Hi Everyone :) Me Again... I am starting this new story because i LOVED Manhattan and i want to explore the family dynamic between henry/emma/nealfire ... (with some input from other family members (which is like half the characters now...)) i will probably be doing one-shot chapters from different points of views surrounding what happens on the show. so yeah. i hope it works out... i haven't really done this before.
I am also sorry to anyone who may have been following my other story i need your help at this point in time i cannot see myself finishing it (sorry if you were enjoying it...) I moved house recently and the internet got cut off super early so i couldn't really upload anything and now that i know what actually happens... i can't just go making up some other story... my brain doesn't seem to work that way ... so...yeah... sorry...
anyway - this chapter does contain spoilers from the episode Manhattan (a lot of spoilers) so if you haven't seen it yet you probably shouldn't read this...
DISCLAIMER: i own nothing - most of this is credit to the amazing ouat writers and actors.
"You found something dearie?" Mr. Gold said, curiosity lacing his tone.
As he heard his mother reply, Henry stopped what he was doing and turned around to watch the ensuing argument.
"Nothing!" Emma had stated quickly, "I - it just looks like a dream catcher"
"Yeah well if it's nothing… why are you still holding it?" Mr. Gold enquired, looking at Emma suspiciously.
Henry had to admit… Emma's behaviour was odd. The way she was clutching the dream catcher closer as Mr. Gold questioned her seemed… protective? The way her eyes darted around the room was equally strange. Her normal composed nature appeared to be crumbling slightly as she searched the apartment quickly.
"You're lying to me."
At Mr. Gold's statement, Henry felt the atmosphere in the room become very tense, and he knew that something was amiss. So much so that when Emma encouraged them to, "Just get back to looking," Mr. Gold didn't brush away the oddity of the situation, and demanded information.
"TELL ME!" he yelled, shocking Henry.
Henry didn't see the issue that Mr. Gold appeared to. Emma had already rehung the dream catcher back on the window, but the older man seemed hung up on something he saw in Emma's eyes. And Henry didn't like it. Mr. Gold could be scary sometimes, everyone in Storybrooke knew that. There was a reason why everyone paid their rent on time, because they had always known Mr. Gold had a dark side. And although he had always been nice to Henry himself, he didn't care to witness his mom getting on the wrong side of this evil man.
'At least with me in the room, it's not like Gold would do anything drastic.' Henry justified, moments before Emma turned to him.
"Henry go wait in the bathroom," she directed firmly.
He quickly retorted, "But I can help!" not liking where this confrontation could possibly lead.
"HENRY. GO" Emma shouted, her voice raised powerfully.
Taking a final glace at his mother, Henry looked down and slowly walked away. As he walked past Mr. Gold, he shot the man a small look. Hoping that what was shown on his face was representative of his thoughts. 'Don't hurt my mom.'
It was quiet until he entered the bathroom and closed the door gently. But as Henry stood in the middle of the pokey bathroom, he could hear their voices regaining conversation. Straining his ears to listen in on the conversation, Henry could barely pick up anything that was being said.
Carefully, so to avoid the hinges squeaking, He opened the bathroom door, letting the sounds of the argument reach his ears. However, he soon realized his actions were pointless, as the curious chatter between the two adults, rapidly became much louder.
It was his mom's voice he first heard distinctly, as she stated incredulously "I'm not holding back!" Henry immediately became more aware of the situation when he heard Mr. Gold's angry reply.
Sinking back into the bathroom, a heavy feeling begun to settle in his stomach. This all seemed much lighter and interesting when he was standing next to his mom. However, trapped in the bathroom all he knew was that Mr. Gold was angry, and that Emma's stubborn behaviour often got her into trouble. And not knowing what was going on, was worse than seeing it all unfold.
Leaning against the wall by the door, Henry listened to the fight unfold. It was now too loud to ignore.
"DID HE TELL YOU SOMETHING?" was Mr. Gold's usually dulcet tone.
"NOTHING HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING" Emma acquiesced, not quite realizing what she was saying. This statement confused Henry, almost more than everything else. Had Emma actually talked to this guy, although she said he ran away? She wouldn't lie about this would she?
Mr. Gold was apparently thinking along the same lines as Henry, as his next statement rattled the argument. "BUT YOU TALKED TO HIM!"
"I – DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH" Emma yelled once again.
"TELL ME!" Rumpelstiltskin demanded.
Taking one final glace at the room outside, Henry lent against the bathroom door, pushing it shut. What was happening? What were they even arguing about? The fact that Emma might be lying? Even so… why did it need to be so intense?
He could still hear their voices from the main room, but it was muffled. As he stood with his back to the door, he was in too minds. He wanted to know everything, he wanted to stop the argument, but he also wanted to just stay locked up in the bathroom.
Eventually, the words became clearer as they also became louder.
He could hear Emma, and it frightened him, more than he care to admit "Don't. push. me!"
As he breathed heavily, his back still to the door, Henry's thoughts ran rampant. What was going on? Was Mr. Gold pushing her around? He needed to do something. But he's only a child… ultimately his decision was made for him when he heard Mr. Gold's terrifying reply.
"WE HAD A DEAL – A DEAL!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted loudly. Henry held his breath, and heard a loud CRASH as Mr. Gold continued to yell at his mom. "NO ONE, NO ONE BREAKS DEALS WITH ME"
Henry was breathing heavily, his shaking hand on the doorknob, waiting for the courage to save his mom to arrive. He had the worst case scenario running through his mind. Gold had possibly pushed her into something that made the loud clattering noise. He might be whacking her with his cane. He had no idea… but something needed to happen something needed to stop this argument. Now.
"HEY!" a deep male voice shouted. Making Henry freeze in place. Whether or not someone was here to arrest them for breaking and entering, they couldn't have come at a better time. Immediately Henry felt 10 times safer.
Silence fell in the apartment, and he calmed down. After a few moments, he could hear more soft talking coming from the adults. And although Henry couldn't make out words, he could differentiate between the sounds of the voices well enough to know the interrupting man was still here.
It was quite sudden and unexpected when he heard that man shout "GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT"
As the apartment relapsed into silence, Henry panicked once more. What was going on! Was this new man Baelfire? Was he going to be left behind, stuck in this dingy bathroom, whilst Emma and Mr. Gold were kicked out?
As the sound of Mr. Gold's voice picked up, Henry knew he had to act. There was no way he was going to stay in this bathroom any longer whilst all hell continued to break loose. He needed his mom. He was scared and completely confused.
Henry wrenched open the door and crept out of the bathroom just in time to hear Mr. Gold accuse Emma and the stranger. "You two know each other. How?"
This stopped Henry in his place. Did Emma know the man who lived here… Baelfire…? That would be ridiculous. However, Emma's rapid response placated him.
"You sent me chasing after him!" she pointed out to a disbelieving Gold.
"NO NO NO. STOP IT! YOU'RE LYING" Mr. Gold shouted again, piquing Henry's interest. Would his mom really have lied? "HOW DO YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER?"
That was the final straw. As silence fell in the next room, Henry revealed himself. He needed answers.
"Mom! What's going on…?" he said, walking up to Emma. He needed answers.
As he approached her, she reached out for him. As he looked into her eyes, looking for any sign of harm, all he saw was how nervous she seemed. As soon as he was in reach, she started fretting with his collar.
"Who's this?" Henry heard the stranger ask
"My son" Emma replied with a quick glance his way
"What?" was the only verbal reply to Emma's offhand statement, but as his face scrunched up in disbelief Henry turned towards him in curiosity.
"Is that Baelfire?" he asked the room to no reply.
"I need you to stay in the other room for a little while longer okay? Come on" Emma said, facing him eye to eye. She seemed anxious to remove him from the situation, and Henry complied, allowing his mom to lead him away.
However, despite Emma's eagerness for him to stay out of the confrontation, Baelfire was the exact opposite. He seemed interested in Henry. "Wait how- how - how old are you?" Baelfire asked him as Emma begun pulling him from the room.
"Don't answer him" she murmured quickly.
This didn't seem good enough for Mr. Gold's son, and he resorted to shouting. "HOW OLD ARE YOU KID!" Henry was beyond confused at this point. And things were becoming personal. He wasn't going back to that bathroom, so he squirmed out of Emma's desperate arms.
"ELEVEN! NOW WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING?" Henry shouted back. Hoping to finally get some answers from the 3 adults staring at him.
However, unluckily for him, Baelfire's gaze moved from him, and over towards Emma. "He's eleven?" he asked a silent Emma.
"Mom?" Henry hedged, trying to get an answer from her.
In the Silence that ensued Emma looked torn. Her eyes, flashing between Him and Baelfire was odd, and Henry once again felt that heavy, unsettling feeling settle in his stomach. As Emma remained silent, Henry turned around to face Baelfire. Maybe this man had answers for him. What had happened eleven years ago between them that was tearing Emma apart?
Henry didn't have to wait long for a shocking reply to his inner question. "Is this my son?" Baelfire croaked, looking Emma in the eye.
Whatever he was expecting, it surely wasn't that. Looking at the pain and heartbreak on the man's face Henry knew he had to try and help. After all, he already had a father. He was dead. This couldn't be him.
"No… my dad was a fireman. He died" Henry explained to Baelfire. However, as he spoke Emma finally approached him, and he turned to look at her. Her face was wary, scared and full of apprehension as he continued to speak." That's what you t-told me… you said" Henry finished, trailing off his justification as he realized what the look on Emma's face could possibly mean.
She looked guilty. And remorseful. A look he had seen Regina wear once.
Henry was starting to feel a little sick. What was happening…?
"Is this… my son?" Baelfire repeated, desperate for an answer. He was asking for everyone. The whole room knew the truth, but the validation from Emma was required for the full extent of the truth to be felt.
Emma walked right up towards Henry. And he stood, watching her with his eyes widened. As he waited for the truth, he felt his mom push away his bangs and cradle his face with her hands. It felt so nice, and so wrong at the same time. That all this affection would come crashing down on him as soon as his image of her as the perfect mom spiraled downwards.
Looking deep into his eyes, Emma uttered the most heartbreaking word, confirming the question in his eyes. "Yes"
Immediately, nothing else mattered. Not that his father, who he had thought was dead, was standing behind him, or that his grandfather was watching the scene unfold with pity in his eyes. His mom, Emma had lied to him. And whilst she may look heartbroken as he steps away from her, he feels completely blindsided. Stabbed in the back.
Finally, the tension in the room is too much. Shaking his head slightly, he realizes he needs space, to get away from everyone. He glances over at the open window, before jumping out into the fresh, biting air.
thanks for reading :)