Chapter LX

Pepperoni and Chaos

Author's Note: 2025 and still going strong!

Part I

Mulan

Mulan brought the ax down and split the log in two. Then she did it again, again, and again. It was a practiced, familiar motion. She kicked the split wood towards the growing pile. She set the next log, shouldered the ax, then paused.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her muscles were warm and loose. She'd shed her long-sleeved shirt about an hour ago. Firewood, her first military trainer barked at her, warmed you twice. Once while chopping and then again when you burnt it.

That had been a long time ago. A different world, a different time, a different her. She doubted that Lieutenant Fa Mulan would recognize herself now.

Physically she was in fighting form. Between magic and medicine, she was as good as new. Mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually? She had no idea.

She'd abandoned the softer things like feelings and beliefs a long time ago. She'd cut those pieces of herself away to survive. She'd lost her family, her soldiers, her world. She'd lost herself. She'd become the sword. Swords didn't miss their mothers. Swords didn't long for companionship. Swords didn't worry about where they were going next.

Mulan had been a sword for hire. She'd hunted fugitives, fought monsters, and traded skill for gold. She had been hard iron that didn't care if it spilled animal, human or monster blood.

Then she'd met Belle. Belle had led her to Phillip. Phillip had led her to Aurora.

All those soft things: feelings, wants, needs, desires, grew back. They grew back bigger and bolder.

Aurora made her human again. Made her want to be human. Made her want so many impossible things.

Loving Rory was easy. It came as quickly and easily as the next breath. Protecting her was getting harder every day. Providing for her? It seemed impossible.

She was in a strange new world with no plan or clue about what to do next.

Mulan brought the ax down again, a little harder than necessary.

Magic, mysteries, mistakes, money.

Mulan felt like a failure. Again. Only this time she couldn't just cut away the pain. She had to persevere. No, she had to find a way to flourish so she could give Rory everything she deserved.

She set up another log, split it, and kicked the wood.

"Do you know how much money I could make if I put this online?"

A sarcastic voice broke through her thoughts.

"Hell, I could keep it local and still clear enough money to pay for Raps' fancy hair stuff for the next year."

Cassandra "Cass" Tower leaned against the kitchen doorway. She was another misplaced warrior. They often sparred.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you know we have a log-splitter, right?"

Cass pointed to the odd contraption beside the supply shed. The splitter was, in Mulan's opinion, taking up space where more wood could be.

"The last kid we had do wood for us swore it was better and faster than the ax."

Mulan scowled at her.

"I do not need a machine."

"Woman-"

Cass chuckled.

"-you are a machine. You've cut more in one morning than he did in two weeks."

Really? No wonder he had been dismissed. If she'd had a man slacking like that, she'd had him mucking stalls and shoveling latrines.

"Come on, lunch rush is over and my line cook just clocked in. Let's take a lunch break. You can be my guinea pig."

Pig?

Mulan wasn't sure what a pig had to do with pizza, but she followed Cass inside. She pulled her shirt on and buttoned it as she walked.

"Killjoy."

She bumped her shoulder against Mulan's.

"Do you know how many pizzas your abs would sell for me?"

High Tower Pizza was a tall, strangely narrow building. The kitchen and a long counter dominated the first floor. A spiral staircase and elevator (a box suspended on ropes and pulleys) lead to the next two levels.

Thankfully Cass took the stairs. Mulan didn't exactly trust the elevator. She followed Cass up the stairs to the dining room.

This room was lit by a large window at the front. The long side walls were bare brick and decorated with photos, mementos, and clothing.

There were booths, tables, and a lot of chairs. It was a cramped but cozy space.

While Cass ruled the kitchen, this was Rapunzel's realm. Rapunzel, also known as Mandy, was one of the kindest people in Storybrooke. She always had a smile and kind words for everybody.

"Is Maya in the kitchen already?"

The blonde had an electronic device in her hands. Bigger than a phone, but smaller than a computer. She popped up on her tiptoes and gave Cass a small kiss on the lips.

"So lunchtime?"

Cass beamed, her smile reached her mismatched eyes.

"You're not going to torture poor Mulan with one of your new creations are you?"

"Arugula-"

The third member of the High Tower Trio shouted from above them.

"-does not belong on a pizza!"

A tall, lanky, brunette man leaned over the spiral staircase. He was practically upside down.

Flynn was in charge of the third floor and roof terrace. Which, according to him, was where all the fun occured.

The third floor was full of games. There were loud machines with bright lights and screens. Emma and Henry called it an arcade. Mulan called it a screaming headache.

Above that there was a party space on the roof. It was where people hosted birthday parties, weddings, and most recently, wakes.

"Thanks for taking care of all the chopping by the way."

Flynn gave her a crooked grin.

"I hate it! Whenever we don't have a wood kid, it falls to me. It isn't fair, but wife outranks husband when it comes to chores."

He clapped his hand to his chest.

"They team up on me! I'm put upon! Abused!"

"Oh shut it, Fitzherbert."

Cass sat down in one of the booths and motioned for Mulan to sit across from her. Rapunzel leaned over the back of the booth to rest her chin on Cass's head.

"It is Thai inspired, sweet and spicy. It isn't my fault that your husband-"

Cass looked up at Rapunzel.

"-is a philistine."

The elevator on the back wall dinged. The metal doors slid open to reveal one of the waitresses. She had a large steaming pizza and two ice cold beers.

The young woman, dressed in the pizzeria's uniform, smiled at them.

"It smells great, Cass. We have another winner here!."

The waitress, Mulan didn't know her name, handed her a bottle and plate. Then, much to her delight, put two slices of hot pizza on it.

Rapunzel sat beside her wife, intercepted Cass' plate and took a small bite. She smiled as she chewed, obviously pleased.

"Saturday Special."

Mulan took her own bite. Flavor exploded on her tongue. Delicious!

"But."

Rapunzel took a sip of Cass' beer.

"We need to pair it with something lighter. A blonde ale or a light lager. I'll call Deacon and see what he has."

She bounced up and out of the booth.

"Regina too. Her cider will pair with the chutney you put on it. She owes me a favor anyway."

What?

"Hey-"

A new voice came from the spiral stairs again.

"-what kind of favor are we talking about here?"

Emma Swan and Ruby Lucas climbed the spiral stairs into the dining room.

"And will it change the price of my pizza?"

Rapunzel's smile widened a bit.

"Maybe. It depends on if you have access to Regina's cider cellar. I would prefer the 1998 vintage."

Emma blew out an exaggerated breath.

"The things I do for good pizza."

Cass chuckled and saluted the two newcomers with a tilt of her beer bottle.

"Just fulfilling your role as Savior."

Emma's response was to raise her middle finger. Mulan didn't have to know exactly what it meant. The hand gesture more or less spoke for itself.

"Hey Mandy, we brought a bunch of hungry guys with us. Monthly Fisherman's Co-Op. I know it's our month."

Ruby scuffed her boot on the hardwood floor.

"But Granny's is still out of commission. She sent over Ashley to help cover the tables-on us."

Rapunzel nodded.

"And you two volunteered to come up here and tell me so you could get a seat first?"

Both Emma and Ruby tried to look innocent. They were terrible at it.

"Police corruption!"

Flynn, still hanging on the third floor landing like a monkey, laughed.

"Right here in our restaurant!"

Mulan motioned Emma and Ruby to sit.

Ruby took Rapunzel's seat beside Cass and Emma sat beside her.

Cass tilted her head back.

"Don't you have a bar mitzvah to set up for?"

Emma chuckled.

"I could get Esmeralda down here to help if you need it."

Her words had the intended effect. Flynn's face fell and he disappeared without another word.

Cass's eyes, both the dark brown and the turquoise colored one, widened.

"So there is a magic word to make that goofball disappear!"

Rapunzel dropped a kiss on Cass's forehead.

"Be nice. I'll send some more beer-"

Emma sighed and dropped her head to the table.

"We're on duty."

"-sodas up in a minute."

She headed down the spiral stairs.

"And no more skeeball until you finish setting up that party, Euguene."

The borderline pained scream from upstairs was too much. Mulan burst out laughing and the other women joined in. They must have sounded like a pack of wild hyenas.

The fishermen coming up the stairs all stared at them. They probably sounded like a pack of wild hyenas. Their baffled faces made them laugh harder.

They were wind-chapped and hardy, common folk. The men all greeted, or at least acknowledged them. Some of them smiled despite not knowing the joke.

They planted themselves at a collection of tables by the big window. Two waitresses who usually worked at Granny's came next, already carrying menus and beer.

At that moment, Mulan was young again. She was sitting with like-minded people sharing a meal. No stress, no worries, and no complicated life. Good food, good drink, good people. The only thing missing was Rory.

Part II

Ruby

Ruby had whiled away years' worth of hours at High Tower Pizza. The pizza was hot, the beer was cold, and the atmosphere had always been chill.

Zach, Mandy, and Cass had declared their restaurant neutral. You had to leave your politics at the door if you wanted pizza. They had a Storybrooke Strong sign on the door to emphasize that point.

Emma had declared the Sheriff's Office was neutral too. They were there to protect, serve, and keep the peace. She had banned arm-bands and loyalty talk while on duty.

That was fine with Ruby. She didn't want to go backward. Ruby loved Snow, but she wouldn't fight another war for her. Not here, not now. The time for crowns, thrones and loyalty-with-a-capital-L was long gone.

She had her grandmother and girlfriend to protect. She had a job that she loved. She had two businesses to help run. She had a future to look forward to.

Cass had offered them each a slice of her newest creation. Ruby also put in an order for a couple of large pepperonis. One for Emma and David, and one for her, because she was starving. Ever since magic had come to Storybrooke, her wolf-metabolism had taken over. She was always hungry.

Cass's Thai pizza disappeared between the four of them. The conversation was casual, and everything was calm. Across the room, the fishermen were enjoying themselves too.

Emma, Mulan, and Cass were chatting. It was a mix of pleasantries and jokes. Most of the jokes were at Emma's expense. Since Emma and Regina had come out, they were the big story.

Ruby stretched her legs under the table and wished she had a bottle of water. She could guzzle down an entire gallon. Damn wolf metabolism.

Ruby listened to the chatter. She liked Cass, Mandy and Zach too. Ruby hadn't met them before Storybrooke. She didn't know much about their past. She did know it was a hell of a story, though. They had been scooped up by the curse accidentally. Something about travel between kingdoms. Wrong place, wrong time. They hadn't said anything else about it.

During the curse it had been a don't ask/don't tell situation. Now Mandy, or Rapunzel, made it very clear. Zach was her husband. Cass was her wife. If anyone had a problem with it, they were shown the door.

Ruby didn't care one way or the other. Not her circus, not her monkeys. Now that Granny's was out of commision, this felt like one of the only calm places in town.

Storybrooke was buzzing like someone had kicked a hornet's nest.

Things had to settle down eventually though, right? She hoped it was sooner rather than later.

Everyone was so nervous. They were jumping at shadows. Mike over at the Sporting Goods store had sold every gun and box of ammo he'd had in stock. Not to mention the swords, bows, and axes. She'd even seen a trident down by the docks.

Damn ogres. Forget Cora, Regina or any other magical nonsense. Ogres scared the shit out of everyone. For good reason too. Everyone had lost someone to ogres. Even the nobles and royals.

There were torches and bonfires going 24/7. Armed men and women were patrolling the woods, mines, and streets.

The churches were full to standing-room-only every day. She'd seen old charms hanging around necks and on doors that she hadn't even thought of in years. People were begging Esmeralda for Romani blessing. Others tried trading trinkets to the Dark One for protection.

They were more scared of ogres than they were of werewolves.

The elevator dinged and Ruby leaned over to look at the door. She needed pizza to chase away the weird thoughts.

The old doors creaked open and it was full of more customers. More were coming up the stairs.

Ruby checked her watch. One thirty-three. Too early for school kids. Too late for lunch breaks. Then again, with Granny's and Kisamos Taverna out of commission people had to eat somewhere.

She wasn't sure if it was the wolf, the deputy, or the waitress but she scanned each face as they walked past them. It only took seconds to recognize what was about to happen. Ruby's stomach dropped and the muscles in her back tensed up.

Ruby met Emma's eyes, tilted her head, and hoped she understood.

"Damn it."

Emma read the situation the same way she did.

Trouble.

Big Al Smalls was one of her regulars. He was a tall, thick man, with a big beard and an even bigger personality. He liked meat, potatoes, and had a weakness for blueberry pie. He coached one of the little league baseball teams. He volunteered at the charity haunted house every year. He was the harbor master and made sure it ran like clockwork. He was a stickler for the rules, but fair to all. He was a good tipper too.

Well, he had been. When the curse broke, Big Al became Lord Alaric of White River again. Alaric had always been an entitled jackass, but now he was ten-times worse.

He'd been one of Snow's biggest supporters. He'd sent soldiers and knights to fight on her behalf. He'd hired pirates to thwart river trade. He'd blockaded every port that showed even the smallest support for the Evil Queen.

Since he'd remembered his lordship, he'd been throwing his weight around. He ran the harbor like his own personal yacht club now. He'd also declared that he was on the town council too. It was his birthright, after all.

Bullshit. He acted like he was a big damn hero, but he was a spoiled noble. His title didn't mean anything. It was an excuse to be a bully.

The fishermen's Co-Op's table went silent when they noticed him.

Trouble.

Not that Alaric was the only issue. His buddy Lars Berg was the Head of Operations at the cannery. Storybrooke's biggest employer had always been a decent place to work. Now he was running the place like a gulag. He was slashing the payroll and handing the profits over to Leah and Stephan.

Speak of the Devil and he appeared. Stephen strolled in like he owned the place.

Mulan's face went hard, her eyes flashed, and her hands balled into fists. There was no love-lost there.

Emma immediately put her hand on Mulan's shoulder to keep her seated and still. If looks could kill, Stephen would be dead four-times-over from their table alone.

More men walked by. They were all displaying their loyalties. They wore different colored armbands , but had the same shitty attitude.

Stephen's cronies had all been lords once. Now they were regular joes and hated it. They were some of the loudest voices screeching for traditional values.

Ashley led them to the one large family-style table. Of course, it was right across from the fishermen.

Damn.

Ashley took their drink orders with a forced smile.

"Ashley, Lass."

One of the fishermen waved at her.

"How's Sean?"

Ashley sighed, and Ruby winced.

He was still in the hospital and things weren't good.

Her tears betrayed that her words were only wishful thinking.

She looked exhausted like she was about to collapse.

"I appreciate everything you guys-"

She was talking to the Co-Op and her back was to the nobles.

"-have done to help us. Really thank you."

The nobles shared sour looks with each other. Ashley was supposed to be one of "their people". Only they never treated her like that unless it suited them. They remembered that she had grown up scrubbing floors and eating scraps. Ruby doubted any nobles had bothered to say anything to her. All of their sympathy and thoughts were with Sean's parents. They were the King and Queen and that was what mattered to them.

"Your Highness."

Gerald simpered.

"You shouldn't be forced to wait on those-"

He wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust.

"-odious miscreants. Switch to our table. You're too good for the likes of them."

Odious? Really? Gerald, the lord of trash mountain and sewer springs, really decided to talk about bad smells? Ruby wasn't sure what he had done to piss Regina off, but it must have been pretty bad. How else had he been cursed to be the head of a one man sanitation department?

Ashley plastered a big fake smile on her face.

"Granny sent me over here to take care of the Co-Op meeting, but I'm sure The High Tower team will take great care of you!"

She slid past him as smooth as silk, to gather up empty plates and bottles from the Co-Op table.

Gerald reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey!"

Emma shouted.

"Hands off her!"

Edwin McCabe, one of the Co-Op, bellowed.

"No!"

Cass added her voice to the fray.

He ignored them all.

"I insist. You shouldn't have to deal with them. They're beneath us."

Ruby didn't say anything. A flash of fury rocketed through her. She shut her jaw tight before she growled or snarled. She grabbed the edge of the table and her suddenly wolf-hard nails splintered the wood. She bit her cheek until she tasted blood.

Ashley was no push-over, though. She wasn't a damsel in distress who needed a hero. She moved fast, twisted her wrist and took a step back. She broke his hold without missing a beat. Her usually sweet face was a mask of barely controlled fury.

"That's enough, Gerry. I'm not dealing with you."

Ashley narrowed her eyes at all of the men, but her gaze rested on Stephen the longest.

"Any of you."

Alaric stood.

"Gerald meant no harm, Princess Ella. He is right, though. Please sit with us. It isn't your place to serve. Especially not those jackanapes."

Oh fuck.

Emma and Mulan may not know the word, but she and Cass did. So did the fishermen.

"Leave her alone, you smarmy son of a bitch!"

Rick Medina wasn't a big guy, he wasn't a loud guy. He wasn't a violent guy. He didn't start fights, but he could and would finish them.

That word was about as insulting as the G-word. It was a curse the upper classes spat to compare the lower classes to animals. As if money and power equated to humanity.

Alaric, who had pissed off half of the town already, smirked.

"You lot are done eating. Pay your tab and leave."

He waved him away.

"Your King-"

Lars piped up.

"-is holding court and isn't here to hear your begging and bellyaching."

He bowed his head in deference to Stephen.

"Go."

Lars glanced their way.

"Before we have the authorities remove you."

Cass, one of the building's co-owners, cocked her brow and looked at Emma.

Most people would say Emma looked like David. They had the same coloring and build after all. They were wrong.

Ruby saw Snow's influence all over her daughter. Angry Emma looked exactly like Angry Snow. It was the way their jaw ticked and the tilt of the chin. It was the flash in her eyes and the way their skin flushed scarlet.

Her wolf, always ready to fight, surged forward. The only thing that kept her in her seat was Emma's head shake.

It wasn't their place. It wasn't their call. They both looked at Cass.

She sighed, finished her beer, then threw her head back.

"Fitzherbert!"

Her voice boomed. It was a command voice, the sort that made armies march.

"Get down here and help me take out the trash!"

Zack immediately appeared. He came down the spiral stairs on the double. His face, usually all smiles, was stone-cold-serious.

"As you can see-"

Stephen smirked.

"-this is a noble establishment, and you aren't-"

Zack snorted.

"You."

He pointed at Stephen.

"Stop talking."

Cass hopped out of their booth, flexible as a gymnast. She hadn't even ruffled Emma's hair when she'd moved. She shrugged and rolled her shoulders, popped her neck and squared her footing. She was a fighter and made sure everyone could see she was ready.

Zack pulled Ashley away from the crowd and out of danger.

"This is our establishment."

Zack spoke, low and steady,

"Me, Cass, and Blondie-"

Fynn crossed his arms and tossed his perfectly tousled bangs out of his eyes.

"-decide who is welcome here. No one can tell us what to do in our tower."

Ruby had never seen Zack like this. He'd always been a goofy sidekick to Cass and Mandy. This sudden seriousness was enough to give everyone whiplash.

"Besides-"

Flynn chuckled and the seriousness slipped away.

"What king? Elvis?"

It was a none-too-subtle jab at Stephen.

"The King of Rock."

Emma answered his sarcastic question. She was only going to make it worse, but didn't look like she cared.

"Michael Jackson?"

"Ooh the King of Pop."

Flynn and Emma were being assholes now. Ruby fought to keep a smile off of her face. Assholes or not, they were funny.

"King Kong?"

One of the Co-Op guys shouted.

Stephan's face twisted into a snarl.

"Shut up!"

He raged. Their jokes had done exactly what they'd wanted. They'd made Stephen mad.

"All of you!"

Mulan, stuck behind Emma in the booth, couldn't stand. She didn't need to, though.

"Leave. Now."

Her voice held none of the other's sarcasm or even anger. It was ice cold and deadly serious. Frankly, it was terrifying.

"Slant eyed-"

Lars, the closest noble to their table, spat on Mulan. His spittle hit her cheek.

"-bitch"

That was all it took.

Rick practically leapt over his table to punch Lars in the face.

Alaric threw his arm out and clothesline tackled another man.

Cass and Flynn both jumped into the fray, fists flying.

"Well now it's an official matter."

Emma sighed, stood up, and stretched.

"But if a couple of noble faces get busted up before we separate them."

She shrugged.

"Well Storybrooke's Sheriff's Department is criminally understaffed."

It was chaos. A mid-day brawl in a crowded room. Fists, glasses, elbows, chairs. It was a free-for-all.

Except for Mulan. She cut through the knot of men without hesitation. She headed right for Steffan. Ruby didn't blame her, and wasn't going to break them apart.

"All right!"

Emma shouted over the men cursing and screaming at each other as they broke each other's faces.

"That's enough! Break it up!"

Exactly no one listened.

Ruby saw something out of the corner of her eye and reacted on pure instinct. She caught a half-empty bottle of beer only inches from Emma's head.

"Oh that is it!"

Emma lost what was left of her calm and professional demeanor and threw a right hook at the closest noble. Paul's head snapped to the side and he stumbled back. Before he had a moment to react or recover, Emma planted her elbow in his gut. When he bent double, she used his momentum to slam him down hard on the wood table. His face made a satisfying crunch sound as it met a plate full of discarded crusts.

Emma whipped a pair of handcuffs off her belt and ratcheted them on his wrists like she'd been doing it for years. Then she sat him, none too gently, down on the floor.

"Stay down-"

Emma snarled at Paul, who'd spent years hocking loafers and Nikes at the shoe store.

"-idiot."

Ruby waded in . Her wolf strength made pulling people apart easy. She'd done it plenty of times at the Rabbit Hole.

Ruby clapped her hand on Ferd's shoulder and pulled him away from Johnny McRay mid-punch. She held out her other hand to tell Johnny to back off.

"All right, Ferdy, don't make me cuff you."

Ferdinand jerked away, twisted around, and batted her hand away.

"Keep your paws off me, Monster!"

Before Ruby even had time to be insulted, she was hit hard. Someone full-body tackled her from behind. She pitched forward and hit the hardwood floor with a smack.

"I'll have you strung up and horsewhipped! Then I'll finish what that witch started! I'll put a silver bullet between your yellow eyes!"

Someone kicked her in the ribs, hard. Another kick came to her head. Another couple of kicks, then they were gone.

Ruby rolled and got to her feet in time to see Flynn bashing two men with a large pizza pan. Ruby stood, grabbed Ferdy and his friend Ambrose by the hair and smacked their heads together. They both collapsed to the floor. Ruby pulled out her cuffs and slapped her first pair on Ferdy and her back ups on Ambrose.

Johnny raised his boot to give Ferdy a kick, but Ruby glared at him. He paused.

"Sorry Ru-"

He dropped his foot back to the floor.

"-Deputy Lucas."

Ruby rolled her eyes and jerked her head towards the stairs. Johnny was a good guy. The man, an overgrown teenager really, darted away and down the stairs. She was out of cuffs anyway.

Across the room, Emma had her hands full pulling men apart. One of the men, Roy Katz, headbutted her hard and Emma let out a curse. She pushed him away then reared back and kicked him hard. He flew back, hit the brick wall, and knocked several framed photos off the wall and onto himself.

Mulan was cleaning house. She'd already knocked two men out cold. She hadn't taken a single hit. She wasn't even winded! She had Steffan backed up against a couple of booths.

Steffan swung at Mulan, a weak punch that turned him around when he missed.

Dumbass.

Mulan hit him with a "This is Sparta" style kick to the chest.

He flew backwards, almost fell, and raised his hands to defend himself or beg for mercy.

Mulan didn't hesitate and she definitely didn't have any mercy. She hit him with a haymaker.

Ruby actually saw his jaw dislocate.

Mulan slammed him onto the booth table so hard that it broke and he fell through the wood to the floor. Mulan followed him, raining down more punches as they went.

It was getting a little wild. Mulan was a warrior and she wasn't stopping. Ruby rushed over and caught Mulan's wrist mid-punch.

Mulan twisted her head around, and her eyes were dark and as hard as stone. Her lips were peeled back over her teeth in a snarl. She was terrifying, lost in anger and blood lust.

Ruby wrenched her up and away, and gave her a little shake.

"Ease up!"

Mulan tried to pull herself free, to keep punching.

Ruby twisted Mulan's right arm behind her back. She clapped her other hand around Mulan's iron-hard left bicep. She gave Mulan another shake.

"You'll kill him."

Another shake.

"Rory would never forgive you."

Mulan blinked and then they both looked down at Steffan. He was dazed, bleeding and not getting up.

Mulan jerked her wrist free and stood up straight.

"Thanks."

Ruby clapped her on the back.

"That beat down was a thing of beauty."

She sighed.

"But I still have to arrest you, but I will let you arrest him-"

She kicked Steffan's limp foot.

"-first. Got a belt?"

Mulan didn't. She shrugged then ripped the first the left then the right sleeve of her flannel shirt. She then flipped Steffan onto his belly.

He mumbled, cursed and flopped like a fish while Mulan twisted the cloth around his wrists and ankles. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey Em-"

Ruby turned to ask if she had any more cuffs.

Emma was trying to talk sense into Al and Rick. Both men were furious, yelling, and not backing down at all. When she looked over to answer Ruby, Al moved fast. He grabbed a chair and swung it as hard as he could.

Ruby and Mulan could only scream out half of a warning. It didn't help. Emma turned right into the hit. The wooden chair smashed across her chest, shoulder and face. She went down hard.

Ruby dashed and full - body tackled Al. He was taller and heavier than her, but the wolf made up for that. It was all a blur. She slammed his face on the floor and shoved her knee in his back.

Hot fiery rage roared through her. The wolf howled. She could feel her teeth and nails grow sharp. The bones in her hips and shoulders snapped. Her wolf demanded to take over. It took every ounce of her control to shove it back.

"Useless fucker."

The words were closer to growl than speech.

"That's the princess and savior that armband says you support."

She ripped it off and threw the offensive cloth across the room.

Emma wasn't just her friend, her boss, her goddaughter, or even her princess. She was pack.

Mulan put her hand on her shoulder.

"Belle will be upset if you kill him."

Ruby growled, but pushed the wolf back down.

Damn it. They were both so whipped. There was a lesbian stereotype joke buried in there somewhere.

"Ow."

Emma sat up, both hands clasped to her bleeding forehead.

"Regina is going to kill me."

Make that 3 totally whipped badasses.

Part III

Emma

One day.

Emma gratefully accepted Ruby and Mulan's help off the floor. She wanted just one day without some kind of shit show.

Emma probed her nose with careful fingers. She was pretty sure it was broken.

"WCW made this shit look way cooler."

She looked around. The dining room was trashed. The fighters were still bitching at each other, but the fighting had stopped.

Flynn-Zach-Whoever sighed.

"I guess we needed to re-decorate at some point. But if I were a betting man, I'd say-"

He glared at Steven.

"-our insurance isn't going to pay out."

Emma groaned. She was so tired of political bullshit.

"Rubes, can you call David? We need to get every one of these guys down to the office. "Misdemeanor assault all around."

This was going to suck so hard. The DA and Judge were going to lose their minds. Not to mention Regina.

"I already called."

Mandy and Ashley peeked up from the staircase.

"And we're pressing charges!"

Emma's adrenaline was dropping off. Pain and nausea started to hit her in waves. She wanted, and probably should, sit down. She couldn't. She had so much work to do.

"You can't arrest us!"

Not-So-Lucky Luke (What kind of name was Ludwig anyway) face was beet red and the cords of his neck stood out in his neck.

Emma rolled her shoulders one at a time. One was fine. The other caught and pain ran from her neck all the way down to her fingers. She would bet big money that her collarbone was cracked, maybe even broken.

"I am the Sheriff, elected fair and square. You broke the law so yes, I am arresting you. All of you. I don't care if you were a king, a fairy, or the fucking Hamburgler!"

She looked around, glaring at fishermen and so-called-noble alike.

"You destroyed their business like-like"

What was a good ye olde insult that would get through their hard heads?

"-like a bunch of ogres!"

Rick, leaned against the wall, lowered his head. So did most of the Co-Op guys.

"How dare you-"

King Steve slurred his words and winced as he spoke. He was still hogtied on the floor, but had flopped onto his side.

A couple of his cronies, the ones who weren't cuffed, tied, or out cold, went to help him up.

"Leave him."

Mulan took one step in their direction and they immediately stopped.

She should probably separate the group. She couldn't put the Common Crips with the Royal Bloods. What the hell was she supposed to do after that?

"No!"

Someone protested and jumped up to his feet. Emma recognized his face, but didn't know his name.

"You can't arrest us for defending ourselves! You're no better than these-"

"Watch your mouth you son of a-"

Emma whipped her head around, and a red hot bolt of pain shot up her back.

"Shut up! All of you have the right to be silent and I suggest you use it!"

Her nose had, at some point, started bleeding.

She wished backup (David) was already here. They weren't that far from the Sheriff Station. The very small two-celled station.

Emma needed a minute to think, to figure out her next move, to breathe.

Only in that single minute she wanted, everything exploded into action again. It was both too fast and too slow. It was like she was watching it all on TV or something.

"Sit down!"

Ruby yelled.

Mulan jerked around, fists out to punch.

Two men, Emma didn't register their faces, lurched forward, ready to fight again.

"Raps!"

Cass pushed Rapunzel out of the way.

"Cassandra!"

Flynn grabbed Cass's arm and tried to move her too.

The two running men hit Cass and Flynn like a truck.

Flesh hit flesh.

Flesh hit glass.

Glass shattered.

Flesh fell.

Emma acted on instinct rather than thought. She threw her hands out.

Magic happened

The air rippled and Emma felt her fingers, arms, entire body, vibrate. The sore spots, where she'd been kicked, punched or chair-smacked, throbbed painfully. The small hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood at attention.

It was her magic, but Emma didn't really know what, why, or how. It was her, but also not her. It was like she kept flipping channels. It had been Saturday Afternoon Wrestling, then Law and Order, and now Charmed.

Emma didn't really get what was happening. All she knew was that no one else was getting hurt today.

The people stopped falling.

The shattered glass froze in the air.

Emma was at the window, though she didn't remember running to it.

She didn't know what she had done, or how to keep doing it or stop it or how long it would last. Right now the magic was keeping the four people from becoming street pizza.

Sounds warbled and washed over her. It was all far away. Like her TV's speakers were busted.

"Cassandra! Eugene!"

Mandy (the actual Rapunzel) was suddenly at her side.

Emma thought she'd seen everything. She was proven wrong yet again. The TV show that was her life never stopped jumping the stupid shark.

Rapunzel's hair burst free of its neat and tidy braid. Long, thick strands moved like they had a mind of their own.

The hair-snakes glowed bright gold and whipped out the window and down. Emma watched them wrap and curl around Cass and Zack. The hair was gentle with them and they wrapped their hands and fingers in it.

Two other strands wrapped around the other two men, but none too gently. It (she?) wrapped around an ankle on one of the guys and the wrist of another.

"I've got them all now, Emma."

Mandy touched her shoulder.

"You can let them go."

Great! Emma would totally do that, if she knew how.

Sweat, or blood, or maybe both, slid down Emma's face.

"I don't-"

Her knees wobbled, cold chills raced through her and something snapped. Emma fell and so did everyone else.

Cass and Zach came back through the window on vines of hair. So much damn hair! Emma watched it, like a wild magical infomercial.

Mandy's blonde faded and changed to a dark brown instantly. It all went limp and fell to the floor with a louder-than-hair-should-sound thump.

Emma looked from the pile of hair, to Mandy then back again. Then she laughed. Long, loud, and a little crazy. Maybe she was concussed, or punch-drunk, or both. Maybe the channel had flipped over to a comedy.

"Your hair-"

She couldn't stop laughing. Because somehow this was real and it was her life. She knew Rapunzel and was dating the Evil Queen and her best friend was a werewolf.

"-is magic."

Mandy smiled, like this was an everyday situation.

"Sometimes. It will be again when it grows back."

Mandy sighed and started to gather her hair.

"Now I need a haircut. Maintaining this length without magic is impossible!"

Emma kept laughing. The world was spinning but it didn't make sense when it stood still anyway.

"Hey Em."

Ruby's voice sounded like it was bouncing around a tunnel. She was covered in red. Either pizza sauce or blood. Maybe both? Emma wasn't sure.

"You okay?"

Emma nodded, but was only able to get her laughs down to snickers.

Sure she was okay!

"David's here. He brought the flex cuffs and his truck. It isn't very official, but we can haul them all over there in the bed."

Emma nodded, and tried really hard to stop snickering, but felt a million miles away.

"I think you should go to the hospital, Boss. You look like shit."

Emma stiffened and shook herself. Pain crashed over her and helped ground her in the moment. She stopped snickering. The momentary escape into hysterics had come to an end.

"I'm fine, Deputy."

Ruby did not look convinced.

"I'll just start marching these guys down stairs. I'll call Merida and have her send the medics to the station.

Emma nodded. That was a good idea. The medics could bandage up all the idiots.

"Come on."

Emma looked over the bruised and surly men.

"Let's go."

Maybe it was her attitude. Maybe it was the fact that she had music. Maybe they remembered that she was The Savior. Whatever it was, they obeyed.