Emma didn't see any of the pack for a couple weeks and she assumed they were just preparing for the pregnancies and stuff. She was bored out of her mind listening to her parents try and lecture her about her affections for Regina and spurring Neal's advances. Her only reprieve was talking to Regina on the phone or spending time with Henry, but even he was starting to take after his father. She barely saw her son nowadays and she didn't really understand because Neal was a complete and utter jackass. But Henry loved his father. She was sitting in her office, contemplating leaving and going for lunch at Granny's, when the door opened and Regina walked in. The sight of Regina in nothing more than a bikini and a skirt made her mouth water.

"Can I help you?" Neal asked. Charming had wanted to give him a job at the station, despite his daughter's wishes and the fact that she was the actual sheriff, a title that he seemed to think they shared.

Regina didn't even acknowledge the man's presence as she walked into the office and closed the door and blinds and sat on Emma's desk, looking at her with a grin. "How would you like to have a little fun?"

"Fun and you usually don't go together unless someone is getting hurt."

Regina scoffed. "I wish, but Ruby says I need to work on using my words instead of actions. I nearly threw Zelena off a mountain the other day and she was pretty upset."

"Words instead of actions? Has she met you?" Emma asked with a smirk.

"I know right. But anyways, we're having a party. You've been invited."

"Really? At the den?"

"At the den.." Regina smiled. "What do you say?"

"I don't know, I am the sheriff. I can't just take days off. And Henry's going to be getting home from school soon."

"Just leave everything to dumb and dumber. They'll be fine without the Savior for a day, and besides, you need a break from the idiots calling you all the time. Henry will be perfectly fine. They're morons but they'll take care of him. Please?"

"Ruby agreed to this?" Emma asked, not in the mood to fight the werewolf on this.

"She doesn't care about competition anymore. She marked me and I'm pregnant with her baby. Neither one of us is going anywhere, not if I have anything to say about it. Come on." The brunette bounced up and down excitedly. "I want you to see it. Please?"

"I...suppose I can't say no to the queen."

"Great!" The wall was suddenly blown out as the queen let out a shriek of excitement, only to nearly dive into Emma's lap in surprise. "Damn it."

"What the hell?" Emma said, holding a hand over her chest as Regina repaired the wall. "Why did you do that?"

"My magic's been a little slippery ever since I found out I was pregnant. The wall thing's been happening a lot. Sorry about that." Regina smiled as she got out of her lap and skipped out the door.

Emma, still recovering from her heart attack, got slowly to follow. "I'm signing out for the day." She announced to the boys.

"Signing out?" Charming said. "We just started two hours ago."

"Yeah well, I think I deserve some vacation time." Emma replied, grabbing her jacket and going outside to find Regina waiting impatiently on the sidewalk. She waved her hands and poofed them away to some place in the forest.

"Ready?"

"Yeah, but, where are we exactly?" Emma asked, following Regina into the woods.

"The den's up ahead." Regina said, breaking through the line of trees to reveal a mangrove swamp with water so clear she could see right to the bottom. The queen waded right in and changed Emma's clothes so she could continue following. "Just be glad Ruby didn't make you run like she did the rest of us. It's so much fun though. We might even Run tonight, you know if the pack likes you enough." She smirked over her shoulder.

"Thought you guys would hate me."

"Because of your idiot parents?" Regina scoffed. "We're not our parents, Emma. Not even close." They walked in silence, or near silence as Emma couldn't help but pant as they kept trekking through the swamp. Regina was hardly affected by it, but she slowed her pace so Emma wouldn't be bothered too much. At least the trees provided more than enough shade and it was a nice warm day instead of the usual freezing temperature.

"This is crazy. You guys go back and forth between here and the town every day?" Emma said.

"No, not every day, but when we do, we usually run. It's more fun than just poofing there."

"You said poofing. You nearly rolled your eyes out of your head when I said that during a magic lesson." Emma giggled.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Ruby has it stuck in my head. Okay, we're here."

Emma's jaw dropped at seeing the great mansion crammed into the front of the mountain with a waterfall coming out of the bottom and pouring into a great lagoon. Above it, Regina's tree sat like a tall crown atop the mountain's head and the face of the mountain itself had been carved with swirling designs. Much of the surrounding forest had been combed away to create what looked like some kind of barn, a dock, and just some more space. Lily let out a wild call as she slid down from a zipline attached to the top of the mountain and somewhere off in the forest. She landed in the water with a loud splash. Mulan threw herself off the top of the mountain itself and splashed nearly on top of her.

"The garden and the fishery is around back and everything else is inside. I'll give you a tour. Come on, then we can join in the fun." Regina smiled, leading her to the side of the mountain where a barely present trail was situated, leading up the side of the great rock. The brunette easily picked her way upwards and finally they came to a black stone door which was pushed open easily and Emma sighed as she stepped into the cool interior. The walls were lit with wall sconces and the floor was carpeted. At one point the carpet turned into yellow bricks.

"Yellow brick road?" Emma smirked.

"I couldn't Zelena to get rid of the damn things." Regina sighed. They passed a pottery room, a living room that had like 6 plasma screen tvs on the wall and a new game system, a library, where Belle and Zelena were arguing over something, but Regina didn't wait long enough to hear what it was about. They climbed higher until they entered the kitchen of the mansion where Regina checked her food that was currently cooking and moved on to the other side of the house where another door had been added right into the wall, leading to another room, a training room of sorts. Weapons hung from the walls, there were targets lining one wall and dummies on the other. Ruby was already there, hacking away at one dummy while Merida was not far away, firing arrows rapidly at a target, each one hitting the bullseye straight through the arrow before it.

"Whoa. You guys used the entire mountain, didn't you?"

"Yep." Regina smiled proudly and called Ruby. The Dark Wolf spun, dealing a vicious blow and knocking the head off the dummy. She looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"Welcome to the lair of the Dark Wolf, Emma. Do you like?" She asked, magically hanging her sword on the wall. She approached Regina and made sure to touch her stomach with one hand before kissing her forehead.

"It's absolutely amazing." Emma said. "I can't believe you guys did all this."

"Most of it was without magic too." Ruby added. "It's good to see you. You look winded." She frowned in concern. "Did Regina make you walk all the way here?"

"No, just from the mangrove swamp." Regina scoffed, pushing her away. "I'll be right back, I need to check the food again."

Ruby dipped her head as her mate departed and smiled at Emma. "You okay?"

"I'm good. Clearly I'm not in as good a shape as I thought." Emma said, liking that Ruby was now more friendly to her. Marking Regina must've calmed her down. She was happy for them, but she was a little bummed that Regina hadn't chosen her. Still, at least they were willing to be friends. "This is where you guys always go?"

"Yep. Come on." Ruby lead her through more winding tunnels that slowly started to ascend until she opened a door and Emma was nearly blinded by sunlight. Stepping out onto soft grass, she spotted Regina's tree not far away, now nearly 3 times its normal size and overflowing with fruit. Tink was collecting the apples. Baskets were placed all over the ground. She waved her hands and they plopped right from the branches where they needed to be. She headed back inside the mountain and the baskets floated behind her. From this vantage point, Emma could see for miles in all directions. Storybrooke looked like a small dot in the distance, surrounded by a vast forest. "Regina expanded the borders a bit. Mostly so I could hunt without disturbing the town. But yeah." She nodded to behind them. More of the forest had been carved away to make room for a breathtaking garden with fruits and vegetables of every kind. Not far away on the river, the trees had been used to make a fishery stretching across the width of the water. "Belle's are resident fisher. I don't how she does it. Zelena tends to the garden. Tink and Regina take care of the tree, although Regina mostly cooks everything. Merida gathers resources from the woods. Mulan is sorta like the blacksmith and Lily is our big bad dragon. She helps me hunt. Everyone sorta has their own little niche."

"You guys have a nice place here. But are you really trying to completely separate yourselves from the town?"

"It's not like we're giving up anything. Most of us have magic so we can just poof up whatever we need. We have lights, TVs, master bathrooms, fully functional. I mean, besides a bunch of prejudices and judgemental people, what are we really leaving behind?" Ruby asked.

"I see your point."

"For many of us, this was our only option. The heroes, not really including you, want us to change. They claim to want us to be the best version of ourselves, the good versions. They claim to want us to be able to be ourselves, but they just want a version they like. I don't see anything wrong with any of us."

"You came here for freedom. I completely understand that." Emma sighed. "Kinda wish I could join you. Being the Savior...isn't as exciting as it used to be."

"The Savior still has the choice of being who she wants to be." Ruby said. "You can still be the Savior and still be Emma. If you can't be Emma, and will only be accepted as the Savior, then are you really being yourself or are you playing a role. Just like Regina."

"I wish we never told her she couldn't use magic. She didn't deserve that. She nearly died because of it."

"True." Ruby shrugged. "But because of you she never had to feel the weight of this burden, and I thank you for that. There is enough that already weighs her down."

"Both of you are welcome."

"So...how are things?"

"Terrible." Emma rolled her eyes. "Neal is such an ass. I hate his guts, but Henry loves him. I barely see my own son anymore. My parents aren't any better. It's just...a mess, and I don't know what to do."

"Be a wolf." Ruby smirked. "Take charge. After all, you are Henry's legal guardian. Neal really is an ass, and your parents are idiots. No offense."

"None taken." Emma smiled.

"That settles it then. Tonight….you're Running with us."

"Running? What-"

"Not buts. It's gonna be fun."

"I'm not a part of the pack though."

"No, you're not, but who says you can't be one day. It's not like we all had to do some big test to get in. The pack is only one thing: a family. It's a bond. You didn't grown up as a princess in the Enchanted Forest. You grew up fighting every step of the way. Snow tried to take the darkness out of you, but darkness doesn't stay away forever. Light can't exist without darkness and more than likely, you've gained back what you lost over the years, Car Thief." Emma smirked. "Come on, I owe Regina anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I acted like a fool before. I was far too overprotective of her."

"She liked it." Emma scoffed.

"I know she did, but she wants to pretend like she didn't, so play along."

Emma nodded. She spent the whole day with the pack, playing in the lagoon, splashing around with the other women and enjoying herself for the first time in years. As the sun set, they went back inside to eat Regina's amazing stew and played video games, all of which turned into screaming death matches, especially between Lily and Merida, who got way too into the games. By the time night fell, the pack was inching to get going. She had no idea what was going to happen, so she tried to stay near Regina and see.

"Ladies." Ruby said as they gathered in front of the lagoon. "Tonight is a special night. Not only is it a full moon, the first night of Wolf's Time, but we have a newcomer with us. Miss Emma Swan." She smiled and motioned Emma forward. She obeyed, looking nervous as all eyes turned to her. "Tonight we're gonna show her just what it is to be truly free. To be wolves, to have a pack. Sisters, running at her side, beneath the moon's pale light. It is an honor." Ruby smirked and nodded to Regina.

"I'm assuming you don't know the shapeshifting spell." Regina said, stepping in front of her.

"Nope."

She sighed. "We really need to start giving you magic lessons again so we can hone this potential. But relax, you're as stiff as a board."

"What's going to happen?"

"I'm changing you into a wolf. Don't worry, you won't feel a thing." Regina assured her, waving her hands and making some gesture in the air. Emma was engulfed in reddish purple smoke and squished her eyes shut as the change occurred. "Emma, dear, you can open your eyes."

Emma obeyed, but was immediately assaulted with a thousand different sounds, smells and bright lights. She closed them again and coughed and sneezed, backing away and whimpering.

"Relax, Emma. It's okay. We're right here. You need to slow it down. Feel yourself. Feel the change." Regina slowly instructed. "Feel the power in your paws, your strong legs. Feel the dirt with your claws. Breathe deeply and slowly."

Everything slowly calmed down and Emma peeked out of one eye. A black wolf was sitting in front of her. She would recognize Regina's eyes anywhere. Not to mention the scar on her lip. Ruby was next to her, her fur so dark she was nearly black as well. The others surrounded her, wagging their tails and grinning. The forest was lit with moonlight and she could see...everything. "This is amazing." She tried to say, but it only came as a garbled bark. Regina touched her with her nose, casting another spell so she could talk to the others.

"Love the white fur, dearie." Zelena purred.

"She is lovely, isn't she?" Regina leaped to her feet. "Now try to move."

Emma stood up and took a few tentative steps forward. It was difficult using all four legs, but she spent quite a bit of time crawling around the floor as a child, so she assumed it was similar to that. After a while, she finally managed to get it down. Ruby howled, giving the command to head out. Emma fell into step between Lily and Tink as the pack melted into the forest. She felt a freedom that she never had before, a power surging with every step she took. She leaped in time with Lily, trying to match the older she-dragon's steps. Up ahead, Regina was doing flips off every tree she passed, and Zelena was dashing back and forth. She was realized it was less about actually running together and more about just playing and having fun. More about being free. She broke off from the others and put on a burst of speed before ducking down in the bushes. As soon as Ruby stepped across her path, she leaped out and jumped on her back, only to be quickly thrown to the ground.

"You dare touch the alpha?" Ruby snarled. Emma shrank back as the others came to see what the fuss was about. "How dare you?!" Ruby roared. She growled as she stepped forward and Emma closed her eyes, fearing the end. A wet tongue started slobbering her all over the face.

"Ugh! Ruby stop!" She laughed.

"Nope. This is for jumping on the alpha." She said between licks. Regina whimpered and the wolf quickly went to give her mate some attention. "Big baby."

"You don't have to be afraid, Emma." Tink assured her, nudging her back to her feet with her nose. "The night is all about fun."

"I got a stick!" Lily called, racing through them,

"Get it!" Belle yelled, dive bombing the dragon before she get any farther and taking it away from her. Regina snatched it, but Zelena grabbed the other end of it and they both growled, trying to pull away from the other. Merida suddenly dashed past, biting it around the middle, taking it from both of them and climbing nimbly up a freaking tree.

"What kind of wolf climbs trees?" Ruby asked.

"The one who has the stick." Merida grinned.

"Hey, Lily." Mulan said. "Guess what?" She grinned cheekily.

Lily wagged her tail. "What?"

"I beat Merida yesterday in a shooting contest. It was a bit of a blowout. She just wasn't on her game I guess."

"You rotten mutt, you lie!" Merida growled. "I'll rip your tail o-" The stick slipped from her jaws and Emma quickly snatched it up and took off with the pack at her heels. She made it a good 100 feet before Zelena sped in from the side and tackled her. Regina and RUby dove on top of them next and soon she was buried under a pile of giant wolves trying to get one stick...which she no longer had.

"Yoo hoo." They all looked up at Tink balancing the stick on her nose. "Looking for this?"

"Get...her." Ruby said. The pack took off after the fairy as she made a break for it,

Emma enjoyed herself immensely running through the forest and chasing the others. They ended up losing the stick in the river and started playing in the river. It was exhilarating, and she completely understand why they didn't want to give it up, why they would prefer their own freedom out here in the woods than deal with the people of the town. She wished they hadn't been driven to this, but she was happy for them. They'd built a wonderful place for themselves.

"Tonight was awesome." Emma said, walking home with Regina and Ruby.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Regina smiled. "It was fun having you."

"You know, I've been thinking about getting a house of my own in town. Maybe if I get one next to the forest, I can come visit again?"

"Anytime." Ruby smiled, putting her arm around the blonde. "But you'll probably want to stay home as three of us become…the size of goodyear blimps." She whispered the last part so Regina wouldn't hear.

"What?" Regina asked.

"Nothing dear. I was merely talking to Emma about your eventual changes dues to carrying our perfect offspring. You know wolves have like 6 pups, right?"

"I'm not having six kids, Ruby." Regina said firmly.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Then maybe Zelena and Belle will. Then we'll have little pups running around the forest. They're gonna be so cute."

"We still need to figure out what that thing was in the sky." Emma pointed out.

"I'm sure if we ignore it long enough, something else will happen." Ruby shrugged. She stepped back as they stopped outside the Charming apartment.

"Thanks again guys. I really needed it."

"No problem, Emma. You know if you ever need anything, just call." Regina said.

Emma nodded. "I will. Good night."

"Good night."

"Good night Swan." Ruby smirked and hoisted Regina onto her back, walking back off down the road.

Emma sighed. Tonight had been so much fun, she almost didn't want to go back into the house, but one thing Ruby had said had made sense. She needed to take charge. She was the Sheriff and the Savior and Henry's Mother and legal guardian. She should be making the decisions. As much as she had Regina here to go Evil Queen on Neal's ass, something she would've liked to see very much, she knew she needed to do it herself. She needed to grow a backbone and learn to grow up. Starting tomorrow, there was going to be some changes to Storybrooke…

xxxxxxxxx

Read and review!