Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I recently got my own apartment so moving has been a hassle.
Don't worry I don't plan on abandoning this story. I love it too much.
Chapter 11: Telling Henry
Silverware clanked on the glass plates. The dinner table was eerily silent.
Having had enough of the silence Henry asked, "Did someone else die?"
Emma looked at Mary Margaret and then at Henry.
"No of course not," said Emma. "Why would you ask that, Henry?"
Henry shrugged, "I don't know. I guess because you guys have been acting all strange since I got home from school and now no one is talking. It's just weird."
Mary Margaret and David looked at Emma as she took a deep breath. The looks didn't go unnoticed.
"Something happened didn't it?"
Emma turned to her son and placed a hand on his. "Yes but it's not what you think."
"Then what is it?"
"You know I love you right?"
"I know."
"And you know I would do anything to protect you, keep you safe?" Henry nodded. "Henry, you remember that day when you asked me about your father?"
Henry nodded again, "You said he died in a fire. You said he was a hero."
Emma's eyes turned sad as she took a breath.
"We'll let the two of you talk alone," Mary Margaret said getting up from the table along with David. As they did so they gathered the dishware that was on the table.
Emma nodded her thanks. She waited a moment as her parents made their way to put the dishes in the sink and then went to their bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"I wasn't exactly honest with you Henry. It's bad enough you have one parent who was a criminal, I didn't want you to think less of me or your dad to find out you had two."
"So he wasn't a fireman?"
"No."
"He was a criminal like you?"
"Yes."
So you lied to me."
"I'm sorry Henry. I know it doesn't make me any better than Regina right now," Emma said looking away from him.
"Why do adults always do that," Henry said starting to get upset, "Why do they always lie? Why can't they just tell the truth? Is it really that hard?"
"I'm afraid it is kid."
Henry looked up at Emma causing her to look up at him as well. "Why did you lie to me?"
"When you asked me about your father I got scared and I felt ashamed. I thought by lying I was protecting you and I was protecting myself."
"From what exactly?"
"My past; it's not exactly something to be proud of."
"So can you tell me what really happened, no lies this time? What's his name? How did you and he meet?"
Emma looked up at Henry. Was this really the same kid she had given birth to eleven years ago? He was so mature for his age at times. Always taking things in stride instead of being one to lash out or run to their room and slam the door.
Emma had known him to do that on occasion at Regina's house but even with her when he caught her in a lie he had confronted her about it, never backing down.
"His name is Neal Cassidy. I met him when I was seventeen. I was living in Portland, Oregon at the time when I stole the bug. Your father was living in the car at the time. He surprised me much like someone else I know," Emma said giving Henry a little smirk.
Henry just smiled proud of that moment and happy that he had inherited something from his father and Emma continued.
"Turns out the car didn't belong to him either. For a while we were together, partners in crime, that sort of thing."
"Did you love him?"
Emma looked at her son. Leave it to Henry to always ask the direct and uncomfortable questions.
"For a time I thought I did but things didn't turn out so well. I got into some more trouble only this time I got caught and your father was gone. I never saw him after that. I'm sorry I lied to you Henry. I had planned on telling you the truth about him when you were older."
"So why are you telling me now?"
Emma took another deep breath. "He's here Henry, in Storybrooke."
Henry's eyes lit up as Emma had feared. "What's he doing here? Can I meet him?"
"Whoa one thing at a time Henry. He came to find me."
"Why, if he left you all those years ago? Does that mean he still loves you?"
"That's where things get complicated. He knows about me, about the curse. He knew back then too."
"So he didn't leave you because he was being a jerk, he left so you could find your way to breaking the curse."
Emma looked at Henry and smiled. "Mary Margaret was right, you are a special boy. Are you sure you're my kid?"
Henry shrugged, "Well I did steal from grams so I could find you and I did hide in the car like Neal did."
"Guess stealing runs in the family. Sorry about that kid. Speaking of which, why did you steal from Mary Margaret? I never really asked that. You could've taken the money from anyone, why her?"
"Because she's family," Henry said as if it wasn't really a big deal. "I thought that would be okay even if no one believed me. So what are we going to do about Neal?"
"We?"
"Yeah, he's here in Storybrooke now. It's not like there's a lot of places he can hide so I'm bound to see him around aren't I?"
"Yeah about that."
"You locked him up in jail!" Henry said after Emma had told her son where his father was staying.
By then Mary Margaret and David had come out of the room now that the hard part was over.
Emma looked at her parents and back at Henry.
"I was upset. I didn't know the whole story at the time."
"But now that you know the truth he's still locked up," said Henry.
"It's not like he doesn't still deserve it," Emma said a little harsher than she intended.
"Can we go see him?"
"Henry it's late and you have to get to bed."
"Please?"
"He's not going anywhere. I promise we'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
"Fine," Henry said sounding defeated.
"Go get ready. I'll be up in a bit."
Before Henry went upstairs he placed his arms around his mother, hugging her. Emma smiled as she rested her chin on the top of his head.
"What was that for," Emma asked when her boy released her.
"For telling me the real truth about him this time," said Henry.
"You're not mad?"
Henry shrugged. "A little but we're going to see Neal tomorrow. That kind of makes up for it."
Before Emma could say anything more Henry raced upstairs to get ready for bed. Emma smiled as she watched him go.