AN: I have a feeling I'll finish this story soon. Well, in a few chapters, actual timeframe unknown as usual. J

Flashback

The Knave came to her, Will Scarlet, and she thought he had just brought her Alice. Even though she had long-since left Wonderland to Anastasia's rule, she knew the importance of stopping Alice. Instead he brought her something she would never have asked for: her heart. He skipped over the story of how he stole it from the Dark One, tricking her into allowing him close enough for Alice to place the heart back where it belonged.

They wanted her help, of course. That was the price of returning the heart. Trying to get her to care enough about the new White Queen, and with her heart returned she was able to care. So she pushed aside any sorrow for the things she had done, there would be time for regrets later. She considered herself a strong woman. Anastasia needed her help and the poor girl was like another daughter to her now.

She gave Will and Alice the assistance they requested, giving Anastasia another chance to be with the man who loved her. Cora had accepted the heart as a gift, vowing not to give it up again but unable to reveal its presence. If the Dark One discovered it had been stolen from him, he would try to hurt Will and that in turn would hurt Anastasia. So she hid herself away, unable to face Regina after everything she had done and unable to let anyone else discover the truth.

She never intended to fall in love again, but then one day a young woman, half-wolf, had wandered into her life and into her heart.

Cora sat in Regina's car, feeling stronger as she began to adjust to losing her magic. It was similar to the time she regained her heart. When Rumple had asked if she had put her heart back she told him 'no' and that she was 'stronger without it'. The first had been true, someone else had done it for her, and the second was something she knew he wanted to hear. Love did make her weak, that had been her first thought as she felt the effects of the cuff and immediately wanted to take it back off. She had given up her magic for love, for Ruby. Love was also the reason she finally had her heart returned to her.

When they arrived at the diner, she removed her seatbelt and gave her daughter a quick smile before opening the door.

Regina watched from the car as her mother swiftly entered the diner and sought out the waitress. She saw Ruby recognise the cuff and lead Cora through the kitchen door out of sight of prying eyes and ears. No doubt there would be hugging and kissing, which she did not need to see.

Regina smiled. Perhaps things would work out after all.

She pulled away from the diner, and drove to the Sheriff's station. She wanted to see Emma and talk to her. There were things she hadn't told Ruby, a plan to ensure her mother had changed.

Cora placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders as the waitress lifted her and spun her around. They were standing in the storeroom behind the kitchen, where no-one else could see them or interrupt. Ruby had kissed her the second the door closed behind them, and Cora hadn't stopped smiling since she entered the diner and saw her.

The older woman wrapped her arms around Ruby now that her feet were touching the ground again, "I can't believe you got Regina to agree…"

"You're not angry that I went to see her?"

"We can be together, without hiding, I'm so happy."

"Me too," Ruby raised her right hand and stroked Cora's cheek. "Thank you for choosing me over your magic."

"Regina told you about the cuff?"

"She said she would offer you the choice, so I would know whether you loved me enough and wanted to be with me more than you wanted magic."

"Did you doubt me?"

Ruby hesitated, "I hoped you would chose me. I know how important having magic is to you, how much you rely on it…"

"That was the old me."

"So now we can tell everyone about us? We can hold hands walking down the street, go on real dates and live in my cabin?"

"Are you asking me to move in?" Cora asked with a smile.

"Of course!" Ruby took Cora's hands in her own, "it's nothing like your castle in the forest, but it can ours."

"What about Granny? Aren't you living with her at the moment?"

"Only because she had the flu a while back and it was easier to look after her and the diner by staying in town. I always meant to go back to the cabin eventually. Unless you think it's too small?"

"It's perfect. I love that it's private out there, and it's big enough for us."

"Then there's just one more thing I have to ask you."

"What's that?"

Ruby knelt down in front of Cora, took the engagement ring from her pocket and held it out to the woman she loved, "will you marry me?"

Cora's smile grew, there were tears in her eyes and her emotions were so overwhelming she couldn't speak. She nodded and helped Ruby to her feet, kissing her before Ruby could place the ring on her finger.

"I love you," she told Ruby, the moment she found her voice again.

"I love you too," Ruby promised in return.

Emma closed the report and placed her head, face down, on the folder. She had finished the last of her paperwork for the day and she was exhausted. The cells were empty and her father was out on patrol so there wasn't anything else for her to do, except wait for the phone to ring.

Her eyes opened at the sound of sharp heels on the station floor and her head shot up from the desk. She smiled as Regina entered the room and held up the pile of folders neatly stacked.

"All done for the day," she proudly informed her.

Regina smiled, but not as happily as Emma expected, "wonderful."

"Is something wrong? Is it Henry?"

"Henry's fine. I need to talk to you, it's about my mother."

"We're alone here, David won't be back for another hour – two if he stops to see Snow on the way back."

"Good," Regina sat down in the chair nearest Emma's and wondered where to begin.

"Has Cora used her magic to hurt someone?" Emma prompted.

"No, and she won't now. She has agreed to wear that awful cuff, the one that blocks magic."

"Wow, that's good. How did you get her to do that?"

"She's in love and I told her it's the only way to prove she wasn't using magic to make the other person love her back."

"Someone's dating your mom? That must be weird for you."

"I've known about the relationship for a little while, I thought it was over."

"Who?"

Regina took a deep breath before answering, "Ruby."

Emma sat there looking stunned. Regina tried to explain. She told Emma that Cora and Ruby had met long before the curse, and about what happened when Cora first arrived in Storybrooke. Eventually she told her about Ruby's visit and her idea of using the cuff. She didn't know if Emma was listening, or still in shock over the revelation.

"I guess…" Emma began after a further few moments of silence, "if Ruby still loves her and she loves Ruby… then it's no-one else's business."

The look Emma gave Regina made her wonder if she was thinking about their secret relationship.

"I had one more idea, to prove that my mother really does love Ruby."

"You still don't trust her?"

"I want to, and this plan will help with that."

"Regina…"

"No-one will get hurt. I promise."

So Regina laid out the plan for Emma. When she was finished, Emma was frowning at her girlfriend.

"What about Ruby? If anything goes wrong, if it doesn't go as you hope, then Cora… and you…?"

"I just want to know that I can trust my mother. I want to believe that she really does love someone, that she is capable of real love."

"Because that means she really does love you?"

Regina shrugged, not daring to say the words.

AN: - should I write another story cross-over for Cora saving Anastasia, to be set after the end of OUATIW? Any ideas for the danger? Also, does anyone wonder if there's some link between the Wonderland 'White Queen' title and Snow's family?