The Father

Working to make Emma believe was like taking a chisel to a steel wall: now and then he would cause a spark, but it was brief and quickly gone again to be replaced by stubborn resistance. At least he was finally spending time with her. Gaining her trust, forming the bond that should've been built years ago. It would never make up for what he missed, but he had these present moments.

August woke with a shooting pain in his leg. His condition was getting worse, eating away what little time he had left. So much for enjoying the moments.

It was far too easy for him to make his next move. He knew he was being watched, knew how his actions would be perceived by certain curious eyes. When a person grew curious, they became less cautious. When they were desperate, they ignored reason. Both working at once was just the combination August needed. Yet he couldn't deny that this made him ache with longing. This lie was the closest he would ever come…

"Oh, hello." The woman's voice sounded surprised when she spotted him. August lifted his head to look at her, only to look away in the next moment. "You're that writer, aren't you?"

"Yes." His eyes moved to her face and swallowed. That gentle smile, the kindness in her eyes… He remembered it all so well. "I was just passing by."

"If you have something on your mind, you're welcome to speak." She reached out and touched his arm gently. Of course she'd be able to see right through him, even with a curse getting in the way.

"It's just… my father. I haven't seen him in a very long time, and I recently found him again here in town." The truth felt strange on his tongue, foreign. And once it started it all flowed out, all the words he was holding back before. "It was a difficult parting, and years passed since then. I haven't approached him yet."

"Whatever has happened in the past, he's still your father. You should try to reunite with him. The two of you can work through your difficulties together. Just be honest." She squeezed his hands gently. That simple advice hit him harder than he expected. Everything he said was true, and yet was covered by a layer of deceit. It came without a second thought, even around her.

"I will," he promised her; that was another lie. He walked away, knowing who was watching the whole time and what they would interpret from the conversation.

That night he stood waiting, listening to the crickets chirping. They told him that the Dark One was coming… They encouraged him to be brave. August wasn't sure if what he was about to do would be considered brave or not, but he appreciated their support all the same.

"I know who you are." He turned at the voice, facing Gold with a steady expression. "And why you've come to Storybrooke."

"Well, then, I guess all the lies can finally stop…" August paused and then gave this desperate man the one word he longed for more than anything, the one word August would never get to say and mean it: "Papa."

The deception was for both of them. Neither would ever truly reunite with the one they longed for, so they welcomed the lie instead.