With a sigh of relief, Jefferson slumped into his seat by the burnt out fire, watching the last few embers fade away. Rumplestiltskin had finally left for the day's business, giving Jefferson a few hours rest from his constant questioning. All morning Jefferson had tried to pass off his half-hearted attempts of magic as the result of a rather heavy hangover, but the imp didn't believe a word. He had made more mistakes over the last few days than when he'd been the fourteen year old pick pocket that didn't know the first thing about magic. The imp was more than slightly suspicious of his behaviour, but not as amused as Regina, whom was glad that Rumplestiltskin's attention was focused on Jefferson rather than her.
"Who wants to rip out a bloody heart anyway?" Jefferson muttered to himself, scowling as he recalled the events of that morning.
He hadn't seen Rumplestiltskin be that frustrated at him in a long time. The imp had been unable to contain his annoyance at his business partner's inability to remove and crush a heart. After watching Jefferson unsuccessfully remove the human's heart for the fifth time, Rumplestilstkin had stamped his foot childishly as he yelled at Jefferson:
"But you've done it before. Sometimes it's kill or be killed."
And Jefferson had wanted to do it: especially with a smirking Regina observing far away enough to avoid the imp's wrath and his own irritation fuelling him as he gave one last try. But there was still no beating heart in his hand. Rumplestilstkin had left the castle in a darker mood than ever and instructed Jefferson to mull over his failings and find what was preventing him.
A loud crunch startled Jefferson from his thoughts. Leaning against the wall was Regina, a half-eaten apple held in the palm of her hand.
"You're in love, aren't you?" Regina asked, taking another bite out of the apple, watching for his reaction.
"Don't you have spells to be working on?"
Regina ignored him, turning the chair next to his before settling down in it opposite him.
"You can't deny it: I know what it's like to be in love," she continued, her tone growing wistful as she added:
"How it feels- how you can't concentrate on anything, how nothing really matters except for them…how disappointed they'd feel if they knew you'd been ripping out hearts!"
Jefferson rolled his eyes at her teasing, though her words did make sense. Elizabeth would hate to think of him as a murderer.
Pushing her from his mind, Jefferson noticed that Regina was also lost in her own thoughts, her eyes taking on a vacant look. She quickly snapped out of it and proceeded to question him:
"So, who is it? Can't just be any old barmaid."
"It's complicated."
"Most relationships are," Regina said.
She placed the apple core on her lap before leaning in slightly as if she was about to whisper something to him.
"You can tell me. Your secret is safe with me."
Jefferson hesitated. He figured Regina still owed him after the potions disaster but more importantly that she wouldn't stop pestering him until he told her something.
"Her name is Elizabeth…" Jefferson began.
He had intended to keep as much as possible from Regina, but Jefferson found himself recounting the whole tale to her, from meeting Elizabeth at the ball to when he had last seen her with the Count.
"So basically you've fallen for some seemingly innocent yet rather manipulative little bookworm, who can't choose between a thief and a vampire and is the adopted sister of that wizard you took me to? But best of all you are insanely jealous of a vampire!" Regina ridiculed.
"Look, are you just going to tease me or help me?"
"Of course I'll help. If you really love her, you'll find a way."
"Cryptic clichés aren't helping Regina. Just tell me how to get rid of these ridiculous feelings before Rumplestiltskin turns my hat into a pile of ashes!"
Regina thought for a moment before saying:
"I think you should take up those reading lessons she's offered you, because firstly I can't believe you can't read, and secondly, you can find out just what's going on with her and the Count."
The thunder gave another ominous crackle, the air buzzing with a strange sense of energy. Dark clouds had gathered over the treetops, and Jefferson had no idea whether he had arrived in the land without colour at midnight or midday. He continued on, a sudden flash of lightning electrifying the sky. Jefferson could just see the castle through the fog, and exited the forest. Before Jefferson even had a chance scarper back and hide under the shelter of the trees, the rain began to pour. Huge droplets hit him as he ran towards the castle, his coat growing heavy as it became saturated with water. But the sudden downpour didn't cease: sheets of rain bouncing off the gravel like sparks, individual droplets stabbing at his bare neck.
Eventually Jefferson reached the porch, sliding his arms out of his soaked coat. He rang the doorbell, the bell clanging against the rumble of thunder, before brushing the water off his trousers and wiping away a stray droplet that ran down his cheek. The door swung open and Jefferson found himself face to face with Elizabeth.
"What a pleasant surprise!" She said, motioning for Jefferson to come in.
"Victor's busy working; apparently the weather is perfect for his experiments."
As she chatted, Elizabeth took Jefferson's coat and boots, hanging the coat up to dry and placing the boots beneath the hook.
"Are you here to visit him again?"
"I was rather hoping we could have that reading lesson you promised me?"
Elizabeth brightened at that, showing him up the staircase to the landing. As she led him down the lavishly decorated corridor, Elizabeth pointed out each room until they reached the final door.
"This is the best room of all-" she announced, carefully easing the door open. Her voice dropped to a low whisper: "the library."
Jefferson stepped inside. Elizabeth had begun to light a few of the candles, and the musty room was filled with the orange candlelight.
From what Jefferson could see, every wall appeared to be lined with bookshelves, each book covered in a film of dust. The walls extended into the darkness, the piles of books seemingly endless.
"Don't you get claustrophobic?" He asked, though Elizabeth was too far down the library, lighting more candles, to hear him.
Jefferson pulled out a book, his hands faltering under its weight. A cloud of dust billowed out and he began to cough.
"You might want to start with something easier than an unabridged Oxford university English dictionary!" Elizabeth said, carefully taking the book from his, cradling it like a new-born child before sliding it back onto the shelf.
The whole library was illuminated now, and the vast room really was filled to the brim with books, the shelves stopping only to make room for the windows. Outside the lightning still lit up the sky, the faint drumming of rain echoing through the glass. Elizabeth sat down at desk, pulling up another seat for Jefferson. On the desk were various papers, held in place by a stone. Upon seeing him looking at them with interest, Elizabeth quickly scooped up the papers.
"So, where shall we start? How about the alphabet? Or is that too trivial?"
"No the alphabet's fine."
Elizabeth wrote out the alphabet, twenty-six printed letters filling up the page. At the bottom she added his name.
"Jefferson," he read. Elizabeth's delighted smile made him feel just a little prouder; though he knew it was hardly an achievement.
With a little guidance from Elizabeth, Jefferson soon grasped the alphabet, the lessons he'd had as a child flooding back. He hadn't even realised how much time had passed until the grandfather clock they had passed in the hallway let out seven gongs.
"I thought it read four when we arrived?" Jefferson said, rubbing at his eye, realising just how tired he'd become.
"They say time flies when you're having fun."
"If you knew time as well as I did, you wouldn't say that," he muttered darkly.
Elizabeth had disappeared down one of the aisles of books, and sensing their lesson was over, Jefferson headed towards the hallway.
Elizabeth re-appeared at the other end of shelf, side-stepping Jefferson so that she was in front, though she was the one who closed and locked the library door behind them.
"It's probably best if you don't tell Victor I let you in the library."
Jefferson nodded in agreement, though he felt a little uneasy about making so many promises to keep secrets. Elizabeth's request prompted the question he'd been meaning to ask:
"This vampire fiancé of yours, do you…love him?"
Elizabeth didn't reply; her intent gaze at Jefferson daring him not to look away.
"Do you really think I'd accept dancing lessons from you and be teaching you to read if I did?" She said softly, her hands somehow finding their way into winding around his.
The cold metal band stung his skin, but Jefferson ignored its warning. He'd been doing things he shouldn't for far too long to listen to his conscience.
He kissed Elizabeth.