Chapter Thirty-One: A Room With a View

It took the family two weeks in between work and school to pack both of their apartments. There were boxes piled all over the place, but Regina was sure to mark them accordingly. She was undoubtedly organized. The night before the big move was a difficult one for her. She'd started her career, raised her son, and fallen in love in Apartment 13. This was a new start for her family, but this was where it all began.

She stared out at the city lights through the sliding glass of the balcony door, dressed in panties and her Rolling Stones band tee with her hair in a loose ponytail and her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She spotted only one single star in the night sky, but for all she knew it could be a plane landing at JFK or LaGuardia. No stars in the sky; tomorrow it would rain. She never liked the rain. It always made her worry; bad things happen during storms. She kept telling herself that this was a good thing and they'd only be a few stories up, but this room and this place was home to her for 15 years. It'd be hard for anyone to let go.

"We packed all the wine glasses so the plastic cups will have to do for tonight," Robin said as he entered with two red Solo cups.

The children had been asleep for nearly an hour by then, the couple using that time to finish packing any last minute items. There wasn't much left in the bottle of red wine on the counter so he decided it would be easier to pour it for them now than pack it to go up a few flights of stairs; one less thing for them to worry about. He noticed her standing there, lost in her thoughts, looking sexy as ever in her simple, comfortable nightwear.

"For you, my sweet," he handed her a cup and she took it, sadness evident in her features. "What's wrong?"

"15 years, Robin. It's hard to say goodbye," she sighed and sipped from her cup.

He put his arm around her and kissed her temple, staring out the window with her, "I know, love. But we can have 15 years of new memories."

"I'm excited. I really am. It's just," she paused and he waited, knowing this was probably the hardest thing she'd have to do. "Henry learned to walk here. He said 'Mommy' for the first time in the bath. I soothed fevers and nightmares in this room. This has been our life, this apartment. I never imagined I would have to leave it."

"You don't have to," he offered softly. She looked at him and saw the sadness appear on his face as well. She felt guilty; he was doubting her or rather, he believed she was doubting their decision. "I sprung the apartment on you. I should have asked first. I just thought it would be better; we'd have more space and the kids would have their own rooms. But I'll understand if you're not ready."

"I'm ready, Robin," she placed her palm on his cheek. "Just feeling a bit nostalgic, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a soft smile.

They sat together on the bed, drinking their wine and talking about the day ahead of them. Regina felt better, more sure of herself, as they spoke. She knew she'd be okay. Her family would be happy and so would she.

The alarm went off at eight the next morning, signaling the start of their busy day. The couple groaned, huddling closer to one another for warmth. The sun didn't peek through the curtains that morning as the rain fell from the dark, cloudy sky.

"Today is the day," Robin said, his eyes still closed as he placed gentle kisses on her forehead.

"The kids can handle it. We should keep sleeping," she whined, stretching her arm around his waist.

"Do you think they're strong enough to lift the mattress with us still on it?" He joked, holding her tighter.

Regina chuckled, her eyes finally fluttering open as she spoke through a long yawn, "They're smart. They'll figure it out."

They continued to lay next to one another for a few minutes, their hands moving tenderly over the other's body. She was still in her panties and band tee, Robin sporting a pair of boxer briefs. His hand moved along the length of her thigh from her hip to her knee while she rubbed gentle circles on his shoulder blade with her fingertips.

"You should wear this to bed more often," he suggested, placing a kiss on the edge of her jaw. She hummed knowingly. She had to admit, the thought of him making love to her in a Rolling Stones shirt was highly arousing; it brought her back to a time when she was much younger.

"I never pegged you for a Stones fan," she replied, smiling coyly.

"But I'm a fan of you and there is something incredibly sexy about an oversized rock n' roll shirt on the woman I love," he confessed, pulling on the back of her knee to force her leg around his hip. "I have to say, it's quite a turn on."

"I'll keep that in mind," she mused, forcing her pelvis closer to his. Their lips met in a hard, passionate kiss; their hands still moving sensually over the other's flesh. He released a moan as his erection grew harder, pressing into her lower abdomen.

"How much time do you think we have?" He asked, wanting desperately to take her at that very moment. Just as he finished his sentence, the sound of tired feet dragging lazily over the hardwood could be heard. He groaned into her neck and she chuckled, running her fingers through his hair.

"Sounds like the zombies have risen for the day," she sighed, rolling over to swing her legs off the edge of the bed. Her bare feet touched the cold floor and she shivered at the sensation. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his palms over her arms to help clear her body of the chill.

They finally got out of bed and dressed by half passed eight. Robin wore the same moving day clothes she'd first met him in: khaki cargo shorts and a white undershirt. He added an old t-shirt overtop until he would feel too hot from the physical labor and remove it later on. Regina added a bra under her Rolling Stones shirt and pulled on a pair of denim overalls, the legs in the form of shorts rather than long pants. She brushed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail, a red bandana acting as a headband to keep any sweat from running into her eyes. She didn't bother with her contacts. The day would be too long and she didn't have the patience for them.

They joined their children in the kitchen for a quick bite to eat before getting to work. They each carried smaller boxes to the elevator to start so they could unlock the door and get one last look at the empty space. Regina decided it would be best to put all overflow boxes in the spare bedroom so they wouldn't crowd their living space. The overflow was mainly comprised of things they'd gathered from both apartments that they intended on selling.

Henry and Roland were in charge of the boxes from their own rooms, marked with their names and what was inside to keep track of their belongings. Regina and Robin handled the bigger boxes for the kitchen and living room. He'd passed a thrift store on his way home from the university one afternoon and spotted some old skateboards through the display window. He'd purchased them and gathered some two-by-fours from a hardware store to create makeshift dollies. It certainly made it easier to transport the heavier ones and saved them trips by stacking multiple boxes on each.

The common areas of both places were empty, cardboard bins now lining the walls of their new apartment. When Henry was finished unloading his room, he assisted Roland so they could both be available to provide extra hands for the remainder of the move. The bathroom became their priority while their parents gathered the boxes of their clothes to transport to the top floor.

Thanks to Regina's organizational skills, both apartments on the third floor had been completely emptied, with the exception of furniture, by noon. They rested for lunch: sandwiches for the kids and gluten-free quinoa and chicken salad for them. She kept reminding the boys to stay hydrated and only allowed them water while they were working. She imagined she'd treat them to hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon after dinner.

After their break, the family moved on to the more challenging part of their day: the furniture. The couple decided to keep Regina's living room furniture for their new place because it was more elegant and neutral. Gold was allowing them to keep the furniture from Robin's common area in Apartment 8 until he found new tenants or they were able to sell it. John already expressed an interest in the table for his own place and was trying to convince the owner of the pub to take the couch for extra seating.

Her bed was moved into the master bedroom and Robin's became the mattress for the guest room. The task of pulling apart the frames made it easier to transport them on the dollies and the mattresses weren't heavy at all. Henry and Robin were able to carry them, Roland being given the important titles of 'Official Door Holder' and 'Expert Button Pusher' for the elevator.

Considering the boys had their own bathroom, their parents agreed to let them decorate it together. Regina had a knack for interior design, but why spoil their fun? After spending a considerable amount of time in various department stores over the last few weeks, they'd finally picked a Batman theme. While the men were hard at work with the furniture, she made herself useful in preparing the bathroom so their smelly boys could shower before bed that night. She hung the shower curtain that sported the Bat Symbol before placing the toilet seat cover down with the same logo. There was a soap dispenser that resembled the superhero and a toothbrush holder in the shape of the Bat Mobile. She'd also found black and yellow towels of all sizes which she put in their proper places. Her final touch was a floor mat with an image of good vs evil: Batman and Robin in an epic battle against various villains including, but not limited to, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and The Penguin.

Her next project was the kitchen. She wasn't concerned about the bedrooms; they could do that in the few hours after dinner or any spare time they had for the remainder of the weekend. She began with the cooler of perishable food, putting them in the refrigerator and freezer with ease. The non-perishables could wait to be organized into the cabinets and Lazy Susan until the next morning.

With a larger family came more stuff. The addition of Robin's kitchen appliances proved to be both a blessing and a curse. Things like an excess of utensils, plates, and cookware were wonderful in that they would save having to run the dishwasher everyday. However, the duplicates in coffeemakers, toasters, blenders, etcetera were going to have to be discussed.

Regina was summoned via text message to assist with the hardest part: moving the couch. It wasn't the lifting or rolling down the hallways that was the issue. It was the seemingly impossible task of fitting it into the elevator. It was too many floors to suggest carrying it up the stairs (not that they had enough people or strength to accomplish that anyway) so she had to think outside of the box. Leather cushions were not removable so they lost a lot of flexibility there, but if they tilted it up and removed the dollies, they could make it work.

After a valiant effort by all, the black sofa was snug in the small square. Robin and Henry ran up the stairs with the dollies to meet Regina and Roland who were riding up with the furniture.

"How can we decorate my room?" The boy asked excitedly.

Regina smiled at him and shrugged, "Any way you'd like."

"Can we make it Harry Potter?" He pleaded and she thought about it for a moment. That wasn't such a bad theme for him. He already had a nice wooden bed frame and a deep blue bedspread. She could probably find some decorative lightning bolt pillows and glow-in-the-dark stars to stick on the ceiling. She could ask Henry to use his art skills to paint a Hogwarts scene on a canvas to hang and find a stick-on Deathly Hallows symbol online. The possibilities were endless.

"I think that's definitely something we could do," she replied as the elevator doors opened.

Roland expertly pressed the 'Hold' button to keep them open while Robin and Henry placed the dollies down and helped Regina maneuver the couch onto them. They wheeled it into the apartment and placed it where she requested before plopping down on it to catch their breath. She brought them cold bottles of water from the fridge before taking a seat beside her family.

They were finished. With the heavy lifting, anyway. Now they had to unpack and organize. But first they all deserved to rest and quench their thirst. They leaned their tired bodies on one another: Regina's head on Robin's shoulder, Roland seated on the floor between his mother's legs, and Henry leaning against the arm of the couch. They each sipped their water in silence, Daniel's canvas already hanging on the wall behind them as the sound of thunder and heavy rain filled the atmosphere.

After a quick dinner of Chinese takeout, the boys went to their rooms to unpack while Regina and Robin ventured to the third floor. They did a once over of each apartment, checking that there was no evidence of them ever living there. He entered her apartment after locking up Apartment 8 and found her facing the wall in the kitchen. Her hand grazed over the markings she'd made there in pencil, remembering each time she measured Henry's growth with great fondness. A single tear escaped her as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, placing comforting kisses along the back of her neck.

"He's still growing," he commented.

She nodded and said, "And now we can add Roland to it each year."

Regina smiled then as she imagined what their children would look like in the future. Who would be taller: Henry or Roland? She was five foot five and Marian seemed to be only an inch or two taller, but Daniel stood at nearly six foot while Robin was only five foot nine. Even genetically, she couldn't decide who she'd predict to be the taller of the two.

"We better make our way to the lobby before the doorman leaves for the evening," Robin stated, interlocking their fingers when he grabbed hold of her hand. He swung their arms up, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. They shared a smile before heading to the front door. She turned around for one final look.

"Come on, Henry. You can do it. Walk to Mommy," she encouraged the toddler as he leaned apprehensively on the couch. Her arms were open wide, inviting him to take a leap of faith and venture into her embrace. The boy giggled and took a step forward, removing his hand from the leather. "That's it, Mijo. Take your time."

He staggered, but regained his balance before slowly wobbling his way into her arms. She lifted him off the ground and spun in a circle, the boy's cheerful laughter filling the room as she kissed him repeatedly.

"You did it!" She exclaimed, her face beaming with joy. She hugged him close to her to be sure he heard her next words, wanting him to always remember them, "I'm so proud of you, my Prince."

A sudden chill ran up her spine, pulling her from her reverie. Regina looked toward the window and could have sworn she saw Daniel standing there, but the vision was gone the instant she blinked. But whether she saw him or not, she knew he was there. And with a sigh, she closed the door to Apartment 13 and locked it for the last time.

"Mr. Gold just needs both your signatures at the bottom here and then you're all set," the young man explained.

The couple each signed along the dotted line of their new lease, sharing a smile as they placed the pens down on the counter. They put their old keys into small envelopes provided by the doorman before handing them to him. He held out another set of keys and said, "There are three here and I know, Robin, you have the fourth. Gold made two extra for the kids so you wouldn't run into a problem down the road."

"Excellent. Thank you, lad," Robin said, shaking the boy's hand firmly.

"It's my pleasure. Congratulations," he smiled and they nodded with gratitude as they walked back to the elevator.

"So it's official," he said, blue eyes looking down at her.

"A new chapter," she grinned and he leaned down to kiss her softly.

Ding!

The elevator doors spread to allow them entry. They stepped inside and he reached forward to press the number of their new floor. They began to rise, watching the arrow move to show which floor they were passing. Suddenly, the floor shook and the lights flickered. A loud crack of thunder could be heard in the distance as the elevator shut down and all the power in the building went out.

Robin wrapped his arms around Regina protectively, their hearts racing in fright. They began to calm when they heard the doorman yelling to them that he'd called for help and to expect emergency service within the hour. They remained in their embrace, but it was no longer fear they were experiencing.

That familiar forest scent entered her nostrils as she gripped the muscles of his sweaty biceps. His hands moved down her spine to the small of her lower back, their eyes meeting in the dark of the temporary power outage. She bit down on her lower lip when she watched his gaze shift from her eyes to her mouth and then back again. Heat was engulfing them as they exchanged a knowing glance and before either of them could stop it, passion and desire consumed them.

Regina Mills and Robin Locksley started the newest chapter of their lives the same way the previous one began: in an elevator. Only this time, they fulfilled the fantasy that started it all.

The End.

A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of my precious readers for their dedication and support of this FanFiction. Your kind words and enthusiasm kept me motivated and lifted my spirit when I lacked ideas of where to take the story next. I hope it lived up to your expectations and helped each of you survive the hiatus. I cherish and appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know. You are all beautiful souls.

Until the next adventure,

ReginasHappyEnding

(Arielle)