Title: Susceptible to His Charms
Summary: Just a little story of how Ruby came to pick out her lucky charm.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: 1x04
Word Count: 1151
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I feel like there was a reason they showed those figurines in Mr. Gold's shop and then revealed Ruby's own charm. I choose to believe it went something like this.

There weren't many places one in Storybrooke could drive around to, but on an otherwise boring Saturday that she had off of work, Ruby was sure one to try. Maybe it wouldn't be Boston, but maybe it could still give her a break from the diner or the inn.

Stopped at a red light, she glanced to the line of shops beside her. Even from those several feet away the glint shining off of a few charms from Mr. Gold's pawn shop caught her eye. It wasn't a particularly windy day so even if a window had been left open, she guessed the charms had been hung near an air vent to be swaying like they were.

The small, clear glass figures each resembled a prism as they swung, the afternoon sun catching each. A kaleidoscope of every color of the rainbow threatening to blind her if she stared for too long.

It took a honk from the car behind her to shake her from her daze. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there for, but while she hadn't originally anticipated shopping she figured some looking couldn't hurt. If such shiny objects could distract her from her original plot of even temporary escape then they certainly deserved to be viewed up close.

The sign on the door had said open but Ruby couldn't be sure at first as she headed inside. The shop looked dark and no one seemed to be there. Still, she chose to take the sign at its word and since she wasn't thinking of actually buying anything anyway, went about her looking around.

Most of the things in the shop seemed so odd. Everything from the dolls, to the paintings and the assorted other knickknacks. But finally she went to the hanging figurines that had drawn her to the shop today in the first place. The unicorns made her smile, even if she felt too old to consider getting one of them. But the wolves... Now those had her raising a slender hand to get a better look. Maybe partially because they weren't just clear, but had streaks of red inside them as well.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Ruby heard that familiar deep, accented voice ask from directly behind her.

She was startled, though she tried to hide it. "Yeah, yeah they are," she smiled to him as she brought her hand back down. She was usually so aware that most people couldn't sneak up on her. So how was it she hadn't even managed to hear Mr. Gold's cane, much less his footsteps?

"I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to frighten you. Is there something I could help you find? Or are you just looking for today?" he asked, his smile softening a bit.

So much for what she had thought was a quick recovery. "Just looking. But these are amazing, and really good at catching the light. But then I guess that's why you put them here. To catch the sun and all, get people to come in."

"Perhaps," he nodded. "But if you're interested, there are similar pieces at the counter." Glancing to her bracelets and her few costume rings, he added, "Jewelry, as well, if you're interested."

"Not sure I could afford it," she admitted, remembering that this was also an antiques shop. At least with him she couldn't be that embarrassed, if anyone in town knew what she and her grandmother made it was certainly him.

"If that's the case, I'm sure we could work something out," he told her, unable to completely keep another smile at bay.

"You know, I'm surprised I haven't been in here before," she told him as she glanced around again, suddenly needing a change of subject. She was almost afraid of what he might have had in mind for that trade, but only because she had a feeling she would agree to it as long as he was still looking at her like he was. However, what she had said was truth. She and her grandmother had lived in Storybrooke for as long as she could remember yet she was realizing this was in fact the first time her curiosity about his shop had gotten the best of her.

"Don't let me keep you then. Feel free to look around, and let me know if you find anything you like."

She nodded as he stepped away so she could pass. But before Ruby could follow through with her original plan of looking and leaving, and even before Mr. Gold could try to further talk her out of said plan, they both heard the sound of screeching tires and a sharp crunch of metal against metal from the other side of the street.

Looking over her shoulder to the window, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. Both because it hadn't been her car and because of how likely it could have been when she saw where the cars had collided.

"Well that's a relief. It seems to only be a fender bender," Mr. Gold stated as he glanced out of the window himself, seeing both drivers were apparently fine as they climbed out of their cars to inspect the damage.

"I can't believe it. I was just at that same light."

"Ooh," he chuffed. "Good thing you decided to come in here when you did then."

"Yeah, I guess so. Guess I have these to thank then too," she replied as she glanced back up at the figurines, her attention once again captured by one of the wolf charms.

"What do you know? Perhaps a lucky charm has chosen you instead of the other way around," Mr. Gold stated.

Originally Ruby hadn't planned on going to Mr. Gold's shop. Originally she hadn't planned on going inside. Then she hadn't planned on finding something she genuinely wanted. So of course, as the rest of her day had thus far indicated, she decided on the clear and red wolf figurine for herself. Even better, she decided, was that she could even afford it. Any day she could avoid her grandmother's warnings about accepting a deal with him was a better day.

Now whether Mr. Gold was right and it really would be a lucky charm for her, or if it would do no more than sit there and look pretty, catching the light while hanging from her rearview mirror as she sat in traffic; or kept imaginary guard on her bedside table, she knew it was clearly meant for her. It had to have been. That was the only explanation she had for the last half hour.

As Ruby hung her new charm around the mirror, her only thought was that she would let time tell as to if it would truly be lucky for her or not. At the very least, she knew she could say Mr. Gold hadn't steered her wrong thus far.

The End