A/N: Charming's fairytale name is going to be James in this story to make it easier to separate everything, it also really annoys me that he doesn't have two names in the show like everyone else does.

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Enjoy!

/

Mary had held her tongue for as long as she could and as a result the car ride to the station was quiet and tense. Graham had to do his job, she could understand that but she was being set up and for god only knows what reason. Mary made sure her carefully constructed walls were in place as Graham grabbed her arm and eased her out of the car, the cold air caused her to shiver and Mary wished she had picked up her jacket from the bar before Graham had arrested her.

For a crime she didn't commit.

She had stolen before, she wasn't denying that but never for herself and never without a reason. Yet, here she was being hauled into the station like they were already arranging to lock away the key.

No, Mary thought, Graham might be her friend but there was no way in hell she was going to take this lying down.

"Graham, this is ridiculous!" Mary all but shouted as the Sheriff led her into the room. Two people were already there and both raised their head at the scene Mary was causing. Emma's eyes met those of her roommate's with confusion, "You can't just manhandle me into a cell because you got a phone call!"

"Graham?" Emma questioned, standing up from her desk as Graham led Mary over to the cell in the corner, placing her inside. He unlocked the cuffs and removed them from her wrists as Mary brought her right hand up to rub at the skin with her left.

"Mary, you have to calm down." Graham said, shutting and locking the cell door behind her, "I can't help you if you're being defensive."

Mary scoffed, "I'm being defensive because I haven't done anything wrong!" Her hands gripped the bars as she took in the three people facing her. Graham's eyes were filled with remorse as he leaned back against the desk. Emma was frowning, clearly troubled at not knowing what was currently happening.

It was the stranger in the room that caught Mary off guard though, he was looking at her and had been from the moment she first saw him. His blue eyes seeming to have several conflicting emotions dancing across them, as he crossed his arms over his chest they seemed to settle on pain.

There was something about him that Mary couldn't place, a burning sensation in her heart and a lightness in her stomach.

"Graham, can you please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Emma's voice cut through Mary's thoughts as her roommate demanded answers.

Graham turned to Emma and sighed, "I got a call from someone saying they had reason to believe Mary had stolen from Sultan's tonight. No name or number but I had to check it out." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wad of cash that he had found in her bag and placed it on the desk, "She had this in her purse so I had to bring her in."

"In handcuffs?" Emma replied tartly.

"I already told you I didn't do this." Mary chimed in, "I'm being set up; it has to be a set up."

"Surely we don't need to lock her in there?" The stranger spoke for the first time and Mary found herself gripping the bars tighter at the sound of his voice, tight and controlled.

Graham scrubbed a hand over his face, "I don't like it any more than you guys do but I have to do this by the book. I'm sorry."

Mary rested her head against the bars, "This is ridiculous." She mumbled, "I so don't need this tonight."

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, when she opened them again she could see Graham standing in front of her cell offering her a bottle of water through one of the bars. Mary frowned in confusion.

"It's to help with the hangover," he explained, "Jesus, when did you start drinking to be hungover at 10pm on a Friday night?"

Mary took to bottle eagerly, her throat feeling like sandpaper, "I thought you wanted to talk about my supposed felony not my drinking habitats?"

Graham eyed her cautiously as she opened the bottle and took a long gulp, "You know I have to do this. You've got form for stealing."

"Twice!" Mary exclaimed, "And it was never about me, you know that."

"Emma, why don't you go and grab Mary something to eat? I'm sure she hasn't eaten all day." Graham asked his deputy with a pleading look.

Emma's eyes narrowed, "You're trying to get rid of me?"

"I can't have you near this. She is your roommate so it's a conflict of interest." Graham explained, "Please go and grab her some food and I promise to have this sorted out before you return. I don't want to keep her here anymore than you do."

Emma did not look pleased in the slightest, her eyes looking back at Mary. The woman in the cell gave her a small nod as if to say it was okay before Emma relented and grabbed her jacket. She threw one last death glare at Graham before heading out of the station.

"Okay, Mary. This is David Nolan, David meet Mary." Graham gestured between them, "David works here now and we both just want to get to the bottom of this but I can't do that if you're being defensive. You've got to help me out, Mary otherwise I'm going to have to charge you."

Mary paused for a moment, her eyes drifting back to David. He was certainly handsome and Mary found herself drawn to the small scar on his chin, wondering how he got it and why he was still looking at her like he wanted to embrace her and protect her from harm at the same time.

She looked back to Graham and nodded once, her hand releasing the bars. She knew it was better to help the Sheriff than fight against him and she definitely didn't want to spend a night in this cell if she could avoid it.

"I didn't do it, Graham. I swear." Mary said, her voice softer now, "You know me, I wouldn't be dumb enough to steal from my boss and even if I was I wouldn't go for a small wad of cash when I know the code to the safe. I would take it all or nothing."

"I know, I'm not saying it makes any sense but we will figure it out." Graham's eyes were kind as he spoke, "You said you were set up, do you know who?"

Mary crossed her arms over her chest, "Jason was out by the coats earlier while I was tending the bar. I thought he looked shifty but I didn't think anything of it. He would have had time to put that money in my bag though."

"Your boss?" Graham asked, "Why would he want to frame you?"

"He's pissed at me because I won't sleep with him." The statement came out harsher than Mary intended but it was the only reason she could think of as to why Jason would do such a thing. He always hinted at it, about wanting 'some fun' and Mary brushed him off every time. Sometimes she pretty much insulted him so of course he would start to get annoyed at her rebuffs eventually.

"What?!" All eyes went to David at the outburst, the man's hands clenched into fists.

"You alright there, mate?" Graham eyed his friend warily.

David looked over at Graham and unclenched his hands although Mary could still see tension in his shoulders and in the way his jaw was set, "I just don't think men should treat women that way."

"I can handle it most of the time." Mary replied, "I'm not exactly a damsel in distress type but I guess after a while that many knock backs would annoy anyone."

Graham sighed and went over to the cell unlocking the door, "I'm not doing this, I'm not locking you up without concrete proof."

He gestured for Mary to walk out of the cell and motioned to the chair next to Emma's desk. Mary sat down cautiously as Graham returned to his seat leaning against the desk with his arms folded, "I don't understand what's happening but I really didn't do this."

"No, she didn't." Another voice chimed in causing all the heads in the room to look at the newcomer, "Because she was with me all day. She wouldn't have had time to steal so much as a packet of nuts."

Graham nodded, "Alfie."

"Sheriff." Alfie returned, tipping an imaginary hat in Graham's direction, "This is crazy and I'm not letting you treat her like a common criminal."

"You're giving her an alibi?" Graham asked.

Alife simply nodded, "Damn straight I am."

"I'll need a statement." Graham informed him as he held up a piece of paper from the desk behind him.

Alfie outstretched his hands wide, "What do you think I'm here for? The company?"

Graham shook his head and walked over to Alfie, ushering him out of the room, "Look after Mary would you, David? With any luck we can have her sleeping off that hangover at home in no time."

David nodded as the Sheriff took Alfie into another room to take his statement. Mary's eyes were on his, the burning sensation in her chest still present.

"So, you're the coma patient everyone is talking about?" She asked with a smile.

David seemed on edge, like he was wrestling with a million thoughts in his head, "And you must be Emma's roommate?"

"I normally make a better first impression."

He smirked and Mary swore her heart skipped a beat, "This one will definitely be memorable."

"Do I know you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "Sorry, it's just this feeling I have. Like we've met before."

His face paled at that and Mary couldn't understand how she could read a perfect strangers' facial expressions that well. "You tell me?"

She frowned, "Well I can't have. You've been in a coma for a long time, right? I must just be overtired. I don't get a lot of sleep."

"Because of your boss?"

"I told you, I can handle it."

His brow furrowed, "You shouldn't have to."

"Well aren't you a real Prince Charming."

David seemed to freeze at the statement, his eyes wide, "What did you…"

He was cut short by the sound of Graham and Alfie bustling down the hallway and back into the room, "Okay, Mary you can go home now. Alfie's statement covers it and along with our conversation earlier I think it's a pretty open and shut case of a mistaken anonymous tip."

Mary slapped her hands on her knees and rose from the chair, "Don't worry about it, Sheriff. Once a thief always a thief, right?"

She stretched out her arms in front of her and picked up the water bottle Graham had given her before breezing past him. Graham's hand reached out to grab her arm haltering her process.

"What's that?" He asked, turning her arm to get a better look at her bicep. Mary looked down in confusion before seeing the brown tinted mark on her skin that Jason had left a few days before when he roughly grabbed her.

Her eyes met Graham's and she felt David stiffen behind her, "I must have knocked it the other day unpacking the delivery."

"These look like finger marks." Graham replied, eyes like steel.

Mary shrugged off his hand, "I'm fine, Sheriff."

"If you make a statement I can sort this out for you. It's Jason, isn't it?"

"And I'll lose my job in the process." Mary added.

"Mary…"

"I said I can handle it." She replied vehemently.

Graham's eyes bore into hers, "And normally I'd agree but he has never acted on his anger before now."

Mary shook her head, "Please drop it, Graham. It was nothing, I swear."

She took one last look at David and instantly knew it was a bad idea. There was storm raging in his eyes that gave Mary chills and in that moment he looked… dangerous. Like the man was about to go to war over a bruise on her arm. The intensity of the gaze threw her and suddenly the air seemed too thin.

Mary tore her eyes away from David as she walked over to Alfie. The taller man threw an arm over her shoulder, tucking her into his side as he led her out of the station.

It took all the strength she had not to look back at the man she had met only moments ago.

Somehow she knew if she did look back he'd still be staring at her.

…

James watched his wife walk away from him and out the station as he stared after her. His blood was boiling beneath his skin and he desperately wanted to hit something, to voice his outrage at the world Regina had cast them into and what it had done to his Snow.

His wife. Beautiful, strong, fierce.

Hurt.

There was a sharp ache in his chest as he thought back to the bruise marring her skin, a brownish yellow finger shaped impression on her that should never have been allowed to happen. That he should have never allowed to happen.

She was his. To protect and love and cherish and with everything in him he was going to get her back. He'd fight anything put in front of him, sacrifice whatever was needed because Mary was not Snow and if she was in there somewhere then he'd find her.

He'd always find her.

James was still watching the space where she left the room with a steely gaze as he thought about the woman who looked so much like his wife but didn't know him. Regina must have taken great pleasure in this, making Snow an echo of her former self. She was as cynical and closed off as she was when James first met her and he hated it, the defeat in her eyes and the hopelessness she carried on her shoulders.

"Are you okay, David?" Graham's voice broke through his thoughts, the Sheriff's eyes looking down at his hands worriedly. James followed his gaze to see his hands gripping the edge of the desk he was leaning against with a furious grip, his knuckles white from his force. James let go of the wood, fingers aching as he relaxed his grip.

His eyes met Graham's, "She shouldn't have to go through that." James' voice was tight, "She doesn't deserve…"

He couldn't find the words to finish his sentence, shaking his head instead.

Graham's eyes softened as he took a step towards James, "I know. No woman should but she won't make a statement and we have no proof to do anything about it." He looked just as hopeless as James felt.

"I want to punch him," James admitted, "Hell, I want to do a lot worse than punch him."

To James' surprise Graham laughed, "Jason is a brute. I don't think anyone would stop you." He mused, "But I'd have to arrest you and you've basically just confessed. I really don't want to lock up one of my deputies however honourable his intentions might be."

James hated that Graham was right and getting locked up for teaching that low life a lesson wouldn't help Snow or anyone else for that matter. What he needed to do was get his wife back as quickly as possible because then it would be a lot easier to get her away from her boss.

He had to do it soon though because he wasn't letting her spent another second there than he had to.

He made a mental note to talk to Henry about his theories on how to break Snow from her curse because he was fairly certain that reading her their story wasn't going to cut it.

Gods, how he missed her.

Having her so close to him, teasing him about being a Prince Charming, it almost felt like Snow. But she didn't remember and he couldn't tell her because she'd think he was crazy.

He swore softly under his breath.

"It's going to be okay," Graham said gently putting a hand on his shoulder and James figured he must have heard the swear word and assumed it was about Jason, "Mary's tough. She has some pretty thick walls as I'm sure you noticed. She knows how to stand her ground."

"How long has she been so…" James trailed off.

The Sheriff raised an eyebrow, "Lost?" he supplied, "As long as I can remember really, as long as I've known her. She's not a bad person, she just doesn't seem to care about a lot, it's almost like she's just switched off. She doesn't believe in anything… good, you know?"

That wasn't what James wanted to hear.

"That's why she's closed off?"

Graham nodded, "I picked her up for stealing a few times but it was never about her. The first time was to give some food to these kids who had been sleeping rough so I let her off with a warning. The second time was a couple of bottles of alcohol from the bar but I don't think it was stealing so much as she was too drunk to remember to pay for them."

James felt a new surge of hatred for the Evil Queen, "And now this?"

"She didn't do this, I'm certain." Graham stated, "Why do you think I let her go even though Alfie was clearly lying with his statement?"

"He lied?"

"He said she was with him the entire day at the bar but that's impossible because they're the only two who work there so if she was never out of his sights then at some point they would have left a busy bar full of people without anyone to tend it. Jason never serves his customers, he likes to sit in his office instead." Graham explained with a scowl.

James nodded and was silently thankful that even in this world Graham was still looking out for them, "I want her to be happy, it isn't meant to be like this."

"Charming?" Snow's voice called to him in the darkness of their room, one hand on his arm, "James!"

He was put in an instant, barely making out her figure next to him from the light the moon had cast into their room, his eyes were worried, scanning her face as he reached out for her.

"Snow?" His voice was worried and impatient, "What's wrong? The baby?"

He just about saw the shake of her head as her hand found his and guided it to her rounded stomach, palm flat against her belly.

James' eyed his wife questioningly but she merely smiled.

Then he understood.

A small flutter beneath his palm had his eyes going wide. He looked over to Snow, a smile on her face. "Is that…"

Another flutter again his palm.

"Our child." She finished with a nod of her head.

He smiled, "Our child."

James leaned over to kiss her softly, his lips finding hers with ease as their mouths met in a passionate kiss. Another flutter against his fingers pulled them apart as James gave chuckle, "As impatient as your mother." He muttered towards her stomach.

Snow rested her hand over his, "With her father's tact."

"You like her?" Graham concluded with a smirk, "Of course, you're taken with our Miss Blanchard, aren't you."

You have no idea, James though bitterly.

"I just hate seeing her… or anyone so defeated." He replied hoping to play this off because he really didn't want to talk to Graham – who used to be his best friend but was now barely a friend at all – about the feelings he had for his wife, whom know knew was his wife.

It was all too complicated.

Graham's grin wasn't reassuring, "If you say so, but just so you know Mary isn't the type to let anyone sweep her off her feet. You'd have better luck slaying a dragon."

James quirked an eyebrow.

If only Graham knew.

…

The wind was picking up and the street was deserted, not that Graham was surprised considering it was nearing on midnight. David had said he would take the night shift and call Graham if there was a problem and Graham tried to protest but he got the impression that whatever was troubling his friend, David would be getting much sleep tonight and Graham had to admit he was exhausted, especially with all the late night visits to the Mayor's house recently.

He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, not wanting that feeling of dread to curl into his gut like it normally did when he thought about Regina.

So instead he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and crossed the street to head home. A familiar yellow bug stopped him in his tracks though, or rather the occupant inside the familiar yellow bug.

Emma.

She hadn't come back since Graham had sent her away under the pretence of getting Mary something to eat but she had of course seen right through that excuse. Now it seemed she had taken refuge in her car, sitting in the driver's seat seemingly interested in whatever was in her lap. Those blonde curls tumbling down her face.

Graham was struck by how different she looked like this. When she didn't know anyone was watching her.

Like a chunk of her armour had been abandoned along with that red leather jacket of hers which he could see thrown onto the backseat as he approached the vehicle.

He didn't know what he was doing or why but Graham knew he couldn't just walk passed her.

His fingers tapped on the passenger side window as he crouched down so Emma could see his face. She looked startled for a moment before seeing who it was. She let out an inaudible sigh as she leaned over and pushed open the door.

Graham caught it easily with his hand and stood up a little straighter, "Are you planning on going somewhere?"

Emma frowned at the question before realising he was looking pointedly at her car, "I just needed some space and it didn't feel right going back to the apartment while Mary was in lock up."

"We released her less than an hour ago. She had an alibi and it checked out, I'm sure she is already at home by now." Graham replied hoping to bring her some comfort in that knowledge.

The blonde nodded, "Thanks for telling me."

There was that armour back in place.

Graham sighed before climbing into the passenger seat of Emma's little bug and closing the door behind him. He turned slightly in his seat to face his deputy who was looking at him like he had lost it.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He merely shrugged, "It was getting cold out there."

"So go home?" Emma asked sarcastically.

Graham smirked, "I'm good now, this central heating is working wonders." He joked and felt a small victory at seeing the small smile Emma tried to cover, "What's going on?"

"I was just worry about Mary."

The Sheriff shook his head, "What's really going on?"

Emma sighed and gave him a weary look, "I'm just not used to it, okay? Getting involved in other people's lives and caring about what happens to them. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"You're here for Henry." Graham reminded her gently.

"Yeah but what right do I have?" Emma asked, "I gave him up, I was so determined not to screw him up and now I'm back in his life and I don't know how to give him want he wants."

Graham frowned, "He wants to know his mother."

"He wants a family." Emma corrected, "He wants his happily after ever."

"And you don't know how to give him that when you're not even sure if you have one?" Graham summarised as he understood Emma's train of thought.

The blonde next to him sighed, "I know I don't have one. Mary is right, happy endings don't exist. It's a bunch of bullshit and the closest I got to believing in that stuff landed me in jail and pregnant and having to go through that alone."

Graham paused at her admission because this was as much information Emma had ever shared and he didn't want to ruin it. She was trusting him and Graham found his heart speed up at the thought.

"I don't know what you went through, Emma and no one can change your past but you have a chance to change things with Henry." Henry started softly, "Maybe you don't start with a happy ending? Just spend time with him, be his mother. I think you want that just as much as he does, whether you're ready to admit that or not."

Emma frowned, "What makes you so sure?"

The Sheriff gave her a smile, "You're still here, you could have driven off tonight but you didn't." He reasoned, "Then there's that." He continued, pointing to Henry's storybook opening in her lap, "You're reading his book. It seems to me you're already thinking about that happy ending of yours."

"They're just stories."

"All stories about based on reality, right?" Graham replied, "It just depends what you take away from them."

Emma snorted, "You sound like Henry."

"He's a good kid." Graham smiled.

"He thinks everyone in this town is a fairytale character."

"He's a good kid with an excellent imagination." He amended with a smirk, "I'd be proud if I had his unwavering faith in heroes and happy endings. I'd say he gets that resilience from you."

That brought a smile to Emma's face.

In that moment Graham could see her looking more like a proud mother than a flight risk.

/

So what do you think? Thoughts?

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Next chapter includes: Regina decides something has to be done about Emma and James and Henry devise a risky plan to wake up Snow.