The Sheriff and The Shapeshifter
Warning: F/M implied relationship.
Chapter 1: The Break-Up
Emma loved days like these. She had just returned to the station in Downtown Boston after a major drugs bust locking three dangerous dealers behind bars. She entered the locker room and stripped out of her heavy duty protective clothing and changed her grubby white tank top. The opening door caught her attention, and the voice of her partner echoed around the room,
"Hey, Swan, I just wanted to say well done for today. You did good, girl!"
Emma rolled her eyes. She did not like getting praise. She knew that she did her job and she did it well but having the attention on her was just not her thing,
"Thanks, Anton. You did great too."
"All part of the job, eh? Anyway, the guys were wondering if you're up for a few drinks to celebrate?"
The blonde appreciated the gesture of being invited, and although she would have loved to go and celebrate with the guys, she had other things already planned,
"Thanks but I'm kinda busy this evening. Perhaps next time?"
Anton's smiled faltered slightly as disappointment overtook his features, but he understood and nodded,
"That's too bad. You're the main reason we got all three of 'em, Swan. I hope you have a nice evening."
"Thanks, you too. Have one for me, yeah?"
Anton nodded before leaving with the group that were hanging around. Emma watched them disappear around the corner to the local bar. She sighed, gathered her belongings, made her way to her trusty beaten up VW beetle, and drove home.
On arrival at her apartment, she called out to see if her girlfriend was home. When she got no response, she smiled and carried out her plan of cooking a romantic meal ready for when she got in. Whilst slaving over the stove Emma thought back to when she met Lilly. She laughed every time she remembered their initial meeting,
"Hi, what can I get for ya?"
A young brunette literally jumped into Emma's life almost causing the blonde to retreat and run for the hills. She had never come across a woman so beautiful and graceful but so energetic all at the same time, and she really did not know what to make of it,
"I'll just have the pancakes with bacon and a hot chocolate, cream and cinnamon, thanks." The brunette raised a suspicious brow at the blonde's request for cinnamon. Emma looked back at her with a wounded but curious gaze, "What? Did I say something wrong? Oh God, I've got something on my face, haven't I? Have I smudged my make up?"
Emma rambled on without so much as taking a breath. The brunette chuckled softly and Emma was sure she had died and gone to heaven in that moment,
"No, Miss. You're perfectly fine. I mean...Uhh...Cinnamon?!"
The blonde's eyes widened when she realised that the younger woman was simply curious at her choice of beverage and she was sure that she was going to combust into flames as the rush coloured her cheeks with a crimson hue,
"Oh, that. Yeah, I always have cinnamon with my hot chocolate. It's a... comfort thing." Emma explained in a quick rush.
"I can't say I've ever tried it, nor had a customer order it before. I guess this is a time for new firsts?"
Before the blonde could reply the younger woman smiled and walked off to give the ticket to the chef.
Emma chuckled and shook her head as she remembered the details of Lilly working in a run down diner that she just happened to come across whilst she got lost one day. She had gone in to ask for directions, but when she saw the brunette, she knew that she just had to stay. It was only recently that Emma had admitted that to her girlfriend.
The food was almost ready, so she gathered some plates and cutlery and laid the table with a vase of some fresh red roses as a centre piece. Recently they had both been too busy with work to go out on a date, so the blonde wanted to try and make the home dining experience extra special that night.
The deputy sheriff wandered back into the kitchen to finish carrying out the bottle of wine and seasoning shakers, placing them in the middle of the table, before deciding to get into something more comfortable.
She made her way to the bedroom and sensed that something was not right. When she got closer she could hear whisperings and her heart started to thud. She was used to dealing with criminals wanting to try their luck where it was not welcome, but she would never expect her own apartment to be broken into. The blonde grabbed her gun from the sideboard drawer and loaded it. She steadied her breath and kicked the door, swinging it open to be greeted with a sight she never thought she would ever have to witness.
Items of clothing were thrown all over the floor and as forest green orbs adjusted she made out two figures in the bed. Her adrenaline kicked in as she flicked on the light and realisation set in,
"Lilly?!"
The brunette quickly grabbed the covers and held them around her naked form as she sat up in the bed next to a man,
"Emma! I wasn't expecting you home so soon... It isn't what it looks like, I swear..."
"Oh, it fucking well does to me! I'm sorry, I should have maybe called ahead, let you know that I was on my way home?!," Emma quipped. She tore her attention away from her girlfriend and looked at the male and felt anger, rage and sickness bubble under her surface, "I really didn't think stealing people's partners was you're kinda thing, James! To think that I fucking trusted you!"
Lilly cleared her throat through nervousness and anxiety, not because of her getting found out, but rather because of her getting found out by an armed Emma,
"Em, could you...?"
Emma was furious with the pair but her expression softened when she realised that she was currently holding a loaded gun in their direction. She could feel the temptation to shoot James in the ball sack, but she knew that would not work out for her in the long run,
"Oh, sorry." With a click, the blonde placed the safety lock on the weapon before putting it in the waistband of her jeans. She bent down and picked up James' clothing and began to throw them out of the window and off the fire escape, "I suggest that you get out of my fucking bed and out of my home, right now."
James stared wide-eyed in horror as he watched his clothing disappear out of the window. The apartment was not exactly on the quietest of roads, and the realisation set in that he would have to go out onto the street, stark bollock naked,
"Are you out of your mind, Swan?!" he frantically scurried out of bed and jumped out of the window and down the metal fire escape to begin collecting his scattered items of clothing.
Emma slammed the window shut and locked it to make sure he could not turn around and climb back in,
"I might well be out of my mind." She faced Lilly again and shook her head, "No. I know I'm out of my mind. Out of my mind for believing that what we had was something serious!"
"No, no it wasn't something serious." The blonde snapped her head up to make eye contact with the brunette who had now pulled on a long top and got out of the bed, "I've been wanting to tell you about James for a while now, but the thing is, I just don't love you any more."
"You don't have to fucking tell me that you don't love me. Not when I just caught you with your legs wide open for that son of a bitch! Well, you needn't worry, because I'm out of here."
"You don't have to leave, Emma. I will. You can have the apartment."
Emma growled. She could feel that sickness bubble away under the surface. She scoffed and looked at her,
"Do you really think that I would want to stay here? Live with the memories of us two and then come into this room and relive seeing you with that cumstain? No thanks. I'm leaving. Do what you want with the apartment. It doesn't bother me."
The blonde grabbed her case and packed up the little stuff amount of belongings that she owned and without so much as a second glance behind her, walked straight out of the apartment, and jumped into her yellow bug. She knew that there was only one way to move on with her life. One thing that she was good at when things got difficult and that was to run and never look back.
An hour into her drive she pulled over and emailed her boss to explain that she would not be returning to work due to personal circumstances. She sighed when everything suddenly hit her square in the face. She had been betrayed, lied to and hurt, once again. Emma made a vow to herself in that moment that she would never allow herself to place her absolute, complete trust in anyone again.
Once she was energised with the help of chocolate and Mountain Dew, Emma pulled off the layby and continued driving. She had absolutely no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than Boston.
Six hours passed and the blonde was starting to feel sleepy and cranky. It was now the middle of the night and she had not got the first idea of where she was. A sign at the side of the road caught her attention that read:
Welcome to Storybrooke. Please drive safely.
"Storybrooke? What sort of a name is that for a town?"
Emma scoffed but continued to drive into the quite town centre. She looked around and shuddered at the old buildings that looked like they would fall down if you so much as leaned on them. Five minutes passed when she finally saw a sign for a B&B. The blonde cut the engine and walked up the stoned path leading up to the doorway. A bell rang out signalling her entry, and she was surprised to see an elderly woman behind the counter with a younger brunette at her side.
"Good evening. Can I help you?"
Emma broke out of her daze as she realised the woman had just spoken to her. She smiled apologetically and nodded,
"Hi. Sorry. It's been a long night. I'm wondering if you have any rooms at all?"
The younger brunette looked excited at the arrival of the blonde as she scanned the book. She reached behind her for a key and smiled,
"We have room six available. How long will you be staying with us, Miss...?"
"Swan. Emma Swan. I'm not entirely sure yet, could I get back to you on that one?"
"Sure!" the brunette beamed. She turned her focus to the elderly woman who just nodded, "I'm Ruby Lucas and this is my Granny. Would you like me to show you to your room?," the blonde shook her head and Ruby just smiled, "Okay, well it's up the first flight of stairs and it's the second door on the left. If you need anything just let us know?"
"Yeah, thanks, I will."
The blonde smiled faintly and made her way up to her room. She found the town to be an intriguing little place, but something did not feel right, but she was too tired to care. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she did not know that this was the last day she would ever experience anything "normal" for a very long time.