Epilogue

The boundary had come down, completely. There were normal people coming and talking about buying houses in Storybrooke. It was a little shocking actually. But if this was Rumpelstiltzkin's great revenge, it was a little less terrifying than expected.

"So," Belle said, looking up at Ruby. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ruby gave her a suspicious look. "That depends on what you're thinking, and if you're thinking about testing my gag reflex again, the answer is no."

Belle grinned. "Actually, I was thinking… roadtrip?"

"Really?" Ruby jumped onto the bed and bounced to end up on all fours, straddling her. "Really? Because yes."

"Michael's been letting me work on a bike…"

They were a few hundred miles away before they realized that the reason the boundary had fallen was because fairy tale land had smashed straight into this world, and now there were weird patches of enchanted forest popping up, and ogres, and other crazy shit, and panicked normals running around with no idea what to do.

They bought a couple of shotguns at a Walmart and kept going.

The whole point was adventure, right? And this one was going to make a really great book. (It would be banned in six countries for all the explicit sex Belle kept including, Ruby told her. But Belle just lifted her chin and stated that she had standards of journalistic accuracy to maintain.)

x x x

"Hey Emma, yeah, we're good." Ruby grinned into the phone. "Mm, she's hustling some guys at pool right now. I think we'll have enough for a week or so. Tell Granny I love her and thanks for the crossbow."

Belle emerged from the bar, tucking a wad of bills into her bra. She pulled her hair up, giving it a twist and pinning it in place. "Emma?" she mouthed. Ruby nodded. Belle leaned close to the mouth of the receiver. "Make sure that Ashley hasn't fucked up my library," she yelled. "I'm coming back. And when I do it had better be just like I left it!"

Ruby laughed and leaned in to kiss her.

"Oh god," came the tinny sound of Emma's voice through the receiver. "You guys. You guys? Are you making out? We are kind of on the phone here!"

FIN