A/N: Hello all! I've been aboard the Mad Swan ship ever since Hat Trick first aired, which clearly shows you I have serious issued, but since then my love for them has only grown and I can only hope they have their chance somewhere along the road!
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the characters. Might start to save money soon to buy the rights to the show and characters, then I can make this ship sail on calm, beautiful blue waters.
"I think you should take a break from work and take a walk with me. It's only been a week since you've come back and you're already up to your neck in work."
"Been away for a long time", Emma smiled without looking up from her desk, "lots to do."
"This town survived all these months without you", he insisted. "I think it can last another hour."
"Wow, Jefferson, you make me feel so important."
"Come on, Emma, you know what I mean." He circled around her desk and offered her his hand. "Just come with me, please?"
Emma sighed, knowing Jefferson wouldn't leave her alone until she agreed to join him, and reached out for his hand.
He led her out of the building, and through the empty, poorly lit road. They must have walked for twenty or thirty minutes before he finally came to a halt. Emma looked around, wondering what he could possibly have in mind, since there was nothing around except trees with falling leaves.
"What's so important here that you had to bring me in the middle of the night to see it?", she asked.
"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you somewhere quiet. And this is where I feel comfortable", he said, looking around. "Reminds me of home, you know?" Emma nodded. "Well, what used to be home, at least", he corrected. After a few moments in silence, he asked in a low voice "what does it look like, now?"
"Destroyed, mostly", Emma answered sincerely. She studied his face and the tone of his voice, and even though she was generally good at reading people, trying to read Jefferson was like trying to drive through the fog. His feelings were never as clear to her as everyone else's. "Did you hope to return? That everything would just go back to how it was, as if the curse had never happened?"
Jefferson looked at her in the eyes and chuckled softly. "Not sure if I would be able to adapt again, after 28 years living here. Kind of got used to Storybrooke."
"Listen, Emma", he started, leaning his back against a tree, "I didn't come here to talk to you about Storybrooke, or home. Ever since you broke the curse I've been meaning to talk to you, but things didn't go according to plan. You got sent through a portal for heaven knows how long", he spoke a little too fast. "And when you finally got back, I wasn't brave enough to go talk to you. I was.. a coward", he said, finally stopping to breathe.
"I'm not sure I'm following your train of thought, Jefferson". She came to stand by a tree next to the one where he was leaning on.
"I'm sorry", he spoke softly. "I'm so sorry. About that night, with the tea, and the hats... and the threatening."
"Jefferson...", she tried. But he continued "I mean it, Emma. I was desperate, I admit it. But there's no excuse for doing what I did."
"Look, Jefferson... I'm not going to say it's fine, or that I've forgotten about it, because that wouldn't be true", she started. "I was furious that day, and the days after it...". Jefferson looked down, avoiding her gaze. "But I didn't understand it back then", Emma added. "And now I do."
Jefferson looked up, "You understand?"
"I saw you with Grace", she continued, not exactly answering his question. "On the park one day, after I got back", she added when he looked at her questioningly. "After being trapped back there, trying to get back to Henry, I finally understood what it's like to try to get the ones you love back and not be able to. I felt... empty. And that terrible feeling of hopelessness would probably have led me to do something crazy as well, if I had been apart from him for 28 years."
"You needed me to break the curse", she said sounding nonchalant - or was it hurt in her voice? - "and I can't say I hold it against you."
Jefferson said nothing. He wasn't sure if he felt relieved that she understood, or disappointed because she wasn't mad at him. He feared her indifference far more than he feared her anger.
"At first I thought that was all it was, too", Jefferson spoke, choosing his words carefully. "I thought the magnetism I felt towards you was just due to my belief that you could break the curse." He turned to face Emma, her expression guarded, as usual. "But now the curse is broken. I have Grace back. I should feel happy. I should feel complete. I shouldn't still feel drawn to you. I shouldn't feel like there's still something missing", he admitted.
"It's funny because everyone I know thinks I should stay away from you. My own brain tells me to stay away from you. But all I seem to want to do is the opposite", she laughed, finding the situation all but funny.
"I need you to know I'd never hurt you", he stepped closer to Emma, feeling his eyes starting to burn.
"I think anyone that loves their child as much as you do would not be capable of hurting someone intentionally", she smiled.
He nodded. "Except the people who caused our families so much pain."
"Jefferson", Emma pleaded, "don't got down that road. Revenge won't do you any good." Despite all her instincts, Emma reached out and touched his face, caressing his cheek gently. "You and Grace are back together, everyone else has been reunited with their loved ones." He closed his eyes - heart beating faster - leaning deeper into her touch. "We can finally leave that horrible past behind us and start rebuilding our lives."
After 28 years, breathing finally felt natural. All the wars were fought and won, the hidden demons were gone. They could finally stop trying to get back to someone, or someplace else... they could stop putting their lives on hold.
"You're the only reason this curse was worth living through." He touched their foreheads together, caressing her hair, and softly kissed her lips.
And that's it for now. Hope it was worth the read :) Please take the time to review if you can, it would really mean a lot to know your thoughts!
And here's to Mad Swan happening one day outside the fanfiction world!