New Romantics: Once upon a time fanfic

Twenty Six

"Yeah but I still don't get how she could just vanish," Elijah says as he puts his hand on the car seat in front of him. "Someone must have let her out."

"Nobody would do that," Nora tells him, eyes focused on the road trying not to crash Nolan's car.

Out of all the days to get sick Nolan had to today of all days, leaving me third wheeling Nora and Elijah as they discuss how Mary Margert broke out of jail.

"Does Henry know anything?" Elijah asks me.

"No or he would have already said something," I tell him. "He thought it was Emma who let her out."

"Emma needs to find her soon because if your mother finds out it won't look for her." Nora says.

Emma has been searching for her since we realised she was missing, trying desperately not to give my mother another reason to get Mary Margaret convicted. It's proving increasingly more difficult when the evidence just seems to keep stacking up against her.

"She can't leave town," Elijah says. "It shouldn't be too difficult to find her."

"Just because something bad will happen to her doesn't mean she can't leave," I argue, turning around to look at him. "Maybe that's what they want, to let her go and make her leave town."

"Or she might have decided to leave town on her own despite the risks," Nora adds. "Might be better than being in prison for murder."

"Your mother knows nothing about this right?" Elijah asks hesitantly. "Not that i'm accusing her, just it's weird that she hasn't noticed by now when she seems so determined to make sure she's in prison."

"She could," I say, I can't deny what looks obvious. "The keys in Mary Margaret house looked like they were planted by her, we can't rule it out but I also don't want to think of her like that even after everything."

"If you don't hate her you don't have to pretend to," Nora says, turning to look at me for a moment before looking back to the road. "She's still your mother."

"Would you still love your parents if they had done horrible things?" I ask her as I fidget with my hands. "Ruined people's lives."

"They'd still be my parents." She says.

I don't know what to say to that so I don't say anything instead turning to stare out of the window when I spot a familiar car parked outside one of Nora's neighbours home. I have now clue who the man who lives there is, Nora says he barely comes out of his house.

"Isn't that Emma's car?"

"Why would Emma be up here?" Elijah asks. "Do you think she thought Mary Margaret could be up here?"

"Maybe," Nora answers as she stops the car. "Jefferson is a bit strange."

"We should go look," Elijah says, he goes to open the door when Nora locks them. "What if she's in trouble?"

"She's a grown woman," Nora argues. "I think she can handle herself."

"I agree with Eli," I say to Nora's dismay. "We need a plan first."

"We don't need a plan," Elijah aruges. "We just go up to the door and ask if she's there."

"Fine but if anything happens-" I but Elijah cuts me off.

"Nothing will." He tries to assure me.

Normally I would believe him but after everything that's happened recently nothing is that simple.

It takes us a moment to reach. It's nice but seems a bit excessive for a man that lives alone.

"What if he's just helping Emma," Nora says as we stand in front of the door. "And we're acting like he's some creep that wants to kill her."