"Gold," Emma called and Rumpelstiltskin physically felt himself flinch. He hated the feeling and he wanted nothing more than to disappear from where he was standing beside Belle; possibly in a cloud of smoke but magic wasn't within reach anymore and he felt the panic climbing up his throat-
Emma walked closer and without the curse roaming inside her, her eyes seemed clearer, kinder.
Rumpelstiltskin didn't move, he couldn't even think about running. She'd hate him for putting her through this; for putting her through the curse he had been plagued by not so many months ago. Now his heart was white, pure, clean and Emma's had now been forever marred by the darkness. Rumpelstiltskin swallowed and he didn't speak as the former Dark One stepped within his personal space. He tried to indicate to Belle, tried to ignite some sort of response from her, but perhaps she was just as sick of him as Emma was. It wouldn't surprise him, why would anyone care for him now? He was useless worthless, pathetic-
Emma wrapped her arms around him so tightly she appeared to be shaking. After a few seconds, with her head resting on his shoulder, she whispered, "I'm sorry."
He didn't understand. He didn't move in her embrace.
Emma shook even more and pressed him close, "I'm sorry. No one understood. We didn't even try… I know now why you did- why you did everything you did. I know-" She cut herself off, sobbing her heart out and Rumpelstiltskin felt a familiar stinging in his eyes. She inhaled sharply, and her voice broke, "The curse, it spoke to me. It was driving me over the edge, it wanted me to. It kept yelling and I couldn't stop it!"
He hadn't moved and he still didn't intend to. All he could do was comfort her, "It wasn't your fault-"
"It wasn't yours either," she cried and she clenched her fingers in the back of his jacket. "You lived with the voices- all those voices! For hundreds of years," she continued, her breath hitching.
He didn't affirm it, but she knew. She knew everything.
She leaned back and her eyes had spilled tears, "I want to tell you something. Something important."
"Okay," he nodded and braced himself for the worst.
She took a deep breath, "You're not nothing."
The echo of Nimue's voice hit him like a gunshot and before he knew it his legs didn't support him and Emma had guided him to his knees on the forest floor. She held him tightly and when had he started crying?
"You're not nothing," Emma repeated, her voice soothing and he would have liked to believe her.
He really would.