Regina's sitting on the couch, trying to get lost in a novel that Belle had recommended to her a few days ago. She has to admit the woman can choose a good book, but her mind is elsewhere this evening. Henry's sprawled on the floor in front of the fire , flicking through a comic book. And Granny is occupying one of the armchairs, oiling her crossbow. Granny is staying with them for a while, after hurting her ankle while changing one of the beer barrels at the diner. She grumbled about it for the first day or so, but after that, she resigned herself to being looked after while Ruby took over the running of the diner.

A quick glance at the clock tells Regina it's just after ten. She frowns. Ruby opened up this morning, which meant she was up and gone before six. A goodbye kiss on the cheek while Regina was still half asleep is the only contact they've all day save for a couple of rushed texts in the afternoon to check on Granny. Regina holds in a sigh. She's always sneered at couples who needed to constantly be around each other, but she does genuinely miss Ruby when they're apart. She rolls her eyes at herself. At least she's not insipid about it like some people are.

Anyway, the moon is full tonight, so Ruby could have just decided to go running straight from her shift. Though she would normally let Regina know something like that. She reaches for her phone on the end table and checks. No messages. She looks at the clock again. It's three minutes later than it was the last time she checked. The sigh manages to escape this time and she turns her attention back to her book, trying to get through a paragraph she's started four times already.

"She's probably caught up in something at the diner." Granny's gruff voice startles her and she looks up to find the old woman smirking.

"I didn't-" Regina begins, but her son decides to pitch in.

"You've been looking at the clock for like an hour," Henry says, now grinning up at her from the floor. "When you're not checking your phone, that is."

"I was just…" She's about to lie, but the weight of their combined amused gazes stops her. "Shut up," she huffs instead, focusing back on her book.

"I think it's cute," Henry comments. "That you miss her when she's not here."

"I don't miss her," Regina protests, her eyes narrowing when Granny and Henry exchange a look. "I just...was thinking that she's had a long day. That's all."

"It won't kill her to work a few extra hours, Your Majesty," Granny says. She uses the title as a term of endearment now, rather than a slur. "At her age, I could've worked every hour of the day and barely broken a sweat. This world has made you all soft."

"Yes, do regale us with tales of how you used to trek fourteen miles through six feet of snow to trade eggs for a cupful of milk, Eugenia," Regina says, as Henry hides a smile. "We do so enjoy stories about your childhood."

Granny points the, thankfully unloaded, crossbow at her. "It was seventeen miles," she says, her own lips quirking into a smile when Henry laughs.

They all turn in unison at the sound of the front door slamming closed. A moment later, Ruby appears in the doorway and the dull ache that's been sitting on Regina's chest all evening evaporates.

"Speak of the devil," Granny murmurs.

"Hey Ruby," Henry calls out with a grin.

"Hey." Ruby greets the room as she eases out of her high heels, leaning against the doorjamb. Her smile is a little less bright than usual, and her eyes weary. Regina discards her book as Ruby heads in her direction, flopping down onto the couch, her head landing squarely in Regina's lap. She grins up at her as Regina captures her hand and tangles their fingers together. "Hey you," Ruby murmurs.

"I thought you'd forgotten the way home," Regina comments, bringing her free hand up to stroke some unruly strands of hair away from Ruby's forehead before leaning down and pressing a kiss there, enjoying Ruby's hum of approval.

"I couldn't get away," Ruby says, catching Regina's chin before she can sit back up and bringing her in for a brief kiss on the lips. She turns to Granny, lifting their joined hands to rest on her chest, her thumb idly stroking along Regina's knuckles. "How the hell do you do it? All week I've had waitresses yapping in my ear about shift changes and cooks complaining about deliveries being short and customers telling me the pies don't taste as good as they usually do. I never get a minute."

Granny raises an eyebrow. "Good," she says with a nod. "You think I just stand behind that counter and look pretty all day? It's damn hard work managing that place and you need to start taking more of an interest instead of just spending your days flirting with the customers."

Regina looks down at Ruby and finds a guilty smile waiting for her. "I save my best flirting for you," Ruby says with a wink before turning to scowl at her grandmother. "Isn't that leg better yet? Aren't you supposed to be a werewolf?"

Regina's been watching Granny for the past few days and she knows she's been getting around just fine. She's also noticed that her limp gets significantly worse when Ruby comes home. Not that she can blame the old woman; she's probably hardly had a day off work in thirty years. So she keeps quiet as Granny leans down and massages her leg, hissing in pain.

"Not quite yet," she says with a shrug. "Few more days rest should do it."

Sighing, Ruby closes her eyes and squeezes Regina's hand. "A few more days of this will kill me," she murmurs.

"See?" Granny puts in. "Soft."

Ruby lets out a low growl.

"Ladies," Regina warns.

"She started it," Ruby mumbles, turning onto her side so that her face is pressed against Regina's stomach.

"Aren't you gonna go out tonight, Ruby?" Henry questions and Regina rolls her eyes. No matter how many times he's seen Ruby transform, he never tires of it.

"I'm too tired," Ruby whines.

"You know you get antsy if you don't let the wolf out, girl," Granny says, testing the string on her crossbow.

"Ugh, fine, I'll change," Ruby snaps, turning onto her back once more. "But I'm not going outside. The wolf will just need to put up with it."

A shimmer of magic passes through the living room and Regina is left with a huge wolf's head in her lap. Normally she'd yell at Ruby for getting hair all over the couch, but she decides to go easy on her since she's had a hard week. The wolf is already fast asleep, long limbs hanging limply over the edge of the couch, snoring softly. Regina shakes her head, her hand moving to comb through the soft fur covering Ruby's chest and belly. Henry's chuckle draws her attention and she looks over at him, raising an eyebrow in question.

He shakes his head with a smile. "I just love our weird family, that's all."

Regina looks down at the Big Bad Wolf slumbering peacefully in her lap, while her son reads his comics and an old lady plays with a deadly weapon. She smiles.

"Me too, Henry. Me too."