A/N: hi sorry for taking so long with this I think this is the longest I had kept you waiting. But I got it done and this is the longest one yet… I hope you enjoy and please tell me what you think Thanks.
Chapter 8:
Henry pushed open the door to Granny's diner as he and Emma hurried in from the cold March wind. It was busy with the morning crowd and they hurried to their usual booth. Henry sat nervously fidgeting in his seat. He watched the door as Emma watched her son smiling at his behavior, for an eleven year old it was sweet.
"Henry, it will be alright." Emma said taking her son's hands from across the table in hers and squeezed them gently.
"Do you think he'll like me?"
"He's your father how couldn't he, just stop worrying about it kid." Emma smiled as Ruby placed two cinnamon hot chocolates in front of them. "Oh I missed these." Emma said wrapping her hands around the warm cup.
"I thought you might, so may I ask how it went?" Ruby asked leaning against the booth.
"We found him, he's actually an old friend, but can you please not judge him just yet." Emma pleaded.
"It's me Emma I'm the least judgmental person in the town. Granny on the other hand may be another story." Ruby smiled as the front door opened. Henry let out a sigh when it wasn't Neal.
"Ruby can Henry get some very chocolaty pancakes?" Emma asked smiling.
"Of course he can." Ruby smiled walking back to the kitchen.
"He'll come kid don't worry." Emma smiled taking a sip of the hot coco.
The door opened again this time it was Mary Margret and David. Henry looked down getting disappointed, hitting his head on the table. Emma tried not to laugh.
"Hi Emma." A rough voice said behind her making her turn and Henry's head snapped up.
"Neal, I'm glad you could join us." She smiled letting Neal slide in next to her.
"No problem, I was excited to meet you Henry. Your mom told me a lot about you." Neal smiled at the miniature version of him.
"Me too, well Emma didn't tell me much but she told me some things." Henry said happily.
"In my defense I thought I would have more than a half-hour to explain everything to you." Emma said throwing her hands up. "Why don't I let you two talk just the two of you?" Emma said Neal letting her out of the booth. Taking her coco she walked over to Mary Margret and David.
"Mind if I sit with you?" She asked Mary Margret only smiled and made a spot for her daughter.
"So you're in love?" Mary Margret said smiling.
"Maybe" Emma shrugged looking over her shoulder at Henry who was smiling brightly.
Henry smiled as he told his father about Storybrooke and who was who in this world and the fairy tale world. Neal only watched as his son; the one he and Emma had created, the one that was part him, spoke of the tales he remembered growing up and some that had become after he had left that world. He wanted to tell Henry everything, about his adventures, about his mother and how she would have loved Henry. Tell him about the Rumplestilskin he knew, not the Gold he feared.
"Can you tell me something Neal?" Henry asked.
"Sure, anything kid." Neal said smiling.
"How did you meet my mom?" Neal paused surprised at the question.
"You know that Yellow Bug of hers?" Henry nodded. "She uh… Stole it, while I was sleeping in the back." Neal said.
"My mom stole cars?"
"She did, but she's an amazing woman, you and I got lucky with her." Neal smiled.
"Did you love her?" Henry asked taking a big bite of his pancakes Neal smiled.
"Yeah, she… she still is an amazing woman, more now than when I knew her."
"She's the sheriff you know." Henry said proudly.
"She told me that, a bit ironic for the Emma I knew." Neal laughed.
"Compared to my mom she's a saint." Henry said frowning.
"Hey I hate to intrude but you need to get to school." Emma said walking up to them.
"Do I have to? You just got home." Henry asked.
"Yes, I'll pick you up after in the squad car and take you to the stables. You can show me this horse I keep hearing about." Emma said making Henry get up and hug her before grabbing his book bag.
"It was nice meeting you Henry." Neal smiled.
"Yeah, we still have a lot to talk about." Henry smiled before walking out the door.
"He's a good kid." Neal said smiling as Emma sat down across from him.
"Yeah he is." Emma smiled "He showed up on my birthday, I had just made a wish that I wouldn't have to spend my birthday alone." Emma said smiling at the memory.
"Can I buy you a drink sometime, maybe make it a date?" Neal asked.
"Well that took no time at all." Emma said not surprised.
"You know me I jump right in, remember when we first met?" He asked Emma smiled laughing a little. "So Miss. Swan what do you say to a drink."
"You might be a pervert or something."
"I might be a pervert but you're defiantly a car thief." Neal smirked taking a sip of Emma's hot chocolate.
"Is this cinnamon?" He asked looking up at her.
"Yeah Mar… My mom got me into it." Emma said taking another bite of Henry's pancakes.
"I take it your still getting used to it." Emma only nodded as Ruby walked up.
"Sorry to interrupt but Emma can I talk to you?"
"Sure" Emma said getting up and following Ruby to the back room. "What's going on?"
"It's about Belle"
"What about her?"
"She didn't leave with the stranger."
"So where is she?" Emma asked.
"She's staying with me, she had nowhere to go and I'm the only person she trusts. I heard about what Gold tried to do, I can't risk your life by keeping this a secret but…"
"You don't want Gold to do something."
"She's scared Emma." Emma nodded and looked at Neal.
"Well no matter what we need to do something. Gold needs to know though, so he doesn't do something stupid again." Emma said looking to Ruby.
"She can stay at my house for however long she needs; just don't let him hurt her." Ruby said almost begging Emma.
"I wouldn't dream of it Ruby." Emma smiled before walking back to Neal.
"Everything alright?" Neal asked.
"How about we go for a walk, we need to talk." Emma said grabbing her coat from the booth.
"Yeah sure" Neal said sliding out of the booth.
David and Mary Margret watched as their daughter walked out with Neal and David practically jumped up. Mary Margret grabbed his arm.
"Let her go David she's a grown woman." Mary Margret said squeezing his hand gently.
"So my dad's girlfriend is still in Storybrook?" Neal asked as they walked down the street.
"Yeah"
"And you don't want to tell him because she's scared of him since she doesn't remember who he is."
"Right"
"This town is screwed up" Neal said with a sigh.
"Yeah well, your dad's the one who brought magic back to Storybrook."
"Didn't it come with the curse?" Neal asked trying to get the details right.
"No, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we need to figure out a way to keep Belle and the rest of us safe from Gold." Emma said making Neal stop. "What?"
"Emma, this is still my father were talking about. He was a good man once."
"Being a good man once doesn't mean he can just come back to his old ways. Belle's tried but it hasn't worked. In case you've forgotten he practically killed you last night."
"It's just as much as I know your right. There's a part of him that still cares, he's still my father. But I also don't want him to hurt you or Henry so I'll help you." Neal said.
"I'm glad, so what should we do?" Emma asked.
"We'll tell him or I will but I won't tell her where she is. Just that she needs some time before she sees him."
"Will he listen to you?"
"I sure as hell hope so." Neal sighed.
"Why don't you go talk to him, I need to go to the station. Come there when you're done." Emma said, Neal nodded and walked away towards his father's house.
"So how was your walk with Neal?" David asked when Emma walked into the station a little while later.
"It was fine; we just needed to talk about something. Why do you ask?" Emma said hanging her coat on the rack.
"It looked important when you left I wanted to make sure everything was alright." David said avoiding her gaze. Emma raised her eyebrow.
"You are such a bad liar." Emma said smirking.
"Oh am I?"
"Yeah, you don't like Neal so you wanted to see if we fought." David fell silent, shaking his head.
"I… I wanted to make sure he didn't hurt you again." He said looking into his daughters eyes.
"Why would you…?" Emma started but stopped, smiling to herself. "That's sweet of you but I'm not worried about him breaking my heart, I'm more worried about him breaking Henry's heart."
"MISS. SWAN" Regina yelled calling out as she walked into the room.
"Why Mayer Mill's what do I owe the pleasure?" Emma said coldly.
"When were you planning on telling me that Henry is Gold's grandson?" She said getting up in Emma's face.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize that I had to tell you whose son's I've had sex with or kissed for that matter." Emma retorted. "But yes you're right Gold is his grandfather and by the way I had no idea till we found Neal and I figured I would tell Henry and Gold himself first before the rest of the town figured it out."
"In case you're forgetting I'm his mother."
"Technically when it comes to blood you're not, that would be me." Emma said bitterly.
"Don't think I won't get my son back." Regina said turning on her heal and storming out the door. Emma gritted her teeth tightly and cursed under her breath.
"Will she ever give up on this?" Emma asked making herself laugh and not needing an answer.
"Emma?" Neal called a few minutes later as he walked in.
"How did it go?" Emma said turning round to face him. "Oh my God Neal are you okay?" Emma gasped seeing blood run down his cheek from his eyebrow.
"It didn't go as well as I had hoped." He said as Emma sat him on the edge of the desk, David handed her the first aid kit.
"When I said talk to your dad I didn't mean get beat up Neal." Emma said as she cleaned his cut.
"He just got pissed and pushed me into the counter; I lost my balance and hit my head." Neal explained wincing when she put on the alcohol.
"What did he say when you told him?" Emma asked.
"He asked me what all I knew and I told him that she was being kept safe, I guess that was a bad choice of words."
"You did the right thing Neal." Emma said as she put tape on the cut.
"But now he wants to get her back, he said that he would do anything to get her back. He's not giving up on this Emma. We need to protect her." Neal said grabbing Emma's wrist and pulling her in to him making her looks him in the eyes. "He took some sort of potion with him when he left. He took it to his shop the last I saw him."
"Meaning we might have time." David said, Emma and Neal pulled apart having completely forgotten about him.
"Let's go before he can get to her first." Emma said as she grabbed her coat and keys.
Neal smirked to himself as he watch her take control, it was the same Emma he knew all those years ago but something had changed. This time she was doing good, she had become a better person for herself and her son.
That's all, new character will be introduced and you will find out about Wendy soon. I should be updating quickly I'm on break so I don't have anything to do I hope this made up for the missing episode tonight Thanks again you are all awesome.
