Ruby placed on a spell on the den, a barrier. Anyone who got a little too close to the home of her pack, and crossed the barrier would be teleported back to the edge of the forest. Her main priority when not leading the pack, or being a mother to her pup, was their safety and protection. She took the job rather seriously, but as for whoever cast the aging spell on the town, they were pushed to the back of everyone's minds as the raising of children moved to the forefront.
It was Granny and Regina's turn to watch all four little rascals for the day and the queen took them to the diner to show them around. They were fascinated with the town and the people that came in and out. Granny also helped by sneaking them little treats as she went about her business. She should've known that she wouldn't have any peace as Emma and Henry walked in.
The blonde quickly made her way over. "So... Ruby's being a bit of a bitch."
"She's protective." Regina shrugged.
"Yeah, well, Henry wanted to know if you'd have lunch with us."
"No." Regina replied, again with no hesitation. "But I do hope it's good for you. I have four little ones to look after."
"Maybe Henry should get to know his brother."
Regina arched an eyebrow. "I don't think Jack exactly knows who he is yet. Not to mention the inability to speak. Emma, I appreciate that you want me and Henry to reconcile, but I don't want to. If I did, I'd be more impressed without you being his microphone. If he can sneak off in the middle of the night to watch our pack, then he can speak quite well on his own. Good day, Miss Swan."
"So that's it for us then?" Emma asked. "We can't be friends anymore?"
"We're still friends, Emma. I just don't see why Henry is suddenly the subject of every conversation." She touched the blonde on the shoulder. "You're doing great with him." Both of them flinched as flour suddenly exploded from the back. They looked up at Jack and Benjamin covered from head to toe in flour. The white dust was covering every surface in the kitchen. Spencer and Aaron were sitting on the cart, the culprits for the crime. "How on earth did you get up there?" Regina murmured, cleaning them up. She took the boys into the back office to watch TV and hopefully occupy them for a while. They adored watching the older Disney movies and some of the kid shows on TV that Regina became annoyed with very quickly. She settled back to go over the books for Granny. When there was a knock at the door, she flicked her fingers to open it. Belle creeped in to take a seat. Spencer was the only one who tore himself away from the tv to greet his mother with his favorite thing: Eskimo kisses. Belle giggled and placed him in her lap as she sat down and he turned back to the tv.
"I'm guessing you already spoke with Emma." The bookworm said.
"Yep. Same topic as usual." Regina looked up, slamming closed her notebooks. "She and Neal did everything they possibly could to take Henry away from me. Before I found Ruby that night, I hadn't seen him in over 2 months. She's said more than once that Henry was her son and not mine and he has said several times that I wasn't his mother, that I'm the Evil Queen. Why is he suddenly sorry? Why not after I risked my life a thousand times to save him and idiots I don't care about? Why when I'm happy and have a good future, do they want to play nice now?"
"You touch people in profound ways, Regina." Belle replied. "Often bad ways, but some good ways too. That's how Emma, your arch enemy, fell in love with you and that's why Henry doesn't want to let you go."
Regina scoffed. "I don't care about any of that. Emma is my friend, but they all left me to rot and I won't forget that." she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "Their entire mindsets are a load of bunk!"
Spencer threw up his hands and yelled "Bunk!"
"Damn it, Regina, his first word was supposed to be Mama." Belle said, covering her son's mouth.
"Damn it." Jack said with a grin.
Belle covered her mouth and Regina picked up her son. "Don't say that again, okay? Never say that." she said sternly to Jack. He nodded quickly, although she was sure he didn't really understand. "Ruby is going to kill all of us if she hears him say that."
The show ended and Regina quickly finished the rest of her work. They decided to take the kids to the park. "We should build the kids one when we get back."
"Regina they don't want to come inside as it is." Belle said, watching Benjamin and Jack chase each other, running funnily on their chubby little legs. Spencer was pulling up flowers and Aaron was playing with a ball he found. The mothers spent the day with their little ones in the park, trying to make sure they were exhausted when night came.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That evening, Emma invited Lily down to the station. She was waiting in front of the doors when the dragon appeared next to her and surprised her with a quick kiss.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Well." Emma said. "I thought tonight would be a good night to tell my parents we're together."
The dragon immediately looked skeptical. "You know they're gonna hate the idea."
"Come on." Emma pleaded. She was hopeful that her parents would come around because she was quite tired of her family being so divided. She hoped to bring everyone back together and maybe even include Lily in things too. That was the plan, but easier than done. Up until she became mayor, she never really got to experience what being lonely at the top felt like. Now, she was surrounded by work and when she wasn't, she was dealing with Henry. That left little room for friendships or relationships. Only stolen moments with Lily. She wondered how Regina was able to do this stuff so easily. The queen was so occupied with the babies and the pack that they rarely spoke nowadays. Emma hoped to change that as well. Lily was still unconvinced by all this, but she followed Emma inside. Her parents and Neal were already there.
"What's the dragon doing here?" Neal asked.
"Already pissed and about to kick your ass." Lily shot back.
"Hey. Enough." Emma said. She looked at her parents. "Mom, Dad, I know we've had our differences in the past. I want you to know that I honestly don't regret a thing. But I would like to be a family again. If that's okay with you."
"I'm guessing there's a reason for this?" Charming said as Snow hugged her daughter.
"Also...I wanted to tell you that Lily and I are dating." The blonde paused to see their reaction.
"The dragon of all things?" Neal said, receiving a quick shot to the nose by Lily. He dropped to a knee, holding his bloody face.
"Emma." Snow started gently. "Don't you think that with so much...history between our families that someone else might be a better match?"
"Like the guy who knocked up your daughter and sent her to prison?" Lily asked. "He's better than me?" She looked at Emma. "Told you they'd hate it. I don't see why you bother."
"Because she's our daughter." Charming crossed his arms. "You might not care but she does."
"Only because she's never had real parents before." Lily returned. "And do you know why? Right, you put in a fucking tree and sent her to another world. That's great parenting by the way. I'm out of here, Emma before I kill one of them."
"Fucking-" Neal muttered but was unable to finish before Lily kicked him in the chest.
"Hey!" Charming yelled, reaching forward to grab Lily, but the dragon turned on him in an instant and slammed him against the wall by the throat.
"Do not ever try to touch me, baby snatcher." Lily growled.
"Lily, what the hell?" Emma said, helping Neal back up. Ruby and Mal teleported into the station, looking around for danger.
"What's going on?" The alpha asked.
"Him." Lily gestured to Snow. "Them. Self righteous bastards that I just cannot deal with to save my life!" She released Charming and took a step back. "The two of you make me sick. You want to say that I'm not good enough to date your daughter, and yet you run around ruining lives and protecting your own happy endings at the cost of everyone else! Do you know what really pisses me off?" Lily demanded. "You think everything is okay. You destroyed my life and took me away from mother, cursed me with your daughter's darkness and banished me to another world because you thought her life was more important than mine. Then you have the nerve to think an apology is all it takes to clear things up. You didn't even try to fix it. Emma was the one who brought me back. You are selfish. The Dark Curse wouldn't even have been cast if you actually focused on trying to stop Regina instead of trying to find ways to save Emma. You sacrificed your kingdom for Emma and for what? So she could be the Savior? Because the fucking Dark One said she would be?"
"We did what we thought-" Snow tried to say, but Lily raised her hand, magically constricting her throat.
"I don't give a shit what you thought."
"Lily. Calm down, okay?" Emma gently pushed her hand down and she released Snow. "Look at me."
Lily obeyed but she didn't give the blonde time to speak. "I don't care about their approval. I don't care about them. I do, however, care about you, and when you're done trying to please the assholes of the year," she opened the blonde's hand and placed the sheriff's badge in it. "Come find me. Until then, I think I should leave before I destroy them all." She turned to Neal. "As for you, you irrelevant son of a bitch...go to hell." She and Mal teleported away, leaving Ruby as the only member of the pack remaining.
"You brought Lily here to see what the Uncharmings would say?" The wolf asked. "No offense, but tell me you aren't that stupid. You know they were going to set Lily off."
"I was trying to put my family back together. They may've made mistakes, but they're still my parents." Emma said defensively. "And I wanted Lily to be a part of that."
"Everyone in the pack left because they don't want to be a part of you and this town." Ruby rolled her eyes. "You can't expect to have a perfect family after everything that's happened between all of us. Give it up, Savior." She glanced at Snow, who was helping Charming. "But I suppose you are your parents' child." She teleported away as well and Emma sighed.
"Emma-" Snow said, reaching for her daughter's hand.
"Save it. I'm going for a walk." Emma snatched her arm away and stormed outside.
/
After Lily had destroyed some trees and Mal had talked her down, she found herself sitting on top of their mountain beneath the apple tree. The sound of clinking armor alerted her to the sound of Mulan approaching.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Mulan threw her cape out behind her as she sat next to the dragon. "You okay?"
"I don't know." Lily shrugged. "I thought things were supposed to be easier when you found love. This is just a mess."
"Well, what happened?" Mulan asked. "You and Emma have a fight?"
"She wanted to talk to her parents and tell them we were dating. Of course they acted like assholes." Lily shrugged. "I was willing to make this work, but I want nothing to do with the Charmings. I don't see why she still does."
"They're her parents." Mulan replied. "She wants them in her life. They're not perfect, but she still loves them. They didn't say anything bad to you, did they?"
"Nothing I haven't heard." Lily waved the matter away. They sat in mutual silence for a while before Mulan stood back up.
"Come on. I think you should hit something a lot harder than a tree." She went over to the door leading down into the mountain and waited. Lily picked herself up, dusted herself off and followed. They sparred for a little while before going for a long Run. By the time they were done, Lily was pleasantly exhausted. She decided to have a relaxing soak in the lagoon before heading up to her room. Her mother was waiting.
"Mom? What's -"
"I don't know if I ever apologized." Maleficent interrupted. She pulled her daughter over to her bed and sat her down, pulling a necklace out of nowhere. "I wasn't strong enough to protect you and because of that...you didn't have a family growing up or love or...me." The blonde shrugged with a sad smile. She placed the necklace in Lily's palm. "I'd planned to give this to you when you got old enough."
It was a locket. She clicked it open and it showed two pictures. One of her and her mother that she'd taken not long after getting to Storybrooke. The other one was two pictures dividing the picture space equally. One was of a red dragon and the other was a blonde woman that bore a striking resemblance to Mal herself.
"That's your grandmother, Cynder. And the other is your father. I don't have a picture of him in human form, but I thought you'd like to see where you came from at least."
Lily smiled and hugged her mother. "Thanks Mom. And honestly, i love my life. I'm glad we're together now. This...this is beautiful. Thank you." she put it on and let it fall against her chest.
"I love you, Lily."
"I love you too, Mom." Lily scratched the back of her head and crossed her legs. "Do you think me and Emma can actually work out?"
"If you truly love her then it doesn't really matter what anyone thinks."
"I feel the same way. Things were going so well between us and it's like it's falling apart right in front of me. I just want to be with her. I don't care about anything else, not her parents, not anyone's approval, but…" she sighed. "It's just not that way."
Mal sighed as well and leaned back on her hands. "Well, my dear, if it is love, then keep fighting. Love is precious and so rare. Should I find that special someone then I would raze this entire town to defend them. Just as I would do with you."
"So you don't love the person you're offering your 'sexual services' to?"
"No. Sex is sex. Love is...much different." Lily laid back on the bed and Mal chuckled as she patted her arm. "Good night, dear."
"Good night, Mom." Maleficent poofed away and Lily was left alone to her thoughts. Her mother was right of course. She was glad she had people to talk to about things like this. The next day, it was her and Mulan's turn to watch the babies. Ruby was forcing the mothers to have a relaxing day so that meant a day off from being constantly on their toes. Lily knew this "day" was only going to be a few hours if Zelena and Regina had anything to say about it. They were at the lake, watching the kids play in the shallows and build sculptures out of mud.
"You and Emma make up yet?" Mulan happened to ask.
"I haven't talked to her." Lily shrugged. "I'll do it later. I'm sure she's not even worried."
"Well then, instead of pouting, help me and Benjie with this mud castle, huh?" The warrioress was once again without armor and instead wore jeans and a short sleeved shirt. She wore no shoes and already was covered in dirt and mud, laughing as Benjamin tried to put some in his mouth. "Don't do that. Your mothers will have my head if you do."
Lily smiled and slid over to assist. "I haven't played in the mud since I was a kid." Spencer, Jack and Aaron came over to help, babbling away to each other in their baby talk.
"I've never done this before." Mulan grinned. "It's fun."
"We're all going to need hot baths after this." Lily dug a hole in the soft earth and pushed more dirt over to the kids. These kids were so happy. They had the entire world at their disposal and wouldn't ever want for anything. The dragon felt better knowing that they wouldn't go through what she had. They had a pack to catch them when they fell.
In less than half an hour, they'd compiled a wall of mud as tall as the kids, who were gleefully running around inside it. The women heard a rustling in the bushes and both shifted on instinct, teeth bared and growling to defend the pups.
"Ow! Damn it." Emma tripped out of the bushes, fanning away bugs. "Lily? Is that you?"
Lily growled as they shifted back. "Emma, what are you doing out here?"
"I came to find you." Emma smacked her arm when a bug landed on it. "Why are there bugs everywhere? And why is it so hot?"
"Ruby controls the temperature near and inside the barrier. You're lucky we're just outside it."
"Do you guys want to be alone for this conversation?" Mulan asked.
"No." Lily said. "I'm watching the kids. A talk can wait."
"Lily, please, I know you're mad at me." Emma came forward to take her hand. "Please forgive me. I...I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have even considered last night. It was stupid and I'm so sorry."
"Apology accepted." Lily snapped her fingers, teleporting her girlfriend away. She returned to her place next to Mulan.
"Why'd you do that?" Mulan asked.
"Because we can talk later. Now, I think we can add another foot to this wall. What do you think?"
Mulan smirked. "I think you're right."
/
Regina and Zelena found them an hour later, covered from head to toe in mud. The mothers took the boys back in and gave them a good bath, one that was very long due to them jumping around and splashing in the water, but they managed. Regina lead Jack to his room to put him to bed, but found that he wasn't following her anymore. He was standing at the end of the hall with his hands on his knees in a slight crouch.
"What is he doing?" She asked Ruby.
Ruby turned around and grinned. "Oh, he's ready for a race. Get ready. Set. Go!" Jack squealed as he took off as fast as he could go into the room. Regina burst out laughing. Ruby swooped up Jack in her arms as they entered the master bedroom. Their little boy didn't like sleeping in his crib so they'd obliged him by letting him sleep with them some nights. Regina went into bathroom to change for bed and came out to find Ruby laying on her back balancing Jack on her feet in the air. Regina tickled him and kissed him as Ruby went to get ready for bed. When the wolf returned, Jack could hardly stay awake. He curled into a little ball between them, holding on to Regina. She smiled and looked up at Ruby. Ruby kissed her forehead and placed a gentle kiss to Jack's. Regina went to sleep surrounded by the love of her Dark Wolf and her little boy.
The next day Regina ventured out to the store, Jack following along at her heels. She raised an eyebrow as he picked a big box of cereal off the shelf and tried to put it in the cart. "What have I said about sugar?" She asked. He only grinned and held the box up higher. "Fine. You are ruining my reputation, dear. I'm supposed to be evil." She put the box in the cart and picked him up for a hug and to give him a kiss. "Who can be evil with a cute thing like you around? Alright, what's next?"
"Regina." Regina turned around, finding Robin standing behind her. He peeked around her to look at Jack, straining to reach a box of fruit snacks on the shelf.
"Can I help you, Robin?"
"Has it really been 9 months already?" He asked.
"No. Magic baby, dear." She replied.
"It's good to see you. You rarely visit the town nowadays." He said.
"I've been busy with renovations. And this one keeps me occupied." She took the box just as Jack managed it to reach it and placed it up higher. He actually glared at her, making her smile.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're doing well, and happy."
"Couldn't be happier." She shrugged.
"Do you think that you and Jack could one day visit the camp for dinner?"
"Perhaps." Both nearly leaped out of their skins when Jack suddenly screamed. Regina looked down as he took off down the aisle. "Jack!" She needn't have bothered because he was only running to Ruby, who'd tried to sneak up on them. Regina breathed a sigh of relief as Ruby came towards her, carrying Jack.
"You okay, babe?" Ruby grinned. "Looks like you were mid heart attack."
"I was." Regina said.
Jack leaned over towards the box of candy again. Ruby cocked an eyebrow and handed it to him. "Mommy wouldn't get you the candy?" She looked at Regina. "Bad Mommy."
Regina rolled her eyes and gestured to the shopping cart currently overflowing with food. "You know we spend like $700 a week on food, right? I say we just start a farm."
"A farm doesn't have cheesecake, which we both know you love." Ruby grinned. She took Regina's list and looked over it. "70% of this meat and 60% of that is Mal and Lily. You couldn't tell by looking at them that they could put away a ton of meat."
"Just like you and your junk food. I don't want Jack getting hooked on that stuff like you are."
"Yeah, yeah, healthy alternatives. I know. He's a wolf, Regina. Wolves are top of the line hunters, built for stamina, speed and power. Top of the food chain. He's gonna be in great shape and really healthy. How do you think I eat all the junk food I do and not get fat?"
Regina scoffed and crossed her arms. Ruby kissed her cheek and seemed to only just noticed Robin's presence. "Hey Hood. What's up?"
"Nothing. I was just saying hello to Regina."
Ruby snorted and threw Jack over her shoulder, making him laugh, and carried him off down the aisle and disappearing around the corner.
Regina smirked and turned back to Robin. "I'll think about that dinner, but as for now I have a great deal of shopping to do, so see you later, Robin."
"I haven't forgotten, Regina." He said, making her pause as she turned to leave. "Everything we talked about, the life we planned together. When we were soulmates."
"Were." Regina emphasized, looking over her shoulder. "That life is never going to happen. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. I'll give you the same advice I came Miss Swan: move on with your life. Enjoy the future you picked. You didn't choose me, so don't try to ease your way back into my life now." She turned back around and followed after Ruby. The werewolf was waiting in the produce section.
"I heard what you said. You okay?" Ruby asked in concern.
"I'm alright. I'm just sick of people suddenly feeling upset with their own actions. I'm happy, I don't really even care if I never see Robin again. I'll miss Roland of course, but Robin-not really. Now he wants to talk about some stupid life we planned together."
"What life?" Ruby asked.
"One where we live happily ever after." Regina shrugged. "I wouldn't even want it now. He's just like Emma." Ruby's silence on the matter made her look up to find the wolf watching her. "What?"
"A year ago today, I found you in the middle of the night, sitting on a rock in the middle of the forest. For the first time in my life, I plucked up the courage to talk to you. I've been through wars and battles, internal and external and yet, on that night, I felt like I achieve the impossible...and I did." Ruby smiled. "I spent the night with Regina Mills. We Ran through the forest and ate sweets under her apple tree. I fell in love with the Evil Queen, and I got her to fall in love with me. I got her to open her heart and see herself like I did. I got her to be my mate. We have a son, and a pack and a family. My happily ever after was always impossible...but it was worth the wait."
Regina almost cried at her sweet words. "I don't know what to say to that. That was beautiful."
"It is the truth. You and Jack mean the world to me. You say that I changed your life...well, you changed mine." Ruby blushed and looked down, placing Jack in the cart. When she looked back up, Regina placed a tender kiss on her lips.
"I don't deserve you, Miss Lucas. I hardly consider myself worthy." Ruby started to protest, but Regina put a finger over her lips. "But there is no way to describe how happy I am with the simple fact that you picked me. You easily couldn't had your pick from anyone in Storybrooke, and you chose the broken, beaten and forgotten old Evil Queen. No one has ever chosen me and wanted me just to be me. For that, Ruby, I will never be able to thank you. That is why as long as you are my mate, you will have my heart, my body and my soul. I love you, Miss Lucas. I can't even imagine a time when I didn't anymore."
Ruby grinned and kissed her finger. "Let's get out this store before I make love to you on top of these oranges."
Regina chuckled. "That would be horribly uncomfortable and quite a sight for our 1 year old son."
"He can just turn around and play with an apple. You know he'll be preoccupied for an hour."
Regina rolled her eyes. They checked out and teleported home, magically putting everything away. Jack went off to play with Spencer and Tink. The fairy gave them a silent nod and Ruby pulled Regina off to the bedroom and picked her up as they burst into the room. She kicked the door closed and let Regina fall onto the bed. Ruby quickly kissed her with as much passion as she could muster. "I love you so much Ruby." Regina moaned between kisses.
"I love you too, baby." Ruby whispered against her skin as she started kissing her neck, making her way downwards.
"We don't have a lot of time."
"Tink can put Jack down for us. No excuses, Mama." Ruby said. "It's been a while so I hope you can still keep up with me."
Regina smirked. "We shall see, my pet. We shall see." Ruby was without a doubt the best lover she'd ever had. Unlike Graham, her movements were mechanical and unlike Robin, she liked more than just the slow love making. Ruby knew when to be tender and sweet, and when to take the queen like a wolf. By now, she knew every one of Regina's sweet spots, all the things she enjoyed, and Regina knew hers as well. Due to being so in tune with each other's needs, it didn't take much to satisfy them. "Gods, I love you, Ruby." Regina purred, laying her head across the wolf's back as she stretched out on her stomach, both of them enjoying the pleasant bliss that followed their lovemaking. She sat up and sat down on the back of Ruby's thighs to give her a back massage.
"That feels amazing." Ruby said with a sigh.
"Well, my lovely alpha needs a break sometime." Regina replied. "By the way, I've been talking with Mal." She said, kneading any kinks out of the wolf's back.
"Oh yeah?"
"She knows a way to get rid of the darkness...for good. It's some sort of ancient ritual and it'll take her a while to prepare for it, but she said she'll do it." Ruby was quiet for a moment, but her mate could feel something was wrong. Regina rolled off her and lay next to her. "What's wrong?"
"Like this, I'm strong, Regina." Ruby said slowly. "I am the most powerful being here and I can protect our child and our family. What if I go back to being weak when you take out the darkness?"
"You were the one who wanted it out, dear. And besides, you are powerful. You can protect us. Just because you are the alpha doesn't mean the pack rests on your shoulders. You will never fight alone, Ruby. We'll be right beside you."
"What if there's a way to change it?" Ruby asked. "So that I keep my power but it won't be darkness anymore?"
"I don't know if there is, dear. You can't have light without darkness, my love. One needs the other."
"Of course it does." Ruby sighed and laid her head back down, only for it to shoot up again as someone pounded on the door. Regina magically clothed them and got up to answer it.
"Well, hello to you too." She said as Jack walked into the room and made straight for the bed. She smiled as she closed the door and climbed back into bed, her little boy curling up between her and Ruby.
Ruby smirked. "Aw, look at him, Regina. He's the cutest thing ever." She tickled him and he pushed her away, trying to snuggle under Regina to get away from her.
"Stop bothering him, Ruby, he's trying to go to sleep."
"When is he going to say his first words? He should be saying Mama by now." Ruby asked. Regina covered her face to hide her grin. He'd already said his first words, and it was nothing close to Mama.
"Damn it." Both of them jumped and looked at each other with wide eyes.
"Regina." Ruby growled.
"It wasn't me. It was Belle! I swear."
Ruby raced out of the room. "Belle!"
Regina looked down at Jack. "Thanks a lot. You realize you won't be candy and I won't be getting any nookie for a week for this." Jack only curled up against her and drifted off to sleep. A smile fought its way onto her lips and she found herself drifting off as well, listening to Ruby chew out Belle for cursing in front of the baby.
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