A/N: Here we go, right where we left off! I'm sorry about the delay, enjoy! :)

"Get up, girl!"

Ruby groaned, mumbling something through a deep frown.

"Get up right now! I don't care how late you got here last night, but I won't have you sleeping till two in the afternoon; you have chores to do."

"Just leave me to sleep…" She protested, willing Gran to go away and leave her the hell alone.

"Look at you, did you drink half the bar last night? You're a mess!"

The sheer volume of her grandmother's voice was dispelling the remainder of her sleepiness, and she stretched on the bed, rubbing her eyes. Just what she needed, a fight first thing in the morning. With lucidity came irritation, and her bad temper was already flaring up.

"I didn't drink that much, get off my case!"

"I will get off your case, Eliza, when you start acting your age!"

"Oh no, you just want me to act like a shriveled old spinster, that's what you want!"

"Good heavens, no, that would mean you'd have some measure of modesty, and we can't have that, can we?"

Ugh, Ruby was now thoroughly pissed off and had no desire to continue the fight; it had to stop before this soft pulse inside her head would evolve into a massive headache.

"Fine, I'm getting up, see?" She stood up and swayed slightly, stumbling to the bathroom to prove her point and, with some luck, slam the door into Granny's face – that would shut her up.

"Where were you last night?" The old woman's voice was stern and accusatory, neither of which Ruby appreciated at the moment. She'd have to twist the facts in a way which would appease the old bat without actually revealing anything.

"On a date."

"Did you use protection?" Ruby choked for a moment, risking a glance at her cross grandma.

"I'm not a moron!" Her voice was more than a bit outraged. "But no, I didn't use any, because nothing happened – the date SUCKED. So leave me alone!" With that, she slammed the bathroom door behind her and locked it.

"I wasn't born yesterday, girl! Those claw marks on your thighs tell a different story!"

"JUST GO AWAY!" Ruby screamed at the door, her voice breaking once she was done, and she hoped that this would suffice, because she really had no strength to do this right now. Luckily, Granny just grumbled something under her breath and left.

A quick inspection of her thighs revealed the betraying red marks and she grit her teeth angrily. Of all the stupid things, of all the frickin' signs, it just had to be this one – one that had absolutely nothing to do with the man she slept with yesterday.

The mirror was equally unhelpful – as her dress slid off of her, landing around her ankles, she moved her hair from one side to the other and searched for any hickeys, bruises, scratch marks but, to her relief, there were none.

The skin of her back, abdomen and legs was equally untouched (save for the self-inflicted bit). By all means, she should be thankful; counting her blessings for this, but a part of her felt wounded for the lack of the same. It was as if it didn't happen at all, no evidence to assure her that only yesterday, Mr. Gold claimed her in his dusty, disused cellar…

No, he didn't claim her. It was just… Just a one-time deal.

Ruby's forehead dropped onto the cool surface of the mirror and she exhaled loudly, fogging up the silvery glass. It was time to be honest with herself.

She didn't want it.

It wasn't about regrets; she wasn't about to wish for something stupid like turning back the time or some other pointless notion, no, this was about her inability to sense danger.

There should have been an alarm sooner, not now, not after the act itself.

How was she supposed to know that it would feel this way? The experience should have been awful, he should have been either abusive, or uncaring, but sadly…he was none of those things.

He didn't even leave a single trace of his presence on her skin. The realization made her frown until it hurt.

Ruby didn't want just a one-night stand. To her, this stopped being one as soon as his hands wrapped around her waist in what was, most likely, a fully unconscious gesture on his part. But now…it was too late. The thought of never being able to talk to him again weighed on her mind like a ton of bricks.

She felt nauseated all of a sudden and moved away from the mirror, taking deep, measured breaths, and went through the motions – remove make-up, wash face, brush teeth, comb hair. Once that was done, she sighed and got in the shower. The bra she discarded on the floor kept staring back at her, and she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to burn it ritualistically on the front lawn.

Some fifteen minutes later, she was wrapped in a fluffy towel, leaving a trail of wet footsteps across the floor on the way to her bed, where she sat after hurling the crumpled dress (plus bra) onto a chair.

This day would suck.

She got dressed hastily and went downstairs, grabbing the vacuum cleaner without a word, and started at it without having to be told twice. Her obedience should appease Granny's wrath, and later, she'd lock herself in her room and sleep the day away; there was simply too much on her plate at the moment. Once the vacuuming was done, she walked to the kitchen in zombie mode, her brain on standby, and washed the dishes. This felt like her job, except worse – she wasn't getting paid for it. Though, to be fair, no more shouting was a perfectly acceptable form of currency.

After all the dishes were washed, dried and stored in the kitchen cabinets, she got back upstairs and locked herself in her room.

This was a habit she seldom practiced anymore, mostly because Granny would always know that something was wrong and come asking about it, or, more often, threaten to tear the door down. It's been years since it happened last, so Ruby hoped she wouldn't come trying now; after all, some peace and quiet were the only thing necessary at the moment.

She collapsed on the bed and shut her eyes when an infuriating buzz forced them open again. Who the hell was it now?

She reached for her purse, fished for the phone as it continued to vibrate in an incredibly annoying way, and she answered without even bothering to look at the number:

"What?!"

"Uh -, Ruby? Is that you?" A slightly startled female voice reached her ears. It was only Ashley, poor thing; she must have had a little heart attack there.

"Yeah, it's me… Sorry about that, Ash."

"Is there something wrong?" You could count on the sweet blonde to ask about other people's problems when her own were more than enough to make anyone go crazy.

"Had a fight with Granny, don't worry about it..." The last thing Ruby needed right now was a curious friend to start asking questions she had no intention of answering. "Anyways, what did you need me for?"

The girl seemed momentarily distracted and fumbled a bit for the right words, but Ruby waited patiently.

"I was just thinking… I mean, I wanted to go out for a bit, if you want… For an ice cream or something."

"Cravings again?" Ruby grinned into her phone.

"Uhh…" Ashley laughed slightly. It was a nervous sort of laughter, like she wasn't sure whether she was supposed to find this amusing or not, almost as if getting the reaction wrong would be disastrous. She was a bit too careful for Ruby's taste, never took any risks. The girl behaved like a frightened little rabbit sometimes and she acted as a doormat the rest, which made Ruby want to slap her (except it was considered atrocious to strike a pregnant woman) and tell her to grow a pair. Or a backbone, at least. Still, Ruby couldn't be mad at her; the girl was as sweet as a puppy, and Ruby loved puppies.

"Yeah, I guess…" Ashley admitted.

"Ok, see you in town in about… Half an hour?"

"Sure! See you then!"

"Chocolate ice cream? That's your idea of a crazy craving?" Ruby asked incredulously.

The frail blonde shrugged helplessly and fiddled with the sleeve of her stretched out shirt.

"The strawberry and pistachio I ordered make me feel like I'm the one pregnant here." Ruby joked good-naturedly, but Ashley looked pretty uncomfortable all of a sudden, and it made the brunette feel really bad – she was being an insensitive bitch.

"I'm sorry, Ash… Me and my stupid mouth… Just ignore me."

"It's ok…" Her nervousness begged to differ, but Ruby would pry no further.

"So, what's eating you, babe?" A compliment might make the poor girl feel better; hey, it worked wonders on her when she was bummed out. It's a shame the effects didn't last long.

"Just the usual… I'm sorry, I know we've been over this a hundred times…"

"Nah, it hasn't been that many." Ruby waved her hand dismissively and her friend gave her a small grateful look.

"Still… thank you for hearing me out…"

The next hour was spent with Ashley sighing and sniffing about her insecurities and how afraid she was of everything, from having the baby to her own shadow. Truth be told, Ruby didn't mind much; it was a welcome distraction from her own shitty state of mind, and she did want to make Ashley feel better; they were friends, after all.

"I just wish he was there for me…" Ashley finished, looking resigned and sad at the same time.

"Men! Who needs them…" Ruby puffed indignantly. She really didn't need this now. Being reminded hurt.

"I need a drink." That statement was made in a perfectly calm manner. "Come on, let's go." Ruby got up, extending her hand.

Ashley seemed perplexed: "Uh, Ruby… I can't drink, you know that…" she said shyly, glancing at her swollen belly.

"Who said anything about you? I'll get drunk, and you can have a mocktail. My treat!" She winked, hoping that it wouldn't take more persuading.

"All right…"

Finally! A slight smile shone on her friend's face, and Ruby relaxed.

"But first, pizza!"

Ashley laughed: "Dessert before lunch? You're terrible, Ruby."

"Thanks a lot, gran. C'mon." She pulled her arm and Ashley giggled, following her obediently.

Ruby had to admit, she liked making her friends laugh.

They sat down for a pizza (Ruby was the only one eating; Ash stubbornly refused one because she was ridiculously polite) and, after initial coaxing, the blonde gave up and nibbled on a piece as Ruby devoured the rest.

"That hit the spot!" She grinned widely, patting her stomach. "Now we can drink!"

The bar was half-empty, it was Sunday after all, but Ruby was determined to drink herself under the table before the day was done, Granny's reprimands be damned.

"A Zombie for me, and… Ash? What do you want?"

"Uhm… I'll have a Cherry Fizz, thanks."

Ruby turned away from the bartender and went quiet. Cherry… Why did she need reminders at every turn?

Two Zombies, one Blue Hawaii and three tequila shots later, Ruby was feeling euphoric. She felt happy and chatty, also, for some strange reason – blissfully empty. It was like a strange sort of sweet, brain-numbing amnesia sweeping over her, erasing things she needed purged from her mind with startling ease.

"So… anybody new in your life?" Ashley asked timidly.

"Why are you asking me that?" Great, this was the last thing she needed, a friend so bored out of her mind that she felt compelled to pry, honestly, what was up with people today? Did she wake up with a huge pink neon sign above her head "I had sex with Mr. Gold last night" or something?

"Well, I just thought… Since we talked about nothing but me and my issues for the past couple of hours… I'm not being fair."

Ruby's expression softened as she looked at the meek blonde. She reached out and took Ash by the hand, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"It's ok, sweetie… You know I'm here for you."

"I know," The pregnant girl blushed slightly: "but it should be the other way around, as well."

"Aww, c'mere." Ruby scooted closer and hugged her friend tightly, petting her soft curls. "I love you, babe. Don't you forget it. I love you more than any man. Men leave, they don't care… But I will always be there for you."

When they separated, Ashley's smile was nearly angelic: Ruby could see how her eyes shone with gratitude, and it stung. Sometimes she wished she could be more like Ash: sweeter, kinder, more innocent. But then reality would slap her awake and she knew – she couldn't be that way, it was better like this. Were she as weak as the girl before her, she would have shattered by now. Being slightly jaded helped her survive.

"You'll find someone, I know you will." Ashley soothed. "You're too amazing not to."

Ruby ignored the dull pain in the pit of her stomach.

"No, babe… We're both screwed. At least we've got each other, so cheers!"

With that, she drank her tequila number four and stilled. Her vision was pulling pranks on her, and when she attempted to get up, she stumbled, nearly falling over. Ash rushed to stabilize her, and Ruby leaned against the table, making the glasses rattle in the process.

"I think you've had enough, we should go home."

Ruby wiggled free and murmured something about going to the bathroom. She couldn't quite recall how she managed to get there, but once she was in the stall, she sat on the lid and buried her face in her palms, as if trying to shake off a bad dream. Going home drunk was not a good idea; Gran would go ballistic. She needed to sober up and, luckily, it wasn't that late yet.

Ruby cursed and sighed, her chest falling onto her knees. Things went too far, the dosage was off, and now, instead of being all giddy, she was careening towards depressed. This was one of those rare times when her independence would run out, leaving her alone and unprotected. Blinking back tears, she wiped her eyelids carefully, trying to calm down.

Ruby emerged from the stall a few minutes later, washed her hands and face, but didn't quite manage to fix her broken smile. After paying for their drinks, she walked out hand in hand with Ash.

"Want me to drive you home?" The timid girl offered.

"You don't have a car." Ruby countered, looking puzzled.

"But you do. And you can't drive like this."

Ruby felt sick all of a sudden.

"Let's walk to the beach. I want some fresh air."

"Sure." Ash seemed happy, and Ruby fell silent.

Ruby lay flat on her back once they got to the beach and closed her eyes. The soft crashing of the waves was soothing, the night was cool, and a soft breeze was brushing past her cheeks. She felt her inner fire lessen, reduced to cinders. Becoming less than what she currently was seemed like a very appealing prospect: turning into a grain of sand, a drop in the ocean – just a tiny fraction of something huge, infinite and immeasurable – where her existence and consciousness would be stripped away. Turned from a complex machine into nothing but a simple cog, serving no other purpose but to sit there and move where the tides would take her, twist and turn as the spring mechanism commanded. She slowly willed herself into nothingness, and it came easy. The pain was slipping away, leaving her pleasantly numb and empty. The passing of time lost all meaning and she drifted in the darkness for what could have been forever, or, on the other hand - a mere second. A falling star shot over the horizon and she knew it was her own heart, burning up in the atmosphere. Little golden flecks shone and flickered, ever watchful, vigilant like a mother's eyes…

"Wake up… Wake up, hon. It's two a.m."

Ruby groaned at the soft voice and tried to push its source away.

"Let me drive you home, Granny will be mad again."

Ruby allowed herself to be helped to her feet and let Ashley guide her back to the place where her car was parked. She felt guilty about dragging her pregnant friend along at this ungodly hour; on top of probably not being healthy for her or the baby, it made her feel like a terrible friend. She'd have to do something about that some time soon.

Everything was a haze, and when the engine stopped, Ruby could see the overgrown hedges that obscured the inn from sight.

"Are you ok? Want me to take you to the door?"

"Nah, I can manage… Thanks, Ash." Ruby flashed her a grateful smile and brushed her hand against her shoulder.

"Ok, then… See you soon?"

"Sure, I'll keep in touch. Night, sweetie…"

"Night!" Ash chorused and shut the door behind her. Ruby couldn't find the strength to move, it was like her limbs had turned to jelly, all limp and useless. Feelings were draining from her one by one; anger, worry, sadness…trickling down some invisible drain into a black hole that gobbled them up until nothing remained. She let herself fall, as well, deep into that welcoming shroud of oblivion…