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Long story. Short version? Same reason pretty much as everyone else keeps tellin' me they keep getting linked back to--Henry.

Lost again

[still looks stunned] Baelfire…how are you….here? In Storybrooke?

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He tried to hide his flinch at his father's voice. What the hell did he even know about disappointment, anyway? There was nothing, nothing worse than holding on as hard as you could to the one person who should've always been lookin' out for you...only to be let go.

Neal dropped his arm and stared down at the book's cover. Worn as all hell--kid must've been carrying and tossing it around for who knows how long. Emma and Henry'd shared a little bit of their past, in Storybrooke--not a lot, but enough for him to know who to blame for this whole...mess. And reading the book, after the kid gave it to him to hold on to, whenever he was ready to spill the beans on his life to Tamara...well, it only confirmed what he'd thought.

He didn't know what he expected. He'd seen how his father broke deals, ruined lives, turn a villager into a snail just because Neal'd been the one to fall. Maybe...maybe some part of him still expected better out of his old man. Or whatever, I don't know. Pursing his mouth over to the side, he looked up at his flat-faced father. "All true, isn't it? Every story in this book."

Questions || Neal & Gold

"We need to talk."

Instincts made the man’s heart twist and pound with a bolt of shock, his bony fingers briefly gripping at his chest. That phrase could mean so many things, but to him when concerning his son and their broken bonds, it could only mean one thing.

"Bout This. This…crap, or whatever."

Instantly the hope in his chest died, and his arms fell to his side. “Henry’s book? Yes, well…what about it?” he asked, his tone utterly dull and full of disappointment.

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Storybrooke traffic meant to be this nuts?

Don't think I ever would've taken that job if anybody'd told me I'd be this close to losing my head on a schoolbus.

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Nealfire worried/upset about his father being the Dark One

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K I L L I AN  J O N E S  M E M E

F i v e  S c e n e s ~ ”you could stay here under my protection." (4/5)

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nealfire meme

1/8 scenes → After Rumple became the Dark One (1x08)

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because we both know how this ends

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nealfire meme

5/8 scenes → Smooth Sailing (2x16 Deleted Scene)

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...I never lied. Maybe I might've, ah...generalized, or some bull, but [swallows] ...never lied.

Lost again

[expression hardens] Don’t. I… [returns to looking incredibly conflicted and starts mumbling mostly to himself] You…you’re him…why the bloody hell didn’t I see it? Her hair, the eyes…the lies that I should have seen through…I…Baelfire…

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What’s his name?

Baelfire.

A strong name.

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[runs back over his words] Hey, hey, I told you, there was a boy that got stuck with Pan and his crew, the pieces weren't that difficult for the others to get togethe... [stops, swallowing]

Lost again

How would you know that st— [trails off and studies Neal] You look so like him….and…no…you can’t be…

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[shakes his head slowly, resting his hand on the railing] No, I...I got it. Knew the story, but, ah...it's good to just get the rest of it filled up.

Lost again

[looks up at Neal, surprised, quirking eyebrow] ….nothing else?

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N-no...I, ah...I think I got it all.

Lost again

There was someone who I’d have given it up for…once. Many, many years ago. But he never gave me the chance. [lets out a sigh] That’s rather irrelevant now…was there anything else you wanted to learn?

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[rubs arm, a little uncomfortable] ...Guess I could, ah, see how that'd...but, never thought of giving it up? However many centuries...never thought anything was worth giving up the grudge?

Lost again

[nods, still looking away] Aye. More than that…’a pretty good amount’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.

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Jokes, banter. Alright, Neal could get into stride with that. "Anh, I don't know about that. Doubt any sort of parents can ever stop you from raising up a little hell," he grinned, and took the chance to nudge the boy with his shoulder. "Works that way without 'em, probably works just about the same the other way around."

Neal settled on the railing again, feeling himself slowly ebb back into his comfort zone. Talking about feelings, the past...never really worked out well for him, made it harder to get away when he needed to. A lifetime running, and he was still going at it. Even from his own...his own son. Cycle repeats, or something like that shit. He almost snorted. Trying so hard to be as far away from his old man, ended up in the same spot anyway. Isn't that just how fate, destiny, whatever was supposed to work out?

And this kid'd already got left on his own already--or with this other mother, whatever. Stuck without Emma, or him, growing up for however the hell long--just 'cause some puppet'd talked him out of staying with the girl he loved.

Another mom. The kid had another mom. Snow White, Prince Charming, and the damn Dark One as grandparents, the Savior for a mom, and now this "Regina", whoever the hell she was...

Regina. The name tugged something in his head. Something August'd said, in a cramped alleyway back in Portland, about Emma's whole...Savior thing. "...Hold up, Regina? The, uh...'Evil Queen', the one who stuck the Curse over the whole thing that Emma had to go break, that's who you got adopted by?" 

In the Big Apple || Neal and Henry (flashback)

Henry let the silence fall between them, guessing Bael- Neal, whatever, his dad, needed some time to think up some sort of response. If Neal was feeling anything like Henry, he was probably still freaked out and all kinds of awkward after… everything. So Henry mulled over his own words, as well, knowing he was probably right about his family. He hadn’t even mentioned his Mom… Regina-Mom, who was so overprotective it was scary sometimes. Nah, Henry was more scared he’d never get to do anything fun, more than he was scared he’d get abandoned. Well, unless Regina went crazy and killed everyone, but he was gonna give his mom the benefit of the doubt on that.

He rocked back and forth on his heels, sneaking glances up at Neal’s face. However, he wasn’t expecting the man’s hand on the back of his coat and the sudden jerk threw Henry off balance, making him gape in astonishment as Neal scolded him. Barely twenty minutes and the guy was already acting like a dad. Neal looked supremely uncomfortable before he’d even finished talking, and his hand was just as abruptly gone, but Henry was already laughing, leaning on the railing.

"I’ve got way too many parents, now. I’ll never get into trouble now," Henry joked. He grinned as Neal stuttered and stammered a response to his earlier questions at last. His grin fell, though, when Neal asked those last two questions. The boy felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Oh, uh… I guess… you didn’t know. Um. I don’t if I’m supposed to say, ‘cuz maybe Emma wants to tell you. I guess I should, though. Mom… isn’t my only mom. I didn’t even know Emma till this year. My mom is Regina, too. She raised me all my life. You probably don’t know her, ‘cuz you left the Enchanted Forest before she became queen, actually. Wow, fairy tales are crazy…" Henry muttered, blinking rapidly. “I need to study that book and make up some sort of timeline, maybe a web chart about all the times everyone met everyone- that’ll be hard."

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...Oh. [looks down] And, ah...this "someone", they, ah...they meant a pretty good amount to you...right?

Lost again

Of all the things to ask…. [shakes head] He took something— no, someone from me…someone I can’t replace, a very long time ago. [sighs heavily and looks away]