Author's Note

I'm dedicating this chapter to MusicIsMyRemedy73 because she dedicated one of her chapters to me in her Once Upon A Time fan-fiction called Our Version of Wonderland, the sequel to Uncovering the Past.  She is a really great writer and while I'm still not finished with Uncovering the Past, it's definitely an amazing book.  So thank you so much for your dedication!  Please vote and comment if you feel inspired to!

Chapter IV

Jefferson starts slowing the car down and all I can see out my window is an enormous house.  Whoever lives there must be quite significant to this small town to have a house like that.  Then when Jefferson turns into the mansion's driveway, I literally drop my jaw in awe.

"This is your house?" I ask, unable to take my eyes off the beautiful architecture.

"Yep," he answers.

"Who else do you live with?" I ask.

"Nobody, it's just me," he says pulling in.  I step out of the car and Jefferson walks me up the stairs and into the house.  "Do you like tea?" he asks when he takes my coat.

"I've actually never had any before aside from bottled iced tea and Arnold Palmer," I admit.

"Really?" he laughs, "Well, I'll make some and you can tell me how you like it," he says.

"Sounds good!" I smile.

"Here, I'll show you the living room," he says, placing his hand on my back and guiding me into a room that looks way too nice to be somebody's living room.  I sit down on his large white couch and place one of his red pillows on my lap, looking up at Jefferson.  "Well, I'll make the tea," he says, "Feel free to look around."

"Okay, thanks," I smile.  He turns and walks off in the direction of where the kitchen must be. 

I stand up and decide to take him up on his offer to look around.  I immediately notice a black grand piano sitting in front of a large window.  I smile; playing piano is one of my favorite hobbies.  Does Jefferson play too?  I wonder.  I carefully lift the fallboard and softly play a few chords.  It sounds a lot prettier than the old keyboard I had in my apartment.  In fact, the sound quality doesn't even compare.  I quietly close it and walk to the other side of the room to check out the stuff he has sprawled out on his dining room table.  There is a beautiful centerpiece made of red and white roses; the overhead light bounces softly off their delicate petals, giving them an aura of elegance.  The white porcelain vase holding them has paintings of small mushrooms around the base, an odd feature, but it's kind of fitting, I can't really explain how.

I then notice the antique china cabinet standing up against the wall and I walk over to check it out.  It isn't filled with fancy plates like they usually are, there's just some old teapots and cups.  Most of them are cracked, chipped and worn out overall.  Some are even broken in half.  I study them for a good couple of minutes, wondering what sort of sentimental value they could have to be worth putting on display before I turn around and head back into the living room. 

I take a seat on the couch again before noticing a deck of cards sitting on the coffee table.  I pick them up and open the box, taking the handful of cards out.  I flip through them and notice that all of the cards are the same suit, hearts, only half were red and half were black.  The familiar joker cards were replaced with rabbit cards.  I wonder what kind of a card game can be played with only one suit?

As I set down the cards, Jefferson walks into the room carrying a tray with a teapot, a couple of teacups, bread, and jam.

"Ready to try your first ever cup of real tea?" he asks setting the tray down gently on the coffee table.

"Yes I am!" I exclaim, watching him pour the steaming liquid into the cups.  He doesn't even ask how much milk I'd like.  Instead he pours a bit less milk into mine as he does into his, which is interesting.  

"It's hot," he warns, handing one of them to me.

"Thanks," I tell him, blowing on it a little.  He watches me as I take my first sip.  It tastes a lot better than I imagined.  There's just a touch of vanilla in it giving it its sweetness, making it taste almost addicting.

"It's an acquired taste," Jefferson starts, studying my reaction to the tea.

"It's amazing!" I say looking over at him, "What kind of vanilla did you put in it?"  He arches an eyebrow.

"You can single out the vanilla?" he asks skeptically.

"Yeah, why?" I ask him, confused.  It's so distinct, how can I not taste it?

"No reason," he says, spreading some jam over a piece of bread and ripping off a bite.  "It's actually a rare vanilla bean that I can't get anymore, I only use what I have left for special occasions," he explains, glancing over at me and smiling.  I flicker my gaze away and look inside my tea cup, trying unsuccessfully to hide the smile that is forming on my face.  Did he really just tell me that he considers me being here a special occasion?  We sit on his couch and drink more tea for a few minutes before he looks up at me again.

"Do you believe in fairytales Elle?" he asks, setting his cup down.

"What do you mean?" I ask.  Did he mean to ask if I believe that someone's life could be so perfect that it could be like a fairytale?

"Do you believe that the fairytales you read about growing up could have actually happened?" he asks, staring into my eyes.  He looks serious enough, but it's an odd question.

"It would be cool if they were real, but there's no way that they actually happened," I answer, shaking my head.  He nods, taking in my answer.

"So how long are you planning on staying in town?" he asks.

"I was planning on leaving once our car gets fixed, but I don't know.  The town is kind of starting to grow on me," I add, looking at him and smiling a half-smile.

"Why don't you and your friend stay for a while?" he suggests, "I personally think Storybrooke has a lot to offer if you're ready to receive it."

I think about that.  It's not like there's anywhere else I was specifically planning on going when we get the car back anyways, and Granny's is already starting to feel kind of like a home to me.

"Hmm," I ponder, "I'll have to talk with Simon and think about it."  I doubt he will have a problem with it though... with his newfound interest in Ruby and all.

We stay on his couch, just talking, eating, and drinking more of his delicious tea.  He asks me so many questions about my life that it kind of makes my brain hurt.  It was odd though, whenever I tried asking him about his life and how he came across his luxurious house, it almost seemed like he was trying to change the subject.  Other than that, things were going pretty good after my nerves loosened up.   Before I knew it, hours had passed.

"It's already ten!" I exclaim, looking at his clock's hour hand at a hair past the Roman numeral X.

"You have to go?" he asks, looking slightly disappointed.

"Yeah, Simon is probably going to worry about where I've been," I stop and think, "Well, unless he's still with Ruby," I ponder.

"He didn't know you were here?" He asks with a devilish grin.  Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that part, after all, I still don't know him all that well.

"Well, I'm sure Granny would've told him if he was worrying," I lied, just in case.  I hadn't even seen Granny since this morning.

"Ahh, I see," he says, still grinning, looking me straight in the eyes.  I can tell though that he doesn't believe me.  I've been told before that I'm a terrible liar.  "I'll take you back then," he offers, standing up to go grab both of our coats.  He quickly puts on his and helps me get into mine. 

"Thanks," I say smiling, and blushing a little.  Of course.  When am I not blushing around him?  At least this time it's hidden under the magic of a high-coverage foundation.

"No problem," he smiles, staring down at my lips.  I can feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.  I don't want to jump to any conclusions and risk embarrassing myself in front of him again so I quickly reach my hand back until I feel the front door's cold brass doorknob wrapped around my fingers. 

"Well, we better get going!" I exclaim, letting out a fake sounding chuckle.  I rip my gaze from him to open the door.

"Yeah," he says, glancing at the floor before he looks out into the night and stuffs his hands inside the huge pockets of his coat. We head out the door to his car. I roll my eyes at myself, feeling like an idiot.  Did he actually want to kiss me or am I just imagining this?  I have no idea what I would have actually done if he actually had moved in.  My lips reflexively twitch into a small smile at the thought of it.

The ride back is silent, as I'm slouched against the window listening to the radio and asking myself the "What if's" from tonight and going through every possible scenario in my mind.   

After a few minutes, we are stopped in front of the familiar brown inn.  I unbuckle and make a move to open the door.

"Stop!" he says suddenly.  I freeze and look at him.  He's smiling at me as he gets out of the car.  I smile also, knowing what he's doing.  Sure enough, he appears at the passenger side opening the door as I step out of the car.  He's a gentleman too?  I look at him shaking my head, still smiling.  "What?" he asks.

"A little cliché don't you think?" I laugh jokingly.

"Maybe, but you're still smiling, aren't you," he asks.

"That's true."

"Then mission accomplished.  Goodnight Elle," he says.

"Goodnight," I smile nervously.  He gives me one last smile and turns to go.  He waits until I'm in the building to drive off, but I stand watching out the window until his car is out of sight.  This has honestly been the nicest evening I've had in a long time.  I glance up at the stars and decide on a whim to grab some blankets and lie outside to sleep in the grass tonight.

I quietly creep up the stairs and unlock the door.  I grab the things I need for my campout and walk back down the stairs, going out the door leading into the backyard. 

The landscaping outside is gorgeous, there are flowers planted along the tiled patio, which has a few sets of chairs and tables topping it.  The backyard is beautifully decorated and I can easily find a soft patch of grass to set up camp.  I lay a few quilts out on the grass along with my pillow and cover myself up with some of the lighter blankets.  I just lay there and stare at the stars until I fall asleep, awaiting my usual forest dream to take over my mind.

*

My heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest.  I feel like I'm spinning.  Who knows where; everything around me is a blur.  "NOOO!" I hear a man yell, his voice is all around me, yet at the same time it's eons away.  All I know is that I'm going somewhere new, but hey, I like new places, maybe this will turn into a fun new adventure!  I close my eyes and my heart starts to sink as I try to half-heartedly convince myself of that.  I know I will never see my home and life again.

Suddenly I've stopped.  I open my eyes and can feel ice cold raindrops hitting my skin, already soaking through my dress.  I can barely see anything around me.  Suddenly I hear a strange cracking noise coming from a ways away.  It sounds like thunder.  I turn around in the direction the noise came from.  Sure enough, I see a brilliant flash of white lightning piercing through the sky, illuminating a large castle-looking building in the distance.  I start walking towards it, careful not to trip over anything while my eyes are still adjusting to the dark.  Maybe whoever lives there will be kind enough to let me stay the night. 

I finally reach the building's entrance, but there's a large iron gate preventing me from getting any closer.  I grasp the bars, resting my head between them.  I'm so exhausted and unwilling to do anything more so I lie down right there in the wet grass.  Hopefully whoever lives here will let me in in the morning.  As I get myself settled as comfortably as I can, I feel my foot hit something small.  I reach around and grab a strangely shaped bottle with a glowing pink liquid inside.  A potion!  I gulp it down, remembering from school that pink potions were always good and helpful, so maybe it can help me get back home.  To my disappointment, nothing happens.  Groaning, I try to ignore the rain drops hitting my face and I attempt to fall asleep next to the gate.

I wake up to somebody violently shaking my arm. 

"Elle, Elle, ELLE!" Simon sings into my ear.  I lift myself up and push him down, yawning.  "Ahh!" he yells, jumping back up.  "The grass is soaking wet!" he complains, giving me a look.  I look down, sure enough, my blankets, and now my clothes are damp. 

"Did it rain last night?" I ask, watching him attempt to blow the water off his blue and white striped shirt.

"No Elle, elves came during the night and watered the lawn," he answers sarcastically.

"Help me grab my stuff then," I tell him, trying to bunch everything together, but failing.  Granny really makes some big quilts.

"No, you got me wet," he replies jokingly. 

"Ah, whatever," I mumble, finally managing to fit everything into my arms.  We walk back inside together, but go our separate ways when Simon heads back upstairs while I try to find the laundry room... unsuccessfully might I add.  My arms start to ache after a while of searching so I drop everything in the hallway and go to find Granny.

I find her quickly at her post by the front door.  "Do you have a dryer here?" I ask, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I thought that was you outside in the rain!" she chuckles, getting up from her desk.  "Follow me dear," she orders.  We get back to the hall where I dropped everything and she opens a door a few feet away from the wet pile of blankets.

"Oh," I say, a little embarrassed that I didn't find it right away.

"It's okay sweetie, I can get everything dried for you," she smiles, "Go have fun today!"

"Are you sure?" I ask; I don't want to burden her.

"You're a guest!  Go out and enjoy the sunshine!" she insists.

"Okay, thanks so much for all your help," I tell her.

"Don't worry about it!" she giggles, waving me off.

When I get back to the lobby, I can hear Granny yelling, "RUBY!  I'VE GOT SOME LAUNDRY HERE FOR YOU TO DO!"  I shake my head smiling and head out the front door.

I decide to walk back to the store, being in desperate need of food.  Granny's is great, but I can't eat there for three meals everyday or I'll be broke.  I also ran out of things to snack on anyways.  When I walk in, I see the same guy behind the counter.  I think I remember Jefferson calling him Mr. Clark.  He sneezes loudly into his hand behind the counter.  Note to self; get some sanitizer to wipe off my food!

I immediately see a delicious looking box of soft pretzels, so I start heading in their direction.  As I cross one of the aisles, I run into a young boy. 

"Ugh!  I'm so sorry; this is the second time this happened this week!" I apologize, helping him pick up the few things he dropped.

"No worries," he starts, looking up at me.  "You're not from Storybrooke, are you?" he asks like he knows the answer.

"Nope, I'm just visiting," I explain.  Is this town really that small that everyone knows when people do or don't live here with a single glance?

"Why?" he asks, looking at me with genuine curiosity, he couldn't have been more than eleven years old.  "Usually people never 'just visit' Storybrooke," he says smiling.

"Well, my friend Simon and I were on a road trip and we got hungry so we stopped at Granny's," I explain.

"But why haven't you left yet?" he asks.

"Well," I start amused at his bluntness, "Our car broke down on our way out of the city, and since then we really don't have the need to leave."

"Wait," he says closing his eyes and holding up his hands, "your car broke down at the city line?" He asks suspiciously.

"Yeah..." I start, but am interrupted by a woman shouting and walking towards us.

"Henry!" she calls is a semi-scolding voice.  The woman has shoulder-length, jet black hair and is wearing business attire.  When she looks up at me she gasps, grabbing Henry's shoulder with one hand and her heart with the other.  

"Ow," Henry complains, wiggling out from her grip.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asks in a very stern tone of recognition.  It takes me aback a little.

"Umm," is all I can get out.  She stands there glaring at me as if she's waiting for me to explain myself.  I really don't know what she's expecting to hear from me.  After a few seconds, her face softens, as if she realizes I have no clue what's going on... which I don't.

"I'm sorry," she exhales, "I thought you were someone else!  Please forgive me for acting so rudely towards you."

"No worries," I tell her, a little more higher pitched than I wanted.  

"Well, we should be on our way," she grabs Henry's coat collar and drags him off with her.  Lovely woman, she didn't even introduce herself after all that.  I don't know who she is, but I get the feeling she isn't somebody to mess with.  If I were whoever she thought I was, I would be a little on edge.  When the aftershock wears off, I continue my food search.

*

I end up leaving the store with a full basket of things.  I bought the soft pretzels, cheese sauce, granola bars, chocolate chip cookies, tortilla chips, salsa and of course, Arnold Palmer, with other various snacks, including actual tea bags!  I've been craving more since last night but I'm sure nothing will be as good as the tea Jefferson made. 

I leave the store and head back to Granny's.  Once I set the bags on the dresser, I realize that I forgot to write last night's dream down in my dream journal.  It was the strangest dream I have ever had.  I'm so used to having variations of the same forest dream every night.  Last night's dream was the first dream I have ever had that didn't have the forest in it.  That's not the strange thing though, what's strange is that the dream almost felt real.  I can't explain it, but it felt just too vivid to have actually been a dream.  I know it's crazy, but it almost felt like... a memory.