The incessant ringing of her standard cell phone ringtone woke Regina the next morning. Struggling to open her eyes and locate the source of the annoying sound, she slowly came to realize the soft warmth that she was currently using as a pillow was Emma's chest, and that there was an arm wrapped tightly around her, fingers lightly resting along her ribs.

Blinking sleepily, Regina next noted that her own fingers, which were resting comfortably in the valley between Emma's breasts, were tangled with Belle's, whose position mirrored her own. Soft puffs of surprisingly sweet breath ghosted over her face as Belle slept on peacefully.

Finally, Regina became aware of the hand possessively gripping behind her knee, which was draped across Emma's thighs. Ruby, although snuggled protectively behind Belle, had managed to snake her hand across both Belle and Emma to grip the former mayor in as gentle a grip as the other women.

It had not been often in her life that she had chosen to willingly share her bed, aside from Henry when he was younger. There were only a handful of times with Graham, and a rare few others since the king, often when she was too tired to force her companion from her chambers. But she had never awoken once, in any of those times, as entwined as she was now. And how natural the position felt, with these three other women, did not go undetected by the sleepy brunette.

The ringing of her cell phone filled the air again, interrupting her observations of the women in her bed. Extracting herself without waking them, Regina snagged her cell phone before moving to the washroom and closing the door gently behind her.

"Hello?" The caller ID on the number had stated unknown, but that did not mean that the call was not important. Likely it was either her secretary or a member of the council that currently presided over the town. Regina was expecting a call after the decisions she had made the previous evening, but she was prepared for their ire..

"Good morning Miss Mills. I trust you were expecting this call?" The nasally, pretentious voice of Albert Spencer caused Regina to frown. Not allowing Regina time to reply, Albert, formerly King George of the Enchanted Forest continued. "Of course you were, given your actions yesterday evening. As you are aware, you report to the council now and are an employee of the town. You have no power to make decisions independently of the council, need I remind you? As such, when we heard that you had instructed your secretary to cancel all meetings for the remainder of the week after authorizing a leave of absence for the Sherriff without our approval, we can only assume that you would be expecting a call to explain your actions."

"Why, good morning Albert. It's so wonderful to hear from you at such an early hour!" The sarcasm could not be missed in her tone, even by someone like Spencer. "I am certain you are aware that although my mayoral powers have been limited by the council, and the restructuring of the town charter, there are still certain instances that I am capable of independently making decisions. Such as the tenants in the town charter that have not yet been adjusted to include special personal circumstances perhaps? Given that you are part of the council, I am more than confident you are well-informed of that already."

When the council had been put in place to limit the influence Regina had as the mayor, she had resumed the position of Mayor in title and public position only. The charter had been rewritten to force Regina into a purely bureaucratic role, and it limited her ability to autonomously make decisions, except in certain situations. But if you did not read the charter carefully, you would not necessarily pinpoint the powers that remained. The amendments had also removed the Sherriff's department from under her control, limiting her contact with the Charming family in its entirety. As the changes had limited her interactions with Emma, Robin had further engaged her free time, creating the distance that had worried Regina previously.

"The Sherriff, by your own bylaw, still reports to the Mayor's office should a leave of absence be required for personal reasons and emergencies. It is still listed under the discretion of the Mayor to approve or deny any such requests, and given the climate of the town's panic last evening, it was authorized as a personal emergency. As for myself, I am entitled to both sick days and personal days. My rescheduling of my meetings this week, of which the first two days have been listed as personal days, are within my rights as your employee, as you so graciously have reminded me I am. The remaining days are to see to town business with regards to any reconstruction due to the damages caused by the Sherriff's accident. As we have the opportunity to have the repairs complete free of charge for the city, allowing us to remain within your very strict budget, I believed it best to oversee the repairs personally. Is that not also within my scope as Mayor, to maintain the town budget to the best of my ability?"

Regina knew that the council, at least certain members, would react badly to her decisions, and during her conversation with her secretary the previous evening she had been sure to account for their displeasure. Her secretary, a very lovely young woman who was very happy to no longer be just the daughter of a pig farmer, had assured her that her decisions were still well within her scope of responsibility, as she had been responsible for recording many of the revisions. She had also suggested the use of her personal days for the first 2 days remaining in the week and then the supervision of repairs as reason for the remaining days.

And now Regina could practically hear Albert's teeth grinding over the phone at being caught in the technicalities of his own laws. It sounded as if the microphone had been covered, as the conversation sounded very muffled, before Spencer returned. "It would appear you are correct and that will be addressed in council this week. That oversight will be corrected immediately. Howe-"

"My apologies Albert, but as I am under the weather, and off on a personal day, I feel I should be resting up for my return. Have a wonderful day." Not bothering to wait for a reply, Regina quickly ended the call, a smile tugging at her lips. 'And that is why my kingdom prospered and his fell.'

Starting the shower, Regina knew that today would definitely be an interesting day.

Ruby awoke to the sound of Regina closing the bathroom door. Wolf hearing had its advantages and hearing Regina put Spencer in his place, Ruby couldn't help but grin. That grin quickly faded as she heard the shower start and the very distinctive sound of clothing being placed in a hamper. 'Oh god. Not now. Not now. Just focus on something else. Anything else!'

Since she had bitten Emma, Ruby had found herself becoming very aroused, very quickly, when around any of the other three women. Her arousal was almost as difficult to control as the wolf had been in her younger years. It was wild, driving, and completely instinctual. She had her mates around her and every drive in her wolf demanded she be with them. With Belle and Emma, it was much easier as she could act on the urges, when appropriate, but with Regina unmarked and untouched by her hand, it was a fight to stay in control.

Emma woke to the sounds of the shower running and Ruby's whimpering. Inhaling, Emma could scent Ruby's arousal which ignited her own, heat pooling low in her belly. "Hey." Looking around, Emma saw that they were not at the inn and the room carried Regina's scent heavily. "We're at Regina's?"

"Mmmhmm." Was Ruby's strained reply.

Fully waking, Emma could feel her body practically vibrating with energy and magic. It was almost as if she had drunk a case of energy drinks after bungee jumping, while having first being teased sexually for a week. "A-and are you are feeling as twitchy as I am right now?"

"And probably for the same reason. I need to get out of here and burn off some energy before we sit down to talk to Regina, or I will just end up staring at her and panting. What about you?" Emma was nodding at Ruby's sentiment. "Want to go for a run? We can head over and check out the house and then jump on the trail from there?"

"That sounds like a really good idea, followed by a very, very cold shower." There was no escaping the combined scent in the room of her mates and Emma was beginning to have difficulty remaining still. "Or maybe a swim? The water should be plenty cold this time of the morning."

Hearing that Emma was in the same state of tormented arousal and catching the scent of it in the air, Ruby's eyes flashed yellow. "Or we could skip the house and see who can make it to the lake, then back to our meadow the fastest."

"That sounds almost like a challenge. What do I get if I beat you?" The mischievous grin Ruby was wearing left no doubt that win or lose, she was going to enjoy the race.

"Last one back to the meadow has to do whatever the winner says for the rest of the day. No matter how embarrassing." Raising an eyebrow, Ruby knew that she would likely win, but it was still thrilling to finally have someone who might be able to keep up with her.

"Mmm, I think that's fair. Shall we?" Emma asked. Ruby may be faster and have slightly more endurance, but there is no way Emma will pass up an opportunity to compete with her mate, even only in jest. Plus there was always the chance that she might win, and the thought of Ruby obeying her willingly, even just for the day, bumped her arousal up another notch. Gently moving from the bed so as not to disturb the still sleeping Belle, Emma stretched fully, leaning back slightly to give Ruby a full view of her toned stomach.

Slipping from behind Belle, Ruby silently walked over to Emma and pulled her into a heated kiss. Snaking her arms around the blonde's waist, gripping her hips tightly, Ruby gently swiped her tongue against Emma's bottom lip seeking entrance that was quickly given. Winding her arms around Ruby's neck, Emma pressed her body flush against her mates and lost herself in the sensations the brunette provided. Tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of Ruby's neck, she tugged lightly, seeking to deepen the kiss further.

Feeling Emma moan into the kiss as she nipped at Emma's tongue, Ruby pulled away smirking. "Morning babe. Now how about you conjure some gear so we can get this show on the road?"

Blushing at how affected the kiss made her, Emma waived her hand, simultaneously switching both her and Ruby's clothing and sending Regina's clothing to the laundry hamper.

Not bothering to hold back a small chuckle, Ruby couldn't help but think about how surprised Regina would be to find that not only was her clothing not destroyed, but it was put away in the hamper. 'I know Emma never does that with her own clothing, so she must really want to make a good impression after our first night together.'

Belle woke when twin kisses landed on her forehead from Emma and Ruby. They were both dressed to run and looking very flushed. Noting that the shower was running, Belle immediately understood the issue both women were having and judging from their jumpy reactions, they both needed some air. It was the first time that they had spent the night all together, and even she was able to scent the arousal on the two women. 'I guess the first thing I will experience is a heightened sense of smell.' But her mates were struggling, and Belle forced the thought away.

Realizing that they were not in their bed and their unclaimed mate was naked not ten feet from them, after they had spent the night warped around each other, Belle could only imagine the restraint her mates were struggling to maintain. Their instincts to claim Regina would be kicking in, as would her own soon, and wolves were very instinct-driven creatures. Even older wolves struggled to ignore their instincts regarding their mates. Belle was surprised they both hadn't combusted from their hormones yet, or taken the door off its hinges, it was a 50/50 gamble which it would be. Given the yellow eyes and muscles twitching in both of their arms, Belle knew they could not last much longer.

"Go. I will explain to Regina that you are feeling much better, and needed to burn off some energy. I'm sure we will have breakfast ready for when you get back. Regina and I still need to speak anyway about everything." Flashing a sleepy but understanding smile at the relieved expressions, Belle laid her head back down, burrowing back into the scent of her mates and the softness of the sheets.

Neither woman wanted to wait, so Emma drew on her magic and they disappeared in a puff of white smoke, off to run until they were both calm again. 'Lord, these sheets are heavenly. I don't know if I will ever be able to leave them willingly, not that I am truly opposed to that idea.'

Almost asleep again, Belle heard a firm knocking on the front door. 'It's barely 8am. Who the bloody hell would be here this early?'

Appearing from the cloud of smoke, Emma took inventory with her heightened senses. She could smell the turned earth around them, the saps of the various trees that had lost branches, and the scent of her magic still hanging in the air. The entire clearing was exactly as they had left it, and not a single creature could be found there.

"I really did some damage, didn't I?" Emma frowned, looking around again at the damage their mating had caused. "I kind of want to fix everything here too. This place feels important."

"First, we did this, not just you. As I recall, it takes two to mate properly." Ruby's eyes flashed yellow at the thought of their mating, her arousal from earlier barely diminished. "And second, there's no reason you shouldn't repair things. It feels special to me too, and your wolf pretty much said you need to exhaust your physical, mental and magical energy every day. So why not start here, with something easy like plants? We can go for our run after."

"Alrighty then! Let's see about putting our special place back in order again!" Clapping her hands together for effect, Emma squared her shoulders and raised her open palms towards the damage, exaggerating her efforts. Ruby could not help but smile at the silly antics, letting out a giggle as the blonde winked at her over her shoulder. "And abracadabra!"

The soft white glow that slowly extended from the sheriffs hands moved across the clearing like a mist, creeping over everything. At first, nothing noticeable, aside from the mist floating over the damaged areas, appeared to happen. Ruby began to worry if Emma had the strength to complete all of the repairs for the town without Regina's support, when suddenly the meadow began to shift rapidly. The broken branches reattached to the trees and bushes, the soil returned to its original location with the grass and moss knitting back over the areas seamlessly, and then it was Ruby's turn to be amazed. Slowly small red, purple, and blue flowers began to sprout, slowly covering the center of the clearing where they had consummated their mating. "Emma, they're beautiful."

As tears gathered in the corner of Ruby's eyes, Emma pulled her into a tight embrace. "I am glad you think so. I know it's too late in the season for them to grow, but I infused them with a bit of my magic, so they will be able to survive and bloom throughout the winter." As the tears began to fall from Ruby's eyes, Emma kissed them away. "Each one reminds me of each of you, every one with its own scent. Come see."

Following Emma, who was now grinning like a child on Christmas morning, Ruby noted that the flowers each smelt very differently than she expected. "Do those really smell like I think they do?" Ruby chuckled.

"Of course. The blue is for Belle, the scent of honeysuckle, sandalwood, and ink. The purple for Regina, the scent of coffee, leather, bergamot, and apples. And the red for you, my mate, the scent of chocolate, citrus, and mint." Blushing, Emma began to wring her hands while avoiding Ruby's confused gaze. "Like I said, this place feels special to me, and the scents make me feel, well, safe I guess."

"Oh Emma." Pulling the suddenly shy blonde into a heated kiss, Ruby was reminded that although Emma projects the confidence of her heritage, she has been hurt many times, especially by those who were meant to love her, to keep her safe, and she was as unsure as any of them when it came to their new dynamic. 'We will make sure she never feels alone again.'

Breaking the kiss, Ruby led Emma over to the flowers, laying them both down, before pinning her again with a hungry kiss. Losing themselves in the sensations, Emma and Ruby let their hands wander up and down the sides of their mate, revelling in the sounds that were falling from between their joined lips.

Ruby shifted to straddle Emma's thigh, slipping her own between the blonde's. Grinding down into her, Ruby let out a low growl at the heat against her leg, repeating the action with more force. Parting their lips, Emma let out a groan, shooting desire straight to Ruby's core. Emboldened by Emma's responses, Ruby slipped her hand down between their bodies, cupping Emma's heat through her thin shorts. Growling in desire, Ruby pressed further into Emma, rocking her hips slowly into the back of her own hand.

Bucking up into Ruby's hand, Emma let out her own matching growl, her eyes flashing yellow in response to Ruby's. Gaze locking, matching looks of hunger in their eyes, Ruby and Emma flew back at the other, lips and teeth clashing in a battle for dominance.

Nipping and sucking at Ruby's bottom lip, Emma begged Ruby to allow her access to her mouth with small whimpers. Massaging her tongue against the firm muscle that sought out her own, Emma let out a desperate moan when Ruby began to gently suck her tongue.

Suddenly, both women parted with a gasp. Unsure as to the source, both women felt the anxious pull to return to the mansion. "Do you-"

"Yeah, you too?" Ruby had only experienced this once before, just the previous evening when Emma had fallen ill. But this time she felt a stronger pulse of anger, not the anxiety that was formerly present.

"I think we need to get back. We can continue this later." Leaning up to hungrily kiss Ruby, Emma smirked. "I promise." The desire, matched with the solidly yellow of Emma's eyes, had Ruby whimpering in her painfully heightened arousal.

Standing, before pulling Emma up to join her, Ruby made quick work of pulling the leaves from both of their hair, before pecking her on the lips. "I'm holding you to that."

Grinning, Emma pulled her power forward, enveloping them both in smoke as another punch of anger coursed through her. 'What on earth could have our mate this angry this early?!'

Presuming that whoever was at the door was likely expected, and would assume something was wrong if no one answered, Belle left the comfort of the bed and made her way downstairs to answer the door. If they were unexpected, they would continue to knock until someone answered, and would likely be in a much fouler mood at having to wait until Regina finished in the shower.

As the knocking sounded again, Belle flipped the deadbolt and opened the door to greet whoever was there. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked upon seeing the identity of the person waiting on the porch.

Cracking the door open and allowing the steam to begin seeping out into the bedroom, Regina quickly checked the bed and noted that it was empty. Ignoring the pang of disappointment at the vacant room, she moved quickly towards her closet, holding the towel tightly to ensure she remained covered. Making a quick decision, she opted for comfort for the coming day, and chose her preferred gardening clothing, a faded band shirt and jeans. 'I'm sure Emma would love to see me in these. Ruby too. And likely Belle for that matter.' Humming to herself at the thought, Regina hastily began to dress.

Quickly making the bed, Regina couldn't help but wonder where everyone had gotten off to as she showered. She had hoped to speak to them all over breakfast this morning and had planned on making Emma's favourite apple and cinnamon pancakes for them. She knew Belle preferred tea whereas Ruby and Emma each preferred coffee, and she had been looking forward to showing off her culinary skills just a bit. 'How is it that I know all of that? Have I really been paying that close attention without even noticing? Maybe I am just reading too much into this.'

Regina was broken from her thoughts by muffled shouting coming from the area of her foyer. It sounded like a male voice was yelling while she could barely hear a quietly accented voice responding. Momentarily elated to realize that her guests were likely still in her home, Regina immediately began to realize that she had another guest that she had not been expecting. 'Who would be here shouting at this hour? And at Belle no less.' Heading out to the landing to see who was raising such a ruckus in her home, Regina could clearly hear Robin's voice as he all but snarled at Belle, who she could hear patiently trying to calm the irate man down. 'Not in my home and not with my Belle!'

"Robin, I understand that you would like to speak to Regina, but she is in the shower and I assure you I am a welcome guest here today. If you would just like to take a seat, I'm sure Regina will be down in a few moments, and can answer any questions you may have."

"I don't care if you think you are welcome here, I want you to leave, NOW! You have no right to be anywhere near Regina without my consent. You have made it quite clear that you are not willing to turn away from your perverted idea of relationships and until you do, I will not have you attempting to corrupt anyone else with your filth! You will leave now or I will throw you out myself, princess!"

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Having heard enough of Robin's rant, Regina made her presence known, stalking down the stairs like the angry queen she was. Stopping a few steps from the bottom of the stairs, Regina focused her glare on Robin. "This is my home and you will do well to remember your place in it."

The angry sneer was quickly replaced on Robins face with what could only be described as a condescendingly smarmy smirk. "Regina, sweetheart, you have to understand. These women, they will corrupt you. I am only protecting you from their disgusting behaviours." Robin took a step towards Regina, hand extended in a placation gesture. "If you are around them, they will twist you to their own sick desires and ruin you. I have worked too hard for me to fail to protect you from them now."

Belle had remained silent when Regina appeared; content to watch her deal with Robin and his beliefs. But hearing him speak to Regina in such a belittling manner, she could not stop the words from leaving her mouth. "If you bloody well think that anyone could force Regina to bend to their desires, you must not be speaking of the same woman that is standing in this room. She ruled a kingdom that prospered more than any other, save Midas', and that was only because of his curse! She took the kingdom that Snow's father left behind, which was almost in financial ruin, and turned it into the envy of the realm! Hell, she ruled this town for almost 30 years and there was a surplus in every budget! Not to mention she personally negotiated every trade deal and alliance for her kingdom for years, and maintained the smooth operation of this town! She did all the hard work for herself, there and here, and you had nothing to do with any change that Regina has experienced! Everything she has done, she has done for herself. And if you think for one second she needs you to 'protect' her from us, you are sorely mistaken. She's the most capable woman in this town, and is quite able to make her own decisions without the likes of shite like you."

Throughout her rant, Belle could feel her body heating up, her anger rolling through her chest in waves. It felt as though her heart was thundering in her chest, her blood rushing through her system, and the edges of her vision felt like they were narrowing in on Robin.

The smirk immediately left Robin's face, replaced with a vicious snarl. "You shut your mouth, whore. You have no right to speak to me in such a manner and will learn your place!" Storming towards Belle, Robin raised his hand, moving to strike Belle, when several things happened all at once. A puff of white smoke appeared in the foyer, Regina raised her own hand calling forth her magic, and Belle's eyes flashed yellow for the first time.

As Robin swing his hand forward, Regina released her magic, sending Robin flying across the foyer, away from Belle to land directly in front of the clearing smoke. Looking up, Robin was met with two sets of angry yellow eyes. Ruby and Emma stood towering over Robin, fists clenched, as loud growls fell from their lips. Seeing Emma and Ruby tense to move towards Robin, Regina shouted in surprise. "STOP!"

Both Emma and Ruby froze, neither looking away from Robin, their growls continuing to reverberate deep in their chests. Walking down the remaining stairs, Regina moved over in front of Belle, whose chest was still heaving, eyes switching from crystal blue to vibrant yellow. "Belle, please, can you look at me?" Glassy eyes slowly blinked at Regina, unable to focus on the woman in front of her, her rage keeping her focussed on the man lying still on the floor. "You need to slow your breathing and calm down. Can you do that for me?"

As her vision began to clear minutely, Belle heard the concern in Regina's voice. Taking a deep breath full of Regina's scent, she was finally able to understand the words being spoken to her. Giving her a shaky nod, Regina breathed a sigh of relief, and gently took one of Belle's clenched hands in her own, silently opening it. Placing it above her heart, Regina continued to speak in a soft soothing tone, "Here, feel me breathing. Try to match it. Just watch me and breath with me, ok?"

No one moved as Regina cared for Belle. Ruby and Emma remained standing over Robin, and at any tiny movement he made, their growls rose; the threat to his safety if he tried anything was clear to everyone present. Thankfully he remained on the floor, observing the scene playing out before him.

"Come back to us, Belle. Everything will be fine. I know you are angry, but you need to come back to me, and help me with your mates. They are worried for you, as am I, and I need you to help me reassure them that you are ok. Can you do that for them? For me?"

Between the gentle tones of Regina's voice and the steady pulse under her fingers, Belle began to calm. Her vision return to normal and the rage she had felt began to fade. Shaking her head slightly, Belle was able to focus on the scene in front of her, only now realizing the danger that was present for the man seated on the floor. "There you are, my sweet Belle. Welcome back," Regina whispered.

"Y-yes. I'm here. I'm ok." Taking another larger deep breath, Belle noted several scents in the air. Strongest was Regina; she could smell the anger and magic mixed with her scent, but also something she couldn't quite identify. Next she could smell the faded arousal mixed in with both Emma and Ruby's scents. Finally, she could smell the forest musk of the man on the floor with equal parts of fear and anger mixed in. "I'm calm now. It's ok. Thank you."

Reaching up to gently cup Belle's cheek, Regina searched her eyes for a moment before nodding and moving to face the three remaining people in the room. "Ruby, Emma, Belle needs you to help her for a few moments. Could you please take her into the kitchen while I speak with Robin? I will be with you all shortly."

Belle took the cue to walk over; taking one of each of her mates' hands and led the still growling women off to the kitchen, although they offered no resistance to her. "We will be just in the kitchen if you need us." Eyeing Robin as she exited the room, Belle added solely for his benefit. "Just let us know, and we will be right with you."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary, dear." Flashing a small smile at the protective behaviour of the women exiting the room, Regina again felt a flutter in her heart. Turning back to face Robin, who was now getting to his feet, Regina let out a sigh at the conversation she was about to have.

Seeing that Robin was about to speak, Regina raised her hand to silence him. "Don't. You have no right to barge into my home, cause a scene, and attempt to strike my guest. You were in the wrong and not just with your behaviour today."

As Robin again opened his mouth to speak, Regina continued, cutting him off. "Did you, or did you not accost Belle in the library regarding her relationship with Ruby several months ago? Answer me."

"Regina, I don't know what these deviants have told you, but you have to understand I-"

Not waiting to hear anything further Regina continued. "Did you, or did you not offer your and your men's 'services' to 'fix' her? While you were in a relationship with me, no less? And did you become so aggressive that you had to be removed forcibly by the Sherriff, and were given a restraining order for Belle's protection? Answer me!"

As she continued, Regina's voice grew louder, her anger leaking through the mask of indifference she wore. "Is it also true that just yesterday you paid Belle a visit to offer her your services again?! Answer me!"

"I was trying to help her! She just needs a good man to show her the right way to be. She doesn't have to be corrupted by this sickness that the wolf is spreading. I would be able to help her too, just like I've helped you!" Robin was gesturing wildly, spittle flying from his lips by the time he had finished.

"Helped..me? How you have HELPED ME?! HOW DARE YOU?!" Hearing Robin admit that he had been offering to sleep with Belle while he had been in a relationship with her had hurt far more than she had expected to. But hearing that Robin believed he had somehow fixed her, that he had considered her to be broken somehow in the first place, crushed whatever sentiment Regina still held in her heart for him. He truly was just like the other nobles from the Enchanted Forest, bigoted and believing that a woman's place was at a man's side and her worth only found between her legs.

"Get out," Regina said, her voice deep and dangerous, the Evil Queen slipping through her tone. "We are done. You and your men will have no contact with me, Henry, or any other member of my family, including Emma, Ruby, and Belle. If you so much as sneeze in our direction, I will crush your heart in front of you and your men, slowly, so you can feel every ounce of agony that I can muster. And believe me, you will be begging for my mercy long before I am done."

"Regina, sweetheart, you don't-"

"GET OUT NOW!" Behind Robin the door to the mansion flew open, banging loudly against the wall as Regina lost control of her magic for a moment.

Opening his mouth again, Robin attempted to speak and try to persuade Regina to reconsider. "Bu-"

"She asked you to leave and I suggest you do as our Queen has asked, before you are unable to do so on your own." Moving from the kitchen, Belle came to stand beside Regina, her arms crossed angrily over her chest, her eyes flashing yellow again briefly.

"I will do no such thin-"

"Yes, you will. You have been asked twice now to leave. I think it's time you caught a clue, and left before you push either of these ladies any further," Ruby said, joining Belle beside Regina. She stood tall, but her stance was just as angry as that of the other women, her eyes solidly yellow.

"Regina, don't let these whor-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you Robin. Not one more word. I may have been Sherriff last time we spoke, but I am on leave right now and just like any other citizen of this town. And if you do not turn around right now with your mouth shut and leave this property, I will be escorting you out and will not hesitate to make it nowhere near as pleasant as last time. Your choice." Emma had joined the other women; standing on Regina's other side, her stance as protective as the others, eyes yellow, and her teeth bared in a menacing grin.

"Reg-"

"Wrong choice." Lunging forward with a snarl, Emma grabbed Robin's arm, disappearing in a puff of white smoke with him, only to reappear alone a moment later. Walking over to the front door and gently closing it, Emma turned to face the women still standing in the foyer. "Regina, are you alright?"

Regina had not moved since Belle had joined her. Her eyes were a violent shade of purple, churning with the emotion she was feeling. She seemed locked in place. No one moved as Regina's chest heaved, her entire frame shaking, tears gathering in her eyes.

Reaching a tentative hand out to gently cup her elbow, Belle was unprepared for the pained cry that left Regina's lips before she crumpled to the floor. Sobs began to wrack her body as the gathered tears began to pour from her eyes.

Rushing forward, Emma wrapped Regina in a tight embrace, as Ruby and Belle allowed Emma to support the crushed woman. As Regina again let out a wail, she began to shout incomprehensible words and beat against Emma's chest. Emma continued to hold Regina, allowing the woman to beat against her in her anguish. She had trusted Robin, had cared for him. And even if it hadn't been love, he had been the representation of her happy ending that Tinkerbelle had predicted all those years ago. And he had broken her heart.

"I've got you. You will be alright. I've got you," Emma murmured as Regina began weeping brokenly into Emma's chest, giving up her assault and collapsing forward. Gradually, she relaxed into the comfort that Emma offered, and as a second, and then third set of arms joined the embrace, Regina's crying slowed. Small hiccups leaving her as someone, she wasn't sure who, rubbed soothing circles on her back. Regina could not deny the comfort she felt being held this way, especially by these women who swore not to push her, and claimed to love her no matter if she loved them in return. It was something she had never before experienced, except from Emma, and it was calming.

Realizing that Emma had taken Robin from her home, and reappeared almost instantaneously, Regina realized that there were a number of possibilities of what had happened that she began to worry over. "What did you do to him?" Regina asked when she had regained enough of her composure to speak. "Where did you take Robin?"

Blushing, Emma hid her face in Regina's dark locks, holding her tighter for a moment, before moving back to give Regina space to move. Rubbing up and down the brunette's arms in an effort to comfort her further, Emma attempted to avoid the subject. "Let's get you off this floor and somewhere comfortable. We can talk about everything else later, ok?"

Pulling back to look the blonde in the eye, Regina was unsure she would like the answer she was seeking. 'What if she miss-cast the transportation spell? What if she killed him? What if she hurt him, and he turns the town against her? Against them?' As her thoughts began to swirl into darker and darker worries about and for the women holding her, she began to panic at the blonde's avoidance. "Emma, what did you DO?"