Evermore ~ Rumplestiltskin

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I was waiting for Rumple as he went to conjure his shadow to hide his dagger when I kept thinking about Rumple saving Henry, and Rumple's death.

Rumple told me when I was Lacey that Henry would be his undoing, that that is what the prophecy had said. But does his undoing have to necessarily mean death? Maybe he just goes through something traumatic and still comes back alive?

I really hope the prophecy does not mean that saving Henry will cause him to die because I don't know what I'd do if he died. Rumplestiltskin is my soulmate. We met under unforeseen circumstances but that led us to where we are today.

I was sitting on a log when he came back to me. "So, you did it?" I asked. "You hid the dagger?"

Rumple nodded his head. "Yes, now it's in a place I won't even be able to find. I can't let Pan or his lost boys get a hold of it," he said. I grew silent. "What's wrong, Liana? Somethings been bothering you. I can see it in your eyes."

"Rumple..." I sighed. "I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry," he said. "Too be quite frank, I'm scared too. I don't want to lose what we have. What we have built together." I nodded. A tear dropped down my face. Rumple became closer to me and wiped away my tear. "I love you. You know that right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I nodded my head.

"And if I'm gone... I'll love you forever. I'll be with you forever. You understand me sweetheart?" Rumple questioned.

I nodded. "Good." Rumple then engulfed me into a hug.

+++

After taking a nap by some bushes, I see Rumple putting on war paint.

"You have always felt more comfortable behind a mask," I stated, getting up from the blanket and walking over to him.

"You were the only one who could ever see past it, past the mask of the monster," he said.

"Only because I was a monster too," I added. "So why bother putting it back on now? I don't think it would change anything, would it?" I asked.

"I need the monster, Liana," he said. "It's the only way I can save him. And that's what I've decided. I'm gonna save Henry."

"I was thinking about the prophecy earlier," I stated.

"Oh really?" he questioned. "What about it?"

"The prophecy states that Henry is your undoing. To save him, you ensure your own death. But what if that's not what the prophecy means?" I started.

"What?" Rumple asked, his eyebrows raised.

"What if... when the prophecy says 'undoing' it doesn't mean death," I said.

"That's quite optimistic of you, love," said Rumple.

"But think about it. The prophecy doesn't actually say death, does it? Undoing can mean many things. Perhaps you'll just go through something traumatic or you'll lose something, even come close to death but never actually die?"

"Liana, that's a nice thought," said Rumple. "But I have a feeling the prophecy means death. I am going to die. I know that you're scared, as you told me earlier. I'm scared too. We can't be having this same conversation over and over again. We have to focus our full attention on saving Henry."

I sighed. "Alright then." I grab on to his hand. "Let's save Henry."

+++

We were now walking through the woods again, when all of the sudden we both heard whispering and groaning. Rumple told me to stop walking by putting his hand up. "Bae?" Rumple questioned, as a man who appeared to be Baelfire came out of the woods. "You're not real. You're dead."