AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
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Thanks for awesomethe reviews. Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: Yep, Regina made sure the judge ruled the way she wanted. Not good, but then I guess it can't be too easy for the heroes. Glad you're enjoying!
Barratta Jennifer: Yes, unfortunately the heroes never get the easy win.
Ragsweas: I know, but this was kind of a little reminder that the curse is still very active. But yes, I promise the next couple chapters are a bit lighter(in some ways). :)
BooksinmyDreams: I know, poor Mary. :( But she does have David in this version already, so get ready for some romance, before we dig back into heavier chapters. :)
mry23: I know, poor Mary and David. You're right, Regina is playing with fire and she might get burned. Glad you're enjoying it!
AshGreg: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them so much. Yes, evil won this round again, but I promise good will eventually get a win. I loved the Persephone and Regina talk too. It was explosive. I feel sorry for Mary too. It may be a while, but I promise Damon will get what's coming to him. :)
paulaa90: Yes, unfortunately Ariel is locked up for now. But I promise she'll get out...eventually. Yeah, Ariel normally wouldn't have said anything, but Regina knew the exact persuasion needed to get her to talk and that was Eric. Yes, you're right, now that he got away with it, his obsession has grown and you see that in this chapter. The curse breaking is coming. I know, it seems like it's taking forever. There's just a few more plot points I need to hit before we're to that point. I have a kind of rough timeline I'm following. :)
Number Ten: Yep, the complexities of Regina are beginning to surface. Stephanie might not be as forgiving as Snow. I know, Damon is the worst of the worst. As for David not knowing what's going on in Storybrooke, that was explained many chapters ago. David has all his memories when he is awake. But in the dreamscape, Snow and Charming only know what Emma tells them.
Featherdusterpixie: Lol, well I probably won't kill Regina. But she will answer for what she's done, a bit more in this than she did in the canon.
Izzypirelli: I love protective mama Persephone too! Yes, Regina will meet her match in the Queen of the Underworld. I'm glad you asked that about Snow. The changes in her will be a little more gradual. Because of Damon terrorizing her as Mary and Regina's more focused torment on her, she will still display some of Mary's meeker tendencies after the curse breaks. It's going to take her a bit, but you'll also see very vibrant bursts of Snow. And not to spoil anything, but Mary actually has a Snow moment in this chapter where she can hardly believe herself. :)
Guest: I'm glad you like my stories and my writing, but you're dead wrong about me "losing the red thread" as you put it. I have a very clear plan for this story. I follow a rough timeline and outline for it when I'm writing the chapters. That's why the curse hasn't broke yet. I haven't hit all my plot lines on the outline yet. I guess if you think so, that's your opinion, but you didn't offer any examples, so I guess if you really think that, you should elaborate. I'm sure I can clarify my vision for this story. The trial was only three chapters and I was going to originally pack it into two chapters, but it was just too rushed. I don't do rushed and I love detail. I won't cut out detail to move things along too quickly. It does a disservice to the story and would be lazy writing. Hope you can continue to enjoy the story.
Beth1980: Glad you liked that moment where Emma covered her parents with the quilt. I didn't really state whether Stephanie stayed at the loft, but it was implied, though not really clear. I like that she has a living grandparent too and since I don't like Leopold, I'm enjoying that it's Persephone here. Yes, Emma told them everything and we'll flash back to that in a future chapter. Yes, unfortunately Regina now knows about Snow's true lineage. Yeah, I'm not surprised at the judge being threatened either. Evil never plays fairly. Glad you loved the confrontation with Persephone and Regina. It was my favorite too. No, you're right, no matter what Leopold did, it doesn't justify what Regina has done, though I don't like Leopold either. Glad you're enjoying the story!
Sara K M: Glad that cleared up August for you. There's a bit more insight into him in this chapter. His plot is in the background right now, but I'll be dealing with everything he's doing about two chapters from now. Glad you like those tender family moments. They are my favorites too. Yes, Regina knew exactly how to make Ariel talk, unfortunately. Yep, I planned for it to end both ways. I wanted to show the depth of the corruption in the town's leadership, but how the citizens are finally starting to "wake up" to it. Glad it came off well. And you're right, here David and Mary won't break up. :)
The title for this chapter and the next is Perfect, based on the song by Ed Sheeran. I consider this song to kind of be a Snowing ballad. ;)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 31: Perfect, Pt 1
A couple weeks had passed since the trial and for the most part, David and Mary had managed to be happy together and move on. Seeing Damon around town, walking free, was difficult, but for the most part, Mary had yet to be alone and he had kept his distance. It was also in the midst of this lull that August made his move. One afternoon, Gold had left the shop to accompany Lacey to the Rabbit Hole. August took the bait and they got him on tape finding the dagger. Jefferson was the one watching the camera at the time.
"Come on...take the bait…" he muttered, as he watched the screen from his home. Sure enough, August pocketed the item and made his way out of the shop. Jefferson picked up the phone and dialed David.
"He finally made the move and took the dagger," Jefferson said.
"Good...we'll let him think he's pulling a fast one for a while and see what he does. I'll warn Gold," David replied.
"You think he might actually be Baelfire?" Jefferson asked.
"I think he's a liar so it's hard to say. But I'm not ready to bust him yet. I want to know why he's so interested in my daughter and my grandson," David replied.
"Okay...we'll take your lead on this. But if we lose the dagger, it's our heads. He'll kill us," Jefferson warned, referring to Gold.
"We won't. If he finds out the dagger is useless here in town, he'll know it's useless outside of it too. I don't think August W. Booth is interested in leaving Storybrooke," David replied.
"Yeah...you're probably right. Be careful out there," he warned.
"You too," David said. Jefferson was thoughtful for a moment and checked the time. It was almost time for recess at the school and he went to his window. He would gaze at Grace, as he did everyday and fight the urges inside to rush over to the school to get her. He knew if he did something like that, he'd only end up in jail. Regina would order Emma or David to arrest him.
"We're getting closer, Grace. We'll be together again soon," he muttered, as he looked through his telescope to not only see her, but to check and see what was going on around their not so quiet town.
"So what's this holiday all about again?" David asked his daughter, as they browsed the aisles at the Dark Star Pharmacy.
"It's the holiday of love...so naturally, it's been commercialized to the brink by opportunistic capitalists," Emma replied, as they looked at the Valentine's Day cards.
"That being said...it is a holiday of romance and I know you don't need an excuse to romance Mom...Mary, but I know how you love spoiling her," Emma said fondly. He smiled.
"I do love to do that...I suppose I could get behind a holiday like this," he said, as he read one card and groaned, as he put it back.
"These are the most generic words I think I've ever heard," he complained.
"Well...they are probably the same cards this store has had for twenty-eight years, but you could always go with a blank card and write your own message," Emma suggested, as she handed him a shiny red card.
"That's more like it," he agreed.
"And you need these…" Emma said, as she picked out a box of chocolates.
"Dark chocolate caramels...Mary's favorite," he agreed, as she picked out another box.
"Two?" he asked.
"I also like chocolate," she replied and he chuckled in amusement.
"Okay...I think this is a start. I have the flowers covered. Stephanie is picking the best snowdrops from her garden," he said. While traditionally it was a holiday of roses, Mary(and Snow) hated roses for obvious reasons. He made his purchases and they got back into the cruiser.
"Thanks for the help, Em. I'm still clueless on how this world works sometimes," he said. She smiled at him.
"You're doing fine, Dad. They may not have had Valentine's Day in the Enchanted Forest, but they didn't need to. You're Prince Charming...this day is just a bonus to all the other days you've romanced Mom," Emma replied.
"Who knew my little girl was a romantic at heart?" he teased and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not...romance sucks, except for you guys," she replied, as she became thoughtful for a moment and he gently put a hand on hers.
"Emma…" he said soothingly.
"It's okay...I mean, I think you and Mom are the only sincere and true relationship I've ever see. Love has always been enough for you and Mom to weather any storm. In this land, love just isn't enough, but I've made peace with it," she replied.
"I don't want you giving up on love. When I thought your Mother did love me in return, I was crushed and thought I'd never find true love either. But we did. We found each other every time. True love is rare...but I know you'll find it," he said passionately. She smiled and nodded, as she drove off. Deep down, she hoped he was right. Obviously, she loved her parents deeply, but she had found someone she loved more than she ever thought possible and that was a little boy that had shown up on her doorstep on her twenty-eighth birthday…
Mary inhaled the aroma of the fresh bouquet of snowdrops that had been delivered to her classroom just now. Though it was Valentine's Day and David was known for being romantic, she was still surprised. After all, this was the first Valentine's Day she wouldn't spend alone and it made her giddy thinking about a romantic evening with the man she loved.
"Well...I see David is already romancing you today," Stephanie said fondly, as she peeked in. They often had lunch together now in her classroom while her students were out at recess. Mary blushed and set the beautiful crystal vase down on her desk.
"He is…" he said dreamily, as she sank into her chair while reading the card.
"Oooh...chocolate too," Stephanie said, as Mary bit into one.
"Have one," she offered and Stephanie helped herself.
"So...big plans for tonight?" she asked. Mary smiled.
"I don't know...he won't tell me what we're doing," she replied excitedly.
"Well...I'm sure whatever he has planned will be very romantic," she said.
"It's really too bad you waste your time with that pretty idiot when you could be with someone like me, Mary," a very unwelcome voice said from the doorway.
"You...get the hell out of here…" Stephanie growled, but she was ignored, as he waltzed into the room with a bouquet of red roses in his hand.
"Maybe you didn't get the memo, Ms. Kore, but I was acquitted of any wrongdoing. I have a right to go wherever I want," he goaded, as he placed the flowers on Mary's desk and enjoyed watching her back away toward her blackboard. Stephanie quickly got between them.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Mary asked, on the verge of breaking down in tears, a fact that made him smirk deviously.
"Oh, I was only dropping to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials," he goaded, as he held up an invitation to their wedding. They had set the date for the tenth of March and sent out just a few invitations to their close friends, as they planned on a small, intimate ceremony. David had offered to throw Mary a huge wedding if she wanted, but she hadn't been interested in that. All that interested her was marrying him with her closest friends in attendance.
"How...did you get this? You're not invited," she said, as tears threatened to fall.
"That hurts me deeply, Mary. I saw it on the counter this morning at Granny's. Your waitress friend carelessly left it on the counter and I'll admit, I was deeply hurt that I didn't receive one," he said, enjoying how easily he got under her skin.
"Why would we ever invite the man that hurt us? You almost killed the man I love," Mary replied, as she started to get very upset.
"You give me that and you get out of here!" Stephanie growled, as she snatched the invitation and pushed him away.
"Where are you registered? I'd love to get you a gift," he goaded.
"We want nothing from you," Mary hissed, but he only smirked.
"See you on the big day…" he called back, as he made his way out. Stephanie hugged Mary and she broke down.
"Shh...it's okay, sweetheart," Stephanie soothed.
"It's not...he's going to show up and try to ruin our wedding," Mary sobbed.
"Oh honey...we're not going to let him," she promised. Mary tried to calm down, as her students returned to class and she continued her day. Stephanie went back to her office and realized she needed to do something. Damon did plan on doing something at their wedding, she could feel it and it made her wonder if Regina also planned to make trouble for them. She wasn't going to just sit back and let them do so though and she picked up the phone.
"David...I need to talk to you. It's about the wedding," she said.
August examined the dagger and compared it to the sketch on his notepad. If there were magic in this place, he would have control of the Dark One, if what he had heard was true. He had discovered much in his days spent in Hong Kong. There were people that knew about magic in this land and actually knew about this town, as well. He lifted his pant leg, as he felt another sharp pain and noticed that his condition was getting worse. That was the paramount reason he was here. Breaking the curse meant preventing him from turning back to wood. It was selfish, but he had hoped to not have to come here at all. He knew eventually Emma would break the curse once she was in Storybrooke, but when he awoke with the pain in his leg just after she arrived in town, he knew it wasn't going to be fast enough.
He sought out an old Mage he had heard about in Hong Kong, known simply as the Dragon. He had wanted ten thousand American dollars though for one of his cures and unfortunately, despite trying to steal it, he hadn't been able to acquire the funds.
But that's when he learned that this man calling himself the Dragon knew all about the curse and the land he was born in when he identified him as Pinocchio. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to acquire the answers as to how he knew these things. But he did learn that the woman he had tried to swipe the elixir from knew about magic and she wasn't the only one. At first, he had only been concerned about himself, but not even his selfishness would allow him to condemn everyone here. He needed the curse broken not only to help himself, but to be able to tell them that the a few in the outside world weren't completely unaware of Storybrooke's existence. But now that he had the dagger, he hoped it could convince him he was Baelfire and that they needed Emma to believe. Crossing the Dark One was risky, but if his legs were anything to go by, he didn't have a lot to lose.
As Mary packed up for the day, she was surprised when David poked his head into her classroom. He found himself just watching her for a moment, as she looked at her students artwork fondly and then went back to straightening things on her desk.
"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" he asked, as she looked up and a smile eclipsed her face.
"David…" she said, as they hurried to each other and he took her in his arms.
"Stephanie told me that he was harassing you again," he replied, as he held her tightly.
"I'm fine...especially now. Thank you for the flowers, the card, and the candy, by the way," she gushed, as he kissed her tenderly.
"You're welcome...that's actually part of the reason I'm here. I wanted to talk to you about tonight," he replied. She grinned.
"Are you finally going to tell me what you have planned?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, I'm not telling you, because it's a surprise. I just need a few extra hours to get everything ready, so I was talking to Emma and she wants to take you out for a drink first. Something about a girl's night. Then when I'm ready, I thought I'd come pick you up, if that's all right with you," he replied. She smiled.
"That sounds wonderful...but I really wish you would tell me what you're up to," she said, as she kissed him and smoothed her hands along the back of his neck, a spot she knew made him purr.
"That's not going to work...I'm still not telling you," he teased, as their lips parted. She pouted playfully and he pecked her on the lips again.
"Come on, I'll take you home," he said, as he helped her with her coat. She got her flowers and they left her classroom behind, along with Damon's unwanted roses in the trash.
An hour later, Mary looked at her reflection in the mirror with uncertainty. She was wearing a beautiful turquoise party dress that was knee length and had a very low collar with spaghetti straps. She looked beautiful in it, but it wasn't her usual style. Until David came along, she had always been a top button kind of girl. But this was even a step above that.
"You look gorgeous," Stephanie gushed. Mary bit her bottom lip.
"You think?" she asked.
"Totally hot...like seriously Mare," Emma agreed, enjoying the flush now staining the raven haired beauty's cheeks.
They came out from behind the curtain, just as David hung up the phone. He was being very mysterious and Mary was very anxious to know what he was up to.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Everything's fine...wow…" he uttered, as he looked up and saw her.
"You look...wow…" he stammered, as she looked down shyly and he moved closer and put his arms around her waist.
"I take it you like the dress?" she asked. He nodded.
"Uh huh…" he replied, as he leaned in and kissed her. She found herself sliding her arms around his neck and mewled into his kiss, as he moved his lips over hers in a passionate rhythm.
"Are you sure you don't want me to just stay home with you?" she purred, as their lips parted. He smiled.
"It's very tempting...but what I have planned is worth a few hours apart, I promise," he replied.
"You're still not going to tell me what you're planning, are you?" she asked. He chuckled.
"That would spoil my fun," he teased, as there was a knock at the door and Emma opened it, finding Ruby and Ashley there.
"Ready for girl's night?" the brunette in red asked excitedly.
"I think so...if we can pry these two apart," Emma joked, as David helped Mary with her coat and saw them off. It was time for him to finish setting up her surprise.
The Rabbit Hole was surprisingly busy this Valentine's Day. But then, there weren't a lot of happy relationships in Storybrooke, thanks to the curse, so this holiday brought out the compulsion in singles to drown their sorrows and possibly meet other singles.
Whale was there, which was no surprise. He had already bought Ruby three drinks and they were chatting very amicably at the bar. She saw Gold and Lacey there too, with the former looking uncomfortable in such a setting, per usual, but determined to endure it for Lacey. The barfly was knocking them back pretty hard and pulverizing her competition at the billiards table. But perhaps most shockingly, she saw August at the bar when a round of drinks arrived at their table. She left Mary to talk with Ashley and Stephanie, while she went up to him.
"Thanks for the drinks...how did you know what we were drinking?" she asked.
"I'm stalking you," he joked, but then laughed at the serious look on the blonde's face.
"I asked the bartender, Emma," he said and she relaxed a little.
"This seems like the place to be on Valentine's Day, though I'm surprised to see Mary Margaret without David," he mentioned.
"David will be here later," Emma replied.
"They seem happy," he mentioned.
"They are...but then you don't seem surprised by that," she replied suspiciously. He chuckled.
"A blind person could see how crazy they are about each other. But you still don't trust me," he said.
"I don't trust many people, so don't take it too personally," Emma countered. He chuckled again.
"But you seem to trust Mary and David. You see protective of them too," he prodded and she eyed him suspiciously again, but he held up his hands in surrender.
"It's just an observation," he assured.
"I've never really had what you could call a family until Mary and David. And if anyone ever tries to hurt them, I'll destroy them," she warned in an even tone.
"I don't think I'm the one you need to worry about hurting either of them," August retorted, as he motioned back to Mary's table. Emma glanced over, just in time to see Mary deck Damon and she rushed over.
"So...are you excited for whatever David has planned for you tonight?" Ashley asked, as they sipped at their cocktails.
"I am...I just wish I knew what he is up to," Mary mentioned.
"I'm sure it will be well worth the wait," Stephanie assured. Mary cocked her head to the side and eyed her suspiciously.
"You know what he's planning, don't you?" Mary asked. But Stephanie was coy and she ate the olive out of her martini.
"My lips are sealed," she replied playfully.
"Well...this certainly is a surprise, Mary, thought I must say I am very much enjoying the view of you in such a dress," Damon leered, as he approached, drink in hand.
"You just won't stay away, will you?" Stephanie spat, as she got out of her seat.
"Maybe you should make me, Ms. Kore," he growled.
"Oh, don't tempt me, you disgusting pig," Stephanie growled back, but Mary got in between them.
"Please...just leave us alone," Mary pleaded.
"Oh Mary, when you beg...the things it does to me," he leered.
"In fact, I can promise you...one night with me and you'd beg me for more and you'd be asking me David who…" he added. And something inside her snapped at that, for her love for David was so strong that nothing, especially not this monster, could change that. And for him to suggest such made her boil. So before she knew what was happening, she punched him in the nose with a strength and force she didn't know she was capable of. Damon fell on his ass and held his now bloody nose in pain.
"Arrggghh...you little bitch!" he cried.
"Whoa Mare...that was a hell of a punch!" Emma exclaimed, highly impressed, as her best friend shook her hand. Emma knew her Mother was capable of this kind of thing, but seeing it come out in Mary was a welcome surprise. She examined her knuckles and saw they were a little bruised.
"Bartender...can I get some ice?" Emma called. He nodded.
"You should arrest her! She assaulted me!" Damon cried.
"I didn't see anything...did anyone else?" Emma asked, but no one seemed willing to vouch for Damon. There were some creeps that would probably take his side, but none of them were really willing to get involved in a possible police situation. And every woman in the place damn near cheered for Mary.
"Yeah...guess it's hearsay," Stephanie added smugly.
"Yeah...you just got knocked on your ass by a one-hundred and twenty pound woman. I'm sure that's not something you want to get around," Emma goaded, as he picked himself up.
"This isn't over, Mary," he warned.
"It is over, slime ball. Stay away from her or so help me, I'll find a way to make sure you can never bother her again," Stephanie shot back, as they glared daggers at each other. His hatred for this woman burned inside him to the point that he found his head hurt. He barely knew her, but there was something about her that made him want to see her suffer.
"Careful Ms. Kore...or so help me, I'll see that you're the one that it's over for," he threatened, before storming out. Mary sighed and collapsed into her seat.
"Honey...are you okay?" Stephanie asked. She blew out a shaky breath.
"I think so...punching him felt really good though," she replied and they all smiled at each other, as Emma put the ice on Mary's knuckles.
"Another round for this table, thanks to the lady and gentlemen at the billiard table," the bartender said, as they looked over to find Lacey smiling coyly, as she approached.
"You know...until now, I thought you were the most boring person I'd ever met and I couldn't believe it when people told me we used to be friends," Lacey said.
"But now...I see it. You're secretly a bad ass, Blanchard. Kudos on punching that dickhead out," Lacey complimented, as she and Gold strutted out of the establishment. Gold's usual mostly blank expression was amused, as he escorted Lacey out. Stephanie's phone beeped and she grinned, as she read the text.
"Operation surprise nuptials is a go," she whispered to Emma, who smiled in return.
"Hey Mare...how about we ditch this place and go for some hot chocolate at Granny's?" Emma asked.
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask! This place is just not my speed," she said, as they got their coats.
"Maybe not...but you are a bad ass. I wish David could have seen you punch that asshole," Emma replied.
"Oh...I got it on my phone. I'll send the video to all of you, but we'll let Mary show David," Ruby said.
"All right girls...let's take this party to Granny's," Ashley said, as they all shared a secret smile. Mary had no idea the surprises that were in store for her on this Valentine's Day, but it was one she would never forget...