Author's Note:

I'm sorry about the delay in getting this chapter to you. I'm afraid my Gremma muse was being rather uncooperative, and resisted all attempts at writing this bridge chapter. Thankfully, next chapter is where the action will start for everyone involved. I know a lot of you wanted Graham to have Emma help him in his quest for his heart, but he really believes she can't help him unless she believes in magic, plus he's worried about Jefferson. However, our Ms. Swan isn't one to take a back seat in this adventure, and will be helping out on this quest with or without Graham's approval.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.


Emma sat in the empty office of the Sheriff's station, thinking over the changes that had happened over the past 24 hours. Just last night, she had been furious with Graham over his relationship with Regina and had vowed to have nothing more to do with him. However, making the decision to drive him home after seeing how drunk he was after kissing her turned out to be the best decision she had ever made. She shuddered to think about what might have happened if she had kept on walking away like her instincts were screaming for her to do.

She still wasn't sure what to make of her developing feelings for Graham. She'd protected her heart for so long from heartbreak that she wasn't sure if she even knew how to be part of a proper relationship. Her relationship with Neal had been the first time she had ever felt like someone wanted her in their lives, and when he sold her out to the police and disappeared from her life, she felt like her world as she knew it had ended. Ending up in jail, pregnant, and abandoned are not the romantic dreams any girl has when growing up. After making it through that terrible time in her life, she vowed to never let anyone ever hurt her as deeply as Neal had, but here she was considering allowing another man into her heart.

But was Graham the same sort of man that Neal had proven to be? Her heart was saying that Graham was a good man that cared deeply for her, but her head was shouting at her to walk away while her heart wasn't so affected. Was she crazy to get involved with someone who only very recently was sexually involved with a woman who quite frankly hated Emma's guts? While she believed Graham's story about Regina blackmailing him into a sexual relationship, she still worried that Graham wasn't telling her the whole story. She could tell he was withholding information from her regarding Regina, and she wasn't happy that he was out there figuring out a way to get out from under her thumb without her help.

She wanted to help him with Regina. If she was really blackmailing him like Graham told her, they should both be working together to nail Regina's ass to the wall instead of Graham reaching out to this mystery man Jefferson. Why was Graham so hesitant to make Regina aware that he didn't want to be seen with her outside of the office anymore? Was his reluctance to end things with her a sign that Emma shouldn't move forward with her relationship with Graham?

Emma was starting to feel the need to escape once again. What was she doing trying to attempt a relationship with Graham? She was too messed up to be a good girlfriend to any man, let alone someone as wonderful as Graham. However the thought of leaving him sent heart into a tailspin. She found she enjoyed their silly banter and the grins he always shared with her. Last night had been the best night sleep she had experienced in ages, and she knew it was because she had spent them in Graham's arms. Did she really want to walk away from the first real opportunity of a lasting relationship she had found in over a decade?

Emma was so engrossed in her internal musings that she never noticed Graham entering the office. She even startled when she heard Graham call her name. She looked up to see him standing before her. Giving him a tentative smile, she said weakly, "Graham, you're back."

"Emma, what were you thinking so hard about?" Graham asked, peering at her closely. "You were miles away."

"It was nothing," Emma deflected, not ready to share her emotional turmoil with him yet. "Everything go okay today?"

"As well as I can expect," he sighed, taking a seat in a chair nearby. "I'm not sure about Jefferson, but he's the best person to help me right now."

"Why do you need this Jefferson anyway?" Emma asked, wanting to understand his need for help from this stranger. "I can help you with whatever you need to do, Graham." Emma gave Graham what she hoped was a heartfelt look. "I want to…no I need to help you."


Even though Regina had stolen his heart from him, Graham could swear it was breaking as he heard Emma's plea to help him with his quest. He could see the sincerity on her face and nearly broke down, allowing her to help him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to make her understand why he had to do this without her assistance.

"Emma, as much as I'd love you to help me," he began in a hesitant manner, "I really need to do this on my own."

"But you're allowing Jefferson to help you," she countered accusingly, "why are you having a complete stranger help you when your deputy and girlfriend is there instead? What can he do that I can't?"

'He knows about the curse you refuse to believe in,' Graham thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain, "Emma, I know you are willing to help me in any way you can, but this is something I need Jefferson for. He knows what he's getting into with me, and he needs to get something back that Regina stole from him as well."

"But I can help both of you," she insisted. "Do you think I can't break into things? You saw my record and know what I've done in the past. I'm no stranger to breaking and entering, you know."

Graham was surprised that Emma was willingly bringing up her past with him. He, of course, knew about her past criminal record. Everyone in Storybrooke knew thanks to Regina, but he still couldn't risk getting involved. "Emma, I know about your past, but what Jefferson and I need to do…well, it's complicated."

"What's so fuckin' complicated about stealing something from Regina?" Emma ground out, sounding angrier by the second.

'It's complicated because we're trying to find a vault filled with stolen magical hearts and objects from another realm,' he wanted to shout, but was able to hold his temper. "It's just better if less people are involved. I can't risk Regina being tipped off about this."

"You think I'd risk getting involved if I thought Regina would find out about it?" she yelled at him. "What do you take me for, an amateur? You think I've never stolen shit before? Ran a con? Well let me tell you, I've done plenty illegal shit before I went to prison, mister. I have to wonder if you're the best person to do this job with Jefferson, seeing as you've never been anything but a cop."

He had to defuse the situation with Emma quickly, or both of them were going to say things they were going to regret. "Emma, I have no doubt you are more qualified than either Jefferson or I," Graham tried placating, though he wasn't sure if saying Jefferson was less qualified than Emma was true or not. From the little the man had shared about his past, Graham could tell breaking and entering was something he was quite adept at. "But Jefferson is more familiar with where we need to go and what to look for. He doesn't know you, and he's not very trusting of people. He may refuse to help me if other people are involved." Graham hoped Emma would buy his rather pathetic excuse, though he did suspect Jefferson would be more difficult to deal with if Emma became involved, but not for the reasons he was sharing with Emma. Jefferson had indicated on more than once he was interested in the magic he felt Emma possessed, and Graham didn't want Emma to tempt Jefferson to act on his desire for magic.

"He might not help you if I'm involved?" she said skeptically. "Are you sure?"

Graham hated lying to Emma, but he couldn't chance her involvement. "I'm fairly sure, Emma."

Emma closed her eyes in defeat. "If you're sure…"

"Emma," Graham cajoled, reaching out to grasp her hands in his. "After tonight, this will hopefully all be over. Jefferson and I will have back what Regina took from us, and you and I can be together without fear of Regina." Graham pulled her into his arms, hugging her to him. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to briefly imagine having his heart returned to him, and being able to love Emma the way she deserved.


Emma returned Graham's embrace, but was unconvinced by his argument for her lack of assistance. She didn't buy his excuse about Jefferson being unwilling to help if she was involved. She could always tell when people were lying to her, and her gut was screaming that Graham was not telling her the whole truth.

"You're doing this tonight?" she asked innocently, trying to learn as much as she could.

"Jefferson and I are meeting after dark," he replied, sounding relieved that she was no longer fighting him. "How about you and I go to Granny's for supper together? Sheriffs and deputies need to eat. No one can think anything's wrong with two coworkers sharing a meal after a long days work, now can they?"

"No, they can't," she smiled up at him as she pulled away. She stood waiting as Graham grabbed her coat and started to lead her out of the station.

Graham may have thought he had won the argument against her, but he was sorely mistaken. If he thought he could just bulldoze over her in their relationship, he had another thing coming. She'd allow him to take her to dinner and then home, but she had plans to follow Graham and this Jefferson on their mission tonight. Emma Swan was going to help Graham get out from under Regina's thumb, whether he liked it or not.