Chapter 10 Last Time?
By the time morning hit, Ruby had just started to wake up. She had hard time sitting up from the pain in her stomach. She got up and laid on her bed, looking up at the wall. Before she could do anything else her door barged open. Granny was at the door again, but this time all clean no hint of blood on her. Ruby sat up on her bed when she noticed Granny's presence.
"You're finally up." Granny spoke as she came inside with a steaming cup in her hand. "Here drink this."
Ruby gave granny a questionable look as she looked at the cup. "No thanks" she said as she looked away from her.
"Don't be stubborn, Ruby." Granny pointed as she handed the cup to Ruby to take. Ruby looked inside the cup and felt the steam hit her face and scrunched her face up in disgust at the smell. She quickly pushed the cup away from her face.
"There is no way I am drinking this."
"You have to. I suggest you drink it now while its still hot." Ruby felt cornered. She wasn't going to escape granny in her state.
"Fine" she said as she held her nose and chugged the whole thing down in one go.
"Good girl" Granny said as she took the cup from Ruby. "Have you thought about what I told you?" Granny asked.
Ruby avoided Granny's gaze as she laid back down on the bed to avoid her entirely.
"I have no reason to lie to you about your mother's death. I know how much she means to you. I just want you to take the initiative and start protecting your pack." Granny stated as she looked straight at Ruby for few seconds then walked away.
"I know, Granny." Was the only thing Ruby said as she noticed Granny leave her room.
Ruby stayed in her bed contemplating. She was so confused yet she knew Granny wouldn't lie about her mother's death.
"I have to go see Regina" she told herself as she got up. After changing she decided to sneak out so Granny wouldn't stop her from leaving.
She ran as fast as she could past the forest to finally enter the Evil Queen's Kingdom. She made her way past the people and the guards around. When the castle was in her view, she quickly made her way to the garden side of the castle. She climbed the wall, hoping she would get a chance to meet Regina as she waited underneath the big apple tree, behind its trunk.
She waited and waited but no sign of Regina. Then finally she saw two guards enter the garden, they both stood by the gate on each side as Regina walked further into the garden. 'Finally!' Ruby thought to herself as she saw Regina walk towards her way.
'Regina' she tried to whisper when she saw Regina tend to the flowers. But Regina couldn't hear her. Ruby tried several times again but no luck. She smacked her face and groaned in annoyance. She looked up as she jumped up and down in her place impatiently. Then an idea clicked in her mind. She jumped a little higher and took a hold of an apple and broke it off from its stem. She crouched down and rolled the apple down the path towards Regina. Luckily for her, the apple hit Regina's shoe which caused her to look down and pick up the apple. With confusion all over her face, Regina looked towards the apple tree and noticed Ruby standing under the shadows halfway behind the trunk. She gasped at the sight.
She quickly made her way over to the tree. She stood in front of Ruby unable to get anything out.
"Regina…" Ruby noticed Regina looking everywhere but at her.
"You shouldn't be here, Ruby" Regina said still avoiding her eyes.
"I know…. I know. I just needed to see you…so much has happened…. I don't even know where to begin..." Ruby fumbled with words as she tried to explain what happened to her last night.
"There is no use of explaining anything anymore" Regina spoke with a curt like voice as she finally looked at Ruby.
Ruby stepped out of the shadow to get close to Regina. "Don't!" Regina said as she stopped Ruby is her tracks and took a step back herself. Ruby was shocked at the action and hurt as well.
"What's going on? Why won't you come near me?" Ruby asked as she tried to catch Regina's eyes who was trying her best to not look at Ruby.
"You need to leave from here and never come back" Regina spoke as she finally managed to look into Ruby's eyes who looked so distraught. "We can't be together. It's over, Ruby".
"What?" Ruby went against Regina's wishes and stepped up from behind the trunk. She got in front of her and was about to cup Regina's face, so she was able to look into her eyes to know the truth behind her words. But Regina smacked away her hand midway and turned her face away from Ruby.
Ruby kept her eyes on Regina then looked at her rejected hand. The pain was in her heart was intense. She didn't know things would end like this.
"We can't be together anymore. It's over, Ruby." Regina let out as she felt the tears run down on her cheeks. She turned away from her and was about to walk away when Ruby took hold of wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her head around and looked at Ruby with tears in her eyes. Not wanting to make this anymore difficult, Regina started to pull her hand out of Ruby's grasp who just kept looking at her with pale look on her face.
Tears started to stream down on Ruby's face too at the sight and at the words that had come out of Regina's mouth not too long ago. Before she knew, she pulled Regina against her chest and held her close to her body. She wrapped her arms around Regina and held her tight not wanting to let her go.
"I love you, Regina!" she confessed. Regina went still at the confession. More tears running down her face at the realization of her heart breaking in pieces. She couldn't help it but hold on tight to Ruby as well.
"I love you too, Ruby"
After couple of minutes, they pulled away from each other but kept their arms wrapped around each other.
Ruby then moved her arms off Regina's waist and brought her hands up to her face to wipe away the tears.
"Will you come see me tonight?" Ruby almost pleaded not wanting things to end this way.
Regina shook her head in disapproval. "Mother is expecting me to be at the dinner tonight with our guests."
"Is it an important dinner?" Ruby asked with hope in her eyes.
"Yes, Queen Snow and King Charming with their daughter are coming over" Regina informed as she pulled away from Ruby.
Ruby stood there shocked at the information. Her mind went to Emma. She hoped this was not what she was thinking it was.
"Is that the kingdom you are getting married into?" Ruby asked as she noticed Regina had turned away from her.
"I believe so." Regina admitted as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to fall on her knees in defeat.
Regina felt a new wave of tears coming down on her cheeks but when she turned around Ruby was nowhere in sight. She couldn't help but breakdown on her knees. Her heart was breaking in pieces at the thought maybe she had lost Ruby forever.