He didn't know why he was taking this child's word for it, nor if the kid was right, but he couldn't take it anymore and he had to try.
He saw the bus pull up and stop, and hiding behind the pole didn't give him much coverage, to be honest he probably thought if he was behind something if it went wrong, it would be easy to hide. But nonetheless, he was going to see her. No longer could he just sit behind a telescope and watch her, or be reduced to seeing her go to school and stand by her bike hoping for something to happen. Something had happened, she was looking for him, and he needed her back.
The students piled off the bus, and he waited to see her emerge.
She bounced happily next to her friends, and her hair blew in the wind softly...she had her mother's hair.
He could see so much of her mother in that face, the way she smiled and talked. For a split second he worried if she was happier in the family she was given in Storybrooke, she had both parents to care for her. When she was his, he never had much money to buy her things she wanted, and it was worse that she knew that.
Walking about from behind his shield, he called her name...her real name.
''Grace.''
She stopped.
He furrowed his brow hoping this was a positive reaction.
She turned around to face whoever called her name and looked at him, no more than a second later her expression was that of recognition and pure delight.
Before he could really begin to understand her emotion, she was running towards him with a smile and open arms.
''PAPA!''
He crouched down to her level and she jumped into his embrace, the tears that were at the corner of his eyes suddenly were released down his cheek.
''You found me, I knew you would.''
He fell back a little with her in his arms, but he didn't care, she was with him, and nothing could be better than this.
They went to Granny's café to talk while they had burgers and shakes to eat. Jefferson wasn't exactly sure what to ask her other than if she wanted to live with him. Grace had nothing to ask other than where he went.
They sat in silence for a bit while they ate their meal, and one another could see the question in the other's eyes.
''...How are you?''
''Where did you go,'' she changed the subject.
''You have to believe me when I say I didn't mean to abandon you, I tried to get back, I swear.''
''Papa...where did you go.''
''The queen betrayed me,'' he admitted.
''I told you not to go.''
''I know, I know...but she said...I doesn't matter anymore, we're together.''
Grace gave an unsure smile, and sipped her drink silently.
''So, I don't know how to ask this...but do you...''
''Papa, of course I want to live with you, you don't need to ask,'' she replied excitedly.
''But what about the family-'' he cut himself off, not wanting to finish the question.
''They know I'm not their's, they been helping me find you.''
Jefferson knew what was going to come next, and he made a desperate attempt in raising his hand for the check, but it was too late.
''Why haven't you tried to find me til' now?''
''...I-''
''Hey honey, here's your check,'' Granny said laying it on the table.
''Papa...you can tell me,'' Grace stated looking at him, hoping for an answer.
''I...I was afraid you would hate me,'' he confessed.
''Why would I hate you, I could never.''
''Because I left you, and I felt you would never forgive me,'' he cupped his hands over his face to hide the new tears.
''I will always forgive you, it wasn't your fault,'' Grace declared.
Jefferson smiled sincerely, ''thank you.''
They got out of the booth and paid for their meal, then walked outside and down the street talking as they went, Grace bringing her unfinished milkshake along with them.
''So, do you want to get your things and move in now,'' Jefferson asked.
''Yeah,'' she grabbed her father's hand and took off towards her house.
''Grace you don't need to run there.''
''Yes I do, the faster I get there, the more time we have,'' she stressed.
''We have all the time in the world.''
''Exactly.''
They made their way to her house where she ran inside to pack all her clothes, she didn't mind if she had to make more than one trip. Jefferson awkwardly stood at the door waiting for her to come back when the couple appeared at the door.
''You can come in if you want,'' one of them offered.
''Oh no, it's fine.''
''...She talks about you all the time since her memory came back, all she wanted to do was find you, it's great to see she did.''
''You guys...aren't going to miss her?''
''Of course we are, but she belongs to you,'' they confirmed.
''I thank you for understanding.''
''If not to come off as imposing, would it be okay to keep in contact.''
Jefferson opened his lips to answer, but said nothing uncertain of what to reply.
''We understand if you don't want to, I mean you just got her back,'' they assumed.
''No, it's not that, it's just...I'm always worried that she isn't happy with me, but I guess that's with all parents,'' Jefferson confided.
''Well believe me when I say she loves you.''
Jefferson smiled and looked down ''that's good.''
Before more conversation could be made, Grace ran out the door with two suitcases and beckoned for her father to follow.
''Come on, we have a lot more trips to make,'' she shouted.
''I better go,'' he waved to the couple and headed off with Grace to his mansion.
They walked into the driveway of his gigantic house, Jefferson lugging her suitcases for her, as he asked for them once they left the house.
''I'm sorry I don't have any cars.''
''What about that one,'' Grace questioned pointing at a car across from them.
''That one...kinda doesn't work,'' he said scratching his head.
''Do any of the cars work?''
''...No.''
''Why not,'' Grace asked.
''It didn't exactly seem important.''
''Well okay then,'' Grace giggled.
''I'm sorry that cars weren't my top priority.''
''Neither was I,'' she said under her breath.
''What was that about?''
''I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it.''
''I was scared to find you okay, I wanted you to be with me again, but I was too afraid of the outcome, I'm sorry I left you, and I apologize for not coming to you earlier,'' Jefferson explained.
''It's okay, it's just were you really so worried about what I would do, you're my father, why would I be upset?''
''It mostly felt like if you remembered now...it wouldn't be my kinda luck.''
''What's your kinda luck,'' Grace asked quietly.
''Obviously not good...I wouldn't deserve it,'' Jefferson stated.
''What do you mean by that.''
''Well I must have done something for all this to happen.''
''I think you just trusted the wrong person,'' Grace claimed.
''And you told me not to go...you knew it turn out bad didn't you.''
''I had a feeling, I mean it's the Queen.''
The stepped onto the porch and Jefferson unlocked the door to the house, letting Grace inside where she stared at everything in awe.
''It's big isn't it.''
''Yeah...where's my room going to be?''
''Well there's three spare bedrooms, so choose the one you want ,'' Jefferson answered.
Grace set her suitcase next to a couch and ran up the stairs disappearing behind a wall, leaving Jefferson sitting on a chair in the living room.
''Don't forget we need to go back for the rest of your stuff,'' he shouted.
Grace came galloping back down the stairs and ran into the kitchen. Jefferson heard her gasp in excitement and walked to see what was going on.
''Look at them,'' she said pointing and the fine china tea set. ''They'll be perfect for tea parties.''
''...Why do you think I bought them.''
They made a couple more rounds at the house, and the couple helped them out by using their car to transport Grace's things faster, therefore they were done by nightfall. Grace and Jefferson were eating s'mores and drinking tea from their tea party with all the lights turned off in the house, just a single candle, like they use to.
Some marshmallow got on Grace's nose and she laughed as her messy hands tried to get it off, but only made more of a problem and Jefferson grabbed her a napkin.
''You're getting it everywhere.''
''Hey, I can still hug you like this,'' Grace threatened.
''You wouldn't dare.''
''I would dare.''
Grace got out of her seat and chased her father around the room, both laughing.
They tired out somewhere around 8 p.m. and retired to bed after washing the dishes.
Grace brought her bed sheets and blankets and made her bed, and snuggled under them ready to go to sleep.
Jefferson was standing at the door frame, and came and sat on the edge of the bed.
''Do you still do tuck in's...or are you too old?''
Grace thought about it for a moment ''just this once.''
He tucked her in as tight as he could, and brushed some hair out of her face.
''Thank you for coming back to me.''
''This is where I want to belong.''
''Then you shall,'' he said smiling.
He kissed her goodnight on her forehead and left the room, shutting the door. Grace took a couple of minutes to go to sleep from the elation, but when she did, she was snoring quietly.
Grace only had no more than two hours of sleep when she was thrust back into the world of conciousness. She jolted herself to a sitting position and looked around the room for what woke her up, just as she was about to lay back down she heard a crash from down the hall.
She got out of bed and stepped slowly to her door opening it gently trying not to make that much noise. There was another loud crash and them screaming followed behind it, and then moved into the hallway.
The last door and the end of the corridor was the source of the sound, and as she got closer, it got louder.
Grace opened the door to something she didn't really expect.
Jefferson was pacing about the room, and every couple of seconds would throw everything off the table in a sliding motion from frustration. Grace wasn't sure why he was upset, he had just got her back and she wondered what would be troubling him after that.
The entire room was wrecked, nothing was on the shelves or tables anymore, it was all on the floor, where he violently moved it too.
Finally, with nothing left to throw or attack, he sat on a chair and put his face in his hands. He apparently didn't hear Grace open the door the rest of the way or walk up to him, because he jumped when she put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and his expression instantly became embarrassment.
''Grace, I'm sorry I woke you...go back to bed, you shouldn't be up at this time.''
''Why do we both do this?''
''Do what,'' Jefferson said confused.
''Act like I don't understand what's going on, as long as I remember, when something bad happens, even though we both know it, I act like I don't know what's happening, and you try to keep a calm face so I don't get scared.''
''...I-''
''You obviously know, that I know,'' Grace acknowledged.
She grabbed a chair and dragged until it was in front of her father, and she sat down facing him. She looked him in the eye, took his hand and asked...
''Papa...what's wrong.''
Suddenly, without the ability to stop it, Jefferson broke into silent tears.
It was an understatement to say he was upset, but it was the fear of life was too well and that it would be corrected was making him panic. He couldn't bare the thought of losing Grace again, and he felt he would.
They would never mention it to each other, but it was unfortunate that Grace had seen him like this so many times before. She was no stranger to his outbursts of anger or fits of rage, she knew they always ended the same way, with him hanging his head low, feeling ashamed. However, knowing them well made her aware this was much worse, and she knew the reason. He got his title for a reason, and she knew the title, and saw it in him at this moment.
They sat in silence for a while, even after he explained his reasoning for everything being strewn across the room. Grace took his hand and led him to the door of his room, where he hugged her tightly with a thank you whispered to her, and he shut the door behind him.
She went back to her bed and layed down where she was not awoken again.
He sat by himself, he always did. He sat by himself in that giant room, hoping for miracles that were seeming to become impossible. Time went on and there were no results, he would go days without eating or sleeping, it just got in the way of what he needed to do, what his mission was.
There were times he started to believe he would never get home, because he could never make the hat. A million trials of failure etched that into his mind.
He was driven insane, mad even by these countless failures from becoming frustrated and stressed.
Someone everyday in the afternoon would come check to see if he had made the hat work yet, and everyday he would reply to them with the same answer, that he had not.
Jefferson got up in the morning and made breakfast for when Grace was to wake up. She came running down the stairs dressed for school and sat down at the table putting her backpack next to her.
''What's for breakfast?''
''Just the usual eggs and bacon,'' Jefferson informed.
''Thank you...are you going to walk me to the bus stop.''
''Of course.''
Grace finished her food and raced out the door ready for her father to follow. Jefferson grabbed a quick bagel, forgetting to make him something and headed out behind Grace.
''Are you going to pick me up after school to,'' Grace asked skipping down the road.
''I'll be there.''
''What are you going to do when I'm at school?''
''I don't know...I guess I'll think of something,'' Jefferson said thoughtfully. ''Here you go, bus stop...see you later.''
Grace gave him a hug and hurried onto the bus sitting next to her friends. The bus drove away and she waved to him as it disappeared down the street.
Getting back into the house he walked into the room he destroyed last night and began to clean up. He picked up a hat that was on the floor, looked at it, then threw it across the room. He sat down up against a wall and gazed at the mess before him, wondering if his luck actually would run out.
Later that day, he found out it did.
Eight hours later, he drove up to the bus stop in a car he got fixed during the day, or rather the car needed gas, and went to pick up Grace. Everyone piled out except her, and just as he was about to get out to go look around the area, his phone rang. He answered confused on who it was, hoping maybe it was Grace explaining where she was.
''Hello.''
''Hey, Jefferson, still waiting by the bus stop,'' a strange voice replied.
''Who is this?''
''Killian Jones...also known as Captain Hook, asking you to come to the town line for a surprise.''
He hung up on Jefferson before he could answer, and instantly became stressed at what was going to happen.
He hurried down to the town line as Hook had said and pulled up in his car with the man standing in front next to a car. As he was about to get out, Hook turned to the vehicle he was standing by and opened the door. He dragged Grace out who looked very scared and annoyed, and Jefferson lost his shit.
He threw open the door to his car and slammed it as mercilessly as he could behind him. He started running towards her, but Hook moved her towards the town line, threatening to push her over, so he stopped.
''WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?''
''What do you think...capturing her,'' Hook said sarcastically.
''And why are you doing that?''
''Well see it's all quite simple, the Queen is pissed at you for...something or another, I forget, so your punishment was the loss of your daughter.''
''...what,'' he said darkly.
''Well it's rather the metaphorical loss of your daughter, I'm evil enough to kill, but she's not here right now for family reasons...either way your screwed.''
Jefferson was going to continue to yell at Hook when he noticed how terrified Grace was, and he reassured her she would be alright.
''Look Grace I got one of the cars fixed, now we won't have to walk everywhere.''
She smiled sadly.
''Do you know what happens when someone crosses the town line?''
''I do, and if you do it, I swear I will assassinate you,'' he fumed.
''Hmm, well then,'' Hook chuckled.
He got ahold of the back of Grace's shirt and launched her over the town line, then quickly took off into the car backing out before Jefferson could comprehend the situation. Grace landed face first on the pavement, and wasn't moving, but this blue energy flowed over her.
In hysteria and dismay at the scene Jefferson bolted over to his daughter, flipping her over to reveal that she was fine except for some scuffs on her hands and a scratch on her cheek. She started desperately trying to get out of his grip and runaway.
''Who are you, what are you doing?''
''Listen, I need you to trust me for a second,'' Jefferson was trying to keep a straight and calm expression ''I need you to go down the road and find the town hospital, they will treat you for the cuts on your hands and face,'' he explained.
''Do I know you,'' Grace asked ''where's my mom and dad?''
''...No, you don't know me, and I don't know where your parents are, but go to the hospital, okay.''
''Okay,'' she got up and hurried down the street.
''I have something to take care of,'' he whispered under his breath.
He was going to kill Hook as he promised, but looking around he realized something. He had crossed the town line...and he still had his memory.
In shock of the recent events, he headed to the hospital instead of going after Hook, thinking maybe something good had happened, but instead found the couple that had Grace standing by her while she sat on a bed.
She had some a one of her palms and a doctor was cleaning the cut on her cheek when he walked in pretty upset and pulling the man to the side.
''Are you trying to take her away from me?''
''No, no, she showed up at are house telling us what she knew had happened and we took her here to make sure she was alright, and we just kinda went along with her memory loss,'' he reassured.
''Well how am I suppose to get her to remember again.''
''The blue fairy has been working on it, she says a couple more days to weeks before it's finished.''
''I can't wait that long,'' Jefferson pleaded.
''Well then go see her.''
''She won't remember me.''
''She doesn't have to remember, for you to spend time with her,'' he admitted.
''Yeah, but it makes it a lot easier.''
''Go on.''
The couple left the room, with Grace sitting on the bed by herself and the doctor had walked out being finished. Jefferson moved into her line of vision and she looked at him.
''Your the man from before.''
''Yeah, I am...I wanted to see if you were okay,'' he went along.
''Thanks...and also thank you for getting me out of there, I'm not exactly sure what happened...do you?''
''Well this guy was running off with you, and he threw you on the ground, you must have hit your head or something.''
''So who are you?''
''I'm Jefferson,'' he replied.
''Paige.''
''That's a...that's a nice name,'' he said starting to choke up on tears ''if you don't mind, I'm...I'm going to go.''
''Are you okay?''
''Yeah, just glad to see you didn't get hurt,'' and he walked briskly out of the room catching the first tear before she saw.
He went directly home, having nowhere else to go. He walked inside, look around the room, fists clenched, and went up the stairs. He went into the room he wrecked just yesterday night, his first and what seemed to also be he last reunited with Grace.
It came to him that she was not here, and would not be able to stop him when he began, but it was too much to lose her again, even if it was just for a few days or weeks.
He started shaking from the strain of keeping it together and he finally cracked.
''Off with his head,'' he said quietly.
Sitting in this lonely room by himself, going over the same thing everyday, a routine that brought him to be named his famous title in Wonderland. People would come and go asking for his progress, and as the day before, he would have nothing.
Finally one day, he lost it, he had already lost it, but then it was very subtle and to himself insanity, this person was new and pushed him for results. Everyday coming in asking for the finished product, only to threaten him with decapitation again when he would say it wasn't done. After a week of this, the day seemed normal, the man walked into the room, asked for the hat, he said he still hadn't figured it out, and then the man said something different.
''Remember, you don't finish this hat, you don't go home...if you take any longer I'll make sure you don't go home rather you do it or not.''
That moment was his mistake.
Now it was quite obviously and clear that Jefferson was not an aggressive man, and didn't really start conflicts, but after being driven crazy from this world and being stuck in that room with only the failed hats to keep him company, time said otherwise.
In that second the man had said that, Jefferson stopped what he was doing immediately, and looked up at the other person tilting his head creepily as he did so. Then recited quietly.
''Off with his head.''
''What?''
It wasn't a millisecond after the man questioned what he said when Jefferson had thrown himself at this man crashing his body against the wall and started choking him. His face was so blank in emotion he might as well been wearing a mask.
Now there were three or four different occasions where this had happened, and everyone put it together that if Jefferson was tense or angry, he would say this quietly, like the calm before a storm, and the people who put him in this position felt that storm.
Jefferson said his usual line that put him into another person entirely and broke havoc onto the room. The first time was from frustration and was not even close to this, and he had no one to take it out on, so he took it out on the objects on the floor.
He punched holes in the wall, broke the shelves and destroyed the table, shattered the windows to bits and pieces and took his scarf off revealing his scar on his neck, his souvenir from Wonderland, and he despised it.
It took him an hour to relax after rampaging through the room a second time, and when he did, he didn't put his scarf back on, nor did he get up and walk away like usual. He sat on the floor looking pathetic and layed down where he was using one of the hats as a pillow. It took him forever until he actually fell asleep, he was just there for a while, and after a tear rolled down his face, he then closed his eyes.
Waking up in the morning wasn't nice either, he had a headache, and his whole body was sore from throwing and hitting, plus the hoarse throat from screaming. He didn't even sit up or move because he couldn't see the reason to. He began thinking maybe he would lay there until the potion was found to get Grace to remember, but those plans were abolished when the doorbell rang.
He made his way downstairs unhappily and in misery not really wanting to answer the door at all, but he didn't have much of a choice for nothing else seemed to be an option.
Opening the door, it was the couple her were Paige's parents, and he went straight to unsure of what was going on.
''We come with good news.''
''Am I dead, because that seems perfect right now,'' Jefferson complained.
''No, better...the blue fairy finally made the potion.''
''I thought that was going to take a couple of days to weeks for her to finish?''
''So did we, but it didn't...go figure,'' they said happily.
''Yeah, so Grace?''
''Well see that the other reason we are here, she needs t drink the potion out of something that means a lot to her,'' they revealed.
''...Oh, I know exactly what, hold on.''
Jefferson ran into the kitchen, and grabbed one of the glasses from the fine china yea set he bought, he hoped the spell wouldn't need Grace's tea set from their world and that this would be fine. Running back to the door, he handed them the glass.
''That, uh...hopefully should work.''
''Thanks.''
They started walking away to their car and turned to him.
''Aren't you coming with us to see if it works?''
''Go on ahead, call me about what happens, I have something I need to do first.''
''Are you sure,'' they asked.
''Yeah.''
Grace was sitting on the same bed from yesterday, she visited a girl in another room with memory loss too, she was older and had dark red hair, but she liked talking to her, even though it was only twice.
Her parents ran up to the doctor carrying a glass, and he poured the potion into it, then handed it to her.
''Here, take this, it should help.''
''With what?''
''Just trust me,'' the doctor stated.
Grace drunk it and looked a bit hazy for a bit, but then stared around the room as if she was trying to find something.
''Where's my papa?''
Everyone smiled in relief and started asking the same question, where was Jefferson, why wasn't he here yet, surely he wanted to see Grace.
The couple called him letting him know it worked and that she was asking for where he was, and he answered saying he was on his way and would be there soon with a present.
Grace sat waiting for her father to arrive, and when he did, he had his hands behind his back as if he was hiding something.
''You see, before I got here I had to make a stop, something I needed to do that was important...very important.''
''I don't understand?''
''This is long overdue, but better late than never,'' Jefferson exclaimed then showed that was he was concealing was the exact stuffed rabbit Grace wanted back in their world.
Grace's jaw dropped and she reached for the plush toy, then set it in her lap excitedly and started playing with its ears.
''It's the exact one you wanted to,'' Jefferson added.
''How did you find it?''
''Found it at Mr. Gold's, turns out he has your tea set...how ironic.''
Grace laughed and held the rabbit out to her father.
''Here, you play with him.''
''Nooo, I've had enough experience with rabbits in my life,'' Jefferson said smiling.
He sat in the chair next to the bed and looked Grace in the eyes, took her hand and said something that he hoped she would never forget.
''I love you Grace...you make me mad, but I love you.''