As Nora followed Jefferson up the brick drive to the house, she looked back toward her car. She was well aware that going up to a house with a stranger probably wasn't the most prudent thing she had ever done. Her mind began racing with all the possibilities of her impending demise as she carefully studied her mysterious escort. He seemed perfectly polite and thus far had not posed a threat to her. But then, she reminded herself, the most dangerous characters in the stories she had read and those she had written always seemed the same.

If Jefferson sensed any unease on Nora's part, he gave no indication. He continued walking toward the house, guiding her suitcase and occasionally stealing a glance at his visitor. When he paused to open the front gate, he allowed himself to look at her again. Jefferson did his best not to let his eyes linger too long but Nora looked just like Tati. He attempted to note some differences between them, but Nora's hair color, her eyes and even the shape of her face was the same. It had to be her, there was no other explanation. Strangers just didn't show up in Storybrooke.

During their short trek, Nora had noticed Jefferson looking back at her. It was only a quick look, a second or two at best. His eyes narrowed and he mumbled under his breath. She could swear that he repeated the name that he had called her when he first saw her. Jefferson's mumbling only set Nora's mind spinning more and she cursed herself for stopping along the way to get dinner. When they reached the front door of the mansion she froze and Jefferson also paused. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments. Nora's imaginings had him forcing her into the house but he only stood there, looking at her as if he was trying to memorize her face. Nora cleared her throat.

"Do you think you could call the garage now? I don't want to take up any more of your time."

"I can but they won't answer," Jefferson said. There was a slightly impish tilt to his head and a smirk played on his lips.

"Why not?" she asked. The tone of the words sounded bold to Nora's ears and she hoped that it covered any nervousness she was feeling.

"It's late in the day and this is Storybrooke."

"Oooo-kay," Nora replied. She made an effort to focus her eyes on the driveway and reached for the phone. "I'll just call a cab then."

"You don't have to call a cab. I have a car."

"I'll call a cab. I should've done that earlier and not troubled you." The statement was punctuated with a nod.

"You didn't trouble me." Jefferson took a step toward Nora and she immediately backed up to put more space between them. Her movement seemed to surprise him and a momentary look of sadness swept over his features and his body seemed to sag.

"I could never hurt you," he said straightening up as he spoke. On the short walk up the driveway, he had decided that this visitor was indeed Tati. After all, if he could be trapped in Storybrooke why was it impossible to think that she had survived and was trapped somewhere else.

"Pretty sure all the people who would hurt me would say the exact same thing," Nora replied with a forced smile. As he nodded, she gripped her tote bag which she had slung on her shoulder and reached for the handle of her suitcase. He let her take it without protest.

"Please, come inside. It's starting to rain. You'll be perfectly safe."

Nora bit her lip as she debated options. Common sense told her to run or at least get as far away as she could but at the same time something was tugging at her to stay. The way Jefferson had used Storybrooke as a reason that the garage wouldn't come piqued her curiosity; she also wanted to know why he kept repeating that name. Knowing that she might regret this decision in the not-too-distant future, Nora agreed.

Jefferson opened the front door with a bit of a flourish and stood aside to allow Nora to enter ahead of him. With a glance over her shoulder, Nora went in. She made it a point to stay close to the door as she took in the new surroundings. The interior was neat and clean and very quiet. From what she could tell, no one else was there.

Nora looked around nervously. Her nails dug into her palm from clutching the handles of the tote. The pinch startled her and she loosened her grip slightly as Jefferson shut the door. He smiled at Nora and removed his coat, hanging it on a nearby hook.

When he turned back to face Nora, she took the opportunity to study Jefferson's appearance more closely. His dark hair was short and blue eyes shone out from under dark brows. He had an easy smile and an air of confidence. Nora decided her grandmother would have called him cocky, while Nora would have argued in favor of his being self-assured and cool.

The clothing Jefferson was wearing was anachronistic when compared to what the other men she knew were wearing. Dark pants and a black shirt were almost modern but the black brocade vest was something that was rarely seen. A dark violet silk scarf was knotted into a loose ascot at his neck. It was an unusual aesthetic. To Nora, it seemed like a perfect mix of steampunk and goth, and Jefferson appeared to carry the look well.

As she considered his outfit, Nora looked down at her own jeans and navy t-shirt and suddenly wished she had taken more time with her choices. Her hands brushed against her jeans in an attempt to remove any remaining dust from her earlier tumble.

"Could I interest you in a drink? Tea? Something stronger?" Jefferson gestured to a space near the coat hook for Nora's suitcase. He then offered to take her tote bag. Before relinquishing the bag, Nora declined his offer and retrieved her water bottle. She may have agreed to come inside but she wasn't about to accept a drink from a stranger just yet.

Nora followed Jefferson into a large living room, bottle in one hand and phone tightly grasped in the other. They sat across from each other in silence, each warily observing the other. Jefferson suddenly stood and paced the length of the room before re-taking his seat.

"How... how did you get here?" Jefferson asked and leaned in slightly, eager to hear her answer.

Nora's eyebrows raised and her eyes grew wide. "In the car with the flat tire sitting in your driveway."

"How did you find Storybrooke?"

"Google," she replied and lifted her phone."I went to the ATM, searched good places to write and here I am."

Now that she was speaking about the phone, Nora suddenly remembered that Michael had asked that she let him know she was okay. She began running her thumb over the screen as Jefferson watched. When she lifted her eyes from the screen, Nora noticed that Jefferson's eyes were shadowed by knitted brows.

"That's not possible," he declared when he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"I'm here."

"Shouldn't be possible."

"Why not?"

Jefferson jumped up and began pacing again. Occasionally, he looked in Nora's direction and his mouth opened. Nora repeated the question after watching him walk the room a few times. He stopped and smiled; it was a wide grin that Nora didn't find totally comforting.

"Magic."