Once Upon a Time

Remember a Time

Chapter Twelve

Jefferson stared up at the dull, dingy ceiling of his small cell from on his back on probably one of the most uncomfortable mattresses he had ever laid on, which was saying a lot since he had slept on a pile of rocks and sheets stuffed with hay. He was trying not to focus too much on anything, he may once again go mad if he did.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this an interesting sight? How's life in the big house?"

Jefferson closed his eyes and clenched his jaw at the sound of the rough familiar voice of the only man he remotely feared. "It's not exactly the "big house" Gold, its only one of two holding cells of the town's small police department." He sat up, glaring at Mr. Gold who took a few casual steps forward.

"Judging by the look in your eyes you would prefer not to take my legal advice I gather."

"You would be right in thinking that. I don't know what would have ever given you the assumption that I would want your help in legal matters or anything else."

"Never assume, dearie, you know what they say about that. Now, there seems to be a lot of hostility between you and I and I just can't understand why."

Jefferson rolled his eyes, standing up from his bed and walking across the cell. "Drop the act Gold, I know who you are and I know you do too. You don't need to keep up this ridiculous act of you running a pawn shop in this small town."

"I haven't a clue what you are talking about, Jefferson."

"Okay, fine I'll play alone. Perhaps in a past life you had made some threats that took away one of the only people I ever cared about and left a little girl motherless."

Mr. Gold shrugged sitting casually in a chair across from Jefferson's cell. "Past life's, is that something you believe in? I don't, I believe we have this one life to make the proper choices. Anyone who believes in past life's is someone who made a life altering choice that they wish to take back, in there so called next life they try to do good without really even knowing they are to make up for the mistakes in the past life they believe they destroyed. Things like, I don't know, agreeing to work with one of the wickedest people around and abandoning their daughter."

Jefferson lunged forward, eyes blazing with rage, gripping the bars hoping to squeeze through and get to Mr. Gold. "That had everything to do with you! Just another way for you to tear me down after being the one and only person to tell you NO. Regina would have never thought to come to me, hell she didn't even know where her father was until you told her where he was and who could get her there!"

"I merely planted the seed, Jefferson, you made it grow. You could have easily said no to her, don't blame me because you old ways of loving money more than life. It was a test Jefferson and you failed it. The only one you have to blame is yourself."

"Maybe, maybe I can't blame anyone for the choice I made that day to bring Regina to Wonderland. But I can blame you for taking Grace's mother away from her, for taking the love of my life away from me. A little girl lost her mother and you showed no remorse even with your history with your son and how he also lost his mother…oh wait that was your fault too."

Mr. Gold shot up out of his seat. "She left us! Left us to run off and sail with that pirate!"

"But you killed her Gold! You ripped her beating heart out of her chest and crushed it! Take the mother of your child away from her son forever! Regardless of what she did she was still Bealfire's mother, did that mean nothing to you?"

"Making an example of her meant everything." Mr. Gold took a deep breath, straightening his suit. "All this…reminiscing has made me a bit peckish, I think I will stop by Granny's and have a bite."

With that, Mr. Gold turned around with a wicked grin and walked straight out of the police station leaving Jefferson no room to say another word. He stood at the bars, eyes burning, remembering the choices he made and how much he regretted it. It felt wrong the entire time he was with Regina, he kept telling himself that it was what was best for Grace that he would be able to give her everything she'd ever want, need, and deserve.

"Mama, when's papa coming home?" A little curly haired 5 year-old girl looked up at her mother with bright brown eyes from the floor.

Alice turned from the counter, looking down at her daughter with soft adoring eyes. "He should be home any minute Gracie, in fact why don't you get the table set for dinner so when he walks in we can sit down and eat."

"Okay mama!" Grace jumped up from her spot on the floor and scurried over to the cabinets, pulling out three plates and three glasses.

As if on cue Jefferson came bursting through the door of his small home with a look of panic. Alice turned around with a bright smile at first to greet her husband but one look at his terrified face washed away her smile. He stood, breathing heavily in the wide doorway of the kitchen. Grace scurried over to him without a care, clinging to his leg. "Papa! You're home! Look papa, look I help mama with dinner. I set the table all by myself." Jefferson's panicked eyes softened for his daughter as he looked down at her.

"Jefferson?" Alice spoke softly.

He kneeled down to his daughter's height, putting his hands gently on either side of her face. "Gracie," He said in a calm, soothing tone. "I want you to go into your room, grab you bag and put a few things in it. Only a few though."

"Are we going on a holiday? I heard a few kids playing in town talking about going on a holiday with their mommy and daddy to a beach. It sounded like fun."

Jefferson kissed his daughters forehead. "Something like that sweetie, now go on." Grace squealed and ran to her room.

Alice stepped forward, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Jefferson, what's happened?"

"We have to leave." He looked up to her from where he had kneeled. "It's not safe here, I don't know we'll be safe anywhere but we are definitely not safe here." Jefferson stood up, moving around Alice to grab a few thing for food, throwing them in a box on the counter.

Alice's eyes watched Jefferson move from one space to another, looking for anything they might need. She felt a wave of anger wash over her. "You've been jumping again, haven't you?" He stopped in his tracks in the middle of their living room. "You said you were done, you said you got rid of the damn hat Jefferson."

"I did stop, the hat was somewhere safe but I've had a standing deal with someone that I could not break. But when I found out what he was looking for that made the contract void, I told him no more." Jefferson put the bag he had in his hand down, stepping up to Alice.

"When? When did this happen?"

He stared into the love of his life's eyes. "Today, I had no idea what he was searching for it was never part of the deal to ask but once I found out that he was looking for his son the deal have to come to an end." Jefferson brought a hand to Alice's face at the sight of a tear falling. "I'm sorry Alice, I couldn't tell you about him or our deal."

"Let me guess, that was part of your contract?" Jefferson nodded slowly. "God Jefferson, what are we supposed to do. What even happened?"

"I told him we were finished and then he threated you and Grace, he's trying to manipulate what we had agreed upon many years ago. He's lost his only chance at finding his son but there is nothing I can do to help him now. He has no clues on where is son is so I can't even begin to think where he may be, plus in order to bring him home one would have to stay behind. I'm certain he wouldn't be volunteering for that."

"Who is it?"

Jefferson went quiet, his head cocked to the side slightly. "What?"

"Who. Is. It. Who is the one you were with earlier?" Alice knew the answer, she knew who it was in her gut. Her eyes burned with unshed tears knowing that it wouldn't matter where she and her family ran to, he would find them.

"Rumplestilskin." Alice jerked away from Jefferson, stepping back as he reached out to her. "Alice please-"

"How could you be so stupid to ever make a deal with someone like that?! He's dangerous Jefferson and now Grace is in danger!"

"This was well before we had even met, I was a different man then I was I supposed to know I'd meet you and we'd have a child together? All I cared about was what he could give me, all I want was endless gold and money. I was a selfish man, Alice."

"Grace, hurry up we need to go now." She called to her daughter, who came trotting out a moment later. "Come on honey, let's go."

"Alice, wait." There was nothing but fear and panic in Jefferson's tone. "Please."

"Where are we going mama?"

"We're going to see grandpa." Alice smiled down at Grace, taking her hand.

"Your step-father!? You're going to your step-father? Alice please, don't leave me." Alice tried to ignore Jefferson, tugging Grace toward the door as she began to resist a little. "Alice!" Alice flinched at Jefferson's tone and increased volume. She and Grace stopped in the doorway, about to walk outside.

"Mama?" Grace looked from her mother back to her father.

Alice shut her eyes tightly, letting out a sigh. She turned her head slightly to the side, glancing at her husband. She let Grace's hand fall away from hers. "Grace, why don't you help daddy with his bag?"

Jefferson let out a sigh of relief, looking at Alice with a faint smile to which she turned away from taking a step outside.

Addison lay in her bed fast asleep, tossing and turning as images in her head flashed like a movie reel.

There was nothing but trees all over, as she walked alone the dirt road path. She noticed she wasn't alone though. There was a little girl skipping ahead of her, humming, and a man to her right just a half step behind her.

"Thank you for not just leaving. I know you only did it for Grace, I know you're mad at me right now."

Addison felt herself let out a sigh before speaking. "Jefferson," The name shocked her, she knew it was odd but was unable to say anything on her own, she felt as if she was on auto-pilot. "I just don't understand why you never said anything, it being part of your deal is not a good enough excuse. We'd married. We have a daughter. You had to have known this was something that could potentially happen. And besides that, what if he killed you or if you had found his son in one of those other world? He would have left you there is a heartbeat to be with his son again."

"I know, it was stupid but I was worried telling you would make it worse. Knowing you, you'd end up hunting him down and do something equally as stupid."

Addison let herself laugh. "You're probably right."

The two followed the little girl for a few more steps in silence until Jefferson took hold of her wrist, pulling her towards him. In a smooth motion he slipped his hand around her waist, putting his other hand to her cheek and pressing his lips to hers. "I love you Alice, you know that?"

A smile spread across Addison's face, though she was wondering who Alice was and why Jefferson thought it was her. "I love you too, but our daughter is getting a little too far for comfort."

Jefferson let out a short moan, burying his face in her neck and hair. "Let's go." He kissed her forehead, taking her hand in his following the little girl again.

Addison's eyes snapped open. She looked over to her right to check the clock on the night stand to see that the time read 4:15 am. The dream seemed so incredibly real and detailed, detailed enough to concern her. It was too odd that it again included Jefferson and felt more like a memory then a normal dream. She could see that Jefferson was keeping something from her the other night, Henry had this idea that everyone in this town was someone from a book he's always carrying around. Maybe there was something to all of that.

She needed to know. What did Jefferson know? She got up out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a clean tank top, then went out the door.

She headed to the police station, she needed to see Jefferson, and she needed to get answers.