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're enjoying it! :)
Grace5231973: Yep, Gold saved them once before! Yeah, Leopold deserved it for sure. Ha, I know, Margaret is a bad ass and I loved how David came to her rescue too. I know, I hated killing Lily in this, but since it's Emma, it was the person that made sense. Glad you're enjoying! :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Number Ten: Yep, it was her sister. Glad you like the story on how they met Graham and the nod to Jefferson's love of hats. Yeah, I try to get little nods to Once in there, because they are so fun. Definitely more on the protein that Regina found in future chapters. Ha, thanks. Yeah, I wish they'd give it up. There's a few that still can't accept that I have no desire to write Star Wars anymore. I got another one from them in my reviews for Clarity, so they're persistent. Thanks for the support. :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yeah, that protein might be a scary thing. Yeah, something's not right with the husband. Yep, Emma will know if he's lying or not. Yeah, Walsh seems like he's a few crayons short of a full box. Yeah, Henry wants a story about his parents. Glad you liked the flashbacks and how they met Graham. Yeah, Margaret is better off without Leopold. Yeah, the dinner is probably not a good idea, but they are curious to see what he's up to. Nope, sleep is not on her mind. Yeah, it's very sad with Lily. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
AnonSnowing: No, it actually wasn't the shadow that killed Tisbe as we will find out. Margaret/Snow is one of the best mother's in the fictional universe, for sure, hands down. Yeah, I imagine they probably went to a local college and lived at home to save money. They would have still had Emma to look after in her last couple years of high school, after all. Yes, I like that about her too. She likes to take care of David and her family. I love it too. Yes, Graham is the huntsman and then becomes a better man, going on into law enforcement instead. Yeah, there are a lot of things wrong with Leopold, lol. Yeah, even here, David gets feelings when things aren't right with his love. Yeah, Leopold is the worst and Margaret is better off without him. He is a terrible person. Yep, David is always her hero. I know, Leopold is crazy not to want a man like David for his daughter. Yep, Gold is the financial adviser which makes things even more mysterious. Yep, thankfully Emma found him. That would be scary. Yep, Clorinda killed her own sister and we'll find out why in this chapter. Yep, that protein will come to play in this as well. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 13: Family Bond
"You don't understand...my sister was always horrible to me! She pushed me around and she never deserved Jacob," Clorinda cried. At first, when she had been arrested for being in possession of Tisbe's missing necklace, she had been silent until Killian pressed her about how her sister was determined to save her husband's employees from his blackmail and extortion. Clorinda immediately had jumped in to defend Jacob and went off on her sister.
"When the plane disappeared, I didn't cry one tear! Jacob and I were happy and then she just waltzes back in like nothing had changed!" Clorinda confessed.
"Did Jacob tell her that he wanted a divorce?" Killian asked.
"N...no, because she was crazy and knew about his problems with his employees," Clorinda replied.
"You mean how he was extorting money from them through blackmail?" Killian asked, making her wince.
"He's not a bad man...he's not," she pleaded.
"It kind of sounds like he was content to still be married to Tisbe and have you on the side," Killian replied.
"It's not like that! He loves me! He hated that Tisbe came back!" she insisted.
"So...you killed her," Killian deduced. A tear slipped down her cheek.
"She was dead anyway! Whoever came back was not my sister!" she spat. At that point, her lawyer arrived and shut down the interrogation. Not that it mattered much. The district attorney would have enough to convict and a jury would likely see it that way as well.
Killian sighed, as he came out of the interrogation room where Emma stood waiting.
"Well...she confessed when we pressed her about the necklace. She and Jacob fell in love while she was gone, but apparently Tisbe was having none of that," he said.
"So she shot her," Emma deduced.
"Most likely…" he said, as he looked at her.
"What?" she asked.
"It's just...you found those girls and now you happened to run right into Clorinda out on the streets," he replied. She gave him a withering look.
"I told you that I was looking for Lily's father. He was lost and confused and I found him," she replied.
"And it just happened to be Clorinda that almost ran him over," Killian said.
"What are you asking me?" she questioned. He shrugged.
"Clorinda said that her sister was a different person when she came back...and I would have to say the same about you," he mentioned.
"Look…I can't explain what happened to us. Something happened, but I don't know what. I'm not doing any of this...it's just happening," she said. He nodded, as he watched her go. He pulled Vance's card from his pocket. He would definitely want to know about this development, but despite seemingly having inside information from some source, he knew that Emma didn't have sinister intentions. He tore up Vance's card and tossed it in the trash. He didn't work for the NSA and certainly wasn't going to spy on Emma for them.
Emma unlocked Walsh's cell and let him out.
"Clorinda Taylor killed her sister, so you're free to go," Emma said.
"Yes...and in the process, I see you have owned your truth and accepted your place among the returned," Walsh praised. She sighed.
"No, I did my job and found the real killer. There's nothing special about me," she refuted.
"That's where you're wrong...and you know it. You've been reborn and you are enlightened. The rest of us can only dream of being one of the returned," he said.
"You can pick your things up at the desk," Emma said, as she left to go home and get some sleep. David had roped her into going to some dinner at Leopold Blanchard's house of all places tomorrow night. She had agreed, only on the chance that he really was up to no good and if he had Margaret in his sights again, Emma was going to be there to protect her family.
The next day, Margaret was practically giddy, as she packed a picnic basket full of sandwiches, fruits and veggies, chips, and cookies. It was their first Saturday together as a family and they planned to make the most of it. They were going to the park. The same park that was near the playground where they had met as children and near the woods where there was a bridge they used to frequent as well. It was a very special place for her and David. The small, rickety wooden bridge was where they had shared their first kiss, where they declared their love for each other, and even where he had proposed.
After the plane disappeared and on the one year anniversary of the disappearance, Margaret had gone there, but it had been too painful. She had been a mess and cried for hours sitting alone on that bridge. After that, she never went back and thought she never would again. But then the plane came back and gave everything back to her as quickly as it had taken it away.
"Come on you two...let's go," she called, as she closed the picnic basket and David picked it up for her.
"Wow...this thing weighs a ton. Did you invite an army to our picnic?" he teased and she kissed him tenderly.
"No...it's just us. Guess I did get a little carried away," she winced, but he smiled and kissed her again.
"I love that you get carried away," he said fondly.
"I...I just thought we'd never have a family picnic again. It doesn't seem like much...but I will never take it for granted again," she replied. He smiled.
"Neither will I," he said, as the kids hurried into the kitchen.
"Can we stop and get some kites?" Henry asked.
"Sure...that sounds like a lot of fun," David answered, as he carried the basket out. Margaret grabbed her keys and stepped out the door, only to find a couple of their neighbors there.
"Oh, Marcus and Cecelia...good to see you," she said.
"We just came over to check on you and make sure you're okay, you know with everything that's happened," the woman mentioned. Margaret beamed a smile.
"Everything is wonderful, but thank you," she replied.
"You're sure?" Marcus asked skeptically.
"Of course...I just got the love of my life back and my son. Why wouldn't things be okay?" she asked.
"Um...well, we have just heard that some of the people on that plane have come back...different," Ceceila mentioned.
"Yes...and we just wanted to make sure things are okay for you and Olive," Marcus added. Margaret wanted to think that their concern was real and she knew part of it probably was. They had always been nice, albeit a bit nosy and they had fallen on hard times in the last year. She suspected that the news vans that were still parked near the house had questioned them about any dirt they might have about them.
"I have my true love back and my son. The man I married is the man that returned to me, you can be assured of that," she said shortly.
"We're...we're sorry if we offended you," Marcus replied, a bit ashamed.
"I'm sure whatever payday the news station offered you is tempting and I can't tell you not to take it. So...whatever juicy lie you need to come up with to get your money makes no difference to me, because I know the truth and that is that my husband and I just got a second chance. My son's cancer now has a viable treatment and it's nothing short of a miracle. If that story doesn't work for them, then feel free to come up with something that will sell some newspapers," she said, as she walked toward the car.
"Everything okay?" David asked, as he shut the trunk and she kissed him.
"Everything is wonderful...just nosy neighbors," she replied.
"Ah...wondering if I'm an alien," he deduced, as he surprised her and kissed her passionately, while gently pushing her against the car. She lost herself in his kiss and slid her arms around his neck, as they enjoyed a mini makeout session.
"Might as well give them all something to gawk at," he said and she smiled, before they got into the car.
"Finally…I thought you guys were gonna make out all day," Olive complained without looking up from her phone. They chuckled.
"Just giving the reporters something to look at," he teased.
"Why would they want to look at you kissing Mom?" Henry asked.
"Because they think we're...different now," David replied. Neither he nor Margaret saw a reason to hide things from Henry. It was important that he knew to be leery of people now with everything that had happened.
"Like that weird lady?" he asked.
"Yes...though I think she thought we were good. I'm afraid there are going to be those that think we are now something sinister," Margaret warned him truthfully.
"I get it...but it's kind of dumb," Henry said bluntly. David chuckled, as he backed out of the driveway and they drove away.
"We agree, buddy, but some people don't understand and don't like people that are different. It's unfortunate and sometimes makes people do bad things. It's important that you are both careful and that you don't go places alone for a while," he advised, though most of that was directed at Olive, as they wouldn't let Henry go anywhere alone at his age even under normal circumstances.
"Is that why Leopold wants us to come now? You think it's a way to get himself in the news?" Olive asked. David and Margaret exchanged a glance. As usual, their daughter was sharp as a tack.
"Knowing him...probably, which is why we're going to his house for dinner. I'm giving him one more chance to not be a terrible person, but if he's got some sort of plan to make a spectacle of your father and your brother, then they're going to get a spectacle from me, but it won't exactly be what he wants," Margaret promised. David smirked at that.
"But enough of that. This is a family day and we're not going to let some nosy reporters spoil our day," Margaret said.
"Your mother is right...let's get those kites," he replied, as they were on their way.
Regina looked in the microscope again and then sighed. She didn't know why she kept looking. It wasn't going to change the results of what she had found. She, David, and Henry all had the protein in their blood. Then the results of her MRI were clear. Ischemic stroke. There was no getting around the correlation. It was entirely possible that this protein was connected to Ischemic stroke, which she needed to explain to David and Margaret. As she was about to call them, she saw her mother come in and sighed.
"Mother…I told you I would be there tonight," Regina said in annoyance.
"I know...I was just hoping you'd let me take you shopping for a dress. I know you're having to replace all your things," Cora said.
"Because you made Daddy donate all my stuff," she muttered.
"Believe it or not...we did that, because we were trying to move on," Cora said. Regina sighed.
"I know...I don't blame you for that," she replied.
"What has you so stressed?" Cora inquired.
"It's just...a patient. We can go," Regina said, as she removed her lab coat. It was Saturday, after all and she decided that this could probably wait. She would tell them when Henry came in for his treatment on Monday. She was still waiting to hear about Tisbe Taylor's body and if she could participate in the autopsy. Getting a look at a passenger brain could be really the only way to know what they were dealing with for sure. Cora smiled at her and they left.
Emma took a deep breath and knocked on Mal's door. She opened it and actually had a smile for the other woman.
"Emma...come in, please," she said.
"I just wanted to stop by and check on Zoran. How is he?" she asked.
"He's okay. He doesn't really remember yesterday at all and I think this time, it's better that way," Mal replied. She nodded in agreement.
"Listen Emma...I want you to know that I am really grateful for what you did last night. Zoran could have been killed if you hadn't found him," Mal said.
"I'm just glad I got there in time," Emma replied, as she sat down.
"I read the headlines. Looks like you also found a killer last night as well," Mal said.
"Uh yeah...dumb luck that the person that almost hit Zoran just happened to be the killer in an active investigation," Emma replied. Mal gave her a look.
"Emma...coincidences like that don't happen, even for a cop as good as you," she said. Emma sighed.
"You're different since you came back...make sure you use this second chance to make a difference," Mal advised. Emma nodded.
"I will," she promised, as Zoran came into the room.
"Oh, we have company," he said, as the two women exchanged a look.
"Yeah...I'm Emma. I'm a friend of Lily's," she said, as they shook hands.
"Oh...it's nice to meet you. Lily should be home soon," he said.
"Yes...maybe we can have some tea while we wait and get to know you," Mal suggested, as she went to the kitchen. Emma smiled and nodded. In Lily's absence, if she could bring them both just a little comfort in these sad times, then she wanted to do that for her best friend.
"Okay...go!" David said, as he handed the kite reel to his son and the wind caught it. Henry ran through the park with it and Olive followed him closely, while David and Margaret watched on fondly.
"It's okay...I can watch him. We're close to the bridge if you two want to take a walk," Olive told them.
"Are you sure?" Margaret asked.
"Course...the kid and I are fine," Olive replied.
"You know, it's not fair. I was born first and used to be older than you," Henry complained. She smirked.
"And now I get to be the boss of you, haha," she teased. David smiled.
"Okay...we won't be far," he said, as he joined hands with his wife and they strolled off.
"Good call," they heard Henry say.
"It's either that or we have to watch them make out again and no one wants that," they heard Olive say. They grinned at each other.
"She sounds just like Emma," he mentioned.
"Oh I know," she agreed, as they made their way to the bridge and the memories called to them.
7th Grade - 1992
David and Margaret sat on the bridge together with their heads resting against each other's. They both had been crying, which was understandable, since they had buried David's mother today.
"I miss her," Margaret said. He sniffed.
"Me too...but I know this would be a thousand times harder without you," he replied, making her blush slightly. She took his hand though and he looked at her, swallowing thickly. She was so beautiful.
"I...I know they tell us that we're too young to know what real love is, but they're wrong," he said. She smiled.
"They are," she agreed.
"I love you, MM...I have since the moment we met," he admitted, bringing tears to her eyes.
"Oh David...I love you too," she gushed. Her heart quickened, as he slowly leaned in and she closed her eyes. He pressed his lips softly to hers in a short, tender kiss. Margaret felt her heart flutter and butterflies in her stomach. Their lips parted and her eyes opened, meeting his and they shared a smile. Ruth was gone and his father had fallen off the wagon, but he knew he was going to make it, because he had her. He offered his hand to her and she took it, as they started for home. From now on, it was just them and Emma against the world.
"That day seems like so long ago…" he mentioned, as they smiled at the memory.
"You didn't even really ask me to officially be your girlfriend that day, but I just knew that's what we were," she replied.
"Officially, but I wanted you to be mine the moment I helped you cross the monkey bars when we were eight," he said. She giggled.
"I know, you picked snowdrops out of my mother's garden the next day and came to the door with them, roots and all," she said, as they laughed at the memory.
"My mother thought it was too adorable to scold you," she recalled.
"I couldn't help it. I knew you were a princess and I wanted to be your prince," he said.
"And you have been since," she replied, as he kissed her hand, admiring his mother's ring on her finger.
"I remember the night you put this on my finger too…" she said.
"We got a lot of dirty looks from people after that, considering we were only sixteen," he replied.
"And we couldn't have cared less. That night was amazing. You put your mother's ring on my finger and we made love for the first time that night," she recalled.
1996
"I can't believe he did that," Margaret lamented, as they walked to the bridge after school, hand in hand.
"I know...seeing you be pushed into the back of that car terrified me. I wondered for a minute if I'd ever see you again," he confessed, as they stopped on the bridge and only the sound of the babbling creek beneath them filled the air. He fidgeted with his mother's ring that was in his pocket nervously. She had left it to him with the instructions that he was to give it to the woman he wanted to marry and somehow, he knew his mother probably knew he would one day put it on Margaret's finger.
"Oh David...I was scared too. The thought of never seeing you again...it broke me a little," she said, as he took her in his arms and they kissed passionately. They may have only been sixteen, but that didn't mean their love wasn't real, despite what people thought.
"Then I hope you don't think I'm crazy with what I'm about to do," he said and she gasped, as he got down on one knee.
"I know we can't get married until we're adults and even if we get engaged now, we have to keep it secret," he said.
"But I'm okay with that...and I know we're young, but I want to marry you someday," he continued.
"Will you marry me?" he asked, as he presented the ring to her. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she sniffed.
"What do you think?" she asked rhetorically, as she held out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up and they shared another passionate kiss.
"Come on...let's go home," she said, as they joined hands and walked home.
"Yeah...what a night," he recalled, as he was remembering that first night of passion.
"I know…" she gushed, as she slipped her arms around his waist and he kissed her hair.
"Are you sure you want to go tonight? I know how many bad memories your father brings up," he said, a little worried about her. She nodded.
"He does...but I need to know what he's up to. Call me crazy...but I just have this feeling that there is a reason we need to go," she replied.
"I would never call you crazy and have always trusted your instincts. Besides, I'm the one that hears voices in his head now," he joked.
"You're not crazy either...that voice saved two little girls. That voice might be the reason you and Henry came back to me," she reminded him. He smiled at her and kissed her again.
"Come on, we should get home and get ready for the dinner party," he suggested. She nodded and hugged his arm, as they walked back to get their kids. Whatever the evening held for them, they knew they would do whatever necessary to keep their family safe.