Once when Jefferson had been young, he'd been wrestling with one of the boys from the village he was staying in. It was for something stupid, Jefferson was sure. Probably to show off to some pretty girl. Jefferson was lean and fast but the boy was strong. Jefferson was caught in the gut by the boy's fist and he immediately went down.

It was the same feeling he got when he finished ripping through the house and he realized he was the only one here. It was the same feeling he had when he raced to the driveway and saw her car was gone.

It was the same feeling that slammed into him with every heartbeat as he sped to Rumpelstiltskin's house and slammed his fist into the door over and over until the imp opened it, already dressed and ready for the day. Rumpelstiltskin took one look at him and let him inside, "You told her?"

"She knew," Jefferson sobbed.

"That we were this world's version of cautionary fairy tales?"

"No, she wouldn't believe that part, but she….she knew that things weren't right. She came to me demanding I tell her the truth and when I did, she wouldn't believe me and she took our baby and left."

Rumpelstiltskin cursed, "Out of town?"

"Where else would she go?"

"We can't get her then," Rumpelstiltskin said and then he realized something, "Unless her adoption of Alex didn't go through."

Jefferson bristled at that idea, "It did."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, "Rotten luck then, we could've had her brought back if we got her for kidnapping…kept her in the cell until we convinced her."

"Yeah or Regina hurt her."

"Either way, she'd know the truth."

"You will not use my son to make my wife come back," Jefferson snarled.

"Are you going to use your charm then, once we find where she went?" Rumpelstiltskin challenged, "Sometimes you do what you have to do."

"Not against my loved ones, not against my family," he snapped, "You taught me that."

Rumpelstiltskin looked ashamed and nodded, "Yes, I did."

Jefferson fell against the couch; he put his head in his hands and sobbed, "I tried to tell her. She demanded the truth and I told her and she wouldn't listen."

"It is a hard thing to swallow for a world like this."

Jefferson was shaking, "She didn't trust me. She didn't feel safe with me. She took our son and left because she didn't feel safe with me anymore."

"I'm sure it's more complicated than that."

"No, it's not. Emma's never had a real home before…not really. This was supposed to be it. I was supposed to be it. I was supposed to be different from the men that hurt her and I wasn't. I lied to her and used her and Alex. I knew the cost, I did it anyway and now she's gone."

"You couldn't have known she'd do that."

"Of course I knew! I knew it the day I married her that she would most likely leave. I shouldn't have done that, it was a mistake. I should've just offered to let her adopt Alex and share custody of him somehow….but no. I married her because I thought it would give her more reason to stay and promised her her son if she would do what I asked. What sort of man am I that I would use a child to get her to do what I wanted?"

He wasn't worthy of her, he knew that. He swore mentally that if he was able to find her, he'd beg her forgiveness…give her anything she wanted if she just came back. He'd admit to all his wrong doings, tell her everything he'd done and let her decide for herself if he was worth it. And he'd strive every day to make sure that he was if she actually (doubtfully) decided he was worth her time.

Because he loved her. And it was too late to say it….not like she'd believe him but he did. He had come to that realization a bit ago but he didn't dare tell Emma. Not until she knew the truth about what she was getting into.

"We'll find her," Rumpelstiltskin promised.

"And if we don't?"

"We will," Rumpelstiltskin told him confidently, "The final battle will begin on her 28th birthday. Either we'll find her or she'll come back….and since one of these possibilities looks less and less likely…we'll find her."

"By her 28th birthday?" Jefferson stood up, "I might not see my son for 10 years?!"

He felt the panic set in then. First Grace and now Alex? No. No, no, no, no….don't let this be more punishment for the things he'd done. He couldn't lose another child because of his own actions. He couldn't be alone again….

"Then I suppose we better find her quickly then," Rumpelstiltskin quietly offered.

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Emma knew that she couldn't leave town. Not yet.

She didn't believe Jefferson. She doubted Mr. Gold was a short little imp that stole children from queens…but she knew everyone was afraid of him. She knew he had power here that even exceeded the mayor's. She knew he was a lawyer and got her papers to get legal custody of her son. Emma wasn't sure how it all worked but she was sure that someone like Mr. Gold could make that disappear and get her in trouble the moment she tried to leave town with her son.

And he would, because he and Jefferson were best friends. Best friends with too many secrets and shared delusions of being literary book figures.

Mr. Gold had power. Emma grew up in foster homes, she knew first-hand how people with power abused it. She wasn't about to be stupid enough to cross him.

So, she needed a place to hide until she figured out what she should do.

Going back to Jefferson was not an option.

And that shouldn't make her stomach clench the way it did.

He was supposed to be different from Neal….

Alex wouldn't stop crying the moment he woke up. Emma tried to bounce him and sing to him as she hid her car and walked the several blocks with him to her intended destination but he wouldn't stop.

Emma worried he might be sick.

She was mentally exhausted as she shouldered her bags and Alex's diaper bag and walked up the stairs to the loft. She'd only been there once before, but she knew it was big and it was roomy.

And it was just for the night. Surely Alex would stop crying by then.

The door opened when Emma knocked. Mary Margaret looked confused as Emma held her baby close and finally let her tears fall, "I'm sorry, I know I should've called but I need a place to stay tonight."