A/N: Hey all! Wanted to play with the alternate POVs in this chapter again. These are courtesy of Mary Margaret and Belle. Back to Captain Swan next chapter, but there will be some allusions to the rest of the CS evening in these portions. Hope you enjoy!

Mary Margaret

The music playing from the band Ruby hired had Mary Margaret feeling light as air. Well that and her partner, whose bright eyes and always present smile set her at ease in a way no other man could. Being in his arms made her feel like she could take on the world. Not that the world needed saving or anything that crazy, but there was something about David Nolan that made her feel ready for adventure. She shook the crazy thought from her mind.

"Something on your mind?" She looked up to his smiling eyes and she bit her lip.

"Just the surrealness of time and space. You know, normal stuff." He let out a barking laugh that made her smile. She wasn't usually the funny one, but talking with David made her think that maybe she could be. He certainly seemed to find humor in her quirkier tendencies, where others before him had seen flaws.

"Right, normal stuff. You are anything but normal Mary Margaret." The comment had her second-guessing herself and she felt a frown form on her face that he noted and quickly addressed. "I meant that as a good thing. I hate normal. Normal is a terrible, horrible inconvenience. I prefer girls who knock me over when we first meet and hit me on the head with a rock." This time it was her who was laughing and hitting him on the shoulder.

"That was an accident, and you know it! Besides, you ran the risk when you came into the cellar and didn't back away from the ladder when I told you to." She'd been trying to locate the special party napkins that Belle had bought in bulk last year and had found them on the top of a dusty old bookcase. Unfortunately, beside the box was the remnants of Henry's short lived rock collection, and one of the stones had fallen from the top of the shelf onto David's head as he'd been steadying the ladder for her. She'd proceeded to freak out over whether he was okay, and he'd taken slight advantage, insisting that he'd be fine if she kissed it better. He was such a flirt, but something about the challenge in his eyes made her rise to it, and she'd done just that, watching as his cocky attitude dissolved into one of those longing looks he'd been throwing her way since they'd met.

And yes, she was very aware that he wanted her. Despite what her friend's said, she was no prude. A man didn't look at you like this if he just wanted to be your friend, and Mary Margaret was glad for that because she wanted more than friendship too. The problem was he was leaving in a matter of days, and she wasn't the quick affair type. She was the hopeless romantic, and yeah that came with some serious problems, one of which being that she was certain she was in love with David. His smile faded and his expression grew serious.

"Look Mary Margaret, all teasing aside, I think I should tell you that the past few days have been some of the best I've ever had." Her breath caught at the bold statement but before she could reply with her similar feelings, Ruby came up and interrupted their dance.

"Hey, have you seen Emma or Killian anywhere?"

"Um, no. Not in a while, why?" Ruby's smile grew wider.

"Well Belle saw them slip into the house a while back and they haven't resurfaced. You know what that means." Mary Margaret blushed.

"That they got into a heated game of battleship or got sucked into one of those all day Harry Potter marathons?" David laughed and Mary Margaret looked at him as a silent apology for Ruby's interruption.

"Ha ha. No it means things are progressing. Everything's going according to my plan." Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow.

"Your plan, huh? Don't tell me you married Liam just to get his brother over here to meet Emma. That's a bit extreme." Ruby rolled her eyes at the joke.

"Of course not. It's just a happy bonus that Liam came with hot family and friends to share with my family slash friends." Ruby looked between David and Mary Margaret in the most obvious way and Mary Margaret groaned. But before Mary Margaret could respond, Emma and Killian making an appearance from the house stole Ruby's attention.

"Oh they so totally did it!" Mary Margaret hit Ruby on the arm.

"We have guests you know. The whole town does not need to know if Emma and Killian are having sex." Mary Margaret looked around at all their neighbors hoping no one was paying them any mind. They weren't, for now.

"Oh please, I give them to the end of the week. They'll fall in love and live happily every after, and then the whole town will know they're sleeping together, and we will have kept it a secret for what?"

"How about for Henry who really doesn't need people talking about his Mom like that." At this Ruby bit her lip. She was a wonderful pseudo-aunt to Henry, but there was definitely a bit of disconnect lingering after all these years. Mary Margaret knew that for Emma, the whole picture couldn't just be great sex and lustful gazes. She had a son to consider, and she'd never let a man in for real without being absolutely sure about him. Ruby could afford missteps. Emma could not.

"But Henry could finally have a Dad." Ruby's typically mirthful tone had taken on a sweet sincerity that pulled at Mary Margaret's heartstrings. The little boy had long ago stopped asking about his birth father, but she knew that he was a dreamer, and one of these dreams was likely to have a Dad.

"Killian would make a really good father." The comment from David pulled both women's attention. "What? He would. And it's hard to deny the heart eyes they've been throwing each other's way."

"Yeah, those seem to be going around." Ruby threw in the last jab before scurrying over to talk to the objects of her intrigue, leaving Mary Margaret and David to themselves with the insinuation that they too were suffering from some puppy dog love. And with the look David was giving her, they may just be guilty as charged.

"So… where were we before that fun little detour?" He extended his hand to bring her back in for a dance and she accepted. Returning to the comfort of his arms, she thought to herself that maybe it was time to stop worrying about what everyone thought and just start going with what she felt.

"Penny for your thoughts." At his words she merely stepped to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

"Better shown than said." She whispered as she stepped away.

"Better shown than said." And he lowered his mouth back to hers.

….

Belle

"For such a small town, you all make quite a mess." The comment from Will as he was breaking down tables with some of the lingering wait staff pulled a laugh from Belle.

"I think there's just a level of neighborly comfort here that tells people 'sure, keep drinking and disregarding the waste bins, we can handle it.'" Will shook his head as if the thought was too foreign for understanding. "What, you've never thrown a party before that required cleanup after?"

"I don't actually throw parties love, that's the glory of having friends willing to do that crap for you. Less cleaning."

"That's a lot of complaining I hear for limited work, Scarlet." The comment from Killian across the lawn prompted he and Emma to exchange a look and start whispering amongst themselves. Belle smiled over at them as she folded up the table clothes in front of her and knew that Ruby must be thrilled. She'd been talking about the potential between Emma and Killian since that first night of meeting him.

"Alright, enough, Jones. It's your bloody brother getting married tomorrow so you should be out here – but I was promised a luxurious get away on the Montana planes and at no point was party clean up mentioned." Over the past few days, Belle had come face to face with Will's type of jesting more and more and knew him to be joking. He considered both Liam and Killian to be family and would to anything for them she was sure. But he found it funny to talk smack and then watch reactions, and as a writer, watching him say things that she might be thinking always provided a cool sort of catharsis.

"Hate to break it to you, Will, but your stuck with me as much as little Killy over there. And you'll bloody break down the tables or I tell Belle about Barnaby." Watching the pallor cross Will's features had Belle wildly curious, but she wasn't the type to pry, even if the story sounded good.

"Barnaby, huh? Sounds interesting." Emma's musing pulled another whispered exchange with Killian that had her laughing before Killian replied to the group.

"Barnaby is stuffed bear that Will had until freshman year of Uni. He actually showed up to school with the creature in tow expecting to fly under the radar. Needless to say when we figured this out we gave him hell. Shamed him up and down that campus until nearly Christmas. Then he decides to get drunk and head to the top of the science center and host a vigil for lost childhood."

"I'm sorry a what?" Belle was confused by the twists and turns of the story but still thoroughly intrigued. Now it was Will who spoke.

"Bloody hell, I was right pissed at being the butt of a joke all year and I was a bit worked up. So I got it in my head that I was probably not the only one wishing for the innocence of youth again. I got on the rooftop and next thing I know there's a bunch of other people dressed in black and crying their eyes out."

"Wait seriously?" This time Belle's voice was louder than expected drawing a laugh from Killian and Liam.

"Oh no lie, love. And it wasn't 'a bunch.' It was three hundred people. Granted, most of them thought it was a themed party, but still. He had a ceremonial 'laying to rest' of the bear and all. Will Scarlet launched a tradition that they still have every year, with one sap or another saying goodbye to childhood and everyone else getting sloshed." Liam's words seemed to spark something in Will who moved across the lawn and took Belle's hand leading her behind him.

"Hardy har har. We get it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find friends who wouldn't bring up such a difficult time for their own amusement." Belle hastily followed as he brought her into the house and down the stairs to her library, the place they'd largely gone to be alone over the past few days.

"Any chance you can forget that you heard all that and go on finding me charming?" Belle shook her head but kissed him lightly before replying.

"A laying to rest, huh? Let me guess. There was a poetic send off and a fire display involved." He nodded and she smiled. Of course there was. "Weirdly enough, I find that actually kind of adorable."

"Do you, love?" He moved in closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and she nodded before perching up to kiss him again. This one lasted longer, but in the end she still pulled back.

"We have an early morning tomorrow, we should probably go back upstairs."

"Right you are. My lady," He extended his arm and walked her to the girl's corridor before kissing her one more time and making his goodbyes. Belle turned to walk down the hallway but stopped suddenly at the sight before her. There, against Emma's bedroom door, stood she and Killian going at it. Well, this was awkward. Belle made to turn around but there was a creek in the floorboards drawing their attention.

"Oh shit, Belle I'm sorry." Emma said clearly frazzled as she pulled back and covered her mouth. Though it was dark, Belle suspected a flush was spreading on Emma's cheeks, but she just silently waited as Killian told Emma goodnight and then walked past her.

"Sorry about that, Belle."

"No problem." The response was more a squeak than a reply but hell, Belle never claimed to be good in situations like this.

"Jeez Belle, I really am sorry. There's just something about him… it's like… I don't even know how to say what it's like."

"Like after years alone where you were comfortable, you realize something was missing and he's it." Emma's eyes widened at the statement.

"Yeah, exactly. Only he's leaving in a few days and then where will we be?" The sad question from her usually strong best friend prompted Belle to move forward and place a comforting hand on her arm.

"It'll all work out, Emma. If books have taught me anything, it's that love is worth fighting for and worth having, even if only for a moment." Emma nodded and though tears welled in her eyes, she didn't let them fall.

"Thanks, Belle. So you and Will, then." Belle nodded. "Yeah. You sounded like you were speaking from experience."

"I just have to have hope that it'll work out." At that Emma barked out a shaky laugh.

"Now you just sound like Mary Margaret."

"Well, maybe she was right. It would certainly add humor after all these years of us teasing her for her hopeful, wide-eyed wonder."

"It really would. Anyway goodnight, Belle."

"Goodnight, Emma."

Post Note – Now see the gloriousness of this chapter is not the POVs but is the fact that writing from these other perspectives has given me SO much inspiration for the next chapter. As always thanks for reading!