Snow took a deep breath as she exited from the town hall's back door into the small garden. The fresh, crisp air helped clear her mind.

She had just sent the jury to deliberate on Regina's guilt, and she filed through the trial slowly, trying to understand what it was that was eating at her and making her stomach churn.

Of course, she knew. Regina wasn't guilty. Not of this, at least.

Snow had really believed her stepmother had killed Archie, she had honestly believed Pongo's memories. Who wouldn't? Regina had committed atrocities beyond comprehension, she had killed and tortured. What was one little murder?

And, so what if she had no motive? What motive had she had in the past?

But she hadn't done it. Snow was certain. She had watched Regina during the trial, had listened to the evidence, and she knew. Was Archie even dead? Kathryn had cast that into doubt as well.

Snow leaned against a pine tree, the sweet scent wafting into her nose and calming her a little.

The jury would find her guilty, she knew that too. It didn't really matter if they'd believed Sydney or not, they wanted to see Regina dead, and they'd find her guilty even if Archie walked through the door.

And Snow had manipulated her into putting on that wrist cuff. A small shudder went through her. She had truly believed it was the right thing to do, she had been afraid of Regina, of her magic, of her anger and vindictiveness. Who could blame her? After everything Regina had put her through.

And now, she'd taken away her one defense.

Checking her watch, Snow pushed away from the tree, the jury should have finished deliberating by now.

Walking into the town hall, she marveled at the silence that fell over the room as she climbed the few steps to the dais. It had been a long time since her presence had been treated with such reverence. She sat at the small judge's table, the jury filed back in through a side door. Regina and Kathryn had already taken their place, Snow avoided their gazes. Sydney sat, a small smile playing in his lips, at the prosecutor's seat.

When the last juror had taken his seat, Snow knew them all by name of course, they had been her people, they had fought Regina next to her, helping Snow take back her throne. She trusted each and every one of them with her life.

Snow rose, the sound of chatter that had taken over the room fell as she looked around the room.

"Jurors," she said, "Have you reached a verdict?"

The head juror rose, his dark hair fell in his eyes and he swept it away with one hand, his other held a small slip of paper.

"Yes, Your Honor," he said,

Snow nodded, "What is it?"

He cleared his throat "We the jury, do, by unanimous vote, find the defendant, Regina Mills, guilty of murder in the first degree,"

He cleared his throat again, the sound echoing in the deathly silent room. He sat down.

Snow found her bearings after only a moment, she had known, after all, that this would be the verdict.

"Thank you, members of the jury," she bit her lower lip, surveying the crowd. They all looked up to her, waiting for her decision. Almost involuntarily her gaze met Regina's, whose dark eyes betrayed nothing, not anger, not derision, not sadness. Nothing. Snow pressed her lips together.

"I will communicate my decision in half an hour's time,"

She all but ran out of the room.

Finding refuge in one of the small offices that made up the second floor of the town office, Snow barricaded herself in it. She paced around the room, once, twice, three times. She pressed her forehead against the cool panel of the window, watching the small crowd that had formed there, her fellow citizens, her subjects. They gathered in small groups, clumping throughout the greens, some smoked, some laughed. As she watched, the jurors walked out, they were greeted by several of the groups, turning into one large assembly.

Sighing, she turned away.

The door sprung open and David walked in, his blue eyes glancing around the room in a mild panic, until they settled on her. He smiled.

"There you are," walking in, he closed the door behind him, "What are you doing?"

"David," Snow all but cried, she launched herself into his arms, his warm scent filling her nose, "I don't know what to do!"

He pulled away from her, keeping his arms around her waist, "What do you mean?"

"The sentence, I don't…"

"Snow, it's rather clear," David said, his eyebrows knitting together, "She must die,"

Swallowing, Snow pulled away from her husband, she crossed her arms, "That's it? You think it's that easy?" her voice was hard, how could he not understand? "She must die…"she repeated.

"The jury found her guilty, the punishment for first degree murder is death, in this world and in ours," David said, "and, frankly, it's high time she received her due,"

Snow stared at her husband, she shouldn't be surprised really, he had convinced her to sentence Regina to death once before.

"She didn't do it," Snow said,

"Why do you say that?" David asked, but his eyes betrayed him, and Snow knew him too well to believe him.

"You know it as well as I do," She said, "You saw the video, if Archie is dead, it was Cora that killed him,"

"If? If he's dead?" David shook his head, "Snow, he hasn't been seen in weeks, why would he just disappear?"

"I don't know," she raised her hands in defeat, "That's not the point, the point is, Regina didn't kill him, and you know it,"

"The jury found her guilty,"

"They would have found her guilty of killing a fly, and said she deserved to die for it,"

"And, maybe, there's a reason for that," David stepped forward, taking her shoulders, "Have you forgotten everything she's done? Have you forgotten why we're here? Why we didn't get to watch our daughter grow up?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten, Charming," Snow spat, "But this trial is about Archie's death, not everything else," she pulled away from him and walked over to the window again, dark clouds were beginning to form in the sky, "She has been trying, in the enchanted forest…" Snow sighed, according to Emma, Regina had tried to help them, tried to keep the portal open to get them home, but Snow herself was not so certain.

"Snow, even if she didn't kill Archie," David walked to her, his strong arms wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest, "You graced her once, and look what happened," he pressed a soft kiss to her hair, "She can't change, Snow, and if Cora killed Archie, do you really think Regina would work against her?"

No. Regina would never work against her mother. Cora, who had killed Daniel in cold blood, and yet Regina had blamed Snow, for years, she had blamed Snow for what Cora had done. Regina would never turn on her mother.

"Cora is dangerous on her own, the two of them working together? Imagine the destruction they could cause," David continued, "I know you cared for her once, Snow," he said, "but the girl you knew doesn't exist anymore, it's time to let her go,"

Snow blinked, as memories flashed behind her eyelids, of Regina galloping after her, of Regina's wedding to her father, of their life together. Riding together, playing chess, which Snow always lost at, listening to Regina's stories from under the covers...

It had all been a lie. Regina had never cared for her, from the moment her father had died, she had done nothing but hunt her down. Despite every chance that Snow had given her.

"David," she murmured, her eyes filling with tears, "I don't know if I can do this,"

His arms tightened around her, "I'm here with you, every step of the way."

—--

Regina watched a swallow fly past the window, the sky was darkening and the birds were looking for refuge in the thicket of trees by the side of the town hall. Kathryn tapped her foot on the ground next to her, the soft ticking of the clock above them echoed through the empty room. The spectators to their little drama had filed out, after the jury had announced their verdict, to talk and gossip until Snow had made her decision.

Turning away, Regina's eyes found Sydney, he hadn't left the building, he spoke in soft tones with some woman she didn't recognize. Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach.

The man had killed for her, he had loved her to the point of obsession, and now he called for her head.

Idly, she wondered why all the people who had ever cared for her either died or wanted her dead. The thought brought forward the image of the woman she had been trying hard not to think of. Blonde hair and green eyes invaded her vision, and Regina sighed, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose. The woman who had taken her son away. Perhaps it had been for the best. Still, tears sprung unwanted to her eyes as she thought of Henry, of their disastrous last meeting, which may well truly be their last.

Emma must have known, she must have known that the jury would find her guilty…

The memory of Emma's goodbye the evening before burned a hole deep in her skull.

—-

Huffing, Emma pushed a few documents off her office table and into her bag. Her eyebrows knit as she looked over the mess, evidently searching for something.

Regina sauntered up to the bars, watching the younger woman leaf through a pile of papers twice the size of her coffee mug.

"Lost something?" Regina asked,

Emma glanced at her, before looking back down, her hands skimming the heap of clutter aimlessly.

"It was right here…" she murmured, more to herself than Regina.

"Well, if you ever bothered to clean up after yourself, dear, I'm sure you'd have an easier time finding…whatever it is you're looking for," Regina pointed out,

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," Emma shot back instantly, before looking up at her and smirking, "Sorry, Grandma,"

Regina rolled her eyes at her childishness, "What are you looking for?"

"It's just. Something I need," Emma replied cryptically.

"Fine, don't ask for help," Regina said, turning and leaning against the cool metal bars.

"It's not like you could help, even if you wanted to," Emma said, her footsteps echoed through the station as she neared the cell.

"How are you feeling?" She asked,

Regina's eyebrows rose as she turned to face the sheriff, "Since when do you care?"

"Come on, Regina," Emma sighed, "I care,"

"You won't let me see Henry,"

"I don't think it's best, here, like this," Emma gestured vaguely at the situation.

Regina swallowed, she had a point.

"They'll find me guilty, you know," she said,

"Well, you are," Emma's eyes hardened, and Regina knew it was pointless to argue, yet she did it anyway, for some unknown reason,

"No, I'm not," she hissed, "I didn't kill the man, I don't care what either dog told you,"

"Nice, call my friend a dog, that'll help your case," Emma replied evenly,

"I'm sorry," Regina said, "I meant I don't care what the dalmatian and the dog told you,"

Emma rolled her eyes but didn't step away, "Regina, I watched you kill him,"

"It was my mother!"

"Why would she do that?" Emma asked,

"Because she wants to hurt me, she thinks that will force me back to her side,"

"That's twisted,"

"But it's true," Regina argued, her fingers locked on the bars, she searched Emma's eyes, for something, anything, that told her Emma believed her. She found nothing. Hard green eyes looked back at her through the grid.

"Why would I let your mother take my magic, if I were guilty?" Regina asked, holding up the arm encased in the wretched leather cuff.

Emma shrugged, "Because you want us to believe that you're not guilty, you want Henry to think you'll accept the verdict,"

Regina sighed, "With this cuff, I have to accept whatever sentence your mother hands out, I can't protect myself, would I really take that risk?"

Emma's eyes flickered between her face and the cuff for a long moment, then she stepped closer to the bars, so close that Regina could smell her perfume, vanilla and leather.

"If you're not guilty, then you have nothing to worry about,"

"Do you really believe that?" Regina asked,

"If you're so sure they'll find you guilty either way, why accept the cuff?" Emma asked,

Regina sighed, she wasn't sure herself, but she tried to explain her reasoning to her former nemesis,

"Had I not accepted this…thing," she held up her arm, "Henry would have seen right through the farce that is this trial," she swallowed, "If I can convince the jury, or your mother, that I'm not guilty, then Henry will have to believe me,"

"And if you can't?" Emma asked, and Regina noticed just how close she was, she could see the fine threads of her eyelashes, shimmering blonde in the late afternoon sun, streaming through the window. Regina looked away.

"Then there will be no point in me continuing to live, Henry will hate me, for killing Archie," she looked back up at Emma, green eyes speckled with gold, "In that case, I'll accept my sentence gratefully,"

Emma's lips pressed together, "Regina," she murmured, and suddenly they were very very close, only a hair's breadth away, divided only by the cell bars, "I…"

"Do you truly believe I'm guilty?" Regina asked,cutting off whatever it was that Emma was about to say.

"Yes," the answer came, certain, instant.

"What about your superpower?" Regina asked, half-joking, covering up the pain that had very suddenly bloomed in her chest.

"My superpower…" Emma looked away then, "It doesn't work on people I...care about,"

"The people you care about?"

Emma didn't answer, their eyes met and she didn't look away, she raised her hand, slim fingers wrapping around Regina's, where she held onto the bar of her cell.

Breathing unevenly, Emma watched her for a long moment, her gaze dropped to Regina's lips, then back up to her eyes.

"I should go," she murmured,

Regina nodded, not breaking eye contact, her heart in her throat. Emma pulled away.

"Good luck, tomorrow," she said,

"Thank you," Regina said, "I'll see you then, right?"

"Yeah," Emma swallowed, "Of course, see you,"

—

The sound of the doors opening and the crowd filing in shook Regina out of her thoughts, she watched them take their places, laughing and talking amongst themselves, no one so much as glanced up at her.

Snow walked in a moment later, and Regina checked her watch, twenty five minutes. That was all it had taken. The room grew silent once again, as Snow took a seat.

Kathryn caught Regina's eye and smiled encouragingly, she looked away.

Rising, Snow cleared her throat, the room went deathly still.

"In the case concerning the death of Dr.Archibald Hopper, a beloved member of our community, who will be sorely missed," Snow started slowly, drawing out her thoughts, "The jury have found the defendant, Regina Mills, guilty of his murder," she glanced over at Regina, and her blue eyes flickered for a moment, "When making my decision I took into consideration any extenuating circumstances concerning this case." She stopped, wiping her forehead she pushed her short hair to the side. Regina listened intently, she was certain Snow knew she hadn't killed Archie, no matter what the jury had found. And, enchanted forest law certainly allowed the judge, and in this case, the Queen, to overrule any jury.

"Unfortunately," Snow continued, "There were none, and therefore, for the cold blooded murder of Archibald Hopper, I, Queen Snow White, do sentence Regina Mills to death,"

Silence filled her mind. Loud silence, all around her, muffling everything else, enveloping the room in a thick haze.

She took a breath.

Snow was still speaking, "...to be carried out tomorrow morning, by hanging,"

Hanging. Oh. That wasn't good.

A guard walked to her, he cuffed her wrists together and pulled her up by her upper arm. She followed him between the rows of people, they stared at her, they talked, but she heard nothing but the loud buzzing in her ears.

The door swung open, and she was escorted outside. Cool air hit her skin, as she was walked to the police car, it began to rain, small droplets of water falling onto her hair, onto her face. She looked up at the dark clouds, breathing in the sweet scent of the first spring storm.

She was going to die.

Oh.

She was going to die.