Neal paces back and forth in his motel room. He'd called August more than a day ago and was still waiting for him to call to tell him he was on his way.

August was actually originally a friend of Emma's. He had been the one who found Emma after she had been abandoned on the side of the road. Both were orphans "allegedly" and grew up together, often being handed from foster home to foster home. The two bonded, looking out for one another and considered themselves brother and sister. However, when her "brother" turned eighteen, he moved out into the world on his own, promising his "sister" that once he had found a place to live, he'd take her in. That did not happen however for reasons that only he knew, leaving a young Emma betrayed and without hope for finally escaping the foster system. August went on to study to become a private investigator and managed to track down his real father, a carpenter in a small town in Wisconsin. Apparently, there was a huge complicated issue that arose; his parents had split up while his mother was still pregnant with him. Why that was, he never knew because his mother was in a terrible car accident after he was born. She tragically died, leaving her son in the tiny apartment alone. He was only discovered a day later by neighbours because of his crying. Since the courts had no way to track down his father, he was thrown into the foster system. August ended up running away, much like Emma did when he was young and found a crying baby by the side of the road. Knowing he could not care for a baby or leave her there, he went back to the orphanage.

Neal and Emma both met August by chance a few years back. She was still very upset about what her "brother" had done, breaking his promise like that, but August apologized and he hit it off with Neal. Emma reluctantly went along with their friendship and still did not particularly like August, until he offered to her to find her real parents. Once he had become a private investigator, he thought he should make it up to Emma to find her real parents like he found his. His former sister refused outright, not wanting to open up that old wound, but she was slightly impressed that her surrogate brother was willing to find her birth parents. The two had mutual respect after that, not much else. August and Neal both stayed in touch even after the latter left his family, but the two had drifted apart and lost contact until now. Neal knew that August would do anything to help find Emma, so he called him to help. Sometimes the police are not enough.

Neal lays on the bed he'd been sleeping for the past week and a half. He should have anticipated that his stay would be much longer, but his fiancée… not so much. Tamara called him every night and asked if he was coming home soon. She only asked about Emma once, the first night, the rest was all groveled about how she missed him and that the apartment was not the same without him. She also told him about wedding plans and she did want him to be present for at least some of them.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but everything's just a mess and I can't leave…"

"But I really miss you," she says in an almost whining voice.

"I miss you too, but I need to be here for Henry, that's what Emma would want."

"And you're sure she didn't run off?" Tamara asks skeptically.

Neal swallows an angry lump in his throat. "No, Emma would never leave Henry behind. I might've, but not her."

"Okay, well can you give me a window of time of when you might be back?"

"I can't say, Tammy, just try to understand…"

"I'm trying baby I really am, it's just not the same without you around to hold me."

"Hopefully it will go by faster than you think. I've hired August to help with the investigation."

"You mean August, the private investigator?"

"Yes."

"Who was Emma's friend?"

"Yes."

"And how long has it been since you've talked to him."

Neal grimaces. "A year."

"I hope you know what you're doing,"

"I do…" I think!

Suddenly Neal's phone beeps, indicating another call.

"I need to go, Sweetheart, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay…" Tamara sighs before she hangs up. He can hear the sadness in her voice.

Neal switches callers.

"Hello?"

"Neal, it's August,"

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm about an hour away from Boston, traffic is horrendous right now."

"Okay, well I'll give you the address of where to meet me, I figured you need a cup of coffee."

"I do, also you need to gather as much information as you can so I have something to work with when I get there."

"I will," Neal says.

"I'll see you later," August says before hanging up.

Neal hangs up his phone and begins to scroll through it to pass the time. He looks through his photos. Most of them are of Tamara and him, especially the ones after their engagement; there are a few photos of him with various clients from the auto dealership, as well as at his grand opening. He goes about three years back where he finds the photos of Emma, Henry and him. Neal swallows a large lump in his throat as he looks at what used to be. Happy and smiling faces; the time he and Henry had a water balloon fight in the apartment parking lot, him and Emma toasting in the new year with glasses of wine, her engagement ring still prominent on her finger. A trip to an amusement park, with him and Henry in bumper cars and the three of them on a Ferris Wheel and a few other nice, happy family photos.

Neal fights back some of his tears, holding the phone to his chest as if this will make him closer to his ex-fiancée and son. He messed up big time and he was likely to pay for it the rest of his life. Emma had definitely moved on with her life, and so had he… mostly. He still thought of what might've been. Would he and Emma have bought a house in the suburbs? Married in a civil ceremony with a few friends? Watch as Henry graduated high school and went off to college? Would they grow old together?

Now it seemed like he would never know.

For some strange reason, Neal's finger dials his son's new cell phone number. His thumb hesitates over the call button.

"Hello?"

"Hey buddy,"

"Dad?"

"Yeah, how are you?"

"I'm fine I guess."

"Where are you right now?"

"At home, doing algebra."

"Oh, that was never my favourite either."

There's a pause.

"We just came back from moving the camp bed into the apartment. Killian will be released from the hospital in the next few days."

"Oh right, how is he doing?"

"He's sad… and upset that he did something so stupid."

"It was kind of stupid, but I would've done the same thing."

"You would?"

"If I was still with your mom, I might be on a boat to China right now."

There's another pause.

"Who's with you right now?"

"Mary Margret and Regina. Ruby left a couple hours ago."

"Well I'm glad she's gone; my jaw is not completely healed from our last encounter."

"I still can't believe she did that to you," Henry says sympathetically.

"I don't blame her… after what I did to you guys."

This pause is the longest yet. Neither of them knows what to say, but what can one really say to a father who walked out on you three years ago and you mother is missing, abducted by a maniac...

"M-Maybe you can help me with this question," Henry suggests. "Mary Margret's asleep and Regina's watching Suits and I don't want to disturb her. She's also not really happy about having to move in her for the next few weeks."

"Right, okay I'll warn you now, I was never good at algebra,"

Neal and Henry spend the next little while talking about homework and school. Henry does not mention his crush on Violet, but they just talk in general. It's almost like they were recapturing some of the lost time.

When Neal checks the clock radio on his nightstand he realizes he's late to his meeting with August.

"Oh shit! Sorry, Henry."

"It's okay Dad, Mom's used a lot worse in the past."

"Yeah, she does have quite a mouth sometimes."

The two laugh a little before the crushing reality of where Emma was cut it short.

"I have to go Henry; I'll hopefully see you tomorrow."

"O-Okay Dad, bye."

Neal hangs up quickly, pulls on his jacket and rushes out the door.

He drives to the address he'd given August, a small café not far from the motel. He walks in and sees a man with dark brown hair, a beard and blue eyes sitting in a corner booth, looking at a menu. He wears a dark leather jacket, biker pants and thick leather boots, which seem to anchor the man to the ground. Neal walks over to join him.

"You're late," August says with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Sorry, I was talking with Henry and I lost track of time."

"How is the kid doing?"

"As good as a kid whose mother has been abducted by a monster."

"Right," August says, taking out a notepad and paper. Neal could see there were tons of sticky notes in it and pages upon pages of handwritten notes.

"Most people like to type things these days, but I still find handwriting the evidence very useful," August says, mostly to himself.

Neal nods.

"So I heard some segment on what happened on the news. I was so shocked. I wanted to come to Boston as soon as possible, but some stupid divorce case got in the way. One spouse wanted me to spy on the other to get any dirt on them. Anyways, not important, tell me what happened."

"Would you folks like something to drink?" A pretty blonde waitress with the nametag saying Abigail and gold accessories all over, including a gold nose ring stares at them.

"Just coffee for me please," Neal says.

"I'd like a coffee and a small cup of soup, please," August says.

"Coming right up."

"Okay," August says. "Tell me what happened."

Neal spends the next hour telling August everything over drinks, from the girls' night out to the evidence from Emma's phone to the new witness. August writes everything down frantically, circling a few things and underlining others and Neal could assume that he had questions or thought something might be important later. When Neal is done, August leans back.

"This will probably be my hardest case yet," the private investigator says.

"So you'll help?" Neal asks.

"Of course," August says. His eyes become watery. "I owe a lot to Emma and I know I can't ever make up for the promise I broke."

"Join the club brother," Neal mutters.

"When did you get back into town?"

"More than a week ago."

"Everyone else hates you?"

"Pretty much."

"That sucks bro, at least Henry still likes you."

"I'm not sure he does either, he actually treats me with kindness if that's what you mean."

August reaches over and pats Neal on the shoulder.

"We all make bad mistakes Neal, ones that hurt others. The only thing we can do now is to try to heal those wounds and it starts by finding Emma."

The two men pay for their food and walk outside. August goes over to where his motorcycle is parked.

"Is there a good motel around here?" August asks. "I'll need the space to gather evidence and lay out my notes."

"I'm staying at one, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"I'll find a place nearby," August shrugs. "Either that or I sleep on a park bench. I'm used to sleeping in weird places. I slept on someone's fire escape once."

"That's great August," Neal says. He reaches out to shake his hand.

"I'll work hard I promise," August says, accepting Neal's hand and then puts his helmet on. "We'll find Emma, don't worry."

"I wish I had your confidence," Neal says to himself as August revs the engine of his motorcycle and disappear into the Boston city streets.

Here's the next chapter, fortunately, it's a little longer. Thank you for the support and the reviews