Chapter 5

6 months later…

"Holy mother of-!" She was cut off by a loud scream. David was sitting by her head, resting his hand on her forehead and Mary Margaret was squeezing her hand comfortingly and saying soothing things to her.

"One more push Emma. You're almost there." Dr. Whale told her. "One big, strong push."

Emma did as the doctor told her, whilst screaming. Then there was the sounds of a crying baby. "You did it Em. I'm so proud of you." Mary Margaret told her newly adopted daughter.

The doctor smiled and handed Emma her baby boy. "Hi there Henry. I'm your mom." She turned to Mary Margaret. "Mare, can you take a picture?"

"Gladly." She pulled her phone out and snapped a quick picture. "Done."

XXX

Emma was released from the hospital. They all went to David's farm house, they moved there a month before Henry's birth. They have a beautiful nursery set up across the hall from Emma's room.

Emma was in the nursery rocking Henry when her cell phone began ringing. "I got him Em. You can take that." David said, gently grabbing Henry from Emma. She nodded and left the room to take the call.

"Hello."

"You are receiving a call from the Phoenix Correctional Facility. Would you like to collect this call? Yes or no."

"Yes." She heard the line switch over. "Neal?"

"Ems. How are you? I'm sorry I haven't called. It costs money. I have to-"

"-He was born yesterday." Emma interrupted. "Henry was born yesterday morning. Henry Daniel Swan."

"What? I-I thought he wasn't due until the 20th?"

"He came a few days early. He's beautiful Neal. I sent a picture this morning- in the mail- but you probably won't get it for a few days."

"Ems-"

"- Please Neal. Don't start back up on the fairytale talk."

He sighed. "Okay Ems. I love you."

"Bye Neal."

Emma walked back into the nursery and watched as David rocked Henry to sleep. David looked up just in time to see Emma yawning. He laid Henry in the crib and walked over to Emma.

"When was the last time you slept Em?" He asked her and she shrugged. "I'll keep an eye on Henry. You need to get some sleep."

Emma looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." He directed her into her bedroom across the hall. "Now lay down. If he gets hungry, your mother bought some formula." She nodded and climbed into bed. "Goodnight Em."

"Night David." She mumbled. "Wake me if he needs me for anything." She said and drifted off to sleep.

6 weeks later…

Emma was on her way home from work when someone on a motorcycle pulled up next to her. "Do you need something?" Emma asked rudely.

He chuckled. "Just wanted to invite you to have drinks."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Okay first, I don't know you. Second, I'm 16 and you're like 25. Third, I have a kid."

He laughed. "You knew me, once upon a time. And I'm 23. Plus, it'd be completely platonic, and they'd be non-alcoholic drinks. I also don't care you have a kid."

"How did I know you?"

He smiled. "Come with me and I'll tell you."

Emma heaved a sigh and shot her mother a text message. Can you watch him for longer than needed? I ran into someone I used to know. We have some catching up to do. She texted. Sure sweetie. Was the reply. "I need to be home soon."

He smiled. "Hop on." Emma rolled her eyes and got on the back of his bike.

They rode out of town and he stopped outside of a diner. Emma got off of the bike and followed this guy sauntering into the woods with a limp.

Emma followed him, albeit reluctantly. "Why are we in the woods?" She asked annoyed.

"All the answers you're looking for are here. Where I found you. I'm that boy that found you Emma."

She sighed. "You're not that 7 year old boy. I wasn't found in the woods. I was found on the side of the highway."

"Why do you think that? Because you read it in the newspaper? Did it ever occur to that, that 7-year old boy lied about where he found you?"

"Well… no. What has occured to me though is that you've been lying to me since you pulled up next to me on that bike and I'm done listening to this." She started walking away.

He sighed. "When I found you, you were wrapped in a blanket." She stopped, but didn't turn around. "The name Emma was embroidered in the bottom of it." He said, causing her to turn around and start walking back. "That wasn't in the article, was it?" He asked. "How would I know that if I wasn't there."

"Okay..." She started. "Then why lie?"

"To protect you."

She groaned. "From what?" She asked and he pointed to the tree behind him. "A tree?"

"You've read the book, haven't you?" He asked and Emma sighed, she was tired of hearing about the fairytales. "You know about the curse. It's true Emma. We both came into this world." He gestured to the tree. "Through this tree."

"You're asking me to believe… that you're a fairytale character?"

He nodded. "Pinocchio. My name's not really August."

"Right. Pinocchio." She had a humorless smile on her face. "Explains all the lying." He looked down. "Wait… your name's August?! You told him to leave me!" He nodded shamefully. "You are out of your mind. Tell me Pinocchio, how does this story end?"

"With you believing."

She shook her head. "Not gonna happen." She turned around and walked off.

It was his turn to be frustrated. He jogged back up to her, mindful of his limp. "Emma!" He caught up to her. "Emma wait." He stopped and fell over because of his leg.

"What is wrong with your leg?" She hissed.

He laughed humorlessly. "I failed."

"What are you talking about?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You don't believe." He swung himself back up and used a nearby tree to hold himself up.

"If you think that making me feel sorry for you that something will change, then you're wrong!"

He saw standing up again. "I am not screwing around here." He snapped. "Whatever you believe or don't believe, this is real Emma. I am sick."

She scoffed. "Yeah, that's an understatement."

"I was supposed to protect you. I didn't." He said, ignoring her comment. "You have to believe Emma." He pulled up his pant leg. "Look!" He saw a leg made of wood, but Emma only saw an average leg. He looked up at her expectantly.

"How does that prove anything?" She asked.

He looked at her as if she were crazy. "Look!"

"August I'm looking." She told him.

"You don't see it do you? You're in denial. It's more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing the truth!"

She sighed. "Okay, one of us is losing it here, and it's not me."

"You don't want to believe! After everything you've seen, why can't you just do it?!" He asked.

She was gonna get emotional if he kept this up. "Why is it so important to you that I do?" She asked.

"Because I, the town, everyone needs you!" He insisted.

She shook her head. "I don't want them to need me!" She yelled.

"Well, that's too bad! Because we all do!"

"You are saying that I am responsible for everyone's happiness?" She questioned. "That is crap! I am 16 years old!" She shouted. "I didn't ask for that! I don't want it!"

"Right now!" He insisted. "Your baby! When you first found out! You wanted to give him away! Now you love him more than anything!"

She was crying now… great. "For him!" She insisted. "That's all I can handle! How the hell do you even know all this?! I'm barely able to take care of my son! I wouldn't be able to do it without..." She trailed off. "Now you're expecting me to save everyone?! That is beyond ridiculous! I don't want any of this!"

He stood up and limped over to her. "That's too bad Emma. You're our only hope."

"Then you're all screwed." She cried and left. She caught a bus that stopped right outside of Storybrooke, then she walked the rest of the way home.

XXX

Emma walked inside, dry tears still on her face. She ignored David and Mary Margaret asking her questions and went straight up to the nursery.

"Hey Henry." She said softly and picked him up. "I really missed you today." She whispered. She laid him back down in his crib and kissed his forehead, then she made her way downstairs and plopped down on the couch. "Sorry. I didn't know I'd be so long."

"Where'd you go?"Mary Margaret asked her.
She thought for a moment. "Uh… the woods." Not a lie. "He's a lunatic though. He was going on and on about fairytales and telling me I was meant to save everyone. How many crazies live in Storybrooke?"

"Who was he?"

Emma laughed. "I left out the best part. He's Pinocchio." She sighed. "He's the one that told Neal to leave me. The one that did the actual setting me up." She sighed. "I had a long night. I'm just gonna go up and read. Is that okay?"

"Yeah." Mary Margaret said. Emma started getting up. "One more thing Em." She turned around to face the two adults. "Were actually planning on telling us you left town?"

Emma grimaced and plopped back down on the couch. "I didn't know we were leaving town, until we actually you know… left town. I didn't totally lie either. We were in the woods, just not in the woods in town."

"Emma." Mary Margaret started.

She sighed. "I know, it's still lying. How'd you guys find out anyways?"

"Granny saw you get on the bike." Mary Margaret said.

David leaned in. "And Graham saw said motorcycle cross the town line. We put two and two together."

Emma had an opening, and she just couldn't pass it up. "What'd you get? Let me guess. 4?" She said and began laughing at her own joke, but stopped upon seeing the other two people not laughing. "Not funny?"

"No." Mary Margaret said. "You can go read now, but first… give me your phone."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She questioned, pulling her phone out of her pocket and handing it to her mother.

"Because Emma. You're grounded." She answered.

Emma blinked a few times, processing what she was just told. "Grounded?" Both adults nodded. "Why? It's not like I knew we were leaving town."

"No, but you didn't text us and tell us when you did find out. Also, when I asked where you went, you didn't tell me."

Emma was shocked. "But… that's not-"

"If you tell me that it's not fair, you'll be grounded for longer than 3 weeks." Mary Margaret told her in a no-nonsense tone.

Emma looked over to David silently asking for help. "Don't look at me for support. You're on your own with this one kiddo." She knew it probably wouldn't work, but she had to try. She gave him the puppy dog eyes. She could see it in his eyes. It was starting to work She smirked triumphantly.

At least until Mary Margaret covered his eyes. "And don't give him those eyes young lady." A small pout formed on Emma's face.

"But, it was working." She semi-whined. She groaned. "Goodnight guys."

She went upstairs and read the story of Pinocchio. She was on the cusp of believing and she knew it.

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