Stolen Darkness
Chapter 20
Disclaimer::: I do not own OUAT or its characters, just my imagination. I am going to move this forward a bit by a few weeks… Here we go…"
Ruby had been working at Granny's she was in a very good mood as lunch hour started. She and Lily had started dating. Surprisingly, her Granny seemed to have taken a liking to Lily. She was relieved because she really did not want to argue with the only family she had. She remembered a conversation she'd had with her.
*FLASHBACK*
As they finished cleaning up for the night and closing up the Diner, Granny looked at her granddaughter. "You've been hanging out a lot with that other Dragon… Lily is it?"
Ruby had blushed and nodded. "She's amazing! And being with her… It helps me feel like life is better with her in it." She admitted. "And before you say I'm making a mistake…"
Granny had smiled and shook her head. "She knows what it's like to have a beast inside."
"What?" Ruby had not expected Granny to say something like that. "Are you saying you're okay with this?"
Granny chuckled. "I like her. She's a feisty one, that one. Like I was once upon a time."
Ruby broke out in a huge grin as she ran and hugged her grandma. "Thanks Granny!" She kissed her cheek.
Granny then ushered her out the door. "Don't keep a lady waiting. You hear me? Go on dear. Out with you." Her eyes were twinkling. She smiled as Ruby ran out to meet Lily.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Lily arrived at the Diner and smiled when she saw Ruby. She moved up to her and enveloped her from behind, kissing her neck.
Ruby squealed. "You scared me!"
"Sorry babe, you must have been so deep in thought that you didn't use that wolf nose of yours to smell me coming." Lily smirked.
Ruby wrapped her arms around her neck and grinned before she planted a kiss on her lips. "We still on for tonight?" She asked. They had been looking forward to this night. They had wanted to experiment with the moon's effects on Ruby.
"Yes babe, I would love to experience it with you. My dragon is ready." She winked.
Emma decided to make a quick stop at the station to drop off her letter of resignation. She had other plans and being the dark one when people feared her was putting a hamper on things, not to forget to mention, David worked there too.
David looked up when he saw Emma there. "Emma… Hold on a second please." He wanted to talk with her.
Emma sighed and turned to face him, keeping her cool. "What do you want?" She had hoped to avoid seeing him. Seeing him made her stomach churn and she was feeling slightly nauseus. She rubbed her small baby bump and looked at him, waiting.
David looked down, seeing where her hand was. He sighed. "I'm really sorry. I know you're probably sick of hearing me apologizing. What my wife and I did was wrong. I know that. We really did not know the Apprentice was going to send your sister away. And it was wrong to use the egg as a vessel. We crossed the line…"
Emma interrupted David. "Stop speaking for your wife. I am not interested in hearing you apologize for that bitch. If you have something to say, don't bring her up. Don't speak for her. Do you understand?"
David nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."
Emma looked at the man and could see remorse in his eyes. Maybe it was her pregnant hormones, but she softened a bit. She nodded. "Alright. You apologized. Let's leave it at that."
David nodded again and looked like he wanted to ask her something, but thought better of it not to ask for his Wife's heart back. It wasn't the right time and he didn't want to push his luck. Not if he hoped to make amends first and to get Emma to warm up to him. "Congratulations…. On your uh pregnancy." He pointed in her general direction.
"Thanks David." Emma offered him a small smile before she disappeared in smoke.
David let out a breath of air. He was still getting used to the changes in their lives. But he was glad that encounter with Emma had gone better than he thought.
Regina had finished making lunch when her wife appeared and kissed her deeply. She loved the way pregnancy made her look. She rubbed her bump lovingly. "I bet you are hungry little bit yes?"
Emma laughed softly, loving what Regina said. "Oh yes we are."
The doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Zelena smiled. She was now living there with her family.
"No I got it Aunt Zee." Henry ran to the door and opened it. "Oh hey Belle. You okay?" He could see something was bothering the town librarian. "Um… Come in."
"Thank you." Belle gave an awkward smile as she moved inside.
Regina and Emma came when they saw who was there.
"You okay Belle?"
Belle tried to smile but it looked like it was half way to a frown.
Regina was concerned. "We're about to eat Lunch would you like to join us?"
Zelena came and did something she normally wouldn't do, she put her arm around the woman's shoulders and led her into the kitchen. "Come, sit here." She pulled out a chair and when Belle sat down, she sat next to her.
Belle sniffled, surprised at their hospitality, but at the same time, she appreciated it. "Thank you. I was out for a walk and there was nothing else to do. I didn't feel like going to work today. I woke up and it was just too quiet." She was feeling lonely and it had hit her hard today. She was still getting used to a life without Rumplestiltkin. She had thought about all the times he kept hurting her by making the wrong choices. She had only come to accept that he would never have changed. She was coming to terms with that.
Zelena rubbed her back. "You don't need to be alone. You can stay here if you want." She was trying to be nice.
Emma and Regina agreed. Emma reached out and took a hold of Belle's hands and squeezed reassuredly. "We are glad to have you here Belle." She smiled at her as Regina got out an extra plate and silverware and put it in front of Belle. Soon, they were eating dinner.
After dinner, Regina looked at Belle and smiled. "Would you like some wine? It's not fun to drink it all by myself."
Emma and Zelena chuckled knowingly.
Belle smiled and nodded. "Thank you, I would love to."
Regina was more than happy to oblige as she got out two wine glasses. "Red, white, blush? We have many different kinds."
Belle was touched by Regina's generosity. It was ironic. She'd been her hostage before for so many years, and now here she was about to drink wine with that same woman. "It doesn't really matter." She blushed.
Regina smiled, "Blush it is then." She chuckled as she took out a bottle of one of her best blush wines. She then poured in the glasses and gave one to Belle.
Emma was watching this with a smile on her face. She had known what Belle was thinking through all this. It was one of the perks of being the dark one, knowing a person's deepest thoughts.
Zelena smiled. "You know, I've been reading books on pregnancy and child care. You know, the books you gave me?" She started.
Belle smiled and nodded as she sipped her wine. "I hope they're helping you learn what to expect. Books have always helped me to pass time when I first met…" She stopped herself and nodded.
"Oh they help alright, some of the things sound horrible though." Zelena made a face.
Emma chuckled. "When I first went through it with Henry, I really didn't have much reading material except for what the prison library had which was mostly old outdated hand me down books. But I made do with what I had. It wasn't easy."
Henry looked at his mother and smiled at her. He was just glad to have her in his life now.
"You have us to help you now. You're not going through this by yourself anymore." Regina kissed her wife. She felt so lucky and happy that she was going through this with her.
Emma smiled knowingly as she pulled her wife closer once Regina set down her glass and then she murmured into her ear promises of what they would be doing soon.
Mulan and Aurora ran through the portal and soon found themselves in Storybrooke. "That was close." Mulan said as soon as the portal closed. She looked at Aurora. "You okay?"
Aurora's eyes had grown wide as she looked behind Mulan. "I didn't know SHE'D be here." She whispered.
Mulan turned quickly and pulled out her sword, defending her. "Maleficent."