AN: I own nothing of Once upon a time, the story, or the characters
Mr Gold is getting a cup of coffee at the vending machine when he is approached by Emma. Mr Gold says "well, well must be my lucky day, care for a cup Miss Swan".
Emma states "a baby that's your merchandise". She then asks "why didn't you tell me".
Mr Gold answers "well because at the time, you didn't need to know".
Emma responds "really or you thought I wouldn't take the job".
Mr Gold tells her "on the contrary. I thought it would be more effective if you found out yourself. After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense, to you. I mean if anyone can understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, I assumed it would be you".
Emma states "your not getting that kid".
Mr Gold proclaims "actually we have an agreement, my agreements are always honoured. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police and that baby is going to end up in the system, and that would be a pity. You didn't enjoy your time in the system did you Emma".
Emma says "it's not going to happen".
Mr Gold tells her "I like your confidence, charming but all I have to do is press charges, she did after all break into my shop".
Emma asks "let me guess, to steal a contract".
Mr Gold responds "who knows what she was after".
Emma states "you know no jury in the world will put a woman in jail, whose only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child. I'm willing to roll the dice that contract doesn't stand up, are you. Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Somehow, I suspect there is more to you than a simple pawn broker. You really want to start that fight".
Mr Gold responds "I like you, Miss Swan. You're not afraid of me outside of cocky or presumptuous, either way I would rather have you on my side".
Emma asks "so she can keep the baby".
Mr Gold says "not just yet, there is still the matter of my agreement with Miss Boyd".
Emma says "tear it up".
Mr Gold says "that's not what I do. You see contracts, deals, they're the very foundation of all civilised existence. So, I put it to you now. If you want Ashley to keep to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me".
Emma asks "what do you want".
Mr Gold says "oh I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favour".
Emma replies "deal".
Emma was about to check on Ashley and Mr Gold was about to leave when a door burst open from downstairs and a woman came crashing out of it on to the floor before getting up and running, she saw Mr Gold and he saw her; immediately recognising her as Belle. She crashed into him; nearly knocking him over and pleaded "protect me, protect me please".
Mr Gold immediately knew that Regina had lied about her and most likely captured her herself and locked her away in her tower. He told the woman "don't worry dear, I will keep you safe from who ever wants to harm you".
Emma came over and asked "whose this".
Mr Gold said "I don't know but this is obviously a woman in distress, so I'll calm her down while you go check on Miss Boyd and tell her the good news".
Emma relented "fine but stay here because I'll talk to you later.
Mr Gold sat Belle down and ordered a nurse "this woman needs a cup of tea". The nurse went to get Belle one as Emma checked on Ashley and told her about how she can keep her baby. Regina then quickly entered, and Belle got frightened again and hid herself in Mr Gold's shoulder.
Belle pleaded "protect me, protect me from her".
Regina said "ah Mr Gold I see that one of our mental health patients has found you, why don't you let me get one of the nurses to take her back".
Mr Gold looked at Belle, as Emma noticed and ordered "wait, wait what's going on here".
Regina said "Miss Swan, just one of our mental health patients has seem to found herself out in the open and I'm just here to take her back".
Belle pleaded "please, please, save me from her".
Emma said "well it seems like she is scared of you madam mayor".
Regina said "please leave this matter alone, Miss Swan, it doesn't concern you, this is a matter of the town".
Mr Gold said "Miss Swan I would like to come to my shop, be there as soon as possible and bring your son because I'm taking this woman to my shop to protect her".
Regina interrupted "Mr Gold you can't do that; she is a patient of this hospital".
Mr Gold responded "were leaving and you're going to let us, please".
Regina obeyed and Mr Gold helped Belle outside and into his car while Henry and Emma looked on in shock.
Emma asked "what was that".
Regina said "just a powerful man, using his influence but you're not taking my son anywhere near him, he's coming home with me".
Emma replied "well as you said, he's a man of influence and if he wanted Henry there, then we have to go". Emma then said to her son "come on Henry".
Mr Gold drove Belle to his shop and helped her through the door and into the back room where he told her "sit on the bed my dear and tell me about it".
Belle said "I don't know, I don't remember. I just remember being in the asylum and them telling me that I'm crazy and dangerous. I was being delivered food to my cell and someone else was leaving that's when I heard your voice. I don't know how, but I felt like I could trust it and pushed my way out the door of my cell and ran up the stairs. I then saw you and knew that the face matched the voice, and I felt like you could help me, protect me".
Mr Gold said "I will and don't worry, that woman cannot harm you anymore, I won't let her". Emma and Henry walked into the shop and Mr Gold said "lie down here, and rest. I'll be right back".
Mr Gold went to the front of the store and Emma asked "okay Mr Gold what the hell was that at the hospital".
Mr Gold answered "someone that I thought was lost but is now here".
Emma asked "where is she, I would like to speak to her, then call Graham".
Mr Gold told her "no need Miss Swan but I can tell you that she perfectly safe here".
Emma said "really I don't think anyone is safe around you after what I just saw from you today".
Mr Gold said "Miss Swan I understand your reluctance, but she is safe here, and that is where she'll stay because she is not out there with Regina after her".
Emma said "I have figured out that the mayor is corrupt and dangerous but why would she be after a mental health patient".
Mr Gold answered "because of me".
Emma asked "what do you have to do with this
Mr Gold said "I was just going to let things play out, but things have changed, and we need to work together".
Emma replied "work together what for, I already helped you with Ashley before finding out your real reason".
Mr Gold answered "to break the curse".
Emma was in shock, but Henry was happy. Henry asked "so it's real, the curse, the book, everything".
Mr Gold replied "yes my boy, it is, everything down to your mothers parents being Snow White and Prince Charming".
Emma said "now I've had enough Mr Gold, you seriously want me to believe that this is real, that there really is a curse, and I was sent to this world as a baby".
Mr Gold replied "yes I do Miss Swan because it's true".
Emma replied "okay then who are you".
Mr Gold smirked "Rumpelstiltskin".
Emma replied "okay Rumpelstiltskin, prove it".
Mr Gold replied "I could take you below the clock tower to see Maleficent in her dragon form but with you, it might not work because of denial".
Emma retorted "my denial is what will keep me from seeing a dragon, were leaving".
Emma tried to grab Henry, but he threw her off him and said "no mom, we need to break the curse, and you see now, it's not just me telling you; it's Mr Gold or should I say Rumpelstiltskin".
Mr Gold replied "Mr Gold is better here".
Emma told her son "I don't believe okay Henry, I'm sorry but I don't and just because you and Mr Gold says it doesn't make me believe it".
Mr Gold said "there is something that will though, something that will prove what me and the boy are saying is real and when you believe. Were on the right track and then we can break the curse".
Emma responded "fine, where are we going".
Mr Gold said "the cemetery to Regina's vault and it'll prove what I'm saying. Now I have to check on my guest and we'll leave".
Mr Gold entered the back room to find a curled-up Belle in the corner of the bed and he said "I have to go for a little bit, but I'll lock the door and return very soon".
Belle pleaded "please don't go, I feel safe here, with you".
Mr Gold gave her a phone "take this, if any problem like Regina comes, then hide and press this button and you'll call me, and I'll come right back and get rid of her".
Belle nodded and Mr Gold left with Emma and Henry. They went to the cemetery and straight to Regina's vault.
Emma asked "okay then, Rumpelstiltskin who was that woman in your shop".
Mr Gold answered "Belle, her name was Belle in our land but here I don't know".
Emma asked "Belle like Beauty and the Beast".
Mr Gold answered "yes".
Emma asked "so does make you the Beast".
Mr Gold answered "yes".
Henry remarked "cool". They reached the vault and Henry continued "hey this is the vault in the book, it's where the Evil Queen keeps all her hearts".
Mr Gold responded "right you are, Henry. That's what were trying to find because she brought them all over with her, her hearts".
Emma said "first were breaking and entering into a vault and secondly really hearts".
Mr Gold said "watch and see Miss Swan".
They entered the vault and Mr Gold asked "Miss Swan, can you help me with this".
They both pushed the coffin aside revealing a staircase down below they went down to a wall where Regina stores her hearts. Mr Gold pulled one from out of the wall and revealed a box. Mr Gold opened the box and picked up the heart inside. He showed it to both Emma and Henry with Henry in awe and Emma saying "okay I can see it, but it doesn't prove that it's a real heart".
Mr Gold told her "watch". He then told the heart "come to me".
They all waited and about ten minutes later, Graham approached them and said "um hello Mr Gold, Henry, Emma. I don't know why but I felt like walking to the cemetery and coming in here".
Mr Gold said "see Miss Swan. Prove".
Emma responded "no, it cant be. It cannot me real".
Mr Gold replied "of course it can". He then squeezed the heart and Graham keeled over in pain.
Emma shouted "stop that".
Mr Gold stop and Graham stood up again. Mr Gold said "see Miss Swan if that doesn't convince you, nothing will".
Emma said "I believe, I really actually believe".
Mr Gold said "good now let go break this curse". He put the heart back into the box and handed it to Graham saying "you better not lose this".
Graham was stunned at everything as Emma, Henry, and Mr Gold left. Henry asked Emma "so mom, do you really, I mean really actually believe now".
Emma replied "I can't explain what happened, so I guess".
Henry handed Emma the book and as she touched it, her memories flashed of her birth then her being put in the wardrobe as a baby by her father Prince Charming and being sent to this world to save them. Emma said "I believe. I am the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming".
Mr Gold replied "finally, now let's break this curse".
Emma asked "how are we supposed to do that Rumpelstiltskin".
Mr Gold says "you're the Saviour, you have to figure that out, but I do have a way that will break the curse".
Emma asked "how".
Mr Gold answered "okay but you won't like it".
Emma replied "I didn't think I would".
Mr Gold told her "I made it so that Regina could never kill you or the curse would break".
Emma in shock "so are you trying to say you want me to die".
Henry pleaded "no please Mr Gold, you can't do that".
Mr Gold replied "I wasn't saying that, but I was saying that it also works the other way round and if Regina dies the curse would also break".
Emma asked "so you want me to kill Regina".
Henry pleaded "no you can't, she is still my mom".
Mr Gold informed them "well I was just telling you a sure-fire way and even when you find another way to break the curse, how do you think the fine people of Storybrooke are going to react when they get their memories and remember who she is and what she did to them".
Emma said "Henry I don't want to kill Regina either, but she's the Evil Queen. You know the story of what she did them, in your book". Emma flipped through the book "Look tortured people, burned villages, mass-murder, this curse. Do you really think that they will forgive her or let her go".
Henry pleaded "we can try to talk to them, because it's not what heroes do".
Mr Gold remarked "my boy doing the right thing is impossible when your facing someone who used to make you feel like nothing because they had power but now there power is gone, and you don't have to fear them anymore".
Henry pleaded "please Mr Gold you have to help me, I don't want my mom to die".
Mr Gold said "sorry Henry but I can't promise anything after what she did to Belle".
Emma asked "do you have any idea on how we can break this curse without killing Regina".
Mr Gold reminded her "as I said, the problem is keeping Regina alive, and I don't want that, but I will take her suffering for eternity".
Emma said "so we lock her up after we brake the curse, we lock her in one of the cells at the police station".
Mr Gold asked "and do what, keep her there for eternity because if that's the plan then why not just kill her but if you insist, I know a nice little cell in the asylum that just became available".
Emma responded "well how about we break the curse, lock her up; then discuss what we should do".
Mr Gold said "okay Miss Swan but who gets to choose, you, me, Sheriff Graham, your parents, or does the whole town get a vote because I know that all of them will want Regina dead and what's the point of locking her up forever because that's just doing the same thing".
Henry insisted "no it isn't, she'll be alive".
Mr Gold rejecting what he said "yes, it is because she still wont have you and you'll live with Emma. She'll be alone forever. Now that's why she cast this curse to rip us from those we love because that's far worse than killing someone. Now do you really want to inflect that on her".
Henry reflected and asked "can I at least talk to her and try to get her to stop, to end this because if she breaks it, then it'll prove that doesn't need to be killed or locked up".
Emma responded "okay Henry, if you believe that it'll work, we'll try but if it doesn't, then we have to have a serious talk about what's going to happen because the curse must break. I can't believe I just said that".
Henry insisted "it'll work".
Mr Gold drove them to Regina's house and Henry rushed to the door before knocking. Regina quickly opened the door and exclaimed "Henry".
Mr Gold and Emma followed behind him and Mr Gold greeted her "hello your majesty".
Regina said "I don't know what your talking about Mr Gold".
Emma said "cut the crap Regina, we know about everything that you're the Evil Queen, he's Rumpelstiltskin, that I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming".
Regina said "Miss Swan I think you've lost it, and I think it's that it would be better if I keep my son from you".
Henry screamed "no, they know and want to break the curse, everyone will have their happy endings. Good will win".
Regina said "I'm sick of this woman putting delusions in your head, Henry go upstairs while I send these sick people away".
Henry said "they want to kill you".
Regina exclaimed "what".
Henry said "killing you will break the curse and if I couldn't convince you to break it, they would kill you".
Regina relented "well I guess there is no point in hiding it then, I am the Evil Queen".
Emma said "we do not want to kill you".
Mr Gold retorted "some of us do".
Emma insisted "Henry wants you alive, he loves you and doesn't want you hurt. That can only happen if you break the curse".
Regina "I didn't do everything to get here to lose everything, the curse will remain, I will have my son, I will have everything".
Henry told her "you won't. You'll lose me forever if you don't so I'm begging you to do this for me, break the curse and we can show the town that you don't need to be killed or locked up".
Regina pleaded to her son "Henry, you don't understand. I worked so hard for this, besides from you it's all I have".
Henry told her "if you don't you won't have this curse or me. So please break it".
Regina thought about it before asking "is this what you want, will this make you happy".
Henry answered "yes please mom, I don't want to lose you. I love you".
Henry hugged his mother, and she relented "okay Henry, for you I will break it". She then kissed her son on the forehead and burst of light magic burst from the kiss until it reached the edge of town.
Emma asked "what was that".
Mr Gold said "that Miss Swan was magic, which means the curse broke".
Emma asked "so everyone remembers who they were".
Mr Gold said "we'll see in a minute". Mr Gold received a phone call from Belle who said "Rumpelstiltskin I remember, I remember who I was and that I love you".
Mr Gold said "I love you to Belle, I'll be there shortly". He then said "well there's prove that the curse is broken".
Mr Gold began to leave, and Regina shouted out "Rumpelstiltskin, you have to protect me, tell them that I broke the curse. Make them leave me be".
Mr Gold responded "after what you did to Belle, I'll leave them to it".
Emma replied "come on, we agreed that if Henry could get Regina to break the curse, we'd let her go".
Mr Gold replied "I did, and I will but I'm not going to stop others from taking their revenge. That job will be up to you".
Regina responded "thanks".
Mr Gold left to be with Belle as the townspeople came to Regina's house. Mary Margaret and David were out in front leading the people, Emma came out and Mary Margaret exclaimed "Emma". Emma's parents immediately raced to hug her and as they embraced her Mary Margaret said "you found us".
David asked "how did you do it, how did you break the curse".
Emma said "I didn't, she did" directing at Regina". Emma said "in exchange for not killing her or locking her up, she broke the curse".
Dr Whale said "so what we are just supposed to forgive her, even after everything she has done to us".
Emma said "no but she performed her end of the bargain, so we'll perform ours".
The townspeople reluctantly agreed by David spoke up and said "Regina may have done this, but she also undid it. I have my wife and daughter back and a new grandson, so let's spend time with each other because we've been apart for so long. Regina is powerless here and can no longer hurt you so let's not take revenge, let's move on and forge a new life here together all of us including the Evil Queen".
The townspeople began to leave and go home while Mary Margaret and David stayed. Regina said "thank you".
Mary Margaret responded "we only said that because you broke the curse but one toe out of line from you that's against my family or the people of this town and I will end you".
Emma asked "so kid, do you want to stay here or come with us".
Henry said "stay here because I want to be, and you have catching up with your parents".
Regina smiled at this, fully believing that her son loved her, and Emma said "okay see you tomorrow". She then hugged her son and left with her parents.
Regina closed the door and hugged Henry exclaiming "thank you Henry. For saving me and despite everything I do love you".
Henry said "I love you to mom".
Regina said "I'll go put dinner on, I'll make my best lasagne".
Henry went upstairs and Regina thought to herself that this could work, because she had her son and his love, which was all that mattered to her.