Alternative Timeline: We know Neal left Emma after meeting August. What if they met up shortly after Emma gave up Henry & they got married & had a daughter?
Chapter 1
The Son Returns
Emma came home after tracking down another guy who couldn't pay bail. The lights were off that was strange she knew Neal and their three year old daughter Tally should be home. She switched the lights on, "Surprise happy birthday" Neal and Tally came out of their hiding spot. Emma gave a disapproving look, Neal looked confused and said "what's the look for? I wanted to surprise you for your birthday"?
Emma said "quick question, what time is it"?
Neal looked at his watch and said nearly half past ten".
Emma said "so what's Tally still doing up"?
"She really wanted to celebrate her mommy's birthday".
Emma's expression softened slightly like it always did whenever she heard her being called mommy.
Tally came rushing up to her giving her a piece of paper and a box and said "here mommy, I made you a drawing and a present".
Emma looked at the picture first, there was a woman with yellow hair, a man with dark hair and a little girl with blonde hair next to the woman. There was a smiling sun above them and in the corner in red crayon was the words Happy Birthday Mommy. "I asked daddy to help me with the words" Tally said smiling and bouncing in place.
Emma said "it's beautiful, thank you, maybe daddy will put it on the fridge while I open my other present".
Neal knew when Emma said 'maybe daddy will...' she meant 'do it Neal'. Emma opened the box and inside was three paper flowers held together with a ribbon, it was obviously Neal had helped with these too. In one flower was her photo in another was Neal's photo and in the one in the middle was Tally's".
"It's a lovely present" she bent down and hugged her daughter.
Tally was still bouncing when Emma let go she looked at her confused for a moment. It was way past her bed time so how was she still so full of energy unless... "Neal" Neal stuck his head in the fridge like an ostrich sticks it's head in the sand. Emma pulled him out and said "what did you give Tally to eat"?
Neal nervously answered "anything she wanted".
Emma said "Neal we've talked about this, it will be a trial getting for to go to sleep and she be a wreck at daycare tomorrow".
Neal said "daycare has nap time".
Emma said "and little girls need their sleep".
Neal said "so I guess you don't want your cake"?
Emma said "it will save till tomorrow".
Neal brought out a cup cake and said "at least you have to make a wish, it's your birthday".
Tally said "yay a wish for mommy, a wish for mommy"?
Emma said "if I must".
Neal put a blue star shaped candle on the cup cake and said "make a wish Emma"?
Emma quickly glanced at Tally's smiling face and then at Neal. She closed her eyes and blew out her candle. Almost immediately the door bell rang, "who can that be at this hour"?
Neal said "I'll get it, you stay there and eat your cupcake".
Tally asked "can I have some mommy please"?
Tally knew when she said please her mommy usually let her do anything she wanted. Her daddy however on the way to door said "that cupcake's for mommy and mommy alone".
Still Tally's eyes pleaded with her mommy, making sure Neal wasn't looking as he opened the door she broke a piece off and said "you heard your daddy" and she gave it to Tally and put a finger to her lips and she took a bite of her cupcake.
Neal opened the door and saw Henry and said "sorry kid, I think you got the wrong apartment".
Henry said "does Emma Swan live here"?
Neal said "yeah" then asked "what do you want with my wife"?
Henry said "my names Henry, I'm her son".
Neal said "maybe you should come in".
As Henry came in Neal followed and when they were in the kitchen Emma was getting off the stool as saw the strange boy in front of her. "Emma, this boy said he's your son".
Emma said "sorry kid, my only child is this little sugar plum fairy here" Tally took her mommy's hand not liking this boy.
Henry said "ten years ago did you give up a baby for adoption" it was clear from both Emma and Neal's reaction the answer was yes "that was me".
Emma said "give me minute" she headed to the bathroom.
Neal said "so Henry do want juice or...juice, I'd offer milk but I think we'll need it getting this little one to bed".
Henry said "juice is fine".
Neal got out a glass and poured Henry some orange juice".
Neal went to the bathroom to talk to Emma "so that's our kid, the one you told me you gave up".
Emma sighed and said "yeah, I guess so, but I don't understand how he found out, I asked for a closed adoption, those files are supposed to be closed tighter than a clam".
Neal said "well he won't leave now until you talk to him so we better get out there".
In the kitchen Henry had finished his juice and was feeling awkward with the pair of green eyes staring at him. He said "so, you're my little sister, I'm Henry what's your name"?
She answered "my name's Tally, and I don't like you. She's my mommy not yours".
Emma and Neal came into the kitchen Henry said "we should probably get going"
Emma asked "going where"?
Henry said "I want you to come home with me".
Tally cried out "noooo" as she ran and hug her mothers legs.
Neal said "don't worry mommy's not going any where"?
Emma said "I'm calling the cops"
Henry said "then I'll tell them you kidnapped me".
"And they'd believe me because I'm your birth mother. But your not going to do that".
"Try me".
"You're pretty good, but here's the thing, there's not a lot I'm great at in life but I have one skill, lets call it a super power, I can tell when anybody's lying and you kid are".
Emma started to dial her phone when Henry said "wait, don't call the cops please, come home with me".
"Where's home"?
"Storybrooke, Maine"
"Storybrooke seriously"? Henry nodded "alright then let's get you back to Storybrooke"?
Tally said "no, please don't go mommy"?
Neal said "I know, why don't we all go, after all the trip might make her fall asleep easier"?
Before leaving Emma needed to change out of her red dress and Tally wanted to get her favourite stuffed animal, she refused to go to sleep or on a car journey with her stuffed magenta alicorn, Roseberry. Meanwhile Neal and Henry talked in the kitchen, Neal said "so Storybrooke, what's it like".
Henry shrugged and said "it's fine I guess".
Neal said "Emma told me it was a closed adoption so how did you find out who she was and where she was"?
Henry said "a website and after finding out who she was the rest was easy". They were silent for a bit. Then Henry asked "how long have you known my mom"?
Neal said "about eleven years, we were together from day one, but after a few months we got separated for three years. We met up again and decided to stay together this time, after a year I proposed, the next year we married, after another two years we had Tally".
"So you're my dad"?
"Yeah, listen had I known about you I never would have left your mom, someone persuaded me I should, when I found her again she told me how she had a baby but with no means of support or family to help her she gave him up".
When they got down to the car Neal buckled Tally into her car seat and let Henry into the back on the other side. Halfway through the trip Henry said "I'm hungry can we stop for snacks"
Tally said "yay snacks".
Neal said "word of advice, don't mention food around your sister, she's hyperactive and got a sweet tooth the size of the milky way".
"And this isn't a road trip" Emma added "we're not stopping"
Both Tally and Henry groaned simultaneously. "Hey quit complaining, you young lady have already eaten and you kid are lucky I'm even taking you home, I could still put you on a bus".
Neal took a look into the back seat and saw Henry reading a book. "what's that you got there Henry"?
"I'm not sure you'd be able to handle it"
Emma took a quick glance to catch the title seeing the words Once Upon A Time she said "for some fairy-tales"
"They're not fairy tales, every story in here actually happened"
"Of course they are".
"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying".
Emma took another quick glance in the rear view mirror and could see he really believed what he was saying. "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true".
"That's exactly what makes it true, you should know better than anyone"
"How is that"?
"Because you're in this book"
Tally said "where show me"
Henry didn't know if he should but he wanted Tally who said she hated him to like him. He flipped to the last page and pointed to her being put in the wardrobe. "That's not mommy, that's a baby".
Henry said "the baby is her, her names on the blanket"
Emma felt strange, she did have a baby blanket with her name on.
Tally said "how could I know, I can't read".
Emma said "listen kid, your clearly got some problems".
Henry said "yeap, I'm you're going to fix them.
When they got there Emma asked "how about an address kid"?
Henry said "24" not-telling-you street".
She stopped the car and got out and gestured for Neal to let Henry out too but stay in the car with Tally. "Why are we stopping daddy"?
Neal said "because Henry's not co-operating".
Tally asked "is he really my brother"?
"Yeah Mommy had him before she had you".
"Then, why doesn't he live with us"?
Neal rubbed the back of his head and thought how to explain this to a three year old "well situations were different, when Mommy had Henry Mommy didn't have anything but when she had you she had me, a job and a home.
Outside Neal saw a red haired man with a Dalmatian walk up to Emma and Henry. He watched as Henry started petting the dog and the man talked to them. Tally suddenly asked "where were you"?
Neal asked "where was I when"?
"When Mommy had Henry, you said Mommy had you when she had me so where were you when Mommy had Henry".
Neal thought for a bit because this was difficult to explain, not because she was three, but because she was his daughter.
He decided not to give her the full answer "Canada"
She asked "why".
He decided to use Emma's comment when he told her he had to go there "because I like Maple syrup".
He saw Emma and Henry finish talking to the man so he got out to let Henry back in. Emma said "well Pinnochio's conscience was a big help".
Neal asked "who"?
Emma said "the guy we talked to, apparently he's Jiminy Cricket".
Neal almost as sceptical as Emma said "of course he is".
Emma said "and 24 not-telling-you-street is 108 Miffilin Street".
Emma took Henry home when they go to his house Neal got out to let Henry out but stayed by the car as Emma walked Henry up to his house. Henry said "please don't take me back there".
Emma said "I have to, I would be sick with worry if Tally disappeared so I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you".
Henry replied "I don't have parents just a mom and she's evil, I'm sure you and Neal are much better parents than her, Tally's happy".
Emma said "Evil, that's a bit extreme isn't it".
Henry said "she is, she doesn't love me, she only pretends to".
Emma said "I'm sure that's not true".
The front door opened and a woman came out with a man behind her. "Henry," she seemed worried, she ran up to him and hugged him "are you okay? where have you been? what happened"?
Henry said "I found my real mom" and with that he pushed past.
Henry's mother asked "you're Henry's birth mother".
Emma responded with "hi".
The man said "I'll just go check on him".
"I'm Regina, I thought the birth mother didn't want any contact".
Emma said "that's right, he found me so I brought him home".
She asked "what about the father"? Emma gestured to Neal. Regina continued "ah, I don't know what's got into Henry lately".
Emma said "he's having a rough time."
Regina asked "how would you and your husband like to have a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted".
Emma said "any other time we would but our daughter's in the back seat and it's past her bed time".
Regina said "I understand completely, have a safe trip home".
Emma and Neal both got back in the car and as Emma drove off Neal said "oh look Tally's already fallen asleep, I guess a long car trip was all she needed. You know it's rather late, how about we stay the night, I saw a bed and breakfast on the way here".
Emma replied "I don't know Neal".
Neal answered "you caught the guy earlier so you're between bail jumpers, I've been working hard so I've earned a day off and you said it yourself, Tally will be a wreck at pre-school tomorrow".
Emma said "It's been a long night and I'm too tired to argue, you win". She drove to the bed and breakfast. As Emma got Tally Neal went to check them in to a room for three under the name Swan-Cassidy.
It was nearing lunch time by the time Emma and Neal woke up. Emma thought all they'd have to do was get washed, have some breakfast and they could go home but she was wrong. While Neal was having a shower Emma went to wake Tally up only to find a pillow under the quilt. Emma rushed over to the bathroom door and banged on the door "Neal, Tally's missing".
She heard the shower stop abrupty and Neal came out with a towel wrapped around him. "I thought she was still asleep".
Emma shook her head and said "no, she used the old pillow trick".
Neal said "well don't worry, she couldn't have gone too far. I'll get dressed and go round the town in the bug, you go to the police station".
Emma rushed into the police station hearing someone whistling 'whistle while you work' and only found a handy man and a man in a cell. She asked "do you know where the sheriff is"?
The handy man said "he's out getting a coffee, he'll be back soon".
Emma started pacing nervously "cool it sister, your gonna work a groove into the floor" said the man in cell.
Emma said "I'm worried, my three year old daughter is missing".
"why you want her back, all kids are brats".
Emma yelled "hey".
The handy man added "well I'd give anything to have one" he faced Emma and said "my wife and I tried for many years but he was not meant to be".
Before anything else was said the sheriff came in Emma said "thank god, you need to help me".
The man in the cell said "hey me first, I served my time".
The sheriff said "Leroy if I'm gonna let you out, you need to behave" As he opened the cell he added "so put on a smile and stay out of trouble" Leroy smiled and walked out. The sheriff faced Emma and said "what can I do for you"?
"My little girl's missing, her name is Tally Hallie Swan-Cassidy and she's three years old".
Then they heard a voice saying "Graham, Henry's run away again we need to"... Regina stopped seeing Emma "what are you doing here? Do you know where he is"?
Emma said "I haven't seen him since I brought him home to you".
Graham said "Mrs Swan-Cassidy said her daughter's missing".
Emma said "Neal is driving around looking for her but I can't imagine where she could have gone. When we're in a new place Tally always sticks with us, sure she might wonder but she never leaves unless she's with someone she knows."
Graham asked "Regina, when did you notice Henry was missing"?
Regina said "when the school called to say he hadn't come in".
Facing Emma Graham asked "and I'm guessing you're staying at Granny's inn and diner"?
Emma said "It was the closest Bed and Breakfast we could find".
Graham asked "when did you notice Tally was missing".
Emma said "when we woke up, granted we woke up rather late".
Graham said "of a morning I like to go to Granny's to get a coffee before work. Sometimes I notice Henry coming in. I'm guessing Tally wondered into the diner, saw Henry as someone she knows and followed him out. You did say she doesn't leave unless she's with someone she knows. My guess is wherever they are they're together".
Emma asked "so where does Henry like to go at the weekends, where does he enjoy to hang out"?
Regina asked "how should I know"?
Emma said "sorry, I thought you were his mother".
Emma's phone rang she took it out, saw it was Neal and accepted the call. "Please tell me you're calling because you found her".
On the other end he said "she's with Henry, I haven't approached them yet."
Emma said "she's with Henry".
Neal said "why don't you go over to his house and let his mother know he's fine and stay with her until I drop Henry off in a while and then we can go home".
Emma said "fine". She turned her phone off and said "Neal says he's fine and suggests we go to your house waiting for him to drop Henry off".
At the beach on Henry's castle Henry said "our mother is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, but she doesn't believe. But that's okay I know the hero never believes at first, if they did it wouldn't be a very good story".
Tally said "so if our mothers a princess you're Prince Henry and I'm Princess Tally"?
Henry signed thinking 'what are a three year old girls priorities '? and said "yes we're a prince and princess".
Then a voice said "I know I sure think so".
They saw Neal, Tally used the slide to get down and said "daddy".
Neal said "hey sugar plum, what were you two talking about"?
Tally said "mommy's mommy and daddy are Snow White and Prince Charming".
Neal sat down next to Henry and put Tally on his lap "I was hoping by bringing her here things would change and the final battle would begin".
Neal said "your mother might be good at battling people who don't pay bail but forces of evil, that's gonna take a little more time. I'm sorry if it was Emma you wanted to talk to".
Henry said "she's pushing me away because I make her guilty. I want her to know I know by giving me up she was trying to give me my best chance. It's the same reason Snow White gave her up".
Neal said "I'm sure she did, I mean no money, no help, no anything, not much of a chance for a newborn. You got a good life here with a mom who I can tell had no intention of giving you up".
Neal got down and put Tally down "please don't take me back there" Henry got down and ran out in front of Neal "I haven't got a good life, my life sucks".
Neal said "try having a mother who left you for no good reason,
being with a father who said he loves you then abandons you to fend for yourself. Or being with a step-father who begs you to stay with him and then hands you over to very bad people. Try those for a basis for comparison, now your mom, the one who raised you is trying her best, I know how hard it can be and I know you think she doesn't love you but from what I've seen which granted isn't much is better than the three parents I had put together".
Henry said "can you tell Emma what I said and convince her to stay for just one week so she can see I'm not crazy".
Neal said "I can try but I think if she's supposes to be here, she'll make that choice herself".
Regina opened the door and as Henry ran in Emma came out. "Thanks for bringing him home"
Neal said "no problem"
Emma said "you know yesterday was my birthday and when I blew the candle out on this cupcake I was looking at Tally and I wish I'd never given my other child up, then Henry was there".
Regina said "I hope there's misunderstanding here, don't mistake all this as invitation make into his life. You made your choice ten years ago and while you rekindle old flames", gesturing to Neal "and made a new family for yourself Henry is not part of and I changed every diaper, soothed every fever and endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him but he is my son". All the while Emma was trying to get a word in "you don't get to speak, you don't get to do anything, you gave up that right when you tossed him aside. You asked for a closed adoption so you have no legal right to Henry and I'm holding you to that. I suggest you get in your car and you leave or I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do".
As Regina turned away Neal said "alright my turn,".
Regina asked "excuse me"?
Neal said "I had three parents growing up who all acted like they loved me and I had no reason to doubt them. Well my parents at least my step-father was a little harder to believe. Ask me where they are now, go on ask me".
Regina asked "where are they"?
"Don't know, well I know my mom's dead, but I don't know when or where. As for both of my dad and step-dad, I really couldn't care less. For three people who said they loved me and should of loved me more than anything they left me alone in the world. I couldn't imagine the same for Tally so I'm asking do you love Henry"?
Regina said "of course I love him" and with that closed the door
Neal thought 'lips might say yes, but eyes say no'.
As they drove away Tally said "we are staying aren't we? We have to help Henry".
Emma said "I don't know, technically she has a point, I asked for a closed adoption so something like this wouldn't happen".
Neal said "Henry said he knows why you gave him up, to give him his best chance".
Emma said "three years ago there was a chance for a child to have a good life, ten years ago there was no chance".
Neal asked "do you think he got what you wanted him to have, keep in mind the kid has run off twice, that we know of and the first time was to a different state".
Tally said "mommy, you have to bring back the happy endings".
Emma said "maybe we could stay for a week or two like an early holiday".
Tally cried "yay".
They went back to granny's to rent the room for the next two weeks. Granny said "glad to see you're staying a little longer, mostly because we don't get many tourists. You know I don't think I got your names".
Emma said "this is our daughter Tally, my husband Neal, and my names Emma"
"Emma, what a lovely name" they turned around to see Mr. Gold.
Neal felt his heart jump into his throat.
Emma said "thanks".
He knelt down and said "and this little sweetheart is Tally". Tally shyed away from him as most children did. "and I believe your name is Neal. I must say have you ever been to Storybrooke before, you look familiar" He knew it was impossible but there was something so familiar about the saviours husband.
"No, we've never met before" Neal replied not ready for a reunion with his father.
Granny gave him the rent and Mr Gold left saying to the small family "enjoy your stay in to them the town clock gave it's first tick in Twenty Eight years.