I apologize for taking so long to update, but this is now falling more in line with the show (with some liberties obviously) so this would be taking place like right at the end of 4x01.

Anyway...

A Little Help

"Do you think they're following us?" Roland asked, breathless, as they ran.

"They're dealing with a giant snowman, I don't think they'll even remember we were there," Katrina replied, keeping pace with Roland. "Also, we can probably slow down."

And they did so, settling into a walk instead of a run.

"So I think the plan needs to be adjusted," Roland said.

"What plan?" Katrina asked.

"The plan you said you had."

"Yeah I kind of don't have one, or, it's not working."

"The not working part is obvious."

"Shut up," she half whispered as they stepped off of Main Street and walked down a quiet neighborhood road. The sounds of the raging snowman could still be heard, the magic trying to destroy it.

"What do you want to do?" Roland asked. Katrina shook her head, she didn't know. She wasn't good at the whole leader thing. Roland or Henry had always had the ideas and she'd follow along or contribute when she needed to. That wasn't to say she wouldn't take the lead, especially in a stressful situation where her headstrong nature would take over, like now, but she knew when to step back.

"What do you think we should do?"

"Wow, you're asking my opinion? Is this real life?" Roland laughed to which Katrina responded with a light push.

"Alright," Roland continued, "Well we can't sleep in the park again."

As if on cue Katrina felt a cough tear through her throat. Off Roland's concerned look she shrugged, "I'm fine."

He shook his head, "We can't sleep in the park," he repeated before continuing, "And the snowman thing, that's…I don't remember that. And now that Sheriff Swan knows we stole from that shop, and has seen our faces, the hiding thing isn't going to work either."

"We can't tell them," Katrina argued.

"Why not?"

"Imagine I came up to you and I was like hey see that kid, that's your kid in like ten years, what would you do?"

"I'd freak out."

"You'd freak out! And then like what if it didn't happen? I can't not exist, Roland, that's terrifying." She swallowed, her pulse starting at the thought of non-existence. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared and that idea scared her to death.

"Okay," Roland held up his hands trying to calm her down, "Okay. But we need help."

"Henry," Katrina said, the thought dawning on her. She wanted to smack herself for how stupid she was at not thinking of her oldest brother. He was the truest believer, he would help them, he'd believe them and better yet he wouldn't tell their parents.

"We can tell Henry. He's always been there for us, why would now be any different?" She could see the gears turning in Roland's head. He didn't used to think things through so much, at least not when they were younger, but as the years progressed he had grown into a man who weighed pro's and con's seriously. Katrina wondered where he got that from because she fell more into the reckless side of things.

"What if he tells mom?"

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's Henry."

"Good point." Roland nodded, "Let's find him."

88888

It only took a few hours. A few hours, threats of vengeance, some more than threats of vengeance, and several tears before Regina did the right thing and destroyed the snowman. She saved Marian. She saved the woman who was now back from the dead, who was reunited with the true love Regina was supposed to have. The same woman whom Regina had killed decades earlier. And she had saved her. She had a second chance and she had taken it.

So why did it feel so awful? Why did it hurt so bad?

Deep down Regina knew why, knew that maybe she deserved this pain, but it was easier to blame others, to shovel that pain down and use whatever anger she had left to fight it.

But even more so she knew that she could only fight it for so long.

And she'd be lying if she didn't admit she had gotten some minor joy in seeing Robin's face again. And she hated herself for it.

Emma had come and gone, making her promises to bring back her happy ending and all the more Charming Savior motivational speeches that Regina couldn't take. She didn't want hope right now. She just wanted to be left alone.

But she didn't really want that either. She didn't know what she wanted.

She just wanted everything to go back to how it was, when she felt that happiness that she hadn't had in a long time. She wanted that back. And she knew there was no going back. So there was nothing left to do but be alone.

But another knock on the door made that impossible.

"Go away, Miss Swan," Regina croaked and she meant it to sound threatening but it just sounded sad.

She heard the vague muttering of a swear from a voice that didn't belong to Emma Swan or any one of the Charmings. But she had a good memory and she knew she had heard that voice earlier that day.

Regina pulled herself up from where she sat against the door and pulled it open. The girl from earlier was halfway down the hall, hurrying to get away but Regina was calling after her.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Regina asked chasing after her.

"I'm sorry, wrong door," Katrina called back. This was a mistake. Why would Henry be at their mother's office? Why did she and Roland split up…again? Emma would probably be looking for them but it was getting dark and they were getting desperate. Jail was actually starting to sound like the best option.

"No. Hey. Why are you following me?" Regina caught up to her and Katrina was forced to stop.

"I'm not," Katrina argued.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I needed to talk to someone who isn't here." Katrina sighed. The best way to lie was to tell the truth in a way that wasn't the truth. It wasn't great, it didn't work, but she felt better about it.

"Who?"

Katrina shrugged, avoiding her mother's gaze. No, she wasn't her mother, not yet, not in this time, she couldn't think like that. It only made things more difficult and more complicated.

"Who?" Regina repeated.

"It doesn't matter, they're not here. Though, you look like you need someone to talk to."

"Excuse me?" The defenses were back up as Regina bristled but Katrina could always read her mother, even if she wasn't her mother right now, and that meant she knew how to talk to her.

"I heard what happened. Time travel, messy stuff."

"That's personal and you should leave." Regina started to turn back but stopped herself, "And whoever you heard it from needs to keep out of other people's business."

"True. But do you really think crying alone in your office is the best solution?"

"What do you know about it?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying."

"Well don't."

Katrina didn't have much of a response to that. Thankfully or un-thankfully a cough broke up whatever she would have said or not said.

"Sorry. I'll be on my way." Katrina cleared her throat.

"Who are you?" Regina asked, stopping her, "You lied earlier today and you're new, what are you doing here?"

"I've always been here."

"No. You show up and a giant snowman shows up. What did you do?"

"Oh I had nothing to do with that. I don't do the magic thing. Plus, a giant snowman, if I was going to come up with a monster to terrorize the town, it wouldn't be one that turns into a puddle when it gets warm," Katrina said with a smile and there was something about it that put Regina at ease and that lessened whatever pain she was in. It was like Henry and how he knew what to say, what to do, she just felt better.

"Right," Regina answered, lost in her thoughts and Katrina was ready to slip away.

"Not that it's any of my business, but if it's meant to be, it'll be," Katrina said quietly through the scratchy throat that was threatening to bring about a coughing fit. She was getting tired of this whole sick thing. She was never a fan of it back home, and even less so now when she had a mission to get done.

"Who told you that, the hope police named the Charmings?"

"Yeah, actually. I mean, look, they can get irritating but they're not wrong. True love, it always finds a way even if it's not easy or in the way you expect." Katrina shrugged, "Something to think about."

And Regina did think about it, she had been thinking about it. How could she not? But it couldn't happen now, true love couldn't find a way in this case. She was doomed to be alone, doomed to have hope and continuously have it taken away. She was a villain.

Regina felt ready to break all over again, tears threatening to fall. And she wouldn't share with a stranger, not like this, she wouldn't cry in front of them but she was in too much pain, it was flooding, and the day had been long and draining.

Katrina watched her mother fighting back the tears and her heart broke. She had seen her mother cry, she had heard her before, but not like this. This woman in front of her wasn't her mother, not yet, not in the way that she knew her but there was a hint of her in there. A hint that Katrina could latch onto even when she was witnessing sides to her she hadn't seen before.

Katrina walked away, leaving Regina lost in thought. And she wanted to tell her that she could have her happy ending, that living proof of it was right in front of her. But she couldn't tell her. She just had to fix it and save her family. Save her future.

And Regina stood in the hallway, her thoughts of finding the author and claiming her happy ending running until she realized she never actually got the girl's name or any semblance of the truth of her origins. And even more she had never actually found out what the girl wanted or who she was looking for. And then Regina went from sad to annoyed to determined.

She was going to figure out who the new stranger in town was and she was going to find the author. And she would do it alone.

...to be continued...