I have someone to see.
I'm sure you already know who.
I thought you could use some time with Grace to yourself.
There is money in the top drawer of the dresser.
I'll be back later.
I love you.
-Jefferson

Jefferson left the house early the next morning with a note left on his pillow for Alice to find.

It was just past the break of dawn as he walked through the town, so he was shocked to find that the streets were shockingly packed. Even stranger, it appeared that everyone was heading in the same direction of the woods.

It wasn't his original plan, but curiosity got the best of him.

Jefferson lingered at the back of the crowd in a nearly hidden position so that he could observe without disruption. There had to have been over fifty people crammed into the small opening of the forest, with four key figures present at the top of the hill.

Princess Snow and Prince James stood front and center, with Emma and Henry not far behind them sitting together on the chopped trunk of a tree. Jefferson smirked as he realized this was exactly where he needed to be – in a group of people who wanted Regina to suffer just as much as he did.

"Regina must be taken down!" Geppetto yelled out as he looked over at August – who had been saved when the curse dissolved – with a frail smile.

Granny nodded, "She took everything from us!"

James took a step forward and silenced everyone with a simple gesture of his hand, "We understand your anger. The Queen put us through 28 years of misery. It will require planning and a careful hand to take her down now that her magic has returned – even if she is alone now."

"How do you know she has it back?" Red called from the front of the crowd.

"Her home is protected," Snow announced as she clasped onto James' hand. "Her magic is fresh and strong. It's impenetrable right now without making sure our forces are their strongest." She turned her eyes back towards Emma and a smile plucked at the corner of her lips. "She took our love. She will feel our pain."

Henry smiled up at Emma from underneath the arm slung around his shoulder – she looked proud and overwhelmed at the same time. It was understandable. She had discovered magic, gained her son back and discovered that she really was the daughter of fairytale royalty.

It was a lot to handle.

Emma looked down at Henry and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before looking back at James and Snow with a nod, "We'll get her."

The gathering didn't last long before everyone broke apart to take to their daily responsibilities – something that Prince James insisted on. With everything that was falling apart and coming together, the people of Storybrooke needed to maintain some sense of normalcy otherwise things would be bound to go into chaos.

Jefferson leapt out of the woods just moments before everyone else did. He needed to see what was keeping Regina from the close to rioting townspeople.

"You must think I look pretty silly," Alice commented with a slightly flustered sigh.

Grace giggled with a shake of her head, "Of course not. You know all of these things; you just have to get… uh…"

"Introduced to them?" Alice offered as she rubbed at her temples, trying to dispel a small headache.

"Exactly," Grace nodded.

Mother and daughter spent the next hour going over every device in the house that Alice didn't know quite how to work. It seemed that the existence and knowledge of all of the things – electricity to simple household devices – were in her mind, she just never had to opportunity to encounter them.

Thankfully Grace was a brilliant teacher and Alice was quick to catch on.

Had she been deprived of all current knowledge, she would have been curled into a fetal position in tears. It didn't take long before all things present flowed through her head and she was on the same level as everyone else – it was quite like magic the way it hit her all at once.

"Mommy?" Grace came bounding down the stairs after changing out of her pajamas and into a clean pair of clothes.

Alice tilted her head up from where she was sitting patiently on the couch. She and Grace had made the decision to roam through Storybrooke for the day with several destinations in mind thanks to the money stashed in her pockets – the most important place being a clothing store, since Alice was still confined to the smallest of Jefferson's items. A pair of jeans cinched tightly with a belt and a long sleeved shirt tied at the waist was not the most flattering things she would ever wear, "Yes, darling?"

"Papa always used to help with my hair, but," Grace stuttered a bit as she bridged the distance between them. "I used to wonder if it would be different if I had a Mother to do it."

"I would be honored," Alice beamed to settle Grace's nerves as she motioned for her to take a seat next to her on the couch. "Don't ever feel nervous to ask me for anything." Alice shifted slightly so that she was directly behind Grace and let out a shaking laugh as she ran her fingers through her daughters hair after taking a handful of pins to place in her lap. "Let me guess. The way Papa did your hair was running a comb through it. It always hung long and wavy, with no more than a single simple braid."

Grace gasped, "How did you know?"

"It was the way he did my hair when I was sick and I couldn't do it on my own," Alice said with a small chuckle as she wove her fingers in a delicate pattern. "He's a brilliant man, but hair never was his strong suit. He stuck with what he knew."

It was actually quite sweet that Jefferson held onto small things like that when it came to raising Grace.

"Everything is confusing," Grace whispered.

Alice tilted her head slightly, "The memories?"

"Yes," Grace answered in a small voice. "As I dreamt, there were so many things that came and faded away. I have everything from before with Papa and the one from when you saved us." She stopped for a moment. "It's the time in Storybrooke that is fuzzy. I remember everything over the past couple of months, but the rest was like a distant dream."

"You're young," Alice said in response. "It's not strange that things would be different in your head. You'll retain what's important, I'm sure."

"I'm okay with not having it..."

"So why do you sound so sad, dear?"

Grace blushed as she answered, "I hoped I would remember other things from when I was a baby. We thought you were… you were dead. I never had any memories of you like I did with Papa."

"Oh," Alice breathed out with a small frown. "How about I tell you some stories while we're out today making new memories?"

"Really?"

"Really," Alice smiled. "And… there." She slid one final pin into Grace's hair before pulling her hands back and getting to her feet. "Go see how that looks."

Grace jumped up and went to a low hanging mirror in the adjoining hallway, "Wow." A soft Grecian braid went around her head like a band, with a few stray pieces hanging out to frame Grace's forehead and cheeks. It was nothing like she had ever had. "I love it!"

Alice tied her own hair back in a low bun as she pulled on a black scarf and helped Grace into a soft blue sweater, "Now, let's go see if we can make me look half as pretty as you do."

Jefferson lingered outside Regina's house for a while, just staring and fuming.

A presence circled overhead, and he could feel the darkness radiating off of it is waves.

"Regina!" He bellowed out from as close as he could get to the house. "I know you can hear me!"

"Of course she can," A low, gruff voice responded. "Sister can hear every word we say. She's just being a coward!"

Jefferson looked down at the shorter man who moved away from the dwindling group of others who were watching the house in anger, "You are?"

"The name's Grumpy," The dwarf responded as he rubbed at his beard. "She's locked herself away. I had to see it for myself." He motioned to the group behind him. "They did, too."

"Yeah, well," Jefferson turned his eyes back to the house. "She won't be able to keep these enchantments up forever." He raised his voice again. "Magic has a price!"

"She did a number on you, huh?" Grumpy asked with a snort.

"We've been acquainted for a long time," Jefferson answered as his face flushed in anger. "She kept my wife and daughter from me. She deserves to suffer." At that moment, Jefferson caught sight of a curtain in one of the lower windows shift. "I know you're there! Show yourself, Regina!"

Grumpy shook his head and moved back towards the others with a final mutter of, "Good luck."

Regina never showed.

Instead, a sharp pulse of energy pushed through from her house to send everyone flying back over the hedges and into the street.

Jefferson ground his teeth together as he got to his feet with a wince.

This was war.

I took Grace out shopping and to explore the town.
I'd like clothing of my own, along with other necessities.
Thank you for the money, it certainly makes things easier.
Grace said there is a good diner in town. I'll bring you back supper.
I love you.
-Alice

Jefferson found the not long after he returned home and had been biding his time in the hours since. He contemplated going to town to seek them, but finally decided against it. He missed his daughter like he would miss air. However, he had years with Grace that Alice had only been able to dream about.

He owed her that much to keep his distance for the day.

It was shortly after sunset that Jefferson found himself lying on his back on the couch with his legs draped over the armrest and a week old copy of The Daily Mirror held up to skim through. About halfway through the paper, the front door clicked open and laughter filled the house.

It was a sound that caused Jefferson's heart to beat a little faster.

"Papa!" Grace yelled out merely a second before diving onto Jefferson's lap.

He let out an oomph as he propped himself up on his elbows, "Did you have a good outing with Mom, my dear Grace?"

The child gave an eager nod, "Oh, yes! We brought you dinner and bought lots of new things! She let me help pick out a few dresses for her."

"I'm sure they look wonderful," Jefferson smiled as he turned to look around. "Where is she?"

Grace shrugged, "She was right behind me. Maybe she went to the kitchen?" She climbed off of Jefferson's lap and raced out of the room and out of sight. It wasn't until she was no longer visible that she let out a scream. "Mommy!"

Jefferson was on his feet in a flash, racing towards the sound of Grace's voice – which did lead him to the kitchen, "No."

Alice was flat against the linoleum floor, her eyes rolled back and blood trickling down from one of her nostrils. A container from Granny's diner lay spilt out beside her waist.

Jefferson's heart dropped.

He just got her back. He couldn't lose her again.