-Enchanted Forest, a few hours ago-

Deep within the woods was where Snow found solitude. She liked to lie back on a tree and let the sun warm her until her cheeks were pink. She loved listening to the voices of Mother Nature. She basked in the freedom and rawness of this life away from royalty, even if it meant being away from home.

At this particular moment, however, she was met by something much different from her usual quiet days under the sun. Today, she found herself face-to-face with the very woman that drove her away from home.

"Regina," Snow breathed as she stumbled into the clearing where Regina stood waiting.

"Dearest Snow," Regina greeted with an insincere smile.

"If you've come to kill me, I'll have you know that I'm not the same little girl you chased out of the castle," Snow warned, pulling a dagger from her boot.

Regina let out a laugh and with a flick of her wrist, sent the dagger flying away into the bushes.

"Lucky for you I didn't come here to fight," Regina began. "I came to offer you a deal. Consider it a late birthday present."

Snow glared but kept her stance. "What do you want?"

"I want you to give up you claim to the throne. If you declare me the rightful ruler of this land, I will let you... run off far, far away," Regina stated clearly.

"Exile," Snow concluded.

"Well I've tried to kill you, more than once, but none of those worked. But then I realized I was going about it all wrong," Regina said. "You need to be alive. You need to be awake. So you can spend all your days knowing that I have taken everything that was supposed to be yours."

Snow took in a deep breath.

"Now get down on your knees and swear on your father's grave that this kingdom belongs to me," Regina ordered.

"And if I don't?"

"Well then someone will pay the price," Regina said as a glowing heart appeared in her hand.

"What is that?" Snow asked, voice now laced with worry.

"This, my dear, belongs to a dear friend of yours. I believe you two have taken to calling yourselves sisters," a wicked smile formed on Regina's lips.

"No," Snow said softly.

"Yes," Regina sneered.

"NOOOOOOO!" Snow shouted as she charged towards Regina.

"Fool!" Regina exclaimed, sending Snow flying back towards a tree with a blast of energy. "You're unarmed and have strayed too far from home for any backup. If you try to attack me, I assure you, you will fail."

"This is just a ruse," Snow growled. "That isn't her heart!"

"That could be true, yes. But I could also really have her heart in my hand," Regina stated simply, giving the heart a light squeeze for good measure.

"NOOO!" Snow yelled once more, getting to her feet.

"Now Snow, will you really gamble on your duckling sister's life? I mean you could. You'd just have to run back home hoping that she's still there waiting for you." Regina taunted.

"You wouldn't," Snow said softly.

Regina looked at the glowing heart in her hand then at Snow.

"Believe me, I would," she responded before squeezing the heart harder.

Snow looked frantically at her surroundings. She was trying to think of something to do, anything she could do. She couldn't- wouldn't- gamble on her dearest friend's life. Regina was right. Snow was unarmed and alone. There was no other choice.

"Time is ticking, Snow," came Regina's voice, pulling Snow out of her thoughts. Snow watched as the heart in Regina's hand looked ready to crack.

"ALRIGHT!" Snow choked out, falling to her knees.

"I swear, on King Leopold's grave, that this kingdom belongs to you, Regina," Snow said quietly.

Regina grinned.

"Now, that's more like it," Regina said, lowering the hand holding the glass heart.

"There, now leave us all in peace," Snow ordered.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not just yet. There's still a matter of your exile," Regina reminded Snow.

"Then I'll go as far as you want," Snow replied.

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Regina said, pulling a small item from her dress pockets.

Snow took a step back. "Is that a-?"

"Good bye, Snow White," Regina smiled, throwing the magic bean to the ground.

The bean opened its portal on the ground and immediately pulled Snow in. As Snow fell into the vortex, someone quickly approached.

"SNOW!"

Snow and Regina turned towards the voice.

"Emma!" was the last thing Snow exclaimed before the portal closed.

"What have you done to her?!" Emma demanded, marching towards Regina as she sent shots of energy at her.

Regina merely waved them off.

"Work on those pathetic energy blasts of yours, and maybe then we'll talk," Regina said before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Emma Swan alone in the clearing.

Xxx

-Storybrooke-

"I'm sorry; did you just say your name is Snow White?" David asked, eyes creased together in confusion.

Snow blinked.

Oh crap. I just gave my identity to a total stranger. It's the stupid blue eyes, I know it.

"No, no. I meant it's so white. Outside. It's so white outside. Because it started snowing," she said as she calmly pointed out the window.

David turned to look out. "Oh, yeah…"

"My name isn't Snow White. It's uhh… Margaret," she said before quickly taking it back. "I mean, Mary."

"So, which is it?" David asked, confused once more.

"It's both!" she simpered. "It's both. I'm Mary Margaret."

David let out a chuckle. "Well then, Mary Margaret, might I ask why you robbed me tonight and have no place to stay?"

I'm from a different world and have no clue as to how to work my way around here.

"I'm new in town," she began. "I've been, umm, banished from home and just found myself here. As to why I robbed you, I needed to eat and have no money to pay for food."

David nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry about that by the way. And that too," she added, pointing at his chin where she hit him with his phone.

"Oh right, yeah. It's going to scar, isn't it?" David said.

"It could be cool," Snow suggested. "If anyone asks you about it, you could tell them the story of this day."

David laughed. "I'll them the story of how a girl beat me up?"

Snow joined him laughing and lightly swatted his knee from her seat.

"No," she teased. "You can tell them the story of how you got it the same day you saved a lost girl from a terrible blizzard."

"You make me sound like some kind of hero," David said.

"Prince Charming," she teased.

"I told you, I have a name," he said, shaking his head lowly in embarrassment.

Snow quirked an eyebrow.

"It's David," he said, looking up. Blue eyes met green. He knew that this woman had just robbed and attacked him but something told him that he could trust her. Something happened in that moment. It was electric.

"Well, it's nice to meet you David."

Xxx

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