Chapter 35
Jefferson wasn't sure what he was going to do as Phillip advanced on him. But Suddenly Phillip's sword disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, and for a split-second, he thought Aurora had used her magic before Regina's words filled the street behind him.
"That will be enough of that." And Phillip's sword appeared back at his side.
"Regina?" Jefferson turned never more relieved to see her in his whole life. Emma and her parents were standing there with her.
"What is the Evil Queen doing here?" Phillip barked at James.
But it was Emma who answered. "We are facing Cora and Hook, remember what they did to us back in the Enchanted Forest? We are going to need all the help we can get Regina, Jefferson, and Rumple included." Emma walked over offering a hand to Aurora who was still sitting on the ground rubbing the back of her head.
"Thank-you," Aurora muttered as she got to her feet noticing Rumple walking up behind Jefferson.
"We have much to discuss, Phillip." David came up beside him placing his arm around him and leading him inside before he could protest.
Jefferson looked up at the building towards the lighted windows of the library. "I shouldn't be here." He whispered to himself.
"Of course, you should dearie, it is moments like this that I trained you for. Your advice will be just as sound if not more so than most of the idiots in there already plotting."
"R…Rumple!" Jefferson turned surprised to hear his voice behind him.
"Now I know you have been out of the game for some time now, but do try to keep up and make me look good tonight."
Regina went to walk by Aurora but saw the bracelet that Victor had given her, which had been knocked out of place when she had fallen.
"Where ever did you get that?" She asked grabbing her wrist.
"From Victor," She glanced at Jefferson and Rumple but they were talking not noticing them. "He was trying to make up for his whole part in what happened." She commented tucking it back into place up her left sleeve praying that Regina didn't realize what it was.
She laughed. "He can't possibly make up for that."
"I don't blame him for what happened."
Regina move in closer to her. "Are you sure."
"I may not have my magic but I don't need it to hurt you." She pulled the knife the Huntsman had given her all those years ago out of her boot and brought it up to Regina's throat.
"No, you never did. But it did make things more interesting."
Aurora's skin crawled at the way she said interesting, but she didn't have long to think about what it meant because Regina waved her hand making the knife disappear and reappear in her own hand.
Aurora stumbled back from her.
"Regina," Jefferson growled suddenly realizing what was happening.
"Relax Aurora is not the Queen I am here to fight." She threw the knife at her feet. "But I am sure her temper will be her own undoing soon enough." She smiled at Aurora as if saying, you know I am right before she walked into the Library.
"Aurora?" Both Jefferson and Rumple asked.
She turned "I am fine. Regina is correct. Tempers have no place tonight. We are not here to fight each other, we have to come together to stop Cora and Hook before they kill anyone else." She picked up her knife placing it back in her boot. "Before she followed Regina inside.
Rumple walked past Jefferson leaning on his cane, he held the door open for him to enter. "Come along, Jefferson."
Jefferson grabbed his coat a moment rocking slightly on his heels. Please don't let me regret this, he thought before giving a nod in agreement and walk through the door.
"Queen Regina, I did not expect to see you here tonight."
"Robin Hood, I didn't realize you knew what a building was. I heard you and the men who had been cursed here had set up a camp in the woods."
"The woods maybe safer than the town if your mother is truly here."
"She is here and I am here tonight to make sure she doesn't destroy my town." Regina moved past Robin to join the others at the library tables.
Victor wasn't even supposed to be working tonight, he had been hoping to use his free hours before the town meeting to put some finish touches to his proposal for Ruby's treatment plan, but he had been called into the Hospital.
The alarm went off on his phone as he was changing Nova's IV bag. "Where is Van Helsing?" he muttered turning to see him in the doorway. "Speak of the Devil and he shall appear."
"We killed the Devil, remember?" Van Helsing commented.
"Well, it appears we have two new ones to worry on top of all this." He waved his hand at Nova.
"Yes, why are most of the nun sick?"
"The Nuns were Fairies back in the Enchanted Forest…"
"Faires?"
"Yes, and it appears that they all ate something which upset them."
"Food Poisoning?"
"I believe so, the question is what was it that upset them and no one else at Granny's this afternoon."
"You think it is because they are all Fairies"
"The thought had crossed my mind, it is weird that only they appear to be sick." His phone alarm went off again. "I need you to watch over things until I can get back."
"Where ever do you have to go this time of night?"
"There is a town meeting to figure out some kind of plan about Cora and Hook. It was requested that I be there."
"I thought you were not working for the Dark One anymore?"
"I am not. I am the town Doctor, I need to know what is going on for the safety of everyone." He handed Van Helsing his lab coat. "You can handle this correct?"
"Of course. No place I would rather be."
Emma enters the room coming to join her parents and Phillip at the table looking at the map. "Where did this map come from?"
"Jefferson lent it to me," Belle answered coming up to the other side of the table with Ruby and Granny. "It seems it was one of the things he did to keep himself busy while he was stuck in that mansion during the curse."
"I knew I had seen it before."
"Really?" Belle asked not knowing what had happened behind Jefferson and Emma before the curse was broken. But before Emma could explain Rumple and Jefferson entered the library.
"I draw maps better than people, it is a skill I picked up from my father."
"Makes sense." Emma nodded looking down at the map of the town again. "Pirates need good maps."
"Well now that I am here let us get started with the actual plan we are going to use," Rumple smirked taking in the room of want to be heroes and Regina.
"What are you doing here?" Snow asked.
"Well it is my library, and well, town, I think I should have a say in how to protect it."
"Just because you own more than half the town doesn't mean you actually want to protect it." Regina's voice mocked him from behind.
"Now you dearie most certainly shouldn't be here." He pointed at Regina.
"Why ever not? I am mayor of this town."
"Because your mother is one of the people we plan to put a stop too."
"Please I hate my mother as much if not more than Jefferson hates his father and he seems to be allowed to be here. Even after what he did to Snow and Emma."
"What did Jefferson do to Snow and Emma?" Belle asked.
"I will tell you later," Emma stated stepping up. "But for now you two need to cool it. We are all here because we want to help this town. We don't want Hook or Cora to hurt or kill any more innocent people."
"I could care less who they hurt, I am here to kill Hook and rid myself of at least one of my problems."
"Rumple, what did we just talk about?" Belle shook his head at him.
"What, I thought you wanted me to be honest?"
"Honestly coming from you? Next thing I know you will be telling us all Jefferson is sane." Regina's comment sent everyone off.
Emma slammed a heavy book on the table causing Belle to yell. "Don't do that to my books!" But it silenced everyone else.
"Sorry, Belle," Emma whispered before straightening up and declaring. "As Sheriff of this town, I called this meeting together to get many different viewpoints on the correct action to take. Most of us are not murders, but the people we are hunting are. I don't think anyone besides Gold is planning on killing if we can help it."
"Which is why my father," Jefferson started
"And my mother;" Regina interrupted "will win."
The room was silent for a few moments.
Archie spoke up first. "Regina and Jefferson are right. The hero way of thinking may not be enough to stop these two. I for one know they have no problems with killing anyone of us."
"My mother would probably enjoy it," Regina stated rubbing her hands on her arms at the thought of it.
"Yes, which is the exact reason I invited everyone here." Emma paused a moment as Victor came into the library.
"Good that you could finally join us, Doctor." Regina mocked him as he closed the door behind him.
"Sorry, the hospital is extremely busy tonight, seems the Fairies have come down with a strong case of food poisoning." Victor eyed Blue who was sitting at one of the library tables clearly paler than normal and not saying anything. "Blue are you alright?" He asked.
She waved her hand and said, "I will be fine, we have more important matters than food poisoning to worry about."
"Yes does anyone have any ideas on how to stop Cora and Hook before they kill more innocent people?" Emma asked bringing everyone back to focus.
"We could use Regina or Jefferson as bait," Rumple suggested.
"What?" Both Regina and Jefferson exclaimed clearly not willing to agree to that.
"You both have personal connections to as you pointed out earlier." Rumple calmly explained. "Connections we could play off to our advantage."
"I thought we agreed when I came back to work for you, you wouldn't have me do anything too dangerous."
"Your father wouldn't let anything happen to you."
"I am not trusting my life to Hook's ability to keep her fucking heart stealing magical mother in line!" Jefferson shouted giving a little stamp of his foot to stress how against it he was.
"No, it worked in Oz." Victor interrupted as he moved a trashcan beside Blue.
"I think you remember Oz differently than me." Jefferson stood up straighter fixing his jacket as he turned glaring at his friend.
"We played off your connection with Theodora to win the day."
"Theodora almost killed me, you, Glenda, and the Munchkins." Jefferson reminded him with a crazed wave of his hands.
"Wait, I can't… you two were in Oz?" Emma asked.
"Who do you think the great and power Oz was?" Jefferson beamed.
"You?" Emma asked.
"No, me," Victor replied.
"Victor Frankenstein is The Wizard of Oz? I really don't know how much more of this I can take." Emma shook her head.
"I always wanted to go to Oz," Ruby commented smiling at Victor.
"No, no you don't" Victor and Jefferson both answered at the same time remembering how fond Glenda had been of Victor.
"Let's table the using Regina or Jefferson plan. I would like to come up with something that doesn't overly endanger one of us." Emma declared. "If it comes down to it a double agent may be how we have to play this but we are stronger together so does anyone have a plan where we use our strength in numbers." She looked around the room.
It was at that moment that Blue leaned over and threw up in the trashcan Victor had placed beside her.
"Blue!" Snow was quickly by her side.
"I am sorry, I thought I was going to make it to the end of this meeting."
"Don't be sorry," Victor commented feeling her forehead. "Belle do you have any water." He asked as Belle was already coming across the room with a bottle of water. "I think you should get to the hospital with the other Fairies, this strain of food poisoning is clearly not an easy one."
"I can take her to the hospital." Geppetto offered.
"No, I can..." She stopped throwing up again into the trashcan again.
"Blue you need to go with Geppetto. Take my word, you are only going to get worse." Victor motioned for Geppetto to come help her. "And keep the trashcan with you, you are most likely going to need it again before you make it to the hospital." He moved back watching them leave.
Emma looked around at the ragtag group of Fairytale and Storybook characters How are we ever going to make this work she wondered but out loud she said. "Before anyone else gets sick or starts fighting, Phillip, I know you had an idea you wanted to share."
"King Phillip." He corrected her.
Jefferson wasn't sure who eye-rolled harder Emma or Aurora but Emma didn't skip a beat.
"King Phillip lets listen to your proposed plan, then we can open the floor up to comments, suggestions, or a vote, agreed?"
Slowly one by one everyone in the room agreed.
Van Helsing had just finished taking blood samples from each of the sick Fairies when Geppetto brought in Mother Superior.
"Help! She needs help!" The old man cried.
Van Helsing and Nurse Ratched meet him in the lobby quickly helping Blue back to one of the last free rooms.
Van Helsing saw the old man out to wait in the lobby as the Nurse started taking vitals. "Her heart is racing and she much paler than the others."
"Yes, curious indeed." Van Helsing tried to withhold a smile as he realized this experiment just got even more interesting. She was Mother Superior of the Nuns which must mean she was the head of the Fairies back in the Enchanted Forest. The strongest and most powerful Fairy and she is clearly having a rougher go of it than the others.
He moved to take her blood. "Write all her vitals down for me and get a list of everything she ate today. I am going to run this blood to the lab with the others."
Jefferson really didn't want to be the first person to speak out against Phillip's plan but when a whole thirty seconds went by and no one not even Rumple moved to disagree he spoke up from the corner of the room. "I don't think that is a good idea."
"I am sorry are you too old to understand a good plan when you hear one Lost Boy?" Phillip asked.
Aurora gasped "Phillip Stop that." She hissed.
"You told him?" Jefferson couldn't believe it.
"No!" Aurora gasped shocked.
"I have my ways of finding out about my enemies." Phillip glared at Jefferson.
"Enemies? Phillip, you can't be serious." Aurora hissed. "Have you not listened to a single word Emma has been saying tonight? We all have to work together."
"The Hatter is not a Knight or even a peasant soldier what does he know of making plans?"
"Quite a lot actually. I made sure of it during his training. In fact, if he wasn't good at planning he wouldn't have become the best thief in the Enchanted Forest." Rumple paused a moment waiting to see if Robin would disagree with his bold statement.
Robin's only answer was, "I agree with the Hatter. He is right, it is not the best thought out idea."
Rumple stepped up to the table. "I agree it is not a good idea. No one knows Hook as well as I or Jefferson, and as much as I hate Hook, he simply won't be that stupid to fall for your plan. And Cora, as Regina would agree, would see us coming a mile away." Rumple moves the map so it is facing him as Jefferson came to stand beside him.
Jefferson points to a spot on the map. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
"Westeros?"
"Well it was the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, but close enough, you got the right world. And yes, that worked perfectly."
Rumple gave him a look and commented. "Now I am pretty sure it is you who is remembering things differently."
Jefferson gave a smirk and small nod at memories of his fifteen-year-old self and how all the delightful young ladies had thought his white skin and lighter hair made him extraordinary. "Things worked out you got your dragon egg."
"And you made quite the profit selling the other three."
Jefferson laughed. "Yes, I did."
"I propose we…"
Cora entered Hook's Captain Quarters seeing him lying on the bed bruised and bleeding. "I told you to wait to seek your revenge. Now everyone knows we are in town and my daughter is nowhere near being ready to join us."
"You got that right. Your daughter is at that town meeting they are all having on how to deal with us."
"Are you controlling Aurora?"
"I tried to take control earlier today but as you can see The Dark One left me a little bit broken."
Aurora was the first to speak after Rumple explained his plan. "I agree."
"I second it" Belle stated stepping up.
"Phillip laughs, "Of course you two do. "
"What does that mean?" Aurora demanded.
"You agree with everything those two say. You were both basically kidnapped and held by them. They have brainwashed you both. "
"That is ridiculous" Belle and Aurora stated at the same time.
"We can both think for ourselves." Belle started.
"Sorry if that breaks what traditional woman values you may still believe." Aurora defended herself and Belle.
That comment drew a laugh from Emma. "Sorry." She covered her mouth and turned away from the table.
Jefferson leaned over to Emma and whispered. "I think you have been a good influence on Aurora."
"Trust me that girl didn't need my influence. You got yourself a piston right there. "
"Oh Emma, she will never be mine." He sadly whispered before moving away from her back towards Rumple, the map, and the conversation.
"You are seriously going to side with them Aurora? They are the villains save Princess Belle."
"I am not a villain!" Ruby declared. While Aurora noticed Victor and Jefferson look at their feet.
"I just think there is more to their plan than to yours and David's. They know our actual enemy better than any of us. They are the ones we should listen too."
"Yes, let's listen to the two of them," he points towards Jefferson and Regina, "They are related to the villains we wish to stop. Why were they invited here and King George was not?"
Rumple stopped talking to Jefferson midsentence when he heard Phillip say King George's name. He turned to face them as Aurora continued to argue with him.
"I have tried to explain it to you, Phillip, you just won't listen to me because King George has been whispering in your ear for at least the last forty-eight hours. There is a reason he wasn't invited. They are more likely to invite Hook himself here tonight then your new-found confidant."
"You are talking to King George?" Rumple asked. "He should be locked up in jail. If we only had a sheriff who could do his job." He turned to David.
"I couldn't keep him once someone else confessed to Gus's murder," David explained. "Jefferson and I told you this all last week, but you two were too busy with trying stopping my wife and daughter from coming through the portal on the off-chance Cora and Hook came through."
"Yes, and that plan seemed to work so well." Phillip shook his head."
"Once again chalk one up to the heroes." Regina threw her hands up in disbelief. "I mean everyone knew George did it."
"Everyone but King Phillip," Ruby growled.
"To be perfectly honest I don't believe for one second George actually killed poor Gus, he just gave the order for it to happen," Jefferson muttered.
"Agreed." Victor nodded.
"This is insane." Phillip turned to Charming and Snow. "Are you two seriously going to listen to the advice of the Evil Queen, The Dark One and The Hatter over mine?"
"Yes." Charming
"NO" Snow shouted. "David?"
"Snow there is sound reasoning behind what they say." Turning to point to Phillip. "I will be the first tell you King George can't be trusted."
Snow put a hand on her husband's arm. "You can't be serious this is Rumplestiltskin."
Once again, the room erupted in arguing.
"I am surprised the Dark One and his thief are getting along so well," Regina asked drumming her fingers on the table. "My, my Rumple tell me just how did Jefferson work his way back your good graces?"
"Regina" Jefferson warned.
"Yes, my dear Jefferson, why don't you tell me, however, did you talk your way back into his good graces after what you did?"
"Regina." Jefferson hissed feeling like all the air was suddenly being drain out of the room. She wouldn't dare tell him the truth, not here, not right now.
"We don't have time for your games Regina," Rumple stated clearly not in a mood for any of her shit.
"I know he returned your little Belle to you but didn't you wonder how he knew about her in the first place?"
She sat there with a wicked smiled on her lips as Jefferson let out a little gasp, his eyes wide with fear. Jefferson felt Rumple go ridged beside him and turn from the map to face her.
"He was locked up in his house for twenty-eight years." Regina continued the smile growing on her lips as she finally had Rumple's full attention.
Jefferson started backing up as Regina talked eyeing the door behind him.
"I recall running into him the mental ward that day with you."
"Sure, he spent a short time in the psych wing. But he knew well before the curse that I had imprisoned Belle."
Regina enjoyed the look of pain, confusion, and anger which was flickering on Rumple's face. "It's just I didn't think you would take what he did to Belle so lightly. I mean sure Jefferson freed poor little Belle from the mental ward but I am sure she explained how I acquired her in the first place."
Rumple looked over at Belle across the table from him. "Regina you had no right to open your mouth," Belle glared.
"Jefferson," Rumple growled.
Jefferson made a move for the door but he was too late and it shut right in front of him. Jefferson didn't even try the handle he knew it was lock and he wasn't getting away. His mind flashbacked to the afternoon in the tower room when Rumple had confronted him about Aurora.
"Jefferson what did you do?" Rumple growled.
Oh God, this is it, he is finally going to kill me. Nothing I say now will save me. He thought as he turned around throwing his arms up in front of him stuttering. "I...I, It was Regina, she didn't give me a choice, she would have killed me, and she promised not to hurt Belle."
"You ungrateful Boy!" Rumple slammed his cane on the table beside him as he screamed at Jefferson, silencing the room. "After all, I have done for you." He started forward, Jefferson backed up against the door. "After all that Belle did for you."
"Rumple…" Belle started forward but Ruby moved forward stopping her.
"Gold calm down." Emma tried to stop him but Snow pulled her off to the side.
"Don't interfere this is none of our business." Snow warned.
"Are you serious?" Emma hissed at her mother.
Rumple didn't hear either Belle or Emma's comment as he advanced on Jefferson.
"Not a day goes by I don't regret what I did. But I can't take it back as much as I have wanted too, every moment since I did as Regina wished." He rushed on trying to get Rumple to see reason. "I was hurting at the time, I thought Aurora was dead because you forced us to run away. I was young and stupid. I wanted you to feel that pain, I felt. I wanted to hurt you!"
"Well, I want to hurt you now." Rumple hissed as he brought his cane down hitting Jefferson. Jefferson threw up his hands to block the blow from hitting him squarely in the face. His arms took most of the blow but it was strong enough to knock him to the ground.
"No!" Belle and Aurora screamed.
Aurora rushed forward as Rumple's cane hit Jefferson. She grabbed Rumple's arm with the cane and he spun on her. "Rumple no… please!" She pleaded throwing up her own hands as if she thought he was going to hit her.
"He gave Belle to her!" Rumple screamed. "Belle who was like a mother to you and him both!" Rumple used the end of the cane to stab Jefferson's shoulder he had just smacked.
Jefferson let out a cry. "I am sorry Rumple. You have no idea how sorry I am."
"Sorry, …you are sorry?"
"There hasn't been a day I haven't regretted what I did."
"Not as much as you are about to regretted it." Rumple went to hit him but Aurora moved again stopping him.
"Belle tell him…" Jefferson pleaded looking over at Belle.
"No don't you dare look at her. You don't get to say her name!" Rumple swung the cane upward.
Jefferson wasn't expecting an underhand swing so he didn't move to block it. His jaw exploded in pain as the cane smacked him in the face. His head whipped back smacking off the wood of the door as his hands came up hoping to block the next blow.
"Belle forgave him! That is why she didn't tell you!" Aurora tried to reason as she grabbed Rumple's arm again.
"You knew!" Rumple shook his head in shock at her. Aurora bit her lip not finding words to answer his accusation.
"She is right, Rumple." Belle pleaded as Ruby held her back against the wall. "You should be mad at Regina, she gave Jefferson no choice."
"There is always a choice," Rumple stated looking at Belle, but pointing back at Jefferson he added. "Jefferson just likes to make the wrong ones."
"Well, who taught him that?" Charming stated loudly.
"David!" Snow hissed.
"Remind your husband to mind his own business," Rumple demanded pointing his cane at Snow and David.
"Let Jefferson go! I forgave him." Belle cried
"Well don't expect me to be so forgiving." Rumple tried to turn back to Jefferson, but Aurora tightened her grip on his arm.
She whispered for just him to hear. "This is what Regina wants. Think about what you are doing. You are playing right into what she wants. She is winn…"
"Someone get the young Queen away from me before I hurt her too." Rumple hissed throwing Aurora's hand off of his.
Charming stepped up wrapping his arms around Aurora's waist as she started screaming. "No don't!" She kicked as Charming picked her up moving her back from Rumple. "Rumple don't hurt him! Please don't hurt him!"
"Aurora stop," Phillip ordered stepping up trying to take Aurora from Charming.
"Don't touch me." Aurora pulled away from Phillip.
"Your behavior is.." Phillip started.
"Don't you dare talk to me about my behavior you all are just standing here!" She screamed pulling away from David. "You call yourselves heroes, the good guys, but yet you are all just going to let him hurt Jefferson."
Emma started forward and Snow grabbed her again. "I said no, Emma! He has made his own bed, now he has to lay in it."
"Aurora is right, let me go, Ruby!" Belle pled from across the room.
"No, I am not going to let him accidentally hurt you."
"I could take him out with my crossbow," Granny stated stepping up and aiming.
"Woah! Calm down." Victor exclaimed joining Granny's side and lowering her crossbow. "Let's be rational about this." He tried to reason.
Regina laughed. "Rational is not a word in Rumple's vocabulary, so I doubt he ever taught it to Jefferson."
"Regina stop making this worst." Victor hissed.
"Oh, I think things are about to get much worst for your best friend, even without another comment from me." She smirked eyeing Aurora.
"Please the ladies have a point, Rumple." Victor continued to try to reason. "What is past is past, if Belle has forgiven him…"
"Shut up Victor!" Rumple growled, "Or you will be next. You two were always best of friends, did you know about this too?"
Victor shut up and moved back closer to Ruby keeping himself in between Rumple, Ruby, and Belle, but letting Granny step up again with her crossbow.
Rumple turned back staring down at Jefferson, who hadn't moved. He still sat on the ground looking up at Rumple bleeding from a gash on his cheek and lip. "Go ahead, Rumple. I deserve whatever you do to me."
"Damn right you do." Rumple raised his hand with his cane.
"I said stop!" Aurora screamed and with a wave Rumple's cane appeared in her hand.
Rumple stopped, looking at his empty hand, then he looked down at Jefferson who was staring past him to Aurora.
"I knew it," Regina whispered to herself so please at what she was watching unfold in front of her.
"No Rory…" Jefferson muttered shaking his head. "What…what did you do?"