Cherish the Peanut Week

A celebration of family, hope, life and love. Art by @herardentwish.

[lala-kate]

Full Circle

So this is my final entry for @cherishthepeanut week. It was an emotional roller-coaster to write. 

TW: Rape and abuse

She should have listened to her parents. She knows that now.

They’d seemed so wise when she was little, infallible, all-powerful, the leaders of her perfect family within the perfect walls of her perfect house. Her childhood had been filled with bear hugs and hot cider, with bedtime stories, piano lessons, and family dinners around the table. But then she’d heard things–things about her, about a woman named Zelena, inferences about bad blood, black magic and something called rape, and she’d started to withdraw from her once perfect world into a place where nobody could touch her, where she couldn’t be hurt.

Her parents reached out continually, as did Henry and Roland, and at times they’d cut through the veils of self-protection she’d started to weave and her life would feel light again, almost magical. She’d experience that magic when she played with Neal or practiced archery in the back yard with Roland and her dad. But then someone would break the Locksley spell, as she’d come to think of it, with a biting remark or accusatory stare.

Bad Blood. Black Magic. Spawn.

Words hurt far worse than either sticks or stones, she quickly learned, and the scars they left went far deeper than those etched into skin. The best defense is a good offense, Roland had told her after football practice one day, and she started processing the meaning of his words as she began to grow breasts and experience a woman’s cycle.

As a child, she’d been taunted. As a woman, she’d be untouchable. She’d see to that.

Her mother was first to recognize the signs and reached in deep, touching the heart of the little girl she’d raised with the warnings of one who’d travelled paths she’d never wish on her children.

You’re not her. You’re your own person. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Don’t give into hate.

Her dad spoke with logic, his words always gentle yet seasoned with a truth she shied away from, unwilling to bear the stings of disapproval from the outside world any longer.

You’re my daughter, too. My blood is also in your veins. Never forget that love is a choice–that parenting is a choice. Listen to your real mother. Pay no mind to the words of the small-minded.

But the small-minded were persistent, and so her walls grew thicker until she’d blocked out everyone who loved her, who truly knew her, who stood resolutely beside her even as she began to destroy herself.

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[outlawqueenbey]

DNA isn’t everything

When Rose Locksley was born Regina was terrified, not because she didn’t think she couldn’t love this little girl, that thought was stamped out the moment she laid eyes on her. But she was terrified of being a Mother to a girl. Her past hadn’t exactly given her the best idea of how a mother and daughter relationship was supposed to go. But Regina also wasn’t stupid, she knew how to love a child, therefore in reality this one should be no different. Maybe it was the fear Rose would grow up and not love her back. Regina knew DNA wasn’t everything, she had Henry and Roland who she adored and who both adored her back. After Zelena had been sent back to OZ, Regina felt a sense of safety, together her and Robin and decided to keep her conception away from her. Robin wanted Regina to be Rose’s mother, and for that Regina was beyond grateful.

In the first years it was easy, Rose clung to Regina every moment of every day. Majority of the towns people would laugh over the fact that the little blonde girl would hold her mother so tight Regina didn’t need to hold her. It was like a koala baby hugging it mother. Where ever Regina went, Rose Locksley was there, glued to her hip. Regina loved it, the overwhelming love her daughter had. She figured she would be a total daddy’s girl, but it was the absolute opposite. She adored her papa, but the second Regina walked through the door, Rose would tear away from Robin, arms open wide with a happy smile, throwing herself into Regina.

Robin couldn’t have been happier either. Seeing how his daughter mimicked everything Regina did. She was her hero, her world and everything in between. He’d sit in the kitchen watching them bake, or smile when he’d walk into their bedroom and Regina would be sitting in the floor, letting their daughter brush her hair, pulling it into an array of wild hairstyles. Many a day, the Queen would come down in pigtails and bows in her hair, her daughter in a matching outfit just because. He was also silently thankful that in those first few years his daughter seemed to bear no resemblance to her biological mother. Her eyes were bright blue, skin soft and rosy, deep set dimples in chubby cheeks, and long curly blonde hair.

But as the years progressed they began to notice the slight red tinge, turning sunshine colored hair into a strawberry blonde and finally into a dark auburn red. He had brushed off her questions in the beginning about her new hair color, a white lie that his mother was a red head, so that’s where she must have got it from. So life went on, Rose and Regina being thick as thieves until one day everything changed. Rose had come home from school, a week before her 12th birthday in a foul mood, and yet not foul, but unnervingly quiet and reserved, much different than her usual laid back easy way. He tried to ask her, but she ran up into her room, slamming the door shut with bang. Regina came home about an hour later, somewhat shocked she wasn’t immediately greeted by a bear hug from her daughter. She found Robin sitting in the den, nursing a whiskey with a heavy set frown in his face.

“Robin, what’s wrong?” she sat down beside him, kissing his cheek before sitting back into the sofa. He shook his head, staring back at the amber liquor, “It’s Rose. She was upset today and I don’t know why? She wouldn’t talk to me”

Regina smiled at her husband, patting his cheek gently “I’ll go talk to her”

She climbed the steps, knocking softly on the door yet received no answer. “Rose? Honey can I come in?”

She pushed the door open, peering around the corner to find her daughter sitting cross legged on the bed, her face beat red and she hastily wiped tears from her face. Regina’s heart clenched, “Baby what’s wrong?” She padded quickly over to Rose, climbing into the bed in panic. The young girl flinched at Regina’s hand that went to grab her hand, shuffling back into the bed away. Regina inhaled sharp, not used to this reaction from her baby girl.

“Rose? Talk to me?” Her eyes searched frantically over the red head’s face, desperately searching for something.

“You lied to me” Rose’s voice barely above a whisper “Both you did”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m not your daughter” Blue eyes met brown, scowling through their evident pain. Regina sank, feeling the hard bubble rise into her throat. She tried to smile, close the distance between her daughter “Honey yes you are”

“NO! YOU’RE LYING AGAIN!” Rose screamed, scrambling up the bed, stuffing a pillow into her torso as a barrier.

It was a horrid flashback, to years ago when Henry yelled the same thing at her. Her heart broke, as memories began to flood her mind, memories of pain, anguish and fear that she was losing her son.

“Rose, I don’t know where you heard that, but it’s not true” She trembled as the fear rose.

“I heard Blue talking at Granny’s diner. She said that it was about time I began to reflect my real mother…..”

Regina blood boiled, how dare that woman bring this pain into her daughters’ world. She would deal with that insufferable fairy later. All that mattered was the tears that were falling form her daughters’ eyes.

“Baby listen to me….” Her begging was cut off by the anger of the girl in front of her

“NO! Both you and Daddy have lied to me. I’m not yours! I heard everything. I’m the Wicked Witch’s daughter. The lady that stole Daddy from you. She got pregnant with me in New York. I’m not your daughter. You aren’t my mom!” She sobbed uncontrollably into the pillow and Regina could help but move closer, pulling her baby girl into a hug. Rose tensed “Let go of me!” she tried to shove Regina off, pushing against the embrace till she wriggled free.

“Rosalie!” Regina shook out, desperation in her voice as the tears brimmed in her eyes.

“You don’t love me. You never did”

“That’s not true!”

“It is true! You only love me because I’m Daddy’s!”

“Honey no!”

Regina scrambled from the bed as Rose ran from the room, thundering down the stairs through her tears.

“Rosalie stop! Honey please!” She chased her daughter down the steps, horrified in her panic. The front door swung open as the younger girl ran from the house “LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU’RE NOT MY MOTHER!”.

Robin ran from the study at the commotion, watching in shock as his daughter sprinted from the house crying, Regina following down the stairs. Roland came running out from his room “What’s going on?!”

Regina stumbled at the last step, falling into Robin’s arms, screaming out for their daughter to stay.

“Regina! What happened?”

“She knows Robin” she choked out between tears, “That fucking Blue Fairy….Oh God Robin….we have to get her back”

His heart shattered as he clung to Regina, pulling her into his arms “What? What does she know Regina?”

“Everything, about Zelena…” Regina’s tears poured from her eyes as her breath began to hyperventilate. He pressed a kiss into her temple, through his own fear and panic “We will get her back. It’s okay. I’ll go get her” He stood, pulling Regina to her feet.

“No”

They turned to face their grown son, his expression stern. He had grown so fast, once unruly brown curls now trimmed behind his ears, the chubby face gave way to a strong jaw, broad shoulders like his father. It was incredible that he was now 17, a young man in his own right.

“I’ll go; she will listen to me”

Regina and Robin stood together, Regina still clutching through her tears against Robin’s chest as he nodded, knowing his son would be able to bring her back. They watched as Roland grabbed his keys and coat, firing off a text to someone they weren’t certain who before he ran from the house into the dark night.

Roland drove down the darkened streets, knowing exactly where his sister was to go. The truck pulled over at the park, his seat belt un-clicking as he made way to the swings where she was. He sighed, taking the swing next to her through their silence.

“Go away Roland” she barked.

He smirked, “Not a chance Rosie”

“Did they send you?… To lie to me more?” she scoffed back, wiping away the falling tears.

“Nope, I wanted to talk to you”

“Why” she sniffed, as he tugged her from her swing, walking her gently towards the park bench.

“Because, we have more in common than you think” Henry came around from the other side unsuspecting.

“What are you doing here?” Rose questioned

“I wanted to show you something” Henry commented back, squishing his sister between him and his brother.

Roland pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling through his phone before settling on a particular photo, pushing the phone into Rosalie’s hands.

She frowned at photo in front of her “Who’s that?”

Roland shrugged, hugging his sister in close “That is my biological mother, Marian”

Rose’s eyes creased, not understanding.

“She is the woman who gave birth to me…..much like Zelena is your biological mother”

“And you know Emma. She is mine, but Regina is my mother, always had been, always will be” Henry added with a smile.

“They lied to me”

“Don’t think of it as lying. They were trying to protect you from knowing the real truth about Zelena”

“It’s the same thing” she groaned.

“Maybe, but Zelena was wicked. And mom and dad saved you from her” Roland squeezed her shoulders

“I get it. I was mad with Regina when I found out about Emma. I caused her a lot of pain, but in the end I knew that she truly loved me, that I was her son”

“But everything I know is a lie” she croaked.

“Is it? Regina may not be your own blood, but she loves you, like a mother should. She raised you and though you may feel lost right now, never ever forget the fact that she could have walked away from all of us…. But she didn’t. She chose to love us, to take us in, raise us as her own ever through her own pain…” Henry suggested.

“Her pain? What could she possible have pain over?”

Roland sighed, finding his older brothers wise eyes. “Think about it Rosie. She raised Henry, but almost had him taken away after the first curse but chose to fight for him instead. Me, she didn’t have to love me, but the moment we met I knew I had found my mother. She loved me, and I found my mother in her eyes. And then you….”

Roses’ blue eyes found her brothers dark chocolate ones, scanning his face with the scrunch of her nose.

“She and dad were completely deceived by Zelena, she pretended to be my mom, and Regina let dad go, giving us our best chance. Can you imagine how hard that was for her, to watch her soulmate leave after just finding him?”

Roland smiled at his younger sister, hoping she would start to see the light behind her pain.

“She fought so hard to get Dad back, even after Zelena gave birth to you, she never gave up…” Roland continued.

“because, she loves you, just like she loves us” Henry finished.

Rosalie sighed, Regina truly was the only mother she had known. After every tear that fell her she was there, every nightmare, it was Regina who sang her a lullaby to sleep, after every question that was answered, and every hug and kiss, it was Regina behind it. Her heart sank

“I screwed up didn’t I?” she whimpered, leaning into Roland’s shoulder.

“Nah sis, I think mom and dad knew this day would come. But you need to decide what you want. They will tell you about Zelena is you wish, and you will know about the mother that was wicked and cruel, or… you can choose, to love the only real mother we have all had” Henry leaned in, hugging his sister tight.

The three siblings sat together, letting the chill of night attempt to break their warm embrace.

“It’s tough, I get it. And if you ever want to talk, well that is what big brothers are for!” Henry chimed.

“I thought you were here to scare me with spiders and beat off every boy that dare look at me?” She smiled,

“Well that too. It’s our right as your siblings” Roland bumped her shoulder.

“So do you wanna do home?” Her oldest brother questioned.

“Yeah, I wanna see mom” She sighed through a watery smile.

Regina and Robin sat on the couch, silently watching minutes tick by, her fear bubbling in her stomach. Maybe they should have told Rose from the start, but all they wanted to do was keep this kind of pain, a pain that regardless she had been subjected to.

“It’s gonna be alright” Robin pressed a kiss to her temple, squeezing her hand in the process.

She couldn’t say anything, afraid that the tears would fall if she dare open her mouth, instead she stared at the door, waiting for her children to come home.

As if on cue, the door cracked open, Henry leading the foray as Rose and Roland trailed behind. Regina’s breath halted, waiting to see what her daughter would say.

Rose said nothing, tears filling her eyes as she caught Regina’s longing gaze. The young girl, fell into the sofa, clutching to her mother as her face buried into the vanilla apple spice that her life clung to. Regina encased her daughter in a heavy hug, breathing hard into the dark red hair as the tears fell.

“I get it” Rose huffed out into Regina’s neck “I understand why you didn’t want to tell me about Zelena…why you and dad kept that secret”

Robin circled his arms around his daughter and wife, pulling them tight into his chest.

“We never meant to hurt you Rosie, I promise” he whispered into Regina’s hair.

Rose sighed, clinging to her parents “I know. I’m sorry”

Regina hugged her daughter tight, her fingers tugging through the red hair beneath. They had a long road ahead, but Regina was sound in the fact that she wouldn’t give up, not now, not ever.

“I love you mom” Rose kissed her cheek before settling back into her chest, letting her mothers heart beat soothe her soul.

“I love you to, peanut”

[quillerqueen]

Here’s my contribution to last week’s @cherishthepeanut​, all the stories neat and handy in one post for your convenience (and mine).

Many thanks to @lala-kate​ and @trina-deckers for hosting, and to everyone who participated in any way - be it fanfic, fanart, reblogs or likes. I still have half a week’s worth of posts to go through and enjoy. Thank you! :)

Chasing Time Day 1: Milestones. On notable firsts and which parent sheds tears the first day of kindergarten.

I Loved You First Day 2: Daddy’s Girl. Robin’s thoughts on Peanut’s first night home, a vow he makes, and a glimpse into the future.

Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart Day 3: Mother Knows Best. Peanut has an accident that jumpstarts important conversations. Regal Peanut bonding over magic and more, a bit of Daddy Robin meeting Peanut’s crush, and some angsty / funny / sweet Outlaw Queen moments.

When You Choose Love Day 4: Life With Siblings. The new baby sister isn’t quite what Roland or Henry imagined, and perhaps that’s a good thing after all. After a rocky beginning comes something sweet and fluffy - from Roland’s POV, then from Henry’s. Hood-Mills family all around.

Treasure Day 5: Friends and Extended Family. On her first birthday away from home, Peanut reminisces about all the previous ones and about the people who made them special.

Am I Still Yours? Day 6: Questions and Answers. Little Peanut comes across her own story in Henry’s book and seeks reassurance on the most important points.

Dormant Day 7: Free Day. Robin and Regina in the Underworld struggling with Penaut’s arrival and their immediate separation. Special appearance by Cora, and a bit of Regal Believer is a must.

[believingispowerfulmagic]

Cherish the Peanut: Free Day

I know this is late, but I fell asleep on my couch Friday night and had only a few paragraphs written. But it doesn’t matter because people are free to keep submitting things for Cherish the Peanut week! Let’s keep the love going!

Jamie raised her bow, arrow nocked. She took a deep breath before letting it fly, spinning through the air with a screech. It landed right on the bullseye of the target several yards away from her.

“Verra good,” Merida said, approaching Jamie. She nodded. “You’re going to do well this weekend.”

“We’re unstobbable.” Neal rested his bow against his foot as he smiled at her.

Jamie’s stomach flip-flopped as a blush rose to her cheeks. It was strange but wonderful that it was Neal that awakened such feelings in her. Neal, her best friend and closest companion outside her brother Roland. She trusted no one more.

Their archery coach smiled. “Ahh, young love. About time, I say. Anyway, you two go home and get some rest. I’ll see ye at the competition.”

Once she was gone, Neal held out his hand to Jamie. “Do you want to go get a milkshake at Granny’s?”

“A milkshake sounds great,” she replied, taking his hand. “Lead the way, good sir.”

They carried their gear as they walked hand-in-hand toward Neal’s beat up truck. He sometimes took her to one of the more deserted roads outside Storybrooke and let her drive the truck, for practice he said. She loved those drives, even though she knew she’d be grounded or worse if her parents ever found out.

Jamie paused though as the parking lot came into view. A tall man with a dark hair in a ponytail sat on on a motorcycle, watching the two of them. Her stomach felt like it was in a freefall. “He’s here.”

“Don’t let him get to you,” Neal said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I won’t.”

“What does he want with me?”

“Bastian just wants to upset you and your parents. We ignore him and he can’t.”

Jamie shook her head. “No. This ends now.”

She stormed over to the man, who smirked as she approached. “About time. I knew you couldn’t resist me.”

“What the hell do you want? Just tell me because I’m sick of seeing you everywhere I am.” She crossed her arms, leveling him with a glare her mother would’ve been proud of.

“I think I can help you,” Bastian said, leaning against the handlebars of his motorcycle.

Jamie frowned. “I doubt you can help me with anything.”

“Let me show you,” he replied. “Come to the grove just outside of town. You’ll see.”

Bastian put his helmet on before starting his motorcycle. As he rode off, Neal took her hand. “You’re not going to go, right?”

“I think I have to,” she replied.

Neal turned her to face him. “We can’t trust him.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t go.”

Jamie let go of his hands. “I feel like he’s here for me. So I think I need to go and see if I can get him to stop turning people to stone.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” Neal insisted. “As your friend and boyfriend, I can’t just stand by as you go off to face disaster.”

She sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.”

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[quillerqueen]

Dormant

@cherishthepeanut Week, Day 7: Free Day. Robin and Regina in the Underworld struggling with Penaut’s arrival and their immediate separation. Special appearance by Cora, and a bit of Regal Believer is a must.

Every waking moment and every restless night Robin damns this accursed underworld adventure to hell.

Days and nights are hard to tell apart in a realm never once tickled by the sun and with a starless void for a sky, and he wonders how many have passed since he abandoned his children mere hours after the baby had been born. He has a daughter now, come into this world early amid chaos and strife, and he’s vowed to turn that around for her—to love her more deeply, protect her more fiercely, to never have her feel anything less than the precious gift she is. But what good is his vow to her, what good is he to the poor darling down here?

He’d give her the whole world, and she doesn’t even have a name. That’s the kind of father he’s been to his baby girl so far.

Regina’s fingers lace with his as the group treks through planes of brimstone and pits of lava, their backs singed from waves of heat rolling off the flaming Phlegethon.

“She’s safe, Robin. They’re both safe.”

“I know.” He squeezes her hand, drawing comfort from her touch and her presence, though otherwise inconsolable. “But I’m not there, Regina.”

“I know.”

***

With Hook successfully retrieved, there remains the simple task of finding a way out of the realm of the dead without having to join their ranks. The outer rims of Hades finally in sight, it is agreed they should attempt the breakout after some rest first. Robin loathes the idea of spending yet another hour separated from his children, but even Regina’s word isn’t enough to override everyone else’s unanimous decision to stay and brace their energies for the final battle.

One of the friendlier spirits, a saffron-clad girl, points out a secluded giant elm they retreat under. Eyes close with weary resignation to the inevitable—everyone’s except Robin’s and Regina’s.

Robin has first watch.

Regina hasn’t slept a wink since they entered this wretched land.

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[keepshiningon-blog]

Sunsets

a.k.a. my super late and first entry for @cherishthepeanut Week (Day 7, Free Day): a little ff and a quick sketch  Big thank you to @theonewithoutaclue for helping me with this and encouraging me to post this! <3 :)

She absentmindedly stared out of the tiny plane window as the sky slowly changed its colour from blue to a more orange and pink tone. It seemed like this day was blessed with a beautiful sunset. She felt like she could reach for the clouds, like travelling by herself was a good change for once but a part of her felt lost. Completely lost. She changed her position unhurriedly so she was able to look in the faces of all the strangers who were on the plane as well. Some were watching a movie, others were listening to music. She had never been on a plane on her own before. She carefully turned back to the window, trying to not wake the passenger who was asleep next to her.

A soft smile formed on her lips once her sparkling blue eyes were on the stunning colours of the sunset again. All these shades were different but they still looked like they belonged together as they were part of the same sunset. Somehow that reminded her of her family. Although there was little biological connection, they still were part of the same team and they still loved each other endlessly. There was a special bond between the five of them.

Her big brothers, Henry and Roland, had always protected her and stood up for her when people started picking on her because of the bright orange wavy hair, which she had inherited from her birth mother, Zelena.

Her father, Robin, always did everything in his power to make her happy and give her the best chance possible at life.

And then there was her mother, Regina, who had accepted her, the daughter of her wicked sister, as a part of her family and who loved her to the moon and back. Now that she was older she understood how much pain that must have caused her at one point in her life. But her mother had always made sure that she felt at home in this family, which was somehow really colourful and different but still belonged together because of their special connection.

This magical connection wasn’t formed out of obligation. It was formed out of choice. The choice to love.

Her parents had chosen to love each other despite their dark past.

Her brother Henry had chosen to love their mother although she had made mistakes and he had chosen to love Roland like a brother. At one point he even started considering Robin as a father.

And everybody in this family had welcomed her with open arms and an open heart when she was born, even though nobody had thought they would add another member so quickly. They had chosen to love her despite Zelena being her mother. And the older she got the more she realised that this was the greatest gift the people she loved could have ever given to her. 

It felt really strange to be on a plane without her parents or her siblings. But she knew that no matter where she would go, they would always be with her, because they were connected trough love.  

They would always be with her every step of the way because they were a part of her heart.

[thisisamadhouse]

Cherish the Peanut Week Day 6: Questions and Answers

For @cherishthepeanut This one is a continuation of a little ask fic I had written for Manon @onhowtobecrazy‘s birthday and thought would be fitting for this week. Same verse as Day 2, unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

Roland and the mystery of the baby sister

Roland doesn’t quite know how it happened. How suddenly he has a baby sister with a tuft of blonde hair that turns red when hit by the right light, wide blue eyes that follow him with interest and pink lips that stretch into a smile and let escape gurgles and babbles. Babies are supposed to grow in a mommy’s belly but his sister wasn’t in Regina’s tummy. Henry wasn’t either though and he is still Regina’s son so things are not very clear on that front.

A lot of things feel fuzzy to Roland, he has dreams of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes that he called Mama, of a big, noisy city with strange buildings taller than palaces and lots and lots of people and horseless carriages but he was never in this place and his Mama is long gone. The grownups say he will understand when he is older but Roland wants to know now. He wants to know why Papa and Regina are sad when he asks if Regina is his sister’s mother.

He wants to know why they fought sometimes, before the baby arrived, so loudly that Henry had to try and distract him but he still heard. Fights, hurtful words and slammed doors in the evenings that left his Papa and his Gina with red-rimmed eyes and hoarse voices in the mornings, whispered apologies and tentative touches.

He wants to be a big boy now and know things like Henry does, he wants to be Regina’s brave knight again, a hero who protects his little sister, even though he isn’t exactly sure what her arrival means for their little family. Most of all he just wants to call Regina “Mama” and not feel that little pang in his chest as if he isn’t supposed to.

Roland had always been a sound sleeper when living in the Forest, lulled to sleep by the hooting of owls, the rustling of the wind in the leaves, the reassuring murmur of a flowing river, but it all changed when they came to live in Regina’s castle. While he enjoyed it immensely by day, always looking for his next adventure, more often than not in the company of the Queen herself, by night he found the silence stifling, and now that he and his Papa have come to leave in the big mansion in Storybrooke, no matter how many sheeps he counts, his swirling with thoughts mind won’t let him find rest.

It’s really no surprise that he hears the little cries of his hungry sister coming from the bedroom where his Papa and Regina sleep, even if it’s all the way up the hall from his room. He gets up, barefoot, his little toes wriggling against the colder floor and he heads into the corridor. He opens the door to their room cautiously and spots his Gina sitting in the armchair by the window, feeding the baby a bottle. Ever so watchful, her head snaps up the second the door creaks and she sends him a puzzled smile when she sees him standing there.

She whispers a ‘Come here, sweetie’ and he silently hurries to her. His Papa is sleeping soundly, his familiar light snore echoing in the room along with the suckling noises from his sister.

“You can’t sleep, can you, honey?” Regina states more than asks in a soft voice, stroking his cheek gently with her thumb.

Roland shakes his head, eyes fixed on the baby as he presses himself close to the chair.

“What’s bothering you, sweetheart?” She tries again and he shrugs. “You know you can tell me anything, my little knight.”

He looks up at her when he hears his very own royal nickname and he bites his bottom lip, unsure if he should voice his doubts, but it’s his Gina, his Majesty, looking at him with warm eyes and a smooth hand tangling in his wild curls.

“I just don’t understand where she is from,” he says, indicating the baby. “You and Papa told me she is my sister but I never heard about her before and then she was here, just like that,” he is frustrated and tired and confused.

“It’s complicated Roland,” she starts and he huffs petulantly, bowing his head, but she is not finished and she raises his chin to look him in the eyes. “It is complicated and painful and believe me when I say that I wish we could spare you all this. She is your sister, you have the same father, and how she came into the world doesn’t mean we have to love her any less,” she explains as the baby finishes her bottle, heavy eyelids blinking sleepily. Regina brings her up against her chest, caressing her back.

“But she isn’t yours,” Roland whispers.

“She is mine, like Henry and, I hope, you are. Family is about much more than carrying a child, Roland, it’s more than blood, it’s a choice and I chose you and your father and Henry, and now I’m choosing this baby as well,” Regina replies. “Come here,” she adds, prompting him to climb on her lap. “See, there is enough space to hold you both, and there is definitely enough space to love you all in here,” she presses his little hand against her heart.

“So you’re our Mama, the three of us?” he asks, just to be sure, snuggling as close to her as physically possible and joining his other hand over hers on his sister’s back.

“If you wish me to be,” she answers, trying to hide the fleeting moment of insecurity and doubt that squeezes her insides before he nods eagerly.

“I would like that,” he says, smiling hugely, his dimples showing. He grows serious after a moment. “You will tell me everything one day? About her?”

Regina sighs. “One day, yes, we will tell you.”

“Okay,” he says simply and then is startled by the loud burp the baby lets out.

Regina chuckles. “I guess this means this little one is ready for bed, shall we?”

Roland bites his lip again. “Can I stay here tonight?” He asks shyly.

“Of course you can, sweetheart, you never need to ask.”

They rise up and Regina places the now sleeping baby carefully in the little bassinet they have settled beside the bed while they’re finishing the nursery, and presses a kiss to her brow, Roland imitates her and then grabs her hand. They get under the covers, Roland immediately embracing Regina, resting his head against her chest. Their movements cause Robin to open a bleary eye.

“Everything alright?” He mutters.

“Everything is fine, our boy just needed some proper cuddle time,” Regina tells him and Roland relishes in the ‘our’.

“Who doesn’t,” Robin says, surrounding them with a heavy arm and falling back in his slumber.

For the first time in days, Roland feels the pull of sleep trying to drag him away and he doesn’t resist. He is safe and they will all be alright, because they have Regina by their side, and nothing bad can happen to them with Regina on their team, right?

[starscythe]

Big thank you to @lala-kate​ & @trina-deckers​ for hosting @cherishthepeanut this past week. I was only able to contribute one thing in the end, but I have adored everything that was posted and have read and re-read everything multiple times.

Might I suggest - Cherish the Dimples week for another week? ;)

[cherishthepeanut-blog]

Cherish the Dimples!!!!

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[restrainedubiquity]

Better late than never contribution for @cherishthepeanut  Could be Friends and Family or just a free day ficlet.  Also, I’ve decided EvilCharming Peanut is a thing.  FF.net

“It’s quite the day, isn’t it?” David leans against the fence beside her and bumps their hips as he hands her a glass of champagne.  He looks strange in his suit.  She’s used to him in jeans and flannels, but he still cleans up rather well.  His hair has gone gray (hers would have to if she’d allowed it), but it suits him.  There’s more lines on his face then there probably should be, she notices them all the way the sun hits him and she’s sure that hers are highlighted as well.  Theirs has not been a life free of worry, or of laughter, she reminds herself as she watches the lines at his eyes pull with his smile as he watches the party they’ve stepped away from.

“That it is.”  Regina separated from the group two songs ago, needing a moment to breathe and tap down the myriad of emotions running through her.  She should have known he’d be the one to track her down.  At some point along their journey she had just accepted that he would not stop interjecting himself into her life.  At the same point she had come to appreciate it more than she’ll ever be able to tell him.

“How are you holding up?” He squints into the sun watching his wife dance with their son, while her husband dances with her daughter.  It’s the million dollar question.  He knows she’s doing about as well as he is.

“I’m wondering where the last 24 years have gone.”  She tucks a curl that will never stay and smooths out her dress.  It’s subdued for her; miles from her elaborate gowns, or even the figure hugging dresses or her mayoral days, but it’s not her day and she’s neither of those woman anymore.  “He’s a good man, David.  Not the least bit good enough for her,” she adds with the wicked grin she’ll never lose, “but the best I could have hoped for.”

“Thank you.  David just stands with her for a while, watching the party.  The whole town is there, people he hasn’t seen in years have come back to witness this rare fairytale in their lives.  “I feel the same about her, you know.  You and Robin raised an amazing young lady.  And Neal has been head over heels in love with her since they were children.”  He’s grateful his son found love with Ella.  Although Snow and he would have supported whatever relationship Neal found himself in, he’s unabashedly thankful that being the son of Snow White and Prince Charming is no big deal to the daughter of Robin Hood and the Evil Queen.

“It truly takes a village, doesn’t it?” she laughs after the silence becomes too loud.  The town is dancing, laughing, and drinking too much champagne.  There are no curses, no new evils, just this celebration of love.  “I’m going to miss her so much.”  

David nods silently, looking down at her.  They were leaving tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, crossing the town line and forging their lives outside this sleepy town.  “They’ll come back.”  He drapes an arm over her shoulders and she echoes with her own snaking around his back. “They’ve been away before, Regina, they always come back.”

“I know.”  And she does.  All the children had gone off to schools, careers, adventures beyond their magical borders.  Almost all of them had made their way back to Storybrooke eventually.  It was home.  “This just feels different.  Like they came back for the wedding and they’re just saying goodbye.”  

“And she’s your last one.” She nods silently, the vision of the festivities blurring in tears.  He still has a daughter at home, a surprise Charming addition that will start school this fall. He doesn’t even want to think about the mess he will be when this is her day.  Regina’s smiling up at him, a knowing grin that tells him she’ll hold his hand when his baby girl dances away.  “They just need to get it out of their system,” David brings himself back to today, back to her.  “Look at Henry, our world traveling novelist, but the minute Cora was born he came right back to raise his daughter.  Here.” He sweeps his arm for emphasis, sloshing the remaining champagne into the grass.

Regina scans the crowd until she found Emma cooing over the baby.  “I still can’t believe he named my granddaughter after that woman,” she scoffs, but is grateful for the change in subject.  “I still can’t believe I have a granddaughter.”

“Cora did save him in the Underworld.  She got us all home.”  David knows he doesn’t need to remind her.  As she had said, 24 years had passed in the blink of an eye; her mother’s sacrifice was never far from the front of Regina’s mind.  

Another nod, another drink of champagne and the flute was drained.  She doesn’t want to think about that place, or her mother, or tomorrow when she’ll wake up in a house devoid of children.  She wants to be happy; to enjoy this beautiful evening watching her daughter twirl in her white satin gown, watch carefully tamed curls spin all around her as she throws her head back and laughs.  It’s Regina’s laugh.  After all this time she still has no idea how that happened.  Ella has her father’s baby blues and deep dimples, her mother’s fiery hair, but every time she smiles (which is almost always) she is Regina. The very best parts of her engrained into the child she raised.  

She leaves her glass on the railing as they make their way back towards the party.  Kilian is doing an embarrassing version of the robot with Roland and the littlest Charming.  Ella has twirled from her father’s arms back in to her new husbands and she catches Robin not so subtly wiping the tears from his eyes.  They’ll hold each other tonight and look back on memories of when their baby girl was still a baby.  But until this fantastical night is over, Regina is going to enjoy it. 

 “Dance with me, Charming,” she grabs his hand and pulls him to the center of the floor.  “Our children just got married.” �

[cherishthepeanut-blog]

Yes--you can still submit things to Cherish the Peanut week!

Even though today is officially the last day, feel free to submit tomorrow, Monday, any day next week, any time this year. :D  (My offering for today will probably post tomorrow--still putting on finishing touches) If you feel the urge to write, manip or create art for this family, feel free to submit it to the blog. We’re keeping it open indefinitely. 

Also--if you created works for @cherishthepeanut, I’d like to create a master list by writer/artist with links to everything submitted. Whenever you have the chance, send a link with your url and links/titles to your contributions, and I’ll try to create the master-list during my spring break. 

Let’s continue to cherish each other and spread positivity. And thank you so much for being a part of this week.!

[shannontricia]

She Knows Her Mother

My entry for the final day of @cherishthepeanut

Summary: Robin and Regina discover his daughter’s magic, and that she considers Regina her mother. What will happen when Zelena finds out?

The first time it happened was completely unexpected. Little Elaina had shown no signs of magic in her first few months, and Robin hadn’t really considered whether or not she would. It just wasn’t on his mind and wasn’t something he and Regina had talked about.

Then one morning, they were both woken by a slight thump in the middle of their bed, instead of the crying that usually woke them.

“What the?” Robin said as he started to turn over.

“Careful,” Regina said, quickly, so he stopped his moving. He heard a soft giggle and realized that somehow, his daughter had ended up in their bed. He moved slowly and gently to make sure he wouldn’t roll on the baby girl.

She was giggling, seeming almost proud of herself for managing to teleport herself.

“So, apparently she can transport herself places,” Regina commented, scooping Elaina into her arms.

Keep reading

[ninzied]

Candid [OQ]

For @cherishthepeanut week.

Day 7: Free Day. Loosely based on this prompt from @sometimesangryblackwoman: Extended family pictures are taken but Peanut sleeps through them all. Even the ones of her and Prince Neal. (I hope you don’t mind the minor changes I made to this…hehe.)

For you, @belleoftheballpoint ;)

The Underworld is no place for a child, full of treacherous visions with unwelcome ghosts that lurk around every turn.

Robin knows this, knows that they’d been right to leave the children behind (again, he questions how wise it had been to bring Henry along), but still he feels her absence like a phantom limb, his girl, this unexpected daughter of his he’d been forced to entrust with another.

Selfishly, he thinks that Emma could not have chosen a more inconvenient time to run her lover through with a sword, and it’s with a fair amount of bitterness that Robin pictures his little one now, learning the world without him—those small discoveries they won’t get to share, the moments he’ll miss while he’s away (her cheeks dimpled in a smile, that wide-eyed inquisitive way she’s begun to notice his face, those satisfying burps of hers just after a feed).

This place where they’ve descended—this Storybrooke version of hell—has already begun to wear on their souls, teasing out the darkness that they each carry, haunting them all with its sinister resemblance to home (but smoking at the edges, with a faintly burnt smell to every place they dare breathe in), and Robin, in a half-desperate attempt not to forget where they’re from, digs through his pocket and retrieves his phone.

The signal bars have been depleted, of course, but it’s the photo album Robin is after, swiping his thumb and hoping to gaze upon the few blurred images he’d captured of his carefully swaddled pride and joy before relinquishing her to the fairies.

Instead, he finds a series of pictures he’d not taken himself, distorted angles of familiar smiling faces, all foreheads and awkwardly jutting arms as they turn the camera in on themselves.

And in the center of every photograph is his darling baby girl, though none of them have quite managed to find her at her most flattering: mid-sneeze while Roland peers apprehensively over Regina’s shoulder at his little sister, and then her head near to buried beneath a beaming Uncle John’s beard, with her tiny pink lips contorted around the start of a burp—

Or something else, as Robin gathers from the next snapshot of a startled John, beard now covered in spit up, and his Regina (never more gorgeous than as a mother, to him) taking the corner of a washcloth to their daughter’s chin.

Robin slips his phone back into his pocket, and with a full heart he takes hold of Regina’s hand (she’s been summoning the strength to smile beside him as they walk, deeper into fire and brimstone, and he marvels that he can still find room to fall for her more with each passing day)—knowing that it isn’t wrong to hope, even in hell, for a second chance at starting a family with the woman he loves.

[wants-to-sleep]

Cherish the Peanut: Home

This is a late entry for the wonderful Cherish the Peanut Week. Day One: Firsts, although I supposed this has a dash of the Daddy’s Girl theme in the end.  A loud and grateful shout out to @dameednaeverage and @storiesseldomtold for kicking my ass into editing this little fluff fest. Huge thanks to @kc749 for checking my late night English and @onhowtobecrazy for her lovely input.  More or less prompted by @acrazyaunt

@cherishthepeanut

Robin’s been a man of the outdoors for as long as he can remember: a squirming child stuck at lavish dining tables, with nature tugging at his heart and a thirst for adventure crawling underneath his skin.

An insubordinate adolescent who would lie awake in satin sheets but fall into the most peaceful of slumbers under a canopy of thick leaves and twinkling stars.

A reluctant nobleman with smooth hands twitching on the reigns of his steed, itching to lead it beyond the muddy paths and into the untouched lands beyond the safety of man-made routes.

He’s been a man of the outdoors for as long as he can remember. He’s lived under the stars half his life, never missed the comfort of silken sheets or sturdy walls, always at home amidst the elements. He’s lived in the outdoors for so long, he’s almost forgotten longing’s gentle tug.

-

He’s found a new home with Regina and their children in the grand house at 108 Mifflin, a home that provides warmth and shelter and lacks nothing that their growing family might need to thrive. 108 Mifflin is home, or maybe it’s Regina that really is, but the fact remains that the home they’ve made in the mayor’s mansion is the first that doesn’t make his skin crawl.

But no matter the happiness they’re building within these walls, they are only walls in the end, and the longing for the world beyond sneaks up on him eventually.

He tries camping with Roland, a boy of the wilderness just as much as his father, and their weekly outings provide a suitable relief from nature’s persistent calling, at least for a little while. 

It’s the arrival of the newest member to their family that puts an end to these trips. His daughter is a Mills girl through and through, tiny fists balled in righteous anger and strong little legs kicking with all the strength of her ancestors, but she’s also a sensitive little lady who catches one cold after the other, and Robin soon realizes that the forest is no place for his little girl (Not now. Not yet).

He’s a man of the outdoors, but he’s also a father whose children will always come before his own pleasure, and so he stays safe in the heated house, swaddling the youngest addition to their family and watching with utter adoration as his little girl grows and flourishes between Regina, himself, and her brothers.

 - - -

She grows to be a happy child, and if Robin ever doubted his ability to love her to the fullest, she’d have proven him wrong time and again by now.  

He adores everything about his daughter, the way she claps her hands in excitement whenever Regina returns from the office, the way she makes a mess of her food, the way he sees himself in her dimpled smile and bright blue eyes.  

She’s almost one now, babbling and placing wet kisses onto her brothers’ cheeks every night before bedtime, and he can hardly imagine a sweeter feeling than the flow of gentle warmth that floods his chest whenever he finds a moment to reflect on the beauty that’s grown from such a hideous betrayal. His sweet little girl.

He’s happy in this new routine, waking with Regina’s back to his chest and her hair in his mouth and going to bed with his cheeks still wet with children’s sloppy kisses and a promise of kisses of an entirely different kind glinting in Regina’s eyes. He’s happy, but the longing for the forest never quite abides. He tries to pay it no mind, tries to relieve his tension with quick jogs through the woods and trips to the park in the clearing. It’s not the same, and Regina is entirely too perceptive for her own good.

“Robin,” she says, her features stern but her eyes like molten chocolate.

“She’s ten months old.” She smiles reassuringly and transfers their baby to her other hip. “We’ll be just fine.”

 He almost doesn’t go. They raise their little girl together, but he’s never left over the night, and the thought of doing so makes his stomach twitch uncomfortably. But Roland is elated at the prospect of another camping trip, dimples flashing and dark eyes twinkling with delight, and Robin finds himself defenseless at the face of his eager smile. They do need this.

He leaves with an embrace for Henry, a kiss for Regina, a very thorough snuggle for his youngest and another kiss to his lover’s lips (for good measure).

“It’s just a few nights.” Regina breathes against his lips before diving in for one last parting peck.

He finds his heart strangely heavy at the thought.

-

Their daughter likes to play on the soft rug near the fireplace, and if held at gunpoint, perhaps Regina might even admit that she likes it quite a lot down there as well.  She likes to lie on her side, likes to watch the tiny girl bury her face in the soft threats. She likes to roll onto her back and wait for a warm weight to settle onto her chest and babble nonsensical syllables into her ear.  She likes to have her close.

And so she finds herself kneeling on the rug after dinner on Robin’s first night away, watching awe-struck and teary-eyed as their little girl pulls herself up on the coffee table before bravely relinquishing her hold with first one, and then the other hand. She wobbles on chubby legs and tiny feet, takes one stumbling step. Another. The brief second of hesitation that follows is enough to offset her precarious balance. Short legs wobble, large eyes widen… and she falls.

She lands on her bum, no harm done, but she frowns at the floor with ire only a Mills girl would be capable of, and Regina can’t help but laugh at the anger in that little girl’s stare.

She swoops her up into a fierce embrace, cooing words of pride and showering her chubby cheeks with kisses until the girl’s squealing giggles drown out the crackling of the fireplace.

-

She tries again, their little Peanut, resolve hardened and forehead pulled into the most endearing little frown. Up by the coffee table, one step, two. She drops, glowers at the rug she usually so adores… and tries again.

Regina cheers for every step and watches in amusement as the little girl grows progressively angrier at the forces that continue to pull her down, yet progressively more determined to conquer them.

-

Robin and Roland return in the evening after three nights in the woods. Their cheeks are rosy and the scent of pine and firewood clings to their frames.

Roland rushes up the stairs, calling dibs on the first bath (he’s a child of the forest, but he’s also grown used to the luxuries at the mansion), and Robin makes his way to the living room. He has every intention to find Regina and bestow a thorough welcome onto her lips, to take their daughter from her arms and kiss the baby’s cheeks hello until she squeals with laughter-

What he sees, however, makes him stop dead in his tracks. His daughter stands by the coffee table, holding onto it with one arm, and when she sees him standing in the doorway, she smiles that beautifully dimpled smile of hers… and lets go.

One step. Two. Three. Four.

He stares open mouthed.

Five. Six. Seven.

She loses her balance a bit, starts wobbling, and it finally breaks Robin out of his trance. He kneels down on the floor, opens his arms…

Eight. Nine.

She falls, directly into her father’s hold.

Robin holds her close, presses a kiss into short, downy curls. She giggles in response and nuzzles into her father’s hold. Robin lifts his gaze over the baby’s shoulder. He meets Regina’s eyes across the room, a reflection of his own pride.

“She’s never made it past two or three steps before.” Regina announces and steps closer to father and child. The smile on her face is warmth.

“She must’ve really missed her Daddy.”

It’s home.

[starscythe]

“Thank you.” “For what?” “For this,” he returns. “For them. For our family.”

My contribution to ‘Cherish the Peanut’ week is this manip (I believe today had no particular prompt?) which goes with the wonderful story Her by @lala-kate​. I’ve been struggling with this all week so… I hope you all like it!

[lala-kate]

Jen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so in love with this!!! Thank you!!!!!!

[dee-thequeenbee]

And At Last I See The Light - CTP Week - Day 7

Last day of the @cherishthepeanut week! (Or not? Spoilers) And the day of creativity, guys :D this one is for my favorite Queen of Rosé, little Stiene aka @storiesseldomtold , and for that precious gem who is Allison, @someonethatiamnot ! And I may have gone a little angsty with this one - blame the Satan Squad :D

Little Hazel gets to know more of her family by watching seven special movies - A Disney verse (A timeline clarification: Hazel is 5, Roland is 10 and Henry is 18) Day 1 (Peter Pan) | Day 2 (Robin Hood) | Day 3 (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) | Day 4 (Beauty and the Beast) | Day 5 (Anastasia) | Day 6 (The Little Mermaid + Return to the Sea)

Day 7: Free Day

And at last I see the light

Every time he walked in the house, he did so with the sneaky moves of a thief. He just couldn’t help it – and he thought that Regina’s habit to clench her hand, when she was angry, was due to the same reason, an old habit from the past – in her case, holding herself back from throwing a fireball.

So when he sneaked in that evening, no one noticed him. Familiar noises came from the Henry’s room – at eighteen years old, he still liked to play videogames with Roland, but with a noticeably more adult content. He approached the bedroom he shared with Regina, but she was not there – she was nowhere to be seen.

Then, he found her.

Hazel’s door was open, and their daughter was currently watching an animated movie on her brother’s laptop, totally engrossed in the action on screen. And Regina was outside the room, standing on the doorframe – Hazel was oblivious of her presence, but still, she was silently watching the movie.

And she had a clear trace of tears on her cheek.

Continue on FF.net

[broadwaybaggins]

Outlaw Queen: Why does this look familiar?

Questions and Answers day for Peanut Week!

It was Regina who found it, digging through the closets one blustery spring day in early March, busy looking for a costume for Roland for the school play (the new music teacher was more innovative than their previous one, but Regina knew that Henry’s costume from years ago could probably reworked for the upcoming production of The Secret Garden if she could just get her hands on it). There it was, high on a shelf and partially hidden under the detritus of an active family life, spending its days with Halloween decorations and toys with used-up batteries and boxes of baby photos and a few wedding gifts that neither Robin nor Regina had found any use for, even after four years of marriage. She almost missed it, but her elbow happened to jostle a box of Christmas garland, knocking it and several other occupants of the shelf to the floor. It had been crushed and dusty and slightly faded, but still unmistakable, staring accusingly up at her from its spot on the floor as she stared at it.

“Is that what I think it is?” Robin had asked, and all Regina could do as she reached for it, brushing off a layer of dust from the crushed black velvet, was nod.

Zelena’s hat, the jaunty one she had favored so much, the one she had worn in the aftermath of Heather’s birth and during her subsequent banishment to Oz. Regina had no idea how it had ended up in their house–had she absently picked it up after the smoke had cleared, taking it home as a reminder for what must always be protected? It wouldn’t surprise her–so much of that those few days and weeks following Heather’s arrival, Zelena’s banishment, and the subsequent trip to the Underworld seemed to have faded to a hazy blur after five years. Had the hat found its way to the mayor’s mansion on its own, fate or fairy dust or some other force bringing it back into their lives at this precise moment? Or was it just a coincidence? 

She didn’t know. But she couldn’t take her eyes away.

“Of course,” Regina said finally. “I’d know that damn thing anywhere. I still don’t understand why she had an odd penchant for dressing like a cross between a Halloween witch and a chorus member of Guys and Dolls.” Robin blinked at the unfamiliar pop culture reference, but did not acknowledge it.

“What should we do with it?” Robin asked softly, wrapping an arm around Regina, putting a stop to goosebumps she hadn’t even realized were rippling across her skin.

She thought a moment, then forced a smile. “We put it back,” she said calmly. “We’ve not seen hide nor hair of Zelena for five years. She’s not coming back. We don’t need to worry about her anymore.”

He smiled, drawing her close and kissing her temple, the gesture now as easy to the two of them as breathing after so long together. Regina tossed the hat back inside the closet, giving a little chuckle. “Besides, we still have that damn costume to find, and you know that Miss Mary Poppins isn’t going to be happy if her Colin Craven doesn’t have a costume…”

Robin grinned. “How he snagged that role, I’ll never know. He must have gotten his singing voice from his mother.”

“Well, it also helps that his music teacher is practically perfect in every way, and he wants to impress her. He might have a teensy little crush.”

“Seems us Locksley men have a type, then,” Robin whispered in her ear as she reached to pull the next box from the shelf.

—–

For a week or so, the hat was all but forgotten in the normal organized chaos of the Mills-Locksley household, between Roland’s rehearsals and Heather’s piano lessons with Archie and Henry’s tutoring job, work on the school newspaper, and upcoming AP exams. Regina had all but forgotten it until one afternoon, when she’d turned the corner to see her daughter sitting in a midst of old dress-up clothes. A strappy purple dress of Mal’s, layered over a sweatshirt from their vacation to Boston last summer, pooled at her feet and hung off one shoulder. A plastic tiara sat lopsided on her head. But all Regina could focus on was the object in Heather’s hands–the dusty old hat that had once perched atop Zelena’s red curls, now dangerously close to her daughter’s.

Her throat was suddenly dry. “Whatcha got there, princess?” she asked.

“I found it in the closet. It’s really soft.”

“It’s velvet. I used to have lots of dresses made of velvet, but now I only have one. The red one I wore for Christmas last year, remember?”

Robin appeared in the doorway, as if sensing danger. His face paled as he realized what Heather was holding.

“Why does this look familiar?” Heather asked, looking up with a peculiar frown on her face.

Regina’s blood ran cold.

Along with her small stature and early milestones, Heather had been blessed with an extraordinary memory. While not quite photographic, it was much more extensive than most five-year-olds Regina had known, allowing her to, for instance, memorize every single line of dialogue to her favorite films and songs, or remember exactly what she had eaten on her birthday the year before. Emma hypothesized that it was less to do with the spell that had been cast to accelerate Heather’s birth, and more to do with the magic in her blood to begin with–Emma herself claimed to have a fuzzy memory of her father placing her in the wardrobe to save her life, when a newborn shouldn’t be able to form such a memory at all. Could the same thing be happening with Heather now? Or was there something else, some stronger magic perhaps, at work?

Robin and Regina exchanged a desperate glance, and Robin quickly stepped into the room beside his wife. “Well, sweetheart…” he began quietly, “it could be because you’ve seen a hat like that somewhere before. Or…because that particular hat…used to belong to Zelena.”

“My other mother?” Heather asked, blinking big blue eyes at him. Heather had known that Regina was not her birth mother for over a year–Robin and Regina had chose to break the news to her early, having seen how withholding the truth from Henry about his adoption until he was older had not been the best choice for him or Regina in the long run. Heather knew that Regina had not grown her inside her body but instead had chosen to love and raise her because she loved her from the start, the same way she had loved Henry. The details of her conception and Zelena’s evil were of course too much for a five-year-old to comprehend just yet, and Regina dreaded the day when those ugly truths would have to come out, either through vicious gossip directed towards Heather or from Heather’s own curiosity. For the time being, all Heather knew was that Zelena had done bad things, that she lived far away and wasn’t coming back, that she wasn’t ready to be a Mommy, and that Regina and Robin were her parents in every way that mattered. For them, that had always been enough.

Today, though, it seemed that that might change.

“Yes, baby, your other mother,” Regina said thickly.

“Why do you have her hat?”

“I don’t know. We found it while we were looking for a costume for Roland’s play.”

“Did she like the hat?”

That wasn’t quite the question that Regina had been expecting, and Robin glanced at her and shrugged. “I suppose so. She wore it a lot.”

“It looks kind of silly.”

“She was very…” Regina searched for the right word. “Over-the-top.”

“Where is she, again?”

“Oz, sweetie.”

“Like in the movie?”

They hadn’t been able to stop Heather from seeing the film at a friend’s birthday party a few months before. She had laughed at the Cowardly Lion, envied Dorothy’s ruby slippers, and eagerly learned the words to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, but the flying monkeys had given her nightmares for weeks. Regina was pretty sure that it wasn’t a movie that Heather wanted to watch again any time soon.

“Sort of. A little different, though. Not quite as…colorful.”

“But she was as bad as the witch in the movie?”

At some point, Regina had taken Robin’s hand. He squeezed it now; his palms were starting to sweat. “As bad, in some ways. And worse in others. But remember what I always tell you.”

“Evil isn’t born, it’s made.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you think she’s still wicked?”

The question threw them both for a moment. “What?”

“I mean, it’s been a long time. Do you think she’s still wicked, or do you think she’s realized it’s better to be good? To be a hero, like you, Mommy, and Uncle Killian and Aunt Emma? You all did bad things once, but you’re heroes now.”

Why did this hurt so much? Why were her daughter’s innocent questions making her feel like her heart had been ripped out and was lying useless on the floor?

“I don’t know, Heather,” she said softly. “I think that you have to make the choice to be a hero. I don’t know whether Zelena has made that choice yet.”

“But she’s stuck in Oz, right? She can’t come back?” 

There was the faintest flicker of fear in Heather’s eyes.

“No,” Robin said before Regina could answer. “No, she can’t come back.”

“She won’t take me away?”

“Never,” Regina said, her voice thick with determination.

Heather thought for a minute, then set the hat aside, reaching for her parents with both hands. They wrapped their arms around her and each other, sitting there just the three of them for a minute, as if the love they shared was enough to protect them from any danger that might come their way.

“I love you, Daddy,” Heather whispered. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, my Heather Maria.”

They held onto each other for a long moment, and Regina kissed Heather’s forehead before pulling away, giving her a smile that she hoped wasn’t too teary-eyed.

“Can I ask you one more thing?”

“You can ask us anything, sweetheart. Always.”

“Can you put the hat back in the closet? Up on the highest shelf, please?”

“You don’t want to use it in your dress-up?” Robin asked after a moment. “I thought that might be why you got it out.”

Heather shook her head. “I only wanted to look at it. It’s too big for me, and it doesn’t go with my princess dress. Besides…” she smiled. “I’d rather wear Mommy and Auntie Mal’s stuff. If it’s okay.”

“Of course, sweetheart. I can put it away.”

“Thanks, Mommy. Do you want to play with me?”

There would be many more questions in Heather Maria Mills-Locksley’s life, questions with answers each more painful than the last. Some day, Zelena might come for them at long last, hellbent on stealing Heather from their arms. Some day, Heather might want to wear the hat that had been her biological mother’s. But today, it was enough to put the hat on a high shelf, out of reach and out of mind, and turn back to her daughter with a smile and an easy answer ready on her tongue.

“You bet I do.”

[doaspeggysays]

Little White Lie

For Cherish the Peanut (@cherishthepeanut) Week - Day 6: Questions and Answers.

This one’s a bit more OQ-ish than Peanut-ish, but I hope it works anyway!

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She’s inquisitive. Wonders at every single thing she sees, seeks the meaning behind every new word she hears, every breath that she takes, asks detailed question after detailed question as her young mind tries to consume everything around her, awakened by her innate curiosity.

Robin is not happy about that.

On most days, it’s fine, and he actually even looks forward to providing all the answers he can. But then there’s other days, when she asks questions like this one, where he’s really not a fan of his five-year-old’s need to know everything.

“Daddy, why were you and Mommy in the shower together last night?”

FFn Link

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