Finding You ( A sequel to A thief who stole her heart)

2. Almost didn't make it

Neal landed flat on his back, hard. He was quickly losing conscious, but his eyes fluttered as he took in his surroundings. It took him a moment, but a sense of familiarity began to settle within him. He was home. He was back in the Enchanted Forest; a place he never thought he'd set foot in again.

Before he could move an inch, his eyelids started to grow heavy and darkness fell over him, as his eyes shut. The last thing he could recall was someone calling out in the far distance.

"Do you think he's dead?" Mulan asked as she knelt down beside him.

"I...I don't know." Aurora said.

"I'll check his pulse." Phillip offered as he placed two fingers over Neal's carotid artery. The two women watched with anticipation.

"Well?" Aurora inquired.

"He's alive. It's faint, but he's alive." Phillip informed them.

"Oh, thank God," Aurora said with relief.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself. We don't know who he is or where he came from." Mulan warned as she eyed Neal suspiciously.

"Whoever he is, he is not a threat to us. We should help him." Aurora suggested.

"She's right. Mulan, give me a hand." Phillip said as he reached underneath Neal to support his shoulders. Mulan let out a loud sigh and got in place to lift his legs.

"Where do you think he came from?" Phillip asked as they carried Neal to their castle. Thankfully it wasn't far.

"His attire is not of this realm." Aurora noted.

"No, it looks...like something Emma or Snow would wear." Mulan noticed as she glanced down at Neal's clothing.

Aurora gasped.

"You're right! Do you think...do you think he's from there?" She wondered.

"That's not important right now." Phillip answered when Mulan didn't reply. Mulan nodded her head and they made their way inside. The two of them laid Neal down as softly as possible.

"We need to get him help." Aurora told them.

"I'm still not sure if we should help him, we must be careful." Mulan worried.

"In his state he couldn't hurt us if he wanted to." Phillip reassured them. Mulan gave a tight nod and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Aurora.

"To get help. You two stay here and keep an eye on him." Mulan ordered.

Aurora went to fetch a wash cloth and dipped it in a bowl of cold water. She returned to the room and laid it over Neal's forehead.

Phillip looked over at her and smiled. She was such a caring woman; it was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

"Who do you think he is?" Phillip whispered.

"We could check him I suppose?" Aurora suggested. Phillip agreed and he carefully searched Neal. As he was reaching around, he heard a thump. He bent down and spotted something on the floor and picked it up.

"What is it?" Aurora asked curiously.

"Some sort of...satchel perhaps? I'm not sure." He answered. He opened it and found strange looking cards. He read the name on them anyway.

"Neal Cassidy. This man is Neal Cassidy." Phillip stated and held it out for Aurora to see.

"That name sounds familiar..." Aurora thought for a moment.

"I believe I heard Snow and Emma speak of him before. Do you think they know each other?"

"Perhaps," Phillip replied.

Both looked at the stranger named Neal and wondered who he truly was and why he was here.

Maybe I could enter one of my dreams and connect with the boy, Henry? Aurora thought to herself. Phillip didn't like it when she did that because he felt as if she was hurting herself. But thanks to Snow she learned to control them.

Phillip took a seat near the man, never taking his eyes off of his still body for too long. Aurora lied and said she felt tired. With her being with child it wasn't too farfetched so Phillip had no reason to doubt her. She returned to their bedroom and found herself falling asleep.

Please be asleep, please she begged as she drifted off.

~

Emma was trying desperately to find sleep, but it would not come. She tossed and turned in her bed and all she could think about was Neal falling through the portal and out of her life. She failed him. She was the savior, yet she couldn't save the man she loved. To make matters worse, she hadn't told Henry either. How could she, how could she tell her son that he was dead?

Tears fell down her face and soaked her pillow as she shut her eyes tightly, hoping that if she focused hard enough then she'd wake up from this terrible nightmare.

Snow wanted so badly to offer her daughter comfort, but she remained on the other side of the door. She wished for a moment that she had magic and could just take her pain away, but she couldn't.

She slid against the door and waited for her cries to turn silent and sleep to overcome her.

Snow found herself in a deep sleep and in a place she hadn't been in a very long time. The room was red and fire was all around her, but she wasn't afraid. No, she had defeated this nightmare quite some time ago.

"Henry" she heard being whispered softly around her.

"Henry?" She repeated. Who on earth would be calling for him here?

Unfortunately the voice just kept calling his name. They never heard her and Snow never saw them. She felt herself being awaken shortly afterwards.

"Hmm?" She called sleepily.

"Snow, Emma is gone!" David told her in a panic.

"Gone? But I was right---" Snow started to explain, but stopped when she noticed the door opened behind her and Emma nowhere in sight.

"That's impossible," Snow murmured as she began to stand.

"We have to find her." David told her and handed her a coat. Snow never changed into her pajamas before she fell asleep. She accepted the jacket and followed her husband.

"She's with him." Snow said matter-of-factly. The him in question being Mr. Gold.

"I know. We have to hurry." David urged.