"So what it's like, being under a spell?" Ruby asked the doctor, leaning over the counter at Granny's to hand him a hot chocolate, then rest her elbows on it. Dr. Whale laughed, after taking a sip of the steamy drink.
"I don't know, I don't remember! It felt like I slept a night, not days!"
"Did you dream?" the waitress asked, a playfulness in her voice. A sudden redness overtook his face, as he recalled that both his dreams were focused on none other than the girl he was talking about.
"No, not that I can remember," he responded, idly tracing the rim of his mup.
"Too bad, it would have entertained you while we were finding a cure for the spell." The doctor smiled, looking at up at his friend's sparkling eyes, and felt a sudden lurch in his stomach. The feeling was a bit uncomfortable, like he was thrilled for some strange reason. He didn't often feel that way.
He had no idea that the feeling came to his friend frequently.
The sound of a thumping at her window woke Ruby instantly. She sat straight up, and stared at the window in terror. Diligently, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the widow. In a quick moment she ripped the blind up, to have a rock come closely into her view. She opened it all the way and peered down, to find none other than Dr. Whale standing on the sidewalk, flinging stones at her window.
"What are you doing?" she hissed down at him, instantly awake despite the fact that it was two in the morning.
"I need to talk to you!" he called back, careful not to wake anybody else on the street.
"Couldn't you have just called?" He shrugged and smirked.
"This was more dramatic." Ruby couldn't fight the smile that was creeping onto her face.
"I'll be down soon." She was about to withdraw from the window, when she heard shouting outside. Granny, dressed in her nightgown, night cap and crossbow, emerged yelling.
"Who is it? Who's there?" The granddaughter of this crazed lady had to muffle her laughter so Granny couldn't hear, but ended up collapsing onto her bed from the giggling.
"I was just, uh, talking a walk, no honestly," Dr. Whale stuttered, while Granny continued to harass him with her weapons and screaming. Eventually Granny gave up and returned inside, at just the right time for Ruby to sneak out the back.
"Dr. Whale! Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get me into if Granny caught us?" Her words told the doctor that she was upset, but the smile and twinkle in her eye told him she was thrilled. They walked down the sidewalk, admiring the peacefulness of sleeping Storybrooke. "So what is it?"
"I've had trouble sleeping the past few days." At first guess Ruby assumed it was because of the spell he had been under a week ago, but he continued. "I've been having these dreams, dreams about my brother, and my mother, and what happened. They're haunting, Ruby, haunting!" For the first time Ruby noticed her friend's messed up hair, the large circles under his eyes, and his wrinkled clothing. "I'm afraid to go to sleep because of these dreams." He put his hands on his head and ran them through his hair repeatedly. "I don't know what to do."
"I-I'm afraid I don't know either," Ruby stuttered, worried.
"I thought maybe if I had someone to talk to, I feel better."
"Is it working?"
"Yes, I think so." The waitress smiled, content and latched her arms with his. His stomach gave one of those lurches again.
"Good." They had reached the docks, and both flashed back to the night they had sat, speaking to each other about their monstrous sides.
"Ruby," Dr. Whale said suddenly, turning towards her, his face close. "I need to tell you something."
"Yes?" she asked, drawing closer. She could feel his eyes staring down into her soul, as he pulled her close. Suddenly a ringing cut through the night air, and Ruby felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She stepped away from the doctor, keeping her eyes on the ground. "It's Granny, she's probably wondering where I went. I better get back."
"Yes, yes, of course," Dr. Whale said, brushing his hair awkwardly. "I'll, um, see ya around." She nodded, and wordlessly waved a goodbye, then walked away, her heels clicking on the pavement.
Poor Frankenwolf. They just can't get it right. Just wait until next chapter...
