Part 2- A Deputy For Christmas
Thank you readers, reviewers, and visitors.
I must thank my parents for my Once Upon A Time DVD set. I received season one for a Christmas present and have been watching the first season over again.
A/N: I had all of this written out before Christmas was even here. This has been in the works for over two weeks now. I wrote this chapter around the 30th of December, it just wasn't fine tuned until the first of January. Unfortunately, I have not had wifi connection for the past month. Thus, I was not able to have this chapter uploaded on time. I have two more chapters for this month: New Years Eve/ Day & Valentines Week.
Enjoy.
Emma woke early the day after Christmas, as in five in the morning, early.
It was definitely too early if you asked her, but, duty calls. She is the sheriff. Who else was going to keep the town safe from car wrecks, robberies, and keep people in line, drunks from getting out of hand?
It was a thankless job. Ever since the curse broke and free will returned as well as memories, people took advantage of others. They would deal with obstacles in their lives as they would in The Enchanted Forest.
Robberies, damage to properties, it was hell. Did no one check security tapes?
When it was this early in the morning and she had a long day ahead of her, she needed something a hell of a lot stronger than cocoa.
She needed coffee.
She needed strong coffee.
Like very strong, heavy weight champion wrestler, coffee.
Emma tiptoes down the stairs her boots in hand, stepping carefully so she doesn't wake her family. She had already showered and dressed without disturbing the household. There really was no need for anyone to get up this early, so, why wake them?
"Emma?" a voice questioned right as she stepped onto the landing, breaking through the early morning silence.
"Crap!" She exclaims before squinting, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting downstairs.
"James?" She says startled, heart beating erratically. Her boots drop to the floor with a heavy thud. She places a hand over her heart hoping to calm it's thumping to a comfortable and steady beat.
"Yeah. Are you ok? I didn't mean to startle you." He says softly. She looks at him; he was dressed in a flannel shirt and navy cotton pants. His feet bare and a mug in hand, this was likely the most casual that James has looked since he moved in.
"It's ok. You just startled me a bit, that's all." Emma assures him, she moves to sit on the last step.
He gives her a soft smile, eyes crinkling ever so slightly in the outer corners. Then he frowns. "What are you doing up so early?"
She shrugs as if that answers his question, after a moment of pause, she then thinks differently. "Work. " She manages to say as she pulls on her left boot.
It's early, like six a.m early, and he's curious as to why his daughter is leaving so early for work, the day after Christmas, no less.
"This early?" He asks, eyeing the face of the grandfather clock in the living room.
She shrugs again. Apparently shrugging these days answered everything. It was all the rage with the cool kids.
"Never took you for a morning person. " He says simply, shifting his weight from side to side.
"It's the job. I like it and I like it here."
He smiles at her answer, happy that she's comfortable enough to share. Even small reasons for something like she just did.
She smiles at her father then pulls on her other boot, standing when done. "But...it's still a bitch and a half to get up so early, job liking or not. "
He nods, and his smile broadens to a grin. He chuckles softly, "Agreed!"
She eyes his mug curiously. "Is that...coffee? Are you holding out on a caffeine deprived person?"
His laugh comes out short, like a bark almost. "Never, Princess."
He smiles at her look of distaste at the word. "So...coffee then. " he jerks his head towards the kitchen.
Grinning, Emma's eyes twinkle, matching her fathers. "God, yes! A man after my own heart."
This was not funny, especially with knowing what happened in The Enchanted Forest to her and Snow.
She follows David to the kitchen watching curiously as he pulls her mug down from the cabinet and fills it with black coffee. Sugar not forgotten, he pours a generous amount in and stirs.
He places her mug next to him by a stool, intending her to sit down and enjoy the coffee.
It occurs to her as they are sipping their mutual mugs of coffee in silence, that he knows her more than she thought he did.
The way he knows his daughter so quickly is almost scary, but more warming than anything is. Though, it might have something to do
She takes a long sip and smiles at the sugary concoction. "My hero, " she jokes.
He rolls his eyes at her dramatics. Deciding to let Emma choose where to lead their conversation was far safer than it was for him to attempt at one. Her walls were thick, almost impenetrable. No good ever came of pushing the boundaries of one's emotions.
While James knew that Emma preferred the company of her mother, they had after all been friends and roommates for almost a year. It still stung that Snow knew their daughter better. Connected on a level he had yet to do.
However, it seemed it was far easier for her to accept him as James rather then David. She hardly knew his alternate persona, except to hate him for breaking her best friends heart.
"You know, you really are Charming. Pouring a sleep and caffeine deprived girl coffee." Emma set her cup down on the counter.
James nudges her shoulder with his own, the air between them suddenly ever so slightly tense.
He should probably do something about that. "So are you, Princess. You are far more Charming then I, far fairer as well. "
Emma stared at James for a moment, eyes wide. Her cup paused in the air. Clearly in shock, she was trying to decide if he was serious or not.
Shocked at his words, she fumbled with her mug before placing it on the counter. Surprised or shocked, there was no way she could be sure. Not that she could decide. The words were odd to her; no one had said such things before. She felt a laugh bubble up in her.
She thought she could hold it back, pretend she had a cough; her plan went up in smokes. Instead, a loud laugh came from her; she covered her mouth hoping to muffle the sound.
He watches as Emma tries to catch her breath, and is glad to be able to make her smile, for once. She has been far too serious since the curse broke. Her laughs and smiles far and few between.
He is patient, and understanding of her self-doubt. Nevertheless, "I was serious, Emma!
Everyone looks to you. You are so level headed; it's part of who you are a natural born leader. Embrace it; that is probably the only characteristic that you got from us, and you didn't even know it. You don't see it, and that's ok, but, just know that is how people see you." he assures her proudly, if not a bit sad.
Her eyes tear up at his words. To have someone proud of her because she was herself was something she had wanted all her life. She had given up hope, and now, here he is, telling her such wonderful things. Even better, her father was the one who was proud. As awkward as it may seem at times, it was nice to have family.
"Thanks, David" Emma shifts in her seat, suddenly feeling very exposed with the sudden turn of their conversation, "That means a lot to me."
Ok, so she opened her heart for another moment. Just for her father. She smiled into her now cold coffee; she could wait a bit before going to work anyways. She was the sheriff of Story Brooke, after all.
She could be late; it wasn't as if she had to answer to anyone.
"What are you doing up anyways?" She asks curiously as she empties her mug and refills it with fresh caffeine.
He frowned, and sipped from his mug, taking just a moment to form his reason. "Nightmares." He states simply, deciding his morning beverage of choice was far more interesting then he.
"Oh, well, Henry has them too sometimes." She replies quietly, if not a bit awkward, trying to comfort him.
"Do you want more? I can make more." Emma motions to the empty coffee pot.
He shook his head; one cup was more then enough. She shrugged and sat back down next to him. There they sat for a while, just enjoying the silent company. They remained quiet for a while, before Emma's stomach decided to break the silence.
Charming chuckles, and finishes his coffee up. "Hungry? Are those doughnuts not cutting it for you, Sherriff?
"Okay, so, I tend to skip breakfast in favor of a doughnut at Granny's here and there. Sue me," Emma states flippantly.
"You could eat something. That's not reaching too far." He rests his chin on the palm of his hand, raising an eyebrow at Emma's confession of breakfast skipping.
"I could…" She says slowly, thinking of what to eat. She has been craving french toast for a while, but it was really no use making it if she was eating alone.
It seemed that with French toast there was always too much of one thing or another, or too much left over and not enough people to eat it. Therefore, it was selfish of her really. This is her not being nice, offering to make breakfast. This was her wanting a French toast fix.
See, selfish. Figures she might as well ask. Even if he says no, she was hungry. "So, I know you probably don't want to, but I make this to die for french toast. If you want, I could make some for us. We have all the ingredients." Emma questions hesitantly, an olive branch if you will. She was offering David a chance for one on one time.
Emma learned early on how to take care of herself. Making breakfast is something a person needed to know, and how to make it on a budget.
Some things a person should make in a kitchen, and not in a car. Although, maybe if she had a hotplate, and an outlet…
That might be worth trying, sometime. As long as she had her family with her, because now that they found one another, she highly doubted that they would let go of each other.
They held onto one another with a figurative death grip.
She looks at David, and realizes she would do almost anything to keep her parents happy. Yet, the olive branch she was offering was not for them. It was for herself. Breakfast was not intimidating. It was food, no pressure. She and David had yet to run out of topics; they quickly found out that the two of them were more alike then either had originally thought.
Emma hesitated over the stove, not sure if she should take his smile a 'yes I want to spend breakfast with you' or a 'no, but I love that you offered'.
When o and moved to the cabinets looking for a pan. As Mary Margret, Snow had constantly moved things around when frustrated or upset. Hence, she had to always go digging for utensils or pans. It was just easier to not cook. That did not mean she couldn't, even if she was a little out of practice.
Emma Swan could make a mean grilled cheese.
"I'd like that, I could help if you want," he offered tentatively. Perhaps they could do something like this every day. Even, once a week, he'd take anything, really. However, he would not ask today. Today, he would let Emma lead the way.
Emma paused, looking up from the bottom cabinet to the left of the stove. For a moment, James thought he might have pushed too much. Yet, when she smiled shyly at him and nodded a moment later, he couldn't get around the counter soon enough.
"I guess that means the bagel and cream cheese did nothing for you, huh?" Emma smartly nudged her father's shoulder with her own.
He rolled his eyes chuckling, "Very funny. That was good."
James watched Emma gather the ingredients for breakfast. Never seeming to lose her place, she must have used this recipe numerously.
He peered over he shoulder as she mixed the egg with the milk and vanilla extract. "So, you're cooking, huh? I thought you said you couldn't."
She scoffs, and whips around knocking her father off balance ever so slightly. " I never said that, I just said that I didn't. I can never keep track of where Mary is always moving things; I never know where the pots and pans end up."
"Now, if you want to help you can get some dishes for us, and pour some orange juice into glasses." She states, putting Charming to work.
"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!" Charming mock salutes his daughter as he moved to the fridge.
"James," she drawls, groaning at his sarcasm. It seemed they were more alike then she knew. Her mother may have been right all this time. So long as Emma never told Snow that, she was safe.
He sets the table and waits patiently as Emma makes more then enough French toast for the two of them. He cocks an eyebrow in question when she sets the platter of French toast down in the middle of the table.
"Figured I might as well, you know, since I was up and everything."
"Ok, you don't have to tell me twice. I love good food." He pats his flat stomach as if that said it all. "Snow always made the best breakfast. Used to put the cooks in the palace to shame."
"Cinnamon?" She interrupts his thoughts, feeling slightly awkward as he reminisced about his and Snow's time together in the Enchanted Forest.
"On French Toast?"
"It's weird, I know, but so good! You have to try it."
"Did you forget the syrup, again?" He jokes getting up from the table and made his way to the pantry.
"I didn't! That was your job. Slacking, deputy?" Emma asks placing a few pieces of toast on her plate.
He pauses mid step and looks back at his daughter who is sitting in her chair, drinking her juice, as if she asked the most casual of questions.
"Deputy?" he chokes pulling his chair out to sit next to Emma.
The only indication that she heard is question was the slight pink flush on her cheeks. "Yeah, I do need the help." Emma shrugs as if it were no big deal, almost afraid that James might not want to.
"I'd love to, Ems." He says choking up at her openness. It was a rather large step forward in their relationship, and not an easy one. Just when he thought his morning couldn't get any better, it did.
Emma clears her throat. "So…Granny's for lunch today, deputy?"
"Sounds like a plan. Eat up, got an early start. Do you think you could put off work for an hour or two while I get dressed for the day?"
"Well, it's not like there is anything immediate to do. I guess I could. Just don't take too long, deputy!" Emma teases, pointing her fork at him with a grin.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
They finish their breakfast and Emma cleans up while she waits for James. Smiling to herself, she felt that this was a good morning. Now, if only they could grab some grilled cheeses at lunch today, she would be set for the day.
Well, so long as no one got drunk, or some evil Pawn Broker or Queen decided to take over the town, the day would be great.
Emma writes a note and leaves it on Henry's storybook. That kid never goes anywhere without it. James comes out from his , and Snow's pseudo room, (which is really part of the living room, but since it has a curtain up around a bed, they call it a room) dressed , and ready to go.
"All set?" He grabbed the keys to Emma's bug and tossed them to her.
"Yep, all ready. Did you let Snow know?" She asks in return as she pulls on her belted leather winter coat.
"Yep. Did you let Henry know?"
"Yep. All set, so what do you say we go, deputy. Can't be late for your first day of work, now can you?" She laughs, as they make their way out of the building and to her car. They were slowly building a relationship, and just because he was her father didn't mean she couldn't give him a different shift then her own if they fought. She told him so and he laughed. She just replied that she was the law of the town.
He was her father, and they were slowly building a relationship. If they fought, she would give him a different shift, perhaps the graveyard. She was the sheriff and could do what she wanted; she was the law, to an extent. She told him so, too.
He laughed her off; positive she would never abuse her power. Well, she might with Regina. That was understandable, Regina was, well, Regina. No one liked her with the exception of Henry. He loved and looked at her the way a child looked at their mother.
That was okay, too. She did raise him; Regina was trying so hard to be better. Do better.
Yet, she always seemed to fall just short of expectations.
Henry always seemed to be disappointed with her though. Regina let anger, jealousy, and desperation get the best of her,
They spent the day together and in the future when they fought, Emma would change his schedule giving him the graveyard shift. When they returned to the Enchanted Forest, they still had their moments, especially with Emma as head of his guard. Nevertheless, they would build a relationship together as father and daughter. No matter how awkward it was. They were blood, and that meant everything to Emma. After all, blood was thicker than water.