Chapter 10

Before August went to go find his father, he stopped by the Sheriff's station because he had spotted Emma's vehicle in her spot. He needed to thank Emma for believing or he wouldn't be alive right now. Though it occurred to him seconds before he entered the station, she may be having her own reunion with her parents. He pushed it aside and walked down the hall. Emma's family was staring at him.

"August," Emma said. "What are you doing here?"

Snow and Charming turned to Emma and then back at August. It clicked for Charming before it did for Snow. "You're Gepetto's boy, aren't you?" Charming asked remembering Pinocchio's story.

"Yes, your highness," August replied.

"I take it you weren't a good boy," Charming replied.

Snow rolled her eyes at her husband's obvious statement. "You were seven years old the last time I saw you in the Enchanted Forest," she replied. "How did you grow to be an adult?"

"The blue fairy and my father lied to you and your husband when they said that only one could go through the wardrobe," August replied.

"Then tell me how many could make the journey," Snow replied.

"Two," August replied. "My father told me I should look out for Emma."

"You did hell of a job," Charming said angrily.

Emma sighed. "What's done is done," she said. "Ever since he came to town, he has been trying to get me to believe."

"To no avail," August replied. "You two created one hard headed daughter." He grinned at Emma.

It was Emma's turn to roll her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked repeating her earlier question.

"To thank you for breaking the curse," August replied. "If you hadn't, I wouldn't be here; I would be in my room at the inn turned to wood."

She and her parents exchanged a look.

"What?" August asked.

"I didn't bring back magic," Emma replied. "All I did was break the curse and return everyone's memories."

"So who brought back magic?" August asked fearing he already knew.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Henry answered.

"Should I be thanking him then?" August asked and then stopped when he realized Emma had been crying. "What's going on?"

"Rumpelstiltskin told us that Graham's still alive," Charming told him.

"The former sheriff?" August asked.

They all nodded.

August looked from one person to the next, but it wasn't until he stopped on Snow that it clicked. "Oh," he said. "He wasn't only your boss; you had feelings for him."

Emma looked over at her son. Her precious son she had made with Graham. He was going to have to know, and that day was going to be today after all. "I didn't just have feelings," Emma said. "I borne him a child."

"Me?" Henry asked. "But I thought..."

"I know what you thought," Emma replied.

"But you said my father was a fire fighter," Henry replied.

"I know what I told you, Henry," Emma replied, "but apparently, it is the truth. When I asked the Blue Fairy, she told me she remembered Regina letting Graham out of town to do some work, but it had stopped after I had just gotten pregnant with you. Until the curse was broken, I hadn't remembered that."

"Explains why I've been drawn to him my entire life," Henry replied. "You weren't meant to be part of the curse."

"Rumpelstiltskin put ramifications on the curse," Emma replied. "I have no idea how many."

"Probably a lot," Charming replied.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Snow said. "But Regina's smart enough to find a way around it. Regina would've wanted everyone not associated the Enchanted Forest to not remember Storybrooke or any of its residence."

"Like how I didn't remember Graham," Emma replied.

"Exactly," Snow replied. "But we don't know if he remembers now or not-"

"Because the curse is broken and magic is different here than it is in the Enchanted Forest," August replied.

Charming look at his wife. "That could be why your step-mother doesn't have her powers back," he said.

"Small blessing," Emma muttered. "If we want to get home, we need to find Baelfire."

"Baelfire?" August asked wondering why that name sounded familiar to him.

"Rumpelstiltskin's son," Emma answered.

"The whole reason why the curse was created in the first place," Henry put in.

"Where do we start?" August asked.

"After everything you've done," Charming replied," why should we let you help?"

"Because I broke my promise to my father when I knew better than to be tempted," August replied. "If this will set the scale straight, then I will gladly do it."

"But first you need to go see your father," Henry replied.

"But..." August replied after he stared at Henry's reply.

"He would still want to see you," Charming replied knowing he'd need to take point on this issue. "After not remembering you for twenty-eight years, he would still want to see you whether you've been a good boy or not." He looked at Emma. "Son, I know what I've talking about. Go talk to your father."

August nodded. "Where would I find him?" he asked.

"He'd be at his work shop or at Dr. Hopper's practice," Henry stated.

August sighed. "Okay," he said as he walked out of the sheriff's station.

"Nice speech," Emma replied.

"That's normally your mother's territory," Charming replied. "I'm normally the one who is ready for a battle when it's needed." He looked over at Snow and smiled.

"That was good," Snow said. "It was exactly what he needed to hear."

"You think he will go see Gepetto?" Henry asked his grandmother.

"Yes, I do," she said.