Nora felt her resolve slipping away as she faced Jefferson. She pulled her eyes away from him and his forlorn expression. The nearby window became her focus and Nora hoped the sunlight streaming through the dark curtains would help to rid her of any indecision.
The facts, Nora, just the facts, said the voice in her head. Wouldn't call a cab. Now, your car is MIA. And... there's a plate with muffins that says 'Eat Me'. Remember Alice?
The slight diversion seemed to help; it bolstered her choice and fired her temper. Nora bolted for the door. She shoved Jefferson out of the way as best she could and opened the door. He was close enough to grab her arm or at least make an attempt to hinder her progress but he did neither. Shocked by Nora's decisive change in attitude, Jefferson froze momentarily. He felt her brush past him and go out the door. The only thing he managed to do was eke out a whisper, "Tati".
Nora had been half-expecting to be hindered on her path out the door. Surprised by Jefferson's total lack of interference, she almost turned back just to see if he had followed. Instead, Nora quickly descended the front steps and started down the short path to the driveway.
"Nora... wait." Upon hearing her name, she automatically turned her head. Jefferson was standing at the entrance to the mansion, the door open behind him. The way he tilted his head, just a fraction, reminded her of someone but she couldn't quite place who.
He took the smallest step in her direction. The movement caused Nora to spin back around and hurry down the walkway. Seconds later, Nora found herself looking at the locked gate. She had forgotten about the obstacle until she almost ran straight into it. Behind her, Jefferson approached, unperturbed by her attempt to flee.
"Let me out!" Nora grasped the railing and made a half-hearted attempt to push it open.
"You're safe here," Jefferson said as he leaned his head so Nora could see him.
"Safe?"
"There's no telling who you might run into out there. It's also a long walk into town and I haven't had a chance to tell you about Storybrooke."
Nora exhaled. She knew she should try to find a way out. Her eyes wandered around the grounds and she wondered how far the stone wall extended. At the same time, another part of her mind, the adventuresome part that came alive when writing, wanted to hear what Jefferson had to say about Storybrooke. That same adventuresome part had gotten her in trouble more than once when she was growing up. Sneaking out to meet a boyfriend past curfew and one too many flaming beavers at the party she wasn't supposed to be at came to mind quickly.
"You'll tell me about Storybrooke and why I'm supposedly safer here?"
Jefferson nodded and waited for her decision. In slow motion, Nora lowered her tote bag from her shoulder. He smiled and took the bag from her as they made their way back up to the house. As they were walking, her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket; it was Michael.
Gwen says she hasn't seen you.
Because she hasn't.
Where are you?
Maine.
Maine?
I need to write, not polish off a couple bottles of wine.
Nora did her best not to trip as she read and replied to the messages; she also did her best not to voice her feelings aloud on what she was reading. After carefully navigating the front steps, she looked up to find Jefferson studying her and her phone with intense interest.
He didn't comment and only led the way through the house to a large kitchen. Nora who rarely attempted cooking, was impressed by the space and the espresso machine. The wide counters and modern appliances would be a cook's dream and she knew her mother would love this kitchen. The room was filled with natural light from large windows and accented with pops of color... coral and lime. It was a stark contrast compared with Jefferson's room and his choice of clothing.
While he enjoyed seeing Nora's wide-eye appreciation of the kitchen, Jefferson shifted his attention from her and suddenly grabbed a knife from a drawer. The ample light in the room accented the blade and Nora's nonchalance turned to apprehension. When his hand reached out, she backed up involuntarily.
Jefferson's fingers found their intended target and pulled the plate on the table close. He cut one of the blueberry muffins in half as Nora's stomach growled loudly. Her mouth watered at the sight of the bursting berries and heavy streusel topping as he offered her the plate. Sensing her hesitation, Jefferson picked up a half and took a large bite. Nora watched and waited but nothing happened; he didn't fall over, pass out, or turn into a monster.
Seeing no reaction, her hunger won out and Nora picked up the remaining half off the plate. She sniffed the pastry before breaking off a small piece; it smelled exactly like a blueberry muffin.
"Good isn't it?" he mumbled, mouth full of muffin.
Nora agreed. It was good. In fact, it was one of the best blueberry muffins she had ever tasted and she broke off another small piece from the bottom to save the streusel top for last.
"I get them from Granny's Diner every once in a while. Luckily, you arrived right after I picked some up. What's wrong?"
"My car is gone and instead of telling me about Storybrooke, you're telling me about muffins."
"Your car is at the garage, not gone. It could take a while to fix," Jefferson cut another muffin in half and started eating while Nora's eyes narrowed.
"Storybrooke is not like other places; it's cursed."
Nora shook her head in disbelief. "Mechanics not fixing a car quickly isn't a curse; trust me, happens all the time."
"The curse has nothing to do with your car," Jefferson told her as he offered her another muffin half and gestured for Nora to sit.
She pulled out a chair while Jefferson turned on the burner under a teakettle and took two mugs out of a cabinet. While the water was heating, Nora checked her phone and rolled her eyes at Michael's latest text. Jefferson took note of her reaction and asked if everything was okay as he brought steaming mugs of tea over to the table. Nora nodded and did her best not to wilt under his scrutiny.
As ribbons of steam artfully rose from the mug and curled in front of his face, Jefferson started to tell Nora the history of Storybrooke. He explained that the town and everyone in it were cursed, brought here by the spell cast by the Evil Queen. Her eyebrows raised when she heard the residents of the Enchanted Forest were living in Storybrooke but didn't remember who they actually were or that they once lived elsewhere. He skillfully brushed aside her question of how he knew what he was sharing and Nora didn't push the issue.
"Enchanted Forest and the Evil Queen?" Nora asked. This time she lifted the mug near her nose. Jefferson nodded, his expression placid, and assured her the tea was safe.
"Not saying I believe you but what does any of this have to do with fixing my flat tire?"
"Michael told me he would have Gus fix it. Sometimes Gus can get a bit distracted; he has a thing for cheese," Jefferson replied. When he saw Nora's incredulous look, he emphasized. "He was a mouse."
"A mouse? You expect me to believe that?" Nora took advantage of his silence to ask if Michael was also once a mouse. Her tone clearly expressed that she didn't believe a word of what he had said.
Jefferson explained that Michael wasn't a mouse, he had been a woodcutter with twins, a boy and a girl. "Michael does the more involved repairs."
"So, Gus... Augustus? Gus-Gus? Like the cartoon?"
Jefferson only shrugged in response.
"And you want me to stay here with you because you're afraid I'll be attacked by a mouse?" Nora asked and did little to hide a smirk.
Jefferson jumped up from his chair and began pacing along the opposite side of the table. Nora's eyes followed him nervously. After a stammering start, he told her that she was only the third person from the Land Without Magic to enter the boundaries of Storybrooke. The other two were a father and son.
"What happened to them?"
"The father died; well, the Queen killed him when she didn't get what she wanted. The son managed to escape."
Nora drummed her fingers on the table in a steady rhythm as the weight of Jefferson's words sunk in. He sat down again, directly across from her, and reached across the table to cover her hand gently with his own. She lifted her eyes to meet his and found him looking at her tenderly. He didn't dare voice to Nora that he didn't want to lose her again, but instead only said, "That's why I want you to stay here."
"I just came to Storybrooke so I could write." Nora's voice was quiet.
"You can write here," Jefferson assured her. "There's a desk in your room."
"Do you really expect me to believe what you told me?" Nora asked, slowly pulling her hand away. "Why do you know all this, or remember, and they don't?"
Jefferson knew he could only dodge the question for so long so he decided to give Nora an answer even if it wasn't complete. "The Queen doesn't like me; she brought me here herself and that came with a special curse."
"An Evil Queen... a cursed town... mice fixing cars. It's not possible."
"Once I believed six impossible things before breakfast; you could try for two... after your muffin."
