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: I'm so grateful that so many are enjoying this story. There is much ahead, including lots of Snowing romance and Charming Family Feels among the drama, adventure and danger.

During hiatus, I will be updating on Sundays as a rule.

Seven Years Later- the year in the Land Without Magic is now 2000.

Cell phones have come to Storybrooke, thanks to the curse's magic still in place, so you'll see the characters using them going forward.

Pairings: Primarily Snowing - With OutlawQueen. And soon – Brief SwanFire.

Lots of Charming Family feels ;)

This chapter also has a steamy Snowing scene, so if you're not into that, it's marked at the beginning and end with this annotation: _Snowing_

Emma is now eighteen

Alexandra Herman is eight

Leo and Eva Nolan are seven

Everyone else has remained the same, as Storybrooke is still frozen in time.

Thank you for all the awesome reviews and feed back. Here are some individual responses:

killiansbutt: Yay, you're caught up! But yeah, you'll have to wait like everyone else now. Good thing is I update Sunday nights so it's not a terribly long wait in between chapters. Thanks, it's good to hear that I'm managing to balance all the storylines well. Yeah, rocky times are ahead. August and Neal won't come out of this looking good, I can tell you that. Oh and I did see that manip on Tumblr with little Emma on Charming's shoulders and I melted! So glad you're enjoying everything!

andria: Yes, honestly Henry is the only reason I'm really bothering with SwanFire. It will be brief and serve its purpose, which is Henry. ;)

EmmaAthena2013: So glad you're enjoying the story. Excitement ahead!

misscam: Don't worry, I love when Snow saves Charming too. The equality between them is one of the things I love most too. Yeah, Emma is headed for heartbreak, but I wanted to write a fleshed out version of what would happen if she did get pregnant with Henry, but had her parents there. So glad you're enjoying the story. :)

sexystarwarslover: Sorry, I dropped off in a cliffhanger, lol, but this chapter is all Snowing action and romance. Swanfire will be back in the next chapter and August will pop up again later, though he is probably not going to come out looking good. So glad you're enjoying it. :)

Finding You Always

Chapter 35: Set Fire to the Rain

Snow twirled her ring nervously, as the storm raged outside. A feeling of dread had knotted in her stomach, only moments ago, and she instinctively knew why. Something was wrong. David was in trouble...she could feel it in her bones. He wasn't answering his cell and though she knew it was probably because the storm had made cell reception almost non-existant, she knew it was more than that.

The front door opened and Ruby hurried inside, quickly shedding her wet raincoat. Snow hung her wet coat up.

"Thanks for coming. I know asking you to get out in this is a lot," Snow fretted.

"Snow...you're the closest thing I have to a sister. I just wish you'd call Thomas and let him look for David in this," Ruby said.

"You know what he'll say. It's too dangerous to look for him until the storm subsides, but I can't wait that long. Something isn't right, I can feel it and no one can find Charming like I can," Snow replied fiercely. Ruby nodded.

"I know...just be careful. I'll call Thomas and tell him. He's going to be pissed," Ruby warned.

"He can yell at me after I find my husband. Thanks for staying with the twins," she said, hugging her best friend.

"Mommy…" a little voice called. Snow saw the worried faces of her twins gazing up at her.

"Is Daddy in trouble?" Eva asked. Snow knelt down and hugged them both.

"I'm sure Daddy's fine. He's probably just caught out in the storm," Snow assured them.

"But you're gonna find him?" Leo asked. Snow smiled at how he looked so much like her husband, right down to the furrowing of his brows.

"I will always find him," she promised, as she put on her rain gear and grabbed the satchel of supplies she had packed in case she got stranded.

"Be good for Ruby and I'll be back before you know it," she promised, as she hurried out to her car amidst the raging storm.

"Are you sure this is where you want me to drop you off?" Emma asked, as they arrived back at the beach.

"Yep, I'll be fine. Give me your phone for a second," Neal said. She handed him the device and he pressed some buttons, before handing it back.

"There. You have my number now," he said, before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. Emma's eyes widened in surprise, but she soon found herself kissing him back. He grinned, as their lips parted.

"See ya Emma," he said, as he got out. A few seconds later, Melanie got in.

"Who was that?" Melanie grilled with a coy smile. Emma rolled her eyes.

"That was Neal, the guy that tried to steal my car. I almost pepper sprayed him and then we got coffee," Emma said. Melanie laughed.

"All that after you kneed that other asshole in the balls," Melanie joked and shook her head.

"What?" Emma asked.

"You're definitely not boring," Melanie teased, as Emma drove them back to campus.

Drizella sent her hired hands away once they dragged the prince inside and now she waited impatiently, as Lucifer built a fire since the power was out, due to the storm. She couldn't have planned a better night for this. The storm raged outside and would complicate any search attempt for him.

"That sleeping dart won't last long," Lucifer warned.

"Then you better have what I asked for and it better not get traced back to us," she snapped.

"It won't," Lucifer assured, as he handed her a syringe. She took off the cap with her gloved hands and injected the drug into David's arm. He stirred and she tossed the empty syringe into the fire.

"Zella...this is risky at best. Surely they're looking for him," Lucifer reasoned.

"Of course they are, but the storm will slow them down. Just go get in the van. Make sure it's hidden off the back path and be ready in case I need a quick getaway," she hissed. He nodded and gathered his bag, before going out the back. Drizella removed her coat and stared hungrily at her prize. She moved his arms above his head and tied his wrists together tightly with a silk scarf. Charming started to stir and she stroked his handsome face.

"Time to have some fun, my prince," she whispered.

Snow could barely see the dirt road and slid around the muddy path, as she attempted to find Gold's cabin. She squinted through the pouring rain, as the car's windshield wipers tried in vain to keep up with the down pour. There in the trees, she saw the cabin and David's patrol car. She pulled off and parked. Opening her umbrella, she ran toward the car, but didn't see her husband inside. Glancing down, she spotted the flat tire and sighed in relief. Maybe that's all it was. He was just stranded. She hurried to the cabin to find him.

Drizella let her eyes drink in his exposed chest, having removed the soaked shirt from his torso. She traced a finger along the muscled planes of his chest and abs.

"I'm finally going to make you mine," she whispered, as she crushed her lips against his.

David's world was a hazy mess. He couldn't think clearly and as he struggled to open his eyes, it didn't help. He slammed them shut, as the room spun violently and the images before him were nothing but a fuzzy jumble. And he couldn't speak, because someone was kissing him? He struggled, but his hands wouldn't move and his head was clouded with confusion. He gasped for air, as the lips left his.

"Snow…" he called weakly. The lips against his didn't feel like Snow and neither did the taste. But he had no idea what was going on other than he was freezing and felt weak all over. Maybe it was Snow...who else would be kissing him, after all?

Drizella scowled, as he called out for her. But if that's how he wanted to do this, then she'd play along. Either way, she'd get what she desired, even if she had to pretend to be that wretched princess. Her hand rested on his belt and she bit her bottom lip in anticipation, as she started to undo it.

Suddenly, there was a pounding on the cabin door.

"No…" she spat. How had they found him in this terrible storm? She crept to the window and peered out, snarling at the sight of Snow White, drenched to the bone and calling her husband's name.

"Damn her…" Drizella cursed, as she looked at the captive prince. She had been so close...but she couldn't get caught. She was under no allusions. She couldn't beat Snow White in a fight. But if she escaped, she'd be able to try again someday. Her plan would just have to be even better next time. She put her gloves back on and gathered her things. Her men had wiped the place clean. There would be no trace of her once she left. Quickly, she leaned down and smothered his lips with her own.

"I will make you mine someday, my dear Charming. That is a promise," she hissed, before running out the back.

With no answer, Snow turned the knob, pushing on it again. It wasn't locked, but something was definitely blocking the door. She went around to the window and peeked inside. It was hard to see with the water on the glass, but she saw a fire and someone lying beside it. Worry filled her and she went back to the door.

She backed up and took a deep breath. Gathering all her strength, she lunged at the door, kicking it with her foot. It swung open and the chair that had been baracading it tumbled to the floor. She got inside and tossed her satchel down, before closing the door again. The lock was broken, so she put the chair back against it to keep the storm out.

"David…" she cried, as she hurried to him. She gasped, as she saw his wrists bound above his head and him shivering violently.

"Oh my love...who did this to you…" she whispered, as she stroked his face. She quickly found the bedroom in the cabin and pulled all the blankets off the bed, dragging them into the living room. She stoked the fire and added a few logs, making the fire grow stronger and hotter. She took her husband's boots off and then undid his wet pants, pulling them off, followed by his boxers. She found his shirt and laid his clothes out to dry, before undoing the scarf that tied his wrists.

He moaned and tossed his head to the side, as his blue eyes, clouded with confusion fluttered open.

"Snow…" he cried.

"Shh...I'm here, my love," she whispered, as she stroked his handsome face. Her wet clothes were next and she laid them out to dry with his, before huddling against him and covering them with the mass of bedclothes.

David moaned incoherantly and started to thrash. She had never seen him like this and wondered why he was so out of it.

"Shh...Charming, it's me...it's Snow. Calm down," she whispered, as she gently kissed him. His eyes widened for a moment, recognizing this kiss as his beautiful Snow.

"Snow…" he breathed with more certainty, as he shivered again. She snuggled closer to him, practically laying on top of him to get him warm with her body heat.

"Sleep, my sweet Charming," she whispered, as she searched his arm and found a needle prick. She clenched her jaw. It made sense now. Someone had drugged her husband and tied him up. And she had interrupted them, undressing him no less. And when she found out who, though she had a pretty good idea, she was going to make them pay…

Drizella stormed into the house and threw her bag down, before shedding her sopping raincoat.

"Where have you been? Do you not see this storm outside?!" Rodmilla exclaimed.

"I know mother...I was out!" Drizella snapped.

"Zella...what were you up to?" Rodmilla asked sternly. She huffed.

"My plan was perfect, mother, but the she ruined it again!" Drizella ranted.

"Lucifer...what is she talking about?" Rodmilla demanded to know. The former feline spilled everything from ransacking the cabin to draw the Sheriff out there, slashing his tire, and the sleeping dart, then dragging him inside. He explained that they had then drugged Charming and he left Drizella alone with the prone prince.

"I was so close to having him, mother. But she found him somehow in this storm!" Drizella cried. Rodmilla was concerned by the carelessness of the plan, as Drizella could have been easily caught. But she had never been so proud. Her separation from her other weak daughter had been very good for Drizella. She was still whiny and petulant, but her cruelty rivaled Rodmilla's, as did her drive to do whatever was needed to get what she wanted.

Her plan was diabolical, in true Tremaine fashion and it made the elder woman tingle with pride. Anastacia was a complete disappointment. She betrayed them to be with her former thief and joined Snow White's band of idiotic do-gooders. But Drizella would bring pride to her family once again.

She gently took her daughter by the shoulders.

"While your plan was a bit reckless, I am proud that it seems you are willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want," Rodmilla said. Drizella sniffed.

"You're proud of me?" she asked. Rodmilla smirked.

"We Tremain women take what we want and we destroy anyone that gets in the way of that. Snow White is formidable...but together, we can destroy her," Rodmilla said.

"How?" Drizella asked.

"Someday...magic will come to this place and then we will be able to acquire its help," Rodmilla explained.

"How do you know magic will come?" Drizella asked.

"Because the Dark One would not come to a place with no magic, unless he intended to get it back someday. And when it does come, the tide will turn for those labeled villains like us," Rodmilla assured her.

"But it could be years before it comes!" Drizella whined.

"I know my dear, but will your desire to have a prince Charming fade so easily?" Rodmilla questioned.

Drizella flashed to the memory of the prince. She recalled his captive form, completely at her mercy. The memory of how his skin felt was etched in her mind, as was his handsome face, and gorgeously sculpted body. She ached to touch him all over. The memory of his lips against hers was seared onto hers and she longed to taste him again. And she imagined the feeling of claiming him...oh he was most certainly worth the wait.

"I don't want a prince charming, mother. I want the Prince Charming," Drizella responded. Rodmilla smirked.

"Then we must be patient, dear. Now, everything you wore tonight and everything you had with you must be burnt," she said, as she led her daughter into the common room.

"When they question us, they'll find we've been here all evening and there will no way to prove otherwise," Rodmilla stated.

Snow awoke to flashing lightning. It was still storming, but it sounded like the intensity had dulled to the roar of a normal thunderstorm. She found her watch and saw it was about four in the morning. Gently, she untangled from David and tossed some more wood into the fireplace, before crawling back to him. He stirred and blue eyes met green, as he opened his. Snow was relieved to see that his eyes were no longer glassy, which meant whatever he had been injected with was on its way out of his system. He still looked confused by their surroundings.

"Snow…" he said.

"Hi...how are you feeling?" she asked, as she stroked his cheek.

"I...fine, I guess. Where are we?" he asked. She sighed.

"How much do you remember?" she asked. His brows furrowed, as he tried to recall his last memory.

"Gold's cabin. Someone broke in and I came to check it out. No one was here...and the storm was getting bad. I...I was going to drive back to town and bring Bashful out here after the storm stopped to dust this place for prints. But my tire was flat and then it gets fuzzy," he stammered. Snow pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I don't really remember coming back into the cabin. But then someone kissed me I think. I...I was really dizzy and I couldn't see anything. It didn't feel like you, but...I think I was wrong, because there was another kiss and I knew that one was you. I could feel it that time," he rambled. Her heart broke for him.

"Oh my love…" she whispered.

"Snow...what is it?" he pleaded.

"I don't think the first kiss was me. I think you were drugged, baby," she whispered.

"What?" he asked in alarm.

"There's a needle mark on your arm and I think I interrupted whoever was here. The door was baracaded and by the time I broke in, they were gone. But you were half undressed, delirious, and tied up," she told him gently. His eyes widened.

"But...who would want to do that?" he wondered. She quirked an eyebrow and gave him a look.

"Oh, I know exactly who did this," Snow said, cuddling closer to him.

"You think it was Drizella?" he asked.

"We know she's crazy enough and has the resources to hire help," she replied.

"Snow...I'm yours," he insisted.

"I know...that's why she drugged you and tied you up, Charming. She was going to...she was going to…" Snow said, voice trembling. She couldn't finish the sentence.

"Hey...she didn't. You stopped her. What were you doing out in the storm though?" he asked.

"Looking for you, of course. I felt it, Charming. I knew you were in trouble," she confessed. He smiled at that.

"You found me. You saved me," he said in awe of her.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" she replied tenderly, as she brushed her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"Besides, it was my turn," she joked, as she shifted and felt their clothes, which were laying out in front of the fire.

"Our clothes are almost dry," she mentioned. He pulled her back against him and a ripple of desire coursed through her body, as she felt his rigid length against her ass.

"It's still storming outside," he rasped, as he kissed her neck. She smiled and turned to face him. _Snowing_

"We should go back to sleep," she teased. He made a noise of disapproval and she gasped, as his lips closed around one of her nipples.

"Don't want to sleep," he murmured in a husky voice. She smirked.

"Then what do you want, Charming?" she prompted. He responded by crushing his lips against hers.

"To kiss you breathless," he whispered when their lips finally parted. She gasped, as she felt his hands on her breasts, squeezing gently, before sliding down her taut abdomen, then gripping her hips and sensually sliding down her shapely legs.

"I want to touch you all over," he hissed in her ear.

"I want to pleasure you and make you feel the way you deserve," he confessed, as he pressed his thumb against her clit. She trembled and mewled, bucking her hips in response.

"Charming!" she cried.

"I want to be inside you," he pleaded.

"Yes…" she cried, as his lips worshipped her breasts.

"I want to make you come...and then I want you to make me come," he said. She moaned and grasped.

"Now Charming!" she begged, as he sunk into her with a slow thrust, letting her feel him filling her inch by inch, until he was buried inside her to the hilt. He made slow love to her, plunging in and out with a languid, comfortable rhythm, his eyes never leaving hers. Snow held his face in her hands, gazing at him adoringly and combing her fingers through his hair.

"Uhhh…" she cried incoherently, as she thrust her hips up, meeting his thrusts and grinding him against her clit. Their skin glided together, glistening from the heat of sex, his hands gripping her hips, her nails raking his back. He quivered inside her amidst his languid thrusts, as her mouth sucked intently on the nape of his neck. As she often did, and was fond of doing, she was leaving her mark on him.

"Mmm...Charming…" she cried breathlessly. She was so very close and he moved his hand between them, finding the little bundle of nerves he knew would push her over the edge and pressing his thumb against the spot. She screamed his name and thrashed against him, as she came. She quaked against him and she dove her fingers into his hair again, as he sought his own release.

"Let me make you come, my love," she whispered in his ear. He gladly relented and she pushed him onto his back, straddling him. Rocking back and forth, she rode him hard, plunging him inside her, as his strong hands on her back.

"Snow…" he cried, as he could hold on no longer and erupted inside her. She collapsed against his chest, as they panted and he grabbed the blanket, pulling it around their unclothed bodies. Snow snuggled against him, as they kissed lazily and bathed in the afterglow of their lovemaking. _Snowing_

The night had started off extremely worrisome, but once again, they had proved that nothing could keep them from finding each other.

"You saved me. If you hadn't got here when you did…" he started to say, but she shushed him with a kiss.

"Did you really think a little storm could keep me away from you?" she asked, fondly stroking his handsome face.

"You're my husband and that crazy bitch picked the wrong prince to fixate on," she said. The fierceness in her voice made him shiver with desire. He kissed her forehead.

"I know, I am yours, Snow...eternally," he rasped, as their lips met again. Their silhouettes cast shadows in the light of the fire, as passion erupted between them again…

Bermuda Triangle

Atlantis Compound

Cassim parried Xander's sword, as they spared in one of the training gyms. Usually, they were pretty evenly matched, but Xander was ferocious tonight. He raised his sword in surrender.

"I yield, my friend. You are far too on par tonight for me to possibly be victorious," Cassim relented. Xander wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Sorry...I just hate all this waiting around," Xander said.

"I know...but you know we can't interfere yet," Cassim replied.

"The Home Office has gone as far as to offer my granddaughter a full ride to a college three thousand miles away from her parents and put an operative on her as her new friend. I just want to know what their game is," Xander lamented.

"And you might get that chance," Clayton said, as he entered the gym with a folder in hand. Xander took the folder as it was handed to him, finding a plane ticket inside.

"You want me to go to Portland?" he asked. Clayton nodded.

"The Dragon wants to know exactly what their interest in the Savior is. His seer abilities aren't always reliable in this realm, especially when it comes to the children. They are true love's magic and a bit of blind spot for him, though he hates to admit it," Clayton said.

"So...you want me to tail my granddaughter?" he asked.

"No...I want you to tail this woman," Clayton replied, as he looked at the enclosed picture.

"Meredith Flynn...the girl's mother," he said. Clayton nodded.

"Yes...I want you to tail her. Be careful, she is a detective, but ultimately, an operative for the Home Office," he replied.

"Excellent...I'll leave right away," Xander said.

"Good luck," Cassim wished to his friend.

"Do not engage...unless circumstances are dire and force your hand," Clayton warned. Xander nodded in understanding, before he left to pack his things for the trip...