#fluff ouat

The birds sang merrily from the trees. The warm sun's rays gently stroked the doll skin of Rosaleen's bare shoulders and back. Bending down to pick up wildflowers and collecting them in the wicker basket she held in her hand, she gathered the petticoats of her loose-fitting and flowy chestnut-colored dress with her free hand and her thin blond hair fell in a cascade of golden curls over her chest. It was a spring day as she loved them. She straightened up when her basket was nearly full, deciding to go home and took a breath enjoying the sun warming her cheeks. When a voice rose behind her as she thought she was alone in this clearing, the young woman turned with a start, bringing a hand to her chest.

“What is such a beautiful creature doing alone in the forest? Picking flowers, huh ? That’s kinda cliché, isn’t it ?”

“I already told you not to come like that behind my back without warning, Jefferson.”

He laughed as he stood up from the tree he had leaned against for God only knows how long. It wasn’t the first time Rosaleen asked him that, but it seemed like he was taking a genuine pleasure in seeing her first being caught off guard, and then happy to see him. He loved to see that bewitching smile take shape on that angelic face of hers as soon as she saw him. Each time it happened that way, in that specific order.

“Come on, Rose. Don’t tell me you don’t like that kind of suprise.” Theatrically, he pointed to himself, making large, exaggerated gestures with his hands. If she was being honest, yes, she liked that kind of surprise. He jumped off the prominent root he was standing on as if it were on some stage showcasing him for all the inhabitants of the forest and approached Rosaleen with this seductive smile of his. “You don’t like that kind of surprise ?”

She put her basket at her feet. He knew very well that she would never answer yes to such a question. He took her doll face in his hands and stroked her soft skin, drawing small circles on her cheek with his thumb. His blue eyes quickly got lost into her priceless emerald irises. Her whole being was priceless and precious to him. She was the creature that kept him on his feet, head on shoulders. The Mad Hatter with his hint of sanity personified into this cottage core princess. He still had a hard time admitting to himself that this treasure of a woman loved him. He had a hard time to understand how so much perfection could fit into one single person as well but, she was the proof that everything was possible.

“What is it ?” She giggled. He had been caressing her face, silently admiring the deep beauty of her eyes for a long minute already.

“Nothing. You’re just beautiful.” She opened her mouth to answer, but he stopped her by putting his lips onto hers. He loved the sweet taste of her rosy lips. She got up lightly on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck as he kept one hand to her face, and slid the other one down her lower back, pulling her closer to him tenderly. It was always how their kisses were. Like their embrace, their kiss was romantic and tender, full of love. Pure love, as the people in their land liked to put it. They both looked forward to the next time before they even hugged each other. Slowly and a little reluctantly, he pulled his lips away from hers and interrupted the hug.

“I want to take you somewhere.” He breathed out.

“Where ?”

He had got her suddenly quite curious. He smiled mischieviously and took off his so peculiar top hat from one hand, putting it on the groung in front of them before spinning it. He held out his hand for her to take and she grabbed it, interweaving her thin fingers with his. He motioned to her to do like him even though he knew she was aware of what she was supposed to do right now, and jumped into the spinning hat, dragging her along with him. When they landed, Rosaleen felt Jefferson's hands covering her eyes.

“What are you doing ? Where are we ?” She laughed. “Come on let me see. Take off your hands.”

He slipped his hands around her waist, holding her close against him, no longer obstructing her view. She let out an amazed gasp as she looked around. She didn't really know where they were, but it didn't matter. They were standing in the middle of an endless field of colorful and shimmering flowers. It was a landscape that highly delighted the young woman and Jefferson was more than glad that this was the effect this place had on her.

“Happy birthday, Rosie.” He smiled at her even though she had her back to him. She turned to face him, without him having to remove his hands from her waist and placed another soft kiss on his lips.

“You remembered.” She said quietly.

“Of course. How could I not remember.” His smile grew bigger. “It’s my favorite day of the year.”

Rosaleen stayed in his arms for a long moment, enjoying the embrace, enjoying this peaceful moment for as long as it could last. Jefferson couldn't see how precious he was to her too. For him, she deserved the world, but he, well he wasn't even worthy of her love. After a while cuddling in the middle of all these beautiful flowers, under the warm sun, they returned to the enchanted forest. Rosaleen didn't want her poor old father to worry about her being away for so long. She knew that if she didn’t come home, he would start to worry. He was really proctecting of her, but he had never told her why, despite how much she would ask him. It was as if he just didn’t want to give an answer at all, and just managed to change of subject every single time she asked, so after a few years, she stopped asking. She kept her questions in the back of her head, waiting for the right moment to finally formulate them all out loud. Jefferson’s opinion on that was that her father owed her answers but, Rosaleen on the other hand, didn’t want to rush her father. She didn't want to risk starting an argument. She hated people arguing and didn't want to be into an argument herself. She avoided conflicts like the plague.

Her only flaw was perhaps her passivity. She lived her quiet life with her father in their cottage house, deep in the enchanted forest, picking flowers, selling them at the market, seeing Jefferson and spending time with him. She had her habits and liked to stay in her comfort zone, in this little world of her own. She didn't like changes. Jefferson was part of her world now, and she still had to make him understand how much she loved him and cared for him. It seemed to her as if she had always been with him, by his side, but when she thought about it, she had met him, the guy who made her feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach everytime she looked at him, when they were both only 16-year-old, and they were now almost 18-year-old. On one hand, it hadn't been that long since the two of them were a thing, but on the other hand, she felt the opposite and knew deep down that she wanted to spend her whole life with him, marry him, have a little house of their own, have children together and grow old by his side.

Rosaleen gaily swung the basket in her hand, humming distractedly, lost in her thoughts. She opened the door to her house and went to put the basket on the kitchen table. She looked for something to tie the flowers she had picked earlier into a bouquet and, holding it in her hand, looked around. She was starting to wonder why there was no noise and why she was still alone inside the house. Usually, as soon as she would set one foot on the path in front of the house, her father would appear at the door.

“Papa ?” She walked around the house, keeping the bouquet in her hand, but not seeing her father inside, she suddenly realized where he must be. She went outside and walked towards the greenhouse behind the house. She slowly opened the door and smiled softly when she saw her father, crouching down next to the rose her late mother loved so much. He was silent the whole time and didn't even look at her when she put a hand on his shoulder.

“18 years ago, you appeared, right there.” He pointed out the red rose standing proud in front of him. “It was both the best and the worst day of my life.”

“I know, you told me the story a hundred times, dad.” She said, quietly.

“Let’s go back to the house. You didn’t come home to see your poor old man cry.” He stood up and turned to the door, getting ready to exit, but Rosaleen stood in front of him with a small smile on her face and held up the bouquet of wildflowers to him. He took the bouquet and kissed his daughter's forehead. “It’s your birthday, and you’re the one offering me something ? It isn’t right sweetheart.”

“I don’t need a present, papa. Spending my birthday with you is all I need, and all I want.” They returned to the house and her father placed the flowers in a small vase.

“Where were you all afternoon ?” He looked at her. “You went out this morning, and you only come back now.”

“I just lost track of time, that’s all.” She shrugged, looking away. Since the death of her mother, her father had always been very protective and didn't want to lose his little princess at any cost, so obviously she had never mentioned Jefferson. Ever. She had always thought that he would be unhappy about it and the more the time passed the more it became a real secret that she kept from him and the more she feared his reaction once he would find out. Jefferson made her happy, truly and deeply, but she didn’t want to hurt her father.

“Tell me the truth, Rose.”

“I was only picking flowers.” She insisted, and her father finally gave up. One day she would tell him about this man she loved so much and wanted to spend her life with, but she still didn't feel ready to talk about something so serious to her father.

Lucy put on her coat and walked out of the store. Like every Saturday afternoon, she was going to the river that flowed in the forest surrounding the town of Storybrook to spend some time reading and enjoying the peaceful nature. She got into her car, put her purse on the passenger seat next to her and drove off. Once she got there, she crashed on the gravels, sitting crosed-legs. She relaxed for several hours by the body of water before her phone vibrated and snapped her out of her reverie. The book she was holding in her hands slipped from her and almost landed in the river. Luckily she caught up to it and managed to avoid the worst. She sighed and pulled her cell phone out of her coat pocket. It was Mary Margaret that was calling her.

“Yes, Mary Margaret ?”

“Hi, Lucy. Hope I’m not bothering you, I can call back later-”

“No, it’s fine. Really.” Lucy smiled even though her friend couldn't see her through the phone. “Did you have an order to pick up at the store? I'm sorry, it's my day off.”

“No.” She could almost picture Mary Margaret shaking her head on the other end of the line. “ Well, I went to the store but I didn’t find you there. I forgot it was your day off so, I was just calling to hear from you.”

“Hear from me ?” Lucy was a bit surprised. She could just go to the school if Mary Margaret wanted to see, to her place or even to Granny’s to chat over a drink or a coffee. There was no need to call for that, the town wasn’t small but they weren't that far apart from each other. Lucy took a second before speaking again. “You could have just texted me, you know. Not that I mind having you on the phone. Not at all. Don’t take it the wrong way. Just… you know.”

“Why don't we join at Granny's then?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s join there in thirty minutes. Does that work for you ?”

“Sure, see you, Lucy.”

“Bye, Mary Margaret.” She hung up.

The young woman stood up. She needed to bring her book back home before joining her friend at the dinner, she didn't want to carry it around any longer. She walked back to where she had parked her car, by the only road allowing people to get in or out of Storybrook. She put away her purse and sat down in the driver's seat. She closed the door and drove away. After barely two minutes, the car stopped for no reason. Lucy tried over and over to restart it but the engine just sputtered each time, and nothing happened. The car didn't move an inch. Lucy kept trying desperatly, before realizing the reason for this was obvious. She was out of gasoline.

“Shoot.” She cursed as she let her head fall back onto the headrest in her seat.

All she could do for now was call the tow truck and wait for her car to be picked up back to town. The annoying thing was that her car was in the middle of the road, and it bothered her to have to leave it there. Luckily, this road was very lightly traveled, and no traffic was likely to be disturbed by her car. She tried to push it to the side, but obviously didn't have the strength and gave up before finally calling the tow truck. Shit. Her phone was almost out of battery and she didn't know how long this whole damn thing was going to take her, and Mary Margaret was probably going to have to wait for her at Granny's a little longer. Fortunately, for now, there was still time. She had a little less than thirty minutes to get there. Everything was going to be fine. She called the town garage and was told that a tow truck should arrive to her location shortly. She sighed and leaned against the body of her car for a second. The tow truck was going to arrive shortly, she had understood it well, but she didn't know what they really meant by shortly.

Last thing she knew, she was walking down the road back to town on her own. She stopped and looked behind her, but she couldn't see her car from where she was, which made her realize that she had walked quite a distance in she didn't know how much time. She wasn't too concerned about why she was walking instead of continuing to wait for the tow truck, she had probably zoned out again and must have gone lost in her own thoughts. She was a bit of a daydreamer, so it wasn't too unusual for that kind of thing to happen to her. She started walking again and felt drops fall on her head. She raised her head. The sun was no longer high in the sky as before in the afternoon. The latter was hidden by a large and gray cloudy veil and the temperature had cooled down. She didn't understand why she hadn't paid attention to it before. She picked up the pace and even started to run, covering her head with her coat, when it started to rain.

She quickly found herself in front of a large manor and without thinking, took refuge on the porch. Strands of her blonde hair were glued to her face, on which drops were streaming. She grumbled and wiped her cheeks before turning to the door. It was as imposing as the rest of the house. She thought, biting her lip, hesitating to knock on the door and disturb anyone who lived there, but her situation was somewhat desperate. It was raining too much for her to walk back to town on her own, and she didn't even have an umbrella, so she could just forget it completely. It would be pure madness to run under such a downpour with barely a cloak over her head. If she didn't catch a cold, she would for sure arrive soaked at Granny's, and she didn't like not being presentable if she was walking around town. After a second of torturing her mind and deciding whether to knock or not, she ended up knocking anyway. Asking for a little help was her only option for now. She waited. There was nothing happening for long seconds, and she let her gaze wander until the sound of a key in the front door lock made her turn instantly back towards the door. Her gaze met that of a man with blue eyes who seemed to freeze when he saw her.

“Hi, I’m sorry. My car broke down further up the road and I found myself having to walk in the rain, and uh,” She reached for her phone and sighed. “and my phone just died. Ugh. Great.”

“Don't stay outside, come in.” The well-dressed man said, inviting her inside. She smiled at him and did so, welcoming the comforting warmth of his home happily. He took her jacket from her and put it on a coat rack near a radiator where it could dry a little. She turned suddenly to him, extending her hand lightly.

“I’m sorry, again.” She chuckled. “I didn’t even introduced myself.”

“It’s fine-” The man didn’t sound really comfortable but she didn’t pay much attention.

“I’m Lucy Reynolds, I run a flower shop with my father in town.” He took her hand and shook it.

“I’m Jefferson.” He mentally noted what she had just said to him. “Take a seat in the living room. Make yourself at home. I'll get my phone, so you can use it.”

“Thank you so much.”

He nodded and walked away. Lucy entered the living room. It was a large luxurious room but the element that caught her eye was the piano which sat proudly near the sofa and the fireplace. She let her eyes wander over the lustrous black wood of the instrument. It was a magnificent grand piano. She pulled out the bench and sat down, carefully pulling up the cover that covered the piano keys. She remembered taking piano lessons as a child, but was afraid she would be a little rusty, plus the piano was not hers, so she was even more hesitant to let her urge to play take over. Eventually, she bit the inside of her cheek and let her slender fingers run gracefully over the white and black piano keys. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by her own music. Soft and beautiful, that spread through the living room. When she heard a tray being put down on the coffee table, she stopped suddenly.

“I’m sorry. I think I took the make yourself at home part a little bit too seriously.” She chuckled awkwardly as she closed the cover of the piano keys. She tried to stand up, but inadvertently stuck her foot in the piano stand. Jefferson held out his arms and grabbed her immediately before she fell and hurt herself. She grabbed his arms to hold onto him and looked up at him, letting a laugh escape her lips. She had the impression that her cheeks were going to catch fire. “I really didn't expect to embarrass myself so much in such a short amount of time. I swear I'm not that clumsy usually.”

“I know.” She frowned slightly, not quite understanding why he was saying that as he let go off her. He cleared his throat. “I meant, I guess you aren’t, if you say so.”

He invited her to sit on the sofa and served her tea after handing her his phone. She couldn't remember Mary Margaret's personal number, so she tried to call Granny's landline, crossing her fingers that Mary Margaret was there. She was relieved when she heard Ruby's voice.

“Granny’s dinner-”

“Hey, Ruby, it’s Lucy. Is Mary Margaret there ?” A short silence let Lucy understand that the young woman was checking around into the diner.

“Yes, she just arrived. Why ? Is something wrong ?”

“No- I mean, yes. I had a problem with my car and I was supposed to join her there. Can you tell her that I might be late? Or if she doesn't want to wait, that we can meet at the diner tomorrow?”

“Sure, Lucy.” She heard the voice of the young waitress move away from the phone and address Mary Margaret. After about twenty seconds, she spoke to Lucy again. “She says you can take your time, she’ll wait for you here. She's in no hurry.”

“Okay, thank you, Ruby.” Ruby welcomed her and hung up. Lucy handed his phone back to Jefferson. “Thanks again.”

“It’s my peasure, really.” He smiled at her, insisting on the fact that there was no need to keep thanking him or apologising for bothering him. Simply because she wasn’t bothering him at all. When the downpour died down slightly, Jefferson escorted Lucy back to the front door. Her coat had dried out and was now very warm. He accompanied her to the porch, after grabbing an umbrella. When he opened it to not only shelter her from the rain but him too, she looked up at him.

“I don’t want to make you waste more of your time because of me. I can go back to town on my own now. It’s fine.”

“You are quite stubborn, aren't you?” He looked into her green eyes. “Let me give you a ride to Granny’s.”

He parked in front of the diner and after thanking him and apologising for thanking him an umpteenth time, she got out of the car and entered the restaurant. Mary Margaret waved at her and motioned for her to join her at her table. Lucy breathed out, putting her purse by her side as she sat down.

“Long day ?” Mary Margaret teased, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Unexpected long day.” Lucy confirmed, nodding to Ruby who looked at her, silently asking if she wanted to order something right now. The waitress approached, smiling.

“Let me guess... seeing your face, you really need a good coco.”

“Right guess, Ruby.” Lucy laughed as the young brunette walked away after mentally taking note of what she wanted.

[To be continued...]  

Chapter one / Chapter two / Chapter three / Chapter four

Rosaleen stretched out in bed, a quiet smile dawning on her face, stretching her thin lips. She turned her head to her bedroom window. The rays of a bright sun filtered through the shutters and made her emerald eyes shine as she slowly opened them. That night had been the most peaceful of her whole life. She had dreamed all night of her birthday, a few months before, when Jefferson had taken her to the middle of the most beautiful field of flowers she had ever seen in her life. This thought made her laugh lightly. Her life had only just begun. After all, she was only barely 18. She got up and put on a loose-sleeved, light purple dress, tight at the waist, fitting in perfectly with the mild temperatures of the moment, and left her room. Her father was nowhere to be found, and her eyes fell on a small note posed against a vase in the kitchen. Her father had gone to sell flowers at the market. That meant she was alone until noon at least. She took the opportunity to ventilate the rooms of the house, opening all the shutters and windows to let inside the soft heat of the rays of the sun and then passed the broom in the house with gusto.

When she had finished taking care of the few household chores she had to do, she went outside and walked barefoot in the grass. She lifted her face to the sky with a smile, closing her eyes briefly, taking a breath of fresh air and walked over to the greenhouse behind the house, to water the flowers. She grabbed the watering can in front of the greenhouse and went to fill it at the well not far from the house. With the watering can now full, she entered the greenhouse and began her task, humming merrily. Her gaze fell on her mother's rose when one of her petals fell under the water that she was gently pouring out. The young woman stopped watering it and a second petal fell, followed by another and yet another. Rosaleen opened her mouth slightly, frowning as she crouched down next to the flower. She didn't understand why the flower was losing its deep red petals. Finally, the last petal fell. She gently took the thorny stem in her hand to observe the bare flower, which wasn't much of a flower anymore without its petals, and accidentally scratched her palm. She instantly brought her hand close to her chest in a weak moan, more in surprise than in pain because of the thorn that had cut through her skin, actually.

She grimaced. The cut across her palm tingled slightly. A drop of blood beaded and rolled on the edge of her hand. As it was about to fall to the ground, a hand grabbed her wrist and made her hold her hand out above the pistil of the apetalous flower, snatching a short gasp from her. She stared at the drop of blood, rolling over her skin and falling slowly on the flower.

“This precious blood of yours should not go to waste, my dear.” The man next to her chuckled as he let go off of her hand. She turned her head to him, instinctively bringing her hand back to her, keeping it close to her chest.

“Who are you ?” Her voice was faint as if she was going to pass out. He smirked and waved his index finger in front of her face.

“I’m no one you should be concerned about, Rosaleen. Come on, look at the rose.”

“How do you know my name ?” He slightly tilted his head. This time, he wasn’t amused anymore and took her chin between his fingers to make her look at the flower. The rose's petals had returned. They had grown back in less than a few seconds and their color was no longer just an intense and deep red, it was literally blood-red, as in made out of blood. “What happened ? The… the petals had fallen. I-”

“The flower is you, and you’re the flower, Rosie.” He let out a high-pitched giggle. He didn’t make any sense.

“How do you come to know my name and-” He cut her off.

“You break my poor heart.” He stood up and dragged her with him. “I know everything about you. I kinda brought you into this world. Your father called on my services, and we made a deal.” Her eyes widened and she stepped back.

“You’re… you’re the Dark One.” She followed him with her eyes as he bowed.

“I am delighted that we finally meet.” He wrapped one of her blonde locks around his finger. Shivers ran through her spine. She didn't appreciate this strange man touching her like that. He leaned down to pluck the rose, the petals of which seemed purely and simply engorged with blood and held it out for her to grab it. She reluctantly agreed to take it in her hand. She glanced down at the rose and abruptly took a step back, gasping, out of breath, when the Dark One suddenly plunged his hand into her chest. “Do not worry. I just need something for a little... insurance.” And without a second thought, the wicked man withdrew his hand from her chest. A glowing red heart was beating in his hand. In a small cloud of black smoke, a rectangle wooden box appeared in his other hand. He put the heart inside as if it was nothing unusual. Rosaleen was panting, one hand resting on her chest, the other still holding the rose.

“What… what did you do to me ?”

“Aw, do not worry about it. I allowed you to exist. I allowed your father to have such a pure child… and, your heart will be in better hands if I keep it.” He nodded, giggling weirdly again. She didn’t get what he meant by that. He was a very peculiar character. The box that contained Rosaleen's heart disappeared in another small cloud of dark smoke and the man approached her.

“I don’t understand… what is the deal you’re talking about…” She gulped. She was feeling really strange, neither good nor bad. She just lost her heart. She would have thought she would be dead if something such as this happened to her.

“The deal, dearie dear, was very simple in fact. Your mother was dying. Your father wanted to bring her happiness. The stupid little blue fairy couldn't give him what he wanted, so he called on me.” He pointed to himself, gesturing theatrically. “He asked for a child and I gave him one.”

“You didn't just do it heartily. What did you have to gain from it?” She stared at him and frowned, as she looked away for a second. Never had she been so suspicious of someone, of anyone really. She had never felt doubt or anything, as she used to trust people pretty easily if it wasn't for her father or Jefferson to tell her not to and keep her from being fooled by people. She felt different, in a way, and she didn’t really like it. She felt changed, but she couldn’t explain it. He chuckled as if he knew what she was feeling, and was amused by it.

“I gain... a soul born out of true love. A pure soul. The one of the child I helped him to get.”

“So, that’s why you took my heart ?” Questioning everything he said, and so naturally, left her with an unpleasant bitter taste in her mouth. Whatever he had done to her, she really didn’t like it. She wanted to be innocent and peaceful again, just enjoying herself, and the warmth of the sun. He had somehow corrupted her. 

“Sort of…” He nodded before suddenly freezing, raising his index finger in front of him. “But not entirely.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “I also had to come and pick you up on your 21st birthday. But ... you might have something more valuable to me.” She frowned.

“What do you mean ?” He took another step towards her. She could feel his putrid breath on her face, which made her wince.

“You are with child. And what is more pure than a child born out of true love, whose mother herself was born out of true love ?” She widened her mouth, shaking her head in denial.

“I’m not pregnant.” She said, nervously and he just laughed, which made her frown harder.

“Yes you are, Rosie dearie.” He leaned forward and smelled her. She wanted to get away from him, but the flowers behind her prevented her from going very far. “The birth is not for now, but I can already feel that it is a girl. A sweet little girl.”

“Let's say what you say is true, what do you want from my daughter? I’m not gonna just let you take her once she’s born.” He stepped back and shook his head.

“Oh no, I never said that. I still plan to come and collect you on your 21st birthday, and now that I have your heart in my possession, neither you, nor your father will be able to hide you from me.” A mischievious chuckle left his dry lips.

“And you still don’t tell me what you want from my unborn daughter.” She repeated, firmly. He made a face at her change of tone and laughed at it.

“I want nothing from your daughter.” As he spoke, an idea occurred to the young woman. This calculating and suspicious side which was so new to her seemed to be of use to her in the end.

“But I want something from you.”

“Oh ?” He sounded thrilled that she was so blunt.

“You made me spill my blood on my mother’s rose, and you took my heart. I want something in return.”

“Go on.”

“She’ll not even be three years old when you come to take me. I want your word, that everything will be fine for her and her father.”

“Who’s the father ?” He raised an eyebrow.

“His name is Jefferson.”

“The Mad Hatter.” He let out an umpteenth chuckle. “Rosie dearie, I cannot give you my word that such an individual will not do anything… crazy.” He burst into laughter as if he had said something really funny and stopped suddenly, staring straight at her. “However, I accept to give you my word that your daughter will be spared if any misfortune should happen.”

“Then we have an arrangement.”

“Yes. We do.” He turned to leave the greenhouse but looked back at her. “Just so you know, put that flower somewhere safe where no one would look for it, alright?”

“Wha-” He then disappeared before she could say anything, leaving her all alone among the flowers. She looked around, not really knowing what to do before raising the rose in front of her face. The petals seemed to be traversed by veins and those veins glowed faintly, as if actual blood ran through them. She didn't quite understand why she had to put this strange rose of blood to safety. She smelled the flower, but the scent hadn't changed particularly. It was still very fragrant. She pulled the flower away from her face and gently pinched the edge of one of the petals. She let out a brief moan of pain as she immediately removed her fingers from the flower. Rosaleen winced when she noticed that the cut in the palm of her hand had once again been lightly gorged with blood. Her gaze shifted between her hand and the flower since as the cut she had caused on the petal disappeared, her own cut seemed to heal, until it disappeared too, as if she had never scratched her hand.

The young woman opened her mouth in surprise and glanced around again, looking a little lost. She stormed out of the greenhouse and went back into the house. If the Dark One had warned her to be particularly careful with that rose, she wasn't going to question his words. She kept the flower in her hand, not daring to put it down anywhere, and searched for something to put it in. A little high-pitched but soft voice rose behind her.

“What’s the matter child ?” Rosaleen turned to a small fairy flying above her. The latter looked down at the rose and flew towards her to approach. “This is the rose I gave your father 18 years ago. It has blood inside…”

“The flower lost all its petals for no reason, I scratched my hand because of the thorns and this man... the Dark One made sure I would let the drop of blood fall on the flower.” The eyes of the fairy widened.

“Did you say the Dark One ?” Rosaleen nodded, mouth shut closed. She wanted to tell her he had taken her heart and that they had made some deal but it was as if her lips were sealed. Something was keeping her from saying what was on her mind. She didn't feel in complete control of herself.

“Who are you ?” This question was all she seemed to be allowed to say. Everytime she thought of telling the little fairy about the wicked man, words were held back in her throat, but not because of her. The fairy smiled softly.

“I’m the blue fairy. I helped your father grow those beautiful flowers in the greenhouse, and among them… this magic rose that in a way, gave you birth thanks to your mother’s sacrifice.”

“My mother’s sacrifice ?” She asked faintly. The blue fairy looked away and changed the subject.

“What are you doing with this rose, my child ?”

“I need to put it somewhere safe. I have to.”

“Yes, of course. Let me help you with that.” She waved a small wand, scattering tiny bluish glitter in the air and a glass bell appeared on the dining table. “Put it inside. The flower will be protected, and therefore you, from any harm.” The little fairy lifted the glass bell above its plinth and let Rosaleen set the flower inside. She let go, and the rose stood upright while the fairy put down the glass bell. The fairy told her to keep it some place safe and disappeared from the house. Rosaleen knelt down to put her face up to the flower and watched the rose for a moment. The silence she had allowed taking hold of the room was broken by a voice that rose nearby.

“Why are you on your knees for a rose?” She jumped and brought a hand to her chest as she sat on her knees.

“Jefferson. Well done, it's a new record. You lasted two months before I ask you again not to take me by surprise like that!” He helped her up and ran a hand down her back to bring her close to him. He placed a soft kiss on her sweet rosy lips. “You’re not supposed to be here.” She breathed out between two kisses. He let out a chuckle.

“What is your father going to do to me ?” She sighed and turned her head towards the rose, without breaking their embrace. He frowned slightly, not understanding what was suddenly bothering her. He gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head towards him. “What is it ?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“You-” He cut himself off, staring at her. His mouth opened and closed slightly. He was having an internal argument, not knowing what to say until eventually he did and spoke up. “Are you sure ?”

“Yes.” She bit her lips, looking away.

“Hey.” He took her face in his hand. “I’m not leaving you because your pregnant. In fact, I would like to make things official. I'm going to ask your father for your hand.” Rosaleen widened her mouth but she had no time to say anything, Jefferson pressed another soft and romantic kiss on her lips while he drew small circles with his fingers on her lower back and a wave of pleasant chills ran through her spine. She smiled through the kiss and stroked his face, breaking their carnal connection to go grab the rose under glass. “What are you doing ?”

“I want to give you this. It will be safe with you.” He took the glass bell she was handing out to him, without really knowing what to do with it.

“Isn’t it-” He cut himself off again as he looked down at the flower inside. “Isn’t it the rose from your greenhouse ?” She smiled and pushed the glass bell against his chest with her fingers, so he wouldn't try to give it back to her.

“Just keep it. I trust you.”

“Okay.” He tilted his face and rested his forehead on hers, his warm breath stroking her lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She tented her neck and kissed him with the tip of her lips.

Lucy straightened up from behind the counter when the front doorbell rang in the store. She bumped into the countertop and winced as she put a hand on her forehead, smiling nervously, a little ashamed.

“Oh my. Are you okay ?” Jefferson stood there by the door and approached her with a quick step to make sure she was fine.

“Yes. I really need to be more carefull.” She laughed, nodding and he smiled in return. “I know I already said it, but I swear I’m not usually so clumsy. Looks like I am every time you're around.”

“Looks like it, indeed.” He gave her a charming smile, and she thought her cheeks were about to set ablaze. She cleared her throat, remembering her role in this shop.

“I’m sorry, you’re probably not here to watch me being clumsy and all. What can I do for you ?” He seemed to search for his words, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat which gave him that noble and rich look that suited him so well.

“Actually, I wanted to invite you over for dinner.” She was speechless, staring into his baby blues. She wasn't expecting to see him again at all, so him proposing her for dinner, she would never have imagined it happening. She chuckled as she thought again of their last and very first encounter. Maybe she could finally thank him for his hospitality if she agreed to come over for dinner. And, if she was being honest, his gentleman side was really seducing her, more than she would like to admit.

“Well, yes, why not.” She realized that she had responded very quickly and smiled to hide the embarrassment her behavior made her feel deep down. She couldn't feel like that for a man, albeit a very attractive one, whom she had only met once.

“Okay, perfect.” He sounded as nervous and embarrassed as her, which relaxed her a bit. “eight o'clock tonight?”

“Eight o’clock tonight.” She repeated as they both nodded, bitting her lips lightly so as not to smile too brightly. He smiled in returned and left the shop.

“So what do you want to wear for your date ?”

“Stop it, Mary Margaret. It’s not a date.” She denied the obvious while she rummaged through the clothes in her wardrobe. “And, I just want to be dressed properly. He’s got this big manor and all, and I don’t want to look like I don’t have any elegant clothes.”

“You didn't really think so much of your outfit last time.” Lucy rolled her eyes, her back still to her.

“I went to the river, my car broke down and it started to rain. I hadn't planned on inviting myself to his place. I didn't even know this mansion was there to be honest. Ah ! Found it.” She pulled out a loose-sleeved purple dress, tight at the waist, and showed it off to Mary Margaret, a big smile plastered on her face. “I never wear this dress. What do you think ?”

“I think he'll love it on you.” Mary Margaret's phone vibrated, and she answered the call as Lucy strutted in front of a wall mirror in her bedroom, resting the dress against her to visualize what it would look like once she would put it on. She smiled softly, biting her lower lip lightly as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She turned her head to Mary Margaret when she spoke up, addressing her. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Emma got in trouble with the mayor.” Lucy frowned.

“Who’s that Emma again ?”

“Henry’s biological mother. You should keep in mind who she is. She’s the sheriff now.” Lucy nodded as Mary Margaret stood up and walked over to the door. “Anyway, I’ll help myself out. Enjoy yourself tonight.”

“Bye.” Lucy waved at her and hurried to get ready for her dinner… or date. She didn’t really know anymore what tonight was supposed to be. The young woman didn’t feel the need to label whatever it would be in any case. She went to take a quick shower to cool off and put on the dress. She stood in front of her wall mirror and put on some makeup as well, very lightly though. Normally she preferred to stay natural, but a little mascara to lift her lashes and accentuate her amber doe eyes wouldn't hurt anyone. By the time she finished getting ready, dinner time was fast approaching, so she hurried to put on her shoes, grab her coat and bag and slipped into her car. She had warned her father that she wouldn't be home tonight, obviously he had asked questions, so she just mumbled that she was going to eat at Mary Margaret's who wanted to introduce her to the new sheriff, that Emma she had mentioned to her earlier.

She parked in the driveway in front of the mansion and got out of her car before quietly walking up the steps to the front porch. She looked up at the door. Lucy felt so small next to it. The young woman took a breath and ended up knocking on the door, trying to hide her nervousness by sketching the most beautiful smile she could sketch. After a few seconds, the door opened and Jefferson appeared in front of her. He smiled, complimenting her and let her in, stripping her of her coat and hung it on the coat rack in the hallway before leading her to the dining room. He slipped away for a moment to get something upstairs while the dish finished cooking. Lucy waited there for a moment, rereading some random messages on her phone before getting up to put it in her bag. Now that she was up, she looked around a bit and decided to go meet Jefferson upstairs. He had asked her to wait here for him, but she had a strange urge to go upstairs. Not even to go find him, she just needed to go upstairs, without really her knowing why actually.

She walked down a long hallway and while Jefferson was probably in one of the many rooms around her, she didn't try to call him to find out where he was. She let herself be led, by none other than herself, to a door and entered the room without bothering to close behind her. It looked like a sort of workshop. There was a large, messy desk with patterns, scissors, and strips of various fabrics all over it. On the right wall there were shelves with dozens of copies of the same top hat. Lucy couldn't quite say why, but she had a feeling of déjà vu about it all. She approached the many hats and took one in her hands. As she lifted this hat, she revealed a glass bell underneath, exactly like the one she had in the flower shop she ran with her father. Except that under this top hat there was a red rose that seemed to glow very lightly.

Lucy put the hat on the desk and took the bell in her hands to observe the rose more closely. It was as if the flower was alive and real blood was flowing through hundreds of tiny veins that ran through the many petals of the flower. There was something beautiful about it that Lucy couldn't explain. She didn't understand what she was seeing and why she felt like she had a connection with this flower. She jumped when she turned her head to see Jefferson looking at her in silence and accidentally dropped the glass bell to the ground and shattered pieces of glass cut off parts of some of the flower's petals and Lucy suddenly tensed up, wincing in pain. Jefferson rushed over to her and held her in his arms to prevent her from falling. Panting, she looked at her hand. A bloody cut ran through her palm. Wide-eyed, she oscillated her gaze between the flower in the middle of the pieces of glass and her injured hand. As the petals saturated with a red liquid that looked like blood and recomposed the pieces they had lost, the cut on the young woman's hand healed. She watched it with horror. She didn't understand what she was seeing and cried out.

“Rosaleen, it’s okay.” She looked at him and narrowed her eyes in incomprehension.

“My name is Lucy.” She gulped as she stood up and stepped back from Jefferson. She was holding her wrist even though her hand had completely healed by now. “What did you do to me ? What was that ?” She cried out.

“Your real name is Rosaleen. And you were my wife.”

[To be continued…]

Chapter one / Chapter two / Chapter three / Chapter four

Published (05/15/2021) by Andrea