Blasted Cora! She never missed anything, not even when it had been decades. He had hoped that once Regina reached the King's castle, he would be able to use the mirrors as they were intended, but the witch had cast the same spell that he'd taught her once again, limiting his view. But it was of no matter. Not really. She was only supposed to be there for a short period of time before returning to their estate to make final preparations for the wedding and the move. Cora and Henry were both to come live with Regina and Leopold in the castle in only a few months, after the pair were married. According to Theseus, there were even plans to bring over the bodies in the mausoleum as Leopold was building her a very special replica to store them on his own grounds as well as a stable and an apple tree for his new bride. How very gracious of the King…

But without more of his blood Cora could not place a protection spell around the palace as she had the estate. And he hoped, more than anything, that someone would teach one of the family members his name so that he could gain access when they were back at the estate!

With all this travel, the world was full of wonderful new possibilities for getting to Regina. The future was becoming less and less of a riddle every day, or at least some parts of it were. He didn't know exactly how Prince Charming and the False Twin were one in the same and yet not. At least, he didn't know yet. But he had a spectacular idea for the mirror he'd been given as payment for that deal, and even better, he'd finally managed to track down its creator.

He'd been looking for that man ever since George had told him where he'd gotten it from. He believed in the prophecy and that things would happen as they were supposed to, but the way he saw things, it never hurt to be a little extra cautious. Having someone with the ability to turn objects into portals could be a good ally. Unfortunately, when he'd finally found him, it had been in the worst of ways.

He was dead.

But his powers had not gone to waste. The rumor was that the grandson he'd inherited in the last years of his life had been given something his grandfather had crafted, something he'd put all his abilities into before he'd died. Supposedly, it was a magical hat the boy was never without. The grandson wasn't at the funeral for the man, and trying to track him down had proved to be difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes, while trying to find him, he came up so empty-handed it was as though he did exist at all. At least not in this world. And that was enough to convince him the rumors he'd heard were true. But everyone always came home eventually, if only for a short while, and that was how he'd caught him.

Theseus was busy watching Regina so he'd employed one of his brothers to watch the house of the old man that the boy was supposedly known to return to now and again. He'd given him special instructions to summon him immediately should the boy make an appearance. He was, after all, a slippery little fish. He was difficult to catch. But one evening, he was delighted to find himself pulled away from David's pan flute lesson to the home of the old portal maker.

"He's in there," Theseus' brother informed him. For the information he held a gold coin out for the man, watched him transform, and carry it away in his foot. There was smoke rising from the chimney and candles lit inside. Indeed, the boy was home.

"I've been looking for you!" he proclaimed using magic to appear on the other side of the door. Immediately a figure by the fire stuffing something into a hatbox jumped up to look at him. "I'll take that."

A moment later, he held the hatbox in his hand and felt the magic from within radiate through his entire body. Neutral Magic, just as he'd felt with the mirror. For something so muffled it must have been an impressive piece of magic. And yet, he hadn't a clue how to work it himself. All he knew was he couldn't have the boy using the hat to run off now that he'd cornered him. And "boy" indeed! He was Regina's age! Perhaps give or take a year or so. With a bit of magic, he was able to light the remaining candles in the home so that his face glowed clearly in the dark. Yes, young indeed, with eyes covered in coal like the Milah's pirate's eyes, but he was clean-shaven, not a scratch or wrinkle on his pale skin. Square jaw, dark hair, no fear in his eyes now…he figured he hadn't long until some woman snatched him up and made a decent man out of this boy. If what he'd heard about him were true, that would be a shame. Were there any bounds to the destructiveness of love?

"Go ahead, take it!" the boy challenged with a shrug. "No one knows how to work it but me."

He laughed. "I hear your name is Jefferson, am I right?"

"It's what I go by. Who are you?"

He laughed again as he opened the box and looked at the funny hat the boy had stuffed inside.

"Top hat" the Seer whispered in his head as a vision from another world came into his mind. A man dressed in odd black and white clothes promising to pull a white rabbit out of his hat. A hat trick.

Though this was certainly not what that was for. Not that he didn't doubt it could be used for such a thing if properly directed.

"This is quite the magical trick your grandfather has left you with. Or should I say, quite the magic…hat trick! Shame it's not pointed."

"It suits my work just fine thank you very much!" Jefferson replied.

"And what kind of work might that be? Comedy? Pulling rabbits out of it?"

"My work," the boy smiled.

He let out a happy giggle at his response. Oh, he did like this boy. It was hard to pinpoint why exactly, but the little bugger had stolen his heart already.

"Oh…you are a tight-lipped one! I like that! I'm a man of my own as well!"

"Then why would one man of privacy seek out another of privacy?"

"Because…I'm interested in hiring you," he informed him.

Jefferson rolled his eyes at him and stepped forward, swiping the hat and its box out of his hands without a thought as to who he might have offended. Spunky this child was, and bold! He was impressed he hadn't yelled and hollered at him to get out of his house, which was why he'd allowed him to take the hat back. The boy had some interest in what he was doing here.

"I work for myself, not others."

Ah yes, that…he'd seen that in the few glimpses he'd caught of his business. But he also knew that everyone had a price.

"Funny thing, I thought you might say something like that so…I came prepared."

From the depths of his jacket, he pulled out a small but full drawstring bag that clanged when Jefferson caught it. After placing his hat on his head, he opened it up and upended it onto his other hand, and with a little bit of magic, what came out was five times more the gold coins than that small change purse should have been able to hold.

"Well, now…" Jefferson cleared his throat as he thumbed through the pile in his hand. "You have my attention Mister…Gold, I assume?" he muttered, raising one of the coins.

He laughed. "Catchy, but not quite right…at least not yet. Rumpelstiltskin!" he proclaimed, falling into his traditional bow. "The one, the only…Dark One."

Jefferson shrugged as he stood again, looking wholly unimpressed. "I've heard of you."

"Well, the whole land has, dearie," he commented. If nothing else, he was rather proud of the name he'd made for himself throughout the lands. It gave him hope that someone in the King's castle would tell Regina about it, but until then… "I'm the creature parents tell their children goes bump in the night, am I not?"

"I must have missed those tales," Jefferson smirked. "All I ever heard was…well…is it true you once turned a butcher into a pig?"

He snickered. "Well, I can't say I remember the specifics, but that certainly sounds like a trick of mine…though I can tell you that there is a young woman named Fern who was quite pleased with the outcome."

"Excellent," Jefferson beamed in amusement. Oh, the joys of being young and so easily entertained. Yes…this partnership had to potential to work well, even if he had a feeling he couldn't provide him with what he truly wanted.

"What…no fear?" he questioned of the boy. "None at all? Not a single little thought that if this conversation doesn't go well, it might be you who goes 'wee wee wee' all the way home?"

"Actually, I thought it was rather funny when I heard it. In addition…you said you wanted to hire me, and a pig couldn't work the magic of the hat, so I assume I'm safe. So, that brings us to the reason you're really here, which I assume isn't to talk about pigs but rather my hat," he explained with a suave smile before pulled a wooden chair that was positioned in front of the fire around to face him. He sat down, crossed one ankle over his other knee, then folded his hands across legs, and cocked his head in an interested matter.

"So…what can I do for you, Mister Rumpelstiltskin Gold."

"Oh, Sir…'Rumple' will do just fine," he commented in reply, calling forth a chair from his own castle to sit on. He enjoyed making a show of pushing his jacket tails out behind him before he sat. Different as they were, he had the very distinct feeling they were both enjoying this conversation. He was a smart young man. Jefferson knew he held power simply because he had what he wanted. But he was also powerful, far more than Jefferson was without his hat. One power to hundreds, and yet he found himself face to face with an equal.

"That hat of yours, it goes to any realm?"

"Any realm that has magic."

"Just as I thought." It was alright that he hadn't been able to take him to his son, in fact, he'd been expecting it. It was the reason why he'd tried not to allow himself to feel a lick of excitement when he'd first stood up and agreed without knowing the destination. But it was a funny thing about hope; it could jump and spark even when told not to. But now his heart was settling. Regina. He focused on Regina. On the growing resentment she had for her future step-daughter and her future step-granddaughter. That gave him hope. He hadn't expected this Hatter to be able to take him to see Baelfire, but he'd come anyway because he wanted to make him an ally. He knew there was value in him. He could certainly help him get to his son even if he couldn't take him to him.

"You looking to go somewhere?"

"Nowhere that you can take me and not at present, however…perhaps you would be willing to help me in another way."

"You have yet to state the original way."

"I seek a curse."

"Have you tried a wife?" The Hatter questioned with a suggestive smirk.

"Tried, already killed her!" he smirked back. To his benefit, Jefferson didn't flinch at his proclamation. It was one more reason to be impressed by him. "No…the curse I seek is a magical one, indeed. It's hidden somewhere…secret, probably guarded and protected."

"And you want me to find it?" Jefferson pressed.

"I want you to keep your eyes open!" he corrected. "I want you to tell me about all the lands you visit, the people you meet, the objects you encounter, and should you ever locate such a place or hear word of a curse…let me know."

The Dark Curse, he didn't like to think of it more than he needed to and hadn't in the last few years as he'd been busy making sure twins were placed properly and trying to figure out Cora's game. But the truth was he didn't like to remember the fact that it still eluded him after all these years. He'd been searching all over the Enchanted Forest and even beyond in places like Arendelle and Camelot for places of great fairy magic where the curse might be hidden and guarded, but so far he'd come up empty. Oh, there was no need to panic, not yet. Prince Charming and Snow White were still children who had never even heard the other's name. He knew there were still decades ahead of him before he had the child that would break the curse. He wouldn't need the curse tomorrow, but with Regina and Snow White's relationship evolving, it was becoming a pressing matter. He wasn't about to leave anything to chance. He needed to figure out how to make sure that curse was breakable once it transported him to the world Baelfire was in. And if that took time to arrange, he'd rather have more of it than less of it. Jefferson was a realm jumper, or at least the descendant of one who had learned to channel their power in a very different and unique way. Fairies could go between realms, if the Blue Bug had hidden that atrocity of a curse in another realm, Jefferson was the one to help him. But the boy wasn't exactly rising with excitement to the occasion.

"This could be a beautiful friendship, Hatter, but only if we let it, of course…"

With a snap of his fingers the coins that had fallen from his hands to litter the floor around him suddenly duplicated and then duplicated again and again until the entire floor was nearly covered in them. His eyes rounded at the sight of it, giving away his weakness. Riches motivated him. That could be arranged.

"Done!" Jefferson finally proclaimed.

"Wonderful!" he laughed, standing from his seat.

"Wait!" the Hatter called before he could make a move to leave. "If I find something, how do I find you?"

"Ah, well, if I'm not at home in the Dark Castle, you can always summon me by calling out my name three times! I shall come a-running! Bags a-clinking!"

Jefferson smiled as he offered his hand. "I look forward to our…friendship!"

He laughed as he took his hand and shook it. He was looking forward to it as well.


This might be my favorite chapter! I know, it's hard to pick out just one in a fiction that has well over two-hundred chapters, so instead I'll just say "It certainly lands in the top ten". But I had so much freakin' fun writing this chapter and it didn't end here! Throughout this section not only is Regina learning, but Rumple and Jefferson have a really awesome relationship that I loved getting to write. I feel like we got a glimpse of a relationship between the two, but was never flushed out. We can't blame A&E for this one. Sebastian Stan's career took off and he was unavailable to come back. Fortunately, I don't need him to make my fictions work. So I am pleased within this section to bring you Regina but also the evolution of Jefferson and Rumple. I must say, as much as I love my Rumbelle, this might be my favorite relationship in this fiction. I really hope you like it too as we go forward!

Thank you MissAmande, Grace5231973, and Alarda for your reviews of the last chapter. I really do hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and that you can kind of get an idea for Jefferson's personality here. I liked (and I think Rumple would like too) that he's not afraid of the Dark One. We can kind of see his confident demeanor here, it comes out sort of cocky and I think that's what allows him to banter with Rumple. Fun fact, Rumple and Jefferson have my favorite exchange in all of this fiction here in this chapter. I wonder, will it be yours? Peace and Happy Reading!