When Worlds Collide | Mad Hatter OUAT x Reader |

Chapter 14 ✂ Eager Love

You urgently staggered around your new house, setting boxes on the tables, sorting out clothes and sweeping the ground. Paige sat on the middle of the coffee table, her head turning ever so often to follow your figure. "Mom? Why are you rushing so much? We just got here two days ago, relax!" She smiled reassuringly.

"Oh sweetie, I wish I could be relaxed." You sighed, wiping the black blotch on your face. "If Jefferson comes today, he'll do everything himself and make us sit down. I don't want him to go through the burden."

"But you could tell him not to."

"If that he would listen to me in the first place." You chuckled, throwing the groceries in the fridge. "He has a big heart for helping people excessively."

"Well Henry told me it was only with us he acted that way." She scoffed, looking at you in a weird, but familiar way.

You froze dead in your spot and glanced at her. "Paige- I thought we talked about this..." You muttered, taking off your coat and hanging it in the empty closest.

"But mom, I keep telling you this is the right answer. I know he likes you, and you act like you do to. Just give him a chance mom, it'll be good for all of us. It's not going to hurt anyone." She pledged with tearing eyes.

"Oh Paige, it's just I think I do love-"

Suddenly you were interrupted by the doorbell at the front door. "We'll talk about this later," You said straightening your dress and hurriedly went to the door. You held your breath and opened the door with a wide grin, expecting Jefferson, but instead finding Mr. Gold with a bouquet of the same coloured roses you'd been receiving persistently lately.

"Hello (Y/N)." He crooked his signature grin.

"Mr. Gold? Y-You're the secret admirer?" Your face went red from embarrassment.

"Oh no no! Don't mistaken me, I found these on the doorstep when I came to visit." He chuckled, handing you the rose. "Has someone been bothering you by these gifts?"

"No, they're lovely and very kind. I just feel weird not knowing exactly who it is. Whether it's a friend- an acquaintance, or a-"

"Lover." Paige and Mr. Gold in perfect synchronization. They both laughed for a moment before the man wrapped his arm around your daughter. "It's been barely half a year and you've grown to be quite the girl, dearie."

Paige giggled, "You said that yesterday too!"

"Well I'm starting to lose track of what I say now and days. Anyways I have some business to talk with your mother, love. Is it okay if we have a moment?"

"Alright!" The girl chirped, going over to the living room. You kept your gaze locked on the man, looking worried and flushed with bewilderment. "Is everything alright, Mr. Gold?"

"Oh yes, dearie. I just have a bit of work for you for tonight." He muttered, leaning against his marble walking stick.

"What? I can't!" You whispered firmly. "You promised you were done giving me these tasks after I got Paige."

"Hush a little, will you? It's just one task that'll help the mortgage for a month." He smirked.

"What do you mean?" You raised your brow.

"Do this for me, and you don't have to worry about the mortgage for this month. If not, then double the price, love. May I remind you the month is over in two weeks, so hopefully you have a plan to make the right decision." He was manipulating you already, you felt it in the core of your stomach.

***

When the sun dived off into the horizon and all that was left was the luminosity of the glittering stars, you checked upon Paige who was fast asleep in her turquoise blue covers. You heaved a sigh and nodded to yourself before heading to your room and throwing open your closet door. In a little suitcase, which you opened, all your clothing was perfectly stashed away. Black combat boots, black jeans, black leather jacket- everything was black, except for one thing; your gun. You took the cold metal in your hand, feeling powerful and stronger already as you tucked it away in your belt.

You kept a close eye on Paige as you sauntered towards the door, and got ready to leave. She softly stirred within her covers, looking peaceful and elegant in a childish way. You had made a promise to her, and that's what you had to do, whether you liked it or not. You had to keep her safe and happy.

As twilight broke, you staggered towards the house that your task rested in. Your plan was simple, just as ever sinister but strategically plan you've ever come up with. You enter the building, find the documents, make sure everything looks the way it was, and you finally leave. Any problems that occur can be resolved with the gun and me you lose that, you have your fists. That's why god gave you them anyways, right? With a rational, ordinary pace you went up to the building, permitting yourself to get caught.

It was like a Christmas present unraveling itself when you noticed the window of the house was wide open. Like a ghostly presence within the house, the pale white curtains danced to the harsh wind. There was absolutely no sign of another being in the room and it was the perfect situation for you. You felt good churn in your stomach, a sort of uncomfortable gut feeling telling you that this was quite easy for someone who's gotten back to work after half a year. Whatever you felt, you brushed it off, assuming you were just that good. The documents were in a bottle in a glass shelf on the far side of the living room. The entire house was cluttered with belongings, more messily than nice. It nearly reminded you of a familiar place in a past life of some sort. You touched just a simple antique mask on the wall and a blinding light zipped into your dreadfully empty memory. You saw a mountain, beautiful pure golden objects neatly stacked in the dents of the cave which resembled a shelf.

You snapped out of your trance and realized you stared out to into utter space with absolute bewilderment. You heaved a sigh and gawked back at the bottle, sauntering towards it with utterly no cautiousness. That's how it all went before a strong pair of hands swept you in their bone crushing arms. You trashed about till you were forcefully thrown against the wall and pinned against your will. You shook your body fiercely, your screams muffled under their palm. When light finally flushed over your captivator's face, your features flushed astonishment.

"...Jefferson?" You said beneath your uneven breath. The man glanced over the glass shelf exactly when there were vivid clacking footsteps on the wooden floor.

"O-Oh there's my reading glasses." An old woman squinted, reaching over the table and returning to the other room, not forgetting to shut the lights. You both glanced at each other before chuckling helplessly in the sheer surprise of finding yourselves not caught yet.

"What on earth are you doing here, Jefferson?" You asked softly, glancing up at his electric blue eyes.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He crooked a lopsided grin with an arm still blocking you, firmly cemented on the wall. No matter what size, how tall, what frame you had, that posture he stood made you feel terribly small in a vile way.

"I was here... For-"

"Mr. Gold, I heard." He retorted.

"Jefferson, I-"

"I came here to remind you that if you got caught by the cops, Paige wouldn't be pleased with you- ever." He interrupted again.

"Cops? Ha! Before the old lady even gets to the dials, I'd be two blocks down." You sneered.

"Why would she go to the phone when she has her son?" Jefferson knitted his brows to a frown.

"She has a-son?"

"And do you know what the son's job is?"

"Uh--"

"He's a cop."

Your eyes widened in bewilderment and absolute shock. "Y-You're kidding right? I-I mean... Gold would have warned me if-"

"He wants you caught, (Y/N). I don't know what he's planning but lately I get the drift he's been trying to part you from Paige. Haven't you noticed?"

"Well... Actually, he's been acting weird lately. Staring at both me and Paige. Is he... A pedophile?"