Henry seemed to be happy that morning. Emma had joined them for breakfast and the four of them had managed awkward conversation about soccer games and the weather and just about anything that wasn't fairy tales or how Emma was now her nemesis' daughter in law as well as her son's other mother. The conflicts of the past year though, were still raw and Mary Margaret had had to kick her wife under the table once or twice to stop a sharp barb from escalating into a full scale snark filled exchange of insults.
After breakfast Emma took Henry off to school and Snow gave Regina a kiss goodbye for the day. She still hadn't moved back home, and Regina had started to ask when she might, now more sure of her own position. But despite some reconciliation, Mary Margaret was not yet ready and Henry was certainly not. So she had to be satisfied with breakfast each morning with them at Granny's. David came in not long after Emma left, giving Regina's table a wide birth and not meeting her eyes.
The Queen smiled, glad to see that her little corrective had broken the shepherd's arrogance.
And perhaps it was that smile that drew Ruby's attention behind the counter. For when Regina came out of the bathroom in the hallway between the B&B and the diner the waitress stood waiting, her arms folded.
"Snow told me what you did to David."
"Well, lovely, the guard dog wants to scare me," Regina said with an eye roll. "This is none of your business."
"Oh but I'm making it my business because Snow is in love and she doesn't always make the wisest of choices when she's in love. Like meeting her insane and homicidal stepmother for a parlay in order to save her true love?"
Regina folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Mary Margaret is following her heart. David and I have come to an understanding that she will get to make her choices."
"After you pulled out his heart."
"And put it back."
This time it was Ruby's turn to roll her eyes. "Regina, Snow loves you for whatever reason. I have no question in my mind of that. But loving a monster is a dangerous thing. I know that too. I know what being a monster is like."
"Is this where you act like you understand me on a deep level because once a month you have a deep desire to eat your own poo and sniff people's asses?"
Ruby shook her head, "For whatever reason Snow loves you. And because Snow loves so deeply she can't see the faults in those she loves. Which was bad enough sometimes when it was David, but with you? You are a monster and you'll just keep being a monster because you'll say all the right things to her when she challenges you to make her melt back into your arms."
Regina laughed and shook her head.
Ruby stepped towards her again, a fierceness in her eyes. "I know what you will always be. A killer. Fine. So am I. But someone like Snow will be destroyed by loving someone like you. Because you'll just keep hurting people and she'll just keep forgiving you and a little bit of her will die every time."
Regina actually snarled, and her hand few up and Ruby was pushed against the wall, grabbing her hands to her neck as the air was being choked out of her, "I know who I am. And I won't have a mangy dog pushing her nose into my marriage..."
"Regina!" Snow's voice cut through her rage and she turned to see her, dropping Ruby immediately.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was suppose to meet Ruby to go shopping after breakfast..."
Regina glanced over at the waitress who was smiling and Regina realized that she'd walked right into a trap. "This isn't what it looks like, Mary Margaret."
"You aren't trying to terrorize my friends?"
"She was provoking me..."
"Like David was? This entire town hates you, if you can't hold your temper so you aren't trying to kill someone after every perceived insult..." Mary Margaret reached out to Ruby and quietly asked if she was okay. "Regina, you can stay away from me, Henry, and my friends if you think you can just resume being the Evil Queen and terrorizing the town. I'm not going to stand by your side while you do that."
Regina stood numbly in the hallway as her wife helped her best friend walk away.