She had dislocated his nose.
The only thing Jefferson could think about was the screaming agony that his face was currently in thanks to Alice's colossal brow. That wasn't even her name, why was he calling her that? He could call her Em if he wanted to. Since those first two letters were the only ones that he knew.
Even calling her that seemed to humanize her and what she did. He was just going to call her 'the woman' or 'it'. That was far more fitting.
The little thieves had stolen his hat. He'd been nice! He played their little game and he tolerated their silent treatment and whispering and he offered to pay for food and rooms and just because he betrayed them one time…which was something that they already knew he was capable of, they stole his favorite possession and assaulted him and ran off.
That hat had been his father's. That's what really bothered Jefferson. It was the only thing he had of his dad's and they didn't ask, they didn't indicate, they just thought they were entitled and stole it.
Vicious vindictive vipers. What happened to being the better bigger person?
Oh, he needed ice.
His carriage driver dropped him off at the closest inn and he stumbled to his room. He wasn't getting in that carriage for a while. He'd seen enough of it. He was going to slip under the covers and sleep for a week.
"Lose something dearie?"
Jefferson should've known THIS was coming.
He managed to give an innocent smile even though it hurt his face even more. Rumpelstiltskin was sitting on the chair by the fireplace, "How long have you been waiting there?"
"Well my mistake…you didn't lose one thing, you lost three things."
Jefferson heard the anger in his voice, "I'll get them back."
"I don't have a scent on them," Rumpelstiltskin said, "You let the fairies get ahold of them, didn't you?"
"I'm not sure there was much I could've done to stop it."
Rumpelstiltskin shot up out of the chair and waved his hand. Jefferson flinched, ready for the death but instead the door closed behind him.
"They could be worlds away by now!" he muttered.
"I can track them," Jefferson said, "I just need a couple of things from your lab."
"You'd have to find your hat first and gods know where that is," Rumpelstiltskin snapped,"Well it's not a complete loss, I suppose. I have those in my debt spread through the known magical worlds. I can get word out through some of my sources to start hunting for them…drive them back here. I don't understand why they're so skittish; all I want them to do is answer my questions."
Jefferson felt a lump in his throat. If Rumpelstiltskin needed a portal jumper and Jefferson didn't have a portal then he was useless and Rumpelstiltskin would either maim or kill him.
Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and Jefferson cringed.
Instead of being turned into something horrific, he found it was easier to breathe.
He looked in the mirror and saw that his face was healed.
"You're lucky I've always had a soft spot for you and your eccentricities," Rumpelstiltskin said and patted him roughly on the shoulder, "Besides, they trust you."
Jefferson rolled his eyes. Leave it to Rumpelstiltskin to play matchmaker with the girls who attacked him while he was half naked and vulnerable, "They attacked me!"
"But they didn't kill you," Rumpelstiltskin said, "And with the desperation I could sense, I have a feeling that they'll do what they can to get home which could've been very unfortunate for you."
"And because they spared me one time, you think they might trust me even though I've betrayed them to you?"
Rumpelstiltskin smirked, "They could've killed you at any time but they didn't."
"Because they're good," he spat the last word. What did good people give him except a lot of headaches?
"I think at least one of them might have a soft spot for you," Rumpelstiltskin said, "Which means that your value to me still stands."
Jefferson wasn't comforted.
"Now," Rumpelstiltskin said and pulled up a map with a summoning of his hand, "Let's track which way they might've gone, shall we?"