Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-11058666-20141228031222/@comment-25926288-20150119204524

I think I understand Rumple's actions, even though they could have been presented a little more clear. I can even understand if he actually loves power over Belle, (not that I believe the gauntlet proved it, but rather his words). I can't even blame him for his sneakiness and deceptions. Belle might understand, but the rest of the town wouldn't give a care for his freedom from the dagger. With a town that has a mob mentality, he would be met with righteous hostility, even if he saved them that one time. (Remember how quickly they turned on Regina.)

Rumple, I believe, loves that Belle wants to help him, but doesn't really believe he can actually be loved and maybe subconsciously sabotages himself. I can't even fault him if he wanted the dagger over Belle. It took him a very long time to actually put his son over his dagger. The love for his son was competing against and rivaled his love for power and survival, and eventually surpassing it in Season 3 (especially demonstrated in his sacrifice of the dagger to absorb his son). In any case, his love for his son should greatly and is shown to greatly outweigh his love for Belle. So in my mind as of Season Three, Bae >= Dagger >> Belle. After all, he said that Bae is his happy ending, which I believe still.

Side-note: Wouldn't Rumple outlive Belle anyway? lol, it would have never even worked even if he told the truth and gave up on freeing himself because they would have went on normally until Belle died and Rumple would be back to evil again.