Note: Ok, this one came into my head fully formed as a direct result of watching S2 Ep6 'Tallahassee'. I hereby blame Neal Cassidy for this chapter. Entirely.

Summary: Emma meets someone unexpected from her past and learns that the whole 'six degrees of separation' thing might have some truth in it.

Brandy Snap

Never in the history of time, thought Emma, had the act of turning round been so powerful as to completely flip one's world on its head. One minute she was standing by the coffee machine and everything was well. The next she was standing at the counter and she didn't know what to do, say or think. She was only continuing to breathe because she was so used to the habit that it was automatic.

The only good thing to come of the situation was that the person on the other side of the counter looked as shocked as she surely did.

"Emma?"

Emma gave a curt nod.

"Hello, Neal. What can I get for you?" she asked, trying to keep the astonishment out of her voice and sound at least semi-professional.

It didn't work.

"I, erm, cappuccino to take away, please." There was a long pause as Emma rang it up with shaking fingers. "So… how are you?"

"Great, thank you." Emma turned back to the coffee machine, taking her time. It was easier when she didn't have to look at him. Of all the blasts from the past to turn up in Granny's, why had it had to be Neal sodding Cassidy who'd walked into the café? "How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Are you local now?" Emma asked lightly. Please say no, she thought. Please don't say I'm going to start bumping into you on a regular basis. And please, please don't say that you're here because Henry tracked you down online. "That's two-ten," she added as she handed over the cardboard cup.

Neal shook his head as he gave her his money and Emma counted out his change.

"No, I'm just passing through. Like always really."

Emma managed a thin-lipped smile.

"Emma, I… I don't know what to say."

He fumbled with the plastic takeaway lid, prising it off and pushing it back on. It was a nervous tic of his; he'd had it when they'd first met. He was always taking lids off and putting them back on. Emma sighed and forced herself to behave like a rational adult when every other instinct in her brain was screaming at her to shout and rant and rave at this man, this man who had left her with barely a word and with a baby to boot.

"There's nothing to say, Neal. It was ten years ago. You've moved on. I've moved on. I'm married, I have a son." Your son, she added mentally. "We're different people. It happens."

"I guess," Neal said, eventually taking a sip of his coffee. "Crumbs, Emma, of all the people to bump into. It's been a while."

"Ten years," Emma repeated. "A lot's happened in that time."

A small part of her wanted to ask, wanted to know what in God's name he'd thought he was doing when he had left that morning and never come back. When she'd phoned him to find out where the hell he was, having expected to see him three hours prior, he had explained, in a rather distracted voice, that it was complicated and he couldn't explain it, and he wouldn't be back for a while. After two months of ringing and getting no answer, Emma had given up waiting for another explanatory phone call, accepted he'd found a better deal than a waitress just out of the care system, and vowed to be the best single mother she could be.

And now, here he was. Ten years later, looking exactly the same, and Emma was lost for words. Neal sighed.

"I should have explained," he continued.

Yes, you should have, Emma's brain snapped, but she said nothing, just shrugging in a gesture that she hoped conveyed 'well, I got on just fine without you, thank you very much.'

"It was complicated," Neal went on, echoing his words of a decade ago. "Everything happened at once , and I had to go away for a while, and we hadn't really known each other all that long, so I didn't want you to get dragged into it all, it was a messy business."

You'd known me long enough to get me pregnant and hear me say 'I love you', Emma's mind supplied helpfully. She pushed it down, focusing on keeping a clear head, just listening to Neal's patter of explanations and excuses. He was not the love of her life – that was Graham, and Emma was wondrously happy with her husband. But Neal was her first love, and the father of her child, and as such, she was always reminded of him in their son and could never truly forget him. Not that she would trade Henry for the world.

Emma found herself desperately wishing for another customer to come in, preferably a regular that she could strike up a conversation with and force Neal to move on, and her wish was answered when she heard Gold's voice come through the door, his instantly recognisable brogue bemoaning the miserable state of the weather.

"Afternoon, Emma, I…" His voice faltered as Emma and Neal looked over at him.

Gold looked as if he'd seen a ghost. So did Neal; the younger man startled visibly. There was a moment of intense stillness and silence whilst the two men looked at each other.

"Mr Gold, I…" Neal began, but Gold shook his head.

"Don't, Mr Cassidy," he said softly. "Please don't. Nothing you can say will make this moment any easier, so please, don't say anything."

Neal gave a small nod and turned back to Emma. "Bye, Emma. It was nice to see you again."

"Goodbye, Neal."

Gold waited until the door had closed behind Neal before hooking his cane over the top of the cake display and leaning both hands on the counter heavily.

"Of all the people to bump into," he murmured, and if Emma hadn't been listening for it, she wouldn't have heard the quaver in his voice that matched her own.

"Is everything all right out here?" August asked on coming out of the kitchen to find Emma and Gold in a similar stance on either side of the counter, both looking as if the polished wood was the only thing keeping them upright.

"Emma and I've had a bit of a shock," Gold said. "We need a sit down and a cup of tea."

"I'll get you some chamomile," August said faintly.

"A wee drop of brandy in it wouldn't go amiss," Gold added. "Come on, Emma. Let's sit down before you fall down."

Wordlessly, Emma nodded and came out from behind the counter, letting Gold lead her over to a table out of the way in one corner.

"Old client?" she asked, although the jest wasn't even half-hearted and it was in fairly poor taste considering Gold's reaction to the younger man. He shook his head.

"We met in court, yes, but not in a professional capacity."

Suddenly, Emma realised. "When he said he had to go away for a while…" She felt a trickle of ice run down her spine as the pieces of a puzzle that had eluded her for ten years suddenly began to fall into place, the clue being in that single moment of interaction between Neal and Gold.

"When he said he had to go away for a while," she repeated. "He meant it literally, didn't he? He was in prison. He was the driver who killed your son."

Gold gave a curt nod.

"He was sentenced to two years for causing death by dangerous driving; I've no idea how long he actually served," he said quietly. "Yes, he was responsible for Bae's death."

August brought over the tea at this point, apologising that there wasn't any brandy. He hovered for a moment to check that neither of them was likely to faint then tactfully withdrew to leave them to their obviously private and sensitive conversation.

"Oh God…" Emma rested her head in her hands. "I didn't, I just, I… He's Henry's father," she finished weakly.

"I'm sorry," Gold said. "I shouldn't have…"

"I'm sorry; I brought it up," Emma cut him off. "I hadn't had any contact with him since before Henry was born, before I even knew I was having Henry." She looked up. "Do you think I should have told him? Neal, I mean. He's got a son, and I never told him. I mean, I never wanted anything from Neal, I've always got on fine without him, but isn't it a parent's right to know their child? You know about this legal kind of thing; do I have to tell him? And Henry's never shown any interest in wanting to know about his father… Crumbs, what do I tell Henry?"

"Emma… Emma!"

Gold's voice broke her out of her chaotic spiral of thought.

"If Henry wants to know, then you just tell him the truth," he said. "It's the most honourable thing to do."

Emma blinked. It was such a deceptively simple answer. If Henry wanted to know, she would tell him, and if he didn't, she wouldn't. As for Neal… Emma sighed. It was unlikely that she was ever going to see him again now. He had always been a drifter, never staying in one place for too long, and he had said that he was just passing through. Perhaps it was fate that had caused them to meet like this today; fate that had pulled her and Gold and Neal together. After all, if August had been working the till, if Gold had sent Ashley in to get his tea, it would never have happened. Just chance.

"Em."

Emma turned to see August gesturing towards the clock. It was time for her to finish her shift and pick up Henry from school. She took off her apron.

"Thanks, Mr Gold."

"Thank you, dear." He drained his tea and made to leave the café as well, giving a small snort of hollow laughter. "It's a small world after all."

Emma was still lost in thought when she pulled up outside Henry's school and her son jumped into the passenger seat.

"Mum?" he asked on seeing her so abstracted. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, sorry, fine, I'm fine. How was your day?"

Henry chattered on happily until they reached home. Graham's car was already in the drive, he must have clocked off his shift early having put in overtime last week, and the thought made Emma smile. She would tell him what had happened later, but for now, she felt she had to clear the air with Henry – even if the boy didn't realise anything was different.

"Henry…"

"Yes, Mum?"

"You know, if you ever want to know about your father, you can ask, right? I will tell you."

Henry nodded.

"I know. I've just never thought it was important. I mean, we've always got on fine just the two of us, and as far as I'm concerned, Graham's my dad now."

Emma was so happy she could have cried, but she fought back the urge and hugged her son instead.

"Oh, Henry, you're remarkable."

Henry grinned.

"I know, I'm awesome. Now let's go inside, I'm starving."

Emma smiled as she watched Henry race up towards the front door, which Graham opened before the boy could careen into it. It had been an emotional afternoon, but as long as she had Henry and Graham, Emma knew she could cope with anything.