The Girl and the Nutcracker ~ A Once Upon a Time Story

The next morning, Clara and August were already in his room, preparing on how to tell Henry the entire truth. Pounding was heard from the door, and August sighed, "Hang on."

"No, no. You're too disabled right now. Let me open up." Clara said as she opened the door, and Henry stormed in without noticing Clara, "August, please. I need your help. Emma wants to leave!"

"What?" Clara and August exclaimed as they looked at the kid. Henry looked up and saw Clara too and sighed deeply as he looked back at August, "You were gonna make her believe. You have to."

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

Henry looked confused, "Failed?" August briefly looked at Clara, who gave a nod of assurance, and he looked back at Henry, "I tried to show her. First it was my legs, and now... take a look. At the unvarnished truth."

He rolled down his sleeve for Henry, and it showed his wooden arm. Henry gasped, "It's wood! Clara, can you see it?!"

"Yeah, Henry." Clara chuckled as she saw Henry's glee on his face. Henry looked at August, "All this, I was right! The curse, it's real! And you're Pinocchio!"

"What gave it away?" August replied sarcastically as he put he rolled down his sleeve. Henry looked at Clara, "So you really believe it too? You're not just pretending like Emma..."

Clara looked at August before sighing, "Um, yeah it's a little more complicated than that." Henry raised his eyebrow, "What's more complicated than belief?"

"The truth." Clara told him, "You know, you were right that my story isn't in your book. Which is another very long story, but uh... how do I say this..."

August gave a nod of courage towards Clara, and Clara nodded to herself, "I have never been cursed, Henry."

Henry looked at her in disbelief, "Seriously? Why did you never tell me?" Clara shrugged, "I had to pretend I was cursed in front of your mom. She knew me in the Enchanted Forest, so I had to make up a name here. Luckily, I never actually told her my name. Which I still have to thank Gold for, I guess."

"Smart..." Henry said with a smile, and then he looked back at August, "So if it's all real, why are you turning back to wood? Your story... you should be real."

"I'm changing back because I haven't exactly been a good boy." August answered, "And if the curse doesn't break... this doesn't stop."

"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 responded but August shook his head, "I tried that."

Clara kneeled in front of Henry, "Kiddo, Emma can't want to see what she doesn't believe in. We can't do anything about that. We have to make her believe there's something that even science can't explain."

"We have to do something fast." Henry reasoned, "We have to see her, August!"

August sighed, "There's nothing more that I can do... I'm tired. It's hard to ride, it's hard to walk and soon it'll be hard to breathe. There's nothing to do. And with what little time I have left, I want to spend it with my father."

"Marco." Henry answered and August chuckled, "Smart kid." He stood up with the help of Clara and guided Henry back towards the door.

Henry looked back at him, "So everyone is giving up?"

"I'm afraid I don't have a choice." August told him, "I'm sorry, kid... but I'm out of Operation Cobra. Now, it's up to you two."

Clara and Henry headed out of the room, and August shut the door. Henry smiled up at Clara, "You have to tell me everything about the Enchanted Forest once we break this curse."

"Oh, I'm not a good source of information, Henry." Clara laughed, "I don't even know most people over there. If you want to ask someone, you should ask your grandfather."

"Prince Charming?" Henry asked and Clara realised her mistake, meaning his other grandfather, but Clara just nodded, "Obviously. And also Mary Margaret, both of them rule a kingdom. I assume they know almost anyone."

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed, and together they walked out of Granny's Bed & Breakfast, "So, what are we gonna do with Emma? Do you have magic?!"

Clara chuckled at his excitement, "This is the Land Without Magic, Henry. I can't do anything here, even if I wanted to. I think my best guess on how to convince Emma is you. How? I don't know that."

"Okay." Henry said, "I'll head home and think of a plan. If I have something, I'll meet you at Granny's during dinner time."

Clara nodded, "Alright. But if you don't have a plan, I guess we'll have to call in the big guns."

"The big guns?" Henry asked and Clara pointed across the street at Gold's Shop, "The Dark One."

"Mr. Gold... Are you sure?" Henry said with some doubt, and Clara smirked, "Oh yeah... We knew each other quite well back there. But let's hope it won't come to the fact that we're going to be so desperate to ask for his help."