A/N: This story begins during the events of 2.19 Lacey and is canon divergent from that point. Flashbacks occur during multiple points during the pre-curse story. This story will eventually be romantic OT3 Evil Snowing.

The flashbacks in this chapter occur during 2.10 The Cricket Game.


Snow couldn't stop thinking about what David had said the night before. They couldn't risk bringing Regina back home with them when the bean crop matured. She was too dangerous. But she hadn't been able to explain to him why she hadn't the heart to see her in a cage, and the idea of leaving her behind in this world seemed just as wrong. But Snow had never been able to explain Regina to David mostly because she had never been able to explain it to herself.

Still she got up early the next day, grabbing toast and telling everyone she was heading to deal with getting the town to fix the roof of the school. David tried to point out that they probably wouldn't be around long enough for that to matter but she just waved a little and shrugged before leaving to cover herself.

She was sure though from Emma's slight frown that her daughter knew she was lying.

There were still people working in town hall, mostly because there were people who preferred not to be involved. It reminded Snow of a book she'd read from this world, about how most people are bystanders, neither the heroes nor the villains of their stories. Part of her longed for that, but she knew that was more Mary Margaret speaking and part of the cursed personality that Regina had punished her with.

"Is she in?" Snow nodded to the door to the mayor's office. Regina's assistant looked briefly worried but picked up some files, obviously intending to go find somewhere else to be, "Yes. Though she doesn't want to be..."

Snow walked past him, knocking on the door but opening it before Regina could answer. Regina was sitting at her desk writing and part of Snow wanted to ask why she continued working for a town that didn't want her but she answered her own question before she asked.

Without Henry she had nothing else to do. The town was all she had left.

"Regina..."

"Get out, Snow."

Snow folded her arms and Regina sighed, "I am not above calling your daughter to have her remove you from my presence. I have no intention of giving you the mercy of killing you. I told you that last week."

"Yes, I know, because you hate me so much that you want me to live in my own misery at my coming darkness." Snow tried to be light in the way she said it but part of it hit very close to home and there was a little hitch in her voice.

Regina caught it, as she always did, and looked up. "I've never been very good at subtlety, Snow."

"Perhaps." Snow tilted her head, "You've always lived on contradictions though. Trying to kill me one day and..."

"Do not go any further," Regina warned putting down her pen and looking right at her.

"Are we supposed to pretend that never happened?" Snow asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Go home to your shepherd, Snow."

"He's a bit more than a shepherd Regina." She tilted her head, "You knew that before I did. Or rather you knew he was more to me than just another man since I still thought he was George's son... wait when exactly did you know he wasn't..."

"I knew your prince charming was a fraud long before you did..." Regina said watching her old enemy intently.

"You didn't use it against us even in the war except to make snide remarks."

"Never underestimate the value of witty repartee to a good villain." Regina said.

"Do you think of yourself that way? As a villain?"

"Snow what do you want before I translocate you up a tree?"

"Why did you never touch me? During the curse. David was in a coma, you were lonely." So was I, but she didn't add that. "Or was that all a game back home?"

"Go away, Snow."

"Not until you answer."

Regina shook her head, "Like a spoiled little princess as always."

"Regina." Snow used what she now thought of as her teacher voice.

"Because it wasn't you." Regina admitted. "It was her. Mary Margaret. And all the 'we are both' rhetoric your husband likes to spin you find Mary Margaret an easy shell to hide in but even if I was inclined to be with you like that ever again I have no interest in your little meek cursed personality."

"You didn't have sex with me because I was too submissive?" Snow mocked and immediately regretted it. They never spoke of those nights when the Queen would come to Snow and for a few hours Snow knew that she was not a monster but Regina was in there somewhere. Until she stopped coming. Until she gave up all hope of Regina being in there. But that reasoning... that was very close to ... respect?

"Go home to your family, Snow."

Snow let the queen have this round, leaving without any of the answers she needed, but in her heart she knew what David did not. She could never leave Regina behind her...


Once upon a time before the Dark Curse...

Once the Queen was secured in the tower and they were sure that her magic was neutralized... for now the fairies had warned they couldn't block it forever... he had ridden out to attend to the battle lines. They'd defeated George's army, and captured the Queen, but her knights were strangely loyal. They'd all expected them to surrender when they announced that they'd captured the Evil Queen but instead they had retreated to her kingdom ... Snow's kingdom... to regroup. There were even rumors that some of them wanted to mount a rescue to save the Queen.

But that had to be one of those strange rumors that flies around in war.

Regina sat in the tower room looking out the window. They'd taken her ridiculous armor from her and given her a common prisoner's smock and her hair was down in a simple style and Snow was reminded how very tiny Regina actually was without the trappings of the Evil Queen.

"I don't need magic to know you are there. You never did have a sense of anyone's privacy." Regina said without looking back to the door.

"Says the woman who I'm pretty sure spied on me through mirrors."

"You didn't spend much time around mirrors, Snow. As your hair shows." The Queen shot back but didn't deny the substance of the accusation.

"You never showed up again. After that night." Snow didn't specify. Regina would know what she meant. Their encounters were hard to forget. At least the ones where Regina wasn't there to kill her.

"You want me to be someone I'm not."

"The woman I loved, the selfless hero, is still inside you. I know it."

"Being selfless and self sacrificing is nice in storybooks, Princess, but do you know what happens in real life?" Regina turned her head to look at her, "Selfless bravery isn't rewarded. Heroic sacrifice means that you lose yourself. That woman you want me to me lost everything. And she's long gone."

"Perhaps." Snow said quietly, "But I don't think so."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you think so? Because you have lived a good and noble life and never been punished for your good deeds?" Regina asked acerbically.

"I think if anyone knew if I'd been punished for my sins it would be you Regina."

Regina looked up, "It's not your sins that destroy lives, Snow. It's your good intentions. And someone should punish you for those too."

Snow could feel the tears forming and knew she didn't want to cry in front of the Queen. She turned away and all she could hear as she walked down the steps was the mad woman's laugh. The next morning Prince James set new orders to the guards. No one was to see the Queen without his permission.