Midnight Sky

chapter 6

STORYBROOKE

Emma groaned as the grip on her arm seemed to get tighter as Jefferson moved her through the house, stopping when they reached some kind of study where he pushed her inside. She stumbled slightly before getting herself situated, her eyes scanning the room.

There was a desk in the middle of the room which was covered in different materials and oddly shaped scissors, then there was a shelving unit which was lined with almost identical black hats. The room was lit by a lamp which seemed to have been shaped around a teacup, Emma shook her head to stop getting distracted and pointed her finger at the man that had abducted her.

"I don't know what you think you're doing but if you hurt my friend, I swear I'll make you regret it."

"Hurt her?" He scoffed, shaking his own head and folding his arms over his chest, "I'm saving her life."

"How do you figure that?"

"Don't play stupid. We both know what happens when people try to leave Storybrooke."

Emma narrowed her eyes, she didn't know what he was insinuating and wondered what he meant, "what are you talking about?"

"The curse," he answered as though it was obvious.

"What curse?"

"The one keeping us all trapped." Jefferson continued, allowing his blue eyes to glare at Emma from across the dimly lit room, "all except you."

All Emma could think about when he mentioned the curse was the book that Henry had been talking about non-stop, there was only one explanation for this man and his madness. She didn't know what else would explain his behaviour, "have you been reading Henry's book?"

"Henry?" He frowned, trying to place the name as he questioned further, "you mean the queen's father?"

"Henry, the mayor's adopted kid."

Realising who she was talking about, Jefferson smirked, "oh, Henry, your Henry. And his book of stories, the ones that you choose to ignore. Maybe if you knew what I know, you wouldn't."

"Why have you been spying on me?" She asked, going back to the question that she had asked before because she was desperate to know why this man seemed obsessed with her. She had found his telescope which was positioned perfectly opposite the sheriff's station and it wasn't a coincidence that she had been out on the road, the same time as him. She needed answers.

Jefferson takes out his gun and swings it over his shoulder, trying to intimidate the sheriff, walking around the desk and looking down at the materials that lay on top. "Because for the last twenty-eight years, I've been stuck in this house. Day after day, always the same. Until one night, you and your little yellow bug roll into town. And the clock ticks and things start to change. You see, I know what you refuse to acknowledge, Emma. You're special. You brought something precious to Storybrooke, magic."

"You're insane." She snapped back at him, her eyebrows furrowed and her heart beating slightly faster than normal because this man scared her.

"Because I speak the truth?"

"Because you're talking about magic," Emma quickly retorted, she knew that this man had something wrong with him but she didn't want to be around to see his madness unfold.

"I'm talking about what I've seen, perhaps you're the one that's mad."

She scoffed at his explanation, "really?"

"What's crazier than seeing and not believing?" He questioned, pointing his finger in her direction and maintaining eye-contact across the room with her, "because that's exactly what you've been doing since you got to our little hamlet. Open your eyes and look around. Wake up. Isn't it about time?"

"What do you want?" Emma snarled.

"I want you to get it to work." He answered, shoving her down into the seat opposite the desk but this just confused her more as she glanced around at the materials in front of her and wondered what she needed to do.

"You want me to get what to work?"

Both of them stare at the half-finished hat that lay directly in front of her on the table as Jefferson pointed to it. "You're the only one that can do this." He moved around the room and took a seat in front of the desk, watching her very carefully, "you're gonna get it to work."

🐇🐇

WONDERLAND

The blue and purple mist landed the pair in a large room full of several different shaped doors. Each door seemed to be different and would therefore lead you into a different world. Regina was in awe of the magic, her eyes glancing from door to door, thinking about what lay beyond each portal.

"I forgot how magnificent you are," she complimented him.

Jefferson ignored the compliment and walked straight past her, not wanting to waste time gawking at the hat because he was there for a reason and he wanted to get on with the task, "I'm not here to relive the past, I'm here for my family." He stops in front of a reflected door, knowing that this was their ticket into Wonderland, "here. This is the entrance. It's important that we stick together, same amount of people that go through have to come back. No more, no less; that's the hat's rule, not mine."

"I understand," she answered absentmindedly as she traced the embroidered frame with the tips of her fingers.

Ignoring her obvious wave off of the rule, Jefferson stuck his hand through the portal to check that everything was running smoothly before stepping inside the door itself. Regina didn't want to be left behind in the corridor and swiftly stepped through after him.

Wonderland was exactly how he could remember it, just as strange looking as it was all those years before and just as threatening as he tried to forget. The last time that he was here, he had lost Alice and could never forget the feeling of losing the love of his life. He didn't want to relive the past, he was here to bring them better lives and that was why he kept walking.

The grass was taller than their heads and there was a thin cobbled path which would lead them into the heart of Wonderland, Jefferson began walking along with the queen following behind him. She had never been here before and was taking initiative from the hatter, almost falling over, she gasped when she spotted something unfamiliar sat on a toadstool.

"Who are you?" The caterpillar blew smoke from his pipe, watching the visitors with beady eyes,  "who? W-who?"

The smoke from the pipe blew through the air and hit them in their faces, the strong stench of the smoke hitting their features.

Jefferson groaned, his face scrunched up in anger, "I hate Wonderland."

a/n: thank you so much for all the support on this book! i've really enjoyed working on this & i hope you are enjoying it too 🥰 -lizzie ⭐️

date published: 24/03/22