As they'd settled in for bed the night before, Emma had told them of a weird older man with a cane collecting money. Neal had known immediately who it was. A man with a cane, collecting money with the name Gold? Yeah. It had to be his father. His suspicions were only confirmed that morning when he'd asked where to find Mr. Gold and the waitress at the diner had almost spilled her pot of coffee all over herself in her fear and surprise, stammering out directions to the pawn shop before hastily rushing to check another table.

Of course his father would end up with the name Gold if he was cursed to another world. The only problem was… if the people in this town were cursed to forget who they were, did that mean his father lacked his memories too?

Neal hadn't immediately thought of that when he'd thought about how to get Emma to Storybrooke. Honestly, he'd almost forgotten about that little promise to August entirely, and his father seemed like as good of an excuse as any to get them to the town.

So, he needed a plan to see if his father had found a loophole or not. He was Rumpelstiltskin after all, and despite his uneasy feelings towards the man, Neal knew one thing was certain, and that was his father loved a good loophole.

His stomach was in a knot as he made his way through the town, looking around at the people, all cursed, living a lie.

He recognized none of them. How long had it been since he'd left for The Land Without Magic? Where was - his stomach clenched again - where was Morraine?

"Oh darn it! I could have sworn I put it back in here!" a woman groaned, distracting him from his thoughts.

He blinked, shaking his dark thoughts from his mind and glanced at the woman sitting on a bench outside a boutique.

"Hey, everything alright?"

The woman looked up, and it took everything in Neal to not gape at her. Her eyes were the exact same shade as Emma's, her chin the same shape.

"Oh, yes, I think so I just… I think I lost my credit card is all," the woman said, frowning as she shuffled through her purse again. "It's a shame too, I was hoping to buy some new clothes today."

Neal frowned a little. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you just left it at home?" he suggested.

"I must have. It's just the strangest thing. I could have sworn I put it back in my wallet after I paid my bills…" she murmured, taking another look through her purse before sighing again. "Sorry, do I know you?"

He shook his head, giving her a lopsided grin. "No, probably not. My family and I are new in town. We're here for the weekend."

"Visitors? Really?" the woman seemed surprised as she rose to her feet and slung her purse over her shoulder. "I don't think we've had a visitor since…" she frowned then. "Well, as long as I can remember."

There was something about that phrase that made his stomach shift uncomfortably again. "Really? No idea why. It's a beautiful town. You guys could make a lot of money in the tourist industry. I should set up my camera and take a bunch to show my bosses."

"You're a photographer?"

He nodded. "Yeah, in Boston, but I get sent up and down the coast for work all the time."

"Sounds like an exciting life," she said with a kind smile. "I should get going. It was nice to meet you - "

"Cassidy. Neal Cassidy. And it was nice to meet you too…"

"Mary-Margaret Blanchard."

Neal smiled. "Mary-Margaret."

With a small wave, the woman turned and headed in the opposite direction, while Neal continued to the pawn shop.

He looked up at the sign swaying slightly in the cool breeze. He knew, technically, that he'd only aged 15 years since he'd last seen his father, but… with how long he'd spent in Neverland, it had to have been much longer than that.

His hands shook as he pushed the door open, the bell betraying any going back now as the sound of the cane drew near.

Neal had never even practiced what he'd say to his father after he saw him again after so long. Frankly, he never thought he would ever see this day, but being tangled up with The Savior - whatever vague title that was - meant confronting the past he thought he left behind.

As his father rounded the corner, Neal felt almost breathless. There was no more gold skin, no more lizard-like eyes, no insane giggling or waving his hands.

Just Papa.

"Are you Mr. Gold?" Best to start simply, right?

"I am indeed. Can I help you with something?"

Neal swallowed heavily, looking around the shop, and froze when he saw the familiar ball behind the glass case. "You still have it… I can't believe it," he murmured.

Papa frowned, following his gaze. "The ball? It's familiar to you?"

"It - it was mine. A long time ago…"

"That's impossible, dearie. This ball has been in my possession as long as I can remember. And I certainly don't remember you."

That hurt, but Neal tried to not let it show on his face. "This town sure makes a change from the Frontlands," he remarked casually. "With the rolling hills and the little huts all over the place and the terrifying thought of being a child soldier."

"You can't be - "

"But most of all, I remember dangling over a portal, begging you to come with me to the Land Without Magic. Wanting you to be better. Thinking you would do it for me."

The cane clattered to the floor.

"Bae?"

He nodded slowly. "It's me, Papa."

"Oh - oh my boy… I thought - I was so afraid I'd never find you again…"

"You're not cursed?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "No, I woke up last night when I met the Savior. But how did you find this place?"

"About ten years ago I ran into a man. He knew who I was and explained everything to me. He told me I needed to leave Emma, but I managed to convince him that I'd get her back here to her family. To help you all."

"He - he knew everything? I didn't see that at all… but - you knew the savior? How?"

Neal held up his hand, his wedding band glinting in the light. "I guess destiny has a funny way of bringing me back to you, because I fell in love with her and married her."

Rumpel looked like he was about to pass out, gripping the counter tighter. "M - married?!"

"Papa, you look like you've seen a ghost. Is it really so bad that I've gotten married? I'm 28 for God's sake."

"It's not your wedding that's surprising me, Bae. This isn't the future I saw before the curse, Bae. I saw her alone, being led here by her son… Now I understand why Mr. Gold was attempting to convince the mayor to adopt a boy instead of a girl. I thought something was wrong."

Neal frowned. "So - so that means we changed the future?"

Rumpel nodded slowly. "Yes. And now there's no telling what might happen."

A low whistle escaped him. "Okay… then I guess we go with whatever the cards are going to deal us."

"I don't like the thought of that."

The word 'coward' was on the tip of Neal's tongue, but he held it back. "Papa, this is what everyone else deals with. Welcome to the Land Without Magic. Or, the Land Without Psychic Powers."

Rumpel sighed. "I suppose I've lived twenty-eight years without my powers. But still… who knows what else might change about the curse." He leaned back, tapping his fingers against the counter. "Though, it might not matter seeing as there have already been some - Baelfire, get in the back room."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. I will explain later. Keep yourself hidden."

Neal stared at the clipped tone his father was using, but wordlessly obeyed, moving behind the curtain, and moments later, the bell chimed again as someone entered the shop.

"Good morning, Madam Mayor, Roxana. What can I do for you today?"

"Roxana noticed you had a Mickey Mouse statue in your inventory last night when we were walking by. Do you still have it?" a woman's voice asked.

"Oh, yes, I believe you're talking about this one, is that right?"

Neal kept himself hidden behind a shelving unit as he kept listening to the conversation, until the woman asked to step outside with his father. Neal frowned at that, something in his gut not trusting this "mayor", but still, he remained hidden. It wouldn't be the first time he had to hide from someone, after all.

One might call him an expert at hiding places.

"Who are you?"

Except when it came to kids, apparently.

Neal gave the girl a wary look. "Neal. Who are you?"

"Roxana Mills. I'm the mayor's daughter. What are you doing back here?"

"Mr. Gold offered to help me look for something, but he got sidetracked when you and your mom came in."

"You're not from here."

Shit, the kid was good. "No, I'm not. I came here with my family from Boston."

"Is Emma with you?"

How did she know about Emma?! "Uh - "

"Roxana! What are you doing back here?"

A woman appeared - Madam Mayor he realized - with his father taking up the rear.

"I was just talking to his man, mom…"

The mayor looked up, surprised. "Oh… I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

Neal kept his voice even. "We haven't, I'm not from here. My family and I were just taking a weekend away from the big city. Neal Cassidy."

"Regina Mills, the mayor. What brings you to Mr. Gold's though?"

Neal frowned a little. "I was looking for something - a family artefact my father stole when he abandoned me. I was hoping it'd be here. Sounds crazy, I know, but I've been looking for years and I'm desperate."

That seemed to trigger a reaction in Regina, although she masked it quickly. "Oh. I see. Well, I hope you find it. We won't take up anymore of your time. Come on, Roxana."

Roxana gave Neal a small wave before retreating with her mother.

His father waited for a moment, until the door closed firmly before speaking. "That lie was perfectly crafted."

"I'm pretty good at coming up with cover stories," Neal said with a shrug. "It's how I've survived this long. Speaking of long… Papa, how long has it been since that night?"

His father's gaze darkened slightly. "Bae -"

"It's Neal."

"... Neal, don't think about that. Just focus on helping your wife break the curse, and how we're reunited."

"How long, Papa?"

His father looked sad as he answered. "It's been three-hundred years."

Neal felt his legs buckle, barely catching himself on an empty display case. "Three - ?!"

"Morraine lived a long, happy life, Bae. I watched out for her, when I could. Her descendant ended up being crowned the king of Corona."

His eyes closed. Dead. His best friend from the Enchanted Forest was dead. Neal knew that was a possibility - time never moved in Neverland, after all, but three hundred years… there was no one in the village left alive.

It was no wonder he hadn't recognized anyone so far in Storybrooke.

He took a deep, calming breath and looked up at his father. "Three-hundred years. And… I assume you're still the Dark One if you managed to avoid death this long."

"I am."

"God, seriously? I've been gone for three-hundred years and no one figured out how to break your curse?!" Neal asked.

"I just wanted to find you. You are my son, I would live a thousand years if it meant figuring out where you were…" his father replied. "When you become a father -"

"I have."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked several times. "You what?"

"I have a son. He's ten. And Emma and I are working on adopting our foster daughter."

"A daughter and a son… oh my boy, I'm so happy…"

"They don't know that's why we're here. I just told them we were on a road trip."

His father furrowed his brows. "You - didn't tell them? What about Emma?"

"Emma knows I wanted to see you, but she doesn't know about the curse."

"Why not?"

"Because dad, telling my wife I'm the son of Rumpelstiltskin and she's the savior of a magical land of fairy tales sounds a bit crazy to say even for me!" Neal snapped. "Why was it Emma, anyway? Why not someone else?"

His father adjusted the grip on his cane. "Because the curse was cast as an act of revenge against Emma's mother. Their only option was to send Emma to this world to save her, and them. Her mother was supposed to come with her, but your darling wife decided to make her debut early," his father flashed his hand like he'd done as the Dark One and Neal felt his teeth clench. "Although, that wardrobe was supposed to fit two, so I still don't fully understand why she didn't have her mother with her."

Neal closed his eyes. "August."

"What?"

"He's the man I was telling you about before. The one who knew who I was and knew Emma needed to get here to break the curse," Neal explained with a frown. "He was supposed to be Emma's guardian but…"

"But?"

"Emma and I were both living on the streets when we met. We had to steal to make ends meet, alright? It's not easy just popping into a new world when you don't have any sort of ID, or when you're an orphan that's been abandoned by almost everyone in your life."

"How are you alive, Baelfire?" his father asked, dread in his voice.

"The portal dropped me in London originally. I stayed there for a few months with a family called the Darlings… but then Pan found them."

His father went white.

"I went in place of Wendy's little brother. You were right, Papa. It was hell. Between Pan and Hook… I don't know which one was worse."

"Hook. You met Hook?"

"He saved me. He and his brother let me stay on his ship until I found out the truth about Mama and he figured out I was your son. He made a deal with the Lost Boys and they took me away," he explained, clenching his fists. "I only got back to this world fifteen years ago… and I met Emma four years later."

Rumpelstiltskin looked a little overwhelmed. "You suffered so much. Oh Bae, this isn't what I wanted for you. Because of my cowardice… you suffered a great deal."

Neal looked around the crowded back room of the shop. "Despite everything, I wouldn't change it. Emma and the kids are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"That's fatherhood, my boy…" he replied, reaching for his hand. Neal accepted, squeezing it gently. "I'm just glad to know you're okay."

The silence that settled over the room was comfortable as Neal stood with his father, reunited at long last.

This town was something out of a cheesy Lifetime movie, Emma was quickly beginning to realize. There was a bakery, a newspaper office with a fading sign, an animal shelter, a garage that Emma could just picture being the framing for a "high society city girl meets rugged small town boy" Christmas movie.

It was fine, but it left Emma almost feeling antsy. Small towns had never been her favorite when she'd been in the system. Everyone knowing everyone's business was not the idea of a good time for her.

But Neal had wanted to meet his father, and while Emma still didn't fully understand why considering what he'd told her about the man, she had of course agreed.

The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves, at least, although she noted Audrey was more quiet than usual.

"Where's Dad?" Henry asked as the trio idly strolled down the Storybrooke streets.

"He went to get some pictures for work. You know how he gets when he's in the zone with his camera," Emma replied, the lie slipping easily from her tongue.

Henry laughed. "Yeah… hey, maybe we can go to that food truck for lunch instead of Granny's. It's in the parking lot of the arcade…"

"You just want to go to the arcade, don't you?" Audrey asked with a small smile.

Henry simply shrugged.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Alright, we can eat at the food truck for lunch."

"Do you think we could go to the bakery too?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, of course we can. We might as well check out what this little town has to offer, right?"

"Emma?"

The voice sent a cold streak of fear down her back. No. It couldn't possibly be her, could it?

"It is you, isn't it?"

Damn it all, of course it was.

"Mom, who's that?" Henry asked quietly.

Emma shook her head, pulling her wallet out and slipping Henry and Audrey each a $20. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you meet me at the arcade, huh? I'll call your dad and let him know where we'll be."

The two gave her a look of concern, but went off in the direction of the arcade.

"What the hell, Ingrid?" Emma asked, whirling around to face her former foster mother before stumbling back in shock. "How - what?"

She looked like she hadn't aged a day.

"Oh, it's that sweet country air sweetheart," Ingrid said, giving Emma a wide smile. "It's so, so wonderful to see you again."

"You should be in prison for what you did to me."

Ingrid stepped back. "But… Emma, I didn't mean to harm you. I just wanted you to reach your true potential… and now you're here on your 28th birthday, just like it was written…"

"By shoving me into oncoming traffic? I loved you, Ingrid. I really thought you could be my family! And what the hell do you mean by my birthday? My husband wanted us to come here to see his father, that's all."

"His father is rumored to be the Dark One. Emma, you shouldn't be with him."

Emma saw red. "You don't know a damn thing about my husband, or about me! Just stay away from me."

Without giving Ingrid room to speak, Emma stomped off in the direction of her children.

"Are you okay, Emma?" Audrey asked, sitting at a picnic table, a grilled cheese in front of her. Snoopy was at her feet, looking up with wide eyes.

Emma exhaled, bending down to scratch Snoopy behind the ears. "Yeah, I'm alright Audrey. Just saw someone I didn't expect to see."

"Why didn't you want Henry and I to meet her?"

"Because she was from a part of my past I'd rather forget," Emma admitted. "Where is Henry, anyway?"

"He's inside. I asked him if he was hungry, but he said he just wanted to play games."

Emma sighed. "He takes after his father too much. Alright, I'll go get him. You're good here?"

"I have grilled cheese and french fries. What could be better?"

"Onion rings, for starters," Emma smirked, before retrieving Henry from the arcade. "Hey kid, come on, let's get something to eat."

She was surprised to see Henry engrossed in a book with a girl around his age.

"Henry?"

"Oh! Hi Mom!"

"Who's your friend?" she asked with a smile.

"This is Roxana. She's got a cool book of fairy tales! You're in here too!"

Emma let out a soft laugh. "Let me guess, I'm the Swan Princess because my last name growing up was Swan?"

"No, you're the savior who's going to break the curse on this town," Roxana explained, beaming.

Emma blinked several times, trying to register what the girl said. "Yeah… okay kid."

"But you are!" Roxana insisted, flipping to the back of the book. "Look! That's you, right? Henry said you have a blanket just like that!"

Emma squinted a little, but looked down at the book, feeling her heart stop when she saw the familiar blanket.

That couldn't be right. That was insane.

"Look, Roxana, I don't think I'm the right savior for the job. I don't have magic, I don't know how to use a sword or anything else these fairy tale characters can do," Emma explained gently. No sense is breaking a stranger child's heart after all. "Now, Henry and I really do have to go, okay?"

Roxana nodded a little, before brightening. "It was nice to meet you Henry, Emma!"

Emma smiled and led Henry out of the arcade. She sent Neal a quick text asking him if he wanted anything from the food truck. He'd texted her back saying it was okay for them to come by and meet his dad.

Emma, frankly, was in shock their meeting had gone well, but agreed.

"Mom, where are we going?" Henry asked. "And why do you have two orders from the food truck?"

"Maybe Neal was just that hungry. They do have great grilled cheese and fries," Audrey joked.

She laughed as Henry pushed the door to the shop open.

"Hey you three," Neal said with a wide smile. "Henry, Audrey, Emma… this is my father, Arthur."

"Grandpa?!" Henry cried with a wide smile. "This is awesome!"

"It's nice to meet you," Audrey said, her voice a little distant.

Emma simply gave him a curt nod, not early as trusting. "Here's your food."

"Thanks Em."

"Ah, I recognize you now," Arthur said. "You were the woman checking into the inn, right?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. You're the one Ruby and Granny were afraid of."

"That is the downside of being a landlord, I'm afraid," he mused, taking a bite out of the chicken sandwich she'd ordered for him. "Ah… Audrey, wasn't it? Did you see something you'd like?"

Audrey had stopped, frozen in front of a display case with a Pokemon plush inside of it. "Um. Yeah… that Vulpix doll. Can I have it?"

"Of course, free of charge," Arthur said, pulling the doll out of the case and sliding it to her.

Audrey picked it up and immediately jolted back.

"Audrey?"

"For God's sake, Renata! I told you Audrey's recital was tonight. What the hell were you thinking?!" Li snapped.

"Hey, I told you it was Lacey's birthday and we were celebrating with Ruby!" Renata replied. "I promised I'd be there and I was!"

"In the middle of the show. Drunk as you three slid into the back of the auditorium. What if Audrey's teacher had seen? She could have gotten kicked out of her program!"

Audrey cowered in her bed, her Vulpix doll clutched in her hands. She didn't want to be here anymore. She couldn't. She loved her moms, but she couldn't stand the fighting.

She needed to run.

In the middle of the night, Audrey packed a small backpack of clothes and ran into the woods. No one had ever left Storybrooke before. But she had to. She needed to.

She managed to.

Audrey Dale was the one cursed individual who escaped from Storybrooke, but as with anything, magic came with a price.

Her memories of Storybrooke were stolen from her, and the lost little girl who stumbled up to the lobster shack only knew one thing:

Run.

"Audrey!"

She let go of the Vulpix, heart pounding against her chest.

"I have to go…" she whispered. "I can't go back there."

She bolted from Mr. Gold's - God, how could she have forgotten Mr. Gold of all people?! - and ran for the familiar woods behind the shop.

She could hear Emma and Neal behind her, calling out for her and Snoopy howling in confusion, but she didn't stop. She needed to get out of here. She couldn't go back to the Dales. She wanted to stay with Emma and Neal, but she couldn't stay here.

She didn't realize there was a steep drop until she hit it, her ankle twisting the wrong way as she fell down the ravine.

"AUDREY!" Emma screamed, grabbing her hand and stopping her fall.

She trembled as her foster parents pulled her back up, pulling her into their welcoming, warm embrace.

"Audrey, it's okay. We've got you."

"Don't send me back there," she whispered. "Please…"

"We won't…" Neal said. "But we do need to get you to the hospital."

Audrey wanted to protest, but her mind was swimming, and instead, she slumped, defeated into Emma's arms.