A/N: Title comes from Once Upon a December.

The sunlight is so bright she has to shield her eyes, but Ruby welcomes it. After the seemingly endless darkness of… well, she's not sure how long it was, but Ruby doesn't want to deal with the dark ever again. Oscar is beside her, smiling, a picnic basket in one hand and hers in the other. And it's so, so perfect. Here they're untouched by the war that was thrust upon them. Ruby briefly tries to remember where here is, but a large black butterfly flutters by drawing her attention away from the thought. It was a silly thing to worry about anyway, hadn't she been fighting so she and her friends could smile again, just like this? But… Oscar is more than a friend, isn't he? Isn't that why they're holding hands right now? Isn't that why he looks at her like she's his moon and stars?

Oscar tugs on Ruby's hand, gently urging her forward. "Come on," he says warmly. "It's just this way."

Ruby follows his lead, because it's so nice seeing him smile so openly, so unabashedly. It's not like him. His smiles are usually small, even when he's genuinely happy. Especially lately… But… Why was that? What had happened? Ruby almost remembers… it's on the tip of her tongue… "We're here!" Oscar says cheerfully, and Ruby blinks. When had they gotten to the top of a hill? Had she really been that out of it? All around them the black butterflies quietly flit about, and this close Ruby can see white and red patterns on their wings. Something about that… Black… White… Red… Those colors mean something when they're all together… "Would you like a cookie?" Oscar asks, suddenly holding a giant chocolate chip cookie. Ruby's mouth waters. "I baked it just for you."

Ruby takes a greedy bite. "So good," she squeals, because it's delicious. She hasn't tasted something this yummy in… Ruby frowns. There's that thought again. Why does she keep thinking it's been so long since she was happy like this? The world is at peace. She's… She's with the person she loves. Her… What is Oscar to her? She can't remember. She remembers loving him. Loving him so much it makes her heart ache, but… are they dating? How long have they been together, if so? And… why can't she remember?

Oscar's hand slides over hers. "Rubes, look at me," he says gently. "It's okay if you can't remember. We're here, together. Isn't that what you want?" It is. She wants this so bad it breaks her heart, but… Oscar's never… never called her…

"Mama, look!" a little voice says. A little boy plops himself on her lap, cradling one of the butterflies in his hands. Ruby's silver eyes widen with shock. Tip… This little boy is Tip. In the scant peaceful moments where she dared to daydream of a future beyond the war (The war?) this little boy has been in those daydreams. A little boy with silver eyes like hers, and Oscar's brown hair and freckles on the squishiest of cheeks. Her baby… Oscar's baby… "Look, Mama! I caught one! Can I keep it, Mama? Pleeeeaassse?!"

He's pouting so adorably that Ruby would probably give her little boy anything he wants in this moment. Oscar's smiling at them both, his dark eyes twinkling merrily and- Dark eyes? Oscar? No, that isn't right. Oscar's eyes are supposed to be hazel. A pretty mix of gold and green, gleaming even more gold when he used his magic.

What… What is this? Where is she? And slowly, everything around her starts to vanish. Tip fades away, and even if she knows he's a lie, it feels a bullet in her heart. The fake Oscar too. And the sunlight, and the grassy hill. All that's left are her and the butterflies.

Now Ruby remembers. The butterflies are Grimm. Rare ones that trap you in a dream as they feed on your Aura. There's no grassy field here. No light. No Oscar. The Dark Lands. She's in the Dark Lands. They got attacked- The butterflies drain away more of her Aura causing her to slip back into a dream.

Oscar tugs on Ruby's hand, gently urging her forward. "Come on," he says warmly. "It's just this way."