Just realised I had this sitting in my folders basically finished! People who have me on alerts are going to hate me right now :/ Anyway as you've probably gathered this is my take on what could have happened had Neal never left Emma.

"Alright, August," Neal said warily, as the two men stood in a dark alley way. "If you're not a cop, who are you?" – this was more demanding – "and two minutes."

"Think of me as Emma's guardian angel," August replied still breathing heavily from having to chase Neal through the streets.

"Guardian Angel?" Neal almost laughed and voiced the only thing he could think to say to that response. "It seems you've been doing a pretty crap job."

"I've been looking for her for the past two years," August tried to defend himself but there was an underlying tone of anger to his voice. "Now I finally find her and she's robbing convenience stores with some deadbeat. Tell me again who's doing the crap job. "

Neal knew the life they had at the moment wasn't ideal and it sure as hell wasn't the life Emma deserved but that was all stopping now.

"Let me tell you something," Neal waved a hand. "I'm the best thing that's ever happened to her. Two years? Where were you the rest of her life?"

"I'm not perfect," August admitted and Neal almost snorted at the understatement. "This world: full of temptations. Turns out I'm not so great at saying no. I'm not built that way but I'm here now."

"Who are you?" Neal said angrily.

"We were in the same home as kids and I thought she'd be safe inside the system but now that she's out. Back then I promised that I would take care of her –"

"We're supposed to take care of each other," Neal disagreed in a way that suggested that they, that Emma, didn't need him.

"You love her," August breathed in realization. "Good. That means you have to do right by her."

"That's what I'm trying to do," Neal retorted, having done that since the moment he met her.

"Then leave her."

"Never."

They stared at each other for a while before August sighed heavily and tried another tactic.

"She has a destiny and you, this life, you're gonna keep her from it." Silence. "Okay, you believe in magic?"

"I take it you do," Neal said, wary once again.

"So will you. Trust me.

"I'm gonna show you something," August said walking towards his bike, "something that's gonna make you look at everything differently. When you see what I have in here," – he placed a hand on his bike – "you're going to listen, you're going to believe every word I say."

Neal, feeling rather in disagreement, joined him at standing by his bike and August open a large brown book sitting on the back.

As Neal went look in he added, "Yeah right."

However what he saw in there caused him to freeze before slowly pulling away from the box and its contents to look at August cautiously.

"Okay, I'm listening."

August nodded and smirked slightly.

"There's a curse and it needs to be broken. Emma is the key," Neal closed his eyes. "I was tasked with helping her on track and you, my friend, just got caught in the cross fire. Now, I'm going to tell you a story and, at the end of it, you're going to have to make a decision. Will you do the right thing, or not? So are you ready?"

Neal listened and believed as August went on to explain all about the curse, Emma parents – Snow White and Prince Charming, funny really because Neal had always thought Emma looked like a princess with her fair skin and golden hair – and what he wanted Neal to do.

"I'm trying to do what's best for Emma," August said as he finished and that caused Neal to snap after all he'd heard.

"And what's best for her is abandoning her? Fuck no! She has trust issues as it is!" Neal snapped, taking a deep breathe he continued. "You asked me to make a choice and I'm going to do the right thing …"

August smiled.

"I'm not abandoning, Emma," Neal said quietly but firmly causing August's face to drop. "So stay away from us."

Without allowing August to say anything else he spun on his heel and began walking to the edge of the street where, if he hurried, he'd still be able to catch the man he was selling the watches too.

"You're making a mistake," August called after him but Neal ignored him keeping up his fast pace.

"You did it?" Emma's voice called to him from the bug which was just in Neal's hearing range.

Neal's head turned towards the voice and a smile spread across his face as the saw Emma sat on top of their car, her hair tied up as usual and glasses positioned on her face. He waved the bag in his hand, which contained the money, and Emma beamed at him.

He jogged towards her and, when he was close enough, Emma jump off the car in one rather graceful leap and into his arms. Placing the money on top of the car, Neal wrapped his arms around her tightly, thinking about what August had said but knowing he'd never be able to let her go or live with himself if he sent her to jail. She was his light, his one constant thing amongst all the crap the world threw at him and them.

"Ready to start fresh?" Neal breathed into her hair.

Emma pulled back and grinned at him, "Hell yeah."

Neal laughed, picking her up by the waist and spun her around; Emma threw her head back and laughed.

"Neal!" she shrieked with happiness. "Put me down."

He did as she requested chuckling before kissing her, "thank you."

"What for?" Emma asked curiously as he let go of her to grab the money and get in the car.

"Don't worry," Neal said almost laughing at the expression on her face as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"Tallahassee here we come," Emma smiled choosing to let Neal be Neal and forget what he said.

"Yeah, they might need the warning," Neal laughed as he pulled out of the space they were parked in.

Woo! What do you think? This idea has been bouncing road in my head for ages and I've finally decided to write it up. I hope you like it x