The next few days, had been slightly underwhelming. The highlights been the jerk-face Doctor Whale have his arm pulled off; David and Regina handling a rough clone of Regina's dead lover (a reason why she definitely stayed out of it) this involved quite a bit of gloating on Rumple's part, but Whale got his arm reattached to his body, so everyone wins.
Henry's nightmares had been worsening (She knew a thing or two about how that felt, Peter's voice occasionally plaguing her in the middle of the night) often leaving her to what she was doing now, walking aimless around Storybrooke, exploring the docks, the woods, very inch.
It was a good distraction.
David was worried about her though, he said she was isolating herself more and more. Artemis really didn't see the problem with that, her presence juts didn't seem necessary at the time. Besides, she didn't get a view like this back home in the Enchanted Forest.
"Artie?"
"Wake up, Artemis…"
"Artemis!"
"Artemis!" David said, shaking her awake. "What?" Artemis said, sitting up straight when she saw his worried face. "What happened?"
"Ruby's missing." David said hurriedly. Artemis jumping out of bed instantly. "What? Where'd you see her last?" she said, already rummaging in her closet.
"Granny's. Last night. It was a full moon, Granny and Ruby they made a cage-"
"What? Why? Turn around." Artemis said, David turning, speaking to the wall as she pulled on a pair of pants.
"Because she thought she couldn't control her wolf form after twenty eight years, but she broke out somehow last night. Granny called me to help look and even though you haven't been here the longest-"
"I'm good." Artemis reported, grabbing a scrunchie from her table, tying her hair in a loose ponytail. David turning around, handing her, her bow. "You know the forest and her best."
Artemis paused before taking it, grabbing her sheath in the corner of her room. "Let's go."
David nodded, before 'oh-ing' grabbing her arm before she left the room. "One more thing."
"No flipping way." Artemis said the second her eyes, landed on Regina who was waiting by the kitchen counter. "Hello, Artemis." Regina said formally.
"Hello, witchy-bitch." Artemis replied, less formally. Regina folded her arms, biting back a remark. "Play nice." David said, giving her a small poke in the back. "And be quiet, Henry's still asleep." he added.
"There is no way, you really want her to watch over him."
"I have been doing it for his entire life." Regina said curtly. "When you turned the town into walking puppets." Artemis hissed. "I should kill you for what you did to me. And Jefferson. And Snow. And literally every single person you screwed over."
"Huh, surprised Gold didn't squash that attitude from you." Regina scoffed.
"He needed one apprentice with a personality that didn't consist of jealously and innate daddy issues." Artemis replied, folding her arms.
"You little bra-
"Sorry, mommy, husband and daddy issues, considering how you became evil, due to mommy being a-"
"That's enough." David said, taking Artemis's shoulder, pulling her back to him. "We have things to do, and like it or not, Regina is capable of taking care of Henry."
"Fine." Artemis said, walking past Regina to the door.
"Just remember," Artemis said looking back at Regina. "Next time, you screw with me, I'll kill you. And before you say, what I think you'll say, I wouldn't worry about Gold. We both know by now, he prefers me more than you." she said, marching out the door.
David sighed, casting Regina a slightly awkward look, before following his sister.
"Her tracks are fairly fresh," Artemis said, bending down, the morning sun streaking though the trees. "She's probably around there, maybe found shelter to sleep under or something. It gets really cold out here." she said, gesturing to the group of trees, a breeze blowing though her hair.
David watching her, a smile on his face as she spoke. She seemed far more relaxed in the woods than she was anywhere else.
"You're telling me." Granny said adjusting her hold on her crossbow. "Lead the way."
Artemis nodded, jumping and jogging over the forest as easily as walking or running on pavement would have been. "Try to keep up." she said lightly, running deep into the forest.
"I got her scent." Granny reported, after a good hour of them moving, the sun had long since risen, but it simply illuminated the forest's beauty even more. "Lead the way, Grams." Artemis said, running across the tree branch.
"This way. Over here." Granny said pointing to a sheltered area, surrounded with comforting trees and soft moss.
"There she is. Told you. Sheltered." Artemis said, bending down gently giving Ruby a shake. "Ruby? Ruby, wake up."
"Hey." David greeted, as Ruby jerked awake.
"Where am I? What happened?" she asked, sitting straight up looking worriedly between the three of them. "Nothing, nothing bad I think." Artemis said, gently helping her up, picking off a few stray leaves and twigs off her.
"You're in the forest. You must've fallen asleep here last night." David explained. "I-I don't understand." Ruby stuttered. "You put me in that cage. You locked me up."
"The freezer was torn to shreds when I came to check in on you this morning." Granny said gravely. Ruby shook hard, tears already forming in her eyes.
"Ruby. Ruby, it's alright." David said rubbing her arm. "No. It's not. I don't remember anything from last night." Ruby cried. "This is exactly what I was afraid of. Oh my God. Did I do something last night?"
Artemis paused, she knew a thing or two about out of control werewolves. They could kill their loves, their parents if they really lost control.
"Ruby, all we know for sure is that you broke out and ran through the woods. There's no reason to assume the worst." David said reassuringly, just as his phone buzzed. "Sheriff." Yeah. Okay. I'll be right there."
"What is it?" Ruby asked instantly. "Somebody left their car double-parked in front of the cannery." David answered.
"Seriously? They called the Sheriff for that?" Artemis said, clearly unimpressed.
"Yes." David said tiredly. "I got to go check it out on our way back into town." he said turning to Ruby. "Hey. Relax. Everything's going to be okay." he said, he and Granny heading back to the car.
"Is it?" Ruby mumbled. "Hey," Artemis said gently. "I know you, wolf or not. I don't think you did anything wrong. I trust you."
"Really?"
"Please, don't make me say it again." Artemis whined playfully. Ruby chuckled lightly, giving her arm a squeeze.
"No offense or anything, but this is the worst reason to call the Sherriff, like ever." Artemis said, slamming the door of David's car, walking towards a tow truck.
"That's Billy's truck." Ruby breathed out. "Great, we can just give him a call then." Artemis said, waving her new phone in the air. "Call Billy." she ordered. "Billy." she said loudly.
"Not how phones work, Missy." David said, taking the phone just as she was about to throw it. "Ugh. I hate technology." Artemis grumbled, snatching the phone from David, shoving it into her pocket.
"Who do I call to tow a tow truck?" David mushed, pulling out his own phone. Ruby pausing staring wide-eyed at the car.
"What is it, Ruby? What's wrong?" Artemis said, glancing up at her. "I smell blood." Ruby mumbled.
"Where's Billy?" David mumbled, he and Ruby turning around; Ruby leading, following the scent of blood. Artemis looking around the truck with Granny, freezing at the site of a head.
The head of a very dead Billy.
"Granny." Artemis said quietly. Granny walked around the car, bending down seeing half of Billy's body, she shut her eyes muttering a curse under her breath.
"Here." Granny called.
Ruby screamed, from across the way from the car. Artemis ran towards to her, staring at Billy's lower half that was sticking out of a dumpster.
"It was the wolf! It was me!" Ruby shrieked.
"It had to be something else, Ruby." David said calmly.
"No, I did this! We both know it."
"No. A few months ago, everyone thought Mary Margaret was guilty of murder." David started.
"Snow was guilty of murder?!" Artemis said, shaking her head. "I missed all the good stuff." David giving her a flick on the head, making her giving him an annoyed 'hey!' in response, smacking his arm.
"She needed someone to believe in her. I didn't do that." David continued. "I am not going to make the same mistake with you!"
"Mary Margaret never killed anyone. I have." Ruby said thickly. "But we don't know that for sure," Artemis said instantly. "Wolf bites make marks, I don't remember seeing those kinds on his body."
"Besides, we know who you really are, Ruby. Even if you've lost sight of it." David said gently. Ruby shook her head. "It doesn't change the fact that I am going to turn again tonight, and somebody else could get hurt."
"Maybe this isn't the place to have this discussion." Granny cut in. Artemis looking around seeing a few people pausing and looking at them. "Grams is right, we should move."
"It's okay. I'll protect her." David said reassuringly. "That's not what I mean." Artemis replied.
"No! Lock me up." Ruby demanded. "If the freezer couldn't hold me, maybe a jail cell will. I don't need to be protected from other people, David. Other people need to be protected from me."
David paused, looking between them, looking quite against it. "David, talk?" Artemis said walking forwards, taking his arm, pulling him a way.
"What is it? You don't think Ruby actually did this?"
"I know she didn't." Artemis replied. "Look long story short, I know animals, I know wolfs, how they kill, things like that. I'm a hunter I'd know. And when I saw Billy's body, even for a second that didn't look like a wolf. I wanna check properly again."
David nodded. "Okay, you figure that out, I'll take Ruby try and keep her safe and I'll come back."
"Got it." Artemis said, David, Ruby and Granny walking off the car. Artemis going back to the truck. A coroner (like a dead inspector) was already on their way, but she could her own inspection now.
Bending down she looked over bleeding body, lightly touching the ends of Billy's shirt.
"Don't be afraid."
Artemis turned, looking at Peter crouching down next to her, looking down at Billy's body.
"It's dead, Artie. It can't hurt you."
"I know that," Artemis grumbled, staring down at the dead Aaedfal. "Forgive my caution, considering the last time I was near one of these things were when you left me to die."
"I didn't leave to die." Peter chuckled
"Really? Felt like it." she said dryly.
"I wanted to test you."
"Test what? My damn patience?" Artemis replied, glancing back down. Peter laughed, shaking his head at her.
"What?"
"You are an enigma, my dear Artie." Peter said smiling at her, standing up looking down at the Aaedfal's body. "So, where is it?"
"North, looks like it got into a fight before, though." Artemis mumbled.
"It did, look at those claw marks. Like wolves." Peter mused, holding out a hand to help her up. Artemis rolled her eyes, taking it, standing next to him. "Deeper and meaner than wolves."
"Like us then." Peter said gently, picking up his crossbow. "What do you mean, like us then?" Artemis asked, pulling out her arrow from the Aaedfal, making a face at the sludge of their strange blood dripped to the ground.
"People, Artie. Hunters. Us." Peter elaborated. "More often than not, it's us that are the violent killers, the spillers of blood. The true animals."
"Okay, take it easy, Plato." Artemis said, patting his shoulder, as she walked forwards, taking lead.
"Claw marks." Artemis whispered, getting up. "Thanks Peter."
"Hunted." Belle said, her voice drifting to Artemis's ears. "I was going to say hunted."
"Well this is cosy, little dust, but cute." Artemis said, walking in joining Belle, Ruby, Granny and David. "This probably won't make you feel better, but there's a mob-"
"Six blocks from here." Granny said.
"Right, six blocks." Artemis corrected. "You… You have wolf hearing, too?" Belle said in surprise. "It's not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you run a hotel." Granny said dryly.
"But it's a pretty pathetic mob, in my opinion so, I think we're okay." Artemis said uncharacteristically optimistic.
"The only way we're going to get the mob to stand down, is if we prove Ruby had nothing to do with Billy's death." David said starting down at Ruby in shackles.
"Which I already, made a crack on. Billy's body, the supposed claw marks, aren't like a wolves." Artemis said smugly.
"Really?" Ruby breathed out. Artemis nodded. "Really. Someone did go through great lengths to make sure it looked like you did it. Someone that's being trying to frame you the entire time."
"Good job, Artemis." David said, giving her a clap on the shoulder. "But we still need more concrete evidence to convince them." David said, turning to Granny. "I'm going to need your help." he added, before glancing to Belle. "If the mob comes this way, call us."
"Yeah, I got my bow at the ready, I've been dying to shoot some asshole." Artemis said with a grin. "You're not shooting anybody." David scolded.
"Dang it!" Artemis cried. "I've been dying to shoot someone."
"Come on." David chuckled, slipping out the door, in the back.
"It's getting late." Artemis said, following David and Granny down the street; Granny clutching Billy's jacket, trying to get a scent of it.
"This way." Granny said, leading them to a parked car. "The trunk."
David popped the truck, looking around inside. Artemis rummaged through the things, holding out something soft and red. "Ruby's hood." Artemis said, holding it out to Granny.
And that." she added, David pulling out a hatchet in the spare tire compartment. "You were right, the wolf didn't kill Billy. Ruby was framed."
"Duh." Artemis said, letting Granny take Ruby's hood. "They took the hood so she'd be forced to change back into a wolf. So whoever killed Billy could pin the murder on her." David said, Artemis nodded, looking down at the truck.
"Who would want to hurt my Ruby?" Granny asked. "That's a good question," Artemis said, scratching her head. "How we supposed to know-"
Before she could finished, David smashed in the driver's window. "Oh, yes, you finally did something cool." Artemis said gleefully.
David holding out a card in his hand. "This isn't about Ruby. It's about me."
"Ego much." Artemis sad instantly. "No," David said, holding out the card to her. "Look, Spencer."
"King George?" Granny said furrowing her eyebrows. "The sleazy?" Artemis said, handing the card back to him. "He needed a reason to wrestle power away from me, so he created one." David said darkly.
A wolf howl echoing out in the distance. "Damn!" Artemis cursed. "She's out." Granny mumbled. "The mob. They're going to kill her." David breathed out.
"Not on my watch." Artemis growled.
"There you are." Albert said, drawing his gun, when an arrow flew scratching his hand, knocking the gun into the air.
"Warning shot." Artemis said, her aim already aimed at his heart.
"The next one goes between your eyes!" Granny said, standing in front of Ruby protectively crossbow out. "Or somewhere lower and a hell of a lot more painful." Artemis said lightly, her threat laced seamlessly in her deadly calm tone.
"Ruby!" David said, going towards her, the crowd yelling in protest at his arrival.
"Shut up! Or I'll make you, shut up." Artemis yelled, the crowd quieting.
"Listen to me!" David cried over the discourse. "Ruby didn't kill Billy. He did." he said gesturing to Albert. "He stole her cloak, and killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like a wolf. All to get you to think I wasn't leading this town as I should."
The wolf growled, sensing the crowd's hostility, the mob moved forwards.
Artemis stepping back in front of Ruby, adjusting her aim.
"Hold up! Somebody already died because of what this man did. Let's not spill more blood. She won't hurt anyone. She's just scared." David said gently, slowly edging towards Ruby with her hood.
"Ruby? I know you're in there, so listen to me. It was Spencer, not you." David said crouching down to her height. "Don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster."
The wolf growled again.
Artemis groaned. "David, seriously?"
"Alright, alright. Poor…Poor choice of words." David said, bending further down, holding his hand out to her. "Please. Ruby. I know you. I know the real you, and I know you can control the wolf. Ruby. Ruby? Ruby."
"It's me – David." David said, Artemis glancing at them, watching the wolf, obediently sit, like a puppy. David quickly threw the hood over the wolf, changing the wolf to Ruby in her human form.
"You saved me." Ruby said softly.
"No. You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew." David said softly.
The gushing cushy greeting was beautiful, but had cause her to become distracted from the mob in front.
Albert deciding to use the beautiful moment, to make a run for it, pushing past Granny (making the crowd yell) he ran to his car, Artemis whipping around, firing her arrow.
A distant yell, over the slam of a car door and the screech of wheels echoed out. "Granny? You okay?" Artemis said, sliding towards the older woman, helping her up.
"What happened? Where's Spencer?" David said, standing next to them, helping Granny up from the other side. "He's gone. Go. Go." Granny said, shooing them away.
"Go, I got her." Artemis said, to Ruby and David. "Oh, David!" she called, making his stop, halfway to his car. "I got him in the leg, might be helpful." Artemis said, glancing at Ruby. "You know to pick up his scent."
"Thanks Miss!" Ruby called, the two getting in the car, driving off.
"Come on Granny," Artemis said, holding tightly onto her arm. "Let's get you a nice cup of tea, and a bottle of whiskey, huh?"
"He may never see his mother or grandmother again. How am I going to break that news to him?" David asked, glancing at Ruby; Artemis taking a long sip of her tea.
"You won't have to." Ruby said gently.
"Travel between worlds is as hard as it comes. Fairy dust on its own isn't enough. It took an entire curse to get us here in the first place. Without the hat…"
"Travelling between worlds isn't as hard as you may think," Artemis said, setting down her mug. "Besides there's more than one way to sew a hat."
"What she means is, you'll find another way." Ruby said, giving the girl a squeeze/ Artemis playfully pushing her on the shoulder.
"You don't know that." David mumbled.
"But I know you. And I know you'll never give up until you do. And David?" Ruby said, taking his hand. "You're not going to be doing this alone."
"Thank you, both of you." David said, squeezing Ruby's hand, taking Artemis's.
"Do you mind giving Granny a call?" Ruby said, glancing at Artemis, getting up to leave.
"Sure. Why?" Artemis asked. "I may have left Belle chained up in the library." Ruby said sheepishly. Artemis groaning.
"Somebody should probably…"
"Unchain her?" David suggested.
"Yeah."
"I got it." Artemis said tiredly getting up, grabbing her jacket.
"Where you going?" David asked, turning to Ruby. "I've still got a few hours of Wolfstime left. You helped me regain control. I want to do something I haven't done in a very long time."
"What's that?"
"Run." Ruby whispered, half running out the door, the sound of her howl echoing into the night. "That's nice." Artemis said, getting up, grabbing her jacket.
"Where you going?" David asked.
"I have a princess to go rescue." Artemis said, pulling out her plait from the inside of her jacket. "I'm going hearing Rumple complain about this forever."
Hiya!
Thoughts?
A sorta Valentines Day Present, coz I luv u all :) XD
Little light, in my decent depressing chappy's, but I promise, we will be moving a bit faster sooner!
Random, but how we liking David and Artie's relationship so far?
Don't worry, more Pan and Artie coming soon!
love to hear you're thoughts!
Thank you all for reading, reviewing, faving and following!
Don't forget to review, like, fav, follow, PM, ect. :)
Till next time...