Pairing: Gremma

Characters: Emma Swan, David Nolan, Mary Margaret Blanchard and Graham's wolf.

Rating: K+

Summary: After an emotional time Emma finds herself in the woods where she meets an old friend.

A/N - Feels Ahead, inspired partially by some of Msynergy's latest Gremma feel posts on tumblr.

Lupine Leavings and Forest Meetings

Emma sighed as she entered the station, even if she was glad to be back she wasn't quite ready for this. She walked over to her desk, fingering Graham's old jacket as she walked by. She was glad she had told David to not come in this morning. She needed some time to herself after everything that happened in Manhattan. She fell into her chair and laid her head against her arms as the crossed on the desk. Her blonde curls bouncing as the fell around her.

Emma closed her eyes tight, trying to will the tears away. She wanted to throw things and cry; she wanted nothing more than to collapse into David's arms and have him tell her as a father it would all be okay. But she couldn't do any of those things, she had to be strong. She had to stay strong for Henry and for the town. She was their stupid savior and she had to fight against Cora, Hook and probably even Regina at some point because her life wasn't complicated enough. She looked up and saw the stupid picture of her and Graham he had gotten her to agree to. She got up and threw the framed picture across the office.

"You were supposed to be here!" She shouted at the shards of glass and the broken wood of the frame. "You were supposed to here to teach me how to throw a dart and shoot better." She yelled through the tears that fell down her face as she threw a vase of flowers against the wall. "You should have been here to convince me this was all real before Henry ate the stupid turnover." She started to crumble as she grabbed his leather jacket off the rack, knocking it to the ground. She pulled the jacket into her chest as she slid to the floor. "You were supposed to be here," she cried as she curled into herself, "You weren't supposed to leave me too."

Emma put her head against her knees, breathing in Graham's scene that still clung to the jacket after all this time. David found her not long later in the same position, little hiccup sounds emerging from her when he entered. He quickly set the coffee cups down on his desk and rushed to her side and pulled her against him.

"Shh, Emma, I'm here." David mumbled into Emma's hair as a fresh wave of tears fell from her. It hurt him to see his daughter so broken and from what he could see; he was only sure that a piece of it went back to Graham's death. David tightened his arms around her and rubbed circles on her back. When he felt her sobs turn into soft hiccups again he pulled her back to look at her face. His thumbs gently wiped at the tear stains on her face as he gave her a soft smile.

"Hi," Emma croaked out, her throat raw from her yells.

"Hey, do you want to talk about it?" David asked as she leaned back against him.

"I don't know how," Emma answered him truthfully, refusing to look up at her father.

"I won't push you to talk; but when you do know and are ready, I'll be there for you." David told giving her another hug. When he released her he stood up and helped her. "Why don't you go for a walk," David started and when she opened her mouth to protest, "It'll be fine. Go, I'll clean up here." Emma sighed and nodded and carried the jacket out the door with her.

She took off towards the forest; she thought maybe in the forest she could relax and just forget for a few more minutes before she had to face everything. She didn't go far in to the dark green canopy for trees when she found a sturdy old tree to sit against. She looked down at the jacket and fingered the collar as she thought back to what they had started to have.

"Graham, I wish you here. You were one of the first people I let in after so long. You stupid jokes and love of donuts finally cracked in. You silly smile when you'd make me laugh and your stubbornness when I'd argue found a way in. I miss you so much." Emma sighed as a few tears fell down again; she wasn't really sure how she had any left to cry.

"You would know exactly what to say to all this to make me feel better; even if just for a moment. I lied to Henry about his dad and now it came back to bite me in the ass. His dad is Gold's son, as if our family tree couldn't get more complicated." She let out a bark of laughter, "And he came back to Storybrooke with us, and I don't know what to do to get Henry to trust me again. Mary Margaret keeps telling me to give him time, but what if I don't have time. I mean, Cora and Captain Hook are here causing trouble with everyone too. God my life is weird." She sighed as she hugged the jacket tighter. "I miss when the most complicated thing in this town was Operation Cobra and you trying to make a joke and failing miserably." She smiled at the memory of him sitting in Granny's right after she hit the sign trying to avoid a wolf. "You weren't supposed to die Graham; you still had so much to teach me about trusting again." She mumbled as she lowered her forehead to her knees.

As the tears ended again Emma sighed as she could have sworn for a moment she heard his chuckle in her ear. Her head snapped up and looked around and she found the white wolf by her side; his red and brown eyes studying her. She reached out a tentative hand that he sniffed and nudged with his nose, so she placed it on his head and pet the surprisingly soft fur.

"Hi, I remember you. We followed you to the crypt." She scratched behind his ear as she thought back to that day. "I thought for awhile you were imaginary, I never saw you again." The wolf leaned into her touch and she let out a small smile. When she pulled her hand away he nudged at the jacket in her lap. "Yeah, I miss him too boy." Emma told him as she pulled herself off the ground. She started to walk away towards town again but she stopped after only a few steps and turned back. "Look, I know you like the trees and dirt probably a lot. But I have an apartment, and a son who loved Graham as well. My parent's cared about him too. If you wanted you could come with me. We can miss him together." She told the wolf. She shook her head and thought to herself, 'I can't believe I'm having a conversation with a wolf.'

The wolf walked over to join her, sitting at her feet as he waited to see what was next. Emma smiled, "I can see why you were friends in the Enchanted Forest, I bet you miss it. Trust me though; it's not like it was when you left. Too many ogres and pirates wandering around for my liking," she said with a smirk. When the wolf huffed at her she nodded and turned and headed towards town again. She heart the foot falls of the wolf following behind her. Even if she couldn't see Graham again, she could at least take care of his friend.

When they reached the apartment, she held the door open and he went in taking in his new surroundings. When she shut the door behind her she saw Mary Margaret come out of the bathroom and raise an eyebrow at the white wolf that was walking around.

"I found him in the woods. He was Graham's. I couldn't leave him behind." Emma told her mother gripping the jacket just a bit tighter as she spoke. Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter as she walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder giving it a small squeeze.

"Of course not, he is a part of this family too." Mary Margaret told her. Emma just smiled and nodded at her mother as she walked over to the couch and fell into it. Mary Margaret watched as the wolf came over and lay down at her feet. Emma smiled and reached down to pat the wolf. She quickly folded the jacket she had been holding onto that whole time and set it on the floor next to him. The wolf made a small sound as he placed his head onto it and closed his eyes.

"Welcome home," Emma whispered down to her new friend as she closed her eyes. A single tear drop falling from her left eye as she drifted off to sleep.