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 bi-weekly on Monday nights. It is much appreciated and here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Grace5231973: The worshippers are very creepy. I think of Jesus too when I hear them and you're right, it makes me want to do the same. Yep, just like when Saanvi couldn't save that woman's husband and she got violent. Unfortunately, we'll probably see that along the way here too. Glad you liked the flashbacks. Those were my favorite parts too. Glad you're enjoying it so much. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Glad you enjoyed it!
Number Ten: It's not a serial killer and also not the government, surprisingly. Yep, Cora is always overbearing, no matter what universe. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, David will definitely multi-task between job hunting and the case. Yes, Margaret and David's love is one of a kind. Glad you liked the flashbacks. Those girls were snobs for sure. I know, David has always been a charmer. Yep, some Snowing lovin is always good. Ugh, Cora is the worst in any universe and yes, Regina found something peculiar in Henry's blood. I know, the sibling banter between Emma and David here is the best. Yep, a murder so not good at all. Glad you're enjoying it!
AnonSnowing: Me too, very grateful that their love is not messy or compromised. They are each other's home. Yes, Victoria is Victoria Belfry here. Yes, they are the mean girls at this school, except Abigail. She's nice, but friends with these girls, because her father is rich. I know, even then David was a little charmer. I really like the flashbacks too, glad you do too. Yep, they are the three amigos. Sisters for Emma and Margaret and lovers for David and Margaret. It is sad that something special like what they had was seen as odd, but that just makes it more special I think.
Me too, I see a young Josh and Ginny as their younger selves. Yep, David got his truck, a nod to the old brown truck from the show. Margaret loves it, because it comes with him. They were very lucky to find each other so young. Yep Margaret is whole again. Yep, something odd in Henry's blood which will come into play. Nope, Cora is the worst, as always. Yes, very suspicious since it's Cora. Yeah, I love how David always cooks breakfast for his family. Gotta love the Snowing flirting. I do love the sibling banter here between Emma and David. It's a lot of fun. Yep, a passenger murder is certainly troubling. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! And you're welcome. :)
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 10: Unexpected Meetings
Emma sat at her desk and watched videos of Tisbe Taylor's interview with the press. After the fourth time that Tisbe said the phrase "own my truth", Emma paused the video and couldn't help but recall her game with Henry this morning. It had ended with the magnets spelling out the same phrase. As much as she wanted to believe it was just a coincidence, Tisbe Taylor's repetition suggested otherwise.
"Hey…" Rogers said, as she looked up from her screen.
"So I just got an interesting call from a detective at the Taylor crime scene this morning," he said and she rolled her eyes.
"Spare me the lecture," she replied.
"No...I won't bloody spare you the lecture, Emma," he said crossly.
"Not only were you out of your jurisdiction, but you took a civilian into a crime scene? What were you thinking?" he questioned.
"I was thinking that a passenger just died and there might be nut jobs out there targeting us!" she hissed back. But he didn't look convinced.
"We have no evidence that this was anything other than a robbery gone bad," he said.
"Yeah right," she muttered, as she went back to watching the interview. He sighed and she looked at him.
"Unless you're going to let me in on any information you have on the case, you can go. I'll find it myself," she said. Bloody hell...he had almost forgotten how infuriating she could be.
"Fine…" he growled, as he motioned her.
"We have a suspect in custody," he revealed.
"Then I need to talk to this suspect," she said.
"Emma…" he protested.
"Who is he?" she asked.
"His name is Walsh Ozwald. He was found near the scene with blood on his clothing," he replied.
"Can you get me in to talk to him?" she asked. He sighed.
"Can you or not? If not, I'll figure out how to get in myself," she said shortly.
"Fine...I'll see what I can do," he replied, as she texted her brother to meet her nearby.
"Mrs. Nolan?" a voice called and Margaret looked up from her work. It was her planning period so her classroom was empty and saw that it was the receptionist from the office.
"Yes Gloria?" she asked.
"There is someone here to see you," she said. Before Margaret could ask who it was, a man appeared in the doorway and she frowned.
"Hello Mary Margaret," Leopold greeted.
"It's just Margaret now," she corrected.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded to know.
"Margaret...we've been estranged many years and I'd like to put that to an end," he answered.
"Why now of all times?" she asked suspiciously.
"When the plane disappeared...I reached out and you rejected me quite viciously," he replied.
"I was grieving. I lost my husband, my son, and my sister-in-law," she snapped.
"Yes, I know...and now they are back. That has to be surreal...and I knew that I had to reach out to you," he said.
"Surreal isn't really the word I would use. Getting my family back is a miracle," she corrected.
"Truly...and I have never met my grandchildren. Don't you think it's time?" he asked.
"You've never met your grandchildren, because you tried to tear me and David apart!" she exclaimed.
"You were sixteen! I did what any concerned father would do! I thought you were moving too fast with that boy!" he argued.
"That boy is the man that became my husband! David is the love of my life and you tried to rip me away from him!" she shouted, as the memories came crashing back to her.
Flashback
Margaret's tears made her vision blurry, as she ran. She stumbled a little around the sticks and brush in the wooded area by the park. There was a bridge over a creek just beyond the park that was seldom frequented due to the fact that the woods was a bit overgrown around it and it wasn't the easiest place to get to. The bridge had been their special place for years.
"David!" she called, as she saw him ahead on the bridge. He started running toward her, obviously hearing the desperation in her voice. She tripped and almost fell flat on her face, but he was there to catch her before she could hit the ground.
"Margaret…" he uttered, shocked at how upset she was.
"What happened?" he asked.
"It's my father…" she responded. A bad feeling knotted in his stomach. Leopold was rarely around, but when he was, he made it no secret as to what he thought of him. Leopold Blanchard loathed that he was dating his daughter and it was no secret.
"What did he do?" David asked.
"He's sending me away to boarding school...in Seattle," she cried, as he pulled her against his chest and she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Is...is this because of me?" he asked gently and there was fury in her eyes at that.
"He thinks by sending me away that he can keep us apart...but I'm not going! I'm not leaving you...except he said that he'll force the issue. He said he'll send a professional transporter to take me there and there's nothing I can do to stop it, because I'm underage," she cried.
"Then there's only one thing to do," he said, as he helped her feet.
"What?" she asked.
"We run," he replied.
"But what about Emma?" she asked.
"We take Ems with us," he replied.
"But you father…" she started to say.
"Is drunk half the time. I'll call Jefferson and tell him we need an advance to get to Canada," he said.
"David...I don't know. How can I ask you and Emma to uproot your lives to go on the run with me?" she asked.
"Margaret...you're my life. I love you...and I'm not losing you," he replied, as she threw her arms around him and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
A few hours later, Jefferson had shown up at the house after David's call, but only to announce that running wouldn't be necessary. He had presented them with emancipation papers for Margaret. Somehow, his boss and their mysterious financial adviser had managed to get her emancipated in a matter of hours, stating that her father did not protest when they promised to turn him in to CPS for neglect. Leopold disowned her, but she couldn't have cared less, for she was where she belonged.
"I was just a father, trying to do what was best for my daughter. You have to see it from my standpoint. You were sixteen and shacking up with your boyfriend," Leopold argued.
"We were in love then and are even more in love now. We weren't just some silly high school relationship, but you would never listen to me when I tried to explain that. You never cared. You were never around. You did what you did, because I was embarrassing you to your friends and you decided to try and control my life," she said.
"I wanted the best for you…" Leopold reasoned.
"No, you wanted your version of the best, but I got my version of the best. I married my Prince Charming and my best friend is also my sister-in-law. And we have two beautiful children and if you think you're going to crash back into my life to wreck it, then you have another thing coming," she refuted.
"I do not want to wreck your life...I am trying to make amends!" he argued.
"Please...come to my home for dinner tonight with your whole family. You will see," Leopold said.
"I don't know…" she said, as he put a card with his phone number down on her desk.
"Think about it and call me if you decide to come," he said, as he turned and walked out. She collapsed in her chair and immediately texted her husband.
"Hey…I got your text," David said, as he met her on a bench, about a block from the precinct.
"So...it turns out that Tisbe and I may have gotten the same message I was, just more intensely," Emma said.
"What message? Like the voice we heard?" he asked.
"Yes, except I didn't hear it this time, but I think she did," she replied.
"I watched her interviews and she kept repeating that she violated the media blackout order, because she had to own her truth. She kept repeating it and this morning, with the word game Henry and I were playing...it ended with own your truth," Emma explained.
"Own your truth...so what truth is the question," he said.
"Yeah...and they now have a suspect. Killian's trying to get me in to talk to him," she replied, as she showed him the photo.
"Passenger?" he asked.
"No...he was one of the people with those holding a vigil outside the Taylor house," she replied.
"The nuts with the signs...like the woman that accosted Margaret and Henry," he deduced. She nodded.
"You think he killed her?" he asked.
"I won't know until I talk to him, but if he thinks we're Gods or something, then why would he kill someone he's so enamored with?" Emma asked.
"True, but you know that people like this can be just as dangerous as hateful ones. If he became disillusioned or was rejected by Tisbe in some way...he might have snapped," David replied.
"Also true. Like I said, hopefully, I'll know more when I talk to him," Emma said.
"Okay…" David said, as his phone rang and he answered it.
"Hey love…" he answered.
"David…" Margaret said in a choked voice and he frowned.
"Baby...what's wrong?" he asked.
"My father showed up here...and now I'm freaking out," she replied.
"Okay honey...stay calm and take deep breaths. I'm coming to you," he said, as he hung up.
"Is she okay?" Emma asked.
"She's upset...Leopold showed up," David replied. She snorted.
"He doesn't do that unless he wants something," Emma commented.
"Yeah…I gotta go, but call me after you talk to this guy," David said.
"I will...hug MM for me," she replied.
"Hey...do you think Leopold coming around now has anything to do with us coming back?" she asked.
"Dunno...but you know that snake. If he thinks there is a way to make a buck off this, he'll do it," David replied, as he got into his car and drove off, while Emma walked back to the precinct. Since she was still waiting on Killian though, she decided it might be a good time to go talk to Mr. Taylor again. She would have waited for David, but knew her brother would always put Margaret and the kids ahead of anything and she could fill him in later.
She flagged down a cab and had it take her to the Taylor residence, where she found that they were getting ready for Tisbe's wake. Cautiously, she knocked on the door and a woman answered.
"Hi...I'm Emma Nolan. I was on the plane with Tisbe," she said.
"Please come in...did you know Tisbe well?" the woman asked.
"Actually no...but I'm also a detective and I'm assisting in the investigation," she fibbed.
"Oh...well, I'm Clorinda, Tisbe's younger sister," she said, as Emma shook her hand.
"I'm sorry for your loss...can I ask you something?" she asked.
"Sure," Clorinda replied, as Emma followed her into the kitchen.
"I was watching the interview she gave to the media...and I noticed that she kept saying she had to own her truth. Do you know what she possibly meant by that?" Emma asked. Clorinda shook her head.
"No...but she kept repeating it. She kept saying it was her calling," the sister explained.
"Her calling…" Emma muttered, as Tisbe's husband came in.
"She's right...she kept going on about her calling," he confirmed, as some more guests began to arrive and took their attention. Emma quietly excused herself and caught another cab back to the precinct. But instead of mulling over their words, the wake only brought up bad memories.
Flashback
Six Years Ago
Emma and Killian got out of the car and cautiously approached the house. The door was open, as Lily's parents welcomed guests into their home for the wake. Lily's mother, Mal, turned back to the door and her stare went ice cold.
"You...you're not welcome here," she snapped.
"How could you even think to come here after what you did," her husband, Zoran, hissed. They turned away and returned to the car, as Emma's still fresh wounds and guilt were once again laid bare.
David got out of the truck and saw his wife on a bench by the playground and hurried to her. Her students were playing at recess and she got up when she saw him. He enveloped her in a hug and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry...I feel very silly now, calling you here," she said.
"No…I'm glad you did and your feelings are never silly," he replied, as he took her hands in his own.
"When the plane disappeared...he came to me then and tried to convince me to get Olive and me to come home with him. I was glad that Olive was out with your father when he came by," she said, as she remembered that day.
Flashback
After the knocking wouldn't stop, Margaret finally pulled herself from the bed and answered the door.
"Just stop! Just stop knocking whoever you are!" she cried, as the door swung open.
"Mary Margaret…" Leopold said, as he came in the house.
"What the hell do you want?" she asked.
"I'm here to offer you my condolences," he replied.
"Your condolences?" she asked incredulously.
"You probably celebrated when you heard the news!" she replied.
"Mary…" he started to say.
"Don't…" she snapped.
"I don't go by Mary anymore and you know it," she hissed.
"Margaret...I want to help you. You're my daughter," he said.
"Your daughter? You mean the daughter you ignored most of the time? The daughter you tried to control when it suited you? The daughter you disowned when she married the love of her life!?" she shouted hysterically.
"I know you are angry with me and you are grieving a terrible loss...but this is our chance to make amends. Please...come stay with me. You and Olive will want for nothing," he promised.
"Get out," she sneered.
"I didn't need you in the past and I certainly don't need you now. My daughter lost her father, her twin brother, and her aunt and you want me to pull her from the only home she knows?" Margaret questioned in disbelief.
"I was thinking it would be a fresh start and I would love to meet her," Leopold said.
"You can't...she's with her other grandfather, the one that I know loves her," Margaret replied.
"The drunk?" Leopold inquired and she slapped him for it. He looked at her in shock.
"Don't you dare! Don't you dare judge him! He hasn't touched a drop! He lost both his children and hasn't touched a drop! He's been there...he's kept us afloat! I'm falling apart, but he hasn't! He has been our rock, so don't you dare!" she ranted.
"I see that you're not ready to make amends," Leopold said curtly.
"And I never will be. You couldn't accept me when I was with David and you can't have me now that he's gone," she replied, as she slammed the door in his face.
"Wow…" David said, as she finished telling him about the encounter.
"I was pretty harsh," she agreed.
"You had every right to be. Your father has either tried to control you or neglected you your entire life," he said. She shook her head.
"You think we should go," she said. He grinned at how well she knew him.
"He's obviously up to something...and I gotta say, I kind of want to know what it is," he replied. She winced.
"Me too...because he is definitely up to something," she agreed.
"Besides, it's an excuse to get dressed up and if we don't like what he's pushing, we'll get up, make a scene, storm out, and take the kids to a movie," he said.
"That does sound fun...but do you really think Emma will agree to go?" she asked skeptically.
"There will be fancy wine and food...she can be convinced," he replied. She giggled.
"I love you...and having you back…" she said, as she choked on the words. He smiled and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry for everything you had to go through without me...but that time is over. I'm here now and I'm never leaving you again," he promised, as he kissed her passionately. She slipped her arms around his neck and her feet dangled off the ground, as he lifted her against him, while kissing her deeply. She was lightheaded when her feet touched the ground again and she looked up at him with a dreamy stare once their lips parted.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"I don't even remember why I was upset now in the first place...but then you've always been able to kiss all my worries away," she replied, as they shared another kiss.
"I'll see you at the hospital later," he said, as the bell rang and she went back inside with her students.
Emma stared at the house, as the taxi dropped her off and wondered why she was torturing herself. But instead of turning around and walking away, Emma walked up onto the porch and knocked. She saw Lily's father answer the door with a smile, much to her surprise.
"Emma...come in, come in," he urged, as she stepped inside.
"I'll get Lily…" he said, as he started calling for her.
"Lily! Lily...Emma is here!" he called, making the blonde realize there was something terribly wrong.
"Mal and I were just about to do something about these awful curtains. Please sit down," he said, as he fussed.
"Wow...so it's true," a female voice said, as Emma turned to see Mal on the stairs.
"You haven't changed a bit," she commented.
"Lily!" Zoran called.
"Lily went out for a bit, sweetheart. She'll be back soon," Mal assured, as she approached Emma.
"I stopped telling him a couple years ago, because I can't watch him fall apart each time," she mentioned. Emma nodded.
"He has good days and bad days," she continued.
"Maybe this was a mistake," Emma said, as she got up, but Mal motioned her to sit back down.
"No...stay. I don't get a lot of smiles out of him anymore...but clearly he likes having you here. Please...stay for coffee," Mal suggested. Emma nodded in agreement. Perhaps healing was possible, after all...