Chapter Six: Caring

Ruby walked into the diner around seven and sat herself down heavily onto one of the bar stools. She folded her arms over one another at the counter and then dropped her head on top of them. She let out a large breath and groaned into the polished bar top. With a faint click of ceramic hitting the polished surface she knew that there was now a full cup of passion fruit tea at her right elbow, waiting for her to resurface.

"Tough day, Ruby?" her Granny asked her from the other side of the counter.

"That would be an understatement," she groaned into her arms and then pulled her head up just enough to perch her chin over her arms.

"They finally named the killer," Granny said off hand.

"Oh?"

"The Heart Stealer."

"Original," Ruby groaned and her eyes looked up at her grandmother, "I guess that you heard about Mal?"

"Yes, the whole town has heard thanks to that vulture, Sydney Glass," she huffed and scrubbed at an invisible stain on the counter top with her rag, "He probably would have aired the whole thing live if he had the chance."

"He's scum, but he's accurate scum," she nodded and pulled herself up to sip from the cup to her right. She hummed in delight from the warm liquid and smiled fondly at the cup.

"They said that she was killed by a cop, after she hit one," Granny said in a tone that meant she was fishing for information. When Ruby only nodded, she dug deeper, "… both of them were female. So who was it that shot her and who took the bullet?"

Ruby sighed and put down the cup before she turned and lifted her shirt slightly to show her grandmother the large bruise, "She got me in the vest."

"Ruby!" Granny's eyebrows furrowed with worry and she immediately hit her granddaughter on the side of the head, "This is why I worry about you! Keep your head in the game and stop putting yourself at risk. It's bad enough that Mary is in a coma. I don't need to lose you too."

"We haven't lost her yet, Gran," Ruby reminded her and spun her cup gently so not to spill the tea.

"I know, I know," Granny sighed and collected herself. She cupped Ruby's face in her hands and looked down into her eyes, "Just… don't put yourself in those situations where you may not come back. You are all I have, child."

Ruby put a soft hand on Granny's wrist and smiled closed mouthed up at her, "I will try. Okay? That's the best I can do right now."

"Okay," Granny nodded and shook Ruby's head a little in a tease before she dropped a kiss to her forehead and turned toward the door where a new customer had just walked in if the bell was any indication. Granny smiled wide, "Welcome to Granny's Diner, stranger. What can I get you?"

"Do you have a turkey club?"

Ruby's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she couldn't help the groan that escaped her. She turned in her seat and saw her partner with two case files under his arms and a friendly smile at Granny. He had a kind of boyish charm when he smiled like that.

'Stop it, Ruby!' she yelled at herself in her mind.

"Only the best in town," Granny nodded and swatted him playfully in the shoulder, "Take a seat and I will get it going for you."

"Thank you," he nodded and looked around the diner before his eyes caught hers, "Ruby?"

"I just can't get away from you, can I?" she asked with sarcasm dripping heavily from her words.

"Doesn't seem that way," he shook his head and sat next to her at the bar. After a moment of her sipping on her tea and him shuffling on his seat he asked lamely, "So this is your Granny's place?"

"Yup, has her name on it and everything," she said in a voice that reminded her of a much younger her.

"Here's your turkey club, bacon hot of the grill and a tall glass of water," Granny said as she set the food on the counter in front of him, "Sorry, I didn't ask what you wanted to drink."

"It's no bother, water is fine," he nodded and sipped out of the glass as if to assure her.

"Good to know," she smiled and looked at the close proximity of the new man to Ruby. Ruby was doing her part to try and ignore the stranger, but her eyes kept bouncing between her cup and him, "Do you two know one another?"

"Oh, here we go," Ruby sighed and looked up at the ceiling before she took a breath of courage and looked to Granny, "Granny, this is my new partner, Doctor Archibald Hopper. It looks like he followed me here."

"Archie, please," he said as he shook her hand, "And I didn't follow her here. I followed the scent of what smelled like great food."

"Nothing but the best," she smiled and shook his hand back.

"I hear a lot about you from Ruby and Marco at the station," he said in small talk and Granny seemed to glow.

"From Ruby, I don't believe all that much," she said and looked pointedly at Ruby before she turned back to the man, "From Marco, on the other hand; he certainly has his way with words."

"Among other things, I bet," Ruby smirked as she sipped from her tea.

Granny threw her another warning look, "Why didn't you tell me about your partner?"

"There really isn't that much to tell about me," Archie said quickly and then turned to Ruby with a teasing smile, "Is there?"

She turned back to him with her eyes narrowed, "Nothing at all."

"Ruby Lucas!" Granny frowned and smacked her granddaughter on the side of the head once again, "Manners, girl."

Ruby rubbed the side of her head where Granny hit her and heard Archie try to smother a snort of a laugh into his glass of water. Ruby gave him a glare that promised pay back down the road.

"So, Doctor Hopper-"

"Archie," he corrected with a smile.

"Archie," Granny nodded in apology, "I haven't seen you around these parts before. Are you new to Storybrooke?"

"Not too new, I am the local forensic psychologist; have been for a few years now. I was born and raised near Boston. They brought me in for the Gold case over seven years ago and I came back to settle here a couple of years ago since I liked the town so much. True, there aren't many big cases in such a small town, but it was nice and I could always open my own private practice. Although, I am surprised and appalled that I never had the joy of walking into your diner."

"Oh, now you are just fishing for a free dinner," she smiled and waved her towel back at him, "Keep going and I will throw in a slice of pie."

"Just telling you like I see it," he said, "I believe that it's always better to start and continue with honesty. Lying doesn't get you anywhere. In my experience, it actually sets you back more than a few paces."

"Isn't that right?" Granny nodded and watched how Ruby tried to keep her eyes directly on the cup of tea in front of her, though her eyes seemed to jump over to the side where Archie was sitting. Granny smirked and looked at the doctor quickly, "Seeing as you are my granddaughter's new partner, I must insist that you come over for dinner tomorrow night."

"Granny!" Ruby shouted and almost coughed up the tea half way down her throat.

Archie laughed and patted Ruby on the back to make sure that she didn't choke. After he was sure that she could breathe again he turned his attention back to Granny, "I would love to. When and where?"

"Ruby can give you the address," Granny smiled and rubbed up the drops of saliva and tea that her granddaughter decorated the counter with calmly as if it happened every day. After she was done with all the spots she stood tall and put her hands on her hips, "I start dinner promptly at seven. Call me if you two are going to be late with your case."

"Will do," Archie smiled and nodded in thanks, "I look forward to it."

"That settles that. Ruby, I expect you over earlier so you can help me prepare. I am thinking that something special is in order," she smiled and turned to Ruby, "Close your mouth, child, you'll catch flies if you leave it open like that."

Ruby slowly closed her mouth and gave Granny the stink eye until she left to bus the tables. She then turned to her partner who already had a cheek full of turkey club. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked hard at him.

"What did I do now?" he said through the sandwich in his mouth, though he covered his mouth with his hand to try and be polite.

"How did you do that?" she said in a low warning voice, "No one is invited to dinner."

He swallowed the bite and sighed, "She just said because I was your partner."

"It's too easy," she shook her head and tipped the rest of the tea down her throat. She stood from her stool and shrugged her bag over her shoulder, "I will see you tomorrow."

"No friendly chit-chat?" he asked with a smile.

"Don't you dare get cocky," she pointed at him before she left out the door.

He couldn't help but laugh at the first time he saw his partner off of her game.


"I didn't know who else to come to talk to about this," Ruby said as she leaned back in the hard plastic chair and looked up at the ceiling, "He is driving me insane. The bad part is, is that he is doing so by being a pretty decent human being. I mean, who does that anymore?"

Silence met her and she groaned as she sat up. She looked across the small space between her and her conversation partner. Mary Blanchard was still sleeping peacefully in a coma, unaware of the outside world around her. Even more so, she was blissfully oblivious of her sister and partner's manic breakdown at the side of her hospital bed.

"Mary," Ruby leaned forward and cupped her friend's hand in both of hers, "You've always had the best advice, and I really need some right now. I know you can't talk back- probably can't even hear me, but… I am so confused and I need my strength back. I need my rock."

Nothing but the beeping of the monitors answered her pleading for her partner and she leaned back again, her hands still over Mary's.

"I don't know what to do," she continued and took a deep breath, "Now that we have started fresh, I am starting to notice more things about him. Things that I like… his smile, the way that he taps for crap's sake. I can't do this! Then, Granny invited him to dinner. Granny! You know that doesn't happen. She usually never lets men into the house. Now, he just waltzes in the diner one night and he has a seat at our table? That doesn't happen. I had to beg her for four weeks until she let Peter in. Six for Billy. What is it about this guy that just gets him under your skin?"

"It's a talent."

Ruby gasped and looked at the doorway where Belle stood with a small bouquet of yellow lilies and carnations with white Baby's Breath spread throughout. Belle smiled hesitantly and set the bouquet down near the vase of red roses that David had brought in earlier that week. She took a seat beside Ruby and looked up at the woman in the bed.

"She's really pretty," Belle said in a near whisper as if she would wake up the slumbering woman.

"She is," Ruby nodded and took a deep breath, "She's the best."

Belle frowned and the detective's soft spoken demeanor for the moment, "Ruby…"

"Yeah, Belle?"

"Why were you ranting about my boss when I came in?"

"Because he is confusing as all Hell," Ruby said with a tight smile, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," Belle nodded and fiddled with her hands that sat in her lap, "Are you angry with him?"

"No…" Ruby sighed and leaned back in her chair fully, letting go of Mary's hand, "No, I'm not."

"Then what's wrong?"

"You know, I have had my share of guys pass through. Both in relationships and through investigations," Ruby shrugged and looked at Belle, "I've gone through a lot of them. There's the clingy one, the independent soft spoken type, the bad boys, the macho men, the wanna be gentleman… Archie is the first guy that has never lied to me."

"He isn't the type to," Belle shrugged, "He doesn't like to. Doesn't believe in it."

"How do you put up with it?" Ruby asked with a strained laugh.

Belle giggled, "I find it quite refreshing. As you noted, there aren't many men who keep that belief system."

"I know he is trying to be a good guy. I do," Ruby took a breath to pause, "But my mind can't help but think that it's all a trick to try and get something later. You know?"

"You don't trust him," Belle said softly.

"I trust him with my life," she said unbelievably, "He went out in the middle of a gun fight without a weapon to get me out of harm's way."

"I know that," Belle shook her head and looked Ruby in the eyes, "You don't trust him with the rest of you."

"I don't trust anyone with the rest of me," Ruby said seriously and got out of her chair and settled near the window, "Everyone that I do, gets hurt one way or another."

Belle turned in her chair and looked between Ruby and Mary, "But they seem to believe that it is worth the risk."

"And see where it gets them?" Ruby asked and pointed her hand open palmed to Mary, "She knew everything about me. Things Granny doesn't even know or could fathom. I pour my heart and soul to her because she knows me. Now, there could be a chance, she will never know anything again. How can I do that to another person?"

"She's just one person, Ruby, and her getting injured wasn't because of you. It was because of that killer out there," Belle started, "I know she means a lot to you, but just because she got hurt doesn't mean that everyone you let in will."

"She isn't the only one," Ruby shook her head and hugged herself.

"Ruby, I think that you made your own curse," Belle nodded as she said it. She looked at Ruby who looked more than confused. Belle sighed and stood up to stand in front of her, "Things happen… and they happen for a reason. Our life's challenges are never more than what we can handle. It's our choice on how to overcome them, or be crushed under them."

"That's beautiful," Ruby chuckled lightly, "Where did you hear that from?"

"Where do you think?"

Ruby stared at her for a long moment and then looked down, "I will not care for someone when I know they can be hurt."

"Then you won't care for anyone ever again," Belle said sadly and put and hand over her arm, "Everyone is able to be hurt. It's a human condition. Is that what you want?"

"If it keeps them safe… that's all I ever want," Ruby looked up at her with tears glossed over her eyes, "Them safe and happy. I can take the consequences if they are safe and happy."

"Oh, Ruby," Belle shook her head sadly, "I hope that one day you can let others in. You deserve to be happy too."

"I wish that I could believe that," she said and took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay, "But my happiness died a long time ago."

"That's the thing about happiness," Belle put a hand to Ruby's face and smiled a little brighter in hope that she would do the same, "It comes and goes, but when it comes after a drought; that's when it is the brightest. Happiness never truly dies completely. It just dims for a little while. You got to find another sun to cut through your clouds."

Ruby just stared at Belle in wonder, "You're a good friend."

"… but you aren't going to let me in," she said regretfully after Ruby paused.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I understand more than you know," she smiled again and stepped back from her new friend. She took a breath and looked at Mary, "Hope she feels better soon."

"You heading home?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I have quite a few things to do tomorrow," Belle nodded and walked toward the doorway.

"Goodnight, Belle," Ruby said as she sat back into her chair, "Oh! Thanks for the flowers."

"I'm not the one to thank," Belle smiled, "I was just dropping them off for my boss."

Ruby let out a sad chuckle at that, "Of course."

"Goodnight, Ruby," Belle said and walked around the corner.

On the other side of the door, Archie Hopper stood straight backed as he stared at the opposite wall. Belle smiled sadly up at him and patted him on his shoulder. She caught him frozen in the same spot with the flowers in his hands. He didn't want to walk in during Ruby's rant about him, so Belle took the flowers and did it for him. He was there to drop off flowers for the woman who had taken the bullet for her partner; he didn't mean to snoop or overhear, but it just happened. Happenstance could be a bit of a bitch at times.

'See you tomorrow,' Belle mouthed to him and walked down the hallway toward the elevator.

Inside the hospital room Ruby reached for Mary's hand once again, "So… what do you think I should do about him, huh?"

After a deep sigh and thoughtful silence he heard her answer her own question.

"I won't let him in, Snow. I can't… I already care enough for him that I don't want him hurt."

He closed his eyes at the sadness laced in her words and pushed himself from the wall. He walked softly down the hall and toward the entrance. His mind wrapped around one thought.

'She cares… and so do I.'