7. Lewis
"Hurry up, Jefferson!" Alice urged as she ran between the trees of the forest once more. The darkness seemed to close around them like a heavy cloak as they ran further and further into the heart of the woods.
The Hatter had expected her to lead him down the same path as before but when they'd entered the dark forest, Alice had instead kept them on a steady sprint towards the murkier parts of the woods. He had no idea where she was taking him, nor had she shared any more information about the mysterious portal she knew about. One question kept playing through his head over and over again; If she knew of a portal, why had she never left Wonderland?
Not far behind them, the cries of the soldiers still reached their ears and it sounded as if the Queen's guards were gaining on them. If they were to escape, this secret portal had to be close since they could not outrun their foes for much longer.
Alice jumped down a cliff ahead of them and landed among the leaves stealthily as Jefferson slipped down the hillside to keep up with her. She pushed him round the cliff and then suddenly pulled them both to a full stop.
Before them now stood a tall oak that seemed to have twisted around itself as it had grown towards the sky. A chill crept up Jefferson's spine as he gazed up at the dark tree that seemed more dormant than dead. Alice wasted no time as she tugged on a couple of fallen branches that covered the roots and with the help of the Hatter managed to expose the ground below.
Jefferson was taken aback as he gazed down at a hole in the ground among the roots that seemed like a large rabbit hole. Further down the hole, Jefferson saw a purple mist and he knew what it was. Magic. It must be the portal of which Alice had spoken. He frowned in her direction as she held onto the branches and listened to the soldiers in the distance.
"This is it then? The portal?" he asked at last and she turned back in his direction. She nodded once and Jefferson curiously asked, "… It's how you came into Wonderland, isn't it?"
"It is," she said and her voice was both dark and impassive.
"Then why haven't you returned before?"
The shadow fled from her face as she timidly smiled up at the man. "I've never had a reason to. But now I do... because I have you."
Jefferson grinned stupidly in her direction and nodded in acceptance of her given reply.
"Do you trust me?" she asked then.
"Of course, "Jefferson nodded.
"Then jump down first," she pleaded. "I'll follow behind but I must cover the portal once more so that the soldiers cannot follow. Hurry, they are almost here!"
Without even a seconds hesitation, Jefferson did as she asked and leaped into the hole in the ground.
Only a few seconds later, he appeared once more in his own fairy tale land. He stepped out from the tree he found himself in and looked about him. He didn't recognize this particular part of the plentiful forests and there was nothing but trees around him to tell him where he was. Still, he knew he was back home, for he could feel it in his heart.
Jefferson turned back and surprise hit him as he gazed at the tree from which he had merely a short while before exited from. The lower part of the tree was hollow and half of it was gone and turned to charcoal as if by some form of explosion. He inspected the trunk closer and soon realized the damage to the tree seemed old and long forgotten. Whoever had done this to the tree was long gone.
He stepped back once more and waited on baited breath. Thankfully, he was not kept waiting long for Alice soon appeared in the hollow tree and stepped forward right into his waiting embrace. Jefferson simply held her close as he felt the woman shiver in his arms.
"It's been so long…" she whispered and he felt rather than saw her heart on her sleeve. Her relief was plain in sight and she even sighed in contentment and grew heavier in his arms as she relaxed. "I thought I'd never see this place once more. Where do we go now?"
Jefferson smiled into her hair as he tilted his face into the crook of her neck, "Do you have anyone you want to visit now that you've returned?"
She simply shook her head. "That's my past. I don't want to look back. I want to look into my future, with you."
Jefferson pulled back and held her at arms length as he grinned down at her. "How would you like to see my simple cottage?"
The blonde, young owner of Storybrooke's tea shop stared down at the tea pot in her hands. She'd finally managed to repair it the day before, but that had been during great distress after Jefferson's visit. Her pale eyes now noticed she'd placed a few shards wrong in the pot and the beautiful, flowery pattern was broken. She exhaled deeply as she tried to ignore the gnawing pain at the back of her mind that kept reminding her of the day before but the truth kept glaring her in the face.
The bell above the entrance chimed and on pure reflex, she looked up to see the costumer. Her eyes landed on the familiar figure and with all the will she could muster, the woman turned her gaze down to the tea pot once more and focused to keep her eyes right there on the broken pattern.
"I thought I made it clear yesterday," she said with a shaking voice. "You're not welcome in my shop."
Jefferson cleared his throat awkwardly as he closed the door behind him with a slow motion. He wasn't entirely certain what he was doing at the moment, especially not after the vow he had made to himself the eve before. He must be madder than he himself had thought.
"I think you'll find this funny, because I certainly do," he began awkwardly and at the same time tried to clarify his intentions to himself. "I had made up my mind to never come back here to see you… and yet here I am."
The woman remained silent as Jefferson stepped further into the shop as he glanced around him at the tea pots on the shelfs around him. "I really don't want to be here… but I need to understand. Because… it is you, isn't it?"
She sighed and her eyes closed tight. "Jefferson, I-"
"So I was right. It is you... Alice," the man said as he came to a halt only a few feet from the counter. He felt as if he'd finally managed to cross the abyss that divided them, though he was nowhere near her yet. The counter in between them represented more than simply a solid object that kept them apart.
Almost six months had passed and Jefferson's life with Alice had been at times trying for the passionate couple, but mostly filled with love and devotion.
The woman had moved into the Hatter's simple cottage and they had slowly started to make a life for themselves together. Gone were the days of his single life, and Jefferson had found he did not miss the past at all.
It was true, at least once a week he took a job offer from Regina or some of his other employers, but Rumpelstiltskin had not yet been in touch. This made the Hatter relieved for he knew Alice wasn't thrilled with his line of work. She had a hard time overlooking the darkness of his employers' ways (especially those of the Dark One) and felt his work rather disturbed the prospects of their future. With each passing day, Jefferson felt he agreed more and more with her, but he was still not sure if he could actually stop jumping between the worlds on missions.
The day before, on the six month anniversary of the start of their new life, Jefferson had proposed to Alice and the young woman had ecstatically accepted his honest offer.
Now, Jefferson stood in their backyard and gazed down at the object he'd just finished as his thoughts lingered on the woman who had become his entire life and the very reason he woke up each morning with a smile on his face.
As if reading his thoughts, Alice peeked her head out through the window of the cottage and smiled over at her fiance.
"Hey there," she whispered as the man hid the object behind his back and walked over to lean against the window sill. "You seemed a million miles away. What were you thinking about?"
"You," he explained simply and with a smile Alice tenderly stroked his cheek. "Alice… you know I'd give you anything, don't you? I'd give you the world if I could."
She chuckled. "You already have, Jefferson."
"Tell me, if I could… what would your world be like if you had one of your own?" he asked curiously.
Alice thought long and hard before she turned back to him and said, "Everything would be nonsense, for starters. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. You follow?"
"Perfectly," the man nodded. "And what would you do in this world?"
There was a brief pause before Alice explained, "I'd throw tea parties every day in my garden full of rabbits."
Jefferson stifled a chuckle. He'd heard the woman speak of it often in the past for apparently tea parties had been some part of her lost, happy childhood. "Of course. Speaking of which... I have something for you." He held out his hands from behind his back and revealed the object for the woman. "Here."
Alice frowned in confused amusement before she reached out for the top hat in his hands. It was smaller than Jefferson's own hat but still just as beautiful with its navy blue brim. It had obviously been created by her fiance's own two hands and the gift touched her heart.
"You made me a hat?" she asked and laughter was in her voice.
Jefferson shook his head. "Not just a hat. Go on. Put your hand into it."
She frowned once more but eagerly did as had been asked of her. Her entire arm disappeared into the opening of the hat as she searched within it for whatever Jefferson wanted her to find. Her hand suddenly touched something soft and she grabbed hold of it before pulling out her hand.
"Oh, Jefferson..." she breathed in wonder as she gazed at the small animal in her hands.
"This, my dearest Alice… is my wedding gift to you," Jefferson said with a grin.
"He's perfect," the woman cooed as she patted the white rabbit in her arms. "I know exactly what to call him... Thank you, love."
"I'm glad you like him."
Alice's smile faded for a second as she nodded. "I do... however..."
It was Jefferson's turn to frown. "However?"
The woman's pale eyes met his and they seemed to gaze into his soul for a second before she eventually sighed. She glanced over at Jefferson's own, large hat that hung on a nail beside the window. "I can't express my gratitude over this rabbit, but I have something else I must ask of you..."
Jefferson nodded encouragingly for her to continue. "Anything."
"You honestly want to know what you can do for me?" Alice asked and hesitated a second before she admitted, "Turn from your old life. The evil magic of the people you work for scare me, for I know how much they can destroy with simply one sweep of the hand. We have started to create a new life in peace. I know it must sound daunting to you, but I merely wish us both to do good and be the best that we can be. We cannot build a family on the darkness of their magic. Can you give me this promise?"
Jefferson clutched her hand in his own and looked into her eyes with a piercing gaze as he patted the rabbit with his other hand. He could see the fear in Alice's heart and he could not bear the pain it in turn evoked in him. "I would do anything for you. You have my word."
Only a few days after Jefferson had given his promise, his word was put through the hardest of tests. As he and Alice had gone out into the woods in search for edible plants and mushrooms for their simple dinners, the two had decided to take different paths to cover more ground. As a result of this decision, the man soon found himself atop a small hill in the woods.
Atop the mount, Jefferson found a group of mushrooms and knelt down to pick them when suddenly a familiar yet daunting voice danced in the air behind him.
"Hello, Hatter."
Jefferson felt his blood freeze to ice and his face drain from all blood as he realized the importance of what was to come in this moment. Slowly he stood from the ground and turned around so that he came face to face with Rumpelstiltskin.
The Dark One's eyes glimmered mischievously as he tilted his head sideways and asked, "It's been months since I sent you into Wonderland, and yet you have not come to see me. Therefor I finally decided I had to come to you. Do you or do you not have what I sent you into Wonderland to retrieve?"
Jefferson inhaled a deep breath to strengthen him in preparation for the worst. Slowly he spoke, "I do not. The Queen of Hearts would not tell me anything at all."
Rumpelstiltskin's dark smile fell away and was replaced by a simple frown. "You failed then?"
"Jefferson?" Alice's voice suddenly sounded in the distance and both men turned as they saw the young woman had climbed the hill and joined them. She kept a safe distance and warily watched the scene before her as the Dark One turned back to face his employee.
"Well, well…" Rumpelstiltskin cooed but there was no amusement in his dark eyes. "So you brought something with you from Wonderland. You've been a naughty boy, Hatter."
"I've changed, Rumpelstiltskin," Jefferson said boldly with his head held high even as his heart pumped with frantic fear within his chest. He could only hope the Dark One would let him keep his heart after he had said what had to be spoken. "I don't want to work for you anymore. Release me from your services, Rumpelstiltskin."
"No, I'm afraid that's not possible," the Dark One's voice sang with glee and maliciousness as he glanced from Alice to Jefferson. "You'll remain in my services and will continue to do what I ask of you when I ask it of you… Forget the Queen of Hearts, I'll get the information some other way. But I'll be back with other tasks and you do well not to deny me what I want then… or face the consequences."
The Dark One glanced behind him once more at the young, blonde woman and his gaze lingered on her a fraction of a second too long before he suddenly vanished from the forest in a flash. Across the hill, Jefferson helplessly gazed over at Alice.
Jefferson wet his lips as he gazed down at the woman's tense form in front of him. She seemed even more on edge than the day before as she slowly put down the tea pot and let it rest on the counter. Jefferson didn't care for her distant manners. For reasons he couldn't explain to himself, he'd returned and knew he couldn't leave until she'd given him some much needed answers.
"Leave," she repeated and though the word cut through him like a knife, Jefferson stood his ground this time.
"Why do you want me to leave?" he asked in a weak, pleading voice which only grew stronger as his hurt seeped into his words. "I'm your husband, Alice, I thought you would be a bit more happy to see me! But you haven't even looked at me!"
"I can't! You don't understand!" she said through gritted teeth and then drew a deep breath to calm herself. "You shouldn't be here, you're endangering everything!"
Jefferson paused as he pondered her choice of words. He'd come in for answers, but suddenly he found himself with more questions. "Endangering what? Tell me! Talk to me! I want to know everything, there's so much I don't understand!"
"I've already told you, I can't tell you anything!" the woman growled in reply.
The man huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I thought Henry might have been right -"
"Who?" the woman interrupted with a frown.
Jefferson pretended not to have heard her. "- Not knowing isn't worse. Knowing is. I now know you were alive all along, but you just didn't want to come back to me; your husband!"
The blonde head shook as the woman's frail voice whispered, "It's not-"
Once more, the man pushed on as his feelings blinded him from everything but what he needed to express. "How am I supposed to go home and tell Grace that her mother just didn't love her enough to stay with her?"
The store once more fell into a tense silence as his question lingered unanswered in the air between the couple. The pain of his words seemed to have been fully registered by the woman whose fingers were gripping at the edge of the counter so hard they had drained from all blood. Jefferson waited as he saw the woman draw a couple of deep breaths and suddenly he thought he saw genuine fear and pain flash even in her downcast grimace.
He opened his mouth to question it when suddenly a familiar, white animal skipped out from the backroom and stopped by Jefferson's feet. As he gazed down at it, all his anger was washed away as confusion reclaimed his mind.
"Is that…" he managed slowly and his gaze flew from the rabbit to the woman as his mind tried to wrap itself around this new truth. "…Is that Lewis?"
To be continued
