The smoke had faded but the pain of the landing was still stinging up her sides. "You alright Wolfie?" Dorothy asked as Toto whimpered but shook off the dirt from his fur uninjured scanning the surrounding woods for a threat when the little dog clued into the change from the glowing daylight they had come from to the growing darkness they were now standing in.

"Just adding to my bruise collection but I'll be fine in a few hours don't worry," Ruby answered rolling onto her back with a low groan of repressed pain as Dorothy got up wiping the wood splinters and dirt from her clothes. Red couldn't help the small gasp when she felt Dorothy's lips on hers as she helped her up.

"Where are we anyway?" Dorothy asked breaking the kiss after several long seconds. Red blushed taking her eyes away from the other woman's with difficulty as she scented the air grinning widely as her fingers laced with those of her true love. "Well one thing for sure Kansas," Ruby couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips as she continued "you and Toto aren't in Oz anymore." She teased

"Like one time I said that." Dorothy complained under her breath "And Toto wasn't even with me then anyway." She added making sure she had a tight hold on the struggling little fur ball that was her dog before Red lead her and Mulan out into the border between the woods and the main street of Storybrooke, Maine.

The jingling of the bell over the door the next morning wasn't what had Granny scrambling from the kitchen to the main diner in anticipation it was the scent that followed the doors opening.

Ruby….

Ruby was back….

But what confused her most was that the brunet female now sliding into a booth as close to the door as possible wasn't her headstrong granddaughter. Widow Lucas headed around the counter still scenting the air in suspicious curiously wondering why the unmistakable scent of her granddaughter was growing stronger the closer she got to the stranger.

The only one faster to the booth was the only other person in the diner: an over-served Dr. Whale who she'd been trying to sober up for the past hour now.

'Not even 6:00 and he's already pickled in liquor.' The elder wolf thought sadly as she watched the doctor stumble toward the girl with a hopeful chuckle as he half fell half slid into the seat across from her. "You must be new in town." He greeted with one of his flirtatious smiles as he shook his head to clear it "Can I buy you a drink…. I could show you around town if you want." He offered not even giving her time to do more than stare blankly at him.

"What have I told you?" Granny snapped coming to stand beside the woman staring with annoyed anger at the bleached blond Doctor sitting across from her. "This is a restaurant, not a place for you to try and pick up any woman who fogs a mirror." The elder woman continued angrily annoyed that for the fifth week in a row the Doctor had been keeping her from closing or sometimes opening her diner on time because of his drunken antics. He was becoming worse than Grumpy in that respect.

However, before either Dr. Frankenstein or Dorothy could think of an answer they were distracted by the ringing of the dinner bell and a blur of scarlet and matted gray while a jealous Ruby "Red" Lucas slid into the seat beside the younger brunet wrapping her arms possessively around the other woman's waist as her eyes a glowed in a warning mix of gold and green in the early morning light.

"Mine." She snapped as she glared across the table at the man, while at the same time Toto scrambled up into Dorothy's lap his head and shoulders barely clearing the top of the table as he stood up on his hind legs to seem more menacing while he growled just as angrily as the wolf at the potential threat to his owner.

"Wolfie…." Dorothy pleaded resting her hand over her true love's shaking one. "Toto, stop it. Both of you…please." She added when the little dog let out a defiant high-pitched bark in answer his eyes still locked on the man's outstretched hand across the table top.

"Wolfie?" Widow Lucas asked at the same time Dr. Frankenstein wonder "Toto?" their voices mirroring in the same probing undertones as they stared at the other three in wonder.

"Just as I thought." Three of the five in the diner jumped at the words "Charming it's alright, I found them." Snow called over her shoulder as she stepped into the diner warily with Thomas close behind her. Red and Toto were too focused on glaring over at the doctor to notice any of this.

"Thomas help him home please," Granny ordered not taking her eyes from her still fuming granddaughter while Thomas nodded not wanting to anger the wolf more as he stepped around the group pulling the still inebriated doctor's arm around his shoulders. "Come on. Let's go Doc." He grunted and awkwardly hauling the other man to his feet while Snow held the door open for them. "No hang on why did she say Toto?" the intoxicated doctor complained before the door swung shut behind the retreating pair.

"Hey...Come on Red…please…" Dorothy sighed as she pulled Ruby's face around by her chin forcing the wolf to look at her. "You had us worried…. we woke up and you were gone," Red whispered after several long seconds threading her hand in Dorothy's hair "I thought we'd talked about things like that?" she pointed in a pout letting out a shallow breath as the ghost of a smile crossed her lips when the little dog on her lap sneezed so it looked like he was nodding in agreement with her.

"I know we did baby but….I just…. I thought I would help out and get you all some breakfast." The country girl answered shyly not taking her eyes away from Ruby's as she spoke. "And you both looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you up…," Dorothy added her hands toying with a stray strand of Ruby's hair absently.

"Ashley and I tried to tell you when you finally woke up but you and Toto bolted out the door so fast we didn't have time." Snow interjected kindly "Don't worry I would have done the same thing if it had been David." She smiled when Ruby finally looked away from Dorothy long enough to send her a sheepish and guilty expression.

They all jumped at the loud whistle that followed all heads turning toward the bespectacled woman as she lowered her hand and folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah hi…. anyone care to explain for those of us who are a little slow on the uptake here?"

Red's eyes widened when she looked up at the hardened look in her grandmother's eyes. "Erm…. well you see." She started shifting so Dorothy was safely behind her

"She has your scent all over her girl." Granny cut her off coldly. The statement would have thrown Dorothy if Ruby hadn't already warned her that her grandmother was also a wolf…all be it an older wolf the elder woman was still extremely intimidating when she wanted to be.

"And I'm not ashamed of it." Ruby smiled her arms crossing over her front mirroring her grandmother's posture. "I've finally found my mate Granny I would have thought you would be happy for me?" the younger wolf questioned her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Snow groaned in annoyance sensing what was about to happen. "Here we go…" she whispered dry humor layering her tone as she gestured for Dorothy and Toto to follow her over to the lunch counter.

"Shouldn't we…" Dorothy asked but Snow shook her head as she pushed herself up onto the countertop then slipped over the counter having seen more than her share of Red and Granny's spats to know when to stay out.

"I mean if you don't want to keep your teeth inside your mouth be my guest" Snow commented dully setting a glass of milk down at the younger woman's elbow and slid a bowl of water onto the counter for Toto.

"You said you were going to look for your pack." Granny Lucas answered harshly too focused on her argument that she had forgotten they had an audience.

"The pack is gone." Red answered plainly not backing down from the intimidating glare her grandmother was trying to use on her "In a way, I knew that but I still kept hunting for them. I looked in three different lands, tracked down every scrap of a lead I could find but nothing came out as a real thing... but her... Gran, she's real." Ruby was pointing over at Dorothy by now. "and she also happens to be my…." She continued

"My heavens girl you went on and on about how you felt out of place and how finding a pack again would make you whole and I supported you on that." She reminded her granddaughter coldly cutting her off as she throws her hands up in exasperation. "and yet after all your talk and all that time you were off gallivanting around in other realms…all you come back with is this human and a dog…."

"That human is my true love." Ruby snarled angrier than any of the three women had ever seen her. Granny took a step back when she saw the golden orange now coloring her granddaughter's eyes completely as the young wolf stared her down.

"Red." Dorothy gasped bolting from the lunch counter forcing herself between the two. "You don't want to do this." She continued putting her back to Granny while her hand rested in restraint on Ruby's shoulder. "No don't look at her just look at me." the farm girl ordered when Ruby's eyes stayed fixed on the older wolf over Dorothy's shoulder.

"Ruby cut it out." Dorothy barked her voice carrying over her lover's enraged protective growls feeling Red's arms encircling her waist as they locked gazes.

Even Snow stilled at the commanding tone of the order but Dorothy wasn't finished talking as she turned in the circle of Red's arms to a stunned Granny with a shy half smile. "I am sorry for just dropping all of this on you at once I know it's a lot to take. I want to have a chance to talk with you later if that's alright?" The Kansas girl asked hopefully

"No," Ruby answered her voice still more animal than human before Granny could draw breath. "Wolfie stay out of this you're too upset to think clearly right now." Dorothy shot back without turning around. "Please Mrs. Lucas?" the hero asked while Granny just nodded in answer. "Thank you." Dorothy smiled gratefully. "Snow?" she asked but the reformed bandit just nodded

"You can still crash at the apartment it's alright with me." The raven-haired princess promised with a shrug reading the unspoken question in Dorothy's eyes.

"If you come for lunch we're always crowded." Granny managed to say as Dorothy nodded while she dragged Ruby back to the door.