The Weirdest Christmas Part 2

Fandom: OUAT

Pairing Regina Mills/Ruby Lucas (Red Queen)

Rating: T (there may be a swear in here or two. Can't remember ha).

Summary: Ruby wants to share Christmas with a certain lonely someone.

Disclaimer: I own nothing connected to this television show or these characters. I just have writers block on my originals and writing Red Queen is my muse.

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Part 2

As she put the cups and the cream and sugar on the tray, Regina ran her mind over all the possible reasons Ruby Lucas would have left a 'family' party at Granny's with all her friends, just to pay her of all people a visit. The only feasible explanation that came to mind was that she had been sent by the irritatingly noble Charming family and most likely her own son, to spy on the Evil Queen. To make sure that while the town was preoccupied with the evenings Christmas festivities, she wasn't carrying out some magical scheme.

Regina's anger began to simmer at the thought, but when she remembered the almost lost look on Ruby's face, she instantly knew that spying wasn't on the woman's agenda. That just made her more confused about Ruby's true purpose and Regina Mills did not like being confused.

Knowing she couldn't stall any longer, Regina lifted the tray and headed to the study, fully expecting her guest to be snooping through her belongings, but instead she found the brunette sitting sedately on the sofa, looking lost in thought.

For a long moment, Regina stood in the doorway and simply studied the woman who had interrupted her own little pity party. She didn't know Ruby that well but she found herself curious about her and she didn't know why. The knowledge that she was Snow White and Emma Swan's best friend had precluded any desire to see her as anything but the person who sold her coffee in the mornings.

Of course there was also the fact that Ruby had the questionable fashion sense of a call girl and had no problem exposing as much of her body as she could legally get away with. Not that the woman had anything to be ashamed of, Regina thought appreciatively. Ruby Lucas was most definitely a beautiful woman with a spectacular body. Knowing that a dangerous wolf lay currently slumbering just beneath that beautiful skin only made her that much more intriguing to Regina.

Now, seeing the habitually cheerful face void of its usual bright and often obnoxious smile was somewhat unsettling to Regina and touched a part of her that she'd thought was long dead. She was not, however, about to let the waitress/werewolf know that.

"Here you are Miss Lucas," she said, smirking a bit as the woman jumped in surprise at the sound of her voice. She placed the tray on the coffee table and poured two cups before taking her seat in the chair across from the sofa.

"Thank you," Ruby said gratefully as she added milk and several teaspoons of sugar. She looked up and found the former Mayor watching her with what almost looked like amusement.

"What?" She asked, wondering if the woman was about to assault her with a bunch of nasty insults about her clothes or appearance in general.

Regina saw the wariness in Ruby's eyes and couldn't blame her. Had it been any other day, she most likely would have ridiculed the woman unmercifully. "I was just wondering why you didn't simply ask for a cup of warm sugar and milk and skip the coffee all together?"

Ruby blushed but offered a half smile. "I really like sweet," she said and then gulped, wondering what she 'd said as Regina's eyes narrowed peculiarly and then slid over her body in a slow perusal.

"Hm. You're metabolism must be spectacular," she murmured appreciatively.

Ok, was I just eye-stripped by the Evil Queen? Ruby wondered, her heart speeding up at the thought. Regina Mills was ridiculously hot with a powerful sensuality about her that almost knocked you on your ass just looking at her. Having that sensuality directed at her was enough to make her head spin, but Ruby was not so easily intimidated by sexy.

Her brain working once more, Ruby leaned back and crossed her legs, mimicking Regina's own haughty pose. "Not really," she said with a wicked smile, letting eyes do some wandering of their own. "I just find a lot of fun ways to burn off the calories."

Regina lifted an eyebrow and took a sip of coffee. "I just bet you do Miss Lucas," she said, her husky voice making Ruby's mouth go dry.

"You know, I do have a name," she said hoping to maintain some bit of control.

"Actually, you have two," Regina reminded her, probably more casually than she should have given the reason.

Ruby nodded. "True, but I kind of like Ruby."

"It is a lovely name," Regina told her and then smirked. "Red makes me think of a crayon."

Since being playfully teased by the most rigid and uptight person in Storybrooke was an unheard of situation, Ruby decided to tease back.

"Funny. It always makes me think of sin," she grinned.

"Is there anything that doesn't?" Regina inquired pleasantly

Ruby shrugged and then her smile faded. "Thank you," she said seriously. "For letting me come in and for the coffee."

"Well I couldn't very well have you freeze to death on my porch," Regina said with a negligence that didn't entirely match her expression. "The townspeople would most likely form another angry mob and my flower beds haven't recovered from the trampling they received during the last one."

Ruby snorted derisively. "Yeah, it didn't take long for them to remember how to do that," she said bitterly.

Regina watched Ruby with a slight frown. She'd heard about what happened when Ruby had changed for the first time since the curse. She was disgusted just thinking about all the so-called 'good' people who sat in judgment of Regina for her 'evil deed's yet had no problem hunting down an innocent girl for something she had no control over. Just imagining the vibrant woman sitting across from her, even in wolf form, forced to cower in fear as dozens of people shouted for her death, had Regina seething until she remembered Dr. Hopper's advice.

As much as it irritated her to do so, Regina counted to ten to reign in her temper, surprised when it actually worked and her anger receded.

"Did they really have torches and pitchforks?" she asked with an amused smile, hoping to lighten the moment and unaccountably relieved when the waitress laughed delightedly. It was a beautiful sound, Regina mused.

"Can you believe it?" Ruby continued to laugh. ""You'd think that after living nearly thirty years in the modern world, they would have at least heard of flashlights and baseball bats."

Regina bit back several comments she could have made about the sheep-like citizens of Storybrooke and for once practiced the fine art of verbal restraint. "Yes, you'd think so," she agreed.

"You know, you never told me what you were doing wandering around in the snow on Christmas Eve," she continued, smoothly changing the subject.

Ruby struggled to come up with some answer…any answer that wouldn't make her look pathetic. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything so decided on the truth and hoped Regina would at least try to hold back on the insults. "I didn't want to be alone," she answered simply and then decided her coffee cup was the most interesting object ever created.

Regina was momentarily speechless and took a sip of her own cooling coffee as she tried to disguise her surprise. "Then maybe you shouldn't have left the party at Granny's," she managed, though there was no cruelty in her tone.

Ruby shot her a half grin. "Please," she scoffed. "Granny was too busy bossing everyone around and as far as Snow and David were concerned, I'm not sure they even knew anybody else was in the diner."

"They are rather sickening aren't they?" Regina quipped, not entirely joking.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Since they're my friends, I wouldn't exactly put it that way."

"I don't hear you denying it dear," Regina smirked.

Ruby chuckled. "Ok, I'll admit the whole happy family thing Snow and Charming on top of Emma and Henry…oh God. I'm sorry," she said not wanting to cause Regina any more pain than she was probably enduring.

"I don't need your pity," Regina stated stiffly.

"I'm not offering it," Ruby replied, "but I'm not going to deny that the whole thing pissed me off."

Regina blinked, surprised by her honest response. "Why?"

Ruby found herself growing agitated once more. "It just did. I mean they didn't even notice you weren't there," she said angrily and then her heart plummeted at the flash of pain that crossed Regina's face before she slid the mask of indifference on once more.

"I wouldn't have expected anything different Miss Lucas, why on earth would it bother you so much?" Regina was truly confused by the woman's strong reaction to a perceived insult to the Evil Queen.

"It just does," Ruby muttered. "I mean hell, you're Henry's mom and you're the one who risked life and limb to bring back Snow and Emma and they couldn't even invite you to a damned party."

Regina was seriously shocked by the angry outburst from the incessantly cheerful woman, a woman who was best friends with Snow and her daughter. On her behalf, no less.

"Miss…Ruby, I consider myself fairly gifted in being able to read people. Given my previous positions as Queen and Mayor, that was a necessity and I suspect that my not being invited to a party is not what has you so disgruntled."

Ruby looked into Regina's piercing eyes and inexplicably her anger vanished in an instant to be replaced by a sense of comfort that she'd been missing for weeks along with a realization of just how incredibly beautiful those probing eyes really were.

"This was a bad idea," Ruby blurted, afraid of what she was suddenly feeling. "I should go."

Regina had learned very early on how to detect attraction from another person. It had often proved to be quite useful. This time, it was more confusing than anything. Still, while she would skip naked down Main Street before admitting it, there was an unhappy look about Ruby that touched a part of Regina that had been closed off for longer than she could remember.

"Don't be ridiculous Miss Lucas. It's freezing outside, not to mention snowing and while I wasn't prepared for company this evening, you might as well stay."

Ruby looked past the indifference on Regina's face and into eyes that were far more expressive than Ruby suspected Regina knew and the loneliness in them hurt Ruby's heart. "Golly, since you put it so nicely, how can I refuse?" she agreed flippantly, knowing the immensely proud woman would reject any hint of compassion.

"Well then, I suppose I should feed you," Regina said, the gleam in her eyes belying the unenthusiastic sigh in her voice. "Unless you filled up at the diner?"

"Nah, I wasn't really hungry," Ruby admitted and then her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her to blush furiously when Regina merely lifted an eyebrow.

"Sorry," she muttered, mortified.

"I assume your appetite has returned then," Regina couldn't help but smile at the blush on her unexpected guests face. It was really very sweet.

"It looks that way," Ruby smiled sheepishly.

"Well, come into the kitchen. I'll find something to cook while you tell me the real reason why you're at my house instead of nestled in the bosom of your heroic friends."

Why did she have to say 'bosom'? Ruby said as her eyes naturally lowered to the spectacular bosom that was snuggly encased in a form fitting black turtleneck.

"You're ogling dear," Regina smirked as both women got to their feet.

"And you're bossy. What's your point?" Ruby quipped back, feeling a relaxation she hadn't been close to feeling at the diner.

"Touché," Regina replied, unable to suppress a smile at the woman's playful brazenness. Suddenly Christmas Eve didn't seem quite as…maudlin as she'd anticipated it to be.

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The impromptu dinner had been quick and surprisingly pleasant for both women. Despite Regina's directive, Ruby avoided answering her earlier questions and kept the conversation on general topics, namely the latest town gossip.

After a quick kitchen clean up, they retired back to the study. The sun had gone down, casting the room into shadows. Instead of turning on the lights, Regina lit the fireplace, finding the gentle light of a natural fire more comforting to her often-distracted mind.

"So aside from the undoubtedly cloying atmosphere at Granny's, what is it that had you venturing into the lair of the Evil Queen?" she asked as she handed Ruby a glass of wine and surprisingly joined her on the sofa.

Ruby rolled her eyes and shifted so she was facing Regina. "Are you always so dramatic?"

"Of course I am. It's more intimidating that way," Regina answered arrogantly. "Now answer the question."

Ruby chuckled and sipped her wine before her dark thoughts crept over her again. "I just got tired," she said simply.

"Of what, exactly?"

Ruby looked away, not comfortable with revealing her feelings to a woman who was basically a stranger and one not known for compassion. "Tired of being all alone in a room full of blissfully happy people flaunting everything I'll never have."

Regina hadn't expected that at all. "Like what?"

Ruby shrugged. "Oh the usual; family, true love and all that," she said nonchalantly as she braced herself for one of Mayor Mill's legendary cutting remarks.

Regina could read the woman beside her like a book. Ruby was waiting to be made fun of and at any other time, she may have issued a sarcastic insult designed to send the woman running with her tail between her legs. Now, however, she just turned to face her more fully.

"What makes you think you won't have that Miss Lucas?" she asked curiously, disconcerted by this serious side of the free-spirited woman.

"First of all, can you call me Ruby? Or Red? Hell anything is better than Miss Lucas," she asked nervously.

"Very well, Ruby. So why?"

Ruby sighed. "I'd think that would be pretty obvious," she said.

Regina frowned and then nodded as she finally understood what Ruby was talking about. "You mean because you're a werewolf."

Ruby was taken aback by the almost offhand way Regina had phrased that. "Yeah, of course because of that. I can't date or get attached to anyone because either they'll find out what I am and leave, or I'll turn and kill them, just like I did with…before."

Regina felt a rare flash of sympathy. "What happened before?" she asked gently.

Ruby's eyes shut as she tried to block the sickening memory. "Back before the curse, Snow and I had believed my boyfriend was the werewolf that had been terrorizing our village. We tied him up for his protection and well…"

"You don't have to say anymore," Regina whispered, figuring out the rest without her having to say it. "I'm sorry Ruby," she said sincerely.

"Yes well, like you, pity doesn't do it for me," Ruby said, her voice tight with her repressed pain. "Anyway, I thought I could try again with Billy but…"

"Albert Spencer killed him Ruby," Regina interrupted, "not you."

"Yeah, I know. Still all that did was prove I'm meant to be alone."

"Self-pity doesn't really become you," Regina stated bluntly.

Ruby's head shot up and she glared at the woman who'd previously been so polite. "It's not self-pity and if you're going to make fun of me…"

"And you called me dramatic?" Regina chuckled. "All I meant was that you are not a woman who is meant to be alone."

Ruby blinked, wondering if she'd just been complimented. "That's not…"

"Anyone who is frightened off by your…lycanthropic nature isn't worthy of you," Regina interrupted firmly. "You've learned to not just live with the wolf inside of you but to control it as well. That's a testament to your strength, which is far more desirable than simple physical appearance."

"Tell that to any man in town who believes my breasts can talk," Ruby snorted.

"Well, you do advertise your…assets… quite blatantly Miss Lucas."

Ruby bit back her grin and looked innocently at the Evil Queen. "I didn't realize you've been noticing my…assets," she taunted.

Regina's lips lifted in a slow smile, not at all flustered by Ruby's teasing. "Oh, I've noticed alright."

With that, Ruby's cocky bubble deflated and her cheeks heated, causing Regina to offer a very rare laugh.

"Now that that's settled, would you now care to explain why you chose me out of all the places you could have gone tonight?"

As she looked at Regina, a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot coffee and the fireplace was settling inside of Ruby and it all had to do with the beautiful woman that hadn't thrown her out on her ass. "I didn't want you to be alone either."

Regina scowled, about to remind the younger brunette that she didn't do pity, but there was a simple honesty in her dark eyes that surprised her. "Why?"

Ruby met the wary gaze straight on. "Because of everyone in this town, you're the only one that I really feel comfortable around anymore."

"Miss…Ruby, we barely know each other. What on earth would make you feel that way? About me of all people?" Regina finally had to admit that she was totally confused.

"Because, despite everything, you're honest. For the most part," Ruby added with a smirk. "You don't hide behind useless labels and you say what you think to somebody's face instead of talking behind their back."

"I've called you quite a few things," Regina reminded her unapologetically. "Are you saying you didn't mind?"

"No. I can't imagine any woman enjoying having it implied she's a hooker. Except hookers of course,"

"I didn't say you were a hooker dear. Just that you occasionally dress like one," Regina corrected casually.

Ruby shot the former Mayor a curious look. "And just how many hookers have you known…dear?" She laughed at the dumbfounded expression on the beautiful face that usually only held condescension or a smirk.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said, her laughter fading after a long uncomfortable moment of silence coming from Regina. She hoped she hadn't just ruined everything.

Finally, Regina let out a little laugh of her own. "Don't be. Very few people have the courage to talk to me like that. It's…different."

Heaving an internal sigh of relief, Ruby looked around the living room trying to settle her racing heart. Suddenly Ruby realized something.

"You don't have any Christmas decorations up," she blurted, feeing slightly concerned when Regina's smile vanished.

"I didn't really see the point," she said stiffly.

Ruby desperately wanted to reach out and take Regina's hand, but she knew it wouldn't be welcome. At least not yet, she thought with a little bit of Christmas hope. Suddenly an idea sprung to mind and she bounced slightly as she shifted on the couch.

"We need cookies," she announced, vowing she was going to make this a happy Christmas for Regina Mills, even if it killed her. Which, knowing the temperamental woman beside her, it very well could.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We need to festify this place," she announced cheerfully, not letting the haughty glare intimidate her.

"I don't believe that's a word," Regina retorted, trying not to smile at the other woman's eagerness.

"Well I just said it, so that makes it a word," Ruby countered, just barely resisting sticking her tongue out.

"I suppose I can't refute that kindergarten logic," Regina drawled. "So how exactly do you propose we…'festify' when the decorations are in the garage and I'm not about to go traipsing outside in the dark and the snow at seven o'clock on Christmas Eve?"

Ruby's excitement was at full power and she wasn't going to be deterred by one grumpy sorceress. "Okay, well you tell me where they are and I'll go get them while you start the cookies?"

As Regina looked into eyes that had looked so sad when she'd arrived but now sparkled with an innocent excitement, she discovered she simply couldn't find it in her to refuse.

"Very well," Regina put a reluctant sigh into her voice as she wasn't about to give Ruby Lucas the impression she was a push over. "There are a few boxes sitting just inside the door that I'd gotten out when I thought Henry…"

Ruby felt a pang in her heart and a flicker of anger at Regina's son. This time she did reach out and cover Regina's hand.

"We don't have to," she offered.

Regina stared down at the hand that dared touch her. It had been so long since anyone had touched her in comfort that she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. Letting herself push away the rejection that still lingered, she focused on the long slender fingers resting on hers and the warm softness of the skin. She wondered if she hadn't made a grave mistake letting this woman into her home, but acknowledged that at this very moment she didn't care. "No," she said looking into the compassionate eyes of the most unlikely person, "I want to."

"Great!" Ruby hopped off the couch and started to leave when this time it was Regina's hand that reached out for hers.

"Unless you have a knack for illegal entry my dear, you'll need a key," she said, the mocking tone belied by the warm gleam in her dark eyes.

Ruby started to reply when Regina got to her feet, hand still wrapped around Ruby's. Ruby swallowed hard as the Queen of Seduction herself invaded her personal space. Her nostrils flared slightly as her wolf senses picked up the indefinable scent that was purely Regina. Jesus, Ruby thought desperately.

"Do be careful Miss Lucas," Regina purred, holding out a key. "Who knows what kind of dangers are just waiting for sweet Little Red Ridinghood?"

Unable to form a coherent thought, Ruby just took the key from Regina not even bothering to ask where she'd gotten it from and left the study, the throaty laugh coming from behind her had Ruby praying her legs would continue to hold her up.