Top Hats and Hooks (Two OUAT Fanfictions in One)

Chapter Three | Little Lies

This is set in Storybook after the Curse. The search for the Tailor begins...

My brain wouldn't stop whispering. Find him... you love him... find Jefferson. I didn't even know of anybody named Jefferson, let alone did I love a man named Jefferson.

"But... you seem... agitated." Archie said. I shrugged. "Liberty, you're here for a reason."

I sighed. "Thanks, Archie, but I'm leaving." I stood up and bit my lip, but turned away and made my way out of Archie's office. Granny's Diner seemed like a pretty welcoming place... at least that's what I thought.

My eyes wondered to the sidewalk and that was my first mistake. A man, a fairly tall man, bumped into me and apologized like twenty times. "It's fine, man," I shushed the man up. "Do—do I know you?"

The man looked at me and grinned. "It can't be...Be—Bellamy?"

"I'm sorry, but my name's Liberty McCain. I'm the tailor down the street." I said, pointing past the clock.

He nodded, but choked back tears. "Th—thanks. I'm Jefferson."

This was the man... the one I supposedly loved. "Oh," I said. "Nice to meet you."

Jefferson nodded again and bit his lip. "I—I best be going. Nice to meet you, Liberty." At that he dashed off, occasionally looking over his shoulder or rubbing his eyes with his hands. I didn't hurt him, did I?

Ruby was wiping down the tables in Granny's Diner and Regina was in her usual spot at the bar. I never liked that woman... she gave me mean looks for nothing— at least nothing I've done that I know of. Regina walked over to my table and slammed her hands onto it. "Meet anybody new  today?" She asked. I shrugged.

"It's possible," I answered. "New; maybe. But I've never seen him  around. It's like he appeared out of no where."

Regina shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. "Oh, really?" She asked. "What was his name?"

I grinned. "Why don't you go look in your crystal ball, Madame Mayor?" I suggested. She huffed.

"Well, I can call the Sheriff to arrest you." Regina threatened.

Sheriff Swan? I thought Regina didn't like the new woman in town who was Henry's mother. She has  been here for a week or two now. "You probably don't want to do that," I said. "I could get you  arrested for threatening me. And all I do is tell the truth."

Lying always seemed like the best solution, yeah? No. But you haven't met  the Queen of Lies yet. Thalia Stone, Mr. Gold's daughter, is the Queen of Lies. When she walked into the diner, a heap of darkness was thrown onto Granny's. "Oh, hello, ma'am." She walked up to Regina and Thalia patted her side, where she kept her pistol.

"Thalia, you shouldn't be carrying that around." Regina growled. Thalia smirked.

"My dad would be happy to see if you'd like to make a deal," Thalia smiled, showing all of her snow white teeth. Her hair was an ombre grey and black and she dressed in purple and black nearly 99% of the time.

"No, thank you." Regina remarked. "You'd better be going, Miss Stone." Thalia shrugged, but then grabbed her car keys and was off. There isn't any use of arguing with Regina. At all.

***

The next morning, I bumped into Jefferson again. "I know you from somewhere... but I don't remember how." I said. Jefferson nodded.

"I closed up shop for today. Would you like to come with me to Granny's?" I asked. A grin spread across his face and then he couldn't help but to nod.

We went to Granny's for lunch and we talked for a very long time. Ruby winked at me when Jefferson was saying about this huge house he has like he's cute...go and marry him. He was quite handsome, I have to admit. "Would—would you like to go on another date?" Jefferson stuttered. I smiled.

"Sounds fun. Yeah, think I would." I said. We walked out of the diner together and he kissed me. It was almost like a ton of flashbacks from another world came to me. Like something I forgot came back. "Jefferson?" I looked into his blue eyes that I knew I used to love.

I cried. I really did. "I'm sorry...I forgot... Jefferson..." I kissed him again. "Please, don't go."

He wrapped his arms around me and wouldn't let go. "I wouldn't dream of it." He mumbled. I loved him.

"Grace... where's Grace?" I asked. Jefferson's face turned grim.

"Her name's Phoebe here. Regina changed it," Jefferson said. "And she's with another family."

I frowned. "Are you gonna come home?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe." I kissed his cheek and he smiled.

"So... yeah?" Jefferson said. I nodded.

Home... here I come.