Please, don't spoil everything this time.

Chapter 28 : When the past comes back.

Neal's expression passed from surprise to complete horror.

The only coherent thought he could form in his mind was : She knows. She knows.

And bloody hell, he hated this so much.

"What ? He tried to deny. No, I'm not ! Of course no !

- Yes you are ! You told me your father abandoned you by letting you fall into a portal, and Rumplestiltskin told me he did this to his son, so, it must be you.

- Emma, please, I don't want to talk about it !

- Oh, but you will ! You're the one who told me what happened to you, so now, don't expect to escape this.

- My father is one of the two people I don't want to see again. Look, Emma, I didn't tell you what happened to me because I wanted to talk about my father, I told you this because I wanted you to know the reason why I was having nightmares.

- But don't you think that they would stop if you took time to talk with him about what he did to you ? I talked with him Neal, and I know that he regrets what he did to you, and that he regretted it the second he let you go.

- And then, why didn't he try to search for me ? Why didn't I already see him when I came back to the Enchanted Forest ?

- Because you didn't search for him ! And I'm sure that he didn't try it because he thinks you don't want to see him again, he thinks he doesn't deserve you to forgive him.

- Well, then, he is right, Neal muttered with anger.

- I don't think so."

He had an ironic laugh.

"Well, then, you're wrong Emma.

- Why not ? He changed !

- No, he didn't. I know my father more than you do Emma, and I know he'll never change.

- Oh, really ? You didn't see him since two centuries, and I lived around him for a great part of my life. I know how he is now, while you know him as he used to be. Trust me, he is not anymore the same man he used to be.

- You don't understand Emma ! He yelled at her. My father is the Dark One !"

Surprise appeared in her eyes, before she answered :

"You don't know ?

- What ? What do you mean ?

Emma blinked.

- Your father... he is not the Dark One anymore. He is known now under the name of the Sorcerer, and, seventeen years old ago, he gave up his dark powers, now, he only does white magic. He chose love over power, he is the man you heard of in the tale of Belle and the Sorcerer. Neal, this is him ! This is your father !"

But, before she could tell him he became a hero, her boyfriend said :

"He is ? A great smile appeared on his face, but then, it rapidly faded. And tell me, what does it change exactly ? What does it change about what he did in the past, to me, to the other ? Does it really erase his past crimes ?

- No ! Emma exclaimed. Of course no ! I didn't say that ! Just as the fact that Regina, the former Evil Queen, did change like he did, it will never erase what she did, and it won't erase what he did !"

It was just logical, Neal thought and understood, that Emma didn't understand the reason why he was so angry.

She didn't know what it was, to be abandoned.