Alone Again Naturally

by hilandmum

Ruby is afraid she's not an integral part of the Storybrooke community until some strangers show up. What do they want? And how can she help?

Written for the Not Prime Time fanfic collection. My recipient wanted an OUAT story featuring Ruby.

Alone Again, Naturally

All her life she felt alone.

Living deep in the woods with Granny, it wasn't easy to make friends. And every friend she made eventually left her or forgot her. Or died. Each experience made her feel more isolated than before.

Granny tried to help. She kept her fed and clothed, and probably understood her better than anyone else, but she also lied. She gave her a red hood, telling her it would protect her, but it was really to protect everyone else from the wolf she was. Granny lied about Red's mother being killed by hunters, too. Red finally found friends in Peter and Snow but believing Granny's lies, Red concluded Peter was the wolf. As the wolf, she killed Peter and finally learned her true nature. After that, she avoided everyone, especially when the moon was full.

Now they lived in Storybrooke, and she was alone again, even with people around her all the time. All she had was memories about the times she had a friend in either world.

As Ruby cleared the counter from the lunch crowd at Granny's diner in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret, David, Emma and Henry entered.

"I hope you still have some food for us, because we're starving," Emma said. They laughed and chatted with each other as they slid into a booth. She handed them menus, and they barely looked at her. She sighed as she watched the happy family.

When they first arrived in Storybrooke, she and Snow had no memories of their Fairy Tale Land friendship. But then the curse was broken and those memories returned. Soon after, Mary Margaret disappeared with her daughter through a portal to another fairyland. Ruby helped Mary Margaret's Prince Charming, David with his attempts to bring them back. She thought he was a friend. The night of the full moon, when she escaped the cage Granny built for her, it was David who helped Granny find her. And when even she thought she'd killed Billy, David had faith in her and finally proved that she wasn't the murderer.

But once Mary Margaret and Emma returned, they all ignored her again, caught up in their own drama.

She took their lunch orders, although she knew them well enough that she could have predicted what they wanted. Burgers for David and his grandson, and turkey sandwiches for the women.

She wasn't sure what her place was in this town, aside from a waitress at her grandmother's diner. Would she always be alone?

She thought her friendship with Belle would be as good as her Fairy Tale land friendship with Snow. But then Belle lost her memory, and the memory she regained was that of a strange woman named Lacey, a woman who embraced Gold's darker side, and had no time for Ruby.

"Ruby?" Granny's voice pulled her out of her reverie. "Your orders are ready." She pushed the plates loaded with food toward her granddaughter.

"Sorry. I was just...thinking."

"About what?" Granny still cared about her, still looked after and protected her.

Ruby tried to smile, then shook her head and took the food over to her customers. That's what they were now, customers, not friends.

"Thanks, Ruby." Henry smiled at her, then reached for the ketchup. At least he knew her name.

She went back to cleaning the counter and the tables at the other booths. The residents of the town came and went. They all had lives to lead, lives that didn't include her.

Leroy and the other one-time dwarves were friends for a while, along with other Storybrooke residents. She helped them and they seemed to appreciate it. But she retreated when the full moon approached and they went on without her.

Recently, they planted magic beans with Tiny. And now they were going to use them to go back to Fairy Tale Land.

"What's wrong, Ruby?" Granny put a hand on her arm, but she shrugged it off.

"Nothing." Her shoulders slumped. "Everything." She looked down at her grandmother. "You're going with them when they go back, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course. It's our home."

Ruby shook her head. "This is my home. I changed my mind. I don't want to go back there, back to hunting and being hunted. Back to being poor. Back to hiding. I'm staying here."

"Alone?"

Ruby smirked. "No matter where I am, where I go, I'm alone. What difference will it make?"

Granny sighed. "Then I guess I'm staying too."

"But you want to go."

Granny shrugged. "Without you, I'll be the one who's alone."

Ruby never thought about it that way.

Granny took her hand. "When you quit your job here and went to live with Mary Margaret and Emma, did you ever think about how I felt? I was so glad when you came back."

"The need to rebel, the wanderlust had passed. I'd used my tracking abilities to help them. But when that was over, I was content to go back to the way things were. To come back here."

"You didn't know it, but that was the wolf in you that needed to roam. Do you still feel that when the moon is full?"

Ruby grimaced. "If I'm honest with myself, I do. Sometimes I just chalk it up to being restless, to wanting something more."

"You know, if we stay here, we might be the only ones. You and me and no one else. And we won't be able to leave." Granny's eyes bore into hers. They were kindly eyes, but the scrutiny was still unnerving. "Not without forgetting everything we know. You also know that it won't be the same if we do go back. These people know who and what you are now. They'll respect it when you withdraw, knowing you only want to avoid hurting them. They may be busy with all sorts of old problems to resolve in Fairy Tale land, but never doubt their friendship or their love for you."

Ruby looked from her grandmother's earnest face to the family sitting in the booth, finishing their lunches.

"Ruby, when it comes down to it, we are all alone, at least some of the time. And yet, when it really matters, we're there for each other. We're a community."

Just then, Leroy burst through the door of the diner followed by three of his friends and two strangers in fishermen's slickers, all of them carrying large coolers. They lifted them onto the counter.

"Granny, these men brought fresh lobsters and tons of salmon." Leroy grinned as if this was a special treat. "I told them you could use their entire catch, that you'd buy it all."

Ruby stopped clearing the empty dishes from the booth and watched intently. She didn't notice when Emma stood to watch too until the sheriff tapped her shoulder.

"Something fishy about those guys?" the blond asked.

Ruby laughed. "Not fishy enough. They don't smell like lobstermen."

Emma's eyebrow lifted. "No?"

"And look at their clothes." Ruby pointed to the brand-new Nikes on the men's feet.

"Okay, I'll talk to them, see what my internal lie detector says."

Ruby looked at the sheriff. She was taking Ruby seriously. "Thanks." She continued watching as Emma approached the men and her grandmother. One of the guys was younger, slimmer and taller than the other. Good-looking, too. The shorter man was swarthy and looked quite strong.

"What's going on?" David, his wife and grandson slid out of the booth to stand next to her.

"I'm not sure." Ruby shrugged. "They may be what they claim to be."

"But you don't think so." Mary Margaret's eyes narrowed.

"Maybe we should go check out their boat." Henry was always ready for an adventure.

"Let's wait until your mother agrees." David put a restraining hand on the boy's shoulder.

It wasn't long before Emma returned. "Something doesn't add up." She kept her voice low, but her skepticism was evident in her eyes.

"While they're still here we should look at their boat," Henry repeated.

Emma shook her head. "You stay here with Mary Margaret. I'll take David and Ruby."

"Me?" Ruby was surprised to be asked.

"I'll need your tracking abilities and sense of smell."

"Oh!"

"I'll take Henry home with me." Mary Margaret turned to the boy. "We can come up with a back-up plan."

"We'll meet you there in an hour. If we don't show up, you'll know we ran into trouble." Emma turned to Ruby and David. "Let's go. It looks like they'll be here a while."

The men were still haggling with Granny. She glanced their way briefly and Ruby motioned to her to keep talking.

It wasn't far to the harbor, and it was easy to tell which boat belonged to the strangers. The three of them split up once they were aboard, David going aft, Ruby to the bow and Emma below deck.

Ruby made a quick search of the front of the vessel and then entered the wheelhouse to look for any documents. Everything she saw looked brand spanking new. The leather seats had that new car, or rather new boat smell. She'd almost finished her examination, with no luck, when Emma called to her.

"Ruby, come down here and tell me what you scent."

She smiled as she descended to the ship's hold, happy they needed her.

"Anything?" Emma asked.

Ruby shook her head. "This is like no fishermen's boat that I've ever been on. The briny odor is hard to get rid of but there's none here. Clean as a whistle, so where did they keep all those fish?"

"And where did they get them?" David came down the steps. "There aren't any nets or fishing poles, not even any baskets or traps."

"Why would anyone want to pretend to be a fisherman if they weren't?" Emma shook her head. "None of this makes sense."

"The bottom line is, what do they want in Storybrooke?" David leaned against a wall and looked around the hold.

"Perhaps if we play along with them, they'll show their hand before long." Emma rubbed the back of her neck.

"We'll have to keep an eye on them. Whatever they want, they'll be staying in town for a while."

Ruby smiled. "I could try to get to know them. The younger one is kinda cute."

"It might dangerous to flirt with him, Ruby."

"Danger is my middle name. You know I can defend myself."

Father and daughter exchanged a searching look. Emma nodded imperceptibly. "Alright, but you have to take some precautions." She looked deeply into Ruby's eyes. "Will you do that?"

"Sure. I'm not interested in getting hurt."

They made their way topside and left the boat. Ruby returned to the diner while Emma and David went off to tell Mary Margaret and Henry what they found, or rather didn't find.

Ruby found Granny still deep in negotiations with the two men. The dwarfs were all gone. Neither of the men seemed to have noticed she'd been gone for over half an hour. She joined the conversation as if she'd been there all along. "Granny, how much fish can we store in the freezer?"

The older woman nodded. "Less than half of what they have here. That means we'd have to serve the rest as soon as possible."

"We can keep some for you on our boat," the taller of the men offered. Up close, he wasn't as good looking as Ruby first thought. His eyes were too close together and his skin was pockmarked. All he had going for him was curly, dark hair.

"I suppose I can take the lot, then." Granny took out a pad from her skirt pocket. "I'll just need you to guarantee that everything is as fresh as these." She pointed a pen at the barrels of fish in front of her.

"Oh, it is."

"Where is the rest now?" Ruby asked, feigning an innocence that she didn't feel.

"On our boat, of course." The older man stared at her.

Ruby kept her mouth from twitching. She couldn't challenge his lie. Instead she grinned. "Well, thank you. Guess we'll be serving lots of lobster and salmon this week." The minute they left with half the catch they'd brought, Ruby's smile turned into a frown. "Granny, they don't have any fish on their boat. There's not even a place they can keep what they took back."

"So that's where you all went." Granny grimaced. "I knew there was something fishy about those two, and I don't mean their smell."

"You noticed that too, huh?"

"I may not turn at the full moon any longer, but I can still smell a phony a mile away. So what's the sheriff going to do?"

"Um." I looked away from her, knowing she wouldn't like it. "I'm supposed to get to know them and find out why they're here."

"Ruby, you can't do that." There was a plea in her voice.

"I have to." I put a hand on her arm. "I can."

She didn't look happy about it, but she nodded. "As long as you have backup."

"Backup?"

"Me."

"Granny, what do you think you can do?"

"Besides Leroy and the others, I'm the only one who's had any contact with them up until now. It would be natural for me to joke around with them, get them to relax, and then ask a few questions. Who would ever suspect a little old lady like me?"

I hugged her. "You're the best, Granny. Okay. This is what we'll do." I explained what I had in mind. With a few alterations, she agreed to go ahead with the plan.

"Meanwhile, I have to decide what I'm going to do with all of this seafood."

Ruby helped her cut the cod into entree-sized portions. "Too bad the lobsters aren't alive. We could have set up a tank at the front of the diner and let our customers select which they wanted. It would be a novelty."

"Guess they'll have to make do with what we've got." Granny picked up one and sniffed it, then flinched. "These have been on ice for a while. Still edible, though."

"Did you want me to prepare new menus?"

"Maybe we'll just do an insert with the fish specials, write them on the board." She pointed to the board set high on the wall behind the counter. "I was thinking of grilled cod, and also a dish with it breaded and fried. What do you think?" Granny headed for the freezer carrying some.

Ruby followed with some shellfish. "Sounds good. How about a lobster bisque? Then it won't matter if it's not fresh. And some bouillabaisse."

Granny shook her head. "I'm not sure I know how to make that."

"We'll find a recipe. We'll find lots of recipes."

There was just enough room in the freezer for all Granny bought from the two men. "Guess we won't be using this to keep you locked up for a while."

Ruby grinned. "That's okay. I don't think I'll need that for a while. I've got another way to channel my instincts." She pressed her lips together. "Granny, I know you don't like it when I flirt with anyone, but I'm going to have to in this case."

"Oh, I understand." Granny grinned at her. "If I were thirty years earlier, I'd give you a run for your money in the flirting with the enemy department. Just remember, the rest of us will have your back."

Ruby hugged the older woman. "You're awesome, Granny."

The next morning, the two men entered the diner at eight and took the first booth. Ruby brought them breakfast menus and asked, "Coffee?" She smiled her most sultry smile at them.

The younger of the two, the bleached blond with the impressive physique ignored her, but his shorter and swarthier companion leered at her. "Sure, gorgeous."

She poured the hot brew. "Granny's cooking her special French toast this morning."

"Sounds good. With a side of bacon." The older man's eyes undressed her.

She glanced briefly at the other man, who was studiously examining the menu. When he still said nothing, she filled his cup and turned. "Coming right up." She sashayed away, wiggling her ass.

"Only one of them ordered something?" Granny read the slip she handed her.

Ruby sighed. "The good-looking one doesn't seem interested in me or food. Guess I'll have to work on his friend."

"Remember, you're really not trying to hook up with either of them. It doesn't matter which one you become friendly with, as long as he tells you why they're here."

"I know," Ruby grumbled. "It's just more fun if the guys a looker."

Granny fixed a plate for the older man and Ruby took it to him. She tried once more to engage his friend in conversation. "Would you like some, too?"

He finally looked at her. "I'll have two pieces of toast. Whole wheat. Just a little butter."

She shrugged. "Whatever you say." It was hard to maintain her smile as she walked away. Her acute hearing was tuned to the two men.

The older guy had started his food. "This is great. You should have some."

"You know I don't eat breakfast. Besides, we don't have time to dawdle over food. Just eat up and let's get going."

"Sure, sure, Sid. You've got your toast coming. It's only seven-thirty. What's your rush?"

"If we're going to set up shop in this town, we have to scout out a likely place to live. I'm not spending another night on that leaky old boat."

"Maybe we can ask the pretty lady."

Ruby hoped he meant her. She returned to them with Sid's toast and a fresh pot of java, still smiling. "Can I get you gentlemen anything else? Ready for more coffee?"

"Sure, darlin'." The swarthy man held up his cup.

She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and kept her voice playful, pleasant. "My name's Ruby. Sorry, I didn't get yours yesterday."

"I'm Frank, and this here's my partner, Sid."

"Well, Frank and Sid. Hope you'll be sticking around this town for a while."

Frank nodded. "That's what we're planning. Know of any places we can stay?"

She motioned to the kitchen. "Granny runs an Inn right next door. I'm sure she'll give you a good weekly rate. Or maybe you'll be staying longer."

"We'll see."

"Guess you have business in town. I mean besides selling your catch."

"That's right." Frank's eyes remained on her. There was a predatory gleam in them. Sid focused on his toast. He ate it methodically, as if it was a chore he had to finish.

"I'll ask Granny if she has a room or two for you." Ruby walked away before she choked. She found her grandmother in the back. "Seems like you're about to get two more boarders."

"They're looking for rooms to rent?"

"Yes. And since your place is practically the only game in town..." she trailed off.

"Good. It'll be easier to keep an eye or two on them."

Ruby shook her head. "I can't figure the younger one, but Frank is definitely interested in me." She frowned. "I guess that's better than nothing."

That afternoon, the two men moved into Granny's. Ruby made sure to be there, and readily agreed when Frank asked her to show them around town.

"That's the library. Belle runs it, or did." She didn't elaborate. "And that's Mr. Gold's shop. You do not want to get on his bad side."

Once she'd showed them the few highlights of Storybrooke, they returned to the diner with her. The minute they walked in the smell of the fish Granny had fried overwhelmed them.

"Guess I know what's for lunch." Frank grinned, but Sid's frown deepened. "Don't you like to eat fried fish?"

"Not if I can help it."

"I'm sure my grandmother can make you something else. She always has burgers and sandwiches available."

But that didn't mollify Sid.

Leaving them at a window booth, Ruby entered the kitchen. She was surprised to see Emma there with Granny.

"Did you find out anything?" Emma tapped her foot.

"Give me time. I'm still trying to gain their trust." Ruby turned to her grandmother. "Frank will have the fish, but Sid won't say what he wants."

It wasn't until later in the day when Sid went to their room, to read, he said, that Ruby was alone with Frank. They walked down to the harbor together. Gulls flew overhead, and the water lapped at the pier.

"So what do you think of our little town?" she asked.

"It'll do."

"Do for what?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions."

Ruby shrugged. "I like you. I'm interested in what you have to say."

Frank nodded.

They stood a few minutes, looking out over the water. Ruby's eyes shifted to Frank and Sid's boat. "Why did you come to Storybrooke? Really."

He hesitated so long, she started to turn away. But he reached out for her arm. "Do you really want to know?"

She nodded.

He sighed. "We're hiding. Sid and I..." He trailed off, sighed. "Can I really trust you?"

Ruby felt a little guilty. "Of course."

Frank rubbed the lower part of his face. "We saw our boss whack a cop."

"Whack?"

"Shoot."

"Oh!" Her hand went to her mouth. "And he knows you're witnesses?"

"Yeah. So we decided to lay low."

"But why here?"

"It's off the beaten path. He'd never expect us to hide out in a dump of a town like this." His eyes opened wide. "Although I beginning to like the place." He smiled at her. "And especially the residents. Well, one resident."

"What are you two talking about?" Neither of them had heard Sid approach. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"She's not going to tell anyone. Who would she blab to?"

"How 'bout the sheriff? I hear she's a kick-ass vigilante."

"She's the law in this town. How could she be a vigilante?"

Sid shrugged. "You know what I mean."

Frank shook his head. "Don't listen to him!"

"You're afraid of the law."

Frank and Sid exchanged frowns. "We want to lay low for a while, okay?" Frank swept a hand around to indicate the town. "This is a quiet place, away from the big city. Why, you don't even have a movie theater in town."

It wasn't something Ruby ever considered. "We don't need one. As you said, we live a quiet life." Except that wasn't always so. "So, this boss of yours. Did he have a reason for killing a cop?"

"He doesn't give reasons for anything he does."

"All we ever do is follow orders, but sometimes..." Frank trailed off again. It was as if he was willing to tell her things, but only up to a point.

Well, there were things she'd never tell him either, even if she liked him.

"So what do you do for fun in this town?"

"I thought you wanted quiet."

"We do."

"Well, there is a bar. The Rabbit Hole." Ruby pointed down the street. They started to walk away from the dock. "And I already showed you where the library is." She wondered what would happen to it now that Belle didn't remember being Belle. "Most of the folks here have jobs. They keep pretty busy."

They'd reached the front of Gold's shop just as he came out. He looked at the two men. Raising one eyebrow his gaze shifted to Ruby. "And who do we have here?"

"Oh, they're just visitors to town. They're staying at Granny's, so I'm showing them around."

Gold's eyes narrowed. He wasn't easily taken in.

As the three continued on, Ruby felt his keen eyes on them.

"What's his deal?" Sid asked.

Ruby shrugged. "He's a nasty man and does nasty things."

"That's very specific," Sid scoffed.

"You really don't want to know."

A car was parked outside the diner when they finally approached. Frank held back. "It can't be."

"How'd they find us?"

"Who?" But their reaction told Ruby all she had to know. "That's your boss's car, isn't it?"

"We have to hide."

"You can go back to the boat until he leaves." Ruby pointed back to the dock.

Frank nodded. "Yeah. That's a good idea. C'mon, Sid. Ruby, you will keep your trap shut, won't you?"

"I told you. You can trust me." She watched them hurry back the way they'd come, then entered the diner. Three people sat at the furthest booth, arguing loudly. It didn't take much for her to hear what they said.

"They have to be here." A slight man with a narrow face and close-spaced eyes banged the table with his fist.

"You never said how you know that." The man facing him was well-dressed in a suit, shirt and tie and his dark hair was neatly combed.

The third man laughed. "He'll probably tell you he heard it from his fortune-telling girlfriend."

"What if I did?" The slight man frowned. "She's usually right, isn't she, boss?"

"This time we're not talking about finding a buried treasure."

Ruby almost dropped the coffeepot she'd grabbed as an excuse to approach them.

"No, the missing treasure is definitely more important. If the cops find Frank and Sid before us, we're done for."

She carefully turned over the coffee cups in front of the men and poured. "Can I get you gentlemen anything?"

All three eyed her up and down. She no longer wore the skimpy clothes she used to, but that didn't seem to matter.

"What kinda grub you got here?" The boss's speech wasn't as refined as his clothing.

"Granny's been cooking a fish stew, and we always have burgers and sandwiches." She smiled at them. It was even harder than it had been with Frank and Sid.

"Actually, what we want is information. You seen two guys, one short and dark, and the other taller, younger and blond?"

Ruby bunched her lips up and shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, bring us some burgers. Medium well. And French fries."

"Sure." She smiled again and sashayed away, continuing to listen to what they said, but they were silent as she went to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief to find Emma with Granny.

"Do you know who those guys are?" the sheriff asked.

"That's Frank and Sid's boss and two other men who work for him."

"Where are Frank and Sid?"

"Back on the boat. They saw their boss's car. They're hiding from him because they witnessed a murder. Their boss killed a cop."

"What? Why didn't they go to the cops about it? They could've been protected, hidden by the authorities."

"Only if they were willing to testify."

Emma pursed her lips. "So that's why our two fake fishermen are here?"

"Yes. We should help them."

"Why? They could be trouble. What if they decide to stay?"

Ruby chuckled. "I think they're already considering it. In fact, if there was a movie theater in town, they'd be certain."

"So what happens when everyone goes back?" Emma didn't have to say what she was talking about.

"But not everyone is, are they? Emma, Granny and I have been talking about staying here."

Emma frowned. "Well, I guess that's your choice."

"What about you?"

"I'll go where my family is. My parents, my son."

"And August?"

"Yeah. But first we have to settle the matter of all the strangers suddenly descending on our town." Emma looked toward the door from the kitchen. "Guess you better get back to your customers."

"Yeah. Maybe they'll say something that will help us get rid of them before they find Frank and Sid." She turned to her grandmother. "I'll need three burgers, medium-well, with fries."

"Coming right up."

Ruby turned back to the sheriff. "Maybe we can magic them away."

"Are you serious?"

"Guess not." Ruby shrugged.

When the burgers were done, she took them out to the men. She frowned. Gold stood beside their table. As she approached, he said, "Enjoy your lunch. I hope you find what you're looking for."

She put the plates on the table, then watched him leave, hoping he hadn't said anything to the men about Frank and Sid.

The men gobbled up their food. The thin one asked for a piece of pie for desert.

"We don't have time for that," the boss told him. He stood and led the other two out the door.

Ruby took their empty plates to the kitchen. "They're gone, but I'm afraid of where they might be headed."

Emma grimaced. "C'mon. Granny, I'm borrowing Ruby for a short while. We have some tracking to do."

Ruby smiled as she tracked the men out to the woods near the town. "What do you think they're after here?"

The two women made their way through the densely overgrown forest, trying to be as quiet as they could, and listening for sounds of the men. Eventually, Ruby followed their scent to a clearing not far from the old well. She and Emma weren't the only ones pursuing the three men. Ruby wasn't too surprised to find Gold watching them from the cover of the trees.

The two minions were digging into the soil. Sweat poured off them as they dug. "It has to be here. Keep digging." The boss stood to the side barking orders.

"Gold, what are you doing here?" Emma whispered barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't worry, Dearie. Once they find what they're after, I'll take care of them."

"You're not going to..." Ruby gulped, "...kill them?"

"Oh, no. That would be too easy. I have this wonderful little spell. They'll wander forever, with no memory of who they are, and better yet, no memory of Storybrooke."

Ruby frowned. "We can't let you do that."

Emma chuckled. "You were the one who said we should magic them away."

"Did you really?" Gold grinned. "Well, I'd say three minds that think as one, except I know that's not usually the case."

And so, that's what happened. The three men never found a treasure, but they are wandering still.

Back in Storybrooke, Granny invited the whole town to a fish dinner, even the two newest residents, Frank and Sid. Watching everyone as they ate Fisherman's stew, fried fish, lobster tails and lobster rolls, even a delicious seafood gumbo, Ruby realized she wasn't as alone as she thought.