Better Love

Chapter Eight

"You heard me, kid," Grumpy, the angriest of the 7 dwarfs glared at her. "Are we giving murderers 5-star treatment then? You're just letting him walk around town after his psycho boss tried to take over Emma's boy? After he helped him try to take over Storybrooke?"

"Of course not." Jessa got up from her seat, palms raised and open. The picture of peace and friendship. "I figured, and our beloved heroes eventually agreed, that rehabilitation is worth a try. Locking people in prison and throwing away the key... that isn't who we are. We're the good guys, we have to act like it."

There wasn't any trace of a quiver or any awkwardness in her voice. Felix normally felt uncomfortable with that, the way she talked like she was repeating a memorized script. But he was starting to appreciate it. Specifically when it was aimed at someone else.

Felix stayed seated, keeping an eye on the dwarf to make sure he didn't try anything. The girl he was with seemed confident, but she didn't look like she'd last long in a fight. He figured that he would have to step in if the man got violent... like adults do in his experience. Everyone in the diner kept looking from the dwarf, to Jessamine, to Felix, and then back again. If it wasn't for Jessa's calm and friendly voice, and the dwarf's angry bluster, there would be no sound in the restaurant.

"Yeah, and you know so much about being the good guy." Grumpy scoffed. "I don't really trust your judgement when it comes to allies, in case you forgot."

Jessa barely held back a sigh, knowing that he'd say something like that. "Don't worry Grumpy, I haven't forgot. You're always very happy to let me know exactly how you feel about me."

"Someone has to."

Felix was scowling now. He wasn't exactly a fan of the girl, still distrustful of her motives. But this man... Jessa had made great efforts to prove to Felix that she was a good person, but this dwarf hadn't. And yet this dwarf was still acting like he was better than her.

"I'm sure you believe that." Jessa said, the barest of annoyance slipping into her voice. "But for now, nobody has made any laws banning me from eating in public. Although I'm sure you'd enjoy that. If you'll excuse me, I have a meal to complete."

She turned away from Grumpy, walking back over to the lost boy who was still so clearly tense. She didn't even say anything to him when she sat down, just gave him a cryptic look and started eating. Like she didn't have a care in the world.

Felix got the message: don't let this get to you.

The girl didn't say anything else until they were done, when she tossed a few pieces of green paper on the table and called over to the older woman at the counter, thanking her for their "great meal".

As soon as they left the building and were out of earshot of the people, Jessa swore loudly. "Shit! Goddammit."

"And all those little heroes think they're so empathic and kind." Felix scoffed, a wry grin on his face. There was still a tenseness in his shoulders from that little interaction, but he shook it off and looked down at the shorter girl beside him. Arms swaying at his side, in contrast to her stiff and contained stride.

He expected her to gently defend her little friends (although from what he could see, that little man was the farthest thing from her friend). But to his surprise, instead of that, she started apologizing.

"I'm sorry. Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't think that..."

"What?" Felix asked, almost incredulously. "That everyone was just going to accept me with open arms?" He hoped she wasn't that naive.

Thankfully for maintaining his halfway decent opinion of her, she shook her head. "No, I had just hoped that word hadn't spread so fast. It's not like anyone actually saw you with Pan, I thought I could have passed you along as another rehomed lost boy and...." Jessa trailed off as she saw Felix's face harden, any humor in his eyes disappearing in a second.

"So the Saviour did what she said she would?" He asked coldly. "Gave all the boys to grownups so that they could play family?"

Jessa paused before answering, trying to think of an answer that wouldn't provoke the already on-edge teenager. "Yes, Emma wanted to give the boys another chance at a family. She knows what it's like to be an orphan, and she didn't want to inflict that on anyone else. The boys are allowed to leave their new families at any time if they don't feel up to it."

"You're brainwashing them. Making them think that they need parents."

She shook her head, taking a step back from him. "What we're doing is showing them the new opportunities that they can gave here. Like I said, nobody is forcing them to stay with their families." She hadn't heard much about the other lost boys, but she knew she should ask around to see how they were adjusting. Hopefully that would help her figure out how to help Felix get used to Storybrooke. And begin to calm his hatred of adults. 

"I want to see them." Felix demanded.

An anxious pit formed in Jessa's stomach.

***

Jessa got into her car, going home to change into clean clothes before picking up the lost boy Felix from the sheriff's office. Her mind was set after her conversation with the heroes. As she slid her key into the ignition, she hesitated to turn it as she saw Emma exit the hospital and start walking towards her car.

"You're not gonna change my mind Emma." The girl started, rolling down her window.

Emma chuckled. "Wasn't here for that." Raising her eyebrow in surprise, Jessa tilted her head curiously and waited for Emma to continue. "If you think you can help him, okay. We'll be here if you need us to step in and make sure he doesn't kill you. Just..." She hesitated, a strange look in her eyes. "The other lost boys need to be able to adjust to a new life without Pan, and we don't know if they'll be able to do that if Pan's most loyal boy is trying to convince them otherwise. So make sure that you make him keep his distance."

That request sent mixed feelings through the girl. "You wanna keep him away from the only people he knows? The only people he cared about? He's just as much a victim as the rest of them are."

"You don't know that. You didn't see him in Neverland. He has more pull than the rest of them."

"I don't..."

"Please Jessa." The look in Emma's eyes made her falter. From the moment Emma had met Henry, the seeds of motherhood were planted in her and only grew. But as she looked at Jessa, she wasn't just speaking as a mother, but also someone who grew up without one. Something that Jessa knew very well. "Those boys need a chance. Give them one."

"Okay." She conceded. "I'll try."

***

"We're going to wait a bit before doing that." Jessa told Felix. "Wait until you've formed your own informed opinion on Storybrooke."

"I already have one. Let me see them."

"I promise you will. But now is not the time." She didn't want to tell Felix it was Emma's idea. He'd never give the heroes any chances if she did that. Better for him to think it was her decision than for him to blame the residents of Storybrooke as a whole.

"Don't tell me-"

"Felix!" Jessa interrupted him. "This isn't summer camp. You tried to hurt everyone in this town. You can't just do anything you want." She felt bad for being harsh, especially since he just wanted to see his friends. But she promised Emma. "I know I seem like an asshole, but I'm just telling you what has to happen."

Felix's expression was cold and spiteful. "Fine." He spat out, turning away from her and walking back towards the apartment. Jessa sighed, knowing she had probably just ruined all the progress made with the boy. It hurt her to see him look at her like that, but she didn't have to power to magically fix that.

She only hoped she could fix things the human way.

Notes: Finally posted the new chapter!! Sorry it took so long, but it's here now and I'm gonna try and continue at a reasonable pace. Thanks to @BlueHairBlueEyes for reminded me that this story existed and giving me the urgency to scroll through my notes to find the timeline plan for this story so I could continue it 💪💪