Chapter 17 – Welcome to Storybrooke
'Welcome to Storybrooke' Emma read the sign when she sailed with her bug into the small town. She roamed the roads in search of her friend's apartment, her eyes studying her surroundings. She drove through the main street, her gaze landing on some of the stores that occupied it, noticing the bizarre looking clock tower that was right above the town library.
What a weird looking town, unlike anywhere she had ever been before. But it did have a special vibe to it, special vibe that she just couldn't place. It seemed quiet and peaceful. As if time was standing still.
She eventually found the wanted address and after she parked the car she went up the stairs that led to her friend's apartment.
"Emma" Mary Margaret greeted her warmly when she opened the door, a genuine joyful smile spreading across her face.
"Hey" Emma barely managed to get the word out of her mouth before Mary Margaret jumped to give her a tight squeezing hug, the warm display of affection causing Emma to smile in embarrassment.
Emma was never really the touchy person. After all she did grow up within the foster care system, without any constant adult figure to shower her with love or at least teach her what affection was all about.
"So how have you been?" Mary Margaret asked when she gestured with her hand for Emma to come in before she closed the door behind them.
"Okay I guess" She replied as she followed her friend into the kitchen.
"Okay?" Mary Margaret shot her a look when she glanced at Emma over her shoulder, before she took the kettle off the stove, preparing them some tea and biscuits "Just okay?" She whipped around to face Emma, leaning forward against the kitchen counter "Well what about Jones?"
"What about him?" Emma asked nonchalantly and shrugged.
"Come on Emma" She countered as she grabbed the two cups, handing one over to Emma, before she took the plate of biscuits in her free hand and walked over to the table at the other end of the living room "Yesterday you called me to say you were spending the night at his place, and now you're going to pretend like nothing happened?"
"I didn't say that nothing happened" Emma said as the two women sat across from each other around the table "Far from it" She continued as a smile crept onto her lips just at the memory.
"Emma" Mary Margaret smiled softly at her friend.
"I'm just not sure that it should ever happen again" Emma said when her face suddenly fell, and Mary Margaret instantly mirrored her expression.
"Why?" She asked as she looked at Emma in wonder, a trace of concern in her tone of voice "What happened?"
"Nothing really" Emma shrugged as she took a sip from her tea, her friend doing the same "I don't think that…" Her voice trailed off when she couldn't find the right words, looking at her friend in confusion, not knowing how to explain what was holding her back "Oh I don't know" Emma finally continued "It just can't"
"Sounds to me that you don't have a true reason for that, but I'll let it go" Mary Margaret said as she picked up a biscuit "For now" She added on a smile before she took a bite from her biscuit, sliding the plate across the table towards her friend, who was still reflecting on the subject of their conversation, still thinking of him.
"Thanks" Emma said as her brow furrowed for a brief moment and she slightly pushed the plate back to the center of the table "But I just remembered that I gotta make a call, can I borrow your phone?" She asked her friend.
"Sure" Mary Margaret pointed Emma to the direction of her phone, which was resting on the kitchen counter.
"Thanks" She smiled at her friend before she pulled out the note from her bag and headed towards the kitchen.
...
She wasn't feeling even a bit nervous when she dialed his number and listened to the ringing tone, but when she heard his husky voice at the other end of the line, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Hello love" He said softly, his voice sending shivers down her spine, a coy smile slowly taking over her face.
"How did you know it was me?" She asked, the smile on her lips distinct in her tone of voice which made him smile as well.
"Well who else could be calling me from Maine?" He answered with a question.
"Right" She smiled in embarrassment, inwardly cursing herself for being so distracted that she asked that stupid question to begin with.
"And who else could be calling me four hours…" He stalled, stretching the last word as he glanced at the clock above his kitchen cabinet "And thirty seven minutes after you left me out in the cold" He moped jokingly as he took a seat on the bar stool, same stool she sat on that very morning.
"Don't say that" She said softly, her voice going down a notch "Besides, it's hardly cold out there, so don't you try to bullshit me" She said on a chuckle.
"I miss you" He said sincerely, his tone of voice soft and completely earnest, causing the blood in her veins to freeze on the spot, her light chuckle immediately fading away, the only sound left between them was the sound of their dissonant breaths.
She wanted to say it back. The words on the tip of her tongue. So why wasn't she able to let them out? She obviously felt it too, having thought about him all the way from Boston to Maine. So why couldn't she bring herself to just say it? What was she afraid of?
"When are you coming back?" His voice finally broke the silence.
Was she coming back?
"My bed misses you too" He said with a playful tone in a successful attempt to lighten the mood as the smile returned to her lips.
"Well I did just get here" She said as she turned around, glancing at Mary Margaret who was still sitting at the table "And I'm kind of ditching my friend here, so I'll talk to you later?"
"You know I'll be waiting"
"Yeah" She replied, her eyelids fluttering, feeling a bit awkward and unease with his straightforwardness "Bye" She said softly.
"Take care love" He replied, his tender voice caressing her ear, making her miss him more than she cared for.
"You too" She said honestly but in sort of a haste, wanting to get off the phone, afraid the conversation will get even more emotional than it already did.
...
"So tell me more about David" Emma said when she sat back down across from her friend "Last time we talked you told me he had woken up a short while after you got back"
"Yes, he did"
"This is amazing" Emma's eyes widened as she picked up her cup, taking a sip from her tea "I still can't believe it" She said as she swallowed, setting her cup back down.
"Love is a powerful thing you know" Mary Margaret said in her soft calm voice as she looked at her friend "You don't believe it?" She asked, raising her brows in wonder when she noticed the skeptical expression on Emma's face.
"I didn't say that" Emma said as she ran a nervous hand through her hair "And I'm really glad for you two, but it just doesn't work like that for everybody, that's all"
"I think that it could" Mary Margaret said as she searched for Emma's wandering eyes "Emma" She said softly, seeking her attention and Emma averted her gaze back to her friend "It can, you just need to believe, eventually it all starts with hope"
Emma didn't reply. She just smiled at her friend, a flicker of sadness crossing her gaze as she couldn't help thinking about all the bad things that had happened to her when she had dared to put her heart in someone else's hands, when she had dared to love, when she had dared to hope.
"You know you arrived just in time?" Mary Margaret's voice broke the silence, waking Emma up from her reverie.
"In time for what?" Emma looked intrigued as she stared at her friend.
"For David's return from the hospital, they're discharging him tomorrow" Mary Margaret said on a big toothy smile when a wave of pure joy flashed through her eyes "After laying around for months he needs to get his muscles back into shape, so he will still need to visit the hospital every day for a physical therapy session, but finally" She stopped to exhale in relief "He will be able to sleep in his own bed"
"In your bed you mean" Emma leaned in, tilting her head to one side as she quirked a suggestive eyebrow.
"Emma!" Poor innocent Mary Margaret exclaimed as her eyes went wide and a flush of heat made its way to her cheeks.
"What?" Emma chuckled at her friend "You have nothing to be ashamed of, you're not the only two people in the world that are doing it"
"Well we're not" Mary Margaret said in a small embarrassed voice.
"You're not what?" Emma asked, looking at her friend in bewilderment.
"Doing it" She whispered, barely letting the words out from between her clenched teeth, as if she was revealing some dark secret.
"You can't be serious" Emma said in astonishment, reaching for her cup of tea, holding it in front of her mouth, can't bring herself to drink from it, as her mouth remained agape and her eyes remained wide and fixed on her friend.
"I am" Mary Margaret said before she took a long sip from her tea "I'm saving myself for marriage"
"Wow, that's great" Emma said amazed, appreciating her friend's brave decision.
In a world that was moving in an insanely rapid pace it wasn't easy to just take your time and wait. Wait for the right moment, wait for the right place, wait for the right person. Maybe if she had had the courage to do the same she wouldn't have had her heart broken into a million pieces. Twice.
"I'm glad you think so" Mary Margaret smiled at her friend "I'm so embarrassed to talk about it, but you're like a sister to me, you know? The sister I never had"
"Just as you are mine" Emma said genuinely as she returned a smile, her eyes beaming with warmth as she looked at her friend.
How lucky was she? Out of all the inmates getting this kind hearted woman as her cellmate?
"Wait, so how come you're living together?" Emma suddenly asked when she realized that the pieces of the puzzle didn't quite fit in her head.
"We didn't, but since David was in a coma for the last few months, obviously not working or paying rent, he got kicked out of the house he was living at"
"Woah, that's harsh" Emma's face grimaced before she put a whole biscuit in her mouth.
"Yeah, but we're past that, I moved all of his stuff here and he's very excited that we're moving in together" Mary Margaret smiled happily at the thought of her boyfriend excited lit-up face when she asked his permission to move his belongings into her apartment "Will you help me throw him a welcome home party?"
"Sure" Emma smiled widely at her friend's happiness.
...
The next day went by really fast as Emma helped Mary Margaret to arrange the house for David's arrival. Afterwards Mary Margaret dragged Emma around the town, making sure nobody will forget to show up at the party that afternoon, ending their town tour at the local store when they picked up some groceries for the upcoming party.
When all was set, the drinks and the refreshments, the welcome home banner and the balloons, Mary Margaret drove to the hospital in David's truck, leaving Emma alone in the apartment for a few moments before the guests begin to arrive.
Emma looked around, taking out a few more glasses, rearranging the refreshments bowls, feeling a bit nervous as if it was her own party, before it dawned on her that she hadn't called Killian all day. She closed her eyes shut as her hand reached to rub her forehead in vexation, scolding herself for forgetting to wish him good luck on his first day at work.
"This is Jones, you know what to do" She heard his voice just before the beep of his voicemail.
"Killian, hey" She breathed anxiously "It's Emma, sorry I didn't call sooner, I got caught up in here, I'm helping Mary Margaret out, David is coming home today and – " She didn't manage to finish when she heard another beep, letting her know her time was up.
"It's me again" She said as she called once more, deciding to get to the point this time, talking as fast as her mind was able to think "Anyways, I hope you are having a good first day at work, I wanna hear all about it, and a bunch of people are just about to arrive so I'll call again afterwards, talk to you later, bye" She just managed to finish the sentence when she heard the beep again, hanging up this time, staring at the phone when she heard a loud knock at the door.
"Emma right?" The short man at the door asked when she opened the door.
"Yes" Emma smiled politely as she stretched out her hand.
"Aren't you a pretty one" He murmured on a smile before he pulled himself together, taking Emma's stretched out hand and shaking it "I'm Leroy" He said in his raspy voice before he gestured with his thumb at the other short man beside him "And this is – "
"Walter" The other man cut him off as he stretched out his hand to shake Emma's as well "I can talk for myself you know" He seethed Leroy's way.
"Don't mind him" Leroy rolled his eyes at his friend's remark as he smiled at Emma "We work at the hospital" Leroy began to explain "And Mary Margaret just arrived and woke him up as she shooed us away"
"Oh I see" Emma nodded in understanding "Well I don't like to be woken up either" She leaned in as she cocked her head to one side and smiled at Walter.
"Yeah, but my bet is that you don't sleep on the job" Leroy grumped as he glanced at his friend, narrowing his eyes at Walter.
"Well it's not like I have a job to sleep on" She murmured and chuckled to herself "Anyways, nice to meet you Leroy and Walter" She said as she gave them a nod, opening the door widely, gesturing for them to come in.
"Nice to meet you Emma" Leroy replied and Walter settled on giving her a nod back, both stepping into the apartment "Mary Margaret said that we should help you around" Leroy said when she closed the door behind them.
"Well everything is practically set" She replied as she looked around the apartment "So I don't think that there's much for you to do" She continued when she walked over to the kitchen for some final arrangements "Why don't you take a seat and – " She began to say but was cut off by another knock on the door "Or maybe you can just get that?" She shot them a nervous smile over her shoulder when she took the dips out of the fridge.
"No problem" Leroy was quick to reply as he looked at Walter "Well don't just stand there" He scolded "Go get that" Leroy ordered at Walter, who rolled his eyes at his friend in reply before he obeyed and went to open the door.
Emma looked around the apartment that filled up rather quickly with some familiar and unfamiliar faces, some she met that very morning, some she had never seen before. She couldn't wait for her friend to arrive already, as she was feeling a bit out of place.
"You seem like a natural" The old lady who Emma recognized as Granny from the diner said as she approached her, looking at Emma beyond her glasses.
"Uh?" Emma turned her head to look at her as she raised her brow in wonder, holding a tray of refreshments in hand.
"Care for a job?" The old lady asked.
"What?" Emma asked as she looked at her in confusion.
"Do you want to come and work at the diner?" Granny asked, directing her gaze to Emma.
"Oh, I'm not from around here" Emma replied as she shook her head in some sort of a nervous apology.
"I know, it's a small town and I'm not that old, so I'm pretty sure that I'd remember if you were" Granny replied, obviously joking but a smile not lifting her lips for even the briefest moment "So where are you from?"
"Ehh – " Emma began to stutter, not knowing what to say, cause where was she from really? Everywhere and nowhere? It's not like she ever felt belonged anywhere, it's not like she had a home to go back to.
"Shhh…they're coming" Leroy suddenly howled at everyone, shushing them when he glanced out the window, watching David and Mary Margaret getting out of the truck.
"Well if you change your mind" Granny said quietly as she winked at Emma when the two went to stand next to the rest of the group a few feet from the door, Emma returning a small grateful smile as they did.
"Leroy, I don't think it's suppose to be a surprise party" The red headed who Emma recognized as Ariel from the diner said sarcastically, right before the happy couple, David and Mary Margaret opened the apartment door.
"Welcome home" Emma along with the other guests cried in unison when the two stepped into the apartment, shooting bursting-with-joy smiles all over the room.
Two old ladies hurried to approach the couple. One of them seemed to be shivering with emotion as she wrapped David in a tight hug, the other gave his girlfriend a warm reassuring hug.
"Emma" Mary Margaret called her way, waving her hand for her to come over.
Emma went over to her friend, a shy smile lifting her lips.
"Johana, this is Emma, a really good friend of mine" Mary Margaret said to the woman by her side that nodded and smiled at Emma "Emma, this is my aunt Johanna, she took care of me since my mother passed away" Mary Margaret said as she looked warmly at Johanna, her eyes speaking gratitude before she turned her gaze to her boyfriend and the emotional woman by his side "Meet Ruth" Mary Margaret continued as the pleasant woman extended her hand to shake Emma's hand "She's David's mother" Mary Margaret added as the two women shook hands and exchanged smiles "And this is" Mary Margaret looked up at her boyfriend, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder, looking back at her, a warm and loving smile on his lips.
"David" Emma completed for her friend "Nice to finally meet you" Emma said as she reached to shake his hand.
"Nice to meet you too Emma" David shot a charming grin her way, his eyes sparkling as he let go of her hand "Mary Margaret told me so much about you"
"Really?" Emma smiled in embarrassment, thinking what her friend could possibly tell her boyfriend about her that wasn't completely shameful, they did meet in prison after all, which was not exactly her finest hour.
"Only good things" David reassured as Mary Margaret linked her arm with Emma's, pulling her away from the two women and her boyfriend.
''Come" Mary Margaret said to Emma "There are other people I want you to meet"
Mary Margaret introduced Emma to Marco, a nice old man who was the town handyman, if there was anything you needed to get fixed, he was definitely the man to go.
Afterwards she introduced her to Sean and Ashley, beaming newlyweds, and to the recently engaged happy couple, Phillip and Aurora.
Just when Emma thought to herself that it couldn't get any more awkward with all the happy couples that surrounded her, Aurora suddenly took Mary Margaret's hand in hers "Is that a new rock?" Aurora asked in excitement as her eyes widened to the sight of the new ring on Mary Margaret's finger.
"It is" Mary Margaret replied as she felt the emotions starting to well up inside of her "He surprised me on the way here, I should have guessed he was up to something when he wanted to stop at the toll bridge"
"He proposed at the toll bridge?" Aurora asked when Ashley took Mary Margaret's hand, seemingly excited as she checked out her ring as well.
"He did" Mary Margaret replied, tears of joy pricking at the corner of her eyes "It's our spot, and he was so romantic…" Her voice trailed off when she gazed at her fiancé and they exchanged secret smiles.
Ashley and Aurora hugged Mary Margaret as they congratulated her, right before David clinked with a spoon on his glass of sparkling water, wanting to get everyone's attention.
"Mary Margaret" He said as he set the glass down on the table, stepping in her direction, beckoning for her to do the same before they met in the middle of the room and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
Mary Margaret glanced at the floor when her cheeks changed their color to light red, a coy smile lifting her lips, embarrassed from being at the center of attention as all their friends and family kept quiet and looked at them.
"I just wanted to thank you all for coming on this day" David began speaking in the authoritative voice of his "You have no idea how grateful I am to finally get out of the hospital, don't think I would have survived another one of those jellos" He said on a smile and the crowed chuckled "I'm so glad you're all here, cause this day just got even more special when Mary Margaret, obviously in a moment of weakness, agreed to Marry this fool" He gestured at himself as he placed a hand on his chest, the other hand tightening on Mary Margaret's shoulder, pulling her even closer to his embrace.
Emma along with everyone else took turns in congratulating the happy couple, about an hour before the apartment cleared from all the guests, leaving Emma, Mary Margaret and David to do the clean ups.
...
While David was already sound asleep in the bed that was on the living room floor, Emma and Mary Margaret went upstairs, sharing the twin bed.
"So?" Emma asked, the bed dipping as she shifted to the side so she could face Mary Margaret "How does it feel?"
"What?" Mary Margaret pressed her palms together, sliding them underneath her neck as she burrowed into the bed, her eyes beaming with joy as she looked at her friend "Being engaged?" She asked as a smiled spread across her face "It is what I wanted since we met, but I didn't think it would happen so fast"
"Why not?" Emma asked intrigued.
"I guess I thought his mind would be too busy with the rehabilitation"
"As I see it his mind is busy with only one thing" Emma pointed out on a smile.
"Emma" Mary Margaret exclaimed softly.
"What?" She chuckled "I didn't mean it like that" She rolled her eyes at Mary Margaret "Now who's got the dirty mind?" Emma laughed at her friend before she continued "I meant that you're obviously the only thing on his mind, you guys are so in love that it's actually kinda sickening" Emma joked as she shifted to lie on her back.
"So what about you?" Mary Margaret asked as she propped herself on one elbow, resting her cheek against her palm.
"I have no idea what I'm doing" Emma said, staring at the ceiling, her hands resting on her stomach "I don't even know where I'm going to live"
"Well what about Killian?" Mary Margaret asked carefully.
"I don't know" Emma sighed before she continued "He has his own life, I can't just tag along, it's not me, it's not what I do, and it won't work, it never works" She said as she thought of the last time she tagged along after a man "I need to be able to support myself, you know what I mean?"
"I get you" Mary Margaret said in understanding "You need to feel independent"
"Exactly" Emma said, the back of her hand hitting the mattress, relieved that her friend understood her "The problem is that I don't see how I can get a job, especially now that I have a criminal record"
"Granny told me – "
"She offered me a job at the diner" Emma cut her off "But she doesn't know I was in prison, does she?"
"She doesn't" Mary Margaret reassured "But I assure you that she won't mind"
"I don't know" Emma said in hesitation "It will mean that I'll have to find a place around here, and I'm not sure I'll be able to afford – "
"Stay with us" Mary Margaret said excited.
"What?" Emma exclaimed "I can't possibly stay with you and your husband to be, you need your privacy"
"Well, we're not married just yet, and I'll be more than glad to share my bed with you, that is until we do of course" She smiled widely at Emma "But I don't want to be the one keeping you away from Killian, if you feel that you prefer living in Boston – "
"I already told you, I shouldn't lean on him" Emma cut her off, her tone of voice sad and aching, feeling her heart clench at the thought of leaning on him, just to get the rug pulled out from under her feet once again.
She just couldn't go through that pain again. Of course she had feelings for him. Deep feelings. Which only complicated the situation even more. Only endangered her heart even more. And she couldn't risk her heart that way. Not again. This time she was going to do it differently. This time she was going to depend on herself, and if she was going to be with him they were going to do it as equals.
"It's settled then" Mary Margaret said, laying back down, pulling the covers above her shoulders "Tomorrow morning before I get to work you're coming with me to Granny's"
"Fine" Emma said in defeat, covering her mouth as she yawned, obviously tired from the long day.
"I feel so bad for ditching the kids today" Mary Margaret said, regretting she took a day off from her teaching job at the school.
"They'll be fine" Emma said as she yawned once more "You're allowed to take a day off"
"Yes but – "
"What will you do when you'll need to take care of all the wedding arrangements?" Emma asked in some sort of a statement, not looking for an answer "You'll have to take some days off, so you might as well get used to it"
"Ah – " Mary Margaret opened her mouth to speak, but Emma didn't gave her a chance to counter as she continued.
"And when you'll have kids, and god forbids they'll get sick with the flu, or the chicken pox, you'll have – "
"We are not even married yet" Mary Margaret protested.
"Yes, but you will, and then you'll have mind blowing sex, and then you'll have kids, and then your life basically goes to shit, cause you'll be too fat and exhausted to do anything"
"Oh my goodness" Mary Margaret buried her head in the mattress, listening to her friend talk "Can you not?" She pleaded when she turned to lie on her back, both women staring at the ceiling.
"I'm so tired, you know I talk shit when I'm tired" Emma said in a drowsy apologetic tone.
"Fine. Let's go to sleep"
"Goodnight" Emma barely managed to get the word out of her mouth, falling asleep a fraction of a moment later.
"Goodnight" Mary Margaret replied quietly in her tender voice, the thought of her marrying her prince charming bringing a soft smile to her lips as she turned to lie on her side, burying her head in the pillow and allowing the sleep wash over her like a soothing wave.
.
.
.
A/N: So sorry, I know there were not enough Emma/Killian scenes, but I had to write this chapter so the plot could progress, I promise to make it up to you on the next chapter ;)