Chapter 8: Tears under the moonlight

Ruby ran past the trees in a flash, letting some part of her wolf take over to quickly get to her destination. Once she was near the meadow, she slowed down and sniffed the air. Regina was already here and so was their little friend.

The wolf in her growled wanting to take care of the little spy. She didn't know why or what, but she felt the need to have Regina all alone to herself tonight.

Her teeth started to bare out as her body started to get covered in her wolf hair. "N…ooo, no..ooo" she groaned in pain.

She quickly closed her eyes, and she felt her body contort in different angles to adjust to the body of a wolf. She battled the wolf in her mind, refusing him repeatedly.

"No… you're not…coming out…" she said between short quick breaths.

She felt her body stiffen up, stopping all movement. The wolf in her was surprised at the restriction.

'Let me out!' he growled with anger.

"NO!" screamed out as she bit her lip, hard. After a few minutes of silence, her body started to move back to normal. Her teeth hiding away and her bones going back in place.

By the end of it she was on the floor panting and unable to catch her breath. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as she mustered up the strength to get up and go to where Regina was.

Once she was able to gather herself properly, she glanced at quick glance at where the intruder was then back to where she noticed Regina patiently waiting for her.

She walked through the meadow and toward the apple tree.

Once she was in sight, Regina quickly ran over to her and stood in front of her.

"What took you so long?" Regina asked as she looked over Ruby's face. Ruby didn't say anything.

"What happened?" Regina then asked when her sight landed on Ruby's bloodied lip. She brought up her hand to inspect but Ruby swatted her hand right away.

"Don't worry about it." Ruby shrugged as she moved past Regina.

Regina turned around and took hold of Ruby's hand to stop her in her tracks. "What happened?" she asked again.

Ruby yanked her hand out of her grasp and turned around to face Regina. She looked directly into her eyes.

"What happened?" she mocked. "Why don't you tell me what happened this afternoon? How about you explain that to me, huh..princess?" Ruby sneered at her.

Regina couldn't help but fall back a little. "Is that why you are this angry?" she questioned.

"Regina! Please!" Ruby exclaimed. "Just tell me what happened?" she asked as she let out a defeated sigh.

"How can you expect me to talk to you about it if you are that angry right now?" Regina fired back as she moved past Ruby this time to sit under the tree.

Ruby stayed where she was her back facing Regina.

Silence…..

Ruby was about to walk off but stopped as she heard Regina's sobs. She closed her eyes in realization and shook her head in disappointment at herself.

She turned around to find Regina's body shaking as she tried to subdue her cries. Ruby sat next to her and hooked arm around Regina's shoulder.

"I am sorry," she said as she wiped away the tears on Regina's cheeks. Regina looked at her and started to cry harder as she hugged Ruby, snuggly her face into her chest, taking a stronghold of her red cloak.

Ruby couldn't help but wrap her arms around her and hold her there. She then started to rub her back up and down hoping that it will help Regina calm down.

"Hey…." She said gently. "I am sorry for getting angry. Please don't cry, Regina." Ruby finished as she took hold of Regina's arm to gently push her off her so she could look at her face.

By this time Regina's eyes were red and puffy. Regina sniffled as she wiped away her tears and turned away from Ruby to get hold of herself. Ruby just looked at her and waited for her to say something.

"I am getting married," she said as she quickly gathered and got up.

Ruby just sat there, stunned out of her mind. She didn't know if she was hearing her right. Maybe it was a joke.

"Regina…" she laughed nervously. "Please don't play with my feelings like that," she said as she too got up. Regina was just facing forward looking at the meadow in front of them as if Ruby wasn't even next to her.

Ruby turned towards her as she put her hand on her shoulder and shook her gently to get her attention.

"Regina!"

"It's better off if we don't see each other anymore," Regina said with a straight face and sternness in her voice. Still avoiding Ruby's gaze.

Now Ruby was the one fighting back tears. But her heart wasn't having it. Tears streamed down her face, unable to stop them. Her heart breaking inside her chest.

She grabbed hold of Regina's arm and yanked her around to face her. The moment Regina felt turned around she closed her eyes tightly as more tears poured out and put her hand over her mouth to muffle her cries.

"LOOK AT ME!" Ruby shouted. She grabbed hold of Regina's shoulder and started shaking her back and forth. "…. look at me…. damn it…" she said with so much pain in her voice.

Regina couldn't do it. She couldn't bear it to see Ruby so heartbroken. The pain she was feeling already was tearing her up inside she wouldn't be able to handle it if she saw Ruby.

" ….." She said between her sobs as she tried to control herself. "Did my heart mean so little to you?" she finally let it out as she fell on her knees, letting the tears fall out of her eyes.

Before Regina had the chance to defend herself. Ruby put her hand up to stop her. "You know what…fucking go,….have your fucking wedding….I hope you fucking get your happily ever after…." She said as her heart sank in her stomach.

Regina tried to bring herself close to Ruby, but Ruby pushed her away.

"You don't understand….."

"Save it, Regina. I don't want to hear it anymore. Just go!" Ruby said as she got up from the ground and turned away to cut Regina off from her view.

What happened next enraged Ruby to her limit. She felt Regina circle her arms around her waist hugging her as she cried some more into her back. Ruby grabbed her arms and yanked them off and threw Regina off her.

She then turned around to find Regina on the ground on her side holding herself up with both of her hands on the ground. More tears poured out of her eyes; she couldn't believe that Ruby threw her off so harshly.

Ruby instantly regretted her action. She loved Regina there was no way in hell she ever wanted to cause physical pain to her. She crouched down to be at the same level as Regina.

She reached out with her hands to touch Regina's face. "I am sorry," she said gently but Regina turned her face away from her touch. Ruby couldn't help but gasp at the gesture. It hurt her to see Regina move away from her like that.

Ruby got up and took a couple of steps backward to put distance between them as she kept her gaze on the ground, feeling ashamed.

"You know…." Regina tried to speak between her sobs. She sat up staying on the ground. "I love you Ruby with all my heart. I don't want this marriage, please trust me when I say that." Regina said as she looked pleadingly towards Ruby who finally decided to look back at Regina again.

"Then…then why are you?" Ruby pleaded this time. Both noticed the pain in each other eyes. The tears, the dejectedness on their body. It was unbearable.

"My mother is forcing me and there is nothing I can do about it" she finally explained.

"Let's run away then" Ruby suggested. Regina just shook her head saying no.

"She will hunt us down, Ruby. There is no way around it"

"So….is this it for us?" Ruby asked as she looked up at the night sky, not knowing what to do or say at this point.

"Where will we go?" Regina said as she thought about Ruby's idea. Keeping in mind that what she said about Cora hunting them down will happen if they did run away somewhere.

"I don't know," Ruby said as she came closer to Regina. She put her hand out for Regina to take so she could stand up.

"It won't be easy. You do realize that, right?" Regina questioned as she kept her hold on Ruby's hand.

"I am aware," Ruby responded as she kept staring into Regina's eyes with hope for their love to still blossom.