Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.

The first day Evie openly walked hand in hand with Harry, in broad daylight, through the streets of Storybrooke, she wasn't sure what to expect. People she had never even spoken to stopped in their tracks to smile or wave at the pair. Even Archie, who Evie wouldn't have pegged for a gossip, made a point to congratulate them.

Ruby was the worst. The older girl squealed, so loud and at high enough a pitch, that poor Pongo scampered for cover. Startled by what she thought was an overreaction, Evie didn't protest when Ruby swept her into a hug.

"Oh! I'm so happy for you! Let me guess," Ruby set Evie down and arched a playful brow. "You finally told her royal mayoress to shove it?"

Wincing, Evie muttered, "something like that," before changing the subject. Honestly, it was a relief to see that there seemed to be no lasting impact on Ruby after finding Kathryn Nolan, alive and well. "So, are you going to Mary Margaret's welcome home party tonight?"

"Um, isn't everyone?" Guilt clouded Ruby's features. "Honestly, I feel bad. We all treated her so badly when the affair came out, and then the whole mess with Kathryn's disappearance... I just want to make it up to her, ya know?"

Granny chose that moment to bark out an order, taking all of Ruby's attention. Evie gave her friend a weak smile, watching her stalk off. Slumping, Evie let Harry lead them away from the diner and back to the studio. Since her confrontation with her mother, Evie had been spending most of her time there. Harry left for his cannery shifts, but other than that, remained closeted up with her.

Thus far, her mother hadn't tried anything. If she was honest, Evie could admit that the lack of reaction on her mother's part made her even more wary. Regina Mills wasn't a woman that took threats to her happiness lying down. It was almost a relief that Emma hadn't broken the Curse yet; there was no telling what Evie's mother would do if she got her magic back.

Evie shed her coat and scarf the minute she entered the studio. Flitting around, she rifled through some sketches, checked on a few bolts of cloth that had arrived, never staying in one place for long. Harry let her go about her business, recognizing that she would talk when she was ready. A knock saved him from crushing boredom, and he wasn't surprised when he found Henry Mills standing on the other side.

"Hey Harry!" Henry chirped in that too chipper voice of his. "Is Evie ready to go?"

"Is she ever, runt?" With a grin, Harry swept Henry into the room, calling out for the boy's sister. "Princess! Henry's here!"

In a flurry of curls, Evie peeked her head out from the closet she used to store her fabrics. Her frazzled expression cleared at the sight of her brother. "Henry," her brow creased in sudden thought, "how did you escape from mom?"

"Easy," Henry shrugged off his backpack and settled on one of her desk chairs. With a kick of his feet, he sent the chair flying across the loft. "Mom was holed in at her office, so I just left."

"Well, this is the first place she'll look so hopefully she doesn't come looking," Evie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. While she didn't want to alarm Henry, she also hadn't explained the full story behind what had happened between their mother and herself. All he knew, was Evie had officially moved out, and Harry had officially moved into the loft with her. "Just give me a minute, and I'll be ready to go."

True to her word, she came bounding down the small flight of stairs minutes after disappearing up them. Her makeup refreshed, and wearing a distressed, red and black leather jacket, she looked stunning as always. The walk to Mary Margaret's apartment was brief, and the space was full to bursting when Emma Swan opened the door with a wide, if a little guarded, smile.

"Hey, kid," she greeted when Henry swept past her to run and hug his teacher. Smile a bit warmer, she turned back to greet her son's sister and said sister's boyfriend. "Evie, Harry. How's it going?"

"Great," Evie lied flawlessly, squeezing Harry's hand when he slipped it into hers. "Everything is great."

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?