Ruby has a nightmare and Emma's there to comfort her. Kind of linked to my many, many Red/Ruby headcanons (you don't need to know those but they're dotted all over my blog. Not necessarily tagged).
Pairing(s): Ruby/Emma, Ruby/Mary-Margaret friendship.
The atmosphere was cold and damp and breathing in Ruby detected the distinctly tangy smell of the forest after a heavy rainfall. A twig snapped ahead of her. Before she could process the noise she was running towards it, the wind whistling as she cut through it at a tremendous rate. The dark hunger she felt fuelled her sprint as she leapt over logs and ducked under protruding tree branches. She could sense that she was getting closer to her prey and the knowledge only fuelled her to go faster, a low growl escaping her throat. Up ahead she spotted movement through the trees and she forced herself to speed up, her insatiable hunger once again urging her forward. Getting closer, she used her back haunches to launch herself into the air and she soared towards her prey. Her claws sunk into his back and the two forms landed solidly on the ground. Her prey, a well-built man slammed roughly to the ground. He managed to scramble frantically onto his back before the claws of the large wolf slashed violently across his chest. He yelped at the searing pain and lifted his arms to protect his face. That did little to stop his attacker as her teeth descended on his neck. Ruby's internal screams joined the man's audible screams of pain as her teeth ripped into flesh and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
"Ruby? Ruby? RUBY!"
The sound of Emma's frantic voice jolted Ruby out of her nightmare. It was only then that she realised she was really screaming as opposed to merely screaming in her head. At the sight of Emma staring at her with unabashed terror, the scream in her throat morphed into a sob and she lurched up to desperately throw her arms around the stunned blonde.
Emma was completely still for a moment, utterly bewildered by what was happening. She'd never seen Ruby in such a state and it unnerved her. Nevertheless, when Ruby shook with an especially violent sob Emma wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace and comfortingly rubbed her back. Ruby merely continued to sob, her tears soaking Emma's neck and the collar of her shirt. After a couple of seconds Emma shifted back slightly. Thinking that Emma was trying to pull away Ruby balled her hands into fists and clung tightly to the back of Emma's thin cotton shirt.
"It's okay." Emma soothed, continuing to shift until she could lean her shoulder against the headboard. She ran her hand over Ruby's hair and made a gentle shushing noise in an attempt to calm her down despite her rising worry. She'd been awoken by Ruby's screams, a sound she had only ever heard twice under horrifying circumstances. Emma continued her gentle actions while racking her brain for what could have possibly been in the nightmare that had gotten Ruby into such a distraught state. After a few minutes, Ruby's sobs slowed down to whimpers and sniffles and her vice like grip on Emma's shirt gradually relaxed until her palms were merely resting on the blonde's back. She took a deep shuddering breath before pulling away from Emma.
Rubbing at her nose she avoided eye contact with her girlfriend and muttered out an apology.
"Hey no, don't be sorry." Emma quickly assured her "It happens. I'm just hazy about what exactly happened." She paused for a moment but Ruby didn't answer "Rubes, I woke up and you were screaming. What…?"
Ruby's gaze shot up quickly and Emma's brow furrowed at the sight of her eyes which were red from crying. "Mary Margaret."
"She was here earlier." Emma confessed quietly. Her roommate and best friend had rushed into the room a minute or so after Emma had woken up, her face pale and her expression stricken. She had demanded to know what was going on, obviously panicked by Ruby's terrified screaming but Emma had gently told her to leave so that she could deal with Ruby herself. She made a mental note to let Mary-Margaret know that Ruby was okay. Knowing her, she was probably hovering nearby going out of her mind with worry. "She was worried."
Ruby sighed and leaned back against the headboard "Great, she probably thinks I'm crazy."
"Ruby, this is Mary Margaret we're talking about." Emma pointed out "Since when does she judge anyone , let alone her friends?"
Ruby opened her mouth to respond when she was interrupted by a hesitant knock at the door.
"I'll be right back." Emma said, reluctantly moving to get off the bed.
Ruby sunk down in the bed in embarrassment as Emma walked over to the door and pulled it open. She watched Emma step outside, though she noted that the blonde didn't close the door entirely. Instead she pulled it to her back obviously unwilling to leave her girlfriend alone. Ruby felt a rush of gratitude at her girlfriend's thoughtfulness. A couple of long moments passed before the door was pushed open and Emma walking in carrying a steaming mug.
"Mary Margaret made you some tea." Emma said in response to Ruby's questioning look as she offered the object in question up to her.
"Oh…" Ruby gratefully took the hot mug with both hands "She's sweet."
"She is." Emma agreed with a hint of a smile. She sat down next to Ruby and watched expectantly as the dark haired girl took a sip of her tea "Ruby…"
"It was just a nightmare." Ruby interrupted swiftly "I have them sometimes."
"That didn't seem like just a nightmare." Emma gently argued, recalling Ruby's earlier thrashing and screaming coupled with the terrified expression on her face. It had seemed almost as if she was struggling to get away from something.
Ruby took another sip of her tea, more as a distraction then for the sake of actually drinking. Nevertheless she enjoyed the warm feeling of the liquid on her tongue as well as the familiar milky taste. After months of her sleeping over, Mary-Margaret had grown accustomed to making the perfect cup of sweet, milky tea just the way Ruby liked it. Ruby was momentarily distracted by the warm feeling in her chest that came along with the feeling of domesticity. She really had been accepted into the household with open arms not only by her girlfriend but by her girlfriend's best friend who was rapidly becoming one of her own closest friends.
"Ruby?" Emma whispered to get Ruby's attention.
Ruby blinked rapidly and glanced up at Emma. Recalling what they had been talking about the warm feeling in her chest disappeared to be replaced with a deep sense of foreboding.
"What was in your dream?" Emma asked softly.
"Emma, do you think…" Ruby paused, choosing her words carefully "Do you think I'm capable of evil? Like real, brutal evil?"
Emma's collected expression faltered for a couple of seconds. Of all the things she'd expected Ruby to come out with, that hadn't been on the list. She took a moment to think about her answer before she spoke up, deciding that honesty was her best option "I think everyone is capable of evil to some degree but you…"
"But do you think I could hurt someone?" Ruby interrupted her tone slightly frantic. "That I could hurt you?"
"Of course not!" Emma exclaimed instantly, the mere concept of Ruby causing her harm completely foreign to her.
"What if I told you that I feel evil?" Ruby asked without skipping a beat. Her gaze dropped to her tea in an attempt to avoid Emma's worried eyes gazing back at her "In my nightmares?" there was a moment of silence before Emma's hands reached to grasp Ruby's on either side of the cup. Ruby looked up to meet Emma's firm, sincere gaze.
"I would tell you that they're just dreams. They're not real."
"But they feel so real." Ruby whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes "It's like…I'm the one doing all of these terrible things but I can't stop myself. All I can feel is this hunger. This dark, evil hunger and…"
"Ruby." Emma said firmly when Ruby's voice cracked midsentence. Noticing that Ruby's tearful gaze was fixed on her shoulder, she gave a light squeeze to the hands in her own "Ruby, look at me." She waited until Ruby looked at her before continuing steadily "You're not that person. Whoever you think you are in your dreams, you're not."
"Aren't I?" Ruby whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks "Because I feel like a monster."
"No, you're not." Emma stated steadfastly. Noting Ruby's disbelief, she continued "I know you're not. What do you think Granny would say if you told her about this?"
"That's different…"
"Or Mary-Margaret." Emma continued confidently "Or Henry, or Ashley, or August. Or anybody else in this town for that matter." Ruby merely stared back at her and Emma smiled softly "See? Because you're not the person in your dreams, you're Ruby. And everybody in this town knows that you wouldn't hurt a fly. You don't have an evil bone in your body, okay?"
Ruby stared at Emma in pensive silence for a moment before a small smile tugged at her lips. Dislodging one hand from Emma's, she leaned forward and gave her girlfriend a one armed hug.
"Thank you." She whispered against Emma's neck.
Emma returned the hug and breathed a silent sigh of relief that she'd been able to get through to her girlfriend. She'd been silent unnerved for a while by the direction the conversation was taking.
"I mean it." Ruby said bashfully as she pulled away "It was so much easier with you here."
"This happens a lot?" Emma asked in concern as she watched Ruby lean back.
"Maybe a dozen or so times a year." Ruby answered. She took a sip of her tea and watched Emma's expression closely "I think the full moon subconsciously freaks me out and that's why I have them."
"The full moon…" Emma murmured thoughtfully. Something occurred to her and her expression cleared in understanding "You never sleep over when it's anywhere close to a full moon."
Ruby shrugged sheepishly "They can happen anywhere around it. So I don't sleep over to avoid well…this."
"Ruby," Emma reached over and grasped Ruby's free hand. "Promise me you won't do that again. I don't want you to be alone when this happens."
"I have Granny…"
"I don't want you to be without me." Emma corrected herself, her rushed out sentence coming out slightly awkwardly "I mean, I want to be there."
"Even if I wake you up with screams?"
"Even if you wake me up with screams." Emma confirmed, choosing not to point out the fact that Ruby had roused her with a firm elbow to the side seconds before she'd started screaming.
"Okay." Ruby smiled softly and shifted to give Emma a lingering kiss.
"Although, I think we'll have to warn Mary-Margaret." Emma murmured, pulling back by a fraction of an inch "You almost gave her a heart attack."
"Oh God," Ruby jerked back with an alarmed expression on her face "Really?"
"It's okay, she's just worried." Emma reassured her with a soft smile "Just talk to her tomorrow. You don't have to tell her anything in detail if you don't want to, just let her know that you're okay." She cautiously examined Ruby's expression "You are okay, right?"
"I am now." Ruby whispered earnestly.
THE END