Unconcerned with deadlines, Jefferson slept late into the morning. He woke up alone. Where his lover had once been was now an empty space. With a sigh, the Hatter rolled onto his back. The canopy above him was a deep red, satin and fine and his stomach twisted with dread as he remembered the deal he had made.
Less with the prospect of marriage and more the fact that he wouldn't be able to give Arista what she needed. In her time with Rumplestiltskin she had no doubt come to expect a certain level of luxury. Canopy beds, beds in general, being one of them. For all essential purposes, Jefferson was homeless.
Slowly, the young man sat up. The room spun a moment, from dehydration or a concussion, he wasn't sure. It didn't matter. His gaze flicked around the chamber. Like most of Rumple's castle, it was dimly lit with no natural light. A familiar hat box sat on a chair along with his satchel, his coat slung over the back from it and Jefferson supposed it was time to go.
To his surprise, getting a marriage license turned out to be more difficult than he expected.
At first, people were affable; excited even, to be helping him with something so life changing. The man behind the counter at the town hall had been cheerful and perhaps a bit talkative as he went on and on and on about how it was just wonderful to see young people starting their lives...at least, until Jefferson couldn't produce a birth certificate for his betrothed.
"No birth certificate?" The man repeated. His features tightened as he tilted his head. "What do you mean she doesn't have a birth certificate?"
"Well…" The portal jumper cleared his throat and adjusted the lapels of his jacket. "She's not from this realm."
His bushy brows perked up with interest. "Oh? Where is she from?"
"Neverland."
The man blinked, then regarded him differently. Eyes suddenly sharp, he swept his gaze over the boy. Fingers tight on the record book on the counter between them, he repeated, "Neverland? The only women there are mermaids."
Jefferson shrugged, not understanding why that mattered. "So?"
"So..." the older man sneered. "I can't give you a license."
"Why not?" Jefferson blinked. Faltering a moment, he tried to keep his befuddled annoyance off his face and instead forced a smile. "I can pay-"
"Keep your money. It's no good here."
A frown spread across the Hatter's lips as he pressed forward. "But-"
"But nothing. We don't support that kind of filth here."
Jefferson could only gape at the man as he snapped the record book shut.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"I'm not going anywhere!" The boy shouted. "Until you take my damn money!"
He was then escorted out of the town hall by three unfairly large men and thrown into the street. Jefferson let out a grunt as his ass bounced off the cobblestone. Glaring at the men, he stood, righted his coat and picked up his hat. With it back firmly on his head, the portal jumper huffed.
A blush crossed his cheeks as a few of the townspeople scowled at him, as they went out of their way to avoid eye contact with him. It was nothing new, but it still stung to have people look down on him. With a roll of his shoulders, Jefferson decided that it was time to make his way to the next town.
He wouldn't have much luck there either. The lady behind the counter seemed to recognize him, or rather, his hat and before he could so much as reach into his satchel, she was glaring at him.
"You're the Liddell boy, aren't you?"
The Hatter forced himself to smile. Charming and disarming, he inclined his head, "I'm one of them."
"Then you're not welcome," the elderly woman replied simply before closing the shutters.
Jefferson blinked. With a frown, he knocked at the blue painted wood. "Excuse me? M'am? I really only need-"
"You need to leave!" The lady's voice was shrill. "Before I call for the constable!"
Scowling, the portal jumper left. He wouldn't be able to keep his end of the bargain from a jail cell.
The next town was the same, and the town after that. The villages were the same. On the second day, he had gone through near the entire Enchanted Forest. Tirelessly jumping from town to town, only to have them either reject him outright by his name, his reputation or by the simple fact that Arista was a mermaid. He had even tried a few of the smaller hamlets. Small, secluded places where he was sure no one had ever heard of him, only to be turned away once more at the mention of Arista's...heritage.
He couldn't lie; part of the deal was that they knew what she was. In all honesty, the Hatter hadn't expected anyone to care. Sure, he got some gentle ribbing from Rumple, but he hadn't thought anyone would care whether or not Arista was a mermaid. Why would they? How could that possibly affect their opinion of him so much that they would outright deny him something so banal?
Lips twitching in irritation, he reached into his satchel. With a sigh, he cringed as his fingers came back dark with charcoal. Nose wrinkled, he pulled out the stack of paper. A wicked grin crossed his lips as an idea struck him and with a flick of his hat, he found himself in the castle.
Regina visibly startled at the sight of him. A scowl lined her pretty features, but she didn't move from her vanity. "Jefferson! What have I told you about doing that?!"
"Your Majesty," it was more of a jeer than a greeting. Kicking his heels together, he met her eyes in her mirror and ignored her question. "How've you been?"
The brunette arched a fine brow at him before she stood. Cautious and a bit underwhelmed with the prospect of spending time alone with the portal jumper, she started, "Well-"
"So glad to hear it." He lifted his satchel. "I have what you want."
Regina's gaze levelled and her lips pursed as he pulled out the pages. They weren't what she was expecting, but that hardly troubled her. When Jefferson made a delivery, the product usually worked (with one notable, heart breaking exception, of course). Annoyed with his nonchalance, she asked where his partner was.
"What? Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Not really."
"That's fair." He held out the stack of paper only to pull it from her reach. At her huff, the Hatter spun on his heel. "Especially considering I've decided to alter our deal."
The Queen gaped at him. "What?! But I've already paid-"
Jefferson spun away from her. "I want something else."
"But-"
He turned to face her. Serious, the portal jumper repeated, "I want. Something. Else."
With a sigh of defeat, Regina put her hands on her hips. "What is it?"
"A marriage license."
The Queen blinked, then let out a scoff of laughter. "For who?"
Jefferson squinted at her and replied with a hint of annoyed indignity, "Well, me, of course."
Crossing her arms, she regarded him carefully a moment. Jefferson seemed as unflappable and insincere as always and she almost couldn't bear to ask, "And who exactly do you intend on marrying?"
"That's really none of your business."
A smirk crossed her painted red lips. "Couldn't you get one of those at any town hall?"
The portal jumper dropped his gaze. Expression a bit tighter, he fisted the brim of his hat. "It seems my union...is a touchy one, for some of the smaller minded people around the realm."
Dark eyes sparkling with malice, her smirk widened into a smile as she stalked over to him. Her dress was so ornate she had to hold her skirt to do so. Glaring into his eyes, Regina beamed at his discomfort. "It's Arista, isn't it? You can't get a license because she's not human."
Jefferson swallowed. Her tone had been derisive and cruel and it sickened him to know how Arista revered the woman who would mock her so easily. Jaw clenched, he met her stare head on. "Do we have a deal or not?"
"Fine, I'll grant you a license..."
His head fell forward in relief. "Thank you."
"For a price," She finished with a sneer.
The portal jumper sighed, long and low. Under his breath, he repeated, "Everything for a price."
"If she agrees to go diving for me, like she does Rumplestiltskin." Her chin rose. "For her to come at my beck and call whenever I please."
He blinked and shook his head. "I can't make that deal for her."
"Well, you are going to be her husband." The Queen stepped around him. "Surely you can speak on her behalf this once."
The younger man swallowed. Voice tight and quiet, his gaze followed her feet as she walked to her vanity, "She'd do anything you ask, you know that."
"I do." She grinned and rolled her wrist. Conjuring the slip of paper that could ruin his life if she decided not to give it to him with ease. "But I like to hear you say it."
"We'll go wherever you ask, but at the first sign of danger, we reserve the right to leave. Whether you get what you want or not."
Regina considered a moment before she nodded. "Fair enough." Bending over her dresser, she signed the slip with flourish. Too busy inspecting her writing, the woman didn't meet the Hatter's gaze as she spoke, "I expect you'll make her happy?"
"I'll try to."
With pursed lips and a roll of her eyes, the Queen handed him the license. "I suppose that's all I can ask."
All but snatching it from her hand, Jefferson looked it over. It seemed perfectly official and perfectly ordinary and he felt a pang of relief, which quickly grew into gratitude. Once the slip was safe in his satchel, he cleared his throat.
The woman rolled her eyes at him. "What now, Hatter?"
"She…" He clenched his jaw. "We…" The young man huffed before he, somewhat lamely, finished, "it would be an honor if you attended the ceremony, your Majesty."
Regina's eyes widened. A smile, warm and bright, blossomed over her red lips, but she quickly forced it down. Still, her dark eyes sparkled as she shrugged. "I'll consider it."
Mouth tight, the young portal jumper nodded and stepped back. With a flick of his wrist, he found himself in Rumplestiltskin's study. The imp glanced at him, but said nothing. Just waited patiently from his spot behind the desk as Jefferson approached him. Careful fingers set the slip of paper before the Dark One. Then the Hatter stepped back and waited.
With his hands behind his back, Jefferson looked more like a boy than a man and Rumplestiltskin almost felt a pang of regret. Almost. Curious, he leaned forward and picked the page up. Jefferson visibly tensed as he twirled it between his fingers, inspecting it, looking it over for fraud. A smirk pulled at Rumple's lips at the sight of Regina's signature, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he hummed.
"Well." He carefully folded the paper in thirds. "I suppose congratulations are in order, aren't they, laddie?"
Jefferson's shoulders slumped with relief. With a thick swallow, his chin fell to his chest. A smile spread over his lips. "I'm not too late."
"It seems you made it by the skin of your teeth. An hour more and you'd never seen your bride to be ever again." The Dark One lifted a brow as he handed back the license. "Disappointed?"
"No!"
"Just checking." He watched as the boy tucked it carefully away in his bag. Rumplestiltskin considered him a moment. "You know, I don't quite understand how the two of you are so..." He wrinkled his nose. "Enamored with one another."
A small frown tugged at the portal jumper's portal as he fixed the strap of his satchel. "What's to understand?"
"Well, you're a worldly sort of young fellow." The Dark One eased off his desk. Tapping his chin, he moved around it as he went on, "Experienced. Surely there can't be much about my little mermaid that holds your, uh, interests besides her assets. Assets which she has no idea how to use no less." He shrugged. "May as well be talking to a fish- oh wait!"
At the imp's mocking snap of his fingers, Jefferson huffed. "I love her. She loves me. What's to understand?"
"Now that I understand." As he held up a sickly green tinged finger, Rumple continued, "A lonely young flounder imprinting on the first young man to come her way… but as the saying goes, a bird may love a fish, but where would they live?"
"I'm not a bird." The young man crossed his arms and lifted his chin. Gaze cool, but cheeks flushed, he told him, "And she's not a fish."
The Dark One smirked. "But you are a thief. Always travelling, always leaving, and she is very much a fish whether you deny it or not, she belongs-"
"With me," Jefferson finished with a hint of nervous finality. "She belongs with me."
The Dark One arched a doubtful brow. "Does she now?"
"I know we're different, I know she misses her home but maybe she can have a new one here."
"And I suppose after all the trouble you've went through you think her best chance to have one is with you."
The boy lifted an almost helpless shoulder. Fiddling with his hat, he nodded. "I want to make her happy."
"Why?" It was a genuine curiosity on his part. Rumplestiltskin had seen the two together and while they were young and infatuated, he didn't see anything of substance between them…until, of course, he had witnessed the mermaid's attempt at True Love's Kiss.
The Hatter lifted his shoulders again and replied simply, "I love her."
"Yes but why?" The imp growled with frustration. "Looks can only last so long, you know."
"It's more than that." Jefferson faltered at the sneer on his employer's face. He didn't completely understand why the imp cared so much. The Hatter had already held up his end of the deal. What did it matter why? Still, after a moment of fumbling for a response, Jefferson told the truth, "She's kind and gentle and infuriating and- and she makes me feel..."
"Ugh, I wanted honesty not sentimentality, Hatter." Rumple rolled his eyes in an over dramatic manner before he turned his back on him.
Jefferson swallowed, closed his eyes and finished, "She makes me feel like I'm not some unwanted orphan."
Startled, the Dark One turned to face him. Jefferson's expression was cool, but his eyes were misty when he opened them. A bit disturbed, Rumplestiltskin reminded him, "Your mother's alive."
"She's dead to me," the boy replied simply.
"Hm."
Flipping his hat back on to his head, he perked his brows up. "Is that good enough for you?"
Rumple offered him a flamboyant shrug. "Does it matter? You've already made the deal." He waved him off. "The girl is yours, you're free to do with her what you will."
Pulling his hat down a bit, Jefferson cringed. His stomach tightened at how casually Arista had been passed off to him, how Rumple regarded her as little more than a tool. An animal. A pet. "No, not really but we'd like your blessing."
Surprised, the Dark One pursed his lips. "And so you have it, so long as I never have to hear such inane drivel again."
"Of course not."
"Now…" he gestured to the door with a sickly finger. "Shall we wake your piscine bride and celebrate?"
Rumplestiltskin spun to do just that, when the young man's voice stopped him. "Wait."
It was weak and anxious and the imp grinned at it. Perhaps his little mermaid wouldn't be going anywhere so soon. Curious, he looked back at Jefferson. Finger still poised, he repeated, "Wait?"
The portal jumper faltered a moment before he swallowed his pride. "I...I don't have what she needs yet."
The imp arched an eyebrow. "What she needs?"
"A ring, a house...she needs a home." The Hatter's hands clenched anxiously at his sides as he dropped his gaze. "At the very least a home."
"Can't argue with that." Rumplestiltskin inclined his head, more with agreement than empathy.
"Can I have a few days? To gather what we need?"
The Dark One lifted a shoulder that wasn't quite as apathetic as he would like it to be. "I suppose."
Jefferson relaxed. "Thank you."
A/N: Unbetaed, my beautiful beta gnarly broke her wrist, so she wasn't able to do it for me. So sorry for any mistakes and if there were places that needed more description.