Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-31427137-20170331142300/@comment-24304025-20170331215007

Hook and Neal could have left, but, as Regina explains, not only Storybrooke would vanish out of existance, but all of the memories about what happened there. If they had left, Emma wouldn't remember anything about Hook, and Neal would still be the guy who abandoned her. If Regina hadn't interefered and given them new memories, even Emma and Henry (although out of town) would have left their memories.