One Trip To Vegas

Trouble in Paradise

"Mom!" Roland called as soon as he walked into the house with Robin so excited to tell her.

"Yes, sweetheart," she walked from the kitchen, a place she constantly finds herself in there even if she wasn't cooking she would just sit in there, she found kind of strange.

"Guess what?" He said grabbing her hand and walking her to the living room and sitting her on the couch.

"What?" She said joyed by his cheerfulness.

"So today was show and tell. Grace brought a puppy! She had gotten it, I think, two days ago," he furrowed his eyebrows," but she said that she had played with the puppy before she got it. She went to this place called 'All About Puppies' and played with it and then her Mommy 'dopted it for her."

"Adopted, sweetie," she said,knowing where this conversation was headed.

"Can we go to 'All About Puppies'?" He pleaded.

Regina looked up at Robin who was just smiling.

"Not today, you have preschool in the morning and I have to work. So I don't think so," she replied, Robins smile growing wider.

"Can we adopt a puppy?" He ask putting emphasis on the 'a' in 'adopted'.

"Probably not," and that's when robin was smiling wickedly.

Regina was confused on why he was smiling at first but when she heard Roland throwing a tantrum. Robin leaned down in her ear.

"That's what happens when you spoil a kid," he whispered, kissed her on the cheek and began to walk away.

"You not even going to help me with this," she motion toward Roland who was still screaming on the floor.

"You made the mess you've got to clean it up, but here's a hint: he wants attention and he thinks that will give him what he wants," then Robin went into the kitchen to resume her action in the kitchen.

I know she needs to revisit her motherly instincts. She knows what to do she is just afraid to do it. She doesn't want to be stern and say no because she think that somehow it might hurt him. But the only way she will hurt him is of she isn't stern. Robin thought, feeling a little bad leaving her to handle Roland on her own but she had to do it on her own.

Regina groaned and thought, come on Regina you can do this. You've done this before, think. What did you do when Henry threw tantrums. Timeout! I need to put him in time out to show him who's in charge. See, I can do this. I can be a mother again. She stood picking Roland off the floor and sat him on the bottom of the stairs.

"You won't get up until you pull yourself together," she was stern.

He looked at her with pleasing eyes, but she didn't cave, instead she walked away. For the first three minutes he would call her, or attempt to cry. After a little bit of time there he quieted down and waited for her to come back.

"Now that we are settled, do you have anything to say."

"Sorry," he said quietly with his head down.

"Its okay, but don't do it next time unless you want to end up here again. You can go," he stood running away.

Regina took a breath finding that not so hard as she thought. She felt a hand on her lower back and she turned around. A smirk was the fist thing she saw.

"I know you could do it, you just needed to be pushed."

She just rolled her eyes, and he pulled her closer as soon as their lips were about to touch the door bell rang. Regina groaned again.

"I got it, as long as you watch the food for me," she said slipping from his embrace.

Regina opened the door revealing her sister, who looked as if she'd just been crying. Regina defiantly had some mixed emotions about what she should do. The last time her sister saw her cry she laughed, but Regina wasn't Zelena, so she let her inside.

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"What happened?" Regina said sitting on her couch.

"You know how I am divorcing Walsh," Zelena said and Regina nodded," he wants full custody of Lilly."

"That's horrible, but wouldn't the judge base it off of whomever the child would be better off with?"

"Yes, but think about it. He owns his own estate in California, which is where he plans on moving to, I live in a cramp apartment. From the looks of it he will be able to provide better for her."

Regina didn't know what to say it's the worst thing to lose a child.

"Lilly is the best thing that has ever happened to me I can't lose her. I know I've been terrible to you and I'm sorry for that. Please help me."

"I-I'm." Regina paused," just give me a second."

Regina walked into the kitchen to talk to Robin, he was a lawyer he could help Zelena.

"Who was it?" He whispered.

"Zelena, she wants help. Walsh wants full custody of Lilly, you being a lawyer may know of some way to help her out," she whispered back.

"Well, the judge will look at the best place for the child. We all know this, but they'll also look at: age and connection. That is where she is the strongest. We can all see how Lilly kings to her mother and if you separate them it's not a pretty picture."

Regina nodded.

"The judge will most likely talk to Lilly about her parents and whoever lily seems the most find with will get that," Regina smiled now believing that her sister will keep her child," but... If Zelena can't get her living situation together then it doesn't matter who Lilly is more fond of she will lose."

"I understand that. How will she get her self back in her feet before then?"

"That I don't know, she needs to do that on her own," Robin spoke turning off the food he was making, or finishing.

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Zelena sat at the dinner table because Regina couldn't fight her instincts to take pity on the woman. As Robin sat the table Regina got Roland washed and ready for dinner. As soon as Roland saw Zelena he stopped dead in his tracks. The sudden halt making Regina almost trip over him. He moved quickly behind her, Roland was never comfortable with new people outside or in school, due to the fact that he's never seen Zelena and now she is in his home.

Regina reached down picking him up as she walked him to the table, not failing to notice the tightening grip he had on her, he whispered," who is she?"

Regina chuckled, it was small though," that's my sister. Your Aunty."

"No. How come I've never seen her before? Plus she would have come and visited us," Roland pointed out.

"She has been very busy, that's why she hasn't come," Regina defended, finally prying him off of her hip.

Roland's eyes narrowed as if he wasn't buying it," sure."

Everyone laughed then even though the boy was still awkward and uneasy. They ate and when Roland heard that Zelena had a child around his age he warmed up to her wanted to hear more about his new "friend" (though he hasn't met her).

Robin took Roland upstairs to bathe and go to bed while Regina straightened up the kitchen before sending Zelena on her way. They both met in the hallway before walking to their bedroom together, both tired, and both completely ready to tap out for the day.