I am plastering an "AU-ish" disclaimer on this thing, if only for the fact that, as mentioned in this chapter, for the sake of this story Neal is still alive and with Emma. Anywho, onto the story! Enjoy!:)


"Did you miss me so much that you had to hunt me down?" Aubrey asked Henry with a smile as she took initiative of her own and sat down at the third chair at the table.

"Guess it's just fate," Henry replied with a smile, rising to the occasion and returning her admittedly flirtatious teasing, David or none.

"What are we going to do about it?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Um… Well, it is Friday. Do you want to meet back here at six, maybe?"

Aubrey grinned. "Yeah; I'd like that."

"Great," Henry answered, barely managing to keep from stammering.

Aubrey grinned, nodding as she mimicked - almost bashfully - "Great," before she receded back to her friends' table, giving him a small wave.

"Well then," David said with a smile once Aubrey had turned her attention elsewhere. "What were you saying about blondes being so seven years ago?"

"I did not say that! And even if I had, I wouldn't have said it like that."

"No," David agreed with a laugh, "You wouldn't have. You have picked some more articulate way to say that she was unattractive."

"I never said that she was unattractive."

"You kind of did," David grinned.

"Well, what else was I supposed to say? You were bugging me about a girl that I don't even know!" Henry paused, suddenly paling as he realized, "I just set up a date with a girl that I don't know - for two hours from now! What am I supposed to do?"

"Why not go?"

"How can you say that? You throw fits over Mom's boyfriends!"

"No, I threw a fit - past tense - over your mother being with Hook before your dad came back, and that appears to be a different situation entirely."

"It appears to be, but you don't really know, do you? For all we know, she could be serial killer or something."

"Your mother would have heard if Storybrooke had a serial killer on the loose," David replied, still grinning as he licked his cone before saying, "I think you should go. Who knows?" he teased, "It might just be fate."

When Henry kicked him under the table, David only laughed before suggesting, "Then think about it this way: if anything goes wrong, Red's going to be right here, and Mr. Gold is just down the road."

"I can't believe that I'm going to do this," Henry moaned.

"Come on," David said, slapping his grandson on the shoulder as he stood. "Are you ready to go? I want to drop you off before long. I've got some business that I want to take care of, and you have a date to get ready for."

"Or regret even agreeing to," Henry muttered, standing up.

"Oh, don't regret it before it even happens! I don't think you'd have suggested it to begin with if you thought there was actually something fishy about her. I trust your judgment, Henry; you should too."

Henry shrugged, mumbling an unconvinced "yeah" as he moved to follow his grandfather out, but when Aubrey caught his eye and waved as he left, he couldn't help smiling at her and returning the gesture.


"Hey, Gold, are you here?" David called out, stepping into Rumplestiltskin's pawn shop after dropping Henry off.

"Almost always," Rumplestiltskin answered, coming out from the back of the shop. "What can I do for you?"

"I…" David laughed. "This is probably going to sound ridiculous, but Henry's got a date tonight that he's pretty nervous about."

"And…?" Gold drawled with raised eyebrows.

"And I was wondering if you could… you know, look into the future for him."

"For him? You're nervous about this too," Gold pointed out, narrowing his eyes knowingly. David winced, assuming that - since Gold had called his bluff - he was going to turn him down, but then the man behind the counter asked simply, "What's this girl's name?"

"Aubrey Freeman."

Gold nodded, saying, "I can close up a little early tonight, I suppose, if we're all going to be so worried for the boy. I'll look into the little missy's future and see what there is to see; it should be easy enough. You'll have to give me some time though - only a half hour at most, I think."

"That'll work; Henry leaves in an hour and a half."

Gold nodded and began to close up shop, effectively dismissing David when he turned his back to him as he replied, "Good."


"Hello, darling," Belle said, meeting him at the entryway with a smile when he came into their home. "You're home a bit early, aren't you?"

"Hello - and yes," Rumple answered, giving her a quick kiss before he explained, "Mr. Nolan's asked me to look into something for him."

"Look into the future?" Belle said slowly, eyebrows rising.

"Just so far as something going on this evening," Rumple soothed, divesting himself of his suit jacket and even his tie and shoes as he made his way towards the basement. "I'll be back up soon."

As he'd expected her to, Belle stopped at the top of the stairs and went to start making supper as he set to work

…And emerged over four hours later.

"Is something wrong?" Belle asked the obvious when he burst into the kitchen all that time later, all at once trying to shrug on his suit jacket, straighten his tie, and tug on his shoes, eyes wild with worry the whole while. "Rumple! What's going on?"

"Henry!" Rumple threw over his shoulder as he darted for the door of their home. "I have to catch Henry!"


Rumple pounded on the door of the Nolan's residence, and when Sheriff Swan swung the door open, he asked instantly, "Henry?"

"He's not here," Emma answered with a perplexed expression, gesturing for him to come in. "He went on a date, and called me afterwards to say that he was staying at Regina's for the night."

"What's wrong, Papa?" Bae asked, halfway forcing his father into a seat at the table.

"I missed him?" Rumple hissed. "The date is entirely over?"

His son nodded and Mr. Nolan repeated Bae's question when he asked anxiously, "What's wrong, Gold?"

Rumple forced himself to steady his breathing before he answered, "I looked into what you asked me to."

"Is… does - however you put it - something go wrong?"

"Only his whole life!"