Mary Margaret cannot not say how it came to this, she cannot remember the day her violent relationship with the mayor changed this drastically - to this.

Sometimes, it is still violent but in a kind of different way than it has been before. And sometimes she wonders, if there has changed anything between them at all. But then, when the mayor's hand is on her thigh, pushing the pastel blue skirt slowly upwards, she knows it definitely has.

When the curse breaks - the world around her shatters.

Her entire life shatters into a thousand tiny, little pieces.

James is at her side in an instant, hugging his long lost love tightly against his broad chest and she feels the dread strongly rise within her. It does not take long until they bring her. Only for her. Mary Margaret is gone and it is Queen Snow again, and no one else is to judge the Evil Queen but her - to finally end her.

The smile on Regina's lips is wicked as the outraged townspeople scream for her blood and violent demise. Snow can tell there is not a hint of fear to be detected in Regina's dark eyes and it makes her stomach churn violently.

Regina is pushed to her knees right in front of her, the mayor's impeccable dress pants are instantly tainted with dirt; still Snow cannot unsee how she holds herself upright like the Queen she always was - ever will be.

When the former Mayor of Storybrooke looks up and their eyes finally meet, the angry noises and screams for justice around them seem drown out until there is only suffocating silence. Snow cannot tell if it is minutes or only seconds that pass by, but it seems like an eternity for she is not able to break Regina's penetrating gaze. She feels naked under her stare, and with each passing second more than a little sick.

James nudges her back to reality and for a weak moment all Snow wants, prays and wishes for is to forget again.

Everything.

For this moment she wants to be back in the secure bubble of oblivion, when everything was not as twisted as this reality now seems to be. She had never really understood the saying, but now she truly gets the meaning of how ignorance can be a bliss.

But even after closing her eyes for a long time, Snow still remembers. She still knows how it felt when Regina had thrust into her, and how she had moaned her stepmothers name as she came undone on her fingers. Snow cannot even comfort herself by pretending she did not enjoy it back then. That she did not long for her touch during Regina's absence. No, she can't possibly pretend that, even if she wishes nothing more, because she knows it would be a lie. And Snow White is a many things, but a liar she is not.

Shaking her head, Snow tries to banish these memories from her mind and opens her mouth to speak up to her people.

Regina's eyes are trained on her, daring her to say something. To judge her in front of all the others, to hold a speech how everyone including Snow has suffered under the Evil Queen's grasp. Of the horrible crimes Regina has committed against every single one of them.

Regina waits for it. Patiently. Mocking Snow with her silence and that trademark smirk of hers.

White teeth catch a lower lip nervously between them. Snow is not ready - not yet - not ever.

There is absolutely no way she is going to tell everyone what she and Regina have done, she certainly cannot tell James, that is for sure. Words of justice die a silent death in her throat and Snow is not able to form a coherent sentence.

And in this moment everything becomes as clear as a morning on a summer's day and Snow knows - just knows - all of this, had been Regina's plan all along.

Making her suffer - making her bear it alone, like Regina herself had so many years ago too.