The Unexpected ~ PG-13 (Chapter 4/?)
Title: The Unexpected
Summary: Several weeks after going home with one of the guys from the bar on Valentine's Day, Ruby realizes she's pregnant. When Mr. Gold realizes this, he takes a particular interest in her.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x19
Pairing/Characters: Eventual Ruby/Gold, Granny, Dr. Whale, Emma, mentions Graham, Ashley, and Sean
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Inspired by at least a few prompts on the ouatkinkmeme, here goes.
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
~~
Chapter 4:
After a month, Granny still hadn't returned to talking to Ruby, and Ruby hadn't seen much of her either. She hadn't even come by her apartment or the station to check up on her. Not even to further insult her. To Ruby's knowledge Granny also hadn't inquired to Emma how she was doing. It saddened her, but she still refused to let it get to her much more than that again. She had made her choice and clearly Granny had also made hers. Ruby also knew she had bigger things to worry about, and even more important things to think about.
At least rent hadn't been an issue, which slightly amused her. In a weird way, at least. Mr. Gold had kept his word about the price he said he would charge her, and he wasn't at all surprised when she handed him every cent. Overall, he had proven he wasn't such a bad landlord to have. Everything was in great working order, he had placed her near quiet neighbors, and his fairly routine presence hadn't bothered her.
But when his dark eyes had trailed fairly noticeably over her form, and had focused specifically at her growing bump just beneath her loose off the shoulder top, she guessed once more she had her answer as to why he had given he such a steep discount. Maybe it really was because she was pregnant. Which, okay, if she were honest kind of made her a little thankful. He really could have taken advantage of her situation and used it for his own gain, yet it still seemed he was thinking of anything but.
In fact, in the moment when his gaze had fallen on her middle, she could have sworn she almost saw the glint in his eyes that so many of the men who had watched her in the diner would get when she bent over just right or stood close enough to give them a whiff of her perfume. She shook it off once he had left though. "Couldn't be," she thought with a shake of her head. Mr. Gold had never seemed interested in her much before. Why would he start now? It didn't make sense.
Beyond that, Ruby knew she could say her current work situation was still going quite nicely as well. True it was pretty boring most of the time, but she would happily take boring over absolute constant ringing of the phones, drunken ramblings from Sidney or Leroy in the cells, or the more heated arguments between Emma and Regina in Emma's office.
All in all she still decided things were still working out in her favor, even if certain people weren't talking to her. She had a more than decent roof, she had a good job which was affording her to keep not only said roof but also keep her other bills paid and even afforded her decent food to eat, and she had her health.
Even the occasional stares she got from most of the other Storybrooke residents when she was out and about hadn't been so bad. Every so often she even found herself wondering if they were staring more in response to her newer fashion choices and how her newer clothes were covering more of her skin than they were used to seeing as opposed to her now more than slightly noticeable bump.
She didn't mind either way, really. She was more than used to being stared at and despite Granny's best efforts for that initial month and a half after Ruby had given her the news, she wasn't really ashamed anymore. Yes, she was pregnant. No, it hadn't been planned. But so what? Maybe being pregnant hadn't entirely been a picnic so far, but she knew it definitely could've been worse.
She did miss Granny, but at the same time she had found she certainly hadn't missed the old woman's insults or their louder fights which had started long before any of this; first about her definition of cleaning, then her make-up, then her clothes, then how she had taken to spending her nights anywhere but at the inn. Ruby almost laughed at the irony. Granny had always wanted her to be mature and independent and here she was quickly becoming both, much to Granny's apparent disappointment.
Of course these had more or less become her most common things to think about when she was able to take a while to clear her mind. Today was her day off and, as she usually would on her days off, she had found herself in the woods. She decided a leisurely walk couldn't hurt, not with how much time she spent sitting at the station, and it was quite calming to be able to breathe in all the rich forest air and enjoy the sun peeking through the leaves of the trees. There really wasn't anything like it for her; there never had been.
However there was something that quickly caught her attention that wasn't quite what she was used to seeing there. Usually she was alone in the woods when she would come to relax. Not today it seemed. And for some reason it made her smile, likely from pleasant surprise.
Mr. Gold had known he should leave well enough alone. There weren't many who would come through these woods, many simply weren't brave enough anymore. But still he found himself having to go back to the place where he had buried that so very prized possession, needing to see for himself that the site hadn't been disturbed.
He had just finished convincing himself no one aside from the departed previous sheriff would have even known something had been recently buried in that area when he glanced over to spot a quite familiar face. To his relief it didn't seem she had been there long, and her curiosity seemed aimed more at him rather than the spot from which he had been standing beside. But in order to keep her from wondering about that, he decided to take a few steps towards where she had been standing herself.
"Guess I'm not the only one who decided it was a nice day for a walk," Ruby stated when she crossed the overgrown path to meet him halfway.
Good, he decided, she really didn't seem to have an idea why he was really there. And she was right, the weather was certainly favorable for a walk, so he chose to go with that. "It is a nice place to come and be with one's thoughts."
"I didn't mean to interrupt. I guess I just wanted to say hi." She had to admit she had gotten used to seeing him around more often. First checking up on her at the apartment, then showing up at the station to talk to Emma about what seemed to be a case, and then finally with Mary Margaret. But lately she hadn't seen him around quite as much. She dared admit she almost missed him. Odd, she decided, given according to most she was supposed to fear him. But still, she just couldn't seem to muster that emotion even in his presence.
"You didn't interrupt me, dear. In fact I was about to be on my way."
"You don't have to leave on my account. I'm pretty sure these woods are big enough for the both of us."
"I suppose I couldn't leave in good conscience now as it is," he admitted as he looked her over a bit less obviously than he had those weeks before. "Someone should see you make it back to your car safely when you're ready to leave. I suppose now that person would be me."
"Or I could be the one to make sure you get back to your car safely," she replied, glancing to his cane. Two could play that game, particularly when each had what one might deem a handicap.
"I have less trouble out here than one might think," he countered.
"I could say the same," Ruby smirked. "I've never even been lost out here. And as for my footing, if that's what you're concerned about, well," she added as she pointed to her somewhat newly donned footwear. "I came prepared."
Mr. Gold looked, smiling when he saw her red boots with the thick heel, one he guessed to be at least two if not three inches shorter than those stiletto heels she had typically worn before. "It would appear so," he agreed.
"Next up are high-tops when I quit being able to handle any kind of a heel. Even the thought of wearing sneakers right now is humiliating," she sighed.
"I'm sure your feet at least will be thankful, perhaps your back as well."
Ruby shrugged. "I'm just glad I'm still a ways from that. I can handle the change in clothes, even if people are staring at me more now than ever, but not so much the change in shoes. I feel like that'll be when I officially have to admit defeat."
"I doubt any could argue that it wouldn't be for the best. And I'm sure in some ways you'll be back to your old self in no time; at least back to your preferred footwear. But I'm afraid I've taken up a bit more of your time than I'd expected. I hope Miss Swan won't mind if I distracted you from the reason you're here." He could only imagine it could be for a case, perhaps David Nolan having lost his way once again.
"You don't have to worry about her today, it's my day off. And this is where I chose to spend some of it, like always. Like you said, it's nice when you want to think."
"I won't keep you from that then. Have a good day, Ruby," he told her as he began to limp towards the other side of the path.
"You don't have to leave on my account. I hadn't expected to see you, or anyone else, here. But I'm not complaining. It's kind of better than being alone actually," she admitted. And it was true, she hadn't imagined he would come out here what with his leg and all. But she had found this seemed to be another day now improving, oddly, because of him. Even if all they were doing was talking.
Mr. Gold couldn't help but agree. Being alone with his thoughts had proven to be a very dangerous thing at times. However now he was just glad to see that familiar smile of hers directed at him, particularly coupled with her implying she didn't wish for him to leave. Finally he replied, "Since it seems safe to presume you wish to continue this conversation, or begin another, and as it happens I have the day off as well, perhaps I could take you to lunch? You must be hungry." After all she clearly wasn't just eating for herself anymore, though he knew better than to put it quite that way.
"Now that you mention it, lunch actually sounds like a good idea right now," she admitted. It had to be close to one and a pair of eggs only so far when that was all she'd had for breakfast. She didn't even let herself think how strange it was Mr. Gold had invited her to lunch. Maybe they weren't officially friends, but he had certainly done a few relatively friendly things for her. He hadn't abused his power as her landlord, he hadn't tried to intimidate her, and he also hadn't really made anything worse for her. At least not that she knew of.
And even today he had been pretty pleasant company. Sure she had Emma, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel Emma was watching her and thinking back to herself ten years ago. Not judgment per se, but certainly a bit of pity. Mr. Gold didn't look at her that way. If anything he almost seemed impressed by her, or at least as impressed as he got. That helped her feel comfortable around him, even feel like he was someone she could continue to talk to; someone she could hope to call a friend. Before he could notice this thought process of hers, Ruby asked, "Where did you have in mind? Ordinarily I'd nominate the diner, but somehow I doubt either of us are all that welcome at the moment."
"I could think of a few more places, I'm sure. I suppose it's worth something to own many fine dining establishments in Storybrooke. Perhaps Tony's?"
"Are they even open for lunch?" She had only been there a time or two before, when a guy was really trying to impress his way into her skintight pants, but somehow she could never remember the Italian restaurant being open before sunset.
"They could be. I could ring Tony and be sure everything would be ready for us by the time we join him there."
The offer was tempting... Maybe a little too tempting. But Ruby decided against it. "No, we can't have Tony's going to the dogs just because we're hungry."
That time Mr. Gold chuckled. If she only knew. "Alright then, you think about it as you walk me back to my car."
Within those next few minutes, they had agreed on a cafŽ not too far from his shop. As Ruby followed him in her own car, she couldn't entirely stop smiling. For years she had hoped to get Mr. Gold's attention and now it seemed she was finally getting it. Of course now the question would be where to go next. Up until a few months ago she would have had a very familiar plan ready to go, but that didn't seem too possible this time around.
Who would want to have sex with her while she was pregnant? Hell, who would even want to date a pregnant woman? Well, save for potentially the father of the child in question, but this was hardly some fairy tale world where things like that happened. Either way, even if it didn't go the way part of her was hoping, she had to admit it was still nice. To see him so often now when before she had been lucky to see him when he came for the rent, to talk to him when before Granny had insisted on doing all the talking while she stood there just watching him, and finally to make him laugh when so many in Storybrooke had been left to wonder if he ever did or even could.
And now here she was about to have what one could argue to be a lunch date with him. Pulling into the parking space beside the one he had chosen, Ruby laughed softly to herself. If anyone asked later, she decided she could blame it on those handy dandy pregnancy hormones. In the meantime though, she decided she would just let herself continue to enjoy Mr. Gold's company for as long as she could.
Summary: Several weeks after going home with one of the guys from the bar on Valentine's Day, Ruby realizes she's pregnant. When Mr. Gold realizes this, he takes a particular interest in her.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x19
Pairing/Characters: Eventual Ruby/Gold, Granny, Dr. Whale, Emma, mentions Graham, Ashley, and Sean
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Inspired by at least a few prompts on the ouatkinkmeme, here goes.
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
~~
Chapter 4:
After a month, Granny still hadn't returned to talking to Ruby, and Ruby hadn't seen much of her either. She hadn't even come by her apartment or the station to check up on her. Not even to further insult her. To Ruby's knowledge Granny also hadn't inquired to Emma how she was doing. It saddened her, but she still refused to let it get to her much more than that again. She had made her choice and clearly Granny had also made hers. Ruby also knew she had bigger things to worry about, and even more important things to think about.
At least rent hadn't been an issue, which slightly amused her. In a weird way, at least. Mr. Gold had kept his word about the price he said he would charge her, and he wasn't at all surprised when she handed him every cent. Overall, he had proven he wasn't such a bad landlord to have. Everything was in great working order, he had placed her near quiet neighbors, and his fairly routine presence hadn't bothered her.
But when his dark eyes had trailed fairly noticeably over her form, and had focused specifically at her growing bump just beneath her loose off the shoulder top, she guessed once more she had her answer as to why he had given he such a steep discount. Maybe it really was because she was pregnant. Which, okay, if she were honest kind of made her a little thankful. He really could have taken advantage of her situation and used it for his own gain, yet it still seemed he was thinking of anything but.
In fact, in the moment when his gaze had fallen on her middle, she could have sworn she almost saw the glint in his eyes that so many of the men who had watched her in the diner would get when she bent over just right or stood close enough to give them a whiff of her perfume. She shook it off once he had left though. "Couldn't be," she thought with a shake of her head. Mr. Gold had never seemed interested in her much before. Why would he start now? It didn't make sense.
Beyond that, Ruby knew she could say her current work situation was still going quite nicely as well. True it was pretty boring most of the time, but she would happily take boring over absolute constant ringing of the phones, drunken ramblings from Sidney or Leroy in the cells, or the more heated arguments between Emma and Regina in Emma's office.
All in all she still decided things were still working out in her favor, even if certain people weren't talking to her. She had a more than decent roof, she had a good job which was affording her to keep not only said roof but also keep her other bills paid and even afforded her decent food to eat, and she had her health.
Even the occasional stares she got from most of the other Storybrooke residents when she was out and about hadn't been so bad. Every so often she even found herself wondering if they were staring more in response to her newer fashion choices and how her newer clothes were covering more of her skin than they were used to seeing as opposed to her now more than slightly noticeable bump.
She didn't mind either way, really. She was more than used to being stared at and despite Granny's best efforts for that initial month and a half after Ruby had given her the news, she wasn't really ashamed anymore. Yes, she was pregnant. No, it hadn't been planned. But so what? Maybe being pregnant hadn't entirely been a picnic so far, but she knew it definitely could've been worse.
She did miss Granny, but at the same time she had found she certainly hadn't missed the old woman's insults or their louder fights which had started long before any of this; first about her definition of cleaning, then her make-up, then her clothes, then how she had taken to spending her nights anywhere but at the inn. Ruby almost laughed at the irony. Granny had always wanted her to be mature and independent and here she was quickly becoming both, much to Granny's apparent disappointment.
Of course these had more or less become her most common things to think about when she was able to take a while to clear her mind. Today was her day off and, as she usually would on her days off, she had found herself in the woods. She decided a leisurely walk couldn't hurt, not with how much time she spent sitting at the station, and it was quite calming to be able to breathe in all the rich forest air and enjoy the sun peeking through the leaves of the trees. There really wasn't anything like it for her; there never had been.
However there was something that quickly caught her attention that wasn't quite what she was used to seeing there. Usually she was alone in the woods when she would come to relax. Not today it seemed. And for some reason it made her smile, likely from pleasant surprise.
Mr. Gold had known he should leave well enough alone. There weren't many who would come through these woods, many simply weren't brave enough anymore. But still he found himself having to go back to the place where he had buried that so very prized possession, needing to see for himself that the site hadn't been disturbed.
He had just finished convincing himself no one aside from the departed previous sheriff would have even known something had been recently buried in that area when he glanced over to spot a quite familiar face. To his relief it didn't seem she had been there long, and her curiosity seemed aimed more at him rather than the spot from which he had been standing beside. But in order to keep her from wondering about that, he decided to take a few steps towards where she had been standing herself.
"Guess I'm not the only one who decided it was a nice day for a walk," Ruby stated when she crossed the overgrown path to meet him halfway.
Good, he decided, she really didn't seem to have an idea why he was really there. And she was right, the weather was certainly favorable for a walk, so he chose to go with that. "It is a nice place to come and be with one's thoughts."
"I didn't mean to interrupt. I guess I just wanted to say hi." She had to admit she had gotten used to seeing him around more often. First checking up on her at the apartment, then showing up at the station to talk to Emma about what seemed to be a case, and then finally with Mary Margaret. But lately she hadn't seen him around quite as much. She dared admit she almost missed him. Odd, she decided, given according to most she was supposed to fear him. But still, she just couldn't seem to muster that emotion even in his presence.
"You didn't interrupt me, dear. In fact I was about to be on my way."
"You don't have to leave on my account. I'm pretty sure these woods are big enough for the both of us."
"I suppose I couldn't leave in good conscience now as it is," he admitted as he looked her over a bit less obviously than he had those weeks before. "Someone should see you make it back to your car safely when you're ready to leave. I suppose now that person would be me."
"Or I could be the one to make sure you get back to your car safely," she replied, glancing to his cane. Two could play that game, particularly when each had what one might deem a handicap.
"I have less trouble out here than one might think," he countered.
"I could say the same," Ruby smirked. "I've never even been lost out here. And as for my footing, if that's what you're concerned about, well," she added as she pointed to her somewhat newly donned footwear. "I came prepared."
Mr. Gold looked, smiling when he saw her red boots with the thick heel, one he guessed to be at least two if not three inches shorter than those stiletto heels she had typically worn before. "It would appear so," he agreed.
"Next up are high-tops when I quit being able to handle any kind of a heel. Even the thought of wearing sneakers right now is humiliating," she sighed.
"I'm sure your feet at least will be thankful, perhaps your back as well."
Ruby shrugged. "I'm just glad I'm still a ways from that. I can handle the change in clothes, even if people are staring at me more now than ever, but not so much the change in shoes. I feel like that'll be when I officially have to admit defeat."
"I doubt any could argue that it wouldn't be for the best. And I'm sure in some ways you'll be back to your old self in no time; at least back to your preferred footwear. But I'm afraid I've taken up a bit more of your time than I'd expected. I hope Miss Swan won't mind if I distracted you from the reason you're here." He could only imagine it could be for a case, perhaps David Nolan having lost his way once again.
"You don't have to worry about her today, it's my day off. And this is where I chose to spend some of it, like always. Like you said, it's nice when you want to think."
"I won't keep you from that then. Have a good day, Ruby," he told her as he began to limp towards the other side of the path.
"You don't have to leave on my account. I hadn't expected to see you, or anyone else, here. But I'm not complaining. It's kind of better than being alone actually," she admitted. And it was true, she hadn't imagined he would come out here what with his leg and all. But she had found this seemed to be another day now improving, oddly, because of him. Even if all they were doing was talking.
Mr. Gold couldn't help but agree. Being alone with his thoughts had proven to be a very dangerous thing at times. However now he was just glad to see that familiar smile of hers directed at him, particularly coupled with her implying she didn't wish for him to leave. Finally he replied, "Since it seems safe to presume you wish to continue this conversation, or begin another, and as it happens I have the day off as well, perhaps I could take you to lunch? You must be hungry." After all she clearly wasn't just eating for herself anymore, though he knew better than to put it quite that way.
"Now that you mention it, lunch actually sounds like a good idea right now," she admitted. It had to be close to one and a pair of eggs only so far when that was all she'd had for breakfast. She didn't even let herself think how strange it was Mr. Gold had invited her to lunch. Maybe they weren't officially friends, but he had certainly done a few relatively friendly things for her. He hadn't abused his power as her landlord, he hadn't tried to intimidate her, and he also hadn't really made anything worse for her. At least not that she knew of.
And even today he had been pretty pleasant company. Sure she had Emma, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel Emma was watching her and thinking back to herself ten years ago. Not judgment per se, but certainly a bit of pity. Mr. Gold didn't look at her that way. If anything he almost seemed impressed by her, or at least as impressed as he got. That helped her feel comfortable around him, even feel like he was someone she could continue to talk to; someone she could hope to call a friend. Before he could notice this thought process of hers, Ruby asked, "Where did you have in mind? Ordinarily I'd nominate the diner, but somehow I doubt either of us are all that welcome at the moment."
"I could think of a few more places, I'm sure. I suppose it's worth something to own many fine dining establishments in Storybrooke. Perhaps Tony's?"
"Are they even open for lunch?" She had only been there a time or two before, when a guy was really trying to impress his way into her skintight pants, but somehow she could never remember the Italian restaurant being open before sunset.
"They could be. I could ring Tony and be sure everything would be ready for us by the time we join him there."
The offer was tempting... Maybe a little too tempting. But Ruby decided against it. "No, we can't have Tony's going to the dogs just because we're hungry."
That time Mr. Gold chuckled. If she only knew. "Alright then, you think about it as you walk me back to my car."
Within those next few minutes, they had agreed on a cafŽ not too far from his shop. As Ruby followed him in her own car, she couldn't entirely stop smiling. For years she had hoped to get Mr. Gold's attention and now it seemed she was finally getting it. Of course now the question would be where to go next. Up until a few months ago she would have had a very familiar plan ready to go, but that didn't seem too possible this time around.
Who would want to have sex with her while she was pregnant? Hell, who would even want to date a pregnant woman? Well, save for potentially the father of the child in question, but this was hardly some fairy tale world where things like that happened. Either way, even if it didn't go the way part of her was hoping, she had to admit it was still nice. To see him so often now when before she had been lucky to see him when he came for the rent, to talk to him when before Granny had insisted on doing all the talking while she stood there just watching him, and finally to make him laugh when so many in Storybrooke had been left to wonder if he ever did or even could.
And now here she was about to have what one could argue to be a lunch date with him. Pulling into the parking space beside the one he had chosen, Ruby laughed softly to herself. If anyone asked later, she decided she could blame it on those handy dandy pregnancy hormones. In the meantime though, she decided she would just let herself continue to enjoy Mr. Gold's company for as long as she could.