Who thought paint could save them?

Chapter 10

Emma stalks out of the station after ushering her parents out so she can lock up. She walks into the diner and Ruby looks up from wiping the counter off to give her a curious look.

Emma gives her one right back; she can already tell that her brunette friend has got a bad case of 'Oh shit! I'm a Fairytale Character'. She can especially tell that's the case because as Ruby stares, her eyes grow wide and she obviously believes she knows who Emma really is.

"Granny...?" Ruby is still looking at Emma with those big wide eyes.

"What Re-Ruby?" Granny comes around the corner and stands next to Ruby. She looks in the direction her granddaughter is and gasps and holds Ruby's forearm to keep her balance.

Emma approaches the counter. She leans forward, "I assume it's safe to say that the both of you felt the jolt last night?" They both nod, "And you secretly are having more and more memories of a past life or another life?" They look off to the side again, "To answer your question...yes, I'm...her."

"Emma... The Mayor-she-!" Ruby starts but stops once Emma turns away from her without a second glance until she actually reaches for the knob.

She turns with a certain fire in her eyes-a warning for Ruby and her grandmother that they both receive loud and clear... despite how hesitant they are to actually abide to this warning.

"You'll call me if you hear of anyone else of the same... condition?" Emma can't think of a better word for it.

Ruby gives her almost a sad smile, "Emma...." She trails off.

Emma stops and tries to not clench up, "Yeah?" Ruby realizes that she has no right to but in... she realizes just how serious that look she got just seconds before really was, "We'll call you."

Emma nods and opens the door. She walks out of Granny's to bump into Sean and Ashley and Alexandra.

"Emma!" They both say at the same time.

"Hey guys..." She greets them.

Sean steps forward and looks at her with a certain...memorization. It wasn't quite the look she received from her parents, and it wasn't the same she received from Ruby or Granny... but it was the look. He leaned in quietly, "Listen, um... Have Mary Margaret or David seen you yet today?"

"Yes they have..."

"Did they seem different?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Why yes Thomas they did." They both stepped back in surprise, "Yeah, I know who you are..." She spoke quietly and smiled at some random passerby.

"Emma, if you know who we are, then you must know who the May-"

"Good Lord, how many times am I going to have to do this today?" She looked up at the sky then back to them, "Listen... I appreciate you apprehension and your wanting to protect your friends' kid, I really do... but it's not needed... and it sure as hell isn't wanted... I'm a big girl now, I can take care of myself. And quite frankly you have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Down! Down!" Alexandra began wiggling in her mother's arms. Once she was put down she started weaving through her father's leg.

Emma smiles at the kid... it makes her regret even more giving Henry up, but if she hadn't, she would never have ended up here... She shakes her head of the thought and squats down to look at the three-year-old running in circles around her dad's legs.

The three year old looks at her with big eyes and smiles her toddler smile, "Hi!" She waves happily.

"Hi." Emma says, "Are you and mommy and daddy going to eat lunch?" She asks.