AN/ What happened to Emma? Is she ok? Who abducted her? Here are all the answers.
Sorry about the delay. I was really busy and I had a case of writer's block. However it seems that a morning of frustration with the French administration and an afternoon in the Luxemburg garden in Paris is the key to finding inspiration.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. This story is not written for commercial purposes and means no copyright infringement. Please do not publish this story without my knowledge and explicit authorization.
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Emma woke up in what she recognized to be a dark and very humid place. He tried to recognize it but failed. She tried to move but her hands and feet were tied up. She discovered that besides a headache she wasn't hurt. She tried to untie herself but she couldn't find the knots. The rope was magically rapped around her. Magic meant Regina… or Gold. Emma wasn't sure which one was worse.
"Good. You're awake." She heard and recognized Regina's voice. "I almost thought that I would have to find you a prince to kiss you awake. But seeing that cheesy letter that you were reading, it wouldn't have been a long search." Emma still couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from. "Don't torture yourself like this. Just look at the water flake. It works even better than a mirror." Emma looked in the water and saw Regina, her hair pulled up, seating in what appeared to be her study. "That's better. Now what was I saying. Oh yes. Seriously Emma? The son of the carpenter who lied to your parents? And I thought that Snow and her sheep boy were bad. Hear this from me: romance with men who are not Royalty doesn't work."
What the hell was Regina talking about? There was nothing but friendship between her and August. That letter hadn't been a love letter, had it? No. Because no one sent her love letters. No one could ever tell her that he loved her unless they were expecting something in return; something like robbing a liquor store then have sex and then leave her pregnant in jail. Then again, August was different. He had never wanted anything from her. He had only asked for forgiveness. True that it was a long shot but he never pressured her. Could it be that Regina saw something that she missed? No! What could he possibly see in her, he who would have any girl who saw his handsome figure on the bike or noticed the carrying glare in his eyes? She chased those thoughts of her head and realized that Regina was still talking. Her voice hit Emma like a cold shower.
"Seriously." Regina continued her mockery of the presumed feelings between her and August. "Just listen: the Princess and the Puppet. It's sounds ridiculous." But Emma could think of another way to put it: The savior and the protector. It sounded beautiful. Why did she have al those thoughts in her head?
"What do you want?" she snapped. She couldn't afford to get distracted. "I'm sure you didn't bring me here to discuss my friends."
"Oh! Why so hostile? You are in a room full of love. Or rather what contains it. You are sitting right next to my heart collection. That drawer next to your head is where I kept Graham's heart. Too bad I had to kill him but he had forgotten what happens to things that I do not have use of any more."
The thought of Graham made Emma's heart hurt. Them as a couple might have been a bad idea but he had been a dear friend and would have been a good ally against Regina. And from what she had seen in the past few months he was missed by many. After all, he had spared her mother's life. The pain made her even more determined to do everything in her power to stop Regina once and for all.
"What do you want from me?" Emma enunciated every word.
"Your help to get my son back of course."
"I'd rather die than let you hurt him."
"Who says I'll hurt him. I'm his mother. I've taken care of him in the past 10 years, every since he was a baby, ever since you abandoned him."
"You are sick you know? I'll make sure that he is safe from you even if it means dying in the process."
"Haha… Has anyone told you how much you are like your parents? Especially your father. The same foolish bravery thinking that you can save everyone just because you want to… But you can't. Because, you see, either way, I win. If Henry comes to me, I get my son back. If you die… well, there is no easier way to destroy your parents. Your sweet mother would probably go mad and you father might just kill himself."
Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing but Regina was dead serious.
"If you kill me, you'll never get Henry back. You will only hurt him." This woman was heartless. "Only a very sick person would enjoy the suffering of others."
"Oh, no sweet Emma. I'm just evil. Now calm down and try to relax. You'll be here for a while. No one knows that you are with me. I made sure to leave your overly sentimental note on the table. This way everyone will think that you went to meet your … friend. And when you don't show up, he will leave town and it will look like you have run together in the sunset. Henry will be devastated thinking that you left him and he will come back to the woman who has always been his mother. Me."
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August couldn't shake off the bad feeling that something was wrong. He knew that Emma not showing up meant that she did not want to see him any more but he just wanted to make sure that she was fine before he left Storybrooke for ever. He took his stuff. Left a note to his father telling him how sorry he is and that he cannot stay in Storybrooke where Emma was any longer (he knew that Geppetto couldn't follow him outside of Storybrooke), he hopped on his bike and drove in town for one last time.
August approached Granny's diner and parked his bike outside. He had to take a look inside. It would be enough to see her sitting on a table, laughing with Henry and her parents. That would be enough to see that she was happy and it would calm the bad feeling that was bugging him.
"August" He recognized Henry's voice. He hadn't expected to talk to anyone.
"Hey buddy. I haven't seen you in a while. What are you doing on the street all alone? I thought you were guarded."
"I am. Red is watching as we speak. It's ok. The Queen won't try to take me in broad day light." Henry answered.
"How are things?"
"Fine, considering the situation. But I am the one who should be asking questions. Where are you going with that bag?" He couldn't lie to Henry. The sight of the kid made his heart warm.
"I… I am living town."
"For how long?" Damn he was stubborn.
"A while." August was being evasive. He couldn't tell him the truth but he couldn't lie either.
"Are you taking Emma on a trip?" Why would he ask that?
"No. I'm leaving alone."
"But why?" Sometimes Henry's curiosity wasn't so sweet.
"Because, it has become impossible for me to stay here." How could he explain to a 12 year old that he was in love with his mother and that she obviously did not want anything to do with him?
"But I thought that you guys made up." Henry sounded surprised.
"What makes you think that?"
"I couldn't sleep last night, so I went downstairs to the diner and grabbed myself a glass of milk. I know Emma forbade me to leave the Bed and Breakfast without my grandparents, her, Red or Granny but I didn't want to wake anyone. I found the letter that you wrote to her on the table and she wasn't there. When we didn't see her for breakfast this morning, I just assumed she had come to meet you. I didn't give my grandparents the note because I'm not sure how they would take it" And there it was. That bad, horrible feeling that something was wrong with Emma. It was back again, stronger than ever.
"Are you sure you haven't seen your mother all morning."
"No one has. Not since the meeting of the war council last night." The kid looked worried.
"Henry!" August grabbed him by the shoulders but then realized that he had to change his tone if he didn't want to scare the boy. "Sorry. Henry, she never showed up. I'm coming from the wishing well."
"Do you think she's ok?" Henry was terrified.
"I'm sure she's fine." August said. Maybe she had wanted to think. Clear her head. That didn't mean that something wrong had happened to her. He was trying really hard to believe that. "Look, I have to go. I'm sure Emma will be fine."
"But, you can't leave. You're supposed to protect her no matter what. You can't run on her. Not again." August saw the boy starting to panic. And he knew that Henry was right.
"Come here." He hugged the boy and stroked his head. He felt him shaking under his arms. It was like holding a precious vase that could break if you applied too much pressure on it. "Hey, it's ok. Everything will be ok. But I need you to take me to your grandparents."
"Are you sure? They are still pretty mad at you. At least Prince James is."
"Like you said, I can't run now. If something has happened to Emma, we need to help her. And if that means facing their anger, then I'll have to do it." Was he afraid of their reaction? Yes. Very much. But he couldn't let his fears cost Emma her life. For once in his life he couldn't afford to run. His love for Emma would have to give him the courage to face the two people that he feared the most right now.
He took Henry by the shoulders and both of them made their way to the diner. August spotted Snow and Charming on one of the tables discussing something with the Blue Fairy. The dwarves were also inside and were in the middle of a heated discussion. August took a deep breath and entered the diner.
"Grand ma, Grand pa" Henry ran to them. "We think Emma's in trouble."
"What? Who's we?" Snow asked. Everyone turned
"How dare you show up here?" Prince James stood up and pushed August to the wall. "I thought you were smart enough to stay away."
"I know you're angry. And you have the right to be. But now is not the moment."
"The hell it isn't. You have no business here."
"Actually I do. Emma…" but he couldn't finish his sentence.
"Don't you dare mention her name. Because of you, she grew up all alone. Only because you couldn't grow a pair and chose the easy way out. You are a selfish liar and a coward. You don't have the right to come here and pretend nothing ever happened."
"If you would calm down for a minute and listen to me…" August tried to say. He was getting pretty irritated with the Prince's words.
"Don't tell me to calm down. You have no right to tell me what to do. You are nothing but a lame excuse for a man and I don't want to see you ever again." August couldn't take it any more. He pushed Charming back and punched him the face.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you. The man I knew and admired back in our land would not allow people's pasts to influence his opinion on them. As if you are perfect. As if you haven't put your family in danger enough times." August did not want to lead this conversation now. Not when Emma might be in trouble but Charming's words had hit him where it hurt most. And now, he was determined to hurt the man back. "As if you haven't hurt them."
"How dare you?" Prince James attacked him and they started to fight.
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Ever since she saw August entering with Henry, Snow knew something wasn't right. At the mention of Emma's name, she had wanted to know more. Why did they think that something was wrong with her? But Charming had attacked August on the spot. She had to admit that she was angry with the man as well. She had understood Geppetto's intentions and did not blame him for lying to them any more. With Pinocchio it was different. He had abandoned Emma as a baby when he should have stayed by her side. But he had been only a small boy back then. He hadn't known better. Who was she to blame him, she who also had made the biggest mistakes of all when she had been a child? She hugged Henry and covered his eyes as she did not want him to see all this.
"You have to stop them." He pulled away. "Emma may be in trouble."
Oh no. Not that. She had to stop this. There were more important things to do. She looked at the dwarves and they nodded.
"Stop it. Both of you." She stood between them and pushed Charming back as he was about to hit August. She saw Grumpy and Sneezy restrain him from attacking again. Then she turned to August, tripped him and he fell on the ground on his back. "Knock it off. There are more pressing things to do than a measuring contest." She turned to August. "Why do you think something happened to Emma?"
"I just have a feeling that something is not right. And no one has seen her all morning."
"You have feelings. That's good." Charming snapped at him, Grumpy and Sneezy right next to him, ready to hold him back of necessary.
"Charming. Not now." She snapped back. She loved the man more than anything but he had a temper sometimes. "Henry, have you seen today?"
"No I thought she went to meet him at the wishing well. She left this in the diner last night." Snow took the letter. From the look on Pinocchio's face, he didn't want her to read it. But she didn't care. She read every line of it and it almost made her cry. The man standing before them deeply regretted his mistakes and obviously wanted to make up for them. Another thing became clear to her. Anyone else could have possibly missed it but not her. The words in the letter and the look in his eyes meant were explicit enough for her. The man was head over heels in love with her daughter. He could be trusted.
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"She never showed up." He pulled her away from her thoughts. "Like I said: if she doesn't want to see me ever again, I will leave her life forever. But I needed to make sure that she was all right and I couldn't shake off the feeling that she wasn't."
"Henry, why didn't you tell us you hadn't seen Emma? You said she was probably out."
"I wasn't sure how you would take it. I mean you are still pretty mad at him. I'm sorry. I should have told you." He was crying and it hurt August to see him like that. He wanted to hug the boy and tell him that it would be all right but he couldn't move from his spot. He didn't want to irritate the Queen and King more than they already were.
"It's ok." Snow hugged Henry. "Doc, please take him upstairs and make him a hot chocolate. Everything will be fine, Henry." She then turned to her husband.
"Whoever took her made sure we found this. Why?" But Charming didn't seem to have the answer. August however did.
"It's brilliant. Finding this note, you would think that she came to see me. When she didn't come and I was gone anyone would assume we left together. It would make sense if she had accepted my apology. She still feels uncomfortable with many things around here. It would be only logical for her to leave with someone who understands what it is to wake up in a world that you don't understand." August could see the blame in their eyes, especially Charming's. "Look, I'm not asking you to forgive me. Only Emma can do that. But can we just put away that grudge for a while and make sure that Emma is safe?"
"I can." Snow said with a tender tone. "Charming?"
"Fine. But let's be clear. You are not forgiven."
"I wouldn't dream of it." August said. "Now, who would do that?"
"Rumplestilskin?" Red suggested.
"It's master plan but it's not his style. This has Regina written all over it." Snow explained.
"But why wouldn't she want us to know that Emma is missing? Wouldn't she need her for leverage?"
"Henry." August intervened one more time. "She thinks that she can tap in his fear of abandonment. Think of it. If he thinks that Emma has abandoned him, he might come back to her."
"He wouldn't do that. Besides he would have us." Prince James said.
"Charming, think of what we would have done if you didn't know this was a set up? If we thought Emma had run off with him?"
"We would have probably run after them. Try to stop them." Charming answered.
"Leaving Henry unprotected by the love of the people who love him." Snow explained.
"At least now we have the advantage. She doesn't know that we have figured out her plan." August said. "We have to find out where Emma is and save her."
"I may be able to help with that." They all turned toward the door where they saw Rumpletilskin.
AN/ So what do you think? Let me know.
