Over the Rainbow Broom (aka There's No Place Like Home…Base)
by jodief1

Pairing: Ruby/Red (Wolfie) and Dorothy (Kansas)
Rated: This particular chapter is T, but we shall return to M in Chapters 4ff…
Status: At least a few more chapters to come – pun intended.
Summary: Ruby/Red (Wolfie) and Dorothy (Kansas) commit to True Love, immediately post-5x18, "Ruby Slippers"
Boilerplate: ABC owns these characters, but clearly doesn't want to do much with them. That's where fanfic comes in.

A/N: Thanks again for follows, faves, and reviews that seriously made my week! If I can get just one person off by means of writing alone, I figure I've fulfilled my purpose in this world. I promise I'll get back to the smut soon, in the next chapter. In the meantime, I wanted to post a little something to help ease the disappointment of not seeing our ship, even briefly, in the season finale. Since it now appears that our women will not be appearing again on the show for some time (and that Zelena is still none the wiser about them), I figure I might as well have my way with them. Narratively, at least. ;)

See larger cover image at postimg DOT org SLASH image SLASH notqk4a8r. Yes, those are real Legos I modded! :)

When Ruby regained consciousness, she was crouching a few paces in front of Dorothy's cabin, gasping in the cool, moist night air: evidently she had run hard, for some distance. Strong hands immediately gripped her upper arms and helped her to straighten up, and Ruby looked up to see that Dorothy's eyes were wide with awe and concern. "I'm not sure how I'll ever get used to that," Dorothy half-whispered when Ruby pivoted into her embrace.

Ruby pulled back and laid a hand on Dorothy's neck. "Are you okay?" she breathed, echoing the concern that she had expressed after their first moonlit ride together.

Dorothy smiled and leaned in to press her forehead against Ruby's. "I feel amazing. I feel so … free when you're moving under me. I can sense your power. It makes me feel powerful too. And," she whispered, her voice gravelly, "it turns out that your bristles provide some very stimulating friction."

Now breathless for a different reason, Ruby crushed her open mouth against Dorothy's and reached down with a gloved hand to grasp her between the legs. "Mmmpphhh," Dorothy moaned, returning the kiss deeply, even as she gently maneuvered out of Ruby's grip and tried to move her wrist away.

Breaking off the kiss, Dorothy pressed her forehead against Ruby's again. "Ooohhh, Wolfie. If I weren't sure this was true love, I might think Zelena sent you to make my heart explode." Sure enough, her pulse was jumping visibly on Dorothy's throat.

Ruby bit her lower lip and tried to move in again. "Kansas, I want you…"

Dorothy stopped her with a firm kiss. "And I want you. Just one thing first, please."

Her quiet plea stirred something in Ruby. "Okay." Placing a hand on Dorothy's chest, she pulled away slightly and swallowed hard, willing her blood to stop boiling.

Dorothy cleared her throat: already, Ruby was getting to know her well enough to know that she wanted to say something important. "Back in Kansas, there was a tradition. Not in my family, but for some folks we knew, when they got married, they would jump the broom."

Ruby frowned in momentary confusion, wondering whether Dorothy was speaking metaphorically, until Dorothy turned slightly, gesturing toward the cabin. Ruby saw that Toto's carrier was sitting on the ground, open, and that he was asleep inside. Then, in the half-light, she made out the shape of an actual broomstick lying prone, but hovering just above the ground, a few feet before the front door.

"I always liked that idea," Dorothy continued, looking down as she tentatively took one of Ruby's hands in her own, "and then I remembered just now that I have one of Zelena's broomsticks. Well, it belonged to one of the wicked witches, anyway." Dorothy closed her eyes for a moment, and Ruby was struck by the pained, but fierce, expression on her face: it broke Ruby's heart and filled it to bursting, all at the same time. Then Dorothy opened her eyes again and looked shyly at Ruby. "Will you jump the broom with me? I want to put Zelena behind us, and take back what's ours."

Ruby's eyes filled with tears, though she smiled widely. "Yes, absolutely." She gave Dorothy's hand an encouraging squeeze. "Let's jump that broom, together." Dorothy grinned as well, and started to turn away, but Ruby suddenly clasped her arm, and she turned back in surprise.

"I love you," Ruby said earnestly, cupping Dorothy's cheek in her palm. After a beat, Ruby realized that she had not yet said those three simple words, despite all they had already shared.

Dorothy set her beautiful jaw and looked deeply into Ruby's eyes, reminding her of the moment she had asked Ruby what she was looking for, just before they had reached the poppies. With a twinge, Ruby understood that was the moment she had fallen for this quixotic, brave woman. "And I love you," Dorothy finally responded, looking awestruck.

After a few moments, the lovers reached a wordless understanding and turned, holding hands, to face the cabin. "One," Ruby began to count, "…two, …three!" Pulling up her skirts with her free hand, Ruby started to run toward the broom, feeling Dorothy moving alongside her. A few steps later, they leapt up at the same moment to clear the hovering broom, which obligingly clattered to the ground as soon as they passed over it, as though it were suddenly drained of magic. On the other side, the two women faced one another again, flushed by the motion, and they kissed joyously. Dorothy looked back to see whether the commotion had woken Toto, but the dog was still snoozing in his carrier. She turned back to Ruby. "His doghouse is around the side, if he wakes up in a little while…I already put some food and water in it for him."

"You're a great friend." Ruby embraced Dorothy and moved her lips to her ear. "Now, Kansas, let's go inside so we can finish what we started."

As Ruby pulled back, Dorothy snaked one arm around her waist while reaching for the doorknob with the other. Smirking, she arched her eyebrows. "Ah, Wolfie. Your wish is my command." She opened the door with a flourish, planting a hot kiss on Ruby's neck. Ruby's toes curled and she could register only one thought: Swoon.