Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 27. This chapter features so much Madbeauty fluff it'll make your teeth fall out. Enjoy!

That Saturday morning Belle stood outside the mansion waiting for Jefferson to pick her up for their date. She took another look down at the boots Jefferson had told her wear. Given their designated purpose she'd figured that Jefferson planned to take her hiking which meant that nothing in her closet turned out to be appropriate. Luckily for her Emma had graciously opened up her own wardrobe. She was now dressed in a pair of mid-thigh khaki shorts, a white tank top and a plaid button-down shirt. She had to admit she felt a little out of her comfort zone without her usual skirts and heels but this outfit was more appropriate for hiking. She had just pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail when Jefferson pulled up.

He smiled as he saw her standing in the boots he bought for her. She returned his smile as she walked over to meet him.

"Good morning," he said climbing out of the car to greet her.

"Good morning to you too," she said. She bit her lip as she took a second to take in his appearance. She was so used to his dress shirts and trench coats that seeing him in his casual wear was a bit of a shock. He was wearing khaki shorts and a fitted green tee shirt along with his own hiking boots. He looked good.

He snuck a look down at her feet. "How are the boots?"

"Perfect fit," she answered with a smile. "So I know we're going hiking but where exactly are you taking me?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he said opening the passenger door for her.

"So I suppose I'll just have to trust you?" she said teasingly, as she slid into the car.

"Yes. I suppose you will," said Jefferson mysteriously.

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Ten minutes later they pulled up to the edge of forest near the playground.

"Not exactly the usual place for a first date," commented Belle as she hopped out of the car.

Jefferson snickered as he climbed out of the driver's seat. "Come on Belle. Do you really think I'd take you to a plastic castle for our date? This is just the starting point. I promise."

He pulled out one of his maps from the backseat and laid it out on the trunk of his car. Belle looked over his shoulder as he ran his hand over its surface. It looked like it covered nearly the whole the forest. It was strange. She didn't have anything like it in the library.

"Where did you get that?" she asked curiously.

"I made it," said Jefferson his eyes never leaving the map.

Her jaw dropped in awe. "Are you serious?"

He turned to look at her as he shrugged his shoulders. "I spent 28 years under the curse completely aware. I had to do something to pass the time."

He marked their point on the map. "Okay everything's double checked. So we're all good."

He popped open the trunk and pulled out two small backpacks. He slipped on one while holding out the other for Belle. "Do you think you can handle this?"

Belle smiled at him with a playful glint in her eye. "I might be small but I am stronger than I look."

She slipped the pack over her shoulders and noted the cool feeling against her back. "Alright. Lead the way."

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It was only ten in the morning so the weather was still perfect for hiking. The sun was out but the forest trees comforted them with their shade. Jefferson promised Belle that with the route he had planned out it wouldn't take them more than hour to reach their designation. By his calculations they should be halfway there. He had to admit that he had his reservations about whether hiking was the best activity for their date but he was actually impressed by Belle's ability to keep up. When he voiced his thoughts Belle just giggled.

"Not all my time is spent in the library you know," she laughed. "I assure you I am quite active."

"I can see that," he said with a smile. "One day you'll have to tell me the Amazing Adventures of Belle French."

Belle rolled her eyes at that. "I think I'd much rather learn about the Hatter Chronicles first."

"The Hatter Chronicles?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. All the tales of you," clarified Belle. "I mean you're a retired portal jumper, a full-time father and apparently a part time cartographer. You must have a million stories to tell."

"Well not millions," he said with a smirk. He held out his hand to help her down a treacherous path. "Thousands maybe."

Belle chuckled as she took his hand. "I'm serious. What was it like for you? Jumping from world to world?"

Jefferson sighed before answering her.

"It was the most thrilling time of my life," he said wistfully. "I was barely sixteen when I first got started. I was an apprentice to this old merchant. He would travel to different realms and bring back exotic animals and plants to sell to the royals. After a year or so he retired and gave me my own hat so I could strike out on my own. For someone my age there was no better job in the world. I was traveling multiple worlds and seeing sights no one back home could even dream of. But as young as I was business wasn't really my first priority. I was more interested in having fun adventures. I grew bored of tracking down plants and animals. I started looking up people and objects. It's actually how I got started working for Rumpelstiltskin. His… I guess you could call them assignments intrigued me. Tracking down magical artifacts kind of became my specialty and I was paid handsomely for it. It was all good and well until Grace was born. That was when I first started to realize just how dangerous my lifestyle was. I might've been seeing thrilling new realms but I was pissing off someone in everyone single one I visited. There was one time when I was traveling that I almost didn't make it back. After that I decided it was time for me to hang up my hat for Grace's sake. Smartest decision I ever made."

Belle listened to his history with rapt attention. He seemed very nostalgic about his days as a portal jumper and she could see why. The lifestyle he described seemed very tempting but dangerous. "Do you miss it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Some days I think I'd jump at the chance to take it up again and others I couldn't imagine going back. But for the most part I'm happy with just me and Grace with our feet on the ground."

He looked at her, happy to see admiration on her face. "What about you? I'm sure not all your adventures took place in books."

"Well I didn't travel nearly as much as you," said Belle. "But I do have one good story."

"I find that hard to believe but I'd love to hear it," he said sending her a smile. Belle blushed at his interest but began to tell him about her time hunting down the yaogui. She was halfway through the tale when she realized that she'd never let his hand go.

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As she was nearing the end of her story Belle started to notice that if she could strained her ears she could hear running water.

"Is there a river nearby?" she asked.

"A version of one," said Jefferson cryptically. He turned to face her. "This is actually the part where I tell you to close your eyes."

"And why would I do that?" she asked dubiously.

"Because we are nearly there and what I have to show you is better taken in all at once rather than bit by bit," he replied. Belle just looked at him skeptically.

"I won't let you fall," he promised.

"Okay," said Belle after a beat. She closed her eyes as Jefferson took both her hands. And she kept them closed as he walked her closer and closer to the sound of water. Before long the rushing water was all she could hear. She felt Jefferson lift his hands from her own and place them on her shoulders. He moved her so that she was facing a certain direction.

"Okay now you can open your eyes," he said.

Belle gasped as she opened her eyes to take in the view. She was facing the most spectacular waterfall. It was at least 20 feet tall and it fed into a lake that she was almost sure crossed the town line. The dark blue of the water contrasted beautifully with the green of the forest and the dark grey of the river stones. The sun was in just the perfect position for rainbow to appear just where the water from the fall splashed into the peaceful lake. It was breathtaking.

"It's beautiful," she gasped.

"I was hoping you would like it," said Jefferson. Belle's reaction to the waterfall was everything he could've hoped for. His daughter was right. This was much better than dinner and a movie.

"How did you find this?" asked Belle turning to face him.

"Well like I said. I've had 28 years to explore the town," explained Jefferson, modestly. "This was the only extraordinary thing I could find. Until you came along."

Belle smiled and blushed at Jefferson's words. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"It was my pleasure," he replied with a smile. He took her hand once more as they both turned to bask in the glory of the waterfall.

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After a while Jefferson asked Belle if she was hungry. Before she could even respond her stomach decided to give its own answer in the form of a growl. She'd been so caught up in their date that she hadn't even noticed just how hungry she was.

"Don't worry," said Jefferson opening up their packs. "We've come prepared."

He pulled out a delicious spread of cheese, fruit and apple cider along with a checkered picnic blanket. Belle smiled to herself at his thoughtfulness. He had really put a lot of effort into their date. It was the best date she'd ever been on. As they ate they talked about their lives and their families. Jefferson told her more tales about his time as a portal jumper and Belle told him some of her favorite memories of her mother. After they finished Belle stood to help him fold up their blanket.

"Are you ready to head back?" he asked.

Belle sighed. "Yeah. I just wish we didn't have to walk again."

Jefferson smiled at her knowingly. "You know we might not have to."

"What do you mean?" she said tilting her head.

Jefferson picked up one of the packs and dug inside. After a moment he pulled out a purple velvet top hat. "How would you like to jump back?"

"Can we?" said Belle a smile spreading across her face. She'd never gone portal hopping before.

Jefferson nodded his head. "I don't have enough magic to jump from realm to realm anymore but I have had success with hopping from place to place in town."

"How does it work?" she asked excitedly.

"Let me show you," he said stepping in front of her. He took a deep breath and tried to summon all the magic he had inside him. As soon as he felt it bubble toward his fingertips he tossed the hat with just the right amount of spin. Once it hit the ground a purple swirl of magic began to flow from its opening. The air started to move as the portal grew. He grabbed Belle's hand and smiled at his success.

"Once we jump in you need to think about the playground as hard as you can!" he yelled as the wind from the portal blew past them.

"Okay!" shouted Belle, nodding her head.

"On three," he yelled. "One… two… three!"

As soon as the words left his mouth they both jumped feet first through the portal. Belle felt the magic flow through her entire body as she traveled through space. Before she could even comprehend anything she felt herself fall face first into the ground. She lifted her head out of the dirt and let out a relieved sigh when she saw the plastic castle.

She heard Jefferson let out a happy laugh as he climbed to his feet next to her.

"So what'd you think of your first jump?" he said helping her up.

Belle smiled as she dusted off her clothes. "That was amazing! Landing was a little rough though."

"You get better with practice," he said dusting off his shirt. "And for the record I thought you were very graceful."

"If I was so graceful why I am I wiping dirt off my face?" she said swiping at her cheek. The left side of her face was covered in dirt and Jefferson could see that she was failing to clear it away on her own.

"Wait," he said with a small laugh. "Let me help you."

He moved in closer and used his thumb to wipe away the dirt from her face. Belle stared at his face as he did so. He was so handsome. She saw the admiration in his eyes as he moved his fingers across her cheek. He was very gentle as he helped her clean up. Once he was done he let his hand remain on her cheek.

"There," he said softly. "All better."

They stared in each other's eyes as stood there. Just taking each other in. Belle lost herself in his blue eyes before letting her own drop down to his lips. For one second she wondered what they would feel like against her own. In the next, she decided to find out.

Before she even realized what she doing Belle pressed her lips against his. He didn't even hesitate to deepen the kiss. He caressed her cheek with his thumb while wrapping his free arm around her waist to pull her closer. The kiss could have lasted for one second or ten hours. It didn't matter to them. At that moment nothing else did. When they finally pulled apart from each other he pressed his forehead against hers. "So… what do you want to do for our second date?"

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It was mid-afternoon when Jefferson dropped her off at the mansion and Belle could hardly contain the grin on her face. She felt like she could walk on clouds. He made her feel like she could. She walked in the house and headed for the stairs.

"Dirt all over your body and an immovable grin on your face?"

Belle nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the sound of Regina's voice. She turned to see her friend stalking toward her with a mischievous smile. "If I didn't know any better I would think you had just done something scandalous."

"Well then it's a good thing you know better," responded Belle playfully. She started to head up the stairs before Regina smoked in front of her blocking her way.

"Belle please. You know there is no way I'm letting you up these stairs without knowing every detail of how of your date went," she said crossing her arms.

"And what makes you think I will tell you anything at all?" challenged Belle crossing her own arms.

"Well for starters," said Regina. "I'm not alone."

Belle just raised an eyebrow at her before she heard rapid footsteps coming from the direction of the kitchen.

"Why didn't you tell us she was back?" said Snow emerging from the kitchen with Emma at her side. "We want to know everything about how the date went!"

"By the state of my clothes I would say it went pretty well," said Emma raising her eyebrows at Belle's appearance.

Belle looked at her friends and knew there was no way she was getting out of this.

"Okay," she sighed. "Where do you want me to start?"

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For the next forty-five minutes she relayed all the details of her date to her friends while they sat at the kitchen table. The three women listened to her with rapt attention smiling and laughing at all the right places. She had to admit was nice to share her excitement with her friends. Over the past few months they had become people she could really depend on. She ended with the kiss she and Jefferson had shared.

"So how was the kiss?" asked Snow with wide eyes.

"It was… exhilarating," said Belle bashfully. She felt herself blush at the memory of his lips against hers. "I'd forgotten how good kissing someone could feel."

Regina smiled at her. She knew what it was like to go without affection for an extended period of time. She was happy that Belle had found someone to make her feel wanted and special. She was also happy the Hatter didn't seem to be screwing things up yet.

"So will there be a second date?" asked Emma.

Belle nodded her head while she smiled. "I'm going to say yes."

"Well I'm glad you're happy Belle," said Regina. "You deserve it."

"Thank you," said Belle. "Now that I've answered your questions have a finally earned a shower?"

"Oh god yes," replied Regina. "I didn't want to say anything but you are stinking up my kitchen."

Belle sent her a glare as she left the kitchen table. The three women smiled as they watched her go. As soon as she was out of sight Snow turned to her daughter and stepmother. "She looks happy."

"That's the understatement of century," said Emma. "I haven't seen her this carefree in months."

Regina nodded her head in agreement. "I have to admit the hatter has brought out her lighter side. I just hope he doesn't screw it up by pushing her too fast."

"I'm sure that won't happen," said Snow hopefully. "Jefferson seems like a complete gentlemen."

Emma let out a dry laugh at that. "Yeah judging by that time he held us hostage I'd say he's a real charmer!"

Snow gave Emma a pointed look while Regina just furrowed her brow in curiosity. "What do you mean he held you hostage?"

Snow sighed before explaining. "While we were under the curse and you were framing me for murder Jefferson may have kidnapped me."

"May have?!" said Emma incredulously. "He had you gagged and bound to a chair! He also drugged me!"

"We were cursed and he was desperate!" reasoned Snow. "We shouldn't define him by that one day."

"Sounds like a pretty defining day to me," said Regina skeptically.

"Oh really?" said Snow. "Shall we go down the list of your defining days, Regina 'Evil Queen' Mills?"

Regina just sent her a glare. "Alright. Point taken."

"All I know is that since that night Jefferson has been harmless and he makes Belle happy," said Snow. "Let's just all agree not to ruin that for her."

"Fine," said Emma and Regina in unison.

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Belle wrapped her arms around herself as she listened to her friends' conversation. She'd just come back down the hall for a spare towel when she heard them mention Jefferson's name. She felt her heart crack when they described what he'd done to them that night. She'd thought he was a good man. How could she be so wrong… again?

Please don't hate me! She had to find out! I promise the damage won't last long.

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