I found what young Snow did to be very heartfelt. I know plenty of adults that couldn't keep a secret under less stressful situations. I really felt for her myself. It was obvious how much she was hurt by the less of her own mother. Wanting to help Regina showed love and compassion. She wanted to keep her from having the sense of loss she had felt. She's an innocent child - not a jaded preteen with access to video games, MTV, etc.
I always thought that Katherine would turn up alive at some point becasue that's the only way MM could avoid a conviction. That's that and we were shown two "almost" meetings between Katherine/Abigal and Frederick/?? (I'm counting him finding the car). I really never felt the writers would go to the trouble of introducing us to Frederick's Storybrooke version if they had planned on killing her off.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".