Love [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #4]

38 - Lily

The Coffee Mug Diner...

Emma and Alana walked out of the diner and they walked over to Starla.

"Hey. Starla," Emma said.

Starla looked at them, "Is something wrong? Did I bring you two decaf by mistake? I'm so sorry. I always get the pots mixed up," Starla said.

"Starla isn't your name, is it? Lily," Alana said.

"How do you know that?" Lily asked.

Alana pointed to Lily's wrist, "This mark. You showed it to us a long time ago outside crappy cub food in Hopkins, Minnesota," Alana said.

"Emma? Alana?" Lily said.

"We thought you were dead. What the hell happened to you?" Alana asked.

"I... Got into trouble, uh... With some bad people a couple years ago, and I needed a fresh start. But I've been careful. How did you find me?" Lily said.

"We..." Alana said.

"Fate," Emma said.

"What?" Lily said.

"I know this is gonna sound crazy, but remember when we were kids, you used to say then we were connected? Like something was drawing us together?" Emma said.

"Yeah, that's something teenage girls say, and then you braid each other's hair and become BFFs," Lily said.

"You didn't seem like the girl who'd braid her hair," Emma said.

"What if you were right? What if... 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... Ours?" Alana said.

"You're right... That sounds crazy... You both still mindreading each other?" Lily said.

"Now that sounds crazy," Emma said.

"It's complicated, but we can explain it if you come with us. I just need you to trust us," Alana said.

"Look, I don't know what kind of 12-step program you're in," Alana rolled her eyes, "But I've moved on. I'm fine," Lily said.

"You're living in the middle of nowhere under an assumed name. We can help you," Emma said.

"I don't need your help. And my life is great, thank you very much. I have an awesome daughter and a loving husband. The last thing I need is you two to come into my life and just blow it apart again, so..." A school bus pulled up and Lily glanced at it, "If you'll both excuse me, that's my daughter's bus," LIly said.

"I...I'm sorry... For... Everything," Alana said.

"Me too," Emma said.

"You two don't need to apologise. We were kids. To be honest, I haven't even thought about you two in years," Lily said.

"Yeah?" The twins said.

"Yeah," Lily said as she walked over to a little girl who had got off the bus.

Regina walked up to the twins, "Tire's being fixed," She looked at Lily, "So it was her. Well, girls, looks like you two didn't ruin her life after all," Regina said as they watched Lily.

Lily was kneeling in front of the little girl she claimed was her daughter, "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. But you have to decide now," Lily said.

The little girl thought about it then smiled with a nod, she took Lily's hand and the two of them walked away.

Storybrooke...