Emma sits in a corner booth of Granny's, a large order of onion rings in front of her. A copy of the mirror is betwixt her fingers as she scans the rentals. After two nights in her car, she's not up to spend another. Winter is approaching and she needs somewhere with heat. She's crashed in her car before or worse, but she'd rather not if she doesn't have to. Considering she's an adult with a job (that she's taken a leave of absence from), she can afford an apartment.
If only there were any available. Granny's is the only bed and breakfast, and they won't have her. Everywhere else has a 2-3 month wait. She can put her name in, but she isn't even sure if she's sticking around Storybrooke that long.
Sighing, she sets the paper down and takes a bite of her onion ring. The crunchy treat gives her some form of solace during this time. She's never been a huge fan of French fries, they don't add the same amount of zest to a meal.
As she takes a sip of her Coke, she hears something wiz by. Looking up, she can see an arrow land on the bullseye of the dart board. Graham grins and goes to gather the rest. Emma rolls her eyes and takes another sip. She's tried to ignore Graham ever since he arrested her. It's become clear how in the pocket of the mayor he is. She's driven by the house a few times and seen him sneak out without a shirt at various hours of the night. It's none of her business, but she certainly wouldn't be involved with Regina if she had a choice.
Graham turns to her and grins. "I never miss," he says.
Emma nods. "Good for you."
"Wanna play?"
"No thanks. How can I beat that?"
"Oh come on, I'll show you."
"I'm good, really."
She turns back to the paper and flips around to see if there's a comic section. Does this town have any humor in it at all?
Then, Graham is sliding on the other side of her booth, uninvited. "Oh," is all she says.
"I remember when you were a little girl," he says. Booze reeks off his breath. She can see empty shot glasses on a nearby table with a few extra darts. "So cute and sweet. You used to draw pictures for all of us at the station."
Emma shifts in her seat, an uncomfortable feeling bubbling in her stomach. "Okay."
"But how is it that you grew up but I'm still this young?"
"I don't know. The town is weird."
Graham sighs in frustration, causing his alcohol laced breath to cover her face more.
"I just…I think there's something about it, you know? Like none of us remember jack about our old lives. And then you come."
A smile grows across his face and the uncomfortableness in Emma's stomach strengthens. This isn't the same Graham that gave her lollipops and complimented her butterfly art. He was starting to creep her out. Majorly.
"I gotta go," she says. She rifles through her wallet and pulls out some cash.
"Do you think we could meet up later? Talk?"
"I don't think so."
"Emma…"
"Graham, I'm sorry you're having a crisis but I don't think I'm the girl to help you with it."
She slaps the money down and heads to the door. Just as she's about to leave, there's more wizzing by her ear, this time closer. A dart hits the paneling by the blinds and Emma jumps back, her hand flying over her chest. She spins to face Graham, eyes wide.
"You could've hit me!" People are staring and her anxiety is on high. Why the hell is he doing this to her?
"Like I said," he smirks. "I never miss."
Emma's mouth drops open, her eyes wide. She tries to form a snappy comeback, but for once, she can't. Instead, she just grabs the handle and storms out to her rental, desperately wishing she had a place to take a hot shower and wash off that icky feeling.
Mary Margaret walks down Main Street, folding her arms over her chest. The stars are a guide for a place she doesn't know she wants to go. After the date she just had, she's going to need it.
After David, she didn't date. She was heartbroken, both by the loss of him and Emma. Everyone in town tried to set her up but she'd turn them down. With Emma's return and being on better terms with David, she thought maybe she could stomach a new date. Victor Whale had asked her for a late night drink after his shift at Granny's. She figured it couldn't hurt.
He barely listened to her talk about her job, Emma or what she wanted for the future. She knew the date was doomed when she caught him staring at Ruby's ass. He had paid for the check so at most, the free beer had been the only highlight of the evening.
David had been a gentlemen. Opening doors, while knowing she could very well knock down her own. He supported her, loved her. He was an excellent husband and father.
And she had screwed it all up.
As Mary Margaret turns down the corner, she caught sight of Emma's rental, causing her to raise an eyebrow. Shouldn't that be parked at the bed and breakfast? She walks over and finds Emma sitting up in the front seat, looking over the paper. Emma jumps a bit, before cranking the window down.
"Hey," she says. "You okay?"
"Oh," Emma sets her flashlight down. "In the world of tight spots I've been in, crashing in my car doesn't even rank in the top 10. Having it be a rental car even makes it fancier."
Mary Margaret frowns, her maternal instincts kicking in. "You're sleeping here?"
"Regina got me kicked out of the inn. Apparently felons can't stay there."
Mary Margaret's frown increased. She knew Regina had superfluous rules, but this had to be up there. What did she have against her former foster daughter?
Emma gets out of the car. "But the stupid town has no vacancies."
Mary Margaret thinks about what Henry's always saying and decides to lighten the moment. "Must be the curse."
Emma snorts. "What are you doing out so late?"
"I had a date." Emma's face falls. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just…weird you not being with David."
For a minute, Mary Margaret can see that same little girl that asked to sleep between them because there was a monster under her bed. "If you wanna talk about it…"
"No, it's fine. I mean, it's not like you guys adopted me or anything."
"Still," Mary Margaret says, gently. "Change isn't easy."
"No, but I'm used to it. So, tell me about your date."
Mary Margaret is hesitant. To her, Emma is still a child she needs to protect. Mary Margaret has adjusted to the divorce. Emma hasn't yet, it's brand new. Can she handle hearing about this?
Yet, Emma looks at her expectantly, so she decides to spill.
"They went as well as they ever do," she says.
Emma makes a face. "That bad?" Mary Margaret nods. "Tell me he at least paid?"
"I'll give him that. But he also found Ruby's butt to be appealing."
Emma crinkles her nose. "Ew."
"Well, if true love was easy, we'd all have it."
She had it. Or she thought she did. Then she let it all go to hell.
Mary Margaret looks at the rental car before returning her gaze to Emma. She can't let her stay here. She made a vow a long time ago to protect her and she can't turn back on that now.
"I have a spare room," she says, trying to sound as casual as possible. "You should come stay with me."
Emma falters. "Oh. Mary Margaret…I…" She sighs. "I'm not really the roommate type."
"Maybe not, but we lived together once."
"That was different."
Mary Margaret knows she's right. But she also knows she can't let Emma live in her car. Something in her keeps pushing.
"You said yourself you may not stay that long," the thought stings her mind. "So would it kill you to stay in my loft?"
Emma considers it. She did once love living with Mary Margaret. She made great cookies, was kind and treated her well.
But she's changed in 23 years. She does better on her own. Getting to know Mary Margaret and David better was hard enough to agree to, but living with one of them?
She thinks about how much she's missed them. How much she's resented them too. This could all blow up in their faces.
And still, she can't find more of a reason to say no.
Change was hard. Mary Margaret said that herself. Coming to Storybrooke was a change, a hard one at that. Maybe it was time to make another.
"Okay," she says.
Mary Margaret smiles. "Okay?"
"Just for a trial period, until I can get another place."
"As long as you need."
Emma moves the few things she has on her into the loft at Mary Margaret's place. It's got two beds, with quilts not quite her style. The whole place has a "retired grandma" feel, not Mary Margaret's style at all. Emma can remember bright lemon yellows, peppermint pinks and baby blues around the old house. Here, everything is covered with dust ruffles and wallpaper.
"The place came furnished," Mary Margaret says with a shrug.
"And you kept it," Emma gestures to the couch. "Mary Margaret, that thing is ugly."
Mary Margaret laughs. "Here 10 minutes and you want to redecorate?"
"Look, I'm just surprised that you're okay with it. At our old house, you would've never let that fugly throw rug in here."
Mary Margaret toes it with her sock covered foot. She lets out a tiny sigh.
"I guess I've been alone all this time, I never gave it much thought."
"Well," Emma says. "You're not alone now."
Mary Margaret smiles, before holding up a finger. "What does fugly mean?"
They pour over magazines from the local furniture shop and make decisions, alongside a six pack of beer. A new grey couch along with lots of new throw blankets. The girls each purchase a new bed for the bedrooms, even though Mary Margaret tried to stop Emma from buying the one for the loft. A quick text to Mr. Gold and he says he'll have men come to pick up the old furniture before the new arrives.
"I'll have to get a job if I stick around," Emma says. "Something tells me you guys don't use bail bonds people."
"Is that what you do?"
Emma nods. "Started a few years ago."
"What is it exactly?"
"I find people. Mostly those that skipped bail, thus the name. Then I get paid for finding them and turning them in."
"Wow."
Emma nods. "I met one after my stint in jail. She really helped me out. When we parted ways, I knew what I wanted to do."
Mary Margaret squeezes her arm. "I'm sure you could figure something out with David. He's the sheriff. We don't have many people skipping out on bail, but maybe he could use you for something."
"I don't want him to think I'm using him."
"Sweetie, you're not. He'd love to help you."
As it turned out, Mary Margaret was right. David wanted to use her skills to help find people in town. As it turned out, he had wanted to start a bail bondsman company for awhile but didn't have anyone for it. With room in the budget, he hired her on.
Within a week, Emma got her baby back and it felt so good to be able to drive her bug around. Billy assured there'd be no more problems and Emma gave him a good tip for helping out with her.
Another week later, and her boxes from her old apartment were delivered to Mary Margaret's loft. Living with Mary Margaret really wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be. They went to Granny's a lot, talked about Mary Margaret's dates over beers and watched movies on the couch. Emma got to hang out with David at work and even saw him a few times outside of it.
"Is this all your stuff?" Mary Margaret asks.
"I don't have a lot," Emma admits. "Most of it is clothes."
She grabs hold of her sweatshirts and heads for the coat closet. As she's hanging them up, she spots a plush hand sticking out of a box on the ground. Emma kneels down, curiosity getting the best of her. She pulls back the box, lifting back the lid.
Her eyes sparkle with tears at the contents. Her old lunchbox, Rainbow Brite themed. She had loved Rainbow Brite as a kid, for the little dog especially. She opened it and found the note from David, her breath catching. He wrote that, every single day.
Her finger traced over the Daddy part and she bit down on her lip to suppress a sob. A reminder at what was stolen from her so long ago.
She sets the note back down and sees the sign. Her room had been bright yellow, with lots of hints to the sun and sunflowers. To this day, they were still her favorites, the song, "You are my sunshine", David and Mary Margaret sang to her every night before sleep. She removes the sign from the box and traces the cursive writing, almost hearing their beautiful voices in synch with one another.
Once the sign was back in the box, she found the lamb. David had gifted it to her and she named him Luke, after Luke Skywalker. He was one of her favorite toys, only second to…
"June," she whispers.
June Sofia, her Cabbage Patch doll. Emma was never one for dolls but even the Cabbage Patch craze had hit her. For Valentine's Day that year, she remembered David giving Mary Margaret a box of chocolates and a beautiful necklace. Mary Margaret gave him his own box and some cologne. Together, her parents gave her a heart shaped box candy and her very own Cabbage Patch. With blonde popcorn curls, green bug eyes and chubby cheeks, she was almost creepy looking but Emma adored her. Especially her pink dinosaur print overalls. She listened with pride as Mary Margaret read her name out loud from her birth certificate.
June and Emma had been inseparable for a great deal of time, adding Luke to the mix when David brought him home one afternoon as a surprise.
She still has the Mac and cheese stain from Emma refusing to put her down when they had dinner. Her left cheek is scuffed because 5 year old Emma needed to see just how durable her doll was.
Emma pushes back the knit curls, a single tear falling down.
"David put it back in the wrong closet."
Emma looks up and finds Mary Margaret standing there. "Huh?"
"Normally I have that stuff in my closet. But one day right after you showed up, David came y and we looked through it. He put it back here by mistake I guess," Mary Margaret's voice is quiet. She kneels next to Emma. "I remember picking her out for you."
"I was so excited."
"We were going to send her with you, Luke too. But by the time David packed your clothes, Helen told us you had to go."
Emma sighs. "She was in rare form that day. Normally she wasn't so…"
"I think she was just scared for you."
"I was never in danger here."
And that's what angers her. It was all for nothing. Mary Margaret wasn't a threat. She loved her back then. She cared for her. They were a family.
But because of Regina Mills, it was all ripped away.
"The rest of your toys, I found it hard to keep. But June and Luke…I couldn't part with."
Emma nods, the doll and lamb still in her arms. "Yeah."
"You should keep them."
"Mary Margaret, I'm…"
"I know. But they're yours. And I always wanted to give them back."
Emma nods, holding them a bit closer out of habit. She gets up and heads for the stairs.
"You still have this."
Emma turns to find Mary Margaret looking at her baby blanket. She lifts it out, shaking it and rubbing her fingers over it.
"Yeah," Emma says.
"Still so beautiful," Mary Margaret mumbles.
Emma heads for the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Mary Margaret sniff her baby blanket. For a moment, it looks like something comes over her. But then, she shakes it off and sets the blanket down, heading into the kitchen.
Upstairs, Emma sets June and Luke on a shelf. She settles onto her bed, letting out a deep breath.
"Welcome home," she mutters.
