Chapter 18

Stranger in Storybrooke

The rest of November and early December passed in a lonely fashion for Emma. Henry was too busy with his new little family for her and her woes. Now with Miss Mayor not sneaking out of the manor nightly to meet with her sheriff, Henry didn't have time for his clandestine meetings with Emma.

The fact also remained that she was still prohibited from seeing the boy much, per Regina. The deputy still managed to meet him at his castle every now and then after school, thankfully. Gone were the times of having him to herself for hours, whole stretches at a time.

The mayor was ever watchful. Frankly, her decision to make her relationship with Graham common knowledge found Henry didn't mind spending time with the two of them. His mother seemed happier almost, and he found himself thinking of her as the Evil Queen less and less.

He still longed to see Emma more often, but he was distracted by another male's presence in his house. For so long, it had been just him and his mother, and now Graham was waking up there in the mornings more and more often.

He put Henry at ease and was a friend to the boy. When his mother scolded him for not doing his homework, Graham would wink behind her back and maybe give him a little more TV time. Henry trusted Graham to keep his mouth shut. The sheriff knew that Emma and Henry were seeing each other behind Regina's back and he kept quiet about it.

Best of all, Graham always listened when he chose to talk about his story book and never judged him. He nodded sagely and never questioned Henry's sanity, which was an enormous relief to the young boy. It was enough to put his mother's boyfriend in his good graces. Henry found himself wanting to defeat his mother less and less, he just wanted her to be happy and love him.

One day, Graham went out to the cruiser to warm it up in the chill, December morning. It was almost christmas time, and the streets were covered in pristine white snow. Many of the citizens of Storybrooke would be chipping ice off their windows before they set out on their morning commute.

Henry was waiting for his mother to come out to the car, she always waited until it was well heated before she made her way outside. Henry heard a foregin sound, the roar of a motocycle engine, and he saw a guy wearing a black helmet come riding down their street on a shining black and chrome bike.

The man conveniently stalled out in front of the Mayor's Mansion, his bike coming to a stop. Henry knew that strangers in Storybrooke always proved interesting, so he walked towards the stranger at the end of his drive curiously.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Henry asked the stranger.

"Fixing my bike," the stranger replied shortly. He had removed his helmet to look at his bike and he had short, dark brown hair with a five o'clock shadow. His eyes were bright blue when he glanced at the young boy, evaluating the kid.

He was so young looking, fly away hair and bright yellow back pack clutched in his hand. Maybe ten years old, the stranger guessed him to be. "No, I meant, what are you doing in town?" the youngster asked. They heard his mother call out from behind him suddenly, alarm in her voice, "Henry?!"

Regina was suddenly walking down their drive to stand protectively behind her son, hand on his shoulder. She was beautiful, tall, and formidable with her angry dark eyed glare and long, professional looking black dress that fit her like a glove. She confronted the stranger.

"Who are you? What are you doing talking to my son?" she asked hostilely.

The stranger pulled a face, and shrugged his shoulders as if to show he meant no harm. He took a step back and held his hands out, palms displayed. He chuckled darkly at the mayor's paranoia. "Don't worry, I'm not some kind of kidnapper. My bike broke down, and I'm just looking for a room to rent around here," he explained himself.

The mayor considered the stranger with a cooler gaze. She evaluated the stubble on his chin, his charming smile, and the provocative image he made standing next to his motorcycle.

"Alright," Regina said shrewdly. "If you're looking for a place, Granny's Bed and Breakfast isn't far from here," the mayor said, giving the stranger directions. He was on his bike and long gone by the time she realized he had never answered her first question. She still had no idea who he was.

******** ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *******

When Graham arrived to the station, he informed his deputy of their mission for the day.

"There's a stranger in Storybrooke Regina wants us to check out," Graham gruffly told her. Things were still uncomfortable between them, especially since Regina had ordered that Emma wasn't to see Henry and Graham was all too aware of her sadness.

After their drunken kiss, they hadn't talked about it since. They were both trying to pretend like it never happened and act like mature adults. It didn't mean anything, Graham told himself. He was with Regina now. Emma was just feeling awkward because she had been the one to reject him, but she thought with time they could learn to get along again.

"As much as Regina has tried to prove so in my case, there is nothing against the law about visiting Storybrooke," Emma said mirthfully, trying to lighten the mood. Graham latched onto the bait and gave a throaty laugh. "Well, be that as it may, it would still be a good idea to check him out, as he was last seen talking to someone we all care about," the sheriff said, looking pointedly at her.

Emma's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Henry? What's this guy doing talking to Henry?" the deputy asked, hackles raised in defense of her only son. "Yeah, that will be our first question when we find him," Graham replied, and he shrugged his Sheriff's coat on. Emma was hot on his heels as they headed out the door.

******** ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *******

"Where do all new arrivals go when they come into town?" Graham asked rhetorically. "Well that's easy, Granny's B & B," Emma answered as she noticed that was where they were presently heading. "You mean we're just going to go knocking on this perfect stranger's door and accost him?" Emma asked shrewdly, looking over at the Sheriff with a cocked eyebrow. "In the name of law, answer our questions?" she mocked.

"No, that would be weird," Sheriff Graham conceded. He decided to change direction towards Granny's diner instead, and hoped that the stranger would show up. "Everyone in town goes to Granny's, of course someone would tell the stranger where to get a bite to eat," Graham slyly said as he redirected the cruiser.

Sure enough, Graham spotted the motorcycle Regina and Henry described right away. He got out of the cruiser, and was confused when Emma remained in the car. She was staring out the window with a stricken expression on her face. She seemed reluctant to get out of the car, looking at the motorcycle parked outside Granny's. The eerily familiar motorcycle that she was sure she had seen before.

"You coming, deputy?" the sheriff asked, checking on his partner. She definitely seemed spooked for some reason, but she shook her head hard. "Oh, yeah," she mumbled, alighting from the vehicle and heading towards the front entrance with Graham.

Seated at a corner booth with his face to the dart throwing wall, the stranger was watching Ruby throw darts. The law officers could see his black riding helmet sitting on the table across from him. He was holding a cup of a coffee as he chatted up the scantily clad waitress who was eyeing him like a hungry she-wolf in between throws.

Graham approached the table, and Emma walked trepidatiously behind him a pace or two. If her gut feeling was right, she knew exactly who was sitting at that table.

"Sir? Mind if we have a few words?" Graham asked politely, leaning down slightly to address the man. The stranger in the chair turned, and his piercing blue eyes caught Emma's immediately.

"Why, no sir, not at all," August said mischievously, looking into Emma's beautiful green eyes. She was a sight for sore eyes. He gestured to the seat across from him and Graham slid into the booth, perturbed by how strange Emma was acting. He tried to shrug it off.

"I'm Sheriff Graham, and this is Deputy Swan," Graham introduced themselves. Both of the men expected her to take a seat with them, but Emma was momentarily caught up in a wave of emotions as she stood there frozen.

She was incredulous, angry beyond belief. She had initially felt her heart leap at his mischievous tone and his blue eyes, glad to see him despite the circumstances of his departure. But as soon as she remembered Lily was gone to find his sorry ass, it had her feeling angry all over again. Now he chose to pop back up and come back into her life?! She couldn't trust this sorry bastard farther than she could throw him!

"Cat got your tongue, deputy?" August teased. Emma wanted more than anything to upbraid him right then and there, but she thought better of it. She sat down heavily next to Graham. "No," Emma gritted out between clenched teeth, annoyed. She was clearly going to have to introduce him.

"Graham, I know who this is. This is August Booth," Emma said, quirking an eyebrow at the writer. "August W. Booth, if I remember correctly," Emma said, "I regret to say I know him. He's a writer, old friend of Lily's from Boston." Emma eyed the writer, silently urging him to go along with her. "That's right," August agreed, nodding eagerly to confirm her story.

"Yeah, how is she doing anyway?"

"I wouldn't know," Emma said rather frostily, and Graham got the distinct impression these two were more than just old acquaintances. Emma wasn't usually rude without good reason. "She left here last month, and I haven't heard from her."

Her words were clipped and tone short, practically hissed through clenched teeth. It was obviously still a sore subject for the deputy, bringing up the fact that her girlfriend left her. Emma's posture was ramrod straight and Graham noticed sitting beside her that her hands were balled into fists under the table. He had to admit he was a little smug feeling over the whole thing, even now. Now neither of them had a chance at love.

August's blue eyes widened in alarm and he leaned in towards the law officers. "Do you know where she went? I came all this way to see her, you see," August told them for Graham's benefit. He was painting himself as some long lost lover, and Graham was left confused. Had Lily left Emma for a man, this man? Was that the source of her frosty disposition?

"She was always a fan of warmer weather. Maybe you should head south, deep south," Emma retorted, green eyes sparking with anger. She was implying he go to hell where he deserved to be, the bastard. Now she was all alone in this damned town and not even Henry to comfort herself with, all because this man had waited too long to come back around. She thought she deserved an explanation, just not now.

"I'll take that under advisement," August coolly replied, winking mischievously at her. He loved getting a rise out of her, even now. He knew he had no right to act like nothing had happened, but he couldn't resist goading her. He was all too aware she would be wanting answers soon, and he was ashamed to admit he was eager to prolong the conversation a while longer. He directed himself towards the Sheriff.

"What was it you wanted to ask me, officer?"

Graham looked uncertainly Emma's direction, but the blonde was stone cold. She didn't seem particularly inclined to take the lead on their line of questioning. "It's nice to know that you and Ms. Swan know each other. That puts us all at ease," Graham assured the stranger.

He was hesitant to look foolish in front of the town's new arrival, but he knew Regina would have his head if he didn't ask. "Since what we were going to ask you was what you were doing outside the mayor's mansion this morning?"

August laughed, stupefied. These people really are skittish around here. "As I told that kid this morning, my bike broke down," he answered simply. He didn't need them all to know that he had went there on purpose to acquaint himself with Henry.

August was privy to the fact that Henry was a huge piece of the puzzle involved in breaking the curse on Storybrooke. The writer naturally sought to befriend the kid. He would be lying if he didn't admit he also felt a sense of guilt roil in his belly looking at the child.

Because of his part in landing Emma in jail, mother and son had been separated and Henry grew up without his birth mom. If August was honest with himself, he wanted a look upon the life of the kid he'd so drastically altered, all for the sake of this curse and his mother's ability to break it.

"Well, that settles that," Emma said, patting the table definitively. She went to rise and Graham stopped her short. "Well, not exactly. Will you be leaving town now, Mr. Booth?" Graham asked, already hearing in his head Regina's next question. It was his job to be useful and bring back answers. "Since Lily has departed and all?"

August's eyes lost a little of their playful gleam. His gaze turned serious, and he regarded Emma silently for a moment. The look in his eyes wasn't missed by Graham, and he raised an eyebrow curiously.

Emma was determinedly not looking at either of them. She was trying unsuccessfully to hail down Ruby for a coffee. The waitress was suddenly very absorbed in her task of straightening the ketchup caddies on the table next to them where she could easily hear all.

"August, call me August, please," August politely insisted. He regarded the Sheriff with a shrewd gaze. "Even though Lily isn't here now, I'm confident she'll come back," August said. "Since I just missed her, I take it," August added, looking inquisitively Emma's way. From the blonde's prickly exterior, he surmised the pain of Lily leaving her was still pretty fresh. He could read Emma very well even after months apart. He had always been able to tell when she was crying over Lily.

Emma barely nodded. "I think I'll just stay on in town and wait for her, if that's alright by you fine folks," August remarked, smirking. Graham didn't think Regina would be happy to hear he was staying in town indubitably. "Did you already make your way over to Granny's B & B?" the sheriff found himself asking.

"I was just about to head there, actually. Ruby here was telling me all about how to get a room there," the writer explained. Ruby suddenly blushed, and nodded over her shoulder at them recognizing her. "I told him I'd vouch for him with Granny," the waitress said with a saucy smirk, recovering from being caught eavesdropping.

"By all means, don't let us stop you," Emma said suddenly, rising from the table. Sheriff Graham followed suit automatically. If Emma was jealous of the stranger flirting with Ruby, it was even more complicated than he thought. He agreed it was about time they leave since they'd gotten the answers there were looking for. They departed the diner in a hurry, and Emma left fuming.

******** ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *******

"What was that all about?" Graham asked, strapping his seat belt into place outside. Emma followed suit and let out a heavy sigh. "He's an ex of Lily's," she lied. "He comes looking for her sometimes. He's a loner, a wanderer like us," Emma explained. "Is he dangerous?" Graham asked. What he really wanted to ask was, 'You mean Lily wasn't always a lesbian?'

"No, he's not a threat, not physically." Emma sighed, exasperated. "He has a way of breaking her heart," she said, which wasn't technically a lie. "When he left her, who was left to pick up the pieces?" Emma asked rhetorically. She left out the fact that he'd dumped the both of them at the border of this strange little town her son resided in, and hadn't turned back until now. Why now?

"Can you pull over?" she asked. She needed time to think. Graham did as she asked, and pulled over near the curb. The blonde got out, and her tight denim jeans hugged her waist as she leaned down to talk to him at his window.

"Can you finish this shift without me? I need some air, if you don't mind," the deputy asked. She looked at him with sad puppy dog eyes. She was acting so weird, he almost didn't want to leave her alone.

Almost.

Graham remembered he had to report back to Regina. He agreed to let Emma have the rest of the day off. He was used to going on patrol by himself, and he didn't really need her he'd been doing it so long. He had employed her because he wanted her by his side, and even if it wasn't romantic any longer, Graham still desired that. Emma was a good person for the job.

She might have humiliated him by rejecting him, but he had Regina, now. He could put his infatuation for Emma behind him. He didn't need to be so concerned about her. If she said this August guy wasn't a threat, then he had no reason not to believe her.

******** ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *******

Emma found herself walking towards Henry's school. It wasn't yet his lunch time, but she hoped to catch a glimpse of him out on the playground soon. She was standing at the silver gates near the school entrance when she heard the roar of the motorcycle. What was he doing, stalking her kid?

Emma's eyes instantly narrowed, and she knew when he noticed her because his bike came to an abrupt halt. He found a parking spot nearby, and got off the motorcycle. She couldn't help but stare at him across the street. The leather jacket he was wearing coupled with his tight jeans was enough to make her shift a little uncomfortably as he approached.

His gait was slow and leisurely. He had the pace of a confident man. As he drew nearer, Emma was overwhelmed by the scent of leather and men's cologne. It wasn't just the pleasantly spicy scent of the cologne that caught her attention. Something was different about him. He did smell sinfully good, but there was an absence of a familiar scent on him that she had always associated with him. What was missing?

"What's different about you?"

August was drinking in her beautiful face. Her green eyes were squinted in suspicion which he found so adorable on her. He understood more than ever the saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." He couldn't have looked away from her if he tried. His eyes had missed the sight of her. It was hard not to tell her how he felt right then, to proclaim he would never betray her when that was what was constantly required of him in order to break this damn curse.

"Can't you smell it?" the writer asked. This prompted Emma to lean in closer, which delighted August at her proximity. Almost a little too much. He took a step back, and smiled. "I'm sober now," he proudly said, holding out his hands as if to say ta-da, here I am.

She noticed the key chain to his bike keys did have a chip hung on it. Emma smiled a nasty smirk. "Oh, no wonder I could barely recognize you," she quipped, smart ass as usual around him.

August's face fell. "Look, Emma, I know you must have a lot of questions, but I couldn't help anyone in the state I was in," August explained, clearly anguished. He was begging her to understand, and Emma wasn't inclined to listen to him just then.

"Whatever, August. You had a chance to come back sooner, and you didn't," Emma growled. She had lowered her voice, noticing as she did that the school bell rang out announcing recess. Children were piling out the school doors to go outside and play. "Lily went looking for you, you asshole, and now here I am, the one stuck with you," she said.

Henry was among the kids, and he noticed his mother right away. Henry wasn't the only one. Mary Margaret came out of the building holding her lesson plan, and she noticed Henry heading towards the fence where Emma and some stranger were standing and they piqued her curiosity. Their conversation was cut short as the boy neared them.

"This is my son, Henry. Henry, this is a friend of mine from back in Boston, August Booth," she introduced him to her son. Henry waved at the stranger. "Oh right, I met you this morning," the young boy said. "Are you staying in town?" Henry asked.

"That's the plan," August replied. "Why do you sound so surprised?" he asked.

"Because no one ever comes here," Henry said with a shrug. He looked pointedly up at his mother. "You, my mom, and Lily are the only strangers this town has ever seen," the boy explained.

August smiled down at the young child. This kid clearly got with the program fast. He already knew something was off about the town, how secluded it was. If his book had done any good, August surmised becoming the young book worm's ally would not be that difficult. The sooner, the better.