Chapter 26
Episode - Tiny
Emma had gotten a few hours sleep.
In spite of Voldemort and Cora both in town, Harry had a desire to get out of town. He decided to leave Ron and Hermione in charge of Dumbledore's Army and Order of the Phoenix members while Harry follows The Dark One to wherever his son is.
Rumpelstiltskin showed up at the door with Belle on his arm.
"Ready to go Miss Swan?" asked Mr. Gold.
"Yep." said Emma with a duffel bag over her shoulder. "Let's go kid."
It was then that Henry followed behind her with a duffel bag over his shoulder.
"What is this?" asked Mr. Gold with confusion.
"Well, with Cora and a renegade dark wizard in town, I'm not going anywhere without Henry. Either he comes with us, or I don't go."
Mr. Gold sighed with reluctant resignation.
"Very well." said Mr. Gold. "It looks like I will need to purchase an extra plane ticket."
"I'm going with you." said Harry. "If I understand correctly, you have no magic outside of the town line. You might need magic in this dangerous world. That's where I will come in."
"Very well." said Mr. Gold.
He then turned to David and Mary Margaret.
"Your highness, I humbly request that you take care of Belle. My Talisman allows me to cross the Town Line and keep my memories, unfortunately I didn't have enough potion to make a Talisman for her."
Mary Margaret and David each put an arm around her.
"You have my word." said David.
David then pulled both Harry and Mr. Gold aside.
"Harry Potter, Rumpelstiltskin, I have a request to make to both of you." said David.
"Of course." said Harry, speaking for both of them.
"Emma and Henry are very precious to me. And I can't protect them once they leave town. I'm asking you to ensure their safety."
"No harm will come to them on my watch." said Harry.
"Of course." said Mr. Gold.
They were all about to walk out the door where then Belle walked up to Mr. Gold and put her arms around his neck.
"Rumple!" pleaded Belle. "I love you!"
She then french kissed him.
"Come back to me!"
"I will be back, Belle! That's the deal!" Mr. Gold promised. "And Rumpelstiltskin never breaks a deal." he added on.
5 minutes later they were in Mr. Gold's car and they were crossing the town line. The moment they crossed it looked like an odd sort of blue energy began to ripple and cover the surface of Mr. Gold's body, which they had observed the few times that a few townspeople had crossed the Town Line.
"Mr. Gold?" Harry prompted.
Mr. Gold paused for a second to collect his thoughts.
"My name is Rumpelstiltskin." said Mr. Gold. "And we're going to find my son."
Episode - Manhattan
They had arrived in New York. And they followed Mr. Gold's lead.
They eventually came across an apartment building. It looked a little old, beaten up, and run down.
"So this is where your son lives?" said Harry Potter.
"Yes." said Mr gold.
They had entered the front door and looked at the selection of names on the list of buttons to press.
"I trust that this magical globe that you used had given you a name and an exact address?" said Harry.
"Not exactly. But I know that he's here."
Emma looked over the list of names that were on the list there at the front gate.
"No one by the name of Baelfire." said Henry.
"Well," said Emma, "most likely he's not going to use his real name in this world."
Harry looked at the list and he saw someone on the third floor, room 5, that had no name.
"We should probably try this guy." said Harry.
Emma pressed the button.
"UPS delivery." said Emma.
There was no response.
"Maybe you should have tried fedex." said Henry.
It was then that they heard a rattling on the fire escape outside.
Someone from one of the floors above was trying to make a getaway.
"Miss Swan." said Mr. Gold. "You will fulfill your debt to me by catching that man."
"I'll go with her." said Harry. "Watch Henry."
The bail bonds person and the young wizard went running after the mysterious man.
"I'll try and cut him off." said Harry.
Harry quickly ducked into a back alley and once he was almost sure that he was out of sight of everyone he disapparated. He materialized two blocks ahead of the fleeing suspect.
That is when Harry saw him. He was wearing a hood. They were in another Alleyway that was out of sight.
After Harry quickly cast an anti-muggle surveillance shrouding spell, he pointed his wand.
"Incarcerous!" said Harry.
Dozens of ropes appeared out of thin air and bound to the man and he fell to the ground incapacitated.
Harry took the man by the front of his sweater and lifted him up.
"I didn't do anything." said the man defensively.
"I didn't think you did." said Harry. "Just answer me one question. Are you Baelfire of the Enchanted Forest?"
The man then looked Harry in the face and had a look of recognition.
"Harry Potter?"
"You know who I am?"
"I know a lot about the Wizarding community of this world."
"Are you Baelfire? Yes or no?"
"What if I am?"
"Because I'm here with your father who's crossed realms to find you. Rumpelstiltskin."
The man then had a look of half horror, half disgust.
"You brought my father to me?"
It was then that Emma came running up behind him.
The man then looked Emma in the face and they looked at each other with recognition.
"Emma?"
"Neal?"
"You two know each other?" asked Harry.
"He's my ex-lover who left me to go to prison for him." said Emma.
It was then that Emma took half a take when she began to put two and two together.
"Wait a minute. You're Mr Gold's son?" said Emma in disbelief.
"Who's Mr Gold?" asked Neal.
"Rumpelstiltskin." said Emma and Harry together.
"You were from the Enchanted Forest this entire time?" said Emma with disbelief. "Did you know about me being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"
"Yes to the first question." said Neal. "No to the second question. When you and I first met, I had no idea who you were."
"What are the odds that you and I would have randomly met like that?"
"I think we should get off the street." said Neal, "Can I buy you a drink?"
"No," said Emma, "I'm not having to drink with you."
"Emma I think he and I should have a more in-depth conversation." said Harry. "I'll pay for the drinks. Relashio!"
The ropes holding Neal fell away.
—-
They sat at the bar in the nearby restaurant. The bartender had served them three large mugs of beer.
"All right," said Harry, "start talking. What happened?"
Neal closed his eyes to collect his thoughts.
"It was about 150 years ago." Neal began. "In the Enchanted Forest. During the first ogre's war. The Duke of our kingdom was recruiting children to be soldiers. The war was not going well. One day my father managed to get his hands on the Dagger of The Dark One and then used it to Kill The Dark One, Zoso, my father's predecessor. You see when you kill the Dark One with the Dagger of The Dark One then you become The Dark One.
"My father killed all of the ogres with a wave of his hand and saved all the children and ended the war. But it didn't stop there. When you become the Dark One, the darkness consumes you and corrupts you. My father became obsessed with getting more power. I made a deal with him. If he could find a way to get rid of his powers then he would do it. That's when the Blue Fairy approached me. She gave me a magic bean. Told me to use it to take my father to this world, a world without magic. Where he would just be normal again.
"That was the first if not only time that my father ever broke a deal. I threw the bean and opened the portal but my father became scared he didn't want to go through. I fell through without him. And as the bean was supposed to do, it landed me in this world."
"150 years ago?" asked Harry. "How are you still alive?"
"Good question." said Neal. "I landed in the middle of London, England. The year was 1862. I spent the first 6 months in this world homeless. Long story short, I was eventually taken in by the Darling family. George and Mary took me in and treated me as though I was one of their own, became the true parents that I never had. And their children, Wendy, John and Michael became my siblings and I loved them."
"Wait a minute." said Harry. "Wendy, John and Michael Darling from the Fairy Tail story Peter Pan?"
"You're catching on." said Neal with a smile. "That was when Peter Pan's shadow came to the window. Long story short, it wanted to take one of the boys. I had developed a hatred for Magic so I told the shadow to take me instead. And I made it promise to leave that family alone.
"Long story short, I spent 120 years in Neverland as a Lost Boy. I managed to escape Neverland and ended up here in the United States around the time that the Dark Curse in Storybrooke was enacted."
Harry thought about that. Neverland. Harry had visited Neverland as a child before he went to Hogwarts. It was something that he hadn't thought of in a very long time because at the time he thought it was just a dream that it wasn't real.
Flashback
4 Privet Drive, 15 years ago
Harry was sitting in the living room with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley. They were watching the Disney movie, Peter Pan on VHS. Harry sat back and pretended not to be watching. Uncle Vernon didn't like the idea of any movies about anything magical being shown to Harry. Vernon Dursley seems to get the idea that it would give Harry ideas.
The movie was now over and it was bedtime. Harry went to his cupboard under the stairs. Once he could hear throughout the house that the family had settled down he was then able to settle down. He began to think about the cartoon movie that he had just watched. He thought of himself as a 'Lost Boy'. Living with a family that does not love him and did not want him. At this point, Harry thought it would have been preferable if they had just sent him off to an orphanage. Why did they take him in if they did not want him? Why would they keep him if they did not like him? Harry wasn't even sure why they didn't like him. He was well behaved, at least by cultural and societal standards, but for some reason Harry's mere presence was a constant irritation to his family.
Harry fell asleep. And the next thing he knew he was dreaming. At least he thought he was dreaming. He woke up in the middle of a jungle. He could smell the plants and the earthy smell of soil. He began to walk on the path until he came to what seemed to be a treehouse.
He then saw a blonde woman wearing green clothing. She turned in his direction.
"Hello." said the woman. "Are you one of the Lost boys? Does Pan want something?"
"I'm sorry." said Harry. "I don't understand what you're asking. Who are you? And what is this place?"
"Oh, I'm Tinkerbell." said the woman with a smile. "Welcome to Neverland."
'Okay,' thought Harry, 'I'm dreaming of this because I just watched the cartoon movie.'
"With all due respect, I'm asleep right now. I know I'm dreaming. And you are just a figment of my imagination." said Harry directly.
That was when she scrutinized Harry a little bit more closely.
"Oh, you're a dreamed up Avatar."
Harry didn't quite understand her words, but then sometimes dreams were strange and unusual.
"If you really are Tinkerbell, why are you normal human size?"
"The blue fairy took my wings and I have no magic."
Harry heard what she said but didn't understand it's meaning.
It was then that a group of young teenagers appeared from behind some trees.
"Good day to you, Tinkerbell." said the boy in front.
"You as well Pan." said Tinkerbell.
The boy then scrutinized Harry.
"Another dreamed up avatar from a world without magic." said the boy in observation. "What's your name, boy?"
"Harry Potter." Harry answered.
"I'm Peter. Peter Pan. Welcome to Neverland."
"Okay, this dream is definitely because I just watched the movie." said Harry.
"Felix?" Peter Pan prompted the taller boy beside him.
The boy named Felix then examined a piece of paper and then looked at Harry.
"It's not him." said Felix.
Peter Pan then gave a hand signal to Lost Boys And they retreated back into the woods. He then turned to Tinkerbell.
"I'll take it from here." said Pan. "Walk with me."
They started to walk through the woods.
"So, what do you think of Neverland so far?"
Harry deciding to go along with the figments of his imagination that were fully interactive and answered.
"It seems nice. The soil is fertile. It's warm. And let me guess, I can do anything I want?"
"You catch on fast." said Pan with a smile.
Pan then started his sales pitch that he gave to every new lost boy.
"Here in Neverland the power of the island is controlled by your imagination. All you have to do is think something and it happens. Go ahead, try it. Hold out your hand palm up and imagine the one thing that you'd like to eat more than anything else in the world."
Harry complied. He held his hand palm up and imagined a slice of chocolate cake. And the slice of cake materialized out of thin air in the palm of his hand.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg, Potter." said Peter Pan with a mischievous looking his eye. "Here in Neverland you can fly, eat whatever you want. There's no bedtime. No grown-ups to tell you what to do. Life among the Lost Boys is just a 24/7 party for all of eternity."
"Don't get me wrong." said Harry. "It sounds like fun. But I don't know if that's for me."
"It should be." said Pan with a serious frown. "You deserve it. I can see into your soul Harry Potter. Born to Lily and James Potter. Orphaned at a young age. Having to be raised by a family that doesn't love you and is neglectful.
"I can offer you a place here in Neverland Among The Lost Boys, permanently."
"If only this wasn't a dream." said Harry with a look of disbelief on his face.
"But it can be real Harry Potter. All you have to do is believe."
He then gave a hand signal up in the air where then suddenly a ghostly humanoid black figure floated down from the air.
"This is my shadow." said Pan. "When you wake up, wait until the sun has gone down, then go to an open window somewhere in your house, and then say the words 'I believe'. My shadow will be there within moments to pick you up and bring you here."
"Thanks for the advice." said Harry.
"Now, join us for a game of 'Capture the Flag'?"
At school Harry was always picked last for teens because none of the other students wanted Dudley to think that they liked him. Now he was openly accepted. And he liked it.
"Sure." said Harry.
"Boys!" Pan verbally signaled.
About a dozen of the Lost Boys then appeared out of the trees.
"Let's play!" he shouted excitedly.
Harry spent the rest of the night playing with the lost boys. They played capture the flag, then dodgeball, then they pigged out on food, and then danced around a bonfire while pan played beautiful flute music from his syrinx.
But all good things come to an end when he was awoken by the banging on his door.
"Harry!" shouted Aunt Petunia through the door. "Get up! Now!"
And so another day began.
That night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Harry crept out of his cupboard. He went to the back door, and he unlocked it. He opened it, and he stood behind the threshold.
Just remembered from the dream, that only had to do was say 'I believe'.
"I…," Harry began but hesitated, "I…,"
He thought about what Peter Pan had said. But then logic and reason came over his mind. Why had he dreamed that perfect dream? Being in a perfect place, away from his aunt and uncle and cousin? His logic and reason told him that realistically the reason why he dreamed it was because of the life that he's living in. He's living a miserable existence, so his mind conjures up the perfect life after seeing the cartoon Disney movie of a place where children are free of their families to do whatever they want. There's no such thing as magic. There's no such thing as fairy tales. And there's no such thing as Neverland.
"...don't believe." Harry finished with a ton of finality.
He went back to bed and he never thought of this dream again until the day Hagrid picked him up from the cabin on the sea.
New York, 15 years later
They were in the restaurant sitting at the bar with Neal Cassidy telling his story.
"I acclimated to American society until I met Emma." said Neal. "And I had no idea who she was at the time. I swear I had no idea that Emma was from the Enchanted Forest or that she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince charming, or about the Dark Curse of Storybrooke.
"So what happened?" asked Emma.
"The day that you went to get those stolen Rolexes out of the storage locker, you brought them back. I told you that we were going to sell them, and start a new life in Tallahassee with our small nest egg. You then walked away. I was going to go make the sale, and I did. Then I was ambushed. By someone you know."
"Who?" asked Emma.
He looked Emma in the eye with a serious face.
"August Blooth."
"August?" said Harry with confusion. "You mean Pinocchio?"
"The very same." said Neal. "I thought he was a cop. But he then began asking me these weird questions, like if I believe in magic? I told him what if I did? He said that he was Emma's sort of unofficial guardian angel. He had been following her for a while and had been watching her and I committing crimes. I don't know how he knew, but he knew that I was Rumpelstiltskin's son. He showed me a box he said that when he opens it and I look inside I will believe every word he says. He opened the box and there was a typewriter with a single page with a line saying, I know you're Baelfire. And it's true. I believed him from that moment on.
"I asked him what he wanted? He then told me about the Dark Curse, and Storybrook. He said that Emma was the savior. And he said that it was imperative that I not interfere in her destiny to break the curse. Apparently as part of your destiny, you needed to take the fall for the crime to go to prison in order for you to get your life in order. So I threw you under the bus until the day that you could break the curse."
"So," said Harry in conclusion, "everything is explained."
"So, Pinocchio shows up and tells you that I have to go to prison to break a curse and you just listen to him?" said Emma in anger.
"I didn't want to." said Neal with sorrow and remorse in his voice. "I would have gone to prison for you. But I understood the importance of your destiny."
"How is it that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming meets up with the son of Rumpelstiltskin at the same time?" asked Harry.
"Fate. Destiny." said Neal. "Whatever you want to call it. It works in a strange way within this universe."
"Well, whatever. Let's go meet your father. I made a deal with him. I promised him that I would find you and bring you to him."
"Whoa!" said Neal with a look of shock and surprise on his face as well wlla look of disgust. "You made a deal with my father! Are you out of your mind Emma?"
"It was an emergency." said Emma in a firm voice of justification. "I had to save Cinderella's baby. But that is neither here nor there. The deal was made. And now I have to deliver."
Neal then put his forehead down on the bar and sighed in frustration.
"I've seen what happens to people who break my father's deals." he said in a tone of hopelessness.
"So you'll come?" said Harry.
"No." said Neal. "I have long since put my father behind me. Made peace with that I am done with him. Tell him you lost me. Tell him that I escaped you."
"He won't believe that." said Harry. "With my magic you would have never escaped me."
Harry then wondered? It was 11 years ago that Emma and Neal had a sexual relationship. Is Neal Henry's father? Though Harry supposed that Emma could have been romantically intimate with any number of men around the time when Henry was conceived.
But that might be a sensitive confidential issue for Emma so Harry decided not to say anything.
"But he knows that you're here. Do you really think he's just going to let this go?" said Emma.
"He enacted a Dark Curse to cross Realms in order to find you in this world." said Harry. "He's come this far, he's not just going to turn around and go back to Storybrooke. He's not leaving without you."
"Tell him I used some magic I brought back from Neverland in order to evade you." said Neal.
"Would that work in a world without magic?" asked Harry.
"I don't care what you tell him!" Neal shouted. "Just leave me alone and I don't want to see him!"
He downed the rest of his beer in his glass and then got up from his bar stool and walked out.
Harry handed the bartender some money.
Harry and Emma had made their way back to Henry and Mr. Gold.
"Emma," said Harry, "I need to ask? Is Neal Henry's father?"
Emma looked at Harry and wasn't too surprised that he had put two and two together.
"Yes." said Emma. "And I would prefer that Henry not know about that."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"Because I told Henry that his father was a firefighter who died saving people."
"I see." said Harry. "Wait a minute, doesn't that mean that Rumpelstiltskin is Henry's grandfather?"
"Yes." Responded Emma.
"Well that is one convoluted family tree." Said Harry with a laugh.
"Harry Potter." They heard a voice coming from the breast pocket of Harry's jacket.
Harry then pulled out his 3 inch by 5 inch enchanted mirror. When he held it in front of himself he saw the face of Hermione Granger.
"Hermione?" said Harry. "What's going on?"
"Just checking in." said Hermione's face behind the glass. "Hook escaped. Still no sign of Cora or Voldemort. The town sustained a giant attack. But the giant has since been shrunk and tamed. And the Evil Queen is upset that we didn't tell her that you took Henry out of town."
"Sorry." said Harry. "We found Mr. Gold's son."
"Oh, how did that go?"
"He doesn't want anything to do with his father. And he wants us to lie to Mr. Gold that we never saw him. Oh yeah, also he turns out to be Henry's father."
Hermione then thought about that for a minute.
"Okay, so with Emma being Henry's mother and Emma being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming that would make the Evil Queen Henry's step great-grandmother, as well as her adoptive mother, and Rumpelstiltskin would be Henry's grandfather. That is one convoluted family tree."
"Yes." said Harry. "That's what I said."
They made it back to where Mr. Gold and Henry were each having a hot dog.
"Sorry Mr. Gold." said Emma. "We lost him."
"Well that seems highly unlikely." said Mr. Gold skeptically. "Harry Potter, could you not have caught him with your magic?"
"Apparently he was using magic of his own." Harry lied. "He had some sort of stealth spell to make him untrackable."
"Well that seems unlikely." said Mr. Gold. "My son hates Magic. That's why he wanted to go to a world without magic."
"I don't know what to tell you." said Emma. "He invaded us and we were unable to catch him."
Mr. Gold had an irritated look on his face.
"Well I'm not giving up."
He then went back into the apartment building and looked at the locked door.
"Harry Potter, would you be able to use your wand to open the door?"
"Isn't that illegal?" asked Harry.
"I'm asking you to help Miss Swan fulfill her deal to me."
Harry didn't like this, but this wasn't exactly something that he could refuse The Dark One.
He tapped the doorknob with his wand and it unlocked allowing them entry.
They then went to Neal's room.
"One more time, Harry Potter." said Mr. Gold.
"You realize that you can be arrested for this." said Emma.
"Then in that case he'll have to testify against me in court." said Mr. Gold. "Either way, I get to see my son."
Harry again tapped the door knob with his wand and the door opened. The inside of the apartment was small and modest. It was a one bedroom suite. One large room counted as, living room, and kitchen, a separate room for the bedroom, and the bathroom was separate with just a shower and a toilet.
They looked around. Nothing that would indicate he was from the Enchanted Forest. There were a few envelopes on the table with the address on it and the name, Neal Cassidy.
It was then that Emma took notice of something on the window. It was a dreamcatcher. An unremarkable item but seemed to hold some significance to Emma. This was not lost on Mr. Gold when he saw her holding it and scrutinizing it with a look of fascination on her face.
"You found something?" said Mr. Gold.
"No." said Emma. "It's just a dreamcatcher."
"Does it hold some significance?" asked Mr. Gold.
"It's nothing." Said emma.
"If it's nothing, why are you still holding it?" said Mr. Gold in an accusatory tone.
"It's nothing, let's keep looking." Emma insisted.
But that's when Mr. Gold had the look on his face where he puts two and two together the way only he can.
"You're lying to me." he said sternly.
"Henry wait in the bathroom!" Emma ordered.
"But mom," Henry protested.
"Go!" Emma insisted.
Henry went off to the bathroom and closed the door.
An argument ensued. Mr. Gold became angry as he accused both Harry and Emma that they were holding back on him.
Mr. Gold then became violent as he threatened with his cane.
Harry raised his wand.
"We had a deal!" shouted Mr. Gold in an angry voice. "And no one, and I mean no one breaks deals with me!"
Harry was about to put a spell on him when the door burst open and Neal came running in.
"Hey!" Neal warned. "Leave her alone!"
Mr. Gold then scrutinized Neal with astonishment.
"Bae?!" said Mr. Gold with disbelief. "Is that you?"
"Yeah papa." said Neal. "It's me."
"Bae, you came back for me." said Mr. Gold with feeling.
"No." said Neal with a tone of threatening warning. "I came back to protect her from you! I know what happens to people who break your deals."
An argument ensued. He kept telling Mr. Gold that he didn't want to see him and for him to get out only for Henry to come out and inquire on the commotion.
It took only seconds for Neal to put two and two together.
"Is this my son?"
Harry could only imagine how awkward this was for Emma right now.
Emma paused for a few moments and then with reluctant resignation, "Yes."
"No." said Henry in denial. "My father was a fireman and he died saving people."
He then looked at emma.
"Mom, did you lie to me?"
"Yes." said Emma with reluctance after a long pause.
Henry then went out onto the fire escape with a look of disappointment on his face. Emma followed.
"Baelfire." said Mr. Gold. "You came back to protect Emma. To show me that she had lived up to her side of the deal. Well our bargain was that she was going to get you to talk to me."
Neal thought about that for a minute.
"You got 3 minutes."
"I'm going to get some air." said Harry.
Harry went downstairs and then went outside. He decided to go for a walk. Harry still had a lot to think about. He was still wondering how he was going to stop Voldemort. He was wondering if he should take the blessing of the villainous hero off the table? He couldn't leave Ginny and Teddy. To have a team of witches and wizards go hunting him down in the Woods would result in lives being lost. He couldn't think. But he had to come up with something.
Episode - The Queen Is Dead
It was about an hour later when the four of them came out of the building. Neal and Henry seem to be bonding while Emma and Mr Gold were kind of an invisible third wheel that was hanging back a little.
"How did it go?" I asked.
"Not as well as we'd hoped." said Mr Gold.
It looked like Neal was taking Henry for pizza. The three of them followed behind.
Neal showed Henry the sights of New York city. The museum. The library. The subway.
It was then that the five of them all arrived back at the apartment building. Neal and Henry went upstairs.
"You know what Mr. Gold, just give it some time. You've crossed Realms and waited this long. I'm sure he will come around." said Harry encouragingly.
It was then right at that moment that Emma and Harry were pushed aside by a hard shove and then there was none other than Captain Hook who pushed Rumpelstiltskin against the wall and stabbed his hook into his heart.
"Tick tock!" said Captain Hook in a maniacal voice. "Times up crocodile!"
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