Thanks for the reviews and following along! To answer a guest's question, Emma is 31 ish...hence why the age thing is weird for everyone else. Anyway, here's chapter 5 :)
Emma looked up at the starry night sky, watching her smoke dissipate as she exhaled. She pulled her leather jacket tighter to her center, feeling a chill in the air. A moment later, she heard the noise from the bar become more detectable, shifting from the muted roars. The door had opened and someone was headed her way.
"Shit," she said, pitching her cigarette and hoping she didn't smell of smoke.
"Relax," Ruby said, laughing, "it's just me."
"Oh God, I thought you were my mother," Emma sighed in relief as Ruby lit her own smoke.
"Phahhaha, can you imagine?!" Ruby gasped, exhaling.
"Yeah, she'd probably give me a lecture on cancer."
"Dude, she already berates me with her shit on the environment," Ruby let out as she lit another cigarette for Emma, and then raised her pitch to imitate Mary-Margaret's voice, "Fury little friends have a right to breathe clean air!"
Emma couldn't resist laughter at this. It eased the tension she was feeling anyway.
"You okay, Em?" Ruby asked after their laughter had ended. She always could read Emma like a book.
"Yeah, just…," she sighed, ashing her cigarette, "…I don't know. I miss this place."
"So why don't you come back?"
Emma rolled her eyes at her best friend. "It's complicated. I have a life in Boston."
"You have a life here, too."
"The one in Boston doesn't…," she was going to say 'hurt'; her life in Boston didn't hurt. But Emma quickly corrected herself. "My life in Boston isn't complicated."
"Yeah," Ruby chuckled. "Cause you're dating a college girl. How complicated do they get?"
"I'll have you know," Emma said, shaking her finger, "Kate is very smart."
"But uncomplicated?"
"Yes, uncomplicated," Emma reiterated. "Reg…," she corrected herself again, "Women here are complicated."
Ruby just rolled her eyes. She patted Emma on the back as they headed back inside for last call.
She woke up with her face pressed firmly against her pillow in the bed that her parents still kept made up for her. With no visual distraction, Emma breathed in deep and focused on the scent. The faint trace of vanilla and apples took hold of her. She nuzzled her head around in a circular motion, making the most of the sensation, imagining her pillow was a head of muffled brown locks.
"Fuck."
"Morning!"
The greeting caught her by surprise. Emma turned over to see her mother, dressed and ready, standing at the foot of her bed.
"Shouldn't you be hung over or something?" she managed to mutter out as she threw off her own comforter.
"I don't get hung over," Snow answered. Emma rolled her eyes, begging to differ. "Anyway, I woke you because Henry wanted you to see him ride his horse. David is down at the stables with him now. I told them you'd meet them there."
"What time is it?" she asked as she put one leg into her jeans.
"Nine-thirty. You better hurry."
Shortly after grabbing herself a coffee to go, Emma found her boots standing on the dusty dirt floor of the barn. She enjoyed the earthy scent. It was a kind of smell that made mornings pleasant and complimented a good, bold morning brew. Henry hadn't noticed her yet and she wanted it to stay that way, if only for a moment. She took joy in watching a performer when they didn't know they had an audience, and her son was no exception to the rule.
"Have him pick up his trot, Henry," her father called out as he stood from his post in the center of the arena.
Emma watched as Henry gently nudged his horse with his left heel. The steed picked up pace. Initially jostled by the shift, Henry momentarily broke posture, but he quickly readjusted to an upright position.
"Ready to canter?" David called out.
Henry looked nervous, but he smiled nonetheless. Without even a sound, he nudged the horse repeatedly until his gate widened. Emma heard the stamping of his horse grow louder as Henry leaned forward slightly. She saw him make a wide turn toward the inner track. He was headed straight for a small jump. Emma's heart sunk as he barreled over it perfectly.
She and David both began clapping with enthusiasm as Henry slowed his steed. He patted him gently before flinging one leg over. He waited for David to bring over the step stool, as he was still too short to hop down. Henry grabbed the reins and led his horse back toward his pen, taking notice of Emma.
"Did you see?!" he cried.
"Yeah, kid, you were awesome!"
"He's getting really good," David said, patting the boy on his helmet before helping him untack. "Even Regina would be impressed."
Emma grabbed a brush and began helping Henry groom his steed after David removed his bridle and halter. Henry laughed when the horse snorted and huffed, making Emma jump back a bit.
"He's just saying hello," Henry said, still chuckling.
"Yeah, I think he's saying, 'I don't like that you're wearing my friend,'" she said, as she tugged on her leather jacket.
"I thought mom said it was a cheap pleather jacket that you probably bought at a thrift shop?!" Henry said.
Emma narrowed her eyes into small slits and curled her lip. "She would say that," she said in response, dodging the question of her jacket's authenticity. "Anyway, what do you wanna do today?"
"Well," Henry said, blushing a bit, "before I knew you were coming, I sort of told someone I'd meet them in the park."
Emma smiled. "Would this someone happen to be Grace?"
"No!" he cried out, only to see his mother get the look she gets when she uses her lie detector skills. "Maybe…okay, yes."
Emma let out a big laugh. "Henry, it's not a big deal. It's fine."
"So you'll drop me off?" he asked eagerly.
"Not uh, no way," she said, "You're not old enough to be on your own yet. I'll take you to the park."
"But Ma!"
"No buts," she said sternly. "I'll sit on a bench at the other end. You won't even know I'm there."
"Fine," Henry grumbled, letting his helmet dangle, one of the straps brushing the floor, as they headed back to the car. Emma shook her head and laughed, pleased with herself as she always was in these rare moments she was able to be a parent to him, not just a side-kick in Operation Cobra.
It was a fairly decent day, especially after her third coffee. Emma had taken a seat on a bench at the far end of the park, just as promised. Little did Henry know, she could still see him in the distance as he sat sipping smoothies on a blanket with Grace. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she watched. Henry had inherited all of her nervous habits. He would frequently touch the back of his head, and play with a piece of his hair, or scratch the top of his right ear. Seeing this play out was quite endearing.
"Emma?"
Emma looked up to see none other than Dr. Hopper. "Archie, hi," she answered.
"I didn't know you were back in Storybrooke."
"Uh, yeah, just for…," but before Emma could finish, Archie cut her off.
"I think that's so good. For Henry and all," the cricket said, as he peered over to the boy. "With this transition, it'll be good for him to have you around."
"Yeah," Emma answered, figuring Henry had told him about Grace. "I'm always here for him."
He smiled and paused for a moment. "How is Regina holding up with the news?"
"You know, I wouldn't know," Emma answered, shaking her head, "she and I don't really talk all that much."
"That's a shame," he said. "Well, at least you're here for Henry."
"Yeah."
And with that, Dr. Hopper gave a sympathetic nod and headed on his way. Emma waited until he was out of earshot.
"Weird fucking cricket," she mumbled to herself.