"All this is my garden?" Jefferson stepped outside and looked down at his feet; his shoes were covered in swathes of thick grass that he'd forgotten were there, before gazing around the rest of his newly discovered land.
Yards of grass sloped down to a peeling fence, stretching as far as a broad oak tree. Most of the blackberry bushes that had swarmed the garden had been stripped back to reveal many hidden flowerbeds, the upturned soil waiting to be planted once more.
"I suppose so, presumably this old fence marks the boundary," Elizabeth said, rising from her crouched position at one of flowerbeds.
Stretching her taut back with a slight groan, Elizabeth picked up the scissors she'd been trimming with and turned to Jefferson,
"What time's tea, chef? All this gardening has left me very hungry."
"I was just coming to tell you when I realised that I actually own a garden," Jefferson said, "a very large garden in fact, that'd be perfect for eating in."
With a click of his fingers, the table and dinner materialised before them on the lawn, complete with their dining chairs.
"I thought we'd agreed Jefferson: you're not supposed to use magic for trivial, everyday things!" Elizabeth scolded.
"Alright, alright," Jefferson said, negligently raising his hands as if to surrender, "I just didn't want you to hurt yourself helping me shift the table out here: so it's not a trivial use of magic, it's useful."
"Fine," Elizabeth snapped venomously before sullenly sitting down at the table with a disapproving sigh.
"Look, using a little bit of magic really isn't gonna hurt anybody," Jefferson said as he sat down at on the adjacent chair.
"But all magic has a price! One day you'll have to pay it- the more magic you use, the greater that price will be."
"Yes I'm aware of the consequences of using magic. You don't need to worry about the price, it's all sorted."
Elizabeth gave him a disbelieving look, irritation flashing in her eyes as she began to eat without a word to him. Dissatisfaction gnawed at Jefferson as he too began to eat, though he sensed it was wiser not to further pursue the conversation and antagonise Elizabeth. Around them, birds chirped a warbling tune from the trees, and the mild glow of sunshine cast long shadows across the lawn. The peaceful summer air was tainted by the cold glances Elizabeth shot at him and his own frustration at how disastrously their afternoon off had become. Setting his cutlery down with a scrape that cut through the silence, Jefferson rose and muttered fetching the rice pudding before escaping back to the house.
After delaying having to return to the frosty atmosphere of the garden for long enough, Jefferson resolutely grabbed the two ramekins of rice pudding and went back out into the garden. As he placed the bowls on the table, Jefferson cautiously eyed Elizabeth, who was drinking tea and simultaneously avoiding his gaze. There was a thud as the glass ramekins hit the wood and Jefferson stiffly sat down. The opportunity for either to speak briefly arose and diminished into silence again. Swallowing a mouthful of the hot rice pudding, Jefferson drummed his fingers against the table. Elizabeth looked up sharply and Jefferson hastily stopped, reaching for his cup to quell the burning in his throat. Stealing a glance over at her, Elizabeth was toying with her spoon, pushing her half-eaten rice pudding around. Her eyes flickered across to his and Elizabeth held Jefferson's gaze before clearing her throat.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you- it's been a long day," She said meekly, tentatively reaching out to touch his hand, "I'm just tired."
"Neverland is pretty exhausting," Jefferson admitted as Elizabeth's fingers enclosed around his.
Her cool skin sent a chill through him that dissolved any lingering feelings of testiness. Jefferson cast Elizabeth an understanding smile to tell her that he accepted her apology, even if he felt too proud to say it aloud. After scraping the remains of her rice pudding from the ramekin, Elizabeth leant back in her seat, hers arms draped across the tablecloth so that her fingertips brushed his. Her head had tilted back, gazing up through the leaves of the oak tree to the orange sky above them, a tangerine swirl of faded sunshine and red hints of the setting sun. Jefferson could just see the shudder of her jaw as Elizabeth stifled a yawn, fatigue hitting him.
"We may as well call it an early night Elizabeth: who knows where Rumplestiltskin will send us tomorrow."
Elizabeth tore her eyes away from the sky and looked across at him, pouting slightly.
"It's too beautiful out here to sleep-"Elizabeth protested, breaking off as she gave another yawn.
"Come one, you look as shattered as I feel," Jefferson said, prising his fingers from around hers and getting up.
"Just one dance," Elizabeth started after him and caught his elbow to stop him reaching the house, "please?"
Jefferson turned and let one hand trail down to Elizabeth's waist, the other settling on her shoulder. Her hands mirrored his, and like clockwork figurines, they began to dance on the mossy grass, their footsteps synchronised to music made from the rhythm of the rustling wind between the leaves, the chirps of crickets in the undergrowth in harmony with the melodic birdsong that drifted from the woods. His jarred heartbeat thudded just out of time with their movements, though Jefferson felt as though time had slowed: each second measured by the gentle breaths he inhaled. Elizabeth's arms had wound around his neck, their footsteps slowed so that they were almost stationary, swaying in the breeze.
"I wish things could stay like this forever," Elizabeth murmured, her voice reduced to a soft whisper against his neck.
"Why would anything change?" He asked, cupping his hands around her cheeks and raising her forlorn face upwards so that her eyes, brimming with tears, were looking into his.
"Nothing lasts forever: things change, they always do."
"I don't mind a little change," Jefferson assured her and Elizabeth nodded in agreement, though he could see the half-heartedness behind her smile.
She leant in closer and kissed him hard, although Jefferson knew she was blinking back tears. His fingers brushed the nape of her neck as he kissed her back, breathing in the sweet scent of musk that radiated from her. Elizabeth only increased the pressure from her lips, every unspoken emotion pouring into the kiss, desperately trying to hide the tear that Jefferson could feel sliding down his cheek. As the saltwater taste reached the corner of his lips, Elizabeth drew away and took a step back, going back into the dance as though they hadn't stopped, with her head resting against his shoulder.
Strands of hair from the crown of her head skimmed his jaw and her shoulders began to shudder against his chest. Unsure of what to respond with, Jefferson placed a hand on the back of her head, his fingers stroking her hair whilst his other hand wrapped around her back, holding Elizabeth to him. She sobbed until she could no longer fight the exhaustion, her head lolling on his shoulder as her eyelids closed, her body growing heavier against his. Brushing away the last few tears that she'd shed, Jefferson lifted and carried the sleeping girl up to their bedroom. He smoothed the rumpled duvet and laid Elizabeth on her side of the bed.
In her slumber, Elizabeth was rather virtuous in appearance, her chest rising and falling peacefully, her pale face framed by wisps of hair, the creases from her forehead had vanished, leaving her expressionless: free from any sadness. Jefferson traced a finger down her cheekbone, wiping away the faint stain from her final few tears and gently covered Elizabeth, whose bare arms were prickled with goose bumps, with a blanket. Too tired to bother changing, he clambered into the bed and lay beside her, staring up at the wooden rafters as he tried to make sense of it all, though Jefferson's bewildered thoughts were clouded by drowsiness, a throbbing ache forming behind his eyes. Reaching over the duvet, Jefferson found Elizabeth's hand and rested his own on top, their fingers entwined as he resisted fighting the fatigue and fell asleep.
A/N: Sorry for not updating as frequently as promised, I've been struggling to write this 'section' of the story (this chapter was initially going to be much longer, but I'm splitting the chapter into two chapters.) I'm on holiday all of next week, however I'm going to try and update via the mobile site, but I can't promise an update next week. If there isn't one, I will upload as soon as I get back: a pretty key point of this story is in the next chapter... ^o^