Thank you once again for all the follow's, favorites and reviews. You're really awesome! So what did you think of last weeks episode? Did you recover already from all the shocks and feels? ;) Probably, no wonder that this chapter is largely based on that particular episode, but I hope that I've managed to provide some new twists to the storyline.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, just this profile :)
''Did you find him?'' Gold's face is full of anticipation when Emma and Henry enter the bar.
''I'm sorry, he got away.'' Emma doesn't dare to look straight into his eyes.
''You're lying.''
'''No I'm not. I tried. He ran and got away. I'm sorry I can't help you.'' She notices it herself. Her words are coming out of her mouth too fast. Being a walking lie detector, but not being able to tell a lie in a believable way. Perfect…
'''No, no, no Miss Swan, you don't get away with it so easily. We had a deal. You were supposed to bring him to me. You can't break the deal.''
Henry is casting a worried glance at his mother.
''Well I guess there's nothing more I can do now, can I? You don't have the globe here, so I don't think we can ever find him again.'' For some reason she is still holding onto the piece of paper where the address is written on. It starts to burn in her hand. No not again… Quickly she puts the piece of paper in her jacket pocket. Now it feels like her hip is on fire. 'Shoot, I should have just throw it on the ground,' she thinks.
''The piece of paper, it's burning in your pocket isn't?'' asks Gold to Emma as he sees her fumbling it into her pocket and trying to suppress a painful expression.
Emma doesn't answer.
ISN'T IT?! He now yells at her.
''Yes it is!'' she cries out. She can't lie to him anymore.
''That means he's near. Quickly, get out there and bring him to me. You have to let him talk to me.''
''I can't,'' she replies softly.
''What do you mean you can't?'' Gold's getting impatient.
''I mean, I can't!'' she cries out. The sound of desperation is clearly reflected in her voice and both Henry and Gold are looking surprised at her.
''Emma what's wrong?'' asks Henry.
She wants to run out of the café. Run away from everything. But she knows that that's impossible, because that would mean that she risks running into Neal. ''Nothing. It's just…'' she stutters.
''What are you waiting for? Bring him to me!''
''I can't!'' she cries again.
''In that case you break the deal with me. That means that you will have to pay. Big time. I've plenty of ideas on how to hurt you where it hurts the most…''
Emma realizes she doesn't have a choice. The piece of paper is burning even more in her pocket. ''Watch Henry for me. And don't you dare to hurt him, even touch him, with a finger!'' She gets up and walks outside at a slow pace. She looks to her right and as soon as she wants to turn her head to look to her left, she hears her name.
''Emma! Please wait!''
With her head bent down, she walks up towards him.
''You're ready to talk to me now?'' asks Neal surprised.
Her head shoots up again. ''I'm ready to yell at you yes. Tell me the truth. Are you Gold's son?'' There's still a glimmer of hope in her eyes, the hope that this is all a huge misunderstanding.
''What are you talking about? Who's Gold?'' Neal reacts genuinely unknowing.
''Your father! Rumplestiltskin!''
Neal is quiet for a few seconds before he starts to speak again. ''Wait, he's here?''
''So it is true! You are his son! You're from there. She pronounces the last words like it's something disgusting. ''That means you played me. You both played me. I can't, I can't…'' She feels like she's going to hyperventilate.
''Emma, you brought him here? Why the hell would you do that?!'' He cries.
''Hey, I'm the only one allowed to be angry here!''
Her furious reaction makes him step back a bit.
''You knew who I was all along?! Was this some sort of sick, twisted plan?! Did you even care about me, at all?''
''Emma, what's wrong? Why are you yelling? Is this Baelfire?''
Emma was so focused on Neal that she hadn't noticed that her son had left the bar and was now standing next to her.
''Emma?'' the boy asks again. His eyes shoot from his mother to Neal.
''Who is this?'' asks Neal.
''My son,'' she whispers.
Neal is looking at Henry, and back at Emma again. ''How old is he?''
''I'm eleven! Now can please someone explain me what's going on here? Mom why are you crying?''
It is the second time Henry ever called her mom, but this time she barely notices it. She's worrying too much about the consequences of telling her son who this man in front of them is. It would break his heart.
''Now you have to tell me the truth. Is this my son?'' asks Neal.
''Yes, he is.'' She kneels down to come face to face with Henry. ''I'm so sorry I didn't tell you.''
The boy is in shock. ''No this is not true. My father was a fireman. A hero. And he died.''
''That… wasn't true. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you because…''
''You lied to me,'' Henry manages. ''You didn't just didn't tell me, but you lied to me. You're just like her. Like Regina. She always lied to me too.''
The news of him having a son hits Neal like a bombshell. ''This is my son?'' he asks, pointing at Henry. ''Why didn't you tell me?''
But Emma doesn't hear his question. She's too concerned with Henry's angriness. She has never seen him like this before. ''Henry, I…''
The boy nods his head in disagreement and walks off.
''Henry, please wait!'' Emma cries. She tries to follow him.
But the boy walks on and doesn't look back.
''Emma, please allow me,'' requests Neal.
''No, he's my son, I need to take care of this! Please go away.''
''He's my son too,'' he says softly and he starts following Henry into the direction of a busy crossroad.
The blonde is not trying to stop him. Henry isn't going to talk nor listen to her. And Neal's right after all, the boy is his son too. But why does it hurt her so much than? Her feelings are torn. In an impulse she grabs her phone from her pocket and dials an all too familiar number.
''Emma? What's wrong?'' It's like the woman on the other end simply knows that something has happened.
''Mary, it's all falling apart here.'' There's no way that she's able to keep down the tears that she's been feeling ever since she saw Neal again here in Manhattan. Not now she hears the comforting voice of her mother on the other end of the line.
''One sec Emma.''
The blonde hears some noises on the other end before she hears her mother's voice again.
''Emma, David is here with me too. I've you on speakerphone. What happened?''
Henry's father, Neal. He's here, he's in New York. He's Gold's son!''
''Slow down honey. We can't follow. You found Henry's father in New York?''
''Yes!'' she cries out of frustration. ''And he's Gold's son! He lied to me, they both set me up!''
''But how?''
''Yes, that's exactly the question I desperately want to get an answer to. But the worst thing of all is, I wanted to keep him a secret for Henry, but he found out… He's so mad at me Mary Margaret. I don't think he ever will forgive me.'' In the meantime she's keeping an eye on the corner of the street where Neal and Henry made a turn to the right. But she doesn't see the two.
''Emma, calm down. Henry can't stay mad at you forever. He's a clever and understanding little boy. He'll forgive you. And he loves you. Now listen to me. Take a deep breath, can you do that for me?''
Charming's soothing voice performs miracles. The blonde takes three deep breaths before she continues talking. ''He walked away from me. He said I am exactly the same as Regina, because I lied to him too.''
''Oh, Emma…'' Snow's heart goes out to her daughter. ''He doesn't mean that. He just said that probably in the heat of the moment. Where is he now?''
''He ran away Mary. Neal has gone after him, cause Henry doesn't want to talk to me anymore. I really didn't want him to find out about his father. I'm afraid he can't handle this.''
''You're afraid that he can't handle it, or that you can't handle it…?''
Her mother's words hit Emma like a stab in the heart. She knows Snow is right. But she's not willing to admit it. The whole situation didn't affect her stubbornness. ''I need to find my son and his.. father.'' She quickly hangs up the phone as she wants to avoid any more of these difficult conversations.
''Did she just hang up on me?'' says Snow offended, looking down surprised at the phone.
''I guess she did,'' grins Charming. ''So but to make this all clear, Rumplestiltskin is Henry's grandfather?
Snow still is flabbergasted by the phone conversation they just had with their daughter. ''What? Oh, yes, apparently.''
''But I'm his grandfather!''
''You can have more than one,'' she states matter-of-factly.
Charming tries to fit all the pieces of the puzzle, or actually, the branches of the family tree, together. ''Okay, this family tree is getting way too confusing for me. It's a good thing that we don't have Thanksgiving in our land, cause that dinner would suck.''
Snow stops and thinks for a bit. ''Or.. maybe this will mellow everyone out.''
''Snow, do you really think that will work? I mean, all these relationships that are messed up now because of all that is going on.''
She sighs. ''Oh, I don't know, I just said that cause… Well never mind.'' She starts pulling back the sheets that creased when they sat on the bed, talking to their daughter.
''Snow, everything you say, you say with a reason. So if this is important to you, it's important to me. And I really hope that you're right, that this will mellow everyone out. I'm just not sure if that will happen. At least not on the short-term.''
She looks up at him and waves her hand. ''Just forget it, I'm too optimistic.''
He cupps her cheek and looks into her beautiful dark eyes. ''No, you're perfect.'' He places a gentle kiss on her lips.
''I'm worried about her Charming. About her and Henry.'' She lays her head on his shoulder.
''I know, me too.''
As soon as Emma hangs up the phone, Neal and Henry appear in sight again and walk up to her. She sees that her son is still looking angry and confused when he sees her, but the fire that was visible in his eyes earlier, is gone.
''You're actually not as bad as I expected, considering that Emma didn't want me to know you,'' says Henry to Neal.
Emma can't suppress a half-grin when she hears him saying this.
''Did I pass the test?'' Neal replies jokingly to his son.
''We're getting there, we're getting there,'' is the boy's serious answer.
''Okay, now shall we go into that bar and talk this all over accompanied by a drink?'' he asks Emma.
''Well, a drink is not the only company you'll be getting by going over there.''
Neal realizes what she just said. ''Wait, he's there? My father is in there?''
''Yes he is. He's waiting there for you.''
''In that case we go someplace else. There is no way that you can get me in that bar when he is there.''
Emma frowns. ''I've made a deal. I'm supposed to get you to talk to him.''
''What did you do? You made a deal with him? Why would you do that? He's dangerous Emma!'' Neal's clearly panicked.
''Don't you think I know that? I helped out a friend, and that's when I made the deal. Now please go inside and talk to him.''
''Okay, okay, I will.'' He wants to protect Emma. He had seen what Rumplestiltskin, or The Dark One, did to people who break his deals. ''But first I need you to let me explain my side of the story.''
''Not now,'' she sighs, looking down at Henry. A sudden feeling of exhaustion overwhelms her. ''If you promise to go talk to your father in there, I promise you I'll give you one chance to tell your side of the story. But not now, not here. Let's meet in the hotel lobby tonight at 7pm. We're staying there,'' she points, ''at the Four Seasons. Come Henry, we're going back to the hotel.''
''But I want to stay with Neal!''
Neal kneels to the boy's level. ''This time you have to listen to your mother Henry. I'm sure we'll meet again soon.'' Having said that, he casts a hopeful look at Emma, who after a few seconds nods silently.
''Okay than…'' agrees Henry and he follows his mother back to the hotel.
''Henry, can you please say something? Anything? Be mad at me, disappointed in me, but please say something.'' The blonde and her son are having an early dinner, but the boy hasn't said a word since they returned to their hotel room. It's the most awful feeling Emma has ever felt, her son ignoring her, for a reason she is well-aware of.
He's just sitting there across the table, pricking his food with his fork, but not really eating anything.
''Henry…?'' she tries yet another time.
Suddenly, the boy drops his fork on his plate. It makes such a loud noise that Emma is startled by it. ''WHAT?! What would you like me to say? I said what I needed to say this afternoon. I just don't understand why you lied to me about who my father is.''
Other people in the restaurant are looking at the mother and her son who's experiencing a major outburst.
''I did that, because I wanted to protect you,'' she says softly, placing her hand on her son's arm. ''Neal was a bad man, a criminal, a thief.''
He pulls back his arm. ''Yeah right, and if I remember correctly, you went to jail as well. And did I care about that? No I didn't. Because I believe in giving people a second chance. You just had to tell me the real story about my father Emma. I could've handled the truth you know?''
''I know that now. I'm so sorry Henry. I shouldn't have lied to you.''
'''No you shouldn't.'' He shuts down again.
Emma notices it and looks him straight in the eye. ''Please listen to me. That man broke my heart. That part of my life, together with him, I wanted to forget. That's why I didn't tell you. I was selfish, only thinking of me, not you. I'm sorry,'' she whispers.
''Can I see him again?''
''Yes, you can.'' She finds it difficult to say this, but she knows that Henry has the full right to see his dad if he wants to.
The boy nods and finally picks up his fork, to actually eat something.
''It's Belle right?'' asks Greg as he enters Belle's room in the hospital. He closes the door behind him.
He just got released, and is all dressed up and ready to go.
''Yes, but who are you?'' the girl asks carefully.
''My name is Greg, I'm the driver of the car. You know, of the accident.''
''Oh yes. How are you feeling?''
''I'm fine, they just released me, so I'm good to go home. What about you?''
''That's wonderful news,'' replies the brunette. ''They'll probably let me go tomorrow, the doctor just told me.''
''Good, good.'' He hesitates before continuing. ''Listen, there is something I need to talk to you about. Earlier today I was walking to the coffee machine to get a coffee, and I saw that the door to your room was open. I couldn't help myself to take a look inside. I now need to ask you something. Did you notice anything strange from the moment you're being here?''
Belle reacts like she's completely oblivious. ''What do you mean?''
''Well I wasn't sure at first, I thought that I might wasn't so clear-minded because of the accident, but after what I've seen today…''
''What did you see?'' she asks, suddenly sitting straight up in her bed.
''You know something don't you?'' Greg realizes that the girl isn't telling the whole truth.
''Well, yes there are some weird things that I saw which I can't really explain, but I don't know if it means anything…''
''Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll show you the video I made this afternoon, if you tell me what it is what you saw?''
''Fine,'' she replies, still a bit wary.
He presses some buttons on his phones, until a frozen image appears, showing a sleeping Belle in the hospital bed, and a dark-haired woman standing next to her.
''Hey, that woman came by to visit me today, but I've no idea what she came doing here?''
Greg presses the 'play' button. The video shows Regina waving her arms, whereupon items from Belle's handbag magically fly around in the air.
Belle is gasping for breath and clenches onto her pillow. ''What the hell is that?!''
''It's what I saw this afternoon. Now tell me, what did you see?''
Now that she has seen the video, Belle is a 100% sure that what she had seen earlier, she didn't made up. She tells Greg about the strange man that mysteriously healed her wound at the location of the accident, and who had held a fireball in his hands not long after that.
''You see Belle. There're some strange things happening in this town, and I don't want to stay here for another minute longer. I don't know about you?''
The brunette is doubting. ''But there were two very friendly girls here staying with me the other day. They even gave me a book to read, and that brought back a piece of my memory...''
''Don't let you be fooled by them! I'm sure that these people are up to something, and from what we both have seen, that can't be good.''
''I guess you're right…''
''So my plan is to leave, and I can't leave you here alone, with them. With these freaks. So please come with me. I'm sure my car has been fixed by now, so we can escape within a few hours. I'll just pick it up and come back to get you, as soon as the nurses have finished their rounds.''
Belle made up her mind. So yes there were two nice ladies taking care of her, but what if their actual plan is to hurt her? And what if that crazy man comes back? ''Okay, let's do it.''
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