Disclaimer: I do not own the Once Upon a Time franchise.
Chapter Fourteen
Emma sat in her car outside of the Portland airport with August. This was first time testing their new IDs on airport security and she was even more nervous than when she'd heard that Graham had run a background check on her. This time if they got caught it wouldn't be a little local sheriff's department. . . it would be TSA. And to say that would be a bad thing was an understatement. "Emma," August took her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze, "it's going to be okay. Everything has held up so far." He reminded her.
Emma squeezed his hands back, "I know, I just don't want something to happen to you." She paused, "If something happened to you, August," she sighed and looked out the windshield. "I don't know if Henry and I would make it."
"I'm more worried about leaving you and Henry alone." August admitted. "The last time I left –"
"Don't!" Emma protested, "Neither of us saw what happened with Walsh coming." She told him honestly. "We can't let that hold us back, as hard as it might be, you're right. We have to keep living our lives. And that does mean you need to work. I just don't want anything to happen to you while you're gone."
August gripped her chin lightly, "Emma, I will be fine. I promise." He glanced over his shoulder, "Okay, I'm going to go. I'll call you when I land in Denver and let you know I'm there." He promised.
Leaning forward, Emma gave August a tight hug. "Please do. Just keep in touch so I know you're safe."
"I will." August murmured into her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple before sliding out of the car. Emma popped the trunk so August could grab his bag and watched him walk inside. Her stomach churned slightly as she turned the engine back over and pulled into airport traffic. She wouldn't feel better until August was back at home with them.
That night, as Emma plated dinner for her and Henry, Henry finally asked, "Momma, how long with Uncle Auggie be gone?"
Sitting down at the kitchen table next to her son, Emma shrugged, "I don't know, baby. He hopes to only be gone for a few days."
Henry squirmed in his seat and Emma could tell by the frown lines around his mouth that he was worried. She felt that fear that she'd ruined her kid creep back in. He shouldn't be worried like this. He was only seven. "And he'll be okay?"
Reaching over, Emma pushed back some of his hair, letting her fingers trail over his forehead in a way he'd always loved, "He'll be fine, sweetie, but we'll all be happier once he's back." She agreed.
Henry nodded, "It's quiet without him here."
Leaning back, Emma hummed. After a moment, she stood up and dug her phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket that was on the back of the sofa. She scrolled through her contacts for a moment before pressing a button. It was a little on the early side for dinner, and she'd made enough for them to eat leftovers for a few days. "Hey, Mary Margaret!" She greeted. Her cheerfulness was a little forced, but she just pushed through, "I don't know if you've cooked or if y'all have eaten yet, but what about coming downstairs for dinner? We have spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread." After a moment she nodded, "Great, the door's unlocked."
When Emma looked over at Henry, she saw he was grinning widely. "Leo's coming?"
"Yup, Emma flicked the lock to the door open. Why don't you help me set the table up for three more people?" She chuckled as Henry darted to the cabinet with dishes to pull out what they needed to feed David, Mary Margaret, and Leo.
When the door opened and Leo came flying, Emma watched as Henry's spirit dramatically. Mary Margaret came in just behind Leo with a big bowl in her hand, "I brought the salad I'd just made." She gave Emma a tight hug that Emma found herself returning.
"That sounds amazing. I didn't make anything green. I'm sure even in Colorado August can tell Henry and I are about to eat something green and he's thrilled about it."
Mary Margaret chuckled, "August is a bit of a health nut." She'd noted it the few times she'd seen him at Granny's he typically had one of the two green dishes Granny offered. If Mary Margaret was being honest, Granny's salads looked terrible.
"Understatement." Emma muttered as she plated spaghetti on a plate for each of the Nolans. David had given her a quick hug, and then hovered over the boys and their new storybook, giving Emma and Mary Margaret a chance to catch up. She handed Mary Margaret some bowls so the woman could give them all salad, "He's also a total neat freak. We lived together right after Henry was born and it was a tough adjustment. It wasn't as bad this time. August accepts the fact that Henry leaves his shoes everywhere, and it's probably good for Henry to be around someone who is neater than me. Maybe he'll develop better habits than I have."
After dinner, the boys disappeared up to Henry's room with their storybooks and the three adults sat in the living room with hot tea. "Thanks for coming down." Emma murmured, "Henry is so sad that August is out of town. I thought this might be fun for him. August is a big kid at heart and plays with Henry like one. It's kind of like Henry has an uncle and big brother in August." But not a father, Emma thought, looking away as she blinked back tears. She thought she'd been able to give Henry a father, but she'd failed on that front too.
David grinned and took a sip of his tea, ignoring Emma's far off look, "Well, Leo was so much happier than just having dinner with his boring parents."
Emma chuckled, letting the lightness wash back over us, "When did we get to be so old and boring?"
David shoved her, "Old? Speak for yourself!" He sounded indignant and Emma found it entirely amusing.
Mary Margaret let out a snort that Emma thought was so out of character for the small woman that it was charming, "Please, David, I hate to say it, but you're the elder in this room." She snickered. Emma just grinned at the two of them, "David was a year ahead of me in school. We both grew up here. David is closing in on 30!"
"Hey! I'm not 30 yet." He protested.
"Fine, in 6 months he'll be 30." Mary Margaret informed Emma.
"Well, then, I think I should be calling you old, I'm a spring chicken." Emma snickered as she took another sip of her tea. "I'm only 25." She told them. Both Mary Margaret and David knew Emma was a young mother, but they didn't know she was that young. "I was 18." She didn't offer up any other details and thankfully they didn't ask.
When the Nolans left, Henry fell asleep talking about dragons and knights in shining armor with a smile on his face. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Emma shut off the lights with a smile on her own face. At the very least he seemed like a happy seven-year old boy now.
Simon Sanders sat at a corner table in the public library in Denver. August Bailey was seated in the archive section, pouring over newspapers. He was working on an article about the governor who was most definitely taking bribes from local drug dealers so they stayed out of prison. It seemed to Sanders that even though Bailey took a motorcycle to Denver and Emma and the kid took a bus, that they were here together. According to Walsh, those two were nearly inseparable.
"Hey," Simon spoke quietly into his phone, "I found Bailey. He's in Denver."
"Then Emma is there too." Walsh answered. "They're always together. It took forever to convince Bailey to get the hell out of town."
Simon ducked down as August stood up, stretched, and glanced around the library, "Well, I'll keep tabs on him until I find her." He promised before hanging up the phone.
Killian glanced over at Emma from his own desk as she shuffled through the papers in aggravation. August had only been gone for two days, but she was ready for him to be back home and to know that he was safe. "That's it, Swan." Killian stood up, "I'm over listening to you abuse the papers on your desk." He grabbed her coat and his off the rack. "Let's go grab a drink from Granny's and patrol on foot." He tossed her leather jacket at her and moved to forward the phone to forward the calls.
Emma sighed and shrugged into her jacket, "Fine, but you're buying." She told him as they moved to the door of the station.
When Killian and Emma entered Granny's, they saw Belle bouncing on the balls of her feet as she excitedly spoke to Ruby. "I'm not sure when we'll be back from New York, but I'm so excited! Anyhow, Graham volunteered to handle all of the rents due, so you can just pay him if we're not back by the 1st."
Ruby smiled at the tiny woman, "I'll let Granny know, thanks, Belle, and I hope things all work out for you and Mr. Gold."
"A trip to New York?" Emma asked as they approached.
Belle spun with an excited spring, "Yes!"
"A second honeymoon maybe?" Emma asked wiggling her brows suggestively. Personally, she didn't find Robert Gold to be attractive, but Belle was obviously head over heels in love with the man. And love was never rational.
Shaking her head Belle replied, "No! Robert found his son, Baelfire! And he's living in New York now and agreed to see us. And I've never been to New York so there's just so much excitement all around." She gave a wave and was flying out the door before anyone could say another word.
Emma chuckled as she glanced at Ruby, "Wow, that was –"
"A lot." Ruby rolled her eyes. "Belle gets way too excited sometimes."
Emma glanced over her shoulder to say something to Killian, but found he wasn't there. Instead he was seated at the bar speaking to another waitress. Emma frowned and made her way to where he was seated. "I ordered your usual, lass." Killian told her.
He was avoiding her gaze and Emma realized it was part of his story that she didn't know. Instead of pressing for it, she just took a seat, "Thanks, lad." She gave him a wink when he grinned at her. When their drinks were placed in front of them, Emma picked hers up and stood, "Come on, Jones, let's go on foot patrol. Maybe Scarlett's digging up buried treasure at the beach and we can bring him in for drunken disorderly conduct."
Killian stood as well and smiled, "Don't tease a man, love."
Reaching down, Emma tugged on his hand, "Come on, Jones, I'll tease you more along the way."
That night, Emma was curled up in bed with a book, her glasses sliding down her nose when August called. "Hey, how's Denver?"
August glanced out the window of his hotel room. The same black car he'd been seeing for the past two days was parked outside almost out of his eyesight. "Denver is beautiful. When this mess is over we should bring Henry."
Emma heard the tense note in his voice, "August," she took off her glasses and marked the place in her book, "what's wrong?"
"Someone is following me" Emma felt her stomach drop at his words. She had to fight the urge to pack everything up and run with Henry.
"Okay," She took a breath, "what does that mean?"
August drew the curtains shut, "Well, I'm almost done with my work here. I think I'm going to hop a flight out west." He told her. "From there I'm going to take a bus back to Portland. I'll wind around a bit to make sure I lose the guy. I'm not sure how he knew I was coming to Denver."
Emma worked her best to push the panic down and think things through. "Denver!" Emma finally repeated, "Henry and I stopped in Denver."
August nodded as he sat down on the bed, "Well this guy was probably hired by Walsh and they probably lost you in the Denver bus depot." August surmised, "And then heard I was working on a piece here and assumed this is where you and Henry are." He felt his shoulders relax a bit, "Which means they have no clue where you are, Emma."
The breath whooshed out of Emma's lungs, "So, we're safe."
August nodded, "You're safe, and I promise they won't be able to follow me back to Maine."
Emma nodded even though August couldn't see. "Okay, just keep me updated on where you are." When August promised to do that they hung up, and Emma closed her eyes, sending up a quiet prayer that August would be safe and that her past wouldn't find them in Storybrooke.