The New Normal

Prologue

"I may not have the nerve to kill you myself Regina but I know Rumple will do it without blinking an eye." Jefferson muttered to himself as he walked into his work room and readjusted the telescope from his daughter's school to Mr. Gold's Pawn shop. He could make out two figures inside as he continued to talk out loud to himself in his empty house.

"Rumple is going to kill you Regina for what you did to Belle all these years. The best part is Belle doesn't remember who she really is because of your curse, so she won't even try to stop him. Your own curse is going to destroy you in the end." He let out an insane giggle at the thought but stopped quickly. "I just hope Rumple doesn't give you a chance to talk before he crushes your heart. The last thing I need is for you to tell him my part in Belle's capture." He paused a moment watching as Rumple and Belle left the shop. "But that is a chance I am now willing to take."

He stood there watching them a few moments longer before wondering out loud. "Where is he taking her?" For they didn't turn towards Regina's office or her house. He followed them as far as his telescope allowed him at this angle. "He's heading for the woods?" He tried moving the telescope but he had lost them to the forest. "Well it's not the way to my house, so Belle kept her word and didn't tell him I let her out."

He looked down at his stolen white hospital scrubs. "Rumple will take care of this. Rumple will make it right. It's been twenty-eight years stuck here. Emma's got to do something, and if she doesn't maybe Rumple killing Regina will end this curse."

He ran a hand through his hair closing his eyes trying his best to think positively. In his head, he heard Victor's voice. What if killing Regina sends everyone back to where they came from?

"No…" He muttered to himself opening his eyes seeing the ghostly image of Victor stand there in all his shades of gray. Yes, what if it sends you back to Wonderland?

"No," Jefferson hit the table top and the ghost disappeared. "I won't think like that." He looked around his work room at all the hats that didn't work. "I am going to get my daughter back." He told the empty room as if saying it out loud made it all true.

Whale felt horrible as he watched Regina and Emma rush over towards him and Mother Superior. "We did everything we could."

"I am sorry you are too late." Mother Superior added as Emma went into to see her son.

"No!" Regina cried turning and falling against him. He stood there awkwardly not sure how to console her. Before he could tell Regina anything he felt a wave of magic rush over him and the boy woke up. Victor quickly backed away from Regina. At first, he was shocked from all the colors but it wasn't like he had never them before.

Regina and Emma were talking but nothing was sinking in, he noticed as others joined them in the room.

"Henry, what is going on?" Emma asked.

"The curse I think you broke it."

"It was Ture Love's kiss." Mother Superior explained.

"No, no. "Regina muttered.

"If I were you, your Majesty I would find a place to hide." Blue warned her.

"Henry no matter what you think. No matter what anyone tells you; I do love you." Regina pleaded before rushing out.

Victor watched her leave before he could find the words to confront her. He sat down a moment as Emma continued to check on Henry. Finally, he gathered his wits about him and rushed out of the room. He hurried past the confused people in the hallway unlocked his office door and rushed over to his files.

"Jefferson… Jefferson was right this whole time. We were cursed. That witch made him remember everything." A shudder went through him as he opened the file drawer labeled psych ward patients. "He had been trapped in that house, no he was trapped in that house by that witch!"

He flipped to the J's and pulled out Jefferson's file. "Where had he lived? Somewhere on the outskirts of town in a big house. I haven't been out there in years. There it is. He wrote it down before he placed the file back spotting another file labeled, Claire.

"OH MY GOD, Claire is Belle. I have been helping Regina lock up Belle for twenty-eight years… Rumple is going to kill me!" Victor ran a hand through his hair. "Unless….." He grabbed his keys and raced out of the room down to the psych ward.

"Excuse me, coming through." He passed a group of nurses, entered the code in the door and took the stairs two or three at a time. He passed the nurse's desk, was the nurse sleeping? Is Belle's door open…. She is gone… who? Victor wondered as he turned around in a circle in the center of her room. Worry about her later He told himself. First, you need to go see Jefferson.

Minutes later Victor pulled under the carport. As he slowly walked up the stairs to Jefferson's front door his mind raced. Jefferson has been stuck in this house for twenty-eight years other than the time Regina let him out to the psych ward, to drive him even crazier by proving his story of being stuck in the house was a lie. Poor Jefferson… My poor friend, he must hate me. Victor thoughts made him hesitate and before he could knock Jefferson opened the door.

Jefferson had changed out of his stolen white scrubs and was planning on heading back into town when he was taken aback by Victor standing on his front porch. "Doctor Whale, it has been a long time since you did a house call, whatever do I owe the pleasure?"

"J…Jefferson" Victor stuttered as he took a step back.

"Don't you have the sick mayor's son to deal with? What are you doing here?" Jefferson stepped up to the threshold of the doorway crossing his arms.

"Of course you don't know." Victor shook his head. "Henry died."

Jefferson dropped his arms "I…I am sorry to hear that." I didn't mean for Henry to get caught up in this. Just another mistake I have made in my long life. Damn Regina for always messing things up.

"That is the thing,…"

"Whatever Regina told you, she is lying." Jefferson defended himself. Does Victor have a slight accent or am I am really losing it? Jefferson wondered.

"Regina never said anything about you."

"She didn't?" Jefferson couldn't help but show his shock. He thought for sure if the boy died Regina wouldn't stop until he was dead too.

"It was Emma. She… her kiss…she kissed her son and he is alive again." Victor paused watching Jefferson take in what he just said. "Medically I can't understand it but then again you were always much better at explaining the magical part of our journeys."

Jefferson tilted his head at Victor and then gave his head a shake. "Oh, that is good… the accent, the story, Regina has really out done herself this time." Jefferson started to move back into his house starting to close the door. "Good day Doctor Whale."

Victor stepped up sticking his foot in the door stopping Jefferson from locking him out. "Jefferson I am not Doctor Whale; I am Doctor Frankenstein. Emma, she broke the curse; I don't understand how or why but it is true." He pushed his way into Jefferson's house. "Twenty-eight years, not remembering, listening to your stories, telling you how you were making them up. I am so sorry will you ever be able to forgive me for how I have treated you?"

"Victor?" Jefferson asked not really believing it. "The c…curse is really broken?"

"Yes everyone remembers now. Everyone knows what Regina did to us."

"And Emma and Henry they are both alright?" Jefferson closed his eyes. It's alright that apple I got Regina didn't kill anyone. It helped break the cruse… Jefferson laughed out loud. "Regina's hatred and fear lead to her own downfall. Oh, that is perfect. Oh, my friend that is prefect!" Jefferson was so happy he hugged Victor.

Victor was taken aback by Jefferson's display of emotions. He always was one that didn't understand personal space. He thought before saying out loud. "Yes, yes that will be enough of that Jefferson." He said pulling back as Jefferson laughed harder.

"It is really you. You never did like me invading your personal space." Jefferson bounced slightly a huge smile on his face.

"There is one thing I don't understand if the curse is broken why are we still here?"

"It is all Rumple's doing. He is the one who gave the curse to Regina and pushed her to use it. He must have been planning it all for decades, even before he stole me from Neverland. Aurora…" Jefferson trailed off for a second. "Rumple had wanted her to rule, but I understand now it wasn't just her taking over for Maleficent she was to wake up from her curse and her and Prince Phillip were to rule what was left in the Enchanted Forest. Everything that wasn't destroyed, that is. She should be waking up now, but instead, she is dead and Prince Phillip has got to deal with the after effects of the curse."

Victor nodded giving Jefferson a moment. It may have been thirty-eight years ago now but he knew Jefferson would never be over Aurora, and how he blamed himself for her death. It was something he could relate to with Elizabeth, his own love of his life's death.

"But why did Rumple want to come to this world?" he asked.

"His son…"

"Rumple has a son?" Victor asked. "In all our years and travel you never told me he had a son."

"He's technically my half-brother."

"Half-brother? But you told me Rumple wasn't your father. Hook…"

"Our mothers are the same…" Jefferson stopped midsentence. "My daughter!" He exclaimed. "You said everyone remembers, correct?" He grabbed Victor by this shoulders.

"Yes everyone including Grace and Alice. Thou I don't think I ever saw Alice in all the time…" Victor stopped himself too late remembering his private sessions with Jefferson during the cursed years.

"Alice died." Jefferson pulled back from Victor turning to get his coat and keys. "Remember her death is why I hung up my hat and never used it again, not even to visit you."

"Jefferson I am sorry." Victor stopped him by the door. "I wasn't sure the things you said in our sessions were really true or just false memories you were cursed with."

"There were times over the last twenty-eight years that I didn't even know what was real and what was fake, so how could you have." Jefferson walked around him and started down the steps.

"Your hat? Do you still have it?"

"No Regina has it, but while everyone was distracted with Henry I snuck Belle out of the psych ward."

Victor laughed following him down the stairs to his car. "I should have known when I saw the nurse passed out that it was you, who let Belle out."

"Rumple will kill Regina for her telling him Belle was dead and keeping her locked up for over thirty-eight years. Once Regina is out of the way I can get my hat back and Rumple or Emma could get it working again. Then Grace and I can go home and ..." He grabbed ahold of Victor's shoulder, "I could take you home as well. If you wish it."

"Yes, I do wish it." Victor smiled. "Anything you need my dear friend; I will be there for you. I have twenty-eight years to make up for." He offered his hand to Jefferson.

Jefferson nodded. "It's a deal then." They shook hands, and Jefferson pulled back racing to his car. "Now if you will excuse me Doc, I have to go get my daughter back. I am extremely late for our tea party."