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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Aiden Gold let out a sigh as he sipped at the tea in front of him. He normally hated coming to Granny's, but Gideon had insisted on it upon bringing home the confirmation of his acceptance into Storybrooke's accelerated science program, which was led by Dr. Hyde… which frankly worried Aiden more than the freshness of Granny's lasagna, but if it made Gideon happy, well, he couldn't resist.

"So Gideon, are you excited to start your science program?"  he asked weakly as the boy practically inhaled his dinner.

The boy nodded eagerly, licking a bit of beef from his lip. "Yeah, sure am! It'll be great. And I'm really glad Roderick got accepted too!"

"That worries me," Belle said with an amused shake of her head. "You'll actually pay attention to what Dr. Hyde is saying, right?"

Gideon's eyes nearly rolled, but stopped as Aiden shot him a look. "Yeah, I will," the boy grumbled, poking at his chili with a spoon.

Aiden smiled as he watched his wife and son, but there was still pain behind his smile. His elder son, Neal, should have been here with them, celebrating, but that horrible woman he'd first been married to had spirited his son out of Storybrooke in the dead of night with her bastard of a new husband, and Aiden hadn't seen him since, despite Aiden's exhaustive efforts. His fingers gripped the tea cup just a bit harder as he glanced up at an unfamiliar face who had just entered the diner.

"Who is that?" he asked with a small frown.

"Oh, that's the new firefighter. I overheard him talking to Emma last week when mom and I were here," Gideon explained with a shrug. "Don't know what his name is though."

Aiden frowned slightly, looking over at the firefighter, feeling some sort of odd connection to him. But why? He'd never seen the man before in his life.

"Aiden? Are you okay?" Belle asked with a tilt of her head.

He blinked, turning to his wife and smiling. "Yes darling, I'm just fine. Sorry. My head was in the clouds for a moment."

Belle smiled and turned back to her sandwich. Aiden returned the smile, but he still felt a strange pull toward the stranger that was dashing out the door with greasy bags in his hand… and whenever Aiden Gold set his mind on something, he always got his answers.

When he parted ways with his wife and son after lunch, Aiden made his way back to the pawn shop, flipping the sign back to open and making his way into the back room as he pulled out his cell phone, dialing the familiar number.

"Hello, Zelena? It's Aiden. I would like you to start looking into some files for me again," he said when the woman picked up on the other line.

"The ones about your son?" Zelena replied with a sigh. "Aiden, we've been over this with so many people. Lawyers, private investigators… you even harassed Mother Superior about it!"

"Because that blue-dressed woman knows more than what she's admitting to," Aiden thought bitterly, before speaking into the phone. "Zelena, please. I need you to look into the files again It's my son's disappearance. I just want an answer."

Zelena exhaled on the other end, and Aiden could see her leaning back against her high-back leather chair, pinching her forehead in annoyance. "Okay. Fine. I'll have the investigators open the case again. I'll call you if anything new comes up."

"That's all I ask, dearie. That's all I ask…" he said, ending the call and smirking, sitting back in his chair. Whoever that man was, Aiden Gold would get his answers.

Though the only photograph Neal had seen of his father had been from a decade ago, he recognized the man anywhere, even without the help of seeing his step-mother and half-brother. He'd felt a cold chill go down his spine at the quick look he'd gotten of the man, even though he knew this was exactly why he had wanted to come to Storybrooke. So many things had whirled through his mind: did his father recognize him? What would the man's reaction even be to seeing his long-missing son again?  Hell, even how he would react to seeing his father again wasn't something Neal was sure of.

He forced himself not to shiver as he made his way back to the firehouse, clutching the bags of takeout in his hands. Being the delivery boy for lunch wasn't something he'd thought he'd be doing as a firefighter, but he supposed that, being the low man on the totem pole meant running around doing these errands when there was downtime.

"Cassidy! Well done! And you got back in the time allotted," Chief Hood said with a wide smile as he took the bags out of Neal's hands.

"Thank you sir," Neal replied with a smile.

Being hired in as a firefighter had been one thing, but it was another thing entirely once he'd actually gotten started at work. Then the real test began – impressing the boss in person, and quite frankly, that was more terrifying than finding out information he didn't want to know about his father, because Chief Hood could fire him if he wasn't careful.

"Now go on and enjoy the rest of your lunch," Robin told him with a squeeze of his shoulder.

Neal nodded and made his way over to one of the free seats in the dining room, taking a bite of the club sandwich he'd ordered.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

He almost choked, looking at the source of the voice. "Did you just quote Alice in Wonderland to me?"

"On the contrary, I quoted The Mad Hatter to you," the man replied with a smug look on his face. "So, rookie, do you have any guesses as to why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Neal blinked in disbelief. Was this guy serious?

"Jefferson, are you torturing the new guy with your stupid riddles again?" another voice cut in, the man taking a seat next to Neal. "You don't have to answer him. He just does this to try to freak out the rookies."

The first man – Jefferson – rolled his eyes. "Do you have to ruin my fun every time there's a new person? It's not like we get them very often!  So what do you think, new guy?"

"Uh… I don't know. Raven wings could be used to make a quill that someone uses to write with at their desk?" he suggested weakly.

Jefferson's eyes widened, seemingly impressed. "Wow. That's actually a good one. The going theory has something to do with Edgar Alan Poe, but I like your guess better. I'm Jefferson. Welcome to the department."

"Ali," the second man said, holding out his hand. "We heard about you. You're Neal, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I just started today."

"It's nice to have a new face around here. Just stick by us and you'll be perfectly fine," Ali said with a grin that suggested Neal was instead in for a wild ride with those two. "So if there's anything you wanna know about our charming little town, just let us know."

He had no idea what he got himself into, but he smiled anyway. He should probably make friends in this town, right? He was far from New Orleans and the friends he had there after all… and he was here for answers. Maybe these guys could help him out with those answers.

"Hey, do you guys know anything about Mr. Gold?"

The two men's faces changed in an instant, dropping in surprise and… was that a bit of fear Neal noted on Jefferson's?

"Why do you want to know about Mr. Gold?" Jefferson asked.

Neal paused, taking the time to chew and swallow a bite of his sandwich before answering. "I saw him staring at me when I was picking up the lunch orders today. Does he… do that a lot to people?"

Jefferson and Ali exchanged another look, but it was Ali who finally spoke up. "Well… he is a bit of a suspicious guy. He always has been as far as I know. Apparently his kid went missing years ago, so every time someone comes to town he's immediately on alert. At least, that's what they say around town. I was only a baby when it happened. But there's probably some information on it in the library."

"Which just so happens to be run by his wife," Jefferson added. "But Mr. Gold's been suspicious way before his kid was taken. It's just sort of his thing, you know? Gold is the big bad brooding shopkeeper, Mrs. Nolan is the principal who can go from either giving you a unicorn sticker to kicking your ass in the parking lot after school. You know, normal small town things, right?"

"Uh… I guess? I came from New Orleans though so I'm not sure. This is the smallest town I've ever been in. But from what I've seen in movies I guess that sounds right?" He'd never heard of the ass-kicking principal before, but he knew he should probably try to avoid her if he could.

"The Big Easy? And you came to a little dump town like this?" Ali asked, staring at Neal as if he'd grown a second head.

He shrugged. "Peace and quiet. And after a while the humidity in New Orleans got to be a bit much."

"You went from one extreme to the other. The winters here are awful," Ali said, shivering a little at the thought. "And it's already late summer. Ugh, I can feel the cold already!"

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "And I'm the dramatic one? God Ali. Ignore him, Neal. He just wasn't made for the cold. It can get bad here, but you'll grow to love it."

Ali let out a snort before the alarm began to screech over their heads, causing them to jump from their seats and run for the truck as they pulled on their equipment. Neal had to admit, he didn't think that his first fire in a small town like Storybrooke would happen on his first day on the job.

"There's been a cave-in at the old mines. Some teenagers were down there and the roof caved in around them," the dispatcher said over the radio as Jefferson and Ali both swore loudly as Jefferson silently climbed in the back. Whatever this was, it was obvious that it had happened before and seemed to be a major thorn in the sides of his superiors.

The bright red truck streaked down the road, causing the few pedestrians to turn their heads in alarm. A few of them had their eyes widening when they realized what direction the truck was heading in.

"Alright men, you know what we have to do," Chief Hood said with a small sigh as they stood in front of the mine, the sheriff and a few other officers already trying to block people from getting too close.

"Who goes down this time, Chief?" Jefferson asked. "I went last time."

Chief Hood looked conflicted as he glanced at the men surrounding him, before finally sighing. "Ali. This time it's on you."

Neal noted irritation on the man's face as he silently nodded as walked off to get ready. Biting his lip, Neal carefully made his way over to the chief, who was already looking as done with the day as someone could possibly be.

"Is this common? Teenagers going into those mines?" he asked.

The older man pressed his lips together, thinking. "It happens more often than I'd like it to, I'll say that. But I wouldn't say it's extraordinarily common. But every time we go down to rescue them, I think this will be the last time and it never is. Teenagers never learn."

He nodded slowly. "Well, I just hope that with this cave-in, it won't be possible for them to get down there anymore," Neal said.

"Start hoping that everyone down there is alive instead," the older man snapped before walking off to Neal's confusion.

"Don't worry. That wasn't personal. Last time we were called to go into the mines, his son, Roland, was part of the group we pulled out of there. He's worried that Roland will be down there again," Jefferson said from behind him.

Neal winced. "I'm sorry I asked about people going down there then."

The other man waved him off, leading him in the direction of the opening of the mine. "Don't apologize. It's not like you know this town like the rest of us do. I bet Chief Hood's already forgotten about it. Besides, all that we need to focus on is saving the kids and not dropping Ali down there with them and running the other way. Now come on. Let's go see if we can make contact with them."

Neal and Jefferson managed to clear a free spot to lower Ali down, Neal shining a light down to one of the frantic teens below. They seemed to be standing on some sort of elevator. How did they even get down there?

"Oi! How many of you are down there?" he yelled to a blonde boy who was shielding his eyes from the light from the sun and the camera Neal was slowly lowering down into the dungeon.

"T-there's only two of us! Please hurry!" the boy replied, coughing as dust rose into the air from some unstable rocks around them.

Two was way too many in Neal's opinion, but he nodded. "Okay, just hold on. We're going to get you guys out of there!" he called down to them before looking at Chief Hood. "There's two of them sir!"

Chief Hood approached them. "Sir, we're all ready," Ali said, tugging anxiously at the harness around his waist and looking uneasily at the  hole.

"Good. Let's start then."

Neal watched on a video screen as Ali was lowered down into the mines, repressing a shiver. How could people be so stupid to go down into an abandoned mine? And not just once, but repeatedly? He had a feeling that this was going to be what the majority of his calls were going to be for.

"Okay Ali, we're right on target. You're about ten feet out," he said into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. He could hear the anxious whispers of the gathered public, chancing a glance at them and spotting his father almost instantly. He tore his eyes away, looking at the camera screen again.

"I've got one of the kids, pull us up!" Ali's voice said. "And make sure there's a paramedic nearby. He's going to need some help."

He stood, waving over the paramedics as a woman dressed in a black business suit walked up to the sheriff, her lips pulled down into a frown.

Ali emerged with one of the teenagers a few moments later and the paramedics wasted no time in lifting the boy onto the stretcher and running back to the ambulance, hiding themselves from the prying eyes of the crowd as Ali went back down into the mine to get the other teenager, Neal continuing to monitor the cameras.

Something inside the mine suddenly creaked, the sound of the metal groaning sending a collective chill down everyone's spines. Neal saw Chief Hood's eyes widen as his hand reached for the walkie-talkie on his shoulder.

"Ali, get the kid as quick as you can. That elevator is going to go at any minute!" Chief Hood shouted.

"Chief, you're not going to like this. It's Bobby," Ali said on the other end of the line. "And he doesn't look like he's doing so good. I've got him hooked up, so bring us up."

Neal knew that the kid being named by Ali wasn't a good thing, and he was worried as the rest of the squad seemed to freeze for a moment before working frantically to get the duo up and out of the mine.

There was another crash, this one much louder, and caused the ground to rumble beneath their feet before Ali and Bobby were pulled up, and Neal's eyes widened in fear, but the machine kept pulling. Something was coming up, but what?

"Someone grab him, now!" Ali's voice shouted from the cavern before his black hair and the blonde hair of the teenager peeked through the smaller opening of the mine. The paramedics wasted no time in snatching the teenager up and running to the second ambulance they had on the scene. The first ambulance's doors opened and the teenager stepped out, having gotten a clearance from the paramedics inside, while the second ambulance sped away.

"Who was the other kid we rescued?" Neal asked Ali as he watched Chief Hood's somber form go over to the sheriff and the woman in the black pantsuit.

"Robert Nolan," Ali explained as the sheriff's car went speeding down the street, "he's the sheriff's son."

Chapter Text

"Wow Neal, so you helped rescue two kids out of a mine?! Talk about a first day! The only thing that happened on my first day was me nearly dropping Charlotte's order all over the place."

Neal laughed, leaning back in his chair as he held his phone in front of him, his adoptive sister's face on the screen. It was surprisingly empty in this part of the station, which he was thankful for given the topic of conversation. "Well firefighting and waitressing are two different jobs, and it's not like I was the one that went down there. But I'm sure something exciting will happen to you. You're still in the big city, remember?"

"Yeah yeah. Hey, Mama wanted to know if you've met your dad yet."

He shook his head. "No, not yet. I'm just gathering information right now. Seeing what he's all about, you know?"

"You find anything interesting out?"

"Not – "

"Hey! Neal! Where are you?!" Ali's voice suddenly cried out. "We've got a visitor you need to meet!"

Neal grinned a little. "In the library!" he called back, turning to the phone again. "Duty calls. I'll call you later Tiana."

"Talk to you later, Neal!"

Neal ended the FaceTime call with Tiana as Ali burst into the room.

"Come on slowpoke! Who the hell were you talking to all the way over here?" Ali said with a laugh. "Mayor Mills-Hood is here."

"My sister," he said, pausing. "The Mayor? Why is she here?"

"Did you miss the name? Mayor Mills-Hood. She comes to visit all the time when she has a break from work… and besides, she's the sheriff's mother-in-law," Ali said. "I think she brought a pan of her famous lasagna so let's hurry up before it's gone!"

Neal could only blink as Ali dragged him into the dining room.

"Ah! There you are Neal," Captain Hood said. "I'd like to introduce you to Regina Mills-Hood. My wife and the mayor of Storybrooke."

Neal's stomach twisted into an uncomfortable bundle of nerves as he held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madam Mayor."

"And you as well. I just wanted to stop by and thank you for helping to save my grandson from the mines," Regina said, her polite smile dropping into a look of concern. "He's still in the hospital with some lung problems. I'm not sure if it was the smoke from when the tunnel started to collapse or something else but..."

Neal frowned. "I'm so sorry Mayor Mills. I hope he makes a quick recovery." The kid hadn't looked good when they'd pulled him out, and he hated to find out that his suspicion had been right.

Regina nodded a little. "Thank you for your concern Mr. Cassidy. The family truly does appreciate it," Regina let out a small sigh and rubbed at her arm. "My step-daughter hasn't slept all that well. I'm glad she has the support of the school and the community."

She looked around the station again and gave Neal another polite smile. "I won't keep you any longer. The boys here love the lasagna so you'd better hurry and grab a serving. I just wanted to say welcome to Storybrooke."

Neal nodded, letting out a breath when she turned and walked out of the station.

"Well that went better than I thought it would," Ali said, handing him a plate of the steaming lasagna. "You should've seen what happened when Jefferson met Mayor Mills for the first time."

"In my defense, my first time meeting her was at the hospital after we'd put out the fire at the cannery and we had people demanding information. No one warned me that she was the mayor!" Jefferson cut in with a scowl on his face. "It was my first day as well as Victor's so neither of us were prepared for that! We just thought she was a reporter!"

"Sure you did," Ali said with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey! Don't forget, I pulled your ass out of the mine when you were a student," Jefferson scowled.

That got Ali to shut up, and Neal had to hide his laughter behind a cough.

"Anyway… why don't we show you around town? Not that there's much to see but it's the least we could do for a new friend," Jefferson suggested.

"I'd like that. Thanks…" Neal replied with a smile.

The rest of the shift went off without much excitement, and before long, Neal was sandwiched between the two more experienced firefighters, wandering down the streets of Storybrooke.

Ali clapped his arm around Neal's shoulders, pointing at a building in the distance. "That's the animal shelter there. My girlfriend Jasmine works there. She's training to be a vet."

"I'm sure she'll become a great vet," Neal replied awkwardly. He'd only ever had one girlfriend, and it hadn't ended well when he'd caught her cheating the night of prom.

"And what about you, dear Neal? Don't you have a lovely girl or guy back in the Big Easy waiting for you to return?"

Was Jefferson reading his mind? Neal got the distinct feeling that Jefferson was reading his mind. Still, Jefferson and Ali were giving him matching curious, almost puppy dog-like looks, so Neal finally let out a sigh and shook his head.

"No. I'm single. Which is probably for the best, considering the move."

"Ah! Then you'll have plenty of fun in this town!" Jefferson said with a wide grin. "But really, you should find a date to the Fireman's Ball."

Neal furrowed his brow. "The what?"

"No one warned you about that? Honestly, it's like they dropped you in the deep end without any floaties! The Fireman's Ball is the biggest fundraiser for the department. Most of the town usually comes out to party with us. It's in two weeks," Jefferson explained. "The firefighters have the first dance, so everyone has a date."

"That sounds like something out of Harry Potter," Neal said with a slow blink.

"Well, maybe J.K Rowling just stole the idea for the Yule Ball from us."

Ali rolled his eyes. "Yeeeeeah, and I'm Stephen King." He turned to Neal then and gave him a grin. "A date isn't necessary, Neal, but Jefferson is right that most of the town shows up for it. Even if you don't have a date that night you'll be able to find someone to dance with there. But no, we don't get the first dance. Captain Hood and Mayor Mills-Hood do. Jefferson just has this strange habit of trying to play matchmaker for the town."

"Oh." Neal had to admit, he was a bit surprised. Most of the people that he knew that ever tried to play matchmaker were women. "Well I'm sure the Fireman's Ball will be a fun night regardless," he said with a smile.

Ali shrugged. "Truthfully, I think Jasmine enjoys it more than I do. I was never one to like to get dressed up and stuff but Jasmine grew up in that sort of world so she's used to it. I'd rather not have my shirt buttoned all the way up to my neck."

Neal laughed. "That's a fair point."

Ali grinned at him. "Seriously, don't worry about Jefferson. He's harmless. Usually." Ali ducked a playful smack from Jefferson before continuing. "C'mon, why don't we head to Granny's for dinner?"

"Ahh sorry I'd love to, but it's open house at the school and I have to go meet Grace's teachers," Jefferson said, smacking his forehead. "Pricilla and Victor would kill me if I was late. Even if Grace told me she doesn't want us there. I'll see you later."

"Pricilla? Grace?" Neal asked with a small frown as Jefferson wandered off down the street.

Ali nodded. "Pricilla is Jefferson's ex-wife. Grace is their daughter. The three of them have a great relationship so they all do the school stuff together. Even if it embarrasses Grace."

Neal laughed. "Just like any father would, right?"

Ali shrugged as they wandered into the diner and found a booth. "Wouldn't know, really. My dad was kind of… not the greatest guy in the world. He was a thief. Started bringing me up to be the same. One day he found out about the mines and heard that there could be gold or jewels or some bullshit like that down there. He was too big, so I went down. The mine closed in on me, like what happened the day you started here. Jefferson saved me. Took me under his wing. Dad was arrested and he's doing time in the state prison. I haven't seen him since. Frankly, I don't want to."

He stared at the man. "Shit Ali. I'm sorry, that's horrible."

"It's fine. It's in the past now."

Neal scratched the back of his neck before smiling gratefully as the blonde waitress stepped over to their table. Oh, it was the same waitress he'd had the day he'd arrived to town.

"Emma! I'm surprised you're working," Ali said with a small frown. "How's Robert?"

Emma only shrugged. "Spending time in the hospital gets to be a bit much. I can't really stand to be near my mom as she cries so much. Too depressing. At least I have school and work to take my mind off it all." Her face screwed up into one of distress. "You guys know what you want yet?"

"Chicken sandwich. You know how I like it. And a coke." Ali said immediately.

"Uh… I'll take a burger. Medium. With lettuce, tomato and grilled onions… with fries and a lemonade," Neal told her as her pen scribbled along the pad.

Emma nodded, giving them a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Sure. I'll get that right out for you guys."

Neal looked at Ali with a small frown as Emma walked over to the kitchen. "So… she's related to the kid we saved?"

"Yeah. Emma's the oldest of the Nolan family. There's three total – Emma, Robert and Eva. Good kids, all of them. When they aren't going down into the mines of course."

He snorted in amusement, and before long, Emma was back with the order, sliding the two plates  in front of the men with a polite smile. "There you guys go. Anything else you need?"

Neal looked at the ketchup bottle she'd passed over to him and bit his lip. "Yeah actually, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like a small side of mayo, if that's alright."

Emma gave him a more genuine smile, a small chuckle and a wink following. "It's not the weirdest thing anyone's ever asked me to get for them. This is no problem. Be right back."

When she returned, he grinned, taking the ketchup and squirting a fair amount of it in with the mayo. "Thanks Emma. Growing up in the Big Easy, you can't have fries without fry sauce." Of course, he knew this wouldn't even remotely compare to Tiana's, but it was better than nothing.

"Huh."

Neal looked up in surprise to find Emma still standing next to him. "Uh… something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong exactly. It's just… I haven't seen anyone in town mix mayo and ketchup mixed together except for Mr. Gold."

Her words shot through him like a blast of cold water, and he masked his shock with a sip of lemonade before trying to give her a casual shrug. "Well… Mr. Gold has good tastes then. Maybe's visited the Big Easy himself and got a taste for it," he said with a small shrug, busying himself with his fries again. "Thanks again Emma.  Gives me a small comfort of New Orleans."

The blonde let out a soft giggle. "Well, you guys enjoy. I'll be back to check on you."

He wasn't sure what to make of this new information about his father at all, but it did give him a small bit of comfort to know that he had something in common with the man.

…And he had to admit, that little giggle Emma let out was pretty damn cute.

Zelena looked up from her book, listening and watching Neal Cassidy carefully. He did fit the basics as to what Baelfire Gold would be now nineteen years after his disappearance, but of course, it was very basic information… but the information about the ketchup-mayo combination could have been something.

It was a speck, but sometimes in the personal investigative business, all she had were specks. Sometimes they panned out, but many times they didn't.

She didn't often go out and do investigations of her own anymore, being a social worker with a handful of investigators of her own meant she was stuck with paperwork most of the time, but with Aiden Gold, it was different. Tumultuous as their relationship was, when it came to a missing child, Zelena Mills had promised to do her best to find him. Especially in the way Milah and Killian had just up and disappeared from the town.

So she observed, sipping at her tea and making small notes in her notebook, until the two firefighters departed, and then, when she knew no one else was looking, Zelena rose from her seat and slid Neal Cassidy's straw into the plastic bag she had on her.

Specks were nice, but if she could get a fire burning, well… that would be even better.

Slipping  a tip on her table, Zelena quietly paid for her meal and made her way to her car, dialing a number on her phone as she did so.

"Yes?"

"Walsh my darling. I need a favor."

Walsh let out a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "Well, that's never a good sign. What is it now?"

"I'm working a case for Aiden Gold."

"An even worse sign."

"It's his son. He's suspicious about the new firefighter."

"Oh? And what do you have cooked up in your head in order to help him, Zelena?"

"I have a straw Mr. Cassidy used. Will that be sufficient to get DNA off of?"

Zelena could hear Walsh's fingers tapping against a desk, the man letting out another sigh. "I'll try the straw, but you know it's easier when it's a lock of hair. But I'll do my best on it."

"I know you will, Walsh."

Ending the call, Zelena slipped her phone into her pocket and drove the short distance to the lab. Sure, it was shady, considering she could have just gone to the forensics lab that the sheriff used, but Walsh got results faster than them, with little red tape. For Zelena, it was better that way.

Especially when one was working for Aiden Gold.

Zelena slipped easily through the halls of the lab, giving Walsh a sly smile. "Hello darling," she said with a smirk. "Thanks for agreeing to see me on such short notice."

"I always make time for you, Zelena," Walsh replied, giving her a weary nod. "For this town's sake, I hope you've got something. The results should be in in about a month."

She bristled. "A month?! Walsh, you know this needs to be done faster than the police!"

"Yeah, I know that Zelena, but the police are kind of breathing down my neck right now so I need to be careful. I know this case is important. I know it involves Gold. But I can't put my life and career at risk like this."

Well, he had her there. Even though she was a private investigator, she was still at the mercy of David Nolan, and even though Robert was in the hospital and he'd be busy, that didn't stop him from making sure she was in line.

"Okay. Just tell me when the results are in," she relented, turning and making her way out of the office with a heavy sigh. She paused when she felt her phone buzz as she got to her car, eyes widening when she saw she had a text from her daughter, Margot. She'd been traveling for so long and Zelena hadn't seen her in months. Her heart thundered against her chest as she opened the text anxiously.

Hey Mom. I'm home.

Chapter Text

"You're sure you're ready to introduce me to your family?" Alice asked, still sitting in the passenger's seat of Margot's car, playing with the lace on her shirt.

Margot smiled and kissed her head. "Of course I am. It's been almost a year after all. It's time for you to meet them. They'll love you, I promise. My family is super accepting, don't worry. None of them are anything like your mom."

Alice shivered a little at the memory of introducing Margot to her mother. It hadn't ended well, and she and Margot had been traveling Europe trying to forget the tantrum her mother had thrown. Despite Margot's assurance that her family was going to be more accepting of their relationship, Alice still felt a bit uneasy.

"Are you okay?" Margot asked with a small frown.

Alice nodded. "Yes. I trust you, Margot. With my life."

Margot looked out the window and smiled as a car pulled up behind them. "That's my mom. I'll be right back. I'll wave to you when I'm ready." With that, she hopped out of the car and ran up to her mother, leaving the door open so Alice could hear their conversation.

"I had no idea you'd be home. If you'd called ahead of time I would have been home by the time you got back. I hope you haven't been waiting too long," Margot's mother said with a smile.

"No, not too long at all. Traffic was a nightmare getting through Augusta or we would have been here sooner."

"'We'? Margot, who is 'we'?"

Margot's cheeks flushed a brilliant pink, before she waved Alice over. With a bright smile and a bounce in her step, Alice hopped out of the car and waved.

"Mom… this is Alice Jones. My girlfriend."

The mother paused for a moment, looking at the pair of them together, before giving the women a warm smile. "Oh. Oh Margot I'm so happy for you! Hello Alice. My name's Zelena. Welcome to Storybrooke."

Alice gave Zelena a relieved look. "It's so nice to meet you Zelena. Margot told me so much about you and Storybrooke that I just had to come with her when she said she was ready to come home."

And to get away from my crazy mother.

Chuckling, Zelena shook her head. "That's my daughter for you, wanderlust has her heart, but it looks like you've managed to fight it off. But Margot," she said, her tone turning urgent as she looked at her again, "it really is a good thing you've come home. I don't know if my message got through, but Bobby's been in the hospital for a week now. He was in the abandoned mines and got trapped."

Margot's face fell. "What? Oh no! I should get to the hospital right away."

"I'll take you. Here darling, get your things in the house and we'll go. Alice… would you like to come with us?"

Alice was surprised at the question. "I – me? I dunno, that seems like something you guys should do by yourelves. Trust me. I can even make dinner if you want. Though… it'd only be marmalade sandwiches but – "

"Alice, I want you there. If it's as bad as Mom says, I'm going to want you there with me. Besides, I'm sure the family wouldn't mind meeting you, even if it is under this set of circumstances," Margot said softly. "You might be the thing they need to cheer up somewhat."

"You think so?"

"I do."

"Well… alright then," Alice said with a weak smile.

Soon enough, Zelena was leading Margot and Alice down the hall to Bobby's hospital room, where two adults, whom Alice could only assume were his parents.

"Aunt Mary? Uncle David?" Margot said softly.

"Hm? Oh! Margot! Zelena, you didn't tell us she was home," Mary-Margaret said with a small smile as she stood and embraced her.

Zelena smiled. "It was a surprise to me too, Mary-Margaret. You know I would've told you otherwise. And she brought someone along with her, I hope that's okay."

Alice shuffled nervously as she looked at the pair. Maybe it was a bad idea for her to come right now…

"Oh – no, of course it's fine. We trust her," the dark-haired woman said as she rose from her chair. "My name is Mary-Margaret Nolan, and this is my husband David. And, you are?"

"My name is Alice. Alice Jones. It's nice to meet you both. I'm sorry it isn't under the best circumstances though," Alice said with a shy smile and she shook both of their hands. "I'm Margot's girlfriend."

"It's a pleasure, Alice. Welcome to Storybrooke," David said. "If there's anything you need, feel free to find me at the sheriff's station. I'm the seriff."

Alice gave David a bright smile, lighting up at the mention of a sheriff. "Oh! My papa's a detective in Seattle! I think you'd really like him!"

David smiled. "Is he now? Always nice to hear of another police officer."

Alice nodded, before looking at the boy in the bed and biting her lip. "So… this is your son, right? What happened?"

"Storybrooke was a mining community when it was first founded, but we eventually closed them down. Despite how well-sealed the mines were, teenagers always managed to find a way inside. We'd hoped, with David being the sheriff and being at every rescue, that our kids would know better than to go down there but…" Mary-Margaret explained with a resigned shrug. "The mine shaft he was in began to collapse, so there was a lot of dust that got into his lungs. We're hoping the damage isn't permanent."

She could only stare at Mary-Margaret. "Oh – I'm so sorry, Mary-Margaret. I hope he gets better soon."

"Thank you Alice. It was so nice of you to come."

"Can I ask another question?"

"Of course; I have nothing to hide."

"Are you and Zelena sisters? Margot talked about all of you but, no offense, you don't look all that much like Zelena," Alice asked. She was insanely curious about that fact, despite knowing that it could be a little offensive, and she inwardly kicked herself for saying it out loud to a woman whose son was laying in a hospital bed.

To Alice's surprise, Mary-Margaret actually chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, Zelena and I aren't sisters. The story is a little more complicated than that. See – "

Mary-Margaret was cut off from her story at the sudden sound of choking. Robert Nolan's eyes were wide open, and he coughed around the tube in his throat.

"Doctor Whale!" David screamed, and Alice stepped out of the room with wide eyes to give the family some privacy as a doctor and several nurses raced by her.

"Well, this is going much better than it did with my mother!" She thought, pleased with how things were turning out. "Despite something happening with Bobby, of course. I hope he's okay. That sounded bad…"

She paused when she saw a pair of men walking down the hallway. Was that…? No, it couldn't be.

Could it?

"Bae?" she said with wide eyes as she looked at one of the men.

Neither man seemed to pay much attention, with one of them turning and walking down another hallway.

Huh.

"Hello to you too!" the second man said, waving to her. Briefly, Alice was confused, wondering when she'd greeted him, until she realized that 'hey' started a lot like 'Bae'.

Alice cleared her throat. "Yes, hello. Are you going to visit Robert?"

"I am," he replied. "Come with a card from the fire station and everything. You were visiting him too, I assume? I don't recognize you though."

"Oh – I'm Alice. I'm Margot Mills' girlfriend," Alice replied with a small smile. "I came here with her."

"Pleasure to meet you Alice. I'm Ali. Margot huh? I didn't realize she was back in town. Anyway, are they accepting visitors?"

Alice could only shrug. "I dunno. He started coughing and the doctor and nurses ran in so I stepped outside. I don't know what happened after that."

Ali frowned. "Oh geez. I'll go check. Thanks. And it was nice to meet you again."

"You too Ali!" Alice said in a chipper tone, continuing down the hallway, a spring in her step. She glanced down the hallway the man that she'd seen with Ali disappear down. She didn't see him again though, which caused a small frown appear on her face. Why did he seem to be so familiar, despite the distance they'd had?

Ah, well. Maybe she was wrong. That happened sometimes. Instead of dwelling on it, Alice paused in front of a vending machine, glancing through the options.

"Would you like anything, Alice?"

She started, looking over to find Zelena next to her.

"Oh – I don't know. I'm just browsing," Alice said.

"You look like you're deep in thought. Is everything okay?"

Alice shrugged. "Well, yes or no? I'm not too sure actually. Ali, that man that just went into Bobby's room? There was someone else with him."

Zelena frowned. "Was there? Ali was the only one to come inside…"

"Yeah, but that's because the other guy walked down another hallway. I would just shrug it off since maybe he's here to visit someone else but… I don't know, Zelena, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a lot like my cousin before he ran away…"

She didn't notice the look in Zelena's eyes, quickly masked by a face of concern. "Your cousin ran away? Well… you know Alice, I'm a private investigator, if you'd like, I can help you find him. Why don't you tell me all about him?"

Alice beamed at the woman. "Thank you Zelena, that would be amazing!"

Neal felt his hands shaking as he ducked down a far hallway from where his intended destination. Shit. Shit. What the hell was Alice doing here? Why was she here?

More importantly, what was he going to do?

Tugging at his hair, Neal exhaled slowly. Dammit all. As much as he'd liked hanging around Alice before he'd run away from home, he really didn't want her to blow things for him right now. Looking around, Neal dropped into a free chair in the small lounge he'd found and put his phone to his ear.

"Neal, honey, what's the matter?" Eudora's voice came from the other end of the line.

"Mama…" he breathed, keeping his eyes peeled for anyone that could be coming near. "I need some advice. Badly."

"Of course, what is it?"

"It's my cousin. My stepfather's niece. She's here in town. I haven't seen him since I ran away from them and… I don't want her to recognize me."

"So let me guess, you ran down another street so she wouldn't see you or talk to you?" she guessed with a small hum. "Thus making her more suspicious if she had any to begin with?"

"Well, I…"

"Neal… you know you're going to have to tell your daddy you're there soon, right?"

"I know, Mama. But I'm still trying to find information on him before I tell him I'm here," Neal sighed. "He seems shady, like Mom and Killian would say."

"That doesn't mean they're right about everything regarding him. You know that."

"I know…"

"Besides, maybe you can recruit her to help keep your secret. You told me she was the only one out of your family that you trusted in the end. I'm sure you can trust her now, Neal. And remember, if you ever want to come home…"

"I know. I can go back to New Orleans."

Eudora chuckled an affirm. "You should come back soon though. I'm sure Tiana would love to see you back home. And we could really use your help at the restaurant."

He laughed softly. "I'll see what time off I can get, mama. I promise."

"Of course. I wouldn't want to take you away from your work, honey. Call me soon, okay?"

"I will. Bye, Mama."

Neal ended the call, feeling slightly calmer now that he'd spoken with Eudora. Maybe she was right. Maybe letting Alice in on his plans wouldn't be such a terrible idea.

He just hoped she wasn't too suspicious of him already.

A few days later, Neal found himself sitting at the counter at Granny's.

"Did you want anything else, Neal?" Emma asked with a smile as she slid over his plate of food. "Maybe some mayo so you can make that ketchup-mayo stuff you seem so keen on?"

He laughed. "You actually remembered that? But yeah, sure, I'd love some, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Not at all. It's my pleasure."

He laughed. "Wow, you're really working for a big tip aren't you?" he teased.

"Well, you know, cars are expensive. And I might be planning a trip with some of my friends and I want a little spending money," she hummed in response.

His brow raised as she slid a small thing of mayo over to him. "A trip, huh? Where are you going?"

Emma beamed. "My friends and I are planning to head to New Orleans actually. For spring break. I'd love to be able to go over the winter break but with Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years in December, it's a bit hectic."

Neal smiled, stirring the ketchup and mayo together. "New Orleans, really? That's ironic. If you want me to give you some good, local places to go to just let me know. Those are the best places to be, not necessarily the tourist traps."

"Really? That'd be great! Thanks Neal!"

"Course, any time."

"I get off at five if you want to come by the farm and talk about it."

He blinked in surprise. "Uh. Are you sure? Aren't your parents going to be busy with Robert and everything?"

She waved off the worry. "My parents won't mind. Besides, Bobby's actually doing better, so they've relaxed a lot in the last few days. He woke up! And the doctors say his levels are going back to normal! It's really amazing, even if I still want to kill him for scaring us like that in the first place."

"I can't say I blame you," Neal replied with a small laugh and taking out his phone to check the time. "Alright. I'll hang out here at 5:00 and you can show me the way."

"See you tonight," Emma said with a small wink and a giggle that had Neal's heart beating just a little bit faster.

Neal nodded as she wandered off to check on some of the tables, and began eat until the door opened, and Alice walked in, holding hands with another woman.

He hid a smile behind his glass and nodded to Alice once when he caught her staring.

"Is that you, Bae?" she murmured, leaning against the stool next to him.

He glanced around, making sure no one was around before answering. "Yes. It's been a long time, Alice."

"Where have you been? Do you know how worried we've been about you?" Alice whispered. "Why did you do that, Bae? Why did you leave?"

Neal exhaled. "Please, don't call me that. I go by Neal now. I'm here to figure out my past."

"What?"

"My dad and everything. Alice, please don't tell anyone. You're the only one I trusted before I ran away. I'm trusting you again with this."

Alice's eyes got wide. "I – yes, okay. I'll keep your secret. I promise. I won't even tell Papa you're here. I'm just… I'm just so glad to see you B – Neal. I'm so glad you're okay."

Neal smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm glad to see you too, Alice. I missed you."

"Alice! You ready to sit down?"

Alice looked over and grinned at the woman that had called her, nodding. "Be right there!" With another glance at Neal, she whispered "girlfriend", before heading over to the booth where the other woman waited.

Neal leaned against the counter with a smile. Damn, he was glad to have an ally in this town.

"This must be a bit of a culture shock for you, huh?" Emma asked as they made their way up to the large farmhouse later that evening. "Coming from New Orleans and all."

Neal nodded. "Yeah, kinda. What's your dad even farm, anyway?"

"Vegetables, mostly. But we have sheep and a couple cows. You'd never guess that Dad's such a country boy when you see him in action, but he really is."

He chuckled. "Well it's a nice farm. I'm sure my sister would be in awe of the fresh produce here. She loves to cook."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, Tiana. She's the one that encouraged me to come here, actually."

"What, was she that desperate to get rid of you?" she teased, pushing the front door open. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

"Hey sweetheart. Your dad took Eva to the hospital to visit Bobby," Mary-Margaret said as she appeared from what Neal could only assume was the dining room. "Oh? Who is this?"

"I'm Neal Cassidy. I just arrived in town a couple of weeks ago. I'm a firefighter. Emma asked me here to help her plan her trip to New Orleans."

She smiled. "Oh yes, of course. Regina mentioned you the other day when she was over. It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Mary-Margaret, the principal of the elementary school. I'm sure you're tired of hearing this, but thank you for helping to save my son."

"All part of the job, ma'am. It's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you from the guys at the station," he said politely.

Mary-Margaret laughed lightly. "Oh I'm sure. Alright, I'll let you guys plan the trip Emma. But Neal? Just make sure they're safe?"

He nodded, taking a seat at the table with Emma. "Of course I will. I promise."

They were left alone, Emma pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "Okay! Spill all the details about New Orleans."

So he did, and the dining room was filled with laughter, their chairs slowly getting closer and closer, their cheeks flushing pink at the shared charge in the room.

Finally, Neal decided to do something about it. "Hey uh – Emma… did you maybe wanna go to the Fireman's Ball with me? It's coming up soon and I really don't know what I'm doing."

Emma looked up at him and grinned. "I'd like that Neal. I'd like that a lot."

While he couldn't have imagined that this was where the night would go, Neal had to admit, he didn't exactly mind, and he returned to Granny's that night with a clear head and a spring in his step.

He may not have had much information on his dad yet, but he wouldn't complain that someone had caught his eye.

Chapter Text

The downside to asking someone to a dance was going shopping for new clothes for said dance. While Neal had a suit, it didn't seem to be enough for Jefferson, who had dragged him to a clothing store and was insisting on a tuxedo, instead of a regular suit. It was only a few days until the dance, so Jefferson had been very pushy.

"So, did you find a date to the ball?"

"Uh, yeah. I asked Emma, actually. We've decided that she's going to wear purple and I'm going to accet her."

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "Emma Nolan?"

"Yeah? What of it?"

"Nothing. I'm just glad you found a date. I didn't realize you had been getting that close to her."

He shrugged. "Well, she and I just started talking, and I offered to help her plan her trip to New Orleans with her friends."

Jefferson nodded. "Ah that's right. I've heard they're very excited to go. That was really nice of you to offer. I'm sure you were able to give them places they never would have thought of."

"How did you know that?"

"Captain Lucas-Fa was talking about it. Her daughters are part of the group going."

"Jefferson, darling! What brings you here? I thought we had you fitted for a tuxedo a couple weeks ago. Don't tell me there's a problem with what you bought," a blonde woman said with a small frown as she approached them.

Laughter escaped Jefferson as he clapped Neal on the shoulder. "Not at all, Ana. My tux is perfectly fine, so is Victor's. I'm here to help Neal here find a tuxedo. He's our newest firefighter and he had the nerve to invite Emma Nolan to be his date."

"Oh! Well that's exciting. We'll make sure to find you the perfect suit then," she said with a smile. "You can just go straight on back. Cyrus will take all your measurements. If you need anything just come find me. I'm Anastasia, the owner."

Neal nodded, and before long, he was on a pedestal in front of a mirror, waiting for Cyrus to return with a jacket for him to try on, when he heard the distinctive sound of shoes scooting against the floor of the shop.

"Someone there?"

"Shit."

Ah, someone was there. Neal frowned, getting off the pedestal and moving over to one of the racks, pushing the jackets aside.

He found a teen boy sitting there, curled up against the pole in the middle of the rack, eyes wide as he clutched his phone.

"Oh – uh. Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," Neal said, stepping back so the kid knew he meant no harm.

The teen blinked up at him in surprise. "You aren't gonna call for my dad?"

Neal tilted his head. "Not unless you want me to. Why would I? You seem old enough to be wandering around a suit shop on your own."

The teenager let out a sigh of relief, keeping his voice low in case there was anyone else nearby. "Thank God.  I don't want to wear another new suit, but my dad's insisting on it. I just got one last year!"

"Ah, your dad must be some kind of town bigwig, right? Always making sure his family's all perfect looking?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "You can say that again. My dad's Mr. Gold. Second only to Mayor Mills in importance, at least, in his eyes. I'm Gideon. You're that new firefighter from New Orleans, right? Everyone's been talking about you."

"Neal, yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Gideon," he said with a smile. Mr. Gold. This was his half-brother. Neal would have looked like he was in awe, but he managed to keep himself composed as he heard footsteps coming in his direction, and, giving a signal for the teen to keep quiet, and concealed the boy behind the clothing and stepping back up onto his podium in front of the mirror.

"Gideon? Gideon, where are you?"

Neal swallowed tight, looking over at his father appeared  before him, walking on a cane. Huh. He hadn't known that.

"Ah, Mr. Cassidy, right? Have you seen a teenager run by here? He's late for his fitting," his father asked, looking at Neal with a small frown.

Neal shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Oh – I'm sorry sir, but I haven't seen anyone run around here."

His father frowned slightly. "Ah. Thank you anyway. I do hope I can find him soon, he's late for his fitting…"

Neal had a feeling the teen was just being overdramatic, and gave Gold a wry smile. "Yeah, well, you know how teenage boys can be. Suits are stuffy and the worst thing in the world. He's just lucky to have a dad like you to teach him all the ins and outs of looking good as a man. I mean, my mom did her best, but…" he trailed off, shrugging a little. The ball was in his court now.

"I'm sorry, your father passed?"

Neal rubbed the back of his head. "It's more complicated than that. I had one until I was thirteen but he… wasn't the best, to put it mildly. And then I was in foster care with a single mom."

Gold frowned. "That is something no child should have to go through. You have my sympathies."

He nodded a little. "Thank you. Don't get me wrong, my adoptive mom is great, couldn't have asked for a better mother in my life but… there were some things that a dad would have just known how to do better, you know?"

 "Of course. I too didn't have much of a father growing up. Which is why I'm trying to do the best I can for my sons," his father replied, before a yelp and a thud interrupted the conversation.

Gideon suddenly rolled out of his hiding spot, and Neal hid his laughter behind his hand.

"There you are, Gideon. Come now, James is waiting for you. It was nice to speak with you, Mr. Cassidy."

"You as well, Mr. Gold."

When Gideon turned to look at Neal when their father was distracted, Neal only shrugged helplessly and waved as his own tailor reappeard with pieces for him to try on, but Neal found himself quite distracted with the conversation he had shared with his father.

Neal was starting to think everything he'd been told about his father was wrong.

"You finally did it? What was he like, Neal?" Eudora's calm voice asked as he got himself ready for the ball.

"He… was kind. Just like any other father. I have… I have a half-brother too, Mama. He's a few years younger than me."

"That's wonderful, honey. Did you tell him who you were?"

Neal's hesitation was enough for Eudora to sigh. "I know you're scared, Neal, but your father has been missing you for seventeen years. No matter what happens, you'll always be my son. You finding your birth father will never change that."

He sighed, looking at himself in the mirror as he adjusted his tie. "I know, Mama. I'll tell him soon, I promise. And I'll take lots of pictures tonight and send them to you."

"You better! And tell me all about that girl that's caught your eye!" came Tiana's distant voice from the other end of the line.

Neal chuckled as he grabbed his coat, putting it on against the autumn chill of Maine.. "Yeah, yeah. I promise. I'll call you later, Tia." And with that, Neal ended the call, making his way to the location of the ball.

"Hi Neal…"

Emma walked up to him in her deep purple dress, hair tied back in a low bun, with ringlets of her hair framing her face.

He stared, his heart beating rapidly against his chest as he smiled at her, trying to conceal his shaking hands. "Wow… Emma, you look amazing."

She blushed. "Thanks… you look pretty sharp yourself. Are you excited?"

He nodded. "Yeah… I really am, especially since I'm here with someone like you… although if I step on your feet, I'm sorry."

She laughed, handing her leather jacket to the attendant. "You can't be any worse than the guy I went to senior prom with. I thought he was going to break my toe – he never noticed when he stepped on my foot."

Neal couldn't help but wince, holding out his arm for her and heading into the ballroom.

The hall was decorated in hues of red, orange and brown, perfect for the fall season and the celebration of firefighters.

"Damn, I didn't think this place could look this sharp…"

Emma giggled, quirking a brow and smirking. "What, were you expecting something less because we're a small town?"

"I didn't say that."

She laughed. "I'm not offended, don't worry. I know Storybrooke has been a big culture shock for you."

"Not as much as you might think. I even have a waitress who knows I like fry sauce. Makes it feel more like New Orleans," he smirked, winking at her.

"Well, you know, a waitress has to be helpful, doesn’t she? Customer is always right and all that. Come on, what should we do first?"

"Oh – uh, well, you're the expert on this dance."

Emma grinned. "We can just mingle for now. Regina and Uncle Robin will do the opening dance first," she explained.

"Uncle? Chief Hood is your uncle?"

"By marriage. Technically. It's complicated, but I've called him that my whole life. Why stop now, y'know?"

"Yeah, believe me, I get it. Family can be messed up sometimes."

"Sounds like the new firefighter has a few secrets."

Neal couldn't help but smirk. "Isn't that why most people come to small towns? To try to protect their secrets that haunt them from the big city?"

"What is this, a Lifetime movie?"

"Hopefully with a better ending."

Although, with how… controlling his mother and stepfather could be, Neal wasn't sure if he had high hopes for that if the story came out that he was Baelfire.

And with Alice here… as much as he trusted her, he didn't know if Uncle Roger was doing any detective work for Killian. Providing the two of them were even talking, of course.

"Neal? You okay?" Emma's voice cut in, breaking him from his thoughts.

He shook himself from his thoughts and looked at her with a smile. "Sorry, I was just stuck in my own thoughts."

"Well that's good. Welcome back to reality then, because Grandpa Robin and Grandma Regina are going to do the first dance."

"We better get a good spot to watch it then… I don't want to get reprimanded for not having enough pride."

"You saved my brother. Grandpa Robin would never think that of you. That, or Regina would never let him do it in public," Emma smirked, guiding him to the front of the crowd just as the music began to play.

He felt like he was in a fairytale as he looked around the ballroom, people dressed in their finest outfits, and the more controlled dancing people were doing, rather than the grinding motions of a high school prom or homecoming. Everything felt so elegant, and Neal was suddenly starting to feel very out of place.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? This dance is just for fun," Emma said with a smile when she noticed the look on his face. "It's just a dance."

"Do I look out of place?"

"If you keep making that kicked-puppy look you will," she teased. "Just think of it as prom, only without the copious amounts of Axe stinking up the air."

He let out a snort, hiding the grin behind his hand as Chief Hood and Regina danced by them, and he smiled, and slowly, other couples began to join them. Neal put a hand on the small of Emma's back and followed suit, trying to keep with the tempo of the song.

"You know, you aren't so bad at dancing, Neal. You sure you've never been to a dance like this before?"

He chuckled. "Well, my mama liked to dance. She said her husband taught her. They'd make a big show of it, especially at Mardi Gras."

"Your mom sounds like a great woman."

"She is. I'll give you the address to her restaurant when your friends go to New Orleans. She'd love to meet some people from Storybrooke."

"Sounds like fun!"

"I'm sure you'll love it… and she and Tia have been dying to meet someone from Storybrooke."

He glanced over across the room, smiling softly as he saw Alice happily dancing with the woman he'd seen her with weeks before. She caught his gaze and gave him a knowing smirk that had him blushing and turning back to Emma.

"So uh – you're in college, right?"

Emma nodded. "I am. Studying criminal justice. I'd like to be a detective like my dad is."

Neal grinned. "I think that's so cool, Emma. Maybe you'll end up in New York solving high profile crimes and get a TV show based on your exploits."

She laughed. "Well, I don't think I'd go that far. But I would like to go far in my career and get out of this little town. That's why we wanted to go to New Orleans. There's life there. There'es excitement there. More than just firefighters pulling stupid kids out of a closed down mine. No offense."

"None taken," he laughed. "Who knows, you might come across a mystery in New Orleans – there's a lot of history there  y'know."

"Hmm, sounds interesting. What, are you trying to run me out of town or something?"

"Not at all. I'd hate for you to leave town after we only just met," he smirked.

Emma returned the look, and the dance went on. Neal wasn't sure how long the two of them stayed on the dance floor, but by the time she'd pulled him off to meet some of her other friends.

"I know you've got your firehouse buddies, but I figured you might want to meet some more people around your age too," Emma explained as they took a seat at one of the large tables. "This is Alex, Lily, Dawn, Phillip, Yue, Eliza, Roland and Elaine. Guys, this is Neal. He's the one helping me plan the New Orleans trip!"

Neal waved nervously, taking a small sip of punch. "Nice to meet you all. I hope you all enjoy your trip to New Orleans."

"Ohh, so you're the new firefighter. Dad mentioned you. Glad to meet you officially. I'm Roland Hood," the dark-haired man said. "And thanks for helping us with our trip. I know it's making dad and Regina feel better that you're involved."

He shugged. "Well, there's really only so much I can do in the end. It's still your trip after all."

"Heyyyy," Lily crooned from the other side of the table. "I have an idea, Neal. Why don't you come with us? I'm sure you'd love to have an opportunity to go visit your family, right?"

Neal missed the quick, frantic look on Emma's face as he  turned to Lily. "Uh – what? You guys seem real tight, I wouldn't want to impede on your trip," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

She shrugged. "Well, if you're sure."

"So how's Bobby doing, Emma? It's a shame he had to miss the ball tonight," Elaine said with a small frown.

"Better, thanks Elaine. Dr. Whale says he should be released from the hospital soon. In time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, we're hoping."

The conversation, mercifully, changed to their families, and Neal slowly felt himself relax around the group, glancing casually around the room, before spotting Mr. Gold looking right at him.

"Ignore Mr. Gold. He's just a weird dude who thinks anyone new in town could be his son," Roland suddenly said, having followed Neal's gaze. "Not that I don't think that case is weird andcrazy, but still. I hear he's been harassing my step-mom's sister about it. Just ignore him. He'll stop bugging you eventually."

Neal's throat suddenly went dry, and he swallowed thick before pushing for more. "What happened? His son went missing?"

"Yeah, his ex-wife and her new husband took him in the middle of the night and went off the grid. No one's been able to find him since. The cops tore the east coast apart trying to find him, and even the FBI was involved. It was like magic. Eventually some nun came forward and admitted she helped them escape, but said she had no idea where they went. Dad says she's doing time for aiding and abetting kidnappers. It's so crazy that a nun would do that."

Neal whistled, his heart pouding against his ribs. "That sounds like the sort of thing you'd want to solve, Emma."

Emma snorted. "Yeah, maybe. But you know my dreams lie in a big city."

"Could be your big break before you move to the big city though and leave us all in the dust," Dawn teased. "But I remember my mom and ad talking about the case. They said Mr. Gold closed down his pawn shop for weeks."

His stomach was in a knot. He knew the case was bad, but getting all of these details was starting to make him feel ill.

This needed to end. He needed to come clean.

Setting his punch cup on the table, Neal rose from his seat, drawing attention from the others.

"Neal? What's the matter?" Emma asked.

"I need to speak with someone. I'll be back, I promise."

Gathering his courage, he slowly made his way over to his father, who gave him a raised brow as he approached.

"Ah, Mr. Cassidy, right? What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Gold – sorry – Papa. I… it's me. It's Baelfire."

His stepmother's eyes widened, his brother started choking on the water he was sipping, and his father lost all color in his face, before his eyes narrowed sharply.

"Prove it. Prove that you're my son."

He couldn't say he didn't expect this. "You and Milah got married in the woods because she said she didn't have any family, but she did. You got your leg injury during Operation Desert Storm trying to protect a child from harm. You have an old-fashioned spinning wheel in your house. Or at least, you did when I was born…"

His father's face shifted from doubt to shock. "Yes… that's all correct. Oh Bae… I can't believe it. But – what about that story you told? About foster care?"

"I ran away from them when I was thirteen. Decided to go by Neal Cassidy so no one would ask questions. Ended up in New Orleans. Eudora took me in when she found me digging around in the dumpster outside her restaurant, and adopted me a year later," he said softly. "I wanted to know about you, and Milah and Killain refused, but Eudora was supportive. She's the reason I ended up back here."

Aiden rose from his seat, leaning against his cane and embracing Neal with his other arm. "I owe her a debt of gratitidue. Welcome home, son."

Chapter Text

"I don't want too much information to get out," his father said, having pulled Sheriff Nolan to the side. "He does not want my ex to find him. And frankly, if I see her again, I don't guarantee I won't do something rash."

David nodded slowly, a look on his face that said he expected Aiden Gold to say that. "I understand, Aiden. Do you want to make any sort of announcement here?"

His father frowned slightly. "I think it may be necessary. You know how some of the reporters and, ah, private investigators can be in this town. Robin can do it… he’s due to make one soon anyway.”

"I'll speak to Robin then, and get back to you."

"Thank you, David. I appreciate it."

"Of course, and congratulations. I'm glad your son is finally home."

As David walked off, Neal rose to his feet. "I… should probably tell Emma the truth before the speech. She's probably wondering where I've been."

"Of course, son. You enjoy your night. We can talk tomorrow…?"

Neal nodded slowly. "Yeah, I don't have a shift tomorrow, so I'll meet you at your shop. Thanks… papa."

And with that, he made his way back to where Emma was sitting with a small plate of appetizers.

"There you are, Neal. Is everything okay?" Emma asked with a frown. "You looked a little shaky when you left."

"Emma… there's something I need to tell you. I'm Baelfire Gold… the missing kid you were talking about earlier."

"You wh – "

"I'm Baelfire. I've known I was Baelfire my entire life. I came here to find out the truth. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before but – "

"Hey, it's okay. I get it. I mean, I don't know all of the details, but I get why you wouldn't want to just tell a waitress that you were essentially undercover," Emma said, taking his hand gently and smiling. "But, uh – just tell me what name you like better. Just so I know what to call you."

He laughed, squeezing her hand with a grin as his heart pounded against his ribs nervously. "Honestly, I've been living this life as Neal for only a few years now, but… honestly, I think I like it better than Baelfire. No offense to my dad."

"I'm sure he won't be offended, I'd bet he's just happy to know you're okay."

"Yeah. He's not nearly the monster I was told he was. I knew they had to be lying, but I just… needed time to see it for myself."

She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, Mr. Gold is intimidating, but he's always been kind to my family and I. He said he understood my father's reasons for wanting to keep the old farm in the family. Understood what it really meant to come from nothing and claw your way into being successful."

"Really? What happened to him?"

Emma shrugged. "Whatever he's told my dad, my dad's kept secret."

"Fair enough," he said with a soft chuckle. "So, uh… do you maybe want to go on a date with me?"

Emma's brow furrowed. "You mean this isn't a date?"

Neal blanched. "I – uh – I wasn't sure – "

She laughed. "Hey, don't worry, I'm just kidding. But yes, I would love to go on a date with you, Neal Cassidy."

A relieved laugh escaped him. "Okay! Great! Uh… how about dinner at Tony's?"

"I think that sounds like fun. But, I have a question for you now."

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you don't want to come to New Oreleans with us? I really do think it'd be fun to have you there."

Neal smiled. "I'll think about it. Thanks. Your friend kind of caught me off guard with the question before."

Emma laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. "She was trying to set us up. She's been on me about you since you came to town. Just ignore her. She's mostly harmless."

"Takes more than an overzealous friend to scare me away," he grinned.

“If I could have everyone’s attention for a moment? I have a quick announcement. First of all, I just wanted to thank everyone for coming and supporting the Fireman’s Ball. Your donations will help us order better equipment and keep ourselves safe. But this night is also a night to celebrate!” Robin’s voice rang out in the ballroom, to a wave of cheers. “The harvest, the first responders of Storybrooke, this Fireman’s Ball has meant a lot to this town for many years. However, tonight, we have one more reason to celebrate. Sheriff Nolan informed me moments ago that the case of Baelfire Gold has been solved.”

Stunned murmurs broke out among the crowd, and Neal noticed Zelena Mills looked a little incredulous at the thought.

“Baelfire has found his way back to Storybrooke himself… and is now going by the name Neal Cassidy.”

Somehow, all pairs of eyes in the room found him in an instant, and it took all of Neal’s courage to not immediately hide under a table, managing instead to wave weakly at the shocked crowd.

The rest of the night was a blur as people welcomed him home, offered help, expressed anger at his mother and stepfather, and all he could muster were words of thanks and a shrug when asked about what Milah could possibly have been thinking.

But despite the attention on him, he had his father. He had his new friends. He… had Emma.

“Neal…” she hummed as she dropped into a chair next to him. “Thanks for inviting me. I’ve really had a great time tonight.” 

He grinned, glad to get a break from talking to random townspeople as the ball began to wind down. “No problem Emma. I’ve had a great time too. And… thanks for inviting me to crash your New Orleans trip.”

She giggled again. “It’s not crashing if you’re invited, is it? But… I should get going. My dad needs me to help him on the farm in the morning. I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah, of course. Just let me know what time is good for you for our date,” he replied with a grin.

“Of course. I’ll text you and let you know,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, both of them blushing a bright red when she pulled away and walked off toward her family.

Neal’s hand pressed against his cheek, almost in a daze.

“Had a good time tonight, son?” his father’s voice suddenly cut into his hazy mind.

“Oh - uh - Papa. Yes, this was a lot of fun. I’m sorry to blindside you with this in public.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Bae. You made this dull event much important to me.”

Neal smiled softly, rising to his feet. “Thanks, Papa. It’s getting late, I should probably head back to the inn.”

"The inn? You don't have a place to live yet?" his father asked, sounding almost offended at the notion.

"I've been looking, but it isn't like Storybrooke is an urban sprawl. The old woman at the inn's been nice enough. Free breakfast in the morning, a comfortable bed, a view of the forest..." he shrugged. "It's not the worst place I've ever slept in."

Aiden huffed. "Well, now that I know you're my son, you'll be moving in with us as soon as possible."

Neal glanced at Belle, who was simply smiling in support of his father’s idea.

"Aiden's right. We're family, we should be together. And besides, we, you two especially, have a lot to catch up on. It'll be easier to do it under the same roof," she said.

"Okay…" Neal sighed, biting his lip. "I can move in tonight, if that's okay. I don't have a lot of furniture or anything like that. Or at least get some clothes and finish moving in tomorrow.”

His father and Belle exchanged a quick glance, then nodded in agreement.

His father’s house wasn’t what he expected. It wasn’t the size - no, he expected it to be one of the largest houses in town - it was the color. The inside was surprisingly modern, although it still had a classic feeling with some of the decor. Family photos and bookshelves took up most of the room in the family room, and it was clear by some of them that his family were seasoned travelers, Neal’s heart aching with the realization that he’d missed out on all of this.

In the guest room, Neal sighed and undid his tie, dropping it on his bed as he stared at his open suitcase. He was already dreading unpacking. Maybe he could just - 

"Dad's talked about you a lot, you know."

He jumped, looking over at the younger brother that had suddenly appeared in the room. "Oh. Uh. Has he?"

"Yeah. He always celebrated your birthday. Even with mom and I. I always thought it was kinda weird having a birthday for a kid that wasn't there. No offense."

"None taken. I imagine it's a bit weird to have a brother that you've never met," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Especially one who was supposedly a sort of unwitting celebrity."

Gideon shrugged. "Yeah, but you've actually turned out to be a pretty cool person. It's really badass that you saved Bobby and Adam from the mines. I got lucky enough to escape the mines without calling you guys."

Neal raised a brow, giving Gideon a stern look. "You aren't going to go back into that mine after everything that's happened, are you?"

“Well not now that I know you’re a firefighter!”

“C’mon kid, you shouldn’t be down there at all . Those mines are closed for a reason,” Neal said gently. He didn’t want to step on his papa’s and Belle’s toes about the mines, but he didn’t want to see his brother get hurt.

Gideon rolled his eyes. “You don’t understand how dull this town is, you’ve only been here a couple of months!”

“Sure, but there’s gotta be something better than going into a closed off mine. Isn’t there a sport or something you could play? Band? Mathletes? Anything after school?”

“I like science. My friend and I got into a really hard after-school program with one of the local professors. I’ve been doing that since the school year started,” Gideon explained. “But that’s why I wanted to go down into the mines… to see if there were any cool rock formations down there. I thought if I found something I’d get into the program.”

“But you got into the program on your own anyway,” Neal said. “So I don’t see a need for you to head into the mine anymore.”

Gideon scuffed his toe against the carpet, before nodding reluctantly. “Alright, fine. You’re right. I shouldn’t go into the mine after what happened to Bobby.”

Neal gave him a weak smile. “Just know I’m not trying to be boring, it’s just, I’ve never had a brother before, and I’d rather not lose you so soon.”

Gideon laughed a little. “Yeah yeah. I’ve never had one either.”

“Tell you what. I don’t have work tomorrow, so we can hang out all day if you want.”

“Actually, I have plans tomorrow. But uh, thanks for not being so boring,” Gideon replied with a grin and running a hand through his hair. “Maybe it won’t be so bad to have a brother around here.”

Neal chuckled. “I guess it’s better now that you know I’m not lame, huh?”

“Gideon, come on, it’s getting late. Let your brother breathe for a moment, won’t you?” Belle chuckled as she entered the room, changed out of the golden dress she’d been wearing and opted for a set of pajamas. “Come on. Get changed and get ready for bed.”

Gideon slumped from the room, but Belle stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a kind smile on her face. “Are you settling in okay?”

“Uh - yeah. I was just looking for my pajamas myself. Thanks again, by the way. Where’s my papa?”

“He’s using his spinning wheel in the basement. He just needs a bit of time to adjust to having you back. He’d been so worried about you for so many years, to have you home… it’s just as overwhelming for him as it is for you so, don’t take it personally,” Belle said with a smile on her face, before she looked over at a photo on the bedside table. “Oh! Is this your family from New Orleans?”

“Yeah, that’s my mama Eudora and my sister Tiana and I when I graduated from the fire academy.”

Belle smiled. “They look lovely. Bae, your father and I were talking, and we thought it would be nice to have them up this way for Thanksgiving.”

He blinked in surprise. “Really? I was planning to fly back there but… I can talk to them and see if they’d be willing to come up.”

He didn’t doubt for a second that they would.

“Of course. Well, I’ll leave you to finish unpacking, shall I? You should get some rest yourself. There’s a bathroom just down the hall on the left if you need it.”

“Thank you, Belle. I really appreciate this.”

She gave him another smile and left the room. 

Neal exhaled heavily and grabbed his pajamas from the bottom of his suitcase, intent on getting his nightly routine finished. Once he changed into the grey checkered pants and grey top he wore, he made his way to where he thought Belle had mentioned the bathroom was, and paused.

This was not the bathroom. It was a nursery.

His nursery, judging from his name he could just make out thanks to the light of the moon, written in pretty calligraphy on the wall above the crib.

“Get lost on your way to the bathroom, dearie?”

Neal turned to his father, who had suddenly appeared beside him. “Oh - Papa… uh - yeah, sorry… I didn’t mean to - ”

“No, no. Don’t apologize. This was your room, after all. Come on, come inside. I’ll show you what your mother left for me to remember you by,” Aiden said, flicking the light on and illuminating the light blue room.

Neal tried not to wince at the jab at Milah as he took in the surroundings.

Aiden leaned into the crib, pulling out two hand-knit stuffed toys, one a rabbit, the other, a wolf.

“My mothers made these for you. You loved them, and were fussy whenever you didn’t have them beside you... especially at night.”

Neal’s eyes widened, recalling Killian jokingly saying Neal had been the fussiest baby he’d ever met. If he’d loved these toys so much, it was no wonder.

Aiden then moved over to the bookshelf, gesturing at what was left. “Most of these were given to us by Mary-Margaret and Colette, Belle’s mother. Mary-Margaret was pregnant with Emma at the same time Milah was pregnant with you.”

“Did - did Milah give Mrs. Nolan anything in return?”

“Not that I recall, but that was Milah. Selfish and cold to anyone who couldn’t help her with her own goals.”

Neal rubbed the back of his neck. “Right…”

Aiden went quiet for a moment. “Bae…”

“Hm?”

“Do you know where your mother is? I’m not asking for myself but… David has been working with the FBI for many years on your case… if you tell them where she is, we can end this whole ordeal.”

“I don’t know, Papa. I was raised on a houseboat, going up and down between the Carolinas. It’s been almost seven years since I left. They could be in Seattle by now for all I know. I’m sorry.”

Aiden sighed. “No, of course. I should have expected underhanded tactics from someone who is on the run.”

“Belle says you were interested in inviting Mama and Tiana to Thanksgiving,” Neal said, desperate to turn the conversation to something light.

“Oh - yes, I am. You spoke so highly of them, I thought I should meet the women who actually cared for my son and gave him the tools to find me. You don’t mind, do you?”

Neal grinned. “Of course I don’t mind, Papa. Mama said before I left that she was really interested in meeting you, too. She had a hunch that you weren’t as bad a guy as Milah said you were. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“Don’t blame yourself. Never blame yourself for what your mother did. What matters now is that you’re home, and that we have time to get to know each other without her poisoning our relationship.”

“I’d like that a lot, Papa.”

Aiden and Neal sat in the nursery, talking until the early birds began to chirp outside. When Belle found them the next morning, Aiden was asleep in the rocking chair, Neal’s head on his knees, both looking more peaceful than they had since their long ordeal began.

Chapter Text

New Orleans, 2006

Life had changed dramatically for Eudora d’Orleans. Her beloved husband had been killed overseas, leaving the restaurant and all it entailed, to her. Eudora knew about running the restaurant - whenever she’d been free on the weekends, she’d be at the restaurant, managing the phones or helping with the finances.

Many times she’d bring homework that needed to be graded and do it in the back office, or patchwork that her students had created.

But now, her partner was gone, and the restaurant was squarely on her shoulders. Oh yes, Eli La Bouff had offered his support whenever she needed it, but Eudora wanted to show James, and the detractors she’d acquired that she would be able to lead Tiana’s Palace into a new era. God knew, it was what the city needed.

But still, it was hard, especially with Tiana. The girl was a storm all her own, brave, outgoing and stubborn as her daddy - and being alone, sometimes it was hard to make Tiana understand that she just wanted what was best for her.

Tired eyes wearily looked over the numbers, not fully registering what they meant. She’d been down here for hours, and it was nearing eleven o’clock. The restaurant was closed, the staff having just left for the evening.

She needed some air.

“Eli? Can you make sure Tiana is doin’ her homework? I just need to clear my head outside for a bit,” she called to her old friend.

Eli looked up from his beignets. “Of course, Miss Eudora. Take all the time you need.”

Eudora gave him a grateful smile, heading out the side door to the alley. It wasn’t the most pleasant place, right next to the dumpster, but the front had too much noise with people still crowding the block despite it only being a Wednesday night.

“I miss you, James. I know you’d be so proud of Tiana for wanting to follow in your footsteps, but she can be so damn stubborn sometimes. I know you always said I had the magic touch when it came to getting her to listen, but I’m not so sure I have that anymore. I think she’d be more willing to listen to you,” she sighed into the open air. “This just ain’t fair.”

She glanced up at the sky, feeling herself slowly start to relax, before she heard a thud near the dumpsters. She would have written it off as an animal if it weren’t for the distinctly human arms she could see trying to reach inside.

Eudora knew she shouldn’t, but something compelled her to call out.

“Hey honey, you alright over there?”

The figure froze, the arms dropping back to the other side of the dumpster, but the stranger didn’t run off.

Eudora moved slowly toward the dumpster despite every safety warning she’d ever heard ringing in her head. “It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Finally, the smaller figure peered out from behind. A boy - couldn’t be any older than her daughter, stared at her with terrified eyes. His clothes were baggy and ripped, his hair matted and dirty.

In his hand were scraps of food.

“Please… don’t call the police,” he whispered. “I - I didn’t mean any harm… I was just hungry.”

Her heart sank. This poor boy. She knew it was risky, but she would never let a child go without food - and neither would James.

“Well, I’m not gonna let you eat out of that dumpster. C’mon into the kitchen, I’ll cook you something fresh,” she said, gesturing to the door. “I’m not gonna call the police on you, I promise.”

She could see the boy was shaking as he emptied his fist and started moving toward her.

“What’s your name, honey?”

“N-Neal…” he mumbled, following her into the kitchen, flinching back at the bright lights.

“Alright Neal, is there anything special you - ”

Eudora’s question was cut off as the boy stumbled, falling to his knees.

“Oh - oh no, hey, c’mon honey, it’s alright…” she said, carefully holding him so he didn’t hit the hard tile floor. She shifted her hand to his forehead, realizing with horror that he was burning up. “ELI!” 

She managed to get Neal into the main restaurant as Eli called for an ambulance. She shuffled Tiana off with Eli for the evening and rode to the hospital in the ambulance. It was hours before she got news -  dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia, and the next afternoon, she returned with Tiana, Charlotte and Eli.

“Why… why are you here?” Neal asked, frowning in confusion at the group around him.

“You gave us quite a scare. We just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Eudora said with a smile. “Dr. Richardson says you’ve got a bad case of pneumonia.”

“Yeah, she told me that this morning. That explains why I feel like I got hit by a bus…”

“I brought you one of my beignets…” Tiana said, giving him a smile as she set it on the tray. “I’m sure it’ll taste better than a plain old sandwich.”

Eudora took a seat next to him. “Dr. Richardson also said social services’ll be here this afternoon.”

“I don’t need services. I’m fine on my own.”

“I’d say otherwise given your state,” Eudora said, raising a brow.

Neal picked at the deli sandwich on his tray. “I just don’t want to go back.”

“Don’t you have a Mama or Daddy waiting for you?” Charlotte asked with a frown.

He shook his head. “No. No one that would miss me. I’ve been on my own a while now.”

Eudora’s heart ached again for the boy. All alone, with nowhere to turn to…

She couldn’t let it happen.

Tiana nudged her, giving her a worried look, and in that moment, Eudora knew what she had to do.

“You can stay with us.”

Neal’s head snapped back up from his lunch. “I - what?”

Eudora nodded. “You can come live with Tiana and I. We got room.”

“I - I can’t do that… I’m just a street kid. You don’t want me living with you.”

“What I don’t want is for you to be living on the streets without safety or a roof over your head. What do you say?”

It took a few moments, but finally, a sob escaped him. “Okay… I - I’ll stay with you. Thank you. I don’t know what I did to deserve your kindness…”

It was early evening by the time the social worker arrived. Eli had taken Charlotte and Tiana home to do their homework, leaving Eudora alone with Neal.

“I’m Eudora d'Orleans,” Eudora greeted with a smile. “I’m the one who found Neal last night.”

The social worker - Amanda Johnson, she noted - gave her a bright smile. “How nice that you’ve stayed. I don’t usually get to see the rescuers. And this must be Mr. Cassidy.”

Neal gave her a quiet nod, barely looking over at her.

“Ms. d'Orleans, I will have to ask you to leave during this meeting, for his privacy’s sake.”

“Of course, I understand. I’ll be outside.”

She didn’t stray far, remaining close enough to the door to hear the hushed voices inside. When the social worker re-appeared, Eudora approached.

Johnson adjusted her bag. “He says you’ve offered your home to him, Ms. d'Orleans, but I noticed I don’t have you down as a licensed foster parent in the area,” she explained. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to place him with one of them, if they have room - ”

Eudora shook her head, firm. “I want this boy to know he’s going to have a roof over his head. Send me whatever I need to fill out.”

Johnson rustled in her bag, before producing a pamphlet and an application. “Here, then. Given Neal’s circumstances, I’ll put a rush on your application. Thank you, Eudora. It’s difficult to place teens. I’m glad to know this one has someone looking out for him.”

Eudora smiled, handed the complete application back, and returned to Neal’s bedside. “It’s gonna be okay, honey,” she said, looking at his bloodshot eyes and wiping a stray tear from his cheek. “I’m not gonna let anything else happen to you.”

---

“Hey Neal! How did the ball go last night?”

Neal ran his fingers through his hair, smiling at the screen. “It went… better than expected. I have a date with Emma -” he flinched, hastily turning the volume down on his phone at Tiana’s squeal. “ - And I told my dad.”

“Oh? And how did that go?” Eudora asked.

“He and his wife invited me to live with them and moved me in last night after the ball,” Neal said, heading downstairs where his father and Belle were making lunch. “Did you want to meet them?”

“I’d love to.”

“Papa? My mama wants to say hi.”

Aiden looked over and smiled, taking the phone. “You must be the famous Eudora and Tiana I’ve heard so much about.”

“And you must be Mr. Gold. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Neal’s been worried sick about whether or not he should tell you.”

“Please, call me Aiden. I understand. I know I have a reputation in Storybrooke. I’m just glad he told me the truth and that I have my son back.”

“I’m sure. I can’t imagine what you must’ve been feeling all these years. I’m glad we were able to play a small role in getting him home.”

“It wasn’t a small role at all… it was thanks to you that my son was able to find me again.”

Belle put her hand on Aiden’s shoulder, peeking over it and smiling at the camera. “Baelfire spoke so highly of you last night at the ball.”

“Ah, Belle, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right,” she said with a smile. “Aiden and I were hoping that you two would like to come up to Storybrooke for the Thanksgiving holiday?”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful. We’d love to come.”

“Can Lotte and Big Daddy come too?”

“Tia - ” 

“I’d like them here too,” Neal said immediately, looking at Aiden and Belle. “They’re like family. If that’s okay... ”

“The more the merrier,” Belle agreed with a smile. “We’d love to have them.”

Aiden nodded in agreement. “Yes, our home is large enough for all four of you. It might be nice to have more of a barrier between myself and my father-in-law.”

“Oh, I understand that quite well. I thought James’ mama was never going to like me. I don’t think she did until Tia was born, actually…”

“What?!”

Belle laughed softly. “I think some parents just can’t accept that their children grow up. It’s a bit sad, really.”

“Oh, sure. The thing is, I’m pretty sure James would’ve been the same way when Tiana got old enough to start dating, despite knowing what his mother was like to me.”

“Miss Eudora? I’m sorry to interrupt but one of the guests is asking to speak with you…” a new voice suddenly cut in.

Eudora sighed. “Alright, I’ll be right there. It was so nice to meet you, Aiden, Belle. We’ll talk to you all soon.”

“Bye Mama!” Neal said before the call ended, taking his phone back from Aiden.

“They seem so lovely, Bae,” Aiden said with a smile. “But what about those other two that will be joining us for Thanksgiving?”

He slipped his phone into his pocket and stirred the soup Belle had placed in front of him. “Oh, Mr. La Bouff and Charlotte? Well, Charlotte is Tiana’s best friend, and Mr. La Bouff owns a couple news stations. He came from a line of sugar barons. They call him Big Daddy because of how much money and time he spends with charities. They’re good people, I promise.”

Belle smiled. “I think it’ll be a wonderful holiday, Aiden. And we’ll be able to include Bae in our traditions too.”

Neal smiled. “I can’t wait. Do you guys watch the Macy’s parade?”

“We do, but Storybrooke also does a small one the day before. Nothing fancy, but the kids always seem to love it. Aiden is one of the biggest supporters of it,” Belle explained. “Marco dresses as Santa at the end too. It’s very sweet.”

“Marco? The skinny carpenter guy?” Neal asked, frowning a little.

“Well, we give him a little extra padding in the Santa suit. The kids don’t know the difference.”

“It was always Gideon’s favorite part of Thanksgiving when he was little,” Belle giggled. “I’ll have to show you some pictures later.”

Neal smirked before lifting the glass of water to his lips. “I’d like that. And I’ll ask Mama to bring pictures from New Orleans so you can see them, Papa.”

Aiden had seemed deep in thought, but brightened slightly at the words. “I would love nothing more, Baelfire.”

“Oh - and I forgot to say I’ve got plans Friday night, with Emma. I’m taking her on a date.”

Belle unexpectedly laughed. “That explains the squeal we heard coming from your room. You must have told Tiana and Eudora, right?”

His cheeks suddenly blushed pink as his hand scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah… sorry about that.”

“No no, don’t apologize. I’m happy for you Bae. You deserve it.”

“Thanks Papa…”

The week flew by, Neal adjusting to life in the Gold household. Everyone was up by six, out the door by seven-thirty. Papa or Belle came by the fire station to offer lunch if he needed, which, while sweet, started feeling a little overbearing by Friday, and he was grateful for the chance to escape and hang out with Emma.

Even if his palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel and pulled into the long drive to Nolan farm. One last check of his hair, and he made his way to the door.

Emma greeted him with a wide smile, wearing a red dress with white polka dots, her hair curled and pushed over one shoulder.

“Neal, hey!”

He clutched the tulips a bit tighter in his hand before handing them over. “H-hi Emma. You look great. These are for you.”

“Tulips? Wow, you don’t see these this time of year. How’d you find them?”

“Belle helped. I didn’t ask too many questions.”

“Oh, so Moe, then. He’s a florist. Come on in, I’ll get these in some water and then I’ll be ready,” Emma said with a smile, waving him inside. “Mom! Dad! Neal’s here!”

There was something different about walking through the farmhouse now, as a date instead of as just a friend, and it made him feel even more nervous as he followed Emma into the other room.

David and Mary-Margaret were sitting at the dining room table, David raising a brow at Neal. “Hello Neal.”

“Er… hello Sheriff Nolan, Mrs. Nolan. It’s nice to see you again,” he said politely.

Mary-Margaret, on the other hand, seemed almost serene as she spoke. “Emma said you’ll be going to dinner and then for a walk, right?”

He nodded. “Yes ma’am. And I work the early shift tomorrow at the station so we won’t be out too late.”

Emma appeared from upstairs, a black leather jacket slung over her arm. “Are you ready to go?”

He nodded, offering her arm, which she took just before he heard the snap of a camera.

“Oh! Mrs. Nolan, if you wanted to take a picture I would have stopped…” Neal said, watching as she pulled the polaroid from the camera.

“Oh? Well that’s so kind of you, Neal! Finally, Emma has a date with someone that appreciates me trying to make memories.”

“Mom!” Emma protested, rolling her eyes as the two posed for a better photo, and finally, they were on their way to Tony’s.

“So, I noticed that nice VW bug in the driveway. That yours?” he asked after they ordered.

Emma nodded. “It is! I finally saved up enough to get it. Just in time for my college classes to start!” she made a dramatic jazz-hands gesture before grinning. “I’ve been saving up for that car for months!”

“It’s a pretty cool lookin’ car. I can understand why you’d have your eye on it,” he agreed with a nod. “How’s Bobby?”

She smiled. “He’s doing much better. He got home last week and he’s building up his lung strength. He was able to start school too, just in time.”

Neal grinned. “Hey, that’s great! I’m really glad to hear that Emma.”

“It really is. But how are you doing, with being with your dad and Belle and Gideon?”

He pushed his pasta around with his fork. “I really do love getting to know my dad, don’t get me wrong, but they’re both getting a little pushy, always coming to the station if I’m on shift and asking for lunch… are they usually that way?”

“Belle is, but that’s a bit out of character for Mr. Gold, but I bet he’s just worried that you might not come back, y’know? Just give him a little more time. It’s only been a week,” Emma said. “Have you told your mom in New Orleans?”

“Yeah, the day after the ball. She and Tiana’ll be coming here for Thanksgiving with a couple friends, if you want to meet them.”

“I’d love to!”

Dinner continued, dessert a chocolate mousse with pomegranate seeds on top, Neal and Emma chatting all the way through, and before long, they found themselves walking along the empty shores, a cool breeze beginning to stir and clouds gathering in the distance.

“Can I tell you something and you keep it a secret?” he asked when she laced their hands together.

“Sure, what is it?”

“You know Alice, right?”

“Margot’s girlfriend? Please don’t tell me she’s your ex or something,” Emma asked, her nose screwing up in disgust.

His followed suit. “Ew! No, of course not! She’s my cousin.”

“Your - ” 

“On Killian’s side. Her dad is his twin brother,” Neal explained. “I hadn’t seen her since before I ran away. When she showed up in Storybrooke, it took everything in me not to run back to New Orleans.”

“Does she know?”

He nodded. “Took me a couple weeks, but I told her before the ball. She was the only one I really trusted when I got old enough to realize something was wrong… but I still didn’t trust her enough to tell her I was leaving.”

“I can understand that…” Emma said, pausing their walk to look at him. “You have lived an interesting life, Neal Cassidy.”

“I was thinking about taking Gold back as my last name, actually,” he admitted with a shrug.

“Neal Gold…” she hummed in consideration, smiling. “I like it. It suits you, I think.”

“Thanks,” he trailed off, caught by her eyes. His heart thudded uncomfortably against his ribs, both of their faces going bright red in the fading light.

“Hey, Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I - can I kiss you?”

She nodded, and he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers gently, feeling all of the warm, gooey feelings he’d heard about from movies. She kissed him harder, her arms coming to wrap around his shoulders as he pulled her closer against him, just before the skies opened and a heavy rain began to fall.

They parted, cheeks still bright red, and burst out laughing.

“Guess that’s a sign we need to get back!” Neal said, taking her hand and running along the beach with her back to his truck. They were soaked to the skin when they finally got inside, water dripping everywhere as Neal started the car and turned on the heat to try and dry them off during the drive back.

“I had a really great time tonight, Neal,” Emma said, wringing her hair out carefully. “Do you think we can do it again?”

Neal nodded, pulling into the driveway and getting as close to the door as he could. “I’d love to. Let me know when you’re free.”

“I will. Thanks again!” she gave him another quick peck on the lips, hopped out of the car, racing to the covered porch, giving him a wave before disappearing into the house.

He exhaled as he drove back home, quickly heading into the house out of the storm.

“Nice night, son?” Aiden asked with a small smile, looking up from his book.

Neal nodded, wiping water from his eyes. “Yeah, really nice. Emma and I are going to plan a second date.”

Aiden chuckled. “Good, good. Go ahead and get out of those wet clothes. We can talk more tomorrow when you get back from work.”

“Alright Papa,” Neal replied.

He went upstairs, took a hot shower, and fell asleep with a smile on his face, listening to the storm outside.

Chapter Text

The Golden Trio. The Three Musketeers. There were many nicknames people had for Emma, Lily, and Alex. They had been born one month apart from the other, and had been raised together since diaper hood. They’d gone through everything together - learning how to ride bikes, first crushes, first broken hearts, driver’s ed, and now, they were all going to the same college.

But this time, Emma had kept something to herself. She had yet to tell either of them that she’d been on that date with Neal, because she knew Lily would get that smug, ‘I told you so’ look on her face. Plus, that date had felt different from the dates she’d been on in their little town, and she really wanted to make sure she’d settled in her feelings before blabbing to her friends about it.

She couldn’t stop thinking about how Neal’s smile lit up the room, how the light hit his eyes, how that kiss made her feel like her heart was going to explode from happiness.

And they were planning a second date ! Emma felt her head beginning to spin, overwhelmed. She’d spent an hour talking to her mom after she’d gotten home and showered, and thankfully her mom had been open to listening about how she felt and was encouraging her to see where the relationship went.

She wouldn’t be nervous about the whole “meet the parents” thing if it wasn’t for Eudora. She’d grown up knowing Mr. Gold all her life (he wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he seemed), but Eudora was a stranger to her, and despite Neal’s high praise of her, it still had her worried.

Emma was so deep in thought, she didn’t realize her friends were approaching until Lily’s lunch tray dropped down in front of her face, and Emma felt like she jumped a mile.

“Lily! Alex!”

“ Geez Emma, any deeper in thought and you were going to land straight in your onion rings!” Alex remarked, setting her tray much more gently onto the table than Lily had. “What’s on your mind?”

“Wait, don’t tell us, it’s Neal, isn’t it?” Lily cut in, a Cheshire Cat-like grin already on her face. “He asked you out, didn’t he?”

Emma rolled her eyes and groaned. “Fine, yeah, it’s Neal. We went out on Friday.”

“It’s Monday and you’re only just telling us this?!” Alex yelped. “Emma! We’re your best friends!”

“Honestly, we were supposed to have a big montage of buying you an outfit for the date!”  Lily agreed. “But how’d it go?”

Emma smiled, coy. “I don’t kiss and tell, girls.”

Alex looked like she was about ready to explode from happiness as she bounced in her chair, while Lily, as expected, looked smug.

“So he’s a good kisser, huh?” Lily asked.

“Lily!”

“That’s a yes then,” Alex smirked.

“This is why I didn’t tell you,” Emma grumbled, biting an onion ring before taking a sip of her soda. “But what about either of you? Meet anyone interesting now that we’re nearing the end of our first college semester?”

“Nah. No one’s all that interesting. I mean, they’re fine to talk to… well except the guy that sits next to me in my music theory class falls asleep every day… and drools.”

Emma wrinkled her nose. “Ew. What about you, Lily?”

“Same. I mean, girls are cute which is always good but you know I’ve never been a big fan of dating,” she said with a shrug.

“I still think you should’ve asked out Maggie from your biology lab,” Alex pouted. “You would’ve been so cute together.”

“I’m not the dating type,” Lily countered. “But I have been very well acquainted with Maggie as of late.”

Emma gave Lily a triumphant smirk. “So I’m not the only one keeping secrets then, huh?”

“Um, I already told you all my secrets Emma. You’re the one still being coy about your date with Neal.”

She frowned. “What is there to tell? He let mom take a proper picture for her scrapbook, he took me to Tony’s for dinner and then we took a walk on the beach until it started raining. And then we planned for another date.”

Lily wagged her eyebrows. “Oooh, date number two, huh? When’s that going to be?”

“I don’t know. His mom and sister are coming in for Thanksgiving, so he’s got to figure all that out before we decide,” she said with a small shrug, tossing a napkin on her empty plate. “You know how busy it gets around here during Thanksgiving so I don’t expect it to be before then.”

“Then that gives us time to plan your outfit!” Alex chirped.

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes. “Honestly, this isn’t the first date I’ve ever been on. Why are you two so obsessed with this?”

“Because it’s fun to watch you squirm,” Lily shrugged.

“You two are the worst,” Emma grumbled as her phone buzzed. “Oops, time for me to head to my math final! Guess we’ll have to talk later! Byeeee!”

Emma was out of the cafeteria before Lily or Alex realized what happened, her cheeks still bright pink.

Thanksgiving in Storybrooke was a chaotic time for the small town. The scent of baked goods became even stronger in the air as the bakers frantically produced pies, cookies, breads and cakes for those who didn’t want to bake them themselves.

The town’s decorating committee, headed by Mary-Margaret Nolan, was hard at work transforming the town into something out of a magazine, with banners and an array of decorations on each and every building and light pole in the town.

Belle had mapped out the route for the parade, X’s carefully marking the sidewalks and roads before the sheriff's deputies put the barriers up to block traffic.

The Nolan family was hard at work during their free moments from school or work, harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables for their friends and loved ones.

Neal was used to a hustle and bustle in town, but Storybrooke was something else. The beauty of the fall colors he’d only seen on TV or in movies along with the decorations made it feel like something out of a cheesy Lifetime movie, and Neal didn’t mind. It would be fun to show it off to Mama, Tiana, Mr. La Bouff and Charlotte.

Bangor Airport was only a couple of hours from Storybrooke, but waiting for the plane to come in was agonizing. Neal found himself caught between frantically checking his phone and pacing between the arrival list and the nearby cafe.

“NEAL!!”

Charlotte La Bouff’s voice cut through the crowded airport like a knife, her blonde hair bouncing with each step she took.

He should have figured she’d be leading the charge.

“Hey Lottie - oof!” he grunted as she swept him up in an almost bone-crushing hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

She giggled, pulling away and allowing him to go into the familiar arms of his mother and sister and give Big Daddy a firm handshake.

“Welcome to Maine,” he greeted.

“Oh honey let me look at you,” Eudora said, putting her hands on Neal’s shoulders and looking him up and down. “You’ve been eatin’ right? Getting enough sleep?”

Neal chuckled and hugged her again. “Yes Mama, I promise. Papa and Belle have been making sure of that.”

“How far is it to Storybrooke?” Tiana asked.

“About two hours, so if anyone has to pee I’d do it now. I’d also brace yourself for the temperature difference once we get outside.”

“Oh don’t worry about that, Neal. It was in the 50s in DC when we got our connecting flight.”

Neal scratched the back of his neck, thinking of the flurries he’d driven through to get to the airport. “Right. Yeah, the 50s.”

“You weren’t kiddin’ about the weather,” Eli said, shivering as they loaded Neal’s Jeep with the luggage and retreated into the warmth of the car.

Neal laughed. “Yeah, it’s taking a bit to adjust to. And they’re calling for snow tomorrow too. Not much, but enough to coat the ground.”

“Oh how fun!” Charlotte said, her knees bouncing. “I’ve never seen snow before!”

“Hopefully you’ll enjoy it then,” Neal chuckled, pulling out of the airport and beginning the scenic drive back to Storybrooke.

It took longer than the normal two hours to get back, with Charlotte and Tiana wanting to stop here or there to take pictures of the colors that lit up the trees, but they made it just as the sun went down, casting a dusky glow over Storybrooke as he pulled into the parking lot of Granny’s.

“You want typical diner food, this is the best place to come,” Neal said. “And… Emma’s working tonight.”

“Ooh! So we’ll get to meet your girlfriend?” Tiana teased.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Neal replied, praying none of them noticed his flushed face as he sent a quick text to his father to tell them they’d made it to town safely.

“Not yet,” Charlotte’s sing-songy voice hummed as she pushed the door open, and Neal suddenly remembered just how it was to be surrounded by two sisters prodding into his business.

“Anywhere you like!” he heard Emma call.

They carefully put a couple of tables together, saving three for his father, Belle and Gideon, before Emma appeared.

“Neal, hi! This must be the New Orleans crowd you told me about,” she said, glancing at the others. “My name’s Emma and I’ll be your server today.”

“So you’re the famous Emma we’ve heard so much about. It’s so nice to meet you, honey,” Eudora said with a wide smile.

Emma grinned. “It’s nice to meet you too, Eudora. Neal’s told me so much about you guys.”

“Papa, Belle and Gideon are on their way too Emma,” Neal said. “Do you mind grabbing drinks for them too?”

“Iced tea, Coke and regular tea. I got it, Neal,” Emma chuckled. “I’ll give you guys some time to look over the menu.”

“Oh, she’s good ,” Tiana said, her eyes wide as Emma retreated back to the kitchen. “You sure she isn’t interested in the restaurant business, Neal?”

Neal snorted. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure Tiana. She's studying criminal justice and wants to become a detective like her dad. Mama, who did you get to keep an eye on the restaurant while you guys are up here?”

“Ray and Evangeline. Figured another wife-husband duo would be good for the restaurant, and besides, they know how to whip the employees into shape,” she said with a small laugh. “But we decided to only do takeout orders the day before Thanksgiving. I’m hoping that will make things easier for the staff.”

“It’d sure make things easier on me,” Emma grumbled as she reappeared with the tray of drinks. “But Granny’s stubbornly set in her ways.”

“Granny?” Tiana asked.

Emma nodded toward the cash register, where Granny was overseeing a transaction from her wheelchair. “94 years old and still stubborn as the day is long. She’s an old family friend of my mom’s though, so I try not to complain too much around her. Oh! Hi Mr. and Mrs. Gold, Gideon! Do you guys need menus?”

“We know what we want, thank you Miss Nolan,” his father said, taking a seat next to Eudora as Emma set the tea in front of him. “We’ll take our usual orders.”

Emma nodded, departing again when Neal and the others gave their orders.

“How were your flights? Not too much trouble, I hope?” Aiden asked, sipping at his tea.

“Oh, not at all, the only big trouble was trying to navigate Reagan National. We got a little turned around and almost missed boarding,” Eli explained. “But otherwise it was smooth sailing, as they say.”

“Mrs. Gold?” Tiana asked. “What were you plannin’ on cooking for Thanksgiving? Because, I was wondering if I could make sweet potato pie.”

“Oh, we usually do the typical Thanksgiving feast. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, salads. We would never turn you down if you wanted to make something,” Belle replied. “My father will be bringing mashed potatoes and Aiden’s mothers will be bringing vegetables.”

Tiana grinned. “Awesome! My daddy’s sweet potato pie is the best in New Orleans.”

“We can head to the Nolan’s farm tomorrow and see if they have sweet potatoes. I know Emma mentioned they have a lot of produce they still need to get rid of,” Neal said.

“We’ve gotten most of our produce from the Nolans since David took it over,” Aiden said with a soft smile. “David has really brought the farm back from the brink of bankruptcy. It’s like he has a magical touch for farming.”

“Ooh well, I can’t wait to see what sort of produce they have,” TIana said. “I love goin’ to the Farmer’s Market in New Orleans, so it’ll be a real treat to see a farm up close!”

Charlotte’s eyes turned dreamy. “Don’t you remember going to that farm in first grade? The horses were so pretty!”

“Lottie, you dared me to kiss a frog and it jumped on my head and wouldn’t let me go until the farmer managed to get it off. I’ve blocked out most of that field trip,” Tiana replied with a roll of her eyes. “Poppy called me the Frog Princess for a month!”

“You never did read that fairy tale again…” Eudora mused as the table broke out into soft laughter.

As the evening wound down and the group returned to the Gold house, Neal watched as the group splintered off into conversation.

His father, usually quiet and unassuming, sat with Eudora, looking at every photo she presented him - she had made copies of every single photo she had of or with Neal.

Belle, ever charming and worldly, was having an animated conversation with Charlotte and Eli about travel.

Gideon was with Neal and Tiana. Gideon, like their father, was at first quiet and unsure of the guests, but slowly began to come out of his shell, talking with Tiana about why food made the certain reactions it did when it was cooking.

The Gold household was full of laughter and light that night, each person going to bed with a smile on their face, and a small stomach cramp from laughing too hard.

The next day, Neal drove through the light dusting of snow up to Nolan farm with Tiana and Charlotte.

“Oh Neal, this town is just too cute! It’s like somethin’ out of a story! Oh! I know! I should do the top ten cutest small towns for my next blog!” Charlotte squealed.

“Lottie, you haven’t been to any other small towns,” Tiana laughed. “How are you gonna do that?”

Lottie bounced in her seat like a dog on its way to the park. “Then I’ll do the top ten cutest places in Storybrooke!”

“I’m sure Mayor Mills-Hood will be honored to put Storybrooke on the map,” Neal laughed as he pulled up to the farm. “Here we are.”

“Oh, hello Neal!” Mary-Margaret called, carrying a large basket of produce. “You must be here to pick up your dad’s order.”

Neal nodded. “Hi Mrs. Nolan, yeah, that’s right… but my sister was wondering if she could take a look around and see if there’s anything else she wants?”

“Of course. Were you looking for anything specific, Tiana?”

“Sweet potatoes. Mrs. Gold mentioned you have them.”

Mary-Margaret smiled. “We do. Let me take you to the greenhouse and show you.” She set the basket down on the table before leading the trio over to a large greenhouse. “David and Eva built this together to protect some of our plants. There are a lot that we tried to plant for years, but the climate here can be… unpredictable. But now we can with the greenhouse.”

“Mrs. Nolan, do you mind if I take pictures?” Charlotte asked. “Your farm is just so pretty!”

She hummed. “I suppose that’d be okay. Just don’t disturb any of the animals, alright?”

“I won’t, thank you!” Charlotte bounced on her toes before running off.

Mary-Margaret laughed softly, handing Tiana a couple of bags. “She’s sweet.”

“She’s a lot to handle sometimes, but she’s like my sister,” Tiana laughed. “Thank you so much for this Mrs. Nolan.”

“It’s no problem,” Mary-Margaret replied. “Oh, and Emma should be back soon if you wanted to say hi, Neal. She went to get breakfast with Lily and Alex.”

“Oh - okay.” He hoped the flush of his cheeks went unnoticed, or at least, was blamed on the sudden humidity of the greenhouse.

Tiana gave him a smug grin from behind a sweet potato plant and continued harvesting the sweet potatoes.

“Do you and your family have a big Thanksgiving, Mrs. Nolan?”

Mary-Margaret nodded. “Oh yes. It alternates between mine and my step-mother’s home, but we do love to do Thanksgiving in our family. And this year is even more special since Margot is home this year with her girlfriend.”

Neal gave her a weak smile. One day, he’d be comfortable announcing that bit to the town too. But for now it was safer to keep their relationship hidden. “I’m sure it was even more insane when Emma and all of them were kids, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Mary-Margaret laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “I can’t even tell you how many accidents we nearly had with the kids running through the kitchen when one of us was carrying a heavy pot.”

“Okay, I think I’ve got what I need!” Tiana announced, the bags full right to the top of sweet potatoes, green beans, peppers and berries. “If nothing else, some of these’ll make a great snack before we head back to New Orleans!”

“Here, Mrs. Nolan, I have the money for Papa’s order too,” Neal said, handing over the money his father had given him before they’d left.

“Thank you, I’ll be back with your things,” Mrs. Nolan said as the trio left the greenhouse and headed back in the direction of the farmhouse and driveway. “Oh - there are the girls now.”

Neal grinned, waving to Emma, Charlotte in an animated conversation with Lily.

“Lottie, come on! We need to head back to help Mrs. Gold!” Tiana called, adjusting the produce in the back seat as Neal got in the driver’s side.

He noticed the blush on Charlotte’s cheeks the moment he pulled onto the road back to his father’s.

“So how was the farm?” he asked casually.

“Oh… you know, it was nice. The sheep and the dog and the snow everywhere…” Charlotte replied, sounding wistful.

Tiana gave him another smug look as she glanced in the back. “And Emma’s friend? C’mon Charlotte, your cheeks are as pink as your gloves!”

“Okay, fine. Lily was not bad to look at either,” she admitted, looking down. “We gave each other our phone numbers.”

“That’s awesome, Lottie! I’m really happy for you.”

Neal grinned. “Lily’s a cool girl. Glad to see someone caught her eye.”

“Yeah… we’ll see where it goes. Oh Tia… this town really is magical,” Charlotte sighed. “Maybe we’ll find someone for you too!”

“Oh Lottie no, that’s - ”

“I mean it!” Charlotte declared, back to her normal self. “I found a princess, and I’m gonna find you a prince!”

The morning of Thanksgiving was nothing short of chaotic. Belle had everyone up bright and early, getting as much prepped for their meal as they could, before everyone hurried to the heart of the town for the parade.

It was a quaint thing, with the high school’s marching band leading the way as floats created by the other high school clubs were pulled down the road by whatever trucks they could find. Gideon was on one such float, for his science club - it was a giant vinegar and baking soda volcano that spewed out fall-colored liquids. Neal wasn’t sure how they’d managed to pull that off, but he was sure Gideon would be happy to answer.

What got the most buzz in the town though, was the float carefully built to the specifications of the decorating committee - the float pulling Marco in his Santa costume, nine reindeer suspended in the air greeting the cheers of children, while an unhappy-looking August waved to the crowd.

Charlotte was buzzing around taking photos of everything for her blog, happily chatting to anyone that caught her attention.

“You know, it’s almost like she’s at home here,” Eli mused. “I didn’t think I’d ever see her so happy outside of the big city like this.”

“That’s the charm of Storybrooke,” Aiden replied with a chuckle as Regina began her welcome speech from the small stage that had been set up. “It’s like a fairy tale.”

That evening, Neal settled between Tiana and Gideon as the group sat down at the large dining room table for dinner. His grandmothers, Anna and Isobel, sat across from him, serene smiles on their faces while his step-grandfather, Moe, looked a little tense, but relaxed when Eudora or Eli spoke to him.

He hadn’t known his grandparents growing up - all of them had died before his birth. Milah never spoke about them, but Killian would talk to him about his mother, Alice, saying nothing but praises about her.

“My only wish is that you and your cousin could have met her,” he’d said on more than one occasion. “She would have loved both of you.”

“I’d like to propose a toast,” his father said, rising to his feet and holding his wine glass with his free hand. “This past year has been extraordinary, and we are fortunate to be able to celebrate this Thanksgiving with more of us than ever before. Though the circumstances were less than favorable, I believe things happen for a reason, and fate brought us together for a reason. We have our Baelfire back, and new family members to welcome to our heart. This year, I am grateful for that. To our family.”

“To family,” the rest of the table echoed, clinking their glasses together.

Chapter Text

Ali had been right all those months ago - Storybrooke winters were brutal.

A large snow storm had struck Storybrooke the night before, rendering much of the town immobile. Schools were closed, many of the smaller shops and restaurants weren’t open either, which meant their date plans had to be put on hold… until Emma had come up with an idea.

Ice skating in the park.

Neal was beginning to regret agreeing to this.

It was safe - Chief Hood had inspected the lake and continued to do so routinely throughout the day, and honestly, not many people were on there for very long due to the temperature, but even so…

Neal had never been ice skating before. He had never lived anywhere cold enough to, and no one he’d known in the past had ever wanted to skate on the fake rinks that would be set up because it just wasn’t the same.

Now that there was a real rink and real snow everywhere, he suddenly didn’t feel as confident that this would be as easy as it looked on TV.

But after the chaos of Thanksgiving, and with the chaos of Christmas and Hanukkah gearing up, Neal had agreed to Emma’s idea of a skating date.

“Are you ready?” Emma asked, lacing up her skates and holding out her hand. “I won’t let you fall, I promise.”

Neal double checked his laces and nodded a little. “Yeah… I think so. You’re sure this is right?”

“Yep! Your skates are perfect,” she said with a giggle, helping him stand. “This is going to be fun!”

“Heh, yeah, it’s going to be something,” Neal agreed, standing up carefully and following her to the ice.

Neal liked seeing Emma smile. It was worth the dread in the pit of his stomach to see her happy like this.

She took his hands, slowly beginning to skate along the pond with him. Neal felt his legs shaking with each motion they made. 

“You’re doing great!” Emma giggled some time (and several spills) later. “You seem to be less shaky than you were when we first got here.”

His ass wasn’t so sure about that, but Neal nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I feel like I could skate in the next Olympics. Here, let’s see if I can lift you over my head!”

Emma squeaked, speeding away from him with laughter. “Can’t catch me!”

No, he certainly couldn’t, and frankly, he hardly tried. His legs and his butt hurt, and when they finally decided to call it quits, Neal was seriously questioning how he was supposed to move in the morning.

“Did you have fun?” Emma asked when they retreated into the local coffee shop to warm up. “I hope I didn’t scare you off.”

“No, no, of course not. It was… certainly something new, but it didn’t scare me away. It’d take more than that to get rid of me,” he replied with a wink as he sipped at his coffee. “It’s just odd to think that I might be a natural at that if I’d been raised here by my dad.”

Emma paused, reaching over to take his hands. “Hey, don’t think about that, okay? You’re home now. That’s all that matters.”

Neal smiled, squeezing her smaller hands in his. “I know. Thanks Emma.”

“Hey, I know what might cheer you up. Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. My parents said you’re welcome to drop by if you want.”

“I’d like that. I’ve never met anyone that celebrates Hanukkah.”

Emma giggled (he’d never get over how much he loved the sound of her giggle). “You lived in New Orleans and never met someone who celebrates?”

“Nope. I know there’s a pretty big community there, but no one I really hung around with was Jewish,” he said with a shrug.

“This year is just a bunch of firsts for you, isn’t it?”

He laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I guess you could say it is. The last few months especially so. I can’t say I’m too upset about it though. I met you, after all.”

She blushed (and damn, he loved the way she looked when she blushed). “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

Neal chuckled again. “Nah, just the pretty ones.”

“Neal, come on, I don’t know if my face can get any redder.”

“Then is it a bad time to ask you something?”

She frowned. “What is it?”

“Emma Nolan, will you be my girlfriend?”

Emma smiled, her face somehow becoming more red. “Neal Gold, I was wondering when you would ask.”

That night, he stood in the increasingly-familiar farmhouse, with Emma and her family, Chief Hood-Mills and Mayor Hood-Mills, Roland, Alice, Margot, and Zelena. Learning about the Jewish traditions for Hanukkah was fascinating, and no one looked at him funny as he stumbled over the words to the songs or prayers.

Christmas came and went with little fanfare. Eudora had sent gifts to the entire family, and his father had done the same in return. They had a long Zoom chat, showing off gifts and food and traditions they were eager to share with each other the next year.  Alice had taken Margot and Zelena to Seattle to meet Uncle Roger, which had put Neal at ease.

While he was comfortable with his decision to let the citizens of Storybrooke know who he was, he still didn’t know if he could stomach his uncle knowing, or worse, his mother and step-father.

If he never saw them again, he would be happy.

But that would mean not seeing Uncle Roger, and Neal wasn’t sure if he’d like that. Uncle Roger had always been kind to him (Neal had wondered if Roger had gotten all the kindness in the family, instead of Killian), and it would suck to never see him again.

On the other hand, not seeing Roger meant not seeing Milah and Killian, and Neal, well, he didn’t have an issue with that.

He supposed he should have had an issue with it, given Milah and Killian had raised him for most of his life, but knowing the circumstances of everything, knowing he had been stolen away from a loving father in the dead of night made Neal wish nothing but misery on them.

Maybe he needed to speak to Dr. Hopper.

The town’s therapist had come to him not long after the ball, introducing himself and telling Neal all sorts of things about trauma and how it could make him feel, well, bitter. Resentful.

And Dr. Hopper, he realized when the New Year began, was absolutely right. He had realized it was another holiday - albeit, not as large as Christmas or Thanksgiving, or even Halloween - that he had missed out on in the place he should have grown up.

He hated feeling that way, so before he could chicken out, Neal booked himself an appointment with Dr. Hopper.

“I’m glad you decided to meet with me, Neal,” Archie said as he closed the door to his office behind him. “Unless you prefer to be called Baelfire?”

“Oh - no, Neal’s better,” he replied. “I mean no offense to my dad, of course, but Neal’s more… normal sounding.”

Pongo sauntered over to him and plopped down at his feet, and Neal reached out to scratch at his head.

Archie nodded, pen hovering over the notepad. “And how does it make you feel to have a normal name, but an abnormal life?”

“I don’t know. I’m happy that I’m here now, that I was able to meet the guys at the station, and Emma, but… it makes me so angry that I missed out on so much time with my dad, and that I missed out on so much time building relationships with the people here.”

Archie scribbled something down in the notepad. “I imagine that’s very difficult for you to reconcile,” he said. “If you could speak to your mother, what would you say to her?”

Neal paused. “I… I don’t know. I’m not sure it would be anything good, honestly.”

“That’s okay. Your feelings toward her are perfectly valid. I think it might be good for you to get your thoughts out on paper though, so I’m going to give you a little homework, if you will.”

His nose wrinkled at the thought. “I didn’t think I was supposed to get homework in therapy.”

Archie chuckled under his breath. “Don’t worry, it’s not that bad, I promise. I won’t even grade it. What I want you to do is write a letter to your mother, and tell her exactly how you feel. Don’t worry about censoring anything or downplaying your thoughts. Just write.”

“And then what?”

“That’s up to you. You can burn it, bury it, throw it away… the point of the exercise is to just get those thoughts out into the world, and to maybe come to grips with everything you’ve gone through. No matter how young you were when you were kidnapped, it’s still a traumatic ordeal, especially as you’ve grown up and found out the truth.”

“Well, yeah, right, of course,” Neal agreed, scratching the back of his head. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to his mother, even in letter format, but if Archie thought it would help him, he supposed he would have to think of something. “I don’t have to send it?”

“Not if you don’t want to, no.”

“Well, that’s good, considering I don’t even know where she is right now.” Neal tried to laugh, and Archie cracked a smile, but there was a heaviness in the air regardless.

Writing a letter to a (metaphorical) ghost sounded completely silly, but at least he wouldn’t have to show it to Archie, or anyone else.

Truth be told, it was tempting to just ignore Archie’s homework, especially since he wouldn’t have to read it in their next session, but as he lay in bed unable to sleep, even after he’d been at the station for a twenty-four hour shift, Neal realized it might be time to take care of that homework assignment after all.

Neal took a seat at the desk and took out a piece of paper from a notebook he kept there, clicking a pen a few times for good measure.

Even the very concept of just writing a letter to his mother had his anxiety spiking and his blood pounding in his ears, even though he knew for a fact Milah wouldn’t be able to find him - or if she did, there was nothing she could even do without risking her own freedom.

Though, as much as Neal hated to admit it, he really, really wanted his mother to lose her freedom. Why was she able to run around the country after everything she’d done to him, to his father? It wasn’t fair - none of it was fair!

His handwriting was frantic, pen pressing too harshly against the paper, and ink smudged against his fingers as his hand raced across the page, not waiting for ink to dry and not caring if his hand got dirty.

And suddenly, all at once, as he set the pen down and wiped his cloudy eyes, he felt all of the adrenaline leave his body, all the pain and anger was left behind on the ink and tear stained paper in front of him.

He let out a shaky breath and stared down at the letter, though he could barely read it now. But Archie said it didn’t matter, and with the catharsis Neal felt, he didn’t bother dwelling on it.

Instead, he took a deep breath and let exhaustion finally wash over him. Satisfied he got everything out, he rose from his desk, turned off the lamp, and finally laid himself down in bed, falling asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

Dear Mom Milah Mom Momlah,

Archie suggested I write to you in order to get my feelings out about you, and about everything you and Killian did.

I’m angry. I’m so damn angry that you couldn’t just divorce Papa and live a normal divorced life. I have a stepmom and a half-brother now, and I missed so much of his life because I didn’t know he existed.

Papa kept my nursery just as it was, and he told me about the stuffed animals grandmothers made for me, and how they soothed me when I was sad. I guess Killian was right about me being a cranky baby, huh? Suppose if you were a better mother you would have been smart enough to grab the things that relaxed me.

When I ran to New Orleans, I had no idea how I was going to survive, but then Mama Eudora found me, and showed me parental love. She encouraged me in everything I did, and everything I will do in the future. Eudora loves me - can you say the same, or was I just a pawn for you to hurt Papa?

I know everything. I know you kidnapped me. I know you and Killian are on the run from the law, and if I ever see you again, I’ll be the first in line to call the FBI.

Your former son,

Baelfire

Winter was slow to attempt to melt into spring, which was apparently quite normal for Maine, according to everyone he spoke with. Even as February began to draw to a close and the calendar flipped to March, snow still clung to the ground.

That didn’t matter though, because they were finally, finally on their way to New Orleans for their long-awaited trip, and, despite his reservations months ago, Neal didn’t feel like some sort of outsider or tour guide for a group he didn’t belong to. In fact, he had settled in quite nicely with Emma’s friends, just as he had with the guys from the firehouse, which was good, because he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to enjoy his trip to his old home if he wasn’t one of the crew.

“I got weather whiplash,” Lily groaned as they stepped out of the airport and into the warm spring afternoon of New Orleans. “Why didn’t you warn us it’d be this warm, Neal?”

“I did. If I remember correctly, you only gave a thumbs up reaction in the group chat,” he countered, waving down a few cabs for them. “You can change when we get to Tiana’s Palace - Mama’s waiting for us anyway.”

In order to save money, Eudora was allowing them to stay at the apartment above the restaurant where she and Tiana lived. Neal had almost turned it down, until the rest of the group had found out Tiana’s Palace was right on Bourbon Street, and that Mardi Gras was going to be taking place right when they would be arriving.

“Tiana’s Palace, huh?” the cab driver asked as the airport faded in the distance. “Good luck findin’ a seat this time of day. And you sure you don’t want me to find ya a hotel so you can put your bags down? Things get a little wild ‘round here during Mardi Gras.”

“Oh, don’t worry about us, we’re staying with Eudora. I’m her son, Neal.”

“Ohh, that’s right, you’re her adopted son then. She’s been tellin’ everyone about how you became a firefighter and headed north.”

Neal scratched the back of his head while Emma and Roland hid smirks behind their hands. “Yeah, well, she was always bragging about everything Tiana and I did. Good to see some things haven't changed since I’ve been gone.”

The driver chuckled. “If there’s one thing that will never change about New Orleans, it’s your Mama.”

“That’s good,” Neal said. “I can’t imagine Bourbon Street without her.”

“Me either,” the driver agreed as they pulled up to Tiana’s Palace. “Alright, home sweet home. You all be safe now - they’re sayin’ this is going to be one of the most crowded Mardi Gras we’ve had in years. Stay in a group and don’t go wavin’ your money around. And don’t accept drinks from strangers.”

“We’ll be careful, sir. Thanks,” Emma said, hopping out of the van, with Roland following.

“Did you know that guy, Neal? He seemed pretty friendly with your mom,” Roland questioned as Neal led them through the side entrance, away from the crowd.

“Not personally, but I’ve seen him around. I think he’s a regular here,” he explained. “Mama? Tiana? We’re here!”

A squeal was the first thing he heard, before Tiana burst out of her bedroom. “Hi you guys! Mama and I are so sorry we couldn’t get you from the airport! She’s downstairs dealin’ with the lunch rush right now and I’ve been tryin’ to get things organized for the parade tonight!”

“Don’t worry, we made it just fine,” Neal said, pulling her into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Tia.”

Tiana smiled and looked at the group she’d been unable to meet over Thanksgiving. “And it’s so nice to meet the rest of you!”

“Yes, it’s so good to have you all staying with us while you’re on your trip,” Eudora agreed from the doorway. “Sorry I’m late, you wouldn’t believe how busy Mardi Gras gets around here.”

“We saw while we were pulling in, and it’s not even night yet!” Alexandra said, glancing out the window. “It was really cool of you to let us stay here, Ms. d’Orleans.”

“Oh it’s no trouble at all. Now, boys, you’ll be staying in Neal’s old bedroom, and girls, you’ll be bunking here in the living room, since it’s larger than Tiana’s room. I don’t want any funny business at night, do you understand me?” Eudroa gave them a stare that had Neal both wishing for an interdimensional portal to swallow him whole and almost melted him into the floor.

“We won’t do anything, we promise!” Emma swore. “We’re just here to explore and have fun since it’s our first spring break as college students!”

Eudroa gave Neal a look that said Emma’s words had better be the truth, and he gave her a smile as a promise. “I swear, Mama. I’ve got a whole itinerary written up and everything. I don’t wanna make anything awkward.” Because this conversation was awkward enough in his opinion.

Eudora looked around the group again, then sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll take your word for it. I brought you all some menus so you can see what we serve downstairs at the restaurant. If you want anything, let Tiana know and she’ll get the order to the chefs.”

“Wait, really? Thanks Ms. d’Orleans, you’re the best!” Dawn squealed. “You’ve been doing so much for us, are you sure we aren’t imposing?”

“Of course not. This is how I always handle having visitors, I promise. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back downstairs.”

The group flopped down onto various couches and chairs, staring at the menus Eudora left for them.

“So, what’s good here?” Philip asked.

“Everything,” Tiana and Neal answered immediately, to eye rolls and sighs from the Storybrooke group.

“No, seriously, the menu was crafted specifically so everything would be good,” Neal explained. “But the gumbo is the best seller. It was Tiana’s dad’s recipe.”

Tiana nodded. “You can’t go wrong with po’boys either. They’re a New Orleans classic!”

“Can’t go wrong with a classic. I know what I’m getting then!” Eliza said, dropping the menu back on the table, before she frowned. “What’s that sound?”

“Oh, they’re early today!” Tiana said, jumping to her feet and opening the balcony door so the jazz music outside became more clear. “There’s a jazz quartet that performs across the street every day. One of the best parts of livin’ here! They said they’ll be part of the parade tonight too.”

“Lunch and a show? I’m down for that,” Lily grinned, stepping onto the balcony after writing down her order.

The group followed, standing on the balcony and listening to the jazz music and then Neal as he began pointing out places they’d be visiting.

Emma’s head rested against his shoulder, and he smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. As good as it was to be home, it was better that he had her to share it with.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure we don’t look too touristy?” came Lily’s voice among the crowd gathered in the French Quarter. It had taken quite a bit of convincing the group that no, the best parades were not on Bourbon Street, but a look from Eudora had them quieting down rather quickly, and so, the group had moved quickly in the early morning light through the already crowded streets, finding a clear spot along the parade route.

Eudroa, along with Eli La Bouff, had decided to come with the young adults, and while many of them had protested at first, a quick mention of a parents’ group chat started by Regina ceased any opposition. Neal had felt even more pressure to keep everyone safe at the thought of Storybrooke’s Fire Chief, Fire Captain, Mayor, and Sheriff all in the same group chat with his mother.

He was going to die if anything happened during this trip, and he was certain that no one would be able to find his body, given the high ranking people involved.

“Meh, there’s really no such thing as too touristy. Mardi Gras has people dressin’ so ridiculous, it’s hard to tell who really lives here and who’s a tourist. I mean, look at that guy wearin’ Big Bird’s cousin over there,” Charlotte replied with a giggle as she gestured to a man wearing a blue feather coat. “Although, if you start flashin’ your breasts, especially in this area, that would give you away, no question.”

Lily stared at Charlotte, looking like some grand master plan had been ruined. “I thought that was a thing people did!”

“Nah, just tourists,” Neal replied with a grin. “And it’s more common on Bourbon Street. I don’t think you’d get the response you want here. Look at all the kids that are around here.”

“Then you’d end up on social media… where your mom would be able to see it,” Alex pointed out, gesturing to the hundreds of cameras in their view taking photos of a high school marching band marching by. “You know that’d tank your credibility at school too. If you weren’t arrested first, of course.”

Lily sighed, reaching out to catch a set of beads as they flew in her direction. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I’ll flash ‘em to someone else, in a more private setting.” A wink was tossed in Charlotte’s direction, who turned as pink as the shirt she wore.

“Oh my God you two, get a room! I thought Emma and Neal were the only two we were going to have to worry about on this trip,” Elaine said with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey, we haven’t done anything!” Neal protested, raising his hands in a show of surrender, before he felt a sudden weight in one and glanced down, a keychain was in his hand, having been tossed from the passing float. It had a swan design, and seemed well made for something getting tossed at a Mardi Gras parade, so he quietly tucked it into his pocket as the conversation continued around him.

“Yeah, that we’ve seen,” Yue teased, sticking her tongue out and dodging a swat from Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes and groaned. “Ugh! You guys are the worst!”

“Nah, we’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t have invited us,” Eliza declared.

Neal shook his head. Though this group could be… a lot to deal with, he was glad he had a group of friends like them, and he was happy to be able to show off Mardi Gras to them.

The parade continued on, and the group reached up to catch the goodies tossed by the people on the floats, and by the time they made their way back to the restaurant, all of them had a small amount of trinkets.

“Well, that parade sure saved us some money on souvenirs!” Alex said, dropping onto the couch. “Granted, I don’t think Mom and Dad will be happy with just some plastic beads and a cup on it, but still.”

“We’ll take you guys to get some good stuff, none of that boring touristy stuff,” Charlotte promised with a grin. “There’s a cute little boutique with hand made accessories, and a metalworks place where you can get some really cool stuff for people in all sorts of careers.”

“Guess it’s true what they say - go where the locals go,” Roland said with a grin. “This trip has been so much better with you guys showing us around than it would be if we’d gone by ourselves. We really can’t repay you enough.”

“Oh no, don’t you worry about that,” Eudora said with a kind smile. “Any friends of Neal’s are always gonna be welcome here. You all just be careful tonight. The French Quarter might be where the best parades are, but Bourbon Street is where the parties are, and things can get a little wild ‘round here.”

“You may be downplaying New Orleans, Eudora,” Eli said with a laugh. “Bourbon Street is never completely empty during Mardi Gras. There’ll be more people here than you’ve ever seen. And since the weather’s so nice, more people than usual, I’d say. It’s perfect weather for Mardi Gras this year. It’s like the gods were smiling on y’all when you were planning your trip.”

“I mean, you’re just making it sound better and better, Mr. la Bouff,” Lily grinned. “So much to do and see, so many people to talk to, a party that won’t ever end? Sounds like a great time to me!”

“I think I’m gonna stick closer to our home base,” Yue said, with Eliza nodding in agreement as they glanced at the crowds beginning to form outside the restaurant. “Those crowds are making me a little nervous.”

Lily sighed. “You’re no fun, you two. I don’t know how that is considering one of your mothers is the fire captain of our town!”

“Yeah, and you don’t even know half the horrors she’s told us about parties in Chinatown when she was growing up,” Eliza said. “The parades were fun, but if I go out, I’m staying around here with Yue.”

“It’s alright Lily, I’ll take you to all the best party spots,” Charlotte said with a grin.

Eli didn’t look particularly thrilled at the idea, but didn’t say anything.

“There are some fun places around here we can go to,” Tiana said. “Mama’s friend Louis has a jazz band that’s playin’ at Woldenburg Park. It’s one of the more tame things to do this time of night.”

“Now that sounds up our alley,” Yue said. “That sounds like fun!”

“What do you want to do, Emma?” Neal asked.

“I’d love to listen to the jazz band play. We can always party tomorrow night too.”

Lily frowned, but went back into Tiana’s bedroom to change. When she returned, she was in a crop top and shorts, and a pair of sandals. “Alright, alright, fine. Come on Roland, Alex, Lottie.”

The group split then, half going out on the busy Bourbon Street, the others going to the slightly-quieter Woldenburg Park, taking in the sounds of New Orleans with Louis’ jazz band. There were crowds, of course, dancing and clapping along with the music, and Neal just relaxed against the blanket they’d spread out near the stage, a lazy grin on his face.

“Well, don’t you look right at home,” Emma giggled, plopping down next to him, a bottle of water in her hand.

“Shouldn’t I?” he questioned with a grin. “This was my home for years after all.”

“Oh no, of course you should! I just meant -”

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her as she leaned against his shoulder. “I’m kidding, Emma. Don’t worry. By the way, Mama said Louis and the band are willing to give us a backstage tour once their set is over.”

“Really? That sounds great, Neal!”

They sat in a peaceful silence, listening to the band. Take the A-Train , by Duke Ellington soon filled the air, and Neal tapped his fingers along to the beat before he paused and glanced at Emma. “Hey, I’ve got something for you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Neal reached into his pocket and pulled out the silly swan keychain he’d caught during the morning’s festivities.

“Really?” Emma gasped, taking it into her hand. “You want me to have this?”

“I wouldn’t have given it to you if I didn’t,” he grinned. “It reminded me of the swans that are in the pond at your farm.”

Emma smiled. “It’s beautiful… thanks Neal.” She reached into her pocket and pulled her keys out, attaching the swan to it and holding it up to the stage lights so she could see better. “There. Looks good on my key ring, doesn’t it?”

“Like Cinderella’s slipper fitting her perfectly.”

Emma snorted and rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “You can be so cheesy sometimes. But I guess that’s part of why I like you.”

“Only part of why you like me?” he gasped, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense. “You wound me, Emma.”

“So dramatic,” Emma said with a roll of her eyes. “You should be studying drama in college, not working as a fireman. You might put others at risk if you’re going to be such a drama king over your girlfriend finding parts of you she enjoys.”

Neal grinned. “Nah. I wouldn’t want to be an actor. Not now that I’m going by my birth name again. It’d be too easy to figure out who I was.”

Emma frowned, slowly nodding in agreement. “Right… we really wouldn’t want to do something like that.”

More and more people around them got up to dance, including Tiana, dancing with someone he didn’t recognize, so he held out his hand to Emma with a smile. “Come on, let’s dance the night away!”

Her face brightened as she took his hand and rose to her feet, Glenn Miller’s American Patrol beginning to play from the stage. “Yeah!”

Neal wrapped his arm around her waist, lacing their hands together with a grin. It felt nice, having her in his arms like this. Neither of them knew exactly how they were supposed to dance to it, so they just bounced around on their feet, swaying to the beat of the songs and laughing, under the starry, New Orleans sky.

Alice liked Storybrooke a lot. A quaint little town, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, little congestion, and more stars in the sky than she’d ever seen? Not to mention the kind people who had welcomed her with open arms despite her… quirks, and Margot’s family who had embraced her as one of their own without question. Though she loved her father, his job kept him busy while she’d been growing up, and she’d been bounced around between neighbors whenever her father’s workday ran longer than anticipated. Uncle Killian and Aunt Milah had never been able to watch her.

They had never come to their apartment at all - her and Papa had always gone to their houseboat for the holidays. Looking back on it now, knowing that her aunt had kidnapped Bae from his father and fled with him, she understood why.

But her heart broke for Bae whenever she thought about his life. How lonely he must have been, while Alice had been having the time of her life with a little cousin to play with. Knowing he’d been able to escape and find Tiana and Eudora made her so happy. She didn’t even mind that they had to pretend to not know each other, until her uncle and aunt were found.

What Alice hoped was that her father didn’t know anything about the kidnapping. That he didn’t know what a terrible thing Uncle Killian had done. If he did know… not only would he ruin his career, but he’d absolutely break her heart, and given how awful of a person Alice’s mother was, she really, really didn’t want to have two horrible parents. Not with all the good memories she had with her father.

Dammit, her mind was drifting again. She really needed to stop doing that.

Alice blinked and shook her head, turning her attention to the Zillow page in front of her. She hadn’t told Margot about her idea yet. Though they had discussed putting travel aside for now and settling down somewhere, they hadn’t talked about just staying here in Storybrooke.

“Alice? You in here?” she heard Margot call from the front door.

“In the kitchen!” Alice called back, reaching for her mug of tea and taking a sip before wincing. It was getting cold. She’d been thinking way too long this time, and rose to her feet to dump the cold tea down the sink with a frown before Margot entered the room with grocery bags in her hands.

“Hey, you alright? You’ve got that lost in thought look on your face again,” Margot questioned as she set the bags on the counter and started pulling groceries away.

Alice nodded. “Yea, of course! I just… I’ve been looking at places on Zillow.”

Margot paused, setting a jar of jelly down on the counter. “Zillow? What cities were you thinking of?”

“I wasn’t thinking of a city. I was thinking you and I could stay here. In Storybrooke.”

“Here?” Margot blinked in surprise. “Really? You want to stay here?”

Alice shrugged. “Yeah. Small town, nice people. Bit of a calm away from our crazy travel schedule. And next time we go somewhere, your mum can look after our place for us. Make sure there’s nothing going wrong there, you know? Plus, y’know, your family really accepted me. I feel… I feel happy here.”

Margot smiled softly and wrapped her arms around her. “I think that all sounds great, Alice. I’m glad you’ll be happy here. Did you find anywhere that caught your eye yet?”

“Not yet. Why don’t we finish putting the groceries away and we can look together?” she suggested with a wide smile.

“Sounds like a plan to me. It’ll be nice to have our own place where we can buy whatever we want and have our own space. Getting away from my mom sounds like a dream,” Margot groaned, taking Zelena’s favorite tea out of the bag. “And I never have to buy this brand of tea ever again.”

Alice laughed. “Right, because we have better taste when it comes to tea.”

“Exactly. One of the perks of going to China,” Margot said with a grin. “So did you want an apartment or were you thinking maybe an actual house?”

“A horse. I think I want to try growing a garden. We can have fresh herbs and vegetables in the summer! Do you think your uncle David would be willing to help?”

Margot nodded. “Are you kidding? I’m sure he’d love to. Aunt Mary-Margaret says gardening helps him relax, so any excuse he has to garden he’d jump at the chance to take.”

Alice could only grin, excitement building up inside her. Ever since she was a child, she’d wanted a garden, but it wasn’t easy to have a garden in Hyperion Heights. Not a personal one, anyway. When she’d been a kid she’d been part of a community garden club with her mother, before her mother had completely abandoned her. While Alice didn’t like her mother, she didn’t want gardening to become a sour memory. Having her own, with the help of people who loved her, would turn those sour memories sweet again.

“Yeah, you know, having a house would give us space to entertain. Maybe we can invite some of our travel buddies to visit us too. That way we won’t have to worry about being too loud for our neighbors that share walls with us, like when we were in Spain,” Margot said, breaking Alice from her thoughts again.

“Yeah,” Alice said with a grin. “And maybe we can invite my father to stay too.” She would have to figure out when in order to protect Bae from being discovered, but it would be weird for her not to mention her father if they were talking about having people over to their new place!

“Of course! I’m sure he’d love it,” Margot agreed, closing the fridge after putting the last of the refrigerated items away. “Let’s go check out Storybrooke’s real estate market.”

So they curled up together, a tablet between them, and scrolled through Storybrooke’s limited offerings.

“You know, if we don’t find anything here, Hyperion Heights is only a ten minute drive away. We could check there too,” Margot suggested. “It’s a bigger city, but I know they have houses with yards that you want.”

Alice must have had a frustrated look in her eyes. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We won’t be too far from everyone in that case,” she sighed, and ran a hand through her blonde locks. “Why don’t we take a break for now? We can figure out din -” she was cut off as her phone began to buzz in her pocket. “Papa! Hi!” she greeted when she put the phone to her ear.

There was a large amount of background; noise, almost like a party, before she finally heard her father’s voice on the line. “Ah! Alice! I’m sorry, I thought I found a quiet place to call, but I guess not.”

“Where are you?” Papa was one of the last people that would call her from a party - especially one that sounded that wild and chaotic.

“I’m in New Orleans with your aunt and uncle. I have great news - we think we found Bae!”

Alice froze, her eyes widening in fear. Margot gave her an alarmed look, which she forced herself to wave off as she answered. “Oh - you did? How did that happen?”

“Killian said something about seeing a post about Mardi Gras on social media. Apparently Aunt Milah spotted him in a crowd shot of one of the parades. So now we’re looking to see if anyone knows him, but it’s been hard. I just wanted to let you know.”

Alice grinned nervously. “That’s great news, Papa. Let me know what happens.”

“Of course.”

“Alice, what’s wrong?” Margot asked the moment Alice lowered the phone from her ear.

“Call David. Tell him Killian and Milah Jones have been spotted in New Orleans.”

Margot stared and reached for her phone. “How did you - ”

“Because my dad is Killian’s twin brother! Please, Margot, we have to hurry before they find Neal - or worse, the woman that took him in!” Aunt Milah could be vicious when she wanted to be, and that wasn’t something Alice wished on anyone.

“Right. Okay,” Margot agreed, putting the phone to her ear. “Uncle David?”

“That jazz museum was so cool! I had no idea it came from so many different genres!” Alex said with a grin. “I know exactly what my next essay is going to be on!”

“Oh for God’s sake, don’t remind me of school,” Lily groaned, wrapping her gift shop bag tighter to her wrist. “We’ve still got four days here!”

“It’s not my fault this city is full of inspiration!”

Neal laughed, fingers laced with Emma’s as they walked back toward the restaurant for lunch. Though Mardi Gras was still in full swing, the Storybrooke group had spent the morning exploring museums and landmarks around the city.

“I really am having a great time,” Emma said, moving closer and resting her head on his shoulder.

“I am too. I’m glad Lily invited me along - huh?” he paused and pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket with a frown. “Tamara?”

Tamara’s voice was nervous and rushed as she spoke. “Neal. Hey. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from, but Mr. La Bouff told me to call.”

“What? Why did he do that?” he asked, gripping the phone tighter. Neal’s sudden stop had paused the others too, and they stepped into a surprisingly quiet part of the street.

“I don’t know the full details, but when I went into your mama’s restaurant to pick up an order, I heard a bunch of yelling. Something about your mama being a kidnapper? Mr. La Bouff came out of the back room and saw me, and told me to call you.”

Neal felt the color drain from his face. “Oh my God. They found me. Thanks Tamara.”

“Wait, what -”

But he didn’t wait another second. He ended the call and ran as fast as he could toward the restaurant, after a rushed explanation to the others. Dawn, Philip, and Emma had already pulled out their phones, trying to call Storybrooke’s police. He paid their conversations no mind as he rushed through the restaurant’s back door. There was no yelling from the office, so he rushed upstairs and burst into the apartment, eyes meeting Milah’s for the first time in six years.

“Hey! Leave her alone.”

Chapter Text

“Bae?” his mother questioned, her eyes wide and wet with tears.

Neal nodded, dropping his gaze, the adrenaline rush leaving as quickly as it had appeared. Fuck, he really didn’t want anything to do with these two. “Leave Mama and Tiana alone. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Eudora is not your - ”

“Yes she is!” Neal snapped, raising his head. “She’s been more of a mother to me than you were in thirteen years! They didn’t kidnap me. I escaped from you !”

Milah frowned. “I gave you everything, Bae! Food, clothing, shelter - ”

“You know what I wanted more than any of those,” Neal replied. “I wanted my father. I wanted a life! And not on a boat!”

“Your father was a dangerous man, Bae. We just wanted to protect you from him,” Killian said. Neal had almost forgotten he and Adam were there.

He shook his head, eyes narrowing. “That’s not true. I’ve met him myself. He’s nothing like you described him. “He’s a good man!”

Milah stared in horror. “Why would you ever meet with him?”

“I needed the truth, and I got it. You kidnapped me. Mama saved me from starvation and disease. She loves me and spent Thanksgiving with me, and in Storybrooke with Papa, his wife, and my little brother! It was the biggest, loudest Thanksgiving I’ve ever been to and it was awesome!”

“You ran away?” Uncle Adam questioned with a raised brow. “And Killian, you kidnapped him? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Adam, I - ”

“You know I have to call this in.”

“I’m your brother!”

Adam slowly shook his head and took out his phone, beginning to scroll through it. “No. You lied to me for over a decade. You kidnapped a child and have been on the run! I can’t consider you a brother after this. I can’t put my career on the line for you when it comes to this. I’m calling the F.B.I.”

“You don’t have to,” Emma said, sauntering into the room with an air of superiority about her as she looked at Milah and Killian. “My dad already has. They’re on their way here now.”

Adam frowned. “And… who are you exactly?”

“Emma Nolan. I’m the Storybrooke sheriff’s daughter.”

Milah blanched again, as if she was hoping she would manage to escape despite everything she and Killian had done. For once, they were trapped without an escape route, and Neal felt tension ease as he sagged onto the couch. Emma followed, wrapping her arms around him and grounding him in the moment.

It was over. It was all over.

“Baelfire - ”

“It’s Neal!” he snapped, then winced. His uncle hadn’t deserved his anger. “Sorry, Uncle Adam. What is it?”

Adam’s eyes were heavy as he spoke. “Does Alice know who you are?”

“Yeah. She knows. I asked her to keep it quiet from you because I didn’t want to risk Milah and Killian showing up before I was ready to reveal myself to Papa and the rest of the town,” Neal said. “Turns out her girlfriend is Emma's cousin of sorts. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it secret for long.”

Adam took a slow breath, then exhaled it. “Neal, I’m so sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn’t talk to me about this. I would have been willing to help you - ” he seemed to deliberately ignore the sounds of protest Killian and Milah made - “if I’d known.”

Neal nodded slowly. “I know. I’m sorry, Uncle Adam. I just didn’t know who I could trust. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, although I guess that plan blew up in my face. Mama, I’m so sor -”

“Don’t you dare apologize, Neal,” Eudora said firmly. “None of this is your fault.”

It sure felt like it was. If he’d never come here, Eudora would have no reason to meet Killian and Milah, which would have spared her the awful things Milah had been spouting at her. She would have been safe from all of this chaos.

But he wasn’t one to argue with his mother, so he swallowed back any argument, and instead dropped his head into his hands.

“I just can’t believe Alice picked now to keep something secret. She’s never been good at it,” Adam joked, which broke some of the tension in the air.

“Maybe she’s learning from Margot. She used to keep secrets from Aunt Zelena all the time,” Emma replied with a small smile.

Adam shook his head in disbelief before he looked at Eudora. “Ma’am, I am so sorry we barged into your business like that. We very clearly had no reason to.”

Eudora wrinkled her nose. “You I suppose I’ll forgive, since Neal always spoke so highly of you and your daughter. But I cannot or will not say the same for your brother and his wife.”

“I understand. I’ll get them both out of your hair. Mr. la Bouff, if you could lend me a hand?”

Eli looked more than ready to haul the two out of the apartment, and grabbed Milah’s arm. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Bae - please,” Milah pleaded. “I want you to know everything I’ve done has been for you. I just wanted to keep you safe!”

Neal shook his head. “I’m safer away from you than I was with you.”

Milah looked devastated as she was dragged from the apartment, the sound of her footsteps fading, but Neal couldn’t feel anything but relief.

“I can see why you ran away, Neal,” Tiana said. “That woman’s a little intense.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

Eudora sighed and moved to the couch to pull him in for a hug. “What’s done is done. We can’t take back the past… but I hope you know this means you’re going to have to go to court and explain everything, and trials can take a while.”

“It’s okay. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to keep them away from me, and from Papa and Belle.” He didn’t want to imagine what might happen if Milah got wind of his father’s second wife and son. “But uh, hey Emma, where are the others?”

“Downstairs. Charlotte’s with them.”

“Neal, how’d you even know to come back here?” Tiana asked. “You guys had a full day planned out…”

“Tamara called.” When Tiana pulled a face of disgust, he sighed. “Look, if she hadn’t called, I wouldn’t have known what was going on. I wouldn’t have known that you needed help.”

“Ugh, from her of all people though?”

“What exactly is wrong with her?” Emma asked with a frown. “It’s not like you to seem so disgusted by someone.”

“She only cheated on Neal the night of prom,” Tiana said with a roll of her eyes. “So yeah, I don’t exactly like her.”

“Oh. Uh. I see.” Emma paused to chew her lip again. “Neal, are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded slowly, feeling the adrenaline leaving his body. “I’m okay. I promise. Better now that it’s finally over. I hope this didn’t ruin the trip for you guys.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Come on, Neal, do you really think that’s our main concern when Storybrooke’s two most notorious criminals have actually been caught? And our friend was hurt by them? You didn’t ruin anything. They did.”

Eudora nodded, rubbing a hand along his back. “That’s right. Now, how about I make us some lunch, hm? You all said you wanted to try my homemade dirty rice.”

“Yes, we did, that’s right!” Emma said with a bright smile. “Do you want us to help or anything?”

It had been one of the rare food-related things the group had been able to agree on.

Eudora smiled and reached to put her hair out of her way. “Alright then. Emma, get your friends up here and we’ll have a celebration of your freedom.”

Emma grinned. “Yes ma’am.”

Neal sighed and leaned back against the couch, withdrawing his phone from his pocket. “I guess I should tell Papa and Belle what happened.”

“You want me to be there with you?” Eudora asked.

Neal nodded and rose to his feet, going into Eudora’s bedroom with her while Tiana began to get ingredients for lunch out.

“Oh Bae, are you alright?” his father asked after the first ring. “That woman didn’t do anything to you, did she?”

“I’m fine. You knew she found me?”

“Of course I did. David was at my shop when he got the call from Emma, he thought it best to tell me instead of me finding out on my own and taking my own flight to New Orleans.”

The threat in Papa’s voice was clear, and he tried not to make the shudder obvious. “He’s right. I wouldn’t want both of my biological parents to be in prison.”

“Milah would not be in prison, Baelfire.”

“Right, of course not.” That was even worse to imagine. He would still be losing his father far too soon after finding him, and the thought made his stomach turn, even if Milah didn’t deserve nice things anymore.

His father sighed. “You’re sure you’re okay? They didn’t hurt you?”

“I’m sure. I think Mama and Tiana are more shaken up about it than I am. I feel awful that I wasn’t here to intercept them.”

“It’s not your job to protect them, Bae. Besides, they’re strong women, and beloved in their community. No one would believe them capable of kidnapping you,” he said with a soft laugh. “Now that they’ve finally been caught, I feel like I’m going to be able to sleep tonight.”

“Yeah. Me too. But Papa, there’s something else I need to tell you. You know Margot’s girlfriend Alice?”

Papa made a noise that sounded like he was trying to think of who Neal was talking about. “Ah, yes, the girl that seems to be obsessed with marmalade. She’s at the Nolan farm quite often. What about her?”

“She’s my cousin. She’s Killian’s niece. Please don’t be mean to her. She didn’t know until I told her a couple months ago,” he explained. “She was the only one in the family I really felt I could relax around, and she’s really important to me. And her dad… I just found out he didn’t know anything either.”

Papa sighed on the other end of the line. “Alright. For you, son, I won’t start treating her poorly.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you when we get back to Storybrooke.”

“Baelfire, now that this is over, I want you to enjoy the rest of your vacation. You deserve to relax now that she’s been captured.”

Neal didn’t correct his use of his birth name, and instead smiled though his father couldn’t see it. “Thank you, I will Papa. Bye.”

Ending the call, Neal let out another sigh before he turned to open the door, stepping into the living room feeling more free than he had in years. It was an odd feeling, but it felt good. He didn’t even care what happened during the trial, and pushed it from his mind as he helped Tiana and Eudora get lunch started.

“Neal.”

He turned in surprise. Their trip had come to an end and they were waiting for their flight back to Maine. Mama and Tiana had dropped them off not too long ago, and there was no way either of them were waiting for them now.

“Uncle Adam…” he said. He could sense the others behind him tense up, their conversations ceasing immediately as they followed his gaze. “What are you doing here?”

Adam held up his free hand, the other busy clutching a duffel bag. “I’m not here to try and convince you to call your mother in jail.”

Milah, of course, had been unable to reach Neal since she was taken away by the federal agents, and Neal suspected she had been calling Uncle Adam instead.

“Then what are you doing here? Especially with a bag?” Neal asked.

“Alice invited me to Storybrooke. I’ll be there until the trial is over. This was the first plane that had a seat to Augusta still available,” he explained. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause any trouble for you and your friends. We’re just flying on the same plane together.”

Neal felt, rather than saw, his friends’ eyes narrow, but he waved them off. “I believe you. And I believe that anything you say won’t get back to Milah.” They hadn’t exactly had time to talk after Milah and Killian had been dragged downstairs at the restaurant. “Come on, you can sit with us until it’s time to board.”

Though Lily kept glaring at him, Adam took a seat at the end of the benches. “So you’re all from Storybrooke then? You’re all friends?”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “We’ve pretty much known each other since we were born. You’re Killian’s brother? How couldn’t you have known what happened?”

Adam shrugged. “Killian has always loved the sea, so him living in a houseboat made the most logical sense. When Milah said she was hiding her son from an abusive father, I didn’t think it was my business to question it. I realize now that I should have.”

“I’m not mad at you, Uncle Adam. I never would have met Mama and Tiana otherwise, and wouldn’t have ended up in Storybrooke when I did. For all I know, they would have dragged me to Florida or something. I know Alice’s mom wasn’t exactly great, so you’d be more willing to believe in someone saying someone else was abusive,” Neal said. “But you aren’t going to testify for them, right?”

Adam shook his head, looking more exhausted than Neal had ever seen him. “Of course not. If I’m called, I’ll tell them the truth, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Er… what happened regarding Alice’s mom?” Emma asked with a frown. “I mean, my cousin is dating her so I just wanted to know if there’s something Zelena needs to watch out for in the future.”

Adam laughed softly under his breath and shook his head. “No, I doubt Eloise will go anywhere near Storybrooke or Alice at all. She never really wanted a child, but thought she could turn Alice into a miniature version of herself. Alice, well, you’ve met her. She’s a free spirit who can’t be anything she doesn’t want to be. Eloise hated it and left when Alice was a few years old. Alice still visits her sometimes, but… they don’t exactly have a picture perfect relationship.”

“Ugh, that’s terrible! Alice doesn’t deserve that!” Emma said with a frown. “But… that does explain why you would be reluctant to question anything about Milah and your brother. I know I wouldn’t believe my brother was capable of doing something stupid until he actually did. Like when he went into the Storybrooke Mines and got trapped. Because he’s an idiot.”

Adam relaxed a little. “Alice told me about that. I’m glad he’s doing better.”

“You know, uh - that was actually Neal’s first call with the SFD,” Roland said. “My dad said he handled it like a pro.”

“Of course he did,” Adam replied, putting a hand on Neal’s shoulder and squeezing it gently. “He’s my nephew after all.”

Neal smiled. “Yeah. And nothing’s gonna change that.”

Despite everything, despite how he might have wished he’d been able to be raised in Storybrooke with Papa, and eventually Belle and Gideon, that wasn’t his life, and he couldn't be mad at the whole way it turned out. Despite living on the run, he’d had Uncle Adam and Alice, two people he couldn’t imagine his life without. And that life had led to him meeting Eudora and Tiana, and life without them sounded awful.

Neal exhaled, feeling his shoulders relax as the others seemed to warm up to Adam more, and wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders.

He didn’t know what his life would bring next, but now that Milah and Killian were in jail for their crimes, and probably not likely to get out any time soon, he was actually looking forward to what the future would bring.

I need to talk to you. It’s important.

The text had Neal’s stomach plummeting worse than it had the day his mother found him at the restaurant, and when the verdict had come in during her trial. While that had turned out to be fine (Milah and Killian had gotten life in prison, and weren’t up for parole for thirty years), there was something about this text from Emma that had his stomach rolling uncomfortably.

Okay. I’ll be at the park in ten.

The very same park where they’d had that ice skating date two years ago. It felt like a lifetime ago now, but that park had become almost a hiding spot for the two of them, when they wanted to get away from the pressures of their family or from work or school, in Emma’s case.

He took a seat on one of the benches and scrolled through his phone, trying to look calm as he waited for Emma to arrive. One of the things he’d learned in his two years of being in Storybrooke was that people caught on quickly to suspicious activity, so he tried to look as normal as possible as he waited for Emma.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Emma said as she approached him. She looked pale and very, very worried.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just go home?” he questioned as he stood and began to follow her along the quieter, less-used walking path. “You really don’t look good, Emma.”

“I don’t feel good and I don’t exactly have good news,” she said, stopping when they were alone and sitting on a bench. “I don’t even know how to start this conversation…”

Neal frowned and took a seat next to her, an arm wrapping around her shoulder again. “Sometimes it’s easier to just… blurt things out.”

Emma ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

It felt like the ground gave way despite him sitting down. “You’re - I - are you sure?”

“I took three tests. I’m sure.”

Neal sighed deeply. Fuck. How could that have happened?

Wait.

The day the verdict had come in, and they’d gotten confirmation that Milah and Killian were going away for good, Lily had thrown a party at her new apartment. He and Emma had managed to sneak away and -

Oh.

“Shit,” he said, exhaling slowly. “Okay, uh. So what do we do?”

Emma shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. Um. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to leave you, obviously.”

“You don’t?”

“Of course not!”

Emma swallowed thickly. “Okay. Good, because I don’t want to leave you either. So then… what do we do?”

“Well… we have to tell our families first and foremost. Even if they’ll kill us,” he said. “And I guess… we should get a place together. I wouldn’t feel right about forcing my brother or your siblings to live with a baby since they’re still in high school.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. But how are we supposed to tell them?”

“I… don’t know.”

They sat together in silence, the chilly late November air washing over both of them and doing nothing to help their nerves.

“Well… Thanksgiving is tomorrow, right? We could tell them then,” Emma suggested. “And then pray they’re too full or too tipsy to be too mad at us. And your mom and sister will be there too, so you don’t have to worry about calling them later.”

She had a fair point, even if the thought of telling every single member of his family at once was absolutely terrifying. On the other hand, nothing about this was exactly something he thought was going to happen - not now, when he was only twenty - so he never actually had any idea of how he would handle a situation like this.

“Okay,” he agreed. “We’ll tell them tomorrow.”

Thanksgiving came, and after the chaos that was the parade through the main square, everyone made their way to the large Nolan farmhouse for dinner. It was odd to think that this time next year, there would be a baby with them. They could actually get in line to get a picture with Santa and do the crafts that had popped up all over the town before the holiday, and would show up before Christmas.

“Emma, are you okay?” he heard Mary-Margaret ask. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”

“I’m just not very hungry I guess.”

“That’s surprising. What, are you pregnant or something?” Bobby joked. Laughter erupted from he and Eva, but Emma remained quiet.

“Oh come on, Emma, you always laugh at that joke,” Eva said. “Wait. You’re not actually - ”

“Yes, I am!” Emma snapped. “I’m pregnant!”

Neal desperately wished for a portal to another dimension would swallow him whole with the look David shot him, the room falling into a stunned silence.

“Wait - what?” Mary-Margaret asked, face even more white than it naturally was. “Emma, you’re pregnant ?”

Emma nodded weakly. “I found out yesterday.”

“Neal?” his father asked, and Neal felt himself unconsciously shrink down in his seat. “Did you know about this?”

“She told me yesterday, yeah,” he confirmed. “We - we talked about it though, and we’ve got a plan.”

“Is that so?” David questioned.

Emma took a deep breath. “I don’t wanna make things hard for Bobby and Eva when it comes to school, so Neal and I are gonna move in together. I started looking at places last night.”

David pressed his lips together. “And you’re sure this is what you really want?”

“Yes dad! I love him, and I want to raise this baby with him.”

“I want it too. I want to be the father I didn’t have. I want the baby to grow up with a huge, loving family, and I want to be there for everything,” Neal said. “We know we’re young, but we really do want this baby.”

The older adults at the table were silent, until - 

“Walsh is setting up an internship at his lab. Paid, of course. I’ll put your name in, Emma,” Zelena said, taking a sip of wine.

“I’ll see what I can do about your pay, Neal. See if you’re on course for a raise,” came Robin’s voice, a warm smile on his face.

“Wait - what?” Emma asked, sitting up straighter in her chair. “Aunt Zelena, really?”

“Of course. Babies are expensive, you know, and as much as I like Granny’s onion rings, her wages won’t be enough.”

Robin nodded. “Zelena’s right. You say you don’t want to make things hard on the family, Emma, but helping people is what we do.”

“Well then,” Papa said, apparently having found his voice. “I would like to propose a toast to Emma, Neal, and their little bundle of joy.”

Neal looked around as everyone raised their glasses. Papa, Belle, Gideon, Mama, Tiana, Uncle Adam, Alice, Margot, Zelena, Robin, Regina, Roland, Eva, Mary-Margaret, David, and Emma. People who had taken him in and embraced him as one of their own, even when he had been a complete stranger to them. How lucky he’d been, to run into people like that, to find a place to call home after everything he’d been through with Milah.

The baby wouldn’t have to worry about that though. Neal vowed that no matter what happened, the baby would always have a place to call home.