"Emma, what exactly happened out there?"

The blonde automatically tensed- her mother hadn't stopped asking her that question ever since she returned. She had become a ticking time bomb, unsure of how much more prodding she could take. Of course her family just had her and Regina's best interest at heart, but it was sure testing her sanity.

"I already told you everything," Emma replied, trying to remain level headed, "Regina was in a really bad state- when I go back, I'll definitely have to be more convincing."

It was early in the morning, and Emma was definitely not in the mood to fight with her mom. The coffee was brewing, morning light still creeping up the apartment windows.

"Emma- I've seen her like that before," Snow carefully began, "I know how to convince her. That castle was my home."

Her conviction was obvious. Yet, the main reason why Emma was holding back was because of what she had seen in that small room with Cora and Leopold. Snow didn't deserve to know about that side of her father. As insistent as she was about taking her place, Emma wasn't too sure how good her memory was about her life back then.

"I know," Emma said softly, leaning up against the kitchen counter, "I just... want to protect you. I've already experienced the trauma of it all, it makes sense for me to go back."

Snow knew her daughter was holding back; it was infuriating. She wished there was a way to read her mind so she could truly understand the trauma the blonde spoke of.

"It should be the other way around- I should be protecting you."

Avoidance was definitely her thing, especially in the more recent years. Pretending like something never happened had gotten her through the day countless times, and that morning was no different. Tending to pouring herself a cup of coffee, Emma forced the memories of Regina with a distant look in her eyes out of her mind.

"I've seen far worse things in my lifetime," Snow continued, stepping closer to force her to engage, "we have to do all we can to save her."

Emma sighed heavily, knowing how stubborn she was. "Good luck getting David to agree with that. Whoever the lucky winner is should go this afternoon- Tink and I got the spell ready to go late last night."

As if on queue, Charming entered the kitchen, still looking half asleep. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about going," he began, giving her a concerned look, "it's too da-"

"But you're okay with our daughter going?" Snow abruptly cut him off, her voice sharp, "everyone seems to forget that I'm capable of doing these things. I know it's been a decade, but I'm still me."

Both Emma and David were at a loss of words for a second, surprised by her outburst. Deep down, the blonde knew her mother had a point. Every minute spent arguing was a minute Regina spent locked away somewhere unimaginably awful.

"Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea," she finally admitted, turning to face David. "She's right about knowing that castle better than anyone."

Charming furrowed his brow, his attitude about the whole ordeal impenetrable. Walking over toward his wife, he gave her a stern look as he took her hands in his. "If something happens while you're there, you'll be trapped there too- I wouldn't know what to do with myself if that happened."

She gave him a reassuring smile in return. "Remember all the trouble we used to get into after we first met? This is a walk in the park compared to all of that. Through thick and thin, we always find each other."

Emma had to keep herself from rolling her eyes- it had been a few years since she had heard her mother say their famous saying. Her words seemed to be working on David, who gave a reluctant sigh after a second or two of thinking things over. Everything she said was true, they had been through much worse.

"I guess we should round up the others then," he said, mirroring his wife's smile before pulling her into an embrace. "If anyone can bring her back, it's you Snow."


The first breath she drew was bitterly cold, sending a shiver down her spine. Dark stone walls surrounded her, remnant rays of light giving the corridor a faint glow that would not last long. In the eerie stillness, Snow White felt a surge of conflicting emotion- she had come home, but it wasn't the exact home she remembered it to be. Tender memories of running up and down the corridors, her mother teaching her how to make bread in the kitchen, seeing familiar faces in the servants and guards wherever she went... they seemed to evaporate in the cold air, leaving an austere blackness in its place.

Even after so many years of absence, Snow navigated the halls with practiced ease, remembering what Emma had said about being invisible to everyone around. A few council members passed by, completely unaware of her. Every face looked unfamiliar.

Regina's chamber was the furthest away from everything, tucked away in isolation. She had traveled to and from her room so many times in her youth, fascinated by everything about her. Regina Mills was never a replacement for her mother, but more of a companion she trusted.

Gently opening the door, Snow tried to ignore the tight feeling in her stomach- she was determined that whatever was thrown at her could be managed, but with each step forward, she grew less and less confident. Entering the spacious room, she found it empty, with no sign of life. She felt awestruck for a moment, being back in the room that provided so much solace for her childhood. Everything was in its place, frozen in time for that very moment.

The sound of her light footsteps echoed as she walked, observing each section of the room with precision. She was focused on the details, small sounds from the bathroom remained unnoticed. It wasn't until one stifled sob was emitted louder than the rest, causing Snow's breath to catch in her throat. Seconds passed by, each more antagonizing than the last as the faint noise continued. The door to the bathroom was ajar, letting in a small, lusterless amount of light. With gathered courage, a small push to the door was enough to abruptly stop the crying.

Snow was met with a pair of frightened brown eyes glossed over with tears. The woman looked like Regina, or rather, how she remembered her looking as a child- but something was deeply erroneous, her nature that of a wounded animal.

"Don't be afraid," Snow blurted in a soothing tone, earning no ease of tension in return. She always had a tendency to be overbearing with kindness when nervous. "Do you know who I am?"

The stunned look on the young woman's face remained. Snow eased down to her level, sitting on the cool floor with her back against the wall.

"Why are you crying?"

Silence gradually coaxed a response out of her. "I... I don't know." The words came out as feeble as she appeared. "Sadness is the last thing I still feel... it's all I have."

Concern radiated from Snow's expression, at a loss of what to say. As the other woman began to look her over, her grief stricken facade replaced by skeptical eyes. "Snow? Is that... is that you? How is this-"

"I'm from the future," she interrupted, sparing no time, "I'm here to take you far from this place- you don't have to suffer any more."

Instead of the overwhelming sense of gratitude that she expected in return, Snow was met by a rapidly increasing suspicion. "Well you sound absolutely senseless. How did you get in here anyways?"

Something within her struck a chord as she said those words, something that felt familiar about the whole ordeal. But the feeling vanished just as it appeared, leaving her empty and confused.

"Doesn't matter how," Snow replied, brushing the question off, "you'll just have to trust me. You and I... we're friends in the future we both share. There's so much more for you out there."

The words, though simple and encouraging to her, only seemed to get tangled in a web of doubt in the mindset of the younger woman.

"My mother must be doing this," came a sudden realization, "she must be trying to confuse me-"

"I have nothing to do with that awful woman," Snow interjected, giving her a firm look, "I can promise you that. Regina- I've seen every variation of you out there, each one worse than the last. But now... the Regina I know... she's really close to me- she's family."

She took a moment to wipe the tears caked on her cheeks, taking in the words the woman calling herself Snow put out between them. Her brow furrowed in thought. "How exactly do I change?"

In her mind, the question extended to how can it get worse than this?

Snow's response was halted, unsure of how to dig herself out of the hole that had been created.

"You... let your anger take control," Snow carefully admitted, watching the woman's expression shift, "but in the grand scheme of things, it was only for a moment. You found a way to push past all the bad things that happened to you and make an amazing life for yourself."

There was an intrusive thought that wouldn't leave her alone, and terrified her to the core. She had never dwelled much about what went on between Regina and her father; there was no real connection between them, this she knew as a child. Her father had told her that Regina would be a companion for them, someone to help them through a dark time in their lives. In their current relationship, Snow had never mustered up the courage to ask about what exactly happened with her father- she was mortified to know the truth. Her father had been her rock after her mother died, the one person she could depend on. Snow figured that, after everything she and Regina had been through, the past should remain in the past.

Looking at her then with her sunken cheeks, subdued complexion, and eyes that were glossed over, seeming forever lost in her own despair, it was apparent that the hell she was trapped in was influenced by more than just Cora. Snow found herself in a haze as she studied the woman, so much so that it startled her when she spoke again.

"Well she sounds great," she retorted dryly, "how on earth did I get back here if I was doing so well in your land?"

Knowing that giving too much information would further complicate the situation, Snow kept quiet. Before she could think of something to say in return, there was an abrupt clamor that came from behind. Regina scrambled up to her feet in an instant, the sudden movement causing her to falter as she found her footing. Giving Snow a fast and panicked look, the woman slid through the open bathroom door, shutting her in. Snow peered through a small crack in the door, a tight knot forming at the base of her stomach as soon as she saw who had interrupted them.

She looked exactly like Snow remembered her to be- eyes menacing and both hands at an unrest, clawing at the air for something to strike. A dark gown made her skin seem more hauntingly white, her expression reflecting perpetual malice. There was a new level of detestation radiating from her as she looked her daughter up and down.

"You look like you're withering away," Cora remarked coldly, "not a glowing new bride."

Not knowing what to say, the young woman stood in discomfort for several painstaking moments. "You know I'm trying, Mother."

Her eyes blackened even further, irritation threatening to spill over. "Are you? Because it seems like you're spending your days hiding out and feeling sorry for yourself."

Although her mouth opened to formulate a response, the young woman was frozen in stupor. It was painful for Snow to watch the scene before her, the amount of suffering insurmountable as it shone through her expression.

"A wife's allegiance is to her husband," Cora continued, her words growing more seething by the second, "and as the Queen, your duty is displayed for everyone to see... imagine how confusing it must be for the commoners to have you- a pathetic, skittish, feeble little girl with no ambition."

Cora drew closer until she was face to face with her daughter, her hand striking towards her neck with ease. A horrified gasp threatened to escape from Snow's mouth as she witnessed the young woman claw desperately at her neck, begging for air- she was completely powerless against her attacker. She could only manage to utter short gasps, seeming so incredibly frail in that moment.

Suddenly, the door Snow was leaning on gave way, resulting in a creak that cut through the silence. Cora retracted her grasp, eyes wide with alarm as she turned towards the direction of the sound. She started towards the bathroom, quickly halting when a startlingly loud cry came from her daughter.

"Mother! Stop!"

Cora returned her assertion with a defeated gaze; it took the young woman a moment to realize that she was frozen in place. Snow slowly emerged from her hideout, stunned, approaching Cora with a childlike timidness. Locking eyes with her friend, she couldn't help but let out a smile.

"I knew you had it in you, Regina."

She still had a distant glance, her mind a million miles away.

"Do you believe me know?"

The sound of her voice snapped her back into focus. "I-I couldn't let her hurt you," she began hesitantly, "even if you are Snow White. You wouldn't have come all this way if we still despised each other."

Snow laughed. "You're completely right on that one. Are you ready to see what's out there?"

Outstretching her hand, she provided the most comforting smile she could muster. Going with her meant jumping headfirst into an unforeseen future in a world even more unclear than the current state of her mind- still, believing in even the possibility of a happy ending was a powerful thing.

Meeting her glance with absolute firmness, the young woman took her hand, and the scene around them faded to black.


An urgent gasp filled the emptiness of the dark room as she jolted awake, soon gaining the attention of everyone around her. Although it was the middle of the night, her veins were coursing with adrenaline, eyes alert even in darkness.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Her silhouette was barely visible from the moonlight sky, yet her words nearly knocked the air right out of him.

"It's my spell- it's been broken."

Through the haze of sleep, Caroline wasn't sure she heard the woman correctly. Judging from the quietness of the room, it seemed like they all were just as stunned.

"Does that mean..."

"Yes," Zelena answered, still catching her breath, "Regina is free. Someone got her out, and it obviously wasn't me."

Caroline soon felt the warm embrace of her father, who held her tight enough for her to feel the pure relief exude from him. For the first time since arriving in the Enchanted Forest, hope seemed closer than ever before. Everything was going to be okay.