living room; open
Jefferson was confident enough that James wouldn't do anything to harm any of them. Unstable as he was, they had shared a lot of time since he had originally left Emma and Ruby to their own devices, and Jefferson...trusted him. It possibly wasn't his wisest stake in trust, and there may have been a stronger want to trust yet. The dedication in James' mind was stronger than any uncertainty.
It wasn't as if Jefferson hadn't had him keep a close eye on all of them. If anything, James was more familiar with all of them than they would be him.
He accepted the hug from Ruby, giving her shoulder a tiny squeeze that was only possible for a small amount of time as he was helping to move some of what Mary Margaret had brought to the kitchen.
Returning the Emma's smile, Jefferson gave a small "Thank you," giving James a tiny pat to his shoulder--more of a tug to get him away from the door and into the mix of people. "Breathe, dear, it'll be fine. Go make nice and do the talking thing we discussed. I have faith in you."
He'd wait around a little longer before skirting off into the kitchen. It'd be rude after all, and he wasn't about to leave James treading water.