Author's Note:

Hi, I want to appologize for the long wait in this series. Once school ended for the semester I kind of lost my drive for writing for a bit considering I'd been on a SwanThief role non-stop since I started writing ST stories going back as December so I kind of needed the break.

I hope this next chapter (and final one for 'Mending of a Broken Heart') will satisfy you until I start writing the conclusion to the series in part 3. :)

6. The Portal

Once the Tamara and Greg situation was handled Emma and her parents had gone to the apartment, Regina showing up shortly after. They had, in simple terms, explained to Henry that their enemies were no longer an issue and to prove it David showed Henry the beans.

The kid wasted no time in getting ready to go, having a bag packed long before they got home.

"We packed some things for you too," Ruby said handing a bag each to Emma, Mary Margaret, and Regina.

Ruby took a step toward Emma. "I don't know Neal well but I hope you find him," she said going to hug her niece because for all intent and purposes that's who Emma was to her.

Emma embraced her aunt and thanked her.

They all turned at the sound of the door opening.

"Well you're not leaving without me," Gold said to them, Belle by his side.

"I thought you didn't care about your son," Emma shot at him.

Gold took a step forward. "It wasn't my son that I feared Miss Swan." He glanced at Henry for a quick second and then back at Emma. "You see a long time ago I was told of a prophecy and since then I've been conflicted."

"What kind of prophecy," asked Regina.

"It doesn't matter right now," Gold replied. "The point is I've had to make a choice and I've made it and if what my grandson wants is to have his father back then I'll be happy to help. I've spent too long at odds with my own boy to let some prophecy interfere with that regardless of what it's said to be."

"Then what are we waiting for," Mary Margaret asked, "Let's go."

"Wait," said Gold, pulling out a vial and a small piece of paper. "Our guests most likely weren't alone. Sooner or later the people they worked for will find out what happened to them." He handed the items to Ruby against his better judgment. He would have rather handed them to Belle but since she still didn't have her memories back he couldn't fully trust her. "These will help to bring Storybrooke to its former ways, back to when the world didn't know it existed. Magic will still exist but here only. It cannot leave and no one will be able to enter," he said to Ruby. "There is just one thing I ask of you."

"Name it," said Ruby.

"Find a way to restore Belle's memories. I would but I'm out of time. My son needs his family."

Ruby nodded despite her previous issues with Gold. "You have my word."

Gold smiled and nodded.

"There's just one more thing," said Emma. "Now that we have the beans how are we supposed to find him?"

Gold smiled, "That's your job Miss Swan."

Gold elaborated a bit more and then they said their goodbyes.

The family of six stood in the woods. Emma pulled out the yellow dream catcher that she had found in Neal's room at Granny's.

"I brought it like you asked," she said to Gold, "Something that connected the two of us."

Gold smiled, "And here you said it was nothing."

Emma just shrugged, "Yeah well…So how is this supposed to work?"

Gold walked over to Emma and took her hand, pricking her finger on a tiny needle. A drop of blood seeped to the center of the dream catcher.

"Now close your eyes and focus on him," said Gold.

She looked at him skeptically, "That easy?"

Gold nodded. Emma took a look at her son and he smiled giving her some strength she hadn't known she needed until now and did as Gold said.

Everything came spiraling in her mind at first: Neal being gunned down by Tamara, them slipping into the green pit and Emma holding onto a piece of plywood and Neal for dear life not wanting to let go and then Neal letting go of her hand as he fell into the void but the images didn't stop there this time.

Emma could feel herself inside Neal, as if her mind was connected to his and she was inside his body. She could feel his strong body go limp from the weakness of the bullet and what seemed like an endless fall. It was pitched black but the spiraling had stopped so she must have landed but where? There were voices in the distant, muffled at first and then growing closer.

She could feel a small breath on her but she couldn't make out what it was, her eyes, Neal's eyes, were still closed.

"Meeko," said the young fair skinned girl, "Get away from him!"

Emma thought for a moment, 'Meeko,' hadn't that been the name of a dog or a bird in some Disney movie she watched?

"This again,"-

Emma recognized the voice as Mulan's but she couldn't be quite sure especially when she heard a voice that was unfamiliar.

Pocahontas turned to Mulan. "You've seen this before?"

And then Emma did hear a third voice: Aurora.

"Once," said Aurora. "Do you think he's from Storybrooke," she asked Mulan.

Emma opened her eyes only this time they weren't Neal's. She saw her family looking at her, waiting. She placed the dream catcher in her pack and then smiled particularly at Henry.

"You were right kid," she simply said to him.

"He's alive!" said Henry. "I knew it, I knew it!"

Emma spoke more to herself in a barely audible whisper. "They found him. They're taking care of him."

"Who?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Mulan and Aurora," she said as she returned a smile that Mary Margaret was giving her, both thankful that their friends were with Neal. "There was someone else too but I'm not sure who it was."

"Guess we're going to find out," Mary Margaret replied.

The family of six all gathered round and held hands. Emma took hold of Henry's left hand and in her right was one of the beans. Gold had made it clear at the apartment that they should hold onto each other so as to not get separated.

Emma took a glance at her parents, Henry, Gold and Regina and her parents nodded to her. Taking a deep breath, Emma tossed the bean in front of them creating the same green portal that she had seen recently. As one they jumped, letting the portal swirl them to where true love waited.

To Be Concluded in Part 3