A/N: It is time for the final showdown. There are special guests in this chapter and a surprise for Rumple and Belle.
Chapter Twenty-five
Killian watched Emma pacing back and forth as she balled her hands into fists and growled. He could see some of the doctors and nurses watching them as he hoped she was kidding when she said she was going to destroy the hospital, but, from the look on her face, he knew she was serious.
"You do know my daughter is still in there, don't you?" Zelena asked suddenly and Emma stopped, turned and looked at her with a cold look in her eyes.
"I thought Regina had taken her," Emma said.
"She was premature. Do you honestly think Whale would allow her to be released?"
"She was full term."
"How do you know she wasn't damaged due to growing so fast? What if she has deformed or weak organs? What is she dies? Do you even care?" Zelena said as tears formed in the corner of her eyes and her body started shaking.
"No, I don't," she said, not seeing the puff of black smoke appearing behind her and Regina gently pulled Rumplestiltskin behind a tree.
"Stay. Here," Regina mouthed while pointing to the ground and he arched his eyebrows up. She saw the sad look on his face as he sighed and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Regina walked around to the front of the tree then walked to the others and stood next to Robin.
"Emma," she called as Emma turned to look at her and arched her eyebrows up.
"Finally," Emma sighed while rolling her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "Are you ready to surrender?"
"Are you?" Regina said and flicked her hand up. The sunlight shimmered on the silver blade of the dagger and Emma gave her a blank look.
"Robin, do something! Please! She wants to kill our baby!" Zelena demanded. With a low growl, Emma walked to Zelena when she moved her hand toward Zelena's chest and Zelena gave Robing a pleading look.
"Wait! Don't kill her!" Robin shouted.
"Are you serious?!" Emma growled, looking at him.
"No, he's right," Regina said. "You kill her and her essence will be free to find another body. We'll never be rid of her."
Sighing, Emma looked at Zelena when something clicked in her mind and she grabbed hold of Zelena's upper arms.
"Let go of me!" Zelena shouted. She tried to get free while Emma pulled her closer then absorbed her into her body and closed her eyes. Sighing, she smiled as she opened her eyes and wanted to laugh at the stunned looks on their faces.
"Did you know she could do that?" Granny whispered and Leroy shook his head.
"Rumple did the same thing when Neal was dying," Belle said.
"Where is your ex-husband?" Emma asked with a smug look on her face.
"I'm right here, Dearie," Rumplestiltskin said as he walked around to the front of the tree and held the gold handle of the black wood cane tightly in his hand. "And, just for the record, Belle and I never got a divorce."
She watched while he walked closer then gently bumped into Robin and Robin felt something in his hand.
"Well, it looks like the coward's finally found his backbone," Emma said with a grin.
"A coward I may be, but what I am right now is curious."
"Curious?"
"Yes," he said with a nod. "You have destroyed most of the town, threatened to kill people you say you care about and have, well, you've turned the man you claim to love into a shell of his former self," he said and she looked at Hook. "Don't you feel any remorse?"
"No," she said with a smirk.
"I see," he said and gave her blank look. "Tell me, why have I been left out? Of all the people in this town, I have given you more than enough reasons to kill me. Yet you haven't and have stopped others from doing so."
"I… I have my reasons," Emma stuttered and he noticed her features were softening.
"Yes, I bet you have," he said with a nod. "You were sent to a world without magic with no one to take care of you except a small boy. You were left in care of others until you left to make a life for yourself. You found love, but that love left you alone and pregnant. The child of that love was taken from you and you were again alone. Years later, that child returns and brings you into a world you only thought was make-believe. You end up with powers you never asked for and was pushed into something you were not ready to handle. People were pulling you one way or another. You lost more than you gained, but you never lost sight of who and what you were. It's so easy to do, you know. I was lost. I fought for a very long time to find who and what I was, but never quite found him. I'm still looking. But the one thing I never forgot was why I did what I did. I did all this for my son. Is he the reason you haven't killed me? Is the fact that I am the only connection Henry would have to him besides you another reason? Do you care for him that much? Do you believe he would hate you if you finally destroyed me?"
"What the hell is he doing?" Regina whispered and Belle smiled.
"He's doing what he always does," Belle said. "He's being Rumplestiltskin."
"Yes," Emma finally growled through clenched teeth. "The only reason you are still alive is because of Neal and Henry!"
"Henry needs you as well," he said. Belle saw the look he had given her when she was about to banish him on his face and silently prayed for Emma to listen to him. "I know you're still in there, Emma. Please! Let me…"
"It's a trap!" the voice in her head said. "He's going to take the power from you! It's all he wants! All he craves! Kill him!"
"No," Emma thought as the voice taunted her and she looked at Rumplestiltskin. Emma's eyes flashed in a red light when she waved her hand and Rumplestiltskin sailed through the air. He landed on top of David and Robin as they hit the ground and looked up at the sky for a few seconds. Slowly, David helped Robin up then Rumplestiltskin when Rumplestiltskin gently brushed their hands away and he walked back to Emma.
"Well, I really should thank you, Miss Swan," he said then glared at her. "You have finally turned me into something I never wanted to be…a hero."
"This town is full of them. What's one more?" Emma snarled.
"None of them are me!" he said through clenched teeth and scrunched up his nose. Neither of them noticed Merlin walking to Robin then cut his own palm open with his fingernail and dripped some blood onto the button on the top of the small black box. Taking the small black box from Robin, he moved to Maleficent when she held her hand out and sliced her palm with her fingernail. Her blood dripped onto the button as he barely nodded and walked to Regina. She looked at the small black box when she used the tip of the dagger to cut her palm then dripped some blood onto the button. Walking to her, Merlin handed the small black box to Mary Margaret as she nodded and he went to bandage his, Maleficent and Regina's hands.
"Tell you what, Hero," Emma said as she looked at Killian when she snapped her fingers and Killian slowly walked to her. "I'll surrender if you kill him!"
"What?" Killian gasped with wide eyes.
"Emma! No!" Mary Margaret shouted.
"Silence," she said when her eyes flashed in a red light and scabbards appeared around Killian and Rumplestiltskin's waists. Killian removed the sword as he grinned at Rumplestiltskin and Rumplestiltskin noticed his eyes were glowing in a red light.
"Are you ready, Crocodile?" Killian asked, arching the sword back and forth.
"Looks like I don't have a choice," Rumplestiltskin said.
With a roar, Killian charged toward him, but Rumplestiltskin blocked him when Killian swung his sword. Pushing back, he watched Killian swing his hook when Rumplestiltskin jumped into the air, did a backflip and landed on his feet.
"Whoa!" Leroy said and Henry smiled.
"Show off," Belle thought while Rumplestiltskin swung the sword as Killian charged at him and their swords slammed together with a loud crash.
"Getting tired?" Killian asked with a grin.
"I'm just getting started," Rumplestiltskin said when Killian roared and charged at him. Rumplestiltskin blocked after Killian swung his sword then swung his hook. Sudden pain made Rumplestiltskin's eyes to widen as he dropped the sword and Killian moved back.
"No," Belle shouted when she grabbed the dagger out of Regina's hand and tossed the dagger at Killian. The silver blade sank to the hilt as the dagger hit Killian in the chest and he felt his heart jolt in his chest. Coughing, he looked at Belle when he mouthed "Thank you." and sank to the ground. Belle and Henry ran to Rumplestiltskin when she carefully lifted Rumplestiltskin into her arms and Henry knelt down on the other side of him. Blood was bubbling out of Rumplestiltskin's chest as he looked at Belle and her face faded in and out of focus. A small trail of blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth as she brushed the hair out of his eyes and he reached for her.
"No!" Emma shouted as her eyes turned black and a black light surrounded her.
"Now," Merlin shouted as Mary Margaret held the small black box tightly in her hands and Emma looked at her.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Emma asked in an inhuman voice and Mary Margaret felt the tears in her eyes.
"This," Mary Margaret whispered when she hit the button and the small black box started shimmering. Emma felt the pull of the small black box as she tried to fight back then screamed and was pulled inside the small black box.
"We must hurry," Merlin said as he took the small black box from Mary Margaret then ran to Rumplestiltskin. He knelt down next to Rumplestiltskin as the small black box shimmered and shook in his hand when he dipped his finger into the blood bubbling from Rumplestiltskin's chest then smeared the blood over the button. The small black box shook and shone in a red light when the button went down and the small black box stopped moving. "It's done."
"Save him," Belle said as he looked at Rumplestiltskin then at her and sighed.
"It's up to you to save him," Merlin said when he stood up and she gave him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?" she asked when a golden light suddenly surrounded them and she felt the warm breeze moving through her hair.
"Belle?" a familiar voice called out when she covered her eyes with her hand and three figures came closer. Her heart thumped hard in her chest when Neal appeared and knelt down on the other side of Rumplestiltskin next to Henry.
"Dad?" Henry asked and Neal smiled.
"Hey, Kid," Neal said.
"What are you doing here?" Belle asked.
"We dinnae have time for this," a woman with long brown hair said as she knelt next to Neal and Belle noticed she had the same eyes as her husband.
"Who are you?" Belle asked and the woman softly smiled.
"I'm his mother," Jenny said as she looked at her son and sighed.
"Do you have the elixir?" Neal asked.
"You mean the one he needed to prevent his heart from turning black?" Belle asked.
"Aye, do you have it?" Jenny asked.
"Yes," Belle said as she placed her husband on the ground then opened her purse. She thanked the gods that she had brought her purse with her when she removed the small glass bottle and looked at the red liquid.
"Belle," Rumplestiltskin said in a soft voice then coughed and she hushed him.
"Don't talk," she said as he looked at her with hooded eyes and he felt his heart fluttering in his chest.
"I'm…," he said when she placed her fingers against his lips and noticed they had a soft blue tint to them.
"No. You have nothing to be sorry for. Now, I want you to drink this."
"No," he whispered when Belle saw a four year old boy with brown hair and blue eyes kneeling next to her and something inside recognized him. He was wearing a tan linen tunic, brown linen trousers and tan deerskin boots and his lower lip stuck out as he pouted.
"Lachlan?" she asked in a soft voice and he nodded his head.
"Papa, please do what Mama says," Lachlan said while Rumplestiltskin looked at him and frowned.
"You're not really here," Rumplestiltskin whispered.
"Yeah, I am, but I won't be if you die," Lachlan pleaded as Rumplestiltskin looked at Belle then looked at his older son.
"Bae, is that you?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"Yeah, Papa, it's me," Neal said.
"I am…"
"I know you're sorry, but now isn't the time for us to have a chat."
Belle knew Neal was being rude, but the look he was giving his papa told Rumplestiltskin how serious things were.
"He's right, Lad," Jenny said and Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened.
"Mama?" he asked and she smiled at him. His vision faded in and out as he felt like he was breathing mud and he coughed. "What if… What if I don't drink the elixir?"
"Papa….," Neal said.
"I want to go with you if I'm allowed," he said, half lowering his eyes.
"No, My Angel, you still have things tae do here," Jenny said.
"Let the others do it. I'm nae a hero," he said as his accent grew thicker.
"Yes, you are," Neal said. "And we'll see you again."
"How do I know this isnae a trick?"
"It's no trick, Angel. We will see you again," Jenny said as he felt her fingers moving through his hair and he smiled.
"Hurry, Papa. You have to drink it now," Lachlan said with urgency in his voice and Rumplestiltskin felt his body growing cold.
"Henry, go get Doctor Whale," Belle said as Henry nodded then got up and ran out of the golden light and she looked down at her husband. He barely nodded his head when she removed the cork from the top of the small glass bottle then arched his head back. He opened his mouth when she poured the red liquid into his mouth and he swallowed. He tasted some blood going down his throat as well, but his body still felt cold and he slowly closed his eyes. "No."
"You have tae kiss him, Lass," Jenny said. Looking at him, Belle moved closer when she kissed his cool lips and felt something moving toward her. She accepted everything which made up Rumplestiltskin as his past and present, everything he had ever done, his pain, anger, hatred and insecurities and, most of all, his love moved through her and she shared everything which made up her with him. Moving back, she looked at Jenny and Neal as they faded away then looked at Lachlan and he smiled.
"I love you, Mama," he said as he kissed her cheek then vanished. Something moved through her as she looked at Rumplestiltskin and held him against her chest. As the golden light faded, she watched Doctor Whale, Henry, Mary and some nurses and interns running toward them when she looked at the others and David was holding onto Mary Margaret. A part of her felt sorry for them, but the anger she felt made her look away and she softly placed her husband on the ground. Standing up, she didn't feel Regina slide her arms around her as she watched Doctor Whale, Mary and the others work on her husband and started praying.
"Let's getting him inside," Victor said as the interns gently placed Rumplestiltskin onto the gurney and everyone went inside the hospital.
Days later - ICU Room Seven
The sweet smell of fresh air filled his nose while his mind slowly returned to the world and he felt something soft covering him. He also felt a small pressure when he took a breath, but he didn't think long on it and slowly opened his eyes. His body and mind felt fuzzy as he drifted on the relaxing waves from the medication being pumped into him and the world looked blurry. He blinked his eyes a few times when the ceiling came into focus and he moved his eyes to the right. Mary was looking at the screen to the heart monitor then looked at him and gave him a smile.
"Hello," she said softly as she brushed the hair from his eyes and saw a small smile from behind the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. The needle to the intravenous drip was tapped to the back of his left hand and the monitoring clip was connected to his right index finger. A small plastic drainage tube was sticking out from the opening in the hospital gown he was wearing and the plastic bag connected to the tube was clipped to the right side of the bed. The blood pressure cup was wrapped around his left bicep and the wires to the lead on his chest rested on his right shoulder. He was wearing a blue hospital gown and he barely flexed the fingers of his right hand. She took his hand as she wrapped their fingers together and he barely squeezed her fingers.
"Mary, what's wrong?" Belle asked as she came in the room and walked to the bed. She noticed his eyes looked glassy as he flexed his finger of his left hand and she took his hand.
"He's awake," Mary said as she let go of his hand and he frowned. "Oh, don't be such a baby."
"What's wrong with him?"
"He is a little out of it from the medication."
"Ah," Belle said as she brushed the hair out of his eyes then kissed the top of his head. Belle got out of the way while Mary examined him then wrote on the chart on the small table next to the bed and placed the pen on top of the chart. Belle moved closer as she took his right hand then looked at the plastic bag clipped to the right side of the bed and frowned. Rumplestiltskin noticed the look in her eyes as he squeezed her hand and gave her a puzzled look. "Why is he looking at us like that?"
"I think he wants to know what's going on," Mary said and he barely nodded his head. He remembered most of what happened, but his mind was fuzzy on some of the facts and he started to breathe a little faster.
"Do you remember fighting Killian?" Belle asked and he gently squeezed her fingers. "He hit you in the chest with his hook. Doctor Whale said the hook nicked the sack around your heart and punctured your right lung."
"Belle, I think you better stop. His heart rate's going up."
"Hush now," Belle said as she stroked his hair for a few seconds and he enjoyed her fingers moving through his hair. She made hushing sounds while Mary looked at the screen and his heart rate returned to normal. "Do you want me to continue?" He made a small nod and she kissed the back of his hand. "Doctor Whale said the damage to your lung wasn't too bad, but you might get chest infections easier. I… I also killed Killian. I took the dagger from Regina and tossed the dagger at him. It hit him right in the heart."
He squeezed her fingers while he wished he could talk, but the thought of talking made his lungs hurt.
"Do you remember me giving you the elixir?" she asked and he squeezed her fingers. "It turns out it was the right one and the elixir healed the damage to the sack around your heart. Doctor Whale showed me the x-ray and all you can see is a tiny scar. He also said there is no danger of fluid developing and your heart's fine."
He could just feel his heart thumping in his chest. The rhythm was steady, but a little fast and he gently squeezed her fingers. He let go of her hand when he moved his right hand toward his chest then brushed his fingers against the plastic tube and arched an eyebrow.
"No, don't touch that. It's the drainage tube which is removing the blood and fluid from your lung."
He looked at Mary when she saw the questions in his eyes and she leaned the palms of her hands on the mattress.
"You were bleeding a little from the surgery, but the bleeding's stopped and the tube has been clear for the last two days," Mary said and his eyes slightly widened. "How long have you been sleeping? It's been six days,"
A soft sniffing sound came from under the oxygen mask while he scrunched up his nose and she smiled then stood straighter.
"No, you are not on a feeding tube."
"Are you hungry?" Belle asked and he looked at her. He barely shook his left hand side to side as she smiled and Mary gently stroked the top of his fingers.
"I'll go see if I can find Doctor Whale and tell him you're awake. If you can breathe on your own, and he says it's alright, I'll go get you something. But don't be surprised if it's baby food," Mary teased and he glared at her. Picking up the chart, Mary left the room when he looked at Belle and moved his left hand toward the oxygen mask.
"No, don't touch that," Belle said as she took his hand and he gave her a sad look. She moved her hand back when he slowly moved the oxygen mask down and puckered his lips. She moved closer as she kissed his lips and he smiled, moving the oxygen mask back up. She watched his eyes close then took his hand as she wrapped their fingers together and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
Two weeks later - Rumplestiltskin's room
The door opened while Belle and Henry walked in the room and Belle looked at her husband. Doctor Whale had removed the oxygen mask, the drainage tube, the intravenous drip and the rest of the equipment and the bed had been raised until Rumplestiltskin was sitting up in a comfortable position. She had gone to get some of his things and he was wearing the dark blue silk pajamas with the gold trim and ivory buttons. The dark blue flannel blanket covered his legs and the black wood cane rested against the night table. The walls were covered in drawing paper with children's artwork on them from Roland and the other children as well as get well cards and balloons with GET WELL SOON were tied to the chair near the door. A large teddy bear wearing a purple wizard's robe and hat sat on the sleeping couch near the window and some pots with flowers sat on the windowsill.
"What are you smiling at, Dearie?" Rumplestiltskin asked as she walked closer and gently kissed his lips.
"I was smiling at you," she said and he arched his eyebrows up while Henry smiled. She sat on the edge of the bed while Rumplestiltskin brushed the hair out of his eyes then folded his hands on his stomach.
"How are you feeling, Grandpa?" Henry asked.
"I am feeling much better," he said.
"Are you sure?" she asked after noticing the look in her husband's eyes and he sighed.
"I need to tell you something," he said and she felt her heart speed up. "I want to thank you for saving my life and for killing Killian."
"May I ask you something?" she asked and he nodded. "I don't understand how I threw the dagger hard enough for it to go all the way into his chest."
"From what I have read, adrenaline can cause people to gain extra strength if need be."
"It was strange that he said 'thank you" just before he died."
"Maybe he wanted to die. We don't know what Emma did to him," he said. "What did happen to the dagger?"
"Doctor Whale said Regina took it after he had cleaned and sterilized it."
"Remind me to get it back," he said then made a slightly painful sigh. "What happened to Pandora's Box?"
"Mary Margaret gave it to Merlin. He said he would take care of it," Henry said.
"I see. Now, I am still a little shaky on what I saw just after I was injured. Did I really see Bae, my mother and Lachlan?"
"Yes, you did, but I don't know how we were able to see our son. He doesn't exist," Belle said.
"That is not true," Merlin said as they looked at him standing at the foot of the bed and Rumplestiltskin frowned. "Do you remember the illustration from the book?"
"Yeah, the illustration vanished," Henry said.
"The reason it vanished is due to the two of you bringing your child into this world," Merlin said, pointing to Rumplestiltskin and Belle.
"How did we…?" Belle asked then remembered having sex with her husband and a blush moved across her cheeks. "He's talking about when we had sex in King Fergus' castle."
"Your love and trust was strong enough to bring the infant out of the illustration."
"But both have been damaged by…"
"The damage has been healed," Merlin said and Belle smiled.
"If that is true, does that mean Belle is pregnant?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"No."
"I remember the writing under the illustration. It said "Wait". I guess we still have things to work out before we will see him again," Rumplestiltskin said and Merlin saw the sadness in his eyes.
"No, your work is done."
"I don't understand," Belle said.
"Finish your conversation and you will see," he said and Rumplestiltskin looked deeply into Belle's eyes. She noticed he was shutting down as she nodded for him to continue and Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes. He concentrated on what he wanted to say while their past moved through his mind then he opened his eyes and blinked.
"Have you noticed... Even though you have forgiven me for all the things I have done... I never said I have forgiven you?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"Yes, I have noticed," Belle said and looked down at her hands. "But you did forgive me when I hurt you with your dagger."
"You're right. I did," he said with a nod. "But, my point is, I understand the reasoning behind the things you did in the past, but what I have a hard time dealing with is the affair. I understand a good bit of it happened due to my own mistakes, and not being able to fully explain what I was doing, but the true fault lies in your anger, hurt and betrayal. That is why I agreed to seeing Archie. I needed time to process things. I needed time to understand fully why you strayed. You once said we were always losing each other only to find each other again and I believe that is something we need. We need to be apart for a while to re-evaluate who and what we are. Yes, it hurts, but we always seem to reconnect once we figure out what went wrong. Some would say it's not healthy, but I don't care. Not anymore. I love you. I want to be with you. But, most of all, I forgive you."
Merlin watched while Belle carefully climbed onto the bed and sat on Rumplestiltskin's lap. She moved closer while their lips touched and Rumplestiltskin held her head in his hands. She deepened the kiss then moved back and he wiped the tears away from her eyes with the pads of his thumbs. She gave him a sad smile when a small white light appeared between them and was outlined in a golden light.
"What is this?" Belle asked as the small white light floated to her and she held her hands out. The small white light landed on her palms when something familiar moved through her and she smiled. The small white light floated to Rumplestiltskin as he watched the small white light land on his chest and his heart sped up.
"Lachlan," he whispered while the small white light floated to Henry and he held his hands out. After the small white light landed in his palms, he walked to the bed when he stood next to the bed and Belle carefully got off of Rumplestiltskin's lap. The small white light floated over Rumplestiltskin's lap as he cupped the small white light in his hands and Merlin folded his arms over his chest. "This is our son."
"Yes, it is," Merlin said. "Now you need to decide if you wish him to be an infant or a child."
"You saw him as a child?" Belle asked.
"Yes," Merlin said with a smile.
"It's up to you, Dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, looking at her.
"Which one should I choose?" she thought. Suddenly her mind was filled with images of the time she spent with their son as a baby then images of him aging. Realizing these were Rumplestiltskin's memories from the dream world, she felt the love for their son growing and saw his small face in front of her. She noticed how much he looked like his papa and his eyes were just as expressive. She then thought about how much work it was taking care of Neal and how she didn't have time at the moment to deal with a baby. Smiling, Belle reached for the small white light when she placed her hand against it and Rumplestiltskin carefully sat up, placing his hand against the small white light. They were surprised when Henry touched the small white light and the small white light grew brighter. The small white light shifted and grew until it changed into a four year old boy with wild brown hair and blue eyes and he sat on Rumplestiltskin's lap. He was wearing a tan linen tunic, brown linen trousers and tan deerskin boots and Rumplestiltskin felt the tears in his eyes.
"Don't cry, Papa," Lachlan said while carefully hugging him and Rumplestiltskin rubbed his small back. They moved back when Lachlan reached for Belle and she pulled him onto her lap. She held him while rocking back and forth when Lachlan looked at Merlin and Merlin smiled. "Who is that?"
"I am Merlin." Merlin said with a small bow.
"Are you a friend of my papa?"
"Yes, he is," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Before I go, there is one last thing I need to tell you," Merlin said. "You still have the Light magic you had in the Enchanted Forest, but there is a limit to how much you can use at once."
"How will I know when I have reached my limit?"
"You will know when your moonstone turns red," he said and Rumplestiltskin looked at his moonstone ring. The moonstone was a soft pink lined in a milky white and he gently rubbed his index finger over the moonstone.
"Am I still immortal?"
"You are semi-immortal, but you will still age slowly. So will your wife and family," Merlin said as he looked at Lachlan, Henry and Belle. "The children will age normally, but that will change once they reach the age of twenty-five."
"Thank you," Belle said.
"Think of it as my gift for keeping me safe all those years," Merlin said with a small bow then vanished just as the door opened and Doctor Whale came in the room.
"What the hell?" Victor said while looking at them and Lachlan giggled, looking at his papa.
"He said a bad word, Papa," Lachlan said.
"Yes, he did," Rumplestiltskin said with a smile and gently ruffled the top of his son's head.
A/N: I know I should end it here, but there is one more chapter to wrap things up. :)