WHO:Emma & Caleb WHEN: This week WHERE: The Ranch WHAT: Caleb stops by to see Neal, but in his absence finds Emma, bonding ensues WARNINGS: None/Low STATUS: Complete
With things moving along nicely with the animals, Emma’s morning flew past her, before she knew what was even happening she was approaching her finishing time for the day, with all the chores she was working her way through finished up, Emma set about clearing up for the day.
Mid-afternoon wasn’t always her finishing time, but she was picking up Henry later, it gave her time to head home and get cleaned up before worrying about getting the kid from school and smelling like horses and hay. And other less than ideal things.
Pulling her hair up into a messy bun, Emma made her way back to the main building, feeling suitably tired while still ready for the remainder of the afternoon with Henry.
This was the second time Caleb found himself at the ranch. He still didn’t know too many people in the area and honestly he hadn’t planned on getting to know many. He hadn’t been planning on sticking around for too long. But his plans had changed and now he was in Orange County indefinitely. Neal was one of the few people he knew and who knew about his past. So Caleb figured he might as well go visit him. The younger man liked not having to pretend around him.
He walked into the main building but didn’t see Neal. Instead he found a woman. “Hey,” Caleb greeted in his jeans and t-shirt with his grey beanie on his head. “Do you know where Neal is?”
“Um, he is…” Oh, where was he? Neal was usually twenty times busier than anyone else -in Emma’s opinion, unless it was lunch time. But regularly, Emma wasn’t 100% sure just where Neal would be. “Is not here, actually.” She wasn’t sure if there was a trip, or something going on. Emma had started getting more involved with the kids, sure, but she still spent more time with animals than humans.
“Can I help?” At the very least she wouldn’t just tell him to go away.
“I don’t think so,” Caleb replied. “I’m not here for any… ranch activities.” Caleb was very much a city boy. Sure he was friends with Neal and stopped by the ranch to see him, but he wasn’t going to get on a horse any time soon. Or any other farm animal.
“I just stopped by to see him,” he shrugged. “Caleb,” he added introducing himself.
“I think you might’ve just missed him.” Or he was just loitering somewhere else, it was difficult to tell. “I’m Emma, obviously I work here,” although if this was one of the kids that Neal helped out, well, Emma wasn’t sure what she could do either.
“If it’s important, you wanna wait? I mean, there’s no problem.” There were waiting rooms or offices that that could snag, Emma could try and track down her wayward boyfriend. “We can get you settled somewhere and call for Neal?”
Just in case it was a serious case of ‘I really need to talk to someone’.
“It’s not. I’m just new to the area still. Don’t know that many people,” he shrugged. He knew this ranch was also a place for troubled youth. But that wasn’t him. Okay maybe he didn’t exactly have a spotless background. But that was all in the past. And also how he knew Neal. But he was also an adult now. He didn’t need ranch counseling or whatever it was they did here exactly.
“You can just let him know I stopped by? If you see him. Caleb,” he added giving Emma his name. “Rivers,” just in case Neal knew more than one Caleb.
“Oh well, I will see him tonight, after all this,” her hand waved around at the ranch, Emma offering a smile for the kid. “I’m Emma, I’m Neal’s girlfriend.” It was a touch more indepth than that, but there was no need to really go into it.
“I totally know where you’re coming from though, I moved here maybe four or five months ago? It’s pretty nutty trying to figure everything out, right?” Settling into new places was something of a talent that Emma had. “Anything I can help with? Recommendations of places, tips on good coffee stops? I pretty much have the settling into a new town thing down.”
Caleb knew Neal had a kid, but he couldn’t remember if he mentioned anything about a girlfriend. Of course he wondered if she was said kid’s mom but that wasn’t an appropriate question for someone he just met.
“It’s different,” Caleb agreed especially on that network with all those dream freaks. “I’ve moved around a lot so I’m used to the whole adjusting to a new place thing. This is just the first time in a long time I’ve felt like staying.” And the first time he had gotten a legitimate job, but Caleb didn’t need to go into all that. “I’m not big on coffee, but I wouldn’t mind recommendations on places to eat. Or drink.” Yes Caleb was twenty-one, although he’s had fake IDs since he was about thirteen so he probably would have asked even if he was underage still.
“C’mon, I’m about to finish up, but I can write a few places down for you.” Emma really understood moving around, she even understood the strange draw to this place, to wanting to stay here. Even after all the crazy things happened. There was just something about this place that seemed like home.
There was a little sitting area in the main entrance, some cosy seats and a table, enough that Emma could snag some paper and a pen from the main area to scribble down some names and places. “This place has a certain charm to it, just that feel of liking it? Despite being places that maybe would’ve been easier to settle in?” Emma could’ve almost disappeared in some of the places she’d lived, just blended into the background and not have missed a beat. Instead she’d kept going, like something was calling her in this direction. “I think this is a great place to settle though.”
If you could cope with the dreams.
Following Emma, Caleb took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs. Like Emma, Caleb could have disappeared pretty much anywhere, and he had also felt compelled to keep moving, drawn to Orange County. “It seems all right so far,” Caleb admitted. That was honestly a decent compliment coming from him. At least about a place he was living. “What made you decide to stay here?” considering she it sort of sounded like she had moved around some herself.
“It sounds really corny, but the people here really made up my mind.” And it was kind of corny, but it was the truth. After the dreams started, Emma would’ve run a mile if it hadn’t been for the people here, for how she connected with some of them, how she felt like she belonged here. Thanks to them. “I mean, the beach and the weather and the really good coffee helps in my opinion,” she really did like how many coffee stops were all around this place, but when it really came down to the nitty gritty about this wonderfully weird place, it was who you knew that kept you there.
“It really does have it’s charm though.” After all, Emma had never been in a place like it. “Where’d you move from?”
Caleb was starting to see that himself. There were a few that he already knew and some that he just met. One in particular that made him want to stick around. And the whole having an actual job helped with that too. “I do like the beach,” he agreed even though he had only been a few times. “Coffee isn’t really my thing though,” Caleb was more of an energy drinker. Sure he had a cup of coffee on occasion but given the choice he would go for an energy drink.
“I’m from a few different places,” he admitted although he kind of considered Pennsylvania his home since he was born there and lived there the longest. But he didn’t just go around giving that kind of information out. He still didn’t know who he could trust. “You?”
“Here, there and everywhere.” She grew up in Indianapolis, but she’d left there and never looked back when she was sixteen, escaping all the memories. Her dreams were fairly similar, although she’d bounced around the foster system long enough that she’d lived a few places by the time she ran away at sixteen. “I liked to travel.” Liked being the operative word, since she honestly couldn’t imagine leaving this place without her family.
“I favoured cities and buildings, but I think this is a good change, the sun and the sand. It’s a nice pace too.” Not too slow, but in between all the drama it was nice.
“There are also plenty of buildings and cities around here too,” Los Angeles wasn’t that far away. “I happen to work in one of those buildings. Stark Tower,” because he felt safe enough sharing where he worked with her. “What place was your favorite? Other than here.” Since she had pretty much stated it was her favorite. Caleb liked New York himself, despite some of the bad memories it was a pretty great city. And also where he had met Neal.
“Chicago.” Emma had enjoyed Miami, until she’d almost wound up in jail, she liked New York, but it was all attached to some bad memories and giving up Henry. Chicago didn’t have those kind of memories. “I mean, I did all the big cites. This was my last stop on the trail, and I think I would’ve settled somewhere in California regardless. But this place just happened to be it.” And there was still Los Angeles and San Francisco to escape to for a weekend or whatever, enjoy a bustling city for a while.
“I like cities, but I don’t think I could work in a corporate building like that.” Stark Tower was an amazing building, yes, but Emma liked being able to breathe fresh air, and she avoided a lot of people in crowded areas. “I like the great outdoors.”
Caleb hadn’t stopped in Chicago. After he left Allentown he had mostly stayed in smaller towns, until he had gotten to the Mid West. Where they would never think to look for him. “I hear it’s windy there,” Caleb commented with a smirk. “I’ve always been more of a city guy. The outdoors are nice and all, but I work in technology so out doors aren’t exactly my thing.”
“I love the outdoors. I’ve worked in ranches and on parks a lot, I really like being able to see the sky while I’m working.” She hadn’t worked in a respectable corporate building since her first receptionist job in New York. “I get to work with animals here, so that’s fun.”
Of course, the mention of moving a lot made Emma wonder a little bit, “Army brat? Parents move a lot? Or…” Or were you part of the system was probably not an easy question to answer. And while Emma had memories of foster care for her whole childhood, she hadn’t been like that in this life.
Caleb wasn’t sure how he’d be with animals. Especially the type that lived on a ranch. He could handle a cat, maybe a dog. But that was probably it. Indoors and technology were way more his thing. Being on the ranch though? He could see the appeal. “What’s your favorite animal to work with?” he was genuinely curious about that.
He almost laughed at the idea of being an Army brat. “No,” he replied to both her questions with a straight of a face as he could manage. However he did get more serious before he spoke again. “Foster care.”
“Donkey’s.” Emma didn’t even need to think about it. “I know that it’s weird, and every little girl should gush about the horses and how beautiful they are and how majestic and graceful, but… I don’t know. I worked with donkey’s when I first started to get a feel for this and I just adore them.” They were stubborn and judgemental and she knew that some of them were silently mocking her at times, but she really felt like they were just wonderfully, strong and sweet creatures. “I actually set up a donkey sanctuary here. For when farmers or land owners just can’t take care of them correctly.”
It was her thing. And Neal teased her about it good naturedly, but it was hers and she loved it. Even staying out and getting muddy and smelly and dealing with petulant animals sometimes, she loved it.
Giving a tight smile and a nod, Emma just accepted that one because hey, she knew. Sort of. The dreams let her know, bumping around like she’d done, but… it still sucked. “Yeah, I feel you there.” In a way it had happened to her. Emma had all those memories too. “At least it ends.”
Donkeys? He hadn’t been expecting that one. It was just so random. “I thought it was unicorns,” he joked in reference to the horse comment. “Big fan of jackasses? Makes sense if you’re dating Neal,” obviously he didn’t think Neal was a jackass, but it was just too easy. He couldn’t resist.
“Donkey sanctuary? I didn’t know they needed one.” But then as they had been over he knew next to nothing about animals.
“You too?” he asked since it sounded like she was in foster care as well. “Yeah,” he agreed. “We get to grow up and get out of it.” Or run away at age sixteen. Whatever worked.
The Neal comment at least got a laugh out of Emma, she knew there wasn’t much meant by it, but Neal could be an ass at times, that much was true. “Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. It’s like with any animal, you get one, you think you know how to take care of it, but before long you’re in over your head and have no idea just what you’re doing. Donkey’s aren’t overly used, we’ve only got four here, but some places get worked a little too hard and they just aren’t given the right treatment. Farms are the biggest issue with some animals.” And there weren’t many of those around this area.
The foster thing was hard to explain, because Emma didn’t know if Caleb had started to dream or not, and talking about how she was in the system in her dreams would be weird if he hadn’t. “Yeah, until I aged out. Or, kind of aged out. I left my group home when I was sixteen going on seventeen. Then I met Neal.” And then she got pregnant, went to jail and was destined to go break a curse. The end. If only. “Sometimes… Sometimes people don’t understand when you can’t settle down, because you just don’t know how.”
Caleb just nodded along to the whole donkey part considering he didn’t have much else to comment on it. It wasn’t like he knew anything about farms or donkeys. Other than they were known as jack asses and he had already made his smart ass remark on that.
Caleb had not started dreaming yet. In fact he still thought everyone who talked about dreams was nuts. So if Emma had mentioned the reason she knew about foster care was because of the dreams he wouldn’t have believed her. “You run away too?” he asked raising a brow. Caleb had also met Neal when he was around seventeen, but Neal was older than him and Emma hadn’t been around. Not that Caleb knew of. It also wasn’t like you wanted to bring your significant other into their work. “Exactly,” he agreed. “I’ve always wanted to settle down, but it’s never been a possibility for me. Now that I am, I’m not sure if I’m doing it right.” Though three months wasn’t exactly settling down and he still lived in a hotel, but hey it was a start.
“Yeah, I got to the point where I said screw it and left. Why bother hanging around for another family to decide not to keep me?” Eventually it just got too much, didn’t it. “I figured if I was going to be on my own, I’d be on my own on my terms.” It got complicated, since for a while she had Neal in her dreams, but in her life she was on her own for years and years. It resulted in similar traits, but she still found herself here either way.
“Right, and then you wonder if you’re trying too hard, or if maybe you aren’t trying at all. And if you really wanna settle or if this is just what’s expected.” Emma hadn’t been intending on staying in the OC, she hadn’t figured that this place would get so far under her skin that leaving wouldn’t be an option.
But it was. And she knew she wouldn’t be leaving here without a damn good reason.
“Weirdly, it’s kind of easy here.”
Emma seemed to get it. What Caleb had gone through. There was a certain bond between foster kids. Not everyone understood what it was like. To be tossed around from family to family. To never feel like you belonged. When you finally got that feeling, well it took some getting used to. “How were you able to tell the difference?” Caleb asked because he still wasn’t sure himself. “Between knowing that you wanted to settle here or if you were just doing what was expected?”
“I have friends.” It might seem like something weird, but it was the truth. “I got a job and I made friends. Real friends, I usually just had people I worked around or people I knew, but they didn’t know me.” She was a different person in every town, in every state. She was always Emma Swan, but she was never the same one. Until here.
“I’m more myself here than I’ve been in years and… I really like it.” And even with all the chaos and the dreams and the stuff that came with those, it was home.
It didn’t seem weird. Caleb understood. It was the same for him. He was making friends. He had a job. He felt like himself for the first time in a long time, maybe forever. “I get it,” Caleb agreed with a nod. “Thanks for the advice. And the list of places.”
Starting over in new places was never easy, starting over to stay was probably harder. “Don’t worry about it,” Emma made a point of scribbling her number on the paper, handing it over with all the little bits of information she could think of -best places for food, some nice bars, good places to kit out a new place, the best laundry places where you didn’t get the weirdest people. “I put my number there, so if you ever need anything, just gimme a call, okay?” She’d find out how he knew Neal eventually, but sometimes just having someone who knew the system was helpful too.
“Thanks,” Caleb said accepting the paper from her. “I’ll see you around. Tell Neal I stopped by.” He gave a little salute as he turned to walk away.