Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Blonde. Green eyes. Cheeky grin. Check, check, check. Every part of this woman would’ve warranted an instant attraction if it weren’t for the uncanny resemblance to the woman who haunted her dreams.

A glass slipped from Roni’s hands, shattering at her feet. The sharp sound sliced the air and widened the blonde woman’s eyes. It wasn’t until Roni felt the blood pooling at her socks that she noticed what had happened. Her gaze dropped to her leg, where a sliver of glass had leapt up and tore into her shin.

“Shit.” Roni looked up to the stranger for a split second before squatting down to yank out the glass. She tugged, only barely.

“Wait!”

Roni stilled her movement and looked up. The woman had practically thrown her torso over the counter of the bar to look down at her.

“Don’t pull it out,” the woman warned, her breath ragged.

“Are you a doctor?” Roni quirked an eyebrow and rested her forearm on her thigh.

“No, but I’ve seen enough tv to know you shouldn’t just pull out something lodged into your body.”

Roni decided she was probably right and instead stood up. “What do you suppose I do then, doctor?”

The woman hid her grin very poorly. “I suppose I could help you out with,” she grabbed up a handful of napkins, “these, maybe?”

Despite the sharp pain in her leg, that wasn’t too horrible, Roni let out an airy laugh and directed the stranger behind the bar. She took a stool with her for the bartender to rest on away from the pile of glass shards and dust.

As the woman took her leg on her thighs, Roni couldn’t shake the unnerving reminders of her nightmare. Maybe it had been the blonde hair, and the loose curls. Maybe the green eyes. The woman couldn’t possibly be her. She had never met her in her life.

But then she looked up again.

It was her. It couldn’t be anyone else but her. Roni was more focused upon that than her the hands caressing her calf as she blotted up the blood. That is, until the woman tugged the glass imbedded in her skin. Roni yelped.

“Just a flesh wound,” the woman sounded smart, confident. She quickly covered the wound with the napkin to clot it and looked back up.

“A nurse?” Roni asked

Her lips quirked into another cheeky grin and she opened her mouth, but the bells on the bar door rang and interrupted.

“Roni! You haven’t even put down the chairs yet?” Kelly whined.

“A little busy, sis,” Roni glanced down for a second.

And up popped the woman. Great. That didn’t look inappropriate at all.

“Hi!” The woman smiled, not at all flustered.

Kelly looked at Roni, scandalized. “Roni!”

Warm blood rushed to Roni’s cheeks, and when she looked over, the stranger wore a matching burn.

“I just got a little cut! She was helping me, that is all.” Roni went to jump up, but got a reproving look from the blonde woman.

“Nah-ah, I don’t think so. You’ll start oozing some more.” She flippantly waved her hand up and down with a grimace twisting her face.

“Oh, come on, it’s just a flesh wound,” Roni mocked, but plopped her bottom back down to the seat. “Kelly, could you grab a bandaid for me while the doctor sews me up?” She pouted her lip.

Kelly let out a bark of laughter and finally left her spot at the entrance. “A doctor, right!” She laughed again.

The stranger looked to Roni with her own pout. “What’s so funny about me being a doctor?”

Roni quirked her eyebrow. “Dressed like that?”

She let herself wander her gaze up and down the stranger for the first time. The stranger wore a red leather jacket, white shirt, and black jeans. So very casual—not at all what she’d think of a doctor wearing out in public.

“Not to mention, doctors don’t regularly find their way to bars at two in the afternoon. Those habits are best kept behind closed doors.”

“I could be a doctor,” she grumbled and wound her arms around her chest.

Roni let the light smile fall from her lips. “Who are you?”

“Not a doctor.” She laughed. Real funny. “Name’s Emma Swan.” She outstretched her hand. Roni didn’t take it.

That name. If Roni hadn’t dropped the glass earlier, she surely would’ve now. The woman had the same name as the one in her nightmare. She couldn’t stop the look of horror from pulling her mouth agape and widening her eyes.

A flash from her nightmare crossed her mind. This woman, Emma Swan, with a heart in her hand. Bleeding, soaking her arm, quivering to a halt.

Emma must’ve seen the terror in her eyes. She dropped her hand and frowned. “You okay?”

Roni couldn’t talk. Only a strangled air left her throat as she looked for something to say. Anything. But nothing came.

“I could only find ones with little cartoons on it. Why do we have those?” Right on cue, Kelly entered the bar from the back room. She looked between the two woman and quirked a brow. “What’d I miss?”

Roni still couldn’t say anything.

“I dunno.” Emma shrugged. “I told her my name and she turned all…”

Roni quickly shook her head. “Sorry, I just…” she looked over to a curious Kelly, “I’ve heard that name before.”

Kelly laughed. “It is a small town , sis. I’m sure you have.” Then, she went ahead and opened up the bandage to cover up the tiny wound.

Yes, that must’ve been it. She’d seen or heard of Emma somewhere. Sometime. Maybe. She wasn’t too sure she could recall it, but that had to be it. There was no other explanation.

“I’m Kelly.” She popped back up and shook Emma’s hand before leaving the dumbfounded Roni behind.

“That must make you…Roni, I take it?” Emma looked to Roni again, her cheeky smile back on her lips.

Roni nodded and leapt up from her seat to usher the stranger from behind the bar. Emma took the hint and scurried away with the stool. With a slight waver in her otherwise confident step, Roni followed her out and began to take chairs down from their respective tables and set them up.

She might’ve glanced back at the stranger who visited her dreams more than once, but she never caught her eye. Emma just sat at the bar, staring down at her phone screen. She didn’t seem to do anything, touch anything, she just sat there. Quiet, stuck in thought. If she thought anything odd of their interaction, she didn’t show it. Instead, she seemed wrapped up in her own troubles.

Of course she is, you fool. No one went to the bar right at open without bringing in some sort of baggage with them. After all, bartenders were the poor man’s therapist.

After finishing set up and cleaning behind the bar, Roni switched on the neon sign at the door to signal to the next passing customer that Roni & Kelly’s was open. “What can I getchya, Swan?” Roni asked, returning to her post behind the bar.

Emma looked up, surprised at her appearance. “Uhh-“ she started, her eyes darted around, “What’s your strongest?”

Roni was right. The young blonde was troubled by something. It would’ve been a lot easier if her troubles mimicked her own, then she could perhaps talk to someone about the frightening dream. She let out an exhale and turned to grab a bottle of whiskey. Her wrist wavered, shaking the bottle lightly as if to ask if it was fine.

She was only given a thin smile and a curt nod. Roni brushed it off and poured. The silky liquid glided off the crystal sides of the glass and pooled at the bottom, a satisfying sound. She only filled it half an inch before sliding it across the counter to the pondering blonde stuck in her phone once more.

Again, her eyes were quick to look up, wide. But she smiled the briefest of grins before latching onto the glass and returning to her phone.

Her knuckles turned white, Roni noticed. She gripped it tighter. And tighter. Roni narrowed her eyes. A bead of sweat brimmed her brows tightly knitted together. This woman needed a distraction before the second glass of the day was broken.

“Alright?” Roni asked.

Emma seemed relieved for the conversation. The tension left her face. She relaxed and set her phone down.

“Yeah, just, you know…” she paused, looked for a word, “work.”

Roni didn’t believe her, but she didn’t press on the matter. “Have we met before?” She changed the subject. Clearly they hadn’t, at least not to any significance. But they had to have in some capacity.

Panic crossed Emma’s face again. “Oh, I—“

“Are you in some sort of trouble?” Roni quirked a brow. “I’m not a cop, and…bartender customer privilege, you know.” Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely honest. If she were anything like the woman from her nightmares, she’d happily divulge any information to the sheriff.

Emma’s face relaxed, and she smiled. “No, I’m alright. Just preoccupied. Where might you know me from? You said you’ve heard my name before?”

Right. That. “Oh, I just had a dream.” Red stained her cheeks, and she looked away, instead occupying her hands with a damp rag to clean the spotless counter.

“Dreaming of me? Should I be flattered or terrified?” Emma laughed, a smirk toying on her lips, and leaned forward. So she’s a flirt.

“That depends…” Roni rested upon her elbows against the slicked counter. Two could play it that game. “Are you going to deliver on it?”

A flash of shock, then confusion marked Emma’s face. “What kind of dream are you talking about?” She leaned back again, and Roni followed suit.

“Hmm…” Roni hummed. She couldn’t get a read on this woman.

“Did you really have a dream about me?” Emma asked.

“Yes.” She trailed, noncommittal. Maybe it was time for another subject.

“And it was…”

“God, no!” Roni backtracked. Definitely not a time for flirting. “It was not exactly that pleasant,” she admitted.

Emma smirked up at her again. Roni felt a burn in the pit of her stomach at the lewd thoughts so obviously playing in the woman’s mind. If it were anyone else but the woman of her nightmares, she might’ve been tempted to follow her thoughts.

But she couldn’t. Not with her. Not with images of her holding an organ in her hand, opposite of a small boy.

“You were just…there,” Roni lied.

Emma must’ve noticed the cease of flirtation as her lips tugged back down into a frown. “I should go,” she started. Her eyes dropped to the glass and she mumbled, “this was a terrible idea.”

For the first time, she released her grip on the crystal and pushed it back a little. Roni was about to protest but the woman still dug into her pants for a wad of cash, effectively silencing her.

“Sorry about everything.” And she ran.

Roni was left speechless again.

Chapter Text

“Where’d blondie go?” Kelly mused as she emerged from the back room once more.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Roni shook her head as she poured a glass of gin for a regular. She gave him a friendly wink and slid it across the bar, before spinning on her heels to face Kelly. “She ran off without a single sip from her drink.”

Kelly smirked. “You scared her off.” When Roni just quirked a brow, Kelly gasped with a smile. “You did!”

“I resent that!” Roni scoffed and playfully whipped the ginger with a rag.

She rolled her eyes and narrowly escaped the cloth whizzing by. “That could’ve hurt! I heard it in the air.”

The door rang open with another customer, but neither woman turned to look. “Right, like I could hurt you,” Roni mocked, at her own expense no less. She wasn’t above a little self-deprecating humor.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, sis.” She shook her head and put a lock of hair behind her ear. “Think you can handle the…” she looked at her watch, “four-pm-on-a-Tuesday rush?”

“Yeah, Ruby will be in at five thirty, I’ll be fine until then. Margot still not taking to the sitter?”

Kelly shook her head, exasperated, and sighed. “I’m not sure—“

A cough interrupted her. Roni snapped her head to the dining area.

“Great,” she muttered to herself. “What can I do for you, sheriff?” She plastered on a fake smile as she leaned up against the counter.

The leather-clad one-handed wonder lifted a brow in her direction, likely unconvinced of her friendliness. He still flashed his own smirk. “I’m just checking in with my favorite bartender, Roni.” He took a seat a couple stools down from the unnamed regular.

Kelly, not one to fake pleasantries, especially not with the sheriff, rolled her eyes. She kissed Roni on the cheek and promptly left.

“Isn’t a little early for rum, Rogers?” She walked over to the bottles, ready to grab his regular.

“Ah, it’s never too early for spirits, love,” He grinned, “but alas, I’m not here for that.”

“Then what are you here for?” Roni dropped the friendly bartender act.

“Rumor has it a pretty blonde showed up and left in a hurry not too long ago.”

Roni quirked her own eyebrow at that. He was here for that woman? That scatter brained woman from her nightmares? What she possibly could have done to warrant the sheriff’s interest was beyond her, but she knew better than to get in his way.

“What of it?”

“I’m looking for her, is all.” He smirked.

Gross. “I wish I could help you, but she was hardly here but a second,” Roni admitted.

“Well, you’ll let me know if you see her again?” He leaned forward and dropped his smile. Hilarious. He was trying to intimidate her.

“Maybe I will, if I remember.” She drew out and leaned onto her palms atop the countertop. He may have been the sheriff, but he didn’t scare her. He never had.

“You’ll do well to remember, Roni.” And with that, he left.

She was sure she his intimidation might’ve worked on a girl like Mary Margaret or Ashley, but she didn’t scare so easily. Hell, her sister was more intimidating than Sheriff Rogers. Maybe it’s the prosthetic. Roni laughed and shrugged it away.

If she ever saw Emma again, she doubted her first thought would be to run to tell Rogers. Perhaps it’d be her third, or maybe tenth. Or maybe she wouldn’t think it all. There were much better thoughts to be had about her than that.

Like getting her to laugh. Or flirting with her. Or maybe even kissing her. All of these thoughts held far more importance than Rogers’ demands.

Most importantly of all, was the bizarre nightmare that had cursed her previous night. Strangest of all, she wasn’t afraid of it. More so intrigued than anything.

“Another, Roni?” The regular called from down the bar. She heeded his call. One of these days she’d have to remember his name.

Amidst the languid Tuesday evening, only one encounter sparked the night. Ruby had taken over the bartender duties to relieve Roni if she so desired.

She didn’t.

There wasn’t ever anything so exciting to pull Roni from her bar. Someone would’ve had to die, or at least be on the brink of death, to get her to leave.

Instead, Roni rested in a corner sofa to work on some paperwork she’d neglected. Paperwork was always Kelly’s job, but the new baby took most of her time. Not that Roni minded. Not at all. She was thankful to have her bar to herself without a nit-picky sister over her shoulder.

If only it weren’t for the damn paperwork.

She might’ve gone upstairs if it was any other night. But this night in particular was docile. Only a few patrons murmured amongst themselves. The quiet chatter and light clinking of glass against the counter was her peace. True silence was deafening. Much too quiet for Roni’s taste. It always invited the worst of thoughts.

Ruby brought a fresh glass of water over, only offering a sympathetic pout when Roni gave her her puppy dog eyes. Stubborn. She never helped her.

Not that it was her job. But Roni enjoyed her pout nonetheless.

“Is this seat taken?” A voice called, pulling Roni’s attention away from her employee’s playfulness.

Emma Swan.

Roni smiled, friendly this time, and sat back on the sofa. She waved her hand to the side, “Be my guest,” she invited. “Let me get cleaned up here.”

And just like that she lost her confidence she’d regained throughout the day. She scrambled forward to scoop up the paperwork to retire upstairs in the loft, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Don’t. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Emma smiled and shoved her hands in her pockets.

Nevertheless, Roni cleaned up the paperwork and set it facedown. She didn’t need any wandering gazes looking over anything in her work. Nice as the small town of Storybrooke was, word went around fast.

“I just came to apologize,” Emma started, still standing there awkwardly. “About earlier.”

Roni cocked her head and furrowed her brows. “Okay?” She said, confused. This woman felt the need to apologize to a stranger about a weird encounter. Odd. But from what Roni could gather, Emma was an odd woman herself.

“I mean, I didn’t mean to run out like I did. I just…” she paused. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it. “I’m not used to you—to women, I mean, flirting with me.”

“Oh, are you not-“

“No!” Emma flushed and she looked down.

Roni was a little more than disappointed, but such was life. She didn’t understand why she had to come all this way back to apologize for the misunderstanding though.

“I mean, yeah.” Emma shook her head. She looked like she belonged anywhere else but here. “I mean, I don’t know.”

Roni laughed. “Dear, why don’t you sit down. I’m not going to bite.”

Emma looked up, relief flooding her eyes. She finally took up the offer and skittered to Roni’s side. But, Roni noticed, she was purposeful in the space she left between them.

She hummed to herself and glanced down at the neglected stack of paperwork. Maybe she’d get to it tomorrow. She laughed to herself at that. Unlikely. Wednesday was the busiest weekday. Trivia night.

“I’m sorry, I’m awful at this,” Emma laughed to herself.

“Awful at what?” Roni gave her a side glance before looking at the papers again. One day, she’d figure out how to be a good business owner. One day. She chuckled to herself, but nipped it in the bud when she realized it might’ve sounded like she was laughing at Emma.

Instead, she turned her attention directly to the flittering blonde at her side.

“I see what you mean.” She looked her up and down, noticing her almost frantic mannerisms. “What exactly are you here for?”

“Well, I wanted to know about your dream.” Emma looked down, still seemingly sick with anxiety.

“Ah,” Roni breathed, “right. Why?”

“Well, just, uh-“ Emma scrambled, trying to grab whatever words that came out of her mouth to make sense of something.

“Yes?”

She didn’t say anything this time. Roni sighed and sank into the sofa.

“Well, it’s nothing really. Just a silly dream of me walking around town,” she lied again.

“That’s all?” Emma asked.

Roni hummed a little in acknowledgement and tightened her lips. What was this woman playing at? She didn’t understand what importance her dream played in the strangers life. Maybe she could forget the whole thing if it weren’t for Emma digging around in her head all day, keeping it close to the surface. She was sure she’d have the same nightmare again tonight if she didn’t stop thinking about it.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Emma, I am sure.” Roni was growing tired of this.

“Okay.”

“Is that all? Or do you wish to continue this interrogation?”

Emma’s gaze finally snapped back up at that. “Oh god, I’m sorry-“ She looked flustered. “I didn’t mean to, I’m just-“ She paused.

Roni didn’t try to fill in the hanging silence this time. Instead, she let Emma stew on it.

After some time, Roni leaned forward to leaf through the paperwork, fairly disinterested in Emma’s continued silent presence. But, she’d be amiss not to admit she’d much prefer conversation over her work. With every passing, silent moment, it seemed more like she’d have to pry it out of her.

With a sigh, she waggled her hand in the air to call Ruby over. She came by in record time.

“Whachya need, boss?” She smiled brightly and looked between the two women.

“I’ll have that drink you make me that I never care to learn, if you wouldn’t mind.” Roni smiled easily and looked to her side. “Emma, would you like something? On the house.”

A blush rushed to her cheeks and she looked up. “Uh, sure.” Her eyes darted all over. “Just a beer. Any, I don’t care.” She looked desperate to end the interaction.

Roni pulled her lip into her mouth and shook her head. “Thank you, Ruby.”

She nodded and retreated.

“Is this when you act all weird and rush off without so much as a sip again?” Roni joked.

Emma seemed to lighten at that. “Yeah, just about time, huh?” She laughed, but it quickly pealed into something like a painful chortle. “Hey, I am sorry about that. And now, this.” She trailed off.

Roni smiled softly. “Okay.” She shrugged.

“Asking questions is kind of my job,” she laughed. “I’m a bounty hunter.”

And suddenly, it all made sense. Her preoccupation with her phone. Her awkwardness. The sheriff’s interest in her. She must have been on a job.

“Ah,” Roni breathed and lifted her chin. “That would explain why I’ve never seen you around here, before. But not why I would’ve dreamt about you before meeting you.” Roni furrowed her brows.

“No, I’m from Storybrooke. But I left young,” Emma amended.

Roni hummed in response, still toying with the edges of the papers in her hands.

“Are you going to tell me the truth about your dream?” Emma asked. She was sincere, not as aggressive as before.

Biting her cheek, Roni had to stop herself from barking out in laughter. She hummed instead. “Maybe,” she admitted. “One day.”

One day, her ass. She’d have to get in line behind the paperwork.

Chapter Text

The next day, Roni had hoped she’d see Emma again. But she didn’t. She was used to casual flirtations that end abruptly as a bartender, so it didn’t bother her. Much.

It only bothered her when the sheriff decided to poke around again. He didn’t talk to anyone, and only nursed on a beer, but Roni knew he was lingering, waiting for Emma to show up.

She kept a cautious eye pinned on him as she helped Kelly set up for Trivia night. Kelly was usually the emcee, but after having Margot, Mary Margaret had bowed out of the competition to step in for her. Some of the other patrons finally stood a chance without her in the mix.

“Did you hear what I said, Roni?” Kelly called, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Roni jolted at the surprise and tore her gaze from Rogers. “Sorry, what?” She asked.

“I asked if you brought the projector?”

Roni tilted her head, realized she hadn’t, and sighed. She dropped her shoulders and she leaned against the counter. “No,” she admitted.

“Well, I supposed Mary Margaret will have to yell.” Kelly shook her head. “Who am I kidding, she’ll definitely be loud enough,” she laughed.

Roni let out a breathy chuckle at that. “Don’t I know it.” She looked back to the sheriff.

Huh. Gone.

“Looking for me, love?”

Roni jumped in surprise again and whipped around. The cocky son of a bitch was sitting at the other end of the bar.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you staring.” He unfurled a salacious grin and took a gulp of his beer. “Fresh out, love, could I bother you for another?”

“Aren’t you on duty?” Roni asked, but obliged nonetheless.

As she popped the lid off on the counter, he opened his eyes wider, but recovered quickly and settled back into his obnoxious, cocky grin.

“Aye, but my duty’s to keep an eye out for the pretty blonde, and the drink keeps my cover.”

“And why do you think she’ll come here?” Roni quirked a brow and set the glass onto the counter. She didn’t bother sliding it to him.

The sheriff sighed and got up to his feet to reach for the bottle. “I just know it.” He winked and slinked away, back to his dark corner on the sofa to leer at every new customer that dared to enter the bar.

With a look of exasperation, Roni shook it off and turned back to Kelly, who was busy with the computer. She didn’t want to bother her and instead continued set up for trivia night and tending to patrons until Ruby came in for her shift.

Once six thirty rolled around, trivia regulars started rolling in to set up their tables and get their drinks before the rest showed up at seven. Mary Margaret’s team, or former team, of course showed up first. Kathryn Nolan and Ashley Boyd had adopted a familiar face to the bar, but curious for trivia night: Lacey Gold.

The poor girl’s husband had disappeared about…some odd years ago. Roni couldn’t remember when exactly it happened, but she most definitely remembered Lacey taking over for Robert Gold’s landlord duties.

Not that she was any good at them. As long as she and Kelly had rent by the first of the month, they could avoid the awkwardness altogether. They usually tended to maintenance by themselves before, anyway. At least she thought so.

Roni shrugged and got the women their drinks, Lacey’s usual, a beer, and the other two mimosas. They waved at Roni from across the bar when she had Ruby deliver it instead of herself. She just offered a pleasant smile as she kept an eye out for a certain blonde that she both hope would and wouldn’t show up.

“What year was Storybrooke founded?”

Patrons all leant into tables and whispered amongst themselves, and Roni swept her eyes over the crowd. Lacey seemed less than interested until she spoke up.

“1883,” she said, confident, so sure of herself.

Mary Margaret looked taken aback, and she stood shocked for a moment. Her eyes dropped to her card, and she looked up again. “That’s correct.”

Lacey smirked. She knew she was right, it was written all over her face.

Kathryn and Ashley both gleamed and giggled, likely excited that they chose Mary Margaret’s replacement well. Lacey waved them off and kept her eyes to the front, waiting for the next question.

Of course, the Gold family had founded the city. They still owned most of it. It made perfect sense for her to know it. Roni was just as surprised the woman would know such a detail, as it had nothing to do with beer or pool.

There’s more to this girl that meets the eye, Roni thought to herself.

“Hey Roni, mind if I grab a drink?”

Roni turned around, distracted from the trivia by the new voice behind her bar.

“Oh, Robin, what a surprise to see you here,” Roni droned. She looked the blonde man up and down, momentarily distracted by his rugged attire. “Help yourself, but I expect you to pay your tab one day.”

He smiled at her as he does and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf. “Will do, darling,” he slurred and gave her a wink.

“You sure you should be drinking? You smell like you’ve bathed in it.”

He didn’t offer any rebuttal and just poured away. After taking a big gulp, effectively downing half of the sipping whiskey, he let our a big sigh and leaned his back against the door to the back room.

“Does your wife know you’re here?”

“She doesn’t pay any mind to my comings and going’s anymore. Not like you do, Roni,” he set his drink down and took a presumptuous step forward.

As he went to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her close, Roni put out a palm and stopped his advance. “I thought we’ve agreed this would end. My sister won’t turn a blind eye forever, Robin.”

“Oh, come on, Roni.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back a few steps into the back room. “We all know this ends with you and me.”

Despite not being completely veiled from the bar view, he cupped her face and started to let his mouth descend to hers. It would’ve been so easy to lean into his embrace, accept his lips, and fall into old habits. She didn’t want to fight him. Always the other woman with him. But she couldn’t. Not anymore. Not with little Margot and her sister being the scorned wife. She turned her face to dodge his kiss.

“Right, that’s why you married my sister after she found out she was pregnant. Because you want me.”

“Roni-“

“Enough, Robin. I have customers.” She turned to leave the back room, but Robin grabbed her again and pinned her against atheism wall around the doorway.

“We could be happy, you and I.” He descended again, but fell into the crook of her neck instead. A small kiss raised her chin, then he quickly lifted his head. He whispered against her ear, “Kelly knows, she would never ask it to end.”

Then he dropped to plant another sloppy kiss at her collar. Roni couldn’t stop the small sigh from falling from her lips. She closed her eyes so she could force herself to do what she must.

“I know, but Robin,” she started, but Robin cut her off.

“No, Roni, we all knew what this marriage was. A stable home for Margot and Roland, nothing more.” He pulled back to look into her eyes and plead.

She could’ve give in just then. The wet sheen on his eyes, the quivering lip, the desperate brows raised. But again, she banished the thought. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

“I won’t, Robin, okay? I can’t,” Roni’s voice trembled, betraying what ferocity she wished she could convey. Instead, it revealed her own desperation—desperation for this torture to end. “Please go.”

“Roni, please.” He cupped her face, trying to force her to look at him, but she welded her eyes shut.

“Go!” She practically yelled.

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut them off.

“Everything alright back here?”

Rogers. “Yes, sheriff,” Roni quickly wiped the tears grabbing her waterline and moved away from Robin. “We’re fine.”

Rogers swayed in his step, clearly drunk. “I couldn’t find a bartender to get me another,” he waggled the empty glass bottle in his hand, “beer.” He burped. “I was going to help myself, but I heard a yell.”

“We’re fine, sheriff, if you don’t mind.” Robin tried to shoo the pest away.

Despite hating the man, Roni was grateful for Rogers’ presence. “We were just through.” She gave Robin a pointed look.

He looked at her like a wounded puppy, and she forced herself to look away before she gave in. She waved her hand to the swinging door at the exit of the back room, effectively excusing him. He didn’t fight this time.

“Thank you, sheriff,” Roni said once Robin had slinked through the door.

An almost disgusted grimace flashed across his face but he quickly wiped it off. Roni dismissed it as nausea from one too many drinks.

“Another?” She asked, pushing towards the door.

Rogers nodded gaily, tumbling backwards through it. “Lover’s quarrel?” He slurred, a little too loud for her liking.

She shook her head promptly at that. “He’s my brother in law, of course not.”

“Roni, you’ll forgive me when I say I don’t believe that for a second.” A flash of confusion crossed her face at that. “Everyone knows the love story of Robin and Roni, and no one’s fool enough to think that marriage will keep you apart.”

“Nevertheless, it is,” Roni breathed and opened another beer for the already inebriated sheriff.

“They shouldn’t have been together,” Rogers mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, I said they shouldn’t be together. Not a very happy family when neither party is happy with their partner. We all know you two belong together.”

“My, I didn’t know you were such a romantic, Sheriff,” Roni laughed and leaned onto the counter.

“I’m not, but you’ve been tortured enough, haven’t you?” Rogers slurred.

“Why is it any concern to you?”

Rogers looked up, speculated with furrowed brows, then shook his head. He excused himself promptly after that and slunk away to his corner once more.

Strange. Well, stranger than usual, at least. He certainly entertained enough drivel, it wasn’t much of a surprise.

When she scoured the crowd again, she noticed, thankfully, Robin had left. Kelly would ask her about it tomorrow, she was sure, but it was best not to think about tomorrow. Instead Roni tended to a few customers at the bar and continued listening in on trivia.

Once Mary Margaret’s former team was crowned victorious for the someodd-th week in a row, she joined the table. Lacey excused herself and found her way to sit in front of Roni.

With a smirk, Lacey leaned atop the counter and asked for a beer. Roni was happy to oblige.

“Don’t think I didn’t catch all that with Robin,” she smiled and brought the mouth of the beer to her lips.

A drop trailed down her chin, and Roni watched the hypnotic movement as she her wiped it up to her lips. She made soft, wet popping sound as she released the suction from her fingers.

“Or that,” Lacey laughed and leaned a little more forward.

Roni managed to find her words then. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You must need it bad,” Lacey laughed.

“What makes you think that?” Roni challenged, leaning onto the counter herself.

“You’ve never been this obvious.” Lacey sat back and took another swig. “You look like you could maul me, much more aggressive than your usual inconspicuous flirtation.”

Roni laughed and leaned back herself.

“One day, you’ll have to deliver on your wicked flirting,” Lacey smirked at her.

“Maybe, but not with a married woman,” Roni smiled, friendly this time.

Gone was the flirtation. Lacey’s face dropped at the reminder of her husband. She looked at Roni with a pained expression, but less wounded than Robin. She just nodded and abruptly left the counter to rejoin her friends, if one could call them that.

And as Roni watched her leave, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Her heart plummeted in her chest. It was Emma. She was preoccupied with something, the crowd obscured her enough that Roni couldn’t see it.

Then she looked over. Quick, uneasy. Her face was full of…fright? Pain? Roni couldn’t tell. And then it was over. Emma turned on her feet and made for the exit before Roni could even say her name. So she just watched as the blonde mop bobbed through the crowd until Emma had disappeared through the door.

Perhaps she’d only ever be the woman from her nightmares.