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 character of TJ Morrison is a Manifest character. The characters of Nick and Greta Branson are based on Hansel(also known as Jack and Nick Branson) and Gretel from Once season 7.
This one will update bi-weekly on Sunday nights now. Please consider leaving a review, it is much appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:
Jennifer Baratta: Yep, Cora and Fiona are both up to no good. Glad you're enjoying!
sexystarwarslover: Yep, she did not fall and I think she was intent in making sure they knew she didn't fall. You'll see why. No, I'm sure David and Margaret are not thrilled about Emma putting herself at risk like that. Luckily it worked out. I love David and TJ teaming up too. I love David being a protective big brother too. Yeah, David didn't mean for him to hear about it like that. Yep, the peacock has surfaced again and definitely means something. They'll find a way. Glad you're enjoying!
Willow's Poppies: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Grace5231973: Yep, hope and not fear, but Baron is definitely not on the up and up. I know, poor Johanna and Margaret. Yep, Fiona took the bait. Glad you're enjoying!
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 61: Coordinated Flight, Pt 1
Margaret sniffed, as David held her after she made her statement to Killian.
"So she left here around 4:30 in the afternoon," he asked gently. She nodded and sniffed.
"I asked her if she'd like to stay for dinner, but she declined and said she was going home," Margaret answered. He nodded.
"Thank you Margaret," he said sincerely.
"Who would do this?" she wondered.
"I'm not sure, my love…but they'll find the person that did," David promised, as he held her close.
"He's right…and we don't have the whole picture yet. There is still a possibility this is still an accident," he said, as an officer came in.
"Detective…can I speak to you for a moment?" he asked. Killian nodded and went to talk to the uniformed officer for a moment and then turned back. His facial expression was clear. He had new information and it wasn't good.
"What's going on?" David asked.
"There's been a development and we have enough to make an arrest," he said.
"That was fast," Emma said suspiciously. He sighed.
"That happens when we find incriminating evidence. Apparently, there is a letter full of threats and it's on its way to the lab," Killian said.
"You got the cliff's notes on that letter?" Emma asked.
"Yes…apparently, threats were made for Johanna Mason to keep silent on what she knew and they are signed by Leopold Blanchard," he announced, causing Margaret to gasp.
"What kinds of threats?" Regina asked curiously.
"According to the explanation I was given…it was in regards to the murder of his wife, years ago," Killian answered, as he looked at Margaret.
"Leopold killed Margaret's mother?" David asked, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
"That's why she disappeared from my life…she knew all these years," Margaret cried, as he held her and fresh tears came.
"Are you going to arrest him?" Emma asked.
"Yes…and there is no way to do this quietly. He's extremely high profile," Killian replied.
"Yeah…it's like walking into a landmine. The press will be salivating…and I want to be there," Emma said.
"Normally I'd fight you on this…but I need the backup," he said.
"Don't worry…they've already ripped me to shreds in their papers and now it's your turn as the arresting Detective. It's kind of fun actually," Emma joked. He smirked and watched her hug her brother and sister-in-law, promising that she'd be back soon with news.
"Oh…and the press will be a huge problem. I need an officer detail on the house here," she said.
"We'll call Graham on the way…I'm sure he'll approve it in this situation," he replied, as he watched her watch Margaret.
"Hey…she'll be okay," he assured her.
"I know…she's strong, but this stress isn't good for the baby," Emma said worriedly.
"If you need me to handle this one, I can get Ruby to come in," he replied, referring to her new partner.
"No…I want to look that Son of Bitch in the face while you're cuffing his rich ass," Emma said. He smirked and followed her to the car.
David held her for a long while after everyone had left and the kids were in bed. He occasionally pressed a gentle kiss to her hair and was there with silent strength for her.
"If he wanted to marry Cora so badly…he could have just divorced her. He didn't have to kill her," Margaret sniffed.
"Mother wouldn't have asked for anything…except me," she added.
"I wish I could make this better…but I know I can't," he replied.
"You're here…to hold me. That's making this bearable right now," she said, getting choked up again.
"Was that why Johanna wanted to get close again? Was she going to tell me?" Margaret wondered.
"The plane offered her a second chance at life. Sometimes that gives people the courage to come clean," he offered.
"And now she's dead, because of a secret she kept for more than thirty years," Margaret said, with a note of bitterness.
"We'll get justice for your mother," he promised.
"I love you baby…but this is Leopold Blanchard we're talking about. He has the money to buy the best legal team in New York," she said skeptically.
"Maybe…but he murdered two women and Emma will see this case thru to the end," he replied, as he continued to hold her close.
Leopold Blanchard was still in shock, as he was fresh from being led out of his lavish mansion in handcuffs for murdering a woman he barely remembered. There had to be a mistake. He was many things, but he did not kill his wife thirty years ago and had not killed Johanna Mason either. As he was being put in the police car, by his daughter's sister-in-law no less, he turned to look back at the house. He spotted his wife in the doorway, wearing a smug smirk and a cold chill slid down his spine.
He had always known Cora had ice water in her veins; it was one thing that had attracted him to her. He was much like her. Ruthless in business and life, they had made quite a pair and grew his fortune together. But now he saw everything clearly and realized she had betrayed him intentionally. He had always suspected that Eva's sudden passing was not natural, but he overlooked it, for his first wife had fallen out of love with him and more importantly his ruthless ways. They were headed for divorce and he had moved onto Cora. It seemed Johanna Mason had grown a conscience and that his wife had silenced her, while using the opportunity to frame him for the crime. And now his fortune would be solely hers, if he was convicted.
"Detective Nolan…I did not do this. I was in my office all afternoon," he pleaded.
"Yeah and no one saw you come in or out for hours and it's known that you have a discreet exit out the back. It's hardly an alibi," Emma replied.
"Detective…" he started to say, but she put her hand up.
"Save it for your attorney," she said, as he was put in the car. She looked at Cora and then back at him, but ignored the feeling that something was off about the whole thing, before getting in and going to the station.
The next morning
Olive recalled the time she had a palm reader give her a reading, two years after the plane disappeared. She had always felt Henry the whole time and deep down, she knew her mother had always felt her father. She just didn't express it during that time, because of the judgement she would face in a critical world. After all, many had prodded Margaret to start dating and move on after a couple years.
Moving on would have never been in the cards for her mother, even if her father really was gone, but deep down they both knew he wasn't and neither was Henry. The palm reader, who was probably considered to be a fraud by more than half the population, had been absolutely right and that was why she believed in Baron Samdi's message. The passengers were a miracle and Olive wanted to share in that miracle.
"We need to order more paper cups," Isaiah mentioned to another parishioner.
"Oh, Isaiah, more are arriving on Tuesday," Olive interjected. Isaiah smiled.
"How did we do anything around here before you joined us?" he asked fondly.
"Well, don't tell my parents, or they'll add more to my chores though it's not like they come here, anyway," she mentioned.
"Well, what's it like living among the Returned?" Isaiah asked curiously.
"Not as glorious as you…" Olive trailed off, as a few men came in and started smashing things.
"Stay here. Call Baron," Isaac said, as he confronted them in an attempt to stop them.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" he cried.
Stop it! This is a place of worship!" he pleaded, but they continued and started beating on him. A frightened Olive hid in the closet, as she called Baron Samdi, but got his voicemail.
Emma clipped her badge to her hip that morning and poured coffee in a travel mug, before reaching into the pantry to grab some pop-tarts. Neal smirked, as he came out from his bedroom.
"Back at work already?" he asked. She sighed.
"Unfortunately…it was a quick night and Leopold is still in the box denying everything," she replied.
"Killing your wife…and then killing the Nanny you bought off thirty years ago. That's cold…even for the King of Wall Street," he mentioned. She paused for a moment and looked up.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing…" she replied.
"It's something…you believe he's innocent?" Neal asked. She scoffed.
"He's not innocent. He's total scum and it boggles my mind that he could be half responsible for someone as wonderful as MM. But yeah…I'm not sure he did this. He claims he was framed…and I think he might have been," Emma confessed.
"Framed by who?" he asked, but Emma was silent.
"Emma…" he prodded.
"If I wrongly accuse this person…it could cause problems in my family," she said. He smirked.
"Then you think it's Cora too," he replied. Her eyes widened.
"You think Cora did this?" she asked. He shrugged.
"I'm not sure, but Dad does. He told me last night that this is exactly her style. He says she's probably been planning something like this for thirty years," he replied. She sighed.
"This sucks…" she said.
"Look, she means nothing to me, but if you're worried about Regina, I don't think you should be. She seems well aware of what Cora is capable of," Neal replied. Emma sighed and grabbed her keys.
"You want me to dig?" he asked.
"You'd do that?" Emma asked. He smirked.
"Emma…I care about this family too and we're talking about the woman that walked out on me and Dad. If Dad is right…she has a closet full of skeletons and I doubt Eva and Johanna are her only victims. She definitely wants MM to become one of her victims too," he mentioned and that scared Emma. Cora seemed fixated on making her best friend and sister-in-law pay for basically existing.
"Say the word and we'll know every dirty secret about Cora Mills-Blanchard by the end of the day," Neal said. She nodded.
"Do it…I'll be at the station," she replied, as poured some coffee and called his father.
"I'll be on my way over. If you really have everything on Cora…then you might actually get your revenge," he said, as he grabbed his keys and headed out.
David put his arms around her and kissed her cheek, as she made Henry's lunch that morning. She smiled and turned to peck him on the lips.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.
"I'm fine…I just hope he pays for what he's done," she replied.
"Em said he's still in interrogation this morning, but that he's going to be arraigned soon. You want to be there?" he asked. She took a deep breath.
"I think I do…but I don't want to take you away from your classes," she replied. He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I don't have one until this afternoon and I already called George and told him I wouldn't be in until later. He understood completely, given Leopold's arrest," he replied. She put her arms around him and kissed him again.
"Good…because I don't think I could do this without you," she replied, as Henry finished his cereal and put his bowl in the sink.
"Okay buddy, we'll drop you off on our way," David said, as they got their things and opened the door, only to find reporters and cameras in their faces, firing questions a mile a minute.
"Mrs. Nolan…can you make a statement about your father's arrest?" one shouted.
"Mrs. Nolan…how are you feeling knowing your father murdered your mother and former nanny?" another shouted callously.
"Mrs. Nolan…is it true you're pregnant with the first 828 baby?" another shouted and that one surprised them the most. How the hell had they found out already. She was barely showing. David was about to slam the door in their faces, but someone cut through them with a badge.
"NYPD…you're not allowed on private property. Get out of here," Ruby Lucas said, as she managed to get them to retreat back to their news vans that were parked across the street.
"Sorry about that…Emma saw the papers this morning, but couldn't get away so she sent me to provide escort to the courthouse," Ruby said. They nodded.
"Thanks," David said, as she followed them to their car.
"I get that they're here for Leopold, but how did they find out that I'm pregnant?" Margaret asked, as Ruby pulled something up on your phone.
"Someone got this…" she said, as she showed her the story with the photo of her sonogram. Margaret gasped.
"How…how did they get that?" David asked.
"It's on the fridge…I don't get how they would have," Margaret replied.
"It's not there anymore," Henry mentioned, as they looked at him.
"What? Since when?" David asked. He shrugged.
"I just noticed it was gone last night," he replied and then it dawned on Margaret. There was only one person she had let into their house that might do this.
"It was Johanna…" she realized. David's brow furrowed in confusion.
"But why?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I don't know…but it had to be her. No one else in our house would do something like this to us," she replied.
"Your father is known for wanting the spotlight. He'd just love to bathe in the limelight of being the grandfather to the first 828 baby and then play the sympathy card when we didn't allow him to see the baby. It makes us the villains," David mentioned. She nodded.
"He hired Johanna…that's why she came around. It had nothing to do with mending fences with me," she said bitterly.
"To be fair…she might have had a crisis of conscience. It was probably what got her killed," Ruby reasoned. Margaret nodded.
"Let's go to the Court House. I want to see the Judge throw the book at him," she said, as they drove off.
On her way to the station that morning, Emma was called in on something else and went. Much to her chagrin, she discovered the crime had taken place at the Church of the Returned, which was a pretty good clue as to why she in particular was called in.
"What happened here?" Emma asked the uniform officer.
"Perfect one for you, Nolan. Straight-up dead end. No witnesses, no leads. Maybe you can use one of your anonymous tips," she said sarcastically.
"Wow, tell me you don't like me without telling me you don't like me," Emma quipped back, as she looked around.
"Church doesn't have any security cameras?" she asked.
"They want to keep what they do here on the DL, if you ask me," the female officer replied.
"Where's the vic?" she asked.
"In back with the paramedics. Have fun with this one.," she said, before walking out.
"Lazy ass…I'll just piss her off by solving it," Emma said, as she went into the back.
Olive was panicking when Baron arrived at the scene and even more so when she saw her Aunt's car pull up outside. She had told her Mother she was leaving early to study at the library before school. It was believable with the SAT's coming up, but instead of studying every morning, she had been coming here for morning service and then helping out, before heading off to school. But with this happening, there was no way her parents wouldn't hear about it and she was desperate to keep them from finding out about her attendance at the Church of the Returned. She was in the back with Baron now, trying to figure out what to do.
"There were four guys. Um, I ran off after I pulled the alarm. Is Isaiah okay? I'm sorry. I bolted. I freaked out when I heard the sirens," Olive said, practically having a meltdown.
"Isaiah will be fine, thanks to you," Baron promised.
"You'll leave me out of it, when you give the police the description? My... My parents… If they found out I come to the church, they'd never understand," she pleaded.
"No one needs to know you were there. I've got you," he said, as they heard a voice up front.
"That's my Aunt…" she said.
"Go out the back…I've got you," Samdi urged, as Olive fled the scene again, with guilt eating at her.
"All Rise for the Honorable Judge Mitchell Herman," the bailiff said, as they got to their feet and then sat down once the Judge was seated. Margaret's fiery gaze burrowed into her father's back, as he sat with his team of lawyers, no less than three of them present from the best law firm in New York. He looked smart in his two thousand dollar designer suit and clean, despite his night in interrogation. The signs of that could clearly be seen by the bags under his eyes.
"The State of New York versus Leopold Blanchard. Counselor, on the two charges of first degree murder, how does your client plea?" the Judge questioned.
"Not guilty, Your Honor," Leopold said.
"Your Honor, Martin Pierce for the defense. My client is a pillar of the community and a well known businessman. I request bail be set and he be released on his own reconnaissance until trial," the attorney requested.
"Cassandra Chan for the District Attorney's office, Your Honor. Leopold Blanchard is a man of vast means and connections. The state considers him a flight risk. The people request remand to Riker's until trial," she said. David squeezed her hand, as they hoped for this outcome.
"Your Honor, my client maintains his innocence and is willing to surrender his passport after making bail," Martin offered. The Judge slammed his gavel down to end the debate.
"The defendant is granted bail in the amount of five million dollars and is released upon payment with the stipulation that he surrenders his passport and wears an ankle monitor," the Judge decided, as the court was dismissed. It wasn't exactly what they wanted, but an ankle monitor would keep him from escaping on his private jet. As he passed by them, Leopold spoke.
"Mary Margaret…you must know that I did not do this. I am innocent. I have been framed," he pleaded to her. But her opinion remained unchanged.
"I hope you've convicted and you rot in hell," she spat in response, as he was led away.
"Let me take you home," David said. But she shook her head.
"No…it's okay. You have a class. I'll drop you off and then go home for a bit, before I pick up Henry," she replied. He sighed and kissed her forehead.
"If you're sure," he said. She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"I am," she replied, as they faced the multitude of reports outside the courtroom.
"There's a back way out of here. I can show you," Ruby said, as they followed her.