These reunion chapters make me so happy! They are what got this story going in the first place :) I had to work backwards so there was a story to go along with the reunions! Turned out pretty well I'd say :) I can't wait to read your reviews for this one! The next chapter will pick up at relatively the same place this one left off so there will be more of this trio to come!

She was nervous, her hands were gripped tightly around one another in front of her and she walked with tense shoulders as Isadoro followed close behind. He stopped her steps by walking in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders while he smiled encouragingly, "she is no different than what I know you remember," she nodded silently but he knew she didn't believe him in the slightest, "do you want me to go ahead and ask her to take it easy on the motherly smothering?" That earned him a very small laugh but he was going to take it.

"Sure," she said quietly and nodded with a smile but her body was still tense.

James nodded and gave her shoulders a small squeeze, "okay," and then he turned around and continued up the path, not at all surprised when Rocinante stayed at Regina's side with Isadoro.

She found she didn't like to watch him walk away. It made her nervous, "wait," it was quiet and uncertain but he heard it and stopped. She walked up to him slowly and for some strange reason she felt incredibly unsure if she was allowed to go up and kiss him. An odd thought altogether but she remained standing in front of him as he smiled down at her. Perhaps it was that they were out in the open and not within the safety of the walls her palace provided or the fact that she had kept herself from putting up her own walls inside her that made her feel suddenly so vulnerable.

Sensing her uncertainty he teased her gently, assuring her she was alright, "as much as I love being the one to kiss you I certainly wouldn't mind at all if you just kissed me any time you felt the urge to do so," that was better, she was quietly laughing now and the tension was nearly gone from her shoulders.

Without another word she brought her hands to his face and rose on her toes to kiss him. A gentle kiss through her laughter that purred in her throat. It wasn't a long kiss and when she broke it her hands remained softly on his face, her thumb caressing his cheek as she rested her forehead against his and kept her eyes closed. He was warm and he was there, a concept she still found herself struggling with. For three years he had been cold and gone in her mind and now suddenly he wasn't.

His hands held her close around her waist and she let a small smile curl her mouth for just a moment when he leaned his head in heavier against hers. They didn't say anything and that was perfectly alright because she didn't want anything to be said, she just wanted to have him there for a little while.

Rubbing her sides slowly with his hands he spoke quietly but not in a whisper, "I am not going very far. Just up and around the corner," he soothed and she didn't move, her thumb still running back and forth over his cheek softly, "you don't have to stay here, you can come with me."

Regina shook her head in small movements against his and kept her voice just as quiet as his and kept her eyes closed, "no I think I need a minute, I'm not quite ready yet."

"That is just fine," he he said it slowly as he continued to rub her sides, "do you still want me to go up ahead?"

She nodded quickly, "I'll be right behind you."

"Okay," he waited until she started to remove her hands from his face before he moved and when she did he kissed her forehead gently and smiled at her, "take all the time you need."

...

"Mother?" He called but there was no reply so he tried a little louder, "mother?"

"Is that you James?" She poked her head around the back of the house and found her son standing at the end of the path, "well this is a surprise," she smiled and started making her way up to him, "you are back very soon," she looked around him but saw no sign of anyone in his company, "have you not found her? Are you alright? I heard word that the queen had gotten her hands on you. Did she hurt you? Did she cast some spell on you? Did she rip your heart out? Did she-"

"What? No, no I'm perfectly alright mother no need to fuss," he put his hands on her upper arms and smiled but she kept her eyes at his chest over his heart and pulled the corner of her mouth in to a frown. He couldn't wait to see her reaction when she discovered who Regina was, "how did you hear word of that? No one knows you're here."

Ruth took a deep breath, "I went in to town."

"You did what? Mother!"

"Oh don't you 'mother' me! I needed to see another human being before I went completely mad! I swear the squirrels are trying to communicate...they just sit there and stare at me...the rabbits aren't much better...with their twitchy noses and their big ears."

He had been holding his breath trying not to laugh but he burst and covered his mouth as he laughed and shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Don't laugh! I'm going insane! Old age is not helping my case!" He was still laughing at her and she glared at him before swatting his arm, "stop laughing!" But he only laughed harder which made her start to laugh as well, "I am losing my mind and you think it's hysterical! What kind of a son are you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he put his hands up in front of him in surrender and tried to stop his laughter, "can I ask a favor of you?"

"Oh sure ask me a favor after laughing at my deteriorating mental health! Maybe I'll ask the birds to help me! I haven't talked to them yet!" He was laughing loudly again as she threw her arms up in the air, motioning to the sky with a good humored tone of voice as her words bounced with laughter.

"I said I was sorry!"

"And yet you're still laughing," she folded her arms and shot him a smirk.

They were both silenced by the sound of a twig snapping. Initially he believed it to be Regina but the hairs raising on the back of his neck told an entirely different story, "mother I need you to go inside."

Her son's voice was distant as he looked around, "I'm sure it's nothi-"

"Please go inside," he turned to face her and did not hide the urgency of his request and she nodded and hurried off toward the small house. He watched the door close behind her before he turned back around only to find several of king George's men emerge from the tree line and he drew his sword.

...

She wasn't ready for any outcome. She wasn't ready for her to be loving like she had been and like James had assured her she had remained but she wasn't ready for the possible disappointment or anger and possibly even fear either. She wasn't ready, she didn't know what to expect and she did not like that.

At the sound of clashing blades she snapped her head up and furrowed her brow as she looked up the path where James had gone. That was not a promising sound. She picked up a jog and made her way down the path. When she heard hoofbeats behind her she held her hand out and looked over her shoulder to assure the horses stayed out and out of sight. Rocinante stopped immediately and nipped Isadoro's shoulder when he tried to continue causing him to try and bite her back but she pinned her ears and he lifted his head away from the mare but remained standing next to her.

Satisfied that they were going to stay, Regina straightened her neck to look forward as she rounded the corner. James was fighting two men, two were on the ground either dead or knocked out, one more was coming up behind him but he seemed aware of that. What caught her undivided attention was the archer off to the side that was redirecting his aim from James

At first she thought he had seen her and was aiming to shoot her and she wasn't worried, a simple arrow was nothing she couldn't handle. However, her brow furrowed in confusion when his taut bow was moved past her and she followed his gaze to the older woman standing roughly one hundred feet diagonally from her. Her focus was on her son and not on the man aiming a lethal arrow. His fingers began to unbend to release the arrow and without a second thought she disappeared and reappeared in a plume of purple smoke next to Ruth and snatched the arrow from the air.

Ruth jumped back with a gasp and stumbled to regain her balance, her heart stopping when the woman appeared at her side from nowhere. Her hand clenched angrily around an arrow and for a split second she thought she was going to use it on her but then she followed the woman's line of sight to an archer that had been scared stiff and she realized that the woman had managed to catch the arrow. She let out a tense breath when she noticed where the arrow was. The sharp point in line with her heart.

Regina glared at the archer, his eyes wide with fear, clearly recognizing her as the woman they all called the Evil Queen. Under any other circumstances she would have snapped his neck with a mere flick of her wrist for trying to hurt Ruth but Ruth was watching and she didn't need to see that. Instead she resorted to whipping all of George's men together in a bundle high in the air, held tight with an invisible force making them as uncomfortable as she could without maiming them before she let them fall, scaring them before purple smoke engulfed them and they were transported away before they hit the ground.

James looked up at the sky where the men had been flying and then back down at the ground where they had all disappeared. He was confused and stood with his sword hanging from his hand so the tip was on the forest floor. Then he remembered that Regina could use magic and he smiled as he lifted his head to find her standing next to Ruth who looked positively terrified and shocked.

"I had it," he teased but his heart dropped to his stomach when she waved an arrow in her right hand directly in front of his mother's heart.

"I don't think you did."

Ruth was working to recover from the ambush with her hand over her chest where the arrow would have hit. Her breathing was shaky and labored, she had nearly died and this woman had appeared in a cloud of smoke and plucked the arrow right from the air. She had not seen the brunette's face but something was familiar about her, something she couldn't quite place.

It couldn't be. She shook her head and looked over the back of her carefully, the hope growing within her. Her voice was not quite right, it was a lower and more raspy, as though she was being weighed down. Her clothing was expensive and masterfully crafted to fit only her. Then the magic. She had quite literally appeared at her side and caught the arrow before throwing the royal guards aside with nothing more than a flick of her wrist. But the way her son was looking at the brunette. It couldn't be, "Regina?"

Regina turned slowly to face the older woman for the first time in years and smiled timidly, "hello Ruth."

"Oh!" She covered her mouth with both hands quickly, entirely shocked and confused and happy. She was speechless as her eyes raked over her, unable to believe she was really truly standing in front of her. She dropped her hands and stepped forward to touch her. When her hands rested on her arms and she felt the solid and warm body beneath her touch the tears welled up in her eyes and she brought a hand to cover her mouth once again.

Her eyes darted between the same dark troubled brown that she had grown so used to seeing. It was really her. Her face was painted beautifully, the top half of her hair was pinned up in an intricate way she didn't even think possible, the subtly patterned bold navy blue coat that fell just above the ground paired with tight black pants and a black top with white crystals lining the low cut neck line, it was all so different than the simple girl with the simple dresses but she was still there.

The clothes, the make up, the magic, the money, the secrets, her name, it all began to fall in to place, "you're the queen," she dropped her hand from her mouth and and took a step back and moved to bow but black gloved hands stopped her movements immediately and she looked up at her curiously.

Regina shook her head, "don't you even dare," she gently pushed her back upward looked directly at her, "you have done so much for me in the past, it is I who should bow to you," she nodded and let a small smile pull on her mouth as she bowed respectfully to the older woman.

Ruth put a hand to her chest and the tears started to fall as the queen bowed to her. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that the Regina she had known and this regal and powerful queen were the same person. She didn't quite know how to approach her as she stood up straight, "Regina-"

"No," she shook her head and looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry I didn't come back Ruth. I thought about it but I didn't know what you'd think, after all I've done, after all the pain I've caused...I really lost control of my anger and Rumplestiltskin only pushed me further. I had nothing left to lose so..."

Ruth cocked her head sadly as the tears of happiness continued to roll down her cheeks. She very much resembled the young girl she had first met for that afternoon after watching her ride with her son scattering the sheep on Rocinante. Nervous, unsure, small, afraid to get hurt once again. This was nothing like the enraged queen she had heard so much about, it broke her heart all over as she came to the conclusion that she had truly been alone all those years, "can I," she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried again, "can I give you a hug?" Her voice cracked in to a whisper as she opened her arms.

Regina furrowed her brow in confusion and lifted her head to look at Ruth. She was rendered speechless by that kindness that was so clearly present like it had always been. Her lips parted but her voice didn't come and her chest tightened as her eyes glossed with tears.

"Oh my dear," Ruth breathed out through a shaky breath and quickly stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Regina's small frame. The girl went instantly tense and her arms laid uncomfortably over her back but she only laughed through her cries and held her tighter, "I've been worried sick about you," she could feel her body start to quiver in her arms, "Regina, dear, you're safe, you're going to be okay."

She blinked back her tears but she couldn't stop the shaking. James had assured her that his mother would be thrilled to see her but she only came to ease his mind, she half expected her to at least be angry. No one had shown her any kindness for years and once again Ruth had pulled her in without a second thought. She found it overwhelming and a tear finally broke free against her will.

Reluctantly Ruth let go, knowing how uncomfortable she was. She wished she would give in but she knew trust was a difficult thing for her and she believed that now it was even harder. "Oh," she shook her head, "no, Regina," she spoke softly and brought her hands up to hold her face and wipe the tears away, "don't be so scared. I'm not going to hurt you," she shook her head sadly as the girl dropped her chin and closed her eyes, her jaw clenched and her lips pushed together to keep her self from crying.

"I've missed you," she confessed in a small sad whisper.

Ruth nodded quickly and kissed her forehead, "I've missed you too," she opened her eyes and Ruth felt her stomach flip uncomfortably at the amount of hurt swirling in those dark eyes. "You have much to tell me my dear queen," she smiled when a soft and quiet laugh made it out of Regina's sad breath. She shook her head as a giddy laughter rose from her throat, "I can't believe you've been right in front of us all these years. Do you have any idea how hard we've been looking for you?"

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want either of you to get hurt otherwise I would have told you who I was."

Ruth nodded, still truly baffled that she was standing in front of her, "I completely understand. I mean the queen falling in love with a shepherd," she shook her head but couldn't stop smiling at the young brunette, "that would carry quite the consequence."

Regina nodded stiffly and remained quiet, unsure what to say to Ruth. It was hard to find that high spirited girl she had buried so deep inside her. She desperately wanted her to come back. She cocked her head curiously and let out a low laugh when Ruth removed her hands from her face and jumped around excitedly.

"I cannot believe I have personally known the queen! And now she's back on my doorstep! I've never had the pleasure of such company," she smiled over her shoulder at Regina, happy to see she was smiling now, "well I suppose I have had the pleasure but I didn't know it then," she smiled brightly and turned back to fuss with random objects. She had heard the stories of the queen's wrath but now knowing who she is she knew she was in absolutely no danger whatsoever.

Then she paused and spun to face her with a new joy, "you saved my life! I haven't seen you in over three years and our first interaction is you saving my life! My dear girl!" She grinned and then walked quickly back up to her and held her face between her hands, "thank you," she smiled, tears of joy shining in her eyes and a mess of emotions reflecting in Regina's. With a happy laugh and a kiss to her forehead Ruth began rearranging objects again.

"You okay?" James came up behind her and whispered gently in her ear.

Regina nodded quickly, "yeah, I just wasn't expecting her to be the same," she whispered shakily and turned her head up to look at him and offered him a weak smile.

Ruth watched the pair with the widest of smiles as they held an intimate private conversation. They were not aware that she was watching them which gave her the precious opportunity to see them interact without any guards put in place. He was so gentle and loving with her it made her heart swell, such a good man he had become. Regina was struggling, her poor tired soul was struggling to claw its way back to the surface once more like it had years ago.

She believed with all her heart that her son could find that gentle girl inside that dark queen. Ruth couldn't wait to talk to her, to dig down and find what it was that had snapped inside so that she could help her mend it. The look on her son's face. It was so happy, so full of love, a unique expression he saved only for this brunette, a look she had feared she would never get to see again, "I need a kiss!" She chuckled and lifted her arms toward the pair as they snapped their attention to her and waved her hands in a less than graceful manner, "right now!"

Both laughed at the request, Regina's more tense and unsure than James'. Ruth stood in front of them and they stood side by side until her son spun Regina around and silenced the queen's gasp with a kiss. She laughed happily and covered her grin with her hands as Regina relaxed and kissed him back.

Regina went stiff at the motion and put her hands up and out so she wouldn't touch him as she inhaled sharply through her nose. She still wasn't used to him showing any love toward her in private let alone in front of anyone else but soon enough she found herself relaxing in to him and parting her lips in a smile only to close them around his own. His hands found her waist and she shifted her feet so her balance was even and her hands moved up so her fingers bent around the nape of his neck and her thumbs rested on the corners of his jaw.

"Oh I'm so happy!" Ruth yelped in excitement and clapped her hands in front of her face as the couple pulled away laughing, "so so so happy!"