#jefferson ouat x oc

[countrymusiclover]

9 - A Man Named Jefferson

Princess Red Thief

Part 10

Tag list - just ask to be added @mystrey101 @melvia-ito @kmc1989 @tallrock35

Blinking my eyes a couple of times I groaned trying to wake up. Slowly glancing around the room I saw I was in the back room of the pawnshop. Shifting my body up further on the old cot I heard the wooden floor creak under someone's feet. "Eve! You're awake."

"Henry. What are you doing here?" Rubbing my eyes to wake myself up more I saw the ten year old boy enter the room.

He answered me. "I heard you being locked up in the hospital until Mr. Gold bailed you out."

"Yeah. Where is Mr. Gold exactly?" I questioned the kid.

Henry came over to my bedside reaching inside his backpack. "He's out with Regina for some reason. So we don't have much time to talk with somebody you need to meet."

"Henrh, I just woke up. I am not really in the mood to meet someone right now." I sat upright holding a hand to my forehead struggling to push away some pain that must have been caused from all the drugs they pushed into my system.

He held open his storybook to a certain page. "But what if I told you there's someone else in this town that has been seeing things just like you."

"And that person in your book would be?" I trailed off scanning my eyes over the book pages seeing a man surrounded with over a dozen hats.

Henry taped a finger on the image. "The Mad Hatter. He goes by Jefferson here."

"Henry...I. You need to leave before he gets back. He doesn't care for unwanted visitors inside his shop." I warned the ten year old.

He didn't back down, shoving his book back inside the bag. He holds out his hands waiting for me to put my hand in his and follow him willingly like I normally did before I was locked away. "Please Eve. You'll start to believe me once you talk with him. I swear."

"Fine, kid. But this doesn't mean I believe you." I put my hands in his getting to my feet and together we slipped outside of the pawnshop in search of where this Jefferson man lived. "Henry, why do you think I will believe before Emma?"

He kept walking, sending me a half smile. "Because you follow your heart more than what your mind tells you." I parted my lips considering what he was saying to me in the moment.

The double doors shut behind me with two guards shutting them. I had decided to keep living in my parents castle which wasn't too far from the Charming castle. My short brown boots clicked against the stone floor until I stood at the edge of the round table to meet Snow. "Everly. I was hoping I'd see you."

"My parents aren't worried about me. Honestly they trust me when it comes to helping y'all with your kingdom. You're glowing by the way." I sent her a smile pulling out one of the chairs near hers.

She was sitting down in one of the head chairs, leaning her elbows on the table. "Thank you, Eve. Your letter said that you wanted to talk with me about something."

"Indeed I do wish to. I've been having certain feelings lately and since we are friends I was hoping we could talk about them." I twiddled my thumbs together on the table.

Snow asked sweetly. "Of course. Is this about a guy?"

"Is it that obvious?"

She nods, chuckling. "I'm sorry to say yes. Besides it's not like I don't remember you saying you always had teaching lessons to return to."

"Oh geeesss." Covering my face with my hands I was blushing like a red tomato.

Snow clasped her hands together. "So who is the stranger you are getting lessons from?"

"It's magic lessons. The man I'm getting taught by is named Rumplestilskin." Heavy silence fell across the large room with an intense feeling falling between the two of us. Everyone in the land generally knew his name and what kind of magic he dabbled in.

"Everly, he...he uses dark magic."

"I know that." I said back. "But I am needing his help to teach me how to control the power that I was born with. Neither of my parents have magic, yet I somehow got it."

"You have feelings for him, don't you. Why else would you be defending the teachings he is showing you." Snow put the pieces together with a smirk on her lips.

"Maybe I do. What do I do about it?" I asked the other princess in the room.

The former bandit princess got up from her chair and I rose to my feet standing up in front of her. "In my experience you just have to follow whatever your heart tells you."

"Even when the person you care about might not feel the same." I knitted my brows at her, wrapping my father’s red cloak tightly around my body.

Snow takes my hands in hers showing me the wedding ring from her Prince Charming. "That's a risk that we each have to take when we love someone. Never stop following your heart, Everly."

"Henry, are you sure we're not breaking and entering? It doesn't even look like he's here. Emma is the sheriff now and I wish to not be placed inside a prison cell anytime soon." Looking around at the area outside the mansion front door. He had pulled out some set of keys he had taken from his mother's office that could open any door.

He pushed one of the keys in the hole and it unlocked with the door swinging open. "We'll be fine. He believes everything about my book. Now come on. Jefferson!" Henrik walks into the house and I follow after him seeing that it was almost pitch black inside giving the creepy loner type guy vibes to me.

"Henry. Henry, wait we can't just - mmm!" I grunted my fighting instincts kicking in when one hand wrapped around my waist and the other hand clasped over my mouth before the front door slammed shut behind me.

A man's voice growled in my ear. "Did anyone follow you?"

"No." I mumbled the best reply I could trying to remove the stranger's hand.

The man removed his hands from my body, spinning me around to face him. "So you're the famous Red Thief who falls in love with the Dark One."

"You've read the story too." I made a confused expression.

The guy named Jefferson responded. "It's more than just a story and his storybook is more than just a book."

"It can't be more than a book. None of those stores are real. I know they are simply just stories." I shake my head thinking back on why I got put in the mental hospital in the first place.

Henry spoke up behind me heading down the hallway. "She's a little slow, Jefferson. That's why I brought her to you. So she'll wake up like you have." Jefferson grabs a hold of my arm dragging me after the young boy until we entered a room filled with hats that all matched the familiar hat the Mad Hatter would have worn.

"You've obviously got an obsession with Alice in Wonderland."

"He's the Mad Hatter, Eve." Henry declares sitting the book on the table, opening it to the page he had shown me back in the shop.

Jefferson pushed me down in the chair with the book laying in front of my face. He flipped through some pages stopping at one photo that showed Rumplestilskin holding up a ring. The woman who wore a red cloak that looked like the one I owned stood in front of him. "Look at the picture and tell me if you recognize anything."

"Jefferson, Henry has already tried this with me once before. It didn't work then, it won't work now." Shifting around in the chair I eyed the man.

Jefferson rounded the table to be on the other side grabbing my chin in between his thumb and index finger so I'd look him in the eye. "Use your power and look into my mind. Then you'll see what I'm saying is the only truth you need to believe."

"Look into your mind. That's not possible."

Jefferson declared not backing down. "You have to open your mind, Red Thief."

"You're losing your mind, Jefferson." Pushing myself away from him he let go of my chin. Stomping towards the doorway about to leave I halted in my tracks grabbing a hold of the doorway when he spoke up about my past.

"You couldn't pay your rent when you first came here. So you made a deal with Mr. Gold. Take my ring and I'll work for you, you said."

Glancing out the corner of my eye I asked. "How do you know about that? He swore he'd never say anything."

"Because it's almost the exact same deal you made with Rumplestilskin after he agreed to teach you magic. You are Princess Everly, daughter of Abigail and Fredrick." Henry stands by the edge of the table.

Shutting my eyes I pushed back the desire to believe them. I couldn't be a princess. I couldn't have magic and the town couldn't all be cursed. Otherwise I belonged back in the mental hospital. "Henry, I'm sorry but all your saying is nonsense."

"It won't all be nonsense once you look for the necklace inside his suit jacket and...." Jefferson trailed off in thought.

Turning around in my boots I dared to ask the question. "And what Jefferson?"

"And you'll believe us when you find the ring in his possession." The man who truly thought he was the Mad Hatter answered my question, sitting one of his hats on top of his head smiling wickedly at me. Henry remained silent and simply nodded in agreement. "As close to his heart as it could possibly be."

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[ashandkatiewrite]

New Story Alert!

a twist of fate

Written by: @katiekinswrites + @if-you-onlyknew

SUMMARY: One fateful day, Jefferson's father, the Dark One's portal jumper, doesn't return from a job. Taken by force a week later, Jefferson learns that his father's captor and murderer is an evil sorcerer who is guardian to a young princess, Odette of Swan Lake, who has been kept prisoner in her own kingdom. Now a young portal jumper himself, Jefferson sneaks into the castle over the years to spend time with the trapped princess and to tell her of his wild adventures in lands she can only imagine, and to hope that one day she will agree to leave with him and escape her tormentor.

A story about a life built between two people that have nothing in common but love at first sight, a thirst for adventure, and the obstacles that attempt to keep them apart over time and across lands.

Enchanted Forest to Cursed!Storybrooke.

Read the story on AO3.

TAGLIST: @acabecca • @arrthurpendragon • @cas-verse • @cjand10 • @darkwolf76 • @darylandbethfanforever9 • @eddysocs • @jewishbarbies • @ocappreciationtag • @sassysophiabush • @scarletwidoww • @seb-soph • @starcrossedjedis • @thatmagickjuju

[rachelmasterss]

Every story can have a happy ending

[misshiraethsworld]

DOOR IN THE HEDGE ━ once upon a time ✧

Princess Edeline of Gardenia was used to chaos. She thrived off the unknown and found solace in its fractured embrace. Since she was a young girl, darkness was all she knew, dancing night after night among strangers. She and her twelve sisters owed a debt to a being more powerful than they could have ever imagined. Every night they tried to escape, and every night they failed. They were trapped in an endless loop, searching for a way out and finding none until the portal hopper arrived. Jefferson Hatter of the Enchanted Forest was no stranger to mischief. The mischief led him to his first love and eventually to the birth of his daughter. However, he felt a void where his heart used to be. Every beat felt like a needle being pressed into a sore wound that would never heal. He wanted to provide for his only child and found that opportunity in another realm where slippers were always worn down. Jefferson and Edeline were each other's salvation and each other's doom. The Evil Queen's curse only tore into a story that was just beginning to blossom, leaving many people trapped in a land where happy endings seemed impossible. Edeline, now Davina, was unaware of her fate to dance once more as she practiced her steps daily in her dance studio. Jefferson could only look on desperation, knowing too much and yet not knowing enough to find a way to break the curse. Fairytales never end with 'Happily Ever After' ...

THE FAIRYTALE AFFLICTION coming soon!

tag family: @arrthurpendragon, @eddysocs, @darth-caillic, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @kmc1989, @ocappreciation, @ocs-supporting-ocs if you want to be added to my family, all you have to do is ask!

[ohmygoodnessgraciouss]

Through the Looking Glass (A Jefferson Love Story) - Chapter 1

Masterlist

"Thanks for being here with me," Emma smiled, letting the 30-year-old into her home. Sarah walked into the large studio apartment, smiling back at her friend. She placed her purse down on the kitchen counter, staring out the window at the gorgeous view Emma had.

"Of course, Emma," She grinned. "No one should be alone on their birthday." The blonde smiled appreciatively. She was used to celebrating her birthdays alone, even though Sarah had been to every single one for five years now. If anything, it still caught her off guard every time she heard that knock on the door.

Emma turned away from her friend briefly to pull out the small white box she was saving in the fridge. As Sarah shrugged off her jacket and placed it on a nearby chair, she noticed the box in Emma's hands. "What did you get today?" She asked.

Emma looked up at her, opening the lid up. Inside there were two cupcakes. One vanilla with white icing and one red velvet with pink icing. "No birthday is complete without cake, I guess."

Sarah laughed at her friend's response. "I thought you were trying to stay away from sweets, otherwise I would've gotten some on the way here."

"Yeah, well," Emma shrugged, "Tonight's date with our friend pissed me off a bit."

"Did he get away from you?" Her eyes widened. She couldn't believe that anyone would get away from Emma. She had been in the business for years after all. Emma could practically catch a guy in her sleep at this point.

Emma shook her head. "Of course not, but he didn't make it easy. Let's just say it's been a long night." Sarah nodded in understanding.

Emma began to pull out candles she bought from the dollar store, placing one on her cupcake. The blue star stood proud on the white icing, ready to be lit. Sarah pulled out her lighter, something she kept with her for good luck, lighting up the candle. The wax quickly began to melt.

Emma smiled at the action. "I thought you never used that lighter. Wasn't that your whole deal about keeping it with you?"

Sarah smiled back at the woman, putting the lighter away in the pocket of her jeans. "I can use it when we need to make a wish. Maybe it'll throw a little magic in there. Perhaps it'll be a better year for you then."

Emma appreciated the thoughtful idea behind it. "If you say so," She responded.

"I sure hope so at least," Her friend laughed lightly, "Now blow out your candle before the wax drops on that icing. I want to eat my cupcake already."

Emma rolled her eyes at the girl, blowing out the candle after a moment's pause.

The flame went out quickly and the wax slowly dripped down the stick of the candle, cooling off rapidly. A flash of disappointment went through Emma, as if she expected something more to happen right then and there. Sarah knew it was the fact that Emma went through yet another year of not knowing who her family was. The blonde was never one to talk about it, but there was still a part of her who longed for that kind of connection with someone. Having a friend was great, but it simply wasn't the same as knowing who your family is, or celebrating the holidays with them.

Sarah rose her cupcake up in the air, waiting for Emma to meet her in the middle. Emma silently held the cupcake up, clinking them together lightly, causing the icing to mix in a small part of the cupcake. The two laughed at the stupidity of the action. Before they could take a bite though, the doorbell rang. Both of the girls were shocked to hear it, especially so late at night. It was already close to the end of the evening, so who could be there?

Emma walked to the door, opening it enough to see who was there. She leaned her arm against the doorframe, looking down at the kid in front of her. He couldn't be more than ten years old, but he was alone. "Can I help you?" She asked him.

"Are you Emma Swan?" He asked, looking up at her. He looked almost eager for the answer, as if he knew it already.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"My name's Henry. I'm your son." He smiled up at her. She stared at him with a blank expression on her face, trying to process what he just said. How would that be possible?

Before she had a chance to move, Henry ducked underneath her arm, entering the apartment. Emma began to protest, closing the door behind her. He walked towards the table, where Sarah looked up from her phone to see him. "Who are you?" She asked, watching the kid.

"I'm Henry. Emma's my mom," He smiled at Sarah.

"Kid, I don't have a son," Emma said, walking over towards Henry and Sarah. "Where are your parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption? That was me."

Sarah's eyes darted up immediately to Emma, waiting for her response. Emma seemed to freeze at the question, remembering what happened a decade ago. She had never told Sarah what happened while she was in jail. It never seemed relevant, so she never mentioned it. She wanted to keep it in the past, hoping she would never have to face it. "Give me a minute," Emma quickly said before running to the bathroom.

The brunette woman looked over at Henry once again, searching his face for similar features. "Where did you come from?" She asked him.

"Maine," He said casually, as if he was only ten minutes away. Her eyes widened at his answer.

"Did you get here by yourself?" Henry ignored the question, opting to walk over to the fridge in search of something.

"Hey, do you have any juice?" He called out to Emma, waiting impatiently for her to leave the bathroom. He opened the door, scanning the contents of the fridge. "Never mind, found some," He pulled out a small container of orange juice. Sitting back down at the table next to Sarah, he waited for Emma to walk back out.

When Emma came back, Henry wasted no time in telling her, "You know, we should probably get going."

"Going where?" She questioned, watching Henry take a sip of the orange juice.

"I want you to come home with me."

"Okay, kid, I'm calling the cops," Emma began to walk over across the room.

"And I'll tell them you kidnapped me."

She looked down at the phone in her hands and then back up at Henry. "And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother."

"Yep."

"You're not gonna do that."

"Try me." The two had a staring contest as Emma broke into a small smile.

"You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying," Emma said as she began to dial the number into the phone. Sarah bit back a laugh, watching them. It was clear they had to have been related just from this very conversation.

"Wait, please don't call the cops. Please come home with me." He begged.

"Where's home?" Sarah asked him. If Emma wasn't willing to go with him, Sarah at least wanted to make sure he would be safe. He reminded her too much of her own daughter.

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Emma glanced over at Sarah, as if she was trying to figure out if she was buying it either.

Henry nodded, hoping that she would go. Sarah shrugged, as if to say, "It's up to you." Emma pursed her lips, looking back at Henry.

"Alrighty, then. Let's get you back to Storybrooke."

_

Lucy sighed, scanning the field for the best place to rest for the day. After a long day of exploring the Enchanted Forest, she needed a break from everyone. She used far too much magic in one day trying to collect valuables she could use to sell to other people. Maybe one day she would be able to get a solid job that would help her stabilize her life, but that wouldn't be anytime soon unfortunately.

Sitting down in the grass, she watched as a woman rode her horse on the other side, a large smile on her face. She smiled, wishing that she would be able to do something similar one day. Her life simply didn't make it easy for her to have that kind of opportunity. Looking down at her hands, she saw the dirt and blood on them from earlier today. She had to make a break for it when some of the guards caught her stealing from a vendor. Thankfully it wasn't anyone else's blood, only her own after slipping down a hill. She took a moment to wipe it on her skirt, trying to clean up her hands.

She heard a horse approaching her, looking up and realizing that the woman was approaching her. Her dark hair seemed to be falling out of her braid, most likely from a long day of riding. There was a small smile on her face, preparing to greet the stranger. "Hello," The woman said, "What are you doing out in this field?"

Lucy smiled back at the woman, standing up so she wasn't covered by the tall grasses surrounding her. She brushed off her maroon skirt, realizing she had covered it in flecks of dirt and leaves. The white tunic she wore was surely just as dirty, if not dirtier. "I was simply looking for a place to rest. Is there something wrong?" She asked, hoping she didn't just stumble upon owned land. She didn't want to have to run once again.

"Not at all," She shook her head. "I was just curious," She said as she hopped off the horse, holding the reigns. "We don't have visitors around here often."

As the woman approached her, Lucy looked up at the horse, noticing how well kept he was. Clearly this woman must've come from money of some sort. "What a beautiful horse. Do you ride often?"

"I do. It's the only thing that keeps me sane some days," She laughed. Lucy's smile widened.

"I understand that feeling. It's why I like to write when I have the chance."

"You write? What do you write about?"

Lucy shook her head before responding. "Nothing much. Just adventures I've been on, adventures I want to be on, and anything else in between. It always depends on the day. I keep them to myself though. It's the one way I can be myself fully, without anyone else judging."

The woman nodded solemnly. There was a moment of silence before she decided to change the subject. "So," She started, "What's your name?"

"My name is Lucy," She smiled, holding her hand out for the woman to shake. "And what's yours?"

The woman released her grip on the reigns, taking Lucy's hand.

"My name is Regina."

~

The three sat in the car in almost pure silence for the first few minutes of the drive. There was a casual conversation between Emma and Sarah, mostly Emma making sure that she was willing to go on the drive with her. Going from Boston to Storybrooke was a decent road trip, meaning they wouldn't be back in Boston until 3 or 4 AM at best. Sarah reassured her it was necessary, although she refused to explain to Emma why exactly.

"I'm hungry," Henry eventually spoke up, interrupting the few moments of quiet they shared. "Can we stop somewhere?"

"This is not a road trip, we're not stopping for snacks," Emma said, glancing back at him through the mirror.

"Why not?"

"Quit complaining, kid. Remember, I could've put your butt on a bus; I still could."

"You know, I have a name? It's Henry."

Sarah laughed quietly at the exchange between the two. As she looked back at Henry briefly through the side mirror, she noticed the book he was holding. "What's that?" She asked, trying to start conversation.

"I'm not sure either of you are ready," Henry shook his head.

"Ready?" She turned around in her seat, looking back now at the book. It was a simple brown book, the cover clearly indicating it was fairy tales. "For fairy tales?"

"They're not fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened."

"Of course they did," Emma muttered.

"Use your superpower. See if I'm lying," Henry huffed. Emma turned around for a moment to look at him. Sarah watched as Emma turned back to face the street, smiling when she knew Emma couldn't claim he was lying.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true."

"That's exactly what makes it true. You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're in this book." Henry looked at Emma and then looked over at Sarah, "And so are you."

"Oh, kid. You've got problems."

"Yup. And you're going to fix them." He beamed. Emma looked over at Sarah, rolling her eyes. Sarah stared on at the road, trying to figure out what she just got herself into.

[come-along-pond]

@dancingsunflowers-ocs asked the ‘it they had a kid’ ask game with Rapunzel and Jefferson.

Name: Quinn Gothel

Gender: Cis-Female

General Appearance: Curly hair like her mother, but dresses like her father and looks like him in every other way

Personality: boisterous, Day dreamer, smart

Special Talents: Sewing!! She loves making and designing clothes

Who they like better: Grace

Who they take after more: Jefferson

Personal Head canon: Although the youngest sibling, she acts more like the older one

Face Claim: Millie Bobby Brown

[findyourrp]

🏰 Hi I’m a 19 year old female, looking for someone 18+ to roleplay Once Upon A Time with, I ask for that person to be someone patient too as I’m new to the fandom so I don’t know everything but I am willing to learn more from who I’m roleplaying with! I just started season two, I’m a few episodes in and I only do double up roleplays and female x male roleplays for both pairings as it’s what I’m familiar & I don’t do smut but it’s fine to insinuate it, so please be understanding about that too! :)

I like descriptive Roleplays, I prefer to write a few sentences as far as talking goes but I don’t often write really long replies as my replies are mostly a paragraph long or maybe a little longer. I do play as side characters and ask that you do the same as I wanna keep it fair and the responses fair.

I’m also interested in us becoming friends as well as our ocs being friends!

Ps. My love interest is Killian Jones Aka Captain Hook, I’m open to playing just about anyone but I’d prefer for you to comment who you may be interested in first before I message you so I can know whether or not I think I’d be able to pull off playing as them, I haven’t played as anyone before in ouat but I’m very interested in playing as Rumpelstiltskin, Jefferson Aka The Mad Hatter, Graham Humbert Aka The Huntsman, etc.

.

[thank-you-for-the-vampire-money]

HALF CRAZY FOR YOU (Part sixteen (finale)- untied again, divided no more)

Series Summary: Jefferson had lost his wife years ago.  But, when some mysterious evidence of her survival appears, he must find her.

A/N: Second to last chapter guys!  Only one more to go!

Jefferson x Rapunzel (OC)

Word count: 950-ish

Summary: The fate of Rapunzel after the deal is revealed.

Warnings: insanity, Rumpelstiltskin being a dick.

PART 15

(GIF not mine)

[Third person POV]

           Jefferson ran as quickly as his feet could carry him with Emma not too far behind him.  Grace had gone home, knowing that this situation could potentially be dangerous. Desperation, fear, anger, and hope battled each other in Jefferson’s heart as he ran.  His beloved and precious Rapunzel could possibly be alive, but there was a heavy chance that Jefferson got his hopes up for nothing.

Jefferson rushed through the front door, silently shutting it behind him as Emma snuck in through the back entrance so Gold wouldn't have any escape routes.  Gold was standing at his desk in the back room of the shop, working on what looked like some magic elixir.

 Emma drew her gun and slowly approached the doorway to the room he was in while Jefferson snuck up to the curtain that acted as a wall in between the back room and the main counter.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, dearie," Mr. Gold warned the gun-wielding sheriff.  Emma was a little bit startled.  He knew they were coming.  She cautiously stepped into the back room, giving Jefferson a look that whispered ‘be careful'.

"You can come out now Jefferson," Gold was surprisingly calm and confident, considering Emma, the person with a functioning handgun, was absolutely furious with him.  "She's not here, Jefferson," Gold said matter-of-factly.

A bubble of rage surfaced within Jefferson's chest, but he kept his cool.  Even though Jefferson was panicking internally, a brilliant idea popped into Jefferson's head. "But you know where she is…" he sang calmly pacing around the room and studying the many antiques as if he was at an art gallery, "and I would appreciate it if you'd let me in on your secret,".  Jefferson was acting crazy!  Well… he was the Mad Hatter after all.

A light, sarcastic chuckle erupted from Mr. Gold, "oh, I'm sure you would," he laughed, "but I'm not going to tell you anything,".

Jefferson looked over Mr. Gold's shoulder at the spell book he was reading, nodding in approval.  "I see… well, that's a shame because you give me no choice but to-" Jefferson took the bowl full of the potion and splashed it into Mr. Gold's face.

A cringe-worthy sizzling noise echoed in Jefferson and Emma's ears as the strange liquid made contact with Mr. Gold's flesh. A scream of pain left the old man’s lungs as he used his powers to hurl Jefferson into the bookshelf that was located directly behind him.

Emma took action and aimed her gun at Gold, but Gold acted quickly, using his powers to knock the gun across the floor and slam Emma down onto the desk, breaking it in half.  Jefferson lunged towards Gold, knocking him to the floor.  Before Jefferson could do anything else, Gold grabbed his cane and jabbed Jefferson in the stomach, making him fall to his knees in pain.

A large cut formed on Emma's forehead along with many bruises.  She rushed over Gold who was back on his feet, but Gold dodged her and kicked her through the curtain.  A loud clanging thud sounded from where Emma landed.  She had crashed into the glass display case and knocked a few things over.

Jefferson swiped Mr. Gold’s feet from under him, causing Gold to fall flat on his face.  Emma rushed back in and grabbed the lapels of Gold’s suit jacket, slamming him against the wall.  She violently pinned him up against the wall.  Emma landed one solid punch to Mr. Gold's jaw and he was out cold.

The sheriff helped Jefferson get up off the floor and onto his feet, "I'll get the whole department over here to see if there's any sign of your wife or where she is," Emma smiled, "I promise, Jefferson, we'll find out what happened to her,".

             Weeks had passed and all that the police could find were stolen items, broken pieces of furniture, and random pieces of so-called ‘evidence' that lead to nothing but dead ends.  Gold was currently being held in custody until he spilled the information needed to find Jefferson's wife.  Jefferson had been called many times about his wife and where they thought she was based on the ‘evidence' found in Mr. Gold's shop.  But, after so many urgent phone calls and so many false alarms, Jefferson lost all hope that he would once again be reunited with Rapunzel.

Grace, on the other hand, was still determined to find the mother she never knew.  She always told her father to answer the urgent phone calls and encouraged him to attend the many fruitless searches the police went on.

 Grace was working on her math homework one night when the phone started ringing.  It rang loudly for a good thirty seconds, but Jefferson didn't answer.  A few minutes later, the same number called once again, Jefferson still didn't answer.  After the number called a third time, and since her father was refusing to answer the phone, Grace decided she would answer it herself.  The call must've been important if they called that many times. "Hello?" Grace greeted, holding the phone up to her ear.

             Grace burst into her father's room without knocking. Jefferson was just sitting at his desk, with his face held in his hands, and his back turned towards the door. "Papa!  Papa!" Grace yelped urgently, jumping up and down while flailing her arms in front of her father.  "What is it, Grace?" Jefferson groaned sitting up straight, "Papa!  That was Sheriff Swan!  She says they've found mother!".  Jefferson was caught very off guard by this.  They found her?  “Where?!” he asked. “they found her at the Mental Institute!  She’s being taken care of at the Sheriff’s office right now!”.

  Jefferson and Grace navigated the hallways of the sheriff's department, holding each other's hands tightly.  This was either a horrible joke or the moment they had been hoping for.  Jefferson felt like he could cry.  He was so hopeful but fearful at the same time.  What if it was just another false alarm?  What if this was just another huge let down?

As They stood outside of Emma's office, Jefferson knelt down in front of Grace, holding onto her shoulders to keep her attention, "Grace, I'm going to go in there and make sure this is the real deal, okay?".  Grace nodded.  "You stay out here until either I or Miss Swan comes out to get you,". Jefferson kissed his daughter on the forehead before entering the big office.

 He closed the door and turned around to take in the sight before him.  A beautiful woman with a long red braid and amber colored eyes was talking to Emma. She had a bright smile and a lighthearted laugh, just like Rapunzel had all those years ago.  The woman slowly turned her head to look at Jefferson. Realization lit up her eyes as if she recognized him.  She looked simply awestruck.

"Jefferson?" she whispered, stepping closer.

Excitement and relief overwhelmed Jefferson, "b-bunny?" he sobbed, taking stepping closer to her.  The woman reached out her hand to cup Jefferson's cheek, "it's you… it's really you this time!" he cried, pulling her in for a tight and loving embrace.

Jefferson was quietly sobbing tears of relief as he held Rapunzel close for the first time in years.  Rapunzel pulled him in for a sweet and gentle, yet intense and passionate kiss.  All her pain and joy and fear was poured out into that kiss.  Jefferson pulled away, looking into Rapunzel's tear-filled eyes, "I missed you so much…" he squeaked, smiling through his tears.  

The creaking of the door prompted Jefferson and Rapunzel to turn their heads to where the noise was coming from.  Grace was sheepishly entering the office to see what was going on.  

Rapunzel looked at Grace, then back at Jefferson. “I-is that…?” Rapunzel stuttered.  Jefferson nodded.

A cheerful smile crept onto Grace’s face, "mother?  Mother!" she cried, lunging herself into the open arms of Rapunzel.  Rapunzel was crying tears of joy as she embraced her daughter for the first time after years of being a prisoner to Rumpelstiltskin.

Jefferson looked at his wife and kissed her once again. He gazed into her eyes, attempting to memorize her face again.  Finally, after years and years, he got to embrace his whole family again.  He kissed Rapunzel’s cheek and whispered, "I'm half crazy for you,".

 Rapunzel gazed into his shimmering blue eyes, then glanced down at her daughter, whom she was still embracing tightly.  She was holding them close after decades of separation.  Rapunzel took a deep breath and smiled back before responding, "well I'm full crazy for you,".

[kaleidopewrites]

You Will Come Back To Us (Part 15)

Summary: A final plea for her husband may be enough to bring Jefferson out of hiding

Pairing: Jefferson x OC

Word Count: 2433

Warnings: none

A/N: Nothing to say, but I hope you enjoy it :)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14

“Please, everyone, just be patient.” One of the fairies called. Everyone had gathered inside of the town hall, Grace and myself included. Grace sat on one of the window ledges, leaning against me as we waited. All our walking had made her feet sore.

“I’m sure he’s going to be here any second,” Grace and I looked up and down the hall, the quietest of the lot. “Where could he be?” Grace yawned in my ear. I sighed, my arms crossed over my chest as we waited. “No idea. Maybe Papa’s giving him a hard time,” Grace giggled at my joke.

In the lull of the noise level, the doors burst open and Regina stood in the way, hands on her hips. I lowered Grace to the floor, ordering her to say put before drawing my sword, standing by the back of the room with Henry and Red, protecting them.

“My, what a nice turnout,” Regina grinned, eyes scanning the room. She started a long strut through the room, making her way down towards Henry. “No need for a fuss,” She said and I tightened my grip on my blade. “It’s just little old me.”

“Regina, think about what you’re doing,” Dr Hopper warned, walking forwards. “Bug,” She stared at him with distaste and pushed him through the air, making him topple into the people behind him. The leader dwarf ran forwards, but he too was thrown back.

Granny shot her crossbow towards Regina, who caught it. “How sweet,” She taunted as the cross bolt lit on fire. She threw it forwards but I jumped in the way, deflecting her magic with my blade. I watched as it flew past her and lit the Storybrooke symbol on fire.

“What do you want?” Red demanded, stepping up beside me. “Me,” Henry called after a pause, after everyone had begun to scramble to their feet. “She wants me,” He called again, making his way towards his adoptive mother.

“Henry,” I warned, blocking him with my blade. He looked up at me, big eyes that seemed present in all children his age; Grace’s age. I sighed as I lifted my sword and he walked forwards. “Okay, I’ll come with you. Just… leave them alone,” He said, stopping before her.

Regina walked forwards and cupped his chin with her hand, making him look at her. “That’s my boy,” She smiled. She put a hand around his shoulders as she began walking back down through the hall. For a second, I blocked her exit with my blade, letting it rest against the fencing.

She looked up at me, a smug look on her face before she found Grace in the crowd. I didn’t even need to look where she was, I knew she had found her and was silently threatening me. I sighed as I lifted the blade and she walked past, bumping my shoulder with mine.

I swear, if Regina did something to Jay, she was gonna regret it.

It was a long and bothersome day. Grace and I were among the very, very few that didn’t try to leave Storybrooke, so we dodged Charming’s big speech. It was okay, we got the shortened version of it when we visited Granny’s again that evening.

We were both tuckered out from walking up and down the town. We had decided to order pizza for dinner and curled up on the couch, watching movies to wile away the night. We were curled under the blanket, Grace mumbling in her sleep.

“Mum?” She asked when I attempted to scoop her up and take her to bed. “Yes, sweetie?” I asked, running a hand down her head and through her hair as she leaned against me. “When Papa finds us, will we live with him in the mansion?”

“Probably. We don’t really want to stay in town, now do we?” I asked and she shook her head slowly, tiredly. “Do you think Papa still loves us?” I tensed slightly, trying not to wake her as she slowly fell asleep, the questions on her mind now falling from her lips.

“I’m sure he loves us a lot,” I assured her. “Then why did he leave us? Why couldn’t he stay?” I sighed as I continued to run my fingers through her hair. “He wanted the best for us. He—Remember that toy rabbit you wanted at the market?” Grace hummed in agreement.

“Well, we couldn’t afford it. And Papa wishes that he could. By taking up the Queen’s job, he thought that he could start buying you things you wanted.” I explained. “Even that necklace?” She asked. I smiled. “Yes, even that necklace,”

“But, doesn’t Papa know we don’t need any of that stuff?” She asked. “I think, sometimes, Papa forgets how much he means to us. I think he forgets that we don’t need a lot of stuff to be with him, and to love him.”

“So, when we find him, it’s our job to remind him that we do love him, right?” She asked, her voice growing softer and softer. I smiled. “Yes, I guess it is,” I said. When I didn’t hear her respond, I looked down and found her fast asleep, hands curled up in the blanket.

I tucked her into her bed before turning off the light. I watched her as she slept for a moment, trying to visualise our cottage and her sleeping in her own bed. When I closed my eyes, I could. But as soon as I opened them, it vanished.

I walked down the stairs to turned the film off, the credits rolling across the screen. I sighed as I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and opened the door. The cold air wrapped around my warm cocoon and I shivered slightly as I walked outside.

It must’ve been raining a little, because the front porch was a little damp. Either that, or the freezing air had covered the porch in moisture. I looked around the street darkened by the night as I sat on the small chair outside.

I rubbed my hands together first, before cupping them around my mouth and warming up my palms with my breath. I rubbed them together again before drawing my blanket further around me. I looked up to the stars for a moment, only seeing two or three blink at me before I looked down.

“Jefferson,” I breathed, the name hanging in the air in the form of steam for a second, before it disappeared, searching for the owner. “If you can hear me, I just,” I paused, not sure what I was doing. I shook my head, lowering it to the ground.

“We miss you. So much, we don’t care that you left, we just want you back.” I said, hoping he was, in fact listening. “We love you, Jefferson.” I said, curling up on the bench. I didn’t realise I had fallen asleep under the stars.

“Mum!” Grace called, shaking my shoulders. “Mum, wake up!” She called. I peeked open my eyes, the action a struggle. Had I been crying during the night? My hand wasn’t curled up to my chest like normal – I was a curler when I was snuggling with Jefferson – and instead it hung off the bench.

“Mu-um!” Grace whined, still trying to shake me awake. I sat up slightly, yawning as I rubbed at my eyes. I looked down, realising that I had another blanket on top of me and two layers of socks on my feet. Grace was beaming, a grey coloured bunny I had never seen before in her arms.

“Papa stopped by in the middle of night!” She called. I laughed as I stretched out a hand to the rabbit, feeling the soft fabric in my hands before sitting up entirely. I heard paper crinkling underneath me and looked down, finding a folded piece of paper.

“Grace, please get ready for school,” I smiled. She nodded and ran back inside the house, not bothering to close the door. I picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it, looking down at the carefully scrawled handwriting.

My Dearest Alice,

               I heard you, and I am truly sorry. This would have to be the fortieth letter I am writing to you, and probably the millionth time I have tried to talk to you as your husband, not your anonymous online buyer. I am trying, trying so very hard to find the courage to speak to you and our beautiful Grace again. I was scared of what you may have thought of me. But, after listening to your words tonight, I may have enough bravery to finally see you both again. Please, I ask only that you have patience with me.

Sincerely,

               Your Jefferson

I smiled at the letter, folding it back down and looking up as if I would see him watching me from across the street. I didn’t, but it didn’t lower my spirits. “What did the letter say?” Grace asked, stepping out from the house.

“Nothing, don’t worry,” I said, but couldn’t help the beam on my face. “Grace, do you want to take the bus to school today?” I asked, kneeling to her eye level. “Yeah,” She smiled, nodding her head. I grinned and quickly ran inside.

I got changed in the first pair of clean clothes I came across before running a brush through my hair, straightening out any knots. I then walked outside and locked the door, meeting Grace on the lawn before walking side by side with her all the way to the bus stop.

“Alright, have a fun day at school, sweetie,” I grinned, giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Do you think we’ll see Papa today?” She asked as the bus driver opened the doors. “I don’t know, rabbit. But we’ll see,” I grinned.

She nodded her head, told me she loved me all before she ran towards the bus. I waved to her as she jumped up onto the bus, spotting her friends and grinning. I watched the bus take off, waving to her before walking back down the street.

I shrugged my hands into their pockets as I walked, my eyes on the pavement subconsciously until I felt it. A pair of eyes watching me. I paused, stopping in my tracks before looking over my shoulder. Nothing. I looked forwards again, down the street. Nothing.

A gush of wind blew in behind me and I could smell it, his scent. I smiled, but didn’t turn around. He had to approach us on his own. Patience. I continued walking down the street and found another shadow up against my own.

I knew that shadow, almost cried when I saw it. But I kept my head held high. Patience. As I walked, out the street and down towards my house, I pulled my hand from my pocket, stretching out my fingers and imagining that I was running them down through his hair. Patience.

I came to my house and my feet stopped. Before I could comprehend what I was doing, I whirled around. No one was behind me, not even a shadow. I tried not to show my disappointment to the street as I turned into my house.

I shuffled quickly down the street. I had lost track of time watching this interesting new TV show and didn’t realise before it was too late that I had run a little behind. As I ran down, I turned the street corner just as the bus rushed past me.

I followed it with my eyes for a second before turning back to the street. And that’s when I saw him. He had Grace bundled up in his arms and even from back here I could see the relief he felt when he held her.

He spotted me, stopping and making Grace look up. She looked over her shoulder and I could see her grin widen when she saw me. “Mum!” She called. Jefferson quickly placed her on the pavement before she sprinted down the street towards me.

I opened my arms and she wrapped her arms around my stomach, hugging me tightly. I still watched Jefferson from afar as he didn’t make a move, staying planted like a tree. Grace moved back and smiled up at me, but it turned down when I wasn’t looking at her.

Of all the times I envisioned finding him, I had always run into his arms. Or I had smacked him across the head with the blunt of my blade, demanding answers. But it had always ended the same, his arms around me, protecting me from the Curse and from Storybrooke.

And yet, after all we had been through, I couldn’t find the will to push my legs forwards.

“Come on,” Grace smiled, somehow able to understand as she took my hand and walked with me down the street. My legs followed her and Jefferson slowly grew bigger and bigger. He wore mostly black with a big scarf around his neck and a large jacket.

I realised I had forgotten my own, in my hurry to get out of the door but I didn’t feel the cold. Not now. Especially not now. I blinked, and suddenly I was right before him, staring up into his red-rimmed eyes.

I reached out a hand gingerly, my fingers grazing against his cheek. His eyes closed at my touch, exhaling through his mouth sharply. I put my palm to his cheek and he leaned his head into my touch, my thumb running over his lips softly.

“Alice,” He breathed, gently taking my wrist in his hand. “You better have a good excuse for not getting back in time,” I joked. A smile spread across his face, warming my insides instantly. And then he chuckled, and laughed, until tears were dotting in the corners of his eyes.

I smiled at him, feeling like the heavy cloud living on my shoulders was finally lifting. “God, I love you,” He sighed before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him, burying his head into the crook of my neck. I wrapped my own arms around his neck, running fingers through his short hair.

I held him tightly against me, suddenly realising that we had finally found each other. Tears slipped from my eyes as I held him, feeling my feet touch to the pavement again. He moved back from me and I put my palms to his cheeks, keeping his eyes fixed on me.

“Found you,” He whispered. I rolled my eyes before I pressed his lips against my own.

[rogerswifesblog]

Any fic recommendations with this guy? Not only smut shots but like whole fics maybe? I can’t find any!😩😩😩

[if-you-onlyknew]

Masterlist of Stories

written by @katiekinswrites + @if-you-onlyknew

Bucky Barnes + Maggie Hastings (MCU)

What If…? Series

My Baby Shot Me Down

(Completed) Maggie Hastings had to find the person responsible for her brother's death. After the fall of SHIELD, records were made public. Christopher Hastings had been targeted by Hydra and was taken out by the Winter Soldier. Maggie learns everything she possibly can about the Winter Soldier and begins her hunt. And she finds him.

I’ll Crawl Home to Her

(Completed) It has been five long years since Thanos snapped half of all existence into dust along with half of Bucky's heart. He runs to the life of an assassin as the Winter Soldier once again until he is caught against his wishes in Madripoor. "There is a chance," Steve told him with tears in his eyes. "We're going back. To fix everything." They could all go back to the past. But Bucky had a different plan in mind. And it didn't have anything to do with any infinity stones but everything to do with the reason he'd been running. He was going to fix the biggest mistake he'd ever made.

Independent stories:

The One

(Completed) After the Blip, the world is still recovering. People need help. And a new dating service called The One uses DNA to help people find the perfect match. Bucky has had terrible luck in dating in the last six months. After all, it’s not too easy for a 106 year old ex-assassin to find someone with shared life experiences. But after an unsolicited push from Sam, he finds he actually has a match out there in the world.

Sleeping With Other People

(Completed) Ten years after having a one night stand with Bucky Barnes, Maggie Hastings attends the wedding of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter where Bucky is the best man. With Maggie being in a relationship and Bucky’s fear of commitment, the two struggle to keep their friendship platonic despite their mutual attraction.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

(Completed) Maggie Hastings meets her dream man after a flight into New York City— Bucky Barnes, a pilot who seems to be everything she’s looking for. Except that she already has a boyfriend who never has time for her. After a near-tryst with her dream pilot, Maggie runs, only to find out he later meets her best friend and they’re now crazy about each other. Among their group of best friends, between Chicago and New York, and four weddings and a funeral, Maggie and Bucky struggle to keep their fiery chemistry a secret so they don’t hurt the ones they love.

Jefferson + Odette Lake (Once Upon a Time)

Your Love is a Turning Page

(Completed) Jefferson wakes up with a year of his life missing after Pan's curse. The town is oblivious and he is alone yet again. When he meets the town's patisserie chef and part time ballet teacher; Delilah Mason -- he feels a connection to the woman. Not to mention the ring she wears on her index finger -- a ring he stole decades earlier.

Never Have I Ever

(Completed) A wedding takes place in Storybrooke bringing friends and family together for the joyous event. It truly is a beautiful wedding. The only problem? Jefferson has been to this wedding so many times, he’s lost count. Every morning he wakes up in the same bed to the same unfortunate situation and relives the same damn day. He’s living in hell. He should have never left the reception — he should have never followed the white rabbit into the cave. One day, a ripple changed the repetition. Someone had followed him into the time loop and thankfully this person doesn’t want him dead.

Sympathy for the Devil

(Completed) Odette Lake had led a normal life up until her twenty fifth birthday—the day she learned that she had been sold to the New York mafia king, Von Rothbart who has been obsessed with her since she was a teenager. Ridden with guilt, Billy Lake helped his daughter escape the city. Now, as Delilah Mason, she finds herself in a small town off the coast of Maine. Little did she know, this small town was just as tied to the mob scene as New York.

[justinewt]

Lovers in the Fairytales Land - OUAT fanfiction chapter two

[OUAT Fanfiction-Masterlist] 

Chapter one / Chapter two / Chapter three / Chapter four

Summary: On the one hand, Fairytales Land and on the other, Storybrook. Rosaleen. AKA Lucy Reynolds. The young woman who lived in Storybrook already had a calm and tidy pace of life before she found herself stuck in this magic-less realm. She had a soulmate, which Regina's curse took away from her. Of course, she remembered none of that, but the soulmate in question did.

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: fluff, language, a little bit of happiness, mainly Jefferson being perfect (and slightly insecure), mourning/grief, swearing, fluff again, overprotective father

The birds sang merrily from the trees. The warm sun's rays gently stroked the doll skin of Rosaleen's bare shoulders and back. Bending down to pick up wildflowers and collecting them in the wicker basket she held in her hand, she gathered the petticoats of her loose-fitting and flowy chestnut-colored dress with her free hand and her thin blond hair fell in a cascade of golden curls over her chest. It was a spring day as she loved them. She straightened up when her basket was nearly full, deciding to go home and took a breath enjoying the sun warming her cheeks. When a voice rose behind her as she thought she was alone in this clearing, the young woman turned with a start, bringing a hand to her chest.

“What is such a beautiful creature doing alone in the forest? Picking flowers, huh ? That’s kinda cliché, isn’t it ?”

“I already told you not to come like that behind my back without warning, Jefferson.”

He laughed as he stood up from the tree he had leaned against for God only knows how long. It wasn’t the first time Rosaleen asked him that, but it seemed like he was taking a genuine pleasure in seeing her first being caught off guard, and then happy to see him. He loved to see that bewitching smile take shape on that angelic face of hers as soon as she saw him. Each time it happened that way, in that specific order.

“Come on, Rose. Don’t tell me you don’t like that kind of suprise.” Theatrically, he pointed to himself, making large, exaggerated gestures with his hands. If she was being honest, yes, she liked that kind of surprise. He jumped off the prominent root he was standing on as if it were on some stage showcasing him for all the inhabitants of the forest and approached Rosaleen with this seductive smile of his. “You don’t like that kind of surprise ?”

She put her basket at her feet. He knew very well that she would never answer yes to such a question. He took her doll face in his hands and stroked her soft skin, drawing small circles on her cheek with his thumb. His blue eyes quickly got lost into her priceless emerald irises. Her whole being was priceless and precious to him. She was the creature that kept him on his feet, head on shoulders. The Mad Hatter with his hint of sanity personified into this cottage core princess. He still had a hard time admitting to himself that this treasure of a woman loved him. He had a hard time to understand how so much perfection could fit into one single person as well but, she was the proof that everything was possible.

“What is it ?” She giggled. He had been caressing her face, silently admiring the deep beauty of her eyes for a long minute already.

“Nothing. You’re just beautiful.” She opened her mouth to answer, but he stopped her by putting his lips onto hers. He loved the sweet taste of her rosy lips. She got up lightly on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck as he kept one hand to her face, and slid the other one down her lower back, pulling her closer to him tenderly. It was always how their kisses were. Like their embrace, their kiss was romantic and tender, full of love. Pure love, as the people in their land liked to put it. They both looked forward to the next time before they even hugged each other. Slowly and a little reluctantly, he pulled his lips away from hers and interrupted the hug.

“I want to take you somewhere.” He breathed out.

“Where ?”

He had got her suddenly quite curious. He smiled mischieviously and took off his so peculiar top hat from one hand, putting it on the groung in front of them before spinning it. He held out his hand for her to take and she grabbed it, interweaving her thin fingers with his. He motioned to her to do like him even though he knew she was aware of what she was supposed to do right now, and jumped into the spinning hat, dragging her along with him. When they landed, Rosaleen felt Jefferson's hands covering her eyes.

“What are you doing ? Where are we ?” She laughed. “Come on let me see. Take off your hands.”

He slipped his hands around her waist, holding her close against him, no longer obstructing her view. She let out an amazed gasp as she looked around. She didn't really know where they were, but it didn't matter. They were standing in the middle of an endless field of colorful and shimmering flowers. It was a landscape that highly delighted the young woman and Jefferson was more than glad that this was the effect this place had on her.

“Happy birthday, Rosie.” He smiled at her even though she had her back to him. She turned to face him, without him having to remove his hands from her waist and placed another soft kiss on his lips.

“You remembered.” She said quietly.

“Of course. How could I not remember.” His smile grew bigger. “It’s my favorite day of the year.”

Rosaleen stayed in his arms for a long moment, enjoying the embrace, enjoying this peaceful moment for as long as it could last. Jefferson couldn't see how precious he was to her too. For him, she deserved the world, but he, well he wasn't even worthy of her love. After a while cuddling in the middle of all these beautiful flowers, under the warm sun, they returned to the enchanted forest. Rosaleen didn't want her poor old father to worry about her being away for so long. She knew that if she didn’t come home, he would start to worry. He was really proctecting of her, but he had never told her why, despite how much she would ask him. It was as if he just didn’t want to give an answer at all, and just managed to change of subject every single time she asked, so after a few years, she stopped asking. She kept her questions in the back of her head, waiting for the right moment to finally formulate them all out loud. Jefferson’s opinion on that was that her father owed her answers but, Rosaleen on the other hand, didn’t want to rush her father. She didn't want to risk starting an argument. She hated people arguing and didn't want to be into an argument herself. She avoided conflicts like the plague.

Her only flaw was perhaps her passivity. She lived her quiet life with her father in their cottage house, deep in the enchanted forest, picking flowers, selling them at the market, seeing Jefferson and spending time with him. She had her habits and liked to stay in her comfort zone, in this little world of her own. She didn't like changes. Jefferson was part of her world now, and she still had to make him understand how much she loved him and cared for him. It seemed to her as if she had always been with him, by his side, but when she thought about it, she had met him, the guy who made her feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach everytime she looked at him, when they were both only 16-year-old, and they were now almost 18-year-old. On one hand, it hadn't been that long since the two of them were a thing, but on the other hand, she felt the opposite and knew deep down that she wanted to spend her whole life with him, marry him, have a little house of their own, have children together and grow old by his side.

Rosaleen gaily swung the basket in her hand, humming distractedly, lost in her thoughts. She opened the door to her house and went to put the basket on the kitchen table. She looked for something to tie the flowers she had picked earlier into a bouquet and, holding it in her hand, looked around. She was starting to wonder why there was no noise and why she was still alone inside the house. Usually, as soon as she would set one foot on the path in front of the house, her father would appear at the door.

“Papa ?” She walked around the house, keeping the bouquet in her hand, but not seeing her father inside, she suddenly realized where he must be. She went outside and walked towards the greenhouse behind the house. She slowly opened the door and smiled softly when she saw her father, crouching down next to the rose her late mother loved so much. He was silent the whole time and didn't even look at her when she put a hand on his shoulder.

“18 years ago, you appeared, right there.” He pointed out the red rose standing proud in front of him. “It was both the best and the worst day of my life.”

“I know, you told me the story a hundred times, dad.” She said, quietly.

“Let’s go back to the house. You didn’t come home to see your poor old man cry.” He stood up and turned to the door, getting ready to exit, but Rosaleen stood in front of him with a small smile on her face and held up the bouquet of wildflowers to him. He took the bouquet and kissed his daughter's forehead. “It’s your birthday, and you’re the one offering me something ? It isn’t right sweetheart.”

“I don’t need a present, papa. Spending my birthday with you is all I need, and all I want.” They returned to the house and her father placed the flowers in a small vase.

“Where were you all afternoon ?” He looked at her. “You went out this morning, and you only come back now.”

“I just lost track of time, that’s all.” She shrugged, looking away. Since the death of her mother, her father had always been very protective and didn't want to lose his little princess at any cost, so obviously she had never mentioned Jefferson. Ever. She had always thought that he would be unhappy about it and the more the time passed the more it became a real secret that she kept from him and the more she feared his reaction once he would find out. Jefferson made her happy, truly and deeply, but she didn’t want to hurt her father.

“Tell me the truth, Rose.”

“I was only picking flowers.” She insisted, and her father finally gave up. One day she would tell him about this man she loved so much and wanted to spend her life with, but she still didn't feel ready to talk about something so serious to her father.

Lucy put on her coat and walked out of the store. Like every Saturday afternoon, she was going to the river that flowed in the forest surrounding the town of Storybrook to spend some time reading and enjoying the peaceful nature. She got into her car, put her purse on the passenger seat next to her and drove off. Once she got there, she crashed on the gravels, sitting crosed-legs. She relaxed for several hours by the body of water before her phone vibrated and snapped her out of her reverie. The book she was holding in her hands slipped from her and almost landed in the river. Luckily she caught up to it and managed to avoid the worst. She sighed and pulled her cell phone out of her coat pocket. It was Mary Margaret that was calling her.

“Yes, Mary Margaret ?”

“Hi, Lucy. Hope I’m not bothering you, I can call back later-”

“No, it’s fine. Really.” Lucy smiled even though her friend couldn't see her through the phone. “Did you have an order to pick up at the store? I'm sorry, it's my day off.”

“No.” She could almost picture Mary Margaret shaking her head on the other end of the line. “ Well, I went to the store but I didn’t find you there. I forgot it was your day off so, I was just calling to hear from you.”

“Hear from me ?” Lucy was a bit surprised. She could just go to the school if Mary Margaret wanted to see, to her place or even to Granny’s to chat over a drink or a coffee. There was no need to call for that, the town wasn’t small but they weren't that far apart from each other. Lucy took a second before speaking again. “You could have just texted me, you know. Not that I mind having you on the phone. Not at all. Don’t take it the wrong way. Just… you know.”

“Why don't we join at Granny's then?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s join there in thirty minutes. Does that work for you ?”

“Sure, see you, Lucy.”

“Bye, Mary Margaret.” She hung up.

The young woman stood up. She needed to bring her book back home before joining her friend at the dinner, she didn't want to carry it around any longer. She walked back to where she had parked her car, by the only road allowing people to get in or out of Storybrook. She put away her purse and sat down in the driver's seat. She closed the door and drove away. After barely two minutes, the car stopped for no reason. Lucy tried over and over to restart it but the engine just sputtered each time, and nothing happened. The car didn't move an inch. Lucy kept trying desperatly, before realizing the reason for this was obvious. She was out of gasoline.

“Shoot.” She cursed as she let her head fall back onto the headrest in her seat.

All she could do for now was call the tow truck and wait for her car to be picked up back to town. The annoying thing was that her car was in the middle of the road, and it bothered her to have to leave it there. Luckily, this road was very lightly traveled, and no traffic was likely to be disturbed by her car. She tried to push it to the side, but obviously didn't have the strength and gave up before finally calling the tow truck. Shit. Her phone was almost out of battery and she didn't know how long this whole damn thing was going to take her, and Mary Margaret was probably going to have to wait for her at Granny's a little longer. Fortunately, for now, there was still time. She had a little less than thirty minutes to get there. Everything was going to be fine. She called the town garage and was told that a tow truck should arrive to her location shortly. She sighed and leaned against the body of her car for a second. The tow truck was going to arrive shortly, she had understood it well, but she didn't know what they really meant by shortly.

Last thing she knew, she was walking down the road back to town on her own. She stopped and looked behind her, but she couldn't see her car from where she was, which made her realize that she had walked quite a distance in she didn't know how much time. She wasn't too concerned about why she was walking instead of continuing to wait for the tow truck, she had probably zoned out again and must have gone lost in her own thoughts. She was a bit of a daydreamer, so it wasn't too unusual for that kind of thing to happen to her. She started walking again and felt drops fall on her head. She raised her head. The sun was no longer high in the sky as before in the afternoon. The latter was hidden by a large and gray cloudy veil and the temperature had cooled down. She didn't understand why she hadn't paid attention to it before. She picked up the pace and even started to run, covering her head with her coat, when it started to rain.

She quickly found herself in front of a large manor and without thinking, took refuge on the porch. Strands of her blonde hair were glued to her face, on which drops were streaming. She grumbled and wiped her cheeks before turning to the door. It was as imposing as the rest of the house. She thought, biting her lip, hesitating to knock on the door and disturb anyone who lived there, but her situation was somewhat desperate. It was raining too much for her to walk back to town on her own, and she didn't even have an umbrella, so she could just forget it completely. It would be pure madness to run under such a downpour with barely a cloak over her head. If she didn't catch a cold, she would for sure arrive soaked at Granny's, and she didn't like not being presentable if she was walking around town. After a second of torturing her mind and deciding whether to knock or not, she ended up knocking anyway. Asking for a little help was her only option for now. She waited. There was nothing happening for long seconds, and she let her gaze wander until the sound of a key in the front door lock made her turn instantly back towards the door. Her gaze met that of a man with blue eyes who seemed to freeze when he saw her.

“Hi, I’m sorry. My car broke down further up the road and I found myself having to walk in the rain, and uh,” She reached for her phone and sighed. “and my phone just died. Ugh. Great.”

“Don't stay outside, come in.” The well-dressed man said, inviting her inside. She smiled at him and did so, welcoming the comforting warmth of his home happily. He took her jacket from her and put it on a coat rack near a radiator where it could dry a little. She turned suddenly to him, extending her hand lightly.

“I’m sorry, again.” She chuckled. “I didn’t even introduced myself.”

“It’s fine-” The man didn’t sound really comfortable but she didn’t pay much attention.

“I’m Lucy Reynolds, I run a flower shop with my father in town.” He took her hand and shook it.

“I’m Jefferson.” He mentally noted what she had just said to him. “Take a seat in the living room. Make yourself at home. I'll get my phone, so you can use it.”

“Thank you so much.”

He nodded and walked away. Lucy entered the living room. It was a large luxurious room but the element that caught her eye was the piano which sat proudly near the sofa and the fireplace. She let her eyes wander over the lustrous black wood of the instrument. It was a magnificent grand piano. She pulled out the bench and sat down, carefully pulling up the cover that covered the piano keys. She remembered taking piano lessons as a child, but was afraid she would be a little rusty, plus the piano was not hers, so she was even more hesitant to let her urge to play take over. Eventually, she bit the inside of her cheek and let her slender fingers run gracefully over the white and black piano keys. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by her own music. Soft and beautiful, that spread through the living room. When she heard a tray being put down on the coffee table, she stopped suddenly.

“I’m sorry. I think I took the make yourself at home part a little bit too seriously.” She chuckled awkwardly as she closed the cover of the piano keys. She tried to stand up, but inadvertently stuck her foot in the piano stand. Jefferson held out his arms and grabbed her immediately before she fell and hurt herself. She grabbed his arms to hold onto him and looked up at him, letting a laugh escape her lips. She had the impression that her cheeks were going to catch fire. “I really didn't expect to embarrass myself so much in such a short amount of time. I swear I'm not that clumsy usually.”

“I know.” She frowned slightly, not quite understanding why he was saying that as he let go off her. He cleared his throat. “I meant, I guess you aren’t, if you say so.”

He invited her to sit on the sofa and served her tea after handing her his phone. She couldn't remember Mary Margaret's personal number, so she tried to call Granny's landline, crossing her fingers that Mary Margaret was there. She was relieved when she heard Ruby's voice.

“Granny’s dinner-”

“Hey, Ruby, it’s Lucy. Is Mary Margaret there ?” A short silence let Lucy understand that the young woman was checking around into the diner.

“Yes, she just arrived. Why ? Is something wrong ?”

“No- I mean, yes. I had a problem with my car and I was supposed to join her there. Can you tell her that I might be late? Or if she doesn't want to wait, that we can meet at the diner tomorrow?”

“Sure, Lucy.” She heard the voice of the young waitress move away from the phone and address Mary Margaret. After about twenty seconds, she spoke to Lucy again. “She says you can take your time, she’ll wait for you here. She's in no hurry.”

“Okay, thank you, Ruby.” Ruby welcomed her and hung up. Lucy handed his phone back to Jefferson. “Thanks again.”

“It’s my peasure, really.” He smiled at her, insisting on the fact that there was no need to keep thanking him or apologising for bothering him. Simply because she wasn’t bothering him at all. When the downpour died down slightly, Jefferson escorted Lucy back to the front door. Her coat had dried out and was now very warm. He accompanied her to the porch, after grabbing an umbrella. When he opened it to not only shelter her from the rain but him too, she looked up at him.

“I don’t want to make you waste more of your time because of me. I can go back to town on my own now. It’s fine.”

“You are quite stubborn, aren't you?” He looked into her green eyes. “Let me give you a ride to Granny’s.”

He parked in front of the diner and after thanking him and apologising for thanking him an umpteenth time, she got out of the car and entered the restaurant. Mary Margaret waved at her and motioned for her to join her at her table. Lucy breathed out, putting her purse by her side as she sat down.

“Long day ?” Mary Margaret teased, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Unexpected long day.” Lucy confirmed, nodding to Ruby who looked at her, silently asking if she wanted to order something right now. The waitress approached, smiling.

“Let me guess... seeing your face, you really need a good coco.”

“Right guess, Ruby.” Lucy laughed as the young brunette walked away after mentally taking note of what she wanted.

[To be continued...]  

Chapter one / Chapter two / Chapter three / Chapter four

Published (05/08/2021) by Andrea

[katiekinswrites]

STORY UPDATE: your love (is a turning page) — Chpt. 23 by @if-you-onlyknew & @ohhitherekatie

STORY SUMMARY: Jefferson wakes up with a year of his life missing after Pan's curse. The town is oblivious and he is alone yet again. When he meets the town's patisserie chef and part time ballet teacher; Delilah Mason -- he feels a connection to the woman. Not to mention the ring she wears on her index finger -- a ring he stole decades earlier. How does she have his ring? Who is this woman and why has no one in town noticed that they've been cursed yet again?

READ FROM THE BEGINNING (X)

TAGLIST: @ocappreciationtag @ocfairygodmother @jewelswrites-ish @eddysocs @mer-writes @ben-bcrnes @learisa

[writing-mermaid]

The Princess and The Mad Hatter, prologue : Don't you see I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue

Summary : What if Snow-White wasn’t the fairest of all ? What if the most beautiful princess of the Enchanted Forest has been forgotten because she didn’t fell in love with a prince ? This is the story of a curse and of a love story defying all the codes of fairy tales.

Pairing : Jefferson The Mad Hatter x Princess Rose (OFC)

Warnings : None

Word Count : 626

Author’s note : I’ve already posted this, on my main blog, but I decided to rework on it to repost it. Hope you’ll like it. Don’t forget that feedback is appreciated and really important.

Song of the title : The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage - Panic! At the Disco

Masterlist

The Princess and The Mad Hatter masterlist

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Storybrooke, 2016

 Emma walks with purpose towards the edge of the forest, Hook glued to her steps. The blond woman is pissed off, decided to found, as fast as she can, the magic creature, potentially dangerous, according to Gold, which abruptly flown away from an item from his shop, creating a huge mess on its way out. Cars are turned upside down, windows are broken, and a mysterious purple trail shows a way to follow, the savior immediately rushes after that thing to avoid it to make new damages, her boyfriend just behind her.

 Once on the edge of the wood, they both scan the surrounding area to find their prey.

  “Look, there is something over there”, Emma points, walking slowly, trying not to frighten the figure she had spotted.

  The form on the ground doesn’t have anything of a monster or a magic creature, Emma notices once she is closer to it. It’s a human being, more exactly a young woman, lying on her stomach, the side of her face buried inside the feathers and the wet ground of the forest. Light white skin, with long auburn hair falling on her left shoulder. With the shape of her body, Emma immediately notices that the young woman is pregnant, and probably close to the end. Hook observes the scene, watching Emma gently pulling away the unknown woman hair from her face and then looking for her hand to take her pulse.

  “Bloody Hell !”, the pirate suddenly exclaims, while placing his right hand on his mouth, eyes wide open in a state of shock,

“What ?”, Emma asks. “Do you know her ?”

“Aye, love. I know her… She’s my princess.”

“What ?! What do you mean your princess ?”

“Not my princess in that way. It’s my princess, the one from the kingdom I come from, my birthplace. But I thought she was dead a long time ago…”

“Wait a minute, if I understand well, she’s the one you were talking about with Liam in the Underworld ? The one you asked for news ?”

“Aye, that’s her”, he answered. “How is she ? Is she alive ?”

“She seems to be okay.”, Emma tells him grabbing her wrist. “But she really breathes slowly, and has a very weak pulse, we need to take her to the hospital.”

  Emma gently turns the young woman on her back. She pulls off some other hair, in order to see her face’s details. If she really is a princess, as Killian said, she has the beauty but not really the look. Her clothes are very simple, but Emma’s gaze stops on the young woman’s face, she can’t see her eyes color, but judging only by looking at the thin lines of her sweet face, her straight and delicate nose and her thin mouth of the color of a pink rosebud, Emma doesn’t doubt that this young person, who she thinks is not even thirty, has something noble.

 While Killian bends to pick up his long-lost friend and takes her gently into his arms, while paying attention to not scratch his hook in the thin skin of her back, Emma thinks about what to do next.

  “If she’s a princess, and considering her state”, Emma says, pointing at the young woman's belly, “she might have a prince somewhere. We need a prince. Her prince. If she has been cursed, I suppose she’s going to need a true love kiss to wake up.”’

“Oh no Love, that not how it works with her”, Hook answers with a smirk. “Believe me, it’s not a prince she needs.”

“If it’s not a prince she needs”, Emma sighs in complete disbelief, “what does she need ?”

“A hatter”, Hook answers, smirking at her.

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[misshiraethsworld]

DOOR IN THE HEDGE ━ once upon a time ✧

as you wish, my beloved

THE FAIRYTALE AFFLICTION coming soon!

tag family: @arrthurpendragon, @eddysocs, @darth-caillic, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @kmc1989, @ocappreciation, @ocs-supporting-ocs if you want to be added to my family, all you have to do is ask!

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Fanfic Junk Drawer #2: Jefferson Meets Carol, Once Upon a Time

Summary: Hey remember when Sebastian Stan played the Mad Hatter on Once Upon a Time and was literally one of the best characters on that silly, silly show?  Well I do and I was obsessed with Jefferson for a long time.

This is my own interpretation of Alice separate from the spin off they tried to do with Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.  If you guys want to know more about her, let me know.  I’ve got a lot of scenes written out between the two of them, I’ve just never gotten around to finishing the whole story and probably never will at this point.

Word Count: 1.8K

Jefferson drove down the road back home, his mind racing. 

The clock was moving.  How could the clock be moving?  The only way the clock could move was if the savior had entered the town. She must have.  There was something different now.  He could feel it hanging in the air, not magic, but rather the promise it was coming.  His mind was going so quickly it wasn’t until too late he noticed his engine was dying.

“Damn it,” he cursed aloud pulling over to the side of the road.

Annoyed, he got out of the car and opened the hood to look at the engine although he didn’t know why.  He didn’t know heads or tails about fixing cars and now he was stuck on a back road, late at night without a phone.  All he needed was some rain.  

Then as if hearing his thoughts the skies opened in a heavy down pour.  

Jefferson hung his head in defeat. The only comfort he had was he couldn’t think of anything sarcastic to make the situation worse.  He was considering going back to town when a pair of headlights illuminated the road.  The driver must have seen him since it didn’t take them long to pull up a little ahead of him.

He was about to praise his luck, but then he realized that with his luck the driver’s curse was forcing them to commit random acts of murder.  He went back to his car and turned on the headlights hoping to get a better look at the driver.  He couldn’t tell much except that the driver was a woman and she seemed to be searching for something.  He waited patiently keeping his head down from the rain until he heard the other car’s door slam and the sound a footsteps on wet pavement.

“Do you need some help?” the woman asked.

He looked up to make a sarcastic remark, but the comment died on his lips.

It was Alice.  His Alice was standing right in front of him, looking at him with her bright blue eyes and holding a bright blue umbrella.

“No,” he said unable to account on how calm he sounded.

“Really?” she questioned.  “Because it looks like your car has stopped working in a middle of a storm.”

She didn’t recognize him.  Jefferson didn’t know whether to be relived or disappointed.

“The engine’s a little temperamental sometimes,” he lied easily. “I just need to let it sit until it starts working.”

“Do you want to wait in my car until it does?”  she asked.  “I’ve got heating.”

He waved her off.  “I’ll be fine.  If it doesn’t work I’ll call someone.”

She tilted her head and gave him an apologetic look.  “There’s no reception out here.”

He fought the urge to groan.  “Of course there isn’t,” he mumbled.

“I could give you a ride home,” she offered.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Well it’s either that or leaving you out here in the rain all night.”

Jefferson wanted to hate the woman in front of him for using logic and caring. But he couldn’t.  

“So you are willing to let a stranger who is having suspicious car troubles into your car in on a back road in the middle of the night without so much as a hesitation,” he said.  “How do you know I’m not a serial killer?”

She smiled.  “And you are considering getting into a car with a stranger who inexplicably comes in your hour of need on a back road in the middle of the night.  How do you know I’m not the serial killer?”

“Fair point,” he said with a small smile.  “So, you’re a serial killer then?”

She shrugged.  “Only in my spare time.”

“Do you mind if I ask how you do it?”  

“Get into the car and I might,” she said nodding her head towards the other vehicle.

His smile quickly faded.  Could he handle that?  It was taking everything in him not to pull her into him arms again and never let go. He shouldn’t even be talking to her. What was he doing?

She must have seen his hesitation because she recovered quickly.  “C’mon I can at the very least drop you back home.”

Home, no, just a house where he just happened to live.  Home was with Alice and Grace before everything went to hell. This woman couldn’t take him home. This woman, no matter how much she looked Alice and talked like Alice, she wasn’t Alice.  She was a different person with a different life in her head. She wasn’t Alice.  Yes, he could handle a few minutes in a car with a person who wasn’t Alice.

“Thanks,” he said slamming the hood of his car.  Not Alice smiled in her victory extending her hand to shake.

“I’m Carol by the way.”

Carol.  The name seemed so wrong on her.

“Jefferson,” he said shaking her hand.  It was surprisingly warm despite the rain.

Carol smiled and then let go of his hand turning to her car.  Almost immediately Jefferson missed her hand in his. Shaking it off as best he could he took the passenger’s seat beside her as they turned back onto the road.

“So which way am I taking you?”  Carol asked after a moment.

“Just a little while up this way,” Jefferson answered shortly.

There was a small pause between them.

“I haven’t seen you in town much,” she said trying to start a conversation.

He shook his head.  “I don’t normally go into town.”

“Nothing worth seeing?”

“Something like that,” he shrugged off.

“Nobody worth seeing?

The question threw him off guard for a moment.  “Something like that.”

“Why do you stay then?” she asked cautiously.

“What?”

“If you don’t have anyone or anything holding you here then why don’t you go someplace different?”  she asked. “Some place with something.”

Words could not describe the irony of that statement.  There was so much keeping him here, but at the same time pushing him away.  His wife and child were here, but the mere sight of them went through him like a knife through the heart.  

“It’s a long story.”

“How long?”  she asked.

“A long story,” he said, “a very, very long story.”

“We’ve got time.”

“Not that much.”

Carol looked like she wanted to push the matter further, but realized it was really none of her business.  “Fair enough.”

There was another long pause.

“So what…”

“What do you…” Carol and Jefferson started at the same time.  There was a beat between them before they both laughed awkwardly.

“You first,” Jefferson said.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Carol said still a little embarrassed.

“Apparently you were.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything important.  I mean I…,” she stumbled trying to find the words.  “You know those moments when you’re talking and you start thinking about what you’re talking about and then suddenly realize you can’t think or talk about anything at all?”

Jefferson gave a sad smile.  “Sometimes,” he said in spite of himself.

Carol Alice looked at him strangely before smiling and looking back towards the road.

“What brings you all the way out here anyway?”  Jefferson asked.  “I take it wasn’t just to help me.”

She chuckled lightly.  “No I’m afraid not.  I was just going to drop off some paintings at a friends’ house when I saw your car.”

“You paint?” he asked, more out of politeness than anything.

“Yeah, I mean I don’t making a living off it, but I do paint.  I mean I love painting and all, but…”  She stopped herself before she started rambling.  “So what do you do?”  Carol asked.

“Turn up this way,” Jefferson said.

“What?”

Jefferson pointed to the road.  “You need to turn up this way.”

Carol looked confused for a moment, but look forward to see a small road that only seemed to fit one car.  Soon enough they pulled up to the house.  Jefferson smiled slightly at Carol’s reaction upon seeing it.  It was rather grand with Victorian pillars and a stair case leading up to the front door.  It was only two stories tall but there were at least ten windows per floor and it seemed to tower over the woods around it.

“Ok,” Carol said, “I’m going to put my money on trust fund baby or white collar criminal.”

“Well, your half right,” Jefferson said.

Carol turned to him and raised an eyebrow.  “On which one?”

Jefferson didn’t answer and only smirked.  

Neither of them said anything for a long while and neither of them looked away. Jefferson tried to will himself into opening the door and walk toward the house, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.  The way Carol was looking at him reminded him so much of Alice whenever she was trying to figure something out.  To the outside eye it might look like she was completely oblivious when in reality she was focusing on every detail.  

After what felt like an eternity Not Alice broke the silence.

“It was nice to meet you Jefferson,” she said extending her hand.  

He managed a half smile.  “You too.”

He took hold of her hand and the familiar warmth crept into his fingers. Unlike before Carol didn’t pull away and despite himself Jefferson found he didn’t want her too.  He opened his mouth as if to speak, but he couldn’t find the words.

What was he going to say to her?  He wanted her to come in the house.  He wanted to talk to her some more.  He wanted to get her to remember, but at the same time he couldn’t.  Alice had enough problems with all those worlds bouncing around in her head, who knew what would happen if Carol’s reality were suddenly torn apart.  It would probably be a million times worse.  Carol couldn’t remember, for Alice’s sake.

“Thanks for the ride,” he finally managed pulling his hand away.

Carol’s smile faltered at the lost connection, but stopped herself from reaching for him again.  “You’re welcome,” she said politely, “maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” he said, “maybe.”

Carol looked confused, but before she could say anything Jefferson was quickly stepped out of the car and made his way up the stairs to his house.  

He didn’t turn back even as he heard her engine start and the wheels of the car pull out of his driveway.  He quickly walked through the door and slammed it behind him.  Leaning against the door he breathed heavily as if he just ran ten miles.  He couldn’t live like this anymore.  He needed to be able to see his daughter again, kiss his wife, and never let either of them go.  He needed them to remember.  He needed everybody to just wake up.  

Running his hands through his hair he made his way to his room trying his best to forget who had driven him to his house that night.

What he didn’t know was the woman formally known as Alice was driving down the road wondering why the strange man she had picked up on the side of the road seemed so familiar and why it made her so sad when he didn’t look back.