A/N: same thing again...you know the drill. I apologize in advance for the short chapters, the muse rules me, not me, her...As always...reviews are helpful and may shape this budding story...it is still drizzling from my brain...

Now that my mind is set on finding out the truth behind this whole notion of true love and the power behind true loves kiss, I find myself analyzing the best example I have, Charming and Snow. They are the best and most shining example of how this curse seems to work. They believe, utterly and completely and down to their very core in the beauty and truth of true love. After all, it brought them together did it not? But, if we were to truly think about it, were they brought together because it was best for them, best for the realm, or best for some unknown and invisible force? What was the ultimate outcome of their first kiss? It was Emma, the savior...what if the purpose of this curse, and I am adamant in believing it to be so, was not their happiness but merely to ensure that they created Emma? It is confounding and frightening to consider that there is something out there doing this to people for their own hidden motives. Look at the outcome of our kiss. I am no longer the "Evil Queen", everyone is safe and the curse is broken. This makes Storybrook happy and the people happy, but not the two who are supposed to be enjoying their fairy tale ending. Me and Emma.

This outcome suits many, but it certainly does not suit me. I don't like being at the mercy of anyone, and it grieves me to think that we were manipulated somehow.

There is something not quite right about Charming and Snow's story either. When under my curse, he had no problem believing himself married to another woman, if this curse was so strong how could that be? But, the real kicker isn't him, its her. Or, rather its Snow and Ruby...
When Snow was running from me as she often was, hiding in the darkest parts of the forest, I had almost caught her. I almost caught her not because she risked exposure trying to get to Charming, oh no, but because she had to find Ruby...

I missed their escape but had a good bit of fun with one of the captives, a young Wolf who was there that night and had much to say about what happened. He was quite resistant to me, and it took a while to make him heel, but in the end he told me a great deal about those two ladies. I had thought to keep him as a pet, afterwards, but I fear my fun was too much for him, he was too unstable to be considered safe. It was too bad, that...but I was the Evil Queen after all.

Ruby had left Snow to learn about her family, to be with other wolves like herself. But, it hadn't taken long for Snow to find her and that is what led my soldiers to both of them. In her haste to find her Ruby, she had exposed herself to me. According to my captive Wolf, she had begged Ruby to leave with her, and it seemed in no uncertain terms that she considered herself closer family then Ruby's wolf kin. This plea was not lost on Ruby, she chose Snow over her mother, her brothers and sisters...and although I do not understand why anyone is attracted to such a milk sap of a woman, I do recognize the plea of a lover to not leave them. How, if Snow was snared in this curse, that she believed with all of her heart that Charming was her one true love could she run with Ruby all that time when she and Charming were separated?

I am a good judge of people, it has always served me well to watch silently and discover what other peoples secret desires are. Secrets mean weaknesses and everyone has a soft underbelly somewhere that is prey to the sharp talons of knowledge. I have watched Ruby when Snow is around, I can see her eyes follow her, and I know that she remembers that time in the forest oh so clear. It was a hard lesson for her, to love someone that much and be spurned for another. Especially when she turned away her own flesh and blood to be with her. I wish I had been there to see it, what happened when Snow found her Charming again. Did she toss her aside without regard for her feelings? Deep emotions run there still, and I have keep a note of it all this time. It is no wonder that Ruby flaunts herself so, she has learned that love is painful and can rip out someones heart faster then those teeth of hers on a full moon. So, I do not blame her for her love em and leave em attitude, I was there myself once.

I find this situation fascinating, because I truly wonder that if there was no curse, or if Charming had not bestowed that fateful kiss on Snow, who would she have chosen to be with of her own accord?Lets be honest. She was never a traditionalist by any means, running about in mens trouser's, always eager to fight and hunt with the boys. She was also one hell of a tracker, which made her a slippery enemy to catch. I liked her better as Snow, if truth be told, then as Mary Margaret. Snow had an element of toughness and risk taking that seemed to magically go away when she was around Charming. Perhaps she worried about bruising his fragile ego?

So, the question begs, if I were to break that spell, and Snow (or Mary Margaret if you please) was free to chose her own path, who would she turn to?

I intend to find out.