"Wait, you mean to tell me that…" Ruby took a sip of her coffee. "That guy you were talking to, is Henry's father?"
"Yeah." Emma nodded, clutching the cup of coffee in her hands.
"So, what happened? After he left today, you looked…"
"Shaken." She breathed. "I haven't…seen Neal since he left me to deal with the cops alone. I haven't had any contact with him and seeing him now is just…hard to handle."
"Do still have feelings for him?"
"No way." Emma shook her head.
"Because of Hook?" Ruby teased.
"No!"
Ruby laughed loudly. "Emma, you have to be the worst liar in Storybrooke."
Emma sat back in her seat and huffed. "This has nothing to do with Killian."
"Oh, so it's Killian now? I didn't realize we went from Captain Hook to Killian."
"I'm going to find my son." Emma stood up from her seat and made her way to the door.
"Have fun!" Ruby called, picking up the coffee cup and waving.
"Feelings for Killian?" Emma asked herself. "Ha! Yeah, right."
"You shouldn't talk to yourself, sweetheart, people will start think you've gone crazy."
"Speak of the devil himself." She turned to glare at Hook, then glanced at the little boy beside. "Henry."
"Mom." Henry ran into her arms, hugging her.
"Hey, you…were with Hook?"
"Yeah." He nodded up at her. "Grandpa wasn't too happy about it, but Captain Hook convinced him."
"Really?" Emma looked at the pirate. "How'd you do that?"
"I'm not too sure actually." He shrugged, stepping forward, wrapping his arm around her waist, and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Um, no, I was just about to go ask Henry what he wanted for dinner tonight."
"Spaghetti, duh, mom." Henry laughed, taking her hand and pulling her down the street with Hook at her side.
Emma held on to her son's hand and let herself sink into Killian's frame; this was what she wanted when she was a little girl, a family. And as dysfunctional as they were, she still loved each and every one of them.
Hook let Emma lean in to him and decided not to let her know that he and Henry had come looking for her because they both felt like something was wrong. He gave her waist a gentle squeeze without realizing it.
She looked at him lost in thought and tried as best she could to listen to Henry giving her a play by play of the last couple of hours he'd spent with Captain Hook. "Um, hey, Henry?"
"Yeah, mom?"
"How would you feel about…spending some time with your dad?"
Henry stopped walking and looked up at her with excitement. "Really?"
"Sure." She smiled at him. "He was just asking to see you."
"He did?" Hook asked, feeling a little bit of jealousy rise up. "And you too?"
"Just Henry." Emma confirmed. "He hasn't said anything about me."
"Yet."
She rolled her eyes and looked at her son. "So, what do you say?"
"Yeah!" He laughed. "Where is he? Can I see him now? When did he want-?"
"Whoa, Henry, slow down. I'm sure he's with Gold."
"Great." Hook mumbled, earning an elbow to the ribs.
"Let's go!" Henry took off running down the street, prompting Emma to yell after to him to be careful. "Come on, mom!"
"You're really going to let this happen?" Hook said.
"Yes, I'm going to let it happen." She snapped. "I can't deny Neal his right to be a father."
"Bullocks." He stopped her and made her face him. "Emma, love, he left you. You owe him nothing. Especially not the opportunity to raise a unique little boy like Henry."
"You've really grown attached to him, haven't you?" She smiled, teasing him. "Big bad Captain Hook has a soft spot for my son?"
"Of course not." He denied. "I just don't want to see the lad get hurt. And I'm sure you'd like to skip out on the many 'I told you so's coming from me afterwards."
"Sure." She laughed lightly, joking with him the entire way to the hospital.
Hook rolled his eyes and let her continue, seeing her smile for the first time since Neal came in to town. He kept his hold on her waist as they stepped into Gold's room after Henry ran in.
"Hey, buddy." Neal gave Henry a hug. "I was just about to come looking for you."
"My mom said you wanted to spend time together."
"Of course." Neal chuckled, looking up at Emma and Hook, disappointment flashing across his face. "Emma. Killian."
"Neal." Emma nodded back. "Have him back by dinner time, please? Apparently, it's spaghetti night."
"Can do." He said and turned to his son, who beamed. "What should we do first?"
Henry rambled on and on about the abundance of things he obviously started planning on the way over.
Emma and Hook were about to leave when Neal had stopped them.
"Emma!" He said quickly. "We should really do something…as a family before I leave. You, me, and Henry."
"Over my dead bo-." Hook began, feeling another jab to his ribs.
"Sounds good." Emma interrupted. "Soon." She turned on her heel and rushed out, leaving Henry to bond with Neal.
"You're not really going to, are you?" Hook complained. "Why the hell would you agree to something like that?"
"Because he asked."
"Darling, there are plenty of things I'd love to ask from you, but I don't because it would be overstepping my boundaries. But, let's say for argument's sake, that I did, you would have just said 'yes'?"
"No." She stopped and glared at him. "Because you think in a very sexual way that I don't care too much for and Neal-."
"You're telling me he doesn't?" Hook countered.
"I'm not having this argument right now." Emma threw her hands in the air and walked away..
"And I'll have you know that not once has there been anything even remotely sexual between us since I got here!"
"Why do I always hear things at the most inopportune times?" David groaned.
"Dad!" Emma gasped. "That wasn't-we weren't-uh…what are you doing here?"
"Your father was spying on Henry and Hook." Snow said. "I came along to make sure he played nice. Now, what's all the fuss about?"
"Nothing, I'm just letting Henry spend a little time with Neal and maybe later all three of us will spend time together."
"Hey, that sounds like a great idea." David smiled.
"Wait, wait, wait." Hook interjected. "He turned your daughter into a criminal, impregnated her, and then left her to rot in a jail cell while he ran off and lived a happy life… and you hate me?"
"Please stop talking?!" Emma hissed.
"Well, you see, Hook-." David began.
"I'm going home!" Emma stated, walking down the street, leaving her father and her…pirate to argue as much as they pleased.