A/N: This will probably be the last update until after the holidays! So I hope you enjoy this and have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year if you don't see an update before then!
Emma couldn't believe she was doing this. Neal was just a few paces behind her on the phone with his boss arranging some time off for his impromptu trip.
It seemed so surreal to her, the whole situation. Her, reunited with her parents who just so happened to be prince Charming and Snow White and an active part of her son's life, here with Neal, the ex-thief and her ex-boyfriend and father to her son, who was negotiating some time off so they could return to a town full of story book characters. Where she would then have to deal with the fact that she lied to her son about his father and Neal would have to confront the demons of his past with his father, who was also Rumplestiltskin.
If you had told her all of this this time last year she would have advised you to seek help. But somehow she couldn't imagine her life any other way. Her life was boring and to have to live the rest of her life as a bonds bail woman, alone...it was unthinkable. She travelled to a distant land, met Captain Hook, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty and the Queen of Hearts all the while fighting alongside her mother who loved her in an unimaginable way. She was the savior to a dark curse that saved everyone from a life of uncertainty and darkness. She reunited friends and family, including her own. And if she had to put her life in danger, or her heart at risk than so be it, she'd do that because this life of fantasy and insanity was better than anything she could have ever hoped for.
Neal finished up his phone call and ran to catch up with her.
She forced a small smile at him. "Everything good?"
Neal nodded. "Yes, he gave me two weeks off. I lose vacation time for the rest of the year though." He shrugged. "I just hope its worth it."
"Yeah." She muttered. She knew Neal had at least at one time belonged to that world of fairy tale creatures and magic but still she was sure Neal had no idea what he was getting himself into by walking into Storybrooke.
"So," She let out a breath, deciding to change the subject and she wrapped her arms around torso, casting a sideways look at him. "You really have a job, huh? Never thought I'd see the day."
Neal let out a breath of laughter and looked down with a smirk. "Yeah, I know. But I've been working there for nearly five years."
"Five years, that's impressive." She remarked.
He shrugged. "I figured it's time to actually get my life straight. After what happened...I didn't want to live that life anymore. I actually did do some jail time you know? After I stayed in one place for too long people started to recognize me and I was sick of running. I did almost two years and got off on parole for good behavior. After that, I moved to New York and searched around for a job, did a few little things here and there until Mr. Jackson found me and thankfully he looked past my criminal record and hired me anyway."
Emma stared at him in surprise. She never expected to run into Neal again but when she did think about it, every once in a while, she thought he'd still be a thief, even more experienced because of the years behind him. But he cleaned up his act and appeared to be a normal man living a normal life as best he could. Neal always could surprise her that way.
She immediately pushed away those thoughts. She would not get sucked into Neal again. No matter if he explained himself, no matter if he tried to make it up to her, the damage was long done and buried under ten years of hurt. Changing his ways and being charming would not reel her in.
And then she remembered another little fact that didn't seem to play into his story. "So, you blew the twenty grand pretty fast then huh?"
Neal frowned and turned to her inquisitively. "What are you talking about?"
Emma suppressed an eye roll. "Really, Neal? First you give this whole big spiel about why you abandoned me and now you're playing dumb?"
Neal stopped her in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face her properly, furrowing his brow. "I'm not playing anything, Emma. I gave you that money."
Emma scoffed, crossing her arms. "Right, sure you did. I think I would remember having twenty grand."
"Alright, I didn't give the money directly to you but I gave it to August to give to you after you got released."
Realization swept over Emma's face and her eyes widened. "You gave the money to August?"
"Yes." Neal nodded. "I didn't feel right keeping it knowing where it had gotten you."
"Oh god, Neal." She sighed and rubbed her temples.
"What?"
"Do you know who August is?"
Neal blinked in confusion. "I've met him..."
"No, I mean, from your...our world."
Neal's eyes widened slightly. "He's from that world?"
"Yeah...and he's Pinocchio."
"Pinocchio." Neal echoed dryly. "As in 'I'm a real boy!', nose grows when he lies, Pinocchio?"
Emma bit back a laugh. "Pretty much, except I don't think his nose grows. Or else you would have seen it."
Neal's shoulders deflated and he sighed. "August took the money."
"August took the money." She confirmed.
"Damnit!" Neal growled, throwing his hands in the air and Emma reeled back in surprise. "He was supposed to be taking care of you!"
Her eyes narrowed. "Taking care of me? I'm not a child, Neal."
He shot her a look. "That is not what I meant." He ran his hand through his hair. "Do you know what he told me? He told me that he was your guardian angel. As I mentioned, leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do but thinking that August would be there to watch over you and keep you safe when I couldn't made it a little easier. I thought giving you that money would make your life easier and maybe you'd think that I didn't just abandon you and take the money but that's exactly what you thought, isn't it? That I was some no good crook."
Emma pressed her lips together silently. Yes that is what she had thought and part of her still did. She didn't want to believe that Neal was the man she had fell in love with as a young girl, she wanted to believe he was the criminal she believed he was for ten years. But looking at him now, a genuine frustration written on his face, she felt herself starting to be conflicted.
Neal shook his head, placing his hands firmly on his hips. "I can't believe I ever trusted him."
Emma sighed softly. "Yeah well, you're not the only one."
Neal looked at her with a frown. "How long have you known him?"
"Not long at all." She shook her head as they started to walk again. "He came to Storybrooke just a couple of months ago and wouldn't even tell me his name for the first week or two. He told me all about how he and I came to this world together and he was sent to watch over me and how he failed to do so. He conveniently forgot to mention you. He told me that he was on the other side of the world, enjoying paradise when I entered Storybrooke and the curse started to weaken."
Neal's face scrunched up in disgust. "He left you all alone, took the money and went to paradise?"
Emma cast him a look. "How is that any different from you, Neal?"
He turned to look at her incredulously. "My life hasn't been paradise, Emma. I had no money, I told you I was in prison, the guilt over leaving you still kills me and everything I have today I honestly worked for."
"But you still left me, Neal and from where I'm standing, you're just as bad as him."
She rolled her eyes at the guilt stricken look in his eyes and picked up her pace to silently get ahead of him. She heard him let out a quiet sigh and then follow behind her not even trying to keep pace with her, instead following her like a puppy who had done wrong.
They walked in complete silence for the time it took to walk the rest of the way to the parking garage.
She quickly and quietly cast a look over to Neal as they boarded the elevator to get to the third floor. He didn't even try to look back at her, his head bowed and his hands folded in front of him.
Good, she thought. Let him wallow.
The elevator door pinged open and she walked out with Neal following behind and she dug her keys out of her bag and as she neared the car.
The yellow bug stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the crowded parking lot of blacks and grays and Neal froze as he caught sight of the familiar car.
Emma walked up to the car and opened the driver's side then proceeding to hit the button to unlock the rest of the car and looked over her shoulder to see Neal staring at the car.
"What?" She snapped at him.
"You kept the car."
She looked back at the bug and her stomach sunk as she realized it was the car where they had first met, the car they practically lived out of. She kept it initially because, upon getting out of prison, she had nothing and the car was the only thing she had. Over time, she slowly forgot its significance and it just became a car, one that she had become too attached to to sell for a newer model.
"Don't make a big thing out of it Neal, its just a car." She muttered.
Despite her comment, a small smirk still found its way across Neal's lips and she rolled her eyes and slipped into the drivers seat, slamming the door behind her.
Just a few seconds later, the passenger door opened and Neal slipped in, soon closing the door behind him.
He let out a breath as he settled into the seat and placed his hands on the dashboard, a smile tugging at his lips.
Emma swallowed and turned to look at him and instantly she found herself transported back to a time where everything was so much simpler and care free. She could picture a younger Neal climbing into that same seat, a bright grin beaming on his face from another heist they had successfully pulled off. She could feel his lips burning against hers as they shared a quick kiss in celebration before she hit the gas and they drove off before anyone knew the wiser.
Her heart ached as she thought back to that time. She was incredibly grateful that she no longer lived like that but it still was one of the happiest times in her life. And knowing how much had changed now and what brought them to this point stung.
"I can't believe you still have it." Neal said quietly, continuing to run his hands affectionately over the dashboard.
Emma sighed. "It's just a car, Neal." She repeated.
He lowered his hands to his lap and turned to her with a knowing look. "It's not just a car and you know it." He smiled softly. "It's the stolen stolen car. This was our home."
Emma clenched her jaw. "And now it's just a car." She snapped harshly. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so harsh about it but she didn't need Neal thinking that she kept it because of some sentimental reason. "I had no reason to sell it. Any money I could have gotten off of it would have bought an even worse off car." She took the keys and shoved it into the ignition, starting the car. "So don't give me that look, Neal." She could see the slightly wounded look in his eyes despite the fact that he tried to keep his face neutral. "This car lost its meaning the moment you left me."
Neal looked like he was about to say something then decided against it and just frowned silently, resting back against the seat.
Emma nodded slightly to herself, swallowing over the lump in her throat. She absolutely hated all these unwanted feelings being around Neal again was giving her.
She shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot, heading for the exit of the parking garage, an awkward silence falling upon the yellow bug.
"Emma?" Neal voiced after several blocks of silence.
Emma repressed a sigh. "Yeah?"
"Can you stop off at my apartment? It's just a few blocks from here."
Emma nodded. "Sure." She knew what it felt like to take a trip and not have any items with you. She wore the same outfit over and over again for the first few weeks in Storybrooke before having all of her belongings shipped there. The least she could do for Neal was to let him pick up some of his things, especially if he was going to be staying for a little while.
Neal directed her to his apartment building and she pulled up just in front of it. He thanked her and hopped out, disappearing into the building.
Emma finally let out a sigh and rested her head against the steering wheel. She didn't know how she was going to survive this hours long trip back to Storybrooke. It had been so painfully awkward just driving the twenty some-odd blocks from the parking garage to his apartment.
She expected maybe having to drag some reluctant stranger back with her and have to entertain him on a long trip and somehow that seemed more favorable than the current circumstances. Traveling up the eastern seaboard with the man who deserted her and was also the father to her son was not what she was looking forward to.
He was back in a little more than five minutes, putting a suitcase into the backseat and then climbing back into the front. "Got everything?" She asked, turning to him.
Her blood ran cold when she saw the object he held in his hands. To anyone else it would have been a completely random object to take on a road trip but to her, to them, it meant so much more.
Neal smiled back at her and nodded, reaching forward to hang the dreamcatcher on the rearview mirror. "For good luck." He explained and she frowned, casting him an annoyed look.
"You kept that thing." She raised her brow trying to keep her face even.
"Of course." Neal smiled softly. "It was the only thing I had left of you."
Emma rolled her eyes and wordlessly started the car. She didn't want to even bother with Neal's sentimental crap. Even though she knew now the reason behind him leaving it didn't change the fact that he actually left.
As she pulled out into the streets of New York, the swinging dream catcher catching her eye, and Neal sitting quietly beside her, the feel of his stare burning into her, she knew one thing was for sure: this was going to be a long trip.