At the precinct Ruby stood guarding a small figure with balding grey hair, wearing a black frock coat.
"Snow White", Henry Mills said walking towards the school teacher. "You look... different."
"It really is you", Snow said full of disbelief. "Did Regina send you here? Is she okay? When will she come home?"
"Hush, hush, child. Regina is alright... But she needs your help in finding her way back to this land. Is there a place we can talk privately?"
Snow eagerly nodded. "Yes, of course. We can head over to the town's library. It's just opposite the street. Belle can open it up for us."
"It's alright Ruby", Snow said to her skeptical looking friend. "He won't harm us."
When Belle led them inside she turned to go but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
It was Henry's.
"Stay", he said. "Regina said you were her friend and that I could trust you."
The librarian smiled. "I am. It is really nice to meet you, sir. Regina often talks about you."
"Does she?", the old man asked. "I fear her memories are not of the happy kind."
"Oh but they are!", Belle exclaimed. "She told me how you brought something special for her from every trip you made. She still has that pretty desert flower between the pages of one of her favorite books."
Regina's father seemed to remember, a faraway look on his face. "It wasn't easy getting this one, but I knew it was the perfect thing to take home to my girl. Because just like that flower, she grew and blossomed even though the circumstances were less than ideal. She was the strongest little girl there could be. Not even Cora was able to ever entirely break her..."
He looked at his surroundings, remembering what they came here for in the first place.
His face became stony and he looked older than just seconds before.
"Regina believes it is her task to get the Enchanted Forest Snow to fall in love with her, if she wants to get back to Storybrooke. She thinks it's impossible and I'm not sure she'll even try to succeed. She gave me this letter for you."
He took a piece of parchment out of his pockets and handed it to Snow.
"Read it", Henry only said.
Snow took the parchment and unfolded it with trembling hands.
"Dear Snow,
I know that you must be worried but do not fret.
I am alive and well - I've merely been taken back in time.
I'm sorry for causing you pain; so much pain in both lives that I cannot hope to ever make it up to you.
The night I disappeared, I noticed you were having a nightmare. I was the cause of it. I couldn't stay with you then. I am a monster and you should not be as forgiving as you are; listen to your mind - it fears me and maybe that's all I can hope for from people.
Right now I don't know how to deal with this but I know that I do not deserve you and that I brought so much misery to an entire kingdom, even land, out of selfishness.
The task I am to complete to get back to Storybrooke is impossible but even if I could manage to fulfill its requirements...
I will stay here. Maybe I can change some of the lives I 've ruined for the better.
Just know that I will always love you, no matter what time or place.
Please tell Belle that I'm sorry and that no evil witch or beast could ever find a better friend than her.
Forever yours,
Regina"
Snow's hands sank down into her lap, the paper crumbling in her clenched fists.
She was sobbing, her shoulders heaving and her heart broken.
Regina wasn't going to come back to her.
She left her because she'd made her feel guilty and undeserving.
'Damn those dreams!'
"So she's just giving up?", Snow sobbed. "She won't try to get back to me?"
"That's exactly why I am here, my child. I believe we need to remind Regina of what she has to lose if she doesn't come back to this... Storybrooke. Right now she's burying herself in regret and guilt for all that she has done and wants to redeem herself... It's all she can think about."
He noticed the disappointed, hurt look in Snow White's face and rushed to continue.
"I can see that she is suffering though. Not only from her guilt but from missing a part of herself. I believe that part is you. I need you to help me. I want nothing but my little girl to be happy. I don't care if I have to die at her hands for her to achieve the happiness she deserves.
Are you still able to visit the burning room from the Sleeping Curse when you're asleep?"
Snow looked puzzled but nodded nonetheless.
"I am. But how will this help me in getting Regina back?"
"I was wondering if you could maybe talk to your past self? Or at least someone else you trust and was under a Sleeping Curse once?"
"I don't know. I never tried but yes, it could be possible. What do you have in mind?"
"You'll see."
"Snow", a voice was calling out for her as she was sitting amidst the flames, waiting for this phase of her sleep to be over.
The voice sounded oddly familiar. Too familiar.
"Snow", it called out again and suddenly the figure of a young woman with short, black hair evolved behind a wall of flames.
"Snow!", the female voice exclaimed. "It is me. Uh... or you... actually. I have an important message for you but you need to trust me. Walk through the flames so we can talk properly - they won't harm you. Please."
The woman looked exactly like her, safe from the hairstyle and clothes. Maybe this was another trick of Regina's...
She pondered her options for some seconds but finally her natural curiosity won.
'Well, it's just a dream after all. I should be fine passing through the flames.'
And closing her eyes she stepped through the fire. It tickled her skin but it didn't burn her.
She now stood directly in front of that other version of herself. It was weird, really... She looked so different but neither younger nor much older than she.
"How...?"
"I come from the future", the other Snow interrupted her . "I don't have much time but I need you to go to the Mourning Willow in the Dark Forest. Go alone. Be there at dawn in one day. Someone will be awaiting you there and I beg you to not directly leave again after seeing them. Do it for us... Please."
And with that the appearance disappeared into nothingness, leaving her alone and ready to wake up. Who was she supposed to meet? And what could be so important?
"Did it work?", Belle, Emma and two Henry's were asking her simultaneously as she woke up.
"Ow. You guys are seriously giving me a headache", she growled in mock annoyance.
Then she looked at their expectant faces and started grinning.
"It worked. I just hope I don't screw it up and run upon seeing that Regina is the secret person I'm supposed to meet. I wish I could've just told her..."
"Like I told you", Rumplestiltskin said from a corner of her room. "It's not the way these things work. Telling Snow that Regina is her real true love would break the deal that has been made when she traveled to our home realm. There wouldn't be any possibility for her to come back then."
"I hate it when you're right", Snow said and sighed.
"I'm sure mom will be able to convince you. If she wants to that is", young Henry added to the conversation. "You still have to convince her first, though, grandpa."
He and Henry Mills Sr had immediately hit it off and the boy was already sad that the grandfather he got his name from would have to leave again very soon.
"I just wish you could stay here with us. As things are our rather were, I'll probably never see you again... You know, with the curse and everything..."
"I know Henry. I would've loved to get to know you better." His grandfather said and gave him a encouraging smile. "Don't be sad Henry, it was the greatest pleasure being able to meet you at all. You remind me so much of Regina... She's raised you well."
He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it.
"Watch over my grandson, will you." He said to Snow and embraced her. "I'm sure Regina will find her way back to you and her boy. After all, love was always her greatest strength."
He opened his mouth to say something else but vanished into thin air before he was able to.
Regina's projection spell had ended.