AN: Thanks for the incredible response to this Snowing story! See previous chapter for important authors notes on characters and story notes.
Important note: Milah is not Neal's father in this universe. Cora is I've taken some liberties again with characters and back stories. :)
Special Note: The characters of Anton and Trina Vasik are Manifest characters.
This one will update bi-weekly on Wednesday nights now. Please consider leaving a review, it is much appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:
Jennifer Baratta: I know, Killian is being a jerk.
Ghostwriter: Yep, things are heating up. Glad you're enjoying!
Grace5231973: Yep, Killian is being a huge jerk. I hope Emma and David can help them too.
Sexystarwarslover: Yes, I think they'll find them and sort it out. I think David will figure out the death date too. Yep, Margaret loves taking care of her family and Emma secretly loves it too. Yes, David will do anything for his family. Yeah, Cora definitely has ice water in her veins. She knows that's her son, but she doesn't care. Yep, Sidney is going to dig a little on Cora. Yeah, Henry wants to find Neal. Yep, Granny has made an entrance. Yep, a flashback to her first pregnancy and yeah, Emma was totally the practice kid. I love David's dad jokes, lol. Yep, they are on the case! Glad you're enjoying!
AnonSnowing: Yeah, it would be hard to explain and not all of them would react well. No, he'll never leave Margaret if he can help it. I know, David is such a dad and a very hot dad. Nope, Cora is stone cold. Doesn't pause or care that Neal is her son. Yeah, Neal is changing. I know, Henry's drawings are impressive. I hope they find them too. Sounds like they are misinterpreting the Callings. Yep, Emma was their practice kid and should trademark her eye roll. Hopefully they can find them. Glad you're enjoying!
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 51: Fasten Your Seatbelts, Pt 3
After visiting the Vasik residence, Emma insisted that David go home and be with Margaret and the kids, while she sneaked back into the station to see what she could dig up in the system regarding the missing couple. Unfortunately, Killian spotted her immediately and approached her desk.
"Emma…what are you doing?" he questioned.
"Just a little research," she responded vaguely.
"Emma…level with me or I'll boot you out of here myself," he warned. She huffed in annoyance.
"Fine…there's a couple passengers missing," she replied. He sighed.
"Then leave it to the proper authorities. You're still on leave," he said. She rolled her eyes and pointed to the missing board.
"Look at that board, Killian…no one is looking for any of these people and they certainly won't make a couple of 828 people a top priority. I have to do this," she replied.
"Emma…you need to stop following these Callings. They're getting dangerous," he said.
"The only thing dangerous is apparently me being in the same room as you and Neal," she shot back. It was a little low, but she was in no mood for him right now.
"That was stone cold," he commented.
"And you know it was an accident," Emma said. He shook his head stubbornly.
"No I don't…and he bought that gun with the intention of shooting someone," he hissed, as they tried to keep their arguing quiet.
"To shoot Griffin! He was afraid that Griffin was going to reveal the Callings. Do you have any idea how much that would have blown up our lives? We would have had to leave the city if we wanted a moment of peace," Emma said. Killian was quiet for a moment.
"It was still wrong," he said. She scoffed.
"Then I was right when I told him to run," Emma retorted.
"You did what?" he questioned, but she didn't repeat it and found a little information on the Vasiks. She hit the print button, got what she wanted off the printer and left the station, leaving Killian behind, angry and frustrated.
David pulled into the driveway and saw his wife unloading some groceries from the trunk of her SUV. He hopped out and hurried to help her with the bags.
"Hey…I'll get these. I don't want you lifting anything too heavy," he chided. She smiled at him.
"Baby…I'm not even showing yet, but thank you. Always my Charming to the rescue," she said, as he followed her inside. He put the bags down and went back out to get the rest. As he got the last one, he noticed an unmarked white van across the street. He thought it was very odd and eyed it suspiciously for a moment, before going back inside.
"Did you and Emma find out anything about that couple?" she asked, as she started putting things away.
"Yeah…this was their basement wall," David said, as he pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to her.
"Wow…that's a bit obsessive," she mentioned.
"Yeah…it was kind of Deja Vu. It's not far off my wall," he replied. She shook her head.
"No…your wall is mostly research and it's not obsessive," she replied, as he gave her a look.
"Okay…maybe a little, but that's just because you're trying to protect us by figuring all this out," she said.
"I think they're definitely getting Callings, but I think they may be misinterpreting them," he replied.
"Well…it's happened to you and Emma. Do you think they're in trouble?" she asked.
"Not sure…but I remember talking to the husband on the plane. He said they couldn't wait to get home to the kids and that the trip wasn't much fun without them. They wouldn't just up and leave their kids," he replied.
"Sounds like us," she said, as she slipped her arms around his neck.
"As much as we enjoy our alone time…and we do," she said, as he kissed her tenderly.
"We would miss the kids too and trips are much more fun with them," she admitted.
"Agree…but speaking of kids, where are ours?" he asked.
"Oh, well Olive is studying with a friend and Henry is with grandpa Robert," she said slyly.
"Oh…so we're alone?" he asked. She bit her bottom lip and kissed him again, before leading him upstairs to take advantage of some alone time.
"And it turns out that in a few years, my research has the potential to expand to treat adolescent cases," Regina said, as she sat down with her therapist.
"That's truly wonderful," Fiona said, as she pretended to scribble something down.
"You speak about your work almost as passionately as you do your new family," she mentioned. Regina smiled.
"I never thought I'd have a sibling or even want one, but I love having a sister and a niece and nephew. And David is wonderful too…Margaret is a lucky woman," she mentioned.
"Yes…and soon there will be a new niece or nephew," Fiona mentioned. Regina smiled brightly.
"I know…I don't think I've ever been this excited," she said.
"Okay Regina…I think it's time for you to stop wasting your money. In our sessions, you've done nothing but hold back about what you really need to talk about and if you're not ready to open up…then I think we're done," Fiona replied. Regina sighed and got up to leave, as Fiona turned away. She started to leave, but then turned back.
"Something happened to us on that plane," Regina said. Fiona smirked deviously. Finally, she was ready to tell her everything.
Emma traversed the streets, chasing down any leads she could on the Vasiks, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Neal on the corner in front of her. Out in the open. She hurried to him and was ready to scream at him in exasperation.
"What are you doing out here!?" she exclaimed, as she heard sirens.
"You need to run…go," she said. He shrugged.
"Sorry Emma…I'm turning myself in. It's for the best," he replied.
"No…it's not, Neal. It was an accident," she insisted.
"You can't change my mind," Neal said, as she put her hand on his arm and another Calling assaulted her. It was a yellow car, teetering over a commuter bridge. She gasped and they looked at each other.
"I…I gotta go. Please don't do this," she pleaded.
"I'm sorry," he replied, as she hurried off, reluctantly. She had to find David or she feared that things would end in tragedy for the Vasiks.
David kissed her passionately, as they bathed in the afterglow of their lovemaking and she relished being held by him. She would never take it for granted again. A small pang of panic was there though, as the death date was still looming above them like a dark cloud. She was scared about it, but had all the faith in the world that they would figure out a way to beat it.
"Mmm…I don't know what I will do if I lose you again," she mentioned.
"Shh…you're not going to lose me," he said, as he kissed her shoulder.
"I'm going to figure this out…I refuse to believe that I defied logic, science, and all reason to come back to you, only to "die" again in five years," he replied.
"Griffin did actually die…or should have. We don't really know what happened in the sky," she reasoned.
"Exactly and I'm not sure science or logic will ever have an answer. It doesn't mean the answer isn't plausible. History is full of stories of paranormal happenings. Despite what most of the science world says, including all my former colleagues, sometimes there is no logical explanation," he reasoned. She smiled and kissed him again.
"You always did have more faith in things you couldn't see or touch. It's not something you find often in a scientist or math guy," she mentioned. He smiled.
"That's because I have you and we've always defied logic. Our love showed me that anything is possible," he replied. She melted into him at that point and as they were about to make love again, his phone rang and they pulled apart.
"It's Emma…" he said, as he answered.
"Hey…" he answered.
"Can you meet me at the George Washington bridge? I think I've spotted the Vasiks' car. I had another Calling and it brought me here," she explained.
"Of course…we'll be right there," he said, as they got up and got dressed, before hurrying out of the house. David drove them across the city and it was dark by the time they arrived.
David pulled up near the bridge and parked the car, as they got out and joined hands.
"We got here as soon as we could," he called.
"Did you find them?" Margaret asked.
"Yellow Pontiac…over there. It's the vehicle that's registered to them," Emma said. Cautiously, they approached the vehicle and saw that the couple was inside. Anton Vasik looked startled, as they approached, but David put his hands up in a surrendering motion. The other man rolled down the window.
"Go away," he said.
"Anton…do you remember me? We met on the plane," David replied. Anton looked at him and then nodded.
"We're here to help," Emma said, but he shook his head.
"You can't…we have to do this. It's the only way to stop the voices!" he cried.
"Callings…" David said, as he looked at him again.
"That's what we call them…we all get them. They mean something and we've got a bit of experience in deciphering what they mean," he explained.
"The second death calls us…we have to do this," his wife said.
"Second death?" Emma asked.
"We saw it…the Calling is us driving off this cliff. Our children were with us, so we left them and this is the only way to prevent that!" Anton insisted, as he pressed on the gas, but Emma jumped in front of the car. Margaret gasped and touched David's arm, gasping suddenly, as she saw what the Vasiks' saw. It was a car, hanging off a cliff, with a family inside.
"I saw it…" Margaret said. David looked at her and his eyes widened.
"Did…did you just have a Calling?" he asked.
"I…how is that possible?" she asked. He sobered for a moment and swallowed, as he put a hand on her stomach. Her eyes widened and she realized that it was the baby. The baby had a Calling and she was having it thru their unborn child.
"There was a car hanging on a cliff…but there were children in the car. There's no children in this car…it can't be them," Margaret insisted.
"They misinterpreted the Calling," Emma said, as she looked behind her at the cliff. Slowly, she approached the cliff and spotted a car, hanging precariously off the cliff. There was a crying family inside and she gasped.
"David…call 911!" she cried, as they peered over the cliff with her.
"Oh my God…" Margaret said, as he made the call and Emma called down to them.
"Hang on! We're calling for help!" she shouted, before going back to the Vasiks' car.
"You need to see this…the Calling wasn't telling you and your wife to kill yourselves!" Emma insisted, as the couple exited the car and walked toward the cliff. They looked over and gasped, as they saw a couple in the car with children, just like their visions.
"This…this is what we were seeing?" Anton asked. Emma nodded.
"Sometimes the Callings are confusing and not always clear. They are easily misinterpreted, but now that we've solved this one, this one will stop," Emma explained.
"Will it happen again?" Anton's wife asked.
"I don't know…we get them a lot, but some passengers don't get them all the time," Emma replied. It was true. Many of the people they had helped got them in one situation and then never again. Glinda Goode, before disappearing again with the Captain, had never had one at all. And for some reason, it seemed that she and David were two of the Callings' favorite recipients.
They heard sirens approaching, as a fire truck, an ambulance, several cop cars, and a truck with the right equipment arrived for the rescue. The three of them and the Vasiks stood off to the side, while the rescue happened and the car was pulled up.
Killian arrived as one of the responding officers and made his way over to them to take their statements.
"How do you three keep ending up in the middle of these things?" he asked.
"You know how," Emma replied. He sighed.
"So I guess we're going with the old you just happened to be passing by?" he asked.
"We were looking for the Vasiks…they led us here. They had the Calling too," Emma replied.
"And if I put that in a report…you know what happens to all of you," Killian warned.
"The Vasiks were missing…we were just looking for them on behalf of their kids," David replied.
"You're not a cop, David…you shouldn't have even known about any missing persons," Killian argued.
"We just rescued a family, because of my David and Emma! And the Vasiks'!" Margaret interjected.
"I know this makes your job harder, Killian…but make something up if you have to, because whatever is at work here is beyond us and we did something good tonight. Yet the scrutiny on the passengers as if they are evil has never been worse!" she cried. He sighed.
"Margaret…I would never think David or Emma is evil. But we have procedures," he said.
"Then write this down. My wife and I were out for a drive. We have been doing that a lot lately and we parked here near the bridge to talk," Anton interjected. His wife nodded.
"We heard the children yelling," she said.
"Why didn't you call 911 right away?" he asked.
"We were scared, because we're passengers and the police don't like to talk to us," Anton replied.
"That's not a lie," Emma murmured.
"So we called David…he and I spoke on the plane and I remembered that his sister was a cop. They came to help and called the Police," Anton said. Killian sighed.
"Fine…but this has to be the last time I do this. If your names keep popping up in these events and internal affairs gets curious…you know there's nothing I'll be able to do to stop it," he warned. Emma nodded.
"Thanks," she said, as he went back to his car to start the report. Margaret hugged Emma and then they exchanged handshakes with the Vasiks.
"Thank you…you saved our lives," he said.
"Just reach out to us if you have any more Callings and don't do anything drastic again," David said. Anton smiled.
"Promise," he replied.
"Now go home to your kids," Margaret said, as David put his arm around her.
"Yeah…cause that's where we're going too," he said, as he led her back to the car and Emma grabbed a ride with them.
Later at home, Emma grabbed some ice cream out of the freezer, as Henry sat at the table with his sketchpad.
"Is that Neal?" she asked. He nodded.
"Why doesn't Neal think he's important?" Henry asked. She remembered earlier and knew he planned to turn himself in, if he hadn't already. And if Henry was right, which he had yet to be wrong, she had no idea what consequences it would have if he went to prison. If Neal had the death date then that meant he had less than a year. They had less than a year to figure out how to stop what was coming…or Neal would die. She shuddered at that and leaned down to hug her nephew.
"I don't know kid…but we'll figure this out," she promised, as she saw him up to bed and then decided to crash in the basement room she kept in her brother's house.
"Night," she called, as she saw David come into the kitchen to take the garbage out to the curb.
"Night Em," he called, as he trekked outside and put the garbage down on the curb. Just as he was about to go back inside, he spotted that same white, unmarked van from earlier. Frustrated and angry that someone might be watching him and his family, he stalked toward the van. In retrospect, he would probably realize it was a really dumb thing to do, but the husbandly and fatherly instincts in him lead him to act rashly.
"Hey!" he shouted, as he approached the van.
"Who are you!?" he shouted, as the van door slid open and he's grabbed by another from behind. The man put a bag over his head, while another pulled him into the van.
"Who are you!?" he spat, as he struggled with the men. He felt his hands be tied behind his back and the van started moving. He tried to gauge how much time passed before the van stopped and he guessed about twenty minutes. He struggled, as he was pulled out of the van and marched somewhere, before being forced to sit in a chair. He heard the door open and then close. Before he could start asking questions again, the bag was removed from his head and he could finally see again. And he was shocked to see who was sitting across from him. Vance smirked, enjoying that David was speechless for the moment.
"You're not the only one that can come back from the dead,"