Once Upon A Time: The Devil's New Road, Part Four

By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki

" Thanks again, Ruby, " Emma said as the other woman climbed out of the back of the truck. After leaving the forest, Henry had ridden back with her while Neal, David and Emma sat in the front of the truck. " We really appreciate your help today. "

Ruby smiled, " No problem. Anything for my friends. Any time you need me, let me know and I'll come as fast as I can, okay? "

Emma nodded, " Sure. "

" RUBY! " Granny called from the front porch of the diner. " Get in here! The early dinner rush is going to start soon! "

Ruby rolled her eyes, " Back to work. "

" Yeah, " Emma said. She watched as Ruby walked up the path and go into the diner. She then turned back to find Neal had been standing behind her. She startled then sighed, " What is it? "

" Uh... Can we talk for a minute? " Neal asked quietly. He looked a little nervous as he said the words.

Emma looked over at David and Henry. They were standing next to the truck and talking. It looked serious but Emma couldn't go to them with Neal blocking her way. " I have to get home... Mr. Gold's with Mary-Margret and... "

" David said we can talk, " Neal said. " I asked him if we could. "

" Oh, " Emma frowned. She was shocked he had gone so far as to ask permission from someone else before asking her. She was even more shocked that David would waste time getting back to Mary-Margret. He hadn't sounded comfortable leaving her alone with him when she had called earlier in the day.

She sighed, " What do you want to talk to me about? "

Neal ran his right hand through his hair as he paused like he was trying to gather his courage. He took a deep breath, " I think I want to stay here for a while and spend time with Henry. "

" We already planned... " Emma started.

" But I'm really sure now... And I'm thinking about asking Tamara to come too, " Neal cut her off. He stammered then said, " She's going to be his stepmother so he needs to get to know her. "

Emma's heart sank at the thought of his fiancée being in town. It would be another stranger and Emma didn't like that. Strangers meant trouble and she had enough to worry about with Greg Mendel lingering around. She wanted him gone before he saw anything strange.

" Emma? " Neal drew her attention back to him.

Emma shook her head, " Neal... I don't know. There's a lot of things around here that defies explanation. What if she sees something magical and calls every tabloid on The Eastern Seaboard? "

Neal let out a nervous chuckle, " She would never do anything like that, Emma. Please? I really want Henry to get to know her. "

" Why not wait until you take him to New York with you? " Emma sighed. It was something else they had talked about. Emma had said he could take the boy to New York with him if they got along well enough.

" I can't keep him a secret for too long. She might think I'm trying to hide something from her, " Neal replied.

" I don't want to overwhelm Henry, " Emma frowned. He had already had too much happen all at once. " Give it a few days then call her. I don't want her causing any trouble. "

" She won't, " Neal put his hands up. " She won't. "

" I'm going to hold you to that, " Emma pointed her right index finger in his face.

Neal chuckled, " I know you will. "

Emma lowered her hand, " Is that all? "

" Not really, " Neal quirked his mouth. " I had one more thing I wanted to ask you. "

Emma rolled her eyes, " What? "

" Can I spend some time with Henry tomorrow to get him warmed up to the idea of meeting Tamara? You said you wanted to ease him into it. He's been through a lot. " Neal said.

Emma nodded, " Yeah. He has. Look... I have a doctor's appointment at three tomorrow afternoon. "

" Wait... A doctor? Is something wrong? " Neal became worried.

Emma shook her head then leaned closer to Neal so she could quietly say, " It's just a check-up for the babies. "

" Oh, " Neal nodded. He then furrowed his brow, " Why are we whispering? "

Emma took a deep breath, " Gold and I want to keep it quiet for a little while longer. I would appreciate it if you don't tell Tamara about him or them. "

" My lips are sealed, " Neal replied.

" Thank you, " Emma said though his words did little to relieve her anxiety.

" Emma, " David said as he walked up. " We need to go. Mary-Margret... "

Emma nodded and waved him off, " I'm coming. Just a second. "

" So what time tomorrow? " Neal asked.

Emma shrugged, " Two maybe two-thirty? I want to stay long enough to make sure Henry's comfortable being left alone with you before I go. "

Neal scoffed, " You don't trust me? "

" Can you blame me? " Emma arched an eyebrow.

Neal gave her a nervous smile, " I guess not. "

" Emma, " David said.

Emma glanced at him then back at Neal, " Look. I have to leave now. Go order anything you want and tell Ruby to put it on the tab for the police station. "

" I have money, Emma... " Neal started.

" My treat for coming with us today, " She said sharply. " Now go before I change my mind. "

Neal nodded before walking up to the diner and going inside. She then looked at David, " I'm ready to go check on Mary-Margret. "

David said nothing as he slid his hand across Emma's shoulders and walked with her to the truck. Henry walked up to them, falling in line as they made their way down the sidewalk to the apartment building. The walk was silent and seemed to take longer than usual before they reached the front door. David moved ahead of them to open it to usher Emma and Henry in.

They were halfway up the third flight of stairs when Emma noticed something. She couldn't feel Mr. Gold's presence. She looked at David, " How long did Gold say he was going to stay? "

David frowned, " Why? "

" Because he isn't here, " Emma said. David gave her a confused look and she sighed, " I can... Feel him when he's near but he isn't. "

Henry stopped three steps above them and looked back, " What? "

" He isn't here, " Emma looked up at him.

David blinked, " Then where is he? "

Emma closed her eyes, attempting to clear her mind. She could feel him but he was far away, like when she had been in the forest after Cora sent her and Baelfire away. She concentrated harder, an image of him sitting in a high-backed chair facing a fire coming to her mind. He stared into the flames as if he was lost in thought, swirling what she could only assume was brandy in a snifter glass he held in his right hand.

" Emma? " David touched her shoulder, breaking her concentration. He jerked his hand back when she gasped. " Are you okay? "

Emma nodded, " Fine... I... I... I've never done that before. "

" Done what? " David asked. He glanced up at Henry, who looked apprehensive after seeing her snap into her trance.

" I could see Gold... Almost like I was standing in the room with him, " Emma still scrambled to collect her thoughts. The sudden jolt of being brought out so abruptly had left her feeling strange.

" What room, Emma? " David questioned.

Emma looked at him, " His living room... He's at home. "

David got a frightened look on his face, " Then that means your mother is alone. "

" Oh no, " Henry finally spoke, taking the rest of the stairs two at a time. Emma and David followed as the boy slammed the front door open. " Mary-Margret! "

" Mary-Margret! " David called louder as he passed through the doorway.

Emma walked in after him and looked around the room. Mary-Margret's coat was missing from the hook it always hung from. " She's not here! " She called to David.

" What? " David came back to the living room.

Emma motioned to the coat hooks, " She's not here. Her coat is gone. "

" Damn, " David said sharply. " I'm going to go look for her. You stay here with Henry. "

Emma nodded, " Right. Where could she be? She hasn't left the apartment in two days. "

" I don't know, " David said. He turned, " Henry! "

The boy came from the loft, " She's not here either. "

" I know, " David said. " Her coat's gone. Stay here with Emma while I go look for her. If she comes back while I'm gone, keep her here. "

Henry nodded, " Okay, grandpa. "

Emma watched as David left the apartment, closing the door behind him. She then looked at Henry, " Come on kid. "

Henry furrowed his brow, " Where? "

" Maybe there're some clues around here that can tell us where Mary-Margret took off to, " Emma said. She walked to the kitchen to start. She arched an eyebrow, noticing her breakfast was still on the counter but looked like it had been nibbled at. " She ate a little, " She called to Henry.

" This was in her room, " Henry came out of the bedroom with the handset for the cordless phone.

Emma held it in her hand and looked at it, " David called when you were safe so Gold must have given it to her before he left. "

" Do you think she made a call? " Henry asked.

" Only one way to find out, " Emma hit the redial button, the last number dialed coming up on the screen. She frowned when she realized it was the number for Granny's and the time stamp had read the time she called Neal. " She didn't dial any numbers. "

" Maybe she got a call? " Henry offered.

Emma pressed the caller ID button, " Only one person called after David. "

" Who? " Henry looked at the phone.

" Doc's office, " Emma said as she walked over to the answering machine. The light blinked, the screen saying there was a message. She pressed the button and listened.

" Hello, Miss Swan? This is Nurse Amanda from Doc's office. I am terribly sorry but I told you the wrong appointment time this morning. It is not at three o'clock but at eleven in the morning, " The nurse said. " I was looking at last month's appointment time though you came in early for that one too. Please call if you need to reschedule. "

Emma frowned, " Well crap. "

" So your appointment is earlier than they said? " Henry asked.

Emma nodded, " Yeah. I'm going to have to call Neal. "

Henry furrowed his brow, " Why do you need to call my dad? "

Emma sighed, realizing she hadn't told Henry about their plans. She closed her eyes, " I was going to let you spend the day with him tomorrow while I got some stuff done. "

" Spend time? With my dad? " Henry sounded skeptical.

Emma nodded and opened her eyes, " Yeah. "

Henry leapt forward and hugged her around the waist, " Thanks! I was going to ask when you were going to let me see him and this is great! "

Emma smiled down at him, " I knew you'd be excited. "

" Thank you so much! " Henry said. He let her go, " I'm going upstairs right now and make a list of all the things I want to show him tomorrow. "

Emma opened her mouth to say something but Henry was too fast and was upstairs before she could. She shook her head before going back to look for clues to where Mary-Margret had disappeared to. As she walked towards the bedroom, she heard the front door open and turned to see David had returned with Mary-Margret. She was still very upset and looked like she had been crying a lot.

Emma rushed to him, " Where was she? "

" Mary-Margret? " Henry came down the stairs halfway.

David glanced up at him, " Yeah. "

Henry came the rest of the way down the stairs, " Where was she? "

" I just asked that, " Emma touched his shoulder when he came to a stop next to her.

" Walking, " David replied shortly. " She needs to get back to bed. "

Emma reached for Mary-Margret's coat as she took it off, turning to hang it on the hook. She then followed David and Mary-Margret as he guided her to the bedroom. " Walking where? "

" Just walking, " David said as he set her down on the bed. He then knelt at her feet to remove the slippers. He tossed them aside before taking her right foot in his hands. " They're freezing. "

Emma picked up the slippers to find they were soaked through. " I bet, " She said as she handed them to Henry. " Go hang these on the rack in the bathroom so they'll dry. "

Henry took the slippers, " Right. "

" And wash your hands! " Emma called after him.

" I will! " Henry shouted back as he climbed the stairs.

David started rubbing her foot, " Emma? "

" Yeah? " Emma walked to his left side.

" Could you leave us alone? I need to talk to your mother, " David glanced up at her.

Emma blinked. Mary-Margret hadn't said two words since they came home so she wasn't sure how much talking would get done. She nodded, " Sure. "

" Thanks, " David replied.

Emma walked out to the kitchen, thinking about fixing dinner. She turned on the water in the sink to wash her hands but the thought soon vanished when she saw the mess left over from breakfast. She washed her hands anyway then looked towards the front door before looking up to the loft. She walked to the stairs, " Henry? "

A few seconds later, Henry came to the top of the stairs. He was drying his hands with a hand towel from the bathroom, letting her know he had listened to her. " Yeah, Emma? "

" Wanna go to Granny's for dinner? " She asked.

Henry blinked, " Really? Like right now? "

Emma nodded, " Yeah. Maybe we can catch Neal and tell him about the change in plans. "

Henry tossed the hand towel back into the bathroom and walked down the stairs, " I'll get my coat. "

Emma stepped aside as he got to the bottom, glancing into her parents' room. David still knelt at Mary-Margret's feet, looking like he was begging her as he spoke quietly to her. She could only hear snatches of what he was saying but it was enough to let her know he was asking her where she had been. Henry came back to her as he finished pulling on his coat, " Ready. "

Emma walked to the door before she grabbed her coat and pulled it on. Henry opened the door as she finished, letting her walk outside first. She waited at the top of the stairs as he closed the door behind them and they started down. He glanced at her, " Can you only use your power to locate Mr. Gold or does it work with anyone? "

Emma blinked at the question then frowned, " Just Mr. Gold. Why? "

" Oh, " Henry said. " I was just wondering. "

Emma sighed, " It would be pretty handy if I could find anyone, huh? "

" Yeah, " Henry said. He then furrowed his brow, " But how come just him? "

Emma realized Henry did not know about the protection spell but she was hesitant to tell him. It was obvious the boy was convinced Mr. Gold had some diabolical plan for the babies, something Emma hoped to change before they came. She took a deep breath, " Because... Because... "

" He's got some kind of spell on you, doesn't he? " Henry said quietly.

Emma nodded, " Yeah. "

" WHAT? " Henry said loud enough to startle her. " He has a spell on you? And you let him put it on you? "

" I didn't LET him put it on me and it's not what you think, Henry, " Emma said in a hushed tone, hoping Henry would get the hint to stop shouting.

" What kind of spell? We need to go to Blue so she can break it... " Henry started but Emma clamped her hand over his mouth because he again was talking too loud. She had never really seen anyone else in the building but she couldn't take chances that someone would hear them talking.

" She can't break it, " Emma said calmly as she let her hand fall away from Henry's mouth. " And I don't want her to. It's a protection spell to keep me and the babies safe. He cast it on me after he heard about how Cora wanted to come here. "

" But Cora's gone, " Henry said. " Tell him to take it off. "

" I think it is better that it stay in place, for now anyway. It's keeping me safe from getting hurt, " Emma said.

Henry frowned as he thought it over, " But I don't like it. "

" I'm sorry but I think it is better this way, " Emma said. " I don't want anyone else knowing about the babies yet. "

Henry looked at her stomach, " Oh. I guess that's why you were mad about me telling my dad. "

" I sort of wanted to tell him myself, " Emma sighed. She had never told Henry she was mad about that so she could only assume he had sensed it.

Henry nodded, " I guess I understand. "

Emma touched his right shoulder with her left hand, " Come on, kid. Speaking of your dad, we better hurry or we'll miss him. "

Henry nodded and turned towards the door as Emma urged him towards it. They walked out and down the path to the sidewalk. He looked up at her again, " Mom? "

" Yeah? " Emma looked down at him, unable to keep herself from smiling at him calling her that instead of her name.

He smiled sheepishly, " Since I didn't eat that sundae earlier today, do you think I could have another one? "

Emma chuckled, " Sure. You can have anything you want, okay? "

" Okay, " Henry smiled.

They walked down the sidewalk to Granny's, going up the path and to the door. Emma opened it and ushered Henry inside, following him. They stopped at the coat rack to shrug off their coats, Ruby looking up from the counter and giving them a puzzled look. She moved closer, " Back so soon? "

" Yeah, " Emma walked to the bar. " I just couldn't face cleaning up before fixing dinner... Not after the day we've had. "

" Understandable, " Ruby smiled. " Dirty dishes can have that effect when you're tired. "

Emma looked around at the bustling diner, frowning when she didn't see Neal. She looked back at Ruby, " Is Neal still here? "

Ruby motioned to a back corner booth, Emma looking towards it and going cold when she saw Baelfire was there as well, " He was sitting with that guy. Maybe he went to the restroom? "

" Maybe, " Emma replied as Baelfire's eyes locked with hers. He narrowed them like he wasn't happy to see her. She looked at Ruby again, " I'll just wait. "

Ruby leaned on the counter, " Who is that guy anyway? He kind of looks like Mr. Gold but with darker hair. "

" He does, doesn't he? " Emma breathed. She wasn't about to tell Ruby Baelfire was Mr. Gold's son. Knowing his father's reputation, she didn't want to make people wary of him before they talked to him.

" Maybe he knows where Neal went? " Ruby looked at him again.

" I think I'll just wait. I don't want to intrude, " Emma said as she moved to the seat closest to her. " Henry and I will just eat here. "

Ruby looked puzzled by Emma's reluctance to go near Baelfire but she soon brushed it off. She got out her order pad and a pen, " Okay. What will it be? "

Emma looked at Henry, " You order first. "

Henry looked up at the menu though Emma knew he had memorized it. He looked at Ruby, " A double cheeseburger... A large order of fries and a sundae with extra everything. "

Ruby smirked, " Are you going to eat it this time? "

Henry nodded, " Yeah. "

Ruby looked at Emma, " And you? "

" I think I will have the salad with the roasted chicken breast and the dressing on the side, " Emma replied.

Ruby blinked, " I don't think I've ever seen you eat a salad, Emma. What's with this eating healthy thing you've got going on? You're usually all cheeseburgers and French fries or grilled cheese. "

Emma stammered, " Uh... I ate a lot of weird red meats back in The Enchanted Forest... Kinda turned me against it for a while. "

Ruby scoffed, " Let me guess... You ate chimera, didn't you? "

Emma chuckled, " Yeah. "

Ruby wrote down her order, " That stuff would turn a carnivore into a vegetarian. Not the best meat out there. "

" Tell me about it, " Emma rolled her eyes then sighed, " But it's what we had. "

" Gotcha, " Ruby nodded as she ripped the order off the pad. " Let me go put this in for you. "

Ruby walked away and Emma turned to find Henry staring at her. " What? "

" What did it taste like? " Henry asked.

" What did what... Oh... The chimera? " Emma said.

Henry nodded, " Yeah. "

" Not like chicken, that's for sure. I'm not even sure I can begin to describe the taste, Henry, " Emma shook her head.

" That bad? " Henry arched an eyebrow.

Emma nodded, " Yeah. The only thing it has going for it is it's tender. When I had to eat it, I would just swallow because I couldn't bring myself to chew it. I guess the best way to describe it would be liver... It was like eating liver. "

" Ewww, " Henry wrinkled his nose.

" Yeah, " Emma said.

" Emma, " Neal's voice startled her. She turned to find him standing behind her. " Bae said you were here. Is something wrong with your mother? "

" No, " Emma said. " She's still the same but I just didn't feel like cooking. "

Neal chuckled, " When did you start cooking? "

Emma frowned. When they had been together, they rarely made any meals themselves. They mostly scavenged from restaurants or just flat out skipped out before the bill came. " After I got out of jail. I had to cook for myself or starve. "

Neal blinked, " Sorry. I didn't mean to... "

" It's okay, " Emma sighed. " I also came down here to see if you were still here. "

" Why? " Neal arched an eyebrow.

Emma sighed, " The nurse at Doc's told me the wrong time for my appointment. She called while we were gone and said that my appointment is at eleven, not three. "

Neal blinked, " So we have to move things up? "

" Yeah, " Emma nodded. " Unless you want to hang out with Henry after. "

Neal put his hands up, " No problem. It just means I get to spend more time with my son. "

Henry leaned closer to Neal, " Good. I have a lot of stuff I want to show you. "

Neal looked at him and smiled, " I'm sure you do. "

" So is ten okay? " Emma said, bringing Neal's attention back to her. " I know you aren't a morning person... "

" Nah. Nah, it's good. Just call me at Granny's before you leave and we can meet in the lobby, " Neal said.

Emma nodded and gave him a tiny smile, " Okay then. "

Neal took a step back, " I got to get back to the table. My dinner's getting cold. "

" Yeah, sure. Go on, " Emma said. " I'll see you tomorrow. "