A/N: Based on a tumblr prompt. Set in an AU Season 2 (as it was written before the beginning of the season).
A lot has changed in Storybrooke by the time the Hatter ventures once more into town. The curse is mostly broken, belief has made a saviour out of the prickly sheriff and given him back his daughter and thus some of his sanity. He's still a raving lunatic, half the time dancing to a song no one but him hears, but Grace, his lovely Grace, has managed to bleed out most of the bitterness and darkness that had made him psychotic instead of merely off his rocker.
He still has problems letting go of his little girl so she can go to school, but the thought of smothering Grace to the point where she'll pull away from him terrifies him completely, so he walks her to the bus stop and, when he's sure she doesn't notice it, follows the bus to the school, lurking in the bushes and smiling when he sees Grace sock a bully in the eye during recess, the boy too embarrassed about getting punched by a girl to tell on her.
His stalking ways can only go on undeterred for a very small amount of time. Soon enough some prudish fairytale character draws the attention of the flaxen-haired sheriff to his nefarious ways and the awakened king, playing grandfather to the savior's child, corners him as he sees Gracie off to school.
"There have been reports," he says, standing tall and menacing, every inch the monarch Jefferson knows he wasn't born as "People have seen you lurking around town, hidden in bushes, spying on the children. Needless to say no one's amused. Specially me."
Charming, for that is how his wife calls him and the name Rumplestiltskin uses to aggravate him, really doesn't like him. It probably has something to do with the fact that he kidnapped his wife and daughter.
"Ah, your Majesty," the Hatter executes a bow just shy of mocking and grins "Surely you of all people can understand the concerns of a father in these trying times…"
He's not buying this, clearly.
Somehow he starts running and Charming starts pursuing, and even though he has his hat the idea of paying the price of magic just to escape a brief stint in jail isn't appealing. The thought of of a cell would even be delightful if it were just the lovely little savior with him, keeping him company, smelling of Earth and magic and looking at him with eyes both innocent and jaded. Unfortunately her daddy would also be there, and that's just no fun.
Finally he rounds a corner to run right into the woman herself. Emma Swan, in her customary skinny jeans, boots and leather jacket (this time a grayish blue) has now a gun strapped to one hip and a sword to the other. Now that he doesn't have Gracie to worry about on the back of his mind constantly he can fully appreciate the hardened beauty that is Princess Emma and the spark of… something she produces in him. She's mouth-watering, all covered in magic… No, she is magic, the most pure and intoxicating kind he's ever encountered and he suddenly feels the need to go to Gold's pawnshop and congratulate the man on a job splendidly done.
"Morning, little Savior," he attempts charm instead of going for what he wants and sniffing her hair, figuring she'll appreciate a little restraint now that he's not-as-mad-as-before. She takes a step back, something vulnerable flicking across her face before the mask of sheriff is on.
"Jefferson," she greets, hands on her hips "What's the matter today?"
He smiles, the kind of grin that borders on manic and shrug his shoulders.
"Your father's out to get me," he explains, like he's just said the whether's rather lovely. Emma rolls her eyes and sighs.
"This is about Grace, I gather."
The Hatter's confused, tilting his head to a side and getting close to her to stare deeply into her eyes, disregarding her pleas for "personal space".
"You knew about… me keeping an eye on my little Grace."
Emma rolls her eyes but when she replies her voice is soft and filled with so much understanding it makes Jefferson shiver.
"I get what it's like, to be parted from your kid, and be terrified that it might ever happen again, that someone might take him or her away and you'll never see them or know if they're safe, if they're scared, if they need you," this is a whole new side to the Savior, and it makes him remember about how she'd discussed the fact that the Blanchard woman could be her mother if magic was real. She might have hit him with a telescope the moment he let his guard down, but she'd been honest. Raw and honest and beautiful.
He's done her wrong, and so he's vowed to stay away from her and her delicious smell, but promises mean nothing when he's so close he can taste her on his tongue and she's looking at him with that softness that only strong women can achieve.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you, by the way, even though your methods were far from ideal," her eyes cloud for a second and he hates that he's made her so sad "I… I could have cost you your daughter. I can understand your fears better than anyone."
"You seek to save as all, don't you?" he murmurs, giving in and grasping one of her curls between his fingers. His Majesty, obviously, chooses that moment to interrupt them.
"There you are!" he shouts, unsheathing his sword while the Hatter laughs manically. He's a Realm-Shifter, swords don't intimidate him the way they do other people "You think this is funny? And step the Hell away from my daughter!"
He's delighted when Emma steps between them, pressing her back against his front to shield him from her dad. She does not look amused.
"Come on, James," she raises an eyebrow "Put the sword away. He's harmless."
He isn't, in general, but he is now to the Charming family. He owes Emma more than he'll ever be able to repay, and Snow White has been nothing but decent to him despite him tying her to a chair.
Father and daughter argue back and forth, Charming seeking to be protective and Emma having none of it. From behind the Savior Jefferson gives the man smug little smiles. It is Grumpy that interrupts them, panting and looking worried.
"We might have a problem. Rumplestiltskin's looking for you and he's livid," he talks to James "Ranting and raving about the fact that you're supposed to be guaranteeing the safety of the town."
"What's happened?"
"It's Belle…" well, that explains it. If it's Belle then Jefferson pities the poor idiot that's involved in all of this "She might have gotten… slightly kidnapped by pirates."
Oh, well, if it's just slightly…
"Sounds like you, lovely people, have bigger problems. What a pity, I was quite enjoy this little moment," he's not lying there. He bows deeply and mockingly, twirling his hat "Your Majesty."
He turns to Emma, adopting a rather contrite look.
"I do apologize for this, my Savior."
"This? This wha…"
Kissing her is like kissing electricity. She fills him up with her power, and he can feel her singing in his veins. It's marvellous, made doubly so for the doubt and surprising shyness that he detects. She's broken and badly pieced together and utterly beautiful for it.
In a way, she's like him.
When they part she's a bit outraged, mostly confused and no doubt seconds away from finding the closest telescope-shaped blunt object and bludgeoning him with it.
"You have witchcraft on your lips, Kate," he grins once more and, when Rumplestiltskin's shouts distracts them all for a second, makes his escape.
When Belle is un-kidnapped he's definitely going to tell her this.