Note: I don't know how much time passed since Graham's death 'till the reversed curse brought everyone back to Enhanced Forest… So, I may be wrong with timeframes.
He wakes up, clinging to a body, embracing it… her. Hm, that's odd. Finding himself a day earlier in his office at the station breathing again, with his heart beating in his chest and remembering was striking. Despite the impossibility of that, it, though, still made sense to him even before he talked to Ruby and Mary Margaret. And so, this girl sleeping in his bed has to have a much more meaningful reason to be here.
Are they connected? Are they supposed to mean something to each other? Or is that just a trick?
As later he checks reports on missing people it reveals she's gone for more than a year and a half. And he's better never told her that. That fact just knocks her down while his assumption about 'the lost time and memories' wouldn't make it easier for her.
He has to figure out, though, some kind of explanation. Whether she was found unconscious or already wandering around in oblivion and then, for whatever reason – that is the hardest illogical part – brought here.
Once again he rather sounds creepy trying to clarify he has nothing to do with that. He's not a psycho who had everyone believe he was dead, to fly then across the country to kidnap a girl and now pretending to be clean and unaware. Anyway, there are so many black holes in any more or less (in)sane theory, but they agree to choose they both fell victims of… circumstances or someone. What he knows is quite true.
And now they need to move on. So, there comes another difficulty - what to think up to make her stay. But, then… she absently states it, "There's no urgency… to go back where nobody's waiting and where everything changed since so long…"
In any other case he'd reassure her she's wrong, however he knows nothing about what it is like to be needed, missed, loved… But it's his fate, not hers. She has to be much luckier.
"What about family, friends, people you love?"
"Friends have their own lifes… and what about the rest… no, no even a pet."
There's a slight nagging pain in his chest at her words… Is it compassion?
"So, Ruby said her granny owns a hotel," she comes to the window musingly beholding the street outside the station, while he watches her. They are not so different and, yes, it sucks. "And I'd need a job then. Help me with that, sheriff?"
"That's crazy! Do you hear yourself?" she clamours.
"I do," he replies innocently. "It's a generous offer."
It could be, but what shocks her is that he really sees nothing outrageous in that.
"And the truth is we have job shortage. I doubt something changed since… well…"
No, the truth is that her problems are only hers, not his. She shouldn't rest it on him.
"I got it. It's a gentle hint I should roll back to Oregon," she tries to back off.
"No! No, believe me. No."
Does she see a fright in his eyes? He wants to keep her. Why?
"Ok. Look, I don't mind to turn this place into a decent one… and powder it with a bit of glamour," she smirks looking around, then frowns at him and speaks with harsh determination. "But you're not going to sleep at the station! Where? In a cell?!"
"That's not the worst place. There's a bathroom…"
"You, shut up!" she cuts him off. "That's nonsense!"
This man is crazy. He lets her in his apartment and gives it up to her while moves to reside at the station. No way!
"Let's do this. It's your place and you're not going anywhere from here. You allow me to stay and so I take household obligations. But if in a week there's no any decent job for me in town, I disturb you no longer. Clear?"
"I sleep on the floor," he says after thoughtful silence.
"Bullshit! We already talked about that. No."
Last night they had this little quarrel who sleeps where. She honestly doesn't understand that silly prejudice why two grown-ups, yeah, of different sex, can't sleep in one bed, if there's more than enough space for two. She trusts him. And that's all. He won't be sleeping on the floor.
She, indeed, does trust him. Why? He's not less weird than the other residents of this town and, besides, he was declared dead. She also feels he holds something back, but maybe it's his own memories of what happened to him he's not ready to share.
Nevertheless, he's a worthful man here… and he's sweet, and funny, and caring… the last maybe even way too much in regard to her situation. But she's not going to complain, only restricts his patronizing when it exceeds.
Another question – why he cares? Yes, he's a sheriff and it could be rather his moral duty…
Again, anyway, she can't complain. And so while he's on service she housecleans and as he's back she meets him with the dinner.
For a second she feels so awkward at his cheerful amazed smile, because she realizes she could be awfully resembling a loving devoted wife in this scene.
"You don't have to do that, you know?" he's embarrassed, but pleased, and still continues. "Granny's good at that. I eat there all my… all the time."
"I'm not bad at that, too," she points. It's not boasting, but he better not to reject her kindness. "You want to say you never tasted homemade food?"
"A rabbit on fire counts?..." her eyes widen. "Never mind…"
"You what, killed and ate an innocent rabbit?" she wonders with caution while serving dishes.
"Um… I prefer burgers… to innocent rabbits," he murmurs sitting down at table.
"You're a bad liar, you know that?" she reproaches coldly. "But I do not want to hear the story… about this little poor thing… I mean that rabbit, not you."
She knows it's a bit of ridiculous… and hilarious. She likes this teasing and as if competitive manner of their interaction. He challenges her, despite his amenity, and whether he's aware or not.
It's even strange how trivially he engages her attention and gets her spirits up. Shouldn't she be at a loss, discomposed, insecure? Period of a year and a half is ripped out of her life, she's thousands miles away from home around weird people and yet… she feels cosy… in his presence.
She lies in the dark on her side, with her back to him, hears him peacefully breathing and it comforts her. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, since she's afraid of the darkness.