SUBJECT 204
Notes: So... um... it has been a very VERY long time since my last update and I'm like... insanely sorry for the long wait. If anyone wants to know what happened... I had a lot of things going on.
October, I went to visit my lady. November, I tried to write a novel (based on my comic which was loosely inspired by RedBeauty). December I scrapped that idea and proceeded to developing a new comic about secret agent steampunk animals. (Think Kingsman + Zootopia + Brooklyn Nine Nine + steampunk)
January I went to visit my lady again for our anniversary. January to February was full production mode for my comic. If you're interested, hit me up and I'll tell you more about it but yeah.
March... was not great. I... got dumped. And that was pretty hard. Preparing for my comic's launch helped me cope and keep busy, but it's been rough at times. We didn't end on a bad note per say. It just... wasn't working out for us and our lives seemed to be going opposite directions. So... yeah. Lol it sucked but it is what it is.
So yeah. Those are my reasons/excuses for leaving y'all hanging for months and I'm so sorry. On the bright side, I'm hoping to finish the epilogue this April and give y'all some closure. So consider this the "last" chapter but expect an epilogue in a week or two.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
The grass tickled her paws and leaves scratched at her pelt but it couldn't bring her down. Nothing could compete with the wind caressing her face and the moon lighting her path. Her muscles were warm against the cooling night air and her breath came out in puffs as she slowed to a stop by the river, where the bears were playing and splashing.
Amber eyes gleamed upon catching sight of her. Merida, standing out from the rest of her family with her glowing eyes and significantly bigger frame, came bounding over with a playful growl.
With a challenging bark, Ruby dodged out of a swipe from the bear's massive paws before nipping at her back leg. Merida huffed and swiped again, this time catching Ruby under the chin.
Stunned, Ruby staggered back before shaking herself off. Merida took advantage of the distraction and grabbed Ruby in a literal bear hug before jumping into the river.
Ruby spluttered and flailed her way out of Merida's grasp and scrambled just out of reach.
Until a blur of fur knocked her back into the water as the triplets joined in the roughhousing.
"I still can't believe they finally arrested Gold." Belle sipped at hot chocolate prepared by Aurora.
From her spot next to Mulan on the bench, Aurora said, "I'm glad his license was revoked."
"I just wonder how long it will take before they brush this all under the rug." Mulan rubbed at the hair at the back of her head, where the dark strands were starting to grow out after Aurora had cut it in their undercover attempt. Belle still found it wild how they'd been living in this cabin for a good two months now.
"With how insane media has been about Baelfire, I somehow doubt it'll all be forgotten just like that." Aurora put a hand over Mulan's. "Have some faith."
Mulan shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time the world let some esteemed person walk free from crimes that deserved the harshest jail time. Hopper was cleared of his charges after all."
"Neal said that was because Hopper gave the police a lot of information and promised to testify against Gold." Belle could still feel the lingering mix of emotions that passed through her as she and the rest of the household watched the news reports and updates Neal had compiled. "Besides, Whale is also under investigation now too. That's good news, right?"
Shrugging again, Mulan looked out towards the woods. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how the investigation pans out." Pausing to swallow visibly, she continued, "And how the court cases play out."
"Try to get your mind off of it for now, please." Aurora shifted closer to Mulan, leaning against her shoulder. "Let's just relax tonight, okay? We have a big day tomorrow, when Regina and Emma get back from their camping escapade."
Belle nodded. "Let's try to look forward to that."
Even if Emma had insisted on avoiding a fuss, Regina made the convincing offer of going on a camping trip, just the two of them. Ruby and the Dunbrochs agreed they would avoid the trail Emma and Regina would be hiking to give them privacy.
Emma initially hadn't been sold on the idea of hiking and camping (without any alcohol) but after Regina whispered additional offers, the plans were made.
What Emma didn't know was that Regina also made arrangements with Belle and Mrs. Dunbroch. Arrangements which would be finalized tomorrow.
"Tomorrow should be fun." Mulan finally said. "It's just hard to think of anything else after we've been getting all these updates from Neal."
"Which is one of the reasons why Regina decided to take Emma out for a bit of an escape." Aurora clasped Mulan's scarred hand. "Would you want to do that too sometime?"
That seemed to get Mulan's interest. "That's an idea."
"You should do it." Belle leaned over towards them. "You've been getting tense lately. Maybe the escape could do you some good."
"I can't help but worry. The media started out with insisting I kidnapped Aurora and you, didn't it?" Any last trace of calm was leaving Mulan as she pulled her hand from Aurora's grasp and stood up to pace the porch. "How long before that inherent bias starts coming up again?"
She stopped pacing and roughly ran her hands through her hair, back and forth until it stood out in spikes. The sight would have almost been comical were it not for the seriousness of the conversation.
"I know I said that we should ride out the legal route and I know I was one of the first people to say we should testify but…" Mulan sniffed. "I'm also scared of being sent to prison because they got a damn good lawyer better than ours. Because the world does not like people who are different than they are."
Folding her arms across her chest, Mulan said, "And of course there's the threat of being shot on sight, the moment we resurface."
"Mulan…" Aurora tried to reach for Mulan, but she moved away.
"Those are valid points." Belle stood up but kept herself from stepping towards Mulan since she clearly wanted space right now. "And the threat of those things happening could be very real."
Aurora threw Belle a look of horror, but she ignored it. The last thing Mulan needed right now were for her fears to be trivialized or downplayed. There was merit in them even if they were currently overwhelming her.
"But we have to take that chance." Belle continued, "If we keep hiding or if we run away from all of this, then that would mean letting them win. You're the one who said that our testimonies could be the key to putting them away."
Mulan didn't answer.
"And you're right. It could all go wrong and blow up in our faces." Belle said, "But we have to try. If we don't try, there's no chance of us succeeding. If we do try, then there's at least a bit of a chance."
In a choked, quiet voice, Mulan finally spoke. "Right." She cleared her throat. "My father didn't raise a coward. Nothing good will come of running away or continuing to hide."
"Exactly." Belle said.
Mulan returned to her spot on the bench, this time allowing Aurora's embrace.
In an awkward attempt to switch topics, Aurora said, "How's your hand tonight?"
"Better."
"You did beat Killian at arm wrestling today." Belle sat back down and leaned back on her own chair. "That's big progress, isn't it?"
"It is."
"Besides going on a camping trip together, what would you want to do in the future?" Aurora asked, still obviously trying to direct Mulan's thoughts away from worry and fear. "We had plans for a roadtrip, right?"
Mulan nodded.
"Actually, I'd like us to this every month or so." Belle joined in with her own thoughts of what a future after all of this might look like. "When everything's over, it would be nice to still meet every full moon or so. Let Ruby and the Dunbrochs run and play in the moonlight while we have hot chocolate on the porch."
"I'd like that." Aurora said, "We could also still have picnics around the campfire. Just talking and hanging out."
"Disneyland." Mulan said, "That's where I'd want us to all go." With a smile finally creeping up her lips, she added, "I kind of want to know if Emma's more of a roller coaster person or a Ferris wheel person."
"I see her as the type to refuse a roller coaster unless she gets to sit next to Regina." Aurora then cast a sly glance at Belle, "I'm not sure if Belle would be allowed to ride since there's a height requirement."
Rolling her eyes, Belle jabbed back, "At least I can go on the bumper cars. I don't think they'd allow you."
Aurora responded with an exaggerated gasp.
Mulan let out a soft chuckle at their exchange. "You two just won't let that drop, will you?"
Before she could come up with something witty to say in response, Belle thought she noticed movement in the woods. Squinting, she stood up and could just make out Ruby and the Dunbrochs making their way back to the cabin.
As they drew closer, Belle could see that they were wearing robes and they each had damp hair plastered to their foreheads- a sign that they'd been playing in the river again. It had grown to be their favorite place to mess around and bond since the Dunbrochs couldn't run like Ruby and she couldn't climb trees like they could. Splashing in the river was just about where they could meet in the middle.
When they arrived at the cabin porch, Belle embraced Ruby, ignoring the mumbled protest about getting wet.
"Did you have a good time?" Belle pulled away just enough to watch Ruby nod, a smile on her face. It was a bright smile, filling her face and reaching her eyes. There was color to her skin now and even if her cheekbones were still very pronounced, the gaunt look to them was significantly less than when they had first met. The brown flop of hair on her head was longer now too. Aurora had done her best to shape it into a pixiecut as it grew out and it had a personality to it that Belle liked.
"Had a very good time." Ruby rubbed at her head, spiking up her hair and sending droplets of water flying. "Ran in the woods, felt connected to the moon- in a good way!"
As they made their way to their respective rooms, Ruby rambled about the way they played in the water and how the triplets ganged up on her but when she started running around them they didn't have the speed and agility to keep up with her.
"Merida tackled me… a few times. I tried to pounce on her but she's too solid. But when I ran around them, they were no match… for me. It was fun. Seeing them try to catch me. They still caught me a few times. But I didn't mind. It was great!"
There was still a clipped, broken pattern to her speech, but it was a major improvement from before. She paused less and was more confident with her words. Her voice still had a tendency to get gravelly and she still had to pause once in a while, but she was on the right track.
Belle couldn't help but think about how proud she was of Ruby for coming so far.
"What?" Ruby raised an eyebrow as they settled down in bed.
"It's nice to see you doing better." Belle said.
Ruby smiled back. "I do feel better. Better every day."
Feeling a rush of emotion, Belle touched Ruby's hand under the blanket. "I'm proud of you. I really am."
Swallowing and looking away, Ruby's smile took on a more sheepish look. "Still struggle with words sometimes. Still have nightmares sometimes."
"You're still making progress." Belle squeezed Ruby's hand. "A few steps back are to be expected, but I still think it's worth celebrating how well you did for this full moon."
"Yeah…" The smile faded from Ruby's face and her brow furrowed.
Shifting closer to Ruby, Belle asked, "What's on your mind?"
"I… I guess I'm… scared?" Ruby kept her eyes down, refusing to meet Belle's. "Scared of you leaving when I'm… better."
"What?" Belle frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You wanted to help me get better, right?" Ruby finally looked up, eyes shiny. "Will you go away when I'm better?"
Belle huffed, "You're not getting rid of me that easily! I still want to be part of your life after everything we've been through."
A look of shock registered in Ruby's face as her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
Smiling, Belle said, "Of course. We're still going to be friends after this, aren't we? Friends stick around for each other."
Though the words came out with conviction, there was that same stupid part of Belle that still twinged just a little bit at settling for the friends label. The rational part of Belle's mind bottled up the feeling.
Until it started flaring up as Ruby inched closer.
For one wild moment, Belle focused on Ruby's lips.
Until she nestled her cheek against Belle's shoulder. "Thank you… for reassuring me. I'd like to stay friends. Always."
What the actual heck.
Belle could still feel her heart pounding after that wild moment of completely irrational thought.
After more than two months of caring for Ruby since the breakout, Belle should be used to the touchiness between them by now, so why did stupid moments of expecting more still run through her head? Especially after she swore to keep things platonic as long as Ruby was still recovering.
And still, Belle's heart pounded far too rapidly and her stomach twisted with a stupid sense of giddiness.
Ever since sort of admitting more-than-platonic feelings for Ruby to Regina, Aurora and Mulan, ridiculous bursts of emotions like these had gotten far too common for comfort.
It didn't help that Ruby could probably hear Belle's accelerated heartbeat.
Was she going to ask about it? Or was she fast asleep now and not really noticing it while Belle stewed in a swarm of overthinking?
Fuck.
"Ruby, what's next?"
The cookbook in front of her, Ruby licked her lips and worked her way through the words, taking care not to rush herself. Panicking tended to be when she fumbled the most.
"Pour bat… batter evenly…" Pointing at the book and tracing the letters with her finger helped her stay on track. "Bet… between the two pans. Bake on… middle rack of… of… oven for about…"
Ruby squinted.
"Take your time, dear." Mrs. Dunbroch's voice was as soft and gentle as the hand she put on Ruby's shoulder. "How many minutes?"
Mrs. Dunbroch's patience, as well as the encouraging faces of Belle and Merida helped keep any traces of panic from overwhelming Ruby.
"Three… five…" Ruby frowned, knowing that wasn't right.
She tried again.
"Thirty… five. Thirty-five minutes."
"There we go." Mrs. Dunbroch beamed and squeezed Ruby's shoulder. "Would you like to be the one to pour one of the batters?"
Ruby found herself back in her old kitchen, looking up at Granny. She wasn't stressed and the wrinkles on her face were less defined as a soft smile filled her face. It was only in these shared moments of baking with her granddaughter that she truly felt at peace. Only in these moments where they could just be humans making a snack. Rewarding themselves with a little treat and escaping from the burdens of their daily struggles.
Her apron had some newly spilled batter to add to the collection of stains and Ruby felt bad about the part she played in spilling some of the batter.
And yet, Granny was still willing to let her pour.
She knew how much being helpful meant to Ruby.
But did she know how much these moments of bonding meant? How baking with Granny was the only time that Ruby felt like she had a home. Like she had a family. Like she was loved.
"Ruby?"
Blinking, Ruby felt jolted back to the cabin, where Mrs. Dunbroch was still waiting for an answer.
"Y-yeah." Ruby felt a twinge of ache in her heart. This wasn't the same and it never would be. Granny was gone and they were never going to bake together again. "Yeah, I wanna do it."
But there was some consolation to still be found in the kitchen. Continuing to bake and cook with people she loved could be a way for Ruby to honor Granny's memory.
"Merida, your turn to read." Mrs. Dunbroch gestured for Merida to leave the mixing bowl and take Ruby's place by the cook book.
As Merida hesitantly made her way over to read the recipe, Ruby gave what she hoped was an encouraging smile. The expression Merida returned looked tense, but her reluctance wasn't enough to stop her as she took Ruby's spot and began to read the rest of the recipe.
Meanwhile, Ruby set to work pouring the batter. As she did, she couldn't help but notice how her hands were more steady now. She felt like she was in better control over delicate tasks and she also felt happy with herself for successfully reading the recipe.
All of this though was reminding Ruby of Granny.
The way they would tell each other stories, sometimes sing silly tunes while they went about their work. The way Granny would always let Ruby lick up the spoons and mixing equipment. The way Granny's smile would always be at its widest when they were working together on a new recipe. The way Granny made home actually feel like home.
"You alright, Ruby?"
Looking up from the batter to see Belle's look of concern, Ruby shrugged and returned her attention to pouring the last of the mix. "Just remembering stuff." She put the pans into the oven. "Remembering when I used to bake with Granny."
"In a good way or a bad way?"
Ruby frowned, mulling over the question.
The memories did give off pangs of regret and pain. They reminded her of a time that was never going to come back. Of a bond that could no longer be rebuilt. Of a person who was long gone. Killed like an animal- unloved and forgotten.
And yet, there was still something warming about the nostalgia. About how she could still preserve Granny's memory by getting back into the hobby of experimenting in the kitchen.
"Mostly a good way." Ruby finally answered, managing a smile.
There was still tension to Belle after last night, and Ruby could still remember the erratic heartbeat that followed their conversation before sleeping. It was hard to figure out what it meant and neither of them brought it up.
Still, Ruby was worried. She wanted to make sure that there wasn't any rift growing between them as a result of any awkwardness. There was definitely still a part of Ruby that wanted to talk about the feelings she was developing for Belle. Feelings that were similar to what Ruby had once felt for Peter and for Dorothy.
But that could go horribly wrong and drive Belle away, which was the last thing Ruby wanted to do.
On top of that, Ruby still didn't feel confident with talking about her feelings in general. In the past few weeks, she had avoided talking about the facility unless someone else brought it up. Usually Neal when he gave updates on the investigations and the legal issues. They did have another campfire get-together a few more times, though talk started to shift more towards what they wanted to do after this or where things were progressing with Gold and the facility.
Sometimes the Dunbrochs would still talk about their experiences, and Mrs. Dunbroch always struggled to maintain her composure when faced with the struggles her husband and her children had to go through.
Regina didn't open up about her childhood very much, but she and Neal compared notes a few more times. Emma had another incident involving getting drunk out of her mind, falling over and then crying about how this was the only family she'd ever known and she couldn't bear to lose them. They helped Regina settle her down and put her to bed.
In general though, Regina's talk with Emma seemed to keep her more aware of how much she consumed. That and Mrs. Dunbroch told Killian to slow down on buying alcohol. She didn't like the idea of stocking a lot in the cabin.
"Ruby?"
Startled out of her train of thought, Ruby looked at Merida.
"Wanna go out for a walk after this?"
Nodding, Ruby said, "Sure."
Maybe she could ask Merida what she thought about the increasing nervousness Belle had been displaying lately.
"Yes, we'll meet you by the roadside on Sunday." Neal had converted a corner of the study into his own office- laptop before him, several monitors around him. "Yes, we'll be ready for you. But you'll probably meet with just a few of us first. Then if the others are willing, they might join like towards the end of the meeting."
Belle couldn't hear the voice coming from Neal's headset, but he turned to her, covered the mic and gestured towards the laptop. "You'll be part of the first meeting, right?"
"Yes."
Neal nodded and returned his attention to the lawyer on the other end of the line. "Mrs. Romanova… Sorry, Anya." Throwing a wink towards Belle, Neal mouthed 'she's cute', earning an eye-roll and a swat on the shoulder.
Stifling his chuckles, Neal returned to his more professional tone. "Yeah, on Sunday, you'll be talking to me, Belle and the Dunbroch parents. Possibly Mulan and Aurora but I have to doublecheck that first."
He paused.
"Right. Sounds good. Lemme know if you have any more updates. Thanks. Bye." Upon ending the call, Neal removed his headset and turned to Belle. "So the meeting's all set. She'll be meeting me and Killian by the road on Sunday morning and she's willing to be searched and blindfolded before we take her here as long as we allow her to bring her husband and another companion."
"And her husband and that companion are…" Belle bit her lip as she sought a more tactful way to put it. "…trustworthy?"
With a smirk, Neal waved a hand at his setup and the screens shifted to show pictures of Anastasia Romanova, the lawyer they were in contact with, as well as two other people- a man with a hooked nose and a woman with stunning green eyes.
"Dimitri Romanova, chill dude who took his lady's name, had a bit of a sketchy past. Was into some low-level cons as a kid, a lot like me, Emma and Killian. Eventually shaped up and now hosts acting workshops and runs a casting company. Met Anya as a kid, bonded over immigration, I guess? And probably over how they're both hot as hell."
"Probably more over trying to find a place to fit in." Belle folded her arms across her chest. "Moving here was tough on me at first, too."
"Did you resent your Dad for it?"
Belle shrugged. "Of course I was frustrated at first, leaving behind everything I knew. But I can't regret it, given how things have turned out."
"You don't regret ending up in a cabin in the woods with a bunch of supernaturals?"
Rolling her eyes, Belle was on the verge of retorting that it wasn't what she meant, but she found herself faltering.
If she thought about things hard enough, she couldn't deny that there was a part of her that was thankful for how things had turned out. Thankful to have known Ruby and Regina and Emma. Thankful to have worked side by side with the likes of Killian, Neal, Mulan and Aurora. Thankful to have had naïve eyes opened to the grim reality of the life of a subject kept in a research facility like Baelfire. Thankful to have ended up here instead of under Gold's thumb as another one of his loyal followers.
"I…" Belle's brow furrowed. "I don't regret that, actually."
At this, Neal seemed to be taken aback. He looked down at his hands, fidgeting with them. "I guess… I guess this is better than whatever crash and burn Killian and I were probably working ourselves towards."
Belle nodded.
Clearing his throat, Neal gestured towards his screens. "Dimitri seems to be on our side since he actually worked with an org and put together a fundraiser. They had like a little festival, with some improv workshops, booths and speakers and everything… all of it focused on supernaturals and how we should be treated like humans."
There was something about Dimitri and the smirk in most of his pictures that gave Belle the impression that he had that cocky kind of personality, possibly along the lines of Emma and Killian. But the fact that he was married to a lawyer willingly working with them, and the fact that he was so involved meant that he somehow understood.
That he wasn't swayed by the sectors of media trying to convince the world that the supernaturals were dangerous. That he was willing to use the tools he had and the skills he had to fight alongside them and show the world that Ruby, Aurora, Emma, Regina, the Dunbrochs, Neal… that they were all just human… that they just wanted to live their lives peacefully without being inspected and studied and experimented on.
He was on their side.
"What about the woman?" Belle finally remembered to speak.
Neal cleared his throat. "She's… Actually, the fundraiser is where she comes in." He showed a picture of the Romanova couple next to the woman. "Esmerelda Djali, seems to be good friends with Anya and Dimitri and a social justice activist. She organized the fundraiser with Dimitri and put together a group that's willing to stand with us and fight for us and…"
The steadiness in Neal's voice broke and he had to take a moment to clear his throat and take a breath.
"…that's… it's just really fucking touching and humbling and just…" Neal forced out an awkward laugh to ease himself. Clearing his throat again, he shook his head and looked away from Belle. "Shit, man…"
Belle put a hand on Neal's shoulder. "It's good to know we're not alone in this."
And he was right. It was touching and humbling to know how determined people were to help them. It was different when they were hearing about it on the news, but with an actual face to the name, with actual plans to meet people now…
It was breathtaking.
And Belle felt unsteady on her feet, just thinking about it.
"Belle…" Neal's voice was a shaky whisper as he looked towards her. "Do we really deserve all this support and shit?" He rubbed the back of his head, seeming to backtrack. "Well I mean Emma does. Definitely. For sure. And Ruby… and Regina and the Dunbrochs too."
Frowning, Belle squeezed Neal's shoulder. "What are you saying?"
The seriousness and guilt in Neal's eyes was disconcerting. Belle almost wished they could go back to just joking around and taunting each other.
"Me though? I'm a fucking con artist. I'm a thief and a hacker. I fuck up people's shit and take their money and I'm…" Neal's voice rose and he pointed at himself. "I'm exactly the kind of shithead that gives Emma and Ruby and the others a bad name!"
"Neal…"
"Would they still support me… support us? Given the shit that I've done?"
Belle moved to crouch in front of Neal and clasp his hands. "Neal, you're changing things now. What you've done now makes all the difference in the world."
Still drowning in his inner turmoil, Neal looked away.
"You're not all bad and you are not your father." Belle kept her voice firm while her grip on Neal's hand stayed soft. "There is good in you. Otherwise, Baelfire would still have its subjects to torture in the name of science."
Neal looked at Belle. "Really?"
"Really." Belle said. "That good in you is why we're all here now. That good in you is why Ruby and the others are finally safe. You deserve this support and solidarity. You're one of us."
Managing a smile, Neal nodded. "Thanks, Belle."
She stood up and leaned in to hug him, letting him press his face into her shoulder and wait for his breathing to settle and for the tension to ease.
"Are you up for sharing the latest updates from Mrs. Romanova?"
Pulling away from the embrace and clearing his throat once more, Neal said. "She prefers we call her Anya, actually. And yeah. There's some news."
The monitors transitioned to showing pictures of a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Ruby. The same strong jaw and long face. She wore a predatory expression that made Belle feel genuinely thankful she wasn't the person behind the camera.
"Canadian officials have Anita, Ruby's mom, in their custody." Neal's monitors then showed pictures of Baelfire and people protesting outside, accompanied by politicians at press conferences, addressing a crowd with signs, cameras and microphones. "With all the evidence about the abuses of Baelfire piling up, and all the backlash from the cover-up, a lot of our problems are starting to clear up."
"That's definitely good news."
"There's better news." The lightness to Neal's voice was back, and he was smiling again. "The charges against you, Mulan and Aurora are being waived."
An initial burst of joy bubbled through Belle, but she held it back, knowing that even if good happened to her, she wouldn't be able to relax until the victims of Baelfire were truly safe.
"Anya's preparing for me to get a community service deal if I plead guilty to my past crimes with Killian and Emma." He shrugged. "I'm willing to do that."
That was still good to hear so far.
"Emma's looking at the possibility of walking free from this and considering her sentence served."
"Okay, I feel like not-so-great news is coming up." Belle felt herself tensing up and had to remind herself to breathe.
"Ruby…" Neal shifted in his seat. "… hers is a difficult case. We can't deny what happened to those kids and there's hard evidence to back that up."
Belle knew she couldn't argue with that, but anger still fired up whenever it was brought up. "It wasn't like she was in control when that happened!"
"That's the thing though." Neal said, "That's what scares people. But since sentiments towards Ruby are starting to get pretty sympathetic since I started spreading footage of her treatment, there are good chances that the jury might be in favor of letting her walk free. Anya just thinks that there might be some minimal requirements tied to that freedom. Stuff like a monthly check-in around the full moon time."
Uncomfortable with the idea of having to deal with that, Belle knew she had to acknowledge it was a necessity given Ruby's past mistakes and her current condition. "I guess it's better to be safe and careful, yeah…"
"Yeah…"
"But I really hope that doesn't devolve into an abuse of power that'll just force Ruby back into captivity."
Neal nodded. "That was also a concern Anya had, but she promises to stick by us through the whole process of preparing paperwork that will keep that from happening."
They were putting a lot of faith in Anya and at this point there was little they could do other than hope for the best yet prepare for the worst.
There was something about the forest that always felt welcoming whenever she walked through it. Something in the air always felt cool and calming. The green of the trees and undergrowth was easy on her eyes. It felt like she had a place here where she would always be welcome, whether she pranced in on four legs or strode in on two.
And something felt familiar about sitting on a ledge, watching sunlight dapple its way through the trees. Something about it brought on thoughts of her childhood, sitting with Granny watching movies.
"Lion King." that was it.
"Huh?" Merida turned to give her a quizzical look.
Smirking at how awkward she felt but enjoying herself anyway, Ruby gestured towards the forest. "Everything… the light touches… is our… kingdom."
The expression Merida held was at first judgmental, but it crumbled into a fit of giggles. She held her stomach and shook her head. The laughter was infectious. Ruby laughed along too, remembering how many times she stood on her bed and pretended it was Pride Rock.
Even her dramatic reenactment of Mufasa, which involved sitting on the floor while clutching the side of her bed and screaming at imaginary Scar to help her.
"God, it's been so long since I last saw that movie." Merida leaned back, breathing out a sigh now that the laughter had subsided. "My brothers used to watch it with me all the time. I would be Scar of course, and they were the hyenas."
"I was the whole cast." Ruby admitted with a chuckle.
Merida's smile faded. "Been too long since we got to watch any movies, huh?"
That killed the mood really quickly. Ruby leaned forward, preferring to look at the forest instead of Merida. "Yeah."
They sat in silence for a while, Ruby uncomfortably thinking about the facility again. She still feared that this was temporary and she was going to be captured and dragged back into her room -her cell- at any moment. Her heart still sped up at the thought of being in the collar and cuffs again, at being held down by chains again, at being shocked by prods again.
If she would have to go through all of that again, Ruby wasn't sure how she was going to survive it after finally experiencing happiness and freedom like this.
Just the thought of seeing Gold's face once more made Ruby shiver. She brought her knees back up onto the ledge and wrapped her arms around her legs.
She didn't want to hear his voice again, see his face again, see the prod in his hand again. She didn't want to feel the burn of silver again, feel the brightness of her room making it impossible to tell the passage of time. She didn't want to be forced to eat mush with her hands again. She didn't want to be chained to her bed again. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't go back.
Couldn't go back.
Going back could kill her.
Her body was trembling and she was rocking back and forth.
Gold would be angry with her for escaping. Gold would be angry. Very angry. Maybe less food for a week. Maybe harder experiments. Maybe more aggressive guards. Gold would punish her so severely for escaping. He would make her regret even thinking about it. He would use the prod and make her see how fast she can heal after each blow.
Gold would be so angry.
"Ruby." The hand on her shoulder brought her back to the forest.
Blinking, Ruby realized she was breathing heavily and digging her claws into her knees. Retracting her claws showed holes she'd cut into her jeans. Blood stained her skin and the fabric, but the wound had closed already.
"What… what do you want to do after we can finally move out of the cabin?" Merida asked, squeezing Ruby's shoulder.
Breathing out a heavy sigh as she tried to get her breathing back under her control, Ruby put her hands down on the grass and let her legs dangle off the ledge once more. Clutching the grass helped remind her that this was where she was now. A place with trees and grass- warm and welcoming. A sanctuary.
"I want to get back into archery." Merida moved closer so her shoulder was touching Ruby's. It wasn't overbearing contact, and if anything, it helped ground Ruby. She leaned into Merida but didn't speak, preferring to just listen for now. "Maybe go back to Scotland. Mum and Dad were talking about the idea and I'm all for it."
Merida shook her head. "Too many terrible memories in this country."
Nodding, Ruby agreed. "Yeah."
Turning to look at Ruby, Merida gave a small smile. "Not all of them are bad, though."
The eye contact made Ruby uncomfortable. She looked away, back towards the forest.
"Hey," To shift to a lighter mood, Merida nudged Ruby. "Any luck making the moves on Belle?"
At the mention of this, Ruby felt her face heat up. Her heart was pounding again, but this time it was more of a nervous, excited energy than one full of fear.
"I… uh…" Ruby swallowed and shrugged. "Not yet. Never feels like… the right time."
"But you still fancy her, yeah?"
Ruby felt her face grow even warmer. She rubbed at the back of her neck, where her hair was starting to get thick and scruffy. "Feel like… feelings got… stronger."
Merida nudged Ruby again. "Just go for it, Rubes."
The idea of just going up to Belle and explicitly admitting romantic feelings to her was nerve-wracking. Ruby felt her knees turning into jelly and knew she wouldn't be able to stand up properly until this burst of erratic energy settled.
"Maybe not tonight since it's Emma's birthday." Merida corrected herself with a chuckle before patting Ruby's thigh. "Which, by the way, we should start heading back so we can help get the place ready before Regina and Emma get back from their camping trip."
With these jelly legs, Ruby wasn't sure if she'd manage a graceful walk back to the cabin. "Wanna race?"
Merida grinned before shoving Ruby's back to the ground and taking off. "Loser does the dishes!"
A playful growl rumbled in Ruby's throat as she scrambled to her feet and took off after Merida. The first few strides were awkward and stumbling before her legs finally remembered how to be legs.
By the time they arrived back at the cabin, they were covered in dirt and leaves from carelessly charging through the foliage. Ruby would have arrived first if Merida hadn't tripped her when they were just a few meters from leaping onto the porch.
Mrs. Dunbroch saw what happened and gave her daughter a bit of a scolding before ordering the two of them to shower.
Even if on every mental, logical level of her mind, Belle understood the connection Ruby and Merida shared, as well as Ruby's need for established friendships outside of Belle… there was still that damn twinge of jealousy whenever they came back to the cabin looking like they had a blast.
And for one moment of pure insanity, it crossed Belle's mind to wonder if Ruby and Merida ever engaged in any… physically intimate activity during their time in the woods together.
Cringing at herself in disgust, Belle focused instead on helping to setup the balloons while Neal and Killian hung the old cloth they'd vandalized to read HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA.
Ruby and Merida eventually came back, fresh and clean and ready to help.
With everyone pitching in, they were completely prepared by the time Ruby and the Dunbrochs announced that Emma and Regina were already walking down the path. They all took their chosen hiding spots and settled down to wait while Neal shut off the lights.
From her position, crouched close to Ruby, Belle felt conscious of the warm contact between their shoulders and thighs.
Belle's heart decided now was as good a time as any to start pounding rapidly. Accompanying the accelerated heartrate were butterflies in her stomach and warmth spreading over her cheeks and ears. Thank god for hair covering her ears, but was the blush showing on her face?
Glancing at Ruby, Belle was surprised to notice that she wasn't the only one with reddened cheeks.
Turning her head away so fast it made her head spin, Belle screwed her eyes shut. These butterflies and this blushing was absolutely juvenile and there was no room for that here. It was inappropriate! Belle had made a vow to wait for Ruby to be ready before taking any action in any romantic departments. That was the plan.
Plan?
Plan to what? Court Ruby in a few years?
That certainly wasn't creepy.
Not at all.
With the way her mind was going haywire, Belle wanted nothing more than to curl up under a blanket and hide.
The calloused, scarred hand that pressed against Belle's shouldn't have been as soothing as it was. "You… okay?"
"'Fcourse!" Belle hated how the garbled words tumbled out of her mouth. She cleared her throat and shook her head. "I'm fine, I just-"
"Sssh!" Merida's hiss came from the corner. "They're getting close by!"
Belle tried to show Ruby a reassuring smile, but the concern and confusion on her face didn't leave.
Thankfully, Emma's voice coming from the other side of the door meant they could stop acknowledging the awkwardness hanging in the air.
"This was great, Reggie." Emma's boots thudded their way across the porch. "Nice and chill, exactly what I was hoping for." The doorknob started to turn. "Nothing fancy, no fuss or-"
The lights came on and the group yelled "SURPRISE!" Followed by a very off-key rendition of Happy Birthday by a very uncoordinated choir, majority of which seemed to be tone-deaf.
Taken aback and thoroughly flustered, Emma fidgeted with the straps of her camping bags until Neal and Killian jostled her over to the cake on the dining table, where Mr. Dunbroch had already lit the candles. Her face was flushed and her eyes were shiny as she looked around at all the faces grinning at her and patting her on the back or (in Neal and Killian's case) ruffling her hair.
"I… Well I'm surprised, guys." She glanced at Regina. "Were you in on this?"
Regina's raised eyebrow was accompanied by a smirk. "Do you really think I wouldn't have been a major part of planning this?"
"God." Emma breathed out and ran her hands through her hair. "I don't know what to say. Shit. Fuck."
"Emma." Mrs. Dunbroch's warning tone got a sheepish smile out of Emma.
Lifting her palms up in a placating, surrendering gesture, Emma said, "Sorry ma'am. I'm just… gosh darn overwhelmed." She couldn't keep a straight face at her own filtered words, letting out a clipped laugh before continuing. "I… I'm really kind of just going blank right now, guys."
"We couldn't let our baby sister get away with not celebrating her birthday with one hell of a bang." Neal wrapped an arm about Emma's neck. "Now go and make a wish and blow out your candles, Emms."
"I just…" Emma shook her head. She breathed out again and put her palms on the table to steady herself. "Wow. Just wow."
"We wanted to help you feel special on such a special day." Mrs. Dunbroch said. "Ruby, Merida, Belle and I worked together on the cake, Killian got the supplies, Neal and Regina did majority of the planning and tasking, Fergus, Mulan and the boys grilled some steaks, Aurora planned the decorations and we… we all just wanted to pitch in and celebrate."
"God." Emma cleared her throat, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Okay. I… Thanks. Thanks a lot, everyone. I was not expecting anything like this. I didn't want any fuss and I just… I'm kind of glad you all did this coz I feel really fucking special right now and I don't know shit about handling this feeling."
She blew out the candles before turning to look at them all, eyes wet, chin trembling. "I'm really thankful as hell to have this weird as hell new family of werebears, a werewolf, some psychics and…" She glanced at Killian and Belle. "…and miscellaneous weirdos."
"Wait, what?" Miscellaneous weirdos? Really?
"Love you, Belle." Emma winked.
Belle rolled her eyes.
"CAKE TIME!" Killian swiped his finger through the icing and wiped it across Emma's face.
"Dude!" Retaliating, Emma did the same. The triplets took the liberty of joining in and started to put icing all over each other as well.
Mrs. Dunbroch confiscated the cake and pulled it out of reach before the playfulness could devolve any further. "I will distribute cake slices after dinner has been eaten."
The events that followed were a blur of eating and laughing and joking around. Eventually, Neal hooked up speakers to play music and took it upon himself to be the evening's DJ. Emma was already tipsy on the limited supply of alcohol Mrs. Dunbroch allowed Killain to buy. Still, she was capable of dancing with the triplets, trading their sparse knowledge regarding the latest movies and memes.
Looking around, Belle saw Regina sitting down at the table, fiddling with her fork and a few crumbs of cake.
"You okay?"
Regina shrugged. "I'm… admittedly still worried about Emma's drinking."
Belle sat down next to Regina. "Did you get to talk to her about it?"
"She expressed that she would be more aware of it." Regina kept her eyes on the crumbs, cutting them into smaller and smaller pieces. "She at least seems to be hurdling the initial shock of finally being able to engage in alcohol and fun again. So this phase may just be temporary."
Nodding, Belle said, "It could be temporary, yes. And at least for now, I think she deserves to have a little fun."
The expression Regina held was bittersweet as she looked at Emma, laughing and flashing exaggerated moves at the triplets. "Her first birthday in the facility was rough. I… I tried to make it as painless for her as I could but… but there was only so much I could do, given the situation we were trapped in."
"She values you a lot, and I'm sure she's more than grateful to you."
"We kept each other going through some of the darkest times." Regina sighed. "This whole party was just… me trying to give her the birthday celebration I wished I could have given her when she was stuck at Baelfire."
Belle gestured towards Emma. "And look at her now. Having the time of her life, being the wild twenty-year-old she deserves to be. Being the carefree person she could never be. Being happy."
"REGINA!" Emma's voice was louder than it needed to be as she called for their attention. "Get your hot ass over here and dance with me!"
Rolling her eyes but unable to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her lips, Regina stood up. "Coming, dear."
Happy to see Regina going over to join in the fun, Belle looked around the living room. The triplets were having the time of their life with Emma and Regina while Mr. and Mrs. Dunbroch danced together in their own corner. They were laughing and whispering to each other and taking turns trying out moves, some of which Belle vaguely recalled seeing her father do after a little beer and music during the holidays. Aurora and Killian were dancing as well, weaving in and out of the Emma's cluster.
That was when Belle noticed Merida, Mulan and Ruby sitting on the coach, looking awkward and uncomfortable. Belle moved over to sit with them and was about to ask them how they were doing when Aurora stumbled her way to Mulan, clearly more than just tipsy by this point. "Mulan, come!"
"I-I-I don't dance." Mulan threw a helpless look in Belle's direction. "I don't really know how."
"You don't have to." Aurora took both of Mulan's hands. "Come on. Please?"
"Nobody here cares if you can dance or not." Belle urged Mulan. "Just give it a try. The point is to have fun tonight, right?"
Still looking uncomfortable but not willing to disappoint Aurora, Mulan allowed herself to be pulled over to the cleared part of the living room that had been delegated as the dance floor.
"What about you two?" Belle stood up and extended her hands towards Ruby and Merida. "Why don't we join in that party?"
They looked shocked, exchanging wide-eyed looks and hesitating.
"Just a few minutes, then you can go back to the couch if you don't find it fun. How's that sound?"
After another pause, Ruby took Belle's hand. Merida, after chewing on her bottom lip, did the same. They allowed Belle to pull them to their feet.
"Let's do something that you won't have to think too much about." Belle took Merida's hands and glanced at Ruby. "Ruby, may I?"
When Ruby blushed while nodding her head, Belle guided Merida's hands to Ruby's waist, ignoring that stupid spark of jealousy that bubbled up when Merida and Ruby exchanged a look that was hard to read.
"Now Ruby, you can put your hands right here." The warmth of Ruby's palms made Belle's stomach flutter once more. She thought her heart might just jump out of her chest once Ruby's hands were in place on Belle's waist.
Unable to stop a nervous bubble of laughter, Belle managed to clear her throat and continue in a more composed voice. "Okay, so just follow my lead. Ready?"
"Ready."
"Yeah."
Shaking off the giddiness, Belle swayed her way towards the dance floor, leading her new congo line through the party and trying not to feel conscious of how silly and uncoordinated she definitely looked. The other groups parted to let their line through before joining in. Mulan and Aurora were the first to take their places at the back, followed by everyone else.
As they continued, Belle felt the discomfort ease. She relaxed into the feeling of just enjoying the night without worrying about how she looked or how she was never really one of the kids who took over the dance floor. She didn't need to be. She was among family and she was comfortable and nobody was judging anybody.
The rest of the night was full of laughter and awkward dancing before Killian had Neal change the music. He cheekily winked at the group. "This one's for the couples who never got to slow dance at prom." The beat slowed to calmer music, to a sentimental song of love.
Heart beats fast…
Ruby felt her own chest tighten and her own heart pick up its pace as she looked at Belle, who seemed to be just as shocked and flustered, the redness creeping over her face once more.
Colors and promises…
How to be brave…
Emma, already wrapped in Regina's arms, swayed over and nudged Belle, causing her to stumble forward.
Without thinking, Ruby caught Belle, an arm about her shoulders, another around her waist. When she stiffened, Ruby felt her throat go dry and started to move her hands away.
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall…
But Belle relaxed into the contact as she straightened up and settled a hand on Ruby's shoulder while the other took Ruby's own hand, interlacing their fingers. The distinct difference in their palms made Ruby feel uncomfortably aware of how scarred her skin was. It was in stark contrast to Belle's smooth, soft hands.
Belle didn't seem to mind that, but she did point their linked hands in Emma's direction and raised a middle finger.
Emma, with her hand at the small of Regina's back, flashed back her own discreet middle finger.
One... step... closer...
Returning her attention to Ruby, Belle took the lead, working their way slowly through the dance floor, a step at a time, bodies close, hands clasped.
Flailing wildly to loud and fast music was one thing, but swaying slowly and keeping pace with Belle was another thing all together. Ruby felt uncoordinated and lost. She kept her eyes on their feet, worried about stepping on Belle's toes.
"Ruby, I know I'm short," Belle moved her hand over to Ruby's chin, guiding her into making eye contact. "But I'm pretty sure I'm not that short."
"I-I…" Ruby's eyes darted over to Emma and Regina, who seemed to be doing fine, then over to Mr. and Mrs. Dunbroch, who were slowly swaying together in one corner. They knew what they were doing and Ruby wasn't. "Afraid of stepping on your feet."
"It's okay." Belle's voice was in that reassuring tone that always helped Ruby relax.
She finally met Belle's eyes, only to feel a fluttering heart, a twisting stomach and a burning face.
Nervously, Ruby looked away, glancing around the room again. Mr. and Mrs. Dunbroch were embracing each other, Aurora had her head on Mulan's shoulder, Emma and Regina were cheek to cheek, seeming to have a whispered conversation.
Merida and her brothers were sitting on the sofa looking spent. Killian and Neal were sitting by the speakers, nudging each other.
"You okay?" Belle asked.
Bracing herself for another wave of giddiness, Ruby returned her attention to Belle.
Time stands still…
Beauty in all she is…
"Do you want to stop?"
I will be brave…
Ruby shook her head. "I… I like this."
I will not let anything take away…
…what's standing in front of me…
"I like doing this. I like being here." Ruby adjusted her hold on Belle's hand, now also worried about clammy palms. "I… like being here with you… I like…"
Every breath… every hour…
… has come to this…
"…I like you."
Swallowing visibly, Belle was now the one looking down at their feet. Ruby could hear the pounding of both their hearts, loud and erratic, panicking to escape this situation. The heat to her face and the twisting in her stomach was growing to be too much. The room was spinning and Ruby wanted to run away, but she forced herself to stand still.
"Ruby…" Belle's eyes shone when they finally met Ruby's. "…I'm scared of messing up what's between us."
Tilting her head to one side, Ruby frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What if you just like me because I helped free you?"
I have died everyday waiting for you…
"Of course that's… part of it." Ruby admitted, resisting the urge to look around the room for an escape route or call for backup from Merida. "But more than that too."
Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you… for a thousand years…
Licking her lips, Ruby braced herself for the leap she never had the courage to take with Dorothy. "The peace on your face when you read to me. The… the way you tease Aurora. Encourage Mulan. Respect Mr. and Mrs. Dunbroch."
It was Belle's turn to close her eyes and look away.
"The way you understand Regina. Get patient with Emma. Read people and help them feel good." Ruby adjusted their hands, now very sure that hers were damp and fearing Belle would recoil.
But she didn't.
"The way you're soft to who needs it and hard to who deserves it." Ruby continued, remembering the courage and anger Belle used to stand up to Gold, in contrast with the gentleness she showed towards Ruby and the other victims of the facility.
And all along I believed I would find you…
Time has brought your heart to me…
"I can't deny it." Ruby found firmness in her voice as she kept going. "I can't not say it."
I have loved you for a thousand years…
"Belle, I feel the way I do… about you…" Ruby thought her knees would buckle when Belle finally looked up with wet eyes and an expression Ruby couldn't read. "…because you're you."
I'll love you for a thousand years…
"Ruby, I…" Belle's voice wavered. "I have feelings for you, too."
The smile that spread over Ruby's face was one she couldn't fight back. Her heart was dancing around and her stomach was doing back flips.
"I really want to see you happy and I want to protect you from… from everything. But…" Belle shook her head. Ruby frowned, not sure what direction this was going. "But I also want you heal and develop friendships and… and grow."
Ruby was confused. Why did Belle not sound happy over their mutual feelings for each other?
"I'm proud of how far you've come and how you're so much stronger than you think." Belle continued, "I love how gentle and careful you are and I love how your smile fills up your whole face."
"But…?"
Something bad was going to happen, wasn't it? Ruby felt fear creeping in.
"You mean more to me than words can say." Belle said, "But I'm… I'm just really afraid of breaking whatever we have. I'm afraid neither of us are ready and I'm afraid it might just… cause everything we've built so far to just… crumble."
Ruby's brow furrowed and she took a step closer to Belle. "I want to try anyway."
"Even if there's a risk?"
"Yes."
Belle moved even closer, leaning her head against Ruby's shoulder. Her heart fluttered at how well their bodies fit together. "Then… then me too."
Note 2:
I have a lot of feelings about this song and Red Beauty okay.
That aside...
With us nearing the end, I just want to thank you all for riding this out with me. Thank you for enjoying the insane update schedule I gave you last year when this first launched and sticking around when things slowed down. For staying with me through the angst and getting giddy with me through the fluff.
Y'all are great. Tune in for the epilogue, which should be coming in sooner than later, I hope.
I love y'all.