Things were far from normal. Rumplestiltskin was the personification of 'everything is different'. Even his powers weren't the same. Instead of the powers of just one Dark One, he now had the combined powers of every Dark One that had come before -and technically after- him, Hook and Emma included. But that wasn't the only thing different about him. His heart was pure now. It was supposed to be good. Like a hero's. That was what he had been told, though so far it seemed he was back to his same tricks. Same antics.

Outwardly, maybe, he hadn't changed that much, but inside? Everything felt different. He had also this darkness brimming inside of him, but now he had no mission driving him. No hunting for Baelfire and getting his son back. Baelfire was gone. Why had even taken the power back in the first place, when he had no reason to use it?

Because he had been afraid of returning to the underworld. Even so, he knew he had made a mistake in his desperation. It was something he was going to have to pay the price for. Which was why he stood in front of Emma Swan's house. Though he could have poofed himself inside in an instant, he instead went for the 'normal' route, knocking on the door and waiting for a response. In all honesty, he wasn't totally sure what he was going to say to her, but he knew they needed to talk.

This darkness... he didn't want to make the same mistakes with it as he had the first time around, but with so much power in him, that might be even more difficult than ever. He needed stable footing- he needed help.

Maybe even friends.

---

Emma Swan

After the gang had returned from the Underworld to save Hook, they accidentally brought back more than they had intended to. Sure, Emma had given half of her heart to Killian; she refused to let go of another person she loved.
But then the problems had started. After Killian had come back in her life, she found out Neal was back as well. Things had gotten awkward from that moment on. Emma found herself at a crossroad, she knew she still had feelings for Neal, but there was something new going on with Killian. She had finally let her walls down, she saved him.
But, then there was Henry, Neal and Emma's kid. Sure he got along with Killian well, but now that Neal was back?

There was a knock on her door, which startled Emma from her train of thoughts. Maybe it was Killian, or maybe Neal.
Ironically, she was wrong on both ends; there were familiar whispers, the same that were calling to her when she used to be the Dark One.
Emma narrowed her eyes and made her way to the door, having quite the knowledge of who was at her door.
She opened the door with a swing, she didn't expect to have Rumple on her doorstep.
"Mr. Gold.." She said, with a rather surprised tone.

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple waited until the door opened, though he was only half-confident that it wouldn't open at all. Emma would know who was at the door, even without answering it or even peeking through the window. If she didn't answer, he would have to use his magic to get inside, and he was attempting not to use it for things that might be considered 'bad'. Breaking and entering probably fell into that category, even if he wasn't technically breaking anything.

This was likely a foolish idea. To think that he could be forgiven for his misdeeds. That he could even explain himself. All he did was justify his actions. Just because he had a pure heart now, and the capacity to understand the scope of his lies, didn't mean he wasn't doing the same thing he always had. Now he just felt real guilt about things, rather than flat-out lying.

He sighed softly to himself, almost ready to leave when finally the door swung wide. He looked at Emma in the doorway, glad it was her and not her pirate body guard.

"Miss Swan," he replied with a slight nod of his head, "is it alright if I come in? You and I- I think we have things that we need to discuss." He knew he was probably the last person that Emma wanted to talk to at that moment, but he also didn't care.

They were going to work things out whether she liked it or not, because it was the right thing to do. They were both heroes now. Well, okay, she was a hero again and he was... working on it.

But he WAS working on it, so that had to count for something.

---

Emma Swan

Rumplestiltskin would have to do a lot to redeem himself after what he had done. Killian just died for nothing, all because Rumple couldn't live without dark magic. Oh she would understand if Neal was pissed at his father. Hell, even she was pissed at him for pulling this off.

"If it involves Neal, I'm already aware." She replied, crossing her arms while suspiciously looking at Rumple.
Eventually, she stepped aside from the door. Her expression was still grim, if Rumple really did need something of her, it might be really serious. Though it was very hard to trust him at the moment. They might have gotten Killian back, but that didn't make up the fact that Rumple had played them. Again.

She did have better things to do than talk to him at the moment, maybe talking to Killian or Neal; but certainly not  Rumple. It was true that he brought them back from the Underworld, but.. that just wasn't enough for Emma. He did too much dark stuff to be treated like some sort of ally. 

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple frowned. "No, it's not about Neal," he replied, though he probably could have talked about his son if he needed to. No, this wasn't about him. It was about the two of them. And he suspected Emma new that already, she was just looking to avoid the topic as long as possible. He imagined this whole thing was going to become a fight sooner or later, it was just a matter of time.

How much time remained to be seen.

when she moved out of the way, the Dark One moved inside, walking almost casually into the house. It was a nice place, though he didn't have terribly fond memories of it since she had kept him hostage in the tunnels below. He turned to look at her once he was inside, his arms moving behind his back rather neatly.

"I want to talk to you about what happened. About taking back the dark magic," he informed her, his tone suggesting that he was going to do it whether she wanted him to or not.

---

Emma Swan

Oh, so it wasn't about his son then? Emma figured that Rumple would be hovering around Neal like some kind of shadow by now. It doesn't happen every day that your son gets brought back from the dead. So it was kind of surprising seeing him at her own door. Not that she was surprised in a good way.

Emma watched him with her eyes still narrowed, like she thought he was going to pull some kind of trick on her. Jokes on him, she wouldn't fall for it.

When Rumple began about him taking back his dark magic, she raised her hands in a defensive way and shook her head.
"I don't want to hear any of it." She began, taking a few steps back from him. Too much had happened, and Rumple had to do something very honorable to make her forgive him. She went through too much shit already.
"You let Hook die, for your own selfish cause."
Sure, she wasn't an angel herself. She was the one to control Violet, and turn Hook into a Dark One because she didn't want to go through with the pain of losing another person she loved. But Rumple? There was probably a library full of crimes he had done.

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple frowned. Emma was, well, being Emma. She was always the stubborn one who refused to listen to people and did things her own way. That was what had got her in so much trouble with her family when she had been the Dark One. It was good to see he wasn't the only one who had some difficulty learning lessons.

Though he supposed there wasn't anyone worse than him in that department.

"I didn't let Hook die just because I wanted the magic back," Rumple replied quickly, "it had to be him, don't you see that? Hook would have died one way or another. That wound on his neck was going to come back the moment the dark magic left him. If you had died instead of him, then you both would have been gone. Maybe we never would have ventured into the Underworld to save you. It was your plan, after all, that set things off." He sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"I might not do things the way you think they should be done, but I do know what I'm doing. And I do know that this Dark Magic is going to needed again, very soon. This time, I'm going to make sure this darkness is only used for good. A boost to the light. I'm the only one who can control it, you have to know that. You've experienced it for yourself- you know how powerful this magic is. And I'm the only one who can control it."

---

Emma Swan

Rumple seemed to reply a tad too fast for her liking, like he was dismissing it. Or rather, trying to not be blamed for what happened. Her expression remained cautious.
"But the darkness would've been gone, you could have let Hook pass peacefully." There was a hint of raw emotion in her voice, like she didn't let go of what happened. Yes, Killian was back; thanks to the half of her heart. And yes, Rumplestiltskin was the one to bring them all back to Storybrooke, who knew what would have happened if they remained trapped in the Underworld. But, Emma hadn't been ready to lose yet another loved one, all so Rumplestiltskin could get his precious magic back. "I know my plan was somewhat.. reckless. But I had good intentions." Her last sentence was more of a excuse for what she had done.

When Rumple was done with his speech, she just shook her head. All Rumple did was making sure he would remain a powerful being, so he would not be the man he used to be. So why would this be any different?
"And how do I know I can trust you?"
At that, she crossed her arms, preparing herself for yet another excuse that Rumplestiltskin was famous for.

---

Rumplestiltskin

"You might not be ready to believe it," Rumple huffed, "but this power is still needed. Besides, what do you think would have happened if I left all this power inside of Hook when he died? All the other Dark Ones had their powers when they died, apparently, and Hook would have been the same. Filled to the brim with a darkness he never would have been able to control. Did you ever stop to think what you would have been bringing back to this world if I hadn't transferred the power to myself?"

He already knew he had been revived and the Dark One powers had come back with him. It would have been the same for Hook, no doubt. And, while he might have died doing a noble thing, there was no way he would have been able to resist all the darkness he had gathered inside of himself for long.

"Like it or lump it, Miss Swan, but this power is meant to stay in this world. And it's better in me than anyone else, especially Hook. If not for me, we would have just gone back to where we started." He shook his head. Maybe he wasn't very good at voicing his theories, and maybe he tended to act on his own and leave others to suffer for his actions, but that didn't mean he didn't have good intentions at heart.

She seemed to have some understanding of that, considering she had just defended her own actions in much the same way. She understood how the darkness worked. How it convinced you that you were doing the right thing.

"I suppose you don't," Rumple replied when she asked about trust, "but you're going to need me at some point, and you know it's better to have me as an ally than an enemy."

---

Emma Swan

Emma looked like she was going to dismiss the conversation, there was no point in arguing because clearly, Mr. Gold had won. She didn't think her plan through, so there were a lot of gaping holes that could quite possibly bring Hook back as the pirate/villain he once was. Rumplestiltskin was right on that part, but love made her weak, she didn't want to risk going through another heartbreak.
"Fine." She said in a rather dismissive tone. "I just hope that you're right, but I don't think Neal would approve of what you've done." She didn't know whether Gold knew that his son was alive, but she just assumed that Neal would have visited his father by now.

Emma was on the verge of admitting that Mr. Gold was right, her actions would've brought more hell upon them. At least now she could somewhat relate to his actions.
"From what I've learned from being the Dark One, I know every action comes with a price. Are you ready to pay that, like I was?"
She knew this was a rather difficult question for Rumple. Since he had a nasty habit of self preservation.

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple smiled faintly. He could tell by the way Emma was looking at him that she was seriously considering what he had said to her. As she should- it wasn't like he was making things up. There was no telling what Hook would have been like if they had attempted to revive him with all the darkness inside of him. Actually, there was no way of knowing what sharing a heart with that kind of darkness in him would have done, either.

They really could have ended up right where they started. But of course he was the only one to consider these things. He was always the only one thinking about the bigger picture, it seemed.

Hero-types were very short-sighted.

"I'm sure Neal wouldn't approve of most of the things I've done," replied Rumple, agitated that this was the second time she had brought his dead son into the conversation, "and I would never expect him to. I've done a lot of horrible things, and I certainly don't deserve any forgiveness for them."

He took a deep breath, chuckling darkly at her comments. "You hardly paid any price for your misdeeds, Emma," he informed her, "you have no idea what prices I'm willing to pay to make sure this magic is used correctly. The prices I have already paid." He knew she was attempting to sound tough, but he wasn't impressed.

"There are things coming that you may not be capable of facing alone. When we left the Underworld, we didn't leave alone. I'm sure we will soon be in the middle of another chaotic mess. I need to know you're going to be on my side when everything starts to come to a boil. and if you're not, well, then I'm going to have to ask that you stay out of my way."

---

Emma Swan

Her hand subconsciously brushed her chest as the memories of her giving Killian half of her heart filled her mind. Both Killian and her were freed of the darkness, and she was relieved that all of the Dark Ones were finally absent in her train of thoughts. Emma savored the moment of being sane once again, besides hearing the whispers of the dagger of course. That's something she probably won't get rid of.
She understood Rumple's desire to keep his family safe, it's what she had felt back then, too. If anything would've happened to Snow, Charming, or even her son, Henry.. She would never be able to forgive herself.

"Well then.. I suppose it's not too late to change. I just hope you're telling the truth." She paused, looking Rumple straight in the eye. "That you're going to use the darkness for light, this time."

When Rumple seemed to tell her she hardly paid any price, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'm just saying I was ready for whatever price I had to pay, even if it was to die to free everyone from the darkness." Sure, Rumple died once to save them all from Pan, but was this man willing to die again now that he had someone to live for?

There were a few things that she regret doing as the dark one. Some things just.. weren't her own doing, like Merlin's death. But if she hadn't made Hook a Dark One, Merlin would've still been alive- speaking of which.. she hoped he didn't hold a grudge against Killian.

"If they form a threat, maybe I will." She replied when Gold said he needed to know if she was going to be on his side. "But only if your actions are justified.."

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple smiled faintly. She had every right to question whether or not he was telling the truth. Generally, he was, but there was always something hidden. Something that changed the context of what he was saying entirely. He had a great skill in telling the truth and lying at the exact same time. However, it was a skill he was going to at least make an attempt at putting behind him. The actual truth, rather than an ambiguous set of answers, was going to do him much better in his attempt to be a real hero.

"I'll use the darkness to help the light," Rumpled replied easily enough, looking down at his hands, "I can't claim to know how effective dark magic is going to be on this side of the fence, but it seems to work for Regina, why not me?" Just because he happened to have more darkness in him than every Dark One in the history of ever didn't MEAN that he had to be evil, right?

It just really seemed like he ought to be.

"Ready to pay, and paid are two entirely different things. It's very easy for people to assume they know what real sacrifice actually is." He wasn't trying to be sanctimonious about it, he just knew he had sacrificed more than a lot of the people in the town. They just never seemed to comprehend that when they were judging him of his actions.

Though perhaps Emma was a little closer to understanding him than the rest, now that she had experienced the Darkness for herself.

"Oh, there will be threats," Rumpled replied, "and I'm not sure even my magic is going to be enough to stop it. Light and dark are going to need to work together, that much I know. Not only do we have to worry about the evitable backlash from Hades for our escape, but there's also the problem of what else might have come through the portal with us."

---

Emma Swan

She nodded when Rumple said that he'd use the darkness to help the light. Emma hoped that she could trust him on this one. Well, not that he had a choice, anyway. Neal was probably going to force him to stay on the good path.
"So, how does it feel?" Emma crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. "The choosing good over evil part. Not how all that power feels." She frowned lightly, awaiting a response.

Alright, Rumple was right about the fact that ready to pay and a paid price are entirely different. She was just glad that her parents hadn't given up on her. Rumple was practically all alone, while Emma had her family to support her.
"Fine." She said eventually, this wasn't even worth arguing anymore. She wouldn't need to pay any prices as she was freed of being the Dark One.

When would Storybrooke ever be safe?
Emma sighed and nodded.
"How do we prepare?" She asked, hoping Rumple knew some kind of protection spell that would delay whatever was coming for them.
So when Rumple mentioned what else had escaped from the Underworld, she looked at him with a grim expression. That wasn't good.
"So Neal isn't the only one who's back?"

---

Rumplestiltskin

Rumple grunted. "It may come as a shock to you, Miss Swan, but I've been trying to use my powers for good for a long time now. I HAVE used it for good, remember? This time, though, I don't plan on falling back on old habits." He sighed heavily. "But I suppose, if you must know, it feels... terrible. Trying to make up for the things I've done, trying to use my power for the right reasons when no one believes in me, is extremely taxing."

He supposed that wasn't the answer she would have liked to hear, but he could hardly tell her that being good was awesome and he should have done it years ago. It was going to take time before he got to a point where it felt good to be a hero, if such a thing ever happened.

This time, though, he wasn't going to give up just because things weren't going a smoothly as he might like. He had a pension for giving up when things looked bleak- something he was going to have to get over pretty quickly.

He would have answered her question about preparation, but he was too distracted by the thoughts of Neal. He had suspected that he'd been to see her, since she had brought him up twice already, but now it was more or less confirmed. "Bae saw you?" He asked, his expression softening almost instantly, "when? What did he say? Did he look okay?" He wondered if it was before or after Bae had come to visit him. If he seemed angry, he knew it was likely his fault.

The concern for his son was written all over his face.

---

Emma Swan