𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔱

―

Lydia let out a sigh as she locked her apartment door, before quickly making her way downstairs, fiddling with her keys as she did.

"Hey." The blonde girl greeted Marie with a grin outside the building accepting the warm drink that was being held out to her, "Thank you."

"No problem." Marie told her as the pair made their way to school, "I know how you get when you don't have your morning tea. Which is odd, because normally people are like that with coffee."

Lydia shrugged, "Tea calms me. And besides, I've never really been a fan of coffee."

"I can not relate to that." Marie chuckled as she glanced around, pausing in her steps as she looked across the street.

Lydia glanced back when she realised her friend had stopped, "What?"

"The clock." Marie nodded to where she was looking.

"The clock?" Lydia repeated with furrowed brows, turning to follow Marie's gaze, her eyes widening, "It's moving?"

"It's moving." Marie nodded.

"That thing hasn't moved in years." Lydia muttered.

"Weird." Marie hummed, before the pair continued their walk to school.

"Perhaps Regina finally actually did her job." Lydia shrugged, "Actually fixing the town instead of trying to break down everyone in it."

"Doesn't she pay you to take care of her kid?" Marie mused.

"And that's why I said it quietly."

As they were passing the elementary school, Lydia nudged Marie as she pointed across the street, "That's Emma."

"Henry's birth mother?"

"Uhuh."

"I bet Regina's thrilled." Marie rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her coffee as Henry ran over to the pair - Emma rushing to follow him.

"It's all haze to them. Ask anyone anything. And you'll see." Henry called over his shoulder to Emma before they stopped in front of Lydia and Marie, "Lyds, Marie, what do either of you remember before coming here?" He asked them.

Marie scoffed with a soft smile, "There is no before we came here."

"Yeah, Hen." Lydia nodded, "We've lived in boring Storybrooke for as long as we can remember."

Henry turned back to Emma, smiling, "See."

Looking at the boy confused, Marie gestured between her and her friend, "We're gonna go now," She said before they picked up their pace in order to make in to the high school in time, "What was all that about?"

"I have no clue," Lydia sighed, running a hand through her hair, "And we probably don't want to know."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

―

Lydia sat on one of the picnic tables of the elementary school, her chin resting in her hand as she watched Mary Margaret teach her class.

"Water, synthesize-"

"Ahem." Regina interrupted as she walked up to the teacher, "May I speak with my son?"

"We're in the middle of a lesson. Is it important?" Mary Margaret asked.

Regina gritted her teeth, "Do you think I'd be here if it wasn't?"

The blonde girl watched the mother and son with curious eyes, before someone else sat next to her.

"Guess who's back in jail." Valeria smirked.

Lydia glanced over at her, "Do you not have anything better to do other than indulge yourself in town gossip?"

Valeria rolled her eyes, "Someone's cranky today. What's wrong? Did you not get your daily tea?"

"The fact you even know that about me is creepy." Lydia told her.

"Everyone knows you like tea." The brunette girl said as they watched Henry walked away from his mother.

"How did you know she's jail?" Lydia asked, eyeing her, "You knew before Henry."

"I'm the Mayor's new intern." Valeria said with a proud, smug smile, waving at the said woman, receiving one back.

"Of course you are," Lydia scoffed, "And I assume by 'intern' you mean lacky. Another piece on her chessboard."

Valeria rolled her eyes, "Like you're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please." Valeria scoffed with a chuckle, "You follow Gold around like his loyal dog. Following his every order."

Lydia clenched her jaw, "Yeah, well at least I didn't have to get Mommy and Daddy to get me the job of a puppet."

"At least being homeless wasn't the reason that I got the job." Valeria retorted with a smirk.

Lydia stared at her, "How'd you know about that?          "

Valeria shrugged smugly as she stood up, "I work in the Mayor's office. I have access to certain recourses that others don't."

Lydia could only watch as the girl walked away.

―

"Henry, stop running!" Lydia called after the boy as she and Mary Margaret followed him into the police station.

"Hey!" Henry grinned at Emma, who was in the process of getting booked.

"Henry!" Graham exclaimed in surprise, "Henry, what are you doing here?"

"His mother told him what happened." Mary Margaret explained.

"Of course she did." Emma rolled her eyes, "Henry, I don't know what she said-"

"You're a genius." Henry cut her off.

"What?"

"I know what you were up to. You were gathering intel for Operation Cobra." Henry grinned.

Lydia raised an eyebrow, arms crossed, "Operation what now?"

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost." Graham said.

Henry turned to the man, "It's need to know, Sheriff. And all you need to know is that Miss Blanchard's going to bail her out."

Emma looked at the woman in surprise, "You are? Why?"

"I, uh, trust you." Mary Margaret shrugged with a small smile.

Emma smirked, turning to Sheriff Graham with her cuffed hands held out towards him, "Well, if you can uncuff me, I have something to do."

Lydia leaned over Henry's shoulder, "Operation whaty what?"

Henry looked her in thought for a moment, "I'll tell you when you babysit me tonight."

―

Lydia rubbed her forehead, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion,  "So everyone in this town is actually a fairy tale character?"

"Yep." Henry nodded with a grin.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone.

"Even me?"

"Even you."

"Well, then, who am I?" Lydia wondered as they came to a stop outside of Regina's office.

The mayor's voice cut Henry off, "You think he's troubled?"

"Well, he's in therapy." The voice of Emma sighed, "And I only got through a couple of pages of his shrink's notes before you had me arrested. But putting all that aside. He thinks everyone in this town is a fairy tale character."

"And you don't?" Regina asked.

Emma scoffed, "How can I? The poor kid can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality and it's only getting worse. It's crazy."

Henry stepped into the open doorway, "You think I'm crazy?"

Emma's face fell, "Henry..."

Henry could only shake his head and ran out of the room, heartbroken.

Lydia looked between the two women, hands on her hips, "Maybe next time you guys have a private conversation, think about closing the door." She said with a glare before rushing after the 

Glaring at the women, Lydia asked, "What is wrong with you two?" Before following after the boy.

―

Regina let out a heavy sigh as she cleaned up the damage Emma did to her apple tree, putting branch after branch into bags. Footsteps behind the mayor made her turn around.

"Wow." Lydia muttered as she examined the apple tree, "Emma got you good."

"What a mess." Gold tutted, nodding in agreement.

"Not for long," Regina muttered with an eyeroll, "What could I do for you, Mr. Gold?"

"We were just walking through the neighbourhood." Lydia shrugged.

"I thought we should pop by." Gold added, "Lovely to see you in such high spirits."

"Well, it's been a good day." Regina told him, "I just rid the town of an unwanted nuisance."

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow, "Emma Swan. Really?"

Regina smirked, "Yes. I imagine she's half way to Boston by now."

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that." Gold smiled, making Regina pause from the tone in his voice.

"Word is that Miss Blanchard was the one who bailed her out of jail." Lydia said, "The two seem to be quite buddy-buddy."

"And we've both just seen her strolling down the main street with your boy. Thick as thieves, they looked." Gold smirked.

"What?"

"Perhaps you should have come to me. If Miss Swan is a problem you can't fix, I'm only too happy to help. For a price, of course." Gold told her.

Regina glared at the man, taking a step forwards, "I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore."

"To which deal are you referring?" Mr. Gold asked, making Lydia look between the pair with creased eyebrows.

"You know what deal."

"Oh, right. Yeah. The boy I procured for you. Henry. Did I ever tell you what a lovely name that was? However did you pick it?" The man asked with a teasing smirk.

"Did you want her to come to town?" Regina asked through gritted teeth, "You wanted all this to happen, didn't you? Your finding Henry wasn't an accident, was it?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Gold feigned innocence.

"Where did you get him? Do you know something?"

Mr. Gold shook his head, "I have no idea what you're implying."

"I think you do. Who is this woman - his mother - this Emma Swan?" Regina asked him.

"I would say you think you know exactly who she is. Now, we really must be going." Gold told her, gently taking Lydia by the arm, starting to guide her out of the yard.

The pair started walking away from Regina, but the woman ran ahead and stood in front of Gold.

"Tell me what you know about her." Regina demanded with a strong glare.

Mr. Gold matched her stare, "I'm not going to answer you, dear. So I suggest you excuse me. Please." He growled before he walked away, Lydia following him.