David and Grumpy came up behind Snow, concerned when they'd found her missing, "Sister it's not safe for you to be in here with her. We don't have any way to block her magic."

Snow stood in the doorway staring at their two prisoners, Regina leaning against the wall of the disused mine her hands bound in front of her but clearly with all the confidence of someone in control. She waved her hands, "Give the shepherd a prize for figuring out the obvious."

The ropes disappeared and she rubbed her wrist but didn't get up.

"They say they're time travelers," Snow said quietly.

Grumpy raised an eyebrow, "And I say I'm queen of the fairies that doesn't mean I have wings, sister."

Henry looked between them, "Please listen to us."

Snow tilted her head and looked at the boy, and at Regina, "If this is your son Regina, why is he nearly what? 13? And you don't look any older."

"It's complicated," Regina said. "But Henry is my son. And if any of you lays a hand on his head you'll find out how much of the Evil Queen I still have left in me."

David raised an eyebrow, and Henry smiled and shrugged. "My family tree is kind of complicated."

Snow kept her eye on the woman sitting on the ground in the strange clothes.

"If you really are Regina... tell me why you gave me the apple?"

It was fresh in her mind of course. A recent event to Regina's distant memory. Regina held her expression, "I offered you the apple as a straight trade. Your life for your true love's. That version of the sleeping curse doesn't work unless the victim is willing."

David turned his head sharply to watch Snow, but she shook her head, "No. Why any of it? Anyone with the right magical knowledge could have told me that since James had been captured."

Regina rolled her eyes for a moment, "Please don't expect me to call him James there is only so much bullshit I can put up with." David drew his sword part way but Henry moved between him and his mother.

Snow raised an eyebrow and something about her eyes made Regina meet them, "I blamed you for the death of my true love, Daniel. Because you told my mother I was going to run away with him rather than marry your father."

That was news to the men in the room save Henry, both Grumpy and David looked confused, in part because the answer came so calmly. The idea of the evil queen having a conversation rather than a mad woman's rant alien to both of them.

But Snow was crying and neither Regina nor Snow had broken eye contact.

"Blamed," Snow said quietly.

She nodded.

"You forgave me," Snow said with all the sadness and love of a woman lost in a desert who had spotted an oasis.

"She forgave you? Snow... do you remember who we're talking about?" David asked urgently, practically pulling her out of the room and down the mine. "She's getting in your head. Like she always does. Remember when you faced her the other day... "

Snow shook her head, "I remember, but ... that's Regina, David," she whispered softly. "That's the woman I know. Ish. And if she is from the future it means ..."

"Snow you are not the one who did something that requires forgiveness from a mad woman." David put his hands on each side of her head and pulled her into his chest. "I know you want that to be true. But the Queen has tricked us before and there is no coming back from what she's done."

"What I'm most worried about," Snow said after a moment, "Is whose child that is. He's very attached to her."

"You think she's lying?"

"I think she looks at him like her everything. Regina's never been that maternal."

David shook his head, "Where is the father, and I've heard rumors about the Evil Queen and children. I think he's the key to figuring out what's going on. And we need to keep quiet who we have, there are a few more refugees in the group... no matter who that woman is the Queen's soldiers are laying waste to every village this part of the kingdom."

Snow's shoulder sank. "She warned us she'd do this when we told her we'd fight."

"This is not your fault." David tilted his head to meet hers, "I wish I could convince you to stop letting that woman get in your head. And having two of them is only double the danger."

Snow glanced back down the hall where the Queen.. or the future Queen was being kept.

Later that evening Snow returned with some blankets. "We have a few cots spare for Henry if he'd like... I don't think it's safe yet to let too many people know you are here." She nodded to the woman who had apparently laid down using a scarf as a pillow and given her long fine woolen coat to the boy. It was hard to imagine a queen sleeping rough like that but Snow remembered Regina before she was a queen and it was easy to picture that person. She wasn't sure what to make of this woman though, who seemed not quite Regina but not quite the Evil Queen either.

"I want to stay with my mom," Henry said sleepily.

Regina looked at him a moment and at Snow, "No Henry, we'll likely be walking a lot and you'll need your sleep. The Princess wouldn't ever hurt you."

The fierce look in Regina's eyes told Snow that it was an ultimatum. "You'll be perfectly safe. And so will your mom."

She lay the blankets down for Regina.

"Snow, you know we're telling the truth."

Snow smiled sadly, "You have no idea how much I want you to be telling the truth, Regina."