Love [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #4]

32 - Poor Unfortunate Soul

Mr Gold walked into the cabin where Maleficent, Cruella and Regina were watching August who was still tied up.

"Hello, dearies," Mr Gold said as he closed the door behind him.

"Where's Phinia?" Regina asked.

"She's gone," August glanced at him worriedly, "She's dead," Mr Gold said.

"What?" Regina asked.

"She couldn't be trusted, she married the pirate and he's close with the youngest Saviour," Mr Gold said and Regina tried to keep calm.

"Tell us... Did you find anything at the puppet's trailer?" Cruella asked.

Mr Gold chuckled, "Of course not, I didn't even look, just killed Delphinia there," August looked at him with eyes wide, "The man's a born liar. He would never have cracked so easily. After the end of the High Enchantress, I paid a visit to the fairies. Or rather, a visit to their ample supply of magic," He pulled out a small potion vial, "Now, this potion can temporarily reverse any spell those do-gooders cast. They made him real. This can undo that. I promise you, deary... This is gonna hurt," He removed August's gag and forced him to drink the potion, and very slowly August turned back into wood, "Now... Let's see if we can pull this puppet's strings," Mr Gold said.

Elsewhere, the Charming family pulled up before a bridge in the cars and they all got out and began walking away heading in the direction of the cabin.

"My father's cabin's up ahead. We go on foot from here," Neal said.

"Anything from Hook and Del? Think they managed to turn Ursula yet?" Mary Margaret said.

"If she hasn't turned them," David said.

"Really? We're thinking that now?" Alana asked.

"Well, he kind of went to a dark place this morning," David said.

"Do you blame him? If Gold did to me what he did to Killian, I'd want to shove that dagger through his heart, too. If Gold turned on Neal like he did Amy and try to kill him, I'd want him dead as well," Alana said.

"Alana, that's not you. You're not..." Mary Margaret said.

"It's also not Killian," Alana interrupted, "Relax. I'm just saying I understand where he was coming from... He was without Amy for 2 days because of villains, Neal was missing because of Zelena for weeks, I think I get how Killian felt a little more than you," Alana said.

"She's got a point," Emma said.

"My father might not hurt a kid, but August? Who knows what he'll do to him... We should get going," Neal said.

At the cabin, Mr Gold, Regina and the two Queens of Darkness were still in the cabin. August was completely wood again, having gone through the painful transformation. August turned back into a man again.

"When you said it was temporary, you weren't kidding, were you, darling?" Cruella said.

Mr Gold walked up to August, "You see, you may no longer look like the puppet you once were, but it matters not. That potion you just drank has activated that... Built-in lie detector of yours," Mr Gold said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," August said and he groaned as his nose started to grow.

Mr Gold chuckled, "Excellent. The next lie is gonna hurt," He forced August towards the fire and dangled his nose in it, August was clearly in pain, "What do you know about The Author?" Mr Gold said.

"I already told you everything," August said but he lied and his nose grew once again. He grunted in pain as his nose got closer to the fire.

Mr Gold smirked, "Try again, dearie. Where is he?" Mr Gold asked.