Thank you for all who reviewed. So just to be clear. This is total au. I may include some points from ouat for the most part this is just something I've come up with. Dont own anything just playing. Hope you enjoy.

The alarm clock rang and Emma groaned and reached out from under the blankets to find the off button. It had been a long night, she had tossed and turned for an hour before finally falling asleep. Thoughts racing through her head and keeping sleep from her. When she did sleep strange dreams haunted her. Gold was in them, but not like he is now. He was a grinning imp, green and gold. Mary Margaret was in them as well, crying and kissing a baby. David was fighting off black clad soldiers while holding the same baby in one arm. Henry's fairy tales must be getting to me she thought, and got out of bed and went to shower. She didn't want to be late for breakfast with Henry.

Emma walked into the diner, it was fairly crowded, but she spotted Henry sitting at the counter playing with a straw waiting for her.

" Hey Henry." She said as she sat next to him.

Henry beamed at her " Hey! I'm so glad you're here. I already got you a hot chocolate." he said sliding it in her direction.

Emma took a sip, " you even remembered the cinnamon." Emma said smiling. " Now what's got you so worked up kid?"

Henry looked back and to each side, to make sure no one was listening. " I've done some research for operation Cobra," he reached down and pulled the book from his backpack sitting on the floor. There were post it notes peeking out from the tops of some of the pages. " I have some theories on how you can break the curse. I've also been trying to figure out who everyone is, like this one." He pulled off the first post it. It read Snow White and Prince Charming = Mary Margaret and David Nolan. Emma was familiar with this particular theory, and that he believed they were her parents.

" Still with the whole they're my parents thing?" Emma asked and giggled at the same time.

Henry smiled, he knew Emma didn't believe yet, but she would. He just knew it. " I know, it's just a starting point. Now look at this one." He pulled a post it from the story of red riding hood. He had the pictures labeled, Ruby next to Red and Granny next to , of course, Granny.

Emma had to admit there was a striking resemblance. " I don't know kid, it just seems so hard to believe."

Henry flipped more pages in his book. " OK, how about this one? " He turned one more page and pulled off the post it that read Mr. Gold. The picture it was next to startled Emma.

It was a picture of the creature she had seen in her dream. A grinning imp with greenish gold skin, disheveled hair, and deep dark eyes. She quickly looked away.

" And who do you think Gold is?"

" Rumpelstiltskin, it has to be. In the stories he's the only one the Queen doesn't mess with. Here in town Mr. Gold is the only one my mom doesn't mess with, she never crosses him. Ever. She doesn't seem afraid of anyone. Except him. " and he put his finger right in the middle of the picture of Rumpelstiltskin.

" Ok, kid. Let's say that what you're saying is true. How do I break this curse? Do I have to fight the Queen? " Asked Emma. Thinking it might be worth it just to hit Regina in the face a few times.

" I don't think so. I think, in order to break this curse you have to have true loves kiss."

" That's it? I just have to kiss someone?" Emma asked

" Not just anyone, your true love. The one person in the whole world that was made just for you."

" Well kid, that might be a little hard. What if my true love isn't in Storybrooke? It's a big world, they could be anywhere."

" No," said Henry shaking his head. " Your true love is here. I just know it. We just have to figure out who it is."

" Operation Cobra part 2?"

Henry smiled at her, " Are you just humoring me, or do you really believe me? "

" I believe IN you Henry, that's all I can say right now. I'm trying, I really am. It's just a lot to take in."

" Just try. Just close your brain off and listen to your heart." He replied.

" I'll try kid, I'll try. Now, how about a lift to school?"

Henry smiled at her again. It absolutely melted her heart every time she saw him, and to see him smile she'd do almost anything. Even if it meant going along with his theories. Emma paid the bill and they walked outside to her car. They both got in and Emma drove off toward the school. Emma's mind still circling around the picture of Rumpelstiltskin and the man she saw in her dream.

Pulling up at the school Emma reached over and ruffed Henry's hair. " Have a good day, and try to stay out of trouble."

"I will," he laughed and got out of the car.

Emma pulled away and headed for the station. While she was driving her phone rang. " Sheriff Swan, can I help you."

" Good morning Emma, this is Aaron." she heard a deep voice say.

" Uh, hi. I wasn't expecting to hear from you this early. "

" Well I just couldn't wait to talk to you." Aaron said, flirting a little with her.

" Ok, so what's the emergency?" Emma joked.

" Well I happened to check on that job, it's open. No one has applied for it, so you could tell Miss Boot that it's wide open. "

" I will, and thank you so much. I really appreciate you checking for me."

" It's no trouble. After all you did say you'd have lunch with me. I think that's payment enough."

" You're right. I did. " she laughed.

" So today at noon?" He asked.

" Make it 1130, and meet me and Granny's." she replied.

" Yes ma'am." he said, sounding like he might have saluted the phone. " I'll see you then."

" Ok, thanks again for checking. Bye." And she hung up.

Excited for the day ahead Emma pulled up at the station and went inside.

Emma sat behind her desk looking for the number Sarah Boot had given her. Finding it under the calendar planner on her desk, she picked it up and quickly dialed the number. Someone answered on the third ring.

" Hello?" said a feminine voice.

" Hello Miss Boot? This is Sheriff Swan. I told you I would get back in touch if I found out anything about a job?" Emma said.

" Oh, sheriff. I was just about to leave for work, do you have good news?" Sarah inquired.

" I think I do. I did some asking around and there are two positions open now. One in the city office for secretary and one at the school in the admin office. I was told today that no one has applied for the secretary position, and I have a sneaking suspicion that no one has applied for the job at the school either."

Sarah sniffled a bit, " Thank you so much. I'll try and run over on my lunch break today and apply. Thank you."

" It's my job to help people Miss Boot, and I like doing it. I also found out about a place for rent down near the docks, I'm going to try to find out who owns it, but I'm sure it's going to be Mr. Gold. I'll talk to him today and see if I can help you get it. Would that be ok?"

Sarah was crying, " Sheriff, I'm so grateful. No one has ever done anything like this for me. It would be such a blessing if we could move out of this place."

" You are more than welcome Sarah, I'll do my best and I'll get back with you in a couple of days ok? I'll let you go now so you can get to work."

" Ok sheriff, and thank you so much again." she hung up.

Emma felt good. She loved to help people. Especially people who really needed and appreciated it. She hoped that one of the jobs worked out for Sarah. She seemed like a genuinely nice person just trying to make the best of it. Emma's mind wandered to Henry. Fairy tales. Where did Sarah Boot figure in to a fairy tale? Henry's theory was that everyone in town was somehow part of a fairy tale. Emma started to think. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing. She wrote steadily for almost 30 minutes filling pages with names, possible connections to stories. Once she questioned her sanity at the act of doing this but she pushed it aside. She had promised Henry she would try. So here she was trying.

When she finally stopped writing she felt like she had just run a marathon. She was breathing heavy and a light sweat spotted her forehead. She had tried, really tried, and what she saw in the finished product made her happy and a little scared at the same time. She looked at the list of people that she knew and the list of their fairytale counterparts, she had the ones she and Henry had talked about and a few of her own that she just guessed at;

Snow White and Prince Charming (aka mom and dad)- Mary Margaret and David Nolan

Evil Queen- Regina Mills

Ruby- Red Riding Hood

Granny -Red riding hoods Granny

Mr. Gold- Rumpelstiltskin

Archie- Jiminy Cricket

Dr. Whale ?

Graham-The Huntsman

Sarah Boot-The woman who lived in a shoe

Marco-Gepetto

Aaron Edwards-? Need more research

" I have to be losing my mind." Emma said to herself.

" Well I've said that the entire time you've been in town." Answered Regina. Emma hadn't heard her come in.

Emma quickly pushed everything she'd been working on under a pile of reports on her desk. " Do you need something or are you just here to torture me?"

" Actually I do need something. I need you to keep away from Henry. I know all about you little meeting this morning." Regina snapped.

" Look Regina, first of all he's my son. Secondly he called and asked to see me. Finally, I dropped him off at school right on time. I really don't see what the problem is other than the fact you're all bent out of shape because he wants to spend time with me."

Regina stepped forward and put her palms flat on Emma's desk. " Listen to me and listen well, you either leave Henry alone and leave this town, or I will,"

" You'll what? " Emma interrupted, she stood up and walked around the desk to stand in front of Regina. Almost nose to nose with the mayor she continued, " you'll put a spell on me, Your Highness? Isn't that what evil queens do? You'll curse me? Turn me to stone?" She continued moving forward forcing Regina to walk backwards out of her office and into the reception area. " I'm not afraid of you. I'm the one person in this town you can't control and it kills you. Well guess what mayor. I'm here, and I'm staying. The only way I'm leaving is with Henry. So unless you're ready to hand him over to me, get used to seeing me around." Emma finished.

Regina just gaped at her, opened mouthed. " Was there anything else Mayor?" Emma asked, " No? Good. I'm busy." she turned and walked back into her office and shut the door, leaving Regina alone.

" This isn't over Swan, this isn't over."

Emma heard Regina's heels clicking over the linoleum as she walked out of the office. She let out a little breath she had held in. Honestly she was waiting for Regina to storm into the office, but she didn't. She couldn't believe she called her the evil queen, Henry must be rubbing off on her. She sat down at her desk. Could this morning get any weirder?

Emma worked quietly in her office for the next few hours, answering the occasional phone call. Things were quiet today, and that was fine with her. Her mind drifted to Aaron. She was looking forward to having lunch with him. It had been a while since she had been on a date, and to be honest she was also a little nervous. Her mind then drifted to Gold. Every time she thought of him she got the strangest feeling. He liked her, he had told her as much on the phone last night. She made him want to be a better man. It was almost a little overwhelming, but in a good way she decided. I do need to call and ask about the house, she thought to herself. She picked up her phone and dialed the number for his shop.

" Gold's." He answered. His voice confident now, different from the tone he had last night.

" Mr. Gold, it's Emma." she said.

" Emma, what can I do for you?" He asked.

" I actually wanted to ask you about a house down by the docks. I've heard it's been standing empty for a while. I was wondering if it was one of your properties or if not, do you know who owns it?" she asked. Inside her stomach was doing flips. She was doing her best to keep it steady and control her heart before it jumped into her throat.

" Yes, I do know the property. It's mine. Are you looking for something? You and Miss Blanchard have a falling out? " he asked.

" No, I'm working on helping someone find a different place. I was told that the house was there, and well, since you own almost everything you were the first one I called."

" I see. Well, yes it's available. May I ask who you're trying to help?" he inquired.

" Her name is Sarah Boot. She lives in one of your places out near the city limits. That's who I got the dog from. Anyway, with all those kids she really needs a bigger place. Only problem is she's working at the grocery store now and the rent on the other place is probably higher than what she's paying now. I'm trying to help her find another job too."

" Well Emma," Gold said, his tone low and deep like it was last night, " it sounds like you're just the savior Miss Boot has been looking for." he emphasized the word savior.

" I don't know about that," Emma said. " I'm just trying to help her out."

" I see, well, I'll tell you what. I'll let Miss Boot have the house for the same rent she pays now. On one condition. You'll owe me another favor."

" What is it with you and favors Gold?"

" Lets just say I can't resist a good deal." he answered, a lilt to his voice.

" Ok Gold, you have a deal." Emma said.

" Good, I'd like to collect one of those favors now please."

" Uh, ok." said Emma hesitantly

" I'd like for you to have dinner with me. Tonight."

" That's all?" Emma asked.

" One dinner. That's all." answered Gold.

" Ok then, dinner. Tonight. What time should I meet you?"

" You won't be meeting me anywhere. I'll be picking you up. Like a proper date."

" A date?"

" Yes, that's generally what it's called isn't it?"

" Yes, yes it is." Emma replied quickly.

" Then I will see you tonight at 730?" he asked.

" Sure, that sounds good."

" Until tonight Emma." seeming like he was about to hang up.

" Gold wait!" Emma yelled into the phone hoping to keep him from hanging up.

" Yes?"

" Well I just want you to know, since you were so open with me last night. I guess I feel like you deserve the same."

Gold's heart was hammering in his chest. Emma's mouth was dry as she formed the words.

" I like you Gold. I think I could like you more if I spent a little time with you. So I'll see you tonight." and she hung up.

Gold stood there with the phone in his hand. Never had he thought she would return his interest. Perhaps there were still happy endings to be had.