A/N: This was a gift for grrriliketigers in the OUAT FF Exchange on tumblr/AO3. Now that the authors have been revealed, I am pleased to present you with my story. I hope you all enjoy!
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe we should wait just a little longer. We shouldn't steal the limelight from Neal's first birthday, anyways."
"Emma, relax," Ruby soothed. A perfectly manicured hand reached out to rub her arm in little circles until some of the tension eased. Emma sighed heavily and slouched in her direction, seeking the comfort she knew would be easily given.
"She's right, dear. Neal is only one, he isn't going to notice much beyond the fact that he gets to open more new toys than your parents' apartment can handle." Regina came up to her other side and brushed a tangled blonde curl out of the way from where it was covering the side of her face.
"And besides," Ruby added, "we aren't doing anything that should be a big deal. No broad announcement. We just don't want to keep pretending, and if anyone decides to make an issue of it, that's on them."
"But, Henry-"
"Already knows and is more than okay with it, which you are already well aware of. Our son is fine with having three mothers."
"Yeah, 'cause he knows Ruby will let him get away with anything."
"So do not! Besides, it's not my fault. You guys already have the mom card under control. I'm just Ruby, the waitress who moved in so the two best magic wielders in town could keep me safe during the wolf's time."
"Henry loves you, Rubes, just as much as either of us. The kid doesn't see you that way." Emma sighed and turned to face the younger of her two girlfriends.
"But everyone else does." Sometimes she was positive Ruby's puppy look was a side-effect of her wolf, because she was so damn good at it she was almost painful to watch.
"Which is exactly why it is important we do this tonight. I know you're afraid, but it isn't fair to anyone to keep hiding. I made Henry keep too many secrets for too long, and I won't do it to him again. Your family needs to know that Ruby is here for more than her own protection and I am not just some gracious host taking in all the wandering helpless souls of Storybrooke." Regina rounded in front of them both and settled a hand on each woman, making sure to look Emma in the eyes when she spoke.
"I know. You're both right. You both deserve better than this." Emma ran a hand through her long blonde locks, needing something to do with them in that moment but coming up empty. Her loves seemed to sense this desire, as both women took a hand in their own and allowed Emma to hold them.
"We deserve you, dear, and we know this must be difficult for you. You don't have to do this alone," Regina reassured.
"Exactly. I'm nervous too, Em. Granny probably has already figured it out, but on the off chance she hasn't, she's my only family aside from you guys. I'm terrified of how she'll react," Ruby confessed.
"Rubes, you know Granny loves you. That won't change," Emma soothed. She squeezed the hand still in Ruby's with a tight pulse.
"Likewise, yours love you, dear. I may not be the biggest fan of the uncharmings, but I have no doubt in their ability to find the good in everything. Even if they don't react well tonight, they'll come around once they've had some time to think it through." Regina smiled at her, causing Emma to roll her eyes. The woman's disdain for her parents could be felt from space, yet somehow she always seemed to know exactly which buttons were safe to push and which weren't.
And when she didn't, Ruby was always there to talk them both down.
They were a good team, working well with each other; a family.
Emma took a deep breath and braced herself, looking between the two women in front of her who made up her entire life. They were her family, along with Henry. They made her feel important, loved, and safe. The least she could do was return the favor to them by eradicating the barrier of secrecy she had at some point forced upon the household.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Should I wear that new cashmere sweater?"
The twin smiles she was greeted with in response made everything feel worthwhile, and for the first time all morning, the heavy weight in her stomach began to dissipate.
Ruby was the first to finish dressing, and despite her calm attitude in front of Emma, she was internally freaking out. Needing to get away from her loves for a few minutes to collect herself before they left, she headed downstairs to the foyer to fiddle with her shoes until they needed to head out.
Ruby meant every word of what she said, but she was also terrified of Snow's reaction just as much as Emma. Snow was her best friend, and at some point in time, she had been even more. There were two things Ruby figured she could do that Snow would ever take issue with—sleep with her daughter, Emma, or sleep with her one-time foe, Regina.
And somehow, Ruby found herself doing both and so much more.
She was sitting on the bottom steps, staring off at the door in thought, so lost that she never processed the sound of feet approaching or the person who took a seat beside her until he finally opted to speak.
"It's going to work out okay, Ruby," Henry said quietly from a foot to her right.
Ruby jumped at the voice but quickly forced her heart rate to calm at the realization that it was just Henry. There was a time when her wolf hearing would have immediately noticed him, but she'd become so used to the sounds of him moving about the mansion, it was like second nature and she rarely took notice.
He was older now—thirteen to be exact—and when he stood he towered over both Emma and Regina. Ruby had been blessed with her long legs, so next to her he was only an inch or two taller, but it still made her feel small whenever she realized the boy she had watched grow truly had made it so much closer to the stars.
"I mean, I'm pretty sure they already suspect that my moms are together." Henry continued speaking when she did nothing more than look over at him. Ruby was sure her eyes were glassy, and she knew her hands were shaking, yet at no point had the extent of her reaction occurred to her until Henry was sitting there next to her, like the amazing boy he was, and trying to spread his blanket of comfort to her in just the way his mothers would.
"And that's supposed to make it easier for me?" Ruby sighed.
She knew he was right. Snow was more than aware of Emma and Regina's involvement with each other. In fact, on one occasion she had even been brazen enough to ask Ruby if she thought anything was going on. It had taken everything in her not to burst into tears when her name was never thrown in as a possibility.
Everyone saw it—Emma and Regina, the Queen and the Savior, the town's true love messed up dream team. Sometimes she felt guilty for interfering with that.
"Well, yeah. I don't think they get it yet, but my moms would never work without you."
"What do you mean?" Ruby furrowed her brows, brought out of her thoughts by Henry's words yet again, only this time they were less expected.
Henry shot her a pointed look and slid on the step to better face her. "Think about it. They're like polar opposites. They've been fighting since the day they met, and I get that it isn't a bad thing because that's just how they operate, but they need you. You're the nice happy middle that keeps them grounded. You make everyone work, Ruby."
"I do?"
"Yeah. And I mean everyone. I know that sometimes you look sad that you aren't my mom in the same way that they are, but you're just as important. You've been there for me my whole life, even if you didn't realize it." Henry placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Ruby could do nothing to stop herself from leaning into the touch just a bit.
"How can you say that? I know we told you about us, but we never really sat down with each other and talked about it. Are you really okay with everyone knowing? The last thing I want is to be the reason you get hurt, Hen." Ruby frowned and her eyes welled with unshed tears.
"I live with a former evil queen, a savior, and a werewolf. People already say plenty. There is nothing I can't handle for you guys." Henry spoke after a few minutes of quiet thought.
"But that doesn't mean you should have to." A tear slid down her cheek, escaped from the confines of her watery eyes. Henry seemed to notice it, as he sighed, shifted right up against her, and wrapped the arm on her shoulder around to the other side, effectively pulling her into a half hug.
"Hey, I promise you I'm fine, Ruby. I just want you three to be happy. I love you all, and I know you guys have had tough lives. You deserve this." He sounded so sure of himself, Ruby was inclined to agree just based on his tone. At some point, the spunky little whip-smart kid drinking cocoa in the diner every morning had turned into a strong young man.
"You're a good kid, Hen." Ruby sighed and looked at him with soft eyes and a smile.
"And you're a good mom, Ruby." He smiled back and affectionately kissed her cheek. "Besides, no one is gonna dare mess with me. Have you seen you three? If anything, I'll become most feared in my class."
"Damn straight, kid!" Emma cheered from somewhere behind them, shocking the pair sitting on the bottom step out of their moment.
"Emma!" Regina hissed, shooting the blonde a death glare.
Emma rolled her eyes. "I mean, darn straight, kid. Ugh, Regina, come on. That doesn't have the same ring to it at all," she whined.
"I couldn't care less about what ring your insidious colloquialisms have to them when your language around our son is concerned," Regina huffed.
"How about just telling the kid he's right and promising him ice cream later? It has all the ring to it he needs, and there's no cussing involved," Ruby pointed out, her spirits considerable raised.
"She makes a valid point." Henry smirked and looked to Ruby knowingly. "See, I told you. You're the happy middle."
"Yeah, yeah. Go get your jacket, kid. It smells like it might rain tonight." She ruffled his hair and reluctantly let him remove himself from her shoulders to go get the jacket.
As soon as Henry was up the stairs, Ruby rose, only to be pulled into a hug by both of her girlfriends.
"If you were concerned about Henry you should have talked to us talked to us, dear," Regina pointed out, though it wasn't said harshly or with judgment.
"I know. It's not just the kid, though. Emma's so concerned about what her parents think, but they love her and that won't change. And, Regina, you don't give a lick of thought to what they think about you. But Snow was my best friend. What if she hates me for this?"
"Then she'll wake up tomorrow to find her hair met an unfortunate end with a fireball," Regina deadpanned.
"Regina!"
"What?" The older brunette rolled her eyes in annoyance. "My point is, she won't. And if she does, it isn't going to change anything. Emma, Henry, and I will still all love you just the same. You're our family, now, whether Snow White likes it or not."
Emma leaned over and kissed Regina square on the lips. "You're so smart sometimes, babe."
"Don't call me that hideous nickname." Regina frowned.
"Please? Ruby already banned all pet names."
"That's because you were making me feel like an actual pet," Ruby pointed out.
"Was not." Emma crossed her arms across her chest and stepped back to glare at her.
"Em, you were calling me puppy. You patted me on the head!"
"Children, please. There is a teenager in this house with a higher level of maturity than you two hold combined."
Emma and Ruby both turned to her and snorted out their laughter. Children, indeed.
"Regina, babe, that's because Henry is far from a normal teenage boy. You created a mini-gentleman." Emma smirked.
"There is nothing wrong with teaching your child to be well behaved." Regina sniffed and stood straighter in her place.
"Didn't mean to imply there was. You raised him to be a great kid, Regina. But we weren't raised by you so clearly the expectations need to be lowered," Emma pointed out with a cocky grin.
"Clearly."
The family arrived at the Charming apartment to a party already in full swing.
Henry ran in ahead of the adults, all but forgetting the nerves coursing through them. It wasn't clear who was the most nervous about the evening, despite earlier reassurances from all three, as they stood there staring at the door in unified silence.
"So, how do we do this?" Emma spoke first.
"One would suggest simply putting one foot in front of the other and shifting your body weight accordingly until you make it through the door, dear."
"I didn't mean how do I walk, Regina." Emma rolled her eyes. "I mean, what should we do? Do we walk in holding hands? Do we wait until later and subtly get closer?" She dug the toe of her boot into the floor and looked down, shifting nervously.
"I think we should just act like we usually do. Someone's bound to figure it out, and when they do, we can clarify for them," Ruby suggested.
They had already had this exact conversation several times, always coming to the same conclusion in the end, yet it was almost comforting in a way. Discussing their plans didn't feel as real as going through with them, which Regina understood as she watched the two nervously flitter about in front of her, but someone needed to be the adult and rip off the band aid.
Regina reached out and placed a hand to each of their backs, gently urging the younger two in front of her to start walking forward. At that same moment, Snow peered her head out from the still-open door and stared at them all in confusion.
"Is there something wrong? Henry came in several minutes ago. If I didn't know better, I would think you three got lost in the hallway," Snow pointed out, looking at each of them one at a time with a raised eyebrow.
"Hi, Mom! Sorry, we were just admiring your wreath." Emma demonstrated her point by lifting an arm in gesture toward the front door, where the most basic and sparse green wreath with a simple red bow sat in decoration—much too early in the year, in Regina's opinion.
"Oh, thank you! I found it at the store yesterday and it really put me in the mood to get to Christmas already, so I couldn't resist. Do you like it?" Snow asked, her suspicion from moments before entirely forgotten.
"It's great, Snow!" Ruby chimed in.
"Yes, a nice November wreath is entirely necessary," Regina quipped, annoyed at its existence. Emma shot her a warning glare but Regina only allowed her smile to grow.
Snow, for once in her life, seemed to sense the sarcasm behind the statement and cleared her throat nervously. "Right, well, if you all want to come inside, everyone else is already here."
"Everyone?" Emma's voice began to squeak at the end, her nerves clearly getting the better of her.
"Oh, you know. Granny, of course. And we also invited Leroy, Astrid, Archie, Gold, Belle, and Tink."
Snow, oblivious to the distress she was inciting in Emma, wandered back into the apartment and left the door open for them to follow.
"That's a lot of people! Leroy will tell the entire town before the party's even over," Emma whispered sharply, panic coursing through her.
"Relax. They have to find out eventually anyways. It's just a step less we will need to take. Is that all right with you?" Regina asked, her breath warm against Emma's ear as she spoke so as not to be overheard by those inside.
"We can wait if you're uncomfortable, Em," Ruby added.
"No, this is important to you two. Hell, as scary as it is, it's important to me, too. Let's just go for it."
With that, Emma took the first steps through the door, her loves following carefully behind.
The party was in full swing, as Snow had said. Everyone was sitting around and talking, some playing with Neal on the floor. Snow was in the kitchen with Belle trying to finish up her dinner preparations. For a while, the three women allowed themselves to join in separately. Emma went to greet her little brother, Regina went to see if she could salvage any of the dishes from Snow's atrocious cooking, and Ruby sat down to catch up with Granny.
All through the early dinner, they waited, equally unsure as to how to go about introducing their relationship to everyone. By the time they were finished eating, the energetic birthday boy was all but jumping out of his seat for his presents. Everyone laughed but decided to oblige him by moving into the family room area of the loft as soon as the dishes were cleared.
Sensing it would be a good time to make a move, and that she would have to be the one to initiate it, Regina placed a hand on each of her girlfriends' lower backs and guided them to a couch big enough for the three of them to cram together. She removed her hands so that they could take their seats with Regina in the middle, but as soon as possible, she replaced her hands onto their legs closest to her. It was a simple yet intimate gesture, meant both as a statement and as a way to calm them down when they realized what she was doing.
Snow seemed to notice first. She was sitting on the floor to help Neal with his gifts, but happened to glance up and take notice right as Regina squeezed to reassure them both. Her eyes widened and caught Regina's, who was doing her best to hold off a smirk. There was a flicker of something in Snow's eyes that filled her with glee, but she knew whatever it was would likely not have the same effect on her loves.
Neal's happy squeal brought Snow out of her dazed stare, and Regina even felt herself sighing in relief when she looked away to attend to her son. Looking around, Regina saw that most were completely oblivious to anything out of the ordinary, as their eyes were trained on the birthday boy enjoying his many gifts. Finally, her eyes met Granny's, who seemed to be the only other person in the room taking notice. The older woman looked at her very pointedly, then glanced to Emma and Ruby before meeting Regina's eyes once more.
She gulped, nervous for the reaction. Granny was, after all, massively important to Ruby. Even if she knew she could hold her own against that crossbow, she would never want to hurt that relationship for Ruby. Finally, Granny seemed to give her one firm nod, the tiniest of glares thrown in as a warning she imagined, before she turned her attention back to the child.
Regina squeezed Ruby's leg a little tighter, happy to feel they had gained approval from one person who mattered. Now just the Charmings were left.
At that exact moment, the worst possible interruption decided to arrive.
Everyone, including the baby, looked up at the sound of the front door creaking open. They really needed to oil that before it became any louder. The wood moved away to reveal the pirate, in all his scruffy eye-liner and leather clad glory. Regina crinkled her nose in distaste but it didn't stop him from entering and moseying over to the group.
"What are you doing here?" Emma blurted out first, annoyance clear in her tone.
"Hook, I'm so glad you could make it! I wasn't sure you were coming, so we've already eaten, but there are leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry," Snow said, smiling up at him from where she was still seated on the floor.
"No need. I just wanted to bring by my gift for the little lad." Hook smiled and held up a poorly wrapped box.
"Great, you can set it down and go," Ruby mumbled under her breath, but it was audible enough that Snow clearly heard it but only shook her head and said nothing.
Hook set the present in front of the smiling child, who happily reached for it regardless of who it was from. Regina understood that he felt a strange connection to the child given his namesake, but she hoped he would take his leave. Instead, he looked around for a place to sit. When one did not magically become available, he simply shrugged and sat down on the arm of the couch, right next to Emma.
"Hello, love." Regina thought she might gag when he winked to top it off, but instead she noticed how Emma tensed at his presence and frowned. She had cut things off with him when it became apparent she was much more in love with her roommates, but Hook had never been given the real reason. Now, it seemed he was intent on trying to make his move once more. Even Ruby, who had never had any dealings of her own with the pirate, looked uncomfortable.
Hook smirked and settled a hand against Emma's cheek to push her hair behind her ear, and that was the moment Regina felt something inside of her snap.
"Get your hands off her, or I personally will see to it that your next hook comes in a matching set," Regina seethed, glaring daggers at the pirate who dared to invade Emma's space.
Hook looked surprised and quickly moved his hand away, but he decidedly stayed put in his seat and continued to stare her way in confusion.
"If it's all right with you, your majesty, I think that should be up to Emma." He grinned, looking entirely too cheeky. She wanted to melt the smirk right off his face.
"It is up to me, and I agree with Regina. Please don't touch me, Killian." Emma sighed. Her voice was much calmer than Regina's but there was a notable strain in her words. Without thinking—or maybe, just maybe, entirely too much thinking went into the action—Regina removed her hand from Emma's leg and placed it on her upper back to rub soothing circles.
"Ah, so it seems the rumors were true. Alas, I'd hoped they were just bits of gossip, but it seems the Queen truly does have you under her spell. No chance you'd reconsider?" Hook cocked his head suggestively while he spoke, looking more intrigued than disappointed.
Regina set her jaw, intent on reaming him out, but was stopped by a happy squeal from Snow White.
"I knew it!"
"What?" Regina asked instead, turning to look at her enemy.
"Please, you two were hardly subtle. I think we all knew it was only a matter of time, even if it did take me a while to get used to the idea at first. I'm happy you found love, Regina. And I'm happy my daughter gets to know love from someone who feels it so strongly." Snow smiled, tears of job welling in her eyes.
"And you," Snow continued, looking to Ruby now, "Why didn't you tell me when I asked you about them before? These two are acting like they were terrified to say anything and you knew I was okay with them being together." Snow looked at Ruby with a puzzled expression.
Ruby looked down at her lap, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Emma and Regina watched her in shock, having not previously heard about the conversation. Granny grunted from across the room.
"Actually, Mom," Emma began, wanting to save Ruby from having to come up with anything on the spot when she was clearly so uncomfortable already. "I asked them not to say anything. I just wasn't ready yet."
So much for calmly and slowly easing everyone into the idea. Regina sighed, knowing she would have to abandon their plan and do something before someone got hurt.
"But Ruby, dear, you should have told us. We would have been more than happy to correct them had we known." Regina's tone was soft as she spoke and she tried to put as much love into her voice as she could. The moment was finally upon them, and she could tell the younger woman would need it.
"What's there to correct, sister? Aren't you bangin' Swan?" Leroy piped in, crude as ever.
"Jesus, Leroy. Do you have to be so gross? You're not making this any easier." Emma groaned.
"Will someone please explain what is going on?" David asked from next to Snow on the floor. By now, both were looking incredibly concerned.
Regina cleared her throat before continuing. "I love Emma very much, but you're all leaving someone very important to us out of the equation." Smiling, Regina grasped Emma's hand in one hand and Ruby's in the other, unifying them.
"I don't understand," Snow said with a crinkled brow.
By this point, it was hard to know which guests knew what was clearly going on and which ones were just as clueless as before. Everyone was just staring, silently watching the show playing out before them, sans Neal who was much more interested in chewing on the still unopened box from the pirate.
"I'm not just with Regina, Mom. I'm with Ruby, too. We all love each other." Emma turned to smile at them both. She could practically feel Ruby's spirits beginning to lift.
"Ruby?!" Snow looked to her friend, a mixture of many emotions playing out on her face.
Ruby began to ramble nervously. "Snow, I know that you probably don't love the idea, but I promise I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did, and now-"
"And now I owe you an apology. I never meant to hurt your feelings, but I think it's fairly clear that I did. I truly didn't know, but maybe I should have," Snow said sadly, looking like she was the one afraid of losing her friend, and effectively shocking everyone except Granny, who merely grunted her approval again.
"You didn't know. It's okay, Snow, really. You're not mad at me?" She looked up hopefully.
"Only that you didn't tell me sooner! Now I have to adjust that couples Christmas present I already bought Emma and Regina the other day." Snow pouted.
"Mom!" Emma whined. Regina crinkled her nose, sure whatever it was she would dislike it.
Everyone else laughed. Well, all except one person.
"Snow, how can you be okay with this?" David yelled, pulling everyone from their glee. "What about Henry?"
"What about him?" Regina seethed protectively.
"What will the other kids do to him when they find out?"
"Grandpa, stop!" Henry yelled, jumping up to stand in front of his mothers. "No one is going to do anything to me. I don't know if you've noticed, but they're already kind of terrifying if you're on the other side from them. And I love my moms—all three of them."
There was an audible awe in the room, and Regina felt her heart swell with pride in her son at that moment. Ruby was now openly crying next to her at having been included as a mom, and Emma looked for the first time like she could actually breathe again.
She knew in that moment that all would be okay.
"Can't say I can complain, Swan. At least you have good taste," Hook added, staring between the three of them like they were soon to be his steak dinner.
"Uh, thanks," she replied nervously.
"Any chance you're considering adding one more?" He asked, that cocky grin back in place.
No one complained when a hand reached out with a shove, and the pirate hit the floor with a resounding thud.
Later that evening, the three of them were home in bed. Regina took her spot in the middle, needing to hold both her loves close to her. The lights were off but none were asleep, too filled with an excited buzz from the long day.
"Do you think Hook's gonna have a bruise on his ass tomorrow?" Emma asked with a deep chuckle against Regina's neck.
"If he doesn't, I'd be happy to wolf out and give him a better one," Ruby mumbled, the sleepiest of the three.
"Please, dear. You're more than capable of doing that in your human form as well," Regina added.
"True." Ruby sighed and snuggled in closer to her.
"Do you think everything is gonna change now?" Emma asked.
"How so, dear?"
"I dunno. Just like, what are people going to do when they see us all together?"
"I imagine they will do what they already do—run away in fear of the evil queen and her pets," Regina quipped.
"We aren't your pets!" Emma gasped in feign appall.
"Oh really, dear? Remind me of that next time you beg for a treat."
"Guuuuyyyssss," Ruby groaned. "Sleep. Please?"
Regina chuckled but turned and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Of course, dear."
They were quiet for a while, Ruby drifting off into her much desired sleep and Regina trying to follow suit. She almost made it when she felt too lips press against her ear and Emma muttered softly, "Night, babe."
"Emma Swan!"
"Sleeeeeeeeep."
The End.