"Oh, gimmie!" Emma cried as she snatched the hot chocolate off Ruby and flopped into a seat on the public side of the counter.
"Wait!" Ruby lifted her hand helplessly as Emma drank deeply.
Emma needed the chocolate hit. She had been tired and sore all day and now faced the prospect of walking all the way back home. She needed the sugar. She winced as she got past the cream and the hot chocolate burnt her tongue but it was worth it.
"Great!" Ruby scowled. "Emma you doofus, that wasn't your hot chocolate!"
"Yes it was," Emma smacked her lips together in satisfaction. "It had cinnamon on it."
"You're not the only weirdo that likes cinnamon on their hot chocolate," Ruby said grumpily. She had graciously traded Emma's evening shift after what happened yesterday with Regina but was already regretting it. Just one more reason for Emma to hurry up and get out of there before six fifteen. The thought of seeing Regina made her blood boil and she didn't need another trip behind bars.
"Who else does?" Emma asked finishing the drink.
"Me, I'm the other weirdo," Mary-Margret gave her a small wave from the seat next to her. Emma groaned, she had seen Ruby and the hot chocolate with cinnamon coming towards her and assumed it was hers. Obviously she was giving it to the paying customer first.
"Sorry," Emma said contritely.
Mary-Margret just waved her away. "Don't worry, I ordered it against my better judgement. This was god's way of telling me to stick to my diet."
"Diet?" Emma scoffed "you're not fat." She knew all about being fat.
"No, but I have a terrible sweet tooth and a mouth full of cavities," Mary-Margret shrugged guiltily.
"Sorry again," Emma muttered eyeing the clock. Five fifty five. "Okay, Red, I'm taking off. All the orders are in and table two paid in advance."
"Are you heading home?" Mary-Margret asked quickly standing up and grabbing her coat.
"Yeah," Emma nodded pulling on her light jacket and un-tucking her hair from the back.
"You live just before the emerald city right?" Mary-Margret said eagerly falling in step beside Emma.
Emma raised her eye-brow at the other woman. "I have no idea where that is."
"What it is actually. Its a ring of evergreens, it's absolutely beautiful and a great place to watch birds. I'm a bird watcher," Mary-Margret took out a pair of binoculars from her bag and held them up for Emma to see. "I was heading there right now. I could give you a lift home?"
Emma eyed her suspiciously. She honestly couldn't tell if she was being hit on or if this was the famous small town kindness she had heard about. Either way she wasn't used to someone being so eager to spend time with her. "I'm okay, thanks."
Mary-Margret seemed to deflate and put her binoculars away sadly. She bit her lip before nodding to herself determinedly. "Okay, so I'm not actually going that way," she admitted at last "but I do want to give you a lift home."
"Why?" Emma's tone was harsh. She was so sick of people treating her like a charity case.
"Do you ever just get a feeling about someone?" Mary-Margret looked torn and distressed trying to explain.
"So you are hitting on me?" Emma asked confused.
"No!" Mary-Margret shook her head startled. "Why would I-? Ah, no, just no."
She seemed so confused at the idea that Emma relaxed. "Okay, you can give me a lift home."
"Really?" Mary-Margret's face lit up. "That's great!"
"Yeah," Emma smiled unsure. Did she just make friends with the town crazy?
XxXx
Emma heaved herself out of the bath and avoided looking in the mirror. She did not want to see how fat she was today. She wrapped a towel around herself and was more careful about passing windows now. Mary-Margret didn't take her polite hints about the house not being ready for visitors and came in anyway. They chatted and made small talk before Mary-Margret had to leave. She did invite Emma to some Halloween fair this Sunday which sounded pretty interesting.
Her door rapped sharply and Emma was struck by a feeling of déjà-vu. She peered through the peep hole to see Regina on the other side of it. She rolled her eyes in irritation. "What the hell do you want?" She demanded opening the door.
"I see you put up curtains," Regina eyed her unimpressed.
She hadn't actually. Emma had used some of the bigger towels to block the downstairs windows since she still slept on an air mattress in the living room. She was in no mood to be near the mayor today and went to shut the door in her face. The mayor lunged forward and jammed her foot and arm in the way stopping Emma from closing the door.
"What?" Emma growled impatient. She was still wet and the cold air didn't help.
"You weren't there today," Regina said softly staring intently at her.
"Obviously," Emma scoffed.
"Why?" Regina pressed.
Emma opened the door wider to fully face the other woman. She was not going to hit her-she didn't want to go back to jail. She was not going to hit her. "You have to be kidding me?" Emma growled "you threw money at me like I'm some charity case and you expected me to serve you with a smile the next day?"
"You don't smile," Regina pointed out.
"So not the point!" Emma snapped.
"You need money, I have money. Why are you making this so hard?" Regina frowned and had the audacity to look annoyed with Emma.
"So you, what? Go around giving money to people down on their luck? Doesn't seem very in character for you! Why the hell are you so insistent about annoying a girl you haven't even known a month yet?" Emma jabbed her finger into Regina's chest but the other woman didn't move. "What makes me so damn special?"
Regina looked a little confused. Her eyes tracked down to Emma's belly. "You're young, and pregnant and all alone..."
"And i don't need or want your pity," Emma finished for her. Because she had already taken enough, Emma had already been forced to give up so much of herself... "I have my pride."
"You can't eat your pride," Regina snapped. She made a big show of peering around Emma to look at her sad almost empty living room and her bare hallway. "Your child can't sleep on your pride, or play, or have any sort of life that is acceptable, on pride alone!"
"I'm working!" Emma snapped shoving Regina away from the doorway. "I'm doing honest work for once in my life, so you don't get to judge me! If I keep him then, fine, my kid won't get a car for his sixteenth birthday or ever have more than a high school drop out for his mother, but at least he will be loved! That's more than most kids get!" More than she got.
"Pride, love," Regina sneered as she threw up her hands and half turned away. "The war cries of the idiot masses. The disenfranchised and discontented only cling to the intangible because they have nothing else. You are young and stupid and when that screaming baby is demanding something more solid in its belly than love, we'll see how far your pride and love will get you."
"They'll keep me far away from you!" Emma yelled and even though the other woman was retreating, it didn't feel like Emma had won.
XxXx
Emma was just outside Granny's ready to relieve Ruby when a pack of dogs came charging at her. She tripped in her haste to get out of the way and went down on her ass. She threw her hands up as the stampede hurtled towards her.
"Hey!" A pair of bright red heels appeared in front of her.
Emma jerked her head up to see Ruby standing before her. Ruby's hands were on her hips and she was yelling at the dogs that had stopped in their tracks. Most of the dogs had their tails between their legs and their heads hung low. One of the bigger dogs growled threateningly but whimpered when Ruby turned her gaze on it.
"Bad dogs!" Ruby said crossly "now, sit!" Amazingly all eight of the dogs sat down almost as one.
"Oh, Ruby, thank goodness it was you that found them," A skinny man in a leather jacket ran up bending over at the waist as he tried to catch his breath. "I turned my back for a moment and they were out of their cages. I'm sure it was Tramp, he's always up to no good. I've been chasing them all the way from the animal shelter."
"You really should watch out, Graham," Ruby frowned turning to help Emma to her feet. Emma was embarrassed to admit that she needed Ruby's help to get up. "They nearly ran over Emma!"
"I'm so sorry," Graham apologised slipping leashes on the dogs but didn't look at her. "Oh, crap, there's two missing. Did you see Tramp and a King Charles run past?"
"What's a King Charles doing in the animal shelter?" Ruby frowned dusting Emma down.
"We thinks she's a pet but you know what Hodge is like, I was going to put up posters for her but now..." Graham sighed. "I'm going to get these back to the shelter. Sorry again, Emily."
"It's Emma!" Ruby called after him.
"What's up with that accent and since when did you become Tarzan?" Emma frowned as Ruby linked their arms together and walked them into Granny's.
"I'm hardly Tarzan, dogs just seem to like me," Ruby shrugged not thinking much of her ability to control wild dogs. The dogs didn't seem to like Ruby from the way they coward when she yelled at them. "And what accent?"
"The dog catcher's accent," Emma said "it's really odd."
"Graham is the sheriff and he doesn't have an accent," Ruby looked at Emma strangely.
"Yes, he does," Emma argued "it's terrible. I thought you had to be American to be a sheriff."
"Graham is American. He's lived in Storybrooke his whole life," Ruby patted Emma gently on the shoulder. "Did you hit your head when you fell?"
"You're telling me you don't hear that accent?" Emma pushed.
Ruby seemed to be considering it. "Well, I suppose there's a little twang but he could have got that of the TV. I guess i just ignore it. Such a prime slice of man meat is meant to be ogled not listened too."
"He was pretty," Emma acknowledged but he was also the reason she was nearly killed by wild dogs.
"Darn right he is," Ruby said grabbing her coat with a grin. "It's a shame that he's the mayors."
"Hold on Ruby," Granny said from behind the counter.
"Ah, Gran, I promised Ash that I would meet her after work," Ruby whined bobbing up and down on her heels like a kid.
"And you can but hold up a little," Granny jerked her chin towards the front window. A silver haired man was heading inside Granny's. He was a tall black column against the weak light of the autumn sun. The black robe he was wearing over his dark trousers came to his knee and looked very old fashioned. "Father Frollo is coming in."
"Emma why don't you get things straightened up in the kitchen," Ruby said immediately dropping her coat on the counter. She looked apprehensive.
"Why?" Emma asked eyeing the man coming in suspiciously.
"I'll explain later," Ruby hustled her behind the counter and all but shoved her into the kitchen. Emma was annoyed and tried to barge back into the diner but Ruby was standing in front of the door and slammed it hard into her. Emma staggered back holding her belly. Crap that really hurt. She huffily took a seat to ease the shooting pains that ran up and down her belly.
"What the hell was that about?" Emma demanded when Ruby came in fifteen minutes later.
"That was Father Frollo," Ruby shuddered. "He's creepy and the rumours that run around about him..." Ruby looked really uncomfortable and didn't finish her sentence.
"It's just better for you to avoid him," Granny said from the doorway. Her wrinkled face was pulled tight in an expression of severity. "Even if those rumours have no truth to them, he's still an old-school preacher man and no one should make you feel ashamed of your circumstances."
Emma's hand automatically fell to her pregnancy bump. She felt her face get hot but she refused to be shamed. She knew Granny and Ruby didn't mean to make her feel that way but it still did. "I have nothing to be ashamed off," she tilted her chin up defiantly. She hated the fact that her voice wavered.
"Damn right you don't!" Ruby nodded and slung her arm around Emma's shoulders. "Now get out there and serve the customers, I don't want to get caught by the mayor and I'm already late to meet Ash."
"You're all heart Ruby," Emma rolled her eyes fondly but got back to work.
XxXx
"Six-twenty!"
Emma finished giving out the drinks at table three and made her way back to the counter. She scooped up the roast dinner and brought it to the mayor. She turned to go when Regina cleared her throat. Emma turned back with narrowed eyes and growled "what?"
"Where is my cola?" Regina tilted her chin up looking stern.
"You never drink cola," Emma snapped.
"I have a small glass of cola on Sundays to go along with my roast," Regina sniffed.
"Fine, I'll get you your damn cola," Emma turned to march away when the mayor cleared her throat again.
"I have my own glass," the mayor held out a glass that was so clear it was nearly invisible. There was a stylised golden RM near the top of the rim on one side. Emma rolled her eyes, of course she had her own damn glass for cola. Its twin sat on the table already filled with water. Emma grabbed the glass and went to get the damn cola. She was tempted to slam the cola glass down on the table but didn't want to risk spilling it. She was already in enough debt and she couldn't afford to pay for another of the mayors suits.
"You really should thank god that you work in a well paying industry and not in a profession in which its primary source of income is derived from tips and good customer service-oh wait," Regina gave her a faux thoughtful smile before she shrugged condescendingly. "Well at least you have your pride to subsidise the loss."
Emma's nostrils flared and her jaw clenched. She was not going to have her baby behind bars. With a herculean effort Emma forced herself to give the mayor a brittle smile.
"Careful dear, with that much joy you might get wrinkles," Regina smirked.
Emma turned on her heel and walked away stiffly before she did something stupid. Regina ate the rest of her dinner with a very self satisfied air that Emma was doing her best to ignore. She didn't speak or look at the other woman when she went to pay and thankfully the mayor didn't try to speak to Emma again.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Emma growled as she went to clear the mayor's table. Usually that involved lifting the plate and water jug and giving it a quick wipe down. Not that it needed it since the mayor usually cleaned the table herself before she left. She was like a master thief wiping away her fingerprints. Now however a fifty dollar note sat under the plate.
"What's wrong Emma?" Granny said coming out of the kitchen.
"Regina just left a fifty dollar tip on an eighteen dollar meal!" Emma said disgusted. She stuffed the money in the charity box and the note stuck half way out just to annoy her like its previous owner loved to do.
"That's nice the only tips she leaves Ruby is fashion advice," Granny snorted. She took the note out of the charity box and pressed it against Emma's palm. "Take the money."
"I am not taking her guilt money!" Emma snapped trying to drag her hand away.
Granny yanked her back and slapped her upside the head for good measure. Emma winced stunned at the old woman's severe look and the surprise swat to the head. "Emma Swan, did you serve the mayor?"
"Yes ma'am," Emma agreed petulantly.
"And did you clean the table after her?" Granny continued. Her glare could frighten wolves away from the door.
"Yes ma'am."
"Then that money is yours, you worked for it," Granny glared at her. Emma opened her mouth but Granny cut her off. "I don't want to hear it Emma Swan! I am all for holding on to your pride, goodness knows that helped me raise Ruby right-but there's pride and then there's foolishness. It's not integrity that keeps you from claiming money that you've worked hard for, its stupidity. Goodness knows the mayor is hard work and you are many things dear, but you are not stupid, isn't that right?"
"Yes ma'am," Emma said thoroughly cowed. She felt like one of the dogs that Ruby had yelled at earlier.
"Good. Now put that money in your pocket and we won't hear another thing about it," Granny let go of Emma's wrist with a nod. "Honey this isn't your break time, now shoo!"
Emma shoo-ed.
XxXx
Emma was cleaning the counter with only Leroy for company. The tiny man was eyeing her with bleary blood shot eyes. It was clear he was still trying to make his mind up about her. Emma scoffed, of all the people to judge her she was pretty sure even she could pass the town drunks approval.
"Seen you hanging out with Mary-Margret," Leroy huffed holding out his whiskey glass. "A double this time."
"Yeah, she invited me to that Halloween fair," Emma raised her eyebrow and met his gaze head on. "Let's see the money first," she jerked her head to the glass.
"You saying I'm not good for it?" Leroy's voice got louder but he wasn't really yelling. Emma could tell the difference between an angry shout and a drunk talking loudly.
"Yeah that's what I'm saying," Emma held up the whiskey bottle letting it swing back and forth out of Leroy's reach.
Leroy grumbled and glared but dug into his pockets. He pulled out a fistful of change and rather than count it he let it scatter across the counter. "There, that ought to do ya," he sneered.
Emma smirked back and poured him his drink before she started to scoop out the nickels and dimes. "So did you get kicked out of the only other bar in town?"
"That place stinks, filled with people having fun and dancing," Leroy grumbled. "This place is nicer, less noisy and filled with hard faced bastards like me," he gave her a smirk as he saluted her with his whiskey.
"Definitely no one having fun here," Emma agreed as she pushed the rest of his change back at him.
"No, just a snot nosed brat that's not even old enough to drink the alcohol that she's serving," Leroy glared bitterly.
"And an old drunk who can't remember the last time he pissed straight," Emma glared back.
Leroy looked furious for a second before he burst out laughing in a gruff tone. "You're okay kid," he nodded mostly to himself. "So, you pregnant or just fat?"
"Why? You just rude or interested?" Emma shot back.
"Ha! You're not even the bait, you're just jail," Leroy snorted completely disinterested.
That made Emma relax and she offered him a genuine smile. "I'm nearly seven months along."
"And the father?" Leroy asked leaning over the counter to grope for the whiskey bottle.
"Bad guy," Emma said surprised at her out of character honesty. She slapped his hands away from the bottle.
"You hiding from him?" Leroy peered intently at her.
Emma stared at him unsure of how or if to answer the question. Leroy stared back before nodding. "If he comes around here, you let me know, I'll kick his ass or at least fall on him long enough to give you a head start." Leroy snorted into his empty glass.
"You'd say anything for a free drink," Emma laughed but was secretly touched at the offer. Not that she would need it or that she thought anything would come of it. Drunks were often the most generous people if you were dealing with hypotheticals. She poured him a drink anyway.
The door bells chimed and the dog catcher came in. "Hey, there," he said in that accent of his. He rubbed his stubble and gave Emma an award winning smile. He looked more like a model than a Sherriff. "Emily, right?"
"Emma," She corrected. "What can I do for you Sherriff?"
"Emma, right, sorry," he placed his hand on the breast of his waistcoat. "Graham," he said roguishly "sorry about earlier, I work at an animal shelter and those dogs got away from me."
"Well hopefully the bad guys don't do the same," Emma said and Leroy snorted a laugh.
Graham glanced at Leroy but just rolled his eyes. "There isn't any real bad guys in Storybrooke, the dogs are the most exciting part of my day. Can I get a cup of coffee to go?"
"Sure thing," Emma said turning and pouring the coffee like a pro. She gave the take out cup to Graham and he gave her five dollars.
"Keep the change," he said flashing his award winning smile again before disappearing out the door.
He was gone to quickly for Emma to protest. She didn't even have time to open the register. "Don't even think about it," Leroy warned her.
"What?" She asked.
"That there is the mayor's vibrator," Leroy pointed his finger at her. "Aint no good going to come from trying to steal another woman's vibrator."
"Ew," Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"That's what all the girls say as they look after him all doe eyed, but sure enough, they try to use him themselves and Regina just-bam!" Leroy slapped the counter. "You're already in enough trouble with the mayor from what I heard, you don't need no more."
"Okay, first of all, he's cute but I'm in no position to chase after anyone," Emma gestured at her stomach "and two, I was looking after him because he's over tipped me for coffee. I wonder if Regina sent him?"
"Probably," Leroy shrugged. "That guy doesn't so much as fart without Regina's permission. Probably why he walks around like he's a stick up his ass or maybe-" Emma could tell by the glint in Leroy's eye that she did not want him to finish that sentence.
"Ok! I get it!" She held up her hands in defeat.
