Rumplestiltskin

He sat in the large room; alone at last. He wouldn't even admit to himself that he was confused by what had just transpired- Regina, working with the saviour, and her with Hook. He could only see snippets of the future, and the whole gang had thrown him rather off course.

Still, stranger things had happened, and it wouldn't do to dwell on them. He rose from his chair, and the grin vanished from his face as he found himself pulled back down. He tried again and again to leave, and with a sharp pang he recalled his own words from earlier; We can't just leave. We're all magically bound to the game. All.

With a frustrated sigh he reached his hands and retrieved the dice from across the table, studying them while he considered his options. He was a damn idiot for binding them all to the game- he hadn't for a moment considered himself. At least the others were gone, they wouldn't see him suffer. He gritted his teeth and sniffed, knowing that this game was specifically designed to wound. He had designed it.

Without any further hesitation- and before he could think too clearly about what he was doing- he threw the dice. It skidded across the table in front of him, rolling around and around endlessly. Eventually it fell to one side. Emotional

He felt the cold wash over him with a shiver, shrugging the sensation away as the ground in front of him began to swirl and glow. He hadn't seen much magic other than his own; had certainly never encountered a magic bean. Portals to non-magical realms were beyond even his abilities. He put a protective hand in front of Bae, pulling his son away from the magic. Bae looked at him.
"Let's go, Papa,"

He froze as his old cowardice washed over him. Without magic; who was he? Rumplestiltskin was the Dark One- that's all he had become. If you took that away, he'd be nothing more than the village coward. He couldn't do that; he couldn't go back to a time when he was unable to protect his son. He plunged his dagger into the ground as they fell toward the portal, Bae shouting at him; that he had to go, they had made a deal.

But he couldn't He hadn't felt fear like this for a long time, it took control of him. He didn't think of anything other than the uncertainty; he wouldn't have any magic in this new land. He wouldn't feel this power- this security. He shook his head vehemently and loosened his grip on his son.

"I can't" He merely said, and with a last cry Bae slipped from his fingertips.

For a moment there was nothing. He hadn't ever heard such a deafening silence. He listened to his breath for three seconds. Four. Then it hit him. Bae had gone.

"Bae?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"BAE?" This time it was a desperate cry and he lunged forward, trying to retrieve his son. His son. He scrambled desperately at the earth, trying not to accept the fact he was gone. To another realm. All alone. And he was never coming back.

No. No; Rumple wouldn't let that happen. He had made a grave mistake, he could see that now. But everyone deserved a second chance- he would make amends. He would find Bae and bring him back. Or would stay with him. One thing was for certain- he would be reunited with his son.

"Bae!" He cried urgently as he lifted his head off the table. He looked around in a panic, calming his breath as he realised it was just him. He was alone.

He was always alone