Family Torn Apart

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Well, I don't know if anybody is interested in this story anymore but the bunnies talked to me… and I'm still shipping WoodenSwan (but if you're here, you are, too)… so here is the rest of the story. I hope I get to finish it this time.

I'm sorry if the technical parts with the bike don't make any sense. I tried but mechanics is like Chinese to me…

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Uncertain

Jefferson followed May to Granny's B&B, for the first time in months, feeling like being on the right track again. The year without May that had been spent with a crazy fight for having his Grace back was a dark one and one he would gladly leave behind. With the help of the redhead woman he knew that he could do that… and maybe with her help he would find the courage to talk to her daughter, too.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a gentle tug on his arm.

"Coming?" May's warm look greeted him when he left his thoughts. She was standing in the door of one of the rooms, apparently waiting for him to follow.

"Sorry," he smiles sheepishly. "Is that it?" he indicated the room.

"Yeah," May nodded, stepping in. "You're all right there?" she asked concerned. "I lost you there for a minute."

"Just thinking about… stuff," Jefferson shrugged taking in the unfamiliar room.

"Okay," May drawled, regarding him for a moment before making a quick sweep of the room. "He isn't here," she observed disappointedly.

"Let's take a look around," Jefferson suggested venturing a little further in. "Maybe we find something that can tell us where he might be."

"Do you think he was wandering around while he was turning back to wood?" she sounded skeptical.

"Worth a shot."

They were still looking for a clue about August's whereabouts when Marco burst into the room.

"Where is he?" he asked, not even bothering to wonder what two strangers were doing in his son's room. "Where is my boy?"

"He's not here," Jefferson stated the obvious.

"Do you have any idea where he can be?" May asked.

"I… don't," the old man seemed crushed. "I didn't even know that he was my boy until young Henry told me. He said that I can find him here… that he hadn't left his room in a while." he said distractedly and when he noticed something on the desk where August's typewriter stood, he walked there. "Oh, my boy," he sighed, lifting up the red cap that had attracted his attention. "What happened to you?"

"He was turning back to wood," May told him gently and winced at the look on the man's face. "But I think that he is all right," she added when two pairs of eyes looked at her curiously. "Just think about it… magic is back to Storybrooke. My d… August turning back to wood doesn't necessarily mean anymore that he is a lifeless puppet."

"A huge lifeless puppet," Jefferson couldn't help but add amused but May shot him a disapproving look.

"He must be able to move," May concluded.

"I have to find him," Marco said, not needing much persuasion to believe what the redhead had just said. "I will find him."

"And we'll help," May smiled at the old man who was effectively her grandfather.

"Thank you, dear," he nodded gratefully.

"Call me May," she added. "And this is Jefferson."

"The mad man," Marco observed at which Jefferson rolled his eyes. "Thank you," he finally said to the both of them. "But I'm afraid it is too late now to go out to search for him. We'll start tomorrow… early in the morning."

"Meet us here at the diner," May supplied then Marco left, holding onto the red cap for dear life.

May watched her grandfather leave with a sad look then sighed. Jefferson stepped next to her and pulled her closer to him.

"We will find him," he reassured her then just to defuse the heavy atmosphere that settled on the room, he looked around. "You really lived in a hole like this?" he asked exasperatedly and smiled when he could hear May chuckle.

"It turned out the best place to be when my dad rolled into town."

"You two spent a lot of time together?"

"Yeah," she nodded into his shoulder with a reminiscing look. "He's so easy to be around. When I remember him from my childhood there is always this playful atmosphere around him. He had an imagination like nobody else. And we were always just too happy to go with it. We always drove mom crazy," she chuckled.

"I'm sure you did," Jefferson smiled, remembering a little redhead who brought light into his life.

"He is everything I remember… except... You know there is always a haunted look in his eyes now. This new life changed him and yet, he remained the same," she shared then went silent for a minute. "He finished the story, you know…"

"The story?" Jefferson let May go to look at her with a curious look. "In the book?" May nodded. "But isn't it with Henry?"

"It is but he managed to get it somehow. I'm sure my mom knows it by now… I mean their story. Maybe it helped her believe… I wish I could do something."

"You can. You can help looking for the puppet. I'm sure that the Prince is halfway to the Enchanted Forest by now to get his family back," Jefferson chuckled. If the man's behavior during their first meeting was any indication, the man was desperate – and he knew how it felt. He would not stop at anything to get his family back. "Now, let's get your things then go home," Jefferson suggested and let out a tiny relieved sigh when May didn't protest. He was taking her home at last. "It's late and we'll have an early morning tomorrow."

"You really want to come? Won't you rather talk to your daughter?"

"I'll have plenty of time for that," he dismissed her, leading her out of Granny's.

"You have a nice ride there," May looked up, hearing an unfamiliar male voice. With a fake smile, she turned from her bike, ready to shot down the advances of whoever thought wise to hit on her. She wasn't really welcoming to any advances the male populace of Storybrooke showed towards her ever since she started to regularly show up in town but she was particularly unwelcoming before her first cup of coffee early in the morning… and just after her bike had broken down on her during her morning ride and left her stranded just outside the town.

Her rebuttal, though, froze on her lips when she caught sight of the stranger… who wasn't a stranger after all. She stared shocked for a couple of seconds completely caught off guard by the unexpected presence of the man… her father whose voice she hadn't heard in twenty eight years.

"Sorry," the man smiled apologetically, apparently coming to the conclusion that his intrusion wasn't welcome. "I didn't want to bother you," he was quick to back down and only when he started to walk away did May manage to gather her wits and spoke up finally.

"No," she cried hurriedly. "I mean…" she stuttered, having the attention of the man. "You just, you know…" she sighed frustrated, then stood up and, taking her time, she cleaned her hands in a cloth, trying to come up with something to say that actually wouldn't sound foolish.

When she thought that she could speak without embarrassing herself any more, she looked up at the man, who was waiting for her to speak with a patient smile and a bemused look.

May wanted to cry. She so missed him.

"I'm sorry," she began then stopped to clear her voice when it sounded heavier than she'd have liked to. "It's just really early and I still need my coffee… And yes," she smiled, though it didn't really reach her eyes. "I have a really nice ride," she agreed, looking at her '83 Thunderbird fondly. "Actually, she may just be the best ride in town. However, it seems that she's just got competition," she added, indicating the impressive bike parked behind the man.

"Well, mine is a trustworthy friend," he smiled and it made May's heart flip. "But yours… that is a real beauty."

"Thank you. But I could really go with the trustworthy right now," she huffed, warming into the conversation.

The man chuckled then proceeded to put down his helmet and take off his jacket. "Do you mind?" he asked, indicating the stranded bike.

"Well," May started, knowing that whatever the problem was she could very well deal with it seeing that it was her who nursed the old bike back to life, so to speak. But she would be damned to send her father on his way just after they'd met. "If you don't have any more interesting things to do, be my guest."

For a couple of minutes she watched as the man went through the very same things she'd just done. But she was more occupied by watching the man than by bothering to tell him that she'd already checked the switch and the battery, too. It was so good to see him again.

"It seems that the switch and the battery are working," he summarized what May had already knew. "Next step is the fuses."

Those were also all right but May let her father check them anyway.

"Well, that leaves the coil," he concluded as he stood up. "Do you have an ohmmeter?"

"No, not with me," she shook her head.

"That's all right, we can work without that," the man reassured her and when he turned back to the bike, May arched a curious eyebrow at him, biting on her lower lip not to smile at him. "When the coil fails," he continued as he inspected the bike, "there is no spark which means that the fuel can't ignite. Now we should check whether there is indeed no spark," he said as he stood up and went to his bike and shuffled through his side-bag. When he found what he'd been looking for, he returned and resumed his position next to the Thunderbird. May noticed that now he had a plier and a plug in his hand. She smiled. "Checking for a spark is quite easy," he smiled up at May. "We simply get a spare plug," he indicated the one in his hand, "and snap one of the plug wires onto it. Then we make sure that the shank of the plug is grounded against the engine block. Now we crank it," he stood up once again, "and watch for a spark." He cranked the engine as May walked closer to watch. "Well, there it is."

"Doesn't seem too strong."

"It's not," the man nodded. "But at least we have one. Which means that if everything else is working, it should start." And with that he quickly placed everything back into its place then gave a try at starting up the engine.

"Well, here you go," he grinned when the bike roared to life. "It'll fine now. Though, you should get her checked out by a technician… it's probably the coil. Now it cooled down so it works but you'll probably have a problem when it heats up again…" he trailed off here and looked at May suspiciously, who was having a really hard time hiding her amusement. "Though I have a feeling here that I've just made a fool of myself and you already know that."

At that May gave up all pretense and actually laughed out. "I'm sorry. But you seemed so eager to help. And I'm really grateful for it. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. But next time, please, tell me when to shut up," he laughed with her now. When their laughter died, they continued staring at the each other and May had a distinct feeling that her father was troubled by something. Maybe he remembered… May's eyes involuntarily lit up with hope at the possibility and she regarded the man expectantly. "Well," he spoke up finally. "I'll see you around then," the man nodded as a goodbye then made his way to his bike. May's shoulder's slumped in disappointment but she only hesitated for a moment before calling to him.

"August," he realized her mistake as soon as his name left her mouth. "Let me buy you a coffee at Granny's."

After turning slowly, August looked at May suspiciously. "I don't remember telling you my name."

"Oh," she seemed thoughtful for a moment then gave him her most dazzling smile. He'd never been able to resist that. "You must have… I wouldn't know it otherwise. I'm May, by the way," she said offering a hand to the man.

"Very funny," August was not amused about what he assumed was meant to be a joke.

"No, really," May laughed merrily, "that's my name."

August regarded her for a moment then took her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"So, I heard something about coffee."

"Sure you did."

"Then by all mean, lead the way… May."

The next few days were a blur for May. If she wasn't helping repairing the damage in town made by the wraith, she was tirelessly looking for her father. So far she could only feel accomplished in her former task while she was stuck in searching for her father. Although she could swear that there was no stone left unturned, she hadn't given up hope.

And she could thank that to Jefferson's unwavering support. He was her rock. If it hadn't been for him, she would have skipped more than a couple of meals and slept on couches and random chairs more times than she would have dared to count. She was infinitely grateful for him even more so that his mere presence gave her a sense of belonging, something that otherwise sorely missed from her life.

"We will find him," he told her one night, after a particularly long day when they were lounging on the couch snuggled up next to each other. "And the Prince will find a way to bring back Emma and Snow."

"I know," May said, burrowing herself deeper into his side.

"You'll see," he continued with a soft sigh when he noticed her resigned tone, "you'll have your family here with you in no time. And until then…" He held her just a little bit tighter. "…you have me."

This made May straighten up and look at the man with confusion. "You don't think that I'll forget about you when I have them, do you?" She felt dumbstruck and the lost look on his face didn't help the situation, either. "You are my family, too, Jefferson," she told him with a loving smile, cupping his face. His glassy eyes made her heart ache.

"I just don't know how I could fit into that family," he admitted, pressing his cheek against one of her palms.

"It doesn't matter," May answered, her voice heavy with emotions. "You know why? Because I love you… and nobody will change that."

Time seemed to have stopped after that as the two of them held each other's gaze. Space disappeared, too, as their bodies drew near and finally everything snapped back into motion as their lips met in a forceful kiss. They launched at each other hungrily not at all fazed by this new development in their relationship. The kiss was daring and their hands were bold… and it felt sinfully good.

It was him who broke the kiss when, after his fingers touched her skin for the first time just above the waist of her jeans, he was forcefully pulled back into reality and the enormity of his action physically made him recoil.

Time stopped for the second time that night but this time their eyes were wide with bewilderment as they stared at each other.

He was so shocked about what had just happened that it took him a couple of seconds to be able to react in any way but by that time May had already been out of the door.

"May," he called after her, not wasting another second. "May," he ran after her with a desperate expression. He had to fix that mess. "I'm sorry," he cried in vain as the woman, without sparing him another glance, jumped on her bike and pulled out of his driveway. And Jefferson couldn't do anything but watch her leave with a pained expression. "Damn," he finally exclaimed and just to add more weight to that little word, he punched the doorframe when he turned to enter the house. As he stood in the large foyer, cradling his throbbing fist, he let out a pained cry. Just what kind of freak he was, he wondered falling onto his knees, pressing his hands under his chin and curling into himself.

TBC

Thank you so much for reading.