AN: Hey folks! I am terribly sorry about this delay but my health is not that great. Spring was tough but summer has been so much worse than I ever thought I'd have to endure. Today it's National Dog Day and I don't have my dog with me because I can't take care of him right now :'( I got temporary meds 3 weeks ago after being to the ER for my hip pain, I could barely leave my bed. This week I've switched to the proper medication for the inflammation in my bowel (finally!) but it has such bad side effects (prednisolone/cortisone) x( I might get admitted to the hospital next week if I keep feeling bad but I hope I won't... *crossing fingers*

So, yeah, I've been in a bad place and that's why I've struggled with energy, motivation, and inspiration to write on this. I've had a lot of fic ideas, though, so I've simply allowed myself to write on whatever I feel like for the moment instead of thinking I must update this. It has been great. It has been something good to hold on to when everything has been dark and just...pain. So I hope you all will forgive me for taking my time with updates. (All my new fics are and will be posted on AO3, in case you're interested in them. I mostly write SQ.)

Normally, the chapters are more than one scene, I know, but since it's this fic's 1st birthday today I just had to update even though I just have this one scene finshed. I also wanted to give you something to assure you that I haven't abandoned you ^^ As I have said many times, I will finish this. For myself, if nothing else, because I love this story and it's my precious little baby fic. I'm pretty sure I'm its biggest fan xD Oh well, here's the chapter!

Emma receives messages from an unknown sender.


A Small Hushed Voice

We hadn't been at the pub for many minutes before my phone buzzed in my pocket. I was going to ignore it at first, being there with friends and all, but something compelled me to check anyway.

Hello!

I frowned. It was an unfamiliar number and what kind of stranger only wrote 'hello'? Unless...it wasn't a stranger. I quickly scanned the bar counter and my jaw tensed upon seeing who was sitting there, gazing in my direction with a leer already in place. Fucking great! So now what, he was stalking me? That clearly classified as the kind of behaviour I should report to the mayor.

"What's the matter, Emma?" Mei Lan wondered quietly.

She and Aurora weren't drinking but had decided to come anyway, since getting drunk was by no means the point of this night out. Lacey was working, so even though she was around she didn't have much time to chat. She and Ruby was planning on satisfying their party urges later in the night. Or, technically, very early next morning.

"Captain Hooker is here," I muttered, just as a second text rolled in.

I looked down at the screen, a bit confused, because Killian had both of his hands clearly visible. Maybe it had just taken a couple of minutes extra to be delivered? The message didn't seem overly much like something he'd write, though.

Is this Emma Swan?

"I'm not sure I know who Captain Hooker is but judging by the boat guy's staring, I'm guessing it's him," Mei Lan concluded and glanced down at the phone in my hand, frowning. "Is he texting you?"

Texting could easily have been replaced with bothering without changing the underlying meaning of her question. The thought of Killian having my number made me feel a little uncomfortable, to be honest, and I was glad to be among friends. That was, even if my mysterious texter was someone else. If the leer Killian had given me was any indication, he didn't care as much about the mayor's threats with alcohol in his system.

"Ugh, I don't know," I muttered as I showed Mei Lan the two texts. "I have no idea who this is. Might be him, but doesn't look like his style."

"Hmm," Mei Lan pondered. "Call and see if he reaches for his phone?"

"I guess I'll have to do something to get peace in my mind," I agreed and hovered with my thumb over the call button. "But what if it's not him?"

"Well, then whoever texted you can introduce themselves properly."

Fair point, I thought. But it wasn't exactly quiet in the pub and I didn't have my earphones with me. It would be hard to hear the person at the other end of the line.

"It's too loud in here. I'll just send a text and see if I get a reply," I decided, and Mei Lan nodded.

Yes, that's me. Who are you?

We both waited impatiently, eyes on the still lit screen, and jumped slightly when Aurora suddenly poked her head between us.

"Trouble?"

"I...don't know yet," I said and shrugged. "Someone's texting me and-"

I looked down at the new message that popped up and let out a frustrated sigh. It only said "Guess? :p" and I wasn't in the mood for games. Then I remembered to keep an eye on Killian but unfortunately there were people blocking my line of sight, so I put my forehead in my free hand with another sigh.

"Yep, trouble," Mei Lan said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Come on, Emma, what are you going to do?"

What was I going to do? Tell them to fucking stop messing around, was what I was going to do! I started typing an angry reply, not being cheap with the curses, and ignored Aurora's concerned "um." She didn't have to worry, I just needed to get rid of some frustration before composing a more serious message with a less accusing tone.

I don't have time for silly games, just tell me who you are!

"What if you had accidentally sent that first one?" Aurora wondered, wide eyed.

"That could've gotten interesting," I said contemplatively, enjoying the effect it had on the redhead, who looked quite shocked. "Perhaps I should have?"

Mei Lan shook her head at me and I grinned at them both.

"I'm just kidding. I was careful."

A new text arrived, this time a sad smiley, and with a surge of irritation I shoved back my chair and stood.

"I'm done! Where's that pirate?" I barked and stalked away from the table, heading to where I had last seen him.

"Emma, wait!" I heard Mei Lan call after me, but I was determined to solve this and to do so now.

It was when I had pushed past most of the crowd, spotted the Irishman chat with another girl, and felt the phone in my hand buzz with yet another message, that I realized my anger was groundless. Before Killian could notice me I ducked into the crowd again and quickly read the text, paling a little.

I'm sorry. It's Henry.

Henry? It immediately felt considerately less creepy but why on Earth would he be texting me? And this late, too! Full of questions I made my way out into the cool evening air. I needed to clear my head a bit.

Henry.

I read the text again, making no better sense of it. Then a third one appeared.

Please, don't be mad at me!

That was it, I couldn't let the poor kid think I was mad at him. Besides, the mayor would probably kill me either way for talking to her son behind her back. Oh my God, the mayor! I pressed the call button before I could change my mind. It didn't take many signals before a small, hushed voice sounded on the other side of the line.

"Hello?" it whispered, and had I not retreated from the busy entrance of the pub, I wouldn't have heard it.

"Hi, Henry!" I said gently. "I'm not angry with you, just surprised. I thought you were someone else. What's up? Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

"I should, that's why I need to be quiet," he replied, still whispering. "I couldn't sleep."

"So you decided to look my number up and...talk to me?" I asked incredulously and scratched the back of my head, not quite believing I was actually having this conversation.

"It was easy. There aren't a lot of Emma Swans in Storybrooke."

"But still, you made the effort. Can't you talk to your parents? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind talking to you, I'm just trying to understand."

"I don't want to give them any more reason to fight. They are still acting weird."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said earnestly. "Is there... Is there something in particular you'd like to talk about?"

I wasn't sure how to deal with this. The kids at the orphanage usually had other kinds of troubles and they weren't my boss' son. I tried to block that part out, tried not to think about the mayor at all. This was between Henry and me, I had promised once that he could trust me not to tell anyone. The soft whispering continued.

"No. I just thought it'd be fun to text you. I'm sorry that you didn't think so. You're an adult, after all."

I chuckled heartily.

"You know, kid, I'm gonna let you in on a secret. Everything you've ever heard about being an adult, is bullshit."

There was a muffled snort and it took me a moment to realize what I had said wrong.

"Shit! I mean, I said 'shit.' I mean, uh. I suck at this."

Dammit! Henry giggled quietly.

"You kind of do," he agreed, feigning seriousness.

"I guess...don't tell your mom?"

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "She can't know about this! She said you wouldn't watch me again, which basically meant we'd never meet again."

He sounded disappointed and his words touched me. I felt lost in this new role, as a friend but also a caretaker, and tried to lighten his mood by joking about his boldness. It was the only thing I could come up with to say.

"I didn't take you for a rebellious child, Henry. Do you disobey your parents a lot?"

"Pff, only when they're stupid," he replied cleverly.

"Of course," I grinned, just as a familiar figure exited the pub and located me, tilting her head inquisitively as she approached. "I, uh, kinda have to go. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," Henry whisperingly assured me. "Thanks for talking to me."

"Hey, any time. Sleep tight, kid."

I could've bitten my tongue. Kid. Thank heavens it was Mei Lan that had come after me and not one of the others. I knew I could trust her to keep a secret, if necessary. She looked up at me questioningly and I gave her a brave smile.

"So, I found out who was texting me!"

She looked at me expectantly, question in her eyes.

"It was a...friend," I went with.

"And?"

"Uh, well, you know. He just wanted to talk."

Mei Lan smirked and leaned against the wall. She gave me a knowing look.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that, right?"

Well, it had been worth a try.

"Okay, here's the thing," I began seriously. "You can't tell anyone, they'd go nuts, but it was the mayor's son. He really just wanted to talk, though."

Mei Lan stared incredulously at me.

"Really?" she wondered. "How did you become friends with him?"

"I think Ruby will announce any moment now that I work for the mayor," I started to explain. "To make a long story short, her hostility toward me is slowly fading and after an unexpected babysitting request, her son seems to have taken quite a liking to me."

"Well, you're quite likeable," Mei Lan commented generously, drawing a smile from my lips. "But wow, the mayor. I've never actually met her face to face, so I only know what others have told me, but that doesn't put her in a particularly good light."

"I know," I sighed and raked a hand through my blonde curls, faltering a bit as I tried to explain. "But she has these...moments...where she's like a completely different person."

Mei Lan studied me closely for a moment but then someone called her name and she spun around as my gaze flitted to the source of the sound. It was the redhead, Aurora, and she looked back and forth between Mei Lan and me almost suspiciously.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her. "It wasn't Killian, so all good."

"Oh. Good! You know, I think Ruby had something she wanted to share with all of us. Are you coming back inside soon?"

The way she changed topic so quickly made it seem like she was making up excuses for something but I had no idea what that would be. And I did believe Ruby had something she wanted to share, something about me and where I worked, so whatever Aurora was trying to hide we really should go inside. I wouldn't want the news to be announced without me, I needed to be there to defend...her.


AN: Happy Birthday, WWCI!

I don't know when I will be able to update next but I have some of the shortly upcoming scenes scribbled down already so who knows, maybe you don't have to wait till Christmas ;)