Operation Cobra (Book Two of The Savior Fables)

Chapter Twelve: The Shepherd, Part II

Queenie works her magic, Emma catches the sheriff in a lie, and when things between David and Mary Margaret reach an ultimatum, which life wins?

***

Mary Margaret ripped her letter opener through one of her envelopes, the tear of paper uneasily satisfying as she sorted through her mail.

"Careful," David's voice came from the doorway, and she looked up in shock to see him leaning against the frame. "Looks sharp."

Mary Margaret gulped, eyes darting around nervously. "You can't be here," she whispered, turning her back to avoid looking at him.

David sighed and stepped into her classroom, watching Mary Margaret gather booklets. "I needed to see you," he told her.

Mary Margaret swallowed as they came face to face. "Tell me you didn't leave your wife because of me," she begged. "I do not want to destroy your marriage."

"You're not," David shook her head. "It's me. I don't want to hurt her, either, but the most hurtful thing to Kathryn would be me pretending." He took a deep breath and looked down at her. "She needs someone to feel about her the way I feel about you."

Mary Margaret recoiled and shook her head, slamming the booklets down on her desks. "I'm really trying hard to stay away from you," she told him, swallowing back tears as she worked. "To do the right thing."

"Why is that the right thing?" David asked, backing away as Mary Margaret worked towards him.

"Because you already have a life!"

"With someone I didn't choose!" Mary Margaret gawked at David in shock, and as the school bell rang, David lowered his voice as kids started pouring into the room. "The man who chose that life, whoever married Kathryn, is gone," he told her. "The man here wants someone else."

Mary Margaret gritted her teeth and grabbed David by the sleeve, pushing him towards the door. "You really have to leave me alone."

"Is that truly what you want?" David asked, stumbling over his feet.

"Go!"

David grabbed the edge of the door, stopping her from shoving him out of the room. "Meet me tonight," he urged, making Mary Margaret blink in shock. "At least think about it. I'll be at the bridge where you found me at eight o'clock. Think about it until then and then decide. If you don't show, I'll know, and I'll never bother you again." Mary Margaret hesitated, and encouraged, David continued. "But if you choose this, if you choose us . . . you know where I'll be."

His part said, David walked away from the classroom, and Mary Margaret watched him go in surprise.

***

Queenie opened the door at David's first knock, and she smiled happily and stepped back to let him inside. "Come on in."

"Thank you," David nodded, absently fiddling with the jacket in his hand as he looked around the room currently occupied by Queenie and - "Where's Newt?" he asked, looking around in surprise. He recognized some of the man's belongings in the room.

"Oh, he's helping Harry with some summer work," Queenie waved away the concern. It was true, after all . . . sometimes, Harry did much better putting his work into practice instead of just reading theory. "Now, have a seat."

"Thank you," David nodded, taking a deep breath and sitting on the edge of one of the neatly-made beds. Queenie sat across from him on the other, reaching for two mugs that rested on the bedside table. "So . . . " He cleared his throat awkwardly. "How do we do this?"