25

What You Mean to Me

Bae unpacked one last box, staring down at the katana wrapped in cotton batting, to protect it while it was shipped over here via Fed Ex. He'd fought in a lot of tournaments with that sword, it had been a gift to him from his adopted father, Neal Cassidy. His hands traced the blade and he thought of how far he'd come since then. Then his whole life had been winning tournaments and making enough money to open his own martial arts studio. Now it appeared his life was taking a new turn, and he was not just martial arts instructor, but dad. And perhaps, if he could talk Emma into it—husband as well.

He patted the blade and gently closed the box on it and his velvet drawstring pouch of shuriken. His sai—twin daggers, were in yet another case, next to his composite bow and quiver of metal tipped arrows. He knew how to use all the weapons he hung up on the walls of his dojo, though he was best at using the blades and the shuriken, less so with the bow. He could shoot pretty well, but that wasn't his weapon of choice half the time.

He thought of Emma, his wild swan, the woman he had loved and thought lost forever. Now she was found again, along with their son. But he had to fight to keep Henry, and perhaps Emma too. Then again, he was accustomed to that. Nothing in his life had ever been easy. Holding on to his son and the woman he loved wouldn't be either. But he would never give up, never stop fighting, for to surrender was to die a quick death of the spirit, and that he had never done, not even when he was Cora's page.

He picked up his jacket and shrugged into it, deciding to meet Emma down at the station and see if she'd like to have dinner somewhere. First he would talk to her about what his father and he had discussed, and see if she had any suggestions about trying to get custody of Henry. He hoped she would see the merits in them getting back together—not just for Henry's sake, but for their own.

As he locked up, he whistled an old tune by Journey, one of his favorite bands, Send Her My Love. Then he pocketed his keys and started his Harley. The bike was great for traveling around a city as congested as Phoenix, and excellent on gas, but maybe he ought to look into getting a car now. Then he wouldn't have to worry about picking up Henry and driving around Storybrooke was a lot different than traffic in Phoenix.

Page~*~*~*~Break

Emma was just heading out to her Bug, when Bae drove up to the station. "Hey," she called, her heart doing a funny leap when she saw him. "Any damage on your end from the storm?"

"Not really, at least none to the building. There were a lot of downed wires and tree branches though," he said, killing his engine, and resting his helmet on the handlebars.

"There's been a lot of that all over town," she acknowledged, rubbing her eyes.

"You look beat, Em. What do you say to getting some food and just hanging out at my place?" he offered.

"I wouldn't mind that," she said. "But I'd like to get changed out of these clothes first. How about you come over to . . . uh . . . Mary Margaret's place with me. You can meet her and . . . umm . . . talk while we wait."

"Sure, why not?" he said. "I mean, I ought to meet your mom, right?"

Emma started. "You know . . . about that?"

"Henry told me about how everyone's related here. So, yeah, I know she's Snow White and your mom, and her husband's Charming, and your dad. But here, they're Mary Margaret and David Nolan and they don't remember who they are, like everybody in this town. Except for my father, Belle, and Alice. Must make for some awkward family reunions, huh?"

"Kind of. But I never knew them as my parents until now, so . . . well, it's complicated, Bae."

"Mmm . . . yeah, I can see that. So I'll just play it by ear. Oh, and I go by Neal to anybody outside my family or you. It's how I registered my dojo here with the town council. So don't be surprised when I introduce myself as Neal Cassidy, okay, hon?"

"Sure, Mr. Bond," she joked.

"Hey, I thought I was Obi-Wan."

"You're both. Like your dad's Rumple and Master Yoda," she smirked.

Bae started laughing. "You called him Master Yoda? To his face?"

"Uh, yeah. But if you start calling me Leia, we're going to have problems, buddy."

"How come? You're technically a princess."

"Yeah, but this princess doesn't need to be rescued. This princess does the rescuing, big guy."

"Got it, babe. And I like a woman who can take care of herself," Bae grinned. "Just remember, you don't have to do everything alone. I'm here whenever you need me."

Emma blushed. "Umm . . . right. Okay. So . . . let's go back to Mary Margaret's." She unlocked her Bug and got into it. "Follow me."

"Anytime, wild swan," he said, and put on his helmet.

Page~*~*~*~*~*~Break

Bae followed Emma to Mary Margaret's apartment, memorizing the way as he did so. He allowed her to lead the way into the small two bedroom apartment, calling hello to the schoolteacher as she did so.

"Mary Margaret, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Emma called.

Mary Margaret turned to see her roommate and a tall man enter the room. "Wow, Emma! You never told me about him!" she exclaimed. She came forward and held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard. I . . . umm . . . teach at Storybrooke Elementary."

"Hi. Neal Cassidy," Bae shook her hand. "I'm a martial arts instructor. I've just moved here and will be opening up my dojo in a few weeks."

"You . . . teach too? Like self defense and that sort of thing?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Self-defense for both kids and women. Anyone who wants to learn, really," Bae said.

"Neat! Maybe I'll sign up for a class," the teacher said eagerly. "How about you, Emma?"

"I've already done that. Sort of," Emma said. "I . . . uh . . . will be right back, Neal." She walked across the living room and into her bedroom.

Mary Margaret invited Bae to sit down at their tiny kitchen table. "So . . . how long have you known Emma?"

"Oh, we've met before. A long time ago, in Phoenix," he answered. "In a way, she's why I'm here now."

"You're . . . reconnecting?" Mary Margaret queried, thinking if she found an old flame like Neal back in town she'd be all over him. Instead she had David . . . who didn't know if he ought to love her or Kathryn.

"Yeah, you could say that," Bae chuckled. "Reconnecting. I like that. I'll put your name down for my first self-defense class, Mary Margaret. It ought to be an interesting one."

"I'll say. I'll ask Ruby, she's a waitress down at the diner, and Ashley, she might be able to, if she can find someone to babysit, join me."

"You could see if Alina's available, Mary Margaret," suggested Emma, returning dressed in jeans and Bae's Fire Mountain sweatshirt.

"Right. If Gold allows her to work on a school night," the teacher reminded. "How long are these classes?"

"About an hour and a half," Bae answered. "At least for beginners. The more advanced classes are two and half hours. And I'm sure Mr. Gold wouldn't mind . . ." then he trailed off.

"You know Mr. Gold too?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yeah, but not like Emma. I'm renting the building from him," Bae said quickly. "We . . . uh . . . talked a bit and he told me about his little girl."

Mary Margaret smiled. "He adores her. I think he'd give her the moon on a silver platter. I think it's so refreshing to see such a loving relationship between a parent and child these days."

"Unlike the one between Henry and Mayor Mills," Emma said quietly.

Bae raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . . why don't we get something to eat, Emma?"

"Fine with me. What do you feel in the mood for, Neal?"

"I don't know. How about . . . a hamburger and fries?"

"Granny's has the best ones," Emma said.

"Then that's where we'll go," Bae said, rising.

"Don't wait up for me, Mary Margaret," Emma said, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Have a good time," her roommate said. Then she looked at Emma's shirt and back at Baelfire. "Is that . . . the name of your dojo?"

"It is," Bae affirmed.

"He gave me his shirt," Emma explained. "I . . . uh . . . got caught in the rain and . . . umm . . ."

"I understand," Mary Margaret said, smirking. "Like I said, Emma, have a good time."

"Sure I will," she said, managing to keep from flushing slightly. Then she thought, you have no idea, Mary Margaret.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

"This is one of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten," Emma said, biting again into the juicy combination of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, and ketchup.

"Better than one of mine?" Bae inquired, eating his own.

"I said 'one' of," Emma corrected. "You've got that thing with the onions and spices down cold."

"And the Thousand Island. And the grill, can't forget that," he teased, dunking a fry in ketchup and devouring it.

"Yeah, Obi Wan. You are the grill master," Emma smirked. "You're like fire's best friend."

"Only sometimes," Bae chuckled. "Not when I was a kid. I got in serious trouble once for starting a fire."

"You played with matches?" Emma snickered.

"In a manner of speaking. I was very stupid. I made a bet with another kid that I could . . . uh . . . call up a djinn from an old lamp we found by lighting a fire under it. Not only didn't we do that, we almost burned down the forest."

"Oh my God! How old were you?"

"Eight. Old enough to know better. We almost barbecued half the village. And once my father found out, he nearly roasted me."

"He . . . punished you with magic?"

Bae snorted. "Hell, no! He had none back then, and even if he had, he'd never have used it on me. That was the one time he ever raised a hand to me. Gave me the worst spanking of my life. I never played with fire again, I'll tell you."

"Sounds like you were a real hellraiser."

"Yeah, don't give me that, Swan. Like you were an angel."

"I didn't say that. But I was rather like Henry. I behaved until I saw a reason not to," Emma admitted.

"Speaking of Henry, Emma, we have to talk. But not here. At my place."

"You sound angry. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, but it's not something he did. It's something That Woman did," Bae answered, eating the rest of his fries.

Emma stiffened. "What'd she do?" she half-growled.

"Tell you later. Too many ears around here. Want some ice cream? Or hot cocoa?"

"I shouldn't. My waistline's growing."

"Not from what I can tell."

"Yeah, well, I don't burn off tons of calories like you. So I have to watch."

"I can show you a workout that'll make you quit worrying about what you eat forever, babe," he grinned provocatively. "Share a banana split with me?"

"Fine. You twisted my arm," she said, laughing.

Bae insisted on paying for dinner, and while he was settling the bill with Granny, Ruby stopped by their table and whispered to Emma, "Okay. Where've you been keeping him? Handcuffed to the bed?"

"Actually my closet," Emma joked. "I let him out for good behavior."

Ruby eyed the lean muscled martial arts instructor appreciatively. "You let me know if he's got brothers at home, okay? He's positively yummy."

"You're out of luck, Rubes. No brothers. But he's got a little sister," the sheriff said.

"Damn! Because he is one fine looking man, girlfriend," she sighed longingly. "Well, if you ever . . . get tired of him . . . give him my number."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, right. See you around, Ruby."

"What was that about?" Bae asked when he returned to the table.

"She wanted your phone number. I told her it was unavailable."

"It is. To anyone except family. And you, wild swan. Come on, let's go back to my place. Like I said, we need to talk. Among other things."

"I hear and obey, Master Obi Wan."

He rolled his eyes. "Cute, Swan. But I know better."

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

"So . . . what did you want to talk to me about?" Emma asked lazily, curled up in his arms, her fair hair drifting across the sheets and spilling onto his shoulder. "What did that witch do now?"

Bae told her about the castle and the book. "I've just about had it, Emma. I'm tired of her hurting him and then getting away with it because she's who she is in this town. I went through a similar kind of abuse with the Queen of Hearts, and I'll be damned if I'll let it happen to my kid. She's not his mother, I don't care what some piece of paper says. You are. And together we can give him what she never can. A real home and a family."

"How, Bae? I signed away all my rights to him when I put him up for adoption," Emma protested.

"Papa says that doesn't matter. You're still his birth mother. You can change your mind, especially under the circumstances. There's precedent—legal precedent. And there's me."

"You want to take Regina to court? You really think we can win?"

"Oh, yeah. I want to smear her pretty face in the mud. I want to kick her ass so bad she'll spend the rest of her days sitting on a damn pillow. But there's only one way I can do it right. I need your help, Emma. I need you to back me. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

Slowly, she nodded. "You're asking me to . . . get back together again. To . . . marry you."

"I was working my way up to that, but yeah. And it's not just because of Henry. I still love you, Emma. I never stopped. You mean . . . everything to me. I want . . . to wake up to you like this every morning. And fall asleep every night hearing you breathe in my ear. Back in Phoenix, I thought my life was complete. Only it wasn't. You weren't in it. There was this great gaping hole. And now it's gone. I came here because I wanted a family again. You, me, Henry. The way it should have been."

"I . . . want that too, Bae. I've always wanted it," she admitted. "Only . . . are you sure about this? That you're not marrying me because you're Henry's dad?"

He cupped her face in his hands. "Sweetheart, I'm marrying you for that and because the God's honest truth is I can't stand to be without you. Yes, I love my son. But I loved you first, Emma Swan. You captured me when I first saw you standing there with that damn crow bar, trying to steal my car."

"There was no try about it, Obi Wan. I did steal it," she said, kissing him fiercely.

"Mmm . . . and you stole my heart while you were at it," he murmured huskily.

"Best heist I ever pulled off," she smirked, her blue eyes dancing. "You sure we can do this? I'm not just talking about getting Henry. I'm talking about raising him. I don't know if I'm good mom material, Bae. I never had any kind of example growing up."

"Hey, I didn't either. Not until Kristine Cassidy, and I was a fifteen year old sarcastic brat then and drove her nuts. Not that she'd ever have said so. She took a lot of crap from me. God, and I could kick my own ass for it now. You'll do fine, wild swan. You've got good instincts. Papa told me that parenting is one tenth that and the other nine is trial and error."

"He's a good father, Bae. Never thought I'd say that, considering what he is, but it's true. And Belle . . . she's a good mother."

"Uh huh. Alina's one lucky little girl, sweetheart. And Henry will be too, once we get him away from her. And show him this is how a real family behaves. We might not be the Brady Bunch, Swan, but we'll be ours. And we'll make it all work. Together."

"I . . . almost believe that."

"Believe it, Emma. You say you're worried because you didn't have any example growing up. So make your own example. Be what you'd have wanted your mom to be, love."

"I can't bake cookies to save my life. And we're lucky there's WalMart, because if we had to rely on my sewing we'd all be wearing fig leaves like Adam and Eve."

Bae roared with laughter. "Aww, Em! Mine's not much better you know, and I'm a spinner's son. But there's something you can teach him that nobody else can. How to love. Love's not about baking cookies. It's about being there. It's about sacrifice. And doing your best for your kid, no matter what it costs you. And forgiving the little wretch for almost burning half the town down. You can do it, Emma. Nobody expects you to be perfect. Least of all Henry."

"I'm scared, Bae. Scared of messing up."

"Uh huh. Me too. But it'll be okay. And nothing you could do would ever be as screwed up as what Regina's doing to him. Trust me."

"You're right. I won't run away this time. I'll stay, no matter what."

"And I'll be right beside you, sweetheart."

"God, I love you, Bae. Okay . . . so what exactly do we need to do to prove it's in Henry's best interest that we have custody of him?"

"Number one, I need to get my business established here. And number two, we need to say I do. And then we need to prove Regina's psycho bitch and unfit to take care of a cockroach."

"Holy shit!"

"Yeah, but don't sweat it, babe. Together we'll do it. One step at a time."

"Right now I think the first step is to get some sleep."

"Yup. I always think better when I've gotten forty winks," Bae yawned, then he snuggled next to Emma and closed his eyes.

In about half a minute, she followed his example.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

Regina tapped her pen against her desk as she studied the man before her. There was something . . . almost familiar about him, but she couldn't place it. A certain look in his deep brown eyes, the way his hair fell across his forehead. It was almost surreal. Like they'd met before. But she knew they hadn't. She'd remember someone this . . . handsome. She wondered idly if he was attached. In a way he reminded her a little of Graham. She shook her head.

"So, Mr. Cassidy. If I agree to give you the permits to open up your dojo here, what advantages do you offer the citizens of Storybrooke?"

"Several, Madam mayor. One is peace of mind. The peace of mind that comes with knowing you can protect yourself from someone who threatens you. That you're not helpless. Martial arts is more than just self-defense though. It also promotes a healthy body, mind, and spirit. It encourages a sense of community too, because you learn how to work with others to benefit everyone, not just yourself. I think this town could use something like that, Mayor Mills. Don't you?"

She was taken aback by his sudden challenging gaze. Once again, she was reminded naggingly of someone. She blinked. "Why, yes. I do. Very well. Sign here, Mr. Cassidy. How long do you think it will take before you're open for business?"

"Oh, not very long at all. I've hired some good people to set up. Say, about another couple of weeks? A month? Would you perhaps be interested in taking a class?"

"Me? No, I'm far too busy," she laughed. "But maybe my son might. It might be good for him. Teach him some discipline, that sort of thing."

Bae nodded. "Of course. I'd be happy to teach him." He signed the permit with a flourish. "Thank you for your time. I'll be seeing you then."

He turned to go.

"Wait. Mr. Cassidy . . . how would you like to have a drink sometime? At the Enchanted Rose?"

Bae almost choked. "Uh . . . sorry. I'm . . . in a relationship already."

"Oh. Well, if you change your mind . . ." Regina said, pouting a little.

Bae just nodded and hurried out the door of her office. The only date I want to make with you, lady, is in front of a judge! He shivered, feeling like a fly that had just escaped a spider's web. Wait until Emma heard that! She'd be breathing fire. And I think I need a shower. Because all of a sudden I feel filthy, he thought, suppressing another shudder.

Then he hopped on his bike and gunned the engine, heading back to the building where the dojo would be, to keep an eye on the renovations. The sooner he had Fire Mountain up and running, the better he'd feel.