NEW YORK
Emma, Henry, Aubree and Mr. Gold arrived at their destination via taxi. They looked up at the apartment building in front of them.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked. "This the right place?"
"Yes, it is," Mr. Gold replied.
"Let me guess. He's not expecting you. Well, who doesn't love a surprise?"
STORYBROOKE
At Regina's house, Cora and Regina were conversing, while Cora attempted to comfort Regina.
"What is it, sweetie?" Cora inquired.
"It's Henry and Aubree," Regina answered. "Emma left town with Gold, and she took them with her."
"And you didn't stop them?"
"I didn't know until after they had gone."
"I'm sure they're safe. And, as soon as Gold's done, Henry and Aubree will be back."
"But not with me."
"Back?" Hook questioned. "From where? Where's Rumpelstiltskin gone?"
"I don't know."
"Well, if he's left town, then he's powerless. He can be killed."
"The moment either of us leave, we lose our magic... And our advantage," Cora said.
"Your memories?"
"None of us were victims of the curse," Regina said. "It's not about memories - it's about magic."
"Well, I don't need magic. I'll go after him alone."
"Even if you could find him, do you really think you can just walk up to him and stab him in the heart with your sword?"
"Well, I prefer my hook, but I can't find that now."
"You're not going anywhere," Cora told him."
"I deserve my vengeance!"
"You're right. You're right, you do. And, with The Dark One gone, we can search for the one magical item that can actually kill him here... His dagger."
NEW YORK
The four entered the lobby of the apartment building. Henry and Aubree scanned the listen of names on the intercom.
"No 'Baelfire'," Henry and Aubree said.
"Yeah, that probably wouldn't fly as an alias," Emma told them. "Your magic globe didn't give you an apartment number?"
"It doesn't work that way," Mr. Gold replied.
Emma and Mr. Gold were taking a turn at looking at the list.
"Do any of these names man anything to you?" Emma asked.
"Well, names are what I traffic in, but sadly, no," Mr. Gold answered.
Emma pointed to an apartment that was listed only by number. "Here's your boy."
"Or, it could just be vacant."
"You might traffic in names and magic, but I traffic in finding people who don't want to be found. And those sort of folks don't like to advertise their whereabouts." She buzzed the apartment on the intercom. "U.P.S. package for four-oh-seven."
The person on the other end of the line didn't respond, then hung up.
"Maybe you should've said FedEx," the twins commented.
They heard a running noise coming from the fire escape outside.
"He's running," Emma informed.
The four rushed outside, where they saw the apartment's occupant climbing down the fire escape. He reached the bottom and broke into a run.
"That... That favour you owe me - this is it," Mr. Gold said. "Get him to talk to me. I... I can't run."
"Watch Henry and Aubree," Emma told him. "I'll be back."
Emma chased after the unknown man through the streets of New York, stalling traffic along the way. Emma ran around the opposite side of the building and managed to ambush the man as the two met. She tackled him, and the two fell to the ground. When Emma looked up, a stunned look took over her face.
"No... Neal?" Emma said.
"Emma?" Neal called as the two stood. "I don't understand. What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?"
"Yeah."
"I'm not answering anything until you tell me the truth. Are you Gold's son?"
"What are you talking about? Who's Gold?"
"You played me. You're from there. You played me, and he played me, you both played me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay."
"You and Gold."
Emma, slow down. What are you talking about? Who's Gold?"
"Your father. Rumpelstiltskin."
"He's here?"
"Why else would I be in New York?"
"You brought him to me? Why would you do that?!"
"Hey! I am the only one allowed to be angry here! Did you know who I was, where I was from, the whole time? Was this just some sort of sick, twisted plan? Did... Did you even care about me at all?"
"Emma, do not..."
"I want to know! I want the truth - all of it!"
"Fine! We... We got to get off the street. We can't do it here. We're out in the open. I... I spent a lifetime running from that man. I'm not going to let him catch me. There's a bar down the street. We can talk there."
"I am not drinking with you. Whatever you're going to tell me, tell me now."
"No, bar's better. Don't worry. You can keep yelling at me when we get there."
Neal began walking off. Emma, annoyed, followed.
---
Henry, Aubree and Mr. Gold were still waiting outside Neal's apartment building. They were at a hotdog stand.
"Don't worry," Henry reassured. "Emma's really good at catching people."
"Well, my son's been running away for a long time now," Mr. Gold said. "Now I have a feeling he's equally adept at it."
Aubree tilted her head slightly. "At least we found him, right?"
"Indeed."
"Thanks for the hotdog. I was starving."
Henry nodded. "Yeah, uh, thanks for the hotdog. I forgot."
Mr. Gold smiled. "You two are quite welcome. And thank you."
"For what?" the twins wondered.
"Well, if it wasn't for the two of you bringing Emma to Storybrooke, none of this would have come to pass. You... Are a remarkable young man and a remarkable young woman."
"You know... we forgave her," Henry said. "Emma - for giving us up. She thought it was the best for us then. That's why she did it. Bree and I are sure your son will get it, too."
"Alas, the circumstances surrounding our separation weren't quite so noble."
"But... you're here now," Aubree told him. "And, you want him back, right?"
"More than anything."
The twins exchanged a look before Henry said, "Then, that's all that matters."
---
Neal and Emma were talking in the bar Neal had suggested.
"Well, what do you want to know, Emma?" Neal asked. "You want the truth? Ask away."
"Did you know who I was when we met?" Emma questioned.
"If I had, I wouldn't have gone near you."
"Come on."
"Come on? Come on, what? I was in hiding. I came here to get... A-away from... All that crap."
"So, if you didn't know, then you were just using me. You just needed someone to take the fall for the watches that you stole."
"I wasn't using you. When we met, I didn't know. I found out."
"How?"
"When I went to sell the watches... I ran into a friend of yours. August.
"When you see what I have in here, you're going to listen," August said. "You're going to believe every word I say."
"Yeah, right," Neal retorted.
August opened the lid of the box on the back of his motorcycle. Inside, there was a typewriter loaded with a piece of paper that read 'I know you're Baelfire'.
"You left me... And let me go to prison, because Pinocchio told you two?" Emma asked.
"Emma..." Neal began.
"I loved you."
"I... I was, um... I was... I was trying to help you."
"By letting me go to jail?"
"By getting you home."
"Are you telling me, that us meeting was a coincidence? Because how the hell did that happen? If it wasn't your plan, or your father's?"
"Think about it. He wants you to break the curse. Us meeting - that could have stopped it. Maybe it was fate."
"You believe in that?"
"You know, there's not a ton bout my father that I remember that doesn't suck. But he used to tell me that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens, happens by design, and there's nothing we can do about it. Forces greater than us conspire to make it happen. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it. The point it... Maybe we met for a reason. Maybe something good came from us being together."
"No. Not that I can think of. I just went to jail. That's it. Doesn't matter now. I'm over it. And you."
"Why do you wear the, uh, keychain I got you?"
Emma took off the necklace and placed it on the counter in front of Neal. "To remind myself never to trust someone again. Come on. I made a deal with your father I'd bring you to him."
"You made a deal with him?"
"Yea. And I'm upholding my end."
"No, Emma, you don't have to. You know that."
"I know."
"Okay, so this should be really easy for you. Tell him that you lost me. Tell him you can't find me. You do that, you'll never have to see me again."
STORYBROOKE
At Mary Margaret's apartment, Mary Margaret spoke to Emma on the phone. "Wait. Gold's son is Henry and Aubree's father?"
"I know," Emma replied. "I know. And the millions of questions you have, I have, too. The problem is, it doesn't matter right now because I don't know what to do."
"Please tell me you're not calling to ask me to tell you to keep it from them."
"Henry and Aubree think their father is dead. I told them that for a reason. I want to protect them."
"No matter what this man did, Henry and Aubree have a right to know who their father is. The truth about your parents... Emma, you of all people should know how important that is."
"I don't want Henry and Aubree to get hurt. I just want to protect them."
"Are you sure this is about protecting Henry and Aubree, and not yourself?"
NEW YORK
Henry, Mr. Gold and Aubree were waiting for Emma in the lobby of Neal's apartment building.
"Why are you so nervous?" Henry wondered. "When Bree and I found our mom, we were excited."
"Because I have the benefit of a little more... life experience," Mr. Gold replied. "I know that things don't always happen the way we want them."
"Sure, but in our book, it sys that you can see the future. Why can't you just look and see the future."
"Well, that ability is complicated. I didn't always have it. And when I did... Well... It's maybe not the gift one would expect. Seeing the inevitable can be a terrible price."
Aubree smiled. "But you wouldn't have to worry about stuff. You would just know."
"But that's the great trap. The future is like a puzzle... With missing pieces. Difficult to read. And never, never what you think."
Emma entered. "Hey."
"Did you find him?"
"Sorry. Your son... Got away."
STORYBROOKE
Belle was lying in bed in her rom at the hospital when Regina entered.
"Who are you?" Belle asked.
"So it is true," Regina said. "You really don't remember anything?"
"Are we friends?"
"We spent some time together. But I'm here because I believe you can help me find something that belongs to Rumpelstiltskin."
"W-who?"
"Mr. Gold."
"I, uh... I-I don't know him."
Regina magically knocked Belle unconscious. "Not anymore. But you did."
Regina, using magic, opened Belle's purse and caused all the contents to float through the air. The object of interest was a piece of paper, which Regina levitated towards her. She took said paper and examined it. It had the number 915.63 written on it.
---
Cora, Regina and Hook were at the town library. Regina scanned the shelves of books for the number on the paper.
"Shouldn't we be pillaging his shop or ransacking his home?" Hook asked.
"That would be the obvious choice, yes," Cora replied. "But Gold wouldn't risk crossing the town line and losing his memory without entrusting the dagger's location to someone."
"Belle."
"My guess, is she hid it in one of her beloved books," Regina said."
"Impressive, Regina," Cora commented.
"Thank you, mother."
"I'll be impressed when I'm holding the dagger in my hand," Hook retorted.
Regina found the correct spot, but there was no book; just an empty space. "No. It should be here."
"Well, it's not, is it? May we go now?"
"Hold on," Cora stated, sticking her hand in the space between the books and found a piece of folded paper. "What's this?" She unfolded the paper.
"Oh, yes. Crude. To the untrained eye, a child's scribbles, but to a pirate... It's a map. Gold may not have hidden the dagger here, but I believe he's left us the next best thing - its location."
"Can you read it?"
"Well, lucky for you ladies, I'm quite adept at finding buried treasure."
---
Mary Margaret and David were talking in Mary Margaret's kitchen.
"So Rumpelstiltskin is Henry and Aubree's grandfather?" David asked.
"Apparently," Mary Margaret replied.
"But I'm their grandfather."
"You can have more than one."
"So their... step-grandmother is Regina, the Evil Queen."
"Actually, their step-great-grandmother. And she's also their adoptive mother."
"It's a good thing we don't have Thanksgiving in our land, 'cause that dinner would suck."
"Or, maybe this will mellow everyone out."
NEW YORK
Still in the lobby, Mr. Gold frantically hit all the buttons on the intercom.
"Gold, wait," Emma called. "What are you doing?"
Someone responded to the buzzer and unlocked the front door.
"I'm finding my son," Mr. Gold told her.
"He's gone."
"But he lives here. He'll be back, and I'll be waiting."
They arrived at the door of Neal's apartment and Mr. Gold set to picking the lock.
"Stop. You can't just break in," Emma said.
"Yeah, well, actually, that's something I'm quite adept at," Mr. Gold answered.
"He might not come back."
"Okay. Finding people is what you do, Miss Swan. I'm simply going to assist you. There may be information in here. Who he is, wha he does, who he loves."
"No, don't do this. There are things called laws."
"We'll be the lookout," the twins decided.
"No, I... You could get arrested."
"Then my son will have to testify against me, and we will be reunited," Mr. Gold reasoned, successfully picking the lock and opened the door.
The four entered Neal's apartment.
"Gold," Emma called. "Come on, please. We really shouldn't be here."
Henry glanced at Mr. Gold. "I don't think he's listening."
The twins joined Mr. Gold to investigate the apartment. Emma spied the dreamcatcher from her and Neal's hotel room hanging in the window. She took it down and stared at it in her hands. Mr. Gold noticed her interest.
"You find something, dearie?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Nothing," Emma lied. "Uh, it just looks like a dreamcatcher."
"Yeah, well, if it's nothing, why are you still holding it? You're lying to me."
"Just get back to everything, okay?"
"No, no, no. You saw something. Tell me."
"You don't know what you're talk-"
"Tell me!"
"Henry, Aubree, go wait in the bathroom."
"But I can help-" the twins protested, getting cut off.
"Henry, Aubree, go!"
Henry and Aubree left, leaving the adults alone.
Emma continued. "There's nothing here. The guy's a ghost."
"Well, you think me a fool?" Mr. Gold asked. "You're holding back. I want to know what, and why."
"I'm not holding back."
"Did he tell you something?"
"Gold-"
"Did he tell you something?!"
"He didn't say anything."
"But you talked to-"
"Don't put words in my mouth-"
"Tell me! You tell me, or I'm going to make you tell me."
"You don't have magic here."
"Oh, I don't need magic."
"You really want to do this?"
"Do not push me."
"Don't push me."
"We had a deal! A deal! No one! No one breaks deals with me!"
Neal barged in and interrupted the fight. "Hey! Leave her alone."
Mr. Gold looked at his son. "Bae... You came back for me."
"No. I came to make sure you didn't hurt her. I've seen what you do to people who break deals."
"Please, Bae, just let me talk."
"I have no interest in talking to you. You can go."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Get out of my apartment!"
"Neal..." Emma began.
"Emma, I got this."
"You two know each other... You two know each other," Mr. Gold realized. "How?"
"You sent me chasing after him," Emma reminded Mr. Gold.
"No, no, no. Stop it! You're lying. How do you two know each other?!"
Henry and Aubree, who were still in the bathroom, entered the living room and asked, "Mom? W-what's going on?"
"Hey...." Emma greeted.
"Who're they?" Neal asked.
"My son and daughter."
"What?"
The twins looked at Neal. "Is that Baelfire?"
Emma looked at the twins. "I need you two to stay in the other room for a little while longer, okay? Come on." She tried leading Henry and Aubree from the room.
"Wait. H-how old are you two?" Neal questioned.
"Don't answer him."
"How old are you two, kids?!"
"Eleven!" Henry answered. "Now, why is everyone yelling?"
"They're eleven?"
"Mom?" the twins called.
"Are these my son and daughter?"
Aubree shook her head. "No. Our dad was a fireman. He... he died. that's what you told us. You said..."
"Is this... My son and daughter?"
"Yes..." Emma answered.
Neal was shocked. Henry and Aubree backed away from Emma, then exited through the window leading to the fire escape. There was a brief pause and Emma followed the twins.
"Henry, Henry? Aubree, Aubree?" Emma called, crawling through the window, leaving Neal and Mr. Gold alone.
Neal went to follow Henry, Aubree and Emma, but Mr. Gold stopped him.
"Baelfire..." Mr. Gold called as Neal shrugged his hand off his shoulder. "Please, please. All I want is a chance to be heard."
"Get out," Neal ordered.
"Look, you came back to protect Emma. To show that she had lived up to her end of the bargain with me."
"And now she has. You can go."
"Our deal was for her to get you to talk to me. If you truly want her deal to be fulfilled, you have but one choice. You have to talk to me."
"You got three minutes."
STORYBROOKE
At the hospital, Greg was talking to someone on his cellphone. He was no longer bedridden, and was dressed in his normal clothes. He still had a scrape and bruising on his forehead.
"Hey," Greg greeted. "N-no, I... I'm okay. Yeh. No, they... They... They said I'm... I'm good to go. But, um... You know, I think I'm going to stay here for a little while. Why? Well, take a look at this and see."
Greg sent a video of Regina using magic in Belle's room to the person listed as 'Her'.
---
Regina, Hook and Cora were still at the library.
Hook, who'd finished interpreting the map, said, "I give you the location of the dagger.
"Well done, Hook," Cora complimented. "We'll take it from here." She snatched the map off the table and she and Regina began to leave.
"No. You promised me!"
When Hook tried to confront them, Cora magically blasted Hook back into a bookshelf, knocking him unconscious.
"The kris dagger's much to powerful to be wasted on you," Cora told him.
"So... Is... This what it was all about?" Regina wondered. "Getting Rumpel's dagger so you could obtain his dark powers?"
"If we could possess the dagger, we control the Dark One. And when he returns to Storybrooke, we can command him to kill Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma. Our enemies will be vanquished, and you, will be blameless in the eyes of the only two people who matter."
"Henry and Aubree."
NEW YORK
Aubree's POV:
Emma joined me and Henry at the top of the fire escape.
"So, that's him," Henry said.
"Yeah," Emma replied.
I frowned. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I never thought I would see him again. I never wanted to."
"Why not?" Henry and I asked.
"He was a thief, Henry, Aubree. A liar, a bad guy, and he... He broke my heart."
"Bree and I could've taken it, you know," Henry told her. "The truth."
"I know. He was just a part of my life I wanted to forget. That's why I didn't tell you two. I was thinking of me, not you."
"Bree and I thought you were different, but you're just like her. Regina. She always lied to us, too."
"I'm sorry..."
I cut her off. "We want to meet our dad.
---
Third Person POV:
Neal and Mr. Gold were having their three minutes.
"Clock's ticking," Neal said.
"I know I've made mistakes, but you must believe me," Mr. Gold told him. "I want to make up for it. There's no greater pain than regret."
"Try abandonment."
"Please. Let me make it up to you."
"How are you going to do that? I grew up alone. I grew up without a father. You can make up for that?"
"Yeah. Yes, I can."
"Two minutes."
"Come with me to Storybrooke. There's magic there. I can turn the clock back. Make you fourteen again. We can start over."
"Fourteen? I don't want to be fourteen, again. Are you... Are you insane?"
"I can't make up for the lost time, but I can take away the memories. Bae..."
"Take away who I am? No, thanks. One minute."
"Bae... Please... Give me a chance. You once loved me."
"You were once a good man."
"And I can be that man again. I've changed. Look. I came here, to this city, without magic."
"Yeah, yeah, and you're still trying to use it to make up for your mistakes. Still think that that can make it all better. It won't. You can't. You have no idea what I've lived with. You're so worried about you. You know what I've dealt with? Every night, for more years than you could know, the last thing I see before sleep, is the image of you... You and me, over that pit. Your hand... Wrapped around mine. And then, you open your grip. And as I fall away, all I can see is your face. Choosing all... this... crap over me. Letting me go. Now, it's my turn. Now I'm letting you go."
"I'm sorry-"
"I don't care. I didn't get closure, so you don't, either. Got to go."
"Oh, Bae..."
"No. Time's up." Neal left the room.
Emma crawled back into Neal's apartment through the window while the twins waited outside on the fire escape. Neal was waiting.
"They want to meet you," Emma said.
Neal frowned at her. "You weren't going to tell me about them."
"No, I wasn't."
"Yeah, well, they're my kids, too, so you don't get to make the decision by yourself anymore."
"Great. Go talk to them, then. But... Don't break their hearts."
"Trust me - I'm not going to do to them what he did to me."
"Or what you did to me."
"Okay. I get it. We're all messed up. What do you say we try to avoid that with them? All right?"
"All right."
Neal crawled out onto the fire escape to join the twins.
Henry glanced at him and said, "So... You're our dad."
"Yeah," Neal replied.
"I'm Henry and that's Aubree."
"It's nice to meet you, Henry, Aubree. Sorry I took so long."
Henry smiled. "It's okay. You didn't know."
Aubree nodded. "Yeah. You didn't know."
While Henry, Aubree and Neal spoke outside, Mr. Gold walked past the window. He stopped and watched them.
Mr. Gold turned with a haunted look on his face.