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: I do recommend watching Manifest. It's a really good show. But this fic doesn't require it as many things will differ from it. Glad you liked that I found a way to introduce some of the dwarves. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks!
Snow White210: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Number Ten: Yes, David is very good at his job. Glad you like the flashbacks and nod to Blue being her horrible self. Yep, Tom Clark is hiding something. Glad you're enjoying!
Grace5231973: Yeah, a case could be made that Blue was looking out for her, but you're right, it's Blue so nah. :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, just part 1. Yeah, he won't be working there too long. David in research mode is sexy af, I agree. I know, it's sad that Lily is dead in this. Yep, some Snowing lovin is always what we need. Yes, Professor Nolan is going to conduct a lesson. Glad you liked the incorporation of the dwarves. Yep, it's that charm that gets him places. Glad you like the flashback and that you're enjoying the story! :)
AnonSnowing: Yeah, mama Margaret fussing over her baby is the best. I know, David with glasses in work mode is sexy. He's overqualified, but he will stop at nothing to save their son. It is very sad that Zoran doesn't remember that Lily is gone. Yep, Professor Nolan is going to conduct a very interesting lesson, lol. Yep, this case is going to hit Emma really close to home. Yeah, Doc is a dufus for sure and David could work circles around him. Yeah, I'm sure David loved puzzles and crosswords. Probably still does. Yeah, those people don't understand true love, especially stupid Blue. I love that they are doing all of this together too. Glad you enjoyed it!
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 22: Snafu, Pt 2
As David arrived home that evening, he saw a man dropping off his daughter and immediately concluded that this must be Lance. He was doing his best to be okay with this man spending time with his daughter and was truly glad that Olive had someone to look after her while he was gone. It was still hard that he was still around now that David was back.
Margaret made it easier, as usual. This man had been fully interested in dating his wife, when he was presumed dead, and he would have wanted happiness for her if he was really gone. But he was grateful that she hadn't moved on. It was still hard seeing this man though. He could see the way he was looking at Olive and even Margaret, as she came out of the house, that he wanted a life with them. The longing in his eyes was unmistakable and set him on edge. He didn't fear him doing anything or making a move; he didn't seem like the type. He had overstepped a bit with Olive, but doubted he would do the same with Margaret. He knew his wife would have a right hook for him if he did, for she had made her feelings to him perfectly clear. He felt eternally grateful for that. Margaret was in love with him and was in no way torn at all with where her heart was.
"You must be Lance," David said, as he extended his hand and the other man shook it.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Lance replied. That was a lie. Both of them probably would have been okay never meeting each other. Margaret stepped in though, as she usually did, and slipped her arms around his waist.
"Hey baby...how was your day?" she asked, as she pecked him on the lips.
"It was good...better now though," he replied.
"Well…I should be going. I'll see you in a few days for the climb, Olive," Lance said, as he retreated to his car and their daughter waved to him.
"Honey...are you sure you're okay watching Henry tonight?" Margaret asked. Olive shrugged.
"Sure...we'll be fine. You and Dad go out...you need it," she said and they smiled at her, as they went inside.
"Hey sweetie...you okay with it just being you and Ollie tonight?" Margaret asked, as their son sat at the table, coloring a picture.
"Sure...pizza and movies for us," Henry replied, as he finished his drawing. It was of a man with a heart on his chest.
"Who is that?" David asked. Henry shrugged.
"I don't know yet," Henry replied, as he put it on the fridge and his parents hugged him, before going to get ready for their evening out.
It had been an eventful day at the station, indeed. Killian and Emma had managed to convince Tom Clark to come in to look at a lineup. If they didn't get a positive ID, then the man they suspected of murdering Tom's brother would go free by the end of the day.
"Okay...we're going to take you into a room with a glass window. In the other room, they'll be bringing in the lineup. None of them can see you," Emma said, as they led him into the room. In the next room, a light was flipped on, as six men were led into the room and lined up beneath the numbers.
"Take your time...no rush," Killian said, as Tom observed the men and his eyes locked on the one beneath number four. At the same time, Emma was hearing the heartbeat again, loudly in her ears, and she still had no idea what it might mean.
"Sorry…I don't recognize any of them," he lied. Emma and Killian exchanged a glance.
"Are you sure...take your time," Killian urged. But he shook his head.
"I'm sorry...I can't make a positive ID," Tom said hurriedly, as he left quickly. Emma sighed.
"He's lying...and it's number four. We need to delay his release somehow," she said.
"I'm sorry Emma...but without an ID or a murder weapon, we have no choice but to cut him loose," Killian replied. She sighed in frustration, as she stared at the man through the glass and the heartbeat hammered in her head. She ran out, trying to get away from it. This man was going to hurt someone else and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
David and Margaret met Regina at the entrance to the auditorium, hand in hand, and then followed her in, where they found three seats near the front of the stage.
"Good evening and welcome, Ladies and Gentleman," the blonde woman said, as she came onto the stage.
"I am Glinda Goode...head of the Singularity Project and possibly more famously, survivor of the mysterious flight 828," she said, as she strolled along the expanse of the stage.
"The mind is an amazing thing. Every mind is unique and different. Yet the potential for many minds to become one is a very real thing," she said.
"My research is considered fringe and even completely insane to some. But mirror neurons is a real science and my research has shown that the human brain can link up with other human brains," Glinda said, as her eyes rested on them.
"At last...I've been waiting for you," she said, unnerving them all...
Emma walked in the door that night, lost in thought, and approached the table where her niece and nephew were playing a game.
"Hey guys…" she said.
"Hey...there's some pizza leftover," Olive offered.
"Thanks...your parents go out?" Emma asked through a mouthful of pepperoni.
"Yeah...wanna play?" Henry asked. She was about to tell them to make a place for her when she saw Henry's drawing on the fridge. The drawing resembled Tom Clark, in his store, with a heart on his chest.
"Aunt Emma?" Henry asked.
"Uh...there's an errand I forgot I had to run. I'll be back soon," she said, as she ran out. Olive and Henry exchanged a glance, shrugged, and then went back to their game.
After Glinda's presentation, David, Margaret, and Regina waited for her just outside the auditorium. Clearly, she too, was aware of the other people that were on the flight with her and were curious if she had been monitoring their lives. Margaret was a bit more uneasy about her than her husband or new step-sister were. David could tell by her narrowed, laser gaze on the woman that his wife had questions and for Glinda's sake, he hoped that she didn't have some ulterior motive against them. He knew his wife and she was ready to pounce on anyone else that was a potential danger to them.
"Thank you for waiting," Glinda said, as she approached.
"What did you mean earlier? That you've been waiting for us? What interest do you have in my family?" Margaret asked. Glinda seemed a bit taken aback by the raven haired beauty's forwardness, but then smiled appreciatively.
"I have no narrowed interest in your family particularly...just passengers in general. I wondered how long it would be until some found their way to me," she replied.
"Looks like some passengers already wandered into your project," Regina stated.
"Excuse me?" Glinda asked. They exchanged a glance.
"You really don't know?" David asked, gauging her reaction.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Glinda replied.
"Then maybe we should go somewhere a little quieter and talk," Regina suggested. Glinda motioned them back into the auditorium, which was deserted now and they sat down.
"Now...perhaps start at the beginning," Glinda said. David looked at Margaret and she nodded, as he began to tell the story, regarding their son and his mysterious fever.
Emma hurried to Tom Clark's store and entered, just as a customer was leaving. It was mostly empty and she approached the counter.
"Detective…" he greeted.
"I...I need to ask you some more questions," she said, as she suddenly noticed the photos on the bulletin board behind him. One photo in particular. Her best and dearly departed friend, Lily.
"Detective?" he questioned, seeing that she seemed shell shocked.
"That photo…" she uttered. He turned and followed her line of sight.
"How do you know her?" Emma asked.
"Oh, you mean Lily?" he asked.
"Yes…" Emma answered.
"About ten years ago, it was discovered that I had a faulty valve in my heart," he said.
"I had a couple surgeries and was taking a lot of medication, but my condition continued to deteriorate over time," he explained.
"My doctors said that my only chance was to get a donor heart, so they put me on the list about seven years ago," he continued.
"To be honest, I wasn't optimistic. I knew my heart would probably give out before I made it to the top of the list, but Stealthy was always optimistic," he said.
"And he was right...about six years ago, a heart became available and I had the emergency surgery," he added, stunning her to speechlessness.
"They told me afterward that the heart came from a young woman that died in a car accident," he said.
"It made me really sad that her life was cut short, but I got to live. My brother asked for her picture from the doctor and the family agreed. They said that I shouldn't feel bad, because their daughter would have loved helping someone like that. It's why they donated her organs," he explained. Tears slipped down Emma's cheeks.
"You knew her?" he asked. She sniffed.
"She was my best friend...I was driving the car that night," Emma admitted, stunning him to speechlessness this time.
"Wow...what are the chances?" he wondered and Emma heard the heartbeat again. This was why...it had to be. The heartbeat suddenly got louder, just as Killian entered the store.
"Hey...you ran out so fast…" he said.
"Later...we need to go," she replied, as they hurried out.
"Emma...what is it?" he asked.
"I...I can't explain. Just...we need to go!" she shouted, as they jumped in his car and he started driving in the direction she instructed. The pounding kept getting louder and then slightly softer, causing her to call out.
"Stop...go back!" she said. Reluctantly, he put them in reverse and brought them to an alleyway. Emma jumped out and hurried down the alleyway, with Killian chasing after her.
"Bloody hell, this woman," he grumbled, as he ran after her.
The man in the red hoodie observed an elderly man using a corner ATM machine to extract some cash. Quietly, he followed the elderly gentleman, as he hobbled back to his apartment building nearby. From his pocket, he produced an almost empty liquor bottle and he broke it on a wall, allowing him to use the spout of the bottle as a handle, while the other end would act like a dangerous, jagged weapon of glass. And with his weapon ready, he ambushed the man, cornering him outside his building.
"Give me the money…" he growled.
"Pl...please, it's all I have…" the old man pleaded.
"Give it up…" he said, threatening to slice his neck. The man's hands shook, almost violently, as he fished out the money. But the murderer wouldn't get the chance to hurt this one, as Emma drew her gun.
"Drop the weapon…" she ordered sternly. He stopped and slowly dropped it, as asked, but he decided to push the old man and make a run for it. Emma holstered her weapon and Killian steadied the old man, before he could fall, while she took off running after their perpetrator. He tried to climb a chain link fence, but Emma easily caught up to him. She grabbed him by the hood and pulled him down, before tossing him to the ground. She put her knee into his back to hold him down, as she cuffed the scumbag and hauled him to his feet.
"You're under arrest," she hissed, as she walked him back to the car.
Glinda listened to their story with rapt attention, extremely intrigued by their story and that of what they had termed Callings.
"And you're sure that some of the passengers are being held somewhere against their will?" she questioned.
"We're positive...my sister tracked down their former location. She thinks it was a government black site and couldn't get access. Since then, they've likely been moved," David said.
"And you took a job at this accounting firm? The one that handles the finances for Unified Dynamic Systems?" she asked. He nodded.
"The same company that's funding your Singularity project," Regina said pointedly.
"I understand how that looks, but I assure you that I have very little involvement with my funding source. They approached me and offered to fund my research," Glinda said.
"Well, even if that's true, they might be using your experimental research on these passengers, which in turn is endangering our son," Margaret said sternly.
"And I would never want such a thing," Glinda said.
"My research was never intended to be used to experiment on unwilling subjects. This is horrifying," she admitted.
"Do you think you could find out more about your funding source?" David asked.
"It's possible...not easy, but I will try," Glinda replied.
"Really?" Margaret asked skeptically. She nodded.
"If there are people in danger, especially a child, then I must. My research is meant to be used for good...and this is definitely not that," she said.
"Thank you…" Margaret said. Glinda smiled and nodded.
"I want no part of this evil and will do what I can," she promised.
"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Regina mentioned, as they exited and began trekking to their cars.
"It did...but I still need to get my hands on more information," he said.
"Well...you mentioned that your boss is an idiot so it shouldn't be terribly hard to swipe his badge again. You did it once already, after all," Regina replied. He nodded.
"He's obsessed with the plane...and I'm sure I can use that to our advantage again," David said.
"Just be careful...if the people behind this figure out you're digging, they could come after you," Margaret said worriedly. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her tenderly.
"I will be…" he promised. With that, they said goodnight to Regina and went home for the evening.
Emma entered Tom Clark's shop again, a little later, and fished out some pints of ice cream from his freezer. She put them on the counter and he rang her up.
"That's a lot of ice cream," he teased. She smirked.
"My niece and nephew will eat all mine if I don't get them some," she replied.
"So...you caught the guy," he asked.
"We did...we've got him on armed robbery," she replied.
"That's it?" Tom asked. She shrugged.
"Without a positive ID from you and the murder weapon, we're not going to be able to get murder charges," she replied, as became pensive for a moment.
"If we had the murder weapon...then we could match it to him and send him away for life," she mentioned, as Tom avoided her gaze.
"Tom...I know you have the knife," she said, as he looked up.
"How?" he asked. She shrugged again.
"You wanted to carry out your own justice and to a degree, I get that. But trust me...letting the justice system do its job, especially with a case this airtight is the way to go," she urged. He sighed and produced an item wrapped in cloth from behind the counter. She put a glove on and unwrapped it, revealing the bloody knife. She produced an evidence bag and put it inside.
"I...I can come and identify him," he offered. She smiled.
"Tomorrow morning, nine sharp," she replied, before taking the paper bag of ice cream off the counter.
"Take care of that heart...it's special," she implored. He smiled.
"I will," he promised, as she walked out, feeling much lighter than she had in a long time.
They arrived home to find their kids asleep on the couch in front of a movie. David smiled and turned off the television, while Margaret gently shook Olive awake.
"Go on up to bed, honey," she urged. Olive nodded and they hugged her between them.
"Night peanut," David said, as she headed up, while he lifted Henry into his arms. Together, they went upstairs and took him into his room. He watched, as Margaret gently undressed him and helped her put him in his pajamas, before they tucked him.
"He is out," David whispered, as they watched him sleep.
"I know...I'm glad he's sleeping so well now and no fever," she mentioned. He kissed her forehead.
"And I'm going to do everything I have to in order to keep it that way," he promised, as they quietly left his room and made their way to their own.
"What a night…" she mentioned, as he helped her unzip her dress.
"I know...I thought you were going to rip Glinda's head off," he mentioned, as he unbuttoned his shirt. She winced.
"I guess I got a little carried away when I thought she might be behind everything," she said.
"You're protective...and have reason to be. Besides, it was sexy," he said, as he put his arms around her, as she stood there in her undergarments. She bit her bottom lip.
"Really?" she purred.
"Very," he said in a husky tone. He kissed her tenderly, at first, and it quickly grew passionate and smoldering. He cupped her face in his hands and then slowly slid them down her neck. Goosebumps formed on her skin, as he put his hands on her body. She was still getting used to having him back, in a very good way, of course. She had been absent without his touch for so long and only had her dreams. The memory of his touch on her body had still been there though, like it was part of her and sewn into her skin. But his touch still drove her crazy and she gasped for air, as he released her lips and kissed her throat.
"Make love to me…" she breathed desperately. He gently lifted her into bed and settled atop her, as their passion and love consumed them in the physical culmination...