"Noniiiiii! Noniiiiiiiii!" Roni heard the little voice and felt tiny fingers poke at her face. She opened one eye and saw a chubby baby face an inch away from hers. Roni smiled. Henry used to do that to her when he was younger.
"What are you doing?" Roni asked in an amused tone. Little Neal giggled. He told her something in half baby babble, half baby English that sounded something like "bekfiss" was ready. "Is that so?" Neal nodded. "Okay, I'm getting up." Roni stretched and yawned. She got up from the couch, folded up the blankets, and set them on Emma's bed. She then raided the drawers again until she found an acceptable outfit. Emma's jeans were too small for her, so she wore another pair of yoga pants with a black t-shirt. Roni lifted Neal to her hip and walked downstairs to get some breakfast.
"I believe this belongs to you." Roni said as she entered the kitchen, talking about Neal. Emma looked at her brother before focusing on breakfast.
"Nope. Never seen him before in my life." Emma replied.
"Emma!" Roni admonished.
"What?! He's 26 pounds of chaos and Mom expects me to clean up his mess."
"I've been helping." Henry said. Roni hadn't even noticed him enter the kitchen. "We make it a game, like you used to do."
"You remember that?" Roni asked Henry.
"A little. I mostly remember realizing that it was cleaning and not a game." Henry said. He took Neal from Roni and placed him in his high chair. Emma set some tiny pancakes on the tray and Neal got to work inhaling them. Emma returned to the kitchen to retrieve the plate of chocolate chip pancakes.
"Everyone dig in." Emma said. Roni and Henry took a few pancakes from the stack and poured syrup all over them. Roni eyed the plastic bottle of syrup.
"The real stuff is better." Roni muttered.
"You should make your apple pancakes sometime." Henry suggested.
"You'd want that?" Roni asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Ma tried to make them, but they never really came out right."
"So, Roni, what do you have planned for today?" Emma asked. Roni shrugged.
"Nothing much. I was hoping to look for a job, but to be honest, I'm dreading the mob that is sure to come once people find out I'm back." Roni picked at her pancakes.
"Hey, why don't I go with you? After I drop off the kids, we can go out and help you job hunt. Maybe pick up some clothes for you?" Emma suggested.
"You don't have work?" Roni asked.
"I took this week off. I honestly thought it would take longer to convince you to come back." Emma explained.
"It would have, if fate didn't hate me and everything I love." Roni commented.
"Hey, you know that's not true. Henry, hurry up and get your things. We're going to be late." Roni helped with the clean up, including a very sticky two-year-old, and waved goodbye to the kids when they left.
Emma and Roni walked Main Street, going to different places that held Roni's interest. She left her resume with seven different businesses, though she was sure they all ended up in the trash. They were walking out of a clothing store when a familiar face was walking towards them . Leroy paused when he saw who it was with Emma.
"The Evil Queen is back!" He yelled. He ran down Main with the news.
"I see his liver hasn't failed yet." Roni looked at her watch. "We had... forty-seven minutes of peace. A new record. Shall we return home and wait for the mob?"
"There's not going to be a mob. Not if I have anything to say about it." Emma promised. They were walking towards the car when a woman stopped Emma for a chat.
"Sheriff Swan! Nice day out today, isn't it?" The woman said with a southern lilt to her pleasant voice. "Who's your friend?"
"Hey, Tiana. This is my friend, Roni." Emma introduced. "Roni, this is Tiana. She works at Granny's since Ruby left."
"Ruby left? Okay, now you have to tell me what I missed." Roni said.
"Actually, Sheriff, you are looking at the new owner of the little abandoned building out by the docks. With just a little hard work and elbow grease, it'll become the finest restaurant in town." Tiana replied.
"You're opening your own restaurant?" Roni asked. "If you need a bartender, I'm your woman."
"Oh, really? Do you have experience?" Tiana asked.
"I owned my own bar back in Seattle for about two years, worked in one for four." Roni answered.
"Then you're hired!" Tiana exclaimed. "If you're not afraid of a little hard work, I could sure use some help fixing up the place."
"Sounds fine. I'm not busy." Roni said.
"Me, too." Emma added. "I'm free the rest of this week."
"Oh, thank you, you two! I could just see it now! People will come from all the realms for a taste of my cookin'! Daddy would be so proud..." Tiana laughed and hugged the two women. "Why don't y'all come over tomorrow at ten? We'll get started on the renovation then."
"Sounds like a plan." Emma confirmed. The two women said goodbye to Tiana and continued to the car.
"I like her." Roni commented.
"Yeah. She's cool. She came over with the last portal and I swear, Granny's was never the same. Her cooking is amazing! I'm glad she finally made enough to buy her restaurant. She's been working for it since she was a kid."
"Hold on, did you say last portal? How many were there?" Roni questioned.
"Well..." Emma started, but was cut off by Roni.
"Wait. I have a feeling this conversation is going to require some alcohol." Roni said.
"You just might be right." Emma agreed.
"So there were four portals. I guess people from different realms have been hearing of Storybrooke. It's becoming the place for second chances." Emma started. It was late at night and she and Roni were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table up in Emma's living room. Lenny was sleepily watching the two from his spot on the back of the couch.
"Anyone I might know come through?" Roni asked.
"Well, you know about Hook. Um... Maleficent came with some friends. She was looking for her daughter, who - get this- was my friend when I was younger! I have no idea why the children of famous villains are attracted to me." Emma took a sip of the cider Roni had poured for them.
"Then there was... let's see, who else? Oh! There was Robin Hood. He has such a cute kid, I know you'd like him. Comes by the station every once in a while."
"Anyone come looking for me?" Roni asked.
"There were a few. But after a couple months of waiting for you to show up, they kinda mellowed out. Got into Storybrooke life." Emma answered. "Oh, yeah. And you have a sister." Roni choked on her drink.
"I have a what?!" Roni exclaimed.
"Yeah. I guess your mom had another daughter before she met your dad. She was given up and grew up in Oz." Emma said.
"Don't tell me she's-"
"Yep. Your half sister is the Wicked Witch of the West." Roni said nothing. She poured herself another glass and downed the whole thing.
"What even is my life?" Roni groaned.
"I've been asking myself the same question." Emma replied, taking a drink herself.
"Is she still in town?" Roni asked.
"Yeah. She lives in the farmhouse out near the woods. You can't miss it. It's the only house in Storybrooke with a lime green mailbox." Emma answered.
The talk of portals and families ceased. In its place, came silly games like Truth or Dare. Emma used an app on her phone to choose the dares and whatnot.
"Truth or Dare?" Emma asked.
"Truth." Roni chose.
"Tell your first impression of the person to your right. Since it's just the two of us, tell me your first impression of me." Emma said.
"I was confused, hurt... kinda turned on..." Roni recalled.
"Hold on, what?!" Emma was shocked.
"Yeah. Back when we were fighting over Henry, there were times where I didn't know whether I wanted to punch you, or fuck you against the nearest wall."
"So you went with the punches?" Emma asked.
"Punches were safer." Roni finished her drink. "I was certain if I didn't have the whole Evil Queen thing going on, we would have been dating already."
"So... you like me?" Emma asked. Roni sighed.
"I don't know. Right now, I'm drunk, homeless, and soon a lot of my past is probably going to resurface. I want to focus on myself for now." Emma nodded. She was drunk, too, and didn't want to think too much.
"Wanna crash in my room? I don't want to get your blankets out right now." Emma said.
"Sure." The two women forget what happened after that, but both woke up on Emma's bed, spread out in weird angles.