Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
So, again it's a really short chapter, which I apologize for. Anyway, hope you like it!
"Are you sure you're awake enough to walk him to school?" Regina fretted as she and Lily descended the stairs.
Once again, the dark-haired teen looked like she'd been hit by a truck. While Regina knew that Lillian had problems when she'd casted the Curse, it was obvious Emma Swan's presence was hitting the teen hard. She'd looked worst these past few weeks than she had the past twenty-eight years.
"I'm fine, Regina." Lily assured her, holding back the contradicting yawn. Sending the unconvinced mother a strained smile, she tried again. "Ruby gave me so much coffee my heart might be vibrating."
"Oh, so I only have to worry about you passing out from heart failure. That's comforting." Regina snarked as Lily opened the door.
Both fell deathly silent at the sight of Henry talking to the strange man on the motorcycle. Without waiting for Regina to react, Lily stepped out fo the house.
"Henry!" Covering the distance in long strides, Lily caught the tail end of the conversation.
"Looks like a storm's coming." The man offered before he put on his helmet. He eyed the dark-haired teen behind Henry before he drove off. It looked like Regina had drastically altered the Dark Lilith.
As Lily wrapped an arm around Henry, Regina caught up to them.
"Henry, who was that?"
He shrugged, leaving all three to stare after the stranger in different stages of bemusement.
"Come on," Lily urged after several heartbeats of silence. "We gotta get you to school before it storms."
"Oh, that reminds me." Regina called after them as the duo began to walk away. "Lillian, I need you to be ready to get Henry from school at a moment's notice!"
Lily waved a hand to acknowledge the mayor. "Got it!"
"Do you know who he is?" Henry asked once they were far enough away from his mother. "That man?"
"No, I have no idea." Lily assured him, wincing when the wind picked up. "I remember everyone else... Well, mostly." She amended at his incredulously look. "A couple of people are still fuzzy, but I have no recollection of him."
Henry fell silent, a thoughtful expression on his face. The idea that someone else could come into Storybrooke was terrifying and exciting all at once. It could mean the Curse was weakening.
With a wide smile up at his miserable babysitter, Henry raced off into the school as another violent gust of wind kicked up. Tugging the collar of her coat higher up her neck, Lily turned with a sigh. Getting any kind of sleep seemed like it was out of her visible future.
Sleep seemed like a safe option to most people, though most people weren't tormented nightly. While she knew that Peter wasn't actually in her dreams, hearing his voice... touching him... Was all like acid being sprayed against her skin when she woke up. Pain entered her heart again, making her wish for the ignorance she'd had while Cursed.
Then again, ignorance is bliss. She forced herself to smile at Ruby when she entered the diner, making a beeline for Emma and Mary Margaret.
"Love's the worst. I wish there was a magical cure."
"So, who is he?" Snow asked, delighting when Lilith uncharacteristically stumbled. To be fair, they were wearing dresses, something the sorceress despised quite loudly. In preparation for the wedding and subsequent ball afterwards, Snow had insisted on etiquette lessons for several of her guests. Though, she'd found out quite soon that Lilith knew her way around a dinner table and dance floor.
Wide-eyed, the dark-haired teen blinked at the princess. "Who is who?"
"The man making you sigh so much." Snow frowned when all the blood proceeded to drain out of Lilith's face. "Lilith, if this is too-"
"No. No, i-it's okay." She promised, looking down at the lace overlay that covered her skirt. "I... You know that I went missing for a while, right?"
Snow nodded. The entire realm had known that, since Rumpelstiltskin had nearly ripped the land apart searching for his student.
"I recall that, yes." Lilith winced at the sarcasm laden tone.
"Yes, well, bypassing Rumple's... Ahem, dedication, I was somewhere where I met... Someone." Aware that her face was on fire, Lilith looked down. Thick, dark waves of hair covered her flushed cheeks as Snow's smile warmed.
"What was he like? What did he do?" She fired off rapidly, instantly curious to know about the elusive girl in front of her. Gripping Lilith's arm, she led them over to a nearby bench. Once seated, the sorceress began to speak in halting words.
"He... He was the leader of a group on an island. A group of orphans." Lilith stuttered out, not sure how well Peter Pan would be received by these people. "He helped take care of them."
"Well," Snow looked to the entrance of the ballroom and smiled when Charming walked in. "He sounds like a rather charitable soul." With that, the princess flounced off to her fiancé.
Lilith couldn't hold back the fond smile that rose to her lips at Snow's terminology.
"You don't know the half of it."
"Hey, where are you going?" Lily asked when Henry tried to lead them away from town.
"To the castle... Why?" He punctuated his response with a tilt of his head. "What is it?"
Lily raised a hand towards the rapidly greying sky. "Umm... The storm?" She asked, eyebrow raised. "Your mother, both of them actually, pretty much threatened to skin me if I didn't get you home after school."
On cue, Henry's lips twisted into a pout. Unswayed by his pleading expression, Lily wrapped an arm around his shoulders and steered him towards his house.
"Come on, we'll make hot cocoa."
"Will you stay again tonight?"
At his hopeful, pleading expression, Lily found herself nodding. The fact that she was unable to deny Henry anything was a phenomenon she'd only encountered once before. After dropping him off at his house, she quickly headed towards Granny's to pack an overnight bag.
The sight of Emma and Regina chatting on the street gave her pause. Eyebrow now in danger of disappearing in her hairline, Lily stalked towards the two women.
Regina noticed her first. "Ah, Lillian. Please, tell Sheriff Swan about what we saw this morning in front of my house."
Staring at Regina like she'd lost her marbles, Lily blinked when she realized what the expectant woman meant. "Oh! You mean motorcycle, leather guy." At their matching incredulous looks, she sighed. "The guy that drove into town last night on the motorcycle."
"The one I directed towards Granny's?" Emma asked, leaning over the trunk of her car. "What's the big deal, who is he?" She directed the question at both of them, though only Regina responded verbally.
"I don't know. I asked around, but no one seems to know anything." The mayor looked down with a frown. "There's something about him. Something familiar."
"He must be one of the untold millions you cursed." Emma offered dryly.
"What?" Regina demanded in surprise.
"Oh, you know. The curse." Emma wilted slightly underneath the dark-haired woman's stare. "Henry's whole thing."
"Sheriff, I need you to find out who he is, what he wants and what he's doing here."
"You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke." Emma pointed out.
"This isn't about the law, Miss Swan. You're going to do this because I asked you to. And because you'll see it's the right thing to do."
"And why is that?"
"Because, when he was in front of Regina's house, he was taking a particular interest in the one thing you both care about – Henry." Lily stated calmly, watching as Emma's eyes widened.
"I'll look into him."
Lilith groaned when the sound of crying continued. The constant cheering and whooping she could deal with; It happened every night. Crying, however, was rarely heard and it was annoying her.
Sitting up in her hammock, she whisked herself down onto the campsite. The sight of dancing, playing boys was normal and she looked around. A smaller boy, surrounded by several others, was the source of the crying.
Ignoring Pan's eyes that had become centered on her the moment she entered the campsite, she stalked forward.
"Any reason he's crying his eyes out?" She asked, arms crossed as they all turned to her.
"Well... " The closest boy drawled out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We were playing knives and... Well... " He stepped aside, allowing her to see the little boy cradling his nearly severed fingers.
With a sigh, she stepped into the circle, which parted, and dropped to her knees. "Give it here."
Wide, teary eyes looked up at her. "I-it hurts!" He wailed, making her hiss in annoyance.
"Of course it does." She snapped flatly. "Your fingers are practically hacked off." She offered her hand again. "Come here."
The boy did as asked, placing his bleeding hand in her own. She raised her other, already glowing hand when his request stopped her dead.
"W-will you sing to me?"
"Will I what?" She hissed out.
"S-sing... My mama used to, when I was hurt... Before she died..." He trailed off, watching as Tiger Lily's eyes glazed over slightly.
Shaking to rid herself of the unwanted memories, she refocused on the still crying boy. With a gentleness that surprised everyone, including herself, she began to hum softly.
Her hand began to glow gold again as she placed it over his. Continuing to hum, she raised her eyes and smiled at the stunned boy.
The low, hushed song barely carried past the circle, but one boy heard it perfectly. Peter stared at her from his stump, eyes wide in surprise. Standing to his feet, he made it to the group in time to see Lilith finish healing the lost boy's fingers before she stood.
Suddenly conscious of all the eyes, Lilith raised her hood and turned. She went still at the sight of Peter before her and raised her wide eyes to meet his pleased gaze. He raised his hand and cradled her pale cheek.
Before he could get a word out, she waved her hands, taking herself back to her tree house. Peter stared at his hand before he flexed it and turned to look up at the tree house she'd hidden in for the night.
"All in good time, love."
"So, why did the fairies take Maia?" Henry asked as he wandered over to Lily. The teen was curled underneath the pied cloak and greedily reached for the hot cocoa he carried.
"Please don't spill that on the couches!" Regina called from the kitchen, smiling when she received a chorus of 'no promises' from the two.
"Well... She had a magical gift." Lily offered quietly, cradling the heated cup between her fingers. "She could heal people. Sadly, it brought attention that she'd rather have not had. The fairy that kidnapped her - The male one, his 'mother' was the Black fairy." At Henry's blank look, she sighed. "The Black Fairy was the darkest of all fairies - rather powerful too. The Blue Fairy exiled her a long time ago and took her wand. Now, before that happened, she managed to do something once thought impossible - create a male fairy."
"Why isn't he mentioned in the book?" He asked curiously, having seen no mention of this creature before.
"Because he wasn't around long enough for everyone to notice." Henry blinked in confusion at her ominous tone. "Soon after Maia escaped, the Blue fairy finally decided to intervene. It was then that she destroyed the male fairy and exiled the Black fairy - but not before he was able to curse Maia for her 'betrayal'."
"He cursed her? How?"
"He made it so she... Let's just say that it's a rather unpleasant way to die." Lily evaded the question, well aware that Henry's outlook on magic was rather bright. The darker aspect of magic that she was intimately familiar with was what she wanted to keep him far away from. The spell used on her mother had ended up rotting her from the inside out, playing on the macabre side of fairy magic.
The reminder of who had told her this piece of info sent another spasm of pain through her chest. When Peter had revealed to her all he knew, she hadn't reacted well to the knowledge. Resisting the urge to clutch at the bleeding, pulsing organ, Lily instead tried to refocus on Henry.
"Okay... But, what does this have to do with your mother?" He finally asked, hoping she wouldn't close herself off again.
"She... She knew Maia." Lily whispered, her grip on the cloak tightening. "They were... Close... A long time ago."
"How does a spring wedding sound, dearest?"
Katerina looked up, keeping her face free of any emotion. "That sounds wonderful, Cornelius." The male fairy smiled, sending a shiver of disgust through her. It took all of her will to hold her composure, to not give him any inkling that she was unhappy. Being hit enough times told her that he was mercurial in his mood swings and it was best to keep him happy.
With a happy sigh, the male fairy drew her pliable body into his embrace. Unaware of her true feelings, he kissed her quickly before flitting off and leaving her alone. The moment he was gone, she frantically wiped at her lips as a scream issued from her throat. So lost in herself, she failed to notice when the other woman entered the small room.
"You'll have to watch that, my dear." The Black Fairy advised as she walked forward, though to Katerina it looked more like gliding. "Even here, even when it's just us."
"Then help me." Katerina begged, though not for the first time.
As always, the Black Fairy denied her. "He is my child - the only one I shall ever have. He is my greatest creation and I shall deny him nothing... Even a mortal bride." She eyed the teenager critically. "Though my son has been searching for ways to transform you into one of us."
"I will never be one of you!" Katerina swore angrily, bring her silk-clad arms down in an angry slash. "You and your... Son! Are monsters!"
"And did people not say the same as you?" The Black fairy asked quietly, watching as the fourteen-year old in front of her stiffened. "Did they not claim the girl - one that could anyone with a single touch - was a freak of nature as well?"
Katerina remained silent. Only the pain and hate glinting in her eyes gave away her feelings on the matter. The luminous, aquamarine hue that had helped ensnare her son now made the Black Fairy smile in amusement.
"As I've said before, little flower," she reached forward, lightly gripping Katerina's chin in a steel-like grip. "You will belong here, whether you like it or not."
"Henry, do you know if Lillian is feeling alright?" Regina asked curiously as the teen walked away from their house. After staying the night, the teen had begged for the morning off to attempt to get some sleep. "She hasn't been getting enough rest lately."
"It's just... Stress!" At his mother's disbelieving look, Henry began to not rapidly. "Yeah! Gold's giving her more responsibility at the shop and she's worried she won't do it like he wants!"
Regina hummed in agreement, watching the hunched over shoulders of the girl suspiciously. The last thing she needed was an awake Lilith, especially since the Savior was in town.
Lily shivered, unaware of the path Regina's thoughts had taken. Despite the time she'd spent sleeping the night before, she felt like she'd laid awake the whole time. Making her way to Granny's she sighed with relief once she was in the warm diner.
"Lillian!" Ruby darted around the counter and nearly pounced on her sleep-deprived friend. "Where the heck have you been?!"
Smothering a rather large yawn, Lily sent her friend a resigned smile. "I'm almost positive I texted you that I'd be at Henry's."
Rolling her eyes, Ruby led the dark-haired girl to the bar before pouring her a large mug of coffee. As they made small talk about the storm and the damage it caused, Lily looked up when David entered the diner.
"Hey, Lillian." She greeted with a smile, earning a small on in return. "How are you?" Mary Margaret asked as Ruby handed her her coffee.
"Uh, tired. Would be the best description," she got out before the bell rang again. Lily glanced around Mary Margaret to see a flustered David at the door. "Hey, David." She called, watching the expressions flash across Mary Margaret's face before she turned.
The man immediately turned and left the diner, Mary Margaret hot on his heels. Lily turned to Ruby, silently raising an eyebrow as she awaited an explanation.
"Oh, Mary Margaret's been coming in here every morning at 7:15 to see David... And he's been doing the same to see her." The waitress offered airily, examining her nails idly. "Honestly, it was cute at first, now it's a little sad."
"It's 7:45 though." Lily pointed out, turning to catch a glimpse of the couple from her seat.
"Again, it's a little sad."
Nodding distractedly, Lily stood and left the diner, freezing when she caught sight of the passionate embrace in the middle of the street. That, however, wasn't what made her blood run cold.
The sight of Regina's face across the street was enough to make even Lily cringe in fear.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?