Chapter 1: The Case

Emma sat in her office at the sheriff's station reviewing her notes before the next budget meeting. She knew that Regina was a stickler for complete reports and she understood why. She just hated doing them and she couldn't convince her father to do them. She didn't want to ask him to, either. It didn't feel right to her. This was a way for her to learn more about the people, the town, and the history between everyone. Most of the reports were for drunk and disorderlies committed by Leroy, but there were some others. She was elected sheriff and she intended to do a good job. She wanted to do a good job.

It wasn't just for the town. It was for herself. She could see herself settling here. She had stayed at first for Henry and then she learned the truth when she broke the Curse. Now, it actually felt like home. She'd never really had that. The more she learned about the town and the people, the more it became home. The more it became like home, the less she wanted to leave.

She reached across her desk and grabbed her coffee. After two sips it was empty. She stood up to go get more when she was face to face with the Dragon Lady herself.

"Hello, Maleficent, what can I do for you?" Emma asked as she stepped around her to the coffee pot in the middle of the station.

The blond woman didn't move. She just watched Emma as she refilled her mug and started back for her office. Their eyes never breaking contact. Green stared into blue. Emma sat back down behind her desk. She waved at the seat in front of it, hoping that Maleficent would take the hint and take a seat. She did.

"What is it? Did something happen? What do you need help with?" Emma asked her.

"I need to find my daughter."

"Daughter?" Emma questioned as she sat her mug down.

She sat back in her chair, fingers steepled in front of her as she regarded the woman before her. She didn't know what to say or ask, but she needed more information. Realizing that the woman before her didn't know how these things worked in this world, Emma reached over for a form so she could take notes.

"What's your daughter's name?"

"I don't know," Maleficent answered.

"You don't know?"

"No."

"Well that is going to make things a little more difficult."

"I know that you trying to help everyone find their happy endings. I applaud for that, Emma, but your parents took her from me before she was born. She was banished to this land, but I don't know who she is or where she is. And, because Regina brought me back and saved me from Rumple's craziness, I can't leave town to try to find her. I need someone who can. Is that you?"

"I will do what I can, but I wouldn't even know where to start," Emma told her. "I will do what I can, but...you said my parents took her from you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To protect themselves," Maleficent answered.

"From what?"

"The Dark Curse," she replied.

"But, Regina cast it."

"After she took it from me, after I got it from Rumple. I am sure that he had some reasoning for keeping me down. Being a sorceress and a dragon made me powerful. I was no near Rumple as the Dark One, but I could give him trouble. Keeping me under the influence of your parents because they had my egg would keep me in line because he could feed them lies to control me."

"Like his dagger, he used the egg against you," Emma stated.

"He did."

"I'll talk to Mom and Dad and see what they remember. If she's in the Enchanted Forest... I'll do what I can. I know we have ways of getting her back."

"Thank you."

"How old would she be?"

"I would say around your age. She should have hatched shortly before your birth, I believe. Your mother was pregnant with you when they took her from me," Maleficent answered.

"Okay. That gives me something. Would she be a dragon, too?"

"Yes, she would be able to turn, but without the proper teaching..."

"Hey, let's not go there. She's your daughter which means that she's smart. If she changed, she would have hidden until she figured it out. I am sure of it. Don't worry. I'll find her, I am sure."

"Don't promise something that you can't deliver," Maleficent warned her.

"I'll find her. I found Henry in Neverland. I found my way home from the Enchanted Forest. I am sure that I can find an unnamed dragon. I am not saying that it is going to be easy or quick, but I will find her for you."

"How can you be so sure?" Maleficent asked her.

"Because, before I became the sheriff here, I was a bounty hunter in Boston. I found people with a lot less. I was good at it. Seems, I don't like to let things go. I'll put her down as a missing person. This way I can use my time at work to work the case, too."

"Thank you, Emma. I don't know many people that would help me. I don't have many friends...and those that I thought were friends..."

"Hey, I get it. But, this is Storybrooke. It's time to let some things be in the past and most on. I know that you can't leave, but we'll find a way to bring her here if she's in this realm. If she's in the Enchanted Forest though, I'll ask Regina. She might know," Emma told her.

"Find her and I will consider the debt your parents owe me filled."

"And, if I can't?" Emma questioned.

"Then, you'll have to kill me a second time, Princess," she said as she stood.

Before Emma could reply, she was gone in a puff of smoke. Emma swore under her breath and looked down at the page on her desk. She'd found criminals on less, but she honestly had nothing. She hoped that maybe her parents could tell her more.

She grabbed a folder and filed it out. It was now an official Storybrooke Sheriff's office case. In between scrawling something on the forms, she sipped her coffee. She knew that it would be hard, but she liked the challenge and the puzzle behind it. She wondered if Regina would actually help her. She knew that Regina and Maleficent had been friends at one point. Maybe Regina could give her a starting point that wasn't the Enchanted Forest.

As if Regina could read her mind, she heard the door to the station open and close. The click clack of Regina's stilettos could be heard as she neared Emma corner office. Looking up, she saw that she was dressed for a day of meetings and negotiations rather than just working on paperwork, filing out forms, and reading issues and proclamations that needed her signature.

"Madam Mayor," Emma said as she leaned back in her chair again.

"Sheriff Swan," Regina replied.

"Official business?" Emma asked as she reached up for her coffee cup and drank.

Regina sat in front of her desk. Her dark eyes looking over Emma, taking her in and assessing her well-being. Cocking her head, she looked at Emma more fully. Her eyes dilated and her lips pursed up.

"Someone with magic has been here," Regina stated.

"Yeah, so," Emma replied.

"Just stating a fact, Dear."

"So, whatcha need, Regina?"

"I know that you wanted to work on your magic and I agreed to teach you," Regina started.

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, I figured it was the perfect time to start with something a little more in depth than creating fire. Is that something that you are interested in? Or would you like to continue your little parlor tricks?" Regina inquired.

"Well, I did want to know how I could protect the town more. We've seen our share of things that shouldn't be here. But, right now, I have a case that needs my attention."

"A case? I didn't know that something had happened. Is it something that I should be worried about?" Regina questioned and seemed genuinely worried.

"Not yet."

"Emma..."

"Look, it's a case that I am working on. If I need help, I know who to come to and ask. But, first let me do my job. I have some people that I need to question before I start really looking into things. It doesn't affect the town in anyway."

"If you're sure, Sheriff Swan," Regina answered and Emma realized that she was shelving this for now but would totally bring it up later.

"I am."

"Are you going to be able to pick up Henry after school or do you need to work on your case?"

"I should be able to get him."

"Good. I assume that you'll take him back to your parents' apartment to start his homework before both of you come over for a family dinner tonight. We could work on some simple spells after Henry goes to bed, if you wish."

"That sounds good."

"Good. I'll see you around seven o'clock then," Regina stated as she stood up. "And, Sheriff, don't forget that your reports are due to my office by the end of the day. I am not going to let you slack off just because you have a case, unless the case is something of..."

"I'll make sure they get to your office, Regina. No worries. Is there anything else?"

"Did you want to go get lunch at Granny's?"

"I would, but I want to follow up on some things and finish my reports. Wouldn't want them to be late this afternoon, now would I? I'll see you later," Emma told her and watched her walk away.

She didn't know why she just didn't tell Regina about the case yet. But, she really didn't have any information. She was sure that she would be talking to Regina about the case later, but she wanted to have a better understanding of what she was really dealing with and to do that, she needed to talk to her parents.

She picked up the phone and called her very pregnant mother. After they'd gotten home from Neverland and dealt with all its backlash, Snow had gotten pregnant quickly. Honestly it didn't bother Emma as much as she thought it would. They weren't trying to replace her, but they had realized that their daughter wasn't a child. She was an adult. Snow and David what they could for Emma, but she knew they wanted more. She couldn't fault them for that. She'd missed so much with Henry that she demanded so much time with him now to try to make up for it.

Her uneasy alliance with Regina worried her parents, but they let them become friends. Emma told herself it was more for Henry's sake than her own, but she didn't know. Sometimes she wondered if if wasn't because Snow missed her step-mother.

"Hey, Emma, what can I do for you?" Snow answered the phone.

"Can you pick up some lunch from Granny's and come to the station?"

"Sure, I'll be there soon," Snow told her.

"Good, and make sure to get something for Dad, too. I'll be calling him back in from patrol. I need your help with something," Emma replied.

"Okay. Be there soon. Love you, Emma," Snow stated.

"Love you, too, Mom," she responded before hanging up.

She looked down at the notes on her case file. "Snow and Charming were the last to see my egg," Maleficent had told her. She took a deep breath and let it out in a huff.

"Well, this is about to weird, awkward and complicated," Emma said as dropped her pen on the desk and hoped that her mother would understand why she was questioning them both.