Finding You Always

A Land Without Magic

Finding You Always

Chapter 46: A Land Without Magic

The next morning began as any other in the Charming household. Emma and Leo stumbling from their rooms in search of coffee, finding their parents already awake and getting Summer situated with breakfast, while making eyes at each other and stealing kisses. Only they could manage romance before coffee.

Then Eva joined them and they agreed that she was far too cheerful for the early hour and finally a sleepy Henry, who quickly woke up, chatting a mile a minute about far more than Emma was able to keep up with at the moment.

After breakfast and morning routines were completed, Henry caught the bus to school. Emma and Leo headed for the station after dropping Eva off at the library and David went with Snow this morning for the weekly City Council meeting. After dropping Summer off at Johanna's, they headed for City Hall together.

The day at the Harbor began as any other. In this land, for twenty-eight years, he was known as Edward Fuller and had been the Harbor Master's, also once known as King Triton, second in command. But Triton's recent actions had seen him suspended by the Mayor and the elderly Mr. Fuller had been appointed as his replacement.

Without the curse, Mr. Fuller knew he'd have been long dead by now. The curse had granted him more years than he was meant to have. But that still didn't make the end to his life any easier to accept, especially when it was so abrupt. The elderly, newly minted Harbor Master looked into the cold unfeeling hazel eyes that belonged to his murderer, the last thing he would see, as he faded away and took his final breath.

"Are you sure this will work?" Xander asked, as he stood by the ship that had brought them to the now visible coastline of Storybrooke.

Until 8:15 last night, the town had been invisible, but now that was no longer the case. While the Sheriff had the dwarves patrolling the town line, the same couldn't be said for the docks. It was an oversight on his son's part, but one he was grateful for.

"The poison I forced down his throat will make it appear like he had a heart attack. His advanced age makes it more than plausible, especially now that time has resumed," Clayton said. But Xander still seemed agitated.

"Relax...I'll gain their trust and we'll ease them into the reality that you're alive," Clayton assured him.

"There is no version of this where David doesn't react badly to seeing me alive," Xander replied.

"If he is the man you say he is, he will come around," Clayton assured.

"Do you really think they'll believe you're this man's son?" Xander asked.

"The man was a notorious loner and kept to himself. It's why I picked him. We just got even luckier that Triton got himself fired from this position, as being Harbor Master will give me an in with the town's leadership," Clayton said, pausing for a moment

"Word is that Mr. Fuller also had a temper and a quick story about us being estranged will hold up long enough. The curse ripped apart a lot of people, after all," Clayton added confidently. Xander sighed and ducked back in the cabin of the ship, as the patrol car arrived.

"Deputies," he greeted solemnly.

"You found the body?" Emma asked, as Leo knelt down to check for a pulse.

"Yes...I'm afraid so. He was...my father," he confessed.

"I didn't know Mr. Fuller had a son," Emma replied.

"Yes...he wasn't an easy man to get on with, but he called me wanting to talk this morning. This is how I found him," he said sadly.

"No defensive wounds..." Leo mentioned, as Emma knelt down too.