New chapter finally up,

Sorry it took a little longer, had my other stories that needed updating and so had to write those out. But its here and so happy reading. :D

Don't own OUAT

It was three days since the fight with the Sheriff. Two since Maleficent slapped her and Regina had in retaliation - threatened her. One since they talked and the blonde had revealed the truth as two why she had been both afraid and angry at her, and when Regina had admitted to killing those men and feeling slightly disconnected about it all.

In a fashion befitting the type of women they where they had promptly pushed all thoughts and shows of emotion and feeling to the back of their minds and resumed life as normal the threat of the King didn't bother the blonde as she told Regina as such that it shouldn't her either, the man may have talked about going about trying to capture them but when it came down to actually setting about a plan he wouldn't find anyone stupid enough to go with it.

That soothed her a little but not by much apparently as the blonde had to further reassure her that she had dealt with people like him for years, and that he was only another to add to the list. That helped more as she relaxed, she had no reason not to trust Maleficent the woman knew what she was talking about and of course had the means to back up her words and so let it slide from the forefront of her worries.

They had been eating breakfast when movement had her looking to see the small Black unicorn pottering about. It had been weird to see him just casually wandering the halls as she saw him from time to time doing what it was that small ponies did.

"What's his name?"

The blonde looked to see her staring at the new addition and smiled a little. It had only occurred to her that she hadn't actually known his name as the older woman hadn't given it, of course that could be excused with all the sappiness that had been floating around. She looked at the small creature before turning to Regina.

"His name is Seraphim."

Regina's brow arches in surprise. She glances back to the happily snooping Unicorn and mentally tries to picture the name. She then places it over the top of the animal and frowns slightly.

"What"

It takes her a second but she then turns back to the waiting blonde. "I know that upholding a reputation as being all evil and moody, certain things are a must if to keep up appearances."

"But"

She takes another quick look at the small pony before shaking her head. "I think your trying too hard to make something that is essentially a walking purity sign into an animal that had come from the depths of hell."

"I am not." Regina arches her brow again. "The burning one if that isn't a blatant try then what else is?"

The older witch glares at her before looking back to her beloved Unicorn. "He's menacing"

"About as menacing as a rabbit sleeping in a slipper"

"His coat is Black… a color, everyone knows – is universal for terror and shadiness." The younger woman waved her hand in his direction as his color changed from deep midnight black, to pure white as she smiles at the unhappy blonde.

"There he's now as adorable as a rainbow vomiting kittens." The older Fae increasingly displeased with how she is mocking the new tenant waves her hand as his colour changes once more back to his original state and then back to Regina.

"Will you desist your harassing. I didn't make this much fun you when you were a shrieking, smelly little miscreant."

Regina smirks as she leant back in her chair and chuckles lightly further annoying the older woman. "True and I fully thank you from the bottom of my gremlin like heart."

Maleficent's hand twitch's a little.

"But I'm not the one trying to cover up his lack of scariness by trying to pass him off as a devils minion."

"Ok that's it." She laughs when the blonde stands and scowls. "Out, if you can't be nice then get the hell out before I do some target practice."

Still laughing Regina has to run out the room narrowly missing the fireball sent her way by the irate blonde who sighs and gets back to finishing her breakfast.

She picks up her tea before turning to look at the Unicorn that had come closer to her. "You are terrifying, don't listen to her."

He throws his head up a little before getting back to his investigating leaving her to drink her tea.

Regina is walking through the halls still overly amused at the name she had deigned give the pony. She is about to go up the smaller flight of stairs when one of the helpers stops her.

"Mistress"

She turns, she never really had gotten used to that title and looks at him. "Mistress there is somebody waiting on the outside of the gates for you."

Tilting her head she her forehead wrinkles slightly before it dawned on her that it could only be Ruby. Who else did she know as she smiled and thanked him before he nodded and went on his way she moves down the hall forgoing the stairs as she makes her way into the gardens, he didn't specify where Ruby was or actually how he had come across her so she has to focus and try locating her through the familiar aura she's used to.

She pinpoints her at the Far East side of the land before she lets the smoke take her there as she reappears once more. She looks around the empty area just as a voice calls her.

"Regina!" She turns and smiles to find Ruby waiting on the other side. She moves closer to the gate.

"What's wrong?" As it had only just occurred to her that the wolf had never been this far up the mountain. The other girl looks around as if looking for any eavesdroppers before turning back to her.

I need to talk to you

The other girl wonders why she was whispering seeing as it was just the two of them. Nonetheless she can't resist teasing and mimics her actions before replying.

"What about"

Ruby frowns on seeing Regina copy her. She has been with the other girl long enough to know when she is getting the piss taken out of her and glares.

"It's not funny Regina this is serious." Thankfully the Raven haired girl knows when she is being serious and so stops her teasing as she regards her friend.

"What wrong?"

"Can you come on this side? It feels like we're not friends or anything talking this way" She asks eying the large gates as she nods, a few seconds later she is on the other side with Ruby.

"Ok, now tell me – what's wrong."

Ruby launches into story as they sit on a rock. How they took their anger and revenge on the Sheriff, something Regina knew and asked why it wasn't longer considering the length of time he had hunted them. Ruby replied that it wasn't up to her and if given the chance, she would have wanted to hurt him some more.

Somehow Regina doesn't see that. The other girl was too sweet for something as prolonged as slow torture – but really what did she know, she was the one who cried into Maleficent's shoulder for the better part of the night and so chose to keep quiet. She listened to how on finally ending his life he left them a message, at how if he were to die than King George would surely know and take action.

It had left a few of the wolves a little unsettled. Regina is silently thinking when ruby stops talking. "So what do you think?"

Thoughts now broken Regina turns back to Ruby. "About what"

"Regina!" Said girl holds up her hands "Sorry… sorry I was thinking about what you were saying."

The dubious look prompts her to defend herself. "I was!"

"Well then." Deciding to take the advice of what the blonde had said to her earlier, she replies. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. The sheriff was all smoke and no fire."

Ruby lifts her head a little and inhales deeply. "You think?"

She nods her head. "Of course, he was a man known to terrify and intimidate. Knowing he was going to die it was most likely his last way of getting to you, messing with your heads."

Ruby doesn't say anything as she ponders on her words as a small look crosses her face. She wants to believe her friend but they had been hunted for a while. The king clearly wanted them and so at the death of the man he hired, (when he found out) surely that wouldn't be enough to deter him from still coming after them.

Plus Regina didn't have to worry; she lived all the way up the mountain in a castle with a Dragon. Not to mention she happened to be one herself but no one knew that. She could take care of herself as it was just the two of them. Ruby had a family pack to worry about.

"Ruby look at me" The other girl does so as it was clear Regina saw her look of doubt. "George isn't going to retaliate just because you killed a man… sure he might have had a working relationship with him." She chose not to tell her that it was a very close and extremely long, working relationship of course as she carried on.

"But that was it – nothing else. Hell if anything he would most likely be glad he didn't have to pay the man so he's not going to be too disappointed when he failed to turn up"

Ruby again doesn't speak leaving Regina wondering how she could possibly be any more reassuring when she herself wasn't that certain about the mind of a foolish and power-hungry king when she sees her nod.

"Ok…"

"Ok?"

"Ok"

Regina gave her friend a careful once over not really sure what she meant. "Ok… so you believe me?" Ruby nods and smiles.

"I trust you why wouldn't I? If you really think that George wont attack then I believe you." Hearing that makes Regina smile as she really didn't think she had anymore pep in her to keep talking about a topic she wasn't too sure on.

"Great! – well that's right I mean he will thinking of far more important things then to worry about a man who had no real affiliations to anyone but himself, so… problem solved."

The brunette smiled widely and nods as they get to their feet. "Well I have to go… making sure that the hide out is a bit more secured and so got to help with that and stuff."

Regina nods, she didn't think she could spend anytime idly when she had studying to be doing as Ruby leans in for a hug. "Thank you, Regina… really needed to hear someone else say that without being sure they meant it."

The other girl chuckles weakly but she doesn't notice as they pull apart. She watched as Ruby turns and heads back down the mountain waving back to her as she did Regina waits until she is out of sight before heading back to the castle in a gust of smoke leaving the clearing empty once more.

If she had been all too confident in her own words, she would come to soon realize. Then she might have taken a little longer to be reassuring as two days later would see Ruby back at the gates - this time wide-eyed, fearful and with a request she wasn't sure she wanted to fulfill.

"I'm sorry –you want me to what?"

"I need you to meet with my friend." They were sitting in the woods this time as Regina had taken them there as she faced the other girl, firstly there were two problems in all she found wrong with that request and she showed it by glaring deeply at Ruby who seemed to be oblivious, she crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Regina"

"You said friend." That stopped Ruby from speaking as she looked at her, "What?"

"You said my friend… I'm your friend" Her tone was short and blunt as Ruby struggled to respond to her sudden change on both mood and topic.

"Well yes you are… I never said you weren't."

"But you just said meet my friend. I'm your friend; I'm here so how can I meet me." Once more she was baffled by her sullenness until it hit her, very slowly a smile spread over her face infuriating Regina even more.

"What are you smiling like that for? This is a serious conversation here" Ruby nodded placating the moody girl as she realized why she was moody

"Oh my – Regina, are you jealous?"

The raven haired girl pulled a face so affronted Ruby couldn't help but burst into laughter at as she shook her head. "What on earth gave you a stupid as stupid as that?"

The other girl, still smiling brightly shook her head. "Oh nothing at all" Her tone wasn't going down well with the younger Dragon as she narrowed her eyes at her wolf friend.

"Then why are you still smiling like a moron?"

It had taken all of three minutes for Regina's patience to end. Even as her best friend, it didn't afford the teasing wolf longer than others when it came to a limit when the other girls rope would snap. Glaring silently she gave it a few more seconds – long enough for Ruby to get another jab in before she stood abruptly.

"I'm done – go see your friend yourself."

She turned without word and walked off leaving a shocked Ruby who had gone from laughing to stunned in the blink of an eye – she watched stupidly as Regina got further and further away before snapping out of her trance and took off after her. She caught up to her a few hundred feet away.

"Whoa hey – where you going" She skidded to a halt in front of the other girl who still had her face like thunder as she looked at her, "Regina?"

"I'm going home like I said, "Ruby was still confused. "Yeah but why"

"If you can't figure it out than maybe you don't deserve to know" With that she side stepped the puzzled wolf and went on her way. Ruby stood and tried hard to think what might have set her off as it hit her again. She turned and ran to catch her once more as she took hold of her arm and spun her around.

"You're mad that I teased you." She was awarded with a sarcastic smile which she ignored. "You're mad for that?"

Regina glowered at her once more. "You know I hate being mocked." Ruby shook her head in earnest, that wasn't what she was doing at all…. Ok maybe a little but she thought her friend could take more than that.

"Come on you know I was only messing around."

"Uh-huh, yes I know and that is why I'm mad. Nobody mocks me…" Ruby nodded her head slowly.

"Ok... I get that – I'm sorry ok. But really, you're mad because I'm teasing you about me having another friend?" Regina didn't say anything which made it all the more true.

"Oh my god, you are mad because I have another friend. Aren't you?" She still didn't say anything. "Tell me"

"Ruby shut up."

"You really are? Did you expect me to sit around and wait for you to return… it took five years Regina, five years before you came back"

"So… wasn't like you had made any before me and that was still longer than I left" She crossed her arms moodily before realizing what she had said and looked at the other girl, Ruby pulled back hurt at what she had said.

"Are you that selfish you would have me go without other friends… is it so bad to want another to have for company whilst my best friend…my best friend left me for so long."

She was a little disgusted at the attitude her friend was showing. She had never seen a side to her like this and she didn't like it. Regina saw her look and sneered. What did she know, she lived in a god damn pack they share everything, didn't she know that Regina hated sharing. It was like that for everything.

Maybe she didn't know her as well as she would have liked.

"Well I'm sorry Regina but it doesn't work like that, I have another friend and if you can't accept that then maybe it is best we don't speak for a while."

Regina looked at her as Ruby stared back with determination in her eyes. Didn't she know who she was trying to intimidate? Did she know just who it was she was trying to bluff?

Regina never bowed down to anyone and neither did the Dragon. They would have both Ruby and her wolf crawling back like the good friend's they were. They needed her more than she did and so with a shrug she moved past her and went on her way.

"Ok"

Ruby, for the third time in as many minutes stood stock still. She heard the flippant remark before she left and couldn't comprehend it was their friendship nothing but a petty game of keeps to her? Did she actually value her as a friend or something to keep from others. She turned to see the retreating figure of her friend and for the life of her, tried to work out what just happened.

She wanted to say good riddance she really did, but Regina was the truest friend she had ever had, sure her other may have been new and something to explore but she really did want the other girl in her life just as much. She was the only one who understood her and was like her ... sort of.

It was then it dawned on her that it wasn't just Regina who she was friends with. Her wolf also had made friends with the Dragon and from what she had been told, most creatures were pretty prideful beings… wolfs being just one of them.

She also had to take a hefty guess and say that Dragon were to, more so than what she ever could be and as such – it did affect their other half's somewhat. She closed her eyes, knowing that it was her pride that had taken a knock not the fact she was jealous even if that were a factor.

On top of that she really did need Regina to speak to her friend, she needed her to talk about what went on that day of the fight and what had come of it as was her main reason for talking to her again. Dam it.

With a heavy sigh she took off running once more to catch up with the other girl. "Regina!"

Said girl didn't reply as she carried on walking. She could hear the brunette huff as she jogged after and smiled. This was going exactly how she planned it and so keeping up the act she didn't respond to the second call as Ruby finally came to a stop at the side of her.

"Regina."

Finally and with feigned reluctance did she stop, she turned to face the other girl who was staring at her, "You wanted something?"

Ruby groaned and looked to the sky missing the smirk Regina wore as she looked back at her as it quickly vanished from sight. "Regina don't be like this."

Tilting her head the other girl looked at the brunette with more feigned confusion. "I'm sorry be like what? I thought this was what you wanted, for us to take some time apart and I was merely respecting your wishes."

Ruby kept her gaze on the other girl whose face remained neutral, not giving away anything as she groaned again. This so wasn't going like she imagined it… but she knew what she had to do, so turning so she faced her friend again she took a deep breath.

"Ok – look… I'm sorry ok. I shouldn't have said that… I don't really want to take time apart, you're my best friend." Regina didn't say anything as she stood and listened.

"But you were gone for a long time Regina. I missed you and she came along one day when I was in the woods, at first I didn't like her but then she started talking and well… I just wanted a friend to replace the one I lost."

Regina's face cracked a little on hearing her sad confession. And it only got worse the more she talked, dam it – why was she weak when it came to the other girl and grumpily held up her hand to halt her speech.

"Ok… ok fine I get it, I left I'm a bad person… bad friend."

"Oh - no I wasn't calling you that—" She was cut off once more.

"Yes I know but it's all the same. I did leave and well… I guess I can sort of see why you needed someone to talk to," She muttered feeling crappier by the second. She glanced over to see the small prideful smile and sniffed. She stood taller and haughtily added the next part.

"I am awesome after all and so it was little wonder, no one could compare to my friendship and so I can't really fault you for trying."

Ruby burst into laughter knowing everything was all right after that. She looked at Regina who was fighting the smile that threatened to break and laughed harder. Finally she bounced over and pulled her into a hug.

"No one could replace you, not even Snow" Regina pulled out of her embrace to look at her.

"Wait –Snow?" She nodded and saw the incredulous look on her friends face. "What?"

"Her name is Snow?" Ruby nodded not seeing the problem. "Yeah… why what's wrong with it"

It was Regina turn to burst into laughter as she bent slightly all the while a confused Ruby was staring at her slightly speechless. She laughed and laughed before eventually seeing the annoyed look on her face and tried to reign it back.

"Snow…what kind of a name is that?"

"What's wrong with it." She felt the need to defend her absent friend as Regina smiled again. "My dear Ruby, what's right with it? Who in their sensible mind calls a kid Snow? It ridiculous"

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and exhaled moodily as Regina kept laughing. "Are you done?" Her face drops even more into a scowl when the raven haired girl holds up her finger.

"Give it a couple more minutes"

"REGINA!"

She stands up straight on hearing Ruby snap. "Ok done now." She smiled brightly at the still scowling girl.

"You better not laugh when we go to meet her, Regina's smile fades a little on that. "Oh crap we have to meet her?"

"Did you not hear me say before" To her credit she did her best to look contrite. "Yeah but then you mentioned her name and I forgot everything else"

"Well you best not make fun of her when we meet her… actually we should get going if we want to get there on time." She looked up to the sun and frowned.

"Well we can't be late for such a meeting now can we." She smirked at the unimpressed look Ruby threw her. "Stop it"

She jumped from the tree stump she had sat on. "Come on if we go now we might be able to hunt for stuff on the way back."

Regina lifted her head in thought. That did sound good and so with that in mind maybe the tedious conversation she was be soon forced to endure would go faster as she stood up and followed her. They hurried through the woods moving further and further away from either the den or the mountains as they travelled the path that took them the opposite way and to the White Kingdom.

"Ruby"

"Yeah"

"Where are we going?"

Ruby slowed her walk as she turned to face her friend, she never actually specified a location as she knew Regina wasn't one for neither people nor travelling to places that wasn't her home or the forest. Ver Atticas the exception - she didn't like change and it was a hard stretch just getting her to meet Snow.

"So where are we going?"

"Just a little further up the path… not too far." Regina looked up the trial and then back to Ruby. "Because it just seems to me that we are going towards the Whites kingdom, now I know that can't be true seeing as we both know just who they are and…"

She stopped speaking on seeing the meek looking stance Ruby had suddenly taken and halted dead in her tracks. "Ruby"

"Yes Regina"

"Please tell me we are not going to the White kingdom" She waited for her to answer but the resounding silence to her all she needed to know and nodded in understanding.

"Yep… that's fine" Before turning around the walking back the way they came. "REGINA!"

"No… screw that Ruby there is no way in hell I'm going there." She stopped when Ruby ran after her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Regina" But the other girl wasn't finished

"No, you do not get to say anything now… you knew just who these people where… just who the royals are and what their pass time sport is?"

The wolf nodded slowly. "Then you should going there is a completely stupid idea." She cut off in the middle of her sentence. Her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to work something out in her head. Ruby stood watching wearily, slightly afraid, before long Regina spoke again but in a voice that did little to soothe her nerves.

"What's Snow's last name."

Ruby blinked a few times as she looked at her, "What"

"Her name – what is Snow's last name… and the truth – this time if you will" She stood waiting as Ruby's eyes widened slightly as it dawned on her just why she had asked, and knew that it wasn't good, wasn't looking good for her at all.

Ruby knew exactly who Snow was of course. The other girl had told her everything a few times into meetings and made her swear not to tell for fear of people finding out. Now though and standing in front of who she could only say, was hands down the most scariest person she had ever known and who was burning holes into her body with the steel in her gaze, that this just might be the nail in that already shaky meetings coffin.

"She's err… well you see – its urm… kind of hard to tell." She heard the slow deep chuckling and cringed as Regina spoke.

"Oh, Ruby, it isn't – it's not hard at all. Now tell me before I get upset." Cringing once more Ruby sucked in a deep breath through her teeth, she knew that this was by far the least upset Regina could be she had seen upset and this wasn't it.

But she knew she couldn't stall any longer and so with a nod, prepared to tell her friend… if she could still call her that after this, just who snow was.

'Nice and fast… like a band aid' She mentally motivated herself before blurting it out "Its White"

She closed her eyes for the fall out of her confession only to find it still silent… she wondered why that was and maybe, for that brief moment thought she had bypassed the explosion and gone straight to the afterlife. She slowly opened her eyes – not to find herself in a meadow like Granny had told her, but still facing Regina.

A very still Regina

A very silent Regina

This was the Regina she had known when upset… and truly feared.

She said nothing. She didn't want to as she didn't want to break whatever trance like state the other girl had gone into on hearing the name. She eyed her cautiously but knew after five minutes had passed she had to say something.

"Regina?"

Very slowly the other girl turned her head to look at her, Ruby couldn't see anything to give away what she was feeling leaving her slightly out of loop and more nervous than ever, as the other girl was looking at her like she had seen her just than for the very first time and was trying to work out who she was.

"So her names White"

Ruby jumped at the sound of her voice as she lifted her head to stare at her friend and gave a short nod.

"Snow white…. As in The king's daughter, Snow White… the same man who hunts creatures down for sport and show… that Snow White." Ruby's wolf was telling her to run, to leave now whilst she still could and get away from the danger that was around. She knew Regina was mad but she was confident she would never hurt her and so ignored it in favor of convincing her.

"But she's nothing like him. She's—"

It was than Regina snapped and she should have been more prepared for it as the wildlife surrounding them, all fled the area in fear and fright for their lives. The air was filled with the rush of flapping wings as the birds took flight leaving one very livid and pissed off sorceress and one very scared brunette standing.

Ruby cringes back as Regina blows up at her as she starts pacing the path. The wolf girl watches as her friend yells and rants, occasionally her hands move in some gesture she isn't sure is explanative or violent but she hopes if the former.

"ARE YOU STUPID!"

She flinched at the insult which flies from her mouth as Regina glares at her. "IN WHAT SANE PART OF THAT MIND OF YOURS THINKS IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO BE FRIENDS WITH A WHITE…"

She cuts off her chest heaving as she looks to the ground. Ruby swallows uncomfortably before very timidly replying. "I know that it may seem… stupid, to be close to someone…. Given their reputations and all, but—"

"But what, Ruby what could you possibly say that justifies this?"

She waits for her to answer as the other girl looks on exasperated. She know Regina won't listen but she has to try, "She's different, she isn't like her father, she hates the fact that he does those hunts… she thinks there wrong."

Regina laughs bitterly and shakes her head a little. "What you see and what you know are two very opposite things here Ruby"

"Don't you think I don't know that"

"Then why do you keep trying to convince me that she isn't like the king? For all we know it could be another lure." Its Ruby's turn to laugh as she looks at her,

"Do you honestly think that?" Regina shrugs. "Would it really be so insane? But then again I thought you had a brain that at least half worked so I guess people do make mistakes sometimes"

"STOP IT REGINA! JUST STOP IT!"

"Excuse me"

Two heads turn to see a third slightly smaller girl smiling at them a few feet from where they stood. She stands a little bashful under Regina's glare that has narrowed and turned suspicious as Ruby's widens.

"Who are you." She turns to look at Regina whose face is stony and gulps a little. She's about to reply though when Ruby bounds over and engulfs her in a hug.

"Snow"

From behind them the raven haired girls face hardens even more on seeing them so happily wrapped up in each other and snorts, not trying to keep it hidden as Ruby stiffens slightly. She crosses her arms and looks the other way, mumbling under her breath.

"Hug anyone these days."

Ruby growls a little breaking the hug to turn and glare at her as Snow looks from one to the other silently, "Is everything ok?"

Ruby slowly turns her head from the other girl as she looks back to her and nods, her smile back on her face. "Yes, everything's fine"

"Just peachy" She does her best to ignore the acerbic comment as she focuses on the Snow." Did you manage to get here ok?"

She nods and smiles as she returns her attention back on her friend. "Daddy thinks I'm taking a walk in the gardens… had to avoid a few guard's but it was fine."

After they exchange a few more words…some pleasantries – Regina fighting the urge to hurl, she finally directs Snow to her as she takes a step closer to the dark-haired girl.

"And this is Regina"

Snow looks back at the girl who had captured half her attention as she smiles politely. A nudge from Ruby sees her sighing but nonetheless complies as the Dragon girl turns to face her, Snow tries to keep the smile on her face as she sees the other girl isn't too happy to be there, as it shows with the expression she is giving.

The steely glint in her eye also tells her to be weary of Ruby's friend, that added to the harshness of her face makes her all in all – an intimidating person to be around. Tentatively she takes a step closer, all the while under the gaze of her narrowed eyes as she moves to stand in front of her.

Years of lessons and advice from both her Mother and Father in how to act see's her hand stretched out in a show of both friendship and greeting a she waits. Regina is still staring at her, the scrutinizing gaze has the princess squirming a little but she still bravely holds her ground, something which makes her smile.

Well smirk if the slight look of trepidation that crosses Snow's face is anything to go by whose hand is still out – something Regina had yet to take as she lowers her gaze to the limb, like it has offended her in some way, the air is filled with a building tension the longer Regina continues to stare at the hand.

Both Ruby and Snow are waiting with their lungs slowly filling with the breath they are holding. Ruby desperately wanting it to go well as she stares from one to the other, hoping that if she was any friend at all, Regina would comply and Snow increasingly getting nervous and annoyed at the same time, feelings – she finds are surprising as she had never felt them together before and once more is weary at just how she manages to bring them out of her.

Finally and with the tension getting to an all-time high, does she decide to take the hand. She slowly extends her own and clasps the waiting appendage before closing around it, Snow blinks a little before looking down at the hand… she should be feeling happy that she has returned the gesture, as she knows it what's Ruby is hoping for and she herself is delighted to have made headway with the scary girl.

So why, on looking at her olive toned hand, does she feel – not cheerfulness and warmth, but apprehension. Like her hand isn't a hand at all, but something akin to a cage that had entrapped her own. She lifts up to look at the other girl and is taken back by the coldness in her dark eyes that does little to make the smile on her face any more genuine.

But she pushes it back, she isn't a princess for nothing and so along with her smile she speaks. "It really is so nice to meet you, Ruby has told me so much about you."

Regina doesn't say anything as she extracts her hand from the other girls. She folds it over her other as they cross her chest and a perfectly shaped brow arches a little at the news. She turns her gaze to Ruby who is looking the other way as a thin smirk crosses her lips.

"Is that so"

She nods again albeit a little less enthusiastically as she takes in the smirk. "Was that a bad thing."

"Oh no… just a little surprising since I haven't heard a thing about you," Just then the girl in question cut in – she moved to stand at the side of them both a fake smile on her face as she forces a little laugh with them both turning to look at her.

"But we've all met each other now right." She glances at Regina and the knowing smirk before silently promising the punch it off and the confused expression the princess wore before she spoke again.

"But there was a reason you needed to see us, right?" Snow turned to her, now that the topic had shifted… something Ruby was grateful for, she nodded. Her face serious this time as she took a look back to the huge castle a few hundred feet from them.

"Maybe a walk in the woods might be better" As she moved a little prompting the wolf to move with her, they took off to the trees as Regina stood in the middle, arms still crossed wondering, not for the first time that trip what she was doing here as Ruby turned to her,

"Regina!"

The raven haired girl slowly turned her body in their direction. She saw the pointed look she was giving and also the nod in the way Snow had disappeared to and exhaled heavily.

"Coming"

She sighed and nodded. Moving to follow them as Ruby vanishes into the trees. As she stepped from the road and on to the grass she had to silently wonder if this was some sort of punishment for her teasing of Seraphim this morning, that meeting Snow was a torture for mocking his status as a unicorn.

If it was then she had to wonder if Maleficent also knew. If so why the hell didn't she tell her… wouldn't have put it past her though, malicious old hag.

She irritably waved a loose branch from her path as she saw Snow and Ruby up ahead talking and laughing and groaned out loud.

If this really was punishment then she had a seriously pissed of Unicorn to apologize to when she got home.

Between being near someone as perky and irritating as the princess of possibly having to grovel to a two foot horse she didn't know which was worse.

She hated her life sometimes.

Hope everyone liked.