Thank you to Imouto's mad house for giving me the prompt for this story and providing me with some really great scenes to work with.

Being a wolf wasn't easy in a town full of humans. Every day she overheard things she had no business knowing. She didn't need to know that Marcus's bunions were acting up, or that Mrs. Norris thought of her cats as her children, so much so that she dressed them, or that Grumpy was the most well endowed of all the brothers. That bit of information gave her nightmares for days after she heard it. What was even worse was the things she smelled. Not gross smells, although those occurred on a more regular basis than the wolf liked to admit. No, the types of smells she hated most was the pheromones people unknowingly put out into the world.

Thanks to her enhanced sense of smell, she literally had a nose for matchmaking. Everyday people would come into the diner and she could tell the couples who were meant to be and the ones who weren't. She never gave anyone unwanted advice, but she was honest if anyone should ask what she thought about their relationship.

She loaded the coffee maker and set it to brew the first urn of coffee for the day, just as customers began to trickle in. Snow and David made their way to their usual table. Ruby waved at her best friend from behind the counter. David smelled like chocolate and was perfectly matched with Snow's vanilla scent. Katherine and her husband Fred came next, the tang of gold and silver floated around them, another well matched couple. She looked up as the next customer walked in.

She crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter where the coffee maker sat. The Sheriff walked in with the pirate close behind her, she smiled over at Ruby, who returned the gesture. The waitress tilted her head as she watched the two interact. Emma's smile was just shy of being genuine, not that Hook noticed, but Ruby did. Finally the last of her morning regulars walked in.

The Mayor steered Robin to a table next to the door. Ruby observed them in a similar fashion as she did Emma and Hook. Regina's smile was more convincing than Emma's, but Ruby could tell it was missing the spark that the woman usually carried. She sighed as she retrieved the now filled coffee pot and began to make her rounds.

When she reached Emma and Hook's table her nose stung as the mix of cinnamon and sea salt soaked rum hung in the air around them. She hid her reaction behind a bright smile.

"Morning, Em." She greeted the Sheriff, then spared a small glance at the pirate. "Hook."

"Morning, Rubes." Emma's smile was genuine as she greeted her friend. Hook took a pull from his flask. Ruby rolled her eyes. How he could drink at 7:30 in the morning and still function the rest of the day was beyond her and why Emma put up with it was another matter all together. She poured Emma her first cup of coffee.

"Thanks. Could I get a bear claw to go when you're not busy?"

"Sure thing." She winked at her friend, then turned to attend to her other customers.

At the Mayor's table Ruby could barely hide the small scrunch of her nose. The aroma of pine and apples clashed in the air around the couple. She poured their coffee, while breathing through her mouth.

"Thank you, Miss Lucas."

"You're welcome, Madam Mayor. Can I get you anything else?" She allowed her gaze to roam over the woman's immaculate make up.

"Just the coffee will be fine, Pup." Ruby always blushed at the nickname.

"Could I get an order of eggs and bacon, Pup?" Robin said from across the table. Ruby narrowed her eyes, no one called her Pup, except the Mayor.

"My name is Ruby or Miss Lucas, Hood." The smile fell from his lips as Ruby pressed hers into a thin line. The Mayor laughed at the stand off.

"Down girl." She patted the wolf's arm. Ruby glanced at the brunette before turning to place their orders.

She leaned against the counter while she waited for their orders. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the two tables. She could not comprehend why these two beautiful, intelligent women thought their current partners were their true loves. If only they could sense what she did. Apples and Cinnamon smelled delicious.

Henry climbed onto one of the stools in front of the counter. He tilted his head as he observed the intense look on Ruby's face. He followed her gaze to see what had caught her attention. His eyebrows lifted when he realized where, or who, she was looking at.

"You see it too, don't you?" She jumped a bit when his voice broke her day dream.

"Hey, Henry, what can I get you?" She began to wipe the counter in front of her, a bit embarrassed at being caught staring at the boy's Mothers.

"Don't change the topic, Ruby. I saw who you were looking at. You see what I see." She stopped cleaning and met his stare.

"What do you see?" Henry's lips spread in a smug smile.

"My Moms. You think they are with the wrong people and you think they belong together." Ruby narrowed her eyes at the boy and weighed the pros and cons of telling the boy her opinion. She couldn't resist his hopeful eyes.

"Okay, I do think that." She pointed at him. "But you can't tell a soul I told you that." She offered him her pinky. "Swear." This was something she had done with Henry ever since he was a toddler. He looped his pinky around hers and shook their hands.

"Swear." He looked in the direction of his Moms then back at Ruby. "I think you might be the perfect person to help me with my next operation." He said with enthusiasm. She chuckled.

"Oh yeah, what operation is that?"

"Operation: SwanQueen." Ruby bit her lip.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Henry? I don't want to meddle in their relationships."

"Did you ever notice how Ma's smile isn't quite as bright when she is with Hook? Or how my Mom dulls herself when she is around Robin?" Before she could stop herself, Ruby began nodding at his observations, then quickly shook her head.

"That all may be true, but it still doesn't mean we should get involved." Henry drummed his fingers on the counter top.

"Well, if they are true loves then anything we do wouldn't have any effect on their relationships, right?"

"I suppose."

"Sooo...does that mean you're in?" He asked with a hopeful lilt to his voice. She cursed his undeniable powers of persuasion.

"I am so going to regret this." She said to herself. "Okay, fine, I'm in. I can't let you go bumbling through this mission alone and your Moms deserve to be happy."

"Yes! When do we start?"

"Patience, grasshopper." She ruffled his hair. "We must gather intel first. Then we will begin." His bright brown eyes looked at her expectantly.

"What kind of intel?"

"Well, things like their favorite flowers or sweet treats. What kinds of music they like or particular poems they enjoy. That kind of stuff." Henry scrunched his nose. She laughed. "What exactly was your plan?" He shrugged.

"I didn't have one. That's why I needed an accomplice."

"Well it's good to know who the brains of this operation will be." She poked him in the side. He squirmed out of her reach. "Okay kiddo, I gotta get back to work. You're first task is to gather that information. Then we will proceed with the rest of the plan." She held her knuckles out for him and he fist bumped her in return.

"Later, alligator!"

"After while, crocodile!"

~~RSQ~~

After Henry left school that day he ran to the town hall and upstairs to his Mom's office. He smiled at Mrs. Cogsworth before knocking on the office door. He didn't wait for the woman inside to answer before he walked into the office. Regina's lips spread in a happy smile.

"Henry! What brings you by?" He shrugged.

"Can't a son want to walk his Mom home from work?"

"Of course, he can." She rose from her chair and began to gather her things. "Let me just give this paperwork to Elizabeth and then we can go." She hurried from the room. Henry quickly stepped behind her desk and pulled various drawers open. He knew he was snooping in things he shouldn't, but he wanted his first task to be a success. When he opened the bottom left drawer he was surprised at what he found. Inside was a whole bag of Hershey Kisses. He quickly shut the drawer and looked out the window while he waited.

"Okay, Henry, ready to go?" He nodded. As they began the walk from the Mayor's office to Mifflin Street, he enjoyed the late summer sun on his face.

"What's your favorite season?" Regina looked at her son, it had been a long time since they talked like this.

"My favorite season is Spring."

"Why spring?" She looped her arm through Henry's as they continued to stroll through their town.

"Spring is a time of renewal. New growth, new life. Everything becomes green again, after the barrenness of winter. And it's when my favorite flower blooms."

"What flower is that?"

"Daffodils." Henry smiled. "Oh, and Lilies." It was like the information was just falling into his lap.

~~RSQ~~

The next day he repeated the process with his other Mother. They sat at the station. Henry twirled around on one of the desk chairs.

"What's your favorite flower?" He asked as he watched the ceiling spin above him.

"Wildflowers."

"Super Hero?"

"Wonder Woman."

"Candy?"

"Reese's Peanut Butter Cups."

"Food?" This question gave her pause.

"Umm...your Mom's lasagna, Granny's burgers and grilled cheese, oh and her chili cheese fries...oh and..."

"Okay, okay..." He laughed. "...I get it. You love food." She joined his laughter.

"You know what's an easy one?"

"What?"

"You're my favorite son." She gave him a cheeky smile.

"Ma, I'm your only son, so it doesn't even count." She stuck her tongue out at him.

~~RSQ~~

The rest of the week he became a teenage private eye. When they went to Granny's he took notice of the things they ordered. He realized his Mom had a thing for chicken burgers and sweet potatoe fries. His Ma loved Bear Claws in the morning.

While he was at home at the mansion, he would pay attention to what his Mother was reading and listening too, but her tastes were so varied he didn't know what to make of it. One day she would listen to classical music, while reading the latest James Patterson novel. The next it was Melissa Etheridge and Jane Austen. He wasn't sure if Ruby could make anything of the information, but he took note of it anyways.

At his Ma's place there was a distinct lack of books, of any kind. The occasional graphic novel would be here or there, but most of them were borrowed from his own collection. Her musical taste were surprisingly broad, just like his Mom's. What she did have in abundance was movies. Dvd's lined the bookshelves. He knew she placed her favorites on the top shelf, the whole Star Wars collection was there, followed by the complete set of Harry Potter movies.

As the end of the week approached he became more and more excited about their mission to get his moms to realize they were with the wrong people. He had watched the two women tread lightly around each other for years, both afraid to take the first step, and then hide behind the men they were currently dating. It was time for them to open their eyes to what was in front of them the whole time.