Title: Collide
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Marco, Blue, Ruby, Henry, & Emma; Marco/Blue
Summary: After Archie's funeral, Marco takes comfort in the only person he has left.
Warnings: Implied sexy times, lots of angst, and Marco feels.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: I intended to have this up before the episode aired, but I lost track of my days. I fixed it to line up with what happened on the show, so consider this just extra stuff that was going on in the background. Also, did anyone notice all of the Blue/Geppetto ship moments in this episode? They made me really happy.
Marco half-heartedly scratched Pongo behind the ears. Archie's old Dalmatian sat on his right, while the Sheriff's boy sat to his left. He kept a firm arm around Henry as the boy leaned against Marco's side, staring at the wall sadly.
Henry reminded him so much of his little Pinocchio, who he now knew was August, the apprentice he'd grown so fond of. He'd had a hard time, at first, believing that this young boy wasn't his grandson. If he had to lose his boy all over again, at least gaining a grandson would help to ease the pain. Nothing could ever replace his Pinocchio, but if he had to be without him, Marco would rather have a piece of him left behind.
All he was left with now was an old hat and a few possessions that meant nothing to him.
Pinocchio was gone.
Archie was gone.
He had nothing left.
Yes, he had his friends, but it wasn't the same. There was a hole in his heart that could never be filled. Not unless, by some miracle, his boy was returned to him. If he could have just one more moment with his son, a chance to reunite with him, it would repair all of the pain he'd suffered through his life.
Losing his parents, being kept from the only woman he'd ever loved, losing his son repeatedly, and Archie's murder would somehow cease to matter if he could only have his boy back.
"I'm going to lie down," Henry whispered. Before Marco could stop him, the boy was already on his way to the curtained-off bedroom. He watched as Emma looked after him sadly and reached out to take her hand.
"He'll be fine, just give him some time."
"Thanks, Marco, but between Archie and Au-" She caught herself. She missed his boy just as much as he did but while he did his best to keep his memory alive it seemed that she was trying her hardest to push it away so she wouldn't have to deal with it. "I'm sorry, I…I should check on him."
Pongo whined and Marco patted him on the back.
"I know, boy, I know."
The dog licked his face and scampered off. Pongo found Ruby crying in a corner and licked her hands until she leaned down to hug the large dog. She cried into his fur as Pongo licked her face sadly.
Marco stood. He couldn't do this anymore; first his son and now Archie. He crossed the room and placed a hand on the small of Blue's back.
"I should go," he whispered, wanting to have some time to himself.
"Are you sure?" She placed a comforting hand on his arm.
He nodded, doing his best to avoid the rush of old feelings. They seemed to present themselves more and more these days. She was all he had left of his old life. Perhaps he was becoming dependent on her.
He squeezed her hand before saying his goodbyes. Ruby asked to keep Pongo for a few hours and he agreed, knowing Pongo would only spend his time crying for Archie. He walked home, allowing the fresh air to clear his mind.
Marco entered the house through his workroom. Working with his hands always helped ease his pain. He tossed off his jacket and immediately went to work on a bookshelf for Henry. August had started it, wanting to give it to the boy as a gift for his eleventh birthday. Now that he was gone, Marco was determined to finish it.
Though Henry wasn't August's son by blood, Marco recognized love when he saw it. And he understood, more than anyone, that a father's love didn't depend on biology.
His skilled hands worked on sanding down materials. Time went by slowly as he carefully worked on crafting an intricate design into the wood. The gift would be perfect, just as his boy would have wanted it.
"That's lovely. Of course, everything you craft is."
He didn't glance up for fear he would make an error in his final rivet.
"Are you implying our son?" He asked as he inspected his work. Once he felt confident he could take a break he straightened up and glanced in her direction.
Blue held her shawl close with one hand and trailed the other over the old Cuckoo Clock.
"He was your greatest masterpiece," she whispered as her eyes landed on the wooden whale their boy had carved.
"Is," he corrected. "He's still out there, somewhere."
She placed a shaky hand on his shoulder.
"Emma watched him-"
"Then where is he? Dead men don't walk off, Blue!" He snapped, pulling away from her. He refused to believe that their boy was dead. He'd lost too much. August was out there, somewhere, lost, and he would not give up hope that they would see him again.
"I don't know, perhaps Regin-"
"Perhaps nothing." He waved his finger and then threw his hands up, his emotions getting the better of him. "Emma broke the curse. She must have brought him back somehow. Maybe he got lost, crossed the town line…I don't know, but I feel that he is out there! We are his parents, we cannot give up on him, not when we've already failed-"
"I never wanted to send him here in the first place!" She argued.
"So this is my fault?"
"Yes! He was too young, you were asking too much of him and I was foolish enough to-"
"You wanted to spare him the curse as well, don't blame this all on-"
"If he'd have been cursed at least he'd be with us no-"
"You're the reason this all happened in the first place!" He accused and immediately regretted losing his temper. He approached her, arms out. "Amore Mia, I'm so-"
She raised her hand to keep him away.
"No, you're right. I have him the idea in the…I've done my best to fix it ever since." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I will never forgive myself. And I shouldn't be angry with you…Pino-August," she whispered, as if reminding herself that it was his name now. "He and Emma were supposed to be together in our world, if we hadn't sent him in Snow's place…" she sighed. "We should have better prepared him for this world, for his task…I just wish I could see him again so he could know that all of his failures are truly ours, he isn't to blame."
Marco took her hand and drew her into his arms.
"But you tried Amore-"
"I was cursed, I didn't know what I was-he needs to know! I've never met a boy with so much guilt resting on his shoulders. We did that, no one else. We brought him into this world and we destroyed him and I would love nothing more than for him to be alive so we can recompense for our sins but..." she pulled away and wiped at her eyes. "Our son is gone, Marco."
"I hope you're ready to be wrong, Amore Mia," he whispered. He closed the garage door and led her into the house, needing a drink.
Their history was a long and sad one filled with forbidden love and loss. The only thing they'd done right was Pinocchio. His loneliness had driven him to carve a puppet in the form he imagined their son would take out of the tree in which they'd buried their dead child and Blue's love for the both of them inspired her to break the rules of her people, once again, and to give the puppet life.
Pinocchio hadn't been born in the traditional sense, but together they'd created him.
He poured two glasses of Scotch and joined her on the small sofa.
"I can't-"
"You're not going to make an old man drink alone, are you? And you're not a real nun, I don't see why you insist on wearing that getup," he scolded. He was a devout Catholic, in their world and this, like any stereotypical Italian, and he'd prefer to see her out of her habit to curb his guilt of thinking impure thoughts about a woman of God. She took the glass with a roll of her eyes and sipped at it. She made a face and set it aside as he took a healthy drink.
"It's out of habit," she whispered.
"Why did you come?"
"Because I was worried."
"Not because you pity me?"
"No," she hissed as she reached out to cup his cheek. He drew away from her, unable to handle being that physically close to her. The funeral had been pushing it but here, when they were alone?
"We're family," she insisted as she took his face in both hands. "We both loved Archie and August…whether he's gone forever or just missing, we're both feeling that loss. I didn't want to be alone and…I worry for you. Stop pushing me away. This isn't our land, things are different, we can finally-"
"We can finally what, Blue?" He whispered, knowing he wouldn't like her answer. Even without rules to break, the two of them being together wasn't meant to be. Too many people got hurt in the process; he wasn't ready to repeat their tragic history in this new world.
Besides, he was an old man, and she was still a beautiful young women, it wasn't right.
Fairies never did play fair. Instead of answering him, she leaned in and placed her soft lips on his. He pulled away quickly, unwilling to give in to her this time.
"I'm too old."
"I'm thousands of years older than you are," she reminded him.
"But-" He motioned to his wrinkled body and she kissed him again.
"I don't care." She asserted before kissing him once more.
If there was one thing he and his son shared, it was a weak resolve when it concerned certain pleasures of the body.
Their lovemaking was awkward and clumsy on his part, tearful on hers, and overdue in general.
Afterwards he held her, feeling less alone than he had that morning. She'd come here with the intention of comforting him and she'd succeeded.
"We need to find him," he whispered, breaking their long silence.
"Pino-dammit," she muttered. "You know who I mean. And how do you suggest we do this?"
"Fairy-"
"Tried it."
He gave her a smug grin.
"I thought you said he was gone?"
She sighed in resignation.
"One can never be too cert-"
He cut her off with a kiss and she pushed him away from her in annoyance.
"If I agree to help you look will you agree to not let it consume you? Eventually, if we don't find him we have to assu-"
"But we will find him."
"But if we don't?" She said slowly.
"Fine. If we don't find him by Henry's thirteen-"
"That is too-"
"That's my offer."
"How did I ever fall for such a stubborn jackass," she muttered. "You were even worse back then."
"Is that a 'yes'?"
She took a deep breath and nodded.
"Good, come! Let's go to Emma, she will help us find him."
He searched the bedroom for his pants as she began to protest.
"Perhaps now is not the best-"
There was a loud knock from the door and he peeked out the window. A large smile formed on his lips as he hurriedly dressed.
"Ruby and Emma, see, it's destiny," he insisted.
"You should wait until tomo-" He kissed her to get her to stop arguing with him and rushed out of the room before she could protest. With any luck they'd soon have their boy back and finally be the family they were always meant to be.