Ok, so there is a chance I'll post a very happy ending to this if people ask. But this just made itself as I contemplated the midseason finale. So please let me know what you think and if I should turn this into a happy ending.

It was supposed to be Emma. It was Emma who asked for the sword, who told him that she was willing to make the biggest sacrifice to save all of them. Why she included him was a big question for him but she did nevertheless. It was supposed to be Emma who he was saving. But things never turned out the way he had expected them to be.

The minute Regina and Emma told him of their plan…he knew he wouldn't agree to it. For one main reason, Henry. His grandson had gone through far enough. The boy had already lost his father and he would stand by and watch Henry lose another parent. Not if he had anything to say about it.

So with the few minutes he had left, he found a simple spell that would activate once he said a particular word. The spell would make him change places with a person of his choosing. He just had to focus and when the time was right. He would say the word and change places with the person.

Emma was going to gather the Darkness into Excalibur and then stab herself with it. He just had to trade places with her, have the sword and do what he should have done long ago.

Technically he had done it when he killed pan but it was only himself as the Dark One that was killed. This time it was going to be all Dark Ones, all the Darkness that will be eradicated forever. Something he had wished with the author and now something he could do. He had lived far too long. He fought to be with his son. When Baelfire had died, he fought for Belle. Now it was Henry. But Henry had other people fighting for him. And those are the people he needed to protect, because Henry would be happy with them and not with him.

He was willing to make the sacrifice for the boy who was his last remaining connection to his son.

But everything changed. He never thought that Killian Jones could actually fight the Darkness after centuries of being filled with hatred and revenge but then again so was he when he first met his True Love. And he knew more than anyone what True Love could do.

Now the big question was this, he was willing to do it for Emma…was he willing to do it for Killian? The man who took his wife, who shot Belle, who blackmailed him, who is now with the mother of his grandson. The man who tormented him for centuries, who made it his life's mission to kill the Dark One. Killian Jones was a man of many things…but the most important thing is that Emma loved him. The other thing was what he told Bae all those years ago, that he was willing to go back and get him. Killian was a good man. He was no coward.

So was he.

Was he willing to do it for Killian? He focused on the man who he hated for so long…and answered the question. The answer. The trigger word for his trade spell.

Yes

Emma couldn't bear to look up. She focused her eyes on the ground as her hands shook. Killian didn't cry out in pain as she drove Excalibur through him. She couldn't make herself look him in the eye…

"Always knew…you wanted to do that to me….Miss Swan."

Emma's eyes widened at that voice. It was not Killian. She looked up and was shocked to see the same neck wound that was supposed to be on Killian but that she did not stab Killian. She had stabbed Gold.

"Gold…," gasped Emma and Rumple took her arm as white light surrounded them. The light receded and Emma was back to normal, no longer the Dark One. She pulled Excalibur from him and the blade started turning into dust, just as Gold crumpled to the ground.

"What did you do?" demanded Killian who approached them from where Emma knew she last saw Gold standing. "You traded places…with me. Why?"

"I…" managed Gold but whatever he was about to say was drowned by a gasped of pain. "Supposed to do it for Miss…Swan…"

"Yes and then you still did it for me," demanded Killian. "Why?"

"Not fair..." came the short reply and Killian could only stare. No this can't be. Gold hated him for taking Milah.

"You planned this all along," said Regina, her eyes also tearing up. She may have hated Rumplestiltskin but the man was still the closest thing she had to an old friend, her mentor, the man who understood her. "When we came to your shop, you were going to do this. That's why you didn't put up a fight when we asked for the sword. You weren't go to let Emma sacrifice herself."

"Why would you do that?" asked Emma, cradling the man who had brought so many pain into her life but also brought some good. The man who sacrificed himself to save them all from Pan. The man who she turned into a hero to get Excalibur in the first place.

"Henry lost…his father," began Gold, his eyes starting to focus on her but failing. "Shouldn't…lose you…as well."

"But he wasn't going to lose Emma," shouted Killian. "You have no reason to make that sacrifice for me."

"Could...be..." tried Gold but there was just too much pain for him to speak straight. "A father...to him...can't lose another..."

"And what about his grandfather?" demanded Emma, tears falling freely from her eyes. "You're his last link to Neal. He can't lose you too…"

"Has you…" said Gold, his voice barely a whisper. "Nothing…to live…for…Belle…she's gone."

"No she's not," said Henry, kneeling down on the other side of his grandfather. "She's coming back. She's coming back for you, Grandpa. Don't give up, please."

"Not…coming back," said Gold, his voice resigned. "Doesn't love me…shouldn't love me." His eyes were heavy and he couldn't focus on the faces of the people who crowded around him…could barely hear them now…

Rumple!

Henry, David and Mary Margaret saw the Cadillac driving down Main Street and all three saw that it was Belle driving, a small smile on her face. Her face full of determination as she drove off.

"Belle's leaving?" asked David, as he came to the window and follow the car with his eyes.

"Gold didn't tell her," said Mary Margaret with a sigh. "He did as he told us. He said goodbye and let her go. Made her go have the adventure she's always wanted…just not with him."

"I'm calling her," said Henry fishing out his phone but David grabbed his arm. "What? Grandpa Gold should have told her the truth."

"He's doing this to save her Henry," said David. "If Belle knew, she would be dragged along with us. Gold's marked because he's the only one who escaped the Dark One. If Belle shows up with us, they'll drag her along and Gold will not let that happen. He's giving her a life to live."

"A life without her True Love?" asked Henry, eyeing his maternal grandparents. "Can you honestly say that is a life? How can you live a life without your True Love by your side? I get it that Belle maybe angry but she and Grandpa Gold has proven time and time again that they are True Love and that is worth fighting for."

"Henry…" began Mary Margaret but the boy wouldn't have any of it. He dialed Belle's number and she answered immediately.

David and Mary Margaret exchanged a glance and they both nodded. David walked towards Henry and took his phone. Henry made to protest but David pushed the speaker phone button and all three of them told Belle what was going on.

But just as they finished, Nimue arrived and Henry didn't know if Belle was coming back or not but he had to give his grandfather something to fight for. He had lost his father and his mom was right. Rumplestiltskin was his connection to his father. A father he had lost and a void Rumplestiltskin could fill with his stories about their time together. He had done a lot of things as the Dark One but Henry knew that he had saved people from the Orge Wars and he even got his maternal grandparents together. His grandfather may have been the Dark One, but he fought for his own will and control.

Henry willed with all his might that Belle was on her way but seeing his grandfather growing paler by the second, he was beginning to lose hope. That was until he heard her.

"Rumple!"

They all turned to see Belle running towards them and Henry could already see she was crying. Emma moved to Henry's side as Belle took knelt down beside Rumple, cupping his face, shaking him to open his eyes. "Rumple, I'm here. Please, please don't leave me…"

"Belle…" again, his voice barely a whisper as Rumple tried to focus on her face. "Not…real…gone…"

"No Rumple," began Belle, tears falling from her eyes as she held his face. "I'm here. I'm sorry. I don't need to see the world to know what I want. I want you. Please, stay with me."

"At least…" began Rumple, his eyes blinking slowly, trying to focus on her face. "Last thing…I see…is you…" He tried to bring his fingers to brush her cheeks and the soft touch was all he could do and he's hand dropped and went limp by his side. His eyes closing with his last breathe.

"No!" screamed Belle, shaking him. "No! Rumple, please! I love you."

Mary Margaret hid her face on David's shoulder as he tightened his arm around her. Regina turned to Robin and buried her face on his neck as he hugged her. Henry just stared at his grandfather, trying to tell himself that Rumple would wake up that he'll be alright. But when his mom hugged him from his side, he knew it was pointless. He let the tears fall as he turned and cried as Emma hugged him. He could feel Emma's tears on his jacket.

Rumplestiltskin made the sacrifice to save his family. He was gone.