Just a kiss

Chapter 2: Jar of Hearts

AN: I hope that you guys like this chapter! Thank you to everyone who subscribed to this story! A special thank you to Lizzie0609, pattersk, Zerousy, MarcieGore, authenticheart RleFay, Annabeth Black II, katididnot( and sillybats for reviewing!

Emma stared out the window of the police cruiser enjoying the silence in the car as Graham drove them to the cemetery. She couldn't believe that she was going to a crypt to look for Graham missing heart that she just heard beating soundly in his chest this morning.

'How did I end up here? This is crazy!' She asked herself but since Henry came back in her life nothing really made sense anymore. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about her son that she gave up for adoption. Henry had broken a whole through the wall she spent years building now she felt like the whole thing was going to crumble.

"What are you thinking about?" Graham voiced called her out of thoughts as she turned to look at him surprised. "Sorry it's just you were smiling. You have a beautiful smile." He said to her making Emma roll her eyes at him. "What it's true." Graham insisted as he turned his eyes back to the road.

"Let me guess you were a real ladies man back in fairy tale land." Emma teased him. Graham turned his attention back to Emma shaking his head. "Come on you had to be with all of that charm and that accent. I am sure you snuck all of those fairytale ladies in and out of your bedroom."

"You think I charming?" He asked her with a huge grin on his face making Emma sigh loudly. "No, you just said it so you can't deny it or take it back." He told her with a wink then turned back to the road. "I didn't have home or a bedroom for that matter I lived in the woods with the wolves. You know what they say about assuming Emma."

"You're a smart ass." Emma said to him.

"You love it." He replied grinning at her as he parked the car on the street.

"Why are we parking here? The cemetery is two blocks away." She asked Graham looking around the street to see an animal shelter a few buildings down.

"If any of Regina's spies drive by then they'll think I am working at the animal shelter." He replied turning off the car. "Are you ready for this? It's about to get weird." He asked her.

"It's been weird since the moment I stepped foot in Storybrooke." She told him before they got of the car. They walked down the block into the wooded area that led to the cemetery. It didn't take long into the stood in front of the crypt that Emma had dreamed out. "This is it" Emma said in a soft voice. It was so strange that she had seen this exact crypt in detail and everything around it in her dream last night. Her heart began to race remembering Graham's grave was near it as her eyes scan the area for it. Graham stepped in front of her looking down into her eyes.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." He said to her putting her hand on her cheek. Emma swallowed hard as she looked up at his handsome face into his intense green eyes.

"Good." She said to him with a small smile on her face. "Let's go get your heart." She pulled away from him walking up to the crypt to see a padlock and chain on the crypt.

"Damn, it's locked." Graham exclaimed as panic and desperation came over him. He had to get in there to get his heart before Regina knew that he remembered. If that happened then Emma's dream would come true.

"Not a problem." Emma said to him before she kicked the door open. "See problem solved." She told him with a grin before she walked into the crypt. Graham hurried in after her looking around the crypt. "There is nothing in here, Graham." She said to him.

"No, it's in here. I can feel it. There must be a secret compartment or passage way. Regina would never leave anything so important to her out in the open." He insisted to Emma as he looked through shelves in the small crypt.

"Ok, if I was an evil witch hiding the heart of a man that I wanted to control then where would I hide it?" She asked herself out loud using her bounty hunting reasoning while her green eyes scanned the crypt. They stopped landing on the cement casket in center of the room. People had the habit of hiding things were people wouldn't want to look. Emma walked over to it pushing slightly at the base of it when she felt it slide a bit. "I think I found it here. Help me move this." Emma called out to him as he hurried over next as they pushed together causing it move revealing a stairway going underground.

Graham ran down the steps while Emma stared in shock at the stairs for a moment before she rushed down after him. He stood in front of what looked like the inside of a bank safety deposit box vault staring at the compartments in the wall. She watched as he walked over to the wall to open a compartment reaching into it pulling something out.

'It couldn't be.' Emma thought as he turned around to face her but his gaze was on his the item in his hands. She looked away from his awe filled face to see a beating heart in his hand.

"Do you believe me now?" He asked her tearing his gaze away from his heart in his hand to her. Emma walked up to him having no other option then to nod at him. Graham pulled his hand holding the heart up against the left side of his chest but nothing happened. "I don't know how to get it back in my chest." He whispered puzzled staring down at it. Emma slowly reached out her hand towards the heart in his hands. Her finger brushed up against the beating heart gently at first then put her whole hand on it unable to believe this was all really happening. Graham looked at Emma's face as her hand was resting on his heart as he felt an odd but warm sensation flow through his body. "Emma." He gasped out as he felt the heart in his and Emma's hands pushing through his chest. A bright white light filled the room until now just now Emma's hand rested against his chest.

Emma stared up at Graham as tears ran down Graham's face while tears of her own were filling up her eyes. She leaned in to kiss Graham as his lips brushed up against hers pulling her into his arms holding her tightly. He kissed her so with a gentle softness trying to convey all of the emotions raging through him. He was truly alive for the first time in 28 years.

Emma felt her cellphone vibrate in the pocket of her red leather coat causing her to pull away from the kiss. She took the phone out of her pocket checking the message. "Henry says Regina is getting jumpy that he should get out of here." She told him while Graham nodded at her unable to speak.

Meanwhile

Regina paced the kitchen while she waited for Henry's soup to warm in the microwave. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone had stolen something very important from her.

'There is no way that anyone could know that I have Graham's heart must less where I keep it.' She told reassured herself as the microwave beeped. 'I will just go check on it tomorrow. I am sure that it's fine.' Regina thought taking the soup bowl out of the microwave putting it on the tray next to the fruit juice. She couldn't leave Henry alone when he was sick. He had thrown up at school then a half hour ago all over her favorite black dress. She could normally leave Henry on his own to do what she needed to do but Henry was all the family she had left. She couldn't lose him especially to Emma Swan that woman was a pain in her ass. It seemed that Emma was not content with just trying to steal her son away from her but her lover as well. There was no way that Regina was willing to let her have Graham even if it meant crushing his heart with her bare hands.

Mary Margaret and Emma's apartment

Emma walked through the door of the apartment with Graham following her inside. They hadn't spoken a word since they left the crypt and now the silence was getting to her. "Graham." She said turning around to face him as he shut the door behind him. The next words that she went to say were silenced when his lips crashed into hers passionately as his hands ran through her hair. She pulled his body to her matching the intensity of his kiss running her hands up his chest then locking them around his neck. Graham groaned as felt her hands moving to his jacket underneath the shoulders to push it off of him. He pulled his hands out of her hair to help her take off his jacket. Emma pushed the jacket off causing it to fall to the ground at their feet. His hands went to work to remove her jacket when they heard a squeak of surprise making them tear their lips apart.

"I am SO sorry." Mary Margaret apologized to them with red cheeks. "I will just get coco later." She said turning back to her room.

"No, we're there are the ones who are sorry." Emma called out causing Mary Margaret to turn around while Graham picked his jacket up off the floor. "We should all talk anyway. Please join us." She said to Mary Margaret with a blush on her cheeks. It was hard to believe that the mother she had always wondered about was standing in front of her. Emma couldn't deny that she felt a connection to Mary Margaret from the moment they met but now she knew why. "I think I could use something stronger than coco. You two interested?" Emma asked them walking over picking up the bottle of wine off the counter.

"Please have a glass of wine with us." Graham said to Mary Margaret, who looked at them unsure for a moment before she walked over to the table.

"Were you able to talk to Henry? I hope that he is feeling better. He was sitting in at his desk on moment just fine than the next he threw up." Mary Margaret said concerned about Henry as she took the glass of wine that Emma poured her. "The next thing I knew every kid in the class threw up. It was like a chain reaction! Poor Mr. Johnson the janitor had a real mess on his hands." She told them as Emma and Graham both began to laugh. "It's not funny." She insisted but soon a giggle escaped her making them laugh harder.

"We should sit in the living room." Emma said to her after she managed to stop laughing. The three of them walked into the living room with their glasses of wine. Mary Margaret sat on the chair while Emma sat down on the couch and Graham sat down next to her putting his arm around her. Emma looked at Graham, who just smiled at her leaning back against the couch.

Mary Margaret stared at Graham for a moment, "I know this is going to sound crazy but something seems different about you, Graham." She said to him before she took a drink of her red wine.

Graham gave her a dazzling smile, "I don't think it sounds crazy at all. I am happy and I've never been happy before. Emma is the one I have to thank for it." He told Emma's mother. Mary Margaret grinned at him then looked over at Emma.

"I'm glad that you two came to your senses." She said to them as they looked at her confused. "Oh come on, it was obvious to everyone that you two like each other but were too stubborn to give in to it."

"I think it was my charm and my accent that made her wall to crumble down." Graham joked pulling Emma closer to him. She rolled her eyes looking up at him but he just grinned at her then kissed her quickly on the lips.

"It sure wasn't his modesty." Emma replied making Mary Margaret grin at her. "Have you talked to David Nolan lately?" She asked her causing Mary Margaret's grin turned into a frown and sorrow filled her eyes.

"No, it's best that we stay away from each other for a while until.." She began to explain but didn't finish her sentence.

"No, you shouldn't. Don't you find it too big of consequence? David had been in a coma for a long time without any looking for him at all. He didn't show any signs of waking up until you came to read to him. He wakes up and you two feel drawn to each other than all of a sudden Regina finds his wife, who never looked for him before then." Emma said to her mother. She knew that Mary Margaret was hurting and she felt partly to blame for it. "I was wrong to tell you to stay awhile from him. Your situation was different than mine." She told her as Graham stared at Emma confused.

"He is still married and that is the only important detail." Mary Margaret insisted to Emma.

"No, listening to your heart is the most important. We are all empty inside if we don't live our lives following our hearts." Graham leaned forward trying to figure out a way to get through to her. He knew what it was like to be a victim of the curse but Emma freed him. Now he wanted to free Mary Margaret. Her goodness had caused him to spare her in the forest that day after the evil queen hired him to kill her. He had been in locked in a prison since Regina took his heart for refusing to kill Snow White. The daughter of the woman he spared that day now not only saved him from emptiness but filled his heart the way no person ever had. "Regina can't be trusted. This woman Kathryn might not even actually be his wife. Regina will lie, steal, cheat and do any under handed thing you can think of to suit her agenda."

Margaret looked at Graham with surprise, "I thought you two were close." She said unsure of how to word their relationship.

"She had me blinded for a long time but now I can see her for what she really is an evil witch." Graham said to Mary Margaret as Emma put her hand on her Graham's leg feeling his tension in his body as he talked about her. "Emma and I will check into Kathryn tomorrow to see what we can find out about her. You can't give up hope." He told her making Mary Margaret smile at him.

"Thank you!" She told him. "I better get to bed. Let me know what you find out. Good night." Mary Margaret said to them walking over to sink to sit her wine glass in it before walking off to her room.

"I guess I should go too." Graham told Emma starting to get up off the couch but Emma pulled him back down on it.

"I would like it if you stayed." Emma said to him not ready to let him out of her sight just yet. The image of Graham's gravestone was still fresh in her head. Graham raised a brow at her with a small smirk on his lips. "Get your mind out of the gutter! Margaret is in the room across the hall." She told him as he laughed leaning in to kiss her quickly.

"We could go to my place." He said to her getting a stern look from her making him laugh once again. "I was just teasing. It's a good thing there a shower and I have a bag of extra close at the station." Graham got up of the couch along with Emma. Graham took her hand in his as they walked to her room. Emma had never really held hands with anyone but she had to admit she loved it. Although she doubted that it would have felt the same with anyone other than Graham.

Once Emma was changed for bed, she walked into the bedroom to find Graham lying on the floor of her bedroom under a blanket rest against a pillow with his hands behind his head staring at her. "My back hurts from sleeping on the floor. Do you think we could sleep on the bed tonight?" She asked him causing a grin to break out on his face.

"I think we could do that." He replied as he got up from under the blanket wearing just a pair of navy blue and white plaid boxers and a white undershirt. They both got into bed under the covers then Emma turned off the lamp. She rolled over closer to Graham resting her head on his chest and he put his arm around her. Emma noticed that his heart seemed to beat louder and steadier than before. She put her hand over his heart while her finger caressed the undershirt covering his chest. "Emma, I can't thank you enough. You gave me back my heart." He told her as she looked up at him.

"No, I just helped." She said to him staring up at him. "I promise you that I won't let Regina hurt you." She told him firmly before kissing him.

Graham pulled back from the kiss to grin at her, "Shouldn't that be my line?" He asked her making her laugh.

"Sorry but I don't do the whole damsel in distress thing well at all." Emma explained to him before he kissed her once more.

"Good because I like a girl that can kick some ass." Graham told her making her smile at him.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked him with seriousness now in her eyes. "Do you ever anything different? Or is your whole closet filled with the same thing?" She asked him.

"This comes from the girl who wears jeans, boots, a t-shirt and a leather coat every day." He replied causing them both to laugh for a few moments before he spoke again. "I promise I will wear something different tomorrow if you let you take you out to dinner tomorrow night."

"You've got yourself a deal." Emma told him laying her head back on his chest. "Good night, Graham."

"Good night, Emma." He replied kissing her on the top of her head.

The next morning- The Police Station

Emma is sitting at the desk reading a report when Graham walks from the back wearing his usual uniform drying his hair with a towel. He throws the towel down on the desk next to him before walking over to Emma from behind leaning down to kiss her on her on the neck.

"Hey sheriff, I am trying to work." Emma said to him but there was a smile on her lips as he ignored her comment as he continued kissing up her neck.

"Why I am not surprised? You just want everything that belongs to me, Ms. Swan." They heard Regina's voice call out to the causing them to jump as they looked up to see the mayor walking towards them wearing a red blouse with a long pencil skirt and red high heels.

"I belong to no one. Do you need something?" Graham asked her with annoyance and anger in his voice. "We are a little busy here." He added putting his hands on Emma's shoulders.

"I can't believe that you would do this to me after all of these years that we have been together, Graham. Did he tell you that we are lovers?" Regina asked glaring at her crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, I know that you were." Emma replied putting her hand over top of Graham's that was on her shoulder.

"Do you hate me, Ms. Swan? Because it seems like you do because you are trying to ruin my life." Regina said to Emma, who stood up trying to push back the anger building in her.

"I am not doing anything to you. Henry came to me and Graham kissed me. You need to take a long hard look in the mirror because you are to blame not me." Emma shot back at her as Graham put his arms around her waist pulling her to him.

"Graham, if you apologize to me for going to her then I will forgive you." Regina said to Graham, who tightened his hold around Emma's waist at her words.

"I don't want ANYTHING from you." He exclaimed in a loud angry voice. "You have stolen years from me but that's all over."

"Don't think that this is over for moment. You will regret this I promise." Regina threatened him. "I will crush you." She added before turning to leave.

"You lost any power that you have over me." Graham said to her. "You might be the mayor but I am my own man. I follow my heart and it sure doesn't belong to you." Graham called after her causing her to stop dead in her tracks. "You may have been holding it prisoner but it never was yours." Regina spun around with rage in her brown eyes. "Don't bother going to find see if it's still there because it's not. It is back where it belongs." He told her putting his hand up to his chest.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Sheriff. If you keep talking like that people may think you are crazy. We wouldn't want that now would we?" She asked him regaining her composure before walking out of the police station.

"She is always a ray of sunshine." Emma said turning around to look at Graham. "Are you ok?" She asked him with concern. She knew how it felt to spend years of your life lonely and empty inside.

"I am now." Graham reassured her pulling her into his arms holding her. He closed his eyes when she put her arms around his waist.

"It not that I'm not enjoying this, it's just we have a curse to break and a city to save." Emma said pulling away to look up at him. "Save it for our date, Romero." She told him with a smile.

Graham grinned at her, "I promise I will and more." He told her then walked over to his desk. "What has Henry told you about the curse?" He asked her.

"He said that I am the only one who can break the spell. All of the characters in this town are lost and searching for something. We just need to help them find out who they really are." Emma told him. "Because I am sure not going to kiss all of them."

"I don't think I would like that plan at all. You are my girlfriend after all." Graham said to her making Emma raise an eyebrow at him.

"Whoa, we haven't been out an official date and you are already calling me your girlfriend." Emma replied shaking her head while he walked back over to her leaning down.

"You're not the only one who can tell when someone is lying. I know that you want to be." Graham told her with a smile then changed the subject. "Regina's hatred of your mother started this whole thing so I think that we should concrete on reuniting your mother with your father." He said to her. "Maybe we should split up? You could go talk to your mother and I could go find dad."

"Can we just call them Mary Margaret and David for now?" Emma asked him not ready to call them mom and dad yet. Her whole life she wanted to know why they had given her up and if they ever really wanted her. Now she knew that they did but they just wanted to keep her safe. Although she believed everything that Henry and Graham said about the curse, it still was going to talk awhile to adjust to the reality. "I don't think we should split up just yet. We need to find out everything on David Nolan and Kathryn Nolan that we can before we do anything."

"You're right but I have a feeling that David and Mary Margaret won't be able to stay away from each other. True love will do that." Graham said to Emma before turning to the computer screen for research.