Chapter 1

Ruby heard the phone buzzing next to her as she was snuggled up in various blankets that plagued her bed like a comforting nightmare. She heard the buzzing, but really didn't want to get it, knowing who it probably was on the other line. Still, her hand reached out from beneath the blankets and grabbed the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Mmmm?" she groaned into the phone, knowing he would know what she was saying.

"Morning sunshine" the deep voice said on the other line "Sleep well?"

"iAm I will stake you square in the heart if you ask me what you are about to ask me" Ruby said in the harshest of voices, knowing the big brute on the other line would simply chuckle at her threat.

"Susie called in sick last night, and I've only got Trish for the night shift" the male said on the phone, his voice as pleading as it would get for her.

"I just worked last nights shift!" Ruby moaned "Call Skye, or Dawn, they can probably switch shifts at Iron Mask to work tonight."

"No can do, they are under staffed over there as well, you know how it is, spring colds and what not" iAm said his voice getting serious "I'll make you toasted tortellini just how you like it.."

Ruby considered this bribe for a moment "With spinach leaves?"

"All you can eat" iAm said as Ruby heard the smile spread across his face.

"You drive a hard bargain" she said sighing into the phone "Just promise me you'll keep Trish on a leash. I don't want to be her birth control tonight."

"I'll be there all night" he said "Then you and I will chow down."

"Alright boss, talk to you tonight" Ruby said hanging up the phone. Her boss never said goodbye to her, he promised he never would...

Ruby Marvel groaned loudly as she sat up in her make-shift bed and stretched her arms wide, letting the bones crack and pull beneath her skin. Three months, three months clean and she still felt like shit every time she woke up. Ruby looked down at her beige skin that paled and tanned whenever it seemed to want to. Tiny little scars that still looked fresh from the stitches coming out sprung out from her wrists as she looked down on bad memories.

"Bad memories.."Ruby whispered before closing her hands in fists. She begged her mind to think of iAm, think of his dark skin and those warm eyes everytime she walked in the door. He was her saviour, he had rescued her, given her food and clothing, got her a job and now this apartment, he was her god send if she ever needed one...

The thought of the big male made Ruby smile and forget the fire that burnt in her chest whenever she wanted to remember the past. Slowly she got up, letting her pajama bottoms fall from her knees after being bunched up around her as she slept. Her tank top slid up a bit as she let out another groan while lifting her arms in the air then slid back down over her curved body. Hesitantly she looked in the mirror and took a long hard look at herself like she did every morning.

Her hair was mouse brown that was cut crazy in different lengths that ended down near her neck. She had steel blue eyes that seemed jaded compared to the bright blues and sapphires she saw on normal people, her nose was what Trish called a button nose, though to Ruby it looked too straight and pointy to be one. Her lips were between thin and plump, but she was no Angelina Jolie. At least her skin was starting to lighten, three months ago her eyes were dark with circles and her lips looked chapped to the point of bleeding, but all that was behind her now.

Ruby gave a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, knowing she needed a haircut to get all the lengths in one place, but like with everything, she really didn't want to bother. Slowly she turned and went for the bathroom, taking a nice hot shower and trying to prepare herself for the long night ahead of her. Saturday's were always busy at Sal's, but if Ruby at least put some make-up on tonight, she would get by okay. Besides, Trish was the maneater out of all of them, any table with a group of three or more guys and she would be all over it, leaving Ruby to deal with the more placid customers.

Ruby walked out of the shower and changed into her work clothes, knowing she would have to go in after a little while anyway, no need to change and re-change again.

She put on her cotton panties and a convertible bra, nothing too flashy since men weren't really on the menu for her, at least not for a while. She then slipped into black shorts and a white T-shirt with a scoop neck so that way she looked at least somewhat presentable. She decided to just wait to put on the small apron and changed into her nice black sneakers iAm had given to her as a house warming present.

She was thinking about iAm a lot today...maybe because of the morning phone call. Her eyes closed for a minute and thought about the first time she saw iAm...

He had been so big, so tall, she had never seen a man as tall as him before. She had been so out of it..huddled in a heap in the cold rain as the blood around her hands dripped around her. Ruby had wanted to die, had given up after spending days drugged out of her mind after that asshole abandoned her in the middle of the city with no money or food...

Sal's food from the kitchen had smelled so good that night, and she just couldn't bring herself to eat from the dumpster just yet. So there she sat, inhaling the beautiful food that was being cooked and trying to remember the last time she had smelt food that good...

Then she had given up, slit the pale drug filled skin and let herself dry out in the rain. She just wanted to fall asleep so bad...and then he came out, carrying a bag full of garbage to throw away.

She remembered his deep voice hiss with a "Oh shit..."

Then his arms around her "Hold on honey, I got you" he said quietly as he led her into the restaurant. That's how she fell into the darkness, with him holding her in his arms.

And then she woke up in the hospital, groggy, but dry, like someone had rubbed her down with a warm towel. And there he was, looking at her with a worried stare, his hands pressed together almost as if he was praying.

"Hi" she croaked out.

"Hi"he said and gave her the best smile she had ever seen.

Ruby opened her eyes and found herself smiling. Good memories should always top the bad, no matter what, and that memory of first seeing iAm would top any bad day.

Suddenly the clock chimed and Ruby was startled to see it was already six. She looked around and realized she had sat down on the couch as her memories had flooded around her for nearly two hours.

"Jesus" she said rubbing her eyes "That better be some amazing food."

Then slowly Ruby grabbed her jacket and her keys while fastening the apron around her waist and headed for the door.

As she walked down the sidewalk that cornered the tall buildings around her, Ruby decided there would be no more bad memories today, she had her whole future ahead of her and she would take it as is.

Ruby just didn't know that her future was about to come at her with a solid bang in her chest.