Chapter 2

Regina looked at her phone in disbelief. Ruby hardly ever called her. She preferred to gossip at the diner. So, Regina knew that it was something major right away. She excused herself downstairs and made her way upstairs into Ruby's apartment. She knocked on the door.

Ruby was quick to answer. She pulled Regina into the room and slammed the door shut. Regina just watched her little half-sister. She couldn't see anything that would make her this upset. The more she looked around, the more distressed she was getting from Ruby's demeanor. Then, she smelled it. A faint scent of magic but she couldn't place it.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Ruby answered.

"Then why do I smell magic?"

"I don't know, Regina. I was just cleaning up the apartment. I don't do any magic. And, Belle hasn't brought anything from Gold's shop here. She wouldn't. She gave you the shop after her left because everything was still listed in the will to go to her and then Henry. She just cut out the middle man, remember? But, that isn't the problem," Ruby stated.

"Okay, so show me what you were cleaning," Regina demanded.

She wanted to track down the source of the magic she smelled. She wasn't afraid of it. It didn't seem like dark magic, but it was something curious. She knew all of the magical beings in town. Ruby was magical, but she didn't have magic. Belle knew some magic, but it was only what Rumple would have showed her. So, this source of magic made her wonder and made her slightly worry.

Ruby caught the look in her eye, but she couldn't smell it. She didn't question Regina though. She knew that Regina knew more about magic anyone else in town. She didn't know if she should be more upset or wait to see what Regina had to say about. She decided that she would wait.

"This way," Ruby stated walking back into the bedroom.

As soon as she crossed the threshold into the bedroom, Regina stopped. She knew that the magic came from this room, but she couldn't place it. She did a quick locator spell in hopes that it would show her something.

Ruby just watched as she moved around the room. Regina finally came to a stop near the dresser. She paused there for a few minutes, but eventually moved on. She turned to look at Ruby again. She still hadn't figured out why Ruby'd called her, but this seemed to be more pressing at the moment. Her eyes never left Regina as she moved over to the trash bin. It was then that Ruby noticed it was glowing.

"What is this?" Regina asked as she reached in and pulled out a bit of glass.

"I don't know. It must have been on the dresser. I was cleaning and it must have fallen. I never saw anything in it or on the floor, but the glass, so I cleaned it up," Ruby told her.

"There was no haze or smell?" Regina probed.

"No, Regina, there wasn't."

"Ruby, this is a type of love spell and a highly concentrated one at that. You said that it must have been on the dresser. Do you know who put it there? Or, why you have it?" Regina questioned.

"I have no idea. I didn't even really know it was there. I'm just guessing. As for it's use, I have no idea. Belle and I aren't really lacking in that department."

"Okay, I'll look into this later then. I'll want to recreate it to see exactly what it does. But, why did you need me in such a hurry? What's going on, Ruby?"

"I'll have to show you."

"Show me what?"

"Just don't be angry, okay?"

"I can't be angry with you. I don't know what's going on. Just show me, and we'll deal with it," Regina told her.

Ruby moved her hands to her pants. She kept her blue hazel eyes on her sister as she undid her the button on her fly. When she reached for her zipper, she thought that Regina's eyes were going to bug out of her head. So, like she'd rip of a Band-Aid, she pulled down her zipper and her pants before Regina could protest the action. She watched as Regina's eyes immediately flew up to the ceiling, not wanting to see her sister's private areas.

"Regina."

"Pull up your pants, Pup!" Regina demanded.

"Regina, you have to look," Ruby pleaded.

"No, I really don't, Wolf Pup. Pull up your pants and tell me what is going on. Why would you flash me?"

"Look and you'll see."

Regina dropped her head just enough to let her eyes war with Ruby's. She kept resisting the urge to look down. She didn't need to see Ruby's privates because she knew that they mirrored her own. She had seen enough of Ruby, before she grew up some more after the Curse was lifted, in her old outfits when she would waitress at the diner. Now, being a cook and manager, Ruby still dressed provocatively, but it was more subtle and a little more businesslike.

Regina wasn't going to lose this battle. Especially a battle of wills with her younger sister, she just wasn't going to let that happen. But, Ruby wasn't going to give in, either. She didn't know how it happened but she needed Regina to fix it...NOW!

"Okay, so I'm not going to look down and you're not going to pull your pants up. So, why don't you just tell me what it is? Because I really don't have all day," Regina told her.

Ruby sighed. She shook her head and reached down to pick up her pants. She realized that showing Regina might be a little extreme, but the situation was a little extreme. And, she wasn't sure that she wasn't losing her mind.

"Well..."

"Come on, Pup. Out with it. Just tell me," Regina demanded.

"I seem to have grown something in the last hour that I shouldn't have."

Regina cocked her eyebrow and smirked. She rolled her eyes when Ruby didn't offer anything further. She gestured with her hands for Ruby to continue.

"As in..."

"I have a penis," Ruby said quietly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I. Have. A. Penis!"

Regina's head snapped back. That certainly wasn't the response that she was expecting. She also couldn't stop herself as her eyes drifted downward and she saw the familiar bulge where there shouldn't be one. She swallowed hard and then couldn't keep a straight face. She raised her hand, delicately, to her mouth to try to hide the grin and stifle the oncoming giggle.

"This isn't funny, Regina."

"No...no, it's not," Regina said, clearing her throat and regaining her composure.

"Get rid of it," Red demanded.

"I don't know that I can. I don't know what caused it and if I just did any spell, it might make it permanent. And, I don't think that you want that. So, I am going to have to ask you somethings, well, that I really don't want to know, but I have to know," Regina told her.

"Like?"

"Is it Wolf's Time?"

"No, not for another week."

"And, what about your..."

"Same time," Ruby answered quickly, not allowing Regina to finish her thought.

"Okay, well...the only other conclusion I have is that it from whatever magic was in the vial that broke. I'll have to check on that Ruby, I'm sorry. Wear some looser pants or stick with skirts and tuck...it back some," Regina stated and was still trying to resist the urge to giggle about the situation.

"Not helping, Regina. Not helping at all. What am I supposed to Belle when she gets home from the library? Hey, hun, grew a dick. Do you wanna play with it? What the Hell? I can't have this thing. Make it go away," Red demanded.

"Like I said earlier, I can't just yet. However, I will look into to this spell quickly and get back with you. Until then, take it easy. I'll tell Granny that you're sick and to not let you work until this is resolved. How does that sound?"

"That is only part of my problem. What am I supposed to do about Belle? What about Snow and Emma? God knows, I am never going to live this down."

"Don't worry about them. Worry about Belle only. I'll tell everyone that you are sick and that I am taking care of it. I'll mention that it has something to do with Wolf's Time and that will keep everyone from darkening your door. As for Bell, tell her the truth. It would be better than not. Emma may come visit, but I'll explain it to her. You don't have to let anyone in, Ruby. It is up to you who you see," Regina told her.

"I know that."

"Then remember that later when someone comes to call," Regina told her as she gather up the glass from the magic vial. "I'll call you or come back as soon as I know something. If I can fix it, I will. If I figure out who did this, I'll deal with it. If I can't fix it, we'll figure out how to deal with it. But, I promise, we'll deal with it."

"Thank you," Ruby told her as she gathered her up into a tight hug.

Regina shifted uncomfortably when she felt the bulge press into her. She pulled back from the hug and looked at Ruby. The look said it all. Ruby looked down at herself and then back at Regina.

"Sorry," she said simply.

"We'll figure it out. Just stay here until I call you. Can you do that?"

"I really don't have a choice, do I?" Ruby asked.

"Not unless you want everyone to know about your little friend," Regina answered.

Belle and Blue were in the back room of the library. It didn't have a magical lock on it, but no one went in there. Mostly because everyone thought it was a storage room or something. But, when came in with Belle, she was amazed at the volumes and tomes that she saw. Belle had been quite the collector.

"Are most of these Rumple's?" Blue asked her.

"Yes, they are. I found some of them on our travels. He deemed them unnecessary but allowed me to keep them. Some of them are just tales of magic and no spells. I think that he liked to indulge me with those. He knew that books made me happy."

Blue nodded at her statement. She moved to one section and looked at the titles. She smiled because she could tell that they had been referenced lately.

"These are some of the ones you brought to the Abbey," Blue stated.

"Yes, they are. Regina thought that they were from the shop. I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. Besides, I don't think that she wants to know about these. It could be too much of a temptation for her," Belle replied.

"True and she has been doing well maintaining her temper. I think Emma has been a good influence on her and vice versa. They are a remarkable pair and they will do well together. I believe that all Regina needed was love and everyone that ever loved her, hurt her and took their love, but Emma doesn't. She fights for her. She fights to keep them together almost like Charming does for Snow."

"Well, she is Charming's daughter," Belle stated with a smile.

"That she is. Where are you going to put these?" Blue asked holding up one of the journals. "Are you going to make them have their own space?"

"I should," Belle replied as she looked around the shelves in the room.

Then, she grinned. She knew exactly where she would put them. She moved across the room to an empty shelf.

"Here," she said.

Blue followed her across the room and looked at the shelf. It didn't look out of the ordinary. Nor did it seem to fit any pattern that Blue could think of with Belle's filing. She looked over the shelves around it to figure out why this shelf. The right of the shelf was what looked an entire case of Enchanted Forest and Fairy Tale Land Histories in various Fairy Tale languages. She ran her fingers across some of the spines and knew that they were older than Rumple. She looked to the left of the shelf and saw books on family magic. This made her wonder, but she decided not to press the issue at that time. She would ask Belle more about that case later. Above that shelf were a mix of tales, history and magic tomes written by Dark Ones over the years. Below it were studies on the magical effects on babies to one magical parent, versus children of two magical parents. She cocked her head and stared long at Belle over that shelf.

"They'll fit in perfectly here. No one would dare to read them even if they could. All they would see is more histories from the Dark Ones. Everything on those pages is written in blood magic anyway. I am not even sure that I'll be able to read Regina's notes, but I should be able to see Coraline's."

"She gave you part of herself when she gave you some of her magic, Belle. She literally made you her family by her blood. I don't know what spell she used, but I am sure that she knew exactly what she was doing when she did it."

"I am not so sure about that," Belle stated.

"Why do you say that?" Blue asked her.

"Because I know that she didn't want me to suffer with the memories of her, but I do. I think it is because of the blood magic she performed, but I don't know. I know enough about magic to be dangerous. I've only tried a few things and teleporting was the hardest."

"What else have you done?" Blue questioned, suddenly very interested in what she had to say.

"I helped Ruby seal the well where we 'buried' Coraline. I made the potion that we gave the entire town at Regina and Emma's impromptu engagement party. I've used mirrors to see things and people in town. But, I've limited myself. I don't want to become too addicted and I don't want Regina to know. Well, at least, not yet."

"Do you think that she'll be mad with you?"

"I don't know. She was at the well when we put Coraline in it, but we knocked her out a little before hand. Once it was over, Ruby and I took her back to the gymnasium for the party. I am not too sure how she'll react when she founds out that we 'drugged' her twice in order to send her daughter through the well back to the Enchanted Forest with no hope of coming back. Oh, yeah, and then I'd have to tell her that her daughter, which hasn't been born yet, came back from the future in order to save her from becoming evil again. She destroyed the Dark One and became it as well. She isn't tethered to the dagger, but yet she has all the powers of the Dark One with the heart of a True Love Child. She would laugh at me and the probably kill me," Belle stated.

"She isn't known to be too forgiving, is she?"

"No, especially when it comes to her family. I can't break her heart again. It was painful enough to watch the first time. I'll just play dumb and act like I don't know. Ruby doesn't know either. She's forgotten her. They all believe that she is my sister and that she died killing Rumple as they crossed the town line. We have the dagger and it has no name. There is no reason for them not to believe that right now. I am certainly not going to correct them."

"But, you're going to write about it?" Blue asked.

"I am going to set the record straight. I'll even have the books here for Coraline to read if she comes back. If her future changed because of what we've done, but we still end up going back to the Enchanted Forest, I want the story to be known. I won't let her be forgotten. Besides, who knows when she'll come back? Maybe she'll find these stories and know that we still loved her even though we forgot what she'd done for us all," Belle explained.

"It is a noble thought."

"It is."

"Well, I'll bid you good day. If you need to talk to someone, my ear will be waiting for you. If you want to learn some more magic, my office will be available."

"Thank you," Belle replied.

Blue turned to leave. She made it as far as the door before she turned around and looked at the petite, auburn haired woman. She smiled because she knew that Coraline was right to chose her for this task. Belle would never forget her, would always love her, and would protect her no matter what state she came back to them. Blue just had to be sure to be ready. She figured that Coraline had sought her out once for help, so she would do so again.

"Belle, when your finished with your tales, I would like to read them."

"I think that can be arranged," Belle told her as she walked across the room for an empty journal to start the Adventures of Coraline French.

Regina came back down stairs from Ruby's apartment and stopped just outside the kitchen. She looked at her growing family, Emma and Snow in the front of the diner, waiting for her return. She was brought out her revery by Granny's gruff voice. She turned around to see the older woman standing there, nonplussed, with two plates in her hand. She looked hot and frustrated as she had just come out of the kitchen.

"You gonna stand there all day or you gonna go sit? Either way, you're in my way. So move," Granny told her.

"I need to speak with you about something," Regina told her.

"Then speak. I have a diner to run. And, Ruby is missing, so it ain't gonna run itself," Granny replied gruffly.

"It's about Ruby," Regina told her.

She huffed but nodded. She walked around Regina and set the plates down that she had been carrying on the table they went at. She hollered at some of the staff as she walked back over to where Regina was still waiting on her. Regina knew that Ruby was the only reason that Granny would willingly be in a room alone with her. The trust hadn't been completely earned back, but Granny had to admit that Regina never went after Ruby no matter what she did. And, as much as she'd deny it, she still cared for the Queen.

When Granny passed her, Regina just followed her back into the kitchen. She passed the actually kitchen area and went straight back for the little office just to the side of their storage and walk-in freezer. She took a seat at the small desk there and pointed to a chair beside it. Regina took the seat without much further prompting.

"Well?" Granny asked.

"She is sick."

"You're telling me that my granddaughter is sick. Why can't she tell me herself? And, how the Hell do you know before me or Belle?'

"She called me first," Regina said flatly.

"Why?"

"It seems that there was a bit of a magical accident and she wanted to see if I could help."

"So?" Granny probed.

"I don't know the spell, but her sake and everyone else's I told her to stay in her apartment. You just need to let everyone know that she's sick, but she is being cared for. No one needs to know that I am the caring for her and no one needs to see her like this. Trust me, they wouldn't know what to do if they did," Regina said.

"Does this have to do with her being a Wolf?"

"No, it doesn't. That would have been something easy for me to deal with. I could create a potion or something like her red cape for her to wear if that was the case. However, I can't help her like that now. Or, at least, I don't think that I can. While I was visiting with her, I found the reminents of a magic vial. I am not sure what it was or the spell that was used to make it. I do know that it was magic and it had something to do with a love spell."

"A love spell?"

"My thoughts exactly. I don't know where she got it, who made it or what it was for. I want to get to the bottom of it quickly so I can help get better."

"So what exactly is going on with my girl?"

"Girl would be a loose term to use right now," Regina stated.

"And, what the Hell do you mean by that?" Granny asked not understanding the joke.

"She asked me to tell you and I am not even sure how to say it, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Whatever was in that vial, whatever the spell, it affected Ruby. I know that it was a love spell just from the smell of it, but I don't know what its purpose was. Most people who conjure magic or make potions stay away from love spells because they never work out how the intended wanted. And, in the end, the person doesn't love you for you. They love you because of the spell and the fact that you have taken their free will from them in that respect. Now, Rumple was known to dabble in love spells, but usually he used True Love magic to do so. Those spells tended to get you the outcome you wanted and they didn't effect free will."

"Okay and?"

"Well, I am not sure what the spell was supposed to do, but it deemed it necessary to change Ruby's anatomy slightly."

"What does that mean? It changed her anatomy? Speak plainly, Regina. What happened to her?" Granny demanded.

"It made her change sexes," Regina answered.

"So she likes men again?"

"No, it made her a man...well of sorts."

"Excuse me, what?"

"She has a penis right now."

"She has a what? No, that can't be. I washed her as a babe. I know what she has between her legs."

"Well, usually, yes, she wouldn't have it, but now she does. It seems, well, I hypothesize that the spell gave it to her. I don't know how long she'll have it or even why she does. Until I do, she's asked to stay in her apartment. She is very self conscious about it and doesn't want anyone to see her."

"I can imagine," Granny stated.

"I'm going to go to the library and see what I can find. Hopefully, it will be some answers and I can get her back to her normal flirtatious and outgoing self. As soon as I know something, you will both know something."

"What about Belle?"

"What about Belle?" Regina countered.

"Who is gonna tell her about this?" Granny asked.

"I believe I left that up to Ruby. This is her problem even if it isn't exactly her doing. Belle, I am sure will take it stride. Like I said, I'll be able to tell you more about the duration of the problem and what the spell is as soon as I can begin my research. Until I have an answer, I would suggest that you tell everyone in the diner that Ruby has a stomach bug and will be in her apartment, away from the food at the diner for welfare reasons, until she is better. And, that she seems to be okay but doesn't want to get anyone else sick, so she's asked for no visitors," Regina explained.

"Emma isn't going to go for that. And, neither is Belle. She loves my pup fiercely. Snow is going to be a problem, too," Granny said.

"Emma I can handle. She'll deal with Belle. We just all need to agree to keep Snow out of the apartment. I am sure that Ruby can just talk to her through the door or something. I'll see if I can get Emma to keep her away for a few days. Maybe a little wedding planning could help," Regina suggested.

"That would work."

"Well, I am going to go now. I have to try to recreate this potion in order to see what I can do for her. Hopefully, I'll have some better answers for you by dinner."

"Good luck," Granny said as Regina walked out of the office, the kitchen and back into the dining area of the diner, to rejoin Emma and Snow.