Well its up at last.
Apologies for the lateness but a sick relative, a 45 hour a week job and just procrastination (Semi) on my part is to blame but it is here, and I hope you all enjoy.
I don't own OUAT but if I did then Regina would be kicking Emma's arse and joining the Queens of darkness like the badasss she is. :)
Shuffling from inside a small hut saw a sliding door open, as a tussled haired Regina stepped out onto the small veranda. Getting up before the morning sun had become something of a norm to her, ever since arriving in Asia all those years ago. Ever since she had discovered just how beautiful sunrise was in the Far East land, she had made it a dedication to see it break through into the new day.
Settling down on the swing chair she looked out over the little lake that she had called her own seeing as there was no one else about and so was hers to enjoy in privacy.
Of course this wasn't the first location she had lived in – far from it … more like her seventh. But had a good feeling this was permanent. She didn't know why, she just felt like something here was calling to her, something that would make all the years of fruitless searching worthwhile.
Something to still give her hope
Lifting the cup to her lips, she had to thank whoever invented tea as she sipped the steaming liquid and lounging back happily waiting for the light to appear over to trees. She had tried coffee – could remember it being the very first drink she had in this world and no matter where she went the result was always the same.
The thing was disgusting.
She was just so glad that they had stopped at another rest and the driver had the kindness to buy her a tea. He returned to his truck with the drinks and smiled at her before stating that she 'Looked like a tea person'
At the time she didn't know what it was but from the moment it touched her tongue she was in love, from then on she only ever drank tea – she had of course discovered others but tea was her best – it completed her and so had sworn whatever country she went to next she had to have tea.
Wrapping her blanket around her tighter she inhaled deeply the cold air biting at her feet before she tucked them under her legs. She hadn't been Idle in coming to the furthest continent, once she had managed to get settled and enough money to rent a place – she began reading up on anything magical she could find.
It was a startlingly different contrast to that of Greece and Rome she could say. Whilst those two countries had their own way of showcasing their homelands to visiting tourists – show them the wonder that is their history and heritages. Places like China, who seemed so elusive and secretive when it came to their legends, made her want to learn about it all the more.
They seemed so prideful and when they did tell their stories – she was impressed by the passionate way they told them – forget the kids she was hooked and many a time had joined a small group in listening to their elders who were sitting by a small café of outside their home, indulging the children and a few older kids in tales of old.
Another reason why she had spent so long in China, far longer than any other place she had lived – was their long history with a particular kind of creature.
She had been excited on learning that like Greece they too had their own stories based on the reptilian myths of old and so on passing through a small village one day, had struck up a conversation with one of the locals. It was short and very brief as she didn't speak Chinese, but on seeing the little gathering of yet another story telling, she had been invited to stay and listed.
So she had, the man who was getting ready to beguile the small children was a man in his possibly late seventies. But he looked like he could have passed for at least fifty, something that amazed her as she settle down.
His name was Shifu Qian and his family could be traced as far back as the early Ming dynasty – following the fall of the Mongol Yuan, his family had moved from the outskirts of Mongolia into the heart of what would be today – known as Nanjing, before moving to the more rural areas where they stayed up until the days present.
But his family wasn't what interested her, what she found both interesting and amusing. Was that from what she had learnt, the people of China believed they were descended from Dragons. She found it was a tradition that was embedded in all their culture and was widely spread over the society they lived.
She was especially pleased to hear that while the rest of the world – the Western places – held Dragons as things of great evil and malevolence, she still wasn't happy with the French literature about that – here Dragons were something to be worshipped and associated with good.
Even going as far as seeing it as something of a national icon … she had to say she was greatly enjoying what she could of the story and as best as she could understand it – she had seen the many statues of Dragons all over – bronze, jade, porcelain. All crafted fantastically and so well painted, it was nice to see that people respected and acknowledged their power and not just seen as something to conquer purely for glory and happy endings.
She had to laugh at the notion of them actually thinking they had evolved from Dragons – or devolved whichever it was but she could only think of the irony as she sat in her seat silent.
Japan too had their own tales of times past, times that involved dragons and other mythical beasts – she was surprised to read up on Kitsunes' – the little fox like creatures that possessed nine tails that represented their life force. The books said they had the ability to transform into women … while she had never personally come across any Kitsune in the other land, they lived in an entirely different realm but were known to travel, she didn't know if shapeshifting into humans was one of their gifts.
But it could be – she didn't know. She might have met one and didn't know it, but she probably would have another magical being always left a scent no matter what form they took. From what the blonde had told her about them – they tended to be mischievous and could be tricky to deal with depending on which one you got.
Some could be playful tricky or benevolent. Harder to deal with as the more tails they possessed the more power they held – it said that once they had all nine tails they became all knowing. It all really came down to the ritual if you wanted to summon one. Well she had no need to talk to a fox and so just left it at that and moved on but now she found herself reading about them a little more.
But as much as it was fun to read it didn't help with her everlasting problem. And so once saving up enough she moved on – which was how she came to Thailand, eight hundred and sixty three miles from Bangkok and one stop from Australia. She had been here so far for two years – having been quite lucky actually.
She had been going through town one day when she saw an advert for English teachers, well she wasn't English but her language was practically better than anyone's on the island. It was for twelve months and it paid well enough to afford somewhere nicer than the shoebox she was staying in.
So she went along to the local school where the organisers had set up and really – it took no time. Of course she didn't have the qualifications required but having been surprised by an American who was living there that had gone unnoticed by them. They had asked if she wanted the job of teaching children and adults who wished to learn at night classes.
She accepted and was now sitting in a small house a little way from the town as a result. She wanted her peace and so had found a rundown shack about half an hour away, after inquiring about it and finding the owner had died the local council or what consisted of authority had said she could have it. Apparently strange things could be heard and people were afraid to go near the small house, an hour or so later that day she was the proud owner of – for better words, a pig sty.
But she was used to hard work and so worked to fix it up, it took some time – having been used to being on her own she didn't really want to be around people any more than she liked and so did the fixing up by herself. It took months – a lot of money but soon her once chaotic mess was now a decently liveable home.
Everything was alright. She had her home, she had her cat that come by one day, the weather was ferocious and the rain was pelting the windows. She was just about to go to bed when she noticed the narrow strip leading to a little dip under the house, a little cat was curled up as best as it could.
It seemed to be trying to get away from the storm and the rain as her heart oddly went out to the little feline and so moved to open the front door. It snapped its head round at seeing her there as they looked at one another for a moment. Normally its instinct was to bolt, but seeing as it had nowhere to go and wanted to stay dry, it meowed at her.
She felt sorry for the drenched moggy and stepped back allowing it to see the invitation and wasting no time – another crack of thunder erupted, it raced inside. She chuckled and shut the door turning to watch it inspect the place it called home for the night. Eventually their eyes met once more and he – it looked like a boy, meowed once more at her in thanks.
"Well I'm off to bed now, so please do try not to disturb me or go anywhere as I have just got this clean." Wondering why she was talking to a cat she gave it one last look before hurrying for the other room. Of course once she had finished getting ready for bed she left her bathroom only to take a step back at seeing it on her cover.
"No."
Lifting his head he gave her a small look of derision. Her eyes narrowed on seeing his almost roll before going back to licking his paws. A small argument in which she tried to shove him off three times – failing every time before she gave up and moodily pulled back her covers.
"Well stay the hell on your side then." She snapped before shaking her head and sliding under the covers, turning her light off she sighed before closing her eyes, just as she was nearing sleep a small weight had her opening them to see the little cat had moved and was now curled near her chest.
Looking down she could see it huddling closer to her – trying to keep warm before placing his head on his paws and falling still, soon purring could be heard and being as tired as she was she didn't contest so merely inched so her body had a little moving room before closing her eyes once more as they both fell asleep to the sound of the battering storm.
That night turned into forever and so on hearing the light pattering of paws she looked to see Sylvester – such a great name for a cat she thought make his way out the door and over to her. She lifted her arm as he jumped onto the cover, before kneeing the part where her leg was and lying down.
He had come for his morning adoration and so she obliged by scratching the back of his ears, hearing his familiar purr had her rolling her eyes – such a high maintenance cat as he lifted his head letting her know she was to do under his neck. Conceding she idly stroked his fur as she stared at the trees.
She had been thinking about the next stage. The chapter in what seemed like a never ending book that was her life. She had been in Thailand for longer than any other place, by now she thought she would have found something, her intuition was telling her something was there … but so far all she had found was nothing but admittedly gorgeous places to fall asleep and watch the sun rise.
Maybe it was time to move on, to go to Australia – she didn't think they would be there but it was one of the last places and what did she have to lose. Cut her losses here and go on yet another adventure. She lifted her head on seeing the first streaks of reed break over the horizon and inhaled deeply.
"What do you think?" She asked, glancing down. Sylvester looked up, their eyes meeting as she waited for his response. After all, he would be going with her to. He had wormed his way into her lone wolf way of living and begrudgingly had accepted him into her one woman pack. She pursed her lips as he meowed his reply, neither helping nor offering any insight and went back to cleaning his paws.
"Ahh what do you know, typical male." She went back to stroking his fur, "Never can make a good decision."
In the end she had made the choice herself. It was time to go, as much as she loved this little hideaway she was wasting time and so had begun packing up what she had set up her small home with she found it weirdly sad, knowing she would be leaving what seemed like the only place she had actually thought of as home.
She stopped by the school to tell them of her impending departure as she informed the director of the language program, Steven of her leaving. Many tears were shed – mostly by the kids and … possibly one of two of her own not that she would admit to that.
Two weeks later and it was all official. The house couldn't be sold to anyone within the village as they were still to suspicious in spite of her having lived by herself so she went into the nearest city, to a property buyer, they listened to her story before seeing pictures of the house she had taken and agreed to buy it from her.
Of course it was for slightly less of what she had used to do it up, but she did get it for free after all so couldn't complain. Once she had signed on the line her house was no longer hers and it made her sad but she couldn't dwell. Next was to get Sylvester ready to fly – as he was a stray he hadn't had his shots and according to the pamphlet she had read, if an animal hadn't been checked and ok'd by a vet they couldn't leave the country.
So it was off to the nearest vets. He hated it; he put up a fight and scratched her like she had never been scratched before. But in the end she won. Once he had been inoculated and given a chip, she was free to take him and so one unhappy cat being carried in his little case. She was free to leave.
Only to find that in trying to book her flight, was told that all trips to Australia had been put on hold, she was annoyed. When had this happened? And why?
A hurricane
That was what had caused all flights to be cancelled. A storm the size of Texas was battering half the coast of Queensland and New South Wales making it dangerous to fly in such conditions. After getting answers, the revelling crowd dispersed, unhappy at being delayed but mollified by the explanation.
How had she not heard about the storm? Surely she wasn't that much of a recluse; she did read the papers each morning. But nothing had come up, either way she wasn't going that day which put her in an awkward spot.
What to do next? It was clear this hurricane wasn't going to settle overnight, and she didn't have a home any longer, staying in hotels would be expensive and she wanted to save as much as she could. So what was she to do?
Sitting back in her chair she closed her eyes pondering her next move it was just her luck something like this should happen. Exhaling heavily she let her head fall against the back tiredly until a voice on the speakers' made her look up.
"Flight 756 to Hong Kong now boarding, will passengers please make their way to the gate."
Hong Kong there was an idea.
She had always enjoyed the city and its sights. It would be easier to get a flight there and when the storms had settled in Australia, fly out from there. Either way she needed to so something and so hurrying back through to the check in she asks if she could switch her flight from the 628 to the one going to Hong Kong, of course the only seats left available are the back end of the economy ones but she doesn't care and so one ticket change later, followed by the mad dash back to catch the last of the people boarding, she is on her way in the other direction.
She could always work her way back to Australia later.
She never did.
It took her a while. But eventually she had found a few odd jobs working here and there in the nightlife end of the working hours, it meant she lost sleep and didn't get to see the sunrise as much as she liked. But it was money and so she didn't complain. Sylvester had been put in Quarantine so she didn't even have him to come home to, not that it was much of a home.
It was just a rented box for all it's served, far too small but was all she could afford. Until one day she got a phone call from Steven – she had been surprised but listened to his reason for calling, he had been slowly expanding his venture, setting up buildings dedicated to teaching classes in places all over Asia, his next goal was to get to Japan but now he had three in Beijing, two in Hong Kong.
After hearing about the news in Australia he had texted to see if she was alright, only to hear how her plans had changed and now she was back in China, hence why he was calling now. He wanted to know if she was willing to teach some of the kids who had already signed up for his courses.
It seemed like the most logical choice. The kids in Thailand liked her enough. It was easy and better money meant a nicer place to rent. She didn't have to take long to answer.
Which was how she found herself sitting in what could be called the AE department of the local hospital two months later, one of the children had sliced themselves good on a pair of scissors and instead of scoffing at how she shouldn't have been holding an adult pair, had to go with him to get stitches.
What she didn't know however. Was that in taking the small boy to the hospital that day, she was going to get her biggest breakthrough in searching for the others since the day she started. Whilst the doctor had taken the little kid to get his hand seen to, she had sat back in the waiting room patiently.
But she was bored. It had taken two hours just to get seen to and as much as she could just keep on sitting there she found herself getting restless and thirsty, not really two combinations that went but could be sorted by a simple action.
So off she went. Hunting the nearest coffee machine or café or what it was the hospital had.
Augustus Booth was terrified. On waking that day to searing pains shooting through his leg, not once did he think that his past would be coming back to meet him. His whole life – this new life, he had lived it exactly how he wanted. He did what he wanted, when he wanted and had no one to tell him otherwise.
No Gepetto… no blue fairy, no one he had a new start and he was determined to live it. Of course that wasn't to say he didn't miss his father, he did but the man was overbearing and it stifled him to the point of near resentment.
Selfless – that was what Rheal had called him. The moment he jumped over that little boat his biggest wish had been granted. She had given him the gift of being real, and with that came the very real emotions that plagued humans.
Want, greed, jealousy, spite, hate – all of it – they hit him like the side of a tree. But the little that he did fell of them hadn't had a chance to grow thanks to the curse. His father, in spite of what blue had said, kept some of the tree back that was fashioned to make the wardrobe belonging to the princess, he had kept it because he knew she was lying.
Everyone had an agenda. Even the most virtuous, so when that day finally came he was placed inside the little cupboard not knowing what to expect, the new world was scary but it was new and as much as he wanted to go back home – he had tried and failed when the tree refused him – he knew that he had to make it the best he could from then on.
He didn't know what happened to the others. He didn't know what happened to Emma, he had been picked up wandering the side of the road and was placed into what he came to learn was a home for orphans. He ran away a few years later and from then on the world was what he made of it.
Years later and… chance … coincidence he didn't know. But by a serendipitous fortune he met Emma. Of course he didn't know who she was at the time. The young woman who stood in front of him was bitter, angry and very cynical of the world that had screwed her over. At first he had thought them kindred spirts, two souls who the universe had spat on and left to struggle.
Imagine his shock when he heard her beginnings. Being left in a truck stop café by a woman who no one could find - since they had discovered the bars on the windows in the toilets wrenched free from the sockets – they had been befuddled at that seeing as they had been welded, but she had left the baby alone with no formal identification save the name on her blanket.
He was smart. The many jobs he had taken to ensure his survival meant he had to be, learnt skills that would have made the woodcarver faint and his ethical and morality issues many a time called into question. But on seeing the little scrap of paper she had been given. A joke, she laughed harshly, at the home she had ended up in.
It had the picture of the then baby Emma held in the arms of the woman who had served the supposed Mother of the child, and the cup of coffee that had been left at her side. Apparently they had all thought it hilarious – understandably she hadn't.
But his mind wasn't on the picture. His eyes had caught the date and was silently working them up in his mind. He was already a few years older than the blonde, and according to the date on the paper, she had been left at the truck stop on exactly the same date he had come to the new world.
He couldn't ever forget that date, it was branded clear in his mind when he had been educated all about the months, days, years, times…
But none of that mattered right now, all he could think was that in front of him, that very moment… was the saviour.
Of course he could never tell her who he was, seeing her so distrustful, so guarded against everything. He wondered just who it was that had left her in the truck stop – did they come from their world to or had they simply found her somewhere and taken her to safety. Either way he knew if he said anything she would most likely punch hm.
What he could do though. Was make sure she was ok. After living the life of a criminal for so long, he had started to feel something akin to remorse, the gift he had been given squandered as he allowed himself to fall in deeply with all that went against what the fairies had described him.
He was selfish, he knew it and so knowing how disappointed his father would be if he was to see him now, made the choice to watch over her. If he could make sure she was on the right track until the time came when she was to break the curse, it would somehow make up for the sins he had lived.
They came together like brother and sister. Maybe in the beginning he had harboured a small crush on her, but after six months travelling from place to place – the relationship fell into that of siblings. He could honestly say he was having a good time, it was nice to have another for company the last people he had been with didn't house the feeling of warmth and welcoming.
That was until Neal came along.
It was disconcerting to say the least. He had been out trying to score them a new hideout whilst she went to find transport, something that wouldn't be missed. What she had brought back instead was a yellow bug and him.
He sees the look on her face, seen the normally scowling face brighten with happiness and laughter, she likes him and if what he's seen on Neal's a face he like her to, but he was more suspicious.
Where had he come from? Who was he? Where did he live and why did he get such a weird feeling about when he was near. He had tried asking questions, being friendly as Emma had put it but it seemed to strange that the man would do his best to evade the topic of himself, always look uncomfortable.
Emma had pulled him aside and said quietly to stop it, some people simply didn't like talking about themselves. But it was more than that, Neal was hiding something and he wasn't going to stop until he found out what.
Try he did, but the other man was good. Really good, he wasn't sure whether it was just because like them he was a grafter – a small time crook but he had held his tongue even under the most stressful of situations. Each failure he got closer to Emma, he could see them … pushing him away.
It was then he got a call off some of his old friends. They were planning a small heist and needed his security skills, he saw the way he was – a third wheel and as much as he would have liked to stick to his self – promise he knew that it was now just Emma and Neal – no him about it.
So he accepted. Telling Emma was tough, she had been shocked and angry and hurt. Yelling at him for hours, it was then he got angry himself and shouting back that she was to wrapped up in Neal to notice and that if he had just simply left, he doubted she would have noticed then either. She fell quiet at that. She had been spending time with Neal yes, maybe too much time but that didn't mean she didn't notice her friend.
He was her brother, her best friend, she didn't want him to go. But he had already said yes and so there was nothing he could do, she cried into his chest he never did tell her he wanted to go, that he wasn't going to put up with being ignored any longer in spite of her plea that she would pay attention to him more.
He had given up on his quest to try and find anything about Neal. The man was clean as far as he could tell, there was nothing on him he could use to try and make him go away. He wanted Emma to be happy and if Neal made her then he was ok with that.
The last day he was spending with Emma he had to with Neal unfortunately and so as they walked through the streets of New York on their way to get lunch, they had seen a bunch of kids running around in weird little costumes.
Emma had laughed and asked if it was Halloween, it wasn't as it was only July but for some reason they could see the kids all wearing costumes, as they looked at them closer they could see it was outfits from Disney or something – Snow white, Cinderella, what looked like a few dwarves.
"Hey look," They turned to see Neal staring across the road. They followed to see the bookshop over the other side. Looking up Emma read the banner hanging underneath.
"Two hundred years of Brothers Grimm" She pursed her lips before turning and shrugging. "Most likely why the sprogs are dressed up weird,"
August nodded his head as Neal chuckled. They were still hungry and so turned intent on reaching the diner when a couple of kids rushing to the traffic stop ran in between.
"Hey watch it!" Emma looked down as they raced through them. Neal had still been laughing but it stopped once something hit his ears, one of the small boys had been running and as he had he was repeating one of the more well-known chants that had been in the tale told over time.
"Rumpelstiltskin is my name and no one knows it! Rumpelstiltskin is my name and no one knows it!"
His heart clenched a little and his breath came out a tiny bit faster. No matter how many times he heard that name it never failed to make him react. Somewhere under the blood in his ears he heard someone calling him.
"Neal,"
He lifted his head to see Emma staring at him eyes showing concern under her rimmed glasses. "You ok?"
Licking his suddenly dry lips he nodded. "Yeah, just had a horrible thought for a moment,"
"Oh?" She was looking more worried for him and so in a bid to lighten the moment and get off topic he grinned, giving her a lop-sided smile. "I thought that thy might have run out of waffles… You know the little ones that you can dip entirely in syrup."
She stared at him blankly for a moment not saying a word, until finally she started laughing. "You dolt," She shook her head and carried on walking.
He watched her go for a moment his smile fading before he too went to walk only to stop on seeing the look August was giving him. The other man had seen the way his face dropped on hearing the kid chant. He had been confused as to why but now as the more he looked, the more it was coming back.
In the back of his mind to a place he had long buried his past. A time when he had been sitting in the little workshop his father used to do his work. He had known and blue's visit and so instead of doing his numbers like he was told he had gone and hidden behind the small cabinet and listened.
They were discussing something rather heatedly by the sounds of it and he focused on the words – something about the curse. The fairy was adamant that it was the Dark one who was the creator, she had come to ask if he could commission the last of the enchanted trees to fashion a wardrobe ready for when it did strike.
He only heard vague things after that but when the older man asked did she possibly know why he was setting of the curse, she had paused for a moment before replying. She went on to say how years before – centuries, the dark one before he became the monster he was today had a son, who had called for her help.
As soon as he killed Zoso and was inflicted with the immortal curse of darkness he became different. He scared his son so much with his love for power that he had begged her to help, she of course had with the aid of the magic bean giving Bealfire the chance to escape, which he had.
Ever since then he had been hell-bent on finding his son again leading up to the curse that was threatening them now.
As he stared at Neal, like it just clicked, he knew – he knew that Neal … Bealfire was the Dark one's son.
He kept his gaze on him even as Neal turned to see him stare. "Aug, you ok man?" He was a little unnerved at the look he was getting before August blinked and smiled
"Yeah – sorry just wanted to make sure you know – you still look a little sick." The other man chuckled and waved him off, walking until he could nudge his side.
"Nah I'm ok – come on, or Emma will have ordered our lunches and eaten them herself." August let him go, a pensive look on his face before he started walking after him.
He kept quiet the rest of the day, letting the other two plan the day – Neal having gotten over his little altercation with the name and was now laughing along with what Emma was saying never seeing the stares sent his way by the other man, who now had everything he needed to make sure he left the blonde alone.
It wasn't that Neal wasn't a good guy, he was, but he was also leading Emma away from her duty, down a path that would do no good. Nothing against him but he had to go, which was why when they got back to the small flat he and Emma shared he left them alone to pack but kept his door open so he could hear.
They had been planning something, a steal of some sort. As he was leaving he declined to join them but now saw the as the opportunity to get rid of him once and for all.
That night when Neal was heading home, August made sure to leave five minutes before feigning needing something from the shop before waiting until he walked passed, he then followed him until Neal turned and quickly dragged him to a side ally.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!"
August smiled. "Telling you to leave Emma alone," The dark haired man pulled back at that, his face showing his confusion. "What? Why?"
"Just leave her alone." He had no idea what to say. He always thought that the other man liked him. He was nothing but nice so where this had come from he didn't know. But he wasn't going to do that. He liked Emma and August was leaving, he had no right to demand such a thing.
"No way, I like her, besides I'm all she'll have once you go, abandoning her."
His jaw clenched but didn't rise to the bait. Instead he pushed his hands off his jacket and fixed his collar. "I'll say it once more. Stay away from her,"
"Or what?" By now Neal was getting sick of his attitude, he had thought Augustus was a nice guy but it just showed what he knew as he glared at the other man.
"What are you going to do, you're leaving." He taunted once more still annoyed to hell by his smile. "What the hell is so funny?"
Saying nothing he leaned in a little, to his ear before speaking. "I know your secret."
Neal pulled back staring at him. Confusion across his face before the slightest hints or worry and fear flashing in his eyes before his face went blank.
"Don't know what you're talking about." The chuckle in got in reply was enough to get him angry again and he grabbed his shirt once more. "You best stop laughing and start talking otherwise I'm going to leave you here … don't know how just yet, and tell Emma you've already left."
Once more his hands were pushed away as the two stared at each other hatefully before the brown haired man reached into his inside pocket mindful of the look Neal was giving him before pulling out a small scroll like paper.
Passing it over he waited silently. Neal looked at the paper on more confusion and still partly frustration. Lifting his head he merely got a look that told him to read what was on the page as he unrolled it and looked down.
There was only four words on the entire sheet but they were four words that had his blood running cold and his heart constricting tighter than before. Snapping his head back up he looked at him only to find the other man smiling back at him knowingly.
"How."
He shrugged. "Wasn't hard, I had a feeling you had been hiding something the moment you refused to talk about you're past. Even Emma, who had the shittiest life I know – can talk about her childhood – you… not a word"
Neal swallowed the lump in his throat heavily and looked back to the scroll. "I have to admit. You were good, you made me work hard to try and find something, but nothing ever came my way. Not even a name of anywhere local. But I guess being a con you have to keep moving… it really was by luck that today you gave that one thing away."
Closing his eyes he thought back to the way he had clammed up when that kid chanted his papa's name, how he had seen him stare and knew that he had been rumbled.
He stared at the name he had so long fought to forget. He knew that Augustus would tell Emma – not about the forest as even he wasn't that stupid, not yet. But he would tell her that he had been lying to her for so long. If there was one thing she hated, it was liars – having had enough of them her whole life.
He scrunched the sides hard and knew he had won. "What do you want me to do."
The last thing August heard of Emma when he got back from his last job. Was that she had been sentenced to a year and a half long spell in prison for a watches theft gone wrong, curtesy of the man who had set her up, he had been given a note from Neal who had fled on his orders and went to the station where she had been caught, to the locker on the other side as to not arouse suspicion.
Inside he found a bag containing money and the keys to the yellow bug. He had been asked to give it to her as a way of saying sorry. Neal was a good guy and he knew he did have feelings for her so he did what was asked. Taking the bag he made his way back to his hotel room to write the letter, before sending it on to the forwarding address in Vancouver.
He then cancelled the rest to his stay at the hotel and got the next flight out of America. Two more stops and he made it to Phuket. Once he had set himself up with accommodation and had been settling down he then sent Emma the keys to the car, but the side of him that was selfish had kept the money at his side.
It wasn't like she was going to need it in prison was she.
Fast forward to day and he was panicking, he had been woken up to horrendous pains and was terrified on pulling back his cover to find his leg – his once flesh and blood leg, was wood.
His leg was wood. With horror he realized he was reverting back to his wooden self. After that was a blur as he desperately tried to find a cure which was why he was in hospital now shouting blue murder at the doctor.
Regina was lost. She had been now for at least ten minutes, as much as she had picked up on Chinese it wasn't enough to ask for directions and so had grumbled, complained, ranted, raged and bitched up and down the busy halls. As she came round the corner she could hear someone yelling from the room to the left of her.
'Poor bugger' she thought as she moved on but stopped on realizing that the person was speaking English… maybe they knew how to get the canteen or at least to a cup of tea and so was going to wait until they finished but from what she could hear it sounded like they could be a while. She had to get back before the little boy found her missing and panicked and so was going to keep moving until a scent hit her.
Stopping, she lifted her head and inhaled deep. Her sense of smell was something that had never failed her, not even over here and so she knew that if she smelt something off – chances are it was – and right now what she was smelling was very off.
Not in the bad food kind of way – more like whoever was in that room she had to speak to, she slowed and was about to turn when she heard – as clear as the man had shouted for all to hear.
"IT'S WOOD! MY LEG IS WOOD. HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE?"
Wood – well that was interesting. And gave her all the more confirmation that whoever was in that room she definitely had to talk to, hearing scuffling from the inside she need to act quick, so rushing off down the hall she made her way round the other side and waited. Seconds later the man came running from the room.
He slammed into passing nurses in his haste as he fought to get away from the man who had called security. Regina pulled her head back as he raced by, and sending a text to the assistant at the school, that she had to leave and could they come and pick the little boy up she took off after him.
As he had run ahead and kept on running she had to beat him to the outside and so when they got to the ground floor - he went one way as she turned and raced down the other doors. If she was right then he would turn left and keep going until he got to the main street. There he could take any route leading from the crossroads and she would lose him.
If that happened she could always sniff him out, but she wanted to see who he was.
Coming out through the doors. She finally found the god dam café as she ran past it, she looked to the small ally leading to the street he was to rush by and jumped the steps before running up the narrow path until she came to a stop, all she had to wait. The sounds of people yelling angrily gave her hope that he was coming, but it fell on seeing him rush across the road to the path on the other side.
"Son of a bitch!"
She hissed before running out and dodging the passing car that beeped as she rushed into the road. Keeping her eyes on him she made it to the other side before the long chase started as she weaved in and out of passing people all the while keeping an eye on the man now speed walking as he dipped in and out of view.
He kept walking. Cutting across roads and through small ally's looking behind him every so often making her pause as she hid from his sight. He must have been paranoid as he turned round and hurried off – wondering where it was she was going she never lost track of him until finally he slowed his speed.
He came to a small building block and gave the area around another look up and down as she watched from her spot behind the wall. Where the hell was this place? She could say she hadn't been here before and if she wasn't so sure she could find her way back she would have given up for fear of getting lost long ago.
She watched as he hurried into the building wrenching the door open and disappearing inside. She knew that unless he ran out the back door that she had him and so hurried over a few seconds later. It was one of those infernal buzz entry doors but she had learnt enough about them through others and the TV to know the little trick.
Moving to the buttons she lifted her hand and pressed the top one before running her hand down the long line on the side. Reaching the bottom she held the last one for a moment before taking her hand away. She waited and smiled in victory as the buzzer signalled allowing her in. She pushed on the door and moved inside letting it bang behind her.
He had vanished but it wasn't hard to find him using her excellent nose, she sniffed him going up three flights of stairs and so knew he had no chance of escape as she stepped out onto the hall. It was clearly one of those buildings where the family all knew each other and so had to move her way through a couple who had their door open and were on the landing.
She smiled at them as they watched her go past. Keeping her head down she ignored the rest using the little times she did look up to sniff him out – the air was mixed with the others on the hall but she carried on walking until she turned the corner, there at the end to the right was his door.
He was a bloody tricky to have followed but she had, she found him and was happy so without wasting another second she moved and knocked on his door, there was no sound inside before a small scuffle could be heard. She knew that he had no intention of answering, he didn't look the type to have many visitors and so raised her hand again.
The second knock was accompanied by her speaking. "I know you're in there, I watched you enter so there is no point in hiding." She looked away making sure no one was looking as finally the door was opened, she looked amused at the chain attached to the door as he peeked out.
"Who are you?" He frowned having never seen her before in his life. They meet each other's gaze for that one moment before she pounced, his eyes widened and he tried to shut the door only for it to come flying open. He gasped on seeing the bolt come breaking off its hinge and the chain rip from the door as she pushed her way inside.
He said nothing for a moment which gave her time to strike as his back hit the side of the wall. He looked terrified and rightly so as she said nothing, leaning in she sniffed his neck.
His fast paced breathing slowed on realizing what she was doing and looked to see her, his fear turning into confusion as she moved her head around slowly – she picked up his arm and sniffed his wrist.
"… What are you doing."
He was stopped by her finger as she took one last inhale before lifting her head still keeping his arm in her grip. "Elm's oak. Century's old, but on you – around thirty three. Heavily scented with sea water and Gracilaria which if memory serves can only be found in one specific place."
She holds him as he struggles in her grip before turning her head and looking him straight in the eyes. "The Maritime Kingdom. Or more commonly known as Ariel and Eric's underwater lair, isn't that right… Pinocchio."
His struggling stops as he snaps his head up to her. There's a glimmer in her dark eyes that speaks of her victory, the smug look that crossed her lips as she guessed his identity, he is to shocked to speak but eventually time catches up and with a strong shove, pushes her back.
"How the hell do you know that name"
She has to give him credit. Standing there all determined, a strong, clenched jaw and a fire in his eyes as he faces her. Not many can say they have done that without realizing just what a mistake it was when they found out later on what she was, but by then they would be dead. She gives him a once over before meeting his gaze.
"Let's just say you're not the only one to have travelled through a wardrobe and found Narnia on the other side." She crossed her arms as he tried to work out the meaning of her words, finally they come to him and he gapes uncharacteristically at her.
"You mean – you're from the enchanted forest."
"Though I suppose Narnia would be a hell of a lot easier to navigate then this place has been," She mutters going to tandem now that her thoughts had taken a turn. He clicked his fingers in front of her face gaining her attention.
"You're from the enchanted forest." She nods once he falls silent again as he tries to work out something else that had now come to him. This was big, he's finally found someone else that had come from the same place he had that wasn't Bealfire or Emma.
Emma.
Wait… "Do you know someone called Emma?" He asks looking at her, the look of indifference never falters but there is something, a slight passing in her eyes that he sees for the barest of milliseconds before its gone and she purses her lips.
"I might know of a person with that name… it had been a while after all."
But it's all coming to him. How Emma had said she had been left at the stop, how they could find the woman – young girl who had left her there, how the bars that had been welded onto the window ripped away, he looks over her shoulder to see the door almost off its hinges and he works it out.
"You were the one to leave her alone at the truck stop all those years ago." It's more of a statement then question as her silence says it all, at once his fear of who she might be vanished and he laughed.
"Do you have any idea who important she is? And you go and just dump her in the nearest place you can find. How stupid could you get."
His next words were cut off as she angrily pushed him back against the wall. Her hand around his neck as she leaned in closer, he tried to pry her hand off, tried to breath but her hand was unmoveable. He looked into her angry eyes as she near growled out her next words.
"Do I look like I give a fuck about that stupid girl, I was lost to in case it hadn't crossed your mind, but I guess being wood mean's you're intelligence isn't all there either."
She held him firm as he gripped her hand. "I didn't care about her then and I don't care about her now, all I want is to be able to find my family again."
She finally let up moving back she gave him a disgusted glare as he bent coughing. Looking up he saw the steely look and wheezed out. "So… if you don't care, why are you here."
She laughed disbelievingly at him. "You're head really is nothing but wood isn't it? Amazing but like I said." She moved to the door ignoring his glare at her insult and looked over her shoulder just as she placed her hand on the door's edge.
"You're the first person I have found in near enough twenty six years. If you are here then that means there are more out there or I'm getting close to what I want, but right now what I want is to have a little talk."
She stepped behind the door and placed her hand on the handle. "And you're not going anywhere, until you tell me exactly what you know, and trust me – do not leave a single thing out, you won't like what happens if you do."
With that she slams the door shut trapping him inside.