The blade of the knife is thrusted into the earth. One hand grasps my sleeve and the other holds the hilt of the dagger. A man who is turning into a monster must decide between magic and family. Power and love. I can tell he's already made his choice. I can see it in his eyes. So I beg him. I scream. I call him a coward. But he doesn't release the knife and venture into the unknown with me. He wasn't willing to give up everything for me as I was for him. Instead he releases me. He let's me go. And I fall. I claw at the earth and try to rip myself away from the vortex. And I scream at him, just before I am consumed by the green light.

"No!" I screamed as I bolted up into a sitting position. Blue plaid sheets within my clenched and shaking hands. Im fine. I'm here. I'm whole. I repeat these words in my head in a vain attempt to calm the rapid beating of my heart. Control of my heavy aberrant breaths that seemed to choke me every time they passed through my throat. I can feel my blood race through my veins and I'm not taking in enough oxygen to satisfy it. This still happens every single night. Usually this is why I try not to sleep as much as I can. But I can't stay awake forever. If I could I would never sleep and never see his face again. Never fall into the vortex again.

A loud ringing made me jolt violently. I grimaced and snapped out of my thoughts. I glared at the phone that was placed on my desk. Im very certain that only one person would be calling me on that phone right now. And by god if he didn't have a good reason I was heading straight for Main and shoving that waste of a tree into a wood chipper. I got up and stomped over to the phone.

"What," I growled viciously.

"Hey," The puppet was seemingly ignoring my threatening tone. "You there?"

"Obviously," I grumbled.

"Good," he sighed in relief. "This is taking to long we need to accelerate the plan."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?" I asked in concern. My anger disappearing. "Did something happen?"

"I don't think I will be able to get Emma to believe in time," he answered. "She's too skeptical and stubborn, and I'm getting worse. I don't have enough time."

"Well giving up isn't going to help," I argued. "You have got to have a new idea."

"Thats why I'm calling you. Cause I am all out of options," he stated quietly. "I need magic."

I rolled my eyes and sighed in irritation. "I told you that this world has no magic," I scolded. "How are you expecting me to help you get it?"

"I think your father remembers," Pinocchio suggested. I immediately sit up with interest. Did he speak to him? "I think he has magic."

I rose a questioning eyebrow and smirk. "Really?" I asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Remember the woman I told you about," he starts. "The one who went missing a while ago. Emma told me that she suddenly showed up out of nowhere right after your father said that he could work magic."

"I think he meant it metaphorically," I answered rubbing my eyes. "And how does this prove he remembers anything?"

"It doesn't," he admitted in defeat. "But he just seems like he knows something. Like he has this era around him that seems like... I don't know. But I know he remembers and I am certain he has magic."

"Alright," I replied. "Even if that is true what do you want me to do?"

"Come to Storybrooke," he demanded. "Come here and ask him for help. If he would listen to anyone it would have to be you."

"I can't," I claimed. I shook my head and banished all thoughts of a reunion. I know what he did to me and it was going to take a lot for me to see past that.

"Why not?" he pressed.

I slammed my fist down on my desk in rage. "You know why," I snapped.

There was silence on his end and for a while I thought he had hung up. But then I heard his voice again. Softer and much quieter.

"It's spread to my arms," he whispered. "And it's almost reached my chest. I don't know what's going to happen to me and I'm scared okay. I'm terrified."

I close my eyes and try not to let the guilt that flowed and clogged my chest get the better of me. I can't go to my father. I can't. I don't have the strength to meet his eyes again. I'm not afraid of him. I refuse to fear him. And I don't want to forgive him. Not after everything he's done. I just don't want to see him. It would be to much for me to handle.

But I can't let my friend die. I wasn't about to let someone else suffer because I'm selfish. Not again. Though what else can I do. He was right, the only person my father would listen to would be me. But would he even recognize me. Surly after all these years he has forgotten my features.

My eyes snap open. The only way he would be able to tell if someone was really me or not would be because they knew what no one else but me could know. And anyone who knew me could possess that information if I told them.

"Your right," I announced. "I am the only person he would listen to. But he doesn't know who you are. And he won't remember what I looked like."

"But I don't look like you," August protested. "How would he fall for that?"

"It's been 20 years since I was little. He would have to assume that when I was an adult I would look different," I countered. "And besides it's been hundreds of years since he last saw me. He must have forgotten parts of my face."

"How am I supposed to prove to him I'm you?" he asked.

"There is something that I know and no one else does," I answered softly as if an unknown enemy would hear me through the walls if I spoke too loudly. "A dagger. A dagger that can be used to control the dark one. I am the only one who remembers it."

"What do I do?" he asked. "Just go up to him and mention that I know about the knife."

"No," I replied strictly. "He's too suspicious of people. But you can use that to your advantage. If you act like you know something, if you walk around looking for the knife then he will try to find out who you are. I doubt that he knows as long as you've done nothing to reveal that."

"I haven't," he replied. "I haven't even gone to see my father yet."

"Good," I nodded. "The less he knows about you the better. Act mysterious but you should still do something that would spark his attention. He has a shop right?"

"Yeah," August answered. "I could go into his office and look for the knife there."

"Yes," I agreed "That's a good idea. If you act like you're looking for something I can only assume that he'll suspect you of being me. Since your the only stranger in Storybrooke and Im the only person he knows of who escaped the curse other than Emma that should be an obvious conclusion. And if he thinks you're me he'll want to talk to you. I'm the reason he's here. If he wants it bad enough he will ignore what his eyes are telling him and play right into your hands. But if he finds you out...you have to be sure there are no other options before you do this. Death will come much more swiftly at his hand."

"I have nothing to lose," Pinocchio informed me grimly. "When your already at deaths door fear is something I can't afford."

I frowned at his statement. Is courage only obtained when you are content and ready for death? I do not fear death, I fear pain. I fear love. I suppose the only way I will ever regain the fearlessness that I once possessed, I would need to come to terms with the hurt that I experienced in the past. I would need to forgive and forget in order to be brave. But I don't want to forgive. And I don't think I will ever except the pain of being lost.

"You should value your life a little," I scolded. "If he finds out you're not me he will be hurt and angry. My father is different then others, he has the will to kill anyone who hurts him in anyway."

"I'll die anyway," he argued "And why are you letting me do this anyway? He's your father. I didn't think you would want him to suffer like this."

I looked down at the floor. I should feel guilty about telling someone these secrets, but I don't. He brought this on himself. He left me not the other way around. "Lets just say," I paused and smirked slightly. "I've got a lot of bitterness that I would love to get out of my system."

Okay I really want to here your guys opinions. I have only two ways I can go with this story and right now Im at the fork in the road. I can either keep this story cannon and just end it off with the season two premier and see what really happens on the show or I can go Au and create a whole new version of the show. The problem with the latter option would be that I would update less because I feel like Im neglecting my other story's too much. Tell me what you want and I'll do it.

Please Review : )