New Orleans, 2006
Life had changed dramatically for Eudora d'Orleans. Her beloved husband had been killed overseas, leaving the restaurant and all it entailed, to her. Eudora knew about running the restaurant - whenever she'd been free on the weekends, she'd be at the restaurant, managing the phones or helping with the finances.
Many times she'd bring homework that needed to be graded and do it in the back office, or patchwork that her students had created.
But now, her partner was gone, and the restaurant was squarely on her shoulders. Oh yes, Eli La Bouff had offered his support whenever she needed it, but Eudora wanted to show James, and the detractors she'd acquired that she would be able to lead Tiana's Palace into a new era. God knew, it was what the city needed.
But still, it was hard, especially with Tiana. The girl was a storm all her own, brave, outgoing and stubborn as her daddy - and being alone, sometimes it was hard to make Tiana understand that she just wanted what was best for her.
Tired eyes wearily looked over the numbers, not fully registering what they meant. She'd been down here for hours, and it was nearing eleven o'clock. The restaurant was closed, the staff having just left for the evening.
She needed some air.
"Eli? Can you make sure Tiana is doin' her homework? I just need to clear my head outside for a bit," she called to her old friend.
Eli looked up from his beignets. "Of course, Miss Eudora. Take all the time you need."
Eudora gave him a grateful smile, heading out the side door to the alley. It wasn't the most pleasant place, right next to the dumpster, but the front had too much noise with people still crowding the block despite it only being a Wednesday night.
"I miss you, James. I know you'd be so proud of Tiana for wanting to follow in your footsteps, but she can be so damn stubborn sometimes. I know you always said I had the magic touch when it came to getting her to listen, but I'm not so sure I have that anymore. I think she'd be more willing to listen to you," she sighed into the open air. "This just ain't fair."
She glanced up at the sky, feeling herself slowly start to relax, before she heard a thud near the dumpsters. She would have written it off as an animal if it weren't for the distinctly human arms she could see trying to reach inside.
Eudora knew she shouldn't, but something compelled her to call out.
"Hey honey, you alright over there?"
The figure froze, the arms dropping back to the other side of the dumpster, but the stranger didn't run off.
Eudora moved slowly toward the dumpster despite every safety warning she'd ever heard ringing in her head. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."
Finally, the smaller figure peered out from behind. A boy - couldn't be any older than her daughter, stared at her with terrified eyes. His clothes were baggy and ripped, his hair matted and dirty.
In his hand were scraps of food.
"Please… don't call the police," he whispered. "I - I didn't mean any harm… I was just hungry."
Her heart sank. This poor boy. She knew it was risky, but she would never let a child go without food - and neither would James.
"Well, I'm not gonna let you eat out of that dumpster. C'mon into the kitchen, I'll cook you something fresh," she said, gesturing to the door. "I'm not gonna call the police on you, I promise."
She could see the boy was shaking as he emptied his fist and started moving toward her.
"What's your name, honey?"
"N-Neal…" he mumbled, following her into the kitchen, flinching back at the bright lights.
"Alright Neal, is there anything special you - "
Eudora's question was cut off as the boy stumbled, falling to his knees.
"Oh - oh no, hey, c'mon honey, it's alright…" she said, carefully holding him so he didn't hit the hard tile floor. She shifted her hand to his forehead, realizing with horror that he was burning up. "ELI!"
She managed to get Neal into the main restaurant as Eli called for an ambulance. She shuffled Tiana off with Eli for the evening and rode to the hospital in the ambulance. It was hours before she got news - dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia, and the next afternoon, she returned with Tiana, Charlotte and Eli.
"Why… why are you here?" Neal asked, frowning in confusion at the group around him.
"You gave us quite a scare. We just wanted to make sure you were alright," Eudora said with a smile. "Dr. Richardson says you've got a bad case of pneumonia."
"Yeah, she told me that this morning. That explains why I feel like I got hit by a bus…"
"I brought you one of my beignets…" Tiana said, giving him a smile as she set it on the tray. "I'm sure it'll taste better than a plain old sandwich."
Eudora took a seat next to him. "Dr. Richardson also said social services'll be here this afternoon."
"I don't need services. I'm fine on my own."
"I'd say otherwise given your state," Eudora said, raising a brow.
Neal picked at the deli sandwich on his tray. "I just don't want to go back."
"Don't you have a Mama or Daddy waiting for you?" Charlotte asked with a frown.
He shook his head. "No. No one that would miss me. I've been on my own a while now."
Eudora's heart ached again for the boy. All alone, with nowhere to turn to…
She couldn't let it happen.
Tiana nudged her, giving her a worried look, and in that moment, Eudora knew what she had to do.
"You can stay with us."
Neal's head snapped back up from his lunch. "I - what?"
Eudora nodded. "You can come live with Tiana and I. We got room."
"I - I can't do that… I'm just a street kid. You don't want me living with you."
"What I don't want is for you to be living on the streets without safety or a roof over your head. What do you say?"
It took a few moments, but finally, a sob escaped him. "Okay… I - I'll stay with you. Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness…"
It was early evening by the time the social worker arrived. Eli had taken Charlotte and Tiana home to do their homework, leaving Eudora alone with Neal.
"I'm Eudora d'Orleans," Eudora greeted with a smile. "I'm the one who found Neal last night."
The social worker - Amanda Johnson, she noted - gave her a bright smile. "How nice that you've stayed. I don't usually get to see the rescuers. And this must be Mr. Cassidy."
Neal gave her a quiet nod, barely looking over at her.
"Ms. d'Orleans, I will have to ask you to leave during this meeting, for his privacy's sake."
"Of course, I understand. I'll be outside."
She didn't stray far, remaining close enough to the door to hear the hushed voices inside. When the social worker re-appeared, Eudora approached.
Johnson adjusted her bag. "He says you've offered your home to him, Ms. d'Orleans, but I noticed I don't have you down as a licensed foster parent in the area," she explained. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to place him with one of them, if they have room - "
Eudora shook her head, firm. "I want this boy to know he's going to have a roof over his head. Send me whatever I need to fill out."
Johnson rustled in her bag, before producing a pamphlet and an application. "Here, then. Given Neal's circumstances, I'll put a rush on your application. Thank you, Eudora. It's difficult to place teens. I'm glad to know this one has someone looking out for him."
Eudora smiled, handed the complete application back, and returned to Neal's bedside. "It's gonna be okay, honey," she said, looking at his bloodshot eyes and wiping a stray tear from his cheek. "I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you."
"Hey Neal! How did the ball go last night?"
Neal ran his fingers through his hair, smiling at the screen. "It went… better than expected. I have a date with Emma -" he flinched, hastily turning the volume down on his phone at Tiana's squeal. " - And I told my dad."
"Oh? And how did that go?" Eudora asked.
"He and his wife invited me to live with them and moved me in last night after the ball," Neal said, heading downstairs where his father and Belle were making lunch. "Did you want to meet them?"
"I'd love to."
"Papa? My mama wants to say hi."
Aiden looked over and smiled, taking the phone. "You must be the famous Eudora and Tiana I've heard so much about."
"And you must be Mr. Gold. It's so nice to finally meet you. Neal's been worried sick about whether or not he should tell you."
"Please, call me Aiden. I understand. I know I have a reputation in Storybrooke. I'm just glad he told me the truth and that I have my son back."
"I'm sure. I can't imagine what you must've been feeling all these years. I'm glad we were able to play a small role in getting him home."
"It wasn't a small role at all… it was thanks to you that my son was able to find me again."
Belle put her hand on Aiden's shoulder, peeking over it and smiling at the camera. "Baelfire spoke so highly of you last night at the ball."
"Ah, Belle, wasn't it?"
"That's right," she said with a smile. "Aiden and I were hoping that you two would like to come up to Storybrooke for the Thanksgiving holiday?"
"Oh, that sounds wonderful. We'd love to come."
"Can Lotte and Big Daddy come too?"
"Tia - "
"I'd like them here too," Neal said immediately, looking at Aiden and Belle. "They're like family. If that's okay... "
"The more the merrier," Belle agreed with a smile. "We'd love to have them."
Aiden nodded in agreement. "Yes, our home is large enough for all four of you. It might be nice to have more of a barrier between myself and my father-in-law."
"Oh, I understand that quite well. I thought James' mama was never going to like me. I don't think she did until Tia was born, actually…"
"What?!"
Belle laughed softly. "I think some parents just can't accept that their children grow up. It's a bit sad, really."
"Oh, sure. The thing is, I'm pretty sure James would've been the same way when Tiana got old enough to start dating, despite knowing what his mother was like to me."
"Miss Eudora? I'm sorry to interrupt but one of the guests is asking to speak with you…" a new voice suddenly cut in.
Eudora sighed. "Alright, I'll be right there. It was so nice to meet you, Aiden, Belle. We'll talk to you all soon."
"Bye Mama!" Neal said before the call ended, taking his phone back from Aiden.
"They seem so lovely, Bae," Aiden said with a smile. "But what about those other two that will be joining us for Thanksgiving?"
He slipped his phone into his pocket and stirred the soup Belle had placed in front of him. "Oh, Mr. La Bouff and Charlotte? Well, Charlotte is Tiana's best friend, and Mr. La Bouff owns a couple news stations. He came from a line of sugar barons. They call him Big Daddy because of how much money and time he spends with charities. They're good people, I promise."
Belle smiled. "I think it'll be a wonderful holiday, Aiden. And we'll be able to include Bae in our traditions too."
Neal smiled. "I can't wait. Do you guys watch the Macy's parade?"
"We do, but Storybrooke also does a small one the day before. Nothing fancy, but the kids always seem to love it. Aiden is one of the biggest supporters of it," Belle explained. "Marco dresses as Santa at the end too. It's very sweet."
"Marco? The skinny carpenter guy?" Neal asked, frowning a little.
"Well, we give him a little extra padding in the Santa suit. The kids don't know the difference."
"It was always Gideon's favorite part of Thanksgiving when he was little," Belle giggled. "I'll have to show you some pictures later."
Neal smirked before lifting the glass of water to his lips. "I'd like that. And I'll ask Mama to bring pictures from New Orleans so you can see them, Papa."
Aiden had seemed deep in thought, but brightened slightly at the words. "I would love nothing more, Baelfire."
"Oh - and I forgot to say I've got plans Friday night, with Emma. I'm taking her on a date."
Belle unexpectedly laughed. "That explains the squeal we heard coming from your room. You must have told Tiana and Eudora, right?"
His cheeks suddenly blushed pink as his hand scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah… sorry about that."
"No no, don't apologize. I'm happy for you Bae. You deserve it."
"Thanks Papa…"
The week flew by, Neal adjusting to life in the Gold household. Everyone was up by six, out the door by seven-thirty. Papa or Belle came by the fire station to offer lunch if he needed, which, while sweet, started feeling a little overbearing by Friday, and he was grateful for the chance to escape and hang out with Emma.
Even if his palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel and pulled into the long drive to Nolan farm. One last check of his hair, and he made his way to the door.
Emma greeted him with a wide smile, wearing a red dress with white polka dots, her hair curled and pushed over one shoulder.
"Neal, hey!"
He clutched the tulips a bit tighter in his hand before handing them over. "H-hi Emma. You look great. These are for you."
"Tulips? Wow, you don't see these this time of year. How'd you find them?"
"Belle helped. I didn't ask too many questions."
"Oh, so Moe, then. He's a florist. Come on in, I'll get these in some water and then I'll be ready," Emma said with a smile, waving him inside. "Mom! Dad! Neal's here!"
There was something different about walking through the farmhouse now, as a date instead of as just a friend, and it made him feel even more nervous as he followed Emma into the other room.
David and Mary-Margaret were sitting at the dining room table, David raising a brow at Neal. "Hello Neal."
"Er… hello Sheriff Nolan, Mrs. Nolan. It's nice to see you again," he said politely.
Mary-Margaret, on the other hand, seemed almost serene as she spoke. "Emma said you'll be going to dinner and then for a walk, right?"
He nodded. "Yes ma'am. And I work the early shift tomorrow at the station so we won't be out too late."
Emma appeared from upstairs, a black leather jacket slung over her arm. "Are you ready to go?"
He nodded, offering her arm, which she took just before he heard the snap of a camera.
"Oh! Mrs. Nolan, if you wanted to take a picture I would have stopped…" Neal said, watching as she pulled the polaroid from the camera.
"Oh? Well that's so kind of you, Neal! Finally, Emma has a date with someone that appreciates me trying to make memories."
"Mom!" Emma protested, rolling her eyes as the two posed for a better photo, and finally, they were on their way to Tony's.
"So, I noticed that nice VW bug in the driveway. That yours?" he asked after they ordered.
Emma nodded. "It is! I finally saved up enough to get it. Just in time for my college classes to start!" she made a dramatic jazz-hands gesture before grinning. "I've been saving up for that car for months!"
"It's a pretty cool lookin' car. I can understand why you'd have your eye on it," he agreed with a nod. "How's Bobby?"
She smiled. "He's doing much better. He got home last week and he's building up his lung strength. He was able to start school too, just in time."
Neal grinned. "Hey, that's great! I'm really glad to hear that Emma."
"It really is. But how are you doing, with being with your dad and Belle and Gideon?"
He pushed his pasta around with his fork. "I really do love getting to know my dad, don't get me wrong, but they're both getting a little pushy, always coming to the station if I'm on shift and asking for lunch… are they usually that way?"
"Belle is, but that's a bit out of character for Mr. Gold, but I bet he's just worried that you might not come back, y'know? Just give him a little more time. It's only been a week," Emma said. "Have you told your mom in New Orleans?"
"Yeah, the day after the ball. She and Tiana'll be coming here for Thanksgiving with a couple friends, if you want to meet them."
"I'd love to!"
Dinner continued, dessert a chocolate mousse with pomegranate seeds on top, Neal and Emma chatting all the way through, and before long, they found themselves walking along the empty shores, a cool breeze beginning to stir and clouds gathering in the distance.
"Can I tell you something and you keep it a secret?" he asked when she laced their hands together.
"Sure, what is it?"
"You know Alice, right?"
"Margot's girlfriend? Please don't tell me she's your ex or something," Emma asked, her nose screwing up in disgust.
His followed suit. "Ew! No, of course not! She's my cousin."
"Your - "
"On Killian's side. Her dad is his twin brother," Neal explained. "I hadn't seen her since before I ran away. When she showed up in Storybrooke, it took everything in me not to run back to New Orleans."
"Does she know?"
He nodded. "Took me a couple weeks, but I told her before the ball. She was the only one I really trusted when I got old enough to realize something was wrong… but I still didn't trust her enough to tell her I was leaving."
"I can understand that…" Emma said, pausing their walk to look at him. "You have lived an interesting life, Neal Cassidy."
"I was thinking about taking Gold back as my last name, actually," he admitted with a shrug.
"Neal Gold…" she hummed in consideration, smiling. "I like it. It suits you, I think."
"Thanks," he trailed off, caught by her eyes. His heart thudded uncomfortably against his ribs, both of their faces going bright red in the fading light.
"Hey, Emma?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I - can I kiss you?"
She nodded, and he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers gently, feeling all of the warm, gooey feelings he'd heard about from movies. She kissed him harder, her arms coming to wrap around his shoulders as he pulled her closer against him, just before the skies opened and a heavy rain began to fall.
They parted, cheeks still bright red, and burst out laughing.
"Guess that's a sign we need to get back!" Neal said, taking her hand and running along the beach with her back to his truck. They were soaked to the skin when they finally got inside, water dripping everywhere as Neal started the car and turned on the heat to try and dry them off during the drive back.
"I had a really great time tonight, Neal," Emma said, wringing her hair out carefully. "Do you think we can do it again?"
Neal nodded, pulling into the driveway and getting as close to the door as he could. "I'd love to. Let me know when you're free."
"I will. Thanks again!" she gave him another quick peck on the lips, hopped out of the car, racing to the covered porch, giving him a wave before disappearing into the house.
He exhaled as he drove back home, quickly heading into the house out of the storm.
"Nice night, son?" Aiden asked with a small smile, looking up from his book.
Neal nodded, wiping water from his eyes. "Yeah, really nice. Emma and I are going to plan a second date."
Aiden chuckled. "Good, good. Go ahead and get out of those wet clothes. We can talk more tomorrow when you get back from work."
"Alright Papa," Neal replied.
He went upstairs, took a hot shower, and fell asleep with a smile on his face, listening to the storm outside.