As I turned the page of my book, the ribbon around my wrist began to tingle and grew brighter. Something big just happened. A choice must have been made. What has Miss. Swan done now? My brow furrowed when I saw Doctor Whale's number across my screen. "Yes, Doctor?"

"You ordered me to call if anything happened with the John Doe who you found. Well, something happened. He's woken up and is gone."

What?! What the hell is going on? "Call the Sheriff. I'll be at the hospital soon." Ending the call, I felt anger bubble inside me. Everything is falling apart! If those two kiss, everything is ruined!

As if on cue, a familiar yellow bug pulled into my driveway. Grabbing my coat and purse, I went outside. "Henry, go inside." My words came out more of a hiss than I intended.

"Wow, what's going on?" I brushed past the blonde without answering. "Hey!" Grabbing my arm, the brave woman spun me to face her.

"Take your hand off me!" I snarled, ripping my arm from her grip.

"I'm sorry." She held her hands up in surrender. "I know I'm two minutes late but I didn't think it would make you this angry."

"Mom?" Henry questioned from the porch.

Taking a breath, I checked my tone. "Go to your room, Henry. Something has come up. I'll be home soon. Leftovers are in the fridge."

"Oh…okay." Closing the door behind him, Henry was safely inside.

"What's going on, Madam Mayor?" The younger woman followed me to my car.

"Nothing that concerns you, Miss. Swan." Tossing my purse and coat into the passenger seat, I started the engine. "Go back to Boston."

Tearing out of the driveway, I made my way towards the hospital. Damn it. I will not allow their love to ruin my happy ending! I groaned seeing the yellow bug in my rear view mirror. Not only do I have to deal with this but I also have to find a way to get her out of town. My chest constricted at the thought of the blonde leaving. I have to choose between this happy ending or that one. I'll deal with her later.

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, I waited for the blonde to exit her car. "Why did you follow me? I told you this has nothing to do with you."

"Something is clearly off here. I wanted to see if I could help."

"There's nothing you can do to help except leave town. Pack your things and go." Turning, I started towards the main entrance.

"Wait," running ahead of me, Miss. Swan frowned. "What's going on? A few hours ago, you were totally fine with me being here. Now you're trying to push me out of town again. What changed?"

"You misunderstood my tolerance for acceptance. You are leaving tomorrow, so I gave you today to say goodbye to Henry."

Finally, she stopped following me. "You're lying."

Pausing at the door, I turned. "Goodbye, Miss. Swan."

Graham was talking with Doctor Whale as I joined them. "What happened?"

"Like I told you earlier, there was a brief change in his readings. A few hours ago, when a nurse was doing his rounds, he discovered John Doe was missing."

Graham tucked his thumbs into his pockets. "Do you know where he left from?"

"No. Before the nurse came around, no one was in this area."

"Did you check the cameras?"

Hearing the familiar voice caused me to tighten my jaw. "Miss. Swan, what did I tell you outside?"

Before she could answer, Graham chimed in. "We could use her help, Madam Mayor. More feet on the ground will cover more area. Looking at the tapes is actually a good idea."

"Do whatever it takes to find him. After being in a coma for so long, I'm sure he's not in any shape to be walking around."

"No, he definitely is not." Doctor Whale shook his head. "His muscles are weak, he's been tube fed for years, and his mental capacity has yet to be seen."

"It's settled then. Miss. Swan will help me find John Doe. Where are the tapes kept?"

"Right this way, Sheriff." Doctor Whale led us to the security room that was lined with monitors.

I watched as Graham and Miss. Swan skimmed through the past few hours worth of video. She doesn't listen. What is it going to take for her to leave town? The more I'm around her, the more I see where Henry gets some of his mannerisms. Some endearing and some not. Something in my chest swelled as I thought of her and Henry.

Miss. Swan pointed at the monitor. "Where does that door lead?"

"The woods…" Doctor Whale's voice trailed off.

"Let's go." Miss. Swan's gaze fell on me. "I can cover things on this end. Go take care of Henry. I'll report back to you as soon as we find something."

Clearing his throat, Graham spoke. "That's my job."

"Just find him." With that, they left.

Rubbing my temple, I tried to release the tension that started to build. "Has anyone visited him in the past few days?"

"Only the kids when they came for a field trip." The Doctor paused. "Oh, and Mary Margaret came to read to him last night before visiting hours ended." Moving to the VCR, he rewound the tape more. "There. She enters, reads, and he moves his hand." That damn book again. "I told her it was most likely an involuntary muscle spasm."

"Right. Thank you, Doctor."

Entering my home, I called for Henry. When I didn't get an answer, I went to check his room. "Henry?" Knocking lightly, I waited. "Henry?" Pushing open the door, I hoped he was asleep or listening to music with headphones on. Sadly, he was not. He's not here. He must be with Miss. Swan or Miss. Blanched. That book is a thorn in my side.

Making my way to my home office, I took a seat at my desk. Rummaging through a drawer, I found a pair of scissors. I doubt this will work but it's worth a try. If I'm going to keep this town and this life, I can't have any distractions. I tried cutting the red string. Each time, nothing happened. Of course, since the string isn't tangible it can't be cut. I need to find Henry. Dialing Miss. Swan, I waited.

She spoke before I could. "We've not found him yet."

"How did you know who this number belongs to?" I paused. "And is he with you?"

"There are only three people who have my number; you, Granny, and Ruby." The blonde paused, groaned, and cursed under her breath.

"I heard that."

"You do realize your mother is going to kill me, then you, then me again, right?" Sighing, the younger woman continued. "I'll bring him-"

"There he is!" Miss. Blanchard yelled.

"Henry, stay put!" We spoke in unison.

"I'll keep Henry out of trouble and meet you at the hospital, okay? I gotta help Graham with John Doe."

A small part of me wanted to tell her to be safe. "Fine." Am I starting to care for this woman? No. Her safety means my son's safety.

Arriving at the hospital, I waited for them to bring John Doe back. Seeing Henry, I crossed my arms. "You're very grounded. School and home. Nothing else."

"But-"

"No. Go sit while I handle this." My eyes fell on the schoolteacher. "Keep an eye on him. Since he's clearly sneaky."

"Y-yes, Ma-am." She squeaked.

I entered the coma ward as Doctor Whale examined John Doe. When he was done, he gave me his undivided attention. "He's very lucky. Any number of things could have happened to him out there. Especially if he wasn't found so quickly."

"I agree. Please, keep me posted on any changes."

"Yes, Madam Mayor."

Exiting the ward, I was met with questioning eyes. "He should be fine. Thankfully, you both found him so quickly."

"Good to hear. I need to get back to the station."

"You are dismissed." My attention fell onto the blonde. "Thank you for helping, Miss. Swan."

"You're welcome. I'm glad we found him." She paused. "Why is he so important to you?"

"I found him. Since he never woke up and didn't have any ID on him, I put myself down as his emergency contact. We tried to find his family but none came up."

"Makes sense." Running a hand through her curls, Miss. Swan glanced down to her shoes and jeans. "I better get back to Granny's and change. I got all muddy at the bridge."

"Have a goodnight, Miss. Swan."

"You too, Madam Mayor." She paused as she walked by Henry. "Kid, you really shouldn't have snuck out. You probably gave your mom a heart attack."

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Your mom is." Smiling, Miss. Swan ruffled Henry's hair. "Night, kid."

"Night, Emma." With a final glance over her shoulder, she smiled at me with a nod.

She's actually good with Henry. And she seems to be on my side when it comes to parenting him. Maybe this could work out. "Stay here, Henry."

Before I could stop myself, I followed her into the parking lot. "Miss. Swan," my voice trailed off.

"You know, you can call me "Emma." The rest of the town does." She paused. "Except for Gold and it's about fifty/fifty with Doctor Hopper."

"Possibly." Why am I so nervous? "I know you're supposed to leave tomorrow but," I paused. Whatever I say next will change the course of everyone's lives. "Don't leave." Her brow rose. "For Henry's sake. He seems to care about you."

Leaning against her car, the younger woman studied me. "You're seriously giving me whiplash. A few hours ago, you wanted me to leave town again. Now, you want me to stay." She paused. "For Henry's sake." There was a small twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Which is it? Because if I stay, there's a lot of things I need to sort out in Boston. Then I'll have to find a job and so on."

"Stay." A weight lifted from my chest and was replaced with a calming sensation. The red string became more apparent between us and actually connected. Both of us noticed but neither said anything.

"It's settled then. I guess I'm staying in Storybrooke." Pushing off her car, the blonde opened the door. "Does this mean I can see Henry more?"

"Yes. Once he's ungrounded. Goodnight, Miss..." I smiled softly. "Goodnight, Emma."

"Goodnight, Madam Mayor." I glared. "Regina." The blonde grinned. "Madam Mayor in public."

"Fair." I watched as the yellow bug drove off and the clock tower chimed. Everything is going to change. I need to be careful.

Xxx

A few weeks passed. Emma was officially becoming a resident of Storybrooke. She moved in with Miss. Blanchard and had her things in Boston packed to be shipped. There was a comfortable air between us. If I saw her alone at Granny's and I was with Henry, I invited her to join us. I didn't allow Henry to go off with her since he was still grounded but I had become more open to the idea.

Hearing a knock on my door, I looked away from the paperwork that littered my desk. "Come in."

Graham entered and took a seat. "Madam Mayor, I have something I'd like to run by you."

"What is it, Sheriff?"

"I want to hire Miss. Swan as my deputy. It's in my budget and she brings skills to the table that I can't. Yes, we don't have much crime here, but having an extra set of hands will help when we do need something."

My decision was made the moment he asked. "I believe that's a good idea. Miss. Swan does have a certain skill set that this town doesn't have." Now she truly does have roots in town.

"Fantastic. I'll let her know." With that, he left.

Glancing to my wrist, I felt warmth in my chest. We still haven't talked about the string but we know where it leads. Eventually, I'll have to come clean to her about everything but not yet. I want to make sure this string is actually a true connection before I open myself up to that destruction. I laughed silently when there was a familiar knock on my door. "Come in, Miss. Swan."

"How did you know it was me?" Taking a seat, Emma made herself comfortable.

That's where Henry gets the slouching from. "You're the only person in town who knocks on my door like that." She grinned sheepishly. "And the only one, besides Henry, who stops by unannounced."

"Oh, right. Uh… So, I saw Graham in the parking lot." Her voice trailed.

"I had nothing to do with it. I just signed off on the decision. You made an impression on him with your tracking skills."

"Good. I don't want any handouts."

"I wouldn't suspect anything less." Before I could continue, Emma's phone rang.

"One sec." Putting the phone to her ear, she answered. "Hey, Nash. What's up?" To give a little privacy, I continued working. "Yeah, I don't see why that wouldn't work. You and the girls would probably like it. I can give you my part of the gas when you arrive." I couldn't understand what the man said. "Oh, I actually have a stable income now." She paused. "Well, I will have one. I'm the new deputy. Long story. I'll see you all this weekend. Later." Ending the call, Miss. Swan slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"A friend of yours?"

"Work buddy. We would help each other out a lot and became friends along the way. They're passing through to spend some time in New York and have a late Thanksgiving with the in-laws."

"Glad you'll be able to see some old friends." I had almost forgotten about Thanksgiving. I wonder what she'll be doing.

"Thanks. I'll be glad to have my winter stuff. It's starting to get chilly here." She paused, a touch of sadness shown on her face. "I forgot Thanksgiving was in five days."

"Winters can get chilly here." I want to keep her here talking but this small talk is killing me. I wonder if I could have her over for dinner or something. To not look suspicious, I could use Henry as an excuse. Not that he would mind. "I'm going to unground Henry in the next day or so."

"That's good. I hope he learned his lesson. I can't believe he did that. Normally, you don't have to worry about kids sneaking out until their teenage years."

"Exactly. Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?"

"No. I would always work Thanksgiving or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Do you know if there's anything like that in Storybrooke?"

"Currently, there is not." Emma's face fell. "But I'm sure the new Deputy could plan something. Possibly have it at Granny's?"

"Do you really think people would be open to that?"

"It's a possibility. It wouldn't hurt to ask around."

The younger woman chose her words carefully. "If it does happen, would you be open to baking a few pies?"

The question caught me off guard. "I'm not sure anyone would actually eat anything I'd bake. Everyone is afraid I'd poison it."

Rolling her eyes, Emma scoffed. "I'll eat the first bite of everything to prove it's safe."

"That's appreciated." A comfortable silence fell between us as the blonde thought over my Thanksgiving proposal. "Would you like to come for a cup of cocoa one night?"

"Uh.." Emma fumbled for words. With each passing second, her face became more red. "I'd like that."

"I'll let you know when a good night would be. Now get to work, Deputy." Flashing the younger woman a grin didn't help her blush or case of speechlessness.

"Th-thanks…" clearing her throat, Emma tried getting to her feet. "I'll…um…see you later."

"I'm sure you will."

Xxx

After I picked Henry up from therapy, he seemed to be in a chipper mood. "How was your session?"

"It was good." He paused. "How much longer will I be grounded for?"

"I was actually going to lift that today. I think you've learned your lesson. Have you?"

"Yes. I know I shouldn't have snuck out. If I would have been hurt, you wouldn't know where I was."

"Exactly." The thought of Henry hurt, alone somewhere made me nauseous. "Have you heard the latest about Miss. Swan? I know how gossip travels among the town."

Henry chuckled. "Yeah, she's the new deputy." He beamed. "I guess she really isn't leaving us." The last part was mumbled as if he didn't mean to say it aloud.

Us?! What does he mean by us? "Us?" I questioned.

"I mean leaving town and stuff."

I don't need a superpower to tell he's lying. What does he know? "Either way, I wanted to see how you felt about inviting her for hot cocoa one evening."

"Sure! That would be fun."

"It's settled then."

Xxx

The next day, my phone rang. I wasn't surprised when I saw Miss. Swan's name across my screen. "Afternoon, Emma." I heard Henry's video game pause in the other room.

"Hey, so, Granny is okay with us using the diner for the Thanksgiving feast."

"Us using the diner?" I questioned. "When did this become an "us" thing?" Henry plopped onto a barstool and watched me.

"Uh…I mean…it was your idea. I wanted to give you some credit."

"It's appreciated, thank you. You'll need pies, I'm sure."

"Yes, that's why I'm calling. I wanted to ask if you'd make a pie or two. I know it's short notice but if you agree, I can help. Maybe not so much with the cooking part, but definitely the cleaning or running errands that you'd originally be doing in your free time."

Leaning against the counter, I folded one arm across my chest. "I can do that. I'll need to go to the grocery store before I start baking."

"I can run to the store for you."

Glancing at Henry, I thought quickly. "One moment." Placing the phone to my chest, I turned my attention to my curious son. "If I make a grocery list, do you think you could assist Emma at the store?"

"Sure!" He beamed.

"I'll make a list. Come over in about an hour and pick up Henry. He can help you find everything." I paused. "And it'll give you some time together."

"Sounds great. See you soon."

Ending the call, I placed the phone on the counter. "I can feel you staring at me."

"Why exactly are you baking pies for Emma?"

"She came to my office and the subject of Thanksgiving came up. She asked if Storybrooke had a soup kitchen type thing for Thanksgiving. I said there wasn't but that it would be a good idea. If she worked out the details, I'd bake some pies to help."

"That's awesome of you, Mom!"

"Thank you, Henry." I smiled at my son. "You can play for a bit longer as I make a list."

"Okay." Hopping down, he dashed back into the living room.

Going through my cabinets, I compiled a list. Luckily, I had some of the supplies already. There's going to be a lot of baking ahead. Why did I volunteer to do this? Oh, right. Emma's damn puppy dog eyes when she thought there wouldn't be anything to do on Thanksgiving. I should have just invited her here. Rubbing my temple, I sighed. This will be good for the town and for her. Smirking, I looked at the red string. We need to talk about this eventually. Is this why her puppy dog eyes and sheepish smile make me melt?

Hearing a knock on the door, Henry piped up. "I've got it!" Racing to the door, he greeted his birth mother. "Hey, Emma!"

"Hey, kiddo. Oooh. It's so warm in here. Feels good. Is your mom in the kitchen or den?"

"Kitchen."

"Okay."

"Hello, Emma." List in hand, I glanced over it once more.

"Hey." She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks again for doing this."

"You're welcome. Here's the list and my credit card." She's wearing a lot of layers. I know she hasn't gotten her clothes from Boston yet.

"Awesome." Taking the paper and card, she read over the list. "Since Henry's coming, he can help."

"Exactly." I followed Emma back through the house and to the door where we waited on Henry. "Please don't take this in a negative way but, you seem cold. I know you said you haven't gotten your clothes from Boston yet. Do you have a scarf and gloves? Or a warmer coat?"

A light blush tinted the woman's cheeks. "No, to all of the above. I didn't want to go out and buy a bunch of stuff days before I get my clothes."

"Mom has a few coats and extra gloves." Henry chimed in as he came down the stairs.

Emma laughed nervously. "Kid, you shouldn't lend your mom's stuff out."

"He has a point. I was going to offer you a set of gloves and a scarf at least." I continued before she could argue. "Since you're not keeping them, it wouldn't be a handout."

"You added that as a loophole. Clever, Madam Mayor." All I did was smile. Shaking her head, Emma laughed. "Okay, let's get a scarf and gloves then head out."

Opening the closet, I grabbed a black scarf and matching black leather gloves. "Gloves," I held them out for the woman to take. As Emma pulled on the gloves, I gently wrapped the scarf around her neck and fixed it. The color drained from her face as she watched. "And a scarf."

"Thanks." She squeaked. Emma's face glowed red.

"You're welcome, dear."