#daddyfire au

[justanoutlawfic]

Plot Twist for Where You Lead: After Emma leaves Neal decides he can't raise Henry alone and let's Wren raise him as his son.

This kinda got away from me, so strap in.

Neal would try, for a bit. But it’s hard. He’s falling behind in school and while Wren helps out with the financials, he’s drowning. He’s 16 and suddenly his life is colic, dirty diapers and formula. Neal loves his son with everything in him, but a part of him wonders if maybe Emma was right. Maybe they should’ve found a loving couple.

Things would diverge in the part where Wren agrees to start helping Neal with more than money. Neal sees that as much as he doesn’t agree with his father, he is a good dad. He’ll take care of Henry, better than he ever could. So, for 2 years, he just sort of lets Wren take over. He’s more like a babysitter to Henry than a father.

But he realizes that Henry is getting older and it’s getting confusing. When he hears Henry call Wren “Papa” for the first time (that he knows of), he decides to take his father’s offer of paying for college and goes…far, far away. He doesn’t visit, he doesn’t call. It’s just too painful. He thinks he’s doing right by Henry.

Wren is distraught, but he pulls himself together for Henry. He raises him, correcting the mistakes he felt he made with his son. Henry is a happy, well adjusted-if not a bit spoiled-little boy. And when Henry is 8 years old, Wren meets Belle and they fall in love, getting married. Belle adopts Henry and legally becomes his mother. They make him a big brother when Gideon and Alba are born a year later.

When Henry is 10, Neal and Emma reconnect. They both own up to the mistakes they made and know that they should’ve given him up at the start. However, since they didn’t and know where he is, maybe it’s not too late to find him and at least try. Neither of them got the chance to really mature like they did in canon, as they never had Henry to make them do so.

They just show up in Greenwich, as if it’s nothing. That is until they realize that Wren never told Henry that he was adopted. Of course he knows that Belle adopted him, but he never told him of Neal or Emma. He thought it’d hurt too much, so he simply told him that he became a single dad by choice. Which isn’t really a lie, he did have a choice the night Neal left and he chose fatherhood. Neal and Emma are shocked, but reluctantly agree to wait until Wren feels Henry can handle it.

Of course it doesn’t go over well.

One night when Emma and Neal are over for dinner, Wren and Neal get into an argument. Neal doesn’t understand why his father lied to Henry. Wren says that while he was disappointed when Emma got pregnant, it made him 10x more when Neal just gave up and skipped out. Teen parent or not, he didn’t raise him to be like that. How could he do to his son what Milah did to him? They think Henry’s gone to bed at this point, but he hasn’t. He hears everything and runs away in the middle of the night to stay with the Nolans. He is traumatized by the news and doesn’t trust anyone.

Belle decides that they all need therapy. With the help of Dr. Hopper, Wren explains why he lied and apologizes. Henry finds it easier to forgive him, then Emma and Neal. He doesn’t want anything to do with them. Emma and Neal try, but he’s just too hurt by what they’ve done. They decide to give him some space and move to Stars Hollow to start their lives together, while also being close enough to work on their relationship with Henry when he’s ready. It doesn’t make things any easier when they unexpectedly get pregnant and have another baby.

A few years pass, with Neal eventually mending his relationship with his father. He, Emma and their daughter (Tallie) attend dinners at the Gold household a few times a year. Henry is cordial, but keeps a distance.

When Henry is 13, after a long talk with Wren and Belle, he chooses to reach out to them on his own. He invites them to an awards ceremony at his school, where he’s being honored for a short story he wrote. From there, things slowly fall into place. He’s never incredibly close with them, but he gets to know his half-sister and spends some weekends with them. He asks Neal to attend a college visit to his alma mater. Emma teaches him how to fix his own car.

In the end, he ends up getting pretty close to Tallie. When Emma and Neal start to drive her crazy, he’s her safe haven. And she’s the one reason why Henry would never change coming from them. Outside that, his parents are Wren and Belle. Plain and simple.

Let’s play plot twist.

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: Confession

Takes place a little after “Storytime with Mama”. This was always a headcanon of mine, but watching Private Practice really wanted me to bring it to fruition.

Also on AO3

Neal considered himself a good dad, always. He didn’t have many regrets for how he raised Henry. If they hadn’t moved to Stars Hollow, their lives would be so different. He needed to do it, he needed to break out and be his own person.

 His one major regret crept up on him when Henry and Emma started seeing Archie together. He tried to ignore, he tried to tell himself that he had always made the right choice, that he had always protected Henry. Yet, deep down, he couldn’t help but wonder about the “what ifs”.

 Wren had stopped by the inn to go over plans for a surprise party he wanted to throw for Belle there. It was their anniversary and he really wanted to make it special for her, especially considering it also coincided with his birthday. Neal was only half-listening to his father prattle on about floral arrangements and how many people could fit in the dining room. Eventually, Wren started to pick up on that.

 “Neal, what did I just say?”

Neal resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was a tactic Wren had done since he was a child. “You know, I’m 28 now. You can just call me out on not paying attention.”

“My way’s more fun. Now, you want to tell me what’s going on?”

 5 years ago, Neal would’ve shrugged it off and ignored it. Ever since the twins though, he had tried to make the same efforts that his dad did. The truth was, his dad would probably get it more than anyone else.

 “Emma and Henry have started going to therapy together, to work out stuff.”

“By stuff you mean her abandoning him when he was a baby and barely being in his life for 10 years?”

“You know what, forget it. I know what Belle likes, we can accommodate everyone…”

“Neal, wait.” Wren held up his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t hate Emma, its just…hard. She hurt you pretty badly.”

“I know. I was there.”

Wren sighed. “Please, tell me what’s going on. Are you worried about Henry?”

“No. I’m happy he’s getting help, I want him to have a good relationship with his mom. Especially so we can move forward and finally be a family.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just…there’s something that has stuck with me for a long time. I know Emma would never tell him and Henry would probably get it eventually, but…I still beat myself up for it every day.”

“What happened?”

 Neal ran his fingers through his hair and tilted his head so he was looking up at the ceiling.

 “When Henry was 4, Emma came for a visit. It was a great one, probably the best we had since she started. Henry was happy and for the first time since she came back into our lives, I was smiling around her. Things were pretty damn good.”

“Okay.”

“At the end of the visit, Emma started talking about wanting to see him more. She said she’d give up traveling and move to Connecticut. She said we could split custody and she’d help out financially.”

“That never happened.”

“Because I told her no!”

 Wren raised an eyebrow and Neal buried his face in his hands.

 “I didn’t believe her, I didn’t think she’d be able to do it. I thought she’d do it for 10 minutes, get bored and then jet off. Only this time, Henry would be old enough to understand and then he’d be heartbroken. Then I’d…”

“Get your heart broken again?”

Neal bit his lip, cradling his own face in his hands. “I told her no. I told her that he was my son and that she wasn’t ready to be in his life. I said I’d fight tooth and nail to keep full custody.”

“And what did Emma say?”

“She didn’t even fight me on it. She said I was probably right, kissed me goodbye and left.”

“If she really wanted that, Neal, she would’ve fought harder.”

“Or I could’ve told her yes and then Henry would’ve had a full time mom, just like he always wanted.”

 The room was silent for a minute, neither of them saying a word. Eventually, Wren spoke up again.

 “I used to think about what I would do if Milah tried to come back,” he said. “If I’d let her or if I’d tell her to screw herself.”

“And?”

“The verdict was the latter. The day never came, but I knew she’d never get her hands on you again. I don’t think I could’ve even given what you gave Emma, the opportunity to just walk in and out of your life as she pleased. Hell, when you told me the arrangement you two had, I thought it was a bad idea.”

“So you told me.”

“In time, though, I realized that every case is different. As a lawyer, I should’ve known that. Emma was fit to be a part time mom at the time and it was what was best for Henry. It wasn’t best for Milah to be in your life at all.”

 Wren squeezed his shoulder.

 “You made the right choice, son.”

“What if she had been ready, though? What if I’m what caused them to lose all that time together?”

“Emma made that choice when she left that hospital and didn’t lay eyes on the baby for 2 years. You are his father, you got to make the choices. Obviously she knew that.”

Neal nodded. “We never talked about this…the fact that we both got left.”

“We’re not exactly the type of people to talk about our problems.”

“No…but Archie is pretty good.”

Wren smiled a bit. “Well, maybe he can see another dysfunctional parent and child, then.”

“I’d like that.”

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead verse. Single teenage dad Neal, obsessed with posting pics of his son. (Plus, the last picture he took with Emma.)

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: Father’s Day

Since I’m working tomorrow and Sunday, I doubt I’ll have time to get this up on the actual day so here we go. I promised @queen-of-the-merry-men I’d do a one shot focusing around Neal’s first Father’s Day with Henry and Wren. Just some Gold family fluff.

Also on AO3

It had been a few years since Wren had celebrated a proper Father’s Day. Sure, Neal would give him a card or some sort of gift, but he had given up trying to celebrate with his dad awhile ago. Honestly, Wren couldn’t blame him. Normally, he was too busy with work and it was just  another day. It wasn’t like growing up he had ever done anything special for his own dad.

 Things were different now, however. It was Neal’s first Father’s Day. Henry was 10 months old, getting bigger by the day and Neal had been through so much. Despite their parenting  differences, he really was doing a good job. So, he had a few ideas on how to make the day fun for him.

 First of all, he let him sleep in. He headed into Henry’s room upon hearing him babbling through the monitor he kept in his room. The baby was holding himself up in the crib with his chubby fists. His face broke out into a huge grin and he instantly held out his hands for his grandfather. Wren smiled and leaned down, picking him up. Henry instantly started feeling around his face, tugging on his hair.

 “No, no, we don’t do that to Papa,” Wren said, gently getting out of his grip.

“Dada,” Henry babbled.

“Dada’s sleeping, he doesn’t get a whole lot of that these days, now does he?” Wren cooed, bouncing him a bit. “No, he doesn’t. So, let’s get you changed.”

 After getting Henry for the day, he took him downstairs and got him settled with some food. The baby was going through an independent stage, wanting to feed himself for the most part…which usually lead to a big mess. Either way, it kept him occupied while his grandfather cooked. As Wren busied around the kitchen, he nearly tripped over a few toys, he had forgotten how cluttered the house could get. Since it was the weekend, the housekeeper was off and Neal was supposed to be cleaning up, but he’d cut him a break.

 An hour later and Neal still wasn’t up, which wasn’t like him at all. Henry had finished his breakfast and was clearly getting bored of just playing with his toys. He kept crawling over to his grandfather and tugging on his pant leg, trying to speak but it only came out as babble.

 “Where is Dada?” Wren asked, lifting him back into his arms. “His breakfast is getting cold.”

 The door opened and shut, Neal appearing in the kitchen a few moments later. He had actually cut his hair and was holding a tray with two cups of coffee.

 “Where’d you go?”

Neal shrugged. “It’s Father’s Day…figured I’d do something nice for you.” He set the tray down on the counter.

Wren gently smiled. “Well…I appreciate it.”

“You didn’t have to get him ready.”

“Like you said, it’s Father’s Day. You’re a dad now.”

“Dada!” Henry squealed, reaching out for him.

 Neal grinned and took his son from his dad, cuddling him close and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He started asking his son questions about his morning so far and what he had eaten (despite it still being sort of obvious on his overalls). While he was distracted, Wren grabbed a giftbag from under the sink and held it out towards him. Neal frowned out of shock and then reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a card.

 “You didn’t have to get me anything, Pop.”

“It’s nothing, really. Just sort of a tradition…my aunts did it with you for me on my first Father’s Day.”

 Neal adjusted Henry so he was on his hip and pulled out the tissue paper. He pulled out the dried clay circle, his frown turning to a smile when he saw his son’s tiny handprints there. It read  “Happy Father’s Day” under it with the year along with a heart. Neal looked up at his father with tears in his eyes.

 “This is…this is really sweet, Pop. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Not just for this…but um, for everything. Not sure how I would’ve gotten through this without you.”

Wren blinked a couple of times. “Let’s eat our breakfast and then we can go for a walk or something.”

“I’d like that.”

 It was a truce that’d only last for a day…but it was a nice truce nonetheless.

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: The Talk

@queen-of-the-merry-men requested to see Wren and Neal giving their sons the talk. (I know you requested Henry giving Mathias it too, but I just felt it ended right on Henry and Neal’s.)

Also on AO3

Neal fumbled for his belt buckle, as Emma desperately tried to get her own jeans undone. They hadn’t been expecting for things to heat up so fast, but in the middle of watching Happy Days and cuddling, it just happened. Ever since their first time a couple of months ago, they had been like rabbits, barely able to keep their hands off of each other. It was pretty tricky, considering that Wren didn’t approve of their relationship. He kept telling Neal how young he was and that he needed to play the field, especially with girls from his own social class…

 Why was he thinking about his father in that moment?

 He began kissing down Emma’s neck when he heard a sudden knock at the door. The two pulled apart from each other, completely silent. Emma’s eyes communicated all they needed to: “You said your dad wasn’t going to be home.”

 And he wasn’t supposed to. It was a Wednesday, which meant Wren had office hours after his classes were done and he was supposed to be talking with his students, scaring them into actually getting their act together. Neal tried to think positively.  

 Maybe it’s not him, maybe it’s Johanna or something…

 “Neal,” Wren’s voice traveled through the thick door. “May I come in?”

 Emma hopped out of the bed and ran into the closet, quietly shutting the door behind her. Neal pulled his pants on.

 “Come in, Pop.”

Wren walked in, taking in his son’s face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing here? I thought you had office hours.”

“None of my students came through, so I figured I could come home early. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about anyway.”

“I’m kind of busy right now…”

“This is important. I know that you and Miss Swan have started dating…”

“Pop, I’m not going to argue about this again.”

“I know and I’m not here to talk to you about that. There’s something else that’s important, something my own father and I never really discussed.” Wren sat down at Neal’s desk. “You’re getting older and as much as I wish you’d wait, I know that’s not entirely possible.”

His eyes slowly widened. “Dad…”

“You’re only 15, so I know you probably have another year or so, but this is important.”

“No, no, it’s not. I took sex ed when I was a freshman.”

“And I’m sure there are some things they didn’t include. Your school is pretty much abstinence is the only way.”

“I’m sure you feel the same.”

“Like I said, as much as I wish you’d wait, that’s probably a naïve look. It’s very important to be protected. Do you know how to put on a condom?”

“Okay, yeah, this has been fun but I have a lot of homework.”

“Neal, this is serious. I know we’ve discussed the mechanics when you were younger…”

“And that’s enough.”

“No, it’s not. Sex is a very big step in a relationship and I don’t think you should take it until you’re ready.”

 Neal’s eyes shifted to the closet before looking back at his dad.

 “Uh huh.”

“It’s important to remember to make sure she wants it and everything’s consensual, never sleep with a girl when she’s drunk. Even if you are too.”

“I know how the law works, Pop. Please, can we just not do this? I…I’m not even having sex.”

 It was a lie and he could tell that his father wasn’t buying it, but Wren stood up anyway.

 “I’m here if you have any questions.”

“I think I’ll be fine.”

“Alright. Well, remember we have that fundraiser this evening. Miss Swan is invited.”

“I think she’s coming with the Nolans anyway.”

“Good.”

 With that, Wren left the room. Neal waited a good few minutes before opening the door and letting Emma out of the closet. She held a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggle before pecking his lips.

 “Sorry our date was ruined,” he whispered.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled back. “We’ve always got tonight.”

 They would indeed. In between speeches about an endangered species of birds and dessert, Henry would be conceived in the guest bedroom of Freya Blue’s mansion. Neal would say “Fuck it” when he realized he didn’t have a condom, and of course Emma wasn’t on the pill.

 The lack of a talk, due to his own stubbornness, made Neal away that he needed to have one with Henry when he became of age. He talked to him about the mechanics early on and of course Henry figured out that his dad had him young, which lead to a small conversation about waiting until your old enough to be a dad. Henry was only five at the time, however, so he quickly got distracted and Neal didn’t want to push the issue with him that young.

 It didn’t come up again until shortly after Henry’s 16th birthday. He had been dating his first real girlfriend, Violet, for a little over 6 months. She was a sweet girl that was in class with Mulan, she had a lot in common with him. Emma and Neal were in denial for a bit that they had anything to worry about. Henry was smarter than them…wasn’t he?

 One day, Neal got off work early and decided to head home. Granny was putting less time into the inn, clearly trying to shift more responsibility onto Neal and he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready for it. He had been working there 15 years and it was his dream to own and operate his own inn, but it was going to be a big responsibility. For now, however, he was still just the manager who occasionally finished his paperwork and could leave Cristina in charge of the front until the night manager came in.

 Henry’s car (a birthday gift from Wren) was in the driveway when Neal arrived, which was a bit of a surprise. He said he was going to be hanging out with Violet that afternoon.

 “Hey bud,” he called out. “Your plans with Violet get cancelled?”

 As he walked into the living room, he found Henry on the couch…with Violet. Both were pale and he noticed a hickey on Henry’s neck. Violet’s shirt was also misbuttoned. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on.

 “Violet, I think it’s time you went home,” he said, softly.

“Um, yeah, definitely.” Violet hopped up and grabbed her stuff.

“Need a ride?”

“Nope, I’m good walking.”

 She sped out the door, leaving Henry to look anywhere but his father.

 “So…when you said hanging out, I assumed Granny’s…or the park…”

“We were just studying.”

“You don’t go to the same school.”

“Well, our history classes are kind of the same.”

“Henry.”

Henry sighed, finally making eye contact. “Look, we were just hanging out, we didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything. It just started out watching a movie and eating some snacks.” He gestured to the half filled bowl of popcorn. “Then…we started kissing a little and…”

“Somehow Violet’s shirt got unbuttoned?”

 Henry turned bright red and Neal sighed, sitting down next to him.

 “When I was your age, your mom used to come over when my dad had classes and we also…enjoyed T.V and popcorn.”

“I didn’t need to know that, Dad.”

“Your grandfather came home early once and your mom ran and hid in the closet,” Neal continued on. “He tried having the talk with me, but I just wasn’t interested and I’m not about to let that happen here.”

“Dad…”

“It’s time we had the talk.”

“No, no, no it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I’d rather choke on glass. We already discussed this.”

“We discussed how babies are made, not about the act itself.;”

“Dad…”

“Look, I get it. You’re young and you really like Violet. I’m not saying you have to wait.”

 Even though ideally, why couldn’t he? Wasn’t he the kid that wore cartoon pajamas and asked for piggy back rides? The one who dressed up as a bus boy for Halloween when he was three  (with the help of Ruby) because he wanted to be like his dad?

 No, no. He was a young man now. He was 16, in a few years he’d be off at Harvard and everything would be different. They needed to have this talk now.

 “Guys, when they have sex…they’re not always thinking. I mean sure, we enjoy it. We know it’s fun, but we don’t know if we’re ready for it emotionally.”

“The whole think with your penis thing?”

“Vulgar, but yes.”

“Is that what you did the first time you had sex?”

Neal paused. “I was…young. I thought all my friends were doing it, now I wonder if half of them were bullshitting me. I loved your mom, we had done everything else, I thought it was the next step.”

“Do you wish you waited?”

“Yes. I wish we had been emotionally ready, not two 15 year olds trying to figure how everything worked. That’s not to say we’d take you back, not for the world…”

“You just wish you were thinking more.”

“You’re a smart kid, Henry. I know you are. And I also know you have a very big heart and that’s great. Just use it. It’ll let you know how you really feel, if you’re truly ready to have sex. It’s…it’s a big deal. No matter what anyone else tells you, losing your virginity means something.”

 He ran his fingers through his hair.

 “When you’re intimate with somebody, in that way, you’re exposing yourself. You’ll never be more vulnerable. It does something to you. It’s not nothing, it’s not something to just swipe and be done with. Make sure when you do it, you’re doing it for the right reasons. You matter, Henry. And I never want you to feel any differently.”

Henry bit his lip. “When do you think I’ll be ready?”

“After I’m dead.”

He rolled his eyes. “Dad.”

“You knew that was going to be my answer. Look, I can’t tell you. You just have to follow your heart and brain. When you do, be safe and know you can come to me or your mom. Zero judgement.”

“Really?”

“We got pregnant at 15, had a kid at 16. We’re really the last people to judge.”

Henry smiled a bit. “Thanks, Dad.”

“No problem, kid.”

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: History Repeats Pt. 2

Also on AO3

Neal followed his father into his study, knowing he should probably go talk with Emma first but his mind was just spinning too fast. Settling into the big leather chair, he watched as his father busied himself around the room, grabbing some scotch from the cabinet near his desk and retrieving two glasses. He poured it out and gently nudged it his son’s way. Neal instantly downed the drink, making a face at just how strong it was.

 “Careful there, son,” Wren said. “I’d rather you not be blasted when we have this talk.”

“My son got a girl pregnant and got married behind my back. I need to be a little buzzed.”

“No, what you need is a reality check.”

“Excuse me?”

Wren sighed. “I know this hurts, Neal. Henry didn’t handle this exactly right. He shouldn’t have run off and gotten married without telling you first. One of my deepest regrets in life is not having you both there when I married Belle.”

“Pop…”

“No, it’s the truth. However, I do think you’re overreacting on the whole job thing.”

“Oh, so you think it was smart of him to dump the internship to take an assistant position?”

“It’s not a move I would’ve advised, no.” Wren tilted his head. “However, it wasn’t my move to make, nor was it yours. It’s Henry’s.”

“He’s making a mistake. This internship could open so many doors for him.”

“Doors that we know are still open, how? He has a family to support now.”

“I could help him…”

“I seem to remember you not wanting any of my help way back when. I offered to pay for your college education, make sure you got a great job. It wasn’t the one you wanted, though.”

“Are you saying Henry doesn’t want to be a journalist anymore?”

“No, I believe he still does. However, I think he’s going to go about it in his own way. The way that is best for his family. You have to admit, that him working this summer and making money will be more beneficial to Jacinda and the baby, then an unpaid internship will.”

 Neal fell silent, unsure of how to respond to that. The truth was, if he was in Henry’s shoes…he probably would’ve chosen the same thing. It’d make more sense and financially would be more helpful. Jacinda shouldn’t have to be the sole breadwinner. Henry could always get another internship down the line and who knew, maybe the Gazette could open some doors for him.

 “This just isn’t the life I wanted for him.”

“And did you plan on getting Emma pregnant when you weren’t even 16?”

Neal’s eyebrows nearly shot off his head. “Hell no.”

“Then I doubt that Henry intended to become a father straight out of graduating from an ivy league school.” Wren sat in front of his son. “I think deep down this isn’t just about his future. You know he’ll be okay, you ended up okay. You own Granny’s now, it’s your inn. And you did that with no college degree at first. What’s this really all about?” Wren studied his son’s face as it fell further. “Talk to me.”

“He shut me out of it, completely,” Neal whispered. “We…we didn’t even talk about it. He just…found out she was pregnant and handled it on his own.”

“He is 22.”

“But I’m his father.” He looked up into his own father’s eyes. “We’re close, a lot closer than you and I were back then and I just…he always comes to me. With everything. Even if he doesn’t take my advice, he wants to hear what I think. He wants me to be there for the big moments. He…he’s my son, Pop and I missed his wedding. I found out I was a grandfather like this…I mean…it hurts.”

“I know it does. I remember when I realized you had stopped telling me things. It’s hard. No parent likes to think that their child doesn’t need them anymore.”

 Neal wiped at his eye, feeling stupid for crying even though he knew it was okay to. He twirled the empty glass in his hand, reflecting on his relationship with Wren.

 “I’m sorry, Pop,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving that night…and for shutting you out for so long.”

“Hey, no one was perfect in our situation.” Wren put a hand on his knee. “We both made mistakes and there’s a lot we could’ve done differently. What I do know is, your relationship with Henry is a lot different than ours was when you were his age. You can work it out, before your own grandkid is 10 years old.”

Neal groaned, tilting his head back. “I’m going to be a grandfather. Jesus Christ, I’m too young.”

“I’m going to be a great-grandfather, how do you think I feel?”

 That got Neal to start laughing and he put his hand over his father’s, as both cracked up, thinking about how different their lives were about to become.

Neal walked into the Stars Hollow Gazette office a week later. He had tried to call Henry after giving him a few days to cool off, but he was avoiding his calls. After doing some prying, he figured out where he was living and had stopped by there. He hadn’t been home, but Jacinda was. She seemed nervous, but relaxed when Neal said he wasn’t angry, he just wanted to see where his son was living. It wasn’t exactly the New York loft Neal had pictured for his son, but it was better than his own first place. It had two bedrooms and a separate bathroom. They had started decorating it and it was…nice. Jacinda let him know that Henry was at work and that he had seemed miserable ever since their argument.

 “Neal.” He looked up to find August Booth walking towards him, a grin on his face. August had taken over the Gazette a few years ago. He was a newcomer to town, an old foster brother of Emma’s who had heard about the bizarre place and thought it’d make a good story. Eventually, he fell in love with someone and decided to stay. He worked at the paper as a field reporter before becoming editor when the old one retired. “Didn’t take you as a newsy type.”

“Oh you know, like to stay educated.” He shook hands with him.

“Hey, hope you’re not mad at me hiring your son without talking to you about it first, he asked me to keep it quiet.” He shrugged. “I get the whole not wanting to disappoint your dad thing.”

“It’s fine…is he here?”

“He’s out getting my coffee, but he should be back in a minute. Say, you want a drink?”

“No, I’m good.”

 The door opened and Henry walked in, a bag from Granny’s Diner one hand, a tray of coffees in the other. He handed out the orders before making it to August, not noticing his dad at first.

 “Black, I think Ruby managed to make it extra black actually.”

August laughed. “You’re the best. By the way, you have a visitor.”

 Henry looked up and did a double take, clearly not expecting that. There was a moment of silence before his boss interrupted.

 “Hey, you guys wanna step into my office and talk? I have to call Tink, make sure we’re still on for dinner tonight.”

“Um, thanks, August,” Henry mumbled, he lead his father into the office, shutting the door. “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t answering my calls.”

“I didn’t want to yell anymore.”

“I’m not going to yell.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Look, I don’t think that you skipping out on the internship was a smart move…”

“Dad…”

“As a professional. As a dad who quit school to better provide for his son, I do get it and I respect it.”

Henry frowned. “Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t think it was ever really about the whole job thing. The truth is, I think you’ll do well here. In a few years time, maybe you’ll be writing articles for this paper or another one, I’m sure August will give you a glowing recommendation.”

“Then…what’s the problem?”

“You kept all this from me, kid. I know we’re closer than that and I’m just…I’m confused. You know I wouldn’t have told anyone you didn’t want me to. So, why keep it a secret?”

 Henry chewed on his lip, looking away. Neal stepped forward and tipped his chin up, just like he did when he was younger and trying to hide something.

 “You know you can tell me anything.”

“I knew you’d be disappointed,” Henry whispered. “You worked so damn hard to make sure I had this amazing life and I did…and now…I go and get a girl pregnant right out of college. This isn’t what you wanted for me.”

“No, but I would’ve been supportive. And I would’ve liked to be there for your wedding.”

“I wanted you there. Mom, too. It didn’t feel right with just the two of us. I guess I just convinced myself that I needed to do it alone…to prove to you that I could do it. That I’d be okay.”

“I know you’re going to be okay, because you’re Henry. You’re the guy that looks out for the underdog, you care about others so deeply. I know you’ll make an amazing husband and father.”

Henry’s frown barely peaked up into a smile. “Well, I did learn from the best.”

Neal blinked a couple of times. “Bud, please do not make me cry.”

“I’m sorry…for how I acted and for shutting you out. It was wrong.”

“I’m sorry too. Whatever choices you make, even if they’re ones I wouldn’t make myself, I support you, one hundred percent. Just…clue me in.”

“I will, I promise.” Another pause. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, bud.”

 Neal pulled his son into a hug, kissing the side of his head.

 “I can’t wait for you to meet your grandson,” Henry mumbled.

“Who knows, it could be a girl.”

“Nah.” Henry pulled away. “Every Gold man’s firstborn is a boy.”

“Well, you are a Cassidy now.”

“Still, doubt that’ll suddenly change.”

“We’ll see about that.”

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: Gilmore Girls AU. Neal Cassidy left his stuffy upbringing 10 years ago to give his son the childhood he never had. When Henry gets into a fancy prep school and Neal can't afford it, he has to turn to his father and new "step mom" for help.

[justanoutlawfic]

Where You Lead: Fathers & Sons

Malcolm comes to Greenwich to meet Henry for the first time. Neal suddenly gains perspective on his father.

Trigger warning: Implied past child abuse.

Also on AO3

Neal didn’t have many memories of grandparents growing up. His mother was an orphan, that much he could remember. His father said that for all his life, he just had a dad too. Yet, he had only ever met Malcolm Gold once. It was a short visit and all he got from it was that his grandfather was very opiniated and made his father sweat. He was only 8 at the time, so he didn’t really get what was going on.

 Malcolm had moved back to Manchester after retiring and only visited once every few years. He saw his son, but never the rest of his family. He decided to change that shortly after the weekly dinners began.

 “What do you know about your grandpa?” Henry asked as they drove to Greenwich that evening.

“Not much, I only met him once and Pop never talked about him much.”

Henry tilted his head. “Really? I wonder why?”

“Do me a favor and don’t ask him. I’m sure whatever the reason, it’s awkward.”

 He pulled his Jeep into the driveway and they were let in by a maid, lead to the living room where Belle and Wren sat awkwardly. Standing by the fireplace with a glass of Scotch in his hand was an older man with thin grey hair and Wren’s chin.

 “Father,” Wren said curtly, standing up. “I believe you remember Neal.”

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “I only met him once, Wren. Back then he still hadn’t quite lost all his baby teeth.”

“Well, I have now,” Neal said, hoping the older man would laugh but…nothing.

He walked closer to them, looking them up and down before glancing over at Henry. “And you, you’re my great-grandson.”

“Yes, sir. My name’s Henry.”

“Henry? Named after Henry Thoreau?”

Neal chuckled nervously. “The Fonz, actually.”

“The Fonz?”

Neal could see his father face palming, but it was too late to go back. “Ya know, Arthur Fonzarelli…played by Henry Winkler.” Once again, there was a blank stare on his grandfather’s face. “I was 16…it was my favorite show.” Still nothing. “His middle name is Wren?”

“Names have power,” Malcolm said, finally. “They mean something, so I suppose it’s good that his means something to you.”

“Thanks,” Neal replied, unsure if that was the right response.

“So, what do you do, Neal?”

“I’m the manager of an inn,” he said.

“And how much money does that make you?”

“Mr. Gold,” Belle interjected. “I hardly see how that’s appropriate.”

“I want to know how he affords to raise my grandson, as I understand, he attends one of the best private schools in Connecticut. I’m sure that’s hard to do on an innkeeper’s salary.”

Neal was starting to get annoyed. “I do fine.”

“Fine?” Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

Wren rose to his feet. “Neal is great at what he does, he’s able to provide for his son and that’s what matters.”

“I see. I guess I’m just confused as to how a son of yours didn’t even go to college.”

“There are different paths, Father.”

 That was the first time those words had escaped Wren’s mouth and they about knocked Neal over with a feather. He had never heard his father defend his life’s choices, heck half the time he was arguing if they were the right way to go about things.

 “And I especially don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss this in front of Henry,” Wren concluded.

Malcolm stood over his son and let out a chuckle. “Aye, boy. Quite the diplomat aren’t you?” He shook his head. “I’m going to go see what exactly is taking your maid so long with dinner.”

 The rest of the evening was awkward to say the least. Malcolm quizzed Henry about school and his grades, even asking him what universities he planned on attending and what he wanted to study. As soon as the words Harvard escaped from the young boy’s lips, you would’ve thought he suggested he go to clown school.

 “All Gold men go to Yale,” he said, firmly. “Well…they did up until your father.”

 All the while, Neal noticed that his father was having more drinks than usual just to get through the evening. The truth was, he was starting to realize just why Malcolm had never come around when he was a kid. Neal thought his own childhood was stuffy and closed off, but at least his father had never been this bad. Could it be possible that maybe Wren was only the way he was due to his own upbringing?

It didn’t change anything or excuse how Wren had been at times, but Neal saw something in Wren’s face whenever his grandfather slammed a glass down on the table or rose his hands to emphasize his words. Had he…had he hit his father growing up?

 After dinner, Malcolm retired to the guest room and Henry wanted to have Belle look over a report he had due for school. Neal was left alone awkwardly for a moment, before going out onto the back deck and finding his father smoking a cigar.

 “You never told me how bad he was,” he whispered.

Wren looked over at him. “Hmm?”

“Malcolm. We never talked about it.”

“What was the point? Parents and children don’t discuss such things.”

 That wasn’t true, at least not for Neal and Henry. Sure, Neal had spared his nitty gritty details but he knew things hadn’t always been so pretty.

 “Besides,” Wren took another puff of his cigar. “I had a roof over my head, food in my belly…it’s better than it could’ve been.”

“Just because he provided for you doesn’t make what he did okay.” Another beat of silence. “We never talked about how you hurt your ankle.”

“That’s hardly important.”

“Pop…”

“I said it’s not important, Neal.”

Wren shot him a look that was both stern yet pleading and Neal nodded. “If he was so bad…why is he here?”

“I kept him from you both as much as I could. He comes to town a few times a year to see friends and normally I just have to suffer through a drink. This year, he knew that you and Henry were on better terms with me so he insisted. He said if I didn’t arrange it, he would and I didn’t want that. I’ll make sure he’s never back here again, I don’t care for how he spoke to you.”

Neal smiled a bit. “You stood up for me tonight.”

“You’re my son,” Wren replied, simply. “I know you don’t think I’m the world’s best father, but I always vowed to do better than him. Perhaps I failed…”

“No.” Neal shook his head. “You’re not the same, Papa.”

 The term of endearment slipped out without him realizing and he wouldn’t have noticed it, had it not been the glint that fell upon his father’s eyes. It had been so long since he called him that.

 “Dad!” Henry’s voice carried from inside the house. “Belle said she wants us to try the biscotti she and Grandpa got from their trip to Europe.”

Wren put out his cigar and turned towards the house. “The boy calls.”

 With that, he walked inside, leaving Neal to mull over the events of the evening.