Archie Hopper took a deep breath.
"Ruby, would you like to have dinner with me Saturday?"
He shook his head and sighed.
"Ruby, are you busy Saturday? Because I was thinking with you working in the diner it might be a nice change if someone cooked for you and I'm pretty handy in the kitchen so.."
Another sigh, shoulders slumped, he turned away from the mirror and leaned against the counter.
This shouldn't be so hard. He counseled people every day to get over their fears, but despite a growing friendship and knowing he had granny's approval, he had yet to muster enough courage to ask Ruby to something as simple as dinner.
He knew he should just do it. Today was going to be the day.
He stared at the floor, trying again to think of the right words. He took another deep breath and turned around to face the mirror.
"Ruby, you and I have known each other for a long time and I consider you a good friend. I'd never want that to change but I know if you give me a chance, even just one date, I could show you a night where you are treated like the wonderful woman that you are. No expectations no pressure just one date."
It sounded like he was begging.
He glanced at the clock`s reflection in the mirror. It was time to go. Today was the day Ruby and her grandmother went shopping for groceries and supplies. If he timed it right he would meet them and get his shopping done while spending time with Ruby.
He looked at himself one last time.
"So this is what you've become Archie, a stalker of old ladies and their granddaughters. All because you can't gather up the courage and ask for a simple date."
Today he would do it. Today was the day.
He grabbed his things and headed out. He didn't even make it off the front step of his office when a gust of wind blew past him and in an instant, everything changed.
He sat down with his back against his office door as all his memories came flooding back: the curse, the wardrobe, the Blue Fairy, the young boy who was kind enough to give him an umbrella and was repaid with the lost of his parents.
Gepetto! He had to find Gepetto.
Except what if he was the only one who remembered? He looked at his hands, flipping them over and back. If the curse was broken, he should be back in his land.
He also shouldn't be human.
He got up and walked to the street, hoping to see if others were showing any signs of remembering, but there were no people. There was no street. A giant purple cloud was encompassing everything, hurtling towards him. He closed his eyes and put his arms up to his face, bracing himself for the transformation. This was it. The curse was broken and in moments everyone would be back home and he would go back to being a cricket.
He felt the thickness of the cloud surround him. He heard the whoosh as the smoke rolled past. Within moments, the air thinned and he felt nothing. Slowly, he opened his eyes, shocked to still see arms and hands. He was still human.
He was also still in Storybrooke.
Something wasn't right. He needed to find Gepetto, he needed to find the Blue Fairy.
He started walking and several blocks later he realized he wasn't heading to the workshop or the convent.
He was heading to Granny's Diner.
The diner was closed. This worried him. It was an obvious spot for people to gather and Granny knew this. If she wasn't here, something wasn't right.
People had already begun to gather outside. Two men were staring at the closed sign. Walter and..
No, not Walter and not men. Dwarves.
Sleepy and Sneezy were staring at the closed sign. Sneezy looked up at him.
'We were hoping to find Grumpy here. Do you think Red and Granny are ok?"
He did his best to smile at them. "I hope so."
He starting walking to the bed and breakfast. Picking up the pace with each step until soon he was running. He didn't stop until he reached the Inn's door.
As he entered he could hear Granny upstairs.
"Red please come out. You can't do this to yourself. The curse messed with everybody!"
Winded and unable to speak, he took a moment to get his breathing back to normal.
"Red we don't have time for this, please listen to me!"
He went to the bottom of the staircase and called up.
"Granny? Is everything alright?"
Granny came down the stairs, looking dishevelled and worried.
"Oh Archie thank god." She shook her head. "I mean Jiminy, sorry."
"No need to apologize. We've all been different people for a lot of years, it's going to take time to adjust."
"If we have time." She replied. "I don't understand why we are still here if the curse is broken and I didn't like the look of whatever rolled through here, but right now I'm more worried about Red."
"What's wrong? Was she hurt?"
"No, well not physically. We were out walking when our memories came back. Red didn't take it well. She threw up on the side of the street, ran back here and locked herself in her room. I don't even think she saw the fog come through. She won't come out, she won't let me in. I was just about to find something to break the door, or pick the lock."
"I don't understand, did she tell you why? Did she say what she's upset about?"
"No, but.. Before the curse hit Red was….well, I'm not sure how to put this." She looked over to the stairs. "Red was innocent in certain ways, if you understand."
"Oh." He replied, and the reality of what that implied sunk in. "OH!"
"Yes, and Ruby-" She sighed. "Well we all know what Ruby was like. I think she is having a hard time reconciling who she was here with who she really is."
"I imagine a lot of people are going through that right now but surely she understands that the curse made us who we are here. She can't blame herself."
"That's what I've been trying to tell her, but she won't listen to me. I'm biased in her eyes. Look, I know you're not really a psychiatrist or Archie Hopper but even before you were always good at providing council. Could you please try talking to her? I know Ruby had a lot of respect for Archie."
His eyes widened in surprise. "She did?"
Granny smiled, "Yes, she did and given your character in both worlds I think you might be the best person to talk to her."
As concerned as he was, he couldn't help feeling proud. "Of course, I'm happy to help, which room is hers?"
"Last door on your left."