So, apparently I've had a lot of creative energy on my side lately, and I've been writing like crazy. Lucky for you, here's another early update, and it's a long one! I genuinely enjoyed writing all of the dialogue in this chapter, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Thank you all so much for the kind words of support and encouragement! They really give me a great boost! Enjoy!
Ruby flipped the Open sign on the door to the diner promptly at 5:30am, yawning as she did so. Her night had been restless, full of disturbing dreams that she couldn't remember, but she could definitely feel them. The young brunette was left with an anxiousness that seemed to stem from her dreams. A nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that they were most likely about Emma getting hurt in one way or another. Usually at the hands of the mayor.
Ruby desperately wanted to believe in Regina's good intentions. She desperately wanted to believe that Regina would keep her promise to bring Emma no harm. Secretly, she also hoped that her friend would be smart enough to not instigate anything with the mayor this time. Despite seeing the better in those around her, she was only human, and doubts continued to shroud her.
The extra-early morning crowd mostly made up dockworkers, shopkeepers grabbing a cup of Joe to go, and the handful of regular early birds. Normally, Ruby enjoyed the routine of tending to her first round of regulars, but being left on auto-pilot only let her mind wander to the worries she couldn't shake.
Had Regina even gone to see Emma yet? If not, maybe she should go and warn the blonde. But she gave Regina her word. As much as she loved her friend, betraying the trust of a very vulnerable and still quite powerful mayor seemed an unwise choice. What would Regina even say to Emma? How would she even know where to start? Ruby certainly didn't know, and trying to figure it out only made her feel the beginnings of a headache.
She was busy putting fresh grounds into the coffee machine when she heard the bell over the door tinkle, signaling a new customer. She called over her shoulder that she'd be right with them in a moment. The squeaking of one of the stools at the counter told her where they chose to sit. She hit the switch on the machine, waiting a moment to make sure the water would actually start coming out. The brunette sighed, mentally reminding herself to ask Granny for a new one.
Ruby adopted a welcoming smile before turning to greet her new patron. It was Henry, and her heart dropped immediately. She remembered when he used to come in with a bounce in his step and a cheery greeting for her. Now he had neither, and she watched him picking at his nails for a moment, hating the new frown that seemed permanently carved into his young face.
"Morning, Kiddo," she said, leaning forward on the counter. He grunted at her in response, still fidgeting with his fingers. "Hot cocoa?"
"Sure, I guess." He didn't look up at her.
Ruby shook herself, setting about to make his order, pausing briefly to bring table 7 their orders. Granny got kind of snippy if she didn't bring out the food right away. Once his drink was made, she sprayed extra whipped cream on top, always garnishing it with cinnamon. She slid it in front of him, and went to make her coffee rounds.
When she got back to the boy, it didn't escape her notice that none of the beverage was drunk, and Henry was letting all of the whipped cream melt. She found herself throwing out a lot of hot chocolate lately. That was when she noticed how pale he looked, which threw the shadows under his eyes into sharp relief.
"How're you holding up, Kiddo?" She flashed a gentle smile that he didn't see. Henry only shrugged in response. "You're going to let your cocoa get cold. Better drink it up!" Another shrug. "How's your mom?" she asked non-chalantly. That got his attention. At least, he looked up her.
"Why do you care?" His tone was less than polite.
"Why should I not care?" she countered.
"No one cared about her before, Ruby. Now that she's hurt and everyone thinks Emma's a psycho, she's the subject of their sympathies. I hate it. It's so hypocritical," he grumbled with a matching scowl.
"C'mon, Henry. You know me better than that. Sure, Regina and I weren't exactly best buds, but that doesn't mean I didn't care. And, just for the record, I don't think Emma's a psycho." He shrugged again, but his brows drew together in a look of contemplative confusion. "What's on your mind?"
"Something was different about her this morning..." he mused, and Ruby shifted uncomfortably.
"Good different? Bad different?"
He shrugged for the fourth time, spinning his mug around. "I d'know. Just...different. She still has a hard time looking right at me, and she still won't talk much either. And Mom still looks...y'know... But, there was something in her eyes. I didn't hear her crying last night either." Ruby's eyebrows shot up at that piece of information.
"Well, that's good, right?" She offered a weak smile.
"I suppose. She doesn't think I can hear her, but I can. And last night, I think she just slept. I didn't hear her having any nightmares either." He continued frowning at his cocoa.
"None of this sounds like a bad thing, Kiddo. Maybe she's starting to heal?"
He shook his head no, scratching the side of his face. "No, I don't think that's it. I have no idea what it is, but something's changed. And do you know what the weirdest thing is?"
"She let you have sugary cereal for breakfast?"
"Ha. Ha. No, she told me I could go and hang out with Ava and Nicholas tonight. She even gave me permission to order pizza!"
"Oooooooo!" Ruby cooed in excitement. "Wait, how is any of that weird?"
He shot her a look that said Seriously? It was definitely a look she had seen on Regina many times. "She never lets me doing anything like that. Usually I have to beg her to go out and see someone, and she would never allow me to eat junk food like that. And the weirdest part? She suggested it!"
"Which I'm guessing she also never does."
"Mhm. I can't figure out her angle on this one..."
"Ever thought that maybe she doesn't have one? Maybe she just cares about you?"
"Of course I know she cares about me, Ruby. But this is so out of character for her." He sighed heavily. "Maybe I'm just too used to thinking she's plotting something evil to take the time to think she might just be being my mom."
"Sounds pretty reasonable to me, Kiddo. Maybe she's trying to help you-" Henry shot her a look. "Out of the house?" she covered lamely.
"Do you think she's gonna do something tonight? With me out of the house?"
Ruby squirmed a little more. Maybe she's going to go and visit Emma, her mouth almost blurted. "Didn't you just talk about how you've got to stop thinking about your mom like she's scheming? She's got a lot on her mind, Kiddo. A night to herself might just be what she needs to start sorting it out, y'know?"
Henry shrugged. "I guess. Adults are complicated."
Ruby scoffed in agreement. "Tell me about it. I've got to make my rounds again, and I think you need to head off to school now, right? Want me to put that in a to-go cup?" She pointed at his now luke-warm cocoa.
He wrinkled his nose slightly. "Not today. Thanks for the talk." He slid off the stool, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, and slouched out the door.
Ruby scooped up another wasted drink, and added it to the tab she had open just for Henry that Regina paid off every week. So, Regina has either already seen Emma, or she's going to very shortly. Maybe even tonight? Or maybe she's just using her time alone tonight to plan out what she's going to do when she sees Emma? The brunette chastised herself for doing exactly what she had told Henry not to do. Yet, Ruby couldn't help the feeling that it really was about more than just slumber parties and junk food.
Ruby was taking off her apron in the back room, giving Granny a quick kiss on the cheek. She hung up the garment, punched her time card, grabbed her coat, and bolted before anyone could find a reason for her to work over time. She was striding over to her car when she heard her phone ringing. The number on the screen was blocked. Curious, she opened it and answered.
"Hello?"
"Miss Lucas-"
"Regina? Er...I mean, Mayor Mills?"
"Well-spotted, dear." Ruby blushed deeply, glad that the woman on the phone couldn't see her. "I understand you have the night off."
Ruby paused, her car keys jammed into the lock on the car door. "Do I even want to know how you magically know my schedule?"
"It's a small town, Miss Lucas, and it's not as if your hours are kept under lock and key."
The waitress chuckled nervously, slipping into the driver's seat. "Right, duh. So, um, what can I do for you?"
"Do you have any plans for the evening?" Regina's voice sounded a little higher than usual, and it left Ruby wondering if that was due to the phone or not.
"Not unless some ninjas put something in my planner." She grimaced at the stupidity of her line.
"As unique as Storybrooke is, dear, I think we're delightfully lacking in ninjas."
Ruby chuckled nervously again, rubbing the back of her neck. "Why, Madame Mayor, are you asking me on a date?" She slammed her forehead on the steering wheel, wondering where all of the weird word vomit was coming from.
"Still obsessed with the dates I see." Regina's tone was curt, but she could hear the playful teasing behind it. "Are you going to ask me to be your Valentine as well?"
Another nervous giggle spewed from her lips. "I think we're moving a little fast to be talking Valentine's! At least cook me dinner first!"
Regina actually laughed for a moment. "And why am I the one cooking?"
"You kidding me? I work in a diner! It's about time someone waited on me for a change!"
"Are you hungry, dear?"
"Nah, I ate a little while ago on my break." She cringed a little in her seat, realizing that her answer sounded like a rejection.
"Perhaps a glass of wine might tempt you?" The apprehension in her voice wasn't lost on the waitress.
Ruby gasped excitedly, hoping to convey that she didn't think Regina's company undesirable. "Are we going to have another girl's night!"
"If it's not too inconvenient..."
"I'll be right over in a jiffy. Wait. Scratch that, I wanna shower first! I'll be over in, like, 45 minutes."
"I will see you then, Miss Lucas." She heard a click before the line went dead. A sudden realization hit Ruby, and she let out a long, "Ohhhhhhh!" Regina wasn't planning anything to do with Emma tonight. No, she got Henry out of the house so she could invite Ruby over. She breathed a sigh of relief, and pulled out, heading to her apartment.
The young woman walked up to the front of 108 Mifflin, hair still slightly damp and pulled back into a simple ponytail. She wore a deep red, collared, button down that hung somewhat loosely over simple, black leggings. Her boots thudded softly against the stone walkway, and it reminded her a little bit of the way Emma's heavy footfalls sounded.
She took a little breath before knocking and was greeted shortly thereafter by the mayor. Once again, she heard the lock being thrown into place the moment she stepped through the door. She shucked her coat, and Regina automatically pulled it from her grasp, hanging it up in the coat closet.
This gave Ruby the chance to notice some slight differences in her hostess. She still had on a high-collared turtleneck, this one a lovely shade of violet that offset her olive skin beautifully - how many turtlenecks did this woman have anyway? She also immediately noticed that the other woman wasn't wearing nearly as much makeup as last time. Seeing the rather disgusting mix of purples, blues, greens and yellows on her face made Ruby's stomach lurch slightly. However, seeing all the swelling and such with a mask on was somehow more disturbing than seeing the entire ensemble together.
"Good evening," Regina greeted politely once she finished stowing the coat.
"Thanks for taking my jacket," she sheepishly replied.
"Please, come to the living room. I guarantee you it's far more comfortable than the foyer." She motioned for her guest to follow.
Once both women were comfortably seated - Ruby on the sofa and Regina in an armchair adjacent - a slightly awkward silence set it. The young woman looked at the coffee table in front of her. An uncorked bottle of red was standing on it next to a wine glass. Close to Regina's end of the little table was a tall glass of water with a slice of lemon floating in it.
"You're not going to have any wine?" Ruby asked to break the silence.
"I am not allowed any alcohol with the medications I am still taking. Doctor's orders," she lied smoothly.
"A likely story the powerful mayor tells to the young, attractive, innocent waitress to get her drunk and in a state of mind open to suggestion," Ruby teases back.
"Considering how often you bring up sex, dear, I'd say you're hardly innocent," the mayor casually remarked while pouring Ruby a glass.
"Ah, but you at least agree with the young and attractive bit, yes?" She took a sip, watching the other woman's cheeks flush.
"Well, you're most certainly young, dear."
Ruby gave an exaggerated gasp, bringing her hand to her chest. "You mean, you don't think I'm pretty?" She jutted her lip out in a mock pout. "Whatever will I do?"
"Drink more wine?" the older brunette said with a sly smile.
"Yep, definitely trying to get me drunk. By the way, this stuff's pretty good!" She lifted her glass in appraisal.
"I wasn't sure what your tastes were, but I thought a Merlot would go down nicely." She sipped at her lemon water. Regina was completely surprised at how easily their light, playful banter passed between them, but she wasn't sure if that put her any more at ease. Perhaps this was the only form of civil conversation she could have with the girl, and bringing up the heavy topics would only result in another shouting match. Either that, or talking about the difficult things would come just as easily. She hoped for the latter but feared for the former.
"So..." Ruby said after another awkward silence where both women sipped at their drinks just to do something with their hands.
"Um...How're you-"
"I saw her," Regina blurted. Ruby watched the woman turn crimson.
"Is she...?"
"Alive? If her state of being can be termed as such, then yes."
"Her state of being? Did she try and attack you or something?"
Regina snorted with amusement. "Hardly. She's half-dead as is. I doubt she could even swat a fly from the air."
"At least she was sober when you saw her..." the waitress grumbled.
"How bad?"
"You said half-dead, right? When I found her the last time I visited, she was passed out, facedown in a puddle, covered in puke. It was the most ratchet thing I've ever seen!"
Regina cocked a curious brow. "Ratchet, dear?"
"She was a hot mess. If I'm gonna be honest, though...seeing her like that was also one of the scariest things I'd ever seen. I thought I would actually have a dead body on my hands..."
All amusement fell from the mayor's face. "Oh, that's the scariest thing you've ever seen? Poor dear. You must have nightmares all the time. Do you also need a teddy to keep away the terrifying dead sheriff?"
Ruby's face blanched, eyes popping wide. "Regina...I didn't mean..."
"What? Didn't mean to diminish my own suffering?" The older brunette was sitting ramrod-straight, right fist clenched, and left hand shaking around the water glass.
"Regina, seriously! Don't do this!" Ruby pleaded, setting her wineglass down.
The mayor laughed without amusement, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly as she did so. "Don't do what, dear? Express my feelings?"
"No!" she countered hotly. "Turn things around! And, to be honest, your passive-aggressive form of deflection is pretty shitty. We actually started to talk about something that you clearly needed to get off your chest, and then you, I d'know, got scared or something and went all bitchy. It's not helping!"
"I don't want your help!" Regina spat back, eyes blazing.
"Then why the hell am I here, huh? You trusted me for something, and I will gladly accept, and keep your trust. But, Regina... If you keep pushing me away and then tugging me back, I won't stick around forever. If you don't wanna talk about something, fine. Just...say so, alright? You don't need to get all sassy at me."
Regina's lips parted slightly, taken aback. She regarded her young guest and... Was that a hint of admiration in her eyes? Ruby sheepishly fidgeted under the woman's scrutiny, one knee bouncing, fingers playing with the bottom button on her shirt.
"Regina, I-"
"Thank you," the mayor said quietly.
"Uh...what?" Ruby looked at her hostess as though she had gone completely crazy, and started screaming about mossy boobs at the top of her lungs - that is what crazy people yell about, right?
"For...for your honesty," Regina replied quietly again. "It's new for me. To feel like I have someone in my corner, and trust doesn't come easily for me. It's simpler to just be without others."
"And so you push them away." Regina averted her eyes, nodding in affirmation. "Doesn't that get tiring?"
"A habit so deeply ingrained stops feeling exhausting once practiced for as long as one can remember. It becomes second nature, a part of you. You do it so often-"
"That you don't even realize you're doing it," Ruby finished for her.
"Precisely, dear. I apologize for my outburst; however, a word for the wise. I said this was a habit for me, so-"
"Don't be surprised if you do it again?"
"Y-Yes," Regina said, unused to her sentences being finished for her.
"And, Regina? Thank you, too."
"I've done nothing worthy of your gratitude," she said, brows knit in confusion.
Ruby flashed a warm but mischievous smile. "That's not entirely true, Madame Mayor. You promised me that you wouldn't hurt Emma, and you didn't. I know that you don't give a shit about her, but I appreciate it all the same."
"Right. Can I tell you something, Ruby?" The older woman shifted uneasily in her chair.
"Of course. We're, like, BFFs now. I know that a lot of people look at me as the gossip mongerer, but there are lines of trust and secrecy that I don't cross. I won't betray that."
"I appreciate that very much, Ruby. What I want to say is... I find it very difficult for me to genuinely hate Miss Swan."
The waitress choked and looked at the other woman like she had gone crazy again. "Hold the phone! What was that?"
"Yes, I know. It's completely foolish and irrational. By all logical means, I have every right in the world to hate her and damn her soul to the depths of every underworld known to man, but...I can't."
"Oh my God! You're ashamed of that!" Ruby clapped her hand to her mouth, grimacing at her ability to blurt all the wrong things at the wrong times.
Regina swallowed, training her eyes on the glass she set down on the coffee table. "Wouldn't you be? Look at what she did to me, Ruby! Goodness knows, I have tried hating her! I am not saying that I am fond of her in anyway, but hate is the one thing I cannot seem to give to that woman."
"I d'know, Regina. Those flowers said otherwise."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I haven't forgotten those flo-owers!" the young brunette sing-songed. Regina rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "That's what I thought! You don't just leave a person a bunch of roses if you don't feel a least a little fondly for them!"
Regina opened her mouth with a retort that was ready to deny the girl's claim, but she remembered what they discussed earlier. She schooled her features, smoothing out wrinkles in her slacks. "I think that this is one of those topics that we don't discuss right now, dear."
Ruby shrugged casually. "Fair enough. Told you it was easy to change the subject."
"Then I hope that it is just as easy for you to not pat me on the head like a simpleton every time I do something pleasing to you."
"Oh, uh, sorry! I didn't mean to offend you or anything."
"None taken, dear. But, for future reference..."
"Got it! So, are you going to tell Henry that you saw her?"
Regina looked positively affronted by the question. "Absolutely not!"
"What? Why?" The mayor shot her the exact same Seriously? look that Henry had that morning.
"You've seen my son. You're observant enough to see the state he's in. Do you truly think that telling him I've been to see his other mother would do him any good at the moment?"
"Oh. Uh, yeah I can see how that wouldn't be so good right now."
"He needs time, Ruby. I'm an adult, and I can handle much more than he can. He's already carrying the weight of my pain, his disdain for the woman he once called a hero, and the harsh realities of life. Telling him that-"
"Might break him," Ruby finished for a third time.
"I would be a monster if I knowingly did that to him. He needs time, and...so does she."
"Hate to break it to you, Regina, but Storybrooke isn't exactly huge. I know David's not the sharpest fork in the socket, but it's only a matter of time before he finds her. Once he does...game over."
Now it was the mayor's turn to adopt a mischievous smile of her own. "I have my ways around that, dear. Or have you forgotten who holds the power in this town?"
Ruby held her hands up in mock defeat. "Hey, I'm not questioning your authority!"
"I should hope not, dear." Regina sighed wearily. "I fear most for the wellbeing of my son."
"Hey." The waitress leaned over as if to place her hand on the woman's knee, but it subtly changed course to rest on the arm of her chair instead. "Henry's a strong kid. We've all watched him grow, and there's nothing he won't survive. This is the biggest thing he's ever had to deal with, and sooner or later, he'll realize that he's never had to handle it alone. He'll be okay; I just know it." Ruby smiled reassuringly.
"Has any one ever told you that you should write a Dear Abby column?"
"Oh, please. I'm not really that good at this kind of stuff. I've just spent too many mornings talking to Archie. Guess it paid off, though." She smiled again. "Have...have you thought about talking to Archie about this?"
"Very briefly, but he's-"
"Not the guy you need for the job, eh?"
"Indeed."
"Well, lucky for you, Madame Mayor, I offer my superb skills for free. Unless you feel like paying me in wine and coconut coffee. Then we'll have to set up a regular girl's night. We'll talk about our life's issues, drink, and...uh...play board games?"
"Lucky for you, I have surplus of those in the house."
"Oooooo! I am a total sucker for Candy Land, not gonna lie!"
"Personally, I'm more of a chess woman."
"Figures. Smarty pants like you would play the brainy games!"
"You don't have to be smart to play chess, dear."
"Ah, but I bet you have to be smart to play it well," Ruby winked.
"Touché. Do you know how?"
"I never learned. Oh! That can be our next night! You can teach me how to play chess! Or... Only if you're cool with that." The young woman flushed a pretty shade of pink.
"I think we can arrange that, dear," Regina said with a soft smile. Ruby noticed that the mayor's face didn't look quite so gruesome during its contortion that time.
"Awesome! And when I beat you, I can tell Granny that I'm a smarty pants too, and not just a smart ass."
"When you beat me? Over-confidence, dear, is any strategist's bane."
"Er...right. Well, when I'm good enough so you don't beat me in, like, ten moves, I'll show Granny how smart I am."
"You needn't be good at chess to prove your intelligence, dear."
Ruby gave another exaggerated gasp. "Why, Regina, was that a compliment?"
Regina smoothly responded with, "Whatever makes you happy."
"I'll take it, then. Compliments make me feel all warm and fuzzy."
"A woman should view her worth as greater than the merits those around her see fit to appraise."
"True, but you gotta admit, they're nice to hear."
"I suppose you gather many flattering words in your days."
Ruby shifted a little uncomfortably. "C'mon, I'm sure you get them by the bucket-full!"
Regina slowly blinked once, the right side of her mouth quirking almost imperceptibly upwards. "The hard-hearted, cold, unfeeling mayor? Those who do pay me compliments are either stupid, like Mr Glass, trying to gain my favour for their own purposes, like most of the City Council, or snakes, like Mr Gold. Genuine compliments given in sincerity are...few and far between," Regina said evenly. Ruby had a hard time telling if the woman was actually bothered by that or not.
"Well, now that I've had some time to get to know you a teeny bit, allow me pay you a sincere compliment!"
"I don't suppose I would be able to stop you, even if I tried?"
"Nope! Ready?" Regina inclined her head, giving permission. "Having had the privilege to become acquainted with the real Regina Mills," Ruby began in a voice of grandeur. "I happen to think that, despite all of your walls, you can't help but care deeply for those whom you deem worthy of your affection. I think that's a ridiculously great characteristic to have, and I think it looks good on you," she finished in a much softer voice. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No," Regina murmured quietly.
"Told you they were nice."
"Indeed you did."
Ruby's phone beeped loudly, and she pulled it out to read the message on the screen. The young brunette scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Just great..."
"Something wrong?"
"I forgot that Granny's still trying to teach me how to run the books and stuff for when she retires. She decided, since it's my night off, that I should be learning more."
"I take it that this is your cue to leave?"
"Unfortunately." Regina shot her a curious look. "What, you thought I was having a miserable time?"
"I'm just-"
"Not used to company wanting to stick around? Er...sorry that sounded rude."
"No offense taken, dear. But you're right, I'm not accustomed to this."
"Well, you better get used to it, 'cause I'm expecting a lesson in chess next time!"
Regina had retrieved her guest's coat from the closet, and handed it to her. Another awkward silence descended between the two. Both women fidgeted slightly, neither quite sure what to say.
"Thank you, Ruby. Again, I'm-"
"Don't. Really, you don't have to thank me for every little thing I do. It's what friends are for. We...we are friends, aren't we?"
"I believe it's safe to say so, but, still in private for now. If you don't mind."
"It's cool. So... Can I give you a goodbye hug?" Ruby tried to smile, but it came out as more of an awkward grimace, and Regina chuckled softly.
"Not tonight, dear. Another day, perhaps," she offered gently.
"I'll hold you to your word, Madame Mayor."
"I have no doubts, Miss Lucas. Oh, are you okay to drive?"
"Completely, I only had, like, three sips, and that was a while ago. I'm totally sober, I promise."
"Good. Drive safely, and good luck with your, ah, lessons?"
"Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get! See you around!"
Ruby flipped the lock on the door, slipping out of it, and tossing a quick wave goodbye behind her. Regina stood in the foyer, staring at the closed door, marveling at the turn of the evening. It was remarkable how easily things flowed between them, albeit a little unsettling at how perceptive the girl was. She smirked to herself, thinking, Perhaps having the wolf as a friend is a good thing after all. Then she remembered to lock the front door again, moving into her nightly routine of checking all the rooms and locks. All in all, it had been a pretty good night for Regina Mills.
And OHMYGOD! I am over 110,000 views! Thank you all SO SO SO much, and I love you lots! A big thanks to my A++ Beta, Jasmine, who can be found at obligatory-regal-name. tumblr. com and I can be located at Writers-Dilemma. tumblr. com I am taking prompts for one-shots, so shoot them my way by PMing me here or on Tumblr!