Family is Everything [Jefferson Hatter || OUAT || Mad Red #5]

Chapter 1

Flashback: The Enchanted Forest - Many Years Ago...

Rosie, 23 years old, was in camp crying under her blanket as she curled up into a ball and a soldier walked out of her tent.

"I want... I want out... I want to be stronger. I want to kill them," Rosie whispered.

"Don't," A male voice said.

Rosie flinched and sat up, holding her blanket against her, "What? Who?" Rosie asked in fear as a man in a purple cloak walked into her tent.

"Don't," He repeated as he removed the hood to his cloak.

"I...I'm sorry," Rosie said and looked down.

"I wasn't talking about the anger from the abuse, Rose Red," The man said and sat beside her.

"How do you know my name?" Rosie asked.

"I know many things. And I'm here to tell you, don't do it," He said.

"I don't understand," Rosie said.

"When you do something that you're not supposed to do, even if you do it for the right reasons. Bad things will happen, Rose Red. Bad things," He opened up his palm and an orb of light appear with the hilt of a sword, "One day," Rosie looked at the orb of light, "You will have the opportunity to remove Excalibur from its stone, once you have truly accepted yourself, but you must not. Leave the sword alone," The man said.

"What?" Rosie asked.

"ROSIE!" Rosie looked to the entrance of her tent, "IT'S MY TURN!" A drunken voice called out.

"Help me," Rosie said and looked at the now empty space, she looked around in confusion.

End of Flashback

Storybrooke...

In Storybrooke, everyone was looking at the Dark One Dagger with Rose Red's name on it, once again, "How could she be so stupid?" Regina said.

"Regina!" Emma said.

"Well, there had to be another way," Regina said.

"There wasn't," Mary Margaret looked at Regina, "That thing was going to kill you," Mary Margaret said.

"She saved your life," Emma said.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Jefferson and Grace hugged each other as she looked at them, "I...I'm sorry," Regina said as she walked over to them.