Rating: NC-17 with WARNINGS, see first chapter.

Ruby eventually picked herself up and walked back to the Inn. She knew this only because she'd suddenly found herself there, pulling open the doors and entering the dimly lit lobby. She'd hoped to sneak passed the front desk and make it to the stairs before she was discovered, but again, no such luck. Eugenia Lucas had heard her granddaughter return and ran into the lobby from the back room, clearly annoyed and ready to pounce.

"Ruby! You ungrateful child! You're home late - again! I expected you hours ago! Where ha–"

Granny stopped dead, mid-reprimand, completely shocked by the tattered and broken woman in front of her. She rushed to Red's side.

"Oh my god, Ruby! Honey! Are you ok? Are you hurt? Where is your cloak?"

Ruby looked into her Gran's eyes and the elder Lucas was taken aback by the haunted visage she saw within. "Honey, you're scaring me. Come here. Tell Granny everything." She led Ruby to a small sofa in the lobby and took the younger woman's hands in her own, looking her over for any sign of why her clothes were halfway torn off and where the blood had come from. Because there were smears of blood. Pretty much everywhere.

Ruby's eyes met the floor in response, her head and heart heavy, not sure how to say what she needed to, eyes filling with oceans of despair. Granny pulled her close against her chest, comforting, as the young woman began to sob openly. Eugenia just let her cry, hoping the girl would quiet soon and give her the whole story. A few minutes later, the sobs evened out, leaving Ruby with the hiccups and even more miserable than she had thought possible.

"Gran, I was awful. I hu-rt her. The one I lo-lo-ve!" Ruby couldn't bear to lift her face to meet her grandmother, couldn't bear the judgment.

"Ruby, honey, slow down. What are you talking about? Who did you hurt? What's happened?" Widow Lucas was growing ever more concerned.

"Be-Belle," Ruby said softly. "I hurt her. I HU-HURT HER!" Ruby jumped up then, pulling away from the other woman's safe embrace, hands in fists at her sides, tears still dripping down her cheeks.

Granny was surprised at the outburst, but rose to meet her, throwing her hands out, gripping the younger woman's upper arms. "Ruby, I doubt it's that bad. Tell me what happened. Please," she begged.

Ruby shrugged out of the older woman's grasp, pushing her away and stepping back, feeling unworthy of comfort. "I raped her, ok?! I fucking RAPED her!" And a moment later, as if reliving the event, "In a goddamn disgusting alleyway of all places, ok?! Is that what you want to hear?!" Ruby's face was twisted in shame, rage, and anguish - all directed inward.

The older woman gasped loudly, despite herself. To her credit, she hadn't expected this in the slightest. Ruby had had always had trouble handling the Wolf on full Wolfstime, but not usually on the days before or after. It had been slightly confusing for the girl, she remembered, when Red had been old enough to start receiving the Gifts of the Wolf, and had begun growing "something extra" on the two days surrounding the main event. But although the cloak couldn't seem to keep that particular "gift" at bay, Red had taken it in stride, just acting like it was no big deal that she had a penis two days a month, and honestly, under her long cloak and skirts, no one else had ever been the wiser. So yeah, Granny was shocked, and stood staring at the lanky brunette somewhat stupidly for a beat before regaining her senses and dropping back down onto the couch. "I see," she said simply, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Ruby couldn't understand this reaction. She'd just fucking RAPED her best friend and Gran had checked out? What the hell? "Gran, what can I do? I'm a monster!"

"No, darling," Widow Lucas commented gently, looking back up to meet the younger woman's eyes. "You are a wolf, but no monster. This occurred last night, I'm guessing? The night before full Wolfstime?"

Ruby hitched an eyebrow at her, wondering what that had to do with it. "Of course. I would have never hurt her if I had been in control! Though I'm pretty sure I was able to keep The Wolf from entering her. At least I tried to. It's all rather cloudy and confusing."

Granny was deep in thought. She loved her daughter's child, more than anything, and she would protect her at all costs. If what Ruby was telling her was true, and she had no reason to believe it wasn't - after all, the older woman had her own experiences to draw from - then Granny had a lot to do, effective immediately, to save them both from the potential fallout. While she worked it out, however, she felt Red should rest as much as possible. The poor girl was a mess. Eugenia rose, taking Ruby's hands in hers again. "Red, honey, you have to sleep now. You're exhausted. You're scared. Things will seem better when you've had some sleep. I will help you fix this. But for now, you need to rest. Go on up to your room."

For the first time in forever, Ruby didn't fight her. Instead, the young woman just looked at her grandmother numbly, exhaustion clear in her hunched shoulders and tear-streaked face, before turning and heading up to her room. "I love her, Gran," she whispered, as soon as her hand hit the staircase, back still turned, and the elder Lucas's heart broke.

"I know, baby girl, I know. That's how this works," she murmured quietly to herself, her sorrow a sharp and painful reminder in her breast.

It was coming up on early evening, and still Red had failed to emerge from her suite. Granny had decided it was time to check on her. She approached Ruby's door and knocked softly. When there was no response, she tried knocking louder. "Red, dear, dinner will be ready soon." Silence. Eugenia was losing her patience. "Red! Come on out of there. Full Wolfstime is in a few hours. We need to talk!" Still nothing. "Ruby, this is ridiculous. Make yourself presentable, I'm coming in." Widow Lucas removed her master key from her pocket and slipped it into the lock. There was a soft click and the door sprung open in her hand. Her first thought was that it was much too quiet, and upon entering the suite, she also realized too empty. Her Wolf senses told her the rest; her granddaughter had fled. She found a note in the bedroom atop the dark, red velvet comforter.

Gran,

Thank you for being there for me. You can't fix things for me this time. I am a monster and I have to protect all of you, Belle most of all. I don't deserve love or forgiveness from any of you ever again. Please don't come after me. This is what I have to do to keep you all safe.

~Red

Eugenia sighed. You sweet, wonderful, stupid girl, she thought. Of course I'm going to come after you.

Widow Lucas took an hour or so to get Sarah to mind the inn, arrange for Maryanne to watch the diner, and to shove a copious amount of food into Red's basket. Then she headed straight for the forest, her granddaughter's scent a bright neon trail into its depths.

She had gone several miles when she'd located the old family farm and the large cabin she and Red used to share. She took a moment to marvel that it still existed in this world before approaching cautiously. Full Wolfstime was upon them and if Ruby had forgotten or lost her cape, then even Granny had to be careful until the Wolf realized she was there and accepted her presence. Turns out, she needn't have worried; Ruby was out in the front yard, cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders, picking herbs from the overgrown earth. The cloak would keep her from turning. Eugenia remembered having to force young Ruby to wear this same cloak a thousand times, and she'd always resisted. The fact that she was wearing it now, of her own free will, was an obvious testament to her internal turmoil and fear.

Red looked up as soon as she heard the underbrush crackling, not surprised in the least by her visitor; she'd smelled the elder Lucas on her approach a half hour ago. "What took you so long? And what about stay away is soooo difficult for you to understand, old woman?" The younger Lucas asked, obviously pissed that her warning, yet again, had gone unheeded.

Eugenia simply looked at her and sighed. "Ruby, honey, as if I'd ever let my only daughter's daughter believe she was all alone."

Ruby's eyes glistened with new tears in adoration for the woman in front of her, anger dissipating, completely grateful for her grandmother's company. She threw her arms around the elder Lucas and lost herself in the warmth and comfort this woman always brought her. Eugenia smiled, patted her grandbaby on the back, then spoke. "Come on, then, sweetheart, let's head inside. I brought food," indicating the basket she'd brought with her. Ruby smiled softly in response and wrapped one arm around her Gran's. Slowly, they made their way up the path to the cabin.

Eugenia watched in amusement as her granddaughter consumed two turkey sandwiches, a pint of potato salad, two oranges, a quart of milk, a roast beef and cheddar sandwich, half an apple pie, and one small plum. Wolfstime always did make Ruby hungry, and watching the younger woman stuff herself gave the older Lucas a stab of nostalgia for the old days, in their old land, where she had always been able to keep Anita's daughter safe. She sighed and shifted in her chair. Ruby finally paused for a breath, midway through consuming a fried chicken leg, only to see her grandma leaning back in her chair, smiling at her fondly.

"What?" she asked sheepishly.

"Nothing, dear. You are just so beautiful. You remind me of your mother so much sometimes. And I miss her."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Ruby gave a genuine grin at this comparison. She'd never known her mother but Gran had always been careful to make sure her daughter's child knew where she came from. Red loved those stories. She smiled so broadly and so unabashedly now that a piece of dark meat hung unsightly from her open grin, and she didn't care. Though she still wasn't sure how they were going to fix everything, she felt overwhelming relief at her grandmother's presence.

Gran couldn't help but giggle at the sight. They laughed together for a moment as Red finished up her crazy chicken leg and slowly wound down her eating frenzy. At some point, Gran exhaled loudly, patted her stomach, leg go a rather robust belch, pushed the chair back from her own plate, and moved to start a fire in the fireplace. "Ok, well, finish up here, dear," she said over her shoulder to the younger brunette. "Then meet me on the couch. I have something to share with you." Gran's happy-go-lucky mood had shifted, and Ruby's heart sank.

Ruby was somewhat disappointed at the somber turn their evening was taking, but hurried to clean up their plates and her hands and face all the same. She soon followed Eugenia into the front room. The night was in full force by this time, and the roaring fire gave off a warm, comfortable glow. Red settled herself against onto the couch, flush against her Gran's body, head on the older woman's shoulder, legs tucked under her to the right, eyes closed, basking in the sweetness of the fire glow and the comfort of the woman next to her.

They sat there in silence like that for a long time before Eugenia finally sandwiched one of her granddaughter's hands between her own, and spoke. "You're not the first, you know," she said gently. "To lose control, I mean. There was someone before, honey - before your grandfather. It's a story I've never shared with anyone else, not even your mother. But I think it's finally time I did." She gave Ruby's hand a little squeeze, and the brunette saw sparkling little tears in the older woman's eyes. "Yes, I think it's time you learned the truth."