#emma swan x sheriff graham

[oautincorrectquotes]

Graham: You're late.

Emma: I can turn around and go home if that will be a problem.

[tvshowscouples]

If you love Emma&Graham (Once Upon A Time) and you want reblog or like,this is the link of my reblog couples :)

thank you!

[grahamhumbertsshoelace]

howdy folks!

here’s a gremma vid i made during the last few days! i’ve been in a real gremma mood lately (aka writing some fics, doing some edits, doing a rp that sadly ended pretty quick r i p), and i hope y’all enjoy this!

[ledomasgrace]

cough cough i made a thing, it’s not very good but it’s still a thing

anyway graham/emma should’ve been endgame and fuck you ouat for ruining it and glossing over graham’s death

[dinneratgrannys]

ONCE UPON A TIME, 1.02: THE THING YOU LOVE MOST This curse, there are lines even we shouldn’t cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you, a void you will never be able to fill.

[dopredo]

Regina: Miss Swan did what?

Graham, confused: She... bought herself a coffee?

Regina: I want her arrested.

[jamiedornaniseverything]

Gremma ► History♥

[captnmars]

Gremma Sheriff/Detective AU

Part I: A detective comes to Storybrooke with the task of solving a case, with the help of the Sheriff.

[ Part II | Part III ]

[fancytyper]

Emma x Graham (Forgot to post this for the Gremma event last July!)

[thejollyroger-writer]

To Serve and Protect - Chapter 7 (Complete!)

SUMMARY: Detective Killian Jones has been investigating a stalker-turned-murderer for months by the time he goes home from the bar with Emma Swan. But when he thinks he sees the very man in question outside her apartment, can he separate his feelings for her and his need to keep her safe?

TRIGGERS: everything you’d expect in a teen-rated serial killer fic: mentions of violence and death, with some physical violence/whump. as always, if you need me to discuss this further for you to be comfortable, message me

(a/n): HEY GUESS WHAT completed stories come with new art and this story is DONE baby. thanks for your patience with this one. you’re all incredible.

Prologue // Ch. 1 // Ch. 2 // Ch. 3 // Ch. 4 // Ch. 5 // Ch. 6 // Ch. 7 on AO3

----- 

Her knuckles against the half-open door are soft, almost as soft as her voice when she says, “Hey, Killian," and her sigh is one of relief when she sees Killian is by himself, with the sheriff nowhere to be seen. 

Good. She doesn’t think she could face both of them together right now. 

Shutting the door behind her, she tries her hardest to smile at him, knowing that it probably isn’t as believable as she wants it to be. The smile that Killian has for her, though, is nothing but genuine, even with the tense air between them. Because of course he's still happy to see her, even though she stormed off earlier that morning.

"Hello, Swan," he says, extending his uninjured hand out towards her.

"Listen, Killian," she says, filling the space between them at the same time Killian says, "Look, about what happened."

She hopes this smile is more genuine than the last. "Can I? Please?"

He nods.

Leaning to sit on the edge of the bed beside him, she takes a deep breath, but looks everywhere in the room except his face. It’s not the first time she’s bared her heart to Killian Jones in the few short weeks since she met him at her brothers’ bar, but something about what she has to tell him now seems particularly difficult, and looking into his deep blue eyes — eyes that have been nothing but sincere to her since that first night at the bar — will only make it worse. "I can't — I'm not sure why you did what you did, but you know what? I talked to David and realized that I don't really care. Why you thought that hiding Neal's death from me was the best option, I'm not sure, but I know that's why you did it. And I appreciate it. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, really, and no matter how angry I am about this, it doesn’t come anywhere close to how thankful I am for everything else you’ve done since the moment I met you, really.” Finally, she allows herself to look at his face, right into those damn blue eyes, and his soft smile cuts right into the deepest part of her. She turns her gaze away again, but tightens her grip on his hand. “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened to me if you weren’t so adamant about protecting me, what Felix could have done, what Neal almost certainly would have done.” 

“Hey,” he says softly, letting go of her hand only to reach up and rest his palm against her cheek. “You don’t have to think about that. You don’t have to worry about anything. I understand why you were upset with me, and in hindsight, I’ve realized that I would have felt the same. You deserved to know about Mr. Gold, I should have told you, but—” 

“There’s nothing we can do about that now. If we… if we can move past this, I’d be more than content.” 

He smiles, and it’s one that she can’t help but return. “Deal.” 

She doesn’t know what else to say, what else needs to be said, so instead, she acts, leaning to fill the space between them and press her lips against his. It’s soft, between her worrying that she’ll hurt him and his being caught off-guard — and doesn’t last long, cut short by a soft knock behind her followed immediately by the creaking of the door as it swings open. 

“Good news, Mr. Jones,” Dr. Whale says, bounding into the room without looking up from his clipboard, closely followed by Graham and Henry. “Between the x-rays and your strength tests from this morning, I see no need to keep you here any longer. Usually we’d be more worried about nerve damage in your hand from an injury like this one, but…” He shrugs, a sly smile on his face as if it’s not the third time he’s made that joke since Killian's arrival. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” 

“Yes, ha, ha,” Killian responds dryly, lifting his uncovered blunted arm a few inches for emphasis.  

Whale ignores his comment, eyes back on the clipboard. “I’m going to want to see you next week to check on the healing progress, but other than that, you’re free to go, detective, unless you have any questions.” 

Killian shakes his head. “Thank you, doctor.” 

Whale nods, but it’s Graham who speaks up. “I’ll have Henry give you two a ride back to Emma's apartment.” 

“Can I just have the cruiser? You and young Mills can go to the station together, and Emma and I can just—” 

“Wait, I don’t—” Dr. Whale cuts in, suddenly interested in their conversation. “I’m not sure I feel comfortable with you driving until we’re sure you have full use of that arm, Jones.” 

But Killian just shakes his head, laughing softly under his breath. “I haven’t used my left hand to drive for almost ten years now, so I can’t imagine it will be a problem now.” 

Whale thinks on this for a moment, his eyebrows making a low V on his forehead. The room sits in a still anticipatory silence for a moment. And then he nods, and Killian releases a breath he had no reason to be holding. “Yeah. Okay.” 

So Killian turns back to Graham. “So? What do you think, sheriff?” The corner of his lips tick up in a momentary smile, knowing the most direct way into Graham's heart is by calling him sheriff. 

Graham, however, isn’t the one that responds. Instead, it’s Henry, his hands on his hips. “Bet you’re glad he — how did you word it, Jones? — sicced the rookie on you, or else you wouldn't even have a squad car.” But his facade fails, a slight smile working its way across his face. 

It’s contagious, spreading first to Killian and then Graham, who wraps his arm around the young man’s shoulders. “Come on, rookie,” he says with a laugh. “Give the detective your keys and we can head out of here.” 

Henry rolls his eyes, his smile only growing, but reaches into the pocket of his pants, pulling out the keys to the cruiser, which he tosses to Emma. 

“I’ll call you later to check in, Jones,” Graham says, then leaves the room, his arm still wrapped around Henry’s shoulders. 

After a moment, Whale clears his throat, then nods. “As I said, I’ll send a nurse in with your discharge paperwork.” And then he, too, turns on his heel and leaves them in the hospital room. 

With a sigh, Emma turns to Killian, holding the keys up in front of her. “Let’s get ready to get you out of here and go home” she says with a smile. 

Home. 

He responds with a smile of his own, Emma notices something in his expression, something that she hasn’t noticed since that first night, since talking to him outside the bar: an air of freedom, of happiness, not masked with worry or concern or the hardness of his need to protect her. It’s a genuine smile, something she never realized had disappeared after those first few conversations. 

But it’s back, a weight lifted off of his shoulders and a light returned into his bright eyes. She hopes it stays around for a very long time.

-- -- -- -- 

Killian’s never been a fan of silence, for as long as he can remember. That’s part of the reason he’s been drawn to the sea, he believes: it’s never silent, even at its calmest, and is always able to distract him from even the most gnawing thought. 

So the silence that fills the car on their way back to Emma’s apartment, which he’s sure others would find calming, has the opposite effect on him. His left foot is bouncing against the floor of the car, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel, and his mind running a mile a minute — riddled with questions and worries, all surrounding his relationship with Emma. 

He has so many questions for her, so many loose ends that he wants to tie up, hopefully in a clean, perfect bow. Even if that first night had nothing to do with the stalker, their relationship became one of necessity, and that’s not something that he can easily overlook. He steals a glance at her in the passenger seat, just for a moment, and the pounding of his heart slows slightly when he notices just how calm and content she looks, a soft smile on her face as she scrolls through something on her cell phone. He needs to know that she still reciprocates his feelings, feelings that are still very real and very potent to him. He still feels drawn to her, just as he did that first night — just as he has every time he’s looked at her, thought about her, been near her since then. 

But the words won’t come. As much as he hates silence, he can’t bring himself to break it. So he doesn’t. 

She does, though at first, it’s not with her words, but with her stomach, which growls loud enough for him to hear over the engine before she speaks. “Can we, uh, get something to eat?” 

At first, he’s speechless. This is, by far, the furthest thing from his reeling mind, but once he starts thinking about it, he realizes just how hungry he is, also. 

“Somewhere other than Granny’s, though,” she adds. “If we go to Granny’s, everyone will want to talk to us, know what happened, and I don’t think…” 

She trails off, but Killian takes over: “I certainly don’t have the energy for that right now.” 

She turns to him, a soft smile on her face, and he returns it after a quick glance. “Exactly.” A beat passes, both of them hoping for an answer to come from the other. 

Another beat passes. 

The problem with small towns, Killian says to himself. 

“What about the bar? They’re technically open for lunch, though no one ever really comes around until after the work day is over.” 

“Perfect,” Killian responds, flicking on the turn signal to change their route to their new destination. 

And it is, really. When they walk in, the cruiser parked in Emma’s spot outside her apartment building, they find only James behind the bar, putting away a few racks of dishes, and Mulan sitting on one of the barstools, a book held open in front of her. They both start at the sound of the bell over the door, though, and Killian is immediately set on edge by the two of them turning their attention to him — and can’t even imagine how uncomfortable he would have been at Granny’s. 

“Can we, uh, get lunch?” Emma asks, her voice quiet. At first, Killian’s not even sure that James heard her over the sound of the television behind him, though when James does finally nod his head, Killian realizes he must just be asking himself what the hell they’re doing there. 

“I’ll be right over,” Mulan says, but makes no move to get off the barstool, her attention even going back to the pages of the book in front of her. 

Not that Killian minds in the least. He doesn’t want anyone’s attention on him, not even the waitress serving them lunch, not even someone like Mulan who he knows is smart enough to not ask them about what happened when they're so obviously trying to avoid nosy people. 

“Thanks,” Emma says back, her voice no louder than before, but James speaks up as she moves to walk to her usual secluded corner seat. 

“Everything alright?” 

It’s an innocent enough question, really, even though Killian has no idea just how much James knows about the events of the past day. He must know enough. 

Emma stops in her tracks for just a moment, turning her attention up to her brother before returning it to the rough wooden floorboards, and then takes another step. “Just need a place to grab something to eat that’s not full of people, you know?”

Though Emma misses it, Killian notices the soft, brotherly smile that crosses James’ expression for a moment, one that takes his mind back to his own brother, even momentarily: it is the smile of someone happy to be able to help, even if they do so by simply leaving them alone. “Let me know if you need anything.” 

Emma nods to herself, missing this moment of genuine care on her brother’s face, and then slides into the booth.

He has so many questions for her, questions about everything he's learned over the past day, questions about whether she reciprocates the feelings he feels so strongly — but the question that he hears leave his mouth is, "So I guess you're not as close to James as you are David, then?"

Immediately, he can tell this is also far from any of the questions Emma expected him to ask, her brow deeply furrowed when she turns her eyes up to him briefly. But she answers it anyway. "It was like that from the start, from when I first came to live with them. James was part of the popular crowd, one of the cool kids, and I… I didn't even have any friends. But David was much more welcoming, much more open, and we just started to get along much better from the very beginning. It's never changed.”

Killian nods, thinking again of Liam. Liam was both David and James at once: Killian's best friend most days, spending all of their time at home with one another — but once they got to school, it would be as if Killian didn't exist. The four years between them limited the amount of time they spent in the same areas in school, but when Liam was around his friends, Killian always felt like he was a different person. The older Killian got, the better their off-homestead relationship became, especially after the passing of their mother, which brought them much closer, only for Liam to leave for college, and leave Killian behind.

“You have a brother, right?” she asks into the silence of the bar. 

“Had,” he snaps, much harsher than he means to, so he clears his throat and says it again. “Had. He died in the military. Almost ten years ago now.” 

The change on her face is immediate, realizing that what she hoped would be a simple, light conversation is far from her expectation. 

“Sorry,” she mumbles before turning her attention towards Mulan, who approaches their table. 

“Hey,” she says, searching her pockets for a pen, unaware of the awkward moment she has just walked into the middle of. “Kitchen’s not fully open yet, but James said to just order what you want and he’ll make sure it gets done for you.” 

Emma manages a half-smile, probably thankful for Mulan’s interruption of their conversation. “Thanks. I’ll just have a water for now. And a, uh, chicken sandwich with a basket of onion rings.” 

Mulan scratches a few things into her order pad, then turns to Killian. “That sounds perfect, actually,” he says, but keeps his attention turned towards the table. With a nod, Mulan walks away, and he can feel Emma’s eyes set on him. He’s angry with himself, upset that he let himself get angry with her — and embarrassed, more than anything else, really. He wants to look up at her, to let her know that his anger has everything to do with himself and nothing to do with her. Wants to smile at her, ease her fears — but he can do none of it, can’t even bring himself to look up from the dark spot on the table that's become the point of his focus. 

Until she changes the subject:  ˆ¨”Thank you for all you’ve done.” Her voice is soft, but caring, and in the silence that follows, he is finally able to raise his eyes to her. 

He even musters the energy to smile, a difficult task when every fiber of his being is torn between being angry at himself or hyper focused on the memory of Liam that popped into his head unexpectedly. “Of course, love. I’ve only done what I promised to do from the start.” 

She shakes her head. “No, it’s been much more than that. You’ve been — you haven’t just—” She takes a moment to find the words, and the least he can do is give her that moment. “You promised to protect me, and you certainly did that. But it’s so much more than that. You’ve cared about me in a way… in a way that no one has done, for as long as I can remember. That’ s more important to me than anything else.” 

“We need to talk about this, Emma. Talk about us.” It’s not the right response for the moment, changes the mood of everything immediately, but it slips through his teeth nonetheless, and it takes everything he has not to physically reach between them and try to pull the words back. She doesn’t respond, either because she can’t, or because she’s trying to gather her own words, but he continues anyway: “I know what my feelings are, but for as long as we’ve been together, it’s been out of necessity, and if you don’t — if you’ve changed your mind about—” but Emma stops him, reaching across the table to take his hand. 

“How many times do I have to tell you, Jones? I want to be with you. If I didn’t, I would have changed our situation long ago. I wanted to be with you the first night I met you in this very corner, and that hasn’t changed, no matter the necessity.” 

This time, he doesn’t think he could stop the smile forming on his lips if he tried. “Good,” he whispers, turning his hand under hers so he can lace his fingers through hers. “We’re in agreement then.” 

A comfortable silence settles around them, the music from the bar’s speakers calming Killian’s mind. It’s different than the silence from the car in every way, even if Killian still has things he wants to know about her. But sitting across from her in their corner booth, holding her hand and humming along with the music, is enough for him in the moment. 

For once, they are not in a hurry. There is no shadow lingering over their relationship, no threat of danger quickening the beat of his heart. 

There is only them, him and Emma, and all the time — and glasses of rum, and picnics in the park, and baskets of onion rings — in the world.

[ao3feed-swanqueen]

Searching for the Lyon

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3cYRNpV

by Witchgirl1234

Regina is Hades and Emma is a sheltered princess whose parents defied the goddess of the underworld. On the princess's 21st birthday, Hades arrives to get what she was promised, the first child of Snow White and Prince Charming. After such a wait, however, the goddess believes she deserves much more than just another soul in her kingdom. [Emma x Regina pairing] *Slow-burn* Greek AU - Rewrite of fic originally posted to FF.net under Withgirl

Words: 3926, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Emma Swan, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Lily | Lilith Page, Maleficent (Once Upon a Time), Huntsman | Sheriff Graham, Wicked Witch of the West | Zelena, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy

Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan

Additional Tags: Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Romance, Slow Burn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3cYRNpV

[tvshowscouples]

If you love Emma&Graham (Once Upon A Time) and you want reblog or like,this is the link of my reblog couples :)

thank you!

[grahamhumbertsshoelace]

Soooooo I figured I should probably start linking my fics lmao! Starting with my most recent one!

Title: And you, my love, are gone Fandom: Once Upon a Time (tv) Pairings: Emma Swan/Graham Humbert|The Huntsman, Emma Swan & Graham Humbert|The Hunstman, Emma Swan & Mary Margaret Blanchard|Snow White. Characters: Emma Swan, Graham Humbert|The Huntsman, Mary Margaret Blanchard|Snow White, Regina Mills|the Evil Queen and Henry Mills. Warnings: Major character death. Tags: Canon compliant, pre-shoelace, angst fic, hoo hoo! acknowledgement of Graham's funeral and how it impacted Emma, lowkey inspired from the song "The Chain" by Ingrid Michaelson, which I'm pretty sure is a breakup song but fuck it I'm using it here, Regina is a bitch and we hate her here, listened to my Sad Gremma playlist and this happened, basically an “Emma deals with her grief” fic, sorta Rating: Teen and up audiences. Summary:  A oneshot about Emma's feelings regarding Graham's death. S1 fic, canon compliant.

[ao3feed-captainswan]

PORCELAIN ── mad hatter/jefferson

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2IP20rF

by nevillesIongbottom

PORCELAIN⎟ ❝Alice Gold is asked by Henry Mills to help him find his birth mother ─ Emma Swan. The annoying task sounded simple enough but Alice never expected what would follow. Once they bring Emma into Storybrooke, fragments of forgotten memories start to resurface, a whole bunch of emotional breakdowns and identity crises, and strangely magical things start to follow. It's the reawakening of a forgotten story that Alice Gold is so not prepared for.❞ ⎟ [BOOK ONE OF THE PRINCESS PORCELAIN SERIES] [JEFFERSON x FEM!OC] [ONCE UPON A TIME SEASON ONE AU]

Words: 1702, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Original Captain Hook | Killian Jones Child, Original Female Character(s), Original Non-Human Character(s), Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Grace | Paige, Jiminy Cricket | Archie Hopper, Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Huntsman | Sheriff Graham, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy

Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Mad Hatter | Jefferson/Original Female Character(s), Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Red Riding Hood | Ruby/Original Female Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Original Female Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Milah, Belle (Once Upon a Time) & Original Female Character(s), Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Grace | Paige/Henry Mills

Additional Tags: Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Dark One Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Not Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pirate Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Bulimia, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Attacks, Minor Original Character(s), Fluff and Smut, Recovery, Therapy, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), Adopted Children, False Memories, Chronicles of Narnia References

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2IP20rF

[ao3feed-rumbelle]

PORCELAIN ── mad hatter/jefferson

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2IP20rF

by nevillesIongbottom

PORCELAIN⎟ ❝Alice Gold is asked by Henry Mills to help him find his birth mother ─ Emma Swan. The annoying task sounded simple enough but Alice never expected what would follow. Once they bring Emma into Storybrooke, fragments of forgotten memories start to resurface, a whole bunch of emotional breakdowns and identity crises, and strangely magical things start to follow. It's the reawakening of a forgotten story that Alice Gold is so not prepared for.❞ ⎟ [BOOK ONE OF THE PRINCESS PORCELAIN SERIES] [JEFFERSON x FEM!OC] [ONCE UPON A TIME SEASON ONE AU]

Words: 1702, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Original Captain Hook | Killian Jones Child, Original Female Character(s), Original Non-Human Character(s), Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Grace | Paige, Jiminy Cricket | Archie Hopper, Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Huntsman | Sheriff Graham, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy

Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Mad Hatter | Jefferson/Original Female Character(s), Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Red Riding Hood | Ruby/Original Female Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Original Female Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Milah, Belle (Once Upon a Time) & Original Female Character(s), Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Grace | Paige/Henry Mills

Additional Tags: Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Dark One Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Not Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pirate Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Bulimia, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Attacks, Minor Original Character(s), Fluff and Smut, Recovery, Therapy, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), Adopted Children, False Memories, Chronicles of Narnia References

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2IP20rF

[arawynn]

The curse of Sleeping Beauty

Jefferson X Reader Bookstore AU

 A/N: My entry for @sebashtiansatan’s 2k writing challenge #elifs2kwritingchallenge. It’s been an eternity since I signed up for this challenge…

 A/N 2: This story is set during the first season of Once Upon A Time.

Summary: Jefferson’s in love with Storybrooke’s only bookshop owner. It seems to be a normal Tuesday, but when he enters the bookstore, he find’s Y/N – cursed with the curse of Sleeping Beauty. Will he be able to break it? Or is Regina going to win?

Warnings: being cursed, heartbreak, almost main character death, (kinda?) attempt of suicide

Jefferson was on the way to his favourite bookstore – which happened to be the only bookstore of Storybrooke. Just like every Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday afternoons, Y/N the bookstore owner would read a story to the children. For about a year, the brunet had only watched this weekly event – simply because his Grace had attended every single time.

A few weeks ago, Jefferson had entered the bookstore for the first time himself. It had been a particular bad day relating to his sanity and he had simply needed to be close to his daughter. No matter how. He couldn’t even remember getting into the store until Y/N had stood in front of him. She had offered him tea and cookies. The day had gone by quickly with pleasurable hours of small talk.

Jefferson had started visiting more often, especially when he felt the madness get worse. Over the course of time, they had formed a friendship and the widower started helping out in the shop. Particularly with the preparations for the weekly reading event – making tea, cocoa and cookies. Though he never stayed for the event itself – seeing his daughter when she wouldn’t recognize him would be too much for his heart. And his sanity.

When Jefferson arrived at the bookstore this Tuesday, something felt off. Y/N didn’t greet him like usually when he entered the store. It was totally unlike her since Jefferson was the only one who came to her shop on Tuesdays at this time. When he saw a pair of legs poke out behind the register counter, he rushed forwards. Maybe Y/N was hurt and needed help? There was a light prickle on the brunet’s skin – he ignored it.

It was Y/N. She was laying there, obviously unconscious. Or probably worse. In a hurry, Jefferson checked her vital signs. Strong and steady to his relief. He also couldn’t see any injuries. Only a cup of tea and its spilled contents were laying close by. So at least it shouldn’t be anything too serious. The prickle got stronger. Something was wrong but Jefferson didn’t know what.

When Y/N didn’t wake up despite his best efforts, the brunet called an ambulance. They informed him that Sheriff Graham would be alerted as well. They arrived at almost the same time. While the paramedics took care of Y/N, Jefferson talked to the Sheriff. Not that he could tell him a lot about what had happened. Emma Swan, the Sheriff’s assistance meanwhile kept the growing curious crowd outside and tried to gather more information.

When Miss Swan called the Sheriff over to talk with a woman who might have seen something, Jefferson overheard a name that gave everything sense. In a weird, twisted way.

Mayor Mills.

Regina. The Evil Queen. Jefferson wouldn’t be surprised if she had done something to cause Y/N harm – simply to hurt him. The tingle he had felt while being with the bookstore owner might have been a sign that magic was involved. There were exactly 3 people in Storybrooke who remembered their lives in the Enchanted Forest. And as far as Jefferson knew, only Regina was still able to use magic in this realm.

As soon as the former Mad Hatter was allowed to leave, he rushed to the Mayor’s office. Regina was there and the fact that she seemed not at all startled by his sudden entrance told the brunet that she had expected him. “What did you do to her? And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”, Jefferson hissed. “Sleeping Beauty’s curse. She wasn’t suspicious of my tea – not even a second.”, the former Evil Queen answered incidentally. She didn’t even look up from her paperwork.

“So a kiss of love can break the curse.”, the portal jumper concluded. He spun around on his heel with a smile on his face. This was almost too easy. In the past Regina had been more resourceful but maybe that was due to the limitations of magic in this world. “A kiss of true love. And it has to be mutual.”, her voice cut through the air. Jefferson froze, with the door handle in his hand. Obviously he had underestimated Regina.

“And what happens if those requirements aren’t met?”, the Hatter asked stiffly and looked back at the dark haired woman. She had stopped writing and her signature evil grin had made an appearance. “She dies and the person who kissed her catches the curse like a virus. Like an illness.” Jefferson’s heart dropped. He knew that he felt true love for Y/N, but what about her feelings? Did she feel the same? Or was there only friendship for her?

The brunet finally understood the full extent of Regina’s evil plan. She wanted him to doubt the amount of feelings Y/N had for him so he wouldn’t dare to risk a kiss. Afraid that it might kill her instead of breaking the curse. And as much as he hated to admit it – her plan worked.

“By the way – you should hurry to get to her hospital room. Her Prince is on his way to ‘save’ her.”, Regina added, now again incidentally and while doing her work. Though there was still a smirk on her face. The portal jumper instantly dashed off. The success of his kiss might be doubtful but the Prince would definitely kill Y/N.

In Y/N’s hospital room, Jefferson barely managed to push the Prince away from her. “How dare you, peasant? I’m here to break the curse that was cast upon my Princess!”, he growled and attacked the portal jumper. The Prince managed to land a hit on his rips that knocked all the air out of his lungs. It left Jefferson unable to utter a single word – or to stop the other man from kissing Y/N. The curse took effect on him almost instantly. The Prince was out cold before he even hit the floor.

The effect on Y/N happened slower, but inevitable. Jefferson somehow managed to drag himself over to her bed. Unshed tears blurred his vision. “I…I’m sorry, Y/N. I should have protected you. I should have been faster, smarter, stronger. More attentive. I should have prevented this. There’s nobody but me to blame for your…situation.”, he whispered in a tearful voice.

Then, Jefferson slowly lowered his head. Brushed his lips along Y/N’s. It wasn’t even a full kiss, only a feather light touch to the corner of her mouth. He couldn’t continue living while Y/N died. The person who kept him sane after losing Grace and everything else he loved. Jefferson simply didn’t have the strength to deal with…anything. The whole situation. His lonely life in this realm. Watching his daughter who didn’t remember him. It was too much.

But…why was he still conscious? The Prince had been almost instantly affected by the curse. “Jefferson? What…? Where am I?”, asked the voice of Y/N. Tired and confused, but awake and very much alive! The portal jumper couldn’t stop himself from leaping at the bookstore owner to pull her in a close hug. Tears spilled in her neck while he cried from relief. Just cried and held her. He didn’t even notice the Prince wake up and disappear silently from the room.

“Jefferson…what happened? The last thing I remember is drinking a cup of tea in my store.”, Y/N finally asked. Jefferson retreated enough to look at her properly. A soft, lopsided smile appeared on his face. “I found you unconscious in your store and called the emergency service. I arrived maybe two minutes before you woke up. That’s everything I can tell you.”, he answered. She wouldn’t believe the truth. Not yet at least.

But he felt a lot better than he had in years. Because he knew it was mutual true love between him and Y/N. And Miss Swan had set the wheels in motion – which might end in the curse being lifted. Something bloomed in Jefferson he had deemed dead for years.

Hope.