Okay, here you have it folks, Chapter 1 of Birthday Girl Part 2. The recent episodes have thrown me off quite a bit and I know it's been over a month since the first B-Day Girl story. But it took me a while for the story to start flowing back for me.

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own OUAT so don't look at me like that. -_-

Birthday Girl Part 2

Stepping outside, Ruby shrugged into her dark brown coat and looked around. It was already 10 at night when her shift had finally ended and the streets at that time were nearly deserted. A few stragglers remained, some like herself, just getting off of work and ready to head home.

Lifting her head up to the night sky she took a deep breath and blew it out in puffs. I wonder what Regina is doing right now, she thought wordlessly to herself. While she was busy working she could barely keep her thoughts from straying to the reformed Evil Queen as she wiped down the counters and took a few last orders. Maybe I should go over to her place and wish her a happy birthday again, perhaps this calls for some vintage wine. With her mind made up, Ruby began the short walk over to the town's local liquor store.

Red Queen

"Yes, yes, now Henry I do believe it is time for you to go to bed." Regina interrupted her son's excitement over the latest gossips of their small town. After the party she had went home and while getting ready to turn in for the night, she had gotten a surprise call from Henry and had chatted with him for the past, she looked down at the delicate watch on her wrist, almost a half hour.

"Hey mom?" Henry began gently on the other side of the line. His voice sounded small to Regina but it held everything that she loved. "Im glad Ruby decided to help with the birthday planning."

Regina's brows furrowed at the statement. "Ruby?" She held the phone closer to her ear sure that she had heard wrong.

"Yeah, I mean, she was the reason this whole thing even happened. Without her, well, it would not have been as elaborate." She could see his half quirked smile in her mind's eye as he spoke.

Clearing her throat, Regina didn't even need to pretend the mild interest she had at the news. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, she got the invitation cards made and sent them out, set up most of the decorations with my help of course." Henry replied in a playful tone.

"Of course darling," Regina replied back with a smile. As her son went droning on about how Ruby Lucas had large hand in preparing for the party, Regina found her thoughts focused on the strikingly beautiful woman. Legs that could go on for miles, her lopsided grin, her playful and carefree attitude, the way she looked at Regina when she would come in for morning coffee, her long legs….wait a damn minute-

"Mom? Are you listening to me?" Henry's worried voice sounded in her ear bringing her back to the phone call.

"Ah, yes. I hear you." Regina leaned her head forward and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm just a little tired after the day's events."

"I think she likes you." Henry stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's nice to know that all my hard work at reforming is starting to pay off." In the past few months, things have gotten better for the former Evil Queen. The looks she got of fear and disdain were getting fewer and farther in between, and the plots to kill her…well, it's been an entire month since there was a whispers of a threat against her.

"Not like that. I think she-" Henry began as a voice, Regina recognized it as David's, murmured something to Henry that Regina could not make out. She was trying to process what Henry had said to her moments before about Ruby. "Hello?" Henry's voice came back strong over the phone.

"Henry darling, what did you mean by she likes me?" Regina asked slowly.

"Sorry Mom, I have to go now. Grandpa says it's time for bed." Henry said hurriedly, taking Regina a bit aback.

"Henry wait-"

"Sorry Mom, gotta go! I'm sure you'll figure it out someday! Love you, bye!" Henry said before hanging up on Regina. She sat there a few moments with the phone still to her ear before she finally hung up the phone.

She likes me? Certainly he doesn't mean like that right? He's a child, I swear if that Emma has begun teaching him life lessons already….Regina shook off the thoughts of her wandering mind and stood up from where she had been sitting on the couch in front of the living room fireplace. She stretched out her muscles and wrapped her silk robe tighter around her waist as she walked out into the hallway.

She stepped into the kitchen and prepared a tall glass of water for herself when she heard a knock at her door. She set the cup down on the granite counter gently before stepping swiftly and silently to the foyer. Another knock, this time a little harder sounded, she stepped forward wondering who it could be at this time of night and looked through the peephole. Well speak of the devil, she mused before pulling open the door.

Red Queen

Ruby bounded up the few steps to the former mayor's house and prepared herself. She had seen a few of the lights on still in the mansion and figured the woman was still awake. And even if she did end up waking up the older woman she shouldn't complain, at least not much, she did bring her some booze after all.

She raised a hand to ring the doorbell but paused before she could actually push it. She flexed her fingers and after a moment's hesitation, she knocked on the big wooden door before her.

Ruby was starting to feel a bit jittery and she couldn't figure out why. Sure, she was at Regina's house in the middle of the night but hey, it's the woman's birthday, no? And to go to sleep this early on one's b-day would be just major waste in Ruby's opinion.

After no response, Ruby knocked again, this time a little louder.

When the door finally swung open, Ruby was bouncing on her toes until she got a good look at the view before her. Regina stood in the doorway in all her queenly glory, wearing a knee-length black robe, one that looked to be made of silk, no shoes on her feet, and face devoid of any makeup.

She was beautiful, absolute perfection. She was even more stunning without her makeup and designer suits that were Regina, the Big Boss of Storybrooke. This was Regina, the woman and mother to Henry.

"Is there something I can help you with Miss Lucas?" Regina asked with mild curiosity. She looked at the shape-shifter who had appeared to be a bit nervous. Odd, Regina though to herself, I've never known her to be like this.

Ruby cleared her throat and held up the bag in her hand. "I bought this with me, I, well, I thought we still had some more celebrating to do." Regina simply looked down at the wolf before stepping aside and motioning her to come in. With a small lopsided smile Ruby stepped up and entered into the mansion.

Why the hell did I just let her in? Regina asked herself a bit sourly as she closed the door behind her guest. Turning around she found Ruby watching her with a tiny smile to which she arched a perfect brow.

"Go wait in there, I'll go get the corkscrew." Regina nodded to the double doors that led to living room. Without waiting to see if Ruby had did as told, she walked back into the kitchen and pulled out the gold-trimmed corkscrew from a drawer.

Upon entering into the living room, Regina found the wolf-girl already seated on the couch who stood when Regina when she noticed the other woman enter.

Regina couldn't help but smirk at this. "Yes darling, that is the thing to do when a Queen enters. But it seems you forgot the bow that comes after the standing." Ruby's head began to dip before she caught herself and scowled over at Regina. "I'm not going to apologize for teasing you if that's what you are expecting." Regina stated as she took her seat on the couch next to Ruby.

Ruby, for her part, did not reply but instead blew at the hair that had fallen over her face. Regina held out the corkscrew to her and Ruby looked down at the corkscrew before looking at Regina. "You want me to open it?" Regina rolled her eyes and dropped the item into the girl's hands before reaching over and plucking out a bottle from the bag that was on the table.

Reading the label she nodded approvingly. "1984 Brookeshire Estate," She smiled at the label before looking over at Ruby who ducked her head in a nod. "Have you ever had the pleasure of actually tasting this wine before?"

"No." Ruby said quietly. Regina arched a brow and grinned.

"Well, then you are in for a real treat tonight." Regina said she took the corkscrew back from the younger woman and placed it over the top of the wine bottle.

Red Queen

"So what is the real reason you decided to come over?" Regina asked with her voice teetering on the husky side. She had just finished pouring them both a glass of the red wine and leaning against her side of the couch took a sip of the wine while she waited for a reply.

Ruby looked down at her own glass of wine and ran a finger around the lip of the glass. "To be honest I don't even know myself." She said in almost a whisper. Ruby didn't need to look up to know that Regina was staring at her with a raised brow. "I just didn't think you'd want to be alone…." Ruby looked up at Regina only to find her staring at her with an odd expression. Over the past few minutes, a bad feeling had started to develop in the pit of Regina's stomach, she tried to shake it off but it seemed to be very persistent. She shook her head and refocused her attention back to the shifter.

"And why, Miss Lucas would me being alone be any of your concern?" Regina asked with the beginnings of a frown. Instead of answering, Ruby leaned over to top off Regina's glass. In doing so, Regina was able to get a nice eyeful of the shape-shifters bosom. Slowly Regina raised a single eyebrow at the display, she doubted that Ruby had even noticed what she had done, but she was sure that whatever view she was giving to her, the wolf didn't mind.

"Like what ya see?" Regina's eyes snapped up and locked with Ruby's eyes. She could see the playfulness in her eyes and hear the hints of what could be in her voice. Wait, of what could be? As if I would allow this…dog, to even get near me. Regina mentally rolled her eyes at her own thought process. How in the world could she even begin to think about Ruby in that way? Well, it's not like she's bad lookin', but still….Regina realized she had yet to say anything when a loud and frantic knock resounded from the front door. Regina and Ruby shared a long look before Regina stood up and excused herself to go answer it.

Red Queen

Something was amiss. Ruby knew that the second Regina had left the room. She could hear Regina opening the door and picked up on distress evident in Emma's voice but not the words she was speaking. Then the smell of burning wood wafted into her nose. Quickly rising to her feet, she exited the living room and entered the hallway behind Regina.

"….And we-" Emma looked up and saw Ruby standing behind the former mayor. "Ruby….hi," Emma said slowly with furrowed brows as she looked back and forth between Regina and Ruby. "I wasn't expecting you find you here."

Ruby for her part ignored Emma's comment and slowly reached out a hand and laid it on Regina's shoulder. Regina stood stock still for a few moments and as she turned to Ruby, the hitch in her voice was audible. "Henry," was all Regina said before she stepped past Ruby and back into the mayoral mansion. Ruby turned back to Emma to find her still giving her odd looks. "Emma what happened?" Ruby asked. "Is he alright? Did something happen?"

Emma snapped back to focus and looked down as she gave her answer. "I don't know. David was attempting to cook for himself while me and Snow were out and….and….when we got there, there was a fire and somehow in all the commotion Henry just," Emma shrugged her shoulders and threw her hands up in the air. "He vanished dammit, and I don't know where he could be. I mean, I'm not sure if he ran off again or-" Ruby quickly put her hands on Emma's shoulders in an effort to calm the fretting mother.

"Emma listen to me, it's alright. We will find Henry. It's going to be okay." Ruby ducked her head to look the other woman in the eye. "It's okay." She repeated quietly. Emma nodded her head and looked over Ruby's shoulder to see Regina back in a pair of jeans and a red shirt with her favorite black jacket over it.

"I just got off the phone with Henry's father, Neal, and he said that Henry wasn't at his house but that he would help in looking for him." Regina stated in a clipped voice with her arms crossed as she tried not to show how scared and worried she was for her son.

Ruby was already expecting this, this Regina, the one that could lead and take charge of any situation thrown her way. This was the Regina that they needed now.

Emma for her part gave Regina her full attention. "We need to get a search party started if you haven't already." At Emma's nod, Regina continued. "Have everyone go in pairs and check every single area. The docks, the mines, the town line, everything." Something was nagging at Regina that something wasn't right. "We can go check the forest, the three of us. Emma, call your mother and father and let them know our plans." Emma nodded her head briskly and stepped down off the porch to make the call.

Meanwhile, Regina turned to the shape-shifter and pursed her lips. "I just volunteered you without asking if you-"

"Regina!" Ruby didn't mean for the former mayor's name to come out as harsh as it did. Ruby took a slow, steady breath to calm herself. "How can you even say that? I'd go even if you didn't ask me to or volunteer me." She tried to make it lighter with a half-smile. Regina avoided her gaze and gave a barely noticeable nod.

They both looked up when Emma spoke. "Okay, everyone is being sent out already. We're the last ones." Emma stated.

"We should get moving, we have a lot of ground to cover." Regina said as she turned to close and lock the front door. Emma and Ruby shared a look that said how are we going to cover that much space? But they did not voice the question out loud.

"We can take my car to where we are going to start and we walk from there. I have flashlights in the trunk along with some other things we may need." Regina said as she walked past them and to her car.

Emma and Ruby hurried to catch up. "Do you think she remembers or will remember anything?"

Ruby, initially caught off guard, instantly knew what the blonde was referring to. "No. And for her sake, I hope she won't."

Red Queen

As Regina sat in her car, a three words from a voice that she doubted she would ever hear again, flooded through her brain. Love is weakness. Regina shook her head. It couldn't matter what her mother had said to her back then, not now, she couldn't let her mother get to her.

The former Queen laughed to herself. It was a good thing that her mother was back in the Enchanted Forest and not here in Storybrooke, Maine. All kinds of hell would break loose and release a demon that she was not too fond of facing.

Starting the engine as Emma and Ruby entered the car, she took off down the road that would lead to the forest's edge. If love makes us weak, then what strengthens us?

Regina looked back in her mirror and met Ruby's eyes. When the wolf smiled at her a small blush crept upon Regina's face as she redirected her eyes back to the road.

Maybe our strength comes from love being our weakness.

End Chapter 1

Hopefully this was worth the wait. I know that there wasn't any lovey dovey stuff ya'lls might've been expecting but I wanted to turn this in a different direction and make it more than a simple love….story…thingy. XD

Anyways, this may turn into a 3-4 chapter story. R&R and tell me what you thought of this. Love it hate it? Just don't flame it. XD

Reimiel Angel