Desperate Souls

Two weeks have passed since Sheriff Graham's death and Valerie couldn't help but feel guilty as she gazes out of her window

She had seen him being ill that day and she dismissed it, she ignored the signs of his heart condition, she was a volunteer at the hospital, For God's Sake! if she only had take him to the hospital he could have been alive.

For being a good observer, sometimes she felt she didn't observe very well.

She had also noticed Henry as his unusual self too. Graham's death had also taken its tool on him

At the end of the first week of his death, Valerie received a text from him saying they needed to stop Cobra for a while since he didn't want his mom hurting Valerie too for believing him and helping him try to break the curse.

Valerie agreed, besides she did not trust anymore her observing skills as they had already fail her and it costed a life.

She walked down the stairs to be met with her father scowling at his phone, she frowned curiously

"What's up, dad?" She asked her father, he sighed angrily closing his phone, making Valerie shot up her eyebrows expectantly.

Mark grumbled under his breath pacing back and forth through the living room. He looked up at his daughter

"Sydney. The Mayor wants the good-for-nothing man as a Sheriff"

Valerie looked bemused at her father

"'The-good-for-nothing man'? That's how you express yourself of your employees?"

Mark sighed closing his eyes as his slip out in front of his daughter, not wanting her to see that side of him

"Sorry, Valeria, but I can't help but be angry. That man is so....." He struggled in finding a word not to rude to say in front of his daughter. Valerie chuckled

"Sick with love?" She finished for him knowingly. Her father looked at her with a smile, glad she could understand his thoughts, but then frowned narrowing hi eyes at her

"Wait a second. What do you mean by that?"

Valerie shrugged

"I've seen the way he looks at the Mayor at press conferences when he's too close to her" she shook her head "If it weren't for you being his boss and because he's a reporter, he'll be drooling all over the place for her"

Mark looked at Valerie impressed by her deductions and observing skills. He knew he was damn proud of her and that's why he was protective of her. But sometimes he knew he overreacted but he couldn't help it, after all he loved her with all his heart

~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Regina, Sidney, Mark Dove and several of Mark's employees were gathered at Regina's office.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes. That's why Sidney Glass is my choice for post of Sheriff. This man has put the needs of Storybrooke above his own for as long as any of us can remember as chief editor of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror. And I thank you, Mr. Dove for understanding and lend me your most good worker" Regina looked at Valerie's father with a small smile. Mark faked smiled nodding his head at her, not liking at all how she wanted to control everything at her benefit, after all his daughter was right and Sidney was in love with Regina that would do everything she asked him to. Regina turned to the other people "Please welcome your new Sheriff!"

Regina goes to pin the Sheriff's badge on Sidney, when Emma enters

"Hang on a second"

Mark smirked slightly seeing the blonde that sometimes he could see his daughter in. The only person who has stand up to The Mayor without being afraid

"Oh, Miss Swan, this is not appropriate" Regina told her between gritted teeth, a small smile in her lips

"The only thing not appropriate is this ceremony" Emma looked at the rest of the people "She does not have the power to appoint him" she said shaking her head

"The town charter clearly states the Mayor shall appoint-" Regina started making Mark smirk, he knew exactly what Emma was implying, so he stood up from his seat and adjusted his coat directing to the Mayor

"A candidate. You could appoint a candidate, madam Mayor. It calls for an election" he said with an smug smile directed towards Emma, who smirked in appreciation for someone standing up to her. Regina frowned at the man who had never spoken against her.

"The term 'candidate' is applied loosely" she told him

"No, it's not. It requires a vote" Mark shook his head and then looked at Emma with a pointed look, she seemed to understand his point and looked at Regina

"And guess what, Madam Mayor? I'm running" Emma told her

Regina pursed her lips slightly angry looking between the woman and the man

"Fine. So is Sidney" She spat and then looked at Sydney, who looked at her shocked and confused

"I am?" He questioned at her, Regina turned to him giving him a look to which he cringed slightly, he looked at Emma and Mark "I am"

"With my full support. I guess we'll learn a little something about the will of the people" Regina said

"I guess we will." Emma told her

~~~~*~~~~~

"Just one moment I turn my back on my workers and they publish illegalities" Mark shook his head while throwing the newspaper to the table where he and Valerie were having breakfast

Valerie stopped mid-chew and grabbed the newspaper reading the article of the front page 'Ex-Jailbird - Emma Swan birthed babe behind bars'.

"It's the Mayor doing, isn't it? She's cheating" Valerie told her father, he nodded sighing

He had told Valerie how he stood up against the Mayor for Emma the day before in their meeting and how Emma and Sydney both are running up as candidates. To say Valerie felt proudness of her father for standing up against the Mayor was an understatement

She didn't knew he had it in him. But after all she was her father's daughter

~~~~*~~~~~

Later that day, Valerie and her dad watch TV when something catches the girl's attention from the window. She stood up frowning and walked to the window

"Dad, is that smoke?" She asked him curiously. Mark stood up and walked to her side, his gaze following her's

"It looks like..."

"Is it me or is coming from the Town Hall?" She questioned tilting her head aside using her mind to remember what important building was in that direction that could be target of such an action

He looked down at her and hummed in agreement

"I think so" he walked away from the window and grabbed his coat. Valerie followed his movements with a frown in her face

"Where you going?"

"I'm gonna check it out. If it's a fire I need to know if someone got hurt"

Valerie crossed her arms

"Yeah. Because it won't do fine for the newspaper if it doesn't have a titular with the words 'Town Hall on fire.. Who could be the responsible?"

Mark frowned at her attitude, they were on good terms and suddenly that changed?

"Valerie, this is not only about my work, what if someone seriously got hurt? You'll stay here okay? I don't want you in trouble" he told her making her roll her eyes as he walked out the house

"As you wish, your highness" she mumbled

~~~~*~~~~~~

"Really?" Valerie smiles down at the young boy who has explained to her how his birth mom saved from the Town Hall fire at his adoptive mom

"Yes, you should've been there, mom really looked like a hero" Henry smiled up at her, his smile fading away noticing her scowl, which it didn't matched well on her face "What's wrong?"

"My father" she said narrowing her eyes as her eyes follows the movements of the man at the entrance chatting with some other people, where there's a banner that reads 'Debate today – Sheriff's election'.

Henry follows her gaze and frowns curiously

"I thought you were on good terms with him?" He questioned her confused. She pursed her lips

"I thought so too, but he then goes around putting his work first and demanding me to stay at home when he clearly told me I was free of making my own decisions" she told him crossing her arms

Henry chuckled

"He'll come around, Victoria" the girl looked down at him with an eyebrow raised

"Really? Because as I'm aware of your book, King Alexander didn't come around and didn't even know Princess Victoria's play around magic" she pointed out at him.

Henry shrugged smiling innocently

"Maybe here he will, with the Savior's help you know? Emma's here to bring back the happy endings, yours is to end up well with your dad"

Valerie looked down thoughtfully

~~~~*~~~~~

Mark cames out of the Town Hall with a grin on his face, he spots Henry and Valerie siting together on a bench eating ice cream and smiles at the view

"You're not gonna guess what" he came to their line of view interrupting their conversation of Operation Cobra, which Henry after Emma gave him the reason to believe good can win again decided to return back it, obviously dragging Valerie with him

Valerie huffed slightly at her father making Henry grin at her. He looked up at Mark

"What is it, Mr. Dove?" he chuckled to himself at their last name being the bird Valerie back to their land transformed to without her father knowing

Mark looked at the boy smiling

"Your mother really is a model to follow, first standing up to the Mayor and now Mr. Gold? Let me tell you kid, you should be proud of having a mother like that"

Henry grinned wider hearing the girl's father words about the Savior of the Town, his mom.

Valerie smiled

"Now, I'm pretty sure Mrs Mills won't have another choice but to give her the Sheriff's position" Valerie mused to herself out loud making both Henry and Mark looked at her confused. Henry looked at her with a grin, knowing what was passing through her head, she was analyzing facts and remembering something she needed to know. Mark looked at her wait to hear the deduction of his daughter to see what she'll come up with, everything she deduced was right and usually good.

She was like a freaking Sherlock Holmes, female version.

Except for the crazy outbursts

She looked at them smiling

"No-one dares to stand up against Mr. Gold, the town will want someone who does and this has not been the first time, isn't it?" She looked at Henry for confirmation "When it happened that of Ashley, the pregnant woman?" Henry nodded slowly in remembrance "Storybrooke is gonna have a great Sheriff with Emma, because I have the feeling things are going to get interesting in this little boring town" she smirked at them in amusement