A/N: This was not part of the original story, but some people in the reviews gave me a few ideas and so an epilogue was born! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who read, faved, followed, and reviewed. I was and still am absolutely blown away by the response this story received. Thank you all so much for reading my writing. I never thought anyone would.

Roland takes a deep breath, wishing the pitter-pattering in his chest would cut it out. He's not nervous. Why would he be nervous? There's no reason to be nervous. Not with Henry beside him. He looks up at his brother, the brim of his knit hat slouching past his eyebrows as he does so. Henry notices and pulls the hat out of his eyes, smiling down at him.

"You ready?" Henry asks, squeezing Roland's mittened hand with his gloved one.

Roland nods, feeling some kind of minty tingly thing spread across his chest. Maybe that's what bravery feels like. Papa would be pretty proud of him for being brave, he thinks. So would Mommy.

"Alright, point 'em out to me," Henry says, returning his gaze to the playground stretching out before them.

Roland looks around, holding tightly to Henry's hand so that he can hold just as tightly to his bravery. It's after school, they're waiting for the bus to pick them up at Roland's school and normally Henry gets on at the middle school, but today is different. It's different because Roland has a mommy and a brother now and there is a certain group of fourth graders who need to be told what's what. Or at least that's what Henry said last night. Roland's not entirely sure what that means, but Henry had said they'd take care of it together, like a brother type of thing, and so Roland thinks it's a great idea… whatever it is.

"Over there," Roland mumbles, pointing in the direction of the boys when he sees them. He squirms a little closer to Henry. Bravery is a lot harder to hold onto when you're looking at the thing you're scared of, he realizes.

Henry looks in the direction Roland pointed and narrows his eyes when he sees the boys in question. "Alright, come on. We got this," he declares, pulling the little boy along with him.

Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, Roland keeps telling himself as they get closer. Be brave like Papa and Mommy. Be brave like Henry.

"Hey!" Henry snaps when they're right in front of the boys. All three of them turn to look at the brothers, the biggest one stepping forward, giving Roland one of those scary smiles again. Be brave, be brave…

"Look, fellas. It's the freak," the boy teases meanly and Roland feels Henry squeeze his hand again.

"What did you just call my brother?" Henry asks, stepping forward.

The boy looks up at him and Roland thinks he can see the bravery leaving the boy's face. "I… uh…"

"I heard you were picking on Roland," Henry continues, taking another step forward and forcing the boy to take a step back.

"Well… that's a… that's a lie, isn't it?" the boy denies, looking back at his friends for confirmation. They nod in support.

"Oh, so now you're not only calling him a freak, but you're calling him a liar, too?"

"No… I mean, uh, yeah?"

Roland has to try really hard not to giggle at the boy's face. He doesn't look so scary anymore. In fact, he looks kinda funny. Like Uncle Will when Papa catches him eating food he's not supposed to eat.

"I don't like you talking to my brother like that," Henry says, crossing his arms. "And I think, if I were you, I'd leave Roland alone from now on or else you'll have to answer to me. Unless, of course, you want me to use a more magical way of persuading you."

Roland watches as the boy swallows and shakes his head. "We don't want any trouble."

"Oh, neither do I, but you got yourselves into trouble when you decided to be bad guys. And if you know anything about my family, then you'll know we don't deal nicely with bad guys," Henry continues, his voice dropping to a hissing whisper.

The boy puts his hands up and steps back. "We'll leave him alone. I promise!"

"Good. Now get of here," Henry orders and the three boys turn and scurry away, none of them looking back as they leave. Roland feels his chest get all big with pride. He has the coolest brother ever. Henry watches them go before turning back around and looking down at Roland. He smiles and holds out his hand, palm facing upward.

Roland slaps his palm against Henry's and grins. "You did it, Henry!" he exclaims, bouncing on his toes.

"I don't think they'll be bugging you ever again, kiddo," Henry promises, adjusting the brim of his own hat.

Roland nods but then pauses, thinking back to what Henry had said to them. Something doesn't make sense. "Wait a minute. You said you'd use magic on them if they didn't stop. I thought you said you don't know magic?"

Henry chuckles. "I don't. But, they don't need to know that. A little white lie never hurt anybody," he explains with a wink.

Roland's not sure what a 'little white lie' is, but he laughs anyway and takes Henry's hand when he holds it out to him. "C'mon, kiddo. We have an appointment at Granny's." Now Roland's chest is not only minty tingly with bravery and big with pride, but he thinks he feels a new kind of feeling in there somewhere too. It must be a brother-type thing.

Regina checks her watch for what feels like the thousandth time, eyes going from her wrist to the door and back again. Granny has asked for her order probably three times now and each time she gives the same response: that she is waiting for her family and if there's a problem, she'll be more than happy to look at the diner's building health permit since having half-wolves in the kitchen is most definitely some kind of violation.

The ringing of the front bell has her looking up again and she smiles when she sees Robin striding inside, his own grin spreading wide upon seeing her. "Hello, love," he greets, placing a kiss on her lips before sliding into the seat across from her. "Where are the boys? I thought for certain they'd beat me here."

"I don't know, I thought the same," Regina muses as Robin reaches for her hand and starts swirling circles on her palm. She leans back in the booth, feeling a small bit of her stress melting away at his ministrations. Logically, she knows she shouldn't worry about the boys. It's only fifteen minutes past the time they said they'd be here, but the mother in her can't help but feel concerned.

"How was your day?" she sighs, smiling when he groans dramatically.

"If I have to hear David and Emma argue over Killian moving in with her one more time, I think I might just lock them both in the interrogation room," Robin grumbles, poking her palm with his finger to emphasize his frustration.

Regina rolls her eyes. "David gave me the same schtick when you and Roland moved in."

"He did?" Robin asks, looking both surprised and annoyed.

"The man is set in his traditional ways. He doesn't think people should live together unless they're married," she explains, unable to keep emphasis off the last word, her eyebrow arching pointedly.

Robin chuckles at her implication and brings her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Patience is a virtue, my love," he states playfully. Regina scowls.

"And my ring size is a six," she replies, earning another laugh from the thief.

In all honesty, marriage has only been a very recent topic of conversation between the two of them and even then, the discussions have barely gone past the mutual agreement that they both think it's in the cards. Regardless, she can't help but think how lovely it would be to actually be in a marriage that's filled with love and support instead of the empty, lonely shell that was her first union.

"I'll keep that in mind," Robin promises with a wink.

She's about to respond that he better, but a joyful shout from the door stops her.

"Mommy!" Roland cries gleefully as he skips toward the booth, Henry following at a slower pace behind him. The little boy practically catapults himself at Regina and she has to laugh as she welcomes him into her arms, kissing the top of his hat.

"Hello, my little knight," she greets, angling her head upwards as Henry places a kiss on her cheek. "What took you boys so long? I was starting to worry."

"We were dealing with some bad guys," Henry explains simply, sliding into the booth when Robin stands to allow the teenager to sit next to the wall.

"Bad guys? Sounds serious," Robin comments, taking the aisle seat next to Henry.

Roland nods. "It was. But Henry took care of them, didn't you, Henry?" he prompts eagerly, dimples on full display.

Regina slides him off her lap and settles him into the booth beside her, pulling off his hat and smoothing down his hair. She helps him with the zipper of his coat and slides that off too, pulling it out from behind him and tossing it into the space between Roland and the wall. "Did you now, Henry?" she echoes, looking at her eldest with a curious yet suspicious expression.

He nods, licking his lips. "I merely told the kids who picked on Roland yesterday that they better leave him alone or else they'll have to answer to me," he explains with a shrug.

"You didn't get into a fight, did you?" Regina asks warningly. Henry's never been aggressive, but teenage hormones have started to rear their ugly head on occasion and that could lead to impulsiveness.

Henry shakes his head. "Of course not. I took care of it in a very mayoral manner," he assures her with a sly grin that she can't help but return. It would seem she's taught her little prince well.

"That was very kind of you, Henry, thank you," Robin expresses sincerely, squeezing the teenager's shoulder.

Regina feels a tug on her sleeve and she looks down to see Roland peering up at her. "Mommy, what's a little white lie?"

"That's what they're all telling you if you think the Evil Queen is your mother."

All four of them turn to follow the sound of the voice, eyes landing on a man Regina's positive she's seen around town before, but never spoken to. He's sitting a table away, sipping on a tumbler of some alcoholic substance no doubt, glowering in their direction. Specifically, her direction.

"I don't remember inviting you to the conversation," Robin points out, his voice sounding calm but Regina can detect the underlying warning, the protectiveness that immediately sprung up.

"I don't care if you did. Can't sit idly by while a young boy is being corrupted by the lies of an evil queen and a rotten thief," the man spits, his obvious contempt for the family growing with every word.

Regina's eyebrows go flying up. Who is this guy- getting drunk at 4 in the afternoon- to judge them? "I don't believe you are one to talk on the subject of moral character," Regina chimes in, trying to quell the anger rising in her throat for her sons' sakes. It wouldn't do to forcefully toss someone through a window in front of them.

The man ignores her and leans on his table, looking past her at Roland. Regina feels the little boy wiggle closer to her and she has the overwhelming urge to tuck him against her side, shielding him from whatever hatefulness the man is planning to send his way.

"Hey, kid? Whatever they told you to make you think this witch is your mother is a straight up lie. She ain't your mother and you should be right happy about that. She's a wicked, evil, destructive, life-ruining monster-"

"I think we've heard enough from you," Robin interrupts, standing promptly despite Regina's hand shooting out to grab his arm. A scene is the last thing she wants.

The man scoffs and takes another sip of his drink. "Figures you'd defend her since you're sleeping with the slu-"

He doesn't get a chance to finish because Robin's fist interrupts him, a nasty cracking sound permeating through the now silent diner. Regina and Henry both jump up, not being able to stand completely straight due to the table. Granny comes out from the back, usual huffiness multiplied when she sees the blood seeping from the man's evidently broken nose.

Robin grabs him by his jacket, pulls him from his seat and shoves him toward the door. "Get out," he orders. "And never talk to my family again."

The man glares at them for a few moments longer before turning and stalking out, hand grasped firmly over his nose. Robin straightens his shirt and sits back down, breath slowly calming. "Sorry," he murmurs quietly as Regina and Henry slowly sink back down to their own seats.

"It's fine," Regina whispers, pressing Roland tighter against her side. She dare not look at the boy out of fear that his expression will break her heart. Less than twenty-four hours. She had been his mother for less than twenty-four hours and some drunken asshole went and completely ripped their newfound happiness to shreds. Roland must be so confused, devastated, upset-

But then she feels him squirming and suddenly a mop of curly hair pops up in her peripheral vision and she turns to see Roland standing on the bench, hands on his hips. He looks angry, brow furrowed quite tightly and she blinks at him in surprise. "Roland, what are you-" she begins, but he doesn't give her a chance to finish.

"Excuse me!" he shouts, getting the attention of the diner goers who had mostly resumed their respective conversations after the scene had died down.

"Roland," Robin whispers, eyes wide in a silent plea for his son to sit down. His son doesn't listen.

"I just wanted to say," Roland continues, "That Regina is my mommy now because she loves me and I love her and if anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with me." He points to himself, tiny thumb jabbing his chest. "I don't care what anyone else says. She's my mommy now and that's final. No take-backsies. That's all I wanted to say."

He plops back down in his seat, the other three members of his family gaping at him. Regina's not sure if she's embarrassed, shocked, or touched. Did that… did that really just happen? She chances a look at the other people in the diner and is rather surprised to find most of them chuckling or smiling good-naturedly. Well, that's certainly a new one.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Roland asks, tugging on her sleeve again.

She catches Robin's gaze, a mix of shock and adoration in his blue eyes, before looking at Roland. "I'm fine, sweetheart," she assures him, wrapping her arm around him again. "I just… that was a very brave thing you did."

He smiles up at her and at the sight of his dimples, she feels herself relaxing. He just defended her in front of a diner full of people, most of whom probably cross the street when they see her coming down the sidewalk. Her little knight, indeed.

"What that man said was very mean," Roland explains. "And it's not true. I didn't want anyone else to think that it was."

"I'm proud of you, son," Robin beams at him, returning his son's dimples with a pair of his own. "Regina's right. That was very brave."

"Yeah," Henry agrees with a nod. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

Roland bounces in his seat, legs swinging with pride under the table. Regina leans down and kisses the top of his head. "Sounds like someone earned himself a banana split," she whispers to him conspiratorially.

His little arms go up in the air with a "whoo!" and laughter erupts among the other members of the table. Regina looks around at the three people she loves the most and can't help but think that she finally got something right. Her family, perfectly imperfect in every way. And she doesn't know it, but the little boy sitting right next to her is thinking nearly the same thing. His mommy- perfect in every way.