Author's Note: Hey everyone, I do appologize with the late updates. The past 2 weeks have been pretty tense with personal issues and school. Currently on spring break so I have the time.

I love this story and I have no plans in abandoning it. You all have been loyal fans and like me, you deserve to see this one through so I hope despite my "hiatuses" that the story is still as good as you've come to enjoy it to be.

Just hang in with me a while longer, I promise you I'll complete it :)

With that I hope you enjoy chapter 11 and I hope to have a new chapter or two up this week.

Chapter 11: Trying to Be Civil

Neal stretched his legs inside the squad car.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up," he said to Emma who sat in the driver's side.

Emma shrugged, "It's not like I had much of a choice since I am the only one who can leave Storybrooke, other than Henry but he's in school."

They continued on in silence for a while.

"So how's Tamara," Emma said trying at a failed attempt at conversation.

Neal looked over at Emma, "I'm moving to your town and you want to talk about Tamara?"

"Or not," said Emma unsure of Neal's tone. "I don't know I just figured that if we're gonna try to make this work I should at least try to take some kind of interest in your life and she is a part of that so…"

Neal sighed, "She's fine I guess."

"You guess, what did you two have a fight or something?"

"Something like that. She's just having a hard time dealing with all of this."

"I think we all are."

"Maybe but it's easier for us."

"How do you figure that," Emma asked.

"We're from the same world so it's more believable."

"But we didn't know that eleven years ago. You might've but I didn't."

"And I didn't know who you were until months after we met," Neal said trying to once again defend his actions.

"But you didn't trust me enough to tell me who you really were."

"Emma it's not that I didn't trust you, I've just tried so hard to forget that part of my life. You can understand that."

"Fair enough," Emma said. "So did you want me to drop you off so you can get a room some place or did you want to get something to eat first?"

"Sure I could go for a bite."

Emma nodded and drove until they got on the main street and arrived at Granny's.

The downside to living in a small town was that everyone was curious about each other's business. Add in the fact that no strangers ever came to Storybrooke and the stares Emma and Neal got as they walked inside could not be helped.

The two of them found a table in the middle of the room and took a seat.

It didn't take long for Ruby to come up to them.

"On duty right now Sheriff?" she asked.

"Yeah," Emma replied.

"Guess that explains your ward," said Ruby. "One last meal before you lock him up?"

Emma looked at Neal who gave a smug look to Ruby. She then turned her attention to Ruby as well.

"He's not my ward. I was just giving him a lift."

"In your squad car," Ruby asked not buying it.

"What other car is there," Neal asked speaking up since he and Emma had arrived.

Ruby smiled at Neal, "Oh Emma's go this cute little yellow bug that-," Ruby noticed the distasteful look that Emma was giving her. She just shrugged.

"What, it's just a car," she told Emma.

This time Neal turned and looked at Emma.

"I thought you would've sold it by now."

Emma remained silent and looked down. Ruby could sense the discomfort at the table.

"I'll be right back with your cocoa. And for you?"

"Ice tea is fine," said Neal not taking his eyes off Emma. "That's why you picked me up in the cruiser isn't it? You didn't want me to see you still had our car."

Emma shrugged, "Ruby's right, it's just a car. You were bound to see it anyways." She looked up at him, "It's no big deal."

"For not being a big deal it sure is making us both uncomfortable. Why'd you keep it?"

Ruby came over and dropped off the drinks.

"It was convenient," said Emma.

"You could've traded it in."

"You really want to get into this right now?"

"I'm just curious."

"So am I," she shot back, "I saw the dream catcher in your apartment. Why'd you keep that?"

"Thought it would help with the nightmares," said Neal trying to deflect from what he was really thinking.

"Don't give me that. You're engaged and you still have it. Why when you could've just as easily gotten rid of it?"

"Guess we both have our reasons don't we?"

The door chimed before anymore could be said between them and Emma turned around to see David and Mary Margaret walk in.

David smiled. "This him," David asked.

"Yeah," Emma said as she stood up.

Neal stood up as well and extended his hand to David. "Neal Cassidy."

David went in as if to shake Neal's hand but instead he went for a right hook to Neal's left eye.

"David," Emma and Mary Margaret both said in unison.

"What the hell," said Neal, "Emma who is this guy?"

"I'm her father," said David.

"Is he serious?"

Emma crossed her arms, "Would he have hit you if he wasn't?"

"For what reason did I deserve that?"

Emma looked at Neal, "I can think of several."

"Look," Neal said looking directly at David, "if this is about everything I've done and sending Emma to jail-,"

David and Mary Margaret's eyes widened.

"You sent my daughter to jail," David said raising his voice.

Neal looked at Emma, "You didn't tell him that yet?"

"I've kind of had other things on my mind," Emma said also raising her voice.

"Then that probably wasn't the best first impression I could've made to my…"

Neal was going to say 'ex' but somehow calling Emma by that term felt wrong. In a lot of ways she was more than just an ex-girlfriend, always had been especially now given the recent events of finding out she was the mother of his son.

Neal opted out for words that sounded less messy, "My son's grandparents," Neal said looking down and away from Emma not wanting to see the look in her eyes.

Emma walked over to Neal and took his face in her hands the way she would a child. "You should probably put some ice on that." She released his face. "Your dad's shop is down the street. It's not hard to find."

"And why would I want to know that?" Neal asked.

"Just figured that you would…never mind," Emma said dropping the subject.

"I'm not here for him. I'm here for our son."

Emma had to remember to breathe. She liked the way 'our son' sounded though she wouldn't admit it. "Okay then," she said taking a breath. "Henry's bus gets here around 3:10 in case you want to see him later and there's a bed and breakfast around the block in case you need a place to stay. I have to go. Unlike you, I actually work for a living."

"About that," asked Neal, "How did you go from being a thief to being on the right side of the law?"

"How did you," Emma asked walking out of the diner not waiting for his answer.

Her parents gave Neal one last glance before following their daughter out.