~EPISODE 1: Pilot~
When they got home from school, Henry ran to his bedroom. Lydia didn't think much of it until she decided to go check up on him.
"Hey Henry, are you here?" Lydia asked but nobody answered so she opened the door to see nobody was there.
"Mom, where is Henry?" She asked as she went to her office. Regina was doing paperwork at the time when she asked so she looked up to her daughter.
"Isnt he in his room?" Her mother asked. Lydia shakes her head. This is when she started to get worried.
Searching the whole house, they couldn't find him anywhere. They were about to look outside but stopped when the door was wide open. Regia went in full panic mode and decided to call the sheriff.
~~~~~~~~~~
Regina called the sheriff to help find Henry but with no luck. Lydia was sitting in her bedroom, staring outside as she was drifting into her thoughts 'Where would he be?' She was scared and concerned for him.
At that moment, she missed Henry. tears started to flood her vision but a sound of a horn pulled her out of her thoughts as she looked down to see a yellow buggy car.
Lydia saw Henry come out of the car with a blond woman. Jumping out of her chair, she rushed down the stairs and outside.
She could hear them having a confiscation but at that moment, Lydia didt care, she wanted her brother.
"Henry!!!" She shouted and jumped him into a hug. She heard the woman give a little chuckle and Henry laughed. "Are you okay?!" Even though Lydia was younger than him, she always had a concern like a mother or a big sister.
"I'm fine Dia! I'm sorry for n-'' He was interrupted by his Mother running out of the house along with the sheriff.
"Henry?" She asked as she ran down the stairs. "Oh henry" Regina gave both of her children a bone crushing hug.
"Are you okay? Where have you been?" Regina asked after she pulled away from them. Her eyes trailed up to the blond woman looking uncomfortable.
"What happened?" Regina's voice broke a bit but stood full length. In a harsh tone, Henry shouted "I found me real mom!" and dragged his sister into the house.
"How did you find her?" Lydia asked as they sat on Henry's bed looking through the 'Once Upon A Time' book.
"Oh just this website! It had a lot of information on it" He sounded so cheery talking to his sister but with his mother, his like a stone cold brick. The door broke their confiscation. They both look up to see Graham, the sheriff.
"Hey Henry, Lydia." Lydia smiled politely at the officer whilst Henry fell onto his bed and looked the other way.
"I'm gonna go see mom" Lydia then exited the room and went downstairs to see Emma and Regina talking. She stayed at the bottom of the stairs to listen into their confiscation.
"How did he find me?" Emma asked, staring at Regina who was filling their drinks.
"Know idea. When I adopted him, he was only 4 months old (Go with it)" Regina continued to pour them drinks as she talked "The records were
sealed and i was told that the mother didn't want contact."
Lydia was confused. Who wouldn't want henry? I mean, who would put him up for adoption? Lydia's eyes widened when realisation struck her. Was she adopted? And like they could read her mind, Emma askes
"And what about that girl, is she adopted." Regina's face morphs. She was getting angry. Yes she was Henry's birth mother but not Lydia's.
"That doesn't concern you, Mrs swan" It wasn't a no...Lydia thought. She had her suspicions, but decided to go up to bed. she climbed into her small bed and drifted of into a light slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~
As the sun came over the horizon, Henry and his sister just got to their play castle.
"Henry?" Lydia had been quiet most of the trip there so he looked up to face her as they jumped onto the castle. Henry gave a hum, acknowledging her and telling her to carry on
"A-am i adopted?" Tears started to build up in her eyes and Henry noticed. He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well I will never know, but if you were, they are missing out. I mean, you're the best sister anyone could ever ask for!" He expressed with his hands making her let out a small giggle.
She dragged him into a little hug, and layed in comfortable silence. After 30 minutes, they heard footsteps. They thought it was their mother or Emma but surprisingly not. Lydia and Henry glanced up at the man who was walking towards them.
"Lydia, Henry Why aren't you at school." Mr gold asked. Usually, it wouldn't be none of his business but since it was his daughter, he had to ask.
"We didn't want to..." Henry replied, fiddling with his fingers whilst Lydia looked down.
"Well there should certainly be an answer for that" At this point, Gold was getting concerned. More for his daughter. For as he knew, She loved school so It came as a real shock seeing her skip.
"Parent issues" They answered sync looking towards the man. On the outside, he looked unfrazzled but on the inside he was worried.
"Well i would suggest heading home after your little cool down" the children nod at him before he left.
Henry and Lydia were at the castle for almost 2 hours until they heard footsteps. Both children still kept their gaze at the clock until Henry's mother, Emma sat down with them. She passed a book to him.
"You left this in my car..." Her voice went through the other ear for them. Emma looks at the view they were seeing.
"Still hasn't moved, huh?" She looked at both children with a small smile.
"I was hoping when I brought you back." He began looking directly at her. "That things would change hear and the final battl-"
"I'm not fighting any battles, kids" She interrupted him. Henry was still not convinced.
"Yes you are!" Henry looked over to his sister for help. She sighed
"You are because it's your destiny..." Lydia announced staring at the clock still. She never believed that magical fairy tales existed so lydia only pretended but, to her, it was still kinda interesting.
"You're going to bring back the happy endings." The sibling voiced nsync. Emma was beyond annoyed.
She first, was locked up, Dealt with an angry mayor and now she is listening to 2 10 year olds going on about how the storys in a book are real.
"Can you cut it with the book crap..." That was harsh... Lydia thought. Even though they're not real, at least try to act like it so you don't hurt a child with so much creativity.
"You don't have to be so hostile, I know you like us, I can tell" He had a small smirk, flinging his arm around his tired sister. Emma let out a small chuckle at his actions.
"You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty, it's okay." That caught young Lydia's interests. She noticed he was on the brink of tears so she squeezed his hand for comfort.
"I know why you gave me away...You wanted to give me my best chance..." Henry had a tear nearly rolling down his face, the same with Emma. Lydia hugged Henry, placing her head in his chest. The young boy stroked his younger sister's hair. Inside, Emma did feel guilty but she knew she couldn't come back into his life so suddenly.
"How do you know that?"
"The same reason snow white gave you away..." Lydia had now pulled away, giving him a side hug. At that moment, she was also nearly tearing up.
"Listen kid, i am not in any book...I am a real person and I am no savour." Emma started "But you were right about one thing, I wanted you to have your best chance..." Her voice was cracking slightly, hardly noticeable but for them, it was as clear as day. Henry's tears were now falling out of his eyes, the same as Lydia.
"But it's not with me" All three of them were staring at each other, emotions flooding everywhere. "Come on, let's go." Emma came out of the castle, starting to walk away, but Henry interrupted and he ran to her, his sister slowly behind.
"Please don't take us back there, Just stay with us for one week, that's all I ask!" He was practically begging bow. Lydia knew how much his birth mother meant to him so she tried.
"Just one week... He wants you to stay... and you can make up for the lost time!" Emma was slightly shocked to hear words come out of the younger mills but kept her posture.
"I have to get you both back to your mom"
"You don't know what it's like with her! My life sucks!" Tears were now rolling. Lydia was a bit taken back. Her life didn't suck and she liked her mother!
"You want to know what sucking is?! Being left at the side of a freeway.my parents didn't bother dropping me off at a hospital! I ended up in the foster system until i was 3 but they had their own kid so they sent me back!" Her voice cracked through her whole breakdown. At this point, Everyone's eyes were red and puffy from the tear flow coming.
"Listen kids," She crouched down onto one knee, a hand on both of the children's shoulders. "Your mother is trying her best, I know it's hard and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you. But at least she wants you..." Lydia stared at her, a soft smile went onto her face as she dozed out of the confiscation until she heard them walk off so she ran to them. Walking to her car.
~~~~~~~~~
They had just pulled up to their house. Regina was just opening the door to see her children walking up the path. Henry ran past her into the house whilst Lydia went to hug her mother. When Lydia pulled away, she ran into the house without a beat.
"Thank you... " Regina thanked, dead glaring Emma.
"Your welcome" Emma was a nervous wreck. She could tell Regina didn't like her very much.
"They seem to have taken quite a shine to you" Much to Regina's dismay.
Emma talked about how on her birthday, she didn't have to be alone and she wasn't thanks to Henry and Lydia.
"I hope there isn't a misunderstanding here..." Regina was getting furious but kept her composure. Yes she is henry's mother and he may like to spend time with her but dragging her daughter who are not even related is a low string for Regina
"I'm sorry?"
"Don't mistake all of this as an invitation back" Her aggressive tone didn't bother Emma that much."
"Ms Swan, you made this decision 10 years ago, and in the last decade while you have been...Who knows what you have been doing" harsh Emma thought. I mean she is the birth mother.
"I have changed every diaper, Soothed every fever and endured every tantrum." Get to your point already Emma was already annoyed by her constant voice.
"You may have given birth to him, but he is MY son and MY daughter!"
"I wa-"
"NO, you don't get to speak!" Regina interrupted. From a legal standpoint, Regina did have it right.
"You don't get to do anything! You gave up that right when you tossed him away!" Regina's hands went onto her hips in a sassy way as she made her way to emma.
"Do you know what a closed adoption is? It's what you asked for" Both eyes were staring into each other's souls.
"You have no legal right to Henry and you're going to be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car and leave this town because if you don't, I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do" She threatened.
Emma was beyond pissed with her. Well yeah she did put him up for a closed adoption but you didn't have to be that harsh.
"And don't even come near my daughter... Goodbye Ms swan" just as Regina was trotting away, Emma blurted out
"Do you love them..?"
"Excuse me" She took offense to that. I mean everyone should love their children. No blood and blood.
"Lydia and Henry, do you love them?" Emma's face was stone cold. No hint of emotions. She just wanted to know.
"Of Course i love them" and with that, Regina slammed her door shut. Little did they both know that a certain someone was listening in. someone who wanted to slap regina so hard for calling his daughter hers. He heard the whole confiscation, not meaning to. He was just curios and now, Gold knew after the curse broke, it would be even harder to get his child back.
~~~~~~~~~~
Emma was walking through the night, her car parked a few blocks away until she heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head, she saw a shadow of a familiar little girl.
"Lydia?! What are you doing here at this time?" Emma questioned looking at the little girl as she walked closer to her.
"Showing you were the Inn is!" She took Emma's hand as she began walking. They walked through a moody path through some bushes to find the inn. They enter the building to be met with shouting
"You're out all night and now you're going out again?!"
"I should have moved to Boston!"
"I'm sorry but my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard"
Lydia knew who it was at an instant. She loved Granny and Ruby. They were one of her favourites of the town.
"Excuse me," this gained their attention "I would like a room" Emma asked looking at the elderly.
"Really?" Granny then went into a little room containing the check in book "Would you like a forest view or a square view?" Granny began to rant on, ignoring Lydia's presents or just not noticing.
"Square is fine" Granny opened the book and grabbed a quill
"Now what's the name?"
"Swan, Emma swan"
"Emma" A new voice interrupted. All turned around to see Mr gold who was staring at Emma and Lydia, intensely "What a lovely name" He complimented earning a strange look from her.
"Thanks" Granny got out a roll of money and handed it to him.
"It's all here!" Gold took the money and looked down at Lydia.
"What are you doing out at this time dear?" Granny, who just noticed her, looked at her with a shocked face
"Your supposed to be at home"
"I had to show Emma where the Inn was" Her voice was so calming and sweet. Gold looked at her, again.
"Il bring her home, don't worry" Emma insisted but gold had other ideas
"Allow me, i have to go past her place anyways" Everyone looked at gold weirdly.
Well accept Lydia. She liked gold a lot and again, she didn't know why. She accepted as they walked out the house after saying goodbye. They both got the car and gold drove.
They both sat in comfortable silence. Not bothering to talk. Whenever Lydia would visit golds shop, it would usually to get away from all the drama. They would usually sit in peace. He loves to spend time with his daughter as well and doesn't mind her not talking.
~~~~~~~~~~
As they got to the mayor's house, it was around 10pm. Gold and Lydia exited the car and went up to the porch. Knocking on the door, The mayor answered with the sheriff behind her. Woops...Lydia thought.
"Lydia!" Regina bent down to give her daughter a big hug .
"Why did you run off again?! I was worried sick!" her voice ran through the house drawing henry's attention who was now standing behind the sheriff.
Before she can reply, Mr gold bet her to it
"I found her" Regina and Gold gave each other death glares making the others uncomfortable.
"Lydia, why don't you and Henry go inside?" Regina asked but more like demanded. The children went inside as the sheriff walked away from the house.
"When i said to be responsible, i didn't mean to let someone find your daughter at 11 o'clock at night" He complained, gritting through his teeth.
"And in any way is it your business?" She was getting irritated and angry. She hated Mr Gold more in this world. He seems to be protective over her, even though he has 'no memory'. Oh how wrong she was!
"It's not. But when you find a child on her own in the dark, It starts to be" his voice would sound threatening to others but to Regina, she was too pissed at that moment.
"Well she is my daughter! Not yours!" Regina's voice shook the whole house with how loud she is. This made gold furious.
"Actually, she isn't" He pointed his cane at her "Are you ever going to tell her that she is adopted!, or are you going to let her find out herself and trust me dearie! If she finds out herself, she will hate you" And with that, he walks away after his little outburst.
Regina was left in her thoughts. Does she already know? Will she hate her like Henry does? Why is it Mr Gold concern? Is the curse breaking? Deciding to leave it there, she walks inside her house, Slamming the door behind her.