Chapter Thirty-Seven
The phonograph continued to play a slow, sad song in the back ground as Victor refilled Aurora's tea cup handing it back to her before refilling his own and sitting back on the sofa beside her. "So you really can make a dead heart magical?"
"I do believe so." Aurora stirred in some sugar and cream into her tea from the tray in front of her. "I should be able to infuse the heart with magic just like I would if it was still beating in someone's chest"
"Then I could use electricity to make it beat again, and the magic would keep it alive." Victor stated with a far off look in his eye as he thought about what that would mean for his research and his brother.
"In theory yes, as far as I know nothing like this has been tried before." Aurora looked up to the light on the wall. "We don't have electricity back in the enchanted forest and you don't have magic like mine here."
"Yes, with all your magic and powers your world is really quite medieval in accommodations." Victor stated placing his tea cup down on the tray in front of them. He turned sideways sliding his arm up on the back of the love seat close to Aurora's left shoulder.
Aurora gave Victor a nervous half smile, once again not really understanding what he was referring too. What is medieval? It sounded like an insult, but at least my world has colors. She thought looking down at her tea cup and taking a long sip.
"There is one other thing I would like to request from you dear Princess." Victor smiled.
"One other thing?" Aurora asked nervously. What is it he could possibly want from me? Aurora wondered her mind raced back to when she was inside the hat with Jefferson. Jefferson had said the one thing Victor wanted from me was something I wouldn't be willing to give, dear God what was it he was talking about? Oh why didn't I demand Jefferson tell me what he was talking about?
"Yes it came to me earlier in the lab while we were talking about how your magic works." Victor paused a moment as if trying to figure out how best to request what he was about to ask of her. "I would very much like to take a vial of your blood; to study for scientific purposes, of course."
"A vial of my blood!" Aurora gasped pulling back from Victor. "But won't that hurt me."
"I assure you, Aurora, the needle may sting a little bit." Victor commented as he picked up a black case from the table beside him. "But the amount of blood I plan on taking will do you no harm at all. You will feel completely find afterwards, just like you do now."
Right now I feel nervous enough to throw up. Aurora thought as she placed her tea cup down on the table and pushed herself back from Victor, to the edge of the love seat they were sitting on. "I think the magical hearts are payment enough."
"Oh come now Aurora you have lived with Rumple long enough to know how to make a deal correctly. You owe me for two things, one, for helping save Jefferson's life, and two, for not telling Rumple." Victor stated counting the reason off on his fingers as a smirked played at his lips.
Aurora took a deep breath. Oh God he's right. I should have thought of that sooner. Aurora how could you be so careless, so stupid? "Are you sure it won't hurt me?"
"I wouldn't ask you if it would. What do you take me for?" Victor smiled showing her the small vial. "This is what I plan to fill. I could take 7 or 8 of these and you would still be fine. But I think one would be enough for my studies. Jefferson lost a lot more blood and you know he is going to be fine come morning."
Aurora looked at it and then back to him shaking her head. "Alright you may take one vial of my blood but only if you promise you will never ever tell Rumple about this night."
"Agreed." Victor took out a piece of rope. "Let me see your arm. "
Aurora turned to face him better on the love seat. He took her right arm tying a piece of rope around it, and tapped on her vein with his finger.
"Now I am going to use the needle, which may sting a little but it will be over before you know it." He moved the needle into place. "Are you ready?"
"Yes" Aurora whispered softly as Victor carefully inserted the needle into her arm. "Oh!" She gasped as the needle broke her skin. She watched as her red blood filled the tiny vial, Victor removed the rope around her arm, and once it was filled Victor carefully pulled out the needle.
Blood started to swell up on her arm as Victor brought up a piece of cloth to her arm and applied pressure. After a few moments he pulled it back and bandaged the small wound.
"Perfect!" Victor exclaimed holding the vial of her blood up to the light. "See that didn't hurt at all did it?"
"Not really" Aurora muttered pulling back holding her arm with her other hand.
Victor placed the vial in the black bag with the needle and other materials, before he turned back to her. "How about that dance now?" Victor asked flashing her a charming smile.
"I really should check on Jefferson and get to bed." Aurora stated looking over at the huge grandfather clock as it chimed the hour.
"It's only midnight, one little dance won't hurt. Besides I did save Jeff's life, we should celebrate that!" Victor moved closer and whispered. "You two are planning on going back to Rumple's Castle are you not?"
"Of course we are. Where else would we go?"
"Where else indeed." Victor smirked.
"I will heal Jefferson completely in the morning, we will get you your hearts and then we will be on our way."
Victor gave her a look as if he was trying to decide if he believed her or not.
Damn it he doesn't believe the story I made up about how we came to be here. I am not a bad liar but lying comes as naturally as breathing to Jefferson. He would have been able to convince Victor without a problem. I am going to have to dance with him to get his mind off of this dangerous topic.
"Victor one dance and that's it. I am beyond tried." She took the hand Victor offered to her and let him pull her up off the love seat. Victor led her over near the phonograph, and he pulled her in a little closer than the dance called for, as he led her around the small sitting room.
Victor's not a bad dancer, not quite as smooth as Jefferson but Victor could hold his own in court, thought Aurora as she started to find herself smiling, feeling herself start to relax. Relaxing was not a feeling she thought she would feel again so soon after barely escaping from Rumple castle's.
Victor leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I do hope once you are Queen, you will save a dance for me at your court."
Aurora couldn't help but laugh since Victor had been thinking similar thoughts to her own. "There will always be room on my dance card for you and ..."
"Have I died and gone to hell?" Jefferson wondered loudly from the doorway.
"Jefferson, you are up!" Aurora exclaimed suddenly realizing just how very close she was to Victor. She quickly pulled back and turned to see Jefferson leaning heavily on the door frame. She rushed over to Jefferson's side.
"Jefferson, my dear friend, you shouldn't be up yet." Victor remarked starting forward but seeing the glare his friend was giving him Victor decided to keep his distance.
"You greatly under estimate the amount of drugs my body can handle." Jefferson scoffed as Aurora led him over to a chair. "Though the room is spinning a bit faster than it normally does." He noted as he sat down.
"You shouldn't be moving around so much you could open your stitches." Victor picked up an empty scotch glass filled it and quickly drained it.
"Stitches… is that what you call it when you sew someone up like a piece of clothing?" Jefferson barked. "Your science Vic, is seriously messed up!"
"I can fix it in the morning." Aurora tried to calm Jefferson down. "My magic is coming back and I will take care it after we both get a good night's rest." Aurora paused a second before asking him. "Do you want a cup of tea?"
"No! I do not want a cup of tea." He growled.
"Jeff, you don't want a cup of tea? That must be all the painkillers speaking, since when don't you want a cup of tea?" Victor asked as he refilled his glass.
"Well I wouldn't want to interrupt you and Aurora's little private tea and dance party you seem to have going on."
"Jefferson you are clearly not yourself. You need to get some more rest." Aurora looked to Victor for help. "Can you help me get him back into the bedroom?"
Jefferson leaned closed to Aurora's ear like he was going to whisper but the drugs had dulled his senses so his voice was loud enough it carry over to Victor. "Sorry want me to pop off to bed so you two can carry on having fun? Trying to figure out if he is the one your curse talks about?"
"Jefferson" Aurora whispered harshly as she winkled up her eyebrows unsure about what he was talking about with his last comment. "You don't know what you are saying. The drugs Victor gave you are messing with your mind, more than you realize. You are not making any sense. You need to sleep."
"Even if it isn't me, I only risked everything for you today." Jefferson complained harshly. "He was going to kill me Rory. Kill me! And I was his favorite. If I ever go back he WILL kill me!"
"Jefferson!" Aurora said sharply as she took a hold of his chin and hissed. "Do not say something you will later regret." Aurora looked at him motioning in Victor direction with her eyes hoping Jefferson wasn't too drugged up that he would take the hint.
"I am sorry Rory. I am not myself at the moment." Jefferson said closing his eyes. I shouldn't talk about not being Aurora's True Love, Jefferson thought remembering the True Love Potion Rumple had shown him right before his whole world had gone to shit. If Aurora finds out it is not me that could be the end of us and I don't want us to end, not now, not ever.
Aurora let his chin go and he fell back in his seat with a little moan. His right hand went to his side. "I think I need to lie back down." He muttered.
"Yes you defiantly do my friend." Victor stated joining Aurora's side. Victor shot Aurora a questioning look as he helped Jefferson to his feet but Aurora ignored him.
"Come on Jefferson. I will stay with you until morning." Aurora stated leading the way out of the room back to the room Jefferson had been sleeping in.
"I actually had Igor make up the bedroom next door for you Aurora. It's small for a Princess but will do for the night."
"Thank you Victor but…" Aurora started
"Thank you Victor." Jefferson mocked in a silly voice as Victor led him down the hallway.
"I think I will be better off staying with Jefferson tonight. To make sure he doesn't wonder off while he is drugged up." Aurora stated pushing open the door.
Victor helped Jefferson get back into the bed. By the time Victor moved a chair over close to the bed for Aurora to sit in, Jefferson had passed out again. Aurora sat down taking Jefferson's hand in hers.
"He will be fine, Aurora. That rant, whatever it was, was just the effects of the drugs I gave him earlier and lack of blood. That can mess with your mind a bit if you don't rest enough. The effect should wear off by morning. If you change your mind the room next door has a bed for you." Victor reassured her.
"Thank you Victor but I will be fine here for the night." Aurora answered not looking up from Jefferson.
Victor paused in the doorway. "See you in the morning Aurora. Good night."
"Yes, and thank you Victor. For everything. Good night." Aurora looked over giving him a polite smile.
Victor gave a sad smile and small nod before he left the room closing the door behind him.
Aurora sat there for a few hours unable to sleep due to her mind racing and wondering what she and Jefferson were going to do now that they had betrayed Rumple. She was just about asleep when she heard Jefferson's voice.
"This is not how I fancied us spending the first night away from Rumple's castle together." Jefferson winced as he pushed himself back up against the headboard of the bed.
"Oh really?" Aurora asked sliding out of the chair coming over to sit on the bed beside him. She noted Jefferson's eyes seem clearer like the drugs had worn off. "So you pictured stealing me away from Rumple before?"
"Yes, only like a thousand times before. But it involved less being stabbed with scissors and a lot more sex." When Aurora didn't laugh Jefferson added. "That was a joke Rory."
Aurora laughed nervously. She wanted to sleep with Jefferson but a Princess was supposed to stay a virgin until their wedding night. And if she would get with child before the sleeping curse took effect then what would happen then? And there was the off chance that she would be a disappointment to Jefferson for she didn't know what she was doing when it came to sex and Jefferson clearly did, why else would have Regina tried so hard to keep him in her bed if he wasn't good at it.
"You haven't slept yet have you?" Jefferson noted.
"No! I haven't slept with… Oh!" Aurora stopped herself as she realized what Jefferson had really asked her. Shaking her head she tried to clear her thoughts. "No, I was just about asleep." Aurora commented as Jefferson slid over in the bed.
"Well there is plenty of room, lay down, get some rest." Jefferson smiled.
Aurora looked towards the door.
"Relax, Rory, Rumple can't get us here tonight." Jefferson reached up touching the bandage on her right arm. "What's this?"
"Oh, it was part of our payment."
"Our payment?" Jefferson tried to sit up, but the sudden motion set a wave of pain through his body and with a moan he fell back against the headboard.
"Jefferson everything is fine don't worry about it. I got Victor to help and swear to never tell Rumple we were here."
"What did you have to do?" Jefferson grimaced "Am I correct there was dancing and tea?"
"Yes you are correct but that wasn't payment for anything, it was a distraction for when Victor was pressing for details of what happened to us. Details I didn't want to invent. But I got him to agree to save you for the hearts, and not to tell Rumple by letting him take a vial of my blood." Aurora pulled off her bandaged. "See I am okay underneath this bandage. I am fine. I swear it. And come morning you will be fine too."
Jefferson nodded his head. "Victor took a vial of my blood too, it didn't have whatever it was he was hoping to find it. So don't worry about it Aurora. Victor just gets a little too caught up with his work sometimes. Hope he didn't scare you took much with the needle when he took it."
Jefferson reached up and pulled Aurora down beside him. "Get a good night's sleep, because I can't guarantee when you will get another one."
Aurora nodded and carefully curled up besides Jefferson, closing her eyes as he protectively put his left arm around her holding her close.
Jefferson stared up at the ceiling wondering, what will Victor find in Aurora's blood. She has way more magic in her than I do. What is it he could be looking for? Actually the better question is what will he do with it when he finds it?