A/N: I'm trusting my readers to be aware when I'm writing stuff taking place in Storybrooke and when it takes place in the fairy tale land. Let me know if it gets too confusing.

2. New acquaintances

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Rumpelstiltskin asked and impatiently turned in the Hatter's direction.

The two men were in the middle of the woods where no eavesdropping ears could overhear their conversation for it was one of those best kept between four eyes. The Dark One glared up at the man who sat leaned back on a tree branch quite high up from the forest floor. Jefferson looked every bit like a carefree child who had decided to refuse his parent's wish as he pretended not to notice Rumpelstiltskin's diminishing patience.

Rumpelstiltskin was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it, and wasn't much pleased with the Hatter's sudden hesitance. Slowly the Dark One hissed, "Get on with it."

Jefferson glanced down at his current employer briefly and sighed. The two of them had worked together many times now and for the most part Jefferson quite liked their exchange. Rumpelstiltskin would ask him to find things or do other deeds, and in return the Hatter received quite the plentiful reward. He led a lonely life and had no one to care for except himself, but that still didn't mean he didn't crave gold just like the next man when offered to him.

The whole thing carried an air of adventure he had once loved and craved, but now knew he was beginning to lose interest in. That was the part about his job he didn't much care for anymore. And he was highly unsure about this next quest Rumpelstiltskin wanted him to do.

Jefferson gazed up at the clouds between the tree crowns above as he explained, "I can't just 'get on with it'. One doesn't simply enter Wonderland."

"Of course one does."

"Not with a safe passage, one doesn't," Jefferson argued back and glanced down. "I've heard stories of the Queen of Hearts and her malice…"

The Hatter saw a knowing smirk play across the Dark One's lips but knew better than to question its meaning.

Without explaining it (which Jefferson hadn't expected either), Rumpelstiltskin instead said, "Yes, yes. She's evil. So what? You work for the Dark One. I didn't much think it frightened you."

"I've heard she's worse than Regina has become. And we both know how much of an Evil Queen she is... I'd rather keep my head where it is, thank you."

"Do your job right, and you will come to no harm," the Dark One said and all the sudden sat on the branch next to Jefferson. He swung his legs like a child as he hummed with laughter in his own peculiar manner. "I need information on the Queen of Hearts. I need you to get it for me, but without giving away my name to her. If you are to succeed… I'll give you all the gold you've ever wanted."

Jefferson pondered these words and weighed the pro's and con's of this option. Indeed, he had never set foot in Wonderland before, not even though he carried many of his own handmade portals. Still, he had heard things that had only made him want to stay away from the place. He'd never heard anything that had made him want to go to Wonderland.

… Then again! To receive all the gold he wanted was a great incentive to travel. And, hey, what did he have to lose anyway, beside his head?

At last, Jefferson nodded and nimbly leaped from the branch onto the forest floor. The leaves rustled beneath his feet and he stretched tall. Rumpelstiltskin now stood before him on the ground with dark expectation shining in his eyes.

The Hatter nodded. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll go to Wonderland and retrieve the information you want."

The Dark One giggled in the peculiar way that made Jefferson's skin crawl. "Excellent. Then I will show you the way into Wonderland."

"Grace!" Jefferson called as he walked through their big house in search of his daughter. The two had been reunited now for nearly a month and honestly, life hadn't been this great in years. Literally.

When he got no reply, he called out for her again, "It's your day off from school! What do you wanna do today? Should we start with me making us some breakfast or…"

His voice trailed off as he stepped into the hallway where his daughter stood waiting for him. She was already fully clad in jackets and boots.

"… or we could go out for breakfast…?" Jefferson finished as a smile tugged on his lips.

Grace beamed up at her father as she held out his long coat for him. "I thought we could go to Granny's for breakfast."

Jefferson sighed and smiled down at his girl. He knew there was nothing in the world he could deny her and wordlessly shrugged on his coat.

As Grace opened the door and stepped outside, her father muttered as he followed and locked the door behind them, "Just so you know, I was planning on making you delicious pancakes… I'm not making them for you now."

"Oh, dad… I'm sure Granny's has pancakes," Grace sighed as she tugged on her father's hand to follow her down the street.

"But it won't be your father's pancakes!"

Belle walked along the streets in Storybrooke.

Ever since she had been released from the asylum, she had wanted to explore the town the others knew so well. There were still so many people and so many places to see. Today, she had decided to explore some of the smaller streets on her own, but now found herself lost. She couldn't even see the grand clock from where she was in town and couldn't quite remember how she'd even strayed this far from the main parts of town. These neighborhoods seemed just as charming as the rest of Storybrooke, however, and Belle didn't much mind just wandering through them.

Suddenly she passed an alley and stopped as she looked inside. She frowned at what her eyes saw in the corner of the alley. It was a poorly taken care of alley but with the day light up ahead, Belle could see it all clearly. It seemed like this part of town was scarcely ever visited and apart from the corner, the alley looked quite dirty. Curiosity filled Belle's spirit as she hesitantly looked about but there was no one on the streets around her. She turned her gaze back into the alley and slowly stepped forward.

She walked down to the corner in her heels and looked up at the curious shop that now lay before her.

Tea Shop, the extravagant sign simply stated above the door and Belle peeked through the store's window. Even through the windows she knew this would be quite the peculiar shop and she just had to go inside and see more of it. Perhaps she could find a second chipped cup for Rumpelstiltskin in there.

Without thinking about it further, Belle opened the door and stepped inside the tea shop.

Jefferson stepped through the mirror Rumpelstiltskin had made him for his portal collection and gazed about. So this was Wonderland. Huh. Some things were truly best described by their names.

The colors all around him were vividly strong and almost blinded the hatter's eyes as he looked about him in an attempt to take in his surroundings. On either side of the road, and stretching on for as long as he could see, was an abundance grass and mushrooms taller than himself. He had never felt like such a teeny, tiny person before in his life. In fact, everything in his vicinity seemed gigantic. Then again, Jefferson wasn't quite sure if he was just tiny all the sudden.

The Hatter raised his foot to continue down the road when he noticed something coming at him form the corner of his eye. He didn't have time to react as the same something crashed into him and knocked him into the cover of the vegetation.

A small bell above the door chimed as Belle entered, much like the bell in Gold's store, and she walked further inside. It was a small shop but it was filled with teapots and cups in different shapes and sizes in both common and most uncommon designs. The small shop seemed filled to the brim with anything you could possibly ever think of for having tea.

The shop was empty apart from herself, and Belle moved further in to gaze at the wondrous items. She lifted a flowery cup from one of the shelves when her ears suddenly picked up the sound of footsteps in the backroom to the shop.

"Hello?" Belle called as she put the cup back on the shelf.

She walked further towards the counter when suddenly someone stepped out from the back room. It was a young woman with blonde, wavy hair that reached her shoulders and glasses rested on her thin nose. She wore jeans and a pale blue blouse that flattered her slim body. The woman was beautiful and Belle realized she didn't recognize her. Even after she had stepped into the same room, the blonde woman didn't even notice the costumer. Instead her attention was fully focused on the small, simple tea pot that rested in her hands.

"Um, hello?" Belle tried again with a smile.

The woman was so shocked by Belle's presence that she jumped back and in doing so, dropped the pot in her hands. It fell to the floor and smashed into several pieces.

"No…" the woman whimpered as she hurriedly knelt by the shards to pick it up. Belle rushed over to help the woman and the two lifted all the shards onto the counter.

"I'm am terribly sorry for that," Belle excused herself as guilt overtook her upon noticing the despair in the other woman's blue eyes. "It seems neither tea cups nor tea pots are safe when I'm around…"

"It's alright," the blonde woman muttered and gently pushed Belle's hands away to inspect the damage. After a few silent minutes, she sighed in relief and finally her gaze rose to meet the other woman's. "I can repair it…"

"Well, that's good!" Belle smiled.

Suddenly, as if remembering herself, the blonde woman's smile vanished from her face. Realization flashed in her eyes as she noticed there was a customer in her shop. She seemed hesitant what to do and Belle got the distinct impression she was no longer wanted. Perhaps it all had to do with the broken pot, but Belle suddenly felt as if she had to find something to break the ice with.

"It's a lovely tea shop you have here… Is it the only in Storybrooke?" she asked.

The blonde woman nodded but didn't say a word.

Belle made another attempt at small talk. "I gather you like tea then? I've found I quite like it, too. I never had it before... I mean back home, you know. Only here in Storybrooke really."

The blonde woman merely gazed up at the beauty as suspicion started to crowd her pale eyes like dark clouds on a bright day.

Belle found she couldn't quite stop her words to flow out and fill the tense void of silence that would have been present otherwise. "I've never seen you before. Do you not often go into the main parts of town?"

"I think you should go!" the woman basically cried out at last.

Belle flinched in confusion and frowned as the woman rounded the counter to stand next to her. "I don't understand."

"You ask too many questions. Who do you work for?" the other woman asked and Belle was taken aback by the frightened, threatening tone to her voice. "Do you come on behalf of the Queen of Hearts?"

"Who?" Belle frowned. "I don't work for any-"

The blonde woman didn't let Belle finish. "I really think it's time you left. Go, please!"

"W-why?" Belle stuttered as the other woman started to push her towards the exit. The beauty felt like cattle being herded and didn't much care for the peculiar treatment. Still, she was sure the woman didn't do it out of darkness in her heart for Belle could clearly see the fear in the woman's wide, pale eyes.

The woman opened the door and Belle hesitated in the open doorway.

"I'm Belle. What's your name?" Belle dared to ask.

The blonde woman shook her head and waved her arms at the beauty once last time. "Go!"

Startled by the recent events, Belle basically rushed from the alley and down the road.

The blonde woman watched her disappear and sighed in relief when Belle was out of sight. She was just about to re-enter her shop when she saw a white rabbit jump into the alley towards her.

"Hey, hey!" Jefferson huffed and scrambled away from his attacker. In the commotion, he'd lost his top hat and he looked about him wildly in search of it. The item law discarded a few yards away and the man crawled over to it and furiously pushed it back atop his ruffled hair before he exhaled in relief. He then turned around to have a look at his fierce new fow but faltered in surprise when he saw her. His attacker was just a young, slender woman.

Jefferson's wide eyes gazed closer at her. The woman had long hair that floated about her body in blonde waves and her eyes had the color of rain on a sunny day. She also wore a torn, pale-blue dress with a white belt, and it must have been rather fanciful once but had long since lost its splendor and now looked tarnished and worn. She matched the look with mocha-colored leather boots and a simple dark cape finished off her ensemble.

Jefferson didn't quite know what to say to this particular surprise. His gaze lingered on her face and Jefferson had to admit she was more than a little fair even though she looked somewhat wild in her dirty attire.

"Who are you?" he managed to ask at last.

The woman merely scrambled to her feet and pointed down at him. "Stay off the main roads!"

"Ehm… okay," Jefferson blinked a couple of times and then rose from the ground, too. If she was skipping the small talk, he could do the same. "Why?"

The young woman sighed. "It's your first time in Wonderland, isn't it? Stay off the roads so that the Queen of Hearts can't find you!"

Jefferson felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. "What if I want to be found by her?"

The blue eyes widened. "Then you are mad!"

Jefferson shrugged and scratched his scalp. "Perhaps. You're not the first to say suggest it."

The woman suddenly froze and dove towards him once more. One of her slender hands flew up and covered his mouth. "Sch! Be quiet!"

For some reason, Jefferson felt his heart speed up at the woman's touch and close proximity to him. She was smaller than him and her fair head reached about an inch above his shoulder. Her eyes met his and for a second, Jefferson found all thoughts fly out of his head.

Noises could be heard from the main road and the two looked over the edge of a mushroom from their hide-out to see what it was. A couple of soldiers wearing black and red armor stood by the mirror and seemed to be searching it and its proximity for something or someone.

"The Queen is suspicious of anyone that enters," the young woman whispered close to Jefferson's ear. "Her soldiers always patrol these parts of Wonderland to stop any and all intruders. If you're caught you're taken straight before the Queen... but most who are, soon lose their heads."

The soldiers remained another minute or so but when they found nothing they eventually walked off down the road again to continue their patrol elsewhere.

Jefferson could sense the woman's relief as the soldiers vanished from their view and at last she stepped away from him. Their gazes locked and for a few seconds, Jefferson didn't quite know what to say.

Eventually, he managed, "I still have to see the Queen, you know."

The woman frowned. "Why?"

Jefferson straightened and held onto the collar of his coat as if trying to convey more importance than he truly possessed. "I can't discuss the details, ma'am. But I'm here on business."

"Business? With the Queen of Hearts?" The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Jefferson shrugged. "It's not my business. Just… business."

"Well, the main path could be a one-way road to the chopping block for you... May I suggest that you take another road through the lands instead? The path I'm thinking of is a bit longer, but you won't have to fear losing your head on it."

Jefferson pondered her suggestion and finally nodded. "Very well. Sounds like a plan. Will you point out the road for me?"

The girl snorted in amusement and boldly met his gaze. "You won't make it alone."

Jefferson raised his eyebrows and leaned forward until his head was on the same level as the woman's. "I thought you said the road was safe."

The woman grinned and her eyes sparkled with a knowing twinkle Jefferson decided he didn't like. She shook her head once and declared, "Never did."

"Then why would I take it?" the Hatter questioned.

"I've told you why, don't you listen?"

"I listen, but you are terrible at explaining things, girl!" Jefferson argued.

"Don't call me 'Girl'!" the young woman frowned up at him. "Do you want my help or not?"

Jefferson stretched tall once more as he hesitated one last time. At last, his shoulders slumped and he nodded. "Fine. You'll take me to the Queen by your road then?"

"Yes," the woman nodded in agreement and bent low to pick up her long bow and quiver from the ground. Jefferson hadn't even noticed the weapons there before and blamed it on being mentally occupied with others things. As the woman put the quiver across her back and kept the long bow in her hands, she began to walk further into the vegetation.

"Hey, wait! Girl!" Jefferson shouted and the young woman stopped and turned back. Her pale eyes smiled at him and the Hatter found his question lost somewhere in his mind. "Ehm… What's your name?"

The woman's smile widened as a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "I'm Alice."

"Curious girl," he remarked with a smile and then hurriedly followed in her footsteps. "Wait for me, Alice!"

The blonde woman bent low and picked up the rabbit as it stopped by her feet. Tensely, she looked down at it in silence and raised her gaze to make sure no one else were watching. The alley was completely empty apart from herself.

She then turned her attention back to the small animal and stroked away some of its snow colored fur from the necklace it wore. The woman inhaled as she revealed the tiny object attached to the necklace. It was an old, gold clock that needed rewinding. The clock had obviously stopped working a long time ago.

The woman sighed. She knew exactly what this meant and the thought of it was not entirely pleasant to her.

To be continued...