Glad I could get this up before tonight's episode. I did a lot of re-watching of "The Cricket Game" and noticed some very interesting things like how Regina sounded more upset than angry when she confronted Archie, and how in the background at the sherrif's office, Regina was fretting the whole time. Decided to throw in a little bit of Regina/Pongo interaction because we all know those two are totally pals, and she definitely sneaks him food when Archie isn't looking. Either way, here it is! Enjoy!

Regina tapped her fingers against the table. Not two days back from the Enchanted Forest, and the 'gracious' Miss Swan had dragged her back to the Sherriff's office once again. This time, she didn't even know what the charge was. For all she knew it could have been for someone eating too much the previous night and blaming her lasagna for their stomach ache.

A door slamming, followed by muffled voices from the other side of the wall told her that whoever they were waiting for had probably arrived. Regina shifted in her seat. She wished they would hurry up and make whatever accusations they were going to make. She had to go see Archie, and apologize for snapping at him the previous afternoon.

Yes, she had been upset, but he had only been trying to help her. And after lying awake for most of the night thinking over everything, she figured that it was probably Henry that mentioned something about her giving up magic, and that's how Sherriff Nosy found out the details. Which made her regret snapping at Archie. He really was a nice bug. One of the only ones to offer her unconditional forgiveness and a second chance even after everything she'd done.

She shook her head with a half-smile as she remembered his reply, that he would never break the 'doctor-patient confidentiality'. Of course he wouldn't, she knew that. However, she hadn't asked him to keep it confidential as his patient. He wasn't a licensed doctor any more than Whale was. (And THAT was a scary thought…) Archie may have the knowledge to help, but that wasn't why she had gone to him. She'd needed a friend. Someone to talk to, to believe in her and encourage her. Which is probably why she felt so betrayed by him telling Emma. But, as he had told her, he was merely trying to help her, to get the townspeople to believe that she could and was changing. And after thinking it over, she was no longer upset. So after this, she was going over to see him. To apologize (she'd been doing a lot of that lately, and it wasn't as hard as it used to be), to ask him for coffee at Granny's, and to sneak Pongo some leftover chicken from her dinner last night.

The doorknob turned, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Emma walked in, followed closely by Charming.

"Glad to see the Sheriff's Station is now a family business." She said with a smile – even if it was a little forced – trying to be pleasant. After all, she had a wonderful day ahead of her. She could forgive a little inconvenience. Neither of them looked amused, however. As David closed the door a little more forcefully than was necessary, she dropped the 'cheerful' act. Something was up. "Why am I here."

"You know why you're here. Because of Archie." Emma said, crossing her arms. Her voice lacked the usual accusing force, but Regina paid it no mind.

Ah, yes, of course. The first sign that something was amiss, and it was back off to prison with her. That about figured, though they hadn't locked her behind bars yet, so perhaps she was allowed a chance to defend herself?

"Oh, it's now against the law to get into an argument with someone?" she couldn't hold back a little sarcasm as her irritation began to gnaw at her. Really, this was ridiculous. She hadn't even been that hard on Archie. Compared with her previous disagreements with the people of Storybrooke, she had been almost pleasant. Of course, that also had to do with the fact that she cared about Archie.

Which is why David's next nonchalant comment confused her.

"It is if you go to their office later that night and kill them."

It took her a second to even realize what he was implying and what that meant, but the hard looks that she got from the pair confirmed it.

"Archie's dead?" Her voice just barely made it above a whisper.

Beneath the table, Regina's nails bit into her skin hard enough to draw blood. Dead? Archie was…dead?

No…it wasn't true…it couldn't be true…

Emma and David continued staring, but even after saying it out loud her mind refused to register the words. Archie couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. Her only friend… the only one in this whole damned town to show her kindness… he couldn't have died. Fate couldn't possibly be cruel to her…could it?

Only the disbelieving shock and the constant grief she had to suffer kept her expression straight. The hot, dizzy sensation of the blood rushing to her head took her an extra second or two to realize why she was there. Of course, they weren't just telling her about his death. They wouldn't have dragged her down here for that. She was here for only one reason.

They thought she killed him.

It was almost ironic, that the one time she HADN'T been responsible, she was the only suspect. When she was trying so hard not to use magic, trying to be good, she was the one being blamed for killing her only friend.

"Stop it, Regina." David sighed, shaking his head, "Ruby saw you going into his office last night."

"Then she's lying, I was home all evening." She could feel her throat burning with the effort of keeping a waver out of her voice. However, it was a weak argument, and she knew it. She would have to think fast.

Emma sat on the corner of the table and cleared her throat, but Regina cut her off before she could ask anything, pleading where she could gain ground.

"After everything I've done to change, to win Henry back, why would I toss it all away now?"

Charming sighed, but she spoke up again, preventing him from discrediting her further. She was backed into a corner - it was about defense now.

"And if I did, and I WAS going to kill Archie, you would never know it. The fact that he's dead and you caught me shows sloppiness."

"You've been caught before." David sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms. Regina gave him a cool look, but was ignored. "Come on Emma, who do you think is lying? Ruby? Or her?"

The way he spat the last word almost made her flinch. Of course he wasn't going to let her go. She was going to pay for everything she'd ever done to him and Snow, one way or another.

"She's incapable of change no matter HOW many times we've given her the chance…" David leaned back across the table, looking her right in the eye. "Why should this time be any different."

Because she hadn't used magic. Because she cared too much about Archie to harm him. Because she would never do anything to hurt Henry. Because killing him wouldn't make sense. Because she promised. There were reasons, yes. But he would never believe them.

Regina sat in silence, biting her tongue sharply to chase back the tears she could feel threatening to form. Charming stared her down for another moment before he leaned back, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder and leading her out of the room. Regina flinched as the door slammed, but tried her best to retain her composure. She knew the mirror was a one-way window. They could still see her.

Charming was right, however. They had absolutely no reason to believe her. All she'd ever done pointed at her being guilty of this as well. And the one man that could have helped her was now dead, seemingly at her hands. She could have cried at how unfair it was.

Regina suppressed a shudder, slowly forcing her hands to unclench. Blood drops formed in bubbles along the small crescents dug in her pale skin. Regina took a faltering breath. She would not cry. Not in front of them. They had no right to see her weakness. Only two people had earned that right – her son and Archie. Now, only her son remained.

Dark, glassy eyes stared blankly at the dusty tabletop, her lips parted slightly in an effort to steady her breathing and keep her emotion in check.

She was lost now. Truly and completely lost. Archie - her conscience and support - was gone, she had no one left to turn to.

She folded her hands on the table before her, faking calm but clenching them together for support.

And to think she had been on her way to apologize…

The thought nearly brought her to tears, and she took a deep breath to check her emotions. She wrung her hands, keeping her eyes focused on the table. Let them think she was nervous. She could deal with them. Archie's passing, however…

The scar it left on her heart was large enough to compare to the ones caused by the death of her father and Daniel.

It was dark as she walked through the familiar hall. Magic had gotten her into the building without anyone seeing, but using it had left a bitter taste in her mouth. She no longer felt the thrill of power that it usually brought her. Only misery that she had to resort to it.

Needless to say she'd been almost pleasantly surprised when they let her go from the Sherriff's office that morning, but the events of the rest of the day had crushed her. The confrontation with the Charmings, the Blue Fairy attempting to bind her with magic so she could be subjected to a repeat of her execution, Emma telling her son, her precious Henry, that she had killed Archie…Regina stopped, a hand clenched to her chest as she remembered his face. It was enough to break her heart.

Unable to return to her home, and with the whole town hunting her down, she hadn't known anywhere else to go, and so she now stood before a familiar doorway.

"Archie…" she whispered, fingers brushing against the painted surface of the door to his office, her harsh words from their last conversation ringing through her head. "Archie I'm so sorry…I didn't mean…"

A tear found its way down her cheek, from her trembling lip to the back of her hand, and then to the carpet, worn down by the feet of patients and friends. Her fingers trailed down until they could no longer reach, letting her hand fall back to her side.

"…I didn't mean it…"

A whimper from behind her reminded her of the other reason she'd come.

"Pongo?"

The dog looked up at her from his bed, now moved to the hall, sad brown eyes framed by one eyebrow, raised in a dog expression of questioning. The second whimper broke her, and Regina choked back a sob as she crossed over to him. Pongo let out a half-hearted bark as she approached but one soothing word from her reassured him that she wasn't to be feared.

Regina fell more than knelt beside Archie's companion, her trembling hand stroking his head. The Dalmation gave her other hand one sniff and began licking her fingers, whimpering.

Someone had thought to care for the dog before her - probably Ruby - a paper plate of dry food had been left nearby, alongside a cereal bowl filled with water. Pongo's real dishes were in Archie's house, but Regina could understand the unwillingness to go into the apartment of a dead man…it just didn't seem right.

Her trembling hand stopped mid-stroke, and Pongo looked up at her with a concerned whine. She closed her eyes, her sobbing starting in full. All the grief she had pent up, from when she learned about Archie's death to when she saw Miss Swan telling her son that she had murdered his friend…

Regina felt Pongo strain up to lick her cheek, heard him get to his feet to nudge his head against her chest, but she didn't open her eyes. Her hands found their way around the dog's shoulders and she hugged Pongo close as he nuzzled up to her, whimpering.

"I miss him too…" she whispered into his spotted fur.

Pongo let out a long whine and gave her another gentle lick.

Archie moaned slightly, his head throbbing. He was somewhere dark, hands and feet bound, gagged, and from the swaying and what he could see of his surroundings, he was on a ship. Shaking his head slightly to clear it, he tried to recall how he'd ended up here.

He had been about to take Pongo home, when Reina had stopped by and-

He shuddered slightly as he recalled the look in her eyes as her hand grasped around his throat. There was something wrong. And Pongo had barked. Even when she lost her temper with him, Pongo never reacted like that. It was if the dog knew that despite what she threatened, she would never hurt him. But he had barked at her. Ever after he had told him to stop.

No, there was something very wrong with Regina that night. And now he was tied up in the galley of some ship. As footsteps creaked above, he flinched slightly.

These must be his captors. The voices – an unfamiliar man and woman – got closer. The cover to where he was imprisoned was flung open, and he inhaled sharply when he saw who stood before him.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! It really makes my day!