A/N: Do you guys remember how I said I'd be writing a CS Leap Year AU? Well, here it is. Hope you like it.


This is a story about fate. More specifically, a story about fate working in incomprehensible ways to bring two people together.

If you had told Emma Swan a month ago that she'd be leaving everything behind and getting on a plane to Ireland, she'd have laughed at your face. But that was exactly what she was doing and maybe we need to rewind a bit to get to the beginning of it all.


Emma Swan was a 27 year old woman living in Boston where she worked as a stager. The job description entailed making apartments or houses look as good as they could before they went up for sale. To achieve that, she brought in all sorts of furniture, varying from couches to flat screen TVs and paintings. That way, the possible bidders didn't only see an empty flat, they saw a home. Emma was pretty darn good at what she did, earning a good deal of money.

She also had a great boyfriend who shared the same dreams as her, Neal. He was a cardiologist working in a prestigious hospital. They'd been together for seven years, and she felt… well, content. She'd worked hard to get where she was right now, and it had paid off.

She strode quickly through the streets of Boston, rushing to get to their meeting at Davenport. Davenport was a residence with high standards, an old fashioned board and one of the best views in the city. It was where Emma had dreamt of living ever since she was a child and now she and Neal had a shot at it. As she approached the residence with quick steps, she saw that Neal was already there, looking down at his phone.

She was by his side in a few seconds, though it took her clearing her throat twice for Neal to look up from whatever had him so engrossed on his phone.

"Hey babe, didn't see you there," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she said, shaking her head nervously.

They made their way up the stairs, where they were asked to wait in the lobby until they were called in for their meeting with the board. The board was made up of a bunch of middle-aged and old people, intent on upholding Davenport's tradition and prestigious name.

Once they were called in, they settled in two chairs that were probably antiquated and cost as much as Emma's entire furniture.

"So, Ms. Swan and Mr. Cassidy, is it?" asked one of the board members, a man probably in his fifties, peering over his glasses at them.

"Yes," Neal replied.

"As you may know, apartments in Davenport don't come up very often, and we have our fair share of applicants. So why you?" asked the woman to the right of the man who spoke before, as she skimmed over the documents in her hands –probably the application forms they'd filled in months ago.

"I have lived in Boston my entire life," Emma started explaining excitedly, "and I have dreamt of living here ever since I was a little girl. Luckily, I was able to find someone who shares the same dream." She put one hand over Neal's as she said that, and he in turn gave her a tight-lipped smile. "I can assure you that you can't find two people more in synch with your exceptionally high standards, and dare I say, your taste."

"Thank you," said the woman who has asked the question. The board seemed pleased with her answer, looking at each other and then offering the two of them a smile.

The interview went over really well after that point, and Emma had high hopes that they might get a positive answer.

As she made their way out of the Davenport Residence, Neal turned to her.

"Honey, don't forget that we have dinner reservations at seven tomorrow. I have a surprise for you."

"You know I don't like surprises," Emma said to her boyfriend cautiously.

"You'll like this one. Don't be late."

"When am I ever late?"

"When your parents come into town, that's when."

"I haven't seen them in weeks, I have to meet them," Emma said, feeling like this was the tenth time she had to have this conversation with Neal.

"Yeah, yeah okay. I gotta go. I have a surgery in twenty minutes." His phone chimed at this moment and he moved to pull it out of his pocket.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," he mumbled as he took out his phone, looking at something, and left in a hurry after giving her a quick peck on the cheek.


Emma was at her tailor, getting her dress she would be wearing for the evening fitted. Her morning had gone over really well, staging yet another apartment to perfection. She was sure they'd have half a dozen bidders lining up by tomorrow.

She talked her tailor through the fitting, telling him to make the hem an inch shorter, but no a quarter inch more, trying to achieve perfection with her dress, just like she did in any area of her life.

Suddenly, her best friend burst through the door with several shopping bags in her hands.

"Oh, Emma I have the best news for you!" she said as she rushed over to her excitedly.

"What did you buy that has you so excited, Rubs?" she asked, looking at her friend amusedly.

"Well, I did buy a great pair of shoes, but that's not what I have to tell you," she said, sending a crimson painted smirk her way. "I just saw Neal as I was coming over here."

"You did?" Emma asked, her interest suddenly peaked. What could her boyfriend be doing outside the hospital at this hour of the day?

"Yes. And he was coming out of DePrisco's." DePrisco's was only the most fashionable jewelry store in all of Boston.

"He was?"

"YES," Ruby shouted with impatience. "He was carrying a red little bag. The red little bag!"

"You think he's gonna propose?" Emma asked excitedly.

"I don't think, Emma. I know. There is only one reason why people go into DePrisco's."

Both girls squealed in delight. Emma's afternoon had suddenly taken a turn from good to better.

"I hate you," Ruby declared after a moment. "You are gonna have a better engagement ring than me and I hate you."


Emma went into the cozy little café where she was supposed to meet her parents at four. They were already sitting at a table by the window, smiling at each other and chatting quietly.

Her mother stood up excitedly when she noticed Emma approaching and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Mom, you are crushing me," Emma said after a moment, causing Mary Margaret to chuckle and release her.

"You'll have to excuse your mother," David said after giving her his own brief hug, "It's just that we haven't seen you in weeks."

"It's okay," Emma said, smiling at them and gesturing for them to sit. "I missed you guys."

"We missed you, too," Mary Margaret said. "So, how is everything? How are you and Neal doing?"

And, there was the interrogation she'd been dreading. She hoped it'd come at least after they'd ordered, but apparently no such luck.

Her mother had been pestering her about marriage for the last couple of years, growing impatient to see her daughter settled and happy as years passed. Now, though, it wasn't so bad, since she had good news she could share with them. The waiter came to take their orders at that moment, distracting them from their conversation.

"I think we might get engaged," Emma declared after they'd placed their orders.

David's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, while Mary Margaret clapped her hands together in delight.

"Yeah, he didn't propose or anything, but I think he is going to. Tonight."

"I am so happy for you, sweetheart," Mary Margaret said, reaching for Emma's hand on the table and giving it a squeeze. "Where is Neal, though? We would have loved to see him while we were in town."

"He is packing, Mom," Emma explained, "He has a cardiology convention in Dublin next week."

"Well, it is a good thing he came around to proposing, or you might have had to follow him to Ireland this weekend and pull a Grandma Ruth. It is leap year, you know," David joked with her daughter.

"Dad, please don't tell that story again," Emma mumbled exasperatedly.

"Why, it is a great story! Your grandmother proposing to your grandfather on the 29th of February in Ireland? Why would you not want to hear that story?"

"It's a family myth, that's why. Besides, I am not going to have to pull a Grandma Ruth," she said mimicking her father's words from a moment ago. "Neal's proposing."

"We are finally going to get some grandkids!" Mary Margaret declared happily and Emma choked on her sip of hot chocolate.


Emma was sat at a table with Neal at one of the fanciest restaurants in Boston, conversing politely. Inside, she was more than a little bit excited about the proposal she knew was coming.

"You know, you always have it figured out for us," Neal said. "Even with my crazy schedule and everything… You know I appreciate it, right?"

Emma nodded her head, too excited to actually get any words out.

"So," Neal said, reaching into her jacket's pocket and taking out a little box, "So, this is for you."

He placed it in front of her on the table, and Emma pondered why he hadn't gone down on one knee just like it was customary to do when proposing.

After giving him a long look, she reached for the little velvet box anyways, and opened it.

What she saw in there was…

Earrings.

A pair of diamond earrings.

Not a ring.

"They're... earrings," she stated flatly.

"Yeah," Neal said smiling at her, apparently oblivious to her discomfort. Just then, his phone started ringing. He answered it after offering Emma an apologetic smile.

"Hey, Dr. Sloane," he said. "Oh looks like you're gonna have to go in from the spine. Send me a photo and I'll take a look, okay?" With that, he hung up, apologizing to Emma.

"Why don't you try them on?" he said, gesturing towards the earrings.

"Sorry, sure," Emma said, giving him a tight-lipped smile. She took off her own earrings and replaced them with the ones Neal had got for her.

When she looked up, he was busy looking at his phone.

"Oh, yikes," he said. "You wouldn't want to see the picture Dr. Sloane just sent me."

"I wouldn't," Emma confirmed, trying very hard not to let out her frustration with Neal in the form of snappy answers.

"Ugh," he said, groaning in exasperation when his phone chimed once more with another incoming text from Dr. Sloane. "This isn't gonna work. I'll have to go in."

Emma nodded her head in acknowledgement, because at this point words were evading her.

"I'll just pick up my suitcase on the way to the hospital and go straight to the airport from there. Forgive me?"

"Of course," Emma answered, her voice coming out as a whisper, even though she wasn't sure if she would.

"I am so sorry," he said to her as he got up to leave, "I love you."

He gave her a peck on the lips and she answered with her own "Love you, too." before he dashed out of the restaurant and left her alone at the table. She heaved a deep sigh, watched after Neal until he disappeared out of sight and then motioned to one of the waiters for the check, ready to go home and spend an hour or two in the bathtub to cleanse herself from the disappointment she felt.


After soaking in the bathtub for a good hour and a half and drinking half a bottle of wine, Emma got comfortable in bed and started thinking about the story her father had brought up today.

"Well, it is a good thing he came around to proposing, or you might have had to follow him to Ireland this weekend and pull a Grandma Ruth. It is leap year, you know."

She could practically hear his father saying those words, and whether it was the half a bottle of wine she'd drunk or the frustration she felt about the earrings that were now sitting on her bedside table, but the idea was starting to grow on her.

She pushed the comforter off her body and got out of bed. Opening her laptop, she pulled out the search engine and typed in Leap Year Proposals, clicking on the first article that came up.

Leap year proposals are an old folklore tradition that dates back to the 5th century. In a leap year, a woman can propose to a man on February 29th –one day every four years.

The article also included a video of a woman getting down on one knee in the middle of the street to propose to her boyfriend.

"That's ridiculous," Emma said out loud. I am gonna do it.

Having made up her mind, she proceeded to pack a suitcase for a couple of days, all the while contemplating how she could surprise Neal and when she could get the rings.

Before she knew it, she was sitting in a plane to Dublin with an old man sitting next to her.

"Why are you going to Dublin?" the old man asked her, apparently wanting to pass some of the long flight by holding conversation with the blonde woman next to her.

"I am going to propose to my boyfriend," Emma said excitedly.

"Are you know?" the old man asked disbelievingly. Emma chose to ignore the way the man was looking at her as if she'd suddenly grown a second head.

"Yes, he is already in Dublin for a convention. I am going to surprise him," she explained.

"Good for you," the old man said to her before pulling out a newspaper from his handbag to read, having clearly lost interest in conversing with Emma any further.

This did not faze Emma in the slightest, though. She just pulled the magazine from the pocket of the seat in front of her and started looking through it. Then suddenly, the plane started to shake as if they were going through turbulence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are currently passing through a spot of bad weather. Do not worry, it is only a little bit of turbulence."

Emma held onto the armrests on both sides of her seat to steady herself as she willed the turbulence to pass. But it just got worse and a moment later the oxygen masks dropped from above their heads and the pilot spoke once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain again. I may have underestimated the storm a little bit. I am afraid we are being diverted to Cardiff, Wales, as Dublin airport has been shut down. Once landed, ground staff will be happy to book you onto connecting flights to get you to your final destination."

"Cardiff?" Emma mumbled to herself under her breath. That was not part of the plan.


A/N: Just like my previous story, the cover for this story was made by my dearest friend Sevval.

No Killian in this chapter, I know, but that's gonna change in the next one.

Leave a review to let me know if you liked this chapter.

Hope to see ya again.