A/N: I am still blown away by all the reviews, follows, and favorites for this story. I cannot thank you guys enough for reading my story. I decided to post this one up early because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I know lots of people will be with family and away from their computers. This is the last chapter I have written so it might be two weeks before the next chapter comes out. I am currently working on a novel for NANOWRIMO and that has been taking up most of my creativity. But who knows I might get a burst of inspiration after this weeks episode. Plus I have all the ideas in my head for the next chapter I just need to type them up. Anyway, please enjoy this next installment and as always let me know what you think!

"Cute kid." Were the first words out of Neal's mouth, not good.

"What do you want?" I asked quickly changing the subject off of Henry.

"Can't I just stop by to say hello?"

"Should have done that 11 years ago." I crossed my arms over my chest trying to shield myself from Neal.

"Come on Emma."

"No you have lost all rights to even talking to me. Now go I don't want to see you around town anymore."

"And what right do you have to kick me out of town?"

"I think the sheriff badge sitting in my apartment does. That along with a gun." I wasn't afraid to use my gun on him if it came down to it.

"You don't scare me Emma, I know you."

"No you only think you know me. Goodbye Neal." I turned around to walk away before Neal could get another word in.

As soon as I walked into the apartment Henry bombarded me. "Who was he Mom? Did you know him?"

"Not now kid." I said walking past him. I wasn't able to deal with any of Henry's questioning right now, I might say something he shouldn't know.

"Bu Mom." Henry whined, he wasn't going to give up on this so there was only one thing to do.

"No buts, why don't you and Gramps go out and do some more knight training or something."

James caught the look in my eye, "Come on Henry let's go." He pulled my son out the door. I knew he would keep the kid busy and make sure he didn't talk to anyone he wasn't supposed to.

"Are you going to tell me who that man was?" Snow spoke scaring me. "Henry told us that you were talking to a stranger so Charming and I took a peak out the window. So who was he? And don't' tell me nobody because you wouldn't have reacted this way if he was indeed a nobody."

I took a long sip of my hot chocolate happy that it was still warm and for the extra amount of cinnamon Ruby put in it.

"That was Neal Cassidy, Henry's father." I blurted out as I sunk down onto the couch. Best to lay it all out there now. I had no reason to keep this secret from my mother.

"Henry's father?" Snow sat down next to me.

"Yeah."

"But how did he find you? Or find this town for that matter?"

"I don't know I didn't give him the time to talk."

"Aren't you curious?"

"Nope." I took another sip of my drink. At least I had that to keep me grounded.

"Why not?"

"Why would I want to listen to a guy who left me 11 years ago to sit in jail for a crime he did plus knocked me up and left me to raise his kid alone?"

"Oh Emma what did he do to you."

I spilled everything to Snow. I started at the beginning when I stole Neal's stolen car and ended with me getting the keys to the bug along with a positive pregnancy test. As soon as I was done Snow wrapped me in her arms. I didn't realize how good it would feel to tell someone my story, especially my mother. It was a weight off of my shoulders.

"And now I guess he is back, though I don't know why." I sighed into her shoulder.

"Maybe he just wants to talk." Snow ran her up and down my back, just like I did with Henry whenever he was upset.

"Neal Cassidy doesn't just talk. He's a liar and a con man."

"Well you might want to think about it. I don't think he is going to be leaving anytime soon. And you don't want him to get to Henry before you do." Snow pulled away so she could look me in the eyes.

"Crap I almost forgot about that. I can't let Neal find out about Henry or Henry find out about Neal."

"What does Henry know?"

"I told him his father was a firefighter who died saving a family from a burning building." Snow snorted and gave me a look. "What? Did you expect me to tell him the truth? He already knows he was born in jail, I couldn't let him know his father was the reason for that."

"I get it, but unless you get Neal to leave town you are going to have to tell him the truth."

I groaned and put my head in my hands, "I don't want to."

"I know Emma, but its better Henry hears it from you then someone else." Snow gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze

"I know I know" I pushed myself off of the couch. "I guess I should go find Neal and let him talk. Maybe then he will finally leave me alone."

"Sounds like a good plan. Don't worry about Henry Charming and I will keep him busy."

"Thank you. See you later." I waved and was out the door.

I didn't have to look far for Neal; he was in the exact same spot I left him in. Hopefully he didn't try to talk to Henry, or see him either.

"I knew you couldn't resist." He gave me that stupid smile that made me fall in love with him in the first place.

"I'm giving you five minutes to explain why you are here." I stopped a few feet away from him afraid of what would happen if I got any closer.

"I never wanted to leave you Emma." I rolled my eyes; Neal was off to a great start.

"Then why did you?'

"I didn't have a choice."

"You didn't have a choice?"

"You remember that night you stole the watches for me?"

"How could I forget?" I mumbled under my breath.

"Well I went to go pawn them off when out of no where this guy tackled me. Said his name was August and he was your guardian angel. He needed to make sure that you fulfilled your destiny to break a curse."

"You know about the curse?" I was in shock; I had not expected that he knew about the curse.

"Yes August told me everything, which is why I had to leave you."

"So you're telling me that a stranger told you that you had to leave me because I had a destiny to break the curse? And you believed him?"

"He made a pretty compelling case, it was hard not to. He said if I wanted what was best for you I had to leave you. The life we were leading was only going to hurt you and then you couldn't break the curse."

"And you believed him?" I had trouble comprehending that part of his argument.

"Yes Emma. I swear I didn't want to, leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do." Neal's eyes begged me to forgive and believe him, but I couldn't.

"Because my life was so easy after you left me. You know I only had to spend 11 months in jail and…" I shut my mouth before I mentioned Henry.

"It killed me when I learnt about that knowing it was supposed to be me behind bars. That's why I gave you the car and money so you could have something when you got out and for me to know you were safe."

"What money?"

"I gave August almost $20,000 to give to you. It was from the remaining watches." Neal looked at me confused, but I shook my head.

"Yeah I never got that. I think I would have remembered that much money." That was the truth. That much money would have helped Henry and me out a lot in those first few years.

"Look that doesn't matter. I'm here now and I want to make it up to you."

"You can't just walk back into my life 11 years later and expect me to forgive you. You left me Neal."

"I know Emma." He sighed in frustration.

"No you don't know. I was young and alone. I trusted you with my life. I even told you I loved you. And instead of asking or talking to me about what I wanted you took a man's word, an man you just met, that you needed to leave me so I could fulfill my destiny."

"Emma I told you…"

"No what you told me was a load of crap. We could have made it work as a family and I'm pretty sure the curse still would have been broken. It was my destiny after all."

"Please Emma let me make it up to you." Neal begged, I wish I could believe him.

"You lost that chance 11 years ago. I'm a different person now and don't have room for you in my life. So I suggest you leave town and don't come back."

"But Emma…"

"Goodbye Neal." I turned to walk away hoping he would get the message this time.

"Is this about the kid I saw you with earlier." Neal commented just as I was about to move

I turned back around "Excuse me?" A grin was back on his face, he knew he had hit the right nerve.

"I saw him walking out of the apartment too. He seemed like a good kid. Maybe I could go talk to him…"

"Don't you dare talk to Henry!" I shouted. He could talk and mess with me all he wanted, but there was no way in hell he was going after my son.

"So he has a name, I always liked the name Henry. You going to tell me more about him?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, maybe because he is the reason you have changed so much."

"Maybe he is, does that matter?"

"It might. How old is he Emma?" The cogs were finally starting to run in Neal's mind, I was in trouble.

"I think you already know the answer to that." I wasn't giving into him that easily.

"Is he mine?" Neal asked in a low voice. I knew he was serious, and wasn't joking around. He had finally put the pieces to the puzzle together.

"Why do you care?" I crossed my arms again, I wanted so badly for him to just walk away so I didn't have to tell him.

"Damn it Emma don't play games with me! Is he mine?" Neal yelled, there was no turning back now.

I took a big breath in and whispered, "Yes."

"So you are telling me that I have a son?" He gasped as his eyes widened.

I nodded my head yes. I stood there nervous as hell as Neal processed the news. It was one thing thinking that you had a son, but something else different when you learn that it is true. Neal started pacing back and forth, just like he did that day in the park when I learned about the watches.

"Now will you please go?" I begged. I had been so close to keeping Henry a secret until he brought the kid up. All I wanted to do right now was see my son and pull him into my arms.

"No I want to meet my son." Neal said back, I was afraid of this.

"You don't deserve to. Now please leave us alone." I turned around before he could see the tears that were threatening to fall.

I didn't know how much it would hurt seeing and talking to him again. I thought I was over him. The moment I opened the door Snow pulled me into her arms. I don't know how she knew it, but the hug was exactly what I needed.

"Did James and Henry come home?" I asked breaking away from the hug.

"No not yet. How did it go?" Snow wiped away a tear that had managed to fall.

"He knows about Henry."

"Oh Emma." She sighed and pulled me into her arms again.

"I tried so hard not to mention him, but Neal saw us when we came home and he started asking questions and I couldn't lie about my son."

"It's okay, it's going to be okay."

"I told Neal to leave again and hopefully he'll listen this time."

"Come on I'll make you some hot chocolate to take your mind off of him." Snow let go of me and headed into the kitchen.

"Can't I have something stronger?" I asked hopefully. I didn't think hot chocolate was going to solve my problems today.

"Not this early in the day." Snow answered sounding very much like a mom.

"Fine I guess hot chocolate will do."