Author's Note: I do want to appologize for the long wait.

These next chapters, 14-16, were meant to be a single chapter which is part of what took so long. At the same time I had to wait for when the characters were ready to reveal this part of the story to me so there was a lot of waiting around, pacing, listening and trying to find the right music, just waiting for them to "speak" to me. I didn't want to tell this story, that's not what I've been doing. They've been telling the story through me from the get go so I just had to be patient.

I do thank you all for your patience :^)

Chapter 14: The Dinner Guest

Neal took a deep breath as he knocked on the apartment door. Emma had called him earlier in the day and asked if dinner at 7 would be okay but if he could show up around 6. Neal was more than happy to agree to the arranged meeting.

From the other side of the door Emma took a deep breath as she heard the knock. She knew she shouldn't be nervous. It's not like she was going to be alone with Neal, well not technically anyways. Henry would be around as would her parents.

Still, it was the first time since Neal's arrival that Emma had invited him to her home so she couldn't help but feel that for that reason alone it made this slightly more personal.

There was a second knock.

"Want me to answer that," Snow asked Emma.

Emma turned to look at Snow who was pulling some glasses from the cupboard.

"I've got it," Emma said trying not to sound nervous though she knew she was failing at it.

She took one final breath before finally opening the door. Neal stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey," Neal said nonchalantly.

"Thanks for coming," Emma said making room so Neal could enter the apartment.

"I'm just glad you called. I mean I know you said you would but I didn't want to get my hopes up."

Emma remained silent and looked at Snow who came around the counter, placed the glasses on the table and then stood next to Emma.

"Neal this is my mom Snow White….Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret stuck out her hand which Neal shook. "Nice to meet you Neal," she said to him.

"You too," he replied.

"Please," said Mary Margaret, "Make yourself comfortable."

Neal smiled at Mary Margaret. "Thank you." Neal looked around the apartment. "Where's your husband and…." He was about to say 'my son' but instead settled on, "Henry?"

Mary Margaret smiled. "David took Henry to the stables a few hours ago. They'll be back shortly."

Neal looked to Emma. "He rides?"

Emma looked at Neal and then at Mary Margaret and smiled. "What can I say, he's a charming kid."

Mary Margaret smiled at the little inside joke.

It wasn't hard for Neal to miss the pass between the two women. The look in Emma's eyes as she stared at her mother, it was one he had never seen before. Emma had loved him once, he had seen that look of love in her eyes, but this was different. For once, in what Neal had managed to gather from subtle attempts and pieces in the short time he had been here, Emma looked genuinely happy and content. She had finally found her family and now it was bringing out a side of her that he had always longed for.

Emma walked over to the dining table, opened a bottle of wine and poured it into the glasses that Mary Margaret had set out. She handed one to Neal and the other to Mary Margaret and then went to pour one for herself.

"So do you ride," Neal asked Emma.

Emma smiled and answered, "No, I haven't really had the time. Since we got back having three jobs has been a little too time consuming. I'm leaving the riding up to Henry and he likes it plus he gets to spend time with his grandpa so it's their thing for now."

"Back from where," Neal asked genuinely curious.

Emma took a breath. "That's a little complicated."

"Well I'm not going anywhere. I'd like to hear about it," Neal replied.

Emma took another breath and took a sip of her wine. She and Mary Margaret walked into the living room and Neal followed. Emma took a seat on the couch, Mary Margaret on the single love seat and Neal on the one adjacent to her and on Emma's right.

"I think we've talked enough about me for a while," said Emma. "Tell me about you. What have you been up to since…?" Emma froze.

"Since we separated," Neal said.

Emma looked at him. "That's putting it one way."

Emma had other words in mind but the evening was all ready getting awkward enough. It most likely would continue to do so but Emma wanted to keep the tension to a minimum.

Now it was Neal's turn to feel slightly uncomfortable. How much could he tell her without her getting angry? How much could he say without her blaming him? He wanted to tell her everything but he knew he had to choose his words carefully.

They were just getting started. He had to treat it as if they were just getting to know each other. He had to take things slow.

"I had a few odd jobs here and there for a while not long after I… left. I gave it all up, retired our Bonnie and Clyde act like we said we would."

Emma tensed at the memory. It was still very ingrained in her mind, every moment with Neal was. Like the car, they had not been something she could ever get rid of.

The memory in particular that Neal was talking about was the one where she and Neal had commandeered a motel room and Neal had talked about the two of them settling down and giving up their robbing convenient stores.

"It was only five years ago that I found something more permanent," Neal said continuing. "Got some help in expunging my record and that warrant that was out for my arrest first. After that I was able to find a job. Nothing big just a small job as an assistant accountant on Wall Street in Manhattan."

Emma could feel the air catch in her throat and Mary Margaret was very observant in noticing.

Emma's thoughts reeled in her mind: Neal had been in Manhattan, not that far from Boston, for five years. Since before moving to Storybrooke, Emma had lived in Boston for a little less than a year but still the idea, the knowledge that Neal had been so close was enough to make her head spin. She couldn't help but wonder if in the past ten year she may have had similar encounters. Had Neal been around all this time or had this been just a onetime thing? Emma wanted so much to believe it could've been a coincidence but in her newfound world the word 'coincidence' didn't even seem to be in her dictionary any longer.

She wanted to speak up, to say something but words were meaningless and they were few. All she could do was look at Neal and wonder.

Not long after Emma jumped at the sound of keys being jimmied in the door. Emma took a deep breath and stood up quickly. She walked over with Mary Margaret behind her. Neal stood up but he remained in the living room. Emma was grateful for the distraction however temporary it might be.

Quickly phasing and putting on a lighter smile, Emma was happy when she saw Henry and David walk into the apartment.