It was now 2 years ago that Neal had died and 1 month that Hook and Emma was married.
There were many people at Granny's coffee shop this day. Emma had managed to win the final battle and everyone had a happy ending. All tables were taken by couples: Emma and Killian, Henry and Regina, Mary Margaret and David and Rumple and Belle.
However, one person was alone: Lily Page. This girl was lonely, she was new in the city and did not care about anyone but her mother, Maléficent and Emma, her oldest best friend. No one noticed her and she didn't care.
But a man sitting at the counter was staring at her. Who is this mysterious and beautiful woman? What is she doing alone? He was very intrigued by the dragon-daughter but something was preventing him from going to introduce himself to her.
This man's name was August Wayne Booth, aka Pinocchio. However, Emma had noticed the loving look that held her friend.
She left her husband and headed for August.
"Come on, go talk to her!"
August jumped:
"You really think ?"
"I didn't think you were so fearful."
"I..."
"Do you remember when you first approached me at Storybrooke to get me a drink?"
"Yes, of course, but it has nothing to do, I already knew you ..."
"But I didn't, and you intrigued me a lot."
August didn't answer, his eyes still fixed on the young woman. Emma followed his gaze.
"Her name is Lily Page. I knew her when I was a child. She became my best friend but she disappointed me and I rejected her."
"What happened ?"
"It doesn't matter, anymore."
August ran a hand through his hair, sighing.
"You know, she and you, you are the few friends that I have. Try your luck, you deserve it August."
She smiled at him and put her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I never had that kind of feeling for a girl."
"Haven't you ever fallen in love?" his friend asked, surprised.
"It surprises you ?" he asked with a joking smile.
"Don't tell me in Phuket, you've never had a love affair?" Emma asked, laughing.
"It was only a kind of fad, it was more of a temptation than anything else", the writer replied, embarrassed.
"Oh I see. go ahead ! What are you risking? You don't think that except to your father, you should be attached to someone else who would give you love, Pinocchio deserves to have his happy ending don't you believe ?", she said by exchanging a mischievous smile.
"You're right", August replied, returning his smile.
But ... suddenly he changed all of a sudden. He took her hand and led her outside the cafe. He looked at her, saddened, and took her in his arms.
"August, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry, Emma."
"Sorry sorry for what?"
"I want to apologize for everything I've done to you."
"August, you don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything."
"Yes I do, and I want to do it, now that you are no longer taken, that there is no more threat. We didn't have the opportunity to talk about it but I want to apologize for Neal, I wasn't there for you when he died, I didn't support you. And I apologize for giving you up, for asking Neal to leave you. Do you realize how painful it was to have seen you at StoryBrooke, with Henry? And then, that's when I realized that his father was the man I had just left, where I left to join you. That's when I realized that I was the only one responsible, responsible for the fact that Henry never had a father ..."
"You did the right thing, I know it now."
"No, I did what was easier for me. I was selfish, coward, thinking only of the promise made to my father."
Emma touched her friend's cheek, caressing it. She approached him.
"You're not like that anymore and I've never known this man, the man who stands in front of me is ready for anything to have his second chance, to be sincere for the people he loves, you've made mistakes, but we all do, and for me it's all over, you don't have to feel guilty. Today, I want to look to the future. The day I saw you in Gold's cabin, where I saved you, when I saw you I was more than happy to see you, no matter what you did in the past, for me you will always be dear to my heart, who made me believe in my own destiny, who always believed in me as no one had done. Don't rewrite the past. Live your life with us because all the people of Storybrooke need August Wayne Booth, the great man who saved us many times against Tamara, when we wanted to know the author, the Apprentice. We all make mistakes but we can live with them in the present moment. Our mistakes make those we are, without them I wouldn't be Emma Swan, both the saviors and the orphan and you wouldn't be Pinocchio."
"Thank you Emma", he said simply smiling.
"Go to see her, Lily also made mistakes and she has the right to redemption. If you are in love with her, you do not have to wait to talk to her. Neal said to me: when we love someone, we don't keep it in, we say it before it's too late."
August looked at his friend with a smile and went to the cafe. As he stepped out of Granny's door, his phone rang. It was Dr. Whale. Marco (or Geppetto), his father, had just had a heart attack. He was sent to the hospital as soon as possible. Pinocchio communicated his information to his friend and they both went to the hospital.
"Daddy!" August exclaimed, entering the room.
Geppetto was unconscious, he seemed dead. His son took his hand, crying. Emma put her hand on August's shoulder to comfort him.
"I know how important your father is to you and I'm sure he'll be fine, but I think staying with him will not wake him up. anytime soon. Would you like to help the woman you love?"
"Help her but for what?"
"Lily has been looking for her father for years. What if we went to find him?"
"The two of us?"
"Yes, it would be a new adventure, and me it would allow me to get over everything that happened recently, the final battle, the wedding, ..."
August smiled tenderly:
"So let's not waste time!"
August kissed his father's forehead before leaving ...
Emma said goodbye to her parents, her son and her charming suitor. August waited in the car watching her, delighted that she had such a beautiful life with people who loved her. For him, only his father and her filled his life with joy.
Emma joined him in her little yellow car.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing ... So what information do you have about her father?"
"I know, that he got Maleficent pregnant when she was in the form of dragon, this necklace belongs to him (she showed him the necklace that Lily often wore on her neck, a golden dragon shell) and I have nothing more. And, of course, Maleficent has never met him in human form."
"And do you think he's in this world?"
"It could be ... You met many people, you visited the whole world, don't you have an idea?"
"Yes, it could be a man I met in Hong Kong who cured me of my transformation problem. He wanted to give me a kind of elixir that looked magical, I do not really know who he is, but I know he knows us and he knows the world we come from. He could be Lily's father, but it's just a vague intuition ..."
"The Dragon, it's possible, let's go!"
"Are you sure?"
"If he is not her father, he can at least tell us who he really is. I know him, yes and, better still, I know where he lives! In New York! ..."
After a long journey, they arrived in the big city. The Dragon worked in an Asian shop where was sold all the various foods of this continent.
"The savior and Pinocchio!" the doctor exclaimed
The two friends didn't answer.
"It was a long time, what can I do for you?"
"We want answers ... about you", Emma said with a serious look.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't play innocent! We want to know who you are, how do you who we are?"
"Do you know this girl?" Emma showed him a picture of Lily. The dragon was shocked.
"No."
"Please, we know when people lie to us, better than anyone."
August took Emma's arm:
"Don't force him, we'll come back tomorrow."
They turned away from him and whispered.
"But ..."
"Trust me, he will not tell us anything."
"Tomorrow isn't any better!"
"Listen the day has been long, I need some sleep."
Emma could only agree. They left and went to Neal's apartment ...
"This is the only place I could think of. It's true you never came."
"It must be weird to come back here."
"Not really I went back with Regina when we looked for Henry and Violet."
"I can sleep on the couch, if you want", August exclaimed
"You will not sleep well. We will sleep together, Friends don't mind, do they?"
"We are not the most traditional friends."
Emma giggled
"It's true, then one will sleep under the covers and the other on top if it doesn't bother you."
"No problem."
When night fell, the two friends were sitting on the bed and telling each other all the stories they wern't been able to share before. Suddenly, the writer approached the mouth of the savior and put his lips on hers, Emma didn't think and returned his kiss. They kissed each other sensually. August put his hand on the cheek of his protege and Emma allowed herself to be. Their hugs lasted longer. For a few minutes then Pinocchio laid her on the bed, took off her jacket and began to kiss her neck. Emma repulsed him.
"Forgive me, I'm sorry I shouldn't have, I got carried away", August apologized sincerely.
"No, it's okay don't worry." Emma had tears in her eyes, his friend approached her and caressed her cheek.
"You're right?"
"I'm pregnant ..."
The next morning, Emma woke up:
"Did you sleep well?" August was standing in front of her, putting his famous black leather jacket
"Not so well", she replied shaking, "Are you going somewhere?"
"I thought well last night that I'll talk to the Dragon."
"I'm going with you!" the woman exclaimed, startling.
"No, you are fragile, I will know how to talk to him." He went to the door. Emma stopped him blocking the door.
"Stop, she is my friend too, I'm coming too, let me get dressed and I'll join you outside."
Emma reached August in front of the building.
"What are you going to tell him?" The savior asked. Her guardian angel began to walk, with a determined step, Emma followed him
"I know he is Lily's father, I'm going to make him spit the piece."
"Wait, this is only a vague intuition, don't get carried away like that!"
"In general, my intuitions never deceives me." (He stopped staring at her) "My dad may die any minute, I will lose him and I will not let anyone else lose his/ her Dad while I can help them."
Emma smiled as she followed him, August changed the subject:
"Hook knows ?"
"About what ?"
"That you are expecting a child from him."
"No he doesn't"
"What scares you ?, I bet he would be delighted to have a child with you", he said in an annoyed way.
"It doesn't depend on him but on me."
"Don't you want to keep the baby?"
"Only because I abandoned my first child, I didn't see Henry grow up, I'm afraid I'm not a good mother for this little one." August stopped and took her hand:
"I bet you'll be the best Mom ever, trust me, there is no reason to be afraid, your parents did the same with little Neal and everything went well, right? Everyone took it pretty well, your parents initially had a fear but they fought it together and it will be the same for you and Killian. I know that you love each other, you have already overcome many hardships, you will succeed, I am sure. You just have to be honest with him and not hide from him."
"Like what happened between the two of us last night?"
August sighed and continued his way to the herbalist. Emma grabbed his shoulder.
"Can we talk about last night?"
"No, I don't think it's the right time."
"On the contrary, it is, I've never cheated on Hook, it's too hard to hide. It's also hard."
"So, tell him or otherwise you don't say anything and we talk about it more, we act as if nothing had happened. Come on, let's talk to Lily's father!"
Emma frowned.
"Here you are again", The Dragon exclaimed
"Listen to us, we know who you are, some time ago, you told us in Regina and to me, that you have lost your child and this woman is yours"
Emma handed her her friend's picture
"How can you be so sure?"
"You know our world, you have been looking for the author for years. The day I thought you had been killed by Tamara, I stole documents from you about the author of the story book just like the page where he was locked in, and you even turned into a dragon under Tamara's eyes Then Emma and Regina."
"What is the relationship with this young woman?"
"Lily was sent to our world, certainly because of my parents but only because the author, Isaac Heller of his real name, forced them to do it. You may have been interested in him for revenge. And then this woman is also Maleficent's daughter so she has the ability to morph into a dragon just like you. His parents were in the form of a dragon when his mother became pregnant. I do not think it's a coincidence. You know the magic, you helped August about five years ago and then you helped us to bring back the magic in our world by asking us to believe it just as August taught me to do a few years ago . We just want some answers to help our friend, please, we're not accusing you of anything."
"I left her", The dragon said suddenly tearing.
"Tell us what happened", August said.
"Yes, I am Lily's father. Thirty-two years ago, I had a relationship with a dragon that was, according to what you say is Maleficent. I was just a dragon, not so original as a creature in the enchanted forest. As I wandered through the forest several days after leaving Malefique, I saw your parents, Emma, and the Apprentice, putting a dragon egg, my baby through a portal. I managed thanks to my magic to shrink like an insect at the same time as Cruella t Ursula. I accompanied my child to this other world. It was at this moment that I transformed myself into a man and I held my little girl, who had just been born, in my arms. I explained everything to the witches and they made me promise to keep the secret if one day she saw Evil again. So they left to live their lives. However, I did not know anything about this world and I could not take care of a baby and then I wanted her to have all her chances, and she could not have them by staying with me, I was not made to be a father. So I left her in an adoption agency in Minnesota, I made her a necklace, the necklace that you have in your hands, that came from one of the fragments of her eggshell, the other fragment, I kept it to remember her. I told her that this pendant represented the love I had for her and that one day or another I would find her, but I was too scared, too scared that she would never forgive me. I moved to Hong Kong where I became a specialist in strange diseases. There, I found the Sorcerer's Apprentice who told me everything about my Lily's life, right after he spoke to her on the bus in Massachusetts. He told me about her, her life, you, Emma, your story, the author, but also the curse that's why I know who you are but I've never met you in the forest Enchanted. He gave me the pages of the storybook, including the page where the author was locked up, he thought that I wanted to avenge myself for what this man had inflicted on my child but I refused, I wanted to forget my life from before, that's why I hid the truth from you yesterday. Now that you know everything you can go away and let me work."
"No, August said suddenly, we believe you know what you went through, certainly you abandoned your daughter, you made a selfish choice but that was the case for most of us. Both of us, Emma and I, were abandoned by our parents because it was our destiny to be, but we forgave them and we live happily with them now. Even I abandoned Emma out of sheer vanity and through my fault she was alone during all her youth but when I came back in her life, I changed, she did not see me anymore as the kid who but as a man who did everything to be honest and honest with the people he loves. Do not you think you deserve a second chance in the company of your daughter?"
The Dragon doesn't say a word.
Emma continued:
"I'm sure she'll forgive you, I forgave my parents, August and even Neal for leaving me. Lily also forgave me for rejecting her and "rotting" her life through my parents. She wants more than anything to meet you and no matter what you have inflicted on her, she will forgive you. You are his father, that will be enough for her."
"I know better than anyone how important a father is, mine has managed to be both at once: father and mother but Lily is lucky to have both. If you do not come she will feel that she misses something important. Paternal love is crucial and it is important to have our parents at our side especially after being alone during all our life."
The Dragon looked at this beautiful couple of friends, convinced of having the capacity to make him change his love.
"You've changed the two of you, especially you August since the last time I saw you in Hong Kong. You are much more sure of yourself, you are not the type to abandon those you love. I want to try to see her again, I trust you, I know how important faith is in our world, I take the risk."
Emma shook his hand:
"You have nothing to lose."