Chapter 70
"How I didn't feel your magic." Rumple hissed. "I still don't. Come to think of it I didn't feel Aurora's back there in the Library either."
"A little gift from Phillip. Though I do suppose I have you and the good doctor to thank for both reasons our magic has been masked." She showed them the bracelet Rumple had ripped off Aurora at the town meeting a few weeks ago. "And Van Helsing was able to replicate those wonderfully fun cuffs the Doctor made for my daughter."
"No…" Victor muttered in horror stepping back from Cora even though she was behind a magical barrier.
"Where is your daughter, dearie?" Rumple coldly asked drawing her attention back to him before Cora could torment him more.
She gave him a look filled with disgust and for a second Neal thought she wasn't going to answer.
"It appears she, like Hook here, has picked a son who doesn't love them over their revenge."
"You look disgusted but let's finally be truthful with each other." Hook said stepping up beside Rumple. "You are really more upset that she turned out to be a better mother than you could ever hope to be."
"I was a good mother. Everything I ever did was for her to become Queen!"
"Everything you ever did was so you could have power. I am sure you are secretly happy she isn't going with you." Rumple coldly commented once again drawing her attention back to him. "One less person with titles around. Tell me will you acknowledge other royalty in the Enchanted Forest, or will you play it like Wonderland and demand you are the only Queen?"
"Cora will be the only queen who matters," George responded for her.
"Oh," Rumple addressed George for the first time. "I see you finally learned from your first go around with her. You two liars deserve each other."
Cora gave a playful giggle. "You aren't jealous of George, now are you?" Cora mocked him.
"I assure you; I feel nothing but regret that I didn't kill him when Jefferson requested it all those decades ago."
"Don't worry Rumple I will leave whatever is left of your adopted son's body behind so you can bury him for real this time," George smirked.
"You son of a bitch!" Hook hissed rushing to the edge of the magical barrier. "If any of you hurt my son I will kill you myself."
"Please, You flip-flopped between me and that so-called savior more times than I could count before I brought you here to Storybrooke," Cora told him. "You are currently working with the last monster you wanted to kill. How is it you didn't realize once in the two hundred some years you spent in Neverland, that you are not the least bit threatening to anyone with magic?"
Hook pounded on the spell, but it held. "I swear I will kill you, WITCH!"
"Goodbye Hook." She smirked before turning and entering the Library.
George laughed, "I hope you let both Aurora and Jefferson know how special they are to you. Because after tonight I doubt you will be able to tell them anything else again."
"If any harm comes to either of them there is no power in any world to keep you safe from me." Rumple coldly commented.
George's smirk wavered a second before he turned and following Cora inside.
"No!" Victor screamed hitting the barrier as he watched George follow Cora inside. "Rumple I can't let my Science experiments hurt Jefferson and Aurora again. There has to be a way in!"
Rumple moved up to the spell placing his hand on it. He turned his head giving Victor a worried look. "I can try but I fear Jefferson and Aurora may be on their own."
No Rory what are you doing kissing him? You can't go with him. You can't marry him…" His voice faded and his eyes closed as Aurora used the pair of handcuffs from Emma's office Phillip had stolen, to cuffed his left and already hurt hand to the bar above his head.
"No! Look at me! Look at me," She grabbed him sharply by the chin. "I'm right here. Don't close your eyes. Stay with me," His eyes started to close, and she hissed, "Jefferson!" Slapping his face.
He opened his eyes, looking deep into her frighten ones. "Just let me die. It is easier to just die. I have lived way too long as it is."
"Don't talk like that." Turning to Phillip she demanded. "Get this cuff off of me now!"
Phillip undid her cuff and she turned kneeling down beside him.
"I am not worth it. I was never worth it."
"You taught me we are all stories in the end. Well, don't let yours end here. Please let me save you." She tried to move his right hand away from the wound but he held it tight.
"I am sorry Jefferson, I am so sorry this is how our story is unfolding." She whispered as she finally forced his hand away before quickly covering it with her own. She moved to grip his right shoulder with her right hand trying to will her magic back faster to heal him. "I didn't want to bring you more pain…I was selfish. I just wanted my happy ending to be with you." She buried her head in his shoulder a moment trying to hold back her tears so she could finish telling him all she had to say.
"I am sorry my love. I should have been stronger. You once told me love is horrible." She paused a moment feeling the warm blood flowing on her hand as she waited for her magical abilities to manifest. "Love is only horrible because when you love someone you make sacrifices. I am sorry I was so weak, that I didn't sacrifice my happy ending to keep you safe. That I never learned to keep my silly emotions in check. All I ever wanted was a future with you, please forgive me, for that sin."
"Wanting a happy ending is a sin. But I don't want you to save me, let me die and save yourself." He whispered back to her opening his eyes. "I never should have filled your head with such nonsense of loving me. Please I am not worth it. I was never worth it."
"You were worth every second I got with you, and oh my God I want more." She nuzzled up against his neck a moment, before continuing. "But sometimes things don't work out the way you plan. Rumple was right. I should have listened to him because he knew this to be true. I didn't listen to him and I did the last thing I ever wanted to do to you. I made you believe in hope again only to once again have it stripped away. You should know by now I would do anything to save you."
"No," Jefferson demanded grabbing her with his bloody right hand. "I felt Rumple's magic a moment ago he's coming, so use your magic to heal and protect yourself." He touched near the cut marks on her face from where Phillip had hit her. "Take care of Phillip, Rumple will do the rest."
"Rumple is here yet. What if he doesn't make it in time? You must understand I am not willing to take that risk. I love you, but I am not saving you just for my own selfish reasons. You need to live Jefferson, not for me but for Grace." She finally breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her magic returning. Without another thought, she pushed the healing spell into him and he gasped from the sudden shock of it.
"Do something Dark One!" Hook demanded watching Rumple place his hand on the spell Cora had placed around the library.
"Am I am trying," Rumple said grinding his teeth.
"What now?" Victor screamed in panic as a cloud of purple smoke swirled around revealing Emma, her parents, Robin, and "Regina?" He questioned.
"Where is my mother?"
"Inside there with my boy and his wife to be." Hook pointed at the library.
"You didn't stop her?" Regina accused Rumple.
"Cora's whole life has been about requiring power. A little assist wouldn't hurt." He nodded towards the spell.
"Wherever did she learn that from." Regina mocked him before she joined Rumple and poured her own magic into the spell. It crackled and fell.
George and Cora paused by the open elevator a moment taking in the two dead guards.
"Hopefully our new guards will be better than these fools," Cora commented as she entered the elevator.
"Yes, I will make sure of it, my dear." George stepped in and was about to send it up to the clock tower when he felt a burst of energy. "What was that."
"My daughter." Cora hissed exiting the elevator and beating them to the front door of the library she replaced her spell as the elevator door closed and George started up to the clock tower.
"Mother!" She heard Regina cry. "Let me in."
"Unless you kill both Robin and that stupid Savior right now, I will do no such thing."
"Regina…" Snow growled.
"Seriously after everything I just told you, you still think I will do what my mother says?" Regina questioned her.
"You have a very clouded history of doing just that." Rumple stepped up. "I had thought I broke you of that bad habit years before the curse, but these last few weeks leave us all wondering."
"I am not going against my mother because of you." She demanded.
"No, she has let those damn emotions I could never squash in her win out again. Love Regina, really? What good has Love ever gotten you?"
"If I listen to you, I will once again never know what love can give me!"
"Love dies!" Cora's voiced boomed. "It won't be long before you regret going against me." She reinforced her spell knocking Regina back into Emma. "Enjoy your new family while you can. We both know they don't really care about you, and it is only a matter of time before they will betray you like you are betraying me now." With that Cora turned walking back over calling the elevator back down to her.
Aurora paused as the elevator chimed and Phillip moved back away from them towards the stairs to see who it was. She looked back watching him start down the stairs. Oh, thank God, she thought before she turned back to Jefferson. Leaning close again not wanting anyone to hear her she told him. "Saving you isn't only for Grace it is also for your unborn son. I have to be able to tell him his father is alive."
"What?" Jefferson asked because surely, he hadn't heard that correctly.
Aurora kept pouring energy into Jefferson to heal his gunshot wound as she whispered. "It was supposed to be a Christmas surprise. But I should have left you open the box from Victor and me."
She moved his hand up to her belly for a moment leaving a bloody handprint on her dress.
"Really?" He asked.
She held his hand tighter against her belly a moment and Jefferson watched a single tear break through her defenses and form a trail down her blood-streaked face, before whispering, "Yes."
"A son… A little prince?" He asked the old gypsy's comments ringing again in his head. Still, in disbelief, he brought his hand up from her belly to the base of her neck holding her close a moment.
She pulled back feeling her magic starting to fade again as she tried her best to finish healing the wound. "I have always believed in you. You are a portal jumper. If Rumple doesn't make it in time and Phillip takes me home, I know we will see you again." Aurora heard Phillip moving back up the stairs towards them. She quickly leaned in kissing Jefferson on the lips.
Phillip pulled her away from Jefferson "That's enough of that Aurora. We are going home."
"No, my magic is returning too slow, I wasn't done. His hand is still cut."
"You should be glad I let you save him at all."
"Why are you doing this Phillip? Just leave without me. You can tell them all I died here in Storybrooke and just go back home and rule both yours and my kingdoms. You can have everything you wanted; you don't need me."
"We all can toy with the idea that he doesn't need you. But in the end, we most certainly know he does." George's voice pierced the clock tower.
"Like hell he does." Jefferson hissed jerking to his feet, pulling once more on his cuff trying to break free causing the cut on his hand to bleed even more. "You only want to take her to hurt me."
"Her kingdom needs their queen, and she knows it. But rest assured It does warm my cold dark heart knowing how upset by her finally fulfilling her destiny you and your master will be."
"For the last time, I don't have a master!" Jefferson's voice boomed echoing off the walls.
"Well, you are right." George laughed "It will be the last time you tell me that. It looks like you lost more blood in your battle with Phillip than in sixteen days in my dungeon."
"He's to live tonight if you want me to go with you, right Phillip."
"Aurora, agreed to be my wife if I let her save him. No more fighting."
"And you gave up your revenge on the Hatter?" George asked.
"I saw what not having my mother did to my father all those years. Leaving him to grow old without Aurora will be more satisfying than leaving a corpse to rot unknowing in the grave."
"Once we leave here tonight there won't be a way for any of them to return home." George pulled out a magic bean.
"Where did you get that?" Jefferson couldn't help but ask. For he never thought he would see another giant's bean even if he lived for another three hundred and seven years.
"Didn't your precious Aurora tell you?" George mocked him.
"Aurora what is he talking about?"
"Snow and that disgrace of a prince's lot of dwarves figure out how to plant the seed the Giant had. Aurora's magic helped speed things along."
"You knew about this?" Jefferson hissed unable to control his anger at being kept in the dark on an issue of this importance.
"Emma had me agree to help her, but I couldn't tell you or Rumple. The spell wasn't supposed to be complete for months." She shook her head. "But what I knew isn't important now. If you have that. What did Cora do to Emma and David?"
"Oh they aren't dead… at least not yet." Cora purred as she finished climbing the stairs to join them at the top of the library.
"Cora…" Jefferson recoiled back against the railing as thoughts of what she had done to him in Wonderland filled his head.
Cora smiled at his reaction. "I love to see you still fear me. But you look a tad bit worse off than you were in Wonderland." She looked from his blood-soaked clothes to Aurora's before asking Phillip. "Is someone dying or did Alice spill all the red paint for the roses again." She paused dramatically a moment before adding. "Oh wait I killed Alice."
"You bitch…" Jefferson started. But Aurora moved in between them.
"Phillip let me save his life in exchange for agreeing to go with you all."
"In exchange?" Cora stepped back talking more to George than to Phillip she said. "I didn't think I needed to explain there weren't deals to be made. We were to be taking what we all wanted and going home."
"Yes, dear," George smirked. "As much as I want to see Jefferson here dead. I think Phillip may have succeeded in the best punishment. After we take Aurora with us Jefferson will have to live with the fact that he once again couldn't save the person he claims to love."
The building shook but Cora's spell held. Realizing what must be going on outside Jefferson told him. "They are coming for you, and I really don't think Rumple is going to let either of you live this time."
"Good thing we won't be here when they find you." Cora reached out for him and he tried to stop her with his one free hand but she was able to grab him by the throat. "You seem to have found some of that cocky old self over the last few weeks, but I am thinking you are going to be a broken useless shell in just a few moments." She looked over at George. "Shame we are going to miss it."
"Leave him be!" Aurora screamed starting forward trying to find some ounce of magic to defend him with, but nothing came, and Phillip grabbed her tight. She screamed in frustration.
Cora laughed letting go of Jefferson to turn to her. "Oh, sweet child, you are going to be so much more fun to break. Unlike when I first met the Hatter, you still have hope in your eyes." She walked past them back towards the stairs. "Let's get home so we can start your regrooming."
"Wait! What are you going to use to direct the bean to the right place?" Jefferson asked desperately trying to stall for time. Where is Rumple? I felt his magic a few moments before George and Cora showed up, but it has vanished now. Why isn't he yet? Better yet he wondered. Why can't I feel Cora's or Regina's magic? She has to be here too Cora wouldn't leave without her.
"That is the best part." George smiled giving a wave to Cora. "Show him."
"We couldn't find that damn compass, the Savior has that hidden away too well, but thanks to George we do have the ashes of your hat." She showed him the bottle of ashes. "And the hat was created by Rumple and you in the Enchanted Forest. It will ensure our safe passage home." She laughed a loud cruel laugh before adding. "It looks like I finally got it to work!"
"No, no, no, no," Jefferson muttered the reality that his precious hat was once again going to lead to him losing someone he loved was too much to bear.
"I was so disappointed not to see your initial reaction to me burning your hat, but this may actually be better." George mocked him.
Cora's smile brighten "If we plan on being back in the Enchanted Forest for breakfast then we want to hurry before the Dark One and the others get through my protection charm."
"Where is Regina?" Phillip asked.
"She decided Robin and her son are more important than pleasing herself or her mother."
Jefferson couldn't stop his laughter which spilled out like mad giggles. "After all this, you are actually going to leave her behind?"
Cora moved back closer to Aurora playing with her golden curls a moment as she answered. "I have to say I finally realize why Rumple took you from Neverland all those years ago."
"Leave her be!" Jefferson screamed as he watched Aurora wince at Cora's touch.
"Oh Hatter, I think we all know that just isn't going to happen. I believe Aurora will make an excellent replacement daughter. She has so much anger and hatred just waiting there in her heart for how life has treated her. Rumple has worried about it for years. I think once that hope is gone she will do great things for me. Maybe even more than you did for the Dark One."
George cleared his throat.
"Silly me, I mean us." She turned taking George's hand. "I have to get used to the fact there is a us now. I have been on my own for so long."
George gave her hand a kiss. "A second chance at a future together is not something I choose to waste." He finished his mocking comment by looking Jefferson dead in the eyes.
"You two deserve each other," Jefferson told them. "I can't wait to find out who kills who first."
The whole building shook again before they could answer him. "I think we have overstayed our welcome throw the bean and let's be gone from this miserable world," Cora ordered moving to the side directing him to throw it down the steps.
George threw the bean down the steps and a rush of magic and energy hit them all. Cora quickly poured in the ashes from Jefferson's hat. Phillip moved to pull Aurora closer to the portal but Jefferson was too quick reaching out and grabbing ahold of Aurora's wrist.
"Let her go, Hatter!" Phillip hissed.
"She isn't your's Phillip! She isn't some item you can just steal. She is a person!"
"So was my mother! But that didn't stop you from taking her cordial and killing her." He pointed the gun at him again. "I am taking her with me. She will be my wife!"
"Jefferson PLEASE!" She screamed pleading as she tried to pull her hand away. "Just let me go!"
"No," Jefferson demanded. "I am not letting go this time."
Timed seem to slow down at his words as they cut deep into her heart. Her mind filled with flashbacks of the night Maleficent attacked them knocking them off the cliffside, and how she had slipped out of his grip into the icy cold water. For a moment she forgot how to breathe.
"The next bullet will be in that cocky face of yours and all the magic in the world won't bring you back from that." Phillip snared cocking the gun.
Philip's sharp words brought Aurora back to the present and she didn't wait for Jefferson's reply she felt a little bit of magic returning and she closed her eyes pulling from down deep to send magic up his arm. She opened her eyes in time to see him let go pulling back from her feeling like she had burnt him.
"Aurora." He whispered, holding his hand which he knew from past experiences would not be burnt.
She saw his look of complete betrayal and the way he had said her name cut her like a knife. "Please understand I have to know…" She chocked on her words a moment trying to keep herself together and make him understand why she had used her magic on him. "I have to know you are alive this time." She hoped her words would bring him some kind of comfort as Phillip dragged her back towards the portal.
Phillip paused his fingers going over Jefferson's scarf she still had tied to her wrist. "You won't be needing this where we are going." He used the sword Jefferson had discarded to cut it off and in doing so cut her wrist.
"You bastard!" Jefferson hissed before turning and trying an unlock spell on the cuffs. "Alohomora!" nothing happened. No, no, no… He thought as he repeated the spell over and over again getting louder each time it didn't work.
"Never having enough magic was always your problem." Cora smugly commented.
Another tear broke loose and started down Aurora's bloody face as she muttered. "You are still too weak from the bullet; it isn't going to work."
"Don't worry Hatter, I assure you that won't be the last time I hurt her. But her death won't be quick. She has to bear me a son before she is useless to me."
Jefferson saw a flash of fear that crossed Aurora's face at that comment, as her hand went to her belly already knowing she was with the child and what that would mean she would have to do as soon as possible with Phillip.
"You should learn from George's mistakes and make sure to have a backup son before you discard her." Cora chuckled to herself.
Cora's spell flicked again shaking the whole building for a long moment but it held. "Enough talking it is time we go now." She jumped in without waiting to see if they would take her advice or not.
"This isn't the end of our story. Forever Rory means forever!" He tried to reassure her though he had no idea how he would ever get to her back in the Enchanted Forest.
"This is how your story plays out. It is over Hatter and I win. The only thing you two will do forever; is be apart." George hissed.
Jefferson reached out towards Aurora again so desperate he called out. "No, wait! King George no! You don't need her. You can go back and just rule it all yourselves."
King George laughed. "I see you finally learned to use my title. And I must admit, it sounds so sweet to hear. But you are wrong I do need her. I need her because you love her. And the thing about loving someone is it gives you so much more to lose. I told you that I would ruin you all those years ago in my dungeons. Well, it has taken longer than I thought but I finally found the way to do it. You and that damn Dark One will never see the girl again." Then without another word he turned and jumped into the portal.
"King Phillip don't! Please don't! King Phillip, look at her, how many times have you looked at her but never really saw her." Jefferson asked.
"I am taking her and even using my correct title isn't going to change that fact."
"I am a portal jumper I will find a way back to her!" Jefferson screamed over the rush of the portal.
"I am sure you will try but Cora made sure there are no beans left."
"If anyone can find a way back to me it would be you." Aurora softly agreed with him.
"Here, I will give you something to remember her by, she doesn't need this anymore either." Phillip pulled Jefferson's mother's wedding ring off of her finger and tossed it at him.
"No, please! I am begging you, don't take her! NO Aurora!" He screamed pulling on the handcuffs as hard as he could, making the cut on his hand bleed even more. "This isn't the end of our story! I swear it isn't!"
"I believe in you Jefferson!" was the last thing he could hear as Phillip jump into the portal dragging her along with him.
"No! Aurora! AURORA!" Jefferson screamed as he fought against the chains bringing his leg up trying to use his own blood to slip his hand out but the cuffs were just too tight. He heard and felt the energy of the portal dying down. He turned and watched as the portal closed and the light and the room went back to normal. He just stood there a moment staring where the portal had been. He collapsed down to his knees realizing he had failed to save not only his true love but also his unborn son.