Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
Glad you liked the last update! And, yes! Lily's mother is a Thumbelina character - I tweaked the story a bit though. I'm glad you seem to like the new twist.
Thank you for all who have at least chosen to read my story - especially those that leave reviews. It's so lovely getting feedback from you all!
Lily watched the sun rising over the water silently, shivering when the wind battered her small form. Another night of no sleep had seen her walking to the beach at four in the morning just to watch the sunrise.
The sight of it made her eyes burn and water. Pain rose up in her chest, making her idly wonder how much more she could take. It was one thing when she was Cursed... she didn't know what was wrong, even though she'd known she was missing something. But now... now it was a struggle just to push back the pain rising inside her.
"Lillian!"
She turned to see Henry clambering down the small hill towards her. Turning back to the surf, she raised her fist and scrubbing at her wet face. Once the tears she hadn't even been aware of were gone, she turned back to him.
"Hey, Henry." She greeted when he collapsed next to her. "How're you holding up?"
Henry didn't reply, sizing his baby-sitter - his sister - up quietly. Her bright blue eyes were bloodshot and her voice had a stuffy, almost nasal quality to it. He frowned at the thought of her crying, though couldn't think of a reason for it. Except... today was Valentine's day.
"Lillian... what happened to you during those thirty years?" He asked, watching as her shoulders stiffened.
Lily held back a rather obvious flinch in reaction to the question. Henry, despite his inquisitive nature, had never pressed her about the missing years in her story. That he would now...
She turned to face him, her wide eyes welling up with tears when she saw his understanding gaze.
"I know I'm just a kid but... whatever happened, you can tell me about it. I promise." He swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. "And why Valentine's Day bothers you so much."
"Henry..." She began softly, reaching out to pull him to her side. "If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone else? Not even Emma."
He nodded solemnly. "I promise."
She inhaled deeply before she turned back towards the water.
"I... I wanted to repay Rumpelstiltskin... and it led me to a place called Neverland."
Lilith sat up with a groan. She winced, pacing a hand on her sore head as she swallowed past the taste of blood in her mouth. Looking around, she frowned at her surroundings.
A warm, rather humid jungle sprawled around her and she slowly began to stand. As she looked around, the back of her neck prickled warily.
"How did you get here?" She turned to see a shadow with gleaming, yellow eyes hovering over her. It drifted closer, ignoring the fire that sprung to life in her palm. Suddenly, it stopped and stared at her silently.
"Where is 'here' exactly?" She demanded quietly.
A raspy chuckle came from the shape as it lazily flew around her. "It's about time you showed up." He chided, making the girl bristle.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, following it with her eyes. "And where the hell is here?"
"You're on Neverland."
That word. That word made her sight grow blurry and her head heavy. Both hands tangled in her hair as she struggled to remain upright, though the pounding in her head brought her to her knees.
'Neverland is where, I live. Maybe one day you will too.' A green-eyed boy promised her, smiling when she flung her arms around him.
"He will be so happy to see you." The shadow continued, ignoring her obvious distress. Truthfully, the Shadow was happy that she'd finally arrived. It would stop his master from pouting.
"W-who is he?" Lily managed to spit out through clenched teeth, raising her pained eyes to meet its gaze.
"Why don't I show you to him?"
The tone of its voice made her bristle warily. She forced herself to stand on weak knees and glared up at it.
"Perhaps you should bring him to me." The blue of her eyes gaze way to a deep red. She raised her hand and flung out the fire, only for it to pass harmlessly through the shadow. It silently enveloped her and made her world go black.
"You don't have a choice."
Lily entered the diner, smiling sadly at the sight of David and Mary Margaret sitting at adjacent tables. As she wandered over to them, she caught their conversation.
"Oh, you got the book." Mary Margaret began, sounding rather pleased with that fact.
David held the book up. "Yeah. Yeah, I just started it. It's great." He smiled at her. "Can't wait to see how it ends."
Lily reached the table the same time as Ruby, who caught sight of her friend's pale face.
"Lillian, honey, you okay?" The waitress asked as she refilled Mary Margaret's coffee.
The teen nodded, giving Ruby a wan smile as she rubbed at her sore, salt-stained face. "I'm good, Rubes." She glanced down at the not-couple gazing up at her and smiled. "You know, if you want, Ruby could push the tables together-"
"Oh, no. We're not together." Mary Margaret said the same time David sputtered out, "No!No, that's- "
Lily's smile widened, a bit of life coming to her ashen features. Ruby, seeing that her friend was fine, waltzed away as said friend sat next to Mary Margaret.
Both dark-haired women looked up when the door opened and smiled at Emma when she walked in.
"Hey, David." Emma greeted the man when she sat across from Mary Margaret.
David smiled at her. "Hey." He turned back to his book, giving the trio some semblance of privacy.
"Mary Margaret." Emma glanced at Lily, her eyebrow raising at the girl's face. "Lillian." She looked away with a sigh. "So," she began, attempting to sound nonchalant. "How's your day going?"
"Henry's fine." Lily answered calmly, silently pursuing the menu she'd seen for the past twenty-eight years.
Emma blanched. "That's not what I asked you." She paused, wincing at the knowing expression both women sent her. "...You sure?"
"Really – he's his normal self." Mary Margaret said with a small smile. "Regina won't keep you separated forever. When people are supposed to be together, they find a way."
Emma returned the expression weakly. "Yeah. So, he's his normal self? He's fine? He's happy?"
"Yes. No!" Mary Margaret backtracked when she caught sight of Emma's expression. "He misses you – a lot. Trust me – I'm with him, like, six hours a day."
Lily, who was only paying slight attention to the conversation, grinned when the door opened again. Ashley entered the diner, shared a hug with Granny before she passed off her daughter to the cooing woman. Seeing Lily, the mother made a beeline for the table.
"Six hours? You take newborns?" The blonde asked with a smile. "'Cause I'd love six hours off."
"Ashley!" Mary Margaret looked up at her, startled. "I didn't… I didn't even recognize you."
Ashley let out a chuckle as Lily rose to hug her friend. "Baby on the outside?" She teased as Lily pulled away and both seated themselves.
"How's it going?"
"It's, uh… It's, uh… I mean, baby's great, but we really haven't had time to do the whole getting married thing." Ashley said, not sounding very excited about the situation. "So, that's been rough. And Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery."
"Well, he has to work." Mary Margaret said sympathetically.
Ashley smiled up at Ruby when she brought her her coffee before she turned back to Mary Margaret. "On Valentine's Day? Yeah." She scoffed. "He couldn't get out of it."
"I'm sorry." Emma offered. "That sucks."
"It doesn't have to." Ruby began, gaining a gleam in her eye that Lily shivered at. Said gleam had always promised a makeover somewhere throughout the plan. "Come out with me. Let's have a girl's night. We can all go. Mary Margaret, Lillian – Emma, too. If you leave the badge at home." She smirked towards the blonde Sheriff.
"I'm not really in the party mood, but you guys can all go and have fun." Emma deflected the invitation, looking down when her phone began to vibrate.
Lily rolled her eyes before she and Ashley turned their attention towards Ruby and began to chatter about the 'girls' night out'.
"You have fire." Peter leaned back and licked his lips, pressing closer to Lilith as his eyes smoldered. "I like fire."
She stared at him, her expression guarded even as fire raced through her. Without a word, she pressed against his chest and shoved him from her. His expression didn't change, silently telling her magic had nothing to do with the distance between them. As the heat intensified, she grabbed at her heart with a soft moan of pain.
Falling to her knees, she gasped for breath as her lungs began to constrict. The cold, numb feeling she'd lived with for the past eight years was slowly burning away and she had one person to blame.
"Why am I here?" She demanded flatly, not reacting when he kneeled next to her.
He raised his hand, brushing his knuckles against her pale cheek as she glared up at him. Her expression was stoic, giving nothing away even as her eyes burned with anger and confusion. She didn't react even as his fingers stroked her taut jaw, though she obviously relaxed when he pulled his hand away.
"I once told you you belonged here," he began, ignoring the surprise that briefly flashed across her face. "And now I can see that I was right."
"Would you please tell me what you're bloody talking about!" She exploded, cold fury settling in her eyes. "We've never met before that night!"
"Yes," he argued hotly, suddenly right before her. "We have."
His hand raised and reached for her forehead. She jerked back, though he ignored it until his fingertips were touching her pale skin.
"And I'm going to make you remember."
"Gold?" Lily called, entering the house she seldom stayed in. She stopped short at the sight of Emma and her guardian standing several feet apart from each other. "Uh... you called?"
"Indeed, Lillian." He turned to an expectant looking Emma. "Sheriff Swan, you can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it. We've got it from here."
She frowned, not liking his tone. "No, you don't. This was a robbery – a public menace. And if you don't tell me what you know, I'll have to arrest you for obstruction of justice." She held back a smug smirk. "I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."
Gold shared a long look with Lily, who simply shrugged. Emma eyed them, confused as to why Gold seemed to be asking Lillian for permission.
Eventually, Gold sighed. "Indeed not. Alright, his name's Moe French. He sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral."
"Disagreement. Ha!" Lily snorted under her breath.
Emma's eyes narrowed, though she responded only to Gold. "Okay. I'll go get him – check him out."
"I'm sure you will – assuming I don't find him… Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people." He hissed out softly, holding back the malice filled sneer he could feel building up.
"Is that a threat?" Emma asked softly, almost in disbelief.
Lily and Gold shared another long look.
"Observation." The dark-haired teen finally offered calmly. She kept her face free of any expression, meeting Emma's stare. "Good luck."
"I remember meeting you in that clearing with Rumple." She offered shortly, anger renewing its grip on her. "Before that, I didn't even know a person name 'Peter Pan' existed."
He continued to stare, giving no indication he'd heard her. Without a word, she stood and spun on her hell, stalking through the woods. She got maybe five feet before a hand rapidly spun her around.
Both panted angrily as they stared up at each other, green clashing with blue. Without a word, Peter's hand snapped forward, grasping the chain of her necklace and yanking it from under her blouse. She barely held back a yelp of shock, her eyes widening when he reverently touched the small acorn charm.
"I made you this." He whispered furiously, his breath stirring the hair that hung over her eyes. "And it has very special properties." Before she could snap, he raised the charm to his lips and brushed them over the silver object.
Between one second and the next, Lilith was on the ground, clutching her head. Pain assaulted her from all sides until her head felt as if it would burst. Memory upon memory slammed into her consciousness. All of the boy standing above her. Visions of her as a child running into his arms, kissing his cheek, smiling happily at him went on and on until she collapsed onto the dirt.
Wide-eyed, she could only stare up at him as her breath left her lips in harsh pants. With a softening expression, Peter crouched down next to her and gently brushed his fingers down her jaw once more.
"Still believe we've never met, love?"
With a sigh, Lily adjusted the white-collar of her black, illusion dress. Ruby smacked her hands away, ignoring her friend's annoyed yelp.
"Quit messing with it! It looks fine!" She continued pinning up Lily's curls, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth in concentration. "Why do you have so much hair?"
Lily rolled her eyes at the demanding tone. "Good genetics." She mumbled, yelping once again when a bobby pin scraped her scalp. "Hey! Watch it!"
Ruby chuckled in a devious manner, sending a red-painted smirk to her the younger girl. Lily, thankfully, hadn't put up too much of a fight with her decisions on the dress, make-up and hair, though that didn't mean she let it happen quietly.
"Quit being such a baby." Ruby chided as she slid the last pin into place. "Besides, I'm done!" She announced, pulling from the vanity as Lily turned her head, examining the up-do from all angles. "It was nice go Gold to let us get ready here."
"Well it is technically my house too." Lily reminded her just as the bathroom door opened.
Both dark-haired women turned to see Ashley stepping out of the adjoining room. The blonde stopped when she felt their gazes and smiled sheepishly at their surprised gazes.
"Yes?"
Ruby let out a low whistle in response while Lily smirked. "Damn, Ash. Wanna tell us how you lost all that pregnancy weight so fast?"
Ashley surprised them by winking cheekily. "A lady never reveals her secrets." She teased as all three dissolved into laughter. As Ashley fidgeted with her back, she turned her attention to Lily as the younger girl tugged on the hem of her dress. "So, where is Gold tonight?"
Lily shrugged, expression bored. "No idea." She lied through her teeth, inwardly wincing when Ashley nodded and looked away. Gold was, more than likely, currently in the process of dismembering Moe French for daring to touch what was precious to him.
All this for a chipped cup.
Peter looked up, frowning when he caught sight of Lilith and Baelfire seated as far from the fire as possible. Ever since their latest failed escape attempt, both had withdrawn from everyone but each other. Not that he blamed them - they shared a common goal and past. But he would relish the day Lilith in particular realized that there was no escaping Neverland.
Or him.
Lilith felt her senses prickle as she felt Peter's gaze burning the side of he face. She ignored him in favor of gently humming for Bae. He curled closer to her in response, his head resting on her shoulder. As her humming died down, Bae shifted so his dark eyes were focused on her face.
"Does that song have words?" He asked innocently while she did all she could to stop from stiffening.
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded once. His head tilted curiously, though he sensed that pressing wouldn't be a good idea right now. With a sigh, his head fell back onto her shoulder and he soon drifted off.
The moment his breathing evened out, Lilith gently pulled Bae's limp body off her. She settled her cloak beneath his head before she left him asleep on the ground. Scowling darkly, she stood and stalked into the jungle, widely ignoring the curious glances of the sentries. As the leaves and twigs crunched underneath her boots, she could feel his presence - like dark heat - on the edge of her senses.
"You can come out," she called, keeping her eyes ahead. "Instead of trying to stalk me through the trees."
"You know me, love." He reappeared to ahead of her just to the left, leaning on a tree. "I so prefer action to words."
She huffed under her breath darkly. Without a word, she stopped in front of him and met his gaze. Smoothly, he pulled from the tree and raised his hands to cup her pale jaw line.
Other than a soft hitch of breath, Lilith showed no other outward reaction. Inside, however, she was a mess. Ever since she'd regained her humanity and her memories of the boy before her, something had been different. In his presence where she'd once only felt cold anger, an odd kind of heat had begun to grow inside her.
Especially when he looked at her like that.
A smirk crawled up his cheek seconds before he leaned forward, his forehead resting against hers. "Something wrong, love?" He whispered, hands drifting from her shoulders. His fingertips trailed down her neck, forcing her to hold back a shiver. Her face remained expressionless, even as his face neared hers.
However, both of them could feel the frantic thumping of her heart under her chest. Swallowing past the growing lump in her throat, Lilith opened her mouth as his green gaze seared into hers.
"Peter-" A startled gasp escaped her lips when his lower lip brushed against her top one. His eyes never left hers even as his lips continued to hover frighteningly close to her own. Her heart jumped in her throat as her pulse began to pound loudly in her own ears. Her lips parted again, only for him to cut off any sounds she tried to make.
He kissed her. Gently at first, but with a growing passion. It wasn't like the soft, chaste kiss he'd given her the night she'd arrived on Neverland. No, this one was hard, hungry and terrifying. The heat that had been growing inside her engulfed her in an inferno and she found herself responding even as her heart suddenly lurched deep inside her.
Peter's hand rose from her shoulders, cupping her cheep as he deepened the kiss. His other hand fell to her lower back, where he splayed it and pressed her closer. Her own hands raised, lacing through his thick, tangled hair. Lost in the haze as heat began to pump sluggishly through her veins, she barely noticed when she parted her lips and released a breathy moan. However, when his tongue gently ran across her lower lip, all sanity returned to her - slamming into her with the force of a boulder.
With a gasp, she jerked away from him and was halfway across the clearing before he could blink. Her shaking hand rose, trembling fingers brushing over swollen and bruised lips. Her glazed over eyes suddenly cleared. Fury - cold and comforting - settled in her chest and her eyes were suddenly red.
Chest heaving, Peter stared at her from across the clearing, something oddly triumphant in his darkened gaze. The sight of his expression made her fury increase even as it fueled the heat inside her.
"Don't!" She snapped loudly, the volume of her voice freezing him mid-step. "Don't!" Her voice softened to the usual level, though her eyes had hardened. "Stay away from me."
His eyebrow rose in disbelief. "And, why would I do that?" He breathed, taking a threatening step forward. "I've waited for you for to come for eight years. I've waited centuries for you!"
"I never asked for this!" She exploded, standing her ground even when he towered over her. Anger thrummed through her veins at the arrogant set of his face. "I didn't ask to be born or for you to have this - this obsession - with me!"
"It's not an obsession." He hissed back, his face like ice. She mirrored the expression, her eyes glowing red in the dim light of the jungle. "You are mine."
"I am no one's."
With that, she was gone from his presence, leaving him there to ponder what had just happened. As he raised a hand to his own swollen lips, a smirk began to crawl up his cheek.
No matter what she said, she hadn't resisted him.
Lily and Ruby both laughed when Ashley knocked back a shot before she dove for her beer. Mary Margaret watched, torn between amusement and concern
She settled for both and chuckled out, "Pace yourself, Ashley."
"I am!" Ashley proclaimed, slamming down her glass. "This is the first night out since I've had the baby – I am making up for lost time." She reached for another shot as Lily calmly sipped her own drink.
Ruby suddenly perked up, eyes filling with delight. "Ooh, Ash, Lils – check out those guys." All eyes followed her finger, pointed at several guys hovering at the bar.
"Oh, honey, I'm still with Sean." Ashley chuckled out as Lily shrugged disinterestedly.
Ruby's brow rose. "You're not married, and he's not here."
"He's working." Ashley defended.
Ruby snorted. "He's always working." She stood, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. "Have fun moping." She stalked off to the bar, smiling sultrily at the men.
As they watched Ruby flirt with the guys at the bar, Ashley sighed deeply.
"She's right – he is always working." She admitted softly as Lily drew a comforting arm around her. She sent lily a small smile before it twisted into a frown. "I thought love would be different."
"Me, too." Mary Margaret agreed.
Lily, however, remained silent, not that either woman thought much of it. To them, she was a seventeen year old girl that had never had a relationship with anyone that wasn't platonic. After several minutes, Mary Margaret got up, leaving Ashley and Lily alone.
"You know... seeing all these couples makes me glad I'm alone." Lily suddenly mused, examining her glass before she knocked back the shot. Ashley was saved from responding to the very random, very pessimistic statement when Mary Margaret came back.
"Girls' night's really working out for you." The teacher said, eying Ashley's drawn, unhappy face carefully.
Ashley looked down. "I thought it would make me feel better. But the truth is, I need a 'be with my guy night'. But he's never around, and I'm at home with the baby all day." Her lips twisted into a frown. "I mean, what's the point of being together if we're not together?"
"I get it. Loving someone you can't be with – " Mary Margaret began.
"Is a terrible, terrible burden." Lily finished quietly, twisting her necklace between her fingers.
Ashley suddenly stood. "You know, this was a bad idea. I should… I should go home."
She turned to leave seconds before Sean entered the bar. The blonde started in surprise at the sight of her boyfriend and the flowers he carried.
"Ashley?" Sean asked, the nervous lilt to his voice making Lily and Mary Margaret share a look.
"Sean?"
He smiled. "Hey."
"I thought that you were working tonight?"
"I am – it's my break." He explained quickly as Lily smiled at them. "And I… I had to see you. And ask you something." He handed her the bouquet before he suddenly kneeled and pulled out a ring. Ashley gasped loudly, tears filling her eyes at the sight of it. "Will you marry me?" He asked, swallowing thickly when she didn't respond and stared at him in shock. "I only have a twenty-minute break, so, um, anytime now."
"Yes!" Ashley nearly shrieked, laughing when he smiled and stood. He slipped the ring on her finger and they kissed while Lily and Mary Margaret looked on with smiles.
"My truck's outside if you want to take a ride before I head back to work. It's not much of a date-"
Ashley interrupted him. "It's the best date."
He offered her his arm. "Then, your carriage awaits."
Lily sighed as the couple walked away, waving at Ashley when she turned to beam back at them happily. To Lily's surprise, Mary Margaret suddenly stood and, with am uttered goodbye, stalked from the bar.
Aware that she wouldn't have very much fun by herself and, with a quick glance behind her, surmised Ruby was busy. Sighing again, Lily stood, brushed off her skirt, and quickly left the bar.
As she walked into the street, she caught sight of Ashley and Sean in the truck. Turning her head, she frowned at the sight of Mary Margaret and David, but said nothing. They could figure out that mess themselves. As she stalked down the sidewalk, she glared down at her heels until a familiar presence washed over her.
She went completely stiff, only raising her eyes to see a familiar person standing in the middle of the road ahead of her. Wide-eyed, she remained in place as he slowly stalked forward. Her eyes shut at that and she raised her hand to rub at her head, silently trying to convince herself she was just drunk and seeing things.
That was until calloused, warm fingertips brushed against her arm. Startled blue eyes snapped open to see Peter's confused, green gaze searing into hers.
"Lily?' He whispered softly, brushing his knuckles against her jaw as they stared at each other in complete shock.
"Peter?" Her hand raised shakily, brushing against his pale cheek as tears sprang to her eyes. "A-are you really-" A startled gasp tore from her throat when her fingers suddenly slid through his previously firm flesh. Her other hand fell from her head and tried to touch him, only for it to fall through his shoulder too. "Peter!"
"Lily!" He scrambled, his fading hands passing uselessly though her body. Both watched each other in stunned shock as they faded from each others view. Holding back the tears clogging her throat, she barely reacted when her phone began to ring.
Numbly, she raised the object to her ear. "Hello?"
"Lillian?" Emma's voice came through the phone. "I need you to come down to the station - Gold's in prison."
"Okay." She whispered through numb lips, barely hearing Emma's concerned voice as her hand dropped from her ear. She waited for the pain to hit her and it didn't disappoint. However, a glimmer of hope began to flare in her chest and she raised a hand to brush away her tears. Steeling her spine, she turned and stalked towards the Station, wondering what the hell her guardian had done now.
Realms away on Neverland, Peter Pan dropped his hand to his side as Lily's wide-eyed body faded away. His hand, still tingling with warmth, clenched into a fist as his chest began to heave.
Spinning on his heel, he raised his voice loud enough for every lost boy to hear him.
"Wake up, boys!" He looked around the camp as it came alive, focusing on Felix's narrowed gaze. "We have a board to set."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?