Regina looked intently at Ruby, still quite shocked that the brunette was standing outside her office. She was about to ask her how she got into the building in the first place, but the grave look on the young waitress's face made her realize that she had more important questions to ask.

"Shall we then?" she suggested, gesturing with her hand towards her office door.

"I picked the lock on the front door, and locked it behind me so that you wouldn't be on alert and throw a fireball at me by accident. But that's as far as I've gone, I didn't pick the lock on your office door as well." Ruby joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Regina's lips curved upwards slightly, as she made her way to the door, and simply turned the knob. She turned around in time to see Ruby smiling, as a soft chuckle left her lips, but the grave look in her eyes was still there, and it made Regina uneasy. If there was one thing she knew about the youngest Lucas, was that she did not scare easily.

Once they were both inside, Regina closed the door behind them both, and gestured towards the white couch set, but Ruby did not move.

"Is there any way you can make sure no one hears us?" she asked gravely, and Regina wasn't quite sure what she meant by that.

"I beg your pardon!"

"Magically I mean. I know that people can use various methods to spy on others, I know you used the mirror with Snow countless times, and I just don't want what I'm about to say to reach anybody else's ears!" Ruby explained hastily, but the serious tone did not waver.

Regina stood for a minute, debating whether to ask for more information, or to just do as she was told and get all the answers she required in due time. She studied the young brunette intently, she was fidgeting nervously with her feet, her fingers wringing and unwringing repeatedly as she waited for Regina to do what she asked of her. It gave Regina an inexplicable feel of dread seeing her like that, and she was starting to doubt if she actually wanted to hear what she had to say. After all, she had her own problems to think about, and she really was not in the mood to save those idiots once more. She had just saved them from her sister a few days ago, and how did they repay her…..Emma brought Marian back to life. Not to mention that she wanted to take Henry back to New York without any regards for her feelings whatsoever. And how did she know she could trust the waitress? How could she be sure that this wasn't some test from Snow and the Charmings to test her loyalty?

"Please!" Ruby pleaded softly, knowing what was going through the Mayor's head.

Regina sighed, before she closed her eyes and concentrated. She raised both her hands and moved them about, a white shimmer left behind with each motion that soon covered the entire room. She opened her eyes slowly, smiling a little when she saw some of the worry leave the young waitress's eyes, who flashed her a grateful smile.

"No one can enter the building, and not a soul can hear what is being said inside these walls." Regina stated as she made her way over to her desk.

Ruby followed her and took a seat on one of the lavish chairs Regina had facing her desk, and waited tilt the brunette abandoned her coat and purse, took her seat before she sat down as well.

"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind? Or are you just going to stare at me all day?" Regina inquired when Ruby didn't seem like she was going to say anything.

Ruby chuckled nervously, as she studied her fingers, before she looked up. "I'm just looking for a way to start!" she declared.

Regina's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Okay, this sounds bad!"

"Well, I'm not really sure. It's been going on since before the first curse!" Ruby hastily explained.

"This sounds worse!" Regina quipped, and Ruby chuckled.

The distant barking from down the street – which surely belonged to Pongo – gave Ruby the perfect way to approach the subject at hand.

"Did you by any chance hear the frenzy dog barking last night?" she ventured tentatively.

Regina nodded. "Yeah, I did." And after a second she added, "It was quite strange."

"Strange?" Ruby repeated. "So I take it this didn't happen before?" she pressed.

Regina was silent for a moment, as she studied Ruby intently, trying to discern if they both had the same thing in mind. She bit the inside of her cheek, as she mused over how to phrase her answer.

"Not here, no." she mulled over the words, finally deciding that those were the best answer.

"In Storybrooke you mean?" Ruby alluded hopefully, and Regina nodded. "And back in our land?" she offered hesitantly, and when all Regina did was look away, she knew she was on the right track.

"Did you ever find out what made them bark like that?" she asked curiously, and Regina shook her head.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who thinks it's suspicious." Ruby breathed in relief.

"So you've noticed it back in our land as well?" Regina wondered, narrowing her eyes slightly at the other brunette's expression, who suddenly looked guilty…..very, very guilty. "What aren't you telling me?" she demanded.

"Well…"she trailed off. "I am part wolf after all." She chuckled nervously.

Regina instantly knew what Ruby was alluding to, her sensitive wolf senses had picked up on something that normal human hearing couldn't.

"You heard something else!" she voiced her thoughts, and Ruby nodded her affirmation. "Some sort of cry; a shriek, scream…..I'm not quite sure. It was this shrill sound that froze the blood in my veins….and I am not an easy person to spook." Ruby explained hastily.

"And it was the same sound you heard back in our land?" Regina sought confirmation, and Ruby nodded once more. "You're sure?" Regina persisted. "No doubt in my mind!" Ruby declared with finality, and her tone left no more room for arguments.

"But you have no idea what it was!" Regina stated. "You never tried to locate the source of the sound?" she inquired in confusion. She was well aware of the part wolf brunette's protectiveness, which meant that it did not make any sense to her why she wouldn't try to find the source of the danger.

"Of course I did, but it never went anywhere. The sound was always too far away, and by the time I would get close, it would disappear and I am left with nothing. It was weird because I was never able to detect its smell. The closest I have ever gotten was….." she halted suddenly, and looked at Regina nervously, not entirely sure how the Mayor will react to the words she was about to say.

"Ms. Lucas, now is really not the time to lose your voice." Regina reprimanded softly, though her tone was not angry, but rather curious, with a slight hint of fear. After all, if this being was powerful enough to evade a werewolf and rattle her up that bad, then it was a force to be reckoned with.

Ruby took a deep breath, and decided to just blurt out the truth. "It was when I was trying to help Snow break into your castle to free David." She declared gravely and Regina's heart nearly stopped.

"You think that thing was in the castle?" she whispered, almost in disbelief.

"I think so, yes. I think it may have used your magic as a shield to hide its own, and avoid detection." Ruby suggested, but Regina shook her head.

"No, I would've known." Regina objected, her mind racing with the thousand possibilities as to how the creature could've gotten into the castle, only for her mind to draw a blank. It was impossible, she would've known if it had been there, she would've sensed it, she would've sensed the breech in magic.

"It could've used the distraction of our attack to its advantage!" Ruby suggested, and Regina had to admit that it was quite possible.

"And this is the first time you've heard it again since our land?" Regina asked, and Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I was quite surprised, since I thought it was one of the flying monkeys that belonged to Zelena. But since those were either vanquished by you guys or transformed back to humans, I don't see how it can be one of them." Ruby ranted.

"Not to mention that we were all able to hear the screeches of those abominations, not just wolves and dogs!" Regina argued softly, and Ruby nodded her agreement.

"Tonight's a full moon!" Ruby declared, breaking the grim silence that had descended upon the two when it seemed like Regina was not about to say anything else.

Regina looked at her incredulously, not seeing how this was relevant to the seemingly approaching disaster. Ruby, noticing the bewildered expression on Regina's face, decided to spare her the effort of trying to decipher the connection. "My senses will be even more sensitive, and if I camp out in the woods, I may be able to track it down." She elaborated.

"Absolutely not!" Regina almost roared her objection, which made the unsuspecting Ruby jump in surprise.

"Why not?" Ruby almost squeaked her protest.

"Are you out of your mind?" Regina hissed, completely baffled by the carelessness of the brunette sitting in front of her. "We don't even know what we are up against, and you want to go after it?!" she seethed. "On your own!" she yelled the last part to emphasize her disapproval.

"I can take care of myself!" Ruby retaliated. "I'm a big wolf!" she quipped, and it only served to anger Regina even further.

"And this creature is obviously powerful enough that he used both sides as a distraction to enter the castle undetected and hide within its walls! We need to figure out a plan that does not involve using you as bait!" Regina bellowed in frustration.

Ruby was quite surprised by the sudden outburst of the Mayor, she never thought that the woman would care so much for her safety. It was true that Snow had repeatedly said that Regina had changed her old ways, and was no longer the Evil Queen they came to know and hate. But there was a difference between not wanting to kill you anymore, and biting your head off when you suggest going after an unidentified creature. Yes, she did position herself between her mother's ghost and Snow, but Ruby always suspected that Regina never really wanted Snow dead, and that all she ever wanted from her was a sincere apology. And so, her instincts to protect Snow and her unborn child made perfect sense to her. This reaction, however, did not.

"Regina, we need to find out what that being is in the first place, so we can come up with a plan. And I'm your best shot!" Ruby shot back adamantly.

Regina huffed irritably at the other brunette's stubbornness. "Even if I was willing to ignore the obvious threat to your life if you venture off after this….thing on your own, I am not going to let you tip it off that we are on to it. We need to make it believe that its existence is still unknown to us." Her voice was surprisingly calm, but held the authoritative tone she had mastered decades ago that always got other to listen to her. Only a few people were able to defy her after she used that tone, and it seemed the youngest Lucas's name was about to be added to the list.

"Regina, I won't tip it off. Tomorrow's a full moon whether that creature is there or not, and I always roam the woods when it's a full moon, so my presence won't be suspicious. I promise I won't go after it, just try to get as much information as I possibly can." Ruby tried to reason with the seemingly enraged Mayor. Honestly, her reaction was completely out of character, not to mention entirely unnecessary.

"We have no idea what it's capable of. For all you and I know, it might kill you just for fun!" Regina fumed, trying her best not to fully loose her temper, and still get through the seemingly thick skull of the werewolf. She always pegged the brunette to be on the rather smart side, but it appeared that she may have been wrong.

"Well we can't just sit around and wait for it to attack!" Ruby countered.

"No one said we are."

They were finally seeing eye to eye. "Henry's spending the day with Emma, so I'm free till the evening. Let me see what I can find in my vault that may help us figure out our next move." Her tone was almost pleading, and she sighed in relief when the brunette finally nodded. "Swing by the house before you go off on your run!" she added, and Ruby just smiled gratefully at her.

The Enchanted Forest…The Missing Year.

Robin, Regina and Ruby were walking through the woods in the dead of the night. Ruby had her cape on to avoid turning, since the moon was shining brightly in the deep blue sky. Snow and Emma had finally remembered that Cora had brought back the water in Lake Nostos, and Regina thought that it might be a good idea to use some of its water to add to the protective shield they had around the castle. She also thought that it might help them defeat that green lizard she has for a sister.

Robin and Ruby had been talking since they left the castle, and Regina would sometimes join in, but she mostly stayed inside her own head. She had barely gotten a minute of peaceful sleep since they arrived back in this dreadful place. Not only did this place remind her of nothing but pain and misery, but it was also a cruel reminder that she once again lost the person she loved most…..her son. Each second she spent here reminded her of why she wanted to leave in the first place, why she adopted Henry, whys he fought so hard to keep him. Each second without her son reminded her that she failed. She failed when she allowed herself to revert to her old ways when he pushed her away; failed when she listened to her mother and once again broke her son's trust and heart; failed when she couldn't see through Pan's façade and realize that this wasn't her own son, the one she had raised for over ten years, and she fell for that smug teenager's trick. And last, but certainly not least, failed when she did not succeed in conquering Pan once and for all. And as a result, she stood on the town line and watched as the yellow bug drove away from the only town her son has ever called home, watched as her son turned around and looked straight ahead without any recollection of her whatsoever.

And as if life hadn't been hard and complicated enough, she was now looking for ways to defeat a sister she didn't even know she had. One that apparently their mother gave up at birth, and was now after everything Regina ever held dear. Which was nothing as of right now, since Henry was already lost to her. But the former did not seem to mind very much about that small detail, making Regina think that she had something else planned. Something far worse.

The situation with Zelena also served to remind her once again that her mother lied to her.

'You would have been enough.' She had whispered breathlessly, before her eyes rolled to the back of head, and her body went limp in Regina's hand. Regina had believed those words, and had mourned the mother she always wanted, and got to a quick glimpse of before death claimed her so suddenly, and at her hands no less. Partially at least. Bu now, she wasn't sure what to believe any more. She didn't know if she could truly believe her mother meant those words. For how could she possibly mean them if she had given up a perfectly healthy daughter before!

She had completely tuned out the outlaw and the werewolf, and solely focused on the jumbled thoughts in her head and the aching pain in her chest. She wished she would just do what her mother did, and rip the damned thing out. It was true that it wouldn't have gotten rid of all the pain, but at least it would've dulled it a bit. But as much as she hated to admit it – and she really, really didn't want to admit it – Snow was right. Henry would never want this for her, and she can't let down her little prince once more.

She was abruptly stopped by a force that she did not expect, and when she looked to her right, ready to bite off the head of whoever had the audacity to stop her so unceremonianly, she saw the deep concentration on the werewolf's face, and the apprehension on the outlaw's, and it made her bite back the words she was about to snarl.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently, when the brunette seemed like she was doing nothing but watch the sky.

An impatient and urgent 'Shush' was the only reply she got from Ruby, and even though under any normal circumstances, she would be offended, she found that since she had started to let go of her resentment towards Snow, she was a bit more tolerant of her 'friends' and of people in general.

Well, except for that outlaw! He still got on every last nerve she got. And despite her better judgment – and if anyone confronted her she will flat out deny it – she did find him to be easy on the eyes, and felt this strange pull towards him, which only made her resist his attempts to break through her walls even more.

She strained her ears, and looked to where the werewolf had her gaze fixed, but saw and heard nothing. She looked at that archer, and he too shared her confusion. If she were to judge by the absolutely clueless look on his face.

But then, the hair on the back of her neck stood, as her skin crawled with an impending feeling of doom. In all her life, only two people had that kind of effect on her; and she killed one of them. The other one however, well, she proved to be quite elusive and resourceful.

She immediately conjured a fireball in her hand, and hear rather than saw Robin pull back on his bow, as he readied his arrow. And then they saw them. Those shadowy figures, looking like birds from the distance, but was in fact something more horrifying. She and Robin immediately fired their respective weapons when those terrible creature became within range, missing more than they actually hit.

All three of them were focused on the flying monkeys that none of them felt Zelena smoke behind them, and in one swift motion she had thrown both Robin and Ruby in two different directions. Before she slammed Regina against a tree, and kept her in place with a magical chokehold.

Robin slammed into a tree a few feet ahead, and was immediately knocked unconscious, and Zelena had assumed that Ruby was knocked out as well.

She smirked triumphantly at her sister's attempts to break free, as she moved closer to her.

"You think that lake will help you defeat me, Sis!" she taunted, as she sashayed in front of a now dizzy Regina. "Haven't you learned by now that I am more powerful that you'll ever be? That you cannot stop me! That our mother made a grave mistake when she kept you, and gave me up!" she continued her torment, her smirk now growing into a genuine smile when she saw that Regina was fighting to stay conscious from the lack of air entering her lungs. "Well, luckily that can be changed!" she sneered angrily, as she suddenly lunged at Regina, and Regina's eyes widened. She saw where her sister's hand was headed, and try as she might, she could not stop her.

Inches away from her chest, Zelena was abruptly thrown away from Regina and pinned to the ground, her screams now mingling with the loud growls coming from Ruby no doubt. Regina immediately crumbled to the floor as she tried her best to catch her breath. Never in her life had she been more grateful that Snow won an argument against her. She had fought the young princess tooth and nail to go alone to the lake, but Snow had refused to send her anywhere unprotected. Calling her plan stupid and suicidal, stating that she can't out on a quest like that on her own with Zelena out to get her. She had begrudgingly agreed to take Robin, when he pointed out that he knew the woods better than anyone else around, and nearly blew up the entire castle when David told Ruby to tag along. But he did have an irrefutable argument, she would be able to pick up on noises of looming danger before they attacked which would give them a chance to prepare, as opposed to a surprise attack.

And they had been right; Ruby did hear the monkeys coming before either of them picked up on the sound of their wings; and now she just saved her life.

She pulled herself up with the help of the tree branch, and quickly located an unconscious Robin under a nearby tree, grabbed the now discarded red cape at her feet, before she gathered all the energy she could muster, and teleported all three of them out of their and back to the safety of the castle.

Once they were all on their feet, she quickly threw the cape onto Ruby's wolf form, and watched her transform back into her human form.

They both stood in complete and utter silence, Regina with her hand resting over her heart, as she tried desperately to calm its erratic beat – though the sensation had never felt better – and Ruby stared at Regina's chest as she too tried to fathom what was about to happen.

As it turns out, Ruby had mastered the art of escaping her cape in midair. So when Zelena threw her towards a tree, she quickly took off her cape and allowed the silver moon rays to work their magic. So when she slammed into the tree, she was in wolf form, and therefore was not badly affected. It took her a few seconds to regain her footing, and a couple of minute to ward off a couple of flying monkeys, who screeched in fear and flew away when she tore apart one of their comrades with her paws, before her eyes landed on Zelena as she lunged at Regina. And in a couple of large leaps, she had tackled Zelena to the floor before she was able to reach Regina's chest and take her heart. The Witch had been taken by surprise – seeing as she thought Ruby was unconscious – and so by the time she had realized what had happened, Regina had gotten them the hell out of there.

Their eyes finally met, Ruby's filled sympathy and shock, while Regina's were filled with pain and gratitude.

Storybrooke- Where We Left Off.

And since that day, Regina had always felt in debt to Ruby. She saved her life when she didn't have to. It's true that they later discovered that Zelena wanted her heart for a time travel spell rather than crush it and kill her, but Ruby did not know that at the time. She risked her life to save Regina, and Regina was not about to let her go unprotected against an unnamed monster.

And so, she decided that mayoral work can wait for another day, as she reached for the purse that was left discarded on top of her desk, and the coat she had thrown on the back of the couch when she came in, and rushed towards the door. Ruby had left the office a few minutes ago with a promise that she will wait for what Regina might be able to find before she goes after that creature, and Regina decided that there was no time to waste any more.

She hastily texted Henry telling him to go home after he's done with Emma as opposed to swinging by her office, before she made her way over to her car, with every intention of spending every minute she could spare looking for clues as to what this creature might be. She did not have much to go, but she hoped the fact that his screech was only audible on a range that was beyond man's ability to hear might narrow the pool down.

Well, this chapter was supposed to be up about two weeks ago, but getting horribly sick and then traveling did not help matters at all. But you guys have a 17 hour train ride to thank for this chapter and the next, which should be uploaded tomorrow if all goes according to plan. I am terribly sorry for the long wait and I will try to be more frequent with the updates, but I can not make any promises.

You know reviews make me very very happy, and also motivate me to write even faster. The next chapter is almost finished, and a bit of motivation will go a long way. ;)

Thank you to all who read, reviewed and of course followed or favorited.

I will review this later for mistakes, so just ignore them for now :D