Chapter 9: "Maybe We Met for a Reason"
Emma reached her arm over Henry to switch on the light to Neal's apartment the following night. She hadn't been in here for several days since that night she came and stayed. She took a deep breath. Though Neal was with her and in the room, that didn't make being here any easier. His stuff still remained untouched and felt like a shrine. Emma felt weird about that.
"Not that I mind," Henry said breaking Emma out of her thoughts, "But why exactly did you bring me here?"
"I thought us being here might help bring your dad back."
"Back from where, the dead? You can't do that, it goes against all rules of magic."
Emma smiled at Henry, "I know then it's a good thing he's not dead. I was being honest with you the other night Henry. I meant what I said: your dad is here. What I didn't tell you was that I can see him."
"See him, like a ghost?"
"Something like that," she said with a smile. "Think Star Wars ghost but without the death part."
"Star Wars," Henry asked not really knowing what she meant by that.
Emma smiled, "Kid we have got to have a movie marathon one of these days. The older versions of those movies, they're much cooler."
"So is that why you've been acting so strange, because you've been talking to dad?"
"That's why."
"So why have you been having me stay with Granny or Ruby?"
"Henry, your dad's body is missing."
"What do you mean he's missing, where is he?"
"I'm not sure."
Henry made a bee line to the door. "Then we should be out looking for him," said Henry. "We should go to grandpa Gold. He would want to help find him."
"I all ready tried going to your grandpa Henry, he's not going to help."
Henry turned around, "I don't understand why not?"
"Because he and your dad were still at odds with each other," said Emma, "He thinks everyone is better off if he still keeps his distance."
"Then can't we try something magical to find him?"
"Magic won't work Henry. It worked to get rid of your dad but it won't get him back.
"So then if magic can't get him back what will?"
Emma couldn't help but smile, "True love," she answered.
Henry smiled too but it quickly faded, "but if we don't have his body you can't perform true love's kiss."
"What happened to your dad wasn't exactly a sleeping curse so I don't even know if a kiss would work."
"What other options are there?"
"I don't know kid, that's why we're here," Emma said as she placed a hand on Henry's shoulder.
As she did so she watched Neal and for a moment he flashed, the color of his natural skin coming through and at the same time that happened to Neal, Emma felt a jolt inside as if her heart were being electrocuted by medical paddles. She brought her hand to her chest.
Emma looked at Neal, "Did you feel that?"
"Feel what," asked Henry.
Neal smiled, "Yeah I did and Emma, for a second I felt real. Touch Henry again," he said to her.
Emma smiled at Neal and then looked at Henry and took his face in her right hand. As she did this she watched Neal flash again and she brought her hand to her heart feeling another jolt.
"Mom, why is your necklace glowing and what's going on?"
"It's all connected isn't it," said Emma, "The keychain-."
"The dream catcher," said Neal.
"The car," said Emma.
"Our son," they both said in unison.
"Everything that connected us," said Emma. Emma looked at her son and a smile beamed, "Henry, I think we may have just found a way to get your dad back."
"Dad's dream catcher," Henry said a little confused as he and his mom sat at the kitchen table with the dream catcher placed on it near Emma's necklace.
Neal sat at the head of the table, Emma to his right and Henry to his left.
"It's not just his dream catcher," said Emma. "We found it in a motel room back in Portland, Oregon the day you were conceived."
"So that's why you looked bothered when you saw it in Neal's apartment back in New York."
"Yeah, I never knew he kept it and when I saw it, I was kind of thrown off guard."
"So if I have this right you got pregnant with me when you were in Oregon but then when I was born it was in Arizona?"
"Pretty crazy hu?"
"Kind of but I don't see what this all has do with getting dad back."
"When I touched your shoulder earlier I saw your dad flash back to normal for a quick second and I also felt a jolt in my heart. At the same time the keychain also glowed."
"It's a necklace," said Henry.
Emma smiled, "It used to be a keychain back when your dad first got it for me. Back to my point, I think-"
"Hey," said Neal, "it was my idea too. Give me some credit will ya?"
Emma looked at Neal with an amused grin and then turned back to Henry, "We," she corrected, "think it might be a way to somehow get him back. I need to find a way to connect with the objects and with you. Other than the car, it's these two things and you that connected us back then."
"So like a talisman then?"
"Are you sure this kid is ours," said Neal, "He's too smart. We weren't that smart were we?"
"We had street smarts," Emma said to him, "and trust me he's got those too. How else do you think a ten year old managed to work alone in a big city like Boston and find me?"
Neal nodded, "Good point."
"You ready," Emma asked.
"Ready," said Henry. He quickly looked down, "Oh you were talking to dad weren't you," he asked noticing that his mom wasn't looking directly at him as she spoke.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" said Neal.
Emma took a breath, "Not a clue," she said.
