Emma was still in the Storybrooke Woods – still looking for Mr Gold. But she didn't know where he had gone. A few more metres, she spotted someone else walking. She walked closer and stopped. It was Neal. But, he was supposed to be in the hospital room. But then she thought to herself that if his father were out here, he'd want to find him himself.

"Neal?" Emma called out.

"Emma?" Neal called back before running over to her.

"Neal, what the hell are you doing out here?" Emma asked. She knew the answer, but maybe, he would give her a different one.

"You expect me to stay in bed while you're looking for my dad?"

Darn it. "Right. I forgot whom I was dealing with."

"You got a bead on him?"

"David and I just saw him, but he took off again." "So, it's true? He's alive?" Neal asked.

"Yeah. He is." "How'd he seem?"

"I don't know what that witch did to him, but he seems a little crazy. When I asked him about her, it was like he wanted to tell me, but he couldn't."

Neal looked around. "Well, he can't be far. Come on. Do you want to waste time dragging me back to the hospital? 'Cause, that's the only way you'll get me there."

Emma looked at Neal and sighed. "Fine," she said, walking past him. "Let's go."

The two started off walking again, and Emma began to fill him in on what her life had been like for the past year. "So, New York, huh?" Neal asked.

"I like the pizza," Emma answered.

"Did Henry like it?" Neal asked, wanting to know what his son had been up to the past year.

"He loves pizza."

"I meant living there. In the city."

"Oh. Yeah. I did, too. Finally had time to do all the things we normally couldn't."

"Like what?"

"Go to the park. See a movie. Go to the zoo. Just do nothing. Life was good. Very good."

"It didn't get lonely? Just the two of you?"

Emma sighed. She didn't want to tell him what had happened in New York. She looked behind her. "Henry had tons of friends at school. And I had someone. Sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Neal asked. "Of course you did. It's not like we were … Or you even remembered. Was it serious?"

"He proposed."

Neal was silent for a moment. Then, the news broke him slightly. "Oh!"

"And then he turned into a flying monkey," Emma finished and looked at Neal. She was hoping to see his reaction to that.

"Sounds intense."

Emma laughed, and so did Neal. "Go ahead and laugh," she told him. "I almost married a monster from Oz. It's hilarious."

"I almost married a minion of my evil grandfather, Peter Pan," Neal said back, and Emma laughed. "So I know what you're saying," Neal finished before they were silent as they turned down another path through the woods. "Hey, I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Emma turned her head. "Really?"

"I care about you, Emma. I always will," Neal said and stopped and turned around to face her. "I want you to be happy. Even if it isn't with me."

"We were happy," Emma told him, stepping closer to him. "Once."

"We never did find Tallahassee," Neal pointed out before Emma's phone rang and interrupted the two of them.

Emma took it out of her pocket, and she answered it. It was Belle. "Belle. What did you find?" she asked into the phone.

"The symbol on Neal's hand is from an ancient talisman," Belle said on the other end. "A key that opens the Vault of the Dark One. I think he may have used it to resurrect Rumple. Back when we were in the Enchanted Forest."

"Wait, so he brought Gold back?" Emma asked. How was this possible?

"That's where it gets unclear. The Vault will only restore the Dark One in exchange for another life."

Exchange for another life. The words rang deep in Emma's head as she stared at Neal. If he did bring back his father, how was Neal in front of her? "Whoa! Hang on a minute, what?"

"It's a one-for-one trade," Belle added. "If Neal used that key, he should be dead now."

Emma continued to look at Neal before he collapsed to the ground in pain. She hung up the phone and knelt beside him as he continued to grunt and moan in pain. "Neal!" she exclaimed. She didn't know what was going on – or understood what was happening – but she still cared for Neal. She always had done. "Neal, what did you do?"

Neal panted before screaming in pain again. Then, as his face started to change, he looked up at Emma and began to morph into that of his father's face before it changed back into his own.

The Doctor ran up behind them behind her—his sonic screwdriver in front of him, beeping before looking at both Emma and Neal. Emma looked up at the Time Lord. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "How did you find us?"

"I've been tracking Rumple as well," the Doctor said. "I have known him for a long time. I made a promise that I'd be there for him. I won't let him down. Not this time." He took a glance down at Neal, and he knelt too. "What's going on here?"

"I don't know," Emma said. "Belle rang earlier. She said that the symbol on his palm is from a key to resurrect the Dark One."

"That would explain why my sonic screwdriver led me here," the Doctor said, then waved the device over Neal, and he read the readings. "Yep. A vast quantity of dark magic is coming from Neal. The same type of dark magic that is synonymous with the Dark One. I think that Rumple is inside of him."

"So that's how he's still alive?" Emma asked.

"Well, it is a possibility."

"Yeah," Neal said with a slight nod as he doubled over. "I can hear my father's voice in my head. He's in there. He's in me."

Emma thought back to that brief moment when she had found Mr Gold. "He said, 'there was no room'. He meant you."

Neal looked at Emma. "I need you to help me, Emma," he panted. "Use your magic. Separate my father and me."

"Really?" Emma asked. "You'd die."

"I know. But it would help if you had my father more. To help find the witch. To save the town from her. You need to do this."

Emma looked at him. "I've… never done anything like that before. Not that big."

"Do it," Neal told her. "To save you and Henry. Could you do it? Please."

Emma nodded slowly and took Neal's hands in her own. She closed her eyes, focusing her magic on him until there was a sudden flash of white light. Neal collapsed on the forest floor, and the Doctor went to him to help support him.

Mr Gold looked around where he was now before seeing his son on the forest floor. "What have you done?" he asked.

Neal slowly sat up with the help of Emma and the Doctor. "It's okay, Papa …" he panted. "I told her to."

"But why?"

"So, you can tell them who the witch is. So you can defeat her … Save the town."

Mr Gold continued to look at him. He didn't want to take his eyes off his son. "Zelena," he said.

Emma turned her head. "What?" she asked. Was that the exact name of the woman who was her parent's midwife?

"Zelena," Mr Gold said louder.

"She's the Witch? What does she want?"

"What she doesn't have," Mr Gold said softly.

"There has to be some way to save him, right?" Emma asked, tears starting to show in her eyes.

Mr Gold stayed silent before he got up. He looked down at his son. He couldn't believe that he was losing his son. Again. The Doctor got up and went over to him, putting an arm on his shoulder.

"It's too late, Emma," Neal told her.

"Just hang in there, please," Emma sobbed. "You haven't even had a chance to see Henry. For him to remember you."

"It's okay. He doesn't need to. He needs to know that, in the end, I was a good father. I saved this for you." Neal reached into his coat pocket and dug out something. He held it up for Emma to see. The swan necklace. "To give to you again. Please take it. Find Tallahassee. Even if it's without me."

Emma reluctantly took the necklace. "Neal…" she began.

"Hey, I'll watch over you guys from somewhere," Neal said. "Promise me … Just promise me that you'll both be happy."

Emma nodded, holding back tears. Or, at least, trying to. "I promise, I promise."

Mr Gold watched the two of them talk, and he shook his head. He had already lost his son once. He didn't want to lose him again. He loved him - more than anything. And he could tell that Neal loved Emma. And that Emma loved him. If he were to save Neal, it wouldn't be just for him. But for Emma too. And Henry. He would make sure that they were the family that deserved to be together. "No," he said, going back down to Neal. To his son. "No, no, no. I can fix this."

"No, you can't," Neal said. "You can't. Thank you, Papa." For showing me what it is to make a true sacrifice. It's about saving the ones that you love."

"No …" Mr Gold protested.

"It's my turn now," Neal said, reaching out to his father's hand.

"I don't wanna let you go," Mr Gold sobbed, tears welling up in his eyes too.

"I need you too… Please. Let go."

"I love you, son."

"I love you, Papa," Neal said before taking one last breath before he passed on, letting the rigour Mortis set in.

Mr Gold looked at his son and kissed his hand. A long, soft kiss before moving his hand and closing his son's eyes for one last time.