Note: over at ao3, meseger pointed out to me that August didn't actually show Bae Rumple's dagger, but I always thought that reveal with the typewriter was really disappointing, and I saw some of the fanon/thoughts what was in the box on Tumblr and so ended changing that scene a little bit because I thought that "words on paper" reveal was such a copout, especially given that Neal is Rumple's son.

He'd always known that he loved her, that bright, blonde, darling woman with a smile like the sun

That moment she'd stolen his stolen car he recalled jumping up in the backseat, surprising her as she turned around to face him.

Like her name, she suggested to him a swan, although she'd often indicated to him that she felt lost and alone and ugly, like the duckling, instead of what he knew her to be. Whenever her feelings of abandonment had overtaken her, he'd placed his arms around her, letting her draw comfort from the fact that he'd always be there.

After the incident with the successful theft of the watches, he'd told Emma that they were "Almost home," and her face had light up with joy at the words before she'd murmured, "Home…" as if she was talking to herself.

At times he wondered what secrets she hid deep inside her, but didn't feel it was kind to pry. After all, he was the son of Rumpelstiltskin, although he knew his father better as the Dark One, and he wanted to keep Emma safe, so he buried his past away.

Daily, Emma continued to steal his heart with her cheerfulness, the way she smiled at him, and the impression that she gave him that she'd finally found home with him.

Neal understood her desire for home; it suggested stability, fortitude, and love… and furthermore, no abandonment from the families that had neglected them. Emma's finger landing on Tallahassee made him want nothing more than to achieve their mutual dream of being home. He dreamed of making her a little nest in Tallahassee where she could finally settle her world-weary wings and make a nest for herself as he kept her safe.

But their happy little world crashed to pieces when a tall, finely-featured man approached Neal one day, explaining that Emma, the brilliant swan, had a destiny in a town called Storybrooke and that Neal had to release the beauty he loved so that she could stretch her wings and fulfill her destiny, but something held him back.

He demanded proof from August about magic, never suspecting that August knew about his connection to Rumpelstiltskin when he opened the case to reveal the Dark One's dagger. Reluctantly, Neal gave in to August's demands that he set Emma free, but he hated how he had to do so, which involved turning her in for the watches and then running away. He pressed upon August for him to send her the money and make sure that his swan was given good care, but August was cryptic as usual and so he never knew if his attempts to make amends with Emma – his love – had even resulted in anything worthwhile.

The swan had taken flight – or so he hoped – but that didn't mean that she wasn't always on his mind. Even as he ran away in the opposite direction of Tallahassee (home) he always found himself looking for her, hoping to catch a glint of her golden hair, or to hear the rustle of her wings, but his efforts were always in vain.

Fin

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