Disclaimer: Not mine. If you want to sue, may I suggest the plot bunny that spent 2 hours in my head planning out the outline to this story the morning after I watched Episode 120 "The Stranger". I also blame the bunny for forcing me to continue this every time I thought this was getting too long, out of control or I was blocked.


Pinocchio never wanted to leave Emma with that bad, scary man; he was a good boy, he promised his Papa that he would protect her, and teach her about her destiny, and good boys keep their promises. But that man was really scary, and really really bad, and Romeo had enough money for everyone to leave and everyone was going to leave. Everyone except Emma; because a bunch of kids can't take care of a baby. A baby needs an adult to take care of her and there aren't going to be any adults wherever they are going. He can't take care of Emma either, he tried. He tried from when he first took her out of the tree until when they were put with the bad man. He tried afterwards too, but she still cries a lot so he must be doing something wrong. He must be messing up, and Emma needs someone who won't mess up right? She's too important to stay with someone who will mess things up. Maybe later when he's older he won't mess things up so much or she won't cry as much because then she will know how to talk and can tell him what she needs in a way he will understand.

Pinocchio looked at Emma one more time and then he looked at all the other kids waiting for him to decide whether or not he was going to go with them. He had a bad feeling about the decision he knew he was going to make. He knew that was his conscious because he felt the same way as he did when Jiminy told him he was making a bad decision. Pinocchio pressed his fingers to his lips, mentally promising to Emma that it will be just for a few years, before lightly pressing his fingers and the promise to her forehead. "Bye Emma" he whispered as he lightly stroked her hair. 'Just for a few years, I'll come back in a few years, I promise I will.' Then he left with the other children before she could figure out that she is being left behind and alone.


358 words

Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Originally this story was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got so long that I decided to turn all the section breaks into chapter breaks. With most of this story already written, the switch to a multi-chapter story from a single chapter means that many of the chapters are going to be short (as in under 1000 words).