The next morning, Emma and I walked into the apartment and saw David getting breakfast ready for Mary Margaret.
"Breakfast in bed? Seriously?" Emma asked.
"What happened has been really hard on Mary Margaret. The least we can do is make sure she eats." David replied.
"I think it's time to give the hot cocoa and the foot massages a rest. It's time to haul her ass out of bed and get her to move past this." Emma said.
"That's a little harsh, don't you think? She took Cora's life." David said.
"Is everything okay?" Henry asked.
"Everything's fine, kid. Get your coat. We're gonna be late." Emma replied.
"Bye, gramps." Henry said.
"I know you think that she needs our help. But at the end of the day, she's the only one who can help herself." Emma said before her and Henry left.
"Emma's right, dad. But I also think that we give mom time before rushing anything." I said.
David gave me a smile before I gave him a hug and heading out. Somehow, Henry talked me into meeting them at Granny's Inn, where Neal is staying, so we could talk about the book. This kid knows that I'll do anything for him, and that's the only reason why I'm going.
"You actually came." Henry called out when he saw me.
"Well, of course, I came. You wanted me to and I never disappoint." I laughed.
Henry laughed as well before giving me a hug. I hugged him back and all of us headed inside.
"Hey, buddy! How are you?" Neal asked as he and Henry hugged.
"I'm good. I brought this. I thought you could tell me what it was really like over there." Henry replied as he showed Neal the book.
"Sounds great. I'll tell you what. Why don't you run to the diner, get us four hot cocoas, and we'll dive in?" Neal asked.
Henry took the money and went to get the drinks, but I could tell that there was something else that needed to be said.
"I'm gonna have to take a rain check. I need to get down to the station to take care of some things." Emma said.
"Hey, can it wait? There's a couple of things I wanna talk to you about." Neal said.
Emma looked at me and I nodded my head because Neal seems kind of nervous.
"Tamara went to my place to get some of her stuff." Neal said.
"Okay." Emma said.
I hope that's not all he was going to tell us.
"All her bags were in the storage room, but Hook wasn't." Neal said.
"Lucky." I said.
"Yeah, but now he's out there." Neal said.
"I'm not sure how much trouble he can cause anyway." Emma said.
"The second… thing I wanna talk to you about is the reason Tamara was getting her stuff is that she's on her way here." Neal said.
"Here? As in Storybrooke?" I asked.
He can't be serious right now. Can he?
"Yeah, she should be here at Granny's any minute now." Neal replied.
"What are you thinking?" Emma asked.
"What do you mean?" Neal asked.
"I mean, what are you gonna tell her when she sees a giant or a werewolf run past her on Main Street?" Emma started.
"Between Greg Mendell, our food-obsessed tourist, and now your fiancé, this town is turning into a theme park." I finished.
"Maybe I didn't think this all the way through. I'm sorry. I just… I need her. I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean it to…" Neal sighed.
"Don't need to apologize to me. I'm not the one you're lying to." Emma said.
"Who's lying?" Neal asked.
"Does she know who you really are and where you're really from? Take my advice. Don't let her find out on her own. Tell her the truth. Tell her everything." I replied.
Neal's phone then beeped and he pulled it out.
"It's her. She's ten minutes away. Why don't both of you stay and get to know her?" Neal asked.
"We really should be going." Emma replied.
"I know, but we're all connected now. It might be nice for you two to talk. Just… stay and say hello. She's bringing bagels." Neal said.
I couldn't help the giggle that left my lips because Neal was practically begging Emma to stay. I get why he's doing it, but Emma needs to do this on her own. Henry soon rejoined us and Tamara wasn't too far behind. Neal introduced us and I've got a bad feeling about her. I can't place it, but something is off with her.
"So how'd you guys meet?" Henry asked.
I could tell that Neal didn't want any of us to hear the story, but I'm also curious.
"Um… well, I was super late to work, rushing like crazy, guzzling my giant coffee, when this guy crashed into me. My coffee soaked my blouse. There was no time to change, so Neal gave me his scarf to hide the stains. And he said I could keep it or call him if I wanted to return it. I decided to call, and, well, we've been together ever since." Tamara replied.
"Sounds like fate." I said.
"We've gotta drop Henry off with his grandpa. Thanks for the bagel." Emma said.
"It was nice meeting you, Tamara." Henry said.
"You too." Tamara said.
"Here you go, man." Neal said as he tried to give Henry his book back.
"Why don't you hold on to that." Henry said.
"Okay." Neal said.
"It was nice meeting you, Tamara." I said.
"You too." Tamara said.
Emma, Henry, and I left and I hope that Neal tells her the truth before she finds out on her own, and that could be bad.
*With Neal & Tamara*
"Henry seems like a really great kid." Tamara said.
"Yeah." Neal said.
"He has your spirit." Tamara said.
"You think?" Neal asked.
"Yeah." Tamara replied.
"There's something I need to tell you. Here's the thing. I'm, uh… I'm not from here. I'm from a place called The Enchanted Forest. I'm being serious. Here. Go ahead." Neal said before placing the book in Tamara's lap.
"These are… fairy tales." Tamara said as she flipped through the book.
"And they're real. In fact, they're more than real. They're history. They're my history. See this little boy? That's me." Neal said.
"What the hell are you doing?" Tamara asked.
"I'm trying… trying to be honest with you." Neal replied.
"If you wanted to be honest, you would tell me what this is really about. Cute blonde who was just here. Mother of your child? The cute brunette next to her that seemed to be watching everyone's move." Tamara said.
"Emma? Hazelle?" Neal asked.
Neal was trying to figure out what the hell Tamara was talking about.
"I saw the way you and Emma look at each other. I also noticed the way that Hazelle looked at either of you." Tamara replied.
"It's… It's not like that and Hazelle is like my sister." Neal said.
"I think it is. I think it's why you wanted to hide under the table when Henry asked how we met. You didn't want Emma to hear the story. If you wanna be with her, Neal, you could have told me instead of making up crap to force me away." Tamara said.
Neal finally pieced everything together. Tamara thought that he and Emma still wanted to be together. He knew that he needed to fix this, and if he couldn't then he was going to have to ask for help.
"No, no, I… I don't wanna force you away." Neal said.
"Here's the thing, Neal. When you're ready to be honest with me about yourself and your feelings, then come find me." Tamara said before leaving.
*Back to POV*
Emma and I dropped Henry off and headed to meet Mary Margaret at Granny's. She said it was urgent, so we were concerned.
"Hey. What's up? Why the urgent phone call?" Emma asked.
"It's August. I found him." Mary Margaret replied.
"My boy? He's alive?" Marco asked.
"Yes, but… he's completely wooden. He's been living in an abandoned trailer near the toll bridge." Mary Margaret replied.
"What can we do? Can we help him?" I asked.
"No. But I know someone who might. Mother Superior." Mary Margaret replied.
"Yes. Yes, the Blue Fairy. She helped once. She can help again. She must." Marco said.
The three of us headed to see Mother Superior not noticing that someone was listening in. And that someone happened to be Tamara.
We got to Mother Superior, but we weren't expecting what she was going to tell us.
"I know about August. He came to me shortly after the curse broke and asked if I would return him to what he was." Mother Superior told us.
"Why didn't you?" I asked.
"Because what he was is what he is. Do you remember the morning I found you on that beach all those years ago? The day I turned your son into a real boy?" Mother Superior replied before turning to Marco.
"Yes. It was the happiest day of my life." Marco replied.
"I told Pinocchio so long as he remained brave, truthful, and unselfish, he would stay a real boy. But I'm afraid he did not. That is why he changed back. And that's why there's nothing I can do for him." Mother Superior said.
"It's true he's done some things he regrets. We all have. But shouldn't he have another chance?" Mary Margaret argued.
"If there is still a path of redemption for August, it is one that he must travel on his own. No one can force him, or it will not be true." Mother Superior said.
"Don't despair, Marco. I know there's still hope for your son. There has to be." Mary Margaret said.
We went to find August and I could tell that what Mother Superior told us is still weighing heavy on everyone.
"This is all my fault." Marco said.
"Our children make their own decisions, Marco. You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened." Mary Margaret said.
"Yes, I can. And you should blame me, too. The wardrobe I built for you. The one that transported Emma and Alycia to this world… they didn't go alone." Marco said.
"Of course they did. The wardrobe only had enough magic to transport two people." Mary Margaret said.
"No, that was the lie I made the Blue Fairy tell you. It had enough magic to transport three, and it did… your daughters… and my son… Pinocchio." Marco said.
"I could have gone with them? With Emma and Alycia?" Mary Margaret asked.
"There is no apology I could give that could ever make up for what I did. But I am so sorry." Marco said.
Before we knew it, Mary Margaret had slapped Marco.
"Mary Margaret." "Mom." Emma and I said.
"What are you doing? He's apologizing." Emma added.
"No, no, that's okay. I deserve that." Marko said.
"No, that wasn't me. Marco, I am so sorry. I'm not myself. You just made a mistake. I would have done the same thing for my children. I forgive you. You were protecting your son." Mary Margaret said.
"No. I burdened him with a weight no child should have to bear, and I called it love." Marco said.
We then headed towards August's trailer but found it empty. We were on our way back, when Emma's phone rang.
"Emma Swan." Emma said.
"Emma, it's August." August said.
"August." Emma said.
We all stopped and waited to see what he was going to say.
"Listen to me. I have to warn you." August said.
"August… Warn me? Warn me about what?" Emma asked.
We knew something wasn't right and took off towards the station since that's where the call came from. We were joined by David and Henry.
"If August is still at the station, he's not picking up." David said.
"August!" Emma and I yelled as August stumbled out of the station.
We all ran to him and it was a crushing sight.
"Oh! My child. My boy. My boy. What happened to you?" Marco asked as he held August.
"I'm so sorry, papa." August said.
"No. There is nothing to apologize for. Everything is going to be all right." Marco said.
"Emma. Hazelle." August said.
"August." Emma and I said.
August leaned over to us.
"Emma… Hazelle… She's… She…" August went to say but couldn't finish.
My heart broke and I knew that this wasn't over by a long shot.
"Oh, no. Not again." Marco cried.
"August?" Neal asked as he joined us.
"No. It can't end this way. He was supposed to get a second chance." Mary Margaret said.
"What happened?" Neal asked.
"Someone killed him to stop him from telling us something." I started as Emma and I stood up.
"He used his last dying breath to warn us. We will not let that be in vain." Emma finished.
"Brave…truthful…and unselfish. Brave, truthful, and unselfish. Don't you see what this means? That's what Pinocchio was supposed to be. There's still hope. We need the Blue Fairy." Henry said.
"I'm here, Henry." Mother Superior said as she also joined us.
"What does Henry mean?" I asked.
"I was able to turn Pinocchio into a real boy after he sacrificed his life for Marco's. If his actions today were indeed brave, truthful, and unselfish, then you're right. There's a chance I can do it again." Mother Superior replied.
"Please, I beg of you. Try." Marco begged.
Mother Superior did her magic and Pinocchio turned into a real boy. We were all happy. Emma went to ask him if he remembered what he was going to tell us, and that's when I noticed that Tamara had joined us and she had this worried expression on her face. Pinocchio said that he didn't remember, but we were just happy that he was alive. Emma, Henry, and I joined Mary Margaret and David and then we all headed home.
Emma wanted to talk to Henry, so I was gonna head home, but she stopped me and asked me to join them. I moved closer to the staircase and waited to see how this was going to go.
"Henry. We gotta talk. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you about your dad. I'm sorry that I made Hazelle lie to you too. I promise I will never lie to you again. Just don't push me away." Emma said.
"I won't." Henry said before giving her a hug.
They needed that moment, and I'm glad it happened when it did.
"I won't push you away either." Henry said as he turned to me.
"I know you won't, bud." I said as I hugged him.
Henry hugged me back and I could tell that he was happy knowing that we were all better. Emma and Henry headed upstairs, and I went to see our parents.
"I'm gonna head home." I said.
David and Mary Margaret didn't really want me to go but knew that it would be best because all of us couldn't fit in this tiny apartment, at the moment. They hugged me tight and I could tell that all of this has made our family stronger.
Hazelle's Outfit: pin/553731716706657190/