Even though she's been expecting it, the banging on her front door turns her insides to ice. No matter how many times she's told herself that she's ready and that she'll accept whatever fate has in store for her, it's not true. She doesn't want to die. She's tasted happiness after a lifetime of glimpsing it from a distance. But ever since Emma Swan's arrival, she's known that her days were numbered. Emma Swan, with Snow White's chin and Prince Charming's frown. The saviour; here to deliver the town from evil.

From Regina.

The pounding continues, accompanied by Whale's voice. Regina looks at herself in the mirror and schools her features into neutrality. She's not going to show them that she's afraid. She's not going to hide behind the furniture and hope they go away. If they want their Evil Queen, then they shall get her in all of her glory.

She takes her time walking to the door. Inhaling a slow, steady breath, she smiles as she opens it.

"Can I help you?"

Sure enough, it's Whale leading the pack. She's always found his posturing wholly tiresome and he doesn't disappoint now.

"That smirk? Isn't gonna last forever Regina. You took everything from us and now-"

"What?" she interrupts him, amused by his attempts at intimidation. "Now you're gonna kill me?"

"Eventually. But first you need to suffer."

Before he can show off for the crowd anymore, she takes back the upper hand. Shoving him backwards, she moves to centre stage, so that they can all take a good look at her.

"Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us." She surveys the crowd. "That's right. You wanted to see your Queen?" She'd almost forgotten the thrill that comes from real power. The crowd starts to back off, a few of them are even cowering. "Well my dears…" No harm in giving them a little show. She flicks her jacket back, lamenting the more dramatic effect that a gown or cape would have had. "Here. She. Is." She throws her hands out, expecting magic to curl from her palms and knock the peasants off their feet. But nothing comes.

Nothing.

She flexes her hands experimentally. Still nothing. "What?" Cries of 'she's powerless' and 'get her' go up around her but she barely hears them, still unable to comprehend her lack of power. Did the breaking of the curse somehow strip all of her powers? She was the one who cast it, after all. She has no time to figure it out, however, as a newly confident Whale forces her back against one of the pillars on the porch.

"Now," he begins, his face filled with gleeful malice. "Where were we?"

She's just about to knee him in the crotch when a familiar voice breaks through the rabble.

"Let her go! Let her go!"

Regina sighs. She had suffered the indignity of being rescued by Emma Swan once before. Now it's happening again, in front of the whole town, on her own lawn. That girl really takes the title of 'saviour' seriously.

"Why should I listen to you?" Whale spits.

"Because I'm still the sheriff."

Mary Margaret and David arrive and start saying things, but Regina doesn't hear them because Henry is with them and so is Ruby. Their eyes meet and a heaviness takes hold in Regina's chest. She never wanted to see Ruby look at her like that. While Henry's expression of triumphant vindication hurts like hell, she's almost used to that particular pain. But the betrayal in Ruby's eyes is new and it cuts through her bravado. For the first time, she feels shame.

"She needs to be locked up." Mary Margaret's voice brings her out of her thoughts. "For her safety and, more importantly, for ours."

She sighs.

Still shaken from Gold's visit, she examines the burn on her hand. Very few things truly frighten Regina, but today is just full of them. Ruby's eyes, Henry walking away with the Charmings and now this. She presses at the skin and hisses.

"What's wrong with your hand?"

Her head snaps up at the sound of that voice. Ruby stands framed in the doorway, like a work of art. She moves to the bars without thinking, just to be closer to her, her hand forgotten.

She attempts a smile. "No torch or pitchfork?"

Ruby shrugs, and almost makes it look casual. "They didn't go with this outfit. You know how I like to accessorise."

"Well, you're joking. That's a good sign, isn't it?" She swallows again. "I...I didn't know how you'd...feel."

"That makes two of us." Ruby sighs and looks at her, really looks at her, trapping her more effectively than any cage. "Honestly, Regina, I don't know what the hell I think, or feel, or...who I am even." Her expression turns plaintive. "Do you know what that's like?"

"No, I don't," Regina admits.

"Well, I can confirm that it's not the nicest feeling I've ever had." Ruby moves closer to the cell, but thinks better of it and turns back, pacing. She taps the side of her head. "There's so much in here now that's...I don't know what's real and what isn't. I don't know if I'm Ruby or Red...or both. I don't know how to be either of them anymore and that's terrifying."

There are definite changes in the woman, Regina can see them already. Her posture is different, the way she walks, even her voice seems to have changed. "If it's any consolation, I am sorry that...that I'm the reason you feel that way." And she is genuinely sorry for that, if not for casting the curse in the first place.

"You know what the most fucked up thing about this whole situation is?" Regina isn't sure if she does want to know, but Ruby doesn't wait for her to answer. "The one thing I know, the one thing I'm sure of...is that I'm head over heels in love with you."

Regina's breath catches in her throat and her voice is barely a whisper when she replies. "You've never said that before."

"But you knew," Ruby says, without hesitation or doubt. "Didn't you?"

"I...suspected as much," Regina admits.

"You knew. I deluded myself into believing you felt the same, but now... I have no clue what the hell you were doing with me." Regina looks at the floor. "So...are you gonna at least do me the courtesy of telling me now?"

The direct question throws her. "I..." She's loved Ruby for a long time. But this isn't quite Ruby.

The other woman sighs and it tears at Regina's gut. "Guess not." She turns to go. "I'll leave you in peace, your majesty."

"Ruby, wait!" She presses herself against the bars. "I...wasn't meant to feel anything for you...you were supposed to be someone to pass the time with. A fling. You're a beautiful woman."

"And Snow's friend."

She had wondered if that would come up.

"Yes. Well. That was...something of a bonus." Ruby huffs and turns her back to Regina. Making the young woman feel better should be the furthest thing from her mind right now; she has much bigger concerns. But, for some reason, she can't bear the thought of Ruby viewing her in a poor light. "I...I'm not going to tell anyone about our...arrangement."

Ruby does something she doesn't expect; she laughs. It's not the carefree sound she has come to associate with the waitress. It's cold and bitter and Regina isn't in a hurry to hear it again. Ruby moves closer once more, her eyes almost glowing in the dim light. "'Arrangement'? Really? That's what we're calling a relationship that's lasted a decade?"

"What would you have me call it?" Regina asks.

"Maybe a word that shows it meant something to you," Ruby falters before continuing. "Like it means something to me."

"It did. It does, Ruby," Regina says, hating herself for prolonging this instead of ending it with a few well-aimed words. She knows Ruby and she knows how to hurt her, but the words refuse to come.

"Yeah, it means so much that the first thing you say is that you're not gonna tell anyone. Like I give a shit about that." Ruby's chin quivers and she drops her eyes. Regina grips the bars tighter to stop herself from reaching out. "Guess I'll always be your dirty little secret, huh?"

"No." Regina shakes her head. "No, don't say that. My offer was for your own sake. I assumed you wouldn't want Snow finding out about...this."

Ruby turns and walks away a few paces, her arms wrapped around herself. For a moment Regina thinks she's not going to respond. When she does start speaking, she sounds weary. "Believe me, I wish I could say yes to that. That I could forget all about this and go back to not caring about you." She pivots to face Regina once more. "But back at your place when Snow was calming everyone down and persuading them not to lynch you...all I could think about was how I could smell you and...and how much I wanted to taste you. "

The unexpected crudeness sends a pang of arousal straight through Regina and she almost shudders from the intensity of it.

"You turned out to be far more than I'd bargained for, you know." Regina begins with a reluctant smile "I do...I...I do feel..."

"What? What do you feel?" Ruby presses when she trails off. "Because I need something right now, Regina. I have too much of you in my head and I need to know what's real."

From somewhere, she finds the bravery to hold a hand out between the bars. The need to touch Ruby outweighing the fear of rejection. After an endless moment and a clear internal struggle, Ruby's eyes drift closed for a second before she moves towards Regina. Regina's fingers touch Ruby's face, tentatively at first, and then with more confidence, tracing those strong features that she knows so well. She cups her jaw and traces a thumb under her eye, laden with its usual shovelful of eye-shadow. Gauging Ruby's reaction, she slowly pulls her in until their lips are touching. Regina's eyes close as she feels Ruby's mouth move in response. For a brief moment, everything feels safe and familiar. She doesn't push her luck, and draws the kiss to a close quickly.

"Did that feel real?" she whispers, her eyes meeting Ruby's.

"Yeah." Ruby's voice is low and rough and it sends a delicious tingle through Regina. "But so did my life for the last thirty years, so you'll forgive me if reality is kind of a touchy subject right now."

"I don't expect anything of you," Regina tells her. "But you deserve to know that I've come to...to care for you. Deeply."

Ruby shakes her head softly. "Right now there's a whole town full of people who want your blood. My friends. My family." Regina's heart thuds in her chest as Ruby pauses. "I can't stand with them."

"Ruby…" Regina begins, unable to prevent the tremor in her voice. Ruby cuts her off.

"They don't know you. They know the Queen, but they don't know you." Ruby covers Regina's hands where they grasp the bars. "I know you." It's said with such certainty that Regina is taken aback. "Whoever you were back in our land, or whoever people thought you were, that's not who you are now." Ruby leans in so that their foreheads are touching. "I know you."

"You're the only one who does." Regina whispers, though she didn't mean to. Ruby's smile grows, it feels like it's warming the room.

"Then I will go to the ends of this earth or any other to protect you."

The grandiose claim has her shaking her head. She turns away, rubbing her own arms to distract her from the fact that Ruby's not in them. She walks the short distance to the back wall of the cell, keeping her back to Ruby as she speaks. "Ruby, if an angry mob turns up here, you and I aren't going to be able to stop them and I don't want you getting hurt because of me." She pauses, biting her lip. "Physically hurt. I realise it's too late to prevent emotional injury." She turns around to see Ruby's reaction, but does not expect the sight that awaits her. Ruby has her hands on two separate bars and, with a grunt, she bends them until they're wide enough apart for her to slip through.

"Wh-...how di-" Words disappear when Ruby puts her hands on Regina's waist and lifts her like she weighs no more than a flower. Regina automatically reaches out and puts her hands on Ruby's shoulders, afraid of falling. It becomes clear that Ruby's not going to drop her. She's not even straining herself.

"I wouldn't bet against my chances with a mob," Ruby says, her jaw resolute. And Regina believes her. Slowly, she is lowered until her feet touch the floor once more, but she does not remove her hands from Ruby's shoulders. She can feel it now; Ruby's magic. It calls out to her own, muted and broken though it is. She can feel it coursing through Ruby's veins, old and primal; it's intoxicating. Ruby's magic wasn't learned or studied. Regina's body has forgotten how to harness magic, but Ruby's body is magic. Suddenly she wants nothing more that to press her lips to Ruby's throat and feel the magic in her blood pumping against them.

"I can protect you," Ruby whispers. "I can protect us. If there's an us to protect."

She gives in and lets herself sink into Ruby, lets the magic buzz against her skin and make her heart beat faster. Touching Ruby has taken on an interesting edge that she never expected and she can't stop herself from seeking out her lips. This time Ruby responds more eagerly. Spurred on, Regina propels Ruby backwards until she's pressed against the wall of the cell. But she owes the girl more than a heated groping session. She puts a hand on Ruby's face, gently pushing her back, enjoying the whimper released when they part. She strokes a thumb over the other woman's lips as an apology.

"I do…" The words stick in her throat. Her mother's voice echoing in her head; love is weakness. "I…" But weakness or not, she does love Ruby. Not saying it won't make it any less true. She drops her forehead to rest against Ruby's, closing her eyes. "There is an us. I wish, for your sake, that there weren't." Swallowing painfully, she lowers her face until it is buried in Ruby's neck, muffling her next words. "But there most definitely is."

A kiss is pressed to her hair and Ruby's arms tighten around her. "Shhhh," Ruby whispers. "That's all I need to know."

The simplicity of the statement angers her and she brings herself up to full height, looking into Ruby's eyes. "It's hardly that simple, is it?" she asks. "My son hates me. Everyone in this town is baying for my blood. But because we have these...these...feelings for each other, everything's supposed to be okay?"

"Okay, can you not say that like it's a dirty word?" Ruby scolds with a frown. "I didn't say everything was okay. I just said that I'm in your corner and I will fight for you. I like to think my opinion counts for something with...people." With Snow.

"That remains to be seen, dear," Regina says, letting her finger trail along Ruby's collar bone. "But you should prepare yourself for them to completely disregard your opinion. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they accuse me of holding you in thrall."

"Hardly. The whole town saw you were impotent," Ruby says, raising an eyebrow. Regina grinds her teeth at the description, flexing her right hand.

"Perhaps not for long," she murmurs. She can already feel the change. Her magic is still there. It's just hidden away somewhere. But it will come back, she's certain of it.

"Yeah, well, if that's the case, you should probably think before you go hurling fireballs around or whatever, okay?" Ruby says, shaking her a little. "If we're going to convince them to give you a chance."

"Convince them?" Regina pulls away from Ruby. "Do you think I'm about to plead my case to Snow and Charming and their merry band of idiots?"

"Regina," Ruby begins, her tone like that of an adult explaining something complex to a small child. "These people haven't spent a decade watching you sing Henry to sleep or do that snort laugh thing when someone runs into a glass door on America's Funniest Home Videos. They only see the Queen who cursed them. They need to see Regina the person."

"And what if they don't care for this Regina person, hmmm?" she challenges. "The little detail you seem to conveniently have forgotten is that I am the Queen who cursed them." She's highly aware that perhaps she shouldn't be pushing away the one person on her side. Perhaps she needs to be sure Ruby will stay, despite being reminded of these things.

"The Queen who cursed them to a highly developed world where every single person has a better standard of living than they had before," Ruby counters.

"Separated from their family, their loved ones," Regina states.

"I wasn't," Ruby says. "I stayed with Granny."

"As I'm sure you're aware, you were very much the exception," Regina says, turning away. In a quieter tone, she continues. "In more ways than one."

"Why am I fighting your fight while you fight everyone else's?" Ruby asks.

"Because this is what they'll say to you," Regina says, losing her temper. She grasps Ruby's arms and pulls her in so they're face to face. "And because it's the truth. Neither of us can hide from it so it might as well be out in the open." She pauses, the next words harder. "I wanted Snow to suffer. I wanted to take away any chance of her finding happiness. That is what they see, Ruby."

"You think I don't know that?" Ruby's snarling now. "You think that isn't the first thing that came to my mind when I got my memories back?" She shakes off Regina's hold and steps back. "I kept waiting for it to hit me. I waited to hate you for what you'd done. I waited to feel used and dirty." Regina looks away. The younger woman steps closer and a strong hand cups her chin, bringing her eyes back to Ruby's. "But here's my problem...you might have been trying to make Snow miserable, but you made me happy." A pause. "You are my happy ending, Regina."

Regina shakes her head. "Don't say that. Don't let yourself believe it."

"I do believe it," Ruby pushes. "I just need you to start believing it."

"Only to have it ripped from me like everything else?" Her voice reaches a shriek as she tries to make Ruby see why she can't let this be. Not now. Not that everyone knows who she is. As Mayor Mills she had control, until Emma Swan came and took it all away. Despite Ruby's claims to the contrary, Regina knows that this won't be allowed to last. She's never allowed to be happy.

"Oh, Regina," Ruby begins, shaking her head. "Have you listened to a word I've said? I'm here with you. I know what you've done and I'm here. Doesn't that tell you something?"

They're both breathing heavily, clinging to each other though Regina can't remember how that happened. "It tells me...that you're stubborn and infuriating," Regina says, her voice hoarse. "And it's gonna hurt like hell when I lose you too."

"I'm stubborn and infuriating?" Ruby asks with a mirthless laugh. "You're the one who's not willing to give us a chance."

"Nobody has a chance with me, Ruby," Regina says, her head dropping to Ruby's shoulder, needing comfort despite her words. "I'm the Evil Queen."

"That is not who you are," Ruby says, pushing her back, a hand on her cheek. "This self-pity bullshit isn't you either. People only saw what you wanted them to see back in our land. Well, I've seen you behind closed doors and you can't have been putting on an act for that whole time. You are a smart, funny, hard-working, loving woman. I don't give a shit about anybody else's opinion of you. That's mine and you won't change it."

"They'll try," Regina says, sliding a hand into Ruby's hair, pulling her closer.

"Then let them try," Ruby whispers, brushing her lips over Regina's. Just as Regina lets her eyes close, the ground moves, causing them both to stumble. Ruby keeps hold of her elbows and makes sure they both stay upright. She looks around the small cell. The wind has started to howl outside, lights flickering in the station house.

"What the hell was that?" Ruby asks, her voice almost a whisper.

Regina knows exactly what it is. An unholy moan invades the small space and Ruby pulls her closer. It spurs her into action.

"You have to leave," Regina says, pushing Ruby back towards the gap in the bars. "Now. You have to go now."

"Wh-what's going on, Regina?" Ruby asks, stopping Regina's progress easily and bringing them both to a halt. She grabs Regina's left hand, twisting so that the palm is face upwards. "Does it have something to do with this?"

"Ruby, you can't be here." She's getting frantic now, shoving at the seemingly immovable woman. "You have to get out of here. Now!"

"I'm not leaving you," Ruby says, standing her ground. "Tell me what's going on."

Another shriek splits the air and they both turn to see a ghostly shadow. The shock of it lowers Ruby's defences and Regina manages to push her out of the way, just before the spectre zeros in on the cell, ripping the door off with no effort at all. She can see Ruby moving out of the side of her eye.

"Stay down," she warns. The wraith raises its skeletal limb and the ability to speak is taken from her as it begins to suck her lifeforce. She's never felt anything like it. It's not pain; it's beyond that. It's like the deepest part of her is being drawn from her body; like the marrow is being sucked from her bones and filling up her skull. Every nerve ending and brain cell she has is being stretched to breaking point.

Then, from nowhere, the pain stops and she feels herself falling. She doesn't even have the energy to brace herself for the impact. It turns out there's no need as she's caught and pulled into familiar arms, her head cradled against Ruby's chest. Her senses are slowly coming back and she can tell that Ruby is alternating between mumbling softly near her ear and yelling warnings. The wraith's attention has been taken up by something else in the room. Voices start to filter through the fog and she picks out Mary Margaret's immediately. For once it's welcome if it is the cause of her respite from the pain. Ruby wraps an arm around her head and turns so that her body is shielding Regina's just as a blast of heat licks at her skin.

And the room falls silent as the wraith's screams fade into the distance. Ruby haltingly sits up, loosening her hold. "Hey," her voice is soft, but still hurts Regina's head. "Can you stand? Can you get up?" Regina nods, but leans heavily on Ruby's arm as she does so.

"What the hell was that?" Emma demands, looking between Mary Margaret and David for an answer. However, Regina notes that all of Mary Margaret's attention is focussed on where Ruby's hand rests on her waist.

"Ruby…" Regina feels Ruby tense against her. "Ruby, why are you here? Wh...why are you holding Regina like that?"

"Really? That's what you want to focus on right now?" Ruby asks, her hold on Regina never wavering. "You don't think we have bigger concerns?"

As Regina's strength returns, it occurs to her that all of Henry's relatives are in this room. "Wh-where's Henry?" she asks, her instinct to protect him outweighing any other pressing issues.

"He's with Granny," David tells her, but his eyes stay on Ruby.

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell that thing was?" Emma asks again. Regina almost feels sorry for her. It must be quite a shock to discover a world where such things even exist.

"A wraith," Regina tells her, since it seems everyone else in the room is preoccupied.

"Who the hell released a wraith?" Ruby asks. "I thought magic wasn't working?"

"Gold." Regina is surprised when Mary Margaret's voice joins her own.

"Well...how do we stop it?" Emma asks.

"We don't," Regina says. "It won't stop until it has my soul." She's a little impressed that her voice doesn't betray any emotion.

"Well that is not going to happen," Ruby says, a gentle hand guiding Regina's face around so that their eyes can meet. "So we better start talking about other options."

"Okay, no, I'm sorry," Mary Margaret says, holding up her hands. "I can't ignore this. Ruby...what's going on?"

"This really isn't the time," Ruby tries again.

"So when is there going to be an appropriate time to tell me why you're snuggling up to the woman who cursed us all?" Mary Margaret demands, stopping just short of stomping her foot.

"I think any time when there isn't a wraith on the loose is probably a more appropriate time," Ruby counters. Part of Regina wants to plant a kiss right on Ruby's mouth, just to see the reaction it would get. But Ruby's right, now really isn't the time for pettiness. She eases Ruby's hand away from her waist, squeezing her fingers in reassurance.

"It's okay, dear," she says, looking into the depths of those green eyes she's come to know so well. Ruby seems to find comfort in the gesture and she nods and take a step away.

"Are you...you're not…" It appears Mary Margaret can't even bring herself to vocalise the thoughts she's clearly entertaining.

"I love her," Ruby states, looking directly at her best friend. "Is that what you want to know?" Regina closes her eyes and shakes her head. Such a wonderful, brave, foolish girl.

"You love her?" Mary Margaret spits, as if using that word in relation to Regina is an affront to its very meaning. "You can't love her. It's Regina."

"I love her," Ruby repeats, stronger and surer this time. "And right now she's in danger so we're going to deal with that before we deal with your feelings, okay?"

A ripple of pride goes through Regina. She never knew Red, but if this is any indication, she thinks they'll get along splendidly.

"This has nothing to do with my feelings and everything to do with the fact that you seem to think you're in love with the Evil Queen," Mary Margaret's eyes flick to Regina and she can see Snow looking back at her, full of hurt and accusation.

"Don't call her that," Ruby warns, her voice low and dangerous. "And how dare you say that I 'seem to think' I'm in love with her. You have no idea how I feel. Why should my love for her be worth any less than your love for him?" She throws a hand out to indicate David.

Apparently comparing the two is a step too far and Mary Margaret moves towards the cell. Emma steps in front of her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby's right," she says, firmly. "Now is not the time to have this discussion. We have bigger problems."

"Emma, she tried to poison you," Snow says, throwing Regina a murderous glance over Emma's shoulder. "And I'm supposed to ignore the fact that my best friend thinks she's in love with her?"

"I would recommend that you stop talking about Ruby like she's some idiot without an independent thought in her head," Regina warns.

Snow pushes past Emma and marches into the cell. Ruby takes a step closer to Regina, ready to intervene if necessary. Regina doesn't move as her former stepdaughter invades her space, staring her down. "But her thoughts weren't her own, were they Regina? You made sure of that when you stole our memories, our lives." She pauses. "For all we know, this is all part of your plan. She could be under a spell right now."

"If this were part of my plan, don't you think I would have taken pleasure in flaunting it?" Regina points out, though it's none of Mary Margaret's business. "I can assure you that Ruby has her own free will and is here through choice. As she was every single time she came to my home." Regina leans in so that her nose is almost touching Mary Margaret's. "To my bed."

She barely has time to enjoy the reaction before Ruby inserts herself between them. "Okay, I think that's enough," she tells Mary Margaret. Turning to Regina, she adds. "From both of you."

"Agreed," David chips in, placing a hand on Mary Margaret's back. "We have a town full of people to take care of right now. This can wait." A look passes between David and Ruby that Regina can't read, but Ruby nods. Mary Margaret holds Regina's gaze for a few more seconds, before looking to David. It looks like she might be about to argue, but sighs and turns back to Regina.

"This isn't over." Her eyes flick to Ruby. "Not even close."

Emma steps up to the group. "Okay...so, what are our options?"

"We could let the wraith take Regina's soul," Mary Margaret says. Regina rolls her eyes.

"Oh please," she scoffs. "You wouldn't let Whale do whatever he had in mind earlier today, but suddenly you're willing to give me to a wraith?" Regina's lip curls into a snarl. "Your threats don't hold water, Snow White, they never did."

"Regina," Ruby begins, but Mary Margaret is quicker.

"Don't push me, Regina," she says, her voice measured. "If handing you over to that thing is what it takes to keep my daughter and grandson safe, I won't have to think twice."

The mention of Henry startles Regina and her smirk dims. "Perhaps we have some common ground after all," she concedes. "If Henry's safety is in any way compromised, I will serve up my soul on a platter."

"Because you were really concerned about his safety when you put him under a sleeping curse," Mary Margaret mutters.

"Mary Margaret-"

"How dare y-"

"Regina, no!"

Everyone is speaking at once and Ruby is holding Regina back when Emma steps into the middle of the group.

"Shut up!" She glares at them all individually. "This is getting us nowhere." She points at Mary Margaret. "You can work out your issues later." The finger moves to point at Regina, who looks at it and raises an eyebrow. Emma is undeterred. "You need to stop goading her and start thinking of how to get rid of the thing that was sucking your face off when we got here."

"Hey!" Ruby interjects, before she realises what Emma's talking about. "Oh, right. The wraith."

Emma closes her eyes and sighs. "I can't believe I'm having a conversation with Little Red Riding Hood about wraiths."

David takes pity on her. "Regina, there has to be a way to stop this thing. If Gold called it here using magic, then we must be able to use magic to get rid of it."

"I'm marked," Regina says, holding up her hand to show them the burn. "The only way to stop the wraith coming after me is to pass the mark to someone else." She looks to Mary Margaret. "Unless there's someone you like less than me, I suspect that's out of the question."

"What about if we put it somewhere else? Somewhere it couldn't find you?" David suggests.

"It would have to be a completely different plane of existence," Regina says, although the beginnings of a plan are formulating in her mind.

"It wouldn't be the first time you've sent something to another world against its will," Mary Margaret says.

"Would that work?" Ruby says, ignoring the jibe. "Could we do that?"

"We'd need to open a portal," she says, thinking out loud. The hope in Ruby's eyes is spurring her on. "It's...not impossible. We'll need a source of power. And I happen to have the very hat for the job."

"Wait, hat? The hat that freak who kidnapped Mary Margaret was talking about?" Emma asks. "He was seriously The Mad Hatter?"

"His hat has certain properties that are required to make an interdimensional portal," Regina explains, tapping her foot. She's impatient now that a viable option has been presented. "Call him whatever you want."

"Christ," Emma murmurs. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Well c'mon, let's go get what we need and do this," Ruby says, tugging on Regina's arm. Emma steps through the space in the bars first. She tilts her head, seemingly just realising they're not using the cell door.

"Did the wraith do that?" she asks, as her parents follow, with Regina and Ruby bringing up the rear.

"Oh, no, that was me. Sorry," Ruby says, turning to push the bars back into place. Considering that the rest of the station is wrecked, it seems a pointless gesture. Emma's mouth hangs open.

"I don't remember Red Riding Hood being a superhero in the story," she manages. Regina smirks at the very apt description. Ruby turns back to the group and grins.

"I think you're in for a few surprises, Em," she offers as she slips her hand into Regina's.

It feels strangely natural, to be with other people while holding Ruby's hand. She wonders whether it's because she's considered it on a good number of occasions; it feels like they've done it before. Mary Margaret's scowl just makes it better. For the first time since Emma Swan turned up on her doorstep, Regina allows herself to feel slightly positive about the future. There's a wraith coming after her soul, her son hates her and Snow White is very possibly plotting to murder her in her sleep. But Ruby Lucas is holding her hand.