Wow. I was not expecting this kind of reaction to this story at all. Thank you all so much for your kind words. To answer a specific question I received, this story takes place in the early to mid 90s, that's about as much as I can narrow it down at the moment. And to answer one more, yes, this is working within the framework of the curse so David and MMB are both Emma's biological parents and we'll see how David was able to leave Storybrooke to collect Emma later in the story, I promise. Thank you again! Your reviews mean the world to me.
Apologies for any mistakes, I'm currently battling a nasty case of bronchitis so I might have missed a few things.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Definitely A&E's.
"And when you feel no saving grace,
Well I'm on my way, on my way,
And when you're bound to second place,
Well I'm on my way, on my way,
So don't believe it's all in vain,
Cause I'm on my way, on my way,
The light at the end is worth the pain,
Cause I'm on my way, on my way...
-Boyce Avenue's "On My Way"
Sunday morning dawns on Augusta, Maine to find David Nolan stretched out as much as his large frame can be on the small couch in Emma Swan's hospital room. The eight year old is already awake and ignoring the pain in her arm for the sake of one more chapter in the book she's reading but then the book slips on her lap and collides with the broken arm that is in a sling across her chest which causes her let out a startled and painful yelp. David is awake in an instant and he scrambles across the room as quickly as he can with the blankets the nurse gave him tangling around his legs. "Emma," he asks. "Are you okay?"
"My book slipped," she explains quietly. "It bumped my arm."
"Ouch," he sympathizes and reaches out to rub the tears from her cheek. "I'm gonna page the nurse, okay? They can bring you something for the pain and maybe we can see about getting some breakfast. How long have you been awake?"
"An hour or two," she tells him with a quavering voice. "David... Are you really going to keep me?"
"For as long as I possibly can," he promises. "We'll see how it plays out, okay? But for as long as they'll let me keep you, you'll have a home."
"Thank you," Emma whispers. So many adults have lied to the little girl and she's not sure when but at some point she's built up a really good interior lie detector. David's not lying. She believes him all the way down to her bones and deep in the pit of her belly that he'll keep her for as long as the system lets him which is something Emma Swan has never had before in her life. Still, she can't totally trust the moment. "You're sure? You're not going to have a real kid and send me back?"
"I'm sure," he tells her and before he has a chance to stop himself he leans forward and kisses her brow lightly, not offended when she shudders and pulls back from the touch. "Emma, you're my first foster kid so I'm not sure how this is going to play out but I promise you that you're my priority and I'll be your family for as long as they'll let me keep you. You're going to be safe with me."
Emma nods. "Can you call the nurse now? My arm really hurts."
"Sure." David presses the button for the nurse and then pulls a chair over to sit by Emma's bed. "You've practically got this book done, Emma."
"I liked it," she protests, a bit of pink coloring her cheeks. "I'm on the last chapter. Could you read it to me?"
"Of course."
Just as he closes the book, a nurse with a pretty smile and long red hair steps into the room to greet them. "Hello Emma. I hear you're going home today. Are you excited?"
Emma glances at David before she answers the nurse. "Yeah. I am."
"She bumped her arm and she's having some pain," David jumps in. "Can she have anything?"
The nurse pulls her chart from the foot of the bed and flips it open to check the doctor's notes. "Looks like we're switching you to oral medication so that you can go home later without that pesky IV so I'll have to go pull some medicine. Maybe your daddy can order you some breakfast while I do that because this medicine might make your tummy feel icky. I'll be right back."
"He's not..." Emma trails off, the nurse is already gone. She turns her gaze to David. "Cereal, please."
"Just cereal," he asks as he plucks the menu off the bedside stand, glancing over the directions about how to call and place an order. "You haven't ate since before I got here last night. I'm sure you have to be starving, Emma. You can have more than cereal."
"Cereal and water," Emma tells him. "It's all I'm allowed to have."
"Allowed? Emma... Do you have an allergy or something," he asks but Matilda surely would have mentioned something if Emma had some severe food allergy he needed to be aware of.
Emma shakes her head and busies herself with the ears on Nip, the teddy bear. "Mr Kassem, my other foster daddy... He told me it's greedy to take more. I'm only allowed to have cereal and water. And I must be quiet."
David feels his blood boil as he watches Emma curl into herself – if he wasn't aware that the man was already in jail, he would track him down and put him in the morgue. Instead, he takes a steadying breath and gives Emma a small reassuring smile. "Hey kid, look at me for a second," he directs. "Emma, Mr Kassem was a very bad man. Miss Honey told me about how he hurt you – how he broke your arm. He's a bad man and he was a liar. You're a good girl – a very good girl, not greedy in the least. I've heard nothing but amazing things about you. And you can have whatever you want for breakfast. You never have to have cereal and water for breakfast ever again."
She looks at him for a moment, her gaze long and piercing, before she reaches out for the menu that he readily hands over. It takes her several long minutes to decide before she makes a decision. "Eggs and biscuits and gravy with hot chocolate. Please."
"That sounds delicious," David tells her as he takes the menu back and notes the option for him order as well marked on the back of the menu. "I think I'm going to have the same thing but with coffee."
"Coffee is so gross, David," she tells him with a giggle.
He gasps playfully as he tosses the menu to the side and grabs the phone to make the order. "You're a little kid – you have to think coffee is gross."
"Because it is," she protests.
He laughs. "If I order cocoa will you stop telling me coffee is gross?"
"For now."
"Fair enough."
Once their order is placed, he angles his chair so he's parallel to her and hands her the remote to the small TV in the room. She looks at him hesitantly for a few moments, as if this is another luxury she was never allowed, before quickly grabbing up the remote and making haste for the cartoons on the children networks – she flips back and forth between several options before settling on one about a pack of babies that get up to no good that gives David a small headache but it's a small price to pay when he hears Emma Swan giggle. He watches her out of the corner of his eye and smiles as she sits wide eyed, legs crossed on the bed, with Nip perched on her lap as she watches through fit after fit of giggles and he thinks it might be the best sound that he has ever heard.
Miss Honey and the nurse arrive at the same time as their breakfasts and Emma shuts off the TV without complaint as she's given medicine to dull the throbbing in her arm before she's allowed to dive into her breakfast. David watches her eat ravenously for a moment and he hopes that the rich food doesn't make Emma sick – making a mental note to mention Emma's food issues to the case worker and possibly the doctor before they leave. Matilda Honey sits on he other side of the bed and quizzes Emma on the book that she was given before reaching into her bag to pull out another for the little girl that makes David quirk an eyebrow. "Emma always flies through the books I bring her," she explains as she hands it over. "I think you'll like this one a lot, Em."
"Thank you, Miss Honey," the child breathes as she runs her fingers over the cover of Gene Stratton Porter's Girl of the Limberlost. The book is so thick that Emma can't even hold it properly with one hand but she manages to get her right arm underneath it and pulls it to her chest so she can lower her nose and breathe in the scent of the yellowing pages of the old book that her case worker had bought her.
Miss Honey smiles and brushes the hair back from Emma's face. "You're quite welcome, Miss Swan." She takes a sip of coffee as her eyes flit between the pair that seem to be taking to each other like ducks to water. "After the doctor casts your arm, you'll head home to Storybrooke with Mr Nolan and I'll come to check on you in about two weeks, okay?"
"I know the drill," Emma tells her with a sigh.
"I know you do and you have my number in case you need me before then." Matilda hazards a look at David Nolan and how he hasn't taken his eyes of Emma and she doubts she'll be getting an emergency call from Emma anytime soon.
When Emma and David's breakfasts have been cleared away and the medication has had time to seep into the little girl's system, the doctor comes in with a special plastering kit and begins to plaster the little girl's arm as he gives the foster father specific care instructions. He asks Emma what color she wants her cast wrapped in and she reiterates her desire from the previous evening – she wants green and no other color will do. The only green that the hospital carries for cast wrapping is an obnoxiously bright green that the eight year old honestly thinks is the coolest thing she's ever seen and the doctor leaves them with a laugh and smile, promising a nurse will be by shortly with their discharge instructions and they're free to go.
Matilda pulls one last prize for Emma out of her bag – it's two sets of newer clothing, still worn from a donation pile at the office, but appropriately sized for the little girl who had outgrown her previous clothing. It wasn't much but it would do until David Nolan got the first stipend for the girl and could add to her wardrobe. She then steps out in the hall to make a few calls, promising to say goodbye before she left for real.
"Do you need help getting dressed," he asks and glances at the clothes for Emma that have so many buttons.
Emma nods as she swings her legs over the bed, grateful the nurse removed her IV when she gave her medicine with her breakfast – it was hard enough to maneuver around the cast. She pulls out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt with big sleeves that look like she can get them around her cast. "These ones."
"I like your style," he tells her with a grin that makes her roll her eyes. Kneeling down, he helps her slide the jeans on underneath the hospital gown and then fastens them as she pulls off the gown and slides her arms into the plaid shirt. He then does up the buttons and tweaks Emma's nose with a grin before pulling her long blond hair out from underneath the collar. "Would you like me to braid it?"
"You can do that," Emma asks with a quirked eyebrow eerily familiar to his own.
"Of course I can," he tells her and rounds the bed to get to work. He stars a brad just below the crown of her hair and makes quick work of it. "I grew up on a farm, you see, and I would often braid the manes of my horses in order to keep the hair from getting all matted."
"That's cool. I've always wanted to ride horses."
"Storybrooke has stables," he tells the girl as he knots the end of her hair together, the braid falling more than halfway down her back. "We'll see about going to ride after your arm is healed up."
"Cool!"
"I'm going to go change myself and then we'll see about those discharge papers," he tells her as he grabs his bag and ducks into the bathroom in the corner of the room. Pausing to observe himself in the mirror for a second, running his hand over his stubble, he shakes himself from his thoughts and makes haste in changing into a fresh pair of jeans and a plaid shirt not dissimilar to Emma's own before pulling on his work boots and stepping out of the bathroom. "We match."
"Only kinda," Emma tells him as she glances up from putting things into her school bag. "Mine is blue and yours is red."
"That's true." He glances at the bag and Emma's collection of things.
She shoves the new clothes into bag around her baby blanket that, when she sees his gaze, she shoves even deeper into her bag before placing the books on top. She swings the bag over her shoulder and plucks Nip from the bed to wedge him between her broken arm and her abdomen. "Can you tie my shoes? I got them on but I couldn't tie them."
"Of course," he replies and kneels down immediately to tie the sneakers. He notes how tight the canvas material is over the girl's feet and how it's pulled away from the rubber toe and he makes a note to buy her a new pair immediately. He'll get a stipend each month for taking care of Emma but it's unnecessary – his job at the animal rescue is more than enough to care for them both, certainly enough to buy Emma some new clothes before the money comes in. "The doctor said you could go back to school in a week. I think you'll like the school in Storybrooke."
"I like school no matter what," Emma tells him. When he looks up for an explanation, she sighs and rolls her eyes once more. "It's the only thing that stays the same."
He nods before shoulder his own bag and then taking hers off her. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."
Emma laughs and David mentally high fives himself. The nurse lets them sign the papers at the desk – it's one step closer to being out the door and Emma dances on the tips of her toes in anticipation as David signs all the necessary forms and collects the discharge papers and a prescription for the liquid pain killer for Emma. When he's done, Emma takes his hand and practically drags him out of the building with the case worker on his heels as they make their way across the parking lot to his truck.
"Let me help," he tells Emma who is too short to get into the cab with only one hand. He places both their bags in the middle of the truck and then turns to lift Emma up and place her on the booster seat that social services had provided before buckling her in. "There. Safe and sound."
Matilda steps in as David takes a step back to make sure Emma really is safe. "Call if you need anything, Emma."
"I will," Emma promises. "See you in a few weeks, Miss Honey."
The case worker nods and turns back to David as she shuts the door. "That goes for you too."
"Thank you," he tells her. "But I'm sure we'll be fine."
The ride back to Storybrooke takes longer than the ride to Augusta did but David chalks it up to the fact that he makes a specific stop at a larger town between the two cities in order to get Emma's prescription filled and to pick up some extra clothing for her – it's not much but it's like Christmas and her birthday combined for the eight year old who walks out with an assortment of tops, bottoms, and assorted underthings with two brand new books sitting on top. To tide her over, David had said about the books, until they were able to get to the library to get her own library card. She had, in an uncharacteristic moment, flung her good arm around his waist and buried her face into his side and David had stood in shock for a moment before placing a comforting hand between her shoulders.
When they arrive in Storybrooke, it's late into the afternoon and Emma's stomach is grumbling so David pulls into a parking spot at Granny's to pick them up something that will tide them over the last few hours until dinner – it's time for Emma to take some more medication anyway and she can't do that on an empty stomach. They take a seat in the corner booth and Emma's got the paperback he had helped her pick out at the small department store with her, perched against the edge of the table so she can turn the pages. "Bookworm," he teases gently as the waitress approaches. "Hey Ruby."
"Hey David," the girl tells him. "Who's this?"
"Ruby Lucas," he addresses her. "Meet Emma Swan. Em, this is my friend, Ruby, she and her grandma run this place."
"Hence the name Granny's," Ruby explains.
"Emma's my new foster placement," he explains. "We're here to get a snack to tide us over until dinner." He turns his gaze to Emma. "Whatever you want, Em. No cereal."
The little girl grins and puts her book down. "Can I get a grilled cheese please. And hot chocolate."
"Sure thing," Ruby tells her with a grin. "Cute kid."
"I can hear you," Emma replies. "I am not cute. I'm almost nine."
David laughs. "I'll have the same but with coffee." Emma gives him a look. "Hey, I gave up my breakfast coffee for you and I've been driving for hours. I'm having coffee."
"Whatever," Emma tells him. "It's gross."
"Go back to your book," David orders her playfully but isn't surprised when Emma follows orders, already sunken in to the new world inside the book, as Ruby leaves to place their orders. "We're going to have to replace those reading glasses that Miss Honey mentioned," David tells the bookworm. "Or you're going to go blind from all that reading you do."
"I will not."
"Not right away but if we don't get them replaced you will."
Emma sticks out her tongue as Ruby places a hot cocoa in front of her and a coffee in front of David. There's whipped cream on Emma's cocoa and it's piled up so high that Emma can barely see over it, making the girl grin, and it's sprinkled with brown stuff and a stick stuck in the side. "Cinnamon?"
"Do you not like it," Ruby asked. "Some people do and some people don't. I can get you a different one."
"I'll try it," Emma tells her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetheart," and then Ruby is off in a blur of red clothing and dark hair.
The bell above the door jangles and Emma glances up to see a small woman in a dress and heels with a raven colored pixie cut step into the diner and promptly trip over the mat on the floor, spilling a folder of papers across the ground. "Crap," the woman whines before stooping to pick them up. "I am such a klutz."
"Mary Margaret, are you talking to yourself again," David teases as he slides out of the booth to help her pick things up.
"Oh," she gasps and glances up to see David; Emma watches the brilliant smile that breaks across the woman's face and wishes she could smile like that. "David! Hi."
"Hello," he tells her as he hands her a large stack of papers before helping her up. "Lucky you're here. I've got someone I want you to meet." He guides the small woman over to the table. "Mary Margaret Blanchard, this is Emma Swan – my new foster daughter. Emma, this is Miss Blanchard. She's a fourth grade teacher over at Storybrooke Elementary."
"Hi Miss Blanchard," Emma greets her and extends a small hand to shake the older woman's.
A spark of electricity jumps between their hands and they both pull back quickly. "I apologize, I must have picked up some static from the rug when I stumbled. It's lovely to meet you, Emma."
"Emma is going to be starting at the school next week," he tells her. "She just had surgery on her arm or she'd be starting tomorrow."
"Wow," Mary Margaret says as she perches on the edge of David's bench seat. "That's no fun. I hope your arm feels better soon. What grade are you in?"
"Third," Emma says quietly.
"But she reads like a college student," David brags, unbelievably proud of the little girl. "She's eight and finished Swiss Family Robinson overnight."
"That's impressive," the teacher tells them and Emma blushes. "Do you read a lot, Emma?"
"Only when I'm breathing," she replies and the adults chuckle.
"I am thinking about seeing if she can be bumped up to fourth grade," David explains. "She's certainly smart enough for it."
Emma glanced up, wide eyed. "I could do that."
"I'm sure you can," David tells her.
"Well I would be delighted to have you in my class." She glances at her watch. "It was lovely to see you, David, and meet you, Emma, but I've got to go, I'm afraid. I just stopped by to drop off some things to Ruby and then I need to be going but maybe you two could join me for dinner later this week. A 'Welcome to Storybrooke' dinner for Emma once she's a bit more settled."
"Can we," Emma asks David. She's not sure what it is about Mary Margaret Blanchard but she likes her, wants to be liked by her. "Please, David. I'll take my medicine without whining."
"You'd do that anyway," David tells her. "But sure. We'll call you once she's settled."
"Sounds great," the teacher told them as she stood. "I'll see you both later."
"Bye Miss Blanchard," Emma calls after the teachers retreating form before turning to her foster father who is still staring. "I like her."
"Me too," David whispers and there's something in his tone that makes Emma quirk an eyebrow. "After we get you settled in your new room, what do you say we veg out in front of the TV and watch some movies tonight?"
"Like Die Hard," Emma asks.
David laughs. "I was thinking more like The Little Mermaid."
"I suppose that's acceptable."
"Well thank you for being so agreeable, princess."
Ruby brings their food by then and they're both so hungry that the conversation ceases as they dive into their food and don't come up once again until they hit table. Emma takes her medicine without complaint and chases it with the last of her cocoa, giggling over the whipped cream that makes a mustache over her top lip – declaring cinnamon an excellent addition to the drink. The little girl is so tired after the food has a chance to settle that, after paying the bill, David has to carry her out of the diner – Emma's cast covered arm crooked around his neck and she rests her head against his shoulder as he carries her. As they step out on the street, the clock in the clock tower chimes out loudly to signify that it's four o'clock in the afternoon and David pauses at the front bumper of his truck to look up in confusion before turning to Emma. "Funny. That's clock hasn't worked for as long as I can remember."
