Regina had had Henry for an entire year and a half now and the little boy was slowly but surely turning into a gorgeous, bright and polite young man under the careful watch of Regina. She had started to take the weekends off to spend with her precious little Prince and she had never thought she made a decision as good as that one when one day when she was feeding him breakfast that he said his first word, mummy. The year wasn't all good though because as Henry was getting older and older, understanding things he shouldn't be able to at age two he started asking questions about why 'Aunty Ruby' would come over every other weekend hurt and Regina simply didn't have a explanation for it
"Ruby, I understand why you think you can't leave Graham, truly I do. But do you know what Henry asked me last night? He asked when Aunty Ruby comes over, can he help me make her better." Regina said after another long argument with Ruby, "My three year old son knows that you're going to show up at our doorstep sooner or later and he wants to help you. He's three, Ruby, three. I can't have him exposed to that anymore. I won't"
"What are you saying?" Ruby asked, her voice cracking slightly
"I'm saying that as much as I want to help and protect you even though you won't let me, I have to protect my son first," Regina said with a tear escaping from her eye
"Please, I'll end it soon, I promise" Ruby pleaded
"What do you want me to do, Ruby?" Regina snapped, "Every time you come home after seeing Graham you look worse than the time before. Every time you see me after you see him I can almost feel my heart break a little bit more. Do you know what its like to see the women that you love, that you want more than anything to spend the rest of your life with being hurt the way he hurts you? God damn it Ruby, I love you and it's killing me. I don't want my son to think that hey, it's all right to hurt girls because someone will be there to clean them up anyway. I don't want him to think that when you love someone you should just clean him or her up after someone hurts him or her."
"Mummy?" A sleepy little voice asked from the doorway
"Oh baby, did I wake you? I'm so sorry" Regina said and rushed over to Henry's side
"Why are you crying?" Henry asked, wiping the tears off of her cheek, "Did aunty Ruby leave again?"
"No baby, Aunty Ruby's still here"
"Oh. Is she still hurt?"
"A little bit, but she'll be okay" Regina tried to smile
"Are you going to cry more when she leaves?"
"Go back up to bed baby, I'll make your favourite in the morning. I love you" Regina whispered with a kiss pressed against Henry's forehead
"I love you too, mummy. Love you too, aunty Ruby" Henry yawned and made his way back to his room while Regina collapsed with her face in her hands on the couch
"I can't do this anymore, Rubes" Regina whispered
"I just need a little bit longer" Ruby replied, sitting next to Regina and gently wrapped her arm around her
"No. I can't do this anymore because it will kill me. You need to decide what you really want Miss Lucas and until you do, please don't come here anymore. You can still see Henry because I know you love him but I don't want to see you until you decide" Regina said, straightening herself up as much as she could while tears still leaked from her eyes
"Regina-" Ruby started, tears starting to form in her own eyes
"I think it would be best if you leave" Regina interrupted, "You can show yourself out"
Ruby's heart broke when she seen how badly Regina's shoulders were shaking as she walked up the stairs and wanted nothing more to follow her up and promise that everything will okay, that everything will work out
"Oh, hey Granny" Ruby said, trying to discreetly wipe her face when Granny entered her room
"I don't know what's happened between you and Madam Mayor, girl, but I know you best fix whatever it is or you're going to be miserable the rest of your life" Granny said, "That being said, I don't want you to come into work until you're feeling okay again"
"I don't-I don't know what you're talking about Granny" Ruby tried to feign confusion
"Anyone with half a brain can see that you love her and she loves you" Granny said before leaving Ruby to her thoughts
Months had passed with little contact from Regina, in fact, the only time Ruby had seen the dark beauty was when she was dropping Henry off for a visit and most recently, to invite her to Henry's fourth birthday party
"He begged me to ask you to come" Regina explained, standing awkwardly in front of Ruby's door, "It's a costume party, as per his request"
"I'll be there" Ruby promised, "He's been dropping hints about wanting a bow and arrow. Obviously, I wouldn't get him a real one just one of those plastic sets where the arrows stick to the target. Would that be okay?"
"I'm afraid I've already purchased one for him, but he is also rather interested in swords. I know for a fact Mr Gold has a wide range of child friendly ones, if that helps" Regina suggested
"Thank you" Ruby said sincerely before they lapsed into awkward silence
"I've said all I need to and I hope to see you at Henry's party" Regina said with a slight head bow
A week later had seen the entire population of Storybrooke in Regina's backyard, dressed in weird and wonderful outfits with parents playing with children dressed as little princes or princesses
"Mummy, mummy" Henry screeched to a halt in front of her, dressed in a near life-like clothes of a real Prince
"What is it, baby?" Regina asked
"Aunt Ruby's here" He said with a face splitting smile and dragged her over to their gate
"It's Henry's birthday today, my prince, have you seen him?" Ruby asked with a low bow
"Aunt Ruby" Henry giggled, "It's me, Henry"
"Oh Henry, I'm sorry I couldn't recognise you, I thought you were a real prince" Ruby said with an exaggerated gasp
"But I am, I'm mummy's little Prince, aren't I mummy?" Henry smiled up at Regina
"That you are, now I believe that I hear a princess crying for help. Won't you go and rescue her?" At that, Henry was off running with a war cry
"I'm glad you could make it" Regina said politely, looking Ruby up and down "Little Red riding hood. I thought you were a wolf?"
"Nah, I'm just a pup remember? I always thought Little Red to be the big bad wolf anyway" Ruby said with a shrug, "But it's a pleasure to meet you, my Queen"
"Evil Queen" Regina said with a smile before shaking her head, "I suppose it wouldn't do for us to leave the guests to themselves, I wouldn't be a very good hostess"
"Regina, wait" Ruby called after her and smiled when the dark beauty turned around "I ended it with Graham last night"
"You what?" Regina asked, walking closer to Ruby until they were a foot apart
"I'm done with him. I told him that if he ever tried to lay a hand on me again it would be the last time his hands would work. He's currently in the hospital with two shattered hands" Ruby grinned, taking a shy step closer to Regina, "I've been stupid. I let fear of a man push me away from my happiness and my dreams because that's what you are, Regina, you're the reason for every smile that comes to my face and you fill my mind even when I'm asleep. I love you"
"I love you too" Regina whispered and pressed her lips against Ruby's and sighed at the feeling of home
"My Queen" Red choked out as a hand tightened around her throat, "Come back to me, come back"
"I wonder how little Snow would react if I sent her her best friends fur as a gift?" The Queen mused to herself
"Come back to me" Red whispered, slowly raising her hand up the Queens face and stroking her cheek and forcing eye contact and slowly, she seen the purple fade into the obsidian that she had liked and the Queen shook her head
"Red" She gasped "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I thought I put a protective shield around this area"
"I know this is about me. I'm going to stay with you, if you would let me" Red said with steel in her eyes
"Are you sure?" Regina asked gently, looking at the tall beauty
"I am. In the small amount of time I've been here you've shown me more kindness and freedom than I could ever hope to have back with Snow. You forbid the hunting of my kind while she encourages it, you let me walk around freely during wolfs time while she has me locked away in the dungeons and I must wear my cloak all month instead of just during wolfs time. She constantly brings up past mistakes and painful memories and I have a feeling you wouldn't. You're my Queen now and no one could take me away from your side" Red spoke with conviction in her voice and an emotion that Regina couldn't place in her eyes
"Very well" Regina said and waved a hand over herself making purple smoke cover her head to toe before she appeared in a red velvet cape, black leather riding breeches and heels tall enough to make her taller than Red "Let us meet them"
Hungry lips attached to a pale neck and heated moans filled the air, hands grasped at clothes trying desperately too pull them off. A loud rip was heard as Regina tore the front of Red's dress and was shortly followed by a sharp cry that snapped the women out of their lust filled stupor and they stood staring at each other with red faces, swollen lips and flushed chests until the cry sounded again and Regina rushed off to find the little boy that the noise was coming from
"Red, I'm so sor-" Regina started to apologize when she settled the boy
"Don't. Don't say you're sorry because if you're sorry it didn't mean anything and it needs to mean something" Red interrupted, looking at Regina with nervous eyes, "Please tell me it meant something"
"I'm not sure if it would be wise" Regina admitted, eyes on the ground
"Why would it not be wise?"
"Because I'm so dark and you're so light and I'm scared you would lose yourself if you were to be with me. I couldn't let that happen and I won't" Regina said
"There would be no darkness without light and there would be no light without darkness" Red spoke softly, brushing her hand against Regina's cheek, "I'm not sure if I would still be me if it meant living without you"
"Calm down" Red tried to soothe
"Do NOT tell me to calm down," The Queen snarled, turning wide and purple eyes on Red, "She touched him"
"Re-"
"No. Do not." The Queen fumed and angrily stormed up to Red so they were nose-to-nose, "They mean to take him from us"
"Come back to me" Red whispered, "Come back"
"Don't" The Queen yelled
"Come home, Regina, come back to me" Red whispered, wrapping her arms around the Queens waist and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, "Come back"
Purple eyes went back to obsidian and dark red lips pressed against soft pinks ones desperately
After an hour of running in her fur Red could not resist the pulling at her chest anymore, it felt as though her very soul was tugging her in another direction and it took her through the twisting and turning forest until she came back to where she started and she could clearly see Regina sitting beneath the great apple tree and it was as though she had never seen the beautiful Queen before this moment in time and suddenly, her wolf wasn't hers anymore, her wolf was Regina's completely and fully. Red slowly walked up to Regina and with every step closer to the Queen her wolf wanted to howl in pleasure
"Regina?" Red asked when they split apart
"Red?" Regina said, shaking her head trying to sort through all the memories filling it
"It's you" Red whispered, taking Regina's face between her hands and looking at her with a face splitting smile and tears in her eyes, "I've missed you so"
"I've missed you too wolf, more than you can know" Regina whispered, kissing Red gently before pulling away, "Lets go see our son"
Walking back into their back yard they were faced with confused faces, couples reuniting with tear soaked faces and sobbing children in arms of crying parents
"Henry, come here" Regina called out softly and smiled when the boy came running at her
"What's going on mummy?" Henry asked when Regina bent down and hugged him like she had never hugged him before
"Red's going to take you inside right now, okay baby, and then we'll explain everything to you. I love you" Regina whispered before she handed him over to Red who immediately took him inside and locked all the doors
"People of the Enchanted Forest" Regina spoke confidently, gaining everyone's attention, "I understand that we're all very confused and upset right now but please, go to your homes with your family and we will hold a council tomorrow afternoon to figure out what has happened and to find anyone missing."
Before waiting to see if anyone had listened to her, she unlocked the back door and went inside to find her own family again
"I got you this book as a second present, something about it drew me to it." Regina said, passing Henry a book titled Once Upon a Time, "I want you to read it and we'll talk in the morning, okay?"
"Okay mummy" Henry said, sensing that this was not a time to argue with his mother, "I love you"
"I love you too little Prince" Regina said, kissing his brow before sending him off to his room
"I've missed you" Red whispered against Regina's lips when she was sure the door was firmly closed
"I missed you too" Regina replied breathlessly when Red's lips roamed her neck and Regina's fingers tangled in Red's hair
"I love you" Red said against Regina's neck and bit down harshly causing Regina to cry out in pain and pleasure, "I missed your lips" Red pressed against Regina's lips, "I missed your neck" another bite to her neck made Regina tighten her hold on Red's hair, "I missed your body" Red growled, ripping the front of Regina's dress open
"Are you going to keep speaking or are you going to show me how much you missed me, wolf?" Regina asked breathlessly
"I'd rather show you, my queen" Red said with a slight growl to her voice and wolfish grin on her face before she bent her head to ravish Regina's throat
"Red" Regina moaned, "Please"
"Please what, my queen?"
"Make love to me" Regina pleaded and opened her mouth to speak again but instead cut herself off with a silent scream when Red plunged two fingers into her and red lips attached to a dusky nipple. Red set a slow pace while Regina clung to her and tried to keep herself quiet, lest Henry hear
"Red" Regina moaned, "Harder" and taking that as consent, Red positioned herself so she could set a punishing pace that had her entire arm screaming out in pain but when Regina dug her nails into Red's scalp and moaned her name with wanton, she knew that the night was going to be long and pleasure filed and she didn't give a damn about how sore she would be in the morning. When Red felt Regina's walls start to tighten around her fingers, she plunged her fingers deeper and harder while biting Regina's neck just short of being hard enough to break the skin and shuddered when she heard Regina's release
"You're so beautiful," Red whispered, brushing hair away from Regina's sweaty forehead
"Gods, I've missed you Red" Regina whispered, slowly undressing Red and sighed happily when she felt bare skin press against her own
AN: Italic's is what Regina was remembering, bold and italics is what they were both remembering and just bold is what Red was remembering. Truth be told, I was getting impatient with the amount of time it would take to the curse-breaking if I continued at the pace I had been so I decided to speed the process up a bit. Follow me on purtoujoursblog. tumblr to send prompts, what you want to see in this/any other fics, updates, etc. R&R