Kelaine

I think Bae's being adopted depends on whether the writers decide it would be worse for Rumple to find out Bae went through a really bad time in foster care or that Bae was adopted by a loving, stable family that he now considers his "real" family.

In some ways, Bae would have a harder time than August. A seven year old who seems kind of odd and knows nothing about how the regular world works may have trouble, but no one's going to think he's crazy. He might be behind, but he's got plenty of time to catch up.

Bae would be fourteen and not know anything. He may know how to read and might have some basic training in mathematics. If he landed in, say, the right corner of Wyoming, his experience growing up in a farming community and probable experience working with sheep would work in his favor. Most other places, he's woefully behind what everyone else takes for granted - and people won't be as willing to accept his ignorance or to not question his mental stability if he lets things slip.

On the plus side, he's a good kid, mature for his age, and spent most of his life with a caring, supportive father (who then steamrolled his way to the Dark Side, but still).

So, some trauma but probably as good an emotional/mental make up as you're going to get for dealing with what he's been through.

The Looking Glass

Holy crap. I can't believe this episode is finally here!

Candygirl9890

Me neither! It's gonna be awesome!

CinnamonHummingbird

Me neither! And yes, it will be awesomesauce!

I've found a song from which I thought a few passages would fit Bae's (Neal's) situation quite good, so I thought I'd share it here...

Mumford & Sons ~ Dustbowl Dance

The young man stands on the edge of his porch,
The days were short and the father was gone,
There was no one in the town and no one in the field,
This dusty barren land had given all it could yield.

I've been kicked off my land at the age of sixteen fourteen,
And I have no idea where else my heart could have been,
I placed all my trust at the foot of this hill,
And now I am sure my heart can never be still,
So collect your courage and collect your horse,
And pray you never feel this same kind of remorse.

Seal my heart and break my pride,
I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide,
Align my heart, my body, my mind,
To face what I've done and do my time.

Well you are my accuser, now look in my face,
Your opression reeks of your greed and disgrace,
So one man has and another has not,
How can you love what it is you have got,
When you took it all from the weak hands of the poor?
Liars and thieves you know not what is in store.

There will come a time I will look in your eye,
You will pray to the God that you always denied,
The I'll go out back and I'll get my gun,
I'll say, "You haven't met me, I am the only son".

Seal my heart and break my pride,
I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide,
Align my heart, my body, my mind,
To face what I've done and do my time.

Seal my heart and break my pride,
I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide,
Align my heart, my body, my mind,
To face what I've done and do my time.

Well yes sir, yes sir, yes it was me,
I know what I've done, cause I know what I've seen,
I went out back and I got my gun,
I said, "You haven't met me, I am the only son".

yellowrose_bb_12

Sweet... So excited!!

Candygirl9890

Why do you take joy in playing with my emotions?

Jiorjiina

"I even went back and made sure!"

Oh lordy, if Gold finds out he handed his own grandson over to Regina, he is going to lose it.

CinnamonHummingbird

N'awwww...so sorry hun! Not intentionally...just the Tallahassee feels that take over.

ETA,
@Jiorjiina This conversation would made my day! Ahaha...there is definitely some explanation to do on the part of Rumple.

Jiorjiina

I wonder if he practices that speech in front of the mirror?

Candygirl9890

Delete

NightEvans

Oh my God

I'm officially DEAD!

I've said it once, and I'll say this again:

OH PINOCCHIO, HOW I HATE THEE!!

Why can't you just let that family alone?

CinnamonHummingbird

Honestly...I am a little bit mad at August as well. ^^;
And that's probably and understatement, grr.

But after this episode, who is still on the boat of the Neal = Bae theory?

No one expected to have this theory sealed as a factum after today's epi, but wow...that was pretty much convincing actually. Although there are still many, many questions left - thank you writers, haha.

NightEvans

Cinnamon, I'm crying tears of joy here, because honestly, there are SO MANY things pointing to Neal=Bae, that even those who would never buy SwanFire are asking... "So... is Neal Baelfire or what??"

KOUAT12

I'm still on the Neal=Bae theory train.

I wonder if it was a picture of his dad's dagger that convinced Neal of magic. Maybe when he went through the portal and came to our world, people thought he was crazy because he could have talked about magic but nobody believed him, so he just stopped believing in magic.

Or the portal he went through messed with his memories of the Enchanted Forest.

NightEvans

I guess it makes a lot of sense if what he saw inside the box was a picture of the dagger. I mean, so many things could have come to mind!! I've posted this on another thread, but since this relates to both, here go the reasons why I think Neal=Bae

Ok, what I'll say know might make no sense, BUT, I wouldn't rule out Neal being Bae so fast, especially because:

1) I don't honestly think Bae would know about the curse, not if he had been living in our world for the last 10 years or so.

2) Nightmares. The way he looked at that dream catcher seemed to suggest he's had his share of bad dreams - of falling through a green vortex after his Papa let him go, maybe?

3) "Do you believe in magic?". No answer, but again, that look in his eyes has shown me he is not just a regular somebody.

4) When August showed him what was in the box, I was like: "Big deal, gonna show the guy a typewriter?? Pfff... Lame" But then, when Neal glanced inside, he looked genuinely shocked, as if August had just shown him something magical that he (Neal) would be familiar with. I don't know if you guys realized it, but when Neal looked up again, he had tears in his eyes.

5) Oh, Pino's familiar line "Do I even look like him at all" sounds even more suspicious now. Maybe he knew who Neal really was, after all?