A/N: I really struggled to write this one, because of the way I was forced to portray Emma (you'll see what I mean).
Nevertheless, I felt it was a necessary evil in order to bring a new character into play.
The consequence is that I fear this chapter isn't nearly as funny as I'd like it to be, but I'm asking you to please bear with me.
Next one will be funnier; I promise.
Please R&R.
The next day was Saturday and Emma was in a bad mood, and partly blamed the town's new DJ for it.
Apparently, the Voice of Storybrooke only worked weekdays, and on the weekends, the station she appeared on had no other line-up. This wouldn't matter so much to the blonde, except Henry had done something to his mother's radio clock, and now she couldn't switch her alarm back to being beeps instead of the radio and was forced to wake up to ear-grating static and white noise.
As if that weren't bad enough; she'd burned her toast; set off the smoke alarm; broken the toaster (again); had trouble finding her shoes; had burned her tongue on coffee in her haste not to be late for work; and to top it all off, had a huge pile of paperwork to fill out at said work.
In short: she wasn't happy.
So when the 911-Dispatcher called the station saying that the silent alarm at the library had gone off and that no one there was answering, Emma only debated calling David, who was out patrolling, to go handle it for half a second before telling the dispatcher she would be over there soon and hanging up.
'Anything to get out of this office,' the Sheriff thought to herself as she grabbed her gun, radio, and an extra set of hand-cuffs (didn't want to chance it after yesterday) and made her way onto the streets.
The newly opened library was only a few blocks away, so Emma didn't bother to get her bug and instead simply walked over there briskly.
Upon her arrival, the Sheriff tried to get a feel for the situation by peeking in through the doors, but couldn't see anyone. She pulled on the doors and found them to be open. Walking in, Emma glanced around, looking for Belle.
Not seeing her, or anyone else for that matter, the blonde decided to throw caution to the wind, and gave the bell on the reception desk a solid 'thwack' before calling out, "Hey, Belle! You in here?"
She didn't receive an answer, but Emma did hear a very loud series of 'bumps' coming from the back of the library.
Suddenly on high alert, the Sheriff drew her service weapon before slowly making her way down the numerous book aisles, silently wondering who the hell could be stupid enough to break into a public library. What were they here to steal? What was there to steal?
The donation jar with like, seven dollars in change in it?
Stalking silently along an aisle, Emma called out, "Who there?"
She once again was answered by a 'bump'; this time followed by what sounded like coughing.
Coughing that was coming from just around the corner.
Making sure her safety was on, she didn't want an accidental discharge, Emma took a deep breath before stepping swiftly out from behind her cover, growling, "Freeze!"
The Sheriff found herself face-to-face with a teenaged girl. The girl was dressed in brown cargo pants, with a forming-fitting white, long sleeve shirt under a dark blue t-shirt, and black sneakers. Her skin was lightly tanned and she had light brown, wavy hair that seemed to stick out in all directions from beneath the gray newsy cap that sat atop her head.
Her face looked a little scared at the moment as she stared down the barrel of Emma's gun with wide, hazel eyes, and both of her hands were in the air.
Seeing that the girl didn't seem like she would be attacking her, the blonde lowered her weapon to point at the ground, and asked, "Who are you?"
The teenager made to move her arm, but Emma brought her gun level with her chest, growling out, "Don't move. And tell me who you are."
The girl did nothing more than to shrug her shoulders helplessly, and the blonde felt her bad mood creep up on her again.
She was about to ask again, when she heard the front door open and a voice call out, "Hello? Is anyone in here?"
Emma turned her head towards the voice; it sounded like Belle-
And the girl used the opportunity to make a break for it down the nearest aisle.
"Hey!" Emma yelled as she chased after her. She turned down the aisle just in time to see the girl exit the other end and disappear from her line of sight.
The Sheriff dashed down between the rows of bows, shooting out of the aisle like a bat out of hell-
And nearly crashed into Belle just around the corner, who was flanked by Mr. Gold.
Emma just barely managed to skid to a stop before the strange couple. Straightening up, she watches as Belle's expression goes from one of surprise at her entrance to confusion as to why she was running in the first place.
"Hello Sheriff," the beauty started politely, "What are you doing here?"
"Um…hi," the blonde so cleverly retorted before getting her act together. "I'm here in response from a silent alarm here," she looks at Gold, "Which I'm guessing you had installed here?"
"That's correct, Miss Swan," the pawn-broker replied, "Until the final paperwork is finished, this is, technically, still my property and I'd hate for anyone to come in here and steal something right before Belle fully owns it."
'Translation,' Emma quipped in her head, 'You were worried about Belle's safety.'
"In fact," he continued unbidden, "I'm here now because I received a notice while at my shop that the alarm had gone off and decided to investigate. Belle was with me at the time and joined me.
'Of course,' Emma thought ruefully. Shaking off his response, the Sheriff continued, "When no one answered the phone, I stop by to see what was up and found a possible suspect."
Belle looked even more confused. "What suspect?" she responded as a head poked out from behind her left shoulder.
Emma started, before glaring and nodding her head forward.
"That one!"
The librarian looked behind herself before whipping her head back around and staring wide-eyed at the blonde, clearly shocked.
"You mean Misty?"
The Sheriff blinked owlishly at the beauty.
"You know her?"
"Of course I do," Belle retorted, her arms akimbo, "She works here!"
'Say what?' Emma thought to herself, slightly embarrassed, before snapping out of it, and replying, "If she works here then why didn't just she say so? Better yet; why didn't she answer the phone when the dispatcher called?"
Belle looked awkward for all of two seconds, even glancing at the girl, Misty, for a moment, who nodded, before facing Emma again with steel in her eyes, saying, "She didn't say anything because she cannot say anything; Misty is mute."
Emma felt like a complete and utter jerk at that response, her early embarrassment coming back full force; this time coupled with shame. Self-consciously scratching her head and groaning, she said to Misty, "Let me guess; earlier, when you were moving your arms, you were trying to sign something?"
The cap-wearing girl nodded shyly.
"And like a moron I told you to freeze while demanding you tell me who you are?" she continued.
Another nod.
Emma smiled ruefully.
"And with that, I officially become the worst and most insensitive Sheriff to ever grace Storybrooke," she replied, mentally kicking herself, before pleading with the girl, "Think you could forgive me?"
Misty stared at the Sheriff, before looking up as if debating whether or not she should forgive her. After a moment she stepped out from behind Belle with a small smile on her face and stuck out her hand to Emma.
The blonde took the offered limb and said, "Thanks. And I really am sorr-"
The girl cut her off by smiling wider and waving her free hand back and forth in front of her face as if to say, 'No harm, no foul.'
"This is all very touching," Mr. Gold said, breaking the moment, "But I'd still like to know what set off the alarm.
Misty flinched, and proceeded to scratch her head through her cap as she gave a bashful grin.
"Do you know, Misty?" Belle asked gently.
The girl blushed before nodding. With that, she moved around Emma and moved down an aisle, with the three adults following close behind.
Eventually she came to the back wall of the library, with a cart filled with books and a small stepladder standing next to a window.
Misty then began miming holding a bunch of books and walking up the ladder.
"So you were putting the books away," Emma interpreted.
The girl nodded, before stepping back down the ladder, pretending to miss a step, fall off, and stopped herself just before she slammed into the window.
The beauty nodded in understanding. "You slipped coming back down and bumped into the window, which I'm guessing is what set off the, um, 'silent alarm', was it?"
Misty tried to hide her blush under her hat as she nodded, scratching the back of her head.
"Hm, must have set the sensitivity too high," Mr. Gold mused, "I'll be sure to fix that tomorrow."
Emma filled in the rest of the blanks. "Since the alarm didn't make a sound, you just kept on working, and didn't answer the phone because-well…" Misty waved her along, mercifully saving Emma from her own floundering, "Then I barged in here and accused you of breaking into the place. Which, again, I apologize for."
The teenager waved off her apologies again with a smile; apparently not one to hold a grudge, and Emma decided that she ultimately liked the girl.
They all stood around awkwardly for a few moments before Emma broke the silence.
"Well; now that that's taken care of, I'm just gonna head on back to the station and let the dispatcher know it was a false alarm. Misty, Belle, Mr. Gold," she nodded to each in turn before taking her leave.
The entire walk back, the Sheriff was sure her face was some kind of red, though she kept her chin up. She had just accused a mute teenager of breaking into a damn public library and felt all kinds of embarrassment.
And it wasn't even ten o' clock yet.
A/N: Like I said; it's not a chapter I'm proud of, but necessary for the story.
I'll try to do better next time.
As always;
Please R&R