7:30 AM

The bank was opening, finally, and Emma rushed in as soon as she saw the guards unlocking the doors. She hated lines, and anything that was busy, so she always made sure to deposit her checks first thing in the A.M.

She was just about to leave when she spotted a familiar face from the dream. A Queen. A friend. A villain… turned hero? There was a lot of that going around in that dream. Maybe she saw herself as the villain in her own life and she needed to become her own hero?

The brunette was nodding at a teller, smiling just for the show of it. She swore she could see malice behind those eyes.

"Is that all, Miss Swan?"

Emma looked back at the teller she had been talking to, blushing slightly, before nodding, ending her business, and quickly heading out. Of course there were more faces from the dream. She thought she'd been lucky, but no. Here's some Evil Queen bank manager to spoil it for her.

She thought for sure she would have remembered that damn pirate's face anywhere. But where was he? Who was he? Was he single?

8:09 AM

Emma stepped out of the shop with a new, easy, skip. He was a decent pay, too. She could spring for eggrolls and a bottle of something strong if she caught him. It was a nice day, her back was healed, and she was in no rush to do anything or go anywhere.

She decided to take a stroll around her favorite park, thinking if there were any more familiar faces, one might definitely be here. She wanted to get them out of her way, so she could move past the dream world and back into her own.

She strolled around the park for nearly an hour, procuring a hot chocolate along the way, when the sound of babies, one screech and several giggles, caught her attention. She followed the sound, realizing it was just the Mommy & Me yoga thing that overachieving young mothers did. She often watched as they played, just wondering what it might be like to have a mother that cared.

The short haired brunette caught her eye.

Mom. Snow.

Whoever it really was, was laying down a yoga mat, baby sitting on her pelvis while she chatted with the other mothers. Apparently class hadn't started yet, or maybe it was already over. Emma had always thought her own chin was similar to… that woman's. She'd often daydreamed that that was really her mother, what that might be like. No wonder that dream picked her for the role.

She tossed the remainder of her hot chocolate in the closest trash reciprocal, and went home. It was after nine, anyway. She needed to read up on her mark. If she were lucky, she could catch him before her date. Eggrolls.

10:48 PM

Emma collapsed on her couch. She'd caught her skip. She'd dutifully gone on her date. She never felt more exhausted.

Jarred was handsome, sure, but he barely looked above her neck. For a hot minute, she thought he could take her back to his place. She never brought them to her place. But then he opened his mouth. She simply couldn't date -or bed- stupid.

She flicked on TV, and a commercial was running for some new kids toy she had seen around. It was hilarious, the kid's expression-

Henry.

No, not Henry. Random, child actor, who probably got more money from this one add than she did in a month.

That didn't stop her heart from aching. She quickly changed the channel before she allowed herself to cry. It's nothing. Just a commercial.

Saved by the bell of her ringtone. She immediately knew who it would be.

"What was wrong with Jarred?"

"Hey Holly."

"Hey girl. What was wrong with Jarred?"

Emma laughed, heart still sore from that glimpse of her non-biological child.

"I just didn't feel it."

"I'm going to start writing your number on the bathroom stalls if you don't go on a second date soon. It's been two weeks."

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with being picky."

"Still thinking about that pirate?"

Emma groaned. "Not until you brought him up. Look, I'll… I'll go on a second date with Dylan if he calls."

Silence.

"He's not gonna call, is he?"

"He's, um, gosh, how do I-"

"It's my job, isn't it?"

"I'm so sorry, Emma. But at least your thoughts went there. I'll give you credit for that."

"Are you going to set me up again?"

"How do you feel about women?"

"I want kids." Those words erupted from her mouth long before she approved them. She groaned. "I didn't realize I was going to say that."

"You know, I just remembered another guy. Double date, Friday night." It was a command, not a request.

"You work Friday night."

"I'm getting it covered. This is more important. And he's hot."

8:00 AM

Monday morning

Community College Campus

She stared up at the building. She hadn't been here in months. She was here for about twenty minutes, before she found out how much it was going to cost in books alone.

Now, she was here to stay. She was going to enroll. Today. As soon as she moved her feet. Then, she was off to her job interview. It was nothing special. Retail, but it was a nice uptown place, and the employee discount was worth it. She needed new clothes for her "New Leaf Emma", so why not earn them through the part time job? It was only three hours per shift, and she'd be exposing herself to coworkers she might actually befriend.

New Leaf Emma was on track. Or… something. Positive. She was being positive.

A feeling of overwhelming came over her, and she was practically glued to the spot. So much was changing. Dates Having a friend for once. Going back to school. When was the other shoe going to drop? She started moving toward the building without thinking, when she ran into somebody, knocking herself down onto the concrete.

"I'm so sorry, love, here, let me help you up."

She knew that voice. She knew those blue eyes.

Killian.

The dream-memories came back in a flood as she stared into his ocean blues. Years of Killian fighting to win her heart. She realized he'd held his hand out for her, and she was staring like a star dazed idiot. She took his hand, trying not to blush as he pulled her up. He was better looking than she remembered, though there wasn't much left from that dream she could remember unless it hit her over the head, which he might as well have.

She smiled shyly, dusting herself off.

"Hi." Was all she could muster.

He smiled back. "New here?"

She nodded before she found her voice. "Just about to register. Do you go here?"

"No, I'm just around a lot. Are you alright?"

She noticed he was missing his hand, before looking up sharply.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. Did you serve?"

He grinned. "Marines, three tours. I'm glad to be back."

She held out her hand. "Thank you, sir, for your service."

He took it with another grin, and she made an excuse, practically running into the building that no longer seemed as foreboding.

6:00 PM

"He couldn't have been that hot." Holly murmured as she was drying a clean glass.

"The definition of 'panty dropper'. His gaze practically had me in a puddle on the concrete."

"Which school is that again?" Emma lifted her head off the bartop to glare at her friend. "What? A girl can look."

"How many more dates have you scheduled?"

"Two, after Friday. All have been screened and are accepting of your job."

"After that, I'm done with dates for a while. I am planning on focusing on school, skips and this new part time thing, nothing else."

"Don't forget me."

"Who are you, again?"

Holly laughed, reaching across to playfully shove Emma's head off the counter. "Not to mention meeting new people." Holly insisted. Emma glared again. "You said yourself, you need friends. School, and a new job, are decent places to meet them."

Emma sat up enough to drink her frilly girly thing that Holly had insisted upon. She couldn't drink too much, she still had a stakeout calling her name.