Chapter 49
Red paced outside the cloisters still in her wolf form. She found comfort in it and right now that is what she needed. She needed comfort. She was in pain and she was watching everyone else around her be in pain. She didn't know how to stop. There wasn't anything that she could do to stop it. And, that didn't sit well with her. She needed to do something. She needed to act, but she couldn't. There was nothing for her to do but wait.
She finally sat down as she watched Emma pace. The young blond was talking with her mother, Snow. They were both pacing. Red could hear their conversation but she knew that no one else there could. Sometimes being a Wolf sucked, especially now as she continued to watch her best friends' and her sister's life be torn apart…again.
She perked up a little when she heard Snow tell Emma to scream or yell at her. Snow was blaming herself for something. Did Snow think that she was cause of this?
Red shook her head and lowered it to the cement. The coolness of the slightly damp concrete penetrated her fur, but it didn't make her cold. She saw that everyone else was bundled up in a light jacket. Winter wasn't far off and she knew that her fur was thicker, but she didn't care. She would lay outside on the stoop of the Abbey every day if it meant that Coraline wouldn't have to die. Silently she continued to watch as they each processed the information that Coraline and Regina had given them not thirty minutes before.
She sniffed the air trying to figure out if anyone had left. She knew that David and Neal were behind her, near the doors. Charming hadn't moved far from them since they exited the building. She turned her heard to follow the path that Emma and Snow were still pacing. She felt Will nearby, but knew that her cousin didn't want to be around anyone. They were all waiting for their turn to say goodbye to Coraline.
She quickly moved her head in the other direction and found Belle crying. She wanted to go to her, but she didn't know what to say. Belle was losing her sister all over again. And, while Regina and Emma would be losing their adult version of their daughter, in a few months they would have a baby Coraline on their hands. Belle would have nothing.
Red puffed. She was utterly useless. There was no one to maim. There was nothing to look into. There was only certain death that would bring life and hope in two ways: Neal and Remy.
She blustered as a hand found her back and began to smooth her fur. She realized that it was Henry from the smell, but she couldn't remember him coming out with them. He had stayed behind at Coraline's wish. He was the first to receive her goodbye.
"She wants to see you," he told her quietly.
Red blew out hard. She shook her body and head, but made no move to head back inside the Abbey. Instead, she leaned more into Henry's waiting hand.
"She needs us to be strong for her," he started again.
She turned her head to look into his hazel eyes. Her yellow eyes looked that man-cub that he was and realized that he was breaking just as much as they were. No one had seen it though. He was fighting the tears in his eyes. He was losing his sister but gaining a bigger family. She could see the war of emotions in his eyes.
"She told me that she loved me."
Red leaned into him as hard as she could. He needed comfort and he needed it badly. He was watching his family break before him and for once, he didn't know how to mend it.
"She loves us all, you know, and that is why she is doing this," he said as he pet her neck.
He buried his fingers into her fur and fisted his hand. She felt the tightening and pull, but she wasn't going to stop him. She relished the pain in that moment, because she knew that she wasn't alone in how she felt. Henry was keeping her grounded.
"I am the Truest Believer, but I don't know how we will survive this, Ruby. She's my baby sister. I shouldn't be mourning her before her own birth," he mused. "How am I supposed to deal with that? Am I just supposed to accept that in the Spring she will be here again?"
Red understood what he was saying, and she understood his pain. She rubbed her head against him. She gave him the only comfort that she could. She would be there for him. She would be there for them all, because that was who she was. She could be there for them and help them navigate through their grief. She would grieve, but she would do it her way, in the woods, alone.
"Are you going to go in?" Henry asked her, still petting her fur.
She just rubbed her head against him again. She would, but she would go on her own time. The only thing that was making this easier for her was the fact that Coraline would live on as Remy once she was born. Time was going to heal them all, but Red knew that it would be more than that. Remy as a baby would bring them closer together again. She could see how Coraline's death was going to break them apart, but it would be Remy that brought them together again. Red could only hope that they survived long enough, and each other's wrath, to see what a blessing Regina and Emma's daughter really was. She was going to heal them all as she saved Neal and his broken heart.
"You should go in," Henry told her.
She turned and looked up into his hazel eyes. She could see his tears threatening to fall, but just like Regina, he'd learned to school himself in front of everyone. She nudged him with her muzzle a few times until she saw the tears fall. Once she saw them, she laid her head on his leg.
"Red, you have to help me keep them together," he sobbed.
She licked his hand and nuzzled his stomach. He gave her a brief smile. He pet her again, then stood up. He walked over to where Regina and Will had been standing, just off into the periphery. She stood up and headed for the door.
Blue smiled at her as she entered the Abbey. She padded down the hallway to the cloisters. Tink was standing outside Coraline's room. She eyed Red as she approached. When her yellow eyes met those of the green fairy, she saw the clothes that Belle had brought with her.
She twisted her head from side to side. She shook her body and sat down before the door. She let out a whiney breath as she watched Tink set the clothes down in a chair just outside the door.
"She's waitin' for you, Red. You might want to phase though. Not sure that she wants to talk to a Wolf instead of her Aunt Ruby, but that's your choice. Belle brought these for you," Tink told her as she ruffled her scruffy neck. "I'll watch over them outside with Blue. Talk to her."
Red nodded her head and sat back on her haunches. Tink watched as her eyes faded back to hazel from their yellow. Ruby slow stood up and shook her body. Fazing in the open wasn't something that she liked to do, but she had been a Wolf for so long in the past few days that she didn't care. She looked at the clothes and put them on. She wasn't surprised to see her jeans, but she was surprised to see her red and black plaid shirt with a white undershirt. She knew that Belle had to go to the back of her closet to get that. It was comfortable and she figured that was what Belle was going for. She knew how she got after being a Wolf for a while, especially so close to the full moon. She left the black leather jacket outside the cloister room as she entered.
"Hey there, kiddo," Ruby said as she went over to the cot and sat next to it.
"Hey, Aunt Ruby," Coraline answered.
"Whoa there, Kid. Don't go getting all formal on me. Henry said that you wanted to talk to me next. I am not sure what else you need to tell me. Don't you think that you should be talking to your Mom and Ma and not me?' Ruby asked her.
"Not this time," Coraline told her.
"So what's up beyond the obvious?"
"I missed being able to talk to you like this."
"Like this?"
"Yes, we used to talk back when I was in the Enchanted Forest. It was refreshing once I got over myself. I guess we had a lot in common that way. You taught me so much, but the most important thing that you taught me was love of family. I may not have known who you really were, but you never let wonder if you loved me or not."
"I would hope not. There is a lot about you to love, Coraline. But, this doesn't have to do with that. You want me to tell you goodbye," Ruby explained.
"No, not yet."
"Then, what?"
"I need you to do something that might be hard for you, but you are the only one that I trust with this assignment," Coraline stated.
Ruby looked down at her niece. Her normally blue eyes were an odd shade of grey-blue and there was a hardness behind them that Ruby hadn't seen since before Rumple kicked her out of Belle's old house. She reached out and took Coraline's hand. She leaned forward, trying to will comfort to her, but wondering what was on her mind.
"I need you to do this, because you are the only one who will follow my wishes completely. I've asked Will to take my heart and give it to Neal. I know that she is going to have a problem with that, but that is where Mom comes in. She'll be there for her to help and urge her on if necessary. Ma and Snow are going to be with Neal. I need you to stay with me and guard my body. I know that sounds easy, but it really won't be," Coraline told her.
"You want me to guard your body? Why? Why would I need to do that?"
Coraline pushed up a little on the bed until she was sitting. She reached down under the cape that was still covering and pulled out three vials. She held them up. In one of them, she could see a blond and a brunette hair. In another, there were two brunette hairs. The third vial was empty. They both watched as the two full ones. The hairs were dancing with each other and there was a pink light emitting from them.
"What are those?" Ruby asked.
"These are True Love Potions."
"Uh, why do you have them?" Ruby questioned.
"Because you are going to need them."
"Huh?"
"I know that you are with Belle. It is obvious, but it is beautiful at the same time. Have you forgotten the day in the diner when I told you that you would get her? Well, now you have."
"What does that have to do with those?"
"In a few years, you are going to go to Mom and you are going to ask her for help. She isn't going to know what to do. She is going to have to create a new spell for you. These vials are going to help you. In this one, there are hairs from both Mom and Ma. This other one has a hair from both me and Will. This empty one is for you and Belle."
"Okay, but why?" Ruby inquired.
"When the time comes, you will blend the three and you will get your wish," Coraline said.
"And, what wish would that be?" Ruby asked her taking the vials and putting them into her shirt pocket for safe keeping.
"I don't know if I should tell you."
"You're giving me ingredients for a spell so you might as well tell me why."
"You've got a point. Years from now, we will either be back in the Enchanted Forest or still living here, but in a field there will be a monument standing. There will be a name on it but that is all there is. There will be no trees, only grass surrounding it."
"So, what's so special about it?"
"It will be the marker for my grave."
Ruby felt her breath leave her body. She didn't understand why Coraline was being so nonchalant about this. She was talking about her death like it didn't mean anything. She was watching her and wondering. She could see the sadness in Coraline's eyes.
"Um…"
"You asked."
"I did," Ruby replied. "So tell me more about this. What does this have to do with me and the vials? Do I have to open some crazy portal and send you through it?"
"No, nothing like that. The monument will be something that you erect. I don't want to be buried in the Mausoleum. I know that Mom will be upset by this, but I can't be there. Remy will be taking my place. She shouldn't know that she was dead before she was ever born."
"O-kay…"
"Mom and Ma will still want a place to visit. While Remy and I will be the same person, we will have different experiences. They…you all will see me in her, but she will not be exactly me. That is where you come in. That monument will be built while my heart is in Neal's chest and only you will know its location. You'll have three days to complete it, but it will be enough. The base is already built for you," Coraline told her.
"What?"
"The well…"
"You want me to bury you in the magic well?"
"Yes, and seal it," Coraline answered.
"Why?" Ruby asked, her face scrunched up with the question.
"Because you are the only one strong enough. Before you deposit my body in the well, you will need to take water from it and fill each of the vials. Those vials are the keys to the succession of the House of Swan, Ruby. Those vials will help create a new generation of knights to protect the family, but there is one is particular that will be needed."
"Who?"
"Your daughter," Coraline said without qualm.
"Why are you telling me about this now?"
"Because you need to know. She will be known as the Swan Wolf and she will be fierce. Eyes of blue like her mother and reddish-brown hair. She will be a force for good and she will make sure that Remy and Will have the life that they deserve together. She will protect Henry and his wife and their children. She will be the first knight and she will be the new Alpha of the pack."
"My daughter?" Ruby inquired with tears in her eyes.
"She's beautiful, but without those vials, she'll not exist."
Ruby sat back. She didn't know what to say to that. She looked around the room trying to find something that would help her stay grounded. She kept coming back to Coraline. She looked into her brown eyes and saw those of Regina. She truly was Regina's redemption and happy ending in the flesh. There was no denying it, but Ruby was still on the fence about her own.
"Look, I know that you are still troubled by the darkness inside you because you are a Wolf. You're looking for answers that I cannot give you, Rubes. But, you will have a daughter. She will be a Wolf and she will lead an elite group of knights in the kingdom. I don't know why and I don't know when but you will still all be sent back to the Enchanted Forest. Things will be different there. You will serve both Queens. Snow and Regina will rule two kingdoms. Henry might inherit both or just Regina and Emma's. At this point, I don't know because I know that Neal lives. You have to understand that your role in this matter is crucial into making that future a reality. I need your help above everyone else in this. You are going to have the biggest pain in the ass and thankless job in all of this," Coraline explained.
"Yeah, and what is that?"
"I need you to guard my body."
Their eyes met and held. Coraline reached out for her aunt's hand and held it. She felt her body go warm and she hoped that the warmth would penetrate Ruby's heart. She needed her to do this. Without it, the whole mission would be lost and the Darkness would still come. There was no way to explain in completely and make everyone understand. Coraline knew this now. She had to be the one that stopped it and she had to be the one that took it to the grave with her. She had looked. She'd tried. But, now there was no other way around it. She had to die in order to save them all. It was her price to pay in order to get the family she wanted and she would pay it gladly. She could only hope that they would understand it all in the end.
"Guard your body? From what? From who?"
"Everyone…"
"I don't understand."
"I don't expect you to right now, Ruby. I really don't. I just need to know that you can do this for me. Can you do that?" Coraline asked her.
"Yes, Coraline, I will."
"Then, I will explain it all to you. You might want to get comfy. This is going to take a while…" Coraline told her as she shifted on the cot.
Ruby sat back. She shifted in the chair. Her eyes flashed yellow as she fought her on own want to phase back into her Wolf. She knew that Coraline could see it. The girl knew more about her than Ruby knew and she knew that Coraline was waiting for her to tell her to continue.
"So…you were saying something about a long story," Ruby stated.
"I did. But it isn't the story that you need to hear, Aunt Ruby. There is more that I need to tell you about what I need you to do. Do you think that you can listen? Then, I will tell you the tale. Is that something you can do?" Coraline asked her as she lay back down on the cot.
"I will stay here with you until you ask me to leave," Ruby answered.
"I know. You are fiercely loyal to this family, not only because it is yours. They have earned your friendship. I know that Snow was the first, but the others have fallen in line and joined your motely pack. You will be feared for your ability but you will be respected because of your position amongst Snow's Army and being Regina's younger sister."
"Everyone already knows that," Ruby stated.
"It is that loyalty that I call upon now. Let me explain what will actually happen. I know that Mom will come to you to explain part of this again to you, but don't worry, she will not know the full extent of what I am asking you. No one but you will and you will take that information to your daughter and no one else. She is the only one to know what I am about to tell you."
"I understand."
"Do you? Because if you don't, then all of this might be for naught. What we are going to do will keep the Darkness at bay and allow our family to leave in peace even after we are all sucked through a portal to the Enchanted Forest. No one can ever know what really happened to protect them, Red, not even Mom," Coraline told her.
"As a Child of the Moon, I give you my word."
"I will hold you to that.
"To keep back the Darkness, it needs a host. The only problem with that is that the host has to be willing. Emma wasn't willing. She gave up her life in order to spare us the pain of her becoming the Dark One, but that didn't appease the Darkness. It looked for a new host."
"A new host?"
"Yes, a new host. It has found me. It needed a body and it took mine. I have willingly let it."
"WHY?!" Ruby demanded.
"Because I am not meant to survive this, Red. I came here to stop it and with my death I will. I need to know that you can support me in this."
"I…I…you're asking me to let you die."
"I am asking you to kill me…"
"What?"
"The course of events that will happen will be as follows: Will will take my heart. You will guard my body while my heart is gone for three days. During that time, Will and Emma will be guarding Neal and allowing my heart to merge with his body. Mom will be doing what she can so that she can remove his broken heart so that it my body can take it. The three days are important. You cannot forget that. After the three days that my heart has been in his body and it has successfully joined with him, his heart will be removed by Mom and brought back to me. It is then that you will take my body away and hide it from them all. You are to do this because you are the strongest of them. You will not cave to the ramblings of madness that will spill from me once I have Neal's heart," Coraline explained.
"How do you know that?"
"Because we know each other better than anyone else. I may be Regina's daughter and have her temper, but I have Emma's resilience and determination. You and Belle are the closet things to parents that I ever really had. No, don't argue with me on that point. I am closer to you both than I am to my own mothers. I know that it was circumstances that made it so, but that doesn't stop the fact that I know what you are capable of and what you are willing to do."
"What do you mean?"
"You never stopped looking for Regina. Never. Every full moon you phased and trekked the ends of our world to find anything that would lead you to her or her body. You never found anything and because of that, you never gave up hope that your sister was alive. Belle tried to understand your need to search, but she couldn't. She was never that close with her family. The only one she was close with like that was her own mother and she watched her die. She understood my pain but she just figured that everyone was dead. She didn't need the proof like we did. You held out belief that one day I would return to the Winterland castle and I would take my place as Queen, but in doing so, you hoped that Regina would be there. You wanted her to crown me."
"I would."
"I know that, which is why I need you to do this for me."
"What must I do?"
"Once you have taken body, you will take it to the shrine that you have built out of the old well in the woods. There despite what I tell you or what I do, you will place me in the well and you will seal it. There will be no escape for me or the Darkness. We will trap it in the well and I will have saved everyone. My fate will be rewritten and Remy will grow up with knowing her mothers and her entire family. There will be no Darkness to come claim her. She will gladly be a princess and she will become Wilhelmina's wife. Together they will rebuild the Vulcannonian nation. Henry will assume the throne of the Winterlands and he will have Neal assume the throne of the Summerlands. They will rule side by side. But, they will need an ally to help them keep the peace with other kingdoms that will seek to divide them."
"Lemme guess, this is where I come in?"
"Something like that. You are the Alpha. You will take your place among the packs of the Forest and you will unite them under a single banner. They will become an elite army for the Kingdoms of the Light. They will be known as White Lupins. Their leader will be the Swan Wolf, your daughter. She will assume the role of Alpha after your death, but before then she will be a strong warrior for the kingdoms. Beside her will be the children of the Vulcannon."
"What will be my part in all this?" Red asked her, yellow eyes flashing.
"You will be the first knight that Emma crowns. You will be by their side always. You will help them garner peace among the nations, but in order for that to happen…"
"I have to help you die…"
"Yes."
"And, what am I supposed to do with that? How am I supposed to look Regina in the eye knowing that I am the one that killed her daughter? Her only blood child? How am I supposed to live with that? Can you tell me that?"
"You are going to write the story of Coraline the Brave. You will be the only one that knows where the shrine of her body is. You will protect that as will all the wolves that join your packs. And, when it comes time, you will name your daughter Daniella Coraline Lucas, the Swan Wolf. She will continue your mission and she will live up to the name of Coraline," she replied.
"My daughter?"
"That is all you got from that?" Coraline asked with a small giggle.
Coraline sat up again. She grimaced as she moved. She could feel the darkness flowing through her. She closed her eyes and willed it back down. She wasn't going to succumb to it, now.
"Does it hurt?" Ruby asked her.
"It is like fire in my blood."
Ruby watched as her eyes flicked from green to brown to green again. Then, they softened to their normal honeyed mahogany. She watched as Coraline shivered and shook on the cot, even in her sitting position. To her credit, she never complained about it.
"Are you cold?"
"Quite the opposite, but I cannot relinquish the cloak or I will give in to the power of the Darkness. It is repairing the damage that the Darkness creates almost as fast as it hurts me. It is keeping me in the light for the moment. I need you to help me transition from the light into the darkness, Ruby. You are the only one that understand the pull and how easy it is to give into it."
"So do both of your Moms."
"But they did it out of love, not nature…"
Ruby gasps at her statement, but doesn't reply. She had been fighting her darkness since she realized that she was a wolf. What did Coraline know about that?
"How do you know that?" Ruby stated.
"You aren't the only one that wants to give in and maim the populace. You used to have to keep me in check with the denizens of refugees. It wasn't that I wanted to kill them all. I just wanted to prove myself and sometimes I went about it in the wrong way. I guess I had more Wolf teaching in me than I thought. I wanted to be the Alpha and I didn't know why. It wasn't until later that you and Belle explained that I was the Swan Princess. That I was the missing heir to the throne. That I would be the one that united us together and defeat the Darkness," Coraline explained to her before her body racked with coughs and pain.
"You've done that, though," Ruby replied.
"I guess I have. It just wasn't in my timeline, but yours. Either way, we will prevail. I've come to understand it is what we 'Charmings' do," she stated with a slight laugh.
"Don't let your Mom hear you say that," Ruby mused with a smile on her face.
"She gets over that."
"I don't think that she will ever really get over that, Coraline. I think she'll just learn to hide it better for your and Emma's sakes. She loves you too much not to," Ruby answered.
They both got quiet. It was like their conversation had run its course. Coraline wasn't sure what else she could tell Ruby without giving too much away. Ruby wasn't sure that she trusted herself to say anything. She seriously thought that she might lose her temper if she tried to convince Coraline that her plan was preposterous.
"You don't agree with me," Coraline stated more than asked.
"You want me to practically bury you alive in a water well that has restorative magic."
"It works," Coraline said.
"Because my daughter told you it did. How can we believe that? How do we know for sure?"
"Because I am starting to lose my memories…"
Ruby just stared at her. This was not something that she wanted to hear. She'd seen a lot of movies during the twenty-eight years she was cursed. Of course, she didn't remember many of them until she'd watched them again with Emma and Mary Margaret on girls' nights. She knew what that meant. She knew that Coraline had a limited time in their timeline. She'd come back from her future to change the outcome and now she had…completely.
"I'll do as you ask, but not because of the reasons that you've asked me," Ruby told her.
"Rubes, at this point, I don't care what your reasons are as long as it happens. I have to be in that well as soon as I receive Neal's broken heart. You cannot tell Mom or Ma where you are taking me. I've already explained that to Mom, but Ma is going to be harder. She is going to push you…hard. We all know it. She isn't going to let go of me willingly."
"She's found her family here. She'll die for them and you know it. Hell, it seems like she's done it twice for you, kiddo. I guess being the savior is going to stay in the family, huh?"
"Not in your children's lifetime…the potential will be there, but they should have a quiet life. Without the Darkness of the Dark One, there will not be an epic great evil for them to fight. Don't get me wrong though. There will still be wars and squabbles of unimportant shit. That cannot be avoided. But, they will keep the peace among the Winter and the Summerland and they will rule the Enchanted Forest as benevolent force for good. After all, I'll be there to help them," Coraline stated with an amused look on her face.
"How long do I have?"
"Before my death?" Coraline asked.
"No, before I have to guard your body."
"Three days," Coraline answered.
"You like threes don't you."
"You have no idea. You will, too. Given the right amount of time. So will Snow and Charming. Even Mom and Ma will get in on the threes. Trust me. It is an important number for our families," Coraline replied.
"You marry Will and add Vulcannon to the kingdoms, don't you?" Ruby asked with a quirk.
"Yes, but you have to act surprised."
"Kiddo, I think that everyone knows that you are going to marry Wilhelmina. The woman wants to destroy the Earth to save you. She is going to be harder to deal with than Emma."
"Not really," Coraline stated.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you are the Alpha of the pack and Mom will order her to let you do what has to be done. Trust me. Mom isn't going to leave anything to chance. She might try to poof to where you are, but I'm going to talk to her again. I have a little time to convince her further to let you do what has to be done," Coraline told her.
"She isn't convinced?"
"I didn't really elaborate on why I was choosing you. She knows that you will be guarding my body for three days and then she will put Neal's heart inside me. She doesn't know that it will effectively kill me in the process. I can't tell her that and neither can you. She has to think that I am dead before that. But, that is a job for someone else."
"Who all do you have involved in this little adventure?"
"Everyone?"
"You don't sound so sure about that."
"The people that need to know, know, Ruby."
"Are you going to say goodbye to everyone?"
"I do have three days," Coraline told her.
"Actually, you have six," Ruby quipped.
"So little less than a week, but yes, I will tell everyone that is relevant goodbye."
"But the town?"
"Only needs to know that another curse was stopped. I want you to celebrate my life, Ruby, not mourn it. I know that I've only been with you less than a year, but for me it has been longer. I know that it is going to hurt. Do you think that I am not in any pain? I am and not just the physical pain of the Darkness trying to take me over. There is more to it than that and everyone knows it. We just don't want to talk about it because everyone wants to believe that once I take on Neal's problems that I'll leave because of the Resurrection Cloak. But, you of all beings, should know how that even the Vulcannonian cloaks have their limitations. Magic can battle magic, but there are some magics that are just plain stronger," Coraline explained.
"I think that we all know that, Coraline. I know that is the reason that you are trying to harness the power of True Love. I mean, three vials, three couples…and each one is a couple of True Love. What are you planning with that? And, why do you need me to watch over the vials?"
Coraline smiled up at her aunt. Ruby had finally caught on to the one fact that she had just glossed over. She wondered how long it was going to take the Wolf to realize that she was going to have a lasting job. What Ruby didn't know was that in guarding those vials, she would be guarding her own offspring. Belle was sure going to be surprised later.
"Each vial is important in its own way. And, when the time is right, you will go to Mom. She will help you. That is all you need to know. But, first we have to feel them and seal them. That is going to be part of your first task. You'll somehow need to get a lock of hair from Charming and Snow and then Mom and Ma. I'll get what you need from Will and I'll provide you with your first lock: mine," Coraline told her reaching up to her own head and pulling her hair.
She took one of the vials and placed the hair in it. She waved her hand over the vial and the hair floated in suspended animation. She handed the vial back to Ruby with a smile. She watched as she just stared at the vial.
"Put that away and don't let Mom see them. I'll take care of them once they are full. Just remember, you only have six days before I won't be able to enchant them fully. If they aren't enchanted before Neal's heart is put inside me, then they won't be any help to anyone."
"Got it. Get the hair before you get your uncle's heart. Anything else, Princess?" Ruby asked her giving her a mock salute and curtsey.
"Thank you, Swan Wolf," Coraline teased her back.
"Who do you want to talk to now?"
"Ma?"
"You don't sound so sure about that," Ruby told her.
"I am not, but I know that I am going to talk to her the most over the next few days. She is going to be the hardest to talk to. We don't have the same relationship that I have with Regina. I know about her past and how hard she's fought for everything she has. She isn't going to just let me go. I get that. In fact, I'm expecting that," Coraline explained.
"Already have a plan in action for that do you?"
"I do."
"You really are Regina's daughter. You've planned out everything, haven't you? I feel sorry for anyone that decides to go up against you when you get older for me," Ruby told her.
"Me, too."
"I'll send Emma in as soon as I can find her," Ruby told her standing up.
"She'll be with Snow," Coraline replied snuggling back down on the cot and under the cloak.
"I know," Ruby stated as she left the room.
She walked her way back out. She just before the front door of the Abbey. She wasn't sure if she should phase again or not. She knew with all this she would feel more comfortable as the Wolf, but she knew that it might make some of the others antsy. She shook her body and then her head. She opened the door and walked outside.
She stopped just beside Henry, noting that he hadn't moved since she'd gone inside. She walked up to him and sat down. He immediately leaned into her.
"Who's next?" he asked her.
"Your Ma."
"She's over there with Snow."
"I figured," Ruby replied.
"It might be a minute," Henry stated.
"I see that. I knew that Emma would turn to Snow because she didn't agree with Regina. She would want someone that agreed with her about this," Ruby said.
"Too bad. I don't think that is what she got. She's been arguing and stewing with Snow for a while. I've never seen her like this," Henry explained.
"How long have they been like that?" Ruby questioned.
"Since you went inside…"
A/N: For those of you who don't know, I was sick. I am better now and it couldn't have been a better time. I live in Columbia, SC. Yes, I live in one of the areas that was affected by the flooding. I am okay. We lost power for a while and I wanted to upload this before we did again. They assure us that we won't, but lines are still being replaced as they can get to them. Also, I didn't have water for awhile. The worst part about it was that I live on a hill, so I was not personally flooded, but I couldn't get out of town. The good news is that the waters are finally receding. The bad news is that each day we find out how much damage and destruction actually occurred. If you want to help, donate and pray. I am not asking for me, but the thousands with a home and that are still being threatened as more dams are being breached in order to allow the water to flow. It has been estimated that we received over 4.4 trillion gallons of water in the two days of constant rain. I was never so happy to see the sun as I was today. Thanks for your continued support. I hope to have another chapter next Thursday and be back on schedule until this story's conclusion. Enjoy.
