During the whole plane trip, I realized that I had fucked up.
Trust the social services, attach myself to Annie for so long, let my guard down. I felt like I had failed on a lot of things and now I realized that I no longer wanted someone like Annie, Gordie or Ezra to tempt me to stay with them. I now had to break up a couple and I was so sure I did it, I didn't care if I hurt them. I no longer had any pity for anyone.
My father was my only priority.
I was no longer to be compassionate to anyone.
Emma had coincidentally met a man from my world and it was not just any. Baelfire, the dark one's son, was the main reason he cast this spell, to find him. But he had become a thief, who had stolen a number of watches from a luxury jewelry store. Emma didn't know who he really was but she was ready to follow him in these shenanigans. It wasn't the role of a princess or a savior to do this stuff. I saw them from afar in their car, devising a plan to resell the watches.
I followed Baelfire who called himself Neal. He saw me and ran, thinking I wanted to stop him. With all my might, I grabbed him and forced him to stop.
« You got the wrong guy, officer. I wasn't even jaywalking! »
« It's not like that. You wanna protect Emma ? Come with me! »
« What? How do you know Emma? »
I released him and forced him to look at me.
« My name is August, it's a long story but trust me, you wanna heart it »
« All right, August. You're not a cop. Who are you ? You've got two minutes.
« Think of me as Emma's guardian angel »
« Guardian angel ? », he mocked, « I see you've been doing a pretty crap job »
« I've looking for her for the past two years (it's true that it was wrong, too exaggerated but I had no account to give him). Now, I finally find her, and she's robbing convenience stores with some deadbeat. Tell me again who's doing the crap job ? »
« Let me tell you something. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to her. Two years ? Where were you the rest of her life? »
He had hit a sore spot
« I'm not perfect, this world ? Full of temptations, Turns out, i'm not that great at saying no. Not built that way but I'm here now »
« So Who are you ? »
« We were in the same home as kids. And I thought she'd be safe inside the system, but now that she's out. Back then, I promised I would take care of her »
« Well, we promised to take care of each other »
I smiled. It was a story I knew all too well
« You love her. means you have to do right by her »
When I said that, I understood what had kept me from telling Annie the truth. I didn't want her to quit her studies altogether for me, I wanted her to have a life that suited her, without depending on anyone. We weren't from the same world, anyway.
« That's all I'm trying to do »
« Then leave her », I said firmly.
« Never! »
« She has a destiny and you ? This life ? You're gonna keep her from it. »
He didn't say anything
« Okay, you believe in magic? »
« I take it you do »
« So will you, trust me. »
I led him to my typewriter where I had typed a sentence that would change everything.
« I'm gonna show you something. Something that's gonna make you look at everything differently. And when you see what I have in here, you're gonna listen. You're gonna believe every word I say »
« Yeah, right », he said skeptically.
I had written "I know you are Baelfire". He looked lost and taken aback.
« Okay, I'm listening ... »
I was relieved.
« There is a curse and it needs to be broken. Emma is the key »
He sighed
« I was tasked with keeping her on track. And you, my friend, just got caught in the crossfire. Now I'm gonna tell you a story. At the end of it, you're gonna have to make a decision, will you do the right thing or not. So, are you ready ?
I told him my whole story: my promise, my surrender, then what I knew about his from Merlin: that his father had abandoned him because he wanted to keep his magic, whatever he was ready to do to find him, although Neal has no desire to confront him.
Emma had been arrested, instead of Neal. It was the only solution so that when she was released from prison, she could finally resume a normal life. I attended his trial, in Phoenix making me very small.
She had taken eleven months. We had an exchange of looks when they took her to jail, she had been betrayed but she was not angry, she was sad, sad and disappointed.
Two months later, I joined Neal in Vancouver. He wanted to talk to me. I waited for him at the edge of the harbor. Neal felt bad, I could see him well but it was none of my business. He will recover as I will recover for Annie.
« I want to talk you about Emma ... »
« I hope, you're not trying to reach out », I threatened.
« I just... I feel like if I knew that she was okay, I could move on. Is She ? »
« She will be, she got eleven months. »
He was mad with rage, he moved in all directions. I remained impassive
« That should be me. I should be doing that time! »
« It's a minimum security place in Phoenix, and, no, I am not going to tell you which one. She'll get out of there and she'll be fine. You keep your promise and steer clear, and she can have a good life. She can do what she's supposed to do »
« I mean if I can't be there for her, man, you gotta promise me that you will be »
I was hoping to get there for once
« I promise ! »
« Then you do something for me »
He took out of his pocket a wad of bills, the equivalent of twenty thousand dollars, and a car key. Seeing this money, I was in shock.
« I was able to fence the watches. Don't judge, I'm giving it all to her. And the car. I got a clean VIN number for it, so it's legit and it just... It'll feel like I'm there with her. You know ? »
« Money is not what she needs, not for what's ahead »
« Can you just see that she gets it? »
« Sure»
I took his due. My mind wandered over what could happen next. I had no more money, I had spent everything so that my motorcycle was with me during the plane trip. My promise at the beginning was already irrelevant.
« One more thing, if anything changes, like she does her job, this insanity ends, if she's free. »
« I'll send you a postcard! »
I left, giving him a barely discernible goodbye.
I didn't hate Neal, I recognized myself a bit in him, we both must have lived in this world we didn't know but him or someone else would have been the same.
I decided to keep the money, but managed to send the keys to this little yellow car to Emma, anonymously.
With this money, I began to travel, to be able to be accommodated in more habitable residences. And yes, I felt very lonely.
One day, I found Danielle's number in a pocket. I decided to call her. I wanted to make sure, like Neal was for Emma, that Annie was okay, that she was happy, without me. Danielle was not even mad at me, I explained to her that I had found a lead to find my father and that I did not want Annie to regret me and that she tries to find me or to contact me again, that 'she no longer thinks of Sri Lanka and moves on.
She told me that I had hurt her a lot but that she was now fulfilled. She joined the CIA and everything worked for her.
I was really relieved for her but there was a never-ending void that I didn't know how to fill ...