Title: Echoes in my mind.
Author: LostinFairyTales
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Rating: T
Pairing: Jefferson/Elizabeth Frankenstein
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to the writers/creators of Once Upon A Time. The only OC character is Elizabeth Frankenstein.

Jefferson was late: very late, and his business partner did not accept tardiness. Not that it was his fault, Jefferson considered, as he ran through the forest. It wasn't his fault that he had overslept and it was the brunette barmaid who'd started the fight. In fact, it was petty really. All he had done was forgotten her name…and accidentally mistaken her for the other barmaid he'd slept with from that tavern. In his hung-over mind, they all looked the same.

He halted at the door to Rumplestiltskin's castle, catching his breath before straightening up. He ran a hand through his hair and rocked on his heels slightly before pushing open the door with as much vigour as he could manage. Jefferson anticipated his business partner's wrath, but fortunately the imp was facing away from the door, spinning gold. He hadn't appeared to have noticed the portal jumper's arrival.

"What time do you call this?" A sarcastic, yet distinctively feminine voice called.

Jefferson whirled around to see the girl Rumplestiltskin was mentoring, Regina. Somehow her name had stuck, although Regina no longer seemed as innocent and heartbroken as she had when they'd met only a week or so ago. There was a cold determination in her eyes and a presumptuous grin on her face.

"I overslept," He muttered in response, striding past her towards Rumplestiltskin, who still had his back turned to them both.

"Why is there a hand shape on your cheek?"

Jefferson glared at her, quickly rubbing at his cheek. He'd hoped the mark from where the infuriated barmaid had slapped him had gone.

"Did you have a lover's tiff with some barmaid?" Regina asked sweetly, unable to hide her amusement at her jibes.

"Shut up and go make some potions."

Regina opened her mouth to retort, but Rumplestiltskin suddenly snapped a gold thread and the room fell silent.

"Regina, go and fetch the potions book and the necessary ingredients for the disarming potion: Jefferson come here," The imp ordered.

Once Regina was out of the room, Rumplestilstkin spoke again: "I need you to go back to the 'land without colour', as you call it." He ignored Jefferson's sigh at the request, winding more of the golden thread into a basket at his feet.

"But there's nothing there to steal."

"I don't want you steal me anything, I want you to check up on that Victor Frankenstein. I'm rather interested to see if he has successfully managed to resurrect the dead."

Jefferson gave another melodramatic sigh, toying with the hat in his hands as if he was considering whether to defy Rumplestiltskin or not.

"Can't I track down the ruby slippers instead?" He moaned, but judging by the imp's disapproving look, he knew that his fate was sealed.

Reluctantly, he let go of the hat, watching it enlarge in a swirl of purple, before preparing to jump. He stopped at the sound of Rumplestiltskin calling his name, in his usual 'dark one' voice: a horribly high pitched, almost satirical sound. With a devious grin the imp called, "Don't be late again dearie."