— But she already chose, Ms. Swan, — Gold said. — Months ago. We have a contract.
— Then go home and tear it up, — Emma said, — because it means nothing. Not anymore.
They stared each other down for another moment. The tension broke when Mr. Gold bowed his head, an admiring twinkle in his eyes.
— Very well, Ms. Swan. I’ll let her off the hook. But no debt goes unpaid. You’ll have to give me something in return.
— How about a bag of dirty laundry? — she said. — I’ve got one back at the apartment.
— You owe me a favor. One favor, — he said, holding up a finger. — Simple. You like simple, don’t you?
She didn’t like it, but she’d do it.
— Okay, — Emma said. She held out a hand. — Deal.
Together, Emma and Henry drove across town — drove past the diner, where Emma glimpsed Ruby flirting with Billy, the kid with the tow truck. Emma had Henry home by 4:45, time to spare, and she was back at Mary Margaret’s ten minutes later, unsure of what to make of the day. What she did know: She wasn’t going anywhere. She called up Sheriff Graham and told him if the offer still stood, she’d take him up on the job.
— Protect and serve, — Emma said, looking at the clock tower. — I’m kinda good at that.
— You certainly seem to be, — Graham said. — I’ll see you Monday morning, Emma.
CHAPTER 5
THE SHEPHERD
Emma was finally settling into Storybrooke. She always liked the feeling of a new town, especially in the early days, when life itself seemed new again and the past hadn’t yet found her. It never lasted. But the honeymoon period was enlivening, electric. It was her favorite feeling.
That Storybrooke was different, a place literally populated by her past in the form of her son, made Emma very aware that she had entered a new chapter of her life now, and that the next steps wouldn’t be the same as before. This scared her. She had only ever had to take care of herself.
But for now, she felt okay. Something that had always been out of whack seemed to have corrected itself in her heart.
Graham showed her the ropes of simple police work, joking (or was it flirting?) with her as he made her aware of all the nooks and crannies of Storybrooke, telling her about the longstanding feuds between various residents.
But she still didn’t know what to think of Henry’s belief in the curse. He talked about it nonstop, and she was still playing along. Whenever he began to discuss it — to tell her, for example, that the reason Marco and Archie were close friends was that Marco was Geppetto, and Archie («Jiminy!») had always been his friend, conscience, and companion — she nodded agreeably and thought: What are you doing, Swan?
Mary Margaret was another story, and a story that was a little more recognizable. She’d fallen for David Nolan, a married man she didn’t even know. Not good. Not good for a whole slew of reasons. She talked about him too much and spent more time at the hospital than she should. He encouraged her visits and asked her to stay late on many occasions. He had even told her that he felt a special connection with her, that he felt like he knew her more than he knew his wife. She’d come home that evening and abruptly told Emma she’d resigned from the volunteer staff, that she «couldn’t go there anymore», which made Emma think that her friend was self-aware enough to make the wise choice. But Emma had seen love and felt love, and she knew what it could do to a person. Her new roommate, who at first had seemed so even-keeled, was coming apart at the seams.
Emma didn’t press too hard, hoping it would fade. Not just for Mary Margaret’s sake, but for Henry’s as well. To him, as he told her again and again, it made complete sense that the two were drawn to each other. It was only a matter of time before the natural order was restored. Prince Charming and Snow White together, their daughter Emma grown and present, the grandson Henry smiling up at all of them, the whole family stable and solid and united.
When Emma thought about it like this — in terms of the perfect family tree Henry had constructed for himself — his fantasy life went from seeming innocent to seeming dangerous. Something that could end up hurting him far worse than he’d already been hurt.
Emma took Henry to David’s «Welcome Home» party, and on the way, Henry — who had noticed when Mary Margaret muttered to Emma, «I can’t go, I shouldn’t go» — explained to his mother how Prince Charming had ended up betrothed to the woman Abigail. Not that Emma asked.
— He didn’t really love her! — Henry told Emma. — That’s the thing. He got stuck in this huge thing with King Midas, her father, and he had to agree to marry her even though he believed in true love.
— He had to agree? — Emma asked. — Why?
— Because he was a fake Prince Charming anyway. — Henry nodded to himself, as though all of this made perfect sense.
— What’s a fake Prince Charming?
— Okay. I’ll explain it. It’s not that complicated, — Henry said. — A long time before Snow and Charming met, this other king, King George, couldn’t get an heir and called up Rumplestiltskin and was like, ‘Hey, Rumplestiltskin, I need a baby, can you bring me one?
Emma smiled at her son’s retelling of the tale.
— Rumplestiltskin trafficked in babies?
— Yes, — said Henry. — For a price.
— Good to know.
— And so Rumplestiltskin took one boy from this family of shepherds and made a deal and gave the baby to King George, and that was who grew up to be Prince Charming.
Emma tried her best to listen as Henry told a convoluted tale of twins, false identities, and dragon slaying, but her mind drifted to Mary Margaret, and to the very real David Nolan, who was clearly having a difficult time readjusting to his married life with Kathryn. The whole story was strange, and Emma still suspected that Regina had fabricated something here, although she didn’t know what, or why she would do such a thing.
When they arrived at the party, David drifted over to them.
When he came up and smiled, Emma could tell that he was uncomfortable here, surrounded by his old «friends», who he didn’t recognize. He knew Emma because she’d been there at the hospital and she’d helped to find him.
He greeted her and Henry and took their coats. Kathryn саше and said hello, but she dashed off toward the kitchen right away.
— You look like a lost man, — Emma said. — Come on. Hide over here with us. We don’t bite.
David smiled, obviously relieved, and the three of them went to the corner of the room.
— Thanks, — he said. — It’s a little overwhelming.
— I can’t even imagine, — Emma said.
He seemed to grow nervous then, and Emma tried to give him a «spit it out» look.
— And I’m sorry, I know that — I know that you live with Mary Margaret. I was wondering if you knew when she would be here.
Ah, Emma thought.
Emma crossed her arms, smiled a curt smile.
— Yeah. She can’t come— was all she said. — I’m sorry.
David continued to watch her, looking for a signal as to what that might mean. Emma felt no need to elaborate.
— She was busy, huh? — David said.
— No, she’s not! — Henry said, smiling. — She’s at home, hanging birdhouses. You should go talk to her. Because of your eternal love.
— Henry, — Emma said, putting a hand on his shoulder. — It’s his party, he can’t go anywhere. — She turned to David. — Besides, — she said, — she’s not feeling well. It’s really for the best.
— Yes, — David said. — Probably for the best.