Chapter 13: A Family Conversation

The diner felt slightly awkward as Emma, Neal and Henry walked in. There were no customers. Ruby, Leroy, Granny, and Emma's parents all stood at the far counter where the orders were placed. Ruby and Granny didn't look particularly happy as they walked in and neither did Leroy but he was the exception. He was always Grumpy.

Emma looked at her son. "Henry why don't you two take a seat, I'll join you guys in a minute."

Henry nodded, "Okay."

Emma walked over to the small group and crossed her arms.

"What's going on," she asked them.

"It's about that stranger you brought here," said Leroy.

The trio all looked in Neal's direction and Emma's parents looked at her.

At the far table Neal could sense their stares burning holes in his back but he didn't turn to look. Instead he focused on Henry.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not welcome here?"

"Don't take it personally," said Henry. "They just don't like strangers in this town."

"What about him," Emma asked Ruby.

Ruby started walking toward the back room and the others followed.

"Okay," she said. "I know just yesterday I said the guy was cute but seriously he doesn't belong here. Random people just don't come to Storybrooke out of nowhere."

"Unless," said Leroy, "By bringing magic here Rumpelstiltskin broke whatever it was that kept people out of here."

"Or it could've been by breaking the curse," said Ruby, "Not that we're not grateful," she added to Emma.

Emma looked at Mary Margaret and David. "You didn't tell them?"

Mary Margaret had her arms crossed, "We thought it would be best coming from you."

"Tell us what," Ruby asked.

Emma sighed. "Neal isn't just some random guy. He has a connection here."

"Which is what," Leroy asked unsure as to where this was going.

"Me," said Emma taking a deep breath, "And Henry." She looked up at the group. "He's Henry's father."

The three of them were left shocked and speechless.

"You're joking," said Leroy clearly not amused by the new revelation.

"He's been out of Henry's life for eleven years," said Ruby, "Why now?"

Emma shot Ruby a look. Emma had taken Ruby's words personally as an insult and as a reminder that she hadn't been a part of the first ten years of Henry's life.

"Sorry," Ruby said meaning it and diverted her gaze from her…who she considered to be a niece of sorts.

"How did he even know you were in Storybrooke," Granny asked.

"A friend told him," Emma replied.

"Even if that's true," said Ruby, "How did he know to come now?"

Emma looked to the door. Though she couldn't see them she could feel her boys on the other side of it, waiting for her. A part of her hated that this little intervention was taking too long. She wanted to be with Henry and in a weird way despite all of her conflicted emotions she wanted to be with Neal too. She hated that feeling.

"I don't know. We still have a lot to talk about." She turned back to look at them, "but I promise you don't have to worry about him."

"Yeah right," said Leroy in a sarcastic tone, "We don't even know the guy, how are we supposed to trust him? And regardless of your connection to him he's still an outsider."

"I'm not asking you to trust him. I'm asking you to trust me. Believe me I know that strangers' coming to Storybrooke is a bad thing for all of us. If it were anyone else I would normally agree but this is Neal. I shared a car with the guy for months before we ever got…close." Emma registered the looks her parents were giving her. "Long story," she said to them quickly dropping on it and not wanting to expand.

"Look, I may be conflicted about a lot of things right now but I'm not conflicted when it comes to my son. I all ready lied to Henry about his father once, I owe it to him to get the chance to know his dad if that's what he wants." Emma took a deep breath as she slowly worded the next part. "And I owe it to Neal too as much as I hate to admit it."

"Maybe so but-," said Leroy but he was cut off.

"I'll keep an eye on him," said Emma, "but I promise you have nothing to worry about from him."

"With all due respect Emma," said David. "You don't even know him anymore, you said so yourself."

"I may not know him like I used to but there's still a part of him that I do know. The same way he still knows parts of me. And I do know I can trust him. All the things he's said up to this point haven't been lies, if they were I'd know it. I'm asking you to trust me, please."

David crossed his arms as he looked at Mary Margaret. She gave him a nod and a small smile. David then turned his attention back to Emma.

"Okay. Just promise me you'll be careful. This guy seems like he's hurt you enough. I don't want you to get hurt again."

Emma smiled at David's kind fatherly words. "I know."