"I really think I should put him in therapy or something," Emma says, sitting in her car talking to Mary Margret on the phone during one of her stakeouts the following night. She's parked on a quiet street in a borrowed car from the station as a yellow bug would draw too much attention. She's waiting at the address of a perpetrator who was supposed to be arrested for drug trafficking and managed to skip town, allegedly. Emma had learned the address of the guy's girlfriend and if he is like any other guy, he'd come back either to get something valuable or to say goodbye.
"Well I don't think that's the best idea,"
"Mary he's struggling, a lot," Emma sighs. "More than I thought."
"But therapy usually communicates that there's something wrong with him," Mary Margret says. "It's likely to make him more depressed than before."
Emma hears Mary Margret grunt.
"Are you okay?" Emma says quickly, thinking she might go into labour.
"I'm fine, I just stubbed my toe while mopping."
"You should really be lying down," Emma sighs. She looks at the clock. "Especially after midnight."
"I can't sleep with the baby kicking and trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in is impossible at this stage."
"But even then, you shouldn't be straining yourself with housework. When I was pregnant with Henry, I couldn't do anything in my last month."
"I'm pregnant, not made of glass Emma," Mary Margret says. "Please stop talking like David."
"He's just worried about you that's all. We want a healthy baby."
"And you'll get one," Mary Margret says. "Speaking of which, would you like to be the baby's godmother?"
Emma's jaw drops in surprise and her phone nearly slips through her hands. She feels very honoured, but also a bit surprised.
"I…I don't know what to say…"
"Say yes, Regina is going to be the other godmother and she's already given me her answer,"
Emma smiles and tears well up. "I'd be honoured."
"That's good to hear."
"Have you decided on names yet?" Emma asks, reaching into the glove compartment for a chocolate bar.
"Well, if it's a girl we're thinking Eva or maybe Julia. For a boy, it'll likely be Leo after my father or Robert after David's."
"Those are nice names," Emma says before something catches her eye. "I got to go, Mary, I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, be safe," her friend says before hanging up.
Emma fumbles to get a pair of binoculars and looks out the passenger window.
At the very end of the street, she sees a lone figure walk towards the girlfriend's house.
"Like so many others, they always come back," Emma whispers to herself. She must take another long look just be sure it's someone else, but the fact that guy is walking home at after 12:00 at night is quite suspicious. He obviously does not want to be seen.
Emma grabs her gun as well as her handcuffs and anything else she might need. She waits for the man to enter the house before she makes her move.
Quietly, she opens the door of the car and gets out. She begins walking along the street as casually as she can, keeping her weapons concealed. The chilly night air causes her to shiver once in her red leather jacket. She zips it up over her bullet proof vest which she wears on all her stakeouts.
She quietly approaches the house. She decides to listen in to make sure this right guy she's arresting.
"Jacob you shouldn't have some back," a female voice says. "The cops are everywhere and there's a warrant out for you. I've already been dragged to the station six times for questioning."
"I need the money, Jenny. I need it to get a fresh start before I come back to get you."
"You made that promise, but I'm starting to doubt you're going to keep it."
"Baby please, just a little while longer and then we can go and start a family."
"I don't want any of our children to be linked to this. I never wanted you to do this is the first place."
"I know, but I had no choice."
"You did have a choice and you chose to ignore it!"
"Jenny please don't get angry with me."
"It's a little late for that!" she screams. "I want the Jacob I fell in love with, not this drug lord you've become."
"We're making so much money, I could take care of you."
"I want to be taken care of by an honest man!" Jenny sobs.
"I am…Jenny Baby…"
"Don't touch me!" she screams.
Emma knows it's time to make her move. She knocks loudly on the door.
"Who the hell could that be?!" Jacob asks.
Emma stands up straight and professional. She usually prefers civil confrontations, but it hardly ever ends up like that.
Jacob opens the door and Emma knows that this is the man she's looking for. Jacob Everette wanted on drug charges. 27 years old and first time trafficker. Emma hopes that since he's not a previous felon, he'll come quietly.
"Yes?' Jacob says. His dark eyes and pale skin stare daggers at the woman in the red jacket. He is much taller than Emma and well built, but he is very skinny, a weakness she might need to know. Behind Jacob, must be Jenny, a young girl in her twenties with tanned skin and raven hair. She wears a pink bathrobe and has her arms crossed defensively.
"Jacob Everette?"
"Yes?"
"Emma Swan, representative of the Boston Police Department, we have a warrant for your arrest."
The colour drains from Jacob's face and Emma never has the chance to say anything else because the man bolts past his girlfriend, towards the back of the house.
Emma doesn't hesitate for a second, she passes the woman in pursuit of the man. She has her gun at the ready and handcuffs on her belt. She weaves her way around some fallen furniture, Jacob's feeble attempt at slowing her down. She sees the back sliding door open and she races out into the cold air. She hears a chain link fence rattling as if someone is trying to scale it. Emma's eyes adjust to the dark and can see a skinny figure halfway over the tall fence. He's so desperate to escape that when one of his shoes becomes entangled in the fence, he removes it and keeps running.
Emma expertly climbs over the fence and chases after Jacob. She focuses on her own footsteps and the sounds of Jacob's frantic ones. She paces herself just enough that she won't be as tired, unlike Jacob who is obviously pushing himself. A rookie mistake, when it comes to escaping. Emma follows him through another neighbourhood and down a long alleyway behind a convenience store.
Suddenly, there's a loud crash. Emma finally sees a sprawled figure in the light of the store. He holds his ankle in pain. Emma doesn't have time to figure out how he got hurt, she sidesteps any obstacles in her way, grabs the man's struggling figure and pins with his face to the pavement. She knows the types of holds needed so she can get the handcuffs on the guy. She then says the Miranda rights, much like clockwork.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney to be present during any or all questioning and if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you."
"Please let me go," Jacob begs as Emma successfully cuffs him. "I'm innocent and my leg… My leg is broken."
"I'll call you an ambulance," Emma says calmly, panting slightly from the chase.
She sees sweat beading on Jacob's forehead and his heavy breathing, meaning he was pushing himself in desperation to get away. She looks to see that there is broken glass and an overturned trash can lying behind them. Emma figures he cut himself on the broken glass especially with his one uncovered foot and in the shock, plowed into the trash can at a weird angle, causing him to injure his leg.
Emma reaches into her coat and pulls out her phone. A person, who Emma can assume is the shop owner, comes out in confusion.
"Nothing to worry about," Emma says calmly. "Everything is under control."
Emma hears Leroy pick up.
"Leroy, I need an ambulance and a police car on 7th Street, I've got Jacob Everette."
"We're on our way."
…
Emma stands in front of the convenience store as Jacob is loaded into the ambulance, handcuffed to the gurney. David is questioning witnesses to the chase for anything that Emma or Jacob might've done to bring harm to anyone else.
After questioning, David comes up to her.
"Good job tonight Emma," he says, patting her on the back.
"He was a rookie, he basically caught himself," Emma says modestly.
"Let's move along Lieutenant Nolan," Gold's croaky voice says from behind them. "We have a suspect to question."
David sighs heavily again and clenches his jaw. "Right away Commissioner. See you later Emma,"
Gold doesn't even acknowledge Emma as he walks past her and climbs into the police vehicle, David follows him.
"You're welcome," Emma growls as the car speeds off following the ambulance.
She then notices a figure in a bathrobe watching as the ambulance pulls away. Emma realizes that it must be Jenny.
Emma is hesitant to approach her, it was never part of her job to comfort any victims or family members, but curiosity gets the better of her and she walks up beside Jenny. Emma can see a few tears sliding down her cheeks as she stares in the direction of where the ambulance left.
"I suppose I should be happy he's gone, but…" Jenny says quietly. "I still miss him."
Emma just nods and stares in the same direction.
"I don't know why I fell in love with him in the first place, he lived so dangerously and I guess that's what drew me to him."
Emma swallows. "I know what you mean, sometimes it feels like you fell in love for all the wrong reasons, but part of you still wants to keep them safe."
"Exactly," Jenny sighs heavily. "I guess we're all weird like that. Drawn towards those who interest us and live on the edge."
Emma doesn't say anything else. She just nods again.
"Thank you," Jenny says abruptly.
"What for?" Emma asks.
"For waking him up and giving him justice. For sending him the message that what he was doing was wrong and that he needs to re-think his life. He'll be relatively safe now... I guess. I hated not knowing where he was. It drove me insane."
"Well… you're welcome," Emma says gently before she heads back down the alleyway.
She contemplates what just occurred and she supposed that she knew what the girl was talking about. Although it did not drive her insane after Neal left, she knows it still drives her son insane, except there is no justice to be had there.