AN: Thanks for the great response to this fic! Keep the reviews coming and feel free to submit a prompt! Enjoy this next installment. Here are individual responses:

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Prompts welcome.

Baratta Jennifer: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Guest: Thanks, glad you liked it! The premise did make for kind of the perfect modern Au to adapt Snowing's story, so I was glad I was able to adapt some things from their fairytale. Yes, you can prompt for David's POV. I will include some of that in the next chapter. It will compliment the present day events that are about to happen very well.

Austenphile: Glad you liked it!

SecretLoveCara: Aw, thanks, so glad you like my writing!

Bwayrox: Thanks, yeah I never really paid Leopold much mind until season 3 and we found out that he was once in love with Cora. So marrying Regina just made him super creepy at that point, especially when you look at his possessiveness with Regina in 1x11. There's no reason to think he wouldn't be the same with Snow and not want to "lose" her like he left Eva. Hope you continue to enjoy!

Sexystarwarslover: Thanks! Glad you like it! Yeah, I thought using the Hyperion Heights personalities made sense in a modern AU. I know, I love the idea of Nolan and Rogers as detective partners. Yeah, Leopold is pretty evil and creepy here. You're right, Mary ended up liking this babysitter, lol. Yep, all the Snowing love and she's pregnant...here comes Emma. Glad you're enjoying!

Witness Protection

Chapter 2: All I'll Ever Want or Need

Leopold Blanchard looked through the various photos, each captured at different times, of his daughter and the man that was protecting her. At least that was what it had started as. But as he looked through the photos, each one after another, they got more intimate. First, it was just his arm around her shoulders or her hand on his chest. Then it was her in his arms and their lips locked. It would seem, if the reports from the bounty hunters were correct, that his daughter and her detective were lovers now. It made him livid, especially when he received the most recent photo. It was taken just weeks ago, just before the trail on them had gone completely cold. Again, Mary was in his arms and there was an unmistakable swell to her stomach. There was no question, especially since his hand was resting on the bump. His daughter was pregnant and they had seemingly managed to disappear. This time, none of the expensive bounty hunters were turning up anything on them and angrily tossed the photos down on his desk, sending them scattering across it.

"This is not over, daughter…" he growled.


"So...how is everything back there?" Mary asked, as she spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth, while cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Oh, you know Hyperion Heights...still pretty much the same, except Victoria Belfry is trying to get me to sell the bar to her," Roni replied.

"Why does Victoria Belfry want to buy the bar?" Mary wondered.

"Well...she's trying to buy up this whole damn neighborhood. For what purpose, no one is sure. But there are whispers…" Roni said, trailing off.

"What kind of whispers?" Mary asked.

"That there is a merger in the works. Between Belfry Industries and Blanchard Enterprises," Roni replied.

"My father is going to merge with Belfry Industries?" Mary asked in disbelief.

"I think it's more like he's acquiring her company. To what end, no one really knows," Roni answered. Mary sighed.

"He's still looking for me too...I was hoping he would give up," she said.

"Your father believes he is entitled to have whatever he wants, like some kind of evil King. He isn't going to stop. Fortunately, Weaver is certain that he won't find where you are this time," Roni said.

"I hope not...we actually really like it here," Mary mentioned.

"Mary Margaret Blanchard as a small town schoolteacher...I'm sure it suits you," Roni said fondly. She smiled.

"It does...and David really likes his job. He gets along really well with Sheriff Graham...and then there's the little cupcake," she gushed, as she stroked her swollen belly.

"I'm so happy for you both. Do you know what it is yet?" Roni asked.

"No...we decided we want to be surprised, but I'm pretty sure it's a girl. David thinks it's a boy, but he's wrong," she replied fondly, as she finished off the carton of ice cream.

"Mother's intuition?" Roni asked.

"Something like that," Mary replied, as she heard the apartment door open and smiled at her husband. He smiled back at her, as he hung his coat up, took his shoes off and took off his holster. She bit her bottom lip, as she watched him. She really liked the way he looked in that holster.

"Hello...Mary?" Roni called into the phone.

"Huh...oh sorry," she apologized.

"Yeah, something tells me David is home if your sudden preoccupation is anything to go by," Roni teased.

"Yeah...sorry, but I can't help it. He just looks so good in that holster," she mentioned.

"Okay then...definitely my cue to sign off," Roni joked. Mary smiled.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she promised, as she hung up the phone, just as David leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I see our little one has been wanting ice cream again," he teased. She bit her bottom lip and gazed up at him with a dreamy stare.

"I don't know what to say...she loves rocky road. I ate our entire supply again," Mary replied. He chuckled and held up held up a sack, filled with two more cartons of ice cream.

"Good thing I knew I needed to replenish our stock. We can't have our little Prince wanting for anything," he said, as he put it in the freezer.

"Princess…" she corrected.

"Either way...I can't wait to meet him or her," he replied, as he kissed her again. She sighed and watched him make his way behind the curtain where their bedroom was. She often thought about the direction their lives had taken. Just two years ago, she had just graduated college and was ready to find a teaching job. That part of her life had been accomplished, as she loved her job at Storybrooke Elementary. But she hadn't even been entertaining the possibility of a relationship, let alone finding true love. She wondered if he thought about their path.

"Baby...you okay?" he murmured, as he put his arms around her from behind, instinctively resting them on the swell of her stomach.

"Mmm...did you ever imagine this is where we would end up when Weaver assigned you to protect me?" she asked curiously.

"Not exactly...but I certainly wouldn't change it for anything," he replied. She cocked her head to the side, as she looked at him.

"You almost died because of me," she reminded.

"No, I almost died for you...there's a significant difference," he corrected. She parted her lips, as she gazed up at him.

"But this couldn't have been where you saw your life going when you became a cop," Mary said. He shrugged.

"Does anyone ever really end up exactly where they expect?" he asked in return.

"Happy endings aren't always what we expect they will be," she remembered her mother saying once.

"But you were an up and coming detective...in a very large city. I know from what Roni told me that Weaver doesn't just idly pick people for his team. He must have seen something in you to fast track you from beat cop to detective," she replied. He shrugged again.

"I don't know...most of the other detectives are always either sucking up to him or scared of him. But none of that is really my style...I think he likes that," David explained.

"I'm sure he does...but I don't think you're getting what I'm saying. David...you gave up what could have been an incredible career. You probably would have made Captain in no time," she responded. He smiled.

"Maybe...but I didn't really become a cop to climb the ranks and soak in the glory. I became a cop to help people and make a difference. But it was never really my dream," he explained.

"What was?" she asked curiously. He smiled at her and put his hand on her stomach again.

"I always knew that I wanted love...real love and family. You're that dream, Mary...you and our little one. You are a dream that became my reality, so don't think even for a second I would trade this for some job or career. Because this…" he said, as he caressed the place where their child was growling and then cupped her beautiful face in his hand.

"This is everything that I ever wanted and more than I ever thought I'd find," he added. Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him fiercely. He breathed her in and held her flush against him.

"I love you…" he said. She smiled.

"And I love you…" she replied, as he kissed her tenderly. She moaned and broke the kiss though, as she held her stomach.

"Oh…" she said, as she felt a contraction.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern. She nodded.

"Just a contraction...they've been off and on today, but pretty far apart," she replied, not really concerned. Until she had a stronger one.

"Ohhh…" she cried and then felt a wetness between her legs.

"Oh God David...I think my water just broke…" she cried.