Monday brought with it endless complaints from townsfolk hell bent on driving her mad with their idiocy and, on a happier vein, more white lilies from a man who already tested her sanity despite having only known him a little while.

They were tucked behind the wiper on her windscreen when she emerged from her house at 8:30am that morning, their petals scattered all the way up the stairs and leading right to her office door in the town hall and waiting in a vase on her desk when she let herself in, studiously ignoring the smirk Anita was trying - and failing - to hide.

A note was balanced against them, his messy scrawl pulling at her heartstrings as she placed the files in her arms down onto her desk and picked it up to read.

I wish I could've stayed and held you all night, m'lady but I fear that such an honour does not befit a man such as I. I hope to, one day, deserve your affections but for now, know that you are never far from my mind.

Yours, Robin x

Her grin was wide, eyes wet as she chuckled and shook her head at the very thought of him sneaking about this morning and planting all of these things before he had, no doubt, made his own way to work.

An idea struck her as she made her way behind her desk, still smiling to herself, making sure to place the note in her drawer before sitting and reaching for the phone.

It rang only three times before his voice sounded in her ear.

"Sheriff's station, Robin speaking, how may I help?"

Her head tilted as she leaned back in her chair and replied coolly, "I'd like to report a break-in at the Mayor's office if I may?"

There was a pause as he no doubt kept himself from laughing at the sound of her voice before he asked, feigning seriousness despite the smirk present in his tone, "Of course, how can I be of service, Madame Mayor?"

Her eyes closed, thighs pressing together as she whispered, "Asshole," and pursed her lips to keep from grinning at his warm chuckle. "Thank you for the flowers," he hummed in response, "and for my note."

"I meant every word."

"I know you did," she replied softly, sitting a little straighter in her chair as she continued, "but you are worthy of me, Robin. You've done nothing wrong in any of this."

"Well if that is so then you certainly haven't done anything wrong, despite your beliefs."

"I should've told you the first time that I saw you again."

"And I shouldn't have just dropped you at your door and left without a word," he sighed heavily, "we both have our regrets in this, Regina but…I think I can speak for both of us when I say that dwelling on the 'what ifs' and 'shoulda woulda coulda's isn't going to do us any good moving forward. We both want the same thing, a future, so I believe that, as of today, we should start fresh." When she said nothing in response, he prompted, "Is that okay with you?"

"Did you really say 'shoulda woulda coulda'?"

He chuckled in exasperation and she couldn't help but smile at the sound, knowing that she'd pulled it from him, "Out of all that I've just said, that is what you focus on?"

"I'm kidding," she chuckled softly, "and yes," she answered almost shyly, "I'd like that, to start fresh with you. It's why I called actually."

"Ah," the teasing returned to his voice, instantly curling the corners of her lips, "so you're not going to have me arrested then?"

Her eyes rolled despite knowing he couldn't see it as she breathed a laugh, "Not yet, anyway."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, how can I be of service?"

Regina's smile faded a little as old insecurities crept through her despite his constant and sincere reassurances. She bit at her bottom lip, swivelling gently in her chair and fidgeting with the coiled telephone wire before asking, "I was wondering if you'd...uh," she was being ridiculous, the man had seen her naked - she was having his baby for Christ sakes! - but still, she couldn't help her shyness. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch…You don't have to if you already have plans or if you're busy, I just thought-"

"I will never be too busy for you, Regina." Her heart fluttered as she tried to keep her shuddered exhale of relief as silent as possible, "I would love to have lunch with you, did you have somewhere in mind or would you like me to pick us something up?"

"Oh," she laughed, touching a palm to her cheek - she was blushing despite the fact he couldn't even see her - "I hadn't actually thought that far ahead." The idea had only popped into her head 5 minutes ago, not that he knew that.

He chuckled softly, the timbre of his voice as soothing as it was warming, "I'll grab us something on the way over, say twelve-thirty?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I'll see you soon, beautiful."

She rolled her eyes at the endearment before saying her own goodbye and putting the phone down, all the while marvelling that he made her feel exactly as he'd called her - beautiful.

She woke to the feeling of soft fingers smoothing through her hair, found herself practically purring at the wonderfully addictive sensation as she nuzzled her cheek into her arm before realising what was actually happening; she was asleep, in the middle of the work day, on her office couch and some unknown visitor was stroking her like a damn cat.

He wasn't unknown, that much she worked out before opening her eyes with a sharp inhale, but still, the sight and feel of him so close to her - he was kneeling on the ground beside her, grinning at her sleepy expression - was surprising and disorienting all at once.

"Oh."

"Good afternoon, Madam Mayor."

His grin was smug but her energy was low and so, despite the flare of arousal that tickled at her gut, she gave him nothing more than a tired glare in response before pushing herself into a sitting position and wiping a hand over her face.

"I wasn't sure whether or not to wake you," he confessed with a half grimace, half smile, shifting on his feet to give her the space to swing her legs off of the couch to rest her socked feet on the floor, "but I also didn't want your food to get cold."

She took his offered hand and allowed him to help her to her feet, her stomach rumbling at the wonderful smell that filled the room. "No, thank you," she replied, "you were right to."

He watched her for a moment more before he allowed his smile to grow and leaned forward to press a kiss to her temple.

"What smells so good?"

He chuckled softly, his breath ruffling her hair with his lips still pressed to her skin before he pulled back and grinned down at her. "I wasn't quite sure what to get for you as we haven't shared too many meals together just yet but what I do know is that you are most certainly not a vegetarian," he shrugged as he skimmed his fingers down her arm to catch her hand and began leading her towards the long table usually reserved for meetings, "so I thought the safest option to be burgers and fries."

Her stomach rumbled loudly at the very thought of it. "I'm sorry," she gasped, lifting her free hand to her lips with wide eyes as he turned and laughed amusedly but not cruelly.

"Don't ever apologise for your body, Regina."

She rolled her eyes when she caught onto the underlying flirtation in his words before thanking him when he pulled out her chair and watching as he pulled his own out beside her and dropped into it before pulling out their food. Her eyes lingered on him as he did so, moving over his handsome features, still astounded by the fact that, just a little under two months ago, he'd meant nothing to her yet now, he was already beginning to mean quite a lot. She had to physically remind herself not to fall too quickly though. They were still practically strangers despite their easy intimacy.

"Do you always think so loudly?"

She blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"I can practically hear your brain ticking away in that pretty head of yours." He chuckled good-naturedly as he unwrapped her burger and tipped her fries onto the paper just as he had with his own, "good thoughts, I hope?"

She shrugged, swallowing down her initial urge to pull her walls up before she grabbed a fry and bit into it, offering him a coy, "Perhaps," that he grinned at before picking up his burger and taking a bite, still smiling stupidly at her.

His palms were warm and comforting against her cheeks, thumbs stroking over their apple of them as their mouths parted before meeting again in a slow kiss that had her breath shuddering out of her. The pace was one he'd set and one she desperately wanted to maintain as desire swirled low in her gut.

He was supposed to be leaving, his lunch hour having almost finished, and yet here they were, unable to part and completely unapologetic for it.

Her fingers curled against his bicep, bunching his shirt in her fist when he dragged his tongue against her own and he pushed her head harder against the wall he already had her pressed against. She was absolutely intoxicated by him and he by her apparently. So much so that neither noticed as her office door opened.

Her arm was just sliding up and around his neck to pull him impossibly closer when they both heard two very similar outcries of, "Gross!"

Their lips parted with a wet smack as Robin's head turned and Regina's eyes moved to find Emma and a very pale looking Henry cringing at them. "I- what are you doing here?"

"The kid's sick," the blonde replied, swallowing with a shake of her head as though to rid her mind of the image of them before asking, "can he sit here with you until I get off shift?"

"Of course," Regina replied, clearing her throat lightly when Robin removed his hands from her face and gave her the space to step from the wall, "I still have a spare blanket in my drawer and some crackers too, do you want to get yourself set up on the sofa sweetheart and I'll grab you a soda to settle that stomach?"

He nodded pitifully, forgetting his initial discomfort and closing his eyes and sagging against her when she stepped up to him and cuddled him into her. The embrace only lasted a moment though before he murmured something into her chest.

"Say that again, sweetheart?"

He lifted his face, eyelids flickering as she stroked them through his hair, heavy with sleep of the ill, before he rested his chin on her chest and asked again, "Why was your tongue in Robin's mouth?"

Her hand stilled as her mouth opened but no words came out.

Emma's laughter was loud and Robin's poorly contained as Henry simply kept staring at her, clearly awaiting a serious answer that she couldn't give. "Are you two, like, a thing now?"

"Yeah, Regina." Emma joined in, her body shaking even harder with her laughter when the brunette glared murderously at her, "Are you?"

"Is he the baby's Dad?!" Henry's eyes slammed shut as he rocked into her a little more with a groan that had her palm lifting to his forehead and tutting.

"You need to lie down, young man," she sighed, moving to lead an all too willing Henry to the sofa. "I'll get you some soda, okay?"

"You gonna be okay here, kid?" Emma asked sympathetically as she moved across the room to kneel before him, stroking back his bangs from his face with a concerned frown as he nodded with eyes still closed. "Okay, you need me just have Aunt Regina call."

"I will." He curled himself a little tighter on the couch with a sudden shiver before lifting his head carefully when Regina returned with a soft feather pillow and curling the blanket she placed over him tight around his body. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, Henry," she replied, bending to press a kiss to his temple before standing straight and telling him, "I'll be back soon, get some sleep, okay?"

"He will, I'll make sure of it."

Emma nodded her thanks to Regina with a grateful smile before turning to Robin and teasing gently, "You finished sucking the lips off of her or do you need a minute more?" she turned to grin at a blushing Regina as she shrugged, "Cause I can wait outside and I'm sure the kid doesn't mind closing his eyes-"

"You're so gross, Mom."

"Henry's right," Regina grumbled embarrassedly, rolling her eyes at her friend before those dark eyes narrowed suspiciously when she caught Robin's boyish grin. "Wha-"

"I'm afraid Emma's right in her assumption," he began, slowly walking towards her and chuckling when she matched every one of his steps forward with a step back, "I do need a minute more."

"Why aren't I asleep yet!?" Henry grumbled from the sofa, burrowing further beneath the blanket as Emma laughed good-naturedly and tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

He continued advancing on her, no doubt spurred on by her silence for she found herself absolutely unable to stop him despite their audience. He did though, stop that is, just out of reach of her as he looked at her for a moment, smirking wildly, and asked, "Is this okay?"

And she knew, were she to tell him no, that he would do nothing more than press a goodbye kiss to her cheek and leave for the rest of his shift but, as it were, she found herself giving him an almost imperceptive nod and smiling a little when he stepped forward enough to take her hips in his hands.

"May I walk you home after your shift?"

He was finishing at 4 today whereas she was finishing at 5. "I drove here."

Robin chuckled, biting at his lower lip in a way that made her want to do it for him before he grinned and amended, "May I walk you to your car then?"

Her brow furrowed but her smile remained as she curled her fingers around his forearms and tilted her head. "You want to come all the way here just to walk me to my car?"

"Of course," he replied so simply and easily that she found her heart melting in her chest.

Despite his earlier intentions, it was Regina that found herself lifting a hand from his arm to cup his cheek as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips - it was perfect (and disappointingly) chaste for she wasn't completely unaware of their audience - before replying with a rather smitten, "I would love for you to walk me to my car."

He grinned, leaning in to steal one last kiss before he turned and took his leave with a far too amused Sheriff Swan.

She took her eyes from her laptop screen, looking over and smiling softly at the sight of her Godson still sound asleep on the sofa opposite her with his thumb in his mouth. It was a habit he'd picked up as a baby and that only reappeared when he was either exhausted or sick. It melted her heart to see and only had her aching for the days when he was a baby again.

She wondered if her own child would do the same.

It still astounded her, knowing that a baby was growing inside of her with every passing second of every single day. It was still extremely small, her stomach only just beginning to curve, but still, there was a life within her that she was nurturing and protecting with her own body.

For so long - most of her teens - she'd been unable to shake the labels that her mother had sewn onto her skin. Bad. Ungrateful. Hateful. Worthless. Unlovable. She'd believed that nothing good could ever come from her for if her mother couldn't love her, then who else ever could.

Her father, of course, had worked so very hard at picking apart those vicious seams and putting her back together with his unyielding love. He'd built her back up as best he could but still, those thoughts had always lingered in the back of her mind.

But now. Now she had created something with a man that she was beginning to feel was incredibly good, something that she would shield from the evils of this world, something that she would never dare hurt as her mother had hurt her.

This child was healing what no one else could and it hadn't even taken its first breath yet.

She let her eyes linger over Henry for a long moment more - she loved him like he too was her own child and how she couldn't wait for him to meet the baby, to see him interact with her little bundle - before she dropped her eyes to the email she had been drafting for the past half hour, the want to do something nice for Robin bringing out the perfectionist in her.

Robin

He grinned against the skin of her neck, lifting his face to nip at the corner of her jaw playfully before pulling back to look into those impossibly dark eyes that were gleaming with her smile. Smug.

"I think you do it on purpose now."

Her eyebrows raised in amusement as she asked, "You think I purposefully mother my Godson in front of you?" and when he nodded without hesitation, she breathed a laugh and asked, "Why would I want to do that?"

"To torture me," he groaned as his fingers flexed against her hips and he pinned her a little heavier against the car door, "you know what it does to me. God help me when our own child is born."

Regina's smile faltered at that as she blinked in surprise and her lips parted though no words came out, her beautifully expressive eyes so utterly captivating as they moved between his own. She still wasn't fully convinced that he wasn't just going to disappear into thin air and he absolutely hated himself for it.

Slowly and tentatively, he trailed his open palm from her hip up to the gentle swell of her belly as he held her gaze and assured her, "The two of you are it for me, Regina. I know so already despite having only truly known you for a week." He shook his head as he looked down to his hand and back to her face again, "I can't tell you that there won't be times I get nervous or frightened about how quickly all of this is going but I can promise that I will speak to you about it when I do and only hope that you'll do the same…"

She watched him for a moment longer - he felt as though he could spend an entire day just looking over her face and never get enough of her - before she nodded gently as a small and careful smile curled her lips. Her soft palm covered the back of the hand still resting on her stomach as she let loose a beautifully breathy laugh and tipped her face up to his in a way that was slowly becoming wonderfully familiar.

This kiss was different than the others they'd shared, a promise lacing each pass of their lips as her other hand lifted to cup his jaw and his fingers flexed on her hip.

They were still touching her stomach, as though they could feel the growing life within and he found himself falling even harder for her as he tilted his head to-

"Oh."

They broke apart, heads turning to find a man Robin had never seen before standing by the rear of her car with eyes steady on his face. His brow furrowed gently when the woman who'd been so pliant and soft in his arms stiffened instantly. "Sidney…"

"Forgive me, Madame Mayor," he caught the barely perceptible cringe at the title he'd taken to so fondly, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

His tone suggested otherwise. Robin found he already didn't like this man.

"It's no problem, Sidney," Regina's voice firmed around the edges as she straightened her blouse and pushed off from the car door, adopting her professional stance without forcing Robin away from her - he was as appreciative of that as he was wary for she kept herself a little behind him. Was she scared of this man? - "did you want something?"

"No," he replied with eyes still on Robin, no doubt burning to know just who he was, "nothing that can't wait until the morning." And then, as though he were a completely different person, his lips curved into a smile and he tilted his head as he continued, "Have a pleasant evening."

They both watched, Regina's hand discreetly finding his as she squeezed at his fingers, as the strange man turned back the way that he came and walked away without a glance back at them.

When he was completely out of sight, his lovely brunette sagged back against the door with a heavy exhale and moved a hand through her hair as she shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

She licked her lips as she tried to work through her emotions before she turned her gaze to him and replied, "I don't know but knowing Sidney…" There was a fear in her eyes that unsettled him almost as much as the strange man in question, "It won't be anything good."