For Day 3 of Swanfire Appreciation Week: Season 3 AU

Emma rolls over, expecting to collide with her husband. Instead, she falls face first into his pillows. Letting out a small groan, she climbs out of bed and fixes her wild blonde mane so it isn't in her face. Sleep placated in her eyes, she stumbles across the room to the crib, only to find it empty. In the distance, Lou Reed's Charley's Girl plays and the smell of pancakes overtakes the open concept apartment. Emma scrubs at her face and heads into the kitchen.

Neal, the once brooding thief that she met when stealing his already stolen car, stands by the stove with their youngest in a sling around his chest. Emma has never been able to figure out the contraption and doesn't see the point. When they were barely scraping by in their Tallahassee apartment with Henry, they made do without baby wraps and rocking bassinets. All of his clothes were second hand from the thrift shop two blocks away.

"That was 12 years ago," Neal constantly reminds her. "And things are different now."

It's crazy to think that they are. In a little over a decade since their son was born, Neal managed to get his GED and complete his social work degree. They moved to Boston for his new position when Henry was 6 and Emma gave up waitressing to become a bail bondsperson. They're still not fabulously well off but when Neal got a better job offer and Emma fell unexpectedly pregnant with Tallie, they were able to get a two-bedroom apartment in New York. A beautiful neighborhood in walking distance to Henry's school. Their son's only request is that this is their last stop. Moving constantly was fun when he was little but he's getting older and wants to make friends.

"This is it, bud," Emma vowed as the bug headed over the state lines. "This is our home, forever."

A smile falls across Emma's face as she listens to her husband sing along to the radio, gazing down at their 3-month-old daughter. For so long, they were barely keeping their heads above water with one, she wasn't sure if they'd manage to have another. Tallahassee Mary Swan-Cassidy, or Tallie as Henry later nicknamed her, was as much of a surprise as her brother, but marked the completion of their family.

Or she was supposed to. Emma knows she doesn't want more kids, at least not in the biological sense. Pregnancy has never been fun for her. Between their upbringings and Neal's job, they do want to foster when Henry goes to college, but that's not it. As happy as she is, Emma still has that feeling that something is missing. She just doesn't know what.

Shaking that feeling from her head, Emma walks further into the kitchen. "Most babies are raised on Mozart."

"All I sang to Henry when he was this age were Lou Reed, Queen and Yaz. I think he's turned out okay." Neal turns his head away from his favorite person to give Emma a kiss. "She slept from eight last night til four this morning."

"We're getting there, Tal," Emma coos, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead and taking in her face. Henry doesn't look like either of them, not really. Neal claims he's a spitting image of his own father, but Emma's never met him. Tallie, though, she's a mixture of them. From the eyes slowly turning brown to the wisps of blonde hair on her head, down to Emma's nose and Neal's lips. "Where's the kid?"

"Brushing his teeth. I don't have to be at the office until nine, so I can walk him to school if you want."

"You know he's going to want to walk by himself."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen."

Emma chuckles and gently removes the baby from the sling, cuddling her close from a minute. "When did she eat last?"

"Gave her a bottle at 4. She's probably going to be hungry soon."


Neal watches as his wife disappears to the living room to feed their daughter. He lets out a content sigh, moving the pancakes onto a plate. The saucer on the back burner bubbles, letting him know that the hot cocoa is ready. Henry comes into the room and water their plants, still in his pajamas, before sliding down into his chair at the table. Neal kisses his head and places the plate and mug in front of him.

"Um, Dad, you forgot something," Henry says.

Neal tilts his head, then nods. He goes back to the cupboard and grabs the cinnamon, dashing it over his cup. "There ya go."

"Where's Mom?"

Neal removes the sling and hangs it up on the apron rack in the kitchen. "Giving Tallie her breakfast. She'll join us soon." He slides into his chair and holds up his mug. "To a good day."

Henry grins and clinks his mug with his father's. Before Neal can sip the chocolatey goodness, a rapid knock bangs against the door. He searches his head for anyone who could be coming by at this hour but comes up short.

"I'll get it," he calls out to his wife, not wanting to disrupt her. "It's probably Mrs. Q locking herself out again."

Neal walks over to the door and opens it without glancing through the peephole. Instead of the middle-aged busy body neighbor from down the hall, he finds himself face to face with a man decked out in leather. It's been two centuries but he looks exactly the same. Dark, messy hair and deep blue eyes. He's trying to hide it beneath the long black jacket, but a shiny hook pokes out. An awestruck look, the very one he stared at Neal with for months, looks down at him. The man Neal came so close to calling…no. He was never that.

"Killian," he breathes.

"Bae," Killian grins. "You…you're okay."

The sound of his name, his real name, pulls him back to reality. This isn't the pirate that taught him how to sail a ship, who offered him a home. He's the one that sold him to Peter Pan, caused him centuries of torment. If it hadn't been for that stupid coconut, he'd still be on that island crying himself to sleep at night. Anger boils through his skin.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Neal's voice is low enough that his wife and kids can't hear him, but still filled with enough venom.

"You need to come with me. All three of you."

His jaw locks. "You've been following me?" Killian's mouth drops open, but Neal doesn't allow him to speak. "You ruined my life enough. Leave me and my family alone."

"Bae, you need to listen to me. Emma…"

His wife's name falling from the lips of the man he can no longer trust is enough for Neal to push him away from the door, sending him colliding into the wall by Mrs. Q's apartment. Killian groans, holding his back. Neal quickly slams the door shut and puts the chain on the latch. He leans against the door, his breathing slow. Emma comes around the corner, Tallie still latched to her.

"Who was that?"

"No one."

Emma looks dubious but Neal quickly collects himself and walks back over to Henry, who's looking just as confused. Neal remains quiet throughout breakfast, only speaking when it's time to say goodbye to his wife and daughter. He offers to drop Tallie off at the sitter's and Emma agrees, a look of hesitancy in her eyes.

"I'm fine," he assures her.

It's the second lie he's told her in an under an hour, after vowing he wouldn't anymore 12 years ago. Guilt seeps into him as he walks out the door with his kids.


Tallie's fallen asleep by the time they drop Henry off at school. For once, his son doesn't argue about one of his parents walking him. Neal knows logically, he's old enough to walk himself. Henry has a cell phone, complete with a GPS tracker that Emma put on it. It's only a few blocks away and a group of kids go together. And still, that paranoid part of Neal remains. He grew up in a land where a kid walking alone got them kidnapped and placed into the Ogre Wars. Even after his father disbanded it, nothing was safe.

This world is supposed to be better but Neal sees the news. Kids walk to school and are never seen again. Neal cannot lose his family, not after everything he's done to keep it.

"You're keeping her from her destiny."

August's voice haunts his brain. The stupid puppet followed them the first year after Neal told him to get lost. He tried so desperately to convince Neal that Emma had to break the curse. Yet, he couldn't even tell him where their families were. Maybe August was right, maybe not. But Neal will not put his family into danger by exposing them to his father.

Tallie's eyes partially open and she lets out a small whine. "Shh," Neal purrs. "It's going to be okay. You're our next stop. How about we get a coffee? Daddy needs one this morning."

"Emma had another child."

Neal jumps at the Irish accent. Killian stands behind him, looking absolutely ridiculous in his Neverland attire. At least Neal had been smart enough to steal some modern clothes after the coconut dropped him in Phoenix. That combined with a new name made it easier to blend in.

"I told you to leave me alone," Neal growls. "How do you even know my wife's name?"

Killian sighs. "Baelfire…"

"It's Neal. I haven't been Baelfire in 16 years."

"You said that before, but you'll always be Baelfire to me. Your father too."

Neal's jaw clenches. "Is my father with you? Did you bring him here?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Neal marginally relaxes. Killian is awful and Neal doesn't trust him as far as he can throw him, but he'd be even bigger shit if his father was there. "It's just me. Everyone else is back in Storybrooke."

"Story-what?"

"You don't remember it, but a year ago, we were all there. You, me, Emma, Henry…"

"No. A year ago, Emma and I were in Boston. And again, how do you know the names of my wife and kid?"

Killian peers into the stroller and Neal quickly flips the hood so he can't get a better look at his daughter. "I don't know her name."

"And you never will. You have five seconds to explain yourself before I get the cops."

Killian sighs, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "Listen, I don't know what you two think happened but a year ago, we were all getting back from Neverland. Pan had kidnapped Henry…"

"Pan has never laid hands on my son, so I know that's a lie." Neal hasn't even ever let Henry watch any adaption of Peter Pan. The windows remained shut at night. He isn't sure if Pan would ever visit New York, but he's not taking that chance.

"Baelfire, just listen to me!" Killian's voice grows firm and a chill runs down Neal's spine. For some reason, he grows quiet. "I know you think that you and Emma have always been a family, but it's not true. A year ago, you two were just getting back into each other's lives. Henry was kidnapped by Pan and we saved him…but then there was a curse. It brought all of us back to the Enchanted Forest. But there was a catch. Regina couldn't be with Henry."

"Regina? Who's Regina?"

"Henry's mother."

"Emma is Henry's mother."

Killian shakes his head. "Biologically. But Regina adopted him."

"You're telling me in some other universe, Emma and I never got married. We gave Henry up for adoption…we were all in a place called Storybrooke?"

"Aye."

"That's ridiculous. Emma and I have been a family, we've always been a family."

Killian reaches into the breast pocket of his jacket and removes two vials of glowing blue liquid. Neal's eyes widen a bit. It's the first bit of magic he's seen in almost twenty years.

"Drink one of these," Killian urges. "It'll remind you of what you've forgotten."

"I'm not drinking anything you give me. You could be trying to drug me."

Killian returns the vials and this time, removes a manilla envelope and hands it over to Neal. He opens it and removes a myriad of pictures. Henry with a woman that Neal cannot recognize at different points of his life. Ones of Emma with two adults that look just like her, the woman is a near exact clone of Henry. The last one gives Neal pause. Him as an adult with his father's arm around him. Unlike the others that are close ups and posed, this one is candid. Much like Killian, his father looks the same age as he did when Neal saw him last. His scales are gone and Neal is reminded of the man he was before the darkness took over. Neal is smiling, actually smiling, down at his much shorter father who is beaming in return. Tears prick Neal's eyes and he blinks furiously to get them away.

"How do I know you didn't photoshop this?"

"What's that?"

Neal sighs, looking back up into Killian's eyes. They're filled with as much sincerity as the last night he saw them.

"We could be a family."

"I know you don't have any reason to trust me, Baelfire," Killian whispers. He removes one of the vials again. "But this will show you what's real."

Neal gnaws on his lip for a few moments. He places the pictures onto the hood on the stroller and checks on his daughter, who's returned to sleep once more. The vial falls into his palm and Neal uncaps it, praying to Gods he's not sure if he actually believes in to protect him from whatever price this magic will have. The blue liquid is bitter and also sweet, like baker's chocolate mixed with lemons. The vison before him blurs as a series of images play before his eyes.

He's disappearing into the darkness, money in hand from the watches.

August is telling him that Emma's in prison but won't tell him where. Neal gives him the money and the car, skipping the border to Canada.

Meeting Tamara in New York, thinking he was in love until Emma came colliding back into his life.

His father on the verge of tears when Neal sees him for the first time in over 200 years.

"How old are you kid?!" Neal explodes to a confused Henry.

"11!"

Storybrooke. Being forced to see Hook again. His father nearly dying. Tamara betraying him but it didn't hurt as much as he expected…because he still loved Emma. Falling through the portal and with Robin's help, ending up in Neverland.

Realizing that no matter how much time has passed…he loves his fathers. Both of them. Killian and Rumpelstiltskin. He's forgiven them, he wants them back in his life. Even if he couldn't say it.

His father turning into a scroll after sacrificing his life again. Belle's screams echoing through Main Street as she drops to her knees.

Purple smoke coming closer and closer. "Neal can go with you," Regina explains.

"But I was born in the Enchanted Forest."

"And you had a life outside of Storybrooke. You'll be safe.

The tears in Emma's eyes as she hugged her mother for dear life. David trying to keep it together as he instructed Neal to "take care of them".

Henry having to be torn from Regina. He cried until the bug pulled over the town line and their minds were forced to forget their lives.

Neal's head pounds as his vison returns to normal. Killian stands before him, his face hopeful. Tears swarm while his mind makes room for the two realities: one where he abandoned his true love and the other where he wasn't too much of a coward and stayed.

One where his father is dead, despite the darkness protecting him with immortality.

"Papa," he chokes out.

Killian's hand falls over Neal's shoulder. "He's alive," he says.

Neal's head snaps up. "What?"

"Belle managed to save him. But there was more…" Killian trails off, sighing. "There's a witch. She wanted to hurt Snow White. They managed to create a curse that would send them back to Storybrooke and protect them from her but before it was cast, they told me to come here and get the three of you…though I guess it's the four of you now."

Neal slowly nods. "But you only have two vials."

"Your father could only find enough resources for two memory potions. One for you and one for Emma. She broke the last curse, she'll be able to do the same with this one."

"And Henry? He's not going to remember anything?"

"We're hoping once the curse breaks, he can remember."

Neal stares down at his sleeping daughter. For a year, they lived in a beautiful dream. One where they were a family. Regina made it so all mistakes were rectified.

But every dream ends and you must wake up, facing your reality.

Neal doesn't realize Killian is hugging him until his rough arms are wrapped around him. It takes a minute, but he releases his grip on the stroller and throws his own around his step-father.

"I missed you too," he mumbles.


Emma throws her bag up onto the hook, kicking off her boots. She releases her hair from the prison that her ponytail created. Walking into the kitchen, she finds a solemn Neal sitting at the table, his eyes on the whiskey shots in front of him. Emma frowns.

"Whisky? What's the occasion?"

"Uh, sit down."

Emma obliges, sliding into the chair across from him. "Are the kids okay?"

"They're fine. I sent them over to Mrs. Q's for a bit."

"Why?"

"I um…you should probably drink the shot first."

"Neal…" She takes hold of his hand. "What's going on? Did that case end poorly? Is the family not going to be able to adopt after all?"

"Work's fine, babe." He tries to smile but it doesn't fully form. "Please, just have a shot with me."

Emma opens her mouth to press forward, but there's pleading in those big brown eyes. That's one thing Henry inherited from his father, his puppy dog face. It's enough to make Emma pick up the shot glasses they've had since Florida and knock back the drink. To her surprise, the drink is run down with something. It's strong, but there's more sweetness than bitter…

"My name is Henry Mills and I'm your son."

"You're Henry's mother?"

"So it's true…"

"You found us."

"You left me and sent me to prison…because Pinocchio told you to?!"

"I have a secret too. I'm never going to stop fighting for you."

"Life is made up of moments. Good ones, bad ones, but they're all worth living."

"Happy endings aren't always what we think they'll be."

"Goodbye, Emma."

The shot glass falls with a clink to the table. Her eyes raise to meet Neal's, his eyes filled with sorrow. A new memory worms it's way into Emma's mind. The hot, sweaty Neverland forest. Stripping her clothes to bathe. Neal happened upon her accidentally and turned to leave but Emma told him to stay.

"Nothing you haven't seen before."

"Things have…changed… a bit."

"Bad?"

"No…good."

Soon, he was naked and they bathed together like they used to when they had to hurry before a motel manager found them. Old times, they'd mess up the hospital corners on the beds. In Neverland, sand got in every crevice as they crashed onto the shore. Neal swore he'd pull out, just as he had last time…

Tallie would've happened whether they were cursed or not. The baby Emma once thought was conceived after a Red Sox game…is really a product of true love's magic on a beach in Neverland.

And she has grandparents. Three.

Emma has parents. Two that love her more than anything, who didn't want to let her go.

Henry has another mom. The not so evil queen that has become a friend.

"How?" Emma whispers. "I mean…Regina said we wouldn't be able to remember."

"That knock on the door today? It was Hook. He somehow got here to bring us back to Storybrooke. Our parents are there."

"Our parents…Neal, your father…"

"He's alive." A relieved smile falls across Neal's face. "Belle found a way."

Emma grabs hold of his hand and squeezes it. "That's amazing." She is quiet for a moment. "How did you remember?"

"Killian had two memory potions. It's all my father could procure."

"So, Henry…"

"We're going to have to find another way for him to remember."

"Remember," Emma whispers. "Remember a life where he was put through so much pain? Where we both abandoned him?"

"He has another mother, Emma. One that loves him and has missed him so much. Killian says she nearly put herself in a sleeping curse because she couldn't live without him. You know we'll never not be in his lives, but what if this were Tallie? We've raised her for the past three months. How would you feel if someone tried to take her from us?"

Emma nearly killed Lost Boys to get Henry back. She'd do the same for Tallie. The difference is her daughter has always been just hers and Neal's. Henry…he's always been Regina's. Emma's tried to fight it but she will never be the mom he needs. Sure, he doesn't remember Regina now but that's only because she made the biggest sacrifice.

It's not fair to make him live in a world where he's not loved as much as possible.

She's hit by a sudden wave of emotions as she remembers her parents. The ones that fought so damn hard to be in her life and she kept pushing them away until it was too late. She suddenly misses them, a lot.

"We have to go home," Emma says, her voice firm. "But how do we explain this to him? We swore that New York would be our last spot. To him, we've moved so much in the past six years."

Neal shrugs. "He's a kid. He'll probably be mad at us for the moment but once he gets his memories back, he'll understand."

"I just don't want to hurt him."

"My father once told me sometimes you have to hurt a child and hope they understand one day. It's a risk we need to take."

Emma sighs, nodding. "Where's Killian right now?"

"I found my old apartment, the one I lived in when you found me. For some reason, it's still in my name and I have the key. He's staying there until we figure out what we want to do."

"I guess we'll leave tomorrow. Maybe we can tell him that it's a family emergency. Your dad reached out after all this time and needs help."

Neal nods. "That sounds good. But how do we explain the pirate?"

"Family friend."

"You're a little too good at this lying thing."

Emma shrugs. "Spent too long hearing them."

Neal gnaws on his lip. "I know we were in a weird place before we left…"

"I meant what I said, Neal. I love you. I always have and I always will." She squeezes his hand. "I wanted to figure out this stuff before Pan's curse...and we can do that now."

"Even with a baby?"

"We owe it to her to try."

A gush of relief bursts through his heart. Neal leans in, kissing her. She deepens it and grounds him to this world. Their lips eventually part, but their foreheads remained connected.

"Let's go home," he whispers.

"You once told me home wasn't a place, it's a feeling. I used to think we needed to be in one specific area to be happy. Tallahassee was nice, I love New York…but now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you and I'd probably be happy."