Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 116 - The Enchanted Tree

Emma stood on the other side of the counter on Mr. Gold's pawn shop.
"I have to save him. I have to get Henry away from Regina." she said to Mr. Gold.
"I must admit your intentions are admirable....... However, I won't be taking your case." he walked along the counter.
Emma's face fell. "What? You know what Regina did." she followed him along the other side of the counter.
"Yes, but we can't prove it. And given the Mayor's sway in this town, any proceedings against her would be long, drawn out and futile. The only certainty is, Henry would suffer. I can't do that to your boy."
"So we leave him in the same house with that sociopath?"
"I'm sorry, Sherif. My mind's made up."
"Well, then change it." she demanded. "The only person I've ever seen go head to head with Regina and win is you."
"That's because I know how to pick my battles."
"Then pick this one."
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm just simply not the man to help you beat Mayor Mills."
"No. You're not." she glared at him and on that she turned and stomped out of shop.
Mr. Gold watched her, smiling.

Emma hammered her fist on August's door in Granny's Bed and Breakfast. She pased the hall until he opened the door and peeked his head out.
"Emma."
"Hey." she stepped forward and pushed the door open, letting herself inside.
"Take it easy." he shut the door. "Is everything okay?"
"No. I am just about out of options."
He walked towards her. "Just about?"
"You told me to beat Regina I need to see the big picture...... Show it to me."
August smiled, satisfied and happy.

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David locked the door of the animal shelter and turned around to see Regina at the opposite side of the road, looking in at her engine of her black marsadis, the front of the car up. As she lifted her head up, she banged it off the top of the car and let out a gasp of pain.
David accross the road towards her, as she rubbed her head.
"Car trouble?" he asked.
She turned to look at him. "It won't start."
He walked to the engine of the car, and examined it.
"Got a car full of groceries, and we'll, it hasn't exactly been a banner day."
"Yeah, now, let's see." he opened the driver door and tryed the keys. "The battery's dead." he explained when the car didn't start.
"What?" she said, surprised.
"I don't have any jumper cables, but I can give you a ride home in my truck."
"Oh, no, no. Thank you, but I couldn't impose."
"I insist. Unless you want to have a car full of melted rocky road." he said, peering in at the grocerie bags.
She chuckled. "Sure." she nodded.

Regina walked up the footpath to her house, David by her side, carrying the groceries.
"Thank you for being my knight in shining armour." said Regina as they reached the door.
"Ah, it's more like flannel. But you're welcome."
She chuckled. "Hey, why don't you stay for dinner?" she smiled. "I bought more than enough for me and Henry. And....... Well, I'm making lasagna."
He sighed. "I shouldn't. It's getting late, and I've got to get up early tomorrow for work."
She nodded. "Of course."
She took her keys and unlocked the door. David stepped inside and Regina closed the door after him, her face disappointed.
He followed her through to the dining room with the groceries.
"Oh, you can just set the bags over there." she said, pointing to a corner table.
David set them down as Regina saw a note addressed Mom on the table. She picked it up and read it, her c face falling.
"What is it?" asked David.
Regina, pretended to read from the blank sheet of paper before her. "Henry. He's having dinner with Archie after his session instead of coming home."
David smiled pitifully."I'm sorry."
"Lately it seems like he'll do anything to avoid spending time with me........ But I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems." she smiled. "You've already helped me more than enough for one day. Thank you."
David smiled and began to walk to the door. Then he stopped and glanced once more at Regina, staring sadly down at what he thought was a note. He hesitated and walked back into the dining room. "You know what, I do love lasanga." he smiled.
She turned her head a smiled happily at him.

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Geppetto, Pinocchio and Jiminy strolled through the forest, the Blue Fairy guiding them.
"The Evil Queen will stop at nothing to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. We must stop at nothing to undo her curse." said the Blue Fairy.
They stopped in front of a huge, beautiful enchanted tree in the midst of the forest, with leaves so green, and the trunk so tangled and noted.
They gazed up at it.
"It's beautiful." said Geppetto.
"This is the last enchanted tree in the entire realm."
"It can be done. I can make a beautiful wardrobe oqut of this." he said, tapping the rough bark.
"The Tree contains enough magic to protect two from the Queen's curse. Before the curse strikes, before Snow gives birth to her child, she and the Prince will enter the wardrobe and travel to a distant land, a land without magic, where Snow will give birth to her child. Then when she reaches her twenty-eighth year, she can begin the battle that will defeat the Evil Queen. You see why it is vital that you complete the task at hand?"
Geppetto pit his hand around Pinocchio. "Pinocchio wasn't always a real boy. When the curse strikes, when the things we love are ripped away, he will be turned back to wood again, wine he?"
"I'm afraid it is impossible to say.
Jiminy cleared his throat and flew towards Geppetto. "You're frightening the boy."
Geppetto went down on his honkers and looked at Pinocchio, taking his hands. "No, no." He thought for a moment, looking into Pinocchio's scared, little face. He looked around at the Blue Fairy again. "I will build your wardrobe. On one condition.......... If Pinocchio can take the second spot in it."
The Blue Fairy thought hard about this, disapprovingly.
"You can't bargain like this." Jiminy said to Geppetto, flying into his shoulder. "Not when the entire realm is in danger."
"If I don't, I will lose my boy. Maybe forever. I can't risk that. Snow can raise the child without her husband."
"Geppetto, think about the example you're setting for Pinocchio."
He shrugged his shoulders so Jiminy would fall off. "Oh, you may be a conscience, but you have not earned the right to tell me what to do."
"Please, I'm only trying to help."
"Oh, help? Help like you helped my parents? Your debt to me can never be fulfilled. But a start would be staying out of this. You understand?"
Jiminy bent his head. "Yes."
"Good." he ussured Pinocchio towards him.
He ran towards him and he lifted him up into his arms.
"Pinocchio goes, too, it no one does."
"And what will we tell the Prince and Snow White?" asked the Blue Fairy, angrily.
"You will tell them that the tree contains enough magic to protect only one." he looked up into Pinocchio's face, then back up at the disapproving Blue Fairy. "Do we have a deal? Or no?"

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Prince Charming's gaurds heaved a giant tree into the room where Snow, Charming, Red, Granny, Geppetto, Pinocchio, the drawfs and some other of the Kingdom's people gathered around a round table. 
"The tree is enchanted.........." said the Blue Fairy to the people. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." she looked around at Geppetto. "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"
He nodded and patted Pinocchio's head, next to his chair on the floor, carving a little, wooden whale. "Me and my boy, we can do it."
"This will work. We all must have faith." She said to Snow and Charming, while Geppetto looked down at the table guilty.
Snow and Charming held one another's hands and smiled happily.
The Blue Fairy hesitated. "There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful. But all power has its limits, and this tree can protect only one." she lied. "A choice must be made."
Geppetto looked around the room guiltly, then he looked down at Pinocchio and gazed into his eyes, rubbing the little red hat on his head.

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August drove his motorcycle on the road out of Storybrooke, by the forest, Emma on the back of the bike, her arms around him.
He came to a halt by the side of the road, keeping the bike balanced with his boots in the crispy autumn leaves.
"August, you're gonna tell me where we're going and how it's gonna help me beat Regina?" Emma said, staring at him through the mirror on the bike.
"We're going on a trip, Emma, so I can tell you somebody's story."
"Whose story?"
"Mine." and with that he drove the motorcycle around the corner and spead past the Leaving Storybrooke sign.