Continuation from my OQ Fix It Week fic "Second Chances," which can be found in A Thief and a Queen.
"Happy endings come after a story with lots of ups and downs."-Unknown
Rex loved Roni. He believed he had from the moment she woke him up and offered him a job in her bar. How could he not love her? Even had she not been his guardian angel, she was a vivacious woman with a big heart she tried to hide behind an even bigger attitude. She fought for her community and the people of Hyperion Heights looked up to her as a leader. Rex counted himself blessed to be in the small number of people who Roni let see her softer sides. He knew she cried during movies that featured animals doing amazing things, she had a soft spot for children and that she loved to cuddle. Rex cherished everything about her, even the parts that got on his nerve. She could be too stubborn for her own good and sometimes shut him out when she got too stressed. But he was always patient with her, waiting for her to come to him for help or comfort.
Even his patience, though, had its limits. And he was approaching them when it came to her.
It started after Henry Mills had come into their lives, helping to take down Victoria Belfrey and end her reign of terror over Hyperion Heights. Her daughter, Ivy, had offered to help them and in the process, had discovered a picture of a woman who looked just like Roni standing with a younger version of Henry. It had thrown everyone for a loop, especially with Lucy insisting that it meant that Roni was really Regina Mills—the former Evil Queen of Snow White fame and Henry's adoptive mother. Roni had then also confessed she had tried to adopt a baby but they decided that she was unfit to be a mother just when she was about to get her child. He had held her as she cried for the child she would've raised and comforted her as she dealt with that pain again.
However, she started to pull away after that and began to act weird. She often stared at him as if she had seen a ghost and when he tried to find out what was wrong, she just brushed him off with nothing. There were times she started to call him by another name and then stopped, correcting herself. He tried to ignore it but something just didn't seem right to him.
Then she left for San Francisco with Henry and came back with her old friend, Kelly. Roni explained that they had had a falling out a few years earlier when she had given Kelly's daughter Margot a job while she decided what to do after college. Margot had wanted to explore and help people so Roni had recommended she join the Peace Corps. She had done just that, much to her mother's displeasure. Kelly and Roni had argued about that before Kelly had ended the friendship and moved to San Francisco.
Now she was back in Seattle and had reconciled with Roni. He wondered if that was why his girlfriend had been acting weird but the strange behavior continued, just now with Kelly included. They often spoke in whispers and would stop whenever he came around. And they were also doing something in one of the backrooms. He wasn't allowed into it so he had no clue what was going on in there.
And then there was Baron Samdi, a local businessman who had taken an interest in Roni. Rex didn't consider himself a jealous man but he saw green every time he looked up to find Samdi standing close to Roni. Like Kelly, she often spoke in whispers with him and would stop as soon as Rex approached. He didn't want to see the writing on the wall but it was like a flashing neon sign—he was losing the woman he loved.
He found an ally in Margot, Kelly's newly returned daughter. She explained she returned from the Peace Corps to reconnect with her mother. Yet she found her mother more secretive than usual and was confused by the fact Kelly even avoided her own fiancé, Chad. Like Rex, the whispered conversations between Roni and Kelly ended whenever Margot was near. She was frustrated by it and told Rex that she wasn't going to stop trying to get answers from her mother, so he shouldn't give up doing the same with Roni. Bolstered by her support, he took Roni out for a proper date and decided to once again broach the subject.
"What is going on?" he asked her, praying this time she would tell him but knowing what her answer already would be.
Indeed, she looked up and gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Nothing."
"Stop it, Roni," he said, sounding harsher than he meant to but he was tired of this game. "It's clearly not nothing. I've been patient and I've waited for you to come talk to me but you just keep shutting me out. Please. I want to help."
She took his hand, lacing their fingers together as she gave him a sad smile. "I know you do. But you can't."
"And Baron Samdi can?" He heard the jealousy in his voice but was beyond caring.
She sighed, looking conflicted. "Yes, he can. He has some resources that can help in this case."
Money. He knew she meant money but she still hadn't answered what she needed it for or why Samdi would help her. "Does he have a vested interest in whatever it is you're doing? Or is he just doing this out of the kindness of his heart?"
Guilt filled her eyes as she frowned. "Look, I should let you know that Samdi and I have a history together. Ancient history as far as I'm concerned. He, though, is hoping that history will repeat itself and told me as such."
She reached out and took his hands. "I made it clear to him that I have moved on and he should too, that I'm not the person I was with him. I told him that I'm with you, that I love you, and I'm very happy. So far, he's appearing to respect that and his support has come without any conditions."
"You've chosen me yet you still won't tell me what's going on," he replied, not hiding his anger and hurt feelings. She had to know how he felt, what she was doing to him.
Roni's shoulders slumped and she slid down a bit in her chair, refusing to make eye contact. "It's complicated. And I don't think you'll believe me."
He felt as if he had been slapped in the face. "You don't trust me."
"No! No, that's not it," she protested, eyes growing wide as she sat up.
"Isn't it though?" he countered before he laid it out for her. He didn't expect her to tell him all her secrets but she had so many these days, he felt shut out of a major part of her life. He told her how much it hurt to walk by and hear her conversations stop before resuming as soon as he passed. That it hurt even more to know that she wanted him to leave as soon as possible when they used to spend so much time together.
By the time he finished, tears were running down his cheeks as well as hers. She wiped them away. "I'm not trying to push you away. I just... I just can't tell you what I'm doing. Not yet."
"That's fine," he said. He then took a deep breath, knowing that his decision was the right one but no less painful. "I think we should take a break."
She stared at him, shocked. "If it's about Samdi, he's not a threat."
"I know," he said, because he did. He trusted her when she said that she wanted him and had told Samdi that. Swallowing, his voice cracked as he said: "It's clear you need to do whatever it is you're doing. And if I'm just going to be shut out of it anyway, then it's only fair to both of us that we're not together right now."
He paused before saying: "I love you, Roni, and so I'm letting you go in hopes that you'll come back to me."
"I will," she promised, not trying to hide her tears. He nodded, kissing her forehead before walking away from her as his heart broke in two. Rex tried to tell himself that it wasn't permanent and they would find a way back to each other.
Yet a part of him worried that he was just fooling himself.
*****
Being apart from Roni was almost as painful as all the secrets she had kept from him while they were together.
It didn't help that Rex still saw her every day, but he wasn't going to leave the only job he had since his life went to shit a few years ago. He also hoped to reconcile with her soon and feared that if he left, she would see it as a sign that they were over for good. So he showed up every day, did his job but gave Roni her space.
(He swore Samdi knew and was smug about it but he trusted that Roni when she said she was done with him and her promise that she would come back to Rex).
He did grow closer to Margot, who he found had a lot in common with him. They both loved to help people and volunteered together at a local soup kitchen. Both also loved the outdoors and so they went on hikes together. They also both had a talent for archery, going down to a local range together whenever they could to practice together.
They also talked a lot. Margot still struggled with her mother's secretive nature as well as her blossoming relationship with Tilly. Rex knew Tilly from his days on the streets and knew about her ups and downs. Margot seemed to understand her condition and didn't find it a deterrent to a possible relationship. "I want to be there for her good days but especially her bad days," Margot told him. "I don't want her to feel she has to hide any part of her. My mom does that and it sucks."
"Preaching to the choir," he muttered, thinking of Roni.
Margot reached over, squeezing his hand. "It's going to work out—both for me and Tilly and you and Roni. I believe in love."
He smiled, hugging her. "You're the best, Margot."
"Thanks," she said, pulling away from him. She smiled, growing wistful. "You know, I never got to know my dad."
"You didn't?" he asked, surprised by that. He hadn't gotten a chance to get to know Kelly other than that she was an old friend of Roni's and that she had a fiancé named Chad. While he could tell that Kelly had been a single mother, he hadn't even given a thought to if Margot's father had been in the picture or not.
She nodded sadly. "He died when I was still a baby. He was a short-lived fling of Mom's but she said that he had been a good father for the short time we had together. I used to always watch the other children with their fathers and wish I had had more time with mine. Mom was great but I just wanted what they had as well.
"From what Mom's told me, you remind me of him," she continued.
His surprise grew. "I do?"
She nodded. "And when I'm with you, I almost feel like I have my father back."
"Well," he said, getting choked up as he hugged her again. "I never got the privilege to be a father myself but I am honored to be like one to you."
Things may not have been great between him and Roni but at least he had Margot, his new almost-daughter.
*****
Rex and Roni had been on a break for almost a month when everything changed. A serial killer terrorized Hyperion Heights and everyone was on edge. He offered to sleep in the bar to keep her, Kelly and Margot safe but she assured him that she had good locks and her trusty back nearby. While he didn't feel comfortable agreeing to leave, he knew she wouldn't appreciate him demanding anything. So he would say goodnight to the three of them after he finished cleaning and would head home, a can of pepper spray in one pocket and his Swiss Army knife in the other for protection.
One day, he got a call from Roni as he prepared to head into work. "The bar's closed tonight," she said.
He paused, concerned. "Why? Is something wrong?"
She hesitated and he wondered if she was standing on the other side, debating whether to tell him the truth or not. In the end, it appeared she decided to do so. "Kelly got a box of chocolates today and they were not from her fiancé," Roni said.
"Oh god," he breathed. Detective Rogers, one of his and Roni's new friends, had warned them that the serial killer was sending candy boxes to his victims before killing them. If Kelly had received one, it meant she was next. "Do you want me to come over anyway?"
"No, no one will be here. I'm taking Kelly to the precinct so she can report it to Rogers. And Margot is out with Tilly but she's going to meet us there. If the killer does come around, I'd rather he not find anyone here. You're safer at home," she replied.
He nodded, knowing what she said made sense. "Will you call me later? Just so I know what's going on?"
"I will," she promised. She hesitated before saying: "I didn't want to tell the others the real reason we're closing the bar because I didn't want them worrying. They think we're closed due to a gas leak."
"I understand. If anyone asks, I'll tell them that too," he said. "Be safe, Roni."
"You too, Rex."
Once she ended the call, he placed his phone on the coffee table and walked over to his window. He pushed back the curtains to look out at the city below him. Someone out there was killing people in his neighborhood and had now targeted someone he considered a friend. It made his blood boil yet he felt helpless, unable to do anything to stop the madman or protect the people he cared about. All he could do was hope the police caught the killer before he hurt someone else.
His night now free, Rex decided to keep himself busy with his laundry and he threw all his dirty clothes into a basket. Grabbing his detergent and fabric softener, he headed down to the basement of his building and claimed a washer for his own. He settled down there with a book, hoping to keep his mind off what might be happening with Roni and Kelly.
It was a few hours later when he headed back up to his apartment. As he crossed the lobby, sirens screamed by the building and he glanced out the door to see cop cars speeding past. They were heading in the direction of Roni's bar and his heart pounded in his chest, blood rushing in his ears. He raced up the stairs and opened his apartment door just enough to toss the basket inside, not caring if his clean clothes ended up on the floor. Locking up again, he hurried back downstairs and ran all the way to Roni's.
Several cop cars were parked outside the bar, their lights bathing the neighborhood in alternating reds and blues. A crowd gathered around the police barriers and Rex pushed his way to the front, watching as Nick was led from the bar in handcuffs. Rex moved toward Rogers, who watched as the lawyer was placed in the back of a cop car.
"What's going on?" he asked Rogers.
The detective looked up, a hard look in his eyes. "Nick's the Candy Box Killer. He broke in to try to kill Kelly but she got the best of him."
"Thank god," Rex said, relieved that Kelly was relatively unharmed. It unsettled him that Nick ended up being the serial killer. He had liked the man well enough, finding him affable and friendly. Nick was always kind to Jacinda and appeared to be a good father to Lucy now that he was back in her life. And he had befriended Henry, who didn't appear to have many of those in his life. While Rex still had conflicting feelings for Henry, mostly born out of his admittedly irrational belief that Henry's presence had wreaked havoc on his relationship with Roni, he had been glad to see Henry's social circle expand. Rex finally understood why everyone who knew serial killers always appeared surprised to learn their loved one was a cold-blood murderer—he never would've thought Nick capable of killing so many people.
Struggling with the revelation about Nick, Rex then thought of Margot and Roni. "How is everyone else? Did he try to hurt them?"
"No." Rogers moved the barrier and motioned Rex through. "You can head inside. I'm sure everyone will be glad to see you."
"Thank you," Rex said, following Rogers into the bar. Nothing was out of place and there were no signs of a struggle. Rogers explained that the fight had been downstairs, so most of the damage was down there, before he moved on to talk with a member of the forensics team. Rex spotted a man he had never seen before sitting at the bar as a paramedic looked him over, treating some cuts and bruises.
"Rex!" Margot exclaimed, entering the bar with a terrified look on her face. He pulled her in for a hug as she sniffled. "I can't believe this happened."
"I know, but everyone is okay," he assured her. "And the killer has been stopped. You should be very proud of your mother for doing that."
She nodded, pulling away to head over to her mother. Roni had been hugging Kelly but stood, leaving mother and daughter to talk. She spotted Rex and he saw her bravado fail as she crossed the room to him. He opened his arms and she embraced him, holding him tightly. Rex stroked her hair as he rocked her, letting her cry into his shoulder. He murmured soothing nonsense to her.
"We're going to take Chad to the hospital to make sure he's okay," Rogers said, approaching them and clearing up who the mystery man at the bar was—Kelly's neglected fiancé. "Kelly has refused treatment but she's coming with us, so maybe one of the doctors can convince her to get checked out."
"No need, I am," Kelly said, walking up with her arm around Margot. She smiled at her daughter. "Someone smarter than me convinced me it was the right thing to do."
Roni pulled away from Rex, wiping her face as she took a shuddering breath. "Good. You all should go together. I'll be fine."
Kelly hesitated and she looked at Rex, pleading with him with her eyes. He nodded, wrapping his arm around Roni. "I'll be here with her. She won't be alone."
"Thank you," she said as Chad was wheeled past her. She took his hand and walked out of the bar with him, Margot following.
Rogers stayed behind, addressing Roni. "We're probably going to be processing long into the night. You should stay somewhere else tonight. I can escort you upstairs so you can pack a bag."
"Yeah," she said, sounding as dazed as she felt. She looked up at Rex, uncertainty and want in her eyes. "Can I stay with you?"
"Of course, darling," he assured her, kissing her forehead. "I'll be right here waiting."
She nodded, heading upstairs with Rogers. They were up there for several minutes before she came back down with an overnight bag. Rogers promised to keep them updated and then let them go, the two walking out of the bar hand-in-hand.
*****
Once they got to his apartment, Rex sat Roni on the couch. "Can I get you something? Tea? Coffee? Whiskey?"
"The whiskey is tempting but I think it's best if I just have tea for now," she said, giving him a ghost of a smile.
He nodded, heading into the kitchen. She followed, taking a seat at his table as she watched him put the kettle over. Rex then joined her at the table, taking his hand. "How are you?"
"Shaken," she replied, lacing their fingers together. "And a bit pissed. Zel...Kelly sent me on a wild goose chase so she could face Hans...Nick...alone. I'm angry that she didn't let me help and that she put herself in such danger."
"I know but I'm glad you were unharmed," he said, kissing her hand. He then frowned. "Why did Nick target Kelly?"
"Because she's a witch," Roni replied, sounding resigned.
He raised his eyebrow. "A witch? Really?"
She nodded. "I'm one too."
"Oh," he said, surprised but knowing she was telling the truth. Her eyes always told him everything. "Is...Is that what all the secrets have been about?"
"Part of it," she admitted as the kettle whistle echoed throughout the kitchen.
Rex made them both cups of tea, handing her one before sitting down. He took a sip before asking: "So are you a Wiccan or something like that?"
She sighed, setting down her cup. "It's time to tell you the truth. You know how Lucy insists everything in Henry's book really happened? Well...she's right."
"I see," he said, trying to keep an open mind but wondering if she was going into shock. Perhaps he should bring her to the hospital as well. Being a witch was one thing; being a fairy tale character was another.
"I know it's hard to believe. I didn't believe it either," she said. "Until that picture."
He scowled, knowing exactly what she was talking about. The picture that had started all their problems. "And you just changed your mind like that?"
She shook her head, standing up. He watched as she grabbed her overnight bag and pulled something out. Roni returned to the table, placing down an adoption application. "Rogers got that for me and I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in my place with all those people coming and going."
Rex went through the paperwork. It was filled out by one Regina Mills, who was the mayor of a little town called Storybrooke located in Maine. However, he recognized the handwriting anywhere, especially once he got to her signature. "This is your handwriting," he said, amazed.
"It is," she confirmed. "I am Regina Mills. Henry is my son. Just like Lucy said."
He closed the application again, leaning back as he processed the information. "Okay. But Lucy also said that you were the Evil Queen from Snow White."
"I was," Roni replied. "A long time ago, I cast a Dark Curse that transported all of us from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke. I then adopted Henry's, whose birth mother later broke my curse. Because of Henry, I changed my ways and stopped being the Evil Queen and became just Regina.
"He left to go find himself and ran into some trouble in another realm. I went to help him, watching as he fell in love with Ella—Jacinda here—and married her. They had Lucy but there were dark forces at work against us. Drizella—Ivy—was deceived by Mother Gothel—Eloise Gardiner—and they forced me to cast another curse, which transported all of us here and made us forget who were," she finished.
Rex felt a headache growing behind his eyes and he pressed his hand to his forehead. It was a lot of information to take in at once. "And seeing this picture made you remember who you were?"
"It opened my mind to the possibility," she said. "Drizella did the rest when she gave me a potion that woke me from the curse."
"So is everyone in Hyperion Heights cursed?" he asked, unsettled that there might be whole life he didn't remember.
She shook her head. "A lot of us are but we're mixed with those who aren't."
"And does anyone else have their memories?" he asked, curious. He was also putting off the logical follow up, afraid of the response.
"A few people," she replied. "Gothel never lost her memories and neither did Drizella. Victoria knew she was Lady Tremaine but some of her memories were altered as she was made to believe she cast the curse. Weaver got his memories back and Nick did too. Samdi also has his memories, though I'm not sure if he was ever cursed or not. And I woke Kelly up. She's really my sister Zelena."
"Your sister?" he asked, surprised. Kelly—Zelena—towered over Roni and had red hair with blue eyes, a stark contrast to Roni's beautiful brown eyes and dark hair. They looked nothing alike.
She smiled, seeing his confusion. "Half-sisters. We have the same mother but different fathers."
"I see," he replied before another name she mentioned came to mind. "You said Samdi. Was that why you were working with him?"
Roni...Regina...nodded. "The curse took away my magic as well as Zelena's. He, though, kept his—which is one of the reasons why I think he was never cursed, since Drizella and Gothel also kept theirs. He managed to get some magic for me, which I desperately needed."
"To break the curse?" Rex asked.
"The curse can only be broken by True Love's kiss," she explained. "But remember how I said I was forced to cast the curse? Gothel and Drizella poisoned Henry and it was the only way to save him. If we break the curse, he'll die. So Samdi—Facilier—was helping me find a way to heal him so we can break the curse."
Rex slowly started to understand all the secrets and why Roni had been so focused on her project. He took her hand again. "I hope you can find it."
"You believe me?" she asked, sounding surprised but relieved.
"I do," he replied, smiling. "I can see the truth in your eyes. And no one would've spun such a tale. You would've just lied and said Nick was blackmailing you two or something."
She laughed. "That would've been more believable and far easier, huh?"
"Yeah," he replied, chuckling as well.
Roni...Regina...then grew somber. "I'm sorry I shut you out and made you feel like I didn't trust you."
"I forgive you," he said, meaning every word now that he understood what was going on. He then asked the one question that had been haunting him since she told him about the curse. "Am I cursed?"
When she nodded, he asked: "Then who am I really?"
"Robin Hood," she replied with a soft smile.
He sat back, mulling that over. It made sense to him. He loved to help people, enjoyed being outside and was skilled with a bow and arrow. The only thing was that he had been a rather poor thief when he was living on the streets, either caught easily or attacked by his conscience. Still, it would be pretty cool to be such a legendary man.
"Did we know each other before the curse?" he asked, now afraid that the curse would break and he would remember another love or that they were mortal enemies.
"We did. We're soulmates," she replied, though there was sadness in her voice and eyes. She let go of his hand, stroking the lion tattoo on his wrist.
Not sure what the tattoo he believed he got during a booze-filled World Cup celebration meant to her, he pushed aside the joy of knowing they had such a deep connection to focus on how sad she had gotten. "What's wrong? Did we fight or something?"
Regina wiped her eyes. "You died. You sacrificed yourself for me. So I don't know what you're doing here. You weren't with us in the Enchanted Forest. And not even the Dark Curse can bring people back from the dead."
"Oh," he said, his stomach clenched at the thought that he was dead. It did explain why she had looked like she had seen a ghost for a while.
He swallowed, saying: "Maybe we'll find out what happened once I get my memories back."
"Maybe," she agreed, smiling again. "I'm just really glad you're back."
"Are you sure I'm me? As you said, Robin died and I wasn't with you when the curse was hit. Maybe I'm just a doppelganger," he said, his mind working to find a rational explanation and his heart praying it was wrong.
She chuckled. "I know it's going to sound cheesy, but it's in your kiss. You're you."
"Well," he said, leaning back, "this has certainly been an interesting night."
"It certainly has," she agreed, finishing her tea.
He took their cups and placed them in the sink, deciding to wash them in the morning. For now, he turned and held out his hand. "Shall we go to bed?"
"Bed sounds wonderful," she replied, taking his hand.
They fell asleep in each other's arms and Rex felt as if all was right in his world.
For now.
*****
Zelena decided to go back to San Francisco with Chad once they were released from the hospital. Margot stayed behind, wanting to build a life in Seattle and to be close to Tilly. While Regina was sad to see her sister go, she was glad to have her niece still with her. And she said she felt better knowing that Rex was once again by her side, so it made losing her sister's help in the fight easier to bear. He was happy to hear that.
Shortly after Zelena left, Regina's plan to save Henry was destroyed by Weaver. Rex had found their safe broken into and she confirmed the only thing missing was the vial of magic Facilier had given her. She explained that Weaver had used it to find a magical dagger that controlled him which had gone missing. The two of them had thought Facilier had stolen it because he had told Regina he wanted the dagger. Weaver, though, hadn't waited for her to get the truth from Facilier (which ended up being that no, he hadn't stolen it) and ruined everything. Rex had stood outside the door as she berated Weaver and told him they were through. She had then stormed out of the backroom and he had comforted her as she sobbed over her lost chance to save her son.
"Could Samdi get you more magic?" he asked her, though he was loathed to make her more indebted to the man. He still didn't trust that the so-called Shadow Man didn't have an ulterior motive to his generosity and was so respectful of Regina's relationship with Rex.
She shook her head. "He got that from Anastasia, who went to live in another realm with Drizella so they could both get a fresh start. There's really no one else with magic that he can get any from."
He sighed, hugging her again. "We'll find a way to save Henry. You'll see."
Facillier ended up finding a way, at least according to Lucy. She showed up at the bar not long after that, telling them that Facilier had used a spell to draw the poison from Henry's veins but that the True Love's Kiss between her parents hadn't worked. As she spoke, dark storm clouds covered the city and a strong wind blew around them. Rex looked up, confused. "The weather forecast didn't call for rain."
"This isn't natural," Regina said, pulling her granddaughter closer.
"What's more natural than rain?" Eloise—Gothel—asked, appearing next to them. She smirked at Regina. "Though this isn't your normal storm. It brings an end to the age of humans. It's time for nature to reclaim the earth."
Regina stepped forward, shielding Rex and Lucy from Gothel. "You're not going to succeed, Gothel. We will stop you."
"It's too late. You can't stop me now. Best to start saying your goodbyes," Gothel told her before vanishing before their eyes.
Regina ushered them into the bar, locking the door behind them. A thousand thoughts ran through Rex's mind as Lucy shook beside him. "We're not just going to give up, right?" she asked.
"Of course not," Regina assured her, hugging her. "We need to make your father believe again. That's the only way True Love's Kiss will work."
"I've been trying. I thought he and Mom believed, but it didn't work," Lucy said, near tears.
Regina smiled. "You've done the hard work. You got them together. Leave the rest to us, okay? You head home. It'll be safer there."
Lucy nodded and Rex escorted her outside, paying for a cab to take her home. He then returned back inside, watching as Regina paced the floor. She had taken out the adoption application as well as the picture. It gave him an idea. "Can't you call your friends in Storybrooke? Won't they be able to help?"
She shook her head. "The curse didn't just send us clear across the country from them, it also sent us back in time. So I'm technically back in Storybrooke, serving as the mayor and getting ready to send my son to college...not that he's going to go, but neither of us realize that yet."
"And if you call them, they won't believe that you're in danger here in Seattle," he realized. "They'll think it's some trick."
"Right," she said, "and it could jeopardize the timeline and the last thing we need on top of this curse is a temporal anomaly."
He nodded. "So how do we get Henry to believe again?"
"The storybook," she said, an idea coming to her. "The original one. It has played a major role in breaking the Dark Curse twice before and I'm sure it will again. Lucy said Victoria showed it to her, so it's here in Hyperion Heights."
"Okay, ignoring the fact that apparently the Dark Curse has been cast three times, where would the book be?" he asked.
She frowned, tapping her fingers against the bar. "I would think Victoria's old office but we searched that place after Drizella and Anastasia left. Drizella also cleaned out her mother's many properties but I doubt Victoria would let something so valuable out of her sight..."
Regina's eyes widened and she looked up at him. "Do you have a shovel I can borrow?"
"Yes," he replied, confused. "Why?"
She hesitated. "I rather not tell you. Plausible deniability in case I'm arrested."
His eyebrows went up but he said: "If you're getting arrested, then I'm going to be in that cell next to you. What's the plan?"
"I need to dig up Victoria Belfrey," she replied. "Drizella followed her mother's wishes to the letter when she was buried and I think one of them was for the book to be buried with her."
It made sense to him, even if the plan on a whole was crazy, and he nodded. "Okay. I keep the shovels in the back for snow removal. Let's go get them and then we'll dig up our former foe."
*****
Robin had experienced a curse break before, back in Storybrooke after the Second Curse had been cast. However, everyone had remembered who they were back then. All they had lost were memories of one year and so when they returned, it was just like they had all remembered something very important. It did little to prepare him for the second time he experienced the curse breaking.
He felt as if he had been plunged into an ice water bath as his memories hit him. The memories he had as Rex mingled with his real memories as Robin Hood, finding points where their lives had been similar—namely Marian and Madison and their untimely demises. Yet there were a lot of differences, as he recalled becoming a thief and then developing his honor code. He remembered living in the woods with his men and then living in Storybrooke. Robin remembered falling in love with Regina as well as sacrificing himself for her when Hades tried to kill her. Those memories struggled for dominance with his ones as Rex but quickly won as he gasped for breath, almost collapsing on the ground from the force of the magic he had just experienced.
His vision cleared as he saw everything with new eyes, experiencing Hyperion Heights for the first time as Robin Hood. A soft gasp drew his attention back to Regina, still lying on the ground as Henry—who had become a handsome and honorable man, how did he ever dislike the boy he considered a second son?—held her close, tears running down his face. "Mom," he croaked.
"Henry," she gasped, sitting up. "You remember."
He nodded before she turned to Robin, her eyes softening as she pressed her hand to his cheek. "Robin."
"Milady," he greeted, kissing the underside of her wrist. "It is good to be back."
"Too bad you won't have much more time with each other," Gothel said, reminding them all that she was there. "My sisters are almost finished with their spell. Humans are doomed."
"Think again," Tilly said, showing up with Hook and Margot. She used magic of her own to fight against Gothel, who she revealed was her mother. Rogers and Margot took her hands, giving her the strength she needed to defeat Gothel once and for all. The witch was turned into a tree and her curse dissipated, humanity safe once again.
Hook collapsed right after as Tilly let out a terrified shout of Papa! Robin was confused as Henry and Regina rushed to Hook's side, Margot pulling Tilly away from him. He pulled out his phone, calling for an ambulance to help with his friend as he hurried over to the others. "Help is on its way," he assured him.
"Hold on, Hook," Regina told him, rubbing his arm. "We'll get you some help."
"I'm sorry, Papa," Tilly said, tears running down her face as Margot comforted her. She looked stricken and seemed to be blaming herself.
He frowned, confused as to why she was calling Hook "papa." And if he was here, was Emma too? Why hadn't Regina sought her out to help with fighting Gothel? Or was she on her way, having been separated the way Zelena had been from Regina?
"That's not the Hook you know," Regina whispered to him. "He's from the Wish Realm, where other versions of us existed. The Hook you know is back in Storybrooke with Emma. This Hook is Tilly's father but Gothel used a special poison to keep them apart. Every time they touch, it slowly starts to kill him."
Robin glared at the tree that once was Gothel, hating her even more. "That's unjustly cruel. No father should be separated from his child."
He thought of Roland, safe in the Enchanted Forest with Regina's other half and his other self, and then of his daughter. It clicked in his mind then and he looked up at Margot with awe. Regina had confirmed that she was truly Zelena's daughter, which meant she was also the daughter he got to only spend a few precious moments with when she was a baby. Now she was a grown woman, one he was proud to call his daughter.
An ambulance pulled up and paramedics rushed to administer aid to Hook. Jacinda and Sabine—Ella and Tiana, he reminded himself—entered the park with Drew. Ella raced over to Henry, reuniting with her husband at last. Lucy was not far behind them and she was happily reunited with her parents as Regina watched, her arm around Robin's waist.
"You must be so confused," Tiana said, smiling at him as she held Drew's hand.
Regina shook her head. "He's one of us."
"Robin of Locksley," he replied, holding out his hand. "At your service."
Her eyes widened as she shook it. "Pleased to meet you."
"Dad?" The uncertainty in Margot's voice nearly broke his heart and he turned to find her standing there, watching him with apprehension in her eyes. "Is...Is it really you?"
"It is," he said softly. She let out a sob and rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly. He held her close, closing his eyes as he fought his own tears. "I am so happy to see you again, my girl."
"Wait, I don't get it. That's the real Robin? How?" Henry asked, sounding as confused as ever.
Robin opened his eyes, finding a small audience watching him. Margot pulled away though she kept one arm wrapped around him, brushing away her tears. "Yeah, Dad, how did you come back from the dead?"
"I'm not entirely sure," he replied. "One minute I was watching Regina fade away and the next thing I knew, I was standing before Zeus. He said there had been a trial of some sort and he had restored my soul. He said I then had a choice. I could either go to Elysium and spend the rest of my afterlife there or he would allow me to return to the land of the living. I don't think he finished speaking when I asked to be allowed to live again.
"He snapped his fingers but I wasn't returned to Storybrooke. Instead, I found myself back in the Enchanted Forest in the Queen's palace. My men surrounded me, amazed that I was alive. It was then I met the Queen and her Robin, the one from the Wish Realm. Apparently, they were the ones who found the way to Mount Olympus to demand a trial before Zeus for my soul," he explained. He looked at Regina. "Your other half wanted you to have your happy ending too."
Regina gasped, looking shocked before it softened into a smile. "I owe her big time."
He nodded. "I spent some time with them, catching up with my men and bonding with Roland. I gave Little John a big piece of my mind, though."
"You did?" she asked, frowning. "Why?"
"While I understood why he and the other Merry Men returned to the Enchanted Forest after my death—they never acclimated to life in Storybrooke the way I had—it had never been my wish for Roland to go back," he explained, recalling how angry he had been with his friends when he realized what they had done. "I wanted him to stay with you, safe in Storybrooke."
She covered her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes. When she lowered her hand, she said: "They left while I was out of town. When I returned and they were gone, I was tempted to go after them but then I figured that they would've known your wishes better than me. It broke my heart to let Roland go, but I thought it was for the best."
"Is Roland still there in the Enchanted Forest?" Margot asked.
He nodded, feeling sorrow at the other information he had received from his men. "I know you never got a chance to know him."
She grew wistful. "Aunt Regina told me about my brother and Mom spoke a few times about taking me to the Enchanted Forest to meet him. We just were never able to do so."
"How did you end up here, though?" Henry asked. "Weren't you in the Enchanted Forest with him?"
Robin shook his head. "The Queen used her mirror to find Regina in the other Enchanted Forest and the other Robin stole a bean for me to use to get there. I had debated taking Roland with me but after talking it over with him, we agreed it was better for him to stay behind until I could figure out what was going on. I'm glad we made that decision now because I landed in the Enchanted Forest just as the curse hit, sweeping me up with it as well."
"We'll figure out a way to get him here," Regina vowed, stepping closer. He wrapped his other arm around her and she leaned against him. "Then we'll all be a family at last—me, you, Henry, Ella, Lucy, Roland and Robin."
That last name confused him and he furrowed his brow until Margot gave him a squeeze. He looked down and she smiled sheepishly at him. "That's my real name. Mom named me after you."
"Oh," he said, pleasantly surprised at that. He kissed her forehead. "I am honored to share my name with you."
She hugged him once more before excusing herself to check on Alice, which he realized was Tilly's real name. As she comforted her girlfriend, Robin smiled at everyone else. "Well, it looks like I have a lot of new friends to get to know."
"And we survived another curse," Henry pointed out, picking up his daughter. "I say all of that deserves a celebration."
"Hell yeah!" Tiana exclaimed, drawing a laugh from Drew.
Regina chuckled as well. "Good thing I happen to own a bar thanks to the curse. Party at Roni's!"
They left the park together, the small group laughing and joking as they walked back to the bar. Robin held Regina's hand the entire time, his eyes darting from her to Henry and his family before settling on Alice and Margot. While he was honored that she bore his name, it was a bit too confusing for him. He hoped she didn't mind if he preferred to call her by Margot, a pretty name that suited her as well, as they built their relationship as father and daughter.
He then looked back at Regina again, a happy smile on her face. She had her son back and he had her again. Once they got Roland to this realm, their family would be complete and while he wouldn't call it a happy ending, Robin knew they were going to live happily ever after.
Written for OQ Happy Ending Week, Day 5: Cursed Happy Ending