The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

Ruby shook her head in agreement. "Okay. Do you want me to help in anyway? Like a sting operation?"

"I last heard from him that Crane had gone to the Pudding n' Pie to talk to the girls there.  Bigby and Snow went there after him.  I'm thinking of going there to give them back-up.  Would you like to come?" Caleb asked.

Ruby took his hands. "With you. I'll go anywhere." Then she realized what she said and began blushing again. "I'm sorry. But yes I'll go with you." She giggled.

"Alright, then.  Come with me." Caleb told her.  Privately, he wondered about her.  She hadn't seemed afraid of him when she met him.  And she'd awakened a longing for companionship that he didn't know he had.  He pondered this as he drove them to the Pudding n' Pie.

As they drove Ruby noticed Caleb was in a deep thought mode. She took his free hand. "Caleb? You okay?"

"Hmm?  Yes, of course.  Just thinking." Caleb said as he drove.  They were coming up on their destination, when he noticed two cars parked to block an alley exit.  He saw male twins, the Tweedles, and a dangerous-looking woman got out with guns in hand.
"That doesn't look good." he muttered.

Ruby's eyes widen when she saw the guns. 'Oh please don't let them shoot Caleb... Wait! Why...' She mentally gasped. 'Am I in love with Caleb aka Smaug? The mighty dragon?' She felt her heart and it was beating out of control. 'I guess I am.' She smiled. "Caleb I want to tell you something..." Before she said anything Bigby came out of nowhere and got Caleb. She frowned but she thought she'd buy time. Putting on her hood she began walking towards the twin brothers.

"What the heck is the dragon doing here?" Bigby asked.  Caleb wrestled himself free and was soon worried for the Sheriff when he saw him.
"Bigby, Dee and Dum shot you.  And your eyes are turning red." Caleb didn't have a chance to say more.  At that moment, the wolf in Bigby came out.  He started attacking the Tweedles like there was no tomorrow, slamming them into the walls or throwing them at the cars.  The woman who came with them have a scary look in her eyes.
"What is going on here?" Caleb demanded as he pulled Ruby close.  In case his guess about the woman was right, he wanted her to be safe.

Ruby was surprised when Caleb was holding her close to him. "Caleb... I must tell you..." Then she began to hear a voice in her mind. 'Ruby? Come here...' Ruby was like in a trance as she let herself go of Caleb's hold and to the woman.

Caleb held on to Ruby.  He didn't think the woman had hypnotic powers, but he still didn't like her.
"Tweedle Dum, what's that thing that the mundies call me?  My nickname, you know?" the woman asked. "Bloody Mary, that's right.  They think it's funny when they say my name five times in the bathroom mirror at sleepovers, until I actually show up.  And that, I do for a hobby." she said.  Suddenly, she shot Bigby in the back.
"Well, thieves...you're playing a dangerous game." Caleb said, slipping into his old self.  At that moment, his voice was deeper and his eyes were turning a fiery orange.

Ruby groaned in pain as she grasped her heart as she came to her scents and gasped when she saw Caleb transforming "Caleb...please..." She took her other hand in his. "Ahh...my heart..." She knelt down. She looked at Mary. "Please stop..." she whimpered.

"Enough!" Caleb ordered.  The more enraged he became, the more the glamour started to wear off.  But he didn't want to risk anything happening to Ruby.
"Stop!  Just...take him.  Take Crane." Snow tried to negotiate with Mary.  Despite Bigby's protests, the woman considered it.  Someone in the car signaled to her.
"Looks like it's your lucky day, kids.  The Crooked Man says it's alright with him.  And just between us, Crane's no killer.  I mean, look at him.  He couldn't stick a pig if his life depended on it." she said as Crane was led to the car by the twins.  Bloody Mary joined them soon, but not before breaking Bigby's arm and giving a salute to Caleb.
"See you round." she said before the car drove off.
"You will burn!" Caleb shouted after them.

Ruby whimpered as her heart began to beat normally but she weakly got to her feet and walked to Caleb. "Caleb?" She hugged him from behind. "You okay?" She whispered.

"I'm fine, Ruby.  But I'm not the one who's hurting right now." Caleb replied, slowly returning to normal.  Snow was kneeling beside the wolf-like Bigby.  The Sheriff was sporting a compound fracture on his left arm.  It made him sick to look at it.

Ruby looked at Bigby and surprisingly she felt pity for the wolf. She weakly walked and knelt down placing her hand on his forehead. "Hey Wolfy. Remember me?" She weakly chuckled.

"Red?  I thought...you didn't make it here." Bigby murmured, sorrowfully.  Caleb stood over them.
"It looks like you and I both found someone special in someone outside our stories, huh Bigby?  I've seen how you look at Snow.  And Ruby might be that for me too." Caleb said to him.  He looked over at Snow.
"Get him to Dr. Swineheart.  He needs to reset that arm." he told the secretary.

Ruby gasped as she heard Caleb say that. She got to her feet and faced him. "Caleb?" She began to blush. "You might love me cause I've been wanting to say it to you but I know it's not in our tales cause I'm the weak little who didn't listen to her mom..." When she locked her eyes with his again her eyes sparkled with delight and love for him. "Caleb Black I Ruby Red love you regardless of our storybook endings are..."

Caleb smiled as she said this.  He brought her to her feet and brought her close.  He wanted to tell her something else important.
"I'm glad to hear that, Ruby.  I feel the same way about you too." he said as he stroked her cheek.

Ruby softly moaned with his touch. "Caleb... Your touch... Feels so good..." Then without warning she kissed him passionately as she held herself close to him.

The kiss was something he had never imagined.  He felt his heart beating a little faster.  His arms came up around her and he held her as close as he dared.

"Mmm....Caleb..." Ruby softly moaned. "Truly magical..." She began running her hands up his chest.

"Ruby, can we do this somewhere else?  I would rather not do this out in front of the Pudding n' Pie." Caleb inquired.  He just wanted to show he cared in a more appropriate place.

"Oh...yea sure..." Ruby blushed as she took his hand to his car. "Lead the way my dragon...." She giggled as she held his hand when he drove.

Caleb decided to drive her to his place in the Woodlands district.  His home was a fairly good sized house.  It was large enough domicile for his liking.
"This is my house.  Helps to be a real estate agent." he joked when he let them in.

"Golly! It's huge." Ruby's eyes widen as they walked in. "It's beautiful." Then she gasped at a painting of an elf archer. "An old friend?" She asked. "I would like to get to know more about you Caleb."