Henry stretched and shifted to a more comfortable position on the kitchen chair. He was waiting for his mom to get up so they could have breakfast. He hoped that she was in a better mood than she was yesterday. During the whole car ride on their way to Storybrooke and the tour of the town, she seemed edgy. The people obviously scared her because she avoided eye contact. He didn't believe his mom when she told him the people in this town weren't fairytale characters. He saw Mr. Gold and Mary Margaret had an exact likeness to their fairytale personas in the book. He did wonder how she knew Rumpelstiltskin. The way they interacted was almost like they were old friends.
He frowned as he watched his mom walk into the kitchen, fiddling with the coffee machine. She was staring into space as she waited for the coffee to get done. The bags under her eyes indicated she didn't get any sleep. He knew if he said anything, she was so out of it that he would scare her. She would regard him when she saw him.
"Henry, how long were you down here?!" She asked, clutching at her chest. Well, so much for being quiet, his plan didn't work.
"I haven't been here long," he answered, continuing to study the storybook.
He tried to piece together why she was helping Gold. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition.
"Everything alright, kid?" She asked concerned.
"I know why we are here, Mom," he said.
She froze. "What?" Her shocked expression showed she was hiding something. She sounded a little guilty.
"You're here to bring the happy endings to the people of Storybrooke," he told her, staring at his mom's story. He had to get her to accept who she was. This was the only way the curse would break. Magic ran on belief.
"No, I am here only to help Gold find his son," she corrected.
"You mean Baelfire," Henry said knowingly. Why else would Rumpelstiltskin ask for her help? He didn't really care about the queen's curse. Everything he did was for his son. He didn't miss the look of shock on her face. Yep, his mom told him everything in her facial expression. He was able to read his mother easily.
"Henry..." She began, trying to find her words. "This isn't a story in your book. This is real life." She was pretending there wasn't a curse to try and protect him.
"You're just saying that so the evil queen won't find out. Cool, we're working undercover. I call our mission Operation Cobra," he told her with a smile, catching her bluff. She didn't have to worry about gathering intelligence. He got that covered.
Emma was tired and thought she developed a tolerance to caffeine. She couldn't fall asleep on the comfortable bed the night before. She had a nightmare that the queen attacked their house. She checked on Henry a couple of times just to calm her nerves. Her eyes drifted down and saw her son beaming, taking in the sights. She hoped that she would be able to protect him. It was going to be hard to keep this all a secret. He was inquisitive. Henry already had a code name picked out. She worried that she wouldn't be able to dissuade him to give up the idea. She had to wait for Rumple's guidance to break the stupid curse. She wasn't going to even bother finding a job because she would end up putting down roots.
"I hope the food is good here," Emma commented as she took in the diner. Her head drifted down to her son with a smile and frowned when she saw what was nestled in his hand. "Wait...why do you have a notebook?"
"I think this place is perfect for us to get our info. We need to know who is related to who and know where everyone normally hangs out," he informed with a smile.
"That's not nice, Henry. That's like an invasion of privacy," she chided.
Henry was taking this a little far. She was pretty sure this was borderline stalking. She didn't want him to develop an obsession. This task was her own burden to bear. She sighed at the thought, grabbing the handle to the door. As soon as the door to the diner chimed, almost every eye was on her and her son. She thought it was a little rude.
"Sit anywhere you like," the granddaughter Lucas said.
If Emma was going to be here a lot, which was likely, she had to know the waitress's name. She looked at nametag and saw Ruby. She gently pushed Henry to the back, guiding him to a back booth where they would be hard to spot. Picking up a menu, she began to peruse through its contents. Suddenly, she felt someone's presence near the table.
Looking up, she saw a woman with a black pixie cut with the softest brown eyes she had ever seen. She was dressed like a schoolteacher with her pink sweater. It was May why on earth was she wearing a sweater?
"I heard we had visitors. Rumors are that you recently moved into town," the woman observed. Her voice and the look in her eyes screamed "I want to be your friend." Emma had to fight back a groan. So much for anonymity, Rumple was right-the people do gossip here.
"I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard." Emma flinched at the name. This woman was supposedly her mother. Emma raised an eyebrow taking in her facial features. She supposed they did have the same chin. Henry was smiling at both her and Mary Margaret. Well, at least, she had a face associated with the name. She would make a point to avoid this woman.
"Emma Swan," she answered after a long while. It took all her effort to give a polite smile.
"How are you enjoying Storybrooke so far?" The woman asked with a smile.
Emma wanted the woman to leave. She felt uncomfortable having small talk with her.
"It's alright," Emma answered. The town was good until she was approached by her "cursed mom." She didn't know whether the food lost its appeal, or she suddenly lost her appetite.
"Hi, are you ready to order?" Ruby approached, looking over her shoulder before turning her attention to the table.
"Oh sorry." Ruby apologized looking from Mary Margaret to Emma when she thought she interrupted their conversation. Ruby's appearance was a nice respite to break the awkward tension.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Mary Margaret said genuinely, walking away from the table.
"Two hot chocolates with cinnamon. Wait-" Emma called after Ruby when she jotted down the order and left. Emma already knew what she and Henry wanted. She hated when waitresses jotted down the drink order and left to make the customers stay longer.
Her frustration ended when she heard a cup fall on the ground and splatter. A blonde man bumped into Mary Margaret. The hot cocoa spilled over her sweater.
He had blue eyes, wearing a grey shirt. He also had a wedding ring.
"I'm sorry," the man apologized, looking at Mary Margaret with concern. Emma had to admit he was staring into Mary Margaret's eyes as though entranced. Looking at her, as though his wife didn't matter and she was the only person in the world. Mary Margaret returned his gaze equally in turn with the same emotion. He cleared his throat, breaking out of whatever spell he was in.
"Let me buy you another drink. It was my fault," he apologized with a small smile.
Emma's attention was broken from the pair when Henry spoke.
"This isn't right. He is supposed to be with Mary Margaret," he said, disappointment laced in his tone.
"Are you saying, he is Prince Charming?" Emma scoffed. Of course, Snow White and Prince Charming meeting had to be like some sort of clichéd romance movie on Lifetime. Their interaction was sort of cheesy to watch.
"The curse separated them. Breaking it will reunite them and whoever else was separated," Henry said confidently, bringing the hot chocolate to his mouth.
"He is married. What will his wife think?" Emma asked incredulously. She didn't buy the fact that he was Charming.
"His life is fake. Someone else is with him as a result of the curse," Henry said with a shrug, getting up with his notebook. "I have to go to the restroom," he informed, walking away. Emma watched as Henry walked to the back before turning her attention back to the menu.
Emma didn't turn around when the door chimed. She looked at her menu, trying to decide whether she still wanted the omelet. She heard someone slide into the booth in front of her. She frowned, Henry left seconds ago. He shouldn't be back by now.
Lifting up her eyes, Henry wasn't sitting in front of her. In his stead, was a woman with cold, brown eyes and short black hair, wearing a ruffled, business top. Her smile was false.
" I heard there was a newcomer in town, and I wanted to introduce myself. I'm the mayor, Regina Mills," Regina greeted, her tone was sickly sweet, and it looked like it was taking all her effort to smile.
Great, first her "parents" and now she ran into the queen.
"I'm sorry, but that seat is taken." She hoped the queen took her hint. Unfortunately, Regina's eyes narrowed when Emma tried to dismiss her.
Emma saw Henry walking back towards the table, and she gave him a look to make him stop his approach. She didn't want the woman in front of her to know about him.
"That's okay. I will only take a moment," Regina answered, leaning forward. Her gaze was calculating.
"How are you finding Storybrooke so far?" She drawled. She was beating around the bush, trying to get Emma comfortable in talking with her.
"I find it a nice town," Emma admitted, folding her hands in front of her over the menu. Her face was rather calm.
"That's good," she said with a lie. "When are you leaving?" She asked bluntly. Ah, there it was. She wasn't surprised Regina wanted her to leave. Regina was threatened by her presence. Emma sort of found the situation amusing, but she was annoyed by Regina's pushiness.
"Wow, you sure do know how to make someone feel welcome," Emma said sarcastically, causing Regina's eyes to narrow at her in a glare.
"You see. This town is a close-knit community. We did win best town of the year in 2010." Regina threw out.
"That's awesome, " Emma said uninterested, wondering why Regina told her this useless fact. She was wondering whether it was wise to push Regina's buttons like this. There was no magic here. Maybe taunting the evil queen will come back to bite her in the ass later.
"We don't need someone unemployed in our town to ruin our statistic," Regina said, looking down at her. Emma remembered that look when she roamed alone and people looked at her like a thief. Emma's eye twitched when she was called a waste of space.
"I'm vacationing shouldn't you be happy I'm putting money into your local economy?" Emma shot back. She was starting to hate Regina's attitude.
"Be it as it may. There comes a point where you use up the resources in this town, and my denizens have to pick up the slack though their taxes." She looked at her distrustfully, trying very hard to make her feel like an outsider.
That's it. Emma was done playing.
"Don't worry. I'm job searching," Emma said, crossing her arms and leaning her back against the booth, gauging Regina's reaction.
Emma almost laughed when she saw Regina's face turn to shock, rage, and to shock again.
"Come again?" Regina asked for clarification.
"You know finding employment, serving the community, etc," Emma said cheekily. Really, what was the queen trying to do?
"I know what you mean," she snapped. "Where? All the jobs are occupied." Regina looked like a snake ready to strike. Emma didn't miss Regina's hand open unconsciously as though she was trying to summon something from habit. Emma was glad that there was no magic currently in Storybrooke because this conversation could have turned violent.
Emma pursed her lips and thought of the best way to proceed. If she told Regina, she was sure that Regina would prevent her from getting a job. Hell, she looked like she was ready to confront that person immediately.
Emma leaned forward as though she was telling a secret. "I'll manage. I'm good at finding things." Her words were a double meaning. Yes, she was going to find a job, but it was also a warning that she would find a way to break the curse.
"We shall see," Regina said, voice even.
Both she and Regina turned their attention to Ruby when she approached.
"Oh, Madam Mayor, are you dining-in today?" Ruby took in Regina before looking back at Emma questioningly.
"No, I was just leaving," Regina said a matter of fact, getting up from the booth. She gave Emma a dark look. Emma didn't cower under her hard gaze. After the slight stare down, Regina walked away, her heels clicking against the floor as she left.
After giving Ruby the order, Henry returned to the spot Regina left moments ago. Emma put her face in between her hands. There was no backing out now. Emma was going to be targeted by Regina. Henry and she only stayed in Storybrooke for one night, and Regina already knew about her.
Henry sat down after Regina left. "What did she want?" Henry asked concerned.
"Oh, she was welcoming me to Storybrooke. She is a ray of sunshine that one," Emma said sarcastically.
Henry laughed at her joke. "So, what are we doing today?" He asked excitedly.
Emma smiled at his enthusiasm. I guess you are right, Henry. Operation Cobra is in effect.
"I'm going to swing by the Sheriff's Office to find a job, then we could walk around," she answered.
Emma couldn't believe she let Regina get under her skin. She hated it when people told her what she couldn't do, or what type of person she was without knowing her. Now, she found her way to the Sheriff's Station to make sure she got a job. She didn't want to get run out of town before she finished her task with Rumple.
The station was small. There were a few rooms. Benches lined the hallways as she walked. She made Henry sit down before following the sign to the offices. She was glad that the door was ajar. All the desks looked messy. Papers were scattered about. There were moving boxes everywhere.
She recognized the blonde man from the diner. He looked frazzled. His hair was unkempt-a sign that he ran his fingers through it in frustration so many times. Also, there were dark circles under his eyes that she didn't notice earlier. He was stressed.
"What happened here? It looks like a tornado hit in here," she commented on the chaos in the office.
Emma wanted to berate herself by not knocking before she interrupted him. He jumped from fright.
"I'm sorry. I should have knocked first," she apologized sheepishly.
"This station was unmanned for a few days last week. I woke from a coma soon after. When I was coherent, I was told I had to continue my job," he said with a sigh before looking at her. "Sheriff Graham died unexpectedly last week from a car crash. He was patrolling the town line when the incident occurred. It was believed he suffered a heart attack, causing him to lose control of the car, hitting a nearby tree."
"That's awful," she admitted as she looked at the newspaper the deputy handed her. Graham was so young and he died at a young age.
"It was unexpected because he was in good health. Some version of the story was posted for three days straight until his funeral," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
He must have meant a lot to the community if they spoke of him for days. Then again, this was a small town. Any news would be breaking news to them.
His voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Sorry, where are my manners? The name is David Nolan," he introduced, holding out his hand.
"Emma Swan," she greeted, shaking his hand in turn.
"Emma, how can I help you? Did something get lost or stolen? If so, please fill out a police report and leave it on my desk," He said, gesturing at the stack of papers on the desk. She guessed he gave up rummaging through them and made her do it.
"No, I was asking for a job, actually," she informed. She hoped that Rumple was right in saying that the department needed someone. The department was away from the center of town, and she didn't really want to be in the diner where Regina could waltz in again.
"Do you have any experience?" He asked, assessing her.
"I was a bail bondsman," she answered with a shrug. She knew that deputies had to go through an academy, and she didn't have the experience really to be a cop.
"Honestly, I think you are more qualified than me. I don't remember attending the academy or working under Graham. Regina said I was a deputy before. I am grateful to have a job," he answered with a shrug.
"Comas usually are associated with memory loss," she recalled. That still sucked, losing his memory and not being sure of everything.
"When can you start?" He asked hopeful.
Emma frowned, thinking hard. She promised to spend the rest of the day with Henry. She had to speak with Rumple to decide her next course of action.
"I can start tomorrow," she offered tentatively.
"It will be wonderful having you around," he answered with a smile.
After eating at Granny's, Emma dropped Henry off at Gold's. She wanted to know what a typical day at the station was like. Once she knew, Henry could wait with her there. Emma stopped trusting babysitters she didn't know after an unfortunate incident she refused to think about when her son was younger. Even though Rumple lied to her, he did promise that no harm would come to Henry. She knew he spoke to her truthfully on the matter of Henry's safety. She was surprised that Rumple was willing, although begrudgingly, to watch over him while she worked. She did ask him if Nolan was Charming and he said, "Yes." After that conversation, Emma dreaded going to the station.
Emma stopped walking as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Someone was watching her. She quickly turned around, seeing a flash of black by the alley. She ran towards it and saw some dumpsters lining the alley. She shrugged thinking she was imagining things. This whole town was making her paranoid.
She sighed as she held the handle to the glass door of the station. It was going to be awkward working with David, now that she knew his real identity. She could be civil and that would be the extent to their relationship.
Putting her keys on her desk, she pulled out her chair and sat down.
"Good morning." She jumped at David's greeting. She arrived a little earlier than expected to get there before him, but it looked like he beat her. Her eyes looked at the white box he was holding then at him in confusion.
"A welcoming gift." David smiled, opening the white box. Emma's mouth almost watered when she saw the glazed goodness sitting in the box.
"Bear claws. Aren't you a Prince Charming." Emma winced at her playful banter. She didn't just call him Prince Charming. Yes, she did. She rubbed her temple in frustration. Great, she was starting to voice what was in her head.
"Only to my fair, loyal deputy," he joked back. She had to stop herself from groaning when she heard his joke. She wondered if he was going to torture her with cheesy jokes. It was bad enough that he was her "dad". That would mean he would be one of those dads who told bad jokes. She shook her head at her traitorous thoughts. He would never be a dad to her.
"What do we normally do around here?" She asked, trying to deflect her thoughts. This town looked like there was a low crime rate and the rate of break-ins was low.
"Since there are two of us, one of us can go patrolling while the other finishes that paperwork," he offered with a shrug.
"You can patrol. You've been stuck in this office for a week," she suggested. In reality, the less people she saw the better, and he would be away from her.
"Thanks!" He smiled at her in gratitude.
He pushed in his chair. He frowned putting his hand in his back pocket then his front. A groan escaped his mouth when he stared at the paperwork on his desk and rummaged through his messy desk for his keys. His cell phone rang when he stood in the middle of the office.
"David Nolan." Emma heard him greet as she started reading a report.
"Hello-"
Emma turned her attention to him in interest after she took a bite out of her doughnut when he sighed, getting cut off. Whoever he was talking to was impatient. It was none of her business so she held up the report to her face and holding the doughnut with her other hand.
She heard his footsteps returning to her direction, and when they stopped at her desk, she looked up at him. David looked frustrated and annoyed.
"Everything alright?" She asked concerned.
"The patrolling is probably going to have to wait until after lunch." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "That was Regina," he informed, his voice sounded anxious. His silence was making the situation ominous. After regaining his thoughts, he began to speak. "She is coming to the station to speak with us about the sheriff's position."
Next: Forced Appointments