Emma Swan stuck her thumbs under the worn straps of her backpack and heaved a sigh, then murmured, "They're not gonna help you, Emma. Why would they?" She had a habit of talking to herself, since she had no one else to whom she could talk. At nineteen years of age, she had no family, no home, no real friends and now, no boyfriend.

When the possession of stolen property charges against her were dropped due to lack of evidence, the officer who had originally arrested her recommended a charity organization run by the church which was across the street from where she was currently standing. He had realized that she would be on her own since Neal was incarcerated for stealing a car, and told her she'd be able to get a little food and some warmer clothing here. She couldn't really risk shoplifting so soon after being released from jail, so she decided to take his advice.

She was glad that witnesses had come forward to say she hadn't been the one to actually break into the car and hot-wire it, which contradicted the statement Neal had made. The look on his face when he accused her of being the thief to try to clear himself, told her that he'd been lying when he said he loved her. She'd been stupid enough to believe him, and to fall in love with him too, and now she'd gotten her heart broken.

She should have known better than to put her trust in him. All her life, she'd paid the price for trusting the wrong people. Now, as she rubbed her fingers over the swan key fob she wore on a chain around her neck - the one Neal had stolen for her - she strengthened her resolve to build the walls higher around her heart.

She stood on the sidewalk for a few more minutes, watching the people outside the church bustling about. They were all dressed simply in jeans and hoodies, but she could still tell that she didn't have much in common with any of them.

She shivered and yanked the cuffs of her own worn and faded sweatshirt down over her knuckles. Even in North Carolina, it was chilly in early November.

"Are you here to help?" a voice asked, causing Emma to jump. The person who had spoken was standing right beside her and took her by surprise. She was usually very aware of her surroundings and other people who happened to be in them.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

She turned to look at the owner of the deep, accented voice and found herself face-to-face with a very good-looking man who appeared to be just a few years older than herself.

He smiled kindly and offered his hand. "Killian Jones, at your service. I assume you're here to volunteer?"

She eyed his hand warily, then finally reached forward to briefly shake it, barely touching it as she did. "I...I was just...w-watching," she stuttered. Then an idea crossed her mind - maybe if I volunteer, they'd be more likely to help me. "Um, would it be okay if I did?"

His grin got wider. "Of course, we can always use more help! Let me show you around, Miss…"

Emma hesitated for a moment. She didn't usually like people to know her name, but if she was going to be working with him, she'd have to give it sooner or later. "Uh, Emma. Emma...Swan."

"Okay, Swan. Come with me." He walked on ahead of her, and she fell into step behind him.

Killian strode up to a petite woman with short dark hair. "Hey, M's! This is Emma Swan. She's here to volunteer today." He turned to Emma. "This is Mary Margaret Blanchard. She's the organizer here and she'll give you your assignment."

"Hi Emma, it's nice to meet you! I'm so happy you're here!" Her smile was wide and genuine.

"Uh, thanks," Emma said uncertainly.

"Where's Dave?" Killian asked..

"He's on the other side of the building, helping set up the pet adoption area. I'm sure he could use some help."

"Right, then. I'd better go show him how to do it!" he chuckled. "See you at lunch, M's. You too, Swan." He turned and headed around the side of the church.

"Um, lunch?" Emma asked. "We get lunch?"

"Of course! We can't let you work here all day without feeding you!" Mary Margaret assured her.

Emma subconsciously licked her lips. She hadn't had much to eat since she was released from jail two days ago. Actually, she hadn't really minded being incarcerated for eleven days. At least she'd had a cot to sleep on and three meals a day.

"What made you decide to volunteer today?" Mary Margaret asked, tapping Emma's name into an iPad.

"Oh, uh, someone told me that you do good charity work here, and I just...I thought it would be nice to help," Emma lied, not wanting them to know that she was the one who needed help.

"I'm certainly glad you decided to. We always have plenty of work and not enough hands to do it."

"What...what do you want me to do?"

"Well, I'm going to need someone to help organize the food pantry. We have another food drive coming up in two weeks, and we need to know what we already have so when we put out the appeal, we'll have a better idea of what to ask for."

"Oh, okay. Where is it?"

"In the basement of the church. Follow me."

Emma followed a few steps behind Mary Margaret, who kept turning her head to talk to her. "I still have several volunteers coming in, so I'll get you started then come back out here."

"Am I doing this alone?"

"No, I'll assign someone else to work with you." Mary Margaret glanced at the young woman's face and saw a concerned look pass across it. "Actually, I'll probably be the one to help since I want to do inventory and make a list of needed items." Another quick peek told her that Emma had relaxed a bit after that last comment.

They reached the basement and entered a large room lined with shelves that had a few food items scattered upon them. Stacked on the floor were close to fifteen cardboard boxes. Mary Margaret pulled the flaps open on one of the boxes on top. Emma leaned forward to peek into it and saw numerous cans of food.

"We need to unpack these boxes and organize the food on the shelves." She gestured around the room. "Canned goods go over there, boxed food on the back shelves, and food in bags over here," she explained, pointing out the designated areas. "The boxes have been packed and sorted into those categories. I'd like for you to start with the canned goods. You can see that the shelves are labeled. Just put the cans in the right place."

"Sounds easy enough," Emma stated, plucking a can of corn out of the box.

"Don't worry about counting them, we'll do that after we have everything on the shelves. It's easier that way."

"Okay."

Mary Margaret smiled at her again. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I think I'm good. Unpack and stack. Got it."

"Good! Then I'll just head back outside."

"Wait - you, uh, why do you trust me to do this? You don't even know me."

"There's no reason why I shouldn't trust you, is there?"

Emma looked at the other woman in disbelief. She was used to other people assuming the worst of her, but Mary Margaret didn't seem to hesitate at all in giving her a chance.

"Um, no, there's not." She slid her backpack off and set it against the shelves.

"I'll be back as soon as I get everyone assigned to a job," Mary Margaret said before turning and scurrying up the stairs.

xxxxxxxxx

When Mary Margaret reentered the storage room, she was very surprised at what she saw.

"Emma!" she exclaimed.

The blonde woman whipped around. "What? Did I do something wrong?" She backed away a couple of steps to put more space between the two of them.

"No! It's just that you got so much done!" She gestured toward the shelves of canned goods, which were now much more full and neatly organized.

She could see Emma start to smile at the praise, but then she dropped her eyes and pressed her lips together firmly. "I, uh, I just did what you told me to do."

It wasn't lost on Mary Margaret that the person standing in front of her had yet to make eye contact with her, and she seemed defensive and mistrustful. Mary Margaret's heart went out to her.

"I was just starting on the boxed food. Do you want me to keep doing that?" Emma asked.

"Yes, good idea. You continue that, while I start inventory on the canned goods."

"O-okay. Do you, um, is there a certain amount of food that you have on the shelves?"

"No, it always varies, depending on what's been donated. The next food drive will probably be a bigger one because it's closer to the holidays."

"Oh yeah, Thanksgiving and Christmas, that's right. I kinda forgot about them." Emma reached into a cardboard box to pull out two boxes of instant potatoes, so she missed the puzzled look that Mary Margaret gave her about her last remark.

They worked quietly for the next twenty minutes as Emma stocked the shelves with the donated items, and Mary Margaret counted and recorded the numbers on her tablet.

When they heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, Emma turned wide eyes toward the doorway. A sandy-haired, broad-shouldered man entered the room, smiled at her, then turned to give Mary Margaret a kiss on the cheek. Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled.

"David, this is Emma Swan, a new volunteer. Emma, this is David Nolan, my boyfriend."

"Hey," Emma said softly, giving him a little wave.

"Nice to meet you, Emma!" he greeted in a friendly voice. "We're always glad to have more help around here. Makes the work go faster!"

He started to take a step closer to the young woman, but Mary Margaret had seen the trepidation on Emma's face when he entered the room, so she grabbed his hand. "What brings you down here, Sweetheart?" she asked.

He looked a bit confused before he cleared his throat and said, "I thought you might want to take a little break. You've been at it for a while now."

"Look how much Emma has accomplished though! She has nearly all of the donation boxes emptied and the shelves organized!"

"Wow! You're a fast worker!" David said, obviously impressed.

"Uh, well, Mary Margaret helped, of course."

"I just did the counting, you did all the hard work! David is right - you deserve to take a break. They've got snacks ready for us in the church kitchen. Are you hungry?"

She saw an eager look pass across Emma's face before she composed it back into the mask of indifference she'd been wearing all morning. "Um, sure. I guess I could eat something." She reached down to grab her backpack.

"Oh, you can just leave that here. No one will mess with it."

Emma's eyes darted back and forth between Mary Margaret and the tattered gold canvas backpack. "No, it's okay. I...I'm kinda used to having it with me. I feel a little lost without it, you know?"

"That's fine if you're more comfortable that way," Mary Margaret told her, starting to walk toward the steps.

David smiled at Emma and waved his hand in front of him. "Ladies first."

Emma gave him a weak smile, hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders, and followed behind the dark-haired woman.

When the three of them entered the kitchen together, there were two other people already there. The man Emma had first met, Killian Jones, was pouring himself a cup of coffee while he talked and laughed with another man.

Emma's eyes didn't rest on him very long since they were drawn to the food on the table beside the coffeemaker. She felt her stomach rumbling and hoped that the couple in front of her didn't hear it.

"Help yourself to a snack, Emma," David encouraged her. "Would you like something to drink? There's coffee, milk, orange juice, hot chocolate…"

"You have hot chocolate?" she asked, with a slight note of excitement in her voice.

"It's just the kind from a packet. Would you like some?"

"Um, sure. That would be great," Emma answered, her voice back to sounding emotionless again.

While David moved to the other end of the table beside Killian, Emma scanned the snack table. There was fresh fruit, granola bars and Pop Tarts. She looked at Mary Margaret, who had selected a small orange and was peeling it over a trash can.

Quickly, she grabbed a package of Pop Tarts off the table and stuffed it into the pouch of her hoodie. She didn't notice that Killian had been looking in her direction at the time. Before she could glance over to see him watching, he turned to talk to David. He didn't want to embarrass her by letting her figure out that he'd seen her actions.

Turning her attention back to the snacks, Emma tentatively reached for a banana and began to peel it. As soon as the fruit inside was revealed, she took a large bite, closed her eyes and smiled as she began to chew. She wanted to savor every bite, but she also wanted to get food to her empty stomach as fast as she could. When she opened her eyes again, Mary Margaret was standing in front of her, looking at her curiously.

Emma's cheeks reddened as she swallowed. "You did say that I could help myself…"

"Of course you can, Emma! I just...never mind. You can have more than one snack, you know. You certainly earned it with your work this morning!"

"Do you think you'll be able to finish the pantry so both of you can help set up for the fundraising event this afternoon?" David asked, approaching with a styrofoam cup in his hand. He held it out to Emma. "Sorry it's not very hot. The pot we keep the hot water in is on its last legs."

"No problem, thank you," Emma said, eagerly taking a sip. This time, even though the liquid chocolate running down her throat tasted like heaven to her, she made sure that she kept her eyes open and the expression on her face neutral.

"I'm sure we'll finish pretty quickly since Emma has most of the donations unpacked and I've counted all the canned goods. She can help me count and record the rest after she finishes putting everything on the shelves."

"Good to hear! Oh, I forgot to tell you that we won't be able to have the face painting station. Eric came down with the flu so he's not gonna be here today."

"That's too bad! His booth is always one of the most popular ones. The kids are going to be so disappointed!"

"Face painting?" Emma asked. "What other kinds of stuff do you have?"

"Well, a lot of it is for the kids," Mary Margaret explained. "We have a fish pond game, a ball toss and ring toss, guess the number of jellybeans in the jar, things like that. We also have the pet adoption station, which David and Killian were setting up this morning, a book exchange table…"

"Books?" Emma asked as her face lit up.

"Do you like to read?" David inquired, noticing her sudden interest.

Emma schooled her features again. "Um, yeah, kind of. I mean, it's okay, I guess," she stuttered. "How, uh, you said an exchange. Do you have to have books to trade?"

"Not at all!" Mary Margaret assured her. "You can pick out some books, take them home to read, then bring them back next time to exchange them, like you would at a library."

"Oh, okay. Cool." Emma tried to look nonchalant, but the couple had both noticed how happy she'd looked at the mention of books. It was the first true emotion they'd seen on her face since she had arrived.

"So, anyway, unless we suddenly find someone who's willing to dab some paint on the kids' faces today, that table is closed," David said.

Mary Margaret turned to Emma. "Have you ever done anything like that, Emma?'

The blonde was taken aback. "N-no, but I used to really like to draw. I got to take some art classes at one of the, um, at school. I could try, I suppose."

"Oh, that's great!" Mary Margaret said, clasping her hands and giving a little bounce. "They don't have to be perfect. The kids are happy with any kind of little painted blob on their cheek! I think Eric has a board at the table showing the different options he offers. You can check it out and practice on some paper, if you'd like. It's not the same as painting on an excited child, but it might help."

"Okay, maybe I will," Emma responded. She finished her hot chocolate and stuffed the banana peel into the empty cup. "Did you...did you say it was alright to have another snack?"

"Of course! Help yourself," David smiled.

Emma snatched up a chewy granola bar and started to unwrap it.

"I've got to get back outside," David told his girlfriend, kissing her on the cheek. "Hey, Jones! Are you ready to head out? Don't spend too much time with Scarlett. He'll corrupt you!"

"Oi, Mate! I take offense to that!" the other man with Killian shot back.

Killian laughed. "Dave's not wrong though, Will!" He clapped the man named Scarlett on the back. "Have fun blowing up balloons!" he added, then walked over to join David.

"See you at lunch!" Mary Margaret called as the two men walked out the door.

Emma finished eating her granola bar and dropped all of her trash into the wastebasket. "What time does the fundraiser start?"

"One o'clock," Mary Margaret answered, leading the way to the door. "We'll eat lunch around eleven-thirty then help get everything set up. That's when you can practice your painting."

They descended the stairs to continue their tasks. After several minutes, Emma asked, "How long have you and David been dating?"

"Almost three years now. We met our Sophomore year in college when we were in the same Pop Culture class. We both graduated last year. Now I'm a teacher at an elementary school and David is a police officer."

At that news, Emma froze. She swallowed hard and slowly reached for another bag of noodles to put on the shelf.

Mary Margaret hadn't noticed Emma's reaction. "I grew up in this town, and wanted to move back after I graduated. I was lucky enough to find a job here, and David did, too. He has an apartment a couple of miles from where I live with my parents."

"Do you, um, do you think you guys will get married someday?"

Mary Margaret pulled the iPad up to her chest and wrapped her arms around it with a dreamy expression on her face. "I hope so. I mean, we've talked about it, but we'd like to save some money before we do anything like that. We'd hate to start out with a lot of debt, you know?"

Emma nodded non-committedly. Mary Margaret let out a happy sigh. "Anyway, I hope it won't be too long. I just know that he's the one - my Prince Charming!"

They went back to working quietly, and had soon completely finished the organization and inventory of the shelves.

When they emerged from the basement, Mary Margaret led them around to the backyard where the tables and displays were being set up. She showed Emma the spot where she would be doing the face painting, then they moved over to the pet adoption area.

David looked up with a smile when his girlfriend called to him. "Are you all done with the food pantry?" he asked.

"Yes," Mary Margaret answered. "I just have to make a list of items that are needed the most, then I can get the flyer for the next food drive sent out."

While the couple was talking to each other, Emma wandered around to where Killian was gathering up the tools he and his friend had been using to build the temporary enclosure for the animals that would be up for adoption.

"Swan!" he greeted, "How are you enjoying your day here?"

"It's okay."

Killian raised an eyebrow. This girl appeared to be very guarded, and he could tell she was holding her emotions in check.

"I'm glad you got to work with Mary Margaret. She's one of the best people I know."

"Yeah, she's pretty nice." She plucked at the wire along the top of the pen. "When are the animals coming?"

"Around noon. We like to give them time to get settled in a little before everyone gets here."

"What kinds of animals are they bringing?"

"Mostly puppies and kittens, though sometimes they have rabbits. They also bring some adult animals that were rescued and need a home. Around Easter time, they even bring chicks and ducklings, but they screen people carefully to make sure they have the proper place for those animals to live. Apartments and houses in the city generally don't work very well, unless your name is Joey or Chandler!"

Emma didn't smile at his joke, not understanding the reference to Friends. "Are they free, or do you have to pay for them?"

"There's a small adoption fee. They reduce it from the usual eighty dollars to forty. Are you interested in adopting a pet?"

"No, I uh...m-my dad is allergic to animals. Would I be allowed to pet one though?"

"Of course! They love attention! Maybe you can help me pick one out. Every time I help with this event, I want to adopt a pet myself, but I've never had the space for one until now. I recently bought a small house on the outskirts of the city that has a fenced-in backyard, so now I have plenty of room."

"Do you want a dog or a cat? Or...a rabbit?"

"I'm definitely a dog person. Nothing against cats, but I've just always loved dogs. My brother and I had a Black Lab named Pirate when I was growing up. He was such a great dog. He lived to be fifteen years old."

"Does your brother live around here?"

"No, he's still in Ireland. He's married and has a little boy. I came here to study after I graduated from secondary school, which I was able to do only because I earned a substantial scholarship. Dave was assigned to me as a roommate, and we've been best friends ever since. When he moved here to be close to M's, I followed him. He hasn't arrested me for stalking yet, so I guess he's okay with it!"

"Yeah, Mary Margaret told me he's a cop. Does he work in this city?" she asked, appearing to be very intent on picking at a hangnail.

"No, he's got a job in a small town about twelve miles from here. He's hoping to eventually get hired in a city with a better salary, but he's happy starting out where he is right now."

Just then, the topic of their conversation walked up with his arm slung over the shoulders of his girlfriend. "You guys ready for some lunch?"

Killian responded to his friend. "I certainly am! How about you, Swan?"

"Um, sure."

She reached for her backpack, but Killian got to it first. "I can carry it for you, if you like. Wow!" he said, as he picked it up. "It's pretty heavy!"

"No!" she protested, and he noticed the slight panic on her face and in her voice. "I can get it! I'm used to carrying it around." She grabbed the strap and started pulling it out of his hand.

Killian released it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to help."

He could see her cheeks fill with color. "It's okay. I, uh, I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Killian looked over at David and Mary Margaret, who had watched the exchange, and were growing increasingly puzzled about Emma's protectiveness of her backpack. David met his friend's eyes and shrugged.

All of them moved inside to the community room where sack lunches and bottles of water were set out on long tables. After grabbing their food and drinks, they moved over to sit at a smaller round table. Emma hung back, looking around and biting her lip.

"Aren't you going to join us, Swan?" Killian asked, opening his brown paper sack.

"I...I don't, I mean, are you sure you want me to? I don't want to interrupt your time together."

"You're not interrupting, Emma! You're among friends here!" Mary Margaret assured her.

Tears popped into Emma's eyes at her words, and she blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. She rarely ever met people who were as warm, friendly and welcoming as the three who were sitting in front of her, smiling sincerely.

She slipped into the vacant seat and eagerly opened her lunch bag, pulling out a cold meat sandwich, bag of chips, container of applesauce and a cookie. Opening the chip bag, she reached in and pulled out a couple and nibbled at them. When her stomach started protesting, she hurriedly shoved them into her mouth, then started to unwrap the sandwich.

Mary Margaret watched Emma out of the corner of her eye and saw her taking large bites of her sandwich. She had noticed how hungry the young woman seemed to be when they'd eaten their snacks that morning. Now she was wolfing down her lunch like she was afraid someone was going to take it away from her.

"Does anyone want my chips?" Mary Margaret asked, silently sending signals to David and Killian. "I've had enough to eat."

Both men shook their heads. "No thank you, M's. I'm full," Killian replied.

"How about you, Emma?" Mary Margaret held the bag out to her.

"Are...are you sure?"

"Of course! If you don't want them now, you can always save them for later."

"Thank you," Emma said, taking the offered bag. She started to tear it open, but hesitated and then leaned down to unzip her backpack. When she had it slightly open, she glanced over her shoulder at the other people at the table. Turning in her seat, she used her body to shield their view from her bag.

The three looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

When Emma turned back around, David quickly schooled his features and said, "I'm sure the shelter will be here any time with our furry friends. We'd better get out there."

After tossing their trash into the receptacles, Mary Margaret and David led the way outside with Killian and Emma following behind.

"So, what do you say, Swan? Are you going to help me find my new best buddy today?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, a puppy. Um, sure, I guess."

"Actually, I think I might be more interested in one of the adult dogs that needs a good home. I always have a soft spot for them, and most people go for puppies."

"I can understand that," Emma replied. She didn't explain that she knew it first-hand from all the years she'd seen babies being adopted, while she lingered in the foster system for years.

The vans carrying the animals were arriving just as the four of them walked outside. The puppies and kittens were let out into a smaller section of the enclosure to explore, while the mature animals were kept in their crates until someone expressed an interest in meeting them.

After all the animals were settled, Emma and Killian slowly walked past the kennels containing the five adult dogs the shelter had brought. Four of the dogs were eagerly jumping around, wagging their tails and yipping excitedly. When they passed the fifth crate, however, the dog within didn't even stand up. He simply rolled his big, brown eyes to look at them while his head still rested on his paws.

Emma knelt down in front of the cage and wrapped her fingers around the wire. Killian watched in fascination as the girl and the dog seemed to connect. It was as if they communicated with each other just by locking eyes. Slowly, the dog lifted its head and started thumping its tail.

Killian turned to one of the shelter workers and asked, "Can you take this one out, please?"

When the door to the cage was opened, the dog stood up and cautiously walked out with its head lowered.

"Hey, buddy," Killian said quietly, reaching out to let the dog sniff his hand before he began to rub its furry, brown and white head. "What breed is he?" he asked, looking up at the worker.

"He's a spaniel mix, and appears to be about five years old, but we don't know much more about him than that. He was dropped off several weeks ago in the enclosure outside the shelter while it was closed. He had already been neutered, and we gave him his shots."

While the man was speaking, Emma was running her hands over the dog's black and white body and speaking to him softly. He responded by raising his head and wagging his feathery tail.

"He likes you, Swan," Killian commented.

"Yeah, I guess he does," she answered, and glanced up at him with the first genuine smile he'd seen on her face. When she looked back down, the dog gave her a wet, sloppy kiss across the cheek. She giggled as she rubbed her face into his soft fur.

Killian was taken aback at the sound. It amazed him how this dog had gotten her to open up in less than two minutes, when she'd been so withdrawn most of the day.

"What do you think? Is he the one?" he asked, kneeling down beside Emma to once again pet the dog, who responded by licking Killian's hand, then looking at him with his big, soulful eyes. "Ah, using your best puppy dog eyes to try to persuade me, I see!"

The dog flopped down on his back and exposed his belly while waving his paws in the air. Emma laughed and watched Killian give him the belly rub for which he was clearly begging. "I think he's answering that question for you!"

Killian's laughter rang out, too. "You're right about that!" He stood and addressed the shelter worker once more. "I'd like to adopt this guy."

"Fantastic! I've never seen him act like that before, so I definitely think he's chosen you. I'll get the paperwork."

While he went to the van, Killian said, "Now I have to come up with a name for him. What do you think of Buddy?"

"Nah, too common. He needs something more special. How about...Captain?"

"Uh-uh. Bandit?"

"No, I don't think so. Maybe Patch?"

Killian shook his head. Both of them noticed that the dog was looking between the two of them as they tossed names back and forth. "What do you think, boy? What should your name be?"

They suggested a few more names, and then Emma said, "Zeke?"

At that, the dog perked up his ears and cocked his head.

"Do you like that?" Killian asked. "Are you Zeke?" The dog started swishing his tail and panting, giving him a happy look.

"I think we have a winner!" Killian announced.

He filled out the necessary paperwork, paid the fee, and made arrangements with the shelter worker to pick Zeke up on Monday after he'd had a chance to get all of the supplies he would need. Emma petted and played with the dog the whole time Killian was taking care of that business.

When he finished, he turned back and watched Emma frolicing on the ground with his new dog for a few more moments before he walked over to interrupt them.

"Thanks for all your help, Swan."

"Oh, uh, sure. No problem," she said, composing her face from the happiness she'd exhibited for the last several minutes, back to a stoic expression. "I, um, I hope he's a good dog for you."

Killian reached down to offer her a hand up. She looked at it, then up at him, before she tentatively took it and allowed him to help her to her feet. Once she was standing, she released his hand immediately.

"The two of you really hit it off," he said. "Maybe you could stop over and see him from time to time."

Emma jerked her head up and gave him a suspicious look. "You want me to come to your house?" she said, with a hard edge to her voice.

He was startled at her tone. "Only if you want to. I'm sure Zeke would like to see you again."

She reached down and patted the dog on the head. "He wouldn't miss me." Then she turned and walked away. Killian wasn't sure, but he thought he heard her say, "Nobody ever does."

xxxxxxxxx

The fundraising event was a whirlwind of activity all afternoon. The face painting booth was one of the most popular attractions, and the children who visited it were thrilled with the painted creations that were on their faces when they walked away.

Mary Margaret flitted from booth to booth, making sure everyone had the supplies they needed, and that the guests were having fun. When she stopped by Emma's booth, she was amazed and pleased to see her chatting and laughing with the children, as she concentrated on brushing the paint across their cheeks.

"You appear to be a natural at this, Emma," Mary Margaret praised. "Don't tell Eric I said this, but your painting skills are even better than his!"

"Thanks," Emma mumbled as her face filled with color.

When the three hours were over, all the volunteers began to clean up. Mary Margaret noticed that as Emma helped wash out the brushes, she kept shooting looks toward the book exchange booth, where the unclaimed books were being placed into boxes.

"We kept you so busy you didn't get a chance to get yourself any books," she said. "Go on over before they get them all put away."

Emma gave her a small smile, then hurried over to the booth. "Hey, um, can I still get some books?" she asked the two women who were packing them up.

"Of course!" the younger of the two answered. "Help yourself! You can look through the ones we've already put into boxes, too. We saw you working at the face painting booth earlier. You came up with some really cool designs! You're new, aren't you? I don't remember seeing you around here before."

"Anna, take a breath!" the other woman laughed. "Sorry about that," she apologized, turning to Emma. "I'm Elsa, Anna's sister, and the frequent victim of her verbal barrages."

"I'm Emma," she said, already moving toward the boxes of books. She tilted her head to read the titles and ran her fingers along the spines. "Um, how many books can I take?"

"As many as you want!" Anna answered. "Would you like a bag?"

Emma nodded, still distracted by the books. "Sure. Thanks."

Anna began rummaging under the table to find a sturdy bag, while Elsa watched the young woman perusing the books. She seemed to be in her own little world. Her eyes took in the titles, and a smile bloomed on her face as she started stacking her choices on the table.

Soon she had selected half-a-dozen books. She looked up and Anna held out the sack to her.

"Oh, you found some good ones! I was hoping someone would take that book of Fairy Tales! The illustrations in it are so beautiful, and who doesn't love a good Fairy Tale?" Anna chattered, as Emma bagged up the books.

"Um, how often do you have these exchanges?" Emma asked.

"They have these fundraising events twice a year, but we have book exchanges once a month," Elsa answered. "If you're going to be a regular volunteer, you can exchange them anytime you want. We keep the books here at the church."

"Ok, cool. Thanks a lot!"

She took the bag and started to turn away. "It was nice to meet you, Emma!" Anna called.

"Oh, uh, it was nice to meet you, as well. And you too, Elsa."

"See you soon, I hope?" Elsa answered.

"Yeah, I'll probably be back."

Emma walked back to the face painting booth where David was helping Mary Margaret pack up the supplies.

"I got some," Emma told them, holding up the bag. "They said I could take as many as I want."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Oh, good! I knew Anna and Elsa would be happy to let you pick some out."

"They seem really nice. Anna is, uh, pretty talkative, isn't she?"

David chuckled. "That's putting it mildly!"

Emma helped carry all the supplies into the storage shed outside the church, even though she kept the bag of books clutched in her fist and her heavy pack strapped on her back. When everything was cleared away and the area was cleaned up, Emma stood uncomfortably among a small group of people.

"Will you be here again next week, Swan?" Killian asked.

"What's happening next week?"

"We'll be going to the homes of some elderly people to clean their houses, get groceries, do laundry - whatever they need," Mary Margaret explained.

Emma's heart sank. She wasn't sure she'd like being around more strangers, especially older people who tended to judge more harshly.

"You can be on our team, if that's okay with you, Emma," Mary Margaret offered.

"Um, sure. That would be fine," she said softly. She figured she could tolerate meeting new people if it meant getting another meal.

"If we're lucky, we'll be assigned to Marco," David said.

"Well, seeing as how I'm the one making the assignments, I think that will be pretty likely!" his girlfriend assured him.

"In that case, may I be on your team, too?" Killian asked excitedly.

"Of course! Marco would never forgive me if we showed up without you!"

"Uh, who's Marco?" Emma asked.

Killian turned to her with a wide smile. "He's this old Italian gentleman. He used to be a woodworker before his arthritis got too bad. He still does a little whittling and painting, and makes little wooden puppets to give away to children. You'll love him - everybody does!"

"That's because he loves everyone," Mary Margaret said. "He's one of the kindest people I've ever met."

Emma scuffed her toe into a clump of grass. She highly doubted that the old man would love her, but at least she'd be working with people that she'd met already.

"Well, I'm gonna take off," Killian said. "I have to get home and figure out everything that I'll need to buy tomorrow when I go to the pet store. I can hardly wait to pick Zeke up on Monday!"

"Yeah, I have to get going, too," David said. "I've got a hot date tonight!"

"Oi, Mate!" Will Scarlett threw in. "Better keep your mouth shut about that date! M's is standing right here!"

Mary Margaret reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. "Will, you're terrible!" she laughed.

Killian was chuckling as he turned to Emma. "Do you need a ride home, Swan?"

"No, I like to walk, thanks," she answered quickly.

"Okay, well, I guess we'll see you next week then. It was great meeting you!"

"Yes, it certainly was!" Mary Margaret agreed, pulling Emma into a hug. She let go almost immediately when she felt Emma stiffen, and once again her heart went out to this young woman who seemed so withdrawn and cautious.

The group of friends said their goodbyes and drifted off in different directions. Emma slowly started down the sidewalk, pausing to look back toward where David was helping Mary Margaret up into the cab of his truck. After she was settled, the dark-haired woman caught sight of Emma watching, smiled warmly and waved. Emma tentatively raised her hand in return, then turned and shuffled away.

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