There was a celebration over at Granny's diner. The dwarfs had finally found pixie dust in the mines. Word had spread so fast that soon the place was filled with people drinking and laughing together to celebrate.
Jim was cleaning a table when he heard a giggle nearby. He looked around and found Rose Gold laughing in a booth with Henry.
Even though he had re-introduced himself to her, to start over, he didn't exactly follow through. He hadn't spoken to her since, and just walks by. Then again, she didn't try to speak with him too. They weren't exactly close from their realm to begin with.
She was just a random girl he had met at a ball, and ran away before he could get to know her better. Then he finds out in this world, she is the daughter of the Dark One. It would be better to stay away and avoid problems with her, to be safe. Right?
A yelp was heard, coming from Ruby. Jim noticed the mechanic guy that once flirted with her during the curse, was now talking to her. His brother instincts were kicking in, but he didn't make a move to save her yet.
""I already know Ruby, I want the chance to meet Red." Billy said. Now he goes.
"Uh….. tonight's actually not a great night because…" Ruby was lost on what to say. And surprised to see the teenage boy stand by her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder to bring her close.
"Because its sibling night." Jim answered for her.
"That-that's right! You remember Norman, right?" She asked the man.
"Yeah! Is your name really Norman or-"
"It's Jim. Jim Hawkins." Jim corrected him.
"And you two are actually siblings?"
"Practically. He had lived with us in the Enchanted Forest, and here too. He's a brother to me. My little brother" She explained and played with his hair, causing Jim to step away and trying to fix it.
"I'm not so little anymore. I'm catching up to you." It was in that moment that Ruby realised he really is almost the same height as her.
"No way! When did that happen?" She asked in disbelief.
"I can tell when a sibling fight is about to start. I should go. Maybe next time, Ruby." Billy left. Ruby felt relieved it was over.
"Thank you for that save. I totally owe you." She thanked Jim.
"No worries. It's almost time anyway." He reminded her and pointed at the clock that was hanging on the wall. Bringing Ruby back to worrying.
"Okay. Finish clearing out the tables. I will check on Granny."
Jim turned to get back to work. Just in time to see that the girl he was watching earlier, was leaving with Henry. Charming was still sitting and drinking with some older looking man.
Charming must've sent the two home.
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Rose was at Mary Margaret's- Snow's place. Helping Henry with his math homework.
"Why are we doing this? I hate it." The preteen complained as they continued to sit on the bed.
"Like it or not kid, your still in school. And you still need to do the homework."
"I'm technically royalty. I don't have to do this."
"And I'm the Dark One's daughter, but you don't see me using title to excuse myself."
"You could."
"I won't."
"You could."
"I won't."
The two Kids continued with their teasing. Until Rose started to tickle him to win. The boy laughed so much, he fell off his bed. Then she playfully hit him with a pillow.
"It's time for bed anyway, kiddo." She said and got up. Making room for the boy. But Henry didn't move a muscle form the ground.
"Henry? What's wrong?" She asked. He continued to stare up at the plain ceiling.
"Afraid that the nightmares will come back tonight?" He nodded.
That was the main reason why David asked her to watch over for him. While the prince did his rounds around town, he wanted to make sure Henry wasn't alone and safe. He didn't like it, but he had to admit that Rose was the only person who knew Henry better than anyone.
Besides Regina, of course.
Rose might be Golds daughter, but she hasn't done anything dark…. that they know of just yet. Plus, she does still care for the young boy. Perhaps her company will help Henry to be more relaxed at home.
"Come on." She gestured him to get on the bed. This time he did. Laying his head on the pillows.
"Scooch over." She also said and took a spot next to him. Wrapping blankets on them.
"Will you stay with me?" Henry asked a bit scared. She hadn't seen him act that way in a while.
"Always. Nothing is going to change between us. I would stay with you during your nightmares growing up, and I will continue doing so. Unless of course you're too old and want me to leave-"
"No don't!" He begged her and held her arm. She softly smiled down at him. He couldn't help but laugh at his actions.
"I guess I'm still a little boy because I'm afraid of nightmares."
"Hey! You are not alone. Everyone is afraid when they are little. I would have nightmares when I was growing up too." She told in a calming tone. Hoping it would help a little.
"What were they about?" He asked.interested of what this version of Rose was afraid of.
"I used to be terrified of getting lost." She admitted.
"You mean like, not finding your way home?"
"More like, feeling lost in myself. Afraid that I didn't know who I was, who I was meant to be."
"You're talking about your life here or in the Enchanted Forest?"
"In the Enchanted forest. But in a way, I did feel lost here too."
"Well duh! You were cursed. You were taken in by Regina and didn't know who your real parents were." He reminded her of her curse life.
"But eventually, I did find out."
"At the end! Right before the curse broke, because the curse was breaking. Making it weak. If Emma had left, you would still be cursed! It would've been harder for you to go back with you dad still." He was right.
"So it's thanks to me that the curse did break." He confidently said. But to her, he sounded cocky. She laughed.
"I guess I should call you my hero?" She played along. Happy to see he was feeling better.
"It has a nice ring to it."
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After an unwanted conversation with King George, Charming decided to have a look at what Granny and the others were up to in the kitchen. From the looks of them earlier, they looked concerned each time they checked on the clock.
He found the trio clearing out everything they had in the freezer. Ruby explained that they were making a cage for her since it was the first full moon in town. The first night of wolf's time. It had been 28 years, meaning she feared that she may have trouble controlling herself again. Especially now when her magical red cloak is still missing.
"I've looked for that hood everywhere. I even went to Gold. It's not there, or in town-" Jim scoffed at that. Ruby quickly knew why he didn't believe her.
"I thought you and Rose made up?" She asked him looking puzzled.
"Not really. She can't be trusted just yet. And neither can her father. Do you really believe him when he said he didn't have it?"
"Of course not! But it wasn't him who I asked, I asked Rose. She even took me to the back room to look for it together."
Jim felt offended tha Ruby was taking that girl's side.
"Enough!" Granny cut in between the two. "If Jim doesn't trust her, then he shouldn't be force to."
"But-"
"No buts, Ruby. Now let's focus back on finishing setting up the cage."
"Yes Granny." The two said sounding unhappy.
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Morning came slow for Granny and Jim. But as soon as the sun was up, they went to check up on Ruby.
"Shouldn't you be on your way to school, young man? Those nuns might be fairy's, but they sure won't leave my butt alone when it's about you." Granny reminded the teenager.
"I'll go when I see for myself that Ruby is okay, Granny. Besides, I bet she is still asleep." Granny was surprised by his attitude towards her granddaughter.
"Look at you! So worried for-" She lost track of her words after entering the kitchen and finding a scary sight. The cage was clawed open. Markings all over the walls, the now broken metal bars, and the large door with a now huge hole from where Ruby most likely escaped through. Ruby was missing.
"You can forget about school. Were going to look for your sister!"
They both rushed out of the diner, hoping to find Ruby soon. Praying she was safe and no harm had happened.
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Henry had the nightmare in a dark room with flames of fire surrounding him again. He opened his eyes, back in reality, gasping for air. The dream felt too real. He honestly believed he could still feel the heat from the fire sucking out the air from his lungs. Rose was already by his side, doing her best to calm him down.
"Henry! It's alright, you're safe. It was just a dream." She comforted him and patting his hand. But the young boy flinched in pain from the her small touch. The two were alarmed.
"Henry, what's wr-" She took a look at his hand and her eyes were wide open in shocked. Holding his hand from the bottom instead to lift it up and have a better look.
"Is that a burn?" It was a burn. A very nasty one too. She was certain he did not have any burning scars last night. This was completely new. This meant that his dreams are something else.
"How did that happen?" He asked in pain.
"I don't know. But I know someone who will." She stated.
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Granny had called Charming to help them find Ruby in his police car. Using her wolf senses, she sniffed for the woman's smell and lead them towards the woods. They found Ruby, who was still sleeping and woke her up. Ruby was surprised to be in the woods and began to panic. Assuming she did something terrible again.
"Relax, Ruby. All you did was take a nice long walk at night and took a nap." Jim told her. Hoping it would help.
"And what if during that 'walk', I did something bad?"
"You mean like using the bathroom by a tree or a bush. There's a good chance you did that." He joked. She punched him arm, not happy with his attitude.
They were headed back to the sheriff's office when Charming got a phone call about a truck being left by the docks.
Little did they know that things were going to change.
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Rose called both her father and Regina for help. Regina came running in and was definitely displeased to see Gold there too.
"Rose, what is he doing here?" Regina asked not hiding her angry tone.
"I needed an expert." Rose answered easily.
"What's wrong with my magic?"
"I trust papa more. Besides, he knows what the problem is." Regina eyed the man and refused to let him be a helpful with her son.
"Let me see" She took a look at Henry's burned hand. "And you got this from a dream?" She asked the boy. He nodded sadly.
"What Henry was describing is certainly not a dream. But a side effect of your sleeping curse." Gold explained, keeping a serious stare at the Queen. He explained that after falling under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a nether world. It will stay there until the person wakes up.
"So he keeps going back there. No matter what?" Rose thought out loud. Her father agreed.
"I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there." Regina demanded. She had to face facts that she did not understand how to help her son, since she never cared what the curse did to her victims until now.
Rose rolled her eyes. If it was that easy to get rid of it, her father wouldn't be informing them about this. Gold gave Henry a necklace with a potion inside a vile. Explaining that as long as he wears it when he's sleeping, it will help him to control the dream and his fear too.
To Regina's shock, Rumple did not ask for any type of payment. Wondering why he was being nice.
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Ruby continued to cry for what she thought she did during her night out as a wolf. The group had found Billy's truck by the docks and his body cut up in parts by the car and near a dumpster. The wolf girl assumed she killed him. Because there would be another full moon that night, she wanted to be locked up in a jail cell.
Charming did just that but kept reminding her that she did not anything wrong. He would prove that she was innocent. Jim was with them in the Sheriff's office. More to keep her company. She is a sister to him.
"You should be in school." She suddenly said after a moment of silence to the teenager. She didn't want him to get dragged into her problems again.
"You are way more important than some class I was going to sleep through anyway." He joked to lighten the mood. She giggled a bit. Sadly, it did not last long when King George made his appearance.
"Give me that thing! The she wolf. It's time to dispose of the monster." He declared. Jim stood between the older man and Ruby. Protecting her from him.
"That's my sister your talking about!" Jim yelled. He didn't care if the man was some king, he had no rights here anymore.
"Are you one of them, then?" The king threatened. Jim returned the glare. David came just in time to hold the teenager back from trying to hit the man.
"Leave him alone! He's adopted. He isn't like me!" Ruby said to save Jim from getting hurt somehow.
"Do yourself a favor, kid. Runway from this crazy life. While you still can. You'll get suck into it and regret it if you don't leave."
"Whatever you have with me, dont involve them!" Charming finally said to George.
After pulling away, the two adults talked from a far. It was more of the king demanding to have Charming give Ruby up to the people to have justice for her murder. To kill her instead of investigating the issue. Once their conversation was over, and the older man was long gone, Jim turned to them.
"I think a new location sounds good."
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They moved Ruby to the library with Belle. David and Granny left earlier to search for the real killer who is framing Ruby, while Belle and Jim stay to watch over her. She wanted to be tied up in chains to be safe.
Ruby and Belle were having girl talk until Ruby notice that Jim had an arrow and bow on him. She laughed at him.
"What are you planning to do with that?" She teased. Amused of how funny he looked.
"Shoot someone." He simply answered. She laughed more in disbelief.
"Do you even know how to use that thing properly?"
"Hey! I have had practice with Granny." He argued back.
"When?" She didn't remember him getting lessons from grandma in either realms.
"After you and Snow ran off. Granny trained me 24/7." He complained the last part. Getting chills from remembering those horrible training days.
"Granny is hardcore." Ruby mentioned. Recalling her own training with the older woman too.
"And don't forget mean" He added. The two women laughed. Belle started to recognize the boy from before.
"Aren't you friends with Rose?" Belle asked him. Jim frowned at her question and looked the other way.
"They were close during the curse." Ruby whispered to her, but Jim heard her.
"Yeah, during the curse! So drop it." he snapped. He was getting annoyed of ruby talking about Rose again.
"What happened between you two?" Belle couldn't help but wonder. She always wanted to see Rose be friends with people her age. It was sad to watch her be alone for so long. He shrug his shoulders.
"I found out who she really was. And I shouldn't be close to her. Let alone, talk to her."
"You talked to her the other day." Ruby reminded him. That day after saving her and Belle from losing their memories.
"Only to make it clear that I am Jim not Norman. I am someone else now, not that boy that she was friends with during the curse."
"A friend who had a crush on her-"
"RUBY!" Ruby and Belle couldn't hide their giggles again, making the teen's face to turn red.
"Look, Jim. I can honestly tell you, as someone who has known Rose for years…. that she is not what people assume she is. She does not use magic. She is a sweet and smart girl. Very talented with the music too. She really is a good girl and a wonderful friend. You should take the chance to get to know her better." Belle suggested. She could tell by his face that it made him sad when ruby brought the girl up.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm done taking chances." He told her. Jim reminded Belle of Rumple a bit. Afraid of taking a chance for something better.
No wonder why they were close.
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Things got complicated too quick. While Jim took a bathroom break, Ruby managed to unlock herself from the chains and locked Belle up instead. Jim was coming back when Ruby ran passed him. He grabbed her wrist tightly.
"Hey! Where are you going? You can't leave!" He asked, scared of what would happen if she got out. What the people would do to her.
"If the town wants a wolf, they'll get one." She said. Yanking her hand away, and pushing him off her. Using her wolf strength to overpower him. He fell down to the ground and called out her name. She already ran outside the library doors. Forgetting to get his weapons, he rushed after her. He was out of the building, but stopped himself after seeing her. As a wolf.
She was watching him, growling with its sharp teeth. Jim put his hands up in surrender, hoping she would see he wasn't going to harm her.
"Hey, hey. Its me, Jim. Jim Hawkins. The orphan boy who is stuck to you like a brother." He quietly said to her and took some slow steps towards her. Ruby kept on watching his movements. He was only two feet away from her, thinking for a moment that everything was going to be fine.
Until she bit his leg.
She pulled him to lose his balance. His body crashing on the ground. She was still biting him hard and he started to cry out in pain. Causing her to let go and whimper. Running away into the dark night.
Jim tried to move to follow her, but he couldn't get back up. His left leg was still bleeding through his jeans. Blood was dripping everywhere. He was losing blood and groaning in pain. He couldn't speak or even think.
He felt so hot and dizzy, that he didn't pay attention to whoever was dragging him back inside the library.
It was Belle who had found him, and brought him back to the building. She had called Rumple to help the boy. But rose answered the phone instead. Rose didn't waste another second and got on her bike. Finding Belle with Jim inside the library. They laid him on the marble floor examining his wounded leg.
"He's terribly hurt! We need your father's help." Belle desperately said to the girl. But Rose ignored her and pulled out her wand from her boot instead. Slowly moving it over Jims leg. It stopped the bleeding and only left a large scar from the wolf's bite.
Jim was able to slow down his breathing and finally opened his eyes. He saw Rose, took notice that she was close and looking worried for him. For a moment he felt relieved to see her. He then looked down at his leg, realizing it wasn't hurting as much as before. But saw a wand in her hand. Belle didn't take her eyes off of the girl. Shocked that she had just witnessed Rose using magic.
Rose was feeling uncomfortable by the two reactions.
"I-I should go." She finally said. Jim looked away, clearly trouble.
"Yeah, you should leave." Judging by his tone, he really did not want her there. She felt hurt and made her way out of the place without turning back.
After Rose left, Jim spoke up.
"She doesn't use magic, huh." He reminded her words and looked at her. Belle was so confused of what just happened.
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It was the next day. The truth was out that it was King George that was framing Ruby. It was to distract David so he could steal the Mad Hatters Hat. Burning it so David could never be reunited with his wife and daughter.
Ruby felt horrible at what she did to Jim and was trying to make it up to him by doing his chores and shifts at work. Granny however, was keeping a close eye on him. Incase he turned too. So far there were no signs, but you never know.
Belle couldn't let go of what happened with Rose and wanted some answers. So she made an appearance at Gold's shop. He was happy to see her, but she out her hands up to silence him.
"Why did you teach Rose magic? How could you do that? I thought that you never wanted her-" he interrupted her by holding her shoulders to gain her attention.
"Belle, I didn't."
"But she-"
"She has a wand and learned on her own how to use it through some books on how to use self defence and healing for cuts and bruises.. Nothing more than that. Magic always comes with a price. And because of that, I would never let her get more involved with it." After taking his words in, she was able to calm down.
"And that's it?" She asked to be sure. He responded with a yes. She was grateful with his answers, but was still concerned for Rose.
"Did you know that Rose has been having some problems with a boy?" She asked him.
"You mean with that Hawkins boy? Of course I do. He hurt my daughter." Rumple stated. Uninterested of the topic. Belle knew he was just being a father.
"Rumple-"
"Belle, I am glad to see your worried for my daughter. But Rose needs to take things slow. So much has happened in so little time. And if I remember correctly of who this Hawkins boy is, he is not worth it for my Rosemary."
Belle smiled at the man.
"You know Rumple, my father thinks the same way about you." Rumple frowned at her comment. Disgusted that she just compared him to Moe. But he did understand her point. Lightly kissing her on the lips.
"Let's just let the kids handle their own problems" He decided. Belle agreed with him. But had a feeling that Rumple wouldn't be too happy about it.
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So sorry if you notice the chapter didn't go through. Everytime i try to post on the computer, it gets messed up. It takes me longer to post on the phone, but at atleast it works.
Thank you for reading!