Regina was still scribbling away when the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock over the mantel: 8:00. Henry was no doubt still engrossed in Space Paranoids, and he wouldn't pause the game for the end of the world, let alone the doorbell. She heaved a sigh and headed for the front door.

"Still alive, I see," she said, as Snow stepped through the open door.

"For the moment, it seems." Snow replied with a smile. "I was worried about you."

"Shouldn't you be at home with Neal?"

"No, David's on baby duty. Neal's been spending all day pulling off his socks and sticking his feet into his mouth. I figured that was more David's specialty than mine."

Regina laughed at that. "Come on in," she said, gesturing to the foyer. "Can I get you something?"

"No, I'm good," Snow said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Regina knew it was a rote answer. She also knew it wasn't likely to head off the heart-to-heart that Snow seemed so desperately to desire, but at the moment, she wasn't up to fighting a losing battle with her stepdaughter. "I'm surviving," she amended.

"You always survive, Regina. You're pretty tough to bring down." Snow laid a hand on Regina's shoulder, and Regina fought off the impulse to shake it off. As irritating as Snow was, she genuinely seemed to care, and Regina was hardly in a position to turn that away. She patted Snow's hand with her own, then turned to walk back to her office. "Come on back," she said. "Henry's playing a video game, so he'll probably never even know you're here, but let's go to the office."

Secretly, Regina was beyond proud of Storybrooke, the little world that she'd created. She loved its quaint charm and idyllic beauty. She loved her house at 108 Mifflin with its impeccable interior design and high-end finishes. More than anything, though, she loved her home office. With mahogany bookshelves, rich leather furniture, and dark green drapes, it was the kind of room that she could have imagined her father in, sitting in an armchair, smoking a pipe and asking her about her riding lessons. It was the only room in her house where she wasn't Mayor Mills. She was Regina, the girl who had loved horses and hated having her hair brushed.

"So," Snow said, once she'd gotten settled on the sofa, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not at all. But, since it's going to affect us all, I suppose it's only fair to tell you what happened. How much did Emma tell you?"

An uncomfortable look flitted across Snow's face. "Not much. She's…well, she's really not telling me anything these days."

"She'll get over it," Regina dismissed.

"I'm worried about her, Regina. She already had a lot to deal with, finding out what we did to Maleficent. And then Cruella…"

"Are you worried about that?" Regina scoffed. "You cursed a dragon baby to darkness to protect Emma, and you're worried that she went after Cruella while she was holding a gun to Henry's head? Believe me, what Emma did was nothing. If it had been me to find Cruella, there wouldn't be enough ashes left to sweep up."

"I know, and if it were Emma, or Neal, I would have done the same. But I don't want her to blacken her heart because of what we've done."

"Snow, you're forgetting something. Emma was never a delicate princess. I can guarantee you that her heart has some black marks. She was in prison, need I remind you, and she still wound up here as the savior." Regina nodded at Snow. "Good and evil…it's not that simple anymore, especially not here. So be patient. And for god's sake, don't smother her."

"I don't smother!" Snow said, eyes wide.

"Right. So that's why you're not here to check on me."

Snow had no comeback for that one. A lesser woman would have acknowledged the hit and backed off, but Snow wouldn't be deterred. "Right. That's why I came. So talk."

Regina sighed. "Where should I start? With Lily?" Snow shook her head. "Fine. You want to get right to the fun part." She fiddled with the blanket tossed over the arm of her chair. "Well. The plan was to go the apartment, tell Robin that Marian was Zelena, take him and Roland out of there, and leave Zelena to rot in New York with nothing."

Snow raised her eyebrows. "That was the plan?"

Regina smirked. "Maybe I didn't fill Emma in on that last part. But, essentially, yes. We got there, and I pounded on the door, and Robin answered." I missed you. And I you. Regina closed her eyes, trying to shake the memory of his arms around her. "Zelena arrived a few minutes after we did. Well, Zelena as Marian. I told Robin who she was and what she'd done to Marian, and he didn't believe me." This is the new reality. I'm with her. I'm with Marian. "I guess that seeing Robin choose her over me wasn't enough, so she showed her true face. And then, when I told Robin to get Roland and leave with me, he told me she was pregnant. So we left."

Snow was stunned. "Wow. She really is evil." Regina nodded, avoiding Snow's gaze. "And that's it?" Snow continued. "He didn't have any explanation for you? Anything to say for himself?"

Regina snorted, an unladylike noise that would have horrified her mother. "She's pregnant. What could he possibly have to explain?"

"This just doesn't make sense. He couldn't have chosen her. There must be more to it than that."

Regina shook her head. "If there is, I didn't see it."

Regina, I know he loves you. Everyone in this town saw how he looked at you. How could he have just given up on that?"

"He's a man of honor, Snow. I guess when he thought that they were banished to New York, he decided to make a new life with his wife."

"Well, sure, but after only a few weeks? It took you thirty years to get over losing Daniel and open yourself up again, and he only took a few weeks?"

"Well, I guess when you're faced with someone as good and kind and wonderful as Marian, getting over the evil queen isn't such a challenge." Regina didn't bother trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"No," Snow snapped. "Don't do that. Don't even think it." She reached out and grabbed the hand that was still picking at the fringe on the blanket. "Regina, you don't deserve to be forgotten. Not then, and not now, and especially not by someone who is supposed to be your true love. There must be some sort of explanation, but the fact that you are who you are is not it."

Regina squeezed Snow's fingers. "Thank you for that," she said, "but it doesn't change the facts. Robin chose Marian. Marian is Zelena. Zelena is pregnant. We're all screwed."

"Zelena is not going to win."

"Careful, Snow. That's starting to sound like a hope speech."

Snow looked more determined than Regina had ever seen her. "You're part of my family, Regina. Nothing hurts my family. We'll find a way to stop her, for good this time."

Regina stood and walked to the desk, where she gathered the papers she'd been working on when Snow arrived. "Here," she said, holding them out to Snow.

"What's this?"

"I've been trying to figure out a plan for all of our problems. Not exactly an easy task."

Snow spread the three sheets of paper on the coffee table. One was titled Zelena, the second, Author and the third, Lily. Regina had listed strengths and weaknesses for each, possible strategies, and probable outcomes.

"Wow. You've been busy."

"Well, I like to know what I'm facing. Winging it was never my style."

Snow laughed. "I never thought I'd say this, Regina, but I'm so glad I'm on your side." Together, they leaned over the papers and began to discuss the next steps.

Snow left at eleven, long after Henry had given up on Space Paranoids and gone to bed. Regina took a glass of water upstairs and set it on the nightstand next to her Blackberry. Once she'd finished her nightly routine (face scrubbed and a fresh pair of satin pajamas), she pulled the comforter back and curled into bed. She hadn't slept well the night before, but tonight she felt a little bit better. A little less like she alone was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She sent up a quick thanks for Snow and reached for the book at her bedside table.

Her Blackberry buzzed. A text alert. Regina picked up the phone, expecting it to be from Emma.

It wasn't from Emma. It was from Robin. Two words. I'm sorry.

Regina stared at the screen. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and put the phone face-down on the bedside table.