One year later - New York

Emma sighed as she flicked through an information docket, her client wanted her to find someone who owed a lot of money, and after two weeks she hadn't had any luck. Her longest case was normally a week. She was getting rusty.

"Mom I'm home!"

"In here Henry." She called. "How was school?'

"Boring. As usual." Henry shrugged, dropping his bag at the door and pulling his shoes off.

"Homework?"

"Done on the bus," Henry said proudly.

"Okay. You can watch TV until dinner time." Emma smiled as she heard Henry cheer. Rushing to the living room. She didn't regret keeping Henry for one moment, sure it was difficult, especially when she was younger. But now, she wouldn't have it any different.

"Oh, mom? Before I forget, schools asking for old clothes for a charity thing."

"When for?"

"Tomorrow?" Emma glanced up.

"When did you find out?"

Henry was silent.

"When?'

"Few weeks ago."

"Well, you know what that means. TV time after you sort through your old clothes."

Henry grumbled but got up. Emma smiled, he was a good kid, they rarely argued and she was proud of her relationship with him.

Emma walked to her own bedroom, pulling out old clothes and shoving them on the bed, she had most of her clothes from years ago, preferring to spend her money on Henry than herself. Her fingers grazed a jacket that sent a jolt through her body. She frowned pulling a black leather jacket out from her closet.

"What's that?" Henry asked, a pile of clothes in his arms.

"I don't remember getting this." She said softly. It was a men's jacket, and while Emma had some clothes that she had purchased in the men's section, none of them was a leather jacket, she was more partial to red anyway. She tried to think if any of her previous boyfriends or one-night stands had a jacket like this, but as she tried to focus on one specific person her mind drifted, her eyes closing before blinking confusedly.

"What was I doing?" She asked a moment later. Henry laughed.

"You're getting old mom. Charity clothes, put the jacket in there if you don't want it."

Emma frowned. She didn't like that idea at all. Her hand moved to put the jacket with the clothes on the bed, she suddenly felt sick, her heart pounding and her brain spinning making her feel light-headed. She pulled the jacket close.

Felt like home.

She knew that was a silly thought. How could a jacket she never knew she had be home? Henry was her home. New York was her home. A jacket….

She should toss it. What would she do with it?

She smiled softly and put the jacket back on the hanger. "I'll keep it. Don't know when it may come in handy."

"And you call me a hoarder." Emma glared at him.

"Says the boy with underwear about 3 years old." Henry shrugged.

"They're comfortable. Worn in."

Emma rolled her eyes.

It was obvious that Emma wasn't going to find this Skip tonight, after 4 hours of computer research she decided to call it a night, checking in on a sleeping Henry before climbing into her own bed. Curling up to keep herself warm. She had struggled with sleep for as long as she could remember. Once she was asleep she was fine, but that initial drop off to sleep always alluded her. She tossed and turned and glared angrily in the darkness. She felt so out of place like something wasn't right. It was 2 in the morning when a thought crossed her mind, she turned her lamp on, walking over to the closet, and grabbing the jacket she didn't know existed until today, the fabric running through her fingers, burying her face in the supple leather. She couldn't put her finger on the smell, it seemed familiar but if she thought too hard about it her mind would drift away, almost like a fog rolling into the corners of her brain. She walked into the living room, sitting on the sofa, and switching the TV on, she pulled the jacket over her and closed her eyes. She could almost make out the owner, the weight of him holding her, his aftershave.

She fell asleep 5 minutes later.

"Mom!"

"Henry I told you. No waking me up on Saturday." Emma grumbled, rubbing her eyes. She always dreamt the same thing, shocking blue eyes, she couldn't remember the face, all she knew was the eyes made her feel safe.

"I made you break…. Why are you sleeping on the sofa? With a jacket?" Emma sat up. Eyes widening as Henry had a plate full of pancakes in his hand.

"I was cold." She muttered, folding the jacket and throwing it on the chair. Henry frowned.

"Is… is that my dad's jacket?" He asked, walking to sit next to her.

"It wasn't Neal's." She promised, the only boyfriend she could remember. He had left her, knocked up and in prison, the only reason she had kept Henry was looking at his face after he was born. She knew she would never let him be abandoned the way she had been all of her life.

Something else stirred in her. Foggy cloudy memories, she couldn't remember who they were about, but she remembered her heart fluttering and feeling so exquisitely happy. She remembered being loved. She wondered what happened to him, however, the more she thought about it the further the memory crept away from her.

"Good," Henry said softly, grabbing the blanket and throwing it over both of them. Breakfast and cartoons were a tradition on Saturdays. Emma turned the TV on and found the cartoon channel.

"Do we need to talk about your dad?" She asked gently. Henry frowned.

"No."

"It's okay you know, if you want to love him."

"He left you."

"Yeah, he did."

"And me."

"He didn't know about you," Emma said gently. "If he did…' Maybe he would have stayed.

"I guess we'll never know." Emma sighed sadly, she had told Henry when he turned 10; when questions about his dad couldn't be brought with cake and TV.

They ate breakfast in silence, watching an old episode of Tom and Jerry.

"Do you need to work today?" Henry asked.

"I should. I've hit a bit of a dead end." She admitted. 'I think I'm going to his apartment. See if I missed anything."

"Can I come?" Henry asked hopefully.

"I thought you would be going out with your friends. Take some money to go to the movies."

Henry grinned. "I know you're just saying that to stop me coming with you, but thanks!"

Emma grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Love you kid."

"Love you too mom."

Ten hours, she had spent ten hours staking out his apartment with no sign of him, he was in the wind. She was still awaiting her contact to get back to her with some information about a secret location on the other side of New York.

She glanced at her watch. Henry's curfew is at 6, so she has one more hour. She glances over across the street. She could grab a drink, sit by the window, and wait there. Sure beats waiting in the car.

She had been to the bar a couple of times, mainly on this case, sometimes sitting in your car with a cold coffee doesn't do it for you.

She sat down, face towards the apartment as she sipped her drink.

"This seat taken?"

Emma turned her head.

"Free country." She shrugged. The man sat next to her, she glanced out the corner of her eye. He was handsome, with long brown hair that fell into his brown eyes.

"My name is Jack."

"Good for you." Emma sighed, eyes still on the apartment.

"Mysterious."

Emma rolled her eyes. 'Emma.' She said shortly.

"So Emma, what will it take for me to buy you another drink?"

Emma looked over at him again. It had been a while since her last dalliance with a man. Actually, she couldn't remember. He wasn't unattractive. She glanced back at the apartment. He obviously wasn't going to show his face today.

"I guess me finishing this one." She smiled, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, I'll just have to wait then." Jack grinned at her. "So are you from here?"

"Here as in New York? A year." Emma shrugged. "You?"

"New York born and raised."

Emma nodded. She wasn't good at this part, the getting to know each other. She wasn't good at people asking her questions, and she often gets called prickly. Her normal experiences with men the last few years were letting Henry have a sleepover and going to a random club getting drunk and finding some nameless man to take home. Often waking up to a cold and empty bed.

Within 5 minutes of talking, Emma was ready to go, he seemed like a nice enough guy, he was just…

Boring.

So boring.

It was a good thing Emma didn't like talking about herself, as Jack had led most of the conversation. One of the perks of her job, she could see a liar a mile away and it became clear to her that he was just trying to impress her. By the time she finished her drink, she was ready to go home.

Before she could make her excuses another drink was sliding in front of her. She was grateful when her phone rang.

"Henry?"

"Can you grab a pizza on the way back?"

"Yeah, ill be 20 minutes." She smiled, Henry had saved her on numerous occasions, even sometimes without him even knowing it.

"Thanks for the drink, but I got to go." She downed half the drink to be polite.

Something was wrong.

Her head span as she gripped the table as she stood. Jack's hand resting on her back.

"You okay?" He asked as his eyes met hers.

They were beautiful.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled, how had she been ready to leave him? His eyes sparkled as his smile lit up the room.

"I'm sorry you have to go." He was saying. Emma frowned. She had to go? That didn't sound right.

"But could we go out tomorrow night?"

Emma smiled, a blush forming on her cheeks. Seeing him again. That was a good idea.

"Here's my number."

Emma took the number, her fingers brushing his and sending a wave through her. He smiled again.

"See you tomorrow."