Confrontations of the Hatter [Regina/Open]

[Jefferson]

Everything had been different over the past couple of days. It seems that the Curse had been lifted by the Emma woman, not that he cared. Jefferson only had two things on his mind, finding Grace if she had woken up from the Curse as well, and hunting down Regina.

He had a score to settle with the woman. Twice now she'd betrayed him, never keeping up her side of the bargain. Jefferson still wasn't happy with that. He thought she would have been done away with after he'd watched the angry mob go to her home. Of course, that didn't end like he wanted it to. Then he heard whispers of a Wraith going after the woman. He'd been betting on the Wraith before it disappeared.

At the moment, he'd just gotten away from Charming, who wanted him to fix the portal. Like Hell he was going to fix that damned hat. It brought him nothing but pain for the last several years. It drove him mad, it kept him away from Grace, it changed him into a different man than the Father Grace used to have.

Jefferson fixed his attire, which was slightly disheveled due to running away from Charming. He had to look presentable for his favorite Queen now didn't he? Especially when he found himself standing outside of her Majesty's home.

He moved passed the gate and to the door, knocking on it rather loudly before pressing the doorbell a few times. He could feel his anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach as he waited. "Come now Regina, open up." He mumbled to himself in an angered tone.

[Regina Mills]

Regina had once thought that maybe, maybe she would be able to leave the evil queen behind her - that she was different now, or that she could be different, for Henry's sake if no one else's. The more she'd been using magic since it had returned to her, however, the more she was reminded of why this was not possible. There was an ever-lurking darkness inside of her; one that only grew the more she used magic. But what else could she do? The power was addictive, and Regina was not certain that she could stop even if she tried. She needed magic, craved it - and it didn't matter, anyway. She wasn't meant to be good. People didn't change; they only fooled themselves to believing they could.

Perhaps the familiar darkness and rage the magic stirred within her could be controlled, however...at least to the point where it was magical. On that note, she'd taken the afternoon to attempt what was probably one of the last activities anyone would imagine the evil queen doing: meditating. But it'd proven to be much, much more difficult than she'd initially anticipated. Sitting still for too long made her uneasy, restless and insecure. She lasted about ten minutes before deciding that it was a complete and utter waste of her time.

And that's when a loud knock sounded at the front door - quickly followed by a rather persistent series of doorbell rings. Regina's eyes flew open, her expression immediately twisting into one of extreme irritation. What could this possibly be about? She swore, if Doctor Whale and his angry mob had decided to return to her doorstep, there was going to be hell to pay this time. After getting her magic back, she'd refrained from hurting anyone in town for Henry's sake - but she would not tolerate these constant attempts at a public execution any longer. Rising to her feet, she set her jaw and sauntered towards the door, her expression a mask of taunting indifference...although if one were paying attention, she had visibly tensed, ready to strike out against any incoming attacks as soon as she opened the door.

When she swung it open, however, she found herself face to face with one of the last people she'd expected to see. She frowned for a moment, nonplussed as she blinked at the man before her. "Jefferson." she greeted coolly, quirking an eyebrow. What business did he have here? She would have thought he'd be devoting his attention to searching out that beloved daughter of his - and at that, Regina felt a faint twinge of guilt. She quickly pushed it away, however, in favor of fixing him with a cold, no-nonsense stare. "Did you need something? Because if you're here to gripe at me about all the suffering I've caused you, I'm afraid you'll have to get in line. " A quick smirk accompanied her words, hiding any other emotion that might threaten wriggle its way to the surface. All those years ago, she'd done what she had to to get her father back from her mother's clutches...but the fact remained, she'd torn Jefferson's family apart and left him under Cora's reign. It was easy to see how he'd gone mad under Cora's power; Regina certainly had. But at the moment, lingering on any feelings of remorse just wasn't an option. It would only prove to be a weakening distraction.

[Jefferson]

A light, almost insane, laugh came from Jefferson as Regina spoke to him. "Oh Regina, you already know the pain you've caused me. Or did you forget already?" His fingers traced over the scar across his neck. "First you leave me to deal with your dearest Mother to save dear Daddy. You take Grace from me, you don't keep up the ends of all the bargains we've made. Then you try to make me get rid of your Snow problem as well as her daughter. Grace was given to another family and doesn't even recognize my face."

The anger boiled within him as the flashbacks of each particular event flashed within his mind. His fingers curled into tight fists as he stared at the Queen. "I don't have to gripe at you because you know fully well exactly what you've done to my life." He paused for a moment, taking a moment to recompose himself.

"Besides, I'm sure the townspeople already had their time to try and pick you apart. But now that your magic fingers are back, trying to harm you is meaningless unless asking for a death wish, your majesty." He frowned, stepping a bit closer to the woman.

"The only thing I came here for is to know how Charming got his hands on my hat, and why it looks like a wolf tore it to shreds. Or should I say the Wraith that wanted you dead?"

[Regina Mills]

Regina's jaw clenched a little at Jefferson began to speak. She really didn't want to hear this right now, and a part of her was tempted to just...magic the mad hatter away somewhere, perhaps to the other side of town, where he could find someone else to rant to - but knowing him and his stubbornness, he would only find his way back to her eventually...and even angrier, to boot. But the ranting wasnt. Stopping. She knew, all too well, what she'd done to him, hadn't forgotten a bit of it. Granted, if she had to back and do it all over again she was unlikely to change anything, had her father's life been at stake the way it was. And yet...she often wondered. Would it have been so difficult to persuade a third person to venture into Wonderland with them? Perhaps one of her own guards? To leave one of them trapped there in place of her father? It would have all seemed entirely suspicious, and she knew Jefferson would have been unlikely to ever agree to such terms - but at least it would have saved her all this guilt.

Bitterly, she endured his ranting until he seemed to be finished, steadily holding his gaze despite the sudden urge to look away. "You're clearly hysterical." she told him flatly, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "The curse has broken, Jefferson. If you want your daughter so much, then go find her. I'm not stopping you." Her tone was uncharacteristically lacking in the bite that it usually had now - it was more weary than hostile, and she'd clearly been intending to leave it at that. In fact, Regina had almost moved to shut the door when Jefferson spoke again, much to her irritation. So he'd heard her magic was back. Well, good. The knowledge should keep him from doing anything too drastic - though she couldn't know that for certain; he was mad, after all.

But if he hadn't come here to attack her, then what had he come here for? The question was answered in the next moment, before she even got the chance to ask it. ...Of course. The hat. Regina had figured he wouldn't be too happy about that, but as far as she was concerned it was Charming's problem now. ..Or apparently not, since Jefferson seemed to have chosen to immediately seek her out instead. She scowled a little. "I wouldn't think it'd be terribly difficult for you to put two and two together. The wraith's gone, isn't it? What do you think I did with it, stuffed it in my closet?"

She hadn't known that tricking the wraith into being sucked into the hat would result in the hat's destruction, but it mattered little. There had been no other way to get rid of that...monstrosity, and Jefferson was simply going to have to deal with it. She raised her eyebrows. "Would simply making another one be so difficult, now that magic has returned to Storybrooke?" Though for what reason Jefferson would want to get back to the Enchanted Forest, Regina wasn't really sure she wanted to know.

[Jefferson]

Jefferson would have left in a huff if it weren't for Regina's last comment. Though it was probably true about the hat making part, it still hit a nerve. A very, very, very, very raw nerve within the Hatter. That damn hat was the reason he went insane. The reason he was mad. The reason he broke his promise with Grace. It wasn't a nerve that you never tried to hit with Jefferson.

"Don't speak of things you know nothing of," Jefferson spat, "You know nothing about how that hat works."

It wasn't the type of object one could simply remake. He was living proof of that. That portal was special, one of a kind special, as far as Jefferson knew. He spent years in Wonderland trying to create another, and spent even more time during the Curse to make it without magic. All in hopes of going back to his life with Grace.

That hat was a plague upon his very being. It created the Mad Hatter. It created his madness. Endless room filled with hats and fabric to make more hats. Mountains of hats everywhere. Hats, hats, hats. How he detested hats.

"That hat cannot be remade, Majesty."

His eyes darkened as he stared the Queen in the eye. "And you still owe me for kidnapping Mary Margaret and Emma for you, or should I say Snow White? And your father." Even if the favor was back in the Enchanted Forest, he still wanted it to be kept, despite the fact that the Queen had broken it by leaving him in Wonderland.

"I still expect you to keep up your end of our bargain, Regina." He said, his voice cold, "Things are going to get rockier and rockier around here for you. And if anything goes sour, you will make sure that nothing happens to Grace. The least you can do is honor our agreement, after the favors I did for you. If you hold up your end this time, maybe you can count on another favor if you should need one."

Of course, the Hatter was only half lying on the last part. He would honor his word about doing her a favor if she needed one, only if she kept her word and protected Grace if anything happened. He was a man of his word, even if he tended to drug a person's tea from time to time. Or run from an interrogation session with a Prince. After he found his Grace, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

And he'd RSVP for that rain checked tea party.

[Regina Mills]

The response she got to whether or not Jefferson could simply make another hat was a hostile one - surprisingly so, actually. She had not often experienced such blatant, unsuppressed anger from Jefferson before, and for a moment Regina could do nothing but simply blink at him. What had triggered that response...? Well, perhaps he was just more easily set off these days than she realized - she wasn't going to concern herself with it at the moment.

Instead, she allowed herself to be distracted by his claim that she owed him. Regina snorted faintly in response. She was not fond of being indebted to anyone, and in most cases she would have simply dismissed such a claim without another thought. As she glared coolly back at him and opened her mouth to tell him it wasn't happening, however, the words caught in her throat. All he wanted, really, was to keep his daughter safe. Was that such a crime? Regina had been relatively insensitive to it before, but now that she knew the agonizing pain of being separated from one's child, now that she'd lost Henry - well, she was beginning to see things a little differently. She said nothing for a moment, studying him with a mostly unreadable expression as she hesitated.

The fact was, Regina really didn't need any more enemies in Storybrooke right now. She didn't fear Storybrooke's angry mobs - not when she had her magic handy - but she wasn't currently looking to make things even worse right now either. If she did this for Jefferson, there was the possibility that she still might potentially be able to get a favor out of him in the future. That, and it might finally put some of this irritating guilt to rest. She lifted her chin a little, her stance reverting to one that was almost regal - distinctively similar to the queen she'd once been. "Well. It seems someone's finally grown a backbone." Regina commented at length, her smirk returning briefly. She couldn't decide how she felt about that - on some level, she bristled a little at the clear challenge, but on another she could somewhat respect the stand that Jefferson was taking. Not very many people in Storybrooke were brave enough to stand up to her on their own.

Regina blinked at him calmly. "As I'm sure you've noticed, I've got quite a few more things to worry about than protecting the innocent children of Storybrooke at the moment - but if it'll get you to calm down, I will protect your dear daughter to the best of my ability. You have my word." And for once, she didn't actually intend to break it - she had no reason to as of yet, anyway. And Jefferson, of all people, knew how powerful her magic was. He knew she was capable of offering protection from most everything that could possibly threaten Storybrooke - so for now, this would give him reason not to continue plotting against her. Her eyes narrowed a little as she continued, "On one condition. You're not to touch Henry, understand? I don't care how appealing 'revenge' sounds to you. If I found out you've done anything to harm him..." She trailed off, but there was no mistaking the dangerous, even deadly tone that suddenly edged her words.

[Jefferson]

The Hatter let out a throaty chuckle as Regina grew defensive over Henry. Now what would Jefferson gain from harming another child? He'd be setting a bad example for Grace. Maybe it'd be a good idea not to mention the fact that he'd kidnapped two people and drugged one of them. Yeah, he'd keep that gem to himself. The less Grace knew about what he went through to get back to her the better.

Though, he couldn't help but let a wide smile grow across his face...almost as big as the disappearing cat's. "Oh Regina, that's so insulting." He replied, "Why would I harm Henry? He's done nothing wrong. A child should never have to pay the price for what their parents have done wrong. Don't you agree?"

He turned away from the woman, backing away from her door. "Now, I'll leave you to your...whatever it is you Evil Queens do....I have a daughter to find."

He had started to walk away before he turned on his heel, holding up a hand as if he forgot something. "Oh and Regina, have a nice day."

Again, he turned away from the Queen, a slightly smug smile turning back into his usual frown. He knew in some way Regina would keep her word, for that was the one thing they both had in common. They were both parents that cared dearly for their children, and would do anything in their power to keep them safe. And now he had a daughter to find.