Emma and Ella
Chapter 7: First Date
Sunday at 11:15am
"Now, all you have to do is warm up your lunch that is in the refrigerator when you are ready for lunch. Then I want you to finish your homework and if you finish all of it you can read for a little bit. But no TV and no leaving the apartment. You know where the emergency numbers are if you needed them… Don't roll your eyes at me."
"Mom, I'm 12 almost 13! I will be fine on my own for a couple of hours. Wait how long will you be?"
"I should be back by 2 or 2:30 at the latest." Mary Margaret answered, thinking nothing of her question.
"Okay." Ella nodded and then looked sheepishly. "Mom, can I just order pizza for lunch?" Ella couldn't think of another way of getting cash from her mom for the movie.
Mary Margaret shook her head no. "No, you have a perfectly good lunch in the refrigerator."
"Yeah perfectly healthy." Ella said with a frown.
Mary Margaret just smiled at her. "You like it and you know it. We will get pizza another night or maybe just make a homemade pizza."
Ella rolled her eyes. "Fine."
"Hey don't be like that." Mary Margaret gently scolded.
"Sorry." Ella apologized sincerely.
Mary Margaret smiled before heading to the bathroom to check to make sure she looked okay for her date.
Ella bit her lip. She had a plan B for getting the money that she hoped she would be get caught with, but she had to try. She wanted to see a movie with Emma. She quickly and quietly snuck over to her mom's purse and found a ten-dollar bill. She snuck it in her pocket before heading back to the living room feeling extremely guilty for just stealing from her mom. If her mom found out, she would be dead.
There was a knock on the door and Ella almost jumped out of her skin. Thankfully her mom hadn't seen her or else she might know she was up to something.
"Ella can you get the door?" Mary Margaret called a little nervously.
Ella scrunched up her face. She felt a little weird opening the door for her mom's date, even if it was David, her real Dad, or at least she hoped.
She slowly walked to the door and opened it.
"Hey Ella, is your Mom ready?" David asked kindly.
"Almost." Ella responded shyly.
"Can I come in?" David asked with a smile.
Ella smiled back. "I guess."
David smiled as Ella stepped back to let him in and then closed the door. "Thank you." David responded kindly to her with a little smile.
Ella looked down shyly before standing awkwardly as she waited for her mom to come back in the room.
"So what have you been up to today?" David asked her.
"Nothing really." Ella responded.
David smirked. "Nothing. Really?"
"Besides homework and chores, yeah." Ella replied in a bored voice.
"I hope you aren't complaining, Ella." Mary Margaret gently warned Ella as she came into the room.
Ella knew if she complained more she be getting more chores to do and that was the last thing she needed right now! Her homework was finished and she could lie and say she read, but with chores she could be caught if she didn't do them.
"Wow…you look beautiful." David said in awe of Mary Margaret.
Mary Margaret blushed as she looked down shyly. "You don't look too bad yourself."
Ella looked between them and rolled her eyes. They were so cheesy.
David smiled. "Shall we go?" He asked as he motioned with his hand to the door.
Mary Margaret nodded before grabbing her purse and looking over at Ella. Ella froze feeling the ten-dollar bill burning a hole in her pocket. She couldn't possibly know that she stole money with just picking her purse up. "Be good and do the rest of your homework. Call if you need anything."
Ella nodded.
"And stay in loft and lock the door." Mary Margaret continued in worry for her daughter. She didn't often leave her alone and when she did it was for short periods of time.
"I'll be fine, mom. Remember I am 12 not 5?" Ella said with raised eyebrows, looking very much like Mary Margaret.
Mary Margaret smiled and David suppressed a chuckle at how similar Ella looked like her mother.
"Just lock the the door, okay?" Mary Margaret said with a smile.
"I will. I promise." Ella said with a smile back.
"Goodbye, Ella." Mary Margaret said as they left the loft.
When the door shut Ella rolled her eyes before locking the door since she figured her mom was listening for it to lock. She walked over to the window and watch for them to get in David's truck and drive off. She smiled slowly as she realized that they were going the opposite why she would be going so they wouldn't be caught. She ran to go get her jacket, the extra key to the loft, and her backpack before heading out of the loft and to her castle to meet Emma.
*****OUAT*****
Ella reaches the castle first and climbs up to sit on the landing. She pulls out her storybook and opens it up. She needed to start sharing her theory to her friend or more correctly her sister.
Just Emma being here hadn't broken the curse so she had to try to introduce her to the curse to get her to believe.
"Ella!"
Ella jumped at her name being called since she had been reading the ending of the book where Emma was sent through wardrobe to escape the curse. She shuts it quickly and looks up to see Emma walking towards the castle.
Emma climbs up and sits next to Ella. She looks at the book and smirks. "What are you reading? Fairytales?"
"It's more than that..." Ella said biting her lip, wondering if Emma was ready to hear about the curse.
Emma chuckled. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know if you are ready for it yet." Ella said.
"Ready for some stories?" Emma asked skeptically.
"They aren't just stories. Everything in here, really happened." Ella said seriously.
Emma looked at her skeptically and with a look that told Ella she thought she was crazy for believing it.
Ella bit her lip before turning to the story of Snow White and Prince Charming. "See this story is of Prince Charming and Snow White. Don't they look familiar to you?"
"Maybe, but that means nothing. It's just a story."
"But it's not the normal fairytale, it's different." Ella went on to explain to Emma how Snow met Charming and all the events that led up to the Evil Queen's curse and Emma being sent through the portal. "See, that's you. And isn't that exactly like your baby blanket?"
Emma shook her head. "My parents, whoever they are, must have had the same book and made a replica of the blanket. Not that they would care that much since they dumped me on the side the road."
"No, that's just where you came through. They were giving you your best chance. The Evil Queen would have killed you." Ella told her.
Emma rolled her eyes. "So if I'm this savior then who would be my parents here in Storybrooke?" Emma asked skeptically.
"Snow White is my mom and Prince Charming is your dad." Ella told her, hoping she connect the dots and believe.
"And who are you?" Emma asked shaking her head at the crazy story she was telling her.
"I'm not in the book." Ella said. "I was found outside of Mom's door and no one knew who my parents were so my mom adopted me."
"Wait you aren't really Ms. Blanchard's daughter?" Emma asked, having not realized that she was adopted.
"As far as I know, I am not, but I did show up at her doorstep. I'm thinking that's when the curse started so I might be her daughter too.. and your sister..." Ella said with a hopeful look.
Emma sighed. She realized what this was. Ella just wanted the find her parents so bad that she made this theory that Storybrooke was full of cursed fairytale characters that didn't know who they were or that they were stuck in time. It was a desperate attempt to find her family.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Ella said sadly.
"No...sorry" Emma said sympathetically.
"If you had proof would you believe?" Ella asked curiously.
"It depends on what it is." Emma said shrugging her shoulders.
Ella nodded, thinking of how she could find proof of the curse. She had proof from her life experience being in a town that was froze except her. She would find something to prove that it was real. She'd have to do some searching. It would be hard as she was grounded, but she would just have to sneak off again to look for proof. She wasn't crazy. It was all true!
"Come on, let's get to the movie! Oh wait did you get money?" Emma asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, but I ended up taking it from my mom's purse..." Ella said with a sheepish look.
Emma laughed. "I took it from David's wallet. I hope he doesn't notice."
Ella smiled. She felt better that they both did the same thing. "I know. If my mom finds out I stole from her, I'm going to be dead."
Emma chuckled nervously. "I'm really hoping David doesn't notice or else he might just send me back. Stealing is a big no no when you are a foster kid."
"He would never send you back. He's a good dad." Ella reassured her.
"Maybe. He hasn't sent me back yet so it's a possibility he wouldn't. I guess." Emma said with a thoughtful look.
Ella smiled. "Well we better go or else all this will be for nothing."
"Exactly and I know what we should see." Emma said as they got up and started to the small movie theatre that was in a Storybrooke.
*****OUAT*****
Meanwhile with David and Mary Margaret
"A picnic? David this is amazing!" Mary Margaret said with a grin and a look of awe at everything that David had thought of and done for their date. "It's perfect."
David grinned and leaned in to kiss Mary Margaret. He leaned away and looked at her lovingly. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
"Just a couple times." Mary Margaret said with a blush.
"Well its true. You are so beautiful." David said before kissing her again.
*****OUAT*****
Back with Emma and Ella
"Oh snap! It is 2:00 already!" Emma said as she saw the time.
"No! My mom said she would be back by 2 or 2:30. I hope it is closer to two thirty!" Ella said with wide eyes. "If we get caught, we will be grounded for life!"
"We won't! Let's get you home first. Maybe you will make it before your mom gets back." Emma said as they started to run towards Ella's home.
As they got closer to the building, they spotted David's truck and knew that if they didn't hide around the building they would get caught.
"I'm dead. So dead. You should say goodbye to me know because she is going to kill me." Ella said seriously as she peeked out to see David parking and getting out to open her mom's door. She then turned quickly to Emma and put her hands on her arms. "But you can probably make it home in time!"
"I'm not letting you get in trouble for all this on your own. It's not too late for you to get in. Have you ever used your fire escape? I know you are afraid of heights, but maybe I could help you." Emma said desperately.
"I'll try, but you need to go and try to make it home!" Ella said as she went towards the fire escape.
"Are you sure?" Emma asked in worry.
"Yes. Maybe we both can get out of this still." Ella said with a smile before starting up the fire escape. Thankfully it went right to the outside of her window that was in her room. She just hoped the window wasn't stuck.
"Ok. Good luck." Emma said before running off.
Ella made it to the second floor when she heard her name being called.
*****OUAT*****
"Do you hear that?" David asked with a frown. He swore he just heard Emma and Ella's voices.
"No, what was it?" Mary Margaret asked before hearing more talking from the side of the building.
They both headed to the side of the building where the fire escape was. They both saw Ella on the second landing of the fire escape about to climb up the next ladder. They also saw that the fire escape wasn't in good shape and wasn't sturdy as it should be.
"Ella!" Mary Margaret yelled in both worry and anger.
"I'll get her down." David said as he went to the end of the fire escape and carefully started to climb up it. "Ella, try climbing down." David instructed.
Ella looked towards her mom and didn't want to climb down. It had nothing to do with her fear of heights this time, it was all about the fear of her mother.
"Come on, Ella. I won't let anything happen to you." David said, thinking she was freezing up because of her fear of heights.
Ella started towards him. She got to the first landing and David climbed down first and then helped Ella down. As soon as she was down, Mary Margaret marched over to her and grabbed her arm.
"What in the world were you thinking?" Mary Margaret practically yelled at her.
"I…I…" Ella started nervously. She had nothing to say that would excuse her being on the fire escape. Whether she was going or coming, she had still snuck out of the house and was in big trouble.
"I'm guessing you were trying to sneak in before I got home, am I right?" Mary Margaret asked in frustration.
"Uh…." Ella started and stopped. She didn't know what to say. She was caught and she had no excuse for being out of the loft.
"Am I right?" Mary Margaret repeated in a quiet and very stern voice.
"Yes." Ella practically whispered as she looked at her mom nervously.
"So you snuck out and then tried to sneak back in by climbing up the fire escape? You know that is dangerous, especially after the stunt you pulled at David's, I thought you would have known better than to do something so dangerous again! And sneaking out again, I must not be getting through to you enough! I guess just being grounded isn't enough, is it?" Mary Margaret scolded Ella.
Ella just looked at her mom with grimace. She couldn't even come up with a good excuse.
"Was Emma with you?" David asked, knowing he heard two voices before and he figured if Ella had snuck out that Emma did too.
Ella shook her head no. "No, she didn't know I was sneaking out." Ella replied quickly, too quickly.
"You're lying, aren't you?" David asked with a frown.
"No, I am not." Ella said trying to look convincing, but she was failing miserably.
"Do not lie, young lady!" Mary Margaret scolded her, seeing the lie as well.
Ella looked down in embarrassment.
"I better get home." David said with a sigh.
Mary Margaret nodded. "And I have to deal with my daughter."
"I'm sorry our date ended this way." David said with a frown.
"It isn't your fault. It was a lovely date and I would love to be able to go on another date with you, but I think I'll need a babysitter for that one." Mary Margaret said and David nodded with a smirk. Ella was blushing even more at her Mom's comment.
"Me too." David said before leaning over to kiss Mary Margaret goodbye. "Talk to you later?"
"Definitely." Mary Margaret said with a smile.
David started heading off to his truck, hoping to catch Emma before she snuck back in the house.
"You and I, young lady, are going to have a very long discussion about your behavior today. I am very disappointed in you." Mary Margaret said as she started to pull Ella inside as she held her upper arm.
"But I…" Ella started, but was caught off.
"But nothing! You disobeyed me and snuck out of this house, then put yourself into danger by climbing up that fire escape just to try to trick me into thinking you were home all day. So no I don't want to hear your excuses or lies." Mary Margaret interrupted her.
*****OUAT****
David made it just as Emma was about to climb up the trestle to her room.
"Stop right there, young lady!" David yelled as he got out of his truck and walked up to her quickly, in case she decided to run.
"Uh David, you are back soon. I was just taking a walk around the house. I thought I might see if there were any chores I could do out here…." Emma lied quickly.
"Chores? You want chores to do?" David asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her with his "dad" look that he adopted quickly after he got Emma.
"Well no, but…" Emma started.
"But you thought it would be a good lie to tell me to excuse you being outside the house." David said with meaningful look that told her he wasn't buying any of her story.
"No…" Emma said.
"You were trying to sneak back in the house, weren't you?" David asked with raised eyebrows.
"Of course not…" Emma tried.
"Don't lie to me. I know that you were with Ella just shortly before we got back to her place. You ran off before we caught Ella climbing the fire escape."
Emma grimaced. Ella got caught. "She told you?" She said once she realized that they must have gotten the truth out of Ella.
David didn't answer because he hopped that she would slip up and say something they did.
"We didn't do anything bad, just a movie. It isn't a big deal!" Emma tried to excuse her behavior.
"You went to a movie with Ella?" David said with a sigh.
Emma eyes widened. He hadn't known that. Opps.
"Ella, didn't tell me anything." David said before realizing something. Emma was there before him, but was still trying to sneak in by climbing up the trestle. She could have just gone through the front door. "Why didn't you just use the front door?"
Emma looked sheepish. "I locked myself out."
David nodded and tried to keep a smile off his face, but then schooled his features again. "So you were about to climb the trestle right after I told you yesterday not to ever do that again because it is dangerous? I am very disappointed in you, Emma."
Emma looked down with a frown. She knew she was in trouble, but she was secretly happy that he hadn't noticed that she stole from him. She figured he would have found out when he took Mary Margaret to dinner.
"Come on, we have a long discussion to have." David said as he took her arm and brought her to the front door.