ruby-greene

[ruby-greene]

"Why, a gentleman? You flatter us, Mr. John Smith," Ruby teased, hopping out of the car and letting John close it behind her. He grunted and didn't grace her with a response. 

With a grand flourish, Ruby grabbed Belle and looped their arms together, walking in step with the girl to the front door of the mansion. "Now, just a few things, honey -- this is a dancing party, so there will be fellas who wanna grab your hand and give you a swing. You can tell 'em to prance off if you want, that's all right for everyone. Do what makes you comfortable. I'll try to stay by your side most of the night, unless you tell me to buzz off or I get a good dance partner. 

"Do yourself a favor and don't grab a smoke and a drink -- it's your first party, so the two together will not have good results. Especially when we need to have fun! In fact," Ruby realized, too late, that Belle did not seem to be the "drink and smoke" type by a long shot, "don't even worry about that nonsense. It won't be a big thing unless you join the boys who smoke and drink in the basement. And since John and Phillip moved their furniture to make their main hall their ball room, it'll be perfect!"

Was there anything else Ruby need mention? "Oh, and don't be afraid to make friends -- everyone here is just here to have fun! I know plenty of gals who don't mind a good book just like you do, or a young man who can give you a good and proper dance. And I'll be with you as much of the night as I can."

By the time Ruby had ended her pre-party speech, they'd reached the door. She squeezed her friend's (that's what they were, right?) hand, let John open the door for them (who'd laughed at her speech and called her a mother hen only twice, bless his rude soul) and made their entrance.

Be Somebody {Flashback} | Ruby and Belle

Belle gave a nervous chuckle that sounded too forced to be genuine, but she had found the pair’s antics humorous. Not being able to form a response that wasn’t either stupid or ridiculous and avoiding the chance of stuttering like an idiot, Belle kept quiet as John pulled the car into the street and began to drive.

Speed aside, John was a fair driver. He might have been going too fast for this time of night, but he wasn’t as reckless as Belle had presumed he might be. Her knuckles released their tight grip on the seat belt and began to turn from white to red.

The radio hummed a popular song that John whistled along to as he pulled the car to a stop in front of a large estate. Belle figured his parents must not be home, because all the lights in the mansion were on and music could be heard pounding the walls, even from the street.

She went to get the door, but John waved a dismissive hand and said, “I got it.” He quickly jogged around the car to open the back first, allowing Belle out, and then he got the door for Ruby.

[ruby-greene]

"Florida," slipped from Ruby's mouth like turpentine. She'd always wanted to see the sunny southern state, and they had days to kill before either were needed -- or wanted to be -- back. "I heard it's amazing this time of year, with all the flowers and people coming to full bloom. We can probably hit the southern coast within the next three days, if we take our time. If you want, we can take turns driving -- I did just get my license, I'll have you know, and I am proud to say I only failed twice before getting it."

She smiled brightly at her bookworm friend, and added a, "kidding," so Belle would at least let her near the steering wheel. The poor girl would drive herself to death. 

Before the woman could ask her about what had happened with her and Granny, Ruby asked, "How is the devil groom these days?" and wished she'd just said "Gaston". 

Puttin' On the Ritz l Belle and Ruby

"Just tell me where and we’re gone." Belle replied, dreading returning home when she hadn’t even left town, because coming back meant getting married, and getting married meant loosing her independence, her happiness, and her Nicholas. "The Cape of Massachusetts, the coast of Maine, or even Florida - we’ve got time." She responded with a sad little smile.

[ruby-greene]

The words "that must've been hard" were on the tip of Ruby's tongue, ready to pop out, but she held them back. Emma sounded reluctant enough -- did she want Ruby's sympathy? When people pitied her, Ruby would feel her heart pound and her anger rise. Pity did nothing for anyone -- it just made the hard work harder. 

But that didn't mean empathy was bad. "My mammy got pregnant unmarried too," she murmured. "But my mammy? She was different. She wanted to be a singer -- the apple of every music lover's eye. That's why we moved to America. Granny always told me she'd gotten nowhere in life, that she worked a bar in uptown New York and never tried to write or see us again.

"But we moved on, too. Granny got her diner going, and it's been a dream now that she's bustling with business -- I guess things have a tendency to work out, huh?" 

If only they would with her dang apartment. Granny had to let her vice-like grip go, or Ruby was going to go crazy. "What did David do for you?"

Counting Stars | Emma and Ruby

Emma was silent as she thought about her answer. 

"I grew up without any parents. I lived with the Swans for a little while before bouncing from foster home to foster home and eventually ran out onto the streets. I fell in love, got pregnant, had a baby, and made myself grow up."

Emma looked up at the night sky, memories washing over her as she spoke.  Her past wasn’t a very pleasant one, but it made her who she was today.

"I worked in a few factories during the war, but nothing was ever stable. It wasn’t a good life and I worried I would end up stuck on the streets until David found me."

[ruby-greene]

(Hey guys, I'll be inactive for the next five days 'cause i'll be on a family vacation :D have fun without me!!)

[ruby-greene]

It took them three hours of walking before nightfall finally set in. Four cars had driven by -- one that they'd had to hide from because the man did not look like the gentleman sort. Another hadn't even slowed for them (which was probably the smart thing) and the other two had been going the opposite direction. Even still, they could have stopped. 

Ruby's feet were aching by the time they walked the third mile, and her luggage was a burden she promised to never pack again. Who really needed all this clothing for a week, right? She didn't need four pairs of shoes or all her makeup or her hair-styling tools or her sewing and stitching kit. Really. All of it was unnecessary weight on her back. And feet. Lord above. 

"Emma," Ruby muttered after the fifth (fifth one in a row) car drove by. "I think we need to change our tactic on getting someone to pull over. This isn't working all that well."

Emma gritted her teeth and shook her head. “I’ve already used a spare tire. We have nothing.”

She could practically see Ruby’s thoughts. Night was almost here and the next town was much too far to make before it fell. The situation was looking pretty grim. Emma squatted to get a better look at the damage, but she wasn’t sure what else they should do.

"I do believe we’re going to have to walk. If we can get to a phone, we can ring someone to come get us."

[ruby-greene]

Ruby called back a "goodbye" when Granny came out to shout some more at her. John knew how Granny was anyway (he was one of the few people Ruby would consider a "friend", though they weren't as close as they could be). Though he was the youngest in his family, he was the sweeter of the two siblings -- he liked to talk about things besides football and money, for one. But his brother threw amazing parties, so who was Ruby to judge?

Seeing them running, he opened the door for Ruby to grab and opened the back for one of the two to sit. Ruby held it open for Belle, sliding into the front and shutting the door behind her before turning and beaming at the blond. "Why hello, John, always a pleasure to see a darling like you. How have you been?"

"Fine," the teen huffed, rolling his eyes (as he always did) at her theatrics. "Calm down a tad, it's just a small party tonight. Not to many allowed this time, what with Phillip having gotten the Sheriff callled last time. Who's this nice girl?" He glanced at Belle and gave Ruby a confused look. "Usually you bring Aurora or even Ella."

Thankfully Belle introduced herself, which flustered John so much that his ears pinked. She pinched his cheek and he swatted her away, much to Ruby's enjoyment. "I'm sorry you're friends with this loon," he mumbled back to the bookworm. Ruby gave huff and caught a look in the mirror to check her makeup. 

"Don't mind him, Belle, he's all talk and no action," Ruby muttered as she, once again, dabbed at her lips. 

Be Somebody {Flashback} | Ruby and Belle

Belle had to resist laughing in the face of her friend’s excitement - could she call them that, friends? - and nodded in all seriousness, agreeing that tonight would be “the bee’s knees”. All laughing aside, she liked how the dark-haired girl talked and her odd little expressions; she filled with quirkiness and charm, two things Belle couldn’t maintain if she had called some people “hoofers”.

John Smith had to be one of the most handsome people on the planet: he had a strong, chiseled jaw with long, thick blonde hair and sparking sea-side blue irises, not to mention his pink cheeks and the most muscular build Belle had ever seen (right next to Gaston’s).

Never one to be intimidated or feel inferior on account of a man, Belle stepped right up to the car and offered him a wide small, introducing herself as the Greene woman bickered on the front porch. “Hello, I’m Belle. Thanks for, uh, picking us up.” She said, doing her best to seem social. Gran called something out about not being “too late” and slammed the door with a chuckle as her granddaughter bounded down the path to greet the duo.

[ruby-greene]

It'd been hard going back to the diner, but Ruby had dealt with it like a grown woman -- she walked in, made a beeline for her room, grabbed as many clothes as she could fit into her suitcase, fixed her clothes and hair, and went back downstairs. The cook gave her a wave -- Chef Louis, he liked everyone to call him, born and raised in "Paris", or so he said -- and told her to say goodbye to her ailing, old, frail grandmother. 

Ruby booked it out of there. Thankfully she was saved from looking like a foolish child, since Belle was waiting for her in the red Buick. Waving at the brunette, Ruby rushed to the back and stuff her bag into the backseat, slowly walking to the front before pausing with her hand on the door handle. 

Even if she was mad as hell at her grandmother, even if the thought of saying goodbye burned her pride...if anything happened, she'd at least know she told Granny "I love you". 

"Wait here just a sec, okay, Belle? I have to say goodbye!" And she ran back inside, heels clicking with each half-running step. 

Granny was in her office beside the kitchen, on the phone with people from the bed and breakfast. When Ruby knocked, she held up a hand, told the person to "take it or leave it," and hung up when they continued to argue. "What can I do for you, Ruby? An advance payment so you can live like a call--"

"I came to say goodbye and I love you," Ruby rushed out. She hadn't asked for off, she hadn't done anything to see if she could go -- but if they stayed another moment in each other's presence, they would ruin each other. "I'm going on a vacation with Belle. You can yell all you want when I get back. I'll be home in a week."

What Granny was supposed to do was drag her back inside and say hell no. 

What she did was sigh, stare at Ruby a long moment, and nod. "Do what you need to, girl. I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay," Ruby murmured. That was it? No fanfare, no outright demand to stay, no cry of war, just -- do whatever? "I'll -- I'll call."

And then she ran back out to Belle. "Let's go," she said as she jumped in. There were too many people out and about and she wanted to go. "I heard the coast is nice this time of year. We can head there?"

Puttin' On the Ritz l Belle and Ruby

[ruby-greene]

Her heart was beating so fast she confused it for her breathing, but no -- it was her blood pumping through her veins, and yes, her stomach was tightening and oh, damn, her left knee was shaking. Stop that. 

It didn't stop. Mr. Gold came out -- she would have described it as rushing, except he slowed almost as soon as he saw her -- and gave her the once over she'd been expecting. Good. So far it had gone how she'd believe it'd go. "I - I came to ask about a specific, ah...antique you may have an interest in. My grandmother -- Granny, at Gran's Diner, you know her? -- she found this," Ruby pulled out a small bag from her coat, walking carefully to the front and depositing it onto the table. With clumsy fingers, still wet from the rain (no amount of rubbing them on her skirt fixed the problem) she tugged the bag apart and pulled out a small, blue-white, chipped tea cup. "I asked her about it, and she said it was from an old tea collection that she'd let Belle borrow at one point. The poor woman, she nearly cried when she saw it. Wouldn't stop apologizing. I had to bring her some of Gran's coffee before she went on another rant about how it'd broken and had been 'all her fault'.

"Granny said we had no use for it unless it was a complete set, though, even broken. She was wondering if you had the rest of the collection. She says she sold it to a family a couple years back, who said they sold it to you -- do you have the rest of it?"

MINNIE THE MOOCHER | Ruby and Nicholas

[ruby-greene]

Emma's head was throbbing from where it had connected with the steering wheel. Her neck was sore form the sudden lurch and her fingers were turning white as they gripped the steering wheel in fright. It took a moment for what had just happened to fully catch up to her.

"Yes, I'm fine." she told Ruby, shakily opening the door and coming to her feet outside of the vehicle. She checked the tired until she found the problem at the passenger's front side. "I do believe we have popped a tire."

Oh, no. No. "Please tell me you're lying, Emma," Ruby hopped out of the car and stood next to her friend. There in front of her, the tire was deflated, having the car tilt to it's right. This was not what they needed. 

Fighting back frustration, Ruby ran her hands through her hair a dozen times before she kicked a nearby tree, stumbling a little at the overdosage of pain. Good. That was fixable. "Well, I mean, there's gotta be a spare in the back, right?" Ruby asked, hopping on one foot and rubbing her toe. "Isn't that a new thing they're doing? Keeping tires in the back of cars in case of these emergencies?"

She really hoped they did. The next town was twelve miles away. And with night coming on fast, there was no way they'd make it in time. 

Road Trip | Emma & Ruby

[ruby-greene]

DRUNK IN LOVE l Ruby and Graham

It had been a simple, "drop by the bar and say hello!"

It had not been about getting six beers and four tall glasses of vodka and lemonade alongside the Sheriff of West Egg at the Poison Apple at two in the morning, giggling like school kids and hardly being able to sit up properly. Her head was filled to the brim with cotton balls, it was so foggy -- all Ruby could focus on was Sheriff Graham's shiny silver badge. Every now and then, she tapped it with her nail -- and when it gave a soft ding, she giggled and giggled and giggled.

"We should, oh, Graham, we should dance. Or, or, better yet! We should bring this party to the streets!" Ruby yelled (because she could not hear) and shushed the people who tried to shush her with a very large sweep of her arm. "Pipe down back there, this is the Sheriff."

With that she turned back to her man-friend-Sheriff-person who bought her a drink (or five) and smiled. "These people are boring. Let's go somewhere fun, right?"

[ruby-greene]

Nothing could top the wind in her hair and the sun on their backs. "I wanna walk along Broadway a bit, see the shows that are starting and glimpse a few actors and the like. Maybe swing by a small shop to grab dinner."

Broadway had been an off-limit thought for so long -- she'd always wanted to see what her Mammy had wanted to do with her life, to see if it was worth it. "And then after we can snag a hotel room and find a place to have some fun, like -- oh -- a bar. Yes, we should do that!"

West Egg was falling far behind them, and they were coming into the forest. It felt amazing, with all the nature around them, that Ruby relaxed even more into her seat. "What are your plans? I know you said shopping -- which is a must for any girl outting! -- but we could see a few museums, too, maybe grab a souvenir for Henry? Maybe bring back the gals some new hats, I know Mary Margaret has been complaining about hers having a hole in it --"

POP.

There was a sudden jerk to the car that sent it careening to the right, and Ruby let out a yelp as they tilted down, down, down. Her hat blew off as she gripped the automobile for stability; her teeth clenched tightly together as she tried to hold herself in place. Tires screamed on the pavement until they came to a halt, half on the grass and half on the road, at an awkward angle that wasn't perfectly vertical.

Her head was, annoyingly, pounding. "Emma, good lord above, are you alright? What just happened?"

Emma followed the red head inside and took a seat next to Granny. The elderly woman smiled warmly at her.

"Emma, lovely to see you." she said. Emma smiled back and gave Ruby’s grandmother a hug.

"It’s good to see you too."

"You two enjoy yourselves out there, but please be careful. Take good care of Ruby; I worry about her going to visit the city." Granny glanced down to hide a sad look, but Emma caught it. She patted Granny’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her. You can trust me."

At those words, Ruby reappeared. Emma laughed as she dragged her out of the diner.

"Okay, okay, we’re going."

Emma got into her car and started the engine, driving out of West Egg without much of a thought. 

The day was warm and the sun was bright, perfect driving weather for when you have no top to your car. New York City wasn’t too far away and Emma was planning on making it to the city before it got dark. She wanted to see the city probably just as badly as Ruby did.

She was in desperate need of a shopping trip. Dealing with Regina and Henry and Neal tired Emma out to no end. She just wanted to take a weekend to relax and that was exactly what she and Ruby had planned.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Emma asked.

[ruby-greene]

It was, surprisingly, reassuring to hear Emma admit that she had no plan -- Ruby didn't feel so lost now. "I can't imagine you working anywhere else either," she offered, softly, laying back on the grass and taking some slow, deep breaths. Granny had tried to teach her how to control her emotions at a young age, but darn it all if she couldn't.

"To be honest, I can't see myself at anywhere but the diner. I mean, I want to travel and all -- go out and explore, see the mountains and other cities out there -- but I can't imagine start a job that isn't Gran's Diner. Not that I want to waitress forever, but...it's home, y'know?"

Speaking of. "What made you leave yours, Emma?" Her eyes focused on the stars and not the mysterious blonde next to her.

[ruby-greene]

"Yes?" Ruby repeated. She couldn't believe her ears -- she'd said yes?

"Yes! Yes! Oh, Belle, that's -- thank you!" It took all of Ruby's strength not to tackle the brunette, wrapping the woman in a tight hug and bouncing them up and down. "Oh, oh, you don't understand how happy this makes me. Oh, gosh, we're gonna need food, and, and a automobile, oh, gosh, where do we even go?"

Suddenly things seemed lighter, less oppressive, and Ruby could at least breathe easier. "I can't believe you said yes, that just made my year! Belle, you're the best friend a girl could dream to have!"

From her desk, the librarian hushed her again. Ruby stuck her tongue out at the old woman and stepped back from Belle, brushed down her skirt and fixing her wayward hair. She was still in her uniform, too -- she'd have to go back and change. "We can leave in a couple of days, or -- or even tonight! If you want, I mean. But as soon as we can! Oh, this is a dream, Belle! It's absolutely amazing!"

"Belle," Ruby burst through the door’s of West Egg’s library, heels clacking as the librarian shushed her so badly her glasses fell off, “We’re going on a vacation!”

Granny and she had gotten into an enormous fight over Ruby moving out—she’d finally found that perfect...

[ruby-greene]

It was lucky, Ruby thought, that Emma knew what she was doing. Maybe Ruby would to, someday. "I dunno, Emma. Waitressing is all I know. I was horrible in school -- I could barely read Dutch, let alone English. Granny knows how hard I tried to learn, though. Always liked to think I could be a teacher but I can't stand little kids. Even the ones at the diner. How did you figure it out, Emma?" she turned her head and brushed her hair back, getting a good look at the blonde woman. If Emma had figured it out, she could, right?

"How did you ever figure out what you wanted in life? I can barely figure out what to wear to the dang store."

If the stars hadn’t been so beautiful, she’d have never said the words, “Emma, I wish I was you,” and she’d never have wished for something better out of her life.

The words had just slipped out, all quiet and peaceful and gentle and heart ripping, like they were the flower...

[ruby-greene]

Ruby dabbed at her lipstick, staring in the mirror and wishing she had a darker red -- she'd have to get a new stick before the next party. "Uh huh, John Smith! Phillip asked him to pick us up since neither of us have a car -- or ride. Funny how that works, huh?"

Damn. She'd smudged her lipstick. She'd wiped at it with her finger, mumbling to herself, and then gave up and grabbed a tissue nearby. Not a moment later, there was the sound of a car horn beeping outside. "Oh, that's him! This is going to be the bee's knees, Belle, I can just feel it! We'll dance with the other hoofers and just have a glorious time!"

With that, she grabbed Belle's hand and raced out the door, slamming it shut behind them and waving to John Smith sitting in his red Duesenberg. "He's sweeter than an apple pie, I swear! Hello, John!"

[ruby-greene]

MINNIE THE MOOCHER l Ruby and Nicholas

Rain was pouring down all around her, there was lightning in the distance, there was no one on the street, and Ruby was scared out of her wits. Her palms were more sweat than skin, and her dress clung to her like glue. Her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings and she could barely feel her toes.

I can do this--she wiped her hands together, tried to fix her hair and then her shoes, and then squeezed more water out of her shirt. Now or never, she thought, staring at Gold's pawnshop door. She took a long, deep breath, tried to make herself look presentable, and walked into the building like she thought she was a queen--

--and promptly tripped over the first display case. It almost came down with her, what with how the water clung to it, but she managed to only disgrace herself, whimpering when her knees cracked on the hardwood floor. Cursing herself, she scrambled to her feet, tried to straighten out her wet skirt, and looked around the shop.

But she was inside.

[ruby-greene]

Puttin' On the Ritz l Belle and Ruby

"Belle," Ruby burst through the door’s of West Egg’s library, heels clacking as the librarian shushed her so badly her glasses fell off, “We’re going on a vacation!”

Granny and she had gotten into an enormous fight over Ruby moving out—she’d finally found that perfect apartment and wanted to take the chance, maybe ask the Sheriff about that job as a secretary, and Granny had all but said over my dead and buried body.

Needless to say, Ruby’s makeup was smudge and her clothes weren’t as primed as they could be. She was sure her eyes were red and her hands were shaking. But damn it all she was going to do this if it killed her.

Realizing how demanding she sounded two minutes two late, Ruby grabbed the beautiful bookworm and tugged her aside, behind a few shelves in the nonfiction section. “That is, ah, if you can,” she whispered, rubbing her eyes and brushing hair out of her face (she’d have to cut it again or start braiding it). “I know that Gaston may not like it…but if you want to…I’d really appreciate it, Belle. I really would.”