HOLY LILITH THIS TOOK SO LONG TO PUT OUT! Okay, so I have a few chapters written already, but because of school and personal stuff me AND my beta have been hella busy. Thus, the late chapter. Emma and Gina aren't in this chapter because...well I love a good mini cliffhanger. Anywho, I'm so sorry about the late update, but I can't say it'll never happen again. Heh...I'm quite unreliable. ONWARD WITH THE STORY!

Ruby sat patiently on a stool in front of the cashier of Granny's. What was she waiting on? Well, that is a bit of a loaded question.

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There is a saying, "Wolves mate for life," but Ruby Lucas had never thought it to be true. She hadn't grown up around any wolf other than Granny and even then she didn't know her grandmother was one. However, in that moment when she first saw Belle she knew it had to be true. Belle, unfortunately, hadn't yet guessed what fate had in mind for the two, so the young wolf wasn't too surprised to see her walk into the diner with a mysterious man on her arm.

"Ruby, go take their order while I go get some more patties from the freezer." Granny nodded in the direction of the woman her granddaughter was falling for.

"I can go get the patties, you know, so you don't strain your back again," The wolf replied quickly, trying to come up with an excuse as to why she didn't want to take their orders.

However, the older wolf immediately took offense to Ruby's statement. "So I'm old now, eh? Go take the damn order," She spat, tossing a notepad at the woman's head.

Rubbing her sore forehead, Ruby walked almost excruciatingly slow towards the table that her crush, Belle, was sitting at.

"Oh, Ruby! I didn't know you were working today, hi," the younger brunette chirped cheerfully.

"H-Hey, yeah one of the other wait-waiters called in sick-ck so I had to fill in. U-Um, so wh-what can I get you a-and your friend?"

"Oh, this is Will," the friendly looking man gave her a nod and a small smile in acknowledgement. "I'll take a garden salad with a Dr. Pepper. What about you, babe?"

"I'll have the fish n' chips and the same drink as my beauty here," Will smiled brightly, his lovestruck eyes gazing at the younger brunette. Ruby cringed at their endearing glances as she scribbled down their orders.

"It'll be right out!" Ruby quickly hurried away from the table knowing she needed to distance herself from the ongoing envy raging in her heart.

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Later that evening:

Ruby woke from a loud banging coming from downstairs.

Who the hell is up still? Don't people have work tomorrow? The wolf thought, exasperated, while shaking her head as she trudged out of bed. However, as soon as she made it downstairs what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks, transfixed with shock. Belle was standing at the door in a short red dress, the one she'd worn for her date, but was missing her coat and her hair was riddled with knots. The brunette was crying hysterically, creating black streaks cascading down her flawless cheeks, the mascara proliferating across her face creating stark contrast to her blush and red, swollen eyes.

"Belle! What's wrong? Are you alright?" The older brunette swung the door open and immediately ushered the vulnerable woman inside.

"I-I'm sorry for bothering y-you so late. I-I-I...just have n-no where else t-to go," Belle sputtered between sobs as Ruby enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey, you can always come here," she responded consolingly. "Come on, I'll get you some warmer clothes and can stay here, yes?"

"I-I...thank you."

"No problem, let's head up to my room, once we get you cleaned up we can talk."

"Okay."

As soon as they headed upstairs, Ruby went to work grabbing proper shower materials for Belle. While the younger woman showered she searched her drawers for her favorite fluffy pants and tee. Once she found it she laid them out on the bed and went back downstairs.

Once the young librarian had finished showering and changing she sat on the bed and waited for Ruby's return.

"Oh, you're out. I went to go grab some snacks from downstairs. Feeling any better?" Ruby asked after walking into the room with an arm full of snacks that she plopped on the bed next to her.

"Yeah, the shower helped, thank you. Uh, Ruby why do you have so many snacks?" Belle responded, tilting her head and scrunching her nose to make an adorable confused face.

"Belle, it's not a proper sleepover without snacks and movies!" The wolf replied cheerfully with a smirk. "Now do you want to talk first then binge watch our dumb Disney versions or watch then talk or just watch and no talk?"

Belle flashed a small smile. No one had ever been so thoughtful towards her. Of course, Rumple tried occasionally, but no one actually succeeded in helping. Yet, here she was sitting on Red's bed and her presence itself was calming her. She felt more safe and loved than she ever could remember. And to think they'd only known one another for a few weeks! Suddenly she realized she couldn't imagine her life without her.

"First option, I suppose." Ruby nodded, beckoning Belle to begin. "Nothing in particular happened I guess. I saw Rumple walking out the woods, lord only knows what he was doing there in the first place, but all I could think was that I needed to go stop him from doing something bad again a-and I-" The younger brunette started crying again and the wolf carefully wrapped her arms around the woman beset with tears.

Chocking back her sobs, the woman continued in Ruby's warm embrace. "I-I just kept thinking that. And it sucks. God, it sucks thinking that you're responsible for someone else's choices. I know in my heart and I know logically that it's not my fault, but then again maybe I didn't love him enough? May-maybe I could have done s-something..."

"Belle, you gave him everything you had and more. You know that his mistakes are not your own and no one blames you, so stop blaming yourself. I know it's easier said than done, but you did everything you could... You loved him when no one else did, you have to understand that you did everything you could. It's not your fault." The older brunette held the younger woman as she sobbed, chanting "It's not your fault," softly into her hair.

After a bit of time in the wolf's warm embrace, Belle leaned up and said, "So onto the better part of this sleepover then," she sniffled out.

The two settled under the covers with Ruby's laptop and a mountain of snacks, binge watching movies until they'd eventually fallen asleep.

Before she officially dozed off, Ruby cleaned up a bit. Gazing lovingly at Belle's resting form as she slid back underneath her covers, she leaned forward and tenderly kissed the younger woman's forehead.

I know you don't need more right now, but if this is all I can have...I think I'm okay with that, she thought with a smile and drifted back to sleep.

So what was Ruby waiting on? She was waiting for change and realization.

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She was waiting for Belle.

Whatcha wanna see happen in these next few chapters. Although, I already wrote them...rip. Feel free to give me ideas still lmao.