#he was tossing lucy apples and letting her drag him around by the hand. he was laughing at edmund for not mentioning the torch

[zannolin]

the immediate shift in the pevensies from being frustrated and unhappy and upset with one another and themselves in england -> them all laughing and playing with one another the second they get to narnia again. susan not caring at all how mature she acts anymore as she throws off her blazer and her hair falls in her face, but it just makes her more queenly than ever. lucy racing her down the beach. them all forgetting they were annoyed with peter. peter forgetting he was angry at all. half an hour ago he was getting the shit kicked out of him but he can't even feel the bruises anymore. none of it matters because they're home, and they're splashing each other in the ocean and walking barefoot under the apple trees and i feel SICK i feel ILL they were SO HAPPY.

[chilling-seavey]

Anything But Mine - Daniel and the Girls have a Tea Party

Summary: Florence is out for the day, leaving Daniel to look after their three little girls. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them but they sure now how to tire a man out.

W/C 3.5k

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Daniel set the two plastic bowls of macaroni and cheese on the small glass table in the kitchen along side two cups of apple juice and a plate of cut up fruit. Six-year-old Clementine and four-and-a-half-year-old Penelope sat on opposite sides of the table waiting for their lunch. Daniel handed them each a spoon before pulling up a chair with them and his own bowl.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Clementine said sweetly before shoving her spoon in her food.

“You’re welcome, angel.”

Penelope ate quietly from his other side.

When she finished her mouthful, he tickled her side, “Where are your manners, miss bug?”

Penelope giggled shyly, staring up at him from barely over the edge of the table as she whispered a soft, “Thank you.”

Daniel smiled at her and twirled one of her brown pigtails around his finger before he was turning back to his own lunch. The girls ate contently, munching their macaroni and cheese and sipping their juice from plastic cups of their favourite colours and reaching out little sticky fingers for pieces of fruit from their shared plate.

“What do we want to do today while Mommy’s out with Uncle Callum?” Daniel asked his two oldest girls.

They thought for a moment and then Clementine raised her hand in the air – something she learned from kindergarten – and Daniel called her name to answer his question.

She dropped her hand to her lap, “I want to have a tea party.”

“Oh wow, that’s a good idea. We can definitely have a tea party.” Daniel agreed. “What about you, Nelly? What do you want to do?”

Penelope just shrugged.

“We can maybe play some piano too.” Daniel offered.

“With baby sister?” Penelope asked quietly.

“Yeah. When Lucy Lu wakes up from her nap she can come join the fun too, right?”

“Lu-Lu is too little to have a tea party.” Clementine argued.

“No, she’s not. We can just pretend that her bottle is tea and she can sit with us just fine.” Daniel reached over to wipe the eldest’s mouth free of cheese with a napkin.

They finished their lunch together and the girls helped to bring their plates to the dishwasher, carefully setting them in the rack under Daniel’s instruction. He thanked them and sent them to the living room while he went to wake up the baby and Clementine announced she was going to gather her things for the tea party with Penelope rushing after her every move.

Lucy was already waking up when Daniel came into the nursery and her face broke into a gummy grin at the sight of him, her little legs kicking and arms reaching up for him. Daniel beamed, cooing down at his youngest as he leaned over to pick her up, pausing to give her a good sniff before holding her against his chest. She needed a quick change so he laid her down on the change table and sang to her softly while she got a clean diaper and a new little dress and bloomers.

Back in the living room, Clementine had dragged the girls’ small white wooden table into the room and had a pile of dress up things and stuffed animals and toys on the couch. Penelope was already ordered to sit on one of the chairs and she had a little plastic tiara on and was wrapped in a pink feather boa. Daniel smiled at two eldest as he came back into the room with Lucy on his hip and the two of them seemed to take in the little set up with the baby’s tiny hand holding onto the back of his thin jacket.

“Sit, Daddy!” Clementine ordered with a smile, pointing to the tiny chair beside Penelope’s own.

Daniel pulled out the chair with his foot and had to nearly crouch all the way to the ground to actually sit in it but he did without argument and placed Lucy on his lap.

Clementine went back to her stash over on the couch and brought over a plastic gold crown to him, “Put this on because you’re the prince.”

“Oh. Alright.” Daniel chuckled and took the crown from her. He carefully set it on his head with two hands and made sure it was placed securely before sitting up straighter, “Good?”

Clementine nodded and rushed back to the pile. Daniel glanced over at Penelope and she smiled shyly at him.

“Do I look like a good prince?”

Penelope nodded and then pointed to her tiara, “I’m a princess.”

“I see that. We’re almost matching.” Daniel said.

She smiled her usual close-mouthed grin until her dimples pressed into her cheeks.

Clementine came rushing back with a purple feather boa and tossed it around Daniel’s shoulders – nearly smacking him in the face in the process and certainly getting a feather in the baby’s mouth – before standing back to admire her work. Lucy tried to pull the end of the boa into her mouth again but Daniel tucked it back over his shoulder so she couldn’t eat it.

“One more thing.” Clementine said before rushing past him and back into her room.

Lucy leaned forward to smack her hand against the white tabletop and Daniel’s secure hands around her middle kept her from toppling off his lap. Penelope reached over to press her finger into her baby sister’s palm and Lucy wrapped her whole hand around her one small finger, making her grin.

Clementine came back and dropped her makeup kit on the table. It was just kid quality makeup but a whole set that Anna had bought her for Christmas and she used often for dress up…now Daniel was to be her canvas (next victim?).

“Oh…angel…Daddy doesn’t need any of that.” Daniel said gently.

“Yes, you do.” Clementine answered plainly as she spread out a few things.

“No, no. Prince’s don’t need makeup.”

“You need makeup.”

“Oh, thanks.” Daniel scoffed.

Unaware to her dig at him, Clementine turned to him and ordered, “You’re too tall. Sit on the ground.”

“Please?”

“Please.” Clementine nodded.

Daniel sighed lightly and shifted the short distance from the short chair to the living room rug, keeping Lucy on his lap. The baby watched with awe as her eldest sister brought over some sparkly blue eyeshadow and a rough toy brush and proceeded to scrub it against Daniel’s eyelid.

He winced, “Gentle, Clemmie.”

“It’s fine.” she answered.

Daniel kept his complaints to himself as she scribbled on his eyeshadow and then dusted on dark pink blush to his cheeks and finally finished with a sparkly sticky cheap lip gloss.

“Do like this.” Clementine puckered out her lips to show him, just like she remembered Florence telling her when she would sometimes give the girls some makeup to wear.

Daniel copied her and pursed out his lips to let the six-year-old smear some lip gloss on for him. He tried not to show his cringe at the texture of it as she put everything back into its carry bag.

Clementine turned back to him to admire her handiwork and then grinned at him, “You look very pretty, Daddy.”

“Thank you, angel.” Daniel chuckled as he got back into the small chair.

“I see?” Penelope asked and Daniel turned to show her his makeover. She bit back a grin and held her folded hands adoringly against her cheek, “Pretty Dada.”

“What do you think, Lucy Lu?” Daniel looked down to the baby on his lap.

Lucy was already staring at him blankly, between the crown, boa, and now messy makeup, she didn’t know what she was looking at. She blinked. Daniel pressed a sticky kiss to her head and then quickly wiped off the glittery lip gloss from the baby’s blonde hair.

“Lu-Lu needs a pretty bow.” Clementine said as she put her makeup back in the pile on the couch and then pulled out a red bow on an elastic headband and brought it over. She set it over the eight-month-old’s head and stepped back with a proud smile. The bow was nearly falling right in Lucy’s eyes and she scrunched up her tiny nose and reached to take it off herself with a small whine, looking up at Daniel for help.

He adjusted it so it was sitting more comfortably on her and it seemed to satisfy the baby enough to leave it on. Clementine beamed with pride.

“Okay! Ready!” She grabbed her own tiara and orange feather boa and put them on before bringing over the tray of little plastic teacups and saucers. She sat herself down at the little table and handed each person a cup – even Lucy.

Lucy picked up the cup and slobbered on the side of it while Daniel and the older two girls picked up their teacups daintily and raised them to the centre of the table to ‘cheers’.

“Pinkies up.” Daniel said.

“Pinkies up!” Clementine and Penelope giggled, raising their little pinkies as they clinked the plastic cups together.

They all took a sip of their imaginary tea. Lucy dropped her cup onto the carpet and Daniel leaned over to pick it back up for her but she only wiggled in his arms and tried to get out of his grasp. So he let her carefully slip between his legs and onto the carpet and she crawled herself a few steps away to one of her discarded toys that were lying around the room. She sat on her bum and smiled gummily at Daniel as she shoved the plush block into her mouth.

He had to keep an eye on the youngest to make sure she didn’t escape in his distraction, but he tried to focus as much as he could on his tea party with the two eldest. They shared invisible cookies and pretend tea and lots of once-upon-a-time stories with extravagant plots until Lucy was getting fussy. Daniel leaned after her to grab the end of her little dress as she tried to crawl away and he tugged her back towards him.

“Okay, our littlest tea party guest needs something to drink too it seems.” he got up from the table and scooped up the baby. “Be right back, little ladies.”

Lucy stared at him from her spot on his hips as he got her bottle ready, still uncertain about the whole idea of him in the scribbly overly eccentric makeup, but Daniel was unphased. What else would you expect from having three little girls? With the bottle in hand, he returned to the small table and sat back down, tucking Lucy on his lap and she sipped from her bottle contently.

“Where were we?” Daniel asked the eldest two.

“Cheers, Lu-Lu!” Clementine held out her plastic teacup to the baby and Daniel helped lead Lucy’s hand over to clink their drinks together. Lucy leaned back against his chest and sipped quietly as the tea party progressed.

By the time the little party was over, the group of them found themselves at the grand piano in the corner of the living room; Clementine and Penelope on either side of Daniel and Lucy on his lap. They all still wore their crowns and boas of course.

“What song should we sing first?” Daniel asked.

“Mine!” Clementine beamed.

“Alright.” Daniel sat up straighter and set his hands on the keys. “Ophelia for my Clementine Ophelia.”

After six years, Daniel didn’t even need sheet music to play her songs on the piano and Ophelia by the Lumineers had always been a favourite. The girls watched with awe as he played over the keys gracefully and sang softly, Clementine trying to pitch into the lyrics the best she could remember which honestly was just her shouting her middle name when it came up in the lines.

When the song finished, the older two girls applauded and Daniel smiled sweetly at them, “Thank you, thank you. Who’s next?”

Penelope raised her hand behind a shy smile.

“Of course.” Daniel squished her cheeks lovingly, “Penny Lane for my sweet Penny girl. Sound good?”

Penelope nodded.

Being his favourite band, any of The Beatles’ songs seemed to come extra easily for Daniel and Penny Lane was no exception. It wasn’t necessarily a sweet song about love but it was more upbeat and happy and Penelope sure loved it. Daniel played on, trying to avoid Lucy’s little hands trying to press their way onto the keys mid-song and eventually had to hold her arms back with his left hand and just played with his right.

When he finished, the girls clapped for him again and he thanked them with a proud smile. Lucy whined from his lap, trying to wiggle out of his grasp to press the piano keys and he stood her up on the bench between his legs and held her steady so she could slam her little hands down all she wanted, filling the living room with ungraceful notes.

Penelope held her hands over her ears.

“She’s not good.” Clementine giggled, sliding her hand between her baby sister and the keys to get her to stop. “Only Daddy can play, Lu-Lu.”

Daniel laughed lightly and sat the baby back on his lap, “We’ll finish off our concert with a song for the littlest lady, okay?”

“Okay.” Lucy babbled, reaching for the piano again.

“Okay.” Daniel chuckled and set his hands on the keys.

“Dada!” Lucy shrieked.

“Shhh.” Clementine shushed her through her annoyance.

“Hey. No yelling during the concert.” Daniel teased lightly and he reached for the spare pacifier that was sat on top of the piano. He slipped it into the baby’s mouth and she sucked happily, resting back against his stomach, and he focused back on the piano, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds for our little diamond.”

Penelope leaned over to kiss her baby sister’s head.

Daniel played through the third song – one of his favourite songs and honestly his youngest daughters’ namesake – and finished with a final dramatic note. The oldest two applauded for a third time.

“That song is magical.” Clementine giggled.

“Think so?” Daniel smiled at her.

“Me too.” Penelope agreed.

“It is kind of pretty, isn’t it?” Daniel looked down at the baby on his lap and Lucy peered back up at him. Her big blue eyes and long lashes made him smile and he patted her tummy softly. “I think it’s nearly dinner time. We’ve had a busy afternoon.”

“I’m hungry!” Clementine said loudly as she shifted off the piano bench.

“You too, bug?” Daniel asked Penelope. She nodded. “Good, because I was thinking McDonalds for dinner, how does that sound?”

The girls’ eyes went wide and they both shrieked with excitement, agreeing loudly and throwing their arms around him like it was the best news they had heard all week. They all got ready to go; Daniel zipping up three little jackets and tying three little pairs of shoes and then getting himself dressed and the baby buckled in the stroller with the diaper bag tossed over his shoulder.

“Okay, little ladies, let’s go.” He held open the front door and Penelope and Clementine headed into the apartment hallway hand in hand and he followed behind them, locking the door on the way. He got them all buckled into the car and the stroller put away in the trunk and by the time they got to the restaurant, they were all nearly starving. Daniel silently thanked everything he wasn’t a single parent…props to them, though.

It wasn’t until they were ordering at the counter that Daniel remembered he still had the makeup on his face. The stares from the cashiers were his hint and his face completely dropped with realization, but he played it off coolly as he paid and ushered his daughters to a table to wait for their food. Clementine and Penelope sat together on one side of the table with Daniel and Lucy in the stroller on the other, the older girls colouring together on one of the sheets that were up for grabs by the condiment station and Daniel watched them work together peacefully. He tried to wipe the makeup off as discreetly as he could; swiping his wrist over his cheeks to rid the blush but it only really smudged it around more and the lip gloss was putting up a fair fight. He was going to have a serious talk with his sister about that Christmas gift.

Soon, two happy meals were delivered and Daniel’s own chicken nugget meal and he got the older girls set up with their nuggets and fries and small cartons of milk with straws before he even touched his own. Penelope was too focused on colouring to even bother to eat and Daniel had to tug the sheet and crayons from her to get her to put them away for dinner. With the older girls eating, Daniel broke off little pieces of his French fries and nuggets and offered tiny little pieces to the baby in the stroller. Lucy munched happily, the pieces small enough for her to eat with barely any teeth and she kept reaching for more. Daniel was all too used to eating cold food anyway and being the only adult for three girls meant his dinner was near icy by the time he could actually eat any of it.

Of course, Lucy needed a change before they left so they made a stop to the bathroom. Trying to keep the well fed and now very active older two girls within arms reach in the restaurant bathroom while changing a squirmy baby was not an easy feat and Daniel had to dive for Penelope to keep her from sticking her curious hand in the urinal more times that he would have liked to.

Finally, they made it home and all three girls were put in the master bathtub together, filled with bubbles and bath toys and Daniel scrubbed each of them well before bed. He then lined them up on the king size bed and dressed them each in pyjamas and brushed their hair and then sent them down the hall for bed. Lucy was still only in her diaper in his arms, her skin still a soft pink from the warm bath and her thin blonde hair already mostly dry over her head and Daniel carried her in a blanket to the older girls’ room for story time. Two stories were read and the girls were tucked in and kissed and the nightlight was turned on before Daniel left them to sleep.

He then took the baby to the nursery and got her into her pyjamas which was much easier now that she was already fading – having missed her afternoon nap through all the fun they had – and he laid her down gently in her crib. Lucy was left with a kiss, her little blanket tucked up around her, and her pacifier in her mouth before Daniel left her to sleep too.

In the silent apartment, he flopped backwards onto the couch in the living room that was still trashed with toys and dress-up things and remanence of their tea party, and his heavy eyes fell closed.

Florence returned home not long after, making sure to come in quietly since she knew it was past bedtime. She took off her shoes and coat and left her purse by the door before turning the corner into the living room. The sight of the messy living room and her exhausted husband painted in makeup and still donned with a crown in the middle of it made her smile lovingly. She took out of her phone and snapped a quick picture before stepping over the discarded toys to join him on the couch. Daniel was half asleep already but he still held up his arm to welcome her close and she nuzzled up next to him and rested her head on his chest with her arm around his middle.

“Busy day?” she asked quietly.

“Mhm.” Daniel mumbled without opening his eyes.

Florence leaned her head up a little to get a better look at his face, “You look so pretty, Daniel James.”

Daniel peeked his eyes open and lolled his head over to meet her gaze with a tired unimpressed expression, “I went to McDonalds looking like this.”

Florence giggled, “Did you really?”

Daniel pouted sleepily and nodded.

“What a good dad.” she patted his chest and leaned up to kiss his sticky, lip gloss painted lips. “Oh…she really slathered that on, huh?”

“Yeah.” Daniel chuckled lightly, pulling her closer by his arm around her.

Florence shifted out of his grasp and held out her hand to him, “Come on. I’ll help clean you up.”

Daniel let her pull him up from the couch and down the hall to their room and she took her makeup remover wipes to his eyelids and cheeks and lips, ridding him of the cheap makeup that their eldest nearly engraved into his face.

“Flora.” Daniel mumbled sleepily as she cleaned him up.

“Dani.” she replied just as softly, gently washing his face with a warm damp facecloth.

“I’d be so screwed without you.” Daniel admitted.

Florence smiled softly at him and kissed his nose, “No, my love. I’d be screwed without you.”

[beckybloomwood-archived]

I was digging into my old fic folder and the amount of unfinished stuff i have there is embarassing. anyway, i found this really old (2013-ish?) beginning of a tmp fic in which mindy and danny take gwen’s daughter (remember them?) trick or treating, and i thought it was kinda cute. also, i miss the show. enjoy accordingly to the quality of my writing which is, whatever.

The thing is, she's not used to kids. Granted, she's great at bringing them into the world safe and sound, but once all  the blood and  goo is off them and they rest in their parents' arms, her work is pretty much done. So, when Gwen hijacks her Halloween plans by getting chicken pox (who even gets chicken pox in their thirties? she wonders) and leaves her to babysit Riley the whole weekend, she doesn't feel up to the task. It's the first time she has to take care of her goddaughter without  Gwen's supervision for more than a couple of hours and she's dreading every minute of it.

"Riley, are you sure you don't need help getting dressed?" Mindy asks from the hallway outside her bedroom.

"No! It's a surprise!"

"Fine. I'll  wait here" Mindy gives up.

She heads to the bathroom and stares at the reflection in the mirror, smoothing her blonde wig and re-adjusting the tiny pink hat on her head.

"Eat your hear out, Reese Whiterspoon." She tells her reflection. She's just starting to retouch her lipstick when the doorbell rings.

"Door's open!" she shouts.

When she turns around a few seconds later, Danny's already there, leaning on the bathroom doorframe with a funny look on his face.

"Hi" he says, checking out her outfit.

"You're not wearing a costume" she remarks, turning around to point at his leather jacket, white button down and kakhis combo.

"You know i don't do costumes."

"Lame-o. How do I look?" she changes the subject.

"Like you came out of a cotton candy factory explosion."

"Yeah, you  wish you could have a bite of this." She drags her hands along her sides to emphasize her point.

Danny rolls his eyes, knowing full well that's territory he best not get into.

"Where's the kid?"

"Bedroom." Mindy answers, walking past him on her way towards the place in question. "Come on Riley, it's time to come out! you don't want it to be too dark when we go out, don't you?"

The little girl comes out a few seconds later. She's holding a football and her blonde hair is covered by a black wig.

Mindy furrows her brows, unable to discern what the costume might be. "Why are you dressed like a Little Rascal at an NFL game?"

"I'm Lucy!" Riley grunts, clutching her football close to her chest.

"Who?"

"From It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" The kid explains.

"Oh, right. That weird cartoon from the 40s you always talk about."

"You've never seen it?" Danny interjects, a smug smile on his face.

Mindy shrugs. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's the first time I beat you on a pop culture reference. Feels good."

"Ok, old man. Cool it. It's not like you won jeopardy or anything."

"So ... Should we go?" Danny suggests, heading towards the apartment entrance.

"No, wait! I have an idea!" Mindy rushes to her room, heels clinking on the hardwood floor. A few seconds later, she comes back with a brown fedora and she places it on top of Danny's head.

"And now you're Indiana Jones" She smiles proudly at her own brilliance.

"What-where did you even get that hat?"

"It's from back when i was dating Jamie. It's kind of a funny story actually."

"Oh, boy."

"Relax, you perv, it's PG rated." Mindy replies, leading the group out and closing the door behind them.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny inspects  Riley's pumpkin shaped bucket's content as they head down a residential street filled with brownstones. Lollipops. Mars Bars. Gummy bears. Twinkies. Sour straws. Snickers.

"You know what my neighbors gave me when I was a kid? licorice," he starts listing off. "Candied fruit, apples, candy corn. That was the stuff.  This is ... processed junk." he finishes, tossing a milky way back into the bucket.

"More like, delicious processed junk" Mindy replies, mouthful of chocolate.

"I'd never let my kid eat this stuff."

"Good thing you don't want any, then. Poor souls."

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Under the Apple Tree--Chapter 5

Ship:  Outlaw Queen

Rating: T

Synopsis: After being hit by the Olympian Crystal, Robin was transported to Seattle, unable to return to Storybrooke or any magical. When it was clear he had no way to return to his family, Robin finally decided to bury his broken heart in work–founding a landscaping business, Sherwood Forestry.  Fifteen years later, Robin receives an order from the last person he ever thought he’d see again, making him realize that hope never truly dies.

Previous: Chapter 1  Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4

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Rayna tossed and turned, her sleep restless and troubled.  She didn’t remember ever having such a rough night’s sleep. Finally, an hour and a half before dawn, she decided to get up.  After starting the coffee, she gathered the ingredients she needed and got started on the pastries she hoped to feature at Grandma’s that day.

Baking always relaxed and focused her, and she needed it more than she had in weeks.

Her meager sleep the night before had been punctuated by odd dreams, more like flashes of impressions.  Most were gone as soon as she woke, but there was one dream she just couldn’t shake.   She saw herself with long hair, simply dressed.  She wore a red, velvet dress with a tight corset and a plunging neckline. Looked like something out of a Renaissance fair.  

And he was there.  The landscaper, Robin Locksley.  Whatever her other dreams had entailed, she knew he featured prominently in all of them.  She blushed as she thought of the one dream she particularly remembered.  Robin had smiled at her and then leaned down to kiss her. She’d taken his hand, led him behind her up a stone staircase and then into her bedroom.

Rayna poured herself a tall cup of coffee, angry with herself and the feelings the dream elicited. She was a full grown woman, not some silly teenager with a crush.  Robin Locksley was a handsome man; there was no point in denying that, but Rayna had given up on love a long time ago. ��It hurt too much when it inevitably crumbled.

What was it about Robin that kept him at the forefront of her thoughts?  She didn’t even know him.  Not really. They’d spent, what?  A couple hours together?  He was her landscaper!  Why couldn’t she get him out of her head?

Soulmates.

Rayna dragged in a deep breath at the word her thoughts oh-so-helpfully conjured.  What was up with her today?  There was no such thing as a soulmate!  And even if there was, it would take more than a morning spent over coffee and apple turnovers to find one.

But deep down, in the honest part of her being, Rayna couldn’t deny that the word resonated—and it seemed perfectly suited to Robin Locksley.

“Just….stop being an idiot!” Rayna growled aloud.

“I do hope you’re talking to the dough you’re kneading and not to me, sister dearest,” came the sleepy, masculine voice behind her.

Rayna turned around and glared at her brother.  “Why not both?  If the shoe fits…”

He brought his good hand to his chest and staggered back as though he’d been shot in the heart.  Idiot. Rayna watched as James ran a hand through his hair—making it stick up in every direction—pour himself a mug of coffee and then sit at the kitchenette.

“I do believe this is the first time you’ve ever woken before me, Ray,” James said, glancing over the newspaper sitting on the table.  “Is everything okay?”

Rayna turned back toward the dough, gave it one last punch and then put it in a bowl to rest and rise. “Of course everything’s okay.  Why wouldn’t it be.”

James sighed behind her. “Rayna, I’ve known you since you were born.  I know when something is bothering you, and this morning, something most assuredly is bothering you.  So what say you save us both time and simply tell me.  You know I’ll get it out of you eventually anyway.”

Rayna glared at him for another moment and then sighed.  She sat heavily in the chair across from James.  “It’s stupid.”

“I’m quite the good listener,” James said.  “And…it would be a kindness on your part.  Perhaps helping someone else through her troubles will help me to move past…my own tragedy.”

James’s voice broke on the last word, and for a moment he looked away, taking a deep breath, obviously trying to regain control of himself.  Rayna felt the shame and the pity well up within her.  Why was she so hung up over a crush when he was dealing with the loss of his wife and a permanent disability?

“It’s just…” she began. “Did you see the new apple tree out front?”

“Aye.  Sound investment, I’d wager.  Will be most helpful in your baking endeavors.”

“Exactly,” Rayna said, looking down into the black depths of her coffee and fiddling with the handle. “It was…it was delivered and planted by this man, Robin Locksley.  And, well, he came back the next morning and we had breakfast and talked…”

“And you’ve developed feelings for this Robin?” James asked.  Trust him to get right to the heart of the matter.

“Yes…no!...I don’t know!” Rayna said, getting to her feet and starting to pace.  “I feel this strange…pull…toward him, and I just can’t stop thinking about him.  It’s ridiculous, totally asinine.  He’s just the guy who planted my tree, for heaven’s sake. These feelings—whatever they are—are just stupid.  No one falls for someone that fast.  Besides. I tried the whole romance thing, and I never want to do it again.”

James’s blue eyes were pools of sympathy and understanding.  “I know what happened with Daniel was traumatic.”

“Understatement of the year.”

Daniel had been her high school sweetheart, but her mom had never approved.  Didn’t think Daniel was good enough for her little girl.  On that last fateful day, Cora had screamed at him, hurling insults and insisting they never see each other again.  Daniel had left as angry as Rayna had ever seen him. And his anger must have occupied his thoughts and kept him from paying close enough attention to the road.  She’d gotten word an hour later that he’d been killed instantly in a car accident.

“But,” James continued, “that doesn’t mean you must remain alone forever.  Love is worth it.  Love is so very, very worth it.  Even now, I wouldn’t trade a single, beautiful, perfect moment I shared with my Emma, even to escape the crushing pain her loss has brought to me.  I may feel as though someone reached into my chest and crushed my heart, but those years I spent with my sweet wife were worth every bit of it.”

“That’s great for you,” Rayna started, “but…”

“Shh,” James said, “I wasn’t finished yet.”

Rayna rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“Rayna, if you feel a connection to this landscaper, explore it,” James said before taking a sip of his coffee.  “Perhaps nothing will come of it, but perhaps it will.  Love is so very, very worth it, and if you let Robin go without even exploring the possibilities, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.  Just…think about it, alright?”

Rayna was silent for a moment, and then nodded.  “Fine. I’ll think about it.  Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” James said, draining the last of his coffee and then getting to his feet.  “I’ve got to head down to the Warrior Swan.  Do a check on the inventory, put in orders for the stock we’re low on.  Get a wanted add written up for a new bartender.  That sort of thing.”

“Have fun,” Rayna said as her brother disappeared up the stairs to get ready for the day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Think about it, Rayna most definitely did.  She thought about it as she punched down the dough once more, rolled it flat, slathered it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and then rolled it up to form cinnamon rolls.  She thought about it as she cleaned up the mess of her kitchen.  She thought about it as she made an apple pie.  She thought of it as she got started on a wedding cake she was making for a couple a city over.

She couldn’t help but think about it.  Was James right?  Should she explore this weird connection she had with Robin?  As she slid her cinnamon rolls into the oven, she let herself think about him.  He was handsome in that rugged, outdoorsman way.  He had kind eyes and a gentle smile.  He was the best listener she’d ever come across, and he somehow knew exactly what to say to her—whether it was to commiserate, to compliment or to offer solutions.  It was as though this connection between them let him see into her very soul.

Soulmates.

Rayna pulled in another deep breath, but before she could think further on that (frankly terrifying) concept, there was a knock at the door.  She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and headed toward the foyer.

“Robin,” she said, seeing the man on her doorstep.  “I was just thinking about you…um..I mean…”

He chuckled.  “No need to be embarrassed.  I’ve been thinking quite a bit about you as well.”

“Yes, well…” Rayna stuttered, wondering if her cheeks were now as red as her honeycrisps.  “Um, what brings you to my home this morning?”

Robin gestured behind him. “I have a couple of people I’d like you to…meet.”

For the first time, Rayna realized Robin wasn’t alone.  He’d brought a man and a little girl with him.  “Please, come in.  All of you.”

“Thanks, Mo…Miss Miller,” the man said, looking aside as the little girl giggled.

“You’re welcome,” Rayna said, brow furrowing.  There was something vaguely familiar about Robin’s companions, but she couldn’t place it. “I’m sorry, but do we know each other? There’s something about you…”

“I’m sure I’ve never met Rayna Miller,” the man said carefully before extending his hand.  “Hi, my name is Henry Mills.”

He looked at her carefully, and Rayna got the strangest feeling that he wanted something from her. He was hoping for…something…but she had no idea what.

She took his hand, gave it a quick, businesslike shake, and then stepped back.  “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Mills.”

The man sighed and looked away for a moment, but then seemed to square his shoulders.  He gestured to the girl at his side.  “And this is my daughter, Lucy.”

The girl smiled, the dimples standing out on her cheeks.  “Happy to meet you!” she said cheerfully.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Rayna said, something about the girl giving her a little ache at the thought that she’d never had children of her own.  After a moment, she gave her head a little shake, and smiled at the trio in her foyer.  “I have a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls about to come out of the oven.  Would you like to join me for breakfast?”

“Yes!” Lucy said, quickly. “I love your cinnamon rolls….I mean…I love cinnamon rolls…in general…and I’m sure yours are great…”

Robin laughed and patted the little girl on the shoulder.  “Why don’t you go wash your hands?”

Lucy nodded, and ran toward the kitchen sink, while the adults settled themselves at the kitchen table.

“I’m sorry to descend on you like this,” Robin said, wry look on his face, “but Henry’s my neighbor, and I thought you might want to meet him.”

Rayna felt like she was missing something.  Both men seemed to know something she didn’t.  “Um…well, I’m pleased to meet you.  Have you lived in Seattle long?”

Henry exchanged a glance with Robin, before turning back toward her.  He took a deep breath.  “Actually, no.  I grew up in a little town in Maine, called Storybrooke.  I was adopted by the mayor, Regina Mills.  When I was 10, I found my birth mom, and she became the sheriff of Storybrooke.  She was a real savior to that town.”

Lucy rejoined the men, and all three of them gave her intense, expectant looks.  Had they gone crazy or had she?  

“Sounds like you had quite the childhood,” she said, noncommittally.

As one, Henry and Lucy’s faces fell, and Rayna felt (nonsensically) guilty for disappointing them. The problem was, she had no idea what they wanted from her or how to give it.

“Yeah, it was great. Never a dull moment,” Henry said.

They fell into a rather tense silence.  “So, why was it you wanted to meet me?”

“Well…um…I was hoping…that is…” Henry stumbled.

“He wanted to hire you,” Lucy spoke up.

Both Robin and Henry looked toward her in obvious surprise.

“Hire me?”

“Yeah,” she said with an earnest bob of her head.  “My dad is the author, and he has a new book coming out in a few months.  We were hoping you’d cater his book signing.”

“Exactly,” Henry said. “Robin and I were talking, and he told me what an amazing caterer you are, and it sounded perfect.”

“Really?” Rayna said, heart leaping at the thought Robin had been complimenting her to others.  Her eyes met his, and the belief and devotion she saw there staggered her.

“Really,” he answered. “You, Rayna Miller made quite an impression.  I’d recommend your pastries to the queen of England herself, should she need a caterer.”

Rayna felt her cheeks warm with pleasure at his praise.  “I think you might be overselling me a bit.”

“Not at all.”

For a moment, she held Robin’s gaze, getting lost in his green eyes, but then Lucy giggled and the spell was broken.

“I’d love to cater your event,” Rayna said finally, turning toward Henry.  “Just call me sometime so we can set up the details.”

“Great!” Henry said.  “I look forward to it.”

They shook on the deal, and then Henry got to his feet.  “Well it’s been great meeting you, and thank you for the delicious cinnamon rolls, but I’m afraid we’ll have to get going.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

An hour later, the oven timer went off, and Rayna quickly pulled the steaming, golden brown apple pie from the oven and set it on the range to cool.  She started to walk back toward the staircase, when suddenly something white sitting on the chair little Lucy had occupied, caught her eye.

Stooping down, Rayna discovered it was a book with an apple tree on the front.  Curious, she picked it up and flipped through.  It appeared the girl was following in her father’s footsteps.  She’d written a fanciful tale full of magic and witches and villains and heroes, complete with pictures.

Quite an imagination Lucy Mills had.

She set the book down on the counter, making a mental note to give it back when she met with Henry about his book signing.  No doubt the little authoress would want her manuscript back.

 Notes:

--So in this installment, Rayna gets some useful advice from her brother, James, and she “meets” Henry and Lucy.  Clearly Robin, Henry and Lucy were hoping that seeing her son and granddaughter would jog her memory, but unfortunately for them it can’t be that easy.  The darkness’s memory curse is too strong for that.

--Up next:  Robin, Henry and Lucy brainstorm “plan B”, and then Robin finds himself in James’s pub, where he gets a very unexpected pep talk.