All Magic Comes With a Price:

Page 42: Searching for Gold:

*Meanwhile*

*In the Woods*

"So, how was Neal?" David asked, walking with Emma, who had been out searching in the woods. 

"It was hard. Henry makes it complicated. It's not just about me. He's hoping Gold can help bring his memories back." Emma explained to David, not wanting to tell him the truth. She wanted to leave Storybrooke. 

"That would be an added bonus to finding him."

"Would it?" Emma asked, making her father look at her. "Couple days ago, I would've thought that was true. But now..." Emma paused, trying to find the words.

"Now what? How is he gonna stay in Storybrooke without them?" David asked when Emma stayed quiet. "You think you'll go back to New York after we break the curse?" David added, sighing to himself. 

"A week ago, Henry and I were playing video games and eating Fruit Roll-Ups. Now, I am chasing after the Dark One, hoping he can help me find the Wicked Witch of the West--" Emma stopped when they heard a man scream out. 

They rushed over when they saw Gold on the ground. He was groaning as he held his head. 

"Gold! You all right?" Emma asked when she rushed over to his side. 

"No. No, no, no. Not all right. Not all right. I can't quiet the voices." He said, sounding tortured as he made sure she stayed back a bit. 

"We know that you were held captive by the witch," Emma said, kneeling down as she hoped to calm him down. "Do you know where she is?" She continued to ask.

"Yeah. She's... There's no room! No room. There are too many voices. Too many voices!" He continued to cry out. 

"We've got to get him out of here," David said, thinking that Zelena had done something to him. He sounded crazy. 

But before anyone could do anything, they turned hearing a flying monkey coming over. David took out his sword, knocking the monkey down when it stood up. David started fighting it, when Gold stood up, running away. 

"Gold!" Emma exclaimed, holding out her pistol.

"He's getting away! I'll hold him off. Go!" David said to Emma before she ran off after him.

Emma ran off after Gold; however, she lost them. She kept walking around when she saw Neal. "Gold?" She called out, thinking that Neal was his father at first. 

"Emma!" Neal called out, before seeing Emma. 

"Neal, what are you doing here?" 

"You expect me to stay in bed while you're looking for my dad?" Neal scoffed out, making Emma sigh at him. 

"Right... I forgot who I was dealing with." Emma sighed, noticing Neal's outfit was a bit off. 

"You got a bead on him?" Neal asked Emma. 

"We just saw him, but he took off again," Emma explained, causing Neal to look at her with widened eyes.

"So, it's true? He's alive?"

"Yeah, he is." Emma nodded at him.

"How'd he seem?" Neal asked her, shocked that his father was back from the dead. 

"I don't know what that witch did to him, but he seems a little crazy. When I asked him about her, the Witch, it was like he wanted to tell me, but he couldn't." Emma explained, causing Neal to glance around them. 

"Well, he can't be far. Come on. You wanna waste time dragging me back to the hospital? 'Cause that's the only way you're gonna get me there." Neal said, watching Emma sigh at him. 

"Fine, let's go." Emma scoffed before walking off to look for Gold.

"So, New York, huh?" Neal asked as the two of them continued to trek the woods.

"I like the pizza."

"Did Henry like it?" Neal asked, wanting to know what his son did during the missing year. 

"He loves pizza." Emma smiled, emphasizing the love part. 

"I meant living there in the city." Neal corrected his first question.

"Yeah, I did, too. Finally had time to do all the things we normally couldn't." Emma continued, wanting to avoid looking at Neal. 

"Like what?" Neal asked her, with his hands in his pockets. 

"Go to the park, see a movie, go to the zoo, just do nothing. Life was good. Really good." Emma explained, still trying to avoid Neal's gaze. 

"It didn't get lonely? Just the two of you?" Neal asked, making Emma sigh at him. 

"Henry had tons of friends at school, and I had someone. Sorry." She said, looking down at the ground.

"Why are you sorry? Of course, you did. It's not like we were... Or you even remembered. Was it serious?"

"He proposed," Emma said, making Neal pause. 

"Oh!" He said, trying not to make it obvious that he was hurt. 

"And then he turned into a flying monkey," Emma said, chuckling with Neal.

"Sounds intense." He chuckled.

"Go ahead and laugh. I almost married a monster from Oz. It's hilarious." Emma chuckled with him, realizing how stupid she sounded. 

"I almost married a minion of my evil grandfather, Peter Pan. So, I know what you're saying." Neal chuckled, making Emma laugh harder. "Oh, and my half-sister has a son with the man who broke up my parents when I was a little boy," Neal said, looking at Emma, who continued to laugh. 

"Hey, I'm sorry it didn't work out," Neal said after a few more minutes of walking, changing the tone of the conversation.

"Really?"

"I care about you, Emma. I always will. I just want you to be happy. Even if it isn't with me." Neal said, stopping in front of her. 

"We were happy. Once." Emma corrected, smiling at him. 

"We never found Tallahassee..." Neal sighed before Emma's phone started to ring. 

"Belle. What did you find?" Emma asked as Neal just stayed smiling at her with his hands in his pocket.

"The symbol on Neal's hand is from an ancient talisman. A key that opens the vault to the Dark One. I think he may have used it to resurrect Rumple. Back when we were in the enchanted forest." Belle said over the phone to Emma.

"Wait, so he brought Gold back?" Emma asked Belle, making Neal's eyes widen since he did not what he did back in the Enchanted Forest.

"That's where it gets unclear. The vault will only restore the Dark One in exchange for another life."

 "Whoa! Hang on a minute, what?" 

"It's a one-for-one trade. If Neal used that key, he should be dead right now." Belle said, worry in her voice.

~season 3, episode 15: "Quiet Minds"~

~1068 words~