Finding Our Way Home

Chapter One

Present Day

Neal arrived in New York tired, broken down, and weary from his journey. His search for them was exhausting. He needed to re-energize. He was still a bit flabbergasted that his search for them landed him here of all places. This was his stomping ground, it became a pretty good simulation to a home before he got thrust back into all of the fairy tale stuff. It was some what of life, he had built for himself. Things became better and brighter for him when he found out he had a son here. He went to the Pizza Place that he ate with Henry right after he found out he existed. It was one of the happiest moments of his life. And now here he was what has it been like six months later, with no idea where his son or Emma were and Henry most likely had no idea who he was. He couldn't think about that now. He would get something to eat and go to his apartment to recollect himself and continue his search. He was left with a bit of a dead end, but after all of his journeying and everything he had been through it led him here, the place where he reunited with Emma and met Henry. That had to be for a reason, this could not just be a coincidence. He started to go in the glass door into the Pizza Place, but then he stood dead in his tracks when he saw them. He saw Emma and Henry. They sat there on a table, the very same table he and Henry sat down at when they had Pizza there. Emma put a hand through her long blonde hair. She had a shinning smile on her face. Henry sat there excitedly telling her about something. They were happy. They were blissfully unaware of magic and darkness and all of the heartbreak magic brought. He was so determined to get back to them. He was so determined to bring them back to her family, to find away to gain their memories back, even with everyone telling him they were better off. He shrugged those opinions away he never believed they could be truly happy with not knowing who they really were. Emma deserved to be with her family. He did all of this from the beginning he left her so she could be reunited with her parents, but now his certainty wavered, because she looked so happy. Henry looked happy. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they were really better off without him. What happiness could he possibly provide? The last time she remembered seeing him was him leaving her leading her to end up in jail. He wasn't expecting it to be easy to talk to her and get her to believe and reunite her with her family. She just looked so happy. Her smile beamed as she sat there laughing at something Henry said. Could he really go in there and burst her bubble? Then he saw her looking up at someone and then she waved at the person in the crowded restaurant. The place was crowded so he didn't see the person she was waving at. Then the person went to the table with a stroller. He didn't see the persons face but then Emma got up and took the baby out of the stroller. She beamed as she picked up the baby girl with blonde hair.

Neal's heart nearly stopped right there as he watched her hold the baby and she took a bottle out of the bag and began to feed the girl. The man sat next to Emma he touched her on the arm affectionately.

Emma...she...how long was he even gone? How could...this...be...? Could it really have been long enough time for her to meet someone and have a freaking baby? When he jumped through portals did it make him jump further in the future? She looked so happy. She had a family. She had a home. She had another child with someone else. He shook his head. He knew it was a long shot to have his happiness with Emma. He loved her, he would always love her, he never stopped loving her. But he wanted her to be happy even if it wasn't with him. It killed him to see this. After everything he's been through it was too late. Emma really and truly moved on. She forged a life for herself, she made herself a home, a family.

Then the man turned around and Neal saw his face. He stood there stunned not believing what he saw for the man was August W Booth. He looked on, maybe he was seeing things. August smiled as Emma handed him the baby. He shook his head in disbelief. There were bad dreams, there were nightmares, and then there was this. How could this even be? The last time he checked August was a kid, a freaking kid. How did this even happen?

xxx

Three Months Earlier

August fell down to the ground against leaves, twigs, and mud. He wiped his eyes feeling a ache in his bones. He looked up around the wooden area surrounding him. He knew these woods well, these were the woods he and Emma arrived in this world in all of those years ago. It was just past the boundaries of Storybrooke. The fuzziness he usually gets when first waking up became clear and he realized what the last thing he remembered was. It was dying in Emma's arms trying to warn her about Tamera and how she was going to destroy magic. He didn't remember what happened after that. What could have happened? How was he even alive? Did Emma save him somehow? And more importantly was everyone okay? He picked himself up and ran to the sign that said, "Welcome to StoryBrooke". He had a really strange feeling as he looked at it. He ran, he needed to see papa. He needed to see Emma. As he walked amongst the town, it felt like a ghost town. It was eerily quiet. There were no cars running on the streets, there wasn't anyone out. He ran to grannies and it was absolutely empty. There still was food on the tables. It was like everyone just abandoned it. He ran and ran. He went to his papa's workshop. He went to Mary Margret and Emma's apartment. It was all empty. Where was his papa and Jiminy? Where was Emma and Henry? This just couldn't be...possible. Then realization hit him like a massive ton of bricks. He went to a halt, stopped running, and stood still as the horrible realization hit him. Tamera. She was here to destroy magic. She was here to destroy StoryBrooke. She succeeded. Everyone was gone. All of the people were gone. His papa was gone. Emma was gone. He fell to his knees overpowered with endless amounts of tormented painful grief. He failed his papa, he failed Emma. He wasn't fast enough, strong enough, or brave enough. Not only did he not get Emma to believe he left town trying to get the easy magical fix, when he went to warn Emma it was too late. Tamera killed him before he could warn her. He never got the chance to warn her and now he's alive and everyone else...they're...gone. Why did he live and everyone else...If Tamera destroyed magic wouldn't he be destroyed too? He existed because of magic. How could this be? Then suddenly he heard a noise. He turned to see a little boy with red hair wearing modern day clothes holding a baby. His mouth nearly dropped. What was going on here? Was he in some kind of hell watching his own memories of how he failed. But that couldn't be right, when he arrived in this world he was wearing old fashioned clothes. Then his young self spoke, "Hey mister?"

"Uh." August was still in shock to see the younger version himself talking to him. What was going on here?

"Where did everyone go?" He asked simply with a scared urgency in his voice.

"Um. I don't know." August said honestly at a loss of what happened.

"Have you seen my papa he was just with me?"

"Your papa?" August asked.

"Yes, Gepetto." Little Pinocchio said simply.

"Gepetto." August repeated bewildered.

"My papa told me to not let go of him. I didn't let go. I promise. But then he just disappeared. Everyone did. So did Cinderella." He said crying.

"Cinderella?" August repeated.

"Yes, I have to return Alexandra to her."

"Alexandra? That is Cinderella's baby?" August asked.

"Yes. Have you seen her? Have you seen any of them?" Pinocchio asked.

August shook his head regretfully, wishing he had a better answer.

"No, but you saw everyone disappear?"

"Yes." Pinocchio said still crying.

"Where is my papa? I was being a good boy. I was being better. The Blue Fairy told me to do better that this was my second chance and I had to be better then I was before. I grew up but I don't remember. All I know is I wasn't such a good boy but I had a second chance to be a good boy. I promised my papa I was going to be better. And I was. I was being a good boy." He said while weeping in a crackly broke down voice.

That tugged at August he remembered how much he wanted to be a good boy and make his papa proud.

xxx

The Enchanted Forest

Neal stood by the creek skipping rocks, well really hurtling rocks down the creek causing large splashes. He wasn't exactly in a precise mood. He was in a frustrated, upset, wondering if his life would ever stop sucking mood. His papa was dead, his son and love of his life were gone. His son had no memories of him and Emma probably only had bad thoughts of him, which after everything really sucked. He was here back in the land he came from, he was born here, he lived his childhood here, but this place wasn't his home. For one he had left this place more then two hundred years ago and for two all of the people who could make it a home were gone. The closest person he had was Belle and he was just getting to know her. Then there was the horrible fact that history was repeating itself and Cinderella's and Prince Thomas' baby was out there lost and alone with only a seven year old little Pinocchio to watch out for her. This really ate at him. He thought he understood fate and destiny really well but other times, times like this, he just didn't get it, he didn't understand why life was so cruel. It really sucked that history was repeating itself. He couldn't help but think how lost Emma had felt all of her life, how unwanted and thrown away she felt. He couldn't help think of her growing up alone. He just wanted her to be happy. For a while he blamed August, for leaving her for abandoning her, for doing a crap job at being her guardian angel. Then he realized he was just a kid given way too much responsibility too young. How was a seven year old supposed to watch out for a baby? He met up with August a few times in those ten years since he told him to leave Emma, he saw how broken down he was. He was overtaken by his failures and he saw how hard it was for him not to lose himself in his guilt of his failures. That was why when he saw him turn into a kid he was really happy. He had told his own father that he wouldn't want to become a kid and erase everything he has been. But he had a feeling that August wanted that, that was his second chance. All August wanted was to make his papa proud and getting turned into a kid again was his chance to do that. Neal hurled more pebbles just so mad at the whole situation. He couldn't get Gepetto's wails of grief out of his head. After they all arrived they heard Gepetto crying and calling out, "Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Has anyone seen my son?"

Then he saw a girl with blonde hair and tears streaming down her face and then she yelled out, "Alexandra! Has anyone seen my baby?"

A young man, who seemed to be wearing royal attire held onto her comforting and said, "We'll find her."

Neal was in the midst of telling Charming and Snow that he was going to his father's castle when he heard them. Everyone's attention went to them. Neal looked all around searching as did everyone. Then he asked Snow, "Who is she?"

"She is Cinderella. Her baby was born in StoryBrooke. Oh my gosh." Snow said as the horrific realization came to her.

"Everyone would go to the place they were born. She was born in StoryBrooke!" Neal yelled.

Cinderella and Gepetto's attention went to Neal. They both went towards him and Thomas went after Cinderella.

"What does that mean? Why didn't anyone tell us that?" Cinderella asked.

Neal shook his head.

Then Regina spoke up, "I'm sorry you weren't even on my radar. I was only thinking about my sons safety."

"What about my daughters safety! She's just a baby!" She screamed as she jumped at Regina and Thomas took her in his arms holding her back.

"You cast the curse before, you have to know of a way to undo this." Neal demanded.

"There isn't a way." Regina said.

"There is always a way!" Neal yelled.

"Your the one who did this! So undo it!" Cinderella demanded desperately.

"If there was I would have used it! Do you think I want to be separated from my son!" Regina yelled back.

Neal was about to yell at her again but then Snow stood between them.

"Enough! Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to accomplish anything!" Snow said in an authoritative voice.

She then sympathetically turned to Cinderella, "I am so sorry. I know what you are going through believe me. I do, but fighting and blaiming isn't going to bring your daughter back. We will find a way, but we have to do it by working together."

Cinderella nodded wiping away her tears.

Everyone decided to band together and follow Snow, Charming, and Regina to Regina's Castle, something he wasn't really keen on. He was about to leave when Belle found him and told him that they still had hope, they could still bring his father back. If anyone could find a way back to the land without magic, it was him. Belle's hope gave him hope. So he continued on the journey with her. They met up with Robin on their way. He was happy to see him but it was bitter sweet, since he had helped him get back to his son and he was separated from him again.

When they arrived they realized there was a new witch in the picture. She had taken over the castle. Regina and Robin went through secret tunnels to get in and she took the castle back. Days had passed and he was still here. He and Belle talked about traveling to his Father's Dark Castle but it was difficult with Zelena out there. Charming and Snow had said they needed to stay there for their protection from Zelena's flying monkeys.

Neal shook his head in frustration. He hated it here. He hated being a prisoner here. He needed get back to his family. He needed to make sure history didn't continue to cruelly repeat itself. He needed to get back there so much but he had no clue how to do it.

He continued to hurtle rocks and then heard footsteps and a voice said, "You know your aim is all off."

He turned around to see Robin Hood behind him.

"I wasn't really aiming." Neal said gruffly.

"That would explain the lousy throwing." Robin jested.

Neal continued to hurtle the rocks down the stream and said, "I don't really care."

Robin sighed and began to skip rocks along side of him and said, "So out with it?"

"Out with what?" Neal asked irritation rang in his voice.

"With what is bothering you?" Robin asked as he expertly skipped the rocks.

Neal rolled his eyes but then he laughed a little.

"Everyone knows what's bothering me. I haven't exactly kept it a secret." Neal said as he started to skip the rocks with a little more finesse this time.

He looked at him sincerely and said, "Don't give up Neal. There's always hope."

Neal looked at him and said, "I wasn't giving up! I'm just frustrated."

Robin didn't say anything he just kept on skipping rocks.

"OK, I'm just so tired of history repeating itself. You know?" Neal said.

"I'm sorry about you being separated from your son, again."

Then they both suddenly heard leaves rustling in the woods, Robin got his bow and arrow ready and Neal took out his sword. Then suddenly a hooded figure came out.

"Show yourself." Robin demanded.

The person took the hood off revealing it was Cinderella.

"Cinderella?" Neal asked.

"I prefer Ashley."

Neal said, "Makes sense."

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked.

"I came to acquire your help." Ashley said to Robin.

"What can I do for you?" Robin asked politely.

"You can take me to Sherwood Forest." Ashley said her voice steadfast.

"Why would you want to go there?" Robin asked a bit on edge, Neal assumed there was a reason Robin wasn't still living there.

"Because there's a mirror there. It's a portal, it's my way to my daughter." Ashley said resolute with hope in her voice.

It filled Neal with hope, finally there was a way, an option for him to get back to his son and Emma, he could get back to his family, and icing on the cake if he could help Ashley reunite with her baby girl. He didn't want anyone to have to go through what Emma and August had gone through, maybe, just maybe history wasn't going to repeat itself after all. That thought filled him with hope.

A/N: Thanks for reading. So those who have read stuff from me before may have noticed I'm a wee bit obsessed with Neal/Emma/August dynamic. And the whole August gets redemption thing. I know it's been a long time but I'm still not over it. And now that Neal is dead too I just need to write this even more. About Alexandra, so my sister and I had this idea running in our heads for a while ever since the 3A finale and they said the reason for everyone arriving at the Enchanted Forest is they return to where they were born but not Emma because she's the savior. So what the heck happened to Alexandra? Is she OK? She was born in StoryBrooke, so what would happen to her? So this fic is my way to explore that. Okay and as for August and Pinochio splitting into two I had that idea for a while and it will be explained. And August/Pinocchio were left behind because they escaped the curse like Emma did. And in this I'm saying that's why Emma had to be left behind because she escaped it too. So yeah. That's what I'm doing. Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.