Thank you so much for the reviews. Sorry this chapter is a little short, but the next one will be plenty long to make up for it. ;)
Enjoy. :D
Like Graham had warned her, Emma had to open the station, but he also told her he'd ask her to do it. She hadn't been asked when arrived at work that morning. She'd been on time, but when she struggled to open the door she realized Graham wasn't.
She'd unlocked the place with a box of donuts in her hand then got comfortable at her desk. Even though she'd only worked there for a day, she learned fast. She really didn't have to do anything more that what being deputy required of her. All she needed to do was boot up the computer and wait for a phone call or ten from complaining citizens.
After she turned on her computer, she went into Graham's office and turned his on out of courtesy. She then plopped down in her desk chair and grabbed a bear claw from the box of donuts. She managed to have her way with it before Graham walked in.
"Hey, Emma. Thanks for opening the station. I kind of slept in," Graham greeted just before he eyed the donuts. "Is that breakfast?"
He looked tired, the color drained from his face as he unsteadily walked at a slow, deliberate pace.
Emma furrowed her brow as she focused on his left cheek, five scratch marks from his cheekbone to his chin.
"What happened to your face," Emma asked as she got to her feet.
"What," Graham asked, confused as he touched his cheek and cringed. "Oh...uh, Regina-"
"Got it," Emma stuck a hand out between her and Graham as she was quick to stop him from saying anything more.
Graham took a glazed doughnut and ate half of it in one bite.
"Hungry," Emma teased as she brushed the crumbs from her bear claw off of her fingers over the box.
"It was a long night," he explained.
"Right. Well, changing the subject, I wanted to know if have any plans tonight."
"I'm free...unless Regina calls me."
"Do you really want to spend another night almost getting your face ripped off?"
"Not particularly," Graham laughed it off. "Do you have plans in mind or were you just asking out of curiosity?"
"Why don't you and I go out tonight. Dinner at Granny's?"
"Hm. Sounds interesting. Although, I'm not sure going on a date with your boss is the best way to start your life here in Storybrooke."
"Who said anything about a date?"
Emma had a glimmer in her eye and smirked. Graham couldn't help but grin in response.
"Granny's. Seven o'clock."
"Great," Emma smiled, pleased with herself.
She knew it was wrong, but asking Graham out would definitely get to Regina and it's not like she didn't like him. He was handsome, had an accent, and was kind to her without even knowing her. But she wasn't sure she liked him more than she liked getting under Regina's skin.
Regina took her time getting ready for work that morning. She might have felt refueled and rejuvenated by spending the night with Graham, her skin glowing as she almost looked five years younger, but she wanted to take it slow. Though Emma had only been in town for almost two days, the woman had started to push her to the edge. She didn't like being pushed. At least she thought she didn't.
She looked at her nails after she finished primping her hair and frowned. They needed work after the way she'd used them with Graham the previous night.
She dropped her hands to her side and headed out to her black Mercedes. Even in such a small town, Storybrooke still had a nail salon that doubled as a beauty supply shop. A happy-go-lucky blonde ran the place and took care of every woman's needs when they walked through the door.
"Regina," the blonde smiled when she saw the Mayor walk in. "I could've sworn you were just in here last week."
"Hello, Kathryn," Regina genuinely smiled. "You're not wrong. I was here last week, but...I managed to ruin your handiwork last night when I was cleaning up after dinner."
"Oh, what a shame," Kathryn pouted as she sympathized. "Good thing you came to me as soon as possible. I wouldn't want you walking around town without getting those cuticles fixed."
They smiled at each other.
"I'll give you a manicure and you'll walk out of here good as new," Kathryn continued. "How's Henry?"
A frown swept across Regina's face as she thought about him, the way he paid more attention to Emma than to her. She missed him and had been missing him even before he brought Emma into town.
"I was actually going to take him out of school today," Regina smiled.
"Really," Kathryn asked as she walked out from behind the counter and guided Regina to the table across the room. "That's so unlike you."
"I know, but I could use some time with him that doesn't include reminding him to do his homework or having silent dinners with him."
"Well, I hope he appreciates it," Kathryn said. "I would've only been so lucky to have a mother like you, one that cared about me and where I ended up in life."
"Thank you," Regina said as she held out her hand and let Kathryn get started.
She spent about an hour in the salon and thanked her friend Kathryn on the way out before she went to Henry's school, having decided to take a sick day in order to spend time with him.
She politely knocked on Miss Blanchard's classroom door and patiently waited for the teacher to answer. Within seconds, she got results.
"Mayor," Mary Margaret stated with a bit of surprise.
"Hello, Miss Blanchard," Regina greeted with a tone laced in boredom. "I'd like to take Henry for the day."
"But we're in the middle of a lesson."
"Yes, and I'm sure you can email me all the information Henry will need to catch up, but I'm not leaving school grounds without him."
"Uh, okay," Mary Margaret sheepishly said as she turned to the class and looked at the boy. "Henry, you're needed outside."
Henry looked at Regina and scrunched up his face before he grabbed his backpack and went into the hallway with her.
Mary Margaret closed the door behind them and continued to teach. Henry looked up at Regina as she led him away from the classroom and knew then that he wouldn't be going back to class any time soon.
"So...I'm giving you a free day today," Regina smiled as she stopped Henry to get his full attention before they left. "We're gonna spend the whole day together. Just you and I. I know spending a day with your mother doesn't sound like much fun, but I promise we'll have a good time."
Henry reluctantly agreed and Regina smiled down at him.
When she looked back up and stared straight ahead, her smiled faded as she feared Henry would've preferred to spend his afternoon with Emma. It made her place a hand between his shoulder blades and gently push him along with her to the car. She needed to feel him close to her at least physically to keep her from her own thoughts.
During Graham's lunch break, a call was placed to the station. The answering machine picked it up as Emma walked out of the restroom, which had her listening to every last word that came out of the panicked woman's mouth. The only thing she understood about the call was that there was trouble with a customer at Granny's and then a disgruntled voice barked in the nearby distance as the woman said he was getting aggressive and they needed help.
Emma had no other choice but to respond since she was the only one at the station and she didn't mind. It gave her something to do and she knew she could hold her own if it came to an altercation.
The second she walked into Granny's she assessed the situation, the sight in front of her surprising. Granny stood behind the counter with a broom in hand as Ruby worriedly stood by the phone. The problematic customer stood a few feet from the counter with an angry expression on his face as he yelled at Granny.
"You know I'm allergic to pecans, but you still put it in my order," the man shouted as the rest of the lunch crowd sat silently watching the scene unfold.
The guy took another step toward the counter and Granny raised her broom in defense.
Emma quickly stepped between the guy and Granny, hands outstretched to prevent any forward movements from either person.
"I never know who's ordering what unless I'm told and I wasn't told! I just make the food," Granny yelled back at the man.
"Fine then. Ruby should've told you," he pointed a finger at Ruby.
"Okay, let's not play the blame game here," Emma tried to calm him down.
"I should've told her," Ruby asked. "You never said you were allergic to pecans. I just took your damn order."
The door opened and Regina walked in with Henry, though nobody noticed as the customer lunged at Ruby and Emma was forced to push him away.
With both hands, she firmly placed them on his chest and shoved him back toward one of the tables with a grunt. The man stumbled backward and almost fell on his ass.
Regina couldn't help but marvel at Emma's strength. She never figured the younger woman to have much power under her red jacket and dark jeans. Emma seemed more like the sit back and take it type, but with her little display of pushing a fairly heavy man back a few feet suddenly made the brunette tingle in all the inappropriate places.
"You should leave now unless you want to spend a night in lock up," Emma warned the guy. "It was a simple mistake and it's not like you ate any of the pecans. You could tell they were in the food. I mean, really? I can see them from here."
Everyone looked at the plate with a surplus of pecans on the table behind the guy.
"It doesn't matter. Granny's obviously trying to kill me!"
"What," Ruby started to get angry at his accusation.
"This wouldn't be the first time she's pulled something like on me," he argued.
"Wait," Ruby said as she shook her head. "You ordered the pie of the day."
"So?"
"Today's pie of the day is pecan pie," Ruby said with "duh" tone of voice as she pointed at the menu above the counter.
In large, colorful chalk the top of the sign read, "Pie of the Day: Pecan."
Emma rolled her eyes and looked at the guy as he stared at his feet, embarrassed.
"Dude," Emma said as she squinted at him like he should've known better.
The guy shuffled out of the place with his head down and Ruby smiled at Emma as she turned to face the bar.
"Guess you decided to stay after all," Ruby said.
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm glad you did."
Henry ran to Emma.
"Emma!"
Henry rushed up to her and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled his head against her lower stomach.
"Hey, kid," Emma awkwardly hugged him back, though she was happy to see him.
Ruby smiled at the sight until Regina piped up from near the door.
"Miss Swan. I see your new job is keeping you busy."
"Madame Mayor, I see you're keeping up with your nail appointments," Emma commented on the woman's newly manicured fingernails.
Regina looked at Emma with a questioning expression, not sure what she meant by her comment. No one else seemed to get the blonde's joke either, though Emma seemed pretty proud of it.
Suddenly, Graham walked in and Henry let go of Emma though he remained by her side.
Regina turned to see Graham in the doorway, slowly walking in as he looked around the diner at all the wide eyed and slack jawed townspeople staring at him.
Then everyone understood Emma's comeback, the scratches still visible on his face.
"Sheriff, what are you doing here," Regina asked in a softer tone.
"Uh, well, I heard there was a disturbance at Granny's and thought I'd check it out," he told Regina then directed his next words at Emma. "I didn't know you'd responded to the call."
Regina tried to slow her breathing as her heart began to race in her chest out of anger.
"Come on, Henry. We'll just have lunch at the house," Regina held out her hand.
Henry looked up at Emma, wincing as a way of silently asking, "Do I have to go with her?"
"She's not your mother, Henry. I am and you'll do what I say. Now come here," Regina barked after watching Henry look to Emma for approval.
Henry sighed then looked down at his shoes before he trudged forward and took Regina's hand.
Regina walked him out of the diner past Graham, not giving the man enough time or room to completely move out of her way before she rammed her shoulder into his chest on her way through the door.
Emma sheepishly smiled at Graham.
He cleared his throat and briefly lowered his head out of respect before he turned and headed back out to his car.
When Emma returned to the station, she noticed Graham at his desk and stopped in the doorway.
She knocked on the door frame with her knuckles then leaned against it.
"Hey. Did Regina say anything to you after the incident at Granny's?"
"No. She stormed off with Henry. I didn't have a chance to catch up with her."
"Ah. So, are we still on for tonight?"
Graham looked up at Emma and held her gaze for a few long seconds.
"Yes."
Emma smiled.
"Cool."
"Do we still have to go to Granny's, though? After the weird looks I got there just now, I'm not sure I want to head back there too soon. I'm not even sure why they were staring at me, but is it okay that we change venues?"
Emma chuckled.
"Yeah, that's fine. Have somewhere else in mind?"
"We could always have a home cooked meal at my place."
"As long as you're cooking."
Graham laughed.
"What, you're not any good in the kitchen."
"I didn't say that," Emma spoke with a more sexual tone. "The only thing I can't do in the kitchen is cook."
"So...you can cook in the shower?"
Emma laughed wholeheartedly at the thought.
"No."
"It's okay," Graham laughed. "I know what you meant."
Back at Regina's, Henry sat on the couch with her, a frown on his face as she rubbed his arm.
"What do you really want from me today because I'm pretty sure it's not about spending time with me."
"Henry!"
"Look, it's not that I'd mind you wanting to spend time with me, but I don't think that's what this is. I think you've got something planned."
"And why would I have anything planned?"
"You're the evil queen."
"Henry, that's nonsense."
"No one else will believe me, but I know you know what I'm talking about. Emma doesn't even believe me, but she will."
"Now, Henry, I don't want you spending time with Miss Swan."
"Why? She's my mom."
"I'm your mother."
"Whatever. Can I go back to school now?"
Regina instantly felt a pang in her heart at his dismissal and sighed, hurt.
"Okay," Regina agreed after a moment.
She took Henry back for the hour and half left before school let out and went back when needed to pick him up. He didn't talk to her when she brought him home for the night and she tried not to cry as she felt him slipping even further from her grasp.
She had no choice but to give Henry his space, especially if it helped her find her way back into his life.
She waited a few hours before she went to the station in hopes to get Graham to make her feel better. To her surprise, Graham was already putting on his jacket in unison with Emma adjusting hers. She frowned as she watched them smile at each other before walking out of his office and into the hallway.
"Graham? I just stopped by to see if you'd like to have dinner," Regina spoke up before the two of them had the chance to notice her.
"Uh, sorry, Regina. I kind of already made plans with Emma."
"When," she incredulously asked as her anger resurfaced.
"This morning. At the start of shift," Emma replied with a wicked glint in her eyes as she sported a wolf grin.
Regina gritted her teeth and tried to melt Emma's face with her intense, hate-filled stare as the younger woman clearly tried to upset her.
"Maybe some other time," Graham said as he headed for the door.
Emma slowly followed after him, her eyes never breaking contact with Regina's.
Regina gripped Emma's forearm and dug her nails into the milky skin.
Emma stopped, but didn't bother to look at Regina that time as she focused on the corner Graham had disappeared behind.
Their hips nearly touched with the proximity, but Regina was careful to only get a hold of Emma's arm and nothing else.
"Stay away from Graham. And stay away from Henry," Regina snarled, her hot breath hitting Emma's ear through her loose golden curls.
Emma turned to look at Regina and smirked.
"Make me," she goaded.
Emma yanked her arm away from Regina and coolly walked away.
Regina spun on her heels to watch the blonde leave, seething.
Thanks for reading. Keep up with those reviews! Let me know what you think. Sadly, I won't be able to post the next chapter until this weekend, but I promise it'll be a short wait that WILL be worth it. :D