Chapter 3

Word Count 2,279

Emma awoke in her bed feeling slightly incoherent until the night previous flashed back to her in the same manner of the flashes that showed her the truth of the curse. Jefferson and herself drinking the night away. A stumble into Jefferson's arms that tugged at her heart and brought her to kissing him again. She couldn't control herself, but remembering what she had told herself earlier she had forced herself to stop and return to her home.

Rolling out of bed and taking a nice warm shower Emma emerged into her new home shared with Snow, James and her son Henry. A pot of coffee was brewing in the kitchen and the smell hit Emma's hangover like a new addiction. Clean and clothed she advanced to the kitchen. Snow and James were already sitting at the dining table a variety of foods in front of them.

"Good morning Emma." Snow said grinning, "You got in late." A smirk Emma never wanted to see come from her mother just appeared on her face. "Who was it you were out with all night? August?" She pushed.

Emma quickly retreated to the coffee pot pouring the steaming goodness into her cup, "Well." She tried to explain, "I went and saw Jefferson."

Snow nearly dropped her cup onto its saucer, "But Emma, he kidnapped us and attacked us."

James stood up from the table, "Excuse me? Snow what are you talking of? A man kidnapped you and our daughter?"

Emma took a drink from her coffee inhaling its aroma and savoring the richness. "Dad," she started, for the first time in her life she felt like a teenage girl trying to convince her father to let her on a date. "I don't know your guys' past but Jefferson lived with his daughter Grace in the enchanted forest. When the curse happened, Regina made it so that he would live isolated in a mansion with only a telescope to view his daughter Grace. He couldn't even leave his house until I came to town."

James turned his head from Emma but she knew she saw a look in his eyes that mirrored one she'd seen in Jefferson's. "Alright," he moved towards Emma. "I can empathize with this man, I lived without you for years and I know how that feels, but what about him kidnapping you and Snow?"

Emma swallowed the rest of her coffee pouring a new cup, "He was very adamant about getting his daughter back. At the time Mary Margaret had escaped from jail and I went searching for her. I thought our meeting was coincidental at first but it became obvious that he knew I would search for her. He thought that I could create a hat with magic and he could go back to his world with Grace."

A look of confusion formed on James' face, "Wait a second, this Jefferson—is the mad hatter?"

Emma sighed in frustration, "Regina abandoned him in Wonderland and for years he was trapped there under the Queen of Hearts order. His head was chopped off several times. You would be crazy too Dad!"

"What did Regina do now?" Henry had awoken and was standing in his door frame.

"This happened before the curse Henry. I know you are fairly observant but I'm not sure if you ever noticed Jefferson."

Henry nodded with a look that made Emma smile, acknowledgement and understanding. "Of course, he's Grace's father."

Almost choking on her coffee Emma pulled the steaming cup away from her lips, "How do you know that?"

"Grace is a friend of mine, mainly when she was Paige—but she has confided in me as Grace too. She's pretty scared of him actually." Henry shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed a banana off the counter.

Emma nodded moving closer to her son, "But you know who he is inside right?" Henry nodded slightly looking at his Grandparents who still held a look of disapproval on their face. "I have an idea Henry, and I think it just might bring Grace and Jefferson together."

"Emma." Snow spoke up, "I'm not sure this man is ready to have a relationship with his daughter."

"Mom." Emma said sternly, she was no little girl and would not act like one, "I know what he did to us, but I believe in my heart and I know that he has been suffering during his time in Storybrooke just like you and Dad. But can you imagine just for one second what it would be like to be him? You have all of these amazing things but you can't share them with the one person you wanted to most." Tears glistened in Emma's eyes feeling so strongly for him it overwhelmed her. "Think for one second what it would have been like to be him. Knowing everything of your world and visibly seeing me only through your window." Snow turned from Emma. Emma knew that as Mary Margaret she would've had a hard time seeing the light side of Jefferson but she might've come around to it. She wasn't sure how her Mom would react as Snow.

"Well I can't say I approve Emma." James spoke up. "This man seems unstable and rather unsafe to be around."

Emma set her coffee cup on the counter nearly breaking the handle off. She knew James was her father but she wasn't a child, they may not have had the chance to raise her for 28 years and sure they were a family now but she would not be treated like a child. "He is trying to find himself just like any other person in Storybrooke, but you know what Dad. He has had to live with this his whole life, and what you've lived with it five minutes? I think you need to identify with with him and think about what it would've been like to know who you are and to have me living next door for 28 years and you could only look at me through a window." Emma turned hastily heading for the door, "Henry? Let's eat at Granny's." It wasn't a question, but Henry had no problem with it. He turned to his Grandparents and shrugged following his mom out the door.

Henry and Emma sat at Granny's waiting for their food. Red was behind the counter chatting it up with Jiminy. Emma wouldn't have thought that they would be the perfect match for each other, but true love was undeniable. "Henry, I have a question for you." Henry nodded fully at ease with anything she could say, "Jefferson misses Grace but like you said, she is scared of him. I thought that since you and Jefferson held similar experiences about no one believing you about the curse that maybe you could talk to Grace about it. She might see that her father isn't so crazy and maybe she could give him a chance."

Emma was surprised at the grin on Henry's face but remembered that her kid was always willing to help. "Of course." Henry exclaimed, "I would love to! How about a picnic? We can order some extra stuff from Granny's and make it a date!"

Emma couldn't help but smile; she had the most amazing, accepting kid in the world. "Sounds good."

"We can get some stuff for you and Jefferson too!" The smile on Henry's face made Emma curious about how much of this morning's conversation he had overheard.

"Sure kid." She smiled, "Just let Grace know that we will keep our distance until she is ready."

Henry knocked on Grace's door. Her parents answered hesitantly looking around expecting someone other than him. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Singer, I came to see if Grace would like to accompany my mother and I on a picnic." Mr. Singer stared down Henry seeking for the ulterior motives. He glanced at Jefferson's house and it was obvious that they wanted nothing to do with her birth father. "I want to talk to Grace!" Henry spoke up echoing throughout the Singer's house. "I think she has the choice to get to know her father or not."

"I'm her fa—"

Henry quickly interrupted, "No you aren't. Don't deny the curse. Don't deny that you don't remember. Grace has the right to know who her dad is." Henry saw Grace shying away in the corner. "Grace!" Henry shouted getting her attention, "I want to take you out! Your father and my mother will follow us but they won't interfere if you don't want it."

Mr. and Mrs. Singer turned to Grace trying to ground her from the lies they felt Henry was speaking. "I want to go!" Grace spoke up stepping out from behind her parents.

Henry grinned, "Good." He held his hand over the threshold of the Singer's doorway. Grace clasped onto his hand and he pulled her through the archway.

Emma and Jefferson kept their distance but they accompanied Henry and Grace to the park. She wasn't sure how to feel, already feeling like a teenager earlier in the day she felt even more like one now with the butterflies in her stomach. Jefferson brought out a school girl feeling in her that was lost almost over 10 years ago. Emma knew this wasn't her day though and would keep her feelings grounded until she could talk to Jefferson later. Today she would be his rock.

Jefferson grinned seeing his daughter and Henry zoom off in front of him into the park. Jumping on the playground; sliding down the slide. Jefferson wanted to approach her but he would wait for her to come to him; he had waited this long what was a little longer?

"Why don't you join me?" Emma asked sitting on a park bench setting down the takeout from Granny's. Jefferson turned and walked towards her sitting on the same side she was sitting on to see the children. "How are you?" She questioned, this was the first time she had talked to him since the previous night and neither of them could hide behind alcohol.

He smiled slightly his eyes never leaving Grace. "Better now," and even though Emma knew he was talking about his daughter he still intertwined his fingers in hers and together they watched their children play.

Pushing Grace on the swing set Henry tried to think of the best approach to bring up her feelings on Jefferson. He had many conversations with Grace and with Paige, it was crazy how they were different in a lot of ways but even Regina's curse couldn't change who she really was. "You know your Dad really loves you." Grace nodded but stayed quiet, "Did you know that the curse didn't affect him like the rest of you?"

"What do you mean?" Grace asked. Henry stopped pushing her and she stood from the swing's seat. This time they headed to the monkey bars.

Standing on the platform Henry reached for the first bar. "Well," he started, "you know what? I think you might just want to read it. Wait here." He dashed off to the table where Jefferson and Emma sat, "It's just me." He said upon arrival not wanting to get Jefferson's hopes up. "I want her to read the book, I think it's a good starting point and she'll get the full story."

An obvious look of discomfort appeared on Jefferson's face and Emma felt his hand tighten. "She'll think I'm a monster."

"No." Emma shook her head, "She'll understand why you didn't return, it's a good start. She need's the full story, before the curse and after." Jefferson nodded and loosened his grip on her hand.

"Alright." He agreed, "I think it's time she knows the truth."

Smiling, Henry grabbed his book from his bag and returned to Grace. He knew his book like the back of his hand having studied it many times, flipping to the story of Grace and her father he handed it to her and let her read.

He watched the different expressions overcome her face whilst reading until tears slipped down her cheek coming to the end of the story, "This is why he never came back for me?" Henry nodded, "I know he is my Papa and I want to feel safe around him but I lived next to him for so long and he was always staring at me through his window."

Henry nodded, "You see, when the curse happened his situation was a little different than everyone else's. Regina let him remember who he was but she trapped him inside that big mansion with only telescopes and all he could do was watch you through his window."

Grace frowned, "I always thought he was just some crazy man." She admitted.

Henry shrugged, "He might be a little but who wouldn't in his situation"?

Closing the book, Grace sighed, "But what do I say to him?"

Henry laughed, "Grace, all he wants is you back in his life, it doesn't matter what you say. He understands the situation, he just misses you." Shocking Henry, Grace quickly stood and made a run for it; right for her Papa.

Jefferson stood from the bench releasing Emma's hand as he saw Grace run towards him. This was the moment he had been waiting for and after more than 28 years counting his time in Wonderland he would finally get it. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Grace." He gasped feeling the warmth of his daughter in his arms.

"Papa."

Henry sat next to Emma on the bench, "I think it worked."

Laughing, Emma put her arm around Henry, "I think so kid."

Note Thank you so much for your reviews they are always appreciated! I will be writing more to this probably more Emma/Jefferson centric and Emma will have another talk with her parents.