Disclaimer: I own a miniature blue flag from Medieval Times (We won!), but not Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter. So many tests. And Saints Row IV. And you trying spending two weeks in Archie's head space. I need a hug. Ole miss steaks err min.

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost-

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

-Robert Frost

Archie

Monday October 24th 7:29am

Archie Hopper was concerned. He'd received three calls from Mayor Mills in the last twelve hours. The first, at 6:30 the prior evening, had been short and demanding; a request to deliver her son as quickly as possible. When he could not oblige, she'd hung up. The second call, forty-five minutes after the first, had been longer and more demanding, with several threats to his lively hood if he was withholding information based on 'ridiculous confidentiality rules.' And the third, which came well after midnight, had been six words and then dial tone: 'Henry's home. We'll speak more tomorrow.'

If Archie was completely honest, he was glad to have answered that last call, despite the hour it had been received. He'd been able to sleep better knowing that Henry was safe. Regardless of what the boy thought about his mother, Archie did not doubt that she took good care of him. She clearly loved him. Her personality just had a way of making it hard to see.

The psychiatrist frowned as he placed a leash on the collar of his currently inpatient canine companion; the dalmatian had been pawing at the door in frustration for the last few minutes. "Almost ready Pongo," he assured the pooch.

Archie dreaded the coming day. Dealing with the Mayor was... difficult on a good day. Reaching for his umbrella, he thought about his own mother and something she would often tell him. Always be prepared for the rain Archibald, even if there are no storms on the horizon. As he recalled, his mother was seldom wrong. Today, he anticipated, was going to see the heavens pour down rain.

They left the house, Pongo pulling the pair down toward main street. Archie frowned again as he spotted the Halloween decorations lining the windows of the post office. He would need to remember to stop by Neighbor's Five and Dime for a few club packs of mini snickers. Darkstar always overcharged for the best candy.

"Morning Archie," called a female voice from across the street.

The psychiatrist looked up to see a familiar young woman exiting Storybrooke Country Bread, a large brown paper bag in her arms. "Good morning Ruby. Beautiful day." He smiled at the tall, brunette as she crossed the street to meet him.

"So far," she replied falling into step with him. "I keep waiting for the cold."

"Me too," he agreed. "Do you need a hand with that bag?"

"Nah, you've got Pongo,"

Archie peaked into the bag she was carrying, noticing several loaves of freshly baked bread and what looked like a box of pastries. "Doesn't your grandmother do her own baking?" he asked politely, genuinely curious.

Ruby smiled over the bag. "Normally yes, but she overslept this morning." It was said with such relish that Archie raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't her fault though," she added. "The Sheriff called late last night looking for a favor."

"Oh?" He asked, knowing that Graham was involved in the search for Henry the previous evening.

"Yeah. He needed Granny to open the bed and breakfast." She explained as they stepped onto the walkway leading to Granny's Diner. "Some mysterious woman checked in around two o'clock."

"Who is she?" he inquired.

"No idea," Ruby answered. "Granny checked her in. I didn't see her. Oh, Arch, can you grab the door for me?"

"Of course." Archie quickening his pace to beat Ruby to the entrance. He held open the door for her and then tied Pongo's leash to the white railing of the diner's front steps. "I'll be quick." He patted his dog on the head and hurried back up the steps.

When he came inside Ruby was already behind the counter tying an apron around her waist. "What can I get you Arch? You're usual?"

"That'd be great. Thanks Ruby," he replied as he hung his coat and umbrella by the front door. He took a seat at the counter and gazed around the room. The diner was relatively empty; he spotted the drug store owner, Mr. Clark, seated with the drowsy hospital security guard at a booth by the window. Ruby poured him a cup of coffee and headed to the kitchen to deliver his breakfast order.

Archie doctored his liquid caffeine - two sugars and a splash of creamer - and was about to call Ruby over to ask her for a copy of The Mirror, when the diner's entrance bell rang. He turned to see an exhausted looking blonde enter. He didn't recognize her and immediately wondered if this might be the 'mysterious woman' Ruby had mentioned. She wore a crimson leather jacket, dark, tight jeans, and a scowl a mile long. She was definitely from out of town. The woman peered around the room, taking an inventory of the diner's inhabitants, before heading toward the counter. Archie nodded to her as she took a seat two stools to his left. "Good morning," he offered.

"That's a matter of opinion," the blonde grunted as she collapsed against the counter, resting her head on the polished granite. She looked as if she hadn't slept a wink.

Ruby returned and placed an toasted English Muffin in front of Archie. They locked eyes and she mouthed, "Who's that?" Archie just shrugged as he spread some strawberry jam on his breakfast.

Pausing for a moment, Ruby grabbed a menu and set it down on the counter. "Excuse me?" she called cautiously. The blonde jumped and looked up. "Sorry about that," the waitress apologized. "I'm Ruby. Can I get you something?"

The woman blinked several times, confused. Archie wondered if she had managed to fall asleep in the thirty seconds since she'd put her head down. "Yeah." She blinked a few more times. "The lady that runs the inn told me to come down for breakfast."

"Oh! You're Ms. Swan!" Ruby beamed at her. "Yeah, pick out anything on the menu. Would you like some juice, coffee, or cocoa? We make great cocoa!"

Archie nodded in agreement as he took a bite out of his muffin.

Ms. Swan sighed. "Please, call me Emma. I'll just have coffee." She paused. "Preferably all of your coffee."

Ruby was quick to pour her a cup. "Are you sure you don't want something to eat? We have pastries!"

"I'll think about it," Emma replied adding a pack a sugar to her mug. "Let me drink this first." The blonde took a large sip and sighed happily. When she glanced up, she noticed Archie had been watching her. He quickly looked away, embarrassed by his rudeness. "I'm in the Twilight Zone," the blonde mumbled before taking another large sip of coffee.

"I'm sorry," Archie said, smiling at her quip. "We're not really use to strangers passing through Storybrooke."

"Shocking," Emma replied before she could stop herself. "It's nice though," she was quick to add apologetically. "Really... quaint."

"Quaint doesn't do much more the tourist trade," Ruby snorted before turning to Archie. "I can't remember the last time we had a visitor pass through."

"There was that father and son?" Archie said thoughtfully. "The campers who were caught in that really bad electrical storm. It took Michael a week to fix their truck."

"Oh yeah," Ruby frowned. "That was years ago."

Taking another large bite of his muffin, Archie searched his memory trying to recall exactly when the pair of campers had come to Storybrooke. It had been years, but he struggled to remember just how many.

The entrance bells chimed once more, pulling Archie from his recollections. He turned to see Sheriff Humbert step inside.

"Morning Ruby. Dr. Hopper," the Sheriff called out as he strolled up to the counter. His eyes fell on the blonde to Archie's left. "Ms. Swan, it's nice to see you again. I thought you were going to head out last night, but I'm glad you stayed. Personally, I hate driving when I'm not well rested."

Emma glared at him.

"What can I get you Graham?" Ruby asked hesitantly, setting a coffee cup in front of him. Archie watched her eyes dart back and forth between the Sheriff and the new comer, most likely wondering how they knew each other. If he was completely honest, he was a bit curious himself.

"Coffee and a bear claw," he answered with a smile. "To go, please, Ruby."

"Busy day of small town Sheriffing?" Emma asked before draining her own mug. She slide the cup toward Ruby in a silent request for a refill.

The Sheriff smiled back at her, "Just something Mayor Mills asked me to take care of."

"More background checks?" The blonde snorted into her mug.

"That's really between the Mayor and I," he replied, frowning at Emma. He placed a five dollar bill on the counter. "Ruby?"

The waitress blinked, having been too distracted by the interaction to get his order. She scooped up his money and hurried off to procure his pastry and fill a to-go cup. While she was gone, neither Emma or the Sheriff said a word. Archie finished his muffin, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence that had settled over them. "I hear it may rain later," he offered.

The Sheriff leaned forward on the counter. "Emma, I'm sorry. When Mayor Mills realized who you were, she was worried that-"

Emma cut him off. "Look, Sheriff, you don't have to explain. I was joking. It's fine. Don't lose any sleep."

Ruby returned before he could say anything in response. "Here you are Sheriff," she said handing off a a small bag, a Styrofoam container, and a handful of change.

"Thanks Ruby." The Sheriff left the coins on the counter and nodded to Archie. "Dr. Hopper." He turned to Emma. "Ms. Swan, have a safe trip back."

The blonde waved him off. She turned to the brunette behind the counter. "Can I get a refill?"

Ruby reached for the coffee pot.

"Do you have any more bear claws?" Emma added, as she sweetened her coffee.

Ruby smiled and went to fetch the blonde's pastry.

"So you're a doctor?" Emma asked, looking at Archie. She still looked exhausted, but the coffee seemed to be making her more sociable.

"Yes," he replied as he placed a few bills on the counter. Pongo was probably getting impatient. "A psychiatrist actually."

Emma's smile didn't exactly ring true. "Oh, that's great." She looked back at her coffee.

Archie chuckled. He was familiar with that reaction. "It was nice meeting you Ms. Swan. I hope you enjoy you're time here in Storybrooke."

"Thanks, but I'm not staying long."

"That's a shame," he lamented. "I like to think this town is something special." He smiled at her. "Well, it was nice meeting you." With that, Archie stepped toward the door and pulled on his jacket. As he reached for his umbrella, the front door swung open almost clipping his shoulder. The bells did not jingle this time, as Mr. Gold stepped in. Archie held the door open for his landlord, allowing the older man to limp inside.

"Dr. Hopper," the pawnbroker muttered in greeting as he stepped in the diner.

"Mr. Gold," Archie nodded. "Good morning."

The older man didn't reply; his eye's were focused on the blonde sitting at the counter. "Emma Swan?" He breathed.

It was barely audible, but still Emma turned to face them. Archie could not recall ever having seen Mr. Gold look quite so startled. And based on his expression, the pawnbroker hadn't intended to speak Emma's name aloud. But he did. And now she was eying him with cautious curiosity. "Do I know you?" she queried.

"No, I don't believe so," Mr. Gold replied, his face now devoid of expression. He allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. "This is a small town. When there's a guest about... well... word travels fast." With that, he moved on and was seated in an empty booth across the room before either Archie or Emma could question him further.

Just then the clock tower sounded for the first time in as long as Archie could remember. He counted seven chimes. Stepping outside, he turned to look at the old clock, wondering why the city council had finally decided to fix it. Pongo whined at his ankle. He untied his dalmatian and headed across the street to his office.

The Mayor's name flashed on his caller id just before nine, as Archie was finishing up Ms. Ginger's session. The elderly woman, who he felt had an unnatural adoration for her three cats, scowled at him, ignored his apologies, and slammed the door more forcefully than was probably necessary, on her way out. He would have to call her later to make a second apology.

Steeling himself, Archie answered the phone. "Madame Mayor?"

"Dr. Hopper," came the Mayor's firm voice. "Were you aware that Henry was looking for his birth mother?"

And hello to you too, Madame Mayor.

Archie frowned. Henry was looking for his birth mother? This was much worse than he'd thought. The boy had been in therapy for almost a year now and not once had he expressed any real dissatisfaction with his adoptive mother. Of course, he was quick to complain about her strictness, but then most children weren't particularly keen on cleaning their rooms or completing homework well in advance. His prior infrequent, grievances regarding the Mayor had never raised any red flags. Although, fair point, their sessions up to this point tended to revolve around his troubles in school, and not his home life. Archie made a mental note to correct that oversight. "No, Madame Mayor," he finally replied. "I wasn't even aware that he knew he was adopted."

There was a moment of silence. Then. "Neither was I."

Archie digested that information. "Am I correct in assuming that Henry missed his appointment yesterday because he went in search of his birth mother?"

"To Boston." He could tell she was angry. "She returned him late last night." Well that certainly explained Emma Swan's presence in town.

"Madame Mayor, this is extremely concerning." Archie stood up and walked to the window. Henry had never shown any hint of wanting to run away. Then, without any warning, he'd gone all the way to Massachusetts. How long had the boy been planning this? Did he have help? "Do you know how he got to Boston?"

"I asked him last night, but he wouldn't talk to me." She sounded frustrated. "However, I did find a bus ticket in the back pocket of his jeans this morning. He took the Concord Line from Rockland. I don't know how he paid for it. None of my credit cards are missing. Perhaps he wrote down one of the numbers."

"He's a resourceful boy." Archie sighed. "I think we need to have a meeting about this; you, myself, and..." he paused, knowing she wasn't going to like this. "And Henry's birth mother."

"Absolutely not," she refused without hesitation.

"Madame Mayor." He sat in the brown leather chair next to the window. "He kept this from both of us. She may know why he went to find her."

"She left town last night," The Mayor pointed out. "She's gone."

"Actually, she's not." He tried to sound apologetic. "Emma Swan, right? I met her a few hours ago at Granny's Diner. She may not have left yet."

Silence.

And then: "My office. Three-thirty. I'll contact Ms. Swan."

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll see you then."

When Archie arrived at the Mayor's office, he noticed Mary Margret Blanchard sitting in the waiting area. Edith, the Mayor's young secretary, waved him to the well worn leather cough that lined the far wall. "She's on the phone. It'll be a few minutes Dr. Hopper."

He nodded and sat down next to his longtime friend. "Good afternoon Mary Margret. It's good to see you again. How are you?"

"I'm well," the school teacher replied with a smile. She took in a deep breath and gazed around the small room. "It's strange. I haven't been back here in years, but it hasn't changed a bit." She paused, eying the pale yellow walls. "I thought Regina would have at least repainted."

Archie smiled. "You haven't been in her office yet. It's... a bit different." He paused. "Are you here for the meeting?"

She nodded, looking a bit nervous. "I guess. Regina didn't say much on the phone. I assume this is about Henry. "

"You assume correctly." Mayor Mills stood in the doorway of her office. "Ms. Blanchard, a word please." The meek school teacher leapt to her feet and hurried into the office. "I'll be with you in a moment Dr. Hopper," The Mayor added before slamming the door.

Archie hoped that Henry's mother didn't take her frustration out on his friend; her dislike of Mary Margret was no secret in such a small town. It was actually the reason he hadn't suggested including Henry's teacher in their meeting. He had assumed the Mayor would react negatively to both the woman's presence and her opinions. However, he didn't hear any screaming coming from the office. Perhaps he had underestimated-

"Regina! I swear I didn't know!" Mary Margret's panicked voice carried well through the thin gray door.

Or perhaps not.

Archie briefly considered checking on them, but he doubted their conversation would come to blows.

Probably.

The minutes ticked by without a sound.

Maybe I should go check...

"Can I help you?" Edith asked.

Archie turned to her. "Yeah, I think I should che..."

"Not you," the secretary frowned at him. She turned to the woman standing in the doorway that led to the main hallway. "Are you Ms. Swan?"

Emma looked a bit lost as she stepped inside the waiting area, a leather bound book clutched under one arm. "Yeah, I'm here for a meeting with the Mayor." She appeared just as tired as she had in the morning.

"One moment please." Edith pointed to the couch and then pressed her intercom. "Madame Mayor, Ms. Swan is here."

Several seconds passed.

"Send her in," commanded the Mayor's voice. Then as an afterthought, "Dr. Hopper too."

Archie stood and held the door for Emma. He entered the room just behind her and spotted Mary Margret, looking a bit shell shocked, sitting at the white marble conference table to the right of the Mayor's desk.

"Have a seat." The Mayor waved her hand toward the table.

The psychiatrist claimed the seat next to Mary Margaret. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

The teacher nodded without looking at him, her eyes fixed on the woman across from her. Emma was already seated, opposite Mary Margaret, glaring at a decorative fruit bowl positioned in center of the table, one blonde eyebrow raised.

"Let's begin," the Mayor said, taking a seat at the head of the table. She looked at Archie.

"Yes?" It took him a moment to realize he was supposed to start. "Right. The Mayor and I have some serious concerns about Henry's actions recently. Yesterday he left Storybrooke, without telling anyone, in order to find his birth mother... well you... Ms. Swan... in Boston. We were hoping that this meeting could help us elucidate why he felt-"

"Ms. Swan." The Mayor turned to Emma, apparently having run out of patience. "Did Henry tell you why he came to find you?"

The blonde's eyes went wide. "Um... No, not really."

The Mayor narrowed her eyes. "He didn't say anything to you in the four hours you were with him?"

"He did," Emma hedged. "But I'm not sure how relevant it's gonna be."

"Anything he said might be helpful," Archie pointed out.

Emma sighed, "Well, he mostly wanted to talk about fairy tales. A lot of fairy tales. From a book he had."

The Mayor turned a cold stare on Mary Margret, who in turn looked shamefully down at her lap. Neither of them noticed the frown that was currently occupying Emma Swan's face; an expression Archie had frequently seen on the faces of patients who were holding something back. He was about to comment on it, when the blonde heaved her leather bound book onto the table. She slid the tome in front of the Mayor.

Even upside down, Archie could make out the golden script on the cover. It read: 'Once Upon A Time'.

The Mayor stared down at the book, her face blank. "This is the book?" The question was directed at Henry's teacher.

"It is." Mary Margret confirmed.

"He seems to think all the stories in there are true." Emma stated. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "And that all the characters in the book are also people here in town."

"How long has he had the book?" Archie asked, completely flummoxed as to how he was only learning about this now.

"Two months. I gave it to him at the start of the school year," answered Mary Margret. "But I don't think he believed the stories right away. He only started talking about them a few weeks ago. That's when he told me he thought I was..." She trailed off, clearly not wanting to finish her thought.

The Mayor looked up at her. "He thought you were whom?"

Mary Margret bit her lip, embarrassed. "Snow White."

The Mayor smiled tightly. "And which character am I?" From the look on her face, Archie got the impression she already had a pretty good idea.

Emma and Mary Margret locked eyes across the table. From their expressions, neither of them want to deliver the bad news. After a beat, Emma bit the bullet. "The Queen... from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Archie noted that she left off a certain sinister adjective.

For the briefest of moments, a flicker of emotion cross the Mayor's face; whether it was pain or anger, Archie couldn't tell. When she spoke again her voice was steady and entirely too calm. "I believe we're done here."

Emma was confused. "Wait. That's it?"

Ignoring her, the Mayor turned to Mary Margret, her election-winning smile in place. "Please send Edith the total for all the credit card charges."

"Regina it's fine," the teacher began, also clearly confused at the abrupt change in the conversation.

"Nonsense. I'll have a check out to you as soon as possible." The Mayor turned to Emma before Mary Margret could protest again. "Ms. Swan, thank you for taking the time to meet with Dr. Hopper and I. I'm sure you're eager to get back on the road, so I won't keep you any longer. Have a good trip back to Boston." She stood from her chair and indicated to the bowl in the middle of the table. "Please, take an apple for the road." The Mayor moved away from the table, Henry's book clutched to her chest. She was behind her desk before any of them had moved a muscle.

"Right," Emma said, the first to stand. She looked at the Mayor. "For what it's worth, I really do hope everything works out." She paused. "I can tell he's a good kid."

The Mayor didn't reply.

Emma rolled her eyes and made for the door.

"I'll walk you out," Mary Margret called after her, clearly eager to get out of the office.

Archie moved toward the door, but instead of leaving with the others, he closed it and turned to face the Mayor. When she didn't shoo him away, he took a few cautious steps forward, placing a hand on the back of one of the tall backed chairs that sat opposite her desk.

The Mayor didn't look at him when she said, "He thinks I'm an evil witch."

Archie sat down. "I know his next appointment isn't until Sunday, but I'd like to see him sooner. And I think we should increase the number of sessions to twice per week."

The Mayor looked at him, her face hard. "What do you hope to accomplish? It's been a year and he's only getting worse."

"When the therapy isn't working, you adjust it." Archie explained, looking down at the book on the Mayor's desk. "He's been through a lot in the last few years and he's clearly using these stories as an outlet to help deal with his feelings. You may not see it this way, but this book might actually be a good thing."

"I beg you're pardon."

Archie spoke cautiously. "He hasn't been communicating with either one of us. He's been lying, Madame Mayor. He's run away. But, if I can get him to talk about the fairy tales... if I can use his own language... well that may give us some insight to what's making him so unhappy."

"We already know what caused all this," she countered.

"I don't think it's that simple, Madame Mayor."

"I won't have you indulging his... theories."

"Not indulging. Communicating. If this is the language he chooses to express his feelings, then we have to be receptive to it." Archie hesitated. The Mayor had not been particularly accepting of this idea in the past. "It's true that he hasn't had as many outburst's since we started him in therapy. But, with this trip to Boston, it may be time to reconsider starting him on a mood stab-"

"Absolutely not." Her tone brooked no dispute. "I will not poison my son."

"Madame Mayor, I wouldn't suggest something that wasn't safe."

Just then the intercom buzzed.

"What is it Edith?" The Mayor said to the small box on her desk.

"Mr. Gold is here to see you," Edith answered. "He says it's urgent."

Regina sighed, before gazing back at Dr. Hopper. "Two sessions per week. I expect regular updates on his progress. And no medication." She made sure to emphasize that last point, as she slid Henry's book into a desk drawer. "Now if you'll excuse me." She stood and moved toward the entrance of her office.

"Off course." Archie rose to follow her. He caught her eye when they reached the door. "This could take some time."

She didn't reply, instead opening the door for him.

Archie nodded to her. "Have a pleasant evening, Madame Mayor."

In the waiting room, Mr. Gold was leaning against his cane, a briefcase clutched in his left hand. "Dr. Hopper," the older man smiled. "Always a pleasure." He stepped past the psychiatrist and into the Mayor's office. Archie turned in time to see the door close.

"Did you need something else, Dr. Hopper?" Edith asked from her desk.

"Uh, no," Archie replied. "Have a good night."

As he left City Hall, Archie thought about Henry and Regina. He thought about his own parents. And he thought about how it's always easier to wish for something better, than it is to make the best of what you have.

When he reached Main Street, he felt the first of many rain drops. He hurried to his office to collect Pongo, and pick up his umbrella.

[to be continued]