STORYBROOKE, Maine

Henry had called Rebekah to let her know what had happened. It left her feeling more guilty than she had before when she said no to helping Regina. Now, because she said no, the hat was destroyed and Emma and Snow had fallen through it to another world. But which world? David believed that they had fallen into a portal to the Enchanted Forest, but according to Regina, what was left of their home was a wasteland. How would Emma and Snow ever survive there?

Grace and Rebekah were at the townhall with the rest of the townspeople, all gathering to find their lost loved ones. But Jefferson had yet to show up. It left an ache in Rebekah's heart and her stomach was in knots. Jefferson had his memories the whole time and she hadn't believed him. She thought he was mad and allowed Regina to keep him locked away. Rebekah should have known, her heart should have known! And there were times she believed it did recognize Jefferson; how else did she end up getting pregnant by him? Her Storybrooke-self hadn't been with anyone besides Jefferson for twenty-eight years. Maybe a part of her heart was waiting for him. That's what she hoped.

Grace had drawn a picture of Jefferson with words written underneath it; Have you seen my Papa? It broke Rebekah's heart because she wanted nothing more than her little family to be together again but she was terrified of what Regina had done to him. He had escaped the hospital; and though kidnapping Emma and Snow while they were still cursed was absolutely reckless, she understood his desperation. Was kidnapping the best option to get someone to remember? No. But Jefferson had been living in this world for 28 years having to watch his family live separate lives without him. Rebekah couldn't say that she wouldn't have done the same damn thing to get her family back.

And Regina; damn the woman for ever making Rebekah doubt Jefferson. The lying, wretched bitch of a woman. Rebekah wasn't surprised that Regina had not come to her yet. No, she needed to continue to stay far, far away. But, if the reason why Jefferson hadn't come home to his family yet had anything to do with Regina, Rebekah would have to go speak with her older sister which would not be pleasant. All those years of Regina torturing Rebekah with her magic -- Rebekah wanted to do the same to her. Rebekah wanted Regina to feel the pain she inflicted, feel the sorrow and heartbreak, the hope of being reunited with her family only to have it crushed in her hand like one of those hearts she kept hidden from the world.

Graham. Regina had crushed his heart. Rebekah knew it deep down in her heart that Graham hadn't just died of a bad heart; she had crushed it. Rebekah wanted revenge, she wanted to pull out Regina's heart and crush it until it was dust and the only thing that was stopping her from doing that was Grace. Her sweet daughter who believed that magic was evil and anyone who had it was evil as well. Rebekah had tried to explain to her daughter that not all people who possessed magic were evil. But Grace had been hurt too many times by magic. First, losing her mother and then her father. Rebekah didn't blame her for her beliefs on magic.

"If you are looking for a family member; come to the front table." Ruby hollered over the noise of all the townspeople. "If you need counseling, Dr. Hopper has a sign-up sheet." She shouted next after bringing Archie the clipboard where people could sign up to see him. "If the wraith damaged your house, there are cots at the school."

"Mama." Grace pulled Rebekah's attention away from Ruby. "What if Papa was hurt by the wraith?" she asked, holding onto her mother's hand tightly. "What if he was trying to come home to us and it hurt him?"

Rebekah frowned, crouching down a bit so she was eye-level with Grace. "We'll find him, okay?" she promised. Grace nodded sadly but continued on with stapling up the pictures she had drawn of Jefferson. Rebekah couldn't help but smile at the drawings and saw her husband with longer hair. It seemed as though Jefferson had kept his hair long after Regina had taken Rebekah prisoner; something he hated but Rebekah loved. ((Huh? Do you mean Grace drew him as she remembered him from the EF?))

"Come on, baby." Rebekah ushered Grace out of the crowd. "You have a playdate with Jack and Jill. Oh, and their father has graciously offered to tutor you while school is closed." Grace made a face and Rebekah chuckled, tapping her little nose with her finger. "Just because the curse is broken doesn't mean that your education is stopping."

"I wish," Grace grumbled.

Rebekah felt her heart ache again. She had missed so much with Grace. The last time she saw her, she was just a little girl. Now she was nearly a teenager. Rebekah pressed a kiss to the top of her head before fixing her hair. "I'll put up more fliers for Papa and after your playdate, we can search some more. How does that sound?"

Grace sighed but nodded her head. "Okay."

They left the crowd of people, Rebekah looking back one more time to see if Jefferson would appear but was only met with disappointment. He wasn't there. This playdateGrace had was set before the curse broke and now with it broken, Rebekah was taking the opportunity to search for Jefferson on her own while Grace was busy. If he was hurt or Regina had him...Rebekah didn't want Grace to see her father in any harm.

Rebekah refused to believe that Jefferson was hurt somewhere. He was just...missing.

Where are you, Jefferson?

_________________________________

He had been trying to get a hold of Rebekah for the last few hours but her phone continued to go straight to voicemail. If he had gone last night to speak to her he wouldn't even be having this problem. David poured the potion onto Jefferson's hat and waited for the magic to work so it would guide him to where the Mad Hatter currently was. Despite giving Rebekah away at their wedding, David didn't exactly trust Jefferson. When the man had told him and Snow not to send their army to rescue Rebekah, he was more than a little confused. This was Rebekah, his true love. But Jefferson told the two of them that Rebekah wouldn't want them to interfere. The last David had heard while in the Enchanted Forest, was that Jefferson had gone to live in Wonderland with his daughter. But he was beginning to believe that wasn't the truth.

Now he had to rely on Jefferson to help, and given the fact that he was now widely known as 'the Mad Hatter,' David wasn't so sure going to him for help was his best option. But the hat belonged to him and though David trusted Rebekah more; surely Jefferson was the best person to get the hat to work. Besides, Rebekah wasn't exactly answering her phone.

He groaned, dropping the hat on the hood of his truck when it didn't do anything. David's phone buzzed, distracted him momentarily but before he could answer the call, the hat began to move on his truck. His eyes widened in hope as the hat flew away from him and David quickly followed. He had run nearly five blocks before the hat stopped moving and landed on a car that was flipped upside down, wrecked from the wraith attack.

"Hey!" David heard as he got closer to the car followed by the sound of someone pounding against the door. "Help!"

David ran to the driver's side door, throwing a large crate and a barrel out of the way of the door so he could open it. A telephone pole had fallen on top of the car as well and David couldn't help but wonder how long the person inside had been barricaded. He yanked as hard as he could at the handle and when the door opened, Jefferson fell onto the ground, gripping tightly to a toy bunny.

"Oh, God, thank you!" he said, eyes still closed as his hand touched the concrete of the street. "No one has heard me." His words slowed as he saw who had rescued him. "Charming," Jefferson breathed out.

"We need to talk." He gripped onto Jefferson's hand, pulling him out of the wreckage causing Jefferson to drop the toy bunny. David stepped over a box that had fallen out of the car as well, seeing that it was a toy tea party set. Once they were outside of Granny's diner, David pushed Jefferson down into one of the outdoor chairs and took a seat across from him, tossing the hat down on the table. "Can you get me through?"

"No." Jefferson shook his head.

"Can you get them back?"

Jefferson looked away from David as he rolled his eyes. David had explained to him what had happened but Jefferson didn't seem to care. In fact, he seemed annoyed. "Can you get it to work?" David asked next.

Jefferson started to laugh, looking quite mad. It seemed he still was. But David also knew that Rebekah was pregnant and he doubted very much that it wasn't Jefferson's. Surely he had a bit of sanity left in him if he managed to get Rebekah to fall for him. "If you only knew." Jefferson continued to laugh, shaking his head at David.

David repressed his need to sock Jefferson in the nose and instead focused on what he had seen as he pulled Jefferson out of his car. "You had a little girl's tea set and a stuffed rabbit in your car," David reminded Jefferson. "Obviously you were on your way to Grace." That sobered Jefferson up, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "Your daughter. And I'd hope you were on your way to your wife too because you love them. Well, I have a wife and daughter as well and they're out there somewhere in the Enchanted Forest or a void -- I don't even know. But I'm going to get them back."

"They're in the Enchanted Forest. That's for sure," Jefferson told David, sounding more like the man he once knew. "I just can't get there."

"It still exists?" David asked, his hope of reuniting with his family keeping him from listening to Jefferson say he couldn't get to the Enchanted Forest.

"It exists. I don't know if that matters since we can't go there , " Jefferson said, his tone sharp.

"So you won't help me?" David glared.

"I'm a portal jumper and you destroyed my portal." Jefferson shrugged. "So you're out of luck." David felt his anger get the best of him and leaned over the table, grabbing Jefferson by the scarf and yanking him forward.

"Well, I'm the closest thing left to a sheriff here," David snarled. "So I can just throw you in a cell until you figure out a way."

"Then all we'll do is both sit," Jefferson said back through gritted teeth. " Stuck. Two lives in our heads, cursed worse than ever." David saw the madness in his eyes as he spoke causing him to let go of his scarf. He slowly sat back down in his seat as Jefferson continued on. "Two lives forever at odds. Double the pain. Double the suffering." Jefferson flipped the table so fast, David hadn't seen it coming and before he knew it, the man was sprinting away. David tried to run after him but Ruby stopped him before he could grab him.

"David, stop!" she shouted.

"Get out of my way!" David yelled, trying to get out of Ruby's grip.

"Regina has Henry!" She yelled but David continued to struggle.

"But he has the way!" He motioned to Jefferson.

"She has Henry!" Ruby yelled again. "She's threatening everyone!"

Finally, the words finally reached David's ears. No, he thought. "She has Henry?" No, she couldn't -- that could not happen. David swore to keep him safe!

"She showed up to your town meeting -- the one you missed! Her magic's back and everyone's panicking. They want to leave town -- they're going to lose everything !"

He was having an internal struggle on what to do. Henry was important, yes. But his wife and daughter needed him. "Okay, okay, but I have to go after him first," David told Ruby. "He's my only hope of finding a way to get Emma and Snow back."

"Back to what?" Ruby refused to let him go. "The town is about to come apart!" she told David. "You've got to do something !"

But what could he do?

If Regina had her magic back, they were all screwed.

He needed Rebekah.

She was the only one who knew how to deal with Regina.

Rebekah was the only one who could get Henry back and hopefully, Snow and Emma as well.

_________________________________

Rebekah rolled her sleeves over her hands as she tried to keep them warm, really regretting not bringing a pair of gloves with her when she left her house. But she refused to get up from the front steps of Jefferson's home. If he wasn't going to come home to them, she'd simply wait him out until he returned home. Because she may or may not have used just a little bit of magic to unlock his front door and search his house. Unless he had gotten much better at hide-and-seek, he wasn't in the house. She shivered, feeling the cold air touch her fingertips. Rebekah sighed, looking out into the woods again to see if Jefferson would magically appear. But he still wasn't there.

"Where are you, Jefferson?" she said to no one.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time she was with Jefferson. Not in Storybrooke but before Regina had taken her away from her family. Every touch, kiss, lingering stare, smile, laugh. Rebekah cherished those moments. It's what got her through being Regina's prisoner. She sighed, pulling out her phone to see if she had any missed calls only to see that her phone was turned off. After her phone call from Henry that morning, Rebekah turned her phone off out of guilt. If she had just helped, none of them would be in this mess. Henry would have his mother and Snow and Charming would have their daughter. But Rebekah let out bitterness and anger towards Regina stop her from saving her once-loving big sister. Rebekah pressed down on the power button to turn on her phone only to nearly drop it when she heard the sound of gravel being walked on.

She blinked a few times, afraid each time she opened her eyes that he'd be gone. But he continued to stand still, eyes wide as he took her in. Rebekah breathed in deeply, feeling her heart beating hard. It was him, right? This wasn't just some mirage or cruel trick — it was him, right?

"Bex." His tone was deep and raspy.

Yes. Her eyes began to swell with tears. It's him. It's my husband. He stood just a few feet away under the small parking port at the end of the stairs. She felt her stomach clench and the tears falling were completely out of her control. She gasped, taking all of him in and noticing that blood was dripping down the side of his face. But he didn't look in pain. No, he just looked...scared. He probably had the same fear as her: that she might disappear. But it was real. He was real. And after years of dreaming of this very moment, Rebekah could hardly breathe. She simply pushed off the ground and hurried down the stairs, arms flinging around his neck as her body crashed against his.

Jefferson winced but she didn't let go. She only buried her face in his scarf and inhaled deeply, fingers gripping onto his jacket as she held him tightly. It took him a moment, but he finally wrapped his arms around her and hugged her just as tightly. She laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks as she pressed kisses against his scarf.

"I'm so sorry." Jefferson whispered into her hair. But before he could say anything further, Rebekah pulled away to look at him, hands resting on his cheeks before she moved forward and captured his lips in a kiss that he hungrily replied to, causing Rebekah to just melt in his arms.

"Where were you?" She asked between breathless and needy kisses. "We've been searching for you." But Jefferson smothered her words away by kissing her roughly, igniting a fire in Rebekah's stomach. G od she missed this. And she was aware that she was pregnant with his child right now because they had sex while cursed , but this. This was her husband. Not just a handsome hermit who lived out in the woods. It was Jefferson, her one true love. Her soulmate. And she could blame it on the hormones later on but falling into bed with her husband made it feel all the more real.

He was real. And they were together. "I love you so much," she breathed out between kisses and Jefferson quickly pulled away, looking down at her with wide eyes. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she watched him wait for something to happen. Rebekah touched his face, fingers skimming down to his neck to trace against his scar. "I love you," she whispered softly, moving up to press her lips against his and felt him sigh into her mouth.

"I love you so much, Bex." The fire was ignited in him again and finally, as husband and wife, they laid together again.

And again.

And again .

Hormones? No. This was just Jefferson and Rebekah.

Afterwards, Rebekah sat up in the bed as she pulled the sheets along with her. Jefferson sat up as well, grasping at her hands to hold. She frowned, eyes falling on his scar.

"How'd you really get the scar, Jefferson?" she asked. But she already knew. Rebekah just had to hear it from him. He had been left in Wonderland and Cora was notoriously known for chopping off the heads of anyone who disobeyed her.

He sighed and let go of her hand. "It's okay, Bex," Jefferson tried to tell her.

"No, it's not." Her eyes filled with tears. "You went with Regina because she said she'd let me go." Rebekah watched as his facial expression changed, his eyes filled with guilt. "She told me."

Jefferson licked at his lip as he looked away from her. "What else has she told you?" he asked.

She sighed and moved her fingers under his chin and brought his gaze back to hers. "In Storybrooke? Or back home?"

"Recently," he whispered, his voice breaking. She frowned, not understanding. "Did she tell you about the deal I made with her?"

Rebekah shook her head, not knowing what he was referring to. "Deal?"

He looked at her for a long moment before he finally started to speak again. "I helped Regina bring back the poisoned apple." Her eyes grew large at his words. "I swear I didn't know Henry would eat it; she said it was meant for Emma."

"Jefferson, still," she started to say but he stopped her.

"She promised me new memories," Jefferson admitted. "A new life for me and Grace."

She blinked, taking in his words. "For you and Grace?"

He nodded. "New memories...I couldn't handle having two lives playing in my mind, Bex. I just...I just wanted my daughter back." Her fingers dropped from under Jefferson's chin.

"And these new memories...was I included?" She asked and watched as Jefferson's eyes filled with tears. That was answer enough. But she didn't blame him. "It's okay," she told him.

"No," he shook his head. "It's not. I should have fought for you but," he stopped and a single tear rolled down his cheek. "You were cursed...more than anyone else."

She didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

His lips twitched up slightly. "Regina was scared of you," Jefferson said, tone proud. "You swore to her that you'd find a way to break the curse. That our love...that it was strong enough to break any curse."

Rebekah couldn't help but smirk. She remembered saying that.

But Jefferson's face fell. "She made it so that wasn't possible." Rebekah raised her brows. "At first I had to stay away, twenty eight years I stayed away and watched from afar but when Emma came to town, I went to Rumpelstiltskin for answers and...there you were." He smiled, hand moving to cup her cheek. "And after you said my name...I couldn't stay away." She smiled softly at him, leaning into his hand. "God, I don't know how it's possible but I fell even more in love with you, Bex."

"And Regina locked you away in a mental institution because of it," Rebekah said bitterly. "God, I can't believe that I bought into her lies! When I get my hands on her..." Jefferson stopped her words but pressing his mouth to hers.

He pulled away and his eyes locked with hers. "I did a lot of bad things, Bex."

"You were desperate." She tried to argue but he shook his head.

"I kidnapped Snow. I drugged Emma, Bex — I held her at gunpoint to make a damn hat."

"It was the withdrawal..."

"No," he interrupted her again. "I knew what I was doing. I just...I wanted us to go home. I wanted us safe from Regina. But that didn't work. I knew coming to you was a risk; that Emma would surely tell you but...she didn't and I thought...I thought that I had a chance at happiness with you again and our son." He moved his hand to rest on her bump. "Until the curse was broken and we could get our Grace back...but Regina told me about your other curse."

"My other curse?"

"If you ever said the words ' I love you' to me...you'd fall into a sleeping curse."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Of course she'd have a damn failsafe," she muttered in anger.

"I couldn't risk you or the baby dying so when I asked for new memories for me and Grace, I...I asked for you to have new memories too."

She sighed, knowing what he'd ask for. "You wanted her to make me forget you," Rebekah said.

"I thought...if we both had a clean slate, there was less of a chance of--"

"Me falling in love with you all over again?"

Jefferson swallowed hard and slowly nodded. "It was the only way to keep you safe, Bex. And the baby."

She couldn't be mad at him for doing something drastic to save her life; hell, she'd done it before. "I understand," Rebekah told him. He looked down at his hands, not speaking. "Come on," she told him as she got out of bed and started to dress. "We're going to go pick up our daughter."

Jefferson instantly looked at Rebekah. "I can't," he told her.

"Jefferson," Rebekah sighed as she pulled on her sweater. "Your daughter has been searching for you. Get up and go to her," she said, walking over to his side of the bed to give him her hand.

But he didn't take it. "I left her, Bex." Jefferson looked up at her. "After Regina took you, I swore to Grace that I'd never leave her!" Rebekah felt guilt coil in her stomach. "And I promised you that I'd never miss a tea party and...I did. I left her."

"—because Regina made you promise," Rebekah finished. "She did the same thing to me, Jefferson. I understand why you did it."

"Will Grace?"

"She loves you, Jefferson! Of course she will! All she wants is her Papa back," Rebekah told her husband.

"Her Papa who abandoned her."

Rebekah pressed her hands against her hips and looked down at him. "Staying away is not going to fix things, Jefferson. Grace is terrified that you're lost or hurt! Come home!"

Jefferson looked away from Rebekah. "I can't face her."

Rebekah closed her eyes, fingers moving to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Don't do this, Jefferson," She told him. "Because this time...the abandonment is yourchoice. You are able to go to your daughter now; a luxury you didn't have before. And you're choosing not to." Now that was the hormones. Jefferson didn't respond. He just looked away from her. "I love you, Jefferson. I forgive you for the things you've done but this ...it's not just me you're hurting it's your daughter."

"Bex."

"You know where to find us once you pull your head out of your ass," Rebekah told him as she gathered her things. He called out her name but Rebekah didn't look back at him. Staying away from her was one thing but she wouldn't stand for Jefferson hiding from Grace.

As she walked down the steps of Jefferson's home, her phone began to buzz in her pocket. She frowned, ignoring the message until she was back in her car. It was a text from Ruby.

Regina has her magic back. She took Henry.

_________________________________

"How long am I in prison? Until I grow up?" Henry asked, arms folded over his chest as he sat on his bed. Regina sighed at his question. She hadn't wanted to use her magic on him but he left her no choice by trying to escape. A flash of her mother using the same spell caused Regina to close her eyes before she spoke.

"Henry, I rescued you because I love you." She tried to make him see.

"So I'm a prisoner because you love me?" he said sarcastically causing Regina to press her lips together tightly. He was too much like his aunt Rebekah. "That's not fair."

"You know where I come from," Regina said to her son. " That was really not fair." She looked around the room before looking to Henry again. "Of all the places I've seen; this is the fairest of them all."

"You ruined lives !" Henry argued. "You sent away Mary-Margaret and Emma."

Regina looked away from Henry. "That was an accident." A happy accident, but an accident nonetheless.

"The way you treated me wasn't an accident!" Henry raised his voice. "You made it so no one believed me! You made me feel like I was crazy!"

Regina took in a deep breath, seeing how upset Henry was. "That's all going to change now." She promised him. "Henry, you can know all the secrets. You can live in a house with magic ." Regina grinned as she made a fist and presenting it to Henry. "Look what I can do." She smiled before blowing onto her first and when she opened her hand, a giant cupcake appeared with purple smoke. She chuckled as she looked down at the treat. "And I can teach you!" Regina added. "You can do this and so much more." She tried to bait him. "You can have all the friends you want come over any time, and you can show them everything in your book."

"Like my cousin?" He asked, looking Regina in her eyes. The woman pressed her lips together as her nostrils flared, trying not to let her anger get the best of her and ruin everything with her son. "Grace is my cousin and I don't think she'd ever want to come over after everything you've done to her family , " Henry told Regina. " No-one's gonna want to come over here. They're scared of you."

"You can make them not be scared!" she snapped at Henry. The look in Henry's eyes caused Regina's anger to slowly die down, seeing the sadness and fear his eyes held. She wasn't doing a very good job at making him believe she wasn't scary or evil. "You can make them love you," she said in a softer tone.

"I don't want that!" Henry looked away. After a moment, he looked back to Regina. "I don't want to be you ." Regina sat with the cupcake in her hand, watching as Henry got up off the bed and left her alone in his bedroom. She had thought the reasons he wouldn't allow her to be harmed was because of his love for her...but was there any love for her at all in Henry? Or did he truly hate her just like all the others?

Regina dropped the cupcake on the floor and left Henry's bedroom. He couldn't escape from her so that was one less thing to worry about. She sat downstairs looking at the book Rumpelstiltskin had given her for nearly thirty minutes when her front door was kicked in and Prince Charming came running in with his sword.

"I want to see him!" he said, sword still in hand but not pointed at her. She stood up slowly, and when she began to walk to David, his sword rose and was pointed at her neck.

"Henry, come down," Regina called out. Charming looked at her in confusion and Regina had to feel a little bit of victory that she had confused the prince. "You won't be using your sword," she told him as his brows furrowed.

"Whatever you conjure, I can fight." He glared.

Regina repressed the need to roll her eyes and instead, used her hand to move the sword away from her neck. "I mean that you won't need your sword." She told him, eyes looking up at the stairs as Henry descended. She left David and met Henry on the stairs, watching him look at her anxiously. "Henry, you're going to go home with David," she told him, causing Henry's eyes to widen in shock.

He looked from her, to David, and then back to her again. "Really?"

Despite his chipper demeanor, Regina nodded her head and said, "Really." She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Henry again. "I shouldn't have brought you here," Regina confessed. "I was," she sighed, tilting her head a bit as she looked to her son, "I don't know how to love very well." Regina admitted. "I wasn't capable of it for a very long time. But I know -- I remember...that if you hold on to someone too hard, that doesn't make them love you." She sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you. That I made you feel like I didn't know who you are." She felt her throat start to dry and her eyes fill with tears. "But I want you to be here because you want to be here, not because I forced you...and not because of magic." She inhaled deeply, her hand moving to hold onto Henry's arm. "I want to redeem myself." Regina told him, watching as the corner of his lips twitched up briefly and a look of hope in his eyes. She sniffled, trying to compose herself. "Now go get your things."

Henry nodded his head and turned away from Regina, hurrying upstairs to gather his things. Regina stood still, watching the spot he had just been.

"Then prove it," Charming said, causing Regina to look over her shoulder.

As if that were so simple. "How?" she asked him.

"Answer one question," Charming said. "Does it exist?"

"What?" she asked back.

"The Enchanted Forest; our land," David said in one breath. "Does it still exist?"

Regina slowly walked down the steps until she was standing in front of him. "Yes." She gave him the answer he wanted. She heard him sigh a breath of relief. "But I have no idea how to get back there." Something in David's eyes surprised Regina. Determination. "I can see I just launched you on a heroic quest." She smirked. "Just also make sure you take care of my son," She said in a more serious and sincere tone.

"That I can do," Charming promised.

"I can help." Both Charming and Regina looked to the door. Rebekah stood on the steps, not able to enter. Another spell Regina had cast for her own safety. "Do you still have the hat?" Rebekah asked and Charming nodded his head quickly. "Good. Then we have some work to do."

"Aunt Bex!" Henry said happily when he came running down the stairs. Rebekah smiled as she opened her arms for Henry to run into. "I knew you'd help us!"

Charming walked away from Regina as well and over to Rebekah, pressing his hand to her shoulder. "Thank you."

"I want Emma and Snow home just as badly as you do," Rebekah told Charming before looking to Regina. She didn't say anything but the look in her eyes...that said it all. Regina was not forgiven and Rebekah had something planned. Regina just didn't know what it was. "Nice barrier spell," Rebekah commented. "You should probably make a new one though," she said as she walked away from Henry and Charming, up to the steps and past the border of magic that was supposed to keep her out. "Something with a little more kick."

Regina glared at her little sister. "You're lucky you're pregnant," she seethed.

"No," Rebekah laughed. " You're lucky I'm pregnant."

"Bex." Charming called her name causing Rebekah to take a step back.

"I'll be seeing you, Regina." She smirked before turning around and walking over to Charming and Henry. "I have to make a stop to pick up your cousin before we get to work," Regina heard Rebekah tell Henry. The three of them walked away and Regina was left alone in her home. Her eyes filled with tears as she used her magic to shut the door. She was alone...just like she had been before the curse. Everything was... ruined.

_________________________________

"Did you find Papa?" Grace asked once they were in the car.

Rebekah bit down on her lower lip. Telling Grace that truth would only confuse her. Rebekah was frustrated with her husband, yes. But did it make her love him any less? No. Jefferson's guilt was eating away at him and until he was ready to make the first step to be in his daughter's life again, Rebekah would have to lie to Grace about his whereabouts.

"No," she told her daughter. "But," she sighed. "There's something I need to tell you." Rebekah moved in her seat so she was facing Grace. "When I was..." Held captive? A hostage of your evil aunts? What was the correct phrase to say? She had decided to go with the least brutal. "When I was away, I discovered something about myself."

"What?" Grace asked.

Rebekah looked at Grace for a long moment, not wanting to see fear in her daughter's eyes once she told her the truth. Rebekah wanted to prove to Grace that not all magic was evil. That there was good magic in the world too. Rebekah saw the small petree cup Grace was holding in her hand with dirt filled in it. Jack and Jill's father had told Rebekah that the kids had been playing in the garden all day and that he gave Grace her own packets of seeds to plant in the small paper cup. It was the perfect opportunity to show Grace that good could come from magic.

"Can I see that?" she asked and Grace nodded, handing over the cup.

"It's gonna be a," Grace started to say but stopped when Rebekah moved her hand over the flower, a yellow light shining down on the plant causing it to grow until a lily appeared. "A flower." She finished with a whisper. Grace then looked to Rebekah with wide eyes. "You have magic?"

Rebekah slowly nodded her head, watching as Grace bit down on her lower lip.

"But...you're good, Mama." It wasn't a question, it was Grace stating a fact.

"Not all magic is evil, baby," Rebekah explained. "It can be used for good. You can use it to help people by helping their garden grow." Rebekah motioned to the petree cup that now held a full grown lily in it. "Or..."

"Finding people?" Grace asked, hopeful. "Like Papa?"

Rebekah frowned. "Papa will find us, sweet girl," she told Grace. "I know it."

Grace sighed but nodded her head. "Who are we going to help?"

Rebekah smiled happily at her words, glad that her daughter wasn't repulsed by her magic. Because someday, Rebekah didn't know when , Grace would awaken into her powers as well. "We need to find a way to open a portal for Aunt Snow and Emma."

"They're alive?" Grace's eyes widened in excitement. "How do you know?"

"Our land survived," Rebekah smiled, pressing her hand to Grace's cheek. "And the sooner I can create a portal, the sooner we'll be home."

Grace frowned. "What about Papa?" she asked. "What if he...what if he doesn't find us in time?"

"Listen to me, Gracie-girl," Rebekah said in a serious tone. "We will never leave your Papa behind, okay? Not ever again." And she meant it.

Grace smiled, taking the flower back from Rebekah who leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's head before she started the car and drove to Granny's diner where they'd meet up with Charming and Henry.

Grace wasn't afraid of her and that made Rebekah feel much better. But the anger she held towards Regina...how easily that could turn into darkness. That scared her. Rebekah needed Jefferson to come home soon because she didn't know just how long she could keep herself from going after Regina.

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Jefferson walked in the alleys through Storybrooke as the sun finally went down. He shouldn't have gone back to his home; of course, Rebekah would wait him out. But there was no place left for him to go. The curse was broken but...he was also still broken. Jefferson wanted to be with his family, he really did. But it wasn't safe.

You're scared, he could practically he ar Rebekah telling him. Which is foolish because you have a family waiting for you to return. The curse is broken; we can finally be a family again.

He drank the bottle of cheap alcohol he had raided from one of the shops that still had a closed sign on it. All of the shops in Storybrooke were starting to re-open, and according to the gossip he heard around town, the school would be opening tomorrow as well.

Jefferson found himself at Mr. Gold's home, bellowing at his front door around 3 AM to be let in. And when the man opened the door to see his pathetic drunk ass, Gold scowled in annoyance. "You're welcome!" Jefferson told him, causing Gold to raise his brow.

"Pardon?"

"Don't you think I deserve a thank you for bringing your true love to you?" He chuckled.

Mr. Gold used his cane to push Jefferson back a bit so that he could step onto his front porch as well, quietly shutting the door behind him. "How long did you know that Belle was Regina's prisoner?" he questioned Jefferson.

"It's a bit hard to remember a specific date seeing as I was drugged out of my mind while at the hospital," Jefferson drunkenly slurred.

Gold rolled his eyes and shook his head at Jefferson. "Why are you here ?" h e asked. "Why aren't you with your family? That's all you've wanted for a long time now , so I'll ask again; why are you here ?"

Jefferson inhaled deeply, standing up straight. "Bex told me not to come home until I pulled my head out of my ass," he told Gold and he could have sworn he saw the man's lips twitch up briefly into a smirk.

"Rumple?" A soft voice said from inside the house. The front door opened and Belle emerged, yawning briefly before her eyes fell on Jefferson. "You," she smiled. "You're the man that saved me. You're the one who told me to find Rumple."

Jefferson, still drunk, bowed dramatically. "You're welcome," he said once he was standing back up, only to grab a hold of Mr. Gold's shoulder when his head began to spin.

"What's wrong with him?" Jefferson heard Belle whisper.

"I'm not sure but he's always been a little mad."

Jefferson's eyes opened and he narrowed them into a glare. "I'm not mad ! Not anymore! Not anymore than the rest of this damn town."

Gold sighed as he looked at Jefferson. "Sweetheart, do me a favor and bring me the phone I showed you earlier? I need to call Jefferson's wife."

"No, no!" Jefferson said, trying to grab at Belle when she went to move into the house. "No, no - Bex, Bex is upset with me right now."

"Well, I wonder why?" Gold said sarcastically.

"I can't." He sighed, letting go of Mr. Gold's shoulder. "I broke my promise. I left Grace. She'll never forgive me."

"Grace?" Belle asked Mr. Gold.

"Jefferson and his wife's daughter," he explained. "A wife who is currently pregnant with their second child," Mr. Gold said in a stern voice.

"Third," Jefferson murmured. "We lost our second baby."

After a moment, Belle began to speak. "Why don't we just let him sleep here tonight?" she asked Gold. "Let him sleep it off and then in the morning we can call this Bex."

Mr. Gold let out an irritated scowl. "Fine." He huffed before grabbing onto Jefferson's arm. "Get in."

Jefferson didn't remember much. He fell asleep the minute his back hit the couch cushions and didn't wake until hours later when he heard the sound of someone fussing around the kitchen. He had to blink, trying to figure out where he was before the memories of the previous night flooded into his head.

"Tea?" Jefferson looked over his shoulder only to wince when his head started to pound at the movement. Belle chuckled and walked over to where Jefferson sat on the couch now. "My father and his men used to drink after a long day and this tea always helped perk them up." Belle offered him a cup. Jefferson took it, bringing it to his lips to drink. It was good, but it wasn't like the tea Rebekah made him. Now that was a cup of tea. "I wanted to thank you," Belle said, surprising him. "For...saving me."

"It's no problem." He tried to wave off her thanks.

"Can I ask you a question?" Belle said in a whisper.

Jefferson closed his eyes, already knowing what she was going to ask. "I saved you because I knew that when Rumpelstiltskin found out you were alive and that Regina held you down there this whole time he'd try to kill her."

Belle blinked at him surprise. "That's...not what I was going to ask you," she said slowly. "Why do you hate Regina so much?"

That made Jefferson laugh, his hand going up to rub at his eyes as he shook his head. "She's made it her mission to ruin my life since I fell in love with her sister."

"Rebekah!" Belle said suddenly. "You're Rebekah's husband!" Jefferson looked over at Belle, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Oh, well you see, while I was Regina's prisoner, there was someone else in the cell next to mine, your wife. Really, she was the only reason I stayed sane. We'd talk for hours. She told me a lot about you and your daughter." Jefferson tensed at the mention of Grace and when he looked at Belle, she was frowning. "She never blamed you, Jefferson. Honestly, all she wanted was to find some way to save you and get you back to your daughter. It was a long time before anyone agreed to help. Though, he was a rotten man."

The pirate? What did he call himself? Hook? Jefferson hoped for Hook's sake that he would never run into him again. He had betrayed both Jefferson and Rebekah.

"Our guard informed Rebekah that the pirate had visited my cell and she knew that she had to take her chance. According to the guard, Regina wanted this pirate to go to Wonderland and bring back her mother, but Rebekah was the only one able to make the hat work since you were gone. What Regina hadn't known was that Rebekah had recently come into her magic."

"What?" Jefferson interrupted her.

Belle bit down on her lip. "Oh." She sighed. "I don't think I was supposed to tell you that."

"Belle?" Mr. Gold called for her. Jefferson looked over his shoulder to see Mr. Gold standing just a bit away from them. "Kettle's ready."

"Oh!" She said just as the loud ringing from the kettle went off, quickly getting up off the couch and hurrying to the kitchen. "Jefferson, did you want another cup?" She hollered on her way out.

"I'm fine," Jefferson told Belle, waiting to be alone with Gold. He stood up, walking over to the man. "She has magic?"

Mr. Gold smirked. "I'd think that you'd rather have this conversation with your wife, not me."

Jefferson glared at the man. "Did you do the same to her that you did to Regina? Trick her into turning to dark magic?"

Gold chuckled. "Rebekah is nothing like Regina; we both know that. Though, keep her alone any longer and she may just do something she'll end up regretting."

Jefferson inhaled through his nose as he closed his eyes. "You had nothing to do with her possessing magic?" Mr. Gold grinned and Jefferson grabbed at the collar of his shirt, yanking him closer. "I swear to God," he started to threaten only to hear a soft gasp coming from their left. Belle stood there wearing a worried face as she held a silver platter holding three cups of tea. "Don't mess with my family." Jefferson let go of Gold's shirt.

"Go be with your family." Gold challenged him.

Jefferson left. He walked through the woods until he was finally at his home, eyes locking on his door when he saw a piece of paper taped to it. It was a picture of him; well, his former self. A picture of how he had looked when Grace last saw him.

Have you seen my Papa? It read. Jefferson felt sick to his stomach and before he could make it inside his home, Jefferson threw up all of the alcohol from the night before and the tea he had consumed this morning. He ripped the drawing off of his door and held it in his hand. Have you seen my Papa? Grace was looking for him. But why? After what he had done?

Your daughter loves you, Jefferson, he heard Rebekah's words in his head.

He needed to get out -- breathe in fresher air because all he could smell was the stink of his vomit. Jefferson walked away from his house, clutching the piece of paper in his hand and decided to go to the first place he and Rebekah had kissed in this world.

The docks.

He sat there for a long time uninterrupted as he looked down at the drawing his daughter had made of him. Jefferson traced her words with his thumb. Her writing had gotten better. The sound of seagulls crying out and water lapping took Jefferson back to a time before he and Rebekah even had Grace. They had just kissed when they left the land without color and Jefferson wanted to take Rebekah to the sea. They jumped into the portal and found a world surrounded by the sea. Rebekah had been so shy; suddenly unsure how to act around Jefferson, blushing when he'd kiss her, and hiding herself from him as they swam in the ocean and he knew that no matter what happend, he'd love her for the rest of his days. There were so many sides to Rebekah that he had yet to see and he wanted to see them all. And he had. They had been at peace, jumped into another portal and found another land to explore.

And finally, after their misadventure in Agrabah, Jefferson found out that Rebekah was pregnant with Grace. He was willing to do absolutely anything to keep her safe; even going to Rumpelstiltskin for help.

"Jefferson, right?" A small voice said causing Jefferson to look up. It was Henry, Rebekah's nephew. "The Mad Hatter," he added causing Jefferson to roll his eyes at the name. "You're my...uncle, I guess," he said and Jefferson could hear the amusement in his tone. Jefferson didn't say anything back; he just continued to look down at the picture Grace drew of him. "Why haven't you gone to see them?"

Jefferson closed his eyes and shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Grace and Bex have been putting up these signs all over town," Henry said, tapping the drawing briefly. "They think that you're missing. Grace is really scared." Rebekah hadn't told Grace she saw him? He quickly folded the paper so Henry couldn't see it any longer. "Why haven't you let them know you're okay?"

"They're better off without me," Jefferson said, stuffing the paper into the inside of his jacket pocket.

"No, they're not!" Henry argued. "They both need you!" Jefferson stood up and started to walk away from Henry only to have the little boy yank at his arm hard. "You can't stay away from them! They love you and my aunt needs you!"

"She doesn't," Jefferson disagreed, continuing to walk away.

"Yes, she does!" Henry yelled. "She's spent the day with my Grandpa trying to make the hat work but her magic is messing up! I saw it with my own eyes yesterday! Jefferson, you need to go to her. She needs you! And not just Bex. Grace needs you!"

Jefferson spun around to face Henry, yanking his arm out of the little boy's grip. "Drop it, kid!" he shouted. "You don't know the whole story!"

"Yes, I do!" Henry argued. "I've read it! I know how my mom tricked you into leaving Grace! She isn't angry with you; she just wants you home!"

"I left her!" Jefferson yelled at the boy. "How could she not hate me?"

Henry had a stubborn look in his eyes as his brows pinched together. It was like looking at Rebekah when she was determined to prove Jefferson wrong or change his mind. "You won't ever understand how your daughter feels until you go see her," Henry told him.

Jefferson shook his head, raising his arms a bit in defeat. "I was on my way to them," he told Henry; it was something he hadn't even told Rebekah. "But fate reminded me I shouldn't."

"You should , " Henry argued. "I've been left too. Anything is better than nothing. She'll spend her whole life wondering why you left her. Not knowing," Henry sighed, "is the worst." Jefferson sighed, looking down at Henry, seeing so much of his aunt in him that he couldn't help it when his lips twitched upward. "Go to your family. They need you," Henry urged him before leaving.

Jefferson sat back down on the bench at the docks and shook his head as he smiled.

Henry was right. So was Rebekah. It scared him to go back to his family; scared to see if Grace truly did want him home after he had left her, but he was going to take that risk. Jefferson had a few hours to work up his courage to finally go to his family and with hope, they'd welcome him with open arms.

_________________________________

Rebekah stayed in her car, hands holding tightly to the steering wheel as she refused to let tears fall. She had been trying and trying so hard to make the hat work but it was useless. Her magic -- it was so hard to control it in this world. Everything she tried to do after showing Grace her powers went haywire. God, the damn hat had caught on fire when she tried to restore it. Rebekah had been holding back sobs since she burnt the hat. Because it wasn't just a hat. It was her and Jefferson; it was Grace. And now it was gone. Rebekah gripped tighter onto the steering wheel as she shook her head, trying to remind herself that she wasn't alone anymore. But remembering her last few years in the Enchanted Forest was torturous and she could hardly breathe thinking of those days. How did Jefferson survive twenty-eight years alone with two different lives in his head?

God, she really needed Jefferson. She needed her husband; he was the only person who she trusted completely and relied on. And with him staying away? She was barely holding it together.

Rebekah took in a shaky breath as a tear fell, quickly wiping it away but the flood gates were open. More tears fell and Rebekah couldn't hold in the sob any longer. She just wanted to help; she wanted Emma and Snow back. Charming was placing all his hopes on Rebekah finding a way to bring his wife and daughter back and Henry wanted his mother home so badly. It was too much. She moved her hands to her face, wiping away the tears. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down. Rebekah adjusted her rearview mirror so she could take a proper look at herself, not wanting Grace to instantly see that her mother had been crying. No, that would only worry Grace.

She wiped away the mascara smudges under her eyes and cursed the puffiness under her eyes that always appeared after she had been crying and grabbed her purse, watching as the bus pulled up while she got out of her car. Rebekah walked across the street, trying her best to act as though she hadn't just been crying-- no, sobbing, in her car moments earlier. She smiled as she heard the sound of Grace's laughter and walked around the bus to meet her. Grace grinned when she saw her and Rebekah suddenly felt all her sadness disappear. "How was your day?" Rebekah asked as Grace ran to her, hugging onto her tightly.

"Boring," Grace complained causing Rebekah to chuckle. But she stopped when she looked ahead of them and saw Jefferson slowly coming out from behind a telephone pole, looking as nervous as he did the day Rebekah gave birth to Grace. She held her breath as Jefferson called out their daughter's name, their little girl freezing before she slowly looked up at her mother for confirmation. Rebekah grinned, tears of happiness now filling her eyes. Grace bit down on her lower lip and turned away from Rebekah to see Jefferson standing a few feet away.

And then she ran to him and Rebekah felt her whole world come together.

"Papa!" Grace cried out in happiness as she threw her arms around Jefferson as he bent down to meet her in the hug. Rebekah watched from afar as Jefferson tried to hold in his emotions as best as he could, hugging Grace just as tightly as she was hugging him. Rebekah smiled, moving her hand to rest on her growing belly as she felt their son kicking wildly inside her. "You found me! I knew you would!" Rebekah heard Grace cry.

Jefferson smiled as his tears fell, still holding Grace as he stood up, her arms still wrapped around his neck and not letting go. "I've missed you so much, Grace." He whispered as he started to walk towards Rebekah.

"I've missed you more," Grace giggled. Rebekah walked the few steps until she was in front of her husband and daughter, pressing her hand lightly to Grace's back causing her to pull just a little bit away from Jefferson to look at her mother. "You were right!" Grace said happily. "He found us!"

"I never doubted him," Rebekah smirked as she moved her hand to Jefferson's cheek, her thumb wiping away a tear that had fallen. Jefferson sniffled, mouthing the word; I'm sorry. Rebekah lifted her chin and Jefferson let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his mouth down to hers in a kiss. "Let's go home," she told him, the green in her eyes shining as she looked up at him. Rebekah held out her hand for Jefferson to grab and smiled when he laced his fingers with hers. Together, all three and a half of them walked to Rebekah's car and headed home.

"I'll never let you go again," Jefferson said as Grace snuggled up to him, sitting on his lap as he sat in the passenger seat. He then looked to Rebekah, holding out his hand for her to grab. "Either of you."

"Ditto." Rebekah smiled, bringing his knuckles to her lips and pressed a kiss against his skin.

She had her family back.

But trouble would soon find its way to Storybrooke.

It was inevitable.