Morning dawned and the sound of the chiming clock tower was mere background noise to Jefferson's ears. He dressed himself in his usual fashion and gave one last adjustment to the scarf around his neck before leaving his home.
Jefferson's hands were stuffed in his coat pockets as he navigated his way through the town, purposefully heading towards the hospital. The plan for his day was plotted-out in his mind like a map made by a master cartographer and he planned to follow its route exactly. He arrived in the hospital's parking lot just before Leroy attempted his circus act of carrying 12 cups of coffee. Jefferson casually strolled up to the man's car, approaching him from behind, as Leroy was reaching for the cup-holders.
"Here," Jefferson offered, "Let me help you with those."
The bearded man with the unfailingly testy disposition straightened from leaning over his car seat and turned around. With a scowl, he gave Jefferson a quick once-over before taking full advantage of his offer.
"Sure thing, pretty boy."
Jefferson raised his eyebrows at the nickname as Leroy placed a cup-holder in both of his hands, a total of 8 cups of coffee. Jefferson laughed his disbelief as he stared down at his burden.
"Can't the hospital afford a coffee machine?"
Leroy humphed and then slammed his car door shut as he carried the remaining cup-holder.
"The hospital can afford a lot of things," he grumbled, "Like giving the janitor a raise, but that doesn't mean they shell-out the money."
Jefferson smirked as he walked beside him through the parking lot, headed for the hospital's entrance.
"They should show a little more appreciation," Jefferson commented, "After all, you could have easily spit in their cups if you wanted to."
Leroy barked-out a laugh and moved forward to hold open the door. He gave Jefferson a sly look as he walked passed him into the hospital.
"Now why didn't I think of that?" he joked as they approached the nurses station.
Upon seeing them, the nurses swarmed around the two coffee bringers like a swarm of bees, coddling them with compliments and affectionate shoulder pats. One of the nurses even pressed a kiss to Leroy's large forehead as she helped herself to one of the cups. Jefferson smiled in amusement as the man with the perpetual scowl actually blushed. Leroy humbly waved the nurses away as if the coffee-run had been no trouble. When the two of them were left empty handed, Leroy turned to Jefferson and stuck-out his hand.
"Thanks, pretty boy."
Jefferson rolled his eyes as he shook his hand and plainly stated, "My name's Jefferson."
"I'm Leroy," he introduced himself before throwing a thumb towards the coffee-drinking nurses, "Half of those cups would probably be on the floor if it wasn't for you."
All of them, actually. Jefferson gave the man a small smile.
"Glad I could help," he replied before taking a step backwards towards the exit, "Looks like you were finally shown some appreciation."
Jefferson looked pointedly at the red lipstick on Leroy's forehead. The bearded man scowled and furrowed his brow as he rubbed his hand across it. When he saw the red on his fingertips his face turned equally as red. Jefferson snorted-out a laugh, and then spun on his heel for the exit. He left the hospital with the intent of going back home. His hands were no longer burdened with coffee and he had a book to retrieve.
As soon as the kids were released for recess, Jefferson was there. He sat on a bench across the street, thumbing through his criminal law book as he waited to be useful. He could time the moment exactly—he didn't even need to glance up from his book. At that very moment, the little boy was way-up a tree, and just about to reach above his head to grab a flimsy limb. Jefferson placed his book down on the bench and darted across the street. With a crack, the limb broke under the boys weight and he fell right into Jefferson's out-stretched arms. Jefferson huffed-out a laugh, surprised by the boy's weight as he fell heavy against him. It had been so long since he'd held a child that the emptiness left behind made him forget how it felt. The little boy looked up at him with wide eyes as he bashfully bit down on his lip. Jefferson sat him down on his feet as a crowd of students began to surround him.
"Are you alright?" he asked the little boy.
The boy nodded as he stared down at his feet, and then, he ran off.
"Jacob!" a gray-haired teacher scolded him as he disappeared into a crowd, "Jacob, come back here!"
The teacher gave a hopeless sigh before looking up at Jefferson with a thankful smile.
"That's the second time he's pulled this," she informed him, "Last time, he spent two days in the hospital!"
Jefferson opened his mouth to respond but was cut-off by another.
"You saved him!" Henry cheered, which set-off a chain reaction of cheers and swarming children.
"I saw you sitting on the bench," a familiar voice began, and for just a moment, Jefferson's world stopped. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and he swallowed as he met his daughters gaze. "You can run really fast!" she marveled with a smile that was just for him.
Jefferson's eyes sparkled with a combination of wetness and joy. He momentarily forgot to breath, but he quickly covered it with a laugh.
"I've had a lot of practice," he admitted as he grinned at his daughter, "From playing lots of hide-n-seek."
Grace's brown eyes brightened.
"I'm a good seeker!" she told him.
Jefferson's smile turned sad at the memory and he swallowed. You must be part bloodhound, my dear Grace.
"I bet there's none better." he replied with a proud smile as a bell, signaling the end of recess, tolled.
Grace smiled up at him with a grin, so big, that Jefferson thought he could use it to fill up the emptiness left in her absence. He stood and watched as she ran off with the rest of the children until not a child was left in sight. Jefferson took-in a deep breath like he had been holding it the entire time and he wiped a thumb across his eye.
"The book!" he had to remind himself before he completely forgot its purpose.
Jefferson walked across the street and picked it up from the bench. He held the book in his hand as he spared one last glance to the spot where he had spoken to his daughter. With a sigh, Jefferson walked off down the street, headed for the diner.
Emma's usual stool was empty as Jefferson walked up to the bar, but he knew it was only because she wasn't due to come in yet. He took the stool beside hers and placed his book on the counter as Ruby approached him.
"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked with a flirtatious grin, "Something hot?"
Jefferson bit back a laugh as he smiled at the waitress.
"Tea," he replied with a nod, "Thank you."
"Coming right up." Ruby smiled before turning away.
Jefferson opened the book to the page where he had left off, and then he started reading. He kept himself deeply engrossed in the book even as Ruby brought him his tea. He didn't even bother to glance up until Emma walked to the bar beside him. Jefferson smiled at her politely as she hesitated to sit down.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked as she gestured to her usual stool.
"Not at all." he replied as he examined her, "Hey, you're the sheriff, aren't you?"
Emma sighed, reluctantly, at the question and forced a smile.
"Yeah," she replied as she sat down next him, "But it's Emma."
"I'm Jefferson." he smiled as he offered her his hand.
Emma shook his hand, and then shot a glance at his book.
"Hey, Emma." Ruby greeted, distracting her, "What can I get for you?"
Jefferson went back to reading his book as the waitress took Emma's order. He paid them no attention as he flipped through it's pages, getting lost in the words once more.
"You remind me of my kid." Emma commented casually and Jefferson raised his head to meet her gaze. Emma pointed a finger at his book. "Henry always reads his storybook in here."
Jefferson smiled.
"A storybook?" he gave a little laugh, "That sounds a lot more entertaining than this."
"Really?" Emma questioned with a curious smile, "You sure seem interested in it, to me."
Jefferson shrugged.
"I'm more like your son, actually," he confessed, "I prefer fiction to books on criminal law, any day."
"Oh, are you studying?"
Jefferson shook his head as he looked at her.
"No. Honestly," he gave a sigh and smiled sheepishly, "I've been following Mary Margaret's case—I think we all have," he said as he gestured around the room, "Small town. Big case. So, I've been doing some research on conspiratorial crime. I think she's innocent."
Ruby placed Emma's plate of food in front of her, temporarily distracting her from their conversation. Emma gave her thanks and the waitress walked away before she turned her attention back to Jefferson. He had gone back to reading his book, not wanting to interrupt her meal. Of course, he could feel Emma's eyes on him as he stared down at his book, and it was precisely what he was hoping for. Emma leaned closer as she curiously glanced over his shoulder.
"'False Evidence and False Testimony'," Emma read the subtitle from the page while he was looking at it.
A corner of Jefferson's mouth curved-up into a smirk before he glanced at her.
"Do you read over your sons shoulder, too?"
Emma flashed a white smile.
"Only if he's forcing me," she admitted, "Henry's always trying to convert me to...fairytale-ism. But I'm more interested in this, actually." she tapped a finger to his book, "Something real."
Jefferson frowned at her last two words and glanced down at the opened page, trying to hide his grimace. There was no use discussing "what's real" and "what's not real" with a skeptic. Jefferson closed the book and pushed it across the bar towards her.
"Keep it," he said with a smile, "It'll probably be more useful to you anyway."
"Oh no, I couldn't. You don't have—"
"I insist." he said as he stared into her hazel-green eyes with conviction, and that silenced her.
Emma gave him a small smile before she glanced down at the book, running her finger tips over the cover.
"Thank you." she replied.
Jefferson nodded and took a long drink from his cup, emptying it. Emma watched him with curious eyes and a protest on her lips as he stood to his feet.
"You're leaving?"
Jefferson smirked as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled-out a few dollars to set on the bar.
"I finished my tea," he reasoned as he meet her gaze, "It was nice meeting you Emma. I hope you find the book to be helpful."
"Thanks," she smiled, "It was nice meeting you too, Jefferson."
Emma turned back to her plate and he stared at her for a moment, caught-off-guard by the sound of his name from her lips. There was a sincerity to it that had never been there before. Mostly, Emma had always spoken his name with annoyance or shock, but not this time. Jefferson sighed contentedly as he turned to leave, but a thought halted him.
"Oh, and Emma," he began, catching her attention, "If you ever need help or want to brainstorm over crime and due process—look me up. "
Emma flashed a white smile and promised, "I will."
Jefferson nodded his goodbyes, and then left the diner. He planned to hold Emma to her word, but in the meantime, he went home. Jefferson unrolled his map on top of the piano as he studied the layout of Storybrooke, glancing over the marks he had mapped-out with his own hands. He took special note of the distances between notable landmarks and he converted them into minutes in his head. He decided that the timeline between Mary Margaret hitting her head and Emma searching for her was dangerously close, but he was resolved to try and unite them.
Once night had fallen and the cold, humid air allowed a fog to sweep across the town, Jefferson set out to take a familiar stroll down a dark, winding road. It was like déjà vu when he turned to see the headlights and knew that the little yellow bug was headed straight for him. He tumbled off the side of the road as the car swerved out of the way—a near miss. The sound of the car screeching to a halt echoed through the quiet woods.
"I'm so sorry!" Emma gasped as she raced towards him, and then faltered, "Jefferson—"
He huffed-out a laugh of disbelief as walked up the steep slope towards her.
"Emma." he greeted.
"Are you okay?" she asked as she took his arm, "I didn't see you."
"I'm fine," he assured her with a smile as he stood on level ground, "I'm not used to sharing the road with cars so late. What brings you out here in the middle of the night?"
Emma blinked at the question.
"Uh, nothing to worry about," she fumbled, "I'm just...looking for a lost dog."
Jefferson examined her with an incredulous look.
"Funny," he said with a tilt of his head, "You don't strike me as dog person."
Emma gave a nervous laugh and her eyes darted towards the forest, seeking-out something through the darkness of the trees. Her expression fell, and Jefferson noticed.
"Emma," he started as he stepped towards her, "I meant what I said back in the diner—about you ever needing help..."
Emma swallowed and stared up at him as a silent war went on in her head. With a sigh, she averted her eyes to the ground, and confessed, "It's Mary Margaret."
Jefferson furrowed his brow and placed his hands on Emma's shoulders, willing her to look at him.
"What about her?"
Emma took-in a deep breath as she met his gaze.
"She escaped! Her arraignment's tomorrow and if she's not there—"
"She's a fugitive." Jefferson finished as he dropped his hands from her shoulders, and then marched towards her car, "Come on, let's go!"
"Where?" Emma gasped as she rounded her car to the drivers side and got behind the wheel.
"When did she escape?" he asked as he sat in the passenger seat beside her.
Emma shrugged as she started the car and drove froward.
"About an hour ago, maybe."
"Good," Jefferson said, "That means she hasn't made it from the Sheriff's Department across this road yet."
Emma shot him a disbelieving look and he noticed it. Jefferson gave a humble smile.
"I'm a bit of an amateur cartographer," he explained himself, "Mapping the area is a hobby."
Emma nodded her head, finding no falsity in his words that she could argue as she drove down the dark, foggy road.
"Just a little further up ahead," he told her, "More than likely, she'll have stayed on a straight path. The Sheriff's Department is about 3 miles across the forest from this point. Pull over to your left."
Emma listened to him, having no better hunches to go on. They abandoned the car at the side of the road and started their trek through the dark forest.
"This is impossible," Emma uttered her doubt, "There's too much ground to cover and there's no telling which direction she went in!"
Jefferson stayed silent as he moved forward, making sure to keep a safe distance from the invisible border that laid unmarked in the forest.
"MARY MARGARET!" Emma started shouting her name. "MARY MAR—"
"SHHHHH!" Jefferson silenced her as the trickling sound of a running stream alerted his ears to their nearness.
Suddenly, a twig snapped somewhere up ahead and Jefferson ran towards it. Mary Margaret dashed-out from behind a tree, headed straight for the slippery rocks that would send her across the border and unconscious on the ground. Jefferson leaped over the narrow stream and lunged forward to catch her in his arms.
"No!" she cried as she fought against his grasp.
"It's okay," he tried to sooth her, "We're here to help you!"
With a sob, the escapee stilled in his arms and her head fell against his chest, exhausted from running.
"Mary Margaret!" Emma said breathlessly as she sprinted to their side. The woman broke free from Jefferson's hold to embrace her friend.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed into Emma's shoulder, "I found a key in my cell and I told myself it was the only way I could get out of this mess."
Emma glanced at Jefferson from over the top of the brunette's head.
"Someone slipped her a key."
Jefferson gave a heavy sigh.
"Sounds like a setup."
Emma nodded in agreement. Together, the three of them navigated their way to the car, and Jefferson insisted on seeing them back to the Sheriff's Department. He helped Mary Margaret out of the passenger seat as they reached their destination, and she thanked him. Jefferson gave her a sympathetic smile before Emma led her back inside, having no choice but to return her to her prison cell. He watched them disappear through the doors as he gave a sigh of relief, and then, without another thought, he shoved his hands inside his coat pockets and turned away.
"Wait!" Emma called-out and Jefferson glanced over his shoulder to see her exiting the station.
She threw a thumb behind herself, "Mr. Gold needed a moment to speak alone with Mary Margaret."
"Oh." Jefferson smiled politely as he turned to face her.
Emma stepped towards him a little awkwardly before taking in a deep breath.
"Thank you," she said as she stared-up into his eyes, "I don't know what I would have done without your help."
Jefferson gave a laugh and shrugged it off.
"It's nothing," he said with a smile, "I'm glad we found her."
Emma stared up at him for a moment longer before she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Jefferson laughed and patted her back before Emma pulled away.
"Really, really, thank you." she exclaimed with earnest eyes.
Jefferson nodded as the corners of his mouth curved-up in amusement.
"You're welcome," he said before taking a step backwards, "Good night, Emma."
"Hey!" she called after him, "Let me drive you."
Jefferson paused and glanced up towards the night sky, noticing that the fog had started to clear. He gave a sigh before meeting her expectant gaze.
"Thank you, but no." he declined with a shake of his head, "I'm in the mood for a walk, anyway. Besides," he said as he glanced up, spotting a few stars in the sky, "It's shaping-up to be a good night for it."
Emma smiled and nodded her acceptance before waving goodbye. Jefferson walked-off down the street, feeling a kind of peace that he hadn't felt for an immeasurable amount of time. Of all he had accomplished that day, none of it filled him with a sense of success quite like talking to his daughter had. He smiled to himself as he remembered her bright grin and it gave him hope. Jefferson walked home with the piece of mind that the day had wrapped-up perfectly, like a strategically placed scarf around his neck.