CHAPTER 6
Shae gasped as she sat forward. She glanced all around her, confused and disoriented. There was nothing around her but darkness, an impossibly empty and black void. She looked down, and found that she was sitting on some sort of floor, but whatever it was she was sitting on was just as black as everything else around her.
"Where in the hell am I?" She muttered to herself.
She gasped again in fright as a large red door appeared in front of her. She scrambled to her feet, eyeing the door warily. She crept slowly toward it, her boots making no noise on the floor that wasn't there. She peered around the door, and found absolutely nothing behind it.
"Ok… Ominous, randomly appearing door…" She muttered, rubbing her chin. "I've seen enough horror movies, I know exactly what to do here. Don't go through the door!"
She turned around, and gasped again, leaping back. The door was now behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, finding that the door had silently moved from its previous spot.
"I don't think so, door!" She told it. "You're not gonna trick me!"
She turned to her right this time, walking slowly forward, keeping her eyes pinned on the red door. When she finally couldn't crane her neck any more, she turned her head forward.
"SHIT!" She swore, the door suddenly appearing in front of her again.
"FUCK YOU, DOOR!" She roared at it. "GO AWAY!"
She spun around again and, once again, the door stood defiantly in front of her. She turned again, again, and again, panic bubbling in her stomach as she was surrounded on all sides by a least a dozen bright red doors.
"FINE!" She shouted at whatever, or whoever, was toying with her. "I'll go through the fucking door!"
She breathed out a sigh of frustration, placing her hands over her face. When she dropped her arms, a single door stood before her once again. She swallowed hard, stepping carefully toward it. She turned the handle, and slowly pulled the red door open.
She cried out in horror when she found a large room beyond the door, a room that was on fire. She turned to run, but an unseen force shoved her backward through the door. She landed on her back in the fiery room, the flames roaring all around her. She scrambled to her feet, and was horrified to find that the door had disappeared, replaced by a wall of flames. She was trapped, trapped in a room that was on fire, with no way out.
"NO!" She screamed, turning around and around again, surrounded by flames on all sides.
"HELP!" She cried as the flames grew closer and closer. "PLEASE, HELP!"
She fell to her knees, curling her arms over her head, her mind reeling with panic and fear. The flames licked at her arms, her back, her face, her flesh white hot and burning.
"REGINA!"
XX
Emma Swan stared down into her mug of hot chocolate, her heart heavy from the events of the past few weeks. She glanced up at her parents, and her son Henry, as they all sat around the table in Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment. They all looked to be just about as miserable as she was, but none of them more so than Mary Margaret.
After Shae's death, and Henry, along with the rest of the town, thinking that she was once again a murderer, Regina had absolutely nothing left. She joined forces with her mother, and the two of them wreaked general havoc on the town of Storybrooke. With Mr. Gold poisoned and dying, and Regina on her mother's side, Emma and her parents had nothing to fight back against Cora with. That was, until Mary Margaret discovered a way to save Gold, and destroy Cora, all at the same time.
She used a dark, enchanted candle, a candle that could be used to take one life, and restore another. However, the spell wouldn't work with Cora's heart seperated from her body. Through persuasion and general trickery of words, Mary Margaret convinced Regina to find her mother's heart, and put it back in her chest. She had effectively tricked Regina into killing her own mother, and it was making her miserable.
Mary Margaret was so miserable, in fact, that she had gone to Regina's house, and begged her to kill her, to take the vengeance that was rightfully hers. Regina finally had Snow White's heart in her hand, but, once she noticed that Mary Margaret had blackened her own heart, she put it back, deciding that living with the things she had done was punishment enough for her old nemesis.
"So you've got a black spot on your heart." Emma was saying to her mother. "So what? We've all got a little darkness in us. It's human nature."
"No, this is different, this is so much worse." Mary Margaret replied quietly, shaking her head slowly as tears leaked out of her eyes. "What I did to Cora, to Regina, was… Horrible. I've got to make it up to her somehow, that is, if she doesn't kill me first."
They all stared down at the table in miserable silence once again. "I wish Shae was here." Henry suddenly muttered. "She would probably know what to do. She always knew what to say to my mom to make her calm down."
Mary Margaret suddenly gasped, grabbing Henry by his cheeks and squeezing them. "Henry, that's it!" She exclaimed.
"What's it?" Henry mumbled through his smushed lips.
"That's how I can make amends with Regina, or, at least start to." Mary Margaret explained, releasing her grandson's face. "I have to find Shae! Cora didn't actually kill Archie, so maybe she's still alive too!"
"Mary Margaret, we saw Cora stab her in the heart with a silver dagger." David said sadly. "That's the only way to kill a vampire. I'm sorry, but… She's gone."
Mary Margaret bit her lip, staring around at her family. "Well, then, we can find her body, that'll at least give Regina some closure, right? It'll give us all closure."
Emma nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right." She replied. "I mean, we never even got a chance to try and look for her with everything that's been going on."
"Yeah, you're right." Agreed David. "With Cora attacking us, that guy Greg wandering around, and you coming back to Storybrooke with Neal-"
"And finding out he's my Dad and Mr. Gold is my grandpa…" Henry cut in.
Emma chuckled. "Right, we've sure got one messed up family." She said, ruffling her son's hair. "So… Where do we even start? I'm more used to finding people that are still, you know, alive."
"We can try and have Ruby track her scent." Mary Margaret offered.
"Would that even work? She's been gone for weeks." Asked David.
"I don't know." His wife admitted. "But it's worth a try!"
And try they did. Mary Margaret and Emma left Henry at home with David, thinking it best that the young boy remain behind, in case they really did find Shae's dead body. They found Shae's bus parked outside of Regina's house, and got one of her old t-shirts from inside. With shirt in hand, they collected Ruby from the diner. Ruby was hesitant at first, still in a great deal of pain over Shae's loss, but she eventually relented, and agreed to help find her. The three women set off to the spot downtown where Pongo had seen Cora disappear, with Shae in tow.
"I'm sorry." Ruby said sadly, shaking her head at them. "I'm not getting anything. It's been too long, her scent's gone."
"No, I'm sorry, Ruby." Emma told her, rubbing her arm gently. "I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to… To say goodbye."
Ruby nodded sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked down at Shae's t-shirt in her hands, and held it up to her face, sniffing it again, but this time only for her own benefit. She missed Shae terribly, and the shirt still smelled like her.
"What do we do now?" Mary Margaret asked, looking miserable again
"What about one of those, um… Locator spells?" Emma offered with a shrug.
"Oh! Yes! That's a great idea!" Exclaimed Mary Margaret, excitedly grabbing her daughter's arm. "We already have something of Shae's, we just need to get the potion to cast the spell!"
"Where are we gonna get a potion like that from, though?" Asked Emma. "Regina probably has one, but I don't think she'd be willing to give it to us in her current state. Not even… Not even for Shae."
"Gold! He's done it before, with Jefferson's hat." Mary Margaret replied.
Ruby gave her friend a skeptical glance. "You really think he'll help us?"
"Yes, of course!" Mary Margaret replied with a determined nod. Her face then fell, and she bit her lip. "Well… I don't know. But, we at least have to try. Come on!"
They hurried off to Gold's shop, but, once there, just as Ruby had suspected, they found him to be much less than helpful this time. He had been in a particularly foul mood ever since Belle was pushed over the town line by Captain Hook, losing her memories of him and everyone else.
"All magic comes at a price, dearie." He said with a sour smile. "And the price of a locator spell is quite steep, indeed. I'm afraid you just can't afford it."
"What exactly is that supposed to me?" Mary Margaret demanded indignantly.
"It means, 'go away.'" Gold snarled at her. "I've no patience for you and your family today."
"Come on, Gold, we're just trying to find someone we lost." Emma pleaded with him. "You lost Neal before, right? Wouldn't you have wanted someone to help you if they could?"
Gold narrowed his eyes at her and, for a moment, it seemed that he was going to continue refusing to help. He then let out a relenting, but still slightly irritated, sigh. He turned around, disappearing into the back room of his shop. When he returned, he placed a small, blue vial on the counter next to Shae's t-shirt.
"Very well, Miss Swan." He said with a small smile. "You do seem to have a knack for playing on people's sensitivities, don't you?"
"Thank you." Emma said, smiling gratefully.
"You're quite welcome." He said, uncorking the vial and pouring the liquid inside onto Shae's shirt. "I truly do hope you find our friendly neighborhood vampire. I was beginning to miss her biting wit."
Mr. Gold and the three women gathered in his shop all stared down at the t-shirt on the counter, waiting anxiously for something, anything to happen. Just when it seemed like the spell had failed, the three women gasped, jumping back as Shae's shirt suddenly lifted magically into the air. They gasped again, and whirled around as the door to Gold's shop was magically flung open. They all ducked as the shirt flew over their heads, through the front of the shop, and out the open door.
"Oh! Come on, hurry!" Exclaimed Mary Margaret.
"Good luck!" Gold called after them.
They rushed off after the shirt, following it as it floated along the streets of Storybrooke, gaining some curious glances from passersby. The shirt floated on and on, and they continued to follow it all the way out of the main part of town. As they hurried along, they realized that the locator spell was leading them into the marina.
They sped down the docks, and they all stopped when they reached the very end of the dock that Hook's ship was still tied to. The shirt, however, continued on across the water, rippling gently as the bottom of the shirt brushed against the top of the lake. It stopped right in the center of the lake, hovered there momentarily, then shot down into the water, lost from sight.
"D-Did it work?" Emma asked her mother, looking confused.
"Well, yeah, I think so." Mary Margaret replied uncertainly.
"Does that mean… Shae's at the bottom of the lake?" Ruby asked, fear in her eyes.
The three women all exchanged a nervous glance, then stared out at the water where Shae's t-shirt had disappeared. If the locator spell had actually worked, and Shae really was at the bottom of the lake, that was most certainly was not a good thing.
"Only one way to find out." Emma muttered, pulling off her jacket and handing it to her mother.
"Emma, no! You can't just go diving down there!" Cried Mary Margaret when she realized what her daughter was about to do.
"Relax, I was the captain of my swim team in high school." Emma told her mother. "Don't worry, I've got this. If Shae really is down there, I'll find her."
Emma continued to pull off her clothes until she had stripped down to only her tank top and underwear. She nodded at her mother and Ruby, and they nodded back, both giving her a weak smile. Emma stepped up to the edge of the dock, bending at the knees and bracing herself.
"Well… Here goes nothin'." She muttered
She drew in a deep, steadying breath, and dove gracefully into the water. Ruby and Mary Margaret clutched each other's hands anxiously as they watched Emma swim out to the center of the lake. She stopped momentarily, and they heard her draw in another deep breath, and she was lost from sight as she slipped underneath the water. Ruby turned to Mary Margaret, tears in her eyes.
"Snow… W-What if her body really is down there?" Ruby asked her, the tears now falling down her cheeks. "I… I don't… I don't know if I can do it… I-"
Ruby's voice broke into a sob, and Mary Margaret threw her arms around her, gently rubbing her back. "I know, sweetie, I know, I'm sorry." She said soothingly. "You won't have to do it alone, ok? Emma and I will be right here with you."
They both jumped when they heard splashing near them. Emma had surfaced again, resting her arms on the edge of the pier and breathing heavily.
"There's… There's something down there." She said gravely. "Ruby, do you got a knife on you?"
Ruby nodded, producing a small pocket knife from out of her jacket and handing it down to Emma. Emma nodded, taking a few more deep breaths.
"I-Is it Shae?" Ruby asked her anxiously.
"I'm not sure yet." Emma answered with a shake of her head. "I'll be back in a minute."
Emma swam out to the middle of the lake again, and dove down into the water. Mary Margaret and Ruby stared out into the still water, both holding their breath anxiously. For a few, impossibly long moments, they saw nothing, no ripples, no splashing, and no blonde head resurfacing. Mary Margaret turned to Ruby, panic in her eyes. She opened her mouth to voice her concerns when they heard a voice call out.
"Hey! Over here!"
Emma was several yards to their right, holding a human body under its arms and dragging it out of the water, onto the sandy shore. Ruby and Mary Margaret exchanged a horrified glance, and they rushed over to Emma and the body she had found at the bottom of the lake. When they got closer, they noticed the body's hands and feet were bound with rope, and a sack hood had been placed over the head. The person from the lake was dressed all in black, and was wearing a now water stained black leather jacket.
Emma set the body down gently in the sand, panting heavily. Ruby and Mary Margaret made it over to her just as she knelt down next to the body, pulling off the sack hood.
"SHAE!"
Ruby fell to her knees next to Shae's body, and Mary Margaret stood behind her, staring down at the vampire with her hands over her mouth, tears in her eyes. Shae looked to be more pale than she ever had been, her usual unruly black hair sticking to her forehead from the water, her eyes closed.
"Shae? Shae!" Ruby sobbed, shaking the vampire by her shoulders and slapping her cheeks. "Oh, Shae, please! Please, wake up!"
Emma glanced up at her mother, who was now crying, as Shae continued to lie completely still. "D-Do you think she's… You know…" She began to ask.
"I don't know…" Mary Margaret whispered sadly. "She doesn't breathe air, she's always pale. There's… There's no way to tell."
"Oh, Shae…" Emma breathed. "What the hell happened to you?"
XXX
"It's good!" Shae called out to Regina, throwing her a thumbs up as she leapt to her feet. "I'm all good!"
"Ow, shit, motherfucker…" She muttered as she limped down the sidewalk, her knee screaming in pain.
Once the pain, and the initial embarrassment from tripping and falling on her face, had subsided, she set a brisk pace down the sidewalk. Her body was still trembling slightly from the shock of having her heart returned, but it was much better now, now that she was sure of what she was feeling. Everything else was still muddled, her mind still reeling from the intense emotions, but she was sure of one thing. She loved Regina, she loved her more than anything. All she wanted was to be back at her side, back in her arms again.
Her heart sunk as she thought about Ruby. She did care about the young she-wolf, she cared about her very much, but not like she did about Regina. Now that her heart was back, she felt intense, bitter regret for what she had done to Ruby, for what she was about to do. She had to tell Ruby that she didn't love her, that she loved Regina, and it was going to break the poor girl's heart.
Shae rounded the corner around a building, Granny's Bed and Breakfast coming into sight a few yards ahead. She slowed her pace slightly, trying to think of what exactly she was going to say to Ruby. She knew, though, that there was nothing she could say that would make it hurt less.
She stopped suddenly, roused from her musings when she heard frantic barking. She turned her head and found Pongo rushing across the street toward her.
"Pongo? What are you doing out here, buddy?" Shae asked the dog, kneeling down in front of him.
Pongo continued to bark alertly at her, spinning around in circles. The canine was obviously upset about something, and Shae frowned as she patted him on the head.
"What's up with you, Pongo? Are you-" Shae started to ask him, but stopped when a cloud of purple smoke behind him caught her eye.
Pongo barked furiously as Regina stepped out of the cloud, a grin spread across her face that gave Shae instant chills.
"Regina? W-What are you doing here?" Shae asked her as Pongo continued barking, backing away from her.
"Hello, Shae." Regina said, her voice layered with malice. "So nice to finally meet you."
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. She was just about to ask what the hell she was talking about as Regina pulled out a dagger, her eyes flashing with wild rage. Regina stepped slowly toward her, raising the dagger into the air, her grin turning into a fearsome snarl.
"R-Regina? What are you doing? No! STOP!"
Shae cried out in pain as the woman she loved plunged the dagger into her heart, Pongo snarling and barking viciously. Shae fell to her knees, staring up at Regina in complete and utter shock.
"W-What? Why?" She breathed.
Regina sneered down at her, the look in her eyes so full of dark and dangerous hostility that it caused Shae's own to well up with angry and confused tears.
"Nothing personal, dear." Regina replied, sporting a triumphant grin. "I just need you out of the way."
Shae was about to question her again, but stopped short when Regina placed her hand on her shoulder, and she was engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke. She felt her body being lifted into the air, and all she saw was a cyclone of purple smoke whirling around her. She started spinning wildly, her ears ringing with the rushing, swirling wind.
Suddenly, her hands and knees made contact with solid ground, and she found herself staring down at wooden planks. She pushed herself to her feet, gazing bewilderedly at her surroundings. She was standing on the deck of some sort of ship, staring out into the dark and quiet lake. She stumbled back a step, her back hitting something solid. She glanced up, and found herself staring up at a tall mast and white sails.
She jumped when she heard a chuckle, and she realized that Regina was still standing in front of her, grinning deviously. She disappeared in another puff of purple smoke, and a different woman took her place, a woman that Shae was horrified to find that she recognized.
"You…" Shae breathed, her red eyes wide with shock. "Y-Your… Regina's mother!"
"Yes, I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced." Regina's mother replied, still grinning deviously. "I'm Cora."
Shae eyed Cora warily as the red-hair woman slowly sauntered closer to her, staring intently at the vampire's face. Shae remained fearfully still as Cora grabbed her by her chin, turning her head side to side, examining her closely.
"So… You're the disgusting creature that stole my daughter's heart." Cora sneered, her tone heavy with contempt. "I'm afraid I just don't see the appeal."
"Disgusting? That's pretty damn harsh, don't you think?" Shae quipped in reply, grinning cheekily down at Cora. "I prefer… Deplorable. Got a better ring to it."
Corra narrowed her eyes irritably at the vampire. "I have heard stories about your incessant wit. Can't say that I care for it."
"Tough shit." Shae spat, glaring furiously at her. "What do you want? How the hell are you even here? Emma and Snow stopped you from coming through the portal."
Cora laughed loudly. "Oh no, dear, those two fools had no idea exactly who they were dealing with." She sneered. "I'm nothing if not determined. I will be reunited with my daughter, and now, I won't have you standing in my way."
"What are you going to do to Regina?" Shae asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
The vampire suddenly grew extremely dizzy. She tried to take a step forward, but stumbled, falling to her knees again, her legs suddenly feeling like they were made of jelly. She stared down at the dagger that was still in her chest.
"This isn't silver…" She breathed in utter confusion.
"No, no, my darling, I'm not trying to kill you." Cora replied, cupping her hand under Shae's chin and turning her face upward. "I only want my daughter to think that the one she loves is dead."
"Why?" Shae asked, eyes wide with horror.
"Because, the only way she's going to let her mother back into her life is if she's completely and utterly broken." Cora replied, staring down at her with a smirk. "Everyone in town will soon turn against her, even her boy, Henry. And now, with you gone, she will soon be good and broken. She will soon need her mother again."
"You are one evil bitch…" Shae snarled viciously.
"My, my, how vulgar." Cora replied, seemingly offended. "You really are quite… Deplorable."
Shae groaned as the world once again spun around her. She fell forward onto her hands and knees, feeling her body growing weaker by the second, her vision starting to blur.
"W-What is this? What have you done to me?" She asked, pushing herself back up onto her knees and glaring up at Cora's hazy figure.
"A sleeping curse, darling." Cora replied with a wicked sneer. "This way, Regina still thinks her lover is dead, and I can store you away for… Safe keeping. Who knows? I might find a pet vampire useful someday, my daughter certainly did."
Cora knelt down in front of Shae as the vampire blinked furiously, trying to keep her heavy eyelids open. "Before you sleep, I want you to know something." Cora said, grabbing Shae by her chin, bringing her own face dangerously close, glaring viciously into the vampire's eyes.
"You will never see my Regina, EVER again."
Cora released Shae's chin, and the vampire slumped sideways to the ground, now under full effect of the sleeping curse. Cora gazed down at the unconscious vampire, gently brushing a stray lock of her messy black hair off her forehead.
"Yes, I suppose I do see the appeal." Cora muttered to herself, then called over her shoulder. "Captain!"
A few moments later, Killian Jones, better known as Captain Hook, poked his head out of his cabin. He sauntered over to Cora, staring down at Shae's senseless body.
"Is that who I think it is?" He asked, his eyebrows raised in shock.
"Indeed, it is." Cora said with a grin, getting to her feet.
"Well done." Hook said, grinning back at Cora with admiration. "I've never crossed blades with a vampire myself, but I've heard taking one down is quite an impressive feat."
"Oh, it was quite easy, dear." Cora replied, waving her hand dismissively. "I simply used the thing she loved most against her."
"Regina?"
"Indeed." Cora said with a triumphant smile. "Now everyone in town will think my daughter murdered that loathsome cricket, and the one she loved."
"That is quite clever, my dear Cora." Hook said with another grin. "Now, what are you planning on doing with our undead friend here?"
Cora grinned back at him. "We're going to take her for a little boat ride."
A few moments later, Hook and Cora loaded the sleeping vampire into a rowboat, and Hook rowed them out into the middle of the lake. Hook tied a sack hood over Shae's head, and bound her hands and feet together with some rope.
"So, your daughter, is she broken yet?" Hook asked Cora as he tied the rope dangling from Shae's feet to a sack full of cannonballs.
"Not yet, but she will be." Cora replied with a knowing smile.
Cora and Hook rolled Shae's unconscious body over the side of the boat, and watched as the sack of cannonballs attached to her feet dragged her down into the black depths.
Cora chuckled darkly. "There. Now my daughter has truly lost everything."
XXX
Emma stared down at Shae's lifeless body miserably, watching as Ruby gently brushed the wet hair off of her forehead. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her face. She suddenly noticed that the dagger was still protruding from Shae's chest. Emma pulled it out with a shaky hand, setting it down onto the sand. She used Ruby's knife to cut Shae's hands and feet free, and she took one of Shae's cold, wet hands in both of her's.
"Shae… Just… What… What do we do?" Emma asked, choking back a sob.
"I don't know, Emma." Ruby replied, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. "I just… I don't know."
Mary Margaret suddenly gasped, and Emma and Ruby turned their tear stained faces onto her. "Mother Superior, T-The Blue Fairy!" She exclaimed. "Shae's a vampire, and vampires are magical creatures, right?"
When Emma and Ruby both nodded uncertainly, Mary Margaret went on. "S-So, Blue, maybe she can, I don't know, sense the magic in Shae, see if she's still alive somehow!"
Emma and Ruby exchanged a silent, skeptical glance. "Just…. You two stay here, I'll go get her!" Mary Margaret said, not waiting for a reply.
Mary Margaret rushed off, and Emma went back to the pier and gathered up her clothes, pulling them back on. When she returned, Ruby was still sitting next to Shae, softly brushing back her hair as she cried quietly. Emma sat down on Shae's other side, staring down at her pale face. She looked so peaceful, as if she were only sleeping. But Emma knew better. She had seen enough darkness in her life to know that Shae was gone, that she wasn't coming back. She didn't want to quash her mother's hopes, though, or Ruby's either, so she decided to hold her tongue.
Emma smiled, gently stroking Shae's cold cheek as she reminisced about the year that they had spent together in Boston, how happy Shae had made her. When she left, Emma had been so angry at her for such a long time. And now, now she was gone, and Emma felt a painful, immeasurable guilt.
Ruby and Emma both sat next to Shae for a long time, neither of them speaking, both feeling the heaviness of Shae's loss bare down upon them. Finally, Mary Margaret returned, followed closely by Mother Superior.
"Sorry that took so long." Said Mary Margaret, who was looking a bit irritable. "She took a little… Convincing."
"I'd rather not waste what precious little magic I have on… Her." Mother Superior said, staring down at Shae with a look of disgust.
"Yes, you've said that several times now." Muttered Mary Margaret, rolling her eyes.
"Please, we have no other way of telling if she's really… Gone." Ruby said pleadingly, staring up at Mother Superior with more tears in her eyes. "We… We just…"
"We just need to be sure." Emma finished when Ruby's voice broke with emotion.
Mother Superior's expression softened when she looked down at Emma and Ruby's tear soaked faces. She nodded at them, and the two women got up, backing away to give Mother Superior space to work her magic.
Ruby, Emma, and Mary Margaret all squeezed each other's hands as they waited for Mother Superior to tell them something, anything. She pulled out her wand, and Shae's body began to glow with a soft blue light as she swept the wand back and forth over it. When she was finished, she glanced up at the three waiting women, her face grave.
"Well, I'm afraid I have good news and bad news." Mother Superior said gently.
"What? What is it?" Ruby asked, looking panic stricken.
"The good news is… Your vampire… Shae. She's alive."
Emma, Ruby, and Mary Margaret all gasped, smiles spreading across their faces as they looked around at each other. Emma let out a stunned but happy laugh. Shae was actually alive? She could barely believe it. Her smile suddenly faded. If that was the good news, what was the bad news?
"Wait, so, what's wrong with her?" Ruby asked, voicing Emma's own concerns, her smile disappearing as well. "Why isn't she waking up?"
Mother Superior sighed, staring sadly down at Shae. "That's… The bad news." She replied slowly. "Shae has been placed under a sleeping curse."
All of their faces fell, and they gazed around at each other in silent shock. "What?" Emma breathed.
"Why? Why would Cora do this?" Ruby asked, looking panicked again.
"I don't know… Maybe she didn't have a way to actually kill her." Guessed Mary Margaret. "Or… She wanted to keep her hidden away so she could use her for something later."
"I really don't think the 'why' matters right now." Emma said, turning her shocked gaze onto Mother Superior. "How do we wake her up?"
"True love's kiss." Replied Mother Superior. "It's the only way."
The three women exchanged a silent, worried glance. "Well… Who's Shae's true love?" Asked Ruby.
"You are, of course!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, smiling excitedly at Ruby.
"W-What? Me?" Ruby asked, bewildered. "N-No, I don't think so."
"You have to be!" Mary Margaret insisted. "You guys were together for a while, right? And you're a werewolf, she's a vampire. You guys just kinda, you know, go together!"
Ruby remained silent, staring from Shae's unconscious body back to Mary Margaret. "Just… Go kiss her. I'm sure she'll wake up." Mary Margaret said with an encouraging smile.
Ruby bit her lip hesitantly, gazing back at Shae. She then smiled too, and nodded her head. Emma pulled her mother aside as Ruby knelt down next to Shae once again, dropping her voice low.
"Did you forget about what Regina told us?" Emma asked her heatedly. "She said when Shae got her heart back she realized she still loved Regina. If anything, it's her, not Ruby. You're giving her false hope!"
"That doesn't mean anything!" Mary Margaret whispered in retort. "Regina was the last person Shae loved before she lost her heart, that doesn't mean she really still does. It's probably just a… Residual effect, or something. Regina can't be Shae's true love. There's just… There's no way!"
"NO!"
Emma and her mother both whirled around, and both of their hearts sunk deep into their chests. Ruby was kneeling next to Shae, kissing her lips over and over again, but nothing was happening. Shae remained as still and lifeless as ever.
"Why isn't she waking up?" Ruby cried desperately, turning her tear stained face to Mother Superior.
Mother Superior stared down at Ruby sadly, and shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but I'm afraid you're not Shae's true love."
Ruby choked out a sob, burying her face in her hands. Mary Margaret rushed over to her, kneeling down and pulling Ruby into her arms as she sobbed. She glanced over at her daughter, looking thoroughly miserable. Emma bit back an, 'I told you so.'
"I-If it's not me…" Ruby said, pulling away from Mary Margaret and wiping furiously at her eyes. "Then… It's Regina, isn't it?"
Emma exchanged another knowing but sad glance with her mother. Ruby pushed away from Mary Margaret, getting to her feet and stomping furiously away from her and Shae's still unconscious body. She stood at the edge of the water, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso and staring out at the lake as tears rushed down her face.
"Hey, you know, we don't know that for sure. Maybe it's not Regina either." Emma said, as she joined Ruby by the water, attempting to comfort her.
Mary Margaret also joined them, rubbing Ruby's arm gently. "Emma's right, it might not be Regina." She said with a sad smile. "Shae, she… She's done a lot of really bad things in her life. Plus, she's a vampire. Maybe… Maybe she doesn't even have a true love."
"Then she'll never wake up." Ruby replied miserably, continuing to gaze out at the water.
"Yeah, that's not great either, is it?" Mary Margaret muttered.
Emma and Mary Margaret both glanced at each other sadly. Emma turned back to Mother Superior, who was still standing next to Shae's lifeless body.
"Is there really no other way?" Emma asked the former nun.
Mother Superior shook her head sadly, and Emma sighed. She turned back to Ruby, placing her hand gently on the young woman's shoulder.
"Ruby, I'm sorry, I know this all sucks but… I've got to go get Regina." Emma told her gently. "We've got to at least have her try."
"I know…" Ruby replied quietly. "Just… Go. I'll be fine."
Emma smiled slightly, and nodded. Emma left to go get Regina, and Mother Superior left too, back to the convent. Mary Margaret stayed with Ruby, attempting to comfort her friend. Ruby stood behind Shae's head, staring down at her. Her tears had subsided, but her eyes were still full of sorrow.
"Oh, Ruby… Ruby, I'm so sorry." Mary Margaret said, gently rubbing her back. "I know… I know you really care about her-"
"I love her." Ruby said quietly.
"Oh…" Breathed Mary Margaret. "Oh… I'm so sorry."
"Me too." Ruby replied with a sad smile. "I guess this kind of stuff happens when you fall for someone who doesn't have a heart."
Not able to come up with anything else to say, Mary Margaret simply gave her a sad smile back. The two of them stood around waiting for Emma to return for a long while. A few times, they had to shoo away a few shocked passersby, but thankfully none of them caused a fuss. In fact, once they found out that it was Shae lying the sand, they promptly scurried away in fright. Mary Margaret was starting to worry that Emma had failed to convince Regina to come, and was just about to voice her concerns to Ruby when they heard two car doors slamming shut.
Emma was getting out of her car, with Regina close behind her. "Sorry about that." Emma said to her mother and Ruby. "Regina took some convincing too."
When Regina spotted Mary Margaret, and Ruby just behind her, her lips curled into a fearsome snarl. "What is she doing here?" She growled at Emma. "You've led me into a trap, haven't you?"
They all cried out in alarm as Regina summoned a fireball into her hand. She drew her arm back, and was about to hurl it at Mary Margaret when Emma grabbed her arm.
"Regina, no!" Emma shouted, struggling against Regina, who was surprisingly strong.
"Get your hands off me you little-" Regina snarled at her.
"No! Regina, no, it's not a trap!" Mary Margaret cut in quickly. "Here, look!"
She and Ruby both stepped aside, and Regina let out a shocked gasp, extinguishing the fireball. When she saw Shae lying on the shore, her expression softened, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. She took a few steps forward, staring down at the woman she loved, who she had thought was gone forever. She stopped and turned back to Emma, who smiled at her.
"You… You found her." Regina breathed. "I-Is she-"
"Dead? No, she's still alive." Emma told her. "But… She's been put under a sleeping curse, and she needs true love's kiss to wake her up."
Regina stared around at all of them in silent shock. "And you all think… You think I'm Shae's true love?" She then started to laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Oh, please, don't be absurd. If anyone is her true love it's her wolf girl here."
"I… I already tried…" Ruby replied quietly, glancing away from Regina and biting back more tears. "Turns out I'm… I'm not Shae's true love."
Regina's face fell, and she stared down at the ground. "I see. Well, I am… Sorry to hear that."
"That's why I brought you here." Emma said to Regina. "You told us yourself that Shae said she still loved you. So… It… It has to be you, right?"
Regina glanced over at Shae, suddenly looking very sad. "No, I'm sorry, but it isn't." She said slowly. "As much as I want to it to be it… It just… I'm just not."
"How do you even know, Regina?" Mary Margaret asked pleadingly. "You haven't even tried, you just-"
"I know because I already know who my true love is, and it's not Shae!" Regina snapped.
A stunned silence fell over the women gathered at the shore. Regina stared down at the ground again as they all silently gaped at her.
"What do you mean, you already know who it is?" Emma asked her, eyes wide with shock.
Regina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's… A long story but… It was years and years ago, when I first married King Leopold." Regina explained, though a bit begrudgingly. "A fairy came to me, and she cast a spell, a spell that took me to a tavern, and my true love was inside. He had a… Specific tattoo, one that Shae does not, and has not ever had."
"W-What happened to him?" Mary Margaret asked, looking just as shocked as her daughter.
"I… I don't know." Admitted Regina, her eyes growing even more sad. "I never met him. I… Was afraid, so… I-I ran. I've never seen the man since then."
Silence fell over the group as they pondered Regina's story with heavy hearts. Was this it, then? Was Shae doomed to remain under her sleeping curse forever?
"Well, it still won't hurt to try, right?" Mary Margaret asked, her eyes still hopeful. "Please, Regina, we just want Shae back."
"And you think I don't?" Regina snapped at Mary Margaret again. "I'm sorry, but… It won't work, it's pointless."
"Please, Regina." Ruby suddenly said, breaking her sad and angry silence.
Regina drew back a step, eyeing her warily as the she-wolf stepped up to the former Queen. Ruby took Regina's hands in both of hers, staring intensely and desperately into her eyes.
"Please." Ruby begged her again, her voice cracking with emotion. "I know you love her too. So just… Please. Please, just try."
Regina stared back at Ruby in silence and, for a moment, Emma was worried that there was going to be another fight. But, Regina gave Ruby's hands a gentle squeeze, and nodded.
She walked slowly over to Shae and, when she stared down at her pale, lifeless face, she was suddenly overcome with emotion. She choked out a sob as she knelt down next to the woman she loved, gently brushing back her damp, black hair. She gasped in horror when she saw the gaping stab wound over Shae's heart, and she noticed the dagger lying next to her.
"Oh, Shae…" She whispered as tears ran down her face. "What did my mother do to you?"
She let out another sob, squeezing her eyes shut. She wished so terribly much that her kiss would wake her, that it would return the one she loved to her. But she knew it wouldn't. The man with the lion tattoo, the one she had run away from all those years ago was her true love, not Shae. As she gazed down at her lover's face, gently running her finger across the wound in her heart, she wished ever so desperately that she was.
"Regina…" Mary Margaret said quietly, sensing her confliction. "If it doesn't work then… Well, then at least you get to kiss her goodbye."
Regina squeezed her eyes shut again, more tears rolling down her cheeks, and slowly nodded. Mary Margaret, Emma, and Ruby all huddled together as they watched Regina staring silently down at Shae. She sobbed again, gently placing her hand on Shae's cheek.
"Oh, Shae… Shae, I love you." She whispered to her softly.
Regina leaned down, pressing her lips gently to Shae's. Emma, Mary Margaret, and Ruby all gasped when a pulsewave of magic shot out from between their lips as soon as they touched. Regina gasped too, leaping to her feet and stumbling backwards in alarm.
They all cried out in shock as Shae sat bolt upright, drawing in a heaving, shuttering gasp, her eyes now wide open. She rolled over onto her hands and knees, violently coughing up lungful after lungful of lake water. Regina and Ruby both stood rigid and silent in shock as Emma and her mother both rushed forward, grabbing Shae's arms as the dazed and confused vampire pushed herself shakily to her feet.
"Oh my god… I can't believe it worked." Mary Margaret said, staring up at Shae's face in wonder. "Regina really is-"
"W-W-What? Where… What happened?" Shae stammered, finally finding her voice, her eyes wild with shock.
"It's alright, Shae! You're alright!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, her eyes shining with tears.
"S-Snow? Emma?" Shae asked, glancing between the two women standing in front of her. "What are you… W-Where… Just… What?"
"It's alright, you're safe now." Emma told her, placing her hand on Shae's cold, wet cheek, grateful tears leaking out of her eyes.
"Regina saved you!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, shedding happy and grateful tears as well.
"R-Regina?" Shae asked them, her eyes still slightly deranged with shock. "Saved me? W-What… I-I don't-"
Shae stopped her stammering when she finally saw Regina, and her eyes suddenly focused, her eyes lighting up with joy.
"Regina!" She shouted.
Shae pushed away from Emma and her mother, rushing forward. Regina let out another strangled sob, smiling and reaching her arms out to the woman she loved. The smile on her face disappeared as Shae suddenly stopped in her tracks, her own face panic stricken.
"NO!" She screamed, staggering and stumbling backwards, her eyes suddenly filled with pure terror. "No, no, no! T-T-That's not-"
Regina gasped as Shae tripped and fell backward to the ground. When she made to go help her, Shae's face grew even more terrified. She crawled and scrambled backward, away from her. Emma and Mary Margaret once again pulled her to her feet, and Ruby rushed forward, grabbing Shae's face in her hands, attempting to calm her
"Shae! Shae, calm down… You're ok..." Ruby said soothingly, trying in vain to get Shae's terrified eyes off of Regina.
"T-That's not… She's… She's not…" Shae stammered, tugging on the arm of Emma's jacket and pulling her back with her, pointing a shaky finger at a now mortified Regina. "S-S-She's not Regina! Cora, it's Cora! S-S-She did this to me!"
"No, Shae, Cora's gone! It's really Regina, I promise." Mary Margaret said in the same soothing tone as Ruby.
None of their words seemed to be getting through the still disoriented vampire. She continued to stare at Regina, her red eyes bulging and wild with fear. She kept backing slowly away, pulling on Emma's jacket, shaking her head and muttering the word 'no' over and over again.
"I think she's in shock or something!" Ruby cried, her eyes full of concern.
"Stand back, I've got this." Emma suddenly said, yanking her arm out of Shae's grip and standing squarely in front of the panicking vampire.
"What are you - Oh!" Mary Margaret started to ask, then gasped when a loud smack resonated around the marina as Emma slapped Shae hard across the face.
"Emma!" Ruby chastised her.
"Hey… Hey!" Emma said to Shae, snapping her fingers in front of the vampire's face. "Earth to Shae! You alright?"
Shae had stopped backing away and now stood rigidly still, blinking several times. She then glanced around at them, her eyes now calm and clear.
"Yeah…" She breathed, smiling at Emma. "Much better, thanks."
"Oh… It… Worked?" Mary Margaret asked in shocked but pleasant surprise.
Shae nodded, and was about to respond when she noticed Regina again, who was still standing rooted in her spot. When she realized Shae had broken out of her crazed trance, she smiled a hopeful smile. It disappeared as suddenly as it came when Shae's face fell into furious snarl.
"YOU." She growled, stomping toward Regina.
"SHAE, NO!" Emma bellowed as her, Mary Margaret, and Ruby all rushed forward and grabbed onto Shae, attempting to hold her back.
"It's Regina, it's really Regina!" Mary Margaret shouted.
"Shae, it's me!" Regina said pleadingly, tears welling in her eyes. "It really is me, I promise!"
"PROVE IT!" Shae shouted at her furiously. "If you're really Regina, then tell me something only her and I would know!"
Shae then dropped her voice into a low and menacing growl. "And if you can't, if you're actually Cora, then I'm gonna rip your FUCKING LUNGS OUT!"
"Well, at least we know she's back to normal." Muttered Mary Margaret.
Regina thought for a few long, silent moments, her eyes shifting all around her, her mind turning wildly. Emma, Mary Margaret, and Ruby all clung to Shae's arms, watching Regina with bated breath. It was beginning to seem like she was coming up empty.
"I fucking knew it, it's Cora!" Shae snarled, shoving the three women holding her back away from her, stomping toward Regina again. "You're gonna pay for what you did to me, you evil fucking BITCH!"
"I always come back!" Regina shouted suddenly, her eyes wide with fear.
Shae stopped in her tracks, the snarl fading from her face at Regina's words. Her expression softened, and she stood rigidly still, staring at Regina with wide eyes.
"What?" She breathed.
"That's what you would say, any time you had to leave my side, any time we were ever apart." Regina went on, her eyes shining with tears. "I'd say, 'you came back,' and you'd say-"
"I always come back." Shae finished for her, now smiling too. "It really is you!"
Regina nodded, choking out a sob as she smiled, once again reaching her arms out to the woman she loved. Shae rushed forward, and threw herself into Regina's arms. Regina sobbed loudly and gratefully as Shae held her, wrapping her arms tightly around her neck. Shae dropped to her knees, crying as she held the woman she loved desperately in her arms. Regina went down with her, and they kissed passionately, the whole rest of the world disappearing around them. They were finally back together, finally in each other's loving arms once again.
"You came back!" Regina whispered as she pressed her forehead to Shae's, gently caressing her cold, pale face.
"I always come back." Shae whispered back.
They both laughed, and kissed again. Emma smiled at her mother, who smiled back, her eyes shining with happy tears. Shae looked up at them, and she smiled a shocked and grateful smile. Her and Regina both got back up, and Shae embraced both Emma and Mary Margaret gratefully.
"You're all wet." Emma said with a laugh, brushing the water off of the front of her clothes.
"I am?" Shae asked, looking down at her clothes. "Oh no! This was my favorite jacket!"
Regina laughed as Shae pouted her lips. "Here." She said, and she waved her hand in front of Shae.
Emma and Mary Margaret both leapt back as Shae was momentarily consumed by a cyclone of rushing wind. When it stopped, she was completely dry, her hair once again messy and sticking out at all angles like it usually did.
"Thanks!" Shae said, smiling gratefully at Regina and taking her hand. "Why, uh, why was I all wet?"
"You were at the bottom of the lake." Mary Margaret answered.
Shae raised her eyebrows in alarm. "Oh! Well, uh, that's-"
She suddenly gasped, urgently grabbing Regina's arm. "Cora! We have to stop her!" She exclaimed. "S-SHe said she was coming for you, t-that she-"
"It's alright, my mother, she's…" Regina began, pausing to shoot a quick glance at Mary Margaret. "She's dead now."
"Oh…" Shae breathed, glancing around at all of them in shock. "Are you sure? Cuz we thought she was dead the first time, but I guess it didn't take."
"Yes, that was all a clever ruse, one we both fell for." Regina replied sourly. "But… She really is gone now."
Shae's face fell as she watched Regina fighting back tears. "Regina, I… I'm so sorry." She said quietly, taking both of Regina's hands in her's. "I know you didn't exactly get along but… She was still your mother."
"Yes, she was." Regina replied softly.
She looked up at Shae, and was once again overcome with emotion as she looked into the eyes of the woman she loved. She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes as she placed her hand on Shae's cheek, gently caressing it with her thumb.
"I'm just… I'm so glad you're ok." She whispered, a single tear leaking out of her eyes.
Shae smiled too, placing her hand on top of Regina's. "Me too."
Shae's face suddenly fell. "Oh no…" She muttered. "Ruby… Where's Ruby?"
They all glanced around, and found Ruby nowhere to be seen. Shae looked up toward the road, and spotted her walking away from the marina, shoulders hunched.
"I think… I think you'd better go talk to her." Emma said when she spotted Ruby as well.
Shae looked at Regina, her eyes suddenly full of pain. "Emma's right, I never got a chance to before Cora got to me." She said sadly. "I-I gotta talk to her, try and explain-"
"It's alright. Go." Regina whispered, once again placing her hand on Shae's cheek.
Shae nodded, leaning forward and placing one last kiss on Regina's lips. Regina smiled, putting her hand on the back of Shae's head, holding her there for a moment. She then let go, and Shae rushed off after Ruby.
Nearby, unbeknownst to everyone, Greg Mendell had been quietly observing them from his car that was parked along the street just outside the marina. He had watched as Emma pulled a dead body out of the water, watched as a nun waved a magic wand over it, the body glowing magically. He gasped as the Mayor knelt down and kissed the person's lips, a pulsewave of magic shooting out from between them. He stared in wonder at the dead body that was now up and walking around. He pulled out his cellphone, hastily finding the contact named, 'Her.'
"Hey, it's me." He said into the phone, an excited smile spreading across his face. "You'll never guess what I just saw!"
XX
Shae jogged down the street, trying to hastily come up with what she was going to say to Ruby as the young woman's back grew closer and closer. She came up empty.
"Ruby!" She called out. "Ruby, wait!"
Ruby stopped walking, and turned around slowly. Shae stopped too, and her heart sunk when she saw Ruby's tear stained face.
"What, Shae?" Ruby asked her irritably. "What could you possibly have to say to me? That your sorry?"
Shae shrugged, staring sadly down at the ground. "Well, I-I mean, yeah." She muttered.
"You have no reason to be sorry." Ruby said, smiling at her sadly. "Regina… She's your true love!"
Shae's face fell into shocked confusion. "Huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ruby eyed curiously. "You don't know?"
When Shae shook her head, Ruby sighed. She grabbed Shae's hand, and led her over to a nearby bench. Once they both sat down, she went on.
"Shae, Cora put you under a sleeping curse." Ruby went on slowly.
"Yeah, I know, I remember that." Shae replied with a nod, but still looked confused.
"Don't you know that the only way to break a sleeping curse is with true love's kiss?" Ruby asked her, and when Shae continued to look puzzled, she went on. "Regina, she… She kissed you, and you woke up. She's your true love."
Shae's eyes grew wide with shock. She turned away from Ruby and leaned back against the bench, staring out in front of her, blinking slowly.
"Oh." Was all she had to say.
Ruby laughed bitterly, shaking her head in disbelief. They sat in silence for a while, Shae still in shock over what she was just told, and Ruby quietly grieving for the love she had just lost, for the second time.
"I think… I think I kinda always knew, you know? I knew that you wouldn't end up loving me." Ruby said quietly, wiping away a tear. "I was actually sort of hoping that you wouldn't get your heart back. I was afraid that… That when you did, you wouldn't feel anything for me."
"Ruby, I… I do feel something for you." Shae replied gently. "I really do care about you. But… It's just… It's not-"
"Not the same as the way you care about Regina." Ruby finished for her. "I get it. I kinda always felt like there was still something between you two. I just… I never thought she'd actually be your true love. It just… Doesn't make sense."
"Yeah, I know…" Shae muttered in agreement. "But, someone told me recently that love is the one thing in this life that makes the least sense of all."
Ruby breathed out a bitter, sour laugh. "Ain't that the truth."
"Yeah, it sure as shit is." Shae muttered again. She sat forward, turning her body to face Ruby. "Ruby I… I really am sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
Ruby smiled sadly, taking one of Shae's hands and squeezing it gently. "I know you didn't, and it's ok. I'm not mad at you."
Shae looked surprised. "You're not?"
Ruby shook her head slowly. "No, I have no reason to be. Regina said that when you realized you still loved her, you left to go tell me. You wanted to do the right thing, Cora just… Got in the way."
Shae nodded sadly, and Ruby let go of her hand, moving it to her shoulder. "Just… Promise me something, ok?" Ruby said seriously.
"Yeah, of course." Shae replied, nodded again earnestly.
"Don't… Don't let Regina change you." Ruby went on slowly.
"What do you mean?" Asked Shae, brow furrowed in confusion.
Ruby sighed heavily. "Just… When was the last time you did something really bad?" Ruby asked. "I'm not talking about some of the shady stuff you told me you did when you were running around out in this world. You know, like, picking pockets, stealing cars, impersonating a priest…"
Shae chuckled. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."
Ruby laughed too, shaking her head slowly. She then went on, staring very seriously into Shae's eyes. "I'm talking about the last truly bad, truly evil thing you did, since you've been away from Regina."
Shae sighed as she finally understood what Ruby was getting at. "She's changed."
"I know, and so have you." Ruby replied. "Just… Don't let her change you back. Maybe… Maybe the two of you can help each other… Keep changing. For the better."
Shae gave her a small smile. "Yeah… I think we can."
Ruby nodded, smiling back, though still sadly. She then stood up, turning to Shae and staring down at the ground. "Look, um, I just… I need some time, you know?" She said slowly. "I need to be alone for a little while."
"Right, yeah, I understand." Shae replied earnestly as she also got up from the bench.
Ruby smiled, and put her arms around Shae's neck, pulling her into a gentle hug. Shae hugged her back, her heart heavy with sadness. When they pulled away, Ruby placed her hand on Shae's cheek, smiling into the vampire's blood red eyes.
"One more for the road?" She asked.
Shae smiled back, and nodded. She leaned forward, gently placing her lips against Ruby's, kissing her one last time. Ruby sighed, cupping Shae's face in her hands as tears rolled down her face.
"Oh, Ruby…" Shae whispered, pressing her forehead to Ruby's. "I don't… I don't think I ever really deserved you."
Ruby shrugged. "Probably not." She said with a coy grin.
Shae laughed, and Ruby laughed with her, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. She then took Shae's hand, squeezing it gently.
"Goodbye, Shae." Ruby said with another sad smile.
"Bye." Shae replied with a sad smile of her own.
Shae watched Ruby go for a moment, then she squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking down her cold, pale cheeks. Her heart still ached with guilt and regret for breaking Ruby's heart, but she knew it had been the right thing to do. She only hoped she could keep her promise, and continue to do the right thing.
Shae turned and started her walk back to Regina's house and, was once again, completely unaware that she was being watched. Greg Mendell had followed Shae in his car, curious about this new card that had been dealt into the game.
"Hey." He said into his cellphone. "No, I still don't know who she is. No, I haven't seen any more magic, she just sat and talked with that girl from the diner, the waitress. Ruby, yeah, that's it. A werewolf? Huh, wow, that's interesting."
He paused, gazing up into his rearview mirror at Shae's back as she walked away. "Don't worry, we'll figure out exactly who and what she is soon enough."
XX
Shae's heart was still heavy with sadness as she walked up the sidewalk to Regina's house. She turned past the fence and onto the walkway leading up to the house. As soon as she did, the door swung open, and all the guilt and sadness that hung heavy in her heart lifted away when she saw Regina's face. She ran up onto the porch, and immediately took Regina in her arms, kissing her deeply. Regina smiled, kissing her back with immensely grateful passion.
"You came back." Regina whispered, cupping Shae's face in her hands, joyful tears running down her face.
"I always come ba-." Shae replied, but, when she saw the look on Regina's face, her brow furrowed. "Wait… You really didn't think I was coming back, did you?"
Regina bit her lip, glancing away as she placed her hands on Shae's chest, fiddling with the front of her jacket. "Well… W-With everything between you and Ruby, I… I was afraid that…"
Her voice broke with emotion, and she squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking out of them. Shae gently wiped them away with her thumb, sadness in her eyes.
"Regina…" She breathed, then let out a sigh, pulling her into the house and shutting the door behind them. "What Ruby and I had it was… Nice. But… Hey, look at me."
Shae placed her fingers under Regina's chin, tilting her head up. When Regina gazed into her eyes, she smiled, gently caressing her cheek.
"I love you." Shae whispered. "I don't think I ever stopped, I just didn't know it, not without… Without, uh…"
"Without your heart." Regina finished for her, her tone layered with guilt. She then cupped Shae's face in her hands again, staring deep into her eyes. "Oh, Shae, Shae I'm so sorry for what I did to you, for what my mother did to you…"
"It's alright, it's all in the past. Right now, I'm much more concerned about the present." Shae replied with another smile. "Besides, you saved me today."
"Well, technically Mary Margaret and Emma saved you. I suppose I should thank them, I-"
"No, YOU saved me." Shae cut in, shaking her head. "Ruby told me about how you woke me up with… With true love's kiss."
Regina's face fell, and she stared down at the floor. "Oh, I see."
An awkward silence fell between them as they both pondered the fact that what they had was actually true love. "That, uh… That sure is something, huh?" Shae asked with a weak smile.
"Yes… It… It certainly is." Regina replied.
They fell into uncomfortable silence once again. Just a short while past, they had both joked about the possibility of people like a blood sucking vampire and The Evil Queen ever finding true love, about how it was most likely not possible. Neither of them had thought villains and evil creatures like themselves were allowed true love, but now, now they knew that they indeed did. They had both changed dramatically over the years and, maybe, just maybe, that meant that they weren't truly villains any more.
"You, uh, wanna just not talk about that and go back to kissing?" Shae asked with a shrug.
Regina laughed, nodding earnestly. "Yes, I'd like that very much."
They wrapped their arms gently but tightly around each other, and kissed passionately again. Regina sighed contentedly as Shae kissed her, as she held her in her arms. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. But, one thing wouldn't stop nagging at her. How was it possible that she had woken Shae? Tinkerbell had told her that the man with the lion tattoo was her true love. Had she been wrong? Had her spell been wrong? Or, was it possible, that someone could have two true loves?
"Shae, wait, there's something I need to tell you." Regina said, pulling back from their embrace.
"What? What is it?" Shae asked, staring down at her with concerned eyes.
Regina bit her lip, thinking about the man with the lion tattoo again. She felt that Shae should know about him. It was possible that he was still alive somewhere. What if their paths crossed? What would happen? Regina had no answers, only more and more questions.
"Just… Nevermind, it's not important right now." Regina replied, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck and kissing her again.
They kissed with passionate urgency and, as their embrace deepened, they began to tug at each other's clothes. Regina tossed Shae's leather jack aside, and gasped as the vampire slid her cold hands underneath her shirt.
"Oh, Shae…" Regina whispered against her lips. "Twenty eight years is much too long."
"I couldn't agree more." Shae replied with a grin.
Regina laughed as Shae grabbed on to her thighs and lifted her into the air. Regina wrapped her legs around Shae's waist and kissed her again as Shae carried her effortlessly up the stairs and into her bedroom. They broke their embrace momentarily as Shae set her down, and they both tore urgently at each other's clothes.
As soon as they were both naked, they immediately fell onto the bed together. They found each other's lips again, and Regina climbed on top of Shae, straddling her waist. Shae sat forward, breaking away from Regina's lips and plunging her face into Regina's breasts. Regina moaned, digging her nails into the vampire's back and scalp as Shae took one of her nipples into her mouth.
Regina grabbed Shae's face urgently, pulling her away from her breast and kissing her again fiercely. She couldn't stop kissing her lips, she didn't want to. Shae had always had an uncanny ability of knowing exactly what Regina wanted, and she kept her lips locked together with Regina's as she shifted her arm, slipping her fingers deep inside her.
Regina moaned against Shae's lips as she urgently and vigorously began pumping her fingers. Shae moaned with her, still kissing her ferocously as she thrust faster and harder. They moaned together, kissing fiercely, their tongues battling back and forth. Regina felt her climax coming, and she snapped her head back, finally releasing her lover's lips as she came. Regina cried out in pure, unadulterated pleasure, pleasure that she hadn't experienced with anyone else in twenty eight years. Shae kissed her neck, and Regina arched her back, she squeezing fistfuls of Shae's hair as wave after wave of her orgasm crashed over her. When she finally settled back into Shae's lap, the vampire's brow furrowed in concern when she saw the tears running down Regina's face.
"You're crying…" Shae whispered, searching her eyes in confusion. "Was I really that bad?"
Regina laughed, shaking her head slowly, gently caressing the vampire's face. "No, no, it's not that." She reassured her. "I know you're perfectly aware of just how good you are."
Shae laughed too, giving Regina one of the quirky grins that she loved so very much. "Yeah, you're right, I'm pretty damn amazing."
Regina laughed again, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck, kissing her tenderly. Shae removed her hand from between Regina's legs and curled her arms around her, holding her tight. Shae's familiar and loving embrace brought tears to Regina's eyes again. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy, and she was terrified about it.
"Regina…" Shae breathed, now gravely concerned as Regina let out a strangled sob. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Oh, Shae…" Regina sobbed, gently stroking Shae's hair. "Shae, I'm so scared…"
"Scared? Scared of what?"
"Of… Losing you." Regina whispered softly. She hugged Shae's head against her chest, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears leaked out of them. "I love you so much, and I'm so happy that you're back in my arms again. But I… I'm so scared that something or someone is going to take you away again. I… Just… I can't…"
Her voice broke into another sob. Shae took her face in her hands and softly pressed her lips to both of Regina's cheeks, kissing her tears away.
"Now, listen to me very carefully." Shae said seriously, staring intensely into the eyes of the woman she loved. "I'm not going anywhere. No one is taking me away from you, I won't let them. If anyone tries, I'll scoop their eyeballs out with my own two hands, squish them into jelly, put it in a mason jar, and stick it on your mantelpiece for decoration."
Regina laughed, shaking her head slowly. "You really have a way with words."
Shae gave her another quirky grin. "What can I say? I'm a goddamn poet."
Regina laughed again, and sighed as Shae tenderly kissed her lips. She smiled, pressing her forehead to Shae's and gently caressing her cold, pale face.
"Hey, listen, I get that you're scared." Shae told her gently. "But, trust me, nothing is going to take me away from you, I promise. I'm not going to let that happen."
Regina nodded, gently brushing back Shae's messy black hair. Once again, Shae was able to make her laugh, to make all the fear and the heartache clouding her mind fade away.
"I love you." Regina whispered.
"I love you too." Shae whispered back.
The two lovers spent almost the whole entirety of the first night of their reunion making tender and passionate love. As the sun began to set, Greg Mendell pulled out his cellphone again. He stared out of his car window at Regina's house, waiting and watching for the mysterious stranger he saw being woken from the dead at the marina.
"Hey." He said when 'Her' finally answered. "She hasn't come out yet, and I don't think she's going to any time soon. I saw her getting pretty damn cozy with the mayor. The Evil Queen, yeah. Don't worry, I'll find something out. Well, the mayor seems to like me a lot ever since I called her about her son running around alone in the woods."
He paused as he glanced back over at Regina's house, a devious grin spreading across his face. "Don't you worry, babe, we'll make her spill every single one of her secrets soon enough."
XX
The next night, Emma decided to throw a welcome back party for Shae. Since Ruby was still recovering from the breakup, and the fact that mostly everyone in town was terrified of the vampire, it was a much smaller crowd than it had been for Emma and Mary Margaret's party. Since it was such a small group, they held the party in Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment. Emma, her parents, and Henry were all there, and Emma had decided to invite Neal and his fiance Tamara, who Neal just recently told about his past. Tamara had taken it surprisingly well for someone who only knew their stories as fairy tales.
Emma had also invited Regina, but she couldn't help feel relieved when Shae showed up alone. "Is my mom not coming?" Henry asked as he hugged Shae.
"Uh, no, she's not." Shae replied slowly. "She's um… Busy."
"She still hates my guts, doesn't she?" Mary Margaret asked with a frown.
Shae gave her a shrug. "Well, you know, she's kinda always hated your guts."
"Yeah, well, we were working on it." Mary Margaret replied indignantly. "Well, before I… Um..."
Emma quickly stepped in before her mother had to say any more. She introduced Shae to Neal and Tamara, and Shae was shocked to learn that Neal had actually told Tamara all about The Enchanted Forest. Neal, in turn, was shocked that Shae somehow knew all about him, that he had sent Emma to jail, and that he was Henry's father.
"How do you know about all that?" Neal asked, eyeing Shae warily.
Shae raised her eyebrows silently, then turned to Emma. "You, uh… You didn't tell him?"
Emma shrugged slightly. "Well, you know, I didn't exactly know how to tell my ex that the party we're throwing is for my other ex." She replied defensively.
"Probably could have just said that." Shae replied, also shrugging.
"Hold up, you two… Uh… Dated?" Neal asked slowly, glancing between Emma and Shae. When they both nodded, he raised his eyebrows in shock.
"It's all good though, right?" Shae asked after a moment of awkward silence. "You've got someone, I've got someone, Emma's got… Uh… Henry. It's not weird, this isn't weird."
"Oh, no, of course not." Neal replied, exchanging a nervous glance with Tamara.
"Absolutely. All good." Shae said earnestly.
"Yep."
"Totally."
"Cool. Cool, cool."
Emma let out an exasperated sigh, and her mother chuckled. "There, now aren't you glad we got that out of the way?"
"Oh, yeah, that wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest." Emma replied sarcastically.
"So, um, Neal told me who everyone else here is." Tamara cut in, breaking another awkward silence. "So, uh, who are you, Shae? Or, I mean, who were you, back in The Enchanted Forest?"
Shae chewed on her lip ring silently for a moment, glancing over at David and Mary Margaret. "Well, uh… Nobody." She finally replied. "I was nobody. Nobody important, at least."
"Shae's a vampire." Henry said matter-of-factly.
"Dude!" Cried Shae.
"What? She already knows about everything else." Henry replied with a shrug.
"Woah, seriously?" Neal asked, his mouth gaping open. "You're a vampire? Like… An actual vampire?"
"Well, I sure hope so, otherwise I've been drinking people's blood for no reason." Shae replied with a quirky grin.
When Tamara and Neal both looked horrified, Shae went on hastily. "No, no! Sorry, joking, I was joking!" She said with a nervous smile. "Well… Mostly joking, anyway. I uh… I am a vampire, but I don't drink human blood. You guys are safe from me."
Neal, being from a land of magic, simply shrugged it off. Tamara, however, still seemed to be a bit nervous."Oh, uh, well that's good, I guess." She muttered
"It's alright, Tamara, really. Shae's a friend." Mary Margaret told her gently. "It… May not have started out that way, but she helped us save Emma, and she's done a lot of good since then."
"I propose a toast!" David announced, holding up his glass. "Though we've had our differences in the past, Shae became, and has remained, a powerful and loyal friend. We're all so happy that you're heart has finally been returned, and we're especially glad that you're not dead."
"To Shae!" Mary Margaret said happily.
"To Shae!" Everyone echoed.
After the toast was done, they all sat around the table, eating and drinking merrily. Tamara and Neal both shared their stories with Shae, and the vampire was positively shocked to find out that Neal was actually Baelfire, which made Rumpelstiltskin Henry's grandfather. The two of them in turn questioned Shae about her story, but Shae, who was trying to forget about the past, was evasive about the details. Wanting to respect her privacy, the others also remained silent, Emma giving Henry a light kick from under the table when the boy almost blurted out all of Shae's vampire powers. Tamara was particularly interested in Shae's powers, and practically begged the vampire to show her what she could do.
"Come on, please? I haven't gotten to see much magic since I've been here!" Tamara cried pleadingly.
"I'm not a show off." Shae replied dismissively.
"'Not a show off?'" Mary Margaret cried indignantly. "The only reason we even captured you back home was because you were so busy showing off!"
Shae opened her mouth to retort angrily, but then shut it again, pointing an insistent finger at Mary Margaret. "I'm not a show off any more."
"Alright, alright, I get it." Tamara said with a chuckle, raising her hands in defeat. "So, um… How did you guys first meet? In The Enchanted Forest, I mean."
She posed the question to David, Mary Margaret, and Shae who both exchanged an uncertain glance. "Uh, well, I… I don't know if Shae really wants to relive all that." Mary Margaret replied hesitantly. "The three of us didn't exactly meet under the best of circumstances."
"Nah, it's alright, I'm not ashamed of my past." Shae told her with a small shrug. She then turned to Tamara, and went on. "I, uh, I used to work for The Evil Queen."
"Oh, that's uh… Regina?" Tamara asked, looking to her fiance. "She's The Evil Queen, right?"
"WAS." Shae said in emphasis. "Regina WAS The Evil Queen. And I was her… Royal Protector. One day, she sent me out into the forest to… To kidnap Snow White, er… Mary Margaret."
Tamara raised her eyebrows in shock. "You… You tried to kidnap her?"
"Well, sure, she did at first." Mary Margaret cut in. "But, in the end, Shae ended up saving me, she saved both of us. And then we saved her."
"Yeah, I remember." Muttered David. "You fought off that werewolf, uh… Oh, what was his name?"
Shae balled her hands into fists. Even though he was now long since dead, the very thought of her old nemesis still made her blood boil with rage.
"Van Helsing…"
XXXXX
The Evil Queen glared down at the unfortunate soldier kneeling before her. Her morning had started out quiet and peaceful. She had been pouring over an old spell book in her study when the soldier had interrupted her, and not with good news. He had just told her that Snow White had eluded her men once again.
"Apologies, Your Majesty." The soldier said shakily, bowing his head, not even daring to look The Queen in the eye. "B-But she had a man with her, one very skilled with a sword. The two of them took down at least seven of us all on their own."
Regina's lips curled into a snarl, and she rose slowly to her feet. The soldier's armor clattered softly as he quaked with fear.
"I care not for your pathetic EXCUSES!" The Evil Queen roared with rage, grabbing the flagon of wine from off the table and hurling it at the door.
At that exact moment, Shae stepped in. The flagon sped right toward her head, but she used her lightning quick reflexes to lean to the side, the flagon sailing harmlessly over her shoulder and out into the hallway.
She glanced over her shoulder at it, then back at Regina, her red eyes wide with shock. "That was good wine!" She cried, pouting slightly. "What did it ever do to you?"
The Queen waved her hand dismissively at the soldier, who rose to his feet, standing at attention against the far wall. Regina sank back into her seat, staring bitterly down at the floor.
"Snow White has outwitted my soldiers once again." She told her Royal Protector.
"Excellent!" Shae replied chipperly. "The rest of the wine will be delighted to know that it is not responsible for your sour mood this morning."
Shae grinned cheekily at her, but Her Majesty was not amused. She narrowed her eyes at the vampire, glowering irritably at her.
"I haven't the patience for your wit today." She growled.
Shae frowned, pouting her lips again. "I thought you liked my wit!"
"Not presently…" Regina spat through gritted teeth.
Shae sighed, rolling her eyes. "Alright, alright, no need to get your panties in a twist." She muttered. She then turned to the soldier. "Where was she last seen?"
"Just a few days ride east of the Troll Bridge." The soldier replied, still standing rigidly at attention.
"When?" Shae asked again.
"Just last night."
Shae nodded slowly, tapping her finger on her chin. "Yes, I believe I know the area."
A devious grin suddenly spread across her face. She marched over to The Queen, dropping down on one knee in front of her, taking one of her hands in both of her's.
"Send me after her, my Queen." Shae told her, still grinning. "I will hunt her down and bring you her heart on a silver platter, if you like."
Regina stared down at her vampire protector, pondering her request. Her lips then curled into grin just as evil and devious as Shae's. She leaned forward in her chair, and gently cupped her hand under Shae's chin, staring into her blood red eyes.
"Bring her to me, alive." Regina said in a dark whisper. "That way, I can gain the satisfaction of tearing her heart out myself."
Shae's evil grin broadened. "Your wish is my command."
Regina nodded, and then gripped Shae's chin tightly, drawing her in even closer. She smirked when she felt the vampire draw in a sharp breath, quivering with anticipation as Regina brought her lips mere inches away from Shae's. She had sensed the desire in the vampire's heart ever since the day she had brought Shae to her castle, and she immensely enjoyed toying with her.
"If you fail…" She whispered dangerously, her lips ever so slightly brushing against Shae's. "Well, I'm sure I needn't remind you what happens to those who disappoint me."
Shae's grin got broader still, and she stared into Regina's eyes with an immeasurable amount of desire. "I would never dream of disappointing you, my Queen." She whispered.
"Good." Regina said grinning into the vampire's blood red eyes. She then pushed Shae's face away and released her chin, leaning back in her chair. "Now, go."
Shae continued to stare wantonly at her for a moment. She then shook herself and got to her feet, giving The Queen a small bow. On her way out, she turned to the soldier who was still standing at attention. She placed her hand on his shoulder, grinning back at Regina.
"Sorry, my friend, but I do believe you've disappointed The Queen." She whispered in the poor man's ear.
Shae stepped out into the hallway, and chuckled as the soldier's screams echoed off the walls. She grinned, her blood rushing with excitement. She enjoyed a good hunt, and she would hunt Snow White and bring her back to her Queen, no matter what.
XX
Snow White shoved Prince Charming roughly as he bent to drink from the rushing river. He cried out as he fell into the water face first, and Snow gazed out at his shock plastered face as the flowing waters carried him away. Snow bit her lip. She felt a tiny bit of guilt over what she had just done, but she had better things to do than be dragged through the forest by some selfish royal.
She sped off back into the forest, and once again found the main road. She set off down the road at a run, her heart soaring. She was finally free and clear, finally back on track to finding passage out of The Enchanted Forest. All she wanted was to live in peace, far away from The Evil Queen's vengeful wrath.
She skidded to a stop, her heart sinking deep into her stomach as three of Regina's black knights rounded the bend in front of her on horseback. She knew it was pointless to try and run, so she remained where she stood, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Well, well, well… Look who we've found." One of the knights sneered as he and his fellow knights surrounded her.
They swiftly dismounted, and two of the knights grabbed her roughly by her arms. "There's nowhere to hide, Snow White." The knight who spoke before said. "The Queen wants your heart, and we're not going to disappoint her."
The black knights dragged her off of the main road and into a grassy clearing in the trees. The two holding her arms pinned her against a tree, and Snow White started to panic as the third pulled out a dagger, grinning dangerously at her. Snow closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come. This was it, it was all over, just like that. Regina was finally going to get her heart, she was finally going to have her revenge.
"Oi! Shit for brains!"
Snow snapped her eyes open, and saw the knight standing before her whirl around. His body jerked violently as he grunted in pain, and he slumped to the ground, a dagger protruding from his forehead.
"You! What are you doing here?" The knight holding her left arm demanded of the person standing across the clearing.
A strange looking woman was sauntering toward them. She wore black leather armor, similar to the kind the knights were garbed in, and a long, black overcoat that fell past her knees. She had a short crop of messy black hair on her head, pale gray skin, and deep, blood red eyes. There was a strikingly ornate sword strapped to her back, a black gem gleaming at the tip of the golden pommel.
The woman didn't reply. She simply grinned silently in a dark and devious way, drawing the sword on her back. Snow was shocked to see that the blade of the sword was tinted blue, and glittered like diamonds in the sunlight.
Snow gasped as the woman rushed forward and, faster than she could blink, cut down the knights holding her with two swift strikes of her blade. Once the knights had fallen lifeless to the ground, she sheathed her sword, grinning silently at Snow White.
"T-Thank you!" Snow breathed, smiling at her in wonder.
"Oh, I wouldn't thank me just yet, Snow White." The woman replied, tapping a finger on the sigil inlaid on the left side of her overcoat.
Snow's smile instantly faded when she recognized the sigil. "Y-You're one of Regina's knights?" She asked, staring at the stranger in shock and confusion. "Why would you kill your fellow soldiers?"
The woman barked out a mocking laugh. "Me, a knight? Hardly." She replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "No, what I do for Her Majesty is much more… Technical."
She then glanced down at the dead knights. "As for these idiots, well, I simply just didn't have the time or patience to explain to them why exactly I'm doing their job for them."
"So, Regina has sent you to kill me instead?" Snow asked, her heart pounding with fear.
"No, my dear, I'm only here to deliver you to The Queen." The woman replied with another evil grin. "She's going to be the one to kill you, which is extremely unfortunate for you. At least her knights would have given you a swift death, but I imagine what Her Majesty has in mind is much more on the slow and painful side."
Snow was about to retort furiously, when she made a sudden realization. "I know who you are…" She breathed, her eyes wide with shock. "You're a vampire… The one that Regina's had working for her, aren't you?"
"In the flesh." The vampire replied, grinning proudly. "It's Shae, by the way. I can see I've already built myself a reputation. Well, I have to say that's-"
There was a hollow sounding thump, and Shae stumbled forward a step, grunting in pain. She whirled around, an arrow protruding from her shoulder blade.
"Get away from her!"
Charming was standing on the other side of the clearing, notching another arrow onto his longbow, aiming it straight at the vampire's head. Shae reached her arm back, and pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, tossing it casually to the side. Charming's face fell in confused horror.
"Oh, that tickled!" Shae said, laughing dangerously.
"Charming, no!" Snow shouted at him. "She's the vampire that's working for Regina! Just… Just run!"
"I'd listen to her, if I were you." Shae said to Charming. "Snow White is mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"Actually, she's ours!"
Shae and Snow both whirled around, and saw a score of armed men stepping through the trees, bows, swords, and spears all trained on the vampire standing in the middle of the clearing. They appeared to be knights of some kind, for they were all wearing white, chainmail armor, with a red sun emblazoned on the front.
"Van Helsing." Shae snarled, glaring viciously at the large bearded man standing at the front of the group of knights. "What the fucking hell are you doing here?"
"We're taking Snow White for ourselves." The bearded man named Van Helsing replied. "King George has also placed a high price on her head, and we're going to collect the bounty."
"What the hell do you need all that gold for?" Shae snarled again, glaring all around her as she was surrounded by the white knights.
"Don't you know? Wars cost money." Said the tall, red headed woman glaring at Shae from Van Helsing's side.
"Who the hell are you?" Shae snapped at her.
"This here is my wife, Aela." Van Helsing replied, smiling fondly at the red head. "She's a fearsome huntress, and she's joining me at my side while I wage war on the dark and evil magic of this world."
"Really, war, again?" Shae asked with an exasperated sigh. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time, Van Helsing?"
Van Helsing pointed a furious and accusing finger at the vampire, glaring viciously. "The lesson I learned is that foul creatures like you must purged from this world and all the others that be!"
"And what about the foul creature that you are, hm?" Shae said scathingly. "Does your wife know about that little tidbit?"
"Of course I do." Aela replied heatedly. "It was because of magic that my husband was tricked into becoming a monster. Magic is evil, and it must be destroyed!"
Shae sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You people, my god." She muttered. "Look, I'm tired of wasting my time on you. I'm delivering Snow White to The Queen and you'll stay out of my way, if you know what's good for you."
Van Helsing chuckled darkly. "I should have known you would ally yourself with another dark sorceress." He snarled. "Men! Put your silver swords through this parasite's heart, and bring me Snow White!"
A rousing battle cry echoed among the trees, and utter chaos ensued in the clearing as Van Helsing's knights charged at the vampire. Shae drew her sword once again, and was lost from sight as the knights set upon her. Snow White sprinted toward Charming, who was firing off arrows left and right at the knights that were chasing her down.
As Snow White and Charming crashed through the woods, Shae skillfully fought off knight after knight. She searched all around her as she plunged her sword through one man's chest, turning and raising her sword to block another.
"DAMMIT!" She roared as she noticed Snow White was nowhere to be found.
"Men! With Aela, after Snow White!" Van Helsing commanded as he drew his own sword. "I'll deal with this creature myself."
Aela and the knights all sped off after Snow White and Prince Charming, and Shae stood alone in the clearing with Van Helsing. They circled each other slowly, their sharp eyes trained dangerously on each other's every movement.
"As much as I really do want to tear out that throat of yours, I'm afraid I just don't have the time." Shae sneered at her nemesis. "I promised my Queen that I would deliver Snow White to her alive, and I intend to do just that."
Van Helsing let out a low, menacing laugh. "You certainly have an affinity for dark and evil witches, don't you?"
"Yes, I suppose I do." Shae agreed with a grin. "And you seem to have an affinity for dirty whores."
Van Helsing let out enraged roar, charging at the vampire, sword in the air. Shae brought her sword up just in time to block his blow, swiftly crossing blades with him several more times.
"Still got that damn sword, I see." Van Helsing snarled as their swords collided, both pushing against each other.
"Did you really think I'd leave it behind?" Shae snarled back.
"You're not worthy of it!" Van Helsing bellowed.
"And you are? At least I have some class." Shae replied with a taunting grin. "You're just a damn dirty dog!"
Van Helsing howled with rage again as he shoved the vampire backward. He rushed at her, bringing his sword down through the air, only have to have it cut through a column of blood red smoke.
"Well, it sure has been fun catching up." Shae called out as she appeared behind him. "But I really must be going now."
"Enough with your dark magic!" Van Helsing bellowed furiously. "Come and face me like a man!"
Shae fixed him with a mockingly offended stare. "Well, first of all, I'm not a man." She replied matter-of-factly. "Second of all… No thanks. Bye now!"
Shae chuckled as she reappeared on the main road, Van Helsing's roar of rage ringing in her ears. She knelt down, brushing her fingers along the fresh hoof prints in the dirt. She straightened up again, sniffing the air, grinning triumphantly as she caught Snow White's scent. She followed her trail on and on up the road, and her brow furrowed curiously as she began to hear sounds of shouting from around the bend that lie ahead. When she rounded the bend, she saw that Aela and her knights had run into a band of The Queen's own soldiers. The two groups were in the midst of a fierce scuffle.
Shae slipped into the woods, carefully creeping around all the knights. Once she was out of their line of sight, she found the road again, and the trail of hoofprints. She continued on, stopping when the road broke out of the trees. The road led on into a large clearing with a deep, gaping canyon in the center, a single bridge stretching across it. She grinned as she spotted Snow White and Prince Charming standing on the Troll Bridge.
"Charming!" Snow White shouted as Shae appeared in a puff of blood red smoke behind The Prince.
"Hello!" Shae said chipperly, and whacked Charming in the side of the head with her fist.
Shae laughed as Charming instantly hit the ground. She then turned her blood red eyes onto Snow White, sporting a dark and evil grin.
"Now then, you're coming with me." She said, stepping slowly toward Snow White.
Snow grabbed up Charming's fallen sword, brandishing it at Shae. "I won't let you take me alive!" She replied defiantly. "I'd rather die than be left in the hands of-"
"Wait! Wait… Did you hear that?" Shae suddenly said, her red eyes wide.
They both stopped to listen. They heard only the sounds of the crickets chirping in the forest for a moment, but then, there was a long, low howl from deep in the woods.
"No… No, no, no…" Shae muttered, wildly searching the trees with her eyes.
"It was just a wolf." Snow said, confused at the vampire's fearful muttering.
Shae turned back to her, her eyes full of sudden horror. "Not just a wolf, a werewolf."
"A-A werewolf?" Snow stammered, starting to feel the terror herself.
"Van Helsing, his rage must have triggered a transformation." Shae replied, her voice full of fear.
Shae jumped, and Snow drew in a sharp gasp as they heard another howl, and, this time, it was much, much closer. Shae and Snow watched in horror as the tops of the trees started to rustle. Something very large was moving straight toward them.
Shae whirled around, staring at Snow White, then down at Charming, who was now regaining consciousness, moaning and groaning with pain. Shae gazed from Charming and Snow, back toward the continually rustling trees, and back again, muttering angrily to herself. She seemed to be conflicted about something.
She suddenly groaned, squeezing her eyes shut, running her hands through her hair. She turned to Snow, who was eyeing her warily, sword still in hand.
"Take him and run." Shae commanded, pointing down at Charming. "I'll hold Van Helsing off while you escape."
Snow raised her eyebrows in shock, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the vampire. "Why? Why are you letting me go?" She asked carefully.
Shae let out a frustrated sigh. "Because, that werewolf is in the middle of a frenzied, rage filled transformation." Shae replied irritably. "If you don't get far enough away now, he'll follow your scent and hunt you down."
"Why do you even care?" Snow asked, still wary. "Regina wants me dead."
"Well, I promised her I'd bring you to her alive." Shae snapped back. "I can't exactly do that if Van Helsing rips you to shreds, now can I?"
Snow let out a frightened gasp, her eyes wide with terror. She pointed behind Shae's head, and the vampire slowly turned around, already knowing what she was about to find. Van Helsing, in his wolf form, had finally crashed through the trees.
The wolf Van Helsing was terrifyingly large, standing as tall as two full grown men, the muscles in his legs, arms, and chest massive and bulging. Where other werewolves ran on four paws, Van Helsing stood on two hulking hind legs, long, sharp claws protruding from his fur covered feet and hands. The rest of his body was mostly covered with brown fur, but patches were missing, revealing the skin underneath. His face was that of a wolf, a long, pointed snout, and massive, sharp fangs protruding from his jaws, dripping with saliva. He was truly, half man, half wolf.
The werewolf turned his bulging black eyes onto Shae, and let out a fearsome roar. He dropped down onto four legs, running headlong toward the vampire, his claws sending grass and dirt flying up into the air.
"GO!" Shae shouted at Snow White. "RUN! NOW!"
Snow White hastily pulled Charming to his feet, and the two of them hurried off across the bridge as Shae charged headlong at the werewolf. She leapt through the air, full on tackling the werewolf to the ground. They rolled around on the grassy ground for a moment, and Shae was sent careening through the air as Van Helsing knocked her back with his hulking, furry arm.
Shae slammed painfully into a tree, and crashed to the ground. She picked her head up, and drew in a gasp as she saw Van Helsing charging at her again. She disappeared in a puff of red smoke just as the werewolf crashed through the trees, and reappeared behind him.
Shae drew her sword as the werewolf spun around, snarling viciously at her. Her sword wasn't silver, but it was at least unbreakable. She at least stood a chance of holding Van Helsing off long enough for Snow White and Charming to escape safely.
"COME ON, YOU GREAT UGLY BRUTE!" Shae screamed at him tauntingly.
Van Helsing roared, and charged at her once again. Shae slashed at the werewolf's chest with her sword, but the wolf didn't even seem to notice. The vampire was sent flying backward as the werewolf swung his arm out again, her sword flying out of her hand. Shae slid across the ground, and right over the side of the ledge of the deep canyon behind her. She managed to grab onto the ledge just in time, dangling dangerously over the gap.
The werewolf stood at the ledge over her, and, just as he opened his jaws to swallow her head, Shae let go of the ledge with one hand and sent the wolf hurtling backward with a telekinetic blast. She pulled herself up over the ledge, and sat back on her knees. Van Helsing charged toward her again, and Shae outstretched her hand at her fallen sword. The sword flew into her hand, and she plunged it into the werewolf's chest just as he reached her.
Van Helsing roared and howled in pain, slashing Shae in the chest with his claws, sending her skidding across the grass. Shae slid to a stop, and screamed in pain, clutching the deep, aching gouge marks on her chest. They sizzled and smoked, but instead of black smoke when she was cut with silver, the smoke rising from her wounds was white, and they burned with white hot pain. Van Helsing was suddenly upon her again, and she managed to grab his jaws just before they closed over her head.
The vampire's strangled cries and screams of pain echoed around the trees as Van Helsing slashed at her over and over again with his claws, his jaws still firmly in Shae's grip. He gouged her torso, her legs, her arms, her face, tearing her armor and flesh to shreds. Shae Screamed into the silence of the forest, her flesh burning, sizzling, and smoking. She finally managed to throw the werewolf backward, and her arms fell limply to her sides, the last of her strength draining away.
Van Helsing stood over her once again, and Shae started to laugh bitterly, her entire body screaming in agony. "Y-You finally did it… You bastard…" Shae choked out weakly. "You finally… Got me…"
The werewolf's jaws gaped open as he let out a triumphant roar. The roar suddenly caught in his throat, fading into a strangled gurgling as an arrow shot straight into his jaws and through the back of his throat. Shae watched as the hazy figure of Prince Charming leapt over her, slashing the werewolf's chest with his sword. Shae heard the familiar sound of sizzling and burning flesh, and watched Van Helsing clutching at his chest as wisps of black smoke curled into the air from his wound.
Van Helsing let out one last strangled gurgle, then turned tail and ran. Snow White suddenly appeared in Shae's line of sight, firing arrows from a longbow at the werewolf. Once he had disappeared into the trees, she dropped her bow, breathing heavily.
"What… Was that?" Charming breathed, staring down at his sword in wonder.
"S-Silver." Shae choked out. "Y-You're blade… Must be… Silver."
Shae attempted to sit up, only to slump back down again, crying out as white hot pains shot throughout all the claw marks in her body. Snow White knelt down next to her, looking gravely concerned.
"My god…" She breathed, staring down at Shae's mangled body.
Shae suddenly reached out and grabbed the front of her cloak, yanking her down closer. She stared intensely into Snow White's eyes, her whole body shaking and shivering in pain.
"Why?" Was all she managed to choke out.
Snow White understood what the vampire was asking, and she gazed down at her sadly, then gave a small shrug. "You saved me, so I saved you. We're even." She replied.
Shae nodded, her vision starting to blur. "Thank you." She whispered.
Her arm fell limply to her side, and she promptly lost consciousness. Her last thoughts were of Regina, of how she had failed her Queen. No one who had disappointed The Evil Queen had ever gotten a happy ending, and if she thought she was in pain now, she knew it would be nothing compared to what fresh hell Regina had in store for her.
XX
Shae heard voices, muffled, strange voices. She opened her eyes, and a blurry, hazy figure swam before her. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of what was happening. All she knew was that she was in pain, horrible, agonizing pain.
"Shae? Shae! Can you hear me?"
Shae opened her eyes again at the sound of the familiar voice. She turned her head to the side, and saw the hazy form of a face swimming before her.
"Shae! Here, drink this. You have to drink."
She felt hands pushing on her back, helping her to sit up. Something cold and metallic was then placed against her lips, and a warm, thick liquid slipped between them and onto her tongue. As soon as she tasted it, she knew exactly what the liquid was. She grabbed the goblet that was being held to her mouth, tilting it back and drinking greedily. She slumped back down, and her body jerked, her eyes snapping open as the blood pulsed through her veins.
The pain started to subside, and her vision finally cleared. She was lying on a cot in a small room with stone walls, a room she recognized as part of The Queen's castle hospital. She glanced down at her own body, and saw her tattered and torn armor, and the gouge marks that had partially healed in her flesh beneath them.
"Shae… Shae, are you alright?"
Shae turned her head to the side again, and smiled when she saw Regina, her Queen, kneeling beside her cot, her eyes full of fearful concern.
"I've had worse, believe it or not." Shae said hoarsely, managing a weak grin.
"Your wounds… They're not healing." Regina said, frowning down worriedly at Shae's body.
"They will." Shae reassured her with a weak smile. "Wounds caused by a werewolf's claws take… Longer, but they will. Trust me, I've… Been through it before."
"Is that how you got these?" Asked Regina, brushing her fingers gently across the scars on Shae's face.
Shae smiled as Regina gently touched her face, and she nodded. She then grabbed her hand, grimacing in pain. She glanced up into her Queen's eyes sadly.
"R-Regina, I… I'm sorry." She whispered desperately. "I-I found Snow White, but… Van Helsing, he found me… Attacked… I… I failed you."
Regina smiled down at her, gently brushing back her messy, jet black hair. "Shh, it's alright, just rest." She said soothingly.
Shae smiled at her touch again, but then her brow furrowed in confusion. "Y-You're not…"
Regina slowly shook her head, already knowing what she was going to ask. "No." She replied with a smile. "I am simply… Happy that my protector is safely back at my side."
Shae gave her another weak smile. She reached out a shaky hand, and gently caressed Regina's cheek. The Queen was caught by surprise by Shae's gentle touch, but she didn't recoil. Shae smiled again, brushing her fingers softly across Regina's lips. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were lost as she fell unconscious, her arm falling limply down the side of her cot. Her last thoughts were, once again, about Regina. About how grateful she was that her Queen was not angry, that she had not disappointed her, and about how she so desperately wanted to kiss her.
XXXXX
Mary Margaret glanced over at her husband, and lovingly caressed his cheek. "Shae was there when we found our true love." She said with a smile. "There, on that Troll Bridge."
Shae wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Oh, barf…" She muttered.
Mary Margaret snapped her head over to Shae, looking offended. "Hey, now, don't be so judgemental!" She cried indignantly. "You've got true love now too, you know!"
Shae opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it again, glancing down at the table and chewing on her lip ring. Emma glanced curiously over at her, and was about to question her when Tamara cut in.
"So… All that stuff about true love… It's actually real?" She asked, her eyes filled with wonder.
"It sure is." David replied, taking his wife's hand and smiling affectionately at her.
"How do you know if you've found true love?" Tamara asked, smiling at Neal, who smiled back.
"Um… Well, it's kinda hard to describe, but it's just kinda like this… Feeling you get, you know?" Mary Margaret replied. "And then there's true love's kiss, that's definitely one way to know for sure. It can break any curse. Shae actually was just put under a sleeping curse, and she woke up when Regina kissed her."
"Uh, sorry, sleeping curse?" Tamara asked, looking confused.
As Mary Margaret explained the details of sleeping curses to Tamara, Emma leaned over to Shae, dropping her voice low.
"Hey, so, uh…" She whispered. "Have you and Regina, you know, talked about the whole true love thing yet?"
Shae gave her a shrug. "Sort of?" She replied uncertainly. "I dunno, we started to, then it got kinda weird and we, uh… You know… Instead."
Emma looked puzzled for a second, but then her eyes shone with understanding. "Oh! Oh god, gross!" She cried in disgust.
"Hey! That's not what you were saying a few years ago!" Shae replied with a scoff.
"T-That was different!" Emma replied defensively. "That was you and me, but thinking about Regina like that is really… Just… Its weird!"
"Oh, come on, you can't tell me that you don't think she's hot as hell." Insisted Shae, rolling her eyes at Emma.
"Well, I dunno… Maybe, in like a… 'I'm gonna kill you' kind of way."
"I know, right?"
"What are you guys talking about?"
Emma and Shae both glanced at Henry, who was staring up at them with an expectant smile. They then looked around the table, and realized that Mary Margaret and Tamara had finished talking.
"Uhhh…" Emma and Shae both stammered in unison.
"Sports!"
"Politics!"
They both exchanged an unsure glance. "Uh, sports politics!" Shae said with a confident nod.
Henry eyed them both suspiciously. "That's not a thing."
"Hang on, so, lemme get this straight…" Neal began, which Emma and Shae were both grateful for. "Regina, The Evil Queen… She's your true love?"
Shae breathed out an exasperated sigh. "She used to be The Evil Queen, ok?" Shae replied, a bit irritably. "That's not who she is anymore. She's changed."
Suddenly, there was a loud, ringing sound. Tamara pulled her cellphone out of her pocket, and heaved a heavy sigh.
"It's work." She said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but I gotta take this."
"Sure." Neal replied, smiling back at his fiancee.
Tamara got up from the table, and stepped out of the apartment. She left the building, and hurried out onto the sidewalk. She glanced all around her, then rushed across the street, getting into the passenger seat of a parked car.
"Hey." She said to the man in the driver's seat. "We've got a problem."
"What is it?" Greg asked her, brow furrowed in concern.
"That woman you saw come back from the dead?" Tamara began. "Her name's Shae. She's a vampire."
Greg's mouth dropped open. "A vampire? Are you serious?" He exclaimed, and when Tamara nodded gravely, he shook his head in shocked bewilderment.
"There's something else." Tamara said, eyeing him seriously.
"What? What is it?"
"She's with Regina, The Evil Queen. Apparently she's her true love or something. That's how they woke her up, with true love's kiss."
Greg rubbed his chin, staring out of the windshield of his car. "That kinda puts a damper on our plans." He muttered.
"Yeah, I know." Tamara replied bitterly. "How are we supposed to get to The Evil Queen with a fucking vampire hanging around her? How the hell do we even take out a vampire?"
"The Home Office didn't prepare us for this." Greg muttered again. He then pulled out his cell phone, hastily dialing a number. "They're gonna have some explaining to do."
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his car as the phone rang, and Tamara waited silently and anxiously. She continued to wait as Greg explained the situation to the person on the other end of the phone, and silently prayed that they would have some sort of answer for them.
"So? What'd they say?" Tamara asked anxiously when Greg hung up the phone.
"It's ok, they had a solution." He replied, turning his head and grinning into Tamara's eyes. "We're gonna need silver bullets. Lots of 'em."
XX
