So I had a bit of writers block with Stardust. Nothing big, I just had to think up a chapter or two worth of filler before I get to the next really emotional chapter. Don't worry, as I started writing this, the ideas clicked into place.

This is based on a request I saw on Tumblr for a Manhattan speculation fic. I've tried to keep it as cannon as possible with the spoilers that have been leaked. If you don't like spoilers, please hit your back button now.

If you're still with me, this is a three-shot (maybe four, depending on the way the chapters all divide up). Enjoy and thanks again to my lovely beta Noam!

Let me know what you think!

Emma knew she should consider herself lucky that what Gold had asked for was relatively harmless, but that didn't stop her from being pissed. She had been back from the remnants of a post-apocalyptic fairy tale land for less than a week before Gold decided to cash in his favor.

A part of her was relieved that she hadn't been asked for more. If there was one thing she had learned since the curse broke, it was that Gold was unpredictable and dangerous. He had brought magic here and risked Henry to do so.

And that was why, no matter how much it killed her to be separated from Henry so quickly, she had told the kid the he couldn't come with her. He had begged and pleaded and she had almost given in, but she had held steady. Gold was dangerous and for all she knew his kid was worse. She couldn't risk having him around that.

Honestly though, she would have rather have the kid with her. His constant chatter would be infinitely better than sitting in silence next to a nervous Rumplestiltskin for eight hours. Emma didn't know what magic he worked to cross the border and really she didn't care. She just wanted this over with…preferably quickly. Half way through she was ready to kill him. He just sat there looking out the window and bouncing his leg.

After four hours of this, Emma's nerves were shot. It was time to do something drastic.

"So how old is this kid of yours supposed to be?" Making small talk with Gold should better than nothing, right?

Gold slowly looked over, almost dazed, like Emma's words had brought him out of deep thought. "That's difficult to say."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Really, Gold? You're going to have to do better than that."

For a second Emma thought Gold wouldn't answer but he just sighed and licked his lips before replying. "Bae was fourteen when we…were separated, but I don't know how old he is now. He could still be that fourteen year old boy he was when he left, or he could be much older."

"Wait a minute," Emma said, taking her eyes off the road just long enough to give him an incredulous look, "this entire curse existed to find this kid, and you don't even know how old he is? What if he's dead and all this was for nothing?"

Gold's eyes narrowed and Emma knew he had to have considered this before.

"He's not dead," his voice was tight, like he was struggling not to hiss the words at her, "When I created the spell to bring everyone here, I used a bit of his hair to anchor it to a time when he would be alive; otherwise we very well could have come through hundreds of years apart."

"It's been twenty-eight years since that spell was cast. A lot could've happened." It was cruel really, but Emma was having fun messing with Gold. It wasn't like there was much else she could do to get back at him for the timing of his favor…among other things.

"I'm well aware of that, Miss Swan," he said, not even trying to keep the contempt out of his voice, "but the spell I used to track him to Manhattan wouldn't have worked at all if he…"Gold couldn't say the word.

"Whatever," Emma muttered, "our deal is done even if he's in a nursing home or something. As long as it doesn't take as long as you seem to think…"

"I'm afraid I don't follow you, Miss Swan." He said, and Emma could tell he genuinely didn't understand.

That was the first hint that something was amiss, but she couldn't place exactly what, so she decided to continue and see where this conversation took them.

"If you didn't expect this to take so long, why did you pack such a big suitcase?" She said motioning to the backseat, where a huge, old-fashioned suitcase that looked like it was made out of carpet and an old lady's discarded wallpaper sat on the seat.

"That's not mine."

It took a few seconds for everything to register in her brain. If it wasn't his then…

She narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips, coming to a sickening conclusion and pulling over at the first possible opportunity. It wasn't hers and it wasn't Gold's, but it was there for a reason and if it better not be what she thought it was.

"Miss Swan?" Gold asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the visitor's center and Emma suspected he had come to the same conclusion she had…if he hadn't been in on it.

Emma got out of the bug, and jerked the driver's seat forward. Taking a deep breath, she unzipped the suitcase; already sure of what she would see.

Henry lay curled up asleep with a throw pillow and a little blanket, and Emma noticed that the corner had been cracked just enough to let in a fresh air supply.

A part of Emma was proud of the kid. After all, a good part of her life was dedicated to being sneaky, and he was doing a pretty good job of out doing both her and—she cut herself off there. Some things were better left unsaid…and unthought of.

Emma wanted to smack the affectionate amusement off of Gold's face, but somehow managed to restrain herself. Without a word, she took out her phone and snapped a quick picture before yelling her son's name.

Henry's head shoot up and he looked around, rubbing his eyes. "We there yet?"

Emma stood, arms crossed, staring at her son in furry.

"Henry?" Gold asked, his voice taking on a paternal kind of affection, "Where do your grandparents think you are?"

Henry looked down. "I told them I was staying with my mom."

"Henry!" Emma hissed, and the boy shrunk back.

"I just didn't want to lose you again. I just got you back." Emma wanted to be mad at him—really she should be—but she couldn't bring herself to yell at him. Hadn't she felt the same? She had just been trying to keep him safe.

"Are you going to take me back?" Henry muttered, looking down. The kid was playing her, Emma knew this, but that didn't change the results.

She sighed. "We're already over half way there."

Henry smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in an all too familiar way.

"Let's get this ugly thing into the trunk first," Emma muttered, popping it, "Where'd you get it anyways?"

Henry shrugged, grabbing the other end to push it out the door, "found it in the back of Mary-Margret's closet. It was filled with books with shirtless guys on the covers. They all had pages bent over."

Emma stilled and inwardly shuddered. Henry had found her mother's stash of Harlequins? Oh god. At least it wasn't conventional porn; that would have led to far harder questions to answer, and honestly, a part of her hoped Regina had already had 'the talk' with him, because that was something no parent wanted to do. If it came down to it, maybe she could ask David to talk to him…yeah, that would work.

"Why would anyone do that?" Henry asked her.

"Dog ear the pages? I guess she liked those parts." Emma bet she did. All those years with David in a comma, and she…was her mother. Emma shuddered again, still not used to the thought.

"No. I meant have so many books like that."

"You'll have to ask her." Emma muttered, deflecting the question as she motioned for Henry to get into the back of the bug.

Emma slid back into the driver's seat and looked over. Gold was laughing into his sleeve. To his credit, he was at least trying not to encourage the kid with his reaction, but that didn't keep Emma from noticing the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. Just like Henry. Just like….

Damn it. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she seeing Neal everywhere?

It didn't matter. All that mattered now was getting this stupid errand over with and getting back to her family. Easy, right?

"Hey kid," Emma said, taking out her cell phone and tossing it onto the seat beside Henry. "If you're coming with us, you're going to have to be the one to call David and Marry-Margaret and tell them what you did."

Henry sighed; not looking happy about it, but wisely didn't say anything.

"And you have to tell Regina, too."

Emma watched in the rearview mirror as Henry's face fell. Regina had been just as adamant about Henry staying in Storrybrooke as Emma had been. Good. She can yell at the kid.

They parked at a hotel at the edge of the city, and took a cab the rest of the way. Emma didn't want to drive around, lost in New York. She didn't have the patience for that. Luckily for her, Gold took her suggestion in stride.

The spell had given them an address—some small apartment building in little Italy, and Emma had to wonder why Gold even needed her to come along in the first place. But whatever. It paid a debt.

Emma pretended not to notice the slight shake in Gold's stance. He was nervous as hell and, in a way, Emma could relate. If she had known Henry was coming that day, she probably would have ran; but if she had somehow managed to keep herself from bolting, it would have been just as bad for her.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked, looking up at Gold.

"It's just…what if he doesn't want to see me?"

Really? He dragged them all the way out here to chicken out now? Oh hell no.

"That's what I thought when I went to find Emma, but you won't know until you try." It was odd seeing Henry giving Gold advice like that, but it was strangely fitting. Emma couldn't pretend it didn't hurt to hear Henry talk about self-doubts he had never before mentioned. Doubts that always had to have been there.

"How did you do it?" Gold whispered, sounding more vulnerable then Emma was comfortable with. "How did you face the possibility that she would reject you?"

Emma's heart constricted at the memory. How she had pushed him away to begin with. It had been for his own good, of course…and so she didn't have to face her guilt…but that didn't make it any easier to think about how much it would've hurt him.

Henry smiled his smug little smile, "I didn't give her a chance."

Gold gave a brittle smile and nodded. He took a deep breath and walked towards the door, ran his fingers over the brass nameplates, and pressed the button by the correct apartment.

"Baelfire?" he asked tentatively, his voice shaking.

"Fuck." A voice called from the other end, and the line went dead. There was something familiar about the voice, but Emma didn't let herself dwell on it. It was probably just some subtle similarities to Gold's she was picking up on.

The pain on Gold's face was so blatant and raw that Emma couldn't help but feel for him…not that she completely blamed this Baelfire for his reaction. From all she had heard, Gold was quite the character before coming to Storybrooke. Even more then he was now.

Emma had wondered why he didn't bring his girlfriend with him for moral support. Wouldn't that be more fitting for a family affair? Gold had actually given her one of his rare straight answers when she asked. Things were going to be awkward enough without introducing the boy to his possible new stepmom…a step mom who very well could be younger than him. Small steps.

There was a banging noise coming from the side of the building' and they moved a few feet to the right to see what it was. A man wearing a dark hoody came bounding down the fire escape.

Gold's face lit up, no doubt expecting his son to come rushing into his arms like something out of a daytime drama, complete with overly dramatic background music. Not quite. Bae jumped over the railing, completely ignoring the existence of the last few steps and landing on his feet before taking off at full speed…in the opposite direction.

Emma sighed. In a way she saw this coming. As much right as the guy had to his issues with his father, Emma wanted to get home, and that wasn't going to happen if they had to play a game of "where's Baelfire" in the middle of Manhattan.

"Watch him." She said to Gold, motioning to Henry as she took off like a bat out of hell after Baelfire.

She actually hadn't missed this part of old her job—chasing criminals down city streets. Emma wouldn't deny it could be fun when she had things planned out beforehand. Maybe boot the bastard's car, so she could just stroll up to the scum and get what she came for. But when she wasn't prepared that's when things really sucked.

That trip to the Enchanted Forest had gotten her back into shape after months of a relatively cushy desk job, so chasing after the fool wasn't as bad as it could have been. But what in the world had possessed her to wear a skirt today? Oh right. She had been trying to dress a bit more like Mary-Margaret in an attempt for not being able to call her 'Mom' just yet. Real smart, but it wasn't like she had planned a chasse today.

After two blocks, and just as many alleys, she called out to him, "Damn it, Baelfire, stop!"

She hadn't expected him to listen. They almost never do, but he did. He stopped and turned his head almost as if he recognized her voice.

Unfortunately for both of them, Emma had been steadily gaining ground so that when he stopped there hadn't been much room between them. With a solid thud, Emma barreled into him, sending him flying face first into the plethora of trash. The first thing she noticed about him was that he was solid and muscular, not the rather stringy build of Gold. The second was his scent. A musky mix of heat and soap and something else—something that was just him.

Something she could never forget, no matter how much she wished to. No matter how much she tried.

In that moment she knew who he was, even before he got up, and even before she saw his face. Her stomach twisted at the Irony…or was it all part of the story…all part of Gold's plain.

"Neal?" She whispered.

Emma didn't believe in god, not really. She had long ago decided that if he did exist, he didn't care about people in general, and certainly not her. If he did, she would have had one person—just one—in her life who loved her, because for so long all she had known was abandonment.

That didn't stop her from praying in that single nanosecond to whatever higher power would listen, that she was wrong. That this wasn't him. That her life wasn't coming crashing down around her head for the umpteenth time because of him.

He slid his hand around to rub his neck and in the process push his hood back.

He hadn't changed a bit. Not really. It was still the same eyes, the same smile, as it was ten years ago…as she was forced to see reflected every day in Henry's face.

"Emma?"