“Nah, I don’t mind.” And contrary to Robin’s belief, Neal’s concern had been for his friend rather than himself. But he’s right to think that the good in Neal’s life had been limited growing up. There had been times he’d been happy, sure. He’d had homes, families along the way, all of them seeming to last just long enough for him to ache after they were gone.

Still, he grins as he thinks back on the scene replaying in his room. Even though it hadn’t ended well, it’s one of the few pure times he’s experienced. Something not tainted by someone’s longing for power or revenge.

“Back when I left the Enchanted Forest, I ended up in London a few hundred years ago.” He gives Robin a second to let that sink in, just in case he hadn’t already made the connection. “First few months of it were really hard; I was living on the streets, begging and stealing for what I could. I ended up sneaking into this one home, and I got caught. They didn’t kick me out though, or send me to a work house. They accepted me into their family. After what happened with my dad, it was the first time I’d had a home.”