OK, so I know for sure that there will only be one more chapter after this one before this story is finished. Thank you for reading and please keep reading and REVIEW!
Mary Margaret can't sleep and can't eat. The fear is overwhelming her. It feels like everything she does, it once step farther away from finding Emma. She stares blankly at the white walls of Granny's diner, too tired to do anything else. The bell above the diner's door rings loudly and she vaguely wonders who it is now. She turns her head slightly and is surprised to see David standing awkwardly at the door.
David shifts uncomfortably and then approaches Mary Margaret. She quickly tries to think of an excuse as to why she looks horribly but then the cold, harsh reality of the actual reason sets in and she can't find it in herself to care how she looks. Her eyes cast a neutral but saddened look that makes David frown.
"Why is everyone in here?" David asks, referring to the dozens of people crammed in Granny's diner. The reason Mary Margaret won't and can't move is because Granny's diner became the center of all the search efforts for Emma. She can't move or else she might miss something important.
"Do you honestly don't know what happened?" Her voice is colder than normal and causes David to look at her with that curious, confused expression that would normally melt her heart but today causes her frustration. "You were the last person to see Emma before she was kidnapped. About three minutes after you left, she was hit on the head and dragged into a man's van. We are all here trying to find her."
David's features immediately contort into one of worry. His eyes gaze around the room, observing the people desperately trying to find Emma. Mary Margaret sighs and glances around too. Ruby, Granny, and Archie are at the center of it all. Granny and Archie coordinate the search parties and where to look while Ruby is in charge of getting more volunteers to help. Right now there is only twenty or so people in the diner willing to help but Ruby has that determined expression on her face.
"I- I didn't know. I've been-" Mary Margaret interrupts him rudely.
"It doesn't matter. We need you to help since you were the last person to see her. We need to find her." Her tone is demanding and it throws David off once more. David nods and wanders over to Ruby's set up table.
She really shouldn't have been mean but there is a new side of her that just wants things to get done and David gawking at her doesn't help. Mary Margaret loses her confidence and starts staring at the wall again. It's like that part inside her that she connected to about two nights ago reappears or tried to then disappears. It is maddening knowing that somehow she can save Emma but she can't think of a way how.
"Mary Margaret?" A gentle voice calls out to her. She turns her head slightly and sees a very concerned Ruby looking at her. Mary Margaret sadly smiles, trying to assure the woman she is okay but she's not and it doesn't work.
"Hey Ruby. How is the search going?" Its strange to hear those words come out of her mouth because she swore that she would be so involved in the search yet the thought of looking for a dead Emma has paralyzed her.
"It's fine. Ashley and I are about to go door-to-door, asking people to help. Do you want to come? It might help." Ruby's tone is gentle and hopeful. Mary Margaret wants to say yes but her fear is still in the front of her mind. "Please Mary Margaret. You've been sitting here for the past day and a half. I can't see you like this anymore." Ruby says, the desperateness growing in her voice. Mary Margaret numbly nods, aware that Ruby is very concerned about her. Ruby smiles gently and when Mary Margaret gets off the stool, wraps an arm around hers.
Ashley is waiting outside the diner doors and is surprised when she sees Mary Margaret. Ruby explains that she persuaded her to join. The meanwhile, Mary Margaret finds herself scanning the desolate roads of Storybrooke for that black van.
"Let's go then." Ashley says.
The couple hours go by fairly quickly. Mary Margaret is surprised at how fast the time went. She was even shocked to find herself laughing during the door-to-door adventure. Ashley, Ruby, and her were swapping stories about some of the funny things Emma had done. It took away the hurt for a while too. She didn't have a constant pain in her chest, telling her that Emma is in danger. While it may seem weird and maybe ignorant to not want to pay attention to the fact that her roommate is in danger, it gave her the recharge she needed to get back into the search.
"Come on guys, we need to go back to Granny's! It's like seven in the evening and she will flip a switch if she notices we haven't checked back in yet." Ruby says as she giggles about the previous story told. The three women are walking down the main road, checking off the houses they have visited and asked for volunteers.
Suddenly a row of unchecked houses catches Mary Margaret's attention. They are by Mr. Gold's shop and they all didn't realize that beyond his shop were two houses. That is when something inside her buzzes. It's like everything aches to go to those houses for some reason. That voice inside her head appears again.
Go there.
It's confusing as to why the voice inside her head is telling her where to ask for volunteers but Mary Margaret finds herself curious as to what the voice wants her to see.
"Guys, I know we need to get back but those two houses aren't on our list. We haven't gone to their doors and I know I cant go back knowing we haven't asked everyone." Mary Margaret says while trying to keep the curiosity out of her voice. Ruby and Ashley glance at their lists then to the row of houses.
"Fine! But then we have to go back." Ruby fake groans which earns a laugh from Ashley. The start walking towards the house and for some reason Mary Margaret starts searching for that black van again. It's her instincts to. But now that she's thought about it, the voice inside her head might be her instincts…
Ashley grabbing onto Mary Margaret's arm interrupts the train of thought. Mary Margaret snaps out of her haze and smiles at the blond.
"Mary Margaret and I will go the second house. Ruby you take this one." Ashley smiles back at her, and starts pulling her towards a black house. Ruby sighs and walks to the front doorsteps of the first house. For a fleeting moment, Mary Margaret gets an intense vibe that washes over her. But then it disappears. She shakes her head and pays attention to Ashley, who is talking about her baby.
The man answers the door and smiles warily at them. By now Ruby and Ashley have figured out that Mary Margaret isn't the enthusiastic talker like it needs to be so this time Ashley has to talk to the man. Mary Margaret stands there, and starts to peer inside the house when Ruby's voice captures her attention. Both her, Ashley and the man look towards where Ruby asked if the man would call the sheriff. Unfortunately a large shrub is in the way so they can't see anything. The man casually turns back towards them and asks why he should help since he didn't know Emma.
"She was the local Sheriff and she kept things in order around here so it would be in all of our best interests if you helped us." Ashley says, with a slight edge to her voice. The man seems to stumble back but then recovers. He nods silently and lets them into his house. It seems weird to talk in the house but her and Ashley are used to it. People usually want to hear the story of what happened in the safety of their homes.
Mary Margaret zones out as Ashley begins the story. She always does because the retelling of the horrible video makes her chest tighten in fear every time. For some reason, she hears a noise like someone knocking hard on the side of a building. Ashley and the man pay no mind and her mind wanders off, dismissing the noise as her imagination.
"Thank you for helping. If you could come with us right now to Granny's Diner, we are all having a end of the evening meeting." Ashley stands up, and Mary Margaret snaps back to reality and stands up too. The man nods and follows them out the door. Mary Margaret eagerly looks around the bush to find Ruby but she isn't there. Instead there is blood on the cement stairs to the house.
Fear starts coursing through her veins again. This cannot happen again. Ashley sees it too because she gasps loudly. Their thoughts can't be completely fully because the air is filled with Ruby's screaming voice.
"HELP! Somebody, anyone please help me!" That is all it takes because Mary Margaret, Ashley and the man run towards Main Street where they heard Ruby's voice. As they turn the corner where Mr. Gold's shop is, Mary Margaret starts to pray because they is a large crowd forming a circle, probably around someone. Ruby.
Mary Margaret pushes her way through the crowd, determined to save Ruby's life so she won't lose two people she cares about. The instant she gets through to the inner circle, her worst fears become so much worse. She has never felt so much terror as she does in that moment. Before her is Emma.
Emma is covered in blood. She has blood on her forehead with an open gash and huge wounds on her wrists that cover her hands and arms in blood too.
Mary Margaret can't breathe. Tears brim in her eyes. She glances at Ruby, who is crying helplessly. She looks down and sees Emma open her eyes and gaze at her. Emma's green blue eyes look at her with love, hope, and fear all at the same time. But then Emma closes her eyes, and fails to open them again. She falls to the ground and starts to sob and to scream Emma's name. Tears blind her vision as the overwhelming sense of sadness fills her body.
A pair of hands suddenly grips her upper arms and pulls her up. Mary Margaret knows who it is automatically because the hands are gentle yet firm. She turns into the warm chest that the hands pull her to. She lets the tears soak David's shirt. She doesn't dare look up when she hears Dr. Whale yelling for someone to help him carry Emma. She will never forget the sight of Emma lying there, so lifeless.
Please please review. I would love it if I knew your opinion. Guess what's going to happen in the LAST and final chapter!