*For the sake of this story, Victor and Jefferson haven't met, so Regina turned evil some other way. And sorry this took a while, I've been feeling crappy. But enjoy!*

The walk to Jefferson's took a while as it was in the middle of the forest. Along the way, Ruby explained that ever since Jefferson had been widowed, leaving just him an d his daughter, Granny had liked her to take a basket of food to them every few weeks. Ruby talked a lot and said that she was closer to Grace, Jefferson's daughter, than she was to Jefferson himself. This Jefferson character was sounding like a bit of an enigma to Victor and he was quite unsure of what to expect of him.
By the time they reached the cottage, it was starting to get dark out. The cottage was one of the many out in the forest. The only thing that made it stand out from the rest was that it was surrounded by mushrooms. Ruby didn't hesitate knocking the door, clearly Jefferson was less scary than the Count.
A young girl dressed in her pyjamas opened the door. "Ruby?" She asked. "We have enough food."
"I'm sure you do, Grace, but I'm actually here to see your father."
"Oh." Grace had a fleeting look of disappointment, but went inside to get Jefferson. He arrived in an instant.
"Ruby!" He exclaimed with a big grin. Victor felt an irrational pang of jealousy, but quickly shook it off.
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
"We need a favour."
Jefferson looked over to Victor as if he had only just noticed he was there. "Ah, you brought a friend, how nice." His voice was dripping with sarcasm and Victor could barely hide his smirk.
"We need your hat." Ruby stated. Jefferson started to protest, but she interrupted. "It's for started the Count. He needs some things from Victor's Land."
"Fine, but it can't take long, I don't like leaving Grace with the neighbours for long."
"Deal." She agreed.
Jefferson went into his cottage and came back with a large box.
"We'll take this out to the woods, go to this Land and come straight back."
Ruby and Victor both nodded and followed Jefferson into the woods.
Neither Ruby or the Count had explained exactly how they would get to his Land. He had gotten to the Enchanted Forest via a mirror portal that the King used, but he figured this would be a little different.
The three of them stopped after a little while and Jefferson placed his box on the ground. He opened if and pulled out an old looking hat.
"Three go through the hat, three come out the hat. Hats rules, not mine." Jefferson explained, sounding bored. He threw the hat on the ground, spinning it as he did. He put his arm in front of Ruby and Victor. "Step back." He said and all three of them did so.
The hat span as if it was out of control and a large purple looking hole was created. Throughout this, Ruby grabbed onto Victor's arm and he was preoccupied by that than the swirling vortex of terror.
"On the count of three, jump into the hat." Jefferson shouted to be heard over the hat. He counted to three and all of them jumped for what seems like ages. The feeling that they were falling was a strange one, but they landed soon enough, into a room full of doors.
Victor stared at the doors. "These are all other Lands?" He questioned.
"Yes." Jefferson walked up to a grey door. "And this one is yours."
He opened the door and went straight through. Victor looked at Ruby and shrugged.
"Come on then, let's go see your world." She said, taking him by the hand, leading him through.
Even though she had been wearing her infamous red as soon as she stepped into Victor's Land, her clothes turned to grey. She looked down at herself. "Huh. You weren't kidding about the no colour thing." She remarked. Victor just raised his eyebrows in response.
Jefferson wasn't far in front of them, also all in grey now.
"Which way to your house?" He asked Victor.
Victor pointed at the large house not too far ahead. "That way."
They reached his home in no time. Ruby gasped at the sight of it.
"Victor, you never said you were rich." She teased.
"My father was a proud man." Was all he could reply.
Being at this house brought back painful reminders of his past. He didn't want to stay here long and by the looks of it, neither did Ruby or Jefferson.
"Let's get on with it then. I have a daughter to get home to." Jefferson said, confirming Victor's thoughts.
He pushed past him to the door and led the two of them through. He headed to the, for lack of a better word, laboratory to collect what it was the Count needed. When they got there, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ruby looking concerned.
"Victor, what exactly do you do?"
He sighed in response. "This Land is a magical Land, that's why we could get here in the hat. But magic in this Land is different from yours. We have to rely more on science. And that's what I do." He absentmindedly walked over to a table and placed his hand on it. "My brother, he was my best friend. So when he died, I tried to bring him back and all I ended up doing was creating a monster."
Ruby startled him by throwing her arms around him. "Oh Victor, I'm so sorry."
He awkwardly patted her back in response as he was too surprised to say anything. After hearing hearing this she still accepted him as her friend. But then, she was considered a monster too. Maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.
A cough startled them both, making them jump and causing Ruby to let go of him. "Can we get on with this?" Jefferson asked.
Victor nodded and gathered all the potions off the list and put them into a bag.
"That's everything." He said.
"Let's go then." Jefferson replied.
Victor said goodbye to his house. He wasn't sure he wanted to go back there after today.
The trip back through the hat was much less exciting and they were back to there normal colourful selves in the Enchanted Forest in no time.
"It's getting late, Grace will want to be going to bed. I will get the potions to the Count first thing in the morning." Victor handed him the bag and he went on his way, leaving Victor and Ruby alone.
"I think I prefer my Land to yours." Ruby stated.
"I think I do too." Victor admitted.
She looked up at the dark sky. "Jefferson was right, it is getting late. Granny will be in bed, but she won't mind you staying. In separate rooms of course." She said, causing them both to blush.
She took his hand and guided him towards her home. It was going to be an interesting two weeks.