juliet •peter pan•

FIFTY-FOUR

Once they left the trailer, Juliet and Mary Margaret headed to Granny's to tell Emma about August. Mary Margaret was on the phone, telling Emma that there was something important. They entered Granny's, and Snow was face to face with Regina. Mary Margaret looked shocked and guilt-ridden. Regina smirked. 

"If I were you, I'd try the fish special." She chuckled, enjoying Mary Margaret's discomfort. "It's right up your alley. Blackened sole." She walked away before Mary Margaret could say anything. Emma looked up at the two of them. 

"Hey. What's up? Why the urgent phone call?" Mary Margaret shook it off and walked over to the bar. 

"It's August. I found him." Marco turned his head at the mention of his son's name. 

"My boy? He's alive?" Mary Margaret nodded. 

"Yes, but he's completely wooden. He's been living in an abandoned trailer, down near the Toll Bridge." Emma looked sympathetic. 

"What can we do? Can we help him?" Juliet shrugged. 

"He doesn't want our help. He feels like a failure." Mary Margaret thought about something. 

"But I know someone that might be able to help. Mother Superior." Marco became more upbeat, full of hope about helping his son. Juliet smiled. 

"Yes. Yes. She helped once. She can do it again. She must." They all got up to leave. Juliet followed close behind, but out of the corner of her eye, she could've sworn she saw Baelfire's fiancée watching them. 

They stood in the lawn at the abbey talking to Mother Superior. 

"I know about August." She started. "He came to me after the curse broke and asked if I would return him to what he was."

"Why didn't you?" Emma asked, and Mother Superior looked at all of them sympathetically. 

"Because what he was is what he is." She turned to Marco. "Do you remember the morning I found you on that beach all those years ago? The day I turned your son into a real boy?" Marco nodded. 

"Yes. It was the happiest day of my life."

"I told Pinocchio so long as he remained brave, truthful, and unselfish, he would stay a real boy." Juliet started to understand why August was still wood. She guessed that in his years in the real world, he wasn't entirely brave, truthful, and unselfish. It was understandable. The world outside of the enchanted forest was hard for someone to constantly remain unselfish. 

"It's true he did some things he regrets, we all have." Mary Margaret started, and Juliet nodded. "But shouldn't he have another chance?" Mother Superior sighed. 

"If there is still a path of redemption for August, it is one that he must travel on his own. No one can force him or it will not be true." Mary Margaret turned to Marco, who looked crushed. 

"Don't despair, Marco. I know there's still hope for your son. There has to be." He looked at Juliet, who nodded. She hoped, for Marco's sake, that August would do something unselfish, or at least find the courage to face his father.