"Regina."
Ruby greets, before stepping back sheepishly when the Mayor jerks - startled - at the touch of her outstretched hand. Giving the darker woman a small smile of reassurance, she slips into the shadow of the alleyway where the Mayor had been waiting, pulling her companion along after her.
"What's she doing here?"
Regina snarls, glaring at Mary Margaret venomously. Glancing from the schoolteacher to the Mayor, Ruby rolls her eyes and replies agitatedly
"Her housemate is missing, Regina. I had to let her know!"
"You-... You're-... You and Emma?"
Mary Margaret murmurs warily, and the Mayor curls her lip as she pulls herself up to her full height; challenging the younger woman to make her issues known.
"Is there a problem, Miss Blanchard? Because if so, perhaps you should run on home."
Mary Margaret scowls at her uneasily, but shakes her head; her mouth drawn into an unhappy line.
"The only problem I have right now is that my friend is missing and I'm standing outside my landlord's shop in hopes of springing her free... All I want, Madame Mayor, is for Emma to be okay."
"Alright then."
Regina concedes, giving the schoolteacher one last warning glance, before dipping her hand into the pocket of her coat and pulling out a silver key. Holding it tightly in her fist as she lets out a low breath, she reluctantly hands it over to Ruby; dark eyes feverishly intense beneath the cloak of her lashes.
"Remember, Miss Lucas; you search everywhere. Bookcases, floorboards, behind goddamned paintings... No matter how absurd it may seem, it could lead to something."
The waitress nods, taking the key, her eyes wide as she looks from one woman to the other.
"This is crazy, right? I mean... It's crazy! We're-... We're really breaking into Gold's to find Emma. How the hell did this even happen?!"
Her unsettled muttering forms misted breath in the narrow space of the alley, but in spite of the uncertainty of her words, she pulls herself together, resting gloved fingers on Mary Margaret's shoulder. Receiving a curt nod from the Mayor, she pulls at the schoolteacher's hand and leads her out from the safety of the shadows and around to the locked door of the pawnbroker's store.
"Cross your fingers."
She whispers, and Mary Margaret laughs nervously, her eyes wide and teeth chattering, watching anxiously as Ruby slides the key into the lock and turns it cautiously until she's met with an audible click.
"We're really doing this?"
The schoolteacher frets.
"We're doing this."
Ruby agrees, holding the door open so that the raven-headed woman can slip past into the darkness of the shop. Once she follows Mary Margaret across the threshold, she surveys the empty street warily, before pulling the door gently shut; shrouding them in a blackness that blinds them completely.
"Did you bring a torch?"
"No... Just this..."
Mary Margaret swallows as she catches a low rustling sound to her left, biting her lip before the soft click of a Zippo lighter brings Ruby's nervous features into view.
"I didn't think it through... I'm not really a pro at this kind of thing..."
The waitress whispers.
"You and me both..."
Mary Margaret agrees, frowning as the lighter's glow flickers unsteadily as Ruby steps away.
"Hang on-... Wait-... I think-..."
The schoolteacher's brow furrows as the waitress fails to complete her sentences, but then a brighter light illuminates the room as Ruby dips a candle down towards the lighter.
"Better?"
"Yes, but why don't we just close the curtains and turn the lights? It'd be easier."
Mary Margaret suggests in a hushed voice.
"I don't want to risk it. Regina says Gold's dangerous, and I'm inclined to agree."
Ruby replies as she begins making her way slowly through the room.
"You don't think it's weird that she's not in here with us?"
The schoolteacher frowns.
"Oh, I do."
"Then-... I mean-... What if she's-"
"-But I also know she's on our side."
"How can you be sure?"
"She's on Emma's side. Emma's on our side."
Ruby replies simply.
"... I can't believe you knew about this!"
"I only found out this morning!"
"Not about Emma being missing. About Regina!"
"Oh... I mean, I guess it's a little odd."
"A 'little odd'?! It's crazy!"
"Yeah, well, I guess love's never easy. If it was, we'd all have it, right?"
"Love?! You think that's what it is?! It's Regina! It's much more likely this is part of some bigger plan! It's-"
"-Do you trust Emma?"
Ruby asks, and the schoolteacher pauses as the brunette's face swims illuminated in front of her own, meeting bright eyes warily.
"Yes..."
"Then, right now, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if this is Gold's wrongdoing or Regina's. Emma wasn't around for Henry's birthday, and there's no way she'd miss that without something seriously messed up coming into play."
"I know. That's why I'm here."
"Okay then..."
Moving away from the raven-headed woman to inspect a misleadingly loose floorboard, the waitress sighs, her tone weary when she continues.
"It's not Regina."
"What isn't?"
"Regina didn't do this... She says she cares for Emma, and I believe her."
"Cares for her?! After everything she's done? You buy that!?"
"I do. You didn't see what I saw."
"Did I see the Mayor feel up my housemate? No! And I'm pretty f'ing okay with that! What I did see is Regina work her butt off trying to ruin Emma's chance at a fresh start and a relationship with Henry."
"She was probably just-"
"-She doesn't love her!"
"Shhh! What do you mean?"
"Emma. Emma doesn't love Regina! That's crazy!"
"Quiet!"
Ruby hisses warningly.
"This is messed up..."
Mary Margaret's voice drops to a low whisper, and Ruby moves to stand beside her companionably.
"You don't know that. I doubt Emma herself even knows whether she loves her or not... Right now, that doesn't matter though, okay? You can ask her about it when we find her. Just don't overlook the fact that there's a good chance we wouldn't even know there was anything wrong if Regina hadn't come to me this morning."
"I know... I just-... I want Emma to be happy."
"I think she is, you know."
Ruby muses pensively. Sighing, the schoolteacher follows her through into the back room; ducking beneath various tapestries and out-of-place awnings.
"Ugh, does this mean we're going to have to start having Regina over for dinner and stuff?"
She grumbles.
"From what I hear, that's already happened."
"Seriously?"
"Yep, I believe Emma cooked for her."
"Emma cooked!?"
"That's what I heard."
"Well... Regina really must like her if they're still on speaking terms after that..."
Mary Margaret marvels, and Ruby chuckles lightly, glad to cling to this benign line of conversation so as to thwart the nerves threatening to overwhelm her. Spying a thin sliver of light from the far wall, she freezes in her tracks; holding out an arm to urge the schoolteacher to do the same.
"See that?"
She whispers, panic evident in her tone. Glancing to her side, she catches Mary Margaret's gaze as she nods nervously in the flickering light of the candle.
"That's what we're looking for, I guess... You think she's in there?"
"She must be... But, what if Gold is, too?"
"That's what this is for..."
The waitress mutters, and Mary Margaret gasps as Ruby pulls an unmistakable gleam of silver from her pocket.
"You took Emma's gun!?"
"It's not Emma's, it's Regina's."
Ruby confides.
"You can't actually use that! We'll-"
"-Shh! Stop whispering so loud! I'm not gonna use it... It's just-... Just for protection, okay?"
Smiling at Mary Margaret with a reassurance she doesn't truly feel, Ruby motions with the barrel of the gun that the schoolteacher should stand to the side of the narrow swatch of light emanating from behind the hidden door. Blowing out the candle and bracing herself in the darkness, she grits her teeth as she makes out a low moaning sound from behind the concealed door, before stalking forward; her eyes glittering like silver through the ink-black shadows.