Chapter Fifty-One
Aurora and Jefferson had made it out of the ballroom without being spotted and they had started down the last few hallways for the library, when Aurora spotted the painting Snow had spoken about earlier. She stopped dead in her tracks letting go of Jefferson's hand.
"Aurora what are…" he turned and stopped seeing her staring up at the painting. There in the hallway was the painting of her father and mother, and her mother was holding Aurora, who was just a baby in her arms. He watched as she moved closer and slowly reached out her hand to touch the painting.
"I do look like her." Aurora whispered looking back at Jefferson. "I wasn't sure my memories of them were correct. But they do look like I remember. I…" Aurora trailed off as she turned back to the painting her hand on her mother's.
Jefferson stood there not sure what to say, his own emotions running wild because he couldn't remember what his own mother looked like. She had long dark hair and her blue eyes were just like mine… At least that is what father always told me. But is that even right? Or is that just dream? It's been so long now I will never know for sure. Shaking his head he moved up behind Aurora placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Aurora we should keep moving."
"She was a Queen, Jefferson. A Queen. And I am a Princess. I don't feel like a Princess. Am I going to be a Queen?" she turned to face him.
God I hope not. Jefferson thought but out loud he answered. "I don't know Rory. We know what you know who said, but reading the future is a tricky business. You don't always know what it means until it happens. But if we can make it to Neverland we can live there never growing old and never having to worry about the future." He gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"The library is just down the hallway here to the left and last door at the end of the hallway." Jefferson explained to Aurora as he carefully pulled her towards the corner and away from the painting. Once he got her around the corner he picked up his pace now that he could see the doorway to the library.
About half way down the long hallway there was a main castle intersection. Just as they were just about to pass through it a man came up from the left. "Oh excuse me." The man came to a stop waiting for them to pass.
Jefferson recognized him right away as Lord Silas. Keep your head down and keep on walking. Jefferson thought to himself.
But the Lord stepped right in front of them blocking their way. "Excuse me my Lady but the Lord you are with I think I know him." The Lord pointed to Jefferson.
"I …." Jefferson started, but an announcement from behind stopped him from finishing.
"Make way for Princess Abigail and Prince James." One of the two King's guard called out as they approached them.
Jefferson started pulling Aurora away down the hall hoping the King's daughter and visiting Prince James would be enough to make the Lord question who it was he was seeing, but it wasn't.
"Oh don't leave us now Jefferson" Lord Silas called after them.
Oh Shit! Jefferson thought. I guess he did see my face that night he caught me stealing his family's treasured crown, from back when his line actually ruled part of the realm. That is what I get for wasting time trying it on.
Jefferson and Aurora turned back to face him.
"I know Ru…"
Jefferson's survival instincts kicked in as soon as the Lord started talking again. Jefferson dropped Aurora's arm and reached for the heavy golden bowl on the table lining the hallway. He flung it and watched it whack the unexpecting Lord Silas in the face causing him to fall over unconscious and unable to summon Rumplestiltskin.
Princess Abigail screamed as James pulled out his sword. "Jefferson how good it is to see you again. Whatever are you trying to steal tonight? Word has it that you are no longer in Rum.."
Jefferson let out a shout pulling out small blade and rushing at James. He knocked him off his feet causing James to lose his sword. James grabbed a hold of his right wrist with the blade, Jefferson resisted the urge to break free and stab James over and over again in the chest with his knife. Instead he settled for punching James in the face with his left hand. The punch landed squarely on James's nose drawing blood as James cried out and fell back to the floor clutching at his face.
Jefferson turned and ordered. "Quickly Rory to the library." As he was getting to his feet James brought up his sword and tried to stab him through the back but his enchanted jacket stopped the blow breaking James's sword.
"Jefferson!" Aurora yelled as Jefferson staggered forward into Princess Abigail, who screamed again. Jefferson grabbed and held the knife to her throat before any of the guards with her could react.
"Stabbing me in the back?" Jefferson yelled turning himself and Princess Abigail around to face him. "That is low even for you James."
"That is Prince James, Hatter. Do I need to reteach you manners? I hate to think all my hard work has already worn off, it hasn't been much longer than a year since our lessons."
Jefferson gave James a glare as he started to back down the hallway towards Aurora as the guards and James started towards him.
"Are you alright?" Aurora asked as they continued to backed down the hallway.
"Yes, told you the coat was enchanted. Are you happy I put it back on now?"
"I am thrilled, but what are you doing?" Aurora hissed.
"Getting us to the library." Jefferson hissed back at her as he watched the guard's purple cloaks flap as they all drew their swords. "It is called improvising. Don't worry Rory, I am actually quite good at this."
Jefferson heard Prince James demanding one of his guards to give him a new sword, and something about finishing the thief off himself. Not bloody likely. Jefferson thought as he dragged Abigail down past the final two doors in the hallway until they reach the library.
"Aurora be a dear and open the door." Jefferson calmly stated as he keep his hold on Abigail and eyes on the two guards who had drawn their swords and were now advancing. As soon as the door swung open Jefferson back himself and Abigail into the library. He pushed Princess Abigail off to the side locking the door, right before the guards started pounding on it.
"Help with the desk." He ordered Aurora and they slid it across the room to block the door way.
"Jefferson kidnapping the Princess what were you thinking." Aurora questioned.
"What? It isn't like it is the first time, I kidnapped a Princess." Jefferson muttered pushing the desk up against the door.
"Jefferson, I am serious! Throwing yourself at Prince James like that, with a little knife while he had a sword. "What were you thinking?" Aurora demanded.
"I was thinking of stopping that stupid prat from giving our location away to you know who. Because him coming here would be worst then anything Prince James or Midas's guards could throw at us."
Before Aurora could answer Prince James's voice called through the thick wooden door. "Jefferson open up this door and let those innocent ladies go!"
"Oh yes!" Jefferson called back to James. "Your way with words were so convincing that I will just open this door up right this insistent and let you kill me."
"It is only a matter of time before we will get this door open. There is no way out Jefferson."
"That is what you said to me in your father's dungeons and I got out of that mess just fine."
"Did you get out of it just fine?" James's voice teased through the door. "This time I am not going to stop until I take your head."
"If you are still worried I want Jack back you are highly mistaken. You can have her and all the problems which go along with her. But if you kill me she may not be too happy about that, it was with her help that I was able to get away from your father's dungeons."
"I wonder when I take your head, will your deceiving tongue still try to spin your web of lies?" James laughed. "Either way your head will make a wonderful gift for my father."
"Better people than you have tried to take it, so best of luck to you. You don't intimidate me."
Prince James laughed. "Really? I don't intimidate you? All those screams in my father's dungeons beg to differ."
Aurora noticed a worried sickly look cross Jefferson face. Dear God just how badly was he tortured by King George and Prince James. I always thought he just exaggerated but now…
"No comment Jefferson? Have I broken you again already?"
Jefferson took a step back from the door at James's comment. "You have your problem of getting in here and I have my problem of finding what I came for and getting out. Personally my track record is better than yours, so you should just give up already James."
"I am going to enjoy getting you to say my title one last time before you die Hatter."
Jefferson took a deep breath and licked his lips before he answered. "I am done wasting my time talking to you James."
Jefferson turned nervously going for the fireplace where he had last seen the coin Peter had given him. He walked across the room knocking golden items off the mantel. Moving to the bookcases scanning the shelves and opening boxes or jars tossing them to the floor. Where is it?" Jefferson screamed. "It's not here. Rory, it's not here." Jefferson kicked the closest chair causing it to fall over on its side.
"What is it you two thieves are looking for?" Abigail who had gotten back to her feet and collected her wits asked.
"The Neverland coin your father won from me in a card game years ago."
"You!" Abigail's eyes grew wide. "You are the one Ru…"Jefferson charged at her knife first, causing her to shirk back in terror.
"Don't finish that name." Jefferson grabbed her roughly pushing her back down in the closest chair. "Start to say his name again and so help me Princess or not I will NOT hesitate to kill you, before you can finish it."
"Hatter!" Aurora screamed grabbing his arm with the knife and pulling him away from Abigail. "Stop scaring the Princess."
"Why are you calling me that?" Jefferson hissed pulling back from Aurora's grip. "You never called me that before we ran away and now you have called me that twice in like three days." Jefferson exclaimed moving the knife sharply down to his side. "It's a business title only and I don't like you using it."
"Well you are not acting like the Jefferson I know. What has gotten in to you?"
But before he could answer Prince James called through the door. "You don't sound too happy Jefferson, is your plan not coming together as you hoped? Because my plan is coming along just fine out here. You see the guards are bringing something for me to break down the door with."
Jefferson growled in frustration. "James..."
Aurora watched as Jefferson clutch and unclutched his hands, for the first time she was glad Jefferson didn't have very much magical abilities because she was sure if he did the room they were standing in would be engulfed in flames by now. Aurora grabbed hold of his arms. "Jefferson we will be fine we have your hat. We can just jump back to Belle if we can't find the coin, and try again another day."
Jefferson gave her a little nod to show he agreed with her suggestion.
Aurora turned and tried to calm Abigail down. "No one is going to hurt you Princess Abigail." Aurora noticed how the Princess's eyes left hers and went back to Jefferson who was pacing behind her.
"If she tries to summon him I will." Jefferson threatened from behind Aurora as his eyes searched the room looking for the coin.
"No you won't" Aurora yelled as she turned on Jefferson. "You promised yourself to me, remember." She pointed her finger at Jefferson. "You will not be killing anyone to try to save me. No one else is to die because of me! Do you understand that Jefferson!"
Jefferson took a step back from Aurora a little scared as the temperature in the room had gone up. "Yes Aurora, I understand." Jefferson lowered the knife. "Just calm down, no magic remember."
"Me calm down? I am not…" Aurora paused taking a deep breath pushing her anger away. "Just put the damn knife away." Aurora watched as Jefferson put the knife back in his bag, before she turned back to Princess Abigail. "Do you know where this Neverland coin your father won is?"
"Why do you two want it? There is plenty of other gold here to steal."
"We are not stealing." Jefferson demanded as he searched the shelves on the other side of the room. "I am just taking back something that was mine." Getting angry again he threw the wooden box he was searching across the room where it hit the door shattering and falling down on the desk, causing the Princess Abigail to scream again.
"Princess Abigail are you are right?" One of the guards called as he banged on the door.
"I am fine Fredrick." She called.
"Jefferson if you hurt Princess Abigail I will.."
"You will what James, you idiot?" Jefferson shouted moving back towards the door, cutting James's comment short. "You will kill me? I thought we already establish that you plan on taking my head?"
"I was going to say I would start with the skinning this time, instead of working up too it."
Jefferson froze forgetting how to breath. He just stood there looking down at his right hand. My hand is fine. Rumple fixed it. It doesn't hurt... My hand is fine.
Aurora gave Jefferson a worried look seeing how troubled Prince James's comment had suddenly made him. But before she could go to him Princess Abigail moved closer to Aurora. "Why is this gold coin so important now after all these years?"
"You know who is after us. But you don't know why do you?"
"I suppose it is because Jefferson here stole something or betrayed the…"
"Don't even say that nickname for him." Jefferson hissed from across the room as he turned back to the book case searching it again.
"I take you did some wrong to your master." Princess Abigail stated.
"He was not my master! We were business partners!" Jefferson stopped searching turning to face her. "Why does everyone keep insisting he was my master? I do not have a master!"
Princess Abigail moved pass Aurora as she addressed Jefferson. "And your business partner is not one you would want to wrong."
"You are correct I went against my business partner's wishes." Jefferson agreed moving closer to Princess Abigail. "But it was because I love her." Jefferson pointed to Aurora. "He forbade our love. Tried to banish me away, but I couldn't leave Princess Aurora alone with him, instead we ran away together. "
"Is what he says true?" Princess Abigail asked Aurora. "Are you the lost Princess Aurora?"
"Yes we used to play together, before your mother died, and my parents were murdered." Aurora whispered looking away from her.
"We were ever the best friends when we were very little girls." Princess Abigail moved back over to Aurora taking her hands in hers.
"Yes I do remember playing dolls with you." Aurora whispered, she saw Jefferson give her a shocked look. She hadn't told him about her knowing Abigail because she figure Abigail wouldn't have remembered her. Aurora had been only six or seven years old at the time and Abigail would have only been five or six.
Aurora and Abigail played together as children? They were close friends? For some reason this fact seemed to make Jefferson realize Aurora really was a Princess. Oh Gods she is so out of my league. What am I doing? I am no King.
"And are you in love with a common thief?" Princess Abigail asked shocked.
Jefferson laughed. "Oh I assure you dear Princess, there is nothing common about me."
Aurora ignored Jefferson's comment and answered Abigail's question. "Yes. We need the coin to make a portal to Neverland so we can get to a land where he could never find us, and we can live together for the rest of our lives. "
"But your Kingdom?" Princess Abigail gasped.
"Prince Philip can have it when he's old enough and destroys Maleficent like it has been foretold. I haven't been a real Princess since I was seven years old. I don't want a Kingdom at this point in my life." Aurora stopped taking a deep breath.
She doesn't want a Kingdom at this point in her life, but what about in ten years, or 20? What will I do if she does want to take her Kingdom back? Jefferson thought.
"I just want to have a life to live." Aurora continued. "If we stay he won't let me live the life I want. Wouldn't you do anything you could to be with the one you love?"
The banging on the door started up again. "Princess Abigail!" The man's voice called again, as the door's frame started to splinter.
"Frederick I am fine!" She called back but the banging on the door didn't stop and the wood started to break off at the frame. The desk started to shake as whatever the guards had brought up to break the door had arrived.
"That man out there is my love. And as he would do anything for me, I would do anything for him." Princess Abigail spoke as she pulled out her necklace and took it off her head. "Here" she stated handing the necklace to Jefferson.
"What?" Jefferson asked confused at first but then seeing what was at the end of the chain he choked. "You turned my coin into a necklace? Why? Why would you do that?"
"My late mother used to tell me stories of Neverland as a child. When my father saw you were willing to part with a coin from that world he would have done anything to get it off of you for me. Luckily you lost the card game."
There was a loud crack and hands pushed opened the door and slowly was starting to inch the desk forward. Prince James's voice called out. "There is no plan which will help you now, Jefferson!"
"And that is our cue to leave." Jefferson took Aurora by the hand pulling her back away from the door, as he reached in his bag pulling out his hat.
"There isn't another way out." Princess Abigail warned. "And the window is too high to jump."
"Not too worry Princess Abigail; I always carry my own exit with me, for situations just like this." Jefferson placed his hat on his head with a toothy grin. "By the way I apologize for my earlier rudeness and for the fact that as soon as I spin this he who we cannot name will show up. I would say not to tell him what we took but he will know as soon as he sees where he is, for he knows what I lost here."
And with that Jefferson gave the hat a spin, and Abigail watched as a dark purple smoke filled the room and Jefferson reached out and took hold of Aurora's hand before they both jumped into the purple cloud of smoke and disappeared.
