Miles To Go

Chapter Seventy

First thing Monday morning Emma took Henry to school while Regina finished cleaning up after their breakfast and prepared for the visit from the adoption agency. After dropping Henry off, she headed down to the station just to check in with August and Ruby and to grab some paperwork she could finish up at home.

"You nervous, Em?" Ruby asked from her desk while Emma gathered a folder of paperwork from the filing cabinet.

"About the interview?" Emma asked and she nodded. "I am. I don't know how it'll play out or what this lady is like. We did everything we could to prepare for this. I'm not sure what else we can do."

"It'll go great, Em. Just be yourself. Whoever is doing the interview are going to love you both, no matter what."

"Right, be me, that's a fairly scary thought," Emma chuckled. "You guys need me for any reason, don't hesitate to call, okay?"

"We got this," August said with his mouth full of a fresh bagel. "Go home, Emma. Your wife is waiting and that interview is soon. Just remember to lock up your gun somewhere safe, yeah?"

"I always lock up my gun somewhere safe," Emma replied and with a heavy sigh, she tucked the folder under her arm and smiled at them both. "Thanks, guys. I'll see you later. I'll be in after the interview is over."

"No," August said, halting her in her tracks. "I got this shift covered. You stay home with your wife and celebrate the interview going well, you hear me?"

"Booth—"

"I'll forward the calls from dispatch my cell for tonight. On call. Not like anything ever happens in this town after nine."

"Don't jinx it, Booth," Emma said as she pointed a warning finger at him, her face as serious as her tone. "If you're sure you've got it covered, then I'll just see you in the morning."

"Bright and early!"

Emma smiled and turned to leave for good that time, not stopping when she realized that Ruby was following her, just a handful of steps behind. When she reached the front entrance, she stopped and turned to face her best friend and found herself being enveloped in a tight hug immediately. The file she had tucked under her arm fell to the floor and she laughed dryly as she hugged Ruby right back.

"Everything is going to go just fine today, Em."

"I hope so."

"I know it will," Ruby laughed and she pulled away from her and they both knelt to the floor to pick up the paper that had scattered from the folder. "Look, you two have got this in the bag. Regina's the mayor and you're the sheriff. You have a son, an amazing house and so much love to give. You can give one lucky little girl a chance at having their best shot in life and whoever interviews you, if they can't see it, they're absolutely fucking blind."

"Thanks, Rubes," Emma smiled sincerely as she put the papers back into the folder and they both stood back up. "Can you believe we're doing this?"

"You two got married just over a month ago after being together for what, a year?"

"Eleven months."

"And you two were apart for eleven years," Ruby said and she suddenly got a dreamy look on her face. "You two have one hell of a story together, Em."

"I guess."

"Think about it," Ruby said as she leaned up against the door, preventing Emma from leaving. "You and Henry came to Storybrooke last summer for a much needed vacation and all the while you had no idea it had all been an elaborate set up to get you to run into Regina again. Sparks are flying, you start sending her all the letters you wrote her that you never could send because you had no idea where she went after she left New York City. Then you meet up with her that night at the Rabbit Hole and you kiss her and fuck, Em, nothing has been the same since. It's been better."