I warned you that this was going to be a lot shorter than you are accustomed to! I'm sure a lot of you hate me for it, haha, but I promise that you'll understand why in the coming section. Let me know what you think!
Mr. Gold stood on the shore, watching as the lanterns rose in the sky over Storybrooke. He could just barely hear the voices of various townspeople sitting together in the park nearby. Rapunzel hadn't moved from her place at the end of the dock, looking up at the sky with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Mr. Gold said softly, knowing that he was close enough for Rapunzel to hear. When she didn't reply, he continued. "I do love you, and I was trying to protect you. But back then…I could only see the possibility for vengeance."
She turned to look at him then, a mixture of confusion and anger filling her green eyes.
"How could my kidnap be vengeance for you?"
Gold sighed, ran his fingers back through his hair, and turned to meet her gaze for the first time. He was in no way prepared for what he was about to say, nor would he ever be ready to admit what he'd done, but he knew that no matter what had happened in the past, no matter who this would affect, it was the right choice to make.
"There's something that you need to know about your parents, Rapunzel," he finally said.
"They've been dead for hundreds of years. What could you possibly have to say that would matter now?" she growled.
"You're not who you think you are."