Chapter XI

The last few hours had been filled with panic and concern. Neal was taken to the hospital and the doctors had managed to stop the bleeding from becoming fatal, but they couldn't explain why he didn't 't wake up.

Mr. Gold didn't need an explanation, though. He heard Regina say it herself, 'A small sleeping curse and blood loss will solve this little problem'. It was a sleeping curse his son was under.

Rumple sat on a chair next to the hospital bed staring in the distance, thinking. How could this happen? he thought miserably. I can't save him with a true love's kiss because the curse isn't broken yet and I don't have my magic.

Neal lay on the bed covered to his waist by white blankets. The heart monitor beeped rhythmical indicating his heartbeat. He lay completely still and was deathly pale.

The door of the room opened and Belle entered with Emma at her heels. Belle embraced him tightly. ''What happened to him?'' Emma asked standing next to Neal's lifeless body. ''Regina,'' Rumple said coldly. ''She cut his wrist. He lost much blood,'' he told her.

He sat back down next to the bed and watched his son. ''They had managed to save him just in time,'' he whispered. ''He was almost gone.''

Belle's eyes were in tears and she flung her arms around Rumple. ''I'm so sorry this happened,'' she whispered.

Emma stood motionless beside the bed. Her eyes slowly filled with tears and her entire body started to tremble. ''Emma,'' Rumple said softly. She turned to him. ''She is a terrible woman,'' Emma said shakily. Rumple nodded. ''I know.''

Emma rushed toward him and burst into tears. Together they sat there hugging, all of them crying.

Belle decided to stay with them the entire day and closed the library.

''Are you sure?'' Rumple asked when she entered the room. ''Rumple,'' she said. ''You, Emma and Neal are as good as family to me,'' she told him. ''So, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure.''

Rumple sat most of the time in in the chair next to the bed, thinking about any possible way to break the sleeping curse. Everytime he thought he had found something it just led to another dead end.

He grew more desperate and miserable. He had finally found his son, and before he knew it, he had lost him again. They were only together for a few days maybe a week, and now it was all over. Everything was lost.

''I'm sorry, Bae,'' he whispered. ''I'm sorry I let you go in the first place, that I made you grow up without a father.''

He watched Emma who was looking at Neal with a blank expression and tears on her cheeks. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. ''Emma?''

''Do you remember that book Regina showed you?'' he asked. Emma slowly nodded. ''Do you remember where it is?"

''At home,'' she said softly. He stood up and walked to the door. ''I have to get it. I'm back in a few minutes,'' he said, before he left the room.


They sat together around a table, the book lay opened in the middle. ''I'm going to explain everything,'' he said. ''As long as you promise me not to call me crazy, I know this is the truth and has really happened.''

They nodded slowly watching him with interest. ''Emma,'' he said turning to her. ''What Regina told you is true,'' he told her. Emma eyes filled with tears; there was one thing he hadn't told him, that Regina had said that her parents were dead, and he had just confirmed that. She quickly blinked. ''You are the savior who is destined to break the Dark curse,'' he said.

Emma watched him with confusion. ''So that other realm does exist?'' she asked. Rumple slowly nodded. ''Everyone in this town is from there,'' he told her.

''But- but that means I'm from there too,'' Belle said slowly. ''Then why don't I remember?'' she asked.

Rumple started explaining about the curse and the memory wipe. ''Why do you have your memories and we don't?'' she asked raising an eyebrow.

''Because- Because I created the Dark curse,'' he said uncomfortably. Belle watched him confused. ''Why would you do that?'' she asked. ''I created the Dark curse so I could get here and find Bae,'' he explained. ''And I think something has gone wrong, because I don't have my complete memory.''

They watched him gaping. ''Wait,'' Belle said suddenly. ''Back in your shop a few days ago when you almost passed out, did that have anything to do with all this?'' she asked. ''You said something about memories back there,'' she said.

Rumple hesitated before he spoke. ''Yes,'' he finally said. ''That was a memory from back there,'' he told her.

Emma had so many questions racing through her mind. ''How am I supposed to break a curse?'' she asked, drawing the attention back to her. ''To be fair, I don't know,'' Rumple said slowly. ''It didn't really matter to me back there because the only thing I wanted was to find him, I didn't need magic for that,'' he said.

''You had magic?'' Belle asked unbelievably. Rumple nodded. ''Indeed, I did,'' he said. ''But I couldn't have woken him up with it anyways,'' he told them. ''It is dark magic he is under now, and dark magic can only be broken by light magic and the other way around,'' he said.

''But isn't there any light magic here, then?'' Emma asked. Rumple shook his head. ''I'm afraid not, this is a world without magic,'' he explained. ''I think this'll be goodbye,'' he said turning around to look at his motionless son. His eyes filled with tears.

''No,'' Belle said. ''It won't. I've never seen you give up, do you know why?'' she asked. ''Because you don't give up, so why would now be any different. We're going to solve this,'' she told him. "I promise."

Rumple watched her with a painful smile. ''I think I'll check at Regina's I'm sure she has some answers for us,'' he said coldly. ''I'm coming too,'' Emma said immediately. Rumple shook his head. ''You have to stay here,'' he said. ''I don't want you to end up in one of those beds too,'' he told her. Emma smiled and hugged him. ''Be careful,'' she said.

Rumple stood up and walked to the door. ''Rumple,'' Belle said quickly, standing up. ''Before you go you have to promise me something,'' she told him. ''Promise me you won't kill her,'' she said. He watched her for several seconds not sure what to do.

''Promise me, Rumple.''

He looked into her eyes and said, ''I promise.''


Rumple knocked against Regina's door and was not surprised that she didn't answer. ''Let me in, dearie, or I'll let myself in!'' he yelled. He stepped back, expecting Regina to open the door.

He waited for several seconds but she still ignored him. ''Regina!'' he shouted angrily. ''Open the door!''

Still no one answered. He heard a swoosh next to him and saw someone in the corner of his eye run through the garden left to him. He quickly turned and glimpsed Graham running across the lawn. ''What the…''

He couldn't finish his sentence because finally, Regina had opened the door. ''What did the sheriff in your house?'' he asked, walking past her inside. ''What do you want, Gold?'' she asked annoyed.

He turned and had to resist the temptation to strangle her. ''You almost killed my son, put him under a sleeping curse of which I have no idea how to break. Also, you have traumatized Emma,'' he said watching her furiously.

''Maybe you shouldn't have brought her here then. Then I wouldn't have had any reason to abduct her, so from my angle it's not my fault,'' she said smirking.

He dashed toward her and forced her against the wall he pushed his cane against her neck.

''I'm going to get my revenge, dearie,'' he said dangerously. ''But first, you're going to tell me what I have to do to wake him up,'' he told her.

She tried to push him away but he held his ground, she only had the chance to breathe when he removed his cane.

She coughed and watched him angrily. ''I don't know how to break that damn curse,'' she said.

He took a step toward her ready to choke her. ''Rumple, come on! Are you really that stupid?'' she asked unbelievably. ''You're the damn Dark One, you should be the one who's supposed to know everything about magic,'' she said.

''Tell me how do I wake him up?'' he repeated. She shook her head and sighed in annoyance. ''True love's kiss,'' she said quietly. ''But, uh-oh this is a land without magic,'' she said mockingly. ''I think that's bye-bye to old Neal,'' she said smirking. ''Oh no, wait. It's Baelfire, isn't it?''

Rumple pushed her against the wall and watched her furiously. ''How did you get magic here?'' he asked dangerously. She raised an eyebrow challenging. ''Jefferson,'' she said softly.

Rumple took a step back. ''That Hatter who told you about Frankenstein?'' he asked. ''That's the one,'' she whispered. ''But, he doesn't help you. He never helps people. He only helped me because he owed me,'' she told him.

''Wait,'' he whispered. ''There is a way,'' he said suddenly. He quickly left the house and returned to the hospital.


He threw the door open. ''I know what to do!'' he said walking into the room. ''What?'' they asked in chorus. ''True love's kiss,'' he said quickly.

''Why haven't we thought of that before?'' Belle asked turning to Emma. She shrugged. ''Well, go on,'' she said impatiently watching Rumple.

Rumple slowly shook his head. ''I'm not the one to kiss him,'' he said smiling. Emma watched him confused. ''Then who is?'' she asked.

He nodded toward her. ''You,'' he said softly. She watched him unbelievably. ''Why me?'' she asked raising an eyebrow. ''You are the savior, you are the only one who can do this right now,'' he told her. ''But I'm still angry with him,'' she said stubbornly, turning away. ''Anger will never and then I mean, never barricade true love,'' Rumple said glancing toward Belle.

Emma looked up at him. ''Okay,'' she said, quickly wiping the tears of her cheeks. She approached the bed, but before she could lean in and kiss him a peep sounded. A loud, piercing peep that came from the heart monitor.

She knew what it meant, and felt grief wash over her. ''No,'' she whispered. ''No!'' She turned around and ran toward Rumple and Belle. Tears struck her eyes and started rolling immediately. Rumple held her tightly, his own eyes also starting to water.

People rushed into the room starting to try and keep Neal alive. Belle put an arm around Rumple and pulled him close. She was also crying. They waited miserably watching the people trying to save Neal.

Doctor Whale approached toward them. ''I have to ask you all to leave the room,'' he said quickly. He didn't wait for them to leave and had already returned to Neal.

They had to wait at least ten minutes before someone came to them. It was a woman. ''Mr. Gold,'' she said carefully. He looked up, tears in his eyes. ''I'm so sorry,'' she said miserably. ''We did everything we could.''

He watched her in agony as tears started to roll down his cheeks. Belle embraced him tears falling down her own face. Emma sat there, frozen. ''You may go to him,'' the woman said before she walked away.


Everyone had left the room. Rumple watched his son. He was chalk white and his chest didn't rise anymore. He walked toward him and caressed his cheek. ''My boy,'' he said miserably. ''I'm sorry, Bae,'' he whispered as tears once again returned to his eyes. ''I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me.''

''I'm sorry.''

He slowly walked backwards. Emma walked to the bed. She was trembling heavily and the tears wouldn't stop streaming.

''I didn't want you to die with the thought that I'm angry with you, that I never want to see you again,'' she whispered. ''I didn't expect to lose you so quick,'' she said, sobbing. ''But I want you to know,'' she said slowly. She leaned to his ear. ''That I love you,'' she whispered.

She kissed his lips and a tear fell on his cheek.

She felt a hand on the back of her head, pushing her toward Neal. She opened her eyes in shock and was surprised to look into his open eyes. She pulled back and watched him shocked. ''Does this mean you're not angry with me anymore?'' he asked grinning.

She smiled weakly and hugged him tightly. ''I love you,'' she whispered. ''I love you too,'' Neal said. He looked at his father who was watching him with wide eyes.

''Bae?'' he said slowly walking toward him. Emma retreated and made place for Rumple. ''Yes, papa,'' Neal said, smiling. ''But- but you were dead,'' he said astounded. ''I thought so too,'' Neal said.

Rumple hugged him tightly.

''Rumple?'' Belle said from behind him. She slowly approached him. ''The Enchanted Forest, your estate, I- I remember,'' she said. ''I love you,'' she whispered with tears in her eyes.

She dashed forward and kissed him. Neal gestured to Emma to come to him. When she was close enough, he pulled her in his lap and kissed her.

Suddenly the room started to fill with people. ''What's going on?'' Emma asked watching the people pour into the room. ''That was true love's kiss,'' mother superior said. ''You broke the curse.''

Rumple looked around and noticed Zoso standing in the corner of the room shaking his head disapprovingly. ''You created your weaknesses and made yourself vulnerable, this is something you're going to regret. Don't say I haven't warned you,'' he said, disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

Rumple knew only he could see Zoso so he ignored it but he knew somewhere that he was right. This might get them into problems somehow.

A/N: WOOOOAH, I have some kind of feeling all of you expected that. Anyways, this isn't the end yet, so keep reading, reviewing and following. The following chapters will be really about family and romance. By the way, Regina's going to make sure there will be things to make the lives of the Gold family way harder than they should've been.