The repeated ringing of Avelina's phone roused her early the next morning, her eyes scrunched against the dim sunlight creeping in between the blinds. Feeling blindly for where her phone had been on the nightstand the previous evening, she buried her face in the pillows, blocking out the sun.

Her hand knocked against the phone, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Fuuuck" she groaned into the pillow, slapping the table. Rolling over to the side of the bed she leaned down and snatched up the phone, squinting at the screen. Emma Swan—she needed to answer, Emma could have search warrants for the docks and the library, possibly even for Gold's shop.

"Hello?" she murmured her voice hoarse from her time in the river. Closing her eyes, she sank back against the pillows, pulling the covers up, basking in the warmth as Emma spoke.

"Morning Avelina, sorry it's so early, but our warrants just came in. The judge gave us clearance to search the docks and library for Yard, but not Gold's shop."

Avelina's eyes burst open as she made a strangled noise of frustration, "Wha- are you fucking kidding me?!" she exclaimed.

Emma sighed, "I know, Gold or Regina had to have gotten to him." She made a frustrated noise and continued, "We should get started early on these searches, it's just going to be you and me."

Avelina sighed and sat up, wincing as her head pounded. "Right, give me like twenty minutes to dress and grab something to eat and I'll meet you at the library."

"See you then" Emma said.

Avelina hung up and dropped the phone into her lap, sighing tiredly. –Why? Why couldn't the warrants have come in a few hours later? I just wanted a little more sleep!-she thought. If her whole body hadn't felt like it had been pounded on by a mid-weight boxer, she wouldn't have been so annoyed, she knew.

As it was, her head was pounding and she was desperate for painkillers and food. Tossing the covers aside, she shivered in the cool air and tied her hair back in a loose bun before walking to the bathroom. Staring at herself as she brushed her teeth, she sighed tiredly.

Christ, I look tired. When did I start looking so worn?

Avelina sighed and stared at the dark circles under her eyes, wishing she didn't look so tired…wishing these cases weren't so damn….weird. Rinsing out her mouth, she turned away from the mirror and went to dress, grabbing her files and her bag before heading down to the diner for breakfast.

Avelina rushed down to the diner bar and waved to Granny, "Can you get me a breakfast to go? Sandwich, burrito?" she asked.

The older woman furrowed her brow at Avelina and harrumphed before nodding, "What kind of burrito would you like?" she asked gruffly.

Avelina sighed in relief, "Steak, eggs, tomato, mushrooms, peppers and cheese." She thought for a moment and then slid an extra twenty onto the counter, "Make me two, plus two coffees to go, please, and thank you."

The older woman nodded and rang up the transaction, handed Avelina the change and went to work on the order, leaving her to sit and wait, inhaling the delicious aromas of the diner.

The quiet chatter of the diner drifted towards her, washing over her in a blaze of white noise that reached inside of her to the exhaustion that lay just beneath the surface and teased at it until her eyes drifted closed and her shoulders slouched down, her tension releasing slowly.

A few minutes later her light doze was abruptly interrupted when a to-go bag and coffee carrier were plonked down unceremoniously in front of her. Avelina felt like she jumped a mile at the sound, but smiled gratefully at Granny before snatching up the bag and the carrier and heading out to find Emma.

As she walked down the streets of Storybrooke, she braced her head down against the light drizzle that was falling. Oh good…add this onto the shit heap that's becoming my life she thought with a sigh.

When the library came into view Avelina spotted Emma by the front doors, huddled against the cold. She waved to Avelina and smiled, an expression Avelina gladly returned. Avelina held out the coffee and the to-go bag, "I brought breakfast, thought we could scarf it down before hunting for our man."

Emma sighed happily and gave her a grateful look as she took the burrito and dug in, rolling her eyes in ecstasy at Avelina. Avelina laughed through her mouthful of food and raised her brows in return. The two women ate in near silence, wolfing down the food and chasing it with gulps of scalding coffee.

When they had finished, they tossed the trash and proceeded to conduct their search, unbolting the doors and heading inside. Dust motes filtered through the air, air that smelled like books, wood oil, and dust.

Using hand motions, Avelina waved Emma toward the side of the building and moved slowly down the center of the library, her hand near her gun, her flashlight shining into the corners. Darkness surrounding the stacks creeped towards Avelina like fingers leaving her with a shivery feeling along her spine as she moved deeper into the library.

There was a whisper of noise to her right and she spun her gun in her hand before she knew it. Her heart nearly leapt out of her mouth when a striped grey and white tabby cat came barreling around the corner and headed for the library doors.

"Shit" she whispered, lowering her gun back to its holster, breathing slowly to calm herself. A few minutes later she circled through the library and met with Emma who shook her head and frowned, "Nothing, no sign of him here."

Avelina nodded, "Same. Did you see the cat?" she asked.

Emma shook her head and looked around, "Nope, it doesn't smell like a cat has been living here..maybe it just chases the mice around."

Avelina gave a thoughtful noise and peered around the library before sighing. Nodding, she waved and headed to the front of the library, "Let's get going to the docks. They're huge and will take much longer."

Emma nodded and strode after her.

Avelina was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to find Yard or if the man had just dropped the goods here in town and then made a dash for the Canadian border. She grimaced; it was a definite possibility, and one that would fuck her case sideways.

As Emma and Avelina pulled up to the docks in Emma's Beetle, Avelina glanced over to the Sheriff and cautioned, "You should keep your guard up here. It's far more likely he'd hide here. Let me take lead."

Emma nodded and followed Avelina into the first large building, her gun in her hand, watching as Avelina cleared the small entryway. When they walked out into the large inner building, Avelina pointed to the lower level and whispered, "You take the lower level and go slowly. I'll be on the catwalks above you, got it?"

Emma nodded and swallowed hard, walking out onto the floor, scanning the area nervously.

Avelina climbed the ladder to the second floor catwalks and moved quietly above, keeping an eye out on Emma and looked for Yard, or any sign he had been there. Her eye quickly caught on a bright red backpack on one of the catwalks 100 yards away.

The catwalks were narrow, steel beams that had clearly seen better days. Avelina had no idea what the building had been used for before, but now it was rusted out, creaking and smelled like dead fish.

As she eased along the beams, she felt them shiver and creak beneath her. Sucking in a sharp breath, she tucked her gun away and moved a little faster until she had reached the backpack, snatching it up.

Pulling the backpack open she grinned sharply, victorious. Inside was a driver's license with Yard's picture, but the name Francis Wilson. Included with the license were a passport, a map, and a set of keys.

Holding the strap of the backpack delicately, Avelina did a quick two-step back across the beams of death (as she thought of them) and climbed down the ladder. Waving to Emma she held up the backpack and grinned, "He's definitely been here! Do you have evidence bags with you?" she called out.

Emma nodded and jogged over, leading her out to the Beetle and opening the trunk to fetch a large plastic evidence bag. When they had put the backpack in the bag, Emma handed Avelina a pair of gloves so she could safely handle the items within.

Avelina immediately picked out the keys and held them up for Emma, "Do you know where these go?" she asked.

Emma leaned in and squinted before shaking her head, "Mmm no. They could be to someone's garage for all I know."

Avelina twisted her lips and shook her head, "I'm not so sure, look at that key, it's old, it has to go to either an old house, or to an old piece of furniture." She raised a brow at Emma who immediately shook her head, "No, you can't go to Gold's with this! We didn't get a warrant."

Avelina sighed and rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. But there are few properties in town that I want to look at other than his. So will we need a warrant for those?" she asked.

Emma sighed and shook her head, "For the abandoned house on the edge of town, I doubt it. For Jefferson's house…maybe." Her expression grew dark and her frown grew deeper.

Avelina took note of the expression and touched Emma's arm softly, "What's wrong? You have a beef with Jefferson?" she asked, her voice neutral, despite the voice in her head screaming to know what the hell was going on.

Emma turned away slightly, the lines of her face sharper as her jaw tightened. "You could say that." She shook her head, "I assume you know that Mary-Margaret has been blamed for Kathryn's disappearance?" she offered.

Avelina blinked, confused. Maybe that's what the woman had wanted to talk about. Shaking her head, "No…we didn't get to that."

Emma nodded, "Regina is framing her. I'm sure of it. I was forced to arrest her, but then she escaped, or someone let her out…and I went looking for her. I met Jefferson on the road, and I nearly hit him with my car in the dark. I took him back to his house and he drugged my tea. I found out he was holding Mary-Margaret, and he tried to get me to make a hat…he thinks he's the Mad Hatter…like in the fairytale."

Avelina stared at Emma, dumbstruck. Nothing made sense.

Emma stared at her as she continued, "I broke us out, only after I knocked him out, but he told me he had done it because his daughter is missing, and Regina told him she's holding her captive. Oh and Regina's the Evil Queen."

Avelina put a hand out to find the bumper of the Beetle, and sat down gingerly. Running a hand over her face she looked up at Emma, "Are you kidding me?" she whispered.

Emma shook her head, "I wish I was." She sighed, "This fairytale stuff, I thought it was just Henry that believed it, until I ran into Jefferson."

Avelina nodded, remembering Henry's talk of curses. She looked down at the key in her hand and then back up to Emma whose face was still pale and drawn. Standing, she reached into the trunk and took a smaller evidence bag for the keys, dropping them into her coat pocket.

"I'll go talk to Jefferson. You get this evidence back please, and see if there's anything on that map about where he's been, might be going, anything like that?" Avelina asked.

Emma nodded, "Okay, are you sure? I can go with you." She looked less than thrilled to be making the offer.

Avelina smiled, "That's ok, I've got this. I could really use your help looking into the map and anything else you find in the backpack." She spoke softly, her tone gentle, not wanting to offend Emma, or make her feel worse about Jefferson and Mary-Margaret.

Emma nodded and let out a sigh of relief, slamming the trunk shut on the evidence. "Do you need a ride back to your car?" Emma offered.

Avelina sighed, it wasn't a terribly long walk to Jefferson's, but with what Emma had just told her…shit I should drive…I don't know this guy at all

Nodding, she accepted Emma's offer and was back at her car just a few minutes later. Waving to Emma, she watched the Sheriff drive away before climbing into her car and pulling away. The drive was quick, leaving her precious little time to mull over what Emma had told her.

It didn't mesh with what she had seen from Jefferson. He was assuredly odd at times, but he had never hurt her, and he had only ever shown concern for the wellbeing of his daughter.

But you can't always know people…they will hurt and surprise you when you least expect it, when you've known them for five minutes and fifty years…and you certainly don't know Jefferson.

Her jaw clenched as she stepped up the front stairs of Jefferson's sprawling house, her stomach in knots. Knocking on the door, she bowed her head and waited a few moments, listening. When there was no sound of movement, she knocked again.

After a long few moments there was still no sound from inside the house. Avelina walked around the porch to stare in the windows and sighed, no signs of Jefferson. Wandering around the grounds of the house, she failed to find him, but she did find a storage shed that looked old.

Peering down at the lock, she pulled the evidence bag containing the key out and held the key up, trying to determine if it would fit. After a moment she sighed, it looked like the key was too small, and was bronze instead of steel.

"Breaking in?" Jefferson called out, walking out of the house, his expression odd.

Avelina turned and frowned at him, "Not at all. Just checking to see if the key fit. I knocked, why didn't you answer?" she demanded. She had already shoved her feelings deep down into a box and buried that box beneath a mile of cement before topping it with a mountain of denial. Now, at seeing him and remembering Emma's story, she added a layer of anger.

Jefferson pointed a thumb towards the house, "I was in my work room, it's in the basement. I didn't hear you until I came up for something to eat. Then I heard someone moving around on the porch and out back."

Avelina raised a brow, "Your workshop? Would that be to make hats?" she offered, watching for his reaction.

When he went still, his features frozen in fear and shock, she knew she had him. Avelina felt a tendril of pure, cold fury twine through her at his reaction. She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing, "So it's true. You're some nutjob that took two people hostage because you believe in magic?" she hissed at him.

Jefferson shook his head vehemently, "No, no that's not why…."

"Why then? For your missing daughter? Because you think the mayor, excuse me, the Evil Queen is supposedly holding her hostage somewhere?" Avelina glared at him.

Jefferson ran a hand through his hair, at a loss, desperate to make her understand. He sighed and shook his head, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth. But yes, I believe Regina has my daughter."

Avelina shook her head, "Why? What's her motivation for taking her?" she demanded.

Jefferson frowned and threw his hands out, "You won't listen! She's the Evil Queen, and she wants her magic back. She needs me to work out how to get the hat to work so she can get it back. Keeping my daughter hostage is motivation to get it to work."

Avelina groaned and shook her head, pacing in a circle. "That's nonsense. You're crazy."

Jefferson made a low noise in his throat and when Avelina looked up she saw a crazed smile on his face as he strode across the lawn towards her. Her hand went to her gun and he paused a few feet away, his expression both hurt and annoyed.

He raised his hands slowly and lifted his scarf from around his neck, pointing to his scar, "This? This was no car accident. Off with his head-are the words I'll never forget." He glared at Avelina, willing her to believe.

Avelina stared at the scar, noting for the first time how it went all the way around his neck, with no break, a perfect seam. There was nothing that could have done that in a car accident….and no way he could have lived.

Impossible

She shook her head and saw the hope in his eyes die. "I'm sorry Jefferson, but you are mentally disturbed, and you attacked and held hostage two people in this town." She reached for her cuffs, her expression one of sorrow and anger.

"Put your hands behind your back" she ordered.

Jefferson stared at her in shock for a long moment, and then nodded. He turned his back to her, crossing his wrists so she could apply the cuffs. Avelina bit the inside of her cheek to counteract the burning of her eyes, blinking back tears of anger and sorrow.

She pushed his shoulder, guiding him around the side of the house to her car, murmuring, "Watch your head" as she guided him into the car. When she had closed the door, she took a deep breath, her fingers gripping the roof of the car, her knuckles white.

She hadn't been this shaken by an arrest in a very long time.

After a moment she slid into the car and drove silently to the Sheriff's station, nodding to Emma who gave her a wide eyed look when she saw Jefferson in cuffs. Avelina locked Jefferson in a cell and waved to Emma's office, "Let's talk" she murmured.

Emma nodded and followed her in, glancing over her shoulder to see Jefferson sink down on the cot in dejection. Avelina closed the door and sank down in the chair, her face in her hands.

"What happened?" Emma asked sounding concerned.

"He confessed to locking you and Mary-Margaret up." Avelina looked up at Emma, "Why didn't you ever arrest him?" she asked curiously.

Emma shrugged, "I've been busy with a missing woman, accusations of murder against Mary-Margaret, and keeping my son out of trouble. Mary-Margaret wanted to let it go, and I was ok with it."

Avelina nodded slowly, "Well, he hurt two women, and I'm not letting it go."

"But he didn't mean to! The Evil Queen has his daughter and threatened to hurt her! He's the Mad Hatter, and the Queen uses him!"

Avelina turned around at the sound of Henry's voice and found him standing in the doorway, his face troubled. Emma sighed, "Henry, Regina isn't the Evil Queen, she's your mom. And Jefferson did some bad things."

Avelina frowned, Regina is Henry's mom? But Emma is Henry's mom…are they…no…they hate each other…what the hell is going on here?

Henry grew indignant, "Mom! She's going to try and hurt you both if you keep the Hatter locked up. She wants her magic back and she doesn't want the curse broken. But you guys can break it! If you just believe!" He looked hopefully between the two women, as if he could will them into believing.

Avelina smiled tiredly at the boy and sighed, "Henry, there's no Evil Queen here. It just sounds like to me that your other mom isn't very kind."

Henry frowned, "She keeps everyone from being happy. She's the Evil Queen. She wants my mom Emma out of town."

Emma stood, "Well kid, if I don't get you back home, she's going to get her wish and have me run out. You need to be home before she realizes you're late. Let's go."

Henry rolled his eyes and frowned, but followed Emma out of the station, leaving Avelina in the quiet, with Jefferson. She sat for a few moments before gathering her thoughts and walking over to the cell.

Staring between the bars at his handsome face, she felt her gut wrench. She didn't want to see him here. Taking the key out, she unlocked the door and went in, leaning against the bars, staring into his bright blue eyes as he looked up at her.

When the silence finally grew too large she sighed and shook her head, "What the hell Jefferson. Work with me. Tell me something about Regina that I can use to put her here instead of you."

Jefferson sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the ends sticking up from the rough treatment. Avelina's gaze travelled over the stubble on his jaw and the shadows under his eyes and wondered if maybe, just maybe he was working on something in his workshop that was driving him mad.

"Regina has skeleton keys for every house, store and building in Storybrooke. She has enough money to buy her way out of almost any situation. How's that for a start?"

Avelina stared at Jefferson for a moment and then nodded, "That's a good place to start." She pulled her notebook out and wrote quickly, "Do you know where she keeps the keys?" she asked.

Jefferson shook his head, "In her office, in the desk somewhere. But she has an alarm system."

Avelina smirked; she knew how to bypass most alarm systems. Her less than traditional upbringing had seen to that. She nodded and wrote down a few ideas before she flipped her notepad shut and slipped it into her pocket.

"Thank you Jefferson. I'm going to find your daughter."

He nodded and stared at the concrete floor, never looking up at her.

Avelina sighed, stepping towards the door. In a flash of movement, Jefferson's hand lashed out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her aside as he stood. He loomed over her, his eyes boring into her as he pushed her back against the bars of the cell.

Avelina tensed and reached for her gun, but stopped when Jefferson touched her wrist gently and shook his head, "I'm not going to hurt you" he whispered.

She stared up at him, fear making her pulse touch off faster. She wanted to trust him, to believe him, but her cop instincts screamed at her, told her to take her gun out and force him back, so she could escape.

Some other part of her whispered~ wait, just wait~ and it was this part that she gave in to. She eased her breathing and nodded, "What do you want?" she whispered.

Jefferson's thumb brushed against her wrist, sending shivers along her skin. His eyes roamed over her face, lingering on her lips for a moment before coming back up to her gaze. "I want you to know I used to be a good man. I don't know how sane I am anymore…" he shook his head slightly and a small smile crossed his lips, "But I didn't want to do what Regina asked of me."

Avelina nodded, "People do crazy things for their children, I understand. But I can't condone violence against others…."

Jefferson sighed and smiled sadly, "I know. I just want you to know, I'll do anything for her. I'll burn this world down for her. But I'll also do what you ask. You're an honorable woman, and I used to be an honorable man. I'd like to be that man again."

"You can be, I believe that." Avelina twisted her hand squeezed Jefferson's hand with her own. His eyes widened and he looked down to where their hands were entwined and then back up to her face.

Avelina saw his gaze drop to her lips again and knew he was thinking of kissing her. Part of her shouted to stop him, that he was a prisoner, a criminal. Another, much larger part tackled that part and shoved a gag in its mouth.

Her hand went unconsciously to his waist and drew him closer, her eyes darkening with pleasure when his large, firm body pressed against hers. Jefferson ran a hand up her arm and across her throat to tilt her head back gently, watching as her lips parted softly, inviting him.

Avelina's breath came quicker as Jefferson lowered his head and captured her lips with his. Her fingers gripped his waist tighter; she felt as though she would sink to the ground she was so breathless and on fire.

When his mouth skimmed across her throat leaving burning kisses she moaned softly and arched against him. The little voice that had been shouting broke free and started screaming about protocol, consequences, and bad ideas.

Avelina pushed Jefferson back and quickly stepped out of the cell, shutting the door and locking it between them. His heated gaze looked like it could melt the bars, and Avelina turned away.

"I'm going to talk to Regina" she murmured.

"Good luck" Jefferson murmured back.

She gathered up her jacket and bag and walked out, not looking back. Kissing a prisoner? A suspect? Someone who's clearly crazy? You've really flipped your shit this time girl.

She was in the shit real deep.