Together [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #6]

23 - Muder Most Foul

At Alana's and Neal's house, after the fight with Gideon they were laying in their bed about to go to sleep, Alana had her head on his shoulder as she held onto his shirt.

"I'm not going to leave you," Neal whispered.

"I know, but it scared me... What happened to the other you," Alana said.

"I know, I know..." He brushed his fingers through her hair, "I'm glad you're home," Neal said.

"Me too... Home with you and our children," Alana said and suddenly the twins started crying.

"That's gonna get some use to," Neal said.

"I got them!" Henry called out.

"We should probably..." Alana said.

"Yeah," Neal said and they got out of bed.

Flashback

It's night time and it was raining as Robert returned to the cottage and his wife Ruth and their two newborn twins were sick in their cot and crying.

"Well? Well? What happened?" Ruth asked her husband.

"I couldn't get any money for medicine. I'm sorry, Ruth, I've failed my sons, I failed David and James," Robert said.

Rumpelstiltskin appeared in red smoke, "David and James such strong names, but yet such weak lungs and good medicine are so expensive nowadays," Rumpelstiltskin tossed the medicine onto the table, "Perhaps I can help," He said.

"We have nothing to give you for that," Robert said as one of the twins started to cough.

"Do your boys like bedtime stories? Alright, here's one. Once upon a time, there was a king named George, he had great riches, but no son and then there was a farmer named Robert poor as dirt yet he had two sons. Can you guess how this story ends?" Rumpelstiltskin said.

Ruth grabbed a knife and pointed it at Rumpelstiltskin, "Get out! Our sons are not for sale!" She said.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked, "If you don't take my offer that your twins won't survive the winter, dearie. Look, you can either have one healthy son or two dead ones," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Robert looked at his wife, "There's no other way, we have to do this, Ruth," Robert said.

"Wise choice," Rumpelstiltskin smirked, "All we have to do is decide which son goes to the king. An impossible decision, I know, so let's make it simple," Rumpelstiltskin said.