Snow woke up bleary eyed and achy. A hand pressed a cool glass of water to her lips. She felt warm, cozy fabric beneath her, and looked down to see her best goose-down bed-set laid on top of her. How had she gotten to her bed? The last thing she remembered was trying to heal her bruises…Snow shut her eyes tightly as her stomach churned. "Jo-Joha-" she whispered, unable to complete the word.

"Shh, Snow it's alright." Johanna combed back the hair on the little girl's forehead and brought the basin of water to her lips again. "Drink this." She said sternly. Snow let the liquid slid down her throat, but it burned immensely. She put her hand to her throat and groaned.

"I know sweetheart I know," the nursemaid soothed. The princess's vision finally cleared enough so she could see her. Snow knit her brows in confusion.

"Wh- what happ- happened?" she asked weakly. 'Why did speaking suddenly take so much energy?'

The maid gently placed a hand atop hers and eyed her warily. She really didn't want to scare Snow, but she had a right to know. "You fainted dear." She said carefully, "I found you in the bathroom violently ill. There was spilled cayenne all over the floor and you were huddled in a little ball in the corner, looking very green." Snow tried to sit up as Johanna spoke, but the nurse gently pushed her back down, "Hush now," she admonished. "I'll only tell you this if you remain still. You must rest." Snow flopped back on her pillows, she felt exhausted. How long had she been asleep?

Johanna continued, "I tried to pick you up and carry you back to bed, but-"

Suddenly, Snow's mind was flooded with memories. Johanna came toward her, but it wasn't Johanna; it was Cora. Her face was emotionless and terrifying. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn't going to leave until she got it. She'd come back to claim Snow's heart!

The little girl shrunk further into the wall, trapping herself in the corner, wishing desperately to become invisible. Then the woman changed. She was Johanna again, smiling warmly and whispering comforting phrases and reassuring Snow that everything was going to be all right. The girl stared at her maid for a moment, unsure what to do. Johanna took a small step toward her. Just as the princess loosened her death grip on the sides of the wall, Cora's bone-chilling insane laugh rang in her ears. Snow shut her eyes. When she opened them Regina's mother was standing in Johanna's place, reaching a hand toward Snow, aimed straight at her chest. Snow ducked between the woman's legs and ran out of the bathroom, not sure where to go. She looked behind her, but Cora wasn't there, Johanna was. Snow no longer cared though. She just kept running. She didn't dare look back again. It didn't matter who was after her, Snow feared that one would turn into the other and as long as there was a doubt in her mind that the woman behind her was not the loving nursemaid that had cared for her, but the evil witch who wanted her heart, she could not get caught.

The chase went on until Snow could no longer feel her legs. When the woman, Snow was too afraid to see which it was, did catch her, she remembered letting out a long, blood-curdling, petrified scream and then…nothing.

Johanna's voice pulled her back to the present. "That's when you fainted." She was saying, "You were very warm, and incredibly disoriented. I was going to send for the doctor but-"

Snow shook her head, eyes pleading. She tried to sit up again "No, P-please! The King," she whispered fearfully. What would happen if a doctor came? What if they saw her bruises? They'd undoubtedly want to know what happened. She could tell them about Cora, but any good doctor would know some of her injuries were far too healed to be from last night. And if they found out about her father…

"Shh, I know, I know. Don't worry, I haven't sent for anyone." she tried her best to comfort the little girl. Snow sighed in relief.

"But we must do something," she bit her lip. "You're fever has only gotten higher and you've been having…" Should she really tell her such a thing? Or should she spare her the worry? Johanna wondered. Snow was watching her curiously, anxious to hear what she was going to say. Johanna looked at the girl. She was only ten years old, but she had had more troubles, seen more sorrow, and been shouldered with more responsibility than many people twice her age. She deserved to know. "…fits." The nursemaid finally said.

Snow knit her brow in confusion. "Fits? What do you-"

And then it started. Colors danced before her eyes, the room spun and she felt as though she were going to be sick. She shook violently, thought she was falling. And then…blackness.

XXX

King George paced back and forth in front of the mirror, waiting impatiently. Suddenly a dark blue mist encompassed the glass surface. She was here.

"Milady?" King George asked as the fog cleared to reveal the sorceress, having now traded her midnight blue robe for those of the blackest black and a scarlet blood red. "You look-"

"Is it done?" Cora's no nonsense tone cut off the King.

"Just as you requested .The potion took hold not but 12 hours ago. The girl is sick as can be."

"Excellent! I always warned Regina that love was weakness; now she will have no choice but to marry the King, if only to stay with her precious Snow…while she can." Cora laughed wickedly, savoring her victory.

George looked at her aghast, "You don't mean… you never said it would kill her!"

Cora sneered "Well, what did you expect dearie? Happiness and rainbows just because my daughter gets married?" Cora grinned at the sheepish expression on the Kings face.

"Oh my dear, the world doesn't work that way, you know that as much as anyone. What about your little wife, what was her name again, Annie? Agatha?" Cora laughed as the King's face flamed an angry red.

"Andrina! You will not use my wife against me again! You promised if I did this, you would bring her back to me!"

"And have I not come through on that promise?" the sorceress feigned innocence.

"That poor innocent creature lying limply in my bed is not my wife." He spat in disgust. "You may have given back her heart, but you still have her soul! She trembles with terrible visions, visions of you and what you took from us! All she sees when she closes her eyes is you, holding her heart as you crushed our son's in front of us! She is devastated, she's afraid of everyone, and she thinks I'm out to murder her!" he was so angry he wondered if smoke was coming out of his ears.

Cora simply smiled coyly, "I did all I could," she taunted him.

"You've done nothing!" he boomed. "I should've never trusted you. Mark my words Cora Mills, you may be safe in that blasted Wonderland now, but when you come back, you will be at my mercy!"

King George hurled the mirror at the wall with all his might. Cora's cackle echoed through the room the glass shattered.

He had been played. Bamboozled. He was a spineless rat and there was nothing he could do to repair the past, but he knew how to make sure that little girl did not have to play the role that wretched Queen of Hearts had intended for her. He contemplated for a moment, but saw no other option. Deals like these never did end well, but this time he was prepared to pay the price "Rumplestilkin, I summon thee." he shouted.

"My, my, dearie," the disgusting imp giggled "aren't we a little pawnbroker as of late, first a deal with the Queen of Hearts and now a summons of the Dark One. What could ever make you so…desperate?" he asked as he inched closer to the King.

George turned toward him and started to speak, but before he could say anything, Rumple wagged his finger knowingly, "Ah, don't tell me." he circled the king, who followed the man, if he was one, with his gaze. "Is it a loved one?"

George didn't react beyond an eye blink, but the imp apparently saw through him. "Ah, you do have a problem with a loved one." Then he tapped his long, grungy finger on his chin thoughtfully. "But that isn't the root of the predicament…is it?" he giggled in that creepy way of his, making the King tense.

"Is it a recent deed you've done or-" then he glanced at the shattered glass. "It is! Don't tell me you actually feel sorry for the girl?" he laughed.

"How did you-" George started, but Rumple silenced him.

"I know everything, dearie."

"Can- can you heal her?"

"I can do as you ask, but-"

"Yes, I know all magic comes with a price. I'm prepared to do whatever you require."

Rumple laughed devilishly. "Oh, this is not a price you will pay, but a price your son will pay."

George knit his brows "My son? But I haven't any-"

"Oh, but you will. One day you will call one me again, begging for a son. And I will grant your wish…for a price. That is when you will pay me. But this little trick? It's on him." The imp snapped his fingers. "She should be healed by morning."

"Wait I-" but before the king could utter another syllable, Rumplestilskin vanished in a puff of smoke.

XXX

The next morning, Snow awoke, weak, but no longer feeling as ill as she used to be. Johanna still insisted she stay in bed for a few more days, if only to be sure she was well again. The princess obliged, but she knew she would be fully healed by the next morning. As much as this relieved her; for she was getting sick of staying in her room, but at the same time the concept of walking around the palace again unnerved her. What would her father say? More importantly, what would he do?

Snow had grown quite used to the absence of yelling and hitting in the past day or so, but as everything good in her life, she knew it wasn't to last. She had duties to her father and to her people. She couldn't forget that, no matter how much she wanted to. The princess swallowed back her fear and attempted to forget, she still had one more day to rest. She wanted to relish the peace and quiet well she still had it.

XXX

Regina stood pacing in her father's living room as the sun shone brighter in the sky.

"Regina, sweetheart," her father chided. "Stop pacing, you're going to wear a hole in the floor."

"I'm sorry Daddy," Regina said as she came to a halt and turned to face him, chewing her bottom lip, "I'm just soo nervous. What if I can't do this?"

"Oh 'Gina," her father cooed, pulling her into a firm hug. "I know you're scared, but sometimes being afraid can be good. When you reach your goal, you'll feel like you can do anything."

"But what if it's not enough?" Regina's voice wavered, "What if I can't save her? How do I even find Sapphire again? What if she won't help us? What if-"

"Regina, baby, you need to calm down," Daniel interrupted on his way down the staircase. "Everything is going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure of that?" the girl asked, she was beginning to panic now, thinking of her mother, of all the dark powers magic could have if she let it. She thought she was ready to do this last night. She wanted to face her fear and prove her mother wrong. She was so sure… And now? Now all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and hide. Magic? What in the name of the Enchanted Forest had she been thinking? She couldn't learn magic, not with all the implications and pain it had caused her! That she could cause to other people if she had it. No there was just no way this was going to happen.

But what about Snow? Those sweet, tender brown eyes that looked at her as though she were the only hope the princess had left. If Regina didn't help her, who would? She slumped against the wall, putting her head in her hands. "I'm such a coward," she whispered.

Suddenly, she felt a strong set of arms wrap around her. She leaned heavily into her fiancée's chest. "You know that's not true," he soothed, rubbing circles on her back.

"It is!" she gasped, as her breathing became more rapid. "I am and I always have been. With my mother, with my relationship with you, even when I trained my horse!" A small sob escaped her lips, "I've never done anything brave, how am I supposed to do this?"

Daniel felt her tears soaking his sweater, but he didn't care. "'Gina, look at me," he gently placed his hand under her chin, coaxing her to look up at him.

"Do you know why I fell in love with you?" he asked fondly.

Regina shook her head, her eyes pleading.

"Because you are the kindest, prettiest, funniest, and most courageous girl I've ever met."

"Really?" she asked.

"Of course, he gently kissed her forehead, "Day after day you fought against your own mother to be with me, to ride Rocinante, to have a day for yourself, to banish your own mother, to make your own happy ending. Only someone truly brave could do those things my dear. Only the boldest are willing to defy their own family to go after what they want. Especially against a woman as powerful as Cora Mills."

"Do you really think so?" Regina breathed, trying to take in all that he had said. True, her mother had been frightening, but she was her mother. Regina had always thought her choices to disobey her were wrong.

But she also knew she couldn't live her life that way. Did going after her dreams really constitute enough courage in her to face the thing she was most afraid of; could she live up to Snow's belief in her?

"He's right, you know," her father commented. He came up and wrapped his arm around his daughter and son-in-law.

"Daddy?"

"Regina, when you were younger, and I would see what Cora did to you, I wanted so much to stop it. But I just couldn't." he squeezed her arm, "I wasn't brave enough. And that kills me every day."

"Oh, Daddy, you don't need to-"

"Oh, I do sweetheart," he cut her off. "You are my daughter. I should've been there to protect you and I wasn't."

Regina hugged him to her.

"What I didn't do haunts me everyday. And it amazes me how quickly you've grown up into the beautiful woman who stands here now, even with my horrible mistakes."

"It's okay Daddy," she whispered.

"Thank you dear, but I will never be able to have that time with you again," he looked away quickly, blinking rapidly. He cleared his throat and then continued. "However, I can help you now. I have faith in you my dear," he said earnestly.

"We both do." Daniel kissed her again.

"I know you're scared, but you can do this." Her father said determinedly.

"And we'll be there every step of the way," affirmed Daniel.

Regina looked around her, her eyes filling with grateful tears. She wasn't any less afraid, but she was ready to face it. If not for herself, then for them. Her father, her Daniel, her little princess; they were counting on her. And she would not let them down.

She walked to the door and unlocked it; she had a hunch where to find Blue now. There was no going back. She would live up to Snow, live up to her and for her. Because they were family.