Chapter 4: Another Banner Year

Neal smiled at Emma as she slept. It had been four weeks since their talk on the fire escape and things had been going smoothly of the most part other Augusts' insistence which Neal had been ignoring slightly but was now trying to think of a way to pursue it as August had helped him out in getting forged papers for Emma to become a bail bonds person so as to speed things up for Emma.

Emma stirred and turned to look at Neal.

"What are you smiling at," she said softly as she began to wake up.

"You, you're so beautiful you know that?"

Emma rolled her eyes and head, "Shut up."

"No I mean it." Neal lifted up Emma's shirt, "and look."

Emma looked down at her belly and in the center was a round defined bump that hadn't been there before. It baffled her at how fast time was flying now that she was twelve weeks pregnant and all ready starting to show. She had been reading up on material and had heard some first time pregnant women began to show that early but she didn't ever believe she'd end up being one of them. Emma gently and slowly made circles with her fingers over the protrusion.

"It's real now isn't it," she asked.

"Yeah it's real."

Neal took Emma's face and kissed her lips, he then moved down to her abdomen where her shirt was still up revealing her belly.

"Hey buddy, I'm your dad," he moved up and placed a second kiss on Emma's lips. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Emma nodded as Neal left the room. With him gone Emma continued to marvel at her newly shaped form. She had never imagined herself as a mother but now that she and Neal had decided to keep their baby she could not imagine anything more in the world that she wanted most, well almost anything but it had been a childhood dream that she knew would never happen.

"Okay close your eyes," Neal said from the other room.

"Neal what's going on?"

"I promise you'll see in a minute but right now just close them." Emma did so. "Are they closed?"

"Yes they're closed."

"Good," Neal said with a smile.

He walked into the room with a filled tray and placed it on the night stand on his side of the bed. Emma's senses were alert, the aromas of something sweet filling the room.

"Can I open them now?"

"Not yet," Neal said helping Emma into a sitting position, her back leaning against the headboard. He pulled down her shirt and pulled up the blankets, Emma's belly protruding through. Neal smiled at the sight of it. He could remain mesmerized by her for all eternity but right now he didn't have that kind of time.

He reached for the tray and placed it gently o Emma's lap and then took his place on the bed next to her.

"Okay open."

Emma looked down at the tray before her. Placed on it were two mugs of hot chocolate, one with whipped cream and cinnamon, the other with marshmallows, a large cupcake and a black velvet box.

Emma forced back her tears.

"Happy birthday," Neal said to her.

"Neal, you didn't have to do this.

"Are you kidding of course I did. What's a birthday without some cake? You're the birthday girl so what do you want first: cake or present," Neal asked though he had picked up the box making up her mind for her.

"Go ahead, open it."

Emma did so. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and the heat rising to her cheeks knowing what was in the box. In it was a sterling silver ring. In the center was a round frame of red and in the center was a swan with a flame of fire encircling it.

"A swan and fire," Emma asked him, "I don't get it."

Neal smiled, "You will. Emma Swan, will you marry me," he asked posing the question that came with the ring.

"Neal, I…"

"Now I know this is probably going too fast and we don't have to get married right away. And just so you know this timing isn't really off. I had planned on proposing long before you told me about the baby," he said with his smile."

"How could you even afford this?"

"Let's just say this was a friend's way of making things up to you after he screwed things up in the first place."

"What are you talking about?"

Neal shook his head, "Nothing. I love you Emma and I can't imagine the rest of my existence without you."

Emma smiled, "Neither can I," she said kissing him deeply.

With one hand Neal held onto the tray so nothing would spill.

"So that's a yes then," Neal asked.

"What do you think," Emma said with a smile.

Neal smiled and slid the ring on her finger.

"I think we should delve into that cake."

"My thoughts exactly."

Emma was about to pick up the cake and take a bite when Neal stopped her.

"Hey no cheating," he said pulling out a match. "You gotta make a wish first."

"What's there to wish for? I have everything I need right here."

"There's always something people wish for," he said lighting the candle. "Go ahead, make a wish."

Emma closed her eyes and thought for a moment about what she wanted most next to Neal and their unborn child. She then opened them and blew out the candle.

"So what did you wish for?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Okay true. Want to know what I wished for?"

"You made a wish?"

"More like had an idea," Neal corrected. "What would you say to moving?"

"Moving?"

"Yeah. All of this smog can't be good for you and the baby and I think it would be nice if we raised him in a little town somewhere."

"You've really been thinking a lot about this haven't you?"

Neal shrugged. "Just throwing out ideas."

"What about your job? What about my job?"

"We can get jobs anywhere. We can have a fresh start, somewhere new, somewhere… different."

"Like where Neverland?" Emma quipped as she had done once before.

Neal laughed at the joke and pulled out a withered postcard that he had received weeks ago from August.

"I was thinking somewhere in this realm," he said handing it to her.

Emma looked at it. "Storybrooke, Maine. Seriously?"

"Like I said, different. It's a small quiet town that most people don't even know about. It's perfect."

"When did you plan on going?"

"Today."

"You're not joking about this are you?"

"Nope."

Emma bit her lip and looked at Neal, "You know if I didn't want to lose you I probably wouldn't agree to this."

"Then it's a good thing you're not going to lose me," Neal said going in for a kiss but Emma pulled back.

"I do have one condition though."

"Uh-oh."

"No it's good. We can't keep calling our baby the baby or him or her or thing."

"So what are you suggesting?"

Neal took the tray and placed it back on the end table. Emma leaned herself back against the headboard and placed her hands over her small but growing belly.

"Well if it's a boy I was thinking David Henry and if it's a girl Eva Ruth. What do you think? I know they sound kind of old but-"

Neal placed a hand on top of Emma's. "No they're perfect. David Henry Swan, David Henry Cassidy. Eva Ruth Swan, Eva Ruth Cassidy- they all sound perfect."

Emma smiled thrilled that Neal was on board with the names she had chosen. She looked down at her belly.

"I still think it's a Henry though."

"So do I," said Neal.