Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 115 - Dear Old Dad

August rested his head on his arm, lying on his desk in his room in Granny's Bed and Breakfast, brushing his fingertips off the solf fabric of a little red hat in front of him, staring at it sadly with his bright blue eyes.
He then sat up straight leaning against the chair and picked up the vintage style telephone, dialing some numbers on it. He held the phone up to his ear and waited for a moment.
"Mr. Gold?" he said. "We need to meet. It's about Emma. There's a.......problem." he listened to Mr. Gold on the other end of the line. "Umm-hmm." he put the phone down and got to his feet, taking his leather jacket from the back of his chair and pulling it over his shoulders. He walked to the door and stopped when he touched the doorknob. He bent down in pain, then winced, stumbling back onto a basket in front of his bed. He winced and gasped in pain, holding his left leg. Then he pulled up his black jeans by his boots to reveal a solid, wooden leg. He winced and gasped in pain as he locked down at his leg.

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The children ran and played around the school yard, saying goodbye to their parents and skipping into the school. Mary Margaret stood in the middle of the playground, staring around in happiness and joy at the cheerful little faces of the children playing, beaming.
"Miss. Blanchard." said Regina's voice from behind her.
She turned around to see her walking quickly towards her.
"I see you're back." said Regina.
"Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Everything worked out."
She sighed and looked around the playground, searching with her dark eyes. "Henry forgot his lunch. Have you seen him?"
"He's with his mother."
Regina stared at her. "Miss. Blanchard, is there a problem?"
"Not anymore." she smiled. "Though someone did go to a lot of trouble to make it look like I had done something horrible. But they failed."
"Yes. Sidney Glass. Who's safely incarcerated."
"If it was Sidney."
"Well ask your roommate. He confessed."
"Of course he did." Mary Margaret stared at Regina."Are you insinuating something?"
"Yes, I am........ But I forgive you. Even if you can't admit what you did, I forgive you anyway...... Your life must be filed with such incredible loneliness if your only joy comes from destroying everyone else's happiness....."
Regina listened to each and every word Mary Margaret said, taking them heavily.
".......It's so sad, Mayor Mills, because despite what you think, it won't make you happy...... It's only going to leave a giant hole in your heart." she smiled pitifully and pointed to behind Regina. "There's Henry now." she turned and walked away.
Regina stood in the middle of the playground, glaring at Mary Margaret as she walked into the school.
Henry walked towards her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
She cleared her throat and held up a lunchbox. "You forgot your lunchbox."
"Thanks." he took it from her.
Regina put her arms on his shoulder and walked him to a bench near by. "Henry, it's time for a change."
He sat down next to her and listened.
"I think it's time to transfer you to a new class with a new teacher."
"Why do you want me out of Miss. Blanchard's class? Is it because you framed her?"
"Henry!" she looked at him. "Do you really think I'm capable of doing something so horrible?"
"Of course. You're the Evil Queen."
"Enough. Those fairy tales are not real. Miss. Blanchard should never have given you that book. She should be greatful in not trying to get her fired."
He stood up. "Go ahead and try. It won't work. No matter what you do, Snow White will have her happy ending. She and Prince Charming will be together. The curse will end. Good will win." he stared at her. "And I'm not transferring classes." he added and walked away.

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The door of Mr. Gold's pawn shop giggled as August stepped inside.
"Ah, Mr. Booth, I'll be with you in a moment." he said as Marco stood on the other side of the counter, examining a clock. "On second thought, tell me, as one admire of antiquities to another, do you think it's worth my while having this clock repaired?"
Marco stepped away from the blue and brown wooden, miniature clock tower so that August could see it.
August stared at Marco in shock nnd surprised, at loss at what to do or say, as he pretended to look at the clock.
Marco and Mr. Gold looked inquiringly at him.
Mr. Gold smiled. "I'll take your silence as a yes then."
"You know I'm very busy right now, ans I'm just a one-man shop........" Marco said to Mr. Gold.
August turned away, sadly, shocked. He bright blue eyes wide.
"........But I'll get to the clock as fast as I can."
"I wouldn't ask for anything more."
Marco picked up the clock and walked to the door of the shop. "Good day." he said as he passed August.
"How are you?" he stammered awkwardly and Marco stepped put of the shop.
August watched him go down the street through the window.
"First time seeing dear old dad since you arrived in Storybrooke?"
August turned to Mr. Gold, out of his daze. "I'm.....I'm sorry......." he stared at him.
"You know, what surprises me is, why a man who claims to be at death's door can't even being himself to day hello to his father? What are you afraid of?"
"That's......my business."
"Oh." he smiled. "Fair enough. Let's talk about ours. You claim to be the only person who could make Miss. Swan believe. That you could get her to do exactly what she was brought here to do. ........"
August stepped closer to the counter.
".....And yet, for a man who's running out of time, you don't seem to be in much of a hurry."
"It's not me slowing us down. It's her. All she can think about right now is getting custody of her kid."
"Sounds like Sherif Swan needs a course correction."
"She coming to you for legal advice."
"And you want me to steer her toward you."
"I can get her there. To believing. Trust me."
Mr. Gold laughed and August looked at him, confused.
"I'm sorry. It's just knowing who you are and your nature......trust is a big ask." he walked along the counter. "Fear not. A gentle nudge I shall provide." qnd with that he walked to the back of the shop.

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Pinocchio stood in the workshop, trying to fix the inside of a beautiful, miniature clock.
Geppetto walked towards him. "Align the gear on the spindle....." he said, examining the clock he was fixing.
Pinocchio did that.
"......Now press the spring."
He pressed the spring and clock work behan to move inside, ticking.
"Ohh! Good work. You fixed it, eh? Bravo."
Suddenly where the coo-coo bird was supposed to peek from, Jiminy Cricket appeared, tying inside. "Ahh!" he said, trying to break free.
Geppetto saw Jiminy and untied the rope from around him. "Did you do this, Pinocchio?"
Pinocchio smiled guiltly.
"Remember what the Blue Fairy said about being a good boy?"
"Thanks." said Jiminy. "Oh, it's okay. He meant no harm." he sighed. "I'd be laughing, too, if I wasn't so dizzy."
Geppetto laughed.
Then the Blue Fairy fluttered inside, through the window towards them.
Pinocchio turned to her. "I'm sorry." he apologied, a little scared. "I meant to be good."
"I'm not here because of you, Pinocchio." said the fairy. "I'm afraid I bring bad news."
Geppetto took Pinocchio'svhand and guilded him towards the stairs. "Wait in your room, my boy. Go on."
"Hang on, Pinocchio. I'll come with you." said Jiminy, following him.
Geppetto turned to the Blue Fairy. "What is it?"
"The Evil Queen. She threatened the entire kingdom with a curse. A curse that will rip away all that we love."
"Then we must stop her."
"It's too late for that."
"So all is lost?"
"No. There I'd hope. If you will help us."
"Me?"
"Snow White is about to give birth to a child." she explained. "A child who will save us all when she reaches her twenty-eighth year. But only if she can be protected from the powerful effects of the Dark Curse."
"But how can I protect this child?"
"There is an enchanted tree. Much like the one you carved Pinocchio from. If fashioned into a vessel, it can protect the child from the Queen's magic. Will you do this?"
Geppetto thought for a moment. "I cannot lose my boy. I have lost......so much. I cannot lose him, too."
"Then build the wardrobe. That's how you will save us all."
He nodded.