Thank you so much for your great support! I was really overwhelmed with your responses to previous chapters. Please keep on sharing your thoughts about the story, because I really want to keep it good, and fresh :) Thanks so much!

So, this chapter will focus on the moment that we all are waiting for... I'm only saying: ''Manhattan!'' Have fun reading! :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, just this profile :)

A loud knock on the door wakes Emma and Henry from their sleep. Emma looks at the digital clock that is standing on the night stand. 6am… What the hell? She takes a quick glance at her son, but she sees that he's still asleep. Luckily… She grabs a sweater from her suitcase and puts that over her pajamas before she answers the door. Turning the doorknob, and opening the door, reveals Mr Gold standing in front of it.

''Miss Swan, can we meet in front of the hotel in an hour?''

''Are you insane?'' hisses Emma quietly, not to wake Henry. ''It's 6am. What do you want to do at 7am?''

''The reason why we're here. Finding my son.''

''But once again Gold, it's 6am in the freaking morning.''

''Yes, and I say we start searching in an hour. Just make sure to meet me outside.'' He didn't even finish his last word properly before he walked off again.

'That's perfect. Just perfect,' thinks Emma. She walks over to the bed and ruffles Henry's hair. ''Hey kid,'' she whispers, ''you've to get up.''

They have slept both for only a few hours, so Henry is in a deep sleep when his mother is trying to wake him.

''Henry,'' she tries again.

The boy growls a bit in his sleep and hits Emma's arm, before he turns around.

'Good,' thinks Emma, 'another trait he inherited from me. Never wake us while we're sleeping.' She changes her tactic. ''Henry, we're going on an adventure. We've got to find Mr Gold's son…'' she says a bit louder this time.

''What?'' mumles the boy. ''Adventure?''

''Yes that's right Henry, we're going on an adventure. Can you wake up now?''

He opens his eyes.

''Finally! I thought I would never get you to wake up. We've to get ready, we have to be outside in about 45min.''

''What're we going to do?'' asks Henry. Clearly he was still asleep when he answered to Emma's attempts to wake him up.

''We've to find Mr Gold's son.''

''But, like, now?'' he questioningly asks as he's looking at the clock.

''Yes, apparently Gold's determined to start early,'' she answers sarcastically. She picks some clothes for Henry from his suitcase. ''So I'll go and take a shower, you get dressed okay?''

They're stepping outside the hotel at exactly 7:05am.

''You're late,'' is Mr Gold's remark.

''Only five minutes. What do you care?'' Emma is still quite cranky about the early wake-up call she got from the shop owner, and is not intended to act friendly and polite towards him. So what's the plan?''

''I've a location and I need you to check it out for me. My son might be there. That's the price for our deal.''

''Wait. So you want me to check out a random location, because you believe your son's there? What do you need me for? Why don't you go there by yourself?''

''Because I suspect that my son will not welcome me with open arms when he sees me. He probably will run away. And since I can't walk that fast, it's up to you now.''

The revelation that is reflected in Mr Gold's words, surprises Emma, and triggers her full attention. ''What did you do to your son for him to hate you that much?''

''That's none of your concern. You just have to find him for me and bring him to me. Make up an excuse so that he'll come with you.''

''And when he's at the location you think he is, how do you suppose I know who it is? We're in New York for God's sake, one square meter here is filled with twenty people.'' Emma knows she's exaggerating, but she doesn't care. She wants Gold to feel that she isn't liking the plan. At all.

''Oh believe me, you know.''

''What is that for cryptic bul…'' she realizes just in time that her eleven-year-old son is standing next to her, who's looking up at her, waiting in anticipation for what she's going to say. She swallows the last part of the word. ''How will I know who your son is?''

''Magic,'' Gold simply replies. ''You will know as soon as you see him.''

''And why this early hour? If you already know where he's?''

''That is because the information I have retrieved, is only indicating his whereabouts within a two-hour time span. So that's why I need you to leave. Now. This is the address.'' He hands a piece of paper to Emma.

She takes it from him and looks at it. She has troubles decrypting the sloppy handwriting. ''Is this a 'four'?'' she points at a number in the address.

Mr Gold sighs. ''Yes it is. Can you please hurry up now, you don't have much time. Meet me at that café there on the opposite of the street. And do whatever it takes to bring him here. His name is Baelfire, but I suspect he changed it here in this world. I don't think it's a very common name here. But whatever you do, don't call him that in public. When he knows that you're aware of his real name, he'll definitely make a run for it. Just take it slow.''

''You think I don't know how to handle a situation like this?'' Emma asks offended, without revealing too much. She doesn't want Henry to know about her past as being a bail bondsperson. That career made her quite experienced in creating original excuses and lies. ''Come on Henry, let's go. We'll meet you back here at the café later,'' she says to Gold.

''Good luck,'' he says and walks to the other side of the street.

''Okay, here we go,'' sighs Emma as she takes Henry's hand.

''Do you think we can find him? Baelfire I mean?'' The boy's sense of adventure is triggered once again, and he's quite exciting about all of it.

''Let's hope so. And if not, we're done here. I'm not going to waste any more time searching for this man.''

''But then you break your deal with Mr Gold? You can't do that.''

''Technically Henry, I would not be breaking the deal with him, because I did what he asked. I went to that specific location to look for his son, and that's that. Then I've done my share.''

Henry nods wisely. Like he completely understands.

It takes a few minutes before they can get hold of a cab. Emma gives the piece of paper with the address on it to the cab driver, who looks just as confused as Emma when he reads it. ''Is this a 'four'?'' he asks as well.

''Yes it is.'' A half smile appears on her face. During the ride, her mind is working hard to come up with some excuses to why Baelfire should come with them. She'd learned that it was better to have a Plan B, in case Plan A fails. It's even better actually to also have a Plan C. Just in case.

''Emma, what're you thinking about?'' Henry notices his mother's absentmindedness.

''It's nothing,'' she smiles at him.

''You're already making up excuses to let him come with us, aren't you?''

Wow, this was an unexpected twist in the conversation. ''Kid, it's scary how good you already know me. Are you a seer without telling me about it?'' she asks teasingly.

Henry's eyes turn big. ''That would be awesome!'' he laughs.

''Here we are,'' says the cabdriver. ''164 East 90th Street.''

Emma looks outside the car window. It's a nice area, with decent houses and a lot of trees. ''Thanks,'' she says as she pays the cabdriver. A sudden feeling of warmth flows from her hand up to her arm as she takes the piece of paper with the address back. She flinches lightly.

Luckily Henry hasn't noticed. He has already gotten out of the car and is waiting for his mother to do the same.

''Well, here we are…'' She says as she's looking around. People are walking by fast, trying to get to work on time.

''What now?'' asks Henry.

''I guess we have to wait here. Wait for the ''magical'' thing to happen,'' she adds with a grin. This is going to be a complete waste of time. She's sure of it. But then, a shock is going through her entire body.

This time, it doesn't go by unnoticed. ''Emma! Are you alright?'' Henry asks worried. He grabs her arm as it appears as if she's going to fall down to the ground.

Yes, I think I'm okay,'' she says as she sits down on one of the steps in front of a house. Okay that was weird.

A man in a sweater approaches mother and son. He walks slow, with his hands in his pockets and his head down. The hood of the sweater is pulled over his eyes, so he's unrecognizable for the two.

Now, the hot flash ánd the shock are going through her body at the same time, even more intense than before. As she feels that she almost can't take it no more, the attack stops as suddenly as it came.

''Emma!'' cries Henry.

The pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Magic. ''Henry, that's the man!'' she points at the man in the hoodie. She gets up, grabs her son's hand and takes big steps to get into hearing range of the man in the hoodie. ''Excuse me. Sir?'' she asks with a friendly voice when they've approached him.

But as if he's chased by the devil himself, the man almost jumps a meter up in the sky and makes a run for it.

''Crap,'' cries Emma. She doesn't even realizes that she's swearing. Applying the right parenting techniques are the last thing on her mind right now. She turns to Henry. ''Kid, you stay here. Wait here for me!'' She doesn't awaits her son's reply and starts following the man in the hoodie.

They've crossed several blocks already before they enter a busy crossing. Like a pro, Emma maneuvers herself between the speeding cars. 'Seriously?' she thinks. 'I thought I never had to do this again.'

The chased man isn't that skilled and almost gets hit by a yellow cab. He falls with his hands down on the hood of the taxi, just a millisecond after the car stopped.

The driver furiously honks the horn, yells something and waves his fist at him.

This incident has slowed the hooded man down and made the distance between him and Emma significantly smaller.

It therefore also doesn't take long before Emma catches up with him. ''Hey!'' she yells. ''Stop! I just want to talk to you!'' She pushes her hands forward and both the blonde and the man smack on the ground.

Because of the fall, his body is turned with his head towards her.

Emma looks up to face him. She feels like she's having an heart attack. ''No…'' she says as she realizes who the man is in front of her.

He looks as surprised as she does. ''Emma?'' he asks.

The blonde jumps up. ''No,'' she says again. ''This can't be.'' She doesn't know what to do. Her heart is telling her to ask questions, to stay, but her head is telling her to flee. Quick. She's completely torn. This is the most unexpected encounter she's ever had. ''This isn't real. You're not really here. That can't be.'' Her hands start to shake and her legs feel like they're made out of jello.

Neal gets past the world-shocking surprise seemingly quicker than the blonde. ''Em relax, it's alright,'' he says soothingly as he places a hand on her arm.

Disgusted she pulls her arm away. He called her 'Em,' like he did when they were together. The memories of that make her feel sick in her stomach. His touch on her arm blows her right back into reality. ''Alright? This is FAR from alright. Sorry, I can't deal with this right now.'' She turns around and walks back the same way she came.

Neal follows her. ''Emma, please, wait! I just want to talk to you.''

'But I don't want to talk to you,' thinks Emma as she keeps walking with firm steps.

''Please Em! Wait!''

Him calling her 'Em' is the last straw, and a sudden feeling of anger overwhelms her. She turns around and faces Neal, her furious eyes penetrating deep into his. ''Don't. Ever. Call. Me. 'Em.' Do you hear me?!'' She waits a few seconds before she continues. ''And what you did to me eleven years ago is the most horrible, and hurtful thing that you could've done to me. You BETRAYED me.'' She leaves out the detail of the pregnancy. ''I'm done with you. I never want to see you again.'' She turns around again and heads back to her son who is anxiously waiting for her to return. ''And don't you dare to follow me,'' she cries as she hears his footsteps behind her.

''Emma? Are you alright? Did you catch him?'' asks Henry when he sees his mother approaching him.

''No I lost him,'' she lies. She doesn't look Henry in the eye, afraid he might see she's lying. And she feels guilty too. It hurts her that she has to lie to her son.

''So what now? You're just going to give up?''

''If you want to call it that, than yes, than I'm giving up. Come on kid, we're going to share the bad news with Mr Gold.''

Henry is dazzled by this response. He knows his mother is a trooper. She never gives up when she has a goal. ''But maybe Mr Gold knows I way to find him again, and then we can try again later?'' he suggests.

''No Henry, we're done here. We're going home. Taxi!''

Thanks for reading! What do you think that will really happen in 2x14, next Sunday? You're always welcome to share your ideas and opinions about the show as well with me. I'm always happy to discuss Once with other fans!