Ch.3: Child of the Moon

        It had been a few weeks since Snow and Charming had been sucked into the hat's portal. Regina had put it inside her vault for safe keeping. Together, Regina and Katherine had been keeping the town together, while they tried to figure out a way to see about getting them back. They hadn't had much luck. However, the dwarfs had been able to find diamonds in the tunnels, which meant that the Blue fairy could refine them into fairy dust. So, that was a work in progress. 

        Kat walked into the back of the kitchen, wondering why Ruby had just turned down a date with a former mouse, Gus, only to see the freezer being remodeled. 

        "What's going on?" 

        "Tonight's the first full moon since the curse broke. It's the first night of wolfstime," Ruby explained to her. 

        "What about your cloak? I thought that could control you," Kat replied, having recently learned that she was a werewolf on a full moon, but somewhat different from the ones she and Klaus knew in their world. 

        "Yeah, but it's missing, and thanks to the curse, I haven't turned in twenty-eight years. I might be rusty. I can't let what happened last time...what happened to Peter...happen to anyone else. I've looked everywhere for my cloak. I even went to Gold. It's not in town. I don't think it came over with the curse. And I can't afford to take any chances."

        "You should've asked for my help," Kat replied. "I know we're strangers, but I'm no stranger to wolves. Where I'm from, wolves exist there, too. Forget about turning the freezer into a cage. Use the station's jail. And Klaus can help, too. He's half wolf. But because he's also half vampire, he doesn't have to turn if he doesn't want to."

        "What if I get out?" Ruby questioned. 

        "Klaus will be able to track you down. Make sure you and everyone else in this town are safe. He knows the burden every full moon, because he went through it before he became a hybrid. You can trust him to help you. Plus, he's a sort of alpha. I imagine he'll be able to stop you if you try to hurt anyone," she explained to her. 

        Klaus, having been listening, came to stand just inside. 

        "Katerina's right. I know it all too well," he agreed. 

        "Come on. I'll lock you in one of the jail cells. Klaus will be there, if you need anything," she assured her.

        Ruby decided to trust her, so she went with her and Klaus to the police station. 

        Once at the police station, Kat grabbed a set of keys.

        "We'll set up a precaution of sorts. I saw before that there's a set of chains in the back office we can use. Klaus can tie them to the bars and then put the cuffs on you. Just in case you try to escape. In our world, wolves that don't live in a placed called the bayou in New Orleans, usually will chain themselves up, just in case, and it usually works every time. A wolf can't get loose from chains. Not unless they're a hybrid, or they have help," she explained to her. 

        Then Klaus did as he was asked, since Kat didn't trust that her human self would be able to secure the chains enough for a werewolf. Then she locked her in the cell, once the chain cuffs were on her wrists. 

        "I'll see you when wolfstime is done with. I'll keep an eye on the town the best I can. Klaus will make sure you can't get out," she told her. Then informed Klaus, "If you need me, I'll be at the diner." She then left. She would've been the one to help Ruby, but even if she'd been a vampire, there wouldn't be much she could do. She didn't even know if a fairytale wolf bite was deadly to a vampire like she used to be. She just hoped this would work.

        The next day, she came in to check, and was relieved to see her still chained up and asleep. 

        "Your plan worked, luv," Klaus informed her. 

        "Good," she replied. Then approached the cell she was in. "Ruby," she called, as she opened the door. "Wake up, Ruby." 

        Ruby awoke, getting to her feet. 

        "It worked," Ruby realized. 

        Kat used a key to unlock the cuffs, which then fell to the floor.

        "Now, how about you get something to eat. Then we'll see if we can find that cloak of yours. A wolf like you shouldn't have to be locked up for control."

        "Thanks," Ruby replied. 

        Kat watched Ruby leave. 

        The next night though, when they went to go do the same thing for her, since the cloak was still missing, the chains were missing. And so, during her wolfstime, Ruby broke free, running into the woods as a wolf. Kat stayed in town, as Klaus kept tabs on her, making sure she didn't hurt anyone. 

        The next day, Kat got a call, which led them to a tow truck. The one that had been owned by Gus, the former mouse. Then they saw the aftermath. 

        "This is what I was afraid of. It was the wolf. It was me." 

        "I don't believe that. Maybe there's another wolf we don't know about. Maybe something else happened. We'll find out."

        "I'm going to turn again tonight, and somebody else could get hurt, so how can you know that? You can't," Ruby replied, devastated over Billy's death, but also afraid that she'd done this. That she'd killed someone else she cared about. 

        "Because I may not know you well, but I know you enough to know that you have enough control not to hurt someone. Besides, Klaus was watching you. He didn't see you anywhere near town, once you ran into the woods, and he's the best tracker next to you," Kat assured her. "Go home with Granny. We'll find out the truth," Kat assured her. 

        Kat watched Granny escort Ruby away, taking her home. 

        "What do you think? Someone trying to frame her, or do we have a second wolf here that we don't know about?" Kat asked of Klaus, as she looked at the half of him that was on the ground. 

        "It couldn't be a wolf. I've never seen one leave parts of a human inside a tow truck before. And I think if there was another wolf, I'd have smelled it by now. It has to be a human," he replied. 

        "So, someone's trying to frame her. The question is, who? It would be easier if Charming or Snow were here. They'd know more history of some of these people," she replied. "Let's see if we can't figure this out before she turns again," she added. 

        That night, they used Granny to help figure it out, which was when they found a car, which had a trunk with her cloak. 

        "Who would want to hurt my Ruby?" Granny inquired, when they'd found it. 

        "Let's find out," Kat stated. 

        Klaus used his super strength to force the locked door open. Then Kat went looking in the car, only to find some ID, telling them who owned it. 

        "Looks like Spencer," Kat answered Granny. 

        "King George?" 

        Kat hadn't known that that's who Spencer had been in their world, but now was wondering why a King would come after a she-wolf. She could only assume he just hated wolves. Or that he wanted the town to rip each other apart. Neither sounded good.

        "Seems like it," Kat replied to her. "We have to keep her safe from the town, and we need to find the King. Klaus, you're better at this then human me. Find King George, and do whatever you see fit to him. Granny and I will find Ruby." As she was still speaking, a howl from Ruby in the distance was heard, signaling that she was in town while phased.  

        Klaus blurred off, not needing to be told twice. Hybrid or not, he'd never been a fan of humans coming after wolves, no matter the reason. He was partially a wolf, after all. Technically, wolves were his species. 

        "What did you mean exactly by that?" she inquired of her, but guessing what she'd meant. 

        "Look, Ruby being a wolf, Klaus will do whatever it takes to stop him from coming after her. And I mean anything. It's what he does. It's how he protects his kind. I know you guys aren't fans of killing, but sometimes, in our world, it's a must to survive. Or a must to protect those we care about," she explained. "Now, let's find Ruby before the town kills her," she added.

        Granny followed Katherine, as they followed the howling of Ruby.

        Kat went around the crowd of people, going to stand in front of them all, just past the fence of an open alley, which was where Ruby was hiding inside a building made of wood. 

        "Stop!" she yelled at them all. "We found proof that Ruby didn't kill Billy. King George did. He stole her cloak, and he locked it in his car. I can't tell you why, but Klaus is looking for him now, and he'll deal with him. Please. Everyone, just go home. She's not going to hurt anyone. I know you're afraid of what she might do, since she is a wolf, but she was framed by the King. You need to believe me, and you need to trust me with this," she informed them all.

        Granny whom was at the front of the crowd now, was holding the cloak, and Kat took it from her. She was new at this cloak thing, but got the gist of what to do. And she normally knew wolves pretty well. Well enough what to say. 

        She turned around and approached until she was in the middle of the alley, a distance away from where Ruby was hiding. Then she knelt at her level. 

        "It wasn't you, Ruby. You didn't kill Billy," she assured her. "It was Spencer. King George. It's okay, Ruby. Come on out, and Granny will take you home." 

        The black she-wolf gave a growl as she spoke, but then, after a few moments, padded out, towards her, and Kat was able to put the cloak over her. 

        Kat got to her feet, and then Ruby did, looking at her. 

        "You saved me. Thank you." 

        "You're welcome. Now, let's have Granny take you home." 

        Kat gave a smile. 

        When Klaus found him, King George was by a small fire, as if waiting for someone. Then he heard footsteps, before Katerina came into view from behind him. 

        "Good. I haven't missed the fun yet," she stated. "That was a bad move, framing a wolf, when you've got at least half of a wolf in town. One not afraid to rip you to shreds. What was your plan anyway?" she added to the King. 

        "I just wanted to see the look on all your faces when you realize something. Those so-called heroes aren't coming back, as much as you hope. And I wanted to maybe have a little fun. Charming should've killed me when he had a chance," he informed her, dropping something into the bonfire. It took her a moment, before she realized that that was the diamonds. The ones that they were going to use to help bring them back home. She realized that he'd stolen them from the fairies, and assumed probably from the tunnels as well. She realized that he'd do anything to keep them wherever they were. 

        "I don't know what Charming ever did to you, but Regina and I will find a way. However, you're not going to live long enough to see that happen," Kat replied. Unlike selective other people, she knew how to not show her devastation that, at least for now, they weren't coming home. She couldn't imagine telling this, or even Regina having to tell this, to Henry. They'd failed for now. After all, she had hope that someday, even if it wasn't soon, they'd find a way to get them back home. 

        At Katerina's last words, Klaus grabbed him by his throat in a blur, him against a tree, letting his anger show. 

        "Nobody frames a wolf for killing an innocent human, and then gets away with it," he growled. "You should know better as a king," he added. Then let his hybrid face show. 

        Kat silently watched the King be fed on. Then pretty much torn apart, before she put out the fire. There were no diamonds to salvage. They were nothing but black dirt left by now. She then headed to the diner with Klaus. She was pretty satisfied at the outcome, even if she couldn't be the one to kill him. She knew Klaus was more justified in doing so, since Ruby was part of his species. Kat wasn't.