A/N: Hello again, everyone! Thanks for giving this story a chance. It's a bit of a departure for me, but I'm really enjoying how the characters are playing off each other. Hopefully you do, too.
As always, I claim no ownership of anything you might recognize.
Enjoy!
Regina and Ruby walked through the woods, wondering with every step over a fallen tree what in the world Emma could have set up for a friend outing in the forests around Storybrooke.
"Did she say anything about what she had in mind?" Ruby asked as they moved deeper into the foliage.
With a shake of her head, Regina picked her way around a boulder, for once glad to be wearing hiking shoes and denim along with her leather horse riding jacket. "She didn't say anything other than 'wear comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty.',"
Ruby snickered, momentarily distracted at the sight of Regina's lower body working around the rock. Glad she had asked what she should wear for Emma's activity, she had on her most well-worn boots and tight jeans, along with a loose sweatshirt. "I think this may be the first time another woman has asked me to get dirty in the woods."
Her comment must have caught the mayor by surprise, because Regina tripped on a bare patch of ground and would have stumbled if Ruby didn't jump forward to catch her. "Woah, Regina. Are you okay?"
Throwing her a look that only Regina could have produced – it was a strange mix of irritation and gratitude – the older woman settled on standing up straight. "I'm fine, thank you. I just wasn't expecting the comment."
"Oh, yeah," Ruby chuckled as she released Regina's arm, "Sorry about that."
"It just took me a little by surprise, that's all," Regina offered with a forgiving smile. Ruby hadn't meant to startle her so badly she tripped, after all. Still, Regina filed the tidbit away.
They moved on through the undergrowth until a clearing emerged in front of them. Regina noticed the dull red flash among the trunks before she saw the familiar leather of Emma's favorite jacket. Not that she would ever admit it under pain of torture, she actually found the jacket appealing, at least in the way that Emma wore it. The swagger that the blonde assumed when she donned the jacket was oddly reminiscent of the palace guards that used to protect her. They wore their armor in much the same way as Emma wore her jacket, as part of their very identity. She had the odd feeling that the jacket she'd belittled so often must have meant something significant to her son's other mother.
Walking into the clearing, Regina noticed a row of bull's eye targets arrayed in rows on each side of the roughly circular space. Emma stood behind a table in the center of the area, and behind her was another row of targets Regina couldn't quite make out. On the table was…she gaped as Emma cut off her train of thought.
"Ruby?" Emma asked, surprised to see the waitress.
"Yeah, Regina invited me along after that thing at Granny's the other day," Ruby admitted, suddenly unsure of herself.
To her relief, Emma's face lit up in an ear to ear smile. "Awesome! This will be a lot of fun with the three of us. Luckily I just happen to have spares."
"Spare what now?" Regina asked, eyeing the table of weaponry.
"Guns!" exclaimed the blonde, grinning wider than ever as she gestured to the table.
Ruby looked almost as excited as Emma as she took in the sight. "Really? I've never been shooting before, but I've always wanted to."
Emma gave Regina a wary look. "Regina? Are you okay?"
"This is what you planned for today? You think rattling off some firearms in the woods is going to be stress-relieving?" Regina demanded.
"You have no idea," Emma smirked, giving the surprised older woman a wink.
Ruby went to the table and started looking at the pistols. "What do you have here?"
Emma turned from Regina to regard the gleaming metal. "These are from my personal collection. We have two Sigs and a Glock to choose from. The Glock is my favorite. Saved my life more than once in Boston," she said, her voice growing softer as she lost herself in a memory.
Regina shifted uncomfortably as Ruby moved forward to inspect the guns. "I'm not sure this is the best idea. I've never fired one of these before."
"I haven't either, actually," admitted Ruby, not showing any lack of enthusiasm despite her lack of experience.
The blonde grinned. "Not a problem. That's why you have me, right? I have used all of these extensively. I know range safety. When bounty hunting got lean, I used to make some extra cash on the side teaching introductory firearm lessons at the range near my apartment. We'll be just fine here, trust me."
"What about the noise?" Ruby wanted to know. "Won't the sound of gunfire draw out the town residents?"
Emma shook her head. "I informed David beforehand. Any calls that come into the Sheriff's station, he'll be able to handle it. He's going to tell people it's a Sheriff's Department training."
Regina eyed the weapons as she moved to the table, noticing for the first time the ear protectors and what looked like little foam balls. "Okay, Swan. I'll trust you enough to try this, but if it feels weird I'm going home, but not after many, many rounds of telling you how much I told you so," she declared, raising her eyebrow in challenge.
Not quite bouncing over to the table, Emma's mannerisms belied her excitement. "Awesome! Okay, let's get started with the basics."
The two brunettes shared a wry look as they moved to the other side of the table, allowing Emma's excitement to envelop them. They looked on as their friend explained the fundamentals of loading the magazines, making sure the safety was on, and how to aim. After the weapons were loaded with the safety on, she laid them on the table and demonstrated how to roll the foam ear protectors and insert them into the ear canal before putting her earphones on over them.
"First rule: never, ever point this at anything you don't intend to shoot. Second rule: never aim with your finger on the trigger. Only put your finger on the trigger right before you fire. Let's give it a try. I'll go first to demonstrate proper form."
So saying, she gestured for the other two to don their ear protectors – after conjuring an extra pair for Ruby with a wave of her hand – and turned to face the first target on the left side of the clearing. Picking up her beloved Glock, she shifted into a two-handed stance and locked on the target.
The two older women jumped at the sound of the first shot even through their ear protection. The next rounds were less jarring, but they still remained tense as they watched a focused Emma do what she was apparently well-trained to do. When the shooting stopped, the Sheriff ejected the magazine, cleared the chamber, and laid the Glock back on the table. Without a look back, she walked down to the target, gesturing for them to follow.
When they got close, Regina furrowed her brow. "You only hit the target once? I thought you were an instructor."
Emma stammered as she tried to come up with the words to explain, but Ruby jumped in before she could finish. "Uhm, Regina? See how that hole's a bit ragged? She hit the same hole with every shot."
Eyes huge, Regina turned to the blonde with more than a little additional respect. "My apologies, Emma. That was excellent. I'll rest a bit easier about Storybrooke's safety in the future."
"Thanks," Emma responded with a smile that somehow managed to be both shy and proud at the same time.
She led the way back to the table and gestured for Ruby to pick up one of the other pistols. Standing behind the firing line, she and Regina watched as the waitress followed Emma's procedure as closely as she could remember. Moving into her stance seemed to give her trouble, however. Her body refused to cooperate, and the more she wriggled, the less comfortable she looked.
After a few seconds, Emma called out, "Need some help, Rubes?"
Ruby looked back over her shoulder. "Yeah, Emma. I can't get my feet and legs to cooperate. Can you help me get into the right position?"
Regina watched in growing surprise as Emma moved forward until she was standing directly behind Ruby. The blonde initiated full-body contact, reaching around Ruby's shoulders until her longer arms entirely encircled the other woman's. She deftly maneuvered Ruby's hands until she was satisfied they were supporting the gun properly, but when she stepped back, decided the waitress's stance was all wrong.
With eyebrows that felt like they could go no higher on her head, Regina stared at Emma placing both hands directly on Ruby's hips and ass, shifting her body first one way, then another until she was satisfied. Feelings that she was almost entirely unused to warred inside her. One felt uncomfortably like jealousy while the other she wasn't willing to give name to yet.
"Okay, you're ready to go. Wait for my signal," Emma declared, stepping back next to Regina.
Regina's only outward reaction when Emma returned was an extremely ladylike snort.
Startled, Emma turned her head so fast it wouldn't have been a stretch to think she might have injured herself. "What?"
Shaking her head, Regina gestured at their friend. "Let her shoot."
The blonde gave her a sidelong look but let it drop. "Whenever you're ready," she instructed.
This time Regina was ready for the noise of the shots and braced herself. The kickback of the first shot rocked Ruby back on her heels a bit, but she quickly compensated, tensing her stance and flexing her arms to keep them steady. When her weapon locked open on the empty magazine, she held it up with her finger off the trigger. Moving with caution, Emma took the gun from the waitress. "Not bad, Ruby, just make sure you clear the chamber and put it on safe when you're done."
Ruby flushed at the praise, but stayed silent as they went to inspect her target. She wasn't nearly as good of a shot as Emma, but she managed to hit the round circle at the center of the target with every one of her shots. "Nice work, Ruby!" Regina congratulated.
"Thanks," the younger woman smiled as they went back to the shooting area.
When they got back to the table, the other two women turned with expectant looks to Regina. "Oh, no. I don't think so. Why don't the two of you take turns and I'll just watch?
With a roll of her eyes, Emma picked up a magazine and loaded it without looking, which earned her an impressed glance from the other two. "I set all this up specifically for you, Regina. We came here to help you blow off steam after everything happened. I really think you'll enjoy this. Just try it out, see if you like it, okay?"
Regina pursed her lips but decided to trust Emma. She took the pistol with some trepidation, but strode to the firing line without any break in her step. A mischievous smirk crossed her face when she thought of a perfect way to get a little dig back at Ruby. She purposefully fidgeted in place at the firing line, keeping her stance unsettled and weak-looking. After a few moments she was rewarded with an impatient huff from the blissfully oblivious Sheriff.
"Honestly, I thought I told you both how to get comfortable in your stances. Just stand there, Regina," Emma sighed as she came forward. Just as she had before with Ruby, Emma's hands traced down her arms as the blonde molded her entire body along Regina's. The instant Regina felt the two soft lumps on Emma's chest press into her back, she questioned the wisdom of repaying Ruby in kind as a spark of warmth lit in her belly. Resolutely refusing to examine what the feeling meant, Regina instead attributed it to the strange sensation of human contact, just like at Granny's with Ruby.
Human contact, that was all.
Especially when she felt little tingles of magic coursing through the veins just below her skin when Emma's surprisingly strong hands wrapped around her more dainty appendages, demonstrating the proper way to hold the pistol. From their times sharing magic to achieve larger results, Regina knew Emma felt the same tingles. It was just sharing magic.
Nothing more.
She had to ruthlessly suppress a shiver as Emma's breath tickled her ear. "Just hold your arms in position. You'll do just fine."
Just human breath-contact. That was all.
While she was happy with her grip, Emma was seemingly unsatisfied with her stance. First she bumped Regina's ass with her pelvis, the sexuality inherent in the move apparently lost on the blonde, though it was not lost at all on Regina herself. That heat in her belly was growing with every touch and moving southward as it did so.
Apparently her stance was even worse than Ruby's, as Emma was forced to squat down behind her, sliding her hands down Regina's back with little pushes here and there. The blonde eventually grabbed her ass much like she'd done with Ruby and pushed it to the right just enough. "There. I think that'll work."
Chancing a look over her shoulder, Regina saw Ruby watching the scene with intense interest, but not the negative emotions of anger or jealousy that she'd expected. Rather, Ruby's eyes were almost entirely black, her nostrils were flared, and she was biting her lower lip.
She had to force her attention back to the targets in front of her when Emma straightened up and moved back to join Ruby. Holding the pistol at the low ready, Regina waited for Emma's command.
"Whenever you're ready, your majesty," Emma snarked.
Gritting her teeth, Regina raised her weapon, flipped the safety off as Emma had demonstrated, and took aim through the sights just like Emma had told them. She pulled the trigger slowly, feeling the pressure build until it snapped and the shot fired. The recoil was stronger than she'd imagined, but she was able to maintain her stance. She kept her focus, firing off the remaining rounds in quick succession until the slide locked open.
As much as she was sure she wasn't going to enjoy the experience, Regina couldn't deny the exhilaration of shooting a gun at a target. It was not unlike using her magic, but in a controlled environment. Her fingers trembled slightly as she flipped the safety back on and cleared the chamber.
"Nice," Emma complimented as she took the pistol from her, "Let's see how you did."
The three walked to the last of the targets, to check the grouping. Regina felt a rush of pride; her shots occupied a noticeably smaller cluster than Ruby's, even if she had a long way to go before she was as good as Emma.
"Now," Emma said, turning to her with a beaming grin, "Did you like that?"
Shrugging, Regina allowed her the victory of being right. "I did. You were right. There was something viscerally enjoyable about it."
"Yes!" Emma exulted, punching the air in celebration. "Now that we have that out of the way, I have a special surprise for you."
"You mean the shooting wasn't enough?"
"Oh, it was," the blonde threw over her shoulder as she jogged back to the center, determined to get the magazines reloaded as fast as possible, "But I planned something extra just for you."
Ruby and Regina shared a glance before rejoining Emma at the center of the clearing. The blonde wore a devilish grin as she reloaded a magazine into one of the Sigs. When the pistol was loaded and ready, she replaced it on the table and gestured to the row of figures at the back of the clearing.
Regina initially followed, but stopped short when she saw the row of person-shaped targets. Instead of having a bull's-eye in the middle, the highest scoring zones were centered on areas that would do the most damage. "I don't know, Emma. I'm a reformed villain now, remember? I don't think the townspeople would appreciate it if they knew I was out here blasting away at something that looked like a person, even without magic."
Emma chuckled. "I know, and I figured that. Think about it like this: what if you were in a world without magic, like in New York, and someone was trying to kidnap Henry? Wouldn't you rather know you could do what had to be done?"
Regina didn't hesitate a heartbeat. "If Henry's life was in danger and I couldn't access my magic I'd empty the clip into the bastard."
"I thought so," Emma chuckled, guiding Regina back to the weapons table and handing her the Sig. "Okay, just head back to the line and take aim, just like before. Pick your spot and focus on that."
She tried. She really tried to put the idea of shooting another person out of her head. Regina tried telling herself that it was just a differently-shaped target, that it was someone going after Henry, that she needed to end a threat, but the damn Charmings had rubbed off on her. She was too much the hero now to be comfortable with shooting someone. She lowered her weapon and turned back to the other women. "This is silly. I don't want to do this."
"I was expecting this. Wait a second, Regina. I have one more surprise for you," Emma promised.
The two brunettes turned to watch the targets, Regina with dubious eyes, Ruby with interest. With a flick of her fingers, Emma's magic transformed the person-shaped target into a perfect image of Robin Hood. Somehow, she even got it to speak. "I have to leave with Marian, Regina," it whined, eerily reminiscent of the real man.
This time Regina didn't think at all. Her hands brought the gun up on pure reflex, and before she knew it, the magazine was empty. She cleared the chamber and flipped the safety on, only then hearing through her ear protection the guffaws of her shooting partners. She turned to look at them, intent on finding out why they were taking such humor at her expense, but they were both doubled over, clutching their stomachs.
Looking back to the target, she felt her own laughter bubbling up at the sight of two holes in the target's head, one in his heart, and the rest clustered tightly in his crotch.
On their way back from the shooting range, Ruby was quiet, letting the other two talk about shooting together. It had been a revealing experience, especially in how she reacted to Emma's touch when her friend was helping her stance. The tingles that spread across her skin when Emma touched her back were nothing compared to the heat that surged low in her belly when the blonde grabbed her hips and ass. Watching Emma do the same with Regina, rather than make her feel jealous after her revelation, turned her on more than she would have believed. Even under the curse, Ruby had thought Regina was smoking hot. Now that her memories were restored and they were in a land without all the emotional baggage of the Enchanted Forest – not to mention how Regina had mellowed – she felt free to appreciate the sultry brunette.
Regina, fighting through lingering chuckles at her decimation of the target, turned to the blonde walking next to her. "Thank you, Emma. I wasn't sure that would be fun, but you were right."
No one could have missed the pride and happiness that crossed Emma's face after Regina gave her such sincere thanks. "No problem, Regina. Shooting always used to help me feel better."
"Oh yes," Ruby breathed, making her voice extra raspy for effect, "It was an amazing release."
This time it was the two older women who burst into laughter when Emma, stunned into autopilot at the comment, walked into a tree.
A/N: Reviews are always welcome!