Thank you so much once again for all your support! I really hope you like the story so far? This time I felt the need to mainly write a Neal & Emma chapter, so I hope you like that also? Please review and share your thoughts, opinions and ideas with me.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just this profile :)
''Yeah I know, sorry about that all…'' replies Neal to Emma's sarcastic comment.
The expression on Emma's face hardens. ''You just stood there and let her yell at me, like I'm some sort of insane person, really capable of doing these things she blames me of.''
''I tried to stop her, I really did…''
''Seriously Neal?'' She frowns in disbelief. ''The attempts you made were worth nothing. Are you scared of her or something?'' Emma was too overwhelmed by Tamara's outburst earlier to say something, but now the woman has left, anger takes the upper hand. She is hurt as well. Hurt by the fact that Neal's engaged. How silly that may sound.
Neal seems to know her better than she realizes. ''Are you jealous of her? Is that what this is about?''
''Well, this really tops everything! You think that I care that a guy I dated a decade ago is engaged?''
''I don't know?...''
''Neal! You're even more stupid than I thought.'' She quickly tries to change the subject, so that the blush that is appearing on her cheeks will not be noticed by him. ''You better fix this, and fast, cause the plane we're booked on leaves tomorrow. That is, if you still are planning on coming with us?'' After the conversation they had earlier, Emma had assumed that he was coming with them to Storybrooke, but after the short encounter she had with his fiancé, she wasn't sure anymore.
''Yes I guess so. I mean, I can't think of you and Henry leaving while I stay here. That doesn't feel right. I just got to meet my son and now I've to say goodbye to him again. No, I should come with you guys.'' He sounds determined.
A sense of relief runs through Emma's body, but she's not willing to admit this.
''Or were you planning on staying here?'' asks Neal jokingly.
Emma didn't catch the humorous undertone that accompanied the question. She's too caught up in all the emotions and feelings that have haunted her since she saw Neal again for the first time in Manhattan. ''No we can't. Our family is in Storybrooke. They need us there.'' 'And we need them' she thinks straight after, but she doesn't say these words out loud.
''Hey, I was just kidding,'' says Neal in a soothing, low voice. He sees the confusion in Emma's eyes and takes her hand in his. ''You know, I never stopped loving you,'' he whispers.
The blonde is looking down to her shoes.
He lifts her chin, so she's forced to look him in the eyes.
''You didn't?'' she asks doubtingly. ''Why did you call the cops on me than? How can that be love?''
He is still holding her hand. ''You know why. Because it was the only way.'' There is a moment of silence before he continues. ''I almost couldn't do it you know? I stood by that payphone for minutes, maybe even longer. Holding this coin in my fingers, turning and turning it. But I wasn't able to insert it into the machine. I knew I was going to cause you so much pain if I would insert that coin and dial the phone number of the local police station. That that movement would end everything. A simple action like that, would destroy everything we had, everything we built up. But I knew it would be selfish of me to not do it. Your family needed you. The town needed you. And I knew that, in the end, you would get to meet your family. Something you had wished for your whole life. Because that is what you told me. The fantasies you had as a little child, about your parents being the prince and princess of a faraway land. And we both know now that that wasn't far from the truth, now was it?''
A watery smile appears on Emma's face, but her eyes are filled with tears, ready to drop any minute.
He takes her other hand and continues. And later when you were a bit older, you told your classmates that your parents were ambassadors and always on the move. That that was the reason that you were in the foster system. But that within a couple of years, when you were old enough, they would pick you up and show you the world. I remembered that you told me that yourself Emma. That was the moment that I decided to make the call. So that you would be able to meet your family. Your real family.''
Tears are running now all over Emma's face.
Carefully, almost like he's afraid that he's going to break her, he takes her in his arms.
Her body has been tense the whole time they were standing in the hallway of the hotel, but it relaxes as soon as she let herself fall into Neal's embrace. She is sobbing heavily at this point. It's like all the frustrations and fear of the last months escapes her all at once.
And Neal is there to hold her, to whisper soothing words and to comfort her the best he can. Just like eleven years ago. ''It's okay Emma, you can let it out. I'm here now. I'm not leaving you.''
''I'm… I'm sorry,'' stutters Emma between her sobs.
''Ssst, you don't have to be sorry for anything. I'm the one who has to apologize.'' He slowly rubs her back.
Finally, Emma find enough strength in her legs to pull back a little. ''I'm sorry,'' she says again.
They keep looking at each other, with their heads only a few inches apart. It's like a wave of electricity grows between the two. Neal still has his arms around her back and shoulders, but now his hand shifts towards her neck. They glance at each other intensely. He almost drowns in the dark depth of her eyes.
It is then that Emma places a soft kiss on Neal's mouth. She's startled by her own action and pulls back almost immediately.
But Neal gently pulls her head back and kisses her with so much love, it's almost unbearable for the blonde.
She then opens her mouth and allows him to deepen the kiss.
They're both lost in their own little, perfect world. A bomb could drop on the building, and they still wouldn't notice it. It's an overwhelming experience, completely new and yet so familiar.
Neal let his fingers go through Emma's soft hair. He strokes her warm cheeks. And the whole time that they're kissing, he can't keep his eyes off her.
Emma has her eyes closed, enjoying the moment to the fullest. She has placed her hands on Neal's back and feels the roughness of the stubbles on his face.
''Mom? Uhm, dad?'' Henry asks all confused. He sneaked out of the hotel room where he had waited impatiently for his mother to return, and he now walks up towards his parents who are clearly in an intimate embrace.
Neal and Emma pull back the second they hear their son's voice. ''Henry! How long have you been standing there?'' asks the blonde with a guilty expression. Caught by her own son, how humiliating.
As the boy sees his parents expression, he can't help but laugh. These expressions are simply priceless. ''Long enough!'' he cries.
''Henry, get back to our room,'' demands Emma. Her face is flushed, which makes the situation even more hilarious for the boy.
''Fine, fine,'' he replies, but he can't suppress a fit of laughter when he walks back towards their hotel room.
''That was so wrong Neal, that was just so wrong! What the hell did we do?'' cries Emma as soon as her son has gone out of sight.
''It was inappropriate yes I agree, but was it wrong?'' he asks. Seeing the panicked look on Emma's face makes him smile.
''Why are you laughing? Seriously, this is all so wrong!'' she repeats. ''You're going to get married for crying out loud!''
The smile disappears from his face as soon as it came. ''That's the plan yes. But Emma, you have to know that I never stopped loving you. I still think about you every day. That's not a lie.''
''Okay, this is all just too much for me.'' With firm steps the blonde walks back towards their hotel room.
''Please Emma, don't run away. Don't run away like you always do. Listen to me. I'm going to fix this.''
The blonde stops and turns around. ''Yeah, and how're you planning to do that exactly? Neal, when you're coming with us to Storybrooke, we're near each other every. Single. Day. While your fiancé is here in New York, waiting for you to come back. So that you can marry her and live a fake happy life together. Where does that leave us Neal? And Henry? He will be devastated if you decide to return to her and leave him without a father. Again. Have you thought about that? Me knowing that you still love me, and what we just did is just.. is just…'' Tears are running over her face again.
''Em, please.'' He takes both of her hands and takes a deep breath. ''This is what I'm going to do. I'm going home now and end things with Tamara. Period. You're right, I can't just come with you guys to Storybrooke and leave it here the way it is now. That wouldn't be fair. Not to you, and not to Tamara.''
''Are you serious about this? I mean, don't you need more time to think this through? I don't want you to make an abrupt decision based on a kiss.''
''It's not based on just a kiss Emma. The minute I saw you here, I knew it. I knew I still loved you, even after all these years. And learning about me having a son… That is enough for me.''
The blonde sighs. ''Okay than. But just if you're absolutely sure about it?''
''I'm a 200% certain,'' he grins. ´´I´ll be back tonight.´´ He gives Emma a quick kiss on the cheek before he walks up to the elevator.
´´Good luck,´´ whispers Emma as she watches him enter the elevator. When the doors close, she returns to the hotel room, where Henry is eagerly waiting.
´´Does this mean that you and dad are back together again?'' he asks the second she walks in. His eyes are wide with enthusiasm.
They both sit down on the bed. ''Henry, what you saw earlier was… Well it's not all that easy. We still have a lot to work out. So don't get all too excited about it, okay?''
''Okay, but there is a chance right?'' he asks again hopeful this time.
''Henry!'' She tries to sound strict, but she can't help a fit of laughter escaping her.
They both laugh now in an unstoppable pace.
Emma let herself fall backwards on the bed as her body shakes from all the laughter. ''What a mess we're in, what're we going to do?'' she says between her laughs. The whole situation is actually quite worrying, but at this point she can only laugh it all off.
Henry is happy to see her smiling again.
But then they both are startled by a loud noise coming from one of the rooms on their floor. A loud bang is followed by shouting voices of men.
''Stay here!'' yells Emma to Henry, as she directly recognizes the voices she hears. She runs out of the room, leaving Henry in uncertainty. When she storms into Mr Gold's room, where the door was slightly open, she sees Hook standing over Gold, who is now lying against one of the chairs.
The captain's hook is penetrating deep in the other man's chest, right where the heart is located.
Emma seeks for something to attack the captain with as soon as she can. The standing lamp in the corner is the first object she can find that is possibly heavy enough to hit him with. She lashes out and hits the captain on the back of his head.
Hook falls backwards and passes out on the floor.
Emma rushes to Mr Gold. ''Are you okay?'' she asks, looking at the gaping wound that is visible on his chest. A yellowish substance comes dripping out, mixed with his own blood. ''What the hell is that?'' she asks disgusted.
''It's poison,'' he answers, his breathing fast and uncontrolled.
''I've to get you out of here,'' do you think you're able to walk when I support you?
Gold leans on the blonde when he tries to get up.
Emma needs all her strength to get him to stand up and to lead him out of his room, into hers. She lays him down on the bed.
Henry looks frightened at the whole situation. ''What happened?''
''Henry I need you to stay here with Mr Gold for a bit okay? He's going to be fine. I just need to call Neal.'' She takes her mobile phone that is lying on the nightstand and walks out of the room.
''Mr Gold, what happened?'' asks the boy again. He sits down on the side of the bed.
Suddenly the man grabs Henry's arm and hisses: ''You stay away from me! This is all your fault Henry. You caused this. You brought us back here.'' He let's go of his arm and Henry walks back a few steps, looking at the man in disbelief.
I hear you guys asking: ''How did Hook get out of the hospital?'' Well that question will be answered in one of the next chapters, I promise. ;)
So what do you guys think? Is it all plausible, Neal deciding to leave Tamara, and the kiss and all? Please leave a review, I would really appreciate that! :)