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Astrid remained in her spot next to August and Henry while Emma and Regina stood a few feet away talking about the page.

"How the hell is the Author trapped inside the book?" Regina questioned as she stared at the page in her hands.

"Don't ask me. You're the magic expert." Emma replied.

Astrid glanced over at an unconscious August and felt a bad feeling as she shook him lightly, letting out, "August?"

Henry widened his eyes and shared a look with his aunt, the thirteen year old starting, "Mom."

"This is insane," Regina continued, the two women having not heard their son, "What are supposed to do, draw a key?"

"What we need to do is figure it out before Gold does." Emma pointed out.

"Guys!" "Mom!" Both Astrid and Henry spoke up louder to the two women who immediately looked over at them, Regina asking, "What is it?"

"There's something wrong with August." Henry told them.

Emma stepped back over to them and shook the man some, saying, "August? August?" She looked from her sister to Regina before adding, "We need to get him help."

Astrid nodded and made the five of them vanish in a cloud of green smoke before appearing at the fairies' large residency and in a bedroom. "Mother Superior, we need your help."

***

Mother Superior laid a hand on August's forehead and withdrew it before speaking up, "He's been through a lot."

"What's happening? He was awake, and then he passed out, and-" Emma began.

"Well, he's been changed by magic many times," Blue told them, "For him to survive this, he will have to be very strong."

Astrid sat in the chair on the other side of the bed, watching and listening to the group speak. Regina spoke up to Emma, "We have a bigger problem."

"Go." Astrid told them, making her sister look over at her, "I'll stay here and try to heal some more of the pain he's in."

Emma nodded reluctantly and stepped out of the room with Henry and Regina while Astrid stood up from her seat and moved closer to the bed and sat on the edge of it by his side, taking his hand in hers.

The eighteen year old closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, channeling the magical bond she had formed with the man and began healing him.

Suddenly, Astrid entered his mind as she looked around to find nothing but darkness everywhere. "August?"

She began to walk around the nothingness until she came upon a few doors around her, a light shining in each one.

Astrid then opened one and appeared in one of his memories, finding it to be one where August was leaving the group home he and Emma was placed in when they were kids, Emma a mere baby.

"August?" Astrid began and reached for the curly haired boy, "Hey, it's me." As soon as she touched his shoulder, a light emitted between the two and blinded them momentarily.

Once the light had died down, Astrid opened her eyes to find a grown August restrained to a chair, himself looking exhausted and drained.

"Hey!" She let out while rushing over to the man and kneeling in front of him, holding his hands in hers. "August, hey, it's me- Astrid. Hey, look up."

He kept his gaze on the floor, his eyes halfway closed. Astrid moved a hand lightly over his the side of his face and continued, her blue eyes watery, "You can't give up now, August. You are stronger than this."

August slowly started to look up, his eyebrows furrowed, as he let out weakly, "Astrid?"

Astrid smiled in relief and nodded, saying, "Yeah, yeah. Didn't I tell you I always help my friends and family? And you're one of us."

August groaned yet chuckled, starting, "Thank you." Astrid kept her smile and kissed his cheek as a wave of magic flooded through the dark room.

Astrid gasped and opened her eyes to find herself still sitting on the bed, holding his hand in hers. She quickly let go and stood up, glancing out of the window briefly.

"You saved me," August spoke up quietly with a small smile, making the girl quickly look back over at him.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" Astrid shrugged, adding cheekily, "It's sort of what I do."

August nodded in agreement, lightly saying, "I've noticed. Maybe it's the way you grew up, but whatever it is, it gave you the greatest capacity for love I have ever seen."

Astrid sat back down beside him on the bed, unaware that she was now holding his hand in hers. "Say that again."

"What I observed about you, is that you're the best friend anyone could ever have." August explained, adding reluctantly, "For me to ever think I don't need a friend like you in the world, just 'cause I'm a little older that'd make me a lot less mature than I'd want to be."

Astrid smirked a little, pointing out, "You do know I'm a little over three hundred years old."

August lightly laughed and sat a bit more up, saying, "You're twins with Emma. You'd be twenty-eight."

"Yeah, I would have, but I was raised in Berk and Neverland where the time zones hardly ever exists." Astrid laughed sheepishly.

August nodded in understanding, the two falling silent for a few seconds until Astrid spoke back up, "Hey, August?"

He looked at her and waited for her to ask her question which she did, "Why have you let me hold onto your hand this entire time?"

Astrid held up their interlocked hands to show him as August shrugged, saying, "I don't know. I don't know everything."

The two were interrupted when they noticed through the window a wave of magic passed over the town, it making August fall asleep.

"What the bloody hell?" Astrid began as she stood up and glanced back over at a sleeping August before realizing, "Huh. A small sleeping curse."

She wasn't asleep because she had been under a sleeping curse before.

Astrid pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mother's number, it beginning to ring. "Hello? Astrid?"

"Mom, good. So my theory is right-- The ones who are immune to this spell are people who's been under the sleeping curse..." Astrid began, "Oh, my Thor. I'm turning into Henry-- Henry. Where is he?"

"Hold on. He's calling right now. Let me call you right back." Snow replied.

"Calm the kid down. I'm feeling his anxiety right now." Astrid remarked, hanging up the phone.

She started to pace back and forth in the room when she felt through her magic her nephew entering inside of the Sorcerer's mansion. "Bingo."

Astrid glanced over at her friend still sleeping before she teleported to her thirteen year old nephew's hiding spot inside of the mansion. "Buddy, you alright?"

***

After Henry explained to his aunt that his mom along with Cruella and Maleficent took the fake page, Astrid and Henry now waited in the library at the mansion.

"Hey, Astrid?" Henry spoke up while the two sat at a table.

"Yeah, bud?" Astrid began while glancing up at him as she currently flipped through the storybook.

"If villains don't get happy endings, then why haven't you gotten yours yet? You had Peter, but then... you lost him." Henry reluctantly questioned, "Why does this Author seem to think you're a villain when you're probably one of the most heroic people I know?"

Astrid inhaled deeply before answering that question, "Maybe it's because I have done some bloody bad things or maybe because Peter was a villain... or maybe I'm just not a hero, after all."

"That's stupid. You have a good heart. You're always looking out for everyone, always saving everyone." Henry commented, "But don't worry. When we meet the Author, he's going to fix that for you."

"It's okay." Astrid murmured with a sad laugh, moving a reassuring hand over her nephew's, "My family is enough of a happy ending for me... As long as I'm around, buddy, nothing bad will happen to you guys. I'll be there to stop whatever comes our way."

Henry smiled some just as the two of them heard Snow and David exclaim, "Henry? Henry!"

Henry stepped over to them while Astrid remained in the next room, listening to Snow say, "Come on, the villains have to be on their way."

"Already been here." Henry commented, causing David to let out, "What!? Did they take the page?"

"They think they did, except my mom, of course," Henry replied, "She just gave me a look, and I knew exactly what she meant."

"You gave them the forged page Emma made," David realized, impressed with his grandson, as Snow also commented, "Smart kid. Where's the real one?"

Henry pulled a book off of the shelf and opened it to reveal the door page while David took it and began, "Oh, great job. We'll take the and keep it safe."

"There's something else." Henry added, pulling out a silver key, "I!found the key. We can free the Author."

The thirteen year old began to reach towards the page with key as it started to glow until David shut the book quickly, saying, "Henry, hold on."

"W-What are you doing?" Henry questioned.

"We don't know what's going to happen. Just let us handle things." David replied until Henry argued, "But I found the key!"

"Henry, it's too dangerous! Go!" David said and held out his hand as the said boy placed the key inside of it hesitantly before leaving out of the room.

"So, now we're lying to Henry!?" Snow spoke up., "If we keep this up, we're no different than Gold."

Astrid stepped out of her hiding spot after they made a fire in the fireplace and cleared her throat, startling her parents who quickly faced her.

"Astrid-?" "How long have you been standing there, Kid?" Snow and David let out in that order.

The said blonde nodded at them before taking a step forward, saying, "I knew it. I knew you two were still lying after bloody everything, even after telling me about your past with Maleficent... I wanted to believe that you two would fix it and be the bloody heroes that I know you guys are..."

"Astrid-" David started, his eyes watery.

"No. Let me finish. Please." Astrid cut him off, adding to what she was saying, "Instead, you kept going down this bloody path and- and started to go dark yourselves... all because you two are afraid that Emma and I will go bloody dark."

"Astrid, we-" Snow began, her eyes watery as well.

"No. No more lying. Instead, I'm giving you a choice." Astrid cut her mother off, "Either, face up to your mistake and tell the truth or burn this page and lose not only Henry and maybe Emma but me as well. I'll have bloody nothing to do with you guys if that's what you want."

Astrid turned her back and headed over to the door before stopping and adding with one more glance at them, "I already had parents who were made into villains. I won't watch my real parents become bloody evil, too-- not after everything we've been through."

"Kid, if we don't do this, then it'll ruin your sister's chances at a happy ending." David tried to defend their reasoning.

"Bloody hell, look at yourselves!" Astrid yelled, facing them as she replied, tears in her blue eyes, "You can't even bloody admit the truth anymore! You- You're still lying. Heroes do what's bloody right, not what's easy... It's simple. If you do this, I will never speak to you again."

The eighteen year old then stormed out of the room, leaving the two alone to think over what to do.

Astrid waited near the front door, sitting against the wall with her legs folded Indian-style and hands folded in her lap as she waited for them to make the right decision.

She waited another ten minutes just as her parents stepped out of the room and walked over to the door, noticing their daughter as well.

"You stayed," Snow let out in surprise.

Astrid nodded slowly, speaking up, "Did you do it or did you two have a change of heart yet?"

David knelt beside the girl and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and admitted, "We did. You were right, A, and for doing all of that, we're sorry."

Astrid grinned slightly sheepishly, saying, "I believed in you guys the whole time, but that page in your hands isn't the real one. I forged another one to test you guys."

"Very clever, A," Snow laughed somewhat.

"Now, it's time your mother and I go tell Emma everything." David spoke back up, now helping his daughter to her feet. "And we wouldn't want you to have nothing to do with us. You help hold this family together, Kid."

Astrid shook her head, saying, "No. It's a team effort. Families there for each other. They've got each other's backs-- no matter what. Good and bad. That's what loved ones do. They break you, but they're always there to help you pick up the pieces and make you stronger than before."

Snow and David both quickly moved her into their arms tightly, one of David's hands on the back of the girl's head. "We're really lucky to have you as our daughter." Snow let out in elated tears.

Astrid laughed, pulled back from the hug, and punched both of them in their arms, and replied, "Go. Emma deserves to know everything. She'll be hurt and want to push you guys away, but Emma come around. Trust me. I know my twin like the back of my hand."

David kissed the top of his daughter's head before he and his wife rushed out of the house to go find Emma while Astrid pulled out the real page of the magical door along with the key she had swiped from her father's pocket.

Astrid felt a strong connection to the door and was drawn to unlock it right then, but she chose to wait for her family to be there.

She disappeared in a cloud of green smoke and appeared in the hallway leading to August's room at the large convent house.

Astrid stepped to the door to find the said man still asleep; She sighed softly and moved over to chair next to his bed and sat down in it, staring down at the page and key in her hand.

She then set the two objects aside and took August's hand in hers, a light forming between their interlocked hands, as she continued to heal him.

***

Snow and David had arrived to check on August to see if he was awake yet, and surely he was, as he was in the middle of a conversation with Astrid, the two previously laughing.

"Hey," Snow began.

"Hi," Astrid also began, "Emma?" Her parents shook their heads slightly and joined their daughter next to his bed. "What's up, Mom, Dad?"

"Just came to check on August here." David replied, adding to the guy sitting somewhat up in the bed, "How are you?"

"I'm doing better," August replied just as Emma walked in the room but stopped when she noticed their parents, herself letting out, "August! How are you?"

"A bit tired, but better," August answered her, nodding over at Astrid, "Thanks to your sister here."

"It was no big deal. I tend to heal every life because lives matter," Astrid remarked cheekily, still sitting beside him as August smiled at her.

Astrid and August both shared a concerned glance and looked back at Emma, both starting, "Something's wrong. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Emma convincingly murmured.

"You forget I know lying," August pointed out as Emma sighed and admitted, "It's a long story. It's not really worth getting into right now, especially when my sister has a surprise for you. Show him, A."

Astrid smirked and held up the key and the storybook page of the door, saying, "Look what Henry found."

"You did it," August let out, glancing from Astrid to Emma who replied, "That's right. Now, what do you say we let out the Author-- I have some questions."

"Emma, please, think about this," Snow began, "This isn't just what Regina wanted. This is what Gold wanted, too. He was doing it to turn you dark."

"I'm not worried about it." Emma shot back at their mother, "Are you? 'Cause now I have some questions about me, and he can tell us everything."

"Well..." Astrid began while Emma looked over at her in confusion as August answered for Astrid, "If he's the one who wrote your story."

"What are you two talking about?" Emma started.

"There's something you need to know about this Author..." August admitted, "He wasn't the only one. There have been many Authors throughout time. It's a job, not a person."

"And the one trapped in here was just the last tasked with the great responsibility," Astrid added as Emma inquired, "Which is?"

"To record-- To witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity," August answered, "The job has gone back eons, from the man who watched shadows dance across cave walls and developed an entire philosophy, to playwrights who tell tales in poetry, to a man named Walt."

Astrid nodded in agreement with August continuing, "Many have had this sacred job- Great women and men who took on the responsibility with the gravity that it deserved..."

"Until this last one." Astrid added, "He started to manipulate rather than record. He did something-- I don't know exactly what-- but something that pushed them over the edge."

"That's why the Sorcerer and his apprentice put him in there," August finished, "They're the ones who choose the Author, and they took responsibility for their error."

"If they did, and he's still in there, he still has the ability to alter the book, to alter the course of things." Emma concluded.

"You sure have come a long way from the woman who wouldn't believe." August remarked.

Emma smiled somewhat, letting out, "Yeah. I have. Astro, care to do the honor?"

Astrid stood up from her spot on the bed and started to move the small key towards the picture of the door, which began to glow yellow.

Astrid stopped from freeing the Author, a sinking feeling in her gut, as she spoke up, "I've got this weird feeling to not free this guy."

"Astrid, I need this right now," Emma pleaded somewhat with her sister.

Astrid sighed and slightly glanced over at her parents' worried looks on their faces before she moved the key on the door of the picture, it glowing again.

The magical door was suddenly opened as a light blinded everyone briefly just as a man was tossed through the air and landed on the floor on the other side of the room.

But, Astrid was sucked inside of the page instead while the Author was free from that prison.

The man stood back up as he grunted somewhat and then let out, "Whoo, it was cramped in there! I couldn't even reach this." He held up a flask of rum. "And I was parched."

David furrowed his eyebrows, starting, "Where did you get that?"

"This?" The Author began after taking a sip of the drink, "Uh, a nice young couple I met on the road gave it to me. You want some? Sort of nutmeg-y."

"You." Snow realized, "You are-- You are the Author?"

David also realized, letting out, "The Peddler?"

The man smiled some as Emma spoke up, "We have a lot of questions."

"Hey, wait. Where's Astrid?" August spoke up in confusion, glancing around the room for the said missing person.