Jefferson had invited her in, Emma only made it inside the front door and she refused to go any further. Mere days ago, he had tried to hurt her. He had taken Mary Margaret hostage, and forced her at gunpoint to make a hat. Emma didn't know what might have been in store for them when she fought back at he had them cornered in that room. If Mary Margaret hadn't taken that croquet mallet and kicked him out the window….

"It would be polite to ask what you'd like to drink," Jefferson said. Emma watched him shift from one foot to another awkwardly. He wouldn't look her in the face.

This was a last resort, she told herself. She had to admit though, she was worried. He was unstable. That gun in her face kept playing over and over.

His charming personality that won her over at first, that willingness to help….and then a gun in her face while her friend was tied up and no one knew where she was.

"I wouldn't drink it," she finally said.

"Yes, I suppose we sort of burned that bridge. Are you here to take me in?"

"No," Emma sighed, "Because if I took you in, there would be questions. Questions that I can't afford to have asked right now."

"Not THAT," Jefferson snapped, "I know you can't take me in for THAT night. I'm talking about Henry getting poisoned."

Emma's eyes grew, "You had something to do with that?"

"She made me get the apple, she promised me my daught-," He was cut off when Emma punched him. He stumbled back. Emma didn't care, she was seeing red. HE threatened the safety of HER son?

"You son of a bitch, I should rip you apart," she hissed.

"Fine," he told her and straightened up, "You wouldn't help me, I had to help myself."

"By trusting Regina Mills who put you like this in the first place."

He stopped when she said that, a beaming grin crossed his face, "You believe?"

"Yes. I believed as soon as Henry took that turnover and the pieces fell together."

"He's awake…and for him to be awake, you kissed him. You could get my daughter!"

PUNCH

Jefferson rubbed his nose, "Stop DOING THAT!"

"You held me at gunpoint days ago!"

"And you hit me with a telescope and kicked me out a window! We're even!"

"Not even close, not after Henry!"

"Even or not, you need my help, don't you? If you're not here to arrest me or to be friends, then why else would you be here?"

"Yes, I need your help. I need- I need eyes on the town. I need eyes on Regina. I need eyes on me when I have to go see her to get Henry's things. I need someone that will make sure I'm safe."

"You get my daughter back, I'll do whatever you want."

"I don't know if I can do that," she admitted.

When she saw him narrow his eyes and take a threatening step forward, Emma wondered if maybe it was better to lie, "Why not?"

"Because this curse isn't broken," Emma told him, "And I don't know how to break it."

"You kissed your son, he's awake!"

"It should have been enough, but it wasn't. NO one else is awake but you and me and Henry and Rumple. We have to be smart when going against Regina."

"And you want me to play spy."

"There's nothing else to do."

Jefferson narrowed his eyes, "I want my daughter then, as a reward."

"You can't have Grace just yet."

"After Regina's defeated, then."

"When we break this curse and we're out from under Regina's boot, then I will make sure you get joint custody," she started, knowing this wouldn't end well.

"JOINT CUSTODY?! SHE'S MY DAUGHTER."

"And you're unstable!" Emma told him sharply, "Just days ago you had a gun to my face! You wanted me to make a hat so you could take your daughter and leave. Tell me something Jefferson, would Grace have wanted to go?"

"I would've figured something out. I would've made her believe."

"You'd have traumatized her," Emma said, "Joint custody if her parents in this world still want her. From there…we'll figure something out."

"That's not a good deal."

"It's a compromise," Emma looked at him, "It's the best you can hope for right now."

He bit his thumbnail and thought it over, "I could always tell Regina that you believe."

"She won't get you what you want," Emma told him, "Haven't you figured that out yet? Not unless it goes along with her plan too."

His only bluff was called. He picked at the string on his cuff and sighed, "Fine."

"Fine," Emma said and turned, "I need to go get some of Henry's things. I need you to watch my back."

"Okay."

Emma started to go and stopped for a moment, "Thank you for saving Belle."

Jefferson blinked, "Have no idea what you're talking about."

"Rumplestiltskin told me to send you his regards. He tells me he'll deal with her personally when the time comes."

"When will that be?"

"When we can break this curse. If you're looking for a date when that will be, I don't know what to tell you."

"He might know more than what he's telling you."

Emma turned sharply as she went out the front door.

"He always does," Jefferson told her and shut the door behind her.

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Emma did NOT want to go to Regina's house, it was a recipe for disaster. She was worried that if she went, then she'd reveal to much. The whole plan would be blown less than 24 hours.

But Henry needed his things. Emma didn't have any of his clothes, or his school stuff, or his laptop.

Emma spent about 20 minutes in the car steeling herself before she got out of the car.

This woman tried to kill her. She took her family away from her.

How was she going to hold it all together now when her family was just in her reach?

Why couldn't she have awakened them?

Emma stared at the door for a few moments before she sighed and pounded the door.

The door opened automatically. Regina stood facing her. Her eyes were red from crying and her face was splotchy. Emma would have felt bad for her if she didn't know what this woman was capable of.

"I'm here for his things."

"I have them here." Regina reached behind the door and shoved two duffels in Emma's arms. Emma barely caught the messenger bag and backpack that had his school things and computer.

Well that was easy.

"Thank you," Emma muttered and went to leave.

" Don't get to comfortable," Regina snarled, "I'm going to fight this every step of the way."

"I don't care."

"You're trusting the wrong person, Emma Swan. You may think I tried to hurt you but I didn't. It's all a conspiracy on Mr. Gold's part to get you under his thumb. What do you think he's going to do to you? He's not going to help you with the goodness of his heart. You're jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"I'll take my chances."

Regina grew angry, "Do you think you have what it takes to be a mother? What do you think you're going to do when you can't just take him home to me and get your breaks? When YOU have to deal with his tantrums and his running away? With his skipping school? What are you going to do when you can't just send him home so you can ignore his delusional fantasies."

"I'll deal with it."

Regina was following her now, "You can play mom all you want, but you don't have what it takes, he's MY son!"

Emma dropped the bags and turned to match her, "HE'S NOT, HE'S MINE."

They went nose to nose, Emma could've punched her before she continued, "And after what you've done, you're not getting anywhere near him."

"You're going to regret this."

"No, I'm not," Emma grabbed the bags.

"I'll find a way to get my son back."

"Well you keep thinking that," Emma put the bags in the car.

"This is my town, and it goes by my rules. I can do whatever I want here. I WILL get my son back."

Emma slammed the door, "Goodbye madam mayor."

"When can I see him?"

"You can't."

"You can't cut me off of him forever. You can't throw away my ten years of raising him"

"He nearly died because of you," Emma climbed in the driver's seat, "Watch me."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Emma drove the car around the corner before she pulled over and called her son.

"Mom?"

"Hey kid," she sighed tiredly, "It's me."

"Are you okay?"

"I"m fine. I got your things."

"Does she know?"

"I don't think so. I'll be at the house in a couple of minutes."

"Okay."

Emma heard some talking in the background, and that familiar voice that she was getting to know a little too well, "That Gold?"

"Yeah."

"Let me talk to him."

She heard some quiet chatter and then heard the phone being moved, "Sheriff Swan! How are you? Did you run your errands safely."

"Yeah, to Jefferson and Regina. Jefferson's going to watch us and make sure we're safe."

"That's….good of him."

"He says I shouldn't trust you."

"Well sheriff, his mother didn't NAME him Mad Hatter. He got it for a reason."

"He's not the only one to say I shouldn't trust you."

"Is that so?"

"So, I have a whole lot of questions for you when I get back," Emma started the car, "Starting with who that woman is that's with you now."