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:
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Ghostwriter: Thanks, so glad you enjoyed it!
Number Ten: Yeah, we never really learned what happened to him in the show...yet anyway, so we'll see. That's cool that you know that fountain! Glad you're enjoying it. :)
Grace5231973: Yeah, David and Olive are due for a good talk. It's hard to say what happened to Leo. Hopefully, we'll eventually find out in the show too.
Sexystarwarslover: Lol, yes, ice cream seems to be a staple in this house. Yeah, it's good that Thomas will be safe. Yep, he was a stowaway on the plane, so that's why he's not on the manifest. Yep, Gold always knows somehow. I love the head cradle he does too. Yep, a letter from the insurance company can't be good. Lol, yep, Olive is taking after her Aunt here. I know, that was a hard thing for David to hear. I know, David in glasses is sexy as hell. Yep, he figured out a way to keep the insurance company at bay. Yep, some steamy Snowing. Yeah, Henry knows better, lol. Glad you enjoyed it! :)
AnonSnowing: Yep, Thomas was a stowaway, so that's why he wasn't on the manifest. No, not Leo from FYA. This is actually a Leo from the show that we never really learned what happened to him. Yet anyway. Yep, Thomas is in danger and it's best if Vance doesn't get to him. Yeah, I love the head cradle too. I feel bad for Thomas too. But at least Vance didn't get him. Yeah, unfortunately, the insurance company wants their money back. But you're right, David and Margaret can get through anything together. Teen years are tough and Olive is acting out. It's high time for a good talk between her and David. Ha, yep sexy math! Yeah, I'm not sure how that would work since it's not technically insurance fraud. It's hard to say how that would work. I forgot to mark the scene, I apologize. I didn't think this one was that racy, but I need to watch that. Nope, Henry doesn't buy it. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 17: Friction
Upon leaving the subway, Emma decided to run by the station out of sheer curiosity. She knew Killian didn't want her there and refused to tell who was really responsible for blowing the ATF operation.
She winced, as she listened to Killian be chewed out by ATF and saw Graham look up, meeting her eyes. The ATF agent stormed out and she exchanged a look with Killian, as he came out of the office too, heading for his desk.
"You can't fire Killian," she blurted out. Graham blew out a breath.
"They originally wanted his badge, but I'm trying to talk them down to just suspension," Graham said.
"Then there's something I need to tell you," Emma said, but Killian interrupted.
"Emma...can I see you? Now?" he asked. She scoffed and followed him out to his desk.
"I'm not letting you take the fall for my screw up," she hissed.
"Look Emma...I don't know what's going on with you, but Vance is watching," he warned. She had suspected that, but it was still a sobering fact.
"That's why you need to tell me what's going on. I know when you're hiding something and I think it has to do with the plane," he said.
"It does...but I can't. I'm sorry," she replied, as she fled the station, leaving him frustrated.
David knocked on his daughter's door and it wasn't closed, so he peered in.
"Hey...you mind if we talk?" he asked. She looked up from her phone and shrugged. He took that as an affirmative and sat down on the foot of her bed.
"So Mom told you?" Olive asked. He smiled.
"Well, your Mom and I don't really have secrets. You know us, we do everything together, especially when one of our kids is hurting and needs us," he replied, as he saw a tear slip down her cheek.
"I'm sorry Dad…" she said, as he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.
"I'm such a screw up...and I didn't want you to see that," she confessed, as he hugged her and cradled her head against his chest.
"Lance...he knows what a train wreck I am and you still see me as a little girl," she said.
"And I'm not...I'm not that little girl anymore," she rambled.
"Hey…" he said gently, as he pulled back so he could look into her eyes.
"I'm never going to think less of you, no matter what you do," David assured her. She nodded.
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have called Lance, because I'm really glad you're back," she confessed. He smiled and hugged her again.
"Me too...and I'm not going anywhere this time," he promised, as they heard Regina call from downstairs.
"Hello?" she called, as they emerged from her room.
"I hope I'm not intruding, but I thought a little ice cream was in order," she said, as they came down the stairs.
"Ice cream!" Henry called, as he came bounding out of his room with Margaret on his heels.
"How goes the Death Star?" David asked, as he joined up with her at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh, it definitely takes a backseat to ice cream," she said, as they went into the kitchen together.
"Emma should be along soon. I got her some rocky road," Regina said, as Margaret put it in the freezer.
"Thanks," she said.
"So...I assume everything is working out for our stowaway?" David asked.
"For now," Emma said, as she arrived home.
"He's safe for the time being, but I told Bethany that we're going to have to find a way to get him out of the city, because I think Vance is onto the whole thing," she added, as they all started eating their ice cream.
"So how are things at the station?" Margaret asked. The blonde looked at her.
"How do you know I went to the station?" Emma asked. Margaret tilted her head to the side and Emma rolled her eyes.
"You're practically my oldest, same age child. Trust me...I know you," she said, making David chuckle and earn a glower from his sister.
"Shut up," Emma grumbled.
"Fine…I went there and it's not good," she replied.
"I want to take responsibility...but he won't let me. He says Vance is watching," she said.
"Yeah, he definitely is, along with that Mr. Gold. He's even more mysterious," Regina mentioned.
"He asked me what was going on...but I told him that I can't tell him," Emma said.
"That's probably for the best, Em. It's hard for some people to swallow," David replied.
"That's easy for you to say...you have someone to talk to when you get Callings," she retorted. She sighed.
"I'm sorry...this is just frustrating. I mean, I really blew it and if Killian doesn't lose his badge, he's getting suspended for sure," she lamented, as Margaret put an arm around her shoulders and then looked at her husband.
"Maybe letting Killian in on this wouldn't be so bad. I mean, he was almost family," she said.
"No…David is right. We don't even know what these Callings are. We don't even know if they're good," Emma said.
"But...they've helped both of you do good things," Margaret said.
"For now," Regina chimed in.
"But she has a point. Can we just blindly follow these voices without question?" she asked.
"We need to be cautious...but we're getting these Callings for a reason," he reminded them.
"Something happened on that plane and listening to the Callings might be the only way to figure out what," David said. And none of them could disagree with that.
"I'm gonna get some air," Emma said, as she put her ice cream away and left on a walk.
"I hope so...I think I'm going to go back to the hospital for a while and study the MRI's a bit more," Regina said, as she bid them goodnight and left.
"Okay you two...finish up and then upstairs for bed," Margaret said, as she put their dishes in the sink. David put his arms around her and kissed her cheek.
"She's right, you know…" he mentioned.
"Mmm…" she hummed in agreement.
"I have you...and even though you weren't on the plane, you're completely understanding. You always help me and support me, no matter what. I know most of the other people on the plane can't say that about their spouses that weren't with them," he said.
"And I always will help and support you, my love. You're my life...you and our babies," she replied, as he kissed her tenderly.
"And I am the luckiest man on this Earth because of you," he said, as they shared a smile.
"Emma will be fine. She may not have a lover there for her right now, but she has us and she always will," she reminded him.
"As usual...you're right," he agreed.
"Mmm...a woman never tires of hearing that," she teased, as he pulled her into his arms.
"Come on...let's go to bed," she said in a sultry tone, as she took his hand and led him to the bedroom.
Emma walked briskly through the streets and was unsurprised when she found herself back in front of the Angel of the Waters fountain.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, as she stood there for quite some time in silent contemplation.
Vance stormed into the conference room, where Mr. Gold sat with a photo of the known stowaway, Thomas Struck, on the screen.
"I take it that you have no developments in this case," Gold commented.
"My request to bring in Regina Mills for questioning on this matter was denied," Vance said.
"Well, that makes sense. It isn't unusual for Regina Mills to be at her place of employment. I am sure it's a mere coincidence that Thomas Struck was being treated at this same hospital," Gold stated. Vance gave him a skeptical glare.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked. Gold smirked.
"There is no such thing as a coincidence," Gold responded.
"On that, we agree…" Vance said, as he looked at the photo.
"What about the flight attendant?" Gold asked.
"In the wind, for now. But we'll get her and I'm sure she knows exactly where Mr. Struck is," Vance replied.
"As for the Nolans...they're somewhere deep in this too," he added.
"Oh, that is for sure and that's exactly why we should let them be for now. They're the key to all of this...I'm convinced of it," Gold responded.
"You think they know what happened or caused it?" Vance questioned.
"Oh no...they have no idea where they were during that time nor did they cause any of it to happen. But they have been chosen by whatever is responsible to carry out its will," Gold replied.
"Its will? Whose will? God? Extraterrestrials? A flying spaghetti monster? Satan?" Vance rattled off derisively.
"I don't know...but the Nolans are not the enemy. Regardless of what it is...it will serve you well to accept that something larger than all of us is responsible. I think good or bad is a little black and white. I prefer to make my deals in an area of gray," Gold said.
"Do you always speak in code or riddles?" Vance questioned in annoyance.
"It keeps things interesting," Gold quipped.
"Be that as it may, Mr. Gold...your deal with the United States government hinges upon results and so far, you have none," Vance replied.
"Are you saying that you no longer require my services?" Gold asked, but Vance was silent. They had nothing, but without Gold, he felt they would continue to have nothing.
"That's what I thought. Sit back and relax, Director. The show is just beginning," Gold replied, as they looked at the photos of the Nolans on the screen.
Margaret giggled, as she and David came out of the bathroom that morning, wrapped in towels, fresh from the shower.
"Oooh...that was a fun shower," she said playfully, as he put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.
"Really fun," he agreed in a husky voice and she turned in his arms so she could kiss him.
"So...more job hunting today? I can drop Henry off with your dad if you need me to," she said, as they started getting dressed.
"Actually, I've put my resume out there and it's mostly a waiting game right now. I can take him and spend the day. We'll do guy stuff," he replied.
"He will love that," she said fondly, as they finished getting ready and headed out to the kitchen, hand in hand. They weren't surprised to see that the kids were up, but they were surprised by what was on the news, though they probably shouldn't have been.
"Looks like they went to the press, after all," Olive said.
"And if you're just joining us, we're talking with Wall Street mogul, Leopold Blanchard. Mr. Blanchard is the father-in-law and grandfather to two flight eight-two-eight passengers, David Nolan and his son Henry," the reporter said.
"I'm going to kill him," Margaret said, as her husband and son's photos flashed on the screen.
"Mr. Blanchard is the father of Mr. Nolan's wife, Margaret, who was not on the plane with them. Margaret has been estranged from her father for many years and last night, made quite the spectacle at her father's residence," the reporter said.
"What is this? Gossip 101?" Olive said.
"Mr. Blanchard...can you tell us what occurred?" the reporter asked, as Leopold was there for an in person interview in his best two thousand dollar Armani suit.
"Yes...well, I invited Margaret and her family to my home for a dinner party. When she agreed, I was hoping that this would be a new beginning for our family," he said.
"It sounds as though things didn't go as planned," the reporter said.
"I'm afraid not. Margaret accused me of trying to use her family for some kind of publicity stunt," he explained.
"Because that's exactly what you're doing!" Margaret cried at the television, as David put his arms around her waist.
"Margaret has always been headstrong and I should have expected her overreaction," he continued.
"Okay...now I want to kill him," David said in annoyance.
"Yes...we've read the stories. Margaret was living with her now husband at a very young age, wasn't she?" the reporter asked.
"Yes...naturally, I was very worried about that kind of activity at her young age, but she defied me at every turn. She took the steps though at sixteen and emancipated herself. However, I really wanted to put all that ugliness behind us, but she didn't give me the chance," Leopold said and Margaret scoffed at that.
"Do you think she or her husband are hiding something? Concerning the plane?" the reporter asked.
"Here we go," David muttered.
"I don't know...it's possible as the whole thing is very mysterious. Margaret also never moved on when David went missing. She refused to do so. However, I wanted to overlook it all and make a gesture of goodwill," he said.
"Yes...you have an announcement of sorts, right?" the reporter asked.
"Yes…I wanted to tell her that I was going to make a donation to the pediatric wing of the hospital that is treating my grandson, in his name, of course," Leopold said, as a large check was produced for show.
"That is very generous of you," the reporter said.
"No it's not...this will get him free publicity for a year and drive up his stocks," Margaret said. She knew her father could care less about charity. It was simply a means to make himself look like a good person.
"It's the least I can do. I've only met my grandson once now, but he is a fine young man and with this new treatment, he will have a new lease on life. I only hope that I get to meet him again," Leopold said.
"And just like that...I win the worst daughter of the year award," Margaret said, as she flipped off the television and stormed to her bedroom. David sighed and got the cereal boxes out.
"I got it, Dad…" Olive said, as she proceeded to get a quick breakfast for her and Henry.
"Thanks Ollie," he said, as he kissed her head and then went to comfort his wife.
"Hey…" he said, as he sat down on the bed beside her.
"Why can't he just stay out of our lives," she sniffed.
"People in power don't like it when they don't get their way," he reasoned, as she turned to him and let him pull her into his arms.
"Hey...why don't you take the day off?" he suggested, but she shook her head.
"It's too late to get a sub," she said, as she kissed him.
"I'll be fine...I just wasn't expecting him to do that, but I should have been. He loves good press and if he can turn the plane into a good thing for him, then he will," she added.
"Maybe you should talk too. Tell the reporters what he did to us or tried to do," he suggested.
"You know that we'll still come off looking like the unruly teenagers and he will come off looking like the strict, but caring father," she said, shaking her head.
"I tell them he was neglectful and all they'll see is a poor little rich girl living in a mansion with caretakers and servants," she said.
"I tell them that I was in love, despite our young age and all they'll see is two teenagers sleeping together and living together in high school. There is no way we come out of that looking good," she lamented, as she rested her head on his shoulder and slipped her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, they didn't understand our love then so I doubt they will now," he agreed.
"And now he's throwing money at the hospital and I'm just the ungrateful daughter that cut him out of my life and kept his grandchildren from him," she said.
"Screw 'em," he said, as he looked into her eyes.
"We know the truth. We know the kind of man he really is and exactly why he's doing this. It has nothing to do with Henry's well being and everything to do with his business," he replied. She smiled.
"You, me and Em against the world again," she mused.
"Plus two now," he said, adding the kids.
"Three if you include my new step-sister. That's wild...my mother never mentioned knowing Cora," she replied.
"Well, from what I remember about your mother, I doubt she and Cora would have been friends," he said and she hummed in agreement.
"Well…I guess we should get going. I can drop Olive at school. You're okay with Henry today?" she asked.
"Yeah sure...maybe we'll go to Coney Island. He'll love that," he replied.
"That sounds way more fun than work," she said, as they joined hands and saw their kids putting their cereal bowls in the sink.
"Are you ready?" Margaret asked their daughter, as she got her bag.
"Yeah...and I'm sure Dad already told you, but screw the haters, Mom, especially Leopold. We have one grandfather and that's grandpa Robert," Olive said, as they shared a hug.
"Thanks baby," she said, as David hugged her too.
"Have a good day at school, peanut," he replied, as the boys saw them off.
"So...what are we doing today?" Henry asked excitedly.
"Well, we could go bowling...or Coney Island," David replied.
"Coney Island!" Henry called, as they high fived.
"Okay...get your bag. It's guys day out," he replied, as he watched his son run up to get his stuff and then watched his wife and daughter drive off. He hoped they had a good day and really hoped this was truly the end with Leopold. He knew that was probably wishful thinking, but he at least hoped that Margaret's estranged father wouldn't cause them anymore trouble.