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. The character of Isaiah is a Manifest character.
Another Note: As we get further into season 2 and season 3, I will be focusing more on the major Manifest plotlines and not so much the minor ones that involve one offs with passengers, in addition to the original plots I have created for this story. Season 4 will be premiering soon and once I see what I'm working with, I'll make a decision if this story will be going with a Manifest type ending or if I have to move to more of a Once ending. Most of you that watch Manifest know that (spoiler alert) that Margaret's counterpart character in the series, Grace, dies at the end of season 3. I will not be doing that with Margaret. Either way, when the time comes, I will give this story a satisfying ending that may or may not match the series. :)
This one will update bi-weekly on Sunday nights now. Please consider leaving a review, it is much appreciated. Thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter:
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Jennifer Baratta: Glad you enjoyed it!
Grace5231973: Gold is lucky he has Belle. Glad you liked the talk between him and Neal. I know, Neal doesn't deserve this. Maybe we'll get a miracle. Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Sexystarwarslover: Yeah, it will be a crazy ride for sure! Something is definitely coming and I think we're about to find out who those shadows are. Glad you're enjoying it!
Lightning in a Bottle
Chapter 75: Unaccompanied Minors, Pt 2
Emma and Killian arrived at the High School, after calling the Principal and getting permission to confront the student in question.
"Oscar," Emma called and the young man sighed, as he closed his locker.
"It was just a candy bar," he said in exasperation.
"Great. Well, that excuse worked this morning, when you forgot to tell us about the cold
medicine you snatched," Killian said.
"Help me understand something, Oscar. Straight A's, honor student...and cooks meth?" Emma questioned.
"Meth?" he asked.
"No, no, no. I don't cook meth. I don't do drugs, all right? I'm on the track team," Oscar insisted.
"Okay, well, it doesn't look like you have much of a cold either. So you wanna help us out here?" Emma asked.
"Please, you gotta believe me. I had no idea those were to make meth," the kid pleaded.
"Mmm-hmm. Then you work for somebody that does," Emma said and he went silent. Killian sighed.
"Come on, man. Don't make us bring you in on this," Killian said.
"I don't know them, all right? It was a JoJo," Oscar replied.
"A what?" Emma questioned.
"JoJo's delivery service. Like a dark net TaskRabbit," he answered.
"As if you were explaining to your mother," Emma requested. The kid rolled his eyes.
"So, you get a snap of what to steal and where to drop it off, and then they Venmo you," he explained.
"Who are they?" Killian asked.
"Uh, I just know the handle is Try3," Oscar answered.
"Okay, so you took the bus to the drop-off," Emma asked. He shook his head.
"No, the bus is the drop-off," he replied, as the two detectives exchanged a look.
"Kory," Killian said.
"The bus driver is one of them," Emma replied, as she looked at the kid.
"Stay out of trouble, kid. No more jobs or it's going to get you sent to jail," she warned, as they left the school.
"Ha…checkmate," Henry said, as he played Neal in his hospital room, while his parents had a checkup for his little sister.
"Man…you're just too good for me, kid," Neal replied.
"You should have seen the tournaments we had in the cancer ward," Henry said.
"Play me again?" he asked. Neal smiled.
"I'm a glutton for punishment. Set the board," he replied, as David and Margaret peered into his room with the baby.
"Hey…" he said.
"Hi Neal…how are you feeling?" Margaret asked. He shrugged.
"I'm getting by…how was this little one's check up?" he asked.
"Very good…she's thriving for being a preemie," David replied. He smiled.
"That's great…she's amazing," he said, as they all smiled at the baby.
"Thanks…we think so too," Margaret replied.
"Can I play one more game?" Henry asked.
"I need to feed her so we have some time," Margaret replied, as she sat down. David helped cover her with a blanket so she could nurse the baby, while they played another game.
"Told you the callings had a plan. "Let him go." If I hadn't, then we wouldn't be on to this bus drop-off or any of this," Emma said, as they arrived back at the station.
"If the callings really wanted to help, they'd lead us directly to the lab," Killian replied.
"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Emma teased. He smirked.
"Fun's gonna be some rum once we put these criminals away," he replied.
"I'll pass on the rum, but I'll take a beer," she said," as Ruby motioned to them and they approached her desk
"Hey. So, we got access to Try3's payment list, and it matches most of the bodega thefts in the five boroughs. They steal the items, drop them off on the bus and then
someone comes and picks them up. And most of the payments were made within two hours of the theft. Never making any direct contact. So the kids can't ID the dealers,"
Ruby explained.
"It's crafty. Do we know who Try3 is?" Emma asked.
"Mmm-hmm. Yeah, Jace Baylor. History of violence, stint upstate for possession and sale of meth. He was busted for buying fertilizer in bulk. Looks like he found a smarter
way to get his supplies," Ruby said.
"Didn't take him long. He was released four months ago. Just when the robberies started," Killain replied, as he looked at his rap sheet.
"Might be tricky to find him. He was evicted from his last known address, and hasn't checked in with his parole officer," Ruby said.
"I have a guy in Narcotics who owes me a favor. I'll see what he knows," Killian said, as he went to make the call.
"I'm gonna check in on Neal," Emma said, as she grabbed her keys, intending to visit the hospital.
"I'll text you if I get an address," Killian called.
"Hey…" Emma said, as she arrived at his room.
"Hey…you just missed your family. The kid wiped the floor with me in chess. Twice," Neal replied. She smiled.
"Yeah…he's a chess whiz," she agreed.
"So…how was treatment?" she asked, as she sat beside him.
"It's going nowhere, Emma," he replied honestly.
"You can't give up…Regina will find something," she insisted.
"I'm down to just a few days, Em and I don't want to spend the few I have left here in this hospital room. I want to live them," Neal replied.
"What are you saying?" she asked.
"I'm saying that I'm stopping the treatments," he replied.
"What? No…no, you can't," she cried.
"You'll die if you stop!" she added. He looked at her.
"Em…I'm dying either way and I don't want to die here," he replied, as the tears fell down her cheeks.
"This isn't living…I don't want to spend my final days hooked up to tubes and monitors and getting my skin scraped," he said, as more tears fell down her cheeks.
"I want to spend it in your arms," he added.
"But…you can't just give up," she sobbed.
"I'm not…believe me, I'm not. But I don't think the answers are here," he said, as they hugged fiercely and she sniffed.
"Believe me…the last thing I want to do is cause you pain," he said, as they pulled back from the hug.
"We're going to find a cure, Neal," she insisted.
"And I hope to God I'm there to take it. But right now, I need to live every day like it's my last," he replied. She nodded. He was asking her to let him go…and though she
couldn't bear to, she would respect his wishes.
Regina returned to her lab that afternoon to continue her research and when she got to her door, she found that her badge wasn't working after several tries. A security guard
approached and she sighed in relief.
"Oh, great. Tim, my badge isn't working. Can you let me in?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Mills but I'm afraid we have to ask you to leave," the guard said. Regina blanched.
"What... Is this some kind of a drill?" Regina asked.
"Your hospital privileges have been revoked," the guard replied.
"That's, uh...that's not possible. My research is in there. How am I supposed to do my job?" Regina questioned.
"Please, if you'll come with us," another guard said.
"Hey, you don't understand. People's lives are at stake here!" Regina cried.
"Please, Dr. Mills," the guard said, as they started to escort her out.
"Tim, who authorized this? Who authorized this?" she demanded to know, but was given no answers.
After spending a little time with Neal, Emma had gotten a call from Killian and he seemed to have a lead, so she headed back to the precinct to meet him, where they took his
car to check out a place.
"You've been awfully quiet. You okay?" Killian asked.
"Yeah. Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked in return.
"Yeah. My boy in Narcotics says Jace has been crashing here with a brother," he answered.
"You hungry? I got you a pastrami and rye from that hole-in-the-wall place we used to love to go to," he said, as he held up a food sack.
"What is this?" Emma questioned suspiciously.
"A sandwich," he replied.
"Thank you. Um...it's my favorite sandwich. And you've gotten on this case with me and…" she said, trailing off.
"You asked for help," he replied.
"Look, Killian, I...I'm beyond grateful for the risks that you took to protect me, and for saving Neal's life. But I'm with him now, and...I love him," Emma said.
"Em, you're way off-base here," he argued.
"Am I?" Emma asked.
"I know you're with Neal And I'm happy for you," Killian said and she gave him a look.
"Maybe that's an overstatement, but I've accepted it. And, yeah, you're right. I did wanna work this case with you, but not 'cause I wanna get back with you. It's 'cause I
miss having you in my life. I can handle not being with you anymore. I can't handle not having you as a friend," he confessed. She smiled.
"Me, too," she agreed.
"I mean, who knows? Maybe, after all this, Neal and I will be friends," he said.
"What?" Emma asked.
"He hates me, doesn't he? Of course he does," Killian replied.
"No. It's just that he might not be around for much longer," Emma said.
"What do you mean?" Killian asked.
"He's not being treated for burns, Killian. He's dying. Being back has a cost, and however long we were gone...that's how long we have left to live," she revealed.
"Wait, you have this, too?" he asked in confusion.
"Yeah. The callings made that pretty clear," Emma replied.
"How can you even be sure that…" Killian said, but she cut him off.
"We are, Killian. It happened to Griffin. It's happening to Neal.
"How is this even possible?" he asked.
"How is any of this possible?" she replied," with a sigh.
"Killian, how is it possible that...Neal's telling me to let him go," Emma said.
Wait, wait, wait. So the calling was about Neal?" he asked.
"I don't know. I don't... I don't know. I'm...more confused than I've ever been. I'm just…praying that we make this meth-ring bust, so that I know that that's what the callings
meant," she replied.
"Em…"
"Hey, hold on. Look," she said, motioning to the house they were staking out.
"That's the bus driver," Killian said.
"He's the courier" Emma realized.
"He's making a drop, is my guess," she added.
"129, 85 in progress at 272 Barnell. Requesting backup," Killian said into the radio.
"We gotta get in there before he bails," Emma said, as they drew their weapons and emerged from the car, before heading up to the door.
"Gas company. You have a leak," Killian said, as he knocked on the door. No one answered though so Killian kicked in the door.
"Clear," Emma called from the living room, as one slipped through to the stairs.
"Police! Don't move! freeze! Hands where I can see them! Down on the ground!" they both called, as they pursued what seemed to be three men through the house.
"Down on the ground! Get over here right now!" Emma called, as she made Kory come to her and she cuffed him, while then pointing her gun at the man she knew only
by his rap sheet. Jace Baylor, the ring leader and by the sheer malice on this face, she could tell that this was a dangerous man.
"You don't wanna do this," Jace warned.
"Jace, shut up," Kory warned.
"Yeah, I know exactly who you are. In fact, I came especially to see you," Emma said.
"Ah, well, now we've been introduced. You best walk away," Jace advised.
"Let him go!" Emma winced, as she heard the Calling in her head.
"You know there'll be hell to pay, don't you, pretty lady? The pain I'll bring down on you, a holy vengeance like nothing you've ever seen before.
"Shut up," Emma growled.
"You threatening me is only gonna make it worse for you, okay? This is bigger than both of us," Jace warned.
"Let him go…let him go…let him go!" the Calling shouted in her head.
"No!" she cried.
"Jace Baylor, you are under arrest for possession of an illegal substance with intent to sell. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against
you in a court of law. Do you understand these rights?" she asked, as she arrested them.
"A scoop of chocolate on the bottom, mint on top with...sprinkles," David said, as he presented her with a bowl of ice cream. Margaret smiled and accepted it, as he sat next
to her with his own bowl.
"I mean, I know a nursing mother needs her calcium, but sprinkles? What is the occasion?" she asked.
"To us…and second chances. I've been trying to hard to figure this thing out that I've been obsessing when I need to be spending my time with my family," he said. She
smiled.
"You are, my love…and you're not obsessing. You're trying to save us all, but I will never say no to more time with my husband," she gushed, as they shared a kiss and
then started eating their ice cream.
"The callings keep...keep doing these amazing things," he said.
"Yeah, they do. So now what?" she asked.
"Do what the callings have wanted us to do all along. Just listen. Follow and listen.
That's where we're gonna find our answers," he answered.
"So...does that mean no more late nights in the garage?" she asked.
"Yeah, I better lock it up before my skeptical mind rebels," he said, smiling at her.
"No…seriously, I'm all yours, my love and the kids, especially this one," he said to their baby, as they shared another soft kiss.
"Hey, baby girl," he cooed, as she smiled up at them.
"There's your smile. That's my girl," he said.
"Hey," Killian said, as he approached her desk, following the arrest.
"So, uh, this thing Neal has…and you have, there's no cure?" he asked.
"Not for lack of trying," Emma answered.
"Something else wrong?" he asked.
"At the bust, I got a calling that told me to let him go. And I didn't," she replied.
"Why would it ask you something like that?" he wondered.
"Who knows. Maybe it's talking about Neal again, but...I'm gonna lose my mind," she said in frustration.
"Please don't. It'd be terrible timing now that we're finally friends again," he joked.
"So what happens now?" he asked.
I don't know. I've never defied a calling before," she replied.
"I think you made the right choice," he said.
"Hey," Emma said, as she entered her apartment.
"Wasn't expecting you'd be home yet," Neal replied. She nodded.
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, as she hugged him.
"Ooh, you're freezing," she mentioned.
"Yeah…seems to be that way these days,," he joked," as she gave him a look.
"Em, the puppy-dog eyes are not changing my mind," he said.
"I know. But I don't have to agree with you, or the callings, or any of it," she replied.
"I didn't expect you to. Pretty much my entire life has been about regret and sadness. But I don't want to end it like that. I want to go out on my terms...with the love
of my life, making one more memory I can take with me," he said, as he got down on one knee and presented a ring.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked.
"Will you marry me, Emma?" he asked. She smiled and got teary eyed, before nodding.
"Yes. Yes, I will," she answered, as he stood up and put the ring on her finger, before they hugged and shared a passionate kiss.
"I love you so much," Emma sniffed.
"I love you, too," he replied.
Later that night, David tucked Henry in, while Margaret was nursing the baby.
"Are you doing okay, buddy? Have you seen any of those scary shadows lately?" he asked.
"No. I hope they're gone…but I don't know. Do you think they'll come back?" Henry asked.
"I don't know, but if they do, we'll figure it out. As your wise grandma always said… "All things work together for good." Sleep tight," he said, as he got up and walked toward
the door.
"Love you," Henry called.
"Love you, too," David called, as he entered their bedroom, as Margaret peered at the baby monitor. They had just put her down for the night and she was sleeping soundly.
"Hey…" David said, as he put his arms around her.
"Hey…is Henry okay? Any shadows tonight?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No…thankfully, they seem to be gone. For now anyway," he replied.
"Good…I hope they stay gone," she said. He kissed her cheek.
"Me too," he replied, as he kissed her tenderly and it slowly became more passionate, before they turned out the lights and enjoyed some alone time.
Across town, in the jail cell, Jace, Kory and Pete stood in their cell. Pure malice and rage marred Jace's face, as their three shadows were cast on the wall of the dimly lit cell.
Back at the Nolan house, Henry's eyes snapped open and he gasped, as he saw the return of the shadows…