A/N: Commissioned story that I might pick up somewhere on down along the road. Perhaps for Red Queen Week. For now, it stands on it's own.

Ruby raises her head in the crisp spring air, waving to someone across the street as she jogs down the sidewalk. Hardly anyone is up at this hour, and it suits her just fine. She sniffs the air and looks around before following the path that cuts through the woods.

There's no one around for miles. She grins to herself as a burst of energy hits her and she leaps forward - and into her wolf form.

She bounds forward a few feet, muscles bunching and rippling under her fur. The winter has been long, with stubborn swells of snow striking and covering the sleepy town every time they'd thought spring was near.

But, now, well…

Ruby can smell the new growths all around, see the tiny buds forming on the trees. Small creatures stir in their nests, the lingering coolness making them slow to leave their cozy havens.

The earth smells rich all around her, and Ruby releases a few enthusiastic barks as she frolicks through the woods. It makes the decision to leave her pack almost bearable, this first blush of new spring.

It's not for forever, she reminds herself, but her friend Mary has been going through a difficult pregnancy. Ruby stops to stretch.

It still boggles her mind that Mary Margaret had stayed in Storybrooke after complaining for years about how little the place changes. Ruby had left without regret, especially since finding her mother's old pack to be welcoming of her presence. Gran had been too stubborn to pick up and move again, but Ruby knows it had more to do with not wanting to leave her mother.

Anita had been stricken with the only disease with the ability to harm their kind, one unknown to the normal human world. They'd moved to the remote location to hopefully give Anita peace when Ruby was eight, to hopefully slow blood raging too harshly in her veins. It had worked for a time.

A pang of loss hits Ruby hard, even though it's been nearly a decade since her mother died. She makes a mental note to visit her mother's grave soon, pay her respects.

Her run has slowed to an amble, and it's that that allows for her to clearly hear the sharp crack of twigs under booted feet.

Ruby tilts her head curiously, opting to do a slow circle around where the noise has originated. This patch of forest is off-limits to hunters, and few in town would go wandering about at such an hour.

She rounds a thick copse of trees carefully, downwind of the sound just in case. A woman, with straight dark hair that hangs just past the collar of her charcoal trench-style coat and wearing heeled leather boots, is carefully removing slivers of bark from a beech tree.

At once Ruby is grateful that her sight is better in her wolf form; as out of place as the woman should seem in the forest, she appears to be right at home. Ruby is entranced.

She takes a step too far around the tree she's been using for cover, and then the woman's head swivels to her hiding spot.

Ruby is too far to be seen clearly, she knows. She freezes all the same.

She's shocked when the woman takes several steps in her direction. The tree bark is distractedly deposited in a pocket as the woman stares at Ruby.

"You're not supposed to be here." The woman tilts her head, her rich voice full of bafflement.

Ruby huffs her disagreement, though the pleasant tone of the woman's voice makes her ears perk up. She's been roaming the woods off and on for the last couple of weeks, it's this woman that's out of place here.

The woman arches her eyebrows. "No need to be fussy, it's just an observation." She seems to examine Ruby's red-black fur for several moments. "There are no wolves in Maine, especially not like you. Curious." Her eyes narrow, and then she's nonchalantly waving a crimson-gloved hand in the air. "Well, have fun chasing squirrels, I have an appointment."

And then, to Ruby's great surprise, purple smoke swirls around the woman - and she's gone.

Ruby hurries over to where the woman had been. There's heeled boot prints all around, and the unmistakeable scent of human on the air. Her tongue lolls out absently as she samples the scent. There's a tang to it she's never experienced before, something wild that almost crackles in the air and lingers in the back of her throat.

She twirls a few times before taking off at a full, boisterous run. Maybe Gran knows something about this.

Regina frowns and immediately tries to hide it. "This is where you want to eat? Are you sure?"

Beside her, Henry snickers. His green eyes twinkle in the light of the setting sun. "Yep. You said I could pick anywhere, Mom," he helpfully reminds her.

She sighs and tugs a hand through her hair. "So I did." She pauses as she looks at him, marveling at how close he is to being taller than her. "Try not to pick the most unhealthy thing on the menu."

"I make no such promises. I worked hard to ace chemistry, and I deserve the cholesterol-iest, most trans-fat-laden, deep fried thing on their menu." Henry gleefully rubs his hands together.

Regina does her best to keep her face expressionless, though she's inwardly screaming to herself.

Henry gives her a look and bursts into laughter. "Relax, Mom. I just want a burger and fries. Maybe a milkshake."

She bobs her head. "Right."

"Come on," he coaxes as he rushes forward to open the door. "I'm super hungry."

The diner is busier than Regina realizes, the long counter and nearly every table full. She sees Henry's face fall. Who knew they'd need a reservation for a diner?

Despite her consternation about what the menu might contain, Regina finds herself stepping forward looking to inquire about a table. Henry has earned his exponentially unhealthy meal.

None of the uniformed waitresses seem to notice her, but a long-legged brunette in dark jeans and a red-and-black flannel steps forward. Her wavy hair is down around her shoulders, and Regina hopes she's not a waitress. Having her hair down had to be some kind of health code violation, mustn't it?

"May I help you?" the woman asks.

Regina straightens her back. "I know you're busy, but would it be possible to get a table for two?"

The woman stares at her for a moment and then blinks rapidly. She clears her throat and looks around the diner, a small frown growing on her face. "A table? Not likely."

Before Regina can begin apologizing to Henry, the woman turns in a half circle and then back again.

"If you give me like, five minutes, I think I can get you some spots at the counter. Would that be alright?"

"Yeah!" Henry says brightly. He spares Regina a bashful look. "Right?"

Regina smiles. "Of course. You earned it."

"Great, I'll be right back," the woman declares with a grin.

Henry's smile makes Regina's lips twitch up in response.

She glances around the noisy diner as they wait, noticing the woman that had helped them talking closely with two men seated at the counter. The shorter one with a scruffy beard laughs and rubs a hand over the woman's arm, nodding and rising.

Regina cants her head to the side. If she's not mistaken, the woman has just cajoled two men from their seats to make room for her and Henry. She hums curiously at the observation, admiring the woman's long legs. It's no wonder the men have given their seats up with a smile.

She makes sure to look away as the men pass her and Henry to the door, acting nonchalant as the helpful woman returns.

"Just right over here," the woman directs with a raised hand.

The stools and counter look clean enough, and Regina is amazed to discover the padded part of the stool is extremely comfortable.

Two menus are promptly deposited in front of her and Henry, and then the woman (waitress?) is rushing off to attend to someone at the far end of the counter.

"This is a diner?" Regina blurts out as she peruses the menu. The usual fried diner fare is present, but there's also a bevy of Greek options.

"My great grandmother's recipes," the woman, who's abruptly materialized in front of them again, explains.

She tilts her head a little when she smiles, Regina absently notes.

"My name's Ruby Lucas, and I'll be helping you both get fed tonight. Have you decided what you want, or do you need more time?" There's something about the low light that does something funny to Ruby's dark brown hair; Regina tries to understand what it is before she's caught staring.

"Hi, Ruby! I'm Henry, and this is my mom, Regina. I wanted a burger, but after looking at the menu, I kind of want to try something new. Do you have any recommendations?"

Henry's exuberance gives Regina time to internally shake herself and focus back on the menu.

Ruby is friendly, and she and Henry have an easygoing exchange before he decides to try the moussaka. Regina isn't as ready as she should be when both turn to look at her, and so she points to the first thing she sees.

"Falafel? Great choice. Gran had a scare with her heart a few years back and swapped the type of oil she fries them in - they taste even better now!"

"Excellent," Regina all but breathes out, distracted as she is by the way Ruby tosses her hair over her shoulder. Something is niggling in her brain, and it bothers her that she can't ferret out whatever tidbit of information it is she's trying to remember.

She still hasn't figured it out by the time their meals arrive, and so she decides to let it go and enjoy her night with her son.

Ruby is enjoying her usual morning run in the forest, reveling in the warm rays of early sunlight that peek through the still mostly bare trees.

Something small scurries off to her left, and she romps playfully after it. She doesn't intend to harm the rabbit, but she does enjoy chasing it a little.

Not wanting to give the furred creature a heart attack, she stops before she gets too close to catching it. The birds are singing deeper in the woods, and Ruby is feeling exceptionally good today. Mary's got an appointment with her obstetrician in a few hours, but until then Ruby is free.

"Ruby!" comes a sudden and familiar voice.

Ruby stops sniffing the ground to face it, confirming it to be Regina almost immediately. She doesn't move.

Regina's dark eyes narrow, and then she's walking confidently to Ruby.

Despite the fact that Ruby sort of likes Regina, she bows her head and lets out a low growl. Her heart is beating too quickly, she knows.

Is Regina insane? Ruby is uncommonly large for her kind, let alone normal wolves.

"Stop that," Regina commands with a small wave of her hand. Small wisps trail from her hand and curl in ticklish tendrils over Ruby's face.

She sneezes and shakes her head, staring in bewilderment at Regina's audacity.

"Huh," Regina says as her lips begin to slowly upturn, "interesting. If you were a normal wolf, that would have made you instantly trust me."

Ruby huffs.

"Your secret's out, Ruby. Show me."

Her tone makes Ruby's fur ripple in pleasure, the deep quality of Regina's voice almost seductive.

Gran's warnings only surface in Ruby's head for the briefest of moments, and then she's back standing on two feet and leaning against a sturdy oak. She's only ever met other werekin, never any other kind of possibly magical creature. Gran's always said she's too curious for her own good. "What are you, some kind of witch?"

Regina's mouth thins into a line of displeasure. "A crass term, but then none ever seems quite right. What are you, some kind of weredog? Do you have problems with fleas as well as the smell?"

"What?" Ruby straightens with a snort, her thumb jutting out so she's pointing at herself. "I smell fantastic."

"Oh, please. How did you think I figured out what you were?" Regina smirks.

Ruby opens her mouth to respond but then closes it just as quickly. She frowns and gives Regina a careful once-over. "How did you figure it out?"

Regina moves so that she's leaning against Ruby's tree. Her hand reaches out, but stops short of touching Ruby. "Your hair," she says as her fingertips make the barest of contact with the tips of Ruby's hair, "it's the same color of your fur."

"What if you'd been wrong? What if I'd have hurt you? Most people know not to approach a wolf." She means to be stern, but she's preoccupied with the fingertips lightly playing with the ends of her hair.

"I can take care of myself."

Ruby's mouth is suddenly dry, though she reasons it might have something to do with how full she's just noticed Regina's lips are. She'd had to behave last night as she'd worked, not really allowing herself to look for too long.

She licks her lips, struck by the wild crackling scent she's come to realize probably has something to do with Regina's magic.

"Ruby, what do you know about magic? About witches?" Regina asks in a soft voice.

"Uh," Ruby mumbles as her thoughts scatter, "only what I've seen in the Harry Potter movies?" She swallows and tries to piece together some more coherent words.

Regina makes a noncommittal noise in her throat, her eyes doing a thorough examination of Ruby's features. "People like me, like you? We are magic; it's unpredictable and wild. I'm afraid that our own unique energies are having a..reaction, for the lack of a better word."

"Okay?" Ruby's having an even more difficult time thinking, because either she's going crazy or Regina's getting even closer.

When their thighs brush and Regina's hand comes to rest against her collarbone, she knows she's not going crazy.

"Ruby, right now you're practically vibrating with magical energy. It's," Regina shakes her head and bites her bottom lip, "very distracting."

Just when Ruby thinks Regina is going to kiss her, Regina steps back.

"This could be a problem," Regina muses as she crosses her arms.

With a little distance between them, Ruby's brain begins to function again. "I would say sorry, but I'd be lying." She clears her throat and looks away. "Is there anything we can do to, I don't know, ease the...reaction?"

The space around them is quiet, save the normal sound of a waking forest.

Ruby fights not to look, but gives in. She jerks away from the tree and clenches her fists when her eyes meet Regina's.

"There is one thing we can do," Regina says in a way that leaves no doubt in Ruby's mind exactly what she means.

Ruby's hands feel jittery, so she presses them tightly against the sides of her jogging pants. "And what's that?" she asks, just to be sure.

"I'll give you a hint," Regina says right before she steps forward and tugs Ruby down into a rough kiss.

"Right, yeah, we should at least try," Ruby mumbles when the kiss ends and she's trying to remember how to breathe.

Regina's smile is nothing if not wicked.