"What do you need me to do with him?" I was once again having a conversation with Enchantress now in front of my mirror in the bathroom, leaving August to sit there in my living room of my condo there with a glass of water and more pondering to have for himself. I was worried that what I wanted to do was going to ruin everything, but then again I had to ask her for approval. She knew that this was against her wishes, and that I could be in bigger trouble than ever before, but then again I wanted him to know that he was, and God willing, still is my friend.

"Convince him to go back to Storybrooke, Maine." She explained to me simply, "You need to plant the idea for him to go back and he must do so on his own."

"And I'm just…nudging him on his way?" I asked her.

"Exactly, nothing more or less," She replied back, having myself nod in agreement. It seemed simple enough for me to talk to him, but how I was going to do it seemed tricky. This wasn't any kind of cat and mouse chase, or nudging someone on a right path. I was no animal, I was a human now and it would be trickier than I thought.

"I have a request…" I asked her, breaking the silence that was there for a moment or two as she looked at me with interest, "I know that I was never supposed to meet Pinocchio in the first place, that was by chance. And I know you have a real of me revealing my true nature to those you want me to help," She could see where I was going with this and a firm look was on her face, "But come on, give me this one time to let him know who I am. He knows me, or at least I would hope he would remember me."

"You cannot break the rules here," She reminded me.

"I know, I know. But as of thus far, I did not break one rule of yours. I have been faithful to your world, performed every task to the best of my ability, and I haven't ever failed." I reminded her too, seeing her think to herself now and I prayed silently that she could let I have this one time to explain myself and to really be a friend instead of another runner, "He needs a friend more than anything, not another conscience since that worked out real well. I'm probably the closest thing to a friend that he has right now."

"You have done a good amount of work for me these past years," Enchantress agreed with me, having me nod in agreement and in earnest,"If I give you this one opportunity to do good by him and explain yourself, you must promise me not to expose yourself ever again to others that may come in the future."

"I will! I promise!" I said to her in a hushed tone, trying not to sound like a crazy person and have August hear me talk to nothing or no one. That would be a great vision of this reunion for sure.

"Alright, I can let you do this once and once only. Understand?" Enchantress reminded me, having me sigh in relief and grin at her now, "Only tell him what is required for him to fulfill his purpose."

"Of course, Enchantress." I said back to her, seeing the vision of her in the mirror disappear and now it was back to a regular mirror now, my reflection there for me to see. I was still pondering on how I got the scars there upon my skin and my face. It was the Glasgow smile scars on my cheeks and near my lips were already making me sick, how was August supposed to recognize me and see past the faint lines there engraved in my skin? I was still trying to understand it myself and how this happened to me.

"Get it together," I said to myself, fixing my hair like I was going on some kind of date, "This is only August, you know him and he knows you…God, I hope he knows you." It was another fear that I had: what if he doesn't remember me? That would be beyond embarrassing and saddening for me to think about and wonder if it was real. I had to think of the best, not of the worst. So I went with my gut, and hopefully with a full heart.

I walked out of the bathroom, going down the hallway a bit and a bit stunned from what I was seeing there. There was August, walking around the small living room that I was living in and he was looking at the decorations that I had there. I would collect a few things here and there on my travels and from all of the tasks that I did. There was a playing card that was the Ace of Spades, a wooden small toy whale with engravings on the side and along the top, a small traveling sewing kit, and an antique 18th century tea set that was light purple and a hint of yellow. They were placed throughout the living room: The tea set on the coffee table, the wooden whale on the kitchen counter near the corner, the Ace of Spades in a photo frame and perched not he bookcase and the sweeping kit on the nightstand near the couch. I watched him for only a moment, thinking and assuming that he was going to get the hints from my past trinkets of my line of work.

"I like your place, it's…cozy." He replied, having me smile at him. No hint so far. Not yet.

"Thank you," I replied, walking over to him as he made his way tot he couch, sitting down in an awkward manner as I sat in the chair next to him, having me still see him watch the trinkets around the room.

"You don't have a whole lot of things," He said in observance.

"Well, I travel plenty of times, so I can't have a lot of things with me," I replied back to August, seeing him nod slowly as he was drinking it all in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name yet," He said to me, slowly holding out his hand for me to shake. I didn't want to give away who I was to him, not this early in the conversation, "I'm August."

"August," I repeated, seeing him smile at me as I shook his hand, "a unique name."

"I've gotten that a lot," He said to me as I grinned at him. It made me wonder what name I was going to give him. I still wanted him to know who I was, and yet I didn't want to start this reunion off with a lie of what my name was, that didn't seem right at all by me.

"I'm Cleo." I replied to him, seeing him raise his eyebrow at me now with interest. I didn't lie to him, it was the truth that it was my name.

"Sounds a bit foreign." He commented, having my chuckle.

"Well, It's better than having any normal name really," I admitted to him, then eyeing him up and down as we were kind of getting more aquatinted with him,"So…August…what brought you to Phuket?" August paused, already I was worried that I got a wrong cord with him since we just started to talk to each other again now as he thought to himself for a quick second. I could tell, how he was thinking and sitting in the couch, he was thinking of a lie.

"I think I was running away from where I needed to be," He replied, having it sound so smooth from his mouth and yet like he was walking barefoot on gravel, with a waviness there heard. I said nothing as he said this, having me see him let out a shaky nervous laugh and shake his head like he was hating himself for saying that to me.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that," He said to me, almost in a stammer as I shook my head at him.

"It's fine, nothing to worry about," I reassured,"Phuket is a place where people run to to get away."

"Is that why you're here?" He asked me, having me have the turn of pausing and thinking about why I was really there.

"More like searching than running," I said back to him. He eyed me, a bit of suspicion there on his face then as I smiled and folded my hands there on my knees, "I came here because of my job."

"Your job?" He asked, having me nod as he tilted his head at me,"What kind of job do you have?"

"I go to find people, help them when they can't help themselves." I explained to him calmly, not wanting to give it away just yet. He seemed more confused by it as I waited for him to say something, anything really now as I sat there near him.

"You find people…and help them?" He asked me.

"I call it more like a guidance kind of a job." I corrected him,"I make sure the ones whom I find are going on the right path." I could tell the wheels were turning in his head now, having me seeing him then slowly look away from me as he was thinking more and more about my job and what I told him,

"Were you looking for someone?" He asked me cautiously now, my fingers were now fiddling there within my folded hands and I took in a hesitant breath.

"I was," I replied calmly now, then seeing him lookout me now in a new light. I was hoping that the way that I was looking at him, he would see what I was doing with him and why I was really there. He then looked away from me, over to where the wooden whale was, really looking at it as if he was trying to find out if I was freaky enough to send him out the way. I waited, seeing him slowly get up now and walk over to the whale that was sitting on the counter.

He reached out to it, having me slowly see that something went off in his head now as he touched the wooden grain with his fingers. As soon as he touched it, however, I saw something in him shift. His stance was rigid like he made a discovery as he held the whale in both of his hands. He knew, he found it and he knew that I was meant for more.

"I know this I…" He trailed off, looking at the whale thoroughly as he went on,"I've seen this before."

"You have." I affirmed him, seeing him shake his head.

"These carvings, it's familiar to me," He explained to me as he was looking at each curve of the carvings, "Where did you get this?" He asked quietly like he was trying to see that this was real enough for him.

"It was given to me," I said to him slowly as he then whirled around, whale in one hand and then a shocked look on his face as he witness the carvings along the top and the side of the whale. I slowly got up from the couch as he traced his fingers on the carvings like he was the carpenter smoothing out the last bit of his creation.

"Who gave it to you?" He asked, and yet I said nothing since I knew he knew the answer now as he looked at me, dead on in the face and I could tell this was about to be awkward for him.

"Who gave it to you?" August asked again, his voice was a bit bolder now as I cringed a bit. I was not expecting him to sound so bold with me, but then again I saw that one coming as I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets.

"Look at the name on the bottom," I said to him simply, seeing him frown at me before looking back at the whale in his hand, Painfully slowly, he turned the whale onto its belly and read the name on the wood. It took him a moment before he went into almost a shock there in the middle of the room, dropping the whale onto the floor now and having the sound of the wood hitting the wooden floor ring into the room. He was frozen solid there, his hands at his sides and they were shaking from the shock there on his face and with his eyes, so wide and filled with horror.

"Monstro," I said to him, knowing that it was the same name that was underneath the whale on the wood now as I took one step over to him now as he was still so frozen on his spot, "Your father gave that to me when I helped him some time ago as payment."

"How do you know my papa?" He asked me, sounding almost shocked and bitter at the same time as he was drilling his eyes into me now, no longer showing warmth there but unsatisfaction.

"Your father's name is Gepetto," I explained to him, seeing his eyes go wide as he took a step away from me and held out his hands in front of him, like he was ready to push me away from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." August tried to lie to me, but I shook my head in reply to that.

"You were never good at lying, not even when you were a puppet," I replied back to him calmly now, his breathing going shallow now as he was shaking his head again, "The Blue Fairy gave you life as a puppet, since Gepetto wanted a child. I saw you, I watched you turn from a puppet to a real boy after you saved your papa from Monstro."

"Stop it! Stop!" He said to me in a booming tone, having me wait for him to run his fingers in his hair now to calm himself down as he looked back down at the carved whale on the floor near his foot.

"Gepetto made this: you know his work," I said to August with a bit of boldness there in my tone now as he was watching me again, "Your father made toys for the children in the village because he didn't have a son of his own, and he made a puppet which turned into you: Pinocchio."

"I don't go by that name anymore!" he said to me now, having me see that I finally got to him and who he was. After he yelled this at me, he paused and once again breathed out a shaky breath before closing his eyes in defeat, "I…I don't go by that."

"Your papa still calls you that," I said to him, seeing him open his eyes and watch me,"He wants you home, Pinocchio. Gepetto still believes in you, as does the Blue Fairy."

"And who are you?" He asked me, taking a step towards me and kicking the whale with his foot while he was doing this and I watch him as anger was coming over him,"How do you know about me and my papa?"

"I know more about you than you can give me credit for," I answered,"I was there when you breathed for the first time as a puppet, and I sure as hell was there when you turned into a real boy." He was shocked again, anger was still laced there and he was eyeing me up and down now as he then took a step back from me now, eyeing me up and down with a hint go shock there.

"Cleo?" He asked me, the shock was there on his face as I nodded my head once,"Cleo…as in…the fish?"

"That's me." I said to him.

"How can you be a human but I remember you as a fish?" He asked me now, pointing at me with one finger now, "That's not possible! It can't be."

"Don't underestimate the power of magic, Pinocchio," I advised him, "I was there the whole time in that fishbowl, seeing it all happen."

"And I thought I saw everything," he said, sitting on the couch in defeat and holding his head in his hands. I felt bad then, knowing that this was all dumped on him whether he was ready for it or not. So I just sat in the chair again, new him but not near enough to freak him out. He needed time to drink in the fact that I used to be a goldfish that Gepetto had in his workshop. It all seemed too good to be true for him to realize and find as fact more than fiction, but after a second or so, he looked over at me now. I could tell he was still skeptical about it as I waited for him patiently.

"Why were you there…back when I was a puppet and you were a fish.." He trailed off.

"Goldfish," I corrected him.

"Right, a freaking goldfish, when you're a human right now?" He asked me, having me look down at my hands and see the faint lines there along my knuckles and around my fingers. I breathed out deeply, thinking that there was no other way than to explain to him what happened how it all began with me, and most importantly, where was I in his story.

"I don't quite know where to start."


(Flaback, Village near Enchanted Forest)

"Wait!" I heard from the mirror I was carrying in my backpack, having me skid to a halt now as I was running along the many small-town building and homes in the small village. It was near midnight now, the bright stars were out in the night to luminate the streets for me to see. I was on my way over to the nest destination, and yet Enchantress wanted me to go onto another detour before I went off again.

"Why are we here?" I asked, looking over my shoulder now, seeing that inside my backpack was glowing slightly from the mirror I was using to talk to Enchantress.

"Go to the window of the toy shop." She said to me kindly now, having me look over to the one light that was still on in all of the rows of shops. I walked over, my boots hitting the streets and echoing through the normal night there in what seemed to be an old town with the history behind it.

"What am I going to see?" I asked her, way more curious than anything now as I approached the high window, having me go onto my tiptoes now and place my hands on the windowsill now. I could see plenty and plenty of toys, all wooden and all of different shapes and sizes now as they were on the walls, on the tabletops and overflowing in the display cases. It looked magical to me, way too magical to be real.

"I want you to witness a miracle." She explained from my backpack now as I saw a older man, almost frail really but there was pep in his step, and he was walking over to one of his workman tables, a small yet almost completely puppet was there and sitting lifeless against the wall and his head tilted to the floor.

"Is that a puppet?" I asked her now, more intrigued than anything as the man was painting a smile on the puppet and having me watch. A small kitten, black and white along the paws and belly, was swishing his paw the strings as I saw a fishbowl with a goldfish there, looking too at the sight.

"It won't be for long, the Blue Fairy is going to grant his wish." Enchantress explained to me as I then took off the backpack to retrieve the mirror, holding it in my hands now as her face was in front of my own.

"What is his wish?" I questioned.

"Geppetto wished for a child for quite some time, and now his wish will come true as the puppet will come alive for him." She explained, having me notice that the lights went out. I hurried back over to the window, placing the mirror back in my hand as I noticed no one was around anymore. Geppetto must have gone to sleep now as the puppet was still lifeless against the wall.

"I wanted you to remember his face." The Enchantress informed me, having me look at her in confusion again since now it involved me apparently.

"Why should I remember a puppet?" I asked.

"Because this puppet will come along a path that is not right for him, and you'll be the only one to bring him back." She explained, making me look at her now in wonder since it was all sounding so unreal.

"I'm the one?" I asked, thinking already that I was going to have a burden that would be too much to handle. I was about to ask one more thing from her to understand more that was going to be needed from me when I saw something now shining in the room again, but it was glowing almost a tinted blue. I looked back again into the room, the whole area was shining a bright blue light within seconds that I would have to protect my eyes from what was almost blinding me. Within a moment, the shimmering dimmed and I was able to lower my hand from my eyes, seeing that it was the form of a heavy creature, dressed in blue robes and with the faintest look of wings behind her. She was radiant, having me loose breath as he was holding her wand, looking at Pinocchio with a loving gaze that a mother would give.

"Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others, that you deserve to have your wish come true." The fairy said to the puppet now as Enchantress spoke up to me once more.

"This is the blue fairy." Enchantress explained to me as I watched the so-called Blue Fairy talk to Pinocchio now with kindness in her face, "She has the vast amount of power to turn this puppet into a boy."

"And she thinks he needs guidance?" I asked her, not feeling real great about having the job compared to the vast powerful magic of a fairy.

"He needs a conscience, a personal guide to know right and wrong, how to take the narrow path of good," Enchantress explained as the fairy now tapped her wand upon the head of Pinocchio.

"Little puppet made of pine, awake. The gift of mine is thine." She said to him, the shining light from the wand seeping over the puppet now as I waited to see what was going to happen next.

"He is not your mission," I shot my look over at her now, the shock was there on my face as she stared at me in the mirror. Here I was, witnessing a miracle of a puppet turning into a real boy and how he would need someone to help and guide him, and Enchantress decides to rip the rug from underneath me with no real warning.

"Why am I here then? Just to remember him?" I asked, thinking that this was a waste of time now and having it show on my face.

"You will meet him again in the future, trust me. I just want you to know his beginning, how he became a boy so you can remind him of this miracle," She answered as I looked back at the scene with her still talking. The puppet was now alive, aminated really and was talking to the Blue Fairy again,"He will need to be reminded in order to find his path again, and you are the only one who can do this for him."

"How can I, though?" I asked.

"I'll help you." She replied, having me sigh and keep my eyes on the scene. This still made no sense, on how I was going to be called to him in the near future and help this young puppet, wherever and whenever he was in his life, and make sure he made the right choices and knew where to go.

It was going to be the most challenging one yet.


Storybrooke, Maine

Present Day

This was a different place, none that I have ever seen before. It was a small fishing town from what I could see, little shops here and there along the one strip that was there, trees along the sides and the small sense that this was a homely place. I was driving into the strip there in the main town, with the small amount of things that I had to my name then and there. I was glad I got there in time, mainly because I was running out of a rough situation that almost killed me.

There was only a backpack that I had with me, along with my pendant around my neck and a worn out biker jacket that I found at the Goodwill mere hours before. I had cash in my backpack, all that i had left and used for me own benefit in the stock market, not to mention the new sets of scrapes and worn out skin that I was having on me now as I parked my own motorcycle near what looked like to be a diner. Some people were walking along the sidewalk, all of them looking at me now with pondering eyes as I took off my helmet now. My hair, looking a bit more frail that it used to be was flowing in the crisp wind as I placed the helmet on the top of the motorcycle, and my eyes were instantly going back and forth at where I could find him.

Find August.

He was the one who told me to get a bike, a connection he had from his past, and he told me to find him in Storybooke since that was where he told me he was going to be. I wondered if I missed him, if he was no longer there and moved on since he was never one to be sitting still. But August told me that he was meant to be in Storybrooke, it was his purpose to go back and fulfill his mission.

What was his mission?

After standing there for a moment or so, probably looking real lost there and more people were looking at me now in wonder as to why I was there. I probably looked like a biker who got into a fight, biker jacket and skinny jeans with boots, chopped and wavy hair with fingerless gloves, faint scars on my face, and now fresh bruise and cuts from the fight I was just in. This was going to be a great thing to talk about with August now as I heard the opening of the diner front door. It made me look over, a couple of people were there looking at me like they were both shocked to see me there, and suspicious.

"Hi," One of them said to me, a pretty young woman with blond long hair and heart-shaped face who almost looked like the ringleader of the whole group. There was a short haired blond young man, another young women with very cropped black hair and her own heart-shaped face, another young man with messy yet stylish brown hair and a five o' clock shadow and piercing eyes, and one more women who had medium length brown hair and look like she could kill within seconds. Great, I was already being judged by a group of strangers and I felt like they would grab a gun at shoot me from the looks I was getting.

"You look lost," The blond haired man said to me kindly now as I nodded my head, fingers tapping against my legs now in worry that I wasn't going to find August and I was going to be in hot water.

"I'm looking for someone." I said to them, sounding a bit off there with my voice now since I felt like I wanted to panic.

"You look shaken up," The short-haired young woman told me, her voice making me think of some kind of motherly figure there now as I noticed that they were talking about the bruises on my face then,"Are you hurt?"

I felt like I wanted to melt into a puddle there, thinking this was a bad idea now as someone was pushing her way through the mass group at the front door of the diner. It was a male, and as soon as locked eyes. I sighed in relief knowing who it was. He looked shocked, a little concerned from how I looked, but none the less shocked as he eyed me up and down.

"Cleo?" He asked me, his voice was in a bit of a shock now as I gave him a nervous.

"Hello, August."