That night Gold saw that Belle wasn't with everyone else and went to find her. He went up onto the deck and saw her standing by the railing staring mournfully at Gideon's bear. Gold went over to her and asked, "Are you all right".
Belle responded, "Do I look all right".
Gold said, "You're worried about Gideon".
Belle answered, "Of course I am. He's out there scared and alone. And he needs me. He needs his mother, and she isn't there. She isn't there because she let him go".
Gold said "You didn't let him go. You did what you thought was best".
Belle responded "But look how it turned out. I did it because I thought you were coming for him. That you would have severed his destiny just so that he would like you. And you didn't, you didn't dose me at all. But because of what I did, he was attacked and had to sent here. He had to be alone for God knows how long all because his mother was an idiot".
Gold grabbed her and told her "You are not an idiot. You did what you thought was best for our son. You put him first over yourself because you thought it was what he needed and not what you needed".
Belle said "I just wish I could take it back. Take it all back and never send him away".
Gold said "I couldn't count how many things I'd like to take back. To do over. It's practically every moment of my life. Especially our marriage".
Belle said "Well, we can't. We made our stupid choices and have to stick with it".
Gold responded "Yes, but we can move forward".
Belle said exhausted "Rumple, I told you".
Gold said "I didn't mean that. No matter what, we're Gideon's parents and he needs us. So, we're gonna need to find a way to work with each other. We can't be like how we are, because if Gideon is a small child. That means he's gonna be scared and not knowing who the random people that just showed up in his life. We need to show him love and stability. We need to both be there for him".
Belle responded "But how. How can I trust you with him or be show him that I trust you with him".
Gold answered "I don't know. I know there's nothing I can say or even do to change your mind. I've done too much bad and even though we have to for Gideon. We can't. I'm the one that's responsible for that. Even becoming a hero worthy of pulling Excalibur from it's stone couldn't. I completely destroyed our marriage. I met the one woman that truly loved me, and I ruined it". He then thought about and said "You know what. When we find Gideon, we may as well just say that he doesn't have a father. That I'm just like Hook and Charming and a friend helping you out. That way you don't have to worry about me near him and giving him the stability he needs. I'd probably just mess it up anyway like I did with everyone else in my life".
Gold began to walk away when Belle called out "Rumple. Rumple wait". Gold stopped and Belle said "The one thing that I do know. That I've never doubted. Is that you care. That you care and love. You loved Baelfire. You loved me. And you love Gideon. You do love, you just can't show it right".
Gold said "That's the point. That's why I should just go away from you and Gideon. I did so much damage to Baelfire that it got him killed and I did the same to you that I completely destroyed our marriage. Even becoming a hero didn't work. I've already done so much to Gideon. I don't want to do it completely. He's better off without me in his life".
Gold began to walk away, and Belle said "Rumple. I have to confess something".
Gold turned and said "What".
Belle said "When I left. Before you became the Dark one. The reason I left wasn't because I couldn't be with you anymore. I wanted to. I wanted to stay. That's why it was so easy for me to come back. I left you because I wanted to hurt you. Hurt you like you hurt me. Like you were hurting me ever since we met. I had the power at that moment, and I used it against you".
Gold asked, "You wanted to hurt me".
Belle responded "No, no. I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't get enjoyment out of hurting you. I just wanted to make you feel like I felt. Like I had felt for our whole marriage and long before that. But when Henry called and told me what you did, I hated myself so much and wanted to be with you so bad that I just ran back. But then you had to go and ruin it by becoming the Dark one again".
Gold listened and said "You wanna know why I became the Dark one again. Why I decided to take it all back. I didn't have to, but I did. And you wanna know why. It's because I didn't have you. Without you I felt like nothing. I was nothing. I had nobody, no family, no friends, nobody even liked me. I was alone and people would only come to me if I was of some use to them".
Belle asked "Is that why you took it back. So, you'd be of some use to people".
Gold answered "Yes, but the main reason was so that I would feel pain. Having it inside you is the worst feeling in the world. You just pretend that it isn't. That the power helps you gets what you need. But I knew it wasn't going to give me anything. Not anymore. All I knew it would get me was pain. And I wanted to suffer it. Suffer it everyday for hurting you so much. Causing the woman, I loved so much pain that she couldn't be with me. And I wanted to see it. See her having happiness and living her best life because I'm not in it. And when the day would come that she'd die. Move onto a better place. I'd walk over the town line and shoot myself. Sent myself straight to the worse place because I had no unfinished business, and I knew she was in a good place. While I'd be right where I'd deserve. Now, I don't expect you to believe that. How could I after everything I've done. But I just wanted you to know".
Belle placed her hand on Gold's shoulder and said, "I believe you". Gold turned to her in shock and Belle said "I believe you because that's exactly what you'd do. You'd torture yourself because you failed the people you loved. And when I left. You were happy. You stood tall and proud because you were able to do the right thing and save the people you loved. You were a true hero and that's not me talking. That's Excalibur. You were a true hero, and I destroyed it. I always knew that heroes could fall, I just never expected I'd be the reason".
Gold responded "It's not your fault. You only did that because of the years of how I treated you".
Belle responded "But that doesn't matter. You changed. You became the man I always knew you were, always could be, always wanted but I destroyed it. I wasn't the hero that day. I chose what was easy, not what was right".
Gold said "And so did I. I chose what was easy in becoming the dark one again then what was right. I should've remained the hero I was and accepted that my previous actions drew you away. I should have honoured you and remained the man I was".
Belle said "What have we done to each other Rumple. What have we done to our son. I don't even think we should tell him that I'm his mother. I have no right after what I did".
Gold said "No. Don't think like that. Gideon needs you. He need his mother and lucky for him, he's got the best one in the world. She loves him and will do anything for him".
Belle responded now crying "And that's why I trust you with him. Because despite everything, you'll be the best dad to him".
Gold hugged Belle and Gold said "And that's how we'll do it. Because despite wherever we are. We'll be there for him".
Belle asked, "What about us. What are we going to do about us. How can we be together after everything. After all we've done to each other".
Gold said "I don't know but the one thing I know is that I love you. I love you Belle, and I've never stopped loving you".
Belle responded "And I love you. I've never stopped loving you. I tried. I tried so hard, but I couldn't. I just love you".
Gold said "And do you vow to never stop trying. To make sure that everyday you not only do what is right for yourself but me and Gideon as well".
Belle answered, "I do". She then asked, "Do you vow to never stop trying and doing what is right for me and Gideon".
Gold answered, "I do". He then asked "And do we both vow to put our son first. To think of him and do what is best for rather than what's best for us. To work together and raise the perfect child that we both know he is".
Gold and Belle answered simultaneously "I do".
Gold and Belle passionately kissed and after they finished Belle said "I do Rumple. I do wanna work on us. I want you, me, and Gideon to be a family together. I never stopped wanting that. All I wanted was for you to want that".
Gold said "I do. I want that more than anything else and I'll do everything to make sure that I'm doing it, you're feeling it, and that Gideon always has a dad that is there and loves him".
Belle said, "That's all I've ever wanted for you".
Gold told her "And all I want is for you to stay the same. You're perfect and I want nothing about you to change. You're already the perfect wife and mother".
Belle hadn't felt this good in a long time or sure about her and Gold's marriage. She then kissed him and whispered, "Let's go to bed".
Gold knew what she meant, and he responded, "Anything for the most beautiful woman in the world. And the one that has and always will have my heart".
Belle began taking off Gold's clothes before he helped her in taking off hers. They continued to kiss and passionately made love until it was all over, and she told him "And you have mine. Always and forever". Gold was happy to hear this and then both laid together looking up at the stars and knew that something had changed. They had made an actual changed for the better and soon their family would be whole when they found their son and brought him home.