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Lilith and Rumpelstiltskin watched as a ragged dressed girl swept despondently at the ground. The dark-haired girl turned to look at her mentor, brow creased in confusion.
"Why are we spying on a maid?" She asked, boredom dripping off her voice. This was one of the few times she'd been called back to Rumple and she felt they were wasting it.
The golden-eyed man simply smirked, practically twiddling his thumbs. "You'll see." He waved a hand back at the girl.
As they watched, a glowing ball of gold slowly fluttered towards the girl. Lily watched as, between one blink and the next, the ball of light grew into a full-sized fairy.
"Do not despair my dear, you will attend that ball." The dark-skinned fairy soothed with a smile.
The girl dropped her broom with a loud clatter, her eyes wide in shock. "Who are you?"
"I'm your Fairy Godmother and I'm here to change your life Cinderella."
Lilith raised an eyebrow at the name but held her tongue. Rumple, now nearly twitching with excitement, continued to stare at the fairy.
"But...my stepmother told me that I couldn't go." Cinderella stuttered out the protest. "She forbade me to leave."
"Your stepmother doesn't have this." The fairy produced a golden wand from the folds of her dress and Rumple perked up at the sight of it. The fact that he'd dragged her out here to get another trophy didn't bother Lilith as much as it should. "This wand has the power to take you to your ball, to your prince and to-"
With a flick of Rumple's wrist, the fairy stopped mid-sentence and exploded in a shower of gold dust.
"What?!" Cinderella nearly shrieked. Her eyes widened when Lilith and Rumple stepped into the light and she backed away hastily. "What did you do?"
"Now, now." Rumple tsked as he kneeled to pick up the wand. Lilith winced at the scraping sound it made. "I got what I wanted. There's no need to be frightened."
"You just made a fairy explode." Lilith muttered under her breath flatly.
"No need?" Cinderella echoed, her eyes wide with fright. "You just killed my fairy godmother. She was trying to help me."
"Was she?" Rumple questioned lightly. He brought the wand to eye-level and tilted it back and forth, his voice sing-song. "Do you know what this is?"
Cinderella, to Lilith's chagrin, eyed the wand hungrily. Having experienced first-hand the penalties of magic, she resisted the urge to move the girl far away from here.
"Pure magic." Cinderella breathed out, her expression falling when Rumple pulled the wand towards him.
"Trust me, I've done you a favor, all magic comes with a price." He assured before he handed the wand to Lilith. She took it and slid it into her cloak pocket silently. "Go on back to your life, and thank your lucky stars you've still got something to go back to."
"My life...it's wretched." Cinderella shook her head despondently.
Lilith sighed inwardly, quickly catching on that Rumple had more in mind that murdering an innocent fairy.
"Then change it." Rumple snapped at the girl. "You can't handle this." With that, he spun on his heel and began to stalk away. Lilith followed, not sparing the girl another glance.
"Wait." Cinderella stepped into their path. "Please, wait." She pleaded, standing in front of Rumple. "I can handle it, please. I will do anything to get out of here, anything."
"Anything." Rumple repeated, his eyes lighting up in glee when Cinderella nodded, looking at him with uncertainty.
"Do you know how to use that wand Mister..." She trailed off awkwardly.
"Rumpelstiltskin." He bowed low, flourishing his hands out. "And yes," he straightened, tone offended. " Of course I do."
"Then help me." Cinderella practically commanded.
Lilith smirked at that, amused that the woman had some fire in her. She stiffened at that though, pushing away the pain that threatened to cripple her.
"Well, if I do and you can indeed shoulder the uh...consequences." Rumple moved closer to Cinderella. "Then you'll owe me a favor." He strutted around her and eyed her appraisingly.
"Name it." Cinderella stated, turning to face him. "What do you want?"
Rumple leaned his face closer to hers, unable to hide the glee from her answer. "Something precious." He whispered and her brows drew together in confusion.
"But, I have nothing."
He smirked in response, looking unconcerned. "Oh, but you will. With this wish will come more than you know."
"I care nothing for riches. I'll give you anything, just get me out of here." She affirmed and Rumple's grin became even larger.
"Now we're talkin'." He held his hand out behind him. "Dearie, the wand."
Lilith plucked the wand from its placed and handed it off to him. Cinderella finally took in the other person, the cut of the cloak marking her as female.
"Who are you?" The blonde asked warily, only for Rumple to cluck his tongue.
"I believe we have business, dearie." He reminded her, drawing her attention from his apprentice.
"Well, how does it work?" The blonde asked, once again staring hungrily at the wand
"Fear not, my needs are small." Rumple teased with a grin. "And all you have to do," He twisted his wrist downwards, a long contract rolling from his palm. "Is sign of the dotted line. Now, do we have a deal?"
Cinderella began nodding almost frantically, a grin blossoming on her face. "Yes." She gasped out. "Yes, thank you!"
Rumple handed the contract to her and turned around, kneeling so she could sign the paper on his back. She raised the quill to the scroll and signed it quickly. When she finished, Rumple twisted around and acceptd the scroll. He handed it to Lilith, who simply rolled it up before she twisted her hand, making the scroll disappear.
With a wave of the wand, dark purple smoke began to surround Cinderella with a soft 'whoosh'. When it cleared, Lilith and Rumple admired his handiwork as Cinderella began to look at herself in delight.
Her pale face was flawless and her once messy hair was now in curls, piled on the top of her head and adorned with a glittering, diamond tiara. A beautiful blue ball gown had replaced her ratty dress, gloves of a lighter shade adorned her arms. Diamonds matching the tiara glinted on her throat and neck.
"There." Rumple whispered, clearly pleased with his handiwork.
Cinderella smiled at him, her attention drawn to the ground where glass slippers rested.
"Glass?" She questioned, almost incredulously.
Lilith nodded, speaking softly. "Every story needs a memorable detail."
"And how about we see how they look?" Rumple prodded with a small smirk.
Cinderella beamed at them, lifting the hem of her dress to slip her dainty feet into the delicate shoes. Once done, she dropped her gown and smiled breathlessly at the man before her.
"Now, have a good time," Rumple encouraged, raising a finger in warning. "But be sure to watch the clock." He almost trilled the last sentence.
With another nod, Cinderella turned to leave with a breathless gasp as the bell tolled in the distance. Rumple let out a delighted giggle before strolling off towards the darkness, Lilith at his side.
She glanced at him before asking the question she was dying to know. "What did she just promise you?"
His answering grin showed all of his teeth and Lilith had to hold back a chuckle at his answer.
"Her first-born child."
"Are you sure we should be out in the open?" Henry asked as they walked down the sidewalk, the bell tolling behind them.
Lilith glanced at Emma and smirked. The blonde looked ready to spit nails.
"Enough sneakin' around. If your mom has a problem with me walking you to the school bus, I am more than happy to have that chat." She waved an arm around wildly.
Lily raised an eyebrow at her wild gestures but chose to say nothing on the subject. "Careful what you wish for." She mocked instead, earning an annoyed glare from Emma.
"You're brave." Henry piped up from between them, his small face pleased. "You'll need that for Operation: Cobra. Speaking of, do you think we need code names?"
"Isn't Cobra our codename?" Emma raised an eyebrow at Henry.
Lily sighed, adjusting the purple scarf that was wound around her neck. "That's the mission, he means us."
"I need something to call you." Henry added as they walked along the sidewalk.
"Oh, umm...well, I don't...you can just call me Emma for now." The blonde stuttered, looking mildly bewildered.
Lily snorted, unable to stop herself and Henry gently elbowed her. When they arrived at the bus stop, he hugged his baby-sitter, sent her a mock glare, and turned to Emma.
"Okay, well then I'll see you later, Emma." He teased, turning to follow the other kids up into the bus.
Lily waved an arm after him, smiling softly before she glanced at Emma. The blonde was looking at her with a confused expression.
"What?" Lily snapped peevishly, not really appreciating being gawked at.
Emma blinked once, shrugging her shoulders. "You look different." She tilted her head, eyes widening. "Are you wearing make-up?"
Lily huffed. "How observant." Irritated that she'd let Ruby attack her with make-up, Lily vowed to make her friend reign herself in next time. The brunette turned to go, her heart slamming against her ribcage when Graham swung up in front of her and Emma. As the siren blared, Lily glared balefully at the bearded man when he stepped out of his car.
"What's with the siren?" Emma asked flatly, her stance matching Lily's.
Graham smiled sheepishly, shrugging his broad shoulders at the displeased expression on their faces. "It's so hard to get your attention."
When Emma smiled at his attempt of flirting, Lily let out a noise of disgust. Turning around, the dark-haired teen stalked away from the awkward adults.
"Well, if you'll excuse me I need to go and vomit before I get to work.
"Any reason you look as if you just kissed an ogre?"
Lily slowly turned her head to stare at Gold, eyebrows going as high as humanely possible. "What?" She managed, disgust falling from her words.
He simply chuckled, flashing her a grin before he limped across the store, rearranging display pieces. "Your face," he waved a hand around his face mockingly.
Lily all but hissed at him, though it lacked heat and he knew it. Chuckling softly, he reached over to pat her head.
"You look like you swallowed a particular nasty elixir." He commented, a faint tremble of laughter in his voice.
Lily ducked from his hand, though a smile found its way onto her lips. She was grateful that, despite Emma's arrival and the return of their memories, their relationship was a strong as ever.
They spent the rest of the work day cataloging and rearranging items. As she looked through dusty boxes, her fingers made contact with a familiar material. Eyes wide, she gripped onto the cloth before she tugged it from the box and shook it out.
A pied cloak rested innocently before her. His pied cloak.
Letting out a soft shriek, Lily jumped away from the cloak like it had burned her. Slamming into the nearest shelf and nearly knocking it over, she crumpled to the floor in shock.
Gold rushed into the room, wheezing from the strain on his leg. He kneeled down at her side, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Lillian, what is it?"
"What the hell is that doing here?" She gasped out, one finger pointed at the cloak on the ground.
Gold's confused eyes looked from her devastated features and the cloak. Comprehension suddenly dawned on his own and he quickly helped her to the couch in the back room.
"It came over when the Curse hit," he waved a hand distractedly. "It was laying around somewhere in the Enchanted Forest." He pinned me with a bemused look. "Why does it bother you?"
Lily looked down. Her past wasn't something she really wanted to discuss with Gold. Especially since it concerned him. "It's nothing."
She spent the rest of the day in silence. Gold's attempts to draw her from the wall she'd escaped behind failed each time. He eyed his ward, taking in the stiff set of her shoulders and frowned. Lillian, while snarky and rather closed off, had never reacted to anything the was she reacted to the Pied Piper's cloak.
When it was time for her to collect Henry from school, she rushed out of the shop. Throwing one hand behind her shoulder as a farewell, she gripped the cloak in the other so tightly her hand shook.
All Henry took was one look at Lily before he grabbed her free hand tightly. "Come on, you need some chocolates."
As he tugged them to his house, Lily finally allowed a small smile to form on her lips.
There were some days that she really loved this little boy.
Lily ended up spending the night at the mayor's house. Regina had been nearly over the moon, since Lily was the only one that could draw such a positive response in her son. With Regina upstairs, Henry and Lily cuddled on the couch, reading from his book as she added details to the stories she knew by heart.
Heading back to the inn early in the morning, Lily arrived back at Henry's just in time for Regina's departure for a 'city council meeting'.
"I know you think otherwise," Regina opened her lipstick, spreading the red
on her lips as she looked into the mirror in the hall. "But, I don't enjoy these
Saturday City Council meetings. They're just unavoidable." She snapped the tube
closed and cleared her throat. Turning to face Henry and Lily at the dining room table, she continued. "Now, you know the rules."
"Yes on homework, no on tv and stay inside." Henry repeated, his tone rather lackluster.
Regina smiled and reached over, gently touching his cheek. "Good boy." Her tone hardened. "Under no circumstances do you leave this house."
"You mean don't see my mom."
Lily huffed at Henry's lack of tact while Regina's face tightened.
"She's not your mother," the woman sighed. "She's just a woman passing through. Now," She gave Lily a warning glance. "Do as I say or there will be consequences." She sighed again and turned to the door. "I'll be back at five o'clock sharp."
As the car pulled away, Lily silently counted the seconds in her head. She made it to six before Henry shot out of his seat. With a resigned sigh, the teen followed her charge out the door after he'd collected his coat and backpack.
"Mary Margaret's?" She questioned as they rushed down the sidewalk. He nodded before speeding up, leaving Lily with little choice but to follow suit.
As he bounded up the stairs to the loft, Henry pushed the door open without knocking. "Hey, Emma I was thinking we-" He stopped dead and Lily almost ran into him. She glanced over his dark head to see Gold in the loft with Emma.
"Hey, Henry." Lily's boss smiled at Henry while the boy stared at him. "How are you doing?"
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Gold, why are you here?" She asked, her eyes going wide when the hair near his temple shifted. A thin, red line marked his skin and she stepped around Henry towards him. "What the hell happened?"
He brushed her hands away with a soft mutter of 'later' before looking expectantly at Henry, who was staring at the pawnbroker in bemusement.
"Umm...Okay?" Henry supplied in response, earning a chuckle from Gold.
"Good. Give my regards to your mother and," he started for the door, glancingback at Emma. "Uh, good luck Ms. Swan." He left, leaving the three staring after him.
Once the door shut, Henry nearly pounced on Emma. "Do you know who he is?"
Emma shot him a weird look as she went to her meager collection of possessions in the small corner.
"Yeah, of course I do."
Henry followed her, looking mildly relieved. "Who? 'Cause I'm still trying to figure it out."
"Henry." Lily let out a short huff. "You know who I am, you should be able to work out who Gold is."
He blinked up at his baby-sitter while Emma's mouth fell open into a small 'o'.
"Oh, I meant in reality." She explained sheepishly, turning back to her boxes
and rifling though them.
"Is that all you brought?" Henry asked. Lily tsked at his lack of tact though reigned in the urge to flick his ear.
"Henry," Emma sighed deeply, looking at her boxes. "What are you doing here?" She turned accusing eyes onto the teen, making Lily bristle indignantly. "Lily, why did you let him come here?"
"You try to stop him." Lily hissed back, smirking when Emma made a 'fair enough' motion with her shoulders.
"My mom's gone until five." Henry spoke up from between them, his voice hopeful. "I thought we could hang out."
As expected, Emma softened immediately. Standing, bringing yet another leather jacket, blue this time, with her, she smiled sadly at her son. "Aww, kid I wish I could but there's something I gotta do." She started for the door and the stairs, Henry trailing after her and nearly begging.
Lily sighed and shut the door, wondering why she was always dragged along with these schemes. "Who are you after?" She asked, contemplating the choice of leaving Henry with Emma.
"Ashley."
Lily froze at that. Her grip on the bannister tightened as she nearly stumbled down the stairs. Straightening, she rushed to keep up with the duo, dead-set on going along with Emma now.
"Please let me help." Henry tried as they arrived at Emma's yellow bug.
"No." Emma sent Lily a pleading glance, earning a shrug in response. "No, it could be dangerous."
"The pregnant maid is dangerous." Henry deadpanned incredulously.
"She assaulted Mr. Gold." Emma defended, her brows drawn together.
"Cool!"
Lily clapped a hand over Henry's mouth, glaring down at him disapprovingly. "Don't make me take away your comic books." She warned, earning a pout before Emma drew back their attention.
"This isn't a game." The blonde snapped. "She's desperate."
"How do you know?" Henry challenged stubbornly.
"Because I know." Emma countered, opening the door to her car as Henry walked to the other side. Lily followed, nudging him over.
"Well, then let's find her."
"Oh, no, no, no there is no 'let's'. You cannot come with me." Emma ranted as Henry proceeded to stare her down.
Lily, however, simply groaned before dropping her head onto the top of the car. Lack of sleep was starting to make her brain feel like it was fried.
"Then I'll look for her myself." He offered and while Lily usually enjoyed watching arguments, she really didn't want to waste time trying to find her friend.
"Then I'll find you and I'll bring you back." Emma countered, crossing her arms and looking far too smug.
"Then you wouldn't be helping the maid." Lily couldn't help but point out, watching as Emma's face colored.
"I am just trying to be responsible here!" She sputtered out.
"And I'm just trying to spend time with you." Henry guilt-tripped.
While she silently approved of Henry's tactics, Lily simply slid into the car muttering. "Well, I'm just trying to stay out of this."P
"Oh, that is really not fair." Emma groaned out in defeat as she opened her door and slid in to the car.
Henry followed suit, plopping himself down onto Lily's lap with a smug smirk.
"So, the maid. What's her story?"
Lilith smiled and clapped as Cinderella and Thomas descended the steps to the ballroom. Soon enough, Lilith was swept into a dance by Snow. As the two spun around, Charming quickly swooping in and twirling the younger woman around.
Lilith laughed as Charming spun her into a low dip before she was twirled towards Snow and Ella. Grasping hands, the three women spun around.
"I'm so happy you could come too." Ella breathed out before both Lilith and Snow were swept away by Thomas and Charming respectively.
I'm proud of you too."
Lilith stopped mid-spin and turned to see her mentor waltzing with a stricken Ella. As Thomas gently tugged her back into the dance, Lilith strained to listen to the conversation.
As she watched Ella grow more and more tense, Lilith spun away from Thomas and approached the awkward couple. She made it in time to hear Gold's parting words.
"Your firstborn." He spun a horrified Ella towards Lilith. Sending them both a wink, he calmly strutted away through the crowd as the bride clung to Lilith like a life-line.
"So this boyfriend of hers, you don't think he's involved in her disappearance?"
Ruby stacked the dishes on the table before sharing a disgusted look with Lily. "Uh, that would mean that he was involved with her at all, which he isn't." She pointed out as she wiped down the table.
"He dropped her flat on her arse right after they found out they were expecting." Lily explained, leaning against the doorway of the Diner.
"Hasn't spoken to her since. Like I said he's a-Hey, hey, hey!" Ruby broke off, teetering towards the street when Bill nearly dropped her car from the tow-truck. "Bill, be careful." She pouted, her voice turning sultry. "You almost shattered my wolf-thing. It's good luck."
"I'm sorry, Ruby." Bill called, looking abashed as he pointed towards the swinging, red, glass wolf. "But look, it's fine."
Ruby smiled at him tilting her head playfully before Emma commanded her attention again.
"Uh, Ruby what about her family?"
"Oh, uh." Ruby turned, blinking before her lips curled up in disgust. "She's got a stepmom and two step sisters that she doesn't talk to."
"Wait, stepmom, stepsisters and she's a maid?" Henry asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.
"Henry, not now." Emma ordered, looking at Ruby and Lily expectantly.
"Look," Lily suddenly snapped as she crossed her arms. "I don't know what you've heard but it's wrong."
Ruby quickly added. "Everyone thinks she's not ready to have this baby but she's trying-taking night classes, trying to better herself, trying to get her life together." She looked at Emma earnestly, her made-up face sincere. "Can you understand that?"
"I think so."
The sincerity made her eyebrow raise but Lily stayed silent, allowing Ruby to snap like a wolf.
"Then maybe you should just stay out of it, she's been though enough." Ruby hissed out, her typical attitude back. She yanked up her tray and stalked to the door where Lily sent her a quick nod.
Emma, clearly unwilling to let sleeping dogs, or wolves, lie quickly stopped the waitress. "I've been through it too Ruby and I can help her."
"Then try her ex."
"Where can I find him?"
Lily shared another glance with Ruby before she sighed, earning Emma's attention.
"He lives with his dad."
After a disastrous meeting with Sean and his asshole of a father, Emma was now driving back to Granny's and was royally pissed off.
"You can't make her double-cross Mr. Gold." Henry's frantic voice came from the back seat. "No one's ever broken a deal with him."
"Happy to be the first. If Ashley wants to have this baby she should have it." Emma snapped before she rounded on Lily. "And why the hell didn't you tell me Lillian?"
Lily bristled at the accusing tone and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "It wasn't my place to tell." She forced out through stiff lips.
"Well, anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well be able to be one." Emma announced as she pressed harder on the gas.
Several minutes later, Emma stalked into Granny's where Ruby was wiping down
the bar. She glanced up when the bell rang and caught Lily's eyes, making the other woman slump with relief at the slight nod.
"Why didn't you tell me she sold the baby?" Emma demanded in a furious whisper when she reached the bar.
Ruby sent her a flat, irritated look. "Because I didn't think it was important and I thought maybe Lily would tell you that little detail."
"Thanks, Ruby." Lily hissed at being thrown under the bus. Ruby simply smirked.
"Really?" Emma asked dryly. "Considering that's why she's running away."
"Look, Ashley is our," Ruby gestured to herself and Lily. "Friend. We don't like the idea of people judging her."
Emma sighed, shaking her head. She frozen, catching sight of the wolf charm from Ruby's car. "Ruby," she started slowly, looking out the window to see the spot where Ruby's car had been earlier. "Where's your car?"
Ruby simply sighed, leaning on the bar as Lily perched herself on it. Emma turned back to them, her eyes accusing.
"You didn't send me to Sean to find her, you sent me there to give her a head start."
"Look," Lily hissed, her hackles rising. "We're only trying to help her."
"Yeah, so am I." Emma countered. "Ashley's in more trouble than you know. Ruby, where is she?" Emma lowered her voice slightly. "Don't make her break her deal with Gold without me."
Ruby shot Henry a glance, her lips twisted in apprehension. "I can't talk in front of him, he's the mayor's kid."
"Hey! I'm on your side and Lily is practically Gold's kid!" Henry defended, puffing up like distressed bird. Lily forced back a smile at that visual image.
Ruby simply looked at him flatly in response before she stalked to the other end of the bar.
"Henry..." Emma touched his shoulder and pulled him aside, lowering her voice. "I need to find this woman and in order to do that, I need you to go home okay? So, please listen to me." She shook her head when his mouth opened, not letting him protest. "Seriously, she's not gonna tell us anything if you're around."
"Okay." Henry nodded finally, his shoulders slumping when he turned to go. Ruby meandered back own the bar as he reached the door.
"Thank you." Emma called to her son and turned back to the bar expectantly.
Ruby sighed and leaned against the counter again, her voice barely above a whisper. "She left town. Said she was gonna try Boston, thought she could disappear there."
"How long ago did she leave?"
It was Lily's turn to sigh. "Probably bout half an hour ago."
Emma nodded and took off. Lily quickly muttered a 'thanks' to Ruby before she took off after the blonde. Lily jumped into the bug just before Emma sped away from the diner and towards the outskirts of town.
"What'd she tell you?"
Lily nearly shrieked and clutched at her chest as Emma jumped. The blonde looked in her rearview mirror to see Henry in the back. "Henry, what the hell?"
Lily spun in her seat accusingly. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She hissed at him, glaring when he simply shrugged it off.
"Henry, we're going to Boston, you can't come with us." Emma stated firmly.
"You can't go to Boston." Henry responded, looking to Lily. "She can't leave and neither can Lily. Bad things happen to anyone that does."
"I don't have time to argue with you over the curse, I have to get you home."
Henry shook his head, his face paler than usual. "We have to stop her before she gets hurt, we're wasting time."
"He's right, Emma." Lily nodded in agreement with Henry, making Emma's eyes widen. "Awful things happen to people that try to cross the town line."
"If you drop me off you'll never catch up to her." Henry added as Emma looked between them.
"Henry..."
"Then Mr. Gold will call the police and he'll have her sent to jail."
Emma let out a deep exhale before she nodded at her son, her face grave. "Buckle up."
Henry hastened to follow her instructions while Emma, thankfully, focused on driving again.
"Ashley, what the hell did you get yourself into?"
"Why are we down here?" Ella asked as the latch on the heavy door clicked. The group quickly descended into the mines, following Lilith and Grumpy.
"We need a place to keep him." Thomas answered, his arm around his pregnant wife as they traveled further into the tunnels.
"Rumpelstiltskin is the most dangerous man in all the realms; he needs his own special prison. So, we converted the mines to hold him." Charming explained calmly.
"But, how will we get him here? He's eluded all forever." Ella fretted, hands cradling her swollen belly.
Grumpy glanced at the quiet sorceress, bushy brows creased. "Well, we have Lilith."
She shot the burly man a glare, hissing a reply. "I told you I'm not helping you capture him, Grumpy." She looked around at all of them, exasperated that this needed to be explained yet again. "I told you, his greatest strength is also his weakness-making deals."
"He can't resist making them and we already know who he wants to deal with next-you." Grumpy finished for her, nodding his head at the pregnant blonde.
"We've sent word with one of Snow's blue birds." Charming placed a gentle hand on Ella's tense shoulder. "He's accepted a meeting with you. You're going to tell him that Doc heard something with his stethoscope-two heartbeats."
Charming removed his hand for Thomas' to take its place. "You're going to tell him it's twins."
"And if he wants both." Charming added.
"Which he will." Lilith affirmed, expression grim.
Charming shot her a short glance. "You propose a new deal. Grumpy."
The dwarf pulled a small, wooden box from his cloak. He opened it, revealing a flamboyant looking quill. Ella blinked at it before looking at them, one hand cupping her rounded stomach.
"A Quill? I-I don't understand." Her face filled with doubt while Lilith and Grumpy exchanged doubtful looks. This entire plan hinged on whether or not Ella could be a convincing actress and so far, they weren't very convinced.
"The Blue Fairy cast a spell on it." Charming offered.
Lilith shot him a flat look, as that simple explanation had done nothing to assure the expectant mother. "Ella, whoever signs with this quill will be frozen, and their magic will be rendered impotent." She ignored the slight pain in her heart. "Rumpelstiltskin will be powerless and defenseless."
Ella continued to stare at the quill. Charming quickly spoke again, clearly trying to reassure her of the plan.
"All you must do is get him to sigh the contract, Ella." His words turned fierce. Lilith simply ignored them, as she always did when people spoke ill of her mentor. No matter if the words were true. "This man is a scourge, you will be doing the entire land a service."
"Should we even use magic? Isn't that what's causing these problems to begin with? What if this magic also has a price?" She shot off the questions.
Lilith shared another glance with Grumpy. The idea of Lilith herself setting up this contract was growing more and more tempting. Ella's inability to remain unflustered certainly wouldn't improve by the next night.
"Then I will pay it. I will do whatever is needed to save you and our child." Thomas swore, making some of the tension in Ella's shoulders dissipate.
"Let's go."
They all followed Grumpy further into the mines, stopping in front of a cell. Lilith gestured to it with her hand as Grumpy did the same with his torch.
"I hope you like it. A lot of Dwarf blood went into it." He muttered darkly as Ella approached it.
Lilith sent him an annoyed stare. "Grumpy!" She hissed out in warning.
Ella paid no mind, continuing to examine the cell. "You're sure this will work?"
"Once he's in there, he'll never get out. You'll be safe." Charming promised, looking at the cell in disgust.
Thomas came up behind his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder "We can do this Ella."
She inhaled deeply and nodded once, her blue gaze fierce.
"Okay, let's get him."
"I told you!" Henry pointed over Lily's shoulder towards Ruby's car, abandoned on
the side of the road. Before Emma had even stopped the car, the teen jumped out of it,
calling for her friend. "Ashley!"
"Lillian!"
She rounded rounded the car and caught sight of Ashley on the ground, clutching her stomach. Lily sprinted forward, falling to her knees at her friend's side.
"Ashley, are you alright?!"
Ashley let out a sharp groan, doubling over in obvious pain. Lily's eyes widened before she yelled over her shoulder. "The baby's coming!"
Emma's face turned ashen as she began to sprint towards them. Ashley let out another cry of pain before she began to pant hard, her face flushed.
"Get her in the car." Emma commanded.
Needing no more prompting, Lily and Emma quickly helped Ashley up and into the front seat. Lily jumped into the back before Emma swung the car around and sped towards town.
"Is the baby really coming?!"
"No! She's just tired from running a bloody marathon!" Lily snapped back at Henry with more force than she meant. Though, considering Ashley, who had been clutching her hand, squeezed hard enough that something cracked, it was rather warranted.
"Oh, yeah." Emma stated, glancing back at them in the mirror before her eyes darted towards Ashley, who was panting and moaning in pain. "Don't worry, the hospital isn't that far."
"No, no, no, no." Ashley chanted, shaking her head wildly. Lily squeezed her hand, wincing when pain lashed down said fingers. "Take me to Boston, I can't go back there."
Lily winced at the desperate plea while Emma shook her head.
"Oh, no. We don't have four hours, trust me I know." She pressed harder on the gas while Ashley pleaded with her to turn around, her voice shaky and tearful.
"I can't go back there, please! He's gonna take my baby!" She sobbed, her shoulders shaking.
Lily leaned closer to her. "He's not taking anything else from you, Ashley. I promise."
Emma nodded in agreement, not taking her eyes off the road as they reached town. "He won't touch you." Emma swore, her tone hard. "I won't let that happen but do you know what you're asking for, Ashley? If you keep this child, are you really ready?"
Ashley nodded, her face tight with pain as another contraction hit. Lily held in her own cry of pain when the grip on her fingers tightened.
"Yeah." Ashley panted out.
"Are you sure?" Emma's voice took a frantic tone and her eyes misted over. "Because I wasn't."
At that, Lily chanced a look at Henry and frowned at the look on his face.
"You weren't?" Ashley questioned breathlessly, her eyes wide with shock.
Emma shook her head. "Nope. If you want to give this kid its best chance, it's gotta be with someone who's ready. So, know what that means. Your whole life is gonna change and once you decide that it's yours, this running away thing can't happen. You have to grow up and you can't ever leave, understand?"
Emma glanced back at Henry several times during her speech. He in turn squeezed Lily's hand several times while staring at his birth mother.
Ashley was nodding her head, her voice shaky but determined.
"Yes. I want my baby."
Lily watched silently as Ella tried to get Rumple to sign the contract, keeping everyone cloaked in the area. If this took any longer, she was going to go and make him sign with the damn squid ink herself.
"I think it's more than fair." Ella stated, holding up the new contract.
Rumple nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, yes it is." He chirped out, his eyes narrowing. "If what you're saying is true."
"It is." Ella affirmed. Lilith and Grumpy's eyebrows rose at who convincing the princess was being. "And all you have to do," she pulled out the quill and offered it to him. "Is sign on the dotted line."
"What a lovely quill." Rumple cooed, his gold eyes lighting up. "Wherever did you get it?" He plucked the quill from her hands, examining it slowly.
Ella responded, her voice cool but edged with nerves. "It's from our castle."
Rumple tilted his head curiously. "You know the only way to stop me is through magic."
Lilith stiffened, earning worried looks from the rest of the group. The emotion coming off her mentor wasn't reassuring in the slightest.
"I'm not trying to stop you." Ella chuckled, though it sounded forced to everyone listening.
"Of course you're not." Rumple agreed. "Because as we all know, magic comes with a price, and if you were to use it to say...imprison me, then your debt to me would only grow. And we wouldn't want that now, would we." He placed the feather under her chin, smirking all the while.
Ella jerked her head away from him. "Just sign the contract, please." She begged, her voice tired while Rumple smiled mockingly.
"Are you sure you're happy with this new arrangement?"
Ella merely raised the contract in response, her lips compressed into a thin line.
Rumple chuckled in response. "Then, so shall it be." He leaned forward and quickly signed the paper with a flourish. Immediately, the squid ink did its job and a glowing, blue light covered him from the neck down.
"Thomas!" Ella pulled back from Rumple's frozen form. Lilith and Thomas rushed to her side.
"No one breaks deals with me, dearie." Rumple snarled, staring at his frozen hand. Lilith held in a shiver at the malice in his tone. "No one." His eyes darted over to her, his lips twisting into a sneer. "No matter where you are, no matter what land you find yourself in, I assure you,"
Thomas wrapped Ella in his arms as the horses drawing the cage came into the grove. Charming and Grumpy followed them, along with a platoon of guards.
Lilith forced herself to stare passively at Rumple while he finished his threat towards the princess.
Golden eyes glinting, he finished with a soft snarl. "I will have your baby."
Emma paced behind the collection of chairs while Henry stared at her thoughtfully. Lily was seated on a hospital bed near the far wall, currently having her hand wrapped by an overly chipper nurse.
"You're lucky, dear." The nurse prattled on as she finished up binding Lily's, thankfully, unbroken hand. "Just a simple fracture."
"Great." Lily drawled out, snatching her hand from the woman. She eyed the woman, silently placing her as some type of animal. With a short thank you, Lily hopped down from the bed and stalked over to Emma and Henry.
Regina's selection of jobs or lives had been random fo the most part. The only people she'd actually put true thought into had been Snow, Lilith, Rumple, Charming, the Huntsman and herself. The others had been pushed into whatever category most suited their roles back in the Enchanted forest, some given ironic names while others were random.
Lily was pulled from her musings when Henry's voice reached her.
"You know, Emma, you're different."
Emma looked up at his words but continued to pace. Lily seated herself next to Henry, teeth set on edge at the blonde's grating behavior.
"What's that?"
"You're the only one who can do it." Henry continued.
"Break the curse? Yeah, I know." Emma answered distractedly, looking at the doors Ashley had gone through. "You keep telling me that."
"No, you're the only one who can leave Storybrooke."
Even Lily looked at Henry in surprise while Emma finally stopped pacing.
"You left and came and found me in Boston." She pointed out, only for Henry to shake his head.
"But I came back. I'm ten, I had no choice." He impatiently explained, his face filled with realization. "But, if anyone else tried to go, bad things would happen."
"He's right." Lily defended, looking up at Emma. The blonde turned her attention to the smug ten-year old.
"Anyone except...me?" She clarified slowly.
Henry nodded. "You're the Savior. You can do whatever you want." Emma slowly crouched down in front of him, her eyes wide. "You can go." Henry repeated, his voice small.
Before Emma could reply, a nurse came out of the double doors behind them.
"Ms. Swan?" Emma stood with a nod while Henry and Lily turned in their seats. "The baby is a healthy, six pound girl and the mother is doing fine."
Emma sighed happily while Lily hugged a smiling Henry to her side.
"What lovely news." Gold's voice washed over them. Lily turned to see him standing behind Emma, his face smug. "Excellent work, Ms. Swan." He praised, ignoring the way Emma's face tightened. "Thank you, for bringing me my merchandise."
Lilith watched, arms crossed, as Rumple was loaded into the cage. Everything but his head was frozen and he was using that to his full advantage, having already threatened Ella several times already.
"Lilith!" Charming called her over, giving her the perfect excuse to abandon the happy couple. "How long will this last?" He asked once she reached the cart.
Eyeing the glowing ink, Lilith answered calmly. "An hour, at the most." She drew her cloak closer, shivering at the sudden chill. "Squid ink doesn't last long in small quantities."
"Well, we best get to-" Grumpy began, only to stop mid-sentence when Thomas' voice carried over to them.
"Ella, what is it?!"
Lilith spun around and sped towards them at the sight before her. Ella was hunched over in pain as Thomas fretted over her.
"What's wrong?" The sorceress demanded once she reached Ella's side. Leaning down, she placed a hand on the blonde's swollen belly.
"Oh, it's-it's the baby." Ella huffed out in pain.
"What's the matter?" Thomas asked again, making Lilith want to gag him.
"Something's wrong." Ella whispered softly.
Lilith went stiff at that, Thomas doing the same.
"No, no it can't be. It's too soon. It must be the-the stress, the excitement." He more begged than stated. He looked at Lilith for help, only for her to shrug helplessly.
While she could heal most wounds, she hadn't been trained as a midwife. Nor did she particularly wish to be.
"Oh." Ella gasped, letting out a whoosh of air. "I'm dizzy."
"Sit, sit." Thomas let her to a stone bench.
She sat with a deep sigh, Lilith following her with glowing hands. Placing them on her belly, Lilith listened quietly as her magic sought out the unborn infant.
"I'll go get you water." Thomas turned and ran towards the well, heading through the trees.
Lilith watched him go, an icy chill spreading down her spine. She turned to look at her mentor, noting the glint in his golden eyes.
"Okay," Ella panted, sighing with relief as the pain passed. Lilith removed her hand, allowing Ella's to take its place. "Thomas, it's okay. It's passed." She called out to him, frowning when he didn't respond. "Thomas?"
Lilith stood, Ella following suit as the dark-haired woman closed her eyes.
"Oh, no." Lilith whispered softly.
Ella inhaled deeply before she took off towards the well. "Thomas!"
Lilith followed, catching up to Ella just as she plucked Thomas' sash off a branch. "Thomas!" She stalked through the woods, her face filled with cold fury as she approached the cage. "What did you do?" Ella demanded, shrugging off Charming's hand when he approached.
"What's wrong?" Charming glanced between Lilith and Ella.
Grumpy soon joined with a worried expression. "You're highness, what happened?"
Ella ignored them and addressed Rumple again, her voice turning frantic. "What did you do with my Thomas?"
"I haven't done anything, in case you haven't noticed," he glanced down at himself with barely concealed amusement. "I've been otherwise engaged."
"Something happened to him. You know, tell me." She demanded, glaring fiercely at him while her grip on the sash tightened.
"I have no idea, dearie." Rumple countered airily. "But, I did warn you: All magic comes with a price." A smirk slid lazily onto his face and his voice lowered. "It looks like someone has just paid."
Charming, clearly sensing that Ella was about to bodily attack the smug man, gently pulled her away from Rumple. "Don't listen to him, we'll find Thomas." He assured, tensing when Rumple let out a shrill laugh.
"No you won't! Until that debt is paid, until that baby is mine," His face turned hard and gleeful. Ella's, however, paled rapidly as she swayed on her feet. "You're never gonna see him again. In this world, or the next, Cinderella."
"No." Ella whispered brokenly. Lilith gently gripped her arm as the carriage holding the Dark One began to move away.
Rumple called back to her, making Ella go stiff in Lilith's arm as tears welling up in her eyes.
"I will have that baby!"
Lily looked up from her hands, eyes narrowing when she realized what Gold and Emma were talking about. She chanced a look at Henry to see his eyes widen in shock as Gold's voice drifted over to them.
"I thought it would makes sense...to you, I mean. If anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, it's you."
They watched Emma bristle at his words. "You're not gettin' that kid."
"Actually, we have an agreement." Gold replied calmly, leaning on his cane. "And my agreements, are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police and that baby is going to end up in the system and that would be a pity." He threatened, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"
"That was low, Gold." Lily couldn't help but hiss out, only to be ignored. Henry shifted next to her, shaking his head when she turned to look at him.
"That's not gonna happen." Emma spat out with a glare.
Gold simply smirked in response. "I like your confidence. Charming." He mocked, his voice light. "But, all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."
"Let me guess, to steal a contract." Emma countered smoothly, her eyebrow raising.
Gold shrugged. "Who knows what she was after."
Emma leaned closer to him, her voice low and harsh. "You know no jury in the world will put a woman in jail, who's only reason for breaking and entering, was to keep her child." She smirked when Gold didn't reply, only taking a sip from his coffee. She quickly pushed on. "I'm willing to roll the dice that that contract doesn't stand up, are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process."
She crossed ear arms and leaned back while Gold stared at her. Even though his face a mask of calm, Lily could tell inside he was seething.
"Somehow, I suspect there is more to you than a simple pawnbroker, you really wanna start that fight?"
Several heartbeats of silence greeted Emma's pronouncement. "I like you, Ms. Swan." Gold answered finally, a smile stretching across his face. "You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way, I'd rather have you on my side."
"So she can keep the baby." Emma stated, completely ignoring Gold's words of praise.
"Not just yet, there's still the matter of my agreement with Ms. Boyd."
"Tear it up."
Lily rolled her eyes at Emma' suggestion. Even if she didn't have her memories, it was al too obvious that Gold wasn't the 'tear it up and forget about it' kind.
"That's not what I do. You see, contracts, deals-well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence." He explained and Emma gave him a flat stare, unmoved by his words. "So, I put it to you. Now, if you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"
"What do you want?"
"Oh, I don't know just yet. You'll...owe me favor." He nodded, seemingly
pleased with his idea.
Lily, however, stared hard at him. She knew very well that there was no telling exactly what Emma had just agreed to do for him
Emma extended her hand, grasping Gold's tightly.
"Deal."
"Hey, what's her name?" Emma asked from beside the door.
Lily was perched next to Ashley, softly cooing at the baby in her friend's arms.
"Alexandra." Ashley whispered, her face soft and loving.
Emma smiled in return, her voice soft. "That's pretty."
Ashley looked at the other blonde with a sigh, her face relieved. "Thank you for getting me here."
Emma nodded in response, smile still in place. Henry hovered behind her as Alexandra caught Lily's finger in her small fist.
"Mr. Gold was outside, I took care of it." Emma explained quietly.
Lily caught her friend's eye and nodded. "She's yours, Ash."
"She is?" Ashley asked, breathless with relief. At Emma's nod, her brow creased in concern. "What did you do?"
"Made a deal with him." Emma answered, clearly unconcerned with the bargain she'd struck or how it could come back to bite her in the arse.
"Thank you." Ashley whispered, her voice breaking. "Thank you."
Lily smiled wider, at least until she caught sight of the clock. "I really hate to break up this lovely moment, but it's almost five and I, for one, like my head being attached."
Emma reacted, spinning around and heading towards the door. Henry followed at her heels while Lily brought up the rear.
"We gotta get you home!" Emma grabbed Henry's shoulder as they exited the room.
Lily spun on her heel, waving towards a bewildered Ashley. "Bye Ash! I'll bring Ruby later."
"Pumpkin." Emma stated suddenly. Lily and Henry blinked at her, sharing confused looks. "My codename," she explained at the sight of their blank looks. "I was thinking, in honor of Cinderella-pumpkin."
Henry simply shook his head, earning a frown from the blonde.
"You got a better one?"
"Yep." When he made no move to elaborate, Emma raised an eyebrow. Glancing between him and the road, she prompted. "Well?"
He simply smiled, shaking his head again. "I'm not sure you're ready yet."
As Emma pulled up in front of Regina's, Lily nearly threw the door open. Urging Henry out of the car, Lily rushed up the sidewalk. "Go, go, go, go!"
"Henry, about what you said at the hospital." Henry stopped and turned to face Emma. "About me being able to leave?"
"Yeah?"
Emma smiled softly at him, her voice soft. "See you tomorrow."
"Okay, cute, now go!" Allowing him one last wave, Lily grabbed Henry's arm and tugged him to the door. Spilling into the house, she slammed the door before nearly falling up the stair. Henry quickly removed his shoes, leaving them behind on the stairs.
When they reached the top, Regina's voice echoed from the entryway. "Henry!"
Lily nearly slammed his door open, pushing Henry towards his bed before she gently shut the door behind her. Flying to the computer desk, Lily tossed Henry a comic book before she hopped onto the edge of his bed just in time for the door to open.
"Henry! What did I tell you?" Regina stood in the doorway. One hand held a sho while the other rested on her hip. "Do not leave your shoes on the stairs, someone would get hurt."
With that, she turned around and left the room. The door gently shut behind her and both released the breath they'd been holding.
Henry slumped against the headboard while Lily fell onto her back with a soft, muffled shriek.
"That was far too close."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?