A/N: Happy Fathers Day! Here is the Mad Whale one-shot from my Christmas In Storybrooke Universe. Thanks for waiting and I hope you enjoy the story.
Victor Whale rolled over so that he was face to face with Jefferson. They had rekindled their relationship a few months ago and he has never been happier. He still hated himself for what had happened to his family, but when he was with Jefferson, his worries went away.
Jefferson opened his eyes and Whale smiled at him. "Good morning," he said, leaning down to kiss him.
Jefferson smiled back, "Good morning to you too." He rolled out of bed and got dressed. Whale did the same. They walked down the stairs of Jefferson's house to find Grace sitting at their kitchen table. Plates of food were laid out and their places were set.
Grace turned as they came in, "Happy Father's Day, Daddy!" She ran to Jefferson and hugged him. Jefferson wrapped his arms around his daughter and lifted her up.
"Thank you Grace," he said as he placed her on the ground.
Grace ran over to Whale and hugged him as well. "Happy Father's Day, Dad." Whale's eyes widened as she hugged him. He knew that he should have expected her to think of him as a father now that he had moved in with Jefferson and was spending more time with him and his daughter, but he couldn't be anyone's father.
He took a step back. Jefferson noticed and his eyes narrowed. Grace didn't notice and gestured to the table. "I made you brunch."
Jefferson smiled and sat at the table. "It looks good," he said. He grabbed a piece of toast and looked expectantly at Whale.
Whale stood there frozen. Grace looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
Looking between Jefferson and Grace, he quickly said, "I have an emergency at the hospital." He stepped out of the room and ran to the front door.
He stepped into the June air and allowed his feet to guide him on his walk. His mind was racing as he thought of the past.
"Hey Victor," said a familiar voice and Whale was snapped out of his trance.
He looked around and saw that he was standing at the docks. He turned to the dwarf that was staring at him. "You're not thinking of jumping again, are you?"
Whale shook his head. "I'm not, Leroy," he reassured the dwarf, "I just have a lot on my mind. How are the wedding plans coming?"
Leroy smiled as he thought about his upcoming wedding. "Great, but don't change the subject. Now what's on your mind?"
Whale sighed as he sat down next to Leroy and swung his legs over the docks. "It's father's day."
Leroy looked surprised, "What's the problem with that? Did you not get the tie you wanted?"
Whale laughed and shook his head, "It's not like that." He took a deep breath, "Grace called me Dad today." Leroy looked surprised but let him continue, "I like her, but I'm not ready to be a father."
"What did you expect? You're dating a guy who has a daughter."
"I know that," Whale took a deep breath, "It's just that, back when we were in our land, he wanted kids. I wasn't ready, so we broke up. A few years later I found out that he had a daughter with someone else."
Leroy looked at him sympathetically, "That must have been rough."
Whale nodded, "I love him, and I know that loving him means having her there too." He paused, trying to form his words, "Everything I touch gets hurt. I don't want to hurt them."
"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Whale shook his head. "Then that's what you need to do."
"I guess," said Whale, "I hope he's not mad at me for running off."
"Well, there's only one way to find out."
Whale stood up, "Thanks. I'll see you around?"
Leroy nodded and Whale ran back to the house. He made his way to the front door and took a deep breath before tentatively opening it. He walked into the kitchen and found Jefferson and Grace sitting at the table eating brunch. Jefferson looked over at him as he came into the room and turned to Grace, "Can you give us a moment?"
Grace nodded and exited the room. Whale sat at his chair and looked at his lover. "I'm sorry for running out."
"Why did you do it?" Jefferson said calmly, but his eyes looked hurt.
"I was scared-," said Whale.
"Are you going to walk away again?" Jefferson cut him off.
Whale shook his head, "I'm going to try and make it work." He paused, "I'm just scared of hurting you and Grace. I ruined my own family and I couldn't hurt anyone else."
Jefferson put his hand on Whale's shoulder, "You're not going to hurt us. I love you and I know that you love me. I know a part of you loves Grace as well. We want you in this family."
Whale nodded, "I know and I want to be a part of this family too. I love you and I'll do anything to make this work." Jefferson smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
Grace came back into the room, and Whale smiled at her. "Thanks for brunch Grace."
"Your welcome!" She rejoined the table as Whale helped himself to the food in front of him. He looked at Jefferson and Grace and notice how their eyes lit up when they smiled. As they talked over brunch, Whale realized that this was where he belonged and he could make this work. He might of lost his family, but he got a much better one in return.
