Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
So, this is a short chapter again.
And, a reviewers asked about whether or not the 'Dark Lilith' is a fairy tale. It is not. However, the Demon Lilith is a mythological figure, said to be the first wife of Adam who was cast out when she refused to submit to him. That is, mostly, the inspiration for Lily's Enchanted Forest side.
Have any more questions, feel free to ask!
"Lillian, ya need anything?" Ruby asked the dark-haired teen, smiling when she received a negative shake of the head. Both turned their attention to Graham as he threw another bulls-eye.
"Nice shot, Chief." A drunken Sidney raised his glass mockingly. "I bet you twenty bucks you can't do it again."
Expression never changing, Graham threw back a shot before he tossed the dart and hit another bulls-eye. "Next round's on him." He told Ruby just as Emma entered through the side door.
Lily raised an eyebrow at the open disgust that flashed over Emma's face when she saw Graham. Then again, Lily had heard something the night before when she'd been at Regina's.
Ruby caught sight of Emma and teetered towards her. "Emma! What can I get you?"
"Nothing." The blonde answered shortly before she made a beeline for the back door. Her exit was stopped when Graham threw a dart that embedded itself into the wood right next to her head. "What the hell?" Emma demanded loudly as Lily covered her mouth to hide her snicker. "You could've hit me!"
"I never miss." Graham offered as he wandered over to her. Lily raised an eyebrow at his behavior, though she had to admit he was rather plastered. "You've been avoiding me since last night, when you saw me-"
Emma's voice was a low, harsh whisper. "Leaving the Mayor? And yes, that is a euphemism." She snapped before pulling back from him. "I'm not avoiding you, Graham, I just have no interest in having this conversation. It's your life – I really don't care." With that, the blonde turned on her heel and stalked out of the diner.
Lily and Ruby shared a look when, after a seconds hesitation, Graham took off after her.
"Did she just now figure out that Graham and Regina are bed buddies?" Ruby asked, idly examining her nails. "Honestly, it's pretty obvious."
Lily nodded, sighing as she pushed her book away and shut it. "What's worse is that I was there last night."
Ruby's nose wrinkled in disgust before she was flagged down by Sidney. Sending her friend an apologetic look, the dark-haired server flounced over to the clearly drunk reporter.
With a sigh, Lily reached down and began to fiddle with the charm on her necklace. The small acorn caught the light and she sighed, rubbing at her forehead when the still blurry memories hammered at her brain. Rumple's manipulation of her memories, while rectified years ago, still caused her to have blanks sometimes.
Holding back a whimper, she raised a hand to rub at her now aching head as memories rapidly flashed behind her eyes.
Playful green eyes flashed at her as she reached up for him. With a smirk, the older boy picked her up and lightly tossed her in the air.
"Lillian?" Ruby asked in concern at the sight of the dark-haired teen hunched over the table. Reaching out, she placed a hand on her friend's tense shoulder. "Sweetie, you okay?"
Pain-filled eyes met hers as Lily struggled to stay in the present. Sending Ruby a strained grimace, she raised both hands and rubbed at her aching eyes.
"I-I'm f-fine-" She managed to slur out before the world around her went black.
Ruby darted forward, catching her friend before she began to yell at the top of her lungs.
"Granny! Call an ambulance!"
"So," Snow began as she and Lilith trudged through the forest. "How did the daughter of a Lord get involved with the Dark One?"
Aware of the once princess' apprehension, Lilith smiled flatly. "How did a princess turn into a bandit?" She shot back, earning a sheepish grin.
"I suppose that's fair." Said princess/bandit admitted with a shrug, carefully stepping over a fallen tree. "Regina framed me for my father's murder, sent a huntsman to kill me, and has been hunting me down ever since."
That caught Lilith's attention. "She sent a huntsman after you?" She echoed, unable to stop an incredulous tone from entering her voice. "And you survived?"
"He ended up deciding that I didn't deserve to die." Snow whispered, a small smile forming on her lips. "Honestly, I don't think I could ever repay him for that."
"Well, maybe you'll get the chance." The words left her mouth before she could think, leaving both women to stare at each other in shock.
A small smile replaced the small 'o' on Snow's lips. "Well, looks like the Dark Lilith isn't as 'dark' as she'd like everyone to believe."
"Watch it, Princess."
"Well what do you suggest!?" Ruby demanded loudly, looking like she'd like nothing else than to claw Whale's eyes out. The doctor held up his hands, aware that undressing the woman with his eyes would result in him missing a vital body part at the moment.
"Exactly what I said!" He lowered his hands when she fell back to rest at Lily's side. "Look, there's nothing to do except wait for her to wake up!"
The sound of the door opening made them both turn. They also both paled at the sight of a thunderous looking Gold in the doorway.
"Now, when were you planning on telling me that my ward was in the hospital?" He asked quietly, though Whale had enough sense to shiver at the malice he detected in the pawnbroker's tone.
Ruby rolled her eyes, pinning Gold with a glare. "I tried." She hissed flatly. "You didn't answer your phone and I don't know your cell." Seating herself back in the hard, plastic chair, she ignored the two men and grasped Lily's limp hand.
Gold held back a smirk at the sight of Ruby's feisty behavior before he pinned the doctor with a flat look. "And you, Doctor. What's your excuse?"
Whale was saved from answering when an annoyed, gravelly voice came from behind him in the room.
"Would you both bloody shut it?" Lily asked, raising a heavy hand to rub at her eyes. When her eyes landed on Ruby, she raised an eyebrow. "All right, what happened? Why am I in the hospital when you all know I hate them?"
As Whale stuttered out an explanation, Lily ignored him in favor of attempting to sit up in bed. With a groan, the dark-haired teen managed that feat with the help of Ruby, hissing when she sat up too fast.
"Do you remember what happened?" Ruby asked in hushed once Gold had gone to check his ward out.
Shaking her head, then grimacing at the action, Lily winced as she tried to form words. "Well, I remember seeing Emma and Graham's fight but..." She frowned. "After that, it's a bit of a blur."
"You passed out, hun." Ruby leaned closer as Gold started towards them, clutching Lily's release papers. "Lillian... Is it the dreams-"
"Well, you're all set to go, Lillian."
Both turned as Gold smiled down at them placidly, his eyes flickering between them. Forcing herself to send Ruby a smile, Lily threw the scratchy hospital covers off her legs and made to stand... only to nearly fall flat on her face.
Grunting from the effort, Gold supported her as Ruby rushed around the bed. With a sigh, the older woman reached down and slung Lily's arm around her shoulder.
"And I thought I was stubborn."
One look around her surroundings made Lily hiss in annoyance.
"Are you bloody kidding me?!" She demanded loudly, tugging roughly through her hair. "I am not in the mood for this."
Husky chuckling made her stiffen and she turned, her heart rising with joy when she saw him behind her.
"Peter?" She whispered, slowly lowering her hands as he continued to lean against the tree.
"It's me, love." He offered softly and he had barely taken a step away from the tree before she was on him. Though a dream, the heat of her small body was all too real against him and he clutched her to him. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply as she shuddered against him.
Pulling back enough to look him in the eye, she managed to whisper, "Why?" His brow creased in confusion as an incredulous light entered his eye. "Every night... I dream of this... Of you still being here..."
Her head dropped in a resigned manner. She'd never see him again. She knew that, it was why she had come to dread yet yearn for these nightly visits.
Finger's gently trailing across her spine made her look up, a shiver wracking her at the heat in his eyes.
"I made you a promise, love." He breathed out, using his finger to tilt her chin up. "You're mine... The one I want."
Her hands slid from his shoulder to grip his elbows tightly while their bodies seemed to meld together. He leaned closer, pressing a kiss against her forehead as his whisper echoed around them.
"I told you, you're mine, Tiger Lily. Forever."
"Did I upset you?" Henry dared to ask as he and Lily walked towards the school. She sighed deeply and uncrossed her arms, offering a hand to him. He took it with a wide smile and swung it between them.
"I'm not upset with you." She assured as they approached the school building. Turning around and kneeling to his eye level, she smiled. "I just... It's not something I like to talk about, all right?"
He nodded, sending her a wide smile as she hugged him tightly. He returned her embrace before pulling away and racing towards the school. She turned, still kneeling, and smiled after him as he ran into the school. Standing with a wince when her knees popped, she turned and jumped back at the sight of Graham right behind her.
"Graham?" She peered up at him, his bloodshot eyes making her worry. "You okay?"
"Lillian, h-how long have we known each other?" He asked and she frowned suspiciously.
"All my life." She admitted calmly, keeping an eye on his reaction. "You were there when I arrived in Storybrooke after Mr. Gold adopted me."
Granted Lily herself would have no memory of that, as she'd been around three at the time. Honestly, Regina's attention, or lack thereof, to certain details left Lily wanting to wring the mayor's neck at times.
Despite that, as she watched Graham, Lily felt small stirrings of hope rise. "Graham, why are you asking me this?" She asked carefully as he continued to fidget nervously.
"I j-just... I keep having these-these flashbacks and it all feels so real-" He broke off, raising a hand to rub at his aching head.
Lily frowned, reaching up to touch his arm with her hand. Eyes wide, both stared at each other as a vision flashed over them.
"So you're Regina's personal pet?" The dark-haired girl sneered, arm held up defensively as the Huntsman advanced on her. "Tell me, what does Her Majesty want with me?"
She eyed him, taking notice of how jerky his steps were, and the resigned set of his shoulders. As he drew his sword, she brought up her arm and blocked the blow with her wrist guard before she spun around him and dug her hand into the back of his chest.
Eyes wide, she ripped her hand free and watched as he stumbled to his knees. "She took your heart."
Panting, the Huntsman turned to look at her with pleading eyes. "Please, if you can, end my suffering."
"I cannot." Her response was soft and shaky. "As long as she has your heart, you can never truly be killed."
Tears began to leak out of his closed eyes before he surged to his feet and tried to impale her with a yell.
Gasping, Lily stumbled back from Graham as he stared down at her in shock. She raised a shaky hand to her face, staring at it silently, before she turned her attention back to Graham as he turned and ran from her.
"Graham..." She whispered softly before she dug into her pocket for her phone. Quickly dialing Gold's number, she raised the phone to her ear and kept her eyes on Graham's retreating form. "Gold? I think Graham's remembering."
"What does this mean?" Lily asked, leaning on the counter with her elbows. Gold was rifling through several books, muttering softly under his breath as she waited impatiently for him to respond.
"It means," he began slowly as he raised his head. "That Ms Swan's presence is having more profound an effect than we anticipated."
"Are you saying she's already breaking the Curse?" Lily asked in alarm. "But, it's too early for-"
"No, no, no. I'm not saying the Curse is breaking." He soothed, waving his hand towards her. "I'm simply saying... It's weakening."
"Weakening how?"
"Well, as you've noticed, time has once again begun to more forward here." At her nod, he continued. "So, it would make sense that, uh, as time moves, some of the more... Sensitive residents, will begin to remember."
While somewhat soothed by his explanation, the vision she'd shared with Graham earlier still bothered her. "But, about what Graham and I saw-"
"Well, perhaps you've managed to carry some residual magic over here with you." Gold offered quietly, now looking rather concerned. "I know Regina and myself managed that feat."
"Yes, but you two planned ahead. I was too busy trying to stop Charming from razing down Regina's castle the months before the Curse was enacted."
"Well, you've always been a rather gifted sorceress, dear." He pointed out with a faint smile. "Perhaps it simply came with you anyway."
With that, he turned back to his books and began to go through them again, leaving her to her thoughts. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing she'd have to go get Henry from school soon. Quickly finishing the meager set of tasks that Gold set for her each day, she was soon saying goodbye to her boss and heading back towards the school.
"Did you have a good day?" She asked when Henry came running out towards her.
He shrugged his shoulders before he took her offered hand. "It was school. It never really changes."
She had to agree with him there. From what she'd seen, the curriculum for the school was the same every year, though Henry had the advantage of actually aging. She, however, had never actually attended school in Storybrooke. Lilian had memories of attending up to grade-school before Mr. Gold hired private tutors for her, resulting in her graduating at the age of sixteen.
As they walked down the street, she tightened her grip on his hand, making him look up at her.
"You know that... That name you asked me about?" She began carefully, wincing when he brightened immediately.
"You mean Maia?" He asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.
She nodded hesitantly, ignoring the pain that began to twist around her heart. "I do know that name." She admitted as they walked up to the house and Henry had to be prompted to unlock the door. "Shoes off at the door, I don't want your mother yelling at me again." As he kicked off his shoes and rushed up the stairs, she called after him. "Want ?"
"Chocolate milk!"
Rolling her eyes fondly, Lily kicked off her boots and hung up their coats heading into the kitchen. Pouring Henry said chocolate milk and herself apple cider, she wandered up to the second floor living room in for Henry to come barreling into the room with his book. As they settled onto the couches, Henry suddenly dove behind the love seat and pulled out the pied cloak she'd left for sake keeping.
"Here," he offered, placing it on her lap before he snuggled to her side. "I think it keeps you calm."
"...And I need to be kept calm because...?"
"Well..." His innocent expression made her eyes narrow. "I thought you could tell me about the name 'Maia'."
Holding back a sigh, Lily motioned for him to hand her the book. Cracking it open, she skimmed through the pages until she landed on the illustration he'd been on the night before.
"This," she pointed at the woman. "Is Maia. She was... Taken by a male Fairy-"
"A fairy? A male fairy?"
"Yes. Though...the Sleagh Maith are nothing like the Blue Fairy or the others. Now, Maia was taken by the fairy and given the ability to shrink, like them."
"Wait... Are you saying this woman is Thu-"
A rather loud knock cut their conversation to a halt. Handing the book to him, Lily stepped off the couch and peered outside the window to see the man currently pounding on the door.
"What's Graham doing here?"
With a sickening squish, Lilith yanked the heart out of the Black Knight and raised it to her lips.
"You will back away from Snow White, return to the Queen's castle, and tell no one we were here." She ordered flatly, watching as the man proceeded to do just that. Sighing with disgust, she pulled out a small, cloth sack and dropped the heart in it. "Are you okay?" Replacing the bag on her belt, she stepped forward and offered a hand to the downed princess.
"Y-yes. I-I think so." She stuttered out, still staring at Lilith with wide eyes, something the younger woman was all too familiar with.
Sighing, Lilith retracted her hand when Snow made no move to take it. "So, ready to cast me out of your company?"
"What?" Snow asked, sounding rather stunned at the other female's words. Shaking her head, the princess forced herself to her feet and, without thinking, reached out and gripped Lilith's arms. "No! No, of course not!"
Eying her dubiously while holding back the urge to flinch from her touch, Lilith raised an eyebrow. "You just saw me rip out a heart." She reminded Snow flatly.
Snow's eyes widened, though she continued to shake her head. "But that's... That's just who you are, Lilith." She pulled her hands from Lilith's shoulders to grasp her clenched hands. "You don't have to be afraid of who you are. Especially with us."
A humorless chuckle escaped Lilith's mouth.
"I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Hey, Sheriff." Henry answered once he'd opened the door to put an end to Graham's incessant knocking. "My mom's not here."
Graham shifted awkwardly, still looking very out of it. "Actually, uh, I'm here to see you, Henry. I was hoping you could help me."
Henry turned to share a long look with Lily, who shrugged.
"Help you with what?"
"It's about your book. Am I… " Graham began hesitantly. "In it?"
Eyes wide, Henry quickly motioned for Graham to come in before he sprinted up the stairs. Sighing at his actions, Lily began to follow at a more sedate pace, jerking her head at Graham to follow.
"Well, come on."
As all three settled onto Henry's bed, the book opened on said boy's lap, Henry began to speak. "When did your flashes begin?"
"Uh, right after I kissed Emma." Graham stuttered out awkwardly, though said awkwardness completely passed over Henry's excited head.
"You kissed my mom? What did you see?"
"A wolf." Graham answered immediately. "I saw that I had a knife in my hand and I was with Mary Margaret." He glanced at Lily, pausing for several seconds. "And this morning... When Lillian touched my arm I saw her and I... Fighting."
Henry, after sending Lily a dirty look, eyed Graham curiously. "Were you about to hurt her?"
"Yes! How do you know that?"
"Because Mary Margaret is Snow White." Henry answered as if it was the simplest explanation. "Which makes you the Huntsman."
Lily watched Graham closely, smirking inwardly when little to no doubt showed on his face. The idea that yet another person could remember excited her far more than it should.
"So, you really think that I could be another person." It came out as more of a statement.
Henry nodded rapidly. "Makes total sense. You were raised by wolves – that's why you keep seeing one." He explained as Graham listened intently. "It's your friend – your guide. It's trying to help you."
"I'm remembering this because I kissed your mother?" Graham asked, doubt steadily creeping back into his voice. "H-How is that possible?"
"Well, you two do have a special connection. She owes you her life."
"Why?"
"Snow White's her mother and you spared her." Henry sent him a smile. "If you hadn't, my mom wouldn't have been born."
Graham blinked in shock before he attempted to refocus the conversation. "Wh-What happened after I spared Snow White?"
"The Queen took your heart." Lily spoke up softly, sending Graham a sad smile when he turned his attention to her. "She ripped it out... That's her specialty. She never wanted you to be able to feel again."
Graham's brow creased. "Let me see that book." He took the book and flipped through the pages, coming to a stop when he found an illustration. All three gazed at the image of the Evil Queen in front of a building that Lily recognized as Regina's vault. "What's that?" Graham asked, pointing at the vault. "I saw that, too. The wolf was howling at it."
"That's her vault."
"It's where she put your heart." Henry added.
Graham stood quickly from the bed. "The wolf wants me to find it." He turned to the two on the bed. "Thank you, Henry, Lillian."
Both frowning, Lily and Henry turned as Graham rushed from the room. She scrambled to the window, holding back a relieved sigh when she saw Emma in front of the house.
"Lillian, will he be okay?" Henry asked in a small voice, making Lily turn to face him.
Smiling fondly, she offered her arms and Henry rushed into them. "Yeah," she whispered, lightly stroking his hair. "Yeah, I think Graham's gonna be just fine."
Hours later, the loud slamming of a door made Lily and Henry jerk awake on the couch. Rising slowly, she helped Henry sit up before she slid out from under the pied cloak and wandered to the door.
"Regina?" She called, freezing when she caught sight of the mayor's tear-stained and miserable face. "Regina, what happened? Are you all right?"
By now, Henry had risen and joined his baby-sitter in the hallway to stare at his mother. "Mom... What is it?"
Regina heaved out a sigh-like sob before she raised her bloodshot eyes to meet their gazes. Lily felt her eyes widening before she reached out and drew Henry closer to her.
"Henry... Lillian. Graham is... Dead."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?