Breath of Fresh Air

By Shahrezad1

Summary: No matter who they've been, or even whom they'll end up as, being in each other's presence has always been a breath of fresh air. Collection of Drabbles. Fluffy RedXCricket in content. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Ruby or Archie (ABC/Disney does).

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Chapter 5

It had been fair weather when he'd set out. The sun had been shining, last week's snowfall having finally started on its usual melt, and the sidewalks were eventually becoming clear.

So it had made perfect sense at the time to take Pongo for a walk.

His trusty friend had been going stir crazy the past few days, the frigid temperatures having forced them inside as his 'Master' hesitated to brave the cold. And the short night strolls that they'd taken could only alleviate so much. But it just wasn't the same as a long, introspective jaunt or even an energetic walk.

So Archie had pulled on a light coat and scarf, snatched up the Dalmatian's favorite leash, and decided on a whim to leave his umbrella at home.

He was deeply regretting that decision.

The first beginnings of snow began around five, following the sun's descent from the sky. The frozen particles were even beautiful at first, landing on both man and canine's noses with all the delicacy of a dancing fairy. But the grace of it soon turned as the wind picked up, starting to make the journey difficult as their ability to walk comfortably or see clearly became barred.

The words, "you shall not pass," came to mind as the psychiatrist and his pet tried to do an about face from the Toll Bridge, even its tagged sign lost amid the furious flurries of white.

They could hardly step forward without getting pushed back, as though the elements didn't want them to return home. But to try and find shelter amid the forest in a storm like this might mean freezing to death, and while he might eventually give in himself (had he been the only individual involved), he wasn't about to let Pongo pay for his mistakes.

So onward they walked, until even he could hear the dog's painful moaning above the storm. Then Archie did what had to be done.

The red-haired therapist grasped his faithful pet in arms already exhausted, forcing the wriggling weight between the layers of his button-up shirt and sweater-vest, then wrapped the edges of his coat around them both as best he was able. The slim red and grey scarf he'd managed to bring with him went around his face, covering mouth and nose as his brows frowned into the slim windshield provided by his trusty old spectacles. But even those were fogging up, and with his arms full of shivering dog and snow up to his calves, Archie Hopper realized that he had lost sight of both Storybrooke's lights and the bridge behind them.

There would be no shelter there. They were lost. And it was all his fault.

~/~/~

Ruby frowned as she eyed the Diner's clock. It was 6:24 and Archie was almost a full half hour late for his usual cup of hot cocoa and blueberry muffin. Normally she wouldn't have worried—his sessions went long sometimes and he was, of course, a grown man—but the weather outside gave her pause. That and the fact that she'd overheard him mention to Marco that he was taking a needed day off from work.

So if he wasn't relaxing to the taste of routine, then where was he?

The waitress peered out into the darkness, hand on her hip and pigtails down for once. In her other hand she bore a pot of coffee, black, which was cooling more and more with every second she spent at the window. But it wasn't as though she was slacking off on her job—the single customer they actually had was Mr. Gold, and if anything he preferred tea and solitude over coffee and conversation.

A chime was heard from behind her as Granny slammed down the Diner phone onto its cradle, the quaint blue landline device matching the rest of the quaint restaurant. Ruby looked up as the other woman hurried over, pulling her cardigan tighter about her body.

"That was Sheriff Graham," Granny started, short, blunt and low. When their single patron didn't stir she continued, voice a terse whisper, "he was checking in with all the local businesses, making sure that everyone would get home just fine and all that."

The waitress's brows furrowed in slow frustration. Her grandmother had a way of beating around the bush sometimes that drove her insane, "yes, and?" she prompted.

Mrs. Lucas grimaced, "and it looks like Archie isn't responding. Seems he went on a walk with Pongo, according to Marco, but while he took his cell with him there's no answer."

Ruby blanched, "what? No!"

It was loud enough of a cry to rouse Mr. Gold and he turned from his paper, frowning, in order to shoot them a glance.

She continued on in a hushed whisper, "Graham's never gonna find him in a storm like this! It's the Gandalf of all storms."

The wry twist of her grandmother's mouth was the only recognition she gave to Ruby's cultural reference, "be that as it may, there's not much else that can be done. He's the best equipped to find the lad, so you better put staring off into the darkness out of your head and get back to work."

With that sharp command, one which jarred her grand-progeny more than she was willing to admit, the owner of the establishment stalked off. Ruby made a face at her back and rolled her eyes before moving reluctantly away from the window.

"Is he really the best man to find Doctor Hopper, I wonder?" a smooth voice asked no one in particular. It made her jump with surprise, having almost forgotten that Gold was there. But her response was to shrug and go back to wiping down tables.

"Doesn't matter. Granny'd ban me from looking if I so much as mentioned it."

"And you always do what your Grandmother says, of course," the comment was rhetorical and more than a bit wry. And from the angle she was standing at she could see his lip lift in the slightest hint of a sneer before he masked it with a sip of tea.

The brunette halted what she was doing as though struck by lightning. Then, after a moment's pause slammed down her cleaning instruments, "you're right. I'm gonna go find Archie." Dodging into the back room (and past her Grandmother, who was mumbling about 'that darn handyman' as she bent over paperwork), Ruby slipped into the black jeans, red blouse and hat that she had brought with her on the off-chance that she might be able to go clubbing tonight. And then sidled past their puzzled cook in order to fill a thermos with some hearty soup, grateful that she had a few blankets in the trunk of her car for emergencies.

Yanking on the last of her preparatory accoutrements, a set of gloves and her heavy fake-fur coat, the young woman started to head out. Only to do a short about face, "I never thought that I'd say this, but…thanks Gold. I owe you one."

He saluted her over his shoulder with his cup of tea. Which, she noticed for the first time, seemed to have a crack in it.

"Oh, not this time, I'd wager. But perhaps in the future."

~/~/~

Snow was starting to freeze to his eyelashes and cheeks, tears having long-since streamed from blurry eyes. And his forehead was no better off, a lance of pain accompanying the frigid cold barrier pressing insistently against his skin.

Meanwhile Pongo hadn't ceased whimpering. The Dalmatian was a wet, heavy deadweight that his arms were locked around, cutting off the blood supply therein. And those areas in which his dog was pressed against were blazingly hot, in contrast to the cold the rest of him was feeling. Making the situation both painful and uncomfortable at the same time.

Plus he was getting tired.

He'd tried following what light he could see, but it had always led him to dead ends and painful paths. Once he even almost ended up in a stream, catching himself with a branch just seconds before plunging into the rapidly moving water. Now he was losing hope, out of energy, and was ready to give up.

He just…didn't think that he could do it anymore. Walk anymore. He was so cold, so very tired, and there was no one who would miss him all that much if he just…sat down…and didn't get up again.

Well, maybe Marco. He would miss time with his oldest, best friend. And he would miss…the diner. The people there, the feeling of being welcome…he'd miss…

…he'd miss Ruby. But he didn't know if she'd miss him all that much. He was just another one of her many friends, only a single face in the crowd.

Imagining the waitress in his mind's eye, he was so distracted by the vision that he didn't notice when he stopped walking. Too caught up in memories of her smiling and beckoning him on. Toward the light, she said, just follow me…

The light.

The LIGHT!

There! He saw it! Town was in sight!

Between rapidly blinking, ice-covered lashes a light glowed through the storm, steady and getting stronger. But…

He frowned in confusion.

…why was it getting brighter so fast?

The man had mere seconds to process what he was seeing before the psychiatrist's eyes opened wide. He leapt to his right, dodging just before a fire engine-red convertible mowd him over, Pongo still in his arms. What resulted was both of them tumbling into a snowdrift, frozen precipitation piled up to his thighs as he found himself struggling in the murky tangle that was snow. More importantly, he found that he couldn't get up. Especially with his arms burdened by canine weight as they were.

And then the light shut off and was still, the wail of the wind the only counterpoint to the freezing water soaking through his pant-legs.

"Omigosh, Archie!" a voice then called over the howl of the storm, "I almost hit you!" And with a yank both man and pet were being tugged out of the quicksand-like pile. Their savior wasn't the strongest individual, especially on such uncertain terrain, but it was enough for Hopper to get his legs under him.

And then he was face to face with an anxious Ruby Lucas, her hair windswept and bottom lip entirely devoid of lipstick, what with all the worrying she'd done to it.

She was the most beautiful sight that he'd ever seen, especially with her gloved hands burning their warmth into his shoulders.

Pongo whined distinctly between the two of them, however, reminding both humans that he was, in fact, still freezing.

Ruby's features instantly crumpled into sorrow, tears only just barely held at bay, "oh, Pongo, you poor thing. Let's get the both of you gentlemen somewhere warm!"

Working together, the two humans plus dog stumbled to her car, whereupon Ruby shoved him onto the back seat like an invalid. Tossing blankets from her trunk at him before he could say a word and climbing back into her front seat in order to carefully turn around, fighting the vehicle's desire to skid every few seconds.

Then all that he could sense was a blessed burning sensation. His face, his hands, his toes…they ached with heat as the convertible's heater roared above the sound of the blizzard outside. A blizzard that could no longer reach him now, nor his Dalmatian either.

He could finally rest, safe and sound beneath the cloth-and-wire-frame hood of her automobile. It was a frail defense against the elements but a far cry better than he'd been experiencing, and he said a silent prayer of thanks for such an extreme improvement in his situation, eyes drooping with exhaustion.

But Ruby's next words cut through the haze, shaking him awake, "you should put your wet things in the plastic bag under my seat, otherwise that blanket won't keep you warm for long."

Her eyes were on the road as she spoke with complete practicality, never mind the shock she'd just added to his already exhausted emotions.

"W-what was that?"

She halted the car for a moment and turned back to look at him, the man sitting alarmed in her back seat with arms still wrapped around his dog, "Archie, you know first aid just as well as I do. So you need to get out of your wet clothes and into something dry. Same goes for Pongo. There are two blankets—use one to wrap up in and the other for warmth."

"B-but-!"

"AND!" she interrupted sternly, sounding too much like her grandmother for her own good, "if you manage to get that far I'll give you the soup that I brought. It should still be hot."

The concept of soup, steaming and made up of everything wonderful in this world, set his argument aside. Soon he was maneuvering one of the comforters she'd brought into a cloak of modesty, still wearing his boxers, undershirt and button-up. But the socks were gotten rid of, the pants eyed with distaste, and the sweater vest destined for either ruin or the Salvation Army. Ruby, to her credit, never peeked, eyes continually on the road. And Pongo welcomed the onrush of warmth by climbing back into his master's lap, the blanket folding about both of them.

Only then did she park the vehicle again, leaving the heater running as she retrieved a crimson container, the "cup" top easily coming off.

"This is for Pongo," she said first, pouring some of the chunky liquid into the topmost pot, then handed the rest to her friend, "and this is for you."

Both males eagerly dug into the fare, its warmth soon transferring to their limbs and putting clarity and hope back into forms that had almost given up. The waitress smiled fondly at the both of them for a moment before returning to her task of driving.

But the smile dropped off as wheels failed to find any purchase. And then the heater started its slow decline, engine not in use.

All three individuals froze before Ruby tried again. And again.

Green eyes met blue in the rearview mirror, and like parents unwilling to discuss bad events in presence of their child, neither said anything.

It was cold and getting colder, her toes informed her within boots that were still too pointed to be practical, too form-fitting to fight the chill And Archie was sitting in her backseat, wearing only the barest of essentials. Ruby mutely slipped off her shoes and climbed in next to her friend, retrieving the second blanket and wrapping it around her as she leaned into the red-head, sharing what little warmth existed in her, now that plan A had fallen by the wayside. And he accepted the offer, mutely, the two bundled figures huddling together with a canine between them.

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Sheriff Graham had eventually had to wait out the storm, forced into getting what rest he could while sitting upright in Granny's Diner. At least until the snow cleared. But the minute the sun shone through those windows he was exiting, rough hand rubbing sleep from his eyes and instincts aimed at the road.

For Archie wasn't the only one missing, Ruby having foolishly wandered off on a mission to save the day. He couldn't fault her for it—he could only imagine what had happened to the gentle Doctor Hopper. But now it meant two missing person cases instead of just one…

An hour of searching resulted in nothing, and as the first stretched into two he made a decision to aim for the town line. Luck, however, seemed, was on his side as the red convertible came into view. It wasn't difficult to miss among so much white, for which he was eternally grateful.

And when he pried open the side door and peered in he wasn't all that surprised to find that Ruby wasn't alone, the two figures present curled into one another among a pile of blankets, Dalmatian laying like a cherry on top and looking at him blandly from among the scene.

Ruby was fully dressed, although he was pretty sure Archie was missing a few things. And in the dark provided by snow-covered windows the waitress had managed to curl her gloved fingers around the back of the town therapist's neck, face nuzzled into his shoulder. Archie wasn't much better, his hands tangled in her long, dark hair and glasses askew. It was an oddly serene moment, and despite his frantic, worry-filled search Graham felt as though he was intruding upon their privacy.

But nothing lasted forever and, well, they were both alive. Which was a real relief, he thought to himself as he began calling Tolman for a tow. But he somehow knew that the young woman better have one heck of an explanation for her grandmother.

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The cold was an unwelcome contrast to the warmth surrounding him. The misty zephyrs battling the breath heating the flesh of his neck and the solid, affectionate hand cradling the back of his head. His own was wrapped around a slim waist, its brother lost in something long and silky and restrictive. And although his imaginings were never this human, this soothing, still he persisted in thinking that it was only a dream.

Until a heavy weight upon their combined sides shifted, moaning a canine's whine.

Pongo, his mind supplied subconsciously, he probably needs to be let out.

Swallowing at the mothballs that had somehow managed to multiply overnight within his mouth, the red-haired therapist opened caked, bleary eyes. The discomfort of something sharp and metallic pressing against his face was matched with surprising sight, not a usual occurrence when he woke in the mornings. And then he was pulling in a gasp at the last minute, unable to process the vision before him.

Ruby Lucas was wrapped in his arms, breathing heavily and a smile on her face. And she actually seemed to be happy in his presence, even going so far as to hook one stockinged foot around his.

Shock gave way to joy, then a splash of very real fear.

Granny was going to kill him.

The last thing he remembered was the two of them leaning against one another for warmth, and then his eyes drowsily closing after a long and eventful day. After that he'd fallen into dreams that began and ended with the woman lying next to him. But he'd never imagined that they might actually come true.

A cleared throat broke through self-recriminations and with a slow turn he found the source of the encroaching cold in a bearded, smirking face peered in at the two of them, arm resting on the door frame above him. he good doctor had the decency to blush as he realized how their positions might look.

Irish tones rolled humorously, as though indulging in a private joke, "good morning, Doctor Hopper."

"G-good morning, Sheriff," his voice cracked hoarsely, sounding ill-used and rough in the morning light.

"I'm assuming Ruby found you, then?" the other man prompted lightly, to which Archie could only swallow.

"Ah, y-yes, I suppose you could s-say that."

Graham motioned casually toward the woman between them, voice still a low murmur, "I'll give you a few moments of privacy to wake 'sleeping beauty.'"

"Um, t-thank you, Sheriff."

Then the two of them were alone again (with exception of their Dalmatian sentinel) and Archie was left wondering just exactly how he was going to manage such a thing.

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AN: The inspiration for this came when we were hit with a series of snowstorms in Utah recently, one right after another. Most of us are accustomed to the extreme weather, having either lived or resided in this state for a few years or more. But it sure made for one heck of an inspiration when I was walking from work in it. Especially while pushing one's bike home through knee-high snowdrifts.

And yes, quite a few people nicknamed the storm, "Gandalf." XD

Note: I am aware of the fact that Graham would have been a good choice to find Archie. However, while he was raised by wolves he himself is not one. Ruby is. And that extra step makes her a better choice. Graham probably would have found the therapist and his dog, but it would most likely have been too late. Instead, Ruby arrived just in time. Her luck kind of sucks overall, though. ^^;