Ten Years- Once Upon A Time- ON HOLD

I'm Not Leaving Her

August opened the box and Neal looked inside. There was a typewriter, and the paper in it had a single line of text:

I know you're Baelfire.

Neal stood back up, "Okay, I'm listening."

"There's a curse, and it needs to be broken. Emma is the key. I was tasked with keeping her on track and you, my friend, just got caught in the crossfire." August said, "Now, I'm gonna tell you a story, and, at the end of it, you're going to have to make a decision."

August then proceeded to tell Neal Emma's story. How it was his father, Rumplestiltskin, who had created the curse that sent all of the residents of the Enchanted Forest to this world. How they were stuck in a place called Storybrooke where time had stopped. How Emma was sent through the wadrobe to escape the curse. How it was prophesied that she would be the saviour.

"Now," He finished, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not leaving her." Neal said.

"What? What about everyone in Storybrooke? Your father?"

"I never said she wouldn't break the curse. I just mean that I'm going with her."

"You can't. How will you make sure she's in Storybrooke on her 28th birthday?" August asked.

"We can't wait until then. We have to move now." Neal said.

"She has to return on her 28th! You can't just change the prophecy!" August exclaimed.

"I'm Rumplestiltskin's son. I can do whatever I want." Neal said, turning and walking away.

"Wait!" August shouted. Neal stopped and looked over his shoulder at August, "Don't tell her about the curse. Not until she's 28. And don't let her go, no matter what happens."

Neal nodded and walked away.

~~~~

Neal went to meet Emma where they'd planned. He saw her leaning against a building, trying to call someone.

"Emma!" He called.

She looked up from her phone and smiled when she saw him. She ran to him and hugged him.

"Did you do it?" She asked.

"Sold them all." He said.

She leant back so she could see him, "We're going to Tallahassee!"

"Actually, I heard something while I was trying to sell the watches." Neal said.

"What?"

"There's a town, in Maine, that barely anyone knows about. Nobody goes there, and I bet you don't know anyone from there. We could go there without having to change our identities."

"Okay... What's it called?"

"Storybrooke."

"Storybrooke? Never heard of it." Emma said.

"That's exactly why I want to go. Nobody will find us there." Neal said, "What do you say?"

"I say we go."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Come on then. Let's go." Neal said, taking Emma's hand and leading her to the car.

"What? Now?" Emma asked.

Neal stopped and turned to her, "Emma, we have to go. Now. With stolen watches going around the cops will trace it back to me. This is the only way we can be together."

Neal hated lying to Emma, but he knew he had to if he wanted to be with her.

Emma hesitated, then nodded. Neal kissed her and then they got into the car. Even though it was very late, they drove to Maine then. Neal drove first, while Emma slept in the front seat, but they switched halfway, so Emma was driving when they reached Storybrooke.

"Neal. Wake up!"

"W-what?" Neal mumbled, sitting up.

"We're here." Emma said.

Neal watched as she drove past a sign that read Welcome to Storybrooke. Emma drove for a few more minutes before they reached the actual town.

It was late and the streets were empty. Emma parked the car outside what looked like a diner, but it was closed.

"What do we do now then?" Emma asked.

"I don't know about you but I wanna sleep." Neal said.

"Where?"

"We can stay in the car one more night, can't we?"

"I guess so." Emma agreed.

Neal dozed off almost immediately, but Emma couldn't sleep. She looked up at the clock, which said 8:15. She checked the time on her watch, but the second hand wasn't moving.

That can't be right, She thought, I swear it's just gone midnight.

She assumed that her watch and the clock were broken and let her mind wander.

She didn't really want to stay in Storybrooke. She wanted to move to Tallahassee with Neal, with different identities. It would be easier to hide their past if they pretended to be people they weren't.

Emma abandoned her thoughts, knowing that Storybrooke was their best option, and fell into an uneasy sleep.