The Mischievous of Them All {OUAT/Henry Mills} [1]

An Apple As Red As Blood

We were driving along the road out of Storybrooke and I was really awake now. Emma was looking straight at the road.

"Is that all your stuff?" Henry asked, looking at the stuff that was on the floor of the car.

"All I need." Is all Emma said.

"Wait. You want to go now? We're leaving now?" Henry asked, a little loudly.

"Uh-huh. I'm getting you two out of here. Away from all this. Away from her." Emma responded.

"No, no. Stop the car! You can't leave Storybrooke. You have to break the curse." Henry insisted.

"No, I don't. I have to help you two." Emma said.

"But you're a hero – you can't run. You have to help everybody." Henry said.

"Henry, I know it's hard for you to see it, but I'm doing what's best for you. That's what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke." Emma said. All I could do was look at the steering wheel. Should I?

"But the curse... You're the only chance to bring back the happy endings." Henry said to her.

"Henry..." Emma trailed off. You know what. I reached over, grabbed the steering wheel, and turned it. "Aria!"

"Aria! What were you doing? You could've gotten us killed!" Emma shouted.

"Please! Please, don't make us go! We can't go! Everything's here... Me, Aria, your parents, your family. Please, Emma. They need you. Your family needs you." Henry said, his voice getting louder, but then got quieter.

-----

Henry knocked on the August's door to his room at the inn and we waited for him to open it.

"Hang on." We heard him say from the other side of the door. August opened the door and we pushed past him and into the room.

"August, please. We need your help. Emma wants to leave." Henry said, quickly.

"What? Slow down." August told him.

"Y-You were going to make her believe. You have to." Henry said.

"I know, Henry. I'm sorry. I... I failed." August said.

I stopped messing with my ring and looked at him, "Failed? What do you mean 'Failed'?"

"I tried to show her. At first it was my legs, and now... Now take a look... At the unvarnished truth." August pulled back his sleeve and he showed us his wooden arm.

"It's wood." Henry said, looking at it. I want to touch it.

"Yes." August confirmed.

Henry smiled, "All of this... We was right. The curse... It's real!"

"You two are really smart kids." August said.

"And you're Pinocchio." Henry said. I think it's obvious.

"What gave it away?" August asked, quietly.

"But, why are you turning back to wood? Your story... You should be real." Henry said.

"I'm changing back because... I haven't exactly been a good boy. And... Well... If the curse doesn't break... This doesn't stop." August explained.

"So, we show Emma that you're turning back into the puppet you were, and then, she has to believe. And, when she does, she could break the curse." Henry said, smiling.

"I tried that. She doesn't want to see, so she doesn't. There's nothing more that I can do. I-I'm getting tired. It's hard to ride and it's hard to walk. Soon, it's going to be hard to breathe." August said.