noises from their middle boy.

"Congratulations, guys!" Emma appeared behind them, throwing her arms over their shoulders and startling a tired Hailey on Robin's arms, already fed up from the rush of that day, "Sorry, kid."

Robin was fast to comfort his daughter, caressing her back with his palm and whispering something in her ear that Regina couldn't figure out from where she stood beside her husband, but that definitely was being succeeded in stopping her whining. She was such a daddy's girl.

"Robin, I can't help it, I have to ask," Emma continued, causing the couple to turn more serious when they noticed the change in her attitude, "Do I let you leave work early so you can meet Regina in her office?" the blonde woman teased, completely failing in her attempt of sounding like a strict boss when the three of them burst into laugh.

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to write that in the vows," he replied with his warm smile, receiving a sarcastic 'do you really think so' look from the bride right next to him. At least, they would have avoided all the embarrassment she felt at that moment.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear anything," Emma quipped, shifting her attention to the baby in her father's arms, pacifier in her mouth and head laying on Robin's shoulder as she tried to keep her eyes open. Emma knew it would be hard to take her from her parents, but the guests were starting to gather inside for dinner, and they had already been called to make their 'grand entrance', it was just a matter of minutes before she could be with them again, "Hailey, let's meet Roland inside," Emma smiled, picking the girl from her father's arms, knowing she wouldn't fight when she heard her brother's name. She had grown really attached to the boy, always playing together when Henry wasn't there to join them.

She didn't cry, but she began to whine a little when she understood her parents wouldn't go with them, making Regina almost give up on their entrance so they could simply follow the guests and sit at their table to start the dinner. She could hear Emma trying to soothe her as she walked away, muttering something similar to 'this pacifier doesn't match your dress' and 'princesses don't cry', causing the brunette to roll her eyes and smile at the thought of Emma becoming a mother of a little girl, someday.

...

As the music started to play, the couple appeared at the door, hands intertwined and a genuine smile on their faces when they were met by cheers and screams of joy, remaining while they walked among the several tables to greet the guests that were spread all over the room. She never thought she'd be so loved in that town after everything she had done, but the past was left in the past and now she needed to focus on her future, future she had right in front of her. Henry and Roland were waiting for them on their seats at the center table, following the crowd in their cheers, and even Hailey was fully awake on Emma's lap, happily clapping her hands and hopping with joy every now and then.

"You can totally have your kid back now," Emma teased, pretending she hissed in pain every time the girl jumped on her legs and laughed at her 'aunt's' reaction.

"It seems she's having fun," Robin replied, a smirk on his face as he took his seat between Regina and Roland, winking at his boy and ignoring completing his maid of honor.

"You really have your mother's temper," Emma joked, glancing at Regina, who was covering Ryan with his blanket, to see her reaction, but the brunette just smiled at her comment, never taking her eyes off the quiet baby on the stroller behind her, "At least you were able to make one that, indeed, is a little angel."

They ended up freeing Emma from their now restless daughter, managing to keep the girl busy with her food while everyone chatted and had dinner as well.

Once the meal was done, and Hailey was out of her high chair, playing and 'bothering' her baby brother, the couple stood up, immediately getting all the attentions to them when Robin announced they would like to say some words.

"We just wanted to thank you all for joining us on this special day. We have been waiting for this for a really long time and being able to share this experience with all of you is really a blessing, we couldn't ask for better," he said, smiling at his wife and silently asking if she wanted to say something too.

"I would like to say I'm very grateful for your presence here today, despite everything that happened in the past, and this really proves you're great persons and..." she stopped, looking up at Robin, who planted a kiss on her forehead to comfort her when he noticed she had become emotional with her own words, "Thank you all," she finished, her words barely above a whisper that ended up being muffled by all the cheers and applauses, together with the sound of everyone asking for 'kiss, kiss', making a shade of red appear in the brunette's cheeks when her eyes met Robin's once again.

He wiped the tear that fell through her cheek with his thumb, at the same time his other arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him so his lips could touch hers in a tender kiss, lingering for a moment until David take the microphone and announce it was time for them to open the dance floor.

In minutes, everyone was gathered outside around the dance floor, watching as the couple was getting ready for their first dance as husband and wife. He could notice Regina was nervous, she was slightly trembling under his embrace, and very gently, he took her hands and placed her arms around his neck, before he returned to wrap his around her waist, at the same time he whispered to her, "It's just you and me. Just like in rehearsals," he smiled, beginning with small steps when the music started to play.

They swayed to the music, Regina placed her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and forgetting about all the people that were staring at them, and step by step all her nervousness had left her to make room for a comfort and calmness, as she danced in her husband's arms. It was just him and her, and she wouldn't have believed if someone had told her that she would wish for that moment to last forever. It was all she wanted now, but the music changed for something with more rhythm, and she knew it was time to invite all the guests to join them on the dance floor.

They shared a few dances with Henry, Roland and even Hailey, but when Robin noticed the baby girl was in good hands with her older brother and Roland was having fun with Emma and little Neal, Robin took advantage and grabbed Regina's hand, announcing he would 'steal the queen for a bit', and asked Snow to keep an eye on baby Ryan, who was already sleeping in his stroller, away from the confusion.

She didn't protest, following him to a quieter place, away from prying eyes, where he immediately pulled her for a kiss, earning a surprised moan from his wife when his lips captured hers and his hands brought her closer to him.

"I know this sounds selfish, but... when can I take you home?" he asked between kisses, making her giggle at his exasperation when he moved to her neck.

They had agreed with Emma the kids would stay at her house that night, to make up for the night before when they hadn't been able to be together, and had been enough to seem like an eternity for the couple.

"Easy, thief, we don't want to be surprised," she giggled, trying to make him leave her neck at the prospective of someone walking on them, or worse, she knew the kids could come looking for them at any time, but he didn't seem too worried, his lips left her neck to find her collarbone, covering that area with gentle kisses and making her just enjoy the moment for a few seconds before she tried again, "or end up with one more," she knew that would make him stop, and as she was expecting, he lifted his head to look at her as soon as the words were out of her mouth, his eyes widened, making her laugh at his expression, "No, I'm not pregnant, in fact, I..." she stopped, knowing that it was probably the right time to talk to him about that issue, "I have the appointment to put the contraceptive implant next week," she informed, waiting to see his reaction to her news, and she could swear that she had spotted a bit of disappointment in his eyes, "I thought you'd be happy to know we won't need any more barriers between us," she teased, trying to put a smile on his face and remembering how he wasn't pleased to have to return to condoms when they started to sleep with each other again after her second pregnancy.

But he just gave her a faint smile, intertwining his fingers with hers as he addressed her, "This will be our decision of not having any more kids, right?" he asked, just to make sure they were on the same page since he barely understood the implant issue.

"For now, yes, but this is not permanent. We can talk about this again in a few years," she offered, noticing he just didn't want to give up that option, "I just think that, Hailey and Ryan, and even Roland... they are still so young and I'd like to be there for them... I think with another baby I wouldn't be able to give the attention they need. To all of them."

"I think you'd be a great mother no matter what," he replied, bringing his hand to her face and letting her lean into his touch as he caressed her cheek, "but maybe you're right, maybe it's all about timing," he smiled, making a smile appear on her lips too, at the same time she intertwined her fingers with his on her face.

"But I want this to be your decision too, Robin, you don't need to feel like you have to agree with me," she urged, because she really needed to know that she would do that for both of them.

"It is, you don't need to worry about me, okay?" he reassured her, capturing her lips and just parting the enough so she could mutter an'okay' against his mouth before she crashed her lips into his again in a lingering kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, at the same time his embraced her by her waist, and they remained like that for a while until the cry of an angry baby reached their ears, making them pull away with a chuckle when they realized who it was.

"Mom, I think you need to feed him," Henry's voice made her turn in Robin's embrace, a big smile appearing on both their parent's lips when they were faced with their four kids standing there, looking at them.

"You were right, four is enough to interrupt us," he whispered in her ear, making her laugh as he kissed her cheek before he released her from his embrace so she could pick the crying baby from his brother's arms.

"He doesn't need to eat, he just needs some cuddles, right, my little prince?" she cooed, holding him against her chest and sitting with him on one of the benches, gesturing for the rest of the family to join her. Henry and Roland took the seats beside her, one on each side of their mother, while Robin sat next to Roland, pulling Hailey into his lap. They remained to stare at the sky, at every star that could be seen, and her memory led her to her night with Robin in his tent, to their moment watching the stars together, "Would you like to go camping someday?" she suddenly asked, taking all of them by surprise, when she remembered when she had told Robin she wouldn't mind spending a night in the woods with their family. She knew that was a part of Robin and that he had passed that on to his son, and now with two more members of the family, she needed to make sure they would get that part from their father too.

"Yes!" Roland was the first to answer, throwing his arms around Regina and jumping in his seat in a little celebration, "Henry and Hailey could sleep in my tent, and you and Ryan could stay with papa," he said excited, already planning the whole thing in his head.

"It would be cool, mom," Henry answered when he noticed she was waiting for his answer. She knew Roland would love it, so she was asking that question purposely to know if her older son would like it too.

"It's settled then," she smiled at Robin, who gestured a 'thank you' with his lips to let her know he was really thankful for everything she did for them, and in a swift move she leaned forward, earning an annoyed roll of eyes from their middle boy when she captured Robin's lips one more time, the perfect way to end their wedding day.

Hi! So this was really the end, I hope you liked and let me know if you do. I really liked to write this story!

It took me a little longer to publish the one-shot because I wanted to publish the first chapter of my new fic on the same day, and I really will :P It will be a bit different, but I hope you give it a chance and maybe you like it :)

Anyway, thank you for your support in this story!