*Warning: This story contains graphic and violent scenes. May not be suitable for all ages.*
Emma Swan hesitantly stood in front of the front door of the last house at the end of this street, hesitating whether or not to knock. She had to admit, she was surprised that Jefferson had called her and invited her over for dinner. She hardly even knew the man.
A few polite nods at each other on the street, a casual 'hi' as they bumped into each other at the diner. So when Ruby had handed her the phone with a knowing grin on her face, she was more than surprised to hear who was on the other end.
She didn't see the harm in having dinner with the guy. She was free that night since Mary Margaret had skipped out on their girls' night to meet up with her new beau David, and Emma figured she'd be bored at home anyway. And when it came to free food, she was all for it.
Come to think of it, Mary Margaret hadn't been home in a few days. She never failed to send Emma a text of her whereabouts and a quick message not to worry, but the blonde still thought it was a bit strange.
Emma quickly shook off her uneasiness and determined it to be nerves, raising her hand to knock. The door opened before she could, and she was awkwardly left with her right hand raised in the air, her mouth opened like a fish. "It took you long enough." Jefferson teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I wasn't sure if I had the right place." Emma lied, feeling her face heat up as her host chuckled at her answer. "You're just in time. Come in." The man swung the door opened wider, his arm gesturing for her to come inside. Emma gave him a nervous smile and stepped inside, looking around the place.
The house was immaculate, so clean that Emma found herself second-guessing about wearing her work clothes she didn't bother to change out of. Her brown boots were scoffed and caked with mud from the wet ground from searching for Archie's dog for a good two hours in the damp forest.
As she took another look at Jefferson, she noticed he was clean shaven, a black dress shirt aligned with silk adorned with a black scarf along with firmly pressed dress pants and clean black boots. The blonde's face flushed once more. Her embarrassment only grew as her host lead her into the dining room.
The table was set up with plates of food that looked like it was made by a five-star chef, glasses of red wine next to them. Candles lit up with darkened room atop a deep maroon tablecloth. "I guess I should have dressed up. I didn't realize- "
"Nonsense. You're perfect." The blonde jumped as she heard Jefferson's voice right next to her ear. She heard him chuckle softly as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Mind if I take your coat?"
"Uh, sure." Emma stammered, allowing him to slip off her red leather jacket. He disappeared from the room, and Emma moved to sit down. "Allow me." Jefferson pulled back her chair and helped her in. The woman couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "You didn't have to do this for me, you know." She said humbly.
"I enjoyed doing this, actually." The man replied, taking a seat across from her. "I don't get many visitors."
Emma's smile faltered as she felt the cheerful mood dampen just a little bit. She quickly picked up her fork and began to spear pieces of garlic pasta and chicken. "Mmm." She moaned as she took her first bite. "That is some fine pasta."
She let her eyes slip close as she savored the flavor. "I'm glad you like it. Ruby informed me that you loved pasta. Lucky for you, it's my favorite food." Jefferson flashed her a smile, his white teeth almost sparkling. "So, Jefferson." Emma began, taking a sip of the wine. She held back another satisfied moan as the flavor burst across her tongue. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Well, I seem to have a lot of spare time on my hands. Recently I've found that I enjoy drawing maps. I actually just finished a map of Storybrooke earlier today." He answered. Emma nodded politely. "I enjoy reading, mainly historical documentaries. Also, I just got Netflix so I've been spending a lot of my time watching that."
Emma smiled at the blush that crept onto the man's face. He was cute, in an old soul kind of way. Certainly not the type she thought she'd find herself attracted to. "Netflix is quite addicting. I've recently started this tv series called American Horror Story." Emma said. Jefferson's eyes lit up in excitement.
"I love that show! The way those writers conjured up those twisted stories that feed on human fears. It's deliciously demented." He commented. Emma felt a shiver creep up her spine. Jefferson immediately noticed and stood up. "Are you cold? Here." He grabbed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"I'll make us some tea." He said, turning towards the kitchen cabinet and rummaging within it. "Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" Emma asked. "Sure. Go straight down that hallway, it's the second door on the left." Jefferson directed her. With the man's coat still on her, the blonde slipped into the bathroom, silently shutting the door behind her.
Something wasn't right here. Red flags and alarm bells were ringing in her head like crazy. She took out her phone and sent Mary Margaret a quick text about where she was. After a few minutes with no response, she sent Regina one as well to be safe. A few more minutes crept by, with only a quick response from Regina. All was silent on her roommate's end.
"Emma?" Jefferson's voice broke the silence. "The tea is ready."
"O- okay I'll be right out." Emma called, wincing as she felt something sharp poke her. She reached her hand into Jefferson's coat pocket and pulled out a pocket knife covered in blood. Muffling a cry of surprise, she quickly wiped off her fingerprints and took a picture with her phone before shoving the weapon into her back pocket.
She had to get out of here right now. But if she was going to get out of here safely, she needed to play along. Exiting the bathroom with a smile plastered on her face, she graciously accepted a cup of tea from her host. "Would you like to see my map?" Jefferson asked, not noticing the sudden tension in between them.
"Sure." Emma said enthusiastically, sipping the tea. It tasted sweet, almost too sweet. Jefferson nervously opened the hand-drawn map, stepping back to let Emma take a closer look. "This is amazing, Jefferson. You really have a talent for this." Emma said honestly, surprised at how much detail was put into it.
"Thank you, Emma. That really means a lot." The man said, his hands clasped together in front of him almost like a child. Emma gave him a smile, drinking the rest of the tea. "Delicious tea." She commented. "My homemade brew. Another specialty of mine." The man grinned widely, taking a drink of his own. An antique telescope across the room caught the blonde's eye.
She walked over to it, running her hands against the cool metal. "That was my father's. He was a scientist." Jefferson said. "I love astronomy." Emma said, shutting one eye to squint through the telescope. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized her office not too far away.
She nearly jumped as Jefferson's hands closed over hers, guiding the instrument upwards at the night sky. "Silly, Emma. You're supposed to look at the stars." The man chuckled. The hands over hers moved to her waist. Through her tank top she could feel the pad of his thumb run up and down over her abdomen.
"Jefferson." She said quietly, pulling away from the telescope. "Yes?" Jefferson answered, his voice loud compared to the mere whisper that escaped her lips. Emma attempted to pull away from the man, but she found her body wouldn't respond. A mind-fogging numbness was slowly creeping over her, and she suddenly realized why the tea was so sweet. It was masking the taste of medication.
"Are you alright?" Jefferson asked, his breath tickling her ear. "What did you- did you- "Emma fumbled, unable form the words. Her host pulled her body back against him, supporting her weight as her legs refused to move.
"I've been watching you, Emma. For a while now. Through my trusty little telescope. Memorizing what you did during the week so I could just happen to bump into you at the diner. And then I finally worked up the courage to ask you out. And when you accepted, I knew you felt something for me too. So I made dinner, drew this pretty little map. Dressed up nicely. And you know why I did all this? Because I love you, Emma."
Emma barely managed to turn her head to look at him. This man was a complete psychopath. Jefferson carried her over to the sofa, laying her down on it. Emma could do nothing but stare as he stared down at her, a creepy smile on his face. He knelt down next to her, grabbing her hand and kissing it gently.
As tears sprang to her eyes, her gently wiped them away. "Don't worry, Emma. In time, you'll learn to love me too. Soon you'll be my wife. You're going to help me get my Grace back. Then we'll be one big happy family."
Jefferson's piercing blue eyes are the last thing Emma saw before she passed out.
When she awoke, her hands were bound behind her back and her feet were duct taped together. A small scarf was tied around her mouth, preventing her from screaming. As she blinked away the fogginess in her mind, she noticed Jefferson was sitting next to her, toying with an object in his hands.
Emma recognized it as the pocket knife she had stolen. "Did you think you could just get away with this?" The man flipped the knife open, lightly pressing the blade against her throat. In his other hand he held her phone, and on the screen was the picture she had taken.
A whimper escaped Emma's throat, and she gulped. "After all I've done for you, you want to repay me by turning me in? Getting me arrested?" He growled. When Emma didn't respond, he ripped the scarf from her mouth, taking a few strands of her blonde hair with it. "Answer me!" He yelled, pressing the blade so it was lightly cutting into her.
"All I saw was a bloody knife. I couldn't have you arrested for that without a good reason. But now that you've drugged and endangered me with a weapon, I can get you locked away for a long time. Then you'll never see Grace again." Emma hissed. She wasn't prepared for the hand that struck her face hard.
Blood filled her mouth, and she fought the urge to spit it right in her captor's face. "You're in no position to threaten me, Sheriff." Jefferson growled. Emma glared at him, not backing down. Jefferson stood up, pacing back and forth in front of her. "I will never marry you. I will never live with you and love you. You're fucking crazy!" Emma yelled.
A smirk crossed Jefferson's face. "I ran into your friend Mary Margaret the other day. She was helping her boyfriend out at the animal shelter. David, isn't it? Anyway, I stopped in and asked about one of the dogs they had. She offered to let me take it outside. Well wouldn't you know it, that dog ripped the leash right out of my hands and took off into the woods."
Emma's heart sank in her chest. She had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. "I chased after it for what felt like miles. Mary Margaret tried to keep up but she fell and twisted her ankle. I brought her back to my place to help her out. She kept asking for you. Do you want to see her? I'm sure she'll be ecstatic that you're here."
"Jefferson- "Emma whispered. "Oh come on. I'll take you to her."
With a flick of his wrist and a quick slice, the blonde was free. Jefferson stood her up, keeping an iron grip on her arm as he led her to another room. As the door swung open, a stunned cry escaped Emma's mouth. Mary Margaret was lying lifeless on the floor, blood pooled around her and staining the pristine white carpet.
"Why?" Emma asked, not daring to move as he took his hands off her. Then he was in front of her. "She was in the way. You could never be mine with her alive." He cupped her face in her hands, softly kissing her. Emma fought to hide her shaking hands as he led her back to the living room.
As soon as he turned around, the blonde grabbed the telescope and swung it as hard as she could at the man's head. He fell to the ground with a loud thud. Scrambling and still dizzy from the tea, Emma ran to the door. It was locked from the inside. She turned back around, looking for her phone to call for help.
She forced herself to calm down, trying to assess the situation and find a way out. Her eyes fell on the heavy telescope, then the window in front of it. Grabbing it, she swung it at the glass, successfully smashing the window. As soon as she started to climb out, Jefferson wrapped his hands around her waist, hauling her back inside.
Shards of glass stabbed into her body as she fought hard against him. He easily pinned her to the ground, wrapping his hands around her throat. She desperately clawed at him, fighting to breathe. Then she spotted her cell phone lying on the ground a few feet away. She reached one arm out, using the other to keep Jefferson distracted.
He was so focused on killing her that he didn't even notice. She used speed dial and hit the one button before jamming her thumb into Jefferson's eye. A muffled voice came through the speaker, and as the man let go of her throat, Emma gasped for air. "REGINA!" She screamed as loud as she could. "He's trying to kill me!"
That was all she got out before Jefferson wrapped his hands around her throat again, his eye now bleeding from the fingernail the blonde had jammed into it. "If I can't have you, no one will." He growled right before darkness overcame her.
"Emma. Emma! Oh god, please be okay." The blonde woke to Regina next to her, afraid to touch her in fear of hurting her even more. "Regina." Emma croaked. A relieved smile crossed the brunette's face as her she looked down at her. "Is she awake?" Emma heard Graham ask.
"Yes. Hold on, Emma. An ambulance is on the way." Regina said to her. "Mary Margaret… dead…" Emma groaned, pain ripping through her body. "… Killed her. Jefferson…" She mumbled.
Emma recovered fully and Jefferson was sent to Storybrooke's insane asylum. Along with Mary Margaret's body, 5 others were found in the woods surrounding Jefferson's house. The police department determined they were all killed the same exact way.
Emma Swan made her way down the dark hallway of the long corridor, feeling calm and relaxed despite the place giving many people the creeps. "Are you ready for your session today, Emma?" Archie asked the blonde as she sat down. "I am." Emma answered. "Here you go, Miss Swan."
Emma frowned at the little plastic cup being held in front of her face. "I don't really need that."
"Emma, you know the rules." Archie warned her. With a dirty look shot at the doctor, the blonde reluctantly took the cup and downed the little red pills inside. "I don't feel like talking today." Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. "I'll come back in a few days to see how you're feeling." The doctor got up, leaving her alone.
Emma got up and made her way to room 203. She always loved odd numbers. She crossed the room and planted a kiss on the person on the bed. "Will you stay with me?"
Jefferson's glossy blue eyes looked up at her. "Of course, my darling." Emma smoothed back his hair, humming a lullaby to her lover. It wouldn't be long before the doctors caught them. By now, Emma knew the insane asylum like the back of her hand. When she had been admitted the doctors had deemed her the most "dangerous" patient in the ward.
What a load of crap. So she killed Mary Margaret. The stupid woman was coming between her and Jefferson. She didn't approve of their relationship and acted like her mother more than her friend. Jefferson wasn't "good for her" and he wasn't "safe to be around".
Emma didn't plan on killing her. At least, not until Mary Margaret found the first body and planned on telling. Then Jefferson had "accidentally" let go of the dog. Then the man led the innocent woman into their trap. Like a snake taking its prey down by surprise, Emma had been waiting for her. Such a strange and riveting thing, watching someone die. Feeling them give up as life fade from their eyes. Emma loved it.
The other five people were just for fun. Jefferson had been ever the loyal man. Helping her trap them, hide the bodies, get rid of the evidence. He even helped her create an alibi. He invited her dinner and attacked her, willing to take the fall to get her off the hook. Even sent messages from Mary Margaret's phone so as to not alert anyone to her absence. And it worked. Until Regina found the maps leading to each murder spot.
Now Emma Swan was to spend the rest of her life in this crazy house. But at least she and Jefferson were together. And if he ever stopped loving her… well, like the vows say. Til death do us part.
This idea had been floating around in my mind for a while. I hope you enjoyed this twisted little fic!