Early the next morning, Jefferson kept his word and called Marine Garage. After discussing what the problem was, the garage's owner, Michael, told Jefferson that a proper repair might take a while. He wasn't sure if he had all the tools needed or the right size tire. As he rambled on about the repair, the mechanic asked Jefferson when he had gotten a new car. The hatter explained that the automobile in question had been sitting his garage for quite a while and he had finally thought to take it out for a ride.

As Jefferson waited for the tow truck to arrive outside the front gate, he smiled. He was quite pleased to hear that a tire might not be readily available for Nora's car. It gave him more time to speak to her and figure out how she had ended up in Storybrooke. When Nora's car was ready to be taken back to the garage, Jefferson rode along into downtown Storybrooke. He had another thing he planned to do that morning. He only hoped that he could get back home before Nora woke up.

Sidney Glass was exiting the mayor's office early that morning when he almost collided with Jefferson. The reporter's apology was met with mumbling and a stony glare as Jefferson stormed through the doorway. The hatter's sudden appearance in town aroused Sidney's curiosity and he slowed his steps.

"You told me she was dead!" Jefferson said.

His outburst caused Regina to look up from her desk. Despite Jefferson's impeccable appearance with a neatly knotted ascot above a brocade vest and tailored shirt, his blue eyes were cold and his jaw clenched and unclenched as he glared. As she took in her latest visitor, Regina tilted her head and tried to make sense of what he was upset about.

It didn't take long for the pieces to come together in her mind and Regina arose from behind the desk. She moved swiftly and closed the door to her office. Hidden in a corner of the hallway, Sidney considered lurking outside the mayor's office to hear what brought Jefferson there; it was bound to make a good story. He quickly changed his mind when he recalled how Regina treated people who crossed her.

On the other side of the door, Regina was doing her best to remain calm. She looked at her unexpected guest and carefully kept her voice stern and low. "No, Jefferson. You told me she was dead. Remember?"

"What did you do?" Jefferson asked with clenched fists. He was not as concerned about how loud he was.

"Excuse me?"

"What did you do now?"

"Jefferson! Tati is dead," Regina declared sharply, her voice rising.

"How did you bring her here?" he continued without acknowledging her words.

"Tati is gone. You were there. You held her as she took her last breath."

Jefferson's eyes filled with tears and his breathing grew ragged. "First you take Grace away from me and now this? Torture someone else."

Regina's tone changed from cold and unfeeling to saccharine sweetness as she watched Jefferson break down. She told him to sit down and patted his shoulder as she asked what caused this sudden and unusual question. He took a deep breath and told Regina about the stranger who had broken down in his driveway. As Regina sat down behind her desk, Jefferson shared that Nora possessed an uncanny resemblance to Tati.

Regina's eyes grew wide as she listened to his story. She considered the implications of a stranger in Storybrooke and ran through the possible causes behind it. While her mind tumbled over random thoughts, she drummed a pencil on the desk with increasing speed.

"You didn't do this?" Jefferson finally asked. It wasn't like Regina to have nothing to say.

"No. Why would I?" Regina said with a malicious smile. "You're sure she came from the Land Without Magic."

Jefferson nodded and recounted Nora's explanation of how she arrived in Storybrooke. Regina's brows knit while she listened. Any further questions she had were preempted by Jefferson jumping up and telling her he had to get back to the house. He pointed at the clock on the wall, "I'm late."

After discovering her car was gone, Nora stormed back inside the house. She jogged up the stairway to gather her things and leave. She knew she wouldn't get far with the suitcase in tow and decided to call a cab. Once she was settled in a hotel, she could worry about locating her car.

At the start of the hallway near the staircase, a partially open door caught her eye. Nora hadn't noticed it when she first went down the stairs earlier. She wondered if it was Jefferson's room and tried to remember which direction his footsteps had gone after he left her alone in her room. Nora walked towards the doorway and looked over her shoulder as she grabbed the doorknob. She eased the door open a few more inches and peeked inside. A dark blue silk scarf hanging over the back of a chair led Nora to believe this was Jefferson's bedroom.

Despite being alone in the house, Nora glanced towards the stairs before taking a cautious step inside the room. The bed was neatly made with a dark, luxurious comforter. Nothing seemed out of place; if anything it was too neat, although a desk lamp had been left on. She walked over to the desk and discovered a stack of bound notebooks perfectly placed in a corner. Although Nora wondered if there were any words written on the pages of the journals, her eyes went to the center drawer of the desk which wasn't completely closed.

From where she stood, Nora could see the edges of sheets of paper. They were different colors and some had ragged edges, while others were precisely trimmed. She knew she shouldn't be snooping but curiosity about her host was getting the better of her. Nora pulled the drawer out a bit more and was about to rifle through the papers when she thought she heard the front door open with a creak.

"Shit!" Nora muttered to herself and did her best to slide the drawer back the way she found it. She backed out of the room and hurried down the hall to where she had spent the night. When Jefferson knocked on the open door, she was rummaging through her tote. If he had heard or seen her dashing about, he gave no indication.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Nora brushed by him into the hall.

"Leaving!" She slung her bag on her shoulder as she faced him. "What did you do with my car?"

"It's at the garage. I told you I would call them."

The answer took some of the edge off Nora's anger. "Why is it still at the garage? It was a flat tire."

"This is Storybrooke, things take time. Like you said, it's in the middle of nowhere."

As she turned away, Nora's exhale was audible. Jefferson watched her shake her head as she walked down the hallway. He quickly followed and was soon only a step behind. As she approached the front door, he jumped in front of her.

"How did you like the muffins?" Jefferson asked blocking her exit.

"Didn't have any," Nora replied as she stepped to the right.

Jefferson mirrored her movement and soon they were darting and dodging back and forth in her effort to get out the door. Nora's expression went from mild exasperation to outrage. "Let me out!"

Jefferson froze. He looked at Nora with wistful eyes. "Please, Ta... Nora, don't go. You can't trust anyone out there."

Nora choked back a laugh. "But I can trust you?"

"Yes," he said nodding. "You must be starving. You haven't eaten. Have breakfast with me and I'll tell you about Storybrooke."

Nora, just leave. That was what the voice in her head first advised. Of course, that was before she started reasoning with herself. He did take the car to the garage. He did give me a place to stay. He did look at me with misty-filled blue eyes. I could write paragraphs on those eyes alone. Stop, Nora. Just go.