Emma POV:
Everything was going perfect. Killian moved in with us and we had a great routine, I dropped Henry off at school unless he decided he wanted Killian to instead. On the occasion that he did, my wonderful boyfriend was happy to oblige. We were both home around the same time, unless I was behind on work. Killian would pick Henry up for me on those days and usually take him out to eat so I wouldn't have to worry about cooking.
But of course it couldn't last. Not two weeks after Killian moved in with us, I had stopped by the store on my way home after I picked up Henry. Killian was waiting for us at home and we needed a few essentials.
This town wasn't that big, but it wasn't small either. Small enough for me to apparently run into someone I never wanted to see again.
Henry was a few feet away from me and looking at dog treats for Frank when I heard a familiar voice.
"Emma?"
I turned my head in shock. "Neal."
Why the hell was he here of all places? Why did he have to end up being near me? I automatically turned around and grabbed Henry, ready to run.
"Emma, who is that?" I heard him say from behind me. Neal wasn't stupid, he could see that Henry looked like him.
"Who's that man?" Henry asked me.
"No one, just keep walking." I ushered him out the front door and we were almost to the car when Neal stepped in front of me.
"Emma, just stop for a minute." He held his hands out.
"Mom, what's going on?" Henry turned to me. Shit, there went my last chance at keeping that a secret.
"It's okay. Just get in the car, please." Henry nodded and got in the passenger seat.
"Wait, kid, how old are you?" He turned to Henry.
"Don't answer him!" I said to Henry.
"Seven. Why?" Henry answered.
"He's seven." Neal breathlessly said, turning back to me.
"Henry..." I shot a warning glance at my son. He immediately got in the car and shut the door.
"Is that my son?" Neal asked me. I was quiet for a second. "Is that my son?!" He asked in a more aggressive tone.
"Yes." I answered in a shaky voice.
He ran his hands through his hair. "How could you keep this from me? Why?"
"You sent me to jail! Do you remember that? Why the hell would I want you around my son!" I yelled at him. He had no right to ask me why I kept Henry away.
"I'm sorry, Emma. After I did that I realized I was wrong, that's why I left you the car." He pointed to my bug.
"You think an old car can make up for that? What is wrong with you?" I yelled more.
"I really am sorry! I was a stupid teenager! But my son! You could have at least told me!"
I huffed. "I didn't even keep him." I now had tears in my eyes.
"Then how is he-" he tried to say.
"I just got him back." I cut him off. "He found me some months ago, on the night I was going to head out to look for him myself. I was eighteen, I couldn't take care of him when I had him. So I gave him up but when I finally felt like I could take care of him a friend helped me find him. I was about to leave to see him when he showed up at my front door. He had run away so I took him back and I did what I had to do to get custody of him again."
He stared at the ground.
"He's happy Neal, don't take that away from him." I choked out.
"I'm not the same person I was when I left you." He said in a husky voice. "I've grown up too."
"Why are you here? How did you find me?" I demanded of him.
"I wasn't looking for you. I came here looking for my parents." He explained.
"You said your parents abandoned you when you were a kid." I said.
"I found out where they are, so I wanted to see them."
"Why?"
"I'm dying." He simply answered. That knocked me for a loop. "Cancer. It's bad, they say I have weeks at the most. They caught it too late, so I'm here to find peace with them."
He took a card out of his pocket. "Robert and Milah Gold."
"Your mom's in jail, your dad owns a pawn shop two streets over." I simply said.
"Please, Emma. You have to let me see him. If I had known, I would have come back to help you take care of him."
"I wouldn't-"
"I know. Even if you didn't want me to, I would try my best. He's my son." He gasped out. I could tell he was really coming to terms with it. "Please, I'll do anything. I just want him to know that wanted to be a good father, if I had just known about him."
I thought for a minute. "He has a father, sort of."
"Who?" He didn't seem jealous, just curious.
"Killian. We've been together for a while, he helped me find Henry. He knows about you, everything about you." Neal hung his head. "He doesn't want to take your place, he's just trying to be there for Henry. You have to be okay with that, or this isn't going to work."
"I understand. I can't expect you to have been alone through all this." He said. Then his eyebrows shot up. "Wait, Killian Jones?"
I nodded in shock. How did he know that name?
"We were friends, we sort of bonded over our dads being, well what they were." Another shockwave hit him.
"Well, then there won't be any introductions. Write down this address, and come over tonight at eight thirty. Henry will be in bed, and the adults can talk." I gave him my address.
"Thank you, Emma. I just want to spend what time I have left showing my son that he has a father that wants him."
That evening we made sure to tire Henry out. I told him not to worry about homework because he wouldn't be going to school tomorrow. He would likely be spending the day with his dying father. Neal and I exchanged numbers and I called and made sure he would bring proof of his cancer to the house tonight. He obliged, knowing i would have a hard time trusting him.
At eight, Henry was in bed, exhausted. That was when Killian approached me.
"Want to tell me what's going on?" He sat on the couch next to me. I smiled over at him but it quickly faltered at the idea of explaining this to him.
"It's Henry's father." I sighed.
"What is it, love?" He said, now taking on a serious tone.
"He's here. He says he's dying at that he came back looking for his parents. He's coming over, tonight, to talk about seeing Henry." I braced for his reaction.
"I see." He said thoughtfully.
"I told him to bring over his medical reports, in case he's lying about this. If he isn't, I think it might be a good idea to let him see Henry."
"I agree." Killian said.
"Wait, what?" I asked in surprise.
"I can see you're not happy about this." He laughed a bit.
"I mean, I don't want to see him but I also know I can't keep him from Henry. It wouldn't be right, even if he weren't dying." I said. "He knows about you."
Next came the hard part, telling Killian who Neal was.
"Aye, and what did he say?"
"I think he's grateful you're here, and that you care about Henry. He also says he knows you."
Killian's eyes were wide. "What's Henry's father's name again?"
I had told him before. "Neal."
"I didn't think it was the same Neal. We were friends as boys, we met in school and since both of us didn't have our parents, we got along. He moved away before we started high school though, the foster system moved him. I haven't thought of him in years."
"Well he's here to see his parents too, and you'll never guess who they are."
He gestured for me to continue. I took a deep breathe.
"Milah and her ex husband."
"Are you bloody kidding me?" He said in shock. "That woman, I knew she was vile but I didn't think she was capable of abandoning a child!"
"Well she is. Damn, how does this happen?" I put my head in my hands.
"Fate has a funny way of toying with us, and mixing up some trouble." Killian answered.
"Agreed. So how do we handle this? Milah is still in jail, but what if Neal tells his parents about Henry?"
"If I know him, he won't. He was so angry as a child. Did he say why he was here?"
"No, just that he wanted to see them."
"He was so angry as a child. He remembers them, and he clearly remembers when they abandoned him."
"I know the story." I said. Neal had told us when we were teenagers. His parents had brought him to this town to see the boats, and then gone home without him. After that, he had lived on the streets until someone took notice and turned him over to the state.
"He wants to be there for Henry until he dies."
"I can understand why. His father left him, I imagine he doesn't want the same feeling for his son."
That struck a chord. Killian had only been here for a short time, but he had made sure Henry was loved and cared for like they were father and son. I always thought it was because Killian's father had been inadequate. I had never said anything for fear of freaking out both me and Killian, I had just enjoyed it. I decided I would keep it to myself now too, I had enough to worry about.
"So you think this is a good idea?" I asked Killian.
"If he's telling the truth, then yes." He took my hand. "I'll be here to hold you together, love."
I smiled weakly at him and he pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly and giving me everything I needed at the moment. That was when the doorbell rang.
"Here we go." I puffed out and made sure I didn't look like the hot mess I felt like.