A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! They mean the world to me. I don't wanna give to much of the story away, but I plan on having it intertwine with storybrooke at some point. Got alot of ideas for this fic. And yes...August will eventually answer to Neal. That is something I really hope they have play out on the show. Anyhow, enjoy the chapter and review :)
Chapter 2
"Baelfire?" Emma looked at him with uncertainty.
He nodded. "That's my real name. When I used to have friends, they called me Bae." He was done hiding himself from her. He wanted her to know exactly who he was.
"Wow," Emma breathed. "that's going to take some getting used to. Bae, why didn't you tell me your real name a long time ago?"
"Because I was running." He answered simply. "I was trying to become someone else. I didn't want to remember that person. I didn't want to remember that life. My father took so much from me, Emma. Any friends that I managed to make, he scared them off. If anyone so much as looked at me the wrong way, he killed them."
Emma was shocked. "Your father…he killed people?"
Neal nodded sadly. "More people than I can count."
"And he did this in front of you?" Emma couldn't imagine having to live with such horror.
As much as he didn't like talking about his past, he was glad that he was telling her. He knew who she was and he loved her, faults and all. He wanted her to love him that some way. He wanted her to not just love the car thief, but also love the son of a coward. "Yes. In his own mindset, he thought he was protecting me. He just made everything worse. No one wanted to hang out with me for fear that they would wind up dead."
Emma reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "I'm so sorry for what you've had to live with."
Neal smiled at her gently. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry." He gently tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Babe, I am so sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you the truth about me a long time ago and most of all…more than anything that I've ever done in my life….I am so sorry that I sent you to prison and that you had to have our baby all alone with no support." He breathed a ragged breath and tears stung his eyes. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but…"
Emma impulsively leaned forward and kissed him. It was a quick but tender kiss. "It's ok," She gave him a gentle smile. "I forgive you."
"You do?" He spoke with emotion.
Emma nodded, as tears stung her own eyes. "I was angry for a really long time, Ne…Bae." That was definitely gonna take some getting used to. "I was so angry that you sent me to prison and left me alone and pregnant. You abandoned me and it didn't make sense. We made plans to have a life together and you just ditched me. It reminded me of every other relationship I've ever had in my life and it broke my heart."
"Emma," His voice broke. "I'm so sorry. I thought I was doing what was best for you…I didn't know you were pregnant. If I had I would have never…"
"I know," She replied gently. "I know. And while I forgive you and I want to be together…it's gonna take me some time. It's gonna take me some time to trust you again. I mean, to completely trust that you're not gonna abandon me again."
Neal gently kissed her lips. "I'm here, baby. I'm not going anywhere. I'll prove to you that you can trust me. Maybe things won't be the way they once were….maybe they'll be even better. Because I'm never going to let you go again."
Emma smiled tearily. "I wanna believe that, Bae. You have no idea how badly I wanna believe in you."
Neal smiled a bit. Once upon a time, he never ever wanted to hear his real name called out ever again, but now hearing her say it…it sounded…right. "I'll believe it for the both of us until you're ready."
Emma leaned her forehead against his and couldn't help the wonderful warmth that filled her as his arms enclosed around her. This was everything that she had needed for the past year. She'd never stopped needing him, she'd never stopped loving him. It was in this moment right here that she realized she never would. "Can I…" Her voice was uncertain. She wanted to know more but she didn't want to upset him.
"What is it, Emma?" He tenderly asked.
"Can I ask you something?" Emma bit her lip. It was a quirk of hers that she always did whenever she wanted to ask something but was afraid to.
Neal smiled at her warmly. "You can ask me anything."
She finally built up her nerve after a few seconds of silence. "How did things end with your father?"
Neal's eyes darkened as he remembered that bitter end. The green vortex….being abandoned and all alone at fourteen. He couldn't tell her the exact truth, but he could stay as truthful to the basics as possible and improvise on the details. "We were gonna move to a new town." He finally spoke. "Have a fresh start. He promised me. But at the last minute…he didn't follow through. He abandoned me and I grew up alone."
Emma's heart broke for him. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I didn't mean to bring back…."
"No, no." Neal assured her. "I said you can ask me anything and I meant it. I want things to be different, better. I wanna share everything with you and vice versa."
Emma frowned. "I'm not ready to talk about prison."
Neal gently brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "That's ok. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. A lot has happened today that I never expected. I never expected that you would find me and I certainly never expected that you would forgive me. But you have. And that's all I could've ever asked for. I'm glad that we have a chance to start over."
Emma smiled gently. "Me too. I'm glad that you're not keeping anymore secrets from me and that I know everything. We can finally work on moving forward."
Neal felt a wave of guilt stab him in the heart. He hadn't been completely honest with her. He was keeping her very identity away from her but he knew that he had to. She would never believe him if he told her right now. He needed time to get her to trust him again and to help her work through the demons that haunted her from prison. And then…then he would tell her.
Hell, he'd take her to storybrooke himself, even risk facing his father if he had to. He wasn't going to become the coward that his father was. He was gonna do better, be better…for Emma. He knew she had a destiny that was bigger than him, bigger than the both of them and with time he would get her to it.
"Neal?" Emma asked timidly, like she was afraid to.
"What is it?" Neal asked her gently.
Emma finally worked up her courage. "Can I…can I stay here tonight?"
Neal smiled at her softly. "Of course you can. We were gonna get a place together, remember?"
Emma looked uncertain. "I know…but that was so long ago…"
Neal gently lifted her in his arms. "It wasn't that long ago. You know I still want that, right? This can be our home."
Suddenly tears were falling down Emma's face, and she was breathing heavily.
"Hey," Neal looked at her concerned. Why was she so upset? Did he say something wrong? Had he hurt her in some way? "babe what's wrong?"
"I," She hiccupped as sobs overwhelmed her small form. "I never thought that I would have a home again." Through her tears she saw tears sting Neal's eyes. "People in jail told me that no one would ever care about me. I know, it's silly but I started to believe them. When the months passed and I got no letter from you…"
Neal didn't think a time would ever come where he didn't absolutely hate himself for what he'd done to her. "You thought I didn't love you anymore." He finished for her softly. "Babe, I'm sorry." He rasped. "You'll never know how much. And it's not silly. I abandoned you just like everyone else in your life had done. You have every right to hate me, and your capacity to forgive me for something that was just so unforgivable overwhelms me. I love you so much for it."
Emma threw her arms around him and settled against his chest. She felt his fingers run through her hair softly. "I just wanna feel safe again."
His heart constricted at her words. "You are safe. You will always be safe with me and I promise you, I am never ever gonna leave you again."
