Title: I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl
Pairing: Regina/Red, Regina/Ruby
Rating: R
Length: 4, 500
Spoilers: The Stable Boy
Summary: Regina knew Red, Ruby didn't know The Queen.
Warning: Sexin'
Notes: Written for thegirl20 and comparisons.

Part Two

"What are you doing here?" Red asked in a harsh whisper, glancing around. But no one seemed to take notice of this woman, who stood in front of countless fruit vendors with a basket filled with wine and cheeses and meats. The people of the marketplace buzzed around them, too distracted to give a real look at the pretty woman in riding clothes, nor the girl in the red cloak who trailed behind her.

"Shopping, dear. That's what one does at a market," Regina replied as she picked up peach, scrutinizing it before setting it back down.

"Someone could see you."

"As much as it pains my ego to admit it, these simpletons probably wouldn't be able to tell their current queen from their last – and she's been in the ground for quite some time now." Regina turned to face her then and Red was suddenly struck with just how young the Queen was, something she hadn't noticed in their last encounter. But standing there in plain day, her riding clothes undoubtedly well-crafted but not eye-catching, hair tucked back into a braid; she wondered just how someone this young could have been chosen to marry the King and raise Snow White. "This village is out of the way. I believe that's why you and your little friend feel safe coming here."

Sometimes she forgot just how smart Regina was. So Red watched, in silence, as the monarch-turned-mediocre woman ambled about the stalls set up, her own list of what she needed forgotten. It was nearing wolfstime and Snow had always reminded her that she needed to eat, to keep her strength up, before she'd leave to… do whatever Snow did when she went off on her own adventures. She was the one who had to be careful, Red would always respond, knowing full well that the posters with Snow's face were plastered all over the kingdom. I guess she doesn't have to worry tonight, she thought idly as she watched Regina mill about.

When the Queen was finished with her purchases, she turned on heel and began walking up the road without a second look given to the changer. Red fumbled for a minute but began walking to catch up, stuck wanting to run past the woman, lock herself in her cabin, and wait out another wolfstime with her cloak tied securely around her. But she had told Snow to leave because she was going to try again, try to control the wolf.

The Queen glanced back at her. "Come along now, dear, the sun is starting to set."

"What are you even doing here?" Red asked as her paced quickened until she was a step behind the Queen.

"You asked me to come, remember?"

Red grimaced. She remembered all too well. It had been three months since she had last seen Regina, and her own attempts at handling the wolfsbane had been disastrous. Finding the plant was hard enough, but trying to extract the poison was torture. The fragrance trapped in the small cabin made it seem as if she was breathing in shards of glass and anytime a stray drop would fall on her skin it would turn black on impact, burning her on the outside like the extract would burn her on the inside.

Snow had returned home that month, despite Red's misgivings of being near the girl during wolfstime. She aired out the cabin, tried her best to soothe Red's burns, and even filled the dart with what little of the wolfsbane Red had managed to squeeze out, all without asking how Red managed to come upon this painful way to try to maintain control. Red forwent the torture that month, chose instead to keep the cloak firmly wrapped around herself while Snow went to pick more of the flower she needed, extracting the poison and even filling more darts for Red. She did so without question until she finally turned to Red and asked her if it was worth it. Red had replied that she had already lost too much; anything was worth it if it meant even a semblance of control.

It was the next month after that Red had actually had the nerve to try, when Snow actually was safely far away from their cabin in the field. She plunged the dart into crook of her elbow, immediately turning the green vein black. The mark ached like the one in her neck had, but with her cloak on she was free from the poison slipping through her bloodstream. When she had dared to take her hood off completely, the pain hit her, but not nearly as strong as it had when Regina had injected her.

She knew her mistake instantly, knew that she hadn't put near enough in to stop the transformation. Red fought it as hard as she could, found herself uncontrollably slamming against the walls, the furniture, anything inside the cabin as her body tried to transform into the beast that was within her. But the wolfsbane made her insides burn and as time wore on she found herself becoming too tired to fight back against it. It didn't take long for the transformation to eventually override her.

When she woke up at the cabin the morning after there was blood on her and she immediately broke down knowing it wasn't her own. Flashes of the night before seemed to come to her; hazy memories that the wolfsbane must has kept semi-cognitive. Red could see herself running through the fields, could remember recognizing the familiar scent of Snow White and turning the other way, could hear the yell as she found the lonely fisherman. She didn't remember much else, but she's grateful for it – that she couldn't remember what she did to that poor man. The brunette immediately ripped off the blanket covering the looking glass and sobbed for Regina to please help her, that she needed her to do this right.

A month had gone by since then, and Red had forgotten about her plea to the mirror, she hadn't been sure it would have worked in the first place. She had busied herself for the rest of wolfstime by cleaning up the cabin before Snow's return, throwing the blanket over the mirror again before her friend had arrived home. But it seemed that Regina had indeed heard her plea for help.

"Well, where are you even going?"

"To that charming little shack you call a home, dear. Where else would we go?"

"No." Red stepped forward and yanked Regina's arm to pull her to a halt. The Queen seemed both amused and aroused at being manhandled, at the defiance from this poor village girl. "We can't… No… We can't go there."

"Then I guess we'll have to find somewhere else, won't we?" Regina asked, leaning in slightly. In a flash of purple smoke Red was being whisked away, falling to the ground when they made their arrival to somewhere deep in the Enchanted Forest. Save for the log cabin behind them, there was nothing but trees and streams as far as her eyes could see. There wasn't even a familiar scent she could find, other than that of the Queen. "Sorry, I should have warned you. It's a little disorienting the first time, isn't it?"

"Where are we?" she asked a little dazedly as she put the spilled contents of her basket back into it, mildly surprised when the Queen set down her own to assist her.

"Even queens need a cozy cabin to get away from it all sometimes. You're the only one I've ever brought here." Regina holds out a red apple for shapeshifter to grab, a teasing smile on her face. "I'm sure you feel honored."

If it had been two months prior, Red would have slapped the apple out of her hand. She would have bitten back with something, gathered what dignity she still had and walked away – even if she didn't know where she was. But Regina had helped her, now more than once. She had come when Red begged her to without asking for a thing in return. She didn't smile at the joke, but she accepted the apple and followed Regina in without question.

The cabin is much nicer than the one she and Snow frequent, she had to give Regina that. It wasn't lavishly decorated, but the furniture was expertly crafted and every finish around the room was exquisite; from the intrinsically embroidered curtains that hung over the windows to the uniquely smithed silverware that was already laid out on the small table. It took Red a minute to note that the cabin appeared to be totally lived in and wondered what kind of spell Regina knew to keep the dust at bay.

"We still have time before the moon's at its highest, no point torturing you until then." The Queen set down the basket of goods she carried on the table and proceeded to unbutton the deep purple riding coat she wore, draping it casually over the back of a chair while with a quick wave of her hand she started a blaze in the fireplace. It was enough to startle Red, and she thought that might have been what the Queen wanted: to remind her of her powers even as she attempted to make herself comfortable in a room with the wolf.

"So what do we do until then?" Red asked uneasily from her place in front of the doorway.

Regina smiled and removed her gloves before rummaging through the basket she brought in for the bottle at the bottom. "We eat, drink, and be merry, dear. You need to keep your strength up if you're going to be fighting this transformation."

They ate, mostly in silence, while Red tried to remember any kind of rules of etiquette. She was having dinner with the Queen, and even if it was one she hated, she still felt the need to impress her. The finished dinner plates were done away with another wave of Regina's hand, leaving them with nothing but the crackling sound of the fire.

Red watched the Queen closely, though it was definitely in vain as Regina clearly had no intention of pulling anything on the girl. She refilled their wine cups and left her spot at the table to sit on the animal skin rug in front of the fire, staring at it as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

Maybe she's just not trying to make you uncomfortable, the little voice of reason in her head offered, if she wanted you dead, she has had ample opportunity to make it happen.

So she joined Regina on floor running her free hand over the fur of the bear that once roamed the forest but was now stuck in front of the fireplace of a hidden away cabin. When she reached just a bit too far, she felt the loosening of her bodice and growled, knowing the culprit. One of the clasps had been giving her problems lately and it had again come undone, hanging loosely in the middle of her abdomen while the rest stayed in place.

"I can sew that back on for you." Regina paused and took a sip of the sweet wine she had brought for them.

"It doesn't count as sewing if you use magic," Red mumbled back, but she was already undoing the rest of the clasps so she could hand it over. She tried to glance out to guess the time, but the dark forest seemed to give no hint at all.

"Well then I won't use magic," Regina retorted, standing only to walk across to a drawer, pulling out a needle and some thread before returning to her spot.

"And why would a queen know how to sew? Don't you have servants to do such lowly things for you."

To her credit, Regina smiled at the jab, but waited until she had successfully threaded the needle before she replied, "I wasn't always a queen, you know."

Red bit her tongue for a moment, focusing more on her glass than the article of clothing Regina held. This, this having dinner and conversation thing, this felt more like a betrayal to Snow than lying in Regina's bed. She couldn't just rationalize this away like she could the sex that kept her from the wolfsbane's burning. But the Queen was an enigma to her. She had seen the woman stripped down bare, but had yet to grasp any sort of hold on who she was.

"What were you before, then?" Red asked despite herself. The wine was making her cheeks feel warm, a delicacy she wasn't quite used to.

"A miller's daughter," Regina replied slowly after a moment of silence, her hands having stilled while she thought.

"How did a miller's daughter end up being queen?"

"She never told you, I take it. That I saved her life." The Queen's hands continued their work, threading the broken clasp back onto the bodice. "How surprising," she muttered as if she was not surprised in the least.

"Why kill her if you saved her life?" Red pushed. Snow wouldn't talk about the Queen much, wouldn't allow anything other than a vague remark pass her lips when it came to their history together.

"If she hasn't told you then I suppose she doesn't want you to know." Silence followed as the bodice was mended, only to be broken once the clasp could successfully hook back together. "Finished."

"Thank you," Red replied sincerely as she took the garment back "I was never good at sewing... I'm all thumbs sometimes." She readied herself to put it back on only to remember that she would be taking it off later anyway, so instead it was tossed onto the chair she had previously sat in while her eyes returned to the fire. They sat quietly for a while longer, until their cups were drained and the sky was a deep purple. "It didn't work," Red said quietly. "When I tried, it didn't work. I changed. But…"

Out of the side of her eyes, Red could see the Queen glance at her. "But?"

"I… I remember it – some of it. I remember finding Snow's scent and running the opposite way. But I still… When I found someone else…"

"Sometimes it's hard to control the urge to kill someone when you're a human, I can't imagine it's much easier when you're a wolf."

"This isn't a joke to me," the brunette said harshly, the empty glass in her hand shattering before she realized she was squeezing it. Before she could say a word, the scattered pieces flew into the air in front of her face and reassembled.

"So it didn't work," Regina, unaffected by the tone on glare the other woman gave, stood and grabbed the floating glass to put it, as well as her own, back in the basket she had brought. "But it is helping."

Red could feel resentment boiling up inside her. Yes, it was helping. And Regina was the only one who could help her take it further. "I must not have put enough in."

"Evidently."

"Can I ask you something?"

Regina turned back to face her, leaning against the table as she looked down at the werewolf. "Of course, dear."

"Why are you helping me? And save me the 'my kingdom needs it' information. I know that's not true."

"Ruby," the glint in her eyes made Red pretty sure that she enjoyed using the fake pseudonym, "you need help, I can give you help, you've asked for my help, so here I am."

"But what do you get out of all this?"

"I get to help a-"

"Spare me," Red said tiredly.

The Queen smiled and ran a hand over the purple riding coat she had worn; resting over the back of the chair she had sat on while they ate. "I know you started covering the mirrors, dear, but you can't be so blind to as not have noticed just how gorgeous you are."

Red's gaze dropped to the fire again, the crackling sound comforting her somewhat. "You could have anyone in any of the kingdoms if you wanted. You're just doing this to get back at Snow, aren't you?"

"Would you even believe me if I said no?" Upon Red's headshake, Regina laughed quietly. "You're a smart girl, Ruby. But the only way she would find out would be if you were to tell her. And you're not going to are you?" There was a long pause but Red's answer never came, so Regina continued. "I could give you the wolfsbane dart, if you wanted. You could suffer on your own if that's what you desire-"

"I couldn't stay conscious long enough for it to work." Red knew she was just finishing the sentence the way Regina wanted. "So you helping your enemy's friend is just for fun, then?"

"Well, I certainly had fun last time."

"I don't trust you," Red replied stubbornly as she forced herself to meet Regina's warm brown eyes. "You're doing all of this for a girl you don't know just because you get to end up in bed with me?"

"We all have urges, Ruby. You should know that better than anybody." The dart appeared in Regina's open palm in a puff of black smoke. "But if you just want to cuddle, I'll understand."

Red stood and stepped towards the shorter woman and kissed her suddenly. Regina had been so caught off guard that the dart dropped to the floor, and before she could return the kiss Red had broken it. She stared down at the monarch for a moment before speaking. "I'm never going to trust you."

Regina took her in for a moment before nodding, still managing to look regal despite her toned down attire. She bent down to pick up the dart and looked Red in the eyes as she raised it. In turn Red exposed the side of her neck to the woman while her hand came up to undo the knot holding her cloak together. It fell to the ground as the dart plunged into her vein, causing her knees to buckle at the pain.

Regina caught her. And even if Red didn't trust her, she certainly wasn't settling for a night of cuddling.

Another blow up from Henry, and this time it had unfortunately been very public. He had left Granny's in a huff, spouting off about his real mom and upsetting the plates on their table before he left. She had taken him off campus for lunch and it had resulted in a glass full of milkshake shattering on the ground and splashing her shoes.

She could feel the eyes of the other patrons in the diner on her, eyes of people who would be too terrified to even whisper about what had just occurred while Regina was in the room, but would undoubtedly begin their gossip as soon as they could. Regina didn't have time for the simpletons of her town, didn't particularly care what they thought of her. There was only one opinion she cherished and it had just stormed off.

She bent down immediately to try to clean the damage (how she missed the days when a wave of her hands would do), only to come face-to-face with Ruby when she did. She was wearing those ridiculously short shorts – her small apron was longer – and a compassionate look.

"I'll get this."

"Ruby-"

"Really, Madam Mayor." Ruby's hand stilled on Regina's, which had grasped the upturned cup. They hadn't spoken much since their night together, nothing outside of the ordinary day-to-day small chat. Ruby smiled at her more, but other than that, little had changed. "I'll get it. This one's on the house."

The oppressive stare from the other patrons had her nodding and thanking Ruby quietly while she gathered up her dignity and walked out the door. She found Henry's form walking quickly down the street and before turning in the opposite direction to head back towards city hall.

Her schedule for the afternoon was easily done away with, leaving her sitting at her desk alone, Daniel's ring in her hand. Emma Swan. She had barely been in Storybrooke long enough to know her away around the town and she had already stolen her son away. She had two more hours of her day left in the office to stew about the confrontation with her son that afternoon. Her son.

The ring nearly went flying as she gave a start, a result from the knocking at the door. Regina swiveled her chair around to quickly double check her day planner to ensure that she didn't have any meetings she had forgotten about, but she had been correct; her day was clear. Her gaze then shifted upwards toward the tempered glass, at the tall figure dressed in black and shifting from foot to foot.

"Um…" she paused for a moment, quickly scrambling to put Daniel's ring away before she continued, "come in."

Ruby stepped through the doors; chocolate hair, leather jacket, black jeans, studded boots – her fashion choices her always perplexing to Regina. The girl was definitely not a wolf in sheep's clothing – she was more like a wolf in peacock's clothing. More perplexing than her attire were the tray of drinks and the bag of food she held in her hands.

"I checked with the woman at the front desk and she said your afternoon was clear, so I hope it's okay," she raised the food then, "I figured you could some lunch. Since most of yours ended up on the floor."

Interesting. Regina the politician, the consummate actress who had been fooling the small town she presided over for twenty-eight years began to clear her desk of things to allow space for the food Ruby had brought, but Regina the Queen was surprised. When Ruby had made no further contact for a few months, Regina figured their fling had been nothing but that, a fling. That their connection from the other land had indeed been cut. But now the girl had shown up with an above and beyond measure of friendliness and she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Was it because of Emma? Was another full moon near? Was she just legitimately being unnaturally friendly?

"Madam Mayor?"

"Sorry." Regina shook her head to clear her thoughts and took a sip of the drink that her left hand had managed to find; strawberry milkshake – a rare treat she indulged in, but Ruby remembered. She looked down at her meal and smiled a little: grilled cheese, sliced pickle on the side, and even a small container of ketchup to dip the sandwich in even though the waitress had always blanched when she did. "I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"I was just saying that it must be hard for you when Henry talks like that," she paused as if she didn't know whether or not to continue, "about Emma being his real mom."

"Oh." Regina stalled for time by taking a bite of the pickle set out before her. "Yes. Of course, I mean. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this kind of reproach from him."

"I'm sure it's just a phase," Ruby offered with as much sincerity that Regina could hope for. She waved off the conversation after that and they spent the rest of their meal discussing the mundane town they resided in. It filled Regina in on more than she realized she missed about the lives of the people she once ruled over, and filled the hour even more quickly. Before she knew it, it was four o'clock and Ruby was finally collecting the remains of their late lunch.

"Thank you so much for the meal, Ruby. And for… this. All of this. Really, I… needed it."

Ruby positively beamed as she dumped an armful of what was their lunch into the trash bin next to Regina's desk. She seemed to stop, as if in mid-sentence in her own head and tapped her fingers against the smooth glass surface in front of her. "Happy to help. Really. Everyone else in this town seems so intimidated by you. I don't get it. Well, I do," she amends, casually pivoting to sit on the corner of the desk, "but… if they'd talk to you for five minutes."

"It's nice to hear that, Ruby." She swiveled her chair just enough so that she was facing the younger woman. She was smart enough to catch the change in mood, was tired enough that she could allow herself to play the innocent prey. "Let me know if you ever need anything. I'll be happy to help."

"Well," Ruby began, almost before Regina had even finished, "I've kinda always had this thing where I've wanted to have sex on a desk. Is that weird?" She cocked her head to the side at the same time she delicately crossed one leg over the other. "But if you're not in the mood to help me with that, I understand."

It turned out she was in the mood. To push Ruby back on her desk and kiss her hard enough to bruise those shiny red lips. To muscle her way under tight jeans so she could fuck the younger woman until several of the folders and kick-knacks on her desk had fallen off. She finished with a relieved sigh, her pent up aggression having left Ruby's chest heaving as she gulped for air on the desk. Regina resituated herself back in her chair, feeling somewhat at ease for the first moment since she had woke up.

"Did it live up to your expectations?" she asked as the brunette sat up from the glass top of Regina's workspace – sat up with a savage smile while she did her jeans back up. Ruby practically melted to the floor she moved so smoothly, nails lightly raking up the top of Regina's thighs. "So, yes then?"

It turned into a struggle to remain silent as Ruby's nails dug into her hindside, holding Regina in place while her tongue ravished her. She seemed positively feral, leaving little doubt in the Mayor's mind as to whether or not it was wolfstime, and leaving even less doubt that Ruby had any misgivings about her, even with Emma around.

When they finished Regina walked to the windows and opened them wide, despite the brisk wind – the smell of sex in her office seemed less than proper for a mayor – while Ruby gathered her coat and zipped it back up, leaning back against the desk after she had, forcing Regina to face her.

"So…" Regina began, a diatribe about the appropriateness of a mayor in a small town having casual sex already on her tongue before she was interrupted by a kiss from the taller woman.

"So," Ruby repeated when they parted, "I'll see you around then?"

"In a town this size, it'd be damn near impossible," Regina muttered before composing herself a little. Ruby was giving her an out. As well as an in. Whatever Regina chose to take. "I'll see you around Miss-"

"Just Ruby, please." She leant forward to kiss Regina once more while her hands straightened out the blazer she wore over her dress. "I think it's hot, Madam Mayor. When you say my name. Only you. And I don't know why so don't ask."

Regina smiled and reclaimed her seat behind her desk, smiling up at the darkly clad girl as she relaxed back into her chair. "I'll see you around, Ruby."