Chapter Two
Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also this is a sequel to the original "Thicker than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.
Emma woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in the last few weeks. She finally slept in a real bed! And indoors! So it really didn't matter that she had to get up at 5:00AM. Even if Happy was merrily whistling along as he got ready. And Henry was trying very hard to drag Emma out of bed,
although she weighed more than he did. She only grumbled twice about getting up at this unholy hour. And she only stayed in bed ten minutes longer than everyone else. Emma was pretty proud of herself, all things considered.
When Emma finally arrived at the breakfast table, there were pancakes (which tasted just as good as Granny's always did, although Granny didn't remember making them before), eggs, and three different cereals. Most importantly, as far as Emma was concerned, there was coffee. Emma grabbed the coffee as if it were a life preserver. As far as she was concerned, it was.
"I figured someone would want some coffee," Mr. Gungeon commented, noticing Emma grabbing the pot.
The rest of the group looked as the pot with confused looks on their faces. Obviously they were wondering what coffee was. Fortunately, at Emma's pointed glare, they refrained from asking. Emma didn't want to think of the questions Mr. Gungeon would ask if no one else here knew what coffee was!
After finishing a cup of coffee, Emma helped herself to one of Granny's pancakes and eggs, along with another cup of coffee. Henry was in the process of eating his second pancake, along with a glass of orange juice. "What are we going to do today, Mom?" Henry asked
Emma shrugged. "Well, we have to see if the rest of us can find jobs and a place to live. Once that's done, you," Emma tousled Henry's hair affectionately, "need to be enrolled in school."
Henry nodded as he took another bite of pancake. "Sounds good," he replied happily after he swallowed. "How 'bout we call this mission 'operation Tarantula'?"
Emma almost spit out her coffee. Tarantula? "Why?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could.
"Because tarantulas have to look for dens, or homes in the fall!" Henry smiled proudly at Emma. Seriously, where did he come up with all of this stuff? "Okay, Henry. Sure."
Ruby, Mary Margaret, and David all agreed to the name as well, making Henry beam. After they all finished breakfast, they said goodbye to Granny and the dwarves and headed to Mr. Gungeon's car. On their way, Mary Margaret (wasn't she supposed to be Snow now?) stopped Emma. "Wait, I want to talk to you for a minute." Her voice sounded warmer than it had yesterday. Emma hoped they could get along better today.
"Okay," Emma agreed as Mary Margaret (Snow!) led her away from the group so they could talk privately.
"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry Emma for acting the way I did yesterday. Not trusting you to make good decisions. You should be the one to make decisions here. It's a world you understand and we don't. I do trust you to make good decisions, really. I'm sure if we were in the Enchanted Forest, you would trust us to do the same." Emma's eyes widened as she remembered a time when she and…Snow were in the Enchanted Forest. She hadn't trusted Snow's advice at all, at first.
Emma opened her mouth to say something, but Snow continued,
"It's just…Emma, in my mind you were still a baby two weeks ago. I want to be the one to take care of you…and decide what's best for you. But you're an adult now. You don't really need me anymore. I guess I'll have to get used to that."
Emma sighed. "I am an adult now, and yes, I can make decisions about this world better than the rest of you can. I appreciate you realizing that…But it isn't true that I don't need you anymore. I need you to talk to me. I need you to support me. And need you to help me with Henry. I'm Henry's only parent now. It's a little overwhelming. Besides, Henry will never stop wanting to hear more about the Enchanted Forest."
Snow sighed in relief and happiness. "Thank you, Emma, for telling me that. It means a lot."
"And hey, I understand how overwhelming it can be to be in a strange world. And you want to take control of it by making all the decisions yourself. You said if we were in the Enchanted Forest, I would listen to your advice….The thing is…I didn't. Last year, you and I ended up there by ourselves for a couple of weeks. While we were trying to get home to everyone else…I didn't listen to you at all. But we were able to patch things up and work together eventually. Maybe we can do that here, too?"
Snow leaned over and hugged Emma. She wasn't usually big on physical affection, except for Henry. But with her parents…she was learning. So Emma slowly hugged her back.
They were dropped at a bus stop in front of a gas station. Nearby were a few other stores, including a restaurant, an ice cream shop, and a doctor's office. Emma took a look around. The town obviously wasn't very big, but she supposed it wasn't any smaller than Storybrooke. She could get used to it. "Why don't we fill out some applications around here?" She gestured at the different stores. "Maybe we'll get lucky."
The rest of the group nodded, shrugging their shoulders.
"Why don't you try the restaurant first?" Emma asked Ruby (Red!), remembering all of her experience as a waitress in Storybrooke. She pointed to the building called "The Wonder Restaurant."
Ruby gave Emma a strange look. "Are they looking for werewolves to work for them or something?"
Suddenly Emma felt really stupid. Emma was remembering when Ruby had worked as a waitress in Storybrooke. But Red had no memories of that life. She didn't have any idea how to be a waitress. Still, that didn't mean Red couldn't apply, anyway. They'd teach her how to do everything. "No, there're not really looking for werewolves," Emma replied to Red, finally. "I…just think you might enjoy working there. Just ask for an application."
"Sure. Why not?" Red shrugged and went inside The Wonder Restaurant. The rest of the group also filled out applications for the ice cream shop and the restaurant. Emma also filled out an application for the gas station, although she was hoping to get a job in law enforcement again. But since the rest of her companions had no idea how to drive a car, much less pump gas and change oil, she suggested they not apply to that store. They agreed.
Emma had been planning to visit the school department as well, thinking Mary Margaret might be able to get a position there. But as Red just reminded her, Snow had no memories of teaching in Storybrooke. Mary Margaret may have a degree in education, but she wasn't Mary Margaret anymore. Snow did not know how to teach school. So they really shouldn't bother with the school. Henry would need be enrolled in school soon, but they had to have a permanent residence before they could register him.
But Emma still wanted to visit the local police department. Where was that? As she finished her application for the gas station, she asked about it. The man told her to take the street right on the corner of the gas station and go up about a mile and a half. "Then you'll see a big sign that says, "Hampden Police Department. Can't miss it."
Great, Emma said to herself as she left the gas station. More walking. Too bad she didn't have her yellow bug anymore. "I was going to try to apply to the police station as well," she told Snow, David, and Red. "But I don't know anymore…it's an awful long walk. I just don't know…"
"But Emma, haven't you been telling us we should apply to as many places as possible?" David asked. "Shouldn't we try it anyway?"
Emma sighed. David was right. "Yeah, I should try it anyway. I'm afraid…they probably won't take any of you. You have to have experience in law enforcement in order to work at police department. They won't take anyone off the street." As her companion's faces fell, Emma realized how that sounded. "anyone off the street." "Not that I meant…you guys can do lots of things! But in this world…it's going to be difficult for a while. All of your skills were important in the Enchanted Forest…but not quite as important here. I'm sure you'll find your place eventually. But law enforcement…that's what I do. It's my place."
"Then it's definitely a place we should go, Emma" Mary Margaret (Snow! Snow!) said firmly. "If we have to walk a little, so you can see about getting a job that's 'your place,' we should do it."
Emma smiled at her. Her…mother was really trying to support her today. She was doing a great job. "Thanks."
After they spent the last ten minutes walking, Emma paused to look at Henry. She had been so distracted filling out applications and helping the others fill out applications, she didn't really notice…Henry was being unusually quiet. He hadn't said anything about their "adventure" at all. In fact, Emma didn't think he had said anything since he decided this mission would be called "Operation Tarantula." She patted his shoulder as they walked. "Hey, Kid. You okay?"
"Sure," Henry replied. But Emma wasn't convinced. Was he still upset about Regina's death? Probably. What should she do about it? How could she help her son through his grief? "I might be getting a job in the police department again. Maybe you could ride around in my cruiser sometimes like you did in Storybrooke. Won't that be fun?"
"Yeah," Henry replied, trying to sound cheerful but not really succeeding.
"What kind of place do you want to live in? It probably won't be very big, at least not right away, because not all of us are going to get jobs. But do you want a loft like the last apartment was? Or something different?"
"It doesn't matter. Whatever." Henry replied.
"But what about Operation Tarantula?" Emma pressed.
"Oh. Yeah. Of course." Henry tried to sound enthusiastic, but he wasn't really succeeding. Emma knew her son better than that. What should she do?
But just then, a sign that said "Hamden Police Department" appeared before them. They had arrived at their destination.
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Emma went into the "Hamden Police Department" to fill out an application. Snow's instinct was to go in with her, especially when it concerned a job that was so obviously important to her. Couldn't she help her daughter that way? But as Emma strolled into the building confidently, Snow realized she didn't need her help here. She sighed, but reminded herself of the lesson she had learned yesterday. Emma didn't need help with everything. If she did need help, and Emma had assured her she would need help with some things, especially Henry, Emma would ask.
"Excuse me?!" They could hear Emma exclaiming from inside the building. "I can handle a gun as well as anyone on the force! Would you like me to demonstrate? I can do that! Where's your target practice? And I'm probably more fit than some of the men you have here who sit at a desk all day! Do you know how many…criminals I've fought?"
Snow smiled despite herself. Emma seemed to be holding her own in there, ready to prove to the man that she was qualified for the job she was applying. Snow glanced up at Charming and he nodded, grinning. They were both proud of Emma for insisting she could do the job she wanted.
After about fifteen minutes, Emma finally came back outside. "Chauvinist!" Emma grumbled as they walked away. "'Don't you know you'd have to carry a weapon, dear?'" Emma imitated the man she had talked to. "'You might be better off with another job….something that doesn't require you to use so much upper – body strength.'" Emma kicked the ground in frustration as they kept walking. "I start to think that kind of thinking is gone…that women are accepted as law enforcement now… and then I meet another one! He finally let met fill out an application, though."
Snow nodded, understanding Emma's problem. How many knights had told her a princess had no business welding a bow and arrow? It looked like Emma was a lot like Snow, breaking the accepted gender roles of their worlds. Fortunately, Charming always supported Snow's desire to fight and defend herself. From the proud look on his face, it looked like he supported Emma's decision as well. Maybe someday, she and Emma could compare stories on how much fun it was to prove those men wrong.
Out loud, Snow said, "I'm glad you were able to apply, anyway."
Emma shrugged.
They all walked back to the gas station. It was supposed to be a bus stop, right? So where was the bus? Finally Emma noticed a sign that said "Bus Stop. Times: 6:30AM, 12:00PM, and 5:00PM. Emma sighed. "Looks like we just missed it when that guy dropped us off. Well, now we have about three hours to wait before the next bus." She shrugged. "Ice cream, anyone? Would you like an ice cream, Henry?"
"Sure. Just get me whatever." Henry didn't sound that excited about something Emma obviously thought would delight him. Emma looked at him again, concerned. Snow sighed. He was probably still upset over Regina's death. He had spent a lot of time at her grave site the last few days. Since Henry was Emma's son and her grandson, sometimes it was easy to forget Regina had been his mother, too. She was happy that Regina had repented before she died. But frankly, Snow would be glad if they could put her out of their minds now that she was out of their lives. Of course, Henry couldn't do that…and probably didn't want to, either. What were they going to do about that?
"I'll have some ice cream," Snow commented, hoping to get Henry interested in it. Red and Charming agreed to try ice cream as well. They all ordered something called "twist", - a mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in a cone. The "cone" was sort of like a huge cookie; only it was shaped like a funnel so the ice cream could stay inside it without making that much of a mess. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, they all finished them in about ten minutes. What were they going to do with the rest of their time?
"I'd really like to find a newspaper. They don't have any around here, though. Maybe they'll have them somewhere else. If we had a paper, we'd have something to read while we wait for the bus. Plus, some employers advertise in the paper when they want new workers. We might have better luck finding jobs if we look in the paper first." Emma looked around, trying to figure out where she'd find this "newspaper."
She eventually asked someone and figured out that newspapers were sold in the Shop'N Save, just up the street, about five minutes from here. Relieved they didn't have to walk this far this time, they all headed in that direction. They quickly bought a newspaper called, - "The Bangor Daily News," - and brought it back to the bus stop.
The Bangor Daily News had information about other kingdoms, problems with the kingdom they were in (apparently it was called the United States), and information about the city called Bangor. It also had drawings which tried to encourage the reader to shop at various shops and buy certain items. But it did also have places which were looking for workers. The places included several restaurants, stores, and another hospital in the city called Bangor. Emma suggested they should find these places as soon as the bus showed up.
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The bus finally arrived at 12:00PM, just like the sign said it would. All five of them climbed onto the bus. As Snow looked around, she noticed it reminded her more of the carriages she was used to. There were several seats that faced each other, for one thing. The group quickly took advantage of those seats, especially since there were many others riding the bus. Snow and Charming took one set of seats, which were big enough to hold two. Emma, Red, and Henry took the seat across from them. That was one thing Snow definitely wasn't used to sharing a transportation vehicle with strangers. It wasn't that she was worried about the strangers or anything; Snow and Charming could handle anyone attacking their family. After the confrontation with the "Hamden Police" this morning, she was pretty sure Emma could handle it as well. It was just…unsettling to travel with strangers, especially since Emma had mentioned they needed to try to blend in this world. Snow moved closer to Charming and he wrapped his arm around her.
"Try to hold on to the seat or one of the bars," Emma whispered loudly to her companions as she demonstrated, holding on to the metal bar next to her seat. Snow shrugged, confused why they would need to. They never needed to hold on to anything in the carriages. But she remembered how she had decided to trust her daughter's judgment in this world. So she grabbed the back side of the seat. After noticing everyone else had done so, Henry also grabbed the back of his seat. Snow nodded to herself. Maybe this "holding on" was only necessary to make sure Henry did so.
As soon as the bus began to move, though, Snow decided it was very necessary to hold on to her seat! This thing moved a lot faster than a carriage! All the transportation vehicles in this world seemed to move really fast! Were they safe? But Emma didn't seem worried, so Snow tried to remain calm. Charming, of course, noticed she wasn't and squeezed her arm in reassurance.
They were dropped off at a place with a lot of other similar looking buses were. The sign in front of the building said "Bangor Bus Station." Inside were bathroom facilities as well as maps and bus routes of the area. They all used the bathroom facilities. (Snow still couldn't get over how easy it was to use here. On the other hand, she had to share the facilities with strangers! Yuck!) Then they all examined the maps and their newspaper, trying to decide which bus they should board next.
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They spent all afternoon applying at every restaurant, hospital, and store that the newspaper had listed. Some were downtown. Others were near the building Emma called a "mall." Emma also applied to the Bangor Police Department. Fortunately, she encountered no such problems about applying because she was a woman.
There was one more restaurant they decided to try. It was around the corner from one of the hospitals called "Eastern Maine Medical." The restaurant was a small, family type place that was looking for waitresses. It was perfect. All of them asked for applications for the place, which was called "The Hot Spot." The man behind the desk gave them eagerly, stating how much he needed more waitresses.
Unfortunately, Charming stepped out for a few minutes to use the bathroom facilities. As soon as he was gone, the man behind the desk's attitude changed. He began looking all the women up and down, obviously imagining them without clothes on. Snow and Emma both got up to leave disgusted. "What a creep!" Snow muttered as she walked away. The man was lucky she didn't have a bow handy. She had encountered men like that back in the Enchanted Forest, too, when she was on the run. Not all the people she had encountered were werewolves, Charming Princes, or Regina's black knights. Some of them really were outlaws. And when those outlaws saw a woman, alone in the forest…They looked. Some of them even tried more than that. Snow quickly showed them that she didn't carry the bow just for show.
But as Emma and Snow were almost out the door, they turned back to look at Red. "So I can start tonight? Seriously! That's great! I'll be back in a couple of hours!" Red was actually going to work for that piece of scum? Why? And she actually sounded excited about it? To make matters worse as she turned to leave, the man reached out and actually grabbed her breast! Surely she wasn't going to work for him anymore! But Red left the building all smiles. "Isn't it great? He already gave me a job! I can start tonight!"
"But Red, didn't you see the way he…" Snow couldn't even finish. "And then he actually grabbed…" She gestured to Red's bosom. "You can't tell me that's okay!"
Red shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I mean, Emma says we all need jobs to live in this world, right? So now I have one."
Emma shook her head. "It's true, we all need jobs. But that doesn't mean you have to have a job…with that kind of harassment! Find something else. Please."
But Red shrugged again. "No, it's fine. I don't mind him. Really."
Charming had finally rejoined the group by then. "So what's going on with this place? I thought we were all going to fill out forms, but when I was done…using…you know, you were all gone."
Snow sighed. "Trust me, Charming, you don't want to work there. And you certainly don't want Emma or me to work there, either." She grabbed his hand. In all honesty, Snow knew Charming wouldn't want Red working there as well. Charming had always treated Red like a sister; he wouldn't approve of anyone acting like that toward her. But maybe his reaction wouldn't be quite as severe as if it were her or Emma. Anyway, it seemed no one was going to talk Red out of working for that creep and a half.
But Charming, being Charming, couldn't leave it at that, of course. It wasn't that he didn't trust Snow; he always did. But Charming always had a natural curiosity, especially when it concerned Snow (or Emma). "What do you mean by that? It looks like a restaurant, just like all of the others we've been into. Why is this one so bad?"
"The man in charge was acting…inappropriately." Snow hoped she didn't have to explain just how inappropriately he acted. She shuttered as she remembered how he had grabbed Red's breast.
Charming nodded, understanding now. His face became angry, thinking about a man acting inappropriately toward women he loved and cared about. "Then let's find some other places to try."
Red apparently decided to keep quiet about her decision to work there, anyway.
They waited for another bus and tried some stores and restaurants in the town across the bridge, the one they had entered yesterday. Brewer. Emma also applied to the police department in that town. Finally, they had applied at all of the places that had listening in the paper and some that didn't. They applied at every possible place they could work. "Now we just have to wait for someone to call us back," Emma commented, shrugging. "In the meantime, we're not going to find a place to live tonight. We can get a motel room. At least it'll be indoors."
"Actually, I should head back to The Hot Spot. I start work there tonight," Red said cheerfully.
Charming looked confused. "But I thought you said the man behaved inappropriately?" he said, looking at Snow.
"I did. Red decided to work there anyway." Snow shrugged, still not approving of the other woman's decision.
"Red, I really think you should find a better job. Some place you can be comfortable," Charming tried to reason with her. His face became angry again, thinking about the other man again.
"No. Really I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine with it."
"Well I'm not fine with it!" Charming replied.
"Look. We all need jobs. This man has given me one. Deal with it. All of you. I mean it." Red said firmly. Her eyes showed there would be no room for argument. "Now I'm going to board the bus I need to get to my job. Let me know where we end up spending the night. You can use my…cell phone thing."
Snow shrugged as they watched Red walk off to the bus. "So where are we going stay?" She still wasn't happy with Red's decision, but there wasn't anything they could do about it right now. They bought supper at something called a "McDonalds." Emma and Henry had cheeseburgers, French fries, and cokes. After realizing French Fries were fried vegetables of some sort, Snow and Charming decided to try them as well. They also ordered chicken sandwiches and waters. Neither Snow nor Charming were ready to try the bizarre drinks that Emma and Henry were enjoying.
Or at least Henry was trying to look like he was enjoying the coke. Henry hadn't talked much all day, unless he was spoken to. Even then he only gave short answers, trying to appear more cheerful than he really was. The poor kid was still upset about Regina, obviously. Snow remembered losing her mother when she was about Henry's age. Nothing had seemed alright for a long time, even though she still had her father and Johanna to take care of her. Even Regina, ironically, had been there to take care of Snow for a while. It still didn't change the fact that her mother was dead. So Snow knew a little of what he was going through. Even though he had a family, and even a mother in Emma, he had still lost the mother who raised him. It was just going to take time for Henry to be okay again.
The French fries were surprisingly very good. Snow made a mental note order them again if she got the chance. Or better yet, learn how to make them herself. She couldn't wait to have her own kitchen again. Maybe she'd get lucky and get a job cooking, like Granny had. "How do you make these things?" Snow asked Emma as she munched on one of her French fries.
Emma gave Snow a "you're kidding" look. "You're asking me how to make something? I don't cook! Don't you remember that from – " Emma stopped short, suddenly realizing why Snow was already shaking her head. Snow had no memories of Emma. At least not from the time Emma was referring to. When they lived in Storybrooke together.
"I'm so sorry!" Emma immediately apologized. "I didn't think! Of course you wouldn't remember! I…" Emma tried to think of something to say to make this situation better. Emma had just reminded Snow that not only had she lost twenty – eight years with her daughter, but she also didn't remember the last two years they had spent together. Snow sighed, looking at the floor as she struggled to regain her emotions. Charming gave her hand a squeeze.
Still, it could be worse, Snow thought to herself as she gathered herself. At least Emma had those memories to remember. "Emma, it's okay," Snow said as she looked back at her daughter.
"No, it's not!" Emma protested. "I shouldn't have said – "
"It's fine," Snow said firmly, cutting her off. "I'm glad at least you have those memories of us to look back on. I wish I had them, too, but at least one of us remembers."
Emma shrugged. "Okay. Well anyway, I was trying to tell you cooking is not my thing. I can make sandwiches. I can heat up soup from a can. But anything more complicated…nope. Not for me. Although I can tell you French fries come from cut up potatoes. That's about all I know." Emma took a bite of one of the French fries.
Snow smiled. "We'll it's nice I'll be around to help with the cooking, then." At least she'd be able to help her daughter by providing her and Henry with good food. Maybe she could be more of a mother than she had thought.
They finished their dinner and threw out their trash. Then they found a motel with rooms for only $70 a piece, including breakfast. It wasn't a bad price, although they all decided they'd have to share a room with two beds and a couch for Henry. Snow and Charming were disappointed they wouldn't get their own room, but they agreed it made more sense to share. As Emma pointed out, the room may be only $70, but who knew how long they'd have to stay here? Of course, Emma was also slightly uncomfortable with sharing a room. She kept eyeing Snow and Charming warily, as if she wasn't sure what they would do. Snow was going to have to ask her about that after Henry went to sleep. Emma couldn't honestly think she and Charming would do anything with Emma and Henry in the room! They had been fine when they were all in the cave, after all.
They left a key for Red at the front desk, with instructions on who should pick up the key. Then Emma turned on something called a "TV," which was kept in their room. It had pictures and sounds of different people in different places. It was unsettling at first; it reminded Snow so much of Regina's magic mirrors. But Emma assured her there was nothing evil about it; it was just entertainment. The pictures and sounds were put together to form a story of some sort. The story was called a "show." So they all settled in to watch a show called, "Friends."
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Red rode the bus and arrived at "The Hot Spot" just in time for her first shift which began at 5:00PM. She was given a new outfit which she was told to wear every time she worked there. It consisted of a red shirt which covered her breasts and not much else, and a skirt that only came down to her thighs. Snow, Emma, and Prince James would be appalled to see her dressed like this, Red thought to herself. At least it was red; she felt more comfortable in this color.
Mr. Jenison, her new boss admired her outfit in a similar way that he had admired all of the women's bodies this afternoon. "That looks great on you! Tina will be in soon to train you." As she walked away, he gave her a slap on the bottom. Red shook her head as she walked off. The others were right. The man was acting inappropriately. The outfits, the looks, the…grabbing. But somehow it didn't bother her very much. Emma had said they needed jobs and money. Now she had both.
Another waitress came in within a couple of minutes. "Hi I'm Tina," the other waitress said, shaking her hand.
"Hi I'm Re…" Red remembered her name here had to be Ruby, because that was the name Emma had said was on her social security number and photo ID, which she apparently needed in order to have a job. "I'm Ruby."
"So, it's really not that hard. It's just a standard waitress job. You give people menus; ask them what they want, give them their food, blah, blah, blah." Red nodded, trying to pretend she knew what the other woman was talking about. But she was glad Tina had said something. Red actually had no clue what a waitress did, although she was sure she could handle it.
"The biggest problem with this job is the men around here, especially the boss" Tina continued. "Mr. Jenison's hands…wander as I'm sure you've noticed." Red nodded. "Careful about that. I've heard if you let him get away with too much…he starts asking for…favors." Red nodded, not sure what Tina meant, although it didn't sound good. What had she gotten herself into? "But if you tell him off about it, he'll fire you. On the bright side, the tips here are great. I can earn up to $75 a night sometimes! The weekly pay isn't too bad for waitressing, either. Six dollars an hour. I take home about $150 a week."
Well, as long as she could earn money that was what was important, right? Red spent the rest of the night learning how to be a waitress. Emma had been right when she said it was easy. All she had to do was take orders from customers, give the orders to the cooks, and give the food to the customers when the food was ready. Most of the customers were men, so a lot of them…enjoyed looking at her, like Mr. Jenison did. At least they didn't grab her breasts or bottom. But by the time her shift for the night was over she had earned $50 in tips! With the money she still had from the life she didn't remember, she had almost $90 total! It was great.
When she was finished, Red (or Ruby) was instructed to be back the next day, at the same time. Snow called her on the cell phone device and told her they had a room at the Bangor Motor In. Her key was available at the front desk.
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OOOOOOOOOO
Henry took a shower, and then Emma instructed him to go to bed. He did so without any complaints. That really worried Emma. It was possible he was simply really tired. But Henry had been having that problem most of the day; he didn't engage with Emma and he didn't get excited about anything. He only spoke when he was spoken to, and when was the last time Henry had gone to bed when he was supposed to, no questions asked? It was like nothing mattered to him anymore, even though she knew Henry was trying to pretend otherwise.
"What do you think I should do about him?" she whispered to David and Mary Margaret (Snow! She was Snow!) after Henry had laid down.
David shrugged. "I think you should just keep doing what you're doing. Keep trying to get him interested in what we're doing and in the world around him. He should be alright eventually."
Emma shook her head. She had never been very comfortable with the passive approach to problem solving. She wanted something would help Henry now.
"Emma, whether we like it or not, Henry just lost someone very important in his life. It's going to take time for him to get over that. I remember when I lost my mother. For a long time, nothing was okay, even though I still had others who cared about me. He just needs time to get over it. It's okay for him to be upset," Mary Margaret…Snow said reasonably, drawing on her own experience. "Sometimes I'm still upset," she admitted. David put his arm around her, and she leaned into his comfort.
Emma understood what she was saying intellectually. It was okay to be upset, especially when someone close is gone from your life. But life had taught Emma if you stop and acknowledge those emotions, you got trampled on. Would that happen to her son? Shouldn't she just help him move on? Out loud, Emma said, "I just wish there was a way I could fix it for him…Take this all away."
Mary Margaret and David nodded. "We always do, Emma. We always do. It's just not always possible." The tone in their voice made it clear they wanted to fix her problems, just like she wanted to fix Henry's. What was she going to do about that?
Get out of this room, that's what. "I'm going to go take a shower." With that, Emma dashed into the bathroom. Letting the water run down her back felt wonderful. How long had it been since she had had a real shower? With soap? This was heaven.
Eventually, though she had to get out. She put her clothes aside. Tomorrow they'd have to look into buying new clothes. How long had she worn that outfit? Over two weeks now? It was getting old. Then she put on one of the bathrobes the motel provided and blow – dried her hair. When she exited the bathroom, she felt calm and refreshed. Ready to face Mary Margaret and David…acting like parents.
When she reappeared, David decided he'd use the shower (alone, thank goodness), if Emma showed him how it worked. She did, and he got the hang of it pretty quickly. After Emma exited again, Mary Margret (Snow! She was supposed to be Snow!) smiled at her, nervously. Nervously? What did she have to be nervous about? This didn't look good. "While he's gone, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Emma took a deep breath and reminded her that she had been ready for this before. "You…ah... keep making reference to Charming and I having our own room. Have we…ever acted…inappropriately…in front of you? I can't imagine why we would but you keep saying things…and…"
Oh. Oh. Oh. No. No. No. No! Emma thought she was ready for Mary Margaret or Snow, or whatever, to act like a mother to her. But she definitely wasn't ready for this conversation! But…Snow was looking very determined, obviously not ready to back down. And there was nowhere for her to run this time. After all, they had only paid for one room! Why had that seemed like a good idea, again? David had the bathroom occupied, as well. The only thing Emma could do was…answer the question. "You guys never did anything in front of me…or at least…not really. What I was referring to was…well…" Sheesh, she had thought the time she walked in on them was bad enough! Now she had to explain what happened to…her mother? "When we lived in Storybrooke together after the Curse broke…Henry and I had gone to pick up some food at the store…You guys…thought we were going to be gone…longer than we were…so…"
Mary Margaret was already nodding in understanding. "Maybe we'll stick to a bedroom from now on," she muttered.
Emma sighed. "Yeah…well…actually you did…But your bedroom in Storybrooke was designed for a single woman. Before the Curse broke, you know. It had no real doors…That's actually what I meant by you should have your own room. A room with doors! And walls!"
Mary Margaret nodded. "I see. I'll keep that in mind when we look for somewhere to live."
Emma smiled in relief that that awkward conversation was finally over. "I will say, I'm glad Henry hasn't had 'the talk' yet! He had no idea what was going on!" She laughed, and Mary Margaret laughed, too.
Emma glanced at the time. "You should probably call Ruby…I mean, Red, to tell her where we are. Her shift should be over now."
Mary Margaret (Snow! She was supposed to be Snow!) nodded. "Of course. Let me get my phone. How do you use that thing again?" Emma quickly showed her how to find Ruby/Red's number in the phone and how to dial it out. Red was on her way.
David came out of the shower and sat next to Mary Margaret on her bed. Emma took the second one, which she would share with Red. As soon as Red arrived in the room, they all turned out the light.
Thank you for the reviews I've received so far. I'm glad there are people enjoying this story. And as far as Emma having a life outside of Storybrooke, yes she does have a bank account (as do the rest of the characters, because I'm assuming they had a bank in Storybrooke that could transfer to other banks). There will be more about that in chapter three.
As far as her job as a bounty hunter, yes that's true. But I don't think she'd want a job like that now, because it would require her to travel to much, chasing criminals all over the place. It wouldn't be stable for Henry. Still, she might use her back ground as a bounty hunter to get another job. Wait and see.