Do teh 5 things for your AU with Stan and Ruby if they'd met after she was robbing things as a single mom
Oooooh this is a good one! (Here is where I mention this AU btw)
At first, Ruby thinks Stan is just a nice cop who helped her with her groceries one day. It’s not until she runs into him at the bank, and the post office, and the coffee shop that she suspects he’s following her (which she automatically assumes is due to her crime habits). Turns out he genuinely isn’t stalking her, they just have a lot in common–more than she realizes. He reminds her that they went to high school together, and lets it slip that he had a crush on her back then but had always been too intimidated to ask her out. Of course, he’s a lot more confident now–and even though Ruby knows she should say no, she agrees to meet for coffee on Friday.
At first when Ruby tells Beth and Annie she’s kinda sorta dating a cop, they freak OUT on her for being so reckless. But one day Stan shows up with Taco Bell for everyone (not just his lady), and waits until Ruby goes to the bathroom to ask the girls how he can make sure he doesn’t screw this up because she’s the best woman he knows. So…they come around right quick (although Annie does threaten his life if he hurts Ruby and it does send Beth into a tiny crisis about her comparatively terrible marriage to Dean)
When Beth mentions the news to Dean, he scoffs and says that Ruby shouldn’t make things more complicated for her kids by dating someone who isn’t their father. “Kids need both parents, Bethy. She and [insert guy’s name here] should’ve tried harder to make it work. Like, what are they gonna even call this new guy?” (In contrast, Rio’s reaction is a smirk and “It had to be a cop, huh? You all know how to keep it interesting.”)
One night Beth calls her for a job and she can’t leave the kids alone…so she does the only thing she can and calls Stan to come watch them. Ruby is convinced that Sarah and Harry will have a hard time accepting Stan after what happened with their bio dad, but they take to him right away–he braids Sarah’s hair, has rap battles with Harry, and most importantly, tells them that they should listen to their mom because she knows what’s up (cue Ruby’s inner guilt spiral).
Somewhere down the line Ruby has a breakdown and tells Stan that he doesn’t understand why she can’t do this; she’s not the good person he thinks she is. As if it’s straight out of a rom com, Stan cups her face between his hands, looks her straight in the eye, and tells her that she’s the best person he knows. They share their first kiss, which Ruby promptly ruins by telling him everything about the crime…