A/N: I'm starting to doubt whether this will wrap-up by September 28, but it'll still get done.

Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time" is property of Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, ABC, etc.

There and Back Again

Waking in your bedroom shouldn't be strange, but it was – because Ruby awoke in the room she occupied at her grandmother's bed and breakfast in Storybrooke, when she should have been somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. The last event she could recall was Regina undoing the curse which had brought them here in the first place and Emma driving across the town line with Henry. It was like it had happened yesterday.

Granny didn't know what had happened either, so Ruby paid a visit to Snow's apartment.

"You're pregnant!?" Ruby's hand hovered over her friend's expanded abdomen.

Snow pulled her hand the rest of the way and smiled. "Yes. It's how we know a year has gone by."

A whole year that no one had any memory of had passed. If Rumpelstlitskin's knowledge was to be relied upon, they should have been sent back to the Enchanted Forest. Had someone cast the curse again to return Storybrooke?

Regina claimed to know nothing about it and was just as confused as the rest of the townspeople. Snow believed her.

Without a clue of what to do about their memory the people could only do what they could and continue their lives in Storybrooke.

The new curse had brought new residents to the town who were unaccustomed to Storybrooke's world. Some of them tried to adjust while others took to camping in the forest.

Belle knew one of the newcomers, Robin of Loxley. He and his men had come into town to find out what had happened and crossed paths with Belle on her way to the diner.

"A whole year…" Belle mused as she nursed her iced tea.

"At least we haven't forgotten our whole life," said Ruby as consolation.

"The question is who cast the curse. Rumple said the curse is affected by the desires of the caster. Someone didn't want us to remember the past year." It wasn't until Belle had finished speaking that she noticed Ruby's sympathetic alteration in expression.

"Do you… want something to eat?" Offering food to those in mourning was a standard tactic of comfort, but Ruby thought it feeble that it was the only thing she could think to say.

Belle looked down at her perspiring glass of iced tea. "No, I… I'm fine."

The situation was not fine in Storybrooke. Patrolling of the town line had resumed to safeguard against anyone who might cross it. The practice held increased importance now that there were residents new to Storybrooke who didn't know what would happen if they traversed the border. There weren't any problems that day – until Dopey failed to report back to his dwarf brothers.

At first the dwarves thought he might have simply forgotten (he was Dopey after all) but when he failed to turn up for lunch they got worried.

David enlisted Ruby's help to locate the missing dwarf. She tracked Dopey's path along the border until the trail abruptly ended.

"He's gone."

"We know he's gone, that's why we have you tracking him," Leroy groused.

"No, I mean, he's disappeared. Vanished. The last trace of him ends here, like… I don't know… like he was plucked out of existence."

Leroy gaped at her. "That can't be right! How can he just be gone?"

"Magic," said David. "Magic could do this."

"Whose magic?" Leroy demanded.

David could tell Leroy was ready to blame Regina but the prince put a stop to it before it could begin.

They retired to the diner to brood over drinks, and that was where Archie intercepted Ruby as she passed behind the counter.

"Ruby, do you know how Belle is doing?"

"Shouldn't you ask Belle herself?"

"I saw her at the grocer's earlier but she didn't seem open to talking about it."

"So why would I know anything?"

"Well… isn't it obvious?"

Ruby stared at him, vigilant to any emotion that might dare to express itself.

"You're her best friend."

She didn't know how much surprise showed in her face, but Ruby certainly felt it, like a cold bolt of illumination. Snow had been her best friend for years, and she knew she was Snow's, but Ruby hadn't thought she might also be Belle's. The realization came with a prickle, because there was more Ruby wanted from Belle; and now maybe Belle was afraid the friendship she valued so much was ruined because of Ruby's confession. "Um… I haven't seen Belle since this morning. And we didn't say very much to each other."

Archie backed up with a wrinkled brow. "Oh."

Belle's true love was gone and there was no sign of Neal, but there were still people in this town that cared about the librarian. She still had a family.

The town librarian was spending her evening at The Rabbit Hole, picking at a meat pie and fiddling with the coaster for her pint. Earlier in the day she had ventured into the pawn shop, into the business Rumpelstiltskin owned and was never to step foot in again. What was to become of his shop? Some of what was in the shop were books, trinkets, and other magical items belonging to Rumpelstitlskin while the rest were what Belle believed to belong to other people in town. Perhaps she should try returning them to their owners…

"Well, fancy seeing you here." Keith had slid up next to her at the bar, glass of lager in hand.

Belle was in no mood for conversing with the Sheriff of Nottingham. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to see how you were coping."

From Keith, it was dubious answer and Belle frowned. "Really?"

"It looks like you're doing fine without the Dark One. I'd say you dodged a bullet there." A caustic remark cloaked in a casual tone.

Throwing a drink in his face seemed like an appropriate response but would have been a waste of perfectly good ale. "You – zip it."

He didn't. "Are you going by Lacey or Belle? Because like Mr. Gold, I'm up for either."

Maybe she should take a page from Ariel and jab him with her fork.

"Still unable to tell when a lady's not interested, eh?"

Keith jerked round, stunned and then madly triumphant that he was facing his nemesis. "Hood."

"Sheriff," Robin lightly replied.

Belle barely had enough time to understand what was happening before Keith lunged and drove himself and Robin into the nearest table. Glassware smashed, wood cracked, and punters gave way to the fracas.

The barkeep phoned David and after a minute the prince arrived on scene to drag Keith and Robin to the sheriff's station for the night.

Throughout all this Belle had been watching the chaos unfold and close in a state of static shock, but now it was over new thoughts settled in her mind and she turned to the bar to order another drink.

- Later -

"Granny's Diner," Ruby spoke into the rotary phone's receiver.

"Hey, it's Drew. I think you should come down to The Rabbit Hole."

"What? Why?"

"So you can take her home."

A few minutes later Ruby was traipsing down the street with Belle asleep on her back. According to Drew there had been a scuffle in the bar which Belle had been the subject of, and after it cleared she had steadily put back drinks of varying composition. It was somewhat baffling, because Ruby wouldn't have expected Belle of all people to drink into a stupor.

"You must really miss Gold…"

In her sleep Belle groaned and nuzzled her face into Ruby's neck, prickling her skin. She nearly tripped on the path to the Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

Ruby took her up to the room Belle had occupied on the day they first met and carefully laid her on the bed, then left and returned with a cloth to gently wipe away the bit of makeup from Belle's face.

You're already beautiful enough without it, Ruby mused to herself. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep, and only comprehended what she was doing when she became possessed by a desire to kiss her.

She pulled the bedcover over Belle as much as possible and then paused. Before she left Belle for the night she chanced a soft kiss to her forehead.

- Morning -

The first thing Belle became aware of as she woke in the morning was her aching head. She sluggishly recalled her actions the night before and rebuked herself for indulging in drink rather than conversation. It felt a Lacey thing to do – and then she realized with a sickness unrelated to the pain in her skull that she was in bed, but didn't know how. Struggling against the aches, she turned over and pried open her eyes. She was still fully clothed, dishevelled but not undone. Her assessment of the room came next, and it didn't take long for her to understand where she was. The bed and breakfast had become an alternate refuge for her.

A light knocking arrived outside the door. "Belle? Are you awake?"

Belle lurched at the voice and the resulting whine of agony was her reply.

The door cracked open, and then swung in enough for Ruby to come into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Like the most foolish person in Storybrooke," Belle groaned, hands pressed over her eyes.

"I doubt you could ever be the most foolish," Ruby said with a wry smile. "If you're hungry I can bring –"

"No, I'll… I'll come to the kitchen. I just need a minute."

A further minute wasn't necessary for Ruby to make Belle's immoderate breakfast. Set out on the tabletop were dishes of scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes and spinach, oatmeal topped with banana slices, toast and honey, and a bowl of kiwi.

Ruby placed a teapot of peppermint tea next to a carton of coconut water. "I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for so I prepared some options."

"You certainly did…" Belle glimpsed a grocery bag poking out of a cupboard drawer. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."

Ruby gave her a look that said she should know better than to say that of herself to her. "Belle, please." She sat with her at the table and poured tea for them both.

The sharp smell of the peppermint scraped together some lucidity. "How did I come to be here?"

"Drew phoned the diner and told me to get you. Apparently you were the cause of a fight?"

"Keith and Robin. Robin was… defending me."

"Drew didn't tell me much about it, but you were passed out when I got there. I brought you here instead of taking you to your place because… well, I didn't want to leave you on your own."

On the previous occasion the two had sat in this kitchen Belle had been worried about losing Rumpelstiltskin. Now he was gone and again Ruby was consoling her, although this time Belle felt she was taking advantage. "…Thank you."

Ruby tapped her hand on the table and stood. "Go ahead and eat something." She bent down to a flat rectangular package that had been leaning against a table leg and started peeling away the wrapping.

Belle nibbled on some toast as she watched her work. "What is that?"

"It's a painting of the pond Drew was working on. He finished it recently and said I could have it. He let me paint part of it the other day – or actually, a year ago." She picked up the canvas and turned it over. "You can probably tell which part."

Belle studied the placid landscape. "Is it that duck?"

The self-deprecating smile on Ruby's face vanished. "How did you know?"

"It's not as clear as the –"

"No, I mean, how did you know it's a duck?"

Belle squinted and shook her head. "What else could it be?"

Ruby bit the inside of her lip and held the painting a little tighter. She decided she would hang it in her room.

- Storybrooke Public Library -

The bulk of Belle's hangover had receded by the time the potential source for another headache arrived at the library doors.

"Hello, Belle." He removed his cap and squeezed it in his hands.

She regarded the man with a warranted amount of wariness. "Father."

"I wasn't sure if I should come see you."

Belle kept her guard up. "So why have you?"

"Your friend Ruby convinced me."

She hadn't expected that. Belle blinked, her defenses momentarily waning. Ruby?

"I heard about Gold," Maurice continued. His grip on his cap turned his knuckles white. "I am sorry."

Belle couldn't simply accept his condolences, not when his body language indicated he might well be struggling to contain his honest opinion of Rumpelstiltskin's death. "Are you truly?"

Maurice stilled, sensing this was a crucial point. His tired mien slackened and he gazed at his daughter, his only child, hurt to know she was hurting. "I am sorry his death is causing you grief."

She felt part of her heart break and Belle looked away. "But you still think he was a monster," she muttered.

Her father puffed his chest, and she steeled herself for his reply. "I think…" He coughed in his throat. "I think… he loved you. And he died to protect you."

Belle searched his face but found no insincerity. What she found was a father who cared about her feelings, and she gladly welcomed the security of his warm embrace.

- Later at the town line -

Sleepy was the next dwarf to disappear from town.

Ruby insisted she would have been able to find him if he had simply, "fallen asleep somewhere," as Tom Clark had put it.

- New York City Serenade -

At a quarter to noon Ruby passed though the library's front doors as though the building was haunted. She dropped off the lunch Granny had forced her to bring to Belle behind the circulation desk. Her grandmother had become fed up with the far-off glances Ruby would give a particular booth, counter seat, or the building under the clock tower when she was in the patio area. Belle hadn't stepped into the diner since that first day everyone realized something was amiss with their timeline; but Ruby was so used to seeing Belle in the diner nearly every day that any irregularity in her visitations threw her off.

The library was quiet. Ruby knew Belle was in because the door had been unlocked, but Belle didn't come out to meet her. It might have been because of how carefully Ruby had closed the door. Instead of announcing her presence Ruby paced through the stacks with hushed footfalls, tracking Belle's whereabouts in the air.

She stopped a few rows away from the table that had previously been used for a tutoring session. Belle was sitting at the table with her back to her, hand against pale neck which her up-do allowed Ruby to see. The cannery yellow blouse she wore was sleeveless, but hanging over the back of her chair was a burgundy blazer. Ruby heard the flutter of paper and regarded Belle's reading figure, wondering how much Lacey read. She would look like this, but it was difficult for Ruby to imagine Lacey sitting in one place with a book for very long. Picturing she was here was amusing.

Ruby took a step forward and paused, but Belle didn't turn away from her book. Another step, and then another. She closed in on her, careful not to cast a shadow. Then she pounced, reaching over Belle's shoulder and snatching the open novel out from under her hand.

"What'cha readin'?"

Belle whirled in her seat, wide eyes narrowing from surprise to vexation. "Ruby!"

Ruby grinned at her and flipped the book over to the cover. "High Noon, by Nora Roberts?" She looked down at the table and found a few more books by the same author among others that were not. One wasn't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but looking at the titles and designs Ruby guessed they were all romance novels.

The back of Belle's chair was shoved into Ruby's front as Belle stood, and Ruby staggered backward. Belle seized the book from her and scowled, but Ruby got the sense it was more out of embarrassment than annoyance. She smiled and Belle was taken aback by it.

Her gaze went to the book in her hands, considering, and then returned to Ruby. "The protagonist in this one gets handcuffed. And attacked. Not in a fun way."

Her dark humor was shocking, and apparently what Belle was going for.

She turned away from Ruby's gawking and placed the book in a pile with the others.

"My father paid me a visit yesterday."

"Really?" Ruby feigned ignorance in a completely unconvincing way.

"He told me you talked him into it."

"… Oh." Her eyes anxiously flitted about the room as words tumbled forth. "Listen Belle, I know the stuff between you and your dad is your business but I thought – well he's your family and family is important so –" Her rambling distracted her from noticing how close Belle had come to her, close enough to brush the hair out of her eyes and silence her.

"Thank you."

Ruby was lost in the vastness of Belle's grateful countenance, until fingers grazed her ear and she shrunk back. Don't pet a dangerous animal. "Uh, sure. No problem." She gestured to some vague space behind her. "I, uh… brought you lunch. From the diner. Granny's treat. I have no idea what she packed."

Belle pressed her lips together and nodded. "Please give her my thanks."

Ruby said she would and left Belle to her books.

When she had gone Belle forlornly eyed the romance novels on the table. She had reverted to reading instead of living.

Later when Belle opened the paper bag from Granny's Diner, she found it contained a tidy stack of pancakes accompanied by an individual bottle of syrup.

- Witch Hunt -

News of Emma's return to Storybrooke had spread through town, along with the caution that those who knew Henry were to act like they did not.

And Ruby nearly slipped up. "Here you go, Hen– young – man. Nice hot cocoa." She thought she had maneuvered past that easily enough, but then Henry had her turning back.

"Hey… Cinnamon. How did you know?"

In a moment of panic Ruby glanced at Emma. "Uhh, lucky guess. You've got a… cinnamon kind of face." She answered brightly, confidently, and it was enough to allow her escape from the boy's curiosity.

When she had first looked after Henry post-curse he was bursting with questions about the wolf, and mercifully none of his queries ever became too personal.

He had marveled in silence for a moment at the conclusion of his questioning. "You're a superhero."

Ruby gaped at the boy across the coffee table. "Uh… what?"

Henry grinned. "And a badass one."

She blinked at the second word which had come from his mouth. It was a compliment, she knew that much, but Ruby would never have thought someone might use that word to describe her. "Um…"

"You had this power you didn't understand but then you were able to use it for good," he went on, voice growing with admiration. "Super strength, speed, hearing, smelling… and then Wolfstime."

Ruby was still as she processed Henry's portrayal of what she was, and reminded herself of his age. "You make it sound great, but not all of it is," she somberly replied. The first full moon since the curse broke was approaching and Ruby couldn't find her red riding hood.

"I didn't say it was." Henry opened his bag and took out the book, the one Mary Margaret had given him, and placed it on his lap.

Ruby understood the gesture but doubted whether Henry could fully grasp the extent of what she had been though, of what she was, through printed words and illustrations on paper.

"Hardships change people, and they can let it change them into a villain or a hero." He beamed pure innocent belief. "From what I can tell, you're a hero."

The recollection of her time spent with Henry was followed by an event which happened days later, one Ruby often thought back on.

So if we can all see it why can't you?

Ruby was jolted from the reminiscence by the loud crash of Regina's cup hitting the diner floor.

- Afternoon -

"Is there something you wanted to ask me, girl?"

Belle flinched when Granny tracked her down amidst the throng filing out of town hall. "Um, no…?"

"Really? Because we just experienced an earthquake by Regina's hands but you keep looking over at me like you've got some kind of twitch."

She thought Granny hadn't taken notice. Maybe it had something to do with wolf senses. Belle shook her head and turned her eyes downward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Granny sighed and retorted, "Right, because we both know who you should really be talking to."

Belle looked up sharply. Granny's expression was pitying and critical as she rejoined the shuffling crowd.

- Granny's Diner -

There were times when it was easy to tell how much someone's behaviour was being influenced by their Storybrooke persona. As Ruby listened to Snow having a one-way conversation with Henry, she knew this was one of those times. She couldn't recall Snow being this fretful over her pregnancy with Emma in the Enchanted Forest; although, access to books about pregnancy like the one Snow was reading from weren't there to raise her concern.

"My god… Did you know there's something called cradle cap?"

Henry's focus didn't move from the video game he was playing. Ruby continued to watch from behind the counter, eyebrow lifting and lips smirking. Did Snow really think Henry was interested in listening to this?

"Babies get it on their heads – it's a crusty, yellow, greasy, scaly, skin rash." She glanced at Henry to check for a reaction. "Seriously. This book uses all of those words."

"Gross," Henry distractedly responded. "Yes! Derezed him."

Snow finally noted his apathy toward the conversation and dropped the book on the table. "You know, there's a library down the street. We could pop in and get you something if you'd rather. I know how much you love reading."

Henry briefly looked at Snow and shifted his position in the booth to face her. "How'd you know that?"

She formulated a reasonable answer. "Your mom, said, I think."

"Cool. Let me go get my coat, I'll be right down." Henry vacated the booth, still playing his game, and headed up to the bed and breakfast.

There was a quiet consternation on Snow's face as she watched Henry go that had Ruby consider if Snow was thinking how she might handle the adolescence of her second child. Then there remained the question of going back. The Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke were two different worlds to raise a child.

Snow pressed her fingers to her temple, returning to her copy of American Baby, and sighed. "Cradle cap."

One thing at a time.

- Storybrooke Public Library -

"Hello?" Snow didn't see Belle in the library foyer, but after she called out she heard footsteps and then Belle appeared from the stacks.

"Mary Margaret," Belle greeted, surprised to see her, for not once had Snow visited the library before. "What brings you here?"

"This is Henry. He's the son of a friend of mine who arrived in town last night."

Belle looked the boy over, his maturation adding to the proof of Snow's pregnancy that a year had gone by. "Hello, Henry." She smiled and held out her hand which he took. "My name is Belle."

"Oh, like in Beauty and the Beast," he amusedly replied.

Her teeth clenched and weakened her smile. "Yes. Exactly like that."

"Uh, I know you're not really open to the public yet," said Snow, "but we were hoping Henry could borrow something while he's in town."

Belle politely accommodated the request and led them through, asking Henry what books he liked to read.

"Sci-fi's my favourite but anything with adventure is good."

She could relate.

"The library's certainly coming along," Snow commented as they gave Henry space to pick though the shelves.

"It's been some work but I enjoy it," Belle answered.

"And you weren't afraid of a werewolf shredding all these books?"

Belle carefully appraised Snow's outwardly genial manner, wondering how much she knew or if Snow White was making an evaluation of her own. "I was more afraid of harm coming to the werewolf than the books. Not that it mattered…" More than once Belle had contemplated whether Snow would have been able to keep Ruby in the library.

"It did matter." Snow was quick to reply. "She knows you care about her and aren't scared of the wolf – which is more than can be said about other people in this town."

Belle recalled how effortlessly a mob had been formed and stirred into action; and Storybrooke was supposed to be a more civilized setting. "Was it very difficult for her? Back home?"

"It wasn't so bad once she learned how to control the wolf, but she kept what she was a secret from most people she came across."

People like me, Belle thought to herself.

Snow tilted her head at Belle's downcast countenance. "Even then though, she had people who understood and trusted her. She still does." She lifted her hand, the one with her wedding ring, and rested it over her stomach. "Ruby was supposed to be Emma's guardian, in case anything ever happened to David and I."

Her disclosure of Ruby's planned role in her child's life had Belle thinking back on the days she had seen Ruby with Jefferson and Michael Tillman's children. "I would also choose her – as a guardian." The last part had been added impulsively when she heard how her words had sounded.

Snow merely smiled and then went to check on Henry. There was a reason she was Ruby's best friend.

- Evening -

The majority of folks in the diner had attended Emma's town meeting. It seemed everyone suspected Regina for cursing them again in addition to the dwarf disappearances, but Ruby was willing to side with Snow on the issue in that it wasn't Regina's doing.

"I think silver's not your only weakness," Granny remarked after Ruby had told her as much in the diner's back room. "It's pretty girls too."

Ruby stood with her mouth open. "You – are being – ridiculous." She backed out of the room but then froze in the corridor.

Granny came out, rolled her eyes, and went through to the diner.

It was Belle's first time seeing Ruby wear anything like the diner's waitressing uniform. She had been leaving the washroom when they crossed paths and her mind went blank from her appearance. The figure Ruby cut was inspiring in the crisp white button shirt, crimson skirt, long bare legs… "You, uh… wear the uniform well."

Ruby self-consciously swayed on the spot and simpered. "Better than during the curse, anyway."

Belle banished an endeavor to imagine how that might have looked. "And you – you changed your hair."

"Yeah." She shrugged. "Change is good, right?"

"Some change is, yes."

Awkward silence reigned, and at length Ruby averted her eyes when they fell to the one too many undone buttons of Belle's dark green shirt. "Is there something you need?"

Belle remembered herself and stammered. "Did you really not know what the lunch you brought me yesterday was?"

Ruby's perplexed expression told her enough. "I didn't. Why?" Her shoulders suddenly tensed. "Did Granny put something weird in it?"

"No, it – it's fine, really."

"Belle, what –"

"Big news everybody!" Leroy bellowed as he entered the diner. "Emma found Regina. She was holed up in her office working on a potion."

Archie got up from his seat at the counter and queried, "What kind of potion?"

"Was she gonna hurt us?" Tom Clark quavered.

"A memory potion," answered Leroy. "Regina says that she's gonna use it to prove she didn't cast the curse."

"Like I'd drink anything she handed me," Granny griped.

"Well somebody will!" Leroy declared. "And if they remember, we'll know exactly who did this to us."

The diner filled with demanding chatter and Ruby excused herself to find Snow and ask if she knew what Emma and Regina were up to.

Belle stood by the entryway and watched her go.

Neither of them saw the lone woman in the booth hurrying out of the diner's front door.

A/N: If any of you are at San Diego Comic-Con I am jealous, but will not be turning green.

The TV adaptation of "High Noon" stars Emilie de Ravin as the protagonist.