Hey everyone :) First of all I'd just like to thank those who followed / favourited the story, it means a lot to me! To those lovely people who reviewed, especially, a huge thank you. Reviews really make my day, I love getting feedback!

I know this chapter is super long but I wanted to give you guys as much as possible as soon as I could. I also think that this story seems a bit rushed, but I guarantee you it will slow down after the next few chapters.

I'm sorry fellow Swanfire shippers for this chapter, but it had to be done. (One of the reasons it was done so quick - it was like ripping off a bandaid). Don't despair though, guys, I have plenty of family fluff planned ahead, especially the Charming family pre-curse, which I've never explored before.

"Em, you should quit. You're working too hard." Neal sat her down on the couch and handed her a bowl of soup.

"Neal you know I can't. We're barely making rent each month with both our jobs, we have hardly anything saved, and Henry will be starting school in a year or two."

"They treat you like crap, Em. You shouldn't have to deal with that," he said angrily. "We'll manage if you want to leave. I think you should."

She met his eyes, stormy with anger, and gave him a small, sad smile. "Thank you. Really. I love you so much for this but I can't leave. I can't do that to Henry. I don't even mind working an extra shift or two," she lied.

Neal sighed. "I hate this. I hate that I can't earn enough to provide for you both. If I could just –"

"No," Emma interjected firmly. "We have a son. A son who will be devastated if his father ends up in jail. We gave up that life, Neal."

"I know," he replied, collapsing into the seat next to her, "It's just difficult seeing you struggle and knowing that I'm not able to save you."

"Hey," she said reassuringly, slipping her hand onto his. "I don't need saving."

At that the corners of Neal's mouth twitched up.

"I forgot that you're the hero in our story."

"Damn right I am. Which makes you my lowly sidekick. So you have to agree with me at all times and do whatever I tell you to. And I'm telling you to stop worrying about whether or not I like my job. And also to do the dishes. "

He laughed at that. "I think you're confusing the word 'sidekick' and 'slave'."

x

Emma sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by bills. After the electricity, gas, water, and rent were paid they were left with a measly three hundred dollars. They still had to pay for a new work uniform for Emma, the old one had worn out and the boss refused to let her work until she bought a new uniform, plus the month's groceries. Not to mention the cost of the Bug.

She was so sure when they had stolen the watches before Henry was born that $20,000 would be enough to last years. But they'd had to change their identities, and becoming 'Neal and Emma Pariter' had cost them $6,000 each. Then the rent on the tiny house they were living in had slowly gone up each year so that, even with both of them working, they had barely anything saved up.

She sighed deeply and laid her head on her arms despairingly. Looked like they weren't getting their dream house anytime soon.

"Mama?" she heard Henry's worried voice asking shakily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, kid." Emma said with a fake smile she couldn't keep on. She quickly composed herself.

'Where's daddy?" Henry wondered as her climbed onto her lap.

"He had to work late. He said he'd make it up to you and read you two chapters from your story tomorrow. Okay?"

Henry just nodded.

"Okay then." Emma stroked Henry's hair lovingly. "We'll be alright kid. We've got each other and your dad, and that's all that really matters."

He rested his head against her shoulder and she placed a soft kiss on his temple. As he wriggled in her arms she couldn't help but sigh. She had meant every word she told him but she also knew that her top priority was protecting her son at all costs. Even if it meant she had to work three jobs she would gladly take the chance to give Henry the best life he could get.

x

Neal was giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Come on, Em! Please?"

"I don't like leaving Henry."

Neal nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know, me neither. But he has to get away from us occasionally. Besides, he's in good hands with Julie."

Julie had a boy about Henry's age named Josh. She and Emma had met at a mother's group which Neal had convinced her to attend when Henry was a few months old. Unfortunately, most of the mother's at the meeting were in their late 20's and early 30's, and Emma, being only 18 at the time, had felt as though the older women were judging her. Only Julie had made her feel comfortable, and when the others continued to drop snide remarks as the day went on she had stormed out alongside Emma. Needless to say Emma had never gone to another meeting, but had kept in touch with Julie and occasionally organised play dates for their boys.

"Emma. You know Julie and her husband are moving to London soon. This could be the last time Josh and Henry get a chance to see each other, do you really want them never getting to say goodbye? Besides," he added, "We haven't been out in months!"

"That's not true! We went out to dinner a few weeks ago and Jules took Henry, remember?"

Neal sighed. "But we haven't been dancing in years."

"You know I don't dance! In fact, if I remember correctly you're terrible at dancing," she teased.

Neal grimaced in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I was once considered a superb dancer."

"By who?" Emma asked incredulously.

"A lot of people. Granted they were all drunk at the time, but you get the point."

Emma laughed and briefly felt a weight lift off her chest. She let out a sigh and gave in. After all, she was just as desperate as he was for a break from the stress.

"Alright," she conceded, "We'd better go get dressed."

x

She regretted it the next morning. She woke up to a splitting headache and within minutes was in the bathroom retching into the toilet. Neal was sitting on the floor looking haggard but not ill.

"Where's Henry?" she slurred.

Neal stood up and stretched, "In his room. I was very responsible. I only gave him a few bourbons. Kid's a real lightweight," he joked with a slight grin.

"Just like his parents, I guess. Since when did we get hangovers just from drinking until 11?" Emma gave a groan and laid her forehead on the bathroom tiles, before retching into the toilet again.

"Since we came to Tallahassee, I believe. We did have some pretty powerful stuff, and we haven't drunk anything strong in 4 years."

Emma glared at him. "I had barely anything. You were the one going crazy on the drinks. How come you're not as bad as me?"

Emma felt a wave of sickness hit her and she leant over the toilet bowl. Neal pulled her hair back sympathetically.

"Because I have to work, so I'm willing myself to be okay. Will you be alright with Henry today?"

Emma nodded. "I should be good once this passes."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you like this."

Emma rolled her eyes and all but pushed him out the door. She could handle a hangover.

x

The next few weeks flew by. Emma caught a stomach bug and for two weeks found herself spending more and more time running to the bathroom, meaning she had to take time off work. She knew they could barely afford it and went back as soon as she could, but they had already lost a lot of their savings. She also noticed that Neal was acting strangely. He would take phone calls and hang up looking as pale as a ghost. When she asked what was wrong he made jokes to avoid talking about it, and she grew increasingly concerned.

After about a week of this he came home from work and sat her down, making sure Henry wasn't in earshot.

"I lost my job, Em."

Emma could barely breathe. They were struggling enough as it was.

"What? When?" she breathed.

"Today. They thought I'd been stealing from the office."

"And had you?" Emma asked warily.

"No!" Neal answered, appalled. "I would have told you!"

Emma sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do Neal. It was a miracle you got that job in the first place! No one will be willing to hire you now. Not without any recommendations and your previous workplace telling everyone you've embezzled from them!"

"I know, I don't know what's going to happen. I'm so sorry Em." He slumped into a chair and held his head in his hands.

He looked so heartbroken, so convinced her had let her and Henry down that Emma immediately went over and kissed him.

"Neal," she said gently, "We'll be okay." When he met her comment with silence she attempted to lighten the mood a bit by teasing him. "It's a shame we're such misfits we don't have any family to help us, hey?"

Instead of giving her his signature grin, as she expected, he looked at her with haunted eyes. It seemed as if he was on the verge of saying something, but he just shook his head slightly and went to play with Henry.

She watched them for a while, and after a few minutes she realised she was crying. When Neal noticed he came over and wrapped his arms around her so she could sob into his chest. He rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I love you Em."

x

It had been three weeks since Neal was fired and every day he'd been out from 5 in the morning and hadn't returned until about 11. Emma could see him getting increasingly frustrated at his lack of job offers and she had started to worry about how desperate he seemed. She'd never seen this side of him, normally Neal was the cool, calm one; it was as though he felt he was running out of time.

"Mama I made you a picture!" Henry interrupted her thoughts and beamed proudly at her.

Emma smiled at the look on Henry's face and told him the picture was lovely before clearing away the plates from their dinner. She heard Neal's keys at the door and her heart jumped into her throat. Something was up – it was only six thirty, why would he be home yet? He couldn't have got a job, nobody had even given him an interview yet.

As soon as he walked in Emma knew something terrible was about to happen. Neal could barely even meet her eyes, and she could see from the tightness of his mouth that he was trying not to cry. Neal never cried.

"Babe?" she asked, almost fearfully, "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving," he said huskily, moving past her and into the bedroom.

Emma's blood ran cold. What did he mean leaving? Leaving her? She should have seen it coming, she always abandoned eventually. But Neal leaving Henry? She never, ever, thought that would happen.

"What are you talking about Neal?" she said, containing her panic as she watched him pull clothes from the drawer. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a chance. Nobody's hiring me, Emma. Nobody wants a thief and a liar working for them. Not a single person is willing to give me a chance. Not one!"

"So you – what? Think leaving us will make life easier? Think it's going to be different somewhere else?" Emma accused angrily.

"No! Look I don't expect you to understand - "

"WELL THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I DON'T! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON NEAL?"

"Emma I'm so sorry. I love you." He said, trying to squash the things in his suitcase down.

"No. You do NOT get to tell me that you love me as you walk away. What are you doing? Do you know how much this will kill Henry?"

Neal faltered, his hand on the suitcase zipper, before he set his jaw in determination.

"I wish my father had the guts to leave before I remembered him. It would have made him abandoning me a lot less painful. Henry will be better off without me. And so will you Emma."

He pulled the suitcase off the bed and, unable to look her in the eye, brushed past her. He stopped dead in the hallway when he saw Henry, who was clearly terrified by his parents arguing and pressing himself against the wall.

Neal knelt down so that he was eye-level with his son and said seriously. "Henry, I have to go now but I don't want you to ever forget how much I love you. More than anything in the whole world, Henry. I need you to look after your mom for me. Do you understand? I know you're going to take good care of each other. Everything will be alright, you'll see. I love you so much and I hope you'll forgive me one day." He pulled Henry into a tight hug and Henry clung on for dear life. Neal let him go and took out a small gold compass from his pocket. "I want you to have this so that you'll always know how to find what you need." He handed it to Henry, who immediately clutched it to his chest. "Don't forget about me buddy," Neal said, voice cracking with emotion.

He stood up and Emma couldn't make a sound. He was serious. He truly was leaving.

As he reached the door she found her voice and managed a whispered, broken little "Why?"

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned back to look at her. "Because I want you both to have your best chance. And it's not with me."

And then he left.

What do you think? Any questions? The next chapter I'm planning to be a tiny one based entirely on Neal and his reasons for leaving, and should be up really soon. PLEASE review, I'm desperate to know what you guys think.