I'm back with a quick update! I'm on a roll but probably only until the show returns because my story will hopefully pale in comparison to the real thing. *Squeal of pure excitement* Now, here is another chapter. We are definitely picking up the speed, tension wise.
The burn of the cold air rushing into her lungs reminds Emma that physical pain pales in comparison to its emotional counterpart. She hugs her body as she tries to keep any warmth still with her. She warily chuckles at that thought. She wants to keep as many things that give her warmth and remain with her close. Just a week and half ago, her mind would have immediately gone to Mary and her home but now it's all changed. Her home should now be her roommate's apartment. Mary should be Mary Margaret and all thoughts remotely resembling a sign of a growing friendship between them should be shoved aside carelessly. Unfortunately her heart protests to each of those resolutions.
Emma shoves her hands in her pockets as she briskly walks aimlessly down the street. The crisp 20 degree weather nips at her feet as a cold breeze causes her to burrow deeper into her poorly insulated coat. She spots a bench in front of Granny's that looks strangely appealing despite the desolate looking restaurant. What would she expect at 2 in the morning? Walking over to the bench, she carefully sits down and is surprised to feel the wood radiating a tiny bit of warmth. Leave it to Storybrooke to have heated benches.
"May I join you?" A voice calls out. The sudden feeling that comes with another person being in her presence during her weakest moments startles her. She lets out a grunt as she nearly falls off of the bench if it were not for the arms catching her. She looks up at the voice and groans to herself.
"You have got to be kidding me." Emma doesn't want to be rude but the person who saved her and is keeping her company is whom Henry calls her father. David Nolan is the last… well second to last person she wanted to see. Being with someone who Henry thinks is her father makes Emma shift uncomfortably and want to run away from the aspect of this turning into a weird parental moment even if Henry is wrong.
"What? Do you not enjoy my company?" David asks with his usual quirk of his head and that wonderfully naïve sparkle in his eye. Emma shivers as the longing for a father washes over her momentarily. David, however, mistakes or judges the shiver to be caused by the cold and quickly wraps a blanket around Emma. She chuckles softly and looks at David.
"Do you usually carry around a heavy winter blanket at 2 in the morning?" The challenging banter doesn't go unnoticed by David. He raises an eyebrow as the mood considerably lightens.
"Of course. I usually only use them when there are damsels in distress and in need of a winter blanket that smells like an old car." David smiles gently at Emma. He turns back and gazes upon the dimly lit streets of Storybrooke. Emma takes this time to subtly sniff the blanket and indeed it smells like something that has been used many times and shoved into the back of a car. She shakes off the feeling that her blanket and this one have any resemblance about the smell.
"Why aren't you quite the prince Charming?" She tries not to think that hard about why she choose to compare David with the fictional character of her father. David's expression change momentarily to one like his mind is trying to grasp something that is drifting away. Emma feels her body tense and her breathing shallower, like David might become somehow hurt too like Mary Margaret. Fortunately, David soon shakes his head and turns his attention back to the paralyzed Emma holding the large blanket tight around her. His features soften as he sees the fear fading from Emma's eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asks gently. Emma tries to brush off the attempt to get her to open but it seems like David and Mary Margaret both have an annoyingly uncanny ability to make her to want to open up.
"I've just had a rough week." Emma watches as her words leave a trail of pale smoke in the cold air. David just nods solemnly.
"Same here." The thought is startling but it doesn't catch her off guard. She glances at David and sees the lines etched across his brow and the heavy bags under his eyes, a trait that she no doubt reflects as well. She realizes that David was probably just as worried, probably a lot more, about Mary condition. Mary Margaret, her mind corrects.
Feeling unnervingly brave and empathetic, Emma pulls a hand from the blanket and places it on David's shoulder. Immediately his gaze turns towards her and they share an understanding look. The moment passes and Emma is reminded of the reason behind her need for solitude.
"I talked to Mary. She was worried for you." All the fresh memories of what happened with Mary Margaret just a few hours ago comes rushing back and Emma quickly pulls her hand back inside the blanket. She steals a glance the looming tree near by as she considers her next words. Should she talk to her roommate's crush and possible boyfriend and who Henry thinks is her father or should she try to deflect like she always has? She knows the answer but the idea of being alone with her struggles makes her shiver.
"Yeah, well she doesn't need to be. It's more like I am worried about her." Emma visibly flinches and drops her head when she realizes how much information she just gave out. The reaction peaks David's curiosity.
"You two certainly have an odd relationship, don't you? You seem to not want to be involved but are, despite your intentions, and seem to like it. She, on the other hand, has been trying to become closer to you and feels like just the opposite has occurred because of her attempts." David surprises her with the ridiculously informative insight that causes her to question how good she is at hiding her feelings and thoughts. David apparently catches on to that train of thought. "I'm not that perceptive but Mary has had to talk a lot lately with you two in your… phase." He chooses his words carefully as it reflects in his expression. Emma has to chuckle cautiously at the choice of words.
"I guess that is sort of what we are going through but I'm not sure if I can recover as quickly as she has…" Emma tilts her head slightly like David and Mary Margaret do, a quirk that has no doubt been inherited but she doesn't make the connection. "So Mary got all that? From just the past week?"
David smiles and looks up for a second before shoving his hands in his pockets. "No, I added quite a bit about your part. From what I have heard and seen on your interactions with Mary, my guess is I'm right about that part." He says with a slight arrogance that makes Emma smile. She can't help but see the charm that radiates from him. Her mind has to fight her instincts to open up to David. It's unnerving how he makes everything seem so easy even when it is so confusing. She hardens her face and refuses to let David in on any more emotions.
"Well thanks for the blanket but you should be going. It isn't safe." Emma stands up and takes off the blanket. Immediately a cold breeze hits her and makes her shiver twice as bad as before. David raises an eyebrow. She knows he is fighting back a comment about how it isn't safe for her. He just sits there, looking up at her without any indication of getting up and leaving.
"You can't hide from her forever, Emma." The tone of his voice is so gentle and kind that it makes her angry. She doesn't know why but it does.
"You broke Mary Margaret's heart so I don't know why she has been talking to you about us but you need to back off. You don't know me even though Mary Margaret does provide some insight. Hell, even Mary doesn't know me! Just leave." It all comes out in a burst of angry energy. She breathes heavily and the ice-cold air burns her lungs. David stares at her for a moment looking confused, surprised, and hurt all at the same time. He lowers his head and finally gets off the bench. He shoves his hands back in his pockets and starts walking off towards his house. Emma feels the guilt chewing at her conscious but then seeing David's blanket out of the corner of her eye, she pushes away the feeling.
"David! You forgot your blanket." She yells out. He doesn't even turn around. Instead he just yells back at her.
"Go back home, Emma." It infuriates her that he thinks he knows her so well, and he does. She secretly wished she brought a blanket but she didn't know he picked up on her wish. God, she is just so tired of people making her care about them. Even David grew on her just by their conversation. Grabbing the blanket, she wraps it around her before walking in the opposite direction.
Emma mumbles to herself and fails to notice a car trailing a few feet behind her. Her emotions cloud her thoughts as she tries to control her feelings for all the Storybrooke people. A slight breeze causes Emma to remember her settings and she blinks away her thoughts. She turns around and sees the car, just moseying along. Her reflexes are too slow because the car quickly speeds up to her and a masked man jumps out right as she is reaching for her gun. The man grabs her hand that was reaching for the gun and gives her a hard hit on the head. As her world was fading to black, all Emma could think about was how maybe Mary wouldn't notice her absence and how the town would go on without her.
BAM! Did you see that one coming? PLEASE review and tell me what you think.
HEADS UP TO:
-Guest reviewer, your reviews are exactly what i wanted with this fic because that is what i feel like whenever i watch the show.
-oldmcpiper, I am honored that you would review my story because I LOVE your stories. I know you are still out there because of your reviews. Please update yours? ;)