"Ahaha, I haven't this much fun in ages it seems" Ruby said happily as Belle smiled after all the dancing and the food of this evening. "I would host the grandest parties in all the kingdoms here.

People from all over would come to see the Queen of the Red Forest and her...beauty or just for it.

I just forget that feeling.." She said kind of bitterly but Belle was looking in a warmer way then ever before at her "..What?"

"No nothing, you can have that feeling again with someone..."special" and then all the kingdoms will start coming here again.

They wouldn't have to think that the Queen of this land is dead.

She can be both a Queen and werewolf, then people wouldn't fear them equally or...

Put a bounty on there head, you can make them see that something "good" come from all the bad!"

Belle had generally believed that Ruby wasn't a monster to be scared of at least not anymore. Such belief like that once made her give up on the pack and all it's rules among other things. But that was now changing along with how long she been spending with her. They were trying to fight what made this such a good feeling...

It was a moonless night as they both walked out toward the terrace of the room overlooking the inter gardens.

Ruby had pulled out of her pocket a small box and quickly handed it to Belle...

Surprised by the sudden action, she opened it to discover a brilliant green diamond ring "Belle, will you be my wife?" she asked without fear toward her.

Belle was more conflicted then ever before now with this woman as she answered "Even if...i say yes, what happens then to all this friendship we build for each other?.."

"I haven't thought about that, but you were right about me being alone.

I DID like it too much but now i know it was all a mistake on my part. Am the worst suitor in the entire world and i DON'T care!.

I realized i had kept making the wrong choices, that everything in my life was simply me being too scared but now am not...

And it's all because you Belle!.."

She closed her eyes as tears formed from what Ruby had said "Yes you choose me because I was the one to put you in danger, my darker side had no compassion and all i felt like doing was getting rid of it forever.

But then you showed me that nether side was really terrible.

And fore that i thank you...but these other feelings you have for me are WRONG, Ruby!"

Now it was Ruby's turn to not understand "Why do you keep denying them?"

Belle don't know what to think or do "I am so wrong for you Ruby, i was hired to kill you just so i could found a cure to what i thought was the most terrible of curses. And it made me NO better then the hunters who wanted to end my life.

I am not a hero anymore then you are a Queen, because my selfishness the town of Cocteau get destroyed and you were the only one to stop me!.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WOULDN'T JUST BREAK YOUR HEART AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL WE'RE BOTH SICK OF IT?.."

She shouted out seriously to her "I never known my heart to be broken before, and i know you want to deny the fact of how much we're both stubborn but we are. I can't allow myself to just be alone again because i like it.

I can't force you into loving me because that makes me into being a monster ten times over.

A monster who never thinks or feels what people want, just the opposite it turns me into the very thing the hunters wanted.

A brute who would rather have people bow down before them because she sees them as little more then pawns in a game..

In actually taking pleasure in all the chaos and hatred then sickening laughing at it...

In just making people suffer because it's a fucking joke.."

Belle suddenly realized something in what Ruby was sadly saying "Rumple, you're aren't describing yourself Ruby, what you're just said is what turned me from the bookworm i was into being the very hard person i am today.

The Dark One was those things NOT you.

If there was ever any good left inside that foul thing, it was completely gone when i killed him.

He was the one who take pleasure in all those things and i don't know even think he himself know pain he caused.

I don't think he had much of a fucking plan beyond just short of making himself a god for everyone in the world to worship. Once he conquered all the Enchanted Forest

BUT THAT IS NOT YOU RUBY, you actually were out there saving lives by comforting me. Rumple would use my dark side as nothing more then a mindless weapon before telling me i could "change him" or some such nonsense like that. Possibly even forcing me into loving him and then growing bored with me as he was said to do.

He wanted to control this world through his many evil "deals" and make nonsense up like "magic having a price".

He loved power NOT people, nothing good come from any of his rotten "deals", it was HIS magic that finally backfired on him and made me kill him in the end.

Your not that type of person Ruby, you're been trying to make up for your mistakes somehow as the Big Bad Wolf. Your actually run away from the army of the Evil Queen when you could easily been taken in by her foul corruption and her beauty.

You couldn't just lock yourself up inside this castle or put on that cloak which makes you human because your monster.

I seen monsters and...you're not one of them"

Ruby heard some terrible stories from years before of the Dark One, no one in all the kingdoms could ever stand up to such a foul creature but then she heard of his death at the hands of an innocent. Somehow she had broken both him and his evil dagger. Whatever he wanted from her was his own stupid downfall, it wasn't even magic that destroy him but just a simple girl trying to defend her small village from that...thing.

Whatever he did she know felt was piss her completely off even before she get bitten as a werewolf.

Belle was everything that both Rumple and Regina were not...feeling guilty for her crimes while they both try to spin it to were they were the victims. Ruby herself just felt guilty, so Belle was already braver then Ruby in that regret.

Since controlling her dark side, she become even more happier then Ruby ever thought of.

Such things like that was what really made her what to do this for her anyone else would. As Ruby spoke again she did it with all her heart

"It hasn't been easy for me, and i am sorry for putting you through hell thinking it could ever make me happy. As werewolves we're not supposed to have nice things like "happy endings" because we're monsters.

BUT that isn't my problem, it's because NO ONE has ever seen the woman beneath the monster like you have!

They think that i have no life other that, they believe that i deserve being this way until the guilt consumes me until i die.

Loneliness has been my only friend for so long until am sick of it too. And then you entered my life and i thought i could just be selfish for keeping you here forever but that's another mistake of mine.

It's just me being weak again because you can leave me anytime you want.

I will can make you control your wolf but i CAN'T control your heart...

With that am no better then Regina, in fact am worse because of that, i had you make a choice and for that i see am no saint. Am a evil foul creature controlling an innocent who wants nothing to do with me.

You had every right to hate now because i am still the same woman who comes making the same mistakes.

And i have no idea how to correct it, am still the Queen who ended up failing her people and THEY have a right to hate me because i not a good leader. The pack and it's rules i couldn't just make mine own otherwise am a tyrant.

You made me realize how much a failure i am for both worlds and...i thank you for that"

She begin crying uncontrollable as Belle hugged her tightly. Maybe they were both wrong for each other and yet at this moment it so right, her entire life was spent doing one thing and now she was another side to it with Ruby. If she only known how to make there equal feelings of loneliness go away then she would be totally happy with being both. She couldn't just give up on Ruby just yet or in essence herself ether even as werewolves, the angst would destroy them both if they wouldn't facing it together.

Belle spoke softly to her over the crying"Shhhhh, it's not your fault or mine to being what we are.

I am only now realizing something you should be thinking of though..."

"What?" Ruby asked as if she don't what to let go of her

"...We are both, Red, i can be the bookworm and the werewolf equally and...

You can be the Queen of the Red Forest AND the Big Bad Wolf, they don't have be battling each other within your own mind. You can be free to be something i wasn't or never will be.."

"What are trying to say then Belle?"

"I am saying you can be a hero, you can save everybody like you did me..."

"I'll just screw up again as i always do..."

"No, i believe in you Red, you taught to make that the thing i feared the most become something special. With just that you can take back your kingdom from the people would poison this land, you can make Perditia's pack from OZ come back and bring life back to the abandoned town of Red Forest.."

"That would also mean bring in my Grandmother the one who cursed me then!.."

"I don't honestly think it's ever been your Grandmother that was the one who cursed you!"

"...Who then?" She shouted and yet she don't what to find out as Belle answered her

"I have a feeling it was the glass roses themselves...don't ask how i know i just do..."

"They wanted me to suffer to teach me a lesson?"

"I don't know but clearly you aren't learning it, what i do know from Pongo is that your actual Grandmother only learned four out seven of the advance magics of the Moon.

It seems those roses beat her at all forms of her type of magic, according to him she rather feels guilty for you not speaking to her after defeated Cruella.

He said she don't understand the events that lead to being cursed like this but i have feeling the roses do..."

Ruby was taking in all of this as she sit on the floor of the terrace, for years as the Big Bad Wolf she spent endless days hating her Grandmother.

The Blood Moon's insane version of her was what Red always hated about her...

Now though it was becoming more and more clear that hatred was nothing compared to what the mysterious werewolf cure could feel. Her entire life was now a waste because of what she had done as Queen and yet Belle was sounding hopeful.

Belle grabbed her hands as she still spoke softly "You made a mistake Ruby...only you can clean up but you have to do it without me"

Ruby had gotten out her angst of what was said to her to look straight at Belle "Why can't you stay?"

In tears now Belle answered her again "I have go back to the town...

i need to know about has happened to my family, i need to face my own bloody guilt with that town!"

Looking at her, Ruby suddenly smirked at her knowingly "I know of a way to do just that!..."


Entering into once the grand throne room of Queen Ruby

Belle looked around her at all of what this woman truly once was,

but now it was torn apart and she felt maybe the roses themselves can't have found a different way.

She followed Ruby toward a central wall mirror and as stunned by what she did...

With just her hand, she reached right into it and pulled out a smaller hand mirror from the magical space.

Grinning she answered the question Belle would indeed ask"When i escaped from the Evil Queen, i steal this mirror because it had help to escape her hold over me. Believe she seems this obsession with mirrors...don't why to tell you the truth."

She handed the mirror toward Belle "What can i do with this?"

"Ask it where your family is and it will show it to you..."

Following what Ruby said, Belle looked down at the mirror "Show me my family please..."

Suddenly the mirror glowed green in her hands as the center frame suddenly turned a scene of a huge crowd of people...


Gaston was leading them as they lead four woman in white dresses toward a waiting set of cages that were in the back of a carriage.

"McKinley, you and those foul witches will be carried to justice under the order of good Queen Regina!"

McKinley was growling in anger as were her two daughters

"You CAN'T sent us to her fortress Gaston, she is will kill us for sure just being werewolves!..."

"Then bring me the one who destroyed this town then...the Big Bad Wolf!"

McKinley begin crying as the people around her yelled out shouts toward wanting justice for what happened.

"I don't even know who this Big Bad Wolf IS!?"


"...MOTHER!, only gods this is truly all my fault!" she said with a worried look as Ruby come near her

"What do those people want?"

Belle looked toward Ruby in complete sadness "They want blood...basically MY blood and if that saves my family then so be it..."

"Your a great monster hunter...the best in the world what did you do so wrong?" she spoke softly and yet Belle wasn't listening to her

"IT WAS ME THAT DESTROYED COCTEAU, I HAVE TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT...i will tell them the truth" she said firmly to Ruby as she closed her eyes...

"You DON'T destroyed that town...

I DID!"

Belle looked shocked at what Ruby was even thinking by saying that "NO!...you stop me from..."

"...THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY, do what you were sent here do and KILL ME!..."

Belle picked up a sharp silver knife off the floor of the room...

she closed her eyes even if there were in tears...


Cocteau...hours later

"This your final chance, monster WHERE IS THE BIG BAD WOLF?" Gaston cried out to McKinley

"I rather die then give you the pleasure of seeing that wolf murdered!, it is becoming clear to me as why i HATE YOU!"

Just as Gaston raised his hand toward her a voice called out...

"LEAVE THEM ALONE GASTON!"

The crowd parted to see Belle in her red hunting outfit and carrying a bag with her

Smiling Gaston turned to talk to her "Will the heroic hunter returns finally, tell me was it successful?"

Belle wasn't looking at him as she spoke "Let them go first and then i'll tell you..."

With the snap of his fingers, the group of men begin untiring the bounds around each of Belle's sisters and mother "Now what about the Big Bad Wolf?"

Going into the bag, Perditia watched as she held on to Pongo "...No" tears coming her face

She had pull out a huge black clawed hand and firmly said "The Big Bad Wolf the thing you all feared is dead!"


Red Castle...hours earlier

The knife dropped to the floor as Belle as Ruby rushed toward her

"I CAN'T DO IT!, you have shown me how there's always another way, there has be a another way without killing you!"

Belle sobbing as Ruby suddenly saw the knife "...There is!"

Grabbing it quickly, Ruby held out her right hand and without a second thought, cut off her hand!

Without the presence of the red hood, the hand was turning from human into being huge and black furred. Belle don't react fast enough as she come toward the injured woman who been her friend

"WHY!?" she shouted as Ruby bitterly laughed

"My mother said she fooled a whole group of hunters with just cutting her own hand...thinking she die they call it off"

"You doing this all for me?"

"Am the Big Bad Wolf, the most fearsome of all the monsters, they wouldn't understand that one of there own is part of that group as well!..."

"..But you're die from all the lost of blood!, you CAN'T be a hero this way!"

"Nether would showing yourself as a thing to be hated Belle, you need to save your family by taking that"

Pointing at the hand, as Belle slowly picked it up "You know i can never return here!"

Ruby was silent at what she said as she looked away from her.

Moments past as she give Belle one of her fastest horses, overlooking the terrace to the ballroom

Ruby watched as Belle ride fast with her hand in the leather bag, as she watched they both neared the ice wall

Without her one good hand, she destroy it completely as Belle ride past it...there was no more use for emotions with that wall...


Red Castle...hours later

Potts was banging her stump as Ruby looked on, still on the terrace

Lumiere had already put into her arm a glass rose, as out of the bleeding stump was a new skeletal hand.

It had the unknown power of regrowing tissue including the lost of limbs,

which was way Belle had push the rose into Ruby's heart to get rid of the Swamp Troll's poison.

Potts don't understand what her former Queen was doing to do herself but it was clearly upsetting as she just looked onto the gardens...

"You're wandering why i did such a foolish action?..." Ruby begin bitterly, she hadn't stopped crying since Belle left for the town

"It isn't it oblivious...I love her but she doesn't love back!...

Oh gods, is this how it is to have pain because i am so full of it,

i ruined my own chance for an "happy ending" and would NOT change a thing about it.

But it's hopeless now because if i can't love her then...let the world be done with me"


Next Chapter: Beauty's Roses