The Voices of the Supporting Characters:

A Thicker Than Water Part II Companion Piece

Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also this story is a spin – off to the original "Thicker Than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.

Author's note: Okay, these are just drabbles of some of the supporting characters in my story "Thicker Than Water Part II." They focus on how these characters think/feel about various members of the Charming family. I recommend you read the story "Thicker Than Water Part II" before reading this, or you won't have any idea who these people are and what the context is. (And as far as "Thicker Than Water Part II", I still recommend you read the original "Thicker Than Water" before reading mine. The original is, again, written by La Lisboa.)

One: Officer Sam Collins

(Takes Place right after Emma tells him she might know someone

who can work at his brother's dairy farm)

Sam Collins still couldn't believe what his co – worker was telling him. She knew someone who could work on Bill's dairy farm? For real? As he drove, trying to find a place where they could really talk, he thought about what that might mean.

All Sam had heard for the past two weeks from his brother was how much he needed to find a hired hand. The guy Bill had hired most recently spent about a week on the farm before deciding he'd had enough of cleaning up…cow waste for a lifetime (the guy actually had a much more colorful way of saying that.) The guy before that worked there for a little bit longer. About a month. But then he had found a better job. Sam had to admit, Bill had pretty poor luck with finding help that stayed. No wonder he didn't want to advertise. Still, Sam hadn't understood how Bill could find anyone without advertising at all. The way he was doing it now, no one even knew there was a job open on the dairy farm.

Or maybe he didn't need to advertise? Sam certainly hoped the person Officer Swan had in mind would work. Sam would love to talk to Bill about something else besides finding help on the dairy farm for a change. Like baseball, for example. Before Bill's problem with his workforce, Sam and Bill were able to talk about baseball plenty of times.

At least he had been able to talk to Officer Swan about baseball for a while. Sam had been hoping she might be interested in joining their team; they could always use new players. But she hadn't seemed interested. It was no matter, though. He was still able to explain to her about the team as they worked.

Sam loved having someone to talk to during work hours this week. (Besides his once or twice a week calls from Bill about not finding anyone to work for him, that is.) It made the patrols less dull. He talked to Officer Swan about anything and everything. Baseball, of course. (Which included his team, professional baseball, and leagues he had belonged to as a boy.) He also told her about his mother, about what he did in college, and what he watched on TV (besides baseball).

Sam had actually been a little concerned that Officer Swan didn't like him. After all, she never volunteered any information about herself, what she liked to do for fun, her childhood, or anything else. But now she had told him she knew someone who might work for Bill! Maybe this was the beginning of a better working relationship? After all, if she really did know someone, she will have solved Bill and Sam's biggest problem all at once. That had to count for something, right? Sam liked to be friends with all his co – workers, and Officer Swan was no exception, even if she was a girl. Besides, if she talked to him as well from now on, it will make their job even less dull.

He finally pulled into the elementary schools' parking lot. The lot was almost empty, because school hadn't started yet. "Okay," he said to Officer Swan. "Start talking. You seriously know someone who would be interested? And would be available from sunup to sundown?" Sam couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

The rest of the story picks up in the rest of chapter ten, when Emma explains about David. I will be doing several more of these "voices" as the story goes along. I have definite plans for a few characters. (One which you haven't met yet.) Some that you have met include Miss Jordan (the social worker) and possibly Red's boss. If you have any other supporting characters that you would like to see featured in this series, please let me know.