Better When I'm Dancing

After the Show (Part One)

"I know," she said with a sigh. "Can we discuss it on the plane, though?"

"We should try to get some sleep on the plane," he pointed out.

She bit her lip, imagining curling up with him as best as she could in the airplane seats. It would be a shame to lose any time to determining how best to answer the inevitable questions about their relationship. "How about we let Mal and Tuck come up with talking points for us? Isn't it why we pay them?"

"Excellent point," he said, sending a text to his manager. "They can do the work and we can rest."

"Brilliant, as usual," Regina replied, sending her own text to Mal. She tucked her phone away, cuddling next to him as he wrapped his arm around her. Letting out a contented sigh, she sank into his embrace.

*****

Despite all their efforts to get plenty of rest on the trip to New York, Regina still felt exhausted as she waited in the Good Morning America green room. She tried not to fall asleep as they waited for their segment, trying to focus on the talking points Tuck and Mal had come up for her and Robin instead. They provided a variety of answers--some vague, some more specific, all truthful. It would be up to Robin and Regina to decide which route they wanted to take.

Robin yawned as he looked over the responses as well. "Do you want to be vague or specific?"

"I don't know," she replied, sipping at her bottle of water. The coffee in the room kept trying to entice her but she didn't want any coffee stains before going on camera. She returned the cap to the bottle. "Maybe we can take it one question at a time?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

A producer popped her head into the room, smiling at the bleary-eyed couples. "We're going to need Scott, Merida, Clorinda and Jacob. You four will be interviewed first, followed by Ariel and Killian and then our champions, Robin and Regina. Okay?"

They all nodded, watching as the two couples stood to follow the producer to the stage. Killian groaned as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face. "It's too bloody early."

"Here, here," Robin said, raising his coffee in salute. "Didn't everyone used to appear on one of the late night shows?"

Killian nodded, scowling. "Aye, we all were interviewed by Demetrius Hades. He was more interested in comedy...and by that, I mean trying to get us too look like asses on national television. While it was easier to get to since he filmed in the afternoon and on the West Coast, we all hated it. We were very happy when he got fired by the network."

"But they didn't put you on his replacement's show? Or rather us?" Regina asked, confused. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Best guess is that they were trying to give themselves an edge in the ratings over the Today show."

"Great," she muttered, closing her eyes as she leaned against Robin. All she wanted was a good sleep, preferably in his arms.

After what seemed like only a few seconds, Robin jostled her gently. She lifted her head, blinking her eyes open. "What?"

"Sorry, but the first segment is starting," he said, pointing to the TV mounted to the wall across from them. Scott and Merida sat behind Clorinda and Jacob as Glinda interviewed them.

Regina sat up, stretching as she looked around the room. She frowned when she realized they were alone. "Where did Killian and Ariel go?"