Neal didn't know what to think. A large part of him wanted to sweep Henry into his arms and run. He wanted to take Henry away from Emma who had given him up. He wanted to make sure his father never even looked at him again.
Neal wanted him and Tamara to have their chance at raising Henry. He didn't want anyone, not even Emma, to get in-between himself and his son. Because in Neal's eyes, Emma didn't deserve Henry. She had given him up. His little boy was left alone in the world because his mother didn't want to raise him. But- how was Henry here if Emma gave him up?
"Emma," Neal's voice was shaky as he spoke, "please tell me you understand that this world has laws. You can't kidnap the child you gave up for adoption!" He tried to keep his voice down so Henry wouldn't be startled.
Emma looked baffled. "What did you get out of what I said Neal? The Evil Queen is his adoptive mother. She tried to kill me after I told her I was leaving Storybrooke and that she could have Henry as long as I could visit! She's a train wreck who constantly kills. She threatened everyone in the town with magic. She's the reason I was sent back to damn fairy tale land with my mother! She killed and hurt more people than probably your father. And worst of all, she risked Henry's life."
Emma and Neal were standing in front of each other. So close that they could feel each other's breath. Both were furious with the other, but neither knew exactly why.
"What did she do to Henry?" Neal growled. He was angry beyond describable anger. How anyone could let Henry near that vile woman was beyond him.
"Poison apple."
"You mean true love's kiss?" Neal questioned. He had heard enough story's from when he still lived with his papa to know that true love's kiss was a magical thing. But Neal also knew from the books here, that true love's kiss happened between two lovers. Was his son old enough to have found his true love?
"Emma, how is Henry a-awake?" Neal couldn't say alive. The word physically could not form on his tongue. Imagining perfect little Henry not alive was something Neal would never be able to do.
"I kissed him."
"What?" Neal didn't even know what to think.
"Neal I'm his mother. The love a mother has for her child is the most powerful force of love in the universe. Nothing triumphs what a parent would do for their child."
"You have that right." He quietly murmured. Neal had only known Henry for a short while, but he knew he would take a bullet for him. For his son, he would do anything.
"So, what are we going to do?" Emma decided that there was no use in talking about Regina. She was a problem they could deal with once Emma knew what Neal's intentions towards Henry were. She hated to think it, but if Neal overstepped any of his limits she would find a way to get Regina on her side. She didn't need Neal to be in her life once all of the pieces had finally begun to be put together. She had Henry, Snow, and David. That was all she needed. But now Neal was here, and if she still knew Neal at all, she knew he wasn't going away.
"What do you mean Emma?"
"I mean I can grab Henry right now, leave, and pretend this never happened. In fact I'm extremely tempted too."
"No!" Unknowingly Neal jumped out of the wooden chair he was sitting in. "Emma you can't take him." He wasn't losing his son. Not after he had just meet him.
"So what do you plan to do Neal? Don't you have a life? Or are you still running from the cops? Because if you are, Henry and I are leaving, NOW." Emma had started to walk fast towards Neal's bed where Henry was currently sleeping. Neal dashed towards Emma. He pulled her in towards him so she would avoid waking Henry out of his peaceful slumber.
"Neal let me go!" She growled.
"I will, but don't wake him up."
"Alright," Emma sighed frustrated.
"I'm not running from the cops. I have a job here. I'm an agent at a sports agency. It's a good pay Emma. I can support him." Neal was hesitant to tell Emma about Tamara. He was afraid that she would grab Henry and leave because with a kid who has a family as messed up as he does, why make it any messier when the complete mass destruction and chaos can be avoided completely?
"There's something else." The look on Emma's face was unreadable to Neal. She used to be so readable to him. But that was what happened when you abandoned someone, Neal thought. Emma could still read him crystal clearly though. "Just tell me Neal. No secrets or I take Henry and leave."
"You can't do that. You weren't in his life until recently I take it. So if I can't see him, than you can't." Neal was ready to give anything he had to keep Henry in his life.
"Yes I can Neal! I'm his mother! I've fought a dragon for him!" She screeched loudly. Neal had to take a step back.
"You fought a dragon?" A hoarse voice whispered. Neal jerked his head to see Henry slowly making his way towards the kitchen where he and Emma were at.
Emma quickly wiped the tears out of the corners of her eyes that she didn't know she had until Neal pointed them out. Henry didn't need to see her cry. She needed to be strong for him. "It's late, what are you doing up?" Emma gently placed her hand on Henry's back as she tried to guide him back to Neal's bed.
"Mom no, what are you and Dad fighting about?" Emma wanted to curse. How could she have even thought about keeping Henry from her and Neal? Henry was a smart kid, sometimes too smart for his own good.
And dad, where did that come from? He had known Neal for a few hours. Emma didn't think he earned the gift of being called dad. She didn't even call David dad. And David had earned it. After this whole crazy conversation was done, Emma was going to call Mary Margret and David. And Emma decided she would push herself to show some sort of affection towards her parents. And that meant viewing them as Snow and James, not Mary Margret and David because those two people were shells of the true character of her parents.
"Henry go back to bed. Your mom and I are talking about parenting stuff. It's boring really. We just need to get everything sorted out." Neal had taken charge once he realized Emma had fallen too deep into her thoughts.
"Dad I can help. Besides, you and mom haven't gotten anywhere. You two can't stop yelling about me and Regina."
"How long have you been listening Henry?" Emma questioned tiredly. She really needed a nice shot of scotch.
"Um, awhile." He whispered.
Neal shook his head and cracked his son a smile. "Well, you wouldn't be our kid if you didn't."
At that moment, Emma lost all control over her emotions. She started laughing as if there would be no tomorrow. She clutched her sides as she slowly slipped towards the wooden ground. Tears streamed down her face. She was hiccupping uncontrollably.
"m-mom?" Henry questioned frighteningly.
Neal jerked his head from Emma to Henry, to Emma again. "Henry go back to bed." Henry stood frozen as Neal sprinted towards Emma. He was terrified. Emma, strong, beautiful Emma, had finally hit her breaking point. Everything had become too much for her.
"I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous." Emma spoke in between her giggles, "My parents are Snow White and freaking Prince Charming!" She threw her head back and laughed coldly. More tears streamed down her face, faster than a waterfall it seemed like. "And you- she jabbed her finger at Neal- are Rumplstilskin's son and my son's father."
Neal could see the irony in the situation, but Henry was looking at his mother as if she had lost his mind. For a child who had been so dead set on believing in the curse he never took a moment to see what it would look like from Emma's eyes. And it seemed as if Emma had finally snapped. All of her strong, titanium walls had finally collapsed. And only Henry's father had the power to do it.
