AN: Thanks for the incredible response to this Snowing story! See previous chapter for important authors notes on characters and story notes.
This one will update bi-weekly on Monday nights. Please consider leaving a review, it is much appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Yep, things are really heating up. I'm glad you're enjoying it, though I highly recommend Manifest. It's a great show. :)
210: Thanks, glad you're like the story so much. I like how supportive they are too.
Grace5231973: Yep, they are VERY close to finding them. It still remains to be scene if those deaths were coincidence or if they were related to the Callings. Glad you're enjoying! :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Number Ten: I know, it's sad to see Emma like this. I do promise it will turn around for her very soon though. Yep, it's starting to look like Cora might have had something to do with Eva's death. That plotline is original to this story. Yeah, David took a big risk so hope he gets out. Glad you're enjoying! :)
Sexystarwarslover: I know, poor Henry. He's going through hell, because of this sick doctor. Yeah, I figured Jekyll fit nicely here as the sick doctor. Yep, David is definitely onto something. No, I think it will be harrowing, but they'll all make it through. Yeah, I think Killian will probably make it too. Nope, Margaret never really believed David was gone. He is definitely her Prince Charming. Yes, fortunately it wasn't Will that died. Yeah, I think Vance is learning that David doesn't give up when it comes to his family. Yeah, Killian still loves Emma. Yep, Sidney is back and revealed something Margaret didn't know so now she's intrigued. Yep, Jenkins is at it again. Here we go! Glad you're enjoying! :)
AnonSnowing: Yeah, that's a good assessment. Everyone is in a little bit of danger here. Yes, David is very afraid to lose her, but while I think it will be harrowing, everyone will make it in the end. No, David could never keep secrets from her. Emma is definitely having a rough time. It will be getting better for her soon though. Yes, David is definitely her Prince Charming. Yes, more people that knew about the Callings dying is very scary. Yep, David is persistent and onto something. Yeah, Henry is adjusting back to a normal routine for the most part. Nope, Sidney can't take a hit, but did reveal something Margaret didn't know and now she's intrigued. Cora is probably behind it and Jenkins is at it again. Here we go! Glad you're enjoying! :)
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 27: Dead Reckoning, Pt 1
Flashback - the plane
The plane shuddered and the distress continued, as the turbulence became more violent, jarring them around and sending panic among the passengers into overdrive. David could swear that he felt the plane dip in the sky and instinctively, he put his arm over Henry, even though he knew that wouldn't make any difference if the plane went down. Fortunately, after a few harrowing moments, the lights in the cabin came back on and they steadied in the air.
"Sorry about that, folks...we hit a bit of turbulence, but we came through it just fine. We ask that you remain seated with your seat belts on though and we should be coming into New York shortly," the Captain said. David breathed a sigh of relief.
What followed, of course, was the shock and disbelief at learning that almost five and a half years had somehow passed during that brief, but harrowing moment of turbulence. No one knew how or why it had happened. But it had. David returned to Margaret, as she had rushed into that hanger, hoping that her broken world was about to be whole again. And it was. He had been so impatient though, as they had been kept by the government for questioning for hours. He remembered the particular question about the turbulence, as it seemed to be one of their focal points.
"I don't know...I told you. There was some violent turbulence, but it only lasted a few minutes," David explained in exasperation.
"We must be thorough, Mr. Nolan. I'm sure you can appreciate what an unusual circumstance this is," Vance said.
"For you maybe...but for me, I have a son that is sick and needs a doctor and a wife that's waiting for us," David snapped.
"Mr. Nolan...it's been five and a half years for everyone else. Are you sure you still have a wife waiting for you? You've all been presumed dead. Many of those that lost passengers from this plane moved on. Some remarried. Some moved away entirely. Some may have even died themselves," Vance said.
"Because I just know, okay? If I was really dead, I'd want Margaret to move on, but I'm not sure that our hearts would let us. I know what it sounds like...but I know my wife and she's waiting for me. She'd wait for me to find her as long as it took," he insisted. He had perplexed Vance that day and intrigued Gold.
Emma had much of the same experience. She told them the same thing about the turbulence and insisted that she needed to call her boyfriend, before correcting herself and calling him her fiancé. Except her reality was the one suggested by Vance. Killian had moved on and married someone else.
For Regina, she had given the same answer as well. Violent turbulence for a few frightening moments and then a smooth ride home. Regina was asking for her father though that day, hoping that he had not passed away while she was gone, as Vance had suggested probably happened to some aging parents of passengers. Fortunately for her, Regina's father had survived to greet her upon her return.
For Aurora Rose, the questioning began much the same and her answer was the same about the turbulence. But that was where her questioning took a different turn. While the other passengers got to go home, she had to stay behind. It wasn't like she had a home like some of the others or anyone to claim her. So when Vance revealed that she would be detained due to several warrants out for her arrest, she shouldn't have been surprised. It seemed that five years had not been enough to erase her troubled past.
Present Day
David got home and smiled, as he saw his wife sitting on the couch, reading something on her tablet.
"Hey beautiful…" he greeted, as she looked up and he immediately noticed the pensiveness on her face.
"Hey...what's wrong?" he asked, as he sat down beside her.
"Sidney Glass came to my classroom again today," she replied.
"What?!" he exclaimed, as he was ready to barrel down to the man's office building and give him a shiner he wouldn't forget.
"Wait...that's not really what has me upset though," she interjected, as she pulled him back into his seat.
"What is it then?" he asked, as he looked at the article she was reading. It looked old and was definitely a scan of the original.
"He was going on about telling our story and how it was intriguing that my father married Cora years after my mother died, considering that he had once chosen her over Cora," she explained. His brows furrowed.
"He did?" he asked, as he scanned the article.
"Apparently, Cora and my mother didn't just know of each other. They knew each other quite well...and hated each other," Margaret replied.
"Wow...your father chose Eva over Cora years ago," he said, as he further skimmed the article.
"And I had no idea…" Margaret said.
"Cora hated my mother...and felt like she was cheated out of the high life so to speak," she added.
"I'm sorry...your father should have told you that Cora was an old flame when he introduced her. He acted like they met after," he said. She nodded.
"Except I think there's a reason for that," she replied.
"What do you mean?" he asked, as she swiped to another article and he scanned it as well.
"Wall Street Tycoon's wife dies mysteriously," he read and then shook his head.
"But I always thought your Mom got sick," David replied.
"So did I. Johanna told me that they found late stage cancer and it was untreatable. I never questioned it, but thinking back...she was fine one day and sick and gone the next," Margaret said. He nodded.
"We were kids...and you trusted Johanna. But yeah...even with late stage cancer, she could have still had a month or so left," he reasoned, as he squeezed her hand and noticed the look on her face.
"You think it wasn't cancer at all, don't you?" he asked. She looked at him.
"Think about it. My mother dies, Johanna just disappears the next day, and my father marries Cora years later after I'm out of the picture too," she replied. He nodded.
"Well...the first place to start would be trying to get a hold of your mother's medical records," he said, as she looked at him.
"Then you're okay with me pursuing this?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.
"Of course I am...this is your mother and if there's a question or worse, foul play, you deserve to know," he said. She melted into his arms at that point and he hugged her tightly.
"I just want you to be careful and let me help you. If Cora was somehow involved and she finds out you're digging into the past...she could go after you," he warned.
"I know...but I think I know where to start. I'm just not sure it's a good idea," she said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I think Regina could probably help me get her medical records. But...what if Cora did do something? I don't want to lose my new step-sister by implicating her mother in something," she replied. He nodded.
"Let's just start with the medical records. We'll figure out how to tell her the rest if we need to. If I know Regina, she probably already knows what her mother is capable of though," he reasoned. She nodded.
"And maybe we can have Emma track down Johanna," he suggested.
"How? I doubt Johanna has a criminal record," she said. He nodded and then got another thought, as he grabbed his laptop and sat back with her.
"True...but most people are in the court system in some kind of capacity. We can look her up ourselves," he suggested. She smiled at him.
"Do you remember her last name?" he asked.
"Baines. Johanna Baines," she replied, as they looked up the name on the website. Unfortunately, they heard a noise coming from the garage and set the laptop aside for now. Their search would have to wait, as they got up and joined hands to go see what was going on.
"What are you working on?" Killian asked, as he approached Emma's desk.
"Nothing," she replied. He rolled his eyes and leaned against her desk.
"Emma…" he started to say.
"No…" she refuted.
"Oh bloody hell...I already know about all of this. Keeping me in the dark now doesn't make any sense," he argued.
"It does if it...whatever this is doesn't see you as a threat anymore," she hissed.
"Emma…" he argued, as she got a phone called. He sighed, as she took it and he listened to her half of the conversation. He could tell it was David by the time she hung up.
"I gotta go," she said, as she got up.
"I'm going with you," he insisted.
"No...you're not," she said crossly, as she left. He stood there for a minute, contemplating his next move and decided to follow her anyway.
"Bloody hell...when am I going to stop chasing this woman?" he murmured under his breath, as he set out to tail her.
David opened the garage door and they saw a young woman standing just outside. She looked roughed up and terrified. They looked at each other and then he put a hand up.
"It's okay...we're not going to hurt you," he said.
"Are you David Nolan?" she asked. He looked at her in confusion.
"Yes...how do you know me?" he asked.
"The plane...you were on the plane too. I kept hearing your name in my head and I escaped," she replied. Their eyes widened.
"Wait...you escaped from where?" he asked.
"I don't know...a place where they had me and others from the plane. They were doing tests on us. I spit my pills out though and escaped. I kept hearing your name," she explained.
"You have burn marks on your skin," Margaret said in concern.
"She's at the same place Anton is," he realized.
"What's your name?" he asked. Her eyes shifted between them and he put his hand up.
"It's okay...she's my wife and she knows about everything that's happening to the passengers," he assured.
"Aurora...Aurora Rose," she revealed.
"Okay…I'm going to call my sister. She's a detective and she can help you and help us find the other passengers," David said, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"No!" Aurora exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Margaret asked.
"I...I have a warrant out for my arrest. That's why I was detained when the plane landed and ended up on the bus full of people that no one claimed," she explained.
"You don't have to worry. Emma will be more concerned about helping you and the other passengers. You can trust her," David assured, as he made the call, but Aurora didn't look any less nervous about that.
"Emma...one of the passengers escaped. She's in our garage," he said.
"Oh my God...is she okay?" Emma asked.
"I think so...she has a few minor injuries and she was definitely experimented on. The thing is...she spit her pills out and so I'm thinking they're getting ready to start up again. I think we need to go to Vance so he can go in now. I don't think we can wait," David replied.
"I agree...I'll meet you at Vance's office," she said.
"The thing is...she also has a warrant out on her so she's reluctant about Vance," David said.
"I get that...but the other passengers are going to fry again if we don't go now," she replied.
"Yeah...we'll see you there," he said, as he hung up.
"Look…I know you're scared about going to jail, but if the passengers are experimented on again, our son could be in danger too," David explained.
"Your son?" Aurora asked.
"He was on the plane too and he felt it the last time the experiments happened. We almost lost him," Margaret replied. Aurora looked at her for a moment.
"I'll do everything I can to convince Vance to look the other way on the warrant if you help us," David promised. She nodded.
"I don't want anyone else to be hurt," she agreed, as he turned to his wife.
"Olive's not home yet," he murmured. Margaret nodded.
"I'll stay behind with Henry...just be careful, please. I can't lose you again," she said tearfully. He pressed his forehead against hers.
"You won't...I'm never leaving you again," he promised, as he kissed her passionately.
"I'll call Glinda and Regina and have them meet you. They can look at Aurora's wounds," Margaret said, as he grabbed his keys.
"Good idea...thanks," he replied, as he kissed her again.
"I love you," he said. She sniffed and smiled back at him.
"I love you too," she replied, as she watched them go, before making the calls.
David arrived at the small office nearby where Vance and Gold had allocated nearby the known location of where they were keeping the passengers.
"I thought we told you to go home," Vance said, as he hurried in.
"I did and one of the missing passengers found me. She escaped," he said, as he gestured to the nervous woman beside him.
"I remember you...Aurora Rose. There is still an active warrant out on you if I remember correctly," Vance said.
"Forget the warrant...she escaped and said they're getting ready to start experimenting again!" David exclaimed.
"It's too risky to go in now," Vance argued, as Glinda and Regina arrived moments behind him.
"What is this?" Vance asked.
"Margaret called us," Glinda replied, as she examined the burn marks on Aurora's temples. Vance threw his hands up.
"This operation isn't going to go very smoothly if your wife gives people our location, Mr. Nolan," Vance said crossly.
"Relax...she only called Glinda and Regina. We're all in this now," David argued and Gold only smirked.
"Definitely burn marks...likely from electroshocks," Glinda said, as Regina treated them with a bit of antiseptic.
"I don't understand...what are they hoping to gain with electro-shocks to the passengers?" Vance asked, as Emma arrived too and shared a glance with her brother. She shook her head, fearing that if they involved Gold and Vance that they would be put at risk as well.
"Will someone answer my damn question?" he demanded.
"Some of us...have been hearing things or experiencing things. A lot of these things have been shared experiences among the passengers," David tried to explain.
"The experiments started after the plane blew up," Aurora offered.
"My son...he was channeling the experience through one of the passengers that they are doing the experiments on. A man named Anton Garcia," David said.
"This doesn't make any sense," Vance refuted.
"That's what put your boy in the hospital, isn't it? It had nothing to do with his cancer," Gold reasoned. David nodded.
"They are using my research on mirror neurons. They are trying to not only connect us all through these Callings, but control them," Glinda tried to explain. Vance shook his head though. He still wasn't understanding any of it.
"Yes...we're about to start up again. We are expecting even better results this time," Jenkins said, as he nodded to one of his subordinates. Anton was shocked and two other passengers experienced the pain as well.
In his room, Henry's eyes flew open wide and he held his head in pain.
"Aaahhh…" he groaned.
"Henry?" Margaret asked, as she came into his bedroom and rushed to his side.
"It's happening, Mom…" he said.
"Oh baby," she fretted, as she held his close.
"We have to get to Dad!" he cried.
"Oh honey, I want to, but we have to stay here," she said.
"No Mom...we have to get to dad! He's feeling it too now!" Henry cried.
"You're sure?" she asked. He nodded and she took his hand.
"Okay...let's go," Margaret replied. It was risky, but if David was in danger now too, there was nothing that was going to keep her away.
"Excellent...increase the power. Let's see if we can get even more of a reaction," Jenkins ordered, as the voltage was increased. This time, all the passengers reacted to this one and he smirked deviously. He had done it and that meant the possibilities were limitless.
"None of this makes any sense. How can you really think your son is feeling the pain of this other passenger?" Vance asked, trying to wrap his mind around it. David opened his mouth to try and keep explaining it, but he wouldn't have to. Suddenly, Emma, Regina, and David were all holding their heads in pain, while Glinda looked at them with concern. Vance looked around the room in shock.
"What the hell?" he questioned.
"It seems they're all feeling it now. If we wait any longer...there may be no one to rescue," Gold warned. Vance was inclined to agree and made the call. It was time to go in...