GAH!!! Guys, we’re talking in circles here. There will be those who think Rumpel was born evil and will die evil, and there will be those who think that he can change. Let’s just leave it at that. 😉
I agree that Mr. Gold would unleash hell on Earth if anything bad happened to Belle. And on top of that, Regina would have lost her leverage over Mr. Gold. She’s worth more to her alive than dead.