The ring of the little bell on the door was an unusual event, at that time, in Mr. Gold's shop.
The sky outside was overcast and livid, and a heavy wind swept the empty streets. Nobody had come in during the whole day. How odd for someone to pick up such a late hour to show up.
Almost all lights were already off. Gold had already started gathering his stuff before closing, but as he rose his eyes from the counter, his surprise was so great he decided not to point out that it was closing time.
His thin lips curved pleasingly at the sight of the young woman approaching him at a steady yet slow pace.
"Ah, Miss Lucas," He considered her head to toe, untouched by her hostile look. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She was a beautiful girl, there was no denying it. Of all the people in Storybrooke, she was probably the one he didn't actually despise. Because of her double nature. Even though he knew his heart would never be as pure as hers.
Ruby stared at him with a colourless face, wrapped up in a grey woolen sweater that didn't look right on her.
"Save the platitudes. Everyone comes to you for the same reasons," she said in a low voice.
He detected something in her tone, but couldn't tell what it was.
Not yet.
He smirked mischievously, though. He loved that people came seeking for favours from him.
"And what is it that you want?"
She was pale. Her eyes look tired but there was an unusual sparkle of light in them. Maybe it was the grey she was wearing making her look so off. Maybe not.
He saw her swallow slowly. Her body was tense. She didn't like to be there, and he couldn't blame her. Nobody like to be there.
"You're the Dark One. You can do nearly everything, can't you?" she asked, and in those few words Gold recognized the something he had detected: desperation.
But she was good at keeping it at bay. Almost a master.
"Indeed I can," he stated, not caring to conceal his smugness. "The question is: can you afford what you've come asking for?"
Ruby's tension grew sensibly. They were getting closer to the sore spot she clearly wasn't so eager to touch.
She uncomfortably ran a hand though her hair, falling lank over her shoulders.
"You gave Granny my red cloak to keep me from turning during Wolf Time," she said tentatively, but looking him straight in the eye. "Because Granny knew I would be a werewolf, being a werewolf's child."
He simply nodded.
"Is there anything that could cure a werewolf from its… its curse?"
"You think being a werewolf requires a cure?" he asked disapprovingly, in a way that sounded much like an accusation.
Ruby cringed guiltily at this insinuation, but didn't break the eye contact.
This girl is tough, Gold thought, this time approvingly.
"Just answer my question."
Gold leant onto the counter and crossed his arms over it, eyeing her inquiringly.
"There are ways, of course. Some more effective – and expensive – than others. But I'm afraid, Miss Lucas, that all permanent remedies are to be performed before the first shifting," He gave her a mock apologetic smile. "So that would make it a little late for you."
He made to turn his back to her and leave, but what she said paralyzed him like a spell:
"I wasn't talking about me."
Gold froze for a moment, then turned very slowly, an intrigued sneer spreading on his lips.
As he faced her again, Ruby swallowed again, and he perceived her nervousness increase.
Gold studied her more carefully and noticed details he'd missed before: the sweater hanging too loosely all over her slender figure, her arms folded protectively around her waist, the way her eyes seemed to struggle to hold back a secret.
"Oh, I see," A wave of sudden, feverish interest took over Gold. He glanced at the spot her arms were covering and grinned knowingly in her direction. "Now, that makes everything much more interesting."
Ruby instinctively moved one step backwards, which only made Gold more captivated.
He thought he knew everything about everyone in town, but this just proved him wrong. There were several men buzzing around this girl, and Gold had a number of hypothesis, but couldn't be sure.
"I guess congratulations are in order," he said slyly, enjoying the change of her expression from diffident to worried. "Who's the lucky man?"
"This is none of your concern," she replied quickly.
"Oh, I beg to differ. But that is entirely your choice whether to tell me or not. I won't hold any grudge."
Ruby eyed him suspiciously.
"That, of course, would discourage me from giving you what you came looking for," he added wickedly. "But you'll certainly find someone else. You could ask Regina, perhaps. Or go to the hospital. I'm sure Dr. Whale will be able to help you out with this – ah – furry little problem."
Ruby winced and suddenly looked so fragile and lost that for a moment, ever so brief and ephemeral, Gold actually felt for her. But he wasn't a Fairy Godmother and his help always had a price.
"Good evening, Miss Lucas," he greeted, retrieving his stick from a corner. "And good luck."
He picked up the shop keys and loved towards the entrance door, silently counting the seconds passing by. And finally Ruby spoke:
"I'll tell you."
He had to fight against himself to stifle a smug, triumphant snigger. When he turned around, his face bore a perfectly oblivious expression:
"Excuse me?"
Ruby's cheeks had gained some colour and by the way she was staring at him Gold could tell she would have preferred tearing him apart with her own teeth rather than give in to his blackmail, but she had no other choice.
"I'll tell you," she repeated weakly in her young, delicate voice. "But, please, give me what I need."
She truly was desperate.
Gold barely had an idea of what it felt like to be a monster and hate it. He'd only felt like that once, because of Belle, because of her love for him, but he had chosen to be a monster. Ruby hadn't. Hers was real curse, something she hadn't asked and probably didn't deserve. But it was still something she could control.
Unlike him.
"Here," With a fluid movement of his right hand, Gold drew a flourish in the air and when he showed his palm to her, there was a tiny bottle on it, full of a shiny silvery liquid. "Drink this during next full moon and your child will be spared the curse of being a werewolf."
Ruby took a moment to raise her own hand. She picked the little bottle carefully and observed it as if it were some kind of wonder. And it was, to her. A wonder, a blessing. A blessing she hadn't had the luck to get herself.
"Thank you," she whispered, so genuinely grateful that Gold was stuck for a moment. "Thank you so much."
He bent his head lightly.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Lucas. Now, if you would excuse me, I would like to go home. It's late, Belle is going to be worried."
He gestured towards the door, inviting her to leave.
Ruby clung the bottle to her chest and blinked confusedly.
"But I haven't told you…"
Gold gently pushed her through the door.
"Oh, yes, you have. Sometimes words are not necessary to answer a question." His smiled, this time for real. "Good evening again, Miss Lucas."
Ruby's heart was racing. She had traded a long-kept secret for a glimpse of hope. A secret that didn't belong to her alone. But she would think of the consequences later. Now she only cared about the treasure in her hands.
She was already crossing the empty street when Gold's voice called her back:
"Miss Lucas?"
Ruby turned around and saw him lingering on the doorway.
"I used to be a real monster. I chose to become a monster. I was evil and heartless, and it was my choice to be like that. I needed a cure, and I was lucky enough to have Belle's love to provide it. You are a werewolf. You didn't become one, that is what you are. That's a part of you. A part that you can control and live with without causing any harm to anyone. It's what you're made of, and it doesn't make you a monster. It only makes you different. Think about it before you drink that."
Ruby stood speechlessly in the middle of the street, the wind blowing though her hair, her heart now heavy in guilt and dismay.
Gold's words burned down her soul like cold flames.
She didn't say anything. She just nodded, feeling small and fatigued, and walked away.
"One last thing," said Gold's voice.
Ruby stopped but didn't turn back, this time.
"If I were you, I wouldn't make this decision alone."
His words echoed in her mind and in the silence surrounding them.
"I guess there is someone, out there, who loves you just the way you are. Probably because of the way you are. Both girl and werewolf. Maybe for that someone it would be a loss to deprive this child of a part of its nature."
Ruby's head snapped back, but all she found was the locked door of the pawn shop and the flickering light of the streetlight beside it.
She glanced down at the tiny bottle, scared and anxious and confused, and knew Gold was right.
About everything.
Was it right of her to erase a legitimate part of her child's identity? It would have been like something was wrong with him or her and therefore needed to be fixed.
This wasn't what she wanted for her baby.
It wasn't what she wanted for anyone.
Monster to monster.
Not all monsters deserved to die.
Some monsters deserved a chance.
Some monsters were monsters only to real monsters' eyes.
A/N: alright, first off I need to confess I got the inspiration to write this piece after reading "Gratest Creation" on AO3.
It's a oneshot and it's totally unrelated to my other fics, but there's probably going to be a second part in which Ruby discusses the matter with her mate.
As of now, this is all. Hope you enjoyed the reading and, of course, reviews are love!
P.S. as usual, sorry for the typos, if there's any left! Point them out, if you find some!
P.P.S. to those who didn't recognize it, the "furry little problem" is a direct quote from Harry Potter, concerning my One True (Werewolf) Love, Remus Lupin.
