Emma had been separated from her family, multiple times and in those times she was always terrified deep down that she would never see them again. She was both a pessimist and a realist. She never had anything good for long before it was ripped away from her. Even these little small moments that she had were only a few before the next emergency hit.

This was just another one of those. Or so she thought. This had been one of the hardest times she'd been separated, especially when she thought she watched her mother burn. It felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest.

But now she was going home. She had her magic back; she opened a portal…whatever drama happened next would happen. It was inevitable, it happened when one was the savior it felt like. But Emma would enjoy her family while it lasted…and she'd face the drama and she and her family would come out stronger.

She took a moment to savor the victory and walked toward the portal that Hook had leapt through just a few moments ago.

"You opened it!"

Emma turned as soon as she heard the snarl. Rumpelstiltskin was back and he looked both panicked and angry. He grabbed her arm hard, just below the elbow and dragged her away from the portal, "Wait."

"Let me go!" she demanded. She knew from experience that these portals didn't stay open long after something went through them.

"My son," he started as Emma looked frantically back at the portal, "What happens when I find him?"

Emma struggled to pull away, but his grip was too strong, "I thought you wanted to forget!"

"Before I do, I need to know….does he forgive me?"

Emma fought the rising emotion. She was there for all of it. That day Rumpelstiltskin was dying and Baelfire forgave him. That night in Neverland when they were going home and made amends again after he found out that Rumpelstiltskin had thoughts about wanting to kill their son….and she'd been there for that final goodbye; as Neal lay dying in her arms with Rumpelstiltskin right by her side, holding his son's hands.

It was everything that was going through her mind as she watched him, "Yes."

She hoped that that would be enough, but he saw more in her look and voice than just a simple affirmation of forgiveness, "Yes but what?!"

Emma struggled to get loose, he wouldn't release her, "What aren't you telling me? Tell me or you will never leave"

Emma thought about her own son…and her family that she might never see if she didn't answer. The emotion rose in her throat and it took everything she had to answer him, "He dies."

Horror crossed Rumpelstiltskin's face as he realized everything he did, everything he put her through would be for nothing.

"He forgives you," she told him, there was so much she wanted to tell him, that he needed to hear about his son but she couldn't. She only had to tell him the basic things so that she could get home "He loved you. He died to save all of us. Don't let that be in vain."

"I-I-I can change what happened," he told her. It didn't sound like he was talking to her though, more to himself while hoping for her approval, "I can save my boy."

"You could change the future but you might make it worse," she told him, tears fell down her face. She wanted Neal back….more than anything. He'd left so much behind that wasn't done. There were so many things that she never got to say to him…that Henry never got to say. And it ripped her in two that she had to tell him this. It hurt to refuse to let him save his own son but she'd seen firsthand what interference could do. Her voice broke, "I loved him too, I wanted to save him…he died a hero…you can't take that away from him. You HAVE to drink the potion."

His grip didn't loosen, but she saw that maybe her words were affecting him as he looked down at the bottle, "You have to forget everything I just told you."

For a moment, it might look like he would. It looked like he would take the potion and let her go. She even thought his grip loosened for a moment

"Would you?" he pulled her away from the portal.

Emma let out a cry as the portal closed behind her. She shoved him away from her, hard, "What have you done?"

"I'm saving my son," he threw the potion down. Emma cringed as the glass shattered, the room amplified the noise, "You're going to help me."

"I can't," Emma told him.

"You will."

"I won't tell you anything."

"Oh dearie," he said, his voice lowered and he gave her a snarl "This is my son we're talking about. You don't get a choice."