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Emma Swan finally found her fairytale (lostfairytale) wrote in wariscoming, @ 2013-03-14 22:26:00

Who: Gold and Emma
What: Emma really should stop watching her show...but then incredible secret revealing threads like this couldn't happen
When: NOW! RIGHT NOW!
Where: House Rumbelle
Warnings: Giant glaring OUAT s2 spoilers


No. This wasn't happening.

Emma had been taking advantage of her free time to get caught up on 'her' show. Yeah, she should probably quit. But there was so much about her life that was still a mystery to her. Things that show could answer. When she knew nothing of her heritage, the show had answered it. When she hadn't understood Graham's mysterious passing, the show had told her why she should hate Regina more. She'd learned of being Storybrooke's savior, of saving her son with the intense love she had for him. She'd found out about the real reasons Neal had left her behind, who August was to her, and most recently, she'd learned about her own abilities to use magic.

She should have known when they'd introduced Henry's father that he'd come up again. But Emma had been too stunned by seeing Neal, watching him leave her behind, seeing her past in front of her, to think logically. The sinking sensation in her stomach, however, grew as she started to put the pieces together. He'd been in New York as the curse had ended. The spell that Gold had cast was sending them to New York. They were in Manhattan. And suddenly she saw herself face to face with the first man to cause her to love and then tear it apart.

Gold's son. Rumplestiltskin's precious Bae. That kid, that boy they'd been looking for...was Neal Cassidy. Her childhood love. And Henry's father.

As if in shock, she put the baby in her swing, turned off the television, and walked to the bathroom. She felt sick. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. And she was somewhat violently ill.

But afterwards, as she splashed cool water on her face and stared herself down in the mirror, she knew she couldn't keep it to herself. He deserved to know. And she wasn't sure which he, or both hes, and what if the Seal ever decided Neal needed to be dropped in their midst? Then what?

She had to be honest. This couldn't be like it was in her television world. Where she'd lied to Henry about his father, where Neal had come as a surprise for all of them. No, she had to come clean, before the world could sneak up and slap her in the face for it.

Once she made sure someone could watch the baby and Henry was contentedly reading in his room, she got in the car and made her way to the house Gold shared with Belle. It was rare she found herself there. For the good he'd done in Lawrence, she still didn't one hundred percent trust him. But now? She might not have a choice.

Her hand shook beyond her control as she rang the bell, and then, due entirely to nerves, when the door wasn't answered in thirty seconds, she rapped her knuckles against it as well.

Of late, Rumplestiltskin had been making a few more attempts at socializing. He wasn’t actively trying to gain people’s trust, he knew those from his world were leery at best and he did not push things with them. But he had found somewhat of a niche within the other magic users from other worlds that were here. It was fascinating to him to see how magic differed between worlds. While the magic he knew always came with a price and was tied to emotions, not all the magic he was learning others wielded worked under the same laws that he knew. Of course, he’d done what he could to offer options when magic had been needed of late, but one area where the man could actually be completely reliable on was telling others that magic came with a price, even the good magic.

Things, however, were still a bit shaky in regards to talking to people. While he was trying to not be completely ruled by the Dark One and not the creature of vengeance with one singular goal driving his every move, some days were better than others. This world was much like Storybrooke in that the Dark One was not physically manifested within him like it was in Fairytale Land, but it had a far looser tether on it in this world. And that was something he did maintain a very close eye on.

After everything with Maleficent, Rumplestiltskin was just trying to maintain some form of balance. He had been impressed by her magic. She did seem as though she were far more powerful than the Maleficent from his own world, which was curious. But he tried to just let it be. The power was tantalizing as power always was to him. He had convinced himself that power was the answer to his problems, that a father had been so desperate to protect his son he had inadvertently assumed the mantle of Dark One, and eventually lost his son because of it.

Such thoughts were what were consuming his mind when he heard the doorbell ring. Shaking himself out of the memories, he reached for his cane and stood up, making his way towards the door. Though upon hearing the knock a matter of seconds later, he shook his head slightly.

“I am coming! A cripple can only move so fast,” he called. It was followed a minute later by his reaching the door and opening it to reveal Emma. A smile of greeting crossed his face. “Miss Swan, what a pleasant surprise. Though I am sorry to inform you that Belle isn’t here at the moment.” He was, of course, assuming she was wanting to see Belle. Though it wasn’t precisely difficult for him to see she was distressed to some extent, though he wasn’t going to pry about it. Sometimes these things were best left alone especially when one held a strained relationship as they held. And that was putting it mildly, though recently things had improved a bit from what they had been in Storybrooke.

She hadn’t expected a smile. Well, not an actual genuine one anyway. It felt like ninety-nine percent of her interactions with Gold were either condescending and sarcastic or downright mean. Here... Well, she’d tolerated him for Belle. And then he’d saved Henry’s life, and how could she continue to be angry with him?

Okay, no, that wasn’t entirely true. There was a terribly long history there to be angry about. But he was so...odd. Such a strange man with his own agenda. Even watching the show, she could never guarantee whose side he was on. Likely his. She didn’t hate him, exactly. She just never knew what to make of him.

But when he opened the door, the smile on his face... God, was it? It was actually eerie. How had she not noticed? Well, of course she hadn’t known it. She’d looked like a blonde version of Mary Margaret for how long without realizing? But there they were. Traces of Neal all over the older man’s face. She suddenly found herself nauseous all over again and she rested a hand in the doorframe to keep from fainting. “I’m not here to see Belle, Gold,” she began, and then realized how angry she sounded. She wasn’t, though. Not with him. With the world, maybe, but not him. “Rumplestiltskin,” she corrected, taking a breath to calm her voice.

Emma closed her eyes briefly, mostly to stop the world from spinning in front of her. “I’m here to see you. We need to talk. And I would think, as long as you’ve known me, you could probably use my first name.”

After all, they were family now. Sort of.

The sight of Emma was rarely an unexpected one. Rumple had always been able to anticipate when someone would come to him for something. But in this moment, he had been caught by it. Which is why he had assumed she’d come to see Belle. In this world, he wasn’t the one with all the answers, he didn’t have the control he’d had in Storybrooke. Because oh, he was the one who truly had control. Regina had always thought she was the one controlling things, but it was really him. For centuries in his world he’d bided his time, making his plan one subtle step at a time. His motives were always hidden, his end goal always to find Baelfire once again. So he was more than used to being the villain, even if the only side he was actually on was his own.

But that goal of finding Baelfire had been put on hold upon his arrival in this world. It was more than strange to him that he couldn’t look for his son because Baelfire wasn’t in this world. Of course, he didn’t exactly have proof that Baelfire was even in the world Storybrooke was in. Still, Rumple didn’t hold all the aces up his sleeve here. There were new rules to figure out, other people that had more answers about the dangers in this world than he had.

Though when he heard Emma’s tone of voice, he was wondering the cause of it. He doubted she was angry at him because first, he hadn’t done anything bad, and second, she would’ve all ready stated as much to him. Stepping out of the doorway, he waved her in.

“Of course, do come in, Emma.” It felt a little odd to use her first name, but he would drop the formalities. “May I get you anything to drink while we talk?”

Odd that he found it so hard to use her name. For one, Swan wasn't even her true surname, not really. The children's home she and August had found themselves in gave it to her due to the pendant around her neck. And for two, well, she had seen Rumplestiltskin's obsession with her name. The many times it had been written in his cell in the mines. But maybe that's why he was so hesitant to use it. Maybe her name meant more than she knew. Also rather scary to consider.

"No, no thank you." Manners. She still had some, somewhere, buried deep down. Even if right now all she wanted was a stiff whiskey. Maybe it was time to wean the baby to formula. "I just..." She really didn't know what to do now. She hadn't thought ahead, not about any of this. All she'd known was this man deserved the truth. And so did her little boy.

Maybe she should have taken a seat or something. She was still a little lightheaded. But Emma preferred pacing. "Gold, does the name Neal Cassidy mean anything to you?" Okay she sounded a bit panicked. And possibly crazy. But she watched his face. Emma Swan could spot a lie better than almost anyone. It's how she knew her life had been full of half-truths in Storybrooke. They-- Gold, Regina, August...everyone who'd known about the curse, had kept her dancing in circles but never outright lying.

Names tended to have more power than most people even realized. And knowing that Snow and Charming’s daughter’s name was Emma was an especially powerful piece of information. With that ability of his to see the future, Emma’s name had been another piece to the puzzle, another piece to guide himself back to his son. In the centuries that had passed since he’d broken his deal with Baelfire, Rumplestiltskin had learned patience. He needed the means to get to a world without magic, and from there on other pieces were needed.

Emma was a powerful piece of that tapestry, and while there were times when he still held to his manners of addressing others, he knew the power that Emma held. She was, after all, the product of true love. She was a far more special woman than she seemed to know.

The pacing was perhaps strange, though it obviously spoke to the state of anxiety she was currently in. He wasn’t precisely certain how to interpret that. He knew it wasn’t about Henry even before she’d mentioned the name Neal Cassidy. If it was, she would certainly be reacting very differently.

“Neal Cassidy? No, I cannot say that name has come to my knowledge. Why do you ask?” While he was guilty of telling half-truths and dancing circles around everyone, in this instance he was telling the complete truth, which he did do on occasion. And he still could not discern what the reason behind her question was.

Oh it figured. The one time she desperately wanted him to know everything and he didn't. She wanted a target, someone to point her slowly bubbling anger at. If he knew, if he'd known all along, Gold would've been the perfect candidate. But he hadn't and what was she supposed to do now?

"When I was seventeen, I met a man. Neal. Thief. ..like me, actually. We sort of met stealing the same car." The one she still drove to that day, thanks to the Seal. And she refused to give it up, even though a thousand other cars might have been more family friendly.

But why? Why was she pouring her heart out to this man? "I fell in love with him. Despite everything, we were ridiculous and happy and in love." She could still remember the feeling, being so head over heels and consumed by puppy love. Having every intention of spending the rest of her life with one man. That man. "We were going to make a life together."

Emma couldn't deal any longer. She dropped into a nearby chair, her head in her hands. Even if the show hadn't revealed what it had, seeing Neal again was still a lot to take in. "I'm not crazy. I'm not telling you this for no reason." Well, maybe she was a bit crazy. No one would argue with her any longer on that. "That man, Neal, he left me. Alone, in jail, and pregnant." She hesitated. Then she looked up, meeting his eyes. "That man was Henry's father. And I've learned tonight that years ago, he went by another name. One I know does mean something to you."

Oh she wanted to look away. But she also rather wanted to see his face, to judge how this would affect him.

"Baelfire."

So the sudden sharing of her past was unexpected and he was curious why she was telling him all of this. Before she’d said as much, he knew there was a reason behind such a revelation. No one ever just talked to him for the sake of talking because those who knew his reputation knew information was power to him. Though he was trying to change, to be different in this world. Here he had Belle, the woman who had been able to look past the lust for power, beneath all of the mud and dirt he’d buried himself under when he’d become the Dark One. That was not a chance he was simply going to throw away if he could help it.

For some moments, he was half expecting her to say that this man had shown up in Lawrence, but that would still leave him wondering why she was telling him all of this. She knew who he was, his reputation, she wouldn’t just willingly give him this information without a very good reason behind it.

And then there came the reason. One single name that made the world stop turning. Rumple was frozen in place, his mouth slightly agape. His boy was alive and had been in the world that Storybrooke existed in.

“Baelfire. My son...” And then suddenly another revelation hit him. “Henry is Bae’s son, and my grandson.” Talk about instant family to some extent. Bae still wasn’t there, but Henry was. In the shock of the revelation, Rumple had to sit down, lowering himself onto a chair. “But he left you and Henry? How? Why?” Because the Bae he knew wouldn’t just leave family behind if he could help it. Unless he had been changed. “Though wait, are you certain it was Baelfire? His exit from my homeland happened a couple centuries ago.” There was a glaring time discrepancy there that needed to be cleared up.

Well, his reaction was pretty much exactly what she was expecting. She knew she’d thrown a curveball at him. Hell, a curveball had been thrown at her, too. She still couldn’t believe what she’d seen, what she’d heard. But it had been there, in front of her eyes. There was no taking it back now.

And now Gold knew, too.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, acknowledging the odd age gap. “When I was with him, he was in his twenties. Or...at least looked to be. Maybe...I don’t know. Maybe ours isn’t the only world he was in. Maybe the portal he used did something to him, changed his age somehow. But I swear to you, it was him.”

Her head dropped, preparing herself to answer his other question. Because talking about Neal still wasn’t easy. She’d discussed him a bit with August when he’d been there (after she’d thrown the wooden swan at him) and she and her mother had a few talks about him. But even Lois didn’t know how deep Emma’s affections had run. Graham certainly didn’t, and maybe he should.

“He didn’t have a choice. August...Pinocchio...he’d been watching over me. Found me with him. Apparently, he told him he knew he was Baelfire and that the only way for me to return to Storybrooke and break the curse was with him out of my life.” She wanted to believe Neal hadn’t wanted to leave her. Desperately. And maybe, if either of them had known she was pregnant, things would’ve been different. “He never knew about Henry. Not in my time. He does...well, now, I guess. Time and all.”

Admittedly, it was difficult to blindside Rumple like this, but here it was. Oh he had dreamed many times of the various ways he would find his son, but never had he thought any of it would have been something like this. It was just completely out of the blue, and he had not thought to learn of Bae like this. Nor had he ever thought Emma had a history with his son.

At Emma’s answer, he nodded a bit. It was entirely possible Bae had gone to another place before going to Emma’s world. Rumple well knew that other worlds existed, he’d traveled between them once or twice prior to the curse being cast, such as the jaunt into Frankenstein’s world. So he knew Bae could have ended up in a place where he either didn’t age or aged very slowly.

He had an idea of how hard it was for Emma to talk about Bae, as Rumple was the same way. Not many even knew that he’d once had a son and how things had ended between them. Fewer still knew that everything that Rumple had done was to one day reunite him with his son. Though knowing that Bae hadn’t known about Henry made sense why he had left.

Another rare thing was happening because Rumple, the man who could talk circles around absolutely everyone, was at a loss for words. He was trying to process the information that Emma had told him.

“It seems that we are family, in a way.” Was he in shock? Oh most certainly because he wasn’t certain what else could be said at the moment. His mind was still very stuck on the fact Emma had known Bae and that Henry was his grandson. That certainly made the family tree a very tangled one.

Family. How long had Emma been without one at all? No one to care about her or to care about in return. When she’d lost Neal and given up Henry, she’d all but given up thinking she’d ever even have a family. And now, within a matter of months, she had so many people she considered family. Her son, her new baby daughter, her mother and father. That was the blood family. Ruby, her godmother. Her friends who had come to be like family, or even closer: Lois, Loki, Dick... And Graham. Her handsome, sweet, loving Graham who had cemented himself into that family whether she’d wanted him to or not.

And now this. Oh, she already cared for Belle. More than she’d wanted to given her association with the man seated near her. Now they were linked even more than previously thought. This man, who had, at times, made her life miserable. Who had controlled so many of them like puppets without them even knowing. Who could, if he chose, sum up evil in a single word. He was Henry’s grandfather. Her little boy, her pride and joy. The child she’d thought lost to her forever.

“I’ll have to tell him,” she said quietly, releasing a breath. “He should know. If... If you want to be a part of his life...that’s up to the two of you, I guess.”

She wouldn’t force Henry to interact with Gold anymore than she’d force him to go to Regina. Or to stay away from her. Even if at times she thought she knew best, Henry’s judgment had never let her down before. And this wasn’t Storybrooke. Her magic was minimal, yes, but she had friends. Powerful ones, some more powerful than Regina and possibly Rumplestiltskin, too. If anything happened to Henry due to his loving nature and easy acceptance, they’d pay. “You don’t have to,” she added a moment later. “But if you don’t...try not to hurt him. He’s just a kid. An amazing, compassionate child, full of heart and hope, but still just a kid.”

Of all the conversations he expected to have with Emma, this had not been one of them. Even with that ability to see the future, to see the various pieces of the puzzle, this was definitely not a piece he had seen. It was a strange notion to him. He had once had a family, a wife. But he’d lost her because all he’d wanted was to live and be there for his son, not die on a battlefield and leave his son without a father the way his father had left him. That Seer, oh how he had hated her prediction which had come to pass. His son had been left without a father, but due to his own actions and breaking a deal.

And then he was suddenly reminded of the last thing the Seer had told him before she’d died, about the boy being his undoing. That part still confused him because there was no boy leading him to Bae, not here. Bae wasn’t here, so clearly that prediction was one that either wouldn’t come to pass or it would only ring true in Storybrooke. There was no fear that his “undoing” would take place here, even if, in a way, his power was kept in check by the very nature of this place.

Looking at Emma, he had no masterplan in place, no pawns to move around her and manipulate her to move the way he needed her to to gain the outcome he wanted. There were no strings here, the only thing that tied them together was Henry, his blood. And oh, he more than understood Emma’s mixed feelings towards him, they were more than well deserved, both for better and for worse. Rumple wasn’t exactly going to argue that, nor would he make Emma like him. Yes he was trying to be a better man, be better for Belle who made him a better man, but he didn’t expect those from Storybrooke to like him and he never would ask as much of them.

“I would like to be part of Henry’s life if he wishes it. I have no wish to hurt him.” Again another dose of truth. He had always liked Henry, finding him to be wise beyond his years. And now that he knew they were family, it only strengthened such feelings. But he also knew better than to push in this instance. It was Henry’s choice to be made and no one else’s. “He is a very lucky boy to have you for his mother.” Emma’s love for Henry was more than evident, he’d seen it first-hand, and he did admire it.

She hesitated briefly, but finally gave a small and shaky smile. This was all new territory for her. She didn’t have anyone there, buffering this discussion. Everything they were discussing was between her and Gold. Nothing could change what had happened, what she’d seen and what she’d known he needed to hear. He may never get his Baelfire back, not in this world at least. Even in Storybrooke, Bae was a man, now. Grown and with a life of his own, with a son and a shaky past. That bond they’d had all those years ago in the Fairytale World couldn’t be recaptured. But maybe he could start again, in some ways. With her baby boy.

God, she didn’t know how he was going to take this. Henry always dealt with people better than she did. He hadn’t been raised to distrust, to fear. Maybe he’d accept this with ease, laugh it off, be the one to try and find the similarities between himself and the man sitting across from her. Or maybe he’d hate them all for ruining the only stability he had in this Apocalyptic world. There was no way to know until she told him.

“The luck is all mine, believe me. I love that kid. More than I ever thought possible. I won’t let anyone hurt him.” It was a thinly veiled warning, but an unnecessary and half-hearted one. Gold had saved her boy’s life, after all. Why do that if he was going to turn around and hurt him? Of course, the words of the Seer hadn’t been lost on her. She knew she had a reason to be anxious. But that was their world and this? Wasn’t. Henry hadn’t led him to Bae. If Bae ever did turn up, it would be the Seal that brought them together, not her son.

Rubbing her temples, Emma sighed. “I’m sorry. To lay this all on you. I know it’s a shock but... You deserved to know. And...” She hesitated again and then finally met his eyes. Those eyes that always seemed to be thinking, no matter what else was going on. “And maybe...it’ll be good for you. Getting to know him. An extension of Bae, sort of. It’s funny...but sometimes I see a lot of Neal in him.” And it hurt but in some ways, it was comforting. Seeing her first love in her child’s eyes. Maybe it could help Rumplestiltskin, too.

This conversation was new to them both. There was no pretense, no playing with words and moving people where he wanted them. No. This was simply a conversation between two people who just discovered the familial connection between them. It did muddy up the family tree, but he wasn’t thinking about that, not thinking about who to tell. No, he was more focused on the fact he had a grandson, one that had been in Storybrooke right under his nose for ten years. Living with Regina. Though at least she was ignorant that Henry had a connection to him, otherwise Regina would no doubt have used Henry against him at some point during that time.

Rumple most certainly heard the warning in Emma’s words. He would not hurt Henry, not when he knew he was family. Even if the Seer’s words to him reverberated in his ears, in this case there was no boy leading him to Bae if his son was to ever show up in this place. Here, he could have a chance to know his family that he never knew he had. A second chance, which is what this place was partially about, wasn’t it? Giving people the opportunity to start over if they wished?

“You speak as any mother who loves her child would. It becomes you.” Which it did even if Emma didn’t want to admit it. He well knew she was tough, but he also knew she had a sensitive heart underneath it all. So much like her mother. “No apology is necessary. Thank you for telling me. I would like to get to know him.” It was a chance he was not going to squander. Not after he’d spent centuries working out a plan to find Baelfire. Perhaps, in a way, his work had paid off here in this moment. Henry wasn’t Bae, but he was part of him and still very much family.

Emma nodded, briefly, the nausea and dizziness finally subsiding. With the shock wearing off, she was able to come to terms with what was going on. But the most helpful was him being so willing to accept what she’d just told him. He hadn’t called her a liar and kicked her out. He hadn’t shrugged his shoulders and showed indifference. No, he was every bit as worried and nervous as she was, but he was interested. His heart, what was left of it, those pieces Belle had begun to patch together, was showing with every word. Oh, she’d still watch him. Emma wasn’t stupid and she didn’t place blind faith in anyone, not even her own family. But she felt much more at ease.

“I should go,” she said finally, getting to her feet. “I think we both have a lot to let sink in. You’ll probably want to tell Belle, I imagine. And I...probably should tell everyone else. Everyone ever. Oh, lord...” She shook her head, releasing a sigh. “I can’t imagine this going anything but well, can you?”

And, despite everything, a small, shaky smile crossed her face. Maybe, somehow, they could make this work. Oh, Henry’s family tree got more and more weird with every scene she saw, but somehow a wonderful, loving, brilliant child had come out of it. He might not be the child born of true love, but he had been conceived in love, as true as Emma had known it at the time. And as angry as she’d been at Neal the day she’d found out she was pregnant, she knew in her heart she was always going to love that baby, even if the right thing to do wasn’t the easy thing.

They’d make this work. Because, honestly, there was no other choice.

This had not been the way he’d imagined the day’s events would turn out, but one couldn’t ever truly predict the future. While he could see the future, sometimes it took a while before he understood what the pieces actually meant. And in this instance, there was another piece to the puzzle that seemed to make things make sense. At least in regards to what had gone on in Storybrooke. It was certainly something he needed to work through, let the reality of it set in. But the fact that he knew Bae was still alive, or at least he had been when Emma had known him, gave him some hope yet. Perhaps he could finally be reunited with his son again one day. And until then, he had his grandson here.

“Things always go well, do they not, Emma?” He responded with a chuckle as he too stood up. “In this instance however, I think things will go smoother than expected. Even if the family tree is getting a bit...convoluted, shall we say.” It was the lightest way to put it, really. “Thank you for telling me, I do appreciate it.” And he truly did. She didn’t have to tell him. They didn’t exactly have the best of relationships. Yet here she was, telling him.

The chuckle he gave was actually genuine, or sounded so at least, and she couldn’t help the tiny glimmer of hope that she felt. It was almost terrifying if she thought about it too long. Her life was coming together. Things were falling into place. Not perfectly, but well. For all of her mistakes, not just in Storybrooke but in her life before returning and now, here in Lawrence, she was somehow putting it all right.

And it was enough for a woman like Emma Swan to have a panic attack.

She held it together, though, and gave a little nod. “You deserved the truth. I think truth is something we’ve all been missing a lot of.” But Regina didn’t have a hold on them anymore. They could all start to move forward, on their own, free of her power. And that included giving her little boy the large, loving family he deserved.