STORYBROOKE, Maine
73 HOURS EARLIER
She woke up with a smile at the feeling of Jefferson moving his hand along her stomach. Rebekah let out a little chuckle when his fingers skimmed across her skin. Rebekah turned her head to hide her flushed cheeks against her pillow. "What are you doing?" she mumbled.
The bed shifted and Rebekah let out a little whine when Jefferson pressed a kiss to the flat of her stomach, and up, up, up, and up until his fingers moved under her chin. She grinned at him as he moved her head to look at him. Jefferson leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a sweet, slow, and head-spinning kiss. "Good morning." He mumbled between kisses and Rebekah giggled at the vibration against her lips.
"Good morning," she said back once Jefferson had pulled away a bit. Rebekah pushed down on the bed to lift herself up to look out the window and saw that the sun was barely rising. She then looked back to Jefferson and frowned. "Are you leaving?"
He nodded his head, sitting up as well. Jefferson grabbed a hold of her hand and brought her knuckles to his mouth and pressed a kiss to them. She frowned, wanting him to stay. Rebekah had the day off but didn't know how to ask Jefferson to spend the day with her. What if he didn't enjoy being cooped up in her apartment all day? There were days Rebekah just wished she could walk down the streets of Storybrooke hand in hand with Jefferson. She wished they could go the movies or eat at Granny's. She wished that the world could know just how happy Jefferson made her.
But more than anything, Rebekah really wanted Jefferson to meet Henry.
Henry was such an important part of her life and Rebekah could truly see Jefferson in her life forever – she wanted the people she loved to meet the man she...cared for deeply. Who was she kidding? Rebekah was in love with Jefferson and she wanted the people she loved to meet the man she loved.
"I'll be back," Jefferson told Rebekah when she looked to the window again.
She looked back to him and smiled through her sadness. "You promise?"
He nodded his head, looking just as sad as she felt. "Nothing will keep me away from you, Bex," Jefferson promised.
Rebekah opened her mouth, the words nearly spilling out, but she stopped herself at the last minute from saying those three little words. The three words and eight letters that would change everything.
I love you.
"You okay?" he asked her.
Rebekah looked away. "Yeah," she lied. But then she looked back at him, feeling brave enough to say one thing. "You make me really happy, Jefferson."
Jefferson moved forward and surprised Rebekah by kissing her. She smiled against his lips as she kissed him back, fingers playing with his hair. "Bex, I," he breathed hard but the sound of the alarm on his phone going off caused him to groan, pressing his forehead against hers as his hand moved to her face, cupping her cheek. He was still breathing hard, the feeling of his warm breath tickling her skin.
She moved her hand to rest on his wrist while he cupped her cheek and moved forward slowly, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before she pulled away from him and grabbed his phone. "Here," Rebekah said in a whisper as she handed him his phone.
He took it, biting down hard on his lower lip. "Take it easy today, okay?" Jefferson made her promise. Hours earlier, Rebekah had started to get sick, her rib aching as she hung over the toilet while puking. Jefferson had been so kind and took care of her, brushing her hair to her side and rubbing her back while whispering soothing words to her. "You still feeling queasy?"
Rebekah shrugged her shoulders. "Not as bad as last night. But I'll be fine."
Jefferson's brows knit together and Rebekah could see that he was worried. "It's probably just all the food I ate last night. I went a little crazy at Granny's. I had two milkshakes." Three. Jefferson smiled at Rebekah as if he knew she was lying.
Jefferson got up from the bed but didn't make a move to leave. He was already dressed in his clothes from last night with his scarf wrapped around his neck to hide his scar from the world. She frowned, hating how embarrassed he was by it. But mostly because there was a point in his life where he had been so depressed that he had reached that point. Rebekah got on her knees and grabbed at Jefferson's scarf and pulled him down to meet her in a kiss.
"I'll see you tonight," she whispered as she pulled away slowly.
He still looked like he wanted to tell her something – to say something -- but Jefferson only gave her a tight-lipped smile before pressing one last kiss to her lips and left her apartment.
"I love you, Jefferson," Rebekah whispered to herself when she heard her apartment door close.
NOW
"No, of course, take all the time you need, Rebekah," Mr. Gold said over the phone. "And...congratulations."
Rebekah mumbled her thanks and hung up, rolling back on her side as she pulled the covers over herself more. The room she was staying in was large, all white walls, and crème colored furniture, and when the sun started to rise the room was filled with light. It was the room she used to stay in when she'd babysit Henry as a child and needed to take a quick nap while he did. Because Regina sure as shit didn't stay up with him at night like she did.
And now she was going to have to do that again but with her own child...alone.
Rebekah felt the tears fill her eyes again as her lower lip trembled. Her throat was raw from crying for three days straight and she felt so bad for Henry having to witness it – but her heart was broken. Jefferson had...used her. Did she really mean nothing to him? Because when he kissed her and when he touched her it felt real. It felt like he cared about her – but that was just...some way to get back at Regina for breaking his heart?
She pulled the comforter all the way over her head and cried silently, letting the tears dampen her pillowcase. Regina had been speaking with Mr. Gold and explained her situation and thankfully Rebekah's boss hadn't asked too many questions when it came to the revelation of her pregnancy; he only wished her well.
Mr. Gold told Rebekah that her health was important to him and if they had to miss a few days of working on the house, it would be alright. As long as she was healthy – that's all that mattered. It was sweet, a bit odd, but sweet.
Regina had set up an OBGYN appointment this morning to make sure the baby was still okay, but Rebekah really didn't want to get out of bed. The only times she had gotten out of bed in the last three days was to run to the guest bathroom to get sick. But other than that, she had stayed in bed.
Rebekah checked the time on her phone and saw that she had at least another hour before she had to leave to go to the hospital. She gripped onto her phone and urged herself not to go through her pictures. There were only a few she had taken of her and Jefferson, of Jefferson alone, and pictures Jefferson had taken of her when she looked so blissfully happy.
It was a lie.
It had all been a lie.
A way to get back at Regina.
She was just a damn pawn.
Rebekah sniffled, wiping away her tears. She dropped her phone on the bed and rolled on her other side as more tears came.
"Did you two use protection?" Dr. Whale had asked her after the initial shock of Jefferson's betrayal and the pregnancy revelation.
"Not the first time." Rebekah answered truthfully.
"Rebekah, honestly." Regina had sighed. "Were you not thinking?"
"I wasn't really thinking in that moment, actually!" She snapped. "I haven't exactly been going around town like you have and don't have an emergency stash of condoms lying around my apartment!"
Dr. Whale said that it was the hormones causing her to lash out at Regina. But it was more than that. It was ridiculous to blame her older sister for Jefferson using her. Rebekah hadn't known Jefferson – she hadn't even known that he and her older sister were in a relationship at one point – so why would she blame Regina for him using her to get back at Regina for breaking his heart? There was no reason. But her anger was directed at Regina.
Maybe it was because Jefferson wasn't here to get screamed at. Both Regina and Rebekah agreed that Jefferson needed help. Because despite what he did to her, Rebekah did...or had, loved him. And as angry as she was she did not want to live in a world without Jefferson in it. And given his track record, Rebekah didn't trust him not to do something so drastic again.
Rebekah had pressed soft kisses to his scar the first time he showed it to her, feeling so incredibly gutted that Jefferson had felt so alone and hurt that at one point he had tried to kill himself.
Because of Regina.
Regina explained in more detail about Jefferson's stay at the mental institution after he had tried to kill himself the first time, and even though it was against the law, Regina told Rebekah that she would find a way to get Jefferson's file for her.
For what? Proof? Rebekah didn't want it. She just wanted the pain to stop.
The sound of her door slowly creaking open caused Rebekah to quickly wipe away her tears. Only one person in the house would be that quiet to check up on her.
"Auntie Bex?" Henry's little voice whispered. The weight of the bed shifted slightly when Henry got on it. He moved his hand to the top of the comforter and slowly pulled it down so he could see Rebekah's face. She wiped her tears again and looked to her nephew. "Do you not want your baby?"
She blinked in surprise that Henry would ask that question. Rebekah had explained to him that she was indeed pregnant but not much else. Henry knew that Regina had movers gather most of Rebekah's belongings and that she was now living with them – but that was it. He didn't know about the father or why Rebekah was so sad; he only knew about the baby.
"Why would you ask that, Henry?" Rebekah said and sat up slowly.
He shrugged his shoulders. "All you do is cry. I thought maybe you didn't want the baby. That maybe it was like with Emma and...you were going to give the baby up for adoption." He looked away, clearly upset by the topic.
Rebekah grabbed his hand. "Henry, no," she assured him. "I'm not going to give the baby away."
He looked up at her again. "But you don't want it?"
She sighed. "I do want it, Henry." Rebekah spoke truthfully. When she had realized she was pregnant with Jefferson's child she had been ecstatic – but seconds later Regina dropped the big bombshell on her. But...it didn't make her want the baby any less. Despite what Jefferson had done to her, Rebekah would never put blame on the baby. It was so innocent, it had no say in any of this. Why would she ever blame it or not want it? Terminating the pregnancy or giving it up for adoption was never an option for her. This was her baby. And she'd do it alone. "I'm not sad about that baby. I'm just sad about other things."
"The dad?"
She nodded.
"Did he leave you?"
What the hell was she supposed to say? "Yes."
He frowned. "Emma said that my Dad was a firefighter...and that he had died saving a family. But I'm okay. I don't need a Dad," Henry said. "I think the baby will be okay with just you. And me." He smiled at Rebekah.
It made her eyes fill with tears again. "I love you so much, Henry."
He moved forward and hugged his aunt. "I love you too, Auntie Bex."
Bex. That still stung. But she'd never tell Henry not to call her that.
He made a noise and pulled away from her. "What?" Rebekah asked when she saw the look on his face.
"You smell," Henry told her causing Rebekah to laugh for the first time in three days. "I think you should take a shower."
"Okay." She continued to laugh, wiping away tears of laughter this time. When he got up to leave, Rebekah called out for him. He turned to look back at her. "Emma...you haven't told her anything, right?"
He shook his head. "Mom told me not to."
Rebekah quirked her brow. "And you listened?" She teased.
He bit down on his lip and looked down at the floor. "You were sad," Henry whispered. "I didn't know if you wanted it."
She frowned, swallowing hard. "I do," Rebekah told him again. "In fact, I have a doctor's appointment soon to check up on the baby. Maybe your mom will let you play hooky for just the morning so you can come?" Rebekah suggested.
"Really?" He asked happily, a big grin spreading across his face.
"You got to ask her first. But you can tell her that I told you that I would like you there. Maybe that'll sweeten the pot."
Henry bounced out of the room and Rebekah chuckled when he heard him hollering for Regina. A few minutes later Regina came into the room and looked to Rebekah with an arched brow as she placed a towel on the dresser for Rebekah to take.
"Really?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You want my son to skip school today?"
Why couldn't Henry come? Rebekah knew her nephew had been having a hard time lately. Especially when it came to Regina. The day after the storm – or, the day Rebekah nearly miscarried -- Regina had Henry's 'castle' torn down after the storm had done too much damage to the old wooden thing. Henry had told Rebekah through her closed bedroom door asking her to help him, to get out of bed and fight against Regina with him and Emma. But she stayed silent and stayed hidden away.
He had been so sad lately and now he thought that Rebekah didn't want her child? She knew that if Henry came to the appointment he would be happy. So, yes – she did want Henry to skip school today.
Rebekah got out of bed and walked over to where Regina had set down the towel. "He thinks I don't want it," she told her quietly.
Regina let out a noise. "Well, if I'm being honest, I don't really understand why you want it," she told Rebekah. "This is the child of a man who used you to get back at me."
"I am aware!" Rebekah snapped.
Regina let out a long sigh and shook her head. "I told Henry he could come. But he's going to school right after. So, don't even try and tell him differently." She wrinkled her nose and made a face. "And Henry was right – you do need to shower. You smell awful."
Rebekah rolled her eyes and walked past Regina and towards the guest bathroom.
"We're leaving in a half hour, Rebekah!" Regina called after her. "Please try and hurry."
Yeah, yeah. She wanted to say. But she remained silent.
She wanted the baby even if Regina thought she was crazy for it. The baby was the whole reason she was getting out of bed. Rebekah would much rather stay in bed all day wallowing, but she wanted to make sure that the baby was alright.
Her baby trumped her heartbreak.
Maybe the baby was the only reason why she was even holding it together?
If staying in your room for three days crying is considered 'holding it together.'
_
ENCHANTED FOREST
Rebekah was acting strangely. She still refused to tell Jefferson about how she had found a cure for him. He knew she was keeping something from him. But anytime he would bring it up she'd find ways to distract him. And boy, was Rebekah good at distracting him. But when he held her in his arms as she slept with her head on his chest, Jefferson couldn't help but think of every horrible thing that Rebekah might have done to find a cure.
Had she made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin? Rebekah had only told him that he got sick from drinking from the river but Jefferson had been feeling weak for days before he had ventured out into the woods to gather firewood.
It had been a month since he had gotten sick, a month since he had been miraculously healed. And nothing felt right. He'd catch Rebekah staring at him when she thought he wasn't looking. He'd feel the sadness that was radiating off of her.
What had she done? What deal did she make?
"Bex?" He said her name softly, gently rubbing her arm to wake her.
"Hmm?" She said sleepily as she snuggled into him.
"Bex, wake up." He moved and Rebekah groaned as his body pulled away from hers.
In the dark, he could still see the way her face was pinched together in a frown as she sat up as well. "Jefferson, it's still dark out." Rebekah complained as he got out of bed.
"What did you do?" he asked her.
"What?" She yawned while stretching.
"Do you think I'm a fool, Rebekah?" Jefferson said loudly, his anger getting the best of him. He wasn't angry at her. Not really, but he was frustrated knowing that she was keeping something from him. "It wasn't the river water that made me sick. I had felt off for days before that."
"Jefferson, please." Rebekah got out of bed and walked over to where he stood. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to her. "Come back to bed."
He pulled his hand out of her grip when she tried to lead him to their bed. "Dammit, Rebekah, no!" he said. "What did you do? How did you heal me?"
"I didn't heal you!" Rebekah shouted. "Okay? You just got better."
He shook his head. "That's horseshit."
She threw her head back in frustration. "Why can't you just be happy that you're alive?" Rebekah looked back at him. "Why can't you just enjoy this time you have with your family?"
"This time? What are you talking about?" Rebekah turned away from him and walked out of their bedroom. "Bex!" Jefferson shouted her name as he chased after her. "Wait!"
When he found her, Rebekah was sitting in their living room with a lantern lit and her head in her hands. He sighed, feeling guilty for shouting at her. Jefferson walked over to where she was and got down on his knees. He gently pulled her hands away from her face. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just," Jefferson pressed a kiss to her open palm, "I was scared that you made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin or, worse, Regina."
Rebekah didn't say anything at first , she just looked down at their hands. "I thought you were going to die, Jefferson," she whispered. "I thought that...I'd never hear you laugh again...that you'd never open your eyes...Jefferson, I...I love you and the thought of you dying nearly killed me. So, yeah. I made a deal."
He squared his jaw and shook his head in frustration. "With whom?"
She looked at him for a long moment before telling him, "Rumpelstiltskin. He just wanted our hair again."
Jefferson blinked in surprise. "For what?" He didn't understand. When Rumpelstiltskin had taken their hair before it had been to see if he was right. If their love was true love. And it had been. Why did he need their hair now? The test had been done – he knew that their love was true love, so why did he need their hair?
She looked away from Jefferson and he squeezed her hand. Rebekah looked back at him and sighed. "To see our future."
"What?" he said in confusion. "Why?"
"To see if Grace might have magic – or if any of our children in the future might have magic," she said while looking down at their hands again. "But, they don't. So...everything is fine." Rebekah looked back at Jefferson and smiled at him. But he could see the sadness in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again but Rebekah let go of his hand and moved her arms around his shoulders. She moved off the chair she had been sitting in and moved herself onto his lap while hugging him tightly. Her fingers gently scratched down his scalp. "I can't ever lose you, Jefferson," Rebekah whispered. Jefferson hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck.
"You won't," he promised. "Not until we're gray and wrinkly."
He felt her lips press to his temple before she pulled away from him slightly, still remaining on his lap. "If...if something like this were to happen again – if it was me, or you...we need to make a plan."
"A plan?" He shook his head. "What do you mean?"
She looked conflicted, but she ran her fingers through his hair as she looked down at him. "I love you so much, Jefferson. But it was foolish of me to go to Rumpelstiltskin. I was so blind with fear of losing you that I didn't put Grace's safety first. And...we can't let that happen again."
"Rebekah," he started to say.
"Just," Rebekah stopped him, "just let me finish, okay?"
Jefferson sighed but remained quiet.
"You were right. It wasn't the river water. It was magic." She swallowed hard.
"Rumpelstiltskin's?"
"Jefferson, if anything were to happen to one of us...we both need to swear that no matter what, Grace is our main priority. If someone tries to hurt us, Rumpelstiltskin or, or Regina." She frowned. "If somehow she found us – Grace is our priority. We get her out and we never leave her alone." He shook his head but Rebekah nodded her head in response as tears filled her eyes. "We have to," she told him, moving her hand to caress his face.
"What are you saying, Bex?"
"I'm saying that if you were in the position I was in...you would take Grace and run. You leave me and don't try and save me. You go. You protect our girl."
He shook his head again. "No," Jefferson argued. "I would never leave you. How can you ask me to do that?"
"Okay, well, what if," Rebekah inhaled deeply. "What if Regina found you one day? And she threatened your life and said the only way you could live is if I come rescue you – what would you tell me in that situation? Would you tell me to leave our daughter? Would you tell me to risk both of our lives and leave her without her parents?"
He pressed his lips together as tears filled his eyes. Because he knew she was right. Jefferson knew that he would tell Rebekah to grab their daughter and run.
"See?" Rebekah's voice broke. "I know you would." He nodded, arms moving around her waist and pulling her body to his again. She wrapped her arms around him and hid her face against his shoulder. "Promise me, Jefferson," she whispered.
He shook his head, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Promise me," she said again, pressing her lips to his neck. He closed his eyes tightly and shifted so that he could move his hand to her face. "I promise," he swore before pressing a long kiss to her lips. "I promise."
"I promise," she whispered back as she pulled away from him slightly.
"I promise," he whispered again.
Rebekah wiped away his tears and smiled at him. "I love you so much, Jefferson. Never, ever, doubt that," she said softly. He moved his thumb up to wipe away a tear that was rolling down Rebekah's cheek. She sniffled and gave into a little laugh. "We're a mess," she teased.
He nodded his head in agreement. He then frowned. "Are we not safe?" Jefferson asked her, needing to know the truth.
"Yes."
He knew it was the truth. In that moment. But Jefferson had a feeling that if he had worded it differently, he might not have gotten the same answer. Rebekah didn't let him get the chance. She slowly moved her head down to his and captured his lips with her own.
Damn the woman. She really did know how to distract him.
_
STORYBROOKE, Maine
"Alright, Ms. Mills." The gynecologist walked into the room looking down at her chart. From the way she spoke, Rebekah could hear that the doctor had a British accent. She also had long, light brown hair with lighter highlights colored in. Her hair was pulled back into a bun held together by a pencil and when she looked up from Rebekah's chart, she pushed her glasses up her nose. "My name is Dr. Porter," she introduced herself.
"Rebekah," she said back.
Dr. Porter then looked at the crowded room. "Madam Mayor," she said in surprise, fumbling over her words next. "I knew Rebekah was your sister – I just didn't expect you to come – or, for you to bring your son. I would have had them put you all in a larger room. Do you want something to drink?"
Rebekah looked from Dr. Porter to Regina, and then back to Dr. Porter. Seriously? "No, I'm fine. Thank you," Regina said.
"O-okay." Dr. Porter cleared her throat. "Rebekah," she turned her attention back to her patient, "I hear you're pregnant. Congratulations."
Regina scoffed and Rebekah resisted her urge to scream at her older sister. "Thank you," Rebekah said to Dr. Porter instead.
Dr. Porter looked back down at the chart and began to speak again. "I see from Dr. Whale's notes that you are eleven weeks pregnant and...you had quite the scare a couple days ago." She looked back up to Rebekah. She nodded her head, feeling a little light-headed even thinking about it. Her hand went to her stomach and her fingers dug into the fabric of the shirt she was wearing. "Well," Dr. Porter said, seeing her distress. "Let's check up on the baby to see how the little thing is doing. Lay back, please?"
Rebekah did as she was instructed and laid back while taking in a deep breath.
"I'm going to need you to unzip your pants a little bit and lift your shirt."
"Should we leave?" Regina asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"I want to stay!" Henry argued with his mother.
"It's up to Rebekah," Dr. Porter told the two of them.
"It's fine," Rebekah said as she unzipped her pants and pulled her shirt up. Dr. Porter gave Rebekah a towel to cover a little bit of her lower half.
"This will help keep the gunk off of your clothing," the doctor told her. "Alright, Rebekah...are you ready?" Dr. Porter asked.
She closed her eyes and nodded her head. Rebekah flinched slightly at the feeling of warm goop being squeezed onto her lower stomach. Henry, of course, giggled at the noise it made only to be scolded by Regina. But Rebekah smiled as well. And then she felt the wand press against her skin and began to move around her lower stomach.
The room was quiet and Rebekah kept her eyes closed, terrified to look at the screen. The room was then filled with a static-like noise. "It's still a little early but I want to see if we can hear the heartbeat today," Dr. Porter told Rebekah, who still had her eyes closed tight.
Rebekah felt her hands start to get sweaty the longer the room was quiet, her stomach feeling queasy, and her head spinning. But then she heard it.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her eyes opened.
"There it is." Dr. Porter was smiling as she looked at the screen.
"Is that Rebekah's heartbeat or the baby's?" Henry asked.
"It's both of theirs," Dr. Porter said.
"But how can you tell which one belongs to who?"
Dr. Porter chuckled. "I've been doing this for a while." She smiled at Henry. "But here, look." She made a box on the screen and focused solely on the baby's heartbeat. "This is the baby's heart. You see that little movement on the screen?"
Rebekah blocked out all the noise except for the sound of her baby's heart beating. Her eyes were glued to the screen as Dr. Porter took all the measurements. This was real – the baby was safe. It had a heartbeat! Rebekah felt her eyes fill with tears and blinked through them, letting them fall as she looked at the screen.
Dr. Porter saying her name finally caused Rebekah to look away from the screen briefly. "Everything is as it should be," the female doctor told her. "Baby is growing and has a very steady heartbeat. Given that you nearly miscarried a few days ago...Rebekah, I have to stay – this baby is a miracle."
A miracle...
Regina cleared her throat. "Henry, let's leave your aunt to clean herself up a bit."
"Can I have a picture of that baby?" Henry asked Dr. Porter.
"Of course, I'll make two copies. One for Mom, and one for you."
Mom. She was a mom.
Henry and Regina left the room and Rebekah looked to Dr. Porter. "Can you make three copies?" Rebekah asked her when the door shut. Dr. Porter nodded her head and gave Rebekah a warm smile and printed out an extra copy.
They went over everything Rebekah would be needing to do now, made another appointment, and Dr. Porter gave Rebekah her cell number in case she had any questions – or if she started to bleed again.
"Do you think that might happen? That I still might miscarry?"
Dr. Porter sighed. "Right now, the baby is very healthy. And that is a very good thing. But I need you to take it easy – try not to be too stressed, don't be on your feet for too long. If you feel a little bit off, listen to what your body is telling you, okay? I can't guarantee that you aren't still at risk but I can help you make that chance a very low odd."
Rebekah inhaled and nodded her head. "Thank you, Dr. Porter," she said softly.
Dr. Porter smiled. "You can call me Jane."
Rebekah walked out of the room with the two copies of her ultrasound and the third copy tucked into the back of her jeans. It would hurt, and it was probably stupid to do so, but Rebekah was going to go see Jefferson. And when she saw him she was going to give him a picture of their child.
And maybe, just maybe, he'd tell her why he had done this to her and if he ever cared for her in the first place.
_
On the very last floor of the hospital, even below the parking garage, Jefferson sat in a chair facing an empty wall. He felt light, like his body was floating above watching him. They had given him something – they had been giving it to him every hour. But each hour when the drugs began to wear off, they would present him with a choice. Jefferson could either comply and live amongst the rest of the patients in the asylum, or he could be stuck in the chair for the rest of his days. He'd fight them, using what little strength he had to try and escape, screaming that he needed to get to Rebekah. But as soon as he started to fight against him, he'd feel a needle prick his skin and his legs turn to jelly.
The worst part was that Jefferson was aware of everything.
He knew that he needed to get out, that he needed to get to Rebekah – he needed to save her from Regina. But he couldn't move. Jefferson was frozen. He could hear everything around him, he could hear the conversations going on in the hallway, but he as he tried to open his mouth to scream for help, no sound came out. In fact, Jefferson didn't even think that his mouth had opened a single time he had tried to scream out.
Jefferson didn't know how long it had been since Regina had him locked away. The room was windowless and most of the time they kept his light off. He had tried to count how many times he had been given a dose of the drugs they were pumping into his system – they did it every hour on the hour. But lately, the doses had been getting stronger and Jefferson would feel his eyes grow heavy until his head rolled back and darkness surrounded him.
Rebekah.
He needed Rebekah.
Did she think he abandoned her?
Did she know yet that she was pregnant? The last night he had spent with her Jefferson had noticed the change in her. He noticed that whenever she stood up she'd stumble back a little from dizziness. Jefferson was always quick to be there to catch her, stopping her from falling down on the ground. When Rebekah had been pregnant with Grace, and their child that had not survived, the woman was constantly dizzy. To the point where Jefferson didn't want to leave her side fearing that she'd fall if she got up too fast.
He had thought that maybe it was just a coincidence. But with how tired she had been and how she would complain about how sore she was, Jefferson started to wonder if it was more than a coincidence. Their first night together they hadn't used protection – but it was impossible for any resident of Storybrooke to get pregnant while they were cursed. It had to be something else. And then she started to get sick.
"Dr. Whale wanted to run some blood work," Rebekah had told him earlier. And he knew.
She was pregnant. They were going to have a baby. And as sick as Rebekah was getting, he kept a smile on his face the whole time as he held her hair back. Because this was his chance! He might not have to wait for Emma Swan to break the curse – this baby was proof that the curse was starting to fail! Which meant that Rebekah could possibly regain her memories.
He was ecstatic because once Rebekah remembered who she truly was, who they were – oh, she'd fight like hell to help break the curse so that they could get their daughter back. Rebekah would break the curse. It was all coming together.
Or...it had been coming together.
But now Jefferson was stuck in this room listening as one of the male nurses spoke on the phone to someone named Jerry about what the cafeteria was serving for lunch.
"Tuna salad again? You'd think this place could afford better food," he grumbled.
If he could, Jefferson would roll his eyes.
"Hi."
Jefferson focused on the voice, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.
"Um, excuse me."
"Uh, uh, hold on a second, Jerry. Yeah? What do you want?"
"I need to see one of your patients. His name is Jefferson Williams"
Rebekah.
She was here.
How the hell did she know he was here?
Did she regain her memories?
Jefferson tried desperately to move but was only able to lift his thumb up briefly.
"Uh, yeah. What's your name?"
"Rebekah Mills."
The male nurse clicked his tongue. "Sorry, sweetheart. Mr. Williams has you on his list of people he does not want to see. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"What?"
What?! Dammit Regina!
"Are you serious?" He could hear the heartbreak in her voice.
It was then he knew that Rebekah did not have her memories back but believed that Jefferson simply did not want to see her – why would she ever believe that?!
"There's only one Mills on the list he's allowing to visit him and that's the Mayor."
Silence.
Come on, Bex. You gotta know that's a lie. Demand to see me, Jefferson tried to shout.
He tried to move again but wasn't able to. And no matter how hard he tried to get his words out, he was mute.
"Well, he would only want to see her, wouldn't he?" Rebekah said bitterly and sniffled. "Here," she said next. "Can you give him this?"
Silence again.
"Be-" it came out as just air. "-ex"
"Sure thing, Miss Mills."
"N..o."
The door to his room opened and the large male nurse walked in, the lights hurting his eyes when the man turned them on. "Got somethin' for you," he said as he walked in front of Jefferson.
Jefferson glared at the man, still trying to call out for Rebekah. "Pl..ea...s."
The man held up a picture for Jefferson to see.
"You're sick, you know that?" The nurse shook his head. "Congratulations – you knocked up her up." She knew. Rebekah knew! She knew she was pregnant! There was still a chance! "You must really hate Regina if you were willing to go through such lengths to get back at her for dumping you. I mean, seducing her little sister? That's just pathetic."
Jefferson felt his heart drop to his stomach. "N...o." His voice came out as a whisper.
"I'm surprised Rebekah even came down to see you after Regina told her everything."
No. no, no, no, no. "St...op," Jefferson said. Stop her. Don't let her leave. Let me see her! Let me talk to her!
"I doubt she's gonna be visiting you anymore though," the nurse said. He then walked closer to Jefferson. "You want to keep the picture?"
He glared, lips able to form into a snarl.
"You can...you just gotta stop fighting us."
Jefferson was breathing heavily. He needed to get out of here and the only way he was going to be able to do that is if he let them think he was complying. He managed to move his head up and down slightly and the nurse raised his brow in surprise.
"Alright," he placed the picture down on Jefferson's lap. "But if I come in here again and you try to get out, it's back to being stuck in this chair."
The nurse left and Jefferson fought so hard to get his movement back. His finger inched closer to the picture and he felt tears form as he looked down at it.
He needed to get out. He needed to get to Rebekah. Can't lose her, he thought. Not again.
_
"She did what?" Rebekah said as she sat in her bed.
Regina had brought her up some dinner, saying that she wanted Rebekah to take the rest of the day easy. Rebekah had confessed to Regina that she had gone to try and see Jefferson but was told that Jefferson only wanted one Mills woman to see him. Regina had frowned and apologized to Rebekah for everything that Jefferson had done.
Her heart was broken. Jefferson had broken her heart. The only thing that was keeping her going right now was the child growing in her womb. She moved her hand to her stomach, a habit she had formed after her appointment whenever she would think about Jefferson and her heart would start to ache. Moving her hand over her stomach reminded Rebekah that she had something to fight for, that she couldn't stay holed up in her bed forever.
Regina explained again how Emma had accused her of stealing thousands from the townspeople to build herself a new home, when really Regina had been using the taxpayer's money to build a new playhouse and park in a safer location than by the docks. A new castle for Henry.
"Honestly, the nerve of that woman!" Regina huffed. She then looked to Rebekah and frowned. "I'm sorry, I know I said I'd try to be civil but she accused me of stealing from the town!"
Rebekah pushed her food around her plate. Emma was her friend but she also knew how much the woman disliked Regina. The two of them were like a lit match and gasoline. Anytime they were feuding, everyone felt the explosion of it.
"Henry really wants to go to the park tomorrow," Regina said, gaining her younger sister's attention again. "I was wondering if you might take him?"
Rebekah smiled and agreed. "Of course."
"And uh," Regina cleared her throat. "I know I'm putting you in an awkward position but...if you see Emma...will you please keep her away from Henry?"
Rebekah sighed, "Regina."
"Rebekah...please. I have enough people out to get me, look at what happened with Jefferson."
The ache started again.
"I just want to keep Henry safe, too."
It was wrong. Emma shouldn't be kept away from Henry. Rebekah knew that she would never do anything to hurt him, that she was good. But Regina was doing a lot for her, she took Rebekah into her home, made sure Rebekah got to her doctor's appointment. She even went with her. And now she was making Rebekah eat the diet Dr. Porter recommended. She truly did seem to care. Rebekah saw a glimpse of the sister she used to know.
"Okay," Rebekah agreed.
Regina smiled. "Thank you, Rebekah." She then looked to Rebekah's untouched plate of food. "Now eat up. You want to keep that baby, you've got to feed it."
Rebekah's lips twitched in amusement. "I thought you didn't want me to keep it."
Regina simply shrugged. "There's no fighting you when you've made up your mind. I've learned that over the years," she confessed. "Besides...Henry is excited to have a cousin. I think you being pregnant is good for him. It means his attention will be focused on our family and not Emma."
She repressed her need to argue with Regina that Emma was Henry's family, but Regina was being kind and Rebekah really didn't want to start a fight.
So, Rebekah kept her mouth shut and only opened it to eat the meal Regina had made her.
The next day, Rebekah took Henry to the park where she ran into Paige.
She smiled when the young girl took a seat next to her on the bench. Rebekah put the bottle of pre-natal gummy vitamins in her purse and looked down at Paige. "Are those gummy bears?" Paige asked with a big grin.
Rebekah chuckled. "No. Well, kinda."
Paige looked up at Rebekah in confusion.
She sighed. "They're vitamins. My doctor gave them to me instead of regular vitamins."
Paige's eyes widened in fear and her face fell. "Are you sick?"
Rebekah grabbed Paige's hand and gave it a squeeze. "No, sweetie, I'm not sick." But the young girl didn't look convinced. She wanted to make sure that Paige knew she wasn't sick because the worried look on her face broke Rebekah's already broken heart. She inhaled deeply and leaned in close to Paige. "Can you keep a secret?" Paige nodded her head and Rebekah smiled. "Okay...you can't tell anyone this though, okay?"
"I won't," Paige whispered.
It was the first time she was saying it out loud to someone other than Henry, Regina, or her doctors. But for some reason, Rebekah felt at ease sharing this secret with Paige.
"I'm having a baby."
Her eyes twinkled with excitement. "Really?"
"Mmhmm." Rebekah grinned. "But I haven't told anyone in town yet so this has to stay a secret." Her face then fell. Rebekah frowned too. "What's wrong?"
Paige shrugged. "I always wanted a little brother or sister," she admitted. "But my mom says that she's too old to have another baby."
Rebekah frowned at that. "How about this?" She looked to Paige. "This baby," Rebekah moved her hand over her stomach. "You can be its honorary big sister."
Paige beamed at Rebekah and she felt her chest tighten as Paige wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you, Bex!" she said happily. And Rebekah didn't flinch at being called the name. With Henry, it didn't hurt. But she didn't think she could take hearing anyone else refer to her by the name that Jefferson called her. Paige, it seemed, was one of the few people who could still call her by that name.
Rebekah hugged Paige back and felt an odd sense of content. It felt familiar. Like she had known Paige her whole life. But her focus was drifting elsewhere when she saw that Henry was standing alone talking on the walkies that were once Graham's. The ones that Emma had given Henry.
And then she saw the yellow Volkswagen Beetle a bit away behind the bushes. She frowned but didn't make a move to grab Henry or tell Emma to leave. She instead turned her attention back to Paige who asked a million questions per minute about the baby.
It was nice to talk to someone about the baby.
Someone who didn't think to ask about who the father was, that is.
Because Rebekah knew that that would be the first question her friends would ask. Who's the father? Rebekah wasn't ready to give that answer.
Or, find out a way to avoid answering the question all together.