Finding You Always

Eyes Open

Finding You Always

Chapter 14: Eyes Open

David got out of his truck and closed the door as quietly as possible, as he observed the mansion before him. This was the address left in the note. There was another pain in his head, but he pushed it away. Emma was in there and he was terrified for her, but determined. He was also confused and worried about Mary Margaret's disappearance. She had found a way to run and while he understood that, given what she was facing, he had hoped that she trusted him to prove her innocence.

Drawing his gun, he focused on the task at hand and quietly slipped around back. He found a window open and climbed through. He knew it was probably a trap, but nothing was going to stop him from finding his little girl.

He slipped quietly up the stairs, wincing at the creaking boards and quietly opened the first bedroom door, gun poised and aimed. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat, as Mary Margaret's eyes widened. She was tied and gagged to a chair, crying and obviously terrified. He holstered his gun and pulled the gag off.

"David..." she said in relief.

"Shh...it's okay. Have you seen Emma?" he asked. She nodded.

"He has her...he's insane..." she replied, as he started untying her. But her eyes widened, as Jefferson now stood in the doorway.

"David!" she cried, as Jefferson swung a bat at him, which he dodged. David started to go for the gun at his hip, but the Hatter yanked Emma by the arm from outside the room.

"Slowly put the gun on the floor or one of them is going to end up with a nasty bump on the head," Jefferson warned. David put his hands up in surrender and did as he asked.

"Let me have my daughter," David said. Jefferson chuckled.

"That's not the way this works, Sheriff. I need her to get the hat to work," Jefferson replied. David spared a glance at Mary Margaret.

"He thinks he's the Mad Hatter I think," she whispered.

"I don't think...I know who I am, which is more than can be said for you two!" he snapped. He decided to play along.

"Okay, listen, I know you need Emma to make your hat work, but you're scaring her and this isn't the way. She can't help you unless she feels safe," David said, trying to reason with him.

"Don't patronize me," Jefferson said, as Emma stomped on his foot.

"Owe!" he cried, giving David the moment he needed, as he tackled the other man to the ground. Emma screamed, as Jefferson punched David and threw him off, but David came back with a punch of his own, as they wrestled for control. Unfortunately, Jefferson grabbed the gun and pointed it at David.

"NO!" Mary Margaret cried.

"Get up," Jefferson growled and David did as he asked. Both Emma and Mary Margaret screamed, as Jefferson hit David on the back of the head with the butt of the gun. David fell to the floor in a daze, as his head swam and he writhed in pain. Suddenly, images began to assault his consciousness...

He tackled the thief to the ground and turned him over...only to find out it wasn't a him at all.

"You're a girl," he uttered.

"Woman..." she corrected, as she picked up a rock and hit him in the face with it, before throwing him off and jumping on a horse. He moved his jaw, grimacing in pain, as he jumped to his feet.

"YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME! WHEREVER YOU ARE, I WILL FIND YOU!" he shouted in promise.

Snow traipsed along the path and suddenly cried out, as she was hoisted into a net. She heard an arrogant laugh, as he came out from behind a tree.