Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness

Author: AoN

Word Count: 4,150

Genre: Drama, Adventure

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.

Summary: With the Evil Queen's curse weakening and Regina struggling to keep Storybrooke under control, hidden secrets and lies from long ago are beginning to surface – and they want their happily ever after.

Prologue

"The dark curse…? Really?" Maleficent asked her friend, raising her eyebrows. She watched the other woman shift in her seat slightly, understanding from where all the anger towards the young recently married princess was stemming. "You must know that not even its unholy power can bring your loved one back from the dead."

The Evil Queen's lips thinned at Maleficent's comment. It was a truth she was aware of, but did not need to hear – not from Maleficent and that damn miniature unicorn of hers. She was not leaving this fortress until she had that curse back in her hands. What she loved most died because of that wretched Snow White and she would not rest until Snow White's happiness was also ripped away from her.

xxxx

She knew exactly what she had to do in order to enact the curse, which made it difficult to even look the man in the eye. He was the one person she had been able to speak to about everything ever since… Ever since...

"I can't keep living like this," the Evil Queen admitted. "What Snow did to me – what she took from me – it's eating me alive, Daddy. Her very existence mocks me. She must be punished," she hissed.

Henry sighed slightly as he lowered his head. He knew very well that there was no changing his daughter's mind. She was too stubborn. He only hoped that she would one day fine peace. One day have her happily ever after.

xxxx

"I offered your children everything, whatever their hearts' desired," the Evil Queen stated, staring down the man being held back by her guards. "And they still chose uncertainty because of their blind faith in you. Tell me why. Why did your children refuse me?" she demanded.

The man looked at the Evil Queen with an extremely faint smirk, as if the answer was that obvious. "Because we're a family," he replied. "And family always finds one another."

She tried to keep eye contact, keep her cold glare, but the Evil Queen, feeling something in her throat and eyes beginning to sting, was forced to look away.

xxxx

Chapter One

These late nights spent closing the diner had quickly become the norm and no longer fazed the young woman with strands of red in her brunette colored hair. After her dear Granny had her heart attack, Ruby had no other choice but to return to the little town of Storybrooke, Maine to lend a helping hand and take care of the poor old woman she called family. Could she be doing something else with her time and actually be living her life? Yes. Did she think Granny needed to finally retire and let someone else handle the diner and the bed and breakfast? Most definitely (as long as it meant she, herself, got to leave Storybrooke for Boston). However, there was a slight problem.

Granny was stubborn – do not allow that sweet, shy little old lady exterior fool you. Ruby had experienced that stubbornness long before Granny's heart attack. Before Ruby moved in to care for her, Granny lived alone in this town and ran everything herself with her nearest family being four hours away in Boston. Stubborn as they came, no doubt about it.

Ruby had only expected to be in Storybrooke a few weeks, perhaps a month at most – just until Granny was back on her feet again and well enough to go about her daily life. However, a month came and went. It felt as if she had been here an eternity. She could not remember just how long that eternity was, nor could she remember a time where she did not know everyone who came through the diner. Closing up the place by herself at night seemed like second nature, an indicator to poor Ruby that she had been here long enough. Her return to Boston was long overdue, but there was no way Granny was capable enough to run both of her businesses – she should at least close the bed and breakfast! They never had any visitors, after all.

Of course, whenever Ruby tried to point that out to dear old Granny, heated arguments always ensued – those of which that usually ended with both saying things that very much should have gone unsaid. When Ruby accused her of ruining her life, Granny immediately bickered back that she was sorry for the inconvenience the heart attack caused her. The icing on the cake, however, was when the unfamiliar blonde woman from, can you believe it, Boston, Emma Swan, showed up requesting a room. Although she, after a phone call from their Madam Mayor, had to be kicked out soon after, there was absolutely no chance Granny would reconsider closing the bed and breakfast. Emma Swam showed up. Surely more people would eventually make their way to the charming little town of Storybrooke.

But Ruby could not even remember the last guest before the new sheriff. Ruby was almost fairly positive the last guest must have been before she arrived to temporarily start working here.

Temporarily. Just exactly how long was temporarily again?

"Door's locked," she mumbled to herself, double checking the front door before pulling the blinds. Everything was set for the morning shift – not that the morning staff were any different. She would be back in a few hours to open the place right back up again. Ever since Ashley went on maternity leave, Ruby picked up more shifts. Granny reassured that she was willing to hire, but no one was applying.

"Light's off," she murmured, hitting the switch which caused the lights to dim in the dining area. She did not even bother to double check the back room. Everything should be in order there considering they had not used it since Emma's victory party after becoming Storybrooke's new sheriff.

With that in mind, Ruby fetched her red coat from behind the bar and slipped it on. Fishing her set of keys from the pocket, she made her way to the back door. Upon stepping outside, she shivered. It was a bit chiller tonight – perhaps she should think twice about wearing shorts again for the morning shift. She turned around to lock the door, but something caught her eye, causing her to turn sharply to the left quickly.

Ruby was not entirely sure what she saw, but the sound of trash bags rustling and falling to the ground of the alley from the top of the dumpster was enough to make her jump. She was not certain of what she saw either, but a rather large furry creature had scampered away in fright. Must have been a stray dog looking for food, Ruby ultimately convinced herself. Animals had to eat also. She only wished it would have come around earlier to enjoy some of the leftovers that had been tossed out.

Once her heart calmed a little bit, Ruby, after pulling the red hood from her coat over her head, made her way off to Granny's house which was only a short walk away from the diner.

xxxx

When it came to revenue, Granny was fully aware that the diner was drawing in more profit than her dear bed and breakfast. Needless to say, it had been another slow day, but she managed to keep herself busy around here regardless. There was always a bit of dusting to be done, and floors to be swept. She had to keep the place nice and clean. There was a chance they would get a visitor – Emma Swan was only the first, she knew it. Soon they would have plenty of guests roaming these halls, all commenting on how clean and wonderful the place was. Then, maybe then, Ruby would see just how valuable this place was, but she could not blame her granddaughter – she was still so young with so much still to learn about life.

Speaking of her dear granddaughter, Ruby was due to come through the front door at any moment now. The diner was scheduled to have closed about an hour ago and Ruby was always quick to clear and clean up the place. Granny already knew how the rest of the evening would play out. Ruby would say everything was fine at the diner, a little slow, but fine. Then Ruby would attempt to convince her to close down the bed and breakfast – something about the cost of up keep and lack of profit, but Granny would not have it. They would then exchange a couple words and then be off to bed, both slightly upset at the other. That was how every evening went between the two of them. Ruby was not happy in Storybrooke, it was not a secret she wanted to be anywhere else. They had both anticipated Ruby's stay to have been a lot shorter. They did not expect all the complications of Granny's recovery.

Granny was grateful for Ruby. She could already see the young woman rolling her eyes slightly at the sentiment. In the end, they both were well aware of the fact that family was important.

And that was what they were, the two of them: a family.

A small smile crept across her face at the thought as Granny continued her knitting project. At the end of every work day, Granny would retire to the armchair in the living room to work on a bit of knitting while she waited for Ruby to come home from the diner. For the last few evenings, she had been working on a blanket. One of the rooms upstairs could use a new one. Blankets were also her favorite to make – Ruby still slept with the red one Granny made years and years ago (not that Ruby would admit it herself, but Granny knew. You cannot keep secrets from Granny).

"Granny, I'm home!"

How about that. Granny did not hear her come in. She must have been really deep in thought. "In the living room, dear," she called back.

A second later, the young woman appeared. "Another busy day, I see," she commented, taking off her jacket before sitting down on the couch.

Granny ignored the sarcastic tone. She knew when to fight her battles and this was not one of them. "And how was your day at the diner, dear?"

"A little slow," Ruby replied. They could have this conversation in their sleep. Nothing changed in Storybrooke. "The usual – oh! Ashley stopped by for a little bit. Little Alex's already getting pretty big."

"Well, that's good," Granny murmured, never looking up from her knitting. "How's she doing?"

"She'll be ready to come back to the diner in a couple weeks," Ruby answered, knowing full well Granny was beating around the bush.

"She can take all the time she needs," Granny replied.

Ruby nodded slightly. "So, any guests tonight I should be aware of?" she asked. When Granny did not answer, Ruby knew the response. "Of course not. Can you at least consider-"

"I won't consider anything," Granny replied stubbornly. "Someone will come tomorrow, I know it. They'll want a room when they do. You'll see, dear. Mark my words."

Right. Ruby did not say anything. She knew it would only spark an argument between the two of them and she was too tired to deal with that right now. "And they'll have a very comfortable stay when they do," she agreed against her will, but Granny knew the truth.

"You should get to bed, dear," Granny said, finally looking up from the blanket she was working on. "You have an early-"

"What's that?" Ruby interrupted, sitting up straight. Her eyes immediately shot up towards the ceiling. "Do you hear that?" she whispered, quickly getting to her feet. Her eyes never left the ceiling.

"What? Ruby-"

"Shh!" she hissed, taking a quick glance to Granny who was on her feet as well. It was faint, but she could hear it. "Call… Call Sheriff Swan. There's someone upstairs-"

"What?" Granny hissed back. "Ruby-"

"Granny, just do it!" Ruby whispered, quietly walking over to the staircase. "Someone's upstairs," she repeated, positive of the accusation she was making. It was frightening, yes, but Ruby was sure. When she took a step up, she heard Granny make a noise. If the old woman could shout in this situation, she would have. Ruby was quickly growing annoyed. You would think she would be scared, but not – it was annoyance. "Call-"

"You can't go up there!" Granny hissed as she made a beeline to the reception desk.

"Don't worry about me," Ruby replied, taking a couple more steps up. Deep down, Ruby knew what she was doing. She was not going in blind. She had experience in this. She was not sure from where, but this felt familiar. When Granny could no longer see her, Ruby silently continued up the stairs.

Upon reaching the upstairs hallway, Ruby was able to hear more clearly. She could hear Granny frantically explaining the situation to who Ruby pegged to be the sheriff on the other end of the phone. She also could hear the shuffling of feet coming from her room and the sound of draws opening. They were being robbed, she concluded. Some stranger was going through her belongings – they very idea upset her to no end.

Ruby continued down the hall, taking each step carefully and with precision. Rationally, she knew she should not be up here, not with a robbery roaming about. She should go back downstairs and wait for the sheriff with Granny, but another part of her knew what she was doing. She was more than capable of handling this situation herself. Her mind was perfectly still and extremely focused. She approached the bedroom door – her bedroom door – and carefully grasped the door knob, not making a sound. From this distance, Ruby could hear mumbling coming from inside the room. It was a female voice. She could not place it, but it did not matter if the voice was familiar or if it was not. The result would ultimately be the same.

Whoever was inside the room, on the other side of this door, was about to be taken away in handcuffs and the diner would probably lose a customer out of all this. After all, everyone in Storybrooke went to Granny's Diner.

Without another thought, Ruby threw open the door. The women inside immediately froze in place. Eyes locked with each other. Ruby's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She did not recognize the woman with long dark brown hair who appeared to be around her own age. She was a stranger. A stranger in Storybrooke. A stranger who, by the look of things, had been going through her closet. The stranger was stealing her clothes. Out of everything in her bedroom, the stranger was stealing clothes.

"Don't you dark move," Ruby warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," the woman replied, her dark blue eyes still locked in a glare. Something about those eyes felt familiar. Maybe they had met before. Maybe when Ruby lived in Boston.

Before Ruby could contemplate who this woman was any further, the stranger did something she said she would not: she moved. The unknown woman made a dash for the bedroom window which had given her entrance. Ruby immediately followed suit, natural instincts, wherever they had come from, taking over. Somehow, she could not explain, she beat the woman to her destination. Ruby grabbed the woman by the forearms from behind and rammed her into the dressed. The woman winced.

"I said don't move," Ruby chided.

"Not big on the whole listening thing," the woman admitted. "Nice to see you still got some of it."

"What?"

A moment of weakness was all the woman needed and that spark of confusion offered just that. Ruby's hold faltered slightly and when it did, the woman rammed her heel against Ruby's foot. With a yelp, Ruby let go, giving the stranger the opportunity to push off and stumble back onto the bed. The woman then dashed once again to the window. Ruby recovered just in time to see her jump through. Quickly, Ruby got to her feet and pulled herself over to see that the stranger did not exactly land on her feet. She had been granted a few extreme sentences to regain ground. She only had a few extra seconds to capture her again.

Ruby sprinted out of the bedroom and into the hallway. She heard the crack of the front door opening and Sheriff Swan addressing Granny. Good timing on the Sheriff's behalf, but, then again, Storybrooke was not exactly big. Ruby took the stairs two at a time and ran to the reception area. Without offering either of them an explanation, Ruby grabbed a hold of Sheriff's Swan's wrist and led her to the front door.

"This way!" Ruby shouted. "This way!"

Luckily, Sheriff Swan did not stop and ask for questions. The two of them ran out into the front yard. Ruby took lead and ran along the side of the house. As they rounded the corner, Sheriff Swan saw the problem at hand. She picked up speed, passing Ruby as she unhooked the handcuffs from her belt. Ruby watched as the Sheriff closed the space between her and the now limping stranger who must have had quite the fall. A second later, Sheriff Swan had tackled the woman to the ground and Ruby slowed down her pace. Once she reached the two, Sheriff Swan was pulling the handcuffed woman to her feet.

"Shouldn't have ran," Emma pointed out. "Ruby, you know this person?" she asked.

"No," Ruby answered. "I don't think she's from here-"

"Please," the woman grumbled. "I am."

"I know everyone in this town-"

"Apparently not."

"Enough," Emma said. "What's your name?"

There was no answer.

"Alright, well, whoever you are, you're off to the station for the night," Emma commented before turning back to Ruby. "Make sure Granny's okay. I'll be back in a few to fill the report."

Ruby nodded. As Emma walked past her, leading the captive, the woman looked over her shoulder to take one last glance at Ruby. For a split second, Ruby was positive she saw one of the woman's eyes change colors. For a split second, Ruby was positive that she had seen red.

xxxx

"Are you really not going to tell me your name?" Emma asked, watching the young woman who was laying on the bed in the cell from her desk. She was swiveling back and forth in her office chair, her feet resting on the desk as she waited for an answer. Emma had hoped that a night behind bars would have made her more willing to answer instead of providing snippy remarks. So far, the woman had not since Emma had arrived to the station this morning, only a couple hours ago.

"Are you really not going to believe I don't have one?" the woman replied – more to the ceiling than to Emma herself.

"Alright, have it your way," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders, swinging her feet off the desk and onto the ground. She pulled herself closer to the desk. "But trust me, you're gonna wanna answer to me, not the force that'll be here any minute," she warned.

Silence. Emma had expected it, of course. Not all her comments were met with snippy remarks.

Instead of pushing it any further for the time being, Emma turned to the evidence on her desk. Both Granny and Ruby had confirmed that the only missing items were the ones the woman was currently wearing. The only items taken were a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top, and a pair of boots. When pressed on the matter, the woman only responded it had been difficult to find something that was not red. Very unhelpful.

This would have been a simple case if not for one thing. The woman had been in a bit of hurry trying to escape the bed and breakfast. She had forgotten her original possessions in Ruby's bedroom. The rags which were probably used as clothing were curious enough, but there was something else that was even more so and it currently was upon Emma's desk in a small evidence bag. Emma picked up the bag containing the golden necklace to examine once more. The charm – the symbol. It was the same both she and… and Graham had seen in the cemetery. She later learned that that piece of property belonged to no then Regina Mills herself and that is how the case grew slightly more complicated.

Obviously, the symbol meant something to the Mills family. Therefore, this necklace could not belong to the woman currently locked away behind bars in Emma's office. There was a possibility it had been stolen as well, probably from Regina's manor. This upset Emma on two accounts: 1. This woman was sneaking around Regina's manor, putting Henry in danger and 2. Emma was forced to call Regina down to identify the piece. Emma was not too keen on spending more time than she had to with mayor.

Of course, when asked about the necklace, the woman gave no answer. Naturally. All she offered were snide comments. Very annoying.

"Last chance to tell me everything," Emma stated. "Trust me, you'd rather talk with me."

"Seeing right through this good cop, bad cop thing, Sheriff."

"You think that's what this is?" Emma asked with a half laugh. She shook her head. "I don't know where this anger comes from – and I know its anger – but this front of yours is not going to help your situation. You broke into that bed and breakfast-"

"The window was open-"

"- and stole-"

"-clothes."

Emma sighed, annoyed. Granted, this definitely was the longest conversation they had exchanged, but she was still annoyed. Her story, what Emma could piece together, did not make sense. She had been stealing clothes, she had been in rags, but Emma could not just assume she would not have taken more – the gold necklace found in Ruby's room was a testament to that. Had there been a streak of robberies in Storybrooke under everyone's noses?

"What's your name?" Emma decided to ask once again.

"Don't have one."

Emma chuckled. "When you've been in my line of work as long as I have, you become good at telling when people are lying," she pointed out. "So, one more time… What is your name?"

Silence. So much for the conversation. Oh well. Emma set the baggie down and leaned back in her chair as she took a glance at the wall clock hanging over her office door. Henry was currently at school. The mayor had been at work for a while now. She must either be wrapping up her morning meetings or already on her way here. It was nearing lunch time. Emma would have to patrol the town soon – the last thing she wanted to do was lock the mayor out after calling her here.

Well, actually…

Almost as if on cue, the door to the office opened and Emma was instantly on her feet. Of course, the lovely town mayor was above knocking. "Perhaps, Sheriff Swan, if the protocol of a simple breaking and entering case is too difficult for you to handle, you should have this office over to Sydney Glass," Regina sniped, stepping inside. "I'm far too busy to be doing your job as well," she added, taking a glance from the sheriff to the cell.

It just would not be a visit from the mayor without any comments to her personal life or line of work.

"Believe me, Madam Mayor, that is not why I called," Emma replied coolly, not about to let her get under her skin. "I just had some concerns," she said, picking up the bag containing the golden necklace. "That this may be a string of incidents and that you may have been targeted."

"Are you telling me the people of Storybrooke have been blinded by a false sense of security?" Regina accused.

"I'm telling you," Emma began. "That this was found among the thief's possessions. I've only seen this symbol once before – with you," she explained, extending her hand to the mayor who took the evidence bag. "Madam Mayor, does this piece of jewelry belong to you?"

Regina looked down at the necklace. Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. The sheriff's question hung in the air. Did this piece belong to her? To the Mills family? Instead of providing the sheriff with a definite answer, Regina walked around the desk and over to the cell. The woman had not even budged since the mayor's arrival, but the intensity of the glare the stranger was receiving caused her to sit up. She held up the necklace to the metal bars and the woman stood up.

"Where," Regina began, her voice low, a bit threatening. "Did you get this?"

To be continued…