Better Love

Chapter Ten

Grace was just as lovely as she had been before the curse, Jessa could confirm as she tucked the young girl into bed. She had chattered away for the last hour or so, barely even stopping when she had to brush her teeth or change into her pajamas. Telling Jessa all about her father and her life in the Enchanted Forest. Honestly, the little girl seemed like the only person in town that was actually adjusting well to their change in life and identity. 

She fell asleep after a few lullabies, and Jessa went to sit in the kitchen until Jefferson returned. 

They had a beautiful home, large and luxurious. Plenty of rooms for a little girl to explore. Jessa was happy for them. After Grace's stories of her father's tiny cottage in the Enchanted Forest, it was nice to see that someone as good as Grace was getting a better life in her new world. 

When Jefferson returned, he took of his hat with a tired smile. "Is she asleep?" The man asked. When she nodded yes, he left towards his daughter's room, no doubt going to check on her himself. It warmed Jessa's heart to see the love that the hat maker had for his daughter. She wished that she had a parent like him growing up. 

"Can I make you a cup of tea? I promise not to poison it." Jefferson asked when he returned, a wry laugh on his lips. 

Jessa believed him. "I'd love that." 

As busied himself with the kettle, he made conversation. "So how is it going with that lost boy? I heard you were looking after him." 

Jessa mentally rolled her eyes at how fast gossip spread in Storybrooke, even to it's most secluded residents. She sighed. "Not great, he's rightfully a bit angry at me for micromanaging him. We haven't been making any process." 

"That's to be expected." Jefferson shrugged, placing her tea in front of her. "Careful, it's hot. You can't expect anyone who's spent so long in a place like Neverland to come out well. I always avoided it on my travels, it's a savage place." 

She gently blew on the hot tea to cool it down. "Still, I thought I was doing well. But now, I just don't know how to get through to him." 

The man sighed, pausing in his movements. Seemingly lost in thought for a moment before opening his mouth. "Can I offer another perspective? From one crazy person about another crazy person?" 

"Of course." 

He sat down, staring at his tea cup. 

"When I was trapped in Wonderland," he started. "My head cut off, no way back to my daughter... I started off furious at the queen - both Regina and the Queen of Hearts - and everyone else who had been the cause of me going there. But eventually, as my hats never worked and everything became hopeless, my blame shifted to myself. I had to get the hats to work. It was MY fault nothing was happening."

Jefferson sighed, head bowed. "Something in me had switch, and from that moment on, I couldn't be mad at Regina or the woman who had ordered my head to be removed. There was no point. I had to believe I had some sort of control in my situation, so everything became my own fault." 

Jessa's heart broke at his words. The poor man. "Jefferson, I -" 

"Eventually I got brought here, and through Regina's torture of keeping my daughter from me but leaving my memories in place, I began to realize once more who really deserved my ire." Jefferson continued. "But for a long time, in my most powerless moments, I truly believed that everything that happened to me was entirely my fault." 

He finally looked at her, not saying anything else. 

"What does this have to do with Felix?" She finally asked.