After the circus act out front, the boys had calmed down considerably. Especially after Dad came down the stairs to save her from their baboonery. Emma was without a doubt a Daddy's girl and anything her brothers did to her she was running to him to tattle.
Even though they were both 32 years old with girlfriends and Harper was engaged and Shane had a baby on the way; and she was 29 with a thriving career as a travel journalist and her own responsibilities.
David was always there.
They let Emma settle in and after about an hour Mom had called everyone to the kitchen for brunch. Harper grabbed the plates, Shane grabbed the drinks and glasses, Emma was on silverware and napkins. Mom finished up at the stove and Dad moved whatever was already done from the kitchen to the table.
A familiar rhythm they spent over 18 years perfecting. It was easy to fall back into it.
"This is nice huh?" Mary-Margaret smiled watching her three children sit in their seats moving cups around, passing the pitchers of juice and water.
"It most certainly is." David kissed her cheek before going to sit down at the opposite end of the table. "This all looks wonderful, honey. Thank you."
"Yeah Thanks mom." Emma said.
"Thank you Mama." Harper smiled.
"Pfhanss Ma." Shane chimed in with a piece a bacon already sliding past his lips.
Both Emma and Harper rolled their eyes, because Shane knew Mom would makes them say grace before digging in.
"You're very welcome my loves."
Like clockwork Mary had them all bow their heads and say grace quickly but thoroughly. Once they were done they dug in.
It's been years since they had all been at this table in this house. But only had been about four years since they were all together under one roof physically. Eating a meal at the same table. The last time had to have been four years ago when both Harper and Emma were both graduating from Grad School.
But other than that someone was either always traveling for work or sick or on vacation with friends or visiting a significant others family. No matter how many times they tried to make everyone's schedules align it never worked out.
Until, well this.
The death of Leopold Vincent White, her grandfather. He lived till he was 73 years old. It was strange to Emma how sudden his death had been. Because he was 73 he didn't look like a man in his seventies, no he looked younger like he was forty something. Which means he should have been healthy right?
Just under 2 weeks ago, Emma had got the call. Her mother staying strong but also holding back tears as she tried to speak about what had happened that day at the mental institution he was in. The doctors said it was a stroke that did it. A healthy thriving man in his seventies taken out by a stroke.
Emma had imagined all types of ways that old bastard would kick the bucket and it certainly wasn't a stroke! He was faking it.
Faking his insanity and Emma knew it, but she didn't know how. She tried so hard to not think of him but every time she thought about her Uncle Daniel she thought about him.
For the last 15 years she thought about that night.
Leopold and her Uncle out in the field, screaming at each, sending punches left and right fighting over the gun. Mom and Dad had told them to stay in the house but of course Emma hadn't listened. Leo had a shot gun in his hands, chasing after Daniel, stopping every few seconds to send a shot off his way.
"You will give her back to me boy!" Leo shouted into the night air. "Give her back! Right now!"
Daniel ran as fast as he could with his almost forty year old body. His father was just as fast though. He maneuvered through that field, going left and right and right and left. He just had to make it to the trees and he would be safe. But his father wouldn't stop he knew that much. He was deranged and mad.
Holding the golden lamp as he ran he felt so overcome with guilt for the part he played in what had become of her. Another shot went off nearby, this one was too close to his head.
"Regina! I know you can hear me!" Daniel shouted as he ran, completely out of breath. "I know I've used up all my wishes. I know I'm the last person you want to see right now but please!"
"DANIEL!"
Daniel pleaded as he ducked finally making it to the trees, just as a shot hit the tree to his left sending wood flying into the air. The new territory made running a bit harder seeing as now he had to duck and dodge trees. Running through the trees he looked down at the lamp.
"Listen to me Regina! I love you! I've said it but I'm sure you already figured that out! I love you! It was selfish of me to keep you tethered to the lamp I know! But I didn't want to lose you! And then he found you! He used me! I was going to set you free with it! I was! Regina, I love you! Every part of you! Please believe me! I was a fool I know but I love you!"
The road was close, which meant the river was just across from it. He could make it. His chest was burning and he felt like he couldn't breathe but he could make it.
"Regina…Please let me see you. One last time."
Daniel was breathing heavy as he approached the heavy flowing river. He climbed over the fence as his heart beat loudly in his ears. Sweat drenched his clothes, dripping from his face as he looked down at the lamp and took a knee.
He didn't know it but Regina was trying to come out, fighting the magic but Leo had control over her right now.
"Regina ple-"
"Daniel!"
Turning as he heard his father's growl, Daniel winced as the back of the shot gun came raining down heavy on his head. The lamp slipped from his fingers as he fell over, blood immediately gushing from his head.
"You Motherfucker!" Leo hollered as he paced in front of him. Shot gun gripped tightly in his palms. "Look at what you made me do!"
"Look at what you've made me do!" Leo screamed not at Daniel but at the lamp. "Come out here!"
Purple smoke shot out the spout of the lamp and out emerged Regina. As beautiful as the first day he saw her, freed her from the lamp that morning up in his room.
Slightly conscious, Daniel strained his neck to look up with blood dripping down the left side of his face into his eye. There she was. In all her glory.
"Regina." Daniel muttered weakly, desperately reaching out to her. "Don't give in to him."
"Do you see what you've made me do?!" Leo was up in her face, their noses touching as he snarled and spat as he spoke. "All you had to do was listen! The both of you!"
"Get away from her." Daniel tried to sit up the blunt force to his head had been powerful.
His father was stronger thanks to Regina.
Leo was too far gone though now, any minute David and Mary would pull up in the truck.
"You need to set her free!" Daniel cried as he pulled himself up. "This has been going on for too long Pa!"
"Don't you dare tell me what I need to do boy!" Leo turned to him but his gun still pointed at Regina. "I ought to kill her!"
"No!" Daniel rushed forward but didn't get far as Leo thrusted the gun back knocking the wind out of him.
"Why would I kill her?! No. No. She would rejoice at the idea." Leo scowled down at him. Stepping over his body gun aimed at his head. "Why would I destroy the hands that are responsible for making me a millionaire?"
"Pa." Daniel couldn't seem to get enough air in his lungs. "Pa please-"
"I'm not your damn Pa! And you know that Daniel!" Leo shouted down at his face. "You are not my damn son. Your mother was out spreading her legs at 16 and had you before we were ever married."
"I'm still…your son."
"I know! I raised you! I took you in as my own and I raised you! But I failed! Daniel I failed! Because you! Are so weak!" Leo pushed the barrel of the gun. "Falling in love with a damn Genie! I thought I taught you how to be a man!"
"More of a man than you'll ever be! Set her free, Pa. Ple-" Daniel winced as the gun smacked him across the face again sending blood splattering from his mouth.
"Set her free?" Leo asked lowly "So then what? What happens? You run off into the sunset with her? You get to live out your happily ever after with her? Is that why boy?"
Daniel didn't answer but just coughed on the blood filling his mouth. Looking past Leopold over to Regina who could do nothing but stand there and silently weep. She wanted so badly to help him.
I wish that you, Genie, will never be able to harm me.
"I failed with you Daniel. I know that now." Leo pressed the barrel back to his chest, took the safety off and pressed it back against his shoulder. "But I won't fail at this."
"Come on Boots! Come on!" Racing down the path Emma flinched every time she heard the gun go off. Her brothers stayed in the house on the phone with the police, while her mom and dad had hopped in the truck trying to track Leo and Daniel in the dark. The only source of light being the moon above them.
"Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead." Emma hoped and prayed as she reached the treeline.
Uncle Danny, do you believe in magic?
I sure do little duck. Magic is…it's all around us.
Even here?
Especially here.
"Grandpa wait!" Emma felt tears welling up in her eyes as she heard another gun shot ring through the air before she pulled the reins on Boots' saddle.
There near the river, Leo was stood above Daniel's body, smoke coming from the shot gun's barrel. There was a woman there too, just a few feet away on her knees, wearing almost nothing to keep her warm from the night chill. Her head was turned and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
"No! Uncle Danny! No!"
Emma screamed as she climbed down from Boots and sprinted over through the spaces in the fence and to them. Falling to her knees near his body, her jeans getting soaked in blood.
Leo turned with a crazed look in his eye, his teeth barred, but his eyes softened a bit at the sight of his granddaughter.
"Emma." Leo whispered. "You s-shouldn't be-"
"You sick fuck! What did you do?!" Emma shrieked.
Regina's head turned as she gasped hearing the young girl's voice after so many years.
She was beautiful.
Seeing her this up close after so long, her blonde her and red burning eyes shining as bright headlights pulled up behind them. She could hear Leopold's daughter Mary worrying for Emma and screaming for Daniel. David moved quickly to take the gun from Leo, knocking him down in the process.
"Emma?! What are you doing put here?!"
After looking Emma over for a second, Mary rushed to Daniel's side and screamed…There was nothing she could do for her big brother, he had died instantly from the shot to the head. She could feel his skin, he was still warm but he wouldn't move. His eyes were open but his soul was no longer there, his body was lifeless.
Emma cried into her father's shoulder as he they all started to hear sirens in distance.
Mary looked over to her father, just sat there staring at her as she asked him why? Begged him to tell her why? How could he do this? But he just sat there looking over to a lamp that lay just near the water. He crawled toward it, his fingertips just barely touching it before it was pulled by a smaller hand.
Mary looked down at the lamp, this same damn lamp that he'd yelled at her for touching when she was a teenager. What was it with him and this damn lamp?
"Do you even realize what you have just done?" She whispered.
"He was going to take her from me! Mary." Leo had a crazed that looked in eye again. "Give her to me-!"
He went to lunge at her for the lamp, but quickly seized as he was hit with a stun gun. Mary has only gasped and stepped back, watching as the police officers struggled to get her father to comply.
"NO! SHE'S MINE! YOU BASTARDS! LET ME GO! SHE BELONGS TO ME! IF I CANNOT HAVE HER THEN NO ONE WILL!"
Leo yelled and thrashed around as they attempted to cuff him. An ambulance pulled up only a few minutes later, the paramedics running over to Daniel. Emma could only watch as her father held her in his arms, but she felt like someone had wrapped their fingers around her throat. She couldn't breathe.
Looking around the young teen's eyes strained against the bright flashing lights, she watched as they quickly loaded Daniels's body into the van to race out to the hospital a few minutes away. Leopold was sat in a police car, watching Mary but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.
David sat Emma down in the truck after ensuring the paramedic it wasn't her blood. She looked out to the water running down by the river, replaying the whole day in her head. Trying to figure out just what could've happened to make Leo snap the way he had.
Quickly looking up and around the field, Emma's eyes scanned and scanned again.
"Where did she go?" Emma whispered to herself.
"Who do you mean, Em?" David asked from the driver's side where he sat with his legs hanging out the door. He was always there for her.
But Emma hadn't answered him, she just kept looking around. She felt her father grab her hand, she could hear him calling her name.
"Emma? Babygirl?"
"Em, did you hear me?"
Turning her head back towards the table, Emma blinked once and then twice. Remembering she was sitting at the table with her family enjoying brunch.
"Emma?" David called again, eyes going over her face edged with worry.
"Yup! I heard you Dad." Emma smiled reassuringly, picking up her spoon to take a bite of eggs. "I'll take the basement. Mom said there wasn't much down there anyway. No problemo."
Nodding his head at her, David smiled as he continued to eat. Everyone around the table fell into light conversation as they finished their meal. Emma had sat quietly, her mind completely elsewhere, only engaging when she absolutely needed to.
They would be at the farm for at least a week, getting it all sorted through. A week of having to relive that day over and over in her head.
This was just the very beginning of a very strange trip.