NEAL

He had a son. A son. Pain shot through Neal at that, the thought of his son growing up without him, without his father, and the wounds left of him from his own father's actions felt like they were ripped open suddenly, bleeding.

How ironic that Emma and him would do to their own child what they themselves were victims of, which caused them the greatest pain. He stared at Emma, in horror, his heart full of his remorse, his regret. He should never have listened to August, he should never had left. He was so desperate for a normal life when he found out who she was, that she was not just from there but important, critical he wanted nothing to do with it. He did not want to look back.

And he sacrificed everything with this mistake. Let himself be defined by his cowardice, like his father before him.

"What is he like?" He asked, and he could hear the pain in his own voice as he croaked out the words.

"I have no idea" Emma declared bitterly at him "I gave him up for adoption because I was incarcerated when I gave birth to him because YOU abandoned me." Her eyes flooded with tears and Neal blinked back the desire he had to try to comfort her. He watched as Killian clearly did not have the hesitation, as he moved towards Emma, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and rubbing her back in silent support. While Emma did not exactly move into it, she also made no move to pull away, accepting Hook's touch.

"He is a good lad" Hook said to all of them "You are both proud of him and you will both meet and be part of his life in the future" This surprised Neal, as Killian was actively trying to diffuse both of their pain. HE spoke softly and reassuring, and for a second Neal thought he might even try to give him another awkward hug.

He stared at Killian in surprise, taking him in, really looking at him. He did not recognize him at first and for good reason. It was far more than a change of clothes and a second hand. There was a lightness where Neal had only seen darkness like his father, a goodness replacing the overwhelming need for revenge. He had shed the weight of despair that had hung around him over the death of Neal's mother, and Neal wondered for the first time ever, what might have been had he allowed Hook a real chance to raise and support him.

He clearly believed he was Emma's husband, and should have been lashing out at him and the romantic threat that he presented. Neal wondered at that, and the patience and well... almost kindness that seemed to radiate from the man that stood before him.

"Who are you?" He said to Hook, shocked to realize that he has said the words out loud.

Killian looked at him directly and said simply "Your friend and I need your help"

Neal's anger was gone replaced only by sadness. He glared at August, not thrilled to have to work with him, but realized it was not fair to blame August for his own choices, his own lack of belief in Emma, in them, that they were worth fighting for, no matter where she was from.

"Okay, we can head out with the money, and working together, we should be able to be back in two days with the potions. It will be difficult, but as much as I hate magic, I know enough to do it, with the help of the person August knows to actually cast the spell."

"But I still don't understand Hook, how you will get back?"

Neal watched as Killian picked up an ornate jeweled box and handed it to him.

"All I need is enough magic to re-activate this, and it should bring me back as long as I think of home" Killian explained. "Of course, then I have to deal with Rumple, but Emma will protect me there. Rumple is too afraid of her to mess with her..."

Neal snorted at that, and wondered, what the hell he was talking about. His father was not afraid of anyone, let alone Emma, who looked pretty harmless, standing there, still way too close to Hook for Neal's liking, tear streaks down her face from the drama, and a little tired looking now, from having to try to follow along with it all.

"Now I know you are lying because my father is afraid of no one" " And where are you going to get magic strong enough to re-active a time portal? I may not have magic, but I know magic enough to know that you would need an incredibly powerful source of magic to accomplish such a thing... I doubt even the dark one could do it"

He watched as something danced across Killian's face, maybe amusement and he looked at Emma in a way that Neal could only describe as pure pride.

"Emma has powerful white magic. In many ways while she still lacks the knowledge of Regina and your father in the future, even they both conceded after Hades was defeated by her that her magic was the strongest, the purest, as the product of true love" Killian grinned cockily "With a true love ... and all"

AUGUST

August was getting impatient, being ignored and delegated to the sidelines as the other's talked. He was not thrilled about having to assist this stranger, who apparently was a pirate of all things, but believed him that he was who he said. He radiated a sincerity that August could not discount.

This was August's chance to help Emma, to put past the regret that he felt, by making the wrong choice, by leaving her behind when she was an infant, by not staying and protecting and guiding her as he should have done. He had failed his father by falling into temptation and he was eager at the chance to help, to try to make amends with the future for his behaviour.

Plus, August loved to explore and travel. He loved the far east, and any excuse to revisit that was a plus in his books.

He did not regret the decision that he had made in pulling the young lovers here apart all those years ago. He had played his part in fate, and as much as it was fate, these things were molded by everyone's own choices. Neal made the choice to walk away, just as he had made that same mistake himself by failing Emma when she was a baby. Neal may rage at him a little on the trip, but August was indifferent.

He saw the revulsion that coursed through Neal at the news of Emma's magic and knew how Neal hated magic, hated anything that tied him to the past. If Emma had magic as powerful as the pirate sheriff beside her claimed, they were not a good match for each other anyways. Killian's reaction was something Neal could not have been capable of, support and awe and pride.

August gestured at Neal that it was time to go, and he watched again apart from the group a little, while they said awkward goodbyes.

When he exited on his way with Neal, it became obvious that Neal's coping method for all of this was to treat August to silence. He smiled at that grateful a bit, not bothered by the silence, looking forward to the journey to his own redemption.