A friend is, as it were, a second self

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

Archie Hopper considered himself a regular man. He had a good job that he liked, a small but supportive friend base, a constant companion in his trusty Dalmatian Pongo and a small, cluttered but comfortable house on the edge of the little town of Storybrooke, Maine.

Perhaps he was a bit overly regular when it came to his habits. But he'd had enough excitement when he was young to last a lifetime.

His parents had been poor role models, lazy, mean-spirited people whose business had been taking from those who already had precious little. Because they were the least likely to fight back. They'd trained their son in their trade since he had been too young to understand right or wrong. It had taken him until his late teens to realize just how cruel they were to those around them. Then he'd left. Left without looking back.

He'd gone to night classes and worked his first honest job - washing dishes at a large hotel. Being naturally academic he quickly managed to get his high school diploma and through hard work and some luck he'd received full scholarship to a university in Maine. He'd chosen to major in psychology. Archie wanted to learn more about people. He needed to know how two people could be as rotten as his parents and still be able to live with themselves.

It was at his university he had met Marco. He'd never been good at getting along with his own age group, they all seemed immature and loud to him. Marco had been the janitor at the university and they had quickly become friends and he'd often had dinner with the Italian and his wife in the small town where they lived, Storybrooke. So after university it had been a natural choice to move to the same little town and open the first ever psychiatry practice there.

And so he had settled into a comfortable life. He woke early, had tea and dressed before heading to the diner for breakfast with the company of the paper. After breakfast he went to his practice and met patients, went over case files and added to personal files. He took Pongo for his lunch walk as he grabbed a sandwich then kept working until six. Then home, to make something simple for dinner, read or watch a movie or have a beer with Marco before taking Pongo for his last walk. Then bed before it all started over again.

Recently things had begun to change however. Emma Swan had arrived and after a few personal failings Archie had found the spine he'd been missing. The need to run away, to hide, to smooth the waters had always been his way. It was how he'd responded to his parents regime and it was how he'd responded to the despotism of the town mayor. But then he'd finally gotten Henry to tell him why it was so important to him that his fairy tales were true and there was no way he'd give up that kind of progress with his young patient for a few threats from Regina. He'd told her as much and felt he had taken a step closer to becoming the man he wanted to be.

So it was with a new spring in his step he entered Granny's the morning after the near catastrophe in the mine.

Ruby Lucas felt trapped. Her heart had always yearned to travel, to leave the small town of Storybrooke where she'd lived her whole life and roam. She wanted space, air. She wanted to see things, smell, experience and drink in all she could in big gulps. But there hadn't been much of that happening so far in her 25 years on earth.

What had happened was the loss of two parents before she was old enough to remember and being raised by her sweet but resolutely overprotective grandmother. Ruby had never liked rules much and her granny's response had always been to tighten her hold every time she had protested. So one evening after she had gotten her high school diploma (just barely, not because of lack of intelligence but rather lack of attendance) hot off the presses and had turned a very recent eighteen she had packed her bags and left. With Peter. He'd held the same need, the need to leave and see the world. They'd gotten almost to the sign bidding them farewell from Storybrooke when she had felt something was very wrong. Peter had refused to turn around in case his parents would get ahold of him.

So he'd dropped her on the side of the rode as he left alone, steering alone towards their shared dream. But a sense of urgency had pushed her on and she'd hurried back. She'd found her grandmother just in time to get help.

But there hadn't been any help for Peter. He'd lost control of the car, just after Ruby had left him and had died in the crash. His parents had always blamed her, saying he never would have left if it hadn't been for her egging him on. And she couldn't help but believe it herself, even though she knew it had been his dream as much as hers.

Though it was still her dream she hadn't been able to leave after Granny's heartattack. And since she hadn't been getting any younger and so Ruby's dream was put on hold.

The years had passed and the itch had grown. She felt like a caged animal, prowling restlessly behind bars.

She'd tried to distract herself. She drank, she dated, she flirted and she longed for something else. When she'd turned 22 she'd been making plans when the second heart attack had prevented her. If she didn't know better she'd say her grandmother was doing it on purpose. And here she was now, a recent 25 and bored out of her skull.

Days came and went and not even the promise of Saturday night excited her anymore. It was all the same people, going to the same places and having the same conversations.

The bell above the door chimed and she pushed herself off the counter. She perked up as she spotted Dr Hopper. Because recently, just yesterday in fact, Ruby had fallen head over heels in love. With Dr Hopper's dog. It had been unexpected to say the least. She had been drafted to help with the crisis at the mines and had promptly been told to look after the Dalmatian Pongo. Dumbfounded, she had stood there holding the leash as the dog looked up at her with, she could swear it, worry in his brown eyes. He'd pulled her around the whole area, desperately looking for his owner. Worried he'd tire himself out she'd ended up putting him in Billy's car.

Then, Pongo had saved the day, finding the mayor's son and Dr Hopper in an airshaft and Deputy Swan had fished them out. It had turned into a rather nice party afterwards as she'd shared a beer with Billy. He was her current mission and because she'd been caught up in the game of it she'd missed when Pongo and his owner had gone home.

But now here Dr Hopper was, which meant his trusty dog was sitting outside. Ruby grabbed the coffeepot and went to the table the tweed-clad doctor preferred, reaching it a moment before him. He smiled at her and she wondered if there was something different about him. Had he changed his hair? It seemed all the same, the auburn hair, the bright blue eyes, the tweed. She couldn't put her finger on it but there certainly was something different. She liked it, whatever it was and smiled in greeting.

"Good morning, Dr Hopper. How's our town hero today?" He flushed and she almost dropped the coffeepot. The man blushed? Awkwardly he unwound the scarf around his neck and sat.

"You can call me Archie, Ruby, like everyone does." She leaned over and turned his cup over, filling it only halfway up, knowing he liked lots of milk in his coffee.

"What's the point of earning yourself letters in front of your name if you won't let people use them?" He put his usual newspaper down next to the cup.

"Thanks," he said as she filled the cup. "I suppose I'm just not the type people call "doctor"," he said with a smile, showing he didn't mind the slightest.

He could be, she figured, with his smarts and the suits. But there was just something about him, something sweet and caring and genuine that just made it impossible to think of him as a strict "Dr Hopper". Although she kind of liked it just because it was so incredulous. And she'd rather call Archie doctor than that doctor from the hospital, that was for sure. He'd spent his entire date with Mary Margaret ogling Ruby as she cleared tables. She wasn't the most polite person in the world but that was beyond rude.

"Well, I think that's a good thing. It shows people see you more as a person than you as your job."

"That's very perceptive of you, Ruby. I think I agree. I'd rather people know me as Archie than as some stuffy doctor." He had a way of complimenting you without making it sound even slightly condescending. Ruby tried to remember the last time a man had complimented her on anything beyond her appearance and couldn't think of a single instance.

"Do you want your usual?"

"Please."

"I'll tell Granny."

"Thanks, Ruby."

He congratulated himself on making through a whole conversation without his gaze dropping from her eyes. Even though the neckline was so deep lots of things could have probably dropped into it easily.

"No problem, Archie." Although he couldn't quite keep himself from a quick glance at her legs as she walked off. He was only human after all. He respected Ruby Lucas as a person and knew that her attire was an effect of her rebelling against her fate. A classic, "I'll do it but I won't be happy about it" case. In her choice of clothes, make-up and flirty behavior she was making clear to her grandmother she wasn't happy about the situation that both of them knew couldn't change.

Yet as much as the professional side of him knew this it had the unfortunate effect of him discovering he had a thing for high heels, weather-inappropriate clothing and red lipstick. You'd have to be dead a week to not find Ruby Lucas attractive but he was too old to admire young women's physiques.

To be honest it had never been a problem, he was no lecherous perv hanging around the high school at finishing time to drool over pubescent prom queens. It was just her. Something about him called to him, both on a professional and personal level. She was obviously in pain – he suspected residual guilt over the accident that had killed her boyfriend, fresh guilt over wanting to leave when her grandmother was ill and an extra scoop of it for resenting her grandmother for making her stay. It was enough to make anyone act out. He didn't understand why people judged her so harshly for it. She was young, she was still learning, trying to find herself and her place.

On a more personal level he wished she'd open up for her own sake. To carry around that much self-resentment was unhealthy. Maybe he'd suggest for her to come see him, have a session and relieve some of the burdens her slender shoulders carried. It could be part of his self-improvement mission. Allowing people to be in pain around him was a page he'd turned over.

Satisfied with his decision he opened his newspaper.

Ruby sidled in behind the counter, next to the other waitress on the morning shift, Connie.

"He's so cute."

"Who?" Always on the lookout the twice-divorced blonde scouted the diner with a trained eye.

"Dr Hopper."

"Archie?" Her voice was incredulous but Ruby just smiled.

"He never looks down my shirt. He sometimes sneaks a peek when I'm walking away but never in front of me. And not every time. And he looks all guilty when he does."

"So he's a butt-man," Connie dismissed, but Ruby shook her head.

"No, he's just a nice guy." She put the coffee back and spotted Dr Hopper's constant companion, the Dalmatian Pongo, outside. If the health codes had allowed it she'd let him in but as things stood the poor canine had to sit in the cold, looking morose. Ruby grabbed a piece of leftover bacon and went out.

"Hey, boy!" He recognized her from the day before and excitedly wagged his tail. Dogs were much better than people anyway. They were always loyal, didn't go behind your back and didn't listen to gossip.

The Dalmatian barked appreciatively and strained on his leash. She kneeled in front of him and was enthusiastically greeted before his wet nose caught the scent of bacon and zeroed in on her apron pocket. Shivering in anticipation he sat down and lifted a paw, his eyes forlorn.
"Oh, aren't you good." She plucked the bacon out of her pocket and the dog gingerly took it before swallowing it whole. "Maybe lacking in table manners a little."

She patted and stroked, feeling as soothed by it herself as Pongo did.

She heard the bell over the door to the diner chime and saw Archie making his way over. He'd probably over-tipped her as usual. Still, he seemed to do it out of generous spirit, not like some men who thought tipping her for her looks would impress her. He knew she was saving to one day get out of Storybroke and tipped her so there would always be at least a little to put towards her savings.

He didn't treat her like the rest of the town did. Either he hadn't heard or didn't mind the rumors about her that were always flying around, treating her with the same gentle respect he showed everyone else. She always appreciated that. He smiled as he spotted her, cuddling his dog on the ground.

"Looks like he found some treasure. He always pulls to go here when we're out."

"He's a clever dog. He knows where the bacon lives." Dr Hopper laughed and she noticed, yet again, how nice his smile was. It lit up all of him, his eyes crinkled at the corners and he just seemed to appreciate the laughter more than others.

"So he does." She sighed and stroked the velvet soft ears of the dog that looked blissfully close to being unconscious, sprawled on the ground with his head resting on her lap.

"I wish I could get a dog." Which was a rather new fancy, but no less fervent for that. Ruby always wanted things with abandon or not at all. "We can't have one at the B&B. Health regulations." She rolled her eyes – yet another thing she wanted that she couldn't have.

"Would you like to borrow mine for a little while now and then? I could certainly use a hand with taking him out every so often so I can work." Ruby strongly suspected he didn't really need any help but…she really would love to take care of the sweet-natured Dalmatian, if only for a little while.

"I would love to." He beamed in his characteristic manner and she knew he was as happy to make her happy as she was accepting the offer. That was just his nature.

"Then how about tomorrow?"

"I work the morning and afternoon shift."

"Then how about the evening?"

"Perfect. I'll be by around eight?"

"Agreed." Ruby waved as she bounced up the stairs, happier than she'd been in a long time.

A/N: This is my first attempt at a OUaT story but I hope you like it so far anyway :)