AN: Sorry for the long wait. Hope you like this one. There's some answers and some new questions ;)

This story is unbetaed all mistakes are mine.

Her eyes opened and she gazed upon the endless trees of the Neverland needed to get up, her son needed her… when had she fallen asleep? She didn't remember setting up camp or… her eyes widened as they settle on the man standing on the other side of the camp arguing with her father. His bruised face bringing back all the memories from the cave along with the anger. She could not hear their words even as her body stood and walked towards the men on auto pilot. She didn't want to hear his voice, she wanted him dead.

More so now than when she had shared her secret back in the cave.

She was almost upon them, when arms grabbed her from behind and forced her to drop the sword she didn't remember holding. She fought against the person,kicking and screaming at them to let her go. Her struggle alerting David and Neal of her presence. The latter taking a step closer only to be pushed back by a frowning David, who glared at him and said something she could not hear.

She just remembered cursing at Neal and wishing she could burn him with her eyes.

—-

"Thank you."

Emma opened her eyes and looked up at him from her favorite spot on his chest. It was nice… being able to listen to his heartbeat. Reassure herself that he was real and not just a dream. There really was someone in the world who loved her.

And she was here in his arms after making love for the first time.

"Huh? Was it that good?" She smirked but couldn't quite prevent a blush from spreading all the way down from her cheeks to her neck and chest.

"It was perfect." He smiled and pulled her closer, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "But I meant, the day we met… thank you for trusting me and not running away."

She could feel the heat on her face and buried her face on his chest again. "I think you hit your head or something, because I remember running away from you…"

"And straight into the path of that truck." He played with her beautiful blonde hair. "An ice cream truck…"

"You saved me from the big bad ice cream truck…my hero." Emma swooned mockingly. "Thanks though… that would have been a pathetic way to die."

"Very… I'm glad you stopped running after that. That you believed me when I said I wanted to help." He kissed her forehead, lingering a few seconds.

"Yes, well I hit my head… and you promised me lunch."

"Oh, of course it was all about the food." He pretended to be mad. "Well then I guess since you only wanted me for my cooking then there's no point asking you to marry me."

"Exactly….wait what?" Emma suddenly pulled away and sat up, eyes wide as she stared at him shocked. "M-Marry?"

He gave her an intense look. All joking gone from his brown eyes and replaced with a purer, softer emotion. "If it's me you want though… then would you? Marry me, I mean."

Her heart was beating wildly and she looked at him like she couldn't comprehend his question. "You… you're not joking."

"I'm not."

She shook her head and saw how he deflated, looking suddenly sad and hurt. "No! That's not… I mean… I don't understand." Emma frowned confused. "You want to marry ME?"

He looked at her for a second and then he knew. She couldn't believe someone would want to marry her. Be with her forever. "I've never wanted anything more. I love you." His hands cupped her face gently, thumbs wiping away tears she hadn't realized had escaped her. "All my life I have wanted love. Love from a mother who could not give it, love from a father who would stand there and let Her hurt me. It took me a long time to understand that they were never really family… and I thought I'd never be a part of one. Then I met you and it took just a smile from you to make me love you… and in the time we've known each other you became my love and my best friend."

"I thought Neal was your best friend…" She leaned into his touch, smiling happily. "He'll get jealous."

"Nah, that brute?" He chuckled. "He's a good friend, kind of like a brother sometimes… but you're the one I tell everything. The one who makes me feel like I can be myself. Plus you're much prettier." He said with a smirk as he pulled her back into his embrace.

"You're my family Emma, my home. I don't need to keep hoping for love because I've found you. I want you, I love you. I want forever with you. So please…

...will you marry me?"

—

She woke up with a sob this time, hands clutching her chest as if she could somehow stop the pain. Arms wrapped around her and she recognized Snow's voice trying to comfort her. She clung to her mother and let the years of pain out with each sob, with each tear. It hurt so much and Emma knew nothing would make it better. Especially not the arms of a woman who had admitted she wasn't good enough, but at least she was there in that moment and Emma could hold onto something.

Even when the only two people she wanted to hold her were out of her reach.

"It's alright. I'm here…" Snow whispered trying to somehow soothe the pain her child was in. She didn't understand the situation and Neal had refused to say much without Emma awake… not that her waking up had been good for him as Emma had tried to hurt him with a sword and then set the man's clothes on fire. He had rolled on the ground and put the fire out before they could fully burn, but Snow was terrified by the sight. Never before that moment had she been afraid of Emma… she didn't understand how her daughter was capable of such hate…even after they had removed the darkness from her.

But then as she watched her child cry in her sleep, she remembered that her the anger in Emma's eyes had come from pain. She was hurt so badly that she seemed broken. The woman felt anger at Neal as well, she didn't want him close until Emma decided what to do and David was even more determined to keep him away, going as far as to threaten Neal's little friend with his sword. Hook of all people kept the peace and yet he gave Neal and the sleeping Emma looks she couldn't understand…

Maybe it was jealousy, though it didn't make sense as Hook obviously had more chances winning Emma's heart than the other man did after the blonde's reaction to Neal's secret.

After she made sure Emma was okay, she would try to find out more. Her thoughts were interrupted as Emma pulled away and made to stand up. "Emma…"

"I'm fine…" The blonde said in an almost dead voice. "Where is he?" She looked around for Neal, but couldn't see him.

Snow shook her head and tried to get Emma to sit down again. "Emma, I don't think…"

"Where is he?" The savior pulled away from her touch, ignoring Snow's hurt look. "I need answers and he has them." She felt dead inside. She had lost the man she loved and made to believe that he had left her…all so Neal could use her and leave her to pay for his crime… pregnant. She closed her eyes as a new wave of pain flooded through her. For so long she hadn't know who the father of her child had been… not until Gold used his magic to track Henry.

And now she wished with all her heart she could change it. Make Rey the real father, get him back and beg for forgiveness for believing Neal. For letting her fear of been abandoned blind her to that bastard's lies. So much for always knowing someone was lying to her. She had been so stupid.

She would get answers this time and then Neal better stay the hell away from her. Because Henry's father or not, she would kill him.

"Snow…where is he?"

The older woman sighed and motioned for Emma to follow her. David, Hook and Neal weren't too far away, just enough so that the trees kept them out of view from Emma. The moment they approached, all three rose from the ground, unsure of what the savior's reaction would be.

"Why?" Emma glared at Neal, ignoring everyone else.

The man flinched avoiding her eyes and pleading with her. "..it was an accident. I had stolen a magic bean from a man, I thought they had no magic but I stole it anyway because I didn't want to risk the guy somehow discovering what it was. When I returned to our place, Rey told me about the two of you… but I was in love you Emma…" He continued, ignoring her snort of disbelief.

"So you decided to get rid of him?"

"No! Emma that's not what I…" He shook his head vehemently, but she ignored him.

"Was it a game? Did you enjoy making me hate him? All so that you could have a good fuck? Did it turn you on, Neal? Fucking me while I was breaking inside, while I was in agony over a betrayal that never happened?" She sneered at him, ignoring Snow's shocked gasp and David's angry growl. "Did it make you cum harder knowing he was trapped in another world while you were buried between my legs 'trying to make the pain go away'… that's what you said, remember? That you'd make me forget the pain, forget him…"

"Emma, no…please." Neal stepped closer, limping in his slightly Burnt clothes. "I left. He told me and I turned around and left… but he followed me. He followed me and I snapped. I told him I was in love with you and I didn't want to be around for the wedding… I tried to leave and he grabbed me but I punched him…I wasn't thinking, I was just angry and hurt and we got into a fight."

He looked at her trying to make her understand with his eyes…but there was too much pain in her own green orbs. "The bean fell off my pocket and… Emma he recognized what it was." That was something he still didn't understand. "He thought I had set him up… we were struggling and the portal was opening… and he fell into it…"

Emma stared at him.

"You want me to believe…that it was an accident? Are you serious? You were struggling and he just fell?" She mocked him and took a threatening step forward. "Stop lying to me for once in your life!"

"I didn't see the portal!" Neal screamed, suddenly angry himself. "He was on top of me, hitting me and I pushed him away. I didn't realize he would fall into the damn thing!" Suddenly deflated he whispered. "I didn't mean to push him into it… he was my friend…"

"He was excited to tell you… you were going to be his best man. He said you were like the brother he always wanted…" Emma closed her eyes, lost in memories. This wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair…

"Em.."

"Don't! Don't you dare calling me that." She growled. "I don't give a damn if it was an accident or not… you still did it…and then you lied to me and took advantage of my pain. I will never forgive you for this… I want you out of my life. After we find Henry, you will not talk to me again… I don't want you near me or my son. But if he still wants to see you I won't stop him. I will not lie to him for you though or pretend things are okay between us." She couldn't do it… she had promised not to lie to Henry again. And after finding out about this she knew she wouldn't be able to make herself be civil to Neal. "No more lying, no more making me look like the bad guy for not telling my son about you when you are the one who destroyed my life"

Neal looked down and whispered. "Our son…"

"Our nothing. He's My son… you have no right to make claims after everything you did. He shouldn't have been yours, he should have been Rey's. He's the man I would have wanted to be an example for Henry. Not a bastard like you." With that she turned around and walked away from the group.

—

"Swan!" The pirate's voice called from behind her.

"Not now Hook!" She kept walking not in the mood for his advances. She was tired of pretending, she was tired of everyone wanting something from her. And her giving it for fear of being abandoned. She was done.

"Swan…" He grabbed her by the arm and had to duck under a punch as she turned around obviously angry. "Shit! Woman stop that." He said as she kept trying to hit him.

"Don't touch me! Whatever you think you can get from me, forget it." She pushed him away and made to leave again but he pulled her back again. She was prepared to break his face, when he let go and took a step back.

"I just want to talk. It's important… I swear I won't even ask for a kiss." He smirked when she rolled her eyes. Then he remembered what he wanted to say and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He couldn't deny he wanted her, badly even… and for just a moment he had considered hiding what he knew.

..But the lass had already suffered enough due to a man who wanted her lying to her. And he had a life debt to pay.

"This Rey of yours… was he like my size… had dark brown hair and eyes? A scar on his lip maybe?" He traced his own upper lip to show her where the scar would be and suddenly found himself pinned against a tree, the tip of a sword dangerously close to his throat.

"How the fuck do you know that?" The savior glared coldly at the one handed pirate.

He gulped, worried about the dark look in the woman's eyes. She would probably really hurt him if he wasn't careful with his words. This was a side of the savior he had not seen before and he had to admit it was fucking scary. Where had she been hiding all this anger?

"I think I might know him…"