Title: Our Story
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: August W. Booth/Pinocchio, Emma Swan, with some Emma/August undertones
Summary: He truly hates himself for what he's done to her. All he wants is the chance to redeem himself and to keep her safe. The scene in the woods from August's P.O.V.
Warnings: Do not enter if angsty times are not your thing.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Dialogue is taken from show, obviously.
Author's Notes: August W. Booth, why you so flawless, BB?
"No more screwing around! I'm not a character in one of your books. What in the Hell are we doing here?"
It's killing him; all of this. August didn't like hiding any of this from her, but he'd needed to. He'd let himself get close to her, to try and help her with the curse, to ease his own guilt. His plan had been to use Gold and magic to help her break the curse. She couldn't believe because she'd never had a reason to believe in anything, because he'd left her.
His guilt was killing him; literally. But it hadn't begun with his leg. No, he'd been hiding his guilt in drugs, alcohol, and women for years. August had never been able to forgive himself for what he'd done to Emma.
There was no justification for his actions. Even if he had been just a child, he'd known better, but he'd let his fear get the better of him.
He truly hated himself for what he'd done and if he died because of his actions, he felt like he deserved it.
As much as he wanted to save himself, to get a second chance at protecting Emma, if his death helped her believe, then he was okay with that. Emma, Henry, and his father were the only ones who mattered. If Emma was able to save them and the town, it would be worth it.
"I think you know."
August didn't need to see the look in her eyes to know she recognized the diner. He knew her too well. With her obsession to find out the truth and to find her parents, she must have been here dozens of times.
There'd been times, before he'd given up on himself, when he'd tried to find her again. And he'd always ended up here, hoping to find her. He never had, but he knew her and he knew she'd spent far too much time looking for clues that didn't exist.
He wished he'd found her. Maybe he would have been able to fix things. Maybe not. But at least he would have tried before it was too late.
But he knew he hadn't tried hard enough. If he had, she wouldn't have had go through this all alone.
"You've been here before. This is the diner where you brought to when you were found as a baby."
"So you found an article about me. So what? I thought this trip was supposed to be about you?"
She had her wall up. The wall he'd put there. Emma Swan didn't trust people, didn't let anyone in, because he'd failed her. It killed him to see how guarded she was, even with him, the only person in Storybrooke besides her mother or Henry that she seemed to trust.
"It is. This is my story and it's your story."
"And how is that?"
He smirked. He felt nothing but relief. Finally, she'd know the truth. He wouldn't have to hide his shame anymore. He didn't expect her to believe him, but he'd try.
"That seven-year old boy who found you? That was me."
August couldn't help the look he gave her when he confessed. He wanted nothing more than to fix everything for her. His guilt aside, he'd fallen hard for her over the past few weeks. She was damaged and stubborn and drove him crazy, but she was also kind, fierce, and always fought for the underdog. Not to mention, it was hard not to love someone who loved their child as much as she loved Henry.
Emma looked heartbroken, disbelieving, confused, and relieved all at the same time. She didn't trust him, which was clear. But a part of her wanted to believe him, so she could maybe find some closure.
Memories of arriving to this world ran through his head as he talked her into following him through the woods. They were silent for the longest time until they reached the tree. August kept his distance, knowing she needed her space, but now it was time for him to really convince her to see the truth.
"All of the answers you've been searching for are right where I found you."
"See, you're not that seven-year old boy. I wasn't found in the woods, I was found on the side of a highway."
Oh Emma, he thought.
"Why do you think that? Because you read it in the newspaper? Did it ever occur to you that maybe that seven-year old boy lied about where he found you?"
For a smart woman, she lacked common sense at times. Like now. Important times. It was frustrating as all Hell.
"No, but it occurs to me that you've been lying to me about everything. And I'm done listening."
August sucked in a rush of air. Okay, he deserved that. But he needed to get her to keep listening.
"When I found you, you were wrapped in a blanket. The name 'Emma' was embroidered along the bottom of it."
Her face. She was beginning to believe.
"That wasn't the article, was it? How would I know that unless I was there?"
Emma resigned herself to play along with him. It was adorable and irritating at the same time. She needed to learn to take a leap of faith every once in a while. Yet another thing to blame himself for.
"Okay, let's say you were that kid. Why lie about where you found me?"
Did she really have no idea?
"I lied to protect you."
His father's words ran through his head; "Sometimes, we have to lie to protect the people we love."
Wasn't that the truth?
"From what?"
"That." He pointed to the tree where they'd both entered this world. Where, as a child, he'd been charged to love and protect the young Princess, and for that brief amount of time, hadn't managed to screw it up. No, the screwing up part came later.
"A Tree?"
She was adorable when confused.
"You've read Henry's book, right?"
Emma sighed. She was annoyed. And still adorable.
"You know about the curse, don't you?"
That damn curse. If it hadn't been for the curse, she would have grown up loved, happy, maybe even with siblings. And maybe the two of them would have been friends. August could see himself, untainted, falling in love with the beautiful princess, and fathering Emma's imaginative little boy. Instead he was a lost soul, she was ruined, and poor Henry was better off not knowing who his father was.
"Your role in it?"
It wasn't fair, but August believed in her. She could break the curse, she just needed to believe.
He looked her up and down. Yes, she was strong enough. She'd do it. She'd save them all. He'd help her believe in herself and in the curse.
"It's true, Emma. We both came into this world through this tree." He led her to the tree, until she could see the hole they'd left when they'd burst through from their world to this one.
You're asking me to believe that you are a fairytale character?"
"Pinocchio."
"Right. Of course, Pinocchio. It explains all the lying."
Guilt. Then shame. Then more guilt.
"You're the one who added the story to Henry's book?"
Really, that was what she cared about right now?
"I needed you to know the truth."
"The truth is you're out of your mind." August shook his head and looked down to hide the rolling of his eyes. He'd meant what he'd told Gold, she was extremely slow on the uptake. Honestly, how had seen not at least suspected something was wrong with the town? Her denial was going to literally be the death of him.
"And you're not even a very good liar. Why not write the end of that story?"
Now he was exasperated.
"Because this is the ending. And we're writing it right now."
"And how does this story end?"
"With you believing."
The look on her face told him that she still wasn't buying this. Not any of it. But he still held her gaze, hoping that he was wrong. Maybe if she saw how dead serious he was, she would have her doubts and start to entertain the idea that he and Henry were both telling her the truth.
"Not gonna happen."
Okay, not surprising, but it still stung.
It hit him in that moment that he was really going to die. He was going to die and she was going to be left alone to break this curse. And once it was broken, what then? And if she didn't break the curse? She needed to believe. This wasn't a game. This was his life, his father's life, Henry's life, Hell, even her life they were talking about. She needed to know that truth. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now, in that very moment.
He watched her walk away, at a loss. He didn't know what else to do. A smarter man would have attempted a kiss. True love and all of that. Maybe it wouldn't work. But standing there, that was a great one.
August took off after Emma, determined to think of something to get her to see reason, to talk some sense into her.
"Emma!"
She couldn't leave him. Even if she kept running, he was her ride home, he'd have his chance, but he was afraid his chance would pass once they were out of the woods.
And now she was running, great.
"Emma, wait!"
His leg. The damned thing. It went stiff and he fell to the ground. Well, at least he had her attention. But he was painfully reminded that he didn't have much time left. He wasn't going to be the one to help her break the curse. He'd be dead long before it ever happened.
Karma really was a bitch sometimes.
"What is wrong with your leg?"
He laughed.
"I failed."
It was going to have to be up to the kid.
"What are you talking about?"
He was giving up.
"It doesn't matter. You don't believe." And did it really matter? Once he was gone, did it matter to him if the curse was broken or not?
Yes.
Yes, it did.
He attempted to get up.
"If you think that by making me feel sorry for you that something is going to change, you are wrong."
August managed to get back on his feet. He was desperate. He knew what he had to do to make her believe.
"I am not screwing around here. Whatever you believe or don't, this is real, Emma." I'm dying. "I am sick."
"That's an understatement."
"Have you ever been to Phuket? It's a beautiful, amazing island. The perfect place to lose oneself."
The perfect place to indulge and ignore his guilt. "That's where I was when you decided to stay in Storybrooke. "
Indignation crossed her features. "How do you know when I decided to stay in Storybrooke?"
"Because at 8:15 in the morning I woke up with a shooting pain in my leg. That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke. Sound familiar? That's when time there started to move forward again."
It was working; she was having doubts about him lying. Her mind was processing the information, trying to find a way to counter his information, but she wasn't coming up with anything. He was getting through to her.
"I was supposed to be there for you, but I wasn't."
He'd never forgive himself for that. And he didn't expect her to either.
"And because I was halfway around the world I got a painful reminder at just how far I'd strayed. If that tree won't make you believe," he leaned against a tree, "maybe this will."
August lifted the leg of his trousers, looking down at where wood had already reclaimed his body. He watched her, expecting her to show any emotion that wasn't the one she was wearing now.
"How does that prove anything?"
How did it not prove what he was saying was true?
"Look."
"August, I'm looking."
Realization hit him.
"You don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
"Your denial is more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing the truth." What else had she failed to see?
"Okay, one of us is losing it here and it's not me."
"You don't want to believe. After everything you've seen why can't you just do it?"
August was getting angry. She needed to stop choosing to be blind to this.
"Why is it so important to you that I do?"
"Because I, the town, everyone needs you!"
"I don't want them to need me."
August felt for her, he really did. But this wasn't something that she could ignore. She was the Savior. Without her, they were all doomed.
"Well, that's too bad because we all do."
"You are saying that I am responsible for everyone's happiness? That is crap! I didn't ask for that. I don't want it."
"No. A little while ago you didn't want Henry either but then he came to you now you're fighting like Hell for him."
"For HIM! Because that is all I can handle right now. And I'm not even doing a good job at that. Now you are telling me I have to save everyone. That is beyond ridiculous. I don't want any of it."
He hated the tears and that he was the cause of them. But anger seemed to be the only thing getting through to her right now. And to be truthful, with all of his guilt, he was pissed. It was too late for him, but not for everyone else.
"Well that's too bad Emma, because that doesn't change the truth." He moved closer to her. "You're our only hope."
"Then you're all screwed."
August let her walk away, feeling defeated. He'd failed, once again, and he didn't know what else to do besides accept his fate. If he was going to die, he was going to spend what little time that he had left with his father and pray that somehow, someone got through to Emma, because if not, she was right, they would all be screwed.