3 | That Strange Night

Strange things happen whenever a full moon hung in the night sky, at least that was what Graham Humbert had grown up believing. Maybe it was caused by the abundance of outrageous bedtime stories his father used to tell him when he was younger, involving werewolves, trolls, and other dark creatures loitering in the night. He watched the smoke coming out of his nostrils seemingly form into the creatures in his imagination as he enjoyed the peace and quiet in his place at the entrance of the Lakeside Mansion.

While everyone in town was more than happy to dress up and party, he would rather get some work done, but it would seem like the universe was turning against him when he found out that he had nothing to do in the town hall or at the station. Thankfully, Robert Gold was looking for another valet who will assist the guests with their vehicles, so he immediately took the opportunity. He told himself he was doing it for the extra cash, but when Emma Nolan stepped out of her car in that dress, he began questioning his own intentions.

It wasn't like he was assuming anything was ever going to happen to them because he really wasn't. Honestly. She was up there, and he was… Graham. She's intelligent, pragmatic, resourceful, and everything that a town deputy should be. He was her boss, a man who should always have his shit together, but it would seem like he didn't know how to differentiate his right from his left whenever he was with her. The thought made him rub the heels of his hands on his closed eyes. If Killian Jones heard his thoughts, he was a dead man.

Footsteps coming from the foyer jolted him out of his thoughts. He quickly got rid of his cig and pushed his black mask over his face as he stood up in attention, not wanting Robert to see him slacking on the job. He was thankful that the mask could hide the surprise on his face when David Nolan appeared instead. The man looked agitated, asking him for his motorcycle as he kept checking over his shoulder. The sheriff in Graham began to question the strange behavior but wasn't given the time to ponder on it when David pushed the valet stub onto the palm of his hand.

When he came back with the motorcycle, the sight that greeted him made him choke back a cough that made his eyes water. Mary Margaret Blanchard looked different from when she arrived earlier with her hair messy and the blazer David had on before Graham left over her shoulders. He had to remind himself mentally to act normal, but his thoughts were racing a hundred miles an hour. What the hell were they doing together? Why'd Mary Margaret look so frazzled? Why'd David look so angry? Why did he keep checking over his shoulder? Was he afraid someone would follow them? Why were they leaving so soon?

Then everything clicked. The Nolans and the Blanchards hate each other. There was only one logical explanation Graham came up with at that moment, and it was enough to make his blood boil.

"Is everything all right here?" he asked tightly, folding his arms over his chest.

Both looked up at the sound of his voice, looking as if he had electrocuted them.

"Everything's fine," David answered quickly, too quickly for Graham's liking, making him frown even more. When he did, the other man narrowed his eyes at him, and the sheriff wondered if he could recognize him under the mask. "What's it to you?"

Ignoring his question, Graham gestured towards Mary Margaret with his hand. "I'd rather have the lady answer my question." It all looked too suspicious, and it didn't help that she looked like she was afraid of them both.

"Are you okay, madam?" he asked gently, trying to ignore the protective stance David was doing.

Something registered in her mind at the expression she wore when she understood his question. "Oh. Oh, no, everything's fine," she told him with a small but sincere smile. "We just had a little misunderstanding, but, no…" she trailed off, glancing up at David. He was looking at Graham with a hardened expression. "He's not taking advantage of me."

After a silent couple of seconds, Graham handed the keys over to the owner and said, "Just making sure."

When he was about to walk back to his place, his hand already reaching for the pack of cigarettes in his back pocket, David roughly grabbed his arm.

"I suggest you mind your own business next time, sheriff," he seethed. He had grown so used to seeing David's angered expression, not towards him however, that he was not fazed at the sight anymore.

"David," Mary Margaret chided. The tone of her voice made Graham's eyebrows rise in surprise.

What surprised him even more was that David immediately let his arm go without question. It wasn't in the nature of the Nolans to back down from a fight. He watched them silently put on their helmets, moving as if they were so aware of each other. It wasn't long before Mary Margaret had settled behind David, her arms wrapped around him like she had done it a hundred times before, then they sped off into the night.

They're in a relationship, the sheriff realized. Graham had to blink for a couple of seconds at their direction, making sure that what he saw was real. He reached over for his pack, shaking his head slightly at the latest development between the two families. The town had its fair share of drama between them, and it would seem like things just took a turn for the worse.

Strange things do happen on full moons.

"Shit."

David cursed as he pulled off his helmet, restraining himself from throwing it onto the pavement in frustration. Graham Humbert. Out of all the people Robert could've chosen to act as valet, he picked Graham Humbert. As if the man needed any more dirt on him. Not only was the sheriff responsible for breaking up the public fights between his family and the Blanchards, but he also was working closely with both the mayor and his sister. Despite having no relation to either family, Graham had become a sort of third party between the two houses. He stood on neutral ground and knew stories from either side. He was someone David could not anger in the event that he needed the police on his side, and now he didn't know what to do to make sure Graham keeps his mouth shut about him and Mary Margaret.

Then he suddenly remembered that he wasn't alone. Mary Margaret was still sitting on his motorcycle, having just taken off her helmet and was pulling off the pin that held her hair together.

"That thing was digging into my skull the entire ride here," she complained moodily before shaking out her hair. David couldn't tear his eyes off of her and wondered how she managed to become even more beautiful than before.

"What?" she asked, noticing his prolonged stare. "Is my hair sticking up?" Her hand automatically reached up to tame the back of her head.

He secretly called it the Mary Margaret Act (because she's a lawyer) in his head, the way she does or says something that would automatically make his anger or whatever strong negative feeling he had go away. She calms him down, and everyone knew how valuable a calm David was.

"No," he said softly, leaning on the handles to get closer. "You just look so beautiful right now." Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him, both concern and love etched on her expression. He pursed his lips together before looking down, saying. "I'm sorry for being so angry."

She placed her finger under his chin to make him look up at her. "I'm sorry, too. I should've called you. I shouldn't have made any rash decisions without telling you." She frowned before looking down, releasing his chin. "We had a foolproof plan, and I blew it. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't a foolproof plan," he told her. "You were right. My plan involved running away from our problems like a couple of teenagers instead of facing them. What we planned to do will just delay the inevitable, delay our families finding out about us." He paused, making her look up.

"I just don't want to lose you," David admitted quietly, avoiding her eyes. "I'm afraid of what will happen to you when the time comes. I hate the thought of you being caught in the crossfire because of me."

Looking up, he saw her eyes starting to well up with tears. "I'm scared, too," she whispered. "But I don't want to be away from you anymore, David. I'm sick and tired of waiting and wondering maybe you've found someone else easier to be with, easier to love. That agreement we have about being free to date other people is pure bullshit."

He stared at her. "But I thought that was what you wanted."

"No," she said slowly. "I thought that's what you wanted."

He felt his lips spreading into a wide grin. "Well, now we both know that's not what we want."

"I hate it," she told him seriously. "I hate the thought of you with other women. It drives me insane."

"They all pale in comparison to you, love," he assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

He got a smile from her at that. Then she sighed, "I'm just tired of being cooped up in my apartment, wondering when I'll be seeing you again. That's why I came here. I'm done with school. I'm free to do what I want. You're always the one making plans and going out of your way to see me. I thought that this time, I should be the one to make the effort."

He let out a breath, smiling and shaking his head. "Sometimes, I forget how completely adorable you are."

She titled her head to the side. "But?"

He sighed, leaning forward. "I just hate our situation. I want to love you without worrying about the danger I'm putting you in. You don't know what happens when Arthur and I meet. It's…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "And you're right. The thought of you with someone else makes me want to drop to my knees, but there's a part of me that wonders maybe it is better for you to find someone else."

"No," she replied. "I want you, David. No one else."

He smiled at her fondly. "No one else." Mary Margaret smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her up on her feet. "No more dating other men, Blanchard. You're staying here, and you're staying with me."

Her face brightened with a smile. "Good." David was leaning in for a kiss when she stopped him by placing a finger on his lips. "Wait." He opened his eyes to look at her. "What about that man? The valet. Is he going to tell on us?"

For the first time, David didn't know what to answer to her. "His name is Graham Humbert. He's the sheriff of the town. I honestly don't know if he's going to rat us out, but…" he trailed off, looking at her with uncertainty.

Mary Margaret nodded, understanding, before leaning up to kiss him sweetly. "Whatever happens, we stick together. Okay?"

"Okay."

Mary Margaret let out a quiet yelp of surprise when David suddenly carried her off his motorcycle. "Is this really necessary?" she giggled before he set her down on her own two feet.

Their clothes were slightly wet with saltwater and dusted with sand after running around by the shoreline earlier, but neither really cared. For the first time in a long while, they were together, blissful in their own little bubble despite it being but a brief moment before they returned back to their reality. By the time they arrived at the Blanchard Mansion, hidden by the trees by the huge gate, the late hour was more morning than night.

Her eyes turned to glance over at the house before turning back to him. He was trying his best not to let his anxiety show, but it was futile when he saw her frown at him. She snaked her arms around his torso to comfort him, looking up at him with her chin against her chest.

"Hey. I'm right here. I won't let anything happen to you."

Being in the Blanchard territory made his skin crawl and his heart beat rapidly. He can't be there. Since he was a child, he was constantly warned not to step foot into that section of town unless he had a death wish. He knew that the Nolans and the Blanchards did not bode well with each other, and it wasn't going to change anytime soon. Before, he was more than happy to comply about staying away from them, having not met anyone in the family who didn't annoy him to his wits' end.

That is until he met her.

He must have spaced out for a while because he was surprised when he felt her lips pressing onto his to bring him back to her. "Thank you for tonight," she whispered. "I had a wonderful time."

"It was my pleasure." He smiled before kissing her again, this time more passionately. He was about to pull back when she held onto his shirt and continued to kiss him. His muffled chuckle made her smile as their lips moved together, making him forget about his worries for a moment.

"Mary Margaret," he laughed between kisses. "You really have to go. I don't want you to be in trouble."

"Okay," she breathed out before pressing another kiss on his lips.

"I'm serious," he murmured, feeling his lips dangerously close to hers.

"Me, too." Their kisses started to become more fervent, and David held her as close to him as possible. The feel of her hands running through his hair left him wanting more of her. Just when he was about to suggest that they could wait until the sunrise before they part, she pulled back with a dazed smile. "Hmm. I thought you wanted me to go."

"I never want you to go."

She laughed before kissing him again. "I love you."

"I love you more."

Leaning back to look at him, she narrowed her eyes. "No, I love you more."

"Are we seriously going to do this?" David couldn't help his growing smile.

"But I do love you more."

He grinned. "I know. I do, too." When she was about to argue, he silenced her with a long kiss, willing himself to remember how she felt before letting her go. "You need to sleep. I've already kept you up for too long. Sweet dreams. I love you."

"Goodnight," she whispered, a bit dazed. "We'll see each other again soon. Right?"

He nodded. "Soon."

Mary Margaret watched him put his helmet on after a final ("Okay, that's the last one.") kiss and speed off into the night. The whole night felt like a dream, and a part of her felt like she would be waking up at any moment. She had to pinch herself slightly when David winked at her before putting it helmet on. The day before, she was just moving out of her Boston apartment with a fresh diploma on hand. The next, she had continued her forbidden love affair and was fooling around right under their families' noses. Talk about a leap.

After closing the gate behind her, she half-ran across the stone pathway leading to the front doors, swiped the key lying behind the huge potted plant, and opened the door as quietly as she could. The foyer was dark when she leaned against the door, closing it. She paused for a couple of seconds, making sure that the silence stayed before she made her way up to her room.

Just when she thought no one had noticed her arrival, the lamp facing the door clicked on, showing her father sitting on the armchair beside it. She let out a surprised yelp at the sight, placing a hand on her wildly beating heart.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Dad?" she asked, breathing heavily. "God. That looked a scene from one of those crime movies you love."

Leo just gave her a ghost of a smile. She looked down at her appearance and blushed, realizing that she looked like a mess compared to when they have left the house earlier that evening.

"I was out with a friend," she explained, playing with her hands nervously at the silence. "We didn't realize the time. I'm sorry I kept you up and worried."

Her father finally let out a sound by clearing his throat, lacing his fingers together. "A friend," he echoed gruffly, looking at his daughter with eyes like hers but older and wiser. "Is this friend of yours the same boy you were with at the party?"

Her heart felt like it had dropped to her feet. Her father saw her dancing with David at the party, something that felt like a lifetime ago. She felt the urge to lie, but then lying would just make everything worse. Leo already knew. He was just testing her.

"Yes," she answered quietly, looking down at her feet. She felt like she was going to pass out at the rate her heart was going.

"Did you get his name?"

She felt her throat dry up. Leo had the uncanny ability to know when he was being lied to, and the mere thought of having to deal with his anger made her want to run. However, she stood her ground and told herself to spare the stammering and lame answers for her own sake.

"David," she whispered. "His name is David."

The silence was deafening. "Well," he started, standing up. Mary Margaret pushed herself against the door as much as she could to keep the distance between them. "There is only one David in this town, and he's the son of George Nolan. I'm sure a woman as smart as you are could make the connection quite easily." She watched him walk towards her in fear and had to keep herself from whimpering. "You know them, don't you? And what this family thinks of them?"

When she didn't reply, his voice thundered across the empty room. "Don't you?"

Mary Margaret flinched at the sudden noise that seemed to echo through the big house. She nodded quickly, not trusting her voice since she could feel her eyes watering and her throat closing.

"Now," Leo said as he stopped a few steps away from her. "I never want you to see that boy again. Do you understand me?"

She was so close to saying that she couldn't do that. She was in love with him. But one look at her father's face, she knew that that was the last thing either of them wanted to face at that late hour. Emotions were running high, and David deserved better than a mere outburst.

"Do you understand me, Mary Margaret?" his voice had lowered dangerously, and she knew that that was worse than him shouting.

"Yes, Dad." She refused to look at him in the eye, knowing that if he sees her tears, it would be an entirely different set of questions and repercussions. She couldn't handle more of that at that moment. She wanted nothing more than to run out of the house and back into the refuge of David's arms and their delusions that everything was going to be okay.

Because right there and then, she already doubted that her father's going to change his mind about David Nolan. The wounds run too deep, whatever the cause of those might be.

"Good." Her father started to make his way towards the staircase, and she felt herself sag tiredly against the door. He suddenly turned around and said, "Go clean yourself up and go to bed, Mary Margaret. I'm bringing you to the office tomorrow. Don't be late."

Only then did she turn her tear-filled eyes towards his direction and watched him climb up the stairs slowly without a sound. When the click of his closed door sounded, she released the shaky breath she had been holding in and her tears, sliding down until she was sitting on the marble floor.

Footsteps suddenly came from the living room, making her wipe her tears quickly. The last thing she needed was for Arthur to see her break down like that. But instead of her cousin, Johanna was the one who appeared at the doorway connecting the room to the foyer. Mary Margaret couldn't help the sob that escaped her lips at the sight of her surrogate mother. She had heard everything. Johanna enveloped her into a hug and helped her stand up.

"Come on, dear. I'll draw you a bath."