Title: Selfless, Brave, and True
Chapter One: Selfless
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Emma, August, Archie, Henry, Cora, Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, Pinocchio, The Blue Fairy, Snow, Geppetto, Charming, & Neal; Emma/August, Snow/Charming, & Blue/Geppetto
This Chapter: August, Archie, Emma, & Henry; Emma/August
Summary: My take on what should happen in episode 18. When Archie fears August, who he's been hiding, is about to do something foolish and brave he goes to Emma for help. Will they be able to save August in time or will it be too late? And can True Love really conquer all or are there some curses that even love can't break?
Warnings: Spoilers for future episodes, angst, and a lot of feels.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: We all know what's going to happen based on the set photos and I feel the need to write out how it should go down. I know Cora's probably going to die before the episode but I wanted to have her be the big bad in this story. This is going to be three chapters long, so enjoy!
The wooden man sat awkwardly upon the window seat as he stared at the street below forlornly. Below, the woman he loved and the boy he wished was his son stood with his human conscience. He wished, just for a moment, that she would look up and see him. He was sick of hiding. He'd been too ashamed to face the people he loved and had a futile hope that they would have found a way to return him to his former form.
But as more time passed it became clearer that he was stuck this way, his punishment for straying far from his destined path.
He knew it was past time to reveal himself, especially for his poor father's sake, but hiding was the only thing he was good at and so, here he stayed, hidden away in the tiny attic above Archie's flat.
The trio disappeared and the sound of a door opening alerted him that he would soon have company. He turned away from the window and moved to the staircase. The first week had been difficult, he had been much smaller the last time he'd been made completely of wood and learning to use his new body hadn't been easy. He'd eventually gotten the hang of it, but he couldn't very well be seen walking around Storybrooke, escaping the Inn had been hard enough, even under the cloak of night.
He'd been stuck in the tiny, cramped space, trying to come up with ways to become human again, in between worrying about Emma. First she'd been gone and then she was off to find Neal, not that he was surprised. He'd kept his word in sending the postcard; after all he'd put her through and all of the ways he'd failed her, reuniting her with her lost lover seemed to be the least he could do, even if the thought of her being without anyone else broke his now wooden heart.
"August?"
Archie's voice filtered in from his office below and the tone of it sent alarms going off in his head.
What now? What else could his princess possibly be going through? If his heart was real, it would clench at the thought of her in danger once more. He wanted to be human desperately, so he could protect her. This puppet form was useless and while he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, there was only so much one person could fight off on their own.
He used to imagine a life of the two of them fighting the world together and now…August slipped open the hatch and released the attic ladder. His joints creaked as he made his way down the rickety old stairs and into Archie's office.
"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing that Archie had a drink in his hand. Archie never touched the damn decanter of Whiskey in his office and last time August checked, he'd locked it away for fear that August would fall off the wagon.
Seeing as a puppet had no use or ability to eat or drink, it was a useless sentiment, though, if it were possible, August knew he'd have spent the past month drunk over his feelings for the Princess and his failures.
Archie toyed with his glass before downing its contents.
"Emma and Henry came to see me…"
"I saw that. What's wrong? Is it Regina? Cora?"
He'd been fooled by Archie's murder as well and he knew that if Archie was in any possible danger, Emma would not hesitate to warn him.
If only he hadn't been in this useless form, unable to be speedy or helpful, he could have 'saved' Archie or at least been able to warn Emma.
The look on Archie's face answered his question and August sighed.
"That's it, I need to see her. I can't…keep hiding. Maybe my mother knows of a way to make me be useful." He knew her magic was limited and couldn't change him back. She'd done enough by giving him life and then bringing him back to life, he didn't want to ask more of her, but he knew even if he did, there would be nothing. Archie had been digging for magical ways to change him back for weeks.
"No, magic is getting stronger, in a few weeks there should be enough of it-"
"A few weeks? Haven't I been hiding long enough? Do you know how hard it was not to find my father when we all thought you were dead? And every time you come home, Emma's in more danger. I can't keep doing this anymore.
What is it this time? Huh?"
Archie shifted uncomfortably and August made a beeline for the phone. Since this body was sluggish, Archie beat him to it with a sigh.
"Fine, just…know this isn't as bad as it sounds."
August knew a lie when he heard one. He crossed his arms and stared Archie down. The only good thing about being a life-size puppet was how uncomfortable it made people because it took merely moments for Archie to break under August's harsh gaze.
"Regina and Cora have Rumpelstiltskin's dagg-"
"Goddammit!" August wanted to hit something. He'd had the damn dagger in his possession and he should have found a way to destroy the damn thing when he had it. He'd been stupid and had let Rumpelstiltskin overpower him and now….
"They're going to have him kill Emma."
It wasn't even a question. He knew it had to be in their plans. Regina would get Henry back and the savior would be out of the way and if they had the dagger it mean they could control Rumpel or one of them could become the Dark One.
"August, whatever you're thinking, don't. I know you want to protect her, but you can't help Emma, not with that body. All you would be is-"
"What, in the way?"
They'd had this conversation a million times but it didn't mean August was done having it. He was done sitting around. He needed to find a way to protect the woman he loved, even if it was just to lose her to someone else or to die in the process. He wanted her and Henry to be happy and safe. He could die happy knowing that they were both together and free from danger.
"Yes," Archie put bluntly. "Emma cares about you and if they know you're alive, that they have something to use against her, you could make things worse. It's not like you can defend yourself and you're vulnerable like this. All you would do it put her in more danger by revealing yourself.
I will speak to your mother; we'll find a way to keep them safe. And…"
"You'll tell her I'm alive?"
Archie sighed.
"If that's what it takes, yes. I don't like lying to everyone any more than you do but I'm not going to let you get yourself killed either. We'll find a way to make you human again and until then, I'll do my best to make sure your princess is safe."
August didn't like it, but he supposed Archie had a point. He nodded and moved to the small sofa. He could feel Archie's eyes on him and he suspected that Archie knew a lie when he heard it, but August said nothing to the older man.
He knew exactly what he had to do and he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone, even Archie, stop him from protecting the woman he loved.