A/N: So… We've established that Lily is a wildcard, but in case you were wondering just how wild, I present you Chapter 8.

I appreciate all follows, favs, and reviews. I will continue to appreciate more if you so choose to do so.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, and I've once again borrowed some dialogue, that tends to happen in this tale.

Chapter 8: Brothers and Sisters

Emma reached the loft with Regina a little after sundown. To be honest, Emma would have much rather gone straight home after that death-defying day she had. She was convinced Regina was bat-shit crazy and she's almost certain she'd prefer Gold to this psycho when it came to mentoring her daughter. Lily's never mentioned a bridge trick.

Still, she arrived at the loft and awaited the arrival of all the others. Killian was meant to pick up Lily from Belle on his way back with Henry, last they talked. She hadn't a clue where her parents went or why Regina spent so much time casting a protection spell on the loft to only come in and find it protecting no one.

After sitting around in an awkward silence for fifteen minutes, there was a knock on the door, leading Emma from the uncomfortable glancefest she was participating in with Regina. She opened the door wide to find Killian…alone.

"Swan, I didn't expect to see you here." He sounded as baffled as he looked. Emma was a little less baffled and a little more concerned.

"What do you mean, where's Henry? Where's Lily? Is everything alright?" She flew past concern and straight on to panic when she caught him glancing around the loft again.

"Henry's fine, he's with his grandparents, I thought they might be back here." He jumped to calm her, but there was still an answer she was looking for. "Lily is the only one I've lost track of."

Great.

"We haven't seen them. What do you mean 'lost track?' All you had to do was pick her up from the shop?" She didn't want to jump down his throat but Lily was a bit unpredictable. Actually, the kid was a freaking wild card. God only knows what she's doing and where. What random rush or urge captured her and where the hell it led her. "And, if you're not with either of them, then what have you been doing all day?" Not that it's her place to ask, but they've kissed twice in the last two days and he's her future husband and they have a child running around she has to constantly reassure of his safety so yeah, it is her place to ask.

That was the moment he deferred his gaze from her eyes. She wanted to believe this wasn't a lie. So she did, she forgot that she could read him and let him talk.

"I was enlisted to help Ariel find her prince." He held his hand out as he walked through the loft door, something he did when he was searching for speech instead of being his confident, charming self. Her distrustful nature flared again but she was giving him the damn benefit of the doubt.

"Really?" Regina interrupted. "That fish is in Storybrooke?" For whatever reason, Killian hesitated to answer, almost caught off guard that Regina was present.

"Yeah, she was." He sighed. Emma studied him against her better judgement and found him a bit bewildered, but she promised she'd stop looking for reasons to run from him. "We found a clue in Gold's shop which led us to discover that Eric had been shipwrecked on Hangmen's Island, just off the coast of the Enchanted Forest."

"But… Lily was at the shop when you went?" Emma tried to school her voice to sound gentle, not accusing.

"Aye, briefly. She ducked out while we were in the back." Killian smoothed his hand over his mouth, tugging downward, and gripping his jaw. "I should have went after her, but the locator spell was in action when I discovered she had fled. Belle assured me she had most likely gone to fetch them lunch."

"So Zelena's curse hadn't reached that far, the island Eric was on?" Emma couldn't help it. She was staring into his eyes waiting for a lie.

"She's on her way back there now. She wanted me to say goodbye to Mary Margaret for her."

He had to be lying. There were three clues. He used her mother's Storybrooke name, he used Gold's storybrooke name and he had absolutely none of his normal charm.

"At the rate mermaids swim, she's probably already there." Regina commented. "In fact let's find out." The woman stood from her chair, moving to the floor length mirror in the corner of the loft. The fearful expression on Killian's face sealed his fate. Emma knew that there was more to this, and she couldn't let it go now.

"I thought you couldn't use mirror magic to check through worlds?" Emma moved from his presence toward Regina's.

"I can't, but after seeing the raw power you possess, I think maybe you can." And if it was meant to be a compliment, Regina made it sound more like a dare.

Killian let out an awkward sigh, discouraging and guilty. "There's no need, I'm sure she's fine." Emma knew then that if she didn't see Ariel and her prince, Killian would be off the list of people to trust and she hated to think of what that felt like. "Anyway, it's bad form to spy on such a private affair."

"How do I do it?" Emma asked eagerly.

"Well, you've focused, you've let emotions awaken your power." She thought back to floating in that kiss last night. Her powers had been long since awakened. "Now you have to look inward." Emma closed her eyes and let herself see what she needed to see. She focused on Ariel, on some far off island and some prince, praying she'd see what Killian told her she would.

She felt a light fluttering against her lids, opening to find the mirror swirling to produce the image she so sought. Sure enough, Killian's word lined up. Ariel and her prince were spinning on the shore embracing a love Emma would soon allow herself to find in the pirate brooding behind her.

"You did this?" She gasped, turning with awe fluttering across her features to find a shy and oddly quiet Killian. "You brought them together?" Like a goddamn hero.

"No." He sighed discouragingly. "It was Ariel, she never stopped believing."

"Modesty?" She tried her best to bite back the grin pulling at her lips. "You're just full of surprises Today." She marched the few steps between them, bringing a gentle hand to cup his face. Her body mindlessly leaned into him, her lips searching for his when he deliberately pulled away. He deliberately chose not to kiss her.

The loft door opened too quickly for her to gather her thoughts on what just happened and speak on it. She turned to find her mother, a knowing brow raised already, her father and Henry marching through. No Lily in sight.

"Where have you guys been?" Emma folded her arms to deflect the cold rejection brought on.

"Only having the best day ever" Henry cheered. "Where's Lily, I want to tell her about it?"

"You haven't seen her at all Today?"Emma questioned. Now was a good time to panic.

"Wait, what?" Mary Margaret moved to the forefront, stalling her hands traveling down the buttons of her coat. "There's an eight year-old roaming around right now?"

"I thought she was with you somehow." Killian shook his head bitterly. "I'll go find her. Evening."

"No, not 'Evening?'" Emma snapped, marching toward him. "You're not searching for her alone."

"She's my daughter Swan. I don't need to put anyone out."

"Killian." Emma found her face heating to exponential proportions, she was going to have a stroke at this rate, the way he was acting was unnerving at best, at worst? Completely bizarre and he might be possessed. "No are you… is something going on with you?"

"Yes, my daughter's missing."

She swore to god if he said 'my' one more time she'd smack him.

"I'll go with you. She's probably at her tower." Henry volunteered. "The playground overlooking the sea. She mentioned there was a spyglass at the top she used to look out at the water when she felt sad…"

"Lad you don't have to trouble yourself." Killian began but Henry was already en route toward the door.

"We're practically family, it's not trouble, it's duty." Henry opened the loft door and flew down the steps before anyone could stop him. Killian had no choice but to follow before he lost sight of both of them.

"Killian." Emma urged him to listen as he approached the top of the stairs. "I don't know what's going on with you, but… I'm tired of living in the past. I want to look forward to the future, our future." His grim expression in reply sent the terrible kind of chills down her spine. He failed to meet her eyes until the last moment, and she wished he never met them at all when she saw him suffering for whatever reason. "Killian?"

"I know what you mean." He winced before descending the staircase.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sound of waves crashing on the shore below didn't hypnotize her like she knew it should have. The sound usually carries her away with the tide as it recedes. There's always been a calm when it comes to her tower, but she can't bring herself to climb the stairs right now. Her legs are still itching to turn back to the farmhouse.

She's not sure what she expected going over there. She knew Zelena would be occupied with her dad all day, and she wondered where that left her good friend Gold. When she left his shop, she thought she'd just go by, ask about the wand and move on, but dropping down into that storm cellar took all rationality from her.

Lily was walking into the lion's den as if she were made of titanium, when she were mere flesh and bone. This is the Dark One, he could crush her faster than she could introduce herself. The other's had tried to free him behind Zelena's back just one day prior and he threatened their lives, warning them that she would force him to kill each and every one of them.

Still, she was not afraid. Where he was concerned, she was titanium now. Impenetrable titanium that won't be manipulated or bent to meet his needs. She was stronger-willed, like her mother, determined to get what she needed for once.

"You?" His voice still echoes in the ocean breeze. The shock more evident that any other aspect, he never expected a child this brave. He doesn't understand the concept of brave.

"Me." Lily smiled proudly. "I know you've seen who I am, seen what you've done and what I've…'failed' to do."

"No." Gold lied through his suddenly visible teeth. The crook smiled like he was winning the game.

"That's fine. You will. However, you supplied me with some visions of my own, and I've seen all I need to now to know you don't get to frighten me." Perhaps that was a lie, but if he could lie, she could lie better. She's seen her mother's tactics to get perps to bend to her. Confidence is king when you're dealing with a criminal.

"What do you want, little girl?" His faux-charm fading fast. "You should know it's not safe in these parts of the wood."

"Oh, I'm out of the woods, Gold. This is farm country, and I know your master's every move. I think I'm just fine." Lily let the sass roll off of her in waves, hoping to drown him every time he thought he could swim to the surface and reclaim her again. "I know when you're commanded, you can't break it till she does. I know she banished you to this cage, to sit and wait until she needs you again. I know that you can't come out until she says so, and she's not here to say so."

"My patience is wearing thin."

"That's too bad." Lily growled, running her hands down the bars of his cage. "I still have a few questions."

"Well, ask them Dearie so we can go about our lives."

"What lives? Mine has yet to begun in this time, and yours doesn't seem like your own. Tell me, what's it like to be the one with their strings being pulled? You've had so many puppets, so many young and eager girls that you've broken to meet your needs. How does it feel to meet another's?"

"This isn't the night of revenge for you, Lillian. I've done nothing to you yet."

"Are you aware of how easy it is for me to make sure you never do?"

"You've decided to kill me? Well, are you aware of what that entails? Do you wish to be history's youngest Dark One?" He worked his signature creepy smirk.

"I don't have to kill you to ensure my own safety." Lily admitted with a smirk of her own.

"No? What do you have to do?"

"Break you." Lily answered stalely. No room for emotion when the air was this thick. His reaction finally matched the storm she knew was brewing within him.

"Thanks to your failure, you weak little girl, you already have!" He flung himself against the bars, rattling the cage like a madman trying to get out. She steeled herself on the surface. She would not be afraid. "Better than Cora, ha! Cora had something you will never contain. Self-worth. You are weak! You are worthless, you had one job!"

"YOU HAD ONE JOB!" Lily shouted back, the ground shaking at the force of her words. "To be a father! You are weak, you are worthless and you are a coward. You abandoned him and from that moment on, everything he went through was at your small, brittle hands. You couldn't even come back here on your own." Lily wrapped her hands over his, still wrapped around the bars."I am better than Cora. More so, I'm better than you."

"Lily?" Lily?" The sound of her name being called from only feet behind her brought her back to the present. Back to the sand and the sounds of the shore. Back to herself. "Hey Kid? Did you hear us?" She turned to find Henry, cheeks red and wind-bitten. He panted as he made the last few steps toward her.

"Henry? What are you doing here?"

"Uhm, let's see?" He narrowed his eyes sarcastically before wrapping her up in his arms. "Your dad is going to freak out, we've been looking for you." he whispered for just her to hear, like a warning she didn't need.

"Is he here?"

"Right here." Killian answered loudly, right behind Henry. Lily quickly pulled out of her brother's embrace to meet her father's disapproving eyes. "I'm going to give you one whole minute."

"I saw 'Ariel' and decided I would take a walk and let you all do your thing."

"That was hours ago." He interrupted unfazed by the mention of the witch in fish clothing.

"No, that was 30 seconds, you promised a whole minute." left over sass spilled from her lips before she could contain it.

"Lillian?" He huffed angrily. "Spill."

"I went to the farmhouse, the storm cellar at the farmhouse. I knew that the farmhouse would be empty, the owner otherwise preoccupied, so I went to the storm cellar."

"He was there, wasn't he?" Killian lunged forward, dropping to his knees in front of Lily and willing her shoulders to face him dead on. "Are you bloody daft? What on earth would possess you to walk into there all alone? You've done things I don't agree with but this is completely mental, Lillian."

"No, it's brilliant." Lily explained breathlessly. "Do the brave thing, bravery follows. I feel empowered. I'm not afraid, Dad. I'm not afraid and I know I can break him. He can't hurt me. Any of us."

"He very much can hurt you if you walk in there begging for it." Killian argued, panic-stricken. "You haven't witnessed what I've witnessed. I have scars that prove you wrong Lillian."

"Well, I have none to prove me right." Lily countered, so sure of herself. "I'm goodness and light. Don't you believe in me?"

"Of course I do." Killian sighed, defeated. Lily knew his weakness, questioning his faith in her was always a dropping point. The exact tactic she used to get her under Gold's guidance in the first place.

"Then believe me when I tell you I did the best thing for me." Lily won the argument right then. Killian's expression hardened as he sealed his lips tightly. It wasn't so much of a white flag, as him sinking with his ship, but winning is winning. She knew she won when he rose from his knees, staring above her head at the ocean.

"Right then." Killian turned on his heel and marched back down the hill, calling back for them to follow after a few steps of silence.

"Lily, are you alright?" Henry whispered as if Killian were still in earshot of even interested, for that matter.

"I'm wonderful." Lily beamed at her brother. "My dad on the other hand may just need a pep talk."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Henry, Lily and Killian managed to meet them a little less than halfway through dinner a Granny's. Just as Henry predicted, Lily was right where he looked, her tower. The two of them seemed unfazed but Mr. Doom and Gloom Killian left to go brood somewhere after dropping them off.

They continued on with dinner normally, discussing everyone's day, especially Henry's in great detail. Apparently his grandfather found the only way to connect with him was to let him drive his truck, which Lily confirmed almost barreled through her when she left Gold's shop. The conversation was light and fun but everything was settling within Emma on top of a sense of longing.

She couldn't shake the feeling of a missing member of their family dynamic. He was obviously upset and she was determined to figure out why after she got the kids settled in for the night. She was finally ready to open herself up and he decides now is best to close up. That wasn't going to sit well with the savior.

As the group stood, ready to go their separate ways, Henry stood beside Emma as Lily hugged her grandparents and 'Aunt Gina' goodbye.

"Hey Mom, can I ask you something really quick?" Henry whispered to Emma, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead at Lily's exchange with Mary Margaret.

"Shoot."

"What's so bad about that old farmhouse and storm cellar? Who lives there?"

"What?" Emma turned sharply but Henry shook his head, motioning for her to act less suspicious. "Why?" she mumbled through pressed lips as she turned back to stare at Lily's hand on her mother's stomach.

"Lily told Killian she went to the storm cellar and he almost lost it. He was freaking out and she kept saying 'he', 'he can't hurt me' something about 'breaking' him. I don't know. It was really intense."

"Oh my god." Emma almost lost her footing, a wave of nausea rushing up her body. "She said she went there and 'he' was there?"

"Yeah." Henry's eyes followed Lily as she was lifted into David's arms. "Who is 'he' and why does Killian have scars from him?"

"Henry, I honestly don't know how to answer that."

"Try."

How do you explain to your son that the father he just lost has a father of his own just miles away? Right and after that? How do you explain that he has committed heinous acts against two people he grows to love?

"He's a dangerous man. He hates Killian, he was responsible for the loss of Killian's first love."

"And Lily went to him?" Henry's concern peaked.

"God I don't understand." Emma shook her head, not able to maintain control over her emotions. "Why?"

"She was saying she felt better, like empowered. He can't hurt her now."

"He took Killian's hand. He can hurt her and he will." Emma became more and more frustrated as each second stretched. "She shouldn't have provoked him."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lily walked up, Emma looked over to see the diner door closing behind her parents' fleeting forms. "Why do you both seem so… vexed." Henry narrowed his eyes at Lily.

"You know that you mean a lot to me, right kid?" Henry spoke, and as sweet as the words were, they came out threatening. Lily flinched in response.

"Sure." Lily answered cautiously.

"What you did, going to that awful man's house was a dumb idea." Henry scolded, this newfound anger coming off of him like steam, thick and all consuming. His fists were clenched at his sides as he watched his sister's reaction.

"I'm not a baby, Henry."

"You are. You're only ei—"

"I'm not!" Lily shouted back, halting Henry's words. "And you don't get to treat me like one. No one does."

"Lillian, calm down." Emma spoke softly, moving toward Lily with means to console, but Lily maneuvered from Emma's embrace.

"No!" Lily argued. "I won't calm down. The only one who saves me is me. I saved myself from feeling guilty and sad and gave it to the man it belonged to. If you can't understand that, then you're not who I thought you were."

"Lily?" Emma gasped. "We're good kid. You and I, we're great, don't do this." Emma motioned to the space around Lily, meaning to hint at her dramatics. "You're overreacting so much that I'm under-reacting. I should be pissed right now, but I'm not. Just chill out."

Lily pressed her lips together tight, like her father when the words he wanted to say would only hurt the people he cares for. She steeled herself, allowing a wall to block the emotions she was just displaying.

"Baby," Emma sighed, a sudden feeling of guilt wrapping around her heart. "I don't want you to be upset. I don't want any of us to be upset. It's not that you're not brave and very capable of being whoever you want, it's that this man is a damn demon and he could have hurt you and felt nothing."

"Well, he feels something now. Lillian Jones is a force to be feared, not a little girl to be broken." Lily spoke proudly, her chin rising as she glanced over at her all too quiet brother. "And certainly not a baby." She spit for good measure.

If there's one thing Emma learned in the foster system it's that once you understand what a baby is, you are suddenly too old to be referred to as one(Unless it's your mother calling you her baby).

"You're not a baby, Lily" Henry spoke after a thoughtful moment. "but I'm quickly considering you… like my sister." Lily's face fell quickly. All anger or pride drained with the last bit of distaste she had for the previous conversation she shared with Henry. "And, I'm older, so you'd be like my baby sister."

"I believe you're looking for the word 'younger.'" Lily let a corner of her mouth rise higher, watching Henry from beneath her long lashes. "And I couldn't be happier to be considered such." With that, all was forgiven, Lily dove into her brother's arms, burying her forehead into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Henry sighed contently, wrapping his arms around her in return.

As cute as it was(and it was insanely cute, Emma's entire being hummed with adoration and joy from the cuteness), Emma was worried that the unpredictable nature of her second child paired with the overwhelming need to do right Henry contains would only bring headaches and worry. Lily was more than a wild card, she was a reckless spark and when ignited, could destroy forests to get what she thinks she wants.

Henry had a knack for finding danger all on his own. He had a way of getting kidnapped, and poisoned. His life was at risk just existing in the same realm as evil, and the target on his back from being her son was only going to grow larger by being Lily's brother.

And Lily was no better for Emma's blood pressure. She doesn't just find herself in dangerous situations, she hunts them out like she's got something to prove. She's too adventurous, she thinks her life is some series of fairy tales where she can't get hurt because she's only goodness. Emma doesn't want to defer her from dreaming, but the kid dreams with eyes wide open and feet pattering against pavement. She's not the type to sit and long for adventure. Every time Emma looks up, Lily's looking at danger with a sassy grin.

And she loves Lily for it. She's spirited and brave, and what's not to love about a little girl who has a personality bigger than most of the people she's met in her lifetime? And she loves Henry for his willingness to do what's right and his unwavering faith in 'Good.'

The reality of it is they would do well together. All Lily needs is someone to believe in her and all Henry does is believe in heroes. It's just that 'belief' brings Lily to do things like travel back in time or confront vile villains and that's not something Emma can get behind. So as she watched her children embrace like the siblings they truly are, she can't help the fear in her gut that she won't be able to protect them from themselves.

"Mom, Lily wants to give Killian a chance to cool off so she's sleeping over again." Henry doesn't ask, but tells. He told her like she was the child, but she wasn't, she was the co-parent and her counterpart was somewhere in a far off corner distraught as hell. It's already been two nights, and he barely seemed okay with giving her one. Emma doesn't want to go for three without asking. They haven't had a moment alone since he found out about Gold's treachery. It doesn't seem right.

"You and Lily can go upstairs, but I'm gonna check with Killian first." Emma advised, motherly. The way it should be.

"But Mom," Lily whined before recognizing the error. She froze instantly, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock or fear, Emma wasn't sure.

"Baby, it's okay." Emma was quick to reassure. "Don't worry about it."

"I…Uhm."

"It's really fine, Lily." Henry chimed in. "I called my math teacher 'Mom' three times last year. Worst mistakes have been made." Lily kept her eyes fixed on Emma though, ignore Henry's comment completely.

"It's hard." Lily began. "It's just really hard to…"

"I know." Emma moved closer, wrapping her arm around Lily's shoulder and guiding Henry with her other hand flat against his back. They moved toward the Inn entrance as Emma continued as sweetly as she could muster. "I'm sorry, you know I am."

"I know." Lily frowned, keeping her eyes low as they walked.

XXXXXXXXXX

She found herself outside his door yet again with no courage to knock. What if he wasn't even in there? What is she supposed to do, go to the docks to look for him at a quarter to ten? What if he was in there but the look in his eyes made him seem barely-there? What if the look was too full? What if the anguish within was staring at her in the face and she had no way to fix it?

What if he didn't want her to? What if he didn't want her at all?

There was so much to discuss and so little ability to form sentences right now. Everything was jumbling around in her head.

"Swan" He groaned. "I told you to just knock, it's a little unsettling to hear the footsteps and guess who's on the other side."

"You always guess right." Emma laughed hopefully. He stared blankly at her for a moment, his body blocking the view of his room, his eyes dim and his face aged with worry. She tilted her head, hoping he'd give her something to go on as to what she should do next.

Sure enough, after careful scrutiny, he widened the opening, motioning very gentleman-like for her to come in. She swept through the doorway, lowering her eyes to the hardwood until her feet hit the carpet his bed rested on.

His room had but one bed, one large king, where she and Lily had shared a queen last night. She couldn't help but think back to the night she slept here with the both of them. He was the last thing she saw before drifting off, his careful eyes watching over his sleeping daughter.

He worried so much for that little girl.

"Are you here to tell me Lily's staying with you once more?" His voice was so uninspired, lifeless almost. "I could have figured as much." She turned slowly to find him watching the wall beside the armoire and not her at all.

"Instead of what I'm here to say, do you care to tell me how you could slip out of the diner without mentioning the storm cellar?" She didn't want to sound angry, she wasn't angry, but if there were anything to level the playing field, anything at all that wouldn't make him hate her as much for keeping Lily another night.

"I couldn't form sentences at the moment, everything came out self-loathing and spiteful." He explained in the same dead tone. "I feel as if it's all against me, the things she's done Today. She wouldn't speak to me at the shop and then she goes into the dragon's lair and accuses me of not believing in her when I'm upset." He turned from her then, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Emma wanted to move to him, comfort him the way she did the night before. She wanted to be there for him, but he doesn't seem to want her around, much less holding him.

"What do I do right now? Do you want… Killian?"

"Emma, I don't know what you came here for."

"You." She answered quietly. "There's no other reason for me to be here. I'm here for you."

"I don't need you to be here for me." Her initial response was hurt, but she reeled it back in, not allowing herself to be oversensitive.

"Who's the challenge now?" Emma chuckled. "You want to scale my walls like that damn beanstalk, here I've broken enough down for you to trust that I care and you won't give me a chance to."

He dropped his hand to his side, the defeat festering over his presence. He kept his eyes focused on anything but her.

"Talk to me about it. Talk to me and I'll listen and I'll help. Please don't start pushing me away now." Emma cautiously took a step toward him. His eyes rose to her knees. She took a second step, gaining her a steady gaze at her waist. "I'll help." She whispered before leaping the last foot and a half to his space. He met her eyes, searching for a reason to trust her and she'd be damned if he didn't find one.

"Why doesn't she want me around anymore? Has she told you?" He whispered.

"No, she hasn't." Emma frowned, watching his face fall further into despair. "She thinks you're angry, that you want a break from her."

"I haven't been with her since the damn funeral." He argued as if they were Emma's thoughts and not Lily's.

"I know, Killian." Emma sighed. "Come to the room, just hold her, she'll be happy to see you."

"Emma, she doesn't want to see her father right now."

"You're almost as dramatic as she is." Emma laughed. "She's eight and she loves you more than anything. You know how much she loves you Killian. Come to the room, stay over, we'll work it out." Emma promised, rubbing her hand down his arm. She thought she was getting somewhere until he stared at her hand with such discomfort.

"Swan." He sighed, removing her hand from his arm. Somewhere, far off in the distance she thought she heard a branch snap, a glass shatter. She thought it had to be something other than her own heart.

"What happened? The chase is ending and you're bored?" Emma challenged, frustrated by the urge to cry ripping her apart.

"It's not that." He bowed his head, shamefully.

"Then why are you suddenly treating me like a clingy friend who won't get the message. I thought…" She stopped herself, not wanting to look a pathetic as she felt. "Never mind, Lily is still your daughter. Let's just go fix that." She marched toward the door, swinging it open when he stopped her with his pained, raspy voice.

"Emma, it's not that I don't want you." It sounded like a plea, begging her to understand why he suddenly can't stand physical contact with her.

"I don't really care what it is, I should have known better." Emma shook her head, warning herself of the repercussions of crying. Killian moved swifter than he ever has, pressing the door closed and staring Emma down.

"You know how I feel about you, Emma, please." He was trembling and the look of anguish he had taken was more than enough to break her heart.

"Tell me the damn truth now or forget it." She demanded lowly. He moved closer then, his hand making contact with her this time. His fingers, wrapping timidly around a loose strand of hair framing her face. "Killian." She persisted.

"The truth is… I have a secret and I have to keep it from you and it pains me every moment." Killian was honest, without actually coming out and telling the truth. His eyes were honest, his voice was pained and his heart was on his sleeve. "I hate this, and I would tell you, but I just can't. Please forgive me, please trust me, and please don't press me any further, the secret is treacherous enough."

"This secret keeps you from wanting me anywhere near you?" She whispered, afraid how weak she'll sound if she tries to talk any louder.

"Nothing keeps me from wanting you Emma." He promised, moving his fingers delicately down her jawline. "It just keeps me from acting on it." And with that he dropped his hand and took a step back, coloring inside of the lines he just drew.

There was a moment between them that stretched on. She stared at him with everything she had, every single sliver of her superpower at work.

"Fine." Emma moved into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her forehead against the hard line of his collarbone. "I'll trust you, if you just tell me that that future with Lily and Henry and the two of us is something you still want."

"I promise you." He pressed his cheek firmly against her temple, wrapping an arm around her back, his hand stroking through her hair. "It's all I'll ever want."

He stood, steady massaging her scalp with his ringed fingers. Despite the cloud hanging over their heads, she felt herself relax every second spent in his arms.

XXXXXX

"The compass resided at the tiptop of a beanstalk, guarded by a giant who could smell blood as much as he could smell fear." Lily spoke animatedly. "Good thing our princess and her newfound pirate were fearless as they come."

"Lily, I think you might be better than your dad at telling stories." Henry chuckled. "Your narrative voice is even exciting."

"Well, as long as you don't let him hear you say that, I'll take the compliment for what it is, very kind." Lily beamed. "Anyhow, the giant was named Anton, unbeknownst to our duo, and he was actually a very kind giant, believing humans to be as vile as they thought he was. The lesson there is to never believe what a storybook reads because a storybook was written by one."

Before Lily could continue, the door opened, revealing not one but both of her parents. She froze at the sight of her father. He was livid when they last spoke and she's certain he's found a way to have Emma side with him.

"Princess?" He spoke softly. "Are we interrupting?"

"I was telling Henry the story of the Lost Princess and the Pirate." Lily answered, avoiding eye contact incase his voice mislead his intent.

"Oh." Killian spoke quietly. "I'd hate to impose, I'll just see you tomorrow then."

"DAD!" Lily stood quickly from Emma's bed, moving past Henry's to the front door where her father stood before her mother. "What do you mean you'll see me tomorrow? No kiss, no 'sleep well, my love?' What kind of game is this?"

"I can assure you, it's no game at all, my love." He frowned. "I wish only to please you."

"I'd be pleased if you sat for the story." Lily offered "Henry says I'm a better teller than you."

"What the heck happened to 'don't let him hear you?'" Henry called from the bed, a mock scowl covering his features.

"Ignore him." Lily giggled before tugging on her father's hand and pulling him back to Emma's bed with her. "C'mon Mo..Emma." Lily could kick herself. This was the second time in one night she slipped. She watched Emma's reaction with widened eyes. Emma shook her head gently with a smile.

"What part were you at, Baby?" Emma asked as she sat next to her son, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"The Beanstalk." Lily answered cautiously, not completely sold on Emma not being angry that she keeps slipping up. "Do you want me to continue?"

"But of course. The Lost Princess and The Pirate is Emma's favorite story." Killian winked as he pressed his lips to Lily's brow. He froze, suddenly, staring at Lily like she were going to burst into flames at any moment.

"What?" Lily whispered with concern. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip before shaking his head against the notion that there was anything at all.

"Nothing Lilylove. Do go on." He encouraged, rubbing his hand against her back. "I wish to hear how well your story-telling skills fare against mine. If you're only at the beanstalk, I'd love for you to start over." Lily nodded eagerly before turning back to Henry and Emma.

"The Lost Princess and The Pirate." Lily beamed. "It starts in a distant realm. She was trapped in the Enchanted Forest, searching for a way home. He was trapped in the Enchanted Forest, searching for a way to seek revenge on the last glimmer of color being stolen from him. There were villains and heroes, and the pirate played both roles. The Evil Sorceress killed the surviving nation, one by one, their hearts were ripped out. The fearsome Pirate, disguised as a mere blacksmith was hidden beneath bodies. The princess discovered him, pulling the wounded away from him. He looked up and saw light. For the first time in the last 300 years of his dark life, he gazed up and saw light."

"What?" Killian laughed. "What are you saying?"

"Do you know the story better?" Lily sassed. "Go on, tell it your way and we'll see whom's is better." Killian took her challenge on with nothing more than an eyebrow quirked up in confidence as he repositioned himself on the bed to get comfortable.

"Well, you have to explain the light. It wasn't just light, it was colorful, beaming warmth in the form of a golden mane, curving delectably around the face of a very angel. The pirate thought the woman a saint, sent to him to finally end the centuries of suffering." Killian turned to Henry, nodding to further express his story. "Anyhow… the light almost deferred him from the mission at hand. To gain an alliance with the princess, to conquer the beanstalk and achieve the Golden Compass."

"The Golden Compass?" Henry's eyes lit up. "Please explain the Golden Compass!"

"Let me, Dad." Lily insisted. Killian nodded. "The Golden Compass looked as it sounded, but much more than that. It could navigate you through portals, allowing you to arrive at the exact point in space you wished to be. It was necessary for both the Princess and The Pirate and had they understood that they were traveling to the same land, they could go together. Which brings my dad to the next part."

"The Pirate pretended to be a blacksmith for no longer than a moment when the Lost Princess held a dagger to his throat, threatening his existence if he did not come clean." A feminine snicker sounded from across the space between the beds. "Apparently, the Princess had a superpower, unknown to the pirate. She could see through any lie."

"Except around the pirate, which made her feel very uneasy." Emma added.

"Mom you know this story?" Henry gasped.

"Yeah. I do." Emma pressed a kiss to Henry's temple. "Killian use to tell me it when we were younger. He thinks he's the pirate and I'm the princess."

"EMMA!" Lily groaned. "Now Henry's going to picture your blonde hair."

"That makes it ten times better!" Henry cheered. "Please keep going!"

"Well, the Pirate came clean, not another lie from there on out." Killian smiled over at Emma. "Every other part was painfully honest as he explained their need to acquire the compass. So out they set for the beanstalk, keeping a watchful eye on each other. Once coming across the giant's Beanstalk, the pirate and the princess ascended the oversized plant. The climb was dangerous, but the conversation was death-defying."

"The conversation?" Henry snorted. Lily let a little laugh slip from her own lips. Henry's laugh did that to her.

"The pirate could see through to the Princess's soul. He read her like an open book which addressed her heartbreak and abandonment. He knew of her downfalls and loneliness. Although the princess fought against the unwanted intrusion, it was to no avail. He liked a challenge, that much was for certain. He just wasn't aware then that the challenge would be never-ending." Emma frowned at Killian's words. Lily knew it was hard for her mother to hear about this part of herself.

"There was no end in sight, but by the end of this tale, you'll see he not only accepted the challenge, but conquered it, in the most honest, trustworthy, heroic of ways." Lily grinned. "At the top of the stalk, they were eager to find the compass, but they must first get past the giant. It's fair to say the two, although from different worlds, made quite the team. The giant was effortlessly knocked out and the two were on their way to finding the compass. There were a few challenging tricks along the way, but with each other, they managed. That was until the giant awoke. The loud steps alone was enough to cause the ground to quake, and that there was the fall of the pirate. Bricks fell from all places, trapping the pirate under them."

"The princess shook with terror for more reasons than she was willing to admit, one being, the possible death of the pirate." Killian added smugly.

"The Princess had to pull her bravery from her ass." Emma laughed.

"Emma." Lily gave a disapproving scowl before a smile split across her face. "Anyway. She had to be strong and fearless, smart and cunning. So she faced the giant head on, capturing him under his own trap. There she had the chance to get what she came for. She held out a poison tipped sword, requesting the compass. The giant lost his faith in humanity long ago, expressing how she'd kill him anyhow, and wreak havoc among the realms, but the princess was not that person who ruined every other person for him. So she explained that he was wrong. She had someone she needed to get back to, she was doing this for humanity, not to harm it. She tossed the sword, ready to walk away when the giant sprung from the trap. Fear was an understatement, the princess expected nothing less than a quick death when the giant surprised her. He pulled out the compass, handing it to the princess."

"The princess asked the giant for one more favor. One more test of good faith." Emma added.

"What was that?" Henry asked on the edge of his seat, searching all three faces for answers.

"To keep a watchful eye on the pirate. For ten hours." Emma smiled sweetly at Killian.

"Why?" Henry asked angrily. "Why couldn't he come?"

"Because she didn't trust him." Killian answered, not sharing Emma's sweetness about it. "Despite his honesty, despite his teamwork, he was not someone she wished to embed her trust with. So she rescued him from the bricks, pulling him out and basking in his praise before slapping a manacle across his wrist." Lily found her mother dropping her gaze, and uneasy resettling taking place across from her.

"It's not that she didn't trust the pirate, she didn't trust herself around him. From the moment she met him, she couldn't think properly, she couldn't use her logic, or her superpower. She could only fall under countless spells when he smiled at her, or she met his impossibly blue eyes." Emma explained, watching Killian like a hawk, studying him intensely.

Lily watched her father view Emma with the same strong gaze. For the first time since she got to this time, she saw the love she's made from. The passion burning bright in both their eyes, the aura around them swirling and gleaming with reds and pinks.

"What happened next?" Henry interrupted the stretching silence, too invested in the love story to notice the very one unraveling before his own eyes.

"Ten hours had past, but the pirate stay scorned. To make matters worse, the heart-ripping sorceress had found him only to tell him she'd be leaving him behind." Lily continued. "She was heartless herself, for decades the woman walked around with no regard for a single soul among her, her own daughter included. See, she sat and planned this travel, not for weeks but for twenty-eight years. Anyone uninterested in aiding her was easily a causality. The pirate should have seen himself lucky to not be dead amongst the rest."

"Until light was restored by the lost princess, his only reason for being was to seek revenge on the demon that stole away his love. "

"And hand." Lily added in quickly to keep the story rolling. She's not naive(well not too naive). She knows her parents have loved before, but never after. To see or hear her dad mention Milah or watch her mom react to Neal are just such strange and uncomfortable situations. In the future, they aren't spoke of with regret or remorse, but peace and acceptance. To recall any lost life in her own time is cheerful, bright. She wasn't ready to dwell with lingering feelings of anything less.

"Right." Killian nodded at Lily, an understanding in his eyes. "The sole purpose of his alliance with either witch or princess was to achieve passage to the new realm. There the demon resided in human form, much easier for the pirate to slay. For the witch to take that away would be a fate worse than death. Another lifetime spent with failure burning his soul."

"Now without the compass that the princess took when she left the pirate, and without the alliance of the sorceress, he found himself hopeless. Hopeless, but not helpless, never helpless. A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets. The pirate refused to get anything less than revenge. So he thought hard and came up with a plan on how to get back in the good graces of the evil sorceress."

"Oh, this is the part where the pirate rips out a heart only to give it back a few hours later because he's secretly a big softy?" Emma jested earning her a glare from both Lily and Killian.

"No. Well yes, but no." Lily rolled her eyes dramatically to give her mother the hint to not ruin stories. "Anyhow, Henry, he does steal a heart, he has an enchantment to steal one heart. In this land, you can have your heart ripped out and function as normally as possible. Unless of course they are controlling you."

"He… he controlled someone?"

"No, he gave the heart to the Sorceress as an offering of good faith." Killian explained. "She found him valuable once again and they were back on for the deal to travel realms together. They just needed to get the compass first."

Lily and her father continued on, explaining the bird and the members of the Lost Princess's crew. The descriptions may have been lengthy, but when one of those people is your grandmother, you tend to talk a bit about how cool it is that a princess can wield a bow and arrow, and talk to birds. Not to mention, the moment the zombies came to life was pretty exciting. Henry never heard a fairytale so 'cool.'

Killian was just finishing the part about the cell bars dropping and locking them in when Henry interrupted.

"Didn't he love the princess?" Henry asked with concern. "That is not a good way to get a girl, even I know that and I'm twelve."

"He didn't know why he felt so obligated to abandon her, not then. He didn't realize the desire to hurt was fueled by the pain of her betrayal. He wouldn't allow himself to believe he ever could be pained by anyone again. That would require feeling something."

"So he didn't know he loved her?" Henry revised his previous question.

"Right." Killian answered meekly.

"But he did, even from the beginning?" Henry's game of 'hot seat' never got old to him. Everyone else on the other hand could do without 21 questions over one moment in time.

"Aye, lad, from the very moment she entered his dark and gloomy world. His since forgotten muscle began to beat once again." Lily loved when her dad told the story mainly for the romantics of it all. He was the best wordsmith she knew. She turned to her mother to find her eyes blown wide.

"Anyhow," Lily quickly continued before Emma got an urge to run. "They managed to find a way from the impossible cell. The previous inhabitant left a key for the next unfortunate soul to find themselves in it."

"Right. Some type of squid or octopus ink. It was really weird because the loon who was locked in there before her wrote her name a million and ten times on this paper."Emma spoke quickly to hide her discomfort.

"Well, if you're going to tell the story, Emma…" Lily narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Try a bit harder to make it intriguing."

"Can we skip to the part where the princess beats the pirate in a sword fight, even though she had only used one once in her entire life?" Emma chuckled.

"What?" Henry turned to Killian with shock. "She beat you?"

"No, I let her win because her determination wa … wait me?" Killian shared glances between Lily and Emma before dropping his gaze to the ground. Lily knew he really hated lying to Henry, so he was just going to let the two of them do it.

"Did you really think I couldn't guess this was about you two?" Henry asked with a small tinge of irritation rising. "Be honest with me at any time, really."