"Mother superior, how may I help you today?" Regina asked politely when the nun entered her office
"I need you to organize a taxi to Boston as soon as possible" The nun said curtly
"And why would I need to do that instead of you? Forgive me if I'm wrong but surely you know how to use a telephone?" Regina snipped
"It's for a little boy. A nine-month-old baby, we simply do not have it in our budget to care for him anymore so we need to send him for an orphanage. I thought you would be the best to organize a safe travel" Mother superior spoke as if she were simply getting rid of an unwanted present
"You want me to send a baby on his own to Boston?" Regina asked with barely concealed rage, "I will do no such thing"
"We can not care for the boy any longer" The nun objected
"I'll adopt him, then" Regina said with thinking about it
"You'll what?"
"I'll… I'll adopt him. I'll have the paperwork ready as soon as possible." Regina said, not allowing herself time to back out of it, "Now get out of my office before I feel the need to get rid of the Storybrooke Church all together"
"Ella, tell Miss. Lucas from Granny's Diner that her appointment has been moved up to now" Regina said through the buzzer
"Yes, Madam Mayor"
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked once she entered the Mayor's office to see a distraught Regina pacing back and forth
"I may or may not have said I was going to adopt a small child" Regina panicked
"I'm sorry, what?"
"The blasted head nun told me that I needed to arrange a taxi to Boston for a baby because they couldn't afford it and she implied that he would go by himself, a small baby Ruby in a taxi by himself, so I said I would adopt him"
"I'm sure you'll be an excellent mother" Red tried to reassure the panicking women
"I'm a Mayor, that's a full time job. What if when he gets older I neglect him? Oh gods, what if he thinks I love my job more than him? What if he hates me?" Regina shot the questions off in one breath her voice getting higher with every word
"First we're going to need you to calm down," Ruby instructed, guiding Regina into her chair "Answer me this, do you truly want the boy?"
"Yes" Regina said without missing a beat
"Then none of that will happen" Ruby assured her, "When do you get him?"
"Tonight" Regina whispered, "I demanded that she bring him to my office at five o'clock on the dot. What if I can't do this Ruby?"
"You can" Ruby said, "I know you can"
Regina spent the remainder of the day trying to calm down and get some of her work done to no avail until four fifty five came and Ruby was once again in her office while Regina tried to smooth imaginary wrinkles out of her clothes
"Calm down" Ruby whispered as the office door opened
Mother superior didn't say a word as she handed the baby over to Regina and gave a small bag filled with clothes to Ruby and left the room
"He's beautiful," Regina whispered in awe at the baby, "My little prince"
"Have you decided on a name?" Ruby asked, moving to stand behind Regina
"Henry. Henry Mills, it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Regina asked, smiling at Henry
"It's perfect"
"Will you stay the night?" Regina asked sleepily from her spot on her bed with Henry asleep on her chest, "It's already so late. I don't like the thought of you walking home at this time by yourself"
"I'll be fine" Ruby whispered, careful not to wake Henry
"I want you to stay the night" Regina admitted, "What if I manage to mess up somehow?"
"I'm sure you won't" Ruby laughed lightly
"But say that I do and I'm panicking too much to ring anyone for help and where would that leave little Henry and I? Please stay" Regina asked
"I don't know" Ruby said
"Please? I'm terrified, just tonight," Regina pleaded
"Okay" Ruby said with a small smile as she laid down, "I'll stay"
"Thank-you" Regina said with a face splitting smile as she moved over carefully and laid Henry in the middle of them "He's just perfect, isn't he?"
"Yes he is" Ruby murmured, gently stroking Henry's forehead
"You really think I can do this?" Regina asked, "You don't think that I made a mistake?"
"I think you're going to be wonderful"
"You're wonderful" Regina whispered before leaning over and switching the light off, "Goodnight pup"
"Goodnight, my queen"
Regina awoke to see Henry fast asleep on Ruby's chest while the brunette whispered to him, Regina continued watching with a smile before she was thrown into another day dream
"I suppose… No, I couldn't. I'm not fit to be a mother." Regina said, lying back down with her head in Red's lap and the sleeping baby on her chest
"Yes you are. I can already feel the bond you have made with him" Red said, "My wolf can feel it. I've seen you with him for half an hour now and, forgive me if this is too bold, you'd be a damn idiot if you think you can't care for him"
"It's too dangerous" Regina protested
"You are, without a doubt, the most powerful women I have ever met. I am a werewolf and I'll be damned if I let this boy be hurt"
"You really think I can do this?" Regina asked in a small voice
"Not alone. I think we can do this" Red said, pressing a kiss to Regina's forehead, "What will you name him?"
"Henry… Prince Henry of the Dark Kingdom" Regina said, testing the name out
"Long live Prince Henry" Red murmured, looking at the sleeping babe with a smile on her face, "Long live the Queen"
"I think mummy's lost in thought, Henry" Ruby whispered to boy who let out a squeal and reached for Regina
"You alright, Regina?" Ruby asked when Regina shook her head and smiled at the boy and took him in her arms
"Just another day dream" Regina said, lifting herself to her feet, "Nothing to worry about. I'm going to give this little prince a bath, if you wanted to help?"
"Of course" Ruby followed happily after mother and son
"What happened to you?" Regina hissed when Ruby showed up at her doorstep at two am the next morning, "Never mind, I already know. You know the routine"
"I am going to leave him," Ruby said after Regina had finished cleaning her up
"I'm scared for you, Ruby" Regina whispered, "and I can't keep pretending that it doesn't kill me a little bit every time you show up at my doorstep looking worse than the time before"
"I know. Believe me, I know Regina; I can see it in your eyes. But what am I suppose to do?" Ruby asked
"Leave him right now. Be with me, I can protect you" Regina pleaded, holding onto both of Ruby's hands tightly
"That would put you in danger and maybe even Henry. I can't risk that," Ruby said with a defeated sigh
"What if this continues until Henry's old enough to know what's happening?" Regina snapped, "He would think it's okay"
"It won't, I promise you that I'm working on leaving him. I just can't right now, not yet" Ruby said with sincerity in her tone
"I can protect you" Regina repeated, "I own this town and everybody in it"
"Graham's the only police officer we have, who are we suppose to tell?" Ruby scoffed
"I can fire him at any time I want to, the only reason I haven't is because you asked me not to" Regina snapped, "I could have had him thrown into jail by now, away from this town and away from you but you asked me not to"
"You know why"
"I don't actually, no. If you would let me we could be together right now and living our lives happily" Regina spat, standing up and walking out of the bathroom and straight to Henry's nursery that Ruby had painted a week before
"I'm sorry" Ruby whispered, wrapping her arms around Regina from behind and planted small kisses on Regina's neck
"Leave him" Regina whispered back, "Leave him and move in with me"
"Okay"
"Okay?"
"I'll do it. He comes by the diner every afternoon when it's most busy to make sure I'm not talking to anyone, I'll do it then and he can do nothing" Ruby whispered, "Half of my stuff is already here so that won't be a problem"
"Really?" Regina asked, her eyes alight with hope when she turned to face Ruby
"Anything for you."
AN: R&R