A Curse Upon Thee 2-8 (Patreon)

“Ruby….”

The clock above the front desk tick-tick-ticked its way past eleven-thirty, midnight crawling closer in a town that only recently knew what time even was. It was the only sound in the place as the slosh-thump of the dishwasher in the back came to a slow stop, Granny’s orthopedics on the wood too quiet to even prick her ears.

Hands moved in tight circles as the same cloth wiped down the front desk for the dozenth time in ten minutes.“Little Red, if you don’t…” The voice was sandpaper and steam, Granny’s low voice loud from across the room as she stood with a stack of fresh linens under one arm. Ruby looked up to meet eyes just as green as hers narrowed her way from behind those thick glasses. “Stop already.”“I’m fine, Granny.” A frown tugged at her face as the lemon-scented rag caught on a notch in the wood, inches away from giving her a splinter. “Just keepin’ busy.”

“You’re scrubbin’ the darn finish off the wood, girl. Enough is enough already.” Granny stepped into the light, lines on her face deep and sharp in the dim yellow glow of the lamps. “Go upstairs, why don’t you? You’re workin’ harder than Ell-” A growl spilled out of the old woman as she shook her head, old and new memories giving her as much trouble as anyone else. “You’re workin’ harder than Ashley and I’m not even paying you anymore. At this point, there isn’t any more busy left to keep.”

“There’s always somethin’.” Ruby clipped the words off, thumb rubbing a stubborn invisible spot on the counter. “Besides, I’m not even tired.”

“Such a big mouth for such a bad liar.” Granny set the linens down on the couch, single word as hard as the cushion was soft. “Say what you will about these eyes, but I can smell the exhaustion on you from here. You’ve been busy for seven damn days. Ever since…”

Ruby hung her head as Granny let the words fade. Ever since Finn.

Ever since Gold did what he did.

The fog of purple and black had rolled over the town and brought the magic back and the memories with it, memories Ruby didn’t know she missed — running through the forest on all fours, blood on her tongue as she tore raw meat in two, wind in her fur and… and… 

Copper filled her mouth, the taste bleeding past thought and into reality as — Ah! — as Ruby bit her tongue. Two lives slammed against each other in her skull; twenty-eight years of forever nineteen sat wrong in her head, fake as a plastic menu, fighting one with mud under her claws and blood in her teeth, and that one had the nerve to feel real.

Finn had been the only thing that made this life make sense.

“Just eat a damn burger, girl.”

“If I was hungry, you’d hear it.” Green eyes darted to the darkened street outside. 

“Then go upstairs and get some rest, if you wanna starve yourself like a dummy.” The old woman shook her head. “I swear…”“I don’t see that happening either, Granny.” “And why not?”“I just…” Her chest hitched, voice catching as the words came out rough. “Every time I close my eyes…”

“Honest to God, Ruby, always something with you…” Granny sighed loud, the breath full of more worry than annoyance and the old woman clearly mad about it. “At least put a fresh pot of coffee on, you stupid girl. If I’m gonna watch you ghost around all night, I need to be awake for it.”

Ruby tossed the rag aside, a few quick steps taking her around the corner as she moved toward the small kitchenette by the desk. Fingers found the coffee canister by habit, lid popping open with a sharp clack. 

Ew. She dumped out the old grounds, wrinkling her nose under the scent of burnt beans.

Two scoops to make it real.

Three to get it dark.

And a fourth to make it strong. Ruby Lucas pushed out a sigh as loud as the water rattling into the pot, Granny’s lessons in her head and body both.

The bell above the door chimed.

Ruby didn't look up and didn’t bother to turn around, both eyes on the dark brew slowly dripping into the glass boiler. 

“Evening.”

A hand jerked and thick-brewed liquid splashed over the rim, hitting her knuckles and forcing a hiss from her as she froze where she stood. No.

“Can I get some help?”No.

She turned around, head snapping up to see a blond standing just inside the doorway. The blue blazer over the white polo was still there, manicured hands tucked casually into the pockets of slacks that had never seen a spot of dirt.

“Ruby?” Granny’s voice cut through the fog in her head, the old woman looking her way with a deep squint. Ruby looked down, swallowing her words as hot liquid dripped off her reddened hand. “You alright, girl?”

“Fine.” Ruby set the pot down on the boiler, mug shaking as much as her hand was for all of a second. The rag found its way back in her hand, the scent of lemon working hard to work its way back into the wood. “I’m… I’m fine.”“Ruby, right?” White teeth flashed her way. “That was your name?”“...” She blinked back. “Yes.”

Granny rounded the corner of the counter as he — Chad — stepped further into the lobby. “Can we help you?”

Bright white teeth widened into a smile and, for a second, Ruby had to grip the edge of the counter to keep from falling. “I’m looking for a room, actually.” A hand came out of his pocket, an iPhone newer than anything she’d ever seen in his palm. “Heard this was the best place in town for a stay.”

“It’s the only place in town,” Granny answered back. “Unless you want to try your luck with a park bench or the mayor’s spare bedrooms, and trust me, Regina’s hospitality has gone downhill lately.”

“Then I guess I’m exactly where I need to be.” His other hand came free, a leather wallet rising high with it before he set it on the counter. “How much for a week? I’m thinking I’ll need at least that long to track down what I’m looking for.”

Granny named a price that was easily double the normal rate, eyes narrowed as she waited for a flinch.

“That works.” A small stack of crisp bills hit the wood like it was Monopoly money. “Anything with a view? I like to see the street.”

Ruby’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. Must be nice to just buy whatever you want. 

Granny scooped up the cash, flicking through it with a silent count before she looked back up at him. “You’re the one who came into the station earlier. Looking for Finn.”

It wasn't a question, because why would it be? 

“Word travels fast in a small town.” Chad’s smile didn't fade. “Yeah, that’s me. Chadwick O’Donaghue. But like I said at the station, everyone calls me Chad.”

“Mmmhmmmmm.” Granny’s mouth flattened thin as she gave him a once-over. “You look just like him. Bit uncanny, actually.”

“I get that a lot. Thick blood, you know?”“Mmmhmmm.”

Ruby’s hands curled into fists under the counter, nails biting into the meat of her palms.

“Upstairs.” Granny was already reaching for the key rack. Business was business, and Granny was all business. Either way, the cash was already in the register. “Third door on the left.”

No. No. Not that room. The air left Ruby’s lungs in a raspy huff, barely a sound at all. “Granny—” 

“They’re family, Ruby.” Those eyes landed back on her and Ruby bit down on her words as her Granny leaned in closer and the next words were for her ears only. “And it’s the only room we’ve got ready. Magic’s back, people are jumpy, and you’re a big girl now.”

As Granny pulled back, Ruby looked up to see a pair of blue eyes on her, Chad’s head tilted in a way that made her stomach flip. “You know, I’m sure I can find somewhere else if there’s a problem.”

“No.” The word hit the air harsher than she meant but Ruby didn't take it back. “Nothing’s wrong.”

A heavy brass key on a simple metal ring flew her way, a simple toss from Granny caught before she had a moment to even think about it. “Ruby, grab some fresh towels and show Mr. Chad his way up.” The look was a command, a big fat do it anyway worn clear on the old woman’s face. 

Without a word, Ruby grabbed a stack of fluffy white towels from the supply closet and jerked her head toward the stairs. “This way.”

The walk up was silent, with only the creak of old wood under their combined weight to break the quiet. Eyes fixed on peeling wallpaper, Ruby did her best to ignore the blond stranger she was acutely aware of. 

It wasn’t working.

Everything from his footsteps to the rest of his movements went into her head, locked away with everything else about him.

Not a moment too soon, she made it to the front of the door with the brass '8' hanging on it and, with a simple turn of a key, it swung wide open.

The room looked no different than it had a week ago.

At least, after Granny had Ashley clean it.

Sheets changed, floors scrubbed, and rug vacuumed, the furniture was the same messy sprawl Finn liked; chair still too close to the window and turned to face it.

“Good for people watching.”Ruby blinked as Chad stepped in right behind her, blue eyes sweeping over the space and pausing on that simple chair. “This was really his room, huh?”

“Yeah.” Ruby entered the small bathroom, leaving Chad in a room that held a ghost as she started stacking towels. “His room.”

“Huh.” That voice slid into the bathroom behind her, crawling up her back as its owner stood still in front of the bed. “And how long again was it you said he was in this room?”

“The whole time.” Ruby bit back a sigh. “Since the day he rolled into town.”

“...almost, seven months…”  Through the open bathroom door, she watched Chad breathe out a sigh and start moving around. “Huh.” Fingers trailing over the wood of the dresser, he started to check the drawers, sliding them open one by one.

“What are you doing?” An eyebrow went high as she watched the careful methodical movements, the man’s hands moving like they were doing a strip-search.

“Looking.” Chad didn't stop even as he spoke. “Finn’s a handful but he knows how to run. It’s what he does. Never was all that good at the cleaning up after himself. It’s all about knowing where to look.”

“But we were the ones who…” Ruby let herself trail off, Chad not seeming to care about that simple fact as he kept his movements going. “Look, if it’s his clothes and…” Her throat on the verge of closing up, Ruby forced out the words. “And his personals you’re looking for, they’re all in the lockbox downstairs. Granny had me move it after...”

“Don’t worry. I guessed as much already.” Chad moved his way to the nightstand, pulling the small drawer open. “But, and I mean no offense by the way, people don’t really clean up all that well. You see, they go for the big things. Finn hides his life in the small ones.”

“What?” Ruby blinked at that. “What are y-”

“Got ya!” Chad stood up straight, hand coming free from the nightstand holding a slim metallic object.

Oh. A pen.

Black and gold, heavy and expensive. 

Whale’s pen. Finn had shown it to her months back, playing tricks with it over a burger as he talked about how he just couldn’t stop himself. 

“Fingers too fast for your own good, you fricking klepto…” Chad’s voice went low, thumb running over the gold clip. “Jesus, Finn. Six months?”

“Yeah.” The word scraped out of her, barely making it past the lump in her throat. “He was.”

The pen placed carefully back in the nightstand, the blond man kept on moving and kept on searching. A half-used bottle of cheap shampoo found its way right next to the pen, a single black sock from the closet and a crumpled receipt wedged behind mattress and frame rounding out the numbers. 

“You’re all set.” Ruby backed towards the door, forcing the words out even as her skin prickled the longer he watched him. “Bathroom’s all stocked. Bed’s made and clean. If you need anything else, just… you can just call the desk.”

“You knew him, didn’t you?”

“...yeah.”

“I’m gonna guess, pretty well… you know, considering you look at me like a ghost?”

The words stopped her in the doorway before she could turn around. What… what kind of question even is that? Ruby’s jaw went tight, teeth feeling sharp on her tongue. “He was a friend.”

“Friend, huh?”Ruby worked her mouth slow. “Yeah. We were friends.”“Was. Were.” Chad tasted the past tense on his tongue as he stared at Ruby with the same eyes that made Finn a good deputy. “Maybe it’s just me, but you’re trying really hard to talk about him like he’s dead and buried.”

“Well, he’s gone, isn't he? He… he…”

“He ran away.” Chad finished  for her, head tilted again that said more than the words. “That’s the story, right?” “That’s…” She cleared her throat, working out another lump. “That’s what happened.”“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, I heard. Your sheriff seemed…” Chad nodded his head, smile on his face that didn’t quite reach those eyes. “Real convinced about that. But looking at you… you seem more skeptical about it than, uh… well, than I am.”

Ruby stared back at him, her chin up as she said nothing. Smart.

Like Finn.

Observant, too.

It wasn’t just skin deep, hair aside.

This was blood calling to blood and she knew that as well as anything. 

“Man, I sound like a jerk, don’t I? My bad, seriously. My bad.” Chad shook his head, letting out a long breath as Ruby stared back at him. “I just miss my cousin, you know? He’s selfish and irresponsible and just the worst, but I miss him. You miss him, too, don’t you?” “...yeah, I do.” Ruby swallowed everything else that came with those three words.“Why don’t you tell me what he was like here? In… uhh, Storybook?”“Storybrooke.”“See…” A smile spread across his face. “I’m already learning something. Tell me more, then.”Ruby’s shoulders slumped as she leaned against the doorframe, words coming out in a flood she couldn’t really stop. “He worked for R-Ru…Mr. Gold at the pawn shop for a little bit. Then he was deputy for a while, when the old sheriff… when the position opened up for him.” Ruby looked down at her feet, fighting the urge to say names and mention things she was better off keeping quiet. “He was good at it, too. Better than he thought he was. Finn… he liked helping people. Solving the messy problems. And he was… he was a hell of a fighter.”

“That doesn't sound like the Finn I grew up with.”

“What?” Ruby blinked, the judgment in his voice making her blood run hot.

“I mean, except the fighting part. That’s in his blood, but…” The laugh that spilled out of the blond didn’t seem to have a lot of humor to it. “Helping the community? Respecting the law? Staying in one zip code for more than three weeks?” Chad shook his head slowly as Ruby stared at him. “With full and love to the respect to the guy, my cousin’s a…”White teeth met each other as the man grit his teeth, staring off out the window. “My grandpa would call him a rebel without a cause. My great-grandpa would call him a rabble-rouser. But, being real, the guy’s a bridge-burner. He literally doesn’t know a good thing when he sees it and he definitely doesn’t care how good he has it.”He had it good here. The words were a scream in her head, desperate to get past her teeth. He stayed because he had it good here.

“Unless maybe he just got bored of playing cop?” Chad raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s why he ran, you think?”

“I don't know.” The lie hurt more than all the others, despite tasting exactly the same. “He just left.”

“...that’s terrible news. For me, at least.” Chad clicked his tongue. “I mean, I don’t think you believe it but it’s still terrible news.”

Ruby straightened up, shoulders pulled back as she glared at this stranger. “I think you don’t know me well enough to say what I believe. Or anything else about me.”

She turned and marched out before he could open his mouth again, door clicking shut behind her.

Six stomps down the hallway, Ruby stopped in the hallway as one hand pressed hard against floral wallpaper. Heart pounding in her chest, she closed her eyes and tried to force her breath down to something calmer.

The air in the hallway was full of him — Chad. Nothing like the Finn she knew, but everything like him at the same time. Just calmer, slower, easier.“...yes, sir. It’s me.”

Near-panic forgotten, Ruby leaned her head back against the wallpaper-covered wood as a voice reached her twitching ears, followed by a sigh. “I think I found him. Or where he was, anyway.”

Dark green eyes went wide.

“A small town in Maine. Out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe four thousand people on a good day.” Another pause stretched out, silence from the other end of the line fueling it. “He was here for about half a year, if you can believe that. Maybe the longest he’s ever put down roots.”

Ruby’s eyes closed tight.

“Something happened here,” Chad’s voice dropped lower. “No way a whole town’s this cagey for no reason. All with the same script, so no way they’re not hiding something. Or hiding him. Just need a little more time to shake the tree.”

More silence.

“I’ll call you when I have something real. Tell the family to sit tight.”

Ruby pulled herself away from the wall, boots silent on the carpet as she headed down towards the stairs. Who the hell are you, Chad?