The enchanted forest- A few years ago
The following day, Zelena was sewing in the small house, looking after little Grace while Priscilla was working Jefferson was out with Rumplestiltskin. She was usually quite good at sewing, but today, she just couldn't focus; the thought of her friend dealing with Rumple was driving her crazy.
Fsshhhhhhh!
The noise the wind was making from outside suddenly intensified, getting stronger each second. When it started to be deafening, Zelena put down her needle and rose to go to the door. But when it opened, she had to hold it back to prevent it from flying away with the blowing wind. A cyclone whirled in front of the house.
"What the hell…" she whispered, astonished.
Leaves were flying everywhere, making the whole landscape look blurred, and in the middle of the hole drawn by the storm, two silhouettes were emerging, half hidden by the purple smoke.
The first one finally came out.
"Jefferson? What… What are you doing? You're back early. And you could have come by foot, couldn't you?" But he didn't need to answer. The second silhouette left the shade as well and grinned.
"Surprise, dearie!"
"Rumplestiltzkin."
"Yes, dear… It appears you were right, I am seeing you again!"
Jefferson picked up his hat and turned to Rumple. "I don't understand. Why are we here? This is my home, not some powerful witch's."
The wizard grinned.
"Well, it kind of is. Now, if you'll excuse me… Zelena, dear, where did we leave off? Oh, right, those slippers. What if you give them to me?"
"If you remember our last talk, you probably also remember what I told you that day."
"That I'd have to kill you first. Well, perhaps I don't have to kill you. I could kill… Him!"
With these words, he suspended Jefferson in the air. The man was suffocating, struggling to breathe.
"Let him go!" Zelena screamed, the wind whipping her hair wildly around her face.
Rumple sneered. "Oh, there it is; it seems like I still can recognize love when I see it. The way you two look at one another… Well, learn it from me, dear, as your mother couldn't teach you. Love… is weakness."
As he said this, he tightened his invisible grip, and Jefferson stiffened. "Now, where are those slippers?"
She closed her eyes and sighed. He'd won. She couldn't let Jefferson die.
"It's not here," she said. "I hid them in the forest when I arrived."
Rumple giggled. "Well, then, let's go get them! After you, milady!"
She started to walk in front of him, leading the way to the tree Jefferson had found her on, and worrying about little Grace staying all alone in the meantime. When they arrived to the fallen tree, she bent and grabbed something from underneath it. When she undid the packet, the silver slippers were shining in the sunlight.
Rumple's smile grew larger, and he quickly grabbed the pack, so fast the fabric surrounding it fell on the ground.
"Fine. Thank you, dearie. But my lesson isn't over yet… I'm still your teacher after all, and you've been disobedient. So I have to punish you… "
He strengthened once more his grip on Jefferson, constricting his neck more and more. The hatter, who had still been struggling, stopped fighting, pale as death, and fell back, limp.
"No!" Zelena yelled. Hopelessly, she threw a shot of fire at the wizard to make him stop, knowing it was in vain. Nothing except for his dagger could hurt the Dark One.
But he was projected a few feet back, hit with full force.
Jefferson fell on the grass, freed from the grasp. A stream of blood was running down the wizard's cheek. Incredulous, he passed his hand on his face and brought it back. It was covered with red. He looked at the witch still frozen in front of him, swore, and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
Zelena stared at the place he had just left, amazed, and picked up her slippers. How on earth had she been able to hurt him?
A soft moan brought her back to reality. She ran to Jefferson, still laying on the ground.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I couldn't keep him from…"
But Jefferson wasn't listening. He was deathly pale and now completely unconscious, his arm twisted in a strange way.
His arm got back in the angle it was meant to have with a bit of magic; but his eyes didn't open. On the contrary, his breath was getting quieter and quieter each passing moment.
"No, no, no, Jeff, wake up…"
She shook him harder and tried to cure him with her magic again.
"Come on, Jeff, you can do it. Wake up, please. Your family needs you. Little Grace needs you."
She paused.
"I need you."
For an awful moment, nothing happened. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. She was just realizing how important he had become in her life, and now…
A cough startled her. Jefferson was coughing hard, trying to breathe, and shyly smiled at her.
"Hi."
She laughed through her tears, and threw herself in his arms. Surprised at first, he petted her hair, and met her eyes, still filled with tears. His heart jumped, and he couldn't resist any longer; he slowly took her chin and delicately kissed her.
