To say Henry was upset was an understatement. Everything felt wrong. Everything was changing and he didn't understand it.
Snow brought the storybook to him. He found out the truth and then he found his mother. He found Emma and brought her back to Storybrooke. She broke the curse for him. Everything was supposed to be better. Neal even returned. He had his mother, his father, and his grandparents. The curse was broken, but everything felt wrong.
Every day something in town had been changed. Those dragons and witches walked around like they owned everything. Ruby and Regina were walking around in crowns, ignoring the people and weren't helping them. Worst of all, Daniel barely spoke to him anymore. They saw each other in school but other than a polite greeting, that was it. As soon as school let out, his brother was running off to the library. Sometimes Henry saw him around town or in the mansion's front yard playing games, doing magic or playing with some sort of glowing soccer ball with the other kids he hung around. He never spoke to Henry then either. He even stopped coming by when Ruby visited to check on him. Then Ruby stopped visiting. While he knew it was probably because of the adoption thing they were setting up, it still hurt to think they didn't care about him anymore. He even found himself missing Regina. He missed her stories and her cooking and he missed his room. Even though he tried to ignore these feelings, others had noticed.
He had been reading comic books when Emma stomped upstairs and tossed him his coat. "What's going on?"
"We're going to see Daniel and your moms." Emma said.
"What? But-"
"You miss them so let's go see them. I want to see Daniel too. We're going to invite them to dinner. Whether we cook or eat out is their choice. We're all going to sit down and eat and talk. We're going to ask how they're doing, what's happening with the adoption thing, ask Daniel about his magic stuff and you're going to tell them what you've been up to. You're not to mention heroes or villains. Is that clear?"
"What does it matter?" Henry frowned. "They don't care. They won't even talk to me anymore."
"Your moms are busy and you pissed off your brother." Emma retorted. "They won't talk to you and haven't been here, because they're doing what you wanted. You didn't want to be with them and all you do is call them villains so of course they don't want to be around you. But we're going to forget that for today and have dinner. If they agree."
Henry glared at her for a moment. "What about Dad and Grandma and Grandpa?"
"No to your grandparents because Regina hates them and your dad can come if Daniel agrees."
"Why does he-"
"Because we want him to agree and we want him to be comfortable if he chooses to do so. Now, let's go." Emma turned around before he could ask any more questions and he begrudgingly put on his coat and followed. He put on his shoes at the door and followed her to the car. It was a mostly quiet ride with Emma trying to make conversation or telling him what to do, which she'd already done. He didn't know why everything had to be done to make Daniel feel comfortable, but he was the favorite he supposed.
When they got to the mansion he saw that another part had been added to it, almost doubling the already huge house. He wondered why.
Emma knocked on the front door and rang the doorbell once. It was opened by Ruby. She was wearing jeans and a white tank top with her favorite red flannel shirt over top of it. Henry couldn't help smiling at it. Ruby would wear that shirt all day every day if she could. Ruby looked slightly annoyed to see Emma, but then she looked down at Henry and smiled. She squinted at him as she glanced at the door.
"Why are you knocking? You know this is still your home, right?"
"Is it?" He whispered.
Ruby crouched down, her smile disappearing to take on a more serious expression. "Of course it is. You're always welcome here." She pulled him into her arms. It felt…nice. Ruby was always really warm and she gave the best hugs, but he couldn't help but feel wrong. He couldn't quite figure out why, but for now, he would listen to Emma and stop questioning everything and just enjoy the moment because…he missed Ruby. After a few moments Ruby stood back up and looked at Emma. "Did you need something?"
"We wanted to invite you and Regina and Daniel to dinner." Emma answered.
Ruby tilted her head. "Why?"
"Henry missed you and I wanted to see Daniel."
Ruby glanced between the two before motioning them inside. Henry followed while Emma closed the door. The house was oddly quiet except for the living room tv playing some action movie. There was a boy laying on the couch watching it, bundled up in a blanket. "You okay, Max?" Ruby paused to ask.
Max turned his head as she gently felt his forehead. "I'm okay."
"Okay. Let us know if you need anything." And with that, Ruby continued on to the kitchen while the boy turned back to the movie. He only glanced at the newcomers, eventually choosing to ignore them.
In the kitchen, the lights had been dimmed. There was a woman with red hair sitting on the bar stool at the kitchen island with a glass of Regina's cider in front of her. Henry believed that this was the wicked witch of the west. He'd seen her flying around occasionally but he never actually met her. Regina sat next to her, looking quite comfy in a gray dress, one of the few she had that wasn't fitted and one Henry knew was her favorite attire for a quiet night at home. Her left eyebrow shot upwards when she spotted Emma and Henry. Ever since being rescued from Neverland Regina was cautious about talking to him. Only polite hello's and how are you's. He could see that indecision on her face now when she looked at him.
"Hello, Miss Swan, Henry. How can I help you?"
"They want to invite us to dinner." Ruby said. Regina's scowl was instantaneous and Ruby giggled. "Just them. Not the idiots." Regina then looked confused as she turned around fully to look at Emma.
"Why?"
"Henry missed you." Emma replied. "And I wanted to see Daniel."
The confusion turned to surprise when Regina looked at Henry, then to something he couldn't quite read.
"Is that true, Henry?" She asked. He glanced at Emma, who did not look at him or offer any assistance.
"It's true." He said. Again, he couldn't quite figure out Regina's expression. She seemed almost suspicious. Did she not believe him? Did she not trust him?
"I wouldn't mind it." She said after a few moments of deliberation. "We'll have to see what your brother says." As if on cue, they heard the door open. Regina swiveled around on her chair when Daniel came to the door. For Henry, it was just pure shock to see his brother with an elephant's head. To the others it was apparently hilarious because he'd never heard Regina and Ruby laugh that hard in his life. Zelena only grinned as the two girls came to greet her. Another blonde boy stepped into the room and climbed onto the stool next to Regina, also grinning at an annoyed Daniel. At least, he started out annoyed, but the longer Regina and Ruby laughed, the less upset he seemed to be.
"What the hell happened to you?" Emma asked.
Daniel sighed, holding his trunk against his chest. Otherwise it would've dragged on the ground. "I tried to do a spell before Maleficent gave us permission to. This is my punishment. Although, I don't feel so bad about it now."
Regina wiped the corner of her eye and held out her hand to him. He lifted up his trunk and laid it in her palm for her to inspect.
"How does it feel to sneeze with that thing?" Ruby asked.
"He did earlier!" The other three kids burst into laughter. "It was hilarious."
"I did and almost died!" Daniel snapped, only making them laugh harder. "Really, Eliza? You're supposed to be the nice one."
The green skinned girl stopped laughing for a moment, only to start giggling. "I can't take you seriously when you look like that."
"Anyways," Daniel turned to Henry. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to invite you to dinner." Emma answered.
Daniel scratched at one of his giant ears as he looked at Regina. "Are we going? I thought you were building the werewolf hotel today."
"I can do that while you all are at dinner." The witch cut in. "Then you can check it when you get done." She grinned at Regina before turning to her daughters. "Upstairs. Baths. Now." She and the girls teleported away.
"Both of you too." Regina glanced at the blonde boy and touched Daniel on the head, changing him back to normal.
It was difficult, but Henry managed to hide the surprise at seeing the change in his brother. It was subtle, but Daniel was getting more fit. He'd lost a lot of his baby fat and his hair was noticeably longer and darker. There was something else about him that was different as well but he couldn't quite put a name to it.
Daniel and the blonde boy left the room and Regina told them they'd meet them at Granny's in half an hour. Emma led the way back out and they killed time at the park and walked around some before heading to the diner. Both were surprised to see that their dinner guests had already arrived and chosen a table.
Regina had changed into a dark blue pantsuit with a white shirt underneath. Ruby hadn't changed and was currently pestering Regina. The two were giggling like lovestruck teenagers. Meanwhile, Daniel had changed into a white t-shirt and black pants and was currently nose deep in a book. A second later he conjured another book and a pen to start writing in it. When Regina noticed them, she swiftly pushed Ruby away to politely greet the new arrivals.
"You guys got here quick." Emma said, taking a seat.
"Mom taught me a cleaning spell so I didn't have to take a shower." Daniel answered, furiously writing in his book.
"Enough studying." Regina said, touching the top of his head and adjusting a few out of place strands. "You also need a haircut."
"Thirty more seconds." Daniel glanced up at her with a smile. "Also, I don't want to cut it yet. I want it to be long enough to fluff, like you do."
"Excuse me?"
Daniel gasped as he finished writing and teleported the books and pencil away. "Done, but yeah, you do it all the time." He sat up and ran his hands through his hair, fluffing it out in a move Henry had seen Regina do a thousand times. It made him smile and Ruby started snickering.
Regina arched her eyebrow and slowly nodded. "You do realize that all I have to do is talk to Mal and she'll push back your lesson on magical weapons-"
"No! Please." Daniel pleaded.
"Magical weapons?" Henry cut in, instantly picturing his brother walking around with a Mjolnir.
"Yep." Daniel grinned. "Maleficent makes magical weapons and she's going to teach me how to make one. I haven't decided which one yet."
"She'll probably start with something small." Regina said. "Like a dagger."
"It's Mal." Ruby laughed. "She's absolutely going to give our son that lightning hammer he wanted."
"It's called Mjolnir." Daniel sighed. "You've seen the Avengers. You know it's Thor's hammer."
"Eh," The werewolf shrugged. "Black Widow's my favorite."
"Really? Why?" Regina asked.
"Um…because…she's…badass. Like my beautiful and wonderful wife." Ruby gave Regina her best smile. The former queen only rolled her eyes.
A waitress soon came to get their orders and brought them some drinks. The conversation remained on him and his brother with all three women inquiring about them and what they had been up to. Henry was happy to tell them about David teaching him to use the sword and Snow teaching him to use the bow. Emma was thinking about getting a house in town and promised that he and Daniel could have their own rooms. Regina had been smiling up until then, but he could see that smile falter when he revealed that piece of information. Daniel said something to her in a foreign language that had him and Emma exchanging shocked looks. Regina gave him a smile in return. After that, she asked him to continue, but Henry was hung up on his brother for speaking another language.
"Mom taught me a cipher that lets me read and speak magical languages." Daniel explained.
"Wait, just magical languages?" Emma asked. "You couldn't learn Spanish or something?"
"For the one Mom taught me, only magical languages. In order for me to use one and learn Spanish, I would need a cipher made by someone who is fluent in spanish." He looked at Regina, who nodded to let him know he was correct.
"Well, what were you working on when we got here?" Emma asked.
"Biology." Daniel said.
"Isn't that a little advanced for a ten year old?"
"It's for healing magic. Aunt Zelena gave me some notes to look over. I can't learn it yet, but I wanted to see what I was getting into."
"Okay, what else have you learned?" Daniel squinted at the blonde, as if trying to decipher if she was genuinely interested in his answer. Emma seemed to have the same thought because she nodded. "Yes, I really want to know, Daniel. Tell me everything."
His brother was hesitant to believe her and started listing off the different topics Maleficent had started teaching him. It seemed to be a mixture of many things, from dark magic to fae magic, from controlling fire to moving water, from teleportation and healing to runes and enchantments. His personal favorite was shapeshifting and once he got started on that, Henry saw his brother practically light up in a way he had never seen before. So far, he was able to turn into a horse and a wolf without much trouble, but he was experimenting with a cat, a meerkat and an elephant next. Why those specifically, he did not explain.
"I haven't learned any combat. Mal wants me in better shape before we begin hand to hand combat. I probably won't be able to use weapons for a while." Daniel deflated at that part, looking annoyed.
Regina touched the top of his head again, ruffling his hair. "Mal knows what she's doing. Mastering something takes time. You've only been learning for a couple of months."
"I know. Mal already gave me a lesson about patience."
"Take it to heart."
Daniel dipped his head. "Yes, ma'am." He perked up when the food arrived.
"You don't want to learn the bow with Grandma anymore?" Henry asked. "Wasn't that helping with your magic?"
"Mal said it was a good idea, but a bow is too weak for me to learn control. Unless it was an enchanted bow. She said we could make one next week because archery is a very calming exercise. Also, Mal knows how to do everything so I can learn archery from her or Flynn." Daniel shrugged.
"Hmm." The soft hum from Regina had both boys looking at her. It was something she'd unintentionally taught them when they were younger. It usually meant she was thinking about something they'd said and she soon learned to use it to gain their attention. "You may use my tree. For your bow."
"What do you mean?" Daniel frowned.
"My apple tree is enchanted. It was one of the first enchantments I ever created and I've strengthened it over the years. A bow made from it would be unbreakable and hard as steel."
"Are you sure? I know how much that tree means to you." Regina only nodded as she turned back to her food. "But Mom-"
"I can always plant another apple tree, Daniel."
Daniel was still staring at her as if she'd offered him a million dollars and it rubbed Henry the wrong way. He knew how important that tree was to her too. Why would she suddenly cut it down for Daniel? And all this stuff with Mal…Was she just doing it to keep Daniel on her side? Was that why he kept defending her so hard? It ate away at him just trying to piece together this new bond they seemed to have. He didn't understand it and all he knew was that he didn't like it.
/
Ruby could see how upset Henry was becoming. She knew that boy like the back of her hand. Even better than he knew himself. He hadn't even touched his plate. She had to think it was difficult to see Daniel and Regina growing so close and seemingly leaving him behind. While Daniel was purposefully ignoring his brother, Ruby knew Regina's heart ached for him. But he'd made his choice and he refused to budge on his magic stance.
It came as no surprise when Regina offered her tree to Henry as well.
"Why?" Henry asked. His mask of confusion matched Regina's.
Because you're my son. The words hung in the empty air, but Regina didn't say them. Yet again, she chose her words carefully for fear of upsetting Henry further and pushing him away. "I want what's best for you. I always have and I always will." That had always been the case. Ruby didn't know why he thought that would change.
Perhaps you should tell him that.
Hearing the wolf for the first time in over a month caught her off guard and she quickly excused herself to go to the bathroom.
"Haven't heard from you in a long time." Ruby said, after checking to make sure the room was empty.
It has been an interesting time. Besides, you no longer want me to intervene. So I did not.
"You do realize that when you do that I can't shift."
Perhaps you should have considered that before wishing me away.
"I didn't want you gone. I just wanted you to stop taking over my body." Ruby replied.
How else am I supposed to protect us? You already refuse to listen to me.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "For good reason. You don't really help situations, Wolfy."
Because you're doing so fine on your own? Tell that to our wayward pup.
"Our? I thought you said you weren't sure they were family."
They are yours. So they are ours. Besides, if you do not correct his behavior, no one will. The idiots and Emma are fucking clueless when it comes to parenting and as it stands, Daniel may miss Henry but at the same he wants nothing to do with his own brother. Regina is too afraid to act. That leaves you.
"I don't know what to do." Ruby admitted. She didn't know how to remedy the situation. She could tell Henry to come home, could go to the idiots and drag him out kicking and screaming but there was no ending to that that would see anyone happy. Legally, they had every right. They were Henry's mothers and he should be home. But they already tried that once and he spent every day sulking and angry like he was the most miserable person on earth. Regina could probably figure something out but because she was the Evil Queen Henry wouldn't listen to her at all. All he would do was call her a villain and evil and it broke Ruby's heart every time she saw Regina's face when it happened. Even now she was walking on eggshells around him, trying not to upset him. It was ridiculous! "What would you do?" She asked. "You must have some thoughts of your own."
The wolf barely even needed to think. Do nothing.
"That's your advice? What about helping our wayward pup?"
You have already tried to explain your side to him. Daniel has already argued with him on multiple occasions. He believes he is right to distrust magic and distrust Regina, which considering he is a child who sees in black and white and Regina did things as the Evil Queen worthy of his fear, you can't fault him that. If he won't change his mind, do nothing.
"That's ridiculous. Then he won't come home-"
That is his choice and choices have consequences. He came to this dinner because he missed you. He missed Daniel and Regina. He missed the way things used to be, but because of his choices things will never be the same again. He must realize that nothing will change until he chooses to change. The boy wants to have his cake and eat it too. He can't have you and Daniel without Regina, without at least being respectful to her. He can't be Daniel's brother while hating his magic and being vocal about it every time they speak. He can't have you without the others. When he realizes that you and the others won't bend to his will, he will shift accordingly.
"He's just a kid.-" She felt her entire head shake under the wolf's growl.
That is true. And yet, he holds so much power over you and Regina. You told Daniel to learn and grow and enjoy doing so. You and Regina need to do the same. If he wants to be a part of that, he can be. When he acts like it.
Ruby rubbed at her temples. "I don't mean to ignore your advice, but since when have you been able to speak in complete sentences? Or start giving out parenting advice?" The wolf didn't respond and Ruby let out another sigh.
There was a soft creak behind her as the door opened and Regina stepped in. An eyebrow quickly slid upwards when she noticed Ruby wasn't in the bathroom. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, the wolf started talking again."
Regina instantly scowled. "Will you be okay for a week? If not, we can go to Oz if you need to."
"No, it's fine. I may need to talk to Zelena though."
"Why? Is everything alright?"
"Remember when I told you all I felt from the wolf were flashes of emotions that weren't mine?" Regina nodded. "Well, now the damn thing speaks better english than me and is giving me parenting advice. I think it's evolving or something."
"I thought you said that it doesn't have your memories of us."
"That's what I thought. I don't know."
"Maybe you should talk to Mal too and try to talk to your wolf. Maybe it can answer some questions and then you'll have something more concrete to discuss with the alphas. They'll be here within a week." Ruby instantly pulled out her phone to text the two women while Regina inquired about the wolf's parenting advice. Ruby told her. "Was I that obvious?" Regina whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. Before she could close herself off, Ruby took her hands and gently rubbed them between hers.
"Yes, but let's not dwell on that, okay? Let's get out of this bathroom and back to dinner. Then we'll go check out the werewolf inn Zelena built and then you can come with me to talk to her and the dragon about my wolf." Oddly enough, the wolf never chimed in. It was utterly silent for the rest of the night. Luckily, dinner seemed to fly by after a bit of awkwardness here and there.
At the end of the night Emma asked for them to meet up again, which Ruby agreed to. Regina and Daniel had already started walking towards the inn when she turned to look at Henry.
"You know you can come home anytime, right?" Henry nodded. "I'm serious, Henry. You don't need to ask. You don't need to set a date. I can't say that Snow, David or Neal will be as welcome, but we're your family too. You're always welcome." Henry nodded again and gave her a hug before getting into the car with Emma. She felt the wolf growling in the back of her mind as she ran a little to catch Regina.
"You suggested that I let him go." She hissed softly.
Doesn't mean I like it.
"Did you have a good time, Daniel?" Her wife was asking.
"It was okay." He shrugged. "Well…it was kinda nice. I missed Henry and Emma seems okay. They weren't rude at least. I'm not moving in with Emma though." Since he was walking between them, he missed the relieved smiles of his mothers. "So, Mom, is your wolf back?"
"I guess, but how did you know that?" Ruby asked, replaying the dinner over quickly in her head. She thought she had been discreet.
"Just wondering. You flinched before you went to the bathroom. Did the wolf start talking again?"
"It did. Hopefully, Mal can give us some answers."
It was a leisurely walk through the town, filled with Daniel talking about the banquet and an idea that involved a make your own pizza station. Regina agreed to his suggestion of course. Then he went off on a tangent about how dragons were OP and how much it sucked having to train with Hector and Octavia. It was a lighthearted tangent though.
"Well, dragons are a completely different species, dear." Regina said.
"A ridiculous one. They just have to be good at everything!"
"Tell me about it."
Ruby smirked. "Is Maleficent going to stay in Storybrooke to teach Daniel?" She inquired.
Regina only shrugged. "The Dragon Queen goes where she pleases and stays as long as she wants to. I imagine she'll venture out now and again, but the other day she couldn't stop gushing about how much she loves teaching. And how Daniel is her favorite student."
Daniel beamed at her words before scoffing. "I doubt that. It's probably Carlos."
"Don't doubt yourself." Regina retorted. "You're an excellent…student." All three came to a halt at the sight of the new building ahead. Zelena had taken two empty buildings and combined them, as well as added another floor and actually made it look like a hotel. The witch had draped the front of the building in vines and planted a breathtaking garden in the front. Eliza and Carlos were currently adding in more under the supervision of Ursula. She and Regina exchanged nods as they went into the building. The interior was gorgeous. Besides looking like a luxury hotel lobby, Zelena had of course added in a massive amount of plants, but more than that, she added in wolf paintings and sculptures, and lots of amenities for the wolves when they were in wolf form such as water fountains and a hundred cushy pillows and chairs. There were arrows pointing where to go and Regina took the lead, heading to the room labeled the 'Nest'. This seemed like a sitting room. There was a huge tv, a fireplace, even more cushy pillows and chairs, a mini fridge, and a box with lots of toys in it. The trio continued on, passing a door that led outside to a courtyard with an apple tree in it. Along with lots of grass and another garden, there was a small jungle gym set and a sandbox. They passed Lily in the hallway, drawing a portal on the door and putting up a plaque.
"What's this for?" Regina asked.
"It's a portal that leads straight to the forest by the lake, just in case the werewolves get tired of civilization."
"Smart." Daniel said.
"Agreed. Zelena's upstairs. She and Mom have been working on the bedrooms."
Regina nodded and took the lead again. They finally found the witch upstairs in one of the bedrooms that looked like she'd copied it out of a luxury hotel magazine. Apparently, that didn't feel quite right because she snapped her fingers and made the room a little more rustic, bearing in mind the mixture of styles Regina and Ruby had been implementing across town.
"I finished the bathroom." Mal said as she stepped into the room from the adjoining bath. "I put in a bathtub and a shower and I know you said to put in instructions but I just put in a magic button."
"Dragons." Zelena rolled her eyes.
"You really got to work, didn't you?" Regina and Daniel were both looking around the room in awe.
"Yes!" Zelena bounced up and down as she proudly showed off her creation.
Mal, however, ignored the babbling redhead and came to Ruby. She lightly touched her back and ushered her out of the room. "Zelena made a quick trip to Oz after receiving your message and she brought back a few alphas who believe they can help you."
"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Where are they?"
"Top floor. Zelena put in another sitting room and the rest of the children have been keeping them busy. They came with guards and a few children who ran through the portal before we closed it." Ruby smirked. "They are adorable so be prepared."
"Yes ma'am. Wait, is there anything I should know? Do I bow when I see them? Do I need a gift?" The dragon only chuckled and turned around to begin walking towards the stairs. "That's not an answer!" Ruby called.
"She'll only give you one about half the time." Daniel said as he stepped out of the room to follow. Ruby sighed and followed him upstairs.
They came to a room at the end of the hall that had no door. Inside was another game room connected to a room similar to a den. There were several couches, a golden chandelier and a glass coffee table with snacks on it. Daniel went to join the group of children crowding around the tv and the toy box while Mal led her over to the group of people on the other side of the room who were conversing. There were four people sitting down with two guards standing behind each of them. She could tell all of them were werewolves, but each one was dressed vastly differently. The eldest was a smiling heavyset woman with long gray hair. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress with a golden belt around her waist. There was a warm air about her as she immediately stood up to greet Ruby once she noticed her.
"Ruby, this is Queen Rhea, Alpha of the Red Forest Pack in Oz." Mal said.
"Um, hi." Ruby let out a surprised squeak when Rhea instantly pulled her in for a hug. It was surprisingly nice.
Mal moved on to the man next to Rhea, who barely looked like he was out of his 20's. Unlike all of the others, he wore the finery of a nobleman. He was dressed in a green shirt and pants but he was also wearing an emerald necklace and matching rings and a silver earring in one ear. He stood up to bow to her and she bowed in kind. "This is Lord Luke, leader of the werewolves in the Emerald City." Luke was a handsome man. He had thick, wavy, brown hair and piercing green eyes that stood out against his tan skin.
Mal motioned to the woman to his right. "This is Philippa, leader of one of the Western werewolf packs. Those are the werewolves that Zelena gave land to when she took over the western region of Oz. There are a lot of packs there so Philippa offered to serve as their representative for now." Philippa welcomed her just as Rhea had. She reminded her so much of her mother. Philippa was beautiful. Almost ridiculously so. Unlike the others, Philippa's attire was more tribal in appearance. She wore a simple brown skirt and sports bra-like top, but it was augmented by her many beaded necklaces, jeweled bracelets and the huge bone collar that had a diamond set into the center. She had waist-length, thick brown hair that was held back by a beaded cord that also had feathers in it and she had several scars that not only cemented her as a leader, but a warrior as well. "The behemoth behind her is her mate, Arro." Ruby looked up as Philippa retook her seat and her jaw almost dropped. Arro had to be well over six feet tall. His hair was pinned back just like his mate's and he had a thick black beard. He had even more adornments than Philippa and he had several knives clearly visible on his person. Despite his fearsome appearance, he gave a smile as he bowed.
"Last but not least, is Jason." Mal gestured to the last alpha on the couch. He was a middle aged man with dark hair speckled with gray and stubble to match. He was dressed more simply than the other werewolf leaders, wearing only a gray shirt and brown pants. "He is the leader of a pack we found in the Enchanted Forest." Ruby bowed to him as well and he did the same.
"They will not live in the Enchanted Forest for long." Said Luke. "Jason will bring his family and any other packs he is aware of to Storybrooke for the banquet and then they will go to Oz. They will be much more welcome there."
Ruby nodded, taking the seat Mal offered her. "I know. In the Enchanted Forest it was hard to find other werewolves. Humans didn't like us near their villages and some actively hunted us down like trophies."
"Still do." Jason sighed.
"It is hard to live in a world of humans and not be human." Rhea said. Perhaps it was because she was the eldest among the leaders but Ruby was fascinated how the others seemed to defer to her and listened when she spoke. "I cannot speak for other worlds, but in Oz, there was no place for us. It required so much effort to live amongst the humans. They saw us as animals to be feared, beasts that couldn't control themselves and would turn on them one day without warning. And we could not live amongst the animals, even the talking ones. It gets tiring after a while. Zelena gave us a place to live and grow. Where we were once lost and scattered across the realm, now we were able to gather in the West. Of course, every pack is different. No two are the same and no two have lived through the same experiences, but we have been able to build a strong society that can share in making each other strong." She smiled before glancing at something behind Ruby.
"This is Regina." Mal said. "Ruby's wife and mate." Ruby turned as Regina came into her field of view and bowed to the alphas. "Lily, could you take the children to the room next door?" A minute later, the room was quiet and Rhea asked Ruby about her problem. Once again, she explained her problem with her wolf. When Mal told her to explain further, she simply told them about her life, growing up in her small village and unaware of what she really was. She told them about her cloak and how she hated wearing it and then about Peter and the …aftermath of her last night with him. Then came running away and living with Snow and then finding Quinn and Anita and truly living as a werewolf for a couple of nights before it all went to hell. After that was several years of just fighting Regina and her admittedly unhealthy method of using the wolf to fight. Then the curse. The 28 years of peace she was able to get and then the problems that came with it breaking.
"That's about it." Ruby said once she finished. For a few moments there was nothing but silence as the alphas processed everything she'd told them. She felt Regina's hands on her shoulders, offering whatever comfort she could. As she spoke, she tried to get a sense of how the alphas felt. Luke's face had remained impassive for the majority of her tale. Jason seemed more upset or sad than anything. Rhea's face changed constantly, reacting to every sentence, but she didn't get the sense that the old wolf was angry. Philippa, however, was pissed.
"Where is your grandmother now?" Philippa asked.
Mal cleared her throat as she took a seat nearby. "I figured it was best that the Widow Lucas not be present. I've known you for only a couple of hours and I could tell that someone may get hurt if she were here."
"Fair enough." Philippa sighed. "However, it is her actions that caused this problem. You are not a human, Ruby. And you are not a wolf. You are a werewolf. There are no two sides. There is only one. You were happiest with her mother and her pack because you weren't fighting who you are. Of course you hated or were afraid of your wolf. That's all your grandmother taught you to be. If you didn't wear your cloak, you would hurt people or they would hurt you. Just because she was upset about being turned doesn't mean she should've raised you to hate yourself."
Rhea touched Philippa's arm and she seemingly calmed down. She looked at Ruby, as if looking her up and down. "Philippa is right. I've seen this kind of thing before and unfortunately, the werewolf is never…cured. I don't want to say that because I don't believe there is anything wrong with you, it's just due to your upbringing, you think differently than a werewolf who was raised as one. When we refer to our wolf, we usually mean our wolf form. It's never a separate being. It just is." Ruby tilted her head, glancing at Regina, who was listening intently. "You were raised as a human, to fear your wolf. Your grandmother was forcibly turned into one so you can make the case that she wouldn't know how to raise a werewolf pup, but she raised you as one thing when you are another. When you fought in your wars with the Evil Queen, you let the wolf take over your mind and body. It's easy to see why you would know little about it. Why you would want to separate yourself from it, why you would see it as dangerous and volatile and violent. It's easier to think of the wolf as a separate being because you don't want to be responsible for the harm it's caused. But it is just you, Ruby."
"So what you're saying is, I'm crazy." Ruby growled. "There's nothing you can do?"
"Short of killing you?" Luke replied. "No. You were born with Wolf's Blood, it would take a lot to remove it and even if it can be done, you would never be the same. For the rest of your life, you will always feel like you are missing something important, a hole that you will never be able to fill."
"So I just accept that my wolf is a separate being now?" Ruby asked. "Because it's not the most cooperative partner."
"Do you talk to your wolf?" Rhea asked. "Does it speak back? Do their views differ from yours?"
"It only talks when it wants to and a lot of times, yes."
"What about your family?" Jason asked. "Does it feel the same way about them?"
Ruby waited a moment to see if the wolf would respond, but it didn't. "I think it sees Henry and Daniel as its pups. As in, they're our pups. Our children. It might have liked Regina at one point but not anymore."
"What happened?"
"It has the ability to take over Ruby's body against her will." Regina answered. "In Neverland, while attempting to rescue our children, it was proving to be a hindrance so I promised it that I would devote all of my power to ripping it out of Ruby if it didn't relinquish its hold on her."
All four alphas had various reactions. Jason let out a sigh, Philippa started snickering, Rhea facepalmed herself and Luke smirked. The werewolves behind them all had similar reactions.
"So you threatened to kill it?" Rhea said.
"Yes." Regina shrugged.
"Well, there goes reasoning with it." Rhea sighed, starting to stand up. Half the other werewolves immediately moved to help her and she shooed them off. "I'm not that old yet. Damn." She motioned to the coffee table and two of the guards picked it up and carried it off to the other side of the room. "If you and the wolf see each other as two beings, we shall treat you both as such. For now, may I speak to the wolf?"
/
Regina scowled when Ruby blinked and her eyes turned gold. That was all that was required. It wrinkled her skin how easy it was that the beast was able to take over her wife's body, to keep control of it despite Ruby's wants. If what the alphas said was true then removing it completely wasn't possible. It was a part of Ruby and born because she was never able to be a true werewolf. She and the wolf were never one. Regina even remembered her saying that she had to choose the wolf or the human when she was protecting Snow from her mother. She hated not knowing how to help her beloved.
"Is that wise?" Regina asked, looking at Rhea. "I mean, it sounds counterproductive."
"It would only be counterproductive if I wasn't Ruby." The wolf growled at her.
"You're not Ruby." Regina growled in the same manner. "I know you claim to protect Ruby but-"
"An action I would never have had to take if she wasn't in that stupid war with you and Snow!" The wolf suddenly roared.
"And whose fault is that?" Regina scoffed. "Besides, Ruby and I discussed everything that happened in the Enchanted Forest. She's let it go. Maybe she needed you before, but she doesn't now."
"I was here long before you." The wolf stood up and Jason and Luke were quick to step between it and Regina, who only rolled her eyes.
She looked to Rhea. "Is there a way to lock it up? At the very least, keep it from taking over Ruby's body? That's the main problem. I could come up with a spell to-"
"You will not use your magic on me, Evil Queen."
Regina sighed. "I already did when we were in Neverland. It's because of me that we were able to do so much damage to Pan and his army. All you did was be a hindrance and make Ruby doubt her own abilities even more!"
"I was protecting both of us then!"
"Ruby can think for herself! She can protect herself! She's not a child. She doesn't need you anymore."
"And yet, here I sit."
"Enough!" Jason said sharply. He glared at the wolf. "Sit." It obeyed, scowling like a scolded child. "Regina is right." The wolf instantly let out a deep throated growl. "Hush. You have no enemies here and no one is threatened." He motioned for the wolf to come closer and it slid its chair forward. Regina exchanged a concerned look with Mal, who merely shrugged. "Let me ask you a question, Wolf. Why do you feel you must protect Ruby from her own mate?"
"She threatened to rip me away."
"That's you protecting yourself, not Ruby. Are you not on the same team? Are you not working towards the same goal? Protecting Ruby, keeping her safe and happy. Protecting your children, keeping them safe and happy. Is that not what you're fighting for?"
The wolf tilted its head, but ultimately shook it. "I do not need her. I have protected Ruby for too long-"
"You call her pathetic." Regina growled. "You call her weak. You force her out of her own body. All you do is drag up her self doubts and put her in danger. Maybe you want her to depend on you because you know she doesn't need you."
The wolf instantly spun to glare at her and it was unnerving to see her wife look at her with such hatred. "I called her pathetic because it was ridiculous how little she knew how to use her power-"
"How can she know how to do anything if you control it?!" Regina roared. "Anytime you want to be a petty bitch and hide away in Ruby's mind she can't use her powers at all. She can't shift, her strength goes away, everything!"
In the blink of an eye the wolf had shifted and leaped at her. A hand on her shoulder pulled her out of the way as the other werewolves and Mal jumped in to stop the wolf from reaching her. They caught the raging beast and were fighting to pull it away when it suddenly descended into a seizure. Regina wanted to run to her wife, but a strong, but gentle arm kept her in place. She glanced back at Arro. How the massive man had managed to get around the couch in time was beyond her.
"Let me go, please!"
"She is in good hands and there are too many people in the way as it is."
Regina watched helplessly as Ruby was lowered to the floor and Mal and Zelena took over her care. The seizing stopped, but Ruby didn't wake up.
"What happened? Is she okay?" Regina demanded. Arro didn't release her until the others had backed away from Ruby and she quickly crossed the room to kneel at her wife's side.
"She seems to be fine." Mal said.
"I've used my best healing spell." Zelena added. "She's not in danger and she's not in any pain."
"Perhaps we should reconvene when she wakes up." Mal suggested. As if on cue, Ruby's eyes opened and she rolled over onto her stomach. Her ears and tail dropped as she stood up and pushed her face into Regina's arms.
"I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm so sorry." Regina said, stroking the top of her wife's head.
"Sorry for what?" Ruby whispered, sounding sluggish and tired.
"Zelena was right. I just exacerbate the problem. I shouldn't have said anything."
"No, you should've. We're partners, right?"
Regina nodded. "Of course."
Ruby turned to look at the other alphas. "I'm looking at you all, but I'm also addressing Zelena and Maleficent. I don't know what to do to fix this, but I need your help. I tried to take my body back. It was going to kill Regina if I didn't. I don't want to hurt my mate. I've already lost someone I loved to the beast and I won't do it again." She looked at Luke. "I don't care if I'll never be the same. It attacked my mate with the intent to kill. I want it gone."
"Are you sure?" Rhea asked.
Ruby nodded. "Yes. I won't put my family in danger anymore. If there is a spell anyone can use to keep it from taking over or even if I need to be locked up until then…Whatever you guys can do, I'll do it."
"What you are asking…" Luke warned. "It-"
"Forgive me, but I don't want to hurt anyone. Is it possible to remove the wolf's blood and then have one of you bite me?"
"As I said," Luke replied. "You were born as a werewolf. To remove the wolf's blood would be detrimental."
"Then I don't care about being a werewolf. Take it. I'm sure Regina can come up with a spell that lets me shapeshift at will."
"I can, but we don't know if the wolf will go away when we turn you back."
Ruby sighed. "Queen Rhea, you said you've seen this before? Can I talk to the people who have to deal with it?"
Rhea nodded. "We were already attempting to locate them when Zelena asked for us to meet you. Are you sure this is what you want? It is possible-"
"Forgive me," Ruby said again, dipping her head respectfully. "But I just need it gone. I thank you for taking the time to talk to me and I do appreciate it and you are welcome to stay in Storybrooke as long as you like, but I think I'd like to go home now. I'm very tired." Her head started to sag and Regina and Zelena both dropped to catch her before she collapsed. Both of them used magic to scan her for an illness but the she-wolf was just exhausted.
"I'll take her home and get her into bed." She looked at the alphas. "Thank you for trying to help."
"We're not done yet." Phillippa promised her. "We'll find a way to help her."
Regina nodded and looked at Zelena. "Can you keep an eye on Daniel for me? I'll come back when Ruby's in bed, but-"
"Absolutely. Go."
Regina teleported home with Ruby. It required some coaxing to get her to shift back into human form and she used magic to clean her before getting rid of her clothes and dressing her in her favorite pajamas. By then, Ruby was asleep and she used magic to get her into bed and tucked her in. Her heart practically ached to see her wife in such a state. That damn wolf! It tried to kill her?! She was angry and she hated the fact that she didn't know what to do.
After placing a spell around the bedroom that would alert her if Ruby woke up, she teleported back to the alphas who were in a discussion with Mal and Zelena.
"No, that's crazy!" Jason exclaimed, looking at Phillippa.
"Would you rather her kill her mate? She's already lost one person she loved because she couldn't control herself." The she-wolf replied.
"She's right." Mal agreed, glancing at Regina as she walked back into the room.
"If this is a mental thing," Zelena said. "It's possible that turning Ruby human won't get rid of the wolf at all."
"She would be weaker, easier to stop if she loses control." Phillippa said, receiving another glare from Jason.
"Whatever is done should be done quickly." Arro said, drawing all eyes in the room. Regina was both shocked and not surprised at all by the deep baritone of his voice. "We can assume that Ruby had a seizure because she fought to take back her body to protect Regina. Look at how it weakened her. If the wolf takes over again and she tries to fight back again, she might injure herself...or worse."
"Or she may not succeed in taking her body back at all. What do we do if the wolf decides it doesn't want to relinquish control?" Luke asked. "This is different from the other werewolves who were like this."
"How so?" Mal asked.
"For one, they never had a wolf taking over their body." He replied. "Maybe they would refer to themselves as separate people, them and the wolf, but they understood that they were the same thing and with a lot of talking and time spent amongst other werewolves they learned the truth. Maybe we should bring in her grandmother. Do we know when this started?"
"I don't know if Eugenia would know." Regina said. "Ruby ran away as soon as she killed Peter and it was a couple of years before they reunited in Snow's army."
"Still, we should find out more. If Ruby did or experienced anything to contribute to his when she was a small child, she may not remember. Her grandmother might."
"Maybe she should talk to Archie." Mal suggested. "Maybe his methods would be more effective."
"I could ask him. I have to see him tomorrow about the Lost Boys." Regina said. She glanced at her sister, who seemed deep in thought. "What are you thinking?"
"Just…" She looked at Mal. "Does Lily see herself as a dragon?"
"What?"
"Lily was raised as a human. Yes, you found her but for the early part of her life, the most crucial part of her development, she thought herself to be human. I'm sure learning that she wasn't was something she struggled with, yes?"
"Of course. What are you getting at?"
Zelena motioned to the door. "Daniel told us what you taught him during his first lesson. Lily's magic cuts on and cuts off. If she still does that even now, she doesn't view herself as she is. Lily is essentially human until she needs to use her magic or dragon abilities. Perhaps Ruby is the same way. How did you help Lily?"
"It sounds like an interesting idea, Zelena," Regina cut in. "But it still doesn't change the fact that Lily doesn't have a dragon trying to take over her body."
"Guys," Phillippa said. "What if she's a Great One?" The other alphas looked surprised by her words.
"That would make sense." Rhea scratched her chin. "That would make a lot of sense."
"You have them too?" Jason asked.
"Um," Mal raised her hand to get their attention. "What is a Great One?"
"A kind of werewolf." Rhea answered. "A very ancient breed of werewolf. They are legendary and are different from the werewolves you see today in that they were much larger and more beastial in nature. Those are the werewolves you needed to watch out for and probably the ones humans reference when they think of us. It is said that when they were in wolf form, they were beasts. Completely different than they were in human form. Some even believe that the wolf is a separate being entirely. However, those are just stories and it's been so long since I've heard of them, it didn't even cross my mind."
"The thing is," Luke added. "Ruby doesn't have to be a Great One. She could just be a part of a bloodline that leads back to a Great One. Maybe that's why she's so fractured. Being raised as a human when you're really a werewolf, one of the most powerful kinds of werewolf, then you're forced to kill your lover and your mother, then thrown into war and cursed for almost three decades."
"And what happened to these Great Ones?" Mal asked.
"They died out or mixed blood with humans or left for another world." Rhea shrugged. "No one really knows. Only that they aren't around anymore. We can find more information about them and bring them to you in time for the banquet."
Regina ran a hand through her hair as she processed all of this information. She would have to wait for Ruby to wake up before they continued this discussion. Eventually, they agreed to meet again a day before the banquet. Collecting the children took some time. Some were asleep, including Daniel. They gathered up the little ones and Regina said good byes. She took Daniel home and put him to bed. She met Zelena in the hall after she put the girls to bed.
"Are you okay?" Zelena whispered.
"Tired." Regina answered.
"Go get some rest then. I'll check on the boys."
"Thank you."
She felt a little trepidation going back into her bedroom. A part of her worried that the wolf had taken over again or Ruby would be gone, but her wife was still there, still sleeping. She all but fell into the bed and curled up away from Ruby, dreaming of wolves with glowing golden eyes.
/
The next morning, she was awoken by a soft knock on her door. Zelena peeked in and called her down for breakfast.
Regina sighed and sat up. Ruby was gone and her side of the bed was cool so she'd been up for a while. She took a quick shower and got dressed in a gray pantsuit with a black shirt underneath. The house was strangely quiet as she walked downstairs.
"Where are the kids?" She asked once she made it to the kitchen.
"Lily took them to the training room to give them a lesson on hand to hand combat." Zelena answered. She, Mal and Ruby were the only ones here. Ruby still looked out of it. While she was awake and alert, her shoulders sagged and her head drooped, held up only by her hand propped on the table.
"You okay?" Regina asked, looking her up and down. Her eyes caught on the black cuff on Ruby's left wrist.
"I'm fine. Are you?"
"Why are you wearing that?"
"Because I refuse to hurt the people I love again." Ruby answered. "Mal says it stops the flow of magic. As long as I wear it, I can't use any werewolf abilities but neither can the wolf."
Regina moved to sit next to her at the kitchen island. "Ruby-"
"I know you can protect yourself, Gina, but if I ever hurt you or the kids, I would never forgive myself. It seems to be working so let's leave it at that for now."
"If this is all it takes to stop the wolf…"
Ruby shook her head. "I want a permanent solution. What if I forget to put it on one day? What if that thing takes over and won't give me my body back? Mal and Zelena told me everything that was discussed after I passed out last night. That was one of your concerns, wasn't it?"
"Has it said anything?" She asked.
Ruby shook her head again. "No." Zelena slid a mug of coffee in front of them both and Regina was grateful for it.
Mal pushed a folder in front of her while she drank. "What is this?" She asked.
"Archie dropped it off this morning."
She opened the folder and flipped through the pages. They are all accounts of the Lost Boys and Archie's recommendations for them.
"Archie said that he gave you all that he felt was necessary and if the parents want more information he'll share the full files with them." Zelena said. "Turns out only a handful of the Lost Boys really concerned him. He starred the ones you should know about. The rest were mostly victims or low on the totem pole."
Regina hummed in understanding. "I wouldn't be surprised if they all needed lifelong counseling. We should see if Archie would be willing to offer it and set up a system so they can come back to Storybrooke when they need to. Also pay Archie handsomely."
"Agreed." Ruby said, pushing her empty mug forward. "Hit me again."
"You should be careful with that stuff." Mal checked her phone and grinned. "You have a meeting in a few minutes."
"With?"
"I sent Ursula on a hunting expedition after you left last night. I bet her a hundred pearls she wouldn't be able to find one by morning and she did. She's on her way here."
"Find what?" Regina asked.
"A Great One."
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