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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
MOTHER
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TERESA ROUNDED THE CORNER WITH HENRY BESIDE HER, AND SNOW, DAVID AND HOOK RIGHT BEHIND THEM. A grin pulled onto Henry's face as Emma's car pulled to a stop along the side of the road. Immediately the blonde saviour jumped out other bright yellow car to envelope her son in a tight hug. Teresa smiled as the mother and son shared an embrace, but then a frown soon replaced it as thoughts and images of her mother played on a loop in her mind.

Henry stepped away and moved over to the next car to hug Regina, while Emma was next pulled into Hook's eager arms.

After the loving pirate and saviour pulled away from each other, Snow stepped toward Emma, who was quick to reject her.

Teresa frowned and looked at Snow, who's face flashed with a hurt expression. She wrapped her arm around Snow's and gave her friend a reassuring smile. "She'll come around, Snow. You have to give her some time."

Snow didn't reply.

Emma opened the passenger door of her car, and out stepped a brunette woman. Teresa assumed she was Lily by the sharp dagger-like glare she gave both Snow and David on her way past them.

Emma pulled Lily to a stop before the glossy-eyed Maleficent. "Maleficent...this is Lily. This is your daughter."

➳

After watching Maleficent and Lily's reunion, Teresa had left for Snow and David's apartment. She had seen enough mother and child reunions for the day, all they brought her were stabs to the heart. She laid on the couch in Snow and David's apartment, waiting for them to get back, with silent tears streaming down her face.

It wasn't long before the door opened and Snow and David entered with baby Neal. Teresa was quick to wipe away her tears before they could see them, but Snow knew her friend and assumed that her reason for leaving earlier was of her losing her nother. We assumption was correct.

Snow had seen her wipe away her tears, but looked away so Teresa would think she didn't. She knew Teresa didn't want to talk about, as it only caused her pain, so she wasn't going to ask if she was; she knew she wasn't. "So, Teresa, how about some lunch?"

"Sure."

"I'll make it, why don't you two sit down and pick a movie?" David offered as he placed baby Neal into his bassinet.

"That sounds lovely," Snow said with a smile. "Teresa, would you like to pick the movie?"

"I haven't seen very many movies so I think it would be better if you chose the movie, Snow," Teresa replied. Snow gave her a nod, and moved to the book shelf to choose a film.

While she did, there was a knock at the door. Teresa rose to her feet and walked over to the door, seeing as Snow and David were both busy. She pulled open the door and her eyebrows furrowed.

"I thought you would be with your daughter."

Upon hearing Teresa's words, Snow and David were immediately at Teresa's sides, and their eyes widened.

"Relax," Maleficent said. "I'm not here to kill you."

"Okay..."

"I just...I just want my daughter "

"Lily isn't with you?"

"She's leaving."

"And you think we can help." Snow gave her an immediate nod. "Come in."

As soon as Maleficent walked in, Snow closed the door behind her.

"You cast the second curse. Can you...is there a way for you to seal the borders the way Regina did?"

"I don't know how to do what you want," Snow replied. "But that wouldn't be the right way, anyway. If she's upset, you have to get to the heart of what's wrong."

"I don't know what's wrong. I don't know her."

"Well, she's acting a lot like Emma did when she first came here. She had these...her walls were always up."

"She was afraid that if she opened herself up to me, I would let her down like everyone else had," Snow continued for her husband "And...ultimately, I did."

"If you have any way to help...you didn't give her back to me then, but please, if you can help, do it now." Maleficent's voice cracked, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.

Snow didn't hestaiate to nod. "Yes. Come on, let's find her."

➳

In David's car, Teresa was sqaushed between Snow and Maleficent, practically sitting on their laps, as David safely drove down the road toward the town line. They were going to try and get to Lily before she would cross over the town line and disappear from her mother's life forever.

Suddenly, a large roar could be heard from behind them. Teresa's eyebrows knitted together. "What the hell was that?" she asked to no one in particular.

All of sudden, a large dragon flew down and blocked their path. David screeched to a stop, causing Teresa to grip onto the dashboard. She stared wide-eyed at the dragon.

"Lily?" Maleficent gasped.

The dragon — Lily — turned and let out a roar at them before flying away.

➳

"It headed this way," David said as they wandered through the woods in search of Lily.

Teresa threw David a look. "It is a girl, and her name is Lily, if you haven't forgotten."

"Thank you," Maleficent said. "I'm worried. You need to be taught to fly, and she was way too low. If one wing tip hit a tree, she could be badly hurt."

"And maybe hurt a lot of people around you, too," David muttered.

"David," Snow said in a warning tone.

They came out of the tree line and Maleficent smiled in relief as they came amongst Lily, who was still in dragon form. She laid in the center of a clearing, letting out growls.

"Oh, she...she looks like me." With loving eyes, Maleficent began to approach her daughter.

"Be careful," Snow warned.

"She's my daughter."

The blonde's walk turned into an eager jog as she made her way toward her daughter. Snow then suddenly ran after her, which caused Lily to rise and let out a series of roars,  alarming both Teresa and David.

"Mary Margaret, no!" David and Teresa ran after her.

"Snow!" Teresa shouted, her heart pounding as fear for her friend coursed through her veins.

"Stop! She's out of control!" David shouted.

Snow came to a stop nearby Lily, who continued to let out a series of roars. She then flung her tail, and Snow soared through the air, landing harshly on a rock.

Teresa's heart kept into her throat and her eyes widened. "Snow!"

"No!" David went to run toward his now unconcious and bleeding wife, but Lily roared fire, blocking their path and causing Teresa and David to come to an abrupt hault.

Lily then flew away.

Teresa threw her hand out and put out the flames around Snow with her ice magic. Her and David bolted to her side.

David cupped her face within his hands. "Mary Maragret? Mary Margaret, please, open your eyes."

Teresa gently leaned over Snow's face and frowned at the sight of her blood that spilled down her forehead. "That gash looks deep."

"Help me get her up against the rock." Teresa have him a nod and gently lifted the right side of Snow as David did her left. They gently placed her up against the rock, where David then pulled out Snow's handkerchief from her inner jacket pocket.

After a few moments, Snow flinched awake as David patted it against her bleeding forehead.

"Mom?!"

Teresa turned away from Snow as Emma and Hook jogged towards them. After having seen Lily in her dragon form, David had called Emma to inform her to keep an eye open. Seeing that she was here, she must have spotted Lily fly to the clearing.

"She hit her head hard," Teresa explained.

Snow went to sit up, but Emma, who was no knelt beside her, gently pushed her back down. "No, stay still." With a wave of her hand, Emma's magic partially healed her mother's would. "It's gonna take time to heal inside."

Snow stared up at her daughter with guilt swimming in her blye eyes. "I'm sorry I let you down again."

"You didn't."

"No, I was selfish."

"Yes, you were," Emma agreed. "But at some point this has to stop."

"Emma," Snow sighed. "I'm not ever going to stop trying to protect you, not ever. I don't care what you do or say."

Emma gave her a smile. "I know. I need to stop punishing you."

"You do?"

From next to Emma, Teresa smiled. She was happy Emma was finally going to forgive Snow, she could see how much all the guilt was eating up at her friend and she didn't like it one bit.

"You're a hero," Emma voiced. "If it happened at my expense, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the good person you became, and it doesn't change what you are."

"Which is what?"

Emma paused, a tearful smile pulling onto her face. "My mom. You wanted to make me proud, so you li — omitted the truth, which was kind of self-defeating, but human. Cutting you out and trying to hurt you has just made me miserable...anyway, I miss you and I forgive you."

Snow's heart soared and she lurched forward, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug, causing Teresa to smile.