Chapter fifty six
-Two weeks later-
"What are you doing Emma?" Regina laughed as she walked into the living room with coffee.
"Physiotherapy," the blonde replied and continued to do the stretches Whale had shown her.
"You're not supposed to do that on a couch, Emma," Regina sighed and placed the drink on the coffee table.
Emma pouted and shook her, "I don't want to do this on the floor."
Regina cocked her eyebrow and sat next to the coffee, "are you insulting the cleanliness of my floor?"
Emma smirked and replied, "of course not, your majesty, I'm merely saying that I would prefer to stay on the couch."
"Well then you can go and do it on your parents couch."
Emma grimaced at the thought and said, "I like living with you." The colour suddenly drained from the blonde's face as she realised the implications of her words and began stuttering, desperately trying to make some kind of retraction.
"Calm down," Regina laughed, "I like living with you too, Emma."
The woman visibly relaxed, before she began pouting again, "are you sure that I have to go back to work today?"
"You can go back whenever you want, you was the one who was complaining about being bored."
"Well, when you're not here, I get very bored."
Regina rolled her eyes and replied, "you can either go back to work, or you can just wait for 'take your girlfriend to work day.'"
Emma sighed and replied, "fine, I'll go even if I'm only allowed to do paperwork."
"What else do you usually do?"
Emma thought about that for a moment and laughed, "I guess I just chase Pongo and then write about chasing Pongo."
"Go to work, Miss Swan," Regina chuckled and stood.
Emma grabbed her wrist and said, "don't forget that I have physio later."
"I will be there promptly to give you your ride," Regina assured.
Emma nodded and released her wrist, just as she was walking back to the kitchen to start Henry's breakfast, Emma called, "can you bring lunch with you?"
Neal woke up, expecting to be met with the heavy typing of Graham, but instead he was met with complete silence.
Looking over with a furrowed brow, he saw that the Deputy's desk was completely empty and faintly he heard the sound of movement coming from the separated office.
He felt panic rise in his stomach as the realisation hit him that meant the sheriff was in her office, which meant that he was currently in the same area as the woman he had so severely hurt.
Turning to face the wall, he tried to get the image that Graham had shown him out of his mind, but just as every other time, he failed. He knew that the burn marks would be forever engrained upon his mind, to make it even worse, Graham had decided to share the news about the blonde's new inability to walk.
As much as guilt had tried to attach itself to each of these memories, Neal just kept trying to convince himself that what he had planned had been the right thing. He would go back in time and erase every bad thing he had done, he could go back and stop Emma or Henry going to Storybrooke. It was more than merely stopping them from meeting Regina, though he would be lying if he said that was a major part of it, he knew it was the only way to protect his son from the person he knew was looking for the 'Truest Believer'.
Footsteps interrupted his thought and he turned to see his father looking at him almost sadly, Neal couldn't help but think that if even the Dark One could use that expression towards him, than he must have really screwed up.
"What do you want?" Neal finally asked.
"I came to tell you the good news," Gold replied with a furrowed brow, "your trial is set for tomorrow morning."
"How is that good news?"
"Because I will be able to ensure that Regina is unable to use her own special brand of justice against you," Gold replied.
Neal looked over the man for a second and rose from the cot, "you think that I deserve whatever she has planned."
"Of course not, how could you think that, son?"
"You're looking at me in the same way as everyone else," he accused.
"What? Like a jackass?" a female voice interrupted.
Neal snapped his attention to the source, the first thing he noticed was the sound of rubber moving against the floor as his ex-girlfriend propelled herself forward towards the Deputy's desk where she grabbed a random file.
"E-Emma?" Neal breathed as he stared intently at the wheelchair.
"You know that most people consider that to be rude, Mr Cassidy?" Regina called from the entrance to the station, where she stood holding a Granny's take-out bag.
Neal turned to look at the mayor and shot a venomous look that could rival any of those offered by his father.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"Because unlike you, I am free to go wherever I wish, and in this moment, I chose to have lunch with my girlfriend. If you take issue with that…well I'm afraid that there's nothing you can do about it."
Neal clenched his fists and Regina just ignored him going over to follow the blonde to her office.
Gold looked at his son expectantly for a response to what had just happened, but instead what he got surprised him, "when is Henry's birthday?"
"In two days, why?"
Neal let out a deep sigh and fell onto the cot, he had hoped that he had simply miscounted the days and that he had more time to do what he needed to protect his family.
"It doesn't matter," he replied with a dismissive wave.
"I disagree, I believe when someone is set a deadline, they should keep it."
"What are you talking about?" Neal asked cautiously.
Looking back, Rumple saw that he was completely obscured from the sheriff and mayor's view and waved his hand to reveal his true form.
"I allowed you to leave Netherland, Bae. How should I deal with you now that you seem so intent on breaking your promise to bring me the Truest Believer?" Peter Pan asked.
A/N Thanks for all of the reviews to the A/N, I'll finish this arc, I've planned for about another five or six chapters but I don't know for sure how long they'll take haha so please be patient and I'll apologise in advance XD
If you guys have any ideas for one shots that you would like to see in this universe, then please pm so that I can have a few to work on in the break between this and the sequel (I don't know when that will be). Also if you have any ideas for the Peter Pan arc, then feel free to pm me since I haven't been able to settle on a exact idea yet XD
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed and I would love to hear what you thought of the chapter :D