Emma did her best to avoid Jefferson at all costs when she was home. It was sort of easy; the house was huge, which meant that she could find somewhere else to entertain herself. However, that didn't exactly help her when she wanted to see her son. She still had to come face him.
Emma was always tired when she got home. She came to the house with a yell that she was back, showered, changed and then went to find them so she could see her son.
She found them in the kitchen usually; Jefferson liked to cook for them. Which was where she found them after work today.
"Hi Alex," she greeted and pulled him out of the high chair, "Hi, did you have a good day?"
"I'm making pancakes," he told her, "Breakfast for dinner, now isn't that clever?"
"I'm not very hungry," Emma told him after some tension, "I'll eat later."
Jefferson hesitated, "It'll be best for the boy if we still act as a family."
"He won't remember."
"They say that children subconsciously know this stuff."
"They say a lot of things," Emma whispered, "Doesn't make it true."
"No, it doesn't," he whispered and sighed, "You shouldn't snap at him, you know. He can make our lives miserable if he wanted to. And you're wearing down his good will."
"I don't care; I don't want him near Alex."
Jefferson flipped over the pancakes; his voice softened a bit, "Okay. I'll make sure he stays away from Alex."
Emma kissed the top of her son's head, "Thank you."
Jefferson was quiet for a few moments, "What did he say to you? To get you to come back?"
Emma felt her blood starting to boil at the memory, "You'll have to ask him that."
"I'm asking you."
Emma felt her jaw clench, "He said that if I stayed with Mary Margaret, he'd evict her. And he said that if I tried to leave, he'd have me arrested because the adoption for Alex wasn't legal for either of us."
Jefferson cursed, "I didn't want him to do that! I wanted you to come back but I wasn't going to force you to, Emma, believe that at least."
The desperation in his voice…she'd come to know it since she'd moved in. Emma gave a nod, "I do."
"He doesn't…work by the most honorable means."
"Yeah, I think I figured that out," she muttered, "How exactly did you come to be best buddies with him?"
Jefferson turned off the skillet and came to sit across from her. He looked thoughtful for a second and sighed, "Emma…I would have to tell you my story."
"Okay."
He looked down at his hands, "I really would appreciate it if you didn't call me crazy again. I know you think that, I don't need to hear it."
She nodded, "Okay."
"I wasn't always the shining saint you see now."
Despite herself and her anger, she gave a bit of a smile, "No kidding."
He drew a breath, "I know you don't trust me. And I know you have no reason to. I hated lying to you Emma. I really did but I was scared that if I told you the truth about all of it you'd…you'd leave."
"Well I'm here now," she muttered.
"Yeah, I just wish you wanted to be," he whispered, "But no more. No more lies. I'll be honest with you; I'll tell you the truth about everyth-."
There was a crash in the front room. Emma and Jefferson both jumped. A smaller crash followed it. Alex started crying. Emma reached for her son, and held him to her chest. Jefferson stood up and went for a knife on the counter.
"Emma, get the baby out of here. Go to R-."
The kitchen door opened. Emma's eyes widened when she saw who it was, "Sheriff?"
He grabbed Jefferson and twisted his arm behind his back, "You're under arrest for drunk driving with a baby in the car"
"What?" Emma exclaimed, "He wouldn't do that, he would never do that with Alex, what are you talking about?"
She rushed forward to stop him but Graham held up his hand, "You stay back."
"Emma-," Jefferson grunted as handcuffs were snapped on him, "Emma, this is Regina's doing."
"But how-?"
"She owns the town," he told her quickly, "She controls the sheriff, she controls the court."
Graham pulled Jefferson away from the table. Emma's eyes widened, "Hey! Leave him alone! He's a good father; he would never do something like that."
"Then he has nothing to worry about," Graham told her.
"What proof do you have?" Emma demanded.
The sheriff didn't say anything, Emma held her crying son to her chest, "I said what proof do you have?!"
"Don't make me arrest you too," the sheriff threatened.
"You leave her alone!" Jefferson shouted angrily and pushed at him. The sheriff shoved him hard against the wall.
Emma backed away and held her son to her chest, "STOP IT!"
"Emma, she won't let me out, she's going to put me in the asylum, you have to help me?"
"How?" Emma asked.
But she didn't have to ask. She knew.