Chapter Ten: 7:15 a.m
.
August tinkered with his motorcycle outside of the Regina's house. Henry walked up to him.
Henry stood by the bike. "What are you doing here?"
August glanced up. "Fixing my bike."
Henry shook his head. "No, I mean in Storybrooke."
August shrugged. "Just visiting."
"What's that?" Henry asked pointing to the wooden case.
"A box," August answered.
Henry studied the box. "What's inside it?"
"Henry!" Regina yelled as she walked briskly down the path from her house. She paused in front of August. "Who are you?" She asked sweetly.
"A writer," August stated simply. He started the motorcycle. "Better get to school, Henry. Looks like a storm's coming." He drove off before either Henry or Regina could say a word.
"How does he know your name?" Regina wondered.
Henry shrugged.
.
Emma and Killian were walking to Granny's when Mr. Gold stopped them.
"I'm not going to take the dagger," he said quickly.
Emma nodded slowly. "Better not. It's seven ten. You meeting Belle or not?"
"I wanted to take to your...friend," Gold said. "I won't kill him, Sheriff Swan."
Emma paused. "Fine." She turned to Killian. "See you at Granny's?"
The pirate nodded. Once Emma had left, Killian faced Gold. "What did you need?"
"You and Miss Swan," Gold began hesitantly, "how does that work?"
Killian raised an eyebrow. "You're asking dating advice from me, your enemy who's a pirate?" At Gold's glare, Killian sighed. "Honesty, compassion, friendship. Emma's got these, these walls I had to get through first, but after that...it was like a jigsaw puzzle, you have to pick the right pieces for it all to fall into place."
Gold nodded distantly. "Thank you for that, now if you'll excuse me, I have a date to get to." He walked off in the direction of Granny's.
.
Mary Margaret rushed into Granny's. "I can't believe I overslept," she muttered.
Emma glanced at her from a table over. "It's only seven thirteen. You've got plenty of time to get coffee before school."
"No, no, no. Me and David meet for breakfast in the morning," her mother explained. "Seven fifteen because, well, you know." She glanced meaningfully at Emma.
"Okay," Emma said as she stared out the window.
Killian ran in. "Sorry, the crocodile decided to as me a very interesting question."
"Rumple?" Belle whispered. She looked at Killian and Emma. "What did he have to ask you?"
Killian was about to answer before the door opened to reveal Mr. Gold. The diner got quiet as he walked to a table.
Belle smiled at him as he sat down. "You did decide to come," she said happily.
Gold nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "I did."
"Hey! New girl!" Someone yelled.
Belle turned swiftly towards the voice. "Me?"
"Yeah, you," the man who yelled for her said. "That's Mr. Gold. You don't want to be seen with him!"
Belle stood angrily. "Who are you to make decisions for me?" She demanded. "I'll be seen with who I want, thank you very much."
"What's your name, new girl?" The man asked.
"Lacey," Belle answered promptly.
"Well, Lacey," the man said. "If you don't want your first impression ruined, I suggest you-"
"Stop!" Emma screamed. She walked over to the man. "I'm the sheriff and I can lock you up faster than you can finish that threat!" She told him. "Leave Lacey alone."
"But not Gold?" The man leered.
Emma smirked. "I may turn a blind eye to anything Gold does to you if you don't leave him alone. I not really that concerned about him. He can definitely take care of himself. You know, with that cane and all..." She left the sentence hanging.
"I'm sorry," Gold whispered to Belle. "I can go if you want." He got up to leave.
"No," Belle said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back. "Stay." Her eyes widened in alarm. "Look out!" She cried.
The man's fist smashed against Gold's jaw.
Emma took the dagger out, and with surprising speed, sliced through the air and cut the man's arm, then stowed it away in its sheath. All done before anyone could even glance at the dagger's design, preventing them from seeing the name.
The man howled in pain. The whole diner was silent until the door jingled open.
David froze at the sight before him. "Did I miss something?" He asked as he walked slowly to Mary Margaret's booth.
Emma smiled cheerfully. "Nope," she said popping the 'p'. She took out some handcuffs. Turning to the man clutching his arm in pain she said sickly sweet. "You are under arrest." She clipped the handcuffs onto his wrists, but tied him to an empty chair. "I want to finish breakfast with Killian first though, so I hope you aren't in too much pain." She plopped back down.
Belle had bitten her lip to keep from laughing. "I'm sorry about all the violence," she said to Gold. "I really didn't expect this reaction from anyone, but we should get you to the hospital," she said nodding to Gold's jaw. Belle grabbed the two coffee's and handed a small handful of crumpled bill's to Ruby. "Keep the change."
On the way to the hospital, Gold sighed. "I'm sorry, Belle. I shouldn't have come. I've messed up your reputation now and-"
Belle shushed him. "No," she said firmly. "I'm glad you came. I just wish that man hadn't done anything to you." She squeezed his hand. "Rumple, I guess if we're playing the blame game, it's my fault. I asked you to come to Granny's, and you did. I should have thought it through a bit more."
When they reached the hospital, Dr. Whale greeted them. "What can I do for you today?"
"My jaw," Gold gritted.
Belle quickly took over. "Breakfast at Granny's didn't go over so well with someone, so he punched Mr. Gold in the jaw."
"Gold didn't do anything?" Whale questioned as he took them to a room.
"If I wanted therapy, I would have gone to Dr. Hopper's," Gold said annoyed.
Belle laughed forcefully and took over again. "If you count just showing up for breakfast as doing something, than yes, but otherwise, no."
"Well, it seems like it's just a dislocated jaw," Whale said. "Let me go get someone to fix that right up." He left the room in a hurry.
"Isn't he the doctor?" Belle asked confused.
"Probably doesn't want me to get...upset with him if he doesn't do it right."
"Probably?"
"Definitely."
.
Emma loaded storm supplies into the trunk of her squad car. Regina walked up to her.
Emma grinned up at her. "If you're looking to blame me for the storm, I think you're taking things a bit far now," she joked.
Regina rolled her eyes. "I need you to look into something, Sheriff. Someone's in town – someone new."
Emma raise her eyebrows. "Yeah, I know. August. I gave him directions to Granny's the other night."
Regina shook her head. "He knew Henry's name. Did you give it to him last night?"
"No," Emma said slowly. "He knew mine too, you know. He might have known it because he was suppose to watch out for me, but he didn't say it last time." She shrugged. "Did he come back too then?"
"It's possible," Regina admitted. "But didn't Greg and Tamara kill him?"
"Killian died and he's back," Emma countered. "But how could August come back? The only people that have come back are the one's there that night."
"Plus Belle," Regina noted.
"True love?" Emma suggested. "Gold's coming back is bringing her back because they do love each other?"
Regina contemplated that. "Maybe. So," she said changing the subject, "how did the date go?"
Emma sighed. "You don't want to know."
"That bad? No show?"
"I wish," Emma muttered. "This guy yelled at Belle to stay away from Gold. She got mad, so the guy got mad and punched Gold's jaw. I arrested him and threatened to turn a blind eye to whatever Gold does to him."
Regina whistled. "Impressive first date for Gold then."
"Disastrous, you mean?" Emma corrected.
"Same thing."
"Anyway's I'm going to look into August," Emma continued. "See you later."
.
"Better?" Belle asked as the doctor left.
Gold touched his jaw. "Loads."
Belle took his hand and leaned into him. "You know, this wasn't the morning I had expected, but it was better. Aside from someone dislocating your jaw," she laughed.
Gold nodded. It had truly been an eventful morning.
Belle pulled back and looked into Gold's eyes. Hesitantly, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. A wave of magic surged through the room and out across Storybrooke.
.
On her way to the car door, Emma nearly topped into Regina. "What the hell was that?" Emma asked looking around.
Regina bit her lip. "True love's kiss," she whispered.
All the color drained from Emma's face. "The curse," she whispered. "Is it broken?"
.
Belle pulled away. "No going to throw me out again are you?" She teased.
Gold stared into her eyes. "No," he answered distantly. "Never again." He stood suddenly. "Belle, I need to see Miss Swan."
Belle bit back a grin. "Why?"
.
"Emma!" Belle yelled as she and Gold raced through the windy streets. Heavy rain stated to fall. "Emma!"
Emma pulled her car over. She got out and waved them over to a small alcove. "Yeah?" She asked.
Belle shivered. "R-r-r-rump-p-ple n-needs t-t-to talk t-to you," she said through chattering teeth. "I th-think he's b-back."
Emma waved her hand discreetly and warmed them all up.
"Miss Swan," Gold began, "you know about the dagger and my name how? Surely Henry's book couldn't have convinced you."
"I've already live this once," Emma answered cautiously.
Gold sighed in relief. "Oh, good," he said. "Because I'm back." Seeing Emma's 'prove it' look, he continued, "You have just stabbed the pirate with Excalibur, and I..." He trailed off looking at Belle.
She sighed. "I already know," Belle said disappointedly. "Carry on."
"I'm the Dark One again," he stated. "And you wanted help to go to the underworld to save your own Prince Charming. Not your father," he explained, "the pirate."
Emma sighed. "So I'm assuming the burst of magic was true love's kiss bringing you back?"
Belle flushed. "I suppose it did bring him back."
"Regina is going to die when she finds out Robin's the only one not back," Emma muttered.
"Huh?" Gold asked.
"Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Killian, Belle, and I are all back from the future," Emma explained. "Henry's off and on, and now you're back. Robin's the only one who hasn't returned." She started to head back to her car. "I'll see you two around then? We're meeting at Regina's now to work out how to get Robin over here." She drove off.
.
Emma walked into Granny's Diner to get out of the storm. She saw the August sitting at one of the booths by himself, with the box from the back of his motorcycle sitting under the table.
Emma sat down with him. "We need to talk," she whispered.
"Why?" August asked smugly.
Emma tilted her head at his tone. "Because you're suspicious."
August raised an eyebrow. "Sitting here, out in the open, drinking coffee," he gestured around. "I wonder what kind of hell I would've raised had I ordered a donut."
"How do you know Henry's name?" Emma questioned. "And mine?"
"I think you know the answer," August said pointedly looking at his box.
Emma smiled sarcastically. "Yeah, no, I really don't know."
August leaned across the table. "I read them." He leaned back.
"You read them?" Emma asked curiously. "Where?"
"A book." August smirked at Emma. "Where else?"
Emma sighed in frustration. "Your mysterious box – what's in it?" She tried.
August just smiled. "It's awfully frustrating not knowing, isn't it?" He stared at her. "You really want to know what's inside it, don't you? I'm going to make you wait," he told her. "You're going to have to wait a long time and watch me carry it around. Hauling it to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment, the mystery will become more tantalizing. Your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration. Never knowing – only guessing – what could possibly be inside that box? Or, you could let me buy you a drink sometime and I'll tell you right now."
"Okay. A drink it is," Emma said.
August took the box from underneath the booth and put it on the table. He unlocked it and opened it up to reveal a typewriter.
"Really?" Emma questioned him. "I'm not stupid. Open it the other way."
"Smart girl," August complemented. He closed the box and flipped it over. This time when he opened it, a book similar to Henry's appeared.
"That's Henry's book," Emma said slowly.
"No," August corrected. "It's different. Open it. It's about Rumplestiltskin, Belle, Regina, You, Killian, Snow White, Prince Charming, Henry, and Robin Hood. More specifically, your lives before certain events pulled you all back." He handed her the book. "And that's how I know."
Emma took the book. "Thanks," she said shakily. She stood and left.
.
Emma dropped the book onto Regina's dinning room table. "Another book," she said.
"Like my book?" Henry asked.
"Similar," Emma said as she flipped the book open. "Look, it starts with the day Henry came to find me," she flipped through more pages, "to when I broke the curse. From there it goes from then to Neverland, and Zelena, and Elsa and Ingrid, and the author, and then finally," Emma flipped to the last page, "Killian's death and us walking to the ferry to the underworld."
Regina looked at the last page. "With no clue as to how we got here? It just says..."
"'Hook, I will find you'," Emma recited. "'I will always find you.' The last words I said before we ended up here."
"Isn't that-" Henry began.
"What my parents say?" Emma finished. She smiled tearfully. "Yeah."
Killian squeezed her hand. "Didn't know you cared that much."
Emma blinked rapidly. "Yeah, well, now you do." She sat down in a chair.
"Does it say how to get Robin back?" Regina demanded.
Emma shook her head. "Our best bet is using Jefferson's hat."
"I'm sorry, what?" Gold asked confused.
"We are going to take Graham through the hat and get Robin," Mary Margaret explained. "And leave Graham in the forest to fend for himself." She glared at Regina and Emma. "I still don't like this plan."
A/N: Oh my! What a horrible date! Awww, but true love's kiss brought Rumple back. How sweet.
Did the line Emma says at the end of 'Swan Song' make anyone else tear up? "Hook, I will find you. I will always find you." Just like Snow and Charming! *wails like a baby* It's almost as sad as "'Always,' said Snape" from Harry Potter.
So are they going through with this plot to get Robin which will involve Graham getting stuck in the forest? Find out in Chapter Seventeen: Hat Trick.
The curse is not broken. I told you it won't happen until Chapter Twenty-two: A Land Without Magic. The true love's kiss was simply bringing Rumple back. I admit, I considered it. Ending the curse, but then I decided not to.
August did not come back as I said. He merely had resources and used them. If you look at the actual episode, you will notice August opened the box upside down. So why is that? Is it possible because he had a secret compartment in the top? That is why I made it so the book appeared in the secret compartment.
The book, if I've not made it clear is like Henry's book about the fairytales, but this book has the recording of basically from Season 1 to the point where they go to the underworld, or where they disappeared to come to the beginning of Season 1.
Oh man, I'm writing this just after I looked at the script for 01x11 and it ain't pretty. The episode focuses on Emma and Sidney trying to rat out Regina, which, of course, isn't happening this time! It's times like these when you wish you weren't writing this. I'm not going to quit.