Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or the characters. This is just one of the many sandboxes I like to play in. :)
AN: Thanks for all the great response! Enjoy this next installment and let me know what you think! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Finding You Always
Chapter 4: Believing is Seeing
The next morning, Regina barged into Gold's shop bright and early.
"Well, Madam Mayor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Gold asked, with a hint of sarcasm.
"We have a problem," Regina stated.
"Of course. You wouldn't be here if you didn't," Gold replied.
"We have visitors in town," Regina started, searching his face for any tell.
"Oh yes, I heard a...charming man and his sweet little girl are visiting. I hardly see a problem with a couple of visitors though," he taunted.
"Cut the crap, Gold. This is your doing," Regina growled. She knew it was, she just didn't know how.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. The town having visitors is not against the law," Gold stated. Regina huffed and then her lips curved into a devious smile.
"Perhaps not...for now," Regina said cryptically, as she left the shop. Gold smirked and continued on with his day.
After a pleasant breakfast of pancakes and bacon at Granny's, David and Emma got into his truck and they headed for the school. He had been pleasantly surprised when Granny and Ruby had left a couple articles of clean clothing for them from donated items at the town shelter. David insisted he would pay them back when he got on his feet, but they had only ask him to look at a backed up sink when he returned, which he gladly agreed to. Emma was happily dressed in a clean pair of jeans, a sweater, and her coat. They had managed to find him a clean pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt, which he wore under the leather jacket that the nurse at the hospital said he had been wearing the night he was found.
"Look Daddy...there's Mary Margaret," Emma called, as he parked the truck in front of the school. Emma hopped out and ran to her.
"Good morning Emma," Mary Margaret greeted, before stealing a glance at David. There was that smile again and the return of the butterflies in her stomach. She felt like a silly school girl. One charming grin from him and she felt like melting into a puddle of mush.
"Good morning, thanks for helping us again," David greeted.
"It's no trouble," she insisted, as they went inside and she led them to the office. Mary Margaret steeled herself for what came next. The look on the face of the woman behind the front desk was what could only be described as predatory when she caught sight of David. Zelda Jenkins, the principal's assistant and daughter.
"Can I help you?" she purred. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. She was practically
undressing David with her eyes.
"We're here to meet with Principal Jenkins to see about enrolling my daughter," David replied.
"Oh...aren't you just a little darling," Zelda gushed. Emma crinkled her nose. She may have only been ten, but she knew when someone was being fake. The woman managed to do her job for the moment and then hung up the phone.
"The principal will see you now, but I don't believe you are needed, Ms. Blanchard," Zelda remarked.
"Emma is going into fifth grade, so I thought I'd help get her settled since she'll be in my class," Mary Margaret retorted, feeling bold at the moment. It was so strange. How could two people she had just met inspire this kind of reaction in her? She felt so strong around David and his little girl and she liked it.
"Fine, this way," she said, throwing David another flirtatious smile.
"Ruby wasn't exaggerating," David said quietly Mary Margaret smiled.
"Let me guess, she told you that if you smell desperation and too much perfume, then you've met Zelda," she replied. David chuckled.
"Spot on," he replied, as they entered Principal Rebecca Jenkins' office. Emma didn't like her already, by the stern look on her face and what Emma always called mean eyes. She had see a lot of mean eyes at the group home. She was already trying to figure out who she might be, as they sat down.
"It's a bit inconvenient that you have none of Emma's school records, Mr. Nolan," she said coldly.
"I apologize for that. I'm afraid I don't have many memories of my life before the coma," David replied.
"Yes, well Zelda can call out to social services in Boston to get her records. In the meantime, she can go onto her class with Ms. Blanchard. Then you can come back and sigh a few forms later," she said evenly.
"Thank you," David said, as he knelt down and hugged Emma.
"Daddy will see you after school, right out front," he promised. She nodded.
"I love you Daddy," Emma said. David wanted to melt right there.
"I love you too princess," he replied, as he kissed her forehead. Mary Margaret offered her hand and Emma took it. And somehow, David knew she'd be in good hands.
Regina slammed the phone down angrily. She had just received confirmation from Principal Jenkins. David Nolan was in Storybrooke. He was awake and remembered nothing...except his daughter Emma. She angrily threw a glass against the wall and it shattered into a million pieces. How had Charming end up outside of Storybrooke? It was impossible...her curse was flawless. He had no memories other than the little girl, but he also did not have his curse memories. Without the confused, weak willed David Nolan who was cursed to always make the wrong choices, he was a very big threat. Charming would shine through and the more contact he had with Mary Margaret, the more trouble he would be.
And if that wasn't enough, there was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming to contend with as well. This was bad for her. He hadn't been here twenty-four hours yet and he had already found his way to Snow. She had to do something drastic or all her hard work would go up in smoke. She hoped that pressuring Graham to suggest that David leave town would work, but she knew it wouldn't be that simple. She grabbed her car keys and hurried out the door. She had someone to see.
David slowly drove back through town. He was on his way to see, the sheriff, promising to come by to make a statement. He tried not to let the Principal's statements get to him, but he felt like a terrible father. He remembered Emma and holding her on the night she was born, but he knew next to nothing else about his little girl. Fortunately, Emma didn't seem to hold it against him. He supposed that was what was important.
As he passed by the library, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. It was a man trying to break into the library and no one else seemed to be around. He stopped the truck and got out again, reacting to that protective instinct inside him again.
"HEY!" he called. Startled, the man took off and David gave chase. David turned out to be faster and tackled him to the ground.
"Bloody hell…" the man groaned.
"What's the big idea, mate?" he asked in a heavy accent.
"The big idea? You were trying to break into the library!" David responded, as he hauled him to his feet, just as Graham arrived.
"You're making me look bad, Mr. Nolan," Graham teased, clearly amused.
"Just call me David. What kind of thief breaks into a library of all places, I have no idea," he replied.
"A repeat offender like Johnny here, who just can't seem to help himself," Graham replied, as he cuffed the would be thief, before putting him in the car.
"So where's Emma?" he asked curiously.
"School," David replied. That made sense. He tried to ignore the tingling in his chest. He knew Regina wanted him to suggest that David and his daughter leave town. She had downright ordered it. But Graham had a peculiar affection for them. He couldn't remember the last time he had a friend or felt anything at all really. He felt protective of Emma too and he had no idea why. Who was he to ask a father to uproot his daughter and leave town for no reason?
Not to mention that it seemed lately he needed a deputy. And David was perfect for the job, plus he needed a way to take care of Emma. So, for the first time ever that he could remember, he disobeyed Regina.
"Have you found a job yet?" Graham asked.
"Not yet. I was on my way to apply at a few places when I spotted our thief," David replied.
"I think I can help. I've been in need of a deputy for a long time, especially lately. Seems like this town is going crazy all the sudden," Graham said.
"Me?" David asked in surprise. He nodded.
"I'm honored, but I don't know if I have the skills. I don't remember what I used to do before the coma," David replied.
"Oh, but you do have the skills and the instincts to protect. You've been here a day and have already stopped an assault and a robbery. The badge is yours if you want it. There's a lot of paperwork, but the pay is decent," Graham offered. David smiled. A chance to protect people felt right to him.
"You've got yourself a deputy," David replied.
"Good. Meet me at the station," Graham replied. David nodded and got back in his truck.
Mary Margaret smiled, as she watched her students play at recess. She found herself wanting to find one student in particular. She scanned the playground and found the blonde head she was looking for. Emma. Such a beautiful name. But she frowned, noticing that Emma sat at the picnic table alone, looking sad and clutching her storybook to her chest. Impulsively, she walked toward her, wondering what could be troubling her.
"Emma...what's the matter?" Mary Margaret asked, as she sat down beside her. She sniffed.
"The other kids laughed at me and called me a baby for still liking fairy tales. They called me a freak..but they're not just stories...I know it!" Emma cried.
"Oh honey...who called you those names? I'll make sure they know how wrong it is," Mary Margaret said.
"No! That will make it worse. They'll be even meaner cause I tattled!" Emma cried. Unfortunately, Mary Margaret knew she was probably right. Kids were mean.
"Okay, I won't say anything," she consoled. Emma sniffed.
"Emma, look at me," Mary Margaret requested and she did.
"You are most certainly not those things they said. Believing in something is a powerful thing," Mary Margaret told her.
"Do you believe in happy endings?" Emma asked. Mary Margaret looked thoughtful for a moment. Yesterday, she might have said she wasn't sure. She'd like to, but it didn't seem possible for her. She seemed destined to be alone. But then Emma and her father had walked into Granny's. It was like someone had turned on a light inside her. She looked at them and suddenly felt hope swell in her heart. She'd thought about David far more than was probably appropriate and her answer was different today.
"I do. We have to have hope. Never stop hoping or believing, Emma," she said, as she got up to go call everyone in from recess.
"Mo...Ms. Blanchard?" she asked, catching herself. She gasped, as Mary Margaret turned back and for a brief moment, Emma saw her in all the beauty and splendor that was Snow White.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Thanks," Emma replied, as once again, her faith was renewed.
"Operation true love is back on," she said quietly to herself. It wasn't probably the best code name though, she thought, as she trotted in from recess.
"Operation Cobra," she decided. It was perfect.
Graham didn't have any expectations when he took David to the shooting range that afternoon. Earlier, he had walked his new deputy through booking their thief and all the necessary paperwork. He then taught him how to clean a firearm. Then properly and safely load his firearms, which he now carried in a gun holster, as Graham did. Graham didn't usually have to use them, but the way things were going lately, he had a feeling they might have use for them. David caught on fast and successfully loaded his firearms. But Graham didn't expect much from his first target practice session. To say that Graham was blown away was an understatement.
David squeezed the trigger four times, hitting the target, with each bullet relatively close to the center red dot. The gun felt foreign in his hand, but aiming at a target seemed natural to him. He looked at Graham, who's mouth was slightly ajar.
"Whoever you were, I'd say you definitely have used weapons before," Graham said. David shrugged.
"You think?" he asked.
"No one gets that lucky on their first go," Graham said, knowing he had made the right decision.
"That's good for today. You should go pick up Emma," the sheriff said.
"Oh right, wow, it's that time already. I promise I'll find someone to watch her after school," David said. Graham shook his head.
"No need. The bus can drop her off right in front of the station. She can stay and do her homework. Usually the station is pretty quiet, despite the last twenty-four hours. Storybrooke crime is pretty low," Graham replied.
"Thanks," David said, as headed off to the school.
Regina was livid. Despite holding Graham's heart in her hand, he had disobeyed her.
"So, let me see if I have this correct," she said in an even tone that almost made the Sheriff more nervous than when she was yelling.
"I asked you to suggest that Mr. Nolan and his daughter…" Regina started.
"Emma," Graham interrupted and she glared at him.
"I don't care what her name is! They don't belong here!" Regina screamed.
"I'm sorry, but he already stopped an assault and a robbery. If I'm dealing with a crime spike, then I need a deputy. He's good, aced his target practice," Graham argued.
"You said he doesn't even remember who he is! What if he remembers he's some kind of serial killer and you've just handed him a gun," Regina replied, knowing it sounded ridiculous.
"I don't think so. He's a good man. You should see him with his little girl," Graham retorted. Regina clenched her teeth.
"I'm sure he's perfectly charming with his daughter," Regina growled. If she couldn't get him to leave, she'd have keep him and Mary Margaret apart somehow. Fortunately, she had just the thing.
"Fine...keep your deputy. Get out," Regina said, shooing him out. She had work to do.
