She can dismiss this stranger having any intentions at all toward Henry. From what little she'd picked up on motorcycles from both cops and bail jumpers alike, the prettier and shinier the bike, the more often it broke down. Visitors in Storybrooke were such an anomaly that she could easily see Henry rushing out to go see the leather-covered guy with the loud bike in front of the house and ask him questions. Hell, she'll be more concerned the day Henry stops asking questions.
She finishes her last sheet of paperwork when the phone rings.
"Sheriff's office. Sheriff Swan speaking," she sings, winding the curly cord around her fingers and smirking at it. She really needed Storybrooke to come into the digital age if she was ever going to be more efficient at record-keeping, but the older things did have their charm.
"Miss Swan, have you found out any more about this ruffian stalking Henry?" Jeez, who talks like that?
"Relax, Madam Mayor. His story checks out fine. His motorcycle broke down in front of your house and Henry, well, you know Henry's curiosity level," she assures her, considering hanging up and adding in "Heard Mayor Mills say 'ruffian' today" into the notes.
"So...what was he doing? Joy riding?"
"Well, kind of. He's a writer, here to find some inspiration. It's still not too late to see the leaves change, and Storybrooke's got a lot of winding roads."
"Did he say anything about Henry when you questioned him?" Regina asks, and Emma swears it almost sounds downright normal, like she would be talking to any concerned mom. "What about a background check? Storybrooke has zero sex offenders, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"He's a little too hipster to fit the profile, if you ask me," she says, hoping Regina doesn't ask for a name. "He even showed me his typewriter." Which sounds either thorough or just plain dirty, she thinks, cringing. Good thing this isn't a face-to-face meeting.
"So, in your experience, no, um, alarm bells?"
"You mean like the sound when cartoon characters fall off cliffs and a bunch of stars fly around their heads?" she quips, cutting Regina off when she fumbles around for a retort. "I know what you mean. No. This is not a dangerous man. Odds are, you've got yourself a tourist for the season."
The corners of her mouth prick up at the sound of a deep sigh of relief on the other end.
"That's the best news I've heard all day. Thank you," she says after a pause. Emma mouths "wow" in spite of herself.
"You're welcome. Anything for Henry."
A/N: Coming up? A heartwarming moment from our supporting cast.