I'M SURE THEY'LL BE A FEW MORE LIKE THIS WRITTEN BY OTHERS, BASED ON LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE A ONE-SHOT, DEPENDING ON HOW I FEEL IT SHOULD GO AFTER I FINISH THE ENDING. ENJOY!

DON'T OWN IT.

Mary Margaret sat at the bar, nursing her glass of vodka, some stray tears running down her cheeks. In her peripheral vision, she saw someone take a seat next to her. Figuring it was that lame doctor, she snapped,

"I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Sorry about that. It's not like I knew David would regain his memory right before he went to meet you." Emma said.

"Oh, Emma… Sorry. I thought you were someone else." the brunette stammered.

"It's okay. And I really am sorry about my advice."

"It's not your fault. I knew what I was walking into, and…" Mary Margaret took a shuddering breath. "Anyway, you don't need to hear my sob story. You should just go home and get to bed. You're finally off your shift." She glanced at the clock. "Actually, shouldn't you still be on your shift?"

"Let's just say my boss let me off early." Emma signaled the bartender over. "I'll have a beer."

"What happened?" Mary Margaret questioned.

"Believe me, I would love to tell you." Emma answered.

"Classified, official police business?" for the first time in a few hours, both women cracked a smile.

"No. It's just… It feels wrong to say it. I don't know why, but one of the people it involves seems like a really nice guy who's made a few bad decisions. Or was coerced into it. Probably the latter." Emma took a swig of her beer.

"Sheriff Graham and Mayor Regina." Mary Margaret was very good at reading between the lines. It was her super power.

"You said it, not me." Emma replied.

"Wow. Just… wow."

"So," Emma said, changing the subject, "Talk."

"I just thought he was a good guy, you know?" the tears threatened to fall again. Inwardly, Emma winced. This was going to be rough. She could handle angry people, but crying people? That was not her forte. She wasn't exactly the comforting type. She only offered to listen because Mary Margaret seemed to really need an ear. "I thought I could actually have a relationship. I know it was stupid. The worst part is, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I childishly let myself get led on. It's like I purposely got myself hurt. Why would anyone do that?" And now the alcohol was taking effect.

"To punish themselves." Emma shrugged. She had had some pretty dark days in her teenage years. At the time, inflicting physical pain seemed like the only way to deal with the emotional pain. She didn't have anyone to talk to; as she had once said, she was a friendless orphan.

"But what did I ever do wrong? I've never stolen, I'm friendly, kind. What did I do to make myself feel as though I deserved this kind of pain?" she looked at Emma, searching her for answers.

"I don't know." Emma said.

"What do I do?" She asked.

"Sure you want to ask me for advice again?"

"If anyone knows how to move on and get past pain, it's you." Mary Margaret said. Emma wished this was true. All she did was lock it up and hope to never see it again.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you need to forget about him. He's made his choice, and now you have to choose to let him go."

"But that seems so hard."

"Why waste your time with someone who's not worth it?" Emma smiled reassuringly at the brunette.

"You're right. I mean, he obviously loves his wife… but he said he has feelings for me!" Mary Margaret said.

"That's already a red flag. If he cares for two women, who's to say that if he chooses you, he won't fall for somebody else?"

"Nobody else comes to Storybrooke." Mary Margaret mumbled.

"I'm new." Emma said.

"According to Henry, you're in the book."

"You believe in that?" Emma looked at her incredulously.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I don't know if everything that's happened is a coincidence." Mary Margaret said. "But this might be the alcohol talking. Enough about me. You're at a bar, presumably to drink yourself into oblivion for a night."

"Not into oblivion, no. Maybe just numb." Emma shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"So two things happened." Mary Margaret observed. "Before, you said you'd love to tell me."

"It's complicated." Emma said.

"Of course it is." She gave the blonde a knowing look. "You have feelings for Sheriff Graham."

"After what I learned tonight, I've been forced to acknowledge them." Emma said. "I didn't realize how much I actually care for him. My second week here, Henry ordered me hot chocolate." she smiled at the sweetness of her son. "I marched over to Graham, thinking it was him who had ordered it, and, long story short, told him I'm not interested and to bug off. Looking back, I now realize that I wished it had been him." Now, she smiled sadly.

"It sucks."

"It definitely sucks." Emma agreed.

"I can tell you not to pursue him. I know how much you want to, believe me. You get angry easily. Use that anger to make you not like him." Mary Margaret advised.

"Easier said than done." Emma replied.

"Isn't it always? I think we should go home, before either of us is too intoxicated to drive. Although, I think you better drive… I'm feeling not so great…" Mary Margaret said.

"Yeah." The women paid their tabs, and took Emma's 'bumble-bee' car. The ride was in comfortable silence, which was okay. Mary Margaret figured she got all that she was going to get out of her companion, though she was still intrigued by the blonde. She felt as though she had known her all her life, but in reality, they'd only known each other for a few weeks. The ride was short, and they soon collapsed onto the couch. Then, Emma did something that shocked Mary Margaret. She let down her walls the tiniest bit, but it meant everything to the teacher to know that Emma trusted her enough.

"I'm just so sick of fighting how I feel about everything. Ever since I was 17, I've pretended not to feel, because it's just so much easier." Emma's voice was starting to shake, but she couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. "For once, I want to give in to temptation, and let go. But every time I've done that, I've gotten hurt." Emma explained. "I'm so tired, and so sick of getting hurt." It took everything the blonde had not to cry, and it broke Mary Margaret's heart. She knew it took a lot to make the tough-as-nails bail bondsperson cry, but she had also instantly seen past her façade when they met.

"The only one you have to worry about is Mayor Regina." Mary Margaret said. "I promise you that you can trust me. I will never intentionally hurt you."

Emma looked at the brunette with watery eyes. "Do you know how many times I've heard that, and then they've hurt me anyway?"

"I know. But Emma, you can always talk to me, okay? Always." In Mary Margaret's eyes, all Emma saw was sincerity. And for some reason, she truly believed the older woman's words.

"Thanks." She replied.

"Well, I'm going to go take some aspirin for the hanger over I'm going to have tomorrow, and call it a night. I suggest you do the same." Mary Margaret said.

"I think that's a brilliant idea." Emma agreed.

I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE THIS… I LIKE THE IDEA, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW OR IF I EVEN SHOULD. THOUGHTS?