7:15 AM AU - Things go a bit differently in the cabin during 7:15 AM. With memories returned, how will this change things?
Wow! Such a great response to this fic, which has turned out to be even more amazing than I thought it would. The idea for this fic actually started as an idea in my head on a drive to work, way back in January or February when I actually still drove to work. I work from home now like most and am glad this idea came to fruition. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the twists and turns. Season 1 can be very fun to play with. Enjoy this latest and keep reviewing! Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Baratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Grace5231973: I know, Emma is stubborn to a frustrating level for sure. :)
Number Ten: I know, Emma is being very stubborn. Yeah, at least Neal is stepping up. Henry is feeling betrayed about being lied to, but things will heal in time. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yeah, I can't wait until Emma believes, but it might be a while for her to come around. Yep, she's not seeing Mary Margaret. She is seeing Snow White. Yeah, Emma shouldn't have lied, but I think everyone gets why she did and Henry will eventually forgive her. Yeah, it's easy to forget that this was how Henry started to realize that something was wrong. Yep, fake marriage. Yeah, because of Neal, Gold is on Snowing's side here. Yeah, a DNA test would be a good idea. No, he shouldn't have listened to August. Yep, they're just realizing the betrayal from the Blue Fairy and Geppetto. Yep, Jefferson easily switched sides just like Gold said he would. Angry and protective David is hot, as usual. Glad I can still bring you many surprises. :)
AnonSnowing: Glad my cliffhangers make you want more! I suppose that's the goal. Yeah, disbelief was the perfect title for that chapter. Unfortunately, Emma is not ready to believe that any of it could be true. Yep, Henry is very smart and figured it all out on his own. Yeah, it's crazy that she had the same students for twenty-eight years. I know, that was hard to write with Snowing hurting so much. Yep, Storybrooke is too small for Kathryn's story to really be plausible. Yeah, a DNA test might be an easy way to prove it. But Emma is still going to be resistant I think. Yep, Snowing is finding out about the wardrobe now, so more heartbreak. Snowing is forgiving so they probably did think they were going to get away with it. And things just got worse, because Regina is here. She just found out that she doesn't have the leverage she thinks she does though. My heart breaks for Snowing too. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
Clarity
Chapter 8: Denial
"I can't believe it...I just can't believe you ran off again. Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she questioned.
"I was with Emma and Gramps, so I was fine," he said, as something occurred to him.
"Actually, I guess I was with both my grandpas. I have two now, you know," he retorted. Regina took a deep breath to keep from exploding in rage at that.
"Henry…" she started to say.
"You can save the lectures on how the book isn't real. That jig is up, even if Emma refuses to believe," he replied.
"My grandparents are awake, Mr. Gold is awake, and I have a dad now," he said.
"David and Mary Margaret are not your grandparents...they are absurdly young for that," she replied, but he only shrugged.
"That's only because of your curse and they didn't age," he shot back, frustrating her further.
"Well...you're grounded for a very long time, so you're not going to be seeing anyone," she warned, but he smirked.
"Except my dad...and I bet he'll let me see my grandparents," he retorted. Regina pursed her lips, but remained silent, as she kept driving.
Jefferson curiously flipped through the book that Henry had lent to him upon his request, with the promise to return it once they were home, of course.
"This is...amazingly detailed. Did you do this?" Jefferson asked.
"That wasn't me either, dearie. I believe it appeared one day in the fair Mary Margaret's closet. Not even I am privy to how," Gold replied.
"Well, that has to bug the life out of you," Jefferson snorted.
"Normally yes...but the book has served its purpose quite well. Young Henry already knew something was off and the book led him down the right path," Gold said. Emma snorted in annoyance.
"You really like denial, don't you?" Jefferson asked.
"You're asking me to believe in fairy tales," Emma replied.
"No, I'm asking you to believe in history...history of a different world. Are you so arrogant as to think this one is all there is?" he asked.
"No...but other worlds aren't my concern, because I'm in this one," Emma retorted.
"I've been alone in this world...for my whole life and all the sudden, I'm supposed to just accept all this?" she asked.
"You know, you act like you're the only one that's had a rough life," Jefferson argued.
"Well, my supposed parents are a Prince and a Princess. Yeah...that sounds rough," she argued back. He snorted.
"You really need to read your own history," he said, as he handed her the book, with a picture of David in tattered clothes on a small farm. Her brow furrowed and she found herself drawn into the story.
"She hates us," Snow sniffed, as she rested her head on David's chest. Neal had offered to drive and they were cuddled together in the backseat.
"She doesn't hate us...certainly not you. She's just confused and angry right now," David assured her.
"I...I don't want to intrude into this conversation, but I know Emma pretty well and I guess I'm kind of the reason you didn't get to raise her. For that, I'm sorry. I hate what my father did to all these innocent people, but I know Emma. She loves denial, but she'll come around," he offered. David stared at him for a moment and then nodded.
"Thank you," David replied, as he pressed another kiss to Snow's hair.
"If you're Rumpelstiltskin's son that he lost so many years ago...how are you still as young as you are? You weren't cursed like us," David inquired.
"No…I wasn't, but unfortunately, I ended up in Neverland. It was hard to keep track of time there, but I was probably there for a couple hundred years before I escaped to this land," Neal answered.
"I had nothing...so I stole to get by. I'm sure you know Emma did too...and that's probably not something you like," he said.
"Actually…I know a little bit about stealing to survive," Snow murmured.
"Really? Doesn't sound like your typical Princess story. Guess I'll have to read Henry's book," Neal said fondly.
"We met, because she stole my mother's ring and sold it to some trolls," David said fondly.
"I was trying to get enough gold to escape and get to a land beyond Regina's reach," she reminded him.
"Yeah...but after that day, despite having the gold, you didn't leave," he said. She smiled up at him.
"I guess, deep down, I knew there was something to stay for, though I wasn't about to admit it," she said, as she thought for a moment.
"I guess we know where Emma gets her denial from," she mentioned. He smiled.
"She gets a lot from you," he promised.
"Maybe...but she has your tunnel vision," she teased, getting him to smile. Neal was silent, letting them have their moment. He was happy for Emma that she had found her parents, especially since they seemed like such great people. He just hoped she was ready to be happy for herself soon.
Tamara stared into the empty apartment and pursed her lips. She had chosen this empty apartment, a couple floors above Neal's, for a drop off and pick up point due to the easy access. But obviously something had gone wrong and the subject had been rescued. Worst of all, Neal told her, with no notice, that he had to go out of town for a while. It was suspicious at best and knew there was likely a connection between the two incidents. She took out her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello?" a man answered.
"We have a problem...she's not here," Tamara reported.
"She escaped?" he asked.
"Or was rescued…" she replied.
"They won't be happy about this...they have been waiting a very long time to get someone from there," the man said vaguely.
"I know...but I think my "fiance" is involved and is with them. That means I might have an in," she replied.
"Getting into the honeypot itself might redeem you then. I hope you can pull it off for your sake," the man said, as he hung up. She clenched her teeth and pocketed her phone.
Magic...she hated it. But she was no longer working for the Home Office. Her new employers had clued her in that the Home Office had no intention of ever destroying magic and that she had simply been a pawn. She had been infuriated and hated that her new employers didn't want to destroy magic either. However, they did want to control it and exploit it, which was better than letting magic run rampant. She got her phone out again and dialed another number, which unfortunately went to voicemail.
"Hey honey...it's me. I got your message and I was hoping that wherever you've gotten off to...maybe I could join you. Call me back. Love you," she said, as she hung up the phone. Now she just had to wait for Neal to call and hopefully give her the directions to the treasure trove that would certainly get her back into the good graces of her employer.
They arrived home in Storybrooke late that night and they got to the loft a little after Emma did. When they didn't see her downstairs, they assumed she had already gone up to the loft.
"Listen…" David said, as he took her hands in his own.
"Maybe it's best if I go stay up at the cabin for a couple days while all this sinks in for Emma," he suggested.
"But...before I was abducted, she was finally accepting the idea of you moving in," Snow replied.
"I know, my darling...but a lot has changed since then. You two need time to talk and I think it's easier if I'm not here getting in between you," he said.
"No...you're her father. You're my husband!" Snow insisted hotly.
"I know...I know, but that's just to us right now. To everyone else...I'm the scum that cheated on his "wife" and divorced her to be with another woman," he said.
"Don't talk about yourself like that…" she whimpered and he hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry this is so hard," he apologized. She sniffed.
"It's not your fault...it's mine. Maybe I shouldn't have gone all in on the book. Maybe I should have played dumb when Neal and Henry insisted it was all real," she murmured.
"No...that might have been worse in the end. When she does accept it...it's better that she knows we tried to be truthful with her from almost the beginning," he said. She nodded, knowing he was probably right.
"This is such a mess...it's not supposed to be this way," she said, as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"It's going to get better...even if it has to get worse to get there," he assured her. However, even he couldn't realize how stunningly right that statement was at the moment.
They heard Emma come down the stairs and came out from behind the curtain around the bed. But Snow's heart dropped into her stomach when she saw her set her bag down.
"Where...where are you going?" Snow squeaked.
"I think it's better if I move out for a while...and stay at Granny's," Emma told her.
"Emma...if this is about me, then I'm more than willing to stay somewhere else. You don't have to leave," David said.
"It's not...I just can't be here right now," Emma replied.
"Emma please...can we talk?" Snow asked.
"It's late...and I have an early shift. I'm just gonna go," she replied, as she walked out and closed the door. It was at that moment that Snow burst into tears, as it all came crashing down on her. David was there to catch her and hold her, letting her sob almost uncontrollably against his chest.
Neal stood at the check in desk, as his father stood beside him.
"You know...I have plenty of guest rooms," Gold offered.
"Yeah...that's not happening," Neal replied.
"Bae…" he started to say.
"Neal," Neal corrected in a measured tone.
"I want to talk...you have to know how much I regretted not going with you through that portal," Gold said.
"No…I don't have to know that. You chose power over me and you have to live with that choice. Except then I find out that you didn't and instead wreaked havoc on an entire population to try to fix your mistake," Neal replied. He opened his mouth to speak, but Neal continued.
"Emma grew up alone...because of you. We both did, because of you," Neal said.
"Regina may have cast the curse, but I know the story. August is a liar, but I know what he told me about the curse was true," he continued.
"I had to find you…" Gold insisted.
"Not at the expense of innocent people!" Neal hissed.
"And Regina? You created a monster that has hurt hundreds of people, maybe more, for me!" he said.
"Do you have any idea how that feels? How it feels to know that innocent people died just so you could get here?" he asked.
"I regret that all of that had to happen...but I don't regret that it got me back to you," Gold admitted. Neal scoffed.
"Of course you don't," he deadpanned, as Ruby returned with his room key.
"Um...here you go," she said. He offered a kind smile.
"Thanks," he replied, as he turned back to his father once she left.
"Look, the only reason I'm even here is because of Henry, so if you think it's for you, then you're delusional," Neal said. Gold was about to speak again, but the door opened, revealing Emma with a bag in hand. Her eyes met Neal's and she sighed, as she approached the desk.
"What are you doing?" Neal asked. She looked at him like it was obvious.
"Getting a room," she answered, as Ruby went to get a key.
"Don't you live with Mary Margaret?" he asked.
"Not anymore," Emma replied. He sighed.
"Emma...if you're looking to blame someone for all this then look no further than my father and Regina," he said.
"I'm not blaming anyone and if it wasn't for Henry, I'd blow this town like a popsicle stand," she replied.
"Well, I'd say we have that in common, except I don't believe that about you," he said. She snorted.
"You'd be wrong," she said.
"No…I know you. You have looked for your parents your entire life and now that you had a chance to be under the same roof as them, you do what you do best," he said, staring her dead in the eyes.
"You run," he said, as Ruby returned with her key.
"Go to hell," Emma spat, as she grabbed the key and stormed upstairs. He rolled his eyes and looked at his father.
"Same sentiment to you," he said, as he went to find his room for the evening. Gold was silent for a moment, before he slowly left the Inn for the evening, more distraught than he had been in a very long time...