He didn't like to be confused. He didn't like not knowing what he was supposed to do or losing control of what was happening around him or in his head.

Zelena or Regina.

Regina or Zelena.

It was a conundrum.

Zelena was extraordinary. He didn't know where exactly she was staying in the village, and nor did he really care, but he knew that every time he met with her she was clean and strong and he assumed well-fed. Zelena might not resemble her mother physically, but when it came to magic, she was capable of learning just as fast as her mother had, if not faster. Zelena had always been aware of her magic; it was something she'd tried to control all her life, whereas Cora had only found out about it when he'd met her. Zelena's magic was strong and looking for something, purpose and guidance. That meant that his pupil took great pleasure in discovering anything and everything that she could do! He had no doubt that if he gave Zelena that curse, she could probably be ready to cast it in only a week or so.

And yet…

He didn't have the curse in hand. And even if he did, that little nagging voice in the back of his head that sounded freakishly like the Seer scowled at such a thought, pushing him more and more toward Regina.

It was going to take years to prepare Regina, not only where her magic was concerned but also where the sacrifice was concerned. If the books were right and it did require a dearly loved heart, the heart of the thing most loved, then it was going to take a while to get sheltered, sweet Regina to give into her darker urges and jealousies and make that sacrifice. Not that she could at the moment seeing as how the thing she loved most had already had its heart crushed and was lying dead in a tomb! But he was beginning to think of a way around that little matter. Still, out of curiosity, with some of their time a few days ago, he'd taken Regina out to a clearing and conducted the same test on her that he had on Zelena. She'd failed.

To Regina's credit, she'd been able to identify the quadrant of the circle that he was in, but never able to catch him as Zelena had. Instead, she'd grown frustrated and insisted on going back to the task of moving the rock, even though they both knew she still couldn't do it. He'd told her simply that until she was willing to let go of whatever it was still holding her prisoner to her mother, she'd never be able to succeed. He'd left and had a lesson with Zelena on transporting oneself around the realm via magic. It had taken her barely five minutes to get the hang of it.

Logically, he felt that Zelena was the far better candidate for the job. Aside from the fact that he didn't yet know what Zelena loved most of all, there were a few other little things he'd noticed about her that made him cautious. He didn't particularly care for how clingy and devoted she was. She constantly wanted and needed reassurance and had a temper that could be set off like a match at any time over the smallest of things. It was almost volatile. But if she could cast the curse, what would her temper matter? He could kill her afterward. It would mean nothing to him. But as it was, he didn't have the damn curse in hand because he thought he had more time to find it! Could he keep a temper like Zelena's sizzling long enough to find the curse, learn her heart's desire, and get her to enact such a thing?

Zelena or Regina…

It was a choice…a confusing choice. So he opted for doing what he always did when confronted with something like this. Gloating. Sleep, since becoming the Dark One was elusive, a rarity he only engaged in a handful of times, especially since Baelfire had gone away. Over the years, he'd found that writing letters to Baelfire when he was lonely was a good way of releasing pent up energy and emotions and often did him better than a night of sleep.

But tonight, Baelfire was not the recipient of his letter. He couldn't be. The letter writing to Baelfire was a good way of releasing the good emotions he had. But to build up more of the darker ones like anger and malice there was another target. He needed this curse to get to Bae, and it was only by behaving a certain way that he was going to be able to maintain it. Once he was there and there was no need to foster these skills and emotions, once he was without his curse in this world without magic, he'd become normal again just as Baelfire had always wanted, but until then he accepted what he was and moved on. So tonight, instead of writing "My boy Baelfire" in greeting, he began "Cora, dear."

"I've finally got my hands on your firstborn. Never thought I'd find her, did you? Now I know why: She's the most powerful sorceress I've ever encountered. Even more powerful than you. Stunning in every way."

"What are you writing?"

The whirl of magic had him quickly finishing his sentence and dipping the quill so he wasn't startled by the realm jumpers sudden reappearance in his home, back from wherever he'd just come from. It was about time he returned. It had certainly been long enough. If he was honest, he'd taken up staying in the Great Hall more and more simply because if Jefferson returned, he was more likely to run into him there than his Tower. If the boy was to seek him out, he'd rather run into him in the Great Room than his Tower.

"Nothing that concerns you," he sighed as he set the letter aside. "Though I will have an errand for you to run later and some questions you might be able to answer now."

"Question away…" he sighed, pulling up a chair and biting into a…well…it sounded like an apple; only it was blue and peach sized. He leaned back in his chair and quickly set his booted feet up on the table as he munched away at the thing. His manners would be addressed later after he had some answers. He'd waited long enough.

"I'm interested to know if you've ever heard of a realm that goes by Oz."

"Ah…The Land of Oz…famous for the Emerald City," he announced. "Sure. Lots of witches and talking animals, and run by a quack. I think I mentioned it to you a bit ago. What do you want to know about it?"

"A 'quack' you say?" he prodded.

Jefferson nodded as he peeled something off the fruit he was eating before taking another bite. "Calls himself the 'Wizard'," he mumbled through a full mouth before swallowing. "But…near as I can tell he has no magical abilities. I don't even think he's really from there; big extravagant city like that…the guy tries too hard, it doesn't come naturally enough. If I had to guess I'd say he's really a small town, corn fed hick kinda guy. I dropped in on him once as he was consulting with a Sorceress, nearly lost my head. Next time I went back, he wasn't there, and I was able to roam about for a few minutes before they realized I was there. I think he'd put a spell on the place, something that alerts them when there is someone in his chambers because that room was empty, but they came in like they were ready for war."

"Undetectable Detection Spell…quite possibly," he provided as the boy finished his blue fruit. That information was precisely why he ignored some of Jefferson's faults to keep him close. Not only had he presented valuable information, but he was also intuitive in a way humans so rarely were. He didn't doubt a single one of his observations. He only wanted to take as many of them in as he possibly could. "Did you happen to learn anything about him while you were…'roaming about'?"

"Just a few valuable insights," he commented, setting the core aside and licking his fingers. "He collects magical objects, like you, but near as I can tell he doesn't horde them. A lot of people that go to see him end up coming out with the objects in exchange for them bringing him something in return. I suspect it's because he can't do magic on his own. It's all a show. Like I said, he tries too hard for it to be natural. Oh, and he also has this crystal ball thing, I think it tells him things or shows him things…he and the Sorceress were using it when I stumbled in the first time. I think it tells the future or something."

A crystal ball…

"That could be profitable information…" he considered. "Who was the Sorceress?"

"Tan, pretty, and blonde…didn't stick around long enough to find out her name though, not really my type. And I never saw her again, not that I go there all that often. It's a really profitable place when I have a target, but the guards kind of give me the willies and-"

Suddenly Jefferson paused as the ease he'd had before left his body, and he looked him in the eye suspiciously.

"Why the sudden interest?"

He smiled as he touched his fingertips together. "I want you to go to Oz-"

Jefferson slouched into the chair as if his spine had been magically removed. He groaned like a teenager who had just been asked to tend to the milking.

"I want you to go to Oz and gather as much information for me as you can on a woman named Zelena and anything you can find out about this Wizard, fraud or not."

"Do I have to?" he questioned, running a hand over his face before moving it over his neck. "My neck still itches from the last time. I had a nasty run-in with a guy in the woods and an ax."

"I'd be willing to triple your traditional fee…for your troubles, of course."

All men could be bought, and fortunately, he knew Jefferson's prices far too well. In his opinion, their acquaintanceship made the boy far too willing to come in underpaid, but if it benefited him, then he wouldn't complain. And neither did Jefferson. His proposal had his eyes wide, and his spine returned as he put his feet to the floor and sat up straight in his chair again.

"For that…I'll risk it. Itchy neck it is! I'll leave in the morning. Mind if I stay the night again?" he questioned, launching himself out of his chair and already heading for the door.

"Does it matter if I mind?"

"Not particularly. I can't get home in the time that it would take me to leave, so it's just easier. And since this trip is for you, the least you could do is loan me a bed."

"In addition to your triple pay, you mean? Well, by all means. Just don't make a mess or disturb me or else-"

"Yeah, something dark and threatening and sinister, I get it. Don't wait up, I won't see you in the morning!"

In these dark times, it helps to have a Jefferson chapter to lean on. God, I know Rumple would never use the word or consider it as such, but come on...you have to love their little bro-mance, right?! It's cute. At least for now...

Thank you MissAmande, Grace5231973, Alarda, and Jennifer Baratta for your reviews. Your reviews and consistent reading is something that continues to make my day! I know this is sort of a filler chapter, but you can see it's a necessity. There are a lot of important things going on in this chapter, even more important information being shared. Peace and Happy Reading!