Chapter 12

David was livid. After talking to Emma, and seeing how upset she was, David decided that he should go have a talk with Gold. He walked straight from Granny's Bed & Breakfast to Gold's Pawn Shop. It didn't take him long to reach it, and when he did he walked right in calling for its owner.

"GOLD!" David shouted out.

Belle and Rumple were standing behind the checkout desk. Belle seemed started by the sudden intrusion, but Rumple rolled his eyes.

"I expected someone would be on their way to scold me. Miss Swan ran to her daddy, did she?" Gold sneered.

"She didn't run to anyone. I happened to find her after your 'talk,' and I want to know what exactly you said to her." David said.

"I just walked in to offer my support. She attacked me." Rumple defended.

"Somehow I highly doubt that." David held.

"You don't have to believe anything, but it's the truth. We had a small disagreement, and she attacked me. She seemed surprised at herself, and ran away."

"She told me that you said that she couldn't truly love anyone. She was about to leave town." David stated.

"Well maybe that's for the best." Rumple said simply.

"Like hell it is." David's voice was rising again, so Belle intervened.

"I don't think it would be best for her to leave. We read that love was a magic even more powerful than Merlin. Merlin seemed sure in his writings that it was the only way to defeat the Dark One." Belle said gently.

"Yes, but we can also assume that if after centuries, and the Dark One still hasn't been defeated, that maybe Merlin was giving his last sentiment of hope. But it might be pointless. Which is why he tethered it to a person in the first place." Rumple interjected his tone a little softer.

"If Merlin thought that there was a way, then there's a way." David argued.

"With all due respect, Charming, you don't know what it's like to be tethered to the darkness. Only me and your daughter do. And I can tell you right now, that if there was a way to get rid of it permanently, it would have been done centuries ago." Rumple said simply.

"That can't be true. Remember Rumple, when I first kissed you, the spell almost broke." Belle stated, gently rubbing Rumple's shoulder.

"What?" David asked, looking at Belle.

"Regina told me that true love could break any curse, and I went back and kissed you. At the time, she just wanted your powers gone. But it was working, before…" Belle trailed off, tearing her eyes from Gold, and back to David.

"So there is a way. There has to be." David declared.

"Why would it have only worked that time? And why not with Emma?" Belle asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because in that moment, I thought someone could care for me. But I chose the darkness instead, so it stopped it." Rumple answered.

"What about every other time?" Belle asked.

"I chose power. It was the thing I thought would keep me safe. It was the thing I thought I needed above all else." Rumple shifted his gaze away from Belle, ashamed.

"But Emma has never wanted the power." David argued.

"That you know of." Rumple said plainly.

"She chose to leave, rather than stay and keep it." David argued.

"That is true." Rumple said softly.

There was silence between them while they all sat in their thoughts. David slowly shook his head in frustration, wanting so bad to find a way to rid his daughter of this. She deserved to be happy. After everything she had done for everyone else, she deserved to be happy.

"Emma said that you told her this was suppressing her ability to love." David said softly, trying to keep the frustration from his voice.

"That's how it felt sometimes, yes. Not that I felt that I loved less. Just that my love wasn't enough. It obviously wasn't enough, or else it would've been gone sooner. Emma is different than I am though. She hasn't taken the darkness in completely. But I'm sure the same thoughts are plaguing her." Rumple admitted.

"Well I don't believe it affects your ability to love." Belle stated.

"Nor do I." David agreed.

"Then what do you think, Charming?" Rumple laughed.

"Maybe it… eclipses your ability to feel it." David suggested.

"Maybe." Belle agreed. "You said that our kiss almost worked because for a minute you believed that someone could love you."

"Perhaps." Rumple nodded. "Maybe that's your mission Charming. Get Emma to believe that the ones she loves, love her back."

"Yes. Yes. Thank you." David said, finally allowing himself to smile.

Turning away, he started to walk to the door, but was stopped by Gold. "If this is your task, Charming, then you need to know how difficult it will prove to be."

"We'll find a way to succeed. We always do."

"Yes. But with Emma's troubled past, having gone so many years without knowing what love is, it might be hard to get through to her. The darkness will be feeding on all her insecurities from the past. It may prove to be impossible."

"Nothing is impossible. Not when it comes to my daughter's happiness."

David, Snow, Killian, and Henry were all in the loft. David had called them all there to tell them what he had just discussed with Mr. Gold. They mostly sat in silence listening to him. Every once in a while someone would ask a question, but for the most part they just let him talk.

"So you're saying that the darkness is preventing her from feeling our love?" Snow asked, horrified.

"That's what I believe, yes." David said.

"So we just have to make her believe that we love her, and then true love's kiss will work?" Henry asked.

"That's the plan." David answered.

"Then this should be simple. I can tell her how much I believe in her. We've done this before. We can do it again." Henry said excitedly.

"I don't know if it will be that simple, Henry. The darkness is feasting on her darkest fears. She gave you up for adoption, and that has haunted her for a long time. It may be hard to get through to her through you." David said sadly.

"And she has a fear of being abandoned because of us." Snow said sadly, sitting down on the couch and covering her eyes. "Because she grew up without us."

"Our best bet probably lies with Eva. Or Hook." David said, gesturing to the pirate.

"Me mate?" Killian asked.

"Yes you." Snow said simply, lifting her head up to look at Killian. "You have always been at her side. She has trusted you probably more than even us. You haven't let her down yet."

"Except for the fact that she left for three bloody years, and I haven't been able to be with her then." Killian said furiously, turning away and leaning against the wall.

"She still loves you, Killian. I can tell. She was miserable while we were away." Henry said.

"You have to forgive her Killian, if we are going to get rid of this from her." David said. "I know she hurt you…"

"I do forgive her. That's not the problem. Ever since she's gotten back, she's been pulling away from me because she feels guilty. I was angry, so I let her. I thought I had gotten through to her earlier today when she came to pick up Eva, but…" Killian trailed off.

"You can't just give up!" Henry declared.

"I'm not going to. I'm just saying, it's not going to be any time soon if I'm who you're counting on. It's going to take time to repair our… relationship."

"I guess that's true." Snow said.

"Eva, then." Henry said hopefully.

Everyone nodded in agreement.