The next morning, August got up early, took a leaf, wrote a letter for his beloved and put it on the pillow. He kissed her cheek, got dressed and left. Lily was asleep and had not heard him go away.
He got on his motorcycle, crossed the limits of Storybrooke in order to join his protégé. He knew he had promised Lily not to go to see her, but he did not want to miss her at his wedding.
Shortly after, Lily woke up, she touched next to her, thinking she was reaching her beloved but there was nobody there. She did not understand. Suddenly, she saw a letter in which it was written, "I'm sorry, I'm going to join Emma, she has to come back to us. Take care of the wedding, I think about tomorrow. I love you. August ". This message was like him. She could only adhere.
August arrived in New York, he went to Neal's apartment, thinking to find her but the apartment was empty. He tried her old home, which was much larger, where she lived with Henry, at the time when Regina had erased all their memories.
He rang and luckily Killian was there.
"Emma is here?" He asked hurriedly.
"Yes, she takes a shower, what do you want?"
"In your opinion ?"
"August, she made her decision."
"And since when did you accept that, that she leave without saying anything? It was you who managed to get her back to her idea of going alone with Henry a long time ago."
"Yes, but that's different."
"I do not see how ..."
"Killian, who is there?"
Emma saw her friend, so happy that he is survived.
"August, what are you doing here?"
"Emma, Hook, I want you to come, I need you."
"August, I'm sorry, I ..."
"We'll get married", he interrupted so promptly, tomorrow.
"Oh that's wonderful, I'm so happy for you", Emma exclaimed with a smile on her face.
"Emma, I have no family anymore You and Archie, you are my only family. I want you to be my bridesmaid. Asking for Lily's hand at your side, living with the two women I love is all that matters to me."
Emma was delighted by this offer but could only refuse.
"You seriously believe that this advance will convince her. You're a little egocentric on the edges, mate", The pirate exclaimed
"What do you mean ?"
"You ask us to support you for your marriage, it's all very well, but why did not you come to ours?"
"That's my business"
Hook raised his voice:
"Writing a novel is more important than attending your best friend's wedding?"
"I had no choice..."
"August, you're hiding something from us", Emma worried
"It's too painful to talk about it."
"He is desperate", the captain exclaimed
In August 's apartment, Lily searched the drawer for clothes that might fit, and suddenly she touched a large notebook. She allowed herself to take a look. She opened it. Suprise, she saw her future husband with a woman barely older than him, with smooth blonde hair. They were in swimsuits, looking at each other with a handsome, loving look and chemistry. On one of the pictures, she recognized the shell bracelet she had seen on his bedside table. They both had the same. She realized then that this woman was his first true love he had met in Sri Lanka.
Why did he hide this story to her? How did this beautiful love story end? She looked at August 's number.
"Lily, you got my word I'm at Emma's, I'll be in Storybrooke before tomorrow, promised."
"Oh no ! That's not why I'm calling you. I just found a very interesting album at home. I would like you to tell me about this Annie Walker. It must be amazing in Sri Lanka with her side, you had to break out like crazy like I could see how you were last night. Whoa! Do you still hide how many turns in your bag?"
"I promise to tell you everything before the wedding."
"Yes, that's it", she said ironically.
She hung up the phone, she put on her dress, her sandals, took a bag randomly in the apartment and put the photo album in it. She took the beautiful Cruella's car and headed for Langley, Virginia, where this Annie Walker was.
August took a breath and declared himself in front of the couple.
"Seventeen years ago, I was 23 years old, an old social services friend and I were several travelers. Just after Nepal we arrived in Sri Lanka. These beaches of dreams made me want to write. While he was bathing, I recorded. One day, a young woman of my age came to talk to me."
Flashback
"You do not bathe, what do you write?"
I did not answer. She took a page and saw a story that was not unfamiliar to her.
"Pinocchio, you are a fan of fairy tales, what do I see?"
"Let's say that he is a character to whom I identify a lot. Today, I'm far from my father and I live in a beautiful place"
"I've always loved stories, too, happy ending is so hard to get but I believe it."
I've never seen such a beautiful woman in my life and she included my principles as well. She took my hand, she had a lot of confidence in her, and that's what I liked.
"My name is Annie Walker."
"August, August Wayne Booth."
I was intimidated, I could not stand up to her.
"It's a beautiful name, it reminds me of the sun, the month of August, the hottest moment of the year. The light that enters us and guides us to the right path."
This woman became my own light, my ray of sunshine. She was smart, polyglot, it was the kind of woman you do not forget, it was ... a goddess. I did not know this feeling well but thanks to her I knew the true meaning of what love was, living with a person in symbiosis. My father often told me when I was young that "love does not happen, it always starts with a meeting, but not just any one, one that will give you a crush. It will be such that you will not forget his face and feelings will eventually grow as and when.
We lived 2 years together, we loved each other but we did not say it. We became attached to each other right away. Everything happened so fast. We never left. I also remembered what my father had taught me about making an object. So I created two shell bracelets for both of us, which symbolized our love and the mutual affection we had for each other, much like your swan necklace that reminds you Neal, Emma. Once, I was even invited by her grandparents who lived there.
She was American but she was taking her hollyday in Sri Lanka to see them. His ancestors already considered me as the man of her life, but I knew that this story could not last because there was one main thing that occupied my head, you Emma. I could not help but thinking about what you were becoming, I was concerned about you. But I had no idea how you were, from where you were until that day came.
With Annie, in the afternoon, we went out to take the American weekly newspaper, and I found an article that caught my attention. "Neal Cassidy and his complice Emma Swan are wanted for robbery at a luxury jewelery store in Portland." So I knew in what situation you were and I could not stay there without doing anything. I had to make an horrible choice. Giving up the woman I love to find you. The next morning, I left her a dark word "The truth is complicated, forgive me". I could not imagine the sorrow she may have felt reading this word. After you know the rest.
"This choice was both selfish and courageous. When I stole the money from Neal who was destined for you, it was to find her. I learned from her sister that shortly after leaving her, she managed to get involved with the CIA. She had a life that suited her, without me so I was afraid to spoil everything, again. As a result, I left for new adventures. But, I never stopped thinking about her, until Lily enters in my life. I knew then that I had the right to a second chance in love, me who thought that without Annie, it was impossible."
Emma and Hook remained submerged by this story. They understood the pain he had been able to endure.
At the same time, Lily arrived at Langley. On the album, it was written Annie's address, and especially the place where she worked, at the CIA. She reached the beautiful building and parked in front. She put her foot on the sidewalk. In front, she saw a cafe next door. On the terrace, a beautiful, slender woman, dressed as a businesswoman, scanned her notes. Lily looked at the photo album, it was her. Annie, her fiancé's first love was held, right under her eyes. She approached her, determined.
"Hello, are you Annie Walker?"
"Yes, hello, who are you?"
"My name is Lily Page and tomorrow I will name Lily Booth."
"Sorry ?"
"I am August 's fiancee, you know the handsome brown man you met in Sri Lanka"
Annie did not understand what she wanted, she did not want to hear about him anymore.
"What do you want from me?"
"What happened between you two, why are you interested in that, it's been 15 years now, because I want to know who my future husband was before I met him. He told me that he had nothing to do with my past, but I want to know. And I have the feeling that you were very important to him, am I wrong"
"What he told you about me?"
"You spent two years together in Sri Lanka, a beautiful fairy tale love story, but he did not want to tell me how it ended. He also told me that he was unable to tell you he loved you. In the morning, at his house, I found this photo album with pictures of you two. You looked so happy, as I see the look on you. What's happened ? I guess it should not be a simple break. Tell me. August will not tell me anything. I know you have no account to surrender but I need to know."
Annie had no choice. She told herself that she would never finish with him, but she hoped that one day she could finally fix the pieces with the man she loved. She trusted Lily and was certain that he had changed, thanks to this marriage proposal, he will not make the same mistake with Lily. She told her everything.
In New York, after the story of his friend, Emma did not know what to say, she felt lost, she did not realize all that he could have sacrificed for her, for to join her, to be forgiven.
"August, excuse me ... I confess that the words do not come to me, I am amazed of what you wanted to accomplish for me. What you did was neither selfish nor cowardly, it was an act of bravery. I'll always be grateful. I can not engender your heartbreak. Live two years a beautiful love story with the one who could have been the woman of your life and be forced to leave to save another. It's tragic. Destiny is really cruel. You endured that alone, That's why you always looked so lonely. You should have talked about it to me, to your father, to Lily. I remember when you started to fall in love with her, you told me that you had never fallen in love ..."
"I did not lie to you, he interrupted. This story, I wanted to forget it and it would not have served to tell anyone, no one would understand what I could feel. It's still my story, my own story, it's very personal and then it's out of time, now."
Emma took his hands
"I understand you, I lived it too, what Annie went through is a little what I felt when Neal left. But I understood, much later, what had driven him to leave me and so I can grab you now especially that this story concerns me."
Hook caressed his beard.
"You did not tell us why you were absent during our wedding."
"I was going to come there. Do you remember, Killian, when David and you asked me for information about the death of Robert, David's father? I had to scrutinize the pages I had written to enlighten you. Looking for them in the afternoon, I came across an album where all my memories with Annie were in it. I watched the pictures nostalgically. I wanted to see her again, at least she knew everything, and finally the whole world. After hitting you to give you the pages, I went to join her. My trip lasted several days. I was afraid to approach her, you can imagine. I had not seen her for 15 long years. On the fourth day, I went to the agency."
Flash-back
I saw a gray-haired man in his fifties with a high-class uniform.
"Hello, are you the director of the agency?"
"Yes Arthur Campbell, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to see Annie Walker."
"Who are you?"
"It's important?"
"Of course, since I'm asking you", he said to me sternly.
"My name is August, I'm ... Annie's old friend, I need to see her, it's important."
"You know you do not have the right to visit someone from the CIA except if it is related to our business."
"I mean well but ..."
"You can not wait for her to go home?"
"And what time is it?"
"6 pm."
He closed the door in my face. I kept the address of Alice, her sister, who lived with her.
I infiltrated the window and waited for her in her room. At 6 pm precisely, I saw her by the market vasistas in all gaiety with a man, surely a colleague. I saw her leave and then borrow the front door. My eyes could not be detached from her, she had not changed, she was always so divine and seductive.
When I heard the door to her room open, I hid behind the curtains of the window. I knocked her out of her shoes and then put herself at ease on her bed reading a magazine, Suddenly I made my appearance.
"Good evening Annie", I said without ease.
She got up and jumped as if she had seen a monster or simply a man back from his past fifteen years later.
"I do not know if I must first apologize for leaving you in Sri Lanka or introducing myself to your home"
"In Sri Lanka",she retorted, still in shock.
"It was awful to be forced to leave you."
"Forced?"
I think for a long time to know what I could have said to make this story plausible without talking about magic.
"You totally upset my life, Annie."
She stared at me.
"But yet, you left, I loved you and you disappeared leaving me with one word. If you knew how many times I thought of all the things I would tell you if I had the opportunity to see you again and in fact I realize that I do not want to talk, I want it's you, who explains everything to me, I listen to you," she replied.
"Years ago, when I was seven years old, my father and I had found a baby alone, abandoned in the forest. She was surrounded by a blanket and the name Emma was embroidered on it with purple thread. My father, Marco, left me with the child, he wanted to find her parents. Before leaving me alone with her, I made him a promise: take care this little girl until he comes back. I took her to an orphanage. A year had passed and the place was cold and austere. I was a curious kid and I wanted to discover the world. I left Emma and ran away with children my age. During this trip, much later, I met you and fell in love with you. Your mind has forced my admiration, I realized thanks to you that there was a nobler way to lead his life, I had to change mine by stopping to feel guilty about the baby that I left to the claws of the services social. But it was impossible. I learned during our relationship that Emma, at the age of 18, lived a life with an outlaw. This seemed unbearable to me so I went to join her to make sure she was a decent life."
"And now?"
"Now I found her in Storybrooke, a small town in Maine where I live happily with her, my father and all his family."
"So you're happy, why are you wasting time with me?"
"I never stopped thinking about you and you needed explanations."
"But when we met, you considered me to tell the truth?"
"I know that the word I left you was frustrating but at the time. could not tell you more. I was ashamed."
"So while doing, did you prefer not to tell me anything at all?"
"The most important thing that happened to me was to meet you. But, I knew that what we lived was only a dream, that I would wake up one day or another. But it was the most beautiful of dreams and I spent the best years of my life in your company."
I approached her adorable face and stroked her hair, she remained frozen and then walked to the door.
"I should have told me, I could understand!"
"I do not think ..."
"And then I did not trust you, you never believed in me after 2 years of relationship ?"
I do not say anything.
"You disappear without warning to resurrect nothingness fifteen years later and you believe I'm going to forgive you for everything you've done to me, no, but I'm hallucinating", she said to herself.
I took her arm.
"Annie, I realize it's hard to cash in. I may not deserve it but I ask you to believe in me, trust the man you loved in Sri Lanka."
I noticed on her bedside table, the shell bracelet. I knew she had not really forgotten me.
"No, she announced openly, unfastening her arm from my hand. August, I made a fresh start and I do not need you anymore. Return to your furnace at your Storybrooke and leave me alone, I do not want to see your face again."
Then I left, she took me back to the front door, forced me out and typed the Go to the doorway, turning my back on me. I have disappeared from her life, without repressing anything. I waited a week to return to Storybrooke, I was in no hurry to return.
When I arrived, I heard songs, I saw you all dancing, happy. And I saw you, Emma, so radiant in your wedding dress.
While I was about to join you on this dashing scene, I saw the black smoke emanating from the clock, it did not bother me. nothing good. So I took my motorcycle, I did as quickly as possible to escape this new curse and I managed to leave the city in time. So I did not suffer this black curse but I was certain of one thing: you will succeed. Shortly after, I came back and I was right to believe in you.
"At first, it was you I chose, Emma, now it was her that I had to choose. But, I would always fight for you, without flinching. I did not know about the wedding, I'm really sorry I did not come but I'm here now for you. I know I have not insured leaving you so young, but I need you. Lily is with me and I love her but she can not always understand me. She did not live alone like the two of us, even as the three of us lived. And in a way, having lived this makes us, I do not know unique or maybe even exceptional. We are more than friends, Emma, I knew from the moment my father asked me to watch over you. We are brother and sister, we are a family. And a family never give up one of theirs. Storybrooke changed when you arrived and now the city has changed again because you left us. You may be ready to say goodbye to Storybrooke but Storybrooke is not ready to let you go. I know you're afraid of hurting the people you love but we all need you. You are the savior, you are supposed to restore the happy ends. You are like the common thread of the city. You changed the lives of everyone here, today. It's time to believe in yourself, Emma."
The young woman was convinced. She had never noticed but wherever she was, he watched over her at all times. He deserved his title of guardian angel. She took his hand, stroked her cheek, and nodded to him. Hook respected her choice. The couple went in the yellow car of the savior. After having remodeled the shell bracelet, melancholy, which he had surrounded on his wrist, the groom followed them on a motorcycle .
In Virginia, Annie had confessed everything to the fiancee of her former lover.
"He give up me leaving me a stupid and obscure word. And then, a few months ago, he came back to be forgiven but it was my turn to abandon him."
"I can not imagine the grief you felt, I consented. I'm sorry for everything."
"Oh, you have nothing to reproach yourself for and then I can see that he has changed a lot after meeting you. You are his second chance, what do you think? And then, as for me, it's been years now that I do not think about him anymore."
"No, I do not believe you. As I feel in the sound of your voice when you told me your story, I notice that he still has a place in your heart. You had a lot of sorrow but you knew that he loved you and that he did not want to get involved in this story just because he wanted to protect you and leave you far from it for your good. Do not you think that you could discuss with him between adults, tell him how much he missed you during all these years. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again. I trust him. Come with me, in Storybrooke, you could even attend our wedding."
"Are you serious?", she mocked.
"You have nothing to lose."
The two women went in Cruella's car ... August, Emma, and Hook had arrived before them. The biker did not see his fiance. He wondered when he suddenly saw the luxurious car with Lily coming out. He rushed to her and hugged her.
"I will tell you everything."
"No, it is not necessary."
Pinocchio looked in front of him, still snuggled in the arms of his beloved, he could not believe what he saw. Annie was right in front of his nose fixing his couple. He pulled away from Lily's arms and stared at her, helpless.
"What is she doing here? Do not tell me that ..."
"Yes, I went to visit her during your absence. I wanted to have answers."
"Lily"
"I'm not a very patient woman especially when you have a wedding to prepare."
"So why you brought her here?"
"Because you have to discuss."
"We already did it and she said explicitly that she did not want to see me again."
"You do not think that the fact that she accepted my offer means that she wants to see you and ... I invited her for our wedding. "(
He turned to his ex.
"What ?"
"August, I have no desire to interfere with you. You have your own life and I have mine now. All I want is to leave this... strange city and get back to work."
"So why did you come?"
"I want to talk to you about something but I prefer to announce it to you after the ceremony."
"To announce bad news, to what I see."
"It will be up to you to judge it"
The day was finally arrived. The two married were so honored to finally be united for life.
August waited for her fiancée on the altar, smiling at Archie, who was right behind him, playing the role of the registrar, and Emma, standing next to him carrying the rings in a small box in hands. She was so proud to see him so radiant, after all he had been able to cross to get bridegroom saw his future wife so splendid in the wedding dress that Emma had lent her. The long white lace dress with a very long veil.
Her father accompanied her to her future husband. They smiled at each other. As she walked, she looked at her mother, proud,at the blue fairy, rejoicing, at Regina, at Hook and finally at Annie, tormented. Ignir cleared the veil from his face, kissed her on the cheek and then reached Maleficent. August grabbed his sweetheart's hand to help her up the platform. She went in front of him to say their oath.
Emma gave the rings to Archie, stroked the backs of her two friends and joined her husband and son in the audience. Pinocchio's consciousness began to introduce the speeches:
"I am really honored to celebrate today this beautiful union, you will exchange your vows, August is yours."
"Lily, before our meeting, love does not me had brought only pain, I was hiding behind great walls after what I did to Annie and especially Emma, but you shot them, you released me. There was only one thing that mattered to me: to obtain redemption for all the mistakes I made. But, I never thought I would really be fulfilled one day until I met you. My whole life has been turned upside down. I now knew that I deserved an happy ending. At first, I thought it was living with my father but I was wrong, it's you. You showed me that a heart filled with love was the most precious of all treasures and that I would do anything to keep it. (he seized the ring and put his finger on it) By giving you this ring, my heart will belong only to you. In wealth or in poverty, in joy or sorrow, in sickness or in health I promise to cherish you throughout my life until death separates us and even, well beyond ."
"August, during all my life, I have never been loved and I have never experienced any love for anyone. Later, Emma gave me all her friendship. Then my mother went to great lengths to find me and risked her life for me every day. And thanks to you, my father is now part of my life and I finally have a real family, the one I dreamed for so many years. But you quickly got involved in my life and everything changed for me. You loved me as no one had ever done, with sincerity, honesty, brave and above all with real patience and motivation for me to recognize you as the only person who will make me happy. However, our story has never been easy, I thought I lost you so many times. From now on, I did not spend my life losing you, I spent my life finding you. I did not think that one day I would detect someone who would give me love. But thanks to you, I found it (she grabbed the ring and placed it on the finger of the man she loves). You brought the light in my life. I promise you that I will never forget the gap between who I was and who I became. I could never say everything I owe you."
They shook hands
"August Booth, do you accept to take this woman to wife and to love her with an eternal love?"
"Yes I do", rhe husband replied without hesitation.
"And you, Lily Page, do you want to take this man for you as a husband and love him with an eternal love?"
"Yes, I do" she replied, fixing her future husband with a small smile.
"I am happy that I declare you united by the bonds of marriage."
They intertwined, kissed languorously while the audience applauded.
"You see, August, you have your happy ending", Lily said
"I do not see it like that. For both of us, it's an happy beginning."
The ceremony was filled with joy. All the guests danced, drank, talked, ate, sang without losing breath. Both couples seemed to be at the heart of the real satisfaction. However, August previewed Annie, the only one who seemed worried and tense. He left his wife and went to her.
"Are you okay ?"
"August, I have something to tell you it's important but it's not that simple."
"What is happening?"
"I tell myself that you must know it. A few weeks before you left, I learned that I was expecting a child from you."
August could not believe what he was hearing. He thought that all his mistakes were solved, that he was finally at peace with himself but a child, he could never have guessed it. He sits on a wooden chair, all disoriented.
"I do not understand, but, why you have not spoken to me?"
"I wanted to wait for the best moment, I could not think that you would leave."
"If I had know in what situation you were at the time, I would not have left, I would have found another solution. And why did not you say a few months ago, why now?"
"I would not have guessed you'd come back. Last time, I was too bad when I saw you admit everything but when Lily offered to come to Storybrooke, I saw an opportunity, the opportunity to tell you the whole truth as you had the kindness to do it for me. "
"And where he is now, did you keep her?"
"Of course not, I could not take care of this child, alone."
"You gave up?"
"Yes, but I don't had no time, after you left, I joined the CIA I left my little girl in a hospital in Portland and gave her the name of Lux. I had been told that a lot of families wanted to adopt her so I did not have to worry about it."
"Let's go there", he said without thinking.
"You're sure, but it's your wedding, you're not going to let your wife and your guests"
"We are already married and the celebration is almost finished. I will not stay there without doing anything, I want to see my daughter. We'll both be going to Portland and we'll pick her up. Wait for me at the edge of the city in five minutes, I'll be back ..."
August ran to his studio to change. Lily had noticed that this discussion with the exgirlfriend did not bode well. She followed him to his home.
"What happened to Annie? Why are you changing? The ceremony is not over, Are you right? Do you look tense? The speeches are passed, we are married and finally will finally be able to live our life as we have always dreamed, you will honor the promise made to your father, before he dies, you will found a family, seriously, it is all I want, don't you?"
August looked at her, sorry, she came closer and took his cheek
"Hey, what's wrong? You are so hot"
"I think I could never live with my mistakes."
"But of course yes Annie forgave you, Emma too and I love you, I do not see what could stop you from living fully live your life without feeling guilty anymore."
"I just learned that Annie had a child of me, I know it's crazy."
Lily can not find the words
"So I change to find our abandoned daughter, fifteen years ago. We are wrong, Lily, fate pushes us to our mistakes of the past."
"August is more of a chance than anything else. You were convinced that your father was only your family but if you think about it this child is much more of your family than Geppetto since he does not have the same genes, since he manufactured in the literal sense of the word. You have the advantage of having a second chance with your daughter. Come back to me quickly!"
"I always come back."
Lily accompanied her husband to his bike. She hugged him one last time then saw him give the helmet to his ex and then she put her arms around his waist. They went to portland in search of their daughter.