Emma woke up at 11:32 P.M. to the buzzing of the sheriff cell phone. She groggily pulled herself out of bed and checked the phone: six missed calls.

"Great..."

She listened to the first message and nearly dropped the phone. A car crash, just outside the town borders, and according to the message, less than ten minutes ago. Pulling her jacket and boots on, she walked out the door, already dialing the caller back.

Jim sat shaken in the police station. Emma plunked down mugs of instant cocoa on the table; she was so tired that she'd added cinnamon to both.

"So what happened? Start from the beginning." She took a long drink and instantly felt a little better.

"The very beginning?" Jim looked confused. "I bumped into her at school. She was really angry."

"You met before?"

"Not really, just when she bumped into me." He took a sip of his cocoa, made a face, and set the cup down at a distance. "Anyway, she didn't even notice me. She ran right to Mary Margaret and slapped her before she stormed out."

Emma forced herself to be patient. "OK, how did you first come across the accident?"

"I was headed to a sports seminar in Boston when I saw a car in a ditch on the side of the road. The airbag was out, and all the doors were open."

"Did you look for a body?"

Jim shrugged. "Couldn't find one. No footprints either."

Emma finished her cocoa and sighed; the sky outside was already starting to lighten.

"Well, thanks very much for your report, Jim. I'll be getting on the case right away."

"No problem," he said, shaking her hand. "And uh, thanks for the cocoa."

"Right…"

He was about to leave when Emma had a sudden thought.

"Hold on. How'd you know it was Mrs. Nolan's car?"

Jim flushed. "I…I actually watched her leave the school that day, so I recognized the car. It sounds weird, but I just felt bad for her, you know?"

"Yeah. More than you'd think."

Author's Notes: I received two anonymous reviews with questions in them, so I will answer their questions here.
As stated in the summary, each chapter is a different moment with a different person. These moments are acting as missing pieces in the episodes (there are always clues about in which episode each chapter takes place), but they are also forming a story of my own. This will get become clearer in the later chapters where the plot will thicken and veer off from canon.
And yes, Leroy and August will each get a chapter. Expect also to see Ruby, David, Regina, and Mr. Gold, as well as a few guest stars!