Break the vicious circle.

Part 12 : Memories.

They were right.

It hurt him to admit him, but the others, Snow and all the ghosts (except Zelena who didn't care about that, and hadn't been there when they talked about it).

His feelings for Neal Cassidy finally evolved with time, and he needed many days to understand it. It had been difficult for him to go from the vision of Baelfire, Milah's son and adolescent, to the one of Neal Cassidy, an adult who was his friend, and who could be more than that.

Who could have been, if things had been different.

He was seeing it, as he was looking at the two other couples of ghost who were with him, and he saw that what they could do, he could do it to. That is to say, being material again, and take objects.

But only when he was with Neal.

The thing he wanted to know now, is that if Neal understood it or not.

During this day, this one was also asking questions to himself, and he decided to talk to the only people in this town who could understand him : Ruby and Dorothy. He asked them if he could see them, as he wanted to talk about what happened the day before.

(Or about what didn't happen.)

"So, tell me Neal, said Ruby, arriving at the Granny's with Dorothy. What's wrong ?

Oh, nothing, I kind of flirted with a ghost yesterday.

It wasn't that, not really, but it was close to what happened.

- I have a problem, he immediately announced.

- We kind of understood it, said Dorothy.

- Or you wouldn't have called us, continued Ruby.

- That's why friends are there, concluded the other woman.

- Thank you."

Neal took a deep breath, and told them more or less the last evening, not talking about the... fantastic or "ghostly" details, just talking about normal things.

"And with Henry, are things okay ? Asked Dorothy before answering to his questions. Neal gave a her a shining smile.

- Yes. My dad, Belle and Gideon perfectly accepted him, and I think that the mayor won't be a problem for us, as Henry doesn't talk any more about magic or curses.

- And about what happened to you yesterday, well, hum... nothing really happened, said Ruby, with a clear disappointment in the voice.

- Exactly. What did you want to happen ?

- I don't know... something more... interesting, more pithy."

As Dorothy was laughing, Neal rolled his eyes.

"In fact, you want to know if you're interested by him or not."

The conversation continued on that during a time, and Neal had no answer to his questions, but at least, it helped him to talk about it. The conversation then was about Emma ; and it allowed Neal to ask an important question.

"Do you where she lived before coming there ?

- I have some names in mind, yes. In Arizona, in Boston, also in New York for a time, and in Tallahassee, I think."

Neal immediately froze, and, as he had his answer, he told them he had things to do, and he left, before feeling bad.

He ran as fast as he could, far from the restaurant.