AN: Thanks for the incredible response to this new Snowing story! I'm really excited about this one and blending the worlds of Once and Manifest. And it seems my readers are too. I did not classify this as a crossover, because that's not really what it is. This is a Manifest type story with mostly Once characters. I have kept a couple Manifest characters and a few minor ones may pop up. The notable Manifest characters I have kept so far are Vance and Olive as Snowing's daughter. You also do not have to worry about any love triangles for Snowing. That's not my thing and this will always be a Snowing story.
Another thing to note is that I've taken some liberties with the relationships as well. Most notably, Emma and David are siblings and they grew up with Mary Margaret, so Emma and Mary Margaret are very close as well. Due to Robert being a drunk after Ruth dies, David and Mary Margaret pretty much raised Emma while raising themselves. Another thing to note, Henry is in the place of Cal here as Snowing's son and Emma's nephew. Most everything else will become clear as you read. I hope you enjoy this new story and join me on another journey. This one will update on Monday nights. Chapter 2 tonight and and then this one will go to bi-weekly updates on Monday nights. Please leave a review and give feedback! It is much appreciated and here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)
Grace5231973: Glad you like Gold's appearance, I think you'll enjoy his story line. I agree, I don't like it how there is pressure for people to move on. I wish it would be stated that it's okay to not jump into another relationship, just because that's what yo're expected to do by society. I liked Jared too at first, but he blew it. He redeemed himself a bit, but I'm a Zeke fan now. CS won't be endgame and I think you know who may pop up in Zeke's place in this. ;)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks!
Number Ten: Yep, it was an odd reunion and no one knows what really happened to the plane yet. We'll see. Yep, I had to add Gold as someone mysterious, so that should be fun. I never watched Lost, but I love Manifest. I highly recommend it. :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, a Snowing reunion and a love scene. Margaret was not cold on that night. Glad you enjoyed it. Yep, Gold has popped up and he's a mysterious one. I know, somehow Snowing is never corny or sappy. They just are able to pull it off somehow. As for whether Gold is involved...that depends on your definition of involved, lol. His dynamic with Vance should be fun though. I know, the Snowing reunion was a tearjerker. I love David/Charming/Ben the dad always. He's just the best TV dad ever. Glad you're enjoying it! This one is going to be a fun story. :)
AnonSnowing: Yep, turbulence...I think we know what that means. Yep, Emma's right, it got weird fast. Yep, Mr. Gold. Adding him here should be fun. I know, Snowing somehow makes something that should sound corny not corny at all. They are relationship goals. You know Gold, he just knows stuff, lol. Glad you liked the reunion and that it exceeded your expectations. :) I just picked a random number on the passengers. Nope, no triangles here. David is the only one for her. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 3: Hope Returned
Mr. Gold stared at the two hundred and twenty passenger photos on the large screens in the conference room.
"My superiors are breathing down my neck on this. They want answers and the NSA just let two-hundred and twenty dead people waltz back into the world," Vance complained.
"Keeping them against their will for doing nothing wrong would be very unethical," Gold replied neutrally.
"Each and every one of them could be a threat to National security. In times like that, ethics may need to be suspended," Vance said. Gold regarded him skeptically.
"That's your superiors talking and I know that wouldn't sit well with you. Besides, the only way for any of this to even begin to make sense is if we send them back into the world," Gold replied.
"I'm not sure how you figure that," Vance complained. Gold smirked.
"Relax, Director Vance. Sit back...and enjoy the coming attraction," he said cryptically.
Dr. Regina Mills pulled back from the hug she shared with an elderly man, who was crying profusely.
"It's okay Daddy...I'm home now," she assured.
"It's a miracle…" he gushed.
"You are everything to me, Regina...I was so lost without you," he cried. She frowned and hugged him again. Things were never good between her parents, but she was sad that her disappearance had not brought them together and since she saw her mother coming in separately, she guessed it had only made things worse.
"Mother…" she said.
"It's true…" Cora cooed, as she truly looked happy to see her daughter. Things were never very good between them, but Regina knew that her mother did love her, in her own way. They shared a hug and she saw an older man, about the same age as her father who seemed familiar, lagging back.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"Oh...that's Leopold. My new husband," Cora said. Regina's eyes widened.
"You divorced daddy?" she asked.
"It's okay Regina...you know it was a long time coming," Henry admonished.
"Yes...but now that you're back, you can come home with me. I've moved in with Leopold and his mansion is impressive. There will be plenty of room for you too," Cora said. Regina pursed her lips.
"No thank you, mother...I think I'll go home with Daddy," he said, as politely as possible. She took her father's arm and helped him to the car service that had brought him here. When she left, he was only using a cane occasionally when he got tired, but now it seemed that it was a full time thing. Her mother had abandoned him, but now that she was back, she would make sure he wasn't alone anymore.
The next day, despite her father's pleas that she take some time off, Regina returned to the hospital to stares of surprise and awe. She was eager to continue her research, but she was on the receiving end of some very surprising news.
"It's true…" a voice said, as she turned and found one of her colleagues there. She smiled and they shared a hug.
"Dr. Hopper...it is...and IT is looking at my damaged laptop now. I was on the verge of a breakthrough and I'm hoping they can recover my work," she said. He looked at her oddly.
"No one told you?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Told me what?" she asked.
"Regina...we got your research, including the breakthrough five and a half years ago. It's saved hundreds of pediatric terminal cancer patients," Archie revealed, stunning her to speechlessness.
"Really?" she squeaked and they shared a bright smile.
"You're quite a legend here and even more so now," he said, as he continued on with his rounds, leaving her to let that information sink in.
Curiously, she saw two people she recognized from the plane a short distance down the hall and they were with a woman and another young woman. They seemed to be apprehensive and she approached them cautiously.
"Can I help you?" she asked. David turned and remembered her.
"You were on the plane," he replied. She nodded.
"Dr. Regina Mills," she said, as they shook hands.
"David Nolan. This is my wife Margaret, our daughter Olive and our son Henry," he said, as she smiled down at the boy.
"What a coincidence...my father's name is also Henry," she mentioned. He smiled at her, instantly taken in by her kindness toward him.
"Really?" he asked. She nodded.
"He's very special to me and I bet you're just as special to your parents," she said.
"We...we were actually looking for someone to evaluate him. His doctor from five years ago isn't here anymore," David replied. She frowned.
"Cancer?" she asked, as Margaret nodded sadly.
"Terminal…" she whispered and Regina was struck by the pain in the woman's eyes. Had she really just gotten her son back only to face losing him again? But then she remembered what Dr. Hopper had said.
"Come with me...I think we have much to discuss and I don't want to get your hopes up," she said, as she turned back to them.
"But I think I can help your son," she said. They looked at her with hope in their eyes and she hoped that she wasn't going to end up letting them down in the end. They nodded and followed her to an exam room.
Emma sighed, as she got up from the bed she was crashing on in the basement. She managed a smile, as she looked through the boxes of all the things MM had kept for her after they had to let her apartment go. She looked through the photos and smiled at the one with her, MM, and little Olive. Then there was another. Her, Killian and...Lily. She pushed the box away and grabbed her new phone. She knew David and Margaret would be happy if she lived with them forever in their basement, but she needed her own place eventually again, so that meant getting back to work. With that thought, she cleaned up, got dressed, and went upstairs. She stumbled though, as she suddenly heard her own voice in her head.
"All Things."
Emma did a three-sixty turn, looking for anyone around, but found no one. Shaking her head, she continued on and looked at the keys on the counter to an extra vehicle that her father had apparently left for her. She picked the keys up, but then put them back down. She wasn't ready for driving yet, so she took off on foot to the nearest bus station. On the way, she dialed Killian's number nervously and waited, as it rang on his end. She was both relieved and disappointed though when it went to voicemail and she hung up without leaving a message. It made her fear the worst.
MM had come rushing to the airport for them the moment they had let her through the gate, but Killian hadn't come for her. And she knew it probably meant that he had moved on. She couldn't blame him though. Why wouldn't he? It's not like they had what David and Margaret had, as much as she secretly had always wanted that. How could she not? Growing up with them had left a hopeful impression upon her that she'd find the same, but now it was sinking in that she probably didn't have that. She still didn't blame him though. To him, she was dead and had been for almost six years now. She would have wanted him to move on if she really was gone, but she couldn't help remember the night that she had met him. It was girl's night out and as usual, her sister-in-law was being the person Emma secretly aspired to be and the person that her other friends thought was an oddity.
"Oh...that's okay, you can take that back," MM said, as the waitress put another drink in front of her.
"Sorry hon, but that guy at the bar really, really likes you. You're adorable though...you should totally go for it," the waitress commented, as she left.
"She's not wrong...he's pretty good looking," Lily said.
"I'm married...happily," MM replied. The other girls giggled.
"We only live once, M&M. If you ask me, monogamy is way overrated," Abigail slurred.
"I'm sure Freddie will be happy to hear that," Emma said, referring to Abigail's own husband. The blonde was clearly drunk already and would be mortified in the morning at what she just said, which would be fun for Emma later.
"Maybe for you...but I have eyes for one man," MM said dreamily, causing the other girls to groan.
"Hey...it's sweet. I love that my mom and dad will always be together," Emma joked, as she hugged her best friend and Margaret giggled. Emma was clearly feeling a buzz herself.
"Besides girls...why would I go out for a hamburger when I have steak at home?" Margaret asked coyly, as she sipped at her drink.
"And then you go and make it weird by referring to my brother as a side of beef," Emma deadpanned, making the raven haired beauty smile.
"Fine...then a different reference. Why would I go out for some jerk at a bar looking for one thing when I have Prince Charming waiting for me at home? Better?" she asked, as the girls groaned again.
"It's so corny that you call him that," Lily complained. But Emma smiled at her. Secretly she loved it and she decided that she was going to tell the guy at the bar exactly where he could shove his drinks for her best friend, whom she was always super protective of.
"Hey dude...no dice," she said, as she put the drinks on the bar. He shrugged.
"Can't blame a guy for trying. Your friend is hot...looks sweet as sugar too," he leered. That burned her up, because he confirmed that he was exactly the type that only wanted one thing.
"Yeah well...she's not interested and happily married," Emma warned. He shrugged.
"How about you? Usually, I like that certain innocence that your friend seems to have, but for you...yeah I'd make an exception," the jerk said, as he looked her up and down.
"Hard pass," she quipped, as she started walking back to the table.
"Tell sugar hi for me...and that I'd love a taste!" he called. She stopped in her tracks and turned back, intending to punch him when someone got between them.
"Keith...shut your stupid mouth or I let the lass here have a crack at you," the man warned. She backed down a bit and regarded him for a moment.
"Is that idiot your friend?" she asked.
"Friend is a strong word...my brother owns this bar and Keith is regular. So I know him well, but friend...yeah not really. Killian Rogers," he said, as he put his hand out. She looked at him skeptically and then shook it in return.
"Okay Killian...just tell your brother's regular over there to keep his eyes off my sister-in-law. She's not interested and I'm not above punching him out if he doesn't stop acting like a creeper," she warned. Killian smirked, secretly enthralled by her spirit.
"Message received and I'll make sure Keith gets it too, though he's pretty thick, so keep those fists ready," he replied. She returned his smirk and went back to the table.
That meeting had led to drinks and then to dates. She had found out that he was going through the academy and she had just finished. After that, they ended up at the same precinct and as beat cops together. The rest had been history and she had intended to say yes to his proposal. Until the plane happened. And now, she had no idea where they stood, except that him not coming to the air strip spoke pretty clearly to her.
She got off the bus and walked into the precinct, only to have all eyes on her.
"Emma Nolan...as I live and breathe," Captain Graham Humbert greeted, as he approached her.
"Welcome back from the dead," he mused.
"Uh yeah...it's pretty surreal. I guess I decided to stop by and see if I could have my old job back," she said. He smiled and motioned her forward. Her eyes locked with Killian's, as she passed by and into the Captain's office.
"This is yours," he said, as he handed her a detective shield and she looked at him in surprise.
"Think of it as a posthumous promotion," Graham said.
"Uh...thanks Captain," she replied.
"But…" he said.
"I knew there was a but," she mused.
"Upon completion of a psych evaluation and physical," he said. She nodded and left his office, only to find Killian finally there in her path.
"I...I can't believe it. You haven't changed a bit," he mused. She snorted.
"Yeah...I'm getting that a lot," she replied, as she saw the ring on his finger and swallowed thickly.
"Who is she?" Emma muttered.
"Uh...her name is Milah. You don't really know her," he responded.
"Milah...didn't she work at your brother's bar?" Emma asked. He nodded.
"She...she was there for me after the plane disappeared," he explained. She nodded.
"I...I gotta go," Emma said, as he looked on as she did and felt his feelings for her reignite.
Emma boarded another bus and was lost in thought, until she heard her own voice in her head again.
"Slow Down," the voice warned.
"Hey...can you slow down?" Emma called to the bus driver. He gave her a weird look and ignored her.
"SLOW DOWN!" the voice screamed inside her head and she cried out, as she jumped out of her seat and yanked the pull cord. The driver slammed on his brakes and was about to lay into the annoying passenger when a toddler ran into the road chasing a ball. He was stunned and looked back at her. Had she not yanked the pull cord to slow him down, he would have hit and probably killed the child.
"How...how did you know?" he asked, but Emma didn't answer, as she hurried off the bus and tried to get her bearings. What the hell was happening to her?
"So...you think you can help Henry?" Margaret asked. The obvious hope in her voice made Regina hope that she wasn't moving this along too fast. This was a mother that had lost her son once and she'd never forgive herself if she gave her hope, only for it to be snatched away. She swallowed.
"Before the plane...I was on the verge of a breakthrough in treating pediatric patients. I thought I might have lost it all when my laptop broke during the turbulence we experienced, but it turns out that my colleagues received my research five and a half years ago," she explained.
"And this research can help Henry?" David asked.
"Apparently, it has been treating and successfully curing pediatric cases for almost two years now and since he's still in the age window...then he may be a candidate for the treatment," she replied. David and Margaret were stunned, as they looked at each other in surprise. Olive smiled and hugged her brother.
"Wait...are you saying that if Henry hadn't been on that plane that he would have been too old for the treatment by now...if we even still had him?" David asked. Regina nodded.
"That seems to be the case," she agreed.
"And this treatment...it has a very good success rate?" Margaret asked, almost in a whisper.
"An unprecedented ninety-three percent success rate," she replied. David was stunned. The plane might have saved their son's life. Was this why it had happened? Surely there had to be more to it than just their little boy...but he didn't care about any of that right now.
"I would like to submit his name for consideration for the treatment, with your permission," Regina stated.
"Yes!" Margaret exclaimed, as tears slipped down her cheeks. David was in tears too, as he clutched her hand.
"Please…" he pleaded. She nodded and they got up, as she saw them out of the room.
"Olive honey...why don't you go get a snack for both of you," Margaret suggested, as David gave her a few dollars. She knew her parents needed a few minutes to digest this information and so she took her brother's hand and led them down the hall.
"They are beautiful," Regina mentioned wistfully. Margaret and David lit up at that.
"Thank you...they're our world and I just got half my world back. It's a miracle," she gushed, as David held her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll get the paperwork done right away and I'll be in touch," Regina said, as she handed her card to them.
"Thank you so much…" Margaret said and then surprised the other woman by hugging her. Regina was shocked, but then smiled, as she hugged her back.
"I'm sorry...you must think I'm a crazy person that goes around hugging strangers," Margaret said, suddenly a bit embarrassed.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I only hope I truly can save your little boy. I'm going to do everything I can," she promised, as she walked away. Up until this point, she had no idea what had happened to them and more importantly why. But now...perhaps this was why she had come back. Maybe she was meant to save little Henry Nolan.
"Oh David…" Margaret gushed, as she collapsed to tears against his chest. He hugged her tightly and cried with her, as hope filled them both.
"Can this really be happening?" she asked and he pressed his forehead to hers.
"It is...we're going to save our son," he replied, as he caressed her face.
"I blamed myself…" she squeaked.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"I blamed myself for you and Henry even being on that plane! I was the one that didn't want Emma to be alone. I sent you with her, because I couldn't go myself," she sobbed, as he gently moved her to a chair and then knelt before her.
"My darling...don't you see? You're the reason we might save Henry," he told her, as she sniffed.
"If we hadn't gotten on that plane...we might have lost him long ago," he insisted, as she cried.
"Maybe...but I was a mess after the plane. You would have been so ashamed of me," she sobbed.
"Never…" he refuted.
"I shut down...I was in bed for weeks. Your father took care of Ollie for me...I forgot her. She's been in therapy," she lamented.
"No...she knows you didn't. I can't imagine what you both went through," he said sorrowfully.
"Ollie...she always insisted that her brother wasn't gone. The twin thing and I wanted so badly to believe it...that you were out there somewhere. She was right," Margaret said. He smiled and looked up at their children, as they returned.
"She was…" he said, as he stood up and hugged her tightly.
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there," he apologized.
"Dad...it's not your fault and Mom is right. Maybe this is why all this happened...so we can save Henry," Olive said.
"I know, but I am still sorry for what you went through and for you having to grow up so fast. But this is a second chance and I'm back...I'm not going to waste it," he promised, as they hugged again, as Margaret looked on and cuddled their son.
"Let's go home…" he suggested. She nodded and stood up, as he put his arm around her waist and she leaned against him, as they followed their children to the exit.