Snow awakes in the garden. She collapses onto the vine-covered fountain, no longer able to control the waves of emotion that have been assaulting her senses since the first memory. She barely registers the garden's keeper striding toward her. She wipes her eyes and looks at him.

"Why am I back?"

He smiles at her...or at least, she thinks he does. "That was all of the memories I protect."

"But...but she's got to have more memories than that," she argues. "Why was the kitchens the last one?"

The guardian sits on the edge of the fountain, clasps his hands in his lap. Snow watches him and waits for him to answer. He sits for a few moments longer before turning to look at her.

"That was the last moment she was a child."

She turns away, new tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She was the reason her stepmother had gone from innocent girl to murderous monarch. If she had just -

"You were not the only cause of her turn, Snow White."

Snow's head snaps in the guardian's direction. "How did you-"

"You were merely the metaphorical shove off the edge. There were more factors than your...betrayal."

Snow knows he's right. She's just witnessed the actual disease that caused Regina to change - to become a completely different person. Loneliness. A life of solitude and being ignored. She would have lost it, too. She faces him once more.

"Thank you for helping me."

A hand comes to rest on her shoulder. "May you always remember this night, Snow White."

o0o

She sits in a booth at Granny's.

She'd never forgotten that night almost half a century ago, in the mystical garden that had vines full of memories. She'd never forgotten the memories the garden had shown her. Of course, the threat that had come from the source of the memories had caused just the slightest bit of panic, and a little less hope in said source, but the hope had never completely gone away.

Neither had the guilty feeling that had come about the birthday.

Snow had gone to Robin first, figuring she would have at least told her husband when her birthday was. Apparently even the title of spouse didn't qualify for information about all important dates. Neither did the position of son...or psychiatrist...or twisted magic tutor.

It had been Whale she had finally pulled the information from. It hadn't been easy, but after nearly two hours of pestering the man, he'd finally cracked, giving her the date she'd scoured the town for.

So here she sits, waits for the woman to finally enter the diner. Ten minutes later, she does. There's a worried look on her face as she hurries to where Snow sits. She smiles at the very tiny bump that shows from beneath the fabric of her stepmother's red dress.

"You said this was an emergency. Why are you smiling?"

She looks up at the unamused face of Regina Mills. The woman crosses her arms and waits for Snow to give her an answer. When she fails to respond, the perfect brow arches into the perfectly maintained hairline.

Snow gestures to the opposite side of the booth. "Sit."

Regina stands for a few more seconds before she sighs and sits down across from Snow. They sit for a few moments longer before Snow breaks the silence.

"It's May 21st."

Regina rolls her eyes dramatically before she looks back at her stepdaughter. "I know what day it is, dear. Why am I really here, Mary Margaret?"

She just continues to stare at the queen. She sees the memories flash by in front of her eyes as she recalls that night in the forest. She smiles again as they end.

"Happy birthday, Regina."

AN

Thank you guys SO MUCH for reading this story! Writing is a guilty pleasure I really have a hard time denying, so I'm glad makes others happy to. If you guys ever want to send me a prompt, don't even think about hesitating! You guys are the best!

TM - Long Live the Muse