A/N: Happy New Year everybody! I thought I'd bring in the new year with this next chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter and next chapter will be a big one!
Neal awoke to the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows. He let out a soft groan and buried his head into the pillow to keep himself surrounded by darkness for a little while longer. However, the stiff pillow beneath his head and the musty scent that entered his nostrils woke him for an entirely different reason. While those feelings were not unfamiliar, it was something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
He lifted his head, his eyes squinting as they adjusted to the light and once his eyes came into focus, he took in his surroundings. It was a motel definitely, with the old, stiff mattress, crumbling wallpaper and stained carpets. And outside the window he could see the figure of a blonde woman and his heart leaped into his throat. For a brief second he thought it was ten years ago and he'd be able to walk outside and sneak up behind Emma, softly kiss her neck as she'd giggle and lean into his embrace and then they'd sneak out of there before anyone knew they were there.
But as Emma turned and he could see her lack of glasses, her longer, wavier hair, the slight aging in her face, he knew the circumstances were much different.
He sighed as he sat up and then ran a hand through his hair. He let out a slight yawn and stretched out his arms before refocusing his attention out at Emma.
For so long he wanted nothing more than to find her again and after the postcard arrived he knew that was his chance but he hesitated. Perhaps he was scared of what she would do to him (quite frankly he was surprised it hadn't been more angry), or perhaps he was scared of what he might find. He stalled for months and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to put it off if Emma hadn't showed up. And of all the things he expected upon meeting Emma again, being thrust back into his father's life and learning he had a son were not some of them.
He scooted to the edge of the bed, stretching again as he stood up, preparing to go use the bathroom when he heard the faint sound of Emma's voice.
He turned to look at her and noticed that she had left the door slightly open and if he listened closely, he could hear what she was saying and more importantly, who she was talking to.
Part of him felt bad for spying on her but the curiosity ran much deeper. With all the stealth of the ex-master thief he was, he pressed himself silently against the wall between the window and the door, listening to her conversation.
"Yes, I promise...I'm going to be home in a couple hours..." She chuckled and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I don't know, maybe four?...Yes, you will be one of the first people I see. I'll meet you at Granny's..." She laughed again. "I've only been gone a day, kid."
And with those words, Neal's heart skipped a beat and then took off like a drum. He was almost sure, judging just by the tone of Emma's voice that she was talking to Henry and those words confirmed it. His son, their son, was just on the other side of that cellphone. At that moment, Neal knew he'd give anything just to hear his son's voice.
"I miss you too." There was such a love in Emma's voice that was once only reserved for him and though he felt an ache in his chest at the thought that she may never use that tone with him again, knowing she used it for their son took that away.
"I'll see you soon...Bye, Henry."
Neal wasn't sure if it was the thought of Henry that distracted him but before he knew it the door was being pushed open and he was met with an amused Emma.
Neal pulled away from the wall and grinned sheepishly.
Emma narrowed her eyes slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Were you spying on me, Neal?"
"You left the door open." He retorted, knowing full well that wasn't a good excuse. "I was a little curious." He admitted. "You were talking to Henry."
Emma's face softened just a little and Neal didn't know if it was from the mention of Henry's name or the fact that he was the one mentioning Henry's name.
Regardless, he continued with the subject to avoid any scolding. "Can you tell me about him?"
Emma sighed quietly, dropping her hands to her sides. "When we get to the car."
Neal nodded with a small smile. That was more than fair.
It was then, standing so close to Emma, that he noticed something he couldn't believe he didn't notice before. Around her neck were two chains, one with a plain silver round pendant and the other had a swan charm. The same swan charm he had stolen for her ten years ago. At the sight of it he felt his heart swell in his chest and a small smile etched onto his lips. She had kept the car, she had kept the swan keychain, maybe it wasn't so hopeless after all.
Emma furrowed her brow lightly and frowned when she observed Neal and where his eyes were settled. She followed his gaze down, prepared to snap at him when she realized he wasn't looking at her cleavage at all but the charm that rested nicely over her shirt.
She rolled her eyes and shifted her body away from him, grabbing the necklaces and tucking them below her shirt. "Let's just go, Neal." She walked past him and toward the bed, reaching for her bag.
"Can I at least take a shower first?" He asked, turning to her.
Emma huffed and turned to plop herself at the edge of her bed. "Fine, but make it quick."
He smiled and quickly gathered some clothes and then disappeared into the bathroom.
Emma shook her head and then threw herself down onto the bed, closing her eyes tightly.
She stayed that way for the whole ten minutes Neal was in the bathroom and only sat up when she heard the doorknob turning.
Her eyes widened and she felt her breath catch in her throat as Neal stepped out, looking like he was part of a Levi's commercial. The steam from the hot shower followed him out, his jeans hugged his legs in all the right places, his light gray shirt rode up revealing smooth, toned skin as he raised his hands above his head, ruffling a towel over his hair. He then wrapped the towel around his neck, ran his fingers through his hair a few times and flashed a charming smile her way.
Emma unconsciously licked her suddenly dry lips and swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. She let out a breath through her nose and shook her head, clearing her throat as she stood up, avoiding his gaze. "We should get going." She said quickly, grabbing her bag and hastily walking towards the door.
Once her back was turned, Neal grinned to himself. He wasn't blind, he saw Emma checking him out and was very pleased at her reaction.
He tossed the towel back into the bathroom and then grabbed his suitcase and followed after her.
Emma was already at the bug, putting her bag into the trunk and she turned to him as he approached. "I'm going to check out, you can wait in the car."
He only smirked slightly and nodded and she rolled her eyes as she headed toward the office.
Neal chuckled slightly to himself as he put his suitcase in the trunk.
He had no plans to push Emma, he knew that ten years of bad history between them couldn't be solved by him being flirty. But now at least he knew he had the chance for redemption and if he was lucky, the chance for something more.
After closing the trunk, he hopped into the passenger seat to wait for Emma. As he waited he looked around the car, a small smile playing on his lips as he remembered all the good times he and Emma had in this car. It wasn't a way to live but at the time Neal knew he could have lived that way forever if it meant being with Emma. She was the first good thing to ever happen to him since he arrived in this world and to have to give that up was painful. But she was back in his life now and though she was angry with him, he could see that light flickering back to life, and knowing about Henry, though it terrified him as much as it excited him, made it grow that much stronger.
Soon Emma was back and climbing into the driver's seat. Her face was a little more relaxed but her jaw was still tense as she turned to look at him. "Ready to go?"
He swallowed slightly. The thought of another few hours spent alone with Emma and learning about his son excited him but another thought, the thought that he was that much closer to seeing his father again, distilled fear in his heart. But he put on a brave face and nodded.
Emma wordlessly started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back to the parkway that would take them to Maine.
There was not even ten minutes of silence before Neal broke it. "So, tell me about Henry."
Once again Emma's face visibly softened at the mention of Henry's name and he could even see the hint of a smile on her lips as she quickly looked at him. "He's a lot like you, actually."
Neal's face lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah." Emma shook her head lightly. "Sneaky...stubborn..."
"Well, I'd say he gets the stubbornness from you." He cut her off and she shot him a sideways glare but he only returned a smirk.
"Alright," Emma relented, "He does get that from me." She shook her head again as Neal grinned. "He's clever." She continued. "Very clever. He figured out the whole curse thing on his own. He figured out that I was his mother and that I was the savior and he left Storybrooke all on his own to find me."
"Woah, woah." Neal quickly cut her off. "He left Storybrooke on his own? And he's ten years old?"
"Yep."
"How did he manage to do that?"
Emma scoffed and shook her head. "He stole his teacher's credit card."
"What?" Neal gasped, not so much outraged but impressed.
Emma hummed and turned a sideways look at him. "Like father like son."
"Hey!" Neal protested, pointing a finger at her, his lips twitching upwards. "I never stole a credit card."
Emma pressed her lips together, obviously trying to keep the smile off her face and a laugh from escaping, her fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel.
Neal grinned at her knowingly and she resisted leaning over to slap his arm. He chuckled softly, "So he stole his teacher's credit card and took a trip, on his own, to Boston? How did he get you to come back with you?"
Emma finally let a small smile grace her features at the fond memory. "He just came right out and told me he was my son. I almost had a heart attack at seeing him there, I almost completely forgot about him, you know? But after I composed myself I told him I'd call the police and they'd bring him back home and he actually told me that if I did that he'd tell them that I kidnapped him."
Neal snorted. "Smart kid."
"Hm." Emma nodded in agreement. "So I agreed to go back with him. I didn't plan on staying, I didn't plan on getting involved, I was just going to drop him back off at his mother's house and be done with it. But obviously, that didn't work out and it was mostly because of Henry."
"Mostly?"
Emma sighed. "Well as crazy as it all sounded at the time, the town intrigued me. Part of me wondered if Henry was actually telling the truth."
Neal smiled warmly and leaned his head back against the seat, gazing at her. "So what else? Tell me everything."
Emma smiled slightly and briefly looked a him. She was more than willing to talk about Henry. What parent didn't like to brag about their child after all and even after everything Neal has done to her, she still felt he had he right to know about his son.
So she told him everything, what he liked, and little things he had done that stuck in her memory. She talked for hours and Neal was more than willing to listen, the smile never leaving his face as he heard stories about his son.
Some stories had them both laughing and for that little short while the tension between them had almost completely dissipated, leaving only a mutual love they shared for their son.
Even after they moved onto different conversations, it remained light and impersonal, avoiding any possible awkward moments. It was almost like old times, them on the road in their little yellow bug, sharing small talk and laughing. Neal had to constantly remind himself that it wasn't and if he said something stupid, Emma would put her walls up again and it'd be near impossible to get through.
It was just over four hours on the road when they passed the Storybrooke sign. The car had gone quiet and had been for the last thirty minutes, ever since they entered Maine.
Emma frowned slightly as she glanced over to Neal. His lips were twisted into a frown for the first time since they left that day as he stared out the window at the passing trees, and his leg was shaking so violently Emma was surprised he hadn't worn a hole in the floor.
She bit her lip softly and slowed down, pulling off to the side of the road and then putting the car in park.
Neal's leg stopped shaking and he turned to look at her inquisitively. "What are you doing?"
She let out a breath and shifted in her seat to face him fully. "I just want to make sure you're okay with this."
His brow lifted in surprise. Even though they had been getting along pretty well the last couple hours he didn't expect such a kind thought out of her.
She seemed to read his mind and explained, "I may be angry with you but that doesn't mean that I have to push you into your father's life without a care in the world. After everything you've told me...it wouldn't be right of me."
Neal's lips twitched in a small smile of gratitude before he sighed and looked down, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. "I've come this far." He shrugged lightly. "It's a bit too late to turn back now. Besides, you were sent to find me. I hate to think of what would happen if I backed out."
Emma creased her brow and frowned. "I don't give a crap about what happens to me, Neal. I would tell him I did my best. I'm not afraid of him."
Neal swallowed and looked up at her and her chest tightened. She could see the lost fourteen year old boy in his eyes and she was surprised by how much it hurt.
"Maybe you should be." He muttered.
Emma narrowed her eyes slightly. "Well I'm not. Seriously, Neal, don't worry about me. If you're not ready to face him, we can still leave. I'm not taking you back to New York but I can take you to the nearest city."
Neal looked down, as if actually pondering her offer. It was tempting he had to admit, after all the thought of seeing his father again made him sick with fear but he was also this close to meeting his and Emma's son. How could he pass up an opportunity to know his son just because he was afraid of his past demons?
"No." He decided. "I'm not going to leave." He looked up and nodded in determination. "I'm as ready now as I'll ever be." He let out a breath. "Bring it on."
The corner of Emma's mouth turned up and she gave him a curt nod before starting the engine and turning back onto the road.
Neal sat up as soon as they entered the town, peering out the window with a bit of curious wonderment. He had been to cities all across the country but this town, he knew, there was not another like it.
Emma spied Gold's shop out of the corner of her eye and swallowed. Even though she knew Gold wouldn't be there it still made her a little uneasy.
She pulled up in her usual spot outside of Granny's diner and Neal furrowed his brow as he looked out the window. "This is where he is?"
"No." Emma answered, shutting off the car and turning to him. "But when I was reunited with my parents, just after the curse broke, they wanted to talk to me and I wasn't exactly ready to and all I wanted was some really good wine."
Neal cocked one single eyebrow. "You're going to get me drunk."
"No." She laughed softly. "That would create an even bigger mess that you or I don't need. I'm just going to give you a little something to get the edge off."
Her fingers found the door handle of the car and she paused before opening it. "And Neal, Henry will probably be in there."
Neal's eyes widened as he looked out at the diner, clearly trying to picture the little boy in the photo Emma showed him.
Emma let out a breath. "Please, don't say anything to him. At least not about who you are to him."
Neal turned to her with a frown and she bit her lip. "I'll tell him, I promise. But you don't need that right now."
Neal nodded in understanding and upon thinking about it realized she was right. He knew Henry would know who he was soon enough but Neal didn't need the pressure of being a new father right before he was going to face his father.
They both got out of the car and Neal inhaled deeply and even the scent of this place got him a little nauseous. It's like he could smell the magic. His jaw tensed as he followed Emma into the diner quietly.
Upon entering the diner, Emma immediately searched the place. Ruby was at her usual place behind the counter and smiled at seeing her. Sitting at the counter was a few of the dwarves, either drinking or eating. And sitting in a booth near by was her whole family. She didn't know why she expected anything less.
David and Henry were sitting together on one side and across from them was Snow. Henry was too focused on his cup of hot chocolate to even notice that she entered the diner. It was David who noticed her first and a smile lit up her father's face and he gently nudged Henry.
Henry looked up at his grandfather and then followed his gaze to where Emma stood. Emma smiled at him and lifted her hand in a wave. Henry's face brightened and he launched himself out of the booth and ran across the diner.
"Mom!" He cried and Emma laughed as she knelt down to envelop Henry in a proper hug.
Neal's stood still and wide-eyed, feeling all the breath leave his lungs as he watched the ten year old run toward them. That was his son. He actually had a son. Neal felt his throat tighten as he watched the tender reunion between mother and son.
Emma lightly shook her head as she pulled back a moment later, grinning at Henry. "I was only gone for a day, kid." She affectionately ruffled his hair and he pulled a face but never stopped grinning.
"I still missed you." He insisted and her eyes lit up as she pulled him in for another hug.
"I missed you too." She whispered, gently kissing the top of his head.
All of a sudden Henry tensed in her arms as he caught sight of the stranger behind his mother, staring at him with an odd expression. Emma pulled back, feeling the sudden change in Henry and looked at him curiously and then followed his gaze to Neal.
Her heart was pounding as she looked between father and son. She knew Neal was dying to reach out to Henry, she could see it in his eyes and for perhaps the first time she felt guilty about the lie she told.
Emma stood up, keeping a hand on Henry's shoulder and Henry leaned slightly into her side, eyeing Neal warily but curiously. "Is this him?" He asked, looking up at his mother. "Is this Mr. Gold's son?"
Emma let a small smile cross her lips as she looked over at Neal who was still too overcome by so many emotions he could hardly move. Looking at him, she knew he wouldn't be answering Henry's question himself.
"Yes." Emma answered and swallowed slightly, raising her brow. "Neal?"
At the sound of his name, Neal broke out of his stupor and looked over at Emma. The sight of her with her arm protectively wrapped around their son sent his heart into overdrive and he could feel the prickle of tears behind his eyes. But he quickly pushed them back and opened his mouth to let in a breath and then cleared his throat.
"I, ah...yes."
Emma held back a smirk as Neal fumbled for words.
"I thought his name was Baelfire." Henry said and Neal visibly tensed at the name. There was a strange sort of emotion running through him at the sound of his birth name being said by his son.
Neal gathered himself together and addressed Henry himself. "In that world, it was. In this world, my name is Neal."
"Oh." Henry said simply and then smiled up at him and Neal felt his heart leap at the sight. "It's nice to meet you, Neal."
Neal smiled shakily. "It's nice to meet you too, Henry."
Henry furrowed his little brow. "How did you know my name?"
Neal looked over to Emma and smiled. "Your mom talked about you a lot."
Henry, clearly delighted with that answer, grinned up at his mother and wrapped his arms around her waist. Emma smiled down at him and affectionately pulled her tighter against him, and then turned to Neal, nodding slowly.
"Come on, kid." Emma kept an arm around Henry while motioning to Neal and she turned to walk back toward the table.
Snow and David were smiling brightly as she approached and Emma shared that smile with them. As Neal came up behind her, Snow's smile faltered only slightly as she shot a silent, questioning in his direction. Emma pressed her lips together and nodded once, covering it up by turning her head toward Neal and forcing a small smile.
"Neal, these are my parents."
Neal's eyes widened as he looked between the couple at the booth. They looked no older than Emma did but he imagined that must have been part of the curse.
"Hello, Neal." Snow greeted sweetly and David sent a friendly nod in his direction, slipping his arm around Henry's shoulders who had climbed back into the seat beside him.
Emma let out an inner sigh of relief. David showed no hostility toward Neal which meant Snow had kept her promise and didn't tell him about Neal's identity in regards to her and Henry.
"It's an honor to meet you two, really."
Emma rolled her eyes slightly, it was just like Neal to suck up and it seemed to do wonders for her father's ego. He wasn't arrogant by any means but he did love to be a prince and to be recognized for that meant everything to him.
"Come on," Emma motioned her head, "Let's get you that drink." She lightly nudged Neal's arm and headed toward the counter.
Neal followed behind her and they both took a seat as Ruby came over to them. "Hey, Emma. What can I get for you two?" She eyed Neal and he shifted under her gaze. The whole town no doubt knew who he was by now and he knew the looks of fear were going to start up again.
He really did need that drink.
"Give us the best stuff you got, Ruby." Emma replied, noticing the way Neal visibly deflated.
Ruby nodded and went over to the bar, grabbing two glasses.
Emma swiveled on her seat to look at Neal whose head was now bowed and nearly pressed up against the counter. She thanked Ruby once she brought over the alcohol and Neal lifted his head, greedily grabbing for the glass and taking a large swig.
He closed his eyes and let out a sigh as the relaxing burn swept over him. Still nursing the glass, he then turned to Emma who was watching him with a mixture of amusement and concern. "You alright?"
He nodded and took another sip before subtly glancing over his shoulder to the booth where Henry sat and then looked back at Emma. "He's more than I ever could have imagined." He said softly.
Emma managed a small smile and quickly glanced at Henry herself before nodding in agreement. "He's a great kid."
"I can't believe he's ours." He whispered in awe.
Emma forced a smile and pressed the glass to her lips, taking a long swig. However she didn't want to drink too much since she did have to drive Neal over to Gold's and she had a reputation to uphold as the sheriff so she pushed the glass over to Neal instead.
He gave her a curious look and she raised her brow pointedly. "You're going to need it."
Neal smiled gratefully and poured the rest of hers into his own glass and downed it in one swig. He slammed the glass down onto the table and shook his head as the alcohol burned through his veins.
"Neal?"
He turned to her with a sigh. "There is no sense in putting it off any longer. I'm going to feel worse about it the longer I wait so let's just go."
Emma frowned slightly but nodded, left a few bills out for Ruby and walked back over to her family. "I have to take Neal over to Gold's. But I'll be back, okay?" She directed the last part down at Henry who nodded. She smiled at him and affectionately rubbed his head, sharing a nod with her parents and then turning back to Neal.
He nodded at her silently and together they walked out back to the bug.
Emma looked over to him silently as she drove down the streets to Gold's manor. The alcohol did little for him, at least thats how it appeared. His body was still tense, his leg started shaking again and she could practically see his heart beating rapidly in his chest.
She pulled up across the street and parked the car. Neal sighed heavily as he stared out the window. He didn't recognize the house but that didn't mean he didn't know who lived there.
He remained still for a long moment before reaching for the handle bar and turning to Emma with a weak smile. "Thanks." He murmured.
He started to open the door when she stopped him. She reached into the backseat and grabbed her bag, pulling out a small piece of paper and a pen, writing down something and then handing it to him.
"What's this?" He asked, furrowing his brow.
"My address. I know this isn't going to be easy for you, Neal. And I might regret this but if you need someone to talk to, you can talk to me."
He gazed down at the sheet of paper and then back up at her and his eyes shone with utter appreciation and something more Emma didn't wish to acknowledge.
"Thank you, Emma." He whispered and she nodded, reaching over to take his hand and squeeze it gently. He squeezed her hand in return and then sucked in a breath, stepping out of the bug.
He glanced back at Emma through the window and she shot him a small encouraging smile and he closed his eyes before turning away from the car and looking toward the house.