Chapter 11: Nighttime Confessions
Emma closed Henry's 'Once Upon a Time' book and placed it on his book shelf.
"Alright kid, that's enough for tonight. We should get you some new stories."
"I like this one. Grams gave it to me."
"I know but you've all ready got Snow White and Prince Charming as grandparents for real, don't you think it's time for some new material?"
That's why I like it, it tells their story."
Emma smiled at Henry. "Fair enough, guess that book has now become an autobiography of sorts."
Henry smiled but looked down. Emma knew something was on his mind.
"All right kid, spill it."
Henry looked up at Emma. "Did you talk to Neal yet?"
Emma took a deep breath. "Yeah Henry, I talked to him."
"And?"
"There's not much to tell. He does know about you now but that's it."
"Can I meet him?"
"Henry, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Please? I reunited you with your parents and now we're living with them."
"Henry things are slightly more complicated. I haven't seen your dad in ten years. It's not like we can just start something. I know you want us to be this instant family and I know you're still angry at me for lying to you about him. There's just a lot of unresolved issues and hurt beneath them."
"Even though he left because you had a different destiny?" Henry asked.
Emma sighed. "Yeah even though; it's not like I can get over that right away. It takes time." Emma placed a hand on top of his. "I just don't want you to have expectations of something that may not happen. But I will talk to him okay, we'll see if we can work something out. In the meantime I need you to stay away from him, at least until I get things sorted out. Can you do that for me?"
Henry nodded but Emma looked at him.
"Henry, promise me you'll stay away from him."
Henry looked up at Emma. "I promise."
She smiled at him. "Thank you." She checked him over. "Got your necklace on?" Henry pulled out the vial and chain. "Do you want a light on or a candle lit?"
Henry shook his head. "No, this will protect me."
"Okay then. Get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning," she said placing a kiss on his head.
Emma stood up and walked to the doorway. She leaned against it for the moment.
"I love you Henry."
"I love you too mom," he said closing his eyes.
Emma smiled. She still couldn't get used to the fact that Henry called her 'mom'. Henry had referred to her that way when he spoke to others but actually saying it to her was completely different.
The first time Henry had said that word to Emma had been when she and Snow, along with Aurora and Mulan, had found their way back to Storybrooke. It had taken Emma by complete surprise, almost like hearing a child speak their first words.
Emma smiled again and shut the door behind her.
"Is he out," David asked Emma when she came downstairs.
Snow handed her a cup of chocolate and the two women joined David at the table.
"Yeah," Emma said taking a sip. She sighed. "He wants to meet Neal."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I would talk to Neal. Probably not the best idea considering..."
"Neal stopped by?" David said. He spoke again when he saw Emma look at him. "Henry told us when he walked in."
"Right," Emma said.
Though Emma had nearly twenty four hours to think of what had happened last night during Neal's visit, she still couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. Emma hated the way her head was being messed with. It wasn't something she was used to and it was a situation she kept trying to get passed, passed Neal's arrival in general but she couldn't.
She wanted things to go back to how they were before he showed up. At least then life had been somewhat less complicated and easier. The fairytales she could deal with. That now seemed to be the easiest part of her life. Being a full time mom to Henry, though it had its challenges, was easy. Having Neal in town and screwing with her mind…well there were no words to describe the confusion it gave her and the frustrating part was there were no easy answers as to how to deal with it.
Snow placed a hand on Emma's which Emma squeezed, thankful for the gesture.
They both held it for a while and Emma sighed and shrugged. "He surprised me. He was just taking a walk, not even knowing that I lived here. We talked, I told him about Henry, we talked more, and then…"
Emma paused unsure as to whether she should smile or seem confused.
"I don't know what happened. One minute we were talking and the next we…"
Emma looked up at her parents and she knew that she was blushing despite her not smiling but she couldn't help it. Emma quickly got up from her seat and headed toward the counter, not looking at them.
"You kissed him," Snow said finishing Emma's words for her.
"He kissed me," Emma corrected, "but I didn't exactly pull away either, not as quickly as I wanted."
Emma scolded herself for blushing. She didn't want to, she hadn't planned on it but reflecting on that kiss with Neal, despite her hormones for wanting it, and despite her hatred for giving in, Emma couldn't deny the fact, and it bothered her to admit it, that yes she had enjoyed her kiss with Neal. It felt exactly as it had nearly eleven years ago.
She had been with other men but none of them had felt right. They were just passing cars on whatever highway it was she was on. None of them really meant anything even though she had tried to force herself to feel something for some of them.
Neal felt right, even now. She wouldn't have kept the car or the swan charm if that hadn't been the case, if she hadn't held some kind of hope that they would find each other again.
Emma scolded herself again. She shouldn't be feeling any of this but now she couldn't help it. The gates to what she had been keeping closed were finally open. Her true feelings were out and there was no denying any of it.
Emma slammed her hand on the counter without even realizing it. "Damn it, why did he have to come here?"
Snow looked at David sympathetically and got up, walking toward Emma. She placed her hand on Emma's back and rubbed it.
"I don't know," she said to her daughter, "but from everything you've told us, maybe he was meant to. Maybe, despite everything you've gone through, maybe the two of you are meant to be together. And take it from your father and me: if two people are meant to be together, life always finds a way. Not even time or a curse can stop that."
Emma looked at her father who was smiling at both him and Snow. She then turned her attention back to her mom.
Emma didn't know what to say. Her head was all ready spinning from the other thoughts in her head. Neal couldn't be her one true love could he? Nothing was making sense anything, well almost nothing. Her mom had a way of usually being right and she couldn't deny her feelings toward that kiss, and yes there had been a time in her life when she had thought she and Neal would be together forever but now, was that even possible? Emma wasn't sure and she wasn't sure if she was ready to find out.
