I wrote this after remembering a quote from a manga I read a few months back where one of the characters gets dumped by her married boyfriend and asks, "Why can't God make all couples be happy couples". Or something along those lines. I thought it would be interesting to get a better view on Mary Margaret's relationship with David before episode 13 of the first season. Had a bit of trouble with my computer shutting off randomly while I was trying to write so some of the original was lost but I think I managed to get everything down. Please read and review, tell me what you think.
Deep down, Mary Margaret knew that they were meant to be together. Whether she believed the story in Henry's book or not, it was hard to deny the feelings that would arise whenever he was around.
But...even deeper down inside that it was almost obscured, she knew that this was not right. He was married for godsakes! And she could not help but think, especially when she saw them together, how she would feel if she were in Kathryn's shoes. She would be devastated to know that the person she loved and vowed to spend her life with, preferred the company of another. This just wasn't right no matter what each one felt or this tingling feeling in her soul that told her they belonged together. Having to sneak around and not even being able to enjoy their time together without worrying someone might see them was beginning to wear her down more and more each day. She could not keep going this way and yet she would, because despite all of this she loved him. Yes, love. Just the chance to be with him even for a few minutes was better than not seeing him at all. For now, those few minutes were enough for her.
When Valentine's day rolls around and she sees the happy couples around her her stomach begins to twist into a knot. This should be a happy day to spend with the one you love and rejoice in being together. That is the case for every one but Mary Margaret. Her and David could never be this way. Not when he was still very much married and their relationship was taboo. So instead of a romantic dinner, Mary Margret goes out with Ruby, Ashley and Emma for "girl's night", which is just another excuse to have a few drinks and hope that this day would end soon.
Maybe if she drinks enough she won't think of him anymore or what him and Kathryn could possibly be doing on this holiday meant for couples. They probably stayed in and had dinner at home. By now both are sitting side by side snuggled up together on the couch watching some cheesy movie. His arms wrapped around her as he presses a kiss to her lips and for a few seconds Mary Margaret imagines that it is her. That they are together and happy...And then she stops herself with a shake of her head. If only. Then Ashley starts talking to her about Sean, her boyfriend and how she wishes they could be with the person she cares about most right now.
'You and me both,' She thinks as she listens to the young woman talk about possibly breaking up with him. Could it really be that easy to just say good bye to someone you love after all the obstacles it took to get this far? Mary Margaret knew there were vast differences in the two relationships. Ashley wasn't the other woman and she never had to worry about secret meetings and quick kisses in an alley on the way to work. Her love was out in the open for everyone to see and there was no need to feel any shame at all.
It was right at that moment that Sean came over to their table, bouquet of roses in hand. How sweet! was all she could think until she watched him propose to Ashley and then that familiar knot in her stomach that had bothered her for most of the day returned. Only this time, it was accompanied with a strange mixture of happiness for Ashley but sadness for herself because her 'boyfriend' (if she could call him that) was married and this would probably never happen. They could not hold hands in public or go on normal dates and kiss freely. There would be no proposal and no vast future awaiting them, not when he was already married and she was just the other woman that he claimed to love but not enough to leave his wife for apparently. And it was then that she decided this wasn't right at all.
When Mary Margaret goes outside, ready to head home and she sees David there all thoughts of how wrong this is just flies out the window. Then he hands her a Valentine's day card and he tells her how much he cares, that he does not want her to find someone else and she feels a glimmer a hope awaken in her heart just as the knot in her stomach goes away. Maybe this could work, some how, some way. But that small glimmer of hope burns out when she opens the card and reads the contents. It was not meant for her, it was for Kathryn and she is filled with guilt and a little sadness.
So she sends him home and as she walks back to her apartment Mary Margaret thinks about...everything. The moment he chose to stay with Kathryn despite saying he loved her. All the sneaking around. She was the other woman and more likely than not she dreaded that she would always be just that. David seemed no closer to leaving Kathryn than she was to telling him goodbye because she could not continue on this way. But she would, because she loved him and that is what you do when you are in love right? You stay by their side and just be happy to be with that other person.
Mary Margaret knew deep down that they were meant to be together. She did not know how or even know why but they just did. Some thing in the way back of her mind told her she was suppose to be with David. But they never would be together, no really, in the way other normal couples were together. Not when he still had a wife. So now, it was not that easy to just say good bye to someone you love but that did not mean she had to continue this way either. She deserved so much more than secret meetings by the bridge and she would tell him so. If he really loved her he would be with her. No wife. No sneaking around or hiding. Just him and her together for all the world to see or not, the choice was theirs.
She would tell him as soon as she could and hope to whatever was out there that he would choose her this time. One could only hope.