I don't own any characters from Once Upon a Time.

Thank you so much to everyone who read/favorited/followed my story. A special thank you goes out to Anjyu for reminding me that Neal's location was in New York and not Boston.

As always, I am keeping my fingers crossed for some more reviews. (-:)

Chapter 13

The first thing he did after driving up to the town line was cover up the mirror Renik placed in the tree branches. Thus, allowing Hook to have all the time in the world to shoot Belle at just the right moment to make her fall over the line. When kissing her only made her more agitated, he delayed his departure to New York and worked all night on a spell to enchant the chipped cup. When that did not work, he knew that staying in Storybrooke was pointless and the only hope he had left was that Renik and Blue would soon come up with a solution. He told Renik what happened and made him promise to look after Belle. Gold was sure Renik would have done this anyway because as long as Belle was in the picture, Leena would continue to believe that Rumplestiltskin was better off with her. Then he packed Emma, Henry, and Lee in his car and drove across the town line. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when both spells worked to keep Lee and Gold's memories intact and before they knew it they were standing in the security line at the airport. That was when the tension started to take its toll. He could just hear Renik's "I told you so", when he was forced to take off the shawl to pass through the detectors. Lee turned back and grabbed his hand as Emma blocked him from the agitated people annoyed at the slow-down in the line. Lee then passed through the detectors and anxiously waited for him on the other side. After taking off the shawl he somehow knew not to take his eyes off her face until he could place it over his shoulders again. The closer he came to meeting his son, the more sure he became that the meeting would not go well. It wasn't until they were sitting in their plane seats, one row behind Emma and Henry, that Lee noticed the spots of blood on a towel wrapped around his knuckles. She turned in her seat and gently took his hand in hers.

"It's going to be OK. You don't have to go through this alone. If you let me, I'll be there for you."

"Lee," he put his other hand over hers, "aren't you the least bit afraid of flying in this metal can."

"This, nah...I've seen lots of movies about flying in airplanes. It doesn't seem so bad. I saw a movie about parachuting out of a 747 airliner once, now that looked like fun."

The laughter that built up in his chest and bubbled out of his throat was so genuine and unexpected that it truly relieved some of the tension that held his mind and body in a tight grip.

"You are amazing, you know that," were the only words he could come up with after he stopped laughing.

"Well, I certainly do aim to please, sir." Her soft chatter and smiling face kept him sane through the short flight to New York.

As expected, three rooms were ready and waiting for them when they walked in the hotel. With Henry and Emma settled together, Gold used his key to open the door to his room. Lee came in with him, dropped her bag by the door, and pulled him toward the window. They were greeted by a beautiful view of the city with lights just beginning to come on in the late afternoon.

"This is a breathtaking view."

"I agree," he answered, looking directly at her.

"Are you going to be OK staying here? He nodded and she moved toward the door and reached out her hand to pick up her luggage.

"Lee," Strapping the bag over her shoulder she turned to face him, "do you ever miss us making love?

A small smile played around the corners of her mouth but was quickly overshadowed by the sadness in her eyes.

"So much that sometimes I want to scream," she spoke words that he did not expect to hear.

"Then don't go," was his only reply.

"In a few days we will be back in Storybrooke. Everything will be the same as when we left."

"But we are not in Storybrooke. We are in a different world. In this world, in this room, we can be whatever we want."

They moved toward each other and she only had time to drop her bag before he caught her in a searing kiss. That one kiss opened the floodgates and they could not stop what happened next even if they tried. For hours they simply drowned in each other. He did not realize that one body could melt into another so that there was no way to tell or tear them apart. When their bodies did come apart from pure exhaustion, they clung to each other like two shipwrecked people clinging to a wooden plank buffeted by waves in a stormy sea.

"Do you ever think about that night in the tavern, the way I looked then," he asked her as they lay wrapped up in each other.

"I miss you like that. I want both of you." Her answer did not fail to surprise him and neither did the passionate kiss she gave him. "What I remember most about that night was how kind and …incredible you were."

"I wanted to find you. I wanted to bring you to my home and never let you go." He whispered in her hair before nuzzling her neck.

"I wanted so much to see you again," she whispered back.

They fell asleep a few hours before dawn and in the light of morning woke up to the shrill ringing of the phone.

"Henry and I are going down for some breakfast," Emma's voice blasted in Gold's ear, "you want to come. I am going to call Lee and see if she is ready to go."

"That's OK Emma. You and Henry go ahead. I will ask Lee if she wants to get something later," He was a little surprised that he had the presence of mind to get Emma off both of their trails. Lee stirred next to him and he was relieved when she smiled and reached up to wind her hands about his neck. She saw that the possibility of meeting his son was already beginning to weigh on his mind.

"Hey," she cupped his face in her hands, "together, we'll do this together, OK."

"I love you, Lee," were the only words he could think of in that moment.

"I love you too," he heard her words as she gently slipped out of his arms.

So when they rang Neal's doorbell and he jumped down the fire escape and started to run, it was both Emma and Lee who caught him together. After a few seconds of hearing them talk or, in this case, hearing Emma yell, she began to understand that these two somehow knew each other. When Neal asked who Lee was, she did not bother to correct Emma's sharp "she is your stepmother" response. Something told her not to let Rumplestiltskin's son out of her site so she waited outside the bar while the two yelled at each other some more. It wasn't until Emma came out and Lee saw Neal walking away from the bar, that she started asking questions of her own.

"Hey, what's going on, where is he going?" She asked Emma already starting to walk after Neal's departing back.

"Let me explain," were the only words Emma was able to get out before Lee took off running after Neal again.

At that point, several things happened very fast.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reviews are very much appreciated!