When Charming and Snow broke the curse, they were so overjoyed to see each other. They ended up hooking up in the Hospital Room. When they drank the potion that Rumble gave them to erase their memories, neither of them knew that Snow was pregnant.
Because the baby was born in the real world, the pregnancy was able to grow. Unfortunately, Regina found out what happened. she couldn't bring herself to kill the baby, no matter how much she wanted to. So Regina took the baby outside the town border where someone ended up finding her and she ended up being adopted. Regina made Wale tell Mary Margaret that the baby didn't survive. The baby Mariella was wrapped in a blanket that Snow had made her when she was found in the Forrest. Mariella was born on the twentieth of October and she was adopted a week after her birthday.
When Mariella was five, she ran away from her adopted home. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she had to get away from those people. The little voice in her head told her they were bad people, and the voice was always right. Mariella didn't know where she was going but she just kept running. She didn't have much with her, just her favorite blanket that had her name embroidered on it.
She ran straight into a man, the force of the impact causing her to fall to the grown. She bit her lip as she heard the voice in her head laugh at her. You are weak. You better not cry, don't be such a baby. The voice taunted her. She started crying, but the man was quick to shush her.
"Shh sweetie, you are okay. Please stop crying" the man awkwardly said to her trying to diffuse the situation. He helped Mariella up as Mariella used her sleeve to wipe her nose.
"I'm sorry for running into you mister," Mariella said as she sniffled. The man knelt down so he was the same height as Mariella. He offered her a soft smile. "It's okay sweetheart. I'm Neal. What's your name?"
"Mariella."
"Where are your parents? I can help you find them. Do you remember where you saw them last?"
Mariella looked at him with her big green eyes and shook her head. She grabbed her blanket from the ground from where it fell off of her before trying to run away again. She didn't want to go back there. She couldn't. Neal grabbed her arm stopping her. He pulled to where she was standing in front of him.
"Hey, it's the middle of the night you can't just run off. Something can happen to you. Tell me where your parents are so I can bring you to them." Neal demanded in a stern voice. It was nighttime in Philly, it was no place for a kid to be all alone.
"No, I don't want to go back there! I won't. Move!" Mariella shouted trying to shake loose the grasp he had on her. She started crying again when she realized it was useless.
"Why don't you want to go back to your parents? Your parents are probably worried about you." Neal asked her. He couldn't imagine being this young and running away from his family. The girl couldn't be older than five and she looked Terrified at the thought of going back home.
"Please let go. Please" Mariella cried out as she tried to push his hand off of her arm. Neal looked around and was glad no one was outside. It looked like he was trying to kidnap her, and he was already in trouble. He sighed he couldn't just leave her. It was freezing, and dark out. She could get into some real danger if he just left her.
"Fine. You don't want to go back to your parents, I won't take you back. But I can't leave you all alone, get in." Neal demanded opening his car door. Neal planned on dropping her off at a fire station in the morning, he wasn't gonna play daddy. No, he would not be doing that.
Mariella with the help of Neal got in the car and buckled herself up. She was proud of that. The voice said she could trust him, so she did. Neal got in the driver's side seat before starting the car and pulling onto the road. Mariella's stomach started growling reminding her that she hasn't eaten since last night.
"Mister.. I'm hungry." Mariella stated as she look at him and pulled the blanket closer to her. Neal sighed as he looked at her through the rearview mirror and said "it's just Neal. We can order room service at the hotel."
Mariella smiled at that as she leaned back into the seat. The exhaustion of the day got to her, and she ended up falling asleep.
Neal grew attached to the little girl. He never pictured himself as a father, but with Mariella that all changed. Neal ended up giving her his last name and the middle name Luna. She was his daughter now.
Neal was asleep in the back seat of the car they stole. Mariella being the oh-so-curious child adventured out into the city of Portland Oregon. She managed to snag a wallet from a woman. She knew it was wrong but the voices made her do it. Mariella crawled into the front seat. She was so tiny the blonde teenager didn't see her when she started the car and drove off.
"What are you doing?" Mariella asked looking confused at the blonde girl. The girl jumped at the foreign voice.
"I.." the girl trailed off. She wasn't expecting someone to be in the car let alone a child when she stole it. She just kidnapped a child. The girl was trying her best not to freak out and focus on the road.
"Impressive. But really, you could've just asked me for the keys. Just drive. It's fine." Neal said sitting up in the back seat and looking at the woman.
"I just stole your car. Your life could be in danger." The blonde girl said as she ran a stop light.
"Neal Cassidy. That's Mariella." Neal said pointing at her. He saw the wallet in her hands. "You know not to leave the car when it's nap time, give me that," Neal said grabbing the wallet from her hands, causing the six-year-old to pout.
"I got it from an old lady. There's money in there." Mariella said proudly as she saw flashing lights. She looked at Neal worried.
"Calm down, I'll handle it." Neal said looking at the young girl. The girl pulled the car to a stop. Neal quickly grabbed the screwdriver chucking it in the back.
"License and registration please." The officer said peering into the car.
"Hi." The girl said meekly.
"Terribly sorry officer, but this is actually my car. I'm... I'm trying to, uh, teach my girlfriend how to drive stick." Neal lied.
"She's got a lot to learn." The Cop said.
"I know. But, you know... Women."
" Alright, I hear you. It's a warning...this time. Get a car seat for the kid, a child that young shouldn't be sitting in the front."
"Yeah. Thank you so much." Neal said as he grabbed Mariella setting her in the back seat buckling her up before getting in the front seat.
"What are you, some sort of a misogynist?" The girl asked him.
"You're welcome. Oh, go. We got lucky."
"We? This isn't your car either, is it? I stole a stolen car?"
"Yes, you did. Now, how about that name?" Neal asked her as he looked over at her with a smile.
"It's Emma. Emma swan."
"That's pretty!" Mariella shouted from the back seat as she kicked her little legs out.
"Thank you. Mariella is a pretty name too." Emma said to her with a smile.
Emma and Neal and Mariella spent the last couple of months stealing and surviving together as a family. Mariella liked that. She had a family. Emma would sometimes braid her hair, and for her seventh birthday Emma stoled her a pretty bracelet. It was from one of the women at the front desk of the hotel they stayed at that night, but Mariella loved it and refused to take it off.
They were currently at a gas station, Emma was faking being pregnant as she stuffed stuff in her purse. Mariella was stuffing things in her pocket and made sure no one else saw.
"Ahhh" Emma fake screamed as she bent down a little. "The baby, it's coming." Emma screamed out quickly grabbing Mariella's hand and running out of the store with Neal behind them before the owner could catch them.
They settled at a hotel for an hour before they had to leave. Mariella was sitting on the bed as she grabbed some of the candy, that was immediately snatched out of her hands by Neal.
"Not till after dinner" Neal said pointing a finger at her as he dropped the candy in the bag as Mariella pouted at him.
"Oh look the granola family left this." Emma said holding up a dream catcher. She waved in front of Mariella's face as the girl laughed.
"What is it?" Neal asked Emma looking confused at the thing in her hand.
"It's a Native American dream catcher, it's supposed to keep nightmares out and only let the good dreams in to protect your home."
"Can we keep it, Daddy? Pleasee?" Mariella asked Neal as she looked over at him.
"We don't have anywhere to hang it Ella," Emma said setting the dream catcher down on the table for laying down on the bed, she pulled the girl closer to her and tickled her. Ella giggle as she tried to squirm away from her.
"What if we changed that?" Neal asked Emma as he moved to sit on the bed. Emma sat up looking at him shocked.
"Are you saying..." Emma trailed off staring at Neal.
"Why not? We've been doing this Bonnie and Clyde thing for far too long. It's time to retire and find a real home together."
"Where would we go?" Emma asked him as she grabbed Ella setting her in her lap and wrapping her arms around her pulling her closer to her.
"What about Disneyland?" Ella suggested excitedly. Neal laughed at her shaking his head as he walked over to the dresser in the hotel grabbing a map.
"Close your eyes and point." Neal told Emma. Emma closed her eyes before pointing at the map.
"Tallahassee," Emma said with a smile looking at him.
"We got a winner."
"Is it near a beach?"
"It's Florida, they are filled with them," Neal said before turning to look at Ella. "And Disney land is in Florida."
Ella's eyes lit up at that before jumping off of Emma's lap and rushing to hug Neal.
"Disney land! You said we could go one day!"
"I did, and I will take you one-day peanut," Neal said hugging the girl back. Even if he had to sneak into Disney land, he will take her one day.
"I will get to meet Princess Belle! And Princess Jasmine!" Ella shouted out excitedly.
"Princess Cinderella and Snow White too!" Emma told the young girl with a smile. She got up to join the group hug.
"I like Florida," Ella told them wrapping one of her arms around Emma as she hugged her.