Both Greg and Tamara would live, but they both had injuries from when they'd fallen and burns from when Rumple had let them drop a bit too close to the fire. The electic jolts had done some damage too. They were taken to the hospital and handcuffed to the bed, which Greg found incredibly ironic since that was where he'd ended up when he'd first returned to Storybrooke.

"Here again?" he asked dryly.

"Be grateful you're here at all," Neal told him. "No one else has ever hurt me and been allowed to live since my Papa became the Dark One."

Rumple turned to look at him and as if he must be confused about something.

"Allowed to live? Who said I'm allowing them to live? No no it's just that this requires something extra special. Besides, executions are so much better when they have no idea just when the end is coming."

His son gave him a warning look and Tamara glared at him. "You think we're afraid? We had the evil queen completely helpless."

"Yes but she never had you suspended over a fire or anything like that, did she dearie?" He shook his head as if disappointed. "She was my student, but I always knew she was soft. Not willing to go as dark as she would need to. My first day having magic I took out an army to protect my son. I've stopped hoards of ogres with a snap of my fingers. You had it easy going against her."

Greg had the sense to look a little more nervous.

"You said you were trying to be a better man."

"And I am. But that just means you'll be in slightly less pain when the time comes."

He ignored the looks from the others, as he walked out, Neal beside him.

"I thought you actually were trying to be the man I knew you as."

"Oh I am," Rumple answered. "But nothing says they have to know that."

Despite himself Neal let out a small laugh.

"Don't get me wrong, it's taking every ounce of self restraint to not put them through every bit of torture I can think of. My mind keeps going through a long list of pains I'd love to inflict on them. And if you're in danger, I won't hesitate to go to any lengths to protect you."

"I told you I don't need you protecting me," he sighed. "But I'm glad you were there today. You always did as much as you could for me. You even went up against the Dark One rather than let me be taken to war. I was too afraid of what you'd become to thank you for that," a look of shame crossed Rumple's face. "But I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't done what you did. He took a breath before continuing.

"I don't know if you remember, but there was a night during the Ogre Wars. Some soldiers rode past our place, and I was so afraid. I climbed into bed with you, and you told me everything was going to be fine."

Rumple nodded. He'd never forgotten that night.

"That was the first night I felt like a man, like I really could raise my boy alone."

"I always believed you could," he told him. "I always trusted you."

"You believed me when I said I'd give up magic, come to this world with you," he looked away. "And I lied. I didn't intend it as a lie, but even when I came here I had to bring magic back."

"I hate the magic," his son answered, "because of what it does to you. But you showed you don't have to let the dark rule you. You just have to remember the magic isn't what makes you who you are."

Rumple shook his head.

"The darkness was in me long before I ever met Zoso, before I ever had magic. Every time I thought about what happened between my father and I, every time I was called a coward, I wanted to do exactly what magic lets me do. When I was finally able to, I liked it, and the thought of going back to being a nobody-" He hoped his son could understand. "If you would have died today, nothing could have kept me from killing them. And if I hadn't used magic to save you, you would have died before we could get you to a hospital."

Neal looked at him sadly.

"I understand, but you were already a great dad before you had power. When you remember that night when I was little, just know I meant what I said. I believed in you even then." He took a breath before continuing. "I stopped believing in you after- after what happened, but you've shown there's good in you, and everything you did was because you love me."

"That will never change, and that's a promise I can keep," Rumple told him. "When you were gone it was so much harder to not be a monster. I don't know if I lost you again, if I could keep being the man you want me to be." The look in his eyes told Neal he was thinking about someone else who helped him fight the darkness too.

"Belle loves you enough to give her life for you if she had to. She'll remember that love."

"Actually, you're running out of time on that," Regina said, coming up to them. She'd been lucky to be saved when she was, but she would recover and Dr. Whale had said she could go home. She looked regretful. "I heard you helped save me, and- I know you had no choice in what you did before. That's why I wanted to warn you. If Belle doesn't remember she loves you soon, she'll never remember."

Rumple looked ready to kill her, but kept his restraint. "And how much time do I have?"

She waved her hand and a rose encased in a glass dome appeared. "Once the last petal falls, she'll never see you as anything but a monster. And I can't undo it."

Two petals had already fallen. Rumple clenched his fist around his cane.

"So I have to get her to love me again to break the curse, with magic blocking any loving memory and any love she feels for me."

"It's not hopeless," Regina tried to assure him. "Strong enough love can break through."

But it was clear in his expression. He'd already doubted anyone could love him. Now, he'd given up completely.

.