YoshiSkittlez

Once Upon a Time...

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Once Upon a Time...

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Once Upon a Time...

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Once Upon a Time...

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Once Upon a Time...

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Once Upon a Time...

Ruby glanced up at the blue-lit analog clock that hung up on the wall behind the counter in Granny's Diner. Only ten more minutes before Granny's would be closing for the day, and she couldn't have been more relieved. That morning had been busy to say the least, helping Granny back in the kitchen cooking up enough sweets and pasteries to put an entire army into a coma, and what made it worse was that Knox had been roped into working that day and was unable to help her pass the time.

Ruby quickly headed out of the kitchens, covered in a light sheen of sweat only to start wiping down the emptying tables in the diner, finding that only one customer remained; Mayor Mills' little stock puppet for The Daily Mirror. She couldn't help but to glare, if just a bit in the woman's general direction. How could she respect a woman who so blatently drag someone as sweet as Henry Carlyle through the mud the way she did? Of course Regina was the puppet master, but Sherry didn't have to comply.

She quickly finished all the tables but hers, allowing the woman at least five more minutes before she would have to say something in regards to having to leave so they could close. Ruby then went back into the kitchens to see what else she could help Granny with and began to package the goods to transfer downtown.

"I haven't seen your broody friend in here today..." Granny commented, bustling around the steamy kitchen in order to find another box large enough to carry the freshly baked cookies.

"He's not broody." Ruby quickly commented, but couldn't help but smile as she was brought back to thinking about him for the hundredth time that day. "He had to work."

Things between her and Knox had been, toned down to say the least. Both of them had been increasingly busy as of late, her with Miners Day preperations and him with...well, his work. Sometimes she wondered if he actually liked putting in extra hours. She had tried on a number of occasions to get him to take a day off, or at least a few hours so they could go for a walk or catch a movie or...something that normal couples would do, but there seemed to always be something else that came up; like an unseen force that was keeping them from being together.

Tonight wouldn't be any different either. The biggest day in Storybrooke, and she probably wouldn't even see him until her morning shift where he ordered cheese fries and coffee and she prayed to God that it wouldn't be busy with customers so she could sit down and drink a strawberry smoothie with him.

Granny just made a 'mhhm' noise from her throat and handed Ruby a collapsed box.

"Put that together will ya? When your done go ahead and start filling your car and head on down, perhaps we can get a good spot this year."

Ruby complied and put the box together after finding the duct tape, deciding to take the back exit to begin filling her car with the already packaged boxes to keep from having to make eye contact with that foul woman again.

Once Upon a Time...

Many, many years ago…

Dawn came, but Rumpelstiltskin hadn’t slept a wink. How could he when he knew the fate of his wife and child, never to see them again? They were dead, claimed by the sea in its roiling wake. There had to be a way to get them back, somehow. He was The Dark One, anything was possible, right? He couldn’t think of that now, not when he was about to receive vengeance for the death of his family.

Rumpelstiltskin sat atop an archway adjoining two roofs, awaiting the pirate Killian Jones to arrive just as he had set it up the night before. His bloodshot eyes scanned the streets until finally, the pirate made himself known. From his spot on the archway, Rumpelstiltskin tossed down an old, rusty sword at Killian’s feet, causing the pirate to pause and look up at the monster.

“Pick it up dearie, and let’s begin!” Rumpelstiltskin shouted down to the pirate.

“There’s no need.” Killian replied, keeping his eyes on Rumpelstiltskin as he moved his hand to grab at his own sword, but forced to look at the sheath as his hand found it empty.

“Sorry…” Rumpelstiltskin’s voice came from directly behind Killian, catching the pirate off guard. “…but killing a man with his own sword is just too delicious to pass up.”

Killian turned to see his very own sword in the hand of Rumpelstiltskin, and was then forced to pick up the older sword that the monster had thrown at his feet earlier. He took a moment to test the blades weight, and suddenly lashed out at Rumpelstiltskin with a powerful swing down of the sword, aiming to get this duel over and done with as soon as possible.

Rumpelstiltskin showed no inexperience with the pirates sword, as each strike was so easily parried by The Dark One that he even took it a step further and rested his free hand behind his back. They continued to strike their blades together, time and time again until Killian was sure that he had him and swung indefinitely, however The Dark One was no longer there; vanished into nothing but air.

“Ships that pass in the night?” Rumpelstiltskin asked from behind Killian. “Well…at least one ship…”

Killian went at Rumpelstiltskin once more, making Rumpelstiltskin take a step back with each blow until once more he was sure he had him until Rumpelstiltskin caught his sword with his own and forced Killian forward, knocking over a stack of barrels and falling to the stone ground. He quickly got up, refusing to give up the fight and attacked the monster again with a shout of anger that echoed into the night.

Rumpelstiltskin, again blocked each blow, using his foot to kick Killian back a few paces once and when the pirate returned, used his free hand for the first time to punch the pirate in the face, again causing the pirate to stagger back. Killian went back at him blindly, swinging his sword with fury and lunging to catch even just the reptilian clothing of the beast but Rumpelstiltskin slapped his sword down, and kicked him down onto his chest with his boot.

Killian got back onto his feet, only stopping when he was on a single knee to see that his own sword was pointed directly at him, Rumpelstiltskin had won the duel; it was over.

“Go on, I’m ready for the sword.” Killian said bravely, looking up into the monster’s eyes that glared down upon him. Rumpelstiltskin raised the tip of the sword to Killian’s neck and studied his face carefully.

“No…” Rumpelstiltskin said through his gnashing teeth. He bent down at the torso a bit, getting on a closer level to Killian’s face though keeping the sword tip at the pirates throat. “Do you know what it’s like-” He asked. “-to have your family stolen from you? To feel powerless to stop it? It feels as if your heart has been ripped from your chest.”

Rumpelstiltskin straightened up and lowered the sword.

“Actually, let me show you…” He plunged his hand forward, and Killian found the hand of the monster slide into his chest as if he were made of Jell-o. A sharp pain came from the pirates throat as he suddenly felt Rumpelstiltskin’s hand close around his heart and squeezed down hard.

“NO! STOP!”

Rumpelstiltskin, with his hand deep in the chest of the man who had stolen Milah and Baelfire, turned his head to see…a ghost?

“Milah?” Rumpelstiltskin’s dark eyes widened, unbelieving of what he was seeing. It was Milah alright, done with the tattered and worn dresses he was able to provide for her and instead donned the apparel of a pirate. She hadn’t run away after all, she left him.

Against his better judgment, Mr. Gold closed up shop early that day. He really wasn’t one for traditions, and the pointless one belonging to the town only known as Miners Day; a made-up holiday simply to bring the town together in some bullshit attempt at ‘togetherness.’ As Mr. Gold locked up his shop, he couldn’t help but to sneer as two children chased each other, a race to see who could get to Granny’s bakery booth first. One of them was bound to trip over their untied shoelaces and bust up their knee pretty badly, and then he would be stuck hearing their snot-nosed whimpers of pain.

Before that could even become a possibility, he took hold of his cane and limped down the street in the opposite direction. It would be a longer route to get to the heart of Storybrooke, but it was also a route that would be less populated, and he wasn’t much in the mood for striking any new deals today. He did, however, need to make a short stop to visit his dear friend Mother Superior.

“You’re raising the rent again?” Mother Superior, despite her quiet and pristine manner, couldn’t help but to vocalize her worries at a steadily louder volume than deemed appropriate coming from a nun. Thankfully, everyone else was at Miners Day already and none to overhear them.

“You were twenty-three minutes late on last months; did you sincerely think that wouldn’t come with its consequences?” Mr. Gold asked in an almost pleasant tone.

“But…but it’s Miners Day! The nuns, we’ve all put in what we had left for our preparations. We’d have to sell every candle to be able to afford double rent!”

“That…” Mr. Gold said twisting his cane around a bit to keep his hands occupied with something. “…is not my problem. I’ll be by later tonight to collect.”

Without another word, Mr. Gold made his way off of the porch and back onto the street, whistling a merry tune to himself that sounded much like ‘hi-ho’ from the Disney version of Snow White.

Once Upon a Time...

There was something absolutely magical in the air that day, and Regina couldn’t help but to feel that Miners Day wasn’t even the half of it. She hung up the office phone and looked over at Mason who was playing with his new train set just in front of her desk and smiled warmly. Things could have not been going better for The Mayor of Storybrooke. Henry was on his way out (with no one wanting him to stay, who would allow him a room when Granny’s of all people kicked him out), she recently discovered the patch to mend her scarred heart and late-nights with Robert only proved to be fruitful.

“C’mon Mason, I’m finished with my business work today. I told you it wouldn’t take very long.” Regina said pushing herself from her chair to join Mason at his side. “Just leave your train set here, we can pick you up another for home.”

“Are we going to Miners Day?” Mason asked eagerly, folding his hand into Regina’s out of habit. Regina nodded and smiled, running her fingers through his thick head of brown hair.

“Just as I promised. Maybe we can see about someone getting you a haircut too.”

The two smiled at one another, both basking in the warming love that they both desperately needed. An unspoken bond had formed between the boy and Regina over the last week. Wherever Mason went, Regina wasn’t to be found too far away. Even at school, Regina made a point pick him up and drop him off at exactly the times needed to be able to spend the most amount of time with him. She also made a habit of joining him for lunch, whether it was taking him something in a Hulk lunchbox she let him pick out, or taking him to Granny’s.

The warmer changes in Regina’s heart started coming out visibly as well, as today she had undergone the silk shirts and dress pants. Today, instead she wore a tight-fitting black turtleneck and blue jeans. Practical for the normal person’s everyday use, but still holding an air of class when Regina wore it.

The duo left Regina’s office after Regina had locked it up tight and set up the security alarm, and made their way down to the heart of Storybrooke to see what it is they could find this year...but unlike last year, they had someone to do it with together.

Once Upon a Time...

Storybrooke: Chapter 1 The Curse
Day 2 Character Summary

Mr. Gold

We get another flashback of The Enchanted Forest. It had been some time since Milah and Baelfire had been taken by the pirates, and on a cold winter night a beggar asked to come inside and get something to eat. Rumpelstiltskin let him in, and the beggar began a tale of The Dark One, putting the idea into his head that if Rumpelstiltskin stole the dagger from The Duke, then he could control The Dark One to get his family back. Even more than that, if he stabbed The Dark One with the dagger, then he could have the powers all to himself. He did of course, wanting the power for himself rather than wanting a slave, and so he became The Dark One.

When Mr. Gold came out of his memory, he was holding that very dagger in his hands. Changes were coming to Storybrooke, and he needed to protect it lest Regina get her hands on it and try and control him. He took the dagger out into the middle of the forest, a place he was sure no one would ever go, and buried the dagger using a shovel. He heard a dog growl, and knew right away that Mark Dufresne had to be around somewhere. He quickly finished burying the dagger and then made himself known to Mark with a polite greeting, the excuse that he was just doing a bit of gardening and then a warning that Mark should enjoy the quiet in Storybrooke while he still could and then took his leave.

He opened up his shop for the morning, and was unsurprised to find Regina storming in like she owned the place. He noticed some bruising starting to show up on her neck and made a quick jab at it, causing Regina to lift one of his scarfs to wrap around her neck to hide it. She then began demanding answers from him. What he knew of Dr. Faye Stevenson for one, and Mr. Gold told her about her visits with Dr. Hopper, and in the process informed Regina (however subtly) that Henry was going to stick around because he knew Dr. Stevenson. Regina caught on straight away, however, realizing that Henry had his memories, which meant that he was from their world and was there to break the curse. Infuriated, Regina left but not without Mr. Gold telling her that Henry was now the new substitute teacher at the school.

Henry Carlyle

Henry, to Mr. Gold's suggestion, took up the substitute teaching position and taught the English class for the elementary school. He got to learn the kids pretty quickly and eased into the profession as if he had done it his entire life.

He was surprised slightly when, after the bell had rang to let the kids go home, Regina came into the classroom. She looked a bit annoyed, and his suspicion was confirmed when she informed him that he had taken the position without consulting her. He apologized, but tried to reassure Regina that he was the best pick for the job, but Regina was unconvinced and asked about his teaching background. He explained that he had done some college time and taken a college level of English, but that wasn't enough for Regina. She seemed to do a quick 180 though as Regina confessed that she took a liking to Henry, and asked that he stay in Storybrooke for a bit longer, and Henry agreed.

Suddenly, Henry found himself kissing Regina like he had never kissed any woman before. He knew that this was most likely a trap, but his male instincts had him keep going. He did, however, manage to swipe the key Regina had in her jacket pocket that would ultimately free the mysterious woman who had helped him last night, and then he realized that they were in a children's classroom. He parted their heated kiss and said they should continue this later, and Regina reminded him about that dinner appointment she had set up with him the night before, and Henry assured her that he would be there.

He walked to the Sheriff's office where he found the mysterious woman alone and still locked tightly in her cell. He didn't even have a chance to approach her when she blatantly observed that he had made out with Regina. He admitted to it, though stating plainly that it was the only way to get the key from her to set the woman free. He let the woman out of her cell and the two parted ways, Henry's debt now repaid for her taking the heat of the ten-thousand dollars.

He went to read to Snow again, reading the story of Snow White in hopes that would get through to her somehow. Once he finished reading he began to just talk to her like they had back in The Enchanted Forest, however Dr. Stevenson made herself known and went to check the Jane Doe over on her condition.

It was then that Henry noticed a nasty cut and bruise forming on Faye's forehead, an injury he knew wasn't there the day before. He asked her about it, worried, but Faye just brushed it off as an uncooperative patient. Henry then mentioned meeting Dr. Stevenson's 'roomate' and Faye noticeably became comfortable. They made small talk about the mysterious woman, but Faye wasn't giving up much information. Having to move on with her day, Dr. Stevenson took her leave and promised to speak with him again sometime soon.

He went back to Granny's for a quick shower and a shave, now starting to feel excited for the dinner date over at Regina's. He knew she was bad news, but he couldn't just bring himself to not go. Dinner proved to be pleasant enough, and they continued their light conversations in the living room with a bottle of wine while Regina had an apple pie baking in the oven. One thing led to another, and Henry and Regina were at it again, picking up where they left off at the school. Henry did not go back to Granny's that night, finding Regina's bed to be much more...comfortable.

Dr. Faye Stevenson

The mysterious woman was still locked up in jail, and just as the clock struck 8:00 am Regina made her way inside to interrogate her. Regina asked how she came by the ten-thousand dollars, who she was, and why she protected Henry, but the woman just danced circles around the questions, not at all giving a straight answer to any of them and pushing Regina into becoming very angry.

Regina then offered the woman a deal, her immunity for the right information and the woman took her up on the offer, this time answering the questions with a bit more truth in them, but they weren't the answers that Regina wanted except maybe a brief mention the woman gave on Dr. Faye Stevenson. Regina was fed up and wanted to leave, but the mysterious woman made a point that she wasn't to be trifled with either and her hand shot out between the bars and enclosed around Regina's throat, threatening to crush her windpipe. She very well could have too, but she let Regina go with a warning, that she would come after Regina when she least expected it and taunted Regina until she was out of the building.

Henry came in a while later, smelling of desperation, desire, and Regina. It didn't take her too long to gather that Henry had spent some time with the Mayor, and called Henry out on it, giving him a warning to not get too close to the Mayor. Henry assured her that it was just to get the key to break her out of the cell, but the woman wasn't buying into it. Henry released her, his debt now paid for taking the fall for the 'stolen' money and the mysterious woman returned home where she allowed Dr. Faye Stevenson then to come though. Without a single memory as to what had happened the last half-day, Faye hurriedly went to the hospital to begin working once more.

She went to go check in on the Jane Doe and noticed that Henry was already reading to her. She remained quiet, and just watched, feeling somewhat happy that Henry was doing what he was doing. When Henry stopped reading, he began talking to the patient, as if he knew her and Faye made herself known. She checked Jane Doe over, seeing that there was no improvement or decline in her condition. Henry, as he watched, noticed the nasty cut and bruise on her forehead and asked about it. Not wanting to put any sort of target on herself by calling Mr. Gold out, she kept the details vague as 'an uncooperative patient.'

They continued to make small talk, and Henry mentioned meeting her 'roomate' and Faye knew right away that he was talking about her other self, the person she became that she had no memory of. Things got a bit awkward after that, and she was saved by a pager needing her in another patient room. She quietly excused herself with a promise to Henry that they could meet up sometime later.

Mayor Regina Mills

Regina made it a point to go and see the prisoner that Robert had arrested last night, recognizing the woman almost immediately as the woman that no one really knew in Storybrooke, yet had been here the entire duration of the curse, so she couldn't have been working with Henry. Regina tried asking the woman some questions, but the woman danced around the answers in a way that made Regina feel like she was talking to a female Rumpelstiltskin. This of course caused her to be angry, but she finally gave in and made a deal with the woman; her immunity for the correct information.

This got the woman to be a bit more cooperative, but Regina still wasn't getting the answers she wanted and threatened to leave, however before she could the woman's hand was suddenly around Regina's throat, choking the life out of her with her own threat of what she was capable of before letting Regina go. The only relevant piece of information that Regina learned that morning was that this insane woman had some sort of tie to Dr. Faye Stevenson, and she was going to find out what.

She went to see Mr. Gold, making a point to lift one of the scarves in his shop to hide the nasty bruise that was already starting to form on her neck. She then asked Mr. Gold what he knew about Faye Stevenon and learned that she had been seeing Dr. Hopper about something. She then learned that Henry was from their world, and came to Storybrooke, unaffected by the curse which led Regina to believe that Mr. Gold brought Henry here to break the curse. She was confused, outraged, they had been working together from the start to create this and suddenly Mr. Gold was trying to break this curse.

Paranoia got the best of Regina and asked where Henry was, and Mr. Gold informed her of the teaching position he handed to Henry. As if Regina could get any more angry. She left Mr. Gold's shop right away, making a point to stop by Dr. Hoppers office and demand Dr. Stevenson's file, she had to let off a little steam before approaching Henry anyway.

She arrived at the school shortly after, and with one solid plan in her mind. She had to frame Henry, and she knew exactly how she was going to do it. She called Henry out once the bell for the end of the day rang, and they were alone in the classroom. She scolded him for not asking her about the teaching position before taking it upon himself, and Henry apologized, though reassured Regina that he was fully capable of the job. Regina then changed methods, confessing that she rather liked Henry and that he should stay around Storybrooke for a while longer. She also made a point to mention the woman in the cells and the key that would set her free that was in her pocket. With that new information swimming in his head, he now only had to take the bait and Regina went in, kissing him hot and hard and gave him the perfect chance to put his hands on her hand swipe the key.

When Henry eventually pulled away fromt he kiss and promised to continue later when he came for dinner, Regina felt her pocket on her way out and noticed the key was missing. Only too easy. Now she just had to frame him for breaking the woman out of jail. But she would have to wait for the perfect time. For now, she had dinner to start preparing.

Henry arrived at 6:30 pm on the dot, and Regina allowed her into her home. The dinner went over smoothly enough, making light conversation. Regina knew that Henry wasn't really who he said he was, but figured she'd ask him questions about his life in 'New York' anyway, learning he had no family, friends, not even a lover. She had also sent Robert a quick text, giving him the green light to search Henry's room while he was out.

Diner soon turned into a warm conversation in the living room with a bottle of wine, and Regina felt herself opening up to him, sharing stories of when she was younger and having a good laugh. It had been quite some time since she had an actual conversation like this, like with a friend, and Regina couldn't help herself but to throw herself back at Henry, partly because Robert might still need time while he went through Henry's room, and partly because she just needed his intimacy right then. Henry ended up staying the night in her room.

Mark Dufresne

Mark was out in the forest packing up from his camping trip when his dog, Grip suddenly became very weary and started growing at some noises behind a bush. Feeling somewhat threatened, Mark was not at all prepared when it was Mr. Gold who came out of the bushes, but eventually he and Grip both relaxed, although Mark probably would have gotten along better if he had been a wolf. Turns out, Mr. Gold was doing a bit of gardening. That struck Mark as very, very odd. Who gardened in the middle of the forest? Mr. Gold said his goodbyes and gave Mark a slight amount of advice to enjoy the quiet while he still could.

Robert Leland

Robert recieved Regina's message, giving him the green light to go and search Henry's room. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but being a sheriff he knew he would know when he saw it; plus he had to keep an eye out for Regina's snowglobe. He issued the warrant and knocked on Henry's door when he arrived, even though he knew he wouldn't be there. Couldn't be too careful though, people might be watching.

He entered Henry's room and began looking around, but found nothing that would deem suspicious. He did, however, find a big storybook called 'Once Upon a Time' that was turned to the story of Alice in Wonderland. He also found some of the pages dog-eared to a particular story about Rumpelstiltskin. Robert, while reading about the man couldn't help but to make a connection between Rumpelstiltskin and the town pawnbroker, both being greedy bastards and all.

Robert then got an urgent call from his deputy, Graham. The mysterious woman had escaped, and left no trail as to whether it was an assisted job or just a break-out. Robert had no choice but to leave Henry's room and go assist his deputy.

Knox Kowalski

For some reason unknown to even him, Knox stayed later at the diner that morning, finding himself, just a bit worried about Ruby. She wasn't at the diner and he knew she was supposed to be the way Granny kept cursing her granddaughter under her breath. Finally, he spotted Ruby getting out of Jake's car and alerted the on-duty waitress to get him a to-go box.

Ruby came straight to him and offered to fill his coffee, but Knox imediately declined and with a heavy heart told Ruby how it was; he would be a friend, a friend that would meet her at the diner every morning for his cheesy fries and coffee, but nothing more. Ruby tried talking back, but Granny kept calling to Ruby and eventually Ruby had no choice but to see what the old woman wanted.

He didn't mean to listen, but they weren't exactly being quiet about it either. Granny wanted Ruby to start working Saturday nights, and Ruby took offense to that, caring more about her nightlife than working an extra night. The argument became heated, and suddenly Ruby stormed out of the Diner shouting her resignation. Knox quickly followed after her.

He felt the need to show Ruby something, she wasn't respecting her Grandmother, nor stopping to appreciate the relationship that they could have, and so he asked Ruby to come with him to the hospital, to meet his father. Knox's father was sleeping when they arrived, but Knox went into a pretty personal story about the relationship he had with his father, and how it wasn't so good as of now, that he had taken what they had for granted. Ruby seemed to get the message, but still wasn't ready to face Granny, and so Knox offered for her to stay at his place until she figured out what she wanted to do.

Knox took her to his place and then left back for work. When he came back he found Ruby to be showered and in an entirely new outfit that seemed to suit her better...less skin showing. He at first thought she had done something wrong, but she insisted that she hadn't broken any of his rules. He took Ruby to the kitchen and had her help him with cooking up a late dinner with her on the vegitables and him on the steaks.

They made light conversation, until the subject turned back to her wanting to move to boston. Knox offered to help her find a job in the kitchens at the hospital, and then brought her fight with Granny back up. He was unprepared when Ruby started crying, and then she asked that he just drop it, and leave her alone and stop caring about her because he was making it difficult for her. Knox went to hold her, to tell her it was okay and then kissed her once, long and hard before leaving his house to clear his own head. Ruby didn't come back that night.

Ruby

Ruby woke up that morning next to Jake, the bartender from The Rabbit Hole that she had only just properly met the night before. Despite her hangover threatening to make her stay in bed all day, a rushing thought came to her as she realized that she was late and that she might miss Knox. She jumped to get ready, and Jake offered her a ride. Once he dropped her off, Ruby promised to see him again, sealing the promise by handing him her dead cell phone and asked him to charge it and return it back to her after her shift.

She immediately went to Knox and attempted to refill his coffee mug, more than relieved to see him still there but he gave her a firm no and made it clear that he wouldn't be anything more to Ruby than a friend, a friend that only saw her in the mornings for his cheesy fries and coffee. Ruby didn't have time to answer, because Granny kept calling her over, finally calling her a tramp in front of everyone in the diner and humiliating her.

Angry, Ruby went to Granny to see what she wanted, and became even more angry when Granny said she wanted Ruby to start working nights. The fight escelated and Ruby suddenly found herself storming outside the diner, shouting her resignation. She wanted to cry, but Knox had followed her out and asked her to follow him to the hospital. Confused, but trusting, Ruby went and Knox introduced Ruby to his father. He was sleeping, but you could still tell how much Knox cared about his father. He explained to Ruby that their relationship wasn't so great, but it used to be and he regretted taking advantage of it.

Ruby caught on right away at what Knox was doing, and it wasn't helping the guilt in her stomach. Knox must have recognized that Ruby wasn't quite ready to face Granny again beacuse he then offered her a place to stay at his home while she figured things out, and Ruby gratefully accepted.

Ruby did what she could to keep out of trouble at Knox's house. He had gone back to work, leaving her completely alone in the new house. She opted to make the most of her time and walked over to Granny's to get a few of her clothes and showering stuff. When she went to grab her clothes, she briefly remembered something Knox said about the way she dressed, that it made him...what was the word? Uncomfortable? Figuring that she didn't want to upset her generous host in any way, she dug through the back of her closet and found some clothes that would cover her up a bit more. She went back to Knox's and got the shower she so desperately needed, and when she was just getting out Knox returned home.

He started cooking them up something to eat, having Ruby help him with the vegitables while he worked on the steaks. They made light conversation, and Ruby was starting to feel more welcome, more at home as they conversed. Then the topic changed back to her wanting to move to Boston, and Ruby couldn't help but to get defensive about it, especially when Knox told her that she was just running from her feelings and her problems, especially when it came to Granny.

Ruby practically demanded that he stopped talking about it, stopped caring about her because he was making it worse. He gave her a quiet 'fine', kissed her hard, and then left the house entirely. Ruby was absolutely beside herself, what the hell was she supposed to do now? She quickly cleaned up the kitchen and then left Knox's house soon after he did, spending the remainder of the night at the Toll Bridge where she eventually eased to sleep.

Once Upon a Time...

Regina walked in just as Mason was getting out of the bath, and Regina had to curse herself for forgetting about the boy's clothes. Well, not like he would be wearing that garbage David Nolan was fronting for the boy anyway; they would just have to spend some time together tomorrow going shopping. True to her word, Regina ordered the both of them pizza and while they ate, watched a movie per Mason's request. Regina didn't understand a large majority of the Transformer's movie, but hearing Mason's child-like giggles filling up the room that would have otherwise been completely empty was enough for her to push through the entire thing.

It was nearly nine pm by the time the movie was over, but Regina didn't want the night to end. Sure Mason had school in the morning, and any responsible parent would have put him to bed shortly after...but Regina wasn't a parent. They ended up spending the next hour making cookies, and since Regina didn't have any 'fun-shaped' cookie cutters, Mason took it upon himself to shape the dough into different animals using just his fingers and a kitchen knife. Really it just looked like a bunch of uneven, misshaped blobs on a cookie sheet to Regina, but his smile kept reminding her that not everything always had to be so pristine and perfect.

It wasn't until Regina saw Mason passed out completely on the couch while they waited for the cookies to finish baking that Regina patted him awake and walked him up the spiral staircase and into a bedroom she never used. It was quite plain, the walls were a mute beige and save for a twin-sized bed and wooden desk in the corner it was completely empty. As she helped Mason climb underneath the covers, the once empty room seemed to fill as Regina imagined small toys littering the floor, a colorful rug on top of the hardwood floors, the walls painted bright colors and of course a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. These images soon melted away, back to the bare walls and boring structure as Mason grabbed Regina's hand and gave it a tired squeeze before he drifted off to sleep once more.

Instinct suddenly took over, and Regina bent at the waist to put a soft kiss on the boys forehead, squeezing his hand back and forced herself to leave him be in his bed and return downstairs. It was only then that the manila folder that Regina had plucked from Dr. Hopper's possession caught her attention, sitting out in the open on the coffee table in the living room, begging to be read. Regina picked up the folder as she sat down, holding it in her lap and began to read over the notes.

The first few pages were standard stuff, trying Regina's patience even then. Name, age, address, examiner information...Regina flipped through a couple more pages until she finally found the referral question, the reason why Faye Stevenson was even seeing Dr. Hopper in the first place.

"Dr. Stevenson has been complaining of some minor blackouts resulting in memory loss when she comes-to again. Patient describes worry, anxiety, stress and fear when succumbing to these episodes. Further analysis is required."

Regina pressed on, flipping through page after page of reports. Interviews, tests done, medications prescribed, but what Regina was looking for seemed to be hidden between the lines, if anything was there at all. Nothing stuck out to her that would explain the woman that had nearly choked her to death in the holding cells. That is, until she reached the last page, documenting the most recent interview from a week ago.

"Dr. Stevenson's blackouts continue and she keeps finding herself in places she doesn't ever recall going to. Through extensive research I have been able to pinpoint this condition as DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder. I believe that Dr. Stevenson thinks that she becomes another person during these blackouts, and this other person is blocking Dr. Stevenson from recalling any events that might take place during the episode. Further treatment is still required, medical dosage for treating anxiety and depression will be continued. Prolonged psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and adjudicative therapy will be tested."

Regina sat back into the couch, re-reading the passage at least a hundred times. What did that mean? Surely the woman in the cells wasn't Dr. Stevenson's 'alternate' self, they looked nothing alike! But still, it was the only thing that made sense. But on the other side, it made no sense at all! Who was this woman, who was she really? Regina tried thinking back...back before the curse to pinpoint who this woman was. She was only able to vaguely remember seeing her in one of her magic mirrors, it was just for a moment, and her attention had been too far put into getting Rumpelstiltskin to come to her castle...

Rumpelstiltskin...Dr. Stevenson, she was with him. A caretaker...and that meant Rumpelstiltskin knew exactly who she was. Regina quickly put the papers back in order and closed the envelope with a wry smile on her face, she knew now who held the information to the girl, and as luck would have it, he still had his memories.

But now wasn't the time to go and bother Mr. Gold, it was nearly eleven at night and the old, bitter man would shoot her the moment she stepped foot on his lawn. Ungrateful bastard, she gave him that lawn.

Instead, Regina grabbed her coat and locked up her house tight, manilla envelope tucked tightly underneath her arm and began her short walk to Archie's house. She didn't stay long, just long enough to slide the envelope underneath the cricket's welcome mat where Archie would very well know where to find it. She couldn't leave any chances open, although she was confident with herself in not getting caught with it, the way Dr. Stevenson had bid her goodnight was a bit...unnerving.

Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, she then began the short walk to the Sheriff's station where she knew Robert would still be, probably bored out of his mind with what little went on in Storybrooke. She had a prisoner to see, even if it was 'after hours.'