"Where are they!?" Emma pounded her fist down onto the map in frustration, "We've searched everywhere! Where else can they be?"
Snow White gently walked up to her daughter, "We'll find them, we have everyone searching as we speak"
"We've been having people search but it's not enough" Emma sighed, "It's bad enough that we can't find Dawn for Marco but now that Regina disappeared, that just puts more pressure on me… Henry misses her"
David stepped up, "We'll find her, both of them. We just got to put more time and effort, there's still some places in the woods that we haven't covered-"
"They're not in the woods" a voice came from the entrance.
The trio turned and each seemed surprised to see a wooden formed man standing where the voice came from. Snow White smiled gently as the man shifted from side to side, not liking how the Charmings were looking at him. It took a lot of nerve to come into town, but he still avoided the main streets even though it didn't seem like people were noticing him, everyone was in disarray. Whether it was because of the Lost Nymph or their other missing family and friends. He highly doubted it was because of the Evil Queen.
"August" Emma breathed out, "We thought you were-"
"Dead?" August shrugged, "I kind of wished it for a little bit. I'm sorry I failed you, Emma, my task was supposed to be simple; to protect you. I couldn't even do that and maybe this Curse would've been lifted sooner but… I'm sorry. Forgive me, your Majesties"
"What matters is that you're here now" David walked over and placed a hand on August's shoulders, "Now you said that Dawn wasn't in the woods, why do you think that?"
"Because that's where I was" August answered, "After I heard the news of Dawn's disappearance, I went searching the woods"
"Great" Emma rolled her eyes.
"If we are going to find Dawn, we're going to have to search the sky for a sign" August glanced outside the window, "It's odd having overcast during this time of year, isn't it? I believe it's Dawn trying to communicate with us on where she is"
"Dawn can control the clouds?" Emma asked.
August smiled, "There's a lot of things that Dawn can do that you wouldn't even dream of, princess"
"Help! Help!" Pinocchio screamed as he ran through the forest.
"Pinocchio?" he gasped as he stopped when the Lady Nymph appeared out of nowhere, "What is wrong?"
He knew he was supposed to tell the Lady Nymph what happened to her student but as of right now, he couldn't form the words. He sobbed as he went to the Lady and wrapped his arms around her, as if she was his mother of some sort. The Nymph bent down and hugged him gently as running feet could be heard before Geppetto came into view with Jiminy Cricket on his shoulder. She looked up and gave a grave look before she broke the hug and looked at the little wooden boy.
"Pinocchio?" she asked again, "Where is Dawn?"
"The Evil Queen took her," he sniffed.
Jiminy gasped, "Oh, heavens! What on earth would make her do that?"
"We didn't know we crossed into her borders" Pinocchio answered before turning to his father, "I am sorry, Papa, I was just trying to help Dawn come into her powers more"
Geppetto nodded as he waved at his boy, "It is okay my son… We will… go to Snow White"
"Yes! She can rescue the young Nymph!" Jiminy let out, "I will send for her at once"
"Regina can not hurt Dawn" The Lady Nymph said as she straightened up, "Not without dire consequence of magic itself. Nymphs are neutral magic and even the most foulest of dark magical creatures know to not harm even the youngest of Nymphs"
"So, she will be okay, right?" Pinocchio sniffed.
The Lady Nymph glanced over to the pair as they knew how the Evil Queen really was. The Laws of Magic would mean absolutely nothing to the woman, they were all aware that Dawn wasn't Snow White but that hasn't saved anyone from her evil grasp. The Lady Nymph looked down to Pinocchio, cupped his wooden face into her palms and smiled.
"Of course, she will be okay" she smiled, "I will send the best trackers out to find her"
Pinocchio smiled as he said, "Okay"
August took the lead as he burst through the door that led to the Clock Tower, taking the steps two at a time as the Charming's trailed after him. He glanced up and looked around the sky as the family finally caught up to him, he quickly pointed to one of the clouds near the harbor.
"There!" he yelled out, "That's Dawn!"
"How do you know?" Emma asked.
"It's the symbol we used," Pinocchio explained, "Any time Dawn would be in trouble, she would cast that symbol into the sky. It looks like my-"
"Hat" Snow White smiled, "I remember"
August turned and nodded eagerly, "She found a way to communicate"
David took out his walkie talkie, "All search parties, start heading to the harbor. We found a sign that Dawn is being held captive in there-"
August moved to stop David but the man was already running down the stairs as he said, "I should probably go"
"Stay" Snow White objected, "You need to"
August struggled to say something as he turned to look outside as a breath hitched in his throat, Marco was already running across the street to David as they both spoke.
"Papa…" August let out.
"You have to see him" Emma explained, "The man was completely heartbroken when he realized both of his children were missing; one by choice and one not. You may not be part of him by blood but he still looks to you as a son… don't give him anymore grief than you already had"
"Is he mad?" August asked.
"Depressed" Emma answered, "He needs you, August, in any form, he just wants his son back"
"But how do I face him?" August asked, "How do I-"
"Pinocchio?!" a voice screamed out from the bottom of the stairs.
The wooden man glanced down to see an elderly man burst through the door, he looked almost as shocked as August was that he was standing there. Marco literally grabbed onto the railings as he made his way up the stairs to his son, August leaned back but didn't move away as he had to prepare for the lecture of his life. Marco stared at the man in front of him, but not because he was in wood form, but because he finally remembered that August Wayne Booth was his son. He smiled at the man, cupped his palms to Pinocchio's face and hugged him tightly, taking in the smell of wood and leather mixing together. Off to the side, Snow White smiled tearfully as she placed a hand over her heart and leaned on her daughter, Emma.
"My boy!" Geppetto cried out, "I missed you so much!"
"I- I missed y- you too, Papa" August wished he could cry but he couldn't, "I'm sorry for everything… I tried to be a good boy"
"No, don't apologize" Geppetto broke their hug and pointed his finger at the man, "You did wonderfully, my son. Everything is as it should be"
"I should've came to you when the Curse broke, I was just afraid, selfish, and-" August swallowed, "I didn't mean to hurt you, Papa"
"I understand" Geppetto said, "I should've never given you a task with such a heavy burden… you were not ready as a child to take on such a responsibility"
"But if I had been truthful than Dawn wouldn't have been kidnapped" Pinocchio said, "None of this would've happened"
David came bounding up the stairs, almost breathless. Snow White turned to him as all he did was nod his head at his wife. Snow White smiled brightly as she turned to Emma and placed a hand on her arm. Emma took out a sigh of relief that she was holding in all week before turning back to David.
"What's wrong?"
"We found them" David nodded, "But Dawn's not doing too well"
"What do you mean?" Pinocchio turned to David.
"She was being tortured before we got there" David hesitated, "Greg left the machine on full blast before the rescue team went in"
"Oh, my God!" Snow White gasped, "Is she okay?"
David sighed before he finally said, "She's in a coma"