Day 6 of Swanfire Appreciation Week: Actors AU

"I don't want to do this," Neal says. He sits across from his publicist a wall of Starbucks between them.

Carla DeVille, nicknamed Cruella by the industry, looks him up and down. "Neal, do you want to do well in this town?"

"Of course I do, and I am! The pilot got picked up and…"

"The pilot is great and I'm sure it's going to get lots of press. Everyone loves a good Disney adaption." She rolls her eyes. "However, you're starring alongside Killian Jones. He's one of the biggest names in the business, you're new. You need to standout against him."

"And I can't do that with my own talent?"

"You could but this actress is huge. She was in your shoes a year ago and the only reason she skyrocketed so fast is because she has a grandfather in the business. You aren't that fortunate."

Neal sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. In his small town, he was a mini-celebrity given his dad was the only defense attorney and his grandmother was the mayor. Everyone knew the Gold family. Now, he's thousands of miles away and a practical nobody. It took him years of dumb commercials and modeling jobs that paid nothing. He was so close to packing it up and taking his father up on his job offer when he got the gig on Neverland.

"I just don't want to lie to anyone," he says.

"Darling, a lot of Hollywood is lies. All you and this Emma need to do is date for a bit, a couple of years tops until your show is stable and everyone knows your name. Then you can have an amicable break up and you'll have crowds of girls at your feet."

Neal lets out another sigh. He wants to fight further on this, but has no real reason. He and Tamara are long over. A few public dinners, tweets and red carpets won't kill him. "If you say so. Who is she anyway, this Emma Swan?"

"Like I said, she's fairly new herself. Her show on the network is getting a second season."

"If she's so great, why does she need a fake boyfriend?"

"Her downfall has been keeping her life so private. At first, she was an enigma, now people are getting bored. This will give her a boost. She and her team should be here in a few minutes."

Neal nods and leans back, sipping his black coffee and making a face. His small town was allergic to chains, he'd only go to them occasionally when his father took him along on business trips. Neal didn't have his first Starbucks until he moved to Los Angeles a few years back and he's still not a fan. But, they're Carla's favorite, so he sucks it up. Neal picks up a cake pop and eats it in two bites, the only thing he can stand from the overpriced coffee shop.

True to Carla's word, a few minutes later the doors open. He recognizes Ingrid Donning from a party Carla threw not long after she took him on. She's another publicist for the same firm. Alongside her is Ursula Siren, an agent he tried to work with early on but she turned him down. Not long behind is Ingrid's niece, Elsa. Neal met her at the party, she's interning for college credit and working as an assistant. Carla raises to her feet and shakes hands with Ingrid followed by Ursula. As soon as the agent steps away, Neal gets a good look at his fake girlfriend to be. Light blonde hair piled on the top of her head in a bun, wearing black leggings and a tight white tank top. A swan keychain hangs off her neck, telling Neal just who she is.

Shock drips from his voice. "Emma."

Her eyes land on his. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Ingrid pulls away from Carla, raising a perfectly coiffed eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Emma?"

"You said I'd be meeting with Neal Cassidy, not Bae Gold."

Carla looks between the two of them, amused. Elsa seems to be close to peeing her pants from fear. "Bae?" Ingrid repeats, a small giggle escaping.

"It's short for Baelfire. I changed my name when I moved out here. Figured Neal would sell better."

"You two know each other?" Carla presses.

"We um, used to go to school together."

She snaps her fingers as Emma glares daggers at him. "Right, you both are from that small town in Maine. Stoneybrook."

"Storybrooke," Emma growls.

Ingrid holds up a hand. "Something tells me you two did more than just attend the same high school."

"We used to date," Neal admits.

"Wait," Elsa whispers into Emma's ear, not that softly. "That's the Baelfire?"

Emma makes a face. "Yup." She turns to Ingrid. "I'm not doing this with him."

"Emma, you have not been in Hollywood long enough to pull a diva fit."

Neal watches as the tough girl he once knew lose some color in her face and shrink a bit. He only knew one other person to have that effect on her, her mother.

"Now, if you want to kill your career early, be my guest. Regina Mills can be all the fans every talk about. Or, you can get past your petty high school drama and act like a grown-up. Your choice."

Emma folds her arms over chest, practically pouting. She looks from Ingrid, back at Neal. Sweat pools the back of his neck. Carla made it very clear that she had to pull a lot of strings to get him to even be with Emma. If this doesn't work, he's absolutely screwed.

The other part of him wouldn't be able to blame her.

"Fine," Emma snaps. "I'll do it. But only for a year as we agreed."

"Of course, darling." Ingrid regains her smile and turns back to Carla. Emma rolls her eyes behind her back. "Let's make a game plan. We need to figure out the best place for them to make their debut."

"I can get them tickets to the premiere of the new Malena Page movie."

"Let's go over the calendar and see what works."

Neal and Emma settle down at the table while their publicists make plans for their personal lives. She glowers at him the entire time and he sinks down lower in his seat. It's all his fault that she hates him and he really cannot blame her.


Neal's doing his best not to sweat through his suit as the limo moves through the well-lit streets a couple of weeks later. It's a rental and if any major damage happens, he's going to be screwed. He's finally starting to do decent financially and pay off his debts. The last thing he needs is to have to buy a stained suit.

Ingrid and Carla already sit on the opposite side of him, chatting quietly and comparing notes. By the doors are two bodyguards, one for Neal and the other for Emma. The three of them are on their way to get Emma and Elsa.

"Emma Swan," he mumbles under his breath.

Neal knew her as Emma Nolan, daughter of a dairy farmer and schoolteacher. They lost contact pretty quickly after their breakup. Emma went to college in New York, Neal stayed in Maine. The Nolans went to visit her and not the other way around.

The limo comes to a stop and the driver exits. A few moments later, the door opens and Elsa steps in wearing a light blue sequined dress that practically clings to her body. Her white blonde hair is back in a braid and she has a large binder in hand with Emma's name scrawled across it. Emma slides in next, looking absolutely gorgeous. Unlike that day in Carla's office, her hair is loose and her natural princess curls show. She wears a black leotard with see-through sides and a flowing matching skirt. Her makeup is a little harsh beneath the limo lighting but Carla once explained that it blends in nicely under the flashes of the cameras. He's wearing a bit of foundation himself that night so his normally pale skin doesn't wash out in pictures.

Emma takes a spot besides him, probably because it's the easiest to sit. She refuses to look over at him, so he offers a polite "You look nice". She looks him up and down.

"This a preview of what I would've gotten at prom, I assume?"

"Emma…"

"Excuse me," Elsa meekly interrupts. Neal looks over in her direction. "I think we need to go over how things will go tonight." Ingrid shoots her a sharp look and she speaks up. "Okay, so when we arrive, Ingrid and Carla will alert the press line. Anton and Peter will escort Emma and Neal out onto the red carpet. No interviews tonight, just pictures. You'll go inside and get ready for the premiere. We're in aisle H, seats 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16. Near us will be Regina Mills, Robin Locksley and of course, Zelena West."

Neal's face scrunches up. Every time he's around Zelena, she makes a move on him. Maybe it'll be easier tonight now that he has a date. Ingrid praises Elsa and she slightly blushes, before burying herself into editing the binder.

Emma speaks, but doesn't face him. "You know what to do on the red carpet? Arm around my waist, not too tight."

"I've done all the training with Carla."

"Good."

"Maybe we could find a time to talk."

"It doesn't matter, Baelfire. It never did. You proved that when you dumped me two days before prom."

"It was more complicated than that," he whispers.

She checks on Carla and Ingrid, too busy discussing who will be there tonight to pay them mind. Finally, she turns to face him. "How? How was it complicated?" Emma shoots back, her voice hoarse. "I was in love with you, I was ready to start our futures together. And you ended it quickly in between gym and lunch like a fucking middle schooler."

"I didn't think I was good enough for you."

"Please," Emma scoffs. "I was the daughter of two middle class workers. Your dad is rich…"

"And you were destined for amazing things. Everyone talked about what you could accomplish and I had no clue what I wanted to do."

Emma grows quiet, turning away from him once more. Neal bites his lip, staring down at his navy-blue pants. He digs his loafer into the exterior of the car.

"I loved you," she whispers "I didn't care about any of that."

"Well I did."

"You never mentioned it."

"I knew you'd make excuses and…"

"It was my life and you just made all the choices. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"I'm sorry, Emma. I really am."

Another beat of silence. "You changed your name."

"I never liked it."

"I prefer Bae."

"Just don't call me it in public." He meets her eyes, the wall she's built slowly dropping in them. "You changed your last name too."

"My grandfather is a director."

"I heard about that. I never knew."

"My dad cut off all contact with him when he was younger, chose to move to Maine and become a farmer. A few years ago, he had a sexual assault scandal. Nolan's a popular name but I was finally getting good roles. Ingrid convinced me to go with something new."

"So…you chose Swan. Like the keychain I gave you." No response. "I saw you still have it."

"Yeah."

"If you hate me so much…why?"

Emma shakes her head. "I hate you Bae, so much. I just wish I could stop loving you too."

They come to a stop as Neal's mouth drops open. The security guards exit, holding open the doors. Emma steps out, a huge smile taking over her face as if she didn't just drop a huge bombshell within the limo.