Operation Crab: Take 2

Mary Margaret stood at the sink of the kitchen…no, the galley. Why couldn't she remember that? She and David had agreed to spend the day with Emma and Killian on his new fancy yacht. She was silently washing the plates from the lunch the four of them had just shared out on the deck. Emma stood silently at the counter behind her, packing up the leftovers and placing them into the fridge. Mary Margaret was beginning to regret that she had let David talk her into this little excursion. He and Killian had become best buds in recent months, and Killian had been begging for the two of them to come sailing and check out his new boat. Mary Margaret had disliked being on the water before what she had come to call the 'Island incident'. She really hated it now. Not to mention that fact that her and Emma's relationship had never really recovered from said incident. She had been able to successfully avoid seeing her sister except at major holidays. During those times, she had used her family and friends as a buffer to avoid being alone with her. Emma had graciously not pushed it.

The school year had just ended and Mary Margaret was spending the summer looking for a teaching position closer to David's base. Once David had been released from his punishment, she began traveling back and forth to see him on the weekends. Occasionally, David would get a three day pass that would allow him to travel to her, but she was more than ready to put the frequent flights behind her. There was just one problem. The move from Maine would also put her closer to Emma, and with David's new friendship with Killian, he had been pushing for a reconciliation. David had begged her to come today. He had given her the most pathetic puppy dog pout she had ever seen and she found herself unable to say no.

Emma spoke up, daring to break the quiet. "You would think this fancy new yacht would come with staff to do the cleanup."

Mary Margaret didn't look at Emma, but gave only a slight grunt in response.

"What, no snarky comment about how that would impede mine and Killian's ability to use the galley for certain extra-curricular activities."

There was no response from Mary Margaret who continued to focus on the dishes.

"Come on, I know you want to." Emma goaded her, sounding like a petulant child.

"Actually, Emma, I would prefer not to comment on your and Killian's inappropriate behavior in a public space."

"Why? The old Mary Margaret would. I thought that maybe you had agreed to come here because you were finally ready to put all this behind us."

"I have put everything behind me."

"Everything except your anger and resentment at me."

"If that were true then I wouldn't be here. I am no longer angry at you?"

"So then why are you still punishing me?"

Mary Margaret dropped the glass she was holding back into the sink and turned around, finally giving her full attention to the conversation. "How exactly am I punishing you, Emma?

"You won't talk to me. You can barely stand to be in the same room with me. I've said I was sorry over and over again. I just don't understand why you are still so mad at me, especially when you and David are together now."

"That's the problem Emma. You think that just because David and I are together that everything is okay. That I should just forget about the lies and the manipulation. That there should be no repercussions because it all turned out in the end.

"That's not true Mary Margaret. I expected there would be fallout, but not this. You haven't spoken to me in almost a year. When is it going to be enough?"

"That's ridiculous. I talk to you. I've spent the last 2 hours talking to you."

Emma couldn't help the scoff that escaped her lips. "You talk to me like I'm a stranger. In the last 2 hours, you asked me about the weather and if I'd read any good books lately. I've never known you to care anything about the weather, and you know I don't read. I haven't read a book since I was ten years old."

"Well, I recall asking you how you were doing and you rolled your eyes and said fine. You could have elaborated if you were so keen on conversation."

"I didn't elaborate because you didn't really want me to."

"That's an assumption on your part."

Mary Margaret noticed the twitch in Emma's face as she went from frustrated to furious. She wasn't at all surprised when the platter near Emma went flying across the room. Emma's voice came out as what could only be described as an incensed screech.

"Okay then. Do you really want to know how I'm doing? Like crap! Is that what you want to hear? I have three open cases on my desk because I can't seem to focus. They've always given me the hard cases, because I'm the best at finding people. That's what I do. Now suddenly I can't. My boss is threatening to pull the cases from me if I don't get it together. Killian spends more time on his boat, or with David, than with me. According to him, I'm dispirited. Whatever the hell that means? He says he doesn't know how to help me. The thing is, he can't help me because he's not the problem. I'm the problem. I'm the one who screwed up and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to get my best friend to forgive me. She's always been the most forgiving person I know, yet she won't forgive me."

By the time, Emma had ended her rampage, her chest was heaving rapidly. She looked at the floor intent on not crying.

Mary Margaret stood there dumbfounded. This was not the first time she had been witness to such an outburst by Emma, but it was the first time that she felt entirely at fault. She was the worst person in the world. Emma was completely right. She had always been so quick to dole out forgiveness, except apparently, to those who really deserve it. How strange the human mind is. So willing to let go of the worst crimes when they're committed by those not close to you, but refusing to offer grace over the smallest offenses of those you love.

Unlike her sister, Mary Margaret didn't fight the tears as she moved to stand in front of her. "Oh Emma, I can't believe how awful I've been to you. I can't even explain why. I know that you wanted the best for me. You were just trying to keep me from making a huge mistake. You did keep me from making a huge mistake. I forgive you, but I wonder, can you forgive me?"

Relief filled Emma as she responded. "I miss you so much. I miss my best friend."

Mary Margaret reacted by throwing her arms around Emma, hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe. "I miss you too. I can't believe how foolish I've been."

Emma returned the hug for a moment before it became too much. "Mary Margaret, you're choking me here," Emma rasped out as she tried to wiggle out of her sister's grip.

About that time Killian stepped tentatively into the room. "Everything okay in here?"

"Yes," Emma said, this time exaggerating the rasp in her voice and bringing her hands to her throat. "Mary Margaret was just trying to choke me to death."

"What?" Killian exclaimed, as he moved to step protectively in front of Emma.

"She's kidding," Mary Margaret assured him with a smirk. "We have worked everything out. Though if she ever leaves me stranded like that again, I promise I'll do worse than trying to choke her."

Emma and Killian stared at her with their mouths open in the most stupefied expression.

"Seriously guys, I'm just kidding. Can't you take a joke?" Mary Margaret let out a laugh. Killian and Emma barely managed strained smiles.

Killian cleared his throat. "I'm glad to see that the two of you have reached an accord. You were in here so long that Dave and I were starting to get worried."

"Speaking of David, I should probably go let him know that everything's alright." Mary Margaret reached out and hugged Emma again before exiting.

Emma looked nervously to Killian. "What should we do?"

"Nothing. This one's on Dave, not us."

Mary Margaret made her way out onto the deck. She spotted David standing at the bow looking out over the railing. He smiled as he noticed her approach. He wondered if he would ever be able to look at her and not be captured by her beauty. She met his smile with one of her own. She wrapped her arm around his waist and placed a light kiss to his cheek.

"Hi," she said sweetly.

"Hi," he mimicked.

"I heard you were worried about me."

"Well, I was more worried for Emma actually. It sounded like it got a little heated in there. I'm pretty sure I heard glass break."

Mary Margaret winced. "There was a minor incident with a platter."

"I was afraid that you were letting her have it."

"Actually, she was letting me have it. I guess that outburst has been a long time coming."

He reached up and gently stroked her cheek. "Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes full of concern.

"I am," she replied. "It was about time that we had that talk. I know that you think so too."

"Only because I love you. I know you well enough to know that you could never be completely happy as long as you were estranged from your sister. I was hoping for a much calmer discussion though."

"It's okay. I deserved it. I've been so mean to her David, so unforgiving."

He took her in his arms and placed a kiss into her hair. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You had every right to feel betrayed and hurt, but it's time to let it go."

"You're right and I'm ready. I think Emma and I are going to be alright."

"You don't know how happy that makes me. I'll be forever grateful to Emma and to that little Island for bringing you back to me."

"I am too, though if you ever tell Emma, I'll deny it profusely.

She kissed him then, so grateful to be in his arms. He shifted away from her so he could look at her. His blue eyes were the exact color of the ocean behind him.

"Do you trust me?"

His voice was teasing, but she could hear a slight tinge of apprehension in his tone. His stare was so intense it sent shivers down her. Her heartbeat increased, as her stomach danced within her. This is it, she thought. He's going to ask me. She reached her hand out to the railing in an effort to steady herself. She had been waiting for this moment. Anticipated it would come soon. Imagined it over and over. She had not expected to feel so nervous. So unprepared.

"Mary Margaret, do you trust me?"

His repetition of the question pulled her from the wanderings of her mind.

"Yes."

Her voice was strong and true, as her gaze glistened with sincerity. All that surety ended when instead of getting down on one knee, he pulled a blindfold out of his pocket and tied it around her head.

"David, what-?"

She felt his hand on her waist and felt his breath in her ear. "Shhh, you said you trusted me."

A moment later she felt the wind blowing through her hair as the yacht began to move. The sensation of movement while being in the dark gave her vertigo. She tightened her grip on David, while wondering if she he would be angry if she pulled the blindfold off. He might take it as a sign she didn't really trust him. As much as she hated the dizziness and confusion she was experiencing right now, she trusted David implicitly. Still, she was grateful when she felt the boat come to a stop.

"Can I take this blindfold off?"

She let out a yelp when, instead of answering her, David unexpectedly scooped her up into his arms. By this time she had lost all sense of direction, so when David began to carry her, she couldn't tell where he was taking her. She began to panic slightly when she heard a boat motor turn over, and then head away from her. She had an idea where she might be and she was not happy about it. She was done with waiting for him to remove the cover from her eyes. She whipped the blindfold off.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but-"

She stopped talking abruptly when she registered not just where she was, but what she saw before her. Like she had thought, she was on the Island she and David had been left stranded on just about a year ago, but things were slightly different. Directly in front of her was a set of beach lounge chairs with a beach umbrella providing shade. A small wood stump next to them held two coconut shells that must contain a drink of some sort because they had straws and tiny umbrellas. There was a table set up under the tree, with an ice chest near it that she assumed was full food. Next to that was a tent, large enough to stand up in. The door was tied open and she could see a suitcase inside.

David stood her gently onto the sand and gave her one of his charming smiles. "What was that you were saying?"

She returned his smile. "Did you do all this?"

He laughed. "No, I don't think that's what you were saying at all.

"You're right," she admitted rather impertinently. "I was going to say that you better not have taken me to that godforsaken Island."

"You just admitted that you were grateful for our little Island adventure."

"That didn't mean that I wanted to be back here anytime soon."

Sheepishly, David pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I can call Emma and Killian and tell them to come back for us now."

"They are coming back for us eventually, right?"

"Yes, I promise. They are picking us up tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, since you obviously went to a lot of trouble to put this all together, we can stay."

He ran his hand down her arm to her fingers, intertwining them with his. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you first.

She responded with genuine sincerity as she touched her fingertips to his cheek. "It's just that not all of the memories are good."

"So let's make some new ones." He twirled her fully into his embrace. "I have a great idea on where to start," he whispered into her ear just before touching his lips to that certain spot on her neck that he knew always got to her.

An involuntary moan issued from her mouth as soon as she felt the warmth of his lips tickle her neck. She let him work his magic for several moments before she found the strength to push him away.

"Actually, I was thinking that those chairs, and whatever hopefully sweet concoction you have in those coconuts would be a nice place to start."

He released her, trying not to let his disappointment show. "I asked Emma to pack you a bag, if you wanted to go change first."

Mary Margaret entered the tent and changed into a red bathing suit, flip flops, and a sheer white cover-up she found. She emerged to find that David had shed his own clothing and now donned a pair of swim trunks. She was appreciative when he pulled out sunscreen and her favorite back sunglasses, which she thought had been left on Killian's boat.

They spent the afternoon alternating between relaxing on the beach and swimming. David insisted on reapplying her sunscreen every couple of hours. It was a necessity given her pale skin tone, but there was no doubt he had other motives given how long it would take him to rub it in, ensuring he didn't miss a spot. Not that she minded. In fact she rather enjoyed returning the favor.

As the afternoon wore on, Mary Margaret could feel hunger creeping up on her. She had not eaten much lunch earlier on the boat. The tension from still being mad at Emma had affected her appetite.

She sat up and turned to David. "So what did you bring to eat?"

"I thought maybe we would catch our dinner again. How about we go crabbing?"

A smile emerged on her face. "I think that's a great idea."

David breathed a sigh of relief as Mary Margaret stood up excitedly. Catching that crab last time had actually been one of the highlights for her. She pulled off her cover-up and sunglasses, kicked her shoes off, and splashed into the water. David laughingly followed her to the rocky tide pools.

"Why don't you look here," David told her. "I'm going to go around to that area over there and see what I can find."

David moved around to an area behind some large rocks from where he had left Mary Margaret looking. He reached down into the water and pulled up the cage that he had placed there earlier. He removed the crab from it.

"I found one over here. Come help me."

Just before Mary Margaret got there, he dropped the crab back into the water.

"Do you think you can grab him, while I keep him distracted?"

She nodded that she could and stepped gently around so that she was behind the crab. David kept a close eye on the crab. He made sure that it was watching his movements and not Mary Margaret's. He exhaled in relief when she managed to grab it and bring it up from the water.

She giggled breathlessly as she rose from the water clutching her prize. "I've still got it," she announced proudly.

She stood there before him, hands full of crab, with her dazzling smile and musical laughter. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her wet hair curled gently around her face, and water droplets glistened off her skin. She looked so much like she did that night in the rain. The night that he knew, without a doubt, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life surrounded by her laughter.

He was plucked from the memory by the sound of her squeal as the crab squirmed, desperate to be released from her hold. He sprang into action, rushing to her and catching the crab, just as she was about to drop it.

"Oh, honey, don't drop him."

"I'm sorry. I was afraid he was going to pinch me."

David pretended to examine the crab more closely. "I don't think so. His claw seems to be stuck shut. I think that there is something in there."

David adjusted the crab so that he had a hold of either side of the claw. "Hold out your hand for me."

Mary Margaret quickly put her hands behind her back and shook her head. "No way. You don't know what's in there."

"I guess I'll have to do it myself then."

"It's probably something nasty and slimy, like whatever it intended to have for dinner."

"I'll take my chances." David winked at her as he turned his hands so that the contents would drop into his bottom palm.

Suddenly David screamed out as if in pain. He dropped the crab and clutched his fisted hand into his stomach. "Ow, I think something bit me."

Forgetting her fear in the wake of David's pain, Mary Margaret grabbed for his hand. "Sweetheart, let me see. Is it bleeding?" She took his hand in hers. She noticed a flash of silver as she forced his fingers open. It took only a moment for her to realize that he was not bleeding, and what was cupped in his palm.

Time seemed to stand still as she stared at the ring, tears shining in her eyes. Then without warning, she punched him in the arm. "That was mean. Why would you do that?"

"Well," he shrugged his shoulders. "I asked you to hold out your hand. I even had a bunch of flowery words all prepared to say. Then you refused to cooperate. I had to improvise."

"And that was what you came up with?" Mary Margaret wanted to remain angry, but couldn't keep her laughter in. Even when he was being completely outrageous, he managed to be charming. "Will it always be our fate to have things turn into such crazy adventures?"

"I certainly hope so."

He took her left hand in his, and gently slipped the simple ring on her finger. "Love is always an adventure, and I love you Mary Margaret. If you'll have me, I promise to be your biggest supporter, defender, comforter, and friend. Will you marry me and be by my side on what promises to be a crazy, astounding, wonderful adventure?"

She couldn't stop the tears as she squeezed his hand in hers. "Yes. There is no one else I would ever want to go on such an adventure with."

The crab and all thoughts of dinner were forgotten as he wrapped her tightly in his arms and together they celebrated the beginning of the rest of their life together.

Six months later, Emma, Killian, Ruby, and Graham stood by them as they were married in an intimate ceremony attended by their closest family and friends.

Over the years, they continued to make frequent trips back to the Island, often bringing family and friends along. Mary Margaret continued to insist that she wasn't a water person, and didn't like the beach very much. David knew better than to disagree, though he had long since determined that she secretly loved their trips to the Island.

They spent their first anniversary bathed in the light of a full moon reflecting off the water, while dancing barefoot on the sand.

When David was deployed overseas for six months, somehow being on the Island made her feel closer to him, and just a little less lonely.

When Mary Margaret learned that they would be adding a baby to their family she placed the pregnancy test in a small chest and buried it on the Island. Then she drew out a map and sent David in search of the treasure.

Their adventurous green-eyed princess took her first steps on the beach while chasing seagulls.

When David's mother succumbed to illness, Mary Margaret held onto him, her head resting on his shoulder, as he released a handful of her ashes into the breeze.

Their fearless four year old son had to be rushed to the hospital aboard Uncle Killian's yacht, after breaking his arm during a family trip to the Island. The incident happened when his six year old sister, inspired by their parents' stories, decided he should climb up on her shoulders to try and reach the fruit in the trees.

They celebrated their tenth anniversary shooting fireworks on the beach. Afterwards they sat together by the fire, huddled under blankets. That was when she took an envelope out of her jacket and handed it to.

"Happy Anniversary."

"What's this?"

"Open it," she said, rolling her eyes.

He opened the seal and unfolded the paper inside. His eyes opened wide in unbelief as he read their names on the deed inside.

"Mary Margaret, did you buy this Island?"

"I kind of considered it ours anyway, so I decided to make it legal."

"How? We can't afford this."

"I got a really good deal on it. My mother's jewelry covered most of it."

With tears in his eyes, his voice heavy with emotion, he questioned her. "Baby, you sold your mother's jewelry? But why?

"I love my mother. I treasure her memory…but not her jewelry. This place is different. It's the place where I found hope again. Where I found you again. I had thrown away the idea of love. I chose to hide my heart. Then my crazy sister intervened and we landed here. Being marooned here with you made me realize the only way to truly heal is to believe the possibility for happiness still exists. You made me believe in love again on this Island. And I want this place to always be here for us, and for our family. A place where we can be reminded about the power of love. A place where we can find rescue from the stress and busyness of the real world and just be together."

"Then that's what it will be. Our place of rescue. In fact, I think maybe you need to be rescued right now."

"From what?" She questioned, feigning innocence, though she knew exactly what he meant.

"I'll think of something," he assured her, as he lowered her to the ground and pulled the blankets over their heads, rescuing her once again with his love.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read this story for coming on this journey with me. My sincerest appreciation to those who have shared their reviews with me. Time is your most valuable commodity, and the fact that you were willing to spend some of that reading a story that I wrote means more than I can express. I wish all of you a blessed New Year.