Chapter 28: A Warning
Emma called the next morning, informing her of the new arrival.
Danny rubbed her sleepy eyes, trying to comprehend the information, "Wait, Neal's girlfriend came to town? First Greg Mendell and now this Tamara chick? What the fuck is going on, Emma?"
Emma sighed on the other line, "I know, Danny. I had the same reaction. What concerns me is why now? Why all of the sudden, can people enter Storybrooke?"
Danny's brow furrowed at her questions, "I don't know, Em.… So what what do you think of her?" Danny asked coyly, changing the subject. She knew that Neal was Emma's first love, and well, you never really get over your first love.
"I don't know. She seems nice enough, it was just so awkward," Emma explained reluctantly. "I told Neal though that he should tell her… about everything."
Danny paused, "Are you sure that was a good idea? I mean we don't even know this woman."
"Neal trusts her," Emma responded. "They are engaged and she deserves to know."
Despite Emma's lackluster reassurances, Danny remained unconvinced. With Greg Mendell running around unchecked, and the arrival of another new person, the uncomfortable feeling in Danny's gut was growing. She had a really bad feeling that something was going to happen. Soon.
Danny met up with Emma for lunch at Granny's, who discreetly pointed Tamara out at the end of the counter.
"So that's her?" Danny asked quietly watching the woman carefully. Something was off about her, she just couldn't place it.
Emma nodded tersely, but didn't respond. Emma was only there because Mary Margaret had called, so she simply ordered a coffee and waited.
Soon after, Mary Margaret came through the entrance hurriedly.
"Hey, Mary Margaret, what's up?" Emma responded in relief at seeing her mother up and about, while Danny simply nodded in greeting. "Why the urgent phone call?"
"It's August, I found him," Mary Margaret rushed out, catching Marco's attention as well.
"My boy? He's alive?" Marco questioned excitedly.
"Yes, but…" Mary Margaret paused with bad news, "he's completely wooden. He's been living in an abandoned trailer down near the toll bridge."
"What can do we? Can we help him?" Emma asked with concern. Danny watched the exchange silently. She had liked August, and she regretted how long it had taken for her and Emma to believe.
Mary Margaret shook her head, "No. But I know someone who might be able to— Mother Superior," she explained.
Marco nodded his head emphatically, "Yes. Yes, the Blue Fairy. She helped once. She can help again. She must!" He said desperately. The three of them stood up to head out, and Emma looked at Danny expectantly.
Danny waved her off, "You go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit, I'm starving."
Emma nodded absentmindedly and paid quickly before she followed the other two out the door.
Danny turned back to her food, but instead caught Tamara's eye who was looking directly at her now.
Danny's eyes narrowed at the dark skinned woman and held her eye, refusing to break eye contact first. The other woman backed down quickly, as though she hadn't expected to gotten caught staring and quickly turned back to the coffee in front of her.
Danny met up with Emma, Mary Margaret and Marco in the forest after they had gone to speak with the Blue Fairy. They began walking back to where Mary Margaret had found August in the trailer when Emma's phone rang.
"Emma Swan," she answered succinctly, pausing to speak with whoever had called.
"August," she greeted, holding a hand up to stop everyone else. There a a short pause before Emma repeated, "August? Warn me? Warn me about what?" She demanded franticly.
She pulled her phone away from her ear in concern and found that the line had been cut.
She turned to the others, making eye contact with Danny, "We need to get back now. August may be in trouble," she explained urgently.
Emma called David and Henry as soon as they got back in town, telling him to meet them at the station as soon as possible.
The group rushed to the station as fast as they could. "If August is still at the station," David began as he lowered his phone, "He's not picking up."
"Someone must have cut the line inside," Danny surmised.
Emma nodded at her words in acknowledgment when August jerked out of the door, his movements stiff.
"August!" Emma shouted as the group ran over to the injured man.
He slowed down, and tumbled to the ground, face first as Emma and the group caught up to him. "August!" Emma shouted with concern as she rolled him onto his back, while Danny stood behind close her.
"Oh, my child," Marco cried in despair. "My boy, my boy. What happened to you?"
"I'm so sorry, papa," August apologized faintly.
"No," Marco comforted brokenly. "There is nothing to apologize for. Everything is gonna be alright."
August's head turned to Emma with a look of relief on his face, "Emma, Danny."
"August," they both said softly in unison.
He pushed himself up weakly, "Emma… She's… She…" August tried to warn, but he gasped for breath as his strength left him.
Marco pulled August back into his lap as he cried, "Oh, no. Not again!"
Emma stood up as Neal and Henry approached the scene. "August?" He questioned in disbelief.
"No. Its can't end this way," Mary Margaret whispered in denial. "He was supposed to get a second chance!"
"What happened?" Neal questioned.
"Someone killed him to stop him from telling us something," Emma explained. "He used his last dying breath to warn us. I will not let that be in vain!" She assured Marco heatedly.
"Brave, truthful and unselfish," Henry murmured under his breath. He looked up and repeated himself loudly. "Don't you see what this mean?" He demanded. "That's what Pinocchio was supposed to be. There's still hope, we need the Blue Fairy, now."
Danny looked up as Blue came up behind David and Mary Margaret, "I'm here, Henry," she offered out of breath.
"What does Henry mean?" Mary Margaret questioned curiously.
"I was able to turn Pinocchio into a real boy after he sacrificed his life for Marco's," She explained as she circled around to get closer to August. "If his actions today were indeed brave, truthful, and unselfish, then you're right. There's a chance I can do it again."
"Please, I beg of you. Try," Marco begged.
She nodded and pointed her wand at August, engulfing him in a blue light.
When it faded, a boy lay in his place, blinking in confusion.
The boy looked up at Marco, "Father?" He questioned innocently.
Marco shook his head in awestruck disbelief, "Pinocchio," he replied through his tears.
The group of onlookers looked at each other with relief as Marco interacted with his boy.
"I'm a real boy!" Pinocchio shouted happily, as Marco hugged him tightly.
Danny looked up as movement caught her eye, and narrowed her gaze at Tamara who so conveniently caught the tail end of this encounter. She watched as Tamara and Neal conversed quietly.
When Emma approached Pinocchio, hoping that he might remember what he had been trying to tell them, Danny saw Tamara watching them intently, a flicker of unease flitting across her face.
"I don't remember," he admitted sincerely. "If I could remember, I would be truthful, I promise."
Emma's face fell and she locked eyes with a disappointed Mary Margaret. Emma and Henry fell into Mary Margaret and David's arms, while Danny simply gave Tamara one more suspicious look before the family made their way home.
While everyone else went back to Mary Margaret's apartment, Danny stopped by the hospital to check on Belle. After raiding the kids wing of the hospital, Danny had stashed some board games in Belle's room so they could play together. Danny knew how boring hospitals could get after a while and she felt guilty that she hadn't been able to stop by and keep Belle company.
"Hey there, stranger," Danny greeted lightheartedly as she entered the young woman's room.
Belle's face lit up with excitement when she saw Danny. "Thank god you're here, Danny. I've been going stir crazy in this hospital!" She exclaimed dramatically.
Danny chuckled and shot her an apologetic look, "Sorry that I haven't been by in a couple days, things can get pretty crazy around here."
Belle waved off her apology easily, "So what game is it today?"
Danny hummed in contemplation as she looked at the pile of boardgames, "How about…" she began as she rummaged through the boxes. "Yahtzee!" She exclaimed triumphantly as she held up the box that she had wrangled out from the bottom without managing to topple the entire pile.
Belle laughed lightheartedly at her friend and nodded in agreement.
