Chaos.
Everything was in chaos.
At first, everyone's first reaction was to get angry, and want to kill Regina, which I still think was a good idea. Then, we discovered we can't leave Storybrooke without losing ourselves. If we moved past that town line, we would lose our memories from the Enchanted Forest, this time forever.
Supposedly, Emma Swan and Mary Margaret used Jefferson's hat to absorb a creature that wanted to kill Regina, but got swallowed by the hat and thrown into the portal and into the Enchanted Forest, leaving two anguished men and an anguished town.
I know all that because Henry, who was very much alive now, thank to the gods, keep begging me to help them fix Jefferson's hat.
"I can't do it," I told him everyday, hating how my words shattered him. "I had magic once, but now it's gone. Jefferson's hat was the portal, and sadly, your grandparent destroyed the portal. There's nothing I can't do. I'm sorry, Henry. I truly am."
It had only been two days, I told myself everyday as I forced myself to keep my cool and not lose it all over speaking about Jefferson, who still hadn't approached Grace.
Two days, two miserable days filled with chaos everywhere; Two days having to stand Grace crying and worrying over why Jefferson hadn't approached us if he was here, because she very much remembered seeing him at Granny's that day I went to his house.
Two days after August disappeared, leaving behind all his things and a shattered father.
It had only been two days, but they were such stressful days that I found myself wanting to scream every single minute. It wasn't easy, Grace remembered now, and was completely worried over her father, who she knew was very much alive but hadn't appeared—she even draw a picture of him and put it where the other drawings of missing people where by the old city hall.
And I hated it.
I hated so much to see Grace worry when Jefferson was a street away from us. To see her always looking around when walking in town just to see if she could spot him...
I couldn't understand why he hadn't approached us. I understood it before, that he was feeling guilty for things that weren't his fault, that he was guilty over leaving us; but now Grace remembered. Now he was free to come and be with us.
But he wasn't.
He hadn't even gotten out of his house, for what I observed. And I wasn't going to simply walk towards his house and force him to be with Grace. I knew he needed time.
But how much time?
How much time before Grace loses all her faith again?
David Nolan, or Prince Charming, I don't know what he wanted to be called, convinced everyone to stay in town, and to continue with our lives normally until he could find a way to bring his wife and daughter back. Please, as if that was possible—there were no more magic beans left, and I was completely sure Mary Margaret wasn't going to do a curse to bring them back here.
They had no chance of coming back.
Following Charming's advice, we all went back to our boring lives. The third day, when Grace left for school and both Mrs and Mr. Grace left for work, I decided to go to Rumple'. I imagined he was very angry after realising he couldn't leave town to search for Bae without losing his real self.
I had been so absorbed with my problems and myself that I hadn't thought of Rumple. I felt selfish, but I had my reasons. I used to think that when the curse would break things would've been better, but instead, they were now more chaotic than they've ever been.
And I needed a distraction.
I needed it badly, or I'll find myself knocking at Jefferson's door and forcing him to see Grace.
I didn't bothered to knock in Rumple's shop, I simply stepped inside, hearing the sound of shattering glass and a few stressed grunts coming from the back of the shop. Fearing I had come in a bad moment, I cleared my throat and tapped my feet against the floor, my heels making a clicking noise that would spark Rumple's curiosity.
He didn't disappointed me.
I didn't knew what I had been expecting as I waited for him. Maybe I was half expecting to see him green and impishly again, but he still looked normal, with the little fact that he was no longer using his cane to walk. Magic was back in Storybrooke, so I knew he was probably back to being himself, but without the impishly-like features.
"Artemis," Rumple sighed the second he saw me. Relief shone on his face, and he quickly moved towards me and embraced me. I was so surprised at first that I couldn't respond, but after a few seconds I hugged him back. "Where have you been?"
By the softness of his voice, and how he hugged me, I knew he heard about us not being able to leave Storybrooke.
"I'm sorry, I've been so occupied with Grace and Jefferson still hasn't appeared and ugh, our foster parents are also worried about us now that they remember, and I've been having to calm them all down and assure them that its going to be all right, and Henry's been following me around begging me to help him get Emma and Mary Margaret back, and August is gone and I don't know where he is or what happened to him—" I took a deep breath, closing my eyes momentarily. "This few days have been pure torture for me."
Rumple was watching me carefully, waiting for me to finish my rant. I sighed again, moving my hand around in a gesture that told him to speak. I was finished venting.
"I am truly sorry to hear that, dearie. But I fear we have bigger problems right now," Rumple started, making me look at him. "Cora is coming to Storybrooke."
"What?" I exclaimed, incredulous. "Cora, the heartless woman that hurt you so much, and the only person that is, probably, more dangerous than you?"
"No one is more powerful than me," Rumple sneered, pursing his lips in annoyance. "You see, Cora is many things, but she never achieved to be what I am. And she never will. Our problem right now is that if she indeed kills Emma and Mary Margaret, and steals their chance to come back, and she comes back instead..."
He trailed off, not meeting my eyes.
"I can't let her live, Artemis." he said, as if expecting me to tell him he was a monster for wanting to kill someone. "She will destroy every single chance I have left to find my son." his voice was a whisper now, and I knew he had never voiced his fear out loud for anyone else. "I can't die before finding him."
He feared Cora would kill him. He knew she was not powerful enough, but he still feared she would kill him, which was impossible. But it was a normal fear.
I didn't knew what kind of idea Emma and Mary Margaret had to come back, or how Rumple knew about that, but what I did knew was that after everything Rumple did to come here, to the Land without Magic, and after all he waited and searched for in so many centuries...I knew he couldn't let anything get between him and his son.
"Do what you have to do," I told him seriously. "If it has to come to kill her, I'm not going to tell you not to do it. She has caused you enough harm already, and you need to find your son. Nothing can get between that."
For a long moment, I waited for Rumple's reaction. For my surprise, though, it wasn't what I expected. He looked at me with such gratitude it dumbstruck me. His eyes held so much gratitude and so much sadness and longingness...
"Oh, how I wish Belle was like you." his voice was nearly a whisper, and it broke before he could finish his sentence. "She is keen on seeing the good in me, even when it's not there. You acknowledge that I'm a monster, and you don't care—"
"You're not a monster, Rumple," I told him gently. "You are a damaged person, just like everyone. You make your choices, and you make them for you. Selfishness, some might call it, but I only see someone fighting for what he wants. If that makes you a monster then I am a monster too."
I paused momentarily, waiting for him to process my words, but then, I thought back to what he first said to me. "Belle," I said. "Belle was special, Rumple. She saw the good in you that I know is there, but never actually do anything to bring it out of you. She was special, and she was special for that."
Rumple stared at me, as if he was wondering something. "You don't know?"
"Know what?" I frowned, wondering if I had said something wrong, but I had only been praising the woman he loved so much but lost. I had loved Belle too in my own way; she had been my best friend once, before Rumple kicked her out of the castle and her father murdered her.
"Belle is alive."
For a second, my brain didn't comprehend his words.
"What?" I whispered, convinced that I had heard wrong. I didn't wanted to get my hopes up.
"Belle is alive," Rumple said again, his voice full of emotion. "She never died in the Enchanted Forest. Regina had her locked in the Asylum. Jefferson freed her, and send her here."
He paused, waiting. A big happy grin broke into my face, and I felt tears swelling on my eyes. I would've felt stupid for crying over that before, but now I didn't cared. Melanie taught me that emotuons weren't a bad thing, and now I wasn't afraid of showing my emotions. At least nor in front of Rumple.
My best friend was alive, that was all I could think about.
The beautiful brunette that I cared about so much was alive.
"Where is she?" I asked, moving around him to search for her on the back of the store. Rumple's hand caught my elbow, stopping me. "What is it?"
"I had a fight with Belle, and she left," Rumple admitted, a distressed look on his eyes. "She listened to a conversation I had with Emma before she was sucked in the portal. Belle heard me admit that I was the one that brought the wraith here to kill Regina."
That explained a lot. Rumple was responsible for the creature that invaded town, and if Belle heard that...she probably thought he hadn't changed a bit, and left disappointed, and hurt.
"Rumple," I sighed. "Why do you always fuck up your opportunity to be with her?"
"But she came back!" Rumple said. "She came back and we were living together..." he bit his lips, as if to stop himself from saying much. One look at my face and he sighed, before continuing. "She saw me practicing magic, and demanded to know why. I-I...I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell her the real reason I was practicing magic, for what I needed it. And she...she left again."
He closed his eyes in pain before looking back at me. "Oh, God, Artemis I nearly lost her again; her father kidnaped her and nearly forced her to pass through the town line to forget about me...but I stopped it before it happened."
My gasp interrupted him. Of all I could've thought happened, I never thought Moe French would go as far as to manipulate Belle that way. For what I heard, Moe wanted his daughter back, but she wasn't the same girl he once knew. And Rumple was too cowardly to tell Belle his story.
"Rumple," I said softly, before he could continue talking. "Do you love her?"
He gave me a look. "You know I do."
"Then why? Why are you so scared of being honest with her? You know she loves you, she really does. She is your true love, for God's sake, just be honest with her."
"I can't," Rumple insisted, and for once I saw the cowardly man that he was before he become the Dark One. "I've made so many mistakes, I've made so many bad things..." he swallowed. "I don't want to lose her again. If I told her what I did..."
"She won't leave you." I crossed my arms. "Belle isn't like that, Rumple. She is understanding, she's special. If I know something about her, is that she will never judge you for your actions. You opened yourself to me once, now it's time you open up to your girlfriend."
There was a pause between us. He looked as if in pain, and I gripped his hand in mine. "Why are you so scared? Belle loves you, I will assure you she will understand and that she will continue loving you even with all your flaws and mistakes."
"I'm a difficult man to love, dearie," he whispered, emotion tick on his voice.
It was clear as a day then, that he still feared it to be an illusion. That he still couldn't quite believe that Belle loved him before and loves him now. It was clear that he was scared of getting hurt again, of losing her again.
"That's not true," I told him gently. "You are scared because you were hurt by the people you loved most. But that's in the past. Now you have Belle, and she loves you deeply and will never hurt you," I paused, and then added, "and you have me."
He looked at me, shaking his head briefly. "You are different."
"But she's your girlfriend," I told him. "Your true love. She deserves to know, and you deserve some happiness. Now do me a favour and stop tormenting yourself. Just open yourself to her, as you opened yourself to me all those years ago."
He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but stopped himself.
"I must go now," I said softly. "I will leave you so you shall clear your thoughts and think of what you will do with Belle."
I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.
"Belle is living in Granny's, if you wish to see her."
I beamed. "Thank you." I opened the door, the bells clinking against the glass.
"And dear..."
I turned, fully looking at him now, one hand still holding the door open. "Yes?"
"Find Jefferson. He is scared of Grace and you hating him, but he needs you both."
I paused. That meant Rumple had seen Jefferson here, and probably talked to him. I wouldn't expect less after knowing he was the one that freed Belle. "I know. We need him too. Thank you, Rumple. I'll call you later."
Artemis had been reading in Belle's library when said girl appeared, a flush on her pale cheeks. The beautiful brunette looked somewhat excited over something, and when Artemis arched her eyebrows at her, Belle grinned widely.
"Jefferson's here," Belle said, still blushing and grinning.
Artemis blinked confusedly. Rumple had no work for them that day, why would Jefferson be here?
"What's wrong with your cheeks, darling, never seen a handsome man?" Artemis rolled her eyes, but she knew that wasn't the cause of Belle's blush. The brunette seemed to like the Dark One, though the only one that seemed to notice was Artemis.
Belle rolled her eyes, but she seemed so excited that she wasn't really angry at Artemis' remark. "He came to ask you out!"
Artemis' heart jumped almost painfully in her chest. She scoffed at Belle, but her own racing heart was betraying how she felt. Hope light up her heart, and she wondered if that was true.
It had been almost a week after she realised she was in love with him, and now she didn't knew how to react around him.
All she knew was that she wanted to be with him, to hold him, to feel him with her. It was a feeling she had never experienced before, she craved him in a way she had never thought possible.
It wasn't lust.
She knew lust, and she had acted upon her lust millions of times, and what she was feeling wasn't even remotely close to it.
It was a need that was eating her from the inside, a desperation so strong that left her breathless; something she couldn't even begin to describe.
She craved him, but not just physically.
She craved him in a different way, in a way she couldn't understand.
In a way she didn't wanted to understand.
And it scared her.
"He did not," Artemis frowned. "He doesn't even like me."
But their conversation in that cell haunted her. He had seemed so sincere when he said he liked her when she wasn't yelling at him, and when he gave her the arrow necklace they stood so close to each other, his blue eyes shinning in a way Artemis never saw before...
"But he's here to ask you out," Belle said again. "I saw him talking to Rumple. A little girl was with him, and they both had picnic baskets. And they asked for you."
Artemis frowned, suddenly her hope died, and she felt her heart constricting painfully in her chest.
"Grace was with him? Of course, he probably wants me to babysit her while he goes on a date with some strumpet—" Artemis gritted her teeth, bitterness leaving a sour taste in her mouth.
Before, she was used to babysit little Grace while Jefferson went out on "dates", but now it bothered her the thought of him with another woman. Just to think of a woman being under Jefferson's attention ate her inside.
It wasn't jealousy, not quite yet, but it was certainly close.
Probably sadness.
Sadness and bitterness because she knew that she shouldn't feel that way towards him, not when she wasn't sure of his feelings, and not certainly when she was scared of love.
"Go on," Belle urged, gently helping Artemis out of her couch.
"But—" Artemis rolled her eyes, her protest dying on her throat. She had to go downstairs and greet them anyway, hiding wasn't going to make Jefferson go. "Okay, okay, give me a second."
She closed the book she had been reading and left in on the little table in front of the fireplace. She passed a hand over her blonde curls in an attempt to flatter them.
Belle quickly closed the distance between them, and started to help her look more presentable.
Artemis swatted Belle's hand with a slap, making the brunette sigh and step back. The blonde maiden looked at her friend and bit her lips, before both of them moved out of the library and into the staircase. There, Artemis hesitated when she heard Jefferson's voice and Grace's giggles.
"Hey," Belle took her hand. "Trust me in this, he's not using you so he can go out with someone else. You'll see just now."
Artemis looked at her, moving her hand from her grasp. "You don't know him."
"No," Belle agreed. "Not like you do, but after what I heard..." she trailed off, a grin appearing in her face again.
Artemis narrowed her eyes. "What? What did you heard? Tell me!"
Belle chuckled at Artemis. "Nothing, nothing, just go downstairs and have fun."
"You won't accompany me down?" Artemis frowned.
"I mustn't. Rumplestiltskin gave me a lot of chores for today," annoyance crossed the girl's face. "He's still angry for my actions yesterday."
Amusement crossed Artemis eyes, as she remembered how the day before that one Rumple and Belle were bickering almost like a couple. It had started as a simple comment from Rumple about Belle's cleaning skills, and ended in a bickering contest that left both Rumple and Belle frustrated with each other.
Nothing new there.
Belle gave Artemis one last encouraging glance, turned, and left.
After a moment of hesitation, Artemis sighed deeply, gathered her courage, and started descending the stairs. With every step, Grace's laugher become clearer and louder.
A smile appeared on her face despite her bitterness over having to babysit her while Jefferson had fun.
Artemis really, really, really liked Grace.
She was a lovely child and she loved spending time with her.
That was her only comfort after thinking of Jefferson with someone else.
Upon entering the living room of the castle, Artemis stopped surprised. The Dark One was sitting by his spinning wheel with little Grace on his lap. He was telling her something that was making the two years old child giggle delightedly, and for once, Artemis saw a true smile lighting up her boss' face.
"He is great with children," Jefferson's voice sounded shocked, and Artemis jumped, only then seeing him by her side. "Could it be possible that he has a child? He certainly knows how to hold her and how to entertain her."
"Indeed," Artemis nodded. She swallowed, discretely putting some distance between them, all while trying to control her heart, who after seeing Jefferson so close was beating furiously in her chest, almost as if it wanted to escape her and her incoherent thoughts and emotions.
Jefferson turned to fully look at her, thinking that he could trust Rumplestiltskin with Grace for a second while he regarded Artemis.
He stopped for a moment after looking at her; she looked certainly beautiful that afternoon, a relaxed gleam on her eyes, a laid back appearance as she was dressed with simple trousers and not a dress. Her blonde hair falling in curls that shined more than gold itself...
Yes, she looked beautiful. Not on a extravagant way, but on a plain, human way that was endearing to Jefferson.
How could a normal woman look so beautiful and so endearing and lovely so suddenly and so unexplainably?
He had laughed once about how people used to say that physical appearance changed as you knew a person; how after you meet someone their personality sorts of become their face and you no longer see them as normal or ugly, but as beautiful.
But now, now it happened to him with Artemis, and he couldn't look away from her.
He wondered how he never noticed how beautiful she truly was.
"I suppose you want me to take care of Grace while you go out, do you not?" Artemis pursed her lips, looking away and settling her eyes on a squeaking Grace, who was now delightfully watching as the Dark One made golden dust fly over his open hand.
"Not today," Jefferson shook his head. "Today I came to...ask you something. Not just me actually, Grace spent all morning asking for you."
Artemis looked at him curiously, her heart jumping as she recalled Belle's words. "What did you want to ask me?"
Jefferson hesitated for a second. "I'm taking Grace to Dreamland," he started. Artemis' smiled despite her attempts not to. Dreamland was in fact, a very dreamy place where everything was possible and everything was almost perfect.
When she was little, she had found herself in Dreamland, in one of her many searches for her family. It was sad that there, in a place as beautiful as Dreamland was, she realised that the reason she never knew her family was because none of them had actually wanted her.
Upon realising that, she quickly left Dreamland, and never came back. Shortly after that, she started to fight for her life and to manage her way around places to find food and shelter. Soon, people had started calling her Artemis, and the old hopeful girl she once was started to fade away.
Despite that, she liked the idea of Grace visiting Dreamland. It was a nice land for children, always peaceful and full of light.
"Dreamland is great," Artemis nodded approvingly. "I am sure she will have lots of fun there. I don't understand, though, why does that concern me?"
Jefferson hesitated again, and Artemis started to get worried. Her worry died when she saw the faint blush that was rounding his cheeks. He usually never blushed unless he was extremely embarrassed, or extremely angry. This time, however, he was neither of those.
"I wanted to invite you to join us," he said at last. "Grace missed you terribly, and...I wanted to see you again."
Warmness rose in Artemis, and she tried to swallow it down. They had seen each other the day before, but to hear Jefferson say that he wanted to see her again...that made Artemis feel special, and the ice in her heart started to melt, leaving way for the emotions she so desperately tried to hide.
"I missed Grace too," Artemis said after a moment.
"And me? Didn't you missed me?" his grin was very contagious, and Artemis tried not to smile, but ended giggling softly. That made Jefferson's grin widen. "I know you did, I'm unforgettable."
"More like unbelievable," Artemis smirked, hearing Jefferson laugh at that.
"Right back at you, my goddess."
Artemis blushed at the goddess part. She had nearly forgotten about his new nickname for her, but what actually killed her was the "my" part. She knew he hadn't said it in the way she wished he had, but it still left her nearly breathless.
"Whatever you say, my hatter." Artemis tried to calm her heart, that went crazy after she said the "my" part, but it was nearly impossible. She saw Jefferson's lips curl into a smile, and that made the warm feeling return.
Both of them turned towards Grace and Rumple. The sweet blonde child was giggling in Rumple's lap as he whispered things on her ear, telling her one of his many adventures, probably omitting the gruesome parts of the story for the sake of the child.
"Are you going with us?" Jefferson asked, not taking his eyes off the very new scene in front of him.
He knew Rumple had a soft spot for children, as he never actually harmed any children on his trips. But to see him so cozy and sweet to Grace was shocking. It made him remember Rumple was once a normal human being, before he become that monster he was now.
"Yes," Artemis said. She had intended on saying no, anything to be away from Jefferson and from her feelings, but the moment her eyes met Jefferson's again, she couldn't think clearly. "I will go with you."
In that same moment, Grace looked towards her father, and saw Artemis with him. Her eyes widened, and they brightened. The little girl squeaked happily, an enormous smile on her face, and jumped down from Rumple's lap to run towards Artemis.
The cold hearted woman laughed, and opened her arms. The little girl jumped on them, and hugged her as fiercely as her little hands allowed her. Artemis smiled widely, kissing her cheek.
"Hello, my darling," Artemis smiled, separating from the little girl briefly. "How are you?"
That what probably what Jefferson most liked about Artemis, how she treated Grace, how she talked to her as if she was older.
That actually helped more than the silly voices some people took when talking to a baby. Grace knew how to pronounce words correctly and knew how to answer in complete sentences by now, even if sometimes her words got messed up.
"I'm good!" Grace said excitedly. "Missed you much!"
"I missed you very much, too, my love," Artemis smiled, and hugged her again.
Jefferson smiled, and went to join them. "Gracie, baby, what did you wanted to ask Artemis?"
Grace looked to her father for a second, seeming confused. Then, she brightened again, and jumped up and down, excitedly. Artemis giggled lovingly, and Grace turned to look at her, leaning in towards her as if telling her a secret.
"Papa's taking me to Dreamland!" Grace said, still grinning widely.
Artemis gasped, as if she had just heard that. "Oh my gods! Gracie! That's great!"
"Yes, yes yes," the little girl grinned, jumping up and down again. "You going with us!"
Artemis rose an eyebrow at the girl, hearing Jefferson chuckle. "Are you asking me or telling me?"
"Mmmmm..." Grace actually stopped to think, to then grin. "Telling you."
Jefferson and Artemis laughed, making Grace giggle too.
"Seems to me like I have no other choice," Artemis grinned, adopting a royalty tone. "It will be my greatest pleasure to accompany you, my darling Grace, to a place as lovely as Dreamland." she bowed deeply, grasping an imaginary dress over her trousers, and bowing like she saw princesses bowing.
Grace giggled, and copied her.
"Well," Jefferson rubbed his hands, "Now that's settled. Grace, baby, why don't you go and say goodbye to Rumplestiltskin? It's very impolite not to say goodbye."
"I know," Grace grinned cheekily.
She run towards where the Dark One was watching them curiously, and for everyone's surprise, the little girl threw her hands around the imp's neck, hugging him fiercely. Rumple's golden eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at both Jefferson and Artemis, hands unmoving at his side.
Grace separated from him, and kissed his cheek, seeming unbothered by his gleaming greenish skin.
"It was nice to see you, Mr. Rump...Rumpl..." the girl had problems pronunciating his full name. She knew his name, but pronouncing it always gave her problems.
"Rumplestiltkin," the dark one helped her, his eyes soft, making a pompous movement with his hand that made the little girl giggle.
The girl tried a couple of times to say his full name, but couldn't.
"Rumple," Grace settled for, trying to make his pompous hand movement. The Dark One made it again, and the girl copied him again, making him giggle loudly, as he often did. Grace giggled too, liking his laugh.
"Bye bye, Mister Rumple."
"Goodbye, dearie." Rumple made shooing gestures with his hands, but the soft gleam on his eyes betrayed him. It had been long since he had actually been with a child, and Grace reminded him of Bae.
As Grace skipped off towards her father, Artemis made her way towards Rumple. When he realized he was staring at Grace with a longing sad look, and that Artemis was coming his way, he rose his walls, and turned towards his spinning wheel, the sad smile dropping off his face in a second.
"Hey," Artemis said once she was at his side. "You know already, don't you?"
"Of course I know, dearie," he tapped his forehead distractedly, referring to the power to see the future he sometimes had. "I always know."
"Oh, right, yes, the seer in you, right," Artemis nodded, sceptically. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Why would I mind?" The Dark One rose his eyebrows. "Go on, have your date with Jefferson. But don't come home too late. Tomorrow I want you to come with me and help me train Regina."
Artemis frowned. "The girl that's soon to be Queen?"
He met her eyes. "She is Cora's daughter."
Realization draw itself on Artemis' face. "She's the one?" she asked incredulous, having met the girl before. "She is the one that is going to eventually make the curse?"
"You said it yourself, eventually." Rumple nodded, almost distractedly again. Then he turned sharply towards Artemis. "Go, go, shoo, have your date with Jefferson. I want to be alone today."
"It's not a date," Artemis crossed her arms. "I don't like him."
"Sure you don't, missy, sure you don't," Rumple said sarcastically. Before Artemis could protest again, he tapped his forehead, silently implying that he already knew, that he had seen something, that he was smart.
And he had indeed seen something.
He saw how the woman he cared so much about but never actually admitted it to anyone, not even himself, was changing. How feelings we finding their way into her again, and how she would start to find happiness.
And while he was glad for her, he was also a bit jealous. The both of them used to be broken together, but now she would heal, and he would continue broken.
It was selfish of him, but he wished she would stay as broken as him, that way, he wouldn't feel so alone.
Artemis narrowed her eyes, but dropped the matter.
"See you later, Rumple." she called as she walked away.
Rumplestiltskin followed her restarting back with his eyes until she was completely gone, both Jefferson and Grace following almost instantly.
He then sighed, dropping the piece of thread he had on his fingers. Jefferson's daughter had brough back memories of Baelfire he wanted so desperately to forget until he could see him again.
"Bae..." Rumple whispered to himself, looking down to his leathered pants. Guilt and anger at his actions filled him, but he pushed it all down. He was training Regina, and in some time she would cast the curse, and he would see Bae again...
Yes. He had to hope for the darkness inside of Regina to work.
A loud sound of crashing plates startled him, interrupting his line of thought.
He rolled his eyes, his mind instantly thinking of Belle, who had a small tendency of breaking his things when nervous. She had broken one of his cups when she had arrived the first time on the Dark Castle the year before that day, and last week she had accidentally broken a vase when he had started her.
And now, apparently, she broke something else.
"You better clean that up nicely, dearie!" Rumple yelled, knowing she could heard him in the silent castle. Another loud crash, though this one Rumple was sure had been intentional. He smirked despite himself. "That one too, dearie!"
I quickly made my way towards Granny's, wanting to see my friend again. I searched first in the inn, expecting her to be in a room, or in the living room, but she wasn't there. After searching in the inn, I then made my way towards the restaurant.
When I arrived at Granny's restaurant, I quickly entered. As the door closed, the bell sounded, adverting everyone of my presence. Some looked my way, others didn't. When I started to walk forwards to search for Belle, Granny appeared in front of me, hands on her hips, a glare on her face.
"Wait a moment, Artemis," she spat my name, surprising me. I had been so used to seeing sweet Granny that I forgot that in the Enchanted Forest she was fierce and strong, and that she had seen me hurting people alongside of Rumple. For her I wasn't the sweet girl that came a lot to dinner, but the vicious woman that hurt many people. "You are in my territory and I—"
"I don't want any trouble," I interrupted her. "I'm just looking for someone."
I knew she had left Rumple and Regina enter her stablishment, and I wasn't worst than them, so I didn't knew why she wasn't letting me in.
"Look somewhere else, there's no one here for you," Granny snapped angrily. "We don't want any killers here."
Anger burned my insides deeply, I got angry in a way I hadn't in over 28 years. In that moment, I realized what Rumple meant when he said that we were half our normal us, and half the person that Regina made us believe we were. Melanie was strong and patient. I wasn't.
And Melanie was gone now.
There was only Artemis left now.
"Fiesty, aren't we?" I sneered at Granny, acting out on my anger. "Bit hypocritical, don't you think? The big bad wolf talking about murder. Tell me, darling, how many people died because of you in your time? Huh?"
Anger radiated of the old woman, and I saw impotence on her eyes. My words had hit home. She waved a shaking finger in the direction of the door. "Get the hell out of my restaurant. Dark One's protégée, killer..."
I narrowed my eyes at her as her insults grew louder and louder, but decided she wasn't worth my time. "If you see Belle, tell her I'm looking for her."
"I sure as hell won't," Granny snapped. "She's better off without any of you."
"That," I interrupted her. "I something only she can decide. None of you gets to decide for her. She's a grown up woman, and she can do whatever the hell she wants to do."
I paused briefly, looking around. No one was minding our conversation, even thought Granny was pretty much making an scene. I quickly grabbed her elbow, forcing her to face me and pulling her as close to me as I could, making her gasp and squirm.
"Shh, shh, behave. Now, when you see her, you will tell her I'm looking for her, or it'll I will tear your heart out for your insolence, and your pretty little strumpet of a grandchild will be next. Are we clear?"
Emotion shined on her eyes, and she struggled to get free. No one around us minded us, too inmerse in their own lives to notice me threatening an old lady. Or maybe they did noticed, and didn't cared. Or they noticed, and didn't wanted to get in the middle of our bickering.
"You haven't changed in one bit," Granny spat at me, and I dropped her elbow in distaste.
"No, darling, I have. But people like you don't deserve to see me changed; people like you bring the monters out of me." I paused, straightened my coat, and turned. "Have a good day, darling. And please," I turned, "Do close your mouth, or flies could enter."
With that, I left Granny's.
I was frustrated, because I had gotten out my bottled up anger on an innocent old lady that only wanted to protect her establishment, but my patience was getting shorter with every passing moment without Jefferson appearing.
Frustrated, I realized it was getting late, and I had to go pick Grace up from the bus stop. I moved towards the other part of town, to wait for her to arrive in the bus stop, but something stopped me.
"So this is you," a voice behind me said. "This is the real you."
I turned, recognising the voice I hadn't heard in a month. Behind me, a blonde man with curly hair and a very pronounced surfers tan stood, looking at me in a way I couldn't describe. Maybe sadness, maybe distaste.
I couldn't care less.
"James," I nodded, to then move my hand. "Or whatever your real name is. Hello."
"That...that was you?" he asked, pointing back to Granny's restaurant. "Threatening old ladies? Is that who you really are?"
"Look, James, I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this. We had something nice before, when we were cursed, but that wasn't me, and that wasn't you. I'm sorry, but I have to go. And I'm sorry you found out about me in the way you did. But there's no changing back now."
I turned, but his voice stopped me.
"My brother has been asking about Paige a lot," he said. "He wants to see her again, but he doesn't know if he should. After all that's happened..."
"Our relationship is long over, James, but that doesn't mean Paige has to stop seeing Mark. If he really likes her..." I shrugged. "Let them be together. They're young, their relationship isn't going to last."
I walked away.
"Melanie—"
"My name is Artemis," I corrected him. "You have five seconds to tell me what you want before I actually get angry and things get messy. I'm in a hurry, James. What is it?"
"I want to get to know you," James started, his voice taking a gentle turn. "Please, I can't stop thinking about you. I've tried, but I can't. Give me another chance. Let me get to know the real you."
I sighed exasperatedly. We were friends before becoming a couple, but I didn't wanted anything to do with him now. He was sweet, and nice, but simply...not for me.
"You won't like what you'll find," I warned him, frowning. "You fell for an illusion, James. I'm not Melanie, nor will I ever be, and my feelings for you weren't real. I was going through a hard time, and you were there for me. It wasn't real. It wasn't love. I'm sorry, but I'm spoken for."
"You're spoken for?" James frowned. "By who? That man that died? The one you mentioned when we were cursed?"
"He isn't dead, James," I said patiently.
"So what?" he seemed shocked. "It's been years, Artemis. Do you really think he could still love you? After all this time, do you really think he still loves you, and that he's waiting for you?"
I stopped. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to see to find out, don't we? Now get out of my way, I have to collect Paige from school."
"Who is Paige? In the Enchanted Forest, I mean. Is she your daughter?"
I smiled softly, thinking of how we used to be in the Enchanted Forest. "You could say that."
With that, I turned and left, not wanting James to continue interrogating me. I understood he was confused and still not over me, but he had to understand that I was not the woman he fell for, and that I was not interested in him. I was, once, but now I'm not.
I looked down at my watch. Time to go pick up Grace from school.
I managed to walk a couple of streets when I stopped, seeing the library under the old town clock open. Raising my eyebrows with curiosity, I stared at it for a second, to then shrug and move away. Probably someone brought the library, since it was one of Rumple's properties.
He literally owned the whole town.
"Artemis." I heard a gasp behind me.
I froze suddenly, one hand going to my mouth to stiffle a gasp. I knew that voice, I missed that voice. I turned so fast my head went dizzy. In front of me, a beautiful brunette stood, looking at me with a mixture of happiness and sadness.
"Belle?"
"Artemis," she repeated, her voice sounding hopeful and full of emotion.
I took a step closer, and she copied me.
In a second, the both of us were embracing each other tightly, and I felt Belle sobbing softly on my shoulder. I blinked, trying not to cry too, but it was nearly impossible. We were good friends, even when it didn't looked like it. For years, we we the only women in Rumple's castle, we were bound to become friend one way or another.
The second they stepped out of Jefferson's hat, Artemis sucked in a breath.
The place they arrived at was breathtaking beautiful. The whole place emanated a sense of peace and freedom. The sky was the bluest blue to ever exist, and the grass was of a green never seen before, with wild animals running around as if nothing ever bothered them, and indeed, nothing ever did, not even the dangerous humans.
For in Dreamland, no one was evil nor twisted. No one knew how that worked out, but that land was the most pure land of all, and nothing bad ever happened there.
"I nearly forgot how beautiful this place was," Artemis said in a breath.
Looking around, she could almost grab a hold of her childhood days, when she had no name and no family, and the only thing for her was the streets.
That beautiful place was dear to her in more than one sense, but it also held things that broke her inside. Like the reminder of the family she never had. The family she will probably never have.
Little Grace was gaping at everything, her wide brown eyes looking at everything with such interest that made Jefferson wish he had showed her the place before; she looked so excited Jefferson instantly got happy.
"It's so beautiful," Grace said.
"It's a dreamy place," Jefferson agreed, a cheeky grin on his face at his pun.
"Yes it is," Artemis smiled, rolling her eyes at Jefferson, but smiling down at the excited girl.
Grace giggled, excitedly looking around. The little girl let go of Jefferson's hand and started to run. Jefferson startled and cried out, telling her to stop running, but the child only giggled again and continued running, occasionally twirling around and jumping into leaves.
Artemis laughed at Jefferson's protective side. They were in a place were nothing bad could happen to any of them, and yet he worried over Grace as if something were to happen. It was endearing and really cute.
Artemis knew many stages of Jefferson, but she had never witnessed his protective side in that way. He seemed to be a whole new person with Grace, he wasn't the annoying bastard Artemis hated, but the charming and nice guy she had took a like to.
But, she could never ask him or expect him to change.
She had feelings for him, for all of him, with his flaws, with his most irritating side, with all who he was. She was in love with all of him, it didn't mattered which side she found more endearing than the other, she liked him completely.
And that was the problem.
It scared her how easily she had admitted how she felt for him, and she didn't wanted to think more of it, but nothing could stop her from thinking about him. He was in her mind every single second, and that scared her more than anything else.
How could she try and get over someone that at wouldn't leave her mind?
"Artemis! Artemis!" Grace called, giggling delightedly. "Play! Play!"
Artemis giggled too, surprising herself for the sound she was making so much lately. Jefferson at her side smiled, as if he noticed the change too, and both of them joined Grace to play.
For once in her life, Artemis felt relaxed and happy.
Real happiness, not the temporary one. After a long pause, she realized that Grace made her happy. Such an innocent and sweet child brought the best out of her, and she realized she loved the little girl for that.
It had been such a long time since she had let herself be herself...she couldn't even remember who that was supposed to be anymore.
...
Jefferson, Grace and Artemis played all day in the long field where they first arrived, and then explored town, Grace in the middle, holding hands with both of them, they made their way through the whole town.
Artemis trying to hide how horrible she was feeling once the memories of her broken dreams as a child, and of how she realized her family never wanted her...
"Its getting late, we should be leaving..." Jefferson sighed, a frown on his face as he saw the sun starting to set.
Grace complained even thought she was so tired she was starting to get grumpy. She clutched herself to Artemis, and the woman quickly took her in arms. Grace hid her face in the crook of Artemis' neck, and Artemis moved from side to side, allowing her to sleep.
Jefferson couldn't help but stare, his lips curling into a smile. "I will never get tired of seeing you two together."
Artemis looked up, lips curling into a genuine smile at that. Her heart fluttered, and a warm feeling spread through her whole body. "And why is that?"
"I like being with you," Jefferson said without any hesitation. "You are different than I thought. I've known you for years now, but only now I seem to realize how amazing you actually are. Just now I seem to notice how much I actually like you. And being with you, it...it makes me happy."
At the revelation, Artemis sucked in a breath.
Her mind screamed at her to run, as she was used to do when things compromised her feelings, and for a second she almost ran.
But she didn't.
Instead, she found herself whispering back something she never thought possible.
"Being with you makes me happy, too."
Her heart raced as she looked into is eyes, who were warm and soft, unlike they've ever been in the past. For a moment she regretted saying it out loud, for she didn't knew how he would react. But then he smiled, the most beautiful and breathtaking smile she had ever seen, and nothing mattered anymore.
"Let's go," he said in a whisper. "I have to take Grace home, and you have to go back to the castle."
Artemis nodded, but before they could even start to walk away, thunder crashed close to them, making them jump and Grace wake up crying, scared.
"Shh, Shh, it's okay, darling," Artemis quickly tried to hush her. "It's just sound, it doesn't do anything."
It started rain in that very moment, and not wanting Grace to get wet and get sick, they started to run towards the closest cabin, where they could wait until the rain subsided to leave Dreamland.
After Jefferson talked with the owner of the cabin, he returned to the room, only to find Grace starting to fall asleep again on Artemis lap. She smiled up at him when she saw him. "And?" she whispered. "It's okay if we stay here?"
Jefferson nodded, and closed the distance between them, taking Grace off Aremis' arms. When the child whimpered, Jefferson kissed her forehead. "Shh, Shh, it's okay baby, it's papa."
As Jefferson took care of Grace and waited for her to fall asleep as he cradled her side to side, Artemis moved towards the fireplace, lifting the fire a little more to keep them warm.
When she finished, she looked back, only to find Jefferson putting Grace on one of the couches, and moving a hand in the air, making a blanket appear. He kissed her forehead before turning, and meeting Artemis' curious eyes.
She had never seen his practicing magic before. She thought he had none, only the magic the hat possessed.
She rose an eyebrow. "I thought you had no magic."
"Everything is possible here," Jefferson reminded her, a gentle smile on his face. "Specialy magic. It's a place where ordinary things become magic."
"It is?" Artemis never knew that.
"Of course. Dreamland is, in fact, a place where dreams and impossible things come true. Didn't you know that?"
She shook her head. "I spent some time here as a girl, but never knew much about it."
"I know it's history, I have to, as a Portal Jumper I'm required to know about the places the hat allows me to visit," Jefferson shrugged.
He thought the woman would feel irritated or bored, as most of his dates did when he talked about history and the land they were at, but she didn't.
"Tell me about it," Artemis took a seat in the floor, not wanting to seat where Grace was and accidentally wake her up.
Surprised, Jefferson sat at her side, sighing contentedly when the fire warmed a bit his damped clothes and body.
"A long time ago, an old wizard felt sad that there wasn't a place on this earth that wasn't corrupted nor full of murder and bad things. One night, he had a revelation. He was powerful enough to create a land so pure and so full of light that no one would ever dare to darken it."
Artemis looked intrigued. Jefferson took a deep breath before continuing.
"Dreamland is made of actual dreams, but not just nice ones," he started, sparking Artemis' curiosity. "Its more of broken dreams, of things people never fought for...of hopes people lost in the way in life. That's why it's a place where anything is possible, because anything is possible in dreams. It's the beauty of this place. Everything beautiful, everything nice was actually somebody's ideal dream, but got lost in the way of life, and was never fulfilled."
"Broken dreams?" Artemis whispered, her childhood flashing on her mind. "Lost hope?"
"Its incredible how a place as beautiful as this one is made on such sad things, huh?" Jefferson paused, and looked at her, only realizing how well that could apply to her. "But the most beautiful things in the world are made of broken pieces."
"Everything is a broken dream? All we did today, it was somebody else's dream?" Artemis seemed shocked.
"It sounds terrible, but yes. The day we had today, the beautiful and fun day we had...was someone's dream once, but got washed away until it become a lost dream, something that the person thought couldn't happen."
Artemis then felt as if her heart had been stripped from her and squeezed until it was only ashes. When she was little, she only wanted her family, she only wanted to have a family, to be part of one, to feel loved.
But after realizing her family never loved her, never wanted her as she never knew them, her hopes died, and her dream shattered.
And that day, with Jefferson and Grace, Artemis felt good. She felt as if she was part of their little family. That day, she felt loved, she felt whole...
The dream she once lost and considered broken, now happened to her in Dreamland.
The realisation of it was overwhelming, and the young woman felt tears forming on her eyes. Startled, she gasped. She hadn't actually cried in what seemed to be years.
She had cried of pain, and of anger, but not of sadness. Not in years. She tried to always hide her emotions and push them down, but this was too strong for her to swallow down.
"What is wrong?" Jefferson seemed alarmed, and he quickly moved as if to hold her, but stopped himself when he remembered she hated unwanted physical contact. "Did I say something wrong? Are you hurt, goddess?"
Artemis sniffled, and shook her head, raising one hand in his direction as she whipped away her tears with her other hand, but they kept on falling. "It's okay, I just...remembered something."
"Are you sure you are okay?" his eyes were full of concern, and for a moment Artemis wondered if his actions that day had to do with the fact that she dreamed of love once, but it was a broken dream now...
But no, before that day he had been sweet and caring towards her too, and that had nothing to do with the fact that they were in Dreamland.
"I am, just...don't mind me," Artemis rolled her eyes, trying to chuckle. "It's nothing."
Jefferson wasn't so sure, but he simply nodded, knowing that if she wanted to talk about it, she would have. Instead, he smiled, and took her hand, briefly leaving a kiss on her palm.
"Thank you for this lovely evening, goddess," he said, eyes shinning.
"It was my pleasure, hatter," she said, bowing slightly in her seat.
They stared at each other. They were so close already, so so close...the moment was the right one. The fireplace warmed their bodies, the moonlight entering from the window casted a shadow over them...it seemed like the perfect moment.
Slowly, agonising slowly, he started to lean in towards her, his eyes eying her parted lips. She leaned forwards too until their breath were mixing and she could feel him against her. He joined their foreheads together, both of their eyes closed, mouths etching towards the other...
But they didn't kissed.
At the last moment, Artemis chickened out, and separated abruptly from him.
Her heart was racing wildly, her mind was fogged with the intoxicating smell of Jefferson, and she was so overwhelmed by the urge to kiss him that she had to close her eyes for a moment to recover herself.
It was an indescribable feeling, something just...too powerful.
She craved to kiss him. She craved him, but not in the way she craved everyone else, no, it went beyond lust, it was...something new.
Something agonisingly new.
Her chest tightened, and it was as if her chest, or rather her heart, craved him.
And it scared her more than anything else in the world.
"I apologize," Jefferson's voice startled Artemis. "I thought...I...well I just..." he hesitated, not knowing how to say it. "I just thought you might feel the same way towards me."
Artemis closed her eyes. "Please, don't."
Jefferson felt as if his heart had been squeezed. For a second he wondered if he made an error by telling her how he felt for her, but the way she had closed her eyes, and how she looked so in pain...something was wrong, and it wasn't just his feelings, or hers.
"Don't what?" he kept his voice gentle and soft.
"Don't say you're...that you're..." she couldn't say it. "Just don't. Don't make this more hard for me."
"I'm not lying, Artemis." gently, he took her hand in his, and she didn't had the heart to move it away from his grasp.
Artemis looked at him, a broken expression on her face. For maybe the first time in his life, he could read Artemis perfectly, almost like an open book. And what he saw surprised him.
"Why are you so scared?" Jefferson asked in a breath. "Why won't you believe me?"
"Because all my life," Artemis started, her voice rising. "All my life, I've never met anyone that wanted me. No one," her voice broke pathetically, but she didn't cared. "No one has ever wanted me."
"But I do," Jefferson said sincerely. "I do want you. I do like you."
"Why?" Artemis looked at him, eyes full of tears that started to drop. She slapped them away angrily, hating her moment of sincerity and her moment of weakness. "Why do you like me? What do you see in me that could be enough to make you forget all the bad things I have done."
"Because I truly believe you are good at heart," Jefferson said. "You are more than you believe you are. I see a broken girl with a big heart, and a girl that cares too much, but tries to disguise it as evilness. Maybe you are evil at heart, maybe you're not. I don't care about that, Artemis. I care about you."
He paused, but continued before she could open her mouth to blow him off again.
"What do I see in you, you ask me. I have to say: everything. I like everything about you. I like the way you twirl your hair when you're nervous, and the way you smile when you're genuinely happy." despite herself, she couldn't help but smile, making a dumb smile appear on his lips.
"And I absolutely love the way your eyes light up when you smile," he said breathlessly. "I like the way you're passionate about what you love; the way you stand for what you believe and never back down from anything."
He paused, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "I also love how you care for my daughter."
Artemis smiled again, looking up to the sleeping child in the couch. Tears ran now freely down her cheeks, but she didn't cared.
"I love the way you make me feel; the way you make me nervous, and amused, and extremely happy. Because being with you, even in the worst situations, makes me happy. You make me want to believe in love again; you make me want to start over again. You make me forget everything bad that's happened to me, and I love that."
He paused, biting his lips. "I love the way you hold yourself." he paused again, taking a deep breath. "I like everything about you, Artemis. And to be honest, that scares me. It scares me because I can't never tell what you're feeling, and I want to. I just wish I could be with you—"
She looked breathless, and overwhelmed.
"I am in love with you, Artemis," he said, making her gasp softly. "I'm not sure exactly when I fell for you; all I know is that once it started, there was no stopping it."
She regained herself.
"I don't know what love is," she admitted, her voice breaking again. "But I do know that I have strong feelings for you, and I can't continue hiding from them. I like being with you, and for the first time in my life, I just feel...happy, and that only happens when I'm with you, and—" she swallowed. "I'm scared."
Jefferson kissed her hand softly, eyes not leaving hers.
"I'm scared," she repeated. "I don't want to get more hurt than I'm already are. I...my feelings for you are too strong."
"I will never hurt you," Jefferson promised, his voice gentle and soft as he caressed her cheek. "If you let me, I can show you what love is, and I can make you happy. If you let me, Artemis, I will cherish you, and treat you with all the respect you deserve."
Artemis closed her eyes, drowning in her feelings and the overwhelming desire to be happy.
Vaguely, she remembered that Dreamland was somewhere where anything was possible, and dreams came true; broken dreams could become dreams again.
And in that moment, her dream of love started to look more possible than she ever thought possible.
In that moment, she forced herself to abandon her fear, and open up her heart, just for Jefferson.
It could be a mistake, it could have great consequences, but in that moment, Jefferson seemed worth any pain that could come.
"I would really like that," she admitted in a whisper.
She didn't knew what would happen in the days to come, or if she would regret her choice the next day, but all she knew, was that she couldn't hide from her feelings anymore. It wasn't going to be easy, but she could try.
Instead of kissing her, like Artemis thought he would do since she agreed to be with him, more or less, he took her hand, squeezing it and intertwining their fingers together.
At the gesture that simbolized that he wasnt lying or simply wanting to get into her pants, but actually wanting all of her, both emotionally and physically, Artemis smiled gently. She leaned forwards, and kissed his cheek longingly. "Thank you for understanding."
He simply smiled, his eyes holding so many beautiful emotions that Artemis felt drawn to them. "Anything for you, my goddess."
Belle was back—my friend was back.
But when us my best friend coming back? My lover, my hatter. When will I see him again?