Belle and Robert had been married for five years. They had a three-year-old son named Gideon. Belle loved her son and husband very much.
Robert was a very successful businessman, and he was always extremely busy. He rarely had time for his wife and son. He took his job very seriously; it was his empire.
He was also feared. He had been known to make life miserable for those who wronged him, whether that was making them go bankrupt, make them lose their house, frame them for a crime and put them in jail, or make them "mysteriously" go missing.
Belle, of course, didn't know that. Robert always put up a front for her, and if she did find out about any of the darker things he dealt with, he would apologize, say he would change, put that specific thing away for a while, only to go back to it a bit later and hide it more carefully from his wife.
Everyone knew who Robert was, the head and owner of Gold Enterprises. Most of those people feared him. They made sure not to cross his path or do anything to upset him.
That meant no one touched Belle. No one went near Belle, no one talked to her, no one befriended her. Except for Robert's rich friends and their wives, of course. And so Belle was very lonely. She spent her days with Gideon, baking with Eugina, a maid, cleaning, or, most of all, reading. At least being the wife of a billionaire paid off somehow; Belle had a whole library in the west wing of the mansion. But she kind of wanted something else to spend her time on.
So one day, after Robert got home from a meeting late at night, Belle came up to his office to ask him something she had been thinking about for a while now. "Robbie?" she called in her best cute little housewife voice.
"Yes, dearie?" His gaze barely flicked over her. He continued skimming through documents and barely gave her any mind.
"Well," Belle began, not sure how to ask this. "I think it would be good for Gideon to learn how to be around animals and learn some responsibility as he gets older. And I would like something more to do around the house, something to take care of-"
"Belle, get to the point," Robert said, clearly annoyed. He crumpled some kind of contract and tossed it into his wastebasket. "I don't have all day."
"Could we get a dog?" Belle asked in her best I'm-just-a-lonely-little-housewife-who-wants-to-get-a-puppy-for-our-son voice.
Robert slowly looked at her. "A dog? What do you want with a smelly mutt?"
"It doesn't have to be smelly! And you'd hardly know it's here! I'll take care of it, train it, play with it, everything! And, darling, I'm so lonely! It's so quiet here with just Gideon and Eugenia and a few other maids! It would be good to have something else around the house!" Belle pleaded.
Sighing, Robert considered this. "Do you really think it's a good idea for our son to be around such a beast?"
"It would give him someone to play with, besides me and Eugenia!"
"What about the children from his playgroup?"
Belle groaned. "aLl the children are stuck-up and spoiled, just like their mothers. Last week they all debated over who's diamond necklace is better, Mary Margaret's or Kathryn's, and all the kids oohed and aahed over Phillip Jr.'s new tricycle."
"Dearie, there's got to be someone you like," Robert reasoned, somewhat exasperated.
"Well, there's Regina, Ashley, and their kids, but Regina shares custody with Henry's birth mother, who has him on weekends, and Alexandra's so shy and never wants to do anything!"
Robert sighed again and looked up at Belle. "A dog?"
"Oh, yes, Robert, please!" Belle begged. "I've always wanted one, but father was so allergic!"
"FINE. Now I must get back to work. Will you leave me alone?"
The SPCA had a wide selection of dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, brown dogs, black dogs, white dogs, yellow dogs, grey dogs, even pink dogs. From Great Dames to Chiuwawas, fancy poodles to mangy mutts.
Though Robert had wanted to get a dog from a breeder, Belle had insisted they rescue a dog. So they could do something for the dog too, Belle had said. After enough of losing, Robert finally gave in and sent Belle and Gideon to look for a dog.
Belle had wanted to get a puppy, but that didn't seem to be what Gideon had in mind. The boy was drawn to the bigger dogs, calling them "giwant buppies". But a lot of the big dogs didn't exactly like Gideon in return. Some barked, some nipped, some peed all over the floor and cowered in a corner. Unfortunately, Belle didn't want a dog that wasn't good with kids.
So Belle was at the front desk, apologizing for wasting everyone's time, and the worker, whose name was David, insisting that it was okay and it's important to find the dog right for you.
She had her back to Gideon, who soon began exploring the lobby. When Belle finally turned around, Gideon was on the back of a large dog being led in by an odd-looking man in a lab coat.
The dog's owner looked nervous and looked around, trying to locate the child's parents. He had a tight hold of the dog's leash, and actually tugged it back, causing Gideon to lose his balance and nearly fall, but the dog regained its own balance and allowed Gideon to settle down.
Belle quickly ran over to the scene and picked Gideon up off of the dog's back. "Gideon, no! I told you no running off!" she scolded her son, placing him on the ground.
"Sorry Mommy," Gideon apologized in his cutest little boy voice, hoping he wouldn't get in trouble.
Shaking her head, Belle turned to the man. "Sir, I am SO sorry. I just took my eyes off him for a moment! I had no idea he'd run off, I thought I had taught him bett.." She trailed off, as Gideon had begun laughing. The dog was gently licking his face, nuzzling up to him. Gideon had his hands all over the dog, pulling at its fur. "Sir," Belle said, turning back to the man in the lab coat. "Is the dog available?"
Looking shocked, the man started to shake his head, then seemingly changed his mind. "Well, you see, this bitch is a special case." Belle was about to reprimand him for cursing in front of Gideon when he went on. "My name is Victor. Victor Whale. I'm a doctor. I work with savage beasts." He looked like he was pulling that out of his ass. "And that collar she's wearing, it must never be taken off, under any circumstance. It keeps her… sedated."
"I- okay…? Anything else? Keep the collar on, got it. And that didn't exactly answer my question." Belle was stubborn, and if her son wanted this dog, then so did she.
"Nothing else," the man, Victor, said quickly. "I would love to get her off my hands. Her use has run out, and the lab I work in… Nevermind. She's all yours!" He shoved the leash into her hands.
Totally not suspicious, Belle thought. "Don't have to sign anything?" Victor shook his head forcefully. "Uh, okay. Does she have a name?"
"I call her 204- I mean, no." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Heheh, sorry."
Belle looked at the dog, which wasn't really a dog, it was more like a wolf. It had dark brown fur and striking green eyes that were somewhat human-looking. Its ears had cute little tufts of fur at the tips and the hair on its legs made it look like it had been running. It was large, especially for a female, but it had a slim, graceful figure. The wolf was beautiful. Arresting, more like it.
The entire ride home, the dog sat in the front of the car, in the passenger's seat, next to Belle, while Gideon sat in the back in his booster seat, clapping his hands together and saying "giwant wolf buppy" over and over.
As Belle contemplated how to ease the news of getting a monster dog instead of a puppy to Robert, the dog licked her face continually, no matter how many times Belle tried to push her away. The dog seemed bent on constantly telling Belle "thank you thank you thank you" while just about causing them to get in an accident.
When Belle hopped out of the car when they had arrived at the mansion and clipped the leash onto the dog, she examined the collar. It must never come off, that man had said. How odd. It looked like any other collar in all aspects other than the material. It was a soft, silky red fabric, with little swirls of designs on it. It looked much too expensive to be a dog collar. Belle wondered what it did.
The dog whined, and Belle looked up at her face. "What? You want this off? Well, sorry girl, but no can do. I obey my instructions. I hope you do too. Now sit and stay." Deflating, the dog sat and waited while Belle got Gideon out of the car.
"Can I ride the buppy?" he asked eagerly. Belle raised an eyebrow and looked from the dog to her son. Wagging, the canine stood and pranced around in its little circle. Belle was surprised the dog actually liked being ridden. Anyway, it was only a short walk.
Sighing, Belle agreed. "Alright." Gideon cheered as she placed him on the dog's back. She led the mutt, with her son on top of it, down the front walk and towards the house, stopping periodically when Gideon almost lost his balance.
When inside, Belle put Gideon in his playpen in the sitting room and took the dog to the kitchen to find something to eat. Eugina, the cook and head maid, was taking meatloaf out of the oven.
For some reason, when the dog saw Eugenia, she wagged her fluffy tail wildly and pulled her hardest to go towards the old woman. Belle stumbled after her, trying to keep a hold of the leash.
"Well, hello there!" Eugenia said, leaning down to pet the dog, an odd look on her face. "Who's this?" she asked Belle, looking up from the dog, who was furiously licking her face.
Chuckling and trying to pull the dog away, Belle answered. "Well, I was going to get a puppy for Gideon, but instead I ended up with a wolf!" She laughed, but the weird look passed over Eugina's face again, kind of a look of recognition. "Um, anyway, do you know what to feed a dog?"
Eugenia blinked. "Oh, yes, sorry. Most dogs eat dog food." the dog gagged, and Belle raised an eyebrow. What the hell? "However, some dogs hate it. I have some leftover pancakes in the freezer." The dog began wagging again.
"Thank you. I was completely unprepared for this," Belle laughed nervously.
"Of course," Eugenia said, smiling. She finally took her eyes off of the dog. "Oh, by the way, Mister Gold was on the phone, talking very loudly, then he left and drove away. I believe he's going to a meeting in Chicago. 'Suppose he'll be gone in a few days."
Belle went silent for a moment. Robert had just left. No note, no call, no goodbye. He just left.
"Isabelle?" Eugenia put a hand on Belle's arm.
"I- I just.. Can you watch Gideon for me? He's in his playpen in the sitting room. I just need a minute." She dropped the dog's leash and ran off to her and Robert's bedroom which seldom had both people in it at the same time.
Dropping on the bed in a classic Disney princess cry scene way, Belle stuffed her face in her pillow, not crying, trying to figure out how she was feeling. It was a few minutes before she felt a wet nose press against the back of her neck and a warm, furry body lay beside her.
She wrapped an arm around the dog and pressed her face into its fuzzy neck, opening her mouth in a half-sob. "Does he even care anymore? Does he even love me anymore? He just left! He didn't even say goodbye! We have a son, we have a life together, and all he cares about it work!"
The dog curled itself better around Belle and sighed into her chest. Belle pulled it closer to her and cried into it. Listening to the dog's heartbeat and rhythmic rise and fall of the dog's chest made by her steady breathing, Belle cuddled and savored the comfort. "I just… I don't know what to do. I have to do what's best for Gideon, but I… I'm not happy. I want a loving, attentive husband, not one who is always working, pushing his family away, and treating people like shit."
"I want.. I want to be loved."
Luckily for Belle, the dog was housetrained, though it went way back in the backyard, in all the trees in bushes, as if it didn't want anyone to see her, and always came back looking embarrassed, which made Belle laugh.
A maid, Liz, helped Gideon come up with a name, and they ended up with Red. How, Belle had no idea. Well, they had to find something to call the dog, so oh well.
Robert had been gone for two weeks. He called a couple of times, at least letting belle know he was even alive, but the conversation was brief and usually ended with a "I'm busy, I have to go." No "I love you, talk soon."
While Belle cried sometimes, and she missed her husband, she also found herself somewhat happier, freer. She actually went places, saw people, did things. She couldn't remember the last time she actually had fun.
She accidentally took up running. She loved it, though. One day, when she was walking Red, the dog took offf, dragging Belle behind her on the leash, and it seemed their roles were reversed, Red was walking Belle. Belle had to run to not fall on her face. They went on runs together every morning now.
At night Red and Belle snuggled up together under the warmth of the covers. Sometimes Belle slept naked, and she loved the feel of the dog's warmth and fur against her bare skin.
Belle could understand why they called dogs man's best friend.
Gideon and Henry had had multiple playdates, because Regina and Henry's birth mother had been hanging out more. While at first Regina and Henry were wary around Red, soon they were playing with her happily, and Regina even started letting Henry ride her.
"Hello, Regina!" Belle greeted as she opened up the front door and saw the brunette there. A blonde woman was behind her, Henry in hand. "What brings you here? I don't think we had a play date today, did we? And I thought it was Emma's weekend."
The blonde nodded, smiling nervously. "I am Emma."
"Look, Belle," Regina started, looking awkward and somewhat afraid. "You're my best friend. We've known each other since Gideon and Henry were both two. O fell like we're really close. So I wanted you to be the first person I told. Well, before Miss Blanchard told you, she accidentally found out and that woman cannot keep a secret-"
"Regina, is everything okay?" Belle asked concernedly, touched by what Regina had said but worried for her friend. She picked up on Regina's nervous wringing of hands and Emma's biting of the lip. Henry couldn't stop smiling though and looked like he was trying to hold something in.
"I…" Emma stepped forward and grabbed Regina's hand with her free one. "We.." Regina paused.
"Go on, Gina," Emma urged gently.
"We.. are…" Regina took a breath. "Dating. We're dating. And I understand if you don't support that or like that or anything, but I care about you and I wanted you to know. I love Emma. So I'm sorry-!"
She was cut off by Belle throwing her arms around her. Releasing her after a minute of hugging, Belle held her shoulders and forced her to look into her eyes. "I'm so proud of you." She looked at Emma. "Proud of you both. I'm so happy for you two!"
Regina laugh-cried, wiping away a tear. She hugged Belle back. "Thank you. Thank you, Belle."
Belle lay in bed beside Red, sprawled out nude on the mattress. A glass of wine lay on the bedside table and Gilmore Girls was playing on the television.
She turned and faced her dog, snuffing her face in Red's thick, soft fur. Her hand ran up and down Red's back. She hit the collar and Belle paused, fingering the red strap. "Wanna tell me what this is? What does it do? Why can't I take it off?" Belle asked, more talking to herself than Red. "Who was that man? Where are you from? He said something about a lab. Why was he so eager to get rid of you? Why are you such a good dog?"
Red wagged and licked Belle's face, causing the petite woman to laugh. Belle pressed herself against Red and sighed. "I think it's depressing that the only other thing ever in this bed is a dog. My own husband is never here." A tear dripped down her pale and slightly slobbery face. "At least you love me, huh, Red?" she asked, scratching her canine friend behind her ears.
Red nuzzled up to her, giving the obvious answer "yes."
Robert Gold fished his phone out of his pocket as it began to ring. He glanced at the number briefly and answered it, holding it up to his ear.
"Yes?"
"We're almost ready. Had to close down Baelfire, the lab was getting too obvious."
"Already?"
"Yes. Get rid of all ties."
"I can't just-"
"If you want to keep your position, you will. Remember all we've worked for, Gold."
They hung up.
Robert sighed. He knew what he had to do.
Belle stared at Eugenia, who stared at Red, who stared back at Eugenia.
"Where did you say you got her?" Eugenia asked Belle.
"A man named Victor." Belle was trying to figure out why Eugenia looked at Red so weirdly. It was odd, and, if Belle had to admit it, unnerving.
"Did he say anything about her?"
"Um.. He said not to take the collar off. That it keeps her sedated. I was weird. He also mentioned a lab. And he was really eager to get rid of her." Belle propped her head on her hand. "I don't know, but she doesn't seem wild like he said she was."
"What about her collar?" Eugenia inquired.
"He said it keeps her sedated, and not to take it off, like I already said. It's weird. A strong material, but soft. Looks really expensive. It has no latch, and it's too tight to get it over her head. I kinda wanna just take it off and see what happens."
Just then, she heard Gideon calling from the other room and went to see what was going on, but as she walked away, she could hear Eugenia turn to Red and say "Ruby?"
"Raah!" Gideon yelled as he, donned in cardboard boxes as armor, hit Red with a balloon. "Take that, Evil Dragon! I am knight gideon, and I will make you pay for taking Fair Queen Isabelle of.." He paused for a moment. "Mommy, where are you from?"
Belle, who was sitting on the couch, the "Dragon's Lair", smiled at her son. "France."
"Oh, right, France!" Gideon resumed hitting Red with his "sword". "I am Knight Gideon, and I will make you pay for taking Fair Queen Isabelle of France!" Red sank to the ground and pretended to be dead, rolling on her back. "Mommy! I mean, Queen Isabelle! I beat the Evil dragon! I rescued you!"
"Yes, you did, my brave one." Belle laughed and looked lovingly at her son. It was still hard to believe that she had made that inside her. She took the balloon-sword from him. "By the honor invested in me, Fair Queen Isabelle of France, for the noble deed of slaying the Evil Dragon and saving me, I pronounce you, brave knight, Sir Gideon!" She tapped the balloon to both his shoulders.
Gideon giggled. "Yay!" He then went quiet. "When's Daddy getting back?" he asked. Red's ears pricked up.
"I… I don't know, Giddy."
"I had a granddaughter," Eugenia said one day while she and Belle were making cookies.
Belle looked up from the icing she was doing. "Huh?"
"Her mother was getting into things, so I took custody of her. I raised her from a baby. Beautiful girl, tall, attractive, strong, stupidly independent and rebellious. One day she revealed a secret to her boyfriend at the time, who was a complete jackass. And he hurt her. Badly. Took her, experimented on her. Took the one thing that kept her safe and turned it into a weapon. He was a scientist. He's spent the last while trying to cover up what he's done."
"I don't understand, why are you telling me this?" Belle asked, confused.
Just then, the oven started beeping. Eugenia reached down and opened it, pulling out a tray of cookies with an oven mitt. Belle returned to her icing.
"Her boyfriend's name was Victor."
Belle was in the sitting room with Red, Eugenia, and Gideon when Robert walked in briskly. She sprang up and ran across the room, attacking him with a hug. "Ah, hello dearie," he greeted stiffly. No "I've missed you" or "Sorry I've been gone so long". Belle cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. Red growled at this man touching her human. "You got a .. a dog."
"You said I could! And she's a good girl, aren't you, Red?" Red wagged, but kept her eyes narrowed on Robert, watching him closely.
"DADDY!" Gideon yelled, attaching his little self to Robert's legs. "You're baaaaacck!" Robert leaned down and patted his son's head.
"Belle, come with me to my office," Robert pried Gideon off of his legs and walked upstairs, his cane and heels clicking against the steps.
Belle followed him, much to Red's apparent dismay. The dog attempted to get up and follow, but Belle pointed and sternly said "Stay." Red whimpered, though she layed back down on the couch next to Eugina.
When up in the office, Robert immediately went to his desk and began fumbling through it's drawers, looking for something. "Close the door, dearie," he told Belle as she walked in. She did as told and preceded further into the office.
"Oh, Robert, I've missed you so much! What have you been doing?" Belle asked, wanting to know what had kept her husband from her.
"I had some business I had to attend to."
"But you'll stay home for a while now?" she asked hopefully, a look of desperation across her beautiful features.
Robert paused for a moment. He drew something from the bottom draw of the desk. He had found what he was looking for. A pistol. Belle's heart stopped. He loaded the gun with three bullets. "Get rid of all ties, Hades said. Unfortunately, a wife and son are ties."
"Y-you're going to kill me? Gideon too?" Belle asked shakily, taking a step back. There was no way out, he would shoot her before she got to the door.
"I have to. I've worked too hard to lose it all," Robert said coldly. He pointed the gun at Belle's chest, finger resting on the trigger.
"You always chose power over me," Belle said before Robert unloaded two bullets into her chest. She shrieked and fell to the ground, feeling her own warm, sticky blood pool around her.
She saw Robert walk over to her and point the gun straight at her head. "I'm sorry dearie." His finger applied pressure to the trigger and-
-A great mass of fur broke through the door. Robert redirected the bullet and it whizzed past Red, just skimming her neck.
The wolf was slightly knocked off course, but recovered, sailing straight for Robert, who now only had his cane as a weapon.
"Dammit!" he yelled as Red sank her claws into him, knocking him back onto the floor. Robert flung an arm up to guard his face and repeatedly hit Red in the ribs with his cane.
Red yelped and hesitated for a moment, allowing Robert the chance to throw her off of him and stand up, backing away. Belle could hear his labored breathing, and could practically feel his rage.
"You stupid beast!" he spat, approaching Red with his cane. The canine cowered for a second, then looked at Belle, bleeding out and dying on the floor. The dog growled and turned back to Robert, filled with more rage than the man.
She leapt at him, this time applying as much force as possible, since she hadn't been shot at that time. He went flying into his desk, banging his head and getting knocked out cold.
Red scratched at her neck, breaking the fabric of the collar that had already been partially torn by the bullet that had grazed her neck. The collar fell to the floor.
Belle heard whimpering, the cracking of bones, and then the pained moaning of a woman. She began blacking in and out, the pain in her chest too much and blood seeping out of her wounds.
She felt a warm hand grab hers and someone remove the apron she had been wearing because she had baked muffins with Eugenia and Liz and press it against the bleeding holes in her chest. "Oh, shit, Belle," a woman's voice said.
A girl was looming over Belle, a worried look on her face. She was named, her pale skin exposed, along with bruises appearing on her side and a cut on the side of her neck.
Belle cried out, and the woman pulled her close to her. She fished into Belle's pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Uh, what was that number again?" Five, one, one? No, nine, one, one." She quickly dialed the number, taking a second to figure out the phone. Good thing Belle didn't use a password. Belle heard her speaking with the operator.
The last thing Belle felt before slipping into unconsciousness was the woman pressing a soft kiss to her forehead and whispering "It's going to be okay."
Belle awoke in the hospital. Her chest hurt like crazy, but she wasn't dead, so she wondered exactly where those bullets had hit. She had heard of people waking up in the hospital and not remembering what had happened, but she remembered every last horrible detail.
She stared up at the white ceiling. A fly crawled across it, close to a light, and Belle followed it with her eyes until it flew out of the room. It was cold, and Belle wished for more covering than just a hospital gown.
That's when she noticed the hand, scratchy and rough but gentle fingers gripping her hand like it was the most valuable thing in the world. Belle ran her thumb over the back of it, feeling rough marks made by scars.
There was a sharp intake of breath from beside her, and Belle turned her head to see the woman from before. She had long dark brown hair, jade green eyes, pale skin, and naturally red lips. She was tall, her gangly long legs crossed in front of her.
"Hey," she said, and Belle immediately found comfort in her voice. The woman reached over to brush Belle's hair out of her face and Belle shot her own hand up and pressed the woman's hand to her own cheek.
Though at first rightfully stunned, the woman recovered and cupped her hand, caressing Belle's face. Belle sighed in contentment at the love found in that simple action.
"How are you feeling?" the woman asked Belle.
Belle hummed. "I dunno," she said kind of drunkenly. "My husband just tried to kill me. How am I supposed to feel?"
The woman chuckled lightly and her warm breath spilled out over Belle, making the smaller woman comfortably warm, even if only for a second. "Speaking from experience, pretty crappy."
Looking up at the woman, Belle tightened her face in confusion. "Who.. Who are you? You saved my life but.. How? I'm confused." She kept her hand overtop the woman's, intertwining their fingers together.
Allowing her to do so, the woman smiled nervously. "I'm Red."
"Red is a dog," Belle said, even more confused. Then she thought back to everything, that man Victor, Eugenia, Red's human-like traits, the scene in Robert's office. Her eyes widened. "Red is a person. Of course Red is a person." She closed her eyes and laid back. "And let me guess, the collar kept you a dog?"
"Wolf, actually," the woman corrected. "But yeah. And I was actually a wolf for seven years before you came along." She laughed. "Your friends had to help me get used to walking on only two legs again." Then she returned to being serious. "That collar was made from the cloak that originally kept me human, but that bastard Victor did something to it." She spat his name.
"Victor… that guy I got you from? He was a scientist?" Belle asked. Her body was starting to ache, but she wasn't sure if it was the cold, or just the pain that came with getting shot in the chest.
The woman nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly.
"Do you have… another name? Like, not Red?" Belle asked hesitantly.
Running her thumb lovingly over Belle's cheekbone, the woman nodded. "Mhm. It's Ruby."
"Ruby," Belle repeated, savoring the word. It felt good on her lips. "Ruby.. I like it. It's much better than Red."
Ruby was beautiful when she laughed. She was beautiful when she wasn't laughing, too, Belle decided. "Well, your adorable son gave me the name, so I had to put up with it."
Belle's eyes widened, and she sat up in a flash, only to lay back down, as pain shot through her chest and it was too much. Ruby gently pressed her down into the hospital bed, stroking her to help her calm down. "Gideon! Where's Gideon?!" Belle demanded.
"Hey, he's okay. Granny and your friend Regina are taking turns watching him," Ruby told her, calming Belle's nerves.
Belle looked at her curiously. "Granny?"
"Oh, uh, Eugenia," Ruby corrected herself.
"You're… her granddaughter?" Belle asked, and Ruby nodded. Belle's eyes widened again. "That means Victor's your boyfriend!"
Ruby cringed. "WAS my boyfriend. He kidnapped me, tortured me, experimented on me, and kept me a literal caged animal for seven years. So he WAS my boyfriend."
They went silent for a moment. Belle observed all the scars dotting Ruby's body, and the bandage wrapped around her neck, obviously because of the bullet wound. "You deserve better," Belle said finally.
Ruby shook her head firmly. "I was an idiodic girl who fell for the first hot guy who had money and complemented her legs. I trusted too easily. I never listened, not even to myself."
"And so you deserved to be a lab rat?" Belle countered. "And anyway, you do have amazing legs."
Ruby blushed. "Thank you, Fair Queen Isabelle of France."
Belle laughed loudly and nuzzled her face into Ruby's hand. "You remember everything, don't you?" Her eyes widened for what seemed like the millionth time today. "You remember everything."
"Yup. Even your naked body pressed against my equally clothed but then again hairy one." Ruby grinned wolfishly.
"God, that is disgusting. You could have told me you were a person." Belle crossed her arms.
Ruby laughed. "How?"
"Written a note?"
"Oh, with my huge, furry paws and non-opposable thumbs?"
Belle blushed. "I know morse code."
Ruby shrugged. "Well, I don't," she said dryly. "Besides, don't you think it was nice, cuddling freely with me?" Ruby teased.
Blushing, Belle curled up into a little ball, suddenly feeling extremely cold and self-conscious.
"You wanna blanket? Or some clothes? I could maybe get you something," Ruby offered, concerned. Belle nodded a yes please and Ruby hurried off to find something, but not before pressing a kiss to Belle's temple.
When Ruby returned with a blanket, she also brought a little boy on her shoulders. "Gideon!" Belle exclaimed, reaching out for her son. Ruby bent and allowed Belle to pick him up off of her shoulders before throwing the blanket over Belle and tucking it around her legs better.
"Mommy! Daddy got picked up by Emma and taken away! Because he hurt you!" He cupped his mothers face. It didn't feel as good as when Ruby had done it and Belle silently scolded herself for taking such notice.
She smiled sadly. "Yeah. Yeah he did." She looked for a way to change the subject. "Is Emma a cop?" she asked.
Gideon nodded excitedly. "Yeah! She's so cool! She even let me wear her badge and me an' Henry took turns bein' the cop and the robber! Regina an' Emma were the people the cop hadta save!"
He pointed to Ruby. "And Ruby's reawwy nice! She lets me ride on her shoulders and she makes me muffins with Eugenia, but a lot of times she comes here and sits with you. Once she read you a story and let me listen. She used to be a dog!" he rambled.
Belle laughed, and she was touched by Ruby's kindness to both her and her son. "Yeah, she was a really good dog, wasn't she?" Gideon nodded. "Well, now I'm glad I didn't feed her dog food. I wouldn't want to make Ruby grumpy. Then she might go all Big Bad Wolf and blow a bunch of houses down." She smirked at Ruby playfully, and Ruby winked. Belle blushed. What was wrong with her?
Ruby left Gideon and Belle alone together, and mother and son chittered away. Gideon told Belle all about what he had been doing, like how Daddy got hauled away to jail and Gideion got to ride in Emma's cop car, how he was scared when Belle was in the hospital room getting worked one, all his adventures with Henry and newly Alexandra, and Eugenia's awesome lasagna, though Belle knew it was actually frozen and could still hardly believe it.
Time flew by, and it was dark out when Regina came by. "So you are awake. I wanted to come up, but your dog said you and Gideon were talking."
Belle laughed, but she inwardly thanked Ruby for allowing her that time with her son. "Heh. I still feel like crap though."
"You've got to rest up. I need to take this little guy home to get some sleep; it's nine-thirty!" She picked up a complaining Gideon and allowed Belle to say goodnight before taking him home to go to bed.
Belle lay on the hospital bed, unable to sleep.
She was confused. Why had Robert tried to kill her? Did he ever love her? What was the business he had, and why did it lead to him attempting to kill his wife and son?
And Ruby. Why had Victor been so eager to dispose of her? What had he done to her? How the hell were werewolves real? Why.. Why did Belle care so much?
Ruby had been her dog. This was all so wrong and disgusting. Why did Belle blush when around her? Why did Belle feel the way she did?
Maybe it was the way Ruby held her; even as a dog it was always gentle and loving. Maybe it was how safe Ruby made Belle feel. Maybe it was that glint on her eyes, the one Belle couldn't help but search for whenever she saw the wolf or woman. Or maybe it was how loved her felt with Ruby. How valuable, how cared for, how wanted.
As much as Belle didn't want to admit it, there was something there.
In the quiet hospital, you could have heard a pin drop. Belle didn't though. She heard breathing. Familiar, comforting breathing that she had fallen asleep to many times. Right there, in the doorway of her room.
"Ruby?" she called quietly, but even then her voice echoed through the hall. The breathing stopped for a second.
"I thought you were sleeping," the wolf-woman admitted, coming further into the room.
"Can't. Do you just like to watch me sleep?" Belle joked, turning over to face Ruby.
Ruby laughed. "Yeah, actually I do. You're cute. Plus, I wanted to know that you were safe. I can't get you off my mind." She said it normally. There was no hidden meaning. Perhaps being a dog for so long had attributed to that boldness, but still, Belle wasn't used to that kind of honesty.
Belle blushed, and she was grateful the lights were off so Ruby couldn't see. "I'm good. Thank you for the blanket."
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you some actual clothes. The doctor said he wanted you in the gown so he could check up on your chest when needed," Ruby told her, sounding guilty and apologetic.
"No, no, you're absolutely fine!" Belle reassured her. Then she went quiet.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, concerned.
Belle flushed. "I, um.. Can you.. Can we.. cuddle? Like we used to? No, not like we used to, not naked or anything, I just meant.. You're so warm and I'm so used to falling asleep to your heartbeat and breathing."
Ruby blinked, stunned. "Oh, uh, sure! Of course!" It was probably Belle's imagination, but she thought she heard relief and joy in Ruby's voice. The taller woman walked over to Belle's hospital bed and awkwardly got on, weirdly wrapping her arms around Belle.
Belle leaned into the odd embrace, putting her head against Ruby's chest. It was kind of weird to be cuddling with a human female, and it seemed this was different for human-Ruby too.
Soon Ruby relaxed and gently caressed Belle's delicate body and breathed into her hair, occasionally pressing kisses there. Belle yawned and breathed in deeply, taking in the Ruby scent, which smelled like maple syrup, shampoo, and freshly baked muffins.
It wasn't long before Belle fell asleep, safe and comfortable in Ruby's arms.
Ruby could barely breathe. She couldn't believe it. After seven years of being kept and experimented on by Victor Whale, she was finally free.
She knew she should be happy, but to be honest, just being Belle's dog was amazing. There was nothing to worry about. No people-drama. Ruby could just play, relax, and cuddle in peace.
Well, at least this way she could actually talk.
Granny was glad Ruby was back and okay, which was a big relief, since Ruby hadn't exactly been the best granddaughter when she was taken.
Regina and Emma were cool. Emma sometimes teased Ruby about being a dog, but that was okay. Emma was Red's friend, and there was no reason she couldn't be Ruby's friend. And friends were allowed to tease.
Gideon still climbed all over her, and Ruby was happy for that. She was glad at least one relationship she had didn't have to change just because she wasn't a dog anymore.
And Belle. Oh, yes, Belle. Sweet, caring, adorable, soft, kind Belle. The girl Ruby had grown to love as a dog and could now better show that love to as a human.
Ruby loved Belle. When she was a dog, that was simple. She just loved. But now, as a person, it was harder. She didn't understand what her heart beat so fast when around Belle, or even thinking about Belle. She didn't understand why she couldn't think straight around the girl. And yes, pun intended.
Emma called Ruby up to the police station one day, which worried the werewolf. Belle offered to come with her, and Ruby gratefully accepted the kind offer. It was nice to have a friend to be there for you like that, even if you weren't sure if that friend was really a friend.
Belle drove, and promised Ruby she would help her re-learn sometime. And when Ruby confessed she never learned how to ride a bike, Belle said that her gardener Dorothy was a cross-country cyclist and maybe Belle could introduce them. They then went on the talk about the various other sports Dorothy did, including boxing, football, baseball, wrestling, and soccer. Dorothy sounded like a very scary lady.
They walked into the police station to find Victor Whale in a cell, looking scared, upset, and angry all at the same time. Ruby froze and immediately took hold of Belle's hand. It was soft and warm, and it kind of comforted Ruby when Belle squeezed back.
"This him?" Emma asked, sitting at the desk, feet up on it over a stack of papers. "The guy who kept 'ya?"
Ruby nodded, trembling. She was both terrified and furious, and she dug her nails into the palm of her free hand to help keep her grounded. It made her feel better when she smelled the rage coming off of Belle, too.
"'Kay. Needed more confirmation. I picked him up selling illegal drugs out of the back of his car. Did a background check, and he was a scientist who worked at this lab that closed down a bit ago, that was owned by, surprise surprise, Robert Gold."
Belle and Ruby looked at each other while they let that soak in.
"He's already earned himself a life sentence for all the shady crp he's been doing, but he'll be at Robert's trail," Emma told them.
Victor banged on the bars of the cell. "Ruby! Ruby, baby, you can't let them do this to me!" Ruby stared blankly at him, so many emotions running through her head and making it impossible to think. "Baby, I'm sorry! Don't let them put me in jail! I love you!"
Ruby had loved him. He used to be the most important thing in the world to her. He couldn't have changed that much, could he? Like this, he looked so much like the man she had once loved. Maybe he was still the kind, ambitious, strong, handsome man who had been her lover…
Seeing the conflict in Ruby's eyes, Belle grabbed Ruby's chin and forced the girl to look into her eyes. "Ruby, listen to me. No, don't look at him, look at me. He's lying to you. He's a bastard. He hurt you. No matter how much you think you might deserve that, you don't. He doesn't love you, Ruby. I do."
There was so much honestly and love in Belle's voice, it absolutely broke Ruby, who fell forward and sobbed into Belle's sweatshirt, allowing herself to be held and led out of the police station.
Oh god, how Ruby loved Belle.
Ruby, Emma, and Regina were sitting at a park bench, watching Gideon and Henry play in the grassy field with Pongo, Regina's friend Archie's dog they had taken with them because the boys missed playing with a canine, even though they made it clear that they loved playing with human-Ruby too.
Belle had an appointment to make sure she was healing properly after the incident, so regina had offered to take the kids to the park, and dragged Emma and Ruby with her.
"Harry and Ginny were such a cute couple though!" Regina said. Her and Emma were having yet another argument, this time about Harry Potter.
"No! They sucked! Harry is, like, the worst character in the entire series! And Ginny didn't even get to name any of their kids, except maybe Lily Luna, and that just adds to Linny!" Emma told Regina.
Regina rolled her eyes. "That is suck a dumb ship name."
"What's Ginny and Harry's?! Garry? Hinny? Hanny? That last one rhymes with fanny!" Emma turned to ruby. "What do you think?"
"Linny's better," Ruby answered painly.
Emma pumped her fist. "Yes! Ruby, you are officially invited to my wedding!"
Regina scoffed. "What wedding?"
Getting down on one knee and pulling a ring out of her pocket, Emma smiled shyly. Regina's eyes widened. "Hopefully this one," Emma said.
Recovering from the shock, Regina blinked a few times before saying "Yes! YES! Oh my god, Emma, yes!" and pulled Emma up, kissing her passionately.
Ruby cried. She always cried about that kind of thing. She wondered if she would cry at her own wedding. Actually, she wondered if she would even have a wedding. Maybe if she did, it would be to Belle.
That was a nice thought, even if it was crazy. Ruby smiled a little wider and clapped a little wider.
Inside the court building, the jury were deciding Robert's fate.
Belle was terrified, gripping Ruby's hand so hard she was sure she would break it.
Robert had an excellent lawyer, and they had piece together a convincing argument, which, of course, was all lies.
Belle didn't have much money, and she couldn't really afford a lawyer, but luckily, Kathryn Midas, who Belle thought was just a bratty rich snob, was actually a lawyer and offered to do the job for a lot less than she would normally ask.
The both presented good cases, and even though Belle had the bullet holes to back her story up, she was still afraid Robert would win.
It had been three and a half weeks since the incident, and Ruby had seldom left Belle's side, which the smaller girl was grateful for. Ruby was a blessing, and Belle never wanted her to leave.
At first Ruby was quiet about her past, but the night before the trial Ruby cried in Belle's arms and told her everything, from her feelings about her parents to her depression and social anxiety. For once, Ruby was the one to fall asleep in Belle's arms.
But now, when lives might hang in the balance, Ruby held Belle, who was crying into Ruby's chest. "I'm scared," Belle said, shaking.
Ruby cuddled her even closer. "It's okay. You're okay. I'm here."
"Don't let me go," Belle told Ruby, latching onto her.
"I won't. Not now. Not ever."
Belle looked up at her, and she wanted nothing more than to-
"RECESS IS OVER. RETURN TO THE COURTHOUSE TO RECEIVE THE VERDICT." Everyone began bustling back into the courthouse.
As they took their seats, Belle squeezed Ruby's hand impossibly tighter,
then reluctantly let it go to find her own seat.
People began loudly talking, awaiting the verdict. Belle glanced nervously around the room and locked eyes with Robert, who glared furiously at her. Belle wanted to hide. She wanted Ruby.
"ORDER! ORDER!" Judge Superior banged her mallet, gaining everyone's attention. The jury finds the defendant.." Belle held her breath. "Guilty!"
Jumping up, Belle searched the room for Ruby, who was right beside her. Damn wolf speed, but Belle was also fast. She leapt at the wolf girl, wrapping her arms around her neck and pressing her lips to Ruby's.
Though shocked at first, Ruby soon began kissing back, and wrapped her own arms around Belle's waist, holding them together.
It was like heaven. Belle was dimly aware of Robert yelling curses at them, and cheering from Emma, Eugenia, and Kathryn.
Belle was loved. She was safe. She was warm. She was happy. She belonged.
And yeah, maybe it was bestiality.
Fin.