A/N: Today's theme is..."Not quite canon!" The tumblr states to "take a canon event, and make it Red Queen."

I borrowed some dialogue from OUaT to parallel the scene I had in mind. Obviously, I don't own those lines...or any of the OUaT characters.

I should have put this in the first chapter, but this story is marked M for mature things such as potential trigger warnings. Read following chapters with caution, please.

Tip 3: Opportunities

"If you both have free time, hang out. Just remember not to stare...or at least try not to get caught."

-Ruby Lucas

The next morning when Ruby showed up downstairs in her usual running attire of leggings and a sleeveless red tank thrown over a black sports bra, she was surprised to find Regina waiting downstairs in a similar outfit.

"Hey," she greeted tentatively.

Regina gave her one of those extraordinary morning smiles. "Hey." Her voice was soft, and she looked away as she seemed to be trying to gather her courage. "I was thinking I might run with you a bit today, if you don't mind."

Ruby felt a jolt of excitement at the quiet words, and her grin was bright. "Not at all. It's pretty cool that you wanna pick it up again."

A smaller smile pulled at the petite woman's lips. "I don't know if it will be a regular thing, but I thought – well, I was thinking...I had some trouble sleeping last night, and running used to help me think. I thought perhaps it might help me feel better."

There was an odd, almost painful ache in Ruby's chest at the softly spoken words. She couldn't help but wonder if some of the things they'd talked about in the shed the previous day had anything to do with Regina's sleeping problems. She wouldn't ask. It seemed Regina was struggling enough with whatever was bothering her.

Talking just might make things worse, but running? Yeah, she could do that with her. Ruby only hoped that it would help.

She smiled and gently bumped her shoulder against Regina's. "Got it. Come on," she led the way out of the front door.

The first breath of air always got to her, and a large grin grew on her face again. She bounced around on her toes for a few moments in excitement, forgetting her company entirely.

Regina smiled quietly but didn't comment.

Completely pumped, Ruby turned to Regina. "Alright, we'll take it a little easier today. Even though you probably work out, picking up the kind of running I do on the first day isn't a good idea."

The shorter woman's head tilted at her words, but she didn't argue. Intellectually she understood that Ruby was right, though her competitive streak had other ideas. She nodded once, and then they began.

The first few minutes were a little choppy as they both warmed up, and Ruby was quick to shorten her strides a little to accommodate her partner. Regina flashed her a quick smile at the silent adjustment.

It was fairly early, and Ruby enjoyed the time of day. In the sleepy town of Storybrooke, only the serious workers were up this early. The streets were quiet and peaceful, lending that peace and quiet to thoughts that troubled her mind and spirit.

She glanced to her right to check on Regina. The older woman's brow was furrowed in thought. Ruby took note, but didn't dare interrupt. Regina's pace and breathing were both steady and even, and she wanted to give the run the chance of settling the woman's mind like it did her own.

Time passed quietly as they took a circuitous route of the town, Ruby following a random path that she allowed her instincts to pick. After a time, Regina's breath changed a little with the exertion.

Ruby spared her another look, this time seeing the other woman's face clear and serene. She felt a little lighter knowing that, for now, Regina felt a little better.

She allowed a few more minutes to pass in silence. "How you feeling?"

Regina breathed deeply for a moment before replying. "A little more winded than I would like, but surprisingly great."

Ruby could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, and another small glance confirmed her auditory observation. "Perfect."

They continued on for some time, until Ruby noticed Regina's breath becoming more labored. She eased their pace until they were going at a fast walk instead of running, and only smiled when Regina shot her a grumpy look.

"You'll get it back. You don't want to hurt yourself on your first day out." Ruby did her best not to smile as she spoke, certain that in Regina's current mood it wouldn't be taken well.

Regina noticed the dancing eyes, but instead of responding sharply like she normally would, she took a good look around them before releasing a deep breath. "Alright, Miss Lucas."

Ruby lost it then, laughing silently at the moody response.

Brown eyes narrowed and Regina focused on the woman next to her. "I saw that Miss Lucas."

The lanky brunette bit her lip as she tried to hold it back, but a gleeful chortle escaped her after a moment.

Despite herself, Regina felt a smile tugging at her lips. She straightened her face out when she noticed and sniffed delicately in response. "Honestly, a little maturity would be appreciated."

Vibrant glaucous eyes shot her a look, and then Ruby was bent over in laughter.

Regina stopped a few paces ahead of Ruby, her hands on her hips as she scowled playfully.

Ruby finally caught her breath, and her eyes were dancing with merriment as she straightened. "You're so adorable when you're grumpy."

Her eyes widened when she realized what she said, and a hand flew to cover her mouth.

Regina wasn't sure if she should feel offended or amused. Seeing the panic on the younger woman's face, she opted for amused. She allowed a smirk to settle onto her face. "Why thank you Miss Lucas, but perhaps in the future you should remember that being on my bad side is not a coveted position."

Ruby wanted to say that she would be more than happy to put up with any side Regina wished if clothing was optional, but she bit her lip to keep the comment from escaping. When the urge passed, she managed a smile. "You've got it Miss Mills."

Regina made a face at that. "It's so odd to hear you calling me that now."

Ruby gave her a pointed look.

A soft chuckle escaped Regina. "Duly noted Ruby." She looked around to see where they were. "Would you like to stop at Granny's Diner for breakfast?"

Regina was facing away, and didn't see the solemn look that flashed on Ruby's face. After a moment of silence she turned to face the younger woman, who had managed to shift her expression into something more indifferent.

Ruby cleared her throat. "No thanks."

Mahogany eyes blinked in surprise. Regina had been sure Ruby would accept the invitation, and the negative response threw her a little. "Oh, right. I'm sure you'd like to continue your run. Your breathing hardly changed at all. I'll see you at the house in a bit."

The smile she gave Ruby was a little wooden, but she had walked off before Ruby could figure out how to salvage the situation.

Ruby smacked herself in the head as Regina drew further away, and she muttered angrily to herself as she paced the width of the sidewalk a few times. "Smooth move Lucas."

When Ruby arrived at Regina's home later that same morning (after calling herself a bevy of bad names at her botched morning) things seemed much the same as they had before.

Regina was waiting patiently in the kitchen, seated at the kitchen bar with her laptop. Her hair was a little damp, and Ruby could only assume she'd taken the time to clean up and shower.

The older woman gave her a careful smile when she walked in, and Ruby felt a pang in her chest at the sight. She missed the open, exuberant smiles she'd gotten that morning. A sense of loss lingered in her mind as she went through the motions of their usual routine. Something had almost happened, and it seemed the opportunity had passed.

If conversation was a little more stilted than normal, neither woman commented.

When Mary Margaret joined them things became more balanced and closer to normal. Ruby made plans with her best friend like every other day, though she felt the weight of a light funk had settled over her.

That day set the pattern for the next week, and Regina didn't ask to join another run. Ruby felt that the older woman was probably going out as soon as she woke up rather than waiting to run together again.

Regina did seem more relaxed in general, and real smiles were peeking out more often than the normal polite ones she managed. Ruby couldn't feel bad about that, though the missed opportunity still lingered in the forefront of her mind.

Another week passed, and the feeling eased a bit. Mary Margaret was trying to fill their days up with as many things as she could remember from their childhood, supplementing every now and then when she wanted to share an experience she'd had after Ruby had moved away.

It wasn't until the the third week that things changed.

Ruby flopped on Mary Margaret's bed dramatically, arms outstretched wide. "What's the point of spending the night with him if you don't have sex?"

Mary Margaret's face was bright red. "Ruby! There's more to a relationship than sex!"

"Well yeah, there's cuddling and stuff after sex. That's nice too," she quipped playfully.

"Ruby!" Mary Margaret squealed and smacked the supine woman in the face with a pillow.

"I do hope you remember to use protection Miss Lucas," came the dry voice from the doorway.

Ruby's face felt hot under the pillow. Now knowing that Regina had overheard her comments, she had no desire to remove it. Kill me now.

"You left your favorite shirt in the laundry room dear, I thought you might like to take it on your overnight trip," Regina calmly informed her former stepdaughter.

Mary Margaret beamed and accepted the shirt. "You're so thoughtful, Regina! Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," she demurred politely before exiting the room.

Ruby peeked out from under her pillow when the room remained quiet for a a while, and she let out a relieved breath when she only saw Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret's tongue poked out as she rearranged her overnight bag to accommodate the additional shirt. "Do you have a crush on my step-mom?" came the casual question.

Ruby bolted up from the bed, choking on the air that had apparently decided to attack her. She glanced at the doorway in a panic, standing up to go to the entryway and checking the hallway both ways before shutting the door.

"No," she lied in a completely unconvincing manner. Her face was on fire.

Her best friend raised a single eyebrow, her expression impassive. "You do realize that was the least convincing lie in the history of lies, right?"

Ruby gaped, mouth opening and closing repeatedly as she tried to find the words to dig her out of the hole she'd somehow fallen in to.

Mary Margaret sighed. "It's okay, you're not the first friend it's happened to." She pursed her lips and spoke in a gentle tone, "You know it's not gonna happen, right?"

The lanky brunette blew out a harsh breath, and she felt a anger churn in her stomach. "It's not the first time I've developed a crush on someone I had zero chance with. So, yeah, I know," her tone was bitter.

The bed squeaked as Mary Margaret got up. Her shoulders slumped as she stepped forward to pull her best friend into a hug. "Sorry sweetie, I just don't want to see you get hurt." She gently rubbed Ruby's back.

Ruby softened and relaxed into the consoling embrace. "I get it. It just hurts sometimes you know? Why do I always develop these feelings for the worst people possible? When am I ever going to find the right one? I'm not a bad person, so why am I always so alone?" Her eyes stung as the words tumbled out.

"Oh sweetie," Mary Margaret held her tighter as her own eyes stung in response. "You feel this way because you have a big, beautiful, open heart. Sometimes these things just take a while." She pulled back a little, sniffling.

Ruby's eyes were red, and Mary's heart broke a little more at her expression.

Mary Margaret's chin wobbled, but she continued. "You will find someone, I know it. You are so amazing, and one day someone is going to love you so much you'll forget what it ever felt like to be lonely."

"You really think so?" she asked, desperation tinging her words.

"I know so," Mary Margaret affirmed, eyes serious and words verbalized with just the right amount of force.

Ruby crumbled, and the pixie haired brunette was quick to pull her into another solid hug, content to let her best friend cry as much as she needed to.

After things had calmed down and Mary Margaret had nearly decided to cancel her plans with James, Ruby was quick to point out that she felt much better. Mary Margaret had still wanted to cancel, but Ruby protested so loudly and for so long that even Regina came upstairs to inform the young woman that she was going, and there would be no further discussion on the matter.

Ruby had laughed at the flabbergasted look on her best friend's face and sent Regina a thumb's up.

Regina had smiled back wickedly, though the older woman was concerned to note that Ruby had looked like she'd been crying. She didn't want to embarrass the younger woman though, so didn't comment.

Ruby sighed as she saw her friend's tail lights fade into the distance. She didn't really feel completely better, but she would have felt worse if Mary Margaret had canceled her plans. As it was, her best friend had only seen James twice in the last month.

She tucked her hands into the pockets of her black skinny jeans as she considered her options. Today she'd decided to wear one of her favorite shirts - a red button up with sleeves rolled up past her elbows, but the familiar comfort hadn't helped. She nibbled at her lower lip, shrugging after a time.

She didn't really feel up to company. Her fingers curled around the keys to her car, and she played with her wolf keychain for a moment before tugging the keys out of her pocket. Driving around sounded good.

Her hands tapped restlessly against the steering wheel as she pulled from her parking spot, opting to leave her radio off. She drove listlessly for quite some time, even leaving town for a short while before turning back.

The quiet of the car started to get to her, and she decided a visit to the supermarket before it closed wouldn't be a bad idea. She could browse and kill some time for a bit, at least. It was one of the few times when she genuinely missed city life – most stores there stayed open later than eight PM.

She flicked her blinker on and turned into the small parking lot, noting that there oddly weren't that many people shopping if the available spaces were anything to go by.

As she distractedly turned down another row of parking spots, she was surprised to spot Regina standing in front of her Mercedes. The hood was popped open, and she was staring down at the assembled parts with a mix of confusion and anxiety.

Ruby quickly pulled into a nearby space and parked, exiting her Camaro a moment later.

"Regina?" she called out cautiously.

Regina's head jerked up in surprise, hitting the hood. "Oh! Ow!"

The younger woman winced in sympathy. "Car trouble?"

"It won't start. Got a car full of groceries, and, well, it hasn't exactly been a banner day," Regina's shoulders were slumped as she spoke.

Ruby pursed her lips. "Well, now, let's see."

She strode over to the driver's side of the car and slid into the seat, turning the key in the ignition with her head tilted to the side. "The battery's dead," she admitted with a remorseful expression.

Regina sighed. "What?"

"I don't have any jumper cables, but I can give you a ride home in my car," Ruby winced and gave her a sympathetic look.

The older woman visibly hesitated as she recalled how upset Ruby had seemed earlier, and how she'd left the house without even a quick farewell. "Oh, no, no. Thank you, but I couldn't impose."

Ruby straightened, her eyes narrowing as she regarded Regina. "I insist. Unless you want to have a car full of melted Rocky Road?"

A soft laugh escaped Regina at Ruby's determination. "Sure."

The lanky brunette was quick to grab Regina's grocery bags, ignoring the woman's protests.

Regina threw her hands up in the air and moved to close the hood and lock the car up. A tow would be impossible at this hour. Like many Storybrooke businesses, the lone tow service/auto repair shop closed at six. That the grocery store remained open until eight was a miracle.

Ruby leaned against the side of her vibrant car and waited patiently for Regina to finish. The shorter woman spared a last glance to her Mercedes and strolled toward the passenger side of the Camaro, laughing when Ruby scrambled to open the door for her.

She shook her head, "A broken down car and I'm not allowed to carry my groceries or open my own door?" One dark brow was arched to emphasize her words.

The tall dark haired woman carefully pulled the car out of the space and then out off the parking lot, Regina's words registering absentmindedly.

"Whoa, hey. I don't know who rescued you before, but Ruby Lucas does full-service damsel rescuing." A hint of pink tinged her cheeks as the line escaped her before she could stop herself.

As Regina's melodious laughter rang out, she felt a giant grin encompass her face. She was now glad she hadn't stopped herself if that was the result.

Regina cleared her throat carefully, still amused. "So if I'm the damsel in distress, what does that make you? The knight in shining Camaro?"

The white of Ruby's smile was nearly blinding, "Exactly."

The conversation lulled, and Regina nervously twisted her hands together in her lap. "I'm not sure what plans you had for this evening, but I thought perhaps you might still like to eat dinner at the house? I bought the ingredients for lasagna." She was careful not to look at Ruby as she spoke, not wanting to pressure the younger woman.

"Hm, let me think. Greasy fast food or homemade lasagna? Tough call. I guess I can eat at your house tonight."

"What a glowing endorsement," Regina uttered dryly. "Careful Miss Lucas, you'll start giving me ideas with such enthusiastic praise."

Ruby grinned unabashedly. "Took you long enough."

"Come again?" Regina asked, confusion lightly lacing her voice.

"To get the ide...you know what, never mind." She realized far too late that she might be flirting just a bit too much with the unobtainable woman.

Luckily she was saved by further embarrassment by their arrival at home. As soon as she slid the car into park, she was quick to grab the groceries.

"What, no door opening? I could swear I paid for the full-service package," the sultry voice teased as Regina exited the scarlet car.

Ruby swallowed hard at both the words and tone. Think clean thoughts. Clean. Shower. Regina in the shower. Shit!

She decided thinking and speaking were both bad ideas, and she focused instead on balancing the bags full of groceries as they walked to the door.

Regina was pleased she had managed to tease the younger woman into silence, though she had also rather enjoyed the back and forth. It was rare she got to engage in such banter; though she had grown up in Storybrooke for the most part, a majority of people found her wealth and family intimidating. Ruby Lucas was a breath of fresh air.

The keys jingled softly in her hand as she unlocked the door, and she held the door open politely for the younger woman. Ruby flashed her one of her usual enthusiastic grins, and she felt herself smiling in response. She'd been doing that with more frequency, she realized. Having the girls stay with her for the summer was doing wonders for the loneliness the large house inspired with some consistency.

"The lasagna will take some time to prepare, how hungry are you?" she asked as she led the way to the kitchen.

Ruby pursed her lips in thought. "I'm a little peckish, but I can probably hold out a while."

"Perish the thought. I normally serve a salad with my lasagna. I'll prepare that first and you can have some to stave off he worst of the hunger," she winked playfully at Ruby.

Ruby did her best not to drop the bags, fumbling slightly as she carefully set them down on the counter. "Thanks. I have a pretty fast metabolism so I get hungry pretty easily."

"I've noticed dear," Regina replied absentmindedly while she sorted and stored the groceries.

Warmth suffused Ruby at the casual words, the familiarity and domesticity of the moment making her feel a little lightheaded with happiness.

She felt like an ecstatic puppy, certain that if she had a tail it would be furiously wagging as she watched Regina start to wash and cut the vegetables for a salad. She moved to perch at one of the kitchen bar stools, patiently waiting to be fed.

When Regina turned to face her a little while later, a deep bowl of salad in one hand and eating utensils in the other, she couldn't help but laugh at the avid expression on Ruby's face as she eyed the vegetables hungrily.

Steel-blue eyes sparkled exuberantly as Regina set a place in front of Ruby, and the younger woman looked at her with adoration as she relayed her thanks and tucked into her food with gusto.

Ruby hummed in contentment, the combination of peppers, tomatoes, olives as well as mixed greens making her taste buds very happy.

A pleased smile remained on Regina's face as she prepared her lasagna, Ruby's enthusiasm making her usual joy of cooking that much more enjoyable. She hadn't made her lasagna since her summer guests had arrived, and she was both excited and nervous as she considered how the younger woman might like her signature dish.

"Oh, that was so good. Took the edge off, too. Thanks Regina," Ruby's eyes were closed as she recalled the different flavors with a placid look on her face.

She missed the affectionate look Regina sent her in response. "Any time, dear."

A blue eye peeked open at that. "If campus was just a little closer, I would so make the drive every day to eat dinner here and take you up on that."

Regina laughed softly, tossing her head a little to move some loose hair from her face. "Do you mind if I put music on?"

"It's your kitchen, do as you please," Ruby gestured magnanimously with one hand.

The preparation time flew by with the music, and they engaged in sporadic conversation until the lasagna was placed in the oven. Regina filled a wine glass and spared Ruby a look. "Would you like some as well?"

Ruby considered the question seriously. While alcohol wasn't really good for her ability to keep her mouth shut, surely one glass wouldn't hurt?

"Sure."

Regina pulled a second glass out and poured Ruby a generous amount of the red wine she'd selected. She placed the glasses down carefully on the bar and selected the stool next to Ruby. "I don't indulge in red wines too often since they give me headaches half the time, but a glass or two just seemed like an appealing idea tonight."

Ruby nodded and focused on her wine glass as Regina's soft scent wafted to her nose. The older woman crossed her legs, and Ruby focused extra hard hard when she caught a flash of bare skin out of the corner of her eye.

The stylish woman was wearing an ecru colored dress that draped enticingly over her figure, the clingy fabric contouring to the dips and hollows of her figure in an altogether flattering way. Ruby only hoped that she could keep from staring.

As comfortable she had grown with Regina, the physical attraction she'd first felt hadn't dimmed at all. Instead she now felt an incredibly confusing mix of comfort and awkwardness around the beguiling woman. She needed to distract herself.

"Regina?" Her thumb rubbed against the curve of her wine glass.

The woman in question tilted her head as she set her glass down. "Hm?"

"About the day we went running together – you know, I really did want to have breakfast with you." She half-turned to face Regina so she could gauge her reaction.

Confusion marred Regina's features, "I don't understand. I thought perhaps I was holding you back, or something of the sort."

Ruby shook her head vigorously. "No! I didn't mind running with you at all. It was pretty nice, really. It's just that..." Her jaw worked for a moment. "My grandmother owns the diner, and I haven't seen or spoken to her in years. Our relationship isn't the best."

Regina's face cleared and she brushed her hand lightly over Ruby's arm. "I see," she paused. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I am here and I wouldn't mind in the least if you did."

"I don't really feel up to spilling my guts tonight, I just wanted you to know that I loved running with you. I wanted to explain a little, just to be sure you believed me." She gave Regina a lopsided smile, which was quickly returned.

Tanned hands played with the stem of a wine glass, and Regina felt a burst of joy at Ruby's simple, heartfelt words. "You didn't need to bring up something that upsets you. I believed you. I may not be fond of people in general, but I do know a good person when I meet one."

She raised her glass to her lips and took a careful sip, a little embarrassed that she wanted to continue complimenting the young woman she'd found to be quite extraordinarily charismatic.

Ruby leaned into Regina for a moment, her gaze warm. "Thanks."

Regina's breath caught for a moment at the affection in her eyes, and she unknowingly let her own fondness for the younger woman show.

A dangerous tingle erupted in Ruby's abdomen, and it took her a moment to realize she'd begun to slightly lean forward. She cleared her throat as she leaned back again, exceedingly glad Regina hadn't noticed the subtle movement.

She changed the topic to something a little more lighthearted, and the kitchen echoed with their laughter as they exchanged snarky comments. The oven beeped and Regina got up to remove the dish and let it cool.

Regina talked Ruby into eating in the dining room, and it didn't take long for the two of them to have the table set presentably.

Ruby smiled at her dinner companion as they sat, and as she glanced around at the lovely meal on a well set table, full wine glasses, and dim lighting, she bit her lip.

This is not a date Lucas, keep your shit together.

It was something she had to repeatedly remind herself as the night wore on, right on up until Regina bid her a relaxed 'goodnight' just after midnight.