Thank you for the reviews! I was glad to knowledge that some people haven't given up on me. :) Here is a brand new chapter, as promised.

26 - Making the true believer remember

Neal had woken up early to go to the store. He had bought a breast milk pump, not really trusting that would work. Emma could figure out the instructions, he thought.

When he came back home with that and fresh loaves of bread for breakfast, he was surprised to see Henry already up, sitting in one of the chairs of the living room.

The boy looked distant. His foot was kicking the air distractedly and his eyes stared at a point beyond the closed glass doors.

"Henry?" Neal called after quickly leaving the bags on the kitchen top.

The boy didn't turn around, or even move. Neal sat close to him.

"Kid, what's up? I've never seen you up so early by yourself!"

"I feel weird."

"What do you mean? Are you sick?"

"No, not really." he finally turned his face to Neal, but it was hard to read what was passing through his mind. "I don't know, I feel confused. I feel sad about what Mom told me yesterday even though there is no reason for that to be real."

"I see the problem." Neal said, smiling. That kid was really special. No wonder he was the biggest responsible for helping Emma break the curse. "If I were you, I wouldn't burn my brain trying to figure it out." At least not until his father got there, thought Neal, what would be soon.

"Does my mom love me?" Henry asked, serious.

"What? Of course she loves you!"

"So how would it be possible for her to give me up?"

Neal thought for a moment. Then he said, softly "You know the circumstances of your birth, right?"

"I do" Henry answered, his voice also low.

"So you know that was not an easy decision to make. I don't know what I would have done, if I was in your mother's place."

"It doesn't matter, she chose to stay with me!"

Neal breathed in slowly. He was thinking about what to say when the doorbell rang.

Right on time!

"It must be your grandfather!" he said, sounding more excited than the moment required.

Henry didn't say anything, just went on to stare at the buildings outside.

"Papa, I am so glad you are here!" Neal said as soon as he opened the door.

"It is always a pleasure to see you as well, son." Gold said, tapping the inside pocket of his jacket, giving the tip.

"Hey Mr. Gold." greeted a sleepy Emma on her way to the kitchen in comfortable pajamas.

Neal closed the door as he watched her, amused. Even if she had her memories back, she seemed pretty comfortable around his father now.

"Henry, you are up!" she said, getting some eggs out of the fridge. "That's good, you can water the plants and unload the dishwasher."

Henry didn't answer.

"He is still not over yesterday's discussion." Neal informed.

"What was discussed yesterday?" Gold asked, playing around. Neal had already told him what had happened over the phone.

"My mom said she gave up on me but nobody seems up to discuss the subject!" Henry said, finally leaving his spot in the corner of the living room. "I am pretty sure she gave up on me right after I was born then regretted it."

Emma dropped the egg she was holding on the kitchen top. Neal took the egg, that luckily didn't break. He blinked to her as if saying, it's alright.

"Really? That sounds... complicated." said Gold, pouring orange juice in four glasses.

"My mom was young when she had me, you know? And she was in jail." said Henry, sitting at one of the chairs and looking like he was having second thoughts. "But if that really happened she should have been honest with me! Just like she should have been honest with me about my father!" he said, almost yelling.

"Henry..." Emma said, turning around. But Neal cut her.

"No need to apologize, Emma."he said, knowing her well. "Now Henry, if you want to have a conversation about it you should leave the attitude behind. We understand you are upset, but that's no reason to yell at us or make your mother sad."

"You guys don't want me, I know it!" the boy yelled. "Now you have a brand new kid and can start all over again! Who cares that I was abandoned or didn't know my father was alive?"

"Now, that's enough of screaming." Gold said, putting the glasses on the table then sitting. He pushed one glass in Henry's direction. "Drink some, it will make you feel better."

"I always drink hot chocolate in the morning." the boy said, looking at him angrily.

"Henry, come on." Neal sad, sitting at the table by his father's side. "I love to drink orange juice in the morning, you should try it."

Emma brought the scrambled eggs and plates. She sat by Henry's side.

"Your grandfather is just trying to be nice, baby."

Something in her voice made Henry settle a little. Even if you couldn't tell by her face or demeanor, she was sad.

The boy looked at the glass of juice and the eggs. He decided to try it.

The whole table caught their breaths, looking at the boy. Henry took one gulp from the juice, then took a bite of the eggs.

"They don't go well together." he complained, pointing at the food. "Can I have hot chocolate now?"

"Finish the juice first." Emma said, trying to act like she was not that much interested.

"I don't want the damn juice!" he said, knocking the glass and spilling the juice with a movement.

Emma and Neal looked at the liquid spilled all over the table. They knew Gold had put the potion in there. What now?

But Gold was looking at the boy. He had had enough.

"That's it!" he said in his low, threaten voice that Emma hadn't heard in a long time. "You are going to clean that up, boy. But before you are going to do all of us a big favor."

He took a little flask out of the pocket of his jacket. It still had half of a clear blue liquid in it.

"You are going to stop being a pain in the neck and you are going to drink this."

Gold put the flask on the table in front of him. Henry looked confused.

"What is that? Why should I drink it?"

"That is something that I worked really hard to get to help you, and you just knocked half of it unceremoniously."

Henry looked at his parents, still confused.

"Just drink it, Henry. It will help you understand." Emma said, also tired of cranky Henry. In some minutes she would probably need to face a cranky baby and she needed to save the energy.

"Go ahead." encouraged Neal.

Henry looked at the flask. He was really confused. He was putting together bits he had heard from his father, from his mother, from his grandfather. He was adding it to the strange tingle he was feeling on his stomach... the strange notion that there was more, so much more. And maybe that was what that flask contained, answers.

Finally making a decision, he took the blue liquid and drank with one gulp. The three adults stared at him, frozen in place.

Regina. The book. Going after his biological mother. His grandparents. The breaking of the curse.

Henry held his head, like it was going to explode. Then he looked at the people around him, one by one.

"Why did you guys take so long?" he finally said, making Neal laugh and Emma roll her eyes.

A cry broke the scene and Neal stood up, murmuring "At least she has a good timing."

Emma took another bite of the eggs before going after Neal. She was still scared of the responsibilities of being a mother but, if the day before had thought anything to her, was that small mistakes shouldn't stop her from trying. Before leaving the kitchen though she kissed the top of Henry's head.

"It's good to have you back." she said with a smile.

That left Henry and Gold by the table.

"So..." Henry started, looking at Gold. "How come you are alive?"