Shaya

Chapter 18 - The lost one

" So, just one coffee?"

" Yes, thanks."
Ruby smiled to the good looking man sitting at the table and turned to go back to the counter. Three good looking men, in truth. They were somehow familiar, but she couldn't tell where did she see them before. The one who wanted the coffee was taller then the others, and his green, deep eyes were hypnotizing. The second place in the ranking was for the one at his left, a sort of football player with a weird tattoo of a funny pig on his neck, but his eyes, too... they were so black that she froze when she first looked at him. And his leery smile...
The third was red haired, with the long beard a little lighter, almost blonde, and light blue eyes that seemed to follow her every single move. He was so silent that he was creepy. He just smiled at her with his eyes, but his mouth stayed immobile. She felt his gaze on her even in that moment.
" Who are they?" she asked Granny as she walked behind her. The woman gave them a brief look, then shrugged.
" I don't know them. But they're dangerous."
Red watched her with an arched eyebrow. " How can you say it? You just said that you don't know them!"
Granny sighed. " Haven't you seen their eyes, child? Bring them the coffee and then stay away, trust me."
Red sighed but nodded. She was taking the cup when Regina entered in the diner. She smiled to the brunette.
" Hello, Reg..."
" I need your help." she harshly interrupted her. She was still on the door, and she was keeping it open. " Now." she added imperiously.
Red narrowed her eyes. " I'm working." she almost growled. That tone irritated her.
" She asked for your help, although she doesn't really know how to do it without making it seem an order." Granny intervened, eyes on Regina. The former Queen tightened her lips, but finally nodded once.
" Indeed."
Granny smiled. " Go, Ruby. There's little to do here."
Red watched the grateful Regina put her now impatient gaze on her. Red jumped over the counter and joined her
" What's up?" she asked her while they exited the diner. Regina didn't hide the worrying.
" It's about Rapunzel. Have you seen her today?"
" No, why?"
" You have to find her, then." Regina handed her an old white blouse. Couldn't be none else's but Rapunzel's. " I washed it, but maybe..."
Red took it, but watched Regina in disbelief. " Wait, is she missing?" Regina just nodded. She was so worried that Red could almost smell it. However... " What have you done to her?"
Regina gave a start. " What? Nothing! I'm trying to find her! She could be in danger!"
" If she run away, you must have..."
" What if she didn't run away, Miss Lucas?" Regina's eyes glittered with anger. " What if someone wounded her and she's hiding somewhere waiting for help? "
Ruby was astonished: were her eyes really wet? " W-well..."
" No, Miss Lucas, no "well": sniff this damned shirt and bring me to her, or I swear you'll personally know why they call me the Evil Queen."
Red swallowed, eyes wide opened. She'd never admit it, but she was in awe. Regina was fucking intimidating, and, even if she was very shorter than her, she seemed to loom on her. She brung the shirt to her nose, closed her eyes and inspired the scent of the warrior, mixed to the laundry soap. She smelled of leather, trees and rain, and a vague hint of iron. She remembered that smell. Red suddenly opened her eyes, and she knew that they weren't green anymore. She perceived the slight trace of the warrior right there where they were. She began walking, following the faint smell.
Regina ran behind her. " Hey, where are you going?"
" Dunno, but she was here." Red suddenly stopped. The trace had disappeared. She sniffed deeply the air, rotating the head. For a very brief moment she felt it again. She had to look for it for a while, but eventually she found it. Ruby crossed the road without even looking where she was walking, ignoring the furious horns.
" Ruby!" Regina cried out, but then she followed her. " Are you crazy? You could be dead!"
" Mh." The cars had taken away the trace. She had crossed the road, but neither on the other sidewalk there was Rapunzel's scent. She growled, frustrated. " I lost her!"
" What? You can't loose a trace! You're a wolf!"
Ruby turned to face her, furious. She gritted her teeth, aware that they were almost fangs. " I'm not a wolf, and even if I was, do you know that not even wolves can follow every very trace?" she waved her hands, pointing at the whole Storybrooke in her mind. " Not on the middle of a town, at least. "
Regina suddenly opened wide her eyes. Her gaze was distant. " What?" Red asked after a while. The brunette blinked repeatedly and looked back at her.
" The forest."
Ruby arched an eyebrow and stretched a hand towards the east.
" There."
" I know! I mean, she could be there. You could find her there, isn't it?"
Ruby nodded. " Yes."
Regina turned. " Let's go."
Ruby waited until she was in the middle of the street. She never noticed but Regina's ass was... She shook her head. What was her problem?! Was it possible that she could only think about one thing that day? She had found attractive half Storybrooke from when she had woken up, and she actually met half Storybrooke that morning. She was afraid to meet Snow now. She didn't want to think of her in that way. Dammit! She was her best friend! The only ones she didn't found attractive were Granny and the red haired of the trio.
" Miss Lucas!"
Ruby awoke. She was standing in the middle of the road. What the hell was happening to her? She shook her head, apologized with the furious driver beside her and reached the former Queen, hoping to not pitch into her while she was driving that fucking tiny car.