Chapter Ten: Disconnected

In the years that followed, Rumplestiltskin and Jennifer had a bit of a routine. Rumplestiltskin would find a lead, and he would follow it only to come to a dead end. Jennifer would anticipate his arrival every time he would leave, and when he returned, he seemed to carry with him bad news. It was a cascade of disappointment. The loss of Baelfire only deepened between them, and Jennifer's outlet—torturing people just for the fun of it—was the only way she could forget about her own misery, by causing someone else pain.

Her affliction as a vampire, and bearer of the Dark One's affections, made her infamous; although not a lot of people knew her actual name, just as not a lot of people knew Rumplestiltskin was the name of the Dark One. Jennifer's reputation as a vampire grew, as people rumored her being so vicious and sadistic that making a deal with the Dark One was not as bad as being unable to fulfill the bargain; not only would the debt to the Dark One grow, Jennifer proved to be a sufficient attack dog.

She usually resided in the Dark Castle, always preferring her seclusion, preferring to spend her time thinking of ways to torture someone. Rumplestiltskin would ponder whether he liked this darker side of her more or less, mostly for the reason she would go a little over the top. Sometimes, the customers would be so scared of Jennifer, they'd make never ever seeing her part of the deal. Rumplestiltskin could only smile, because he hardly had to worry for her safety—everyone did that for him.

The gap between Rumplestiltskin and Jennifer seemed to grow wider when Rumplestiltskin would be gone days, then weeks, and one point a month at a time.

Rumplestiltskin offered Jennifer to come with him. The price on his part was easily met when the desperate didn't want to be anywhere near her; and they would fulfill their end of the bargain with little to no hesitation. The alternative was being killed by Rumplestiltskin, who always told them what would happen if they didn't live up to their bargain, or roll the dice with Jennifer, who was incredibly unpredictable.. It was a lose-lose situation. Deals made with Rumplestiltskin made him notorious for being the cunning wizard he was, and his girlfriend only made the deal even more dangerous.

Either way the deal went, Rumplestiltskin was ensured that he and Jennifer would be together. The only fault, being that Jennifer still couldn't venture out into the sunlight. So any deal that was made in the day, she would remain in the castle—after some decades, this rumor caught on so anyone who needed to find Rumplestiltskin would find him in the daylight; while the idea of making a deal with Rumplestiltskin still kept the customers on their wary toes, it seemed easier to do (rumored by those who had met Jennifer) when the Vampire wasn't there.

Rumplestiltskin was secretly finding a way to remedy this, knowing Jennifer hadn't seen a single sunrise in nearly 74 years, while still searching for a way to find his son. He sat in his study, reading. Jennifer ventured inside. She wore a long flowing red dress that contrasted beautifully with her long black locks—despite the decades that passed, she still appeared 18 years old, just as Rumplestiltskin continued to maintain his middle-aged appearance. Immortality was a gift, sometimes.

Rumplestiltskin glanced up to see Jennifer looking at him.

"I've been looking for you," Jennifer said quietly.

"I have been in here this entire time," Rumplestiltskin said smoothly. He closed the book as Jennifer came nearer, not wanting her to see what he was working on.

"Rumple...Can we talk?"

Rumplestiltskin waved his hand so a chair moved from across the room and sat across the table; Jennifer sat down. He leaned forward, curious as to what she had to say.

"What is it?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"I'm unhappy." Jennifer told him.

Rumplestiltskin looked a bit taken aback, and when he began to speak, Jennifer interrupted him.

Jennifer told him softly, "I know we've been disconnected for a time. The search for Baelfire has been taxing—for the both of us. Communication between us hasn't been the best..."

Rumplestiltskin sat back, interested.

"Looking for Bae hasn't been easy," Rumplestiltskin reassured gently. "I told you it wouldn't be."

"This isn't about Bae," Jennifer returned.

"It's not?" said Rumplestiltskin curiously.

"It's about us," Jennifer told him.

"Are you leaving?"

"Of course not." Jennifer returned.

Rumplestiltskin let out a huge sigh of relief. Jennifer smirked at him.

"I want us to have a day together." Jennifer told him. She moved the book he'd been reading to the side, and sat on the table in its place. "I want you and me to be alone, together, all afternoon. No interruptions, or deals. No torturing these petty people that call themselves 'thieves'." She rolled her eyes saying, "I can't tell you how many times I have caught people roaming around outside and they call themselves 'con artists'."

"You make it hard for people to intrude, Jennifer," Rumplestiltskin playfully chastised. "How is anyone supposed to get by you?"

"I imagine if they had any brains, one of them would have been armed with a wooden stake by now." Jennifer told him ironically.

"That wouldn't work anyway," Rumplestiltskin said. "You're much too powerful."

"Flattery is beneath you, Love—but thank you," Jennifer replied, giggling.

He hadn't heard that sound in a long time. Rumplestiltskin stood to his feet so he stood between her legs. She looked at him with a familiar expression, the deepest love she held for him, those blue orbs swimming in their pool of adoration. Rumplestiltskin placed his hands along the edges of her jaw; she beamed at him.

"Tonight," Jennifer told him. "Just us."

"As you wish," Rumplestiltskin granted to her.

They kissed gently.

Jennifer could feel him withdraw, however, and she looked at him expectantly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I have one more thing to do before tonight," Rumplestiltskin assured her.

"Another deal?" she asked curiously.

"I think the most important yet."

"Who is he?" Jennifer asked expectantly.

"'She'." Rumplestiltskin clarified.

Rumplestiltskin could have sworn a look of jealousy crossed her delicate features. She had gotten better at controlling her impulsive nature, but every now and then, the truth of her being would sweep up before she could settle down. This was one of them as she said bitingly, "'She'? You're making a deal with a woman?"

"She doesn't know it yet," Rumplestiltskin replied.

He began walking down the stairs to living room, and Jennifer followed.

"What's her name?" Jennifer asked.

"If I didn't know better, dear, I'd say you were a little jealous." Rumplestiltskin said, stopping at the entrance to the castle.

"A little?" Jennifer repeated.

Rumplestiltskin turned to her: "Fine. Extremely jealous."

"Try 'territorial'," Jennifer admitted. Then she continued her interrogation: "What is her name?"

"I don't know."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Rumplestiltskin returned, smiling at her. "I saw her in a vision."

"Seeing other women in your head isn't exactly what I wanted to hear, Rumple," Jennifer uttered unhappily.

Rumplestiltskin chuckled at her resentful tone. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. Disgruntled, Jennifer tried to resist his lofty temptations but she folded under the touch of his hand behind her neck, pulling her closer to him. They kissed briefly.

"She needs help," Rumplestiltskin told her. "A king has given her an ultimatum to spin straw into gold or she will be executed the next day, dearie. Naturally, she's desperate. She'll make a deal with me."

"And you're just going to swoop in and become her knight in shining armor," Jennifer responded coldly, gesticulating dramatically.

"That's ridiculous, Jennifer." Rumplestiltskin stated. Giggling, he added, "I look terrible in armor."

Jennifer frowned at him.

"Are you certain you don't know this woman?" she questioned.

"I don't know her."

"Good."

"But I will."

Jennifer frowned deeply, saying, "Why do you have to meet her tonight."

"Her life means something to me, Jennifer. To us. Her first-born daughter will be the one to cast the curse. She'll send us to a new land, and there, we will find our son." Rumplestiltskin explained gently.

Hearing his full-out explanation and hearing him refer to Baelfire as their son, not just his, Jennifer calmed down immensely. As he began to leave, Jennifer took his hand quickly. He looked at her.

"Promise me you won't fall in love with her," Jennifer whispered.

Rumplestiltskin began to speak, but she cut him off.

"If you do," Jennifer uttered quickly. "Don't come back."

Rumplestiltskin looked at her curiously.

To answer his nonverbal question, Jennifer responded painstakingly, "I know things haven't been as they used to between us. But I have always only ever wanted you to have your true happiness, Rumplestiltskin. Even if it is without me. If you come back to me, I know I will never have lost you. If you don't...I'll be heart broken but I will understand."

She kissed his cheek, smiling at him.

Rumplestiltskin said nothing. Admittedly, he was shocked by her words. She didn't look back as she walked into the dungeons knowing Rumplestiltskin was gone by then. She knew Rumplestiltskin and she had been disconnected for a while and part of it was her fault; she would close herself off to him, knowing he'd be gone for weeks. The separation sometimes seemed unbearable. Years before, Jennifer had become accustomed to isolation until she and Rumplestiltskin had become inseparable. What had felt like comfort when she was alone, had now become pain and loneliness.

Jennifer suspected just as much that this woman was, indeed, the key to finding Baelfire. Yet, a part of her that was still insecure about her vampirism, that part that made her feel unworthy of a true happiness made Jennifer's stomach turn unpleasantly. It only seemed likely that this would happen—that Rumplestiltskin would find love in another a woman, a more human woman. And while she had suggested that tonight they reconnect in a way they hadn't done so in a while, it sounded too coincidental that Rumplestiltskin suddenly had to meet with this woman.

It was painful to think that after all these years, he may still be able to choose another over her. If she had pushed Rumplestiltskin away to the arms of another woman, she wanted it to have happened for the best. People she loved seemed to leave—she wanted Rumplestiltskin to have her blessing if he did as well.

After a month had passed, Rumplestiltskin still had not come home.

Jennifer simply sat at the Dark One's desk and despite her painful feelings accompanied by sadness and abandonment, Jennifer continued to look for ways of getting back to Baelfire. Jennifer had given Rumplestiltskin a way out of their relationship, but that hadn't stopped her heart from aching so terribly. Even after these many decades, Jennifer was always surprised to learn that her heart could still be broken—even it had stopped beating long ago.