The last two episodes of season 3 but with Neal instead of Hook. This is assuming that they figured out a way to save Neal so he didn't die. Enjoy and feel free to share your thoughts.
x
Emma pushed wind-blown strands of hair out of her face. The breeze off the water was cold, sending shivers through her body, but she did her best thinking at the docks. She slumped back on the bench and watched the seagulls swooping through the air.
"If you didn't want to go on a date, you could have just told me and I would have understood. There's no need to leave town."
Emma knew who it was without turning around. She recognised the smooth voice, the teasing in his tone. "It's not that." She glanced behind her to see Neal. He had a playful frown on his face, the way he looked at her when he knew there was something she wasn't telling him.
Emma considered what he had said a few days ago in the diner.
Tomorrow I'm going to be hungry probably around lunchtime and so I'm going to come here. I'm going to sit in that booth and you're welcome to join me, and if not, I'll quit bugging you.
It was a tempting offer. She had gone back and forth on it, trying to decide what to do. Was she ready to start things with Neal again? Would Henry be okay with it? What if they messed it up again? Something had always distracted her before she could settle on a decision.
"Henry is the only thing I can focus on right now. I have to do what's best for him." She watched her breath curl in the cold air, avoiding Neal's soft brown-eyed gaze.
Neal climbed over the back of the bench and sat next to her. There was a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and he reached into it. "Henry asked me to give this to you." He said, offering the leather-bound storybook to her. "He thought it might remind you that your home is here."
Home. Even after all their time apart, the word always made her think of Neal.
Emma hesitated to take the book from him. "When I look at these stories, I see princes and princesses. Fairytales." She tugged at the sleeves of her leather jacket, her armour. "I'm not a part of that world. This doesn't feel like home."
"You're running away." He said it like a fact not a question. "When I was a boy, I ran away from all this." He waved his hand in the air with a flourish and Emma recognised the gesture that was characteristic of his father, Rumplestiltskin. "I know what running away looks like. The only question is, what are you looking for?"
It made Emma think of their first date.
So, what's your story, Neal?
My story is that I left a screwed up situation and it kind of screwed me up.
Maybe he did understand why she always needed to run away. He knew abandonment just as well as she did.
"Home." She let the word float in the air between them. "I learned something a long time ago. Home is the place when you leave, you just miss it." Neal laughed at the familiar words. It was a soft chuckle, beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, and it took Emma a moment to finish her thought. "So, yeah, I'm going to keep running until I feel that."
He nodded, understanding. His gaze flicked down to the book on his lap. "You think you'll feel that in New York?"
Emma wondered if he was thinking about his own apartment in New York, the life he had built there. She remembered the dreamcatcher hanging by his window. A memento of their time together. He had held onto it all those years, and she had held onto things too. Her hand almost went to her neck, to the swan pendant. Then she remembered she had given it back to him in a moment of anger that she sort of regretted.
"I don't know." She shrugged, thinking about how quickly the illusion of the past year had been shattered. "We were happy there. Henry had tons of friends at school and I…had someone too." His gaze drifted back up to her and she offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry."
Neal smiled in return, but his eyebrows were drawn together in a frown and she knew he was disappointed. "Don't be." He paused, rubbing his hands together. "I want you to be happy, Emma, even if it's without me." Wisps of his breath swirled through the air as he spoke.
He sounded sincere, but Neal always sounded sincere. Not much had changed about him. He was still so much like the boy she had first fallen in love with.
Emma was about to remind him that they had been happy once, but then she saw something in the distance. A bright beam of light was coming from the top of the warehouse where Zelena had tried to perform her time travel spell.
Without a moment's hesitation, Emma stood up and started running towards the light. Behind her, Neal shoved the book back into his messenger bag and followed her lead.
They arrived to find a swirling whirlpool in the floor. A portal. To where?
Then Emma felt something tugging at her, an invisible energy that gripped her like a magnet, pulling her towards the portal. Her boots started to slip on the floor. "Neal!" She yelled to be heard over the whirling spiral of energy.
"Emma!" He yelled back. Reaching his hand out towards her, he ran to catch her before she could fall into the portal.
Their hands connected and he tightened his fingers around hers.
Emma felt a burst of relief. She tried to steady herself but she was being pulled in different directions. The portal, crackling with energy, expanded outwards. She shrieked as her foot slipped into the whirlpool of light. Stumbling and tripping, she fell forward into the swirling portal.
Neals's grip fumbled but he caught her hand again. Instead of pulling her back, he thrust himself forwards, following her into the portal. "I'm not losing you again!" His words echoed around them as they were sucked up into the spiral of magical energy, hand-in-hand.
x
Emma landed on her hands and knees. Somewhere along the way she and Neal had stopped holding hands. He landed next to her on the dusty ground a moment later. Emma exhaled sharply and pushed herself up onto her feet. She tucked her hair behind her ears, then dusted the dirt off of her hands and clothes. Neal was doing the same thing beside her. The messenger bag was still slung over his shoulder and he adjusted the strap.
Glancing around, she saw that they had landed in a forest with tall green trees in every direction. They were standing in the middle of a road. Overhead birds whistled tinny tunes and rustled the leaves of the trees.
"We're in the Enchanted Forest." Neal's voice was calm and controlled.
Emma spotted a piece of parchment with Snow White's face on it pinned to the bark of a tree. A bounty by the order of the evil queen. "But when?"
Neal made a thoughtful noise. He was a little further away, looking at a tree that had fallen and was lying across the road. Then he stiffened. There was a clopping sound coming from the distance - footsteps and hoofbeats.
Neal came up next to her. His lips were pressed together tightly, his jaw clenched. The tension in his expression made Emma feel tense herself. She followed his worried gaze. Straightening her posture and clenching her fists, she prepared for whatever was coming up ahead.
The sound was getting louder and louder. White-cloaked knights appeared on the road. Then bridled white horses trotted forward, pulling a matching white carriage behind them.
Emma froze at the unfamiliar sight but Neal put his arms around her and guided her away from the road. Stumbling over the thicket, she followed Neal deeper into the forest and crouched down next to him among the shrubbery. She started to ask him what they were doing but he put a finger to his lips and whispered to her. "Trust me. You didn't grow up in this world but I did."
Emma knew he didn't mean anything by it, that he was just being practical. Besides, he was right. She didn't know that world as well as he did. If they were going to get back to Henry in Storybrooke, she would have to trust Neal.
"We're not supposed to be here, remember?" Neal continued softly. "We can't make any changes, or it will affect the events in the future."
Emma nodded and peeked over the bush they were hiding behind. Everything smelled like wet earth and whatever musky, sweet plants grew in the Enchanted Forest.
The white carriage rolled past them, slowing to a stop in front of the fallen tree. The clopping of hoofbeats quietened and the carriage door swung open.
A man stepped out of the carriage. He joined the knights where they were gathered around the fallen tree.
Emma raised her head a little higher over the bush to look at him more closely. The dirty blond hair. The sword strapped to his side.
Then his voice, unmistakably familiar, rumbled as he called to someone in the carriage. "Worry not. It's but a fallen tree."
Prince Charming. Dad.
Emma gasped, then put her hand to her mouth. She knew this story. She knew who and what was in the carriage - Charming's fiancée and more importantly, his mother's ring. This was the story they had all been reading in the diner. That was why the portal had brought them there and then.
As she recalled the story from Henry's storybook, her gaze drifted to the side and up to a figure perched on the branch of a tree. Hidden among the greenery, the figure had a cloak pulled up over her head and an arrow notched in her bow.
Snow White. Mom.
Emma couldn't help smiling. She crouched back down behind the shrubbery. Her hand closed around a twig, snapping it. The sound echoed through the quiet among the trees. She looked up - too late - and watched as the cloaked figure, distracted by the sound, wobbled and then fell into the shrubbery below.
Then Emma turned her attention back to Prince Charming.
"Look at these markings." He spoke with authority, his tone steady and commanding. "This tree didn't fall. It's been cut. It's an ambush." Unsheathing his sword, he glanced around him and ordered his knights to move the fallen tree.
There was a rustling of leaves next to Emma and she turned towards it to see Snow White running away.
Neal must have sensed her uneasinesses because he put his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture. His eyes searched her face for an explanation.
Emma's gaze snapped back to her father climbing into the carriage. The door swung closed and the horses started to trot froward again, pulling the carriage behind them.
Neal hopped over the shrubbery and walked to the place where the carriage had been only moments ago. Emma followed him with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She watched as the carriage disappeared in the distance and they were left alone.
That was not how the story was supposed to go.
She tuned to Neal beside her. "You remember what you said about changing things…" Her voice trailed off as she reached for Neal's messenger bag to show him the story of her parents' first meeting. Flicking through it, she saw that the pages after that moment were all blank. Everything that was supposed to happen after that didn't happen anymore. "This was the moment my parents first met."
Understanding dawned on Neal's face. "Except they didn't. Because of us."
She nodded and bit her trembling lower lip. If Snow White and Prince Charming never met, they would never fall in love, and Emma wouldn't exist.
"There is someone who can help us." He wiped a hand over his face like he regretted what he was about to say. "My father. If anyone knows what to do in this type of situation, it's the dark one."
x
They walked through the forest side by side, stepping over logs and ducking under low branches. Although Neal had left the Enchanted Forest when he was a boy, he still moved around with natural ease as if he had never left. Of course he had spent a whole year in the Enchanted Forest as an adult during the time Emma and Henry were living in New York.
On their way to the dark one's castle, they passed a small village. There were a few thatched cottages and people milled about fetching water from the well and loading wooden carts with fresh produce. Neal's fingers laced through hers and he guided her along the outer edge of the village, staying close to the trees. They both had experience with sneaking around places they weren't supposed to be.
They stopped when they reached a washing line where the villagers had left their clothes to dry. The clothing looked like it belonged in Henry's storybook - corseted dresses, embroidered cloaks, and puffy white shirts.
Neal slipped a few pieces of clothing from the line. When he saw Emma's disapproving expression, he chuckled softly. "It's not like we're stealing a car or something. We'll return it all before we go home."
The confidence in his voice snapped Emma into action. He was certain that they would find a way back and she was filled with fresh determination to do whatever it took to make it happen. They were almost teenagers again, 'borrowing' whatever they needed to get by. She picked a few items of clothing from the line for herself. Then they slid back into the forest.
They split up, going in opposite directions, so they could each change in privacy. Emma sorted through the bundle of clothes, deciding what to put on first and hoping it would fit. The dress was snug around her form but she assumed the corset was meant to be that tight. She wrapped herself in a brown-coloured cloak that would help to blend in among the trees.
Neal was done dressing first and she found him already waiting for her in the clearing. He looked a lot more comfortable than she did. He was wearing dark pants and there was a green cloak-like piece of material wrapped around his chest in layers.
They put their pile of regular clothes under snowbell bushes, figuring it would be easiest to remember when they wanted to find them again.
Emma fidgeted with the neckline of her dress. "I'm so glad corsets went out of fashion."
He tilted his head to the side, considering, before he responded. "Well, if it's any consolation, it looks great on you."
She tucked her hair behind her ears, almost self-consciously, and turned away before he could see her blush.
They set off for the dark one's castle again. Neal blended in with the forest with his brown hair and dark clothes. The black messenger bag was the only detail that seemed out of place. Emma pulled the hood of the cloak over her head to cover her blonde hair. She tried to move as soundlessly as Neal did but her dress made it difficult. The skirt bunched around her legs. Frustrated and groaning, she tried to keep up with his confident stride. Twigs crunched and snapped under her boots. Her cloak caught on thorns. She was panting by the time they reached another clearing.
They stopped to rest. Neal directed his gaze up towards a hill and Emma followed his eyes to see what he was looking at. In between all the greenery was a stone-grey castle shrouded with mist.
A shiver ran through her body. "It almost makes his shop in Storybrooke look like Disneyland."
Neal smiled but it was tight-lipped and faded quickly. "He wasn't always like this. Before he became the dark one, he was just my father. He took care of me. When my mother stayed out all night at the tavern, he would tell me bedtime stories until I fell asleep." He shook his head, as if clearing the memory. His eyes, brown and earnest, met hers for a moment. There was no doubt Henry had his father's eyes. It was her turn to offer a tight-lipped smile. She wasn't sure why she felt sad when he had shared a happy memory.
What he said reminded her of something else. A memory from years ago. An amusement park at night, lit up just for her.
Crappy home life, I get that.
No, but it wasn't always. That's the problem. It was really great once.
The climb to the castle was shorter than it looked. It was a relief when the soil and grass beneath them gave way to cobbled stones. They followed the path leading up to the large doors of the castle and paused for a restful moment. Neal was quiet. He had been quiet for most of the way there. Emma couldn't imagine what he was feeling. Neal's relationship with his father was complicated and she could tell he was nervous to see him as the dark one again.
"What do we even say to him? Hey, we're from the future." Tentatively, she placed her hand against the wood of the door. She half-expected some magical force to throw them backwards, but nothing happened.
Neal mirrored her action, placing his hand against the door. "He might believe it."
She gave him an encouraging nod, which he returned, and then they pushed the doors open.
The two halves swung inward with a creak. Emma and Neal stepped forward into a grandly-decorated foyer. There was a round table in the middle with a candelabra on it. The flames of the candles were snuffed out by the wind that rushed in through the open doors. Neal started to ascend the spiral staircase. Emma followed behind him, lifting her skirt as she climbed the steps. She could see the tension in Neal's posture - the stiffness of his shoulders, his hands trembling at his sides.
They emerged on the second floor landing. Neal strode forward like he knew exactly where he was going and Emma stayed close behind him. He tightened his grip on the strap of his messenger bag before entering into what looked like a royal dining room. There was a long rectangular table with a feast laid out on it, but there was only one chair, at the head of the table.
The feast looked delicious even though she didn't recognise what some of the dishes were. There was roasted meat, fragrant soups, stewed fruit, and other sweet and spicy dishes. It wasn't exactly Granny's grilled cheese but her stomach still rumbled.
Standing next to the table, a woman in a blue maid's dress hummed a merry tune under her breath and poured two cups of tea. Her hand wobbled when she saw Emma and Neal. Tea spilled onto the table, quickly spreading and leaking onto the floor. "Who are you?" She asked, setting the teapot down and brushing strands of dark hair out of her face.
Belle.
The recognition made Emma laugh, pleased to see a friend. Then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know Belle. "We're here to see the dark one." She said evenly, lowering the hood of her cloak. The dishes on the table were still steaming hot. There was a plate at one end of the table with food piled on it and cutlery laid across it slovenly, as if someone had been interrupted in the middle of their meal. He had to have been there moments ago. "Rumplestiltskin!"
'There's no need to yell, dearie." The high-pitched voice came from the entryway they had come through. Emma whipped around to see Rumplestiltskin bow mockingly. "I'm right here."
Neal was on the other side of the room where he had been looking through a collection of magical items. When he turned and saw his father, he took a step backwards as if he had been pushed.
Rumplestiltskin strutted to his seat at the end of the table and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. He waved Belle away with a dismissive gesture and she left with her empty serving tray.
"Pa - " Papa. Neal stopped himself before he could say it. "We need your help."
Then Neal made a choked sound. He was lifted off the ground by some invisible force. His hand went to his neck, fingers clawing at his skin.
Lounging in his seat, Rumplestiltskin had his hand closed in a fist. "I don't appreciate strangers coming into my castle and demanding my help." He tightened his fist and Neal made more sputtering noises.
"Rumplestiltskin!" Emma's voice was frantic. "You have to listen to us!" She started to run towards Neal, who was thrashing in the air. Still holding Neal by the throat, Rumplestiltskin waved his other hand in Emma's direction. She was thrown backwards and landed on the floor.
"Why should I listen to you?" Rumplestiltskin rose, pushing his chair back.
As she stood up, Emma fumbled while untangling her cloak and dress that had bunched around her. She turned to Rumplestiltskin and tried to sound confident, despite the distress she was feeling. "Because if you don't, you'll never see your son again."
Rumplestiltskin's expression faltered at the mention of his son. There was something like sadness in his eyes as he spoke, but his tone was still menacing. "What do you know of my son?"
Emma saw the change in his demeanour, a crack in the dark one character he played, and continued more confidently. "His name is Baelfire. You're planning to enact a curse in hopes of reuniting with him."
He unclenched his fist. His attention turned away from Neal, who had fallen to the floor, and towards Emma. "Who told you that? Who are you?"
She wanted to go to Neal, to check if he was all right. Then she saw him stand up and dust himself off. She knew he was okay, so she fixed her gaze on Rumplestiltskin. "I'm the one who breaks the curse so that you can find him. I'm the product of true love."
Rumplestiltskin marched towards her. "How do you know so much about my plans?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I haven't done it yet."
Emma took a step towards him, self-assured. "You will, and you will succeed." She could see the cogs working in his mind, making sense of what he was hearing.
He gave a little gasp. "I find Bae?" The hardness of his expression melted into something like relief.
Emma's gaze flicked to Neal. "Yes."
Rumplestiltskin's eyes were glassy with tears but he quickly blinked them away. "If you know all this, that means…"
"We're from the future." Neal's voice was soft, taut with emotion. He moved to stand next to Emma.
Rumplestiltskin put a finger to his chin, thoughtful. "So someone figured out the time travel spell. Was it me?" Then he waved his hand in the air before they could reply. "Don't tell me. Knowing too much about the future can have unfortunate consequences."
Emma fidgeted with her dress, picking at a loose thread. "Speaking of, we might have -"
"You changed things." Rumplestiltskin interrupted. He didn't wait for them to confirm his guess. "What have you done?"
Emma exhaled slowly before responding. "We interrupted my parents meeting."
x
Rumplestiltskin folded his arms across his chest. "Your parents. Who are they?" His tone was clipped, laced with thinly-veiled annoyance.
"Snow White and Prince Charming." When he frowned in confusion, Emma quickly explained. "His real name is Prince James."
"How do they meet?"
Emma reached for the storybook in Neal's messenger bag. Moving some of the dishes around, she created space on the table and placed the book on it.
She flipped it open on the page where their first meeting was supposed to be. The new story showed Snow and Charming going in opposite directions - Snow running away into the forest and Charming continuing along the road in his carriage.
"Snow steals the ring from the carriage and Charming - James - goes after her. Long story short, they fall in love." Emma turned the page. "It didn't happen that way. Everything after that is blank."
"It's the ripple effect." Rumplestiltskin looked up from the book. Clasping his hands together, he turned to gaze out of one of the large windows. "Once you change something in the past, the future after that point becomes uncertain."
Emma considered what he said. She started to pace along the length of the table, thinking. She noticed Neal had wondered off. He was peering at a cabinet stacked with objects - swords, books, jewellery, and other magical-looking things - and every now and then she saw his hand dart between the cabinet and his messenger bag. Only the dark one's son would know how to steal from the dark one.
An idea started to form and Emma stopped pacing. "Maybe if we somehow get Snow to steal the ring, the story might happen the way it's supposed to."
Rumplestiltskin whirled around to face them again. "You're in luck." He clapped his hands together. "There's a ball tonight at King Midas's castle. Prince James will be there and so will the ring."
Neal's attention snapped from the cabinet to Emma. He had been quiet for a while and she was surprised to hear him speak. "How do we get Snow there? We don't even know where she is."
"Allow me." Rumplestiltskin flourished his hand in the air.
A crystal ball appeared on the table next to the book. They gathered around it while Rumplestiltskin waved his hand over the misty orb. The image in it shimmered and then the mist cleared. Emma recognised Snow White talking to a pirate in a tavern.
"She needs the money from the ring to secure passage on a ship and escape the queen." The image flickered and the orb was clouded with mist again. Emma's gaze drifted from the crystal ball to Rumplestiltskin. "What do we do?"
"We?" He scoffed. "I can try to open your portal to the future, but you messed with your parents meeting, dearie." He waved them away as if swatting a fly. "Only you know what you did and now you must undo it."
In the blink of an eye, he was back in his seat at the table and continuing his meal.
Neal's voice was hushed and conspiratorial, as if to avoid being overheard by Rumplestiltskin. "I think I might have an idea." He lifted his eyes to meet Emma's. His eyebrows were furrowed together in concentration. "Snow needs passage on a ship. When I was a boy, I spent some time on Hook's ship. I know my way around it." He glanced at Rumplestiltskin and raised his voice, speaking with determination. "You can glamour me to look like Captain Hook and I'll make a deal with Snow."
x
The tavern was crowded with people talking and drinking in clusters. They had found a table close to a window, away from everyone else. Neal shifted in his seat, uncomfortably hot in his leather outfit.
The noise in the tavern was rising with people's drunkenness as the night went on. Neal leaned closer to Emma across the table and half-whispered half-shouted. "Keep the real Hook distracted for as long as you can."
Emma turned to look over her shoulder at a group of particularly loud pirates, drinking and playing games in the centre of the tavern. In the middle of it all, sat Captain Hook, downing his drink - rum most likely - before rolling a pair of dice.
She turned back to Neal. "That shouldn't be too hard." Her voice wavered. Her eyes drifted up and down him like she was trying to remember who he was.
Rumplestiltskin's magic was perfect. Although Neal felt no different from his usual self, he knew that Emma - and everyone else - was seeing Hook's face and hearing Hook's accented voice.
A loud roar of laughter rumbled out from Hook's table. The familiarity of the scene reminded Neal of when he was a boy and he had walked into the tavern late one night to find his mother drinking with Hook's group of pirates.
He was relieved when Emma spoke again, drawing his attention back to the present moment. "What if we come back to his ship a little earlier than expected and you're still in his cabin?" She tucked her hair - golden in the lantern glow - behind her ears in an almost self-conscious gesture.
Neal felt a twinge of jealousy but he tried to keep his voice even. "Pretend you've had a little too much ale and stumble into the door or something." It was a trick they used to use a lot. He wondered if Emma remembered. "Just hit the door."
Her smile told him that she did remember. Standing up from the table, she unfastened her cloak and unlaced her corset. Before she could go over to Hook's table, Neal grasped her hand in his. "We can do this. We will get back to Henry."
With a determined nod, she turned and weaved in between the crowd. Neal watched her go and then left the tavern to find Hook's ship by the docks.
The night air outside was chilly and quiet. The warmth and noise from the tavern felt faraway. Neal didn't like the idea of splitting up but he had to trust that Emma could handle herself.
Memories of his time on Hook's ship left a bitter taste in his mouth and he usually tried to avoid them. Now he welcomed them, gathering little details about the way Hook acted around his crew mates and trying to mimic them himself. He strutted onto the ship with as much smugness as he could gather. He kept his replies to the crew's questions curt and condescending, the way a captain would talk to his subordinates.
Apparently, he knew Hook quite well, because he managed to slip belowdecks to the captain's cabin without much question.
Neal made himself comfortable at Hook's table that was littered with rum bottles and treasure maps. The ship swayed gently with the motion of the waves. He leaned back in his seat, resting his feet on the table. There was a creaking sound and he looked up to see a cloaked figure descending the stairs to the cabin.
She stepped out of the shadows and Neal recognised her immediately. The soft glow from a candelabra illuminated her face - pale and round, cheeks rosy from the cold. A few strands of dark hair stuck out from under her hood.
"Who are you?" She asked in a firm voice.
Neal remembered Hook's smug, slithering way of speaking and tried to replicate it. "That's not important. All you need to know is I have a ship that can take you to any realm you wish." He lifted his eyebrows, knowingly. "Snow White."
Her expression faltered at being recognised, but she quickly composed herself again. She marched towards the table and sat in the chair opposite him. "Why would you help me? What do you want in return?"
"There's a ball at King Midas's castle tonight and some treasure that needs to be stolen."
x
They reached an agreement and then Snow left. Neal relaxed, relieved that he didn't have to pretend to be Hook anymore. The rocking of the ship underneath him was comforting and unsettling all at once. It was on that very ship that he learnt how to sail, and it was on that ship that he met the pirate who tore his family apart.
He started to flick through the papers - mostly treasure maps - on Hook's desk. He remembered the portrait of Milah he had found as a boy and the realisation that had followed. His mother wasn't dead. She had abandoned him.
His wretched reverie was interrupted by someone knocking on the door of the cabin. Reflexively, he hopped out of his seat and slunk into the shadows. There were footsteps and then Emma and Hook appeared. He had his arm around her, although more for support than anything else. His steps were drunkenly unsteady. He was in the middle of relaying some story about himself but the words were slurred.
When he dipped his head to kiss Emma, she shrugged his arm off before their lips could meet. Hook stumbled backwards without her support. He took a moment to regain his balance and Emma glanced around the cabin. Neal wasn't sure if she had seen him or not. Her eyes landed on him for a second before she turned her attention back to Hook. Running her hand down his leather vest, she giggled flirtatiously and practically purred. "You promised me a night cap."
"Indeed I did." Hook mumbled drunkenly.
He turned towards the table and fumbled for a bottle of rum and cups. He was in the middle of pouring the drinks and muttering all sorts of charmingly romantic things when Emma started to edge towards the stairs. Neal moved from the shadows towards her. A quick smile spread across her face. Then they were both running up the stairs, their hands bumping together and then interlocking. They ran right past the stunned crew and didn't stop until they were away from the docks and back at the tavern.
Neal barely had a moment to catch his breath before Emma dragged him by his sleeves and pulled him towards her. Her back was pressed up against the wall of the tavern, right next to one of the foggy windows. Neal saw his reflection in the glass. Rumplestiltskin's magic had worn off. He was back to his old self again. Brown hair, brown eyes, and the outfit he had been wearing before.
Emma held him to her, her hands fisted in his cloak. She was still panting softly. Her cheeks were flushed. Light spilled from the open door of the tavern, bathing her so she looked golden.
Neal's breathing was ragged, not from running but from excitement. He leaned into Emma's touch. His fingers trailed along her unlaced corset, hesitantly at first, and then firmly settled around her waist.
Her chest heaved rhythmically. Her hair was messy from running and Neal brushed a few strands out of her face before placing his hands on her waist again. She smelled of pine and snowbells, probably from walking through the forest.
Her fists tightened in his cloak, drawing him towards her, until their faces were close to touching. Neal almost fell forward. He braced his hands on the wall, pinning Emma against it. Her lips parted. Everything else faded away as Neal pressed his mouth against hers. The kiss was soft and slow. Nothing like the fiery making out from when they were teenagers. It was so much better than he remembered. It meant so much more now.
Her hands moved up to his neck and then to his hair, tugging at the strands. Electricity thrummed at his fingertips, desire cresting over him in waves. He knew if he didn't hold onto her, he would fall down. His hands drifted from the wall to her waist.
Then Emma broke the kiss. Afraid he had done something wrong, Neal dropped his hands from her waist and pulled back from her.
She spoke before he could, still breathless. "Yes."
"What?" Neal whispered, confused.
"You asked me on a date." A playful smile quirked on her lips. "This is my answer." She kissed him and her hands gripped his hair again.
Neal's fingers drifted along her collarbone. His palm flattened against the place where the swan necklace used to rest. He could feel her heartbeat thumping. The kiss deepened and it was a little more like when they were teenagers, eager and desperate, as if they wanted to escape into each other.
Then it was Neal's turn to break the kiss. "Like…right now?" He asked, curling a finger around a strand of her hair.
"When we get back to Storybrooke." Her breath was warm on his face.
The mention of Storybrooke seemed to snap them both back to the present moment. They were on a quest and time was running out. Just as they parted, a high-pitched giggled echoed from nearby.
"It appears I have interrupted something." Rumplestiltskin's calculating gaze shifted between them. "Well, dearies, did everything go according to plan?"
Emma fidgeted with her rumpled dress, smoothing out the material. There was a furious blush spreading over her cheeks as she nodded.
Neal ran a hand through his hair. He knew it probably looked mussed from her playing with it. Still flustered from the kiss, it took a moment for him to figure out what to say. "Snow should be at the ball right now."
Emma folded her arms across her chest. Her expression was serious, focused. "What are we supposed to do, just wait around and hope she steals the ring? I don't like leaving things to chance."
"I feel the same way." Rumplestiltskin waved his hand in the air and a piece of embossed parchment appeared in it. "An invitation to the ball. I'll continue working on the portal and you two will make sure everything goes according to plan." His gaze narrowed on Emma and Neal, considering, and then he frowned. "Not dressed like that of course."
He waved his hand in the air again. A dark red mist curled around Emma and Neal. When the mist cleared, Neal's breath hitched and he exhaled a little shakily. Emma was wearing a red ballgown, the same colour as her leather jacket. Her blonde hair was fastened in a sophisticated up-do. She looked like a princess out of Henry's storybook. Neal glanced down at his own outfit - a black and gold suit that fit just right, and a sword sheathed at his side.
Emma blinked, looking down at her dress with a surprised expression. There was a question forming on her lips but Rumplestiltskin spoke first.
"Allow me." When he waved his hand in the air, a mirror appeared in it. Their reflection showed people who looked similar to them but with a few subtle changes. "A glamour spell. This is how you shall appear to one and all."
Neal met Rumplestiltskin's eyes. There was no particular emotion in his expression, as if they were strangers to each other. It wasn't easy to be around the dark one again. When he was a boy, he had worked so hard to get away from all of it. Now there he was, relying on the dark one's magic to return to his own son.
Emma broke the quiet, interrupting his contemplation. "Let's get the hell out of here."
x
Emma's gaze swept around the ballroom. It was beautifully decorated, with a lot of gold ornamentation. Light harp music filled the air. Guests of King Midas milled around, chatting to each other and drinking out of golden goblets.
Emma leaned towards Neal. "My parents are always going on about all these balls they went to, but honestly I don't get what the big deal is."
She didn't catch his response, distracted by the change in music and the flittering of movement going on in the centre of the ballroom. A dramatic folksy tune, like a chorus of fiddles, started to play. Guests were pairing together and gliding around in a synchronised dance. Their practiced, graceful movements matched the music perfectly.
Emma could understand what the big deal was. Neal must have seen the awe in her expression because he held out his gloved hand in an offer. "May I have this dance?"
Emma blushed, nervously. "I don't know how to…" Glancing at the twirling couples, she felt both nervous and excited. It looked like a lot of fun but also very complicated. "Do whatever they're doing."
Neal shrugged. "It's a waltz. All you need is a partner who knows what he's doing."
Letting out a shaky laugh, Emma placed her hand in his and let him guide her towards the dancers.
The couples seemed to be moving together as if they were one unit. Emma and Neal, hand-in-hand, drifted out of the crowd of spectators and joined the circle of dancing.
Neal's other hand rested on her waist and she was reminded of their kiss outside the tavern. Something about running together, holding hands and laughing in between panting, made her feel like a teenager again. Without even thinking, she had kissed him and he had kissed her, and it had felt so familiar and right.
Neal started to step back and forth, guiding her along. Emma put her hand on his shoulder and tried to sway with the music. Then they both stepped forward at the same time. Neal chuckled as they bumped together. His posture was relaxed and he moved with the same practiced grace as the other dancers.
"I didn't know you knew how to waltz." Her hand tightened in his, gripping the leather of his glove.
Neal smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. His hand left her waist as he stepped aside. "I'm so much more than a thief." Then he spun her into his arms, her back pressed against his chest. "You're a natural yourself."
Emma felt his chest rise and fall as he spoke. His breath tickled the back of her neck. She shifted in his arms to face him, mirroring the other dancers. They moved back and forth again. She was starting to get the hang of it. Her movements were more fluid and relaxed.
Over Neal's shoulder she could see Charming talking to a blonde woman - his fiancée. His smile was tense, his expression strained. He didn't look very happy.
"There's Charming." She whispered, breathless from the spinning.
Neal twirled them around so he could follow her gaze to where Charming was standing.
The music swelled, louder and more fast-paced. Neal dropped to one knee. Emma didn't have to look at the other couples to know what to do next. She was starting to anticipate each step according to the rising and falling of the music.
Still holding his hand, Emma glided around him in a circle. The music returned to the usual pace. Neal stood up again and they continued swaying back and forth.
Then the music faltered and stopped after the screeching of bowstrings. The doors of the ballroom were thrown open and Regina walked in, dressed in a theatrical black outfit. A moment later her knights, dressed in matching black outfits, trickled in behind her.
There were gasps and shocked exclamations. The dancing stopped. Emma and Neal broke apart.
"Regina." Emma said uncertainly, surprised to see Regina in something other than a pantsuit.
"Not Regina. The evil queen." Neal put his hand on Emma's arm, drawing her closer to him.
Regina's voice was booming and laced with menace as she addressed King Midas, thanking him for the invitation.
The music started to pick up again, but no one danced. The couples split up and mingled with the murmuring crowd.
Emma looked to the place where Charming had been standing. He was no longer there. Casting her gaze around, she realised that he wasn't in the ballroom.
The Emma's attention caught on a blonde woman in a blue dress at King Midas's side. Charming's fiancée had an expression of contempt on her face. King Midas was talking to his palace knights, recognisable by their golden armour, and his voice rose in a shout. "The bandit Snow White? Here? Get her!"
Emma and Neal ran out of the ballroom in the direction the knights had left in. They ran down a corridor, following the clamouring of armour.
Hitching up the skirt of her dress, Emma darted out onto a balcony. The night air was cold and faint music still drifted from the ballroom.
Snow climbed over the edge of the balcony and started to descend down the castle wall. Emma ran forward, pressing her palms on the stone edge of the wall and peering over it. Neal stood next to her, watching as Snow ran towards her horse and then climbed onto it.
Above them, the windows of a turret were flung open. "You can't hide from me!" Charming's face was outlined by moonlight, fierce determination clear in his blue eyes, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Wherever you are, I will find you!" His words echoed through the air.
A smile broke across Emma's face. Then she felt something prod her side. It was one of Regina's knights, with an arrow nocked and aimed at Snow.
Emma rushed at the knight, throwing her arms around his waist, and knocking him onto the stone floor. His bow and arrow clattered next to him.
Emma had landed almost on top of him on her hands and knees. Before she rose, she noticed something glimmering on the floor in front of her.
It was a silver ring with a green jewel in the centre. Emma's fist closed around it and she stood up, suddenly anxious. Snow was supposed to have stolen the ring, so the story could continue the way it was supposed to.
When she opened her fist to show Neal the ring, his eyebrows furrowed together and his shoulders sagged.
There were a thudding sound coming towards them. Emma clenched the ring in her fist. They both turned to see knights flooding onto the balcony. "Get the ring to Snow. I've got this." Neal yelled over his shoulder before drawing his sword out of its sheath.
Emma raced away from the balcony and Neal battling the knights. She heard swords clashing together and knights crying out, but she didn't look back. Following the thrum of music, Emma raced down a corridor and burst into the ballroom.
x
Neal sheathed his sword and then wiped a gloved hand over his sweaty forehead. He left the knights, wounded and sprawled on the floor, and ran back to the ballroom. Weaving in between guests, he glanced around for Emma.
Then the music stopped and one of the queen's knights yelled. "There she is. She helped the bandit escape."
Neal's gaze snapped to the knight who had just spoken and then he noticed Emma. She was standing right in front of Regina in the middle of the ballroom.
Neal stopped moving. Some part of him wanted to rush forward and defend Emma, but he knew it would only get them both in trouble.
Regina said a few derisive things to Emma. She laughed but there was no humour in her voice. Then the queen's knights escorted Emma out of the ballroom with Regina striding behind them.