A/N- Hello, loves. Once again, I own only the OCs. All other rights belong to ABC. Enjoy! (If you can. It's another sad one)
Hope woke up back in her bed in Storybrooke. She didn't remember going to bed. The last thing she remembered was. . .
Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her in painful waves. Her Papa's sacrifice, Henry and Emma leaving, being forced back to the Enchanted Forest. However, she hadn't expected to so much as see her home in Storybrooke again, let alone wake up to find she had no memory of even going to the Enchanted Forest, let alone everything that had happened while she was there.
Belle awoke to the same sensation that something was missing. She reached for Rumple, seeking comfort, only to remember everything that had happened before the curse all at once. She cried out her true love's name, sobbing, for she had no memory that she and Bae had brought him back to life.
With that in mind, it was easy for Emma to understand Belle and Hope's shock when she told them that Rumplestilskin was alive, although not entirely well.
"He's. . . Alive?" Belle asked, hardly daring to believe it.
"Papa," Hope whispered, tears filling her eyes, though she once again refused to let them fall.
Emma asked them a few questions about him, but of course they couldn't remember the answers. Emma thanked them and turned to walk out the door.
"Emma, wait," Hope stopped her. "Where's Henry? I want to talk to him."
"You can't." Emma saw the confusion and hurt on Hope's face, so she quickly elaborated. "He doesn't remember. There was only enough memory potion for one, and Hook gave it to me."
"Oh," Hope looked down at her feet, those pesky tears once again clouding her vision.
"I'm sorry," Emma said gently. "We're working on it. I promise."
With that, she left Hook, Belle, and Hope in the shop to research Rumple's mysterious reappearance.
About ten minutes later, there was a loud banging on the door, followed by someone trying to force it open.
Hope drew her sword and stepped protectively in front of her mother, arm raised. Belle, however, placed her hand on Hope's arm and pushed it down, though she had to use a considerable amount of force to do so.
"What are you doing?" Hope demanded. "It could be the witch."
"It's him," Belle insisted. "It's Rumple."
Suddenly, the door swung open, and in crawled the last person they expected to see there: Baelfire.
Less than two hours later, what should have been an incredibly happy reunion was cut short by Bae and Hope running into the woods and tragedy befalling them. Everything was fine for a while. They ran into Emma, and she joined up with them to help them search.
Suddenly, Bae fell on his knees and clutched his head. His face distorted, and Hope caught flashes of her papa's face in between glimpses of Bae's own face.
"Neal?" Emma cried. "Neal, what's happening?"
"It's my father," Bae moaned. "He's in there. He's in my head. I need you to get him out. Emma, please!"
Emma reached out her hands and concentrated on separating Bae and his father.
"Emma, no!" Hope commanded, but it was too late. Emma had already separated Bae and Rumple.
Neal fell to the ground and left Rumple kneeling in his place.
"Neal!" Emma exclaimed, cradling his head in her lap. "Neal, please. Come back to me."
"It's too late, Emma," Bae managed. "I love you."
"No no no, I can fix this," Rumple insisted, raising his hands to use dark magic on his dying son.
"No, Papa," Neal insisted weakly. "You can't. You have to stay sane, so you can tell them who the witch is."
"Zelena," Rumple growled menacingly.
"What?" Emma looked shocked.
"Bae, please," Hope whimpered. "I already lost Elizabeth. I don't want to lose you too!"
"You lost me ages ago," Bae insisted. "It's time to let me go."
"But Henry doesn't remember you!" Emma realized. "All he knows is what I told him when I didn't remember you!"
"It's okay," Bae comforted. "He just has to know that in the end, I was a good father."
Hope began to cry, and Bae reached up and took her hand.
"I love you, Hope," he whispered. "You've been like the little sister I never had. I love you, Emma. And I love you, Papa. . ."
His voice faded out, and everyone sat there in tears for a long time.
Hope didn't go to her brother's funeral. Instead, she went to her tree and began the painstaking process of removing the name, "Papa," and carving in its place the name, "Baelfire."
By the time her mother joined her at the tree after the funeral, Hope was finished, and all that was left to do was mourn.
A/N- Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update. I've been really busy lately. Anyways, this should be the last sad chapter, as this is the last chapter that actually follows the events of the show exactly. I hope you enjoyed it. Shoutout to Jennifer Barrata and an anonymous reviewer, who have commented faithfully. Please review, and as always, have a blessed day, dearies!