"Home" was a loose term. Rumpel managed to land in the Enchanted Forest, but he didn't return straight to the Dark Castle. Instead, he popped up next to a lake. In fact, it was a familiar lake not too far from the old village where he once lived with his son, during his pre-Dark One days. The sun had barely risen.

Maybe he didn't click his heels together the right way.

A glint of gold snaked through the water. It was only when Rumpel knelt down to investigate that he discovered what it was-and why both Zelena and Jefferson had stared at him the way they had. His reflection resembled his Dark One self, in the days before Regina cast her curse over the land. His skin was rippled, scaly, and an unnatural tint of grayish-gold. His hair was lankier, dirtier, and crimped, falling just above his shoulders. His eyes were reptilian, amber in hue, and unsettling even in his own reflection.

The weight of what he had done was plain to see in his appearance.

He couldn't let Emma see him this way.

"I can't return home to her looking like this," he spoke aloud, to no one in particular, picking at his dragonskin cloak in frustration. He sliced his hand through the water, distorting that gruesome image. That was when it came to him. He didn't have to go home looking like the Dark One.

With a flick of his wrist and a pinch of his restored magic, his reflection transformed into something human once more. The only reason he never did that before the curse was because he had accepted his role as the Dark One, the beast of this land, the man who was not entirely human anymore. It was a reminder of the man he had become to save his son, a reminder of the mistake he had to mend.

Rumpel fondly rubbed his pale, smooth jaw. Good as new.

"Boo!"

A head of silky red hair exploded through his reflection, startling him so much that he scrambled backwards across the sand to escape it. At first he thought it was a siren come to lure him to his death, but then he recognized the mermaid leaning on a rock. Ariel taunted him with a squirt of water from her mouth. She had been nothing short of polite to him ever since Bae introduced her, but now those glittering blue eyes held only accusation.

It should be him doing the accusing. Didn't she know not to sneak up on magical beings? It was a good way to get a fireball to the face or, in her case, fins. Of course, Ariel assumed he no longer possessed magic, so wouldn't she be surprised to find her tail on fire?

"What are you doing here, dearie?" He asked, gritting his teeth to swallow his rising annoyance. Ariel's fin broke through the water and whipped the surface. He took it as a sign that she was angry, too.

"I always take an early morning swim before Bae wakes up," she explained. Then her eyes narrowed in warning. "Don't weasel your way out of this. I saw what you were doing. You've become the Dark One again. Does Bae know?"

If his son knew, he wouldn't hear the end of it. Bae certainly wouldn't be sleeping peacefully in his childhood village.

All of a sudden, Rumpelstiltskin felt threatened. There was little the mermaid could do to physically harm him, but this was Bae's girlfriend. At any moment, she could swim home to their humble village and blab his dark secret.

Rumpel rose to his feet and brushed the sand off his pants, all the while debating how to persuade the mermaid otherwise. He planned to explain his actions to his family when the time came, including Emma and Bae, but he preferred that Bae didn't find out because someone told on him.

"I'd appreciate it greatly if you didn't mention it to my son. Yet. I'll even agree to owe you a favor. That sort of opportunity doesn't come around often." Ariel paid no attention to his negotiation. Wasn't there anything the fish wanted other than his son's heart? A movement to cleanse the ocean, perhaps?

"Bae and I keep no secrets from each other," she said passionately. That, too, was laced with accusation. If he was willing to share everything with his loved ones, he wouldn't be trying so hard to maintain secrecy.

"In that case..." Rumpel gestured to her throat. Ariel's mouth fell open, but no sound came out. Her lips formed several words, probably curses, but they remained unheard. "I gave you back your precious voice once and I can just as easily take it away. Forever. Perhaps I'll render you blind, too. The only way you'll get it back is by being a good little mermaid and keeping those pretty lips zipped." He dragged his fingers across his lips, mimicking a zipper. "Otherwise, the only chance you'll have of telling my son you wuv him is by spelling it out in the sand. That is, if you can find your way home blind."

He prepared to snap his fingers, threatening to take her vision the same way he did her voice. Ariel's bottom lip quivered. It was clear she hated making the choice to keep his situation quiet, but she nodded. Rumpel smiled and restored her voice. She dived down through the water, the last sign of her being the angry flip of her tail, splashing him in the face with cold lake water.

He was beginning to remember why he never mingled with mermaids.

Rumpel wiped his face dry with his sleeve. Then he started the long journey home. Boy, his leg would be aching by the time he-

Hold on.

What was he thinking? He had magic again, which meant there were easier ways to travel across the vast land than walking. It was hard to resist when he imagined dragging his sorry leg that entire way. Succumbing to old habit, he snapped his fingers and was swallowed up by a massive flume of purple fog, magically transported with ease to his castle.

The golden rays of the sun had just begun to bathe the mountainside. If luck was on his side, Emma would still be asleep and he would gain more time to consider how he was going to break this news to her. If not, well, at least he had a victory to share with her in the form of Zelena's demise.

Quietly as he could manage, he slipped his way into the castle. He strained his ears to listen for any sign that Emma or his children were awake, but the castle was eerily silent and still. Sneaking up the grand staircase, he first made a trip to the trophy room where he deposited the pair of silver slippers on a pedestal. A trophy for the deed he had accomplished.

Then he traveled to the kitchen and shrugged out of his cloak, finally able to relax. He was home, safe and sound, his wife and children were soundly asleep...

There was a footstep on the stair. It was faint, but he was positive he heard it. Or was he listening too hard and his imagination played tricks on him? No, there was another footfall. And another. Picking up pace. Coming this way.

Emma. It had to be.

Frantically, he searched the kitchen, seeking out something that would give the impression he had been there longer than five measly minutes. With the aid of his magic, he did a quick job of unlacing and kicking off his dirt-stained boots. Waving his hand, he conjured a hot, soothing cup of tea. Bringing it to his lips, the curdles of steam warmed his chin and he sipped loudly.

He pretended not to notice when the kitchen's door swung open.

"I see you finally got around to making yourself that cup of tea," Emma said coldly, striding into the kitchen. The only thing that covered her body was a loose white robe. It made him feel over-dressed, even without his boots.

He made a show of giving a little jump, apparently startled by her entrance. In retrospect, he hoped it didn't make him look guiltier.

"Emma. What a lovely surprise. What are you doing out of bed so early? I would have brought you breakfast," he said, acting the part of the devoted husband.

Balancing the teacup in his hand, he reached for her hip, intent on pulling her in for a good morning kiss, but Emma firmly pulled away from his reach. The first wave of panic struck him. That wasn't a good sign, especially when coupled with the suspicious stare she was giving him.

"Enjoy your late-night stroll?" She asked. He tried to keep his face passive, but the panic was building. "What happened to your scar?" Instinctively, his hand flew to the spot on his cheek that was marred by a long, fresh scar, but rub as he may, he didn't feel that familiar puckered skin. It was clean and smooth. The scar must have healed when his magic was restored.

All at once, he realized it: she knew.

If Ariel swam home fast enough and confessed his secret to Bae, would Bae have been able to warn Emma? He didn't think so, but no other explanation came to mind. He set the teacup down on the table, choking back the urge to shatter it into millions of shards.

"That double-crossing fish. I'll take her voice, eyes, and fins," he muttered under his breath. Emma crossed her arms under her breasts-a protective stance and a very bad sign. It meant she was getting defensive, her walls going up.

"What fish? Last night, Belle wrote a strongly-worded letter that you would have to read while sitting down. She told me what you did to Jefferson and what you needed his hat for. You swore you wouldn't do this. We were going to discuss it, together, if you could only wait until morning. You did it, anyway," she exploded in anger. With every syllable, her voice rose until her rage echoed off the walls. She gave him one last scathing look and turned on her heel to storm off, but he finally caught her by the shoulder.

"Emma, please-" He begged her to stay.

She halted in the doorway and gasped, staring down peculiarly at his hand. That was when he understood his mistake. Other magical beings were sensitive to the power that coursed through the veins of other magical beings. Now Emma sensed his renewed magic by that tender touch alone. He lifted his hand off her shoulder, but the damage was done.

"You have magic," she stated. Belle must have excluded that part in her letter. He surrendered before she could accuse him about the vault of the Dark One or pursuing Zelena.

"What else was I supposed to do? The wards are futile. They only prolong the inevitable. Zelena would blow them down and finish what she started." It would only have been a matter of time before she returned for round two. Emma's face hardened even more.

"Are you saying that my magic is weak? That I don't have what it takes to protect my children?" Rumpel held up his hands, praying she would calm down. He wouldn't be foolish enough to advise her to calm down out loud-that only made women even more worked up.

"No, of course not. I only wanted to be sure Zelena never had a second chance. You've seen what happens when second chances are given to those who don't deserve it. I spared you the burden of darkness and I protected what I cherish most in this world. If you wish to condemn me for it, then so be it."

He lowered his hands, ready to accept his punishment. Not an inkling of remorse troubled him when he recalled what he had done to Zelena. It was for the best. His wife and children were safe and he vowed not to regret the means to that end.

Emma grew quiet, her arms falling away to her sides. He could feel her weighing the pros and cons of what he had done. He gave her the time she required to think things through.

"I understand your reason for doing it...I just wish we could have talked about it together. I won't blame you for fighting for our family. What happened to Zelena?" This time when he took her by the shoulders, she didn't retreat.

"She's gone. I watched her melt into a black puddle. Apparently she doesn't take too well to water," he said, shrugging it off. What was done was done. Emma started to chuckle.

"She is the Wicked Witch. Same thing happened in the movie," she remarked. His false memories started to stir in the back of his mind, supplying the information from that other world, presenting ruby slippers instead of silver, but he bluntly ignored it. Emma took ahold of one of his hands and laced her fingers through his. No doubt she could feel the magic dancing along them. "Are you going to keep your magic? You could start to depend on it again," she pointed out.

It was still true that he didn't want to depend too heavily on his magic like he used to do. Perhaps it was something he and Emma could work through together, controlling their magical urges. For now, he only just arrived home and he had miles to go to making it up to his wife for leaving without notice.

He wiggled his fingers eagerly before stroking her jaw. She shivered with pleasure as he caressed her skin both physically and magically.

"I can think of a number of ways it could come in handy," he teased. A soft blush rose to her cheeks as his fingers trailed along her jaw to the curve of her neck. Peeling back her robe, his touch dipped between the valley of her breasts, down to her belly. All the while, he summoned a wave of heat beneath his fingers, unraveling her.

"Prove it," she challenged him, her voice already husky.

She grabbed him by the vest and led him out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and to one of the spare guest rooms so they wouldn't wake the children. Now that there was no immediate threat to their family, their nerves could unwind and they were free to enjoy each other's company. Rumpel made certain to fulfill Emma's every last desire, to mend the ache she suffered since his departure last night.

There was once or twice where Emma even suggested they might try to have another child someday.

Rumpel couldn't bring himself to destroy that happy moment by informing her of the price for restoring his magic. The moment he became the Dark One again, he felt a chilling emptiness take hold of his abdomen. He wasn't entirely confident, but he had his fears about what the price entailed to save those he loved most dearly.

He was barren.

Let's just say...Rumpel has a lot of pleasing to do to make it up to his wife. Is Zelena gone for good? Maybe, maybe not. I hope the readers have enjoyed this chapter and will continue reading in the future. I want to thank those that reviewed recently as well-I always look forward to hearing what the readers have to say. (-;

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