Mr. Gold didn't want to disappoint Belle a second time. He hadn't wanted to leave her at Granny's on there first date but it had been a necessary evil. Today he was going to make up for it. He planed on making the redo date the best it could possibly be.
Gold picked up his black jacket, quickly put it on, and grabbed his cane before locking the front door of the pick house. He practically ran to get in to his car and made his way to the library. As he arrived he smiled for the first time that day as he got out of car. He carefully opened the door and made his way inside. He called out, "Belle…are you ready to go?" When he doesn't hear an answer he goes farther inside. He looks down each wall of books he passes and checks his watch. He mumbles, "I'm on time she should be here." He hears a scraping sound coming from the back of the library and he quickly moves to it. He half prays in his head, 'Please let her be fine.' He stops dead when he sees her.
Belle is tied to a chair and behind her stands a person he hoped to be long dead. Hook is standing over Belle with a wicked smile on his face. Hook leans down and traces Belle's face with his hook. Gold's eyes widen and his words are a growl that end as a whimper, "Don't hurt her." Hook stops moving his hook and looks up, "And why should I, Crocodile? You didn't listen to my words for, Milah." Gold steps forward, "What do you want?" Hook starts tracing her face again and slowly moves lower, looking at Gold as he does it. "What I want is to kill you with my own hand. To make good on my promise."
Belle's eyes flick from the hook on her face to Gold. Her words come out stumbling out, "Rumpel, please, what's going on?" And in that moment Gold only has eyes for her, "Belle…" Hook interrupts Gold by cutting into Belle's cheek, "Tick tock tick tock. I know I can't kill you. But I can certainly kill her." Mr. Gold steps forward only to step back when Hook cuts a bit deeper. Gold's eyes flick from the hook, to Belle, to Hook. He licks his lips after a moment and the fight goes out of him with each word, "There is one way to do what you wish." His eyes stay on Belle as if he is reviling the secret to her and not Hook, "There is a dagger. The one who possesses it controls the person whose name is written on the blade. But if you kill me with my dagger my power my life becomes yours." He slowly shifts his gaze to Hook, "Let Belle go and you can…have the dagger." Hook smiles, "Deal."
Hook smiles and uses his hook to cut the ropes tying Belle to the chair. The moment she is free she runs to Gold and hugs him close. Her words come out muffled but he understands her perfectly, "Don't do this Rumpel. I love you. I can't loose you again…not like this." Gold holds her in front of him, "And I love you too. That is why I must do this. Now go, run to Granny's and stay safe." He wipes the trail of blood from her cheek, "I once heard the phrase 'do the brave thing and bravery will follow'. And that is what I plan to do." He kisses her for a brief moment and gently pushes her to the door, "Now go, dearie."
Once Belle is gone Gold lowers his head and Hook moves toward him. "Now where is this dagger?" Gold turns from Hook and starts toward the door, "Follow me." He leads Hook to his car and then into his house. He slowly leads Hook up the walkway and opens the door. He makes his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. His hand shakes as he walks to his dresser and opens up the lowest drawer. He removes a chipped teacup and carefully places it in his coat pocket. Gold closes his eyes and reaches back into the drawer. His hand comes out caring a dagger. He turns back to face Hook. Looking at the dagger he speaks more to him self then to Hook as he remembers the first time he heard of it, "He's enslaved him with the power of a mystical dagger. And on the blade is written a name. The true name of the Dark One." He grips the dagger a bit tighter, unwilling to break a deal and yet unwilling to give up his life before finding Baelfire.
Hook listens to Gold and an idea lights up his eyes, "You said who carries the blade will control you." Gold replies with a venom filled voice, "Yes." Hook walks up to Gold leaning down so he can whisper into his ear. And he puts his hand on top of Gold's, "Then I think you should hand this over and we should go to Granny's. You can spill your truths to the town." Gold shivers a bit as the magic calls to him. He doesn't have to obey but the magic wants him to. The dagger can 'feel' Hook touching it and can 'tell' it will soon be in the hand of a new wielder of the power. He slowly loosens his fingers and Hook plucks the dagger from his hand. "Follow me, Crocodile," he says as he walks from the room and down the steps. Gold tries to deny Hook but after a few moments he is in pain for not following the words and wishes of his master. His own magic is pushing and pulling trying to make him move. And the longer he waits the stronger it becomes. He skin feels like it's getting pricked with pins but after a second or two it intensifies. His body feels like it is being stabbed and his right leg feels as it did the night the ogres crushed it. He grips his cane and shakily moves after his master.
Hook waits at the bottom of the stairs. He watches as Gold shakily makes it down and stands next to him. "I don't like my time to be wasted. Listen and follow my commands and you won't have to feel that kind of pain again." Gold grips his cane, stops shaking, and nods his head. With the weakness he remembers Hordor and how he was the last person to control him until now. But even that wasn't quite like this. Hordor had just been a man controlling a weaker man. Then Gold could run away now he can't.
With a sweep of his hand Gold asks, "And what is it you would have me do now?" Hook makes his way to the door and calls over his shoulder, "You're going to take me to Granny's where you can share your secrets with the town." He opens the door and walks to the car. He leans on it as he watches Gold follow him. Once Gold reaches the car he tries to reason with Hook but Hook just shakes his head and says "Just open the doors and take us to the diner." Gold walks passed Hook and unlocks the car. As the engine roars to life Hook jumps in beside him.
Gold drives them to Granny's as slowly as he can but eventually they do reach their destination and he parks the car. He gets out of the car after Hook does. Hook grips the dagger a bit tighter as he says, "Make sure you hold the door open for me." Gold walks a few paces ahead of Hook and opens the door with a mocking flourish. Once Hook is in Gold follows and quickly spots Belle sitting with Ruby. But Ruby and Belle, and the rest of the diner turn once the door is closed. Granny steps in front of Hook. Sounding impatient she asks, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Hook does a sight bow and moves so Gold is in the spotlight. "I've come here today with a Crocodile at my beck and call." He plays with the dagger as he continues, "For the first time in his 300 years. Rumpelstiltskin will be sharing his secrets…with all of you." Gold tilts his head to Hook pleading with his eyes. It's obvious to everyone in the diner this is something he won't be doing without a fight. Belle starts to get out of her chair and make her way to Gold. He quickly looks at her and slightly shakes his head. He whispers, "Don't." But it's silent enough for everyone to hear. Belle's eyes are full of worry but she stops and sits back down. Hook leans in front of Gold, "You may start from the beginning." Gold looks right into Hook's eyes and growls, "You will pay for this." Hook laughs before he replies, "I have nothing to loose. But. You. Do."
Gold's eyes widen slightly and he nods his head once. He looks back at Belle and pretends these words are only for her, "I didn't always have power or magic. I was a spinner, a coward, the man who ran from the Ogre War." He wants to twist his words or at least leave some parts out but his magic forces him to tell every truth filled word. "My wife, Milah, left me to raise our son. And when the Ogres returned Bae was going to be sent to fight. To save him I killed a man. I killed the Dark One and took his powers." Gold closes his eyes and turns away from Belle. He doesn't want to see the hurt that is probably in her eyes. After a few moments his magic sends a bit of pain to his leg and he continues to get it to stop. "Bae tried to get rid of my magic but I couldn't trust the way he had found. I let him fall into this world and since then I have worked to get here to find him. I have murdered, turned daughter against mother, twisted my words, I have broken everything I've touched. I have hurt everyone I know." He bows his head; "I created the curse that brought us here. I gave Regina a reason to enact it." He looks up at everyone in the diner as he finishes, "But everything I have done has been to get me to this land, a land without magic. The land my son, Baelfire, landed in."
As he finishes the door swings open and everyone turns toward walks between Gold and Hook, "What in the hell is going on here?" Hook smiles and shows Emma the dagger, "I'm controlling him. He has to do everything I say." The smile fades away when he sees that Emma isn't really impressed, "This is the only thing that can kill him." Gold grips his cane a bit tighter and talks only to Emma, "I wouldn't recommend killing me, dearie. If you did you would have my powers and all the memories of Dark Ones passed. It's not as good as it sounds." Emma not even paying attention to what Gold said turns to Hook, "If you planed on killing him I don't see why you two are here." She leans down, "And I don't see how killing him or controlling him will bring back your dear Milah." And as she says this she reaches and snatches the dagger from Hook's hands.
Gold immediately feels the change. Hook holding his dagger had felt deadly. It had felt like a ticking time bomb. His dagger in Emma's hands still gives him a sense of unease but he can breathe slightly easier. Hook reaches to grab the dagger back but Gold steps forward and bats Hook's hand away with his cane. A giggle almost like those from their old land comes from Gold, "You're not getting it back." He grips his cane and hits Hook in the head. Hook falls to the ground and Gold leans over him. "Shall I do to you what I did to Milah? Shall I rip your heart out, dearie?" He feels a hand pulling him back from Hook. Belle runs to his side, "Rumpel please, just leave him." He looks at the hand holding him back and finds that it's Emma's. He turns to Belle with wide eyes as if he's a young boy caught stealing. Belle takes hold of his hand, "Let Emma take care of him. I would like it if you could see me home?" Emma slowly releases Gold and bends down to handcuff Hook. Looking up at Gold she says, "I'll need you to come the sheriffs station to clear some things up." She looks down at Hook, "But no matter what it is against the law of this land to attempt to murder someone." She pulls Hook to his feet and half drags him to her car. Once she is sure the door is locked and he can't escape she comes back to the diner.
Gold squeezes Belle's hand and lets go. He does a rather extravagant bow at Emma and when he gets back up he says a heartfelt, "Thank you." He takes Belle's hand again and says to Emma, "I'll come talk with you once I see Belle gets home." And with that they leave. Gold drives Belle to her home in the library and Emma drives Hook to his Jail cell. And all is right in Storybrooke for the moment.