Epilogue

The Day After Aurora's Eighteen Birthday

Rumple appeared in the back garden area of Maleficent's Castle carrying Aurora. He had changed her into a royal purple gown and had placed her mother's crown on her head. He knew he wouldn't have much time to get her set up before Maleficent spotted him there.

Rumple let go of Aurora and she floated in the air. He waved his hand over the stone slab turning the top to a soft white pillow top. He carefully moved Aurora over and lowered her down into place. He conjure an extra pillow and lovely place it under her head.

He moved around adjusting her dress. He lifted her head taking her necklace with the protection ring he had given her at Christmas. He took her left hand with Jefferson's ring and removed the ring placing it on the necklace. He took the protection ring and place it on her right hand. "When you wake you may not have magic of your own to weld but this ring will help protect you from danger and I know Jefferson and I taught you enough that you can stay safe until Jefferson finds you." He whispered as he placed the necklace now with Jefferson's mother's ring on it back around her neck.

He fixed her hair, so her curls fell into place, and he straighten her crown into place. "I hope you can forget me some day, my dear Princess. But I did what I had to do for not only myself, but your Kingdom and the faith of this world. You will be a successful leader with or without Phillip at your side. You are the future of this realm."

Rumple took out a small pouch and sprinkled it's contains around the perimeter of the gazebo. Once he completed the circle it sizzled burning into the stone. He moved back to Aurora taking her hand in his. "Goodbye." He whispered before taking both her hands and placing them together on her stomach.

Rumple turned and walked down the stairs, as his foot left the last step the spell sealed in place. To his surprise not only Maleficent was standing there but also Regina.

"You have some nerve setting her up here for her long nap." Maleficent growled.

"It is her castle dearie." Rumple mocked. "Where else would her Prince come looking for her? Besides he is to kill you and save her. So why make him travel to do both when this gazebo goes unused."

"And the redecorating you did does look quite lovely Rumple. Now that I think about it her being her is like me showing of a trophy, but you forgot her spinning wheel." Maleficent laughed waving her hand and a spinning wheel appeared to the left of where Aurora lay. She walked over hitting the spell with her staff.

"Only Phillip or Jefferson can enter there, now." Rumple warned.

"Yes that little brat Phillip, it seems someone helped him break his curse. But he's not a threat to me anymore."

"Oh really?"

"So he grows up and finds your little sleeping beauty and wakes her up. She won't have magic. And from what Regina's told me Jefferson is as good as dead so Aurora isn't and will never be another threat to me. But…" She looked at Aurora sleeping there a moment before she raised her staff and thorn bushes grew up around the gazebo. "just in case the little rascals actually make their way here. They can't have it so easy now can they?" And with a smile she disappeared.

"Where is Jefferson?" Rumple asked turning to Regina.

"I haven't the faintest idea. Based on his appearance the last time I saw him, he is most likely still drunk or has gotten himself killed."

Regina tried to play it off like she didn't care but Rumple saw right through her act.

"I thought you would know." Regina added.

"You couldn't keep him?"

"I decided to give him space."

Rumple laughed. "Did you finally realize he wants nothing to do with you anymore?"

"He has his freedom that he wished for, for now. But I will find him."

"He isn't in this realm and he would be stupid to come back any time soon."

"We both have ways of finding him. I wonder which one of us will do so first."

"Indeed."

"I know what I want with him. But what do you want with the little lost boy now?"

"That is none of your concern Regina."

"Is that castle feeling too big and lonely already?" She teased. "Oh, Rumple it has only been one night." She faked concern.

"How is your castle feeling lately?" Rumple fired back.

"I have plans which will make my castle quite spacious." Regina smiled thinking about what she had planned for her husband and Snow. "I would say good luck finding a new girl to fill it but with your track record maybe it is for the best not looking for anyone else." With a cloud of purple smoke she disappeared.

Rumple looked back through the thorn bushes at Aurora one last time before he too disappeared.

Three Months Later

Jefferson appeared in the lab behind Victor. "Doc!" He gave a bounce as Victor turned around to face him. "I got some great news but before I tell you about that I have one question for you."

"Whatever is it, Jeff?" He asked with a laugh.

"Will you be my best man?" He smiled a toothy grin as he raised an eyebrow towards his friend.

"Best man!" Victor exclaimed. "You and Alice?"

"Yes, she is going to make an honest man out of me after all."

"Yes, good for her…" He took Jefferson in a hug and pulled him towards the stairs. "A drink is needed for a celebration such as this!"

"Oh I think more than one is in order." Jefferson laughed gripping Victor's shoulder tight as they started up the stairs.

One year later

Jefferson was cutting wood when he felt his skin crawl with magic. No my protection spells. He thought turning around wondering where it was coming from, and who would be messing with them? Finally he felt his spells fail and there stood The Dark One."Rumplestiltskin?" He whispered staring wide-eyed at him not believing what he was seeing for a moment.

Rumple threw up the little pouch that held part of Jefferson's protection spell catching it. "These protection spells look familiar. What else of mine did you steal?"

Rumple watched Jefferson dropped his ax and start to slowly back away from him. Rumple disappeared reappearing behind him reaching out to touch him. "Jefferson."

"No, Rumple I didn't…" He stuttered falling over as he tried to get away.

"Relax Jefferson; I am not here to hurt you." He offered his hand to Jefferson.

Jefferson looked uncertainly at his hand. "You aren't?"

"No, I have some things to discuss with you."

Jefferson reached out taking his hand to get back on his feet. Rumple handed the spell pouch to him. "What would you have to discuss with me?" He asked putting the pouch in his coat's pocket.

"I haven't seen you in over a year and half. Belle…" Rumple looked away clearly upset.

"Belle?" Jefferson squeaked his memories of himself turning Belle over to Regina flashed through his mind, and suddenly he really did not believe Rumple's pure intentions.

"Yes, you were correct that day in the Tower Room, her association with me led to her dead."

"Wait Belle is dead?" Regina swore to me that she wouldn't kill her! He thought as all the guilt he had felt when he gave Belle to Regina flooded back, as he fought back tears. "W…what happened?"

"Her father didn't want her back, I had ruined her. He locked her up and she jumped from the Tower Room."

"Her father?" Jefferson shook his head not understanding. "Who told you this?"

"Regina."

"Regina…..she has to be lying!"

"Why would she lie to me about Belle?"

Jefferson rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Are you serious? When does she not lie? And there is always reasons to not tell the whole truth. You of all people should know that."

Rumple looked him over remembering how he, himself had tricked Aurora and Jefferson, but he changed the topic from Belle's death "This is where you are living now?"

"Yes." Jefferson blushed slightly embarrassed at his current home. "I can't exactly move in the same circles as before or you or Regina would have found me before now. Oh God does Regina know where I am?"

"No. Not doing jobs in the Enchanted Forest was clever but accepting jobs in Wonderland with the new Queen of Hearts could be bad for your health."

"I know I try not too but Alice loves that realm for some unknown reason."

"Well it is where she found you."

"Yes, it is." Jefferson shook his head in agreement because Rumple's words made a lot of sense.

"And you love Alice?" Rumple asked watching Jefferson's reaction closely.

"I… Yes. She has always been special to me, but you knew that would happen didn't you? That is why you agreed to her deal in the first place? You knew I would come to love Alice. You saw all this didn't you? You warned me and Aurora that day in the garden, that you had seen the future play out hundred different ways and we didn't end up together."

Rumple gave him a sad look. "Knowing things about the future are not always helpful but I did think Alice would be a good match for you after I first met her."

"Well you were right, we do make a good match. I realized that once I let myself believe I could still have a happy ending."

"But you do still long for someone else to warm your bed?"

Jefferson took a deep breath. "What is dead is dead and better not to be thought about."

"My, what a difference a year and a half can make. I didn't think you would have been able to forget your Rory so easily."

Jefferson took a deep breath before addressing Rumple. "Are you just here to torture me with my past failures? Because I assure you not a day goes by that I don't think of how I failed her, but the last thing I want to do is pine away after someone who is gone. I saw what that did to Regina. I have to move on." He paused licking his lips looking away from Rumple back towards the small house. "I have moved on."

"Moved on?"

"Yes I was in a very dark and dangerous place after Aurora's death. I would have gotten myself killed if not for Victor and Alice."

"What if I told you…"

"Jefferson? Who are you talking too?" Alice called exiting the little house holding a baby. "Rumplestiltskin!" She gasped her eyes going wide when she saw him and she quickly turned running back in the house, shrieking something about an emergency plan.

"Alice it's alright. Don't worry! We don't need my hat!" Jefferson exclaimed running towards the house leaving Rumple standing there shocked.

Was that a baby? Does Jefferson have a child with Alice? I never saw that? Not in any of my outcomes… He was with Alice and Alice dies… but a child? They have a child together? Rumple stood there shocked.

Jefferson exited the house holding the little baby girl. "Rumple this is Grace our daughter."

"Your daughter?" Rumple muttered looking very sad for a moment but he pushed those feelings away. "I am happy to see you moved on in your life Jefferson. I always knew you would."

Jefferson gave a little nod as he gave the baby a little bounce. "Alice and now Grace make it worth moving on and carrying on. She is my little saving grace." Jefferson smiled handing Grace back to her mother giving Alice a kiss on the cheek trying to reassure her everything really was alright. With a nervous look she took Grace and went back inside.

"A daughter I honestly have to say I am surprised by her." Rumple whispered staring at the door of the little house lost in his thoughts a moment.

"A gypsy once foretold that I would have two children, a little girl and decades later a Prince. I know I messed up the future by not saving Aurora that night, but at least I still got the little girl with the dirty blonde curls."

"Decades later?" Rumple questioned.

"Yes at the time I took it to mean that Aurora would have the little girl and then I would lose her to the sleeping curse for decades before Phillip would come and wake her up. Then somehow I would win her away from her Prince to have a son." He took a deep breath.

"Jefferson I am sorry…" He reached out to put his hand on his shoulder.

"No don't." Jefferson moved so Rumple's hand fell away. "This is not a conversation I like having with myself let alone with anyone else." He looked at Rumple, why does he look so worried? Is it just Belle's death or is there something else? He actually can't be worried about me, or my new family, can he? "We were about to have dinner would you like to join us?"

"I…" Rumple did want too; seeing Jefferson had made him realize that he had missed him more than he would care to admit. "No I can't, I have other business to attend too."

Rumple stood there debating on telling him about Aurora or not. He said he is to have two children, he has the girl and he thinks the Prince is lost forever because he failed to save Aurora. I can't break up his family now. Once Alice has passed on I could come back. He said the gypsy said decades, it could be after the curse takes effect and is broken. He can have this happy ending for a few years and then another with Aurora after the curse has run its course.

"Rumple are you alright? You said you had other business but you are still standing here. Did you discuss what you needed to with me? Or is there something else?"

Rumple looked at him. "What else would there be? Take care of yourself Jefferson, and learn from my mistakes never abandon your family."

"Yes, I learned that lesson well from you. I would never leave Grace or Alice behind."

Rumple gave him a sad look and told him. "Then I taught you well. Goodbye" He disappeared leaving Jefferson standing there confused and saddened by the old man's visit.

"Is he gone?" Alice asked coming back outside with Grace, she had his hat in her free hand.

"Yes." Jefferson took his hat and placed it playful on her head.

"What did he want?" She asked clearly worried.

"I am not sure what he really wanted. But he did tell me that Belle is dead."

"Belle is dead? What happened?"

"Her relationship with Rumple caught up with her." He muttered taking Grace and bouncing the baby around hoping her giggles could distract him from his guilty feelings for his part in Belle's death.

"Jefferson are we still safe here?"

"Rumple gave me back my protect spell, and Regina doesn't know where we are. After dinner I will recast the spell putting it all back in place and we will be fine." He kissed her cheek. "Don't worry everything is going to be alright."

Regina and the Huntsman stood off to the side of the clearing. "He married Alice and had a child? A CHILD!" She hissed clutching her hands and grinding her teeth in anger.

"My Queen, I think it best you calm your temper or the whole forest and everyone in it will pay the price." He motioned for her to look behind her and she saw the little sapling was on fire.

With a wave of her hand she put it out. "I assure you the whole forest won't pay for Jefferson's foolish belief he could just simply move on and have a happy ending." She turned and started back up the path to where they left their horses.

"Where are you going? Are we not going to kill him?"

"Kill him?" Regina turned questioning him.

"Well pardon me my Queen, but it is all you have talked about for months."

"You are looking at this all wrong Huntsman. Jefferson will pay but death is too easy of a payment for him… his death; at least." She laughed looking back at the little house. Alice had come back out with the baby now that Rumple was gone. Regina watched as Jefferson took the baby and bounced her around.

"Yes it will be Alice who will pay for his past sins." She paused a moment watching Jefferson give Alice a kiss on the cheek, "He is most likely telling her not to worry, he has no idea what is coming his way. The amount of pain and despair he will feel. Yes," Regina growled. "Alice will do just nicely," she shook her head. "for starters."

"But after all this time you are just going to leave them?"

"I know where he is now there will be no escaping me." She turned walking over to her horse. "Let him enjoy his so called happy ending, because one day soon enough it will all crumble apart. And then he will have more memories to haunt his dreams at night." With a smug smile she climbed on her horse and rode back up the path.

End of Part One

Author's Note:

I didn't expect this story to be so long but the ideas just kept coming. I view this story as Season One, or Part One. I am currently writing/outlining the second part of this story. I plan on it taking place during the second season of OUAT. But I want to play up the whole Science vs Magic storyline that I thought the first twelve episodes of season two were building up too. Which would mean lots more of Victor and the MadWhale Brotp and if you ship Frankenwolf I plan on throwing that in there too. And expect the evil King George to make a play for power in Storybrooke.

I am also currently working on two short stories, the first one I am going to post is a prequel to this story, showing what happened to Jefferson when King George and Prince James caught him and tortured him. The second one is set during the twenty-eight years of the curse explaining how Regina punished Jefferson during the curse, as well as my version of how Snow got the Story Book.

Thank you to everyone who read and review this story, hopefully you will enjoy my other stories as well.