In one of his less graceful exits, Jefferson stumbled out of the portal.

Landing face first in muddy leafs, the young man groaned. The ground was heavy with the scent of decay, and sopping wet. Icy rain pelted what little skin was visible, the stinging cold turning it pink. With all the strength he had left, Jefferson managed to roll over, get up on one knee, then finally pulled himself to his feet.

Pain. Almost blinding, through his back, his shoulder, his entire right side. He panted hard through his nose. Only his pride kept him straight. Squaring his shoulders, the young man breathed through the pain in his side, and righted his jacket.

His wife was expecting him and he refused to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging his pitiful state.

With a thick swallow and a high chin, he glided into his house.

Arista was waiting for him. She was at their table, stitching one of his vests. Her brow furrowed, her expression intense and focused. The motion of her arm was steady, but it froze at the sight of him.

At her gasp, as she rose to her feet without her usual grace, Jefferson swallowed. His hands fumbled around his many pockets for his secret weapon. Before she could reach him, he offered her a rose and a weak smile.

A wilted rose, with a broken stem. It's petals crushed, but the colors clear. A mix of sable red and cream white. Her favorite.

"Oh, my dear Jefferson." She sighed, accepting his token.

"I'm fine, really."

Arista nodded, but kept her gaze low.

A dirty, apologetic hand smoothed over her prominent baby bump. It stained the soft yellow cotton of her dress with mud. His brow dipped to brush her temple, his lips pressing against the corner of her mouth as he whispered, "Don't be mad."

The mermaid laughed. It was a weak, pained sound as she met his eye. Her expression crumbled at the sight of his bruised jaw and bloodshot eyes. Cupping his cheek, Arista bit her lip.

For a moment, she simply focused on his touch. The shallow breath against her cheek, the tender circles he rubbed into her stomach, the cold rainwater that dripped from his hair. "I'm not mad, Jefferson, I just wish-"

"I'd be more careful, I know-"

"No-" The mermaid started to protest, before thinking better of it. "Well, yes, I absolutely wish you were more careful, but Jefferson, I wish you wouldn't lie to me."

Caught off guard, the young man flinched at the accusation. Which led to another sharper flinch as his body paid the price for his dramatics. "What?"

Setting the flower down on the table, she guided him toward the back of their time home. Passed the little sitting area, tucked away in the corner was their bed.

Jefferson's steps were slow, but his wife kept him steady. Hissing through clenched teeth, he let her steer him onto the mattress.

Patient fingers took his hat and set it aside with just as much care. Heart hammering in her chest, she reached to open his jacket.

He shied away from her inquiring touch. Cheeks flushed, Jefferson caught her wrists in a weak grip. Voice trembling along with his smile, he pleaded, "Don't. Let me."

The blonde stared at him for a long moment. In the fire light, his face shined with sweat. His hair matted to his brow. Arista doubted Jefferson could manage to undress himself if he tried. The thought made her tear up.

The kiss was fierce. More of a smash of their mouths, but it only lasted a moment before she broke away with a sob.

Hormones, Jefferson supposed, and perhaps he was right. Still, when she tugged at his lapels with a soft plea of his name, he couldn't deny her.

Bowing his head, her husband let go.

Arista eased the jacket from his shoulders and liked to think she hid her reaction quite well. The dark material hid the blood, but couldn't hide the smell. Resisting the urge to gag, the young bride pushed her heart down and squared her shoulders. Steady hands helped him lift his elbow.

Jefferson choked. Eyes clenched tight, he bit back a cry. Breathing fast and thin through grit teeth, he nodded when the mermaid spoke his name.

She took that as a cue to go on. The other elbow went considerably easier, with hardly a grunt, and thankfully no more literal bloodshed.

By the time they managed to get him out of his waistcoat, the man was nearly unconscious. His skin waxy, gleaming in the orange firelight. Blood soaked through his shirt, coating his whole left side.

Stomach in knots and hands no longer quite so confident, Arista peeled the thin material back from his shoulders, wincing when he sucked another pained breath through his teeth.

The apology she offered was frantic, and the kiss that followed just as much so.

Jefferson slumped into her mouth. His fingers touched her cheek but had no chance to linger as she laid him down.

A shallow sigh left him as his back hit the mattress. His body ached. The pain in his shoulder was sharp and throbbing. He fought the urge to groan as his wife pulled off his heavy boots. Jefferson closed his eyes.

He made a pathetic sight. His skin pale; blood stained, stripped down to the waist. The rise and fall of his chest slowing as his last pangs of adrenaline faded. His blue eyes peeked open when his wife took a seat beside him.

In her hands was a water basin, but he had no memory of her fetching it. Watching her wring out a washcloth over it, he stroked her side with a weak finger. A gentle touch lifted his injured arm. His brow furrowed, but stayed quiet as Arista began to wash out the wound.

"I've changed my mind."

He hummed.

"I really do wish you would be more careful."

In his stupor, the Hatter still managed to muster up some indignity. "I'm careful!"

The mermaid merely sighed. If she spoke too much, her husband might catch on that she was close to crying.

Jefferson reached blindly and Arista caught his hand in her own before he could knock over the basin. Shaking her head, she redirected it to her bump. A sly move; the young man was a sucker for his little babe-to-be. Unable to fight it, a smile wound over her lips as he leaned forward to nuzzle the now undeniable bump of her stomach.

"I know, baby," his words bordered on slurred. "Your mama worries too much." Jefferson kissed the bump before leaning back to meet her gaze. His hand lingered on her stomach. "But that's why we love her right?"

Arista arched an eyebrow. He was trying to distract her, or at least butter her up enough for her to forget her annoyance. Amused, but not very impressed, the mermaid smirked. "Lay back, my love."

Scattered across his left side were four thick slashes that had been ripped near to the bone. She cleaned diligently and ignored how her husband began to pant. There was a lot of blood to mop up- too much. Frowning, she reached toward their night stand.

"Is it bad?"

"No," the lie was immediate and easy. "Still, best not to chance it."

A firm hand pushed the small wooden chest away from the wall. The other weaved through her husband's sweaty curls as she began to hum.

Jefferson frowned. A curious echo radiated between his ears. Drowsiness and relief washing over him. Each wave made his bones heavier. His vision swam. In the orange glow, his wife was little more than a blur. He murmured quietly about resting his eyes.

The mermaid felt around behind the drawer and retrieved a flask. A simple object plucked from a friend's bag when they weren't looking, put in an inconspicuous place her husband would never look. The liquid inside swirling, glowing faintly azure in the dim light. Arista knew little about magic on land, and tended to avoid humans awkward attempts to wield it, but like all women, she was privy to her secrets. Pouring a small amount into her hand, she continued her soft melody.

It seemed to hear her. It pulsed in time with her song. The shine dimmed down to a navy so dark it was almost black. Arista rubbed her palms together. The liquid grew cold and thick, as if understanding her intentions.

With a soft prayer of thanks to her aunt, the mermaid spread it over her Hatter's wounds.

Jefferson shivered.

"I know," his wife assured him. Her movements were quick, skilled. "I know it's cold, darling, but it will help you heal."

When he only panted, Arista continued on. Brown eyes sharp, she watched the liquid. It smoothed over the gashes, sealing them, and in time they would heal without leaving so much as a scar.

"We really need to start decorating."

Her gaze flickered up to his face. Expression shifting to a smirk, she kept up her work with a mute shake of her head. Always the same her Jefferson.

"We need a crib," he slurred. "Need a lot of stuff still." He sniffed, brow furrowed as he rolled his shoulder. It felt stiff and dull. "A crib, a bassinet, one of those... little... baby...sink things."

The last one was new. Amused, Arista lifted her head. "Baby sink things?"

"Yeah, they-" he swallowed, his head heavy and clouded. He lifted a weak hand. "Go in the sink and you wash babies in them."

The young woman smiled as she pulled her hands from his body. Her hands smudged with magic, she moved to empty the bloody basin in the sink. Nose wrinkled, she resisted the urge to gag. Arista held her breath and turned on the tap. The water came out in a fierce gush, startling her, but she made no sound as she began to wash her hands.

On the bed, Jefferson's eyes fluttered. Voice thin, he spoke more to himself than his wife, his mind a winding spiral staircase, leading up up up, back back back- "Need a crib first, though. A good one."

"I've taken care of that."

His head rose. Handsome features flushed and confused, he gaped at the blonde as she moved to lay beside him. He snuggled up to her as she rested her back against the headboard.

Her lower half ached; the nerves in her calves felt pinched, her knees and ankles tight, and her feet throbbing. Still, a warm smile wound over her mouth. Threading her fingers through his hair, Arista rubbed his bicep and offered his ear a kiss.

"You did?"

She nodded and kissed him again, on the mouth this time.

"You're happy, right?"

Arista closed her eyes. "Yes, of course."

"Do you think my parents were ever like this?"

"Perhaps they were," she pressed her forehead against his, rocking him like she would have her sisters. Like she would their child.

A long sigh left him before he shifted to lay his head on her shoulder. He felt no pain now, not even a twinge, but his head remained foggy and fearful. Jefferson buried his face against her collar. She smelt like fresh air and salt. A wandering hand searched, over her thigh and hip before settling on her belly once more.

The portal jumper was quiet.

Arista felt him swallow and braced herself.

"Why'd she go?"

There it was. What had once been a well hid secret now gripped him like a fear. His mother had left him. Had put her Hat on, fixed her jacket and told him not to wait up, and had left him. Not never to be seen again, not ripped from her family through curse or misfortune. Alice had abandoned him. Had scoffed at his accusations when they met again; Jefferson still too young to be called a man, too jaded to be called a child. Arista held him tight. Not liking the tears that stuck to her husband's voice, she kissed his hairline.

"I was a decent kid, I stayed out of the way the best I could, but she still-"

Tight fingers wound into his hair and wrenched his head back.

Jefferson gasped. His eyes, dark and wet, met her gaze beseechingly.

"She didn't deserve you." The words were simple, but said coldly. "She was a coward and a waste, and we are nothing like them, my love. We never will be."

The Hatter sighed and tilted his head back. His eyes fluttered as her fingers ghosted along his jaw.

The mermaid kissed him again along his brow. His warm skin was damp with sweat. Thumbing his jaw, she began to hum again. Her love needed to rest, not be swept up in the tides of the past.

"Ris?"

She hushed him. "Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

The young man obeyed.

Jefferson blinked himself awake. The room was a dreary shade of autumn midday grey. Licking his lips, he sat up to lean on his forearm. He rubbed his face and stretched with a hum.

His wife greeted him by the thin curtain divider. Coy, she kept her face partially hidden behind the veil and teased, "Good day, handsome."

A sly grin wound over his lips. Reaching for his Hat, he wondered why it wasn't in it's box, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he rolled it down his arm onto his head. Tipping the brim back on his brow, Jefferson wiggled his eyebrows. "Come back to bed, beta."

She blushed. Smoothing her hands over her pregnant belly, the mermaid stepped into their bedroom. Or at least, the corner of the house they kept the bed in. "Did you sleep well?"

"I am completely rested." Crawling toward her on hands and knees, he licked his lips. "In fact, I'm so well rested that I think we should test my stamina."

"Is that so?"

Jefferson ignored her dry tone in favor of standing. His blue eyes swept over her, lingering on the soft new lines of her body. He smiled, a hand smoothing over her belly. "Dance with me."

Arista scoffed and shoved his hand away. Her cheeks were pink. They darkened as he kissed her left one, then the right.

"Dance with me," her husband repeated. "You remember how, don't you, my love?"

Her heart fluttered in her chest, choking her a moment before his taunt registered. Eyes narrow, she shoved him away. "I remember!"

"Oh?" With a bow, Jefferson offered a glib hand. "Prove it."

The mermaid's hand was soft in his own. She let him pull her to his chest, her lips pursed but the corners fighting to rise as she regarded him.

Jefferson looked good; healthy. The color had come back to his skin, and given the rather firm grip he had on her ass, she supposed him to be in full health. Arista allowed herself to be spun with only a roll of her eyes (that, admittedly, was just for show).

"I'm gonna hang up the Hat."

The blonde paused. "Really?"

"It's time." Jefferson touched their brows together, his thumbs caressing her jaw. He smiled at her shiver. "But I'll only do it if you ask me to."

Arista frowned.

"I-" The young man's voice cracked and he swallowed before trying again, "I'm not brave enough to quit for myself."

"You don't have to quit."

Jefferson licked his lips. His jaw twitched. "Yes, I do. Yesterday was too close."

"That's because I wasn't there to protect you."

"Ris." He shook his head, somber. "Don't."

"I'm not ready." Arista stepped back from him. Her bottom lip quivering, she shook her head. "I want to see more."

"You will, we will, the three of us, but…" His hands took hers. "Not like we used to." Blue eyes bright, he thumbed her knuckles tenderly. "We'll have to be smarter, safer, before we go out again."

"A team," The mermaid encouraged.

"Yes."

Arista pulled at his hand.

Puzzled, he allowed her to pull him close, only to spin him back out again. Laughing, the Hatter twirled when prompted. Her hands caught his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss.

The touch brief, his wife kept him close as she begged, "Stay. Stay until we're ready, don't go where I can't follow."

"I won't," Jefferson whispered. "Never."

A/N: the wonderful reviews totally awakened my live for this story, thank you guys so much. Everybody please stay safe!