My first time writing Mad Queen, please be kind and review.

She had met him on one of her trips to see Rumplestiltskin. Practicing magic was exhausting and took everything of her energy, putting her quickly in need of rest most days, by time her lessons were finished. Regina still wasn't allowed to leave the kingdom, not without her husband, not directly past the barriers anyway. She wasn't happy being married to the king, but so far, he hadn't been terrible. He'd also agreed, by her father's demand, to give her time to ready herself to the thought of performing her marital duties. Prince Henry had convinced King Leopold that she was still too young and since the marriage had happened so quickly, she hadn't been properly informed.

So she learned little by little from her handmaidens. They told her what to expect, but that the king was not going to make his demand for just a little more time. When Regina asked Rumplestiltskin if he could take her mother's barrier away, he said no. Only death of the king could do so, but she could always escape to different realms. It was one day when she asked what he meant that the Hatter showed up.

"I can show you what realm jumping is, Your Majesty," he'd said, flourishing a bow in front of her.

"Can you?" she had responded. She was eager. There was nearly nothing more that she wanted than to get away from the king.

"Yes, but unfortunately, you have to come back every time."

"I can't stay away?"

"There are rules. As many have to come back as that which goes through."

She was disheartened, but nodded in understanding. There was nothing she wanted more than to get away, but he said it would take time, he had work to do.

Regina didn't know that the work he had to do was for Rumplestiltskin, that he was going to help become her downfall. He procured the strange doctor from the strange land. It was the Hatter who brought the man who had taken away the last of her hope, and she spent days and weeks crying.

By time the Hatter took her on her first journey, she had long since taken her first heart, but it was the only one. She still had not blackened her soul, not as much as she would one day. He met her after a magic lesson with Rumplestiltskin, and asked if she wanted to travel that day.

Their first trip was to Neverland. It was beautiful, but it made her sad, and she never wanted to go there again. That didn't stop her from needing to go somewhere else. They traveled many places, Agrabah, a land called Terabithia and a land called Narnia, filled with beautiful and unknown creatures, but magic traced the form of everything that existed there and it haunted her.

Each trip took half a day or a day at most, depending on how much she wanted to see. She'd begged him for a different world, one with magic but beauty, and not dark magic, beautiful magic. That was what had her standing with him in front of a haunting mirror portal. She should have known—should have realized what it would lead to, but she didn't. So when they entered a fantastical realm filled with incredible beauty, the sights of which she'd never seen anywhere else, she was consumed by a feeling of foreboding.

"What is this land?" Regina asked Jefferson, his hand on her back, guiding her. She hadn't actually realized he was touching her, not until she turned to look at him in search of an answer. But it was a habit he'd begun forming, touching her easily, somewhere between friendly and too familiar. She liked it, though, liked the warmth his hand caused to shoot through her body, the feeling one she hadn't felt since her days with Daniel, and somehow this felt even more forbidden. Perhaps because she was bound to someone by marriage.

"This is Wonderland. Ruled by the Queen of Hearts, a ruthless leader who won't hesitate to cut off a man's head or rip out his heart," he whispered, keeping quiet so as not to alert anyone to their presence.

"R-Rip out hearts? Sh-she rips out people's hearts?" She understood what that meant, and suddenly, the reflective portal had meaning. "We have to go. Jefferson, you need to take me back."

Shaking his head in confusion, he asked, "What? Why? We just got here."

"Because she… I have done something to anger a woman of the same description. I cannot take the chance that this Queen is she. Please, we must go."

Nodding, he heard guards trampling nearby, and he pulled her to hide beneath a large mushroom, tucking their bodies behind the thick stem. He placed a finger to her lips, warning her to keep silent, then pulled her closer to him, trying to take up as little space as possible. When he was certain the guards had passed, Jefferson released her, looking into her eyes. He'd never noticed how deep brown they were, how open they were… and how readable she was.

Regina felt his eyes scrutinizing her, and her body warmed beneath his gaze. "What is it?" she asked, worried he had discovered something of her secrets, through her fear.

"I…" he started, his words failing him. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was a tentative kiss, slow as he tasted her lips and slid his tongue out, trying to explore her mouth. Regina gasped, her eyes widening and she pulled away in fear.

She hadn't been kissed like that since… since Daniel, and it hurt. She wanted affection, she wanted the chance to love again, but how could that come to her when she was married? It wasn't fair. The realization and the fear had her darting out away from him onto the walking path, right in front of some strange form of a soldier. Fear pulsed through her veins, trailing beneath her skin and she looked at her realm jumper for guidance.

Jefferson grinned, gripping her wrist and pulling her along to run with him. They sprinted, and Regina doubted she'd ever moved so fast on foot in her entire life. Soon, they were back to the portal with the soldier right behind them. "Jump!" Jefferson shouted, sliding his hand from her wrist to her hand, weaving their fingers together as they jumped into the portal.

Regina let out a relieved laugh once they were back in the hat's portal room. She couldn't believe they'd made it, made it out alive. Jefferson didn't seem as relieved as she did, though, and she frowned, her brow furrowing as she looked at him. "What is it?"

"I… they can't come back through the hat, I just worry that if we go home right away, the Queen will be able to figure out where we returned to."

"So, we go someplace else?"

"But it's late. Won't you get in trouble if you're out much later?"

Regina shrugged, turning her head. "Perhaps so, but he is my husband, not my keeper. I should be able to do as I please." Her words came out strong, but he could tell she was worried.

"Why don't we go somewhere, and if we like it, we'll go back another day?" he offered, his smile wide and full of mischief.

"Very well," she agreed. He chose a door that was shaped like a pine tree. It had colorful balls placed all over, decorating it and a star on top. Taking Regina's hand, Jefferson pulled her through the portal, and they landed in deep snow.

"What's this?" he whispered, his voice only loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"I… it's beautiful," Regina breathed, looking around. There were houses and shops everywhere, and a large greeting sign that read "Christmas Town" and Regina was in love.

Jefferson took Regina's hand as they roamed around the village, looking in the windows and taking in all the decorations in and on the houses. They were all small, filled with sleeping children and parents that were drinking some type of warm drinks from mugs and sitting in plush chairs wearing stocking caps and flannel pajamas.

When it was late and they'd wandered far too long, Regina sighed, pulling him back toward where they had entered. "I suppose I should head back to the castle."

"Okay. I'll take you home."

It was several days before she could get away again, and when she did, her body was sore and weak from the beating she'd endured from a guard on behalf of Leopold for her late night. He had nearly forced her into his bed as punishment, calling her a harlot and saying he doubted she was as pure and innocent as she let on. One of her handmaidens had warned him, though, that she was on her monthly cycle and it had been her saving grace.

But when she was free again, because Leopold and Snow were on a journey to another kingdom, she jumped on her horse and rode as close to the kingdom's borders as she could, where she often met Jefferson. He was there, as they'd arranged. Seeing the bruises on her neck, he frowned.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing. It does not matter. We should just go. Take me somewhere wonderful."

Jefferson held her hand as they jumped into the hat. She was surprised when he led her to the same door they had visited last. "Did you like it enough here to want to go back?" he asked, weaving his fingers with hers instead of simply cupping her hand in his. When she nodded, he squeezed her fingers and pushed open the door. Leading her through, Jefferson smirked as they landed in the deep snow, pleased to see the queen was more appropriately dressed for this current trip.

"Well, your Majesty, where would you like to look first?" Regina smiled at his question, her heart fluttering at the way he said the words. She nodded in the direction of the woods, for she was mesmerized at how beautiful the trees looked covered in snow. Jefferson laughed as she tilted her head back and caught flakes of white on her tongue. "Do you like snow after all?"

"When it doesn't come in the form of a spoiled brat with loose lips, certainly," she answered, snapping at the realm jumper. Blushing slightly, she shook her head and looked down. "I apologize for snapping at you."

"No worries." Taking her hand, he led her back to the town where they spent nearly an hour wandering around. Both were getting cold, and it wasn't lost on Regina how much warmer her hand felt in his grip. "I'll be right back," he whispered, letting her go and wandering away for a moment. When he returned, Jefferson took her hand once more and led her to a small house.

"What's this?" Regina asked, watching as he played with the lock on the door.

"They're not home. We can go inside and get warm and sit by their decorated tree."

Her eyes widened at his words, worried they would get caught. She knew he would never get her in trouble if he could help it, and if they did get caught, well… he was very adept at getting away. Nodding, she followed him inside and watched as he shut the door. Regina moved to look at the stockings hanging from the fireplace mantle, grinning when she saw them full to the brim with toys and candy.

"This place is lovely. Everything seems so… cheerful." Her words were whispered and laced with a mixture of sadness and desire. Jefferson brought one hand to her cheek, his fingers brushing her long, thick tresses away from her face. She had done just the front layers up in a braid on either side of her head, pulling back to the rest of her hair, which was lying over her shoulder. He figured that it was an attempt to cover the bruises on her skin.

Jefferson pulled her down to the floor, then crawled beneath the tree and plugged in the cord hanging from it. They didn't have such things in their world, but he traveled, he must have known more about those types of advancements. Her chocolate eyes widened when the bright lights lit up the room and danced with the shadows on her companion's face. He was quite handsome, with full lips and kind eyes, messy disheveled hair. He was very close in age to her, she had gathered as much from Rumplestiltskin, but she didn't know his story.

"Won't you tell me what happened to your neck?" he asked gently, his hand touching the bruises lightly.

Pursing her lips, Regina shook her head. "No. It does not matter."

"Was it Leopold?" His voice was angry. He knew kings would do and say as they pleased with their wife and children, but there was never a reason to physically harm a woman.

"His guard. I don't want to talk about it, please. Can we discuss something else?"

With eyes flickering between her neck and her own eyes, Jefferson nodded and leaned forward, bending his neck just slightly enough to press a soft kiss to her bruised skin. Regina gasped at the contact, surprised at his forwardness. Certainly she would admit to her infatuation with him to herself, but never imagined acting upon it or having him return those feelings. They had spent much time together, though, so maybe it wasn't such a crazy notion that someone, besides Daniel, might ever care for her.

When he sat up further, Regina turned her head to look at him. His lips were parted, his eyes bright and mischievous, and his cheeks pink. Hesitantly, she lowered her face, pressing her lips to his own in response. Jefferson smiled against her mouth, one hand digging into her hair as the other gripped her leather covered waist. He led her to lie down, never breaking the kiss and soon they were lying beside the decorated tree, lights dancing off their faces as their lips continued moving together.

If asked later, Regina wouldn't know the answer on why she asked him to take her, to have her. She wasn't sure if it was because of them, because of the gentle touches he would give her and the handholding and comfort he would provide. Nor did she know if it was just to pay Leopold back for having her harmed. What she did know was that she didn't want to lose her virtue to the king. Regina wanted to make her own choice on who she was with first, and since it couldn't be Daniel, it certainly wouldn't be the man she was forced to marry in his place.

Jefferson clumsily undressed himself at her request, then his fingers began working at the lace on her leather vest. Regina felt heat pooling between her thighs, and she knew it was arousal, though she had only ever experienced it once before. She brought her hands to assist him with her shirt and black pants, watching as he pushed his own pants off. He was bare, and all that was left of her clothing was her white cotton underwear, soft and nearly see through.

Regina blushed at the exposure; she'd never been able to be modest, not truly. She was exposed often to women who tailored her clothing to her body, to her mother who would check her body for marks and proof that she was not laying with someone. But still, she'd never had a man see her this naked, and his eyes were taking her in hungrily, as though he had never seen anything more delicious.

Only a moment after she saw him looking over her form, his hands were on her, tentatively touching her breasts, stomach and hips, pulling at her underwear and then moving up to tangle in her hair as he kissed her more. Jefferson kissed every bruise on the length of her torso, soothing each mark delivered to her from her husband's guard, bringing himself back up to brush her lips with his again. Regina moved one hand between their bodies, finding his hard length and gripping it before stroking gently. Bucking forward into her hand, Jefferson's eyes widened and his cheeks covered with a furious and revealing red.

"Is something wrong?" she whispered, watching his eyes.

"No, I… I've just never done this before. I don't wish to disappoint a queen."

"I've never done this before, either," Regina answered. "The king has allowed me time to adjust, since I'm merely eight years older than his daughter." Jefferson simply nodded his understanding and moved away to finish pulling her underwear off. She'd been taught enough to know that the wetness at her core was meant to make it more pleasurable, so when he knelt between her thighs, she nodded and gripped his erection, helping him slide himself into her.

Both gasped at the contact. Regina felt so filled up, so much more than she had felt since Daniel, and somehow the feeling made her less lonely. And Jefferson, he felt her warmth and she felt tight around him and he groaned. Lowering his body, he moved to rest on his elbows, pressing them to the floor on either side of her head as he slowly began to move in and out of her. His motions were uneven, though not quite erratic, gentle, but not overly so.

Regina wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him down to kiss her, their tongues sliding out and moving together, wetting lips and exploring mouths. Once he'd shifted his weight to one elbow, Jefferson's hand moved to hold one of her breast, his fingers brushing over her nipple and making her gasp. He took that as a good sign and continued that motion.

She wasn't sure what it was that he was doing, besides filling her over and over. There was something though, something not inside her that he was brushing against and it was tightening that feeling in her stomach. Something inside her felt like it was coiling low in her belly and she was whimpering with every move he made. Bringing her hips up, Regina moved faster with him, meeting him thrust for thrust as their bodies slid together from the sweat and arousal.

There were light slapping noises made as their bodies moved together, but Regina didn't care. In fact, the noise was filling her with a sense of calm as they moved harder together. She watched as Jefferson closed his eyes tightly and held in a breath for a moment. When he opened them and stared back at her, he knew he needed to work harder to get her there before him. He knew enough to know it would be better for her to release first.

He had noticed that she seemed to gasp and whimper more when his body was closer, so he lowered himself again, the entire length of his torso pressing against hers, bodies sliding together. She cried out his name gently, pushing closer to the edge. Then she tightened her hold on him, squeezing around his shoulders as their bodies moved harder, her walls squeezing him harder.

Then they both came. Shivering bodies, wet kisses and groaned names filled the room. He rolled off her body after a moment, grabbing a blanket from the back of the sofa and covering them both up to their underarms. Regina blushed as he watched the colors from the lights dancing off her skin, and when he wasn't looking, she found herself observing him as well. She was pleased to know that she wouldn't have to give something she'd considered so precious to the king, instead she'd given it to someone she cared about. And if it happened many times more, on all their adventures, in all the exotic places they visited, well who else would ever know?