When Emma had started thinking about Lily again, she thought that maybe Lily had somehow gotten her life turned around. That maybe she used her rich family to grow up, have a family maybe….go to college….

But as they walked into the gas station/diner, Emma realized that her hopes for the woman that had been her friend when they were kids hadn't had that. Either she lived here or she was relegated to eating here. None of which seemed all that appealing.

Rumpelstiltskin bristled, "I thought there was nothing worse than the cell your parents put me in."

Emma smacked him, "Behave."

"Do you see her?"

Emma looked around, "I don't know, it's been years since I saw her last."

He fidgeted, "What do we say to her?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Emma took his hand; "She'll have to come eventually, let's go sit down."

They found a table and sat, Emma faced the door, if anyone came in, she'd be the first to see them, Lily had to come eventually. Did she work here? Did she eat? Was she just passing through? Emma really hoped it wasn't' the latter. Maleficent kept using the blood globe to check in to see if she was in the same place and she was. It'd been hours. Who stayed in a place like this for hours if they didn't have to?

"I used to be a waitress," Emma said when she noticed that her husband was practically rigid in his seat.

He softened a bit, "You never told me that."

"It was when I got out of jail," Emma said, "Only place that would hire me was a place like this. Then a bail bondsman became a regular…gave me a chance. I was young back then…angry at what happened to me."

He flinched at that but she continued.

"He gave me a chance. He gave me several in fact, and…eventually, I shaped up, gained his trust, became his partner and then took his business when he passed."

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a look that showed how proud he was of her; Emma felt herself blush a bit and rocked in her unstable chair.

"You know something?" he toyed with his cane, "I've never given you a decent honeymoon."

Emma tensed and looked down. She toyed with the laminated menu, "there was never time."

His face fell, he looked guilty, "I should, after Lily's settled in. I will."

"Did the other wives get honeymoons?"

"Yes," he gave a half smile, "Most of mine and Cruella's were spent in the garden surrounded by gin. She didn't mine."

"If I married her, I would get drunk too."

"You are married to her," he raised an eyebrow, "You're not just marrying me when you gave your vows, Emma. You also married-."

"To the four other wives, I know, it's just…not exactly what I'm used to."

He looked concerned, "I just want your happiness."

"What if I never adjust?"

"Sometimes it just takes time," he offered, "Belle had it hard too. When one wife is the mistress of all evil and the other is Cruella? Poor Belle thought our marriage would be done by the first year. Then the curse broke and she had to contend with Regina."

"I must sound like a skipping record with this. I worry about adjusting in this family."

"I want you to come to me with your problems."

"I know."

He hesitated at the next words, "Are you happy?"

Emma took a moment to think about it. IT wasn't as if it was bad, it was just weird. Emma hadn't ever thought she'd be married to five people at one time; it was still a lot to figure out. It was a lot to think about knowing the family connections she was married to. Her son's grandfather and her son's adopted mother. Both the reasons why she grew up alone, and now they were all in a marriage.

But they were trying, given a chance like she was and they were trying to be better. And there was a support, a weird sort of support that Emma never had. There was no pressure to be a perfect wife. There was no pressure to be everything; a wife, a mother, a career woman. There was help where she fell short.

She was still trying to find her niche but she still had a family. That…at least liked her and wanted her safe.

And she WAS safe. And so was her son.

"Yeah," she said after thinking about it, "I'm happy."

He gave a relieved beaming smile and went to kiss her hand. Emma gave him a wicked little smile, "We can always go back to the car while we wait."

"Behave," he said while blushing a bit, "The waitress is coming."

"Sorry about the wait," the dark headed waitress came out with her pencil and little sketchpad, "The cook is…whatever…what can I get for you?"

"Emma," her husband reached under the table and put his hand on her leg. Emma didn't need it, she saw it too. The star birthmark on the woman's wrist.

Emma looked up, she changed over the years, she hardly recognized her friend. She looked tired, hardened even. She had the same look that Emma had years ago before she found her son, before she found her family.

Her name; Starla. Hilarious.

"Lily?"

Lily froze, her hand poised on the paper, "Do I know you?"

It occurred to Emma that she hadn't thought of what she should tell Lily, nothing had seemed right. Nothing seemed fitting, "It's me, Emma."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise just or a moment. Emma looked over to her husband who was staring at Lily like she was his entire world in that moment.

"Emma…what are you doing here?"

"I'm uh…," she looked to Rumple again for help but he was too busy memorizing his daughter's face, "I'm here to take you back to your mom."

Lily's face fell.

Yeah, that was the wrong thing to say

Emma didn't realize that Lily would walk so fast out the door and it took her a moment to register before she got up as well.

"Emma," Rumpelstiltskin called, she heard the worry in his voice.

She cleared the doorway and followed her friend, "Lily, wait."

Lily turned around sharply, "That was a terrible joke."

"It's not a joke," Emma told her, "I've met your mother. She asked me to come find you."

"Of all the people in the world, how could you just have met my mother and knew it was her?"

"It's a long story, but please, I'm going to take you to her."

"Why isn't she here?"

Emma searched for the right thing to say, "She…..has a condition. She can't leave town."

Lily rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair, "So you just happened to…what? Stalk me? How did you even know I was here? No one knows I'm here."

"I…sort of find people, it's what I do," Emma stepped forward and watched as Lily stepped back, "That man in there? He's your father. He's come to bring you back."

"The guy you were getting close with?"

Crap. She saw that.

"Yeah, your mom and I sort of share him, it's complicated."

"Real classy."

Emma needed to change tactics, this obviously wasn't going well, "Do you remember when we first met? You felt like it was fate somehow?"

Lily stared at her and tried to smile, "That's something teenage girls say to each other then braid each other's hair."

"What if it's not? What if it's more than that? I know it's hard to believe and it's weird….seeing the man you would've called your father and me like that. I know it's weird that your mother isn't here. But I'll explain it; you just need to come with me."

Lily scoffed and went to walk off.

Emma followed, "You're living out in the middle of nowhere under an assumed name. I can help you."

"I don't need your help, and my life is great, thank you very much. I have an amazing daughter. And a loving husband. The last thing I need is for you to come in and blow it apart again, so…if you'll excuse me," she turned to the school bus that just pulled up, "It's my daughter's bus."

Emma stood there for a moment and then looked to see Rumple hanging back. She saw the disappointment on his face and she went to take his hand, "We knew it wasn't going to be easy."

"She has a daughter?" he whispered and watched as the girl was led away, "I have a granddaughter? "

Emma couldn't ignore that feeling in her stomach, one that she knew all the time when she was a bailbondsperson and someone was lying, "I don't think so."

His face fell, "What?"

"I think she's lying."

"How would you know?"

Emma shrugged, "My superpower."

She expected him to doubt it, like most everyone did. They told her it wasn't always accurate and it wasn't. But she needed him to believe her at this point, she needed someone to believe her, "Why would she lie about that?"

"I don't know, but she was lying, she always has, why should now be any different?" Emma said and went to go back into the restaurant, "I'm going to go check something out."

He waited for a moment, "And whose kid is that?"

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The cook was out smoking in the back, so Emma found it really easy to steal Lily's timecard and get her address. It wouldn't be bad, it wouldn't cost Lily anything. She wouldn't be coming back, and if she did, Emma would just slip her the time card and apologize. Hey, it wouldn't be a surprise, they were both thieves.

The ride to the house was quiet. Rumple stared at the phone in his hands, he was contemplating calling Maleficent. He would go to press her number on the speed dial, then draw back. She didn't say anything. How could she?

Lily might not come back with them. Emma had known it might happen but she hadn't prepared herself for it.

She reached over and took her husband's hand. He squeezed it and looked at her, "Emma?"

"What?"

"I'm very very sorry for what I did to you…to get Bae back."

Emma stared ahead, kept her eyes on the road. There was a part of her still very angry at what she'd been through. He sacrificed her for finding Bae. Emma didn't know if that would ever go away. But if she clung to that, what would she be? She held onto that anger for 28 years. While she had every reason to be angry, what would she personally do in order to reunite with Henry again if they were separated?

She could hold onto it, or she could let go and accept that he was truly sorry for what he did.

Emma drew in a breath, "I forgive you."

He let out a relieved breath and brought her hand to his lips. She felt the tears hit the back of her hand, "Lets get our daughter."

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Emma was pretty sure she lost out years back because when she was a waitress, because the place that she'd been able to afford was almost the size of a closet compared to this.

Emma looked around, not moving far from the lock she picked. Her husband moved into the room behind her, he memorized everything in the living room, "Not a bad place."

"No, patrons of Coffee Mug must tip real well," Emma muttered and gestured around the room, "No evidence of a kid; no sign of a husband…looks like I was right"

She saw the disappointment on his face, "So she was alone then. And she still wants to remain so."

"Well, you can't blame her for running off, imagine how it'll be when we tell her she was Maleficent daughter," Emma moved down the hallway and peeked into a room. Simple bathroom. Nothing there.

"It'll be difficult," he allowed and went past her to the bedroom

"Remember how hard it was for me, and that was in Storybrooke. For her, it's not going to be as simple."

"Emma," she heard his voice.

"What?" Emma went to follow him. He went to try and block her so that she wouldn't have to see.

But she did. There was a map of Maine on the wall; Storybrooke was written in red on it while there were several arrows along the coastline trying to pinpoint its location. Emma saw printouts of paintings and other artwork with post-its identifying different fairy tale characters. There was a red x on both her parents' faces.

There was a Polaroid of her. Next to her photo there was a fingerprint sheet; Emma wasn't sure where she got that, she wasn't sure she wanted to know

"She knew everything, she wants revenge," a cold feeling gripped Emma's chest.

Outside, Emma heard her car start up. She turned to the door, "Really?"

She raced out the door, her husband wasn't far behind; he stumbled once. Emma stopped to help him.

"I'm fine, go get her. I'll catch up."

"I can't leave you."

"The scroll was in the car."

Emma froze, then went to help him get up. She rushed out the door and down the ramp, "LILY!"

She didn't take time to process what was happening. She went to the toolbox that was next to a teal car and slammed it against the window. There was a blur and her husband was next to her. She didn't know how he got out so fast but he opened the passenger door and slipped in.

"Your leg is going to regret that later," Emma said and pressed the gas.

"I don't care about that," he whispered.

"She's not getting to my family," Emma said angrily.

"I know."

"If she does, if she wants revenge, I can't let her into town, Rumple. I can't do that; I can't put our family through that."

"Don't talk about that just yet," Rumple scolded, "We need some time to figure things out."

"I can't not think about it," She snapped, "She had my darkness shoved on her, she told me that everything good she does backfires. You saw that wall; I can't let her destroy my family. She already did that one time."

"Maybe we could talk her down, maybe we could… I don't know…Emma; don't set your mind against her yet."

"Every time we let in someone that wants to hurt us, it almost always backfires," she looked over to him, "I finally have a family, more family than I know what to do with. I'm not losing any of you and I WON'T let in a threat that wants to kill my parents.""

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It was a quick chase, Emma found her easily enough, Lily would know the route towards the places she'd narrowed down for Storybrooke. The roads were empty, thank God. Because Lily tried to swerve to keep her from getting in front. Emma finally got ahead of her, and blocked her off.

Rumpelstiltskin looked like he was going to be sick from the way the car swerved to cut Lily off.

Lily pulled herself out of the car. Emma followed and broke into a jog as Lily started to walk away, "Hey! Hey."

She got in front her, she was angry, this woman had ruined her chances with one family, now she was going to destroy the one Emma had been searching for her whole life, "You know! You know everything. Did you know when we were kids?"

"Or course not," Lily said. It was the truth, "But after, yeah, I learned it all."

That was….baffling, how many people made it here without needing the curse, "

"Does it really matter?" Lily demanded, "It doesn't' change anything. You screwed me over before we were even born."

How did that logic even make sense? Her parents only just found out about her when they did what they did, Emma had no choice in it all, "I had no more say in it than you did."

"Well your parents did," Lily said, seething, "And when I get to Storybrooke, I'm going-."

Emma lashed out before she could even think, she shoved Lily backwards "You lay a hand on them and I end you!"

"Emma!" Rumple called.

Emma ignored him; she was more focused on the threat getting up, "Yeah? How are you going to do that without your magic, savior?"

Lily punched her. Emma stumbled back. She heard a clap of thunder. She ignored it; this would be done soon enough.

"Your parents were monsters," Lily taunted, "They banished me and threw you into a wardrobe. And here you are ready to die for them, because you're so perfect."

"Oh that's hilarious coming from you, knowing where I've been and what my life was like. I had to fight for what I had. For years. You think everything was just handed to me? You think it was easy? It's never been easy! You think my own life eased up when I got my parents back? It didn't!"

"I'm going to Storybrooke," Lily told her, "And there's only one way you're going to stop me."

Emma grabbed her and shoved her back down again.

"EMMA!" Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Let me go," Emma jerked away

"Emma, let me handle this."

"Rumple, she wants to-."

"Emma," he whispered, "Let me try."

Emma rolled her eyes and walked away, but her mind was made up. If nothing was resolved, Lily wasn't coming to Storybrooke, that was the end of it.

Because the revenge cycle would keep going and she was breaking it. She was ending it now.

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Rumpelstiltskin knew what anger was like, the sort that Emma had had, and that Lily still had. He knew all those years ago how it felt to have every good thing you tried to do backfire on you so that the darkness was the most effective way to get things done. He looked at his daughter, sitting on a construction pipe and he saw himself. He saw his wives in her. All outcasts in their own right. Most were toeing the line every day from good to bad.

And he saw fear that came with the anger. The bitterness. He wanted to help her; he knew that he could if he was just giving that time. He wanted her home; he wanted the family to be together and NOT killing each other.

He stood in front of her, "May I sit?"

"You're going to do what you want anyway," Lily said.

HE gave a smile and sat next to her, "Well, this has been quite a day."

She looked over at him, "Let me guess, that Rumple that Emma called you is Rumpelstiltskin."

"Yes, but don't hold it against me."

She scoffed and looked down, "Are you really my father?"

"Not by blood," he told her honestly, "So you don' have to worry about that. But….that doesn't matter to me. I hope it doesn't' matter to you."

Lily scoffed and played with the pendant around her neck

He couldn't take his eyes off her, his daughter was right here next to him and he was afraid that if he looked away, he'd forget what she looked like "You know…when we got here, we thought you were dead. Your mother mourned you, I mourned you…it wasn't until…certain things suddenly came to light that we knew the truth. Otherwise we'd have found you a lot sooner."

"And you two are a thing?" she glared in the direction of Emma.

"It's…complicated. Your mother and I have a very…open relationship. It's not like this world is used to. I'm going to be honest now, I have five wives. Emma's one and your mother is one."

Lily scooted away slightly, "Like some weird cult pervert."

"No, not a cult pervert," he told her gently, "But what we have, it works for us. I just don't want you to be surprised when you get home and find out that way. You have a brother; HE's maybe a bit older than you. You have an adopted bother who is also….your nephew….that one's a long story."

Lily looked over, he was rambling and he stopped, "Lily, I know what it's like to have a darkness forced on you. I know what it's like to have every good decision you ever tried backfire. I know what it's like to have darkness inside that tempts you, that tells you that it'll be easier."

"Are you going to convince me that I should give up my roaring rampage of revenge?"

"I think….that when you were taken from us; I had already lost a son to this world as well, centuries ago. And so coming to this world didn't just mean getting him back, it was about seeing what happened to you and seeing if you were alive. And I think we want to get to know you. And I think…that yes, it's time to stop this cycle of revenge. Too many people have gotten hurt and ruined. Take it from me, for myself and those that I've seen over the centuries, revenge doesn't' make you feel better. But if you come with us…you'll have your family back. You'll have us who want you…and we want to help you."

Lily stared down at the pendant again

"Come along," He stood up and held his hand out, "Your mother is waiting."

He watched Lily's conflict, the wheels turning in her head. She sighed and took his hand.

He saw his wife tense as they drew close. Lily glanced at her and went to go to the backseat of the car, "So she's coming."

"Yes," he told her

Her jaw clenched, "And if she goes after my parents?"

"We'll stop her."

Emma was shaking; he knew this was hard, he knew the prospect of losing them again was something that she struggled with every day, "What if you don't?"

"We will, but I don't think she'll come after revenge. She's not stupid; she knows what's in her best interest."

"I just hope her best interest is why she wants to go," Emma told him and went to her side of the car.