She Underestimated Just Who She Was Stealing From…

Pairing: Sheriff Graham/Emma

Summary: Emma Swan was going to let someone in for the first time in her whole life but she never got the chance. It was stolen from her and somehow, she knew that Regina was at fault for his death. Emma was not going anywhere until she made Regina pay for what she had done.

Author's Note: Once Upon A Time is my new favorite show! I was so upset by last night's episode! Regina is an evil queen, for sure! I can't believe he's gone! So I had to write!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Emma stood inside of the Sheriff's Department for the first time since his death. And he couldn't be more present in her mind and weirdly, in her heart. She could almost feel his warm breath on her face and his calloused fingers on her skin.

The smile that had ghosted his lips was like she held all of the wonder in the world and let him in on some sort of secret on how to unlock it all. That smile, for the briefest of seconds, had made her feel appreciated and oddly, loved.

But she had lost focus of it when he had leaned into kiss her again. And then…

Emma shook her head violently to stop the thoughts and images from floating to her mind.

She put her mind back on what that first kiss in this office had been like. It was the most tender and most exciting kiss she had ever had, and suspected, she will ever have in her life.

It had made her feel like she had not known what life was really about and somehow he was going to let her in on some widely accepted truth that he had just realized. For the first time she was going to let someone in.

But she never got that chance.

Her eyes settled on his badge. It sat on the edge of his desk. She brushed her fingers across it. The smoothness of the metal and the coldness of it made her heart clench.

The tears pricked at her eyes. She knew it was stupid. She had barely known him and yet there was something there, in her heart that told her she had every right to feel as she did.

Just then the doorbell signaled that another person had entered the office.

Emma could hear the high heels on the linoleum before she even looked up to greet the mayor.

She could always tell when it was the mayor that had just entered the room because a creepy chill would run down her spine and this time was no exception. But unlike other times, the mayor had no idea what she was walking into.

And how pissed off Emma was when she turned her eyes up to see the dark-haired woman.

"Miss Swan, what on earth are you still doing here?"

Emma rolled her eyes and she fiddled with the badge. She thought of Graham and his dark and endless eyes came to her mind. She instantly got more pissed than she was to begin with and oddly, more courageous.

"Graham picked me to replace him…" She said and she picked up the badge and defiantly held it up to show the woman before her.

It was like the moment in the cemetery when she pointed out that not only had Henry run away from Regina to her but that Graham had chosen her to kiss. She was proud of how he had picked her in that moment and how he had picked her as his deputy in this moment because Regina could not do anything to touch that feeling of being chosen.

Emma did not have very many of those moments in her life and savored every one of them.

But the woman looked at her with contempt. "You can't possibly think you're keeping your job?"

Emma cocked her head. "Actually, I absolutely do think that."

Regina smirked. "You're fired."

She turned to swiftly leave the office apparently thinking that that had settled the discussion.

Emma smirked. Regina thought she could win that easily but she was about to find out she was sorely mistaken. And Emma was thrilled she got to be the one to deliver this news in person, face to face.

"Actually, madam mayor, I am sorry to have to tell you this but you don't have the authority to fire me."

Regina whirled around and hissed. "Excuse me?"

Emma's smirk widened. She calmly walked over to where Regina stood but got right into her personal space and glared at her. She did not want Regina to mistake who had the upper hand in this power struggle.

This time it was not the mayor who had the advantage. And as Emma looked into the eyes of her enemy (and admitted for the first time that that is what they were) she realized all of a sudden that it was all of Regina's fault.

Emma had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Somehow or someway, Regina was to blame for Graham's death. Emma did not know if she was slowly beginning to buy into Henry's fairy tale theory or if it was that Regina was so dead in her eyes that it was becoming easy to believe she was evil.

But it did not matter.

Either way, Regina was responsible for his death. Emma just knew it. Maybe she could never prove it but she certainly would make her pay for taking him from her.

His eyes flashed before her eyes, just thinking of his lips on hers, of his hands on her skin made her want to cry.

Instead, Emma glared at Regina even harder. This woman was the reason she would only know what one real kiss from Graham felt like.

And Emma felt like Regina had stolen something from her. She had stolen the possibility of something great.

Regina had stolen Graham's second kiss.

And she would not get away with it.

Emma smirked and started to speak.

"I think you should take another look at the City Code because it specifically states that if the Sheriff if for any reason cannot fulfill his or her duty then the Deputy Sheriff will act as Interim Sheriff until elections can be held to choose a new Sheriff."

A realization slowly settled on Regina's face as her own glare intensified but she did not speak and seemed to be stunned still.

Emma went in for the kill, metaphorically speaking, of course.

"So you see, madam mayor, I am staying right here. Now if you don't mind, I have some paperwork to fill out."

"Don't think for one second that this is the end." Regina said, in a whisper of anger, trying to convey the dangerous threat Emma should be afraid of.

But Emma was and never had been afraid of anything except getting heartbroken. And remembering everything she had felt with Graham for only a few moments told her even that was nothing to fear because Graham had chosen her.

So Regina was in for a rude awakening.

Emma cocked one eyebrow. "Unfortunately for you, it's just the beginning."

Regina huffed out a breath before she turned toward the exit and was undoubtedly working on her next plot to rid Emma from this town.

But Emma could not let her go without one final jab of the knife. So she called out to her.

"Your move, bitch."

Without another word or looking back, Regina left the office looking thoroughly pissed off. And Emma was satisfied for the moment. She turned back toward the desk where she had found the badge she still held in her hand.

She placed it back down on his desk and walked slowly over to hers where she sat down quietly and was lost to a world of wondering what would have happened had he not died.

Graham was not gone from this place or from her heart. And she was going to do everything she could to make his memory mean something to this town.

Emma decided to start with an election campaign.

She could picture the sign now.

SWAN FOR SHERIFF

End.

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