Standard Disclaimer: The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

Chapter 7 – The Big Bang

With Henry's blessing secured as well his promise to come to dinner the minute she called for him, Regina made her way downstairs in a much better mood. Upon reaching the living room, she rounded the corner only to be stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of Ruby. Sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, her face was artfully illuminated in profile by the soft light from the lamp on the end table and relaxed in silent contemplation. Lingering in the cased opening between the living room and foyer, Regina paused to take in the captivating sight of her lover, looking so sublimely lovely as to have transcended the ability for words to adequately describe. It was as if she were being framed up for a memory that would last a lifetime

Regina was momentarily awestruck by the indelible portrait being presented to her. Such reactions were not uncommon considering Ruby's unparalleled beauty, but the way the soft light of the low-lit lamps was bathing her features made her seem almost inhuman, like she was a creature from some ethereal plane of existence beyond earth, an angel far too exquisite to be counted among such lowly creatures as humans. In times like this, Regina could only stop and stare, unable to comprehend how was it possible that she had gotten so lucky as to have this wonderful woman stumble into her.

It was especially hard to accept her blessings after all of the terrible things she'd done – after all the people she'd killed. In Storybrooke, it was easy to forget just many lives she had taken during her reign of terror in the Enchanted Forest. There were so many that she lost count long ago. As Queen, she had wiped out entire villages in her obsessive pursuit of Snow, slain scores upon scores of innocents and tortured people with festive savagery just to amuse herself. Unable to cope with her own pain, inflicting it upon others became her favorite pastime. To be honest, at that point her heart was so hardened by anger, hatred, and by the countless acts of evil she'd perpetrated that she had no longer considered herself capable of such a foolish emotion as love.

The appearance of a lonely, distraught werewolf in the Queen's forest changed that perception. Red's youthful persistence and innocent affection wore Regina's coldly pessimistic nature down and softened her heart until a door was chiseled out through which Red slipped in, in the process becoming an integral part of Regina's life. How she'd ever managed to survive so many years both in the Enchanted Forest and during the Curse without the kindhearted and loving young woman in her life, she'd never know. It was, she thought, a minor victory that she'd lasted as long as she had.

When first arriving in Storybrooke, Regina had wandered around her new creation, trying to be exultant in her hard won triumph but unable to because of the hole in her heart that Red's absence left behind. And now that they were reunited once more, she couldn't imagine ever being without Red again in whatever form she occupied.

"You gonna stand there and creep on me all night?"

Ruby's voice cut through the silence, startling Regina out of her thoughts. Glancing up, Regina saw the corner of her lips turn up and her eyes begin to sparkle in the low light.

Stepping into the room, Regina cleared her throat. "I hadn't planned to but I can continue to do so if you prefer. I do so enjoy studying you, dear. You paint such a lovely portrait."

"Too bad you can't frame me and hang me up on the wall then, huh?" Ruby quipped, smirking.

After giving Ruby a playful smile, Regina focused on a bare spot on her wall near the fireplace. Making like she was framing the spot with her hands, she squinted dramatically and then adjusted her hands several times for effect before stopping. "Perhaps you're right," she mused. "I think this spot would make an excellent place to display you. You would look rather exquisite right there between the fireplace and my newly acquired Thomas Cole. Don't you agree?"

"Hmm," Ruby answered, feigning serious contemplation. "I don't know. I guess I am kinda naturally rugged in a way."

Turning back to Ruby, Regina smirked. "Why, yes you are," she said in a husky tone, "and very wild, much to my frequent delight."

Although Ruby blushed, she still managed to look proud. "And you wouldn't have me any other way."

"No, I would not," Regina agreed. Crossing over to the couch, she then slid in beside Ruby so that their hips were in contact, causing Ruby to shift so that she could lean in slightly while throwing her arm on top of the couch and around Regina's shoulders. "So..."

"So." Ruby blurted out at the same time. Regina gestured that she go first. "I was just gonna ask how your talk with Henry went. I know whenever Granny said," she shifted her voice to imitate her grandmother, "'I need to have a talk with you, girl,' it always meant bad times for Ruby were ahead."

"It was nothing so serious," Regina replied, grinning at Ruby's impression. It really was quite spot on. "I merely wanted to inform him of what I was going to discuss with you right now."

Ruby's brow perked up. "Oh?"

"Yes," Regina began, pausing to worry her lip for a moment before launching in, "you see, my son is the most important person in my life, as you know." At that, Ruby nodded. "So when I make life-changing decisions that are going to impact him, I have to inform him first in order to gauge how he feels about said decision."

"Okay," Ruby drawled, frowning slightly. "I'm following you so far but I don't get what that has to do with me." Her expression perked up as a thought crossed her mind. "Are you thinking of getting a dog, Regina? 'Cause I know you know how I'm partial to them. I mean, Pongo is just about the best thing ever."

"No, absolutely not," Regina replied, semi-horrified at the thought of a dog rampaging around her immaculate home – well, any other besides the one currently on her couch. The canine beside her was the only one Regina was willing to live with for the moment, though Ruby would not understand that. "I'm not getting a dog." At Ruby's pout, she sighed. "Although, I can make note of how you feel on the subject."

That small concession instantly perked Ruby back up. "Does that mean it might be possible some time in the future?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina chuckled. Damn her, she thought, for being so irresistibly cute. Out loud, she responded, "We'll see, but I have to tell you, it amuses me how interested you are in the possibility of my getting a dog. It's almost as if you're personally invested with what goes on in this home."

Looking mortified, Ruby blurted out an apology. "I'm sorry, Regina. I didn't mean to imply anything by it. I'm not pushing you or anything, I promise."

Her look softening, Regina shifted so that she was skewed toward Ruby. As she looked up into wary green eyes, she reached out to take hold of Ruby's hands.

"No need to be nervous, my darling," she reassured. "Your assumption is appropriately close to the mark."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that I asked you here to dinner for a reason, to which I alluded in our earlier conversation. Tonight is meant to be for my family, which to me you are already a part of. I only want to make it more official. So, with that said," Regina lifted Ruby's hands up to her lips to brush reverent kisses over the knuckles of each one, as if she were a noble maiden and Regina her dashing suitor, "both Henry and I would like it very much if you would come live with us."

An awestruck expression worked its way through Ruby's features, starting with her eyes which widened dramatically and ending in her mouth falling open in shock. Had there not been a change in her demeanor in the moments thereafter, Regina might have grown nervous, but as a radiant smile soon formed across her lover's face all she could do was match it.

"Are you being for real?"

Regina reached out to cup Ruby's cheek, tenderly caressing over her lips and chin with the pad of her thumb. "Very much so, which is why I just talked to Henry about it."

With semi-fretful eyes, Ruby took a deep breath. "And? I mean, you said he was okay with it, but was he really?"

"He was," Regina answered frankly. "In fact, I believe his exact words were: 'It's fine with me. Ruby's awesome.'"

Ruby's eyes glinted. "Awesome, huh? And does his mom share that opinion?"

Leaning in toward her lover until their noses were almost brushing, Regina tilted her head ever-so-slightly. "You know perfectly well that she does," she whispered and then leaned in for a sweet, lingering kiss that sent a suffusing warmth flooding through her chest which flowed all the way down to her toes. After parting, Regina placed a punctuating kiss to the tip of Ruby's nose, causing it to twitch so adorably that she grinned. "So, what do you say? Want to be an official part of the Mills family?"

Biting her lip, Ruby nodded, her face radiant with joy. "I would love to. So much."

Suddenly elated like a woman half her age, Regina reacted impulsively by attacking Ruby's mouth, leaning into the kiss so that her body was half hanging over Ruby's with one arm propped up on the arm of the couch and the other on its back. When Ruby changed the angle to deepen the kiss, Regina moaned and then repeated the wanton sound when a velvet tongue slid against her own. When she felt Ruby's hand dipping dangerously south soon after, she instinctively slid in even closer so that she was almost in Ruby's lap. But just when things were getting interesting, a voice from the stairway had them breaking apart like two teenagers caught making out by one of their parents.

"Gross, you guys," Henry commented, his face showing his adolescent disgust. "Really? I'm seriously going to be scarred for life if I have to see this every day."

Groaning, Regina rolled back onto the couch from where she had been hovering over Ruby and then buried her head in her lover's shoulder to hide her scarlet blush. Ruby on the other hand had a very different reaction, breaking out into laughter at both Regina's embarrassment and Henry's joking repulsion.

"Shut up, punk!" she retorted a moment later, still chuckling.

Regina glanced up just in time to see Henry grin back impishly. "Make me, bean pole."

"Don't tempt me, munchkin."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Olive Oyl."

"Alright you two, settle down," Regina intervened when Ruby started to respond again, unable to restrain a smile despite the puerile antics. She then stood up from the couch to put herself between her child and her sometimes immature lover (girlfriend...partner...Regina was not quite sure how to refer to Ruby now that they were going to be living together, but she could figure that out later). While the banter between the two could be annoying at times, it was mostly endearing, doing her heart good to see the two most important people in her life interacting with such easy familiarity. Still, being the responsible adult, she had a part to play as well.

"Dinner is ready," she pointed out, a hand on her hip as she looked between both parties, "and I'd hate to have to put both of you in time out. But I suppose I wouldn't mind having the delicious pot roast I made all to myself."

"Mom!" "Regina!" Came the simultaneous whines of protest, and as she departed for the kitchen, Regina left both Henry and Ruby gaping at one another in utter horror. It was such an amusing sight that she cackled with unrestrained glee.

Regina had thought that dinner might be a tense affair due to the new adjustments being made, but to her immense relief both Henry and Ruby seemed to adapt effortlessly. With stories and jokes being told along with plenty of talk about school, video games, and the latest comic book Henry had read, it was almost as if he and Ruby were having just another weekly meal together as had become part of their routine over the past several weeks. Such a lack of disturbance to their established rhythm made Regina's earlier fears seem quite foolish in retrospect, although if ever there was an occasion for her to gladly be a fool, it was with this.

All in all, everyone had a splendid time. The food was delicious (there were plenty of complements to the cook, which Regina ate up as always) and the atmosphere was casual and relaxed. It felt like a real, honest-to-God family dinner, the first Regina had enjoyed since Henry was a bit younger. At one time, when she ate dinner with her son, it would be as it was at present but that changed when he found out he was adopted. For a long time after, things were tense between Regina and her son, but now it was almost as if those hurtful weeks and months had been erased, and it was in no small part thanks to Ruby.

Without even trying, Ruby had become the glue that bonded Regina with her son once again, and for that, she would eternally grateful. But as if that were not enough, Ruby made it her mission in life to become Henry's best friend, and to Regina's great surprise she had admirably succeeded in that goal. She hadn't expected her son to take to Ruby so quickly, but the versatile and interesting young woman seemed to be able to put herself on Henry's level in a way that his mother couldn't.

Though such pursuits generally annoyed Regina, Ruby was not averse to playing video games or watching superhero movies for hours on end, hell, she even seemed to genuinely enjoy them. In a way, Ruby had started to replace some of his need to be around Emma, "the cool Mom", so that the more she was around the less he seemed to mention the many desirable attributes of his birth mother. There were even times of late that Henry would go an entire day without wishing out loud that Emma was around so he would have someone to pal around with, whereas a few months before, it had seemed like such mentions were an hourly event.

And it wasn't that Regina wanted to keep Henry away from Emma because she didn't. She just wanted to be her son's mother again, to be the one he ran to whenever he was in trouble or hurt or sad or happy. Little by little, that aspect of the mother-son relationship was returning, but it couldn't have happened without Ruby's stabilizing presence in their lives. In bringing happiness back to Regina, Ruby had afforded her security and courage to let down her walls in such a way that she was being freed of her insecurities one day at a time. The mother that Henry had not seen for far too long (to Regina's great shame), the one who had fed him and changed his diapers and soothed away his every tear and fear, was returning, and that this was happening at all was a minor miracle in the light of how bad things had gotten.

Eventually, Regina became so overwhelmed by her emotions that she was forced to retreat to the kitchen. She hadn't wanted to spoil such a wonderful night due to her overly sensitive emotions and thus found herself alone in her kitchen, leaning over the sink while trying to regather herself. She turned when she heard someone walk in a few minutes later.

"Hey," Ruby greeted with a look of concern. "You okay?"

"I am now," she replied, nodding. It had all just gotten too intense but she really was feeling a bit more level. "Where's Henry? Is he okay? I didn't scare him did I?"

Crossing over to stand at Regina's side, Ruby began to rub a soothing pattern along her lower back. Regina leaned into the touch.

"No, you didn't. I talked to him and he's okay," Ruby reassured her. "He was obviously worried about you but understood when I explained that tonight was kinda overwhelming for you. Anyway, since he was done with dinner, I excused him to read for a bit before he does his homework. I hope that wasn't overstepping my bounds."

Breathing a sigh, Regina shook her head to indicate she accepted Ruby's decision. If her son and new domestic partner were ever going to build a solid relationship beyond being buddies, she was going to have to start trusting Ruby to be a co-parent to Henry in much the same way as Emma was. And unlike with Emma Swan, it wasn't a bothersome prospect to Regina, nor did it worry her in the least. Ruby had a good head on her shoulders where Henry was concerned, and seemed to already fit into their family like she was always supposed to be there despite her frequent insistence that she would make an atrocious mother. The way Ruby was with Henry proved otherwise to Regina but she was content to allow Ruby her denial for the time being.

"No, that's fine," Regina elaborated, looking up at Ruby with a grateful smile to make sure her intent was clear. "I'm glad you did as a matter of fact. I want you to feel like it's okay to be more involved in his life now."

Ruby looked astounded. "You do?"

"Of course I do!" Regina insisted, though she understood Ruby's surprise. Up until the present, she had been admittedly stingy with Emma where Henry was concerned, having fought tooth and nail against and undermined Henry's birth mother every step of the way. Her trust where her son was concerned was precious and not given easily but Ruby had long since earned it, unlike Emma Swan.

Come to think of it, Regina was very interested to witness the so-called Savior's reaction when she found out Ruby was moving in with her. A little more than five months had passed since they started dating, but Regina still remembered the stars in Emma's eyes every time she looked at Ruby back then. And even though that had faded somewhat and Emma had essentially become Ruby's best friend, she was not so perpetually well composed that she never slipped. It was rare, but Regina had personally witnessed Emma reveal the admittedly dimmed torch she still carried for Ruby more than once, and while she really couldn't blame the woman at all for being smitten, Ruby was too trusting for Regina to relax where the intrusive blonde was concerned.

But even more, Regina wondered how Emma would adapt to Henry having yet another authority figure in his life, one who posed a legitimate threat to Emma's place in his heart. That she was Henry's birth mother would be a point of bond that could never be overcome, but the main part of Emma's appeal to Henry seemed to be her 'cool' factor. Being younger than Regina and more worldly made Emma extremely interesting to a sheltered young boy like Henry, but Ruby offered him many of the same traits that made Emma so alluring and some that went beyond what even Emma could offer.

For instance, Ruby was fun and energetic and funny and good at almost everything she tried. Regina was kind of envious of the fluidity with which Ruby learned new skills but she supposed the ability stemmed from her werewolf DNA, since all naturally born werewolves were physical gifted specimens in ways that went far beyond heightened senses and the ability to transform into enormously frightening wolves. Ruby was a prime example of that, for whether in sports or video games or martial arts, she excelled in every activity she attempted involving physicality or keen reflexes. As a result, Henry had come to sort of idolize her, though it was not so much a worshipful attitude as the kind that made him want to spend as much time with her as possible if just to learn from her, a feeling Regina could relate to, though on a much more intimate level.

Emma Swan finally had real competition for Henry's extra attention and Regina couldn't wait to watch the woman flounder. There was just no way in Regina's eyes that she could contend with Ruby.

"You're going to be involved in his daily life now," she then went on, seeing Ruby's raised brow as she waited patiently for elaboration. "He needs to know that he can trust you and depend on you, which I think he already does."

"And believe me, that makes me feel like a million bucks," Ruby smiled, tucking her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. Rolling on her heels a time or two, she shrugged with an affected blush. "I love the kid. I'd do just about anything for him."

"Which is why I'm more than fine with you taking a more active role," Regina replied, stepping up to Ruby and sliding her hands around her lover's slim hips until they were resting over her pocketed hands. She leaned up and gave Ruby a quick kiss. "But since Henry is alright," she said after pulling away to looking up at her taller partner, "I want to know about you. How are you doing with all of this? I know it's sudden and an enormous change to process in one night."

"Well, that depends," Ruby replied as she extricated herself from Regina's grasp only to maneuver herself deliberately behind the shorter woman. After pressing her body flush to Regina's back, Ruby wound her arms around Regina's waist and rested her head on a tense shoulder.

Regina relaxed into the embrace. "On?"

Nuzzling her nose into Regina's neck, Ruby took a deep breath. "On you. Are you really okay with this? The way you reacted in there, I thought for a moment you might be having second thoughts."

"Absolutely not," Regina said, gripping Ruby's arm. "I've not been so sure of anything in my life since I decided to adopt Henry." She then ran her hand down Ruby's forearm until she reached her hand where she linked their fingers together. "I'm not second guessing anything. I'm just happy, Ruby – happier than I ever thought I could be."

Ruby pulled away. "I would think that to be a good thing. So why are you so tense?"

"I've told you some of my past," Regina said. Ruby nodded. "Every time things get good for me, I get the rug pulled out from under my feet. So, I suppose that I'm subconsciously waiting for the inevitable."

"Which is?"

"For you to leave me," she explained, hating how pathetic she sounded, "for something to happen to you that would take you away from me. I don't know, Ruby...I'm just a little afraid. I don't want to lose you."

Ruby couldn't know in that moment that Regina was thinking about the Curse, but she was. Regina was afraid because she was pretty sure that time was running out on her brief moment of happiness. Any day, Emma Swan might start to believe, and if that happened the Curse would quickly come unraveled. Once Red woke up, she was bound to hate Regina for what she'd done, which would leave the former Queen alone with nothing but her memories.

Regina was not yet ready to give Ruby up but she had little choice in the matter. Whether the Curse was broken or not was now out of her hands. There was no use fighting against the inevitable anymore.

Stepping back around Regina, Ruby cupped her cheeks, expressive eyes imploring Regina to heed her next words.

"I'm not going to leave you, Regina," she said, and according to a certain line of logic, Regina believed that. Ruby wouldn't leave her, that Regina was confident of. But could she say the same for Red? Probably not and the thought weighed heavily on her heart. "Hey, I'm not," Ruby reiterated more forcefully, having seen the doubt written all over Regina's face. "I'm in this for the long haul. I want this," she removed her hands to gesture in between them, "us, more than anything else I've ever wanted. You have to believe that."

"I do, Ruby, I do," Regina said, her eyes hopeful but the rest of her face not quite having caught up to that optimism.

Tilting her head to the side, Ruby smiled reassuringly. "Well, then, just trust in that. Believe in us. I do."

Grasping Ruby's hand, Regina gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll try. I promise."

"That's all I ask."

With that, Regina return to Ruby's arms. "So," she breathed out in an effort to change the subject. She wanted to veer the conversation away from the heaviness that was threatening to stain what should be a joyful occasion, and to that end, she placed a lingering kiss to inviting lips in order to quell any attempts at reigning the conversation back to where it was. By the way Ruby leaned into it, Regina's ploy worked. "I didn't get to tell you earlier but you look so beautiful tonight," she commented a moment later. "Just like the first time I saw you."

Giving Regina a sideways grin, Ruby cocked her head. "But it wasn't the first time you saw me."

"You know what I mean," Regina answered, her voice gravelly and weighted by the depth of her emotions, "It wasn't the first time I saw you but it was the first time I saw you. It was the first time I realized how dangerous you were to me and just how easy it would be for me to..." she trailed off, worrying her lip.

Ruby gave a stuttering breath. "To what?"

"To fall in love with you," Regina exhaled. "And I have, Ruby. I'm in love with you. And I know this is backwards. I mean, you're moving in and I've haven't said the words yet, but you have to know how much I wanted to! I just wasn't ready yet." Pressing further into Ruby, Regina wound her arms around Ruby's neck and pulled their foreheads together. "But I am now, and I'm so sorry it took me so long. I'm not an easy person to love, Ruby, and I've not been the kind of person who is able to give her heart away in a very long time. You make me want to be that person again."

"Regina," Ruby breathed, her eyes wide and staring with awe into Regina's. There was so much unfettered adoration in them that Regina completely lost herself in the moment. "Say it again."

With what was probably a sickeningly sappy grin, Regina happily obliged. "I love you, Ruby Lucas."

Her chin trembling, a wide smile broke out on Ruby's face. "I love you, too, Regina Mills."

Leaning down, Regina smirked. "Just don't forget who said it first."

"As if I could," Ruby retorted, her breath ghosting across Regina's lips.

And then they were kissing once again, though this was unlike the other more chaste kisses that preceded it. This one was like it was the very first time, tentative yet hopeful, soft yet yearning, and so perfectly sweet that tears pricked at Regina's eyes. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she poured everything into the point of exhilarating contact between herself and her lover: her heart, her love, and her adoration for the incredible woman who had chosen her above all others.

It was a strange feeling for Regina to have someone who loved her enough to stand by her even though she was a complex, frustrating, and difficult woman. No one since Daniel had even cared enough to get to know those parts of her, least of all appreciate them, but Red had done so twice, her love so unshakeable that even the curse could not alter it. Red's unique devotion was both a testament to her character and a stark reminder to Regina of how precious the woman was, far above anything material, even the most rare and expensive of jewels. The thought reminded Regina of a proverb she had read from one this world's sacred texts espousing the value of such a woman, which made Red's cursed moniker all the more appropriate.

Swept away by an intense rush of emotions, reality faded into the background. Time began to lose meaning, almost as if she were in the midst of some sort of mystical experience. It was like she was tranquilly afloat on an ocean of peace, secured by Ruby's embrace and anchored by the passion of her love. She was being carried away, guided by the gentle waves to a better place of being where happiness was not only possible but a reality. Regina could it feel it there, her true happy ending, just through the mist and over the horizon, so close that her heart was about to burst. She had never felt such love before in her life.

It was at that very moment that she realized with no small measure of shock that her love for the woman in her arms had surpassed even that she bore for Daniel. It seemed impossible. For most of her adult life, she'd venerated what she'd shared with her humble stable boy as incomparable, holding that innocently pure love up as the golden standard to which all great loves must be compared. Knowing that none could ever measure up to the ideal she'd constructed, Regina all but gave up on the possibility of finding another person who might be worthy to stand in Daniel's shadow, someone she could trust with all of her heart, someone she could love with all of her soul. But oh how wrong she had been.

Somehow, Red had done the impossible by usurping Daniel's place in her heart, and for a brief moment, Regina almost panicked. Her sanctuary trembled as if about to crumble. But then, almost as if aware of how much she needed it, she could see her stable boy once more. Materializing out of the mist with a kind and gentle smile prominently on display, pride filled his eyes.

"This is all I ever wanted...for you to be happy," he then spoke audibly, his voice disconnected from space and time like an echo of an echo, though somehow still warm like honey, "It's what I lived for...what I died for. And now that I know you've found love again – that you've found someone deserving of the priceless gift you have to give – I can rest at long last."

"Daniel!" her imagined self shouted as he began to fade away. "Don't leave me!"

"I'll never leave you," he replied, his ghostly voice echoing through her mind. "Nor will she."

With those final words, something began to happen. A warmth formed in Regina's body, starting at the base of her spine and then working its way up to settle in her chest. All around the kitchen, pots and pans began to rattle. The air quaked in a muted crescendo, growing and growing in volume until suddenly a great explosion occurred, violently separating her from Ruby's embrace. With equally wide eyes, they turned to watch a flat disc of magic strangely mixed with purple and red swirls burst out from the epicenter of their bodies. Like a shock wave, it radiated outward to pass through the walls of the kitchen where it then disappeared from sight.

Clenching her eyes shut, Regina's heart dropped. She didn't have to be told what that was. Fear seized her limbs, gluing her to the floor. She looked up to see Ruby blinking as if just awakening out of the darkness of a 28 year long slumber and into the blinding light of the sun.

"Ruby?" Regina prompted warily. She had never felt so small and helpless as she did at that moment.

A frown crossed Ruby's features as she gazed at Regina, the memories of two lives warring inside her head. "Regina?" she croaked, bringing a hand up to rub her temple.

Shuffling a bit on her feet, Regina crossed her arms over her chest, feigning nonchalance though she was screaming inside. "Yes. It's me." For the briefest of moments, Regina felt her heart stop. This was it. It was over. The Curse had been broken and Red was back. The only question was: what happened next?