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Emma:

Wait, what?

She was on her way to do something.

What was it?

She was going - somewhere - damn it.

She hated when she forgot what she doing as she was on her way to do it. Nothing was more infuriating than entering a room solid on your purpose, only to have your mind wiped clean as suddenly as if you had stepped through a sheet of glacial water.

Glancing around for inspiration she jumped a bit as she noticed the people around her; all just slightly too close for her comfort level. The mayor and her son stood awkwardly close, blinking slowly next to her and huddled close to Deputy David and his Wife, Mary Margaret.

Had they been talking and she just completely spaced?

She cleared her throat, self-consciously, "Madam Mayor." She wasn't sure if this was a greeting or an apology.

The woman jumped, the blank look on her face swirling into a bitter distaste. "Sheriff."

The group surveyed one another expressionlessly and then as if on cue their vision seemed to clear and at once they began to move, grumbling half felt apologies. With an obvious dismissal of the others, The Mayor ushered her son away, hurrying toward the school while Mary Margaret and her husband started off in the opposite direction.

Weird. Emma shrugged and adjusting the red leather jacket around her shaking off the strange moment and headed back toward the station.

Clearly, she needed more sleep.

She checked her watch. Hell, if she didn't hurry and get her breakfast she would be late for her full day of sitting around, playing wastebasket basketball and if she got lucky, pulling a cat or two out of a tree!

Ducking into Granny's for a quick coffee and donut she chatted lightly with the leggy brunette behind the counter as a new pot of coffee brewed.

"Ms. Swan. " The clipped tone beside her sent a shiver of cold up her spine. "Between this and your inattention in the street, you seem to be having a full day of lounging. Isn't there someone in this town who could use a parking ticket? That is your job, correct?"

Emma studied the professionally blank face of The Mayor for what felt like the hundredth time recently. How is it someone so beautiful could be so – bitchy? What was her problem?

Before she could respond the coffee and donut appeared on the counter, courtesy of Ruby. She took them, biting her tongue with all of her might and with a nod, turned and headed for the door.

She was new in this town, it was true, but it hadn't taken her long to understand the politics of the city. There was a hierarchy and The Mayor was Queen Bitch. Life was not easy if you were not on the good side of the queen and clearly, for whatever undiscovered reason; Emma was not. It was almost as if she had arrived already on the brunette's shit list.

She had better get to work.

The day sure was a kickin' one too. Two phone calls from citizens complaining about their neighbors cut into her wild game of balancing a pencil on the flat end of the eraser. Another phone call complaining about the still broken lights on Main interrupted her riveting one-man game of paper football.

Why had she moved to a small city? This was so boring.

It wasn't until the afternoon that things got a little more interesting. Lounging casually, ankles curled atop her desk, she was just beginning to master the alluring talent of balancing the pencil's eraser on the tip of her nose when the door flew open with a bang.

Emma's arms and legs flailed in midair for second as her start of surprise nearly tipped her backward. The pencil sailed across the room at the speed of light. Emma had only a moment to gape at it before she righting herself as quickly as possible, feigning composure and looking studiously at a random file next to her. All she needed was for The Mayor to see her doing nothing – not that there was anything to do.

Her shoulders released with a puff of hair when she saw not the perfectly coiffed hair and flashing eyes of The Mayor but instead the wide goofy grin of The Mayor's son, Henry. Emma smiled. She hadn't spent a lot of time with the kid, almost none in fact but she knew he was cute beyond all measure with his little flop of brown hair and pointy little chin.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?"

He thumped to the chair across from her, tossing his backpack nonchalantly and giving her a twinkling grin. "I'm doing a project in school about authority figures and I thought I would do it about you."

"Me? Uh, what about your mom? Shouldn't you do it about her?" She could only imagine the reaction the woman would have if she knew that she had been surpassed for the blonde Sheriff.

"Yeah, but I live with her so I know that her job is boring. You're more interesting. You catch the bad guys."

"It's true, Storybrooke is flooded with evil villains." Emma mumbled but she couldn't help but to smile at his eager little face, his hazel eyes exuberant. "Okay sure. Why not? As long as it's okay with your mom."

Henry settled into the chair, shrugging noncommittally. She had an idea that shrug was going to get her in trouble but watching him wiggle his little butt until he could squeeze into the chair alongside his backpack Emma thought that it might just be worth it.

"Then I have some questions for you."

"Okay, shoot." Emma cried, eyes wide and hands up in surrender. Henry collapsed into giggles at her joke giving Emma a quick moment of pride.

But before he could start his interrogation, his eyes fell to the desk, "What's that?"

She glanced confused at his outstretched finger and picked up the paper football, "What - this? That can't be one of your questions." She teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"It's a paper football." She waited for the light of recognition to flicker in his eyes but none came, "You've played paper football, right?"

"No?"

"What? You're kidding! Come here, I'll show you."

It was true she was still fairly new to the job, but she was sure as she headed back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast that today would go down in history as the best day on the job - ever.

Henry was a trip. He had caught on to the game like lightening and the two had spent a good hour flicking the football between their open fingers, catcalling and joking. When The Mayor's clicking heels announced her arrival the score was fifteen to twenty. "You're a natural" she had sworn ruffling his hair, noting - with pleasure- the irritated quirk on the mayor's face.

"Wait, I didn't ask you any of my questions!" Henry Cried, his eyebrows furrowing in such a way that Emma knew she was guilty of often enough. It's funny how things like that can be universal.

"Another time Henry," Regina said, a small amount of warmth leaking through her usual deadpan as she spoke to her son, "you have an appointment with Dr. Hopper."

"Yeah, kid, there's always tomorrow." She said bending to his level, straightening his two-tone scarf and winking.

"Okay." He smiled and without warning threw his arms around her neck. "I had fun."

Flabbergasted and a bit flattered, she smiled as hugged the small child back. He turned and followed his mother out the door calling behind him, "See you tomorrow, Emma."

Emma sighed as she unlocked the hotel room door and flopped onto her bed.

If nothing else it had been nice to have some company for a while.