Once Upon A Time: The Devil's Next Step, Part Seven
By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki
Emma pounded on August's door. She had just come from the police station, where she had listened to the recorded non-emergency calls. There hadn't been many and she was anxious to find out just exactly why Marco had disobeyed The Blue Fairy. She also wanted to show him that his plans had not gone the way he had expected them to, hoping he would realize his mistake and the mess it had made of not only her life but the lives of Mary-Margret and August.
It was too late to fix anything but Emma just wanted to know why. All of her life, she had thought she had been abandoned but was quickly coming to the understanding she hadn't been. She had been taken away, her mother assured she would be fine but that hadn't been the case at all. She was alive but hurt, suffering from deep emotional wounds she was fairly certain would take a long time to heal... if they could even be healed at all.
Her mind strayed to Mr. Gold. He had many more years of pain under his belt but he was surviving as if none of it mattered at all. She knew it did though from the moments he had shown himself to her, daring only to shed a few tears as his facade faded just enough for her to see the hurting man beneath. She had began to think they were kindred souls, the missing pieces of one filling in the missing pieces of the other.
The thought made hot tears spring to her eyes. Again, she was feeling abandoned for he was giving so much of his attention to Belle. She tried not to be jealous but it was hard. She had started thinking of him as hers after their night together but she had been wrong, like so many times before.
She fought back the tears, telling herself she had been weak. She needed to move on since it seemed he had. She still wanted to know why he had begged her to stay if he had no intentions of staying with her. Something had broken him down to the point he had not wanted to be alone and she was determined to find out what had happened.
She wiped her tears away, taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts. She needed to focus on the task at hand. She couldn't let August see her crying because he would ask questions. Questions would distract her and she couldn't afford to be distracted any more... too much was at stake.
When she thought she was ready, she pounded on the door again. " Damn it, August. Come to the damn door already. "
" Just a second, " August called. " I'm getting dressed. "
" Hurry up. I haven't got all day, " Emma called back. A moment later, she heard the chain slide open and the lock click. August opened the door, wearing his dark blue jeans and his black sweater. " I believe we have a conversation to finish. "
August blinked, his eyelids clicking gently as he did and he frowned, " Well good morning to you too. "
" Just come on. We're going to see someone, " Emma said.
" Who? " August arched an eyebrow.
Emma shook her head in frustration, " You're dense, you know that? I told you we're going to see your father. "
August took a step back, " No. No way. I can't. He'll be disappointed in me when he sees me like this. I just know it. "
" How can he be if he forced you to come here with me? " Emma implored. " If anything, he should feel disappointed in himself for what he did to you. For what he did to me. "
" My father is not a young man, Emma. Did you ever stop to think what a shock like this would do to him? " August pleaded. " I'm scared it will be too much for him. "
" Marco is strong, " Emma said. " I know he can handle it. "
" Emma, " August grabbed her hands in both of his. " I don't want to do this. "
Emma scoffed, " So you want to stay here in this room forever? "
" I don't, " August replied. " But I just don't know about going to see him. Not like this. "
" I don't think anything is going to change for a while so might as well do it now, " Emma was getting frustrated with his balking. She wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as she could but he was thwarting her.
August closed his eyes, thinking for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. " I'll go but we need to stop somewhere first. "
" Where? " Emma asked.
August frowned, " I want to go see The Blue Fairy. I don't know how to go about doing this and maybe she can help us do it. "
" Help us? " Emma said sharply. " I think if we just go over to him and are up front with him, it should do it. "
August shook his head, " No. I want to ask her what I should do. She's the one who made me real and she's the one who guided me before. I know she can do it again. "
" But I can't go into the convent, August. My magic... " Emma let her voice trail off. She closed her eyes, " My magic doesn't mix well with fairy magic. The last time I went in there, I felt like I was being crushed. "
" Crushed? " August looked surprised. " But why? "
Emma shook her head, " It's not important. I just can't go in there. "
" Then I'll talk to her myself and tell you what she says, " August said quietly.
" Are you that adamant about going to see her? " Emma said.
August nodded his head, " Yeah. I am. I'm not going anywhere unless I can see her first. "
She could tell by his posture he wasn't going to budge unless she agreed. It was still early enough so the little detour would really matter that much. She sighed, relenting to his will. She pulled her hands loose from his, " Fine. But you have to tell me everything she says. "
" I will, " August said. " I promise. "
" Then let's go, " Emma said. " I have a lot to do today. "
" Let me get my sweatshirt and my gloves, " August backed away. He smiled sheepishly, " Can you wait for me in the hallway? "
Emma thought the request was a little odd but nodded as she backed out into the hall, " Sure. Hurry. "
" Just be a minute, " August said then shut the door.
Emma waited, furrowing her brow when she heard the muffled sound of hushed voices coming from the room. She could hear August moving around, still talking quietly as he did. She wondered if he was talking to himself but couldn't make out the words. She gave up, pacing the hall as she waited for him to come out.
After what seemed much longer than a minute, August opened the door and slipped out, closing the door behind him. " Sorry. I had more to get together than I thought. "
" Apparently, " Emma said as August pulled the hood of the sweatshirt over his face. She walked towards the stairs, August following her.
" So how did things go with Belle yesterday? " He asked as they walked down to the lobby. " She was still pretty hostile when you dropped me off. "
" We'll talk about it when we get to the car, " Emma glanced at him as she headed for the door. " You don't know who you can trust out in the open. "
" That's true, " August moved ahead of her, getting the door and opening it for her. " After you."
" Sucking up won't help, " Emma muttered.
" What? " August said. " I didn't hear that. "
Emma rolled her eyes, " Nothing. "
They walked to the police cruiser, Emma getting in the driver's side as August got in the passenger side. They put on their seat belts and Emma started the car. August smirked, " Still playing sheriff? "
" I'm not playing, " Emma said sharply as she started the car. " Someone has to keep the peace around here. "
August's humor faded, " I was just joking. "
" I'm not in the mood for any jokes, " Emma said. " This is serious. "
August sighed, " I don't know why you're so mad at me. I was just obeying my father. "
" I'm not... " Emma fell silent as she pulled away from the curb. She sighed, " I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at this whole situation. How could your father think a seven year old boy would be capable of caring for a baby? What made him think you were better than my own mother? '
" Emma," August sighed. " I barely understood what was going on. All I remember is that he didn't want to lose me. He had already lost so much. "
" He wouldn't have lost you, " Emma said. " You probably would have been turned back into a puppet and he would have had you in his shop. Then, when the curse broke, you would have come back to life. "
" But I could have ended up in Mr. Gold's shop... or left behind and never made it here at all, " August countered.
Emma frowned, realizing that those things could have happened as well. She sighed, " Maybe. There's no way to tell. "
" That's probably what my father was thinking too, " August said.
Emma glanced at him, " We won't know what he was thinking until we go see him. "
" After... " August started.
" Yeah, yeah. After we see The Blue Fairy, " Emma finished his sentence.
Mr. Gold strolled with Belle along the walking path that wound through the garden. They had enjoyed a quiet breakfast together before heading out. He had enthralled her with his knowledge of every flower in the garden and what they meant. His bad leg was beginning to bother him a bit but he wasn't going to miss the chance to spend time with her and her not run away from him.
The conversation had been sporadic with him doing most of the talking. She seemed to be listening and would make comments or ask questions. She was mostly silent though, choosing to look at the estate more than she would look at him. They were walking close together but he could help but sense she was far, far away.
As they walked in another prolonged silence, his mind strayed to Emma. He wondered what she was up to and thought about how upset she had been when she left the night before. He hadn't meant to hurt her, just help her see the truth about why she had to trust him. He also thought of the waves of anxiety he had been feeling off of her, knowing he was partly to blame.
There had been so many things left unsaid after they had been together but circumstances prevented them from talking about it. Too many things had come about shortly afterward, things that needed to be taken care of. It wasn't like she was going to talk to him after refusing to help with Henry anyway. It had been necessary for him to refuse to help though so she would go running to Booth for answers.
She apparently was not too fond of the answers he gave her, Booth coming to the shop to confront him afterward. He had known Booth wasn't going to be able to convince Emma of anything but he went ahead and let him try. The resulting failure had caused Booth just as much pain as seeing his father. He could also tell Booth felt hurt by the fact Emma had slept with him but he had been the cause, his trickery leaving him feeling empty and in need of someone.
His mind slipped back to the night he and Emma had shared. Neither one of them held anything back, their lovemaking spirited and satisfying as they sought comfort with each other. It had left him wanting her more, regardless of the fact Belle had returned to his side. Even though she tried to act angry with him, he could still see it in Emma's eyes that she wanted him in spite of herself.
" Oh look, " Belle snapped him back to reality and away from his thoughts about what he would say to Emma once he got her truly alone. She held a swallowtail butterfly on the end of her right index finger. She smiled as she looked at it then looked at him, " Do you know what kind this is? "
" It's a Pipevine Swallowtail, " He replied. He smiled slightly at how the blue on it's wings almost matched the blue of Belle's eyes. He smirked as it crawled around on her finger, licking it. " I think it likes you. "
" It's so beautiful, " She murmured as she looked at it closely. She let out a giggle as it suddenly took off, her eyes sparkling with a child-like joy. She watched it as it fluttered over to a clump of wild asters then she looked at him. She sighed, " How come you know so much about this place? "
" I studied it when I came here. I read every book I could get my hands on, learning everything I could, " Mr. Gold replied.
Belle looked around, " It's so different than... well, you know. "
" Indeed it can be, " Mr. Gold nodded. " However, the wild places don't differ than much. "
" Is that why you built this place so far out here? " Belle glanced around. " Because it is so much like our home? "
Mr. Gold thought it over. He wasn't for sure what to think of her referring to his castle in The Enchanted Forest as 'their' home. She had only been with him a couple of months, not exactly long enough to be considered so. He decided she must have meant The Enchanted Forest and not the castle at all.
He nodded, " A bit, yes. "
Belle was silent for a long moment and he could sense she was thinking deeply. She reached out and touched some wisteria that hung from a nearby tree, fingering the flowers lightly before looking at him again. " Rumplestiltskin? "
" Yes, my dear? " He was concerned by the worried look she had on her face. She seemed to be a bit troubled by the things going through her head. He wished he could read her as easily as he could Emma. He had been able to before but now she was harder to gauge, probably as a result of her imprisonment.
Belle sighed, " All of those things Emma told me last night... "
" What about them? " He arched an eyebrow. He felt Emma had explained everything quite well without broaching anything too sensitive, like the deals they had made or how they had ended up sleeping together. Belle seemed to be satisfied with it at the time but now it appeared she was having second thoughts, the hours since their talk probably breeding all kinds of questions.
Belle looked at the ground as she stammered a little bit, as if she were trying to find the right words or ask something difficult. She took a deep breath and finally said, " Did she tell me everything? "
" Why do you ask that? " Mr. Gold furrowed his brow.
Belle played with her fingers for a moment then sighed, " I just get this feeling that she was... was leaving some things out. "
" Probably to save time, " Mr. Gold said, trying to sound assuring though he knew what Emma had left out. " I promise you, it was probably nothing important. Emma is very straightforward and doesn't like to trifle with inconsequential or unimportant details. "
Belle frowned, " They might be important to me. "
" I'm sure they were nothing, " Mr. Gold replied. " I would have stepped in and filled in the blanks if she were leaving out anything you needed to know. "
" I see, " Belle nodded. She became silent for a long moment then sighed, " I... I think I would like to go lay down for a bit. I am still tired from yesterday. "
" Then allow me to escort you back to the house, " Mr. Gold placed his left hand in the small of her back. He was relieved she had said it for his leg was really starting to hurt. It had been hurting more than usual after a failed attempt at healing it once the magic returned.
Belle gave him a tiny smile, her eyes sparkling a bit as she said, " Why thank you, Rumplestiltskin. "
" You are quite welcome, Belle, " He said as they turned down the path that led to the house, leaning a bit heavily on his cane...
Emma pulled up to the convent, parking the police cruiser and shutting the engine off. She looked at August, " I will be right here. Now go. "
" Can't you come with me? " August looked surprised.
" I told you, " Emma narrowed her eyes. " I can't go in there. It feels like I'm being crushed when I do. "
" You only told me that, " August corrected her. " You never told me why it feels that way. Did you talk to The Blue Fairy about it? "
Emma narrowed her eyes, " I did. She and I don't know why yet, okay? Are you happy now? "
August frowned, " That's all you had to say. "
" If I said anything, you would have asked more questions, " Emma shot back.
August sighed, " True. "
" Now, " Emma said. " Get in there. "
" I want you to come with me though, " August said. " I'll talk to The Blue Fairy on the front steps. "
" Why do you need me there? " Emma arched an eyebrow. She wasn't even for sure she could stand n front of the woman without her magic going haywire.
August gave Emma a pleading look, " I don't want to do this alone, Emma. I need you with me. "
Emma looked towards the convent to see The Blue Fairy had come out and was looking towards them. She frowned, realizing she had probably sensed her coming. She looked at August, deciding she would be better off cooperating. Arguing would only waste more time and she had a promise to keep.
" Fine, " She muttered. " I'll go with you. "
" Thank you, " August said. " You don't know how much this means to me. "
" Let's just get this over with, " Emma said as she reached for her seat belt. August unbuckled his seat belt and opened his door as she opened hers. They got out together, slamming the doors a split second apart. He waited for her as she walked around the front of the car and they approached the convent together.
The Blue Fairy nodded at them as they approached. They got to the steps and she looked at them, " Miss Swan. Good morning. "
" Morning, " Emma said quietly. Just standing in front of the fairy was making her feel agitated like she feared it would. She could sense the fairy's magic and her own magic was snapping inside of her like a mild electric shock. By the way she was staring at her, she could tell the fairy was sensing something as well.
The Blue Fairy tore her gaze from Emma then looked towards August, " Good morning to you as well, Pinocchio. "
August glanced at Emma then at The Blue Fairy, " You know it's me? "
" Of course I do, " The Blue Fairy said. " All fairies remember who they have blessed. You can take off your hood, by the way. You will not frighten me. "
" Oh, " August said. He lifted his hand, hesitating for a moment before pulling the hood down. He ran his hand over his hair to smooth it, probably a reflex from when he was human.
" Why have the two of you come to me this morning? " The Blue Fairy asked. She looked at Emma, " Is it about your problem? "
" Don't worry about my problem right now, " Emma said. She motioned towards August, " He's the one who wanted to see you. "
The Blue Fairy blinked then looked August in the eyes, " What for? "
August looked at Emma then at The Blue Fairy, " We're on our way to see my father. Emma wants him to tell her why he did what he did. "
" I see, " The Blue Fairy said quietly. She sighed, " It will be difficult for all of you. "
" I know that, " August said. " But I'm worried about how difficult it will be for my father. He's not young and I'm afraid it will be too much of shock. "
The Blue Fairy smiled at August, " Pinocchio, you are still a very good boy in your heart. Worrying about your father shows it. I assure you that telling him the truth will not harm him as much as you think it will. "
" How can you say that? " August blinked.
" Because he's already been here. He is very remorseful for what he did. He came to ask me what he should do, " The Blue Fairy replied.
" And what did you tell him? " Emma asked.
" I told him to apologize, " The Blue Fairy said. " I told him to give you his reasons and ask for forgiveness. "
August looked at Emma, " If he wants to see us then we need to go see him. "
" I tried to tell you that, " Emma sighed.
" Go then, " The Blue Fairy said gently. She then looked at August, " And remember what I told you all those years ago, Pinocchio. "
" Be brave, truthful and unselfish, " August said quietly. " I'll try. "
Emma grabbed him by the arm, " Then let's get to it. "
" Miss Swan, " The Blue Fairy's voice made her stop pulling August back down the path to the car.
Emma looked at her, " What? "
" May I have a word with you? Alone? " The Blue Fairy nearly whispered the last word.
Emma furrowed her brow then looked at August. She let go of his arm and pointed towards the cruiser, " Go to the car. I'll be there in a minute. "
August nodded, looking a bit puzzled. " Uh, sure. "
Emma waited for him to be out of earshot before turning to The Blue Fairy, " What is it? "
" I discovered something troubling when we made contact the other day, " The Blue Fairy looked very serious as she spoke. " I wasn't sure what to think of it but I now know what it was. "
Emma quirked her mouth, " And what was it? "
" Your power, " The Blue Fairy said. " It has an element of darkness to it. "
" Darkness? " Emma tried to look clueless. She knew what The Blue Fairy was talking about though. Mr. Gold had already explained it to her.
" Yes, " The Blue Fairy nodded. She looked a bit scared as she asked, " You haven't had any contact with Rumplestiltskin, have you? "
Emma frowned, " I had to work with Mr. Gold on several occasions. Everyone in town knows that. "
" I don't mean that kind of contact, " The Blue Fairy said quietly.
Emma frowned, " Then what do you mean? I'm really busy and I don't have time for guessing games. "
" I think you know what I mean, " The Blue Fairy looked her right in the eye.
Emma took a step back at the intensity of her stare. She scrambled in her mind to think of something other than what the fairy before her meant. She shut her eyes, " When he wrote the curse, he placed a drop of a potion he made from my parents hair on the paper. "
" He bottled True Love? " The Blue Fairy seemed unaware he had accomplished such a thing. She frowned, " But if he did that, he put a little of himself in there as well. When you make potions, a bit of your own magic goes into it. "
" It's called Locard's Exchange here, " Emma said. " You leave a little of yourself on everything you touch. It's the basis of forensics. "
The Blue Fairy looked away, " Then that must be the darkness I sense. That tiny sliver of him that went into the potion. "
" Will it harm me? " Emma arched an eyebrow.
The Blue Fairy looked at her, " As long as you don't allow it grow. "
" And how do I avoid that? " Emma asked.
" Only use your magic for good and don't allow yourself to have dark desires. If you do that there shouldn't be a problem, " The Blue Fairy said.
" Not a problem, " Emma said though she wasn't certain what she meant by 'dark desires'. She glanced over her shoulder before looking back at the Blue Fairy, " I gotta go. "
The Blue Fairy nodded, " Alright, Miss Swan. Just remember what I said. "
" I will, " Emma turned on her heel to head to the car. She got to it, August still standing outside of it. She looked at him, " What? "
" What did she want to talk about? " August had a concerned look on his face.
Emma sighed, " Something personal. Don't worry about it. "
August frowned, " Was it about why you can't go into the convent? "
Emma narrowed her eyes, " I said it was personal. "
August was silent for a moment then said, " Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything? "
" Because you don't need to know everything, " Emma replied. " Get in the damn car already. We have to go see your father. "
August opened the car door and got in on his side while Emma got in the driver's seat. Once they were buckled, he cocked his head to the side. " It's weird. "
" What's weird? " Emma glanced at him before putting the keys in the ignition.
August motioned to the convent, " Fairies use good magic and, since you're the savior, your magic should also be good. "
" Maybe their magic isn't as good as you think, " Emma started the car. " Aren't there evil fairies? "
August jerked his thumb over his shoulder, " Yes but those are the good ones. "
" Not from the way I see it, " Emma backed out of the parking spot. " That supposedly good fairy back there lied to my mother. "
" That good fairy also told my father to tell your mother the truth and let her go with you, " August countered.
Emma glared at him as she paused at a 'stop' sign, " And he didn't listen. "
August sighed and rolled his eyes, " Emma... he wants to apologize. "
" That still won't fix what he did, " She pulled out onto the road.
" Of course it won't but at least he remorseful and wants to apologize, " August sounded like he was getting exasperated with her because his voice got just a little louder.
" Don't you raise your voice to me! " Emma hissed. " That won't give me back the years I missed with my mother and all those years I spent wandering after having Henry. "
August narrowed his eyes, " I know it won't and I'm sure he knows that too but maybe he wants just a little forgiveness now he remembers what he did. "
Emma locked her eyes on the road, " I'll listen to what he has to say but then I'll decide if I want to forgive him or not. "
" You can't mean that, " August started.
" I do!" Emma cut him off sharply. She hoped the lump rising in her throat wouldn't make her voice crack. She forced back the tears that were threatening to blur her vision. She was so angry, she didn't know anything else to do but cry. However, she didn't want to do it in front of August... and she hoped she could keep it under control long enough to confront Marco...
Mr. Gold sat in the living room, his bad leg propped up on a footrest. It felt like it was being poked with hot pokers underneath the worst of the scar tissue. He thought back to when he had woke up in the hospital, something coming to him that he had almost forgotten. It had been pushed down by all the knowledge he had attained over the years but suddenly came to the top.
He recalled how Doctor Whale said there was debris embedded in his leg. That debris was from the enchanted prison that had held him and he was sure that was why it had suddenly started causing him such horrible pain. The bits had regained their magic and were reacting badly to his. He reached down, placing his hand on the leg and shutting his eyes.
He had attempted once before to heal it but it hadn't worked. At the time, he hadn't thought about the debris but now he had an idea of what the problem was. He focused his power on the limb, feeling the warmth of it spreading throughout it. He sighed, feeling the bits moving around but soon cried out and removed his hand.
He panted, the pain worse than ever as the bits continued to move. It felt like they were going deeper instead of being drawn out, causing more damage. He leaned back in the chair, gasping for air as his leg burned with a searing pain like he hadn't felt in years. He grit his teeth, hoping for it to subside quickly.
The bits stopped moving but the pain was still terrible. He felt sweat beading on his brow as he tried to endure it, unsure when or if it would ever subside. All he was certain of was he needed to find a way to get the bits out before they could do any more damage...