Emma's cheek stung. Having been roughed up by the sheriff, and smacked into a brick wall, she had round her cheek pushed and scraping against its hard, and rough, sandpaper like texture. It had broken the skin, bruised around the graze like wound, and was bleeding ever so lightly. Gritting her teeth, Emma tried to get a look at it in her reflection from the window, but it was not clear enough for her to see any real detail.

"So, what's your name?" the Sheriff asked of Emma, as he glanced in his rear view mirror at her scowling face.

No response came.

"You know why I arrested you don't you?" he asked.

"Whatever!" Emma fired back quickly with attitude.

Although only eighteen still, but very nearly nineteen, Emma certainly acted, looked and behaved in a way that made her seem much older. And despite the attitude in her voice, she still didn't appear her age to any stranger, including the slightly dim Sherrif Graham.

"How old are you?" he continued to question, earning himself a loud tut from the blonde as he pulled up outside the station.

"Legal" she quipped quickly.

Sheriff Graham rolled his eyes as he opened his door and stepped out. He could just tell she was going to be trouble. Slowly he went around to the opposite, back passenger door to his own, and opening it reached in to guide the young blonde out. Emma's eyes were filled with pain, but she was doing her best to hide it as they met with his. It was a stolen glance, as she instantly directed her eyes at her feet, watching carefully where she was stepping as she pushed up and out of the seat with his help.

"Are you actually going to answer any of my questions?" Sheriff Graham asked with a slight cheeky smile.

"What? My age?" Emma replied with heaps of sarcasm present in her voice.

"Well that would certainly be a start, and a help?" he replied, again with a warm smile as his eyes met again with hers.

"I told you, I am legal" Emma quipped.

Sheriff Graham's expression just changed to puzzled.

"So yeah, we can make a deal, just shove me up against the next available wall and we can get this over with..." Emma muttered clearly and darkly.

"Then you can just let me go"

Sheriff Graham was in shock. He'd never heard such a proposition. Grabbing Emma he shoved her roughly in front of him and into the station. As they walked, all be it somewhat awkwardly, he started to explain to her, he had no idea what she was talking about, and in this town, that was not how things worked. Emma retorted back, explaining this wasn't her first time and that he wasn't fooling her with pretending to not know what she meant.

"That is quite enough, or I will have to add indecent proposals to your charges young lady!" the Sheriff answered, trying to sound authoritative and in charge.

"Whatever!" Emma moodily returned as he marched over to one of the open cells and ushered her gently into it.

With a loud, echoing slam, he closed the door and locked Emma in. Crossing the small station to the wall, he hung up the bunch of keys, and removed his jacket, hanging it on the coat stand to the side. Then marching to the back of the room, he headed into his office and just pushed the door, leaving it a crack open so that he could keep half an eye on the floor outside.

Heading over to the cot, Emma struggled with her hands still bound, and tumbled down onto it. Letting out a deep breath, she shuffled until she was comfortable, and then looked around the station, taking in all that she could, but mostly looking to see if there was anyway out of the wretched cell. She was worried about Henry, but once again hiding it well. She was determined not to give anything away about who she was, but she was desperate to get back to him, and conscious Ruby would be thinking she had abandoned her son. From the office she could hear mutterings, almost as if the Sheriff was on the phone.

"Hey!" she called out loudly for his attention.

When no response came, she pushed herself up again awkwardly and went toward the bars. Leaning against them, she called to him in a louder voice, still laced heavily with attitude.

It was a few moments later, and after a few more abusive words from Emma, that footsteps could be heard, and he appeared at his office door. Leaning against the frame and crossing his arms he stared across at her seriously. Silence filled the space between them.

"Look, I am sorry. Just let me go. I won't do it again" Emma huffed out eventually.

Sheriff Graham shook his head lightly and thinned his lips in a tight smile.

"Too late I am afraid" he replied feeling quite smug at knowing what was about to happen.

The blonde was just about to retaliate, when she suddenly heard the echo of fast paced tapping heels approaching, and then out of nowhere that familiar voice called out.

"Graham?"

Seconds later, and Regina swanned in with grace and suddenly slowed upon seeing that behind the thick iron bars, the disruptive youth Graham had been referring to in their telephone conversation, was in fact the blonde she had been trying to locate herself. Stammering for a few minutes, the Mayor could find no words. Her eyes locked with the dampened blue of the blonde's.

"She won't talk Madame Mayor. No name, age, I can't get anything out of her...other than indecent proposals and profanity" Graham explained.

"The second of the day then" Regina muttered breathlessly at remembering her own experience with the blonde just that morning.

"Excuse me?" Graham questioned not hearing her clearly.

Taking a deep breath Regina composed herself, returning fully to official Mayor mode. With a swift movement of her head, she glared over at Emma. All sense of feeling buried deep inside, shut behind stone walls and padlocked inside her heart. Swallowing to lubricate her throat, she turned to the Sheriff and reiterated all she had been told on the phone regarding Emma's crimes to clarify. Then in a very official tone she stated the facts, that were the answers to the questions Graham had asked of the blonde when he had apprehended her.

"Emma Swan...Eighteen...one month old son. New in town"

Emma silently cursed Regina for giving away her personals and scowled.

"And Sheriff Graham, she is my responsibility, so if you wouldn't mind...kindly un-cuff her and we will be on our way. I will pay for anything she took and please pass on my sincere apologies" Regina then casually continued as if it all came naturally to her.

"But..." Graham questioned, but then suddenly felt compelled to do just as he had been told, or rather ordered.

Heading over to the hook with the keys, he grabbed them and swiftly made his way to the cell. Unlocking the door, he pulled it back and allowed his blonde captor to step out. Asking her them to turn, he reached to his belt and took from it the keys. Taking Emma's wrists he popped it into the lock and the cuffs popped from around her wrists.

Brining her arms quickly into view, Emma looked at her wrists. They were marked with the red marks of the tight cuffs. Rubbing them gently she suppressed the welling tears in her eyes.

"File the paperwork" Regina snapped at the Sheriff, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Emma!" she commanded.

"Come. Now"

In a way Emma felt saved, but she also felt trapped. She should have been grateful for her rescue from Regina, but the pressure she felt at having to be thankful and say she was, was a weight Emma didn't want to bear. She wanted no ties to anyone, she wanted to be free to do as she pleased. And to be honest, after her embarrassing start with Regina, she wanted nothing more than to avoid her. For now she would go with her, if not for any other reason than to get away from the law and the sheriff. Following like a puppy, she walked behind Regina and back outside, where it had started to spit with rain.