For Day 2 of Swanfire Appreciation Week: Tallahassee AU
Tallahassee was supposed to be a happy ending. Warm, sunny and on the beach. A place where they'd make love and never fight or worry about money.
They're only there a few weeks before Emma realizes what a lie that is. She's heavily pregnant, exhausted and working long hours at the diner to pay rent on their apartment the size of a shoebox. Neal contributes the best he can as he balances a job at Hardee's and college course load. The money from the watches is slowly depleting between medical bills, baby expenses and the motor in the bug needing to be replaced.
Emma and Neal barely see each other anymore. Emma works the nightshift and sleeps during the day. Neal is the morning shift at Hardee's and then has classes in the evening. When they do, there's no energy to talk much less make love. Most nights, they lay on opposite sides of the busted couch they found on a curb. Their eyes glued to some crappy show on their TV, another free find. Emma's always heard the expression "you get what you paid for" and it's true here. Anything good costs money.
A month before the birth of their son, a tropical storm hits. Neal's classes are canceled and her rigid boss is forced to close the diner at the demand of the governor. The palm trees trash around with a vengeance as rough rain pellets the windows. A boom of thunder sends a chill down Emma's spine as she makes a couple of cold cut sandwiches. The lights flicker once, then twice before completely shutting off.
"Shit!" Neal screams from the bathroom.
Emma fumbles through the drawers, feeling around for some candles. She sets them up on the counter and locates some matches, carefully lighting them. A bit of the room comes to light but not enough to actually be of any use. Holding one, she locates a flashlight and carries all three to the living room. Her hand on the wall, she waddles to the bathroom and pushes open the door as Neal flushes. She holds the flashlight so he can wash his hands and then leads him out to the living room. They sit on the couch together, inches apart. Heat is slowly taking over, the AC no longer working. Emma works off her tight black t-shirt, leaving her in a sports bra and some shorts.
Neal's hand carefully goes over her stomach, rubbing it gently. "God, I hope you don't go into labor tonight."
"Why would you even jinx us like that?"
"It would be our luck, you having to deliver in the middle of a tropical storm."
Emma shakes her head. "They're not due for another month."
"Babies can come early. I've read…"
"You've been reading?"
Neal nods. "Yeah, I'm not illiterate, you know."
Emma rolls her eyes as another clap of thunder plays off in the distance. "I know that, I just…didn't know you were interested in all that."
"I know I've been busy, Emma but I do love you and this baby. I want to be there, help you."
"How?" Emma loses her sarcasm and allows the real fear to take over. "Neal, what are we going to do? My work isn't giving me maternity leave and I don't have enough PTO to adequately care for them. We can't afford daycare either."
"We've got a bit of the watch money left. Combined with my job, I think we'll be good for a few months. Then you can get a new job, maybe at a better restaurant with a nicer boss."
"That doesn't take into account childcare," Emma points out. "Who is going to watch him?"
"We'll make it work," Neal soothes. He pushes some of her hair out of the way and starts to massage her back.
"How? You work and go to school. I'm working."
"I read something about daycare assistance. We could apply for that or try to find one with a sliding scale."
"A what?"
"We pay what we can afford."
"What if we don't qualify for any of that stuff, Neal? Or what if they figure out that I ran away from the foster system…."
"Hey, hey."
Neal presses a few kisses to her neck and she allows herself to melt into him. Tears burn her eyes and she blames the hormones. She rarely cried until she got pregnant and now she's as bad as the tropical storm coming dangerously close to breaking their windows.
"I know you're used to bad things happening," Neal coos. "But no one is going to take this baby from us."
"What if they do? What if they think we're unfit…"
"They are never going into that horrible system. I won't allow it." He continues massaging her back, hitting some of the highest points of stress. She quietly moans, moving closer to him in spite of the heat. "I'm going to protect you, both of you."
"I want to believe you, I really do but…"
"No one's ever kept a promise to you before. I know. I'm not like those other people, though." He kisses her neck once more and she partially turns around so he can lay a few on her face. "I'm going to protect you." Lacing his fingers through hers, he places their hands over her stomach in time for the baby to kick hard. "Both of you."
Emma slowly nods. Doubt still eats at her mind, but she doesn't want to give into that tonight. "Promise me, promise you won't ever leave."
"Never, Em. Tallahassee, baby. You're my home."
Emma lets out a choked sob and falls against him. She cuddles within his arms as the storm rages on.
It's a memory that'll stay with Emma for a long while. At least until the potion reminds her of the reality. She did end up in Tallahassee for a while but she had already given away her baby and Neal was nowhere to be found.
