Checkmate

43. The calm before the storm

We didn't speak about Neverland for the rest of the morning, the subject painful. Instead, we spent breakfast with Neal as normally as possible, the man still uneasy at the presence of the boy king in his home. Thomas himself took the time to process the information I had given him the night before in silence until I left him and Neal for a quick bathroom visit. I caught the beginning of the brief conversation, pausing at the top of the stairs to listen.

"So," Thomas began. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Not anymore, not with you as you are now, anyway."

"That's... encouraging?"

I heard Neal nervously chuckle as the porcelain clinked onto the drying rack. "Part of my therapy was getting past the fear, conquering it," the older man said. "But I will admit, coming face to face with you after so long, it's a little unnerving."

"In what way?"

"In the way that..." Neal sighed. "I don't really know how to word it."

"You don't know if you can trust me because at any time I could turn back into him? Like.... what's the phrase? Stepping on eggshells?" Neal must have nodded in agreement with Thomas' next words to make sense. "Then I will swear to you that even if I do wake, turn into him, that I will never harm you, or anyone close to you."

"But to protect her?" I assumed Neal to be asking about me.

"To protect her, I would destroy everything in my path... wouldn't you?"

"I see her as a daughter, so yeah, I would."

The two fell silent for a moment after their almost pact. I took the chance to compose myself and swallow down tears before making my presence known. Coming up with the excuse that I took the chance to brush my teeth to cover for my long absence.

"That bacon was a little tough," Neal admitted, pausing his plate wiping to pick his teeth with his tongue, his face pulling into funny shapes.

"We have an hour before we gotta meet everyone," Thomas stated, taking the towel from Neal to dry his wet hands.

"Why don't we use this time wisely?" I grinned, making my way to one of the cupboard stashes that had been replaced after my battle with Rumple. Neal's face lit up as I pulled out three guns and some ammunition, floating one to the man before handing one over to Thomas. "I can make mine re-load with magic, but yours will have to be manual, I'm afraid."

As I spoke, a little bullet tapped his shoulder, making him flinch and snap his head to Neal and his quickly made cushion fort by the couch. "That stings," he admitted, before shooting one at the fort.

"Your aim is a little off!" Neal called from in amongst the cushions, prompting Thomas to shoot again.

When the clock struck 12, we made our way to Grannies for lunch, bumping into the boys on the way as they walked with Henry, the lot of them unable to all fit in the car. Thomas and I slotted in naturally with Neal taking up the rear of the group. Thomas chatted with the boys about school. The lot of them discussed their differences in learning and how they were worried that "Miss Snow" was debating giving them more mainstream work. Her attempt to assist them with potential jobs in the future.

Once at Grannies, everyone present over a certain age was included in the discussion, the topic being a little advanced. This left the younger boys to gather around the dartboard as the adults came up with a plan. All except for James, who sat on the sidelines studying all happening before him.

Thomas and I joined the discussion for a while, Rumpelstiltskin being the main issue. Thomas seemed more interested in what the boys were playing, taking turns to stand in front of the dartboard as the others threw the small projectiles. "They're perfectly safe," I urged, resting my hand on top of his as it rested on his lap, my eyes still on the strange image of my favourite captain blushing at the blonde sheriff.