Thank you all for you continued support. I'm ecstatic that you all are enjoying the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the last two and continue to want to read more.

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT, its characters or any of the dialogue. But if I did Neal would have fought harder for Emma at the end of the mid-winter finale. C'mon Neal, don't let Hook snag Emma away from you!

Gold pulled up in front of Emma and Snow's loft and parked the car.

Emma was the first to get out of the car and the others soon followed. Neal looked around the town square and noticed all the mom and pop stores that were run and owned by fairytale characters and could physically sense the small town atmosphere.

Neal's dormant senses were steadily growing stronger, the most obvious at the moment was his sense of smell. The town was almost coated in the tangy and strange mixture of bitterness that magic produced , along with the natural smell of nature that surrounded the town almost like a cradle that managed to ground him somewhat. There was also the inescapable odor of gasoline that came with a modernized civilization and finally the unique fragrances of the people/creatures that inhabited Storybrooke.

But there was one scent that stood out from the rest, one that was familiar yet foreign.

He had unknowingly started to follow the scent and was just about to the other side of the road when Emma called his name and he paused.

"The apartment is over here Neal, where we parked" she called from beside the car, puzzled by the almost trance-like state he had been in.

Neal looked one last time where the scent seemed to lead then turned around and walked back to the others, where he saw another woman with short black hair who looked to be about Emma's age and a man with dirty blond hair who was close to Neal's age.

"Neal this is Mary Margaret and David...my parents" he noticed the proud look Mary Margaret and David shared at the title.

Neal was stunned that the two people standing before him were Emma's parents because for one they were so young! Though he was aware that the curse not only transported a great number of people from the Enchanted Forest he had almost forgotten that it also "stopped time", in a manner of speaking, meaning no one aged.

"It's nice to meet you" he offered his hand to David but was met with distrustful/protective eyes. His hands remained at his sides. Neal was about to lower his hand but watched as Mary Margaret elbowed David in the side and gave him a stern look.

Reluctantly David shook his hand, "likewise" he gruffly replied, making his stance on his feelings towards Neal clear.

Mary Margaret gave her husband another disapproving look for his manners then stepped forward to embrace Neal in a hug.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Neal. Why don't we go inside and you can tell us more about yourself" the invitation was opened to everyone, even Mr. Gold, though he declined.

"Thank you for the offer but I must be getting back to my shop" Gold knew that the offer had only been extended to him because he had been standing there and she may be under the impression that Neal wanted to be near him but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"If you're sure" she insisted, though it was quite obvious that even the kind Snow White didn't want him in her loft.

"Yes quite, I have to check on Belle and such" nodding in farewell he waited until Neal had gotten his bag out of the trunk before getting in and driving off.

After an awkward moment of silence the group traveled inside the building and went up to the cozy loft.

~Break~

Parking his car in front of his shop Gold remained in the car, the engine still purring. Hands went limp and collapsed onto his lap. The air around him filled with the gaseous clouds of regret and emotional suffering.

Rumpelstiltskin was not a man known for being a caring individual, apart from Belle he rarely showed this side, but when he did allow his emotions to bleed through the effects could be disastrous.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, before Baelfire had been lost to him, he had been blinded to his need to keep Bae safe and happy and as a result he had hurt and killed a good amount of people. His actions had been wrong though, all Bae had wanted was his papa back, the cowardly spinner and village outcast.

Bae-Neal had said so himself, magic had torn them apart, and he hated himself for suggesting using magic to "fix" everything but he didn't know how else to heal every wound he had caused his son but he was going to try. He couldn't live the rest of his days knowing that his son hated him. He was not going to be like his father, not again. The cycle ended now.

Gathering mental strength Gold got out of his car and leaned against the seat as he reached across the driver's seat to get his cane then closed the door and walked into his shop.

The bell above the door jingled as he entered. The sound alerted the only occupant of the shop and when Belle emerged from the backroom Gold's complexion brightened slightly.

Upon seeing him a bright smile lit up her beautiful face and she hurried to embrace him in a hug, planting a loving kiss on his lips. Gold returned the hug but Belle could tell by the limpness of the hug alone that something was wrong and when she pulled away to look at him fully her suspicions were confirmed.

"Rumple what's wrong? What's happened?" had he not been able to find his son?

Gold tried smiling to calm her but was unsuccessful; she knew him too well.

"I found him sweet heart, I found Bae" he informed her.

The news confused Belle. Shouldn't he be happy then? Unless something had happened.

"What happened? And don't keep anything from me" she ordered, wanting to do whatever she could to help him.

Gold was reluctant to answer her but when she placed her hands on his cheeks and wouldn't let him look away he came clean.

"He hates me. My son hates me and I have no idea how to even begin to fix the damage I've done and without magic!" he confessed, his eyes tearing up and voice cracking with emotion.

He hated how weak he was being, especially in front of Belle, along with his admittance of relying heavily on magic.

Her heart breaking for the man whom she deeply cared for so she brought him back into a comforting hug.

"We'll figure something out, no matter how long it takes we'll find a way to fix your relationship with your son" she assured him, rubbing his back in a soothing manner.

Gold clung to her comforting words and actions, desperately praying that she was right.

~Break~

After an uncomfortable chat over coffee, and hot chocolate with cinnamon for Henry Neal was getting ready to head out when he was stopped by Emma who wanted to talk to him in private.

Having a feeling that this was going to take longer than a few seconds Neal followed Emma out of the apartment and out onto the stairwell where he set his bag down.

A moment of silence passed before Emma spoke, "look Neal, I'm glad that you and Henry are getting to know each other and that you came here to bond more but we need to talk about how this is going to work" she started, crossing her arms she kept a noticeable distance between them.

"Emma, all I care about is being able to spend more than just a few minutes with him" he pleaded, not knowing which way Emma was going to go.

Emma could see and feel the sincerity in his words but she was still cautious, her past with him a clear bias. She didn't want Henry to get hurt ('anymore than he already was' her mind supplied).

"I understand that and of course you can see him for longer than a few minutes but there have to be rules. With the way things are right now with Regina and the flimsy arrangement with Henry we can't be too careful" she explained, having told him earlier about Regina, Henry's adoptive mother, and the unusual custody of Henry.

"Do you think she might try to take him?" from what he had heard of the woman it wasn't below her, considering her past as "The Evil Queen" and the fact that she had taken Henry before.

"I don't know, part of me doesn't want to for the sake of Henry because I know that she truly does love him but I've seen what she's capable of and I don't want anything to happen to him" she confessed.

Much like the woman herself, Regina was a mystery that couldn't be put into one category without a dozen others popping up.

"What do you want to do?" he tentatively asked, knowing that he would go along with her requests (most likely).

"Just...when you have him be sure to have your phone on you, charged, and to call me if you're going to be late. Don't keep him out past 10, always tell me where you're going in case I can't get a hold of you and if Henry does happen to see or want to see Regina while he's with you he can just don't let him out of your sight" she saw the smirk on Neal's face and became annoyed.

"What?" she asked defensively.

The smirk on Neal's face remained as he replied, "nothing, it's just that you're doing a great job with Henry. I always knew you'd make a great mother" his voice was low and heart-felt.

Emma could feel her cheeks warming at the compliment and she turned away when she caught him chuckling in response to her furious blushing. Damn it! She couldn't let him get to her like this! She was still angry with him and she did not plan on letting herself get close to him again. Her heart though was trying to rebel.

When his chuckles died down Neal opened his mouth and in all seriousness answered, "don't worry, I'll take care of him and do better than my best to follow your requests" he was going to doing everything he could to insure that both Henry and Emma were happy and taken care of.

When Emma felt that her cheeks were no longer burning she turned back around and met Neal's stare.

She swallowed, "I know you will. How about I give you a ride to Granny's Bed n' Breakfast?" she volunteered, building her walls back up.

"Yeah, thanks" picking up his bag he followed her down the stairs and out of the building and over to a familiar yellow bug parked near the curb.

His steps slowed down as they approached the bug and watched as she got the keys out. She noticed him staring and stopped what she was doing. It didn't take a genius to know that Neal recognized the car and was undoubtedly going down memory lane.

"You kept it" he observed, finally moving and standing beside Emma as she unlocked the passenger door.

"Yeah, I did. Needed something to get around in" she hadn't meant for that to come out as cold as it did but she was trying to distance herself as much as possible from him.

Neal managed to hide the hurt her words caused him but from the brief regret that filled Emma's eyes he knew that she had regretted the coldness to her words but there was no way to take them back and even if she could he wasn't sure she would change the intent behind her words: that she was still angry with him and the car was just a car.

That was a clear end to that discussion and Neal wisely kept his mouth shut as he opened his door and climbed into the small car.

The drive was spent in silence right up to parking in front of the B&B. With the car in idle Neal unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door to get out, grabbing his bag from the backseat.

After closing the door he leaned down to look through the partially open window at Emma. Feeling his stare Emma barely had the strength to not look at him but managed to restrain herself as he spoke.

"Thanks for the ride, tell Henry I'll pick him up tomorrow at noon for part 1 of the tour" he said.

Nodding in acknowledgement, she waited until Neal was no longer resting his body on the car then drove off.

Instinctively he knew that he was going to have to get used to the awkwardness between them, hopefully just for the time being, and would eventually get better.

Picking up his bag Neal turned and walked the path to the cozy looking B&B. The closer he got to the door the stronger the smell of apple pie and vanilla got but he found that he didn't mind the intrusion. The fragrance painted him a portrait of a warm-loving household during the holidays; an experience that he could only relate to the times before his papa was taken from him. He had been more than content with what they had, that was no question but a part of him had still yearned the celebrations he saw other families having. But beneath that scent was also that foreign yet familiar scent he had caught earlier.

Curiosity peaked even more he pushed the door open a bell jingled overhead and a young woman behind the counter perked up at the sign of a visitor. Smiling he walked up to the check-in counter, setting his bag down.

There was definite curiosity and caution in her eyes, voice and even scent as she greeted him. Neal was aware that outsiders were extremely rare and in recent times could now be even dangerous so he did his best to squash her fears.

"Can I help you?" she eyed him up and down, not recognizing him from around town.

" Hi, there's no reason to be alarmed. I know about the curse. In this world I go by Neal Cassidy, but in the Enchanted Forest my name was Baelfire" he held off on saying who his father was, knowing without having to be told that people in Storybrooke both feared and hated the man so it probably wasn't wise to tell people that he was Rumpeltstiltskin's son.

Her scent noticeably changed from fear back to caution, which was a good sign.

But with all curiosity brings questions and in turn danger.

"If you're from the Enchanted Forest why do you need a room? If you don't mind my asking?" she was playing the curious part to perfection and Neal sensed the approaching danger so he would have to tread lightly.

"No, it's okay. You see back in our land I fell through a portal and was transported to this world. I just recently found out the curse had been broken here. But the main reason that I'm here is to get to know my son better. You probably know his mother, Emma Swan?" recognition popped in her eyes and her mouth formed an 'O'.

"Oh my god! Your Henry's father?! How is that even possible?" and here was the danger.

"That is a long story, but the short version is that during my time in this world Emma and I connected but due to circumstances we got separated for a good 11 years and here we are now" he was hoping that she would get the hint that he really didn't want to talk about this anymore, which thankfully she did.

"How long will you be staying?" she asked, changing from a curious girl to a diligent worker.

~Short Break~

After checking in Neal followed the woman, whose named he learned was Isabelle, up the stairs to his room.

"Here we are. There are fresh linens in the closet, one bathroom and a telephone. If you need anything just dial 1. Have a good night" she parted and closed the door behind her as she left.

Listening until her footsteps faded he then set his bag down on the bed and got out the small box that contained two of his most valuable possessions.

He looked around the room for a good place to hide it but was coming up empty. Leaving the box out in the open was not an option and he couldn't keep it on him, no there had to be a better place.

Walking around he continued to survey the room. As he walked over the floorboards near the bed he paused when the wood creaked beneath his feet. Rocking back and forth on his left heel, the wood continuing to creak, he looked down and crouched, fingering the aging spot on the floorboard.

Setting the box down he felt around the edges for the most weakened spot and when he found it dug his nails in and with one heave pried a small part of the floorboard up. Reaching down he tested the depth and when he was satisfied that it would do he picked the box back up and set it down in the opening then placed the board back down and pressed it into place. Standing up he turned to the bed and went about unpacking.

As he was unpacking his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since the plane ride. Remembering seeing a diner while entering the town Neal left his room and walked down the stairs to get directions.

Isabelle looked up from her book at his approach. "Hey Isabelle, can you tell me how to get to Granny's Diner from here?" he asked, figuring she would know.

"Of course, you just go down the street, turn right, go past...you know what, why don't I just show you? I'm feeling kind of hungry myself" taking her coat off the wooden coat hanger she walked out from behind the counter and led Neal outside.

While they walked she engaged him in conversation, asking about Manhattan, what he did for a living etc.. Neal answered all her questions, enjoying the casual atmosphere and fresh air. He watched as the residents of Storybrooke went about their day, running shops, walking dogs, serving customers and various other activities that made up a small town.

In the distance Neal could see the diner approaching and with it the scent that had been teasing him. Unbeknownst to him his pace had increased, leaving Isabelle in the dust and was soon entering the diner. The theme reminiscent of a fifties diner.

The strong smell of grease, coffee and baking bread was not enough to overpower the mysterious scent that had drawn him in. Walking up to a stool he sat down and looked around at the other patrons who were giving him odd looks and whispering amongst themselves.

Beside him the door opened again and Isabelle walked in, looking around she spotted him and took a stool opposite him.

"Your pretty fast" she noted as she waved at one of her friends.

"Sorry about that, guess I was hungrier than I thought" he lied, continuing to look around the intimate diner.

With his attention elsewhere he was caught off guard when the scent he had been pondering over came in full force; the scent was followed by a small gasp. Following the sound he turned and was face to face with a tall brunette, red highlights in her hair and on her nametag was the name Ruby.

Both were silent, the shock overwhelming their ability to speak. Isabelle though was oblivious to the sudden tension and tried to talk to Ruby but was met with silence.

"Ruby?" she questioned, looking between the two, confused on what was going on.

Ruby snapped herself out of it and tried to go about her job by taking out her notepad and a pen.

"What can I get you?" she asked, looking at Isabelle.

"I'll have a cheeseburger, side order of fries and a coke" she answered, biting her tongue from inquiring about what had just happened.

Turning she refocused her attention back to the new man. "And you?" her heart was pounding in her chest, her hand shaking slightly as it hovered over the paper.

"Same" he answered, doing his best to stop staring at her.

Writing the order down she ripped the paper out and attached it to the order area and quickly walked off, ignoring a man who was raising his cup to signal a refill.

There was a beat of silence before Isabelle cracked. "What was that about?"

~Break~

Outside the diner Ruby was leaning against the building in the back, the adrenaline pumping through her body made it difficult to keep her body from vibrating against the wall.

The scent that had come off the man was alien but so familiar that it was twisting up her brain causing a headache to form.

Who was this man and where had he come from?

~Break~

Back inside the diner Neal was doing his best to ward off Isabelle's questions, the presence of Ruby clouding his mind. Where did she go? Was she coming back?

When they're food was brought to them by another waitress Neal found that his appetite had vanished. Standing up he took out a twenty and placed it beside his plate of untouched food.

"Your leaving? You haven't even eaten" she questioned, wondering where he was going.

"I lost my appetite. Thanks for your company" he quickly escaped the diner before she could ask any more questions.

He tried to use his senses to locate Ruby but his hyped up emotions were making it difficult to focus on one scent.

The sudden ringing of his phone startled him and he dug around in his pocket until he found the device and answered.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice airy from adrenaline.

A moment of silence stretched out and he was about to hang up but stopped when Emma's voice came on.

"Hi Neal, I was just calling to ask if you wanted to come over tonight for dinner?" there was a muffled voice in the background and Emma answered the voice, but she had apparently covered the receiver because he couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Emma?" he questioned, wondering if she had somehow forgotten she was on the phone with him.

"Yeah, sorry Neal Mary Margaret was just asking me something. So can you come? I know Henry would love to see you again" she added, sweetening the pot with the mention of Henry.

"Definitely, what time should I come over?" he asked, a genuine smile brightening his face.

"Well we're preparing the roast now and the potatoes are baking so say about...six?" she said, the time coming off as a question.

"Sounds good, I'll see you at six" he confirmed.

"Okay, see you then. Bye"

"Bye"

They both hung up then. Pocketing the phone Neal took one last look around on the off chance he would see Ruby and when coming up empty decided to head back to the B&B.

~Break~

Regina sat in her son's bedroom, holding an old stuffed bear and looking around the room. She delicately ran her fingers across the stuffed teddy bear, remembering the moment she had given Henry the bear.

Flashback

The day had finally arrived, her beautiful baby boy was coming into the world.

She had spent months preparing a nursery and buying all the essentials and more to make sure that her sweet, precious baby would be taken care of.

She was excitedly pacing in the waiting room, periodically eyeing the door leading to maternity. The agency and doctors had told her the baby would have to stay in the hospital until the final paperwork went through but she wanted to be near the moment he was born.

As ironic as it was Mr. Gold i.e. Rumpeltstilstilskin had procured the child for her. At first she had been suspicious, believing that it was just a trick but he had insisted that everything was legal and with no motive of his own. She had still been wary but her desire for a child had made the choice for her and now she was waiting to meet her son.

Finally the doors to opened and the doctor walked out, a smile on his face soothing any fears she may have had.

"Congratulations Ms. Mills. The baby is perfectly healthy and resting in the nursery. He'll be under supervision for the next 48 hours to ensure that everything is functioning correctly and if all goes well, which I'm sure it will, and the paperwork has gone through you can take your son home" he informed her, his heart warming at the obvious love the woman held for the boy, who she hadn't even met yet.

"Can I see him?' she asked, wanting to see the son she had spent years waiting for.

"Of course, right this way" leading the way she followed the doctor to the nursery.

Her heart become an anvil in her chest as she approached the nurse holding her infant son. He looked so tiny and fragile in the nurse's arms and when he opened his eyes they were oceanic blue and filled with such innocence and possibilities that her heart skipped a beat.

"Meet your son" the nurse spoke, rocking the baby in her arms when he started to fuss.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked down at the beautiful newborn. She looked up at the nurse, uncertainty in her voice,

"Can I-can I hold him?" she asked, being in the presence of her newborn son pulled back the vulnerable side of her personality.

The nurse smiled warmly, understanding the new mother's hesitation.

"Absolutely. Slide your hand under his legs and support his bottom with your other hand. That's right, now make sure his head is resting in the crook of your arm. There you go" she coached as she watched the new mother hold her newborn son.

Regina sniffled as she stared down in wonder and joy at the baby in her arms, the love she felt for him was something she hadn't felt in years, not since her love Daniel had been savagely taken from her because of her horrible, power-hungry mother and that leach Snow White.

"What's his name?" the nurse asked, clipboard with the boy's birth certificate clipped on.

She had thought long and hard about names but she hadn't been able to decide on one until the moment she held the precious baby in her arms.

"Henry Daniel Mills" she breathed, the name falling from her lips like a prayer and in a way it was. Henry for her loving father and Daniel for the love that had been taken from her and through Henry they could be with her once more. This was also a chance for her to give the love she was capable of and finally have her own happy ending that had long been denied her.

Eventually she had to relinquish Henry back to the nurse and was only slightly comforted when she was told that she could visit him again tomorrow.

Before she left she walked over to Henry's bassinet and reached into her purse to pull out the small stuffed teddy bear she brought for him. Gently placing the bear beside her precious Henry she leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on his forehead before following the doctor from the room.

She had stayed in Arizona for the night and came straight back to the hospital as soon as visiting hours started. For the two days that Henry was in the hospital she was there for as long as she could and only left when she was told that visiting hours were over.

As the "Evil Queen" she would have scoffed at this and threatened violence to whoever dared to tell her to leave but as Regina Mills, a new mother, she consented, begrudgingly though.

When the day came that she could finally take Henry home she proudly carried Henry out of the hospital and was on a plane back to Maine within the hour.

Storybrooke residents congratulated her and are cooed over baby Henry as she wheeled him through town.

End Flashback

That had been only some of the happiest moments in her life when Henry came into her life and now that Henry had been taken from her Regina found herself actively seduced into going back to her old "Evil Queen" ways.

She loved Henry with everything she had and more and was furious that Emma Swan, the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White (her two greatest enemies) and the woman who had willingly given up the gift that was Henry, had come back into Henry's life and took him away from her. Taking the one that Regina cared the most about was an incredibly stupid thing to do and she would be sure to remind all that crossed her that the "Evil Queen" was alive and well.

She would get Henry back, no matter that cost and she would make sure that her vow of taking away everyone's happiness reigned true.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review, it encourages me to update faster. Also, next chapter is where a major plot point is revealed so be sure to keep reading.