What if Emma hadn't told Rumple of her blackmail idea? And what if she did go to Belle? And what if Belle told her the truth?
"You're the Dark One! Again." Emma said in a sorrow filled whispered. "You tricked us all. You tricked Hook."
"He had no idea. You see, he thought he was destroying the Darkness. When really, he was just moving it." Gold explained.
"Into you."
"And now, I have all the powers of all Dark Ones to ever exist. Including you."
How could he?! She thought. How could he take away Hook's heroic act? He had now died for nothing!
"I still have magic." Emma told him.
"It doesn't matter Miss Swan. There is nothing you can do now. Hook did what he thought he had to. You see Miss Swan, you and the Captain haven't been the Dark One as long as I have, so you have yet to learn."
"Learn what?"
Gold sighed. "The Darkness is a game. All I am doing is winning."
Emma had no other words. He might be winning in his mind, but in hers...she had a trump card. And that trump card would stop Gold just as she had last time.
The Savior left the pawn shop in all rage and fury. Belle. She had to get to Belle and the best place was the library.
Emma opened the doors to the library and found Belle at the desk.
"Oh, hi Emma." The blonde could hear the sympathy in the bookworm's voice and for a split second, Emma had second thoughts. Belle had gone through watching her True Love, even though everyone doubted that fact, die in front of her. But she didn't have to kill him.
"Hi. Is there anyone else here?"
"Um, no. Just me." Of course.
Without another word Emma turned around and locked the library door to ensure no one would bother them.
"What's going on?" Belle asked.
Emma had thought about how to tell her on the short walk across the street and decided to just cut to the chase.
"Gold is the Dark One again."
Belle paused. "What? Um, no. The Apprentice took the Darkness out, remember?"
"I said again. Weren't you listening?" Emma knew there was no need to be harsh with Belle but she was to blinded by hatred and sorrow to really care.
"Gold did something to Excalibur so when Hook tried to destroy the Darkness, he actually moved it to Gold. He's the Dark One again and I need you to make him do something for me or Hook would have died for nothing."
Belle just stood there. She had no idea how to react and no idea how to feel. Rumple was the Dark One. Again? He took the curse again? Why? He was a hero now. He didn't need the power.
"Belle, did you hear me?"
Belle looked up at Emma and saw how angry she was. Well, of course she was but what right did she have to tell her to make Rumple do something. Her head was spinning with so many thoughts.
"I know it's hard to take-"
"Stop." Belle raised her hand. Now she knew what she had to do.
"Just stop Emma. Listen to me. I know you're upset-"
"You're damn right I'm upset! Gold tricked us all again!"
"I will deal with him."
"What? How can you be so calm Belle?"
"Because you're wrong."
Emma stepped forward. "If you want to know for sure, just go and ask him. Though he will probably lie to you."
Belle took a breath. "A part of me guessed he would do something to get the powers back. I'm not that naive. But you have no right to come in here telling me what to do. I understand you're upset Emma. Believe me. I do. But the last time I did something because I was angry, I did something I will always regret."
Belle had started to cry from the memory of sending Rumple over the town line. Emma began to cool down, just a little, and listened to Belle.
"Listen, I will deal with Rumple, but I want to know what it is you want from him."
Emma stared at the other woman. "I'm getting Hook back and I need Gold for that."
"What?"
"To open the portal to the Underworld, you need the blood of someone who has gone to Hell and back. Gold's the only one here who fits that description. I need his blood and he's helping me get Hook back no matter what. I need you to get him to do it."
Belle was shocked for so many reasons. She was angry with Rumple but like she said, she wasn't naive. She would deal with him but right now she had to get Emma back to reality.
"Why would I or Rumple do that?"
That shocked Emma. Didn't she give her reasons?
"What?"
"I will never force Rumple to do anything ever again. And what makes you think he would bring back Hook? You and Regina both! Regina took my heart because she assumed Rumple was working with Zelena to hurt Robin. Do you honestly, in any sane part of your brain, believe he would?"
Belle wasn't sure when her voice started to rise but she had it with the selfish and hypocritical heroes. It turned out that Emma was just like her parents.
"Zelena held him in a cage for a year and killed his son. Do you honestly believe he would do anything to help her? And after their century long feud, why would Rumple go to bring Hook back now that's he's gone?"
"You and Neal brought Gold back after he died."
"Yes. But Hook didn't help! Emma, if you want to go save Hook, do it yourself. I'm sure your family would be dumb enough to follow."
Belle started to walk back to the desk hoping Emma would leave.
"Excuse me?! What does that mean?"
"You know what it means Emma. You want to know the truth?" Now she was yelling. Partly because of Emma and her family and partly because of learning about Rumple.
"You're just like your parents and Regina. You are so quick to put blame on Rumple and blackmailing him. Regina used my heart to get him to do what she wanted. Same with Hook when he threatened our marriage."
The visible shock on Emma's face told Belle that she hadn't known.
"You didn't know? Hook found out that Rumple switched the dagger on me and threatened to tell me so Rumple could give him his hand back. He destroyed one marriage and threatened another because like you, he was selfish. Now you're coming in here telling me something you have no right to tell me and not asking me, but ordering me to make Rumple do something for you. Something he will never do in a million years!"
"Belle-"
"I'm not done yet Emma!" Belle lost control of her anger and continued on lashing out at the younger woman.
"I have had it with you and your family! When you kidnapped him for your own needs, I tried to get your family to help him. Because if anyone could help you with the Darkness it was Rumple. I also tried to get them to see that just like Rumple, you were responsible for your own actions. Not some stupid curse."
Although Belle continued, she was happy to see that Emma chose to remain quiet and listen. She was also glad to see that last part hit a nerve.
"They didn't believe it. They thought just because you're the Savior you can't do anything wrong. And because everything Rumple has done, you and your family have every right to control him. That's not what heroes do Emma. The Darkness might manipulate you, but you and Rumple choose to do what you did. You are responsible. But apparently not in their eyes. I asked them what they would do if something happened to Rumple. Do want to know their answer? Do you want to know what Regina and your parents agreed on? They said it was risk they would have to take. What hurt the most was how casually they said it. That's your family Emma. So quick to do whatever it takes for their family but when it comes to anyone else, especially Rumple, he doesn't matter. He's nothing but a villain right?"
Emma continued to stare and listen. Belle really knew how to call someone out and make them listen.
"I'm sorry for what you are going through. I am. I may not have had to kill Rumple but I couldn't even move to stop him from killing himself and I was forced to watch it. But you had something I never did then. You have a family to help you get through it. No one helped me off the ground. You all choose to help Regina. Let me remind you about what she did."
Belle's voice had lower somewhere along her speech and now she, although she was still crying, was speaking in a resolved tone. One that not even Emma could ignore.
"Shad had ripped out thousands of hearts because a ten year old, your mother, told a secret. Snow only told so Regina would have a good relationship with her mother. Instead of thanking her, Regina cast a curse and kills thousands. Tricks me and locks me up in a tower and than an asylum for thirty years and lies to Rumple about me dying. She apologizes only to take my heart later because of a rather ignorant assumption. She took it after I offered her my help. She even thought Rumple needed to be controlled. After you and your family left him to Zelena, even after you knew he was alive, she gives me the dagger she took instead of Rumple himself. Hook tries to kill me three times for a vendetta I have nothing to do with. Blackmails Rumple and threatens our marriage. Did he ever tell you what he did before all that?"
Emma cast a look that said yes. Hook had told her on the ship while she was trying to trick him into getting the sword so she could wake up Gold for her own needs. If she didn't need him, she would have left him. Belle was right. It was easier without him in the picture.
Emma answered Belle. "He said Gold was a good man that hobbled onto his ship and begged for his wife back. Hook said that he was the villain in that story, not Gold."
It was Belle's turn to be shocked. "He was right. Hook and Regina did all those terrible things and guess what. They weren't even the Dark Ones. Rumple managed to be the Dark One for centuries. I am not by any means accepting his actions, but his reasons were just. Everything he did was for one chance, just one chance for his son to forgive him. Three centuries Rumple was the Dark One. In the first week, he stopped the Ogre Wars and saved thousands of children. What did you and Hook manage to do in your first few weeks?"
She knew Emma wouldn't answer. "You send a master archer after me to kill me so you can make Rumple a hero."
"Killing you was not my intention."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't tell after you gave Merida a potion to turn her into a bear and chase me. After that, Hook manages to bring the Underworld to Storybrooke."
The brunette took a moment to catch her breath. Her anger was beginning to dye and she could see Emma was calming down too.
"You and your family always seem to forget everything Rumple has done for you."
"Like what?"
"Like getting your parents together! Making you the Savior! Killing himself and Pan to save every one of you. And yet, you treat him like a dog because if you have him controlled like one, things are easier. What have Regina and Hook ever done for you except take care of Henry when you wouldn't. If you accept Regina and Hook against everything they did, you must accept Rumple too. I know him and I know that he is a much nicer person if you give him his free will. You can't control people Emma. That's not what any decent person does. Snow and David accept Regina because she raised Henry. They accepted Hook because you love him. After everything they did to me and Rumple. And after everything we have done for you. All the help I have given without something so simple as a 'thank you', and all of your fires Rumple put out because you don't know how to take care of yourself, we get nothing in return and he's still the villain.
I'm sorry Emma. I will deal with Rumple. Believe me, but I will not make him do anything. And you have no right to blackmail him. I guess being a Savior doesn't count for anything. You're no better than your family or the two reformed villains. I refuse to help. Goodbye Emma."
After her rant, Belle walked past the blonde and unlocked the doors and left, leaving Emma to take in everything she has learned.
Sorry if it kinda ended abruptly. My anger towards the 'heroes' was rising again and I had to get it out. I'm sure a few more chapters of Belle telling the 'heroe's off will pop up again before the new season. :)
