The Monster Within

Chapter 52

"So what kind of dress are you thinking?" Ruby asks as she, Regina, Mary Margret, Elsa, and Anna sit around the master bedroom, helping their friend pick out something for her date. Henry was downstairs watching his sister while his mother tries to pick out something for the upcoming anniversary to her Irish boyfriend. Ruby sits on the bed, clinging to Killian's pillow, likely because it smelled like him; it didn't matter if Killian was the father of a child and in a committed relationship with another woman, Ruby would always have the hots for him. Anna sits in Emma's desk chair, her chin over her hands in boredom, Elsa is on the floor next to the bed, texting, Regina leans against the back wall and Mary Margret sits in another chair next to Sophie's bassinette, trying to provide moral support. "Something that shows off the boobs I hope."

Everyone rolls their eyes, no matter what happened in their lives; even if someone had a baby, or if another person was in love, Ruby could still be extremely dirty.

"Why must I show off my boobs, they hurt enough as it is and they're big enough with me breastfeeding," Emma says, looking through the array of dresses she has; most were from her work as a bail-bonds person, meant to entice men into trust her. But this wasn't a girl's night out, she had a boyfriend, an amazing one at that, but she can't find what kind of dress to wear.

"I'm jealous," Ruby says. "I still have to stuff my bra to get them as big as yours."

"Perks of having a hungry infant sucking on them every half-hour," Emma mutters to herself as she tosses another few dresses onto the bed next to Ruby.

"What about this one, accentuates the ass and if you bend over..."

"Why do you insist on doing that?" Regina asks, rolling her eyes. "Why can't you be mature for one minute? For God's sake, Henry's downstairs and he might hear you."

"If he has, he's on the way out the door," Anna states.

"Why does it matter if you highlight your breasts or your butt?" Elsa asks, "Why can't we just be happy with our body types?"

"Don't pull that feminist line with me," Ruby scoffs. "I've seen you on dates with Jack, real subtle with the slit in the dress going halfway up your thigh."

"Don't we have enough problems as it is for women?" Regina mutters, taking a pillow and whacking the waitress in the back of the head to tell her to stop picking on Elsa.

"Can we not have this conversation right now?" Emma begs. "That can be saved for the picketing lines and bra burnings."

"What about the one I lent you a year ago?" Regina suggests.

"The black one with all the beadwork?" the blonde asks.

"Yeah, hopefully, it didn't get buried when you moved."

Emma starts digging through her closet trying to find it. She was still having a lot of anxieties about doing this, the letter's threats still lingering, despite how long it had been. She couldn't shake the feeling that Arthur King would act on his impulses; he'd tied her hands about telling someone by threatening the lives of her family. This secret was eating her alive, consuming her every thought, and she couldn't stand that there was this big truth that only she knew. She tries to shake the sadness from her face as she searches the closet.

"Let me ask you a question," Ruby says, obviously being unable to keep her mouth shut for very long. She gets up from the bed and goes to Sophie's bassinette, she twirls one of the crystal unicorns with her fingers. "Why did you insist on me doing all that stencil work and painting in the nursery to have your baby sleep in here?"

Emma shrinks into herself a little bit of embarrassment and her cheeks flush red. Elsa glares at the dyed-haired friend of the group and Anna balls up a piece of paper and tosses it at her as well.