Checkmate

24. Baelfire, Bagels, and Lost Boys

Henry and I met Emma and Neal outside of his house, Regina remaining in the car to collect Henry afterwards. Henry, of course, ran straight to his father the moment he got out of the car. A strange cloak around the man's neck seemed to glisten as he moved, but my attention was on the face of the man who my mother had drawn for me countless times.

He was older, sterner, rounder, and his hair was shorter, but his eyes were the same as the ones mother drew. The eyes in question locked onto me and softened as I remained frozen on the pavement. He approached me slowly, his hand reaching up to rest timidly on my shoulder.

"Emma tells me you've had it rough." I nodded. "I already asked her, but if it's alright with you, I got a spare room, much better than a couch."

My head tilted, and I opened my mouth to answer, but the words never came.

"Your mom," he continued. "She gave me a home when I had none. She was unnecessarily kind to a random boy that she caught stealing bread from her home." He laughed. "I always wished I could repay the favour." I smiled sadly, seeing in his eyes that he already knew. "I didn't even know she had made it off the island. I would have found her."

"It would have been nice for her to have some company other than me," I admitted sadly. "She only ever told me stories of you. She could never bring herself to talk of Neverland, not until the last day. It was all a blur, what she said to me."

"How long ago has it been for you?"

"I don't know."

"Time does move differently there," he admitted.

"No, I mean, I have no memory. I really don't know, but here I've been missing for six and a half months." The man sighed as the two of us fell silent. "Emma, I know my way back." I nodded. "I think... I think we need to talk about her." Emma nodded and turned to leave. "Alone, Henry." I said simply, a small smile aimed at the boy. "I'll see you tomorrow at school?" He nodded too.

"I think some tea is in order." Neal gestured towards the house and we walked together. "So, what kind of adventures did I have?"

I giggled quietly. "Well..."

We talked into the night, Neal texting Emma that I was safe after the clock had struck midnight. I told him everything about mother, and about his adventures. I even felt safe enough to tell him about the limited memories I had of Neverland, avoiding the memories of Felix specifically.

"Pan was right about one thing," he said sadly. "Wendy grew up to be an amazing mom."

I nodded. "I wish she was my real mother."

Neal's head whipped around sharply, the man almost dropping his half-drunk tea as he placed it on the coffee table. "What?"

"She never gave birth to me. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father is still on that island." I gulped and felt the tears fall before I even knew I had released them. Neal swiftly took my head in his hands, his eyes on mine.

"Now you listen to me," he said firmly, using his thumbs to wipe my tears, his eyes brimming with tears of his own. "She was your mom. She raised you and bathed you and dressed you and tucked you in at night, and I bet she even sang you songs with those stories." I nodded as much as I could in his grasp. "She may not have given birth to you, Bethany, but she was as much your mom as Regina is to Henry."

I nodded again and let the tears fall, having never thought about it in that way. Instantly Neal pulled me into a tight hug, the pressure of his arms exactly what I needed to feel better. After a few minutes of the two of us bawling, we finally let out a laugh.