Welcome to Storybrooke (AU)

A bad conversation is better than no conversation

He knew how to find people. He knew where his own father was and to avoid him. He's been navigating on his own in the world since he was fourteen (plus a hundred or so years in Neverland), something he hasn't or ever will forgive his own father for.

Not many people go by the name Emma Swan. Maybe because she gave herself her last name as she had spent so many years in the system. He renamed himself too when he left the Enchanted Forest. Having a name like Baelfire would've been sure to make people raise an eyebrow and question him. He also wanted to forget his past, magic had ruined his life so he vowed to stay away from it. It was going well until he fell in love with a young blonde girl who he never would've guessed was from there, also.

He pulled up outside an apartment block building in the rougher side of Boston City. Neal had never been scared of anything until now. His anxiety plummeted and he could already picture Emma would have on her face when he appeared at her door step, basically begging for forgiveness and a chance to explain all the messed up shit he pulled ten years ago.

He took out the scrapped up piece of paper, he wrote her address on and walked up stairs and stairs until he stood outside the apartment numbered 205. He took a deep breath before knocking on it. There was a fair chance that it wasn't her apartment and he would have to continue looking somehow. He couldn't give up until he found her and brought her to Storybrooke. He may have bad blood with his father and him having no memory of him might be s good thing in one way but on the other hand, there were many people suffering who didn't know it and he couldn't be selfish in this case. Also August would literally kill him. Even if he was initially nothing more than a wooden puppet.

She answered the door. She hadn't changed in ten years and she looked the same except more mature and she had replaced the glasses and her ponytail for a more sophisticated look. She had chosen contact lenses and her hair was now all done up in curls which were curled up perfectly.

" N-Neal " she stuttered

" Hi Emma " he replied nervously

" What are you doing here? "

She couldn't believe that he was here now. Ten years late. In fact, he should have never left at all. Why on her birthday of all days? Why was he here? How did he even find her? Emma was panicking mentally, did he know about Henry? How would he have found out? All the possibilities ran through her head but she just had to act like nothing's changed (except everything has)

He bit his lip

" I needed to come and find you "

" Well you are about ten years late " she said coldly.

Ouch, I deserve that

" Please, just hear me out "

" I will not, you had your chance too but you were a coward and ran away. You never cared about me at all and you just played me. How do I know that you aren't on the run and are going to let me take the fall for whatever crime again ? " Emma snapped

" You just have to trust me, I know you probably won't ever look at me the same but I need you to just listen to me. You can yell at me all you want " Neal protested

Damn right, you are the reason why I am so guarded especially when it comes to men.

" Fine " Emma threw her hands up " You get five minutes "

" Perfect " He smiled as he followed her into her apartment

Neal sat down next to her at the kitchen table.

" So what do you want? " Emma said out of the blue

" Straight to the point " he chuckled

" Of course, I don't want you here any longer than you have to " She said coldly

" You're a bailsbonds woman?" He asked

" Finding people is what I do, except when it comes to my birth family..... apparently " she said sarcastically " yes I am "

" I have a case and I was wondering would you help me "

" Depends what it is "

Emma was a difficult woman. Neal knew this and he knew exactly how to get her to help him even if he didn't really need help, he just needed to get her to Storybrooke.

" My father... I want to make things right, I've heard he lives in a town in Maine... Storybrooke "

" Storybrooke? "

" Mhm " he shrugged

" If you know where he is, why do you need my help? " Emma sighed taking a drink from her wine glass

" He's a difficult man, he's made bad life choices "

" Like you? " She interrupted

" I could say the same about you too " Neal replied snarky

" Fair enough "

Neal went on to explain why he needed her help in his case. He was lucky he was a good liar otherwise she wouldn't have bought it for a second.

" I want to find out what happened to my mom " Neal sighed " He told me she died but I know there's more to the story "

He lied. He knew what happened. His father killed his mother when he discovered she was having an affair with none other than Killian Jones aka Captain Hook. He found out the truth before he was sent to this world by the Blue Fairy.

The only thing going through Emma's mind right now was Henry. He wasn't home yet but soon he would be and she couldn't hide him from Neal forever. Believe me she wanted to but the longer he was here, the greater chance it was that he would find out about him.

" Fine I will help you on one condition....you tell me everything that happened that night, ten years ago " She looked him straight in the eye

" I have a thing with lies, you know that " She added

" You thought you did .... I never bought it " Neal reacted

" Of course you didn't cause you did "

Neal was taken back

" I never did " Neal said " I did love you, I cared about you, very much but I had to let you go for your own good "

" My own good? What's that supposed to mean "

" I was in the way of your destiny " Neal sighed

" Destiny? Have you hit your head? You're speaking a load of crap right now. What destiny? " Emma yelled in a low voice

" I was getting in the way of everything, I needed to give you a chance to find your family " Neal replied

None of this was easy. He couldn't exactly tell her the full truth until she believed in the curse, otherwise she would deem him crazy. Until she believed in the curse and The Enchanted Forest there was no way she would ever understand why he had to do what he did. Even when it was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

" Or was I in the way of your destiny? Of finding Tallahassee with someone else " Emma yelled before leaving the kitchen in anger.

Ouch

Could've gone better but at least we are talking (yelling) again. A bad conversation is better than no conversation, right? She could've shut the door in my face and sent me packing. But she didn't....