A/N: This prompt came from Midnightsword on Tumblr. They gave me a huge list of prompts and I am so ready and happy to dive right into them. This is a couple of characters trying to play matchmaker with our dear wolf and cricket. I couldn't help but think of how fun it would be to have Henry and the new young Pinocchio trying to find happiness for their babysitter and conscience. I am also going to borrow an idea that I saw in another fiction of shortening a certain young boy's name. You know who you are.
"Matchmakers"
Henry found himself once again in Ruby's care as they walked down the Main Street of Storybrooke toward the diner and what Emma believed was a 'safe zone'. As they walked Henry shuffled his feet every other step, upset to yet again be out of the loop when it came time for the hero stuff. Ruby looked over at him and with a smirk she would kick at the sidewalk every time a shuffle was heard.
"I know you don't like being left out of the fight, Henry," she said to him as they neared the front of the diner, "Neither do I."
"Why don't they ever ask you to fight with them?" Henry asked in curiosity, "You're a hero just like they are."
"I am no hero," she chuckled sadly at that and rubbed the top of his head affectionately as she flashed him her teeth, "I just have a vicious bite. Emma and Snow know that and that's why they keep you with me. I'll use that bite to protect you. Believe me; I would do more good protecting you than trying to take down any 'villain'."
Henry had a thoughtful expression on his face, but kept quiet.
"Come on, hot chocolate on me," she pushed his head down in a sisterly tease and let him lead the way into the diner.
"Hello Ruby, Henry," Granny greeted them as they made themselves comfortable at the bar counter. Granny gave Henry a caring smile and leaned over the counter at him, "Hot chocolate for the gentleman, I suppose?"
"Yes, please," Henry nodded.
"Just the way you like it," she nodded with a wink.
"Can I please have some tea?" Ruby asked in an innocent, yet teasing voice toward her Granny who nodded and gave her the same expression back.
"Coming up," Granny walked toward the back counter to get the warm beverages together.
"Jiminy! This is amazing!"
Both Ruby and Henry swiveled in their seats and looked toward the middle of the dining room where Archie sat with a much younger and almost unrecognizable Pinocchio. The young boy had both of his hands wrapped around the large mug on the table. His lips seemed to be glued to the rim as he sipped at the hot chocolate. Archie looked around nervously and chuckled at the young boy.
"It's just hot chocolate, Pinoke," he said with an abbreviated version of his name.
"But I've never had it before," Pinocchio finally pulled away and looked up at his mentor with a happy glow to his eyes.
"You haven't had it as Pinocchio, that's right," Archie reminded himself that the boy had no memories of himself as August, the stranger who rode in on a motorcycle and watched over an unknowing princess.
"When's papa going to get here?" Pinocchio asked and kicked his feet back and forth under the table.
"When he finishes that piece for Mister Gold," Archie huffed and looked at his watch. The poor man had waited years to be reunited with his son and Gold just had to have that piece restored today? It was no doubt related to his intentions of wooing Belle- or Lacey, as she liked to be called now.
Ruby turned back to Henry and nodded her head toward the two at the table, "Have you met the new August?"
"I saw him turn from a wooden August back to Pinocchio," Henry said with a nod and watched the young boy in wonderment, "It's still weird to see him this way. Even weirder considering he dated Emma a couple of times."
Ruby gave an uncomfortable chuckle and remembered her own harmless flirting with August as he talked about lemurs, "Yeah, definitely weird."
"This is the way he's going to stay from what I gathered from Marco," Granny said as she put down their cups in front of them, "He doesn't remember being August."
"Poor kid's probably confused worse than the rest of us," Ruby muttered and sipped at her tea, "At least he doesn't have a Storybrooke identity to fight with in his head."
"Hmm," Henry hummed and brought out the fairy tale book from his bag. Neal had handed it back to him after he had a long talk with his girlfriend. He held the book in one hand and picked up the hot chocolate with the other. Ruby watched him as he hopped off his chair and walked towards Archie and Pinocchio.
"Hey there, Henry," Archie smiled at him as he stopped at the table. He looked behind Henry to see Ruby at the counter, watching him protectively even when she didn't have to. He nodded toward her and she relaxed visibly and smiled back at him. He slowly dragged his eyes back from Ruby and toward Henry, "Ruby looking out for you today?"
"Emma says she's doing some dangerous stuff again," Henry huffed and sat in one of the left over chairs at the side of their table. He put the book on the table and then looked over at Pinocchio. He took a deep breath and pushed his hand out toward the lad, "Hi, I'm Henry."
"Pinocchio," he replied and shook Henry's hand, "What book is that?"
"It's a very special book about all of us here in Storybrooke," Henry explained and opened the book to the page where there was a picture of Pinocchio and Gepetto, "Even you."
"Wow, a book with me in it?" Pinocchio's eyes widened and he scooted closer to Henry to look at the picture and read some of the words.
"It helped me convince my mom that she was the savior that was going to save all of us," Henry explained and then paused, "You tried to as well."
"Me?… I- I don't remember," Pinocchio said sadly.
"I know you don't," Henry sighed and shrugged, "I can tell you the story though. I could tell you all of them."
"Thank you," Pinocchio said eagerly and turned toward Henry.
Archie watched the two boys interact and took his coffee and walked over to the seat that Henry had vacated. Ruby was still on her seat, facing the two boys, tea in hand. She smirked behind the rim as Henry gestured wildly about the first casting of the curse.
"Did my charge take over?" she asked without even tossing him a look.
"It's good for Pinoke to get some good interaction with someone in his age bracket," Archie said and turned in his chair to face the same way that she did.
"You're still good with him," Ruby said offhandedly, "You've always been good with kids."
"I hope so after raising Gepetto and Pinoke… it looks like possibly twice."
Ruby giggled at the possibility, "Marco is here. He will help you out. Where is he, by the way?"
"Finishing something for Mister Gold," Archie hummed disapprovingly into his cup and looked into the swirling, dark liquid, "Something to do with Bell- er, Lacey."
"Yeah, she's become quite a wild child. I might even venture even more so than what Ruby was. Good 'ol Rumple found something not fixed by magic, imagine that," Ruby muttered afterward. She watched as Pinocchio's spine straightened as he pointed toward her and Archie while Henry quickly shushed him, his eyes darting everywhere else other than their direction. She giggled under her breath and turned to Archie, "Did you see that?"
"What?" Archie's head snapped to the boys, now very much on alert.
"Don't look now, but I think that we are being talked about," Ruby shifted her eyes toward the two boys who were now whispering and then back to Archie, "One of his stories not written in the book?"
"Maybe," Archie shook his head with a smile, "Henry always is a great story teller."
Suddenly the two boys hopped out of their seats and walked over to Archie and Ruby. Henry, with the book under one arm looked at them both, "Is it okay if Pinocchio hangs out with us today, Ruby?"
"Oh, um," Ruby stuttered and looked between the two boys and then turned to Archie, "… is it okay with you, Archie?"
"Please, Jiminy!" Pinocchio clasped his hands together in a pleading manner, "I want to hear some more stories."
"What are you doing today?" Archie asked Ruby as the two boys pleaded.
"We were going to the library- keep an eye on it while Belle is out of commission," Ruby shrugged, "Maybe a short walk through the park down the street."
Archie took a deep breath and looked at the clock on the wall, "Well, your father won't be done any time soon. I guess he wouldn't mind. Go ahead."
"Yes!" Henry punched the air and went over to down the last of his hot chocolate. Ruby smiled and shook her head at the kid. She tugged at her jacket again in preparation of leaving. Archie stayed where he was and sipped at the last of his coffee.
"You're coming too, aren't you?" Pinocchio looked up at his mentor.
"Well, I…" Archie seemed lost and looked at Ruby.
She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "You think that you were going to dump another kid on me and get off scot free? You are coming with us."
"Guess so," Archie smiled at her lighthearted tease. He grabbed his umbrella and tugged on his jacket that he left at the table.
"I'll be back later, Gran," Ruby called out before she walked out behind the two boys. She smiled brightly at Archie as he held the door open for her. Archie turned back to Granny with a wave before he followed them out.
Granny smiled and shook her head in amusement, "Take your time, dear."
"Shall we?" Archie held out his arm toward Ruby as they reached the bottom of the steps.
"Always the gentleman, aren't you?" Ruby asked with a smirk and eyed him with a raised brow.
"I can always try," he shrugged and pushed his arm toward her again. With a nod of her head, she looped her arm through his and they walked comfortably down the sidewalk.
As the four of them walked the two boys led the way toward the library while Ruby and Archie followed a few steps behind them. Henry was now describing how Emma had broken the curse and how all that was needed was true love. He described many of the different couples of Storybrooke and how many of the residences have their true loves nearby. Even while under the curse they were connected, while they weren't aware of it, of course. Most of the couples have found one another, but others who weren't written in the book were starting to form on their own.
Pinocchio nodded in understanding, but suddenly stopped and looked back at Archie, "Jiminy?"
"Yes, Pinoke?" Archie asked with a smile, his one hand holding his umbrella and the other shoved casually in his pocket. Ruby was still comfortably attached at his arm and they looked like they had been talking over casual things.
"Have you found your true love, too? Just like everyone else?"
Archie's instantly lit up in a bright blush and his coughed into his hand, opposite from Ruby to try and hide it. He hit at his chest a little to clear it from any and all spit that may have been caught in his windpipe. Ruby felt her own cheeks burn a little, though she was at a loss for the reason. She unwound her arm from his and chuckled good naturedly at Archie's complexion.
"I know it can be kind of hard to understand," Ruby answered for Archie who was still trying to reign in his blush. She knelt down to Pinocchio's height and held his hands in hers, "Sometimes, not everyone gets a chance at happy ever after. Sometimes, the chance is taken from us. Not everyone gets their true love in a happy package like Snow White and Charming."
Pinocchio frowned at the answer, "I don't believe that."
Ruby smiled sadly at the boy and took a breath to add on, but he beat her to it.
"I have always believed that your ending is what you make of it. Be good and follow your heart, and your other half will come to you- whoever they may be. You treat others with disrespect and disgrace you will only bring the same to yourself. I choose to follow my heart this time and maybe someday, I will be as lucky as Snow White."
Ruby stood a little speechless at the young boy's words. Thinking that they may have been something he learned as August peeking through she smiled brightly as she asked, "Where did you learn that and become such a wise young man?"
"Jiminy taught it to me," Pinocchio looked down at her and said it as if it was the natural choice.
"Come on, Pinocchio! You have got to see this place!" Henry yelled from a few feet ahead as he unlocked the library's doors and pulled them open. Pinocchio ran toward him with a chuckle and followed him into the building.
Ruby stood up and turned around to look at her friend, just a step behind her. She tilted her head in thought and smirked at him seeing that his blush was fading, "You taught him that?"
"He- he uh, wondered why he didn't have a mother," Archie shrugged and cleared his throat as he stepped up next to her, "I explained that his father had lost his wife and true love before he was even made. He wanted his father to be happy and have another true love. He asked me if it was possible. I told him what I believed."
"You really think that a person can have two true loves?" Ruby asked with a bright glint of hope in her eyes.
Archie smiled warmly at her and took her hands in his. He carefully lifted them to his lips and kissed the back of them while keeping eye contact with her. Afterward he squeezed them between his own and nodded, "I certainly hope so. I have for a long, long time…"
Ruby's breath caught and her mind burst in thoughts as they raced and bounced against the sides of her skull. She felt the warm burn of the blush come back to her cheeks. She looked down at their hands between the two of them and took a deep breath.
"Me too…" she whispered and looked up at Archie who was trying to catch her eyes.
Archie kissed the back of her hand again after a moment of silence and pulled her toward the library and their two charges.
Henry and Pinocchio looked out from the side window at their two sitters. Henry smiled and pushed at Pinocchio lightly in the shoulder, "See! I told you it would work. Great job, by the way."
"You don't think that it was considered a bad thing, do you?" Pinocchio asked a little worried.
"Well, it wasn't a lie," Henry pointed out and turned from the window toward the closest bookshelf as Ruby and Archie came toward the building. Henry picked up at book and nodded at Pinocchio to do the same, "Besides, this will make them happy. If the book is correct, which it usually is, Jiminy always held a flame for Red Riding Hood. And Ruby has always looked for that one guy."
"Jiminy can be that guy. He deserves to find someone and be happy- just like Papa does."
"He's our next project," Henry said with a mischievous smile, "I hear that he and granny get along really well."
"I really like her," Pinocchio nodded and quickly grabbed a book as Ruby and Archie came through the doors.
Henry agreed in a whisper and smiled as the two sitters turned the book stacks to find them, hands clasped tightly in one another's.
END