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: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks!
Briaar Rose: Thanks, glad you like it! :)
Number Ten: Yep, it's go time. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
Grace5231973: Yeah, Killian is married and this probably won't end well. Hmm...there might be someone else out there for Emma, just like Michaela in the show. ;) Yeah, Aurora is being blackmailed basically. Yeah, Gold is a nice addition here that we don't have in the show. Yeah, I'm sure the truth about her Mom is going to end up hurting her and maybe others. Glad you're enjoying!
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, it's go time! Yes, this one will be very interesting. Yeah, just that tiny bit of time for them and poof, it's five and a half years later. Yeah, Vance didn't realize who he was talking about here. David and Margaret are very unique. Unfortunately, he was right in Emma's case. Yeah, Killian thought she was dead. That was the only reason he moved on. Yep, Aurora Rose has a past. Yeah, Sidney is relentless, but might have opened a can of worms for Margaret. I'm sure Cora is responsible for it. Yes, Aurora has ulterior motives. Ha, no, David doesn't listen. Yep, they're all feeling it now. Time to go in. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
AnonSnowing: Yeah, it was a scary moment and probably when it all happened. Yeah, Margaret and David are not your ordinary couple. It is sad for those that came back to no one. I like it when he calls her beautiful too. Yeah, it does sound like a soap. Yep, Eva's death was a bit more abrupt that Margaret was led to believe. Yep, Aurora Rose and she has a past. I know, poor Margaret. But he will never leave her again. I would say Gold knew in some form, but no Vance didn't. Yep, it's go time! Glad you're enjoying!
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 28: Dead Reckoning, Pt 2
"Turn here, Mom," Henry said. Margaret followed her son's instructions and had no idea how he knew where David was, but trusted it. The Callings were obviously leading her son and this might be the only way to save him.
"Oh honey…your nose," Margaret fretted, as she grabbed a tissue in the console and handed it to him. He put it to his nose to catch the blood.
"When I find out who is doing this...they better hope someone else has already taken them out," she said.
"It's okay, Mom...we're going to find them. Dad is going to save them and us," Henry insisted.
"I hope you're right, sweetie," Margaret said, as she continued to follow his directions that were clearly leading them toward Red Hook.
Gold opened the door to let them out, as they prepared to join Vance and the tactical team he was assembling, only to find Killian Rogers at the door.
"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.
"Helping you find the passengers," Killian replied. She was about to argue when they were all hit again with a pain in their heads.
"Dammit...we need to find them now and we can use all the help we can get," David said. Killian nodded.
"David!" Emma protested.
"We don't have time!" he responded and she relented, as she followed him out with Killian and the others following her. Thankfully, they were close by and by then, Vance had assembled his team.
Vance signaled the team and they moved on the warehouse, but once inside, they were perplexed to find it empty.
"This...this doesn't make any sense. This is the place," David said, trying to rack his brain.
"We didn't see anyone moving them out and we've been casing this place for the last twenty-four hours...so where are they?" Vance wondered, as they filed out of the warehouse. It didn't make any sense at all and he could still feel the pain from the passengers in his head.
"Dad!" Henry called and his eyes widened, as he looked up to see his wife's car there. She got out and they both rushed to him, as he hugged them both.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm sorry...Henry said we had to come. He said you needed our help," she replied. He sighed and hugged them again.
"It doesn't make sense...they should be here," he lamented.
"They are here," Dad," Henry insisted, as he showed him his drawing of the warehouse and pointed to a place on the paper where his blood had dropped onto the page. He looked at the drawing and then found the spot where Henry was pointing to.
"Look between those trees," he said.
"I followed a headache here...why not a crayon drawing," Vance said bitterly, as he motioned his team to the trees, while Mr. Gold glanced at the drawing.
"Quite the accurate depiction, young one. Your drawings are very good," Gold complimented.
"Thanks," Henry replied.
"Director...we have something!" one of the soldiers called.
"All be damned…" Vance uttered, as there was a hidden door covered by some brush.
"Let's go…" Vance said.
"Dad, you have to go with them," Henry insisted.
"No civilians," Vance argued.
"Dad...you're the only one that can help them find the way out. You're the only one that will see the lights," Henry said. Margaret squeezed his hand.
"I hate the idea of you going anywhere near this…" she said, trailing off. She knew he had to go. Her son wasn't wrong about this and people could die if he didn't go. She just didn't have the words to tell him to go and fortunately, he knew that and kissed her passionately.
"You have to come back to me...you have to," she cried, as she pressed her forehead against his.
"Nothing will stop me...nothing," he promised, as he kissed her forehead and then dropped a kiss on his son's head as well, before hurrying in behind Emma, Killian, and Glinda, who insisted on going in as well. Gold stood by and waited with bated breath as they all did. He didn't yet know the significance of all this...but the Nolan family was leading them toward the truth, day by day, and he had the inkling that they would eventually lead him to the answers about his own life that he needed the most.
Emma and Killian followed the swat team in, along with Vance, with weapons drawn. Vance raised his flashlight and Dr. Jenkins was revealed.
"Hands up, Doctor," Vance warned.
"You're in way over your head, Director," Jenkins warned.
"And you're under arrest...lead us to the passengers," Vance said, as he marched the doctor forward. He smirked, as he watched Emma and David hold their heads in pain.
"It seems my experiments have been very successful," he boasted, as they pressed on.
"It's getting worse…" David said, as they found their way into the laboratory and the sight was an appalling one. Ten people were strapped to their exam tables with wires attached to them, suction cupped to their temples. They were convulsing and seizing, as the team of scientists scrambled to get away. The pain was excruciating, as David and Emma nearly doubled over.
"Turn it off!" he cried, as Glinda rushed to the control panel. But upon touching it, the panel sparked violently and threw her back against the wall behind her, knocking her out.
David and Emma struggled to get to the passengers, despite the agony. David got to Anton first and pulled the suction cups off his head, ending his pain and proceeded to the next one. Emma and Vance freed the rest, as the swat members started undoing them from the restraints.
"Let's get them out of here!" Vance called, as his team started leading the passengers out. One roused Glinda and helped her up as well, as Vance led them back the way they came. Unfortunately, as they left, an electrical fire broke out in the laboratory and armed government agents, obviously employed by the clandestine operation, began firing at them. They took cover, while Emma, Vance, and Killian exchanged fire with the hired mercenaries.
"Get these people out of here!" Vance said, ushering them to go the other way. But the place was a maze and there were multiple directions to go.
"Which way?" Glinda asked. That's when David saw a lighted path, akin to the lighted path that you would find on the aisle of a plane.
"Follow the lights," David instructed. Glinda looked at him and back in the direction he was looking.
"What lights?" she asked.
"Don't you see the lights?" he asked.
"Oh my God...Henry said you'd be the only one that could see the lights…" Glinda realized.
"This way," he said, taking the lead. The swat team and Glinda followed him through the maze, as he followed lights only visible to him and led them back to the exit. Slowly, the passengers were filed through the exit and toward the ambulance that was waiting, along with Regina.
Margaret nervously awaited for her husband to emerge from the opening and held her son.
"Honey…I think your fever broke," she said, as she felt his forehead.
"Dad did it!" Henry said excitedly, as David finally emerged. Margaret let out a cry of relief, as he rushed to them, hugging them both fiercely. She held his face in her hands, just looking at him for a moment and drinking him in. He did the same and then he kissed her soundly. He looked back, waiting nervously for Emma to emerge as well.
"Let's get you in the car, sweetie," Margaret said, as she ushered him into the backseat. She knew the moment that Emma emerged that it would be time for them to get out of there.
They had managed to take out most of the mercenaries shooting at them, but Dr. Jenkins escaped. It was unfortunate, but they were certain they would find him. Emma led the way and traversed the tunnels, looking for the exit. She reached the exit and made her way out.
"Emma!" David called, as she rushed to them and they both hugged her tightly.
"I have to go back...they were right behind me," Emma said.
"Emma no!" David called. At that moment, there was an explosion from inside the tunnels. It blew Emma back and David tackled Margaret to the ground to duck from the debris.
"David…" he heard her say and it sounded muffled, as the ringing in his ears was almost deafening. He looked up and was confused, as he saw a peacock with a wall behind it. He shook his head and the image was gone. He picked himself up and she helped him, before they helped Emma up and then Mr. Gold. They all seemed unscathed and the blonde rushed toward the opening, which was billowing smoke.
"Emma no!" David protested.
"Get them out of here, David!" she shouted.
"We're not leaving you," Margaret said.
"There could be another explosion!" Emma replied.
"Which is why you can't go back in there!" David cried.
"Killian is still in there. Vance too. Go...and take Gold with you," she said, as another ambulance arrived. The first one had gone ahead with the passengers and Glinda and Regina in tow, with the promise that they would be getting them somewhere safe.
"I'll get them out...go!" Emma cried again. He shook his head, hating every moment of this, but Emma was trained for situations like this. He gently ushered his wife into the passenger seat and then helped Gold into the backseat with Henry.
"Be careful!" he called, as he got into the driver's seat. He put the SUV in reverse and floored it back toward the road, before putting it in drive and heading home.
With her family safe, Emma helped the paramedics find survivors in the tunnel.
David pulled into the driveway and sighed, as he turned off the engine.
"I can call myself a cab," Gold said.
"No...that's okay. You're welcome to stay for the evening. It's been a trying day," Margaret offered. He nodded curtly.
"Then I accept your hospitality," he said, as he followed them inside with Henry.
"Ollie…" David said.
"She's still at her friend Ava's house," Margaret replied, checking her phone. He sighed in relief, as he checked his own, anxiously awaiting Emma's call.
"Let's get you some water, sweetie," she said, as she checked his forehead.
"Mom...I'm fine," Henry insisted. She smiled and kissed his head. His fever was gone and that was a weight off them both.
"Can we have cocoa while we wait for Aunt Emma?" he asked. She smiled.
"Sure baby," she agreed, as he grabbed his sketchbook.
"Wanna see my drawings?" he asked. Gold smiled a bit.
"Most certainly, my boy," he replied, as the boy sat down next to him. They didn't know this man that was working with Vance very well, but if Henry was taking to him so easily, then they doubted he had bad intentions for them. She went about making them all a batch of cocoa, while her husband talked to his sister.
As she shined her light through the tunnel, she searched for Killian frantically. She saw a mass at her feet and shined the light down, finding that it was Dr. Jenkins, laying in a pool of his own blood from being impaled with debris. His eyes were frozen open in death and she was certain no one would shed a tear for him. She pressed on and let out a strangled gasp, as she spotted him.
"No...no...no…" she cried, as she dug him out and rolled him over.
"Don't you dare do this…" she cried, as she found his pulse and though it was thready, it was there and he was breathing.
"Someone help! I need help!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She was a mess after that, as the paramedics pulled Killian and Vance from the tunnel, as well as a couple others. Vance was loaded into one ambulance and Killian into the other, with her riding along to the hospital. Once there, she waited with anxiousness, as the doctor's checked him out. They determined that he didn't need surgery and thankfully there were no internal injuries, just general trauma, but he still had yet to regain consciousness.
Emma sat beside his bed and then noticed her Captain coming toward his room, so she stepped out.
"How is he?" Graham asked.
"I don't know...it's touch and go for now. He hasn't woken up yet and they said it'll be a bad sign if he doesn't soon," she replied. He gently put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't lose hope, Emma...and talk to him. He needs to hear your voice right now," he said. She nodded.
"Um...do you know what room Vance is in?" she asked. He took a sobering breath.
"Vance didn't make it," he revealed.
"What?" she asked in shock.
"But I saw him getting loaded into an ambulance. He was alive," she said.
"I'm sorry Emma…" he said.
"Let me know when he wakes up though...because he will," he assured, as he left to get back to the station. She nodded and went back into his room. She sat down beside his bed, folding her hands and looked up to the sky.
"I have listened to you...multiple times. I've done what you've asked and now it's my turn to ask," she said, as she broke down crying.
"Please don't take him...I can't lose him. Please don't take him," she pleaded, as she cried at his beside and begged whatever mysterious force that had been inside her head since they got back to not take him away.
David sighed, as he hung up the phone and rejoined his family and Gold in the living room. Olive would be home soon and he'd feel better once she was under the same roof.
"How is Killian?" she asked, as he sat down beside her.
"They think he's going to pull through, but he hasn't woken up yet," he replied, as she noticed his solemn mood.
"But something else is wrong," she said. He nodded and looked up at Gold.
"Vance didn't make it," he announced.
"Oh no…" Margaret said, as he sat beside her.
"That is unfortunate...he was a good man," Gold replied.
"What will you do now? Will you still consult with the NSA?" David asked.
"I don't know...my only reason for doing so is to discover the mystery behind the plane. I will continue to investigate it, regardless if they allow me to continue my consultation," he replied.
"I only hope that you'll keep me in the loop," he added. David nodded curtly.
"Why us? There's twenty other people that showed up to the hanger the night the plane exploded," he said. Gold smirked.
"But you are clearly the leader, albeit unofficially," he said, as he got up.
"Excuse me though...I need to make a call," he said, as he stepped outside.
"If Emma loses Killian...I don't know what it will do to her," Margaret fretted. He held her hands.
"Then we'll pray he lives," he said, as he opened his laptop and realized it was still on the page where they were searching for Johanna.
"Oh...looks like she was in the court system," Margaret said, as she looked at it and saw that she had appeared in traffic court once, years ago.
"Wait...this is Johanna?" he asked.
"Yes…" she answered.
"She was on the plane," he said.
"What?" she exclaimed.
"Yeah…I recognize the face, but not the last name," he said, as he pulled up his database of the passengers on his tablet.
"Oh my God...that is Johanna. But her last name is Mason now," she said.
"That's why I didn't put it together that she could be the same Johanna," he replied.
"What are the odds that she was on the plane too?" she asked.
"Well…I think we've both learned that there is no such thing as coincidence," he replied.
"Does she still live in New York?" Margaret asked.
"Yeah...she wasn't one of the twenty that showed up at the tarmac with us when the plane exploded, but I was able to place her. She's in Manhattan," David replied.
"It's getting late now…" Margaret said. He smiled and kissed her on the lips.
"We'll go tomorrow," he promised.
"Really?" she asked.
"Of course...and it's not like I have much else to do. I got a text earlier from Doc and I'm totally fired," he replied.
"Oh baby…" she soothed.
"You'll find something soon; something that's worth your level of skill," she promised.
"I know...I hated the job anyway and only took it to find the passengers. It was pretty mind numbing work," he said.
"That's because you are brilliant," she boasted, as she snuggled against him. Olive came home at that moment from her friend's house and dropped her bag at the door.
"Henry has been texting me...what the heck did I miss?" she asked. David chuckled, as she sat down with them on the other side of Margaret.
"Oh it was a day for sure," Margaret agreed.
"Why didn't you call me, Mom?" she asked.
"I'm sorry Ollie...everything happened so fast and I knew you were safe, which meant a lot. Believe me," Margaret replied. She nodded and they cuddled together.
"Mom's right...knowing you were safe was the one thing we could control about today," David agreed.
"So...who is this?" Olive asked.
"Oh...this was my nanny when I was a little girl. She left abruptly the day after my mother died," Margaret replied.
"And she was on the plane?" Olive asked, as her eyes widened.
"Yeah...and it turns out that Cora might have known your grandmother Eva better than she let on," David replied.
"Okay...that's wild. Tell me everything," Olive requested. They smiled and proceeded to tell her everything about that and the whole day.
Upstate, Aurora Rose was safe with the other rescued passengers. But she was the only one that wasn't currently in a vegetative state. She felt guilty, as she felt the cell phone buzz against her ankle. She looked around and pulled it out of her sock, seeing that it was a text.
"Keep tabs on the Nolans," she read and sighed.
"We need to know what they're up to at all times, especially David Nolan and his wife,"
"Remember...do this and the warrant goes away and we'll tell you where your son is,"
Aurora stared at the phone and then reluctantly responded that she would do whatever it took to get her freedom and her son...even at the expense of the Nolan family...