To Second Chances and Mixed Up Dreams
Disclaimer: I Don't Own OUAT if I did August would not turn into a freaking kid!
Emma knelt beside a wooden dying August, unable to fully process everything. It was all happening so fast and happening again. He was this wooden man dying again; it was that horrible day all over again. He was trying to say something to her. His wooden lips went so close to her ear. She could have sworn she heard a small voice but she could not make it out, she desperately scattered her brain trying strain her hearing to figure it out. Before she got a chance to hear him he fell to the ground and became immobile. Then that was it? He was dead; he had died in her arms again. Part of the reason she never told anyone it happened the first time was because she didn't want to have to relive that awful moment. Now it was happening again and there was nothing she could do about it. She got up defeated but then pushed through her moment of despair she could not be lost in grief she could not let him die in vain. He came to warn her about something. She had to find out what the warning was supposed to be, she needed this to focus on so she would not fall to pieces, because she needed August. She needed to talk to him for so long, especially now that Neal was in town with Tamara, especially since she was trying to deal with the fall out of her lie, and dealing with her mother's unimaginable guilt. Now she had to bury it like she always did they had to find out what happened. She needed to know why he died. She had to know who did this.
Then Henry said, "Selfless, brave, and true. That was what he had to be for the Blue Fairy to bring him back to life. We need the Blue Fairy."
On cue the Blue Fairy came rushing in and said, "You're right. I will try."
She then waved her wand at August and then he changed back into the flesh and blood August she knew and loved. Emma's joy flooded her whole body. She had an out pour of relief and she grabbed August unbelievably happy to see him.
"Emma." He looked at her in shock and then he looked all around him seeing everyone standing there. Neal rushed to the scene confused about what was going on. He saw his father Gepetto on the other side of him so filled with joyful tears.
"My son."
"Papa I am so sorry I failed you." August said.
"No, I'm sorry I failed you I put too big of a burden on you. But here you are, you earned your redemption. You did what was right. I am proud, son." He said as he touched August's scruffy face.
August looked back at Emma who still had her hands on his arms unwilling to let go.
She then helped him up, her hands still entangled with his.
Then she said, "August there was something you wanted to warn us about."
"There was."
He looked at all of his on lookers and saw Tamara leaning on Neal's shoulder.
Then Emma asked, "What is it?"
He looked at her deep in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I…everything is fuzzy. I don't remember anything."
He looked back at Tamara who had a satisfied look on her face.
Emma caressed his cheek and said, "Its okay, I am sure you will remember soon."
August smiled at her happy she seemed so happy that he was okay. Everyone seemed over taken with joy even Neal.
The Blue Fairy looked at him all knowing and sweet in her way and she said, "August you have your second chance now, do better."
She looked at him with a knowing glint in her eye. He kind of shivered a bit. He took a deep breath and looked back at Tamara. Okay so it was probably a bad thing that when he gets his 'second' or really is it like his 'third chance' to show he can be selfless, brave, and true in his first breath he lies. It's not exactly proving his 'truthful salt'. But as he looked back at Tamara sweetly holding Neal's hand it made him sick. He wasn't given this second chance to waist it. He could not reveal it right now and risk Tamara just leaving or retaliating violently to all of these people who he cared about.
He looked up at the Blue Fairy and said, "Thank you. I will not waste this chance, your magic worked for a reason and I will make things right.
He looked at her one last moment hoping she got his point.
Then he went to his father and hugged him. He could feel him cry into his shoulder. He took his father's hug in, not believing his papa could actually be proud of him. He dreamed of this moment for so long of seeing his papa and of making him proud, but for so long he was sure that moment would never come. He had messed up too much. Somehow someway here he was hugging his papa with most of the people who he cared about looking on him happy to see him.
Then Henry went up to him and hugged him next. The kid looked at him pleased and filled with joy. It touched his heart.
Then Emma went to embrace him again. He was about to let go so he could continue on his August tour of hugs. He figured Neal would hug him next with that happy relieved look on his face. But then Emma pulled him back to her. She embraced him one more time and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him square on the lips. He was completely shocked and stammered. He got lost in her lips for second, his lips brushed against hers not thinking about it fully. She was filled with such happiness and relief and so was he, he couldn't believe it. This was another thing he thought about but was sure would never happen; because he was sure he didn't deserve Emma. But then here she was kissing him in front of everyone, in front of Neal. Oh crap. Neal. He was the reason why he didn't try too hard to pursue Emma romantically.
He shot Neal an apologetic look. Neal gave him a weak smile. If it upset him he tried to hide it and brush it off. Then August parted from Emma, walked up to Neal and shook Neal's hand first loosely until their grips tightened and then after a moment the hand shake transformed into a bear hug.
He was filled with such love he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that all of these people cared about him even after everything he did and didn't do. They were all so happy he was getting a second chance. He had to make it worth it.
After everything dispersed he went home with his father. His father made some dinner and they both just sat silently. It wasn't awkward or weird it was just a nice comfortable silence between father and son. He hadn't had a meal with his papa since he was seven years old. He just enjoyed being here with him. His papa seemed to feel the same way. He thanked his papa and did the dishes like a good son should do. Then he told him he had to go see Emma. That brought a smile to his father's lips. Apparently he approved of the relationship. He sighed. He still felt at loss of what he was doing but hoped that it would work. Everyone else saw him as already redeemed like one act completely undid all of his mistakes, he knew that wasn't true. How could it be true especially since in his first breath he lied?
He knocked on the door Emma opened it happy to see him. She wrapped her arms around him ready to kiss him. He pushed her away and said, "Emma we need to talk."
"We can talk later. August you have no idea how much I missed you, how much I needed you." Emma said.
"I missed you too. But that's not why I'm here. We need to talk." August said.
He looked and saw Snow and Charming in the kitchen and Henry was sitting reading on the stairway. He then said, "Can you come with me so we can talk in private?"
"Sure." Emma said as she grabbed her coat. She told Henry she wouldn't be long and left with August.
When they arrived outside a smile spread across her lips as she saw his motorcycle, she hopped on the back holding tight to him.
He drove her to the well. Emma smiled and teased, "Did you bring some real drinks this time?"
"Sorry, Emma not this time." August said still trying to conjure up the courage to do what he had to do.
"It's always next time with you." She said smirking.
August sighed.
"August relax, you're here now everything is better." Emma said seeming to be on cloud nine, which really didn't make any sense to him. Shouldn't she be pissed at him?
"It's not. I lied." August said bluntly. There was no point in beating around the bush.
"I know but it's in the past and you proved..." Emma said defending him.
"No I'm not talking about the past. I lied when I told you I didn't remember." August confessed.
Emma's smile disappeared and her disapproving scowl surfaced and she asked, "Really? In your first moments of redemption you lie. Did you not learn anything at all?"
"Yeah, I learned you don't say too much to your enemies or they'll kill you." August muttered.
"Your enemies? You mean whoever killed you was there?" Emma asked shocked.
"Yeah."
Emma thought about it for like a second and said, "Tamera?"
"Yep."
"That bitch! That little…. Ohhhhhh. She decided to come in my town to visit my ex and she … just killed you. You could have been gone for good. How could she? What is she up to? Alright thanks for the info. We should get back in town so I can…" Emma started to walk past him in a fury.
August stopped her looking her in those eyes of hers asked,
"What are you going to do, Emma? Kill her?"
"Book her, throw her ass in jail until she tells me what in the hell is she up to!" Emma yelled fierce ready to do something.
"On what charges?" August asked.
" Well I don't know murder." Emma replied.
"I'm alive it won't stick, besides if behind bars we won't be able to figure out what she's up too. And there's Neal to consider. We have to tread carefully." August said.
"We? You are actually including me in your plans for once." Emma said surprised.
"We do work well together. I should have included you in my plans a long time ago. An apology will never do justice of how sorry and how filled with regret I am." August said his voice cracked filled with emotion.
Emma looked up at August and put her hand with in his and said, "Hey you're here now that's what matters."
"I was going to leave and get the easy fix, but I couldn't leave when I realized that Tamara killed the man who provided the cure. I realized she was up to something big. I had to come back and stop her." August explained guilt still reflecting in his eyes.
"You did the right thing in the end." Emma said with stars in her eyes.
He looked at her bewildered in disbelief at this amazing incredible woman. How could she look at him like that after everything?
Then Emma continued, "So what is your plan? You do have a plan don't you?"
"Oh, ye of little faith." August said with some of his former lighthearted flirtatious mannerisms finally coming back.
"Hey, I am a believer now remember. So what is it?" Emma asked.
"For you to distract her. You talk to her while I search her place." August said.
"Wow, that's your brilliant plan? Being a puppet made you rusty." Emma said not impressed.
"Do you have a better one?" August asked.
"Yeah, we go on a double date." Emma said with an excited smile.
"What?" August asked taken aback that did not sound like something Emma would suggest.
"We need to distract both of them and while their distracted Mary Margret can search their room." Emma said content with her plan.
"Eh. I can always distract him and…"August started to say then Emma interrupted him.
"It's not going to work. You know my plan is better." Emma said with her hands firm on her hips.
"Wouldn't that be awkward? I thought that would be the last thing you would want to do." August said.
"It is but it's the smartest way to go about it." Emma claimed.
He stood there contemplatively for a moment searching her face and asked, "You're not trying to get Neal jealous are you?"
"What? Of course not. Who do you take me for some petty teenager?" Emma asked.
"Well, you never got to go through that phase in your life because of me." August said downtrodden feeling the weight of all of his regret accumulated from his entire life.
"Stop beating yourself up Pinocchio." Emma commanded.
"Emma I know you're still… I saw you back then and how in love you were. Feelings like that just don't go away." August said clouded with the regretful memories.
Emma shrugged not really wanting to deal with this. August was back and he was filled with so much regret. She didn't want to rehash the past. She didn't to think about her life back then. Beyond irritated she said, "I was 18. That was over a decade ago. I'm over it. If you thought we were so in love back then, then why did you tell him to leave me?"
"I thought I was protecting you. I thought I was sending you down the right path. It wasn't until that night when I told you everything and you just wouldn't believe that I realized I was the one who built that huge wall around your heart, which is the reason why you were so skeptical and wouldn't believe, it was because of what I did. I messed up. If it weren't for me, you, Henry, and Neal could be a family." August said shaking from the over compassing pain that the massive regretful guilt brought on.
"You're right you did mess it up, but you weren't the only one who did. You didn't force him to do anything. He doesn't regret it at all. He thought he did the right thing. He thought he was helping bringing me home. You regret it and are owning up to it. That's the difference." Emma said trying not to cry. All of her hurt and rage was rising back up. She felt like she was being brought back to the moment when Neal told her that he left her because August told him. When Neal told her she could not blame August all of her blame went to Neal. She couldn't think of August's part in it. She thought August was dead. She could not blame a ghost. And now here August was taking all of the blame on himself. Here he was wishing he didn't do it. He regretted it, wishing he could've done things different. It didn't undo all of the damage, it didn't change the past, but it made her feel grateful that he at least regretted it. At least he felt bad about it. At least he apologized.
"He did regret having to let you go." August defended Neal.
"Why are you trying to put us back together?" Emma asked in defense mode. The last thing she wanted to hear was August defense of Neal. She was so happy to see August alive and back in her life and he's bringing up Neal, he's insisting there is something between them. Why was he doing that? Did he not want her?
"I'm not." August said simply not knowing what else to say.
"Are you sure about that?" Emma asked searching for any other sign that he wanted to push her and Neal together for some ridiculous unfathomable reason.
"I just want you to be happy." August simply said.
"Then let me be." Emma urged as she moved close to him.
His breath hitched feeling the proximity of her, he leaned back into the well and she wrapped her arms around him and came in for a kiss. He then he held her upper arms pushing her away and said,
"I want this…but…I just don't think I deserve it. At least not yet."
His strong hands caressed her forearms back and forth.
She breathed into him and said, "I am not some prize you get for being good. I am just me. And I just need you."
Their eyes locked as she waited for him to respond.
"I'm not sure you do." August said still trying to figure it all out. Not sure if he was expressing it all properly.
She backed away from him getting tired. She didn't want to continue to argue with him the sun was setting and it would get dark soon.
"So what do we do?" Emma asked absolutely warn out with all of this pulling out the past and picking at it.
"I'm not sure. I can't…" August stammered.
"No I mean about Tamara?" Emma said, ready to get back to the actual thing that mattered right now and that was to bring Tamara to justice and figure out what in the world she was up to.
After a few moments of contemplation August pursed his lips and said, "Fine, we'll do it your way."
Emma gave him a triumphant smile and then said, "Let's do this."
Neal sat at the bar in the Rabit Hole drinking his beer when August sat next to him.
"Hey, welcome back to the world of the flesh and blood." Neal said and then he ordered August a beer.
"Thanks it's good to be back." August said as he grabbed his drink.
"I bet." Neal said with a slight grimace on his face and then he took a swig of his drink.
"I think we need to talk about Emma." August said.
"I kind of figured." Neal replied trying to keep things light. August knew if Neal was feeling any discomfort or hurt he was hiding it.
August took a deep breath, nervous and said, "I never meant for any this to happen."
"August it's ok. I can't blame you for falling for her." Neal reassured him.
"I know but…" August said.
"It's fine. I moved on." Neal said.
That did not reassure him at all.
"Yeah, Tamara. You never mentioned her before." He said ready to tread carefully.
"We actually met after you left to go to Story Brooke." Neal said.
"And you're already engaged. That is kind of fast, man." August noted.
"Love works fast sometimes." Neal said.
"Yeah." August agreed with that.
Then he continued, "We want to get know her. Maybe we could all go out to dinner or something."
"We?" Neal asked.
"Emma and I." August said not really looking at Neal. He knew this was the plan. He and Emma decided it was the best course of action but it still was awkward even addressing it to Neal since the last time he talked to him face to face he was telling Neal all about how he could be reunited with Emma.
"Look we already did that awkward meal thing. Emma wasn't thrilled with the idea." Neal said remembering the instance with a grimace on his face.
"I think she wants to make up for that. This was her idea." August said.
"Really?"
"Really."
Neal looked at him for a second and asked, "Is she trying to make me jealous?"
"Possibly." August admitted.
"And you're okay with that?" Neal inquired looking intently at his friend trying to figure him out.
"Eh. We have bigger problems to worry about." August said shrugging.
"Like what?" Neal asked curious.
"The warning." August said serious.
"You still don't remember?" Neal asked August searching his face. He remembered that moment when he saw him lying on the ground dying all because he was trying to do the right thing and warn them of some deadly foe. It would have really sucked to lose him like that. To say he was relieved was an understatement but he knew August wouldn't be satisfied until he remembered.
"No." August said simply. He then took a sip of his drink careful not to look Neal in the eye.
Really? He thought his pal was supposed to be a better liar then that.
Neal looked at him for a moment and said, "You're lying."
"What?" August asked taken aback.
"You are lying straight through your teeth, Pinocchio! I thought you were done with all of that!" Neal said pissed.
August huffed annoyed and said, "I'm doing it for a reason."
"There is always a reason with you. What happened to not wasting your chance?" Neal asked disappointed. He understood life in this world was hard but he also knew that August wanted a second chance at life and he thought he would do what he needed to get it.
August just sat there silent playing with the label on the beer bottle.
"August tell me. What's going on?" Neal pleaded.
August looked around the bar; there were a few people here and there. He couldn't take his chances and then he said, "Fine, I'll tell you but not here."
Then they went outside in the deserted alley. August made sure there was no one around.
"So how well do you know Tamara?" August asked.
"I know that I love her." Neal said already in defense mode.
"Seriously? You do realize how cliché that sounds right?"
"You should know, you're the writer."
"So do you know anything else, like where is she from, who her parents are, and what does she do for a living?" August questioned.
"Connecticut, her parents own a flower shop there, and she's in advertising. August why are you really grilling me on my fiancé? What's going on?" Neal responded not pleased with the line of questioning.
"You have to be careful who you bring into this life. It's not just about you anymore. You have to think about Henry and Emma too." August answered.
"I know that." Neal said a bit uneased at being questioned about how he's handling everything.
"Do you?"
"What are you getting at?" Neal asked suspicion seeping through.
"Do you remember the girl I told you about from Hong Kong?" August asked.
"The girl who you stole the money from to cure yourself. Yeah. People really shouldn't trust you around money." Neal said some bitterness seeping through.
August chose to ignore that last comment. They didn't have time to rehash that now. It still amazed him that his friend still was his friend after that horrible indiscretion.
"Well, that girl was Tamara." August said.
"What?!" Neal shouted in disbelief. That could not be real. His already shaky world felt like it was crumbling right underneath his feet. Tamara was supposed to be his stability.
"She killed that Sage who was going to cure me. She's up to something Neal. I think she wants to take the magic in Story Brooke." August finally admitted.
"Why would she want to do that?" Neal asked still not being able to believe that his sweet Tamara would do anything like that.
"I don't know why. That's why I lied. We need to find out what she's up to. So we can stop it." August urged.
Neal brushed an agitated hand through his hair and said, "I can't believe this! First you tell me to leave Emma and now this. It's like you want to see me miserable."
"Oh come on Neal. Why would I lie about this?"
"I don't know. You are Pinocchio." Neal said waving his hands around over dramatically.
"Nice."
"Tamara wouldn't do all of that. She wouldn't hurt anyone. She's good." Neal's voice faltered.
"How do you know? What has it been like six months?" August asked.
"It took less than that for you to fall for Emma." Neal countered with resentment filled in his voice.
August chose to ignore that comment. They couldn't make this about Emma. They had to focus on the problem at hand and that was Tamara.
"Just think about it Neal. Has she ever brushed you off? Has she ever left the room to make a phone call? Are there any signs of her betrayal?" August asked.
"She's private and so am I." Neal defended weakly.
He shook his head.
"She played you Neal. How can you not see that?" August asked.
Neal threw his scarf around his neck and said, "I can't do this right now. I need time to think!"
"Don't tell her. Her reaction will be a bad one." August cautioned.
Neal shrugged his shoulders and left without another word.
He hoped Neal was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He knew he needed to give Neal some space. It was a lot to take.
He then took his phone out and called Emma.
"Hey so how did you're bro talk go? Are we on for our double date tomorrow?" Emma asked cheery.
"Uh, I told Neal about Tamara." August said getting straight to the point.
"You did what?! Why? Why would you do that?" Emma shouted in her phone in shocked disbelief this really threw a wrench in her plan.
"He saw through my BS. I had to tell him the truth." August said.
That did not please her at all. What did Neal have some kind of lie detector like her? Or was it the fact that Neal and August were just that close of friends that he saw through him? That thought did not make her happy in the least.
"So how did he take it?" Emma asked weary.
"Not good. He didn't believe me. He just needs some time." August said hoping that was all there was to it.
"What if he tells her?" Emma asked stating his own fears.
"Going there to stop him will only make things worse. All we can do is hope he's smarter than that." August said again hoping that his assessment of the situation was right.
"Uh. Where are you?" Emma asked.
"At the Rabbit Hole." August said.
"Perfect you can buy that drink you owe me." Emma said her chipper mood returning.
Emma hung up not giving him a chance to object.
Emma and August sat there on the round table across from each other drinking and going through ridiculous scenarios of how they were going to bring her down.
Emma joked, "How about I turn her into a spider and then put the spider into a box and put that box into another box and then smash it with a hammer!"
August laughed happy to see her silliness come out.
"So I see you've been catching up you're Disney movies with Henry." August said.
"Yes, well they should good for something."
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't use an evil ugly witch as your role model." August said.
"Well, I have magic I should be able to use it." Emma pouted.
August stared at her for second and then asked,
"Wait. You're not just joking. You really have magic?"
"Yep, I just found out recently." Emma said not sure how August would react.
He was made out of magic so he didn't seem to share Neal's dislike for it.
"That's pretty cool Emma."
She smiled relieved wondering why she'd be worried at all.
Then August said, "Well, in all seriousness, I wouldn't use your magic around her. Since magic is what she's after."
"Right." Emma said a little disappointed. She knew she really wasn't going to do something ridiculous as she joked about with her magic, but she was getting use to the idea of finding ways to help through it. In this world filled with magic that went against them to hurt the people she cared about, it was nice she had power to fight back.
Then suddenly Neal sat down between the two of them and took a long big gulp of August's drink.
They both stared at him bewildered. He did not look good at all. His face was run down in despair.
Then he finally looked up and said, "So…. Tamara is cheating on me."
He then took another long swig of August's beer.
August looked at his friend feeling so bad for him. He did hate that he seemed to be kicked around so much. It pissed him off that this girl would take advantage of him like that. Given the fact how conveniently she was here and she was up to something didn't make him think that it was true love or anything but it definitely was not fun to see Neal looking so defeated.
Emma yelled, "Why that whorish slut!"
The whole bar turned around to look at her.
She sat down keeping her voice low, "Well the fact that she's a skank shouldn't surprise me since she's already a murderer. Well that's it. I'm taking the bitch down!"
She shot up in a rage.
Neal and August both pulled her down at the same time.
"What? I was just going to throw her in jail."
"Under what charges? You can't put someone in jail for cheating." August said.
"You should." Emma stated.
"Then half of the population would be in jail." August said.
"Damn our stupid flawed society!" Emma complained and took another drink. She looked at the beer and said, "Not strong enough."
She twisted her hand waving for a waiter. It didn't take long. Then a waiter came over and Emma said, "3 Vodkas! Straight up!"
"No, we need to be clear headed Emma." August said as he signaled for the waiter leave.
The waiter looked between the two confused and then he scurried away.
"Clear headed? You do realize we're at bar right?" Emma asked.
Then Neal said, "Yeah, I'm with Emma on this one. I just found out my fiancé is screwing some dweeb. I need something stronger."
"No, we need to figure out a plan." August said rationally.
"You are such a buzz kill. Today sucked we need to have fun." Emma huffed.
"No, I've had way too much fun in my life. I have a second chance. I don't want to screw it up." August said.
"Fine. So do you have another brilliant plan?" Emma asked.
"I'm thinking. Maybe we should brainstorm." August suggested.
Neal said, "How about you two brainstorm while I dump the harlot in a really dramatic humiliating way."
"No you can't dump her!" Emma protested.
"Why not?" Neal asked out raged.
"Cuz, if you do she'll be suspicious. Plus you have a key opportunity to figure out what she is up to." Emma said.
"You want me to be a spy?" Neal asked appalled.
"Awwwwe thanks for volunteering. That's so sweet." Emma said as she matted his hair.
"I wasn't volunteering. I can't stay with that woman and pretend everything is okay." Neal complained.
"Sure you can. You've been pretending you are someone who you're not for years. It should be easy for you." Emma said bitterly.
"Forging a new life and trying to forget where you come from is different than straight out lying."
Neal griped.
"Look, Emma has a point, we don't want her to get suspicious and retaliate before we figure out a plan." August said.
"We do have a plan. This sounds like a good plan to me. Since you're close to her, you can figure out what she's up to." Emma said.
"Can't we figure out another way? I mean I haven't suspected anything, it means she's been careful. It's not like she'll have a memo on her phone called 'my evil plan'." Neal said.
"But she might have some type of clue that can lead us to find out more." August said.
Neal pulled his head down in defeat and said, "Fine but this isn't all there is to the plan. I can't just figure out what she's up to on my own. We need a better plan. Besides, this is supposed to be August's epic redemptive mission. I can't do all of the work."
Then August said, "So we're all in this together. We'll figure out what she's up to and save Story Brooke."
"So wow, we're really doing this? We're all working together?" Emma asked bemused.
"Yeah, I guess so." Neal said.
Then August raised his glass and said, "To bring the bitch down!"
Emma and Neal raised their glasses and then they clinked all their glasses together as they repeated, "To bringing the bitch down!"
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you like it. Let me know. Okay so after watching the latest horror that was called an episode I had to write a fix it fic I just had to. So if anyone has read my OUAT fics before they might surmise that I am a Swanfire fan but I'm also a Wooden Swan fan but I'm also a Firewood fan. So I wanted to do a Wooden Swan fix it fic but since I have been into WoodenSwanFire it might be another OT3 fic. Though I really want to put my emphasis on Wooden Swan. I will try really hard not to make it a threesome fic but I can't make any promises. Anyway this really is first and foremost my August Redemption fic. And this is a not a one shot because there are issues to be resolved and redemption takes time. Okay so Emma might be a little OOC in this but it was fun to write and I kind of think that these two boys brings it out of her.