Love in a Ruined World

The Airing of Grievances

Chapter 5: The Airing of Grievances

Emma stood there for a moment, mouth ajar, as she tried to comprehend what he had just said.

"You're what?" she exclaimed. He shrugged.

"Yeah...I'm Baelfire. I'm the reason for all this..." he mentioned.

"Well, all this as in the curse and stuff. The rest of it...yeah I don't think anyone saw that coming," he added.

"Oh my God..." she uttered.

"I know...it's a lot," he said.

"Did you know?" she asked and he looked at her.

"Of course not! If I had known who you were...I'd never have gotten near you," he replied. She looked at him incredulously.

"I didn't meant that the way it sounded. It's just that...I spent a long time surviving on my own, because of what he did. Because he chose that damn dagger over me and I wanted nothing to do with him," he explained.

"Then why head straight for Storybrooke now?" she questioned. He shrugged.

"Things have changed...drastically so. Not only is New York like something out of a horror movie, but I realized that family is important...even if you hate your family," he replied. She sighed.

"Yeah...guess so," she mentioned.

"You found yours...they seem great," he mentioned.

"Uh yeah...I guess. It's still weird though...I spent my whole life thinking they didn't want me. But nothing could be further from the truth. It still sucks though," she said.

"Yeah...they would have never given you up if my father hadn't orchestrated the curse," he replied.

"This is going to make him really happy, you know. He brought a potion with him that he made from hairs from parents. A true love potion so he could bring magic here...to find you," she told him. Neal snorted derisively.

"Of course he did," he said sarcastically.

"It goes smashed though when a couple of looters broke into his shop," she mentioned.

"Did...did they hurt him?" he inquired.

"They were going to...but my parents stopped them. They saved his life," she said.

"He didn't deserve that from them," he said coldly.

"Yeah, well...my parents are pretty forgiving. Probably too forgiving sometimes," she replied.

"Are you still angry at them...for giving you up?" he asked curiously.

"I want to be...but I can't be, not in this world. They are pretty much the reason any of us are surviving this," she replied.

"Good...don't be mad at them. They didn't want to give you up...and I think they were lied to," he said.

"Yeah...August told me what his father did," she replied, as she took a deep breath.

"Listen...there's more I need to tell you," she said, as they stopped once they were by the library.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's no easy way to say this...but I have a son," she replied. His eyes widened.

"I was pregnant when you sent me to prison," she added and his heart dropped into his stomach.

"A son...we have a son?" he uttered in disbelief.

"It's way more complicated than that..." she replied, as she took a deep breath.