Once Upon A Time: The Devil's Journey, Part Twenty-One

By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki

(Again, there is some sort of spacing issue when I save my files to FF so if there are words run together, it's not me... FF did it. I swear I edited this.)

Mr. Gold got out of the car as Emma and Henry got out as well. " Lock the doors, " Mr. Gold said as he locked his own.

" I had every intention, " Emma said flatly. She reached down and emphasized the action first on her door then on Henry's. She then closed the doors and walked around to the trunk.

Mr. Gold walked to her, using his key to open the trunk. As soon as the hatch was open, Emma grabbed Henry's bag and handed it to the child. She then grabbed her two bags, frowning when she noticed there was a suitcase besides the garment bag. " You had more stuff? " She looked at him.

Mr. Gold reached in and grabbed the garment bag, " Did you think everything I wanted to take was just in this? "

" Will you be alright carrying all that or do you want me to... " Emma started as she slipped the strap of her knapsack over her shoulder.

" I'll be fine, " Mr. Gold cut her off. He flicked his eyes towards her stomach before returning them to her face, " You have enough of a load of your own. "

Emma took a step back, looking down at the ground. " True, " She muttered.

Mr. Gold looked at Henry, " You can do me one little favor though. "

Henry hesitated, " W-what's that? "

Mr. Gold held out the garment bag to Henry, " Place this over my arm once I get the suitcase then close the trunk for me. "

Henry relaxed a little, " Oh. Okay. "

It made Mr. Gold a little sad that the child still seemed scared of him in spite of the things he had done to help him and his family. He handed him the bag then picked up his suitcase, nodding for Henry to drape the bag over his left arm. Once he did, he took a step back from the car, the child closing the trunk. He nodded, " Good. Now, let's go. "

Emma looked down the row of spaces, " We drove a long way. Do you want to wait here and I'll have the shuttle driver come get you? "

" I can walk just fine, Miss Swan, " Mr. Gold said, regretting being so formal almost immediately when Emma gave him a hurt look. He couldn't bear to look at her so he cast his eyes to his right leg, " I'll just be a little slow. "

" Fine, " Emma said quietly. " Come on, Henry. "

They began to walk, Mr. Gold watching as the numbers on the parking spots became lower. A little less than halfway down, his right leg began to hurt. It was dull at firstbut each step made the pain build. The weight of the garment bag and suitcase also seemed to increase, his left arm getting sore from them.

He kept glancing up, dismayed that Emma and Henry were getting further and further away. He started to look down at the ground when he caught Emma turning to glance over her shoulder. She reached over to Henry, stopping the child before they walked back to him. " Are you okay? " She asked, Henry silent.

Mr. Gold nodded though he wasn't. The sustained activity was much different from walking around Storybrooke. At least there he could stop and rest when he needed to. " I'm fine, " He replied, his slightly labored breathing giving him away.

It had taken a lot for him to try to keep up with Emma and Henry. He had also been feeling strange since leaving Storybrooke, a feeling that had come over him not long after passing the town line. He blamed it on being trapped in the town for so long and the anxiety he felt over facing Baelfire after the way they had parted. He wasn't going to tell Emma but the thought of seeing his son after so long left him a little more than nervous.

He couldn't even start to imagine what his son felt towards him or if he would even speak to him at all. He had every right to feel angry since he chose his power over being with his own child. It had been the only deal he had ever broken and regretted it every day. He hoped the fact he had spent so long looking for him would make Baelfire realize he really did love him and forgive him for being such a fool.

" No, " Emma said firmly as she reached for his bag. " You're not. Give one of those to Henry and I'll carry something. "

" I said I am fine! " He said sharply as he took a step back to keep her from taking his things. His heel caught on the asphalt and sent him falling backward. Emma dropped her bags and darted forward, catching his under the arms. His bad leg went out from under him, his cane clattering to the ground as he fell again.

Emma eased him down, unable to lift him from the awkward position he was in. He could feel her shaking a little as she held him and said, " Happy now? See what your stubbornness has done? "

He stayed silent, fixing his eyes on the ground and feeling like a scolded child. Henry moved to his side and moved his bags out the way, Mr. Gold looking at him. Henry looked frightened by what had happened but said nothing. Finally, Mr. Gold looked back down at the ground as he muttered, " Help me up. "

Emma snorted, " You're going to have to make an effort too. I can't handle doing it by myself. It might hurt the babies or myself... Not that you care. "

Mr. Gold snapped his head up and frowned. He knew he couldn't respond to her words and assure her he did care for the children she carried... Their children. If only they had been alone, he could have told her how he really felt but he knew he couldn't.

It would have been a terrible way for Henry to find out the truth. It was Emma's place to tell it to him and no one else, not even his. He knew if Henry heard it from anyonebut Emma, he would be confused and probably not believe it. He wouldn't understand how it happened considering the sides they were supposedly on.

He was The Dark One and his mother The Savior. The Destroyer and the Restorer, darkness and light. It would not make sense to Henry at all. Emma would have to do her best to explain it though once he knew the truth and he was willing to help her... If she let him do so.

He didn't know how likely that was though, not the way she had acted towards him. He sensed she was only dealing with him because she had to hold up her end of the deal. She seemed like she was trying to distance herself from him as much as she could, first in the car and then in the parking lot.

" I'll help, mom, " Henry's voice drew Mr. Gold's attention to him. He looked at Emma after hearing Henry's offer, wanting to see what she would do.

She looked at him like she was going to tell him not to then sighed, probably deciding he would have to help if she didn't want to get hurt. " Thanks. Get under his left arm and I'll get under his right. "

Henry nodded as Emma slid her arms from him. Her scent clung to him as she stepped back, letting Henry get under his left side. She then moved to get under his right arm, slipping it around her shoulders. She looked at him, their eyes locking as she did.

They stared at each other for a long moment, her hurt and anger clear in her eyes. " Now what, mom? " Henry asked, making her break the contact before he could do anything with it. He wanted to whisper some tiny nugget of assurance to herbut it wasn't possible.

" On three, " Emma's voice trembled like the gaze had left her unsettled. " One... Two... "

" Three, " Henry said with her as they slowly lifted Mr. Gold back to his feet. Once he was on them, he reached out to the trunk of a nearby car and leaned on it to catch his breath. He watched as Emma and Henry gathered up his things, Emma picking up his cane and offering it to him.

He reached for it, his gloved fingers brushing against her own gloved hand as their eyes made contact again. ~Emma, please... ~ He started.

Emma jerked her hand away like his touch caused her pain then turned back to her bags. She picked them up as Henry gathered his. The child also picked up the suitcase as Emma got the garment bag.

" Let's go, " Emma said once they had everything. She sounded like she was trying to keep her voice from shakingbut Mr. Gold detected it. With some regret, he also noticed the fact her eyes had become a little moist, like she was going to cry again. " The shuttle's probably waiting on us by now. "

" Most likely, " Mr. Gold said quietly and followed as they started walking...

Baelfire and Neal made their way through the cave as carefully as they could. Wendy had told them she and her brothers were going to escape at a certain time that was fast approaching. There was still no sign of Christine but Baelfire knew Neal would search until he found her. He was starting to wonder if Peter had found out they were coming for her and moved her elsewhere without Wendy's knowledge.

" I don't think she's here, " Baelfire said but Neal silenced him by lifting the lantern.

" Shh, " Neal said. " Do you hear that? "

" Hear... " Baelfire startedbut Neal stopped him again. He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped when he heard the sound of someone quietly sobbing. The faint sound echoed in the air around them though, confusing Baelfire's sense of where it came from.

" That, " Neal whispered. " Is my sister. "

Baelfire waited as Neal let his hand fall away, " But where is it coming from? "

Neal pointed towards a corridor to their left with his sword, " That way. "

" How do you know? It's echoing too much for me to tell, " Baelfire replied. " And it's so quiet. "

Neal pointed to his left ear with the tip of his sword, " You could say I have a bit of a super power. I can hear really well. Now, come on. We haven't got much time to waste. "

Baelfire nodded then followed Neal in the direction he said Christine's sobs were coming from. A few long moments later, they found the end of the tunnel. Neal held the lantern up, illuminating it all the way to the back to reveal Christine. She was curled up against the wall, her face in her hands.

She looked dirty and disheveled, her dress torn. Baelfire wondered if the pirates had done something to her, silently hoping they hadn't as he remembered all the things he thought had happened to his stepmother. The light made her lift her headand she peered through the dim light before gasping, " Neal? Bae? "

" Yeah, " Neal moved forward but Baelfire stopped him. He turned to glare at him, " What? "

" There's a trap, " Baelfire replied. He could see a shimmering thread in the dim light, almost invisible. He looked on the floor, finding a rather large rock and tossed it at the thread. It snapped, a large net emerging from the dirt and shooting up towards the ceiling almost instantly.

Neal looked at him and scoffed, " See anything else, eagle eyes? "

Baelfire looked around, " No. I think we're safe now. "

Neal and Baelfire moved forward, Christine moving to show she was bound at the ankles and wrists with rope. " I can get that, " Neal said as he knelt. He carefully used his sword to cut the ropes and helped her to her feet.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble of thunder that shook the cave. Baelfire, Neal and Christine looked at each other. " Do you think it's the curse? "

Neal shook his head, " Nah but it might be close. We need to move. "

" Curse? " Christine questioned.

" We'll explain later, " Neal seized her hand. " We just need to get out of here. "

They dashed through the cave, following markings that Baelfire had made with his arrow so they could find their way out. They finally ended up at the front of the cave, taking a moment to catch their breath. Neal let go of Christine's hand as he gasped, " We better not waste any more time. We need to get out of here. "

Baelfire watched as Neal fished the sachet of pixie dust from his shirt. He still wasn't certain about using itbut he couldn't help thinking of Neal's words from earlier in the night. The curse that was coming could either kill them or take him right back to his father. He wanted neither thing to happenbut he still didn't like the idea of using magic.

Neal opened the bag and looked at Baelfire, " Do you remember how this stuff works? "

Baelfire frowned as he tried to recall what Wendy had said. He nodded, " Yeah. You sprinkle it on and think about things that make you happy. "

" Sounds easy enough, " Neal got out a pinch and sprinkled it on Christine first. He then sprinkled it on himself before pouring the last into his hand for Baelfire. " Ready? "

Baelfire took a step back, " Can I have another minute to think about this? "

" We've wasted enough time already, " Neal said, getting cut off by another hard tremor that rocked the island. Neal looked at Baelfire then blew the dust into his face. " We have to get out of here! "

" Neal! " Baelfire gasped as he felt the magic rush over him, settling into his veins. He dropped his bow and arrow before rubbing at his face, trying to rub the dust off.

Neal threw down his sword and the lantern before he grabbed Baelfire's hand, " Don't wipe it off! Think of something happy. Anything so we can get out of here. You too, Christine. "

Baelfire watched as they closed their eyes and started to rise from the ground. He decided to give it a trybut he really couldn't think of anything. " Hurry, Bae! " Christine said as she started to rise up out of his reach.

" I can't! " Baelfire said as Neal stopped rising because of his hold on his hand. " My life sucked! "

" There has to be something! " Neal shouted as he held onto Baelfire. " Come on! "

Baelfire dug back through his memories, going to oldest ones he had. A picture came to his mind finally, one of his grannies playing with him and smiling, the old ladies full of love for him. He could feel himself rising from the ground, gasping when Christine grabbed his right hand. He opened his eyes, " It's working! "

" Yeah, " Neal said. He looked up through the fog that surrounded the island. " We need to break through this stuff and head for the star and fast. "

Christine nodded, " Let's go. "

The three of them traveled upward, the fog getting thinner until the clear night sky was visible. Neal paused for a moment, looking for the star. " There, " He pointed.

Baelfire looked, seeing three figures nearing it. He couldn't see who it wasbut he didn't need to. He knew it was Wendy and her brothers. " We better hurryor we won't catch up to The Darlings. "

Neal tightened his grip and pulled Baelfire along. Christine held tight to Baelfire as they sped up, reaching the star just as The Darlings did. Wendy looked to see who was coming and gasped, " You made it! "

" We did, " Neal nodded. " I told you we would. "

Suddenly, there was a dull thud and Christine cried out, Baelfire looked to see why. An arrow stuck out from her right shoulder, blood starting to stain her dress. He frantically looked to see where the arrow had come from to see Peter and The Lost Boys rushing towards them. " You aren't going anywhere! " Peter shouted as one of the twins nocked another arrow.

Christine started to fall, the pain keeping her from flying. She looked at Baelfire, " Let me go so you can leave. "

" No! " Neal shouted. He looked at Wendy, " Get your brothers out of here! "

Wendy frowned, " What about you? "

" We'll be right behind you! " Neal said. Another hard rumble vibrated in the air around themand Neal looked at Wendy before shoving her towards the portal. Wendy screamed as it pulled her and her brothers in, taking them through.

Another arrow zinged towards them, narrowly missing Baelfire's shoulder. Neal looked at him, " Hang on to Christine. We're going through. "

Baelfire noddedbut her weight was pulling them back. He struggled to hold on to herbut it was no use, Christine feeling heavier and heavier. He could feel her grip slipping from his as they moved forward. He looked back to find Peter had latched on to her and was pulling her in the opposite direction.

" Let me go! " Christine cried. " We'll all be trapped if you don't! "

" Don't let her go, Bae! " Neal said as he reached for the portal. " It'll suck us in if we barely touch it. Just one more... "

Baelfire cried out when another arrow found its mark, piercing his shoulder and forcing him to let go of Christine's hand as Neal touched the portal...

Emma approached the ticket counter of the cheapest airline she knew of, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand. The incident at the parking lot had shaken her more than she wanted to let on. She had tried to convince herself that she could be with Mr. Gold and not have feelings for himbut it had all crumbled when she broke his fall. Touching him, though it was to help, make her realize just how painful it was going to be for her to be so close to him.

Every time she looked at him, she thought of how she had lost him and knew it was her fault because of her ultimatum. It was another in a long line of failures that paved the road of her life, a testament to her inability to hold onto anything important for too long. She thought she had gotten past thatbut it seemed she had not. Now, she had to be with Mr. Gold until they found his son and she knew she would be in agony.

It really wasn't helping that Mr. Gold was sticking close to her, his scent making her aware of his proximity. It seemed he did not want to get too close to the other people in the crowded terminal. It was quite busy, something Emma had anticipated but he had apparently not. She then reminded herself that he had probably not seen so many people in one place in a very long time.

The man at the ticket counter looked up as they approached and he smiled. He was an older gentleman with short gray hair that looked rather distinguished in his airline uniform. " Hello. Can I help you? "

Emma took a deep breath and put on a brave face, the mask she was so used to wearing when she was falling apart inside. She nodded, " Yeah. I need three tickets for New York. "

The ticket agent nodded and started typing on his keyboard. He typed some more as stared down at his screen for a few moments then said, " You're in luck. I have three seats left on the flight boarding in half an hour. "

" We'll take them, " Emma leaned on the counter. " Two adults and one child. Disabled seating if you have it. "

" For the gentleman? " The ticket agent glanced at Mr. Gold.

" What? " Mr. Gold said sharply as he moved forward, his arm brushing against Emma's. " What do you mean disabled? "

" No. Not for him, " Emma said quickly as she nudged Mr. Gold with her elbow to silence him. He hated to be called 'disabled', something she had picked up on long ago. She smiled as she kept her eyes on the ticket agent, " For myself. I'm three months and a half months pregnant. "

" Oh, " The agent looked down. " You'll be able to get on ahead of the other passengers if that's the case. We don't have assigned seatsbut you will get your choice. "

" Thank you, " Emma said. " We also have carry-on bags so we're not checking anything. "

" I see, " The agent said. He typed on the keyboard again, " The total will be seven-eighty with taxes. "

Emma looked at Mr. Gold to find he was shocked, " Seven hundred and eighty dollars? " He blinked.

" Yes sir, " The agent hesitated. " The price would have been lower if you booked in advance or taken a much later flight. "

Mr. Gold gave Emma a sideways lookand she frowned, " Just pay the man. "

Mr. Gold glared at her as he got his wallet out. He held it well below the counter in a way where he could only see it. Once he had the money counted out, he placed it in front of the ticket agent. He watched as he gathered the bills and counted them for himself before ringing up the transaction.

The agent then reached under the counter and pulled out the tickets from where they had printed. He handed them to Emma, " Thank you for flying with us today. "

" No problem, " Emma muttered. She handed Henry his ticket but left Mr. Gold's on the counter for him to pick up. She needed to get away from the lines and find the flight board to see which way she needed to go next. Mr. Gold caught up to her as she looked at the list of flights and gates.

" Which way now? " He asked. " This place is like a maze. "

Emma looked past him towards the security station. They would have to pass through there before they could get to the gates. She pointed, " Over there. "

Mr. Gold looked at the long line of people waiting to pass through the metal detectors, " Another line? " He didn't seem to like lines very much. People would move out of his way in Storybrookebut they wouldn't here. He was just another person and no one would care.

" Welcome to the real world, " Emma sighed. She set her bags down and started to unbutton her coat, nodding to Henry to do the same. " We need to unbutton our coats, Gold. "

" Why? " Mr. Gold frowned.

" Because we're going to get searched, " Emma said.

" For what? " Mr. Gold still did not unbutton his coat.

Emma frowned. She really did not want to explain it any more than she had wanted to in the car, " For safety reasons. Look, everything should be fine... Unless you're carrying any weapons. "

" Don't be ridiculous, " Mr. Gold scoffed. He motioned to his cane, " I have all I need right here. "

" Then we should be fine, " Emma said. " Now, unbutton you coat unless you want to hold up the line over there. "

Mr. Gold glared at her as he unbuttoned his coat with his left hand, " Fine. "

Emma watched as he finished, " Ready? "

" Yes, " He said flatly.

" Then let's go, " Henry said. " I can't wait to get on the plane. "

Emma rolled her eyes and walked past Mr. Gold as she followed Henry. She tried to be patient with him, knowing he had never been in the outside worldbut it made her feel like she was with two children instead of one child. She was at least thankful that Henry seemed to be more accepting and not questioning her so much. They reached the line, stopping to wait.

" You get in front of me, " Emma glanced at him. " I think it would be better. "

Mr. Gold moved behind Henry without question, something she was thankful for. She glanced down at her ticket to make sure they were in the right line when Henry turned to Mr. Gold. " Have you ever been outside of Storybrooke before, Mr. Gold? "

" No, " He said as the line slowly crept forward.

Emma frowned as Henry cocked his head to the side, getting a curious look on his face as he asked, " Are you nervous? "

" No, " Mr. Gold said though Emma could tell he really was. It was becoming clear in his body languageand the tones he used when he spoke, even his breathing. It also seemed he was getting more agitated by Henry's questions.

" Are you worried about meeting your son? " Henry continued, oblivious to the things Emma had picked up on. She could almost feel his anxiety, wondering if it was because of their connection or because she knew him too well. She was starting to feel bad for him, knowing what it was like to have so many things eating away at him at once.

" No, Henry. I'm fine, " He said sharply.

" How about we talk about all this later, kid? " Emma piped up. She knew Henry could be relentless in his questioning. She also knew that Mr. Gold was not going to be very receptive to it at that moment. She pointed to the security station with her ticket, " We're next. "

Henry turned to face it, grabbing a bin for his things, " It must be really hard not to use magic... Being like everyone else. "

Mr. Gold did not answer as Henry got ready to go through the metal detector. Emma knew he didn't have an answer to the child's observationbut it wasn't the time to worry about it. He lookedaround and Emma knew he wasn't sure what to do next. " You take off your coat now and put your shoes in the bin too, " She said quietly.

He turned to her, looking aghast at the thought. " How terribly uncivilized, " He said.

Emma shrugged out of her coat and scarf, waiting for him to do the same. She kept a close eye on him as she unzipped her boots to make sure he did not fall when he took his shoes off. He placed them in the bin she had gotten for their things, the security guard stepping forward as Mr. Gold moved to the metal detector. " Uh... Scarf and cane go in the basket. "

She stood up to see Mr. Gold was staring at the security guard like he had been asked to do something horrible, " What? "

" Scarf and cane go in the basket, " The guard repeated as Emma placed her boots in the bin. She felt a cold wave of panic wash over her, knowing he couldn't take off his scarf or he would probably forget himself.

He turned to her, panic and fear filling his eyes. " I can't. "

" You have to, " Emma whispered. She knew it was a big riskbut she also knew they wouldn't be able to get on the plane if he didn't.

" It ain't rocket science, buddy, " The man that stood behind Emma piped up. He was a dark haired man in a suit. He was most likely some sort ofbusiness man who was in a hurry. " Haven't you ever been on a plane before? "

Mr. Gold took a step forward, the comment seeming to be the last straw for him. He lifted his cane, " Have you ever been impaled upon a cane before? "

Emma grabbed his arm, keeping him from moving any further forward as the man took a step towards them. The last thing she needed was for him to cause a problem in the airport. She couldn't help him if he got in trouble with the federal police for whatever they could try to charge him with. She forced the cane towards the bin as she looked at the business man, " My... Father's really nervous. We're heading for a family reunion... Sorry. "

Emma urged Mr. Gold towards the metal detector after her lame apology, wanting to get him though as quickly as possible. He looked at her, frowning, " Your father? " He questioned.

Emma got right in his face, " Just put your shawl in the bin. I'll help you get through. "

Mr. Gold motioned to the shawl, " If I let this of, I could forget who I am. "

Emma looked into his eyes though it hurt, " I'm not going to let that happen. "

He stared back, looking more scared than she had ever seen him. Until that moment, she didn't know he could even be afraid of anything. He shook slightly as he removed it and his blazer quickly. He hesitated, shaking his head like he suddenly felt ill then placed the things in the bin.

He moved towards the metal detector, swaying like he was going to lose his balance. Emma wasn't sure if it was because of his bad leg or something else. She reached for him as he started to fall, keeping him on his feet until he regained his balance. He took a deep breath as he walked to the metal detector, putting his hands out to grab onto whatever he could for support.

He passed through, Emma darting right behind him and snatching the shawl from the bin. She threw it around his shoulders. Her heart was in her throat with fear, keeping her from speaking. Mr. Gold nodded, instantly knowing what she was going to ask.

She let out the breath she had been holding and handed him his cane and blazer before getting her things. " Guys! " Henry sounded excited over something. Emma looked up to see him pointing off into the distance, " There's a Cinnabuns here! "

Emma rolled her eyes and smiled at Henry's innocence. He had been completely unaware of the danger they had just been inand she was grateful. She finished putting her boots back on as Mr. Gold got his shoes. She zipped her boots, keeping an eye on him.

When she stood back up, she found he was staring at her intently though he still seemed shaken by what had just happened. " What? "

" Never EVER call me your father again, " He said under his breath so no one else could hear.

" Henry was right there and I had to think fast, " She replied just as quietly as she quickly slipped back into her coat and scarf. " Sorry. "

" You really haven't told him, have you? " He asked as he got his bags while she picked up her own.

Emma needed no clarification about what he meant. She narrowed her eyes, " I haven't but I guess it's fair to guess you haven't told Belle either. Have you? "

He frowned, " Emma... "

She walked away, not wanting to discuss it any further. " Come on. We have to go get Henry before he spends his entire allowance on cinnamon rolls. "

She moved through the crowd, careful not to walk too fast. As she neared the Cinnabuns stand, she could see Henry had finished his purchase. He held a bag at his side, too big for just one of the sickeningly sweet pastries. They had been her favorite comfort food when she lived in Boston, keeping her warm on many a cold night and wasn't surprised her son was fond of them as well.

She frowned when she neared him, " Really Henry? "

Henry looked up a her, " What? "

" How many did you get? " Emma motioned to the bag.

" Three, " Henry held it up. " One for me, one for you and one for Mr. Gold. "

Emma blinked, " Oh. "

" You're-You're not mad, are you? " Henry lowered the bag.

" No, " Emma sighed. " I'm not. Just tired. Let's go to the gate now, okay? "

" Okay, " Henry said as Emma put her right arm around him. She looked around, seeing the gate they needed wasn't that much further. " So... Where do we go? "

" Right down there, " Emma said. She led them to the gate, motioning to the row of plastic chair. " You wait hereand I'll get us checked in. "

Henry held out his ticket to Emmaand she took it before she walked to Mr. Gold. He looked at her, " What? "

" I need your ticket so we can check in and get our boarding passes, " Emma reached for it.

Mr. Gold handed it to her, " I see. "

Emma turned on her heel and walked to the counter by the gate. The boarding agent looked and smiled. She was a red-headed woman probably a little younger than Emma. " Checking in? "

Emma nodded as she handed her the tickets, " Yes Three. "

The boarding agent looked at the tickets, " One disabled. Will the gentleman be needing a wheelchair to get on the plane or can he walk? "

Emma frowned, " The ticket is for me. I'm three and a half months pregnant. "

" And have you been cleared by your doctor for travel? " The boarding agent asked.

Emma nodded, " He said I'm fine to travel. "

The boarding agent glanced towards Mr. Gold and Henry as she typed some information in her terminal. " You have a handsome son. "

" Thanks, " Emma said.

The agent was silent before glancing at Mr. Gold again then motioning to Emma's right hand ring finger, " I noticed your ring. Is your husband European? I hear they wear their rings that way. "

Emma forced a chuckle and dropped her hand below the counter, " He's not my husband. He's... He's just a friend. "

" Oh, " The boarding agent looked embarrassed. " I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. "

" It's okay, " Emma silently hoped the agent would be finished soon. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard an unseen printer from under the counter. She reached down and got the boarding passes, handing them to Emma. " Thanks. "

" Have a good flight, " The agent said as Emma walked away.

She walked back to Henry and Mr. Gold, " I'll hold onto these. It will just make it faster if I do. "

" Whatever you think is best, " Mr. Gold said as she sat down.

Emma watched as he paced back and forth, his nervousness still high. It concerned herbut she just did not know what to do about it since she didn't know what was bothering him. He was starting to make her uncomfortable so she tried to think of a way to stop him. " Want something to eat? Henry... "

" No, " He cut her off before she could finish.

" Is something wrong? " Emma knew there were a whole lot of somethings wrong but she decided to ask anyway. Perhaps it was something he could talk about in front of Henry though she doubted it. She wasn't even sure he would talk about it if they were alone.

" Stop asking me that! " Mr. Gold said sharply. Emma looked up at him and frowned. She had been asking him all day if he was alright it was the first time she had asked if something was wrong.

Try as she might to fight it, she was becoming increasingly concerned for him. She wanted to be cold and unfeeling towards himbut it was virtually impossible. They had packed a lot of history into the time they had known each other, most of it hard to forget. Hard as it was to admit, she had feelings for him though it seemed his for her looked like they had changed.

He instantly looked sorry for snapping at her and looked away, " I'll be right back. "

Emma watched as he walked away, heading towards a restroom that was close by. She glanced at Henryand the child looked back at her. " So... What happened last night? " He asked.

Emma furrowed her brow, " We told you. "

" You gave me the easy version, " Henry said. " You said Captain Hook hurt someone Mr. Gold loves. "

Emma sighed, " Yeah. He hurt Belle. He... "

" Mr. Gold was with Belle last night? " Henry cut Emma off. " This is great! "

Emma frowned, " How do you figure? '

" Remember? " Henry leaned closer. " My plan? "

Emma blinked then recalled what Henry meant. He wanted to get Mr. Gold to fall in love with Belle again so she could break his curse. " Oh yeah. But Henry, there's a problem with that. "

" What's the problem? " Henry furrowed his brow.

Emma sighed, " When Hook hurt Belle, she fell over the town line. She's just like Sneezy. "

Henry blinked, " She lost her memory? "

Emma nodded, " Yeah. "

Henry thought it over then snapped his fingers, " Then we can get her to fall in love with Mr. Gold all over again. When they kiss, his curse will be broken and she'll remember who she is. "

Emma shook her head, " It's just not that simple Henry. "

The overhead speaker crackled to life, " Now pre-boarding flight 53. Everyone with pre-boarding passes please line up now. "

Emma looked at Henry, " Go get Gold. We have to get on the plane. "

" Right, " Henry got up and skittered off to the bathroom. Emma collected their things and walked to the gate. A few moments later, Henry returned with Mr. Gold. Emma looked at him, frowning when she saw the child looking frightened again.

" What's wrong? " Emma whispered.

" Look at Mr. Gold's right hand, " Henry whispered.

Emma turned to him and frowned when she looked down to find he had it covered with his left. She could see the edge of a wet paper towel peeking out from beneath it, her stomach dropping when she saw blood. She moved closer to him, leaning into his ear. " What happened to you hand? "

Mr. Gold took a step back, " I fell. It's nothing. "

Emma frowned, " Why didn't you heal yourself? "

He turned away slightly before muttering, " I don't have magic here. "

" Oh crap, " Emma whispered. " So... "

" So I'm just like everyone else, " He replied. He looked into her eyes, " And so are you. "