Ever since Jefferson saw his father die, he had never been able to immediately drop off to sleep. It wasn't just nightmares…just…in the dark, with nothing to distract him, he had time to think.

He had a wife now. He'd never expected to get married. But one had to do what a queen commanded. And now…he had a woman that was bound to him. And he honestly didn't know what to do with that.

She should be here, sleeping next to him. She should be safe. She carried his child and that made her vulnerable. He was supposed to protect her and he failed. Every day that she was with that imp instead of here with him and her mother, he failed.

He looked at the empty side of the bed. He'd taken to sleeping on one side so when Emma came back….

She would come back. She would give birth and they would be happy…or as happy as they could be.

He knew it couldn't be love. He didn't think this was what love felt like. He knew that he cared for Emma. He knew that he wanted to protect her and his baby. And he knew that he wanted to make her happy but he didn't think it was love.

But it wasn't like Jefferson completely knew what romantic true love was supposed to look like. The kind of people that he ran with…he'd never seen this elusive true love that everyone was always yammering about. He wouldn't recognize it if it was in front of his face.

What if it was in front of his face? Or more importantly…not? Because she was in Rumpelstiltskin's castle?

No, she couldn't be his true love. She didn't even belong here in this time! There were two versions of her mother running around for the sake of the gods. It was all just…unnatural.

It would be his luck that she would be his true love….if that's what she was.

He turned on his side and stared at the empty side. He imagined staring at his wife's back…he pretended she was there next to him. Safe and asleep….

Gods, he never cared about any of the women he had been with like this. He couldn't care less if something bad happened to them. He still didn't. That's just how he was. But….Emma was different. Why was she different? Was it because she was his wife and he had accepted that responsibility as husband and protector? Or was it deeper than that? Did he care…perhaps even love Emma because she was Emma? Not because she was his wife and not….because it was his duty to, but because there were genuine feelings there?

He was going to be a papa.

Just the thought of that made him go numb. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to be a father! He didn't even like kids.

But he loved his daughter. The minute Emma told him he felt….something in that cold heart of his. They were going to have a baby. There was going to be a little miniature version of him running around.

How was he supposed to raise a daughter to be halfway safe and healthy with the life he had?

But nevertheless, he was excited. He didn't know why. He couldn't explain it.

He closed his eyes and pretended Emma was there next to him. And it was what convinced him to fall into an uneasy sleep.

There was some kind of blue light that woke him up, if it wasn't that, then it was the sixth sense that someone was in the room with him. He sat up with a start and his hand closed under the knife under his pillow.

A blue fairy was in his room.

He didn't know if that was hilarious or terrifying.

"What in the name of the gods-," he started.

"Jefferson, there's little time-."

He narrowed his eyes and stared down at his bare chest. Normally he wouldn't care, but he was a married man now! And there was a woman that wasn't his wife in the room with him!

And his mother in law liked stabbing people.

He heard his house groan as if it was under a great weight that it could barely support. He felt his hair stand up on the back of his neck at the sound and he didn't even know why.

Jefferson looked at the fairy, "What's doing that?"

"Jefferson, you need to take your wife's mother and leave this world."

He felt his defenses come up, "No! Not without Emma!"

"Emma isn't with Rumpelstiltskin anymore," the blue overdressed dragonfly told him, "She escaped."

Jefferson blinked, "She- No, that's impossible."

"Your wife is not in this world anymore," the…thing said, "She has travelled to the world without color. She is at your associate's house now. Rumpelstiltskin has taken this to mean that the deal has been broken. He's coming here to take Snow. We've put a protection spell around the house. You must pack what you can't bear to leave without and go."

Jefferson tried to absorb what he was being told and he stared at the oversized glowing butterfly curiously, "How do you know that's where she is?"

"Because I am the Rhuel Ghorim," she said patiently, "The ultimate power."

"Lot of good you did, the Dark One took my wife for his plans and you did nothing," He snapped.

"I have allies in several worlds," she continued as if she didn't hear him, "Now if you want to reunite your family, there's little time. Rumpelstiltskin's trying to get in as we speak. Go find your wife. She's waiting for you."

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

He barely had to explain to a sleepy Snow White what was going on before she threw on some clothes in record time and was ready to go.

And now here they were. In the world without color. Of course he and Snow had color, they weren't from this world. He held his mother in law's wrist and guided her right to the house where Frankenstein lived. He knew it by heart. He had learned quickly once he saw the kinds of monsters that roamed this land.

"No matter what," he instructed, "Keep walking and stay in the road…and always stay in the light.

She didn't question it. He kept a hand on her wrist to make sure she stayed next to him. When he first came here, he had a companion with him…someone to stay in here so he could take Victor back. The man had fallen in step behind him when they were close to the woods. Then there was a gasp. Jefferson turned around and the man was gone …just like that.

Apparently one did not go too close to the woods here.

They found the house without any trouble. It was raining and both were soaked. Apparently the monsters of the world hated the rain as much as they did the light.

"Jefferson," Snow said as they walked up toward the door.

"Yes?" he asked and slammed the knocker against the door.

"The Portal…your hat…we can't go back. Not all three of us."

He gave her what he hoped was a determined look, "I give you my word that I will NEVER take you back to that world. I won't do that to any of you. Not as long as he's there."

The door opened and Victor stood there. He looked them both over, "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

Next to him, Mary Margaret gasped, "You're…Frankenstein?"

Victor turned to Snow and studied her in surprise, "Yes. Have we met?"

"JEFFERSON!"

Victor barely had time to move out of the way. Emma nearly knocked him down in her rush to embrace both her husband and her mother. Snow gave a quiet sob and held her daughter. Jefferson kept an eye on their surroundings as he held his wife and mother in law.

They were safe. For now.