Updated

On Monday morning Emma was woken up with a voice whispering softly in her ear as Mary Margaret did not want to disturb the other girls with the early wake up call. She ate her breakfast at the table in 'her' chair, one of the white mismatch chairs that surrounded the dining table, with the teacher sitting across from her smiling as she ate a small piece of toast. The station was not too far off from the apartment, like everything else in Storybrooke it rested on the main part of town like all of the other public buildings, so they walked there with Mary Margaret ahead of the still waking teen.

At not even 7'o clock in the morning, the station was the only place with lights glowing through the windows. The man that was at the apartment with Graham was sitting at the desk that was basically in a glass box drinking out of a dark blue coffee mug, a half-eaten jelly doughnut sat on top of a newspaper in the corner. When he saw them walk into the station he stood up, wiping away some of the powder that was stuck in the hairs of his bushy mustache with a napkin that was lying around.

"Glad to see you decided to give us a chance Ms. Swan." He held out his hand and shook each of the girl's hands. "Take a seat ladies, before we can have you start working here Ms. Swan we have to go through a few taxing details, fill out some paper work, blah, blah, blah. If I had it my way I wouldn't even bother with it and just say goodbye and good luck but sadly I cannot." He opened the bottom left drawer and the sound of paper and objects being shuffled around filled the otherwise quite work space. Mr. Hunter's face scrunched up and he mumbled several curses under his breath, clearly he was getting frustrated with not finding what he wanted. "Aha!" He pulled out a cream color folder with the words 'work placement forms Swan, Emma' in neat scripture on the tab. The large man cleared his throat and opened the folder with a sniff. "All right it says here that I have to go over the terms and expectations that come with working at the station and have you and Ms. Blanchard sign a few things.

"To start with Junior Deputies, which is what you will be Ms. Swan, will shadow me as I make my rounds around town and deal with the numerous task that the sheriff's department is faced with. Along with that you will take calls as they come in and call me if something serious comes in. Most of your hours will be done over breaks obviously, but I can give you up to a week off every term and I do allow medical leaves. The only down side to the job is that you must take at least five graveyard shifts per term but whenever you do one of those you do not work the next day so that works out. What are you thinking Ms. Swan?"

"It doesn't really matter what I think, Mary Margaret is making me work at least the week just to see how it is."

"Ah well, either way we might as well get this paper work out of the way." He took out one of those carbon papers with multiple color layers and placed it in front of the blonde teen. "This is your time table that we would use to calculate you hours for every semester. I will put the form just outside this office next to Graham's and it will act like your time card that you will date, sign in and out, and get me to sign before you leave. For now I need you to fill out the top with your full name and signature along with Ms. Blanchard's, you will also have to sign at the end to recognize that Emma has completed the hours Ms. Blanchard." The short haired woman nodded and encouraged the officer to continue. Mr. Hunter pulled out another form which he handed to Mary Margaret.

"This form is for you Ms. Blanchard. It states that as Ms. Swan's guardian you are giving her consent to work not just normal day hours but night hours as well. There is also another form that states you agree to the terms that comes with working here, one of those is a mandated uniform, both of you must sign that. The last form is a medical release form just so that in case of injury we have the information handy which also has the next of kin contact as well.

"For now since you have stated Ms. Swan that Ms. Blanchard wanted you to at least experience what it was like before officially accept or reject the job for now how about you work the week and make an official decision on Friday. Deal?" The large man stood up and once again extended his hand to the teen. Emma looked from the offered hand to Mr. Hunter before standing and placed her smaller thin hand into the larger stronger hand.

"Deal."

"Excellent!" The two women jumped as Mr. Hunter's deep voice boomed threw the silent office and his metal desk shook as its owner's large first pounded down on it. Just then Graham walked in, twirling a set of keys in his hands as he whistled to himself. He stopped in front of one of the pieces of paper that was taped to the outer glass surface. Seeing him Mr. Hunter waved the young man into his office.

"Sir?"

"Good news Graham, Ms. Swan has agreed to come work for us, well for the week that is. Why don't you show Ms. Swan around and get her started."

"Right away Sir."

"Well I will take that as my cue as to leave." Mary Margaret stood up and collected all of the appropriate forms. "Mind if I take this? I can fill them out and when Emma makes a decision I can have her bring them to you."

"Go ahead, I'm afraid that if you don't I might lose it. Paper work is not my strong suit."

"All right." She turned to Emma while she placed the folder into her bag. "I will see you when you get home, do you remember the way?"

"Yes Mary Margaret, and I will not walk home if there is heavy weather or if it's dark out."

"Do you want me to bring or send you lunch or would you be okay?"

"I'll be fine Mary Margaret." The teacher nodded and Emma swore she was fighting back tears.

"Okay. Have a good day." She hugged the teen for a split second before she left, saying goodbye to both males on her way out. Graham took the space that the teacher had abandon and held out a small silver badge for the blonde to take.

"Welcome to the force Emma." The blonde took the offered badge from her classmate, letting its weight press into her hand. The cool metal quickly warmed in her palm and she took a shaky breath for the badge not only represented power and authority, something that she has been fighting and running away from almost all her life, but ties to Storybrooke, something that she promised she would never form. Was it too late to turn around and pretend that it was all a bad dream?

"Okay well just like Hunter said you will sign in next to me. The desks are over there in front of the jail cells, try not to lock yourself in aye." He winked at her and chuckled a little at his own joke. Emma mustered up a small smile that dropped the second Graham started talking again. She made a mental note to apologize to Mary Margaret for complaining about being read the rules the first night, that have not been as annoying as this. "Emma, hey Emma." Graham's thin hand waved in front of her face making her lean back.

"What?"

"Glad to see you're still with me. Here." He handed her a long sleeve shirt that was this ugly grey color with duel black breast pocket flaps and matching tie. There was another set of black material on the top part of the shoulder near the starch collar. Emma opened up the shirt against her chest and looked down at it before looking at her smiling classmate with a look of disbelief.

"A tie? You know that you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority."

"Sorry, no can do its policy. See I have one." He pulled another shirt that was identical to hers except for the star pinned to the right breast pocket and his name was on the flap with a dark black pin with white block letters. "You don't have to wear the tie but do you think that your are going to get people to do what you want in that red coat?"

"I'm getting you to do what I want right now." She removed the tie that was neatly looped under the collar flaps and held it out to the male teen with two fingers, a smirk on her face. Graham took the tie, readjusting the loop back to its original size.

"I'll put it in your locker." He walked outside of the bullpen and took a left where the hallway ended. At the end was a small set of open metal lockers and he placed the tie on one of the metal hooks that was inside the locker on the far left. "You can place your stuff in there while you're here, no one would be stupid enough to rob a police station."

"Not unless you want to be caught." She stepped in front of the locker that Graham placed the tie in and removed her leather jacket. She wore a dark grey long sleeve button down, which she removed, leaving her in the white tank top that she wore underneath it. She placed the shirt that Graham gave her on, and just as she thought it was too big, but it would have to do. She reached into the jacket pocket that she placed the badge in and followed Graham's example and pinned it to her right breast pocket. To top it off her put her red jacket back on with a knowing smirk and went back into the bullpen with a deliberate stride.

It took Mr. Hunter's loud booming voice to break Graham out of whatever trance he was in and he scrambled to collect his own jacket to join the acting sheriff in the morning rounds, leaving Emma to manage the phones.

Managing the phones didn't take much, she got one call from a Ms. Ginger about Pongo's barking which was solved with a vanilla wafer, for some reason the black spotted bog loved them and would quite down immediately after you give him one. All in all it was really quite, but boring. Just as she was about to lose her mind she heard the echoing of footsteps coming up the hall way and lone and behold Regina Mills graced her with her presence.

The class president was wearing a medium blue button down dress shirt with a light grey pencil with the waist coming in in a belt like manner with a small gold button on her left hip. Her hand was in the pocket that her skirt strangely had while the other held onto the edge of the long dark blue coat that was around her shoulders. Though they were in pants weather Regina did not give off any indication that she was cold in a skirt and stockings.

"Morning Regina, what brings you in?"

"Where's Graham? And a more pressing issue why are you here Ms. Swan?" Ouch back to Ms. Swan, someone was in a foul mood.

"Graham is doing the morning round with Sheriff Hunter, and for the time being I work here. Well the rest of the week I do. I have until Friday to make an official decision."

"Why?"

"Because this is the only job that has even entertained the idea of hiring me, and Graham worked hard to persuade Sheriff Hunter to do so." The edges of Regina's lips fell ever so slightly, parting a little when she took her next breath, clearly she was stunned that Graham did what he did. It took her a few seconds for her to realize that she was gawking and gave her head a slight shake, placing her political mask back on.

"Graham did what?"

"He placed in a word to Sheriff Hunter about the fire. According to him when he came to talk to me and Mary Margaret at the apartment Graham was nonstop about the fire. I swear I will never live that down." Emma winced as she watch the dark brunette's cheeks slowly turn red with anger, she knew it was anger and not embarrassment for Regina's normal golden amber eyes had darken considerably. The one thing that she didn't know was where the class president was placing her anger, at her or at Graham, and though he really didn't owe her anything she felt compelled to defend him. "Listen Regina-"

"What are you doing her Regina?" Graham's accent thick voice cut off any plea that Emma was going to make to the fuming dark brunette.

"I could say the same about her." It was official, whatever ground that they covered they just lost if the sneer when Regina said 'her' was anything to go by.

"Why do you care that Emma is the new Junior Deputy?"

"Do you have to put me in the middle?" Seriously, this was quickly becoming more awkward then the conversation she overheard between Cora and Regina when she first arrived to Storybrooke and being in between the two fuming Herman men put together.

"I do care when you are the one that placed in the word." Regina let go of the coat's end and crossed her arm under her round breast.

"We needed another pair of hands and we had the budget, Emma was the perfect candidate."

"She became the perfect candidate when you started vouching for her. Tell me what did you get out of it?"

"Hey I am not-"

"Not that you care, but nothing. I got nothing out of it, and I don't want anything, but you of all people should be the last person to talk to me about using people Regina." That seemed to have ticked the class president off more as her nails on her left hand dug into her elbow.

"I am not having this conversation with you."

"In case you haven't been keeping up Regina we already are."

"I only came by to give you these." She reached into her coat pocket to pull out what looked like a ball of crumpled up black yarn. "You left them underneath my couch Sunday. I washed them in cased you care. We'll talk later." She left in her usual harsh filled power stride. Graham let out a frustrated huff as he shoved the black bundle into his pocket. He fell heavily in the chair that was behind him, playing with the scruff that was on his cheeks.

Emma was at a cross road as to what to do, help him or let him sulk in his anger. On one hand there was the part of her that had the desire to help people wanted to reach out and pat his shoulder and say it will all be okay. Then there was the other part of her that wanted him to sulk for she considered him one of the many barriers to gain Regina's affections. Why she wanted the dark brunette's attention she could not tell you, all she knew was that she did want it and wanted it badly. She shook her head and got out of her own seat and patted the boy's shoulder in some sort of comfort.

"I'm sure it will all be okay, I doubt that this is the most angry that Regina gets." Graham took a deep breath and rested his chin on his propped hands.

"It's not, but you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm tired of it. All of the lies that she tells that she expects me to live by. You saw what she did, she expects me to be like some kind of loyal puppy dog while she goes out and going around with what's-his-name."

"Then why don't you break up with her?"

"I can't, I'm afraid she will pull her support if I do. I am only at Storybrooke Academy because of a scholarship that her father sets up, and if I lose that money I will have to leave and I have nothing Emma. No family or ties to any other place. I would rather die than leave here you know?" Emma's heart clench and she had to look away for she was afraid that he would see the same loneliness in her eyes that she knew were shinning in his.

"Yeah I do Graham. More than you know." She returned to her seat to let him sulk it out on his own before she said something that she would regret.

Working the sheriff's station was not that bad. As the new guy, or girl in this case, she of course had to fetch things like coffee, file reports and calls as Mr. Hunter was not good with paper work, and mandate the phones when she was left behind. So far she had done two patrols which just involved Mr. Hunter driving them around town in the cruiser while they were on the lookout for trouble.

She had only one injury where she tried to get a cat out of a tree as Mr. Hunter was 'afraid of heights', more like too busy flirting with the cat's owner to be bothered. As she climbed the metal ladder up the tree to get the feline, the cat lunged at her causing her to lose her balance and brought both her and the cat back down to ground with a hard thud. The cat scampered away unscathed with its owner chasing after it. She on the other hand was not as lucky as she suffered from cat scratches on her left cheek and shoulder and an achy back. Mary Margaret nearly threw a fit when she saw her when she came home that night, but let it go for applying more alcohol and redressing her wounds.

It made sense for her to serve her mandated graveyard shift on Friday so that she could enjoy staying in on the weekend. It was pretty boring as Storybrooke was relatively a sleepy town, the only thing that she really needed to be on the lookout for was teenager foolishness and weekend celebrators that came out of the town's only bar, The Rabbit Hole she believed it was called.

It wasn't like she was completely left to her own devices, there was a dartboard that was tacked on the large cork board adjacent to the cells and she did have the internet. Before he left Graham presented her with a box of doughnuts, saying that some stereotypes are true, and she hoped that he was referring only to the doughnuts. Aside from that she eagerly took a bear claw that was in the pink box and took a bite, letting the almond flavor invade her taste buds. He offered to stay with her but she refused, this would be the first time in a long while that she would have some personal alone time.

Around midnight she was starting to get restless. She did not know the full limits of the stations computers until she tried to use them. She could only access the sites that were ran by the town and she had been entertaining herself with the print out cross word that she got from the Daily Mirror website and the standard preprogramed chess game that all computers came with, but they were slowly losing their luster. She turned to look at Graham's desk which admitted a faint red aura because of the darts he left out before he left with a wink. She picked one up and positioned herself to throw it, effectively it bounced off the board and landed on the floor with a clatter. She scoffed and went to go pick it up, as her fingers brushed one of the red plastic wings a voice startled her almost knocking her into the desk next to her.

"You missing a shot? Must be off your game Graham." Regina's playful smirk fell when she saw a blonde and very female figure instead of the sandy hair male one she expected. "What are you doing here Ms. Swan?"

"It's Emma, I thought we came to an understanding, and like I said on Monday I work here, for the week at least, by tonight I have to make a decision. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing what I envy and that is sleeping in their own bed?" The class president placed the bag that she had with her onto the nearest desk.

"Graham normally takes the Friday graveyard shift and he always complains about having nothing to eat besides those abominations you call doughnuts, so I would normally bring him something real to eat. However, since he is not here I guess it's yours."

"Thanks, what is it?" She opened up the bag to peek inside.

"I made lasagna, even though he never did like it." Emma reached for the still warm container and the napkin that was wrapped around same silver wear. The slab of Italian cuisine looked edible but when she took a bite there was nothing, well nothing special about it any way.

"I'm going to have to agree with Graham on this one Regina."

"I could never get a straight answer as to why from him." The dark brunette moved to take the container back but Emma stopped her and brought it to her desk to finish it off.

"It doesn't match." Dark eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"The lasagna doesn't match you. Its good, but it doesn't stand out against the others. The way I see it is that if I were blind folded and you presented me with two different pieces of the same food I should be able to tell the difference between the two because you've added something to make it stand out, reflect you in a way. I would be able to taste the difference between your lasagna and Mrs. Lucas' because she has a different mix of cheeses, it's her own touch to make it pop. You have to find something that makes it pop."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, anything. Besides apples what do you like?"

"You're asking me about my taste in food?"

"Yeah. Do you like spicy or bland? Sour or sweet? You should cook to please others but if you are not satisfied with it than it doesn't matter what others think because to you you have already failed. You should serve something that you are proud of."

"Very well, since you're such an expert." she leaned back in Graham's chair, elbows on the arm rest, fingers laced together. "Give me an example."

"Okay, um, you wouldn't know this since you didn't have any, but the pumpkin pie that Dr. Hopper served at Thanksgiving had cinnamon in it, probable more so then it called for, that simple change gave it a whole new flavor. Last weekend Mary Margaret made bacon cheese turkey burgers and added a little bit of spices but kept the natural flavoring of the meat. Your candy apples are a perfect example, you make them one way with one kind of apple and prepare them a certain way that makes them a hit. You just have to find that one thing that defines you and work with it."

"Are you suggesting that I should use apples in everything? Because that is the only thing that I am good at."

"No, but that would defiantly make it interesting. I am sure that there is something else that you like. How about you answer my previous question: spicy or bland?"

"Spicy."

"What's your favorite spicy food?"

"My father use to make this amazing dirty rice with red pepper flakes when I was little. The flavoring was to accommodate my mother's taste more than me as she doesn't like heavily spiced foods, but I loved it."

"See, there you go, changing something to give it its own identity. Why don't you use your father's example and maybe try playing with different kinds of spices and flavor combinations. If you want I can be you guinea pig, I'll eat everything you give me but will tell you what I honestly think, even if you poison me. I might not be happy with you after words but I will do it again if you ask." The olive tone girl smiled and took the empty container off the blonde's desk.

"I would never poison you accidentally, deliberately yes if you had done something to enrage me."

"That's a comforting thought. You wanna hang around for a little bit or do you have to go?"

"I must be going, if my mother finds out that I sneaked out I can kiss my break goodbye."

"Okay well let me know when you need me to test something or if you need anything."

"Will do. Have a goodnight Emma." Hearing her name for the first time since their first encounter made her smile.

"Goodnight to you as well Regina. Oh, and stick to the lit paths and call if you feel scared or whatever."

"I will heed your warning Emma." She gave the blonde a small smile before she left, the air calmer than it ever has. Emma resisted the urge to fist bump the air, those steps that she lost she had gained back, and that deserved a little celebration. She took out the time table where she would chart her hours over break and taped it next to Graham's, smoothing out some of the air bubbles. She signed the few paper's that needed her signature and filed everything in its right full place. As of tonight, or early this morning whatever you called it, Emma Swan officially became Junior Deputy Swan.

It was in fact too late to turn back now.

A/N: Obviously I do not own the small amount of dialog that I borrowed from the amazing creators of Once Upon A Time but everything else it mine.