Fear

This is for lonely-monster-needs-a-companion. She wrote a beautiful Red Beauty fanfic for me upon request a while back. I wanted to return the favour. This is a SPN/OUAT AU where Ruby is Dean-ish and Belle is am/Jo-ish. I say that VERY LOOSELY. My intention was not to emulate Dean and Jo, but create a world where Ruby's a conflicted/damaged hunter and Belle joins her. Hope you like it!

No one knows fear like Ruby Red. They may know what it is like to hide in fear from a monster for a decade, but they will never understand the fear that grips a heart and soul when you realize that the monster you have been hiding from for half of your life is inside you. A part of you. And will never leave you as long as you live. It lives in you, lurking, biding its time, waiting for the right time to emerge and cause irreparable damage to people you love and strangers you should have protected from yourself. It's a burden that no one should have to bear. It's a horrible weight to carry.

Being a hunter and a monster at the same time is not easy.

Loving a civilian makes it even harder.

Ruby looks up from the book she's skimming to meet Isabelle French's eyes. The brave, bookish, beautiful librarian semi-adopted her during a research stop and hadn't looked back since. At the time, Isabelle—always Belle in Ruby's thoughts—hungered for adventure, and, selfishly, more in loneliness than anything else, Ruby had been only too happy to oblige. The way that Belle's eyes sparkled in excitement, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, the way her genuine smile met her eyes… they all called to The Wolf inside of Ruby even as The Hunter in her wanted to push the beauty away to protect her.

The Wolf argued that they could give the beauty what she wanted and everyone could be happy.

The Hunter hated placing Belle in harm's way.

The Wolf growled that they could protect her, not only from her own changes, but also from all of the demons and monsters that go bump in the night.

The Hunter loathed taking her away from her comfortable, gentle, sweet life as a village librarian.

The Wolf groaned that Belle hungered for adventure, craved it like an addict, needed it to survive, and they should give it to her.

The Hunter despised herself for taking advantage of Belle's dreams to introduce her to a world of darkness and danger.

The Wolf thrilled in the way Belle eagerly took to their nomad demon-hunting lifestyle, her research skills and sheer bravery the sole reason they escaped some situations, becoming more and more attached to the brilliant beauty who captured her attention the first time their eyes met.

The Hunter knows that The Wolf has chosen Belle for something, knows that it must be dangerous, knows that she should protect Belle by sending her far away or leaving her behind, but she cannot bring herself to do it.

The Wolf howls in triumph as Belle comes to her on her nights of change to keep Ruby safe.

And, finally…

The Hunter stills, speechless, inside The Wolf-controlled mind as the animal rubs its chin affectionately against Belle's outstretched hand, no sign of teeth or claws, despite the massive display of violence this past morning against the hunger demon who tried to turn them against one another.

The Wolf quivers in triumph.

The Hunter swallows hope.

The librarian presses a gentle kiss to their head.

Both Ruby Red and The Wolf ache with love, united at last, and no longer afraid.