Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Regina believed in promptness. She may have been overly prompt at arriving at the orphanage, all her paperwork sorted and notarized in her briefcase. She’d kept everything in triplicate. The social worker had insisted on pick up at this shabby atrocity of an orphanage instead of the hospital. Something about her office space. Frankly, she didn’t care so long as she got the baby she so desperately wanted. However, she was…two hours early, and the very rude nun had told her to wait. Her burning desire for what she wanted was the only thing making her bite her tongue from eviscerating the old hag.

The wooden chair in the bare, poorly lit hallways, on which she was perched, was uncomfortable. The varnish scrubbed down a few hundred too many times to appear clean, even if it likely was. All in all, it was a fairly wretched if not uninhabitable place. The anxiety and excitement left her oddly…bored and on edge.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Regina glanced down the area before one of the large windows. Curled up on the window seat, a book in her lap was a little girl. The girl’s tongue was poking out to one side as she carefully wrote in what looked like a workbook of some kind. There was a crinkle in her brow. It was hard to tell how old she was, the oversized clothing that hung off of her was unhelpful in gauging age.

Regina’s attention returned to the clock. If she wasn’t in a land without magic, she’d have set it on fire. Who did these people think they were making her wait? Still, she restrained her instinct to go demand they aid her, now. It was not long, but she felt the eyes of the child on her. It was…Regina turned, raising a brow as she looked at the girl. “Were you planning on making a request or did you intend to stare all day, dear?”

The girl hesitated, but then lowered her book. “Are you any good at numbers?”

“I am.” Regina realized as the hood of the atrocious sweatshirt the girl was wearing fell back that it looked like she hadn’t brushed her hair in days, and the attempt at a braid was really quite tragic. Who was raising the children here?

The girl didn’t unfold, but she leaned forward a bit. “It’s just Sister Mary Anne is bad at it and I need ta get this done…”

Atrocious manners, but the child was well, a child. Regina stood up. “Well, if Sister Mary Anne is incapable.”

The girl’s lips twitched upwards at her tone, as she shifted to make room for her.

Regina took the offered seat and looked down at the workbook. It was simple long division. She could see the issue as she took in the failed attempts of figuring out the problems. “Well, I can see why you’re having difficulties. Did no one tell you to start at the front and work from there?”

The girl blinked. “What?”

“Pencil.” Regina held out her hand.

Regina watched approvingly as the girl breezed through her work at a quick clip. Capable child, even if her math teacher was apparently a troglodyte. “I assume you have a name?”

The girl looked up at her with brown, grateful eyes and a shy smile. “I’m Skye. Thanks for the help, lady.”

“You may call me Regina, I suppose.” She could hear the other children running and screaming outside. Some game no doubt.

Skye’s smile grew. “You here for one of the babies?” There was a slight lisp to her words from a few missing teeth.

And Regina couldn’t help smiling at the girl. “I am, how did you know?”

“You’re pretty.” There was a slight nod to her head. “An your dress is really nice, an’ ya haven’t been here before, so you’re not one of the foster parents.”

“Very well reasoned, you are correct. I’m adopting a baby in a little over an hour.” Regina felt the flutter of hope. She was going to have a child, someone to love and be loved by.

Skye glowed slightly at the praise. “That’s cool.”

“Indeed, it is very…’cool’.” Regina always had liked the more intelligent individuals, and there was no harm in this. “Is there a reason you are in here and not out there with the other children?”

Skye curled in on herself slightly, eyes flicking away from her face. “No.”

She raised a brow. Reaching out she used one knuckle to gently lift the girl’s head. “I do not appreciate being lied to, young lady.”

Skye tensed in a horribly familiar way that Regina knew she’d done a hundred times for her own mother.

Regina dropped her hand, feeling like she’d been burned. She was unsure of what to say to the girl sitting curled beside her. But Skye’s eyes didn’t turn away from her face. Instead, the child bit at her lower lip before she replied.

“I got sent back…again. They think I’m cursed, and they won’t get picked if they’re around me. Sister Mary Anne just says I’m a bad seed.” And under the hurt, there was a kernel of anger.

Regina stared at the girl. “Well, they’re inbred fools then. There’s no magic in this world.”

Skye giggled. “You’re not supposed to call people names.”

“I’m just shaking in my shoes at the thought of what Sister Mary Anne might say.” She said dryly, but she enjoyed the quiet humor of the moment.

Skye’s grin was blinding.

Regina’s eyes tracked to the girl’s hair. It really was bothering her. “Never let them see that they can hurt you.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” Skye replied like it was obvious.

Regina wasn’t entirely sure what the pang in her chest at those words was. “I can’t make the fools grow brains they were not born with, but I can fix your hair? It's atrocious, dear.”

The girl’s cheeks pinked, but she didn’t seem afraid. Instead, she just looked at her with a measuring gaze. A gaze that really shouldn’t be on the face of a child this young. “Ok.” And then she shifted, turning her back to her.

It shouldn’t have warmed her heart how it did, but Regina found herself smiling as she pulled a small travel brush out of her purse. With careful and practiced motions, she gently took out the braid in Skye’s hair. It was clear the girl had done it herself. Which struck her as sad. Getting the tangles out was simple work.

Skye spoke up, her voice a quiet mumble. “Thanks.”

“It is no trouble.” And it wasn’t. “I suppose you have a favorite class in school?”

There was a slight pause. “I like math. It makes sense sometimes. I’m gonna be behind again though.”

“Why is that? You certainly understand the material well?” Regina carefully removed a knot at the back of the girl’s head.

Skye’s voice was more a mumble than anything else. “I have ta change schools every time they send me back.”

“That hardly seems fair.” Regina wasn’t entirely sure what else to say to that.

Skye shrugged. “Just how it is.” The girl’s shoulders had softened the longer she brushed. “Your baby’s lucky.”

“Yes, well, so am I.” Regina was touched by the simple assurance she’d be good at it. “And any family to have you will be very lucky.”

It took a minute for Skye to reply. “You think so?”

“I do.” Regina began to part the girl’s hair into sections, her fingers easily twisting it into a far nicer braid than she’d originally intended. She let her voice take on a purposely imperious tone. “So, what are children interested in these days?”

Skye giggled at that, relaxing.

Regina had never played Connect4 in her life. But she also had taken her first two losses with as much dignity as was expected. This is to say she’d been ruthlessly seeking her revenge in attempting to not let Skye win a single other round. A thing that had simply lit a spark in Skye’s eyes. Their current score was 20-4 in Regina’s favor. Which seemed to fill the little girl with glee.

“Ms Mills?” A voice called from down the hall.

She looked over, the nerves suddenly back. “Ah, finally.” Regina looked at the little girl’s face who’d kept her company. “Thank you for the rousing game, dear.”

Skye’s smile faded at the eyes, but then like a flicker it was gone. “Thanks!”

Regina smiled fondly and then stood, lifting her briefcase as she walked towards the social work. “Mrs. Shaw I believe then?”

“Yes, lovely to meet you in person finally, Ms. Mills.” She held out her hand.

She shook the woman’s hand firmly. “I take it everything is in order?”

“Yes, come on in.” Mrs. Shaw looked over Regina’s shoulder to where Skye was carefully putting the game away. “And Ms. Poots, you should be outside!”

Skye startled, a guilty look flashed across her face. “Sorry, Mrs. Shaw.”

“Go on out and play, you won’t make friends if you hide inside.” She made a shooing motion.

Skye took the cue and hurried off, workbook and a cardboard box of Connect4 in her arms.

“Sorry about her, Mary Sue’s a bit of a troublemaker.” Mrs. Shaw shook her head. “Now, please.”

Regina’s eyes flicked back to where the little girl had disappeared.

//// Nine Years Later ////

Skye Mills smoothly parked her car in front of her house. She barely waited to yank her keys out of the ignition before she was up and out. Slamming the car door shut, she jogged up the steps. She grinned as the door was already opening before she got to it.

“Skye! You should have called!” Regina had an apron on over one of her many business suits as she opened the door. “Your hair!”

She just laughed and hugged her mom, the tension from her first semester at college fading at the familiar warmth and smell of home. “Missed you too, Mom.”

Regina’s hug was as tight as always, like she never wished to let go. “I thought you promised to call? What if the roads had been bad?”

“I was fine.” She rolled her eyes but squeezed her mom harder anyway. “You taught me to drive, remember.”

Regina pressed a kiss to her forehead as she pulled back. Her fingers caught a lock of her hair. “Highlights?”

“You like?” Skye asked as she let herself be herded into her home.

“Proper grammar, if you would, please.” Her mom patted her cheek. “And they are lovely, dear.”

Skye leaned into the contact. “So, if I got some purple ones put in?”

“Why don’t you go get your brother? Dinner is almost ready anyway. You can tell us all about your classes.” Regina said, which meant she’d find a way to ground her, college or no college, if she put ‘tackey streaks in’.

Skye laughed and shot off up the stairs. The family pictures on the walls as she went were familiar, not much had changed in the month and a half she’d been gone. But well, the point of a school in-state was so she could come for the occasional three-day weekend. So that things didn’t change without her there. Not that anything ever changed in Storybrooke.

She slid on socked feet the last two feet into the doorway of Henry’s room. “Sup!”

His head snapped up from where he’d been reading a weirdly huge book. “SKYE!” Henry scrambled off the bed and dived for her.

As she hugged him, she sighed. It was good to be home, she really didn’t care if it made her lame.

“You’ve been gone forever!” Henry pulled away, pout on his face.

She messed his hair up. “We talk like twice a week.”

“It’s not the same.” He grabbed her hand and yanked her over to the bookshelf. “I kept all the new issues separate for you.”

“Thanks, but you’re going to have to show me after dinner, mom says it’s ready.” Skye laughed.

Henry looked at her, something…hesitant on his face. “Ok, I guess.”

Her head tilted to the side. “Did mom ground you or something?”

“No, just…” He shook his head. “It's nothing.”

Skye raised a brow but didn’t comment, she’d torture it out of him later. For now, she’d been eating cafeteria food for almost two months, and that was pestos she was smelling. “Come on, dinner, food, mom interrogating me.”

“I’m not supposed to mention you have a boyfriend?” He had a sly grin on his face.

Her hands fell on his shoulders as she pushed him out of the room. “Breathe a word and I’ll kill you.”

“The new Transformers movie.” His stupid grin grew.

Skye groaned. “Really?”

“What did your roommate say last skype call, ‘oh Skye, Mark still in there’?” Cheeky little shit.

“Fine, but if you tell mom, I’ll never sneak you into a PG-13 movie again.” Skye caved, Mom would lose her shit if she knew she was dating. It wasn't serious, she wasn’t bringing anyone home for the holidays.

Henry’s normal, happy mood was properly back in the fullest. “Deal.”

“Come on, before Mom really does kill us.”

Skye watched her mom performing her nightly ritual before her armoire of removing her makeup and jewelry. “I was thinking of going down to the stables in the morning?” It was nice, she’d missed this.

“That sounds lovely, I have some paperwork I need to drop off at the office, but I could meet you and Henry there? We could get some pumpkins on the way home.”

She smiled. “Sounds nice. So, Henry has Ms. Blanchard next year, you have a war plan for parent-teacher conferences yet?”

“I have no idea what you are speaking of,” Regina replied with all the prim assuredness that meant she definitely had a war plan. The smug curl of her lips confirmed it doubly.

Skye hummed. “Sure, you totally haven’t been planning for a rematch since I had her.”

“A war requires an opponent that requires some effort to vanquish dear.” Regina shot her an amused look as she finished her evening ritual. “I assure you, I require no such effort to ruin Ms. Blanchard’s day if I feel so inclined.”

She’d get Henry to report back to her. Still, it was a year off. “She does squeak when you look at her too long.”

“Weak constitution.” Her mom’s feud with Ms. Blanchard was hilarious, she wasn’t sure what the cause was, but Skye’d long learned to accept it as a fact of life. Like the sun rising.

Skye slid to her feet. “Night, Mom.”

“Good night, dear.” Regina wasn’t the most effusive of parents. Her terms of endearment often sounded more routine than sincere if you didn’t know better. But Skye did know better. “I better not find you hunched over that laptop of yours when I confiscate your brother’s flashlight and comics later.”

She gave a two-fingered salute. “Aye, aye. Sleep, no ruining my eyesight.”

“You’ll need reading glasses before you're thirty if you keep up your screen habits,” Regina warned.

Skye just laughed as she left her mom’s room.

“I mean it!” Regina called after her, tone exasperated.

It was a well-worn argument, and Skye was kinda immune, though she did try to at least leave one light on when she was on her laptop to help with eye strain. So maybe she wasn’t immune at all? She wasn’t sure. But she wasn’t taking psych 101, so not something she was worried about. She’d had enough shrinks during the two years she’d had to talk to Dr. Hopper, thanks very much.

Skye leaned against the doorjamb of Henry’s room. “Mom’s doing a sweep in half an hour, hide the flashlight.”

Henry’s head popped up from under the covers. “Thanks.” He paused, chewing on his lip. “You’re good at finding stuff…online right?”

“Yeah…?” Skye frowned slightly.

He shifted. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Obviously.” But Skye got the hint and shut the door before dropping down onto the foot of his bed. “What’s up?”

Henry was clearly chewing over his words, his cheeks puffing slightly. “It’s just…do you ever wonder about your real parents?”

“You mean birth parents?” She blew out a long breath. “Yeah.”

His voice was low. “Did you ever try and find yours?”

“I did.” Skye shook her head. “Couldn’t find them.” She did have a lead about an organization called SHIELD. But she wasn’t going to mention her very illegal hacking into government agencies to her baby brother. Also, she was being careful. Mom would kill her if she got arrested.

Henry leaned forward. “Do you think you could try and find mine?”

“Yeah, I could dig around a bit.” Skye hesitated. “You know mom’s still our ‘real’ mom right?”

He pulled back but nodded. “Yeah.”

“Ok, I’ll take a look.” She winced. “You might not like what I find, though. People don’t…give up their kids cause it’s all sunshine and roses and shit.”

“I know that. And you’re not supposed to swear in front of me.” He rolled his eyes.

She shrugged. “Eh, just say Ms. Blanchard said it if you slip in front of mom.”

He sniggered, his giggle light and happy. “Why does she hate Ms. Blanchard so much?”

“No idea.” Skye reached out and flicked his nose. It was good to be home.

Chapter Text

Skye groaned at the incessant chiming of her phone. She didn’t bother checking the caller ID, just blindly swiping and dragging it to be near enough to her ear. “Hello?” She croaked.

-“Skye has your brother called you?”-

She squinted at her alarm clock. “No? It’s….noon?”

-“You’re sure he hasn’t texted you or emailed?”- There was a thread of hysteria in her mom’s voice.

Skye pulled the phone away checking she wasn’t missing any messages. “No? Mom, what’s going on?”

-“Henry’s not at school. And Graham can’t find him at any of his usual haunts.”-

She blinked. “Henry’s skipping school? Did you check the corner store with the comics?” But she relaxed, her brother was grounded for life when their mom found him. Wasn’t a big deal though.

-“Of course I had Graham check there.”- Regina let out a shaky breath.

Skye sat up properly, pulling her fuzzy throw blanket over her as she leaned against her dorm room wall. “What else could he be doing? It’s Storybrooke, and he’s ten. It's not like he can drive anywhere. Where all have you and Graham checked?”

////

Skye waved at the startled secretary. “Anastasia, I assume my mother is in?”

The bitchy gossip of a secretary stiffened. She’d been blanching at the sight of Skye since Skye was nine, freshly adopted, and she’d been snide. Regina’s ‘talk’ with Anastasia about it was one of the few things that really stuck. Sure enough, nervous obedience at the sight of her, as always since then, answered her. “Ms. Mills, yes, your mother is in.”

She breezed past and into her mom’s office. It was the same as always, ridiculously palatial for a small town mayor’s office. All black and white marble, the chandelier directly above where a person would be expected to stand. It was very ‘mom’. And sure enough, behind her desk, perfectly put together as always, was her mom. “Mom!”

Regina looked up from her paperwork, her face sparking. “Skye! What are you doing here, dear?” She was up and around her desk immediately. Shouldn’t you be on campus? Your classes!”

Skye just melted into her mom’s arms. “Missed you.”

Regina hugged her tighter, her hugs were always tight, her fingers pressing in like someone might try and drag them apart. It’d always been like that, or well, ever since those first few confused hugs at the start. Regina didn’t let go, even as they pulled apart this time. One hand cupping her jaw, the other on her arm. “What are you doing here, dear?”

“Well, you did say I was always welcome home.” Skye joked but leaned into her mom’s hand on her chin. She kept talking at a single raised eyebrow. “I talked to my professors. I have two weeks I can be here to help with whatever is going on with Henry.”

“Skye, you didn’t have to do that.” Regina’s voice got darker. “I am taking care of it.”

Skye raised her own brow at that. Wow, Henry had gotten their mom to new levels of furious. “I’m sure you are, but already done. So you’re stuck with me here to help for a while.”

“Darling, you know I will always want you here.” Regina squeezed Skye’s arm before letting go of her. “But you shouldn’t have risked your studies.”

“I have a 4.0 GPA, and I have a couple of friends recording the lectures for me.” She could tell she’d won, not that her staying home would ever be an argument her mom would not cave on. “I’ll even call up Coach Jim to make sure I don’t get rusty.”

Regina sighed. “You and your swords. Two weeks, and well, maybe Henry will listen to you. He certainly has been refusing to listen to me.”

Skye snorted. “I wonder where he gets that from.”

“Cheeky,” Regina gave her a look. “Now, you’ll have to tell me all about your studies.”

“We talked on the phone, last night.” Skye laughed, but let herself be pointedly guided to the bafflingly uncomfortable sitting area. She was pretty sure it was so by design. “I’m more curious about what’s going on with Henry’s birth mom?”

“Soon to be nothing. Just as soon as she runs off like the dirty little gutter rat that she is.” Regina replied.

Skye snagged one of the apples out of the bowl before sitting down. “So, whatever ‘evil’ plan, as Henry put it, that you tried didn’t work?” She took a bite of her apple.

There was the faintest twitch in Regina’s fingers as she sat down next to her at that. “Yes, well, some people don’t know when they’re beat.”

So that was a ‘Henry and town gossip’ would be required to get the full picture of whatever had happened. Even Storybrooke’s unchanging population would remember gossip about her family for a few days before it’d drift out of their heads. “So what was the plan then?”

“I had her arrested, not a new experience for her.” Regina’s lips curled.

“How many times have you had her arrested?” If Skye had to bail out her mom, she was never letting her mom live it down.

“A few, “ Regina patted her knee. “But we do have a no-felon city ordinance, so she’s sleeping in her car. No doubt she’ll leave with her tail between her legs when she can be smelled before being seen.”

Skye frowned. “What does she actually want?”

“Henry.” Regina said like that was obvious.

“Did she say she wants to fight you for custody?” Skye asked.

“What else would she want? And every day she’s here is another day where she could get the idea into her tacky blonde head.” The defensiveness was sharp.

“Mom,” Skye looked at her mom. “Do you have the file?”

“You know I don’t like you hacking, it’s dangerous, dear.” Regina had the look that typically preceded being grounded.

Skye didn’t look away. “I wasn’t suggesting hacking, probably. I meant I can’t help you if I don’t know what you know.” She’d seen enough custody nightmares to know none of it would be good for Henry. Their mom might be intense, but she wasn’t the one in the family who knew how the system worked. Or what were red flags, and what was just mess.

“I’ll get you the file, thank you, dear.” Regina’s smile was the faint, proud one. “But first, I want to hear all about your lectures in comparative politics. It sounds fascinating, dear.” The proud smile had grown to a softer expression.

“My semester project is exhaustingly huge,” Skye took another bite of her apple, her mom might have some ideas on topics for that, she’d been stumped on it. “I’m trying to find another source to nail down my argument.”

Skye sat on the counter, paging through the file while her mom sautéd the ingredients for the paella. It was a bad sign she’d picked a more involved recipe. Not as bad of a sign as pastry was. She reached out, taking another apple from the bowl.

“You’re going to ruin your dinner if you keep eating those.” Regina chided from the oven.

She glanced up at her mom, perfect formal business attire, but a fresh apron on over the top of it. “Do you know how flavorless and terrible the apples are in the school cafeteria?”

Regina reached out, tapping the underside of Skye’s jaw with her knuckle. “That’s your last one till after dinner. And only because I’m feeling benevolent this evening.”

“Benevolent? Does that mean if I bring home Captain Crunch cereal, it won’t mysteriously vanish?” Skye asked.

“I do worry about what atrocities your diet is devolving to.” Regina looked at the pan, she was almost certainly calculating whether she could add more vegetables to it. “I’ll have to go grocery shopping tomorrow.”

“So that’s an absolutely not on the cereal, noted.” Skye’d have to refresh her old stash in her room if she ended up staying longer than planned. “And I’m on the university fencing team, my diet is fine, or Coach would kill me.” It just involved cereal and ramen occasionally now.

“I should hope so,” Regina said as she began to add ingredients to the pan. “Anything interesting in the file, besides a solid case for nurture over nature, of course.”

Skye flipped a page. It’d be funny how furious her mom was if the situation wasn’t absolute bullshit. “Well, I doubt sleeping in her car is going to chase this Emma Swan off.” It was kind of unsettling how similar Emma’s files were to what Skye knew her own had been before Regina adopted her. Fewer nuns, but still. “Or additional arrests.”

“Why ever not?” Regina looked at her, confused but very interested.

“Because she’s a nomad, this isn’t the first time she’s lived in a car. Car is always better than shelter, and there are gaps in here without rental information. So either Sidney got sloppy, or-”

“Or she was living in her car.” Regina finished for her.

Skye hummed. “And again, she’s a nomad, and she’s not working some corporate job where her record is important. Legal consequences that bring anything less than years in prison aren’t going to spook her, just annoy her.” She met her mom’s eyes. “Your strategy of scaring her off isn’t going to work.”

Regina considered her. “Any insight into what might?”

“Not really,” Skye frowned, looking back down at the file. “But I will figure it out.” She looked back at her mom, reaching out and taking Regina’s hand. “We’ll take care of the problem. Henry isn’t going anywhere. I promise.”

Her mom tightened her hand, her voice ever so slightly thick. “Thank you.”

Skye squeezed back. “Hey, we’re a family, and nobody is taking Henry. Especially not the person who gave him up in the first place.” She hated that she wasn’t entirely positive a court would agree with her on that. It weighed things in Regina’s favor that she was mayor and everything that came with that, and Emma was a mess. But courts loved sending kids to ‘blood’ relatives, even ones far worse than Emma seemed to be.

And that wasn’t touching what any form of legal dispute would do when interacting with Storybrooke if it got anyone involved from outside of the town. Anything to do with outside of town limits was…wibbly.

“I’m sure with us putting our heads together, Ms. Swan won’t last the week.” Regina gave a last squeeze before dropping Skye’s hand to keep dinner from burning.

Skye went back to flipping through the file. “At least we don’t have to worry about a bio-dad, probably. It’d take court-ordered DNA results for one of those to try and elbow in, and I’m sure you could delay that in the courts.”

Regina scoffed. “If Ms. Swan is to be believed, that won’t be a problem.” She was stirring, though.

Skye took a bite of her apple, looking down at the folder of frankly illegal information her mom had gotten her hands on. A few uncharitable opinions on Sidney she used to have might have been misplaced; he might be a creep her mom should get a restraining order for, but he was apparently good at what he did. “This Emma isn’t a worst nightmare.”

“Excuse me?” Regina sounded outraged at that.

Skye sighed, looking up at her mom. “No drug charges, assault charges, prostitution charges, child abuse charges, or whatever. The worst in here is stolen watches when she was a teenager. So probably not a violent threat to Henry.”

“She wants to take him from us.”

“Sure,” Skye was pretty sure that wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t arguing it till she had all the facts. Also even then, it might not help, and her mom clearly didn’t need to be argued at. “But she doesn’t seem like someone who is going to be violent.”

Regina stiffened. “She used a chainsaw on my tree. She’s a barbarian.”

Her jaw tightened. “While you were there?”

“Well, I may have approached, but my presence did nothing to save my tree’s limb.” Regina held her eyes. “Believe me, Ms. Swan is a threat.”

“Then we take care of it. It’s why I’m here.” Skye wasn’t letting anyone drag her baby brother into some kind of custody nightmare involving him dealing with any of the shit she’d seen other kids, whose parents only bothered with them when they felt like it, deal with.

“You always were the reasonable one.” Regina’s proud smile was back.

The familiar warmth at her mother’s approval had her smiling back at her mom naturally. She didn’t think she would stop feeling that internal thrill at her mom’s pride.

There was a thud and the loud stomping of steps going up the stairs.

Regina looked at the entrance to the kitchen. “Henry!” She let out an exasperated breath.

Skye shut the folder, setting it down. “I got him.” She hopped off the counter. Though that explained their mom being touchier than usual, he’d gone full ice her out tantrum. She set her hand on her mom’s shoulder, giving a slight smile, and headed on up the stairs.

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed Henry’s shoes, which he’d kicked off purposely in the middle of the stairs. Dumping them where they belonged, she jogged up the stairs and to his room.

Pausing at the entrance, she leaned against the doorjamb, spotting him face down on his bed. “So, how long were you eavesdropping?”

Henry sat up, a glare on his face. “I thought you would understand. You found the agency for me!”

Skye stepped in, closing the door, she’d rather their mom didn’t learn that little detail. “To get answers, not to be awful to mom. What is going on? Why didn’t you tell me the agency found her?”

His channel wobbled. “You told Regina you were going to help her get rid of my mom.”

Her jaw tightened. “Of course, I told mom that, she’s one piece of bad news from baking pastries.”

“So you’re not here to help her?” Henry asked.

“I’m here to help our family.” She reached out, mussing his hair before shoving his head slightly and sitting next to him. “And part of that is making sure whoever this ‘Emma’ is, she’s not going to hurt you.”

Henry practically oozed certainty. “She’s not going to hurt me, she’s my mom.”

“Henry- she’s not your mom. And I get it, figuring out where you came from is, I get it. But that doesn’t mean you get to be terrible to mom.” She slapped him upside the head.

He glared at her. “She’s not our mom! She’s evil!”

Skye actually paused. “What the fuck?” She grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t tell mom I said that in front of you.”

He yanked his shoulder out from under her hand. “Ow.” He brushed his shoulder off. “She’s not our mom.”

Skye hadn’t wanted to hit her baby brother this bad before. Hitting her brother was wrong. Probably. “She loves us, there’s legal paperwork that says she’s our mom. If ‘Emma’ has been saying anything else-”

“You’re not listening!” Henry straightened, twisting to face her. “She’s evil.”

She was going to kill her brother. She stood up. “You can’t tell…you’ve told mom you think she’s evil?!”

He swallowed as he looked up at her, but with a stubborn tilt of his chin. “It’s true.”

Dinner was awkward.

////

Skye walked straight up to Anastasia’s desk. She might not like her mom’s secretary, but it was stop one on the ‘who the fuck was Emma Swan and how to get rid of her’ tour. That hadn’t been the plan, but if Henry was calling their mom evil, someone had been telling him some shit. She’d assumed their mom was being overly dramatic. Apparently not. “Anastasia.”

Anastasia straightened. “Ms. Mills, your mom isn’t in, she left on business an hour ago and-”

“I know.” Skye set her hands down on Anastasia’s desk, leaning forward. “And you are going to tell me exactly what has been going on before she gets back.”

Skye walked into Granny’s, stop two on the list of how to discover what was going on. It was the same as always, just like everything else in Storybrooke. Which wasn’t a bad thing as she spotted Ruby behind the counter. “Hey, Ruby. You guys still the best coffee in town?”

“Skye?” Ruby straightened. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. And we’re the only coffee in town worth having.”

She smiled at the familiar flirting, not that it ever went anywhere. Things didn’t really carry over from one day to another in Storybrooke. The town remembered vaguely, a shape of a person. Not the details. “How about gossip, still the best place in town?” She leaned against the bartop as Ruby grabbed the coffee pot.

Ruby shot her a look, and that was different, at least since about last year. “You know you came to the right place then.” Ruby slid her the cup of coffee and bowl of creamer and sugar without needing to ask, spoon already in the cup; before leaning in against the counter with a grin. Her eyes did a quick flick over her. “And college looks good on you, Mills.”

Skye opened up a creamer and dumped it into her coffee. “You mean finally wearing something that isn’t small-town Maine?”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it.” Ruby’s shoulders were soft as she looked out the window. “You’re lucky to get out of this town.”

“I don’t know, it’s not too bad, I miss it here when I’m gone too long.” Skye hadn’t gone longer than three weeks. Benefits of in-state school. “And I hear things have been a bit less average?”

Ruby rolled her eyes before pausing, biting her lip. “Are you here asking for the mayor, or for you?”

Skye dumped four packets of sugar into her coffee. “Little of column A, little of column B.”

“Tell me about what it’s like to move out of Storybrooke, see the world, and I’ll tell you what I know about Emma?” Ruby had a grin on her face as she languidly offered her hand out.

She took the other girl’s hand, not shaking, though. “I mainly only get out of the classroom for fencing competitions. Might not be a fair deal.”

“Well, since you’re cute, remember to tip, and we’ll call it even.” Ruby shook their hands.

Skye grinned, stirring her coffee after releasing Ruby’s hand. “So, Emma Swan, where between Henry’s shining account of perfection and my mom’s depiction of living evil are we talking?”

Ruby laughed in that way of her’s that was all teeth and bright eyes. “She’s nice, your mom really hates her.”

“I got that.” Skye wasn’t expecting Ruby to have too much of an opinion. But it was never a bad day to talk to Ruby. “And get that, I wouldn’t call my mom subtle.”

“No, she’s really not.” Ruby agreed, a flicker of unease at the subject of Regina. Which was probably fair.

“So you like Emma? No terrible vibes?” Skye admittedly would rather have heard Ruby hated the woman. That was kind of inconvenient if Emma wasn’t the worst.

Ruby huffed. “No she’s nice, was a bail bonds person in Boston, which sounds so much more exciting than anything in Storybrooke. She’s really good with Henry, he’s been really happy since she got here.” She paused, pulling back slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine, she’s a shiny new toy and hasn’t told him he can’t have ice-cream yet.” Skye reminding herself that Henry didn’t know the horrors of the foster system or abusive parents wasn’t as effective as it should be. “Do you think she wants to keep him?”

“Depends on what you mean.” Ruby tilted her head to one side. “I think she’s kind of freaked by the whole thing. You should ask Mary Margaret, she’s closer to Emma.”

Skye blew out a breath. Oh boy that would not be helping, her mom hated, Mary Margaret. “Do you know if she’s been telling Henry bad things about our mom?”

“You know the mayor, she’s ‘intense’.” Ruby was giving her a look. “She’s kind of been doing that herself.”

Skye’s phone buzzed in her pocket. “One second,” she pulled out her phone, and that was her mom. Oh, for fucks sake, she needed her to pick Henry up from the hospital because he’d run off for an afternoon with the birth mom. She looked up at Ruby. “Hey, rain check, and think I can get this coffee to go? Henry.”

Ruby straightened, taking the mug of coffee from her. “You got it, and I’m holding you to that raincheck.”

“Be happy to talk to you any time, Ruby.” Skye grinned at the smug bounce in Ruby’s step as the waitress swanned off to dump her coffee into a paper cup. She wished Ruby would bring it up again, but she wouldn’t. Things like curiosity didn’t tend to last from one day to the next in Storybrooke.

“Might just give a girl ideas, Mills.” Ruby teased as she walked back, to-go cup of coffee in her hand.

Skye took the cup. “Who says I don’t want to give a girl ideas?” It would never come to anything, couldn’t with how people in Storybrooke were just…frozen. But it was still nice to pretend sometimes for a few minutes that it could. She pushed off the counter. “See you around, Ruby.”

Ruby waved at her as she turned and headed out.

As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, Skye sipped her coffee. Time to go kill her brother and meet the birth mom. As she walked toward where she parked, something felt…off. Skye stopped. What was wrong? She looked up and down Main Street. It was just…fine? Normal. It was always normal? The same quiet, amicable, perfectly boring daily life of the town was just…the same. But something. Skye paused, coffee just short of her mouth. The clock tower, it was working?

Chapter Text

Skye had never been a woods person, but she had grown up in Storybrooke. Following her idiot brother to see where he was running off to without him noticing wasn’t hard. He’d always had a laser focus and missed anything that wasn’t what he was paying attention to. And Skye would give Emma that at least the woman sounded surprised when Henry came crashing out of the woods and into her. “Henry.” So at least the sneaking out hadn’t been a group effort.

Henry’s voice chirped excitedly. “Did you find him yet?”

“No, not yet. You shouldn’t be here.” The blonde in the red jacket replied in the dark of twilight of the rapidly darkening woods.

Henry, because he was Henry, absolutely ignored that. “I can help! I know where he’s going.”

“And where is that?” Mary Margaret asked gently, confusion in her voice.

“He’s looking for you.” Henry said like that was obvious.

Skye wasn’t sure if it was obvious. But she’d eavesdropped enough. She turned on her flashlight, startling all of them. “So this is where you went.”

“Who are you?” Emma exclaimed, hand blocking her eyes from the light that might have been passively aggressively aimed at her.

“Rats.” Henry muttered.

“Skye?” Mary Margaret asked, surprised.

Skye walked down from where she’d been shadowing her brother, crashing through the woods, her eyes not leaving Emma. “The sister.”

Emma paused and then looked down at Henry. “You have a sister?”

That was sharply painful, that her brother had managed a week of knowing his bio-mom and managed to completely avoid mentioning her. “Really feeling the love, Henry.” She stopped as she reached them and gripped the flashlight instead of holding out her hand. “Skye Mills.”

“Emma Swan.” There was obvious question on the woman’s face.

Skye wasn’t dealing with that. “So, we’re hunting down the escaped coma guy then?”

“We are.” Mary Margaret said, voice annoyingly soft and expression frustratingly observant.

“Were you following me!?” Henry asked accusingly, glaring up at her.

Skye whacked the back of his head. “Would you rather have had me tell mom? You’re ten, of course, I followed you into the woods, at night, you twerp.”

Henry’s jaw tightened. “You’ll just tell Regina everything.”

“Sneaking out into the woods to chase strange men with your birth mom and homeroom teacher? Of course, I’ll tell mom that. That’s not who broke the vase in her office.”

“You can’t take me home! I know how to find him.” Henry protested.

Emma’s hand dropped onto Henry like she had a right to. “You shouldn’t be out here, kid. Go home with your sister.”

“No! I can find him!” Henry protested.

It probably wasn’t the most mature choice. Skye hooked her arm over Henry’s shoulders, pulling him against her. “We’re already here. You get one place to check before I’m taking you home.” She shot an annoyed look at Emma.

“You’re sure your mom isn’t going to kill me. And then you two. And then me again?” Emma asked, looking at her with the expression of someone expecting their mom to kill them.

“It’ll be great! We’re going to find him.” Henry was practically vibrating with excitement.

Skye shrugged one shoulder. She really didn’t care if Emma managed to escape their mom’s wrath or not.

“Comforting.” Emma sighed. “Look, we should get both of you home. Immediately.”

That was absolutely not happening. Skye might be her mother’s daughter.

Graham’s voice called from further up the path. “Guys!?”

They all turned and took off at a quick clip for him. His voice had been distressed. Skye stuck to Henry, letting Emma blaze ahead in the lead.

Coming around a corner, they found Graham crouched in the barely lit darkening woods.

Emma and Mary crowded over him. Mary’s voice was hesitant. “Is that?”

“Blood.” Emma finished for her.

So maybe Skye absolutely should have listened to the birth mom and not taken that as a challenge. Too late now, they needed to find John Doe, and they needed to do it now.

Graham frowned as he looked up, “Skye?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” Skye kept a hold on Henry to keep him from running off.

Graham frowned, but looked down again, shining his flashlight on the ground. “This way.”

So off to tracking into the woods. Skye was pretty sure Graham was just a bit of a freak, considering he seemed to be the only one sure-footed and confident as they moved by the flickering lights from their flashlights.

It was pitch black, twilight having fully fled into the creeping darkness as they searched by flashlight that illuminated less and less as it had gotten darker. They came crashing out after Graham at the water line as they came stumbling out into the creek.

“The trail dies at the water line.” Graham said as he searched along the line for more clues.

They all turned, flashlights searching for something along the banks or in the water.

“Oh, my God!” Mary shouted as she took off through the water. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Graham had his radio out as he took off after her. “I need an ambulance at the old toll bridge as soon as possible.”

Skye didn’t hesitate, splashing through freezing cold water, and heading straight for the collapsed male body in the water. She grabbed a leg, Mary and Graham both already had an arm each.

“I’m falling, falling, falling, falling, falling.” Mary panicked muttered as she slipped over rocks as the four of them heaved the guy to shore. “Keep going.”

Emma had the other leg as they managed to get him fully out of the water and start half stumbling as they headed for shore.

“Hold on.” Mary was calling orders in a panicked voice, seemingly unable to stop babbling orders to herself, them, and coma guy. “I feel we need to slow down. Slow down. Slow down.”

They got him to the ground, lowering him onto the dirt. Mary instantly at his head. “No, no, no, no, no. I found you! You’re going to be ok!”

“Help’s coming.” Graham tried to calm things down.

But Skye was pretty sure coma guy wasn’t breathing and his leg had been so cold. Oh god, had they just moved a body? Fuck, why couldn’t they have found him faster?!

“Is he okay? Is he going to be okay?” Henry’s high pitched voice called from where he was standing.

“Henry, don’t look, okay? Don’t look.” Emma had grabbed him, pulling his head away from them.

Skye aimed the flashlight at coma guy as Mary shook the body.

Mary ducked down, pressing her ear to the guy’s mouth. “Come back to us.” her voice losing air. “Come back to me.”

“CPR? Graham, don’t you know CPR?” Skye looked at the sheriff, and her mom’s sometimes hook-up partner.

Mary Margaret apparently didn’t care if the sheriff knew it or not. She just had her hands on coma guy’s chest and pressed down, hard. A grunt leaving her lips with every compression.

Looking up, Skye saw her brother. Emma had him clutched to her, her hand holding his head to her, hand covering the side of his face to ensure he couldn’t see anything else.

There was a spluttering sound.

Skye’s shoulders slumped as she realized coma guy was sorta puking/coughing up water.

He looked up at where Mary was hovering over him, voice hoarse and half drunk sounding. “You saved me.”

Henry’s voice answered. “She did. She woke him up.”

Skye looked at her brother. What on earth was that wording?

“Yeah kid, she did.” Emma replied from where she was still holding him, but had let him turn around, to see what was going on. A disbelieving, confused relief to her.

“Thank you.” Coma guy breathed, just staring up at Mary.

“Who are you?” And wow, yeah, Mary was as locked onto the guy as he was on her.

Skye raised a brow as she kept the light on them.

“I don’t know?” Coma guy’s voice was weak and breathy.

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” Mary assured him as the sound of sirens reached them.

Skye looked up, squinting at where she knew the road was. “Graham, I’m going to go make sure they can find us.” She shot a look at where Emma still had Henry protectively held. That was…she’d worry about that later. Half dead guy took priority.

“Good idea.” Graham gave her a nod.

She jogged up the hill toward the road. It was going to be a bitch to get a stretcher down here.

Skye hadn’t expected much from getting coma guy to the hospital. Well besides pre-writing her funeral speech for when her mom realized she’d let Henry tromp around in the woods instead of just dragging him home. A panicked Kathryn Nolan rushing in hadn’t been on the list. Or her mom arriving?

Still, it wasn’t surprising how instantly her mom was just in charge of the room.

“His name is David Nolan. And that’s his wife, Kathryn.” Regina explained with a smile on her face. Her mom had always liked knowing things Mary didn’t. “And the joy on her face? Well, it’s put me in quite the forgiving mood.”

Regina’s gaze fell on Emma till the grown woman squirmed slightly, before flicking to Henry and her. “Do I want to know what insubordination led to both of you being involved in this?”

“I’m sorry?” Skye offered.

Her mom gave her the look that clearly meant ‘We’re talking about this later’.

Skye winced slightly.

Their mom turned her eyes to Henry. “Do you know what insubordination means?”

Henry shook his head, a distinct lack of worry considering he’d decided their mom was evil. It was a mean thought, and Skye tried to push it away.

“It means unless your sister has a very good explanation, you’re grounded.”

Henry slumped into her. He looked up at her as everyone’s attention turned to Kathryn coming out for the thank you tour. “Help?”

Skye shrugged one shoulder, giving an apologetic look. She was pretty sure, ‘Emma annoyed me so I joined my brother in hunting strange, injured men in the forest at night’ was not going to do much to keep Henry from losing tv and desert rights for a night, or her from a lecture and basically the same.

Henry slumped with a slight groan in resignation, no rescue from trouble was coming his way.

////

Emma was going to need to buy groceries now that she was living with Mary Margaret. Eating every meal at the diner wasn’t sustainable. It clearly was impossible to have a meal here without a Mills finding her. Because that was Skye Mills heading into the diner to interrupt her dinner.

Which, Skye Mills was a conundrum. One Emma had questions about that were probably about to be answered. Henry’s sister was certainly her mother’s daughter. A certain perfect smoothness to the cut of her high-end clothing, a closeness of posture and gait, the same sharp intelligence in dark eyes. But the college-aged Mills was softer, less rigid, and more evaluating than aggressive.

Skye entered with a confident belonging. She waved at Ruby, as she walked straight for Emma.

Emma leaned back in her seat. Round two of the day with a Mills. At least there wasn’t hot chocolate for her to spill down her front this time. “Hi?”

“Hi.” Skye came to a stop near her and gestured at the seat opposite her. “May I?”

She stared at her. “I didn’t know anyone in your family asked.”

Skye huffed, an amused look on her face. “What can I say, Henry takes after Mom that way.”

Emma waved at the seat. “I’m guessing you being here isn’t a coincidence?”

“I didn’t arrange to spend two weeks away from my classes just to never talk to you.” Skye sat casually across from her.

“Here to tell me to leave town too?” Emma would rather get the threats over with before Ruby brought out her dinner.

Skye’s grin was lopsided with amusement. “I think Mom has the threats under control.”

And that was, so this probably wasn’t going to just be threats. “So why did you want to talk if you don’t want to threaten me?”

“You’re Henry’s birth mom. So you mean a lot to him.” There was something about her face that read as…sad.

“How old were you when Regina adopted you?” Emma had a feeling Skye hadn’t been a baby.

Skye hummed. “I was nine, late adoption, I know. Regina showed up for Henry and insisted on bringing me back with her too.” Her expression was soft. “I’m not sure why she decided to bring me home, but she did.”

“That’s an older adoption.” Emma felt a slight pang at that. It was the kind of thing they all dreamed about, mostly had given up hope of in the system by that age. “How long were you in the system?”

“Nine years.” Skye didn’t flinch from it. “Got dumped on some church steps as a baby. So, no blood relatives of mine to threaten things.” She was looking at her critically. “You have no idea what you’re doing here, do you?”

“That’s not-”

“So you have a plan?” Skye cut her off, faint disbelief in her voice. “Have a timetable of how long you intend to stay?”

Emma sighed. “You really are Regina’s daughter.”

“Thanks.” Skye smiled at that, clearly taking it as a compliment.

She leaned forward, folding her hands together on top of the table. “Look, I don’t want to take your brother away from you. I just want to know him.”

“You know what happens if you change your mind. What happens to Henry.” There was a flintiness in Skye’s face, a vaguely challenging tilt to her chin. “And once you start on that path, there’s no going back. I think it’s safe to say we’ve both seen what happens to kids when that happens.”

“You’re not wrong.” Emma didn’t need it broken down for her to know how damaging it could get once custody arrangements started getting fought over. The damage to kids. And if she changed her mind and ran after damaging Regina’s custody, it wasn’t impossible Henry could end up in foster care. Not for long with how far Regina was clearly willing to go. But it didn’t take long for kids to be hurt. “I would never do anything to hurt him.”

Skye didn’t argue or attack as Regina would have. “Then figure out what you want.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and passed it over. Neatly written numbers on it. “Once you know what you want, we can talk.”

Emma paused as her fingers touched the folded sheet of paper. “Are you planning on helping me? Not going to try and run me off?”

“Did you look for your parents?” Skye asked instead of answering.

“I did. Never found them. Yours left you at a church, mine left me on the side of the road.” Emma wouldn’t be surprised if Skye already knew that. There certainly wasn’t surprise on Skye’s face. “You?”

“Never found anything.” That was a lie, which was interesting. “But I get why getting to know you is important to Henry. When you figure out what you want, tell me. If it's not bad for him, I can talk our mom into at least not getting you arrested every other day.”

Emma wouldn’t have expected that, maybe she should have. “You like plans don’t you?”

“I’m triple-majoring at university. Organizing time and classes is…maybe kind of intense.” Skye brushed some hair behind one ear.

Which, Emma kinda felt like choking. “You’re triple majoring? You’re what, nineteen?”

Skye nodded. “Yeah, and I did the computer engineering classes via correspondence in high school and all of the pre-reqs. I’m just taking the upper-level courses for the degrees in economics and politics. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.”

“Jesus, that’s really impressive kid.” Just, even with the fact there was no way Regina Mills was making her daughter work to put herself through college, and Skye probably could devote all of her time to school, it was still impressive as hell.

“Not a kid.” Skye rolled her eyes but stood up. “And figure out what you’re doing here. I’d recommend doing it fast. Our mom isn’t going to do nothing while you decide on what to do.”

Emma considered Henry’s sister, and she was his sister. “You want me to stay.”

Skye raised a brow. “Don’t fuck with my family. Sidney’s not totally incompetent, I’m better.”

“Wait,” Emma stood up, ready to catch the girl’s arm to keep her from walking away if needed. She didn’t need to, Skye pausing as she looked at her. “I’m not here to break up your family. I just want to make sure the kid is in a good home.”

“He is.” Skye wasn’t lying. She believed that completely. “I’ve been in twenty-three of them. Our mom wants us.”

Emma wanted to believe her. “Thank you, for actually talking to me.” She was hoping this wasn’t going to turn on her as fast as it had with Regina. She didn’t think it would. But also…how hard did Regina push her kids?

Chapter Text

Ruby figured it was safe once Skye Mills had headed to the bar instead of the corner booth. Getting in the middle of that drama sounded terrifying. Not that she wasn’t interested in how it all shook out. But a good sign, things hadn’t been too hostile between Skye and Emma. Maybe things would get a little more…reasonable?

But, Skye had picked a stool at the bar, pulling off the teal peacoat she’d been loosely wearing. So, her chance was there.

Ruby didn’t need to ask, just pouring a mug of coffee and walking over.

“Hey, Ruby.” Skye's eyes actually met Ruby’s as she greeted her with a smile.

And it was nice that Skye was looking at her face, Ruby was going to have to try harder. “Here to pay up with those college stories.” She set the cup of coffee in front of Skye while pulling the bowl of creamer from under the counter for her.

Skye blinked. “Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, if you want?”

“Oh, I want.” Ruby laid one hand on the counter, cocking her hip to one side. And Skye’s eyes had dropped, getting stuck on her midriff. Ruby enjoyed having her complete attention on her. “Sooo, computer science, economics, and politics?”

Skye’s face flushed as her eyes snapped back up. “Um…yeah. Triple majoring felt like the thing to do.”

Ruby hadn’t expected that. The mayor’s daughter was cute when she was flustered. It wasn’t a side of Skye she remembered seeing before. “I think I can see why you didn’t think you had any interesting stories. Do you even have time to sleep?”

“Sleep is overrated.” Skye was looking at her slightly disbelieving. “And you know, there’s a lot to learn, how was I supposed to pick just one area to study?”

“See, I hear it’s pretty normal to actually just pick one.” Ruby pulled a sucker out of her apron, pulling off the wrapper and popping it into her mouth.

“With how often everyone switches majors, not as normal as you’d think.” The flustered air was fading from Skye, but the spark of interest wasn’t. “Do you ever think about going to a university or trade school or something?

“Me?” Ruby shook her head with a laugh. “No, maybe?” She sighed, looking away. “I want to see the world.” As she looked back at Skye she suddenly felt silly. “Not that I’ll ever get out of here.”

“Maybe not Antarctica.” Skye’s face was just soft. “But there is ice skating in New York.”

“Like in the movies?” Ruby couldn’t help how perfect that sounded.

“Sort of?” Skye hadn’t touched the coffee. “Bit less romantic and dreamy, bit more packed with New Yorkers and tourists, and louder. The movies really cut out the car sounds. But it’s pretty cool. They used to take us sometimes when I was a kid. It was kind of a hassle since we weren’t even in the same borough, but it was fun. And everything is always just, so much more crowded than it is here.”

“You mean it’s boring all the time here. You’re lucky you get to leave.” Ruby couldn’t imagine being able to just get in a car and leave.

Skye’s lips twitched upward. “Sure, but people come to places like this to get away from how crowded it is out there. Also the air, you never get away from the smell of exhaust and garbage in cities.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better.” Ruby huffed, switching her sucker to the other side of her mouth.

Skye’s eyes flicked to her mouth briefly at the click of candy against her teeth. “I’m not. Or maybe a bit, but it’s still true. Storybrooke is kind of great. And do you want the ‘fancy’ college life schedule? Cause I’m pretty sure you have more time to get to do things than I do.”

Ruby stared at her. “College can’t be boring!”

“It’s not,” Skye laughed. “But I’m up at six am for a pre-workout warm-up run. Then it’s stretches, stability/mobility work. Mondays are a leg day with a lot of squats and lunges, that kind of thing. Jump rope between reps for an hour and a half. And that’s just a morning workout.”

“Just the morning?” Ruby had a feeling of dawning horror. “Because just that would kill me.”

“I mean I’ve got three classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Four classes on Tuesday and Thursday. So those all take an hour a class. But yeah, I don’t just do one workout a day, I’m on the school team. Monday late afternoon into the evening I have an hour with the coach, and then a three-hour practice on actual fencing. So at least eight bouts, so uh fencing till the first person hits fifteen touches. And after that, I’ve still got to eat and do homework before getting to bed. And you know, less than eight hours of sleep and the next day is brutal.”

“That’s just Mondays.” Ruby knew her mouth was slightly open.

Skye grinned, a genuine pride in how she’d tipped her chin. “Yup. Tuesdays are more shoulder and back-focused. Wednesdays alternate between leg stability/mobility/balance or a core-focused day. Thursday’s are another leg day, but a bit more cardio and glute work than Mondays. Fridays are a lot of chest and arm weight training, a bit of mobility work, a lot of push-ups and pull-ups. Saturday is mostly cardio and tournaments if it’s a competitive weekend. Sundays are my only rest day, and gonna be honest, I end up doing a lot of essay writing. If I’m not in the gym, I’m in the library like just ninety-nine percent of the time.”

“How do you get back here so much if you’re that busy?” Ruby had the feeling Skye came home a lot. It wasn’t that she remembered it exactly, but it felt like that was true.

“Coach knows I’m good for keeping up on the schedule if I spend weekends we don’t have a competition on at home.” Skye had a silent laughter in her face at Ruby’s impressed horror. “And Coach Jim at the Storybrooke gym is kind of one of the most amazing fencers I’ve met. He’s good for a few bouts and letting me use the equipment in there.”

Ruby had a sudden realization. “Our school has amazing gym equipment because of you, doesn’t it?”

Skye shrugged. “Sports look good for colleges and stuff, and the only sport we have here is the fencing team. Mom got a city grant for it after the first practice she came to watch.”

Of course, Mayor Mills took one look at the Storybrooke gym and decided it was unacceptable for her daughter. But also, since when was Storybrooke good at anything? “Our town’s gym teacher is good enough to keep up with you when you do,” Ruby waved her hand, “all of that.”

“Jim’s good, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he qualified for the Olympics when he was younger. I’m telling you, Storybrooke is surprising.” Skye’s eyes stayed on her.

Ruby leaned in slightly. She heard the implication that she was what was surprising to Skye. Why hadn’t she thought of Skye more? She was definitely one of the lookers in town, and she was nice. “Surprising, huh?”

Skye’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “Yeah?”

It was fun, she was so much less smooth today than she’d been yesterday. Ruby could have preened at how she was being looked at.

“Ruby! Stop lollygagging and get to work!” Granny called.

Ruby flushed, looking over her shoulder. “I’m coming!” She felt mortified as she looked back Skye. “Sorry, I-”

“Pie.” Skye seemed surprised she said that too. “When you get a chance.” She smiled slightly, the surprise fading. “And after you’re not risking getting killed by your Granny?”

She flushed at the immediate understanding. “What kind of pie?”

Skye’s smile turned slightly playful. “Whatever is your favorite, and a slice of blackberry?”

That was…Ruby smiled, one hand touching her hair where it was on her shoulder. “I’ll get to that right now.”

“Ruby!”

“Be right back, Mills.” Ruby pushed off the counter and headed to take out the orders in the window.

Ruby had a slight hop in her step as she finally had a chance to get back to Skye. A hop that stayed in her step as she realized Skye had taken her teal peacoat off, laying it on the stool next to her. Skye was planning on staying, she hadn’t just been talk. She was bent over a kind of stupidly large book she’d opened up on the counter.

She set the two pieces of pie on the counter next to Skye, noticing that without a jacket on, Skye’s shoulders and arms might not be bulky, but the muscle was noticeable. Ruby smiled as Skye looked up at her the instant the pie hit the counter. “What is that?” She gave a pointed look at the textbook.

“Principles of microeconomics.” Skye looked faintly surprised she’d come back, but happy. “And it’s about as boring as you’re probably imagining.” She held out a fork to Ruby.

Ruby accepted the fork, leaning on the bar in a way that left her shirt angled just right. A thing Skye definitely was affected by. She grinned victoriously. “And you willingly are taking it even if it’s boring?”

Skye shut the book, pushing it to the side. “I like it, math just makes sense to me. So this is just, a natural progression of that, so it's interesting.” She picked up a fork. “But I have a feeling you don’t want to know all about my economics classes.”

This…didn’t feel like flirting with Billy or the other guys who passed through Granny’s. And not just because Skye Mills was more interesting than any of them by half. Ruby liked it. “True, you’ve neatly been avoiding talking about anything fun.”

Skye hummed. “I only leave campus for here or short competitions. Which is, very lame, I know. But I’ve got time.” She neatly cut a bite of pie off of her slice. “What about you, plans to get out of town, at least for a while. I don’t know, go on a cruise, or hiking, or something?”

And it was genuine. Skye genuinely wanted to know about her plans.

Ruby smiled. “I don’t know, anywhere exciting?”

Skye laughed. “Come on, you can do better than that. What’s the plan, cross-country road trip? Two weeks in Thailand on the beaches? Cabo during the spring for the parties?”

“Well, those all sound great.” Ruby’s eyes flicked to her own slice of pie, poking it with her fork before flicking her eyes back up to Skye. “But I kind of always wanted to go to Yellowstone?”

“Yeah? Why there?” Skye was genuinely curious as she took another bite of pie.

Ruby hesitated but…she didn’t think Skye would think it was stupid. “Just, all that open space, and wilderness. It just…makes you think you could get lost there.” She knew her voice was excited and dreamy as she spoke. “And the wolves! I love wolves. They’ve been reintroducing them, and there’s this pack, the Druid Pack, that is just, amazing.”

Skye’s eyes flicked to the wolf necklace dangling in her cleavage before snapping back up to her, a faint flush to her face. “So you’re into wolves then?”

“Well, they are the best.” Ruby leaned in. “They are highly intelligent and social animals. Packs are family groupings. The ‘alpha’ is usually just the breeding female, so the mother or older sister of the pack. I kinda like that, wolves forming matriarchies.”

“That a most packs, or just some of them?” Skye asked curiously.

Ruby hadn’t had anyone care to just listen to her wolf facts before. “No? Packs are led by a breeding pair. So it just depends on the pack. It's maybe a bit more equal than anything else. But it’s great, isn’t it? They’re families.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty great.” Skye agreed. “So this Druid pack, what kind of head wolf family situation do they have?”

“Well-”

Ruby flipped a chair up and onto the table so she could mop. “You know you don’t have to help?”

“I’d be a terrible person if I left it to you.” Skye teased from where she was flipping chairs up onto tables too. “And I might never have worked in food service, but pretty sure I know how to mop a floor.”

“And how do you know that?” Ruby grinned. “I’d think the Mayor would insist on a housekeeper.”

“Fair, but no dice I’m afraid. We do clean our own house.” Skye set another chair up. “And cook our own meals.”

Ruby picked up the dust mop to go over the floor with first. “You’re ruining the whole princess persona you have going on.”

Skye snorted while setting the last chair. “Please, if anything, I’ve got a Little Orphan Annie persona going on, and fuck that movie.”

“Not a fan of the feel-good kids' movies?” Ruby could see what Skye meant: a kid adopted by a powerful, rich person, and all that. “Or is it the singing?”

“I mean, musicals aren’t my favorite. And kids' movies are fine, I’m just not a fan of happy orphan fairy tales.” She shrugged as she stepped out of the way of the dust sweeper. “What about you, Oliver Twist your favorite film of all time?”

“Nope, more of a Star Trek girl.” Ruby grinned up at Skye.

Skye hummed with a curious and open expression. “I can see it, let me guess, lots of nature documentaries and travel videos too?”

Ruby lit up at the lack of teasing. “Exactly! The world is just so big! And there’s so many people and places to see and meet.”

“So I’d ask if you’re more a jungle, safari, or ocean documentary person, but you’re more of a city or wilderness girl, aren’t you?” Skye actually wrung out the mop before setting it on the floor with a wet whack.

“You don’t have to do that!” Ruby protested.

“I want to, and come on, I’m right, aren’t I?” Skye stubbornly pushed the mop along the linoleum.

Ruby let out a happy breath and then bit her lip slightly. The soft-looking grey shirt Skye was wearing was relatively clingy, and it was doing wonders to show off the arms she had put so much work into as she mopped. She hadn’t thought of a girl as kind of handsome before, especially not one as pretty as Skye. But Ruby liked it. “You are, what can I say, lions can’t hold a candle to wolves or New Orleans.”

“New Orleans?” Skye looked up from the floor. “Are you planning on hitting up the city for Mardi Gras?”

“If only, Granny would never let me, and after her last heart attack, I can’t be away.” Ruby frowned as she finished sweeping. Leaning down she used the rag attachment and caught up the dirt it’d swept up.

“That’s hard, but couldn’t you get a weekend away? You guys have more employees than just you. Hell, close the place for a weekend. Your Granny could take a nap, get a massage or something, you could hit up Mardi Gras?” Skye was looking at her curiously.

“Medical bills,” Ruby didn’t need to ask if Skye understood that.

“Ah,” Skye pushed the mop across the floor. “That sucks.” She genuinely looked at her. “Mardi Gras isn’t going anywhere.”

It sounded like a possibility that would happen, how Skye said it. Ruby nodded to herself. “That’s right, it’s not going anywhere.” She dropped the rag into the trash, not bothering to shake it out. “I just wish it could be possible now.”

Skye smiled as she mopped with a quick professionalism. “What’s a few years? I’ve got five years of schooling left before I can graduate.” She shrugged as she put the mop back into the bucket. “You’ve got time to plan something cool. And I don’t know, you’re not the only one in Storybrooke because your family needs you. I think that’s pretty decent of you to take care of your grandmother.”

“Thanks, she’s a lot, but she’s all I have.” The only thing worse than living with Granny would be losing Granny.

“I get that.” Skye picked up the mopping bucket and carried it to the back.

Ruby paused at that, that was right. Skye’s mother was the Mayor, that had to be difficult. And with Emma here? Yeah, Ruby wasn’t jealous of that terrifying mess. Great gossip from the outside, but uh…would not want to be part of that mess.

She leaned against the counter, watching as Skye came back after dumping the bucket. It’d been the best night she’d had in…a long time.

As Skye got back to the main room, she picked up her jacket and pulled it on. She smiled at her. “I should probably head out before my relative, who is ‘a lot’, sends the sheriff out to collect me.” She slung her shoulder messenger bag over her shoulder, walking toward her and the door, a kind smile on her face. “It’s been nice talking to you, Ruby.”

Ruby felt a brief flicker of daring. “Wait,” She reached out, laying her hand on Skye’s shoulder as she bounced forward. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as she chickened out at the last second. Her lips pressed against the corner of Skye’s mouth before pulling back. “Thank you.”

Skye’s face flushed, her eyes wide, her mouth open slightly, the faint sound of breath caught in the back of her throat. “Ah…night?” And then she was ducking out the door.

Ruby’s smile grew, her teeth showing as she watched Skye vanish down the walkway. Especially at the glance back over her shoulder from Skye before she hit the sidewalk. It wasn’t what she’d expected, but Skye was adorable. She wasn’t going to kiss the side of Skye’s mouth next time. Ruby was almost positive that there would be a next time too.

////

Henry yawned as he zipped up his backpack. School, then it was a city council meeting day, so he should have hours to spend with Emma without Regina noticing. He frowned, but…Skye. He bit his lip. That might be a problem.

The sound of the front door opening reached him.

If he was going to find a way to distract his sister, now was the time. Probably. He poked his head out of his room as Skye came up the stairs. She usually came in from running before the school bus. And sure enough, there she was in her running gear, pulling earbuds out of her ears. “Morning!”

Skye looked at him curiously, stuffing her earbuds and their cord into her pocket. “Morning?”

“Are you going to be using the school gym after class?” Henry asked. Because if she was in the gym, it’d be at least three hours before she’d notice he was missing.

“Probably, I need to talk to Coach Jim about it first.” Her brow furrowed. “Henry, have you noticed the people in town acting…differently?”

Oh no, she’d go straight to Regina. Henry bit his lip, but his sister was Mulan. Loyalty to her parents was kind of her whole thing. It had to be why Regina had figured out how to make her a kid and raise her. Skye always sided with Regina. She wasn’t going to stop till she realized Regina was the villain. “Would you believe me if I said time started moving here?”

Her eyes were sharp as she looked at him. “Maybe. You-” Skye looked past his shoulder, and then grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him into her room, shutting the door behind her. “What do you know?”

He sucked in his lip, chewing on it. “You have to promise not to tell Regina.”

She whacked his shoulder. “You mean mom.”

He looked away from her, his hands tightening at his sides. But wait…she hadn’t argued against the ‘time moving’ bit. His eyes snapped back up to her. “You knew about time not moving?”

Skye paused, her face confused “Obviously? Nobody ages here, conversations never matter long.”

Henry stared at her. “If you know, then why are you helping mom?!”

She stared at him. “What does everyone not aging have to do with mom?”

“She’s-” Henry bit back ‘the Evil Queen’.

“Wait, you think Mom is responsible for the time thing?” Skye’s face was confused. “She’s been thirty-four since she adopted us, ten years ago. Whatever the town’s deal is, mom just does the same boring mayor shi-stuff every day without aging.”

Henry looked at the floor. Ok…so maybe she could be brought onto Operation Cobra…not immediately. But she was halfway there already. Anything he said right now, she’d go straight to mom. “You can’t tell, Regina.”

Skye’s mouth tightened at ‘Regina’.

“HENRY!” Regina’s voice came from downstairs.

“I got to get to school.” He started to head for the door.

Skye’s hand slapped onto the door, keeping it shut. “We’re talking about this again. But the time, do you think it’s going to freeze again?”

Henry looked up at her. “No! It’s going to keep moving. Time is back.”

She looked at him, biting something back. “Fine, but at least pretend to be nice to Mom. And I want answers, later.”

“Not till you promise not to tell Mom.” He yanked the door open and shot out of her room. He did not feel like being noogied or getting in trouble when it was Skye who made him late. Shooting down the stairs, he felt victorious. His sister believed him! She just needed to be convinced their mom was evil!

Chapter Text

Ruby should have guessed Gold would be proactive about getting what he wanted. It’d be nice if Emma hadn’t shown up mid-shift before Billy could finish dropping off her car, though. She needed to get rid of Emma before Ashley got there.

“So, this boyfriend of hers, you don’t think he was involved in her disappearance?”

Ruby looked over her shoulder as she loaded up her tray with dishes. “Uh, that would mean that he was involved with her at all. Which he isn’t.” Scummy piece of shit that Sean had turned out to be. “He left her in the lurch right after they found out they were expecting. Hasn’t spoken to her since. Like I said he’s a-”

There was a crash as the tow truck dropped her car down.

“Hey! Hey, hey, Billy, be careful!” She used the tone that tended to get her what she wanted from men while glancing at the glass wolf ornament hanging from the mirror. “You almost shattered my wolf thing, Billy. It’s good luck.”

Billy ducked his head slightly, eyes mostly staying on her cleavage. “I’m sorry Ruby, but look, it’s fine.”

Ruby’s eyes turned to motion out of the corner of her eye. She lit up at the sight of Skye Mills striding with a confident gait for the diner. “Skye, you’re back early? Let me guess, just coffee again?”

“I think if I keep drinking as much coffee as I have been, my coach will kill me.” Her eyes snapped to her brother, before looking back to Ruby. “One minute.” And then her attention was on Henry again. “This is why you asked about the gym this morning.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow watching the family drama. And that was a deer in headlights expression from Henry and Emma. Cute family resemblance there.

“I’m helping Emma.” Henry’s little chin jutted upwards.

“Using the city council meeting, smart.” Skye sighed, looking at Emma. “What are you two doing?”

Ruby spotted a table in need of new water. This could be good. Skye might get Emma and Henry out of here before Ashley got here. She headed to drop off her tray, to exchange it for the water pitcher while she had a chance. But also, Skye came back!

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see what was definitely sibling bickering. Unfortunately, they seemed to have settled the family drama by the time she managed to get back out to the outside seating.

Emma looked at her. “Ruby, what about Ashley’s family?”

“Oh, um she’s got a stepmom and two stepsisters that she doesn’t talk to.”

Henry's face lit up. “Wait, stepmom, stepsisters, and she’s a maid?”

“Henry, not now.” Emma was going to keep asking questions, ones that might lead her in the right direction.

“Look,” Ruby needed them going to the exact wrong side of town, but also she hated the way everyone talked about her friend. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s wrong. Everyone thinks she’s not ready to have this kid, but she’s trying, taking night classes, trying to better herself, trying to get her life together. Can you understand that?”

The focused expression on Emma’s face loosened. “I think so.”

Ruby didn’t know how Gold had convinced Emma to help in this. “Then maybe you should stay out of it? She’s been through enough already.”

“I’ve been through it, too, Ruby, and I can help her.” Emma wasn’t going to give it up.

So there was nothing to regret. “Then try her ex.”

Emma took the bait. “Where can I find him?”

It was never a bad day to shove fucking Sean under the bus. “He lives with his dad.”

Ruby looked at Skye as Henry and Emma headed toward the bright yellow bug. “You’re not going to follow them?”

“He’s got till our mom’s ‘city council’ meeting is over. If he’s not back home by then, I’ll rat him out. I’m pretty sure Emma can defend him from Ashley.” Skye looked at her. “I should let you get back to work. Good to see you though?”

If Ashley wasn’t going to arrive anytime now, Ruby would have offered Skye a free slice of pie or something. But, Ashley was going to be here any second. “Don’t be a stranger, Mills.”

“I won’t.” Skye grinned and then slipped out to the sidewalk, walking away.

Ruby sighed, right, tables to take care of, then Ashley, then getting Skye Mills adorably flustered again. She turned around, plastering a smile on her face for the table that’d been trying to get attention for the last five minutes. “Sorry, are you ready to order, or do you need more time?”

The first thing Ruby did upon hitting her break was head straight back to the laundry room and shut the door behind her as quickly as possible. Turning, she froze. “Skye?”

“So, what’s the actual plan?” Skye was leaning against the washing machine. “I’m not ten or an outsider. You spit in Sean’s burgers, and Sean and Ashley don’t stand in the same room, let alone talk.”

Ruby froze. “Skye, you can’t be here.”

Skye’s brow rose in an eerily similar expression to the mayor. “So Ashley is on her way here.”

Ruby walked straight for her, catching Skye’s arm. “Please, you need to not be here.”

“Hey, Ruby, I’m on your side.” Skye didn’t sound or look like she was lying.

“You’re the Mayor’s daughter.” Ruby didn’t trust Skye, she barely knew her. One kind of date didn’t weigh a lot when it came to Ruby’s best friend.

Skye’s brow furrowed. “You’re doing something illegal then. Look, I don’t care about-”

The back door opened, and exhausted and stressed-looking Ashley came in, packed bags hanging off of her. “I’m here! You got the car out of the shop? Because I… oh.” Ashley paled as she saw Skye.

“You’re doing a runner.” Skye looked between them.

Ruby shot a panicked look at Ashley and then back at Skye. “Please just pretend you didn’t see anything. Just for a few days.”

“What did you steal from Gold that’s worth running like this?” Skye looked at Ashley, ignoring Ruby entirely.

Ruby’s head snapped around to try and communicate a silent ‘shut up’ at Ashley.

Only Ashley’s teary eyes had dropped to her stomach, her hands covering her protruding baby bump.

Under Ruby’s hand, Skye’s arm went hard. “You sold the baby.” Skye’s voice had changed tones entirely. “How soon are you due?”

“Any day.” Ashley’s voice was watery as she looked up. “Please, I just want to raise my baby. Just pretend you didn’t see me.”

“Right, ok.” Skye nodded. “Was the stipend you were getting for living expenses and medical expenses something you could pay back?”

Ashley sniffled, shaking her head. “All the money went to my stepmother since I live with her still. I never saw any of it.”

“Do you have a rough dollar amount Gold was paying her then?” Skye asked.

“What does that matter? We just need to get Ashley out of town.” Ruby stepped back to her friend, taking the heaviest bag from her.

“Because even if I could get her fake papers for her and the baby, running long term is hard without family or friends to help.” Skye replied while digging in her book bag for something.

“Wait, you’re really trying to help?” Ashley squeaked. “You’re the Mayor’s daughter?”

Skye looked up at her with a baffled expression. “Obviously? And just because my mom has to uphold the law, doesn’t mean she’s evil.”

Ruby wasn’t touching that one. Cause she was pretty sure the Mayor, if not evil, was the biggest bitch this side of the equator. But that wasn’t what was important. “How can you help?”

“Possession is nine-tenths of the law, and CPS will do almost anything to keep a baby with its biological family.” Skye yanked out her wallet, flipping it open. “You get out of town, stay in a hotel till you go into labor. Give birth in a non-Storybrooke hospital. Once you’re admitted, ask for the social worker or case manager, whatever they call it. Then tell them everything but that you want to keep the baby. They’ll sort out most of the legal shit for you.” Skye yanked out a kind of scary amount of cash from her wallet, stepped over, and shoved it into Ashley’s hand while grabbing the bag from Ruby. “If you get the car, I’ll help load it up.”

Ruby looked between Skye and Ashley. “I’ll be right back with the car.” She looked at Skye, “Thank you.”

Ruby turned and took off back through the front to get to her car and to drive it around back. She ignored a call from Granny, just shooting out through the front door of the diner and hopping into her car. The boys at the shop actually fixed her up! The keys in the ignition started her up without the lugging, sputtering sound that’d been why she had to leave it at the shop in the first place.

Driving around and back behind the diner only took a couple of minutes, most of which was just getting to a place she could turn around. As she came around the corner and back behind the B&B, she spotted Ashley and Skye talking. Or more Skye talking to Ashley while holding all of the bags. Which, Ruby smiled to herself, she’d been kinda right and kinda wrong about Skye. It was a really good thing.

Parking the car, she turned it off and climbed out. “Let’s get everything loaded up.”

“Thank you, both of you.” Ashley was weepy again.

Ruby hugged her friend, awkward baby bump and all. “Just take care of yourself and the little one, and we’ll call it even.”

Ashley let out a wet laugh, hugging her back before pulling away, and looking at Skye. “I can’t pay you back for the money.”

“I have a trust fund, don’t worry about it.” Skye dumped the last of the bags into the backseat. “You have my number. Once you go into labor, call with the hospital you’re in, and Ruby and I’ll come be with you for it.”

That was, Ruby hadn’t thought of that. But she wasn’t disagreeing. She was on board with the new plan of Ashley giving birth in a hospital where Mr. Gold’s money wouldn’t talk, and thus Ashley keeping the baby. “You can break my hand.”

Ashley nodded. “Thank you, I’ll call you once I get to a hotel.” She hugged Ruby again. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Ruby pushed Ashley toward the car. “Now, go, you don’t have long before Gold will have people onto you.”

“Going, thank you.” Ashley climbed into the car.

Skye spoke up. “Remember, cash only at the hotel, don’t put your name down or use anything electronic till you’re giving birth.”

“I won’t.” Ashley's smile was tight and wet as she closed the door and started up the car.

Ruby’s shoulders slumped as her friend drove away. “I can’t believe we did that.”

“You know, this town has kind of gotten way more interesting,” Skye said. “So, I think this means we should probably exchange numbers so we can use my car when you get the call about her going into labor.”

Looking at Skye Mills, Ruby laughed because apparently, she wasn’t just cute. She leaned forward, kissing her on the mouth, before pulling back. “Is that ok?”

“Yeah,” Skye looked slightly startled, but her face was kind of full of wonder. “It’s good.”

Ruby beamed and then caught the front lapels of Skye’s stupid posh-looking peacoat and dragged her in, kissing her again.

Ruby was mostly daydreaming as she doodled wolves absently on the ticket book. So her day was kind of one of the most exciting days of her life. Helped her friend make a run for it and made out with the Mayor’s hot daughter. Who asked who out on a date between two girls? Ruby was sure she could do it if she needed to. There was something exciting about not batting her eyes to get a guy to do something, and instead to just act.

The bell above the door opened.

She sighed, turning from her ticket book to see who she was going to be getting menus for, whoever it was. A jolt of guilt hit her.

“Why didn’t you tell me she sold the baby?” Emma said as she closed the distance between them. Henry hot on her heels like a precocious duckling.

“Because I didn’t think it was important.” Ruby wasn’t ever going to be ashamed of helping her friend. And she wasn’t admitting to anything.

“Really?” Emma was annoyingly perceptive. It was a trait that seemed to be going around. “Considering that’s why she’s running away?”

Ruby blew out a breath. Ashley had a head start. “Look, Ashley’s my friend. I don’t like the idea of people judging her.”

Emma’s eyes flicked to the bar. She reached out, picking up the glass wolf figurine. “Ruby, where’s your car?” Realization crossed her face. “You didn’t send me to Sean to find her, you sent me there to give her a head start.”

“Look, I’m only trying to help her.” Ruby didn’t like the small kernel of guilt at lying to Emma.

“Yeah, so am I. Ashley’s in more trouble than you know, Ruby. Where is she? Don’t make her deal with Gold without me.” Emma’s gaze was serious.

Ruby bit her lip. Did she trust an overworked social worker at the hospital or Emma who’d been a pregnant teen, to help Ashley more? She glanced at Henry. “I can’t talk in front of him. He’s the mayor’s kid.” And the ten year old mayor’s kid, who knew how fast he’d crack if Regina tried to get information out of him?

“Hey, I’m on your side.” Henry looked up at her with a stubborn set to his jaw.

Ruby hadn’t chosen to trust the grown Mills, she wasn’t trusting the ten year old who might be cracked by an ice-cream cone.

Emma leaned down to eye level with Henry. “Henry, I need to find this woman, and in order to do that, I need you to go home, okay? So please listen to me, seriously. She’s not going to tell me anything if you’re around.”

His shoulders slumped. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Emma straightened as a pouting Henry trudged out at the slowest walk possible without it being indefensible.

As the door finally closed behind him, Ruby spoke. “She left town. Said she was gonna try Boston. Thought she could disappear there. She’s going to stay in a hotel till she goes into labor, then call once she’s in a hospital where Gold isn’t the landlord of half the medical staff.”

Emma looked faintly surprised at the last part. “How long ago did she leave?”

“About half an hour.” Ruby hated this. Emma better be better at helping with Gold than a random social worker.

Ruby picked up her phone as she passed the new tickets over. “Hello?”

-“Ruby!”- Ashley’s breathless voice came over.

She stiffened, it’d been an hour. “What’s wrong?”

There was a sharp cry from her before panting. -“The baby is coming. I’m in the Storybrooke hospital.”-

“I’ll be there, just hang in there.” Ruby ripped her apron off. “Granny! I’m leaving early, explain later!”

There was panting on the other end of the phone. -“I think I’ve been in labor all day and ignoring it. Hurry.”-

Ruby didn’t care about waiting for Skye to get there, just taking off at a jog toward the hospital. “Just hang in there, I’m going to call Skye for a ride, if she doesn’t pick up it’s going to take me fifteen minutes to get there.”

Ruby jumped into the Lexus that’d pulled over just ahead of where she’d been running. “That was fast.”

Skye shifted straight back into drive, pulling off before she’d managed to get her seatbelt on. “I mean, it sounded urgent on the phone.” She reached into the backseat before pulling a lump of fabric and passing it to her. “And here, it’s cold, and the hospital isn’t going to be warm. There’s sweatpants back there too if you want.”

“Trying to cover me up?” Ruby teased, somewhat hysterically, because oh god, Ashley was going to have a baby!

“Trying to be nice 'cause hospitals suck.” Skye hit the gas.

Ruby burst through the door and then was straight to Ashley’s side, grabbing her hand. “Hey, you’re doing good, I got you.” She so did not have her, oh she was so not prepared for being anywhere near childbirth.

“Oh god.” Skye muttered, but then she was at Ashley’s other side. “Guess we’re getting to know each other real well then.”

Ashley laughed. “Apparently, it wasn’t Braxton Hicks.”

Ruby’s laugh was semi-hysterical. “Yeah, I think that’s safe to say.” She looked across Ashley at where Skye’d rolled up her sleeve and taken Ashley’s other hand. Her eyes went back to Ashley. “Am I supposed to be helping you breathe? Because I have no idea how to do that.”

“Well, you’re going to need to figure it out.” Dr. Whale said as he looked up from between Ashley’s legs. “Ashley, I’m going to need you to push.”

Already?! They just got here!

Skye cut in, clearly noticing Ruby’s panic. “Ashley, deep breaths. You’re doing great, and apparently are a champ at getting through this shit without anyone noticing. You got this, just a few more, and you get to hold your baby.” She was smiling as Ashley nodded at her. “In-out, with me.”

“Going to see my baby.” Ashley repeated after Skye, her eyes tearing up, her face flushed with effort, and then she squeezed their hands with some kind of a terrifying battle cry coming from her mouth.

Holy shit Ruby was never having kids. She just hung onto Ashley’s hand. “You’ve got this.” She had no idea if she ‘got this’ but it seemed like the only thing to say.

“Almost there, on the next contraction, I’m going to need you to push as hard as you can.” Dr. Whale coached.

Ruby accepted the cup of lukewarm tea in a paper cup from Skye. She kinda felt like she’d run a marathon, and also like her hand had been crushed. But that was a baby. “She’s beautiful.”

Ashley hadn’t taken her eyes off her baby since she’d been set on her chest. Her finger reached out, touching a tiny cheek. “She’s perfect.” She looked up from her baby. “And if I get to keep her, she’ll need a godmother?”

“Me?” Ruby pointed at herself. “I almost passed out just holding your hand. Mills here at least knew what to do.”

“You’re the only one who really believed in me, the whole time.” Ashley reached out, taking her hand. “Please? I know you’d be a wonderful godmother.”

Ruby’s throat was far too tight. “You’re going to make me cry, but ok.” She nodded, squeezing Ashley’s hand. “I’ll be baby Boyd’s godmother.”

Ashley smiled before looking back at her newborn daughter. “Good.”

It all made Ruby want to cry. Because they hadn’t gotten Ashley out of Storybrooke. Ashley might not get to keep her perfect little baby girl. She curled her hands around the lukewarm cup of tea. A hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing.

Skye’s voice was soft. “So, should I go and get some stuff for you two? For the night?”

Ruby looked up at Skye and realized Skye just assumed that she’d spend the night in the hospital. Which felt…right. She didn’t want to leave her friend. Not while she was vulnerable. Not when someone wanted to steal her baby. “Maybe food that’s not hospital food? I think your sweats will be fine for a night?”

“Cool, what about you Ashley, want me to go pick something up for you?” Skye asked in that same soft voice.

“No, everything I have is in Emma’s car.” Ashley looked up at her. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go see about some food that’s not jello for you.” Skye smiled and then headed out of the room.

Ashley looked back down at her baby. “Have you ever seen anything more perfect?”

Ruby smiled at the kinda squidgy, red little face. It was kind of hideous, but she loved the little baby already. “Nope, don’t think I have.”

It was peaceful, for a hospital. “You know, next time, we’re doing the birthing classes.” Ruby accepted if Ashley had another, she was insisting on those weird mother birthing classes with her.

Ashley huffed out a watery laugh, “I think it’s a little early to be planning a next time.”

“Probably, next time you’re mentioning when you’re feeling Braxton Hicks though.” Ruby sighed as she stayed sprawled in the chair. She lifted up the tea to her lips, her nose wrinkling.

There was a knock on the door before Emma and Henry came in. Emma looked relaxed, so probably not bad news. “Hey.” Emma walked over to the foot of the bed. “What’s her name?”

“Alexandra.” Ashley was brimming with a quiet pride.

“That’s pretty.” Emma gently replied.

“Thank you for getting me here.” Ashley looked at Emma with genuine gratitude.

Emma’s hands slid into her pockets. “Mr. Gold is outside. I took care of it. She’s yours.”

“She is?” Ashley's eyes widened with desperate hope as Ruby straightened. “But what did you do?”

“Made a deal with him.” Emma said like that was nothing when all of them knew it wasn’t.

Ashley burst into tears. “Thank you. Thank you.” She pressed her nose against the top of her baby’s head.

Emma looked at Henry, her hand landing on his shoulder. “Oh, hey kid, it’s almost five. You gotta get home.” She shot a smile back at them, and then was marshaling Henry out.

And it was…Ruby’s face felt like it was breaking open, she was smiling so wide. “You get to keep your baby!”

Chapter Text

Regina paused as she saw her daughter coming out of the basement. “What do you have there, dear?”

“Oh, hi mom.” Skye closed the basement door with her foot. “I was going through Henry’s baby stuff.”

Regina raised a brow. “Do I want to know why you’re interested in Henry’s baby things?”

Skye grinned. “Don’t worry, not making you a grandmother yet.” Her nose wrinkled slightly. “Or any time soon.”

“Comforting, but you didn’t answer my question.” She had a feeling she’d missed something, and she didn’t like missing things with her children. It was a new and horrible feeling.

“Ashley had her baby, I thought we could give some of the old things to her. None of the sentimental stuff. But the stroller, maybe the car seat, that kind of thing?” Skye set the box of what was the diaper genie on the side table next to the aforementioned car seat. “I figured you wouldn’t mind?”

Regina did mind. “I didn’t know you were friends with the Boyd girl?”

Skye gave her a dry, knowing look. “Really? You know teen pregnancy isn’t catching. And it’ll look good for your re-election campaign.” Skye faced her fully, a faint, challenging, if playful expression on her face. “And Ashley’s sweet.”

She reached out, cupping her girl’s cheek. “You’re too good sometimes.” How was she supposed to say ‘no’ to her girl being too good for the people of this town? “Fine, let me help you go through the things.” At least it was Cinderella who had her daughter’s sympathy. A silly princess, but hardly the most annoying of the residents of the town.

“Thanks, Mom, and who do you think taught me that?” Skye smiled at her with easy affection as she turned and headed back for the basement.

Regina hummed and followed her daughter down. “How exactly did you end up involved with the Boyd girl? And wasn’t she giving up the baby?” Rumplestiltskin wasn’t the kind of man to give up what he’d claimed for himself.

Skye very pointedly didn’t look back at her. “Ruby, the waitress at Granny’s, needed a ride to the hospital, and then it was just Ruby and I there for the birth?”

“You were there for the birth?!” It’d been one day! When did Skye even have a chance? “Isn’t birth supposed to take more than a few hours?”

“Sure, but not when the mother’s been having contractions all day and didn’t realize what they were.” Skye shrugged. “I just got my hand crushed and got everyone decent food before getting home.”

“Gold isn’t enforcing the contract?” Regina prodded, and honestly, neither of her children had any stranger danger. She blamed herself. Storybrooke had been too safe.

Skye eyed her. “Emma made a deal with him to get him to back off.”

Regina rather wanted to cackle. “A deal with him, really? Well, she’s even more foolish than I thought.”

“Hmm, maybe. I don’t know why she did it. Courts never separate mothers from their babies if they don’t want to give them up. That contract wouldn’t have held water.” Skye moved to the old boxes, starting to pull some things off the shelves.

“Yes, those laws really are illogical.” Regina’s jaw tightened.

Skye paused, looking at her. “Hey, not like that.” She reached out, touching her arm. “You’re doing everything right, and Emma’s a terrible option for custody. And we both read that file. Even if she does settle here for a while, she won’t last till he’s in high school.”

Regina nodded. “No, of course not.” She smiled at her daughter. “Thank you for being here.”

“Always, you know that.” Skye’s face was serious. “I’d never let someone break up our family.”

She hugged her daughter. “You don’t know what that means to me.”

Skye just hugged her back. “Hopefully enough you don’t try and ground me for my suggestion?”

Regina pulled back, her hands not quite letting go of her daughter. “What suggestion?” Her tone had lost some warmth, a wariness of what was coming.

“Don’t chase Emma out.” Skye clearly saw the outrage on her face. “Mom, I don’t care about Emma. But Henry is not going to stop seeking her out. No matter what she, you, or I do. If Emma’s in Storybrooke, he’s at least not going to be sneaking onto a Greyhound to try and get to Boston, or wherever it is Emma goes.”

Her fingers tightened slightly where they remained on her daughter. “She’s getting her claws into him.”

“More the other way around.” Skye shrugged in surrender at the sudden sharpening of her expression. “What? It’s true. And it’s important to him. You can’t stop him from seeking her out.”

“But?” Regina forced herself to release her daughter. She knew her girl was going to suggest a plan. Skye always had clever plans when she had something she wanted. It’d been darling when it’d been planning time at the stables. It was less so now.

“You can control it if you permit it, but on your terms,” Skye said. “Let Emma pick him up from school and take him for a grilled cheese some days. And you have the money for the best lawyer possible. Not that I think Emma will fight you for custody, but she’s got a criminal record, a DUI like last week. And what lawyer could she hire? If you give permitted times, you know when he’s with Emma, none of this constant sneaking out shit.”

Regina narrowed her eyes. “Constant sneaking out?”

Skye’s face was vaguely apologetic. “He might not have figured out what your ‘city council’ meetings are, but he knows how long they are.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Regina had been careful to never have Graham in the house.

Skye just raised an eyebrow. “Sure, you totally were a nun for the last ten years.”

Regina sighed. “Oh, hush.” She picked up the old baby monitor. “You’re far too observant.”

“I wonder where I could possibly have gotten that from, Mom.” Skye picked up the baby mobile. “Keep or no?”

Regina smiled at her daughter. “You can give it to the Boyd girl.” At least her daughter was bonding with a princess, even if it was a blithering idiot of a princess.

////

Skye packed up the box with the hospital survival kit. It was mostly some of Henry’s old onesies that were blandly unspecial, some of the cookies her mom had made yesterday, and a lot of homemade granola.

“Henry,” Regina called him from the family room. “Come in here, please.”

Skye studiously avoided eye contact as her brother groaned and trudged into the kitchen. Cookies, nothing but wrapping cookies in saran wrap.

Henry was mulish as he faced their mom. “What?”

“No video games for the rest of the week. I’ll make it two the next time you lie to me.” Regina’s jaw twitched slightly. “If this must go on, we’ll discuss approved afternoons with Emma. After you’re done being grounded.”

“But…you hate Emma?” Henry looked suspicious.

It clearly went against the grain for her to give Henry this. “You should thank your sister.”

Skye oofed as Henry collided with her.

“Thank you.” He mumbled into her stomach.

She sighed, hugging him. She’d sit on him about not thanking their mom later. No need for their mom to know he was doing it under duress. Progress, one step at a time. It was so going to take more than a week and a half to fix this. She looked up at their mom and smiled at her. The sad pride on their mom’s face was everything, and painful to see.

Henry took off up the stairs.

Skye walked over, dropping her head on her mom’s shoulder. “He might learn not to gallop up the stairs eventually.”

“You still haven’t learned not to gallop up the stairs.” Regina’s fingers gently ran over Skye’s hair. “He gets it from you.”

She smiled slightly. “Well yeah, but I only do it when I mean to.”

Regina huffed. “I’m learning I should have treasured your teenage stomping about and sneaking cereal.”

Skye didn’t move away. Maybe she was a little too tall for this, or too old, but she’d missed nine years of it as a kid, she’d stop clinging to it when her mom stopped indulging her. “Just think, he hasn’t even gotten to his teen years yet.”

Skye yawned as she made her way to the family birth area of the hospital. She’d had to be up earlier than usual to be here this early without skipping her morning run. It was a nice morning, cold though. The mystery of Ruby’s shorts, which she wore straight up till December without turning into an icicle, remained.

She had to be careful not to lose her stack of things as she made her way through the hospital. It was early enough there really wasn’t anyone besides the staff around. Also, with all the sounds, she had a feeling neither of the people she was bringing breakfast for had gotten much sleep at all.

Coming around the corner, she smiled at a nurse. “Think you can open the door for me?”

The deeply unamused nurse did at least open the door for her. “Don’t wake the baby.”

“Do my best not to.” Skye winked at the shrew of a woman just because she knew it’d rankle.

Once inside Ashley’s room though, the lights were dimmed, and it was a slight bit quieter than the halls or general areas of the place. Ashley was asleep on her side, facing her daughter in the baby tub. Cause that clear baby crib was a tub. And an exhausted-looking Ruby was sprawled in a very uncomfortable-looking chair.

Ruby’s eyes brightened as her eyes locked on the stack, her voice a whisper. “Is that coffee?”

Skye grinned, walking over. “It is, and donuts.”

“Oh my god, you’re amazing.” Ruby straightened up.

She set her stack down on the side table, neatly picking up a to-go cup of coffee and passing it over. “Wasn’t sure what you wanted in yours, so there’s creamer and sugar if you want it in the carrier.”

Ruby picked up a creamer pod. “I don’t even care you went to the competition.”

Skye huffed. This town had almost no restaurants, considering it wasn’t a tiny nothing of a town. But it did have some options. She set the coffee tray aside and opened up the donut box. “How’d it go last night?”

“Lexie has a set of lungs on her.” Ruby took a sip of coffee before wrinkling her nose. “Also changing diapers is disgusting.”

She picked up an apple fritter and her to-go cup of tea before sitting in the chair by Ruby. “I do not miss that.”

Ruby looked at her in confusion. “Why would you have been changing diapers?”

Skye laughed softly. “So you’re an only child for sure then.” She smiled at the confused expression on Ruby’s face. “Baby brother, I changed diapers when he was little. And it wasn’t like it was the first time I was changing diapers. You get used to it. But yeah, real gross.”

“Well that had to have been awful.” Ruby looked genuinely kinda horrified about it.

“It’s your turn now, godmother.” Skye teased.

Ruby’s face softened, her eyes instantly sweeping to the baby in the baby tub. The warm affection for that baby was painted across Ruby’s face. “Yeah, guess I should get a book or something.”

Skye felt kinda smug. “Good thing I grabbed my mom’s early baby books.”

“The Mayor has baby books? Wait, she let you give them away?” Ruby looked genuinely startled.

Honestly, it was ridiculous. “You know my mom isn’t actually evil?” Skye’s lips twitched at the disbelieving look on Ruby’s face. “She’s strict, and cares about appearances a lot, but she’s not torturing people who voted against her in the basement.” She teased the other girl. “Just her political opponents.”

Ruby covered her mouth to stifle the giggles.

Skye sipped her tea. “And I don’t know, your Granny seems like a drill sergeant of child-rearing.”

“She really is.” Ruby kicked at her foot slightly. “Besides having the most terrifying mother in town, you’ve got to have a flaw somewhere. You’ve been kinda spectacular in helping with all of this.”

She smiled at the praise as Ruby picked a donut out of the box. “Well, I’ve been arrested three times.”

Ruby choked on her bite of a sprinkle donut. She looked at her. “For what?!” With her hand holding coffee, she made a vague waving gesture up and down at Skye. “You’re all…preppy?”

“Twice for theft, and once for assault.” Skye tipped her head at the confounded expression. “It was when I was in foster care. Both times I stole it was food because the foster family wasn’t feeding us. The assault was because these dipshits were bullying this blind kid at the orphanage, I kinda bit one of them.”

“And someone called the police?” Ruby asked in disbelief.

She felt slightly sheepish about that part. “He needed stitches.”

Ruby tapped her foot again. “So you’ve got a little rebel under the posh.”

“I’m not that posh.” Skye tapped back with her foot.

“So you admit you’re a little posh?” Ruby grinned as she bit into her donut.

There was a sound of what was about halfway to a baby cry from the baby tub.

Both of them looked over. Skye started to stand up.

“I have it.” Ruby looked at her in a friendly sort of warning, before looking at the baby tub. “Godmother duties.” She nodded to herself, standing up, setting her half-eaten donut and coffee aside, and headed over like she was heading to war.

Skye relaxed back in her seat, watching, and it was…sweet. Just how clearly out of her depth Ruby was, but how earnestly she was trying. And Ruby quietly shushing the baby while trying to figure out how to unwrap her from a swaddle to get at the dirty diaper was kinda hilarious.

////

Ruby had suffered through cleaning her goddaughter’s poopy butt. Which was so gross, had gotten a new diaper on. Gotten the little pink blanket wrapped back around Lexie, even if she hadn’t figured out the black magic straight jacket nonsense it’d been before. All while knowing Skye was silently laughing at her. But she was not asking Skye for help when Skye’d already brought food and coffee.

But all of that was fine, she’d succeeded, mostly. Also, why were babies so tiny? They were never this tiny in the movies! And little Lexie had to have her head supported. But she wasn’t quieting down. She looked up at Skye, with a ‘help me’ expression.

Skye was silently laughing at her as she pointed at Ashley. “I think she’s hungry.”

Ashley made a groaning sound. “Pass her here.” She rolled onto her back, hand grabbing blindly till she found the remote, tilting the back of the bed up.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.” Ruby was grateful she was awake though, cause she didn’t know what to do about a hungry baby. She carefully passed Lexie to Ashley.

“Can you get the ties behind my neck?” She tilted her head.

“Things I never imagined you saying to me.” Ruby reached back behind Ashley, unfastening the gown so her friend could get her boob out. This was…not how she’d have wanted to get closer to her friend.

Ashley carefully adjusted Lexie so her little face was next to her boob. “Come on, you can do it.”

Ruby bit her lip. “Is she still not wanting to latch?” Because Ruby knew what that word meant now. In graphic and explicit detail.

“I’ll go get the nurse to come help.” Skye stood up. “And give you a bit more privacy.”

Ruby watched her walk out.

“Would you stop daydreaming about the mayor’s daughter’s butt and help me?” Ashley was frazzled as she tried to help a fussy Lexie latch.

Ruby’s head snapped back around. “Sorry, it’s a good one though.”

“Sure.” Ashley’s brow furrowed. “How am I supposed to shape my nipple to go into her mouth and move her to the nipple at the same time!”

“Oh, woah, you got this. You got it last night.” Ruby did not like the desperation from her friend. “I don’t want to get as close to you as Sam and Carrie from Sex in the City. Please don’t make me squeeze your boob.”

Ashley shot her a look. “Help! I’m not asking you to fish contraception out of my vagina.”

Ruby winced, she made a slight whining sound, and walked over. “Fine. I’ll squeeze your nipple into baby mouth shape.”

“Stop being a baby, you like boobs.” Ashley adjusted the angle of Lexie’s head.

She reached out, carefully squeezing her friend’s nipple into a narrower shape for the baby. “This is so weird. And everyone likes boobs.” Ruby paused. “What’s next?”

“You were here when the nurse showed me how.” Ashley replied, with slight desperation as she tried to kinda aim the baby, but despite fussing, Lexie was not opening her mouth. “I think you have to hit her mouth with the nipple?”

“You owe me more for this.” Ruby grumbled, but she helped bump the nipple against the tiny baby’s mouth. “Come on Lexie, please latch.”

There was a second, and then Lexie’s little mouth opened, Ashley pushed her forward, and Ruby’s hand pulled back. Both Ashley and Ruby breathed out in relief as Lexie settled.

“Oh thank god.” Ruby breathed out in relief. She softened, affection welling in her chest for the tiny little baby. “She’s really beautiful.” Emotionally, more of a squashed red potato in looks, but her brain thought the baby was beautiful anyway.

Ashley hummed in complete, blissful agreement. It was a quiet minute, and then she looked up through her bangs at Ruby. “So, want to tell me what’s going on with you and the Mayor’s daughter?”

Ruby’s heart thumped in her chest. “Nothing.” She hesitated at the look her friend was giving her. “Ok, maybe something.”

“Something? She’s not here because she’s nice and helping me.” Ashley was soft. But there was a definite tease in her words.

Ruby felt a pleasant something in her chest that felt familiar and strange all the same. “I’m pretty sure one kind of date and some really nice kissing isn’t why she’s helping.” She was pretty sure that made it better.

Ashley looked up at her. “Maybe go tell a nurse we don’t need her. And thank the terrifying mayor’s daughter before she remembers she’s not supposed to be nice.”

“I think she just is, nice that is.” Ruby smiled, cause it was good? “Not my usual type, but it’s good.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Go.” And then her eyes were back on her baby. It was unbearably sweet how Ashley’s whole world had become that baby.

It took exactly three minutes to find Skye arguing with a very tired nurse. Ruby raised her voice. “It’s fine, we got Lexie latched, don’t ask how.”

Skye shot a look that was entirely compelling evidence for the theory of nurture over nature when it came to children at the nurse. It actually had the woman flinching back. The smile on her mouth did not reach her eyes as she continued looking at the nurse. “Then I guess you’re free to avoid doing your job. For now.”

Ruby reached out, catching Skye’s elbow. “Come on, you can channel your inner Mayor later.”

“Sorry?” Skye replied as she let herself get pulled away from the nurse she was clearly plotting the destruction of.

“Don’t be, it’s kind of hot.” It was really hot actually. Ruby hadn’t known she thought that was hot before, but Skye was making a very compelling case by intimidating nurses to take care of Ruby’s friends. She spotted a nook with some atrociously uncomfortable seats and vending machines and dragged both of them behind it.

“Noted, why are we hiding behind a vending machine?” Skye asked, but she’d gotten an amused look on her face as they were suddenly immediately in each other’s personal space.

Ruby kinda liked being a couple of inches taller than the person she was kissing. Also, not answering and kissing? Great response that required so much less talking. A thing Skye agreed with from how Skye’s hands were pulling her closer. And the soft whine as Ruby’s teeth pulled at Skye’s lip.

Chapter Text

Ruby was exhausted, mildly traumatized from being courtside for the disgusting miracle of birth, but kind of wanted to float with contentment and sparkly glee. The fourth donut and actually finishing her coffee helped. Even if the coffee was cold by the time she ended back in Ashley’s room.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Ashley looked up from Lexie, who was sleeping in her arms. “I don’t have anything. They’ll only let me stay here one more night.”

“You can stay at Granny’s till you find a place.” Ruby shrugged at the looks she was getting. “Granny will agree, it’s not like the rooms are full every night.”

Skye had looked up from the giant textbook that she apparently carried around everywhere. “I could co-sign on a place if you want? And I do have a baby crib in the trunk of my car.”

Ashley nodded. “Do you think Granny will let me keep working at the B&B?”

“And have to find someone else in this town? Your job is safe.” Ruby paused. “Do we just tie the baby onto you while you work?”

Skye made a choking sound as she valiantly tried, kind of, to not laugh at her. “You need a daycare or a babysitter. I can take the baby while I’m here on winter break?”

Ashley stared at her. “I can’t accept that, you’re just offering…too much? I really appreciate it, but I can’t pay you back. I don’t even know why you’re helping?”

“The same reason Emma Swan is.” Skye said like that was obvious. “Also, my house is a two-sided cold war between my grounded brother and my mom. And you’re pretty nice.”

Ruby was horrified at the idea of what a cold war between the Mayor and Henry would be like. Anyone in that family being angry was a nightmare. As the nurse, who had started flinching at the sight of Skye ever since Skye’d slipped out of the room, could attest to. The Mills were all passionate. Ruby was realizing she was a big fan.

“Thank you.” Ashley burst into tears.

Ruby panicked. “Oh, um…should I take the baby?”

“No,” Ashley slightly wailed. “You both are just being so nice. And Emma was so nice. I don’t know what I would do without all of you.”

Skye hesitated, but then reached out and laid her hand on the lump that was Ashley’s leg. “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Ruby reached out, picking up a box of pathetic hospital tissue paper, and held it next to Ashley’s head. “Are you sure you don’t want me to put the baby in the baby bed?” She was pretty sure calling it a ‘baby tub’ like Skye was a bad idea. That felt like a bad idea.

Ashley made a hiccuping sound and moved slightly to pass Lexie.

“Oh, right, I have her.” Ruby jumped up, taking her snoozing goddaughter, highly relieved there was no poo smell coming from said goddaughter. She looked down at the little squished potato she was cradling in her arms, and her heart just…sighed in affection. It was amazing she could love a baby she hadn’t thought much about before yesterday, this much.

It was with reluctance she put Lexie into the baby tub. She stayed looking down at the baby. Reaching out with one finger, she gently touched one cheek. The wrinkly, ruddy little face shifted with her little breaths. “She’s so tiny.”

“She didn’t feel tiny yesterday.” Ashley sobbed before blowing her nose into a tissue.

“Probably a good thing.” Ruby did not know how anyone would get a baby any bigger than this out of them.

Ashley sniffled. “It's all just been so fast.”

Skye was biting back laughter again. “You’ll get back to normal in like, eighteen years.”

Ashley managed to shoot a sad glare at Skye while Ruby choked back laughter.

Ruby flipped her notepad to the next page. “Ok, so um…do you think you can afford two months to recover then, just work part-time for a while before having to work full-time again?”

“I don’t have the savings for it. I wouldn’t be able to pay rent or groceries.” Ashley said with exhaustion. “One month leave, and then I could try working my shift at least part-time?”

“I mean…ok, it's a possibly bad idea, but it might be… necessary?” Skye spoke up. “Mr. Herman wanted ‘the problem’ to be taken care of. I’m all for forcing your ex to pay child support for the next two decades through the nose. But, he’s a student right now. Even once the courts order him to pay, it’ll be a while before it’s a lot of money. If you go to Mr. Herman, tell him in exchange for your ex signing away his parental rights, he pays you enough for you to establish yourself now.”

Ruby looked up at Skye. Her teeth ached with how wrong that idea felt. “Nothing good comes from those pompous assholes.”

Ashley cleared her throat.

“Except for Lexie.” Ruby looked over at her friend. That was, she knew better than to mention Sean.

“Look, normally I’d say child support, and you’d be an idiot to do anything to stop that. But in this case, twenty-thousand would give you time to breathe and put your life together for going forward. It’d also buy you time to sign up for food stamps, any government aid you qualify for, and figure out childcare for while you’re at work.” Skye listed out.

Ruby’s marked it all down. “After you take the first week to recover, maybe talk to a social worker? Probably go to the courthouse?” She looked at Skye. “Would Emma know what we’ll need?”

“Probably better than me.” Skye flipped a page in the textbook, where she was occasionally highlighting things. She paused, looking up. “And, don’t ask why I know this. But she may be looking for an apartment, so roommate option worth talking to about it.”

Ruby shared a look with Ashley before looking at her. “Your mom is spying on Emma? Actually…no, that makes perfect sense.”

There was a smug curl to Skye’s lips, but she looked over at Ashley “So, I’m assuming you have Emma’s number?”

Ashley smiled. “I do.”

“Oh!” Ruby straightened. “You get to have a baby shower. That’s just free stuff for you and my goddaughter. I can get decorations at the dollar store, we can have it at the diner. It’ll be great. Mary Margaret will get you something great, and probably bake you cupcakes if you ask.”

“If you’re inviting Mary Margaret, invite my mom. She’ll outspend Mary Margaret out of spite.” Skye offered. “Seriously, also she loves babies. She’d probably make it a half hour before leaving dramatically.”

“What is her problem with Mary Margaret?” Ruby asked. “I’ve always been too scared to ask.”

Skye shrugged. “I have no idea, but she did let me have extra cookies for a week after I made a bird guillotine instead of a birdhouse in fourth grade.”

It was so mean of her, Ruby really liked Mary Margaret, she still laughed at that, kicking at Skye’s foot. That was just, she could picture it perfectly, and the image was hilarious.

There was a knock on the door.

All of them looked up, Ruby calling out. “Come in?”

The door opened, and a hesitant-looking Sean Herman was standing there. “Hi.” His eyes went straight to the baby tub. “Is that her?”

Ruby had never wanted to rip someone’s throat out with her teeth before. She wanted to claw his eyes out.

A hand landed on her forearm firmly. “Ruby and I’ll go get some drinks from the vending machine?” Skye’s eyes were on Ashley.

Ashley nodded. “Thank you.”

“Be back.” Skye pulled her past Sean out of the room before Ruby could finish swallowing back her furious venom rumbling in her bones.

////

Ashley swallowed as she looked at Sean. “Why are you here Sean?”

His voice was thick. “I am so sorry. I never should have left you.”

“You’re back?” Ashley knew her voice wobbled slightly.

The regret and love were painted across his face. Genuineness in his voice. “Yeah, I’m back. If you’ll have me back.” He smiled lifting a bag. “Here, I got her a present.” Pulling out tiny baby booties from the bag he offered them out. “I don’t know if they’re going to fit.”

And for the first time in so long her world felt right again. She was tearing up. “They’re perfect.”

He leaned down, kissing her reverently, his own tears rolling down his cheeks. He took her hand a choked sound as he stayed leaning his forehead against hers. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for ever failing you.”

Her fingers curled in his collar. Just soaking in his presence, that he was here. Solid ground beneath her feet again. “I hope you like changing diapers.”

He laughed. “I’ll figure it out.” His hand cradled her cheek gently, kissing her again before pulling back. “Can I pick her up?”

Ashley nodded a smile on her face. “I named her Alexandra. Ruby’s already started calling her Lexie.”

He leaned over the plastic crib, staring down at their daughter in awe. “It’s a beautiful name.”

“She is,” Ashley’s smile felt natural on her face, even through the gleam of tears in her eyes. “Support her head.”

Sean’s large hands cradled Lexie with all the care in the world before lifting her into his arms and cradling her against her chest. He made a choking sound, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked up at her. “She’s perfect.”

////

Ruby headed to go get another soda from the vending machine. She was drinking Pepsi to keep from saying anything mean to Sean. It was difficult. She might also be about to jitter out of her own skin from all the sugar. Maybe she should call Granny?

She came to a halt just before stepping into the little waiting corner at the sound of the voices coming from it. Skye’d gotten back?

“What do you want Sean?” Skye’s voice was droll and unimpressed.

Sean’s stupid voice was annoying. “I wanted to ask for your help.”

There was a resigned sigh. “I am literally bringing you all food right now.”

“I know, and I’m grateful. I just need your help, and I think you’re the only one who could. If you don’t want to I’ll manage.” His voice really was the worst.

“What do you need?” Skye asked like it wasn’t ridiculous he was asking for more from her.

“My father kicked me out when I said I was coming here.” Sean said. “He didn’t let me take my clothing or anything.”

“And your father is terrified of my mother and might let you at least get back your things if I go with you?” Skye finished for him.

“I know it’s a lot to ask. But if I don’t have to spend what money I have on clothing, it would help.” He sounded miserable, asking at least.

“Sure, after you get Ashley and Lexie settled at Granny’s tomorrow.” Skye agreed.

Sean made a sound of relief. “Thank you, I’ll keep your secret. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“What?” Skye actually sounded insulted.

“You and Ruby.” He replied. “I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Skye’s voice was suddenly sharper. “If you are about to try and blackmail me-”

“No! I just meant you don’t need to worry about me. Telling anyone. I wouldn’t. I know the shit show you’d face if the Mayor found out. Just don’t hurt her.”

“Fuck off.” There was a sound of something bumping into something. “You left your pregnant girlfriend alone. And you want to play white knight for someone who hates you?” Skye’s voice was decidedly cold and furious.

Sean’s voice had changed to pacifying. “I know she hates me, she’s not subtle.”

Good, he knew Ashley taking him back was the only reason she hadn’t dragged him out of Ashley’s room.

Sean kept going. “Just I don’t know what’s going on there. But just…I know you don’t publicly date people.”

“You know, nothing about me, Sean. I’ll see you for breaking into your douche dad’s house.”

Ruby knew if she didn’t want Skye to come around that corner to catch her eavesdropping, she needed to move immediately. Ruby didn’t run, even if a shot of alarm rushed through her. She raised a hand as Skye came to a sharp halt, eyes widening slightly. “Hi?”

Skye paused and then just shoved the bag into Sean’s arms. “Go play hero.”

He looked between them, winced, took the bag of food, and scurried to Ashley.

“Want to go outside?” Skye offered.

The walk outside was quiet. Ruby felt…awkward. She curled her shoulders in slightly as they walked along the garden path outside the hospital in the twilight of the early winter sunset. “I should probably not have listened in to all of that?”

Skye shrugged. “You heard most of it?”

“Yup, including you planning on breaking into Mr. Herman’s.” Ruby watched her, it was…it’d all just been making out and fun right up until Sean had implied it was more. She wanted more which was…she didn’t know what to do with that. It never was more. Why was it never more?

“Free time with Lexie with no competition from Sean.” Skye smiled slightly before stopping and looking at her. “Look, I don’t know exactly what’s going on between us? But I like it.”

Ruby smiled, a happy flutter in her chest. “Same.”

“Sean’s an idiot, and overcompensating. But it’s just…” Skye shoved her hands into her pockets.

That was…not a great start. “But he’s not wrong about you being ashamed.” Ruby bit back the hurt. Well, it’d been a fun run.

“What? No.” Skye reached out, touching her arm. “I just don’t tell my mom about relationships, ever. It's not about being ashamed. It’s more…” Skye was clearly struggling with how to explain it.

“Your mom is The Mayor.” Ruby finished for her, and oh god. What would Regina Mills do to her? “Your mom is going to skin me alive.” Parking tickets for life, at the least.

“She wouldn’t.” Skye winced. “I don’t actually know what she would do? But I’ve never been serious enough with someone to find out.” She shrugged.

“I get that, Granny loves criticizing anyone I even make eyes at.” She didn’t need to add Mayor Mills had to be so much worse.

“And I don’t know exactly what we’re doing, but I’d like to find out?”

So maybe Ruby’s first instinct had been right. “Sounds fun, figuring it out.” Her eyes twinkled as she reached out, looping her arms over Skye’s shoulders. “And maybe figuring it out without my killjoy grandmother or your terrifying mother getting weird about it.”

Skye’d softened, playful expression on her face. “Sounds like a pretty compelling suggestion.”

“I thought so too.” Ruby leaned in, kissing her. The soft press of lips soothed the last of the tension. So she was figuring it out, she was pretty sure she wanted it to end up as more than just a something.

////

Sean carefully pulled the blanket over Ashley. He was going to have to figure out how to protect her. It was all a mess in his head. How had he let himself be convinced to leave her? It felt…wrong? Like it’d been someone else in his memories doing that. Some…fog or something that’d kept him rooted at home.

He shook off the murky thoughts. That didn’t matter anymore. He was going to do it right. He might not know how, but he’d figure it out. A job, he’d have to get a job, no college. But that was fine. He could find a job. The canary was always hiring. That was…he could do that. There had to be a place he could find that would rent to them.

With a final check that Ashley was resting, it just felt…right. She’d been his world, it still felt like she was. He sighed, content she was settled, and walked over to the weird hospital crib.

There weren’t words to describe the feeling in his chest as he looked down at Alexandra. She was beautiful. He smiled as he saw she was awake in her swaddle, bit of a spit bubble on her lips, her greyish-blue eyes open just sorta gazing upwards. He smiled picking her up, careful to support the head.

She was so tiny.

He cradled her in his arms. “We have to be quiet so mommy can get some sleep, Sweetheart. Think we can be quiet together?”

Lexie just blinked up at him.

He beamed. He barely knew anything about Lexie, she was just beautiful, but it felt like he was cradling his heart. Sean touched her little cheek as he noticed the heavy blinks. “Or maybe you should be sleeping like mommy, huh?”

Sean walked to the rocking chair in the corner of the room and sat down in it. The movies said you were supposed to rock babies. He’d have to go to Marco’s and buy them one. Just after he found them an apartment, and got a job. First paycheck.

Looking down at Lexie’s sleepy little face, none of the terrifying hugeness of providing for and taking care of his family was quite so daunting. He didn’t really know any songs, but he was pretty sure he was supposed to sing when rocking a baby to sleep. That felt right. Disney? He had vague memories of Disney, he could do that.

So softly, in a slightly croaky whisper, he sang as he rocked them in the chair, his eyes never leaving his daughter’s face. “A dream is a wish your heart makes -- When you’re fast asleep -- In dreams, you will lose your heartache -- Whatever you wish for, you keep.”

He didn’t care if he was crying. Or that it was making his already kinda terrible singing voice worse. All that mattered was the way Lexie had let out a little sigh, eyes looking up toward his face.

“Have faith in your dreams, and someday -- Your rainbow will come smiling through -- No matter how your heart is grieving -- If you keep on believing -- The dream that you wish will come true.”

The future was terrifying, but he was going to make it right.

Chapter Text

Regina stared at her daughter. She knew that look. Also, her daughter casually sat on the pointedly uncomfortable chair, feet over one arm, her back against the other, apple in hand; that was a purposeful pose. “I’m not going to like what you’re about to say, am I?”

“I don’t know, depends on how much you like Mr. Herman.” Skye had a cocky grin as she bit into the apple.

She raised a brow. “Are you still meddling in the Boyd girl’s life? Surely you’ve done more than enough.” Surely that drag Cinderella couldn’t be that appealing.

Skye had a slightly annoyed expression at that. “She’s nice, and you know, I’m probably the kid of someone like her.” She shrugged. “Also, I have a week here left before I need to get back to campus for finals week, and then I’m back here for break. It’ll give me something to do besides wear out Coach Jim on the piste.”

“You do half live in the gym.” Regina was unbearably proud of how her daughter had excelled at everything she’d put her mind to, including fencing. But honestly, the laundry picked up a distinct scent from all the sweaty workout clothing Skye went through. It’d been self-defense to wash things twice a week when Skye was home. “What is it you are asking me to do?”

“Call Mr. Herman into your office for something meaningless, waste his time a bit.” Skye had an amused look on her face. “And he’s a terrible person, no making Henry grouchy if you tear him a new one.”

Regina’s lips pulled up slightly. “Are you asking me to terrify a man?”

“Like you don’t like it.” Skye made a soft sound of amusement.

“And while I’m distracting the troglodyte, you’ll be doing what exactly?” It was usually Henry with the shenanigans, but her daughter wasn’t as innocent as she could look when she wanted to.

“Robbing him.” Skye’s cocky grin was smug, but she kept talking before Regina could express alarm over that. “Don’t worry, only grabbing Sean’s clothing, nothing too crazy.”

Regina set her pen down. “You couldn’t let the Swan woman commit the crime? It is one of her ‘skills’.”

Skye gave her a dry look. “Didn’t we agree to a long game there? Including waiting to see if Emma will fuck it up and leave or if she’ll actually needs to be handled.”

It was a plan Regina was…reluctant to follow. But she could give it a few days. Holding ground in a war was not the same as giving it up. It’d be easier in the Enchanted Forest, where she could have just ripped the woman’s heart out and been done with it. “For now.”

“Hmm...” Skye knew her too well sometimes. Her beautiful, brilliant girl. Having exceptional children could be inconvenient at times, even if Regina would never change a thing about them. Skye shifted her head slightly. “So… willing to distract Judge Herman for us?”

“Well, I suppose it will be entertaining.” Regina picked up her pen again. “Do try not to get caught, dear.”

////

Sean was grateful to be in the front passenger seat, and not in the middle of the back seat crammed between Ruby’s bony elbow, and the very fancy infant car seat. He might have deserved it, but it was a relief to be allowed into the front seat now that it was just him and Skye. “So, uh what do we do if my dad isn’t home?”

“Celebrate a plan well executed with milkshakes.” Skye replied as she smoothly drove them toward his house.

He paused. “Don’t we need him for permission to go in?”

Skye spared a brief, fairly cutting look at him. “Your douche of a dad could say ‘no’, even with me there. And possession is nine-tenths of the law. It's like nobody in this town knows or remembers that.”

That was… “Wait, are we breaking in?!” Sean sat straight up in his seat.

“Do you want your clothing or not?” Skye asked.

“Right, that’s ok.” Sean could do this. It was his clothing, and the less he had to buy for himself, the more money for what Lexie and Ashley needed. “What do we do if he comes home while we’re getting things?”

Skye’s lips curled into a really kinda scary, gleeful look. “You know how you have to give predators live food or toys sometimes, as enrichment activities?”

“...yes?” Nothing about that statement sounded good.

“I asked my mom to call your dad into a meeting.” Skye’s voice wasn’t warm. “I take it you won’t mind your dad being an enrichment activity for my mom.”

Sean probably should be a better person. He could work on that with his girls, his dad had wanted to keep him away from them. “How long will your mom keep him distracted for us?”

Skye seemed to consider that one. “How long do you think it will take him to flee to avoid crying from having his competence and value as a human questioned?”

“We’ll need to be fast.” Sean knew his father was almost supernaturally cowed by the Mayor. He felt it too, an instinctive flinch. Skye wasn’t wrong to call her mother a predator. The hair on the back of his neck always stood on end near her. Which didn’t make sense, she wasn’t even that physically imposing or anything. Something in his bones screamed to avoid her notice, though.

“Right, we need plastic trash bags, double bag them, we shove everything in, we can sort it out later. Just, we each pick a side and start dumping. Anything that’s not in your room you want?” She asked like that was just…normal.

“How do you know how to do all of that?” Sean stared at her in disbelief. “Just, everything on the list that’s going to be so important you pointed out, with the order to do it in. And you know how to empty a room?” Sean would ask if she was a professional thief or something, but that’d be insane. The Mayor’s daughter wasn’t a thief.

Skye let out an exasperated sigh. “Fostercare. I spent my first eight years in the foster system before my mom adopted me. I know how this all works because I’ve gone through it twenty-two times.”

He was an idiot. Everyone knew that. Sort of? It just kinda felt like…a feature of reality he just knew but couldn’t quite remember why he remembered it. The oddness flickered out of his mind even as he noticed it. “I’m sorry, that had to have been really hard.”

“I was lucky, most kids don’t get adopted. Especially not when they’re as old as I was.” Skye’s voice was blithely missing a weight it probably should have had? “So, what you need to avoid having Lexie taken away by CPS? I know what you need to do that.”

“Thank you, I can’t pay you back for this. But if you ever need anything, you just have to ask. I’ll do whatever I can.” Keeping an eye out for how to repay this kindness to Skye Mills was going to have to be added to the list of things to do. Right after trying to look out for Ruby for what she’d done for Ashely, even if he was pretty sure Ruby would poison him if she could.

Skye’s voice was dry, but there was humor there, too. Actually, if everything wasn’t so stressful, he was realizing she actually was just a really funny person if you were listening to it. “You don’t owe me anything. I’m not doing it for you. Consider me your daughter’s fairy godmother or something, since Ruby’s got the regular godmother thing on lock or whatever. Just don’t let Lexie end up in the system, and we can call it even.”

“I won’t.” Sean’s voice was firm. “I know I messed everything up, that I was a coward, but never again. I’m not going anywhere again.”

She looked at him. “Good, they need you.”

Sean was struck in that moment that Skye wasn’t mad at him. “Why don’t you hate me as much as Ruby does? I’d deserve it if you did.”

“I’m not Ashley’s best friend.” Skye’s eyes were back on the road as they turned up toward his home. “And you came back. Everyone should have a second chance. That doesn’t mean I like you, by the way.”

Sean smiled slightly. “Thanks.”

Skye rolled her eyes as she pulled up in front of his house. “Come on, let’s get your stuff.”

He breathed in. Right, he could rob his dad. He could do this. Sean climbed out of the car. His skin itched with guilt. Like someone was going to see them and know what was going on and call the police. “I have the key still.” He said as he pulled it out as they walked up to the front door.

“Awesome, lockpicking is not one of my skills.” Skye had a light tease in her voice.

Sean was a bit too guilty feeling to laugh. But he did smile slightly as he unlocked the door. “My room is to the left at the top of the stairs.”

“Garbage bags under the sink?” Skye asked as she headed straight to the kitchen.

“Right, garbage bags, yeah they’re under there.” He paused, staring at a framed photo of him and his mom, from before she’d passed. That was…he was taking that with him on the way out.

Skye called him from the kitchen. “Come start double-bagging. Any extra we can stuff bedding in, you’ll need it anyway.”

“Wait, we’re taking more than just my clothing?” Sean’s eyes widened in alarm as he came into the kitchen taking a bag from her, and stuffing it into another one.

She looked at him like he was an idiot. “We’re not robbing a bank. But do you want silverware, or do you want to buy it? As long as you leave most of it, it’s fine. Probably.”

This did not feel legal. “What happens if my dad calls the Sheriff?”

“Then your dad has to prove you don’t own what we grabbed. You’re a legal adult, you have possession, so just don’t take anything that is clearly your father’s and could in no way be proven not to be yours. But plausible deniability and possession is all you need. And you can stuff bags faster?”

Sean focused on double-stuffing the bags. This was insane. He’d worry about how he’d started a life of crime with the Mayor’s daughter later. Also, how weird it was how calm she was about it. “How many do we need?”

“Ten, then we can see what else we might need, but we’re not going to fit more than that in my car.” Skye replied as she smoothly yanked out another bag, snapping it open with easy comfort.

Sean dumped his entire underwear drawer into a bag. “I didn’t realize I had so much stuff.”

Skye was terrifyingly using his bottom sheet to just…collect all his bedding in a sheet sack in under twenty seconds. “Leave anything that isn’t practical or valuable. No legos or whatever. Do grab your computer.”

“It’s one lego set.” Sean said as he started dumping socks into the bag. “Oh, closet across and like a bit down the hall is the linens.”

“Got it,” Skye laughed. “Don’t forget to grab your stuff from the bathroom.”

“I’d have forgotten that.” He yanked open another drawer and started dumping shirts into the bag. “This is what moving foster homes was like? Cause this is…intense?”

Skye snorted. “Please, I got to my mom’s with a backpack, and one black garbage bag of stuff. But you know, clothing, hygiene, and then toys, if you have them. And bedding is nice if you can keep a blanket or pillow or whatever.”

That was horrifically depressing. Sean might be an idiot, but he knew to back off fast from that, before she decided to take insult to it. “Feels like there should be an action soundtrack or something.”

“Mission Impossible, maybe?” Skye offered with a laugh in her voice.

“Exactly!” Sean grinned as he grabbed another bag and started shoving his pants in. Then to the closet.

Skye grabbed two bags. “I’ll be right back after raiding the linen closet for you.”

He nodded while eyeing the closet. “I should grab all my coats.”

Sean grunted as he carried the last of the bags back down to the entryway. He trusted Skye to have gotten what was practical from the kitchen while he got important stuff from upstairs. Setting down the bag, he picked up the photo of him and his mom and stuck it into the bag of extra pillows. “I think that’s everything!”

“Great!” Skye came out of the kitchen with a full-looking bag in her arms. “Come on, we need this into the car as fast as possible.”

He opened the door for her so she could just carry it straight out. As she walked out, he grabbed three of the bags and heaved them, following after her. The strain was real, the plastic of the bags stretching thinner, but it more than held. “The double bagging was a good idea.”

Skye just grinned as she opened up the trunk. “Come on, this is the part that’s got to be fast.”

That felt like a bolt of pure adrenaline through his veins. “I’ll bring stuff out, if you load the car?”

“Sounds good.” She replied as she grabbed one of the bags he’d brought out and loaded it up.

He took off at a sprint back into the house. He could pick up four bags at once. Totally. It wasn’t a long trip. The plastic would hold, double bagged, it should work.

“Go, go, go!” Sean laughed as he slammed the door shut as he jumped into the car.

“Seatbelt.” Skye was bright as she hit the gas.

He yanked it over his shoulder, buckling in. “We did it!”

Skye laughed. “Holy shit, I wasn’t expecting it to go that well.”

The laughter felt hysterical and breathless. “What? You weren’t expecting it to go well?!”

She shot him an amused look. “I haven’t done crime since I was nine!” A victorious half-disbelieving laugh left her lips.

Sean kinda gaped at her but also. “How were you so confident we’d do it?”

“Fake it till you make it.” She laughed as they shot around the corner. “I think we did pretty good.” She reached out, hit the stereo, and flicked it on. Something high-tempo electronic came thudding on.

This was, wild. “You’re not bad, Mills.”

Skye didn’t roll her eyes at him. She just glanced at him, amused. “I’m reserving judgment, Herman.”

He beamed at her. “See, I’m winning you over, even if you’re kinda more terrifying than I thought before. And I already thought you were scary.”

She snorted outright. “Sure, text Ruby, we’ll need to get this stuff up to your room at the inn as fast as we can.”

“Any advice on how to get her stop looking at me like she’s going to stab me?” He asked as he pulled out his phone and texted as instructed.

“We’re not actually dating, we’re…figuring it out. I’m not helping you with her. Be good to Ashley and she’ll stop plotting your murder. Eventually.”

He shrugged, “Fair enough. Was worth a shot. Do you think Lexie would like ice cream?” He asked.

“...she’s a newborn?”

////

Ruby poured a cup of coffee for Mary Margaret. “So, I spotted you at the hospital yesterday?”

“I volunteer, it gives my life a purpose outside of teaching.” Mary Margaret smiled as she picked up a sugar packet, shaking the sugar to the bottom of the packet.

“How many days a week are you there?” Because she’d just been pulled into the coma guy thing with Emma and Henry. Not that Ruby knew too much about it.

Mary Margaret carefully added her sugar packet to her coffee. “Most days, I don’t really have much of a life.”

Ruby set the cream pitcher in front of her. “I don’t know, this town’s been interesting for the first time recently.”

“There’s certainly that, it hasn’t exactly improved the dating prospects.” She added cream before meticulously stirring her coffee.

“I don’t know about that.” Ruby threw a flirty look at the table in the corner with some of the guys from the canning factory. She had plans for those tips. She made to angle her hips exactly right, before looking back at Mary Margaret. “What would you consider a good date idea?”

Mary Margaret had a slightly interested spark in her eye. “Has someone caught your eye, Ruby?”

Ruby tossed some of her hair over one shoulder. “Maybe. But there’s got to be something in this town worth doing.”

“Well, there’s the parks, walking along the waterfront, the movie theatre, Tony’s.” The other woman hummed thoughtfully.

“There’s really nothing here.” Ruby pouted, all of that was too outside for late November or too public for just ‘figuring things out’. She had goals, like seeing if Skye’s arms looked as good as they felt. And finding out if Skye had abs. Ruby had a feeling the workout freak had abs.

Ruby was exhausted as she walked up the stairs to her friend’s room. She knocked lightly, hoping not to wake her goddaughter if she was sleeping.

The door opened, and Sean poked his head out. “Hi, Ruby.” He stepped back, waving her in.

She ignored him and smiled at the sight of her friend sitting up in bed, baby in her arms. “How’s my goddaughter?”

“Fussy,” Ashley said with a tired sigh. “I’ll trade you a baby for a sandwich?”

Ruby set the paper sack of sandwiches down on the bed next to Ashley. “Lucky for you, food delivery is part of my job.” She held her hands out. “Now, I demand my price.”

Ashley chuckled, gently adjusting so baby Lexie could be passed over carefully. “It’s very kind of Granny to let us eat at cost while we’re here.”

“We can’t let our best laundry maid starve, now can we?” Ruby beamed so wide her teeth showed as she gently secured Lexie against her chest. She looked back up at Ashley. “It’s so weird you’re a mom.”

“She’s a natural at it.” Sean said, his voice full of love.

It irked her to hear that love now, and not earlier. Flakey asshole. She noticed the kind of crammed chaos of bags. “You know, I don’t think I realized how much stuff you two grabbed.”

Sean nodded seriously. “Felt like military criminal activity. Skye had marching orders and a strategy. She took the crockpot.”

And yup, that was a crockpot sitting on the floor by the bag of kitchen things, a single quilt lining the inside of the stuff bag. “Do you think your dad is going to file a police report?”

There was a knock on the door.

All of them looked at it. Sean opened it, “Skye I thought you--- Sheriff.”

“Mr. Herman, I got a call from your father.” Graham had that confident slouch and understanding judgment on his face.

Sean straightened, staying directly in the doorway. “What about?”

Sheriff Graham pointedly looked at the bags and then back to Sean. “Something about you robbing him, and that’s a lot of bags in there.”

A shiver of dread went down Ruby’s spine, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Sean didn’t shrink back. “Is there something wrong about having our things in here? My girlfriend and I are looking for an apartment at the moment.”

“Your things or your father’s things?” Graham pressed.

Sean took a breath. “I was under the impression I owned my own underwear as an adult.”

Graham tilted his head. “We both know that’s your father’s crockpot.”

“Does my father have the receipt? I lived in his house until yesterday, he must have forgotten what was mine.” There was the faintest tremble in Sean’s voice, but he still tipped his chin up, standing firmly in the door.

“Mills?” Graham sighed. “I’ll let your father know he’ll need to establish ownership.” He looked between the three of them. “Good luck with your family, Mr. Herman, Ms. Boyd.” His lips twitched slightly, and then he turned, heading back down the hall.

Sean shut the door. Stumbled back a step, dropping onto the bed. “I can’t believe that worked!?”

Ruby let out a breathless laugh. “Neither can I.” She was jittery. “Victory milkshakes again?”

Chapter Text

Skye was sweating as she jogged with a smooth gait, up along behind the buildings on Main street. She came to a slow halt behind Granny’s. It was a cold evening, the sun had set early, leaving it dark. The sharp chill was refreshingly crisp, with the salty tang from the sea air. Even in the early dark of the winter season, it still was safe. No unease running after the sunset here. Which was nice, treadmills didn’t feel the same, and weren’t as soothing.

She loved Storybrooke. Even with all its frozen weirdness, it was always beautiful. And time was moving. Skye grinned as the back alley door of Granny’s opened, Ruby looking at her with real recognition.

“I should have known, you make sweats look stylish.” Ruby teased while reaching out, catching the front of her sweatshirt, and pulling her forward. “And here I thought I was the one with the tight clothing.”

It felt like a spark across her skin as she brushed her nose against Ruby’s. “It’s this thing called ‘spandex’. I don’t know if you know this, but you own some. You wear it sometimes when you venture out of the red mini-shorts.”

“You like the mini-shorts.” Ruby’s reply was smug with a flicker of excitement. “And the red jeans.” Which to be fair, she was wearing the skintight red jeans that looked like they were lacquered on.

“I really do, even if I don’t know how you don’t freeze in them.” Those shorts had given her a sexuality crisis when she was fourteen. Not that frozen zombie Ruby had noticed.

Ruby kissed her, before pulling back, nose wrinkled as she looked at her fingers that’d touched the back of Skye’s neck. They were notably damp. “How long were you running?”

“Just a one-mile cooldown, I did do an hour in the gym and two miles before it though.” Skye knew she sounded cocky, but well, she was.

“You’re ridiculous.” Ruby rolled her eyes. “I suddenly understand gym-rat jokes.”

Skye stuck her hands in the front pocket of her sweatshirt. She got the ‘no making out while drenched in sweat’ message. It didn’t mean she stopped smiling. “We are a neurotic breed.”

Ruby crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame. “Also, your crazy ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law’ thing was horrifyingly effective.”

“The power of knowing the only cop here is Graham.” Which only Storybrooke would have one cop. Nothing ever happened here to need more cops, but still. And Graham would have known it wasn’t a thing that would have gone anywhere, and he wasn’t an asshole.

“The crockpot?” Ruby asked, amused.

“They’ll thank me for that one, and a crockpot, skillet, some silverware, and mugs isn’t a felony amount of theft. And I did that part.” Skye shrugged, she’d have been fine. Plausible deniability in thinking it could be Sean’s. And a nonfelony amount, and Graham had been sleeping with her mom for years.

Ruby laughed, her eyes twinkling, her entire focus on Skye. “You’re trouble.”

It felt surreal, electric. A decade of everyone just being NPCs, and they were suddenly alive and vibrant. Skye was kind of giddy about it. She also needed to corner her baby brother, who was avoiding her, and shake the information out of him. If this stopped and things went back to how they’d been, Skye would be devastated. She couldn’t help leaning into it anyway.

“See, I think this is a repeat of the shorts, you like that I’m trouble.” Skye was really going to have to think of something that wasn’t pranking her brother or being willing to tell Mr. Gold to ‘fuck off’ that could at all be called trouble.

There was the muffled call of Granny’s voice from somewhere deeper into the B&B, “RUBY!”

Ruby glanced over her shoulder, biting at her bright red lower lip, and then she looked back at Skye. “I’ve got to go, but are you free later?”

Skye raised a brow, curious about what Ruby was thinking of. “Have to be home for dinner, but I’m pretty open between now and when I have to get back for finals. What’s up?”

“We should go on a date sometime then?” There was a flicker of nerves, but excitement in her voice.

The words stuck in Skye’s throat. A date, a real date, made this mean something. What if time stopped again? “I-”

The ground heaved.

Skye’s hand shot out, catching Ruby before she could stumble, and pulled her out of the building as the ground shuddered under their feet. What sounded like every dog in hearing distance started howling, car alarms going off, the street lamps flickering. The two of them made eye contact, wide-eyed.

“Granny,” Ruby turned and was off like a shot back into the B&B.

She took off inside as well, hot on Ruby’s heels. The relief at the sight of Granny upright and holding the pot of coffee was real. Also hilarious, the old lady had to have grabbed the coffee pot to keep it from spilling as her first instinct in an earthquake. She glanced around at the surprised customers in the diner.

Which…since when did Storybrooke have earthquakes? Things were changing. Skye was…she suddenly felt a flicker of unease. It was just…she didn’t know for once exactly what to expect. The good or the bad.

Leroy stuck his bald head and furry face into the front door of the diner. “Something blew up at the mine! Hurry!”

Skye’s foot slid slightly in the loose gravel as she and what felt like half the town got to the mine entrance. Some bright lights already lighting the area, cars rolling up. She looked around, and thank god, her mom was there. If someone was trapped in there, her mom would know about it.

Her mom hadn’t spotted her yet, more focused on the chaos as she moved between the crowd and the disaster. “Everyone! Step back, please!”

“Is that a crater?” Ruby asked, peering toward the admitedly very crater looking entrance of the mine.

Old man Marco shook his head. “No, there were tunnels -- old mines. Something’s collapsed.”

Skye and Ruby both looked at him for missing the point. Everyone knew it was a mine problem of some kind. The question was if it’d blown up or collapsed or what.

“Sheriff, set up a police perimeter.” Regina’s voice snapped slightly. “Marco, why don’t you help with the fire department?” She turned suddenly, spotting Emma Swan. “Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You’re free to go.”

Oh boy. Skye shot a look at Ruby and b-lined for her mom before she and Emma got into a public bitch off or something ridiculous.

Emma didn’t flinch back from Regina. “Well, actually, I work for the town now.”

Graham managed to look firm and sheepish at the same time. It was kinda impressive. “She’s my new deputy.”

Oh, that was going to be a disaster waiting to happen. Skye could suddenly imagine her mom breathing smoke or electricity sparking from her based on the suddenly deadly expression on her face. Reaching them, Skye neatly stood next to her mom. She reached out, touching her mom’s elbow.

Regina turned and looked at her. Her dark eyes met Skye’s. There was a faint twitch in her jaw, but her eyes softened. She looked back at the apparent two town cops. “They say the Mayor’s always the last to know.”

“It’s in my budget.” Graham was definitely having some weird silent ‘sex doesn’t mean I side with you’ convo going with her mom. Which was gross to notice, thanks very much. So gross.

“Indeed.” Regina shot a look at Emma. “Deputy, why don’t you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?” She looked back at Skye, voice softening. “If you wait a few minutes, I’ll drive you home?”

Skye smiled slightly. “Sure, was just about to finish running home when I heard the boom.” If stopping to see Ruby on the way home counted as running home. But her mom might have a stoke dealing with Henry…being Henry, her friend with benefits siding against her, Emma, and her daughter dating. Or not dating…whatever, she’d figure out the Ruby thing later.

“Good, one minute, dear.” She stepped back in front of the crowd, and oh that was campaign voice. “People of Storybrooke, don’t be alarmed. We’ve always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I’m going to undertake a project to make this area safe -- to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it.”

Oh no, Herny must have been in therapy because he was pushing his way through the crowd. Skye moved forward. “Henry!” She caught his shoulder, steering both of them away from their mom and the crowd. Her voice lowered. “What are you doing?”

“She can’t pave it! What if there’s something down there?” He tried to pull away from her grip.

“They have to inspect places before they can build. And it’s an old mine, what are you talking about?”

“She’s hiding something!” Henry insisted.

Skye was glad she’d at least gotten him out from in front of a crowd. “She’s doing public relations, it’s election posturing. What would Mom hide in a mine?”

“There’s never elections, why would she care about them?” Henry argued.

“Sure there’s no elections, but they don’t know that.” She waved behind at the people. “She always talks like that.”

Henry’s jaw tightened.

They both turned at their mom reaching them, one hand landing on Henry’s shoulder, the other against the small of Skye’s back. “Henry, what are you doing here?” She shook her head. “Never mind, it’s not safe here. Both of you go wait in the car.”

“I got it.” Skye might be highly aware of where Ruby was still over by Marco. But she wasn’t letting her little brother fall down a mineshaft or something awful.

“Thank you, we’ll go home for dinner in a minute.” Regina gave them both a last look before hurrying over to stay in charge. Which really ought to be Graham, but whatever. The man was basically their mom’s minion.

Skye started steering Henry toward the car. “Come on.”

Henry caught the side of her sweatshirt. “Let me talk to Emma and Archie before I get in the car, please. I’m begging you.”

That was… “Ok, fine, only if you explain what you think is going on?”

He hesitated, eyes flicking to the side. “You can’t ask questions till later.”

Skye’s eyes narrowed. “Fine, let’s go, and further away from the mine.” She kept a hand on him as they walked over to at least the police cruiser, Henry excitedly waving over Archie and Emma.

Their mom was going to kill them both for this. But it might be her best shot at finding out what Henry knew. Because he knew something, even if he wasn’t on the right track, she needed to know.

“Hey, Archie! Over here.” Henry excitedly summoned the two adults.

Archie and Emma both diverted to the side of the car and Henry.

He looked between the two adults. “This requires all of Operation Cobra. Both of you.”

“I didn’t realize I was in Operation Cobra, or your sister was?” Archie shot her a curious look, poor man’s every nervous tell was going off.

“Of course you are. You know everything. And don’t worry about my sister, she’ll help!”

Skye’s brow shot up. “I will?”

“We can’t let her do this. What if there’s something down there?” Henry bulldozed on.

“They’re just old tunnels.” Emma said, a surprising voice of reason.

“That just happen to collapse right after you get here?” He looked at Emma with shining conviction. “You’re changing things. You’re weakening the curse.”

Skye mouthed ‘curse’ to herself. And tying the birth mom to the moving of time was…interesting. If that was a real thing, she had so many questions. Magic had been her third favorite theory for why Storybrooke was weird. Third favorite, but most likely.

Emma’s hands were on her hips. “That’s not what’s happening.”

It was definitely happening, but the newcomer wouldn’t have picked up how weird this place was.

“Yes, it is!” Henry was in full heels dug in stubborn mode. “Did you do anything differently today? Cause something made this happen.”

There was a quiet pause as Henry waited for an answer Emma didn’t have.

There was the distinct sound of gravel under heels. “Children! I told you to wait in the car.” Regina pointed, her ‘I’m disappointed and we’re talking about this later’ look on her face.

Skye ducked her head and moved to the car, hand staying on Henry to make sure he stuck with her. Fortunately, he didn’t fight this time.

Their mom’s voice was sharp behind them. “Deputy, do your job.”

Skye bundled them both into the car. As soon as she shut the door, she turned and looked at her brother. “Curse?”

Henry hesitated. “You know there’s something wrong with the town?”

“Obviously, it's hard to miss being the only person time matters for.” Skye stared at him. “Why do you think I showed you comic book forums online? It’s the only way to make friends.”

He blinked. “Really?”

Skye stared at him. “Why did you think I suggested that?”

“Oh,” He glanced at the window, clearly ensuring their mom was still busy reaming Archie. “I can’t tell you everything, you’d tell Mom. But the reason nobody here changes is they’re cursed. They don’t know who they are.”

“Who they are?” Skye frowned.

“They’re fairy tale characters,” Henry said as if he was imparting some great wisdom.

Skye blinked, it was a small town but…there were still a lot of people here. “All of them? Like, you think Snow White is just, wandering around?”

“Mary Margaret and her Prince Charming is David.” Henry said enthusiastically nodding. “I haven’t figured out who everyone is. But Ashley is Cinderella and Ruby’s Little Red Riding Hood.” His voice lowered. “And Regina is the Evil Queen.”

She let out a breath. Right, he wasn’t wrong about the town, but he’d ended up on the wrong answer. Their town would be a lot more diverse if all twenty-five thousand of them all were fairy tale characters. That’d have to be like the majority of story characters from around the planet. No way. Also, she got the people he’d named. Mary Margaret Blanchard, then she does CPR on the coma guy. Ashley came from a shitty step-parent situation. Ruby was a fan of the color red to say the least, and she did work at ‘Granny’s’. But just, if it was a curse, it wasn’t what Henry thought.

Henry slumped. “You don’t believe me.”

“I think you could be right about there being something magical involved. But Henry-”

“You’re Mulan, or maybe her daughter. I’m not sure. She, you, aren’t in a lot of stories.” Henry was dead serious.

Skye blinked. “What?”

“I don’t know how mom made you young, or maybe got time to count for you? I think it was a plot so you’d protect her. It's why you’re so good at swords and everything. You’re a hero.”

She cuffed him upside the head.

“Ow, what was that for?” He glared.

“I’m not Mulan. And that’s racist, just because I’m basically the only Asian person in the whole town doesn’t mean I’m Mulan. I’m good with a sword because I spend hours every day working at it. A thing I’ve been doing since I was eleven.” She thumped him again just because fuck, Mulan? Really?

Henry opened his mouth to argue only for the driver’s door to open. Their mom climbed into the driver’s seat. She looked in the rearview mirror at them. “I’m disappointed in both of you. When I give clear directions, that means you follow them.”

“Sorry.” Skye winced, her shoulders curled slightly. She hated disappointing her mom. She whacked Henry.

He shot her a glare, but he did say the right thing. “Sorry.”

“No movies tonight, either of you.” She put the keys in the ignition.

Henry kicked her.

She elbowed him back.

He kicked at her again.

“Children!”

////

Skye flopped backward onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling with a groan. So…today had been a disaster. Mom was drinking cider in the study, brooding. Henry wasn’t talking to her, again. She didn’t know if time moving was a forever thing or not. And she’d stumbled at being asked out on a date.

“Fuck.”

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. It was all a mess. It was stupid. And she was going to need to have an answer for Ruby the next time she saw her. She wanted to say yes. It was the kind of thing she’d daydreamed about. And everything she learned about this version of Ruby, who was real, was fun. She liked Ruby. A lot. But what if time stopped moving again?

What if it didn’t though? What if this was real, and was going to last?

She rolled over with a grunt. It was all just so messed up. It was not helping she wasn’t good at this. Kissing one person, one time, before college meant she’d kinda been working on just figuring this shit out in the last year. It was kinda hard to date when everyone was just an unchanging NPC, essentially. Made making friends impossible, let alone dating anyone. It’d felt too demoralizing. And like, what was even the point?

And college boys were just…they mattered less. Skye knew she was hot. Getting a boy at University to at least buy her a coffee or something was a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. But gym, classes, spending as many weekends as possible home. When did she even have the time? Or she guessed, who was worth that effort?

Ruby felt like she was worth it. If Skye gave her the chance. And not just because fourteen year old her had had a thing for the waitress. She’d gotten over that crush years ago. She’d aged, Ruby hadn’t. It’d just been…Ruby was just fun to kinda flirt with when Skye was in town. It’d never been or was going to be anything more. But Ruby was living now. Things mattered now.

Things mattering…that was…it was kind of terrifying.

Chapter Text

Ruby flipped through the newspaper while sitting next to Ashley on the bed. She was looking at the non-existent rental ads, and Ashley was breastfeeding the princess. “I think you’re going to have to find someone with a room to rent who doesn’t mind a baby.”

“Sean’s asking around.” Ashley said with a hopeful faith that he did not deserve. Her eyes were boring into the side of Ruby’s head. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s just…” Ruby looked at her friend. They’d never been best friends, but it felt like that’s what they were now. “I think Skye was going to say ‘no’ when I asked her out on a date yesterday. But then the mine and just, she never actually replied. What if she’s not interested?”

Ashley hummed. “I think you might be overreacting a tad. You may have just spooked her. Has she even dated a girl before you?”

That was…Ruby paused. “I hadn’t thought of that. I haven’t dated a girl before, though. Is it really that big of a deal?”

“For some people. And you flirt with everyone. You know it’s true.” Ashley shot her a look, saying to swallow back her reply to that. “You have a reputation. Maybe give her time to get to know you better before worrying about her not being as interested as you are.” Ashley gave a pointed tilt of her head at the room that was kind of stuffed with bags of Sean’s things and second-hand baby equipment. “I don’t think you have to worry about her going anywhere, even if you did spook her a bit.”

Ruby gave a groan, slouching into the back of the headboard at that. “But I do, she’s going back to university next week.”

Ashley was back to staring adoringly at Lexie as she nursed. Her voice was soft, the tone for Lexie, even if her words were for Ruby. “Well, if she doesn’t come see you today, you can always try going to the school gym after classes let out tomorrow and try and talk to her.”

“So wait a day.” Ruby was not a fan of that plan. She wanted to just go hunt down Skye and drag her back to the diner, now. “I don’t want to wait a day.” There was a pathetic whine in her voice.

Ashley huffed out a soft laugh. “You could always doll yourself up more than usual, just in case she comes by the diner to see you today?”

Ruby considered that. She needed something Skye hadn’t seen a dozen times before, so something she didn’t really wear at the diner usually. “I do have some new heels.” They’d be hell on her feet to wear for a whole shift. It could be worth it.

“Oh, you have it bad.” Ashley smiled, nudging her slightly. “I like her, though. More than the usual suspects you flirt with.”

“She looks at me differently than any of them do.” There was just something uncomfortable in her at the thought of the difference.

“You mean like you’re a person, and not just tits on legs?” Ashley looked at her.

Ruby flushed, looking away from her face. “Should you be saying that in front of Lexie?” She set the paper aside. “But yeah, that. But also, being around her feels…different. Better.”

Ashley smiled at her. “Then we’ll just have to make sure you get your girl, won’t we?”

Ruby was kind of regretting her decision to wear heels to work. Her feet hurt. But she changed her mind entirely as Skye Mills sheepishly slipped through the front door of the diner. “Here for some coffee?”

Skye’s smile was hesitant. “I’d never say no to some coffee.”

“One coffee coming up,” She winked and headed for the pot. And the maudlin depression just vanished like lifting fog in the morning. She turned and felt a thrill at Skye being at the bar, where it wouldn’t look off at all to be talking. “No gym clothing this afternoon?” Ruby really was a fan of how neat and adorably posh Skye looked when she wasn’t in workout gear. Made her want to poke her till she looked a bit less put together.

“I’m not due to go bother Coach Jim at the school for another couple of hours.” She smiled at the coffee mug being set on the counter. “And what about you, finally get cold enough to wear real pants?”

Ruby preened slightly. “Thought I was due for a change.”

Skye’s eyes swept from her feet to her head with a playful lilt to her mouth. “Gotta say, the hair, very 80s.” But her lips were pulled upward.

“Felt like trying something out.” Ruby cocked one hip. Her eyes did spot a table that looked ready to give their orders. She glanced back at Skye. “Be right back.”

Skye waved her off while picking up the pitcher of cream. “Not going anywhere.”

That was enough to make Ruby feel a bit like floating with giddy hope, heels or no heels, as she headed for her table of men from the harbor up for a late meal after bringing in their daily catch. “You four here ready to order? Or do you need some more time?”

Charles looked up at her. “Think we’re ready to order, Sweetheart.”

She pulled her order pad out of her apron. “So, what do you boys want to eat?”

Ruby leaned against the counter, across from Skye, order ticket dropped off at the window, and her other two tables topped off on coffee. Her brow rose at Skye yawning. “Bad night?”

“My brother has decided to hit his teenage rebellion at ten. No, idea why he’s decided our mom is evil.” Skye shot her a look. “I know she’s intimidating to everyone else, but she’s a great mom.”

She softened. “Yeah, I always assumed she was kind of a hard ass at home and in the wild.”

Skye snickered slightly, shaking her head. “No, she’s the best mom. She really loves us, I didn’t know parents could love kids that weren’t theirs that much before, you know?”

That was, she did understand that. “I know what you mean. Things can be hard with Granny, but she did her best with me. I’ll always be grateful, I know she wasn’t planning on raising her granddaughter.”

Skye laid her hand so that her fingers just barely were casually against Ruby’s. Her eyes had softened. “Do you know what happened to your parents?”

“Granny doesn’t know who my father was, but my mother ran off after having me.” Ruby was bitter about that. “It was a long time ago. You?”

“Dropped on church steps, don’t even know if I had a name.” Skye’s expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. “There’s nothing good that ends in a baby being left on church steps.”

Ruby hooked her pinkie over Skye’s. “Not really a fairy tale for either of us.”

Skye snorted, expression more real. “It does kinda suck, Henry doesn’t know how lucky he is that he’s never lacked for anything, or feeling wanted. You know?”

“I understand why he wants to know Emma, though.” Ruby offered.

“I know.” Skye let a resigned sigh, her expression just exhausted. “I get it, you know? But he’s being a little shit about it.”

Ruby smiled at her. “He’s got you on his side, I think he’ll probably do ok once he gets it out of his system.”

The expression on Skye’s face made Ruby want to live in this moment. It was like sunshine or something. Like Skye thought Ruby was sunshine. “He and our mom are my family. I’d do anything for them.”

“Including breaking the law?” Ruby teased gently.

“Well, if I’m going to be a lawyer, knowing the law is half the job.” Skye grinned.

“You want to be a lawyer?” Ruby hadn’t expected that. “I thought you loved computers?”

“I do, but I’m working on getting into law school. I want to be a public defender.” There was a real spark to her as she said that.

“I could see that for you.” Ruby tapped the end of her pen against her bottom lip, a slight thrill at how Skye’s eyes flicked to her mouth, cheeks flushing, before her eyes snapped back to Ruby’s. “Wouldn’t that mean you’d be defending criminals?”

“Sure, but everyone deserves to be defended.” Skye shrugged. “And most people who need public defenders are just poor and desperate. Prison sentences for drugs or stupid stuff that doesn’t hurt anyone, and they just railroad people. And I don’t need the money.”

Ruby let out a breathless laugh. “You don’t need the fancy lawyer money?”

She raised a brow, an amused look on her face. “Trust fund, I’ll be fine. But they don’t pay public defenders well.”

“Just going to save regular people, truth - justice - and the American way?” Ruby prodded, and of course, Skye Mills wanted to help people as a career. All the fancy college, politician mom, and she wanted to be a public defender.

“I think truth and justice for the poor is kind of the opposite of the American way.” Skye snickered, shaking her head before looking up at her. “What about you, once you’ve traveled a while?”

Ruby wasn’t expecting the question, she should have. “I don’t know? I don’t think I can ever be away from Granny for too long, you know?”

Skye’s expression was kind. “I know what you mean.”

The understanding was kind of perfect.

“I’ve been thinking I could maybe take some night classes, like Ashley. It’s probably stupid-”

“It’s not stupid.” Skye interrupted, and she clearly meant every word. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all. What kind of classes?”

Ruby wanted desperately to kiss her. Unfortunately, there were other people. Granny would actually kill her. “Maybe business? Seems like a smart thing to learn. Not as fancy as your economics.”

“But a lot more directly useful.” Skye lifted her mug of coffee. “Feel free to tease me for how much ridiculously unneeded school I’m doing before mine’ll be useful.”

“Do you even need to triple major for law school?” Ruby had a feeling that was a Skye thing, not a law school thing.

Sure enough, Skye looked slightly bashful at that one. “I wasn’t sure my mom would let me try for a career like public defense, that’s not really prestigious, you know? So thought if I majored in things that could look good for a political campaign. Not that I wanted that, but it felt like my mom would prefer that.”

And it was funny, but Ruby was getting an image of the Mayor that was kinder. “Let me guess, she was just proud of you anyway?” Considering how Skye had to be the least disappointing kid anyone could ever have.

“And I might be too stubborn to give up when I’m half there already.” Skye was smiling, before frowning as her phone started ringing. “You know, we’re going to manage a conversation without being interrupted eventually.”

Ruby pulled her hand away from Skye’s. “I should go check on my tables.”

Food dropped off with the fisherman and topped up beverages all around, and Ruby finally got back to a pensive-looking Skye. “What was that call?”

“Mom can’t find Henry.” Skye looked up at her. “Think I might have to leave and hunt my brother down.”

Ruby had never disliked Henry Mills before in her life. Had always liked the kid, actually. But she really wasn’t feeling that way at this moment. “Do you know where he might have gone?”

Skye tapped her fingers on the counter. “The old playground above the beach maybe? I don’t like this. He’s lying because he thinks I’ll rat him out to mom.”

“Would you?” Ruby looked at her, amused.

“Probably, and mom’s lying to try to make me stop worrying.” Skye pulled out too much cash, passing it over. “I should go, thank you, Ruby.”

Ruby’s hand shot out, catching her wrist. “Wait, Skye just…take care of yourself too.”

Ruby looked up from the table she was wiping down as Leroy burst through the front door of the diner. “I know you know how to open the door, Leroy.”

“It’s Henry, the Mayor’s kid, and Archie, they’re trapped in the mines! We need as much help as we can to dig them out.”

Her stomach lurched. Oh no.

////

Sean grabbed Ruby’s hand before she could take off like a shot for Skye. “Ruby!”

She spun, her expression poisonous. “Let me go.”

“Wait.” He let go of her hand. “Everyone is here. Look, Pongo is going crazy, dogs always listen to you. Go keep Archie’s dog from biting someone trying to help. I’ll go check on Skye. Now’s not the time for her mom to realize you’re trying to seduce her daughter.”

Ruby closed her eyes. She finally gave a stiff nod. “Fine, but make sure she doesn’t do something crazy like find another entrance and get trapped in there too.”

He couldn’t promise that. “I won’t let her out of my sight.” If they found a back entrance like that, he’d go right in there with her. No decent person could let a sweet man like Archie or a little kid like Henry stay trapped underground if there was a way to save them. It was why what felt like half the town was here.

“Fine.” She turned and headed for the dalmatian that was losing it with its owner Archie trapped in the mines.

Sean took off at a jog where a pale Skye was stiffly standing, her arms wrapped across her front, clearly listening to the Sheriff and Deputy along with Marco. The Mayor up on the lip of the crater talking with the construction workers who’d come to help. “Skye!”

Her eyes snapped to him. “Sean, what are you doing here?”

“Ruby and I grabbed everyone we could find and got here as fast as we could. Ruby even got Billy and Michael to come with the tow truck.”

“Good, that’s really good.” Skye met his eyes. “Thank you, both of you.”

“Just doing what we can.” Sean wanted to clap her on the shoulder like he would if she was a man, but he wasn’t sure that was what you should do to a girl?

Marco spoke up, talking more to the Sheriff than anyone else. “Archie’s smart. He will keep the boy safe until we get to them.”

The ground beneath their feet shook.

Sean grabbed Skye before she could sprint for the collapsed entrance to the mine. He winced at the high-pitched sound she made. Under his arm and hands, her muscles tightened. “You can’t run through rock.” He tightened his hold.

“Watch out!” Marco yelled, waving his arms as he stumped toward the entrance trying to warn the men working at the entrance.

“Stop! Stop!” The Mayor’s voice was shockingly panicked and human. “You’re making it worse!”

“I am trying to save him!” Emma faced the Mayor, and she was furious. “You know why he went down there in the first place, don’t you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove.”

“And why does he think he has anything to prove? Who’s encouraging him?” Regina half snarled.

“Do not put this on me.” Emma snapped.

Regina looked nearly hysterical. “Oh, Please! Lecture me until his oxygen runs out!”

“Stop it!” Skye shoved Sean off of her, and then she was to Regina, her hands catching her mom, pulling her physically away from Emma. “Both of you.” She shot a look at Emma. “Stop it. We can worry about the rest later. Ok?”

Regina’s fingers had curled against her daughter, a distinctive anxious possessiveness like she was afraid a second child would vanish from her sight. “You’re right.”

Emma looked up at the sky and then stepped to Regina and her daughter. Her eyes found Skye. “You’re right, we need to work together.” Her eyes turned to Regina. “What do you want me to do?”

“Help us.” Her hands tightened against Skye, before letting go.

“How do we get into the mine?” Skye spoke from between the two of them. “Moving the rubble out a little at a time isn’t working.”

“We need to find some way to punch through the ground.” Regina made a punching motion with her hand. “We need something big.”

Emma’s hands had settled on her hips. “Like what?”

Marco spoke up. “Explosives.”

And at that, Sean paled. That felt like a bad idea, but if everyone else thought it would work. He looked at the union head of the mines. Nobody was saying no. Well then. It felt a bit like the world was upside down. But he stepped over to Skye, standing on side with her and her mom.

////

Ruby had to physically pick Pongo up, and carry him to the fire truck, Graham holding the door open for her. “Sorry, but he doesn’t understand.”

“He’s a good beast.” Graham replied as they loaded up the dog. “He doesn’t understand we’re just trying to help his master.”

“I don’t know, he’s smarter than we give him credit for.” Ruby pressed her hand against the glass window in apology to Pongo for locking him in the cab of the truck. “Maybe he just thinks we’re doing it wrong?”

Graham grimaced, looking over at where the miners were laying explosives. “Let’s hope he’s not onto something then. There isn’t time to get outside help in. Not with how unstable the ground is.”

Ruby’s stomach twisted. They all knew the explosives could go horribly wrong.

“You should get behind the truck. We don’t need anyone else getting hurt today.” Graham’s hands were on his hips as he scanned the area, looking for any stragglers not getting to cover.

“We don’t know if anyone is hurt. Not yet.” Ruby couldn’t help the way her eyes flicked to where Skye was next to Regina, Regina’s arm wrapped around her daughter as she talked with the head miner.

Graham sucked in a breath. “No, no we don’t know that yet.” He gave her a look. “Get behind the truck, Ruby.” Turning, he walked back to his patrol car where the important people were gathered.

It was with a sickly anxious feeling that she took cover behind the firetruck. She couldn’t help looking over at where Skye was crouching behind the patrol vehicle with her mother as Graham ordered everyone down. Ruby wanted to be with Skye. Even from here, she could tell Skye was chewing at the inside of her lip when nobody else was looking. The helplessness was wafting from her and just…Ruby wanted to hug her.

Sean’s presence at Skye’s elbow was barely comforting. Even if he was right. If there was a worst possible time for Regina to realize what was going on, it was right now. It didn’t change how much Ruby wished she was over there.

From behind the cars, Emma’s voice echoed. “Okay! We’re all clear.”

Ruby ripped her eyes off of Skye, focusing on hunkering down behind the firetruck. She couldn’t help if she got hit by a rock.

And then Regina’s voice called the order. “Blow it.”

The boom was deafening as the ground shuddered, the air full of dust, everything shaking.

The ringing had barely stopped in Ruby’s ears before she could hear feet scrabbling over gravel, down into the crater. She poked her head up, breathing out in relief at the sight of Sean standing firm, and Regina had a hand on Skye. And then Ruby was coughing from having breathed in the awful dust. The taste of gunpowder stung on her tongue.

Out of the clouds of dirt, Emma Swan came stumbling back up out of the crater.

Regina’s voice was breathless. “Did it work?”

“It didn’t open.” The devastation was painted across Emma’s face as she shook her head.

Ruby swallowed. Then what had it done?

Chapter Text

Skye hadn’t felt this helpless in over a decade. Not since before Storybrooke. It was awful. It didn’t matter how many classes she’d taken, hours she’d ground out in the gym, how much she loved him, she couldn’t get to Henry.

“If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them. Maybe…Maybe rig something to bring them back up?” Marco suggested.

She had to force herself not to bare her teeth at him after his last plan of trying to blow the entrance open hadn’t worked. It didn’t matter he was a harmless old man doing his best to help. Her brother could have died. Could already be dead.

Her teeth ground together as she stood waiting for the first flicker of something she could do.

Graham was standing there grimly as he looked between them. “But drill where?”

Emma just…left? That was…what? Skye’s eyes tracked the woman. Had she figured something out? If anyone cared as much about getting to Henry as much as Skye and their mom did, it was Emma.

The woman went straight for the firetruck, opening up the door and letting Pongo out? “Come on buddy!”

Her mom had followed Skye’s attention. She called out to Emma, a sharpness but too desperate to be really mean. “What are you thinking we-”

“It’s Archie’s dog.” Emma was past saying anything with desperation as she scrambled after the dalmatian. “He’s found something. Look!”

Skye wasn’t even conscious of her body moving, she just suddenly was. Her hands dug into the ground without hesitation, ripping moss and dirt out of the way where Emma and the dog were working.

Others were there, and then they were ripping the debris off the grate?

“This is where they must be. What is that?” Emma looked up from the grate over a hole down into the black below.

Graham straightened up. “It’s an air shaft. It’s welded on, do you think we can get the grate off?”

Marco nodded. “We get some leverage, we can haul it off. Some hooks, a pulley we can rip from its fastenings.”

“Do you have that in the car?” Skye looked at Graham. “Or the construction guys.”
“I’ll go find some.” Graham gave a nod to Regina and Emma before turning to go and do so.

He was brought up by Ruby, standing there, keys dangling from her finger. “Or we could use the tow truck?”

Skye felt like she could breathe for a second. “We have to hurry.” She headed straight for Ruby. “Do we need Billy or Michael?”

“Got the keys from Billy, they’ll help with the hook and stuff, I can drive.” Ruby was solid and confident in that moment.

“Then get in the truck, Ms. Lucas.” Regina snapped, “Michael, get over here.”

Skye’s expression was apologetic as she looked at Ruby. “Thank you.”

Ruby just nodded and then turned, heading to the tow truck.

“Skye, come on.” Sean used a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. “Let’s clear the ground from the road to the airshaft.”

“Good idea.” Skye turned and was unspeakably grateful for something to do. “We can’t have the truck getting stuck.”

He led the way. “No, we can’t have any delays.”

It was something to do, something to get to Henry. Also Archie, but she was a bit more focused on her baby brother. And she didn’t give a shit about using her hands to make sure the twenty feet from the gravel road to the airshaft was clear for the truck.

Skye was watched sharply as Marco and Billy hooked the tow truck’s hook to the top of the metal grate.

“Okay.” Emma looked over at Ruby in the cab of the truck. “Gun it.”

Ruby gunned it, the metal shearing off with an awful shriek.

“Alright, we got it. Alright.” Emma called out.

Regina’s voice was sharp. “So, what’s next?”

Marco apparently had had an eventful life, because he had a plan again. “You need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft.”

“Were you a miner?” Skye couldn’t help asking.

“I’ve had a long life.” Marco brushed off.

Graham frowned, looking down the shaft. “I’ve got a harness.”

“Lower me down.” Regina said.

“No!” Skye’s head snapped around to her mom.

Emma was on the same page. “Oh, no way. I’m going.”

Regina was focused wholly on Emma. “He’s my son.”

“He’s my son, too. You’ve been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I can do this.” Emma argued.

Regina stepped into Emma’s space. “Just bring him to me.”

Skye stepped up, looking at Emma, one hand on her mom’s elbow. “Do you need help? I’ve never climbed or used a harness, but I’m stronger than I look, and I’m narrower than Graham is.”

“Stay at the top, if rope has to be tossed down and hauled to help, you’ll be lighter at the edge.” Emma looked at Graham. “Let’s get that harness.”

Skye turned to Sean. “Let’s see if any of these people have rope. And we can get set to go if needed.”

“Hey, we’re going to get your brother back.” Sean said as he coiled the third line they were preparing, while Marco and Graham were attaching Emma to the tow truck’s crane.

She looked up at him. “He has to be.” Skye looked at him. “Thank you, for helping.”

He bumped their shoulders together. “You were there for my girls when they needed me, and I wasn’t there. Makes us friends whether you like it or not.”

Friends in Storybrooke? It was new. But she was grateful for it right now. Skye swallowed back the frog in her throat. Because her brother was in danger, and other people cared. Other people had come to help. “You might be less terrible than I’d assumed.”

“I deserved that,” Sean admitted. “Nowhere to go but up now, though. And I want to be exactly where I am.”

Skye had questions about how the fuck he’d abandoned his pregnant girlfriend. But she was more worried about Henry than curious. “Do you think we need more rope?”

“Unless that mine goes more than three hundred foot down, we’ve got more than enough rope.” Sean clapped his hand down on her shoulder. “Come on, we just have to be ready to haul.”

Skye braced herself at the mouth of the air duct as they fed the secondary rope down. Sean was directly behind her, and then about six other townspeople along the line, and ready to pull. She looked up at where Ruby was sitting on the edge of the tow truck, holding onto Pongo’s leash. Her eyes went to where Emma was fully strapped into a harness and dangling over the shaft. “Try not to fall.”

“I’ll keep it in mind, kid.” Emma looked over at Billy and Marco at the winch. “Lower me down.”

Skye held steady, making sure the backup rope went down smoothly with Emma. Her eyes flicked to where Graham had a radio in case Emma radioed in. Not that any of them were sure the radio would work through that much ground.

There were two sharp tugs on the rope.

“Stop!” Skye called out as they all waited for radio contact to explain what they were doing next.

They didn’t get a radio call. Instead, the ground started shaking again. Skye’s grip tightened as there was suddenly weight on the end of the rope.

Sean grunted behind her. “Pull!”

Marco immediately hit the crank on the tow truck’s crane.

Skye’s foot stayed wedged against the edge of the air shaft, and she heaved. The whole topside exploded into movement and calls as they heaved, the clanking of the tow truck hauling as well. Just a burst of movement and work, and then popping up over the edge was Emma, Henry in her arms.

For the first time since she’d first heard those horrifying words, ‘Henry is in the mine’, it felt like Skye could breathe. She was smiling as she kept hauling as they pulled Archie up and over the edge, Marco diving to grab the man, pulling him physically up as he reached grabbing distance on the rope.

The crowd exploded into cheers and clapping as Emma and Henry were swung onto solid ground, and Archie’s feet hit the ground as well.

Skye really couldn’t give a shit about the rope now that there wasn’t a person attached to it. She took off straight for where their mom was shepherding him away from the shaft, her fingers desperately brushing against him, ensuring he was in one piece. She hit her knees as she grabbed Henry in her arms, hugging the stuffing out of him. Her eyes squeezed shut. “Henry.”

He let out an ‘oomph’, but hugged her back. Their mom’s hands fluttered across them. And just, for the first time since it’d all begun, the world felt whole.

Regina kissed her forehead. “Keep a hold of your brother.”

She didn’t open her eyes as she just hugged Henry tighter.

“You’re squeezing too hard.” Henry wheezed.

Skye finally opened her eyes, whipping dirt from his face. “Come on, we’re going to get an EMT to look at you.”

Henry’s eyes flicked over her shoulder at where their mom was probably doing something important. “I’m fine, I didn’t get hurt, even a little.”

“An EMT can say that.” Skye’s fingers brushed some of his hair behind one ear. “Come on.” She stood up, glancing at where Regina was talking to Archie?

“I’m really fine.” Henry leaned into her side. “I didn’t mean for just…all of this.”

“You’re safe, that’s all that matters.” Skye pulled him to the firefighters. “Next time you go on an adventure, call me, ok?”

“M’kay.” He replied, it wasn’t convincing.

She’d take it. And something was wrong with whatever their mom and Archie were saying. “Emma.”

Emma reached them, one hand falling on Henry. “Hey, kid.” She looked at Skye. “Are you two alright?”

“Make sure he gets seen by the EMT.” Skye waited for the assurance that Emma had a good hold on him. Her eyes held Henry’s. “I see you not glued to Emma’s side, and I’m tackling you before you can get anywhere.”

Henry rolled his eyes but leaned into Emma’s hand on his shoulder.

Skye breathed out, and then turned, jogging to grab their mom. She didn’t like whatever the vibe was there, and frankly, she was punching Archie if he was being mean to her mom. Just, she’d had it for today. Her whole family was going to stay secure and happy for five fucking minutes. She’d worry about the rest later.

As Skye came within earshot, she frowned at the expression on her mom’s face, it had morphed to show hurt.

“Or will what?” Archie’s voice was firmer than Skye’d ever heard it. “You’ll ruin my life? You’ll do your worst? Because I will always do my best.”

Her mom’s voice was poison, she clearly hadn’t spotted her yet. “Don’t test me.”

“Oh, I don’t need to. Because you’re going to leave me alone and let me do my work. In peace.”

“Really? Why’s that?” Her mom did not respect Archie.

His voice was wavering but firm. “Because someday, Madam Mayor, you may find yourself in a custody battle. And you know how the court determines who is a fit parent? They consult an expert. Particularly one who has treated the child. So, I suggest you think about that. And you allow me to do my work. And let me do it the way my conscience tells me to.”

“Hey,” Skye reached them, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Archie. “I don’t know what’s going on, but now is not the time for whatever this is. Go get checked by the EMTs, and fuck off.”

Archie flinched, but he gave Regina a sharp nod before turning and leaving.

“Sweetie, you didn’t need to do that.” Regina started.

Skye looked at her mom. “You interfered with Henry’s therapist?”

Her mom looked slightly confused at the line of questioning. “I was only trying to-”

“You don’t do that.” Skye pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated breath. “Come on, we can worry about it later.”

Regina laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing. “I know you’re trying to help, but don’t forget I’m the mother here.”

“Mom, that’s not what I meant.” Skye couldn’t quite bring herself to shy away from her mom’s displeasure on this. Whatever the hell she’d done to Archie sounded fucked. But she also…she didn’t push even if she probably should. “Henry’s more important than arguing with Archie.”

Regina cupped her cheek. “You’re right.” Her jaw tightened as she spotted Henry with Emma. “That cretin.”

Skye looked up at the sky. Of course, it wasn’t going to be as easy as it should. She just wanted her family together. Clearly, that was going to take a while.

Skye marked off an ‘X’ on the top corner. “You’re sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

“Everyone is here.” Henry replied while marking his ‘O’ at the center of their game of tic-tac-toe.

She rolled her eyes, it really had turned into a kind of party. The beers had shown up an hour ago, and the sun had nearly set now. “Think mom will be done making everyone investigate the area for every shaft and entrance anywhere near here anytime soon?”

Henry shot her a ‘duh’ look. “It’s mom.”

Skye’s lips twitched. “Well, at least the miners brought pizza.” She took a sip of the can of soda she’d liberated from the various provisions people’d brought. “Think the whole town will have shown up by the time mom’s done?”

“Probably, it’s the most interesting thing to happen here, ever.” Henry said emphatically.

She put down an ‘X’. “Collapsing mines, who knew that’s what would happen if things moved.” Shooting him a look, she waited for him to sense the line of questioning. “Did you know this was coming?”

“I wouldn’t have gone in if I’d known it’d come down on us.” Henry grumbled, his brow furrowing at the game. “You won, again.”

Skye grinned at her victory, her eyes catching on where Ruby was leaning against the firetruck. It suddenly didn’t matter time could stop moving. It was moving right now. She looked back at her brother. “What is ten minutes of Emma worth to you?”

Henry's face took on his ‘thinking’ look. “What do you want?”

“You owe me interference with mom the next time I ask, no questions asked.” Skye held out her hand.

He grumbled but took her hand, shaking it. “Deal.”

“You better not go anywhere near a mine entrance, got it?” Skye waited. Henry wasn’t a good enough liar to get much past her.

He let out a groan. “No, I wouldn’t.”

She didn’t believe that for a second. Skye reached out, mussing his hair. “Go on, I’ll find you in a minute. Go to mom if you need anything, ok?”

Henry nodded and then took the chance and jogged off to where Emma was pulling more caution tape from the police cruiser.

Skye fondly shook her head. God, everyone in her family had to be stubborn as mules. It was going to be a nightmare till this all settled. Just all of it. But she wouldn’t trade them for anything. She made her own way for Ruby.

As she got closer, she met Ruby’s eyes. Ruby’d been laughing, her eyes sparkling as she and some of the others were enjoying the celebratory mood.

Skye tipped her head to the side, where the lights didn’t reach. And then she walked that way.

Sure enough, Ruby smoothly looked like she was making her excuses before pushing off.

Smiling to herself, Skye ducked out of the light and into the woods on the other side of the road. She stopped against a tree.

It only took a minute or two before Ruby reached the woodline. Skye reached out, catching her hand and pulling her back behind the tree with her. She’d meant to say something, but Ruby’s hand slid across her shoulders, and suddenly Ruby’s mouth was against hers.

Skye made a soft sound against her as Ruby’s tongue slid into her mouth. Every thought in her head floated straight out. Her hands pulled Ruby closer to her. She shifted, changing the angle. Their mouths separated slightly. She sighed. “Hey.”

“Hi.” There was laughter in Ruby’s voice.

Her eyes stayed closed, her nose brushed against Ruby’s. “You are, ridiculously tall in those heels.” The side of her mouth quirked up as she pulled back slightly, teasing in her voice. “You were already taller than me, this feels unfair.”

“It’s not my fault you inherited your mother’s height, adopted or not adopted.” Ruby teased back. “And I look fantastic in these.”

Skye laughed quietly. “You’re not wrong.” As her laughter faded, she reached up, cupping the side of Ruby’s face. There wasn’t a world where she’d regret taking this chance. Time moving or not moving. Ruby was worth any risk involved. “Is that invite on a real date still open?”

The air caught in Ruby’s throat, but then even in the dim light, her face split into a wide smile. “Only if you say yes.”

“Then I hope you have a plan, I’d like to go on a date with you.” Skye’s smile matched Ruby’s. And then Ruby was eagerly ducking in, kissing her again. A thing Skye was never going to get tired of.

Chapter Text

Emma was leaning against the patrol cruiser, something like calm actually settling. She hadn’t known she could be as terrified as she’d been today. But the ambling party continued as everyone continued to socialize. The firefighters and miners had brought out some beers an hour ago. She watched where Marco and Archie were standing under the bright spotlights. “Is that Archie’s father?”

“No, they’re just old friends.” Henry said from where he was leaning against the car next to her.

She looked at him, so stubborn and willful. Her heart hurt at just the thought of him being harmed. “You really scared me.”

He looked up at her. “I’m sorry.”

It was getting late, and she should probably get to doing as Regina had asked before the woman changed her mind again. She noticed Archie and Marco walking over. “Gentlemen.” Her eyes fell on Archie as she pushed off the vehicle. “Would you mind keeping an eye on Henry while I go hunt down his sister and drive the two of them home?”

“Hey!” Henry startled straight. “Listen.”

The four of them fell quiet, listening for what Henry had heard. It was just the soft sounds of the winding-down gathering of townfolk. But also, the night was full of the sound of crickets. Nature out in the small towns was kinda cool sometimes. Emma smiled slightly at the sound.

“Crickets,” Archie said softly.

“They’re back!” Henry’s voice was awed with excitement. “Things are changing.”

Emma looked at him. Oh boy, those fairy tale delusions weren’t going anywhere. Which was…a relief and a worry.

Archie seemed to shake himself out of his wonder. “I’ll keep an eye on Henry here for you.”

She forced herself to smile. “Thanks, I’ll be right back.” The older Mills kid couldn’t have gotten far.

Walking toward the fire truck where the younger people had generally grouped a bit, she looked for the third Mills. No doubt, Regina was still busy terrorizing multiple people on her agenda to get the whole mine system in this part blocked off utterly. Emma didn’t disagree with that position. If it wasn’t, Henry would make his way back down eventually.

As she got closer, Emma realized the distinctive braided hair and teal peacoat were nowhere to be seen. Which was odd, actually. She frowned, looking around the crater and the surrounding people. No teenager by Regina. And Sean was talking with Billy over at the tow truck. First time the boy hadn’t been at Skye’s elbow all day, now that Emma thought of it.

She sighed, right. Skye Mills, overly uptight perfectionist or not, was still a college sophomore and nineteen. So, a missing teen who’d just gone through an emotional rollercoaster of a day. Emma’s eyes flicked to where the guys had brought out the beer. It wouldn’t be hard for any of the younger crowd to nick some of that.

Emma glanced back at Sean. It was clear the two were friends, and he’d been looking out for Skye all afternoon. If Skye had nicked alcohol, he’d be a reasonable choice for a lookout. And she was a deputy now, no way he’d rat out his friend. But, if he wasn’t currently distracted, which corner was he best positioned to be a lookout for?

The woods behind the trucks. Fantastic.

Emma was really hoping Mills Jr didn’t have a college-acquired binge drinking habit she was hiding from her mom. As long as the kid was capable of walking under her own power, Emma was just going to get the kid home and to bed and hope Regina didn’t notice the symptoms of a hangover. If there was an excusable cause for underage drinking, your baby brother almost dying was it.

Since the lookout was distracted, Emma just walked out of the light and into the woods. It was awful to see anything. She was not a woodsy person. She didn’t need to be to find the wayward college kid. Apparently, Mills Jr hadn’t bothered going more than two trees deep. Also, not drinking.

Emma came to a sharp halt at the soft whining sound from just up the tree line from her. She squinted; that was very much two people. And thank god still vertical. Emma turned on her heel and got back to the road. Not alcohol. She was smiling in amusement, though. She should have guessed that was an option.

Once she was standing on the road, she stood facing away and cleared her throat, loudly. “Mills, you back there?”

There was a hissed, “Shit.”

Emma bit back laughter at the sound of what was probably two someones trying to straighten themselves up. “Need some help, Mills?”

“I’m good!” Skye came stumbling out from behind the trees.

Emma barely kept from snorting at how flustered the teen looked. She did raise a brow at what, even in the low light on the road, was a distinctly bright red stain on the girl’s neck. “You sure about that?”

The kid twitched slightly. “Of course,” her voice turning more normal by the moment. “Did you need something?”

“Regina has people to terrorize into physically blocking up entrances into the mines. She wanted me to drive you and your brother home.” Emma had a suspicion about who exactly was still very much hiding behind the tree and hoping they hadn’t been spotted.

Skye nodded, “Right, let’s do that. Wait, did you let Henry out of your sight?”

“He’s with Archie. I’ll meet you at the bug?” Emma offered.

“Sounds good.” Skye started heading off toward the cars.

Emma’s lips twitched. “There’s wet wipes in the glove compartment.”

There was a distinct stumble in Skye’s steps, but she kept going.

Emma snorted and glanced behind her at the trees as Skye headed out of earshot. “Want to come out, Ruby?”

There was a faint crashing, and then Ruby stumbled out. “That obvious?”

“You’re the only person I’ve seen wear the shade of lipstick currently smeared on Skye’s neck.” Emma figured Skye’d have actually put herself together with the aid of the car mirror and wet wipes by the time she got there with Henry.

“You can’t tell anyone.” Ruby was straightening her tank top where it was under her coat.

That one wasn’t hard to put together. “Her mom?”

Ruby let out a sigh. “And Granny. They’d lose their minds if they knew.”

“I won’t tell the Mayor, don’t worry.” Emma wouldn’t have expected to find Ruby getting to second base in the woods with Skye Mills. “Good luck.”

Ruby positively beamed. “I don’t need luck.”

Emma laughed and waved as she headed off to get Henry. Well, that was a hilarious bit of shenanigans going on. And oh god, Regina would lose her mind if she found out her perfect daughter was being a normal teenager. Or almost twenty year old. She headed for where she’d left Henry.

“Ready to go?” Emma asked.

“Bye Archie!” Henry grinned at Archie before trotting to her.

Emma’s hand settled naturally on his shoulder. “Let’s get you home, kid. I think you might be stuck in the back, though.”

His nose wrinkled. “It's not fair, Skye can thump me for the passenger seat.”

She bit back a smile at that. “That a regular occurrence there?”

He grumbled. “She’s better than me at everything.”

“She is nine years older than you.” Emma comforted, “You’ll probably be taller than her in a few years.”

“I’m gonna steal all her sour candies when I’m taller.”

“Sour candies, huh?” Emma asked.

“She keeps them on the top shelf of the closet under stupid free weights.” Henry looked up at her. “If I try to get the candy box out, the weights will squish me.”

That was kinda brilliant in how simple it was. “Boobytrap.”

Henry nodded glumly. “She’s good at doing it so mom won’t get her in trouble.”

Emma laughed as they reached the bug, and sure enough, Henry was going to have to climb into the back. She opened up the door and flipped the backrest of the driver’s seat down.

Clamouring in Henry started talking as soon as he hit the backseat. “The crickets are back!”

“Cool?” Skye replied from where she was very pointedly avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Emma climbed in and started up the car. “You two going to be fine at home by yourselves?”

“It’s Storybrooke?” Skye looked at her. “We don’t really have crime?”

“I’m old enough to be at home by myself.” Henry pointed out.

Emma held up her hands. “Noted.” And Skye was a legal adult, it’d been a silly question. When she was Skye’s age, she’d already been a year past having given birth to Henry.

It was funny that Skye’d definitely found the wet wipes and had taken care of straightening herself out. And, it probably was her utter lack of parental instinct besides ‘don’t die….please?’ but it was reassuring. Regina raised a kid who, no matter how neurotically perfectionist, was still just a normal college kid sneaking around with their secret girlfriend. And deeply mortified about getting caught. Proof that for all Regina’s faults, she’d raised a kid who wasn’t particularly more fucked up than average.

Maybe Henry could act out by cleaning his room too much or something…less mines.

Emma was trying to be hopeful.

////

Skye pushed one headphone off of one ear as she looked at where her brother had just poked his head into her room. “Henry?”

He shuffled awkwardly. “I can’t sleep.”

She shifted and lifted one side of her comforter. “Come on.”

He shuffled over and climbed in next to her. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“You’re ok, that’s all that’s important.” She dropped her blankets over the top of him. A warm security in him settled next to her. It never stopped being everything when he’d climb in with her after nightmares. Usually, he went to their mom, but he came to her sometimes. And every time it was a reminder that this was allowed because she wasn’t in fostercare. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Henry settled against her comfortably. “Not really, what are you watching?”

Skye adjusted her laptop so he could see her screen. “Powerpoint that’s due next week. Presentation is 40% of my grade.”

He frowned as he looked at it. “Why do you always do so much school stuff?”

“Because I want to help people someday, and this means I’ll be able to. And I don’t know, I like it.” Skye didn’t mention that academics had been a refuge living in a town where nothing changed, friends couldn’t be had, no dating, no just…anything. School, fencing, and her family were really all that’d mattered. “I guess what your stories are to you.”

Henry was quiet at that.

She went back to organizing her outline onto slides. It was nice. Humming, she worked on it. With just…everything, she’d gotten less work on it done than she’d have wanted. But a few hours now and some more tomorrow, she could get caught back up. Her fingers typed in a familiar rhythm.

“Did you know what mom made Archie do?” Henry asked in a low voice.

Skye looked at him. “No, what did she make him do?”

He curled slightly into her, eyes not meeting hers. “She made him tell me I was crazy. That I was wrong. And I’m not!”

She breathed out. It didn’t really matter if Henry was right or wrong about the fairy tale thing. He was right, something was wrong with Storybrooke. And threatening his therapist was wrong. “I’ll talk to her.” It’d be ugly, but little shit on a ‘mom is evil’ schtick or not, abusing his therapy was wrong.

“Why don’t you believe me?” He asked. “You know I’m right.”

Skye sighed, her head falling back slightly, before looking down at him again. “You’re right, something is wrong with this town. I don’t know what it is. I used to have a list. Tried to figure it out when I was younger, but I never got anywhere.” A thing that annoyed her. “Still not going to tell me how you got onto the fairy tale theory?”

His eyes squeezed shut. “You’re on mom’s side.”

She blew out on a breath. “I’m on our family’s side.”

“Would you protect me from mom?” His eyes were burning as they looked up at her.

“You know I would, but I’d protect her from you, too.” Skye hated being between the two of them. She didn’t flinch from his look. “I’ll talk to Mom about Archie. I promise.”

His eyes closed, a not entirely happy set to his mouth. “Ok.”

She touched his shoulder. “You know I love you, even if we’re kinda fighting?”

“Love you too.” He leaned into her. “Can I stay here tonight?”

And that was all that mattered. “Any time.” It’d been a while since he’d snuck in with her. She’d…kinda missed it. Even if it was from being trapped in a mine, not from nightmares.

////

Regina paused in the doorway to her daughter’s room. She sighed as she walked over, both her babies safe and secure where they should be. A bit too many lights on, though. Both of her children were going to end up needing glasses with all the squinting in bad light they did.

She picked up and closed the laptop before setting it aside. The movement was yanked at the headphones around Skye’s neck.

Honestly.

Skye made a grumbly sound, eyes blearily looking up at her. “Mom?”

Regina brushed the loose hair out of Skye’s face as she gently unhooked the headphones from around her daughter’s neck. “Just putting your things away, go back to sleep, dear.”

“M’kay.” Her daughter yawned, rolling onto her side, her arms wrapping over her brother. Already half asleep as she sighed in contentment, her breath fluttered Henry’s bangs.

Standing there, Regina looked at her children. They were hers. She’d never let anyone take them from her. This was where they belonged. Safe, sound, and with her.

Regina’s finger traced across Henry’s soft cheek. The roundness would fade away as he got older, just as it had on his sister. She wasn’t ready to give them up. Especially Henry, he was so young. He wasn’t supposed to be leaving her for years. The pain that Skye was beginning to leave was already raw.

And she knew her daughter. That business with Archie was not a thing her girl would let lie. It may be a good thing that she’d be gone for her finals next week. It would give her a week to ‘organize’ things that had best not come to her daughter’s attention. After all, she was her daughter. Both her children were far too intelligent to hide things from easily.

It would be easier with magic, in the Enchanted Forrest. A few orders, have the annoyance handled, permanently, and if her kind-hearted children got a bit too close, a little forgetting potion, and everyone could be happy. She missed her magic in moments like this.

As it was, she had a week to prepare, a week to act, and then to maintain things while Skye was home between semesters. It was riskier than she liked when what she had to protect was so precious. No one was taking her happy ending from her. No one. If some people had to die for it, well, she’d never been afraid to get her hands dirty.

////

Regina woke early the next morning. She set the pan in the oven with the butter to melt. It may be beneath her, but she’d found peace in it. It was rather like potion or enchantment making. A thing that was soothing in this new world. At least at the start. It was old hat now.

As she was cracking open the first egg, she heard the front door open. That girl of her’s. She looked up. “Dear, in here if you would.”

Skye came into the kitchen, her breathing heavy as she pulled her earbuds out, eyes flicking at the things out on the counter. “What do you want to talk about, Mom?”

“I wanted to speak to you about what you’ve been up to.” Regina watched as her daughter’s movements became careful.

“Oh yeah, what about? Because I had some questions about what you did to Archie.” Skye held her gaze.

“That therapist wasn’t doing his job.” Regina was firm, even as her heart ached at the thought of both of her children turning against her. “Why have you been aiding that cretin that is Henry’s birth mother?”

Skye picked up an apple from the bowl. “I’m aiding ‘that cretin’ for the same reason you’re using her as a chauffeur.” Her shoulders had that settled firmness that indicated she was about to dig her heels in. “And you weren’t making Archie do his job. You made him try and convince Henry that he’s insane. Do you get how fucked up that is?”

“Language.” Regina’s hands settled on the counter, her spine straightening. “You don’t understand what you’re talking about. But the matter with Archie is completely under control. And not a matter for you to worry about.”

“I’m here to help keep our family together. But it sure feels like you’re doing everything in your power to do the opposite. If you wanted to find a way to make a custody court ignore everything good about you, blackmailing Henry’s therapist would be it. Not to mention giving Emma reason to think Henry isn’t safe with you.” Skye set the apple she’d picked up down, her posture straightening. “But more importantly, you betrayed Henry’s trust.” Skye shook her head. “I’m going to go shower.”

Regina stood there as her daughter walked away from her. Walked away from her after using words like knives that she had not been prepared for. As Skye vanished from the room, she picked up an egg and threw it across the room as hard as she could.

Well, the morning could have hardly gone worse. At least she hadn’t burnt the food. Regina set the last of the three plates on the table. “Well, breakfast is served.”

Henry picked up the bottle of syrup, squeezing it over his serving of German pancakes.

“Don’t drown your food in sugar.” Regina remarked dryly before the syrup could threaten to spill off the plate. She may be being slightly soft on the syrup rules.

Skye snagged the bottle from him, clearly taking that as permission to steal it.

“Hey!” Henry pouted at his sister.

At least her children seemed less at each other’s throats this morning. United against her, which was hardly helpful. But it was something at least. There wasn’t a single under-the-table kick over the syrup.

Regina cleared her throat. “Henry, you have therapy with Mr. Hopper after school.” She hesitated at the feeling of Skye’s attention on her. “I expect you at my office by six pm, not a minute later. But if you wish to spend the half hour after your appointment and then with your -- birth mother, you may.”

Henry blinked at her. “Really?”

“Yes, and eat, you have to catch the bus in twenty minutes.” Regina could swallow back her poison for her children. At least briefly.

Skye picked up Regina’s empty plate before she could. Her voice was soft. “Let me, please.”

Her mouth opened to let out a barb, but she swallowed it back. “You’re speaking with me, then?”

“Mom, let me help with the dishes.” Skye’s face was soft.

Regina touched her daughter’s hand. It was easy to forget which of her children had the softest of spots. The one that hurt deepest, and longest. She breathed out as she stood up, pressing a kiss to her girl’s forehead. “Thank you, dear.”

Chapter Text

Ruby handed over the boxed pie. “Are we good, Anderson?”

He flipped open the lid, a smile on his face. “Cherry?”

“Well, you did ask for something that’s not clam chowder for once.” Ruby crossed her arms, switching which leg her weight was on. “So, I can use the boat?”

“Yeah, just clean up.” Anderson closed the lid on the box. He pulled some keys out of his pocket and tossed them to her. “And try not to lose an oar.”

She paused. “I asked to borrow a boat, not the rowboat. Please say these keys are for the blue one with an engine?” There was a whine in her voice.

He laughed, shaking his head. “It’s for the blue skiff with an engine. But engines fail, don’t want to be anywhere without an oar.”

Ruby’s nose wrinkled. Oh, she really didn’t want to have to row anywhere. She tilted her head, but, there was an appeal to maybe seeing Skye do it. Making Skye row a boat on a first date would be rude, though. “I’ll make sure not to lose an oar.”

“Thanks, life jackets under the bench. If you go further off the shore than an arm’s throw, put one on.” Anderson tipped his head to her and walked off to where the fishing trawlers were stored.

Ruby admittedly appreciated the view of Anderson’s rear in those jeans. She might be trying to lock down Skye, but she wasn’t dead. She turned on her heel, heading back to the main street.

It was still chilly, the rolling fog that filled the town most mornings not burnt off yet. She passed a few people on her way back to the road. A couple of cars on the road. That was a distinct bright yellow bug pulling around the corner toward the sheriff's station.

Things felt fresh, different these days. Ruby rolled her shoulders under her puffy coat as she trotted up to the diner. Walking in, it wasn’t anything she wasn’t expecting. Pulling off her coat, she slid into the booth, Ashley was sitting at. “Morning.”

“Did you get the boat?” Ashley asked, looking up from where she was eating pancakes, Lexie sleeping in the baby carrier on the table against the wall.

“I got the boat.” Ruby picked up the mug of coffee that Ashley had to have gotten for her.

“Congrats.” Ashley lifted her mug of hot tea in congratulations. “I can’t believe you’re doing a beach date in winter, but it’s romantic.”

Ruby pouted. “What was I supposed to do? It's not like we can go dancing if we’re keeping it quiet.”

Ashley smiled into her tea. “I think it’s good for you, no using alcohol and dancing to seduce her, you have to actually talk.”

She shot her friend an annoyed look before rolling her eyes. “That’s not fair.”

“Hmm, I suppose you usually just flirt, get bored, and leave people at the bar.” Ashley looked at her smugly.

“Fair, I don’t think I’ve been on an actual date before.” Ruby frowned. “I understand why they skimp out and just ask girls to the bar now. Planning dates is terrible.”

Ashley cut into her pancakes. “I think you just let losers take you out.” She smiled at her. “I think this is good for you, raise your standards.”

Ruby leaned back in her seat. “Shouldn’t that go for both of us?”

“Ruby. Sean’s really trying.”

Her jaw tightened slightly. “I suppose he found a job.”

Ashley’s face was full of light. “I know yesterday was terrifying for everyone, but he made the most of it once all the danger was done with. He has an interview this morning down at the mines. And Bertrand from the fire station said he might be willing to rent his mother-in-law cottage to us while we’re getting started out. We really might be able to have a start, Ruby. Not just depending on your and Granny’s kindness.”

“At least he found something better than the canary.” Ruby knew those guys never had much money. She forced herself to smile. “I’m happy for you, I am. I just don’t trust him to stay.”

“It was complicated.” Ashley looked down, but then her eyes were back on her. “But he’s here now, that’s what matters.”

Ruby knew better than to keep pushing, Ashley was starting to look slightly misty-eyed, and she’d just given birth. “Should you even be out of bed?”

“I can come down one staircase to eat breakfast. I’m not an invalid.” Ashley sounded tired. “I think if I stay in that room for a whole day again, I’m going to go crazy.”

She smiled slightly. “You could try watching tv, relax for once in your life.”

Ashley took a bite of pancake. “I don’t think I know how to do that.”

Her smile became more genuine. “So bored, and you were still almost no help in figuring out how to plan a date.”

“Once you get your car out of the shop again, sorry, you could try putting a blanket in the back seat?” Ashley teased.

Ruby snorted. “You think Mills Jr wants to hook up in a parked car?”

Ashley’s lips pulled up in amusement. “Well, I know all the good spots for parking. And I don’t know, I wouldn’t have guessed she was one for letting you drag her to second base, at least, in the woods.”

She gave a happy adjustment as she leaned forward, smug glee at the reminder. “It's kinda fun that she’s shorter than me.”

Ashley laughed into her pancakes.

Ruby was nervous as she bounced slightly, waiting to see Skye show up. Part of her was convinced this was crazy, that Skye wasn’t going to show up. Good things didn’t happen in Storybrooke. Just an endless feeling of being trapped. But things didn’t feel quite so tight now. Like she could hope for better things.

Things like how Skye talked about being trapped, like it was a passing state, a thing to be overcome. As if that was easy. It sounded so possible when she talked about it. Like things could be better. Being seen like she had a future, and wasn’t just stuck as some dead-end waitress till she was too old to leave.

She lit up, a zing of excitement as she spotted Skye’s car. She came!

And sure enough, Skye popped out of her car as soon as she parked.

Ruby was smiling with teeth. “Do you go anywhere without your teal coat?”

“Oh, fighting words for someone who's only been wearing pants for a whole three days after months of red booty shorts.” Skye grinned as she reached Ruby.

“I’ve been outside of the diner. It is a bit colder outside than inside.” Ruby wanted to pull her in by those silly lapels, but she did manage to resist the impulse. “Ready to go?”

“I am, but, shipyard?” Skye looked around curiously.

“We’re not staying here.” Ruby waved her as she started leading them to the docks. “We need a boat for where we’re going.”

Skye easily walked beside her, her hands going into her pockets. “A boat? I didn’t know you liked boats.”

Ruby shrugged. “Not really, prefer having my feet on solid ground. But there's a bit of beach around the cliff to the north that’s really nice.”

“Beach huh?” Skye nudged her slightly as they hit the old wood of the non-industrial bits of the dock. “Not sure what I was expecting, but that’s not it.” Her expression was curious. “But I think I should have.”

She paused, everyone had acted like she was crazy for it. “Why should you have?”

“Uh, you love nature, maybe not a hiking person, but you definitely like it.” Skye was looking out at the dark waters of the harbor.

Ruby’s heart skipped a beat in her chest. “I guess I do.” She wouldn’t have said she did, but hearing it from Skye, it rang with truth in her bones. She smiled to herself as she climbed into the skiff and held out her hand. “Watch your step.”

“Have to say, of the snotty sports, sailing is not one I ever tried out.” Skye took her hand, stepping into the skiff with her.

“I don’t think Anderson’s shitty little skiff counts as a sailing yacht.” Ruby untied the rope securing the skiff to the dock.

Skye reached out, pushing them off a bit as she sat down. “It is missing a sail.” She winked as she settled properly, looking out at the boats and stuff.

Ruby lowered the propeller into the water and then yanked the cord. Three attempts and the engine finally roared to life. With a huff, she blew some hair out of her face, settling down on the back bench, and carefully sending the boat out of the harbor.

Skye looked at her with a curious expression as they hit the water outside of the harbor. “So, Anderson’s the one who wears the cable-knit sweaters with the cut jaw, yeah?”

“That would be him, and does that mean you appreciate a handsome face too?” Ruby was curious about that ever since Ashley had pointed out the ‘girl’ thing might be a first for Skye.

Skye paused slightly before shrugging. “I like people. You?”

“Hot people are hot people.” Ruby tapped Skye’s foot. “You have a lot of ‘people’ left behind at college?”

Skye laughed, shaking her head. “No, nothing that ever went anywhere. What about you, you bring all your dates to your beach?”

“No.” Ruby met Skye’s eyes. “I’ve never brought anyone here.”

Skye didn’t reply, but she just looked, quietly soft, slight smile on her face. It was devastatingly pretty on her face. And then Skye was looking out at the water.

Ruby smiled and kept the boat close to the shore as she moved them along toward the little patch of beach she was aiming for that was out of sight. Suddenly she wasn’t worried if this was a bad idea or not. She breathed in the cold ocean air. It was sharp, salty, and invigorating. She could taste it. The sound of the gulls and the roar of the engine weren’t enough to touch the crashing of the water along the rocks and against the boat.

Coming around the rocky point, she eased up on the gas, letting them glide up into the gravel. There was a scraping of rock against the bottom of the skiff as they ground to a stop. Ruby dropped the engine, letting the propeller fully lift out of the water as it turned off. She looked up at Skye. “Careful not to step in the water.”

Skye gave a nod, hopping out of the boat, and landing the rocks. “Do you need me to do anything?”

“Can you tie a knot?” Ruby asked as she tossed the rope to her.

Skye easily snagged it out of the air, curl to her mouth. “I can tie a knot.”

“Tie us to that log up there.” Ruby hopped out, one hand staying on the gunwale of the ship. She winced as her shoes splashed slightly, quickly getting up on the rocks before it could really get into anything. She let go of the gunwale once she spotted Skye tying off what admittedly looked like a baffling secure tie-off.

Striding up the rocks Ruby couldn’t help the delight at the slight surprise on Skye’s face as she turned around, caught the front of her lapels, and hauled her in, finally kissing her.

She sighed at the feeling before pulling back slightly. “Hi.”

“Hello to you too,” Skye had a breathy laugh in her voice as she tilted her head slightly, looking ever so slightly up at her.

“Been wanting to do that since you drove up.” Ruby admitted, pleased hum in her chest. It felt almost like she was floating.

“You weren’t alone in that.” Skye’s eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into her, her hands tightening slightly where they’d settled on Ruby’s hips.

They just stood there, still and breathing, for a long minute. And then Skye stepped backward, eyes opening as she looked around. “What do you do out here?”

Ruby looked around the tiny rocky cove, pushing her hands into her pockets. “Uh, scream, sometimes throw rocks?”

Skye raised a brow looking at her. “Out here, not the woods?”

“No chance of anyone else being here.” It was like she could think through why she ended up here for once. “Sometimes it’s nice to be alone by myself instead of around other people.”

There was understanding on Skye’s face. “I get that, crowds can be worse than being by yourself.” She frowned slightly. “I guess I just stab people about it, or go to the stables.”

Ruby smiled, nudging her. “Stables? Do you have a horse, Mills?”

Skye grinned, looking at her. “My mom is the horsiest of horse girls. Of course, I have a horse. It's just a bit harder to pack up a horse for college than it is to pack up some sabers.”

“Sabers?” It was just nice talking to someone who got it.

“Fencing swords, you’ll have to let me show you how to use one sometime.” Skye was smiling.

“Is this you asking for a second date already?” She teased.

Skye stepped backward, a wet clunky grinding sound from the rocks under her feet as she moved. “Maybe, but come on, show me your angst beach.”

She pouted. “It’s not an angst beach.”

“Angst cove?” Skye had a playful expression as she waved at the rocky patch of beach. “I mean I get it, the rocks, seaweed, very good aesthetic for a good brood.”

Ruby rolled her eyes as she walked after Skye. “I don’t brood.”

Skye’s grin grew. “Mope maybe?”

“Really? I didn’t know you were still studying for your SATs.” Ruby was delighted.

Laughing Skye turned on her heel, heading up the beach. “Is that a waterfall?”

Ruby trotted after her. “I mean, if you can call a trickle a waterfall.”

“Well, it is water and it’s falling.” Skye shot her a look over her shoulder. “I think that makes it a water-fall.”

There wasn’t a good response to that. Ruby sped up, taking two long strides, catching Skye around the waist and lifting her right off her feet, and spinning them. “Troll.”

Squealing laughter spilled out from Skye.

Ruby’s nose wrinkled as she looked at the…thing dangling in the air. “What is that?”

“I’ve got no idea!” Skye was clearly delighted as she held the weird…whatever slimy, dead fish thing it had to be from a stick. “Do you think it’s a worm?”

“I think that’s a bone?” Ruby took a half step back. Nobody was cute enough to be worth risking touching that thing.

Skye squinted. “Huh…it doesn’t smell dead?”

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “It doesn’t smell great.”

Brown eyes flicked to her. “Is this a warning I’ll be figuring out how to walk back to Storybrooke if this touches you?”

“Don’t tempt me.” It’d be a shame to end things over a dead eel maybe? Ruby really had no idea what that was.

Snickering, Skye dropped it back down on the rocks next to the crabs that had been eating it. “Gonna guess you don’t fish?”

Ruby shook her head. “Absolutely not.” Her brow rose as she looked at Skye. “Are you saying you do?”

“And have to gut the poor things, no thanks.” Skye poked at a crab, a slight smile on her face as she watched it scurry away. “I went vegetarian for a year, I think my mom about lost it about me not eating meat.”

“Really, commands about eating the bacon or starving?” Ruby picked up a rock, tossing it lightly into the water where it landed with a satisfying ‘plop’.

Skye shook her head. “No, frustrated though. She dragged me to Whale like six times to make sure I wasn’t going to die of malnutrition about it. But she was pretty good about it. Made this roast stuffed pumpkin thing for me for my birthday though.” Her smile was just soft. “But then I got into fencing, and Coach Jim convinced me the protein would make me fence better. I’m still half convinced Mom bribed him into convincing me.”

Ruby let out a breathless laugh. “I can see that. It sounds…really nice.” And it did. It was funny to think of Regina Mills worrying about her kid like a normal mom.

“What about you, any digging your heels in with Granny over anything?” Skye asked curiously.

“You mean over everything?” Ruby scoffed. “She needs me, and I couldn’t leave her, but everything I do she hates.”

Skye hummed, reaching out and taking her hand, not saying anything.

“I think her favorite point to harp on is how I dress.” Ruby risked a glance at Skye. “Like a drag queen during fleet week, is how she puts it usually.”

She snorted, nudging her slightly. “Does that mean she watches RuPaul’s Drag Race?”

“Absolutely addicted.” Ruby agreed with a slight flicker of humor. “It just gets…”

“Exhausting?” Skye offered.

“Yes!” She looked at Skye. “It probably seems stupid.”

“It doesn’t.” Skye looked at her with a sudden spark. “Wait, is the eighties hair you do sometimes because it annoys Granny?”

Ruby’s cheeks felt warm suddenly. “Maybe.”

Skye’s fingers came up gently tugging at one pigtail, amused curl to her lips. “Do you even like eighties hair?”

“I…don’t know?” That was pathetic, how did she not know if she even liked how she wore her hair every day? Her eyes spotted a flicker of movement, her hand tightening in Skye’s. “It’s a loon!”

“A what?” Skye laughed.

“A loon, look!” She pointed at the bird, where it was swimming in the shallows. “The kinda duck-looking bird but with a sharper beak. I know it’s just kinda brownish now, but in breeding season the throat will turn red.”

“Are they rare?” Skye asked with a sweet and genuine interest.

Ruby looked at her, and it didn’t feel stupid. “No, they’re pretty common. But I like them.”

Skye just smiled. “Why do you like them?”

“Well, they’re one of the types of birds that mate for life, you know? They breed in the Arctic during the summers, which is-”

Ruby was sorry about the sun getting lower in the sky. She looked over at where Skye had gotten distracted watching some crabs again. And the thing was, Skye looked beautiful out here. Her hair was frazzled, even with it being in a braid over one shoulder, color to her skin from the cold wind, and just an easy happiness to her.

“What?” Skye’s expression was bright as she looked at her.

“I wish we didn’t have to head back.” She admitted before she could overthink about it.

Skye inhaled sharply, her eyes were soft. “When do you have a day off from the diner?”

If she really begged Suzy to cover her, she could probably get a day off. “I could get Tuesday afternoon off?”

“Then I guess it’s my turn to plan something, isn’t it? If you want.” Skye waited for her answer.

“I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

Regina walked out into the garage. “Do I want to know what you’re doing out here? Surely the Boyd girl can’t need more things from out here?”

“Uh, Ashley needs all the help she can get.” Skye looked over her shoulder. “But I’m looking for the twinkle lights.”

She raised a brow. “Do you want them for your dorm room?”

Skye opened up a box before grumbling and sticking it back, and moving to the next one. “I wanted to put them up at the stable.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve all been to the stables as a family.” She should have been taking Henry personally more often. It’d just always been more Skye and Henry’s thing together than hers.

“We should do that, maybe this weekend?” Skye looked at her hopefully.

Regina had always found the stables difficult. Getting a new horse in Storybrooke had hardly been on her agenda, but her darling girl had noticed the horse statue in her office. And well, what girl doesn’t want a horse? It was the first look of uncomplicated delight she’d seen on her new daughter’s face when she brought her to the stables. “That would be lovely. As long as it isn’t raining.”

“Has Henry been skimping on stable days?” Skye asked while she pulled off another box and opened it up.

“He hasn’t been, but I may have been spending less time with him there than I should.” She turned pensive. “Do you think that would help?”

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Skye looked at her with compassion that was painful to see. “But it's not about you.”

Regina looked away from her daughter, swallowing back the pain at that. She walked forward to help her daughter find the lights. It was something to do with her hands. “Did you ever try to find your birth parents?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Skye had gone very still. “Mom---”

“So you did.” Regina turned, looking at her. What had she done wrong that her children wanted others?

“Not like that!” Skye stepped to her, one hand touching her arm. “I was just curious, it never went anywhere, and even if I had found someone, you are my mom.”

Regina wanted to believe her, she truly did. “But you still looked.”

Her daughter bit at her lower lip. “It's like…a rock in my shoe?”

“A rock in your shoe?” Regina asked, a pang of regret she’d brought this up. She could see it hurt her daughter. But it was too late to pull away from this now. No matter how it might hurt her or her girl.

“It's just this question I don’t have an answer to. It’s…” Skye hesitated, eyes meeting hers. “It's not about…I don’t think they’d be…good people. Or they’d be anything to me really now. If it was like that, I wouldn’t have been left on church steps.” Her voice was bitter. “But it's just…I don’t know.”

Regina knew her girl, the nervous twitching of the fingers, the way her eyes flicked anxiously, the slight waiver in her voice. It’d been a lesson hard taught, but she’d learned how to spot the warning signs of what came before finding her daughter silently sobbing in some hidden corner. Her daughter’s silent pain was viscerally awful. She didn’t even think about it, just dragging her child into her arms. “Shush, dear. I shouldn’t have asked.”

The faintest choking sound, and Skye went boneless against her, burying her face in her shoulder, fingers clinging to her. “You’re my mom.

Her own grip tightened.

Regina set the mug of hot cider in her daughter’s hands before sitting next to her on the couch. “I may have approached the question wrong.”

Skye let out a wet laugh. “I probably shouldn’t have hid it from you. And Henry.”

“Yes, well, I’ve always known you two were your own people.” She smiled at her daughter. “I believe most of my mistakes have been expecting one of you to behave like the other.”

“The age gap can’t help with that.” Skye nudged her slightly.

“I believe I’d have gone spare if you two were the same age.” Regina nearly shuddered at the thought of Henry’s precocious, stubborn wilfulness, he was currently displaying happening at the same time as Skye’s quiet still waters and subtle prodding. The two of them were bad enough at being a united front when it came to rule-breaking as it was. “Certainly be completely grey by now.”

Her daughter shifted, looking at her, voice firm even in its softness. “Mom, the day the judge approved the adoption was the best day of my life. You and Henry are everything to me. You’re my family.”

Regina wrapped an arm around her daughter, kissing her forehead. “You two are my happy ending. Adopting you took far too long.”

Skye leaned back against her, it was a bit more awkward now that her daughter had outgrown her, but it was lovely as always. “Mom, it took you six months after you got me to have the judge sign off on it.”

“Far too long, it’d have been more convenient to just fill out the paperwork when I brought you and Henry home.” Regina still fantasized about roasting nuns some days. The social worker and nuns should be grateful that this world didn’t have magic, and it’d cost several magical trinkets to get her over the border of the curse to acquire her children.

The pleased smile on Skye’s face was everything. “I don’t think it’s a mystery where Henry gets his patience.”

“He could have learned higher standards from me.” Regina leaned forward, picking up her tumbler of hard cider.

Skye’s smile was playful. “You’d fight less if you asked what you’d do if your places were swapped.”

It was an unfortunate point. One that made her feel annoyingly smug and frustrated in turn. “Yes, well, I’ll take it under advisement.”

Skye’s hands curled around her mug of normal cider. “I know you hate it, but Emma’s a best-case scenario really, on the birth parent thing.” Her eyes met Regina’s. “Teen mom without a support network is like…the best option for a birth parent. And she seems nice? In no position to sue for custody. Like she’s subletting a room in a loft apartment that only has one bedroom. She couldn’t even legally keep him overnight if she even managed to get a court to give her partial custody.”

“As if I would let her.” Regina found comfort in her daughter’s belief in her ability to maintain custody.

“And hey, even if I had found something about my birth family, I’m an adult, it's not like they could try and do anything.” Skye was frowning as she leaned back against the couch. “And I doubt they’re…good people. Probably.”

“Yes, well, that they were foolish ingrates for setting you aside was never in question.” Regina was soothed at the implication that Skye would never leave her. Even if her gutter trash blood family showed their pathetic faces.

Skye huffed. “Well, statistically, my bio-mom was probably a teenager or in a super abusive relationship or a sex worker, probably some combination of the three.”

Regina’s heart panged in horror at her daughter’s words. The likely truth of them hardly mattered. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Uh, facts? Babies tend to have names and paperwork when they get dumped. Leaving babies on church steps hasn’t been how you get rid of unwanted kids since, like, the old days.” Skye rolled her eyes. “The church thing was weird, I spent like, half a year when I was four wondering if the priest was my dad. Which, that would have been, really messed up.”

Regina wished suddenly she had words of comfort, that her daughter was wrong. But she’d lived a life. The truth was that acquiring children was a difficult task, and there was a reason Rumple was the only magic user who specialized in it. The desperate, ashamed, and afraid were the only ones who would sell a child to Rumple. Abandoning a child in the wilderness, or the church steps in a city as the case may be, skewed far worse. After all, one hardly gained from that.

“Course, the priest was black, so not the case.” Skye huffed. “I guess best case scenario a foreign exchange student got knocked up and was too ashamed to let their family know? But it's just…part of me wants to know.” Her eyes flicked back up to Regina. “Even if I have a family.”

Regina sighed. “I am selfish enough to be glad I won’t be chasing ingrates away from you as well as Henry. But I am sorry you do not have a better answer.” It was the best she could do without lying outrageously, and both of her children were frustratingly good at picking up on lies.

Skye shrugged one shoulder. “At least if I have a bio-parent like your mom, I don't have to deal with it.”

She went rigid at those words. “What are you talking about?”

“Sorry, I know we’re not really supposed to talk about it?” Skye winced slightly.

“How could you possibly know anything about my mother? She’s been dead since well before you were born.” The clawing horror and anxiety at just the reference to her felt sickening. The sudden terror about what and how that woman’s influence had reached Skye.

“You don’t talk about her?” Skye said slowly.

“And?” Regina hated the sharpness leaking into her tone without her permission.

Skye was watching her carefully. “You have photos of us, everywhere. But it's just us. And you don’t talk about her, ever. And sometimes it’s like…you’re scared with me in a way you aren’t with Henry.” She was biting at her lip. “You flinch.”

Regina swallowed, forcing herself to ask anyway, no matter how tight her voice. “What does that tell you?”

“Mom, we don’t have to—” Skye’s words cut off, clearly reading her face. Her voice was careful. “Sometimes rich parents don’t love their kids, they just see them as pets.” She swallowed. “And sometimes the kinder parent won’t stand up against the one hurting their daughter.”

She took a drink from her tumbler. “How long have you suspected that?”

Skye had made herself slightly small. “Um…the first week you brought me home?”

“Oh.” Looking at the painting on the wall, Regina took a long drink from her tumbler. She stiffened ever so slightly at the feeling of a hand lying over her own. Her throat was too tight to speak as she looked at her daughter.

“You made a better family.” Skye squeezed her hand in comfort.

////

Emma set a plate of grilled cheese in front of Henry. It was only slightly depressing how much she’d panicked at the idea of feeding him. “Your mother actually knows you’re here?”

Henry rolled his eyes. “I get one hour.” He happily picked up the glass of milk, tipping it back.

She smiled, sitting at the other stool against the kitchen island. “How’d you manage that?”

“Skye talked to Regina about her threatening Archie, and now I get to see you more!” Henry beamed as he picked up his sandwich.

“Regina listens to Skye, doesn’t she?” Emma needed to understand the family dynamics at play if she was going to put a stop to Regina hurting Henry.

“Hmm…” Henry nodded as he chewed before replying. “She’s always perfect, she gets away with everything. Sometimes she gets me out of trouble.”

Emma shared an amused look with Mary Margaret, oh that was a sibling rivalry that was going to suck for Henry. “But she also rats you out?”

He frowned into his sandwich. “She got really mad when I tried to explain the curse.”

“Which part?” Emma could see that not going well.

“That she’s either Mulan or Mulan’s daughter maybe? I don’t know how Regina let her age.” Henry was clearly frustrated about that.

Emma blew out a breath. “Any clues about who anyone else is?”

Henry perked up. “I think Anderson at the docks might be Prince Eric!”

“Ah, Hans Christian Anderson wrote the Little Mermaid, didn’t he?” Mary Margaret said as she leaned against the counter. “And he does work on the fishing trawler.”

She shot a look at her friend for being a bit too encouraging, but this was harmless. Clearly taking away his belief was devastating to him. So at least hearing him out more might help repair the damage of having it attacked? “Do you know who Ariel is?” She could help set up two unfortunate victims if it made Henry happy. It probably couldn’t go worse than Henry’s matchmaking with Mary Margaret and David Nolen.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not sure where she is. We should all keep an eye out for her. She should be easier to find. There’s not a lot of redheads.”

“True, she shouldn’t be too hard to find.” Emma silently apologized to whatever poor teen to mid-twenty-something redhead was doomed to Henry’s meddling.

“We need to find Fredrick.” Henry said with a certainty that he radiated in most things.

Oh boy, please may this part of Operation Cobra not involve abandoned mines. “Who is Fredrick?”

Henry leaned down, pulling a book out of his backpack and setting it down on the counter with the gravity of a Baptist minister brandishing a bible. “He’s Kathryn’s true love. If we find him, Kathryn won’t be sad about David and Mary Margaret.”

Mary Margaret looked like a sad deer in headlights.

“Kid, you can’t just break up a marriage because you think two people are meant for each other.” Emma awkwardly set her hand on his shoulder.

“But they’re not in love, the curse just put them together. Regina did it to keep Snow White and Prince Charming apart!”

Oh boy.

Emma flipped through the book, not particularly reading it. But it was a question she should probably ask. Because things could be about to explode in bad ways. “Kid, how liberal is your mom?”

Henry’s feet kicked happily. “What do you mean?”

“Just, how does she talk about gay people?” Emma was desperately hoping the answer was positive, cause if it wasn’t, the odds of a devastated second Mills Jr trying to crash with her might actually give her ulcers. Also, Regina might skip the threats and acquire a gun.

“Is this because Skye’s bi-sexual?” Henry looked up at her like this was the most obvious and open knowledge.

Thank god. “I was getting that feeling from her.” If finding her rounding the bases with Ruby counted as a ‘feeling’.

Mary Margaret looked slightly confused. “Really?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah, mom tried to find gay movies but she always turns it off.” His nose wrinkled. “I don’t know what was wrong with Rent.”

She had to bite her lip to not laugh. The image of Regina Mills realizing she’d put on Rent for her underage children and panicking was one she would pay for. “So you watched a lot of gay movies?”

He shook his head with a shrug. “Mom couldn’t find one that was ‘family friendly’ and Skye asked her to stop.”

Emma paused at the knock on the door. She looked at him. “I think that’s your mom, kid.”

Henry shoved his book into his backpack as if his life depended on it.

She patted his head…you weren’t supposed to pet children? He had a lot of problems, petting him on accident couldn’t hurt. Emma brushed off concerns about petting children and opened up the door. “Regina.”

Regina's expression was disdainful. The woman had perfected looking down her nose in spirit if not in action. “Ah, I see you managed to keep my son alive.” Her eyes snapped past her. “Henry, it’s time to go.”

Henry came to a stop next to Emma, looking up at his mom. “Can I spend Saturday with Emma?”

“No.” Regina reached up, fingers curling around his chin. “We’re going for a ride, as a family, on Saturday.”

“But-”

“No ‘buts’.” Regina’s hand fell on his shoulder. “To the car, young man.”

Henry looked up at Emma. “Bye, Emma.” He leaned in, hugging her, and then darted out past Regina.

“Don’t get any ideas, Ms. Swan.” Regina’s gaze was superior loathing, and then she turned, leaving after Henry.

Emma shut the door, turning to face Mary Margaret. “She’s a real pleasure.”

Mary Margaret’s soft laugh was sweet as she picked up Henry’s dishes, taking them to the sink. “She’s always been intense.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Emma walked over to the kitchen to help before Mary Margaret did all of the dishes, again. The uncomfortable bubbling feeling when Mary Margaret did those kinds of things for her was…probably guilt.

“Do you want to talk about the real reason you wanted to know Henry’s feelings on gay people?” Mary Margaret asked gently while setting the saucepan on the oven. “I’d be happy to listen.”

Emma paused and then laughed. “No, I wasn’t worried for myself. I found Skye Mills in the woods with a girl after the whole mine incident.”

“Really?” Mary Margaret was clearly surprised by that. Her face was rather confounded.

She hummed running water over the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. “Just wanted to make sure a devastated Mills Jr wasn’t going to end up on our doorstep if Regina found out.”

Mary Margaret was clearly still processing things as she pulled milk out of the fridge. “I wouldn’t have expected that. The woods, really?”

It was hilarious that was the part Mary Margaret was having trouble with. “Apparently, ironed jeans can’t hide the college kid instincts.” She glanced at her roommate. “Were you her teacher?”

A thoughtful expression crossed Mary Margaret’s face. “I was…it must have been my first year, it was so long ago.” She fell off into thought, staring into the distance unseeing.

Emma cleared her throat. “So, always that uptight? Or did she use to act like a regular kid?”

Mary Margaret shook herself out of her thoughts. “She was lonely, I think she’s always been lonely. A lot like Henry is. Neither of them ever had an easy time making friends. You know Henry, he’s a sweet boy and looks to stories and hope. Skye was always very focused on excelling.”

That made complete sense. Emma leaned against the counter. “Guess the kid was due some rebellion eventually.” She looked at her roommate. “But maybe nothing as terrible of an idea as still spending time with a married man?”

The flash of guilt on Mary Margaret’s face was answer enough about that.

Chapter Text

Skye leaned against the outside of the stables. It’d started raining which was…slightly annoying. She’d planned on having a few options for this date. She still smiled at the sight of Ruby’s distinctive red car.

Pushing off the side of the stable, she walked toward where Ruby was parking. Her eyes noted the dents from Ashley crashing it into a ditch were still there, but apparently, it was drivable. The idea to reach out and open up Ruby’s door for her flicked across her mind, but that was too much? It felt cringy. So she just rocked back on her heels.

Ruby climbed out, a bright red hat on her head. “Hi!”

Fuck it.

Skye gently caught the side of her jaw, and leaned up, kissing Ruby. Her muscles went loose at the soft press of lips. Her thumb brushed against Ruby’s cheek as she kept it chaste. It felt like a daydream that Ruby was warm and real, and against her. Pulling back, she looked at Ruby’s expression, a warm thrill at the look on Ruby’s face. “Sorry, it’s good to see you.”

The quiet almost giggle that Ruby made was sweet. Her fingers hooked in the belt loops at the front of Skye’s jeans, pulling them against each other. “I think I like how you say ‘hello’, hot stuff.”

She could feel the draw, but she also shivered as a drop of rain went down the back of her neck. “Come on, let’s get out of the rain.” Skye took Ruby’s hand as she stepped back. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Meet?” Ruby looked curiously at the stables as she was pulled closer.

“My best friend.” Skye grinned, enjoying the confusion on Ruby’s face as she pulled them through the side door for people to avoid opening up a larger door that could chill the horses. “I know yours, probably better than any of us wanted to know each other. Figured I should return the favor.”

Ruby laughed, “Yes, well, nothing about Ashley’s labor went as planned.”

Skye shot a look at her as she let go of Ruby’s hand to get the door closed. “It really didn’t. But, welcome to Storybrooke’s stables.”

Ruby paused, looking around the stables. “Oh wow, I’ve never been here before.”

It was interesting seeing the stable again, only from Ruby’s perspective instead of her own. She’d spent so many hours down here. “I know it’s not the fanciest, but it’s pretty great. Stan mucks it out twice a day, so it never smells too bad.”

“It smells like straw?” Ruby looked around, face alight with curiosity and excitement.

Skye beamed as she took Ruby’s hand again. “It does, and horse. But I like it.”

“How many horses are in there?” Ruby was peering curiously through stall doors at the animals as they walked along.

“Forty-three, a few different people in town board their animals here. Stan runs the place and does riding lessons, not that very many people go to them.” Skye’d led a few of the riding lessons just out of curiosity to see if she could change anything. She really hadn’t been able to. It was just the same people having the same lessons, not getting better or worse in any meaningful way.

Ruby bumped her. “Am I meeting Stan?”

It was cute watching Ruby guess. “No, we’re not meeting Stan.” She pulled Ruby around the corner and to the second row of stalls. “These are my family’s horses.” Skye waited; it deserved the laugh she knew that was coming.

Sure enough, Ruby’s eyes tracked across the three stalls in immaculate condition, reading the mounted name tags for each horse. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at them. “So I suppose I don’t have to ask whose horse is whose.”

“Pretty obvious huh?” Skye leaned against the stall door for Pebbles, reaching up and stroking his nose as he whinnied in greeting.

“Do I get a prize if I guess whose horse is whose?” Ruby was delighted.

“Sure,” Skye blew a snort into Pebbles’s nose.

Ruby skipped forward, pointing at Maximus’s stall. “Your mom.”

Skye grinned. “Easy guess.”

“Which makes Batman here, Henry’s.” Ruby practically crowed before stepping over and holding her hand out perfectly flat for Pebbles. “And this handsome fellow, yours.”

Skye scratched at Pebbles’ neck. “Ruby, meet Pebbles, my best friend.”

Pebbles nudged at Ruby’s hand, causing Ruby to look at Skye for permission.

Skye nodded. “He won’t bite, unlike Maximus.”

Ruby cooed as she stroked Pebbles’ nose. “He’s so soft!”

“Mom got him for me for my tenth birthday, which was, very extra.” She smiled at him. There wasn’t going to be a day she’d stop being grateful her mom had somehow managed to ship three horses into Storybrooke. “And he’s been my best friend ever since. I used to do a lot of my homework from school out here with him.”

“He’s beautiful.” Ruby’s voice was bright and excited as she looked over at her. “Can we ride him?”

Skye hadn’t realized it’d been important to her that Ruby liked Pebbles until she saw the genuine delight. But it mattered, a lot. “I was planning on it, but rain.” She shrugged. “Maybe when I get back from finals week?”

Ruby pouted but leaned forward, kissing Pebble’s nose. The horse was clearly soaking this up. He’d always been a sucker for sugar cubes, apples, and snuggles, but he was hamming it up for Ruby. Her words were clearly for Pebbles. “Next time.”

“Want to feed them apples? I promise to protect you from Maximus.”

Ruby nodded excitedly. “Please? And of course your mom’s horse would bite people.”

Laughing Skye opened up the tack stall. She double-checked that the things in the corner of the stall were still set up as she picked up the bucket of apples, and snagged a pocket knife off the bench table they had in there. Pleased, she had everything, she walked back out to where Ruby was delightedly cooing over Pebbles. Batman and Maximus’s heads were both poked over their doors, watching with keen interest. They had heard the word ‘apples’.

“So, is Batman friendly or nippy?” Ruby asked as she kept fussing over Pebbles.

“She’s sweet, if it was nicer out, I’d have let you ride her or Pebbles if you wanted. Not as much of a suck-up as Pebbles, though.” Skye flipped open the pocket knife and started quartering an apple.

“I can’t believe your mom let you two name your horses.” Ruby teased as she held out her hand to Batman. “Hello, there.”

“Oh, she regrets it to this day.” Skye held out an apple quarter to Pebbles, scratching his nose as he inhaled and then crunched the apple.

Ruby’s eyes were bright as she introduced herself to Batman. “Did I hear right that this darling is a girl?”

“You did, apparently, ‘Batman’ is a cooler name than ‘Batwoman’.” Skye was never going to let Henry live down his horse-naming decisions. She handed a quarter to Ruby. “Keep your fingers flat.”

Ruby giggled as she held her hand flat as Batman’s brown horsey lips carefully plucked the apple from her hand. Giggles left Ruby at the sensation. “It’s ticklish.”

Skye stepped over to Maximus, the most regal of white horses, giving him a quarter. She stroked his face before handing Ruby the last quarter and going to keep cutting up apples. It was just nice to be here and share this with Ruby. She smiled as she enjoyed watching Ruby. Her head tilted slightly. “You’re wearing your hair down, no eighties twists?”

“I felt like trying something new.” Ruby reached down, touching a loose section of her hair. “What do you think?”

“I like it, it’s very you.” And it was, the red hat, red streak in her hair, meticulously straightened long locks spilling well past her shoulders. It just was…it suited her better than the eighties poofy volume she usually went with. Not that Skye thought the eighties stuff looked bad, obviously.

Ruby beamed at her, all bright teeth. “Yeah?”

“Very jealous of the red streak.” Skye also had to say, she had feelings about the red mini-shorts. They had reset her brain as a tween. But she was really into the actual pants that Red had been wearing recently.

“Granny hates it, so worth it.” Ruby flipped her hair over her shoulder just right, smug look on her face.

“Guess that’s a victory for me, cause I do really dig the streak.” Skye neatly chopped apples into quarters with quick, easy movements.

Ruby fed another piece of apple to Pebbles, a just kinda nice lull in conversation before she asked a question. “So, since it’s raining, what is your plan? Because I think these boys are going to eat through those apples in about five minutes.”

“I had backup plans.” Skye stuck her tongue out.

“Really?” Ruby’s voice was soft with surprise.

She was grateful she had those plans just for the expression on Ruby’s face. “Yeah, imagine if you’d had a secret fear of horses?”

Ruby laughed. “So, no reading the weather report?”

“I know people think I’m her clone sometimes, but I’m not actually my mom.” Skye popped a slice of apple into her own mouth before offering out a chunk to Maximus.

Maximus crunched his apple chunk with emphasis.

“You’re missing the power skirts and desire to drown your enemies in rivers of blood.” Ruby teased.

“Please,” Skye rolled her eyes. “And I do wear skirts, even dresses. Just not in the middle of winter.”

“I don’t know, I think you might be one with your layers.” Ruby reached out, took another apple chunk, and offered it to Pebbles.

“Says the person who has a signature color.” Skye gave Maximus another apple chunk, kinda sad that there wasn’t a lot left at the rate they were feeding them to the horses.

“Says the person who wears the same teal coat every time you’re out of workout clothing.”

Skye glanced at her teal sleeve, smiling slightly, before looking back at Ruby. “It was a gift, and I like it. Even if teal isn’t my favorite color.”

Her hip cocked to the side as Ruby looked at her, brow raised. “What is your favorite color?”

That was… “I mean, the right answer would be red.”

Ruby’s lips twitched. “Cute, but really, what is it?”

“Purple.” Skye smiled. “I like dark purple, even if red is very cool.”

“Well, it is half purple, so I should hope you like it.” Ruby’s expression was genuine even as her words were teasing.

“Does that mean it’d be more poetic if my favorite was blue?” Skye slid the pocket knife into her back pocket before giving Maximus his last chunk of apple.

Ruby’s smile grew showing teeth, she did that, smiling so bright and wide her teeth showed a lot, it was kinda great. “Or I could point out you like having a little red in you.”

Skye burst into laughter, bending slightly from it.

“That bad?”

She wheezed as she shook her head. Taking the two steps to her, her hand slid against the back of Ruby’s neck, pulling her in and kissing, admittedly, it was a bit silly with how wide she was smiling. “You’re funny.”

Ruby’s smile was sweet. “I should be funny more often.”

It felt warm and floaty as she took a half step back. “Hidden talents. Plans on being a stand-up comedian, travel from one bar to the next up and down the East Coast?”

“I think I’d rather die.” Ruby admitted, even if she was clearly amused. “If I try and be a comedian, just tell Granny about the weed I have hidden in my closet and let her kill me.”

Skye laughed, “Weed?”

She had a cocky-looking expression. “Well, I know it’s not famous as a party drug, but it can help wind me down on days that are terrible at the diner.” She tapped Skye’s foot. “What about you? Do you partake, or are you too proper for that?”

“First, the rich kids at University are doing so many more drugs than you’d think, they can afford it.” Skye was not getting over the first party her roommate had invited her to, and how much crap had been there. “Second, I do school sports, they drug test us.”

Ruby reached out, her fingers finding Skye’s braid where it was lying over her shoulder. “I should have guessed.” She twirled the braid a bit. “So, what was this backup plan for if we got rained out?”

Skye really was hoping this didn’t come off as silly. She caught Ruby’s hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.” As they walked past Pebbles, she stroked his nose in passing and then pulled them into the tack room.

Letting go of Ruby’s hand, she turned and slid the door shut. She turned checking Ruby’s reaction. Cause, it was a tack room.

Ruby's fingers had reached up, touching the bridles where they were hanging on the wall opposite where the saddles were stacked. Of the two tack rooms they had this one tended to be the most open. The saddles, bridles, some of the lead ropes, a few pairs of riding boots, a couple of buckets, that sort of thing. The feed and more bulky equipment were stored in the tack room next door.

“I know it’s not, fancy, but I downloaded a few movies. And there’s no microwave, so no popcorn, but there’s apples, some granola, and I brought a thermos of hot chocolate?” Skye’d spent most of her morning shoving some fresh bales of hay into a square and throwing some of the blankets from the garage for camping in the backyard over the top. She’d even gotten the twinkle lights hung up around the edges of the room.

Ruby turned, looking at her, a teasing expression on her face and lilt to her voice. “Movies?”

Skye huffed at the implication of that, lips twitching in amusement. “Yes actually, and uh, mostly just downloaded every wolf movie I could find. Tried to focus on documentaries? But I did grab a couple of animated ones and a few werewolf ones.”

“You downloaded wolf movies for me?” Ruby’s voice was soft, tipping up in pitch.

Her face felt hot. “Well, you said you liked them. I thought it’d be a good idea?”

Ruby’s reached up, her fingers brushing loose hair out of Skye’s face, behind her ear. She was looking at her like she was special. Ruby’s hands cupped either side of her face, and then she was kissing her.

With a sigh, Skye’s eyes fluttered shut as she opened her mouth. The hot press of Ruby’s tongue sent a shiver down her spine. One of her hands reached out and tightened against Ruby’s hip, the other touching Ruby’s elbow. Everything just didn’t matter as her world narrowed to Ruby Lucas.

There was something charged in how she was being touched. One of Ruby’s hands trailed from her cheek to her chest, gripping and tightening around the lapel of her coat. Using the hold, Ruby pulled them even closer. Skye gasped as Ruby adjusted the angle of their heads, her lungs burning for air.

Ruby’s grip on her coat loosened, and then her fingers were unbuttoning the top button.

Her fingers slipped under Ruby’s blouse. The smooth skin under the pads of her fingers was nearly enough for her to miss Ruby’s other hand moving to work on getting her coat unbuttoned. Her hand on Ruby’s elbow reached up, barely hesitating as she cupped Ruby’s breast.

It was addicting.

There was something surprising, but that suited her in whatever her body wash and perfume was. It was something almost earthy? Whatever it was, it was something Skye was rapidly associating with the burning sensation of Ruby and wandering hands. The rapid thudding of her heart was so hard it felt like she could feel it all the way to her fingertips.

Ruby’s fingers reached up, pushing Skye’s coat off her shoulders.

It got a sound of complaint from her, as she quickly moved, pulling her arms out of the sleeve so it could fall away. Her eyes felt heavy-lidded as she opened them enough to realize Ruby was shucking off her own jacket. And then Ruby’s fingers caught the bottom of her blouse and pulling it up.

Skye’s eyes widened. Oh. That was…she hadn’t been angling for that exactly, but it felt like a shot of electricity.

Was she supposed to take off her shirt? Or vest over her shirt and then her shirt. Probably? That felt right?

Her fingers fumbled as they got to the buttons on the vest she was wearing over her blouse. Why was she wearing so many things that had buttons?. She wasn’t entirely sure about how to do this in a way that looked good? There were ways to do that, but they all vanished from her head like smoke.

It didn’t matter, though as Ruby’s eyes raked over her. And well, Skye was proud of how she looked. Those hours in the gym did pay off.

“Oh wow,” Ruby reached out, her hand sliding across bare skin along Skye’s bare side, leaving goosebumps in her wake. She pulled her closer, brushing her nose against Skye’s.

Skye shivered at the feeling of the stable air, it wasn’t exactly heated in here. But even as her breathing picked up, she felt the warmth radiating from Ruby. She leaned forward, her lips pressing against the edge of Ruby’s jaw in the way that Skye had realized in the woods after the mine thing got the best sounds out of Ruby.

Sure enough, Ruby’s breath caught in her throat with a high-pitched note.

Smiling against Ruby’s skin she grazed her teeth against her neck, fingers running along Ruby’s surprisingly wiry frame. It was different and new how their skin was pressed together.

Ruby’s fingers caught the front of Skye’s pants, pulling her backward and further into the tack stall, kicking off her shoes with stumbling steps. “Skye.”

It was a bit of a mess, but Skye didn’t want to stop. The exact opposite of that. She felt kinda drunk, or what she figured being drunk felt like. She felt daring, desperate. Her fingers slipped up Ruby’s back till they hit the fabric of Ruby’s bra. It only took one hand to unhook it. She traced her lips across Ruby’s shoulder as she hesitantly, and then more confidently, pulled the straps off.

“You and teeth,” Ruby panted as her fingers shifted, hooking at the center and popping open the front button.

Skye couldn’t help laughing and nipped at Ruby’s shoulder, smug feeling at the way it had Ruby’s breath catching. “Me? You’re the one who's really into it.”

One of Ruby’s hands caught Skye’s face, guiding her up and kissing her all tongue and teeth.

Skye didn’t care that her mouth had to be a mess from Ruby’s lipstick, just pressing closer to her at the feeling of her jeans’ zipper being pulled down. There was a nervous hitch in her breathing. Oh god, this would be so much easier if Ruby was a guy. The mechanics sounded easier. But also, she didn’t want Ruby to be anyone but Ruby.

Kicking off her shoes, she pulled back slightly, one hand pressing against Ruby’s shoulder. “Wait.”

Ruby pulled back instantly, green eyes blown with arousal, looking at her anxiously. “Skye? What’s wrong?”

“I--uh--haven’t done this with a girl before?” Or anyone, but that felt incredibly uncool to admit. Especially when she didn’t want to spook Ruby; she ached she wanted this so much, even if she hadn’t been planning or expecting it.

“Oh,” Ruby smiled, wrapping her arms around Skye’s shoulders. “Kind of same, actually.”

Huh, Skye hadn’t expected that. She breathed out, leaning into Ruby’s touch. “Is it bad that’s kinda comforting and terrifying at the same time?”

Ruby’s laughter was bright and high. “I don’t think that’s bad? I think we can figure it out.” Her lips pressed a kiss against her cheekbone. “If that’s ok with you?”

“So ok.” Skye giggled at the ridiculousness of it all against her. “Also, how am I supposed to get those pants off you? They look painted on.”

Giggles so hard Ruby snorted answered her.

Chapter Text

Ruby couldn’t stop playing with Skye’s hair. It was wavy and long once it was out of the braid she always wore her hair in. There was something intimate about it that made her feel like she had to be glowing, and not just from the orgasms. Everything about today felt too amazing to be a dream.

“Is there something in my hair?” Skye had a soft smile on her lips as her eyes flicked up at her.

“It's pretty.” Ruby played with a tendril of it. And because she could, she ducked forward, kissing Skye’s lips.

Skye kissed back before letting her head drop back onto where she’d folded her arm beneath her head. Lying on her side, she was smiling as she looked at her. “How bad’s the damage?”

Ruby’s brow furrowed slightly. “Damage?”

Her free hand came up, her thumb swiping gently just below Ruby’s lower lip. “The lipstick. You’re smudged, but I’ve got a feeling I’ve got a lot on me.” She didn’t look put out about that at all.

And well, Ruby was kinda feeling smug about how much reddish pink lipstick staining she’d left on Skye. She laughed, “There wouldn’t happen to be a sink in here somewhere?”

Skye gave a slight huff. “Shockingly, yeah, there’s a bathroom at the other end of the stable.”

“I’ll figure out how to keep from marking you up every time.” Ruby smiled, touching the pink staining on Skye’s face. It was funny that she hadn’t thought of doing that before. That…it didn’t feel like it’d been a problem before, a thought that vanished from her head, it wasn’t important when Skye was looking at her like that, looking gorgeous and happy. “You are kind of adorable all mussed up, though.”

“You’re terrible.” Skye’s eyes were smiling. “You know, this is not how I planned on today going.”

Ruby flushed at that. She didn’t know how to explain how much Skye’s thoughtfulness had made her want to happy cry or something. The way being around Skye just made her happier than she could remember. “You’re sweet, how was I supposed to resist that?” Especially when something down to her bones had rang with how right it felt.

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Skye’s leg, where it was hooked over Ruby’s, pulled her slightly closer. “I would have worn something with fewer buttons if I’d known this is how this was going to go, though.”

“I don’t know, I think I like the buttons.” Ruby was delighted. “Your vest was cute.”

“Hmm.” Skye clearly didn’t get how devastatingly pretty she was after being unbuttoned out of her posh outfit. How pulling her out of her layers felt special. “Cute huh? That wasn’t exactly the reaction I was going for.”

Ruby smiled, leaning in and kissing Skye more insistently this time. Everything was just gleeful as she rolled Skye under her, her thigh sliding between Skye’s legs just right as she pressed into her.

One of those soft little hums of pleasure slipped past Skye’s lips. She was quiet, all soft pants and hums in her pleasure. A thing Ruby was going to treasure the memory of till the day she died. And a thing she was delighted to know. She pushed up enough to look down at Skye’s face, smug satisfaction at how she was looking up at her. “You’re handsome sometimes, but the buttons really are cute.”

Skye snorted as her hand pressed at the small of Ruby’s back, the other catching Ruby’s free hand, entwining their fingers. “Cute huh? Biting and buttons. I’m getting a picture of what you’re into, you goof.”

“Like what?” Ruby was delighted at the angle of questions. The embarrassment had mostly worn off about just how good it felt every time Skye’s teeth touched near her jaw or neck.

“I think you’re fishing Ms. Lucas.” Skye leaned up, kissing her, before dropping back slightly. “That’s very daring of you, I don’t think you have ground to stand on about me being cute when your smile is that pretty.” Skye's eyes were warm.

Ruby’s cheeks burned as she leaned down, hiding her face against Skye’s neck. Her movement had pressed her leg more firmly against Skye, another of those soft breaths escaping her. And Ruby, she was going to be addicted to those, and happy about it. She pressed an open-mouthed kiss against Skye. “Want to?”

Skye’s hand that had been against her back, slid into Ruby’s hair. “God yes.” And then she was dragging their mouths back together while rolling her hips up.

It was as if Ruby’d been made to be like this with her, it felt so right.

Ruby laughed as she bit into the slice of apple. “You downloaded Balto?”

“What’s wrong with Balto?” Skye asked, bumping their shoulders together.

It was a shame they’d bothered to pull on underwear and at least their shirts before settling in with the laptop and under a couple of the blankets Skye’d stacked on the hay bales.

“Nothing’s wrong with Balto, just, he’s a husky, not a wolf.” Ruby pressed a kiss to the tip of Skye’s nose. “A very heroic husky.”

“Is that a no to watching it? Cause as you can see there’s options.” Skye picked up her thermos lid, she was using it as a cup for the admittedly lukewarm hot chocolate. She had a teasing expression.

Ruby was a bit too happy as she settled next to Skye, snuggling against her. “Nope, that’s a let’s watch Balto.” Nothing sounded better than snuggling with Skye and watching a movie with lukewarm hot chocolate and apple slices.

Skye shifted slightly, eyes checking her face. “Are you sure? We can watch whatever you want if it was a silly idea.”

“It's the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.” Ruby was kind of awed about it. Just how much thought had gone into everything, that Skye’d so clearly listened to her and cared to do all of it for her. “It’s perfect.”

Skye’s face lit up.

Ruby’s hands tightened where they were holding Skye’s coat, keeping her pulled against her. She didn’t want to let go. “When can I see you again?”

“Tomorrow,” Skye kissed her. “I can meet you behind the diner in the morning again.”

“Good.” Ruby was a really big fan of Skye’s morning runs, meaning it was a prime chance for them to sneak in a bit of time together. “You could come by after my shift?”

“Finals are next week.” Skye hummed, staying leaning against her, keeping Ruby pressed against the side of her red car. “I could make a case for studying in the diner after dinner? Stay till after close?”

Ruby smiled, kissing Skye again. Only terrible thing was the layers between them, and that she couldn’t physically pull Skye even closer. And she was too pleased to stop smiling, too wide to kiss Skye properly. A contented rumbly feeling in her chest.

With a quiet hum, Skye tilted her head, her nose brushing against Ruby’s as their mouths parted. “We have to go.”

It was unfair that that was true. Already, she was going to be late for the closing shift she’d agreed to in exchange for the morning and afternoon off. “We do.” Ruby didn’t move, so she could actually get in her car, just pulling their mouths together again. Granny could yell at her.

////

Regina tapped her finger against the side of her tumbler of cider. She hadn’t been expecting insubordination from both of her children. At least Henry was playing video games where he should be. She heard the front door opening. She adjusted her posture in the chair she was in. “You’re home late.”

Skye came to a screeching stop in the hall just outside her study door. Guilty expression on her face. “Hi, Mom.”

“You missed dinner.” Regina was unused to rebellion from Skye. She also was unsure of if this was rebellion? Whatever it was, it was new. She didn’t like it.

Skye brushed some of her loose hair behind one ear. “Just lost track of time at the stables. Are there leftovers in the fridge?”

Regina tapped at her tumbler. “Your plate is in the oven to keep it warmer.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Skye turned, trotting off for the kitchen.

Well, that at least was quite predictable. Both of her children were walking stomachs that devoured food like living black holes. If this land weren’t without magic, Regina would have suspicions.

Regina sipped at her cider. Standing up, she walked toward her home office. She was going to need Sidney to dig deeper. Perhaps it was time she bugged Snow’s loft? No, both of her children would object to that.

Although... Emma was a deputy now. And it was only right the newest employee at the station worked some night shifts. That could solve her Henry sneaking off problem if the person he was sneaking off to see was asleep when he was awake. That had promise. And neither of her children could be annoyed about work shift assignments.

Not that that would stop Henry, but she could squash those protests.

Plan in place, she headed for the phone. She needed to speak with Graham then. He tended to be more reasonable, even if he did insist on defying her occasionally. Nothing requiring her to go pull his heart out of its box and insist, but annoying nonetheless.

Maybe she could frame Emma working nights as an opportunity for her to financially stabilize now that she was living in town? The night shift pay bump wasn’t significant, but it wasn’t non-existent either. Possibilities.

Regina checked the clock and sighed. Rolling her neck, she set her things aside, standing up. There was a twinge in her shoulder. It really was unfortunate the curse hadn’t given someone the job of running a spa.

As she walked through the house, she turned off the lights. A faint approval at the sight of a loaded dishwasher. The sounds of her children came from the basement. It wasn’t hard to imagine what they were up to.

Sure enough, as she walked down the stairs, she found them in the family room, that Mario car racing game on the tv. The two of them were elbowing and shoving at each other as they stayed locked onto their race.

Regina leaned her shoulder against the wall, just watching them. There was a crow of victory from Henry as he clearly sabotaged his sister with some item. She smiled. This was how things should be. And perhaps…at least tonight, leaving them be for an extra half hour wouldn’t be the end of the world.

She entered the room and took a seat on one end of the couch, a deliberate two feet between her and her children. The shoving this game inspired did not discriminate.

“Hey, Mom!” Skye’s smile was bright as she glanced at her before her eyes snapped back to the screen.

“No fair! How’d you get red shells?!” Henry yelped.

Skye let out what could only be a cackle. “Eat it.”

Regina sighed, “Children.”

////

Ruby groaned as she flipped the sign on the door to ‘closed’. She knew what was coming.

“Ruby!” Granny came bustling out of the kitchen with the dish tub, setting it down with a bang on the counter. “You were late, I thought you were cleaning up your act?”

“I’m here, I just got delayed.” By how distractingly happy being around Skye Mills made her.

Granny looked at her. “I don’t know what wastrel you spend all day with. But you have responsibilities.”

Ruby huffed, grabbing the tub. “I’ll just clear the tables like I already was going to.”

“I thought you helping that Ashley girl was a sign you were finally growing up. You even managed to cover more than five square inches of skin.” Granny shook her head in disappointment.

Which burned, but Granny didn’t understand. She wouldn’t like it if she knew what was going on, but… “It’s not like that.”

Granny’s look was disbelieving. “I’m sure. Next time, remember to check you don’t have straw in your hair.” She turned bustling back into the back.

Ruby’s face flushed, hand shooting up, and sure enough, her fingers landed on a piece of staw exactly where Granny’s eyes had glared. She pulled it out, and her heart kind of thudded at the sight of it. She bit at her lip…not even the cloud of Granny’s disappointment could dent her mood. After all, Granny was wrong. Skye wasn’t like any of the usual suspects who made passes at her.

Ruby had a bounce in her step as she floated up to Ashley’s room and knocked lightly. She hopped up onto the balls of her feet with excitement. Sure enough, her ears just caught the muffled ”Ruby?” from the other side.

She opened up the door, poking her head in, beaming at the sight of her friend sitting up in bed, her night school books open on her lap. “Hey!”

Ashley smiled at her. “I take it your date was a good one?”

“So good!” Ruby closed the door behind her before b-lining to the bassinet and cooing. “How’s my goddaughter doing? Hi there princess.” She reached out, gently touching one sleepy little cheek.

Lexie groggily blinked at her before letting out a big yawn.

“Refusing to sleep, but not crying either.” Ashley sighed, her expression adoring as she looked at her daughter.

Ruby beamed, stroking Lexie’s cheek with one finger. She was so tiny! “I’m going to miss the princess when you move into the new place.”

“I’ll be glad to have our own space without depending on your grandmother’s charity.” Ashley said with a soft sound.

She looked up at her friend with a smile. “I hope you’re not planning on disappearing for months.”

“Don’t worry, Lexie will need her godmother time so Mommy can take a nap sometimes.” The dark circles under Ashley’s eyes were noticeable.

Ruby bopped Lexie on her nose and then flopped across the foot of the bed. “I think I’m in love.”

Ashley giggled. “Really? What did Skye do for a date for you two?”

“The address she sent me was the town stables. Did you know we had stables in town?” Because Ruby hadn’t known that. “It was huge!”

“I didn’t actually.” Ashley blinked. “Wait, she took you riding? But it was raining?”

Ruby smiled, she felt deliriously happy. “The plan was to go riding, but she set things up for a movie date if it rained or I didn’t like horses.”

“That’s sweet.” Ashley was looking at her curiously, but clearly not getting how ‘sweet’ it had been.

“She set the whole thing up, there was a stall next to the horses with like saddles and things in it. And she put up those twinkle light strands, and set up the bales of hay with all these blankets, and downloaded just every wolf movie ever, and she had hot chocolate.” Ruby’s heels kicked slightly where they were hanging off the side of the bed. “I got to meet her horse, his name is Pebbles, and he’s the sweetest boy. This adorable splotchy grey color. And just…it was perfect.”

Ashley’s smile was conspiring as she poked at her side with her toes. “You missed half your shift. How many movies did you two watch?”

Ruby bit her lip, looking at her friend. “One.”

“No?!” Ashley giggled, poking her slightly harder. “Did you let Mills Jr. seduce you?”

She giggled along with her friend. “Nope, I did the seducing.”

“You dog!” Ashley tossed a balled-up sheet of paper at her. “You didn’t!”

Ruby knew she had to be glowing, she was so happy. “I did.” Her cheeks hurt from how much she was smiling.

“A stable?” Ashley was clearly delighted.

She bit her lip. “I couldn’t help it. She was just---so sweet.”

Her friend reached out, taking her hand, squeezing it gently, not the death grip of labor. “So it was good?”

Ruby grinned. “Really good. Also, I know I don’t have a day off the rest of the week, but she’s going to study for her finals at the diner so we can still see each other.”

“I’m really happy for you.” Ashley tightened her hold on Ruby’s hand in sincerity and then looked considering. “Is it bad to use you to get Skye to help me with this homework? She’s scary smart at school stuff.”

“Hand it here, I’ll see if I can help you.” Ruby made a ‘gimme’ gesture at Ashley.

Ashley handed her her book.

She stared at the open page. Ah, that was geometry. Ruby looked at her friend. “So, I’m happy to throw myself on the altar of making out with Skye till she’s crazy enough to help you with this.”

Both of them burst into giggles.

Ruby was tired as she dragged her feet into her room. She looked around her room, and it felt…comfortable instead of cloying for the first time in…she didn’t know how long. It was easy to forget that she did love Granny and that the inn and diner and it all just felt like home.

She opened up her dresser and started pulling out her pajamas. Once she lay down, she could just feel she was going to be out like a light. A soft, contented smile was on her face as she pulled off her clothing. The soft fabric of her pajamas was going to be welcome.

Yawning, she pulled on her comfortable pajama top, before leaning over and opening up her ancient laptop. She wiggled the mouse, waiting for it to wake up. As it loaded, she straightened up and pulled on the soft flannel pajama pants.

She dropped onto the squeaky swivel chair in front of her desk, her elbows leaning on the desk top. Pulling up a webpage, she yawned again. Just one quick search, and then she was going to bed. Her eyes flicked to where her phone had buzzed.

Picking it up, she slid it open, pulling up the text that’d come through. She bit her lip, her chest feeling like it would burst from happiness. There from Skye was a picture of a wolfpup with a flower in its mouth.

Today was pretty perfect.

Chapter Text

Emma held open the door to the diner for Mary Margaret. “There’s got to be somewhere in this town to get out and do something?” Her friend needed a distraction from the married comma guy. Cause that had heartbreak written all over it.

“There’s the Rabbit Hole?” Mary Margaret offered as she walked in. “Hi, Ruby!”

Ruby had a lollipop in her mouth as she walked over, two menus in hand. “Just the two of you tonight?”

Emma nodded. “Had to get out of the house.”

“It is nice to see people who aren’t fourth graders.” Mary Margaret admitted. She smiled at Ruby. “How have you been, Ruby?”

“Really good, how’s the first full week of being a deputy treating you?” Ruby’s eyes gave Emma a casual sweep, with a teasing smile that probably gave most guys ideas.

Emma sat down at Mary Margaret’s usual table since it was open. “Change of pace from bail bond work.” She noted a very specific brunette at the counter surrounded by books and a laptop. A brunette who was pointing at a notebook with a pencil that was in front of Ashley Boyd. “Is Ashley and her baby doing ok?”

“Sean’s got the baby at the moment.” Ruby’s voice had a bite in saying ‘Sean’. “But yeah, they’re doing really good.” She reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. “Here, I’ve got photos of the princess.”

“Oh! I can’t wait to see her!” Mary Margaret leaned forward excitedly.

And well, just for that, this had been worth it. Emma was a bit less interested in baby pics than her friend…friends? She was still getting used to having one friend.

Ashley had clearly spotted them. She stood up, walked over, a happy expression on her face. “Emma!” Her eyes landed on Mary Margaret and Ruby. “Oh, are you showing her the photos!” She bent over Mary Margaret’s other shoulder. “I love that one!”

Ruby nodded excitedly. “Look at the little booties on her feet!”

“Oh, she’s darling, Ashley!” Mary Margaret immediately agreed, cooing over the photos.

Was Emma old? She suddenly felt old, realizing she was the oldest one at the table, and she really felt it in that moment, watching the others coo over baby pics. She glanced around the diner, it wasn’t busy, but there were a couple of other tables that had people. And it was interesting that Skye had chosen to stay at her seat at the bar.

It wasn’t lost on her that it was the seat next to where a certain waitress would spend most of her time.

Emma barely kept from snorting at that. Teens were terrible at subtlety sometimes. Especially since it was more than just a random hook-up she’d interrupted at the mine if Skye Mills was lingering around Ruby’s workstation with enough books to justify her presence for hours.

She picked up her glass of water, hiding her smile against the plastic as Mary Margaret, Ruby, and Ashley gushed over baby pictures. It’d been a great idea to drag Mary Margaret out of the loft for this. A human couldn’t just socialize with ten-year-olds. Emma already had no idea how Mary Margaret did it for a full workday, five days a week.

“How are you healing from giving birth?” Mary Margaret looked up at Ashley, all sugary sweet concern. It’d be horrifying if it weren’t completely and utterly sincere.

“It’s a lot worse than they tell you.” Ashley sighed. “But I’m healing.”

Ruby’s nose had wrinkled. “I think helping you has put me off having babies for a decade, at least.”

The days after giving birth to Henry had been hell. For a lot of reasons. “Did you think to steal some of the hospital diaper things they have?”

“Well, didn’t steal, but the nurse snuck some to me.” Ashley paused. “How long does it take before it all just…stops being terrible?”

Emma knew her expression wasn’t comforting. “You’re not going to start feeling something like healed up for two months.” She winced slightly. “If you can get a heating pad for your stomach, it’ll help.”

Ashley sighed. “Well, at least I have a Sean. He’s watching Lexie so I can at least be out of bed for a little bit till she needs to nurse again.” She pushed some of her hair back. “Nightschool was not that understanding about giving birth.”

“I could call, have a word with them. I have a badge and everything.” Emma offered.

Ruby shot her a besieging look. “Please do. She’s already banned Skye from glaring them into submission.”

Emma’s brow rose slightly at the dreamy lilt at the end of that. Well, she knew how to get rid of any older sister hovering when Emma got windows of time with Henry. Just take them in Ruby’s vague direction, and that’d probably take care of it. “I could drive you to class sometime, make sure the badge is extra shiny on my hip?” She held Ashley’s eyes.

Ashley started tearing up. “You’re all just being so nice.”

“Oh, ok, we’re crying again.” Ruby leaned into Ashley, one hand squeezing her shoulder, the other rubbing circles against her back.

It never dawned on Emma that sitting in prison medical, and then later lying curled by herself on her bunk, had preserved some of her dignity. Not that she’d felt like she had any. She was happy for Ashley to have found support. Even if it was uncomfortable to see.

“Here, you’re doing so good.” Mary Margaret offered up a napkin to Ashley.

“Ruby! You have orders! Granny called from the window.

Ruby groaned, rolling her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’ll be back for your orders in a few minutes.” And then she was marching toward the window. “Granny! I was with customers!”

“Feeling better?” Emma asked as she dunked her piece of fried fish into some tartar sauce.

“I am.” Mary Margaret smiled at her. “Thank you for getting me to come out around everyone. And it’s so wonderful Ashley is doing well.”

Emma bit into her fish with a satisfying crunch, nodding in agreement about Ashley. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ruby moving from where she’d been pretending she wasn’t holding Skye’s hand behind the counter, swanning off with a pointed wink. Shaking her head, Emma picked up her soda. “So any ideas on what could help distract Henry?”

“Need help getting him off the fairy tales?” Mary Margaret hummed knowingly. “Well, he was always very interested in comic books.”

She let her elbows rest on the table. “And that’s not going to accidentally convince him you’re secretly Lois Lane?”

Mary Margaret laughed softly. “Wouldn’t that be something, can you image? I’d die of fright if someone threw me from a building.” She had a playful smile. “But are you sure he wouldn’t decide you might be Supergirl? You’ve got the hair.”

“That’s a horrifying thought. He’d try and get me to catch a car or something.” Emma could admit the fairy tale thing could be a lot worse.

“I shiver to think of what he’d come up with. He really is a bright boy, but a bit willful.” Mary Margaret smiled knowingly.

“A bit?” Emma knew better. Henry had far too much of her and Neal. Too much for even Regina to stamp out. Though neither of them had ever been imaginative, but they hadn’t had kind enough lives for it to be possible.

“Maybe more than a bit.” Mary Margaret admitted, before spearing at her salad with a fork.

He was a sweet kid. “He’s smarter than I was at that age.”

Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t think that’s true at all.” She hummed. “He’s just had advantages, I think it’s safe to say you haven’t. That is hardly your fault.”

Emma tipped her head slightly, no interest in arguing the point. She paused slightly, unsurprisingly, Skye’d just gotten off her seat and was slipping right back through where Ruby’d gone earlier. If Emma were a betting woman, she’d have won money on that.

“What is it?” Mary Margaret turned in her seat, looking for what had Emma’s attention.

“Don’t look.” Emma caught Mary Margaret’s hand, laugh in her voice. “Just some nonsense that probably shouldn’t hit the small-town gossip circuit.”

Mary Margaret looked at her brow with a funny little furrow as she leaned in. “What does Skye sneaking into the back have to do with gossip?”

Emma widened her eyes slightly, gesturing for Mary Margaret to think about it.

“Wait, you said you found her-- Oh. Oh.” Mary Margaret blinked. “Wait, if she’s up to that now who…Ruby.”

She tapped her lips with one finger.

Mary Margaret blinked. “I wouldn’t have expected that. You’re sure?”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Emma dunked her fish back into tartar sauce, a smug twitch of her lips. “Did you know Henry thinks she’s Mulan?”

“That… makes sense actually.” Mary Margaret said the surprise of the shenanigans fading. “You should see her in the school gym. She and the gym teacher have been really sparring this week. She’s very good.”

Emma raised a brow at that. “You’re interested in sports?”

Mary Margaret’s eyes were slightly glassy as she seemed to ponder that. “No,” She brightened again. “But it's not hard to tell they’re both very good when you see how fast they go.”

////

Henry organized his backpack. Yawning, he frowned.

“Hey, you want a ride to school?” Skye called from the doorway.

He looked up. “And avoid the bus? Yes.”

Skye had a smile as she huffed. “Come on, I need to talk to Coach Jim before his first class.”

Henry’s nose wrinkled. Go to school early, or take the bus? He slung his backpack over his shoulder. It wasn’t like he had friends to ride the bus with. “Are we going now?”

“Yeah, if you’re ready.” He grabbed the thumb drive with fairy tale research on it, pocketing it as he trotted out after his sister. Their mom might try and seize the book once Skye was gone, best to hide it. Following on after he noted Skye was in her running clothing, but was…not sweaty? He frowned, looking at her. “Did you not run this morning?”

“Just got back from my run.” She reached out, ruffling his hair.

“But you’re not sweaty?” He paused to pull on his shoes and grab his coat off the hook.

Skye dropped his scarf over his shoulders. “It’s cold out, less sweating.”

He frowned, “You don’t have to lie to me.”

“I’m not-” Skye cut off, turning to look over her shoulder. “Mom, I’m taking Henry to school.”

…she was lying to mom?

“Drive safe, and if you could pick up eggs at the store on the way home, dear.” Regina called from the kitchen. “And Henry, no Emma today, Stan called from the stable, you owe him an hour helping with the stalls.”

“Ok, bye, mom!” Henry was too excited about finding out what his sister was up to to feel bad about having to muck stalls instead of work on Operation Cobra. He turned on his heel and jogged out for Skye’s car.

Normally, he’d be a bit gleeful about getting the passenger seat without fighting for it. But he needed to hide his thumb drive in the car, and Skye wouldn’t look in the backseat of her own car. Henry climbed right into the backseat.

Pulling out his thumb drive, he stuck it in the back pocket behind the driver’s seat. Henry squinted. Flattening on his stomach across the backseat, he reached down and snagged the red thing just sticking out from under the passenger seat.

A red hat? Since when did Skye wear hats?

Face scrunched from effort, he felt around for anything else. At least Skye kept her car clean since mom grounded her a few years ago for it being sticky from soda. He fumbled, his fingers touching something cool and smooth to the touch. Sitting up, he looked at it. It didn’t look like Skye’s lipstick tube. She was more of a gloss person? She'd bribed him to practice on him after all.

He pulled off the lid, looking at it. It was really red?

Henry stuck the lid back on, quickly sticking it and the hat into his backpack before Skye could get to the car. He was going to figure out what she was getting up to. Skye almost never lied to Mom. And he could poke around the stable. Stan had to have talked to her. She usually talked to Stan if she was there at the same time as him.

Opening the door, Skye stuck her head in. “What are you doing in the back?”

“Wanted to ride back here.” Henry did his innocent face.

Skye’s eyes squinted at him suspiciously. “Fine, have it your way, weirdo.”

“Great! What do you need to talk to Coach Jim about?” It was probably boring fencing plans for the break. But it wasn’t like Storybrooke did school breaks, or summers, or whatnot. It all just kinda blurred altogether. Coach would be in the gym five days a week for her whole break.

“I’m getting some new saber grips and blades while I’m at University. Mine are getting a bit worn, but they’re probably good enough for gym glass.”

That made sense, Skye had so much fencing gear. It was like half her closet. “Do I have to go with you to the gym?”

Skye shot a look at him in the rearview mirror as she started up the car. “No? But it’ll probably be more interesting than sitting in your classroom for forty minutes.”

That was fair, but Mary Margaret would be there early, and she was in on Operation Cobra. She could pass on to Emma that he couldn’t see her today. Also, she might know about the red lipstick that wasn’t Regina's or Skye’s shade. Not that Skye really wore lipstick. His nose wrinkled. He knew too much about makeup. “I think I’ll just read. I got some new Green Lantern comics yesterday.”

“Oh, speaking of, do you want me to pick up any for you while I’m out of town? The shop usually is a few weeks ahead on publications than Storybrooke.” Skye asked.

He beamed. “I’ve got thirty-five dollars! Do you think you could find Young Justice?”

“Good morning, Henry. You’re here early?” Mary Margaret greeted as she pulled her hat and jacket off as she came through the door into her classroom.

“Morning!” Henry smiled, setting his comic aside. “I have news for Operation Cobra!”

Mary Margaret set her lunch box on her desk. “Am I included in Operation Cobra?”

Henry sighed at yet another person core to the operation, not realizing that. “You gave me the book. Of course, you are.” He reached into the bag and pulled out the hat and lipstick. “Skye is up to something, and we need to figure it out.”

Mary Margaret walked over. “I’m sure it’s nothing terrible.” She paused. “Henry, why did you steal Ruby’s hat? I know you know better than to keep stealing things.”

He looked down at the hat. It was Ruby’s shade of red. And so was the lipstick. But that was. “Why would Skye have Ruby’s hat and lipstick in her car?” Looking back up, he paused at the suddenly frozen expression on Mary Margaret’s face.

“That’s—” Mary Margaret plastered a smile on her face. “I’m sure it's just because she’s been helping with Ashley and her baby.”

The lie wasn’t worth paying attention to. Adults lied all the time. The thing was figuring out what they were hiding. “It’s not Ashley’s things.” He paused. “Emma was asking about Skye liking girls.” He saw the look of guilty alarm on Mary Margaret’s face. “Skye’s in love with Ruby?!”

“I don’t know that for sure, Henry. And if she’s not ready to tell anyone-”

“Regina can’t find out.” Henry looked at her. “This is amazing”

Mary Margaret looked at him curiously. “That’s an…unexpected reaction?”

Henry really did despair for grown-ups. They really did miss the most obvious things. “If Skye’s ‘True Love’ is Ruby, then she’ll have to realize mom is evil.”

“Henry, I know it would be very nice if your sister is in love. Finding someone and being in love is a very special thing. But finding the one can involve kissing a lot of frogs. It’s-”

“Ruby’s not a frog.” Henry interrupted. Adults really did not grasp things sometimes. “She’s Little Red Riding Hood.”

Mary Margaret sighed. “I know, Ruby is very nice. But sometimes even when it’s two very nice people, it just isn’t meant to be. Until your sister and Ruby are ready for you to know, it’s very important we don’t say anything. Do you understand, Henry?”

As if he’d say anything, Regina might find out. “I won’t say anything. I promise.” But he couldn’t wait to tell Emma. This was excellent. “I wonder if they were true loves in the forest and it's just not in the book, or if they just never met in the forest?” This way Ruby could undo whatever curse or spell Regina had Skye under! It was going to be great!

Chapter Text

Ruby’s fingers absently clicked the needles together in a near-mindless repetition. The yarn was the softest cotton as she gently wound it together. “So your comparative politics final exam was to write a three page essay in one sitting with no outside help, but you still had to cite things?”

-”It wasn’t that bad. And the prof gave us the subject.”- Skye laughed on the other end of the line.

“Why do I have a feeling that you are underselling how hard that was?” Ruby grinned at the idea of Skye trying to show off for her.

-”Maybe. A bit. But I did study for it which helps. A thing, I think about a quarter of my classmates didn’t from the post exam agonies.”

She hooked a look of yarn easily over the needle. “Post exam agonies?”

Skye hummed. -”The ritual ‘oh no, I’m going to fail’ and ‘it was so hard’ and ‘why was the exam like that’ and just general regret about not putting a few more hours into the books.”-

“A thing you’re immune to, naturally.” Ruby had maybe been slightly jealous of how much actual studying Skye’d been doing at the diner. Also saw her notes that could be called ‘terrifying’.

-”Naturally. Can you imagine telling my mom about a bad grade? I had actual nightmares about that as a kid. It’s motivating.”- Skye’s voice was matter of fact.

That was…really sad actually. “I don’t think you’re mom would care if you got a bad grade. She might kill the teacher who dared, though.”

There was a snicker. -”I can see it, probably a good thing that Henry doesn’t get less than a B on anything, even when he’s not trying.”- Her voice softened, the humor fading. -”I got straight Cs on my first report card in Storybrooke, you know? Mom just went ‘a good start’ and put it on the fridge even if it wasn’t great.”-

“See, couldn’t disappoint your terrifying mom if you wanted to.” Ruby slowed in her knitting. “I can’t really imagine what that’d be like.”

-”You disappoint Granny on purpose though.”- Skye pointed out. -”And she loves you.”-

Ruby smiled to herself. “Yeah, she does, doesn’t she?”

-”If she finds out about me I’m half convinced she’ll pull a shotgun out from under the counter to chase me out with.”-

Laughing, she went back to knitting, the clickity clack comforting. “Don’t be silly, she doesn’t have a shotgun under the counter.”

-”Really?”-

“She has a crossbow under the counter.” Ruby teased, also well, Granny did have a crossbow under the counter.

There was a pause. -”Seriously?”

Ruby had a pleased wiggle at that. “Don’t tell me that’s enough to scare you off, Mills. Not going to white knight me up? Ride on your horse with a sword, brave the little old lady with a crossbow?”

-”Yeah, I don’t know. I think calling your Granny a ‘little old lady’ is slander. And a crossbow? Really?”-

“Possibly, and I don’t know why the crossbow. Granny’s just old school like that sometimes.”

////

Emma stared at Graham’s stupid, guilty puppy face. “Night shift? Really?”

“You get extra pay?” His shoulders were angled in apology. “If you do a month of it, you can come off. But it is technically on the books that new deputies have to spend a month on each shift. It’ll be slow, so you can learn the rules though.” His puppy face was doing the squinty thing of apology while insisting.

////

Ruby stared at the tiny little mother-in-law cottage, standing next to Sean. “Really?”

“It’s two bedrooms.” Sean defended.

“What, a bedroom and a closet?” Ruby didn’t think two actual bedrooms would fit in the tiny thing. If it was bigger than eight hundred square feet, she’d eat her shoes.

“It was this or beg Mr. Gold,” Sean said.

“Right, let’s see what we’re working with.” Anything involving Ashley going anywhere near Mr. Gold was out. Ruby agreed with Sean on that unquestionably. It was weird.

Sean pulled out the key, solemnly putting it into the lock and turning it. He walked in, looking around curiously.

Breathing in, Ruby followed him. Stepping in she could admit it wasn’t terrible but…those bedrooms were tiny. “I think we’re going to have to paint it before we can move you guys in?”

Sean hummed. “I can pick some up after work tomorrow. If you could help?” He looked at her. “I know you don’t have to. But it--”

“I’ll help. You’d probably paint Lexie’s room brown or something.” Ruby was almost surprised by how little venom was in her voice.

He actually laughed at that. “I would never.”

Ruby considered the room that was going to be Lexie’s. The white paint had yellowed with time. But nothing looked wrong with it exactly. Well, there was a lot of dust. “We should ask Ashley, but do you think a blue?”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Ruby had never yanked her phone out of her pocket so fast in her life. She gave Sean the middle finger for his stupid snickers while she answered. “Hey!”

-”Hey, can’t talk long, I have a meeting with my advisor in a minute. But I wanted to call. How are you doing?”-

And in a rush everything was wonderful. Ruby beamed. “Trying to convince Sean we should paint my goddaughter’s nursery blue.”

-”Not pink?”-

“I suppose pink is fine. But blue is just perfect for the little princess. Maybe it’s too old-fashioned?” Ruby considered.

Sean shook his head. “It’s classic, not old-fashioned. Tell Skye ‘hi’ for me.”

“Sean agrees with me for what that’s worth, but does say ‘hi’.” Ruby moved to poke around in the kitchen cabinets.

////

Henry stared at Coach Jim. “Do I have to?”

The man looked at him with that confused look adults got sometimes that silently said, ‘I thought you’d be like your sister’. “I know you are uninterested in joining the fencing team. But you do have to participate in class.”

He groaned and picked up a foil. It wasn’t even a proper sword. Shaking it, he sighed at the wobbling. “This isn’t even real sword fighting.”

“Go on,” Coach Jim pointed at his classmates who were in a line.

////

Skye taped up the box of some of her things so she didn’t have to do it later. A lot of her things would have to wait till after finals, but she needed to do something before she went over her notes one more fucking time.

“I thought you had a meeting with your advisor, again?” Katie remarked as she walked into their dorm room, unslinging her backpack as she talked.

“Tomorrow,” Skye added another book to her box.

Katie shook her head. “You’re insane.”

Skye glanced up at her. “Probably, but if we’re supposed to be making mistakes, I might as well make a few.”

“That’s supposed to be about boys, alcohol, and like wrecking a car or something.” Her roommate's exasperation was notable.

She shrugged, “Sure, but if that’s what’s expected, is it even rebellion?” Her phone buzzed. Grinning, she picked up, pulling up the text from Ruby.

“And I’ve lost you to that thing again. A year and a half of you barely using your phone, and now you’re glued to it.” Katie squinted at her.

Skye was smug as she looked at her roommate. “What? I thought you wanted me to be rebellious.”

////

Ruby was knitting in her room, feet up and slowly regaining feeling from a long day at work, phone on speaker and resting on the bed next to her. “So, I actually picked up some of those tourist brochures from town hall that nobody ever uses.”

-”Anything interesting?”- Skye’s voice was slightly distracted, which made sense, she was filling out flashcards at the moment on her end.

“Well, apparently, we have a lot of hiking trails. Which, I never knew we had those. But I was thinking, we could maybe go on a few?” Ruby wasn’t exactly an outdoorsy person. She could make an effort, though! It wasn’t like the arcade or The Rabbit Hole were options with Skye.

-”Sure, though I don’t know, do you play video games?”- Skye asked.

“No?” The clicking of Ruby’s needles paused as she looked at the phone. “Is that something you like?”

-”They’re fine, Henry’s into them, so I play sometimes. But I don’t know, it’d be nice to have something to do besides just nature. No offense to nature?”

Ruby smiled, lowering her knitting. “The inability to take you dancing is tragic.” The idea of being able to pull Skye close on a dance floor left her feeling hot. It’d be amazing.

-”I’ll take your word for it.”-

“What, no college frat parties with music so loud it blasts your ears and red solo cups?” Ruby ignored the flicker of dislike at the idea of Skye being anywhere near people who might try and steal her. It left an antsy feeling under her skin. Her fingers automatically went back to knitting, needing something to do.

-”That would require enough time to go to more than maybe two parties a semester. Also Hollywood really overestimates how much money and effort goes into those things.”-

“But the red solo cups are a real thing?” Ruby was enjoying the implication Skye wasn’t going to get wooed by some rich boy in a polo shirt whom her mom would actually approve of.

-”No, those are a real thing. They’re cheap and come in bulk.”- There was a pause. -”What is that clicking sound? It's in the background whenever we talk this late.”-

“Nothing!” Ruby’s face flushed in embarrassment, setting her knitting aside instantly like it was fire.

-”See, now you have to tell me. Come on, it can’t be that embarrassing?”-

Her face was unfairly warm. “It's not important.” There was a pointed silence from Skye. “Fine it just--I knit sometimes.”

Skye’s voice was kind. -”You knit? Like scarves and stuff?”-

“Yeah, sometimes I just kind of want to keep my hands busy. It’s silly.” Ruby knew it was an old lady hobby.

Skye didn’t laugh at her or tease her, her voice was just curious. -”What are you knitting right now?”-

It wasn’t a question she’d expected. Ruby glanced down where she’d dumped her knitting. “A baby blanket for Lexie.”

-”A baby blanket, huh? What’s it look like?”-

The genuine interest was a balm. Ruby hesitated, but she couldn’t help spilling everything to Skye. “It’s a Celtic cable blanket, the pattern wasn’t too expensive. I’m using baby blue and silver yarn. It’s fairly dense, so it has a little bit of weight to it. I just thought that would feel nicer, but not too dense it doesn’t have a good drape. And thinner needles to keep a tighter weave. It’s just so cold here this time of year, so I wanted it to be warmer.”

-”You should send me a picture, it sounds really cool.”- Skye said, and her words were just genuine.

Ruby smiled as she picked back up her knitting. “Maybe, I want to see your dorm room if I’m showing you knitting.”

Skye snorted. -”Done, you can know the horror of the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern poster my roommate has up. The eyes follow you, everywhere.”-

“Isn’t that movie terrible?” Ruby asked as she picked up her knitting again, quickly counting her loops before beginning to continue the pattern.

-”So bad. Henry’s review was ‘Yuck’. We got milkshakes at the diner, actually, after seeing it this summer.”-

////

Sean snapped the elastic strings holding his mask over his face. He only had a week to put in time to get the house ready for his family. After that, it had to be right. He was going to need to just work through most of the night. But Ruby would help Ashley. Just--- he needed to get this done.

Time to paint, and try not to get high off the fumes.

Sean startled at the sound of the door closing. “Ruby?”

“I brought coffee.” She sounded annoyed with him, but it was missing a lot of the bite.

He smiled through the exhaustion. “Thanks.” At this rate, she might like him before Lexie started high school.

////

Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin as she twisted with a yelp at the knock on her window. Her hand grabbed her desk lamp, ready to throw it at whoever it was, and then blinked. “Skye!?”

And there, on the other side of the window, definitely standing in one of Granny’s hydrangeas, a lopsided grin on her face, and a hand raised in a wave. Just stupidly cheerful like she wasn’t standing in a bush behind the inn at twilight. “Hi, gonna leave me out here? Her voice was muffled.

Dropping the lamp, she stumbled across her room to the window and yanked it up. She immediately ducked out and kissed Skye, her hands hooking around Skye’s neck. “What are you doing here?”

Skye laughed against her. “Think I can climb in?”

Ruby pulled back, not letting go of Skye, pulling slightly. “Of course, why are you in the bushes?”

Skye climbed in through the window; if realizing she’d made a mistake halfway through and grunting in alarm before crashing straight into the floor counted as ‘climbing’.

“Are you ok?” Ruby dropped down, hands fluttering across Skye, looking for damage.

Breathy giggles answered her as Skye rolled onto her knees. “I’m good, legs first, not head first if I try that again.” She kissed Ruby.

And Ruby, just kinda sighed as she melted into her.

”Ruby! What was that? Granny’s voice echoed as her heavy footsteps headed closer.

Ruby pulled back, making panicked eye contact with Skye. She grabbed Skye by the shoulders, hauling her to her feet, and walked her straight back and into her closet, shutting the door and turning just in time for Granny to open the door. “Granny!”

Granny’s eyes narrowed. “Are you alright, I heard something?”

There were good lies, she was not a great liar. “Bug.”

“A bug made that sound?” Granny couldn’t look more aware she was being told bullshit.

The crawling, burning awareness of how nothing but the thin, shitty closet door was hiding Skye behind her. “Was just trying to get it out.” The breeze from her window was cold and also felt a bit like salvation. “The window.”

“You were trying to get a bug out the window?” The dubious exhaustion from Granny couldn’t be more audible.

“Yes?” Ruby was really bad at lying, so bad.

Granny’s hands landed on her hips. “I want whoever you’re hiding in there out of your room in five minutes. I’ll be back.”

She winced as the door closed. That was…well she’d definitely been caught. Oh well, she could deal with an unhappy Granny later. She spun around, opening the closet door. “Skye, what are you doing here? I thought you got back tomorrow?” Her face was splitting with a bright smile.

Skye was clearly biting back laughter as she got out of the closet without knocking half of Ruby’s coats onto the ground. Her voice was a low whisper. “Sorry, and I got done with my last final and figured, why not?”

That was amazing. “So you came here?” Ruby looped her arms around Skye’s shoulders again.

“I wanted to see you.” Skye smiled. “And it felt romantic, pretty sure that failed pretty wildly.”

That was one of the most romantic things anyone had ever thought of doing for her, let alone doing. “Don’t think you failed at all.” Ruby nosed against Skye with a happy hum, a deep contentment as any anxieties about Skye being gone evaporated. It was easy and lovely as she kissed Skye.

It would be so easy to get lost in it. But Skye pulled back slightly, a slight smile still on her face. “I should go before your Granny skins me. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Ruby nodded against her. “Fine, eight am?”

“You know it.” Skye kissed her lightly before pulling back. “Come on, you’re going to need to lock me out.” She had a grin as she walked backward toward the window.

“Not fair, just showing up only to leave immediately.” Ruby pouted as she followed Skye back to the window. Giggling slightly as Skye went out the window feet first this time instead of head first.

Ruby glanced behind her, eyes flicking to the door. She knew Granny would be bursting back through in a minute, like she wasn’t an adult. Barely, but still. Biting her lip, she looked back at Skye. Stepping to the window, her hands landed on the sill as she leaned out. “Sorry for kicking you out.”

“Worth it.” Skye’s grin was adorable, her eyes twinkling in the low light.

She bounced slightly and then reached out to catch Skye and hauled her in to kiss her desperately in the rapidly dwindling time they had left. It was too good, to bury her fingers in Skye’s hair. Something in Ruby’s bones wanted to drag Skye back into her room. The same thing that was soothed by Skye’s tongue sliding into her mouth and hands holding onto Ruby as tightly as she was holding onto her.

Ruby whimpered in protest when Skye pulled away. “Skye-”

“Crossbow.” Skye nearly leaned back in, biting at her lower lip.

There was a knock on Ruby’s door.

Skye dropped into the bush, as Ruby slammed the window shut, turning on her heel. “Really Granny? You’re impossible!”

Chapter Text

Regina pulled up in front of her house. She knew she wouldn’t be going in. No, she was turning around and going back to her vault and crushing Graham’s heart. She only needed to sit here till she was sure that Graham and Emma were gone and not returning to the cemetery.

She was not risking Emma Swan finding her vault. To steal more from her.

Her eyes narrowed. The light in the garage was on. Regina never left the garage light on. She hadn’t feared the dark in years. Someone was in her home.

Henry.

Regina was out of the car and clutching her keys as she stormed straight up to her house. Nothing mattered except for getting to Henry. The only thing keeping her from shouting for her son was the reality that she couldn’t summon fireballs. She slammed the door open, only to be distracted from running up the stairs by a startled-looking Skye standing in the hallway holding a carton of ice cream.

“Skye? What are you---when did you get home?” Regina straightened. Her heart still thundering in her chest as she realized it wasn’t an intruder, a threat.

“Mom?” Skye looked confused, lowering the spoon closer to the carton before dropping it in it. “Holy shit are you bleeding?!”

Regina pulled back at her daughter’s hand, suddenly shooting into her space. “I’m fine.”

Skye’s eyes were wide. “You’re bleeding.” She shifted, her hand gently landing on Regina’s back, between her shoulder blades. “Let me help.”

A shudder ran through Regina. She hated, her daughter seeing her like this. Weak. But she couldn’t bring herself to banish her girl from her side. Not when everything was falling apart. She forced out a question, stalling from being forced to decide. “I didn’t know you were coming home today?”

“Yeah, finished my last final and decided to just drive home.” Skye was looking at her with so much concern it prickled and burned. “Mom, I’m gonna go put the ice cream away, I’ll help you with your lip after, ok?”

There was…horror and anxiety and rage clawed at her throat. But she gave a stiff nod. “If you insist.”

Skye’s expression stayed steady. “I do.” Her hand pressed slightly against Regina. Then, with a final, concerned look, Skye vanished off toward the kitchen.

Regina sucked in a breath as soon as Skye’s back vanished. Her hands shook. Looking up the stairs, she moved sharply upwards. Her movements were stiff, but automatic as she ascended to the second floor.

She came to a stop in front of Henry’s door. It felt as if her mother’s vines were squeezing her heart in a great seething mass. Fear had never stayed her hand. She opened the door, breathing out in relief at the sight of Henry’s sleeping face.

Her eyes closed, and her hand reached up, tightening against the neck of her jacket. He was here. Emma hadn’t stolen him from her. Not yet. Her home, her children were still here, hers. Her grip on the town might be being fought, but her family was still hers.

Closing the door, she swallowed down the pain and continued to her room. It would seem she would not be handling Graham’s treachery tonight. Her daughter would notice. While irksome to put it off, it would hardly be difficult to go to her vault in the morning.

She pulled her leather gloves off of her hands, setting them aside. Untying the belt around her coat, she stiffly unbuttoned and pulled it off. It was mechanical as she laid it over the back of her chair, before pulling the silk scarf away from her throat. She turned at the sound of her daughter’s footsteps. “You don’t need to help me.”

“Mom,” Skye’s voice was exasperated as she headed straight into the ensuite.

She sighed, a warm ripple of fondness as she listened to her daughter digging around in the cupboard in the bathroom. The proof she wasn’t alone.

It felt warmer here, in her room, secure. Regina could feel herself softening ever so slightly. “You should have called. What if you’d crashed?”

Skye audibly huffed as she turned on the sink. “I have a cell phone, and triple A, and am a good driver.”

“Hmm,” Regina was convinced the curse was the only reason she hadn’t gone grey from trying to teach her daughter to drive. She’d let Graham show her how to drive stick. Her heart hadn’t been able to take going through a fence….again.

It curdled the faint bubble of peace, the reminder of Graham. A man she’d considered safe enough to be around her children, only now for him to turn traitor because of a perky, insufferable blonde. It felt like her mouth was filled with venom.

“It was one fence.” Skye raised the wet washcloth, waiting for permission.

Regina shifted her head slightly, allowing her daughter to gently wash away the blood that’d been trickling down her chin. “I didn’t say anything.”

Skye’s lips twitched. “You have a face whenever you remember the fence.”

“Hmm, you should have aimed for Mr. Gold’s fence.” Regina should have thought of possible fallout when teaching Skye to drive. She’d keep it in mind with Henry. Gold had plenty of fences that could be sacrificed.

“My mistake.” Skye’s touch was gentle as she wiped at her face. Her face was serious. “Mom, who hit you.”

“Who says I was hit?” Regina bit out.

Skye lowered her hand with the washcloth, staring at her with a ‘really’ expression. “Mom, I know what a busted lip from being socked in the jaw looks like.”

Her eyes stayed on her daughter’s face. “Well, that ingrate, Emma Swan, may be useless, but she can throw a punch.”

Skye’s jaw tightened. “Emma did this?”

“It’s hardly serious.” Regina wished her daughter was less curious. It’d always been a trait that worried her on occasion.

Skye’s eyes narrowed. “Is she in jail?”

“No.” She bit out. “I hardly think the sheriff will be arresting his new paramour.”

“His what?!” Skye stopped where she’d been pouring peroxide on a piece of cotton. “So he’s just not arresting her for attacking you?” Her voice was sharp.

Which was the problem, Skye was not like Henry. She would back off if told to, but she’d then find out on her own. Regina couldn’t stand the idea of Emma putting awful ideas into her daughter’s head. “It was technically self-defence.” It still pained her to admit that.

Skye paused and then reached up, carefully pressing the disinfectant to Regina’s lip. “You hit Emma Swan over a boy?” The disbelief was dripping from her voice.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve Emma Swan. She’s a poisonous worm.” Regina spat.

“Emma is dating Graham?” Skye set down the piece of cotton, picking up a tube of cream, furrow in her brow.

“Yes, they were quite clear about that.” Regina said dryly.

Skye leaned forward, hugging her tightly. “I’m sorry.”

Swallowing thickly, she hugged her daughter back. “It’s only a punch. I’ve had far worse over the years.” And she’d have her restitution and revenge for this treachery.

“I didn’t mean the punch,” Skye’s arms tightened. “But for that too.”

“Then why are you ‘sorry’?” Regina frowned slightly.

Skye pulled back. “Mom, I know you and Graham have your…whatever your thing is.”

She sharply pulled back. “What are you talking about? He’s nothing.”

“He’s your pet?” Skye raised a brow. “Just cause you weren’t dating doesn’t mean he wasn’t sort of your friend?”

Regina blew out a breath. She reached up, patting her daughter’s cheek. “I’d hardly say ‘friend’, but I fear you’re going to be seeing far more than I mean for you to.”

Skye didn’t smile, her expression serious. “You’re not going to tell me what happened, are you?”

“I’m your mother.” Regina reached out, holding her daughter by her upper arms. “You know more than you should already.”

The expression was mullish. But she didn’t fight it. “Do I at least get to know what the plan is to destroy Graham for being a dick?”

There were things Regina knew her daughter would not accept. “No, and language, dear.”

Skye rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away from her. She never did. “Going to be mad if I let out the air on their tires?”

She smiled slightly, her loyal girl. “I would prefer not to have to bail you out from jail.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Skye had a spark in her eye that said Graham and Emma’s tires would not be lasting the day tomorrow. “Also, I so made the right decision with school.”

Those words felt like a gong of alarm. “What decision with school?”

Guilt, but an alarmingly similar expression to Henry’s stubborn look, settled on her. “I’m taking next semester off.”

“You’re what!”

“I arranged it with my advisor already, and the department heads. They agreed I can take three courses by correspondence for the spring semester and two over summer so I don’t fall behind.” Skye was brazen in her executive decision. “Coach will make me re-tryout for the team next year, but that won’t be an issue.”

“Dear, that’s unacceptable. Your future is important. You can’t just throw it away.” Regina didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t her child who bucked the rules.

“I’m not changing my future, and you and Henry matter more than being on campus.” Skye was clearly resolved.

Regina sighed, reaching up and cupped her girl’s chin. “You didn’t need to do that. I wouldn’t have asked you to.”

“Mom, you don’t have to ask for me to care about our family.” Skye had a pleased expression, before her eyes flicked to Regina’s mouth, darkening with unhappiness then. “Are you going to tell Henry?”

“No.” Regina wasn’t willing to face the possibility that Emma Swan’s words had been correct. If Henry would continue to flee from her, even in this. She swallowed, forcing a mimicry of a smile onto her face. “No, he doesn’t need to know this.”

Skye didn’t argue. “Ok.”

Regina walked down the steps into her vault. Stepping down to the bottom, she walked to her wall of hearts. She reached out, setting her hand against the box with Graham’s heart in it. She didn’t pull the box out of the wall. It would be too convenient for him to die. Regina could care less if Emma Swan suspected her. But her daughter.

The one person not running from her.

She frowned. The risk of Graham sharing her secrets. He’d been too close to her side for so long. And she was not going to tolerate her Huntsman standing against her. But well, she could always just…get rid of him. He didn’t have to be dead to be unable to work against her. Not her personally preferred method.

Regina opened the drawer, pulling out Graham’s heart. She looked at its glowing shape. It’d been so long since she’d held real power in her hands. Her voice was sharp. “Come to the mausoleum, alone.”

Regina knew the second Graham’s stiff steps brought him into sight that he knew. The drunk panicked glazed almost illness was washed from his face. The exhaustion was still there, but not the manic confusion.

“Your majesty.” His eyes were locked on his heart before he managed to rip them to her face. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what, dear?” Regina tightened her grip on his heart.

He grunted, face twisting with pain as he gripped at his chest where his heart no longer was. “Please!”

Regina unclenched her hand, enjoying his gasping as she permitted him that. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you. Yet.” She walked closer to him, using one finger to tilt his chin up from where he’d curled in on himself. “No, for now you’re going to tell me exactly what you’ve told, Emma Swan.” She lifted his heart closer to her mouth. “Speak.”

Regina hummed as she considered the problem. “Fortunately for your longevity, you haven’t said anything too telling. You won’t be telling Emma anything from our land, the curse, or anything you believe could help her.” She considered her options. She couldn’t just order him into a hole.

Having intelligent children truly was a problem, no matter how proud that fact made her.

“Leave of absence.” Graham panted, and oh, she had been tightening her hand again.

Regina loosened her grip once more. “I suppose you do have the days.” If he didn’t she could add them to the books. It was tempting to just banish him to the woods. Midlife crisis. She eyed him, a bit young for a midlife crisis, but it was plausible. Something to keep Skye and Henry from poking their noses into it. And there was something delicious about the confusion Emma would no doubt deal with. “Do you love Emma Swan?”

////

Skye leaned against the wall outside of the diner. She was chewing on her lip as her fingers absently tapped against her thigh. The image of her mom from last night was…disturbing. She hadn’t seen her mom like that before. And not the busted lip. Something had happened that had spooked her. Her frown deepened.

The door opened, Ruby burst out with a brilliant grin. “Skye!”

She brightened, laugh on her lips as Ruby’s mouth covered her’s. The laugh turned into a hum as Ruby pressed her right back into the side of the diner. Her nerves settled as she melted into Ruby. It was good. The feeling of them pressed together, Ruby’s hand on her hip, maybe a bit indecently low, her other hand curling against the back of her neck.

It was amazing. Skye felt like a drug addict as her senses lit up with Ruby. Her touch, her smell, her taste.

“Missed you,” Ruby panted into her ear before kissing along Skye’s neck.

Her eyes stayed closed as she tilted her neck back slightly. Fingers digging into Ruby’s shoulders. “Ruby.”

Ruby nosed against her throat with a grumbly mumble. “Will you be in after dinner?”

Shit. Skye slumped against the wall, running her thumb against Ruby’s cheekbone. “Not tonight, probably for a while.”

Pulling back enough to look at her, Ruby’s face looked a bit like a kicked puppy. “Is something wrong?”

Skye ducked forward, brushing a chaste kiss against Ruby’s lips, but pulled back before it could deepen. “Family stuff.” She smiled at Ruby, everything just kinda felt better with her. The anxiety about all the stuff her mom and Henry just was…quieter. “Think I could probably manage to spend afternoons hanging around.” Her lips curled. “I hear you make a mean burger here.”

Ruby smiled, white teeth flashing with it. “Best burger’s in town even.”

“Not today though, I promised to take Henry to the movies after school.” Skye didn’t want to wait till tomorrow to see Ruby. Not when she was here. She bit her lip. “It’d be late, but I could sneak out after everyone is asleep?”

“Where would we meet?” Ruby asked instantly on the same page.

Delight sparkled through Skye, at the fact Ruby so clearly felt the same way she did. That she wasn’t alone. “I can pick you up in my car? And then, I don’t know, we can go wherever you want.”

Ruby’s smile was all teeth. “I’ll have to think of something then.”

“I love how you smile,” Came tumbling out of Skye’s mouth before she could stop it.

A flush spread across Ruby’s cheeks, she almost looked shy. “My smile?”

Skye was kinda mortified she’d blurted that out, but also she didn’t regret it, looking at the way it mattered to Ruby. “Yeah, it's just…you smile with your whole face.” She didn’t know how to describe exactly how just free her smiles were when they were real. “Like nothing matters except that you’re happy.”

Leaning in, Ruby pressed her forehead against Skye’s. “Nobody’s ever said that before.”

Which was wrong. Lots of people should say that. Especially when Skye knew how many people looked at Ruby. “Then everybody is stupid.”

////

Ruby grinned against Skye’s cheek at the keening sound that escaped Skye when she hooked her fingers. That was new, and it felt like something was rumbling in excitement at the sound. A happy joy that she’d caused that.

She pressed open-mouthed kisses against Skye’s neck. It ached slightly from the angle, the two of them crammed in the backseat of Skye’s car, Skye straddling her lap, as they fumbled through this together. As she pressed her fingers back into Skye, she hooked them again.

“Ruby,” Skye whined with that same keen. Her hands scrambled up and pulled Ruby’s face up.

It was all sloppy and gasping as they kissed. Ruby couldn’t help nipping at Skye’s lower lip. The fact it all felt new and fumbling as if she was learning every time they were pressed together like this was addictive. Even if that shouldn’t be right? Maybe it was just Skye? That had to be why this felt new.

None of that mattered, feeling the heat of Skye, the closeness that made something in Ruby’s bones feel whole.

Skye’s breath caught in the back of her throat, her muscles tightening around Ruby’s fingers, her head dropping onto Ruby’s shoulder.

Pressing kisses to Skye’s cheek, Ruby nuzzled against her as she held still, just letting Skye kinda melt into her.

Ruby sighed contentedly in a way that was unfamiliar. “Good?”

“Hmm,” Skye mumbled against her. “You?”

The door handle was digging into her back, the seatbelt buckle dug into her thigh. None of that mattered. “Amazing.” If they weren’t crammed back here she’d have wanted to roll them over and burrow into her girlfriend. Hopefully her girlfriend? They hadn’t really talked about it.

Shifting slightly, Skye nosed against her neck slightly. “I got you something while I was out of town.”

Ruby’s heart skipped an excited beat. “Really?”

Skye nodded slightly, seemingly content not to move away from her. “Well, yeah.” She shifted slightly.

Reluctantly, Ruby took the hint, slipping her fingers out of Skye, and then pulled her hand out of Skye’s pants. She felt a twinge of regret as she wiped her hand against her black skinny jeans. “We should try a bed sometimes. We’d at least get pants off.” She missed how close they’d felt at the stable.

Skye snickered as she reached into the floor of the car, pulling up a bag. “Sounds nice.” She kissed the edge of Ruby’s jaw, sending a jolt of possessiveness to shoot through Ruby’s bones. “I don’t think I can do a bed, but I can do a stable.”

Her hands settled on Skye’s hips, fingers digging in slightly. “We never have a full house at the inn, and Granny’s knees mean she doesn’t go upstairs unless she has to?”

Skye huffed. “Ruby, I know about my mom using the inn for her hook-ups. I don’t want to have sex on a bed my mom’s had sex on.”

Her nose wrinkled, yeah, no that made a lot of sense. And she did know that, didn’t she? It wasn’t a thing that she remembered remembering, but she did kinda remember it? Or something like that. The confusion slipped away as she nodded. “Fair.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Skye leaned back, setting the bag on Ruby’s stomach. “It’s not anything big, but ya know.”

Ruby used the space to adjust slightly, the arm of the door really was going to leave a bruise on her back. She reached in, pulling out a box of candy. “Pocky?”

“It’s Japanese candy.” Skye shrugged. “I know it’s not actually going anywhere interesting, and finding anything foreign in Maine isn’t exactly great, but I thought you might like it, instead of those lollipops you suck on at work when you’re bored.”

“Thank you.” It was stupidly thoughtful. She glanced down, and she didn’t have to pull out the other thing in the bag to realize what it was. “You got me yarn?”

Chapter Text

Regina looked up as her daughter strode into her office. “Skye? What are you doing here? I thought you were working on your fencing before picking Henry up?”

“I can get by with a half practice today.” Skye held out a sheet of paper. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night anyway.”

She took the note from her daughter and looked at the neat list. “What’s this, dear?” Regina made a mental note to double-check on her daughter before bed. Maybe some chamomile tea before bed could help?

Skye was unflinching as she held her gaze. “How we’re going to keep Emma away from Henry.”

Her eyes snapped down, reading it. It was a list of…Sheriff station reforms. “How does this help?”

“You’re the mayor.” Skye looked at her with a proud set to her shoulders. “Just bury her in work. When was the last time the Sheriff’s station updated anything? And what job training and certificates are required? Also you should put in writing that Emma isn’t allowed to pick up Henry from school or Archie.”

“I thought you believed in a middle ground and not driving the pestilence off?” Regina raised a brow, pushing back how unbelievably touched she was.

“That was before she hit you.” Skye tipped her head. “Even if you hit her first.”

Regina lowered the list of items. “Well then Darling, why burying her in work?”

Skye crossed her arms, rocking her weight onto her back heels. “If she’s working overtime, and being run off her feet every day, when is she going to have time to go anywhere near any of us?”

That was…well it didn’t solve the problem. But the fierce burning pride and joy she felt at her daughter’s loyalty and willingness to fight this fight beside her was worth everything. “Ordering the Sheriff’s office to be fumigated sounds promising.”

Skye nodded, “Also if you can manage it with the city council, increased funding means increased responsibility.”

“I believe I can manage that. And with Graham using his leave, it’ll be the blind leading the blind if Ms. Swan has to hire additional staff.” Regina considered that.

“Graham’s using his leave?” Skye sounded surprised.

She had to fight back the vindictive rush she felt at the reminder of that particular victory. “Yes, after the spectacle he made of himself running around town drunk and having a mental breakdown for a day and a half, he’s decided to cash in his vacation days.”

“Huh, well, guess Emma’s really fucked.” Skye hummed.

“Language,” Regina smiled at her girl. “But indeed.”

////

Emma collapsed at the table across from Mary Margaret. “I think Regina has been replaced by an evil pod person of bureaucracy.”

Mary Margaret looked at her over her cup of hot chocolate. “She did more than fill out the paperwork so you can’t pick up Henry from school?”

“So much more, Graham decided he cares about mental health at the wrong time.” Emma leaned back against the back of her chair. “Can humans exist without sleep?”

“No, sleep is necessary.” Mary Margaret was looking at her with concern, even as she was clearly trying to cheer her up. “And a man caring about his mental health is rare.”

Emma stared past Mary Margaret’s ear. “You know, I’ve never dated a man who cares about mental health before.” But moving into the woods and getting rid of all technology seemed a bit extreme. “But also living in the woods is just…men will do anything before they get therapy.”

Mary Margaret laughed into her hot cocoa. “There is that.” She went slightly sad. “At least he chose you and broke up with his girlfriend for you.”

“And we’re not talking about me anymore.” She gave a look at her friend. “I understand what you’re doing, and it never ends well.”

“It just feels-” She cut off as Ruby came walking over, menu in hand.

Emma stared at Ruby, her eyes narrowed. The waitress was perkier. Ruby was perky, and Regina had changed tacts from attacks to unrelenting bureaucratic terror. “I see Skye is back?” And knew about the graveyard to some degree if she’d become hostile when she hadn’t been before.

The smug happiness was hilarious as Ruby bounced slightly. “Night before last!”

So exactly the same night as the crypt. Emma was going to have to talk to Skye. Though it was oddly comforting to realize she hadn’t read Regina wrong. The enemy action had been coming from a new direction. “I should have known.”

Ruby’s head cocked slightly. “Known what?”

“Why Regina’s tactics changed, they didn’t, Skye’s did.” She had to kind of admire it, using political influence to use the threats that haunted system kids as a weapon. Oh god, was Henry going to end up learning how to do that?

One of Ruby’s hands landed on her hip as she tilted her balance to one side. “Wait, you’re the family stuff?”

“Unfortunately,” She held back the ‘good luck with the terrifying girlfriend’ from escaping. The chances of Ruby getting into a fistfight with Regina were not high. Though…not zero. Regina’s reaction to her precious perfect daughter dating a small-town waitress was…not something Emma was certain of.

“Want me to put in a good word for you?” Ruby asked while setting the laminated menu on the table in front of Emma.

“No, I think I’m going to have to do that for myself. Maybe while I’m hiding from the newly scheduled fumigation of the Sheriff’s office on Friday.” Emma was going to drag Graham out of his cabin in the woods to tell her how the fuck to do ninety percent of the system and policy upgrades Regina was demanding. He did not get to hire her and then abandon her to this in the same month. No matter how horrifically abusive his previous relationship clearly had been.

Or how good of a kisser he was.

He could at least tell her what she needed to do. Where things were. If he had dirt on Regina that would get her to not insist on a full review of the entire police department’s internal policy.

////

Ashley dropped her mug of tea. “Blast.”

In the nursery, Lexie started to scream.

“One minute sweetie!” Ashley twisted to grab the dish towel to wipe up the tea before it could damage something and then grunted at an awful sharp pain in her gut. She hissed out her air, one hand coming to her stomach. Her free hand gripped the counter. She just needed a minute, but Lexie was crying, and the tea was soaking into the little throw rug.

There was a knock on the door.

The sound Ashley let out was pathetic. It just, maybe it was Ruby? She sniffled, straightening up, even if her arm stayed wrapped around her middle. “I’m coming!” Oh god, the sound of Lexie's cries hurt her soul. She reached the door and opened up the door. “Ruby-”

“Hi, not Ruby, sorry.” Skye was holding a plush stuffed horse with a pink ribbon around its neck and a casserole dish. Her faintly apologetic expression turned alarmed for a second. “Hey, are you ok?”

Ashley didn’t know what happened, she just burst into tears.

“Oh, ok, let me help.” Skye stepped forward.

And Ashley just shuffled back, sobbing, wiping at her face.

Skye breezed in, setting things down on the counter quickly, before turning. “Ashley, sit down, I’ve got Lexie, we can worry about the rest later.” And then she was vanishing into Lexie’s room.

It was just surreal, but everything felt terrible. Ashley shut the door, shuffled to the couch, and just bawled. Embarrassment made it worse, she just couldn’t stop! The relief as Lexie’s cries stopped just felt like the floodgates bursting.

Ashley wasn’t sure how long she’d been crying when a Kleenex box was pressed into her hands. She grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. Do you want a heating pad?” Skye’s voice was soft.

She nodded, choking a bit as she blew her nose again.

Ashley wasn’t entirely sure how she ended up sitting on her couch, heating pad against her stomach, a mug of tea in her hands, the smell of something lovely cooking in the oven, and Skye Mills with Lexie in the crook of her arm while she loaded the dishwasher. She’d stopped crying though? Her throat felt dry as she looked up at Skye. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.” Skye replied as she shut the dishwasher and then turned, walking over and sat next to her on the couch. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She looked down, it just felt…worse when it wasn’t Sean helping her, but someone she barely knew. “I just got overwhelmed. It's silly.”

Skye reached out, touching her shoulder. “When was the last time you got a whole two hours of sleep?”

“I…don’t know?” Ashley admitted. Everything felt unrelenting and kind of surreal at the same time. There was a bubbling feeling in the back of her throat. “Lexie just won’t go down for long, and nobody told me about the cramping or how sore everything would be, and my breasts hurt, and I dropped my mug, and it all just…” She choked back the panicked words.

Skye touched her shoulder gently. “How about you feed Lexie, and then go take a nap. I can watch her while you get some rest. I know I’m not a parent, but I can handle a baby, Lexie can’t be fussier than Henry was as a baby.”

She looked up. “You don’t need to do that.”

Skye shook her head. “You’re not asking, I’m offering.” She smiled slightly. “I’m willing to call Ruby and have her tell you to go sleep.”

Ashley’s eyes watered again.

Ashley woke slowly, peacefully. It was pleasant, warm, and snuggly under the blankets. She yawned before snuggling deeper into the warm flannel pillowcase. There was no crying, or anything demanding her attention. Her muscles felt kinda like jello. It was nice. The soft sound of adult voices were barely audible.

She smiled, that was Sean’s voice. There was no rush as she rolled onto her back with another yawn. She blinked slowly up at the ceiling. Her breasts throbbed in a way that told her it’d been too long since she’d fed Lexie. Sitting up, she cautiously stretched before shuffling out of the bedroom.

The single room of the tiny house was full of warm light, Sean was sitting on the couch. He’d dressed down to his pajamas, clearly showered since he got home, Lexie resting on his chest. He was twisted slightly talking with Skye who was folding the laundry? But as his eyes landed on Ashley, his face lit up. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“A lot better.” Ashley looked over at where Skye was folding a pair of Sean’s jeans. “Are you staying for dinner with us?”

Sean’s head swung around to Skye. “You have to, you made dinner.”

Skye dropped the jeans on the growing stack. “Technically, my mom made dinner.” She was hesitating. “Baby pic as payment, and I have to be back home before Henry’s curfew?”

Ashley was kind of confounded at the idea of Regina Mills sending a casserole over. “Baby pics for you or your mom?”

“My mom’s got a soft spot for babies.” Skye shrugged as she picked up a shirt to start folding. “If I’m going to have to text her I’ll be missing dinner, I’d rather have an excuse that’ll have her in a good mood.”

“Makes sense, gotta butter up the parents before you do something they’re not going to like.” Sean agreed instantly before his face dimmed slightly. He perked up quickly, going for his phone. “Have you seen the pictures of her in her unicorn onesie?”

“I’ll be right back.” Ashley smiled at how excited Sean was about Skye being there. He’d taken it hard how most of his friends had just stopped talking to him since he’d come back to them. She did have to use the bathroom though.

As soon as she was sitting on the toilet, she pulled out her phone. She pulled up Ruby’s number and texted without hesitating. -Ruby, do whatever you have to do for Granny to let you have the night off. You’re having dinner over here. You’ll thank me.-

Setting her phone down, her nose scrunched in disgust. Nobody had told her about the awful, bloody discharge that lasted weeks. She was going to get diaper rash before Lexie did at the rate of how many pads she was going through.

Ashley smiled as Sean turned on the old stereo he’d found at the thrift shop. The familiar starting notes of Thriller started. “Did you find more albums?”

“Yup, still no luck on a rocking chair though.” Sean hummed along to the song, gently rocking Lexie.

Skye laughed as she pulled the pitcher of Kool-Aid out of the fridge. “Really? Everyone in this town is so obsessed with the eighties.”

“Uh, they had the best music.” Sean argued with that boyish grin that was partially responsible for Lexie’s existence.

“Really, at least update your music to the nineties.” Skye shot back as she carried over the cups and pitcher to their slightly sad kitchen table.

Ashley held out her hands to Sean. “The princess does need to eat before we do.”

Sean pressed a kiss to the top of Lexie’s head before gently passing her to Ashley.

Ashley cradled her girl as Sean got her her pillow for breastfeeding. She glanced up at Skye. “You don’t mind?”

“I was there for way weirder fluids.”

She smiled, that was…very true. So she carefully pulled her baggy shirt off from one arm, and then up and over her head. Transferring Lexie to her now free arm, she pulled the shirt the rest of the way off. “Ok sweetie, just a little bit longer.”

Ashley felt a smug bubble of pleased pride as Ruby came in through the front door, only to light up at the sight of Skye in a soft grey sweater, her head bent over with Sean’s as they parsed over finances. “Hi, Ruby, so glad you could come.”

Sure enough, Skye’s head snapped up at the name ‘Ruby’.

“You sneak.” Ruby was grinning as she closed the door behind her. “How’s my goddaughter?”

Ashley smiled at her friend. It was just…she’d couldn’t remember feeling trust in Ruby like this. But when she’d needed help, she’d gone to Ruby. And Ruby’d helped her. It was amazing how a few weeks had turned a friendly co-worker into her best friend. “Starving today.”

Ruby settled comfortably next to her on the couch. “Healthy appetite just means she’s growing just like she should.” She picked up the plush horse stuffy with the pink bow. Her expression was delighted as she looked over at Skye. “You found a stuffed horse in the same color as Pebbles?”

“I mean, it’s not a rare coloration.” Skye had a pleased smile on her face.

“You’re such a horse girl.” Ruby looked at Lexie, her fingers gently tapping the top of Lexie’s little socked foot. “You’re being corrupted into a way of life already, princess.”

Ashley carefully adjusted Lexie as she detached. “I think she’s done.”

Ruby snagged one of the towels. “I’ve got burping duty.”

She sighed in relief, passing Lexie over to Ruby. “I don’t think I believed anyone who said how exhausting all of this was going to be.” She pulled her shirt back on.

“I’d help more, but the mines are just…” Sean’s shoulders slumped. “It’s better than if I was at the cannery.”

“You could try applying at the sheriff’s station?” Skye offered.

“They’re hiring?” Sean asked hopefully.

Skye’s expression was…one hundred percent her mother and terrifying in its smug glee. Not that Ashley was entirely sure how she knew that. “They’re about to be.”

Ashley glanced at Ruby, wondering if she had the sudden questions that she did. And…nope, Ruby looked like she wanted to drag Skye to the nearest flat surface. Ashley snickered softly. “Come on, we should eat.”

“It smells amazing!” Sean perked up.

Sean carefully set a disc into the stereo, closed the lid, and hit play. The notes of a waltz filled the tiny house. Something about the music just made her feel like home.

Her eyes closed as she just let herself float in comfort at the sound. “I missed this.” The when she’d heard it before didn’t come to mind.

“May I have this dance?” Sean’s voice asked.

Her eyes opened, and there he was, bowing, with his hand held out, stance perfectly graceful. A rush of love ran through her body. Her hand easily slid into his, letting him raise her from the kitchen table they’d been eating around. “Always.” For a flicker of a second, she wanted to say a name that wasn’t ‘Sean’, but as soon as the thought entered her head, it was gone. She smiled as their hands naturally slotted together.

Sean’s chest puffed slightly as he brought them into a starting position. Confident love and strength just radiated from him. “It’s a good thing we don’t have a lot of furniture in here, there’s room to dance.”

How they knew to dance like this never crossed her mind for a second.

/////

Ruby could admit that Ashley and Sean were sweet as they danced around the couch. She looked over at where Skye was leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking Kool-Aid from a plastic cup, warm smile on her face as she watched the couple dancing. The thing was…Ruby loved to dance.

She held out her hand to Skye. “Do you want to dance?”

Skye startled slightly. “I have no idea how to waltz?”

“I don’t think I do either.” Ruby didn’t lower her hand, wiggling her eyebrows. “Come on, you know you want to.”

Skye laid her hand in Ruby’s hand. “What’s some bruised feet?” But she was smiling brightly.

Chapter Text

Emma walked down the halls of the school to the gym. According to Henry via walkie, she’d find Skye there this time of day, and wouldn’t find a horde of children. It was not helping that she felt like death warmed over. She raised her cup of coffee to her mouth. It was black, disgusting, and sweet, sweet caffeine.

The new modernization of the station was a Mt. Everest of bureaucracy. She felt like a zombie. After this, she was getting some energy drinks from the corner store. And then she was going to need them, and black coffee was going to burn her tongue off by dinner at this rate otherwise.

Reaching the gym, she opened up the door and looked around as she walked in.

It was a nice gym. Open, clean, didn’t smell like mildew, and nothing was broken. There was the squeak of sneakers against the gym floor from one side, the two other people in the room were moving, fast.

Both people were covered from head to toe. Pure white fencing uniforms, white fabric with black mesh helmet things. And wow they were going up and down the floor, swords snapping with metal rat-at-tat-tats at speed. Why the swords bent like that, or how either of them could actually keep track of those tiny things while wearing full-face coverings was a mystery.

Emma walked over, dropping one hand on her hip, and sipped at her coffee while she waited. It didn’t take long.

The taller and broader person who had to be Coach Jim straightened up. “Enough.”

Yanking her helmet off, a flushed and sweating Skye mimicked him with a wide grin on her face, though her mouth was open to help with breathing. “Thanks, Coach.”

The infamous Coach Jim pulled off his helmet, the man was equally as sweaty and flushed from stabbing as Skye. He was a blandly handsome man with his blonde hair sticking to his forehead from sweat. He smiled at Emma. “Deputy, did you need one of us for something?”

“I was hoping to have a word with Skye?” She looked over at Skye. “If that’s alright with you kid?”

Skye’s face had managed to go cold, her posture pulling upwards. “Why should I?”

Coach Jim cleared his throat, eyes flicking to Skye. “Do you want me to stick around?”

“It’s fine, Coach.” Skye replied with a slightly less clipped tone.

He gave a nod and looked between them. “I have a class to go get prepared for. Have a good day, ladies.” And then he turned and bravely fled. Which, considering he had to know Skye Mills better than most people, was a blaring alarm. Because he wasn’t fleeing from Emma.

“What do we have to talk about, Emma?” Skye’s voice wasn’t cold, just matter of fact.

Emma internally cringed. It really was one of the worst threat responses to deal with. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other night.”

Skye raised a single brow. “Which night are you talking about?”

This was a losing war. Emma was committed already. “The night Graham and Regina broke up.”

“That’s a polite way to put it.” Skye’s mouth was smiling, her eyes were not. “Why were you involved in that, again?”

“It was complicated, I was just trying to help Graham with-”

“You mean helping a drunk ransack my grandfather’s grave?” Skye cut her off with.

Emma sighed. “Kid, look-”

“Not a kid.” Skye tapped absently at her sneakered foot with her sword. “I’m turning twenty later this year. I have bills. Shockingly, it means I’m able to understand things like my mother’s situationship with the town Sheriff ending in him going on a drunken bender and having a nervous breakdown. I can also understand what kicked it off, being that he apparently would rather be fucking you.”

That brought Emma up slightly short. She couldn’t imagine Regina being that frank with her daughter. But also, Skye was dating Ruby, and Graham had publicly spun out. “Graham needed help, and I’m not who started that fight.”

“Didn’t you?” Skye adjusted the helmet under her arm. “Why are you here, Emma? Do you think telling me my mom hit you first is going to change something?”

“My mistake.” Emma had known that Henry’s sister was unhappy with the situation, she’d missed how much. “I just want us not to be fighting, it’s not good for Henry.”

“Do you know what a closed adoption means?” Skye didn’t wait for her to reply. “It means you don’t belong here. It means you don’t get an opinion on what’s ‘good’ for Henry. And you don’t get to come and try and explain playground politics of why you trampling all over my family means you punching my mom next to her father’s grave after her boyfriend broke up with her for you, is ok. What it means is fuck you, and leave me, and my family alone.”

“I’m sorry for bothering you.” Emma gave a slight nod and turned and left. Awkwardness crawled across her skin as she walked. She was going to need to figure something else out. At least Mary Margaret could pass a note to Henry.

She was going to have to prioritize hiring people. Somehow…despite not being the Sheriff, and only god and the devil understood the nightmare Graham had left the budget in. Easier things to think about than the niggle of guilt.

/////

Jim walked over to where Skye was sitting on the metal bleachers, spraying a disinfectant into her spare gloves. He held out a bottle of water to her. “You ok there, Squire?”

She looked at him, setting aside the spray, and accepted the water. “Thanks, and it’s fine, Coach.”

“You don’t have to call me ‘Coach’.” And it felt…weird. He knew he’d trained her, that he’d known her for years, but there just was…it felt like he shouldn’t be called that. That he hadn’t earned it.

“I’ll stop calling you ‘Coach’ when you stop calling me ‘Squire’. It’s not the fourteenth century.” Her tone was wry.

He sat down next to her. “I don’t know, you’re a warrior aren’t you?” Jim didn’t know why he couldn’t remember ever talking about stuff outside of sport with her. But it felt too right to call her ‘squire’. It just suited her. He knew that without needing to remember why. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Skye looked at him, surprised. “You don’t need to worry about me, you’ve got class.”

Jim glanced up at the large clock on the gym wall that’d been cracked by far too many basketballs over the years. “I think I’ve got twenty minutes for you. It’s never a bad day to just let the kids do some dodgeball.”

She huffed, smiling slightly before falling slightly more serious. “It’s nothing. Just family stuff, you know?”

“Not really.” He shrugged. “It’s always just been me. Why don’t you explain it to me?”

There was a pause as Skye clearly considered it, before sighing. She took a long drink from her bottle of water. “You know the gossip that Emma’s Henry’s birth mom, yeah?”

Jim felt a twinge at the fact that he knew that because of gossip between the teachers. He’d owed his student better. “I do.”

“It's a mess. Henry’s just going through a lot, and Emma is making everything worse. I thought maybe it could be a good thing. But it's not helping.” She was frowning. “I know my mom isn’t perfect, but what Emma is doing is messed up. And everyone likes her.”

There wasn’t a good thing to say to that. He’d heard plenty of talks in the staff room. They hadn’t been kind to Regina. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

Skye sipped at her water. “I’m not going to let her break up my family just because she’s lonely and wants a shortcut to having a happy life.” She tipped her head slightly. “And feels guilty about giving him up.”

That just felt…wrong. “That’s not your job, you can’t control everything, no matter how smart you are.”

She eyed him. “I still have to try.”

He sighed and dropped his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe trust your mom a little more. I don’t think you should be shouldering so much of the responsibility.” It felt wrong and right at the same time to say the Mayor could handle it. Like it was right but…was also terrible advice.

Skye stood up, picking up her things and dumping them into her bag. Definitely a laundry day for her if she wasn’t separating her gear. “Thanks for the conversation, Coach, but I should go. I’ve got places to be and I need a shower before I go to them.”

Jim scratched at the back of his head. Well, he’d failed that pretty spectacularly. “Stay safe, Squire.”

She smiled slightly as she looked up at him again. “When don’t I stay safe, Coach?”

“Try not to get arrested.” He tacked on.

“Like I’d be stupid enough to give Emma Swan the satisfaction of arresting me.” Her eyes had darkened.

Jim walked into the staff room, setting his lunchbox down on the table. He was frowning as he pulled out his container of steamed chicken, veg, and rice.

“That’s a serious face, is something bothering you?” Mary Margaret sat down next to him, setting her own lunch box on the table in front of her.

The usual easy amicability he’d always felt toward the woman made it easy to ask her advice. “Do you ever think you owe more to your students than you give them?”

She hummed, clearly thinking it through as she pulled out her sandwich. “I think we just owe them our best. Sometimes that doesn’t feel like enough.”

“And what if you’ve failed one of them?” Because he could vaguely remember a tiny Skye Mills taking to fencing like a duck to water, but her fighting for his engagement. Which was…why was that what he vaguely remembered? Students who worked that hard and were that talented were rare. It didn’t feel like…him in his memories that seemed to slip from him as soon as he thought of them.

“Then you just have to do better tomorrow.” Mary Margaret smiled at him. “Which student are you worried about?”

Jim frowned slightly. “The older Mills. Has it ever struck you as…not normal how hard she works?”

“Skye?” The surprise was on Mary Margaret’s face and in her voice. “What do you mean?”

“Just she’s going to be in Olympic contention next year. She’s kind of perfect all the time. That can’t be normal. And she talks like she’s responsible for her family.” Jim didn’t like it now that he’d started thinking about it. He didn’t like it at all. “I’m not sure how to fix it.”

Mary Margaret’s smile was sad. “Sometimes you can’t fix it, you can just be there for them.”

He considered that. Maybe he could bring snacks to fencing practice? He nodded to himself. That sounded helpful.

////

Skye was slightly late, but she’d made it to the diner with enough time to actually talk to Ruby before she’d need to head back to the school to pick up Henry so he didn’t have a chance to sneak off for Emma.

“Hey, the bar again?” Ruby’s smile was wide, a bounce in her step.

“Yeah, got held up.” Skye ignored where Leroy and one of the fishermen were sitting to one side. It was thankfully pretty empty. She set down her self-defense/excuse laptop on the counter as she sat down.

Ruby set the laminated menu down next to her. “I thought you just finished finals. How do you actually have more schoolwork?”

Skye grinned at the expression on her girlfriend’s face. “I’m working on a project for Henry.”

“Is this about his fairy tale thing?” Ruby asked as she leaned against the counter.

“Pretty much.” Skye opened up her laptop, showing what she had pulled up. “I’m finding every fairy tale from across the planet. I’m nowhere near twenty-five thousand people. Also comparing the OG versions of fairy tales with the Disney or just popular media versions. Also a book on Mulan, which he might have more of a point on that one than I thought he’d have.”

“What is he right on about Mulan?” Ruby’s eyes were laughing at her.

Skye pulled up the tab of her most depressing so far avenue of investigation. It was the only one giving weight to Henry’s theory. “Hua Mulan isn’t so much a real person as a folk hero. She’s not depicted till a folk song from the 500s. Then she starts popping up in a lot of different sources, usually more poetic ones, from what I can tell. So a bit of a King Arthur situation. Probably was some girl in the Northern Wei dynasty who took her father’s place. But not someone winning grand military honors and meeting the Emperor. Or maybe prior to the Wei dynasty, and that’s how it ended up as a story in the Wei dynasty.”

Ruby was listening seriously. “You think she really existed?”

“I mean, most wars have women who pretend to be men to go fight in.” Skye shrugged at the questioning look from Ruby. “I did a paper on women fighting in the Civil War by pretending to be men. It makes sense that’d have been a thing in China in the 500s.”

“I can see that.” Ruby nudged her. “Something you might do.”

Skye blinked at that. If it was Henry, someone was trying to draft into a war? “Yeah, I’d probably do it.” Her eyes flicked to Ruby. “What about you?”

Ruby smiled. “I don’t have any male relatives to replace. But I think I’d make a pretty good field nurse in ye olden days. What do you think? Would a nurse outfit look hot on me?”

She couldn’t help laughing. “I don’t think you’d look bad in anything.”

Skye knew she’d made the right choice as she saw the look of annoyed defeat on Henry’s face. Bit demoralizing that him setting eyes on her had his shoulders slumping and a pout covering his face as he stomped down the school steps. “How was school today?”

“Fine.” Henry grumbled as he walked the rest of the way to her. “You’re taking me straight home, aren’t you?”

“The stables.” Skye shifted, leading them to her car. “You’re stuck with me till next September. At least.”

Henry came up short. “September!?”

She looked at him. “Like I’d leave you alone to deal with whatever it is that’s going on.” She opened the door to the car and waited for him to climb in. Walking around, she climbed into the driver’s seat. As soon as she closed the door Henry burst out with a question.

“You believe me about the curse?!”

Skye was not going to kill her little brother. “No, but I’ll help you figure out what is going on.”

He let out a dramatic sigh. “But I know what’s going on.” Henry slumped onto the seat and buckled himself in.

As she drove them toward the stable, the silence started to get to her. The silent treatment had always made her uncomfortable. “I did look it up, by the way, you were right, Mulan was a folk hero more than a historical person.”

“You looked it up?” Henry sounded dubious. “But you don’t believe me?”

“Not about the fairy tale thing.” Skye glanced at him. “I agree on the problem, not your solution, yeah?”

“So you’re helping…but you’ll waste so much time we could be trying to break the curse trying to prove it’s a curse?” Henry was exasperated with her.

“Tough luck, and you’re mucking out the stalls before we do anything interesting. You’ve been skimping on stable time.” And not using your baby brother to get out of shoveling shit was a crime. Benefits of being the older sibling. She could make him do some of the gross bits.

Henry let out a groan. “Urgh.”

Skye leaned against the stable door, watching Henry brush down his horse. This had been a good idea. Her brother needed a hobby that wasn’t the weirdness of the town. “So, if you’re so sure everyone is a fairy tale character-”

“They are.” Henry interrupted.

She rolled her eyes. “That means you think the Enchanted Forrest is like, medieval, yeah?”

He looked at her, brow furrowed. “Obviously?”

“And you’d be some kind of secret prince or something?” It was kinda racist, but she was coming around that, at least if he cast her in his theory, he’d done it as someone kinda awesome.

“Yes?” His face was funny as he looked at her, clearly confused at where she was going.

“Then why aren’t you super into the knight stuff? You’ve been doing less of it since you decided on this?”

He looked at Batman as he brushed her. His shoulders slumped. “I’m not good at it.”

Skye frowned. “What do you mean? You’re a great rider.”

“No, I’m not, I can’t do all the jumps and things.” He brushed with a sharp movement. “You’re just better at all of that stuff.”

“I’m older than you? Of course, I’m better at it than you.” She offered out a chunk of apple to Batman.

“I’m not good at it!” Henry looked at her. “You were better at all of this when you were my age. And it’s not fair to compare. You’re Mulan.”

“Not Mulan.” She rolled her eyes, but she just…she might have won a few too many awards. “But ok, well what’s a knight thing I’m not good at?”

He bit the inside of his cheek, clearly thinking about it. “Archery?”

She could fix that. “Ok, what else? Come on what else do knights do? You’ve read about that stuff, yeah?”

Henry was perking up. “Um…lance, chivalry, can you dance?”

“What kind of dance are we talking about?” Cause Skye admittedly wasn’t great at any of it. Hazards of no parties in Storybrooke. It was fun the few chances she’d had.

“I don’t know…fancy old stuff? For balls.” His voice was less sad.

“I guess the sword fighting would be different than fencing sabres?” Skye prodded, she could handle looking up sword stuff.

He cocked his head. “Yeah, knights use shields, and the swords are bigger.”

“What else?”

Skye picked up an apple from the bowl on the counter. “Hey mom.”

“Hi, dear. Did you have a good day?” Regina greeted from where she was chopping vegetables for dinner.

“Pretty good.” Skye considered her mom. “Do you know anything about knights?”

Regina paused in slicing some of the peppers. “Some, why do you ask?”

She hesitated, she knew her mom was…touchy on the topic of Henry. “So Henry thinks everyone are fairy tale characters, but specifically, like medievalish ones, yeah?”

“That is the problem?” Her mom’s expression was measuring.

“Maybe instead of fighting him on it, we encourage him. Let him be a knight. Get him some archery stuff, and uh…maybe find out what medieval people even danced to. It’d make him happy.”

Regina tapped her knife against the cutting board. “The lute or recorder, knowing how to play an instrument, was often a favored skill for knights.”

Skye smiled, “I could take him to the music store and help him pick one after school, tomorrow?”

Chapter Text

Henry had never been to the music store before. The Golden Lyre was a little shop on Main Street. There were violins and cellos and stuff in the window. He looked around curiously as they entered, something classical filled the air. It smelled nice.

“I’ve got a list of medieval instruments.” Skye handed him a sheet of the grocery list paper from the fridge. “What are you thinking? Blowing, strumming, or banging?”

“You think Mom will let me bring home a drum?” He looked at her dubiously.

“I don’t know?” Skye crossed her arms, looking around the place. “But if you really want to test out if mom’s evil or not, there is the recorder.”

He looked at the wind instruments. That was tempting. “She’d really hate it.”

Skye nudged him. “She is definitely hoping you pick a lute.” There was a grin in her voice.

Henry walked over to where the recorders were. He bounced on his toes as he looked at them all. There were plastic ones in bright colors, dark colors, just so many!

“Welcome, what are we looking for today?” A woman came walking over from the back.

“Recorders!” Henry grinned. It was going to be great!

The woman smiled. “I happen to have some lovely wooden ones, rich sound.”

Henry kinda liked the wood ones. “Are they better than plastic ones?”

“A poorly made wooden one will never sound as good as a well-made plastic one. But a well-crafted wooden recorder? Well, that will have rich overtones you just can’t have with plastic.”

“Fascinating up-sale.” Skye dropped a hand on his shoulder. She glanced at him with a twinkle in her eye. “What do you think Henry, do you want to go straight to the fanciest thing ever, or you want one with a cool color till you’re old enough for band or orchestra or something?”

He considered it, the plastic blue was neat looking. But… “The wood ones look kinda cool?”

“Guess we can get a wood one, maybe not the most expensive one in the shop?” Skye’s eyes had flicked back to the worker. But her hand by him made the ‘ok’ gesture at him.

Henry beamed, oh nice, get a recorder, then use the change from mom’s money for ice cream. They hadn’t done that in a couple of months. He looked at the worker. “Why are there so many different sizes?”

“Well, that’s because they’re different kinds.”

Henry dug his spoon into his ice cream sundae. “Are you bribing me to stay away from Emma?”

“Maybe,” Skye took a bite of her own sundae. “Or maybe, I’m bribing you not to kick me in the shins for enforcing the no-Emma rule?”

“That’s the same thing.” He took a bite of the chocolatey goodness.

“From a certain point of view,” She grinned as she quoted Star Wars.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine, but if you don’t believe me about the curse, what do you think it is?”

Skye stuck her spoon back into her sundae. “I don’t know, but I know it’s been going on for twenty-eight years, it's why everything here is so eighties. I tracked all the Mirror archives, it only goes back twenty-eight years. And you know, nothing changes. Biggest news stories are usually the weather or whatever road work or general maintenance type stuff. There’s never any entries for obituaries or birth announcements.”

She took a bite of ice cream before continuing. “I mean there’s the usual stories about storms that knock out power a bit, or Miner’s day, that kind of thing. But nothing…meaningful, ya know? Sometimes the nuns do charity things, never earn a lot of money, but it happens about twice a year or so. Nobody ever ages. Mom was thirty-five when she adopted us, she’s thirty-five today. None of the cars are older than twenty-eight years old. Pressing anyone on the just…gaps in reality around here leaves them confused and worst case, panicking.”

“Panicking?” Henry considered that…people got upset sometimes?

“I experimented a bit on trying to see what reactions I could get out of people at first.” Skye winced. “It was kinda awful, and I stopped as soon as I realized it was just hurting them, even if they didn’t really remember it. Oh, and all the animals in the shelter actually age. I think they’re mostly runaways from outside of Storybrooke that find their way here. Whatever the border nobody crosses is, animals can get through it.”

That was all…she wasn’t lying, she really believed him about the town. “What else have you figured out?” Henry needed to know so he could figure out how to prove it was a curse. He didn’t get why she wasn’t believing him about the curse when she kinda already knew.

“I don’t know? A lot of random things? We’re on our own power grid, delivery from outside all happens by train. Like the rail shipyard gets two trains a day that stop. Anything for the shops or anything that’s been ordered gets unloaded by the guys there, then the train moves on. I think whoever the train conductor is, he’s the only real outsider who is ever here. And from what I could find out from the yard computer systems, he never gets off.”

His eyes widened. “You hacked the rail company?!”

“Keep your voice down,” Skye glanced around, ensuring nobody was listening to their conversation at the corner table at Any Given Sundae. It was just them, Ingrid the owner was having a cigarette just outside the front door.

“Really?” Henry looked at her in disbelief.

“Oh fine.” She lightly kicked him under the tiny white table. “But obviously, I’ve hacked everything with internet connectivity in town. Figuring out what was going on here is kinda why I got really into computers in middle school.”

“Huh, what do you think the curse is if you don’t think it’s a curse?” Henry was kinda confounded by that point.

“I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was magic or curse type thing.” Skye shrugged. “Admittedly, my favorite theory was alien study on human behavior. I spent months trying to find a control tower or something.”

“Aliens?” He snickered. “Aliens aren’t real.”

“Hey, no judging from Mr. I’m a Fairy Tale Prince.”

Henry carefully checked that his door was shut, before bounding over to the window and pressed his flashlight against the glass. Two clicks for all clear. He raised up the walkie to his mouth. “Emma, are you there, over.”

-”Loud and clear kid.”-

“You’re supposed to say ‘over’. Over.” Why did he bother with code books if she didn’t read them?

-“I’ll try and keep that in mind. How was your day? Over.”-

He sighed, next time he was highlighting the important bits of the radio code. He could pass it through Mary Margaret. “It was good! I got a recorder, and Skye and I got ice cream. She still doesn’t believe in the fairy tale stuff. But she’s close? And she’s agreed I can learn to be a knight! Over.”

-”A recorder? That’s very cool kid. And that’s nice of her to help you be a knight. Over.”-

He squinted into the night, but he couldn’t quite make out Emma in the parked police cruiser. “It is, I know she’s doing it as a plot with Regina. But I think it’s a start to getting her to help with Operation Cobra. Over.”

-”That’s great. What else have you been busy with, Kid? Over.”-

“So I’ve been getting-”

////

Skye ran her fingers along Ruby’s spine. “How’d you manage to get today off?” She was kinda always horrified by how few days off people in Storybrooke took. A point toward torture curse she supposed.

“Volunteered for the late shift for the rest of the time you’re here.” She faintly curled her neck and shoulders bashfully. “I hope that’s ok?”

“So ok,” Skye kissed her because Ruby shouldn’t look nervous in her own bed, in her own bedroom. It was kinda her turn though as she pulled back slightly. “About the ‘rest of the time I’m here’ thing.”

Ruby’s hands tightened where they were against Skye’s skin. “You only have a week left, please say you’re not leaving early to go back. ”

“I’m not.” Skye let her fingers press against Ruby’s spine. “I uh…am taking a leave from University? I kind of forgot to tell you. I wasn’t sure I’d manage it till the last day, and I didn’t want to tell you if it wasn’t going to work out, and then I just kinda…forgot to tell you?”

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Ruby pulled back slightly, her eyes tracing across her face.

“It means I’m not leaving Storybrooke till September.” Skye dared to grin slightly.

Ruby’s hands moved up, cupping her face. “You’re staying?”

Skye leaned into Ruby’s touch. “I’m staying.”

Ruby’s fingers were warm as she held Skye’s foot still with one hand, her other hand carefully painting her nails red. It was unfair how gorgeous Ruby was just sitting in a baggy t-shirt, with mussed long brown hair tumbling down over her shoulders. Just devastatingly pretty.

“So you really only had red nail polish?” Skye couldn’t help grinning at her. “I mean, I’m not surprised.”

Ruby’s eyes flicked up at her, a teasing pout on her face. “Hey.”

Skye gave a pointed look around the very red room. Red comforter, red lamp, various bits of red everywhere. “Oh I’m sorry, didn’t realize the obsession with red was supposed to be secret.”

Sticking her tongue out at her, Ruby gave a pointed squeeze to her foot.

Skye couldn’t help it, giggling. One hand covering her mouth slightly as she leaned forward against her knees, helpless amusement spilled out across her lips.

“Fine, I might have bought a few things in red.” Ruby was smiling. “So, why did you decide to take a leave from University? I know it wasn’t just because of me. You’d be crazy to do that.”

She blew out a breath as the laughter faded. “Because Emma’s trying to kidnap my brother, and it’s going to give my mom a nervous breakdown. And Henry’s really going through something. I think…it’s because it’s different for him, being adopted at birth instead of later like me.” She smiled slightly, watching Ruby. “Spending time around you and not having to figure out how to do long distance is a very nice perk though.”

Ruby gave a pleased wiggle at being called a nice perk. She was looking at her through her lashes before seeming to fall more serious. “What do you mean it’s different for Henry than for you?”

“I mean…” Skye frowned, it wasn’t like she could exactly explain to Ruby that the whole town had been trapped in some kind of weird mind fog of unchanging just…shit? It hadn’t gone anywhere when she’d tried as a kid, it’d just upset people. And now that time seemed to be moving, the fog lifted…she didn’t know. “There’s things I accepted. The flaws of just everything, never really mattered. Living outside of Storybrooke gave me perspective I guess? But Henry doesn’t have that. He doesn’t get how lucky he is. All he sees are the flaws.”

There was a curious look on Ruby’s face. “And you see only the positives but none of the flaws?”

“Probably. But also… it's hard to see the flaws as terrible when I know what really terrible ones are.” Skye didn’t know how to explain the terror that’d always lurked that she’d be dragged back to St. Agnes. She brushed that aside. “But I’m glad he can see the world like that, even if it’s kind of annoying sometimes.”

“You talk about him like he’s your son sometimes, not your brother?” Ruby had a slight frown.

“I think I’d want to smack him less if I was a parent?” Skye’s nose wrinkled. “At least I hope so. If I ever have kids, I don’t want to ever want that.”

Ruby released her foot. “Don’t smear that.” She picked up Skye’s other foot. “Maybe it’s a sibling thing?”

“I am nine years older than him.” Skye paused. “Which how weird is that? I’m old enough, it’d only be slightly gross if I was dating Emma and not you.”

“Are you trying to make me jealous?” Ruby shot her a playful glare.

Skye rolled her eyes. “Yes, please be jealous of the woman I hate.” She reached out, hooking a hand around the back of Ruby’s neck and pulled her in. It was a bit of an uncomfortable stretch to manage, but she kissed her anyway. Her eyes stayed closed as she pulled back slightly.

“Good answer.” Ruby was smiling against her before pulling back fully. “Why do you hate Emma so much? I know things are...complicated with Henry. But you get all… smoking when she comes up now.”

“That’s complicated, or I guess it’s not, but it's not my secret, you know?” Skye didn’t like not telling Ruby things. More the fuckery of the town than that her mom had gotten into a fistfight with Emma in a graveyard.

“So something happened with your mom?” Ruby clearly picked up the implication.

Skye tipped her head in ‘yes’. “I know you’re friends with Mary Margaret, and Mary Margaret and Emma are close. That’s got to be awkward for you.”

“A bit, does it bother you that I like Emma? She just changes things around here. And people around her just…get better.” Ruby looked at her through her stupidly lovely lashes.

“I might wish I was the tire-slashing sort. You know my roommate's freshman year slashed her ex-boyfriend’s tires? It seemed really satisfying.” Skye nudged Ruby. “It bothering me doesn’t mean you should stop being friends with her.”

Ruby smiled at her softly. “You know you don’t have to be nice about it?”

Skye raised a brow. “Ruby, I want to torch her car, it’s not a blood feud. If you helped her get to Henry behind everyone’s back, I’d be mad.”

“I think I can promise not to help her steal your brother.” Ruby capped the nail polish, setting it aside. “And, I’m done.”

“Thanks.” Skye glanced at her newly red toenails. She wasn’t sure why Ruby’d suggested it, but it was nice. “Has Granny been bothering you about last week?”

Ruby shifted slightly. “I’ll live, she always has something to complain about.”

“I’m sorry, I should have been more careful.” Skye hadn’t meant to make things hard for Ruby.

“Don’t be.” Ruby lunged forward, bracketing Skye, bringing them suddenly closer together. “It was romantic.” She nosed against her slightly.

Skye shivered, her fingers curling in the shirt Ruby was wearing. “Yeah?”

“Hmmm,” Ruby leaned her forehead against hers. “I think painting your toenails was a mistake.”

She couldn’t help laughing at that and kissed Ruby’s cheek before pushing Ruby off and onto the mattress next to her. “You are ridiculous.”

Ruby pouted as she lay on the mattress, looking up at her. “Am I? “

Scooting forward slightly, Skye laid on her back next to Ruby, tilting her head to look at her. “Completely.” She glanced at the clock and sighed before looking back at Ruby. “It’s almost noon.”

“Think we can have Emma arrest the clock for bringing bad news?”

“Tempting.” Skye found Ruby’s hand properly threading their fingers together. “But I think you’d chew through the door if someone tried to keep you away from your goddaughter.”

Ruby’s smile went wide, her eyes twinkling. “Exactly.”

////

Ruby wasn’t sure if it was an older sister thing, a foster kid thing, or a Skye thing, but watching Skye with Lexie was the sweetest thing. And hilariously, Skye was smoothly and professionally on top of baby care, faster than any of the rest of them. She leaned against the counter. “Do you want kids someday?”

“Uh…” Skye’s expression was slightly confounded by the question as she looked up from where she was rocking Lexie while walking in circles around the couch. “Maybe? Like way in the future. But I think so.” Skye cocked her head slightly. “What about you?”

It wasn’t something she’d have thought of wanting exactly. “Not right now, but someday.”

Skye hummed, her fingers gently cradling Lexie’s head against her chest just under her neck. “I can’t even imagine how badly my mom would have reacted if I got pregnant as a teenager.”

“I don’t know, there’s still a few months if you want to find out.” Ruby raised a brow as she teased her.

It was cute how Skye shot her a faintly annoyed look. “Got something to confess? Cause I was pretty sure after thorough examination, sleeping with you wasn’t going to risk that.”

Ruby grinned, just giddy at actually spending real time with her. “We can check again later, just to be sure.”

Skye snorted against Lexie’s fine blonde hair. And it was just nice, being in the same space together without worrying about anyone noticing too much about their interactions. “You’re mom had you really young, didn’t she?”

“And ran off so I couldn’t mess up her life.” Ruby knew her voice was bitter, but she couldn’t help it. “Just left me with Granny. She’s never called, no notes, or emails.”

Skye’s face was painfully understanding. “Do you want her to reach out, or come back?”

She breathed out. “Sometimes? But it's like…I know she won’t in my bones. I think I already mourned her, if that makes any sense?” There was a settledness to that loss. No matter how much it burned that she hadn’t been worth staying to her mom.

“It makes sense.” Skye walked over, leaning into her while adjusting her hold on Lexie to make sure Ruby could see her. “I don’t think you’d do that if you had a kid.”

Her eyes burned slightly as she shook her head. “No, I’d be trapped but…I couldn’t leave a kid to grow up feeling unwanted.” She swallowed back the pain, trying for a slightly more humorous tone. Not that it worked exactly. “And I don’t think Granny could raise a third kid.”

“I don’t know, somehow I suspect underestimating your Granny sounds like a terrible bet.” Skye replied.

She laughed, reaching up, gently touching Lexie’s little hand where it was curled against Skye. “No, it's kind of a terrible bet. I wish she would believe I wouldn’t do that.”

“You’re only still here because you’re helping take care of her. She knows that.” Skye leaned forward and kissed her chastely before pulling back, bouncing slightly as Lexie started fussing. “I know sweetie, no standing still. It’s very yucky to stand still. That was mean of me to stand still wasn’t it?”

Ruby slumped slightly, watching as Skye re-soothed the baby. And she found herself admitting what she probably wouldn’t have admitted quite so honestly otherwise. “I wish she’d say that. Or show it.”

Skye looked up from Lexie. “Maybe tell her that?”

“Would you tell Regina?” She countered.

There was a faint pause before Skye kept gently bouncing Lexie. “I’d probably just hug her and hang on till she got it?”

That was…unbearably sweet, actually. “That sounds really nice.”

“You could try? I mean, when was the last time you told Granny she was important to you?” Skye asked.

Ruby swallowed as she thought back. When was the last time she hugged Granny?

Ruby tied on her apron as she walked out from the back. “I’m here! Sorry, I’m running late! Lexie spat up all down my front.” And she might have been real distracted by Skye while getting that new shirt on.

“Don’t make a habit out of it.” Granny said as she bustled over, setting the bussing tub on the counter. “Table two has burgers, and table six hasn’t ordered dessert, Leroy’s six beers deep.”

Lunging forward, Ruby hugged her. “Thanks, Granny.” She tightened her arms slightly. It was easy to forget how tiny Granny was sometimes.

There was a faintly surprised sound in the back of Granny’s throat. But then Granny hugged her back. She gave a faint pat, pulling away. “Get to it.” But there was a notable roughness in her voice.

Ruby blinked rapidly, turning on her heel, she was beaming. She so had it.

Chapter Text

Ruby was wiping some tables down. She had the time before she was meeting her…hopefully girlfriend? She kept just smiling stupidly. Everything was just kind of amazing recently. She kinda wanted to pinch herself about it. Her bubbly mood froze at the sight of Henry Mills trotting up toward the door into the diner.

Oh, oh that wasn’t good.

She dropped her wash rag and b-lined for him. If Emma Swan came up behind him, she was so dead. And that was just if Skye found out. If Regina saw that it’d be WWIII in the diner. Nope, and how was it this easy to sneak out of school? It was the middle of the school day!

“Hey, Ruby!” Henry smiled up at her.

Ruby set her hand on his shoulder and started guiding him straight for a booth where he wouldn’t be visible from the sidewalk. “Henry! What are you doing here? Your mom and sister will kill me.”

Henry huffed, but easily let her guide him over. “Skye won’t, she’s your true love.” He climbed into the booth like he hadn’t said anything dramatic.

That brought Ruby up short. “What?” She slid into the side of the booth across from him. “Henry, what do you mean by that?”

He folded his hands on top of the table and leaned forward. “It’s ok, I know you two are in love.”

She glanced, making sure no one was listening in, before meeting his eyes. “Henry, where did you hear that?”

A ten-year-old shouldn’t be that innocent when just revealing he knew someone else’s secrets. “Mary Margaret.”

Ruby closed her eyes. It was less surprising than it should be that Mary Margaret would spill the beans to Henry. Though actually, “How did Mary Margaret know?”

Henry stared at her like she was stupid.

“Emma?” Ruby groaned, right, of course. That made sense. She was killing both of them. First, the rogue ten-year-old. “Henry, who knows you’re here?”

“Just you. I wanted to talk to you.” He was just smiling at her. “It’s important.”

This was so going to get her in trouble with someone. “Ok, five minutes and then I’m calling your sister to come get you.”

Henry stayed leaning forward. “I can help you.”

“Help me with what?” Ruby’s lips twitched slightly at the happier and more openly sweet Mills sibling and his general excitement about helping. She knew it was going to be a disaster.

“With Skye.” His voice was conspiratorial but with a tinge of ‘duh’. “Emma won’t help make sure you two get your happy ending. So I can!”

“Henry, you can’t tell anyone about Skye and I.” She held his brown eyes. It was funny, they were the same shade as his sisters, even if they weren’t related. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

He sighed, “I promise. You can’t let the Evil Queen know you’re in love. Don’t worry, I understand.”

There was no way he understood. Ruby might really hope she and Skye were in love, but Skye hadn’t said that. And just, this felt a bit like a grenade waiting to go off. Maybe she didn’t want kids someday? So innocent-looking and confident he was helping. “That’s very sweet of you, but I think we have it.”

“So you know her favorite candy?” Henry was stupidly smug.

“That’s…are you trying to wingman for me with your sister?” That shouldn’t be as suddenly tempting as it was. But just…Skye kept doing really nice things for her. It felt wrong not to know how to return the favor. And Skye wasn’t a guy, she couldn’t just assume Skye’d handle most of those kinds of gestures.

“She likes red vines and is obsessed with energy drinks.” Henry was smug as he grinned at her. “She pretends to like coffee to impress people. If there’s no coffee, Mt.Dew. She chugs it before practice.”

Ruby’s lips pulled up into a grin. “She pretends to like coffee?”

Henry snicked nodding. “Mom hates junk food so Skye hides it in her closet.” He was all conspiratorial as he kept talking. “Her favorite flowers are daisies, she likes them a lot. And apples, they’re like her favorite thing to snack on.”

That made a lot of sense. “I think she ate more than the horses.”

He nodded. “She does!” His head cocked slightly. “She took you to the stable? That’s great! You can use Batman.”

Ruby smiled at his serious expression. It was sweet. “Thank you, I promise to brush her extra well for you.”

“Awesome, oh, and she likes dumb comedies even if she tries to act like she likes mom’s documentaries and like murder mysteries. And reality tv. She likes laughing at them.”

“What else does she like?” Ruby leaned in slightly more. This was hilarious, but everything he was saying sounded exactly right. Of course Skye hid junk food, energy drinks, and silly movies.

“She likes some action movies? She always takes me to all the new cool movies at the theatre, and we get popcorn and slushies.” Henry beamed. “And she dumps a bag of M&Ms into the popcorn, and it’s great. And she loves animals. She tried to convince mom to let us get a dog, but mom said no pets in the house after the hamster incident.”

Ruby’s brow rose. “Hamster incident?”

He looked guilty. “I got a hamster, but he died while Mom was at work. Skye and I didn’t really know what to do, so we thought it was like fish. So we flushed him.”

Biting her lip to keep from cackling, Ruby waited for the disaster she was fairly sure that would have caused.

“But he was a really fat hamster, so he got stuck? And we didn’t know how to turn the water off.” Henry’s shoulders were slumped. “The basement and first floor kinda flooded by the time mom got home.”

“What was the hamster’s name?” Ruby slid her phone out of her pocket, sending an easy ‘H here’ to Skye under the table.

“Hal,” Henry scratched at his cheek. “It was really awful.”

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry about Hal.”

He shrugged. “It’s ok, it was like forever ago. And we didn’t have him for that long. I looked away from him for like five seconds, and he bit a lamp cord.”

“So no hamster themed gifts to Skye?” Ruby gently re-directed.

Henry shook his head. “No, that’d be weird.” He looked at her consideringly. “You should take her on a nice date. I don’t think her boyfriend last year ever really did more than coffee or one frat party.”

Huh, Skye hadn’t actually ever mentioned any exes specifically. It’d been implied but, Ruby was suddenly very interested in what Henry was saying. “Boyfriend?”

Henry shrugged. “I only know about Mark because her roommate mentioned him while I was Skyping her last year. She doesn’t really talk to me about dating.”

“Well thank you for trying to help. I’ll be sure to ask you if I have any plans I need help with.” She was definitely going to need to figure something out. If the weather could be nice, or if they weren’t hiding it, it’d be a lot easier. Rats.

“And if you need help from Emma just tell her it’s for Operation Cobra.” He assured her confidently.

Ruby was one hundred percent not telling Skye her brother had a secret operation with Emma. That sounded like a recipe for taking Skye from a war to nuclear options. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She raised a brow at him. “How did you get Mary Margaret to tell you?”

“I found your hat and lipstick in my sister’s car.” The grin on his face was smug. “You’re not very good at hiding it because Mary Margaret already knew.”

Her face flushed at that in mortification. Thank god it was only a hat? Maybe it was a good thing they never got bold enough to really get undressed when they ended up in the backseat of Skye’s car…or Ruby should get her car fixed faster? Just…oh god it could have been The Mayor.

At least Ruby didn’t have to clear her throat. “Do you want a hot chocolate?”

Ruby was grateful to stop Skye walking in through the entrance, and also grateful she wasn’t the one on the other end of the expression on her face. She set the rag aside as she walked into the kitchen. “Granny, I’m heading out, be back in time for my shift.”

“Fleeing the Mills drama?” Granny asked from where she was sorting through filled ticket orders from the morning. There was a knowing tone in her voice.

“Before a Hurricane Mayor can arrive.” Ruby waved as she headed back to the hall.

“Whoever you’re meeting up with better not be married!” Granny hollered after her.

“Granny!” Shame and outrage curdled in her gut at that.

“Don’t ‘Granny’ me, it never ends well, and it’s disrespectful to go messing about with married folk. I raised you better than to be a homewrecker.”

Ruby’s hands tightened. “Well maybe I’m not as much of a slut as you think I am!” She stormed out of the diner and out of the back. Her body was vibrating with rage. At how cruel her grandmother was. How cutting. Always expecting the worst. And maybe some of it was fair, but it felt like gristle grinding against her teeth.

Everything just felt wrong sometimes. A helpless rage against the bars of a town that felt like a strangling cage. A rage that licked at her bones, snarling and demanding to escape. But how? It didn’t matter how much of a bitch Granny was, she couldn’t leave her.

She kicked a box.

Her foot mostly just dented and slid it a few pathetic inches. It gave a very unsatisfying squelch.

A sound of frustration escaped her lips. She stepped back and dropped down on the back cement step and dropped down, burying her face in her hands.

She was tired.

So tired.

Ruby’s chest ached, it felt empty. Wrong. The same fights over and over in a loop. It never changed anything. What was even the point of it all? She shivered despite not being cold. It sucked. She wished she didn’t feel so pathetic. That anything about her life mattered. She wasn’t sure how long she just sat there feeling sorry for herself. She didn’t think it’d been a long time?

But footsteps approached, and a person settled next to her. “I’m sorry.”

She looked up at Skye, wiping away at her face. “You didn’t do anything.”

“Maybe I should have.” Skye wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Her arm was warm and secure over her.

Ruby shivered, barely keeping from leaning into Skye. “Where’s Henry?”

Skye’s stupidly soft eyes didn’t look away from her. “Waiting in the car. And if he’s not there when I get back, I’ll chase him down.”

Breathing out, she leaned into Skye. “Guess our plans aren’t going to work out today?”

“Do you not want to? I get it if you don’t want to, or if you want to do something different?” Skye asked carefully.

Ruby caught the front of her jacket’s collar and pulled her in kissing her for it. She paused slightly. “What about Henry?”

“Just have to drop him off at school.” Skye’s hand had shifted, her hand cradled the side of her face. “We can do whatever you want.” Her tone turned slightly teasing. “Even if that’s just staring at the ceiling in your room.”

“Really?” Ruby couldn’t help smiling, though. Everything just felt alright. The awful frustrated emptiness filled so easily she could barely remember it without really thinking on it. And why would she, when something actually good and happy and different was touching her? The walls of the town suddenly weren’t a cage. Just a rut she’d get out of.

Skye huffed. “If I just wanted to ride a horse, I could ride a horse.” She nudged her, a crooked curl to her mouth. “I asked you along because I wanted to spend time with you. You’re kinda fun to be around.”

Hiding her smile, she dropped her head on Skye’s shoulder. “Let’s ride some horses.” She liked how Skye smelled, she always smelled clean like soap. Probably from showering after workouts so much. But it was just pleasant. “Guess you’ll have to drive the car back here?”

“I think we’re fine as long as we don’t decide to make out in the middle of the street. We’re avoiding parental stuff, not people knowing we’re friends.” Skye was smiling as she climbed to her feet, holding her hand out to pull her up. “Let’s go to the car.”

Ruby’s heart skipped a beat at the gesture. She took Skye’s hand.

Ruby’s hands gripped the leather pommel of the saddle so tight her knuckles were white. “Oh no, this is so much higher than I thought.”

“You’re ok.” Skye laughed as she easily swung herself onto Pebbles. With an easy twitch of her fingers against the reins, Skye had her horse swinging around her and up alongside Ruby. She reached out, gently triple-checking that the helmet was securely on Ruby’s head. “Batman’s a sweetheart, my mom let Henry on her.”

She felt a little thrill at Skye’s fingers brushing against her face. Admittedly, her heart was already fluttering with sudden horse-related anxiety. “That’s kinda comforting.” Ruby was pretty sure Regina would discover how to make napalm if someone or something harmed either of her kids.

Skye’s hands dropped from Ruby and back to her sides, not even bothering with the reins. “So, want to try going forward?”

“Forward, right.” Ruby breathed out, nodding to herself. “How do I do that?”

Skye raised a single brow. “We just went over that?”

Her face felt flushed. “It sounded easier, and you’re distracting.”

“I’m wearing three layers.” The amount of teasing was ridiculous. The mischievously pleased expression felt like a herald of good things, though.

“Shut up.” Ruby’s tightened even further as Batman shook her head. “Help before I fall off this skyscraper of a horse, please.”

There was laughter in Skye’s voice. “Batman’s got you, just squeeze your legs together. Don’t worry, the yard’s fenced, Batman doesn’t have the space to get going too fast in here.”

Ruby bit back the sex joke, she was actually kinda terrified of this. “What about the reigns?”

Skye reached out, stroking at Batman’s black neck. “Don’t worry about it, you can worry about them once you’re confident on the going forward bit.”

“Whoa to stop, just make sure you lean back when you do it to try and transfer your weight toward his hips. But here,” Skye’s hand touched Ruby’s thigh. “You want to be looser here.”

She breathed out, looser. “How am I supposed to do that?”

Skye met her eyes. “Ok, I’m not going to let anything happen to you, ok?”

Ruby nodded. “Sorry, I thought I’d be more cool about this.”

There was a laugh as Skye dismounted. She looked up at her. “Think you can just stay sitting there for a second?”

“I can do that.” Ruby could do that.

Skye walked Pebbles over to a post, neatly tied the reins to it, and then jogged back over. “I’m going to lead you two around for a few loops till you get used to the feeling, ok?”

“Yes?” Ruby breathed out.

“Just let yourself relax, it’s fine. Batman and I have you.” Skye carefully flipped the reins over Batman’s head. She smiled up at Ruby.

It was like Ruby could breathe easier. She smiled slightly, even if anxiety was still buzzy under her skin. But it kinda felt like she’d been hugged even if she hadn’t.

Skye clucked her tongue and started walking backward.

Her stomach swooped as Batman started walking.

A few steps Skye winked before turning on her heel and walking forward. Her voice was light as she talked. “Don’t worry, we’ll only do some easy riding in the yard today. It’s murder on your leg muscles at first.”

“This is not the kind of saddle sore I like being.” Ruby replied only to pause. “Oh, I’m going to be actually saddle sore, aren’t I?”

Skye giggled. “Probably, promise not to get you up to a trot till you’re used to walking.”

As Batman walked, Ruby did find herself getting kinda used to the movement. Her grip on the pommel of the saddle loosened…a bit. Her knuckles weren’t white. “So, why does my saddle have this pommel, and yours doesn’t?”

“Because you’re a beginner. Western saddles are easier for most people than an English saddle, which is what I’ve got on Pebbles.” Skye gave a pointed glance at the pommel over her shoulder.

Ruby glanced at the saddle. “Because of the pommel?”

“There’s more support for the rider, and it’s easier to sit in once she gets moving.” Skye explained as she started leading them in a second loop of the riding yard they used for lessons for the kids, apparently.

The kinda swaying movement was wild, or rocking? Ruby wasn’t entirely sure how to describe it. “I’m supposed to stay loose?”

Skye gently brought them to a halt, she paused, scratching at Batman’s nose. A soft “Good girl.” And then stepped to her side. She had a playful look on her face as she touched Ruby’s foot. “This is good.” She reached up tapping her knee. “But you’re too tense here to your hips. Batman isn’t going to buck you, and even if he did, being too tense is the easiest way to go flying.” Her thumb rubbed a soothing circle against her knee. “Try sitting up a little straighter?”

Ruby tried to straighten, even if it meant having a slightly less tight hold on the pommel. “Like this?”

“Better, now roll your shoulders back. I know you think it’s all prim and snooty looking, but it’ll help.”

Her shoulders protested being rolled back. Mostly because they were kinda tight. “I’m about to find out your poshly perfect posture is from horseback riding, aren’t I?”

Skye’s smile grew. “Maybe a bit. Fencing doesn’t help either. But there you go. Just try and think of it as a line from the top of your head to your heels. Just let your arms kinda stay like that, you want your elbows at your side primarily anyways.”

“If I fall off, I’m blaming you.” Ruby was kinda smiling as Skye stepped back again.

“I’ll kiss any bruises better.” Skye was grinning as she clucked her tongue, gently guiding Batman into walking again.

Ruby couldn’t help the awed beaming smile as Batman meandered forward from the gentle squeeze of her legs. Her hands actually held the reins like a plow, god knew what that meant except using both hands. But it was working.

“You’re doing great!” Skye swung back up into Pebbles’ saddle and then trotted over to her. “How do you feel about a couple of circles around the yard?”

She kinda felt breathless as she smiled at Skye. “This is amazing.” Ruby felt a flush crawling across her face at the way Skye was looking at her.

“Yeah, it is.”

Ruby gasped against Skye’s mouth as she was pressed against the stall door. Her hand slid low against the riding pants that had been distracting her earlier, and pulled Skye closer.

Today was kind of amazing.

Chapter Text

Emma used her now ever-present cup of coffee to hide her reaction to seeing her two new deputies fussing over their awful uniforms. This was going to be a disaster. At least Sean looked as exhausted as her? She set her coffee aside. “You two ready?”

Sean and Albert, her only two applicants for the job, instantly straightened up. God, they were so young.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Sean replied painfully sincerely. Albert nodded seriously next to him.

She was killing Graham.

“First off, ‘no Ma’am’.” Emma was twenty-eight and not even the sheriff. Just ‘interim-sheriff per the bi-laws’. Whoever wrote those things was a dick. “Second, Sean, you're running the station today. Answer the phone, take notes, and work on reading through the handbook. If you get through that, you see those filing cabinets?”

Sean looked at the filing cabinet. “Yes, Ma’am? Emma! Sorry, Emma.”

She ignored the Ma’am slip. “It all needs to be scanned into the computer.”

At least he looked daunted by it all. He had no idea the bureaucratic shitshow he’d signed up for. The dental was genuinely persuasive.

Emma picked up the keys. “Come on, Albert, we’ve got a call about some graffiti.” Which was their job…again, fuck whoever wrote the by-laws. She trusted Sean to at least not burn down the station if left on his own. Albert…she wasn’t holding her breath. “And we’re bringing the actual sheriff groceries. Let’s see if you can look pathetic enough, he’ll consider coming back.”

////

Skye flipped through the town bylaws. They really were a convoluted mess. It was kind of interesting in a sort of dry system of unimportant busy work and over-assigning authority. Also explained why her mom always had paperwork of some kind. Busy work despite nothing happening. Kinda impressive. She popped the head off her highlighter and neatly underlined the fence requirements.

She pressed a light kiss to the temple of Lexie’s little head where the baby was sleeping on her chest. Babysitting was kind of nice.

With a pleased hum, she highlighted another entry. This thing was literally designed to not solve anything. She was pretty sure anything actually accomplished was done by accident or that her mom had not read most of this at any point in her entire life. Maybe she should point out some of the useless, busy work their mom was trapped with to Henry? If there was a curse, their mom was dealing with it too.

Skye looked up and smiled as she saw Ruby opening the door. “Hey.”

“Ashley’s still napping?” Ruby asked as she carried the groceries in, setting them on the counter in the tiny little house.

“Should be,” Skye flipped a page in the bylaws. Actually, these bylaws kinda were the town in a way. Just repetitive, nothing red tape designed to keep people going in circles.

Ruby started pulling stuff out of the bags and setting it out on the counter. “What are you even studying over there?”

“Additional bureaucratic red tape to tie up Emma in. I think I found something kinda promising with the fence regulations. These things are kind of an HOA’s wet dream in some ways.” Skye was looking forward to pointing her mom at these.

“Sometimes you’re really your mother’s daughter.” Ruby shook her head as she put the juice away in the fridge.

“Please, my mom was about halfway to just torching Emma’s car.” Skye snapped the cap back on her highlighter and picked up the pen. She scribbled a quick note in the margin.

Ruby paused. “This isn’t helping with feeling like I’m dating a supervillain.”

Her lips twitched up. “I could evil cackle when the princess here wakes up?”

There was a snort as Ruby kept putting groceries away. She looked over at her curiously. “Is there anything else we need to do?”

Skye picked up the notebook off the couch, moving it over. “Not till she wakes up.”

“Huh.” Ruby walked over and carefully sat down next to her. Ever so slowly to keep from jostling them. “What now?”

Biting her lip hard to keep from laughing, Skye picked up a juice box and passed it to her. “I think you might work too many hours.”

Ruby stabbed the straw through the hole in the juice box. She gave a faint shrug. “Maybe.” With a slight wiggle, Ruby dropped her head on her shoulder.

A rush of warmth went through Skye at the gesture. Her chest felt too tight as the radiating warmth of Ruby soaked into her. If she moved, would Ruby pull away? That was…she desperately didn’t want that to happen. But…was not moving bad?

Skye hesitated, but carefully, ever so cautiously, leaned her cheek against the top of Ruby’s head.

Ruby didn’t move away.

With a sigh of relief, she relaxed into it. Skye just kinda soaked it in. It was funny how much easier it was with Ruby than it’d been when she’d tried dating before. Maybe it was because Ruby was already kind of in her life? Or maybe Ruby was just special?

Skye’s eyes went back to the bylaws. She hummed slightly, flipping a page with one hand, using her leg to keep it balanced so she could reach over and take Ruby’s hand. This felt like a perfect afternoon. She wished it could last forever, and not just till Henry got out of school.

////

Henry eyed his sister as he buckled his seat belt. “Did it come?”

Her lips twitched. “What do you think?

“Mom’s going to kill us.” He breathed out, but he kinda wanted to bounce in his seat out of excitement.

“She approved…kind of. That’s the story, and we’re sticking to it.” She winked at him.

Henry couldn’t wait to tell Emma about this over the radio tonight!

Henry scrambled to the backyard, and sure enough, there was a target set up against the fence. “You already set it up?”

“Got here pretty early.” Skye agreed as she followed with the box of archery stuff.

It kinda didn’t matter that much that she didn’t believe him and was just humoring him. This was awesome!

He spun on his heel. “Can I touch it!”

She pulled out a bright red bow. It was so cool. “I strung it for you, which was terrible, and you’re doing it next time.” But she was smiling as she passed it over.

Henry reverently ran his fingers over the shiny, smooth arch of the bow. He plucked the corded string, his grin growing with every second. “Awesome!”

“I only got you practice arrows, but pretty sure you could still hurt someone with these, so please be careful.” Skye walked to the apple tree she’d leaned a quiver of arrows on. “Also are you wearing a belt?”

He looked up at her. “It’s part of the uniform, duh?”

Rolling her eyes, she passed it over. She pulled out a paper booklet, snapping it open. “Ok, since that’s for target shooting, you want it on your right hip, arrows facing forward. I think we have to get you a different quiver if you ever like…want to go shoot deer or something.” Her nose wrinkled at the word ‘deer’.

Carefully setting the bow down, he fumbled to get his belt undone as fast as possible so he could get that quiver attached. His sister had to hand over the arrows once he finished that. As he yanked his belt off and carefully hooked it through the quiver’s loops he looked up at Skye. “You’re sure mom won’t confiscate this?”

“Mostly.” Skye shrugged. “If you practice with that recorder of yours after dinner loudly enough, you might get it reversed if she tries. And I swear if you shoot a neighbor’s cat or something, I’ll kill you before mom does.”

“I’m not going to shoot anyone’s cat.” Henry scoffed as he pulled his belt back on, but with the weight of the quiver on his hip. “Can I have arrows now?”

“Fine,” Skye popped a box open and pulled out an arrow.

It was wooden, with bright orange and red plastic feathers. As she passed it over, Henry excitedly felt the weight of it, touching the ‘feathers’ and plastic end. The arrow point just looked like an arrow point?

“I thought you said it was a practice arrow?” His fingers touched the pointed metal arrowhead.

“It is. The non-practice ones are like little razorblade flying knife things.” Skye looked at him as she pulled out some more identical arrows. “If you do shoot someone or something don’t pull these out. The hospital can probably fix it. I think.”

“I’m not going to shoot anyone.” Henry rolled his eyes. “You’re worse than mom about seatbelts.”

Skye shoved his head slightly. “I’m sorry for being worried about handing my brother medieval weaponry.”

Henry started putting arrows into his quiver. The soon they had this done the sooner he could try and shoot!

“If mom asks, this is completely legal, I checked the by-laws.” Skye picked up a smaller box and opened it up. “Also, got you an armguard. I don’t know why you need one of those?”

He looked at the kinda strappy thing his sister was holding. “But nobody is going to be hitting me with anything?”

She shrugged but caught his arm, setting the kinda hard pad thing against the inside of his forearms, and buckled it into place. She adjusted all the straps till it was firmly on. “Right so…should I find a youtube video on how to do this?”

“I mean, it’s pretty basic isn’t it?” Henry picked up the bow again.

“I don’t think it could hurt?” Skye’s hands dropped on her hips.

He just wanted to shoot! “Fine! But then can I shoot?”

“Let’s just make sure you’re doing it right.”

////

Regina’s eye twitched as she crossed her arms. Her gaze fell on her daughter, who was without question the mastermind behind this. “I don’t recall approving this.”

“Knight training,” Skye replied while holding out a book.

She accepted the book. “And this is?”

Skye hummed. “More bylaws. Did you know it’s the Sheriff’s job to ensure people keep their fences in order and trim their hedges?”

That was promising. She took the book, flipping through the highlighted sections and notes in the margins. “Interesting, but really?”

“No Emma.” Skye replied instantly.

“That is a weapon.” Her fingers tightened as Henry let another arrow fly, hitting an outer ring of the target. The sound of the arrow hitting the wooden sheet in front of the fence nearly made her flinch.

“Fifteen-pound bow, which, according to the website, isn’t very strong? And I only got him practice arrow tips.” Skye looked up at her from where she was lounging on one of the lawn chairs. “And he’s happy.”

Regina breathed out, her eyes closing. She should have seen this coming. Of course, Skye would use the worst things to bribe Henry to stay at home with. Children loved things that were terrible for them. Like that awful sugary cereal, she was terrified her daughter lived off at college. Shrieking instrument, an actual weapon.

And archery! Only cowards and those of low birth specialized in archery. It should be a hobby at best to round out one's education, but certainly not more important than a sword and lance. Henry was paging age! Too young to be using real weapons this young! He was a royal.

She might be being overprotective. Archery might not be falconry, but it was acceptable. Much as she hated to admit that. Regina opened her eyes.

An arrow hit the yellow center circle. Henry jumped up in excitement, spinning to look at them. “Did you see that!? I almost hit the center!”

Skye perked up. “You’re getting better really fast! I’m gonna have to look up trick shots by the end of the month for you.”

Her children both being so happy made the impending heart attack almost worth it. Regina pressed her hand flat against her chest. “You are doing wonderfully, dear.”

Henry’s bright smile was so bright his eyes were squinty, was a rare thing to see these days. Well, her fence was going to be sacrificed then. And her blood pressure.

“I’ll just have to put something special in the oven.” Regina chose to enjoy this. Her children were happy, and at home where they belonged. “It seems we have your first steps toward knighthood to celebrate.”

////

Mary Margaret jumped slightly as Ruby dropped her order down in front of her while sitting across from her. “Hello?”

“You told Henry?” Ruby accused.

“I’m sorry, he ambushed me.” Mary Margaret apologized, her shoulders loosening as she leaned forward slightly. “He found your hat and lipstick in Skye’s car. He didn’t tell me where he found it before I recognized it. I’m really sorry, but that boy is far too clever for his own good sometimes. He didn’t tell anyone about it did he?”

Ruby gave a slight shift of her shoulder. “And you know because of Emma?”

She reached out picking up her coke. It always gave her a happy feeling at the taste, like it was a special treat. “Possibly.”

Ruby leaned back. “So that’s a yes.”

“I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that. Skye Mills, really?” Mary Margaret couldn’t help it. The girl had always struck her as rather cold and closed off.

The smile that transformed Ruby’s face left her eyes bright. “She’s sweet.” Ruby’s head cocked slightly. “And really hot.”

Its genuineness had an answering smile on Mary’s face. She didn’t know why, but it felt like this was rare even if that didn’t make sense…did it? The thought drifted away, she’d always loved love. “Sweet?” She sipped at her coke, happy to see her friend’s happiness.

Ruby snickered. “She is, maybe not to your roommate.”

“Hmm, that’s one way to put it.” Mary Margaret felt a bit like laughing at that understatement. The faint flicker of fear she always felt around Regina and the older of the Mills children kept it from leaving her lips. “The bane of Emma’s life, more like?”

“Evil plotting is hot though.” Ruby was brightly smug. “And she does evil plotting while being adorable. It’s a thing.”

She blinked at that. “How does that work?”

Ruby smiled, “Letting Lexie nap on her while highlighting town bi-laws for evil.”

“That’s certainly a picture.” Mary Margaret smiled at her friend. “But she’s good to you?”

“She’s really nice,” Ruby nodded. “Especially when it’s just us.”

“Then I’m very happy for you.” Mary Margaret picked up her fork. “Is it serious?”

Ruby hesitated slightly. “I…don’t know?” Her expression was vulnerable, hesitant. “I hope we are? It feels like it is.”

She reached out, touching her friend’s hand. “How long is she going to be here?”

The happiness brightened her face again, her teeth flashing. “September!” Ruby looked faintly apologetic. “To help with Henry.”

“Oh dear.” Mary Margaret had been hoping things would start going better for Emma and Henry once Skye left for University again. But then she felt guilt for the thought. Of course, it was a good thing that Henry’s sister cared. Was willing to sacrifice to be there for him. “Regina is allowing that?”

“She didn’t exactly ask for permission.” Ruby grinned.

“Oh dear,” the idea of surprising Regina was terrifying.

“I know,” The disbelief was audible. “It’s crazy.”

She laughed lightly at that. “So she’s your girlfriend?” The answer wasn’t the quick ‘yes’ that she’d expected.

“I don’t know. I think so?”

////

Skye shivered in satisfaction as she leaned up, nosing at Ruby’s jaw as her girlfriend came down from her orgasm. There wasn’t a word for knowing she’d done that besides satisfaction. She sighed into it as Ruby kissed her, Ruby’s fingers digging slightly into the back of her neck.

The way Ruby’s hair fell in a curtain, blocking out what little light there was, was kind of magical. So was the smell and feel of Ruby above her. Skye felt addicted to the closeness. Sure, the liquid pleasure of sex was great. Really great. But she was hooked by this, the burning closeness.

The intimacy of it.

Only thing that’d make it better would be being somewhere nicer than her car. Her thumb rubbed a circle against Ruby’s warm side. “We need to find a place that’s not my car.”

Ruby huffed slightly, adjusting so she could nip at Skye’s ear. “Ideas?” She licked along the outer shell of her ear.

Skye shivered, her fingers pressing slightly more firmly into her girlfriend. “Not fair.”

The lips against her ear grinned. Ruby’s hand that had been on her neck dropped down and pulled Skye’s shirt out of her pants before pulling it up slightly.

Who cared about the goosebumps, Skye’s heart raced as she helped Ruby get her shirt up and off of her. Skye giggled as her elbow hit the car door. “Stable, we can at least get kinda undressed without injuring ourselves.”

“In the middle of the night?” Ruby laughed as she took full advantage of Skye’s bare skin.

Skye arched up into her at the feeling of Ruby’s tongue on her clavicle, and fingers dragging up from her waist up her sides. She dropped her hands to Ruby’s hips and pulled down while pressing her leg up.

A choked whine came from the back of Ruby’s throat, even as she pressed her teeth into Skye’s collarbone and sucked, sharply.

There was a loud knock on the car window.

“Shit!” Skye shot up, one arm smacking into the door in alarm.

Ruby jolted but stayed on top of her, one arm mostly blocking Skye from view, her lips pulled back slightly, showing her teeth for a split second.

But in that split second, it hit struck Skye that Ruby was protecting her. And then a bright red flush crossed Ruby’s face as she blinked out through the window.

There was another knock, and the slightly muffled but clear voice of Emma Swan. “Going to need you two to climb on out.”

Skye let her head hit the back of the seat. Well fuck. And yup, that was the light of a mag flashlight.

////

Emma wasn’t immune to the humor of Ruby Lucas, sheepishly climbing out the back of a distinctive Lexus. Not even the slight embarrassment was enough to keep Ruby from looking pleased with herself as she pulled her pants up a few inches before hurriedly rezipping and buttoning them. Her hair and barely still-in-place shirt didn’t really leave what’d been happening in there a mystery.

“Hi,” Ruby leaned against the car, blocking the view into the back seat as much as she could.

Her hand stayed on her hip, the other lighting them up with the flashlight. “Really, behind the church? I could have been a nun.”

There was a sarcastic snort as Skye’s head popped through the neck of her shirt while she climbed out after. “The convent attaches on the other side.”

“Are you two incapable of finding a bed?” Emma was going to have to actually ticket the idiots if this turned into a pattern.