**A/N: HUGE APOLOGIES READERS! Hey you guys, I'm sure you already received notices about this chapter and may even have read it already tonight but there were some problems with the revisions I had made not showing up. So I deleted the entire chapter and have re-posted it. It appears to be correct now. In some places, significant changes were made, so please re-read if possible. Thanks and sorry for the weirdness. O_o
Rating: NC-17 with WARNINGS, see first chapter.
Ruby grabbed Mr. Tennak's order before flying around to the kitchen to put it up along with orders from three other tables. She was sweating, she was tired, but boy did she enjoy being back. She'd missed all of this, including the job she'd always pretended to despise. She was in an amazing mood. Everyone was so happy to have her back, and she couldn't believe all the gossip she'd missed while she'd been gone. Like the scandalous tryst between Fanny Moffet, Jeremy Blue and Alice Web who was carrying his baby... or the rumor circulating that Jack and Jill were behind the recent robbery at Tom's Hardware since both had been called in by Sheriff Swan and Deputy Nolan for questioning not long after.
Ah, this town is crazy! Red thought to herself, smiling. And I can't get enough! She had an ear-splitting grin plastered across her face, her hands rhythmically pushing against the counter behind her, bouncing her gently, rolling her onto the balls of her feet and back. She was so happy she'd decided to come back! This was where she belonged. She paused for maybe a second or two, her back to the chef's window, just catching her breath and taking a moment to embrace the happy, busy scene in the diner, and already her Gran was sending her the stink eye! She caught it and grinned back wildly before finally pushing off the rear counter completely and heading back into the lunchtime fray. –Or well, that had been her intention anyway, when suddenly the front door swung open and Ruby's breath was knocked clean out of her chest. She was here! Belle was here! Red's mind went blank momentarily and she probably would have been left there, staring open-mouthed like a fool, if her body hadn't instantly taken over. Her legs thrust her out of the way, back behind the counter and she sat there, crouched with her knees pulled to her chest, trembling, as she heard Belle grow closer, smelled her in the air... the sweet aroma of powder and loveliness and dusty old books that was uniquely Belle, the scent that Ruby loves– hold up, loved– right Ruby? She reminded herself abruptly and angrily that there was nothing there for them anymore, reminded herself that she had ruined any chance of any kind of future that included the two of them together. Her legs began to cramp slightly and she realized she couldn't stay in that position for much longer, so she shuffled off to her left, still crouched, edging her way under the countertop to the wash area next to the kitchen. Only when she was hidden from view in darkness and shadow, did she stand and freeze again, her back only separated from the rest of the diner by this one thin wall. She mused momentarily, albeit unhappily, that with the way her heart was racing, mouth dry and throat tight, terror slicking through her veins, back glued against the wall, arms wide beside her, fingers splayed against the concrete, neck twisted so that the side of her head rested against the wall, she probably resembled some criminal mastermind fleeing the long arm of the law. She forced her eyes closed, squeezed them tightly, trying to imagine herself anywhere but here. Fuck! I knew this would happen! She slapped her right hand angrily against the wall, willing herself to get it together. Hopefully nobody heard or noticed. She opened her eyes, staring vaguely into the washroom and saw nothing, completely lost in her own debilitating panic. She threw her head back and rolled her shoulders a little, bracing herself for whatever was coming next. It's ok, Ruby. Breathe. As if it was that easy, right? Shit.
"Hi there. Just our regulars, please. Oh, and Dr. Hopper would like an extra pickle with his hamburger today, if that's all right?" Ruby couldn't see the woman who was speaking but she knew that voice, intimately. It had haunted her long before they'd even been friends. Red closed her eyes and Belle's voice cascaded over her as the librarian gave her order and chatted with the server, filling Red's every pore, sliding through her body to her very core– Oh for fuck sake, get a hold of yourself, Red, she admonished herself again, frustrated. How could this woman still do this to her? It sure as hell didn't seem fair. She sucked in a quick breath and peeked out before sliding quickly back against the wall, alarmed. Somehow Belle had moved to the left to wait for her lunch - or, well, their lunches (apparently the fiesty brunette and Dr. Hopper were tight now? What is that about? Ruby wondered, not without some consternation and irritation. What else don't I know?) - and now the auburn-haired librarian was sitting at the front counter, right in front of where Ruby was hiding. Red tried to catch her breath, but it was difficult. Soon her curiosity got the better of her again, though, and she peeked out again. This time, she stifled a small smile, despite her racing heartbeat... the sweet brunette was rotating slightly on her swivel seat, alternating between looking at the ground between her legs and back over towards where Gran was busy with customers at the register. Ruby sighed deeply, all of her old feelings washing over her, yet again. How she had loved everything about that girl!
Just as she was really starting to lose herself in her own private hysterical meltdown, however, surely drowning in her own thoughts, an arm shot around to catch her by the back of her neck and pulled her out of the kitchen. "You think you can hide from me?!" Snow half-whispered, half-shouted– definitely Belle had heard– oh, God, was Belle seeing this?! Ruby was mortified as she was dragged by her best friend out the door and into the parking lot. Of course everyone inside had shifted in their seats to follow their movements, completely remiss about any possible need these two might have for privacy, and stared out at them openly through oversized windows– all clearly speculating on what was happening. Ruby narrowed her eyes at the diner patrons briefly, completely unbelieving that she had just seen Mr. Tennack and Gepetto doing... what? She strained for a closer look. Placing bets, it looked like. Seriously? She also just had time to register that her Gran was doing her best to calm everyone down and get things back to normal before she and Snow suddenly stopped moving. The raven-haired Queen whirled on her without warning, her eyes scrunched, mouth drawn and furious, and shook her hand free from the taller woman's collar without care.
"What the hell, Snow?" Ruby countered, rubbing the back of her neck, a scowl on her face, feeling rather irritated and embarrassed. Wow, but Snow's irate, the waitress thought suddenly, alarmed, having had the opportunity actually look at her friend instead of being dragged along behind. Livid, actually, was her next as she took in the smaller woman's taut posture and fists balled at her side. Before she could catch her breath and comment aloud, however, Snow's face pushed forward into Ruby's, almost snarling, "Red, where the hell have you been?!"
"Snow, I–"
"Don't you Snow me! Where the hell have you been? You never said a word! Just left! Not even Eugenia would tell me where! I've been frantic tryin–"
Ruby reached up then and put her hands on her friend's shoulders, caressed them lightly, and noticed they were trembling. With fear or anger, Ruby wasn't certain. She bit her bottom lip and looked into the brunette's eyes, "I'm sorry, Mary Margaret. I have a lot to explain, ok? But not here. Can you meet me after work? We can go somewhere private maybe, to talk?"
Snow saw something flash in Ruby's eyes that changed how she felt inside entirely. "Red, what is it? What's going on? I thought you were just being an ass, heading out on your own, pissed about the Curse breaking and having to be a werewolf again or something but now I'm just confused..." Snow saw a different something flash in Ruby's eyes this time that just plain scared her. "Red."
"Snow." Red kept her eyes on Snow's until she had to look away, shame and embarrassment flooding her face. "Look, I will tell you everything I can. But not here. Please, not here. I can come by your place, around 7:30, though, if that works? Gran's letting me off a bit early since it's my first day back."
Snow softened and brought her friend into a hug, her eyes filled with worry and concern. "I was just so scared. Everything's been so strange since the Curse ended and I didn't know what had happened to you." She hugged Ruby tighter.
"Hey, now," Ruby said, pulling back a little and glancing down at the woman now strangling her torso. She beckoned Snow's face upwards by bending back a bit and when the emerald green eyes below finally met her own, she saw Snow's were filled with tiny crystals. "Hey, none of that, ok? It's all right. I promise. Look, I'm ok. See?" She pushed back and made a grand gesture to her sides indicating the full length of herself. "All in one piece, ok?" She came back to her friend and hugged her again, resting her chin on the smaller woman's head. "We'll talk, Mary Margaret. I'll tell you everything. All of it. I swear." She brushed an errant black curl out of Snow's face and smiled at her, the pixie haired queen visibly relaxing in her arms. She looked down at her friend who met her eyes again. "I'll see you at 7:30, ok?" Snow nodded, a tiny, tentative smile slowly emerging on her face to match Red's own and slowly pulled away, releasing her friend. "Ok, but be on time. You know how much I hate–"
"Punctuality is the foundation of success. Yes, yes, I know, Snow. I believe I've heard that somewhere before." Ruby rolled her eyes and grinned.
The former schoolteacher smirked back and stepped away, waving her friend off, her grin suddenly growing. "Yeah, yeah, just you remember, missy," she said, turning towards the street and looking for cars as she readied herself to cross. She took a last look over her shoulder. "You're in it deep. So if I were you, I'd come up with something really good by 7:30 tonight. Oh, and Red?" she smirked again before stepping off the curb. "You bring the beer." She smiled again and waved; Ruby waved back, both of them pretending for now that everything was going to be all right. Neither had missed, however, the heaviness hanging between them.
For a moment, Red just stood there, though, somewhat dumbfounded by the events of the past half hour, smile fading as her friend moved off down the next block, and suddenly wondered what the fuck she was supposed to tell Snow exactly. Could she really trust her with the truth? She was completely overwhelmed and the panic was back. Fuuuuuck! Double fuck! She wanted to scream, to cry, to get it all OUT to EVERYONE just once and for all, face the punishment, whatever she deserved, she was ready dammit. Instead, she swallowed the fury and frustration and turned away, realizing it was time to head back. The journey seemed infinitely longer than she imagined it should have, the gravel crunching beneath her platform heels a constant reminder how far she still had to go, both physically and figuratively. As she reached the door to the diner, she hesitated a moment and bit her bottom lip, wondering what Belle's reaction had been to the god awful scene. What a way to make a new impression, Rubes, she grumbled to herself. She sighed and pushed open the door to the diner, mind almost numb. She glanced around as soon as she crossed the threshold, a ludicrously unrealistic wave of hope passing over her chest, but already knew Belle wouldn't be there, could feel she was long gone. She had fled. Fled because of her. Red sighed and headed over to the kitchen. Somehow she had to find a way to push this mess out of her head for the next five hours until her shift was over. She took a deep breath and prayed to all the Fates that she she could keep it together that long. In another breath, she'd grabbed the first four orders and headed out to deliver them to the tables. Keep it together, Red.
*A/N: Things are going to start improving for our girls now, although there's still a lot of story left to go. Thanks to all of you wonderful people who have stuck with this fic, regardless of how slowly I've been updating. This silly story means so very much to me and your kind words keep me motivated, so, uh, keep it up ok? :) xx!
(Did anyone get the nursery rhyme references? Lol. Miss Moffet, Little Boy Blue and the Spider... hehe. I mean, they'd all be people in SB, right? haha. That was really fun.)
All errors are my own. :)
