Burned in the Sun

“You still haven't told her?”

Ruby withered under Granny's gaze, “I-- I'm a wolf, not to mention a killer, and she's beautiful and caring, and only ever does the right thing.”

Granny whacked Ruby on the shoulder, then gave her a one armed hug. “I know you're scared that what happened with Peter will happen again. But.. tell me what happened during the fight. Right after the curse broke and you turned into the wolf? What did you do?”

“Nothing. I think that I started towards her, but then stopped. Her smell, it changed somehow. Then Captain Hook attacked and I attacked him back and...”

“You didn't maul her then, or kill her. You stopped. Because you're not the same person now that you were as a teenager. So, the only question you have to ask yourself is this. Do you like Belle French?”

Granny gave Ruby a gentle pat on the back, then moved away. It wasn't long until Belle joined Ruby, “Hi, are you okay? Did Granny upset you?”

“Yes, no… Belle can we talk?”

“I thought we were talking.”

Ruby smiled, “You weren't scared… of me?”

Belle shook her head, “No, well, maybe at first, but then I looked into your eyes. Your body may have changed, but your eyes didn't.” Belle paused, “Do you believe me?”

Ruby was still for a moment, the nodded. “Did you mean it, that you're not giving up?”

Belle nodded, “I would never, will never lie to you Ruby.”

“And if I wanted to… give in?” Belle started to speak, but Ruby continued before she could, “No, that's a bad way to put it. I'm scared, so very, very scared. Peter… he… I killed him. I didn't know how to control the wolf. I loved him, and still I killed him. The last thing I want to do, ever, is hurt you Belle.”

Belle punched Ruby in the left shoulder so hard that there'd probably be a bruise in the morning. “Hey, what was that for?”

Belle smirked, “I can take care of myself Ruby Lucas. Never forget that. I may be a librarian in Storybrooke, but I was an adventurer in the Enchanted Forest, and kicked some ass here and there I might add.”

“Oh really?”

Belle pulled Ruby in. “Definitely. So, are you going to kiss me or what?”

Ruby tilted Belle's head up, leaned down, and kissed Belle. And it was quite the kiss. Because for just a moment, if someone was looking carefully enough they could have seen Ruby lose just a little control over the wolf. The back of Ruby's hand getting just a bit hairier than usual for a moment before it went back to being human.

oOOOOo

“Hi.”

Paige looked up and over. “Oh, hi Henry. This is so much fun. I never went to a ball when I lived in the Enchanted Forest.”

Henry looked around. Most people were dressed more for a formal royal ball then for a more casual party. “I think that even if they were serving Pizza and Guacamole Dip everybody'd be in the dresses and tails.”

Paige touched Henry's bow tie. “You look cool.”

Henry blushed, “Thank you. You look very pretty.”

Paige smiled and twirled in a circle, the dress flying outwards. “Thank you. I… I came over here to see if you wanted to dance?”

Henry tried to stand up straighter and held out his hand, “I-- yes, I would like that, but, um… if there are any real dances that happen, I think that you're going to have to lead, because I don't know any of the them.”

Paige smiled, “I can totally do that.”

oOOOOo

“You’re looking very glum Regina. It’s a party. David’s alive, Snow’s alive, even your mother and this Captain Hook are alive. Mal and Zelena are looking for a way to bridge our two realms or whatever they’re called, and we’re having a party because, well, I’m not sure of the exact excuse that everyone’s using today.”

“I’m sorry. Smiling isn’t…”

Emma smirked, “…really in your wheelhouse. I noticed. So, I heard that you were appointed as the Interim Mayor this afternoon, from Teacher to Mayor.”

“Apparently, despite being an outlaw, my reputation in the Enchanted Forest was a good one. I guess I was thought of as always being fair? And your mother didn’t want the job after doing it for 28 years.” Regina looked around. “Now that the curse is gone a lot of people are going to leave. I heard that Ruby and Belle were talking about it, they’re worried where Rumpelstiltskin is, and a good number of the dwarves want to leave. Even if I win the election there won’t be anyone here.”

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina. “We’ll figure it all out. After all, Marty and Dorothy seem to both want to stay, and Henry wants to stay. It’ll all be okay, let’s party.”

“Wait.”

Emma frowned, “What?”

Regina twirled the untied bow tie that hung around Emma's neck, “You didn't ask anyone to tie this?”

Emma shrugged, “Mary...” Emma paused, “My Mom and Dad were sorta busy getting all gussied up themselves, I didn't want to...”

“Will you let me do it?”

Emma raised an eyebrow, “You wear ties?”

That elicited a small smile, “Not quite. But ah, a couple of times I’ve tied Henry's when he came over. I think that my mother taught me when I was a little girl. I have a vague memory of watching her tie my father’s. Or maybe I imagined that. Oh, I almost forgot… you look beautiful by the way.”

“I… I wasn't sure whether to go with the dress or the suit, I...”

Regina leaned forward to adjust Emma's collar and whispered, “Save the dress for next time.”

Mary Margaret and David watched as Regina slowly but surely tied Emma's bow tie, “I don't know how I feel about that.”

David kissed the side of his wife's head. “Then don't. They're both adults.”

“But, she's my daughter, and yet she's, what, going out with, in love with, the daughter of the woman who's been trying to ruin, has ruined my life for years.”

David put two fingers over Mary Margaret's lips. “Shh… look.” Mary Margaret watched as Emma and Regina went to the dance floor. Slowly other couples took to the dance floor as well. And just as Regina and Emma were two women, not all of them were a male and a female either.

Mary Margaret shook her head, “Marco and Archie? The new young woman and Dorothy. I guess…” She turned to David and brushed a lock of his hair from his eyes, “I was so involved in me… I saw things as I wanted to, not as they were. Perhaps that's why the curse managed to take my memory of Emma too? I knew I lost a daughter, but, when she appeared in front of me, I didn’t know who she was. How could I not know David?”

David pulled at Mary Margaret's hand, “C'mon now. I want to dance with my wife to wildly inappropriate music.”

Mary Margaret smiled and gave David a quick peck on the lips. “Don't move.” She made her way up to where the small band was. A bass guitarist, drummer, a guitarist, and a guy surrounded by a few synthesizers. She talked to them for a moment, then returned to David's side. “This will be more like it.” The bass guitarist started with a simple walking sort of bass line with the guitar chiming in on the other two beats of the measure. Mary Margaret winced a little, “Well, maybe.”

David laughed, “Shostakovich's Second Waltz, really? Didn't, we danced to this at our wedding right? Someone's second cousin thrice removed requested it or something?”

The steps to the Waltz came right back to them, but others on the dance floor were having a bit more trouble. Paige was trying to show Henry the steps, and they were laughing their heads off. Regina was leading Emma around the floor pretty well. Although Regina seemed to be continually telling Emma not to look down at their feet. And Dorothy and Martha seemed to be in the right rhythm together. Belle and Ruby weren't so much dancing to the music as swaying to it. Mary Margaret also saw Marco hopping off the dance floor clutching his instep with a very sheepish looking Archie on his tail.

“I'm not the same person you danced with on that night.”

David twirled Mary Margaret, “I know Snow. I'm not either. I… I may not permanently be a Dragon, but I remember every moment of it. She made me do horrible things.” David lifted Mary Margaret off the ground for a moment. “Together, we'll get through this together.”

oOOOOo

“You know, you're not half bad at real dancing.”

Emma rubbed at the back of her leg, “Yeah, sure. Did you see my parents, it was like they were out of some… movie like the King and I or something.”

Belle and Ruby stopped next to Emma and Regina, “Has anyone seen where Rumpelstiltskin in the last week?” Both Emma and Regina shook their heads, “I'm worried, his shop has been closed for that long. What if he's planning something?”

Granny put one arm around Belle and her other around Ruby. “Then we'll deal with it together, right Sheriff? Right Madam Mayor?”

“Yep.”

Regina cleared her throat, “I haven't said yes yet. But, if something happens, whether I'm Mayor or not, yes, I will try and… and...”

Emma smirked, “...save the day my Savior?”

“I will make sure that doesn't catch on Emma Swan.”

Granny laughed, “You two are giving me spontaneous cavities. I wish that...”

No one knew how Granny was going to finish the sentence as with a poof of the darkest of black smoke she disappeared.

FIN