I was out for coffee when I suddenly thought of how everyone was telling Belle how she "can't change someone" or that "people don't change," and yet, Emma was able to "change" Killian. I know Gold is the Dark One and all, but I figured it would still make for an interesting conversation between Emma and Belle.

I hope you enjoy reading this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time

…

"...how did you do it?"

Emma turned around from where she was staring back at the door with a lingering grin on her face. She was startled to hear the meek, dejected tone of the woman sitting across from her. Belle was staring down at her mug of cocoa, with an almost dejected look on her face.

"Wh-What did you mean, Belle?" Emma asked, placing a concerned hand over her friend's shoulder.

Belle looked up. "Change him," she said. "I meant to ask how you changed him," she continued before looking back down at her mug, blinking back tears.

Still gripping Belle's hand, Emma looked confused for a few seconds. She had Belle had been cheerfully talking and catching up for about an hour now, and nothing had happened to make her mood go sour. It had been fun having a girls night out away from their usual drama with Gold and Zelena and the Evil Queen and whatnot.

Suddenly, Emma hit her realization. Her mind blinked back to just a few moments earlier, when Killian had just walked into the diner with Henry.

…

"Swan!"

Emma turned back, still laughing from the conversation she was just having with Belle. "Hey guys. How was your afternoon?" she asked while hugging her son.

Killian laughed. "Bloody torturous, Swan. That boy of yours may have a strong mind for books, but when it comes to sport-"

"Hey! At least my skills are actually useful!" defended Henry.

"Oh rea-"

"Okay!" Emma interrupted, now laughing for an entirely different purpose. "Henry, stick to what you're great at… It's nice to see that the most important men in my life have specialized skills."
"Excuse me!" Killian and Henry both said simultaneously and incredulously.

Then Killian grinned, and so did Henry. After sending Henry off to the counter to grab some hot chocolate with cinnamon (hey, like mother like son), Killian leaned down to give Emma a quick kiss.

"I like spending time with your boy, Swan," he whispered devilishly in her ear. Emma smiles back and replied "I think he likes it too. No matter what defense he puts up."

Henry returned with his hot chocolate and left with Killian to allow Emma and Belle to return to their night out. After uttering a quick goodbye to Belle, they were on their way back to Snow and David's apartment. Emma watched them leave.

…

"-I mean - I'm sorry to pry, Emma, it's just - I never could succeed in changing Rumple for the better. The villain in him, the side of him that I knew when I met him - it just keeps on winning. No matter what I do," Belle stuttered.

"Belle," Emma interjected. "It's fine…"

Truth be told, Emma wasn't too sure on how to proceed with this. She herself had wondered this many times, but with all of the crazy going-ons of Storybrooke, she had never really had time to fully think about why Hook's transformation was achievable, unlike Gold's - apart from the obvious "Dark One" answer, of course.

"I thought it was the Dark One power, you know?" stated Belle. "I saw how it affected you - and you're so strong, practically the moral compass of all of us," she laughed sadly. "But even when you were the Dark One - Rumple never stopped scheming to get it back, to get back the power. It's like I was never enough for him," she finished.

Well, there goes that theory, thought Emma.

"...to tell you something, Belle…" she began to answer. "I don't think I'm responsible for changing him in the first place."

At this, Belle looked stunned. Even Emma was stunned. She had never admitted that fact to herself before. But now that she said it out loud… she could understand it.

"Let me explain. When I met Killian, he was a bad guy. No doubt about that. And when he developed feelings for me… yes, his whole "evil" persona started to disappear."

Okay, Emma, explain this better.

"What I mean is that, based on what he has told me, I think he was always a good guy. He just always had to hide it before… he loved his brother so much and would have chosen him over anything. Rumple never had that quality, you know? He dumped Neal as soon as he could have his power, and didn't hesitate nearly as much as he should have considering he would lose a child. And speaking of Neal, there was a point even during his pirating days when he cared for a strange boy and protected him from Pan. He risked his own life for a boy...knowing he was Milah's son. His love for a woman prompted him to act good, even when he could have been jeopardized. As you just pointed out with yourself, Gold could never be selfless enough to let whatever love he may have for you be a substitute for his power. I don't think it's so much the fact that I changed him as much as the fact that I brought it out."

After speaking, Emma had to take a breathe. She had said that all without a break, and even Belle was staring at her, eyes wide and mouth open in slight amazement. Granny looked over from the counter, freezing even though she was in the middle of cleaning a pot.

All was still for a while, allowing Emma to have some time to process her own thoughts. Wow, she thought. I never fully appreciated how he changed…

And then Granny grinned and returned to her work in solitude. Belle smiles softly and said "Wow, I… thank you, Emma. Truly."

Emma saw a faint tear drop down Belle's face, and held her hand once more, but tighter. "Hey," she said firmly. "Don't blame yourself. His goodness was never there to begin with. I don't know why or what happened to him to make him like that, but you can't be helped for his troubles, Belle. You can't make him good, he has to want to be. You can't create something from nothing."

Belle looked up and grinned, wiping tears from her face. "I know, I know. I think I always knew it, but just never wanted to believe it. I needed to hear it… it'll help me move on."

Belle stood up, bringing her mug to the counter. She turned around to face Emma and said "Well, this was nice. I'm tired, so I think I'll head to bed. But...another time?" she asked hopefully.

Emma smiled. "Of course," she said. "Anytime."

…

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you thought my deep-seated hatred for Gold was far too obvious :P. Feedback, whether constructive criticism or encouragement, is always nice to read!