In the stillness of the forest sound travelled, so when a branch broke in the darkness Emma and Snow White stopped their quiet conversation and drew weapons, standing back-to-back. Another crack sounded closer to their camp, and the shadows moved. A voice came out of the darkness "Emma?" two heads whipped towards the voice and Emma's sword dropped, "...Jefferson? Is that you?" The shadows moved again and became the shape of a tall man as he moved towards them. Snow glanced sideways at Emma, "Jefferson?" she hissed "As in the crazy guy who kidnapped us?" Her bow creaked as she drew back the arrow to take care of this latest threat. "Mary Margret, wait, he's not as dangerous as you think" Emma put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Jefferson, if that's you come forward." The shadow stepped in the clearing with a relieved smile, "Sorry to scare you, I wasn't completely sure it was you, and I didn't want to stumble into a hostile camp." Snow's voice was as icy as her name, "what makes you think we aren't hostile, Hatter? I don't have any happy memories of you" She had yet to lower her bow, the arrow was still pointed at his throat. Something which changed quickly as Emma ran towards Jefferson and threw her arms around him and he returned the hug spinning her around. "I'm glad to see you, I'm a little rusty on portal jumping and didn't know how close to you I'd be able to land." Jefferson put her down and they walked further into the clearing "Oh no, you have no idea how happy I am to see anyone from home, and its the best that its you. I take it you got your hat back from Regina?" Snow cleared her throat. "Umm, Emma, what's going on? Have you forgotten that this man tried to hurt us?" Emma winced, there hadn't been time to tell her family about her visit to Jefferson before they got pulled through to The Enchanted Forest - not that it was ever going to be an easy topic to bring up.
"Mary Margret I can explain... I think. I guess you're not going to accept a simple 'we've moved on?'" Snow glared and sat on the opposite side of the fire. Emma sighed and sat, while Jefferson placed himself next to Emma and tried to look repentant. Emma took a deep breath and began, "I went back to see him - after the curse was broken and I believed, we… talked about what had happened that night" Emma hesitated, not wanting her mother to know exactly had gone on when she went to apologise. "A lot of the... ugliness... that night stemmed from Jefferson's desperation and my refusal to believe that what he said was true. I remembered how tortured Henry felt at no one - not even me - believing him about the curse, and I thought I should at least admit to someone else who had tried to tell me the truth that they were right." Snow interrupted "but Emma that doesn't excuse -" "you're right it doesn't excuse his behaviour and he hasn't asked me to excuse it. Jefferson knows what he did was wrong, but what you don't know Mary Margret, what you don't realise is that he was aware of the curse the entire time. While you were living in ignorance as a school teacher, unaware of the years ticking by, not remembering your loved ones or that you were separated from them, he knew. Jefferson knew and couldn't do a damn thing about it. 28 years of watching his daughter with another family, knowing that even if he could reach out to her, she wouldn't remember him. That is what the curse - what Regina did to him, he didn't get a new identity, he was just trapped!" Emma broke off, trying not to let the tears that had formed fall. Jefferson took her hand and said quietly across the fire. "When Emma arrived, I began to hope for the first time. But the weeks became months and she seemed no closer to breaking the curse or even accepting the truth. I'm afraid that when the opportunity arose for me to try and convince her I did so in a... less than gentlemanly way. I guess you could say I lost my head." His lips quirked, but his expression quickly became serious again. "I have not asked Emma for forgiveness and I will not ask you for it, that is not something that is easily given. All I ask for is the opportunity to earn your forgiveness, which is why I am here now."
"Emma can I talk to you for a moment - alone?" Snow got up and moved to the edge of the clearing, Emma squeezed Jefferson's hand and followed. "I don't like this, its too convenient that he was able to find us, what if Regina is behind it, or worse, Cora?" "well maybe if we go back and find out what he's doing and how he got here maybe we can figure it out, its useless to decide anything without all the facts. I trust him. I know that seems strange, but I believe he is here to help us." Snow considered her daughter, "Emma, are you falling for him?" "What? No, I barely know him." Snow held her eyes, "…do I find him attractive? Yes, I could have told you that before I drank his damn tea, but love? That is really not something I'm looking for right now." Mother turned away from her bright red daughter, letting the matter drop. "Alright Hatter, you can explain how you got here and how it helps us."
With Snow once again seated on the far side of the fire and Emma next to Jefferson – although at a greater distance than he had originally placed himself – the hatter explained what he knew about Storybrooke since they had gone through the portal. "Apparently your charming husband threw himself toward the portal after you but missed, crushing my beautiful hat, it was ruined." He looked at Emma, "it was probably better for Henry that he didn't make it, Regina wanted to take him home with her, but he has ended up with James at your apartment – well I guess they're actually currently living at my house, I needed someone to look after Grace while I was searching for you - so don't worry he's safe" Tension Emma hadn't realised she had lifted and she smiled in gratitude. Snow's voice broke through the shared moment "if your hat was ruined how did you follow us?" "Ahh, now that's where the story gets interesting. It turns out there was another magical portal-producing hat in Storybrooke." Still looking at Emma but now with a decided smirk on his face Jefferson continued. "After being defeated by two beautiful damsels in distress, a lonely hatter fell into a hat that one of them had not only made, but made magical, he made his way back to Storybrooke but the hat had gone missing. Imagine my surprise when Henry brought it to my house saying he found it in his mother's bedroom." Snow stared at Emma "You kept it, why?" Emma shrugged refusing to meet anyone's eyes, "well I did make it, I thought it would remind me that appearances can be deceiving."
Jefferson brushed this aside, "you're ignoring the important part - It worked, I believe I was quite insistent that you were capable of making a magic hat, and I'd like it noted for the record that I was right. So now I had a working hat, but one that wasn't useful in getting you back, due to the rules of the hat's magic. Did you know that sometimes its extraordinarily useful being slightly mad? What sane people see as the impossible is merely an obstacle to the mad and with the right amount of stubbornness the impossible can be achieved. I had two hats; one - mine, was the one that you used, but it was out of commission, two - Emma's hat, which worked but I couldn't bring you back through it, so the only option left was, three - combine the best parts of the two hats to make a new hat." The smug grin faded from the hatter's face "So far it has worked - obviously - since I'm here, the only problem is I'm not 100% sure I can get you both back." Emma and Snow exchanged glances and turned back to Jefferson, Emma reached out to him "What do you mean? You're here, it works why wouldn't we be able to use the portal?" Gone was the cheerful man who flippantly made references to their first meeting. "As I said earlier, my hat was destroyed, this would have all been so much easier if I could have used it, in and out no problems, but there are limitations to all magic, and in this case balance is needed. Only the same number of people who enter the portal can return, doesn't have to be the same people, just the same number. If I had been able to follow through my hat, the one you two went through that would be fine. But I only had Emma's hat, a different hat, one that used different magic, I combined the two hats and got it to open a portal, but the truth is I still may not be able to get you back this way." "What if it doesn't work? What if we can't get back this way?" Jefferson shifted closer to Emma, ignoring Snow altogether "If the hat won't take us back, we will find another way, I won't leave you here Emma. I promised him, I promised Henry I'd bring you back, you don't abandon family. If you can't go, I will stay here with you until we find another way." Emma hugged him, whispering a quick thank you in his ear as she drew back.
Snow White relaxed, the past half an hour had convinced her that the strange man - who had made a really terrible first impression - meant them no harm. Quite the opposite, his words and body language towards her daughter betrayed his devotion. "So how far is this portal?" Jefferson looked up, registering the change in Snow's voice, "it's roughly 3 hour's hike south-east, I arrived this morning, scouted around for a while and found that village you passed through, it didn't take me long to figure out that the strangely dressed warrior women they were talking about were you two. They said you had headed this way 0 I followed. I suggest we spend the rest of the night here and set out in the morning. There's no point trudging around a forest at night if you don't have to." Snow was quick to agree, "there's no point breaking camp now, I'll take first watch." She stirred the fire up and put another log on for the night, while Emma readied her sleeping blankets, offering one to Jefferson which he turned down in favour of his coat. Emma wrapped herself in blankets, turned her back to the fire and drifted off to sleep, Jefferson had sprawled himself along the fire, leaning on one elbow, not yet trying to sleep, keeping an eye on both the flames and Emma.
When Snow spoke he was unsurprised, he hadn't settled in for much needed sleep for precisely this reason. "How much hope do we really have of this working?" "I got the hats and magic combined, which was possibly the hardest thing. I would say we have a better than 50% chance, how much better, I don't know." They fell silent, but Jefferson could tell they weren't finished yet. "How did you do it?" He raised an eyebrow at the question. "Emma I mean, I've known her for a year, and the very first thing that is obvious about her is that she doesn't trust easily. But you - you kidnapped me, drugged her and threatened us both and yet she was so quick to forgive and trust you." The other eyebrow shot up, "she hasn't forgiven me, she's just giving me a chance, one which I am taking." Snow shook her head, insisting "she has forgiven you, she wouldn't trust you so completely if she hadn't." He shrugged, knowing it was easier that arguing, "maybe because... I did those things seeking the truth, once we reached my house that night, I didn't lie to her, everything I told her was the truth, the only time I ever lied to her was when I faked my limp after she ran me off the road, other than that I have been completely open with her, perhaps too open." Snow quirked an eyebrow at him. "... I cried ok. The past two times I've been in the same room as your daughter I cried." he said obviously embarrassed. Snow smothered a smile and let the subject drop. A determined look crossed Snow White's face, "and how about the future? Do you see yourself lying or trying to hurt my daughter again?" Jefferson sat up deadly serious, "absolutely not your highness" then his face eased "I have fought you two once and lived, I have learned my lesson and do not wish to tempt fate again." Snow giggled and poked the fire. Jefferson lay down again, before asking, "if I may ask some advice your highness - I have promised your husband a chat when we return about the circumstances under which we met, it may impudent of me to ask but, do you think it would be better for me to do it before or after your own inevitable discussion with him?" she looked at him, considering the situation, "I think after would be best, and if you really want my advice, you won't duck, he'll respect you more if you take what you deserve. By the way, my name is Snow, I have a feeling that even after we get back I'll be seeing a lot of you, so there's no need for titles Jefferson." He inclined his head and settled down to sleep.
The fire was low and the sun hadn't come up yet. Emma sat keeping guard, although she watched Jefferson more than she watched the camp. One of her blankets was now tucked around him and she was sitting cross legged by his knees. She had real hope again for the first time since she burned the enchanted tree. Henry was safe and she might be seeing him by the end of the day. Jefferson was here, he had left Grace - the daughter he had longed for - to come after her, refused to leave until the three of them could get back, she had to give it to him, the man knew how to win points. She leaned over to brush his hair back off his forehead, as Emma drew back, Jefferson's hand grabbed hers, holding it tight to his chest, she looked at his face, it was still peaceful, he hadn't woken up. Emma tried tugging her hand free, but she was effectively trapped. She sighed and shifted closer to him so she was sitting upright.
Dawn was just beginning to break when Jefferson stirred. He felt more at peace than waking had left him for as long as he could remember. His eyes flew open when he felt something moving across his chest. Emma was retrieving her hand from his now relaxed grip. "I have no objections to you touching me while I'm awake you know." He lazily smiled at her, as she pulled back quickly, before she reached out and hit him, hissing, "don't scare me like that Jefferson, I thought you were still asleep." He chuckled softly, "and so I was until fair maiden's hand drew me from slumber - a kiss is more traditional - and also something I have no objections to." Emma's frown was erased at his words "you're incorrigible!" Jefferson plastered an affronted expression on his face "Me? You're the one molesting innocent hatters in their sleep." "I thought you were just complaining that I wasn't molesting you enough" Jefferson sat up and rested his chin on Emma's shoulder before wrapping his arms around her from behind. Emma glanced at her mother, but Snow was still safely asleep, and she turned her head to look more fully at Jefferson "true enough, but I guess under the circumstances I'll have to make do with this." The kiss was gentle, soft and lingering, it was over too soon for both of them, but they were acutely aware that with Emma's mother only a few feet away, now was not the time or the place. He squeezed her tighter as they softly discussed the day's plans.
The fire had been covered and packs shouldered before the sun had burned the dew off the grass. All three eager to get to the portal they had set a brisk pace with Jefferson and Emma in the lead while Snow guarded the rear. "How do the portals work, can you specify an exact place or are there existing doors that you link to?" Emma was curious as to how their transport worked. "It's a bit of both, there are 'doors' as you say and using those is easier, but I can also use the magic to pinpoint a location or a person if I need to, that requires a great deal more skill. Given I wasn't sure this trip would even work, I chose to use one of the existing portals, I just had to find the one closest to your location."
The sun had not yet peaked when Jefferson came to a halt. "This is it." Emma looked around, "I don't see anything." The hatter pointed at two trees standing close together their branches intertwined forming a sort of doorway. "That's a portal? It just looks like trees, I thought it would shimmer or sparkle or something." Jefferson smirked "Are you still doubting me Emma?" "No, I just thought it would be more… magical." Both Snow and Jefferson laughed, "You've come a long way Emma," Snow said hugging her daughter's shoulders. They piled their packs in a tree hollow not far from the portal, but the two women kept their weapons. Slinging her bow over her shoulder Snow turned to Jefferson, "So what do we need to do?" He took both their hands, interlacing his fingers with Emma's. "Our best chance is to all enter at exactly the same time. No matter what happens do not let go of my hand until we are out of the portal, with two different magics at work here I dread to think what could happen if we are separated. I'll apologise in advance, I think this is going to be a bumpy ride." Snow grasped Emma's free hand briefly and said, "Jefferson even if this doesn't work, thank you for trying" he nodded and glanced at Emma as he raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "good luck everyone." Then the three of them stepped forward.
Author's note: I know, I said there was only going to be 1 more chapter, but Jefferson and Emma wanted a kissing moment, who am I to deny them. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last though.