We're All Mad Here (Jefferson x OC)

Chapter Eighteen

After a few days, Jefferson and Serena decided to go back to The Enchanted Forest for a while, thinking it was best to settle for a while before they continued traveling.

"Are you almost ready to go?" Jefferson asked Serena as he waited for her to finish getting ready. The best part about having a princess on his team was that she knew where most royals kept their jewels.

He planned on taking her to a nearby royal ball to get her used to running off and stealing things. She was usually invisible at parties, so he wanted to use that to their advantage.

Serena stepped out a moment later, a scowl plastered on her face. "Did you have to get the tightest piece of fabric in the land? You said the dress was going to fit." He couldn't help but laugh, seeing her pull at the fabric around her waist.

"You look great, princess." He smiled and stood up, walking over to her. He looked over the dress, the one he promised her he hadn't stolen, but she knew he was lying. It was a beige dress with flower details all over the bodice.

"Not even the dresses my sister made me wear were this tight." She complained, looking down at the dress. He rolled his eyes and tilted her chin up, making her look at him. "After this, I'm never wearing a dress you pick out again."

"Do you not have any trust in me?"

"I did, before you decided to get a dress that was two sizes too small." She grumbled, making him laugh.

"You're adorable, you know that?" He smiled and kissed her, pulling her closer. She couldn't help but laugh, her mood instantly lifting as his hands wrapped around her waist. "You look beautiful. Now, come on, we have a ball to get to."

"You know, this is usually around the time I run away and hide." She joked, making his smile even bigger.

"I guess I'm gonna have to keep an eye on you." He returned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She smiled and the two left, headed to the ball.

As they entered the party, Serena stayed close to Jefferson, hoping no one would recognize her as Regina's sister. Fortunately, everyone continued to talk with each other, never bothering to pass a glance at either of them.

"Just remember what I told you, and stick to the plan." Jefferson told her. "You do remember the plan, right?"

"Yes, I go in, grab the gold." She told him as he nodded along. "Then I get out and meet you in the gardens, hoping I don't run into any guards on the way." He smiled, kissing her forehead.

"That's my girl." He then took off his hat, handing it over to her. "Take this. If you need it, go to The Land Without Color and wait a while. Then when you come back, meet me in our room at the inn."

She nodded and walked away, lingering a bit before slipping into a random hallway. Jefferson sighed as he watched her leave before turning to see Regina standing behind him.

"I was wondering when you'd finally bring my sister back to this realm." She said with a fake smile. Before he could say anything, purple smoke surrounded the two of them as Regina took them to another room. "Tell me, Hatter, how did you find Serena in the first place?"

"I found her in the middle of the woods, and she wanted to come with me." He wasn't sure if it was considered a lie, but he wasn't going to tell her that he had been hired by Rumpelstiltskin to take her and bring her to him.

"Is that right?" She let out a dry laugh. "I haven't been able to find my sister in over a month, and you did it within a day. How is that? I doubt that was a coincidence. Someone had to of orchestrated it. So tell me: who set this up?"

"No one." He lied, wanting to keep Serena safe. "I found her wandering through the woods and decided to help her." She didn't say anything, instead walking over to him and ripping out his heart.