A:N. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, they all mean a lot to me! If anyone has any trouble keeping up with the timeline/events because it's weirdly AU then just let me know and I can try to incorporate that a bit more. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
The masquerade ball had come and gone in a blur of subtle digs and not so subtle comments that had ranged on everything from her age to her predecessor and more often than not were about her apparent problems at conceiving an heir for the King. Regina had grit her teeth and smiled through it, if there was one thing she was sublime at it was faking happiness. At least she'd still had Jefferson; when the King angrily took a six-month trip to a distant kingdom with Snow, she'd practically moved him into the castle. She craved the company, and Jefferson had been more than willing to oblige.
Her cheeks flushed slightly at memories of illicit activities conducted throughout her palace prison; in an attempt to serve Leopold right, she'd chosen only the places that would infuriate him the most if he ever found out.
"Why Your Majesty, I do believe you're blushing"
Her face broke into a smile as she spun around to find Jefferson, looking as dashing as ever, and she allowed herself to be swept up into an embrace. They had only hours until the King returned and she'd found herself sat by her childhood apple tree, dreaming of a life beyond the palace walls. Rumplestiltskin had promised to help her become powerful enough that no King could ever keep her trapped, but she found herself growing impatient with every passing day.
Regina brushed her lips gently against his, "You need to leave soon; the King can't find you here"
His sad smile said more than a thousand words, of how they both wished that he never had to leave. He pulled her soft form closer, angered that the King had ever been deemed worthy enough for Regina. Jefferson had never been a particularly jealous man until he'd met Regina; he'd never had much in his life that he cared enough about. Falling for Regina had turned him into a green-eyed monster, driven to panic not only by her increasing infatuation for dark magic, but also for her blood-lust when it came to the King.
6 Months Later
"I heard about the king…" he finally said, managing to catch his breath and sling an arm around her shoulders.
"Oh yes, it was quite tragic" she said, her voice low and alluring before she laughed harshly, "For him at least"
Jefferson gazed down at her, "I suppose you played the part of grieving widow well?"
"Of course, I owed it to my people" her mocking smirk looked out of place on her beautiful face. They'd been separated for so long, so desperate for each other, that there hadn't been time for a lot of talking before they tumbled into bed. Now Jefferson slightly regretted bringing up the topic that had been on his mind the past month, it was hardly the nicest bedroom talk.
"I can't believe he's actually gone…everything's going to change now!" she said, her low voice alluding to hidden promises and an underlying power-hungry tone.
"Well Regina; you did it" he'd intended it to be a congratulatory statement, however his words hung sadly in the air, if she noticed she'd didn't mention it.
"We did it" she whispered, her breathe tickled his chest as she curled her body up against his, basking in their afterglow.
Jefferson touched his chin to the top of her head and gazed across the palatial room, just what had he gotten himself tangled up in? Having an affair with the Queen had been dangerous enough in the first place; but now, carrying on a liaison with the increasingly-deranged Queen who'd just murdered her husband, it seemed slightly masochistic. She was intoxicating and he was tangled in her intricate web; even if he could leave, he doubted he could ever bring himself to. He knew too many of her deepest secrets, he couldn't risk hurting her like she'd been hurt in the past; he wanted to protect her and build a life with her; if only she would allow him to.
2 Months Later
The flames licked up the side of the pot, dancing wildly in the light breeze and yet reflecting an eerie, mysterious aura around the room. Regina emptied a handful of leaves and smiled contently as the potion faded to a dull grey; "Perfect, now what next?" she muttered absent-mindedly, reaching for Rumplestiltskin's book.
"Are you talking to yourself?" Jefferson drawled, startling her enough that she tensed, although she refused to turn around and let him see her reaction.
"Well I was until you interrupted"
He laughed and Regina instinctually turned back towards him, how she loved that sound; it had been long committed to her memory along with so many of their forbidden liaisons.
"It makes me nervous when you do that; as far as I'm aware your cooking skills haven't improved!" he teased, and Regina noticed that she'd been stirring the pot the whole time.
"You startled me Jefferson" she scolded playfully.
"My apologies your majesty! Please, allow me to make it up to you" he teased, a wicked smile etched across his features. In three quick strides he'd crossed the palatial room and swept her into his arms; her mouth opened to admonish him but he seized the opportunity to kiss her. She melted almost immediately, the ice queen façade she'd recently adopted faded away and she pulled him closer into their embrace.
Pulling back for air she rested her head on his chest momentarily before leaning back, "My cooking skills play no part in my magical ability" she rebuked.
Her attempt at anger was betrayed by the mirth in her eyes, although Jefferson wondered how long it would be till that vanished too, alongside so many of her other quirks. He tried to push the thought from his mind; it just gave him an unpleasant knot in his stomach and rather dampened his mood.
"What are you even doing here?" Regina asked, stepping back towards the fire, glancing around what had been her marital home. They spent most of their time together at his modest cottage and this was one of only a handful of times he'd visited the palace since Regina had been 'widowed' so tragically.
"I was in the area and thought I'd drop by" he answered sarcastically, stepping up beside her to peer into the pot.
Regina smirked at him and continued to stir-absent-mindedly, lost in translating passages of text from no doubt another of Rumplestiltskin's books, "And here I thought you just couldn't stay away"
He wrapped his arms around her, kissing down her jawline, very aware of the thin line he was treading. Right on cue she side-stepped away, although he didn't miss the faint sigh that passed her lips; "Not now Jefferson, I'm in the middle of something"
Jefferson went to argue but decided against it; instead familiarising himself with the warm, fire-lit room lined with books and priceless artefacts that he doubted the King had known anything of. Minutes passed as he waited for her to finish and embrace him, although his attention span soon betrayed him, "So, how lovely is it having the palace all to yourself now? I hear your step-daughter ran away?"
If she heard him she didn't react, continuing to add ingredients and mutter words without so much as a backwards glance.
He couldn't quite seem to get a handle on her emotions at the moment; she flicked between loving and kind to harsh and unforgiving so quickly that it gave him whiplash. He'd taken to treading carefully around her, yet another sad sign that magic was taking away the qualities of Regina that he loved the most. They'd always been open with each other, to an extent, and had never tried to keep secrets, well big ones at least. Nowadays Jefferson couldn't even imagine what she spent her time doing, when they together it was the one thing they didn't speak of.
"What are you even making?" he tried again, stepping back towards the fire.
"It's a transmogrification potion, to allow me to go unseen by the people" she hesitated, "well at least for a day or two"
Jefferson grit his teeth, there was no way he'd like the answer if he asked why she'd need such magic. A tense silence fell over the room and Regina set about to find another ingredient apparently aware that her answer had displeased him. In the many years now that she'd been learning dark magic, Jefferson had watched her change from a distraught, vaguely naïve and innocent young girl into this. A power-hungry queen with a frightening quest to make the kingdom love her; quite what her end game was, Jefferson didn't know. He suspected it was better that way and he could only hope as much that he could bring her back to her senses first.
"You're pacing Jefferson, which means you're upset" she noted, stood firmly engrossed in the book with her back to him. Her hair was tied high and flowed well past her tiny waist, and she wore a gown of deep navy silk and silver lace. When they'd first met her hair was casual and her clothes more so, comfort rather than fashion. Another part of her that he was losing.
"I'm not upset" he lied, walking across the room and fingering the spines of the books along the wall, waiting for her to turn back to him.
She disappointed and merely continued her brewing, "and you're doing a terrible job of covering it up" she paused in order to pick up a small vial, "which is so unlike you"
Her dig cut but he sensed she was looking for a fight; she knew exactly what buttons to press and she only did it when she felt pressured, like a trapped wild animal. Their fights were often brief and fiery, ending in a passionate night of reconciliation and a pretence that nothing had happened. The only time it was different was when magic was involved; he'd been portal-jumping for long enough to know of the problems it caused. She had been using it long enough to still find it fun and exotic, in a nauseatingly naïve way that he blamed on Rumplestiltskin, although there was no doubt she admired it's intense power as her abilities grew. Their fights over magic were always quieter, never escalating above raised voices which in a way made them more personal and a damn lot more difficult to end.
"I don't even need to ask why you're upset."
Her statement hung in the air, but at least she'd turned to face him having extinguished the flames. Her beauty hit him every time, he could never have enough of waking up next to her; if only she would quit her foray into magic and run away with him. He'd suggested once that she leave the king, but she'd clammed up; and now the King was dead, she still wouldn't give up her quest for revenge.
"If you know then there's little point to this talk, or even my presence here" he said bitterly.
"Must we do this Jefferson? You knew when we met that I was learning dark magic" she said exasperatedly. Her eyes narrowed as he made to protest, "Actually, as I remember it, you were supposedly there to break the last of my heart, my objections, and push me forward in my studies" she hissed.
He stared back at her stunned. This had always been a touchy subject since she'd realised his true role in that fateful night; but after enough begging and protested innocence, Regina had forgiven him. Or so he had thought.
"And I was wrong to do that! I know, but I didn't think you'd take it quite this far!" he cried.
"I don't do things by half Jefferson; surely you've learnt that by now"
He snorted, "Oh boy have I!"
She ignored his remark and busied herself bottling and clearing up her potion mess as the general anger in the room dissipated.
"Why?"
She reacted slowly to his question, obviously giving herself time to think of a response before returning his intense gaze.
"Why am I learning magic?"
"Yes"
Her hands flew to her elbows, adopting a defensive stance that was a particular favourite of hers, "I have an end game, let's leave it at that. It'll only upset you more" she sighed, pleading silently with him to drop the issue.
"Don't patronise me Regina!" he shouting, thoroughly annoyed by her blatant nonchalance of the situation, "I think I deserve the truth! Unless this…I…meant nothing to you"
She visibly paled at his words but pulled herself up to full height, an action he'd noticed her adopted when she left Regina mode and became this new, cold person he despised. "You want to know why?! Because I'm going to end that perky little Snow's happiness. I will have my revenge and ruin her happily ever after, I will make her suffer; make her regret everything she's ever done to me! I want her to hurt as much as I do; to have her true love ripped away, to feel like she'll never be happy again!"
The forcefulness and pure hatred of her outburst seemed to momentarily stun them both, although Regina recovered far quicker than him.
"Wow Regina. Just wow." He stepped back from her, feeling oddly more disappointed than shocked. He'd always known the first part, he knew she hated Snow White with a passion, but the intensity still made him thankful he'd never pissed her off quite as much!
Turning on his heel he snatched his coat from the chair and reached for his hat, "Jefferson where are you going?" Regina muttered, and from her tone it was quite clear she thought he was getting worked up over nothing.
"Away, anywhere but here. Apparently I don't, and can't, make you happy so why are we even doing this? I'm probably just a pawn in one of your little games, and to be honest, I don't really like this new you"
She raised an eyebrow, "The new me?"
He scoffed, "This cold, calculating witch in a tiara"
"You always did have such a way with words" she spat, sarcasm dripping off her words.
"I've told you how I feel about dark magic; why is it still an issue?"
She glared at him, "It's only an issue because you keep making it one!" angrily she strode across to the window, "This is the only way forward, and you're a fool if you think it can be any different!"
"Perhaps I have a less bleak outlook on the world"
"Please. Optimism just means you lack information Jefferson"
"You're wrong about that. You just can't see it because you've become too consumed, so wrapped up in this idea of taking down Snow White; who may I remind you, is now an orphaned grown woman on the run from you"
"She was a child who cost me everything!" her voice trembled although her icy glare remained unscathed.
"Back to this….again"
This time her eyes flashed dangerously, "You have no idea what she put me through!"
"She, the eight year old child or she…your mother?"
Regina's jaw visibly dropped, that had been one subject avoided even more than magic and Jefferson could tell that he'd left the line a long way back.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" she hissed, "Need I remind you that I am the Queen!"
Jefferson rolled his eyes, "Well that's becoming more obvious every day"
Infuriated she stepped towards him, "Just who do you think you are Jefferson? Trying to dissuade me from magic, remove me from my throne…." her harsh words cutting into him like knives, "You're just another person trying to control me"
"You know what, Regina; when you've come to your senses and realised Rumplestiltskin is just leading you down this path for his own gains; then come find me"
"Fine"
"Fine" with a flick of his wrist the hat landed between them and after a split second he was gone.
Regina watched the portal close up before she collapsed into a chair, squeezing her eyes tightly closed to stem any tears that threatened to spill. How could she be to stupid? How could he, have the audacity to complain about her magic yet again? Her head was spinning, their argument racing on a loop through her mind, seeming more and more absurd by the minute.
When had their relationship turned so sour as to result in such a blow-out as this? She could hardly remember a screaming match lasting so long before, and certainly not one with barbed insults meant to cut deep. They were becoming more frequent, driven by his insane notion that somehow she was changing with the dark magic; perhaps she was just growing up. Something he clearly needed to consider.
After a few moments of contemplation she glanced over at the cold fire pit, the completed potion caught her eye and something inside of her reawakened. Her end plan, of course. Jefferson was just testing her surely, trying to find out whether or not she planned on actually carrying it out so he could figure out his next move. Regina stood and smoothed the wrinkles from her gown; this fight meant nothing, Jefferson would be back again. She was sure of it. He could stay away no more than she could.
A:N