Chapter Nine: Wake Me Up

David and Mary Margaret arrived around 5 pm. Both were tired but alert. David had even managed the foresight to stop by Granny's and pick them up all dinner. Gold had subsided into quiet again, only his occasional flinch giving away the continuing progression of his memories.

After eating, Emma called Regina. The Queen was still at the hospital, and reported that Henry's vital signs were stronger than ever. From there, they held a quick council.

Emma and Regina both wanted to be there for Henry when he woke. They were his mothers, after all. Belle and Neal were equally adamant about remaining with Gold. That left the Charmings.

After some discussion, Regina pointed out that Gold was unlikely to want anyone to see him. He might tolerate his son and Belle, but the rest of them would most likely be unwelcome. Given the way he played things close to the chest, and his reaction when he'd been stabbed by Hook, Emma had to agree with Regina.

Finally they decided that Emma would join Regina at the hospital, Neal and Belle would stay with Gold, and the Charmings would wait in the wings to provide supplies and assistance to whoever needed it. Gold, at least, was likely to need medical attention, clean clothing, and a supply of products to take care of hygiene and cleaning himself up.

The Charmings left to start collecting the necessary supplies for Gold and Henry right after dinner. Emma left shortly after, to bring Regina dinner and join her in her vigil over Henry.

All of them were tense. None of them knew what would happen when Gold's spell ended. All of them felt the lingering fear that it wouldn't be enough, that saving Henry might require someone to die after all. All of them were afraid that, even if Henry was all right, Gold might be driven to do something terrible, if the effects of the spell were as severe as Regina had predicted.

The waiting and the nerves made Emma restless, unable to settle. They were all tired, snappish, and it was all she could do to not pace and pick fights with Regina. Regina seemed to have had the same thought, focusing all her attention on Henry.

The hours ticked by, into night, then into morning. And they waited.

***SM***

The last years before the curse were a tangle of deeds that he scarcely paid attention to. Watching his own cruelty to Belle had taken the last of his strength, leaving him broken as he watched himself manipulate the Charmings and Regina. Even his deal with Ella, the anguish he had caused the little maid, only so he could be locked away, did little to stir his shattered soul.

He watched his final act, goading Regina into killing the one she loved most. Her father. The last person who loved her.

He had done that. Made her kill her father. He had written the curse with that cost, knowing he would never have to pay it. The cruelty of it scorched his already tattered soul with shame.

'Quite the monster you are.' The Dark One sneered at him. 'Goading her into killing her father, setting her up for this. And all that, when you knew she'd be disappointed in the end.'

"I know. But I didn't care. As long as I got to Bae. I didn't care." His voice broke on the words.

'And you weren't any better in the land without magic, were you? Still the same, even without...well, me, whispering in your ear.'

New memories enveloped him. Not of his time under the curse, where his life had been at least partially scripted by Regina. But after that, after he'd awoken.

He watched himself manipulate Emma and Regina, dangling each one's hopes in front of them, using Henry as the chess-piece that goaded them. Mostly Emma, as he pushed her into becoming the savior. And into owing him a favor. He watched himself threaten to take a child, start a fire, beat a man half to death in a fit of anger, bribe his way out of jail. Watched himself frame an innocent woman for kidnapping and murder. Watched himself imprison an innocent. Watched himself trick Emma into fighting a dragon, only to steal the thing she'd worked so hard to retrieve.

Through it all, the Dark One sneered and laughed at him, whispering reminders of the selfishness that motivated every action. The thrill of power that had come with each manipulation, each successful power play. Not that he needed reminding, but the whispers were like knives and salt in what was left of his soul, already flayed to the core.

The curse broke. He watched himself bring magic to a land unprepared for it. Magic, brought to the land without magic solely for his own comfort. So he could use it.

He had disrupted the natural order of two worlds simply for his own selfish ambitions.

He watched himself set a wraith on Regina for the sake of vengeance, with no care for the consequences. Watched himself lie to Belle, until finally he drove her away, then got her caught up in his vendetta with Hook.

He watched himself watch Henry, the realization that the boy was both his grandson and his doom. Walked with the boy along the streets of New York, showing him a kindly face while he warred between protecting the boy and killing him.

He watched himself convince Snow White to use the candle on Cora, knowing what it would do, to Cora and to Regina and to Snow White herself. He'd known what it would feel like, that first blackening of the heart, but he had turned her own emotions against her. Used her feelings about family, and about justice, to manipulate her into killing Cora.

Cora had tried to taint Snow White's heart and failed. He had succeeded, just as he had with Regina, so many years before.

She had asked him how he could live with that, and he'd told her. He'd told himself he'd done what was needed, what was right. The lesser of two evils.

Now, all he could see was how he'd twisted yet another innocent, just to preserve his own life. He saw the selfishness, the cruelty.

'Oh yes indeed. Quite the monster you are, dearie. Even here.' The Dark One snickered.

Darkness wrapped around him, and no new image formed. He looked up at the Dark One. "What..."

"Congratulations. You made it to the end. Didn't think you had it in you." The Dark One sneered. "Of course, now you'll have to live with it. No way to undo what you know now. Just like Snow, you'll have to live with what you've done, and what you are, and all those little dark spots on your heart." The Dark One darted forward, tapped his chest, and he recoiled. "Sorry dearie...can't escape me now." The sneer twisted. "Time for both of us...to go back."

To go back, to face all the people he'd wronged...his breath seized in his chest. "No..."

There was no apology he could make, nothing he could do to ease 300 years of sins, and the wrongs he had done. "No..."

"No choice, I'm afraid. Time to finish things."

The Dark One surged into him, power and pain all at once. He screamed as it catapulted him out of the dark. Back to light. Back to life. And back to face the horror of what he had become.

***SM***

She'd spent most of the night waiting, and yet it still took her by surprise.

One minute, Emma was contemplating getting fresh cups of coffee for her and Regina. Then the monitors beeped, and everything shot upwards. She and Regina bolted out of their respective chairs, just as Henry's eyes snapped open with a gasp.

She had Henry's hand in the next instant, Regina on his other side as he breathed. "Hey kid. It's okay. Just take deep breaths. You're okay."

Henry obeyed. Then blinked, his eyes focusing. "Mom..." His eyes cut to Regina. "And...mom." He coughed.

"Here." Regina handed her adopted son a cup of water. Henry glanced at Emma. She nodded, and he drank. Regina let him have little sips, until the water was gone.

Once the water was gone, Henry looked a little better. Whale came in, checked his vitals. "Looks like he's back to normal." The doctor clapped Henry on the shoulder. "Welcome back." Then he left.

Henry frowned. "I...I don't understand. I was...I was in the vault. With you." He looked at Regina. "We were talking and then...everything just went black." He looked suddenly fearful.

"Hey." Emma knew that look. And while she was almost tempted to let Henry be wary, she wasn't going to frighten the kid for no reason. And it wasn't fair. And Regina hadn't actually done anything. This time. "Hey. It was an accident."

Henry blinked, but relaxed. "What happened to me?"

"You were in my vault. You offered to help me sort through some of my mother's things." Regina offered the words.

Henry nodded. "I remember that."

Regina carefully folded her hands around hers. "Henry...I didn't know about everything my mother had in there. I promise you, I didn't know. But...you touched one of her things...and it was cursed. When you touched it, the curse activated. I don't know if it would have done that to anyone, or if it was a trap my mother left, but I am sorry. I didn't know it would do that. If I had, I would have made sure it was disposed of before you came near it."

Henry studied her face, then nodded again. "I believe you." he glanced from Regina to Emma, then back again. "So...what happened?"

"You were cursed. It was fatal." Emma swallowed hard.

Henry paled, then rallied. "But you broke it. With True Love's Kiss, like before. Right?"

Emma bit her lip, then shook her head. "This curse...it was designed to resist True Love's Kiss. Mr. Gold...he recognized it."

Henry's eyes widened. "Then...how am I alive?"

Emma grimaced, then looked at Regina. Mercifully, the queen took over. "You're alive because Mr. Gold knew the counter. He supplied the counter to the curse in order to save you."

Henry blinked, twitching backwards a little in surprise. "Mr. Gold? You mean...my grandpa?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd he cast it? Why not one of you?"

"Because..." Regina faltered.

Emma picked up the thread of the story. "The counter for the curse was to sacrifice something. The thing most important to you. For us...that would have been you. So you see...Regina and I couldn't save you. But Gold could."

She'd hoped that being unconscious for so long might have left Henry a little sleepy still. But Henry picked up on her unease at once. "So...what did he sacrifice?" His eyes widened. "He didn't kill my dad..."

"No, not that." Regina reassured him quickly. "What he sacrificed was..." She hesitated. "His peace of mind."

Henry frowned. "What? What does that mean?"

If she hadn't promised Henry to be honest with him, she'd have been tempted to break her deal to Gold and not tell him. But she had promised. Emma took a deep breath. "He cursed himself to relive everything he's ever done, in his mind. He made himself...vulnerable."

Henry's expression went grave. "So...he punished himself for all the bad things he's ever done, and he left himself defenseless. So he could save me."

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

Henry swallowed hard. "That sounds...kinda horrible."

"It is." Emma hesitated, then squeezed his hand gently, trying to offer him comfort for what she had to say next. "It's been over a week since you were cursed."

Henry went wide-eyed. "So...Mr. Gold...my grandpa...he's been..."

"It's not good kid." Regina stroked Henry's hair, and the motion seemed to soothe him a little. For once, Emma was glad of the former queen's experience. "He asked us to tell you the truth. And the truth is...he's not in good shape. The spell he used...most people don't recover from it." She met Regina's eyes, and saw approval.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought it best not to tell Henry that most people who survived Gold's spell committed suicide.

"Then we need to help him. If he hurt himself to save me, then we need to help him." Henry's expression turned from shocked to resolute in a heartbeat. Emma found herself smiling, admiring his resilience.

"We will." She wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and hugged him. "Your dad and a friend are with him now, and as soon as Whale says you're good to go, we'll see about joining them. Deal?"

Henry nodded. "Deal."

Regina and Emma shared a knowing look over the top of Henry's head.

Henry being awake and safe meant Gold would be awake too. Now they had to hope that Belle and Neal would be able to handle him until the rest of them could get there to help.

***SM***

One minute his father was still, quieter than he'd been in days. The next, all hell broke loose.

Rumplestiltskin screamed, bolting upright in the bed as his eyes snapped open for the first time since he'd drunk the potion that had sent him under. He might have launched himself completely off the bed, if not for the chains.

Neal caught his arm. "Hey. Easy. Easy. It's okay. It's okay papa. Easy."

Rumplestiltskin jerked away from his touch. "Bae?"

"Yeah." Neal stayed where he was, his hand outstretched, his voice low and soothing. "It's me. You're okay."

"No. No...it isn't." Rumplestiltskin's face contorted. "It's not...what I've done...Bae..." He flinched away as Neal tried to touch him. "What I've done..."

"I know. Hey..." Neal got one knee onto the bed. "Hey. One thing at a time. We need to get these chains off you. Please papa? For me. Help me get these off you and we'll talk." He set one hand on Rumplestiltskin's ankle. His father flinched.

"Bae...I..."

"Help me get the chains off. Then we'll talk." Neal tried not to let his unease show in his voice. He didn't like hearing his father sounding so broken. "Is there a key?" He reached out and shook his father's shoulder lightly. "Hey. Focus. Is there a key?"

"In the cabinet..." Rumplestiltskin looked at the chains. "Bae...I deserve this..."

"No. You don't." Belle reached out to touch him as Neal rose and went to the cabinet. "Whatever you've done...you don't deserve this."

Rumplestiltskin wrenched away, recoiling as if she'd burned him. "Belle?"

"Yes. I came to help you."

"You can't...after what I've done...What I did to you..." Rumplestiltskin's voice cracked and broke on the words. "Oh gods...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"We know pop." Neal came back with the sturdy key he'd found on the lower shelf. He took Rumplestiltskin's ankle in his hand, trying to ignore the way his father flinched as he inserted the key and twisted. The manacle opened with a click, and he pulled it free before standing and walking around the bed to undo the other one.

The second ankle cuff clicked open. Rumplestiltskin jerked, then curled in on himself, huddling into the head of the bed, his head clasped in his hands. Neal reached for the left wrist shackle, and his father pulled away. "No. I...I deserve this."

"No. You don't." Neal caught his father's wrist. Rumplestiltskin flinched and gasped as his hand closed on the bandages. Neal grimaced, knowing the firm grip had to hurt. He focused instead on opening the shackle and gently releasing his father's wrist.

"You don't know what I've done." Rumplestiltskin was shaking. "Bae..." He looked up, meeting Neal's eyes for the first time. The anguish in the older man's gaze was staggering.

"I know." Neal caught his wrist and released the final cuff with a quick twist. "I know. Papa..."

"You don't. You don't know. Bae...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, my boy." Magic swirled as Neal reached for him. Rumplestiltskin disappeared, to reappear by the doorway. Neal and Belle both stood. Rumplestiltskin's hands came up, warding off and pleading at the same time. His expression was a mask of grief and pain and self loathing. "I'm so sorry. You were right Bae. I became a monster. I've done...horrible, unspeakable things." Tears trickled down the gaunt face. "I don't...I don't deserve you, either of you."

Neal could feel the power gathering, could feel that his father was on the verge of disappearing. He held up his hand, speaking quickly. "Even if that's true...don't make a bigger mistake by leaving now."

Rumplestiltskin froze, staring at him. "Bae..."

"Whether I want to be around you or not is my choice. Just like Belle. You regret letting us go, driving us away, right? So don't screw up now by making that mistake again." Neal edged closer, Belle half a step behind him, following his lead. "Understand me? Don't you disappear on me now, papa." He swallowed hard, knowing his next words would either stay his father's hand or break his mind entirely. "If you're really sorry...you don't get to run away."

Rumplestiltskin's expression contorted. "I'm a monster Bae…"

"I don't care. If I ever meant anything to you...if you really want to make up for what happened between us..." Neal moved closer, until he could grab his father's shoulder. "If you want to make up for letting me go..." He felt the older man flinch in his grip. He held on tight, pulling himself closer so he could whisper in his ear. "Stay. Stay now. Don't let go again, papa."

He felt the tightly coiled muscles, the way his father was poised on the edge of flight. Then the resistance disappeared and Rumplestiltskin crumpled to the ground. Neal and Belle followed him down, crouching as Rumplestiltskin crashed to his knees. He would have fallen further, but Neal caught his shoulders. "Papa?"

"I...Bae..." Rumplestiltskin raised his face, revealing an expression Neal hadn't seen since his father had been the spinner. "I'm ashamed..."

"I know. And we'll get through it. I just need you to stay for now." Neal cupped his father's face with one hand. "Will you do that for me and Belle?"

There was a moment of hesitation, then Rumplestiltskin managed one short nod. Then he turned away, drawing in on himself.

Neal shared a worried glance with Belle. They'd managed to keep him from disappearing.

He just wished he knew what to do beyond that.

Author's Note: So...curse broken and everyone's awake. Now they just have to deal with the aftermath...