A Place Called Home

Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Once Upon A Time Fanfic so please be gentle. I started writing this right after "Manhattan" and have a few chapters completed already. It's a Swanfire (or Swanthief…not sure what the correct shipper name is?) and Charming family story. I'm tired of not seeing any David/Emma bonding on the show so I think I'll be rectifying that here.

CHAPTER 1

Emma

Emma tried to cover her eyes from the harsh sunlight that crept in to her room. She knew all too well where she was and remembered the events from the day before, but prayed it was a bad dream. She wanted to open her eyes and be in her bed in Storybrooke. She wanted to go downstairs and have an awkward breakfast with her parents. What she did not want to deal with was another face to face with Neal Cassidy. Unfortunately, Henry had other plans.

"Mom," Henry called out. "Can you please wake up?!"

"No." She grumbled.

"We are supposed to meet my dad," he said anxiously.

Emma didn't answer. She simply pushed Henry in to the bathroom to get ready. She needed to ready herself as well. So many emotions were flowing through her; hate, anger, frustration, betrayal…love. She wanted to deny the last part, but he was her first and only love. She hated him and August and the damned curse even more. A knock at the door shook her out of her thoughts. Only Gold would show up at this time.

"I'm done helping you. I just want to go home and forget I ever…" she stopped when she looked up at who was at the other side of the now open door. "We aren't supposed to meet for another hour." She kept her body between Neal and the room. The door was only open a crack. "How'd you find us?"

He smirked. "I have my ways." When she glared at him he shook his head. "Father of the year told me where to find him. Figured you were here as well."

"Go away please." Emma looked down at her pajamas. Blue gym shorts. She muttered a curse when she realized that the shirt she had on was one of Neal's. It was one of the few possessions she had on her when she was arrested. She used to sleep in it when they were together. It took her a few years to even take it out of the box of items she had prior to moving on from Neal. She wore the keychain to remind her to not to trust anyone. She wore his shirt to be close to him. She'd deny it to anyone and say it was an old ratty shirt she got at a thrift store. When she packed it she didn't think she'd be seeing Neal, let alone him seeing her wear it. He followed her glance and if he recognized it, he didn't say anything.

"I want to see Henry, and talk to you." He sighed. "I couldn't wait."

"We have nothing to talk about. As for Henry, you get today then we go home. If I have to leave your father behind I will."

"Whoa." Neal but his hand up and pulled her in to the hallway. "You can't bring Henry in to my life just to take him away." He shook his head. "No."

"We have a home. My…parents…," her voice sounded small, almost childlike and her head lowered. Taking a deep breath she lifted it. "I fulfilled my end of the deal with Gold. You can follow if you want."

His face was angry. His voice matched. "I can't. And you can't keep me from my son."

Emma slapped him hard across the face. How dare he? She gave birth to the son in prison and had no choice but to put him up for adoption. If Neal hadn't betrayed her they could have been a family. She wouldn't have lost 11 years with Henry. If anything, Neal's actions kept her from Henry.

"What was that for?" Neal was surprised.

"You have to ask?" Emma's arms were now crossed across her chest.

"Can we put the past aside for now? I thought we decided that yesterday? For Henry." Neal nodded towards the room. "You and I have a lot to talk about. You took Henry and left pretty quickly. Let me just spend a little time with him and then you and I can…we can…" he trailed off.

They both jumped when Henry swung the door open. He was holding Emma's phone. "Baelfire, I mean Neal, I mean Dad…What do I call you?"

Neal laughed. "My name is Neal but it's ok to call me Dad." He ruffled Henry's hair.

"Ok, Dad!" Henry put the phone to his ear. "Found her Gramps. Ok, you too!" Henry handed Emma the phone. "He called a few times."

"Hi David," Emma greeted after taking the phone from Henry and watched him take Neal's hand and lead him to the room. She followed. "I talked to her yesterday. No, I'm fine. Henry's fine." She paused and glanced over at father and son who were sitting on the edge of the bed pretending like they weren't listening. "Seriously? Fine, no he is not scaly, glittery and wet looking. Really, that's what he looked like? Gross. You think I would…ok this is awkward." She chuckled suddenly and stopped when she caught Neal's smile. "I'm sure you would if you could, but Mary Margaret would not like it if you lost your memory. Thank you for the offer. I'm going to rent a car or something and get us home soon. Keep me updated. Ok, bye." Emma turned off her phone and looked at Henry's very unhappy face.

"We can't leave unless he comes too."

"You would stay here and leave behind David, Mary Margaret, Archie…all our friends? The people who care for us?" Emma couldn't believe those words slipped out of her mouth.

"He's my dad," Henry cried.

"And I'm your mother." She didn't want to be doing this with Henry. Neal watched and she hated that as well. "Cora is in Storybrooke and up to no good. I need you to be near people who can keep you safe. Not here, where everyone is powerless. If Cora turns Regina…Henry I can't lose you." She softened. "And if that means you not seeing your father, then I am sorry."

"Come with us. Please?" Henry turned to Neal with wide eyes.

Neal

Neal didn't know much of what was going on in Storybrooke, Henry only told him a little bit. They mostly talked about Henry what kind of kid he was. Neal didn't want to discuss his life as Bae and Henry said he didn't want to "overwhelm" him with stories of Storybrooke. They thought they'd have time. Now Emma was threatening on taking him away. Watching Henry plead with her crushed him. And if there were people back there who wanted to hurt them then why go back?

"Why go back? If they are dangerous why go back? If people are powerless once leaving Storybrooke you are safe here." There, he said it.

"They are powerless to use magic. They can still take him from me." Emma huffed. "I'm taking a shower. Can I trust YOU not to run off with my kid?"

"Emma, please." That hurt. Neal watched her grab some things and head to the bathroom. He couldn't help but smile at her shirt. "That is a pretty ratty old shirt there huh?" Neal pointed out to Henry, pointing to the direction Emma was just in.

"Granma almost used it as a dust rag. Oh you should have see Mom." Henry laughed. "She freaked out."

First the keychain, then the shirt. She could try to deny it but she still cared. She said she was over it, him. He still felt the feelings he had for her 11 years stir up in him. They never went away and he regretted every day letting her go, even though it was what he had to do. He forced himself to move on. 11 years was a long time to wait for a curse to break. He wished he had gone to find her when the postcard arrived, but that meant having to see his father. He was a coward. And there was that other matter he had to deal with.

"Dad?" Henry broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Your dad, he misses you. I know he was bad and did bad things. But he's trying to be good now. He helped me when I was in the sleeping spell." Henry opened his mouth to continue but Neal stopped him.

"Sleeping spell?"

"Yeah. My other mom," Henry began. Once again Neal stopped him.

"Other mom?" His voice cracked.

"Yeah, Regina. The Evil Queen."

Neal wished they had talked more and not just about how cool the flight to New York was. Other mom? Evil Queen? Why did his son have another mom? "Why do you have two moms?"

"Emma gave me up. I found her. On her 28th birthday actually." He smiled proudly. "I made her come back to Storybrooke to break the curse. My other mom, Regina, doesn't like her at all. And she hates Grandma and Gramps. She was trying to stop using magic for me. I don't think she can." Henry lowered his head.

Neal stared at the bathroom. Emma gave up their son and an evil magical queen raised him? She gave him up just like his father did to him, and she had the nerve to tell him not to break Henry's heart? How could she? She had the means to take care of him. She had money. He made sure of that. He felt anger stir in him. He tried to push it down. Neal was failing. He took the TV remote and turned on the TV and asked Henry to stay put. He then walked to the bathroom.

"Out in a minute." Emma called from the other end. When the lock unclicked and the door opened Neal pushed his way in. "What the hell? Get out!" Emma cried, but fully dressed.

"You gave him up?!" Neal hissed. "You just gave him away? After everything you and I went through…how it felt to be left by our parents…you did that to him?"

He watched her eyes glass over as if trying to hold back tears and he realized maybe this was a bad idea. Then her face turned red in anger. She didn't hit him this time. It was as if she was daring him to continue with his verbal assault.

"How could you?" he whispered this time.

"How could I?" Her breath caught. "How could you." She pushed him as hard as she could against the door. "You set me up! You called the police on me. I took the fall for you. I found out I was pregnant with your child in jail, Neal. All I had waiting for me when I got out was that damn car. What was I going to do? Raise a baby in that car?!" She was failing now in her struggle not to cry. "While you were where? Phuket?! You have a grand time spending all that money from the watches?"

Neal felt the wind knock out of him. What was she talking about? He left the money along with the car with August for Emma. Tears were now streaming down her face. He felt like the world's biggest jerk. Where did he get off getting angry at her? He knew now he was out of line.

"Mom?" Henry called from the other side. "Are you ok?" He knocked this time.

"Yes," she managed to say. She wiped her eyes. "You leave now. Henry and I leave for home once our bags are packed. If you choose to follow know one thing. I never want to speak to you unless it has to do with Henry. Got it?"

"Emma, please. I'm sorry." Neal reached out for her only to feel her body shove in to his as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Henry, pack your things. We are leaving now." Emma started to pack her own things and when Henry didn't comply she started throwing his things in his bags.

"We can't leave yet Mom!"

"Yes, we can." She stared at Neal. "He has been given the invitation to come to Storybrooke. Hopefully Leroy doesn't try to kill him. He isn't fond of outsiders right now."

"Please, don't do this. I can't leave right now." Neal reached for her, trying to stop her frantic packing.

"Don't touch me," Emma growled.

Before any of them knew it and blast of energy seemed to have burst from Emma and straight towards Neal. A gush of wind accompanied it. He hit the floor and then looked up at the shocked face of his son and the terrified face of Emma. What just happened? How did she do that? She quickly covered her mouth as if to smother a cry then walked to the door. Still in awe of what just happened he didn't register that she was telling him he had to go. He would go but only because he needed answers and by the look on Emma's face what just happened was a shock to her as much as it was to him.

"Please just don't leave."

Her response was the door slamming in his face.