AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual
Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Thanks for the reviews. Here are individual responses:
Barratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Beth1980: Thanks! Glad you liked it! Yeah, I made some fixes. Emma doesn't lie to Henry and while Snow still doesn't remember, I think you'll like the little references in the beginning of this chapter to Henry's theory. Yep, David is deputy now. I've been waiting the whole story to make him deputy, cause Charming with a badge, lol. So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Number Ten: I'm not sure what you mean by dream line? If you mean dreamscape, that's not canon. That's something original and unique to this story. Sorry, no CS here, but glad you're still enjoying.
Guest: Glad you enjoyed it!
Saberius Prime: Glad you enjoyed it so much! Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you too!
AshGreg: Glad you liked it! Yeah, Damon is still a big concern and I'm afraid that won't change. Glad you enjoyed the dreamscape and more explanation on how it worked. It is a fun part of this story. I am too...I am loving the whole Prince Charming and Miss Blanchard romance that I'm able to explore in this. :)
Sara K M: Thanks! Glad you liked the hospital scene and that I could give you feels. That's my job! Yeah, I knew when I did True North that I wanted to include David's emotions since he would get a first hand look at what Emma went through. Glad I was able to portray those emotions. As for the Thanksgiving thing, I guess I should have explained that a bit better. She probably spent the whole day and did the meal thing with him and I should have mentioned that part. The didn't do Thanksgiving part was meant to be that she didn't do the big gathering thing. I have to remember sometimes that some people don't have large gatherings where as I'm used to having at least 7-10 people every year. That part was a bit glossed over and I should have fleshed that out a bit more. Glad you're enjoying overall though.
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 20: Sparks
The mirror in her den shattered into a thousand pieces, as Regina threw a glass at it. She had been so close again. She was almost rid of those two urchins. Had they cross the town line and been put in the foster system, it would have guaranteed one happy ending that would never be restored.
But somehow, Emma Swan had done it again and the rate she was losing control was staggering. Something had to be done...something drastic. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a matchbook from the Rabbit Hole. She knew her old mentor well. Happiness made him tame and it was time to change that. If she took away what he loved most again, he would turn on everyone around him. Then picking off the Hatter would be child's play. As for the two idiots...once she found a way to neutralize Emma Swan, she'd destroy them too. If they thought they could take away her happy ending, they were about to find they were sorely mistaken.
David hung up the phone with a smile, as Mary came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"Is everything okay?" she asked. It grinned at her.
"Mr. Tillman changed his mind. He's taking custody," he replied.
"Oh...that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, as he hugged her tightly.
"So Emma will be home soon?" she asked.
"In a little while. The bug is having issues, but Mr. Tillman is towing it to his shop. He should be able to fix it tomorrow," he replied.
"Good...I didn't like the idea of Emma leaving and going to Boston, even for just a night," she fretted.
"Me either," he agreed.
"Listen to us...you'd think we were her parents," Mary joked.
"Well, if Henry's theory is right, we are. And she does roll her eyes at us a lot," he teased, knowing Mary would see it as a joke and sure enough, she giggled. He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her tenderly.
"You know, this isn't very fair. I'm not wearing any clothes and you still have all these on," she mentioned. He smirked and started backing her toward the bed.
"Let's fix that," he purred, as their lips met passionately, as her towel dropped to the floor and he closed the curtain around the bed.
The next morning...
"Well, Mr. Tromera, considering the third degree burns you sustained and the wolf bite, you are making a miraculous recovery," Whale mentioned, as he made notes on his chart.
"Fine...when do I get released from this hell hole?" he asked. Whale glanced up at him.
"While you're well enough to be released, I'm afraid that you'll be under arrest when you are released. The Sheriff has been quite clear about that," the doctor mentioned, as he put his chart on the hook and left the room. Damon growled and struggled with the handcuff that attached him to the bed. He then picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed a number.
"Get over here now. We need to talk," he said, before hanging up.
Mary hummed sweetly, as David kissed her deeply. Their skin was still cooling from a bout of slow, tender morning lovemaking.
"Oh David…" she sighed, sometimes still in awe of how incredibly happy he made her.
"I love you so much," he whispered with husk in his voice.
"I love you," she said, as they gazed into each other's eyes, before he glanced at the clock.
"I guess I better get up though. I promised Em I'd take early patrol today," he said.
"Mmm...I have to get up too. Stephanie and I are going Christmas shopping with Belle. She doesn't know what it's all about yet, but she's excited," Mary mentioned.
"I hope you have fun," he said.
"We'll be at Granny's for lunch though. Do you want to meet us?" she asked. He smiled.
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll even drag Gold along," he agreed.
"Okay...you want the shower first?" she asked.
"I was thinking more along the lines of sharing it with you. Think about it...we'll save time," he said slyly. She giggled.
"I think you and I both know that's not going to save any time," she said, as she got up and pulled him along with her into the bathroom.
Flashback
Shortly before Leopold's death…
Leopold sat upon his Throne, pondering the book in his hand.
"I see you've had time to read the book," Cora cooed, as she slithered into the room.
"It matters not. Snow is still mine and Eva's daughter. She is the rightfulheir, regardless," he stated.
"Oh you know many might not feel that way if this scandal got out," Cora hissed. He frowned.
"You will tell no one of this story!" Leopold growled.
"Oh, your secret is safe with me, my dear King, that is if you do something for me," Cora replied.
"I will not be blackmailed by the likes of you," the King refuted. But she ignored his comment.
"There are visiting dignitaries traveling from Kingdom to Kingdom from the Southern Isles," she stated.
"I am King...I'm aware," he snapped.
"Word has it that King Francis' third eldest son is seeking a bride. He has heard of a Princess called the Fairest of Them All and will come to ask you for her hand. You will not refuse him," she said.
"I will not force my daughter to marry someone she does not choose! I promised her this. She is barely eighteen!" he cried.
"And a foolish promise it was to make. Sometimes we must do what's best for our children. I strongly encouraged Regina to marry you, if I recall," she reminded.
"Yes...and she is unhappy. I will not do this to my precious Snow," he responded.
"You will or the entire Kingdom will know that Snow White is the bastard daughter of Persephone and her lover. Then Hades will know and destroy her," Cora threatened.
"Either way, I will be rid of that little retch and she will never unseat my daughter as Queen," the evil woman added.
"I will not let you do this," Leopold protested.
"You married a woman three times your age. Snow will marry one two times her age. It's not uncommon among royalty as you well know. She'll be taught her place, just as you'll soon realize who is really in charge here," Cora hissed, as Leopold stormed out of the Throne room. Cora smirked, quite pleased with herself, as she picked up the book. Suddenly, it disappeared from her hands and into Rumpelstiltskin's.
"I think we both know what I do to people who steal from me, dearie," he hissed.
"Oh Rumple...I didn't steal it. I was only borrowing it to ensure my daughter's future on the Throne," she cooed.
"Except the fair Snow White becoming a child bride to some over the hill prince is not a part of my plan," he countered.
"Sorry Rumple, but it's already done," Cora said smugly.
"Undo it...erase the last conversation you just had from the King's memory now," Rumple demanded, as the King, frozen with magic, appeared in the room.
"And if I don't?" she challenged. He giggled shrilly.
"Then another kind of scandal will hit the Kingdom when I let it slip to the right person that you and Leopold were once engaged. Then you knowingly allowed your daughter to marry him thirty years later and he knowingly did so as well," he threatened.
"You wouldn't…" she hissed.
"In a heartbeat. And if you think Snow White being the daughter of Persephone is a juicy secret, yours and Leopold's torrid past will overshadow that quite completely. In fact, the people might even decide the daughter of a Goddess belongs on the Throne more than the King or your daughter, resulting in everything you worked for going up in smoke," he said in delight.
"Not to mention, thatit will be back to exile for you and Henry," he added.
"Why do you care about Snow White?" Cora demanded to know.
"She's very important...as is your daughter, of course. But Snow White...she may be the key to everything," Rumple stated.
"That little brat stands in my daughter's way of being Queen!" Cora protested.
"If you do what you intend...I can promise you Regina will never be Queen. Snow White is central to everything I've worked for and if make me adjust my plans, then I can assure you, I will ruin everything you have worked for. However, if you do as I ask and recall that conversation from the King's memory...I can promise you that Regina will be Queen," he promised. And Cora knew him well enough to know that he had foreseen her daughter's path.
"Fine…" she agreed, as she waved her hand over the frozen King and extracted the wispy tendril from his mind, before poofing it away.
"Good choice, dearie. Until we meet again," Rumple hissed, as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Cora poofed away herself, leaving a befuddled Leopold behind.
Present Day
Storybrooke
Regina approached the Game of Thorns flower showed, owned by one Moe French, that morning. Today, she was about to strike back at her old mentor for what he had done. Taking him down a notch was only too easily done if she used his precious Belle to do so. This would set the destruction of the rest of them in motion as well and the only one getting what they wanted for Christmas would be her.
"Mr. French...I was hoping to speak with you about a very serious matter this morning," she said, as she stepped into his shop. The man looked startled by her presence for a moment, nary remembering an occasion when the Mayor herself had ever looked at him, much less spoke directly to him.
"Of course...Madam Mayor. What can I do for you?" he asked.
"We have a common goal, Mr. French and that is to get your daughter away from a very dangerous man," she replied, wasting no time.
"Mr. Gold…" he spat in distaste.
"Yes...and I need your help in seeing that he is outed for the monster he is," she implored.
"I would love nothing more, Madam Mayor, but Lacey will not listen to me. She refuses to leave him and insists that her name is Belle," he lamented.
"That is why we need to intervene...for Lacey's own good. She may fight us at first, but once Gold is out of her life, she'll come around without his influence. You'll see," Regina said.
"But how do we get her away from him?" he asked.
"I have it on good authority that your daughter and her friend Mary Margaret Blanchard will be out shopping in the square today. Before that, Miss Blanchard will be meeting your daughter at the library. I want you do detain them there," Regina said.
"You want me to hold them against their will?" he asked in disbelief.
"I care little about Miss Blanchard, but yes, you need to keep your daughter there. You'll have my full support and if you are truly serious about doing what is best for your daughter, then you will do this," she urged. He looked unsure and a little horrified, but nodded reluctantly. She smiled.
"Good...then if everything goes as planned, Mr. Gold will soon be exactly where he belongs...behind bars," Regina stated, as she stalked out of the shop, leaving a confused man behind.
"Belle?" Mary called, as she walked into the library that morning.
"Oh...in here, Mary!" she called, as the raven haired woman found the brunette on a step ladder, restocking some books.
"Ready for Christmas shopping?" Mary asked, bubbling with excitement. She couldn't ever remember having a friend to go shopping with before, let alone two friends, and she was beyond excited.
"I am...I read a ton of books all about Christmas yesterday," Belle mentioned.
"Good...now it's time to experience it for yourself," Mary said, noticing a battered, old book on the counter.
"What happened to this poor book?" Mary asked.
"I know...I hate when I find a book that's been so poorly cared for. I wanted to stock it, because it's a fantastical story, but I'm afraid it's too beat up. I was looking on the Internet though and they have places you can send books to and they do complete restorations. It's kind of pricy though," Belle mentioned.
"That's too bad...what was it about?" Mary asked curiously.
"Oh, you should definitely read it! It a Greek Myth...and kind of fairy tale too," Belle said.
"That's usually not two things you see mixed," Mary replied.
"I know, but it was about how the Goddess Persephone had a daughter named Snow White...but not with her husband Hades. So she had to send her daughter away to be raised by a King and Queen to protect her. To give her her best chance," Belle said, as those words struck a chord in Mary.
"Her best chance…" she muttered.
"Feel free to borrow it," Belle said, as she got her purse.
"Thanks...I think I will. Sounds interesting. I just finished my last book so I need something else to start," Mary replied, as she put the tattered book in her purse.
"Ready?" she asked. Belle nodded and they started for the door, but saw Moe French standing in their path.
"What are you doing here?" Belle asked curtly.
"Lacey...we need to talk," he said, glancing at the raven haired beauty with a glower.
"Alone," she added.
"Mary and I are going shopping. I have nothing to say to you that hasn't already been said," Belle replied.
"Lacey…" he protested.
"My name is Belle," she snapped.
"You're going to talk to me, Lacey," he said.
"No...I'm not," she retorted.
"Don't make me do this...please," he pleaded.
"Make you do what?" she asked in confusion and then gasped, as he pulled out a knife.
"What are you doing?!" Belle cried. Mary held her arm and slipped her hand into her pocket to get her phone. David wasn't far from the library and it wouldn't take him long to get there. But the gleam of the knife flashed before her eyes, before she could get a text done and Moe held the knife dangerously close to her.
"Give me the phone, Miss Blanchard. I know your boyfriend is the new deputy and I can't have you contacting him. I just want to talk to my daughter. Cooperate...and you won't get hurt," he snapped, almost sounding remorseful. Mary reluctantly handed her phone to him and he grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing to her?" Belle demanded to know.
"I can't have her running off to tell her boyfriend about this. Go...in the elevator," he ordered.
"What?" Mary asked in disbelief.
"No...don't do this!" Belle cried, as Mary backed away from the knife and onto the elevator. Moe used the hand crank to sent the elevator into the depths below the library.
"Please don't do this! Please stop! HELP!" Mary cried, as the darkness blinded her and she soon found herself in a pitch black cavern.
"HELP!" Mary cried, as she called up the elevator shaft. She felt around, but found no elevator controls at all. She tried to calm her panicked breathing and slowly stepped around in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a peculiar thing as she moved further into the cavern. She put her hand to the dusty glass and found that the object resembled a glass covered coffin and of all the creepy things she imagined might be in the basement of the library, this wasn't one thing she expected. Suddenly, her head felt like it was on fire again, as images assaulted her subconscious.
She saw herself...with long hair, laying in the coffin much to her horror. And then there was David, dressed like a prince and he kissed her. Like magic, she awoke and he looked at her with happiness and love.
The vision ended then and she stumbled forward, feeling dizzy. She turned around and saw an incredibly large yellow eye staring at her. Mary screamed and then fainted, falling to the ground. The dragon sniffed her briefly and then paid her no mind, as she nuzzled her egg and then fell back into her slumber. The Dragon's brief awareness was stilled by the magic of curse that trapped her. It wasn't yet her time to awaken...
"How could you do that?! We have no idea what's down there!" Belle cried, as she feared for her friend.
"Lacey...we just need to talk. Then I'll bring her back up," Moe pleaded.
"I am not Lacey...you have to stop this!" she cried.
"You are! That monster has just brainwashed you!" Moe yelled.
"Stop it! Just stop it!" Belle cried, as she held her head in her hands.
"You have to listen to me. I can get you away from him," Moe pleaded.
"So you can lock her up again…" Gold hissed, as he limped into the library.
"You! Stay away from my daughter!" Moe cried.
"Oh, I think we both know that I don't take orders from anyone, dearie, least of all you," Gold warned.
"He made Mary Margaret get into the elevator and lowered her down," Belle said.
"Yet I am being called the monster. The underground of the library connects to the old mining tunnels. It's pitch black down there," Gold said.
"Lacey...all I need is a few minutes to talk to you. I need to tell you what this man has done...who he really is. Once you hear that, you'll come home with me," Moe replied.
"What he's done? You're the one that just lowered my friend into a dark cave!" Belle exclaimed, as she shoved past him angrily, intending to call down to Mary Margaret and bring her back up.
"Mary!" she called down into the shaft, but there was no answer.
"Mary!" she called again, but nothing but deafening silence and she looked helplessly at Gold.
"I don't think you should go down there and if she needs help, I can't carry her with my leg, but I'll call David," he replied. Belle offered a smile and then glared at the man that was supposedly her father.
"Lacey...please…" he pleaded, as he grabbed her arm. She shrugged him away again.
"No…" she said. But he tried to take her arm again. This time, as she tried to get away, she lost her balance. And what happened next felt like slow motion to Gold, as Belle fell, hitting her head on the elevator controls on the way down. He stared in horror, as she lay unconscious, a bloodied cut on her forehead.
"Lacey…" Moe uttered.
"What...what have you done?!" Gold growled, as he began hitting the man with his cane until he was on the ground. The yelling and screaming must have been heard from outside, because David and Emma arrived momentarily. The former pulled Gold away, trying to get him to calm down, while Emma knelt beside Belle.
"She's breathing...I'll call a bus," she said, as she dialed 9-1-1.
"She fell...because of him!" Gold hissed.
"I want him arrested! He assaulted me! He tried to kill me!" Moe roared.
"Shut up...both of you!" Emma snapped, as she placed the call and then hung up.
"The ambulance is on its way," she said, as David looked around.
"Wait...wasn't Mary Margaret with Belle?" he asked.
"Ask him…" Gold sneered at the beaten man on the floor.
"That's right...tell Deputy Nolan what you did to his girlfriend and prepare for another beating," he added. David's blood ran cold.
"What is he talking about?" David asked.
"I...I just wanted to talk to Lacey alone. I made her get in the elevator. I was going to bring her back up, I swear!" he cried.
"What the hell?" Emma cried, as she opened the elevator shaft.
"Mary Margaret!" she cried, but again, there was no answer.
"Belle tried that, but she didn't answer then either. Then she fell and hit her head, because he tried to grab her!" Gold growled.
"Emma...you need to lower me down into that shaft," David said, as he let Gold free and got into the elevator.
"Be careful…" she pleaded, seeing the fear in her eyes.
"I will and I'll find her," he promised, as she lowered him down.
"What the hell is going on here?" Regina demanded to know, as she stormed in.
"You want to know what's going on? This guy pulled a knife on his own daughter and Mary Margaret," Emma snapped. Regina pursed her lips.
"Well, if she would just talk to him…" Regina started to say.
"Seriously?! He made Mary Margaret get in the elevator and lowered her underground and you're defending him? Guess I really shouldn't be surprised though," Emma snapped.
"Well since I don't see your wayward deputy, I'm sure he's hard at work finding her. He seems to be good at that," Regina commented. Emma glared at her and then glanced at Gold.
"Well...if I had to guess, I'd say your librarian didn't do all this damage to Mr. French. Sheriff, please place Mr. Gold under arrest," Regina ordered.
"Crossing me is a very big mistake, dearie," he hissed, but she only smirked.
"We'll see about that," she sneered back, as Emma reluctantly cuffed him, as Belle and Moe were taken in the ambulance to the hospital, just as Stephanie rushed in.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"You're not going to believe this…" Emma replied, as she started to explain everything that happened.
The elevator hit the floor with a clunk and David opened the gate. He remembered the flashlight gadget on his phone that Emma had just shown him the other day and used it to light his path.
"Mary!" he cried, as he shined the light around and it landed on her crumpled form on the ground.
"Mary!" he exclaimed, as he rushed to her and lifted her into his arms. She whimpered, as he caressed her face and he gently kissed her lips. A kiss between them had always had the ability to wake either of them.
"Mmm...David…" she hummed and then her eyes flew open, as she threw her arms around him.
"Oh David…" she cried, as he hugged her tightly.
"My love...are you okay?" he asked, looking her over for injuries.
"I'm fine...I think," she said, trying to remember what had happened.
"What do you remember?" he asked.
"Belle's father came in...he kept calling her Lacey. She told him to leave, but he pulled a knife and then made me...get into the elevator shaft!" she recalled.
"And then…" she said, trying to remember what had happened then. It had to be something for her to go from the elevator shaft to unconscious on the ground in this cavern.
"Then?" he asked. Her brow furrowed, as she realized it was all blank after that.
"I don't remember. I must have blacked out," she realized. He kissed her tenderly.
"It's okay...let's get you out of here," he said, as he lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style.
"How embarrassing...leave it me to faint," she chided herself.
"Hey...coming down here in all this blackness had to be terrifying. You don't need to diminish that. Believe me, I'll be having a chat with Mr. French for sure," he said, as he carried her into the elevator shaft.
"EMMA! I found her!" he called.
"That's great. I'm bringing you up now!" she yelled down, as the elevator slowly started to ascend.
"You saved me again...this is getting to be quite a routine," she teased. He smiled and kissed her again.
"I'll always save you and I'll always find you," he promised.
"I will always find you,"
She heard his voice in her head saying those very words like an echo and stared at him with reverence.
"Though I will be okay with it if we stop getting ourselves into trouble," he joked and she collapsed into giggles. She wished she could remember why she fainted, but at the moment, it didn't matter. She was in his arms and that was everything she needed.