╔═════ ═════╗
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL
╚═════ ═════╝

AUGUST SAT TIED TO A CHAIR, TERESA NEARBY, AS GOLD AND REGINA QUESTIONED HIM. Now Teresa didn't know August very well, but she knows the look of fear in someone's eyes, and August's eyes held plenty of it.

"I already told you...I don't know anything about this author," August said for what felt like the one-hundredth time in the last twenty minutes, as he struggled against the ropes that kept him in his chair.

Curella and Ursula then walked in from having been outside, the latter of the two walking over to August and thrusting a knife to his throat. "Well, perhaps you could use a little incentive."

"Oh, that knife is not gonna make me remember something that I don't know."

"Wait." Regina said as she used her magic to bring the knife into her hand.

"Is there a problem?" Ursula asked.

"I knew she'd never the stomach for this. Perhaps she needs some incentive." Cruella smirked. "Let's kill the archer now."

Teresa's eyes widened and she looked at Regina, who gave the black and white haired woman a smirk. "Please. I was torturing people back when you were still playing with puppies. This sorry excuse for a man used to be made of wood. So let's light a fire under him and see what happens." Regina waved her hand and lit a magic fireball in her palm.

August leaned back in his chair, a frightened look on his face. "Okay. All right. You know something? I actually, uh, do remember something about The Author."

Regina turned and threw her fireball into the fireplace, lighting the wood within in.

"Um..." August stumbled for words.

"Don't hold out on us."

"W-When I was in Hong Kong, uh, before the curse broke, I met a mystic. His name was The Dragon." Teresa arched a brow at the name. "I don't know how he knew about the book, but he had been looking for The Author for years."

"And what did this dragon learn?"

"He died before I could ask."

Of course he did, Teresa mentally sighed.

"Oh, well, that's something you two are about to have in common." Gold stood and began walking toward him with a glare on his face that got August talking again.

"And after he died...I took his research." August smiled. "And I brought it with me to Storybrooke."

"Do you really think this man-child is telling us the truth?" Maleficent asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time he's lied to my face. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pay a visit to his trailer to find out." Gold walked over to coat rack and grabbed his jacket, prepared to leave.

"While you're doing that, shall we carry on with the rest of the plan?" Ursula questioned.

A look of surprise pulled onto Regina's face as she looked at them. "Rest of the plan? What aren't you telling me?"

"You're gonna have to do a lot more than just kidnap a marionette and torch a few logs for us to tell you everything. In the meantime, be content that you've finally chosen the winning side."

Gold then turned toward Teresa. "And don't think about running off, remember you're still sitting and staying, and being quiet."

Teresa glared at him as he then left the cabin. Regina turned to the archer with a confused look before she put two-and-two together and figured out that he had Teresa's heart. She had been wondering why Teresa didn't use her magic to escape; now it made sense.

As Ursula tied a gag around August's mouth, Regina walked over to the fireplace and knelt down. She glared at it for a few moments, causing smoke to rise.

➳

It was still early in the morning as Emma walked through a woods trail with Hook, David and Snow. The four were out searching for Teresa, August and Regina.

Snow glanced over at her daughter and sighed as she seen how worried and stressed out she looked. "It's okay, Emma. As long as he's with Regina, Pinocchio will be all right. And if they really do have Teresa, I don't believe Regina will allow any harm to come to her either."

"We don't know that. I just wish I hadn't let her ditch me."

"Swan, you couldn't have known that she'd drop that tracking device."

"Yeah, but I let her talk me into thinking kidnapping him was a good idea. If anything happens to that kid, it's my fault. Same with Teresa, too. I let her go out into the woods alone, I mean, what was I thinking?"

David bent down and began inspecting the tracks they've been following. "Uh, the tracks end here. Looks like the rain washed them away."

Snow sighed. "Teresa would know how to track still even if the trail went cold. She had a connection with the woods that I never understood."

"Hey," David said in a soft voice. "We'll find her, okay? We'll find all three of them."

Hook turned to Emma. "Oh, would now be an appropriate time for a locator spell?"

Snow looked past her husband and furrowed her eyebrows as a dark cloud of smoke began making its way toward them. "We may not need one. Look."

All eyes were now on the smoke as it began to travel towards them. When the smoke made it to the group, it engulfed Snow's body before completely disappearing inside of her.

"Mary Margaret?"

"What the hell was that? Are you okay?" Emma asked in concern.

"I have to make this quick. We don't have much time," Snow said, but it wasn't her voice. It was the voice of Regina Mills.

David looked at her in shock. "Regina?"

Snow's head turned toward Emma. "Pinocchio's fine. He's back to his old self, or older self."

Emma's eyes widened. "August."

"And they have Teresa, and her heart. They're keeping her as leverage."

"Damn it," Emma muttered in frustration.

"But there's something else you need to know...Gold is here. We're holed up in his cabin, and he's in town for more than just The Author. But he won't tell me why, which means whatever it is he's planning...it's bad."

Snow's body jolted as Regina left her body. David moved toward her and held her up as Snow looked a little light-headed.

"So the Dark One's returned," Hook heaved a sigh.

"Yeah. There's only one person who can help us drive him back out."

➳

"H-H-He's here?" Belle was stumbling over her own words, a shocked expression on her face. "Th-That's...that's impossible."

"Well, did you really think he'd stay away?" Snow uttered.

"The dagger...you need to hand it over so we can stop this fight before it start," Emma said.

Belle gave her a confused look. "The dagger? I-I don't have the dagger. Killian does."

All eyes turned to look at Hook as he stared at Belle in confusion. "Who? Me? Well, I haven't seen that cursed blade since you commanded the Crocodile to leave the first time."

Belle's eyebrows furrowed. "But y-you took it from me last night to hide it where no one could find it."

"After the lifetimes I spent searching for a way to destroy the Dark One, I'm pretty certain I'd remember holding that dagger in my hand."

"Okay, well, if I didn't give it to you, then who — "

Emma cut her off with a sigh. "You gave it to Gold..." She turned to Hook. "Disguised as you. He's back, and so is his power."

Belle frowned. "Even when I didn't think he could deceive me anymore...he found a way."

"Banishment was too good for that demon. We should have driven that dagger through his heart when we had the chance."

"Then your name would be written across it."

"It's a small price to pay to ensure the Crocodile wouldn't come back again."

"I know you're angry, but we defeated him before and we'll do it again."

"Yeah, but the question is, how?" Snow piped in. "We don't even know what he's planning."

"First, we save August and Teresa."

Hook nodded. "Yeah. You do that. I'll find out the Dark One's secret."

"How are you gonna do that?" David asked.

"The sea witch Ursula. Remember when I said I had a past with her? Now's the time to use it."

"How?"

"By taking a page out of your book, Swan. I'm gonna return her happy ending."

"Can you really do that?"

Hook nodded. "Aye. Because I'm the one who took it from her in the first place."

➳

Inside Gold's Cabin, August still sat tied to his chair, and Teresa was still forced to sit and stay, and shut up. She was getting aggrivated that she couldn't talk. It was beginning to drive her crazy.

"You know, I always wanted to meet you," August voiced. "I wish you hadn't of died in the storybook."

Teresa looked over at him from where she sat leaning against the warm fireplace.

"Henry and Emma always spoke about wanting to meet you," August smiled. "I'm glad they finally were able to."

Teresa returned his smile, a funny feeling in her stomach at the mention of Henry. A feeling that made her furrow her eyebrows and wonder what the hell it meant.

Their conversation ended as Regina walked over and sat down next to August with a folded up storybook page in her hand.

August sighed. "What's that...more kindling?"

"This page appeared to someone very important to me."

August smirked. "Robin Hood?"

"How do you know about Robin Hood?"

"Just 'cause the boy doesn't remember being me doesn't mean I don't remember being the boy."

Regina let a small escape through her nostrils. "Well, you're right. Robin did find it. But this page...it depicts something that didn't happen. And I think you know more than you're saying."

Ursula suddenly rose up from where she was sitting at the window, and Cruella noticed her suddenly tense shoulders. "What's the matter, darling? Is there something out there?"

"It's nothing," Ursula replied. Teresa rolled her eyes at the woman's horrible attempt at a lie. "Just gonna go stretch my tentacles."

➳

Regina suddenly gasped awake from where she laid in a chair, making Teresa, who was just as exhausted as she was, jump.

"If you're having trouble sleeping, I have something that might help," Maleficent offered.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"Hello, dearies," Gold said as he walked in, closing the door behind him.

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

Gold chuckled. "Of course not. I didn't even look. The man's a born liar. He never would have cracked so easily. Instead, I paid a visit to the fairies. Or rather, a visit to their ample supply of magic." He pulled out a small potion vile from his pocket and stared at August with a smug look.

"Now, this potion can temporarily reverse any spell those do-gooders cast. They made him real. This can undo that. I promise you, dearie... This is gonna hurt." Gold stepped toward August and removed his mouth gag. He then forced the potion down his throat, and very slowly August turned back into wood. "Now...let's see if we can pull this puppet's strings."

The effect then went away adter a moment and his skin returned to normal. August let out a painful breath.

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

"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."

"I don't know what you're talking about," August said. He then groaned as his his nose began to grow. Teresa's eyes widened.

Gold chuckled. "Excellent. The next lie is gonna hurt." With a wave of his hand, August was turned around. Gold marched forward and lifted him from the chair to dangle his nose before the fire. "What do you know about The Author?"

"I already told you everything." Teresa cringed as his nose began to grow yet again.

God that must be painful, she thought.

"Try again, dearie. Where is he?"

"I don't know." His nose grew again, emitting pain-filled groans to escape past his lips.

"Do not fool yourself. I will get my answer."

"Okay," August sighed.

Gold pulled him back away from the fire with a sneer. "Where is he?"

"All right. I'm gonna tell you what you want to know. The Sorcerer, uh, trapped The Author behind a door."

"The Sorcerer? A door? He's speaking in riddles."

August shook his head. "No, listen to me, Gold. You know about the sorcerer. You know I'm telling the truth. And she..." He turned around to glanced at Regina. "She knows about the door. I know my papa gave you my things. There was a page that I took out of the book. Had an illustration of the door on it."

Teresa shifted.

"Regina?"

"They were just scraps of paper," Regina said.

"Then you'll have no problem sharing them with us now."

"Well, I would if I hadn't already given them to Henry and Teresa."

All eyes turned to Teresa. "Speak," Gold commanded her. "Where are the pages?"

Teresa scoffed. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? Why the hell would I carry a page like that with me through the woods?"

Gold nodded before turning back to August. "Do you remember what the door looks like?"

"Uh...made of wood. Hand-carved frame. Gilt in gold."

"Where is the door?" Gold asked.

"All I know...is... it's somewhere in Storybrooke," August replied.

Gold chuckled and patted his back. He then stood and sat August back in his previous chair. "There we are, now. That wasn't so hard, now, was it? Since the sorcerer was the one who did the trapping, we will start our search for the door at his mansion." As Gold began putting on his jacket, he gestured for Maleficent to follow him, "Maleficent."

"I'll stay here and watch the puppet," Regina announced.

"No, no. Cruella will be our guard dog." Cruella smirked at her. "Since you're the only one who's seen the drawing of the door, you're gonna have to help us find it."

➳

"Thank heavens that potion was only temporary. The scruff is so much more attractive than the timber," Cruella smirked.

"Oh god, please do not start flirting," Teresa groaned from where she sat in one of the chairs.

Before Cruella could reply, the door was kicked open by Emma. Cruella jumped up from her chair and whipped out her pistol.

"I'm here for my friend," Emma said.

"So, the saviour found us, did she? Now leave." Cruella pulled out her gun and pointed it at Emma.

Emma raised her hands, ready to strike her with her magic, when suddenly Cruella hit the ground from an hard hit to the back of her head by Snow.

"Nice hit, Snow," Teresa smirked.

"Well, first thing you learn as a bandit...back door's usually unlocked." Snow dropped the frying pan and walked over to Teresa and enevleopd the teenager in a hug.

Emma walked over to August and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "August, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'll survive," he replied as David began removing the rope that bound his hands together. As he did, Emma used her magic to free his legs.

August raised a brow, impressed. "Oh. Well, I see somebody's been practicing."

Emma smiled. "Well, I seem to remember someone telling me I just needed to believe in myself."

"I always knew you'd figure it out."

Emma knelt down infront of him. "It's good to have you back, even if it isn't the way things were supposed to be. I'm glad I didn't have to wait twenty years to see you as you again."

August chuckled. "Me too."

"Come on. Let's get you out of here."

August stood, but before they could leave, Ursula walked in. "No one is going anywhere."

A worried expression pulled onto Emma's face after she realized Hook wasn't with her like he had said he would be. "Where the hell is Hook? What'd you do to him?"

"Sorry, sweetheart. Your boyfriend is shark bait," Ursula smirked. She then wrapped a thick tentacle around Snow's throat just as Emma raised her hands to strike her down. "Oh! Drop those hands, or your mother here's gonna need gills to breathe."

"Ursula, you don't need to do this."

"That's where you're wrong. I can't have him leave with you. Not when The Author is the only one who can give me what I want," Ursula replied.

Hook then walked in. "That's not true." Emma sighed in relief upon seeing him.

Ursula stared at him in shock. "How are you still breathing?"

Hook walked further into the cabin, stopping at Emma's side, who put her hand on his arm. "I'm good at surviving. Or you're bad at killing. Either way, you don't need the author to get what you want. I know why you couldn't release your voice from that shell. Only the one who enchanted it can do that."

"Wait. You don't mean..."

Hook nodded. "Aye."

A man then walked into the cabin, causing Ursula's eyes to widen. "Father?"

"Ursula."

Usrula gasped and released Snow, who then fell into the arms of Teresa and David. "How are you here in this land?" Ursula asked.

"A young mermaid found me and brought me through a portal. I need to say something," he replied. "I'm sorry, Ursula. I never should have forced you to use your voice as a weapon. It was just...every time I heard you sing, I heard your mother, and it was too painful. I let that pain fuel my desire for vengeance, but it shouldn't have. It should have reminded me that I still had a piece of her...you. Let me return your voice so I can hear it one last time." He opened his palm and waved his hand over the shell.

Yellow waves of magic began to flow toward her throat, and a voice like no other, that was breathtaking, began to escape Ursula's lips.

Ursula grinned as she listened to her beautiful singing voice, which she hasn't heard in many many years. The sound of if caused her eyes to burn with undshed tears.

Her fathed sighed. "Now that you are whole again, I'll leave you in peace."

"Wait," Ursula frowned. "My voice is all we have left of mother. You took it from me once. I don't want to do the same thing to you."

"What are you saying?"

Ursula grinned and hugged her father tight. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."

"Where's Cruella?"

Teresa's eyes widened and she looked around the black and white haired woman.

"Uh, she must have slipped away, most likely to warn Gold. We should clear out before they get back."

Ursula turned to Hook and silently thanked him again before leaving with her father to have her happy ending.

Emma turned to August in concern, noticing his brief pained expression. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," August reassured her, before moving toward the cabin door as Snow and David assisted him.

"Come on, Teri," Snow said.

Teresa walked out onto the deck, relieved to feel the fresh air on her skin once again. But then she found herself unable to move off the porch.

"Ummm, Snow!"

The trio turned around to look at her. "What's wrong?" Snow asked.

"I can't leave."

Snow's eyes widened in realization. "Your heart..."

"Well where is it? Do you know who has it, or where it is?" David asked.

"Gold has it."

Snow turned to her husband in a panic. "David, what're we going to do? We can't just leave Teresa here..."

Teresa suddenly gasped and clutched at her chest. "Ah!"

"Teresa!" Snow ran over, ready to wrap an arm around her friend, when suddenly Teresa disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Teresa's feet landed on concrete and she fell to her kness as she clutched at her chest. She let out a groan as she stared up at Regina, Gold and the others as they stood before the mansion.

"Is it true?" Gold asked her.

"Is what true?" Teresa grumbled as she got to her feet.

"That Emma Swan and her band rescued August?"

Teresa nodded, throwing a smirk at Cruella. "Yep, and must I say, you're excellent at keeping watch. A frying pan, really?"

Cruella glared at her with narrowed eyes, whilst Regina smirked.

"Who was the mole that gave away the location to where we were hiding?" Gold asked.

Teresa gave him an incredulous look. "How the hell am I supposed to know? Though, my guess would probably be Ursula."

"I told you," Cruella muttered.

Gold sighed. "Alright. We may have lost our informant, but we still have his information." Gold turned to Regina. "Bring us the illustration of the door. Maybe there's something in it the puppet missed."

➳

That night, as Emma was making hot cocoa for them, Henry sat next to August, who was fast asleep on the couch for his rather long day.

As he was skimming through the book, August let out a breath and his head moved. Henry looked up to find his eyes opening.

"Mom!"

Emma and Regina rushed over, Emma carrying August's mug of cocoa.

"What is she doing here?" August asked as soon as his eyes landed on Regina.

"Oh, it's okay. I promise," Emma reassured him.

Regina sighed. "August...we need to talk about how I'm going to keep up my cover with Gold. The only reason I was able to come here...is because they think I'm stealing this page." Regina picked up the page with the door. "We didn't find the door at the sorcerer's mansion."

"That's because it's not there," August replied.

Henry's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"But...you said you didn't know where it was. And your nose didn't grow," Regina stated.

"My nose didn't grow because I wasn't lying. When Gold asked me, I didn't know where the door was because I didn't know where Henry was keeping this page." August paused. "Regina..." He pointed at the page. "This isn't just an illustration. This is the door. The Author is trapped inside the book."