I first of all want to apologise for this chapter, but it was so good to write. And again, all continuity/grammatical/otherwise mistakes are mine and I thank you so much for sticking with this story up to this point. There's a bit of a strange time-skip coming up in future chapters, just to say and I hope you like it and stick with it :)
Ruby woke up at one in the morning as she heard someone crashing around downstairs. A mild swear let her know it was Belle- Lacey. It was Lacey. Worried, Ruby got up and hurried quietly down the stairs before she woke anybody.
"Lacey!" she hissed quietly as she descended the stairs into the hallway. In the darkness, she could see something moving around, but was startled when she felt a warm body fall into her halfway down the stairs. Thankful for her strength and balance, she managed to catch what she now realised was Lacey and hold her steady. She could smell the alcohol on her. "Have you been drinking?"
"Maybe a little," she slurred as she tried to squeeze past Ruby, but all she ended up doing was getting herself trapped between the wall and Ruby on the narrow staircase. She could just make out Ruby's disapproving look in the darkness. "Oh, lighten up. You never used to be quite the little angel either, if the rumours are true."
"Just be quiet and go to bed."
"Yours or mine?" she asked as she ran her hands up and down Ruby's sides, brushing her neck.
"Yours. You need to sober up," Ruby demanded, ignoring the tingle that Lacey's hands left on her skin.
"Spoilsport," grinned Lacey as she tried to climb the stairs, tripping over every now and then. Ruby rolled her eyes and clenched her fists in frustration as she followed her. "Hey," said Lacey when she reached her room, leaning back against the door and pulling Ruby closer by the hand. "Are we still together? What's going on with all this?" she asked.
"I don't really know," replied Ruby, freeing her hands and walking quickly to her room. She didn't want to talk about it, not with Bel- Lacey in such a state.
"Cause I think I kinda got a date with Gold earlier." Ruby froze for a moment at Lacey's tone. It was so much like Belle's that it hurt all the more.
"Fantastic," replied Ruby flatly as she slammed her door and collapsed onto the bed, pulling the pillow over her face and muffling her sobs.
The next morning, Ruby dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen to make herself breakfast. She considered knocking on Lacey's door to talk to her, but she opted not to, continuing on her way to the kitchen. She mumbled a greeting to Granny, who left her alone. She made her breakfast, and then took it upstairs to her room, where she ate in peace, alone with her thoughts. However, it didn't last long, as Granny shouted her down to do her shift. So she showered and dressed, venturing down the stairs and into the diner. She was glad of the work; it numbed her pain behind the mask of routine. However, when she came down for her shift in the evening, walking in from the kitchen to the diner, she cast her gaze around the diner and immediately about-turned and hid in the kitchen, trying not to panic. Granny noted her anxiety and poked her head around the door, to see Gold sitting with Lacey.
"Ruby, I'm so sorry," said Granny, moving back into the kitchen.
"Please, Granny, can I take another shift? I'll work all day tomorrow, but please don't make me go out there," she pleaded, close to tears. Granny took sympathy on her granddaughter and she nodded, guiding the panicked Ruby towards the door. It was nearing the full moon again and Ruby was always edgier than usual around this time. Granny went out to see Lacey dressed in a… well, a dress was barely an adequate description, blue and sequins and barely socially acceptable. Soon enough, she delivered their meals to them – noting Lacey's inebriated state – and couldn't help but make a comment.
"What happened to you? Did you raid the back of Ruby's closet?" she asked curtly. Lacey looked a little confused but Gold was glaring at her. Her work done, she returned to the kitchen, grinning at her own joke. She could hear Lacey asking Gold what she meant, but Gold told her to forget it. He sounded angry. This only made Granny's smile wider.
Ruby's senses were in overload, and she couldn't help but zone in on Bel-Lacey's voice all the way from downstairs, the faint scent enough to make Ruby long for closer proximity. Finally having enough, she decided to leave. It was too much. Mumbling an explanation to Granny, poking her head through the kitchen door, she grabbed her coat and left the establishment. As she padded down the steps in her boots, she glanced back, hearing Granny's little comment about her closet and couldn't help but chuckle at her grandmother's sense of humour. She continued on her way to the one place she hadn't been for a while, her old home away from home when she was cursed – the Rabbit Hole. As she stepped through the doorway, she saw everything through Red's eyes instead of Ruby's, and she saw this place a lot differently. Strolling up to the bar, she sat down and ordered a beer from the bartender.
"Ruby?" he said, quirking an eyebrow. "Is that you?" Ruby smiled, realising that she must look entirely different from normal.
"Yes," she replied.
"You look so…" the bartender paused, trying to think of an adjective.
"Hot," came a voice from behind them. Ruby rolled her eyes and turned, seeing a tall man with dark hair grinning at her.
"Thanks," she said flatly, downing a gulp of beer only a second after the bartender put it on the counter, coupled with an apologetic look.
"Want to dance?" he asked, leering at her, more than a little drunk.
"No, thank you," replied Ruby, turning back to the bar.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" he hissed, gripping her shoulder and pulling her back around. Ruby slammed the bottle onto the counter loudly and leapt to her feet, grabbing the hand on her shoulder and twisting it, forcing the man to his knees.
"I'll do whatever the hell I like! And I'm not in the mood for your bullshit!" she yelled, her eyes glowing yellow, before she kicked him – not hard enough to damage him too badly – in the stomach before letting him go, returning to her seat and ignoring all of the onlookers who were staring at her.
"Can I have another?" she asked, finishing the beer and tipping it to the bartender.
After a while and a few more beers, Ruby found the bar scene a little lacking. The music didn't thrill her any more, she didn't feel like dancing and she didn't want to deal with the drunk men swarming on her to get her to dance – and that was only the few polite ones. She felt a little ashamed that Ruby probably would have loved all the attention, but she knew that there was only one person who could make her feel better. So Ruby got up and left, squeezing through the thronging crowd and throwing open the door, letting the cool air wash over her as she headed back home. Her thoughts swirled like a thick fog in her mind, making things harder to see the more she thought about it. But she couldn't help but think of scenarios where she could get Belle back and they'd be happy, Gold having nothing to do with them any more. But they were just fantasies. She had a feeling that maybe her fairytale wasn't meant to have a happy ending in any land. She was just that bad a person. A murderer. A beast. She swallowed back tears as she walked in the light of the street-lamps. The inn loomed in front of her, growing closer by the minute. She considered going to see one of her friends, but Emma was with Regina and she didn't want to intrude. Snow and Charming were the same. And she didn't think she could discuss personal things with any of her other friends. Sighing, she approached the steps that led back inside. Her ears twitched at a small sound from behind the dumpsters. Ruby paused and then shuffled over to check it out. It might be Pongo again. She missed Pongo, maybe she would go take him for a walk soon. However, as she approached the location of the sounds, she discovered it wasn't the dog. There was the man she had threatened in the bar. And wrapped around him was Lacey.
Ruby felt the simultaneous urge to hit something coupled with wanting to curl up and cry, or beg Lacey to stop, to rip the man's head off and tear him away from Belle-
"No," she whispered, the noise barely even registering as speech it was so quiet. Instead, Ruby fled to her room, grateful that the pair had been too busy to notice her. On her way, she nearly ripped a door off of its hinges, her anger lending to her strength. She went straight to her room and slammed the door shut, collapsing on the bed and crying until she fell asleep. One thought before she gave into her exhaustion was that at least Gold didn't have her either. At least she still had that.
The next morning, Ruby woke up with a newfound determination coursing through her. She had fallen asleep in her clothes, and didn't even bother to change before she got up and left the Inn. It was only seven or so in the morning, but this was the first night of the full moon, and it seemed that Ruby's wolf was about to do what Ruby couldn't. Striding in the weak morning sunlight, she crossed the street and headed straight for Gold's shop. Her face was set, hard and stony, and anyone who ran into her on that fateful morning would have given her a wide berth. All but one, Ruby reconsidered as a familiar blonde sprinted out to meet her.
"Ruby, what are you doing?" she asked urgently, noting Ruby's refusal to even acknowledge her presence.
"I'm getting Belle back," she replied through gritted teeth, eyes focused forwards.
"You look like you're going to kill someone," Emma carefully noted, a little fearful of Ruby's glinting eyes.
"It's not part of the immediate plan. Might happen though."
"Ruby, stop and think about this!" shouted Emma, jumping in front of Ruby and bracing her hands against Ruby's shoulders. Ruby stepped around her and brushed her aside as effectively as sweeping a fly off her clothing.
"I have thought about it."
"Gold could kill you!"
"Let him try," she snarled, coming to the front door. She tried the door. It was locked. She then backed up a few paces.
"Ruby, if you break in there, I'll have to arrest you!" yelled Emma, trying to stand in front of her.
"Emma!" growled Ruby, glowering down at the blonde, whose eyes widened in shock at Ruby's golden-eyed, furious expression. She was beyond reasoning with, Emma knew. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you get in my way, I can't promise I won't! Now please move," she growled, lining herself up to batter the door. Emma realised that Ruby was going through the door no matter who was standing in the way. Scurrying aside, she flipped open her phone.
"You need to get to Gold's. Now." She shut it again just in time to see Ruby blur out of focus and a moment later, the door buckled and fell. Ruby strode inside, closely followed by Emma.
"Ruby, stop this!" she pleaded. "Think about Belle, she wouldn't want this-"
"BELLE IS GONE!" yelled Ruby, grasping Emma tightly by the shoulders and moved her out of the way, forcefully but careful not to hurt her. "But I can get her back," she added, a lot quieter as she looked around the room full of antiques, before making a decision and leaping gracefully over the counter and searching the cupboards.
"What on earth is going on here?" demanded Gold as he appeared – again in his suit – How the hell does he always have one on? thought Emma absently.
"Back off, Gold," growled Ruby as she searched.
"Lucas, get your filthy nose out of my business! And Sherriff," he addressed Emma, who stood near the door, unsure of what was happening, and unable to do anything. She met his gaze angrily. "Unless I'm very much mistaken…" His tone was deadly, anger barely concealed. "The mutt has broken the law, and therefore should be arrested. And unless you have a warrant, you should leave too." Emma bristled at this, but didn't turn and leave, but walked right up to Gold, who was heading towards Ruby and stepped in front, barring his way.
"Dearie, the only reason you aren't a pile of ash on the ground right now is because you're Henry's mother."
"Well, I guess I'm not moving then," grinned Emma, folding her arms. She could smell alcohol on Gold, which she found odd, but he did look a little drunk.
"Move, dearie," he said through gritted teeth, raising his hand towards her shoulder.
"If you touch me, I'll tackle you to the ground and arrest you," said Emma calmly but her voice was like steel.
"It won't end very well for you," he said, before he winced when Ruby chucked some old, nearly dead rose in a bell-jar across the room in her haste to find the cup. It smashed on the floor a short distance from Gold, who seethed with rage.
"Move!" he yelled. Emma didn't. Gold raised a hand to Emma, who blocked and returned with a jab of her own to his chest. He gave a drunken roar before raising the cane above his head and brought it down. Emma raised her arm to attempt to block it, but the blow never came. Instead, she saw Gold crashing across the room, battering off of a few glass cases, showering shards everywhere. He slamming into a wall and slid to the ground, before a strange vine seemed to grow around him, trapping him.
"Touch her again and you die, imp," said Regina, stepping into the shop, one hand pointed towards Gold. She was wearing the first thing she could grab after Emma had called her, as this was one of the rare occasions where she had the opportunity to sleep in from work. But the universe had other plans, and she grabbed a black tank top and a pair of jeans – she still had her heels though. But apart from the shoes, she looked very much like Emma, which was a little disconcerting. Her hair was tied back off of her face in a short ponytail.
"Are you okay?" she asked Emma.
"Yeah, fine." Emma looked her up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Are you wearing my clothes?"
"If you had given me a little warning, I could be more appropriately clothed," replied Regina with a hint of irritation.
"Well, I'm sorry. Next time I'll call ahead of time because obviously I can tell when my friends are about to go on murderous rampages," she answered sarcastically. Regina scowled at her, but a grin played on her face. All four of them jumped slightly as a loud voice sounded from behind the door at the back that Gold had left hanging open.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SATAN IS GOING ON DOWN HERE?" yelled Lacey as she trudged down the stairs and hung into the room through the doorway, her left arm bracing against the door frame as she leaned into the room, a glass of whisky or some other spirit in her hand. Then her jaw dropped. Her eyes went to Emma and Regina standing in the middle of the small shop, surrounded by broken objects and smashed glass. Then there was Gold, struggling weakly in the corner, enveloped in some type of plant. Then she saw an old glass goblet fly across the room, smashing against the wall. She followed the noises and saw Ruby rummaging through the cupboards.
"How much did I drink?" she asked the room in general, waiting for someone to tell her that she was imagining it.
"Uhm, Lacey?" said Emma after a quick glance at Ruby, who was completely ignoring Lacey's presence. Lacey focused on the blonde. "We can explain-"
"FOUND IT!" screamed Ruby, holding the cup aloft as she pulled her head out of the last cupboard.
"Bring it here!" ordered Regina. Ruby did so, scrambling over the counter, ignoring the cut on her hand she received from a bit of broken glass. Regina touched it with her free hand and closed her eyes. The chipped cup shimmered light blue for a moment, and Emma saw that Ruby's eyes were fading back to normal hazel. "Get her to concentrate on it. Quickly!" said Regina. Ruby turned towards Lacey, who had approached them from behind. She looked curious, so much like Belle. Ruby stepped towards her, towering over the curly haired girl.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she stuttered as she backed away from Ruby.
"Look at it," growled Ruby. She was so close. So very close.
"N-no," said Lacey, truly scared for the first time. She backed away, Ruby closing the distance easily until she felt the wall behind her.
"Look at it," Ruby repeated, placing a hand on the wall, pinning Lacey. "Just do it," she said after a moment, her eyes pleading. She forced it into Lacey's hands and gripped her wrists – softly – and raised it to Lacey's line of sight. "Please remember," she whispered.
"Why?" asked Lacey, still confused, looking up at her with wide, blue eyes.
"Please." Ruby moved unintentionally closer. Lacey glanced at the cup, then at Gold, then Ruby.
"No!" she yelled and wrenched her arms free of Ruby and tossing the cup away. The cup flew out of her hands, arcing over their heads. Ruby snarled in frustration, panic and fear. She was too close. She shoved Lacey aside as she leapt into the air, arms stretched out to catch the little cup that held her happiness. Her hand reached out as far as she could force it, her joints straining, muscles groaning as her hand rushed the cup. However, her hand clasped only the air, as she fell back down to earth with a loud thump. The glass that had embedded itself in her back didn't matter – she couldn't feel it. Nor did she notice the air rushing out of her lungs as she was winded, or the pain in her chest. All she could see was the cup falling back to the ground, where it would shatter and kill all of her hopes dead.