No Color
BY: Wolfa Moon
Summary: His world held no color. It did once. It was Red. A Red cloak. FrankenWolf. Werewolves AU.
Disclaimer: No Own. Pure Fun. Enjoy & Review, TY.
/No Color/
The first time he saw it on her he thought he was seeing a ghost. He had run up to her and turned her to face him. But the face under the hood was not the one he thought would be there.
"Ruby?"
"Victor, what are you doing?"
"Where?" He just looks at the Red piece of cloth. In his world of no color he remembers this. The one article of clothing that his mother owned that was so full of color. Color of the roses that she grew. She always wore it.
He remembers the last time he held the article of clothing before his father ripped it away from him. Victor wanted to keep the memory of his mother. His father thought a weakness or whatever. Yet after that day he had a little brother to care for. No color.
"Ruby, where did you get this?" Ruby looks at him. Seeing the emotions cross his face. The deep sadness and question.
"Mr. Gold found my cloak in his shop."
"Your cloak?"
"Yes, this is the only thing keeping the wolf at bay tonight." They both look up to see the full moon.
"Gold had it."
"Yeah, why?"
"Talk to you later." Victor ran from her. He never ran from her. Well not any more. They actual started a friendship. Then Gold had given her, her cloak.
Barging into the door he confronted him.
"Where did you get it?'
"Perhaps if you tell me what it, to which you are referring about."
"Red's cloak. That was my mother's."
"Ah, was being the operative word."
"How did you get it?" Gold gave a wide grin. The grin he gave when he knew more than the others. Which was a smug grin he wore most of the time. Frankenstein took a purposeful step forward. True he is no match for the magical creature before him. This though riled him to the core. "My mother's cloak. How do you have it?"
"Well the how is easy. Your father traded it for a son and an spell."
"A spell?"
"Yes, your mother was a fine specimen of her species." This hurt Victor more than before. She was human. Mortal. "And your father feared that you would have the same infliction that she had."
"So you traded with my father?"
"I have traveled many of realms. Yours though was most interesting with no color. Yet the only color was that cloak."
"The cloak, which Red wears."
"Yes, amazing thing about magical creations."
"It was not magic."
"Oh, but it was." Gold comes around the counter to stand in front of the good doctor. "Your mother was a creature that exist in your world and in mine." Victor swallowed at this revelation. Taking a step back. His scientific mind throwing thought and ideas back and forth.
"My mother was…" he shakes his head.
"Yes, she was."
"Then how come I."
"A spell, a child, for a cloak." Victor moves back as if slapped.
"My mother is a…" He can't really vocalize the words. Sure his world is different. But a,
"Werewolf." Rumple informed him. "Yes, your mother is a child of the moon." Victor finally looks the magic man in the face. His whole world had been a lie. "See, not all is your science."
"The spell on me. Red changes, why not I?"
"I don't know that. Maybe because the wolf has been asleep for so long that the part of you is magic, is dormant."
The revelation had cracked him in two. Departing the shop he found out that his life was an illusion. He should be like Ruby. Yet his father had used magic. That brought so much more to be pondered to mind. Why he hated him so much. He knew of the monster that lied underneath his skin. The mirror he looked into has shattered. Who is he? He is the monster who created a monster.
Sitting on the dock that had become a place of solace for him. He wanted to cry. Wants to scream. Wanted to tear at his flesh till there was nothing left.
"Victor?" Monster to monster. Red sat down beside him. The Red cloak covering her eyes as she sat. Closing his eyes for a moment he wanted to talk to his mother. Ask her.
"What's it like to become a wolf?" Red looks at him. Something had changed. She thought she had a good read on him. But now.
"It's different. I'm me but I'm not. I kinda black out. The animal takes over. Why?" Victor didn't really know where to begin. Sure he could tell her what he found out. Could say that he really now can live up to the name.
"You're wearing my mother's cloak."
"Your mothers?" He can only nod.
"Gold made a deal with my father. My mothers cloak for a son and a spell." She looks at him. Wondering what that meant. Was he from their world? "A son who did not have a monster in him. And a spell to keep the monster locked inside their only child." He huffed a bad laugh. "A monster who made monsters."
Red looks at him. So what did this all mean? He reaches out to touch the cloak.
"I searched high and low when my mother… I never knew what she really was."
"So werewolves existed in your realm as well?"
"Ah, apparently." He lets the fabric float through his fingers. Turning back to look up at the moon. It looking back down mocking him.
"So you're a werewolf?" He doesn't notice her move a little closer to him. She leans in to smell him. At the inhalation he turns to her. Their eyes meet.
"Well?" he wonders what her nose smells. She leans in again. This time more into his throat. Closing his eyes he calms himself, as a very attractive woman smells him. She leans back a little. Not all the way. Her eyes look into him.
"There is something but I don't know."
"Not sure we want me to start pulling at the wolf's tail."
"Two werewolves in one town." She huffs unbelieving.
"Mine is caged though."
"So is mine, by this." She lifts her shoulders to show off the Red cloak.
"I've always loved this color." He touches the cloak again. "It was the only thing in my realm that held color." She watches as sadness clouds his eyes. "Purple is my second."
"Purple or lavender?"
"Lavender. It's softer and smells divine. Like you."
"You can smell me?" he nods like that is a big surprise. Sure they had separated but still close.
"I've always been good at smelling."
"How about running?"
"I don't unless I have to."
"Victor?" he looks at her. How could he not. "I want you to come with me."
"Where?" He watches her stand up. The cloak cascading around her.
"Do you trust me?"
"You're the only one I do trust." She smiles at him. Her smile growing wider as he joins her. Then it stops.
Red reaches around to take off the cloak. He watches in fascination. He had heard the stories and rumors about her. He heard worse about him. Then she did the oddest thing. She wrapped him in the cloak. Her hands held tight onto it. She didn't want her monster out. But she wants Victor to remember someone.
"Close your eyes," he does. She lifts part of the cloak to his nose. "What do you smell?" he takes a deep inhale.
"I smell bacon." She smiles. It hung in the diner while she worked. "There is a rose scent, your perfume." It is true she is a sucker for all things Red. Including roses.
"Keep going." He did. Then everything paused.
He could smell the faint hints of, "Lavender and vanilla." His eyes open gold to meet hers. She is startled at first and smiles. This is what her eyes must look like before she wolfs out.
"It always smells of those two scents. No matter how much rose I wear."
"It is my mother's scent."
"She smells divine."
"She was. She was an angel. She could never be the monster that people think werewolves are. Look at you. You are my savior. "
"Stop, Victor, your making me blush."
"I would gladly do that forever."
/No Color/
"Am I interrupting something?" They both stop whatever was about to happen to turn on to the intruder.
"Regina," Whale and Ruby growl together.
"How cute." She glares. Ruby keeps a firm hold onto the cloak. Her wolf begging to go after the villain. Whale moves to stand in front of her. "Trying to protect her doctor."
"If I can."
"I don't need you. I need her."
"You can't have her." Victor moves his hands up to remove the cloak.
"What are you going to do? Your nothing but a hack doctor." This bristled him. Looking over his shoulder he looks to Red. For the first time in a long time he had something to fight for. He may not be the ideal of a doctor. A doctor who made monsters. Then there is the secret.
He removes the cloak from his shoulders. Turning he glares at her.
"You really need to leave." He warns her again. Red can feel him trembling before her. Just how she felt before her monster came out. Looking into his eyes she sees they have turned wolf gold. She knows what is going to come. Her inner beast wanting to do the same. Then questioning can he control the beast. Smiling she sees that he may be new to it but his mind is stronger than the wolf's.
"I am growing impatient."
"Don't worry. You won't have to wait long." He gives the cloak to her. Turning he burst into wolf form. The grey fur sprouting in an instant. He stands before Red all protective. Snarling.
"Well that is new." She begins to raise her hand but Victor is faster. He grabbed her arm and began to shake her like crazy. She began to try and fight. Tried to call upon her magic. This only spurred the wolf on more. He centered his attack on her arm. The arm she was going to use against them. Against his Red. She stilled.
He let her go as she collapsed onto the hard pavement. Red took steps toward him. Cloak raised.
Red watched as Victor attacked the queen. The wolf only focusing on the one arm. Amazed at how much control Victor has for his first time. Then once the queen gave up or passed out, he stopped. Amazed she approaches with the cloak raised. The wolf stares at her. Stepping away from her.
"It's okay, Victor."
The thing is Victor didn't want to turn back. He had never been freer. A part of him that had been prisoner for so long came out. Amazed that his mind is present in this form. That he is in control. Stepping away from the wonderful smell. Red smells divine to his nose. He wants her but doesn't want it to end, not yet. Lifting his head up he howls. Looking one last time at Red, he runs.
Red felt her wolf bristle at the howl. It wanted out. Wanted to follow their own kind. Red looks down to Regina. Pulling out her phone she dials Emma and tells her quickly of what transpired. Dropping the cloak she runs after the wolf. Her dark wolf fur blending into the night. With one thought, Victor.
/No Color/
Victor found a hill. He looks down over the town. Such a small simple place. Yet unknown this powerful creature lay inside of him. His mother. Looking to the full moon he feels her loss again. The nights they would both stare at the moon. To find out his father locked this freedom from him. No wonder he never belonged.
Then he smells her.
'Red,' he acknowledges her. Her ears perk up at his voice. She moves up beside him.
'I heard you.'
'And I hear you.' He smiles wolfishly at her. She bumps into him. She can smell him truly now. At the smell she leans into him.
'Thank you for saving me,' she says. Victor looks at the black wolf.
'I'm just glad I was strong enough.'
'You are.'
'Guess we really are monster to monster.' She laughs at that.
'Wanna run?'
'Yes,' and they go.
/No Color/
Victor woke to a canopy of green above him. The sky looking so blue. Blinking his eyes he tries to wake himself up more. Everything seems so much clearer. The colors more vibrant. Lifting his arm he sees his human hand. The wolf must have faded with the moon's slumber. Putting his hand down he comes in contact with hair. Looking down he sees his fellow werewolf.
"Good morning," there is a beautiful hhmm she releases as she turns to look at him.
"Morning." She stretches her arms out from her place on his stomach. Her eyes squint as she sees a question come over his face. "What?"
"Did we?" Then he feels the cool earth soak into his exposed skin. She grins at him. He looks away then back.
"You don't remember?" She sits up looking at him.
"I remember we went for a run and then…" He looks at her. They tackled each other in wolf form, then. "Granny is gonna shot me with her crossbow."
"Oh," she crawls up his chest. "Maybe we should stay out here forever."
"Hhhhmmm," he wiggles closer to her. He has never felt so alive. "It is always like this after a wolf night?"
"No, we didn't kill anyone."
"But I may have maimed Regina."
"She had it coming."
"What did she want with you anyway?"
"Don't know. But I bet Emma will get on it." Victor nodded. Reaching up he touches her hair. Feeling each strand as they pass through his fingers.
"Everything is so much more now." He looks into her eyes. "Red, what lore do you know about wolves." She looks at him funny. "Of what I know. Is more science and dynamics."
"So you read up on wolves?"
"I read up on you. I wanted to know how bad a monster you could be. Don't get me wrong. I was merely wondering if werewolves mate for life like regular wolves."
"Oh I see." She looks taken aback. The wolf wants him. She had found someone like her. She wasn't alone. "I don't mind us being something." Victor smiles. He doesn't know what he would do if she said no.
"So who is going to tell Granny?" they look at one another.
"You," unison.
/No Color/
Author note:
I blame 'Dark Side of The Moon'.
May continue this at some point. Depends on how it is received and time.
