Repeat tragedy
Kat asked for a oneshot of Neal being raised by Zelena but his parents getting him back when he's 10. Zelena wasn't too good to him and they show him that they are. This will be the last oneshot I will do of Emma or Neal being raised by anyone other than their parents. Trigger warning for a slight mention of possible child abuse.
Snow and Charming knew things wouldn't be easy- even now that they had their son back- but this was just heart-breaking. Neal hadn't really opened up much about how Zelena had treated him, but they could tell from the way he flinched whenever someone moved to quickly that she had obviously not treated him well.
"This is just horrible." Snow whispered one night to Charming after Neal was safely in bed. "I didn't expect it to be easy- but I didn't think he'd be frightened of us. If I could I would bring that witch back from the dead just to kill her again with my bare hands.
"I know," Charming said sympathetically, pulling his wife into his arms. "I feel the same way. It's going to be just like it was with Emma. We are going to have to take things slowly, very slowly, before he will be comfortable enough to open up to us and accept us as his parents properly."
"Why is it always our children?" Snow said, on the verge of tears. "Why are they always the ones who have their childhood stolen?" Charming could practically feel his wife's heart breaking- just like his own was. He felt the injustice of it all as well. Both of them would go back in time if they could to fix things for both Emma and Neal. But they couldn't. All they could do now for their son was show him how loved he really was, to help him forget that wicked witch.