A/N: Rating went up to M for this chapter ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Mother May I

The next day, yet again, Lily woke up to an empty apartment. She frowned as she went about her routine, taking a shower and eating a bowl of cereal alone in the kitchenette.

She woke up on the wrong side of the bed, disgruntled this afternoon. Lily was naturally a night owl and was never a fan of the early morning hours. As a result, she seemed to always wake just in time before her shift around eleven to shower and eat before she had to head out the door. No one was ever there at the apartment when she left.

Today was different though, because she had the day off, and she was a little perturbed that Emma wasn't around to spend it with her. More and more, Emma was off doing something with either Mary Margaret or her son Henry. It was cramping Lily's style. She wasn't used to having to share her Emma time, and given that Emma had only just started getting friendly with her again, she was jealous of the others eating up her time.

Lily waited around for an hour or two, hoping one of her room mates might show up to cure her boredom. When none did, she found herself wandering, and ended up at the park sitting at a concrete chess set table.

She had recently resolved to stay away from Granny's on her days off. She'd been doing that constantly when Emma was ignoring her. Craving a little attention, she'd been carrying on a secret, harmless flirtation with Ruby the waitress for weeks.

She sought to separate herself now that Emma was coming back around. Lily was only half paying attention to her surroundings, when suddenly a shadow fell over her chess board and she looked up to see the infamous Mr. Gold darkening her board. "Care to play?" he asked, gesturing towards the board.

Lily sized him up strategically. "Oh, why not," she replied whimsically, and motioned for him to take a seat across from her. "Care to make a friendly wager before we start?" he asked. Lily raised her eyebrow curiously at him. "What kind of wager? I'm not made of money you know," she chided him and Mr. Gold chuckled. She found the gruff sound of his voice pleasing to the ear.

"A simple one, dearie," he said. "I propose that if I win, you'll owe me a little favor," he predicted. "Not a sexual one," Lily asked to clarify. Mr. Gold rolled his eyes at her. "I'm a little wounded that you would think me so petty," he remarked to her, noting the subtle insult of her barb. "But no, not sexual, Ms. Page," he said with an air of mystery.

"Well, what do I get if I win?"

Mr. Gold considered her for a moment. He looked her up and down, taking in her dark, wild brunette hair that hung half way down her breasts. She was an attractive young woman with pleasing curves in all the right places. Yet she didn't show them off, he had never seen her in anything other than simple t-shirts and jeans. He'd had some time to scope out the new arrivals in town.

She had the look of someone wild in her eye, someone who'd never been held accountable to anyone in her life. He could tell by the look in her eyes she was someone who'd been left alone in her life at some point. Orphans had a way of recognizing each other.

"You're the type that's looking for something," Mr. Gold said knowingly, and he had Lily's full and undivided attention with those words. "You've been to my pawn shop, yes?" he inquired of the pretty brunette. She nodded breathlessly.

"Perhaps there is something in my shop that might be of great use to you. If you agree to our wager and out wit me at this game, then I will give you any item you desire in my shop," he promised her.

"Do we have a deal?"

Lily struck the deal.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ONCE * UPON * A * TIME * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Emma was meanwhile at Granny's diner when Regina made her way towards her. Henry was at school already. Emma knew, because she had woken early to walk him there from the diner. "I can't seem to keep you away from my son, so I'll just have to keep my son away from you," the business woman said as she approached. She took a seat across from Emma. "Although God knows it's probably a moot point, seeing as it's not likely you're going to remain here for any length of time, now, is it, Ms. Swan?" Regina skeptically asked.

"What are you playing at? What did I tell you about threatening me, Regina?" Emma asked, growing hot below the collar. "Calm down, Ms. Swan, I meant nothing of the kind," the mayor said good naturedly, switching up her tactics. "It's just you are far more stupid than I thought if you thought I wouldn't dig up everything I can on you, the birth mother of my son," Regina said bitterly.

"As it is, I found out that you live a transient life, Ms. Swan. The longest you ever stayed anywhere was two years. Whatever did you find so intriguing in Tallahasee, Ms. Swan?" Regina arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not going anywhere Regina," Emma growled. "I know you think that now," the mayor said. "But just keep this in mind as you go through your gypsy life Emma, consider who all is going to get hurt when you leave, and end the connection now. Get out early, before you hurt him so much he can't come back from it," the mayor nastily urged the blonde.

She was poking at all Emma's vulnerable points. Everything she said was true. Emma always ran from her problems. She never stuck around long once the shit hit the fan. But when she looked at the devious glint in Regina's dark eyes, she couldn't help but swallow a lump in her throat courageously. If I don't stay to protect Henry, who will? "I'm not going to hurt him," Emma quietly said, not at all sure of herself.

"Alright, Ms. Swan, so you say," Regina said, smirking as she rose, having planted the seed of doubt in the woman. "Have a good rest of the day," she bid, sashaying past the blonde and out the exit. Emma wasn't paying attention, and when she turned back around, she accidentally knocked her coffee over and all over her shirt.

Ruby saw her accident, and dragged the woman in back with her. "Here, use our washer real quick," she offered, and went to grab Emma an extra t-shirt. After Emma pulled her shirt off, she gasped softly when she noticed another person in the room.

It was the pregnant blonde from the other day. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss!" she exclaimed, hurrying to cover her eyes. She dropped her load of laundry in her haste, and Emma chuckled at the clumsy blonde. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing you haven't seen before," Emma joked, and went to assist the blonde with her load.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in on you," she muttered. As Emma was gathering up her clothes, she stood up and eyed the young girl. "Didn't I see you the other day?" she asked inquisitively. "Umm, yeah," the girl said, and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I was upset the other day. I'm Ashley," she introduced herself.

Just then, Ruby bounded back into the room with a teeny top for Emma to borrow. Emma secretly rolled her eyes as she slipped it on, it reminded her of something a Hooters girl would wear. Ashley had loaded her clothes in the wash, and gasped in dismay when she got to the drier.

"Oh! The sheets are pink!" she cried, gathering the discolored sheets in balled fists, trying not to cry. Emma remembered the mood swings of pregnancy, and smiled sympathetically at the blonde. "Have you tried bleach?"

"Oh, this is just like me, always making mistakes," she groaned. Her hand came to rest on her swollen belly. "I was upset the other day because I've been having contractions, and the doctor confirmed that I could be having the baby any time now," she confessed. "Aren't you happy to have a baby and get it over with?" Emma asked.

"I guess I would be, only no one thinks I can do this," the blonde girl said with a tremble in her voice. Ruby was looking at Emma like she was a nasty villian, making Ashley talk about all this. She went to comfort her friend, and gave Ashley a big hug. She soothed her hair, looking over her shoulder contemptuously at Emma.

"Well screw them," Emma said, surprising the both of them. Ashley looked tearfully back at Emma. "Whatever you're thinking of doing or giving up, it's up to you. You're the one that's gonna have to live with your choice, so you have to do what's right for you," the woman said. "Who cares if they don't think you can do it, all you have to do is stand up for yourself and punch back and say, 'No, this is who I am, and I can do it'."

"I wish it was as simple as that..."

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

During her game with Mr. Gold, Lily proved to be quite adept at slight of hand. She tricked the wealthy man into a check mate, and he looked with shock at his defeat. It was with a sour, queasy look on his face that he led her into his shop that afternoon.

When they arrived to Gold's shop, Lily took a painstaking look around the establishment and was displeased by what she found. "I want to see what's in back," she told the proprietor, and Mr. Gold bristled at her request but reluctantly led her through the back to his private office. The gall of this woman he could not abide!

Once they entered his back office, Lily was much more intrigued by what she found. She combed the office, her search more meticulous than those before her. In the pawn broker's experience, people like her were greedy and grabbed the first thing that looked of value so he was surprised when she took so long going over his possessions. With each item she passed over, he held his breath, angry that she had tricked him and won the game in the first place.

She looked over a glass hutch in his office, and eventually settled on the darkly colored, wooden wand being displayed over a blue piece of velvet cloth, held aloft on a black rack. "This," she said, "I want this." Mr. Gold narrowed his eyes at her choice, thoroughly displeased. As the Dark One, he had had to go through much to obtain that powerful wand. He would not let it go so easily.

He smiled deceptively, and walked around closer towards the brunette. "This old thing?" he asked, trying to undervalue it. "What would a smart young lady like you want with a useless, old child's play thing?" he asked.

"It's useless, is it?" she asked, fingering it fondly. He wanted to yank the thing out of her hand when she plucked it from its stand and held it to her breast protectively. "Then you won't mind if I take it off your hands," she said, tucking it inside her shirt for safe keeping.

Gold advanced on her then, but she was two steps ahead of him with his lame leg. She ran from the back room and through the shop, him trailing her until he came to the entrance of his store, panting with the effort. "Damn you!" she heard him cry, and she ran from the thievery with a successful grin on her face.

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

When her room mates returned that evening, Lily was waiting for them. She had a couple pizza boxes waiting on the counter, along with a few bottles of two liter sodas. "Surprise, I cooked for you guys," she joked as her room mates entered. They chuckled at her warm welcome home.

The sun was just setting, and the girls were famished. Lily went to get them paper plates and food, then made an excuse to go upstairs. She went into the bathroom to check on her secret item she'd stowed away there.

She touched the wand lovingly, running her hand down the finely crafted wood. Useless as he said it was, she knew better than to keep it out in the open or on her person. After all, she had stolen it. Mr. Gold was bound to come after it.

When she came back down stairs, Lily stopped in her tracks. Mr. Gold was standing at their open door, Emma standing at the door. His eyes flickered briefly up to Lily, but he ignored her and introduced himself to Emma. "I'm Mr. Gold, I believe we met when you first arrived here," he told her. Lily noticed he had a cut on his temple that had not been there before.

"Yes, I remember you," the blonde answered. "What can we do to help you, Mr. Gold?" Emma asked politely, and opened the door wider to allow him passage.

Lily eyed him warily, still standing at the foot of the stairs as he made his way past her. He seemed to be surveying the surroundings, and Ms. Blanchard awkwardly excused herself to take a shower. She wasn't sure what Mr. Gold wanted, but frankly, he made her nervous.

"I've been told that you're good at finding people, Ms. Swan," he said. "I wondered if you could help me, please. A very important item of mine was stolen this evening from my shop," he said, his eyes flitting towards Lily.

She froze in shock, never dreaming she'd be caught this way. But then again, she did win it fair and square. She almost opened her mouth to defend herself and say so, when he continued. "A Ms. Ashley Boyd has stolen something from me. She attacked me," he said, gesturing to his temple.

"Very unlike her, she kept saying it was her choice, she had to make the right one. No doubt because she plans to get away from this town with her illegitimate child," Mr. Gold said disdainfully. "I simply can't allow her to skip town with what she stole from me," he said. "I need you to help me find her."

"What did she steal?" Emma asked.

"One of the advantages of you not being the authorities is discretion," Mr. Gold answered mysteriously. "Suffice it to say, I will pay handsomely to get it back," Mr. Gold divulged. As if I'm supposed to be impressed? Emma wanted to ask. As if money could buy me.

As it was, finding Ashley aligned with her own interests. If Mr. Gold got the authorities involved, Ashley would be in big trouble. "I'll help you," she agreed.

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

Emma and Lily went straight to Granny's Bed and Breakfast to visit Ruby. They figured the pregnant teen would have told her friend where she was going, but Ruby disappointed them when they arrived. "No, I haven't seen her," Ruby said, shaking her head. "Maybe you should try her ex," the waitress suggested helpfully. "He lives at his dad's."

They got the address from Ruby and were on their way. They pulled up to a large, two-story house with stately columns supporting the front porch. There were perfectly tended hedges below the brightly lit windows, and small wire fencing lining the sidewalk as you walked up the front drive.

They knocked on the front door, and a teenager came to answer. "Hi," he said. "Are you Sean Miller?" Emma asked. "Um, yeah, who are you two? What are you doing here?" he asked curiously.

"We're here to help Ashley, Sean. Has she been here?" Sean looked alarmed, his eyes widening as he looked behind him into the house. He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind him.

"What's going on with Ashley? I haven't seen her in months," he confessed, worried about the girl. "Her girlfriend Ruby pointed us your way, so if she's not here, do you know where she might be headed? It's important that we find her," Lily said. She didn't personally see why Emma was going out of her way to help a stranger like this, but she was willing to help any way she could.

"What's happened to her?" he asked anxiously. "She's got herself into some trouble, and we're trying to find her before it gets worse," Emma explained. "She was trying to leave town with the baby," Lily said. Sean's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What? She was supposed to be giving the baby up," he said despondently. "What? To who?"

"That is none of you girl's business," they heard, and Sean's father was standing at the door. "My son Sean has nothing to do with that little tramp anymore," his father nastily said. "It's doubtful that baby is even his," he commented and the women could both see Sean's eyes narrow in anger and his hands ball into fists at his sides.

"Hush," Lily said, seeing the upset look on the younger man's face. "She'll soon be wanted by the law if we don't find her," she said. "Gold is looking for her," Lily said.

"I imagine he would be! He's the one done bought the girl's baby!" the father said. "She sold the baby?" Emma asked, truly baffled. "Don't look like that, she's getting a handsome price. Girl can't do it on her own anyway, what is she thinking?" the nasty man said. He slapped his hand down hard on his son's shoulder. "Come inside, Sean, and leave these girls to their criminal," he said, booming with laughter.

Sean shrugged his father's hand off his shoulder. "No, dad, I'm going to help look for her," he gritted out between clenched teeth. His father looked shocked that he would disobey him. "Fine, then, go after your little whore," he shouted.

"With pleasure," Sean said with determination as he marched down the sidewalk, never looking back once. He got into Emma's yellow bug with the ladies and left.

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

The unlikely trio ended up riding down the dark stretch of road that led in and out of Storybrooke. They were all surprised when they noticed a car sitting near the edge of town abandoned, the front door opened and the tale lights shining.

Emma stopped the car, and Sean jumped out, having recognized the car as Ruby's red mustang. "We should have know, she wasn't helping us, she was helping Ashley get a head start," Emma said as she alighted from the car, and they followed Sean over past the car.

In the bushes, Ashley lay crying on the ground in the grass. "The baby's coming," she moaned miserably, and Emma's eyes widened in fear. "Here?! Now?!" she asked in alarm. "Let's get her to town, to the hospital," Sean said with determination, and picked up his estranged girlfriend as gently as possible, but she still moaned in pain.

"Oh my god, oh my god, okay, yes," Emma said in a hurry, running back to the bug. They all piled in and Emma sped towards the hospital at top speed. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel she was gripping it so hard. Sean held his ex's head in his lap, smoothing her sweaty hair back as she moaned.

"Don't worry, we're almost to the hospital," Lily said, and Ashley's eyes shot open wide. "No! I can't have my baby here," she wailed hysterically. "I can't go back there, Gold will take my baby," she cried. Emma glanced back apprehensively over her shoulder.

"I won't let him," Emma said fiercely. "Do you know what you're asking for if you keep this baby? Are you really ready?" Emma asked the young girl behind her. Ashley grabbed her belly as another wave of pain hit her. "Yes," she breathlessly panted out.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I wasn't," Emma confided in her. Ashley didn't say anything. "It's okay if you're not ready, Ashley. Because if you're gonna give that kid it's best chance, it's gonna have to be with someone who's ready," she said to the teenager. Lily was looking pensively Emma's way, considering her like it was the first time she'd ever laid eyes on her.

"You've got to know what that means. Your whole life is going to change. Once you decide it's yours, you can't run away anymore. You gotta grow up, and you can't ever leave," Emma said. "Now do you understand?" Emma asked with a tone of finality.

"Yes, I want my baby," Ashley sobbed.

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

It turned out they needn't have sped because Ashley ended up having a very long, tedious labor with Sean at her side. She was exhausted when it was all said and done. Emma and Lily were standing in the waiting room waiting to hear about the baby.

"Ms. Swan? The baby is a healthy, 6 pound baby girl," a nurse in pink scrubs said, smiling as she approached them. "What wonderful news," said a voice from behind them, and they turned to find Mr. Gold with a smirk on his face.

Emma approached him. "You could have mentioned the 'item' you needed from Ashley was her baby," Emma darkly remarked. Mr. Gold simpered and shrugged his shoulders, nonplussed. "Then you might not have aided me," he said truthfully. "I'll thank you for you bringing her to me," he said.

"You're not getting that girl's baby," Emma challenged him. Her eyes turned jade, clearly filled with determination as her resolve strengthened. Lily held her breath as Mr. Gold evaluated Emma with a shrewd look.

"I beg to differ, I have already paid for it," he defied her. "I've come to collect my debt. The only way I'm leaving here without that child is if you pay the price for her. If you will concede that you owe me a debt, only then will I forgive hers," the strange man offered.

Lily wanted to shake her head and warn Emma against it, but something held her back. She had looked at Emma in the car earlier like a stranger, an unsettling feeling growing in her gut. Emma's words of warning earlier were meant for Ashley, but the warning served Lily as well.

She knew Emma wouldn't understand about the wand she was hiding back at their apartment. Emma wouldn't see the value in her plan because she wasn't a believer. The wand might be useless to Lily now, but she had faith against all odds in August and the magic he mentioned in this world.

It was clearly evident in Henry's story book and this town. August had brought them to Storybrooke so that Emma could break the curse. That much was clear. But once Emma broke the curse, then what? Everyone went back to the enchanted forest? What did that mean for Lily?

She would be all alone. She had combed through Henry's story book, and there was no mention of herself. She didn't belong in the Enchanted Forrest. She belonged here, in this world, so that she could find her parents. She couldn't go with Emma to the Enchanted Forrest. Emma might have found her parents, but Lily's journey was far from over. Lily needed to find August. She had hope that with him and the wand, perhaps she could find the answers she was looking for.

Now was not the time to reveal her plan. It was easier to keep the wand to herself and keep quiet about how she had out swindled the man in front of them. She failed to mention to Emma it might be a bad idea to get into dealings with a man she'd stolen from. Lily remained silent knowing Emma was doomed to owe Gold a favor. She knew her lover well enough to know she would agree.

Emma did agree. "If I take over her debt, you'll let her and the baby go?" Emma asked. Mr. Gold smiled deviously, and held out his hand to seal the deal. Emma considered everything for a moment, but her decision ultimately was an easy one. She shook hands with Mr. Gold.

"Why did you do that, Emma?" Lily asked, sounding alarmed, after he had gone. "Because anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well get the chance," she said with a fiery passion.

Lily looked at her with confusion, unused to this new version of Emma. She had never considered Emma as a mother, someone who had a reason to stay in one place and grow roots. Emma was growing up, and Lily was getting left behind.

Lily found herself missing their lives from before, before August and their move. Back then, things were so much less complicated. Emma didn't have time for anyone but her. Lily was her constant, always by her side as they hopped from place to place.

Emma never trusted anyone. Emma didn't have friends because they never stayed anywhere long enough to make a connection with anyone but each other. Lily felt special being the only one close to her, and now she would have to kiss it all goodbye.

*~*~*~* ONCE * UPON * A * TIME *~*~*~*

When they went home that night, Emma surprised Lily by rolling on top of her in the middle of the night. She kissed her ex tenderly, and brushed her lips gently over her face. She trailed kisses down her cheek and neck, then stopped to impatiently pull her nightgown from her body.

Lily didn't stop to ask her if she was sure. She helped the blonde pull her nightgown over her head, and started kissing the blonde with fervor again. Their lips crashed together, desperate suddenly, and Emma pulled Lily closer with a hand fisted in her hair at the base of her neck. She roughly punished Lily's lips with searing kisses, and started pressing wet, open mouthed kisses to Lily's neck which made her moan.

Emma looked up in the dark, and shook her head naughtily. "Ssh," she purred against her lover's skin, and took one of Lily's rosy nipples into her mouth. The woman gasped loudly. Emma's hand traveled down Lily's body and crept under the waistband of her pink panties.

She cupped the woman's warmth in her hand, and then leaned up on her elbows enough to place her other hand over Lily's mouth, keeping the woman's noises to a minimum as she fingered her within an inch of cumming.

Lily whimpered when she withdrew her hand, and Emma pressed a shiny finger against Lily's lips. "Ssh, be quiet, you don't want to be a bad girl, do you?" Emma asked her. Lily shook her head, and held her breath as Emma pulled her panties down her legs and breathed sexily upon her wet opening, thighs spread with Emma in between them.

She curled her fingers in the comforter, stifling her groans of pleasure as Emma began to eat her out. "I want you on top," the brunette whispered, and Emma stood to strip off her own night things.

Before long, the two were locked in a lover's embrace and were both stifling their grunts as they came together, intense orgasms like they hadn't shared in over a month. Lily lay back, sweaty in Emma's arms, and wrapped her arm over Emma's middle. She kissed Emma's shoulder as she curled around her, unable to let her go if her life depended on it.