Emma headed toward the diner, while Regina tried to find a tire at the gas station.
"Hey," Emma said to the waitress as she walked in.
"Hey."
"Two cups of coffee and a pack of Advil," Emma said, sitting in the wooden chair that squeaked as she pulled it out from under the table. "Make it two packs." She sighed, looking at the floor as her head was spinning.
"Tough day?" The waitress asked as she walked over with two cups and poured the coffee from a fresh pot.
"You don't know the half of it." Emma sighed, feeling a pit in her stomach.
"I will leave the pot here then." The waitress said as Emma's eyes fixated on the mark on the woman's wrist.
It was a star birthmark.
She looked at the girl. She had some similar features to Lily, but she saw the name tag, "Starla." And Lily had died. Her mind was just playing tricks on her.
"I'll be right back with your Advil." 'Starla' said, walking away.
"Car's being towed in."
Regina walked in, sitting across from Emma who had her mouth opened a bit and looked like she had just seen a ghost. Regina furrowed her brows as Emma stayed quiet.
"What's wrong? See another wolf?"
"It's... It's her." She stuttered at first.
Emma noticed that 'Starla' had not returned, so she walked to the side door and saw her sitting outside. Emma glanced at her reflection from the dirty window on the door and took a deep breath. She tossed her now empty cup of coffee in the nearby trashcan.
"Hey, Starla," Emma said, getting the waitress's attention as she stood up.
"Was something wrong? Did I bring you decaf by mistake? I'm so sorry. I always get the pots mixed up..." She began to ask.
"Starla isn't your name, is it?" Emma asked, watching her face fall a bit. "Lily..." She said, softly.
"How do you know that?"
Emma moved to grab her arm to show the birthmark. "This mark. You showed it to me a long time ago, outside a crappy Cub Foods in Hopkins, Minnesota." Emma explained as Lily's confused face turn to realization and slight irritation.
"Emma?"
"I thought you were dead. What happened to you?"
"I got into trouble, uh, with some bad people..." She sighed, looking ashamed. "...couple years ago, and I needed a fresh start, but I've been careful. How did you find me?" She asked, looking confused again.
"Fate..." Emma said, unsure what to say.
"What?" Lily furrowed her brows.
"I know this is gonna sound crazy, but remember when we were kids, you used to say that you and I were connected? Like something was drawing us together?" Emma sighed, trying to explain herself without immediately explaining about the whole fairytale thing.
"Yeah, that's something teenage girls say, and then you braid each other's hair and become BFFs." Lily shrugged, looking very confused.
"What if you were right? What if..." Emma began to ask, sighing to herself. "...there's a reason your life has been on a downswing ever since we met? That all your problems are not your fault, they're mine?" She continued to ask.
"You're right. That sounds crazy."
"It's complicated, but I can explain it if you come with me. I just need you to trust me..." Emma tried to say.
"Look, I don't know what kind of 12-step program you're in, but I've moved on. I'm fine." Lily said, turning to walk away.
"You're living in the middle of nowhere under an assumed name." Emma began to say, following Lily. "I can help you!" She tried.
"I don't need your help." Lily smiled, turning to look at her. "And my life is great, thank you very much. I have an awesome daughter and a loving husband. Last thing I need is for you to come into my life and just blow it apart again, so..." She stopped, turning to see a bus stop at the gas station. "If you'll excuse me, that's my daughter's bus." Lily sighed, walking away from Emma who sighed.
"Uh, I'm sorry for everything." Emma tried to apologize.
"You don't need to apologize. We were kids. To be honest, I haven't thought about you in years." Lily shrugged it off with a slight scoff.
"Yeah?" Emma asked, looking confused and a little hurt.
"Yeah." Lily said, walking over to a little girl who was the last to get off the bus.
"Tire's being fixed." Regina said, walking over to Emma who watched Lily and the little girl. "So, it was her..." Regina said, moving to stand next to Emma, when Emma did not say anything. "Well, Emma, looks like you didn't ruin her life after all." Regina said as they watched her talk to the little girl.
Meanwhile, Lily walked up to the random little girl, kneeling down in front of her.
"You know me from the diner, right? Free burgers for a week if you smile, take my hand, and walk around the block with me. You have to decide now." Lily asked the girl, who thought about it for a second, before she smiled, taking Lily's hand as they walked past the gas station.
But something did not sit right with Emma.
~season 4, episode 20: "Lily"~
~845 words~
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Villain or Hero? Part 2: Dark or Light:
Fanfiction***Fifth book in the Dream series*** ****Part 2 to Villain or Hero?**** Mr. Gold has been banished from Storybrooke by his precious wife, Belle. The last time we saw him, he was threatening the life of his daughter, Dream, and Captain Hook. He had H...
