Nineteen

+ + +

NAOMI STOOD AT A TABLE with Ruby, who had become engrossed with interrogating the strange Leather Man. They'd learned his name was August, which was a start. Ruby had been asking him for the past ten minutes about his travels. Apparently, August didn't like to stay put.

     "That's insane! A whole year without a roof over your head?" Ruby asked, amazed. August nodded, making Naomi arch an eyebrow.

     "You get used to it," he shrugged. "Besides, I always had my bike. If I didn't like somewhere too much..." He made a motion and sound like zooming off into he distance.

     "Ruby," Granny called said girl to her from where she stood, leaning over the account book. Naomi glanced back with a scoff when Ruby completely ignored her grandmother.

     "Where was your favorite place?" She asked, putting her hands on the table.

     "Nepal. Nice people," August answered. Naomi tilted her head in curiosity. "They have these prayer temples on the mountains that are overrun by lemurs."

Ruby frowned. "What's a lemur?"

     Granny called her over again, louder this time. She groaned and waved back to her grandmother. "Just a second!" She exclaimed, then turned her focus back to August.

     "They're these little animals-" August started to explain, but Naomi cut him off eagerly.

    "They have eyes that reflect light," she explained to Ruby. "When it's night time and all dark, it looks like the eyes glow. They're really amazing!" Naomi remembered reading about them one time when she'd been bored. August nodded approvingly to Naomi.

     Ruby smiled. "Incredible. I've never even been out of Storybrooke," she muttered.

     "Ruby!" Granny called once again, making her whip around. "Stop flirting and get over here!"

     Ruby sighed and went over to where her grandmother stood. Naomi grinned and turned back to August. "It must be pretty cool, huh? According to Henry, you're the second person who's come to Storybrooke from the outside. You and Emma are the special ones."

     August shrugged and motioned for her to sit down in the seat across from him, and she did that. "The kid must have some imagination," he said, taking a sip from his coffee.

     Naomi scoffed and nodded, glancing down. "You have no idea."

     August tilted his head. "Do you believe him?" The teen gave August a look as if to say "Seriously?" Instead, she stayed silent and shrugged nonchalantly. "Is it fun being a writer?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.

     August nodded. "Anything can be as fun as you make it. As long as you have just a little bit of an imagination and an open mind, you're set," he said, giving her a small smile.

     Suddenly Ruby could be heard arguing with Granny. Naomi looked back and chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

     "Is this a punishment for talking to that guy?" Ruby demanded. August grinned and started eating his pie.

     "If I wanted to punish you, I'd have my better reasons," Granny told her. "For one, you're late. Two, Lisa, you dress like a drag queen."

     Naomi struggled to hold back an outburst of laughter. Ruby frowned deeply. "And you dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates' mother!"

     Granny sighed in exasperation. "Ruby, you are a grown woman. You have to stop acting like some kid!"

     Naomi bit her lip as August awkwardly glanced away, struggling to chew a bite of pie from his attempt to hold back his amusement at the situation. Naomi had to admit, she didn't like seeing he friend get ratted out like that. But this... this was just too funny.

     "Well maybe you just want me to act like you so one day I might turn into you!" Ruby said, lowering her voice. "I am not a fossil kit, Granny! I should be out there, having adventures with lemurs!"

     Granny slammed the accounting book shut and shrugged. "As long as you're working here, you'll listen to me."

"I didn't ask to work here!"

"Then what's keeping you?"

     "Nothing. I quit!" With that, Ruby stormed out of the diner, taking her apron off. Naomi frowned and stood up, sending a glance to Granny.

     "I'll take off early," she told the elderly woman. Naomi quickly followed her friend out of the diner and into the night.

+ + +

     As James and his men brought Naomi along the road, she was hastily devising a plan to escape. It didn't need to be brilliant or extravagant, just a plan.

    "What are castles like?" She asked absentmindedly, not really interested.

     James gave her a small look before replying, "Nicer than anything I can imagine you growing up in."

     "Offensive!" Naomi muttered in bored tone, picking the dirt out her fingernails. She hummed and looked up ahead at the leading horses.

     "Tell me, James, how thick skulled are your men?"

     James nearly stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean? Whatever you're planning, thief, it won't work. I let you go the first time you attacked my carriage. Don't think I'll let you go a second time."

     Naomi placed a sarcastically offended hand over her chest. "I'd never! Though, really James, I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

     James shook his head and continued forward. "Believe it or not, thief, you are of great value to the king."

     "This their has a name, you know!" Naomi told him, smirking faintly. James stayed silent and stared ahead.

     "Is this your first time intimidating someone?" Naomi asked quietly, scoffing. "Because you really need to get better at this part of the job."

     "I'd shut that smart mouth if I were you," James muttered, still not looking to the girl.

    "Does the king know you're bringing a pirate into the kingdom?"

     Something flickered in James's eyes for a split second; doubt and worry, maybe. "You're lying," he said, finally looking at Naomi.

     The girl let out an amused scoffed and mentally face palmed. What is this guy afraid of, she thought in disbelief. "How long have you been a prince, James? Every prince knows where there's one pirate, several others will follow." She paused, watching the form on James's face change.

     "Did you not realise you're leading a ship-full of pirates into your kingdom?"

     James stopped in his tracks, alerting one of the guards of a possible threat. The armored guard drew his sword, but James waved it away. "Stop your games, Naomi Jones," James commanded.

     Naomi's eyes widened and she shook her head mockingly. "No games at all! Just you and me."

    James sighed and glanced down. "I don't believe you."

    "No?" Naomi shrugged indifferently. "Mkay. Aye, boys!" She shouted in the direction of the woods opposite of the king's traveling party. She snickered as James's eyes widened, hastily motioning for her to stop.

     The girl smirked. "You're scared? You can't fight off a mere pirate crew?" She mocked, backing away from the horses. Without realizing what she'd just did, Naomi glanced down to her wrists.

     The chains that had bound her to the party had been removed by James himself. She looked back up, facing an ashamed James. A triumphant smirk grew on her face.

     "Coward!" She shouted, backing away slowly. "You're a bloody coward!"

     "Sire, what are you doing?" One of the metallic bodyguards demanded, watching Naomi move away. James ignored him, never looking away from Naomi.

     "Leave," he told her, a threatening tone in his voice. "Leave and take your pirate crew with you. I never want to see your face in my lands again."

    "My weapon, please." The archer held out her hands, a proud smirk on her face. Prince James really was the most gullible, and most paranoid, prince she'd met in a long time.

    Her bow and quiver full of arrows was immediately handed to her, despite the guards' many nonverbal protests. Once her fingers touched the familiar wood and leather, Naomi bolted back into the dense forest surrounding them.

+ + +

     "Ruby!" Naomi shouted, jogging down the street to catch up with her. Ruby ignored her, turning to open the door to the inn where her and Granny lived. Naomi rushed forward and grabbed her arm.

     "What the hell was that?" Naomi demanded. Ruby sighed and opened the door.

     "Go back home, Omi. I'm just getting my stuff," she muttered, forcing the door open.

     "You're leaving?" Naomi asked quietly, following her inside. Ruby turned around and gave her a small nod.

     "There's nothing for me here, Omi. I want to get out into the world, get into trouble. I can't stay stuck in Storybrooke forever." Ruby told her, a bittersweet smile on her face.

     Naomi sighed and nodded, though still unconvinced. "And what, you're just gonna take a bus and leave?" Ruby nodded. "Ru, I don't think Storybrooke even has a local bus company. There are stops, but have you ever actually seen a bus anywhere in town?"

     Ruby sighed and shook her head, glancing down. "You're definitely not walking to Boston," Naomi said, then grinned. "Come stay with us for a while! I'm sure Mary Margaret and Emma won't mind at all. Then maybe you can get on your toes and get a car or something. You'll be able to drive anywhere you desire!"

     Ruby smiled at her friend. "You'd really do that?"

     Naomi shrugged and nodded. "Of course. I don't need a miserable Ruby running around forever," she said nonchalantly. Ruby smiled widely and hugged her, overjoyed to finally have a start at a new life.

     "Okay, I need clothes first," Ruby said, pulling away. Naomi nodded, following her upstairs to help her get packed.

     But Naomi couldn't ignore the growing pit in her stomach, like she knew this was wrong. It was as if something, or someone, were telling her it was not a good idea to encourage Ruby to leave Storybrooke.

+ + +

     Later that night, after Naomi had drove them back to the apartment, Naomi was unlocking the door. Ruby smiled widely, but that smile faltered when she immediately saw Mary Margaret sitting at the counter.

     "Ruby?" Mary Margaret asked, thoroughly confused. "Naomi, why is Ruby with you?"

     Naomi sighed and glanced from Ruby to Mary Margaret. "We're having a sleepover," she said, "a very long, few-month sleepover."

     Mary Margaret frowned and Ruby quickly spoke up. "I quit my job at Granny's," she explained. "I-I know, it's a horrible idea and all, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I was planning on leaving Storybrooke, but Naomi convinced me to stay a little longer." She gave Naomi a grateful look.

     That was when Emma walked in from the bathroom. Emma took one look at Ruby and frowned. "What is going-"

     "You know, it was a stupid idea anyway," Ruby hastily said, turning away. She quickly moved to leave. "Sorry, I'll just be out of your guy's hair-"

     "No Ruby, it's okay," Mary Margaret spoke up, smiling. "Stay as long as you need." Naomi sent the woman a grateful look.

     Ruby smiled thankfully, making Emma grow even more confused. "What is going on?" She demanded, looking to Naomi.

     "Ru's staying with me for a while," Naomi explained, a small smirk planted on her face. "Don't worry, she won't get in your precious way."

     Emma stayed silent in shock of the teen's sass. As the two girls went upstairs to Naomi's room, Emma turned to Mary Margaret.

     "You're okay with this?" The blonde questioned. Mary Margaret merely shrugged and went back to drinking her tea.

+ + +

     Naomi had found an old hammock in the back of her closet. The girls had nailed the strings to opposite walls. That would be Ruby's temporary bed. As Ruby unpacked, Nomi sat on her bed, reading a book she'd found earlier. Once Ruby was finished she sat on the bed near Naomi's feet, grabbing her attention. Naomi looked up from her book.

     "Thank you again, Omi," Ruby thanked her friend, smiling gratefully once again. Naomi shrugged nonchalantly, because really, it was no problem at all.

     Ruby nodded and looked around the room. "When are you ever gonna get your own place?" She asked the other girl, who sighed.

     "I don't exactly know," Naomi answered, absentmindedly looking out her window into the dark night sky. "Hopefully soon. College is still in the air, so I wanna save up enough money for that. But I also do not want to spend the next few years with Emma breathing down my neck."

     Ruby frowned and glanced down the stairs to where Emma and Mary Margaret had previously been. The living room and kitchen were now both vacant. "You don't like Emma?"

     Naomi shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know, it's just... There'll always be a bit of resentment towards the woman who many times nearly ruined my chances of watching Henry anymore, and was one of the reasons both Archie and Henry got trapped in the mines." The girl's eyes trailed to the leather jacket, which was draped over the back of her desk chair.

     Ruby sighed. "But none of that means anything, does it?" Naomi stayed silent and didn't move.

     "She reminds you of Graham, doesn't she?" Ruby guessed from Naomi's silence. The other girl nodded and forced her eyes away from the jacket.

     "You know, you'd be the sheriff now if Emma hadn't become Graham's deputy, if only you weren't a year too young," Ruby told her, giving Naomi a small smirk.

     Naomi scoffed and punched her friend on the arm. "Yeah, right," she paused. "And there's absolutely no need to remind me."

     Ruby giggled and shrugged. "Whatever ya say, hun. Hear anything from Dylan lately?" She quickly changed the subject to avoid dangerous waters.

Wrong move.

     Naomi shook her head and kept her gaze fixed firmly on the mattress. "We agreed it was best to stop seeing each over at all. I just couldn't keep up with the story that he left town, when he was just hiding from his problems. And he was never able to tell me why!"

     Ruby sighed and nodded in agreeance. "Seems like he's memorized your work schedule. He's been coming in every other hour you're not in duty. I must admit, you had yourself a smart fellow." Ruby then paused and frowned in thought.

     "I still can't believe you two manages to keep this up for two years. That's insane!"

     Naomi scoffed sarcastically and nodded. "Ya think I didn't already realize that?" Ruby chuckled and got up off the bed, heading over to her hammock. She sent Naomi a small look, almost empathetic, and the girl understood the silent message.

"Ru, I'm okay. Really, I'm fine."

+ + +

     The next day Naomi sat in the sheriff's office with Ruby and Henry, helping search for another job. Henry was looking through the computer while Ruby leaned back in a chair next to him. Naomi sat on the sturdy desk that held the computer.

     It was after school and Regina had a council meeting to attend, leaving Naomi to watch Henry for a bit. Naomi had taken him to the sheriff station with her and Ruby to help look for jobs. Technically, Emma still wasn't allowed to see Henry without Regina's permission.

     But he was under the watch of Naomi for now, and she brought him to where Emma was. What was Regina gonna do about it? As much as Naomi hated to admit it, the two were gonna see each other.

    "What about a bike messenger?" Henry suggested, reading from the list of jobs. Naomi arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

     "What's that?" Ruby asked, absentmindedly filing her nails.

     "It's where you go around riding a bike and delivering stuff to people in a little basket," Henry told her simply.

     "No thank you," Ruby scoffed. "I'm... not the best with riding bikes."

    Naomi shook her head in amusement as Henry continued searching. "I can't believe that job still exists."

     "How about you walk around, delivering things to people in a little basket," Henry suggested quietly.

     "I'm not sure that's even a real job..." Ruby said as the phone rang next to her. After a few rings, the phone went to an automated machine, waiting for when Emma got back from her errand. Then a second call came through, almost immediately going to the machine.

     "Why does the phone keep doing that?" Ruby asked, motioning to the phone on the desk next to her.

     "The non-emergency calls go to a machine when Emma's busy," Naomi explained.

    Ruby shrugged and picked up the phone, pressing the first button. "Sheriff's station, how can I help you?" A pause. "Mhm. I'll get her to return. Thank you."

     Naomi arched an eyebrow as Ruby pressed the second button. "Sheriff's station. Oh, hey Mrs. Ginger!" Another pause. "Uh, no, that's not s prowler, that's Archie's dog, Pongo. Give him a vanilla waffer and he'll be fine."

    Just then, Emma walked into the station as Ruby finished the call. "Oh, did you still wanna talk to Emma? No problem!" She hung up the phone.

    Emma approached the group. "How's it going, you three?" She asked. "Great, except I can't do anything," Ruby said, sighing in defeat.

     "Not true," Naomi spoke. "We just saw you with the phone. That was great!"

     "That?" Ruby shrugged. "That was nothing."

     "No, no it wasn't," Emma said, joining Naomi's side. Ruby stayed silent and sat back in her chair.

     Emma shared a look with Naomi. "I actually have some money left behind in the budget if you wanna help out around here," she told Ruby. The girl jumped up excitedly.

     "Yes!" Ruby exclaimed, then quickly composed herself. "Uh, yes. Is there anything you need done? I-I could answer phones, help clean up, sort things, files, anything," she said. "Please, I wanna be useful."

    "I am swamped with this Kathryn Nolan case," Emma admitted. "If you wouldn't mind grabbing lunch, I'd never say no to a grilled cheese."

     Naomi smiled as Ruby's face lit up. "Done!" She grabbed her jacket and looked to Naomi and Henry. "Beed anything?"

    Naomi shook her head, but Henry spoke up. "Two chocolate chip cookies, half a pie, and a hot dog." Naomi chuckled. "He ate at school."

     Emma made her way towards her office as Ruby headed to the door, passing Mary Margaret on her way. "Oh, lunch, Mary Margaret? I'm getting it for everyone," she kindly offered.

     "Uh, no thanks, I'm not hungry..." Mary Margaret trailed off, quickly turning to Emma as Ruby left.

     "I met David in the woods," she told Emma. Naomi frowned and stood up, curiosity spiking. "He wasn't focused. He looked right through me," Mary Margaret continued. "It's like... It's like he was a different person."

     About half an hour later, after Mary Margaret had left, it was time for Naomi to take Henry back to his mother. Henry dropped his story book into one of the lockable drawers and Emma tossed him the key to lock it shut. Naomi didn't even want to know how Emma managed to find that book for him, wherever it had been.

     "Okay guys, I don't mean to kick you out, but I need to go make sure David's safe," Emma told them.

     "You're good. I'm supposed to be bringing him back to Regina, anyway," Naomi said, grabbing her leather jacket.

     "Nice," Emma said as Henry gave her the keys back. "You know, you should let Ruby do more stuff," Henry told Emma. "After all, she is Little Red Riding Hood."

     Naomi mentally face palmed. Here we go again, she thought. Emma seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

     "Oh yeah, with the little basket." The woman nodded and gave him an amused smiled. "Yeah, she seems like a real badass."

     "She is!" Henry insisted. "She just doesn't remember who she is, what she's capable of."

     "It's true," Naomi said, playing along. She sent Emma a small wink and herded Henry to the door. As they left the station, Ruby walked in, carrying Emma and her's food.

     "Oh, bye guys," Ruby muttered. Naomi gave a small wave and left, quickly unlocking her car.

+ + +

     Ruby called Naomi later that night. Naomi could hear the fear behind her voice; she was having a panic attack. Her and Emma had stayed late that night searching for both Kathryn and David. Ruby was going on and in about something she found, something that meant the inevitable.

     "Woah, just slow down, Ruby," Naomi said, sitting on her bed. "What happened?"

     "I... I can't..." Ruby sobbed into the phone. "We found... What's happening?! I'm a freak!"

     Naomi sighed and shook her head. "I have no idea what's going on, but you're no freak."

     Ruby could be heard taking a deep breath, then the call was ended from the other end. Naomi sighed and ran a shaky, exhausted hand through her dark hair.

+ + +

     Naomi saw Ruby walk into Granny's the next morning. She pursed her lips and went to the back, seeing as Ruby seemed to have something to say to her grandmother.

     The moment Ruby and Emma had come home the previous night. Ruby had shut herself in Naomi's bathroom for hours. She'd refused to talk to Naomi, and finally came out two hours later, around 3 a.m. Naomi had already gone to bed by that time, and Ruby was still asleep when Naomi had gotten up to go to work the next morning.

     The girl focused on preparing an order while Ruby and Granny talked things out. Two orders and one paper cut later, Ruby cam to the back and found Naomi. When she found her friend, Naomi sighed and glanced down.

     "I'm not getting an explanation for last night, am I?" Naomi asked, arching an eyebrow, a small smile playing at her lips.

     Ruby laughed awkwardly and shrugged. "Later, I promise." She paused, getting an apron off of the hanger. "I got my job back."

     Naomi smiled. "And what brought the motivation back around?"

     Ruby shrugged. "Emma showed me that I need to stay somewhere I love. Screw adventures. I had my fill of those yesterday."

     Naomi smiled and nodded. "I'm glad to get your ass out of the apartment," she teased. Ruby smiled and shrugged, the two girls soon getting back to their jobs.

(Guess who just gave you a really long chapter (for me, at least)?
I did!!!
I kinda rushed at the end just cause I didn't really want to write that part. Could you tell? Of course you could. Y'all are just too brilliant not to have noticed.

Also, can we just...
3.28K reads?!?!?! You guys are amazing!!

Also, sorta fun fact, at this moment that I am typing this I am listening to the "Fearless" playlist I made on my Spotify. My Spotify is lahmeyergrace (I share a gmail with my mum). Check it out sometime. It's a nice little thing.

Ok, I think I'm done now.
Last edited October 19, 2019)