7:15 A.M.

The next day, Emma was in her office at the Sheriff's Dept. doing some paperwork when Elsa came in. She knocked on the door frame and Emma looked up, "Hey, Elsa." She said, "If you're looking for Travis. He just went on the lunch run."

"No," said Elsa as she walked in the office, "I'm here to see you actually."

"Oh? What about?"

Elsa sat down and said, "Well, Um, I was wondering if you are looking for another deputy?"

"Oh?" said Emma, sounding surprised, "Why? Is something wrong at the Ice Cream Shop?"

"No… Everything's going great. It's just… I'm looking for something different… I don't know if Travis told you this but before my parents died I was studying criminal justice at college."

"No, he didn't"

"Yeah, I was thinking about maybe becoming a lawyer. But, Mom and Dad passed and I had to come home and take care of the Ice Cream Shop and Anna. But, that was… years ago… Now, Anna is ready to take control of the ice cream shop and I'm ready to strike out on my own."

Emma looked at her brother's girlfriend and thought for a moment. Graham gave her and Travis a chance when no one else would when they came to Storybrooke a few months before. "Okay," said Emma, "I'm willing to give you a try. You can be a special deputy. We'll see how you do after a month and then if I think you can handle it I'll make you a full deputy. Sound good?"

Elsa smiled, "Sounds great."

Emma smiled, "Great, be here 8:00am tomorrow morning."

"Okay," said Elsa as she stood and held out her hand. Emma shook it and Elsa said, "See you tomorrow." Elsa then walked out of the office.

The next day outside Regina's house the man that Henry and Emma met the other night was working on his motorcycle. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance. Henry saw him and walked up to him, "What are you doing here?"

"Fixing my bike," said the man.

"No, I mean in Storybrooke."

"Just visiting."

Henry saw a large wooden case on the back of the motorcycle, "What's that?"

"A box."

"What's inside it?"

"Just something I need to do what I came here for," said the man. Regina walked out of the house and saw Henry talking to the man as he got on his motorcycle.

"I thought you were just visiting," said Henry.

"Doesn't mean I don't have something to do," said the man as there was another rumble of thunder and he started his motorcycle.

"Henry?" called Regina from the front step.

"You better get to school," said the man as Regina started to walk down the front walk, "Looks like a storm's coming." Then he drove off.

When Regina reached Henry she asked, "Henry, who was that?" Henry just shrugged his shoulders.

At the Blanchard/Swan Loft, Emma and Travis were having breakfast and watching the morning news. "Top of the morning, this is chief meteorologist Bill Gozen with your up-to-the-minute Storybrooke weather," said the man on TV, "Well, break out those galoshes, folks, it's gonna get soggy. We've got a major storm system moving down the coast." Mary Margaret came in with her toothbrush in her mouth, "The latest Doppler shows the worst band of precipitation moving is into Storybrooke right about the time you're putting the kids to..."

Mary Margaret spit toothpaste in the kitchen sink, "I can't believe I overslept." She rushed about getting ready to leave.

Travis looked at the clock, "It's only 7:10. You've got plenty of time to get to school."

"No, I have to be there at 7:15! Science fair. I'm helping the kids with their project before school."

"I'm sure if you're five minutes late, they'll live," said Emma.

"We're making a volcano," said Mary Margaret, as she left.

"Okay."

At Granny's Diner, Mary Margaret walked in quickly and sat down. She took off her hat, used a spoon as a mirror, adjusted her hair. She looked up at the clock for a moment, then David walked in. She quickly picked up her book, and pretended to read as David walked up to the counter.

Ruby put down two coffees, "One cream and sugar. One black."

David payed Ruby, "Thank you." He glanced at Mary Margaret and took his coffees. As he walked to the door he stopped at Mary Margaret's table, "Good morning."

"Morning!" said Mary Margaret.

"Uh, I should go. I'm gonna be late for work."

"Oh, the animal shelter, right? How's that going?"

"Well, the apes haven't taken over."

"Yet."

David laughed, "Not on my watch." He walked out.

Emma and Travis walked in from the back. They sat down across from Mary Margaret, "This is making a volcano?" asked Travis.

"I was—" started Mary Margaret.

"I get it," said Emma.

"He comes here every morning at 7:15 A.M. to get coffee."

"For him and his wife."

"I know, I know, I know. I just like to... come here to see him."

"So, you're a stalker?" said Travis.

"No, not really," said Mary Margaret, Emma gave her a look, "Maybe a little bit. And it's not like I'm following him. I just know that he spends his mornings with Kathryn, gets coffee, then drives to the animal shelter to start work at 7:30, and then he's home around 5:00."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Thursdays they pick up Chinese for dinner… I can't get him out of my head."

"I know," said Emma, "Maybe the first step is not showing up here tomorrow."

"Love's the worst. I wish there was a magic cure," said Mary Margaret. Emma nodded.

Later that day, Mary Margaret was at the Pharmacy, picking up some things for the storm. As she was shopping. She wasn't looking were she was going and she bumped into David's wife, Kathryn. Both women dropped their baskets, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Mary Margaret.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," said Kathryn. They both bent down to pick up the spilled items.

"I wasn't looking," said Mary Margaret.

"Clearly," said Regina who was standing in the aisle.

Kathryn picked a candy bar, "Is this yours?"

Mary Margaret took it, "Yes, thank you." Then, she picked up a box, "Oh, this must..." then she saw it was a pregnancy test, "Good luck."

"Thank you," said Kathryn. Then she stood and walked away.

Regina walked over to Mary Margaret, "I trust you'll be discreet." Mary Margaret looked a little confused, "Their lives are their business, not yours." Mary Margaret nodded as Regina walked away.

Later that day, Mary Margaret was in the woods going for a walk. As she walked she heard cooing. She walked down an embankment toward the sound. Then, she saw a dove caught in a net, "Oh. Hey. How did you manage to get yourself..." said Mary Margaret as she picked up the dove, "Come on. It's gonna be okay."

She took the dove to the animal shelter. The vet, Dr. Thatcher, gave her a consultation on the dove, while David stood by. "Well, the good news is, no broken bones," said the doctor, "She was just a little dehydrated, but I got her some fluids, and she should be just fine."

"And the bad news?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Well, this is a North Atlantic dove. It's a migratory species, very unique among American doves. Now, they tend to form strong monogamous bonds, meaning—"

"If I don't get her back to her flock… She'll be alone forever."

"Well, it's... It's a long shot, but the alternative..." said the doctor as he placed the dove in a cage, "She'll heal, but she won't be happy here."

"I'll take my chances," said Mary Margaret, "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. Good luck," Then, he left. Mary Margaret picked up the cage.

"Mary Margaret, there's a storm coming," said David, "You really shouldn't be out there, alone."

"Well, the storm is coming tomorrow," said Mary Margaret, "And if we wait, she could be lost forever, completely alone. No one deserves that."

"Then let me drive you."

"I don't need your help David, I'll be fine." Then, she left.

Emma and Travis were getting ready for the storm. They were loading supplies into the trunk of the police cruiser. They had the radio on so they could check the weather report, "Storybrooke is seeing wind gusts of up to six miles an hour. Your best bet is to stay in the house—" then the radio turned off.

They looked around to the front and saw Regina standing there, "If you're looking to blame me for the storm, I think you're taking things a bit far now," said Emma.

"I need you to look into something, Sheriff," said Regina, "Someone's in town—someone new."

"Yeah, I know. I gave him directions to Granny's the other night."

"You talked to him? Well, what'd he say?"

"He asked for directions. What's the big deal? Who is he?"

"I don't know. I asked around but no one seems to know anything. There's something about him—something familiar."

"He must be one of the untold millions you cursed," said Travis.

"What?"

"Oh, you know, the Curse," said Emma, "Henry's whole thing."

"Sheriff, I need you to find out who he is, what he wants, and what he's doing here."

"You know, Regina," said Travis, "as hard as you tried to find one in our case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke."

"This isn't about the law, Mr. Swan," said Regina, "You're gonna do this because I asked you to and because you'll both see it's the right thing to do."

They finished loading the cruiser, "And why is that?" asked Emma, as she closed the trunk.

"Because he was in front of my house, taking a particular interest in the one thing the three of us care about—Henry."

Emma and Travis looked at each other., "We'll look into him," said Emma. Then there was another rumble of thunder.

Just then, Elsa arrived with a carrier of coffee cups. Regina was surprised to see Elsa with a deputy's badge attached to the belt of her jeans, "Ms. Swan? Why is she wearing a deputy's badge?"

"Emma hired me to be a special deputy," said Elsa.

"It's just a trial period to see if she can cut it as a deputy," said Emma.

"Hmm…" said Regina, "Well… Good luck with your trial period, Ms. Winter." Then Regina walked away.

Mary Margaret drove through the woods, in her Jeep. She continued to hear rumbles of thunder. She reached a roadblock and stopped. "Well, the flock can't be much farther," said Mary Margaret, "We just have to beat the storm." She got out of the car and grabbed the birdcage. She start walking down the road and a short time later she heard doves cooing, "Do you hear that?" asked Mary Margaret, "Your flock."

Mary Margaret stopped at the top of a crest and looked down in a ravine. She set down the birdcage and there was a loud clap of thunder. She was distracted by the sound and she slipped in the loose dirt and started to tumble down the slope. Then, she fell over the edge of the ravine grabbing a root as she fell. She was very close to the edge, when someone grabbed her arm. She looked up at the person holding her and said "David!"

"Grab my hand!" said David. She did, "Hold tight!" He pulled her up on to the solid ground and Mary Margaret fell against him. "You really think I'd let you come out here alone?" She pulled away from him a bit, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Then, Mary Margaret started to walk up the path back to the road.

"Where are you going?"

"I came to find the flock!"

"And I came here to get you before you got hurt!" Just as they reached the road, heavy rain started to fall. "We have to go!"

Mary Margaret picked up the birdcage, "No!"

"Doing this on foot is not the best plan!"

"The gate was closed!"

"I know, I saw." Mary Margaret tried to cover the cage with her jacket.

"It's too late, we have to go," said David.

"No, but the bird—"

"Mary Margaret, it's not safe!" said David, "We need to get out of here. Come on." They headed down the road and they came upon a cabin, "There! Come on!"

David and Mary Margaret approached the cabin. Mary Margaret looked in the window, "Hello? Hello!? Is anyone in there!? It's empty!"

David tried the door handle and found it locked. He kicked the door open and they went inside. A short time later David had a fire going in the fireplace. He sighed, "Okay." Then he looked at Mary Margaret, "Let's get you dry." He got up and started to look around.

"Whose cabin is this?" asked Mary Margaret, "Are you sure it's okay for us to be in here?"

David unfolded a blanket, "Well, you're roommates with the Sheriff, so I doubt she'll arrest us for breaking and entering." He put the blanket around Mary Margaret, "Here-" she shook him off, "Hey, I'm just... I'm just trying to help," she nodded and looked a little distraught, "What's going on with you today?"

Mary Margaret scoffed, "What's going on? What's going on is I still have feelings for you."

"What?" asked David.

"Why do you think I go to Granny's every morning at 7:15? It's to see you. I don't know why because it just makes me miserable, because every time I see you, it just reminds me that you chose Kathryn instead of me. And that's why I didn't want you to come to the woods with me. Cause being around you is too.. it's too painful." David laughed to himself, "You think this is funny?"

"No," said David, "No, it's just the reason I go to Granny's every morning at 7:15 is to see you."

Mary Margaret looked up at him with a surprised look. They looked at each other for a few moments before David leaned in for a kiss. Mary Margaret stepped back, "How can you do this?" she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" whispered David.

"David, I know!"

"You know what?"

"About Kathryn."

"What about Kathryn?"

"That she thinks she's pregnant."

"What?"

Back in Storybrooke, the power had gone out. Emma, Travis and Elsa walked into Granny's and Emma saw the stranger sitting with his back to them in a booth, drinking coffee, "That's him." Said Emma softly.

"Who?" asked Elsa.

"The guy Regina wanted us to check out… Let me talk to him…"

"Okay," said Travis, "We'll go sit at the counter. Come on, Elsa." Elsa and Travis sat down at the bar.

Emma took her hat off and walked over toward the man, "We need to talk."

"Why?" asked the man.

"Because you're suspicious."

"Sitting here? Out in the open? Drinking coffee? I wonder what kind of hell I would have raised had I ordered a doughnut."

"You were talking to Henry."

"You mean the little kid who came up to me asking me questions? Is that unusual for him, being curious and precocious?"

"What were you doing outside his house?"

"My bike broke down. It happens."

"Your mysterious box. What's in it?"

"It's awfully frustrating, not knowing , isn't it?"

"Just tell me."

"Why? Is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?"

"No, of course it's not."

"You really want to know what's inside it, don't you?"

"No…Well, maybe," Emma sat down in the booth on the other side of the stranger.

"I'm gonna make you wait. You're gonna have to wait a long time, and watch me carry it around, hauling it, to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment the mystery will become more tantalizing. Your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration, never knowing, only guessing, 'What could possibly be inside that box?'. Or…" He leaned closer, "You could let me buy you a drink sometime and I'll tell you right now."

"You want to buy me a drink?"

The man smiled, "Yes."

"Ok, a drink it is," the man picked up his box and set it on the table in front of Emma. He pauses for a moment. Then, then he opened it. Inside was a typewriter, "Really?"

"I'm a writer."

"That's why you're here."

"I find this place provides inspiration. Don't you?"

"Wait. Have you been here before?"

"I didn't say that," said the man. He left a tip on the table. Grabbed his box and got up to leave.

"What about that drink?"

"I said "sometime"." Then he walked away.

Once he was gone, Elsa and Travis walked up to Emma. "Did you learn anything?" asked Travis.

"No…"

Back at the cabin, Mary Margaret looked at David, "You didn't know."

David shook his head, "No."

"And you two aren't trying..."

"Not as far as I know! Mary Margaret you have to believe me I…" David started to say before Mary Margaret interrupted

"Shhh. David, the rain's stopped," she said, "I need to get her out." She ran over to the birdcage and grabs it.

"No. Mary Margaret-" She ran out the door and she followed. They walked a short distance, "Mary Margaret, please can we at least ta-"

"Shhh. Listen." They looked up and saw doves fly overhead, "The flock! It didn't leave!"

"Must have been waiting for the storm to clear."

Mary Margaret opened the birdcage and took the dove out, "Ok. Ok, girl. Time to join your friends. You can do it." She threw the dove into the air and watched as it flew away. She laughed and David smiled. He took her hand and she pulled it away, "No, David. It's too painful."

"It doesn't have to be. We don't know Kathryn's pregnant."

"It doesn't matter. You chose her."

"I know, but I still have feelings for you."

"You can't have both."

"But I do have both. I know. I know it doesn't make sense. But it's like I have these two conflicting lives: memories of feeling for her, and real feelings for you."

"Who's to say which is real?"

"I can't get you out of my head."

"I know. Me too. But, we're going to have to. We're just going to have to forget each other," then she walked away.

The next morning at the Loft, Emma and Travis were stitting at the table eating breakfast. Mary Margaret was just sitting there looking at the clock. The twins looked at the clock and saw that it was 7:15. They turned and looked at their friend. They each took a hand. Mary Margaret looked at her friends and gave them a sad smile and they smiled back.

At 7:45 Mary Margaret was at Granny's getting some coffee. Ruby handed it to her and just as she was turning to leave. David walked in. He saw Mary Margaret and walked out. She followed him out of the door and down the street. "What are you doing?" she asked.

David turned and looked at her, "It's 7:45."

"I know."

"Well, I'm trying not to see you!"

"Well, I am trying not to see you."

"Well, how do we stop seeing each other?"

"Apparently we can't."

"This is a problem."

"Yes."

"She's not pregnant," Then, Mary Margaret and David kissed. Little did they know that Regina was watching.

AN: I left in the David and Mary Margaret stuff just because it was easier to show it than to summarize it and it would make they chapter short. One of my reviewers said that Travis was just a side character and should have a bigger part. Well, that got me to thinking and in the next chapter, Travis and Elsa will have a bigger role in the story. See you then!