a/n: So, more Snow/Charming angst/fluff/love because ugh I love them to my core.
Warnings & Disclaimers: The title song nor the characters belong to to me. I just like playing in ABC's play ground.
For Sara, who is the Mary to my Emma.
–
'maybe someday love'
"She belongs to fairy tales that I could never be;
The future haunts with memories that I could never have
and hope is just a stranger wondering how it got so bad.
I die each time you look away- my heart, my life will never be the same.
This love will take my everything; one breath, one touch will be the end of me."
–
un.
She cries every night for a week, just soft enough to make sure Emma doesn't worry, but hard enough to cause her to wake up looking like a train wreck. It's so pointless to her, because she's never had much interest in boys before that she can recall, but there's something special about him and for some stupid reason her heart had chosen him and there could be no other.
Sometimes she stands in front of her mirror, wishing she had the courage to break it so she wouldn't have to look at herself anymore. She's never been the fairest or fastest or bravest of them all, so she's always settled on trying to be the kindest.
But sometimes her kindness only leads to heart break.
They run into each other at the diner, both sets of eyes down cast and the air full of an awkward tension; he mumbles something she doesn't catch before he grabs his coffee and makes a dash for it.
It's a few seconds before she registers that he's told her to have a great day.
–
deux.
It's hard to wake up to a life that isn't yours and find out you are married to a woman you can't even remember and he knows it's wrong to involve Mary in all his baggage but when he looks at her he sees hope and warmth and familiarity.
He breaks heart and feels his own shatter beyond repair, because really he's never going to stop thinking about her but he can't ever deserve her so he doesn't allow himself to have her. Not even in the secret places of his mind.
He sees her across the town square one day and lifts a hand to wave to her shakily, but she looks away and his heart drops.
He doesn't catch the brief glimpse she shoots at him only seconds later.
–
trois.
She still volunteers at the hospital, because she refuses to allow one man to ruin everything she's tried to accomplish with her life, so with flowers in hand, she turns up to care for the few patients that the small hospital holds.
She overhears gossip in the staff work room about Regina and other unimportant things; she's never really been one for gossip, it feels wrong to talk about anyone when they aren't there, even if they aren't a very good person. Mary lives her life with an open mind and an open heart, but with every day it gets a little more worn down.
When David walks in she nearly faints and then has to fight the urge to cry in front of him. She doesn't understand what she did to deserve this very special layer of her own personal Hell. He walks into her cart before he notices her there and when he looks up her breath catches.
"Mary." He breathes, like it's the biggest relief to see her, but she can't find it in her to speak without her voice cracking so she quickly side steps him.
The tears start before she can get out of the ward.
–
quatre.
The school year is quickly approaching a close and she's hard at work preparing her kids for the end of year exams and trying to figure out what her project will be this summer. She really needs to repaint her home, but it would be slow going and she doesn't feel much like doing anything.
Still, she's always believed in hard work, so the first week of summer break she calls a local company to come and see about making new cabinets for the kitchen and ordering some paint. The plans are made and she feels content.
Until the contractor that shows up turns out to be someone too familiar, a grimace on his handsome face, and a tool belt resting on his hips. Her mouth falls open at the sight of him and he gives her an apologetic smile.
"I know I shouldn't have come-" He begins but she's so angry with the universe and him that she can't let him continue.
"You're right, you shouldn't have." She says, hurt in her tone, but he stands his ground firmly.
"But I'm the only one there that I trust to do this for you." He continues like she hasn't spoken, his face set and she has no choice but to let him in.
He works quietly and quickly and when he leaves he bumps into Emma, and gasps softly before taking off into the night.
–
cinq.
He can't shake the flash of dark hair and pale skin and the feeling of warm lips that came to him when he touched Emma's skin. He knows that the woman is so, so familiar it kills him to not know who she is. His mind fixates on the memory and can't let it go.
He hopes to bump into the blond girl again, but she's never at Mary's when he's there working, while the aforementioned woman forcibly ignores him. Her nose stuck in a book or hands busy knitting, but the sights of these things cause warmth the bubble in his chest and he loves just being able to see her at home.
"You're very talented." He comments lightly, pointing over at the blanket she's been working on for the past few weeks he's been there and she jumps at the sound.
Looking down at her work she smiles, "I always have a project every summer and I was going to paint but it's a lot of work for just me, so I decided to knit this for Emma." She pulls at the yellow fabric gently and the beauty in this sight winds him.
"I can always help you paint, if you'd really like to spruce it up a bit." He offers, not expecting her to accept.
But he doesn't know that her heart has won the battle with her mind and she can't hate him, so when she agrees to this he doesn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.
–
six.
She hears the taps at her door and goes to answer but Emma beats her there, pulling open the door to see David standing on the other side in old clothes, ready for another evening worth of painting. This has become routine over the past week and a half: Emma opens the door, David takes her hand in his and then comes in to work.
Mary doesn't realize he's been slowly piecing his life together and finally got the last bit of the puzzle solved the previous night. He smiles warmly at Emma, pulling her into a hug because she's his daughter and she's saved him like he had so hoped, before sweeping into where Mary stands, paint brushes in hand, looking utterly ridiculous in her overalls and ratty t-shirt.
"Katherine and I have split up." He announces quickly, not able to hold it in any longer, but the small woman just stares at him in wonder, questions dancing in her eyes.
He takes her tiny hands in his and smiles at her, "I know that you are my future, Mary." He breathes quietly, watching her eyes widen. "I love you, and I have for a very long time."
She doesn't understand the double meaning to his words, but she presses her lips to his eagerly, feeling like someone out of a fairytale.