When Mr. Gold arrives at the hospital, he still has no idea what he is going to tell his son. At no point in all his plans did he ever intend for his son to learn about the curse. His original plan was to turn Bae back into a fourteen year old, erasing all his memories from after he became the Dark One so they could start over. Then once he found out Belle was alive, he figured the two of them would leave Storybrooke once Emma broke the curse. Then with everyone back in the Enchanted Forest, Bae need never know what he had to do to get to this world.
He never expected Bae and Emma to fall in love. Now he doesn't know what to do. Once Emma breaks his modified curse, it will transport everyone back home exactly twenty-four hours later. He knows Emma will want to go back with her parents, and Bae will most likely follow her. It is here that all his plans unravel. If he follows his son back to that world, he will once again be the Dark One, the person his son hates. He can solve that by having Belle kiss him in that world, but then he will have no magic.
He's learned to live without magic in this world, but once back in that world he will be vulnerable without it. He's made many enemies over the years and once people learned he no longer had his powers, they would come after him and Belle.
Bae will probably be safe, since he would be with Emma, the savior and crown princess. He knows Snow and Charming would never let anything happen to the man their daughter loves, but he isn't so sure they will be as forgiving toward him.
"Mr. Gold," Ruby says, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for Neal at the sheriff's station," he says. "I figured that he would come here with the injured man he found."
"He's here," Ruby says, "when I checked on him before he was with David and Snow." She pauses, a look of confusion coming over her face. "I mean Mary Margaret. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see how the patient is doing."
As she leaves, a look of worry comes over Rumplestiltskin's face. It is clear that the curse is beginning to lose its hold over the residents. He isn't sure why it hasn't already broken completely. Something must have affected Emma's magic before she could break it fully.
He quickly heads to David's hospital room and knocks. David opens the door immediately and his expression turns to one of anger. David grabs him and drags him into the room before closing the door.
"Rumplestiltskin," he says angrily. "You have some nerve coming here."
"I take it you also have your real memories," he says.
"I do," David says. "I've had them since Emma woke me up."
"Listen I know you're angry and you have every right to be," he says.
"You were the one responsible for this curse," David says. "Snow explained that you thought that the wardrobe could hold two but that still doesn't excuse all the things you've done."
"I know," Rumplestiltskin says. "I'm sorry."
"What?" David asks, just as shocked, as Snow had been after Rumplestiltskin apologized to her.
"In that land the powers I had cursed me," he explains. "I know what I did to you can never be forgiven. I just want to make up with my son."
David is still angry with him, but some of his anger deflates. Then he remembers a conversation he once had with him "What about the wife you have in this realm?" he asks. "You once told me you were in love with her but she died."
"And I thought she had," he says. "She started out as my maid I acquired her in one of my deals, but after I fell in love with her, I released her from my service. Sometime after that, Regina kidnapped her and told me she was dead. A few months before the curse was cast I learned the truth and rescued her."
"I only have vague memories of her," David says.
"Your curse memories are probably weak because you were never conscious in this world before Emma revived you," Rumplestiltskin surmises.
"Your wife must be a very special person," David says.
"She is," Rumplestiltskin says, smiling. "I honestly don't know why she stays with me some times. Now do you know where my son went?"
"He went to see Emma," Snow says, "but I don't think it would be a good idea to talk to him tonight. He's really mad at you right now. Give him awhile to cool down."
"Of course," Mr. Gold says. Though he desperately wants to make things right with his son, he can sense Snow is right and if he talks to his son tonight, it will devolve into violence. "Neal suggested a family dinner for next week, perhaps you could all come to my house, and we can discuss things there."
"Sure," Snow says, "how about Wednesday at 7?"
"Excellent," Mr. Gold says and then leaves.
"Are you out of your mind," David asks, once he is gone, "a family dinner with Rumplestiltskin?"
"Well he does seem different now that he has no magic," Snow says, "and I sense he truly wants to make up with his son."
David sighs. "I have a feeling that this dinner is going to go badly," he says.
Emma wakes up to find Neal lying next to her. This isn't unusual, but the surroundings are. She looks around and remembers that she's in the hospital. She just found out that she was pregnant yesterday and the doctor wanted to keep her overnight for observation. She also remembers the rest of it, which still sounds crazy to her. Mary Margaret is actually Snow White and her mother. Then she feels Neal begin to stir bringing her out of her recollections.
"Good morning, Neal," Emma says.
"Good morning," Neal responds hesitantly.
Before Emma can ask, what Neal feels nervous about the doctor walks into the room.
"Good morning, Emma," Doc says, and then glares at Neal. "For future reference it's against hospital policy for two people to sleep in the same bed."
"Noted," Neal says.
"Well I looked over your tests and everything came back normal," Doc says. "Just avoid whatever strenuous activities you did yesterday and come back in two weeks for a follow-up visit."
"What was wrong with her?" Neal asks. "I wasn't really paying attention to you yesterday. I was sort of preoccupied."
Doc is quiet for a moment. "Well if you don't know, it may be best for Emma to tell you," he says. "I have other patients to check on."
Doc leaves the room.
"So what's wrong with you?" Neal asks.
"Not here," Emma says. "Let me tell you outside."
As they walk outside, Neal starts to get nervous. He has no idea what prompted Emma's visit to the hospital. Does she have a serious illness? He quickly tries to dismiss the thought. It's probably something simple like the flu. As soon as they are outside, Neal turns to Emma who looks as nervous as he's ever seen her.
"What is it?" Neal asks with dread. "Are you seriously ill?"
"No, I'm not sick at all," Emma answers, taking a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."
Neal looks at her for a moment, not comprehending what she has just said. "You're pregnant?" he asks in shock when it finally registers.
"Yes," she says and nods.
This is almost too much for Neal. After the revelations of the previous day, he can't take a bombshell like this. Emma however takes his silence to mean he's displeased and starts crying.
"No, don't cry," Neal says, wrapping his arms around her.
"You're not happy," Emma says. "You don't want a child."
"I didn't say that," Neal says. "I just need time to process it all. I never thought about having a child before."
"Me either," Emma says. "I realized my period was late after talking with Ashley yesterday. Then, I bought a home pregnancy test and it was positive. At first, I was terrified, but then I started to feel happy. You and I are going to have a family, a real family."
"Before you go on with that thought, there's something I have to tell you," Neal says. "Your mother told me about the curse."
"And you believed her?" Emma asks, surprised. She thought that when she told Neal he would try to have her committed.
"Yes," Neal says and then takes a deep breath. "I'm also from that world."
"You are?" Emma asks confused. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"
"If I told you I was from another world before today, what would your reaction have been?" Neal asks.
Emma considers this for a moment. "If you told me that when I first met you, I would have run away from you as fast as I could," she admits. "If you told me that after we moved here though, I would have sought psychiatric help for you."
"There you go," Neal says.
"Did you know who I was?" Emma asks.
"No, I was shocked when I found out you were from my original world," Neal says.
"So that story about your father abandoning you was all a lie?" Emma asks.
"No," Neal says. "Everything I told you was the truth, or as much of the truth as I could tell you without sounding like an escapee from a mental hospital."
"So how did you wind up in this world?" Emma asks.
Neal goes into his tale, telling Emma everything about the Ogre Wars, his father becoming the Dark One, the Blue Fairy and the magic bean, and his father abandoning him over the portal. He tells her of his arrival in this world and his struggle to fit in. He ends his story with him running into his father yesterday and then learning about the curse from Mary Margaret.
When he is finished, Emma is silent for a moment as she processes everything. "So the reason the curse was created was because your father needed a way to get to this world to find you?"
"Yes," Neal answers, and then braces himself for her reaction.
Emma is good at reading Neal's expressions and quickly determines what the problem is. "You think I'm going to blame you for what your father did?" she asks incredulously.
"Yes," Neal answers, looking downward. "It's my fault that you didn't grow up with your parents. My fault you had such an awful childhood."
At this point Emma takes hold of Neal's face and forces him to look her in the eyes. "Neal this is not your fault," she says. "You can't blame yourself for your father's actions."
"But..." Neal begins.
"No buts," Emma says. "Did you cast the curse or want your father to cast the curse?"
"No," Neal answers.
"Then there you go," Emma says. "Your father was the one who caused this and you'll have to deal with him, but you won't be alone. I'll be there every step of the way."
Neal is stunned. He thought for sure that Emma would reject him and tell him she never wanted to see him again, but he should have known Emma isn't like that. "I love you," he tells her simply.
"I love you too," Emma says, smiling. She watches still smiling as Neal places his hand on her stomach.
"We're going to have a child," he says in wonder.
"Yes we are," Emma says.
"How far along are you?" Neal asks.
"About five weeks," Emma answers. "So I got pregnant around the time we arrived in Storybrooke. I'd like to imagine it was the first night we arrived."
"That was a good night," Neal says, thinking back to their first night in this town. For the moment, he isn't worrying about his father, the curse, or their futures. In this moment, there is just the two of them. "So, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"No," Emma answers. "I'd think I'd rather be surprised."
"I've heard that's the best way," Neal says.
"Neal," Emma says hesitantly. "Do you ever think about us getting married?"
"Yes," Neal answers. "I've thought about it a lot, but I figured that you weren't ready for it."
"I think I am," Emma says. "When I found out I was having a child, after I got done freaking out I had a picture of the two of us married in our house surrounded by our children."
"Are you sure?" Neal asks. "I don't want to rush you into anything."
"I'm sure," Emma says.
"Then we're getting married," Neal says.
"Not yet," Emma says. "You still have to propose. I expect it to be a good one."
"It will be," Neal promises.
"You also need to pick out an engagement ring," Emma says, and then her tone turns playful, "and I expect it to be worthy of someone of my station."
"What do you mean your station?" Neal asks confused.
Emma goes back to being serious. "I thought Mary told you about the curse," she says, still not used to calling her friend 'mom' yet.
"She told me about the curse," Neal says, "but we got so involved talking about my father she didn't tell me who she was back in that land. I take it she was someone of wealth."
"You could say that," Emma says and then takes a deep breath. "My mother is Snow White."
"Snow White," Neal asks, and then places the name, "Snow White as in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the princess with the evil stepmother who gave her a poison apple?"
"That's her," Emma says. "From what I've learned she was queen of the kingdom when the curse hit."
"Your mother is a queen?" Neal asks trying to process it. "You're a princess. You would have grown up in a castle if not for..." Neal was about to say me, but quickly changes it upon seeing Emma's glare, "my father."
"Listen Neal, I know this might freak you out since from what you told me you were poor in that land but I don't care about that," Emma says. "I love you and we'll work through this together."
"Okay," Neal says. "It's just you being the daughter of the queen is a little bit intimidating."
"Don't worry," Emma says. "She loves you and I'm sure who your father is won't matter to her."
"I hope so," Neal says. "Well we might as well go talk to her."
"She's probably with David," Emma says and then becomes nervous. "I just hope he's as cool a father as my mom is a mother. I hope he's not disappointed in me." The feeling of not wanting to disappoint her parents is a new one. Ever since she was seven, she thought her parents were losers who had abandoned her to die. Now she knows they are kind, loving people who were trying to save her life. She hates the fact she gave up on them, and hopes that she can one day make them proud.
"From what Mary told me of her husband, I'm sure he will be thrilled to have you as a daughter," Neal says, and then pauses. "That is if he has his true memories."
"I think he does," Emma says. "I think whatever I did to wake him up brought back his true memories. He probably didn't say anything about it for the same reason you didn't. He didn't want people to think he was crazy."
"Well let's go meet him then," Neal says, following Emma. He knows Emma doesn't have any reason to be nervous, but he does. Emma's father is a king, he is just a peasant and not just any peasant, but the son of Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, and he has knocked up a king's daughter. He sincerely hopes Emma's father is a good man, because he has no doubt that the king he had in his own land would have had him publicly whipped and then beheaded.
