Part Five: The One With The Job

"I need to get a job"

That was the first thing Emma said when she opened her eyes that morning. She needed to pay for the room she was staying in at Granny's and, you know, food. And new clothes! Or just clothes. She had washed hers in the bathroom sink before going to sleep at night, the tank top and panties, (she didn't dare washing the jeans by hand), and left them out to dry at the heater. It was hell going to bed naked in that cold, especially without Regina to warm her up.

Regina!

God, how she missed her. How she missed her family. She needed to get back to her timeline, but Emma had no idea how the hell was she supposed to do that in a land without magic. But she had to figure it out and she had to get Regina to help her. She was the only one who could, she was the only one awake.

Emma rose from the bed and quickly walked to the heater. Her clothes were dry and Emma put on the panties before collecting the bra from the floor and putting it on then her tank top and jeans. God, Regina would scold her if she saw her clothes on the floor and the simple thought of that made Emma smile. What she wouldn't give just to have Regina scolding her again?

Emma sat down in bed again and this time she put on her socks and boots. She took the wallet from the bedside table and counted her money. It was definitely not much, she would have to make a miracle to buy new panties and tank tops until she could get a job. It was winter, they should be super cheap, right? Her beloved and faithful red leather jacket would just have to do it to protect her from the cold.

Emma's stomach made a noise that was both embarrassed and storytelling. She was starved, as she always were in the morning. She closed her eyes and thought about Regina back home, making buttery eggs in the kitchen while Emma chopped apples into a bowl to give the twins a good example. It was their favorite fruit, even though Henry still had suspicious eyes when it comes to that particular fruit. Emma let out a single tear fall down her face as the image dissolved in her brain. She felt like she had abandoned her children all over again and the only thing that made her heart feel a little more at peace was the fact that once again, Regina was there for them.

"I need to get back home"

Emma said to herself before getting up from the bed once again. She silently went down the stairs, she was doing her best to avoid Granny, she had told Emma that the first payment for the room was due in two days unless Emma wanted to pay in advance, which she didn't and now she felt all awkward around the woman. Emma used the backdoor of the B&B and breathed in the fresh cold wind of Storybrooke. And then her stomach snored. Again!

She walked all the way down to the cheapest clothing store in Storybrooke and wondered where did Regina's fancy clothes come from? There were really only two clothing stores in all of Storybrooke and none of them was to Regina's taste. I'm gonna ask her about that, Emma thought.

Emma entered the store and the nice young woman by the cashier smiled at her. Emma smiled back and tried her best to remember who she was but nothing popped inside her head. She guessed Storybrooke wasn't as small as she thought it was. Regina would definitely know who that young woman was.

Regina!

Emma smiled.

She walked around the corridors, literally looking at the price tags before the clothes themselves. Apparently, everything cheap was either bright pink or orange. This is definitely Regina's doing, Emma rolled her eyes. There was just no way in hell she would wear an orange sleeve blouse with a turtle neck. She was desperate but not that desperate! Emma walked more to the back where she found the black and white session. She picked one black and one white blouse with a long sleeve and two tank tops with the same colors. The next thing she needed now was panties. Emma walked to the lingerie section, not really paying attention. She was mentally calculating how much the blouses would cost her and how much money she could still spend when suddenly her body collided against someone else.

"Oh shit," Emma said "I'm sorry"

"Oh, it's okay. No harm is done"

"Mom" Emma breathed out.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean…" Emma shook her head "Mary Margaret"

"Do we know each other?" Mary Margaret smiled at her.

"Oh, ah, not…exactly" Emma bit her lower lip.

"Not exactly?" Mary Margaret frowned.

"I've heard about…you…"

"Where?"

"Granny's," Emma said "I'm staying there"

"Oh! I'm sorry, but I don't know you" Mary Margaret said.

"Oh yeah, I'm Emma. Emma Swan"

"Hi, Emma" Mary Margaret said "Well, you already know my name"

"Yeah" Emma smiled "I've heard good things about you. It's nice to put a face on the name"

"From who?"

"Ahh…Children," Emma said quickly "You are their favorite teacher"

"Aww that's so sweet" Mary Margaret smiled "I love teaching"

"Yeah" Emma smiled back.

"So you are new in town?" Mary Margaret asked "We don't get many visitors here"

"Yeah, I…I'm not exactly new"

"I thought you were said you are staying at Granny's?"

"I am"

"You don't have a home here?" Mary Margaret asked with pity.

"I do," Emma said quickly "It's just…unavailable right now"

"Oh!"

"Yeah, anyways…" Emma started to say.

"Are you shopping for underwear too?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yes, I just need the basic" Emma said feeling her cheeks burn.

"I need something sexy," Mary Margaret said "But I'm not good at sexy"

"Excuse me?"

"I have a date tonight"

"With David?" Emma asked confused "I thought he was in a coma"

"Who's David?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Nobody" Emma shook her head "Who do you have a date with?"

"Dr. Whale," Mary Margaret said.

"Oh my God, right," Emma said back.

"Do you think you can help me?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Help you?"

"To choose sexy panties," Mary Margaret said "I feel like I might need tonight"

"Oh, no you don't,"

"Sorry?"

"He is not the one for you," Emma said "So don't bother"

"What makes you say that?"

"I know the type," Emma said "He is not the one for you"

"Do you know Dr. Whale?"

"I do. And he is an asshole"

"Oh!"

"Yeah. Trust me, you shouldn't waste another second with him"

"Thank you for the tip," Mary Margaret said "Maybe I should see how the date goes first before thinking about going to bed with him"

"Oh my God," Emma said feeling her stomach turn at the image.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine!" Emma smiled. Or at least she hoped it was a smile.

"Oh my, look at the time," Mary Margaret said looking at the watch on the wall "I'm going to be late for school"

"Right"

"It was lovely to meet you, Emma,"

"Yeah you too"

Mary Margaret left the store while Emma made millions of faces at the conversation she had with her mom. Again! God, it was easy to get over it when she didn't know who the woman was, but now? There was just no way she would stay and listen to her complaints about the bad sex she had with Whale.

"Oh my God," Emma said to herself.

She shook her head and walked around the underwear section trying to find the deal of the day. A pack with five panties for just a dollar. Well, that would have to do. Emma picked up the items and walked to the cashier to pay for them. When she was back on the street, Emma started to walk without really paying attention to where she was going. Her feet just took over the familiar pathways while her brain tried to work out the mess she was in. When Emma paid attention to her surroundings again, she realized she was across the street from her house. Emma sadly smiled when she saw the white mansion in front of her. It was her home. And it wasn't.

Emma stared at the house, thinking about Regina and Henry inside. Her son. Their son. The version of him that she never got to meet. Emma missed her wife and kids, she needed to come back to her own timeline, but she would lie if she said she didn't feel honored to be here right now. She got to meet Henry. She got to hold him in her arms. One of Emma's biggest regret was not even looking at her son the day he was born. She couldn't do it. She knew she would never let him go if she did. But now she was here and she had the chance to be with him and as much as she didn't like the situation she was in right now, something good came out of it.

Emma shook her head and was about to turn around and go back to Granny's to put the bags away when a familiar figure caught her eyes. Graham! God, how long has it been since the last time she saw him? He left right after the curse broke. Emma liked the guy, except for the little detail that he was with Regina when…

"Oh, hell no"

Emma ran to the other side of the sidewalk when Graham had just opened the gate to Regina's house. He was halfway to her door when Emma jumped right in front of him and put a hand to his chest to make him stop.

"You can turn around and leave," Emma said out of breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Turn around and leave, right now," Emma said again.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Graham asked confused.

"I know damn well what you came here to do," Emma said seriously "And that is over, buddy! Go away"

"I came here to fix the Mayor's leak"

"Oh my God," Emma said making a disgusting face.

"What the hell is all this…Miss Swan" Regina's voice came from behind them "What are you doing here?"

"I came to fix your leak," Emma said quickly.

"Excuse me?" Regina asked.

"Do you know this woman, Madam Mayor?" Graham asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Regina sighed "Graham, get inside. Miss Swan, go away"

"Not gonna happen," Emma said "He's leaving, right now"

"No, you are," Regina said "Graham, go inside"

"Graham, go away," Emma said seriously.

"Miss Swan…"

"Regina!" Emma said turning around to look at her "I am not leaving him alone with you"

"Madam Mayor, I have to go. I just got a call from the station…"

"See, he's leaving," Emma said already walking towards the house.

"I don't remember inviting you in," Regina said walking behind her.

"I know," Emma said "So, upstairs?"

"Excuse me?"

"The leak?" Emma asked in what she hoped was a sexy voice.

"It's in the kitchen," Regina said seriously.

"The kitchen?" Emma asked confused "Oh, you have an actual leak?"

"Yes! What the hell did you think it was?"

"Nothing, never mind," Emma said walking to the kitchen "You know I keep telling you that we need to change those pipes. They are way too old"

"How do you know where the kitchen is?" Regina asked behind her.

"What?" Emma said as she put the bags on top of the island and started to remove her jacket.

"How do you know where the kitchen in my house is?" Regina asked slowly.

"Oh…You rich people's houses all look the same" Emma said and swallowed dry.

Emma smiled softly at Regina and sat down on the floor. Regina had already taken out the contents from under the sink.

"Can you get the toolbox from the garage?" Emma asked.

"I don't think I have one"

"Yeah, you do," Emma said "It's on the top shelf next to the shovel"

"And how the hell do you know that?"

"Oh, I…I don't," Emma said feeling her cheeks burn "As I said, you rich people all do the same"

Regina looked at her seriously before leaving the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, Emma let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. I have got to stop acting as if I know everyone, Emma thought. And Regina, God, how Emma loved seen her in a suit. It was such a turn-on. I miss you, Emma said in a small voice to herself.

"It was exactly where you said it would be," Regina said when she entered the kitchen again.

"Told ya" Emma smiled.

Regina handed Emma the toolbox and Emma closed her eyes for a second when their fingers touched. She felt the usual electricity her body always seems to feel when she was close to Regina. It's a true love thing, her mother would say.

"You said 'we'" Regina said.

"What?" Emma asked while looking for the right tool inside the box.

"You said 'I keep telling you we need to change those pipes'"

"I did?" Emma asked, lowering herself under the sink.

"You did," Regina answered her.

"My bad" Emma said.

"Why do I get the feeling that you know exactly who I am?"

"Well, you are the Mayor," Emma said "I'm pretty sure everybody knows exactly who you are"

"And is that all you know of me?"

"Yep! That's all I know" Emma said "Can you hand me the insulating tape?"

Regina took the tape out of the box and gave it to Emma. She rolled the tape all around the pipe making sure Regina wouldn't have reason to call Graham any time soon. Not that she thought this would be enough but at least it would keep him away for the day. As if her situation wasn't bad enough already, now she had to keep Graham away from Regina too.

"All done," Emma said when she rose from the floor.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked, "I'm not waking up with a pool in my kitchen tomorrow, am I?"

"Nope! It's all good" Emma said "You know, if you need anything fix in the house you can just call me"

"Well, the Sheriff is always kind enough to do such things for me"

"Yeah, I bet," Emma said dryly "I'm going to write down my number. Call me if you need anything okay?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm here for you Regina"

Emma walked to the fridge and wrote down the cell number on the little notebook Regina had on the fridge. She wasn't quite sure if it would work, she only got that number one year after she moved to Storybrooke, but when she called Regina the night before she had answered so, she guessed it was okay to assume the number worked.

"Where is Henry?" Emma asked when she finished writing the number.

"Sleeping, thank God"

"Rough night?" Emma asked sympathetically.

"You can say that," Regina sighed "Thank you for fixing the leak"

"You are welcome"

Emma smiled at Regina and for a brief moment, she saw that glow in her eyes, the one it was reserved just for her. She also noticed that even under all that makeup and perfect clothes, Regina looked tired. She wished she could help. She wished she could share that weight with her, care for Henry when he cried, make Regina company while she fed him a bottle. Do all the things she had missed on Henry's first ten years.

"Let me show you to the door," Regina said pulling Emma out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, right," Emma said as she put her jacket on. Her stomach chose that exact moment to make the loudest noise in the history of body noises and Emma looked at Regina feeling her cheeks burn "Sorry. I didn't have any breakfast"

"Why not?"

"I'm a little low on cash," Emma said embarrassed "I'm sort of hiding from Granny until I can get a job"

"Oh!"

"Yeah, anyway, I'm gonna get going," Emma said picking up the bags from the island.

"Sit down, Miss Swan" Regina said.

"What?"

"You fixed my leak. The least I can do is offer you breakfast"

"Regina, you don't have to do that"

"I don't like repeating myself, Miss Swan" Regina said as she walked to the fridge.

"Okay,"

Emma sat down on the chair and watched Regina moving around the kitchen. It was such a familiar scene for her that Emma almost felt like she was home again. She wanted so badly to walk behind Regina, to wrap her arms around her waist and kiss her neck. She wanted to see that bright beautiful smile of her while she and whisper I love you in her ear. She longed to hear Regina say those words back to her, to hear the cartoon noise coming from the television in the living room, and for Henry to walk in and make a face because his parents were making out all over his food.

"There you go," Regina said putting a plate in front of Emma.

"Oh my God, this looks so good," Emma said "Aren't you getting any?"

"I've already eaten," Regina said.

"Get a cup of coffee then," Emma said "Make me company"

Regina looked like she was about to say something but then, she dropped it. She walked to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup while Emma devoured the eggs and the buttery bread. It tasted just like home. Regina sat down next to her but didn't say anything. Emma broke the silence with questions about Henry, and it was so beautiful to see Regina's hard features changing when she talked about him. She loved him so much that Emma almost wished she could tell her young self that her kid was okay.

When Emma finished eating, Regina walked her out of the house. Outside Emma started to walk back to the B&B. Maybe she could ask Granny if she was in need of a new waitress. Emma hasn't done that in years now but she was sure she still had needed skills. She thought about Regina and how beautiful she looked that morning, but then again, she always looks beautiful, Emma thought. But she did look a little extra this morning, didn't she? The makeup was heavier than usual, maybe to hide how tired she really was or…Graham. No! Regina never liked him that much he was just, well, a toy. She wouldn't put on an effort just to see him, would she? No, no she wouldn't. If she did, there was no way in hell she would just let him go like that. She called him because she really only had a leak. God, she had forgotten about the affair Regina was having with Graham before they met.

Wait a minute!

That's it.

Graham.

Emma crossed the street and walked in the direction of the Sheriff station. God, how could she have forgotten that little detail?

"Graham" Emma said when she walked inside the office.

"You,"

"Emma. I'm Emma Swan"

"What can I do for you, Miss Swan?" Graham asked from behind his desk.

"You are going to give me a job as a Deputy" Emma said.

"I am?"

"Yep! We both know you have it on your budget, for years now"

"How do you know that?"

"It's a public record" Emma lied.

"And why would I hire you?"

"Because I'm good," Emma said "And I used to be a bail bonds person. I have the skills"

"Well, you can leave your resume…"

"No need. I'm good for the job" Emma said "I'll see you tomorrow"

"I didn't hire you"

"Yes, you did," Emma said "Trust me, I'm good"

"Okay, I supposed we can make a one week trial"

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow"

"I need to give you the uniform"

"Uniform?"

"The deputy uniform"

"Yeah, that thing is hideous and I'm not wearing that," Emma said "I'll see you tomorrow"

Emma walked out of the station back to the B&B. She got a job and now she could start to work on her plan. Whether it was the going back home or the keep Graham away from Regina, she wasn't quite sure.

Storybrooke – Present Day

"Mom?" Henry called her "Mom? Mom, you'll burn the eggs"

"What?" Regina asked absently before looking at the pan "Ah, damn it"

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart" Regina said putting the eggs on a plate. Thank God they didn't burn.

"Were you thinking about Ma?"

"Yes, I guess I was," Regina said softly.

"We'll bring her back"

"I know, sweetie" Regina smiled sadly at him "Can you please go get your brother and sister?"

"Yeah, sure," Henry said "Stay away from the stove, would you?" He joked.

"Very funny," Regina said back.

Henry left the kitchen while Regina fixed three plates of breakfast food. There it was that odd feeling again, that faint memory of Emma she knew it couldn't be true. Her mind was playing tricks on her and Regina had no idea why was it happening that way. Those day and night dreams she was having, those dreams that felt more like a memory, a memory of Emma.

Regina put the plates on top of the island and stared at the cabinet under the sink. She walked the four steps to the sink and kneeled in front of the cabinet. She opened the doors and pushed everything to the side looking for the pipe. There it was, the white pipe with silver tape wrapped all around it. The tape was old now, missing the glue on the sides, it didn't stick anymore. Regina didn't have any memories of ever putting silver tape all over the pipe. That wasn't really her style, that was more like Emma. Curious enough, she didn't have any memories of Emma doing that either, except for the daydream of them in the kitchen while Henry was sleeping upstairs.