#I’ve had Oh Ana by Mother Mother stuck in my head a lot lately | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mystical-flute · 4 years

Text

Black Coffee & Pumpkin Pie: Chapter 5

AO3 || Buy Me a Coffee

The downside to asking someone to a dance was going shopping for new clothes for said dance. While Neal had a suit, it didn't seem to be enough for Jefferson, who had dragged him to a clothing store and was insisting on a tuxedo, instead of a regular suit. It was only a few days until the dance, so Jefferson had been very pushy.

"So, did you find a date to the ball?"

"Uh, yeah. I asked Emma, actually. We've decided that she's going to wear purple and I'm going to accet her."

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "Emma Nolan?"

"Yeah? What of it?"

"Nothing. I'm just glad you found a date. I didn't realize you had been getting that close to her."

He shrugged. "Well, she and I just started talking, and I offered to help her plan her trip to New Orleans with her friends."

Jefferson nodded. "Ah that's right. I've heard they're very excited to go. That was really nice of you to offer. I'm sure you were able to give them places they never would have thought of."

"How did you know that?"

"Captain Lucas-Fa was talking about it. Her daughters are part of the group going."

"Jefferson, darling! What brings you here? I thought we had you fitted for a tuxedo a couple weeks ago. Don't tell me there's a problem with what you bought," a blonde woman said with a small frown as she approached them.

Laughter escaped Jefferson as he clapped Neal on the shoulder. "Not at all, Ana. My tux is perfectly fine, so is Victor's. I'm here to help Neal here find a tuxedo. He's our newest firefighter and he had the nerve to invite Emma Nolan to be his date."

"Oh! Well that's exciting. We'll make sure to find you the perfect suit then," she said with a smile. "You can just go straight on back. Cyrus will take all your measurements. If you need anything just come find me. I'm Anastasia, the owner."

Neal nodded, and before long, he was on a pedestal in front of a mirror, waiting for Cyrus to return with a jacket for him to try on, when he heard the distinctive sound of shoes scooting against the floor of the shop.

"Someone there?"

"Shit."

Ah, someone was there. Neal frowned, getting off the pedestal and moving over to one of the racks, pushing the jackets aside.

He found a teen boy sitting there, curled up against the pole in the middle of the rack, eyes wide as he clutched his phone.

"Oh – uh. Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," Neal said, stepping back so the kid knew he meant no harm.

The teen blinked up at him in surprise. "You aren't gonna call for my dad?"

Neal tilted his head. "Not unless you want me to. Why would I? You seem old enough to be wandering around a suit shop on your own."

The teenager let out a sigh of relief, keeping his voice low in case there was anyone else nearby. "Thank God. I don't want to wear another new suit, but my dad's insisting on it. I just got one last year!"

"Ah, your dad must be some kind of town bigwig, right? Always making sure his family's all perfect looking?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "You can say that again. My dad's Mr. Gold. Second only to Mayor Mills in importance, at least, in his eyes. I'm Gideon. You're that new firefighter from New Orleans, right? Everyone's been talking about you."

"Neal, yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Gideon," he said with a smile. Mr. Gold. This was his half-brother. Neal would have looked like he was in awe, but he managed to keep himself composed as he heard footsteps coming in his direction, and, giving a signal for the teen to keep quiet, and concealed the boy behind the clothing and stepping back up onto his podium in front of the mirror.

"Gideon? Gideon, where are you?"

Neal swallowed tight, looking over at his father appeared before him, walking on a cane. Huh. He hadn't known that.

"Ah, Mr. Cassidy, right? Have you seen a teenager run by here? He's late for his fitting," his father asked, looking at Neal with a small frown.

Neal shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Oh – I'm sorry sir, but I haven't seen anyone run around here."

His father frowned slightly. "Ah. Thank you anyway. I do hope I can find him soon, he's late for his fitting…"

Neal had a feeling the teen was just being overdramatic, and gave Gold a wry smile. "Yeah, well, you know how teenage boys can be. Suits are stuffy and the worst thing in the world. He's just lucky to have a dad like you to teach him all the ins and outs of looking good as a man. I mean, my mom did her best, but…" he trailed off, shrugging a little. The ball was in his court now.

"I'm sorry, your father passed?"

Neal rubbed the back of his head. "It's more complicated than that. I had one until I was thirteen but he… wasn't the best, to put it mildly. And then I was in foster care with a single mom."

Gold frowned. "That is something no child should have to go through. You have my sympathies."

He nodded a little. "Thank you. Don't get me wrong, my adoptive mom is great, couldn't have asked for a better mother in my life but… there were some things that a dad would have just known how to do better, you know?"

"Of course. I too didn't have much of a father growing up. Which is why I'm trying to do the best I can for my sons," his father replied, before a yelp and a thud interrupted the conversation.

Gideon suddenly rolled out of his hiding spot, and Neal hid his laughter behind his hand.

"There you are, Gideon. Come now, James is waiting for you. It was nice to speak with you, Mr. Cassidy."

"You as well, Mr. Gold."

When Gideon turned to look at Neal when their father was distracted, Neal only shrugged helplessly and waved as his own tailor reappeard with pieces for him to try on, but Neal found himself quite distracted with the conversation he had shared with his father.

Neal was starting to think everything he'd been told about his father was wrong.

"You finally did it? What was he like, Neal?" Eudora's calm voice asked as he got himself ready for the ball.

"He… was kind. Just like any other father. I have… I have a half-brother too, Mama. He's a few years younger than me."

"That's wonderful, honey. Did you tell him who you were?"

Neal's hesitation was enough for Eudora to sigh. "I know you're scared, Neal, but your father has been missing you for seventeen years. Nom atter what happens, you'll always be my son. You finding your birth father will never change that."

He sighed, looking at himself in the mirror as he adjusted his tie. "I know, Mama. I'll tell him soon, I promise. And I'll take lots of pictures tonight and send them to you."

"You better! And tell me all about that girl that's caught your eye!" came Tiana's distant voice from the other end of the line.

Neal chuckled as he grabbed his coat, putting it on against the autumn chill of Maine.. "Yeah, yeah. I promise. I'll call you later, Tia." And with that, Neal ended the call, making his way to the location of the ball.

"Hi Neal…"

Emma walked up to him in her deep purple dress, hair tied back in a low bun, with ringlets of her hair framing her face.

He stared, his heart beating rapidly against his chest as he smiled at her, trying to conceal his shaking hands. "Wow… Emma, you look amazing."

She blushed. "Thanks… you look pretty sharp yourself. Are you excited?"

He nodded. "Yeah… I really am, especially since I'm here with someone like you… although if I step on your feet, I'm sorry."

She laughed, handing her leather jacket to the attendant. "You can't be any worse than the guy I went to senior prom with. I thought he was going to break my toe – he never noticed when he stepped on my foot."

Neal couldn't help but wince, holding out his arm for her and heading into the ballroom.

The hall was decorated in hues of red, orange and brown, perfect for the fall season and the celebration of firefighters.

"Damn, I didn't think this place could look this sharp…"

Emma giggled, quirking a brow and smirking. "What, were you expecting something less because we're a small town?"

"I didn't say that."

She laughed. "I'm not offended, don't worry. I know Storybrooke has been a big culture shock for you."

"Not as much as you might think. I even have a waitress who knows I like fry sauce. Makes it feel more like New Orleans," he smirked, winking at her.

"Well, you know, a waitress has to be helpful, doesn’t she? Customer is always right and all that. Come on, what should we do first?"

"Oh – uh, well, you're the expert on this dance."

Emma grinned. "We can just mingle for now. Regina and Uncle Robin will do the opening dance first," she explained.

"Uncle? Chief Hood is your uncle?"

"By marriage. Technically. It's complicated, but I've called him that my whole life. Why stop now, y'know?"

"Yeah, believe me, I get it. Family can be messed up sometimes."

"Sounds like the new firefighter has a few secrets."

Neal couldn't help but smirk. "Isn't that why most people come to small towns? To try to protect their secrets that haunt them from the big city?"

"What is this, a Lifetime movie?"

"Hopefully with a better ending."

Although, with how… controlling his mother and stepfather could be, Neal wasn't sure if he had high hopes for that if the story came out that he was Baelfire.

And with Alice here… as much as he trusted her, he didn't know if Uncle Roger was doing any detective work for Killian. Providing the two of them were even talking, of course.

"Neal? You okay?" Emma's voice cut in, breaking him from his thoughts.

He shook himself from his thoughts and looked at her with a smile. "Sorry, I was just stuck in my own thoughts."

"Well that's good. Welcome back to reality then, because Grandpa Robin and Grandma Regina are going to do the first dance."

"We better get a good spot to watch it then… I don't want to get reprimanded for not having enough pride."

"You saved my brother. Grandpa Robin would never think that of you. That, or Regina would never let him do it in public," Emma smirked, guiding him to the front of the crowd just as the music began to play.

He felt like he was in a fairytale as he looked around the ballroom, people dressed in their finest outfits, and the more controlled dancing people were doing, rather than the grinding motions of a high school prom or homecoming. Everything felt so elegant, and Neal was suddenly starting to feel very out of place.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? This dance is just for fun," Emma said with a smile when she noticed the look on his face. "It's just a dance."

"Do I look out of place?"

"If you keep making that kicked-puppy look you will," she teased. "Just think of it as prom, only without the copious amounts of Axe stinking up the air."

He let out a snort, hiding the grin behind his hand as Chief Hood and Regina danced by them, and he smiled, and slowly, other couples began to join them. Neal put a hand on the small of Emma's back and followed suit, trying to keep with the tempo of the song.

"You know, you aren't so bad at dancing, Neal. You sure you've never been to a dance like this before?"

He chuckled. "Well, my mama liked to dance. She said her husband taught her. They'd make a big show of it, especially at Mardi Gras."

"Your mom sounds like a great woman."

"She is. I'll give you the address to her restaurant when your friends go to New Orleans. She'd love to meet some people from Storybrooke."

"Sounds like fun!"

"I'm sure you'll love it… and she and Tia have been dying to meet someone from Storybrooke."

He glanced over across the room, smiling softly as he saw Alice happily dancing with the woman he'd seen her with weeks before. She caught his gaze and gave him a knowing smirk that had him blushing and turning back to Emma.

"So uh – you're in college, right?"

Emma nodded. "I am. Studying criminal justice. I'd like to be a detective like my dad is."

Neal grinned. "I think that's so cool, Emma. Maybe you'll end up in New York solving high profile crimes and get a TV show based on your exploits."

She laughed. "Well, I don't think I'd go that far. But I would like to go far in my career and get out of this little town. That's why we wanted to go to New Orleans. There's life there. There'es excitement there. More than just firefighters pulling stupid kids out of a closed down mine. No offense."

"None taken," he laughed. "Who knows, you might come across a mystery in New Orleans – there's a lot of history there y'know."

"Hmm, sounds interesting. What, are you trying to run me out of town or something?"

"Not at all. I'd hate for you to leave town after we only just met," he smirked.

Emma returned the look, and the dance went on. Neal wasn't sure how long the two of them stayed on the dance floor, but by the time she'd pulled him off to meet some of her other friends.

"I know you've got your firehouse buddies, but I figured you might want to meet some more people around your age too," Emma explained as they took a seat at one of the large tables. "This is Alex, Lily, Dawn, Phillip, Yue, Eliza, Roland and Elaine. Guys, this is Neal. He's the one helping me plan the New Orleans trip!"

Neal waved nervously, taking a small sip of punch. "Nice to meet you all. I hope you all enjoy your trip to New Orleans."

"Ohh, so you're the new firefighter. Dad mentioned you. Glad to meet you officially. I'm Roland Hood," the dark-haired man said. "And thanks for helping us with our trip. I know it's making dad and Regina feel better that you're involved."

He shugged. "Well, there's really only so much I can do in the end. It's still your trip after all."

"Heyyyy," Lily crooned from the other side of the table. "I have an idea, Neal. Why don't you come with us? I'm sure you'd love to have an opportunity to go visit your family, right?"

Neal missed the quick, frantic look on Emma's face as he turned to Lily. "Uh – what? You guys seem real tight, I wouldn't want to impede on your trip," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

She shrugged. "Well, if you're sure."

"So how's Bobby doing, Emma? It's a shame he had to miss the ball tonight," Elaine said with a small frown.

"Better, thanks Elaine. Dr. Whale says he should be released from the hospital soon. In time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, we're hoping."

The conversation, mercifully, changed to their families, and Neal slowly felt himself relax around the group, glancing casually around the room, before spotting Mr. Gold looking right at him.

"Ignore Mr. Gold. He's just a weird dude who thinks anyone new in town could be his son," Roland suddenly said, having followed Neal's gaze. "Not that I don't think that case is weird andcrazy, but still. I hear he's been harassing my step-mom's sister about it. Just ignore him. He'll stop bugging you eventually."

Neal's throat suddenly went dry, and he swallowed thick before pushing for more. "What happened? His son went missing?"

"Yeah, his ex-wife and her new husband took him in the middle of the night and went off the grid. No one's been able to find him since. The cops tore the east coast apart trying to find him, and even the FBI was involved. It was like magic. Eventually some nun came forward and admitted she helped them escape, but said she had no idea where they went. Dad says she's doing time for aiding and abetting kidnappers. It's so crazy that a nun would do that."

Neal whistled, his heart pounding against his ribs. "That sounds like the sort of thing you'd want to solve, Emma."

Emma snorted. "Yeah, maybe. But you know my dreams lie in a big city."

"Could be your big break before you move to the big city though and leave us all in the dust," Dawn teased. "But I remember my mom and ad talking about the case. They said Mr. Gold closed down his pawn shop for weeks."

His stomach was in a knot. He knew the case was bad, but getting all of these details was starting to make him feel ill.

This needed to end. He needed to come clean.

Setting his punch cup on the table, Neal rose from his seat, drawing attention from the others.

"Neal? What's the matter?" Emma asked.

"I need to speak with someone. I'll be back, I promise."

Gathering his courage, he slowly made his way over to his father, who gave him a raised brow as he approached.

"Ah, Mr. Cassidy, right? What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Gold – sorry – Papa. I… it's me. It's Baelfire."

His stepmother's eyes widened, his brother started choking on the water he was sipping, and his father lost all color in his face, before his eyes narrowed sharply.

"Prove it. Prove that you're my son."

He couldn't say he didn't expect this. "You and Milah got married in the woods because she said she didn't have any family, but she did. You got your leg injury during Operation Desert Storm trying to protect a child from harm. You have an old-fashioned spinning wheel in your house. Or at least, you did when I was born…"

His father's face shifted from doubt to shock. "Yes… that's all correct. Oh Bae… I can't believe it. But – what about that story you told? About foster care?"

"I ran away from them when I was thirteen. Decided to go by Neal Cassidy so no one would ask questions. Ended up in New Orleans. Eudora took me in when she found me digging around in the dumpster outside her restaurant, and adopted me a year later," he said softly. "I wanted to know about you, and Milah and Killain refused, but Eudora was supportive. She's the reason I ended up back here."

Aiden rose from his seat, leaning against his cane and embracing Neal with his other arm. "I owe her a debt of gratitude. Welcome home, son."

#black coffee and pumpkin pie #fanfiction #swanfire #emma swan #neal cassidy #rumplestiltskin

8 notes · View notes

klynn-stormz · 4 years

Link

This is my other fanfiction I am working on. I watched Legally Blonde a little bit ago and couldn’t let go of this idea. I have two chapters up so far and try to post every sunday! I hope you enjoy!

“He is totally going to propose tonight!” Ana squealed. “He’s is taking you to The Grande Restaurant!” “We need to get you something to wear!” Rapunzel cried. Emma grinned at her two sorority sisters. It was their final year of college and her boyfriend Neal Johnathan Cassidy IV was taking her to the best restaurant in the city. He said he had something important to talk to her about. When she had gotten the text, she had run to the sorority house to tell everyone the news. Now while Emma looked the part of a sorority girl, after spending a bit of time with her you would never guess, nor understand why she chose to be a part of one. Emma Swan had grown up in foster care till she was 16 when she was adopted by the wealthy Ingrid Winter. She never expected to be adopted, let alone by someone like Ingrid, but it was the best thing that could have happened to her. Ingrid sent her to the same university she herself had gone too. And insisted that she could choose whatever major she wanted, as long as she joined a sorority. “You need to make friends Emma,” Ingrid had told her. “what better way to do that than a sorority?” Truthfully Emma had found it a bit tedious in the beginning. She had joined at her mom’s request, didn’t really put much effort into getting to know anyone, but the girls were determined. And with a lot of pushing and begging, she eventually joined in their activities and found that she actually liked it! She found there wasn’t anything wrong with liking nice clothes, and shoes, and most of the girls in the sorority were actually pretty smart. Her major was fashion merchandising because that’s what her mother had done and it seemed like it worked out pretty well for her. She finally found somewhere she mostly fit. When Neal came into the picture two years ago, she had fallen hard and fast. Everything was going perfectly with them; he was planning on becoming a lawyer like his father and his fathers’ father; so, she thought that a proposal was just around the corner with him leaving for Harvard the next year. “A summer wedding would be so perfect.” Ana commented on their way to shop. “Like he could go into college with a wife, and you would be Mrs. Neal Johnathan Cassidy IV! It’s perfect!” “He hasn’t proposed yet Ana.” Emma reminded her. “Oh please, what else is he going to do?” She responded. --- They went to three different stores before they found one that seemed a good place to start. She tried on every dress imaginable, in every possible color. “I’m thinking red is your color!” Rapunzel said. “That way you blow him away!” The store clerk, who had been eavesdropping looked at her co-worked and whispered “I love a dumb blonde with daddy’s money to spend.” She grabbed a dress from their clearance section, ripped the tag off and walked towards the women. “I have the perfect dress for you! This one just came in, it’s the newest on DeVile’s line.” Emma turned and raised an eyebrow. “Oh! It’s a new DeVile? And it has a button down back with a draped skirt?” The worker smiled. “It’s one of a kind.” “Yeah it must be.” Emma agreed before giving the worker a bored look. “DeVile hasn’t done a button down back since 2010, and her draped skirts are so much more elegant. This is clearly a Jameson and I saw it in Vouge two years ago. If you’re trying to sell it to me for full price, well, you’re wasting your time.” The girls laughed at the chagrin on the girls face and left the store to keep searching. Eventually they found the perfect dress! It was a pink backless dress; it had a deep neckline and thin straps over the shoulders. Emma loved it. --- Neal arrived five minutes late to the sorority house, which was pretty usual for him. He had on a light gray suit and dark shades, even though it was eight at night. He stood in the foyer grinning at the passing girls, checking out more than a few. When Emma descended the stairs, his eyes widened with lust. “Hi beautiful.” He purred. “Ready to go?” Emma smiled and agreed. She glanced back at her sisters, they gave her thumbs up and huge smiles. The drive to the restaurant was quiet, nerves danced in Emma’s belly but she pushed them down. She was ready for this. After arriving and being seated they began to talk about their days, mostly Neal’s day. His family was very overbearing sometimes with all their expectations of him. “So, honey, I wanted to bring you hear to talk about my future.” Neal began when their food came. “I am fully amenable to that.” Emma grinned. “This has been a bit of a whirlwind few years, and it’s been so fun. But now that I’m getting ready to go to Harvard, I need to get my act together. I need someone who is going to stand by me and be there for me.” “Of course.” “So… Sweetie, Emmy.” He leaned over and grasped her hand. Her heart raced. “I think we should break up.” “Yes!” Emma spoke at the same time, before everything came crashing down. “Wait what?” “Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about this and it just seems like the right thing to do. I need to be with someone who has their life together Ems, someone with the same goals as me.” She stared at him in shock. “I mean if I want to run for office someday, I need a Jackie, not a Marilyn.” “You’re breaking up with me because I’m to pretty?” She shouted; diners began to turn their way in concern. “No, it’s not just that Sweetie. I mean, my family name means something, you know? Could you imagine if I married you? You don’t really have any family and that just won’t go over well in my circles, you know that. I mean you are only in college because of Ingrid, and your major is in fashion merchandising. That doesn’t scream smart and prestige.” He seemed confused that she didn’t understand his reasons. Emma’s mind spun and she felt a little sick. “You’re…” Her voice trembled, now most of the diner’s eyes were on them, with a mix of horror, anger and fascination. “Let me get this straight, you are breaking up with me because I’m too pretty, not smart enough, and an orphan?! Is that right?” Tears began to stream down her face of their own accord. She wiped at them angrily. “Well have a good life Neal.” She turned on her heel and stormed out. The restaurant looked to Neal who looked more put out and embarrassed than he had a right to be. The glares and mutters from women made him decide to pay for the check and at least try and take Emma home. It was a fairly long walk after all and seemed the least he could do. Emma walked home as briskly as her four-inch Prada heels would let her. The entire conversation kept repeating in her head, and with every re-run, the tears came quicker and her breaths turned to hiccups. “Sweetie, get in the car.” Neal’s Audi convertible slowed down to a crawl next to her. “Please, it’s cold out and too far to walk.” She shook her head and kept going. “You’ll ruin your shoes.” He wheedled. She stopped, looked at him, and took off her shoes before continuing down the street barefoot. Neal gave up and drove off. --- A month later Ana and Rapunzel were whispering outside her door. “I can hear you both.” Emma called out crossly. They both shifted and walked in. The normally tidy room was a mess. Dirty clothes piled in the corner, junk food wrappers on the ground. Emma lay in her bed watching some depressing soap, occasionally chucking pieces of chocolate at it when a romantic scene came on. Her chihuahua Henry curled up by her side, trying to comfort her. “Oh honey, you are a mess.” Ana blurted out. Emma glared at her before turning her attention back to the screen. “You need to leave your room! You haven’t been out in weeks except for classes.” Added Rapunzel. “I know just what you need!” Ana claimed. “Put on something clean and put your hair up, the grease is really showing.” Emma rolled her eyes but finally obeys, they wouldn’t leave her alone till she did. As they walked out of the sorority Ana grabbed a few girls and ordered them to clean up Emma’s room, she needed something nice and clean to come back to. At the salon they got their hair done, Ana knew it was much needed seeing Emma’s greasy hair. They were in the middle of their manicures, talking to everyone about Emma while her nails dried. “She didn’t wash her hair for over a week! A week. It’s crazy!” Rapunzel said. “And her cuticles were just a mess. I think she even wore a sweater from Wal-Mart the other day! Can you imagine?” Emma listened with half an ear as her friends gossiped, she always found it amusing. The older lady next to her had the new Vouge magazine so she was stuck with DailyNews. As she flipped through it, she landed on a page that caught her eye. Harvard Law Graduate making waves with charity work. She read the article, it was about a young woman who had graduated from Harvard Law and was getting married to a wealthy man, she was smart, charitable and kind of pretty. “This is the kind of girl Neal wants.” Emma exclaimed to the woman next to her. “I could be this girl! If I go to Harvard then maybe I don’t need to have a family for him to love me!” Before anyone could answer she rushed out of the salon. When her friends found her later, she was in her room studying on her computer. “What are you doing?” Rapunzel asked, concerned. “Girls! I’m going to Harvard!” She announced proudly. “What like on a trip? Can we come? Road trip!” Ana squealed. “No, I’m going to Harvard Law, that’s the type of girl Neal wants! If he sees that I can do that then he will definitely fall for me.” She explained. “You shouldn’t have to change for a guy! Like he should love you no matter what.” Ana stated frowning. “I love him.” Was all Emma could respond with. The two girls looked at each other and shrugged. “Well if you’re going to do this you need this!” Rapunzel handed her a hair clip. “Your clip?” Emma asked touched. “My lucky clip! It helped me pass Spanish first year.” She winked. Ana raised an eyebrow. “You passed Spanish because sat in the front row with no bra for the whole semester.” Rapunzel scoffed. “Yeah, luckily.” “Alright girls, let’s find out what it takes to go to Harvard.” Emma grinned. This was the right path; she could feel it in her bones.

#captain swan #fanfiction #emma swan #Outa

3 notes · View notes