Title: Bid Memories Return

Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.

Author's Notes: Let me just say first of all that A.) I'm not a bank robber and B.) I'm not a doctor. That being said, please excuse all of the technical inaccuracies in the chapter below. If you're the type to get hooked on details like "the bank teller would never be the one to open the vault, they don't have access... what a stupid story!" then you're probably better off not reading this chapter. Other than that... Cheers!

Chapter 9

Payday

"So Emma's meeting us at the theatre at five. I figured we could watch the early showing of Mission Impossible then go for a late dinner." James said to his wife.

"Sounds good to me." Snow said, smiling up at her husband.

"Besides, it's not too often the three of us are all free for one evening." James said. "I just wish Henry could come too."

"Yeah, me too." Snow said, sadly.

Snow and James were on their way to the bank to cash their pay cheques. As was their routine every two weeks, they would stop by the bank then treat themselves to a little something. This week it was dinner and a movie. Emma being able to accompany them for the evening was an added bonus.

Over the last few weeks Snow had noticed a marked difference in the way Emma treated her father. She was... kinder, certainly not as harsh as she was in the beginning. Snow really felt that Emma was beginning to trust her father. It was the little things she noticed. Emma, for example, was usually the last to go to sleep every night. As was her habit, she would always knock on Snow's room to say goodnight. However, the night before, Snow heard her say goodnight to James as well. It was a small thing, but it was something. And she knew how pleased her husband was at the small concession.

She and James were happy with the way things were progressing for the most part. She and James were together again. She had a lot of her memories back. Her husband and daughter were with her under the same roof. Things could certainly be a lot worse and she knew that.

Of course it wasn't all perfect. Their daughter didn't know who they were. She and her husband were still not sharing a room at his insistence. He said that as much as it killed him not to share a bed with her, Emma didn't know they were married and he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. She would tease him about being so old fashioned and he would just grin at her sheepishly. She had to admit, she was growing a little tired of always trying to find some privacy with her husband in a small apartment, but she wouldn't trade their living arrangement for anything. James insisted they marry again as David and Mary Margaret for the sake of appearances. Snow knew James didn't care much what others thought of him outside of his immediate family, but she knew he cared how people saw her. She was the local elementary school teacher after all.

But Snow had to admit that the worst part of it all was that their grandson Henry was still in the Evil Queen's hands. That last part ate away at Snow the most and she knew it bothered her husband just as much. They wanted Henry with them. However, as David Nolan and Mary Margaret, they knew they didn't have a leg to stand on. The only hope they had was for Emma to try and take custody of Henry, but even that was a long shot.

"Thank God there's not much of a line-up!" Snow said, as they entered the local bank. "I'm starving."

"Did you skip lunch?" James asked.

"Well... I didn't mean to. I was just so busy with-"

"It doesn't matter if you're busy or not. It's not good for you to skip a meal." Her husband scolded her.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just a bad habit I've developed." Snow answered.

"Well, today was the last of my physiotherapy sessions so I'll be around to remind you every day." James said, putting his arm around his wife. "Besides, you've lost a lot of weight from what I remember."

Snow laughed, "I was pregnant, sweetheart."

James was about to answer when the next teller waved to them indicating she was available. They started walking up to her when they heard a loud shot. A man, wearing all black, had entered the bank and was pointing his gun at a bank employee. Snow didn't recognize who it was as he was wearing sunglasses with a handkerchief covering his face. James immediately pulled her behind him trying to shield her from the gunman.

"Everyone, this is a hold up! Do exactly as I say... Put your hands behind your heads. Don't even think about trying to be a hero." The gunman said to the teller who was trying to reach for something under the counter.

The gunman threw a brown duffel bag at the teller, "Put all the cash in there."

A little boy of about two, clutching his mother's skirts, began to cry. The mother tried desperately to quiet him down, but it seemed the more she tried to calm him, the more panicked he became.

"Shut that kid up before I shut it for you." The gunman said to the mother, his gun still trained on the teller filling the duffel bag with cash.

"I'm sorry, he's just so scared!" The mother pleaded, unable to stop her child from crying.

The gunman started making his way to the mother and child. His gun was no longer pointed at the teller, but was now pointed at the crying child.

"No wait!" Snow and James both cried out in unison.

"The child's no threat to you, please. He's just frightened." Snow said as she stepped in front of her husband trying to plead with the gunman.

"And why would a tasty tart like you care what happens to some kid?" The gunman snickered, turning to point the gun at her. James immediately stepped in front of her.

"Honey, just stay behind me." James said.

"I see your man is willing to take a bullet for you. Noble... but ill advised." The gunman said to Snow.

Snow felt something wasn't right. The robbery didn't look very professional. The gunman didn't even seem interested in the money the teller was frantically trying to fill his bag with. She was also wondering why he would only bring one duffel bag when the cash in the vaults could fill a dozen. His attention seemed to be going back and forth between her and James and the frightened child. She thought back on some of the bank robberies in the news and almost always, the robber instructed those in the bank to get on the floor. This one didn't. The gunman however, did look like he knew how to handle a gun which definitely scared her.

The child began to cry even louder. The gunman whipped around and pointed the gun at the child. For an instant he looked like he was going to shoot. It seemed James thought the same thing.

"No don't!" James said, reaching forward, his hand gesturing for the gunman to stop.

"I said to keep your hands behind your head!" The gunman yelled.

It seemed everything happened in slow motion for Snow. She watched as the gunman abruptly turned his head towards her husband. His gun followed a split second after him. The barrel was pointed directly at James. She didn't know how, but she knew he was going to shoot. Perhaps it was the tensing of his arm, the way it straightened ever so slightly. Maybe it was the slight tilting of his head. Perhaps it was the slight motion of his index finger beginning to squeeze the trigger. Whatever it was, she knew what was going to happen. And so she did the only thing she could do. The one thing she knew her husband would never forgive her for.

She stepped between the barrel of the gun and the man she loved. She faintly heard her husband yell at her, but it was drowned out by the sound of the gun shot. A muffled explosion resounded through the entire bank. Her body tensed when she felt something hit her chest. The force was so powerful it knocked her back on her heels right into James. She knew his arms were around her even though she couldn't feel it. Snow looked down. Something dark was staining her shirt. It was her favourite shirt. She found it odd that she would think of that at the moment. A dark red stain flowed across her chest like a growing ink spot. Blood. Her own.

Oddly enough at first, she didn't feel anything. Nothing at all. She thought she heard the faint but growing sounds of emergency sirens in the background... And then she couldn't breathe! An excruciating pain ripped through her body. She couldn't help it and her knees gave way. She suddenly felt strong arms lower her to the ground. She heard people yelling and screaming in the background. There were gunshots exchanged. She thought she heard Emma's voice... her Emma. She couldn't even bring herself to turn her head and see what was happening.

She realized James was cradling her body to his. She looked up to see tears pooling in his eyes. A look of agony on his face that she would never forget. She tried to tell him she loved him, but no sound came out even as she moved her mouth. She only hoped he could read her lips. She could feel herself fading. All the while, James was begging her to hang on. She tried to keep her eyes open but she couldn't.

"Hang in there, Snow! You've got to hang on! Help is here. Please, stay with me... Don't you dare leave me!" She heard her husband yell.

She suddenly felt another set of arms around her. "Hang on Mare, I'm right here. The paramedics are here too. You're gonna make it... Just open your eyes for me... You're gonna make it." It was Emma. Where did she come from? Snow wondered.

She realized that she was in the arms of the two people that she loved most in the world. Despite the pain, she felt at peace. She didn't want to die. She had just found her family and she didn't want to leave them. But if she had to go at that moment, then she was glad it was this way. Knowing her husband and daughter had found each other, she surrendered to the darkness.

The local hospital

James barely recalled anything that happened between the trip from the bank to the hospital. He didn't recall ever being this afraid in all his life... Not even on the day his daughter was born. He felt so helpless looking through the glass doors where the doctors were working frantically to save his wife. He felt a seething rage for the dead gunman. The bullet was meant for him! He also felt anger at his wife for doing something so stupid as to take the bullet for him. It was his job to keep her safe... Not the other way around! But most of all he was scared to death. Snow White was his reason for living. And he was a hair's breadth from losing her... So soon after he just found her again.

He looked down at his jacket. It was stained with so much blood. His wife's. He was so glad the gunman was dead. His only regret was that he didn't have the pleasure of killing the man himself. The gunman was shot between the eyes. The bullet had come from the his daughter Emma's gun. They had exchanged a few shots, but the gunman was no match against the her. One of the tellers must have punched one of the panic buttons. That must've been how Emma knew to come.

So here he was with his daughter, watching through the glass windows as the doctors tried desperately to save the most important woman in their lives. He hadn't realized that Emma had grasped his hand until she squeezed it.

"She's going to be alright, David. She's stronger than she looks. Trust me, I've known her longer than you." Emma said.

"She's just lost so much blood." James said, despair evident in his voice.

Emma looked like she was about to answer when he heard a high pitched tone coming from the room. He saw the monitor that was hooked up to Snow. He realized that his wife just flat lined. Fear washed over him like ice through his veins.

"No!" Emma cried.

James took his daughter in his arms, not entirely sure if he was giving comfort or taking it. They both held their breaths as the doctor tried reviving Snow with the defibrillator. James prayed to whatever deity would deign to listen. Hell, he would've made a deal with the devil himself at that moment to save his wife.

"David, look!" Emma said. "They brought her back."

James looked right away at the monitor that his wife was hooked on. He saw that there was activity on it once again. He let out a huge breath of relief, one he didn't even realize he was holding.

After several minutes, the doctor approached them. He recognized the doctor as Doc from their world. Snow's beloved friend who, like everybody else, didn't remember her.

"How's my wife?" James asked. He noticed Emma gave him a weird look, obviously for him calling Snow his wife, but he ignored it.

"I'm sorry to say, she's lost too much blood. If we can't get a blood transfusion done right away we'll lose her for sure." The doctor said.

"Then what are you waiting for? Just do it!" Emma said, obviously beating James to it.

"It's not that simple. Mary Margaret has an incredibly rare blood type. We don't have a match for her I'm afraid. Now I have someone scouring other hospitals looking for a match, but it's not likely we'll get some in time." The doctor said sadly.

"What can we do?" James asked.

"Does she have family in the area? Parents? Perhaps siblings?" The kind doctor asked.

"No, she doesn't. Not that we know." Emma answered.

"That's too bad. If she did, there would be a good chance they would be compatible." The doctor said.

It dawned on James that Emma was the key to saving her mother! She was the only blood relation, aside from Henry, that Snow had. He had to convince Emma to do it.

"Emma, I think you're compatible with Sn... er... Mary Margaret. You have to try and save her." James said.

"David, I would give anything to help Mary, but you're grasping here... The chances of me being a match is slim... Beyond slim in fact. It would take them at least a few hours to even determine my blood type. By then it'd be too late." Emma said.

"I know, I know. There's no time to check for a match. We have to go on faith here." James answered.

"Are you talking about a direct blood transfusion? Are you crazy, David?" Emma yelled.

The doctor added, "I have to agree, Mr. Blanchard. If Miss Swan is not a direct match with your wife the transfusion would kill her."

"But you said so yourself, she's going to die anyway if she doesn't get the transfusion!" James said.

"Yes but... We don't even do direct blood transfusions. Regulations force us to screen each donor thoroughly. There are so many risks such as blood borne diseases, and blood type incompatibilities" The doctor said. Before James could answer, a nurse called the doctor back into the emergency room.

It was just him and Emma now. "Please Emma, I'm begging you. She's going to die if you don't."

"I would rather help in searching for a match than killing her." Emma said. "I would rather wait until they find a blood-type match because if I'm not a match... And I'm probably not... Then Mary will die."

"No, you don't understand-"

"Now, as Sheriff, I can use my connections to search for relatives of hers... She's never really talked about her family to me, but she told me she grew up here in Storybrooke all her life. She must have a relative somewhere." Emma said.

"You're not going to find any relatives of hers. You're wasting your time!" James said, completely frustrated.

"Oh, and you're not? Where in the world would you even get an idea that I'd be a match?" Emma answered, sounding just as frustrated.

"Look, Emma I don't want to argue. I can't explain why I think you're a match... I just do. Please trust me." James begged.

"I can't go on blind faith here, David. I need more." Emma said.

"Please, just trust me."

"I need more." Emma insisted.

James was torn. It was too soon, he couldn't tell his daughter the truth... Not yet. But what choice did he have. He knew his daughter had an uncanny knack for recognizing lies. More than that, he couldn't come up with a plausible lie to explain himself.

"I know that you're a likely blood type match for Mary Margaret because you two are related." James said.

Emma looked slightly stunned. She clearly didn't expect that answer. James knew she didn't believe him, yet he could also tell that she couldn't find any dishonesty in him. She was obviously torn.

"What would make you think that, David? Is it because Mary and I have a small, passing resemblance to each other?" Emma asked.

"No I-"

"How could you possibly know about my family history when I myself know nothing about it?" Emma asked.

"I know because I'm your father!"

There was a stunned silence between them. James could not quite believe he just said what he did and Emma looked like she couldn't believe what he said either. James knew that any other person would have scoffed at his claim. But he knew his daughter couldn't detect a lie and it baffled her. He knew that she knew he spoke what he believed was true. Neither said anything for a few seconds... Then Emma broke the silence.

"And Mary Margaret?" She asked.

"Your mother."

To be continued...

So you guys still with me? Once again, forgive me for the most-likely-incorrect medical details in my story. I just go by what I see on TV. Granted, I do have a life outside of fan fiction so I'll admit I did little research. Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I was busy for the Christmas long weekend. If you'd like to know how a chapter's coming along or if you want to know when I'm going to post the next one, you can follow me on Twitter (at)kookykrumbs, sorry but I couldn't add the 'at' symbol. Cheers everyone, keep those reviews coming!