Hey, first, I must apologise, I think this one is longer than my average, but there was so much to get down. Also, most of this was written at night when I was pretty tired, so if some stuff doesn't add up, I apologise. All the mistakes are mine, and I really want to thank all the people who sent me such lovely reviews, they make my day, and to all the people who read this, thank you so much. Reviews and comments are welcomed and greatly appreciated.


"Ruby! Where the hell have you been?" exclaimed Emma, leaping from her seat as Ruby dragged her tired and soaking body into the inn from the darkness outside. Ruby glanced up to see Regina sitting in the front room on the sofa. Emma had been sitting with her head in her hands next to Regina until the door had opened, thinking about whether Ruby was okay. Granny - her wolf hearing still in perfect working order - had darted from the kitchen where she was keeping herself busy and thundered into the room. The old woman's hands clasped Ruby's forearms – the fabric beneath her fingers was freezing cold and soaked. Granny opened her mouth to scold her, but the look of pure grief and helplessness on her grand-daughter's face made her words die in her throat. Emma, however, was in a less forgiving mood.

"Ruby, you've been gone for hours! Anything could have happened to you! We were worried that Gold had-"

"Gold doesn't need to do anything," mumbled Ruby through chattering teeth. Her pale skin looked almost sickly, her usually bright eyes dimmed. "He's already won." At this, Emma backed off. Ruby was broken. After a moment of silence, Granny placed a hand on Ruby's back.

"Emma, can you take Ruby upstairs and make sure she's not sleeping in these wet clothes?" she requested softly. Ruby was not crying; she had run out of tears a while ago. Still, water dripped from her long dark hair over her face, creating the same effect. Emma nodded and laid an arm over Ruby's shoulders, guiding the poor girl into the hall and up the stairs. Ruby put up no resistance; she didn't have the strength. As Ruby's body automatically followed Emma's direction, Regina and Granny were left in the room.

"Will she be alright?" asked Regina, a little surprised at the concern in her own tone. She found that she genuinely cared for Ruby – if wanting to curse Gold to hell for upsetting her counted as caring.

"I don't know," replied Granny, shuffling back into the kitchen of the diner to close up. Regina followed behind her, her heels clacking against the wooden floor.

Emma sat Ruby down on the bed and fetched some pyjamas from the drawer.

"Ruby?" she said softly, laying the pyjamas on the bed. Ruby was staring at the floor, not responding. Emma gently shook her shoulder, drawing Ruby's sad eyes from the floor to Emma. "We have to get you dried off, or you'll get sick." Ruby nodded in reply, but didn't move. Her eyes seemed glassy and distant. Emma fetched a towel from the bathroom across the hall from Ruby's room and began drying Ruby's hair for her, sitting behind her on the bed. Once she had finished, she ordered Ruby to change into her pyjamas by the time she came back upstairs, closing the door behind her, leaving Ruby huddled on the bed, looking empty.

"I've never seen her like this," said Emma as she entered the diner. Granny was just clearing up, wiping down tables while Regina sat, her long black trench coat covering her usual business suit.

"Neither have I," replied Granny, concerned. Suddenly, the diner door opened, causing Regina to cut her own interjection short. "Sorry, we're closing in a few minutes…" started Granny, turning, but her voice tailed off as Belle stumbled in through the doorway. None of the three women spoke, just looked at the curly haired librarian as she closed the door and turned, rainwater flying off of her ringlets. She looked up, the coy smile on her face instantly evaporating under the intensity of the stares. Though none of the trio betrayed any emotion, Belle could sense there was something wrong.

"Hello," said Belle, feeling a tad awkward as she stood there.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" asked Granny, sharply. She loved Belle. She could think of no-one better for her little Ruby. But right now she had to protect Ruby. And having Belle stumbling into the diner in the dead of night would do Ruby no good.

"I… I was wondering if Ruby was here," she replied, looking at the floor.

"Why?" asked Granny, her aggressive tone cutting through the tension.

"She… she's the only person other than Gold that I know here since…" Glancing at the floor again, she took a breath, collecting her thoughts. "I wanted to know why she was so angry at Gold. She's…" Belle paused, swallowing slightly.

"Ruby's not really in a talking mood," replied Emma as she shot a look at Granny, who looked ready to bite someone's head off.

"Is she alright?" asked Belle, looking concerned.

"Not really," said Emma, honestly.

"Oh," Belle looked disheartened. "Can you… can you tell her I asked for her?" The earnest plea in her voice made Emma forget for a moment that this wasn't the 'real' Belle.

"I will," replied Emma, neglecting to say that she wouldn't right now. Ruby needed time to process everything.

"Thank you, Emma. I'm sorry to have bothered you," she said quietly, backing out of the door and back into the rain.

Emma returned a few minutes later to Ruby's room, where she was glad to see Ruby changed and dry, but she was sprawled out on the bed on top of the covers, staring at the wall.

"I heard her." Her tone was flat.

"I'm sorry," Emma replied. She could think of nothing else to say. If Regina suddenly forgot her and was with an ex, she knew she'd be like this too. "Get under the covers, keep yourself warm." Emma eased the covers from under Ruby and tucked the tall girl in.

"Do you need anything else?" asked Emma, running a hand over Ruby's slightly damp hair. Ruby shook her head, curling up into a tight ball.

"Thank you," she mumbled tiredly as her eyes fluttered shut.

"No problem," smiled Emma. She planted a gentle kiss in Ruby's hair before she switched the light off and closed the door.

Belle hurried across the road and down the street, hands over her head in a vain attempt to keep the rain from drenching her, the water drops glinting orange from the lights of the streetlamps. To be honest, it wouldn't have mattered – she was already soaked. Mr Gold had taken her home earlier that day, and he told her to spend the day inside. After the event with Ruby in the morning, Mr Gold had been reluctant to let her out. He was recovering well, but when he had finally fallen asleep, she had sneaked out. Ruby had been kind to her in the hospital; it had shocked her to see the other woman being so violent. But she had stopped as soon as Belle had appeared. If Ruby was strong enough to take on Mr Gold, then Belle wouldn't have fazed her, she assumed. But no, Ruby had frozen, looking almost fearful from Belle's presence alone. There was something else going on here. She wished she could remember, but it was just blank. At times, she thought something bled through, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. After sneaking out, she had wandered the town in the hope of remembering something, but nothing came to her. The rain didn't bother her all that much. Her eyes soon fell on the diner where Ruby said she worked and Belle thought she might see if Ruby was okay. What she didn't understand was the reaction she received when she entered. The three women; one of whom she guessed was Granny – Ruby described her well. The smart looking one she assumed was Regina, the Mayor. That left the blonde – Emma. The trio had regarded her with a coldness bordering on hostility. Regina seemed the least defensive towards her. Emma and Granny on the other hand were hiding something. And Belle couldn't explain the slight sinking feeling in her stomach when she was told she couldn't see Ruby. She hoped fervently that the girl was alright. Mr Gold hadn't left the shop after the… event and Belle had tended to his wounds as well as she could – he downright refused to go to hospital or get a doctor. Belle now wandered back to the shop, hoping to sneak in and change out of her wet clothes and curl up in bed, hoping the next day would bring more clarity.

Ruby rolled over, attempting to sleep. She was tired. So very tired. All she wanted to do was sleep until this whole thing had blown over. Or to wake up and it was all a dream. But her mind raced as she recalled Belle's uncertain but concerned voice earlier. True, her wonderfully accented words were muffled by the walls and distance, but Ruby could make out every word. A small part of the wolf girl wanted nothing more than to fly down the stairs and hold Belle close, but her rational mind ordered her not to. It would only hurt her more. It would be best to just try to move on. Belle was with Gold now. She was his. And if she was happy, she wouldn't do anything to endanger that. But Belle, even in her amnesiac state still cared enough about Ruby to come and see her. She had wanted to yell to Emma and the others to let her come upstairs, but she stayed quiet. Hugging her covers closer to her, she lay on her side and closed her eyes; images of her time with Belle running on a loop in her head, regardless of her desperate pleas to stop. Safe to say, Ruby didn't sleep until at least one more tear dripped down her face.

Belle lay awake in her bed, her mind in turmoil. Three days had passed since she had returned from the hospital. Something was wrong. She wished she could remember. Mr Gold was lovely to her, but Ruby was too. Belle was torn. Mr Gold was sleeping on the sofa, allowing her to sleep in the bed. But she felt odd; confined, like this wasn't where she belonged. Whenever she caught a few hours of sleep, strange images always swept through her head; some large creature with ferocious teeth and massive claws would stalk her, but she wasn't afraid of it for some reason. Books usually appeared somewhere. A kiss… Softer than Mr Gold's. Physically shaking her head to clear it of these troublesome thoughts, she rolled onto her side, burying her cheek into the fabric and waited for sleep to claim her. It soon did, sweeping over her and whisking her off into a land of dreams, filled with representations of her waking thoughts. A wolf, books, a kiss – these were the happy parts. Then other, darker things bled through the images, blending the happiness into confusion as she dreamt of a man… with a hook. He pursued her. She ran. She was in a lift. Everything blurred until she saw Mr Gold standing on the other side of the town line, talking excitedly. About what, she didn't know.

Suddenly, there was pain in her shoulder as she fell, and then she woke up, screaming, her limbs tangled in the sheets as she clutched her shoulder, glad to see there was no injury. Her breathing began to slow as she scrabbled in the darkness for the lamp, flicking it on and sitting up more comfortably. She hoped her scream didn't wake Mr Gold. Though he was nice, and she knew she had some connection to him, Belle had a feeling that he just wasn't… right. Her racing heart calmed itself after a few moments, and she reached for a book. It was one from a pile that Mr Gold had given her. It was the last one she had left to read. It was very, very old looking, the pages yellowed with age. Opening the page, she placed a hand on her chest, just below her neck as she began to read. It was a book of stories, or fairy-tales. She seemed to remember Henry had a larger one earlier, and that, plus the name of the town, made a very strange coincidence. Maybe her memories could come back by magic, she scoffed to herself.

She paused on a page, her hand stilled as if by some supernatural force. Looking at the title, she whispered it aloud before she began to read, the four words alone seeming to mystically calm her.

"Little Red Riding Hood."

Ruby woke up with a start, at four o'clock in the morning, a gut wrenching scream reaching her ears. Immediately identifying the owner of such a terrified scream, she knew it was Belle. Her ears seemed to be more sensitive to Belle than to anyone else. It used to be a blessing; as she could hear Belle approaching from outside of the diner if she listened hard enough, and sometimes, is she concentrated really hard, she could hear the librarian muttering to herself as she read from across the street at night. But now it was a curse. It forced her to scurry into the kitchen whenever the brunette passed by outside, usually in the company of Gold. She was excruciatingly aware of their easy conversations. Every time Belle laughed was like a dagger through her heart. She was glad she was happy, of course. But not happy with her. She internally scolded herself for being so selfish.

Back to the present, Ruby launched herself out of bed and across the room, wrenching open the door and flying down the stairs and out of the building. Her sleep-addled brain could only process one thing – Belle was scared. And that wasn't allowed. If Gold had harmed her, Ruby would not rest until she had felt his blood pour from his veins between her teeth. Darting across the road, the heavy rain still pouring down on her, soaking her pyjamas, which barely kept out the cold at all – she was dressed in a pair of black shorts with a red tank top, her feet bare. Halting at Gold's shop, she burst through the doorway, throwing it right off its hinges. Her figure was a blur as she ran to the apartment.

"Little Red Riding Hood," whispered Belle, and not a moment later, she heard a loud crash from somewhere in the shop, and a second later, her bedroom door flew open and a dark figure stood in the shadows of the hall, leaning against the door-frame and panting. Startled, Belle froze, staring at the figure in fright. Before she could say anything, the figure spoke.

"Belle, are you alright?" they asked, and Belle felt her pulse calm as the voice registered.

"Ruby?" she said incredulously. Ruby stepped forwards, her entire figure soaking wet, her clothes… or really, lack of clothes, were sodden. "What are you-" Belle started, but her eyes widened in horror as there was a loud thump, and Ruby fell to the floor in a heap, Mr Gold – wearing his suit as usual – stood wielding his cane. Belle leapt across the bed and crouched by Ruby's side.

"Ruby? Ruby, oh my God, Ruby!" she cried, tenderly brushing Ruby's pale face as she gently rolled her over. After a few moments, Ruby groaned groggily as her eyes fluttered open.

"What the hell are you doing here, Lucas?" growled Gold. He stood in the doorway, cane still held ready.

"Belle screamed, you imp!" snapped Ruby, but winced, a hand clutching the back of her head and curling into a ball as she fought back tears of pain. Belle's cool hand on her arm helped a little. Belle, sensing a fight, decided to take matters into her own hands. She may not have her memories, but she had had enough.

"Silence, both of you!" she yelled, getting to her feet. Gold's mouth snapped shut, the retort dying on his lips. Ruby tried to sit up a bit to pay closer attention, but her head swam and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. "Now I don't know what kind of feud you two have, but it needs to stop! You are the only two people I know in this town! I want to get my memories back, and if one of you kills the other, I will not be happy! So both of you learn to get along!" She heaved a breath, looking pointedly at Gold. He lowered the cane and stepped back, melting into the shadows in the dark hallway, his footsteps fading as he walked away. Belle knelt down next to Ruby and eased her into a sitting position. Ruby still refused to remove the hand at the back of her head.

"Are you alright?" asked Ruby, for the second time, her voice a little slurred. Belle was a little taken aback.

"You've just been hit on the back of the head, and you're asking me if I'm okay?" she said with a warm smile as she ran a finger gently through Ruby's hair.

"Yeah," said Ruby simply. She was still dizzy, her head aching. Belle was desperate to know why Ruby had just appeared in her room at this time, right after she had screamed, but it was impossible for her to have heard her, right?

"Come on, I'll help you get back," said Belle, grabbing Ruby's arm and helping her up. Ruby felt like she was drunk, wobbling on her feet before nearly crashing back onto the bed. Only Belle held her up.

"I'm sorry to barge in on you like this," Ruby apologised sincerely. Somewhere in her cloudy mind she was berating herself for acting so rashly.

"Don't worry about it," said Belle. She could get answers in the morning, when Ruby felt better.

Progress was slow, as Belle was smaller than Ruby, and had to support a lot of her weight. But Belle persevered, and slowly but surely, they made it out of the shop – Ruby taking less care than she could have around Gold's things. Belle noticed that the door now lay on the floor. Glancing at the woman who was leaning against her, she wondered how she could have summoned the strength to knock it right off its hinges all by herself. There was definitely something odd going on here. Stepping out into the street, Ruby – feeling a little better – tried to take the weight off of Belle, who had an arm wrapped around Ruby's back, steadying her at the shoulder while her other arm looped around her stomach. Belle was grateful that she wasn't wearing her heels, even as her foot plunged into a deep puddle of icy cold water. She wouldn't have been able to get this far if she was tottering about in those death-traps. Beloved death-traps, she corrected. She would have longed for a coat, but she found she didn't really mind the rain, even though she was cold and wet. Ruby's warm body was pressed close to her own, warding off the chill of early morning. The sun was not yet up.

"Nearly there," panted Belle as she pushed open the unlocked door to the inn.

Belle laid Ruby down on the couch in the sitting room. The stairs were insurmountable with Ruby in this state. She considered waking Granny, but the old woman stormed inside at that very thought, stopping short when she saw Belle, clad in a dripping nightdress, standing over Ruby, also soaked, who was moaning softly in pain. After a hurried explanation, Granny was ready to march across the road and shoot Gold through the eye for what he had done, but Belle begged her not to. Taking pity on the poor girl, Granny let things lie for now, until Ruby was better. The pair of them had tended to her wound – which had not drawn blood, just knocked her a little. Belle was quickly left to apply ice to prevent swelling while Granny shuffled off to bed, knowing Ruby was in capable hands.