Disclaimer: I own none of the characters as that honor and right goes to ABC, Adam and Eddie.

Note: I do have plans to finish the other story I started awhile back, but this story came to mind and I just had to get it out. Enjoy and let me know if you want me to continue by commenting in the reviews.

CHAPTER 2: RED REVELATION

After a search of Granny's revealed that Ruby had missed her evening shift Emma began to worry. She didn't believe in this whole fairytale thing, but she did believe that the new improved Ruby would never miss a shift without calling someone. She and August drove to the Bed and Breakfast and from the outside they could see a light on in one room.

"That's Ruby's room," August observed. "Something isn't right here."

"Finally something we both agree on," Emma stated as she got out of the car.

No sooner than she had her door closed did an ear piercing scream come from inside. She exchanged a concerned look with August before she pulled her gun and they both took off in a frantic dash inside. They took the stairs two at a time and Emma didn't take the time to announce herself as she kicked in Ruby's bedroom door and found her friend on the floor in obvious agony. She holstered her gun and skidded to a stop at Ruby's side.

"Ruby, it's Emma, can you hear me," Emma asked as she felt Ruby's forehead and realized the woman was burning up.

August looked into Ruby's eyes and his look grew more dim and serious when he was confronted by wolf like eyes. "We have to get her back to the station, now!"

"What? She needs a hospital not the station," Emma countered.

"For once, Emma, you have to believe in the impossible and trust me. Her cursed body is fighting the wolf but with magic returning she won't be able to hold it off for much longer and if she is in the hospital you will have just sealed all those innocent people's fates. We have to get her into a cell and pray it will be strong enough to hold her until she can transform back. Please Emma, take a leap of faith here."

Emma pondered what both August and Henry had been telling her and a small part of her began to wonder if they were right. She made note to yell at herself for what she was about to say.

"Half an hour, that's all I'm giving you. If nothing happens then we are taking her to the emergency room."

August didn't wait for Emma to change her mind as he grabbed Ruby up in his arms. "I don't think we have even a half hour."

Red was devouring a cow when Snow and James came upon her. Snow remembered Granny's advice and they approached Red from downwind. They knew the hunting party wasn't far behind them so they had to act fast and while Snow knew the likely outcome it didn't stop her from hoping for a miracle as James drew his silver covered sword.

As they got closer Snow took the sword from him and before he could protest she put her fingers over his lips. "I made this promise. If this is how it must end then it will be at my hand," Snow whispered.

James didn't like it but he knew her well enough to know he wouldn't be able to stop her. All he could do now was stand by and support her and be there for her in the end. He just wished they'd had time to find a bow and arrow as the idea of Snow confronting a crazed wolf with just his sword terrified him.

Snow took a deep breath before hitting her sword against a tree to get Red's attention. "I'm here Red! You're not alone! You can fight the beast," Snow screamed out as she stared down the approaching wolf.

"I know you're in there Red. Please fight to come back to me," Snow begged with a shaky voice. "Please don't make me do this."

Snow held the sword between them and when Red lunged towards her Snow knew what she had to do. She moved into the lunge and was ready to plunge the sword into her friend, but an arrow buzzed between them and dropped Red. From the darkness emerged an unexpected sight, Jacob Grimm, and he had Red's cape in his hands.

"Jacob?" Snow looked on in shock as the last time she saw him he and Red were saying tearful goodbyes as he prepared to return to his own world.

"Put this over her while I get the arrow out," Jacob ordered her.

James joined them and helped pull the arrow from Red. "I thought you left?"

"Tell me friend, could you just leave Snow without a fight?"

"Point made," James replied.

"If you knew she was in trouble what took you so long," Snow questioned him as she secured the cape around Red.

"I had to detour to retrieve her cape from the thief that took it."

A magical glow emanated from under the cape and Red began to stir under it. Disoriented and injured Red sat up and tried to stand but both Snow and Jacob quickly moved to keep her on the ground while James tried to stop the bleeding from the arrow wound.

"What…what happened…" Red asked as she looked around trying to figure out where she was and how she got there.

Jacob slid behind her and let her rest against him. "We'll tell you everything once you have a chance to rest," Jacob promised her.

"You came back for me," Red noted with relief in her voice.

"You can't get rid of me just by sending me home to another reality," Jacob replied. "I took care of business and now I'm back where I belong."

Once James had Red's wound wrapped Jacob picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

"We need to get out of here before the hunters find us," James reminded them. "Snow and I will cover all the tracks and meet you back at the cabin."

"Thank you James, for looking after her," Jacob thanked his long time friend.

"It's she that looked after us. All we did was try and repay the many things she has done for us. Now get her home and tend to her wound as best as you can until we get there."

Jacob nodded and took Snow's horse to get Ruby home faster.

Red wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his back. "I love you…" Red murmured softly and Jacob couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "I love you too."

Emma jumped out of the car and ran up to the station to open the door. Ruby's agony was growing worse by the second and Augusts' normal calm and mysterious demeanor was replaced by that of a desperate man. He raced inside with Ruby in his arms and laid her on the bed in the cell beside Mary Margaret's. August slammed the door shut and yanked Henry up off the couch.

"Get in Emma's office and lock the door," August demanded the boy.

Henry looked to Emma for confirmation and she nodded her agreement and he took off into her office. He pressed his face against the glass so as to not miss anything.

"Emma, August, what's going on," Mary Margaret inquired with concern heavy in her voice. "What's wrong with Ruby?"

"If you go with Henry and Augusts' theory then she's about to become a wolf," Emma replied. "And yes, that does even more ridiculous when I say it aloud."

"A wolf?"

"Yep, that's what I said." Emma could only shrug in response since she didn't really believe in any of this.

A moment later another ear piercing scream and a bright flash of light surrounded Ruby. Once the light faded in Ruby's place was a pissed off wolf that lunged at the bars.

"Holy shit!" Emma and Mary Margaret exclaimed in unison as they both jumped back.

"What…that's not…what the hell August?" Emma yelled as she pointed at the cell.

"I told you, Emma, you've had all the answers, but you weren't open enough to believe them," August stated.

"Oh I'm open, but this is just…"

"She's Red Riding Hood," Mary Margaret noted in shock from the next cell. Then Ruby lunged at her cell and the bars bent which sent Mary Margaret jumping to the back wall of her cell to get as far away from the bending bars as possible.

"Okay, this can't be real. Fairytales aren't real," Emma tried to justify as she scrambled for the cell keys. She found the one for Mary Margaret's cell and opened it to release her friend. She pulled Mary Margaret out as Ruby lunged again and bent more bars.

"Tell me this is just a really bad dream," Mary Margaret exclaimed as she clung to Emma given she was the only one armed.

"Get in my office with Henry and do not come out until I come in and get both of you. Go!"

Emma drew her gun and aimed it at the wolf. "August, now would be a damn good time to fill in some blanks for me!"

"So now you're ready to believe?"

"Yeah, what can I say watching a human transform into a wolf has a way of making a person believe."

"The Red Riding Hood stories you heard from your childhood were watered down versions of the truth. To make a long story short she comes from a long line of wolves and the cape you hear about in stories was enchanted to suppress the transformation. "

"So why hasn't she changed in all these years?"

"Because the curse robbed all of them of magic, which in her case may have been a blessing. She found out her true nature shortly after she met your mom. It's actually where their story together began. "

"My mom? You mean Mary Margaret?"

"Well Snow White, but yeah. They helped each other through a lot over the years."

"Okay, well do you have a plan for how to keep her from ripping that cell apart and eating all of us?"

"Yeah, but it's going to take another leap of faith from you."

"Well at this point I don't have much choice but to leap."

August smiled and ran outside. Emma was left holding her gun on the wolf version of a dear friend while the woman she now must accept as her mom is locked in her office with the her son. "This night could not possibly get any weirder!"

August ran back in with his typewriter box.

"Seriously? Are you planning on rewriting her story or something?"

"Not exactly," August replied as he tore the container apart. Under the typewriter was a secret compartment and as he slid the door open Emma saw a red cloak emerge. August pulled it out and shook it out. "I hope this thing has gotten back its magic too."

"A cloak, really? I think like the idea of you just rewriting all of this better."

August reached into the bottom of the compartment and handed Emma a single bullet.

"Silver tipped bullet. You shoot her with that and it'll drop her. We can get the cloak over her then, but aim for non-lethal as she'll still carry the wound with her back to her human form and it'll have to be something we can treat. Taking her to the hospital won't be an option or we risk Regina finding out Red is back."

"If this is some screwed up nightmare I really wish someone would wake me up already," Emma grumbled as she took the bullet and replaced her standard issue ones with it. She took careful aim and as Ruby lunged at the bars she shot her in the right arm and the wolf dropped.

August looked impressed as he took her keys and opened the cell. He carefully draped the cloak over her as Emma joined him with the med kit.

"Nice shot," August complimented.

"Ruby's left handed. I figured if I had to shoot a friend I might as well limit long term damage."

From under the cloak Ruby emerged.

"Emma?"

"Yeah, Ruby, just relax. We're taking care of you."

Emma and August helped her sit up and get on the prison bed. August ripped into the med kit and applied pressure to the bandage he placed over the bullet wound.

"Red," Red corrected Emma. "You can call me Red."

"You remember," Henry asked from behind Emma.

Emma looked over her shoulder at Henry and Mary Margaret and frowned. "I thought I told you both to stay inside my office."

"The wolf was gone," Henry replied with a shrug.

Red looked over at Henry and smiled while August tended to her arm. "Yes, Henry, I remember most, but some stuff is still fuzzy. " She looked at Mary Margaret and smiled fondly.

Emma began pacing around the station. "This can't be real. None of this is possible. A person can't turn into a wolf. Fairytales aren't real."

"You're a lot like her," Red commented as she watched Emma. "You may have your father's hair, but you are your mom through and through. If anyone could give our people the great savior it was Snow and James."

"No! My parents abandoned me on the side of a street. I was not born in some fairytale world and I am no savior," Emma snapped.

Red pushed free from August and stumbled momentarily as her legs regained some stability. After a moment she made her way over to Emma and stood before the women.

"I was with your mother the day she found out she was pregnant and she was overjoyed to the point of tears. Your father couldn't stop smiling and he stopped everyone he saw and told them he was going to be a father. They couldn't have wanted you more than they did. Had this curse not happened you would have been spoiled and experienced extraordinary love. You were not abandoned, you were saved by parents who would have given their own lives for you," Red told Emma in a firm tone so the other woman would hear what she was saying.

Emma was fighting to keep the tears building from falling. "This isn't real. None of this is possible. I can't go down this road. I can't believe this…" Emma tried to retreat, but Red stopped her and forced Emma to look at her.

"I'm not expecting you to believe all of this now, but when you are ready to accept this reality then I will be here to answer all your questions. I owe it to you parents to look after you and guide you until they can regain their place with you."

Emma looked around and when her eyes settled on Mary Margaret the tears couldn't be held back any longer. She turned away from her and quickly brushed away the tears. After a moment to compose herself Emma shifted her gaze between August, Red, and Henry with a serious look coming over her. "Since I can't deny I just watched a human turn into a wolf I have no choice but to believe in this whole thing now. So tell me how we break this curse?"

Red cradled her injured arm and motioned towards Henry. "He may know better than I. All any of us knew before the curse hit was that if your parents could get you to safety on your twenty-eighth birthday you would return to find them and the final battle would begin. We were never told what your place in the fight was."

August stepped up behind Ruby. "I may be able to help with that, but first we need to address the shape this station is in. If Regina finds out the curse has broken around Red then she may end up like others and disappear."

Emma looked over the bent bars and frowned. "Well I'm up for suggestions. I'm not sure any of us have the strength to bend those bars back."

"I've got an idea, but you're not going to like it," August stated.

"Lay it on me," Emma responded. "Nothing you can say can possibly surprise me at this point."

August turned to Henry. "I need you and Red to go and sit in your moms bug. Whatever you see do not get out of that car, do you understand me?"

Henry nodded in confirmation and grabbed Red's good hand. "Come on, we have to go and you can tell me about your adventures with Snow while we wait for them."

Red couldn't help but smile at the young boy. "You are most definitely the grandson of Prince Charming. In fact I'd say you would have been a grandpa's boy."

Once they were gone Emma turned to August. "What now?"

"I need to go outside and get something. You and Mary Margaret need to go into your office and I suggest not coming out."

When August ran out Mary Margaret and Emma exchanged looks of concern. "Is all of this really happening," Mary Margaret wondered.

"You tell me, I'm starting to think I belong in a mental ward."

"We should probably go in your of…"

Before Mary Margaret could finish her sentence a loud explosion shattered the walls around the cells and Emma and Mary Margaret were sent flying to the floor as a car exploded through the brick and came to rest between the cells.

After a stunned moment Mary Margaret and Emma emerged from the debris cloud. August came running in from outside and helped them up. "I thought I told you two to go into the office!"

"Well you neglected to tell us you were going to run a car through the station," Emma yelled back as she brushed the dirt off her clothing.

Mary Margaret looked at the cell she had not long ago occupied. "I supposed this means I can't technically go back behind bars."

Emma contemplated things for a minute then turned to August. "Hit me," Emma demanded.

"Excuse me," August questioned her, uncertain of where she was going with this idea.

"If she really is Snow White and Regina is the Evil Queen then I won't be able to fight her by traditional means. You can take Henry, Red, and Mary Margaret and get them away from her reach. I'll stay behind and buy all of you time, but they will all be safer if she can't find them."

"Emma, no, you wouldn't leave me behind and I'm not going to leave you either," Mary Margaret insisted.

"Yes you are and I need you to go with them and look after Henry for me. He needs his…his grandmother with him," Emma replied.

"Emma…please…don't ask me to do this," Mary Margaret begged with tears running down her face.

Emma embraced Mary Margaret and fought back the tears again. "I'm sorry…but you gave me my best chance and now I have to give you yours."

"She's right," August chimed in. "With the jail destroyed Regina will stop at nothing to destroy you. If you stay Regina will kill you, but Emma is wrong about one thing."

"What's that," Emma inquired.

Instead of responding August connected his fist with the side of Emma's head and she hit the side of the desk before hitting the ground unconscious.

"August!" Mary Margaret yelled as she ran to Emma's side.

"She would never have agreed to go with you willingly. She is the savior and the only way she can be that is if she is with you. There is a cabin deep in the woods at the top of the mountain. It'll keep you within town limits, but Regina doesn't know about it so she won't go looking for you there. Formulate a plan from there and I'll do what I can on this end to aid you and keep Regina off your trail. When we all next meet let it be for the final battle."

August threw Emma over his shoulder and grabbed Mary Margaret as they raced out of the stations back door to Emma's waiting car. He carefully put her in the backseat with Red while Henry climbed into the passenger seat and Mary Margaret took to the driver's seat.

"The cabin is supplied for all your needs. Pick your time to return carefully," August warned them.

"What about you," Red inquired with concern in her voice and an odd maternal concern. She felt so connected to August, but her memories were still returning and some parts remained foggy. Something was screaming from within that she knew him and she wanted to protect him.

"I've got it under control. Just look after each other. Now go, before people start flocking to see what happened."

"Thank you," Mary Margaret responded before putting the car into gear and speeding off through the back streets.