Light in the Darkness

Summary: Rumple wakes up and Emma is desperate for his help with the Dark One. He and Belle work together to get Emma under control.

A/N: This was written for Rumple Positivity Day! YAY Thank you to mariequitecontrarie for the prompt… I didn't do as much as I wanted to, but I hope you like it anyways! Sorry for all of the Rumbelle. I couldn't help myself. I am Rumbelle trash. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or it's characters.

Warning: Rumbelle fluff and sassy Belle…. XD

Rating: PG- nothing too freaky happens or anything.

He hears her voice as if in a dream, floating to his ears as if it came from miles away. He can't hear what she is saying at first, but he latches on to the words because it's her talking. It takes him a moment, but eventually, he can make out the words.

"Rumple…. Please come back to me… We need you."

She needs him… His sweet Belle is in danger and needs him. He tries to move, tries to blink, tries to let her know that he has heard, but he is stiff. It feels as if he is frozen in time, as if the Snow Queen has come and placed one of her ice spells over him.

"Please Rumple…. I need you. I miss you so much." She sounds sad now, her voice cracking and wavering. He can just imagine the way her beautiful eyes fill up with tears as she says this.

His eyes flutter open and he sees her, sitting there by his bed, her hand resting on his wrist. He smiles at her and blinks, trying to lift a hand to card through her brown hair.

"Rumple?" she asks him hesitantly. She can see his eyes are open but she doesn't believe it.

"Belle…" It feels good to say her name again, as if the whole previous year had never happened.

But what had actually happened? He feels different now, his chest lighter and his mind…. free.

"Rumple! I…" Belle can't speak, instead covering her mouth with one hand, trying desperately to keep from crying. She had missed him so much.

Yes, she is still pissed at him. Yes, she still thinks he has a lot to answer for. But, heck, she still loves him. She didn't want him to die without him knowing that he was loved.

"Sweetheart," Rumple says, pushing himself upright. His muscles feel stiff, but his head feels clear, more clear than he had felt in years.

Something was not quite right….. wasn't quite the same.

Belle helps him lean back against the headboard of the bed and it's the first time he recognizes the hospital room he is in.

That's when it all comes back to him; the memories of his heart, the memories of what he is going to become.

"You have to leave, Belle… You have to get out of here before it's too late," he says, his hand clutching her own.

"Rumple…. The Dark One isn't inside you anymore…. you're free," Belle says. "You're safe."

Rumple doesn't know what to think. He doesn't even know what the word freedom meant for him. Before he has time to even think about it, the door to the hospital room slams open and Regina stuck her head in.

"Did you get the Dark On…. excuse me the Imp awake," Regina asks, her voice containing a bite of anger.

Belle glowers at her, standing up out of her chair and straightening her blouse. "His name is Rumpelstiltskin. And yes, he is awake, thank you for asking," she responded.

"Good. Bring him to the station," Regina responds before she disappeared again.

"What was that about?" Rumple asks, letting his legs swing over the side of the bed, his bare feet against the cold tile.

"We… have an issue… and Regina thinks you can help," Belle says.

Rumple sighs. He hasn't even been awake for ten minutes and they already need him for something.

"Show me the way."

He looks at her through the cell bars and he sees himself.

Her face is gaunt and tired, her light blonde hair a tangled mess. She looks back at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

Emma Swan is The Dark One.

"What do you want me to do?" he asks Regina, who is standing to the left of him, her hands clasped together behind her back.

"Fix her," Regina snaps and then storms away.

"Fix her…? I couldn't even fix myself when I was this…" Rumple mutters. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he almost flinches, but he knows that soft, warm touch anywhere. Belle stands behind him, her worried eyes boring into him.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine," he lies.

"How did you do it?" Emma's voice is soft, but he can hear the question as clearly as if she had shouted it.

"What?" he asks her, but he knows what she means already. "How did I live with it? How did I go through life every day with an evil parasite feeding off my heart? Not very well, dearie."

There is silence. Belle slips her hand in his.

"All magic comes with a price," Rumple says slowly. "And unfortunately the price of the magic of The Dark One is the steepest price of all. You lose yourself a little more each day when you become him…. and eventually it will control you completely."

"I'm afraid it already is," Emma says. Her voice is emotionless and she shuts her eyes. Her jaw clenches and her skin begins to glow with deep purple magic.

Rumple glances over at Belle. "I don't know what they expect me to do…" he says, not trying to hide the fear that he feels. "I…. There is no more magic in me. The Dark One was where I had all of my power. I'm helpless."

"I don't believe you are helpless, Rumple. You went through the same thing that she is going through now. You can help her control it," Belle says with a sad smile.

"Thank you, Sweetheart…. You have so much faith in such a broken man," he says softly. He doesn't tell her that he can't control the uncontrollable.

"Emma, I will help you with what you need me for," he responds.

"What do you want in return?" Emma asks, her voice tight.

"Nothing, dearie. Though it would be nice if you could try and help me convince The Evil Queen and all of her followers that I'm not the scum of the earth…." Rumple says.

Emma doesn't hesitate. "We have a deal."

It doesn't take long for Emma to break. Rumple is sleeping when it happens, his head resting against the desk of the sherifs office, his cane resting against the side of his chair.

He wakes to screaming, to someone blasting the door of the cell open. The Dark One has awakened.

He jumps to his feet, hands held up defensively, heart pounding in his chest. Fear… He hated this feeling, but he took a breath and held his ground.

Emma smiled at him. "Hello, Rumple. Glad to finally be out of that accursed hell hole. Please don't try to follow me. If you do, your darling Belle might… well…."

"Emma, please…" He hates begging, but his breath catches in his throat when she mentions Belle's name. Nothing can happen to Belle. He wouldn't allow it. "This isn't you speaking."

"That feeling you have right now…. that desire… that is caused by The Dark One," Rumple says.

Emma lets out a chilling laugh that rivals even the Wicked Witch's cackle. "You have no idea what you're saying, you fool. I need to get out of here. I'm not going to go do anything evil like lie to my wife and destroy everything I hold dear."

He tries to ignore the guilt the words bring. "What are you doing? How has the Dark One convinced you that you need to exit that cell? Is it to go find Hook? No, I know… You have to go keep Henry safe."

The smile drops off of Emma's face. The glow of magic around her dims a little. "How did you know that?" she asks.

"I knew because that's always the first step. The Dark One does that to you… makes you think that you have to go protect those you love. He uses the love you have towards other people against you in the worst way possible," Rumple says.

"You… I… But Henry…"

He can see the confusion on her face, can see the old Emma gaining some more control.

"I know," Rumple responds. "But you must fight it. I will protect Henry."

There is a moment where he thinks that he has won, but then Emma shakes her head.

"No can do, Rumple. Henry is my son and I can't let anyone hurt him." She brings her hands up and a blast of darkness comes from her fingertips towards his chest.

Before he can think, he brings his own hands up. His chest burns and his fingers ache and his head pounds and bright white light pours out of his fingertips.

The light overwhelms the darkness, pouring over Emma and forcing her back into the cell. The bars slam close and glow golden, sealed shut and restored.

Light magic. He had just preformed light magic.

This changes things. He can only hope that it will be for the better.