For Chantelle. Feel better!

Part One

The dull roar in the cafe was the same as it always was. Dishes clinked, grease popped, and people chatted. Ruby picked up a couple of plates and carried them to a table.

"Here ya go! Can I get you anything else?"

"I think we're good for now."

She smiled and nodded, moving back behind the counter to grab a pitcher of water. "Ruby! Where's the order for the butcher? I've got to get that called in before noon."

Ruby sighed. "It's in the book, Granny."

"Don't you think I would have looked there? It's not here."

Letting the pitcher drop back down onto the counter, she shuffled through the stack of papers before she found the right one tucked under the phone book. "Here."

"You need to organize this mess at some point today. I don't have time to go rummaging through this junk."

Ruby rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone as it buzzed. Immediately, her frown was replaced with a smile. She took off her apron and quickly headed for the door before Granny could stop her. "I'm taking my lunch now. Be back in a bit!"

"Ruby," Granny called after her before huffing off into the kitchen once the door closed.

Making her way to the back door of the inn, she greeted the beautiful woman who'd been waiting for her. "I'm so glad you messaged me! I needed a break."

"You look a bit frazzled, dear. Perhaps I can help," Regina said with a wink.

Ruby gave her a seductive smile, taking her hand and pulling her inside. Grabbing a key to one of the vacant rooms, she lead Regina upstairs. They barely made it through the door before their lips met in a heated kiss. Regina let her purse fall to the floor while Ruby pushed her blazer off her shoulders. Once the jacket was off, Ruby ran her hands up and down Regina's arms, appreciating how toned they were. Regina grinned as she noted the effect she had on her. Grabbing hold of Ruby's hips, she pulled her hard against her. Their bodies collided as they kissed hungrily.

"Mmmm, Gina…"

Regina growled a little. "You're lucky I'm fond of you. You're the only one I'd let get away with calling me that."

Ruby gave her a wicked grin and kissed her lips once more before devouring the mayor's neck just the way she knew she liked it. Her attention elicited a soft moan from Regina as they slowly moved toward the bed. Ruby reached around to unzip Regina's dress and pull it down until it pooled around her ankles. Regina stepped out of it and stood in her heels and underwear with her hands on her hips. It was the sexiest display the waitress had ever seen.

"You are one hot mayor, Regina Mills."

She smiled at the compliment holding out her hand. "And you, my dear, are too sexy to be a waitress."

Ruby blushed before she found herself lost in Regina's kiss once more. With her skillful hands, Regina had Ruby undressed in no time. Hands roamed over bodies as the two rolled into bed together. Ruby began kissing her way down Regina's neck and chest before her mouth moved over one of her breasts. Regina's hands came to tangle in Ruby's hair as she groaned and arched her back. Ruby's soft hands continued massaging her breasts as she kissed her way down her taught stomach. Her mouth trailed kisses along the inside of Regina's thighs, causing her to open herself more to her. Ruby couldn't quite understand why, but the scent of Regina's arousal nearly turned her inside out. Taking a firm grip on Regina's hips, Ruby pulled her towards her mouth, letting her tongue spread slowly over her. With a sharp intake of breath, Regina pressed her head back into the pillow with a whimper. She raised her knees to open herself even more to her, pleading silently for more. Graham was an excellent lover, to be sure, but the man had nothing on Ruby. This woman loved her in a way that was primal, instinctual. It took Regina to a whole other world of pleasure. Ruby's lips and tongue worked faster against Regina's clit, building her into a frenzy. The way Ruby tasted her was like she was starving for her. As Regina writhed beneath her, Ruby moaned against her heated flesh.

"Ohhh, yeah…come for me, Gina…"

Regina whimpered helplessly, her words bringing her even closer to completion. Ruby grinned. "That's it, baby," she said before she sank her fingers deep inside of her. The action nearly had Regina come completely up off the bed. Ruby's movements deep inside her, filling her as she drank her in had Regina spiraling out of control. She cried out in ecstasy as one hand came to tangle in Ruby's hair and the other gripped her pillow tight above her head.

"Ohhh, God, yes! Ruby!" Once she felt Regina's orgasm wash through her, she moved up to lay beside her. Regina caught her breath and rolled over on top of her.

"My turn," Regina said seductively as she kissed her passionately. She pinned Ruby's hands above her head and moved her lips to suck and nip along the woman's neck. Ruby's breathing grew heavier as Regina made her way to her breasts. Her hands trailed slowly down Ruby's arms, trusting her to hold her hands where they were. Soon, she was sucking Ruby's nipple deep into her mouth, kneading her other breast with her hand. Releasing it with a pop, Ruby moaned. Regina knew Ruby liked it when she was little more bold with her and she wouldn't have it any other way. Taking a moment to appreciate the exquisite body beneath her, Regina allowed her hands and eyes to roam over her slowly. The growing anticipation created a wildfire within Ruby. She watched Regina taking her in. When she witnessed Regina's eyes grow darker glancing at her core, Ruby whispered.

"Touch me, Gina…please."

Regina's eyes found Ruby's as if coming out of a daze. Slowly, a seductive smile spread across her face. That one look held so much smoldering heat within it that Ruby moaned, bracing herself. Regina brought her fingers between her legs slowly to gently open her to her. The cool air in the room washed over her as she took a deep breath.

"Like this?"

Ruby whimpered, her breathing coming harder. "More…God, please, more…"

Regina smirked before placing a kiss to her hip. "You know I'll take care of you."

As promised, her fingers slowly began circling Ruby's clit. With eyes clenched shut, she moaned gripping into the pillow. The movements of Regina's fingers were light, slow, and deliberate; a mere tease to warm her up for what was coming. Regina moved between her legs and began to kiss and suck her way along Ruby's thigh. With a small bite against the joint in her hip, she made Ruby cry out and lift her hips towards Regina's mouth.

"I've got you, baby," she murmured against Ruby's skin before she hungrily brought her mouth against her clit. Ruby pressed her hands against the wall as she lifted her hips and cried out. As Regina sucked and licked against her, she sank her fingers deep within her, curling them slightly each time she went to move out of her.

Ruby rolled her head against the pillow and she writhed against the comforter. "Ohhh, fuck! Regina!"

Regina moaned loudly against her as she worked faster and more thoroughly against her. Soon, Ruby sat up cradling Regina's head between her legs as she cried out from the unbelievable orgasm coursing through her. Sitting up, Regina brought her mouth over Ruby's in an aching kiss, eager to swallow some of those pleasure cries as Ruby rode her fingers through the end of her climax. Sitting, tangled together, they tried to catch their breath. Their foreheads rested together as Regina brought as hand up to cradle the back of Ruby's head and smile. Ruby laughed a little, holding Regina's wrist, her fingers still nestled inside of her. Pulling back just enough to look at her, Regina raised her brow and grinned.

"Satisfied, my dear?"

"Are you kidding? You're incredible."

She smiled and pressed a lazy kiss to Ruby's lips. "As are you. You left me quite breathless, as always."

"We still need to set aside one of these days to hide in bed together."

Regina giggled. "Well, that's a little more complicated, but I can't say I wouldn't thoroughly enjoy it."

Ruby sighed. "Yeah…sometimes I wish we could take Henry and just skip town. Not worry anymore about what anyone thinks."

Regina tried her best to mask the complex emotions that washed through her in that moment. With Emma Swan's ever present threat to break the curse, Regina knew moments like these might not last much longer. Ruby would remember who Regina was and all thought of escaping this cursed life together into blissful simplicity would be over. Regina sighed heavily and pressed the most loving kiss she'd given anyone in ages against Ruby's lips.

"I should get back to work. So should you. I'm sure Granny is about to have a fit."

Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled weakly, a bit disappointed. "Yeah…will you and Henry come by for dinner later?"

"I'll try my best. He's not been very receptive to me lately since that woman came here."

"I know you're scared of losing Henry, Regina, but…I don't think she really means any harm. She's a nice woman. She just wants to make sure Henry is all right."

"Henry is fine with me! She's the one who left him! Not me! I'm his mother," Regina snapped.

Ruby placed her hands on Regina's shoulders. "Hey! I know that. But she doesn't know anything. Maybe if you just gave her a chance to get to know you a little better? And Henry will come around. He's just processing a lot. It can't be easy knowing your mom gave you away. He just wants to understand."

"By making me out to be the evil one!? She's the one who gave him away and suddenly she's the savior. How is that fair," Regina cried. It was one of the rare moments of weakness she let anyone witness. Ruby was fully aware that Regina never opened up like this and was grateful for her trust and faith in her.

"It's not fair. But you will get through this, Regina. I know how much you love Henry. You're going to be all right. It'll all work out."

Regina roughly wiped away her tears and jumped out of bed to dress, angry at her display of weakness. Ruby sat helplessly watching her put herself back together. Once she'd straightened out her hair a bit, she turned to Ruby with that distant expression she wore with the world. "I'll see you later, Miss Lucas."

Once the door shut, Ruby sighed and fell back onto the bed. She didn't want to fall for Regina Mills, but she knew it had happened. It terrified her, knowing she was falling in love with a woman who didn't know how to be loved. Of course when she'd found out Emma Swan's connection to Regina, she wanted to check the woman out just in case. Ruby knew Henry had been kind of a loner. She was more than happy to take an interest in the boy and was overjoyed when he'd started to let her in. The kid needed friends, even if she wasn't close to his age. When she found out Henry had skipped town and found his birth mother, she kicked herself for not having seen the signs. She knew he'd grown a little distant, but didn't push it further. The truth was, Ruby desperately wanted to fix the situation and help the two women find some sort of resolution. It broke her heart for both Henry and Regina to see things this way. She'd actually found herself feeling sorry for Emma Swan as well. As an outsider it was easy to see how everyone in the situation was hurt and misunderstood, just looking for love, happiness, and acceptance. With the situation growing worse, she found herself feeling even more helpless. She'd spoken to Archie a couple of times hoping for some advice without disclosing how close she and Regina actually were. He encouraged the support she was giving them and assured her that sometimes you just couldn't fix everything for those you care about no matter how much you want to. He was right about one thing. It was hard to watch the ones you love struggle. Having that validation helped a little. With a heavy sigh, she got dressed changed the bedding, and dropped the linens in the wash before walking back to the diner.

Regina parked her car back at town hall, realizing she had no recollection of the drive back from the inn. The drive had been a blur in the distraction of her racing thoughts. An elephant could have crossed the road before her and she would never have noticed. Quickly striding back to her office, she took the messages her secretary handed her silently. Once the door to her office was closed, she angrily started to cry again. After 28 years, everything was beginning to spiral out of her control. As if the feeling of losing her son wasn't excruciating enough, winning the affections of a woman she was sure to lose was too much.

Over time, Regina had grown fond of Ruby. At first, she had blown her off as a tramp with no substance. However, as Henry got older and began to form a bond with the woman, she was forced to take a closer look at her. Anyone who held Henry's affections had to have some form of worth to them. When she really started to see the care and attention the waitress had for her son, her heart softened to her a bit. In all honesty, she had begun to forget who Red really was and started only to see Ruby. After all, this was supposed to be the curse to end all curses. It was intended to last forever. Why shouldn't just enjoy what she'd built for herself? Slowly, she began to let Ruby in. She could see that the woman was a bit skeptical to her change in demeanor, but she was taken by her boldness and confidence. Regina loved a challenge and it had been a long time since she'd had some fire in her life. Ruby had just enough spunk to rile her up and eventually she began to enjoy the shots they took at each other once it had unconsciously become a game to the two of them.

Their first encounter was one Regina had sought out after a disappointing night with Graham. He was a gorgeous man, to be sure, but he'd begun to lose his luster. Taking a drink of whiskey, she sighed trying to pinpoint what exactly she desired. Her thoughts perused over the time she'd been with Maleficent in the early days. Their encounters had been a sexual awakening for Regina after her cold and unfeeling encounter with the king. It had restored the spark in her sexuality she thought had died with Daniel and was excited to learn that, even if she never had love again, she could still feel passion and desire. Perhaps what she needed was another awakening. Regina was surprised when the image of the flirty, inappropriate waitress instantly came to mind. Henry was at a friend's house and the night was still young, thanks to the brief performance she'd humored from Graham. Freshening up a little bit, she decided to head to Granny's for a drink. Taking her usual seat at the counter, Ruby sauntered up to her with a mischievous grin.

"Madame Mayor, you're out later than usual."

"Yes, well Henry is at a friend's house for the night. It is my town, after all. I don't believe I'm restricted to a curfew."

"Can I get you something to drink then?"

"Whisky." Ruby gave her a look of surprise. "What?"

"Nothing, I just…figured you'd get wine or something."

"I have a wider palate than you might think, Miss Lucas," Regina replied in the deep velvety voice.

Ruby smiled as a shiver went down her spine. "I love a woman who's full of surprises."

Bringing over two glasses, Ruby poured them each a drink. She slid a glass towards Regina and raised her own. Regina raised her brow at her. "Drinking on the job?"

"My shift is over in ten minutes. Who's gonna know?"

Regina pointed to herself. "The mayor, remember?"

Ruby downed her drink and leaned in with a loud whisper. "You don't scare me."

Regina smirked, downing her whisky before giving her a challenging look. "Oh my dear, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Five more minutes and why don't you show me…Madame Mayor?"

The two made their way to the Rabbit Hole for a couple of hours where they found themselves happily buzzed and flirting shamelessly. When Ruby pulled up to the mansion to drop Regina off, the mayor extended a tempting invitation inside for some cider Ruby had mentioned missing. All too happy to follow and get a look at the inside of the mayoral mansion, Ruby hopped out of the car. Half way through a glass of cider in Regina's study, the two found themselves lost in deep kissing and heavy petting.

"I get the feeling you've done this before," Ruby said breathlessly between kisses.

"Assuming I don't have sex either, Miss Lucas? What a disappointing image you have of me."

Ruby scoffed. "Not even close. I've seen those tight skirts you wear. I meant it seems you've been with women before."

Regina smirked. "Oh, I see. Well, as I said before, I have a wider palate than one might imagine."

Ruby grinned and sighed. "God, you really are full of surprises."

"Glad you're enjoying the discovery, dear."

"Call me Ruby," she said before kissing her deeply.

Regina had all but demanded Ruby be discreet after that night. Once they'd had a taste, they found each other wanting more. It had become a casual arrangement between the two, much like she'd shared with Graham. The only difference was, Regina didn't hold Ruby's heart. The day she fully realized that this woman was with her by choice alone, she'd been overwhelmed and terrified. She didn't see Ruby for nearly a week and had a hard job talking her way through an explanation once she faced her again. Regina hadn't had anyone choose to be with her in a very long time. Especially, no one she would have chosen herself in return. Ruby had become a comfort to Regina; a drink of cool water. The walls, however, were still there. She reasoned with herself all the time that what they had was nothing truly real and never would be. Who would ever fall in love with the Evil Queen? She'd given up the hope of finding love long ago. Feelings were no longer an option or a risk, she convinced herself. So when Ruby had confessed the desire to leave and live happily with her and Henry outside of Storybrooke, Regina's world came crashing down. The realization of her own feelings and desires were suddenly staring her in the face. You've left yourself weak again, Regina, she heard her mother say. This couldn't happen. This woman was going to be a distraction that would surely lead to more heart ache and destruction. She needed to focus on getting rid of Emma Swan and protecting the life she'd built for her son. Henry was all she needed and nothing was going to stand in her way.