7:15 AM AU - Things go a bit differently in the cabin during 7:15 AM. With memories returned, how will this change things?
Welcome to my newest fic. I'm not sure how long this one will be yet, but I will be updating this one bi-weekly on Sunday nights(opposite FYA). Please enjoy and let me know what you think! Also, there is a love scene in this chapter. It's marked and can be skipped if that's not your thing. :)
Thanks to the great reviews and response to this new fic! Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Yep, Henry is not getting left out on this one. Glad you're enjoying it! :)
SecretLoveCara: Hi, so glad you found this one and are enjoying! Aww, thanks...I'm glad you love my writing. That's really great to hear. I love the idea of Snow and David waking up early since there is so many ways it could go and I love exploring all different ways. I am scared for Snow too, but you're right, she's very strong and able to handle just about anything. Yep, I agree with Gold too. Regina deserves anything coming to her. I'm with you. I like who Regina became, but hate what she put Snowing and Emma through to get there. Glad you're enjoying! :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Number Ten: Yep, that's one crafty kid, but then his parents and grandparents are pretty crafty so it's in the blood I think. Ha, she might run into a certain father of her grandson. Yep, karma is biting Regina right about now. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Grace5231973: Yes, she is definitely capable of taking care of herself and I think you'll like the twists that this leads to. Yep, Henry is not going to be left out on this one and I think you're right. Turning Jefferson should be fairly easy.
Guest: No, no I cannot just write more Anakin/Padme fanfiction. I can't because I don't have any inspiration to write Star Wars anymore. I'm sorry, but I just don't. I can't just snap my fingers and start writing something I don't have any interest in anymore. The Forever Destined series is finished. I brought it to a conclusion and my inspiration for writing is with Snowing now. I'm glad you like them, but there will likely be no more. Thank you.
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, Regina is feeling the bite of karma at the moment and it should be good. Yep, they're off to save Snow in the big city. Yep, David is definitely different now and Emma can't really discern why. Gold knows all, well, almost all. Even he's about to get a surprise. Yeah, Regina really messed up his plan, but thankfully, he's good at adjusting it to make thing work. Ha, yep Jefferson will probably be easy to turn against Regina. He hates her anyway. Yep, there's no keeping Snow down for long. She's not just going to sit and wait to be rescued. Jefferson was really no match and Regina should have known that. Yeah, Henry's not about to be left behind on this one. I love that line too. And here we go, off to New York!
AnonSnowing: Yep, David's Prince Charming is showing. He's totally forgetting to act like David Nolan since his wife is in danger. Yep, he knows it leads to Regina. Yep, she was probably in that car and David knows that Gold will know something, cause he knows everything. Yeah, Gold is going to help, if for no other reasons that it's in his best interest. Yep, Snow is in a very big place. Yeah, Rumple can tell that the glaze in his eyes from the curse is gone and suspects Snow is awake so naturally assumed Charming was too. Yes, he will always find her. Yeah, he so wanted to clean that off her car for her. I love those memories too. Yeah, Jefferson isn't thinking clearly and can't be bothered to care about others, which is unfortunate. He should know that he can't trust Regina. Mana Snow is breaking my heart too. And as always, Snow shows she's a badass. Yep, David knows she's capable, but New York is still a very big place and scary if you're not in the right company. Yep, sneaky little Henry. He's on this adventure too. I love that Emma line too. Yep, Regina is due for a little karma. Hmm...yes, who will they run into in New York. ;)
Clarity
Chapter 6: Reunited
Sidney sighed, as he got out of the car and approached Regina's porch.
"Well...did you find him!?" she shouted.
"Sorry...he's nowhere to be found. Are you sure he didn't leave Storybrooke again?" Sidney asked. She was about to refute that claim, but then realized that was exactly what he had done.
"Oh my God…" she realized. She knew, by now, that Emma would have realized that Mary Margaret was missing. But that didn't explain how she would have known she had been taken outside Storybrooke...unless…
"Get in the car...I need to get to Gold's shop," she ordered.
Snow ran through the hallways and found a stairwell. She made it down to the next floor when she slammed right into someone coming up.
"Whoa...is there a fire?" the man asked.
"No...but someone is after me! I've been kidnapped!" Snow cried.
"Uh wow...okay, well I mean I guess you can hide in my apartment," he said, as he led her onto the fourth floor, just as Jefferson came storming down the stairs. But since he didn't see her, he kept going down the stairs.
"Do you have a phone I could use?" Snow asked.
"Uh yeah, I guess you'd want to call the cops," he said and she noticed a nervous waver in his voice.
"No...no cops. They won't help me. I just need to call my...my boyfriend. I know he's terrified and trying to find me," she said. The man nodded.
"Sure…but can I at least get your name?" he asked.
"S...Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret Blanchard," she said.
"Nice to meet you, Mary Margaret. I'm Neal Cassidy, but I gotta say, you're a little trusting of strangers for someone that's supposedly been kidnapped," he said, as he unlocked his apartment. She stalled for a moment.
"Are you doubting my story?" she asked.
"No...but how do you know that I'm not an ax murderer or something?" he joked. She scoffed, as she followed him into the apartment.
"I don't, but I can take care of myself. The only reason I got kidnapped in the first place is that I got surprised and drugged," she said, as he handed her his phone.
"Thanks…" she said, as she dialed David first.
Regina was livid once she got to the shop and found it empty. After suggesting that he might be home, Sidney drove her to his house, but he wasn't there either and his car was gone as well. She knew what that meant. Emma had gone to Gold and he must have agreed to help her. No...there had to be more than that. David Nolan was knee deep in this as well. He was obviously awake and probably was the one to make a deal with Gold, knowing full well who he was. He knew he'd need help getting over the town line. And her son was with them.
"If Henry really did go with Emma...are you going to report her for kidnapping?" Sidney asked.
"No…I'm going to New York myself," Regina growled.
David's phone rang, as they entered the New York City limits and he answered it.
"Mary Margaret?" he answered hopefully, seeing that it was her. Emma turned around in her seat, looking at him anxiously.
"David…" she said, choking back a sob.
"Where are you? Are you okay?" he asked urgently.
"I managed to get away from Jefferson. I ran into a good Samaritan. He is letting me hide in his apartment and use his phone," she replied.
"Tell me where you are. Emma and I just got to New York," he said.
"Oh thank God," she said in relief.
"Regina...she knows we're awake," she warned.
"I figured, but everything's going to be okay. Where are you?" he asked, as he heard a muffled voice in the background.
"Three hundred twenty six, east one-hundred and eighty sixth street. Apartment Four B," she told them.
"Okay...sit tight. We'll find you," he promised.
"I know you will...I love you," she said tearfully.
"I love you too," he replied, as he hung up and sighed in relief.
"She's okay?" Emma asked. He nodded.
"She got away from Jefferson and someone is letting her hide in their apartment," he replied.
"Okay...I got the address into my GPS on my phone. We're thirty minutes away," she said, as Gold continued to drive from the prompts that her phone gave them.
Jefferson was freaking out now. He had been all through the building and around it, but she was gone. She had escaped and was nowhere to be found. Regina was going to be livid. If he didn't find Snow White...he would never get Grace back. He was close to panicking when he saw a car he recognized pull up. It was Gold and he quickly hid, watching as Emma, David, and Henry got out with Mr. Gold and went inside. Quietly, he followed them.
"Thanks for letting me use your phone. David should be here soon," she said.
"No problem...can I get you something to drink?" Neal asked. She nodded.
"Water would be nice," Mary Margaret replied, as she watched him carefully. He smirked and got her a bottle from the fridge.
"Worried that I might try to put something in it?" he asked. She tilted her head slightly.
"I was just drugged and kidnapped," she reminded him. He chuckled.
"Touche…I guess a girl can't be too careful," he agreed.
"Woman," she corrected and he nodded.
"Of course," he said, handing her the bottle.
"Thank you," she said, as she looked around curiously, before taking a drink.
"So...what do you do when you're not being drugged and kidnapped?" he asked, trying to break the tension.
"I'm a teacher. Fifth grade," she replied.
"Really?" he asked.
"Why does that surprise you?" she asked.
"It's just...who kidnaps an elementary school teacher?" he asked. She hummed.
"It's complicated," she offered. Before he could press further, there was a knock at the door and her heart skipped a beat. Neal opened the door and they ran to each other.
"David!" she cried, as he scooped her into his arms, spinning her around in relief, before kissing her soundly.
"You found me…" she whispered, as he pressed his forehead against hers.
"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked.
"Mmm...no, though the sprawling city full of millions of people gave me pause," she joked, making him chuckle.
"Miss Blanchard!" Henry called, as he threw his arms around her and she looked at him in surprise.
"Henry...what are you doing here?" she asked.
"He sneaked into Mr. Gold's trunk like a stowaway...so we gotta go, because Regina is going to kill me," Emma said impatiently, before hugging her quickly.
"Oh…" Mary Margaret uttered in surprise, before hugging her back.
"You're the man that helped her?" David asked.
"Uh yeah, guess I was just in the right place at the right time," Neal replied, as they shook hands and Emma froze at the sound of his voice.
"Oh my God…" she breathed.
"Emma…" Neal said, as their eyes met.
"Neal…" she replied.
"Wait...you know each other?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Mom...who is he?" Henry asked.
"Mom?" he questioned and Emma felt like fainting.
"Emma? How do you know him?" David asked, as she swallowed thickly.
"Bae…" another voice uttered softly, making Neal freeze in his own tracks, as he turned to the man in the doorway.
"No…" he said.
"It's you...it's you…" Gold uttered.
"Okay...what the hell is going on?" David asked.
"Emma...who is this?" Mary Margaret pressed.
"How old is he?" Neal asked her and she put her hands over her ears.
"Just stop!" she cried.
"Mom?" Henry asked again.
"Is this my son?" Neal questioned and Henry's head snapped to him.
"But...but you said my dad died…" Henry said, with a quiver in his voice.
"Henry…" she started to say, but the boy ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
"You told him I was dead?" Neal questioned.
"You left me and I went to prison!" she shouted at him, causing him to pull back slightly.
"You get Henry...I'll stay here and try to diffuse this," Snow whispered to her husband. He had a hard look for the man, but did as she asked and went to find their grandson.
"Henry...it's David," he called, as he knocked on the door and then opened it, peering in cautiously. He saw the boy sitting on the floor with a pout on his face.
"You're not David...not to me," he pouted. David smirked.
"Okaaay...it's Grandpa," he said, feeling a little odd with that title. Henry seemed to agree.
"Let's go with Gramps," he said. David smiled.
"Gramps it is," he replied, as he sat down in front of him.
"Emma lied to me," he said.
"Yeah...but for what it's worth, Henry, I don't think she did it to hurt you. In fact, I know she didn't," he reasoned.
"Then why?" he asked.
"Well…I don't have the whole story yet, but it sounds like she was with your birth father just before a really rough time in her life. And that's saying something. Her whole life hasn't been easy," David replied.
"Because...we had to give her up," he added.
"Because of my other Mom," he said bitterly and David didn't deny that. He wasn't in the mood to try and defend Regina, especially since she could have easily succeeded in making sure he never saw his wife again.
"Yeah...she shouldn't have lied, but I think she wasn't ready to talk about her painful past," he reasoned.
"It doesn't matter...she doesn't believe anyway," he said dejectedly. David reached over and clapped him on the shoulder.
"I know...but we're awake now and Mr. Gold has been awake even longer than us," he mentioned.
"How do we get Emma to believe?" he asked.
"I...I don't know, but we'll figure it out. Together," he promised.
"Bae…" Gold said in awe.
"Wait...you're his son?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"Uh yeah…" Neal answered.
"But you said you were an orphan...like me," she said in a measured tone.
"I was...he abandoned me," Neal replied, with a cold look at his father.
"Like my parents," Emma murmured.
"Except that your parents didn't want to abandon you. They did it, because of him," Neal interjected and she narrowed her gaze.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"The curse...I'm the reason for the curse. The Queen may have cast it...but he orchestrated the whole damn thing!" Neal snapped, pointing at his father.
"He's right...and I would do it all again if I knew it would lead to this moment. That it would lead to finding you," Gold replied.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have let me go in the first place," Neal hissed.
"You're right...it was the biggest mistake of my life and one I spent hundreds of years trying to rectify. And all I have done has led here," Gold stated.
"And how many lives, including Emma's and her parents, did you destroy along the way?" Neal countered and Rumple looked down briefly.
"Countless," he admitted and Neal scoffed.
"Well, at least you're being honest," he said.
"Wait...curse?" Emma asked in confusion. He sighed.
"The boy has been right all along, Miss Swan...you should be listening to your son," Gold stated.
"He's right, Emma…" Mary Margaret finally spoke, as the blonde turned to look at her best friend. But what she saw alarmed her. She had seen tell tale signs of this over the past few weeks since she and David had started their relationship amidst his divorce. She had seen a boldness and confidence in her best friend that had not been there before, but she had been reluctant to acknowledge it, since she had been hell bent on denying that David was good for her, let alone that their love might be real. Acknowledging that meant facing truths that Emma was not ready for...