Author's note: I'd wanted to wait until this story was completely finished before I began posting it… but with the end of OUAT at hand, I thought maybe a little preview was warranted. The rest will be along in due time.

So this is for the rest of us, those who were left behind, who will be left out and forgotten in the finale… and for the original True Love couple of OUAT.

Prologue / Author's Foreword

I love the possibilities that time travel stories bring. The concept that changing even a minute detail could have ripples and repercussions stretching years or decades down the line - into eternity. After Once's time travel debacle, I was attacked by this plot bunny - and though it's taken me years to actually get it written, I'm pretty proud of the end result.

Things you probably need to know:

*This story begins somewhere vaguely post-3B. Which means if it happened in Season 4+, if past history was "revealed" in season 4+, or if it was retconned in Season 4+, it's probably ignored here. It's possible a few things are included (as I did watch S4 and have heard the occasional rumblings from 5, 6, and 7,) but mostly, you should expect some things that are not canon compliant.

*Backstory in the gap: In this tale, after her time travel escapade, Emma returned to the diner to find Neal seated at the table with Henry. Marian still came back (and was actually Marian) - and Robin Hood, of course, went back to her. (Because, y'know, literary true love and all that.) Which, in turn, resulted in Regina pitching a temper tantrum in a way only she could: epically.

*Which, yes, makes Regina the villain of the story. I know you probably love her. I do, too. But it served as an organic impetus, and so here we are. I hope it doesn't preclude anyone reading, but if it does - I certainly understand, and I'm sorry. (I've got my own non-starters and know how frustrating it can be!)

This has been a labor of love for me, my first time writing and viewing the story as a whole instead of simply having an outline and writing chapters on the fly. I hope you find that makes for a better quality piece. It's been an interesting adventure, to be sure. If you love the outcome half as much as I do, then the experiment has succeeded.

Enjoy.

-DSB