Neal walked down the long corridor in the basement of the Castle holding Emma's hand tightly as they walked. They were exploring the tunnels like children amazed at what they could find. It was far better than up in the great room where everyone was loud and watching their every move. Neither of them had been in this part of the Castle before. It was cold and damp but it was still all new, they both wondered what could be kept down here. Neal stopped in his tracks when he heard voice in front of him and pulled Emma into another hallway where they could hear what was happening.
"This is your punishment, I kept you alive to make you suffer the way I did." Neal knew the voice instantly as his own fathers. "Knowing that our son is above you and is happy but will never know that you're alive. And that Hook thinks you are dead. But you don't have any love left do you?"
Neal's heart sank when he heard the gasp of pain escape his mothers mouth.
"Not without your heart you don't. So I'll just leave it here as I always do, just out of your reach."
"Rumple please, I'm sorry I left you. But is this all necessary? Just kill me if that's what you want." Milah cried, Neal didn't move he only looked at Emma.
"Now why would I do that?" Rumple laughed. "Goodbye derie" He said, Neal pushed Emma against the wall and held his breath as his father walked past.
"We have to get her out of here" Neal whispered, Emma only nodded as he pulled her around the corner.
Neal paused checking to make sure no one was coming before stepping towards the cell. Milah was sitting on a bed in the corner head in her hands. She was thin and was wearing a ratty dress. Neal's heart sank at the sight of his mother in such a state.
"Milah?" He asked quietly making her look up. She stood quickly backing into the corner even farther.
"Who are you?" She asked shaky.
"It's me mamma" Neal said frozen, Emma squeezed his hand.
"Baelfire?" She asked taking a step forward.
"We're here to get you out of here." Neal said turning to the box that held her heart.
"Your father has the keys, there's no way of getting me out of here." Milah said walking towards the bars.
"We'll get you out of here, I promise." Neal said looking at Emma. "Can you do something?"
Emma looked down at the lock looking it over. Closing her eyes she reached out her hands to the lock hovering them over it. She tried hard to concentrate as Neal and Milah watched her closely until they heard a click. Emma opened her eyes surprised as Neal pulled the bars open. Neal didn't say anything he only stood there looking at his mother.
"I'm so sorry Bae" She breathed placing a hand on his cheek.
Neal was about to say something when they heard the door leading into the tunnels open. Neal and Emma both looked at each other, Neal handed Emma the box that held Milah's heart.
"Get her out of here, take her to the cabin and keep her safe." Neal said pushing them both away but Emma stopped grabbing Neal's hand.
"What are you going to do?" She asked looking him in the eyes.
"I'm going to take care of him, and give you two time. Now go I'll be there soon" Neal said trying to pull away but Emma pulled him into her for a kiss.
"Be careful please." She said stepping away.
"You too, I love you" He said as Emma and Milah ran into the other direction.
They came out at the base of the Castle only a few feet from the forest, Emma held Milah's hand tightly as she guided her through the forest. As they hurried away from the castle they reached a thick part of the forest and Milah stopped to rest. Emma leaned against a tree breathing hard.
"How do you know my son?" Milah asked looking at Emma.
"I take it Rumple didn't tell you much about Ne, Baelfire" Emma said pushing herself off the tree.
"No, he told me he was happy and that was about it, are you and he...?"
"Together?" Emma said finishing Milah's question, Milah nodded. "Were married." Emma said as their was a rustle in the forest from the direction they had just come. "We need to keep moving" Emma said quietly.
"How do we know it isn't Bae?" Milah asked as she followed Emma deeper into the forest.
"I'm not going to take a chance if it isn't." Emma said not looking back over her shoulder.
They reached the cabin in no time at all and both women hurried inside. Emma closed her eyes leaning against the door she sighed until she heard movement outside. Pausing she opened her eyes and moved to the window in time to see Henry and Wendy appear from the forest. Moving back to the door she opened it, motioning for them to come in.
"What are you two doing out here?" She asked closing the door quickly behind them.
"We were playing outside when we saw you leave the castle with, her" Henry said looking at Milah.
"We thought something was wrong so we followed you, I'm sorry." Wendy said ashamed.
"It's fine sweetie." Emma said giving Wendy a hug. "Did anyone follow you?" Emma asked Henry.
"No we're kids no one cares where we go." Henry said.
"Way to make me sound like a bad parent there kid" Emma said ruffling his hair.
"Who's that?" Wendy asked still standing with Emma.
"I'm Milah" Milah said making Henry look at Emma wide eyed.
"Is she?" He asked, Emma only nodded. "You're my grandma?" Henry asked looking at Milah.
"He's Bae's son?" Milah asked looking at Emma.
"Henry, why don't you and Wendy go back to your room." Emma said looking at Henry. Henry sighed but went back nonetheless.
"He's my grandson?" Milah asked looking at Emma when the door to the back room closed.
"I always knew Baelfire as Neal." Emma started.
"What does this have to do with him?" Milah asked.
"Because it's the only thing that makes us having a 14 year old son and only only have been married for two years make sense." Emma said, Milah sat at one of the chairs at the table. "Neal and I met when we were young, I was 17 and he was 20. We were both living on our own and didn't have any money so we stole a lot. And of course Neal being the charmer he is had me falling head over heals in love with him in a matter of months." Emma smiled.
"You didn't right away?" Milah asked.
"No, in fact I first met him I thought he was a bit cocky. But needless to say I fell in love with him. Then life happened, I tried to help him get out of some trouble he was in and he betrayed me. I wound up going to jail for what he had done. Well, he ratted me out to the cops for stealing the watches." Emma said.
"He's a coward just like his father." Milah said under her breath but Emma heard her.
"Neal's anything but a coward, he might have betrayed me and ran but he did it to get me to Storybrooke. There was a prophecy that on my 28th birthday I would come and break the curse. He found out who I really was and left to protect me and get me home. I've spent a lot of years being mad at him and trying to get over him. I mean he left me in jail and pregnant. But then when we found each other again," Emma sighed "I thought he didn't love me after what he had done and then he told me he did and of course I was still in love with him. Even after 11 years it was like nothing changed."
"Did you raise Henry alone?" Milah asked, Emma shook her head.
"I gave him up, I was 18 when I had him and I had no idea how to be a mother. I had grown up without one for my whole life. So I gave him up and he found me when he was 10." Emma said looking down the hallway.
"You just seem like you love him."
"I do, he's my son. I might have given him up but that doesn't mean I didn't think about him every day. And then when I met him and got to know him I saw parts of Neal in him and I in him and I couldn't leave." Emma said with a small laugh.
"Baelfire meant the world to me, I'm not sure if he even knows that." Milah said with a sigh.
"This is your second chance Milah."
"I don't deserve a second chance, I left him." Milah said avoiding Emma's gaze.
"Everyone does, no matter what they did in the past. My parent's put me in a wardrobe and I had to grow up not knowing who they were."
There was a loud thump outside and Emma stood quickly turning to face the door as Neal stumbled in a pink bundle in his arms and blood covering his shirt.