Pulling up to the only hotel type place in town, I walked into Granny's Bed and Breakfast. "You're out all night, and now you're going out again." An older woman complained.

"I should've moved to Boston!" A younger woman yelled back.

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard!"

Such a scandalous town. "Excuse me?" I glanced around. "I'd..like a room?"

"Be with you in a second!" An old woman came out of another room. "You want a room?" All I did was nod. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as the rent is due, I'll waive it."

"Square is fine." Pulling out my wallet, I placed my credit card on the counter.

"What's the name?" Pulling out a dusty book, the older woman flipped through the pages.

"Swan. Emma Swan."

"Emma. What a lovely name."

I jumped and mumbled a curse. "Thanks." Turning, I saw a slender man standing with a cane. Where the hell did he come from? How can he sneak up on people with that cane?

The old woman took a roll of cash from the register with a sour look on her face. "It's all here."

"Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." Taking the money, the older man with stringy brown hair shoved it into his pocket. Turning his attention to me, he spoke again. "You enjoy your stay, Emma."

All I could do was watch as he wobbled outside. I don't like him. He does not give me a good vibe. "Who's that?"

"Mr. Gold. He owns this place." The teenage girl who wanted to sleep around answered.

"The inn?" I studied both women as they watched Mr. Gold drive off.

"No. The town." A more cheerful demeanor washed over the innkeeper as she turned towards me. "So! How long will you be with us?"

"A week. Just a week." Maybe that'll give me enough time to figure out what this weird feeling I have in my chest is.

"Great." Taking an old fashioned key off the wall, Granny placed it on the counter. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

"Thanks." Taking the key, I went in search of my room. The entire inn looked as if it was transported from the late 80's or early 90's. Flower wallpaper covered every inch of the inn's walls. The carpet was worn in places and there was a slight musty smell. Possibly from the old furniture.

Once I found my room, I tossed my jacket over the back of the desk chair and plopped down on the bed. A loud squeak filled the small room. This whole town seems like it's been transported from the 80's or 90's. It's cute but weird. Pulling out my phone, I dialed an old buddy of mine.

"Hey, Em. What's up?"

"I have a favor to ask. You're the best at finding even the smallest piece of info about a person or place. Can you look up a town called Storybrooke? It's in Maine."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, look into Regina Mills and Mr. Gold. She's the mayor and he's the town's owner."

"Sure. I'll give you an update tomorrow morning. Lucky for you, I don't have any pressing cases right now." He paused. "What reading do you get from these people?"

"Gold is a straight up creeper. The mayor…I don't know yet."

"Is she pretty?" He snickered jokingly.

"Shut up, Nash. That happened once." I groaned remembering how I got distracted by a gorgeous brunette and let the target get away. "I was eating Ramen for a week because I didn't get paid."

A wholesome laugh vibrated the speaker. "You learned quickly though. It never happened again."

"I still can't eat that crap anymore. It makes me nauseous!" I paused. "Stop laughing, asshole!" I finally had to give in and join the laughter.

"You working a case in Storybrooke?"

"Not exactly. It's more of a personal thing. Even though the files are supposed to be closed, you're going to find out I put a kid up for adoption."

A liquid sprayed from Nash's mouth and he started to cough. "A what?! You have a kid?"

"I had one. I put him up for adoption ten years ago." I continued to give my friend an edited version of the truth. Well, it'll take him time to process all of this. At least he doesn't have the fairytale version of the story.

"Thanks for the heads up." Nash chose his words carefully. "You did what you thought was best. I'm proud of you. That must have been a hard decision to make."

"If the circumstances were different, it might have been difficult." Nash and I continued to talk for a while before I decided it was time to turn in for the night.

After I grabbed my "go bag" from the bug, I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. Laying there, I thought about the past twenty four hours and everything that's happened. One thing I know is: Gold is a creep. There's no gray area there. Everyone else I've met seems legit and nice. I don't get any red flags from them. Henry seems like a good kid. The only iffy thing is this whole fairytale theory he's banking on. I can't believe he's the Mayor's kid. I laughed silently at the irony. The Mayor. I can't get a read on her. She seems to genuinely love Henry but there's something dark about her. Something she keeps very hidden.

The more I thought about the brunette, the more my chest swelled with the same strange sensation I woke up with yesterday. Why did she keep looking at my wrist when I brought Henry home again? And why was she so intense? It's not like I'm going to take Henry and run off to New York or something. Rubbing my face, I yawned. I'll figure it out tomorrow. Switching off the light, I tried to get comfortable on the squeaky bed. My bug might be more comfortable than this bed.

"What the hell are you still doing in my town?" Dark eyes narrowed as the Mayor stood before me. Arms crossed over her chest.

"There's something going on here. I want to know what it is."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Before you showed up, the only trouble we ever had was Leroy getting drunk in public. Now, I have to pay someone to repair the town sign because someone ran into it."

"Look, I'm sorry about that. But there's something different about this town." I took a cautious step forward. "Something is different about you."

"And what is that, Miss. Swan?" She purred.

"We're connected." I held up my arm to show the red string that was tied around my wrist. The string pooled on the ground. The other end was tied to the Mayor's wrist. "I don't know what it means. Do you?"

"No clue." With that, the older woman turned and walked away.

"Hey! Get back here!" I tried to chase after her but could never catch up. "Hey!"

I was startled awake by the sound of my phone. "H-hey." Clearing my throat, I tried rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"You always did like to sleep in." Nash kidded. "Do you want hard copies of any information I find or do you want it emailed to you?"

"I don't have access to a private computer so hard copies. I can pay for the overnight shipping."

"No problem. Just give me an address."

"Uh…hold on." Looking around the room, I tried to find anything that could have an address on it. "I can't find the address. The place is called Granny's Bed and Breakfast. If you search it, you might find an address." What kind of place doesn't have its address printed on literally everything?

"Will do. Would you like a bullet point version of what I've found so far?"

"Yeah, sure." I yawned. Man, I have to pee. And I want coffee. Why does my wrist itch? Inspecting it, there was nothing wrong. No redness, no blistering, just regular skin.

"Well, everyone in town seems clean. Even Gold. He straddles the line though. The Mayor is very driven and once she sets her mind on something, she makes it happen. The only ones who seem to be blood related are Ruby and Granny." He paused. "I couldn't find a real name for her. Just Granny. At one point, the mines in town were pretty busy but in the past 30 years business died off. It doesn't seem like anyone is dating anyone else. The biggest thing is there's a man called John Doe. He's been in a coma and no one has claimed him."

"Sounds suspicious." Sitting up, I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. "Anything else?"

"A little but those were the biggest things I've found so far. I'll find as much as I can and send it out."

"Thanks. Hey, I gotta go."

"Later, Em."

Realizing it was nearly lunchtime, I decided to get some food and see if I could talk to any of the townspeople. Pulling on a fresh set of clothes, I made sure to have all of my cards. After brushing my teeth, I went out the door.

Entering the diner, I scanned the few people who were seated. "Sit anywhere. I'll be with you in a minute." Taking a seat, I skimmed the menu. I already knew what I wanted but this would make it easier to study people. Leroy was sitting with a few guys eating lunch. They all wore the same mechanic uniform. Doctor Hopper waited at the counter for his lunch order. Everyone seemed pretty normal and in their own routine. "What can I get you?" Ruby walked up, pen and pad in hand.

"Cheeseburger plate with a Coke, please." I waited until the brunette was done writing. "Do you have a minute to talk?"

Glancing around the diner, Ruby slid into the booth across from me. "Not for long. I have to put your order in and help in the kitchen. What brings you to Storybrooke?"

"Just some personal stuff. I shouldn't be here too long."

Intrigue and mischief shone in Ruby's green eyes. "Personal stuff dealing with Henry and the Mayor?"

"Something like that." What's going through her head? She knows something.

"Everyone knows you brought Henry back and you've been at Regina's multiple times in the past two days." Leaning forward, she continued in a hushed voice. "Rumor is that you're a secret lover Regina had a son with. Now, you've come back to either take Henry away or win Regina back."

I was speechless. People really think I'm a secret lover coming back to either cause chaos or bring a happy ending? Henry's words played through my mind. You're going to bring back all the happy endings. "Do people really think that?"

"That's not a denial." Ruby teased. "Let me put in your order and do the rounds. I'll be back." The Mayor and I as lovers? That's crazy. Yeah, she's attractive but nah. "Okay lover girl, your order is in."

Peering up at the teen, I smirked. "Isn't there a rule about spreading gossip?"

She thought for a moment. "Nope! But in all seriousness, I think the Mayor would be a much nicer person if she found someone to care for."

"She cares for Henry." I took a sip of my drink. Aaah caffeine.

"I mean caring about someone who isn't supposed to love you back. She needs someone who's strong enough to stand up to her and someone who chooses to love her each day."

"You're talking like she needs to find a soulmate or something."

"Well, yeah. Too bad we're not all connected by a red ribbon or something." I choked on my drink. "You good?"

All I did was nod. Clearing my throat, I tried to speak. "A red ribbon?"

"It's a legend that everyone is connected to their perfect match by a red string or ribbon that's tied around their wrist or finger. It depends on which story you go with. But the ribbon can be long and tangled but it does have an ending. Most people aren't lucky enough to find the other end. But it's like magic when you do." My dream flashed before me. The string was long and tangled by our feet but the other end was attached to her. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah, I'm fine." My voice trailed off.

Hearing a bell, Ruby rushed to the counter. "Here's your food. I'll bring you a refill."

"Thanks…" Damn. Now I'm not hungry. "Can I actually get a to-go box?"

Ruby studied me. "Sure. I didn't mean to upset you, Emma. I'm sorry if I did."

"Nah. It's okay. I just suddenly lost my appetite."

"Okay…" Bringing back two small boxes, a plastic bag, and a cup, Ruby continued. "It's not like you and Regina are connected like that. I don't know if I actually even believe in that old legend. It's just a story."

"Yeah, that'd be crazy." After loading my food in the to-go containers, I paid my bill and left a tip. "Have a good one, Ruby."

"You too, LG." Confusion must have been clear because Ruby then mouthed the words "lover girl" before turning to another guest.

Shaking my head, I exited the diner. Noticing a newspaper box, I grabbed one after paying the fee. My car and the Welcome To Storybrooke sign took up most of the front page. Sydney Glass wrote that I was drunk and crashed into the sign. "Seriously?" Grumbling, I tossed the paper in the passenger seat and drove back to the inn.

Locking the door behind me, I took a seat at the small desk. Reading more of the paper, I decided to eat my now lukewarm lunch. To my surprise, the fries weren't terrible. At least he wasn't able to open my juvie record. If I can keep Henry from finding out where he was born, I'll be happy. Hearing my phone ring, I saw it was Nash and answered it quickly. "Hey, what's up?"

"Weirdest thing I've found is: the town doesn't show up in any records until twenty-eight years ago. Almost to the day."

"That's weird." Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. "Hey, I gotta go." Ending the call, I went to answer it. To my surprise, I was met by the Mayor staring back at me. She held a large basket of Honeycrisp apples.

"Did you know that the Honeycrisp tree is the most hardy and vigorous of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I've had one that I've tended to since I was a little girl." Her attention went from me to the apples. "To this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers." Picking one up, the brunette offered it to me.

"Thanks." My voice trailed as I took the apple. She's not lying about taking care of a tree. But how can that happen if this town has only existed for twenty-eight years?

"I'm sure you'll enjoy them on your drive home." The Mayor gave me the basket.

"Actually, I'm going to stay awhile." My wrist is tingly again. It's getting stronger. Who is this woman?

"I don't think that's best. Henry has enough issues. He doesn't need you confusing him."

Leaning on the doorframe, I caught a glance of my wrist. There was a faint red line. What the hell? "With all due respect, Madam Mayor, the fact that you have now threatened me twice in the last twelve hours makes me want to stay more."

She tried flashing me a smile. One that I'm sure struck fear in most. "Since when were apples a threat?"

"I can read between the lines. Sorry. I just want to make sure Henry's okay."

"He's fine, dear." The woman's demeanor changed when she realized I wasn't surrendering. "Any problems he has are being taken care of."

My brow creased. "What does that mean?"

"It means I have him in therapy. It's all under control." She paused. "Take my advice Miss. Swan, only one of us knows what's best for Henry."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think you're right about that."

"It's time for you to go." She deadpanned.

"Or what?"

Taking a step closer, the businesswoman spoke coldly. "Don't underestimate me, Miss. Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Don't shiver. Don't shiver. Don't shiver. "Thank you, for the apples. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to-" The clock tower struck twice signaling that it was two in the afternoon. Both of us looked towards the window as we heard it. "I thought Henry said it didn't work."

"Afternoon, Miss. Swan." Turning, the Mayor left quickly.

Closing the door, I texted Nash. Hey, make sure you find out anything there is about the Mayor. Thanks again. -Em

You got it. -N

Placing the basket of apples on the desk, I picked one up and toyed with it. This looks delicious. I wonder if it's safe to eat. I know she doesn't care for me, but I doubt the Mayor would try to kill me. I laughed thinking about Henry's storybook. Or maybe she is trying to kill me via sleeping curse. She is the Evil Queen after all. Something in my gut told me I'd be fine. Taking a bite, I nearly moaned at how delicious it was. The crunch was perfect and the juice was sweet as honey. I can see why she loves these so much. Damn!