CHAPTER 7
Emma Swan breathed out a long, irritated sigh, resting her arms on the counter of Granny's diner. Even though she was a full grown adult, and had spent almost her entire life without them, her parents still managed to irritate her with their chastising. She had voiced her concerns about Neal's fiancee, Tamara, to Mary Margaret and David. From the moment she had met the woman, Emma got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't quite place it, but she knew something was off about Tamara. She had a gut feeling, and her gut never lied to her.
"I'm telling you, Tamara is the 'she' that August was trying to warn us about!" Emma exclaimed in frustration.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret scolded her, glancing nervously all around them and dropping her voice low. "Keep your voice down!"
"What? Don't 'Emma' me!" Emma snapped back.
"Emma, listen…" David began in a gentle tone. "We know Neal bringing his fiancee here has been hard for you, but-"
"No, this isn't about me!" Emma cut in insistently. "This is about August! He died trying to warn us about some woman, the exact same day Tamara rolls in to town."
When David and Mary Margaret exchanged a skeptical glance, Emma let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, she even has a list of people who live here, and what their fairytale names are." She went on. "Doesn't that worry you?"
"There could be a million different explanations for what you saw." Mary Margaret replied with a shake of her head.
Emma sighed again, rubbing her already aching forehead. "We just… We don't know anything about her!" She cried stubbornly. "And she lied to me! She looked me in the eye and told me that I could trust her, and she lied."
"Look, we know you rely heavily on your 'superpower,' but it has been known to be unreliable sometimes." David said in the same slow and gentle tone. "Especially when you're, you know… Emotional."
Emma narrowed her eyes at her father, pointing an irritated finger at him. "For the last time, I do not still have feelings for Neal!"
Her parents exchanged another knowing and skeptical glance, and Mary Margaret was about to respond when the bell over the diner's door tinkled, and Shae walked in. She was garbed head to toe in black as usual, sporting her signature leather jacket and combat boots, her jet black hair sticking up and out at odd angles as it always did.
"Sup Charming's, Swan Song?" The vampire said in greeting, nodding at them and sporting one of her quirky grins.
"Hey, Shae!" Mary Margaret said with a warm smile. Her smile then faded, and she glanced nervously over the vampire's shoulder at the door. "Is, uh… Is Regina with you?"
"No." Shae replied. Her grin then disappeared, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Mary Margaret. "Why? Why does everyone keep asking me that every time they see me?"
"Well, I just thought… Um, you know…" Mary Margaret stammered, exchanging an unsure glance with her husband.
Shae looked puzzled for a moment, but then her eyes shone with understanding, and she sighed. "You thought Regina wouldn't let me go anywhere without her."
Mary Margaret gave an awkward shrug, once again glancing nervously at her husband, but Shae only chuckled. "No, it's cool, I get it." She said with a small smile. She then sat down at the counter next to Emma, and gave them a shrug of her own. "But things are… Different now. I do my thing, she does her thing, and, at some point during the day, our things… Coincide."
"Shae! Come on, that's just... Gross!" Emma cried, grimacing in disgust.
"Dude! That's not even what I meant!"
Just then, Granny bustled out from the back of the diner, smiling a friendly smile. "Sorry about the wait, I was just-"
She stopped short, and narrowed her eyes at Shae as soon as she saw her. "What do you want?" She grumbled at the vampire.
"Woah, hey, I thought we were cool, Granny!" Shae cried, shocked by her icy tone. "Why are you being a jerk all of a sudden?"
"We were 'cool' until you broke my Ruby's heart." Granny spat bitterly at her. "She's been crying over you for days, you know."
Shae's face fell, and she suddenly looked immensely sad. "Oh…" She mumbled in reply.
"Granny, the whole situation was really complicated." Mary Margaret explained gently. "Shae and Regina, they have-"
"Look, I really don't want to do this right now, ok?" Shae interjected irritably. "Can I please just get a black coffee and a sesame seed bagel?"
Granny raised an eyebrow at the vampire. "Funny, that's our mayor's usual order."
"Yeah, well, it's for Regina, alright?" Shae snapped back at the old woman. "Just get me the coffee and the bagel and I'll get right out of your hair, ok?"
Granny eyed Shae icily for a moment, then turned around, muttering angrily as she went over to the coffee maker. Shae sighed, hanging her head, her eyes still very sad. Emma glanced over at her parents, who were both looking just as sad as Shae.
"So, uh, getting breakfast for Regina, huh?" Mary Margaret said after a moment of awkward silence. "That's really sweet of you, Shae. I'm sure she'll love that."
"You should really try cooking her breakfast next time." David told her with a knowing nod. "Women love it when you cook for them."
"Oh, he's right, we really do." Mary Margaret earnestly agreed.
"Yo, chuckleheads!" Shae exclaimed irritably. "Regina and I were together for years, I don't need advice on how to make her happy!"
"Er… Right, sorry." Mary Margaret muttered awkwardly. "I, um… I-I really hope that with you back in her life, Regina can start to heal from… From what happened with Cora."
"Oh, you mean when you tricked her into killing her own mother?" Shae asked, her tone laden with sarcasm. "Yeah, I don't know, Snow. That was pretty… Well…"
"Awful?" Mary Margaret muttered miserably.
"I was gonna say, 'shady.' But, yeah, 'awful' works too." Shae replied with a dry chuckle.
"Here you go." Announced Granny, setting Shae's order down on the counter, glaring maliciously at her once again. "One bagel, and one coffee as black as you and your Evil Queen's hearts."
Shae laughed loudly, shaking her head as she set some money down on the counter. "You know, I was really starting to miss your seething hatred." She replied, giving Granny a wink. "Glad things are back to normal."
Granny glowered at the back of Shae's head as the vampire made her exit. Emma bit her lip, once again thinking about Tamara. Her parents refused to believe her, but Shae had always trusted Emma's gut instincts. She knew she was going to need some help if she was going to find any dirt on Tamara, and if anyone was going to take her side, it would be Shae. She needed the vampire's help, and she needed it soon.
XX
Later that night, Shae was sitting on the couch in Regina's living room, Regina herself sitting next to her. She pulled out her cell phone that was ringing from inside her pocket, but decided it was likely best to ignore the call. She gave Regina another nervous, sideways glance. The two of them were watching Walt Disney's 1937 film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Shae had advised Regina against watching the film, but Regina had insisted. She was curious to see what this world's interpretation of her and Snow White's story was. Shae kept glancing anxiously over at Regina throughout the movie, watching her as she seethed silently. Impressively enough, Regina was able to hold in her outrage until the credits started rolling.
"WHAT?"
"Yep."
"THAT'S IT?"
"Uh-huh."
"T-That's just… It's not… Not even… Just…"
Regina stammered into shocked and appalled silence, staring wide eyed at the TV screen. She then turned her head to glare at Shae, who had started to laugh at the horrified look on her face.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Shae exclaimed, raising her hands in surrender. "I told you it would only make you mad. And look, now you're mad!"
Regina glared furiously from Shae, to the TV, and back again silently several times, her mouth still hanging open in shock.
"The inaccuracy of it all!" She cried, once she finally found her voice.
"I told you." Shae replied with a shrug.
"They completely left you out!"
"Rude, right? I did a lot of stuff!"
"And all because the idiot mirror told her that Snow White was prettier than her?" Regina asked in total outrage.
Shae shrugged again. "Pretty much."
Regina fell into stunned silence again, glaring at the TV screen. "Well, I don't know why that Queen was so surprised." She finally said with an indignant huff. "That outfit was absolutely hideous!"
"I know right?" Shae vehemently agreed. "Old Walt obviously didn't know the real you, cuz your outfits back home were always FAB-U-LOUS."
Shae snapped her fingers sassily with each syllable, and Regina laughed lightly. Her anger and irritation over the movie they had just watched melted away, and she smiled at the woman she loved, wrapping her arms around Shae's torso and nuzzling her face into her neck. Shae smiled too, placing her arm around her and and kissing her on the forehead. They sat in silence for a moment, both smiling contentedly, enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms.
"What would you say you prefer?" Regina asked Shae quietly. "The way I dressed back home, or the way I do now?"
Shae thought silently for a moment, then grinned down at her. "I prefer you in no dress at all, actually."
Regina laughed, tilting her head up and kissing her lover gently. "You're terrible." She muttered against Shae's lips.
Shae simply chuckled deviously in reply. They fell silent again, slowly and gently enjoying each other's lips. Shae then pulled back slightly, raising an eyebrow at her curiously.
"What about me?" She asked. "Do you prefer the old Shae or the new model?"
Regina traced her finger along one of the scars on Shae's face as she thought. "Well, I do think the leather jacket is quite sexy." Regina replied in a sultry tone. "But, I have to agree, I really prefer you in nothing at all."
Shae laughed this time, humming happily against Regina's lips as they kissed again. "Well, we're not wearing nothing right now." She cheekily observed.
"Oh, we absolutely must do something about that." Regina said with a provocative grin.
She threw her leg over Shae's lap, kissing her again as she straddled her waist. Shae smiled against her lips, running her hands gently up Regina's back. Regina pulled back after a few moments, and gazed down into the blood red eyes of her lover. She smiled, gently brushing back her jet black hair. Her smile was one that only Shae ever got to see. It was warm, tender, and loving, her brown eyes shining with blissful contentment. The people of Storybrooke had only ever seen The Evil Queen and her terrifying, vengeful wrath. But only Shae got to see her other side, the woman underneath all the rage, the pain, and the heartache. That was the woman she loved most.
"I love you." Shae whispered, smiling up into her eyes.
"I love you too." Regina whispered back.
Regina smiled again, just as she did every time Shae told her she loved her. It made her heart flutter every time the vampire uttered the words. She gently placed her hands on her lover's face, and kissed her tenderly. Just then, Shae's cell phone went off again. Regina pulled back, reaching into Shae's pocket and pulling out her phone. She raised a slightly irritated eyebrow, showing Shae the screen that said, 'Swan Song,' Shae's nickname for Emma.
"I'll call her back later." Shae told her gently. She took the phone out of Regina's hand and set it down on the couch next to her. "After all, I'm pretty busy at the moment."
"Yes, you are." Regina replied with another sultry grin.
They kissed passionately again, their arms wound tightly around each other. Shae broke away from Regina's lips, and began pressing gentle kisses up and down her neck. Regina smiled, gently running her fingers through Shae's soft and messy hair. They found each other's lips again, and Shae slowly began unbuttoning Regina's blouse. Once she was finished, she pulled back momentarily, admiring the view of Regina's breasts nestled in a sheer, red lace bra. She tore her eyes away and frowned down at her phone, that was once again ringing.
"What does that infernal woman want?" Regina muttered angrily, also staring down at the screen flashing 'Swan Song.'
"Don't know, don't really care." Shae replied with a shrug.
Regina gasped as, without warning, Shae dove forward into her neck, biting into her soft and tender flesh. She moaned softly as Shae placed her hands on her breasts, roughly brushing her thumbs across her already firm nipples. They kissed again, their embrace swelling with intensity. Their tongues battled back and forth, and their lips parted again and again with passionate urgency.
Regina slipped her hands under Shae's shirt, brushing her fingertips up and down her cold and scarred torso, gently teasing her with her soft touch. She slowly drew her hands down, and the vampire drew in a sharp breath as Regina gently squeezed the inside of her thighs. Regina pulled away from Shae's lips, grinning down at her as she started working on the button of her jeans. Regina felt Shae's body tense up as she slipped her hand down her pants, and she caught Shae's gasp of pleasure with her lips as she gently stroked a finger along her clit.
"Oh, fuck…" Shae moaned against Regina's lips.
Regina grinned, kissing her again as she began slowly and gently running her finger up and down Shae's clit. She moaned against Regina's lips, gently massaging her nipples with her thumbs. Regina let out a soft moan as she felt her lover getting harder and wetter with each of her strokes. She began stroking her faster and faster, and Shae matched her pace against Regina's nipples, their moans of pleasure rising together.
DING-DONG
They stopped dead, staring wide eyed at each other at the sound of the doorbell. They waited for a long, silent moment, Regina's breaths slightly ragged with arousal. Once it appeared that their untimely visitor had left, Regina turned her attention back onto Shae.
Shae cried out in part pleasure and part shock as Regina suddenly began stroking her wildly. She snapped her head back, and Regina dove into her neck, biting down hard into her flesh and rubbing her vigorously. Shae's moans of pleasure rose in volume, and she bucked her hips in time with Regina's strokes, digging her thumbs into her nipples.
DING-DONG
"Don't stop!" Shae whispered urgently, grabbing a fistful of Regina's hair. "Please, Regina… Please, don't stop!"
Regina obeyed, ignoring their unwelcome visitor and resuming vigorously stroking Shae's now swollen and soaking clit. Their lips crashed together again, and Shae released Regina's breasts, digging her nails roughly into her back. She moaned louder and louder into Regina's mouth as Regina stroked her harder and faster.
"OH, FUCK! REGINA!" Shae shouted, snapping her head back again as she neared her climax.
DING-DONG, DING-DONG, DING-DONG
"SON OF A BITCH!" Shae bellowed furiously.
Regina breathed out an irritated sigh, pressing her forehead against Shae's and squeezing her eyes shut, trying to even out her breaths. She slid reluctantly off of Shae's lap, shooting a furious glare over toward the door.
"This better be really damn important." Regina muttered bitterly.
She hastily buttoned up her blouse, and stomped over to the door. Shae let out a frustrated sigh, slumping down head first onto the couch and burying her face in the cushion. She grumbled incoherently into the fabric, squirming slightly as she attempted to calm herself down.
"You have a visitor." Regina announced in a sour tone as she re-entered the living room.
Shae sat up again, craning her neck backward to see just who exactly had interrupted their passionate engagement. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Emma, smiling at her nervously and giving her a small wave. Shae hastily buttoned her up her pants and got to her feet.
"Emma! Uh… Hey!" Shae said, glancing apprehensively over at Regina, who was not looking at all pleased. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Sorry to barge in like this, but I really need to talk to you." Emma replied slowly, then shot a pointed glance at Regina. "In private."
Regina narrowed her eyes dangerously at Emma, and slowly folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever you have to say to Shae, you can say in front of me." She snapped angrily.
"Yeah, I highly doubt that." Emma muttered in reply.
"Excuse me?" Regina demanded in outrage, taking an angry step toward Emma.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Shae exclaimed, hastily stepping between the two bitter women. "Regina, it's alright. Emma, just… Come on, let's go for a walk."
Shae didn't wait for a response from Regina. She grabbed Emma by the arm, and pulled her back out the door, getting her as quickly away from Regina as possible. She stomped down the sidewalk, Emma's arm still in her hand and, once they were a safe distance away from Regina's house, Shae rounded on her.
"What the hell were you thinking, coming here like this?" She demanded furiously. "Regina hates your guts just as much as Snow's, and if she tries to vaporize you, I probably can't stop her. She's a lot stronger than me in this world, you know!"
"It's not my fault your girlfriend's a stone cold bitch." Emma muttered bitterly.
Shae raised an eyebrow at her, folding her arms across her chest. "Really? Come on, Emma, 'jealous ex' is not a good color on you."
"Oh my god!" Emma cried incredulously. "I am not jealous, and you know that!"
"Well…" Shae muttered with a shrug.
Emma let out a frustrated huff. "Look, I just really need to talk to you, alright?" She said seriously. "It's important."
Shae sighed heavily, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Fine, fine. Whats up?"
Emma bit her lip, staring down at the ground silently for a moment. She then proceeded to tell Shae about what happened with August, aka Pinocchio, while she was still under the sleeping curse. She told her all about how he had tried to warn her about something, said Storybrooke wasn't safe, but was unable to finish before he 'died' and then was turned back into a boy.
Shae nodded slowly, listening intently. "Ok…" She muttered, gesturing for Emma to go on.
"I know this might sound crazy…" Emma went on hesitantly. "But… But I think the 'she' August was trying to warn me about was… Tamara."
Shae raised an eyebrow at her again. "Tamara? As in, Neal's fiancee, Tamara?"
When Emma nodded, Shae rolled her eyes at her. "Oh, Emma…" She muttered.
"Come on, Shae, don't do that, not you!" Emma begged, her voice full of desperation. "I have a gut feeling, ok? You always said how great my gut was, remember?"
Shae's brow furrowed for a second, but then she grinned cheekily at her. "Are you sure you're not confusing 'gut' with 'butt?'"
Emma narrowed her eyes irritably at the vampire, then smacked her upside the head.
"Ow!" Shae cried. "What the hell?"
"Can you be serious for like, five minutes?"
"Alright, alright, geez." Shae muttered, rubbing her head. "What exactly makes you so sure it's Tamara?"
Emma heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing her still aching forehead. "Like I said, I've just got a gut feeling, ok?" She said in reply. "Besides, she lied to me. She told me I could trust her, and she lied about it."
Shae nodded slowly. "I see…" She mumbled. "It's the uh… Superpower thing, right?"
Emma nodded back. "Yeah. Turns out, my superpower is actually, you know… A superpower. It's part of my… Magic, I guess."
Shae continued nodding, silently pondering everything Emma had said. She then breathed out a relenting sigh, and smiled down at her. "You're right, your gut is always on point." She said. "And your superpower thing is pretty… Super."
Emma smiled hopefully. "So… You'll help?"
Shae nodded again earnestly. "If you think Tamara is up to something shady, then she probably is. I'm in."
Emma threw her arms around Shae's neck, hugging her gratefully. "Thank you, Shae. You and Henry are the only ones that got my back on this."
Shae laughed, hugging her back tightly. "Hey, you know I always got your back, Swan Song."
Emma pulled back, smiling and squeezing Shae's arm gently. "Thanks." She replied. "Just uh… Don't… Don't tell Regina about all this, ok?"
Shae's brow furrowed again. "Why? It's not like she's gonna care."
Emma raised a knowing eyebrow at her. "Really? She's not gonna care that you're out running around with your ex-girlfriend, who happens to be the Savior, and biological mother to her son?"
Shae opened her mouth to retort, but then shut it again, breathing out a sigh. "Yeah, alright, I won't tell her."
"Yeah, I think that's best for both of us." Emma agreed with a laugh. "Alright, well, meet me outside Granny's tomorrow around noon. We're going on a stakeout."
Shae nodded, and Emma gave her one last grateful hug. Shae watched her pull away in her little yellow bug, then started back to Regina's house. She had experienced Emma's superpower for herself many times, so she knew that if Emma suspected Tamara of something, then she was probably right. She just hoped they could find out what she was up to quickly and quietly.
"Sorry about that!" Shae called out as she stepped through the door. "Now, where were… We…"
Shae frowned when she found the living room empty. She stood in her spot for a moment, breathing out a disappointed sigh. She then shrugged unconcernedly and plopped onto the couch, flicking on the TV, not at all aware of just how concerned she should actually be.
Unbeknownst to her vampire lover, Regina had been up to some shady activities herself. She was furious when she found out that Henry was Mr. Gold's grandson, insisting that he himself had something to do with it, since he had been the one that found Henry for her as a baby. Gold denied any involvement, but Regina was not convinced. To get back at him, she cast a spell on Belle, returning the young woman's lost memories. However, they were not the correct memories, and she was no longer Belle. She was now Lacey, a wild and carefree spirit with a bit of a drinking problem. Belle may have loved Rumplestiltskin, but Lacey did not.
Regina knew that Shae would not approve of what she had done, so she had decided not to tell her. Shae, meanwhile, was too blinded by her newly restored love for Regina to notice what was going on right before her eyes. She was convinced that Regina was on the path to real change, and that she would continue down that path, they both would, together.
A heated conversation with Emma days earlier had roused suspicion in Regina that Mary Margaret and David had somehow found a way back to The Enchanted Forest. She was currently down at the Storybrooke harbor, disguised as an old and grizzled fisherman. She was listening in on a heated discussion between Mary Margaret and David, and realized that her suspicions had been correct. To her own horror, she also discovered that, not only were they planning on returning home, but they were going to leave her behind, and take her son with them.
"What about Henry?" Mary Margaret asked her husband, folding her arms across her chest. "He won't like it. She is his mother, despite all the horrors."
David breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Mary Margaret, those horrors will only continue!" He insisted. "Do you really want to give her another chance? Because every time we do, she-"
"She slips, I know." Mary Margaret finished sadly. "So… What do we do?"
David thought silently for a moment, slowly rubbing his chin and staring down at the ground. "Instead of a second chance, we give her a choice." He muttered, glancing back up at his wife. "Come back with us, and live out her days in Rumpelstiltskin's cell. Or, stay here."
Mary Margaret bit her lip, nodding slowly. "Alright… Then what about Shae?"
"What about her?"
"Her and Regina are back together again. She's not going to let us lock her up. She'll be furious!"
"So, we'll lock her up too." David replied with an unconcerned shrug. "We've done it before."
"Yeah, after she slaughtered dozens of our soldiers!" Cried Mary Margaret. "I know she's changed and everything, but… I don't know, David. Regina's her true love! I'm sure she'd kill even more to protect her, no matter how much she's changed."
David thought silently again for a moment. "So, we separate them." He finally said with a determined nod. "They're too dangerous together, anyway, and getting Shae away from Regina will only help her. There's a lot of good in her, we've both seen it, but there's also a lot of darkness. Regina… She'll only exploit that darkness, and turn Shae back into what she was before. We can't let that happen. She's come too far."
"I know, I know, you're right." Mary Margaret muttered sadly. "But, how exactly are we supposed to separate them? There's no way Shae would even begin to agree to that."
"She'll have to, we'll give her a choice as well." David replied. "If they both come back with us, then Shae lets us lock Regina up, and goes somewhere far away. That way, Regina won't come to any harm. Or, they can both stay here, together."
Mary Margaret looked positively appalled. "What? You aren't suggesting that we actually… Kill Regina if Shae refuses, are you? David, we've been through all this before, it's not-"
"No, no of course not!" David interjected, shaking his head vigorously. "But Shae doesn't know that. If she thinks that there's any chance we'll harm Regina in any way, she'll agree. The last thing she wants is for the woman she loves to be in any pain."
Mary Margaret nodded slowly, staring at the ground while she silently pondered her husband's plan. She then let out a heavy sigh, glancing back up at him sadly.
"I suppose we have no other choice." She said quietly.
David nodded sadly, placing a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "No, we really don't. Shae and Regina together are just too dangerous, too powerful. Splitting them up is the best option, for everyone."
Regina had heard enough. She stepped around the side of the nearby fisherman's shack, changing out of her disguise with a puff of purple smoke. She clenched her fists, her body quaking with rage, her lips curling into a fearsome snarl.
"You will not take the ones I love away from me, Snow White."
XX
The next day, Emma was sitting in her car, with Henry in the passenger seat. They were staring intently at the door of Granny's Diner, watching, waiting for Tamara to leave so they could sneak in and search her room at the bed and breakfast. As a bail bonds person, Emma had been on countless stake outs, and they were usually exceptionally boring. But this one was different. She had Henry with her, and her son made the waiting much more enjoyable.
Just the previous day, Emma's parents had revealed to her a shocking secret. Cora and Hook had brought Anton the giant to Storybrooke from The Enchanted Forest, and he and the seven dwarves had been busy growing magic beans. Anton told them that they should be sprouting soon, and David and Mary Margaret had plans to use the beans to return home, to the life that had been taken away from them. Emma, however, was apprehensive. She had never been to The Enchanted Forest, and was nervous to leave her life, her world behind. But, she knew that Henry was her world now, and if he wanted to go, then she would have no choice but to go with him.
Emma asked her son if he would want to go back, if there were a way. Henry was an extremely perceptive child, and he immediately knew something was up as soon as the words left her lips.
"There is a way back, isn't there?" He asked, eyeing his mother suspiciously. "Like… A magic bean, or something. The giant brought some with him, didn't he?"
Emma sighed, then let out a surprised chuckle. "You are one smart kid, Henry."
Henry's face lit up with excitement. "That's so awesome!" He exclaimed. "Maybe we could get a castle together, you, me, and Neal!"
Emma's face fell. "Woah, hey now. T-That's not… We're not… Um…"
Emma and Henry both practically leapt out of their skin as there was a sharp knock on Emma's window. Shae had finally arrived, and was glancing carefully over her shoulder back at the diner.
"Finally." Emma muttered, opening her door.
There was some grunting and groaning as Shae clambered awkwardly into Emma's tiny, two door bug, attempting to squeeze her long and lanky limbs into the back seat.
"Hey, watch it!" Complained Emma as Shae's leg accidentally kicked the back of her head rest.
"Dammit, Emma… You and your tiny ass car…" Shae grumbled as she laid across the back seat, pulling her legs in so Emma could shut her door again.
"Hey, my car suits me just fine, thank you very much!" Emma cried indignantly. "It's not my fault you're freakishly tall, and have crazy long… Giraffe legs!"
Henry giggled, and Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh as she finally managed to push herself into a sitting position. "Hey, Henry." She said, nodding at the boy.
"Hey, Shae!" Henry replied chipperly. "Thanks for helping us with Operation Praying Mantis!"
Shae raised a curious eyebrow at him. "Operation what now?"
"Well, when we were trying to break the curse, we called it Operation Cobra." Henry explained. "But this time we're trying to keep Storybrooke a secret by hiding in plain sight. So… Operation Praying Mantis."
Shae nodded slowly in understanding, grinning at Henry. "Dude! That is a DOPE name! I love it."
Henry laughed, smiling up at his mother as Shae gave him a high five. "So… What the hell took you so long?" Emma asked the vampire. "We've been here for like, twenty minutes already!"
Shae shrugged, ruffling her messy black hair. "Well, you know, I was… Busy."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Come on, man! Is that why you guys have barely left the house in days?"
"It's been twenty eight years, Emma!" Shae cried defensively. "Twenty eight years!"
Henry glanced between them, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing!" Emma and Shae both replied.
"DUCK!" Henry suddenly shouted.
Emma and Henry both slid down low, and Shae threw herself down across the back seat. They waited for a moment, then slowly lifted their heads up, peeking out the windows. They all breathed out a collective, disappointed sigh. Leroy had just exited the diner, not Tamara.
"Hey, Shae? Can I ask you something?" Henry asked the vampire. When she nodded, the boy went on. "If… There was a way to go back home, to The Enchanted Forest… Would you want to go?"
"And leave behind the internet? And… And video games? No way!" Shae replied. "Besides, there's ogres and stuff, and the whole place smells like horses."
"What if my mom was going?" Henry asked again.
Shae glanced uncertainly at Emma. "Well, I mean, if Emma wants to go it's her choice, but I-"
"He means Regina." Emma interjected.
"Oh." Shae muttered, chewing on her lip ring as she pondered. "Well, then… Yeah, I'd go."
Emma's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? Just like that?"
Shae shrugged. "Er… Well, yeah." She replied hesitantly. "I love her… So, I guess I'd follow her wherever she wants to go."
"So, what, you would just go back to her castle and you guys would go back to being The Evil Queen and… Whatever it is you were?" Emma asked her.
"I guess you could say I was part bodyguard, part bounty hunter, part assassin… Oh, and court jester!"
"Really?" Henry asked, looking shocked.
"Nah, I'm just hilarious." Shae replied with a grin, giving Henry a wink.
Henry and Emma both laughed, and Shae went on. "But, uh, you know, things are… Different now. I don't exactly know what we'd do, but we wouldn't just go back to being our old evil selves. Regina's changed, and so have I."
"I don't know, Shae." Emma replied skeptically. "You didn't see all the crap her and her mother did to this town."
Shae sighed, frowning down at her feet. "No, I guess I didn't." She muttered. "But… Regina, she was… Hurting. She thought I was dead, the whole town and her own son thought she was a murderer… Regina and I we're… Just the same in that way."
"In what way?" Asked Henry.
Shae sighed again, leaning forward and placing her elbows on her knees. "See, your mom and me, when we're… Hurt, we don't just get angry, we… We rage." She explained. "We're consumed by it, by getting revenge on the thing or person that hurt us. Being out in this world all this time has helped me… Let go of some of that rage. But Regina? She's never really had the chance. She's always had a hard time letting go."
When Henry stared sadly down into his lap, Shae placed her hand gently on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, I'm gonna try my hardest to help her, ok?" She said with a smile. "It's just… Gonna take some time. I think you and I both know just how difficult she can be sometimes."
Henry laughed, nodding in agreement. "Oh! Guys, get down!" Emma suddenly exclaimed.
They all ducked down in their seats again, peering carefully out of the windows. Tamara was finally leaving the diner, arm in arm with her fiancee, Neal. Once they were out of sight, they all sat up again. Henry grinned excitedly at them.
"Operation Praying Mantis is a go!" He said.
They all got out of the car, Shae struggling awkwardly once again, and they hurried through the diner and into the back that was connected to the bed and breakfast. Once outside Neal and Tamara's room, Emma used some bobby pins to pick the lock. Henry stayed outside to be the lookout, and Emma and Shae entered the small room, closing the door carefully behind them.
They searched the room quietly, stopping when Emma stumbled upon a loose floorboard. They were about to pry it open when Neal caught them in the act. Emma attempted to explain to Neal why exactly they were there, but he wasn't buying any of it. They were forced to tell him that they were investigating Tamara. Neal was angry and bewildered, but eventually agreed to let them search under the floorboard. To Emma's shock and disappointment, there was nothing there. They had found nothing. Emma had been wrong.
Shae stared glumly down into her glass of whiskey, glancing quickly over at Emma, who was seated at the bar next to her. They had decided to go to The Rabbit Hole for a drink that night after failing to find any dirt on Tamara. Emma was miserable, thoroughly embarrassed that she had been wrong.
"Hey, come on, cheer up Swan Song." Shae said, gently nudging her with her elbow. "Just because we didn't find anything today doesn't mean that there's nothing to be found."
Emma gave her a weak smile. "You really think so?"
Shae nodded, smiling back. "You're superpower has never been wrong before, what makes you think it's wrong now? That's just not the way magic works."
Emma heaved a sad, heavy sigh, taking a sip of her drink. She then smiled at Shae, gently nudging the vampire's own elbow. "Hey, thanks for believing in me." She said with a grateful smile. "I'm really glad you came back to Storybrooke. I know it was… Weird, at first, but I'm glad we're ok. You're a good friend."
"Thanks, Swan Song, you are too." Shae replied, smiling back at her. "I'm really glad you were able to get over your extremely intense feelings for me. I know it's difficult, I'm quite a catch, but-"
Shae laughed, catching herself before she fell off her barstool as Emma shoved her shoulder roughly, rolling her eyes at the vampire. Shae's cell phone suddenly began to ring, and she pulled it out of her pocket. Emma rolled her eyes again when she saw that the screen said 'Regina.' Shae held up a finger to her, pressing the answer button.
"Whaddup doe?" Shae said into the phone. She then chuckled, grinning cheekily at Emma. "Why yes, I do answer my phone that way just to irritate you. Oh, come on, you know you like it."
Shae's grin suddenly disappeared, and she frowned, looking concerned. "Is everything ok?" She asked Regina. "Ok… Uh, yeah, I'm on my way right now."
"What's going on?" Emma asked as Shae put her phone back in her pocket.
Shae drained the rest of her whiskey in one gulp, then got up from her seat. "Not sure." She replied with a small shrug. "Call me if anything else comes up, ok?"
Emma nodded and Shae headed toward the door. "Hey! Aren't you gonna pay for-" Emma called after her. "This…" She muttered as the door swung shut behind the vampire.
Emma sighed, pulling out her wallet and slapping some money down onto the bar. Meanwhile, Shae was climbing into her bus. She drove speedily down the main street of Storybrooke, heading toward the far edge of town. Regina had sounded strange over the phone. Something was up, and it made the vampire nervous. She pulled her old VW bus to the side of the road, behind Regina's own car. When she got out, she glanced curiously all around her. Regina said she had found something interesting, but Shae saw nothing but an empty field. Not only was she nervous, but she was now confused.
"Hey." She said as Regina joined her. "What's going on?"
Regina stood on her tiptoes, placing a quick, tender kiss on her lover's lips. "You'll see" She whispered, gently patting her cheek.
Shae furrowed her brow at the grave and serious look on Regina's face. She took Shae by the hand, leading her across the street and toward the empty field. Once they had crossed the street, she paused momentarily. She then took another step forward, and Shae followed suit. She gasped as their air shimmered before her eyes, and the empty field was revealed to be not empty at all. It was filled with rows and rows of tall, green plant stalks, all hidden by a cloaking spell.
"Uhh… What exactly am I looking at here?" Shae asked, staring confusedly down at Regina.
"Beans." Regina replied pointedly, gazing out at the stalks.
Shae raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you… Making chili?"
"What? No!" Regina replied exasperatedly. "They're magic beans! The kind that open portals, portals to other worlds."
"Oh." Shae replied, still not quite grasping the concept of what was happening. Once she finally did, her eyes grew wide with shock.
"Oh…" She breathed. "So that's why Henry asked me about The Enchanted Forest…"
"What are you talking about?" Regina asked her.
"Earlier today, Henry asked me if there was a way to go back, would I want to go." Shae explained, still staring wide eyed at the beanstalks. "I thought he was just being… Hypothetical. But I guess he meant that there actually WAS a way to go back."
"Wait a minute… Henry knows about the beans?"
Shae shrugged, giving Regina a nod. Regina clenched her fists, curling her lips into a snarl. "It seems the two of us are the only ones who don't."
Shae's brow suddenly furrowed in confusion. "Wait a minute, yeah… If Snow and Charming have been planning this the whole time, then why didn't they tell us?"
"Because, those fools aren't planning on taking us with them." Regina answered darkly.
Shae stood in baffled silence for a moment, staring at Regina with wide and confused eyes. She then shook her head slowly. "Hold on, how do you even know that?"
Regina's snarl grew worse, and she crossed her arms over chest. "I overheard the two of them talking earlier." She explained in the same dark and quiet tone. "They think with you back by my side, I'll be too powerful. They're planning on giving me a choice. Either stay here in Storybrooke, or return to The Enchanted Forest with them, where they'll lock me in Rumplestiltskin's old cell for the rest of my days."
Shae fell into shocked silence again, and she once again shook her head, sporting her own angry snarl. "No! Absolutely not! I won't let them do that to you." She replied heatedly.
Regina smiled, placing her hands gently on Shae's chest. "I know, my love, I know." She said softly. "But so do they. They're giving you a choice as well."
"What kind of choice?" Shae asked warily.
"Either stay in Storybrooke with me, or let them lock me away." Regina replied, removing her hands from Shae's chest and glowering down at the ground. "Then, they expect you to leave, never to see me again."
"Why in the hell would I even agree to that?"
"Because, if you don't… They'll kill me."
Shae's mouth dropped open in horrified shock. "What? No! They… They can't! They wouldn't!"
Regina laughed sourly. "No, of course they wouldn't. Those imbeciles are much too soft." She replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But they're convinced that you will think that they would, which is why you'll agree to leave, so I will remain safe and unharmed."
Shae laughed too, shaking her head slowly in shocked disbelief. "Those sneaky bastards…" She muttered furiously. "Pretending to be nice to me, pretending to be my friends. All while planning this bullshit?"
Shae fell silent for a moment, staring down at the ground and balling her hands into fists. Pure and unyielding rage began to bubble in the pit of her stomach, and she started pacing furiously.
"Oh, those ASSHOLES! They used Emma and Henry against me!" She spat furiously. "That's why Emma asked for my help, had me investigating Tamara with her. She told me Tamara was up to something, all just to distract me. But it was her and her stupid ass parents that were up to some shady shit. Oh, I can't believe I fucking fell for it…"
Regina grabbed her arm, stopping her angry and frantic pacing and gently placing a hand on her cheek. "Don't fret, my love. I have a plan."
Shae raised an eyebrow at her, her scowl slowly spreading into a grin. "You do?"
Regina's lips curled into a dark and devious grin, and she nodded. Shae's grin grew wider, her eyes sparkling with deviousness. She suddenly reached out and grabbed Regina by her hips, pulling her against her body and kissing her fiercely.
"God, you're sexy when you're scheming…" She muttered lustfully.
Shae kissed her again, and Regina laughed, pushing her back slightly. "Calm yourself, dear. I haven't told you my plan yet."
Shae breathed out a disappointed sigh, but then nodded. "Yeah, alright, lay it on me."
Regina grinned again, gently running her finger along Shae's strong jawline. "I've already stolen a stalk for us, and soon we will have our own magic beans." She whispered to her lover. "We will open up our own portal, and return to The Enchanted Forest ourselves. We can start a new life, together, just as we planned, you, me, and Henry. We can be a family, a real family."
Shae smiled, her blood red eyes shining with wistful yearning. "A family…" She whispered softly. "Something I've never really had. That sounds… Wonderful."
"It does, doesn't it?" Regina agree with a soft smile. "We can go back to my castle, and I can teach Henry how to use magic. We can teach him how to use a sword, ride a horse, and you can teach him how to properly lead a waltz."
"Oh, yes, waltzing is very important." Shae replied with a quirky grin. "It's the only way he can hope to charm the ladies back home."
Regina laughed, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck, kissing her tenderly. Shae sighed contentedly, placing her hands on Regina's hips once again. She was finally going to start a new life with the woman she loved, she was finally going to have a family of her own. The vampire was ready, willing, and blissfully excited.
"What about the rest of them?" Shae asked after a few moments, incling her head at the beanstalks. "What do we do with them?"
Regina sported another wicked grin, gently stroking the vampire's cheek. "Well, that's why we're here, darling." She replied. "We're going to destroy them."
Shae grinned back at her, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I think that's best." She agreed. "I just wish I could be here to see the look on Charming and Snow White's stupid faces when they see that their stupid plan has failed."
"Yes, that would be quite satisfying, wouldn't it?" Regina replied with a laugh. "But, it'll be better to get it done sooner rather than later."
Regina turned around to face the rows of beanstalks. She laughed again as Shae stepped up behind her, wrapping her arms around her waist. Regina drew in a sharp breath as Shae's cold lips pressed against her neck, and she grinned, her heart racing with the excitement of once again destroying Snow White's happiness.
"Do it." Shae whispered in her ear.
Shae grinned deviously, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman she loved. She was furious at Emma and her family, seething with rage at the fact that they had tricked her, that they had been planning to tear her and Regina apart, pretending to be her friends the whole time. Her heart soared with a strange sort of satisfaction, a satisfaction that she hadn't felt in a very long time. It was the satisfaction of knowing that she was about to get revenge.
Regina summoned a fireball into her hand, and Shae's heart gave a strange lurch. Since she had only had her heart back for a short time, it took her a moment to realize what exactly it was that she was feeling. She recognized it as… Guilt. Suddenly, Ruby's words were ringing in her ears.
"Don't let her change you…"
Regina extinguished the fireball as Shae suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, and she spun around to face her. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" She demanded.
"Wait! We can't… We can't do this…" Shae replied hesitantly, releasing Regina's wrist.
Regina scoffed indignantly. "And why not?"
Shae sighed, running her hands through her messy black hair. "Because… It's just… It's not right. The people in this town, all they want to do is go home. We can't destroy their only chance."
"Weren't you listening to anything I just told you?" Regina asked angrily. "The people in this town are trying to take away our happy ending! If Snow White and her damn Prince return to The Enchanted Forest with us, they'll try and take the ones I love away from me. I'm not going to let that happen!"
Regina summoned another fireball, and was about to hurl it at the beans when Shae grabbed her wrist again. "Regina, stop!" Shae shouted, gripping her wrist tight. "We'll find another way!"
Regina extinguished the fireball again, and rounded furiously on the woman she loved. "There is no other way!" She snarled. "Snow White and her husband want to take away our happiness, and they must be stopped!"
"Yeah, I agree with that part, alright?" Shae replied gently. "But… But there's a better way to do it than destroying the beans, there has to be!"
When Regina only continued to silently glare at her, Shae breathed out a sigh, taking Regina's hands in both of her's. "Look, the only reason Snow and Charming want to break us apart is because they still only see us as The Evil Queen and her terrible, destructive, blood sucking protector."
She squeezed Regina's hands, placing them on her own chest and staring deep into her eyes. "If we can show them that you've changed, that we both have, then… Then I'm sure they'll reconsider locking you up."
Regina gazed up into her lover's blood red eyes, then slowly shook her head, pushing away from her and turning her back. "No, they won't." She replied quietly. "You don't know those fools like I do. I will never be anything but The Evil Queen to them."
"Well, I know them pretty well now too." Shae retorted, placing her hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "And I'm sure if we just talk to them about all this they'll change their minds. We can still get our happy ending, you'll see."
Regina shrugged Shae's hand away, and whirled around to face her, angry tears in her eyes. "No, we can't!" She snarled furiously. "Not with Snow White and Prince Charming breathing down our necks! No… They must be destroyed."
Regina held out her hand to summon another fireball, but Shae quickly stepped in front of her, standing defiantly between Regina and the beans. Regina eyed her lover with sad and angry perplexity, her mind flashing back to the day, twenty eight years ago, when the woman she loved stood before her in the bedchamber of her castle, a black satchel in her hands. She flashed back to when Shae stood before her again in Snow White and Prince Charming's castle, ready to stop her from getting to their baby, ready to stop her from getting her happy ending.
"You said you loved me…" Regina whispered softly.
"I do love you, Regina." Shae said, a deep sadness in her eyes. "But I won't agree to this. If this is the path you're going down, I'm not following you."
Regina squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out of her eyes. Her heart was suddenly heavy with sorrow, with pain. Once again, she had lost the one she loved all because of Snow White, and what her family of fools had turned Shae in to. They had poisoned her mind against Regina, and she was not about to let that go unchecked. She would have her revenge.
"I'm sorry, Regina." Shae said, her own eyes shining with tears. "But… But I have to stop you."
The pain in Regina's heart suddenly shifted, morphing into a dark and dangerous rage. She clenched her fists, snarling fiercely at the woman she loved, the woman that was, once again, about to betray her.
"Need I remind you what happened the last time you decided to betray me?" She asked her lover, sporting another dark and evil grin.
"I'm not betraying you, Regina!" Shae replied, her voice cracking with emotion. "If anything, you're betraying me! I stood up for you, told everyone how much you've changed. But you haven't, have you? You're just the same as always, I've just been too blind to see it. This damn heart has my head all screwed up, I couldn't even see what was going on right in front of me."
"Perhaps I should have just kept it, then." Regina said scathingly.
Shae chucked dryly. "Yeah, I really wish you would have."
Regina's eyes flashed with rage, and she threw her hand out at the vampire. Shae was sent hurtling backwards, crashing through the beanstalks. She groaned, the world spinning wildly around her for a moment as she hit the ground. She got back to her feet just in time to see Regina hurl a fireball at the stalks, and Shae outstretched her hand, stopping the fireball in its tracks. She sent it flying to the side, away from the beans, just as Regina threw another one. Shae deflected it, and then another, walking slowly forward as Regina hurled fireball after fireball at the beans.
Regina stopped, her chest heaving, her eyes filled with malice. She howled with rage, throwing her arm out at Shae again in attempt to throw her back. Shae brought her hand up too, just in time to stop Regina's blast with one of her own. They pushed against each other, the air in front of them humming and shimmering with their power. Regina used her other hand to push Shae back, but so did the vampire. The humming grew louder, and the air pulsated with telekinetic energy as they pushed harder and harder.
Shae finally let go, leaping to the side as the energy before them shot toward her. She used her superhuman speed to rush at Regina, and leapt into the air, fist raised. Regina moved shockingly fast, sending Shae flying straight up into the air just before the vampire was upon her. Shae screamed in shock as she went soaring into the air. She saw another fireball in Regina's hand as she fell toward the ground, and managed to throw her hand out toward her, knocking Regina backward and off her feet.
The vampire and The Queen both hit the ground hard, groaning in part rage, part pain. They both got to their feet, and Shae once again planted herself firmly between Regina and the magic beans. Regina grinned devilishly at her, and let out a low, menacing laugh.
"Don't you realize how much stronger I am than you here in this world?" Regina called out to her. "Your power will be drained before long!"
"Then I guess I'd better move fast." Shae snarled back.
She rushed at Regina again, her body a black blur of motion. Just before she reached Regina, something suddenly grabbed hold of her feet, and she jerked to a violent stop, crashing face first into the dirt. She felt the ground shaking underneath her, and she clawed at the grass as she was dragged backward. She glanced back at her legs, and was horrified to find that the very earth was swallowing her body, pulling her down further and further into the dirt.
Regina laughed again, sauntering slowly toward her, her arm outstretched down at the vampire. Shae grunted as she was pulled down into the earth up to her shoulders, only her head poking out of the ground. She tried desperately to jerk free, tried to use her powers to break up the dirt surrounding her body, but she couldn't. She was trapped.
"Now then, where was I?" Regina sneered down at her. "Oh yes, I was about to roast some beans. I suppose I'll have to figure out exactly what I'm going to do with you later."
Shae furiously attempted to free her arms from the earth as Regina turned away from her, turning to face the beanstalks. But it was no use, she knew there was only one thing she could do to free herself from Regina's spell, but she was hesitant. She knew it would use up what remained of her magic, but she had to do something.
Flames erupted in both of Regina's open palms, her eyes flashing with vengeful rage. She drew her arms back, shooting them out again, sending a massive jet stream of roaring fire toward the beanstalks. Shae disappeared in a puff of blood red smoke, reappearing in the path of the flames. She threw up her hands just in time to stop the flames from consuming her, and she used her power to push them back.
Regina howled with rage, pushing back against the vampire's magic. Shae stumbled back a step, but was able to keep the flames at bay. She could feel herself getting weaker and weaker by the second, her magic draining as she pushed back against Regina's wall of fire. She knew she had to do something to stop Regina, before she was completely drained.
Shae made a snap decision, and drew her arms back, shoving them forward again, stomping forward, bellowing furiously into the night air. She pushed with all her might, used every last ounce of her strength to throw Regina back. And it worked. A massive explosion erupted in the air before them, a pulsewave of magic shooting out all around them. The leaves of the beanstalks rustled violently, but were otherwise unharmed. Regina was sent careening backward, and remained motionless as she crashed back to the ground.
Shae's arms fell limply to her sides, and she dropped to her knees, all of her power, all of her energy completely spent. She slumped face first into the grass, her entire body powerless and weak. She let out a low, feeble chuckle. It didn't matter how weak she was now. She had stopped Regina, and that was all that mattered. She knew Snow White and Charming would be back to check on their beans eventually, and they would deal with Regina. All she had to do was wait to be found.
"Oh my, did you actually think you'd stopped me?"
Shae gasped, and she picked her head up, finding herself staring at a pair of legs. Her heart sunk deep into the pit of her stomach. She felt hands grabbing her arm, and she was rolled over onto her back. She clenched her fists as she stared up into Regina's rage filled eyes.
"I told you, dear, I'm much stronger than you." Regina said, grinning triumphantly as she knelt down next to Shae.
Shae burst out into bitter, resentful laughter. "It looks like our true love is just one vicious cycle, doesn't it?" She asked, grinning weakly back at her. "Here we are again, you trying to destroy Snow White's happiness, me trying to stop you, me failing to stop you."
"Yes, and I think we both know what comes next." Regina snarled dangerously.
Shae managed to prop herself up on her elbow, and she suddenly reached out and grabbed Regina's wrist. She jerked her forward, placed Regina's hand on her own chest, right above her heart. She glared into Regina's eyes, her own welling with tears.
"Go on then, TAKE IT!" She spat in Regina's face, tears rushing down her face, her hand shaking with rage and pain. "We both know that no matter if it's in my chest or not, no matter what I do, my heart will always belong to you."
Regina stared down into the blood red eyes of the woman she loved, her own heart filled with unbearable sorrow. She gently placed her free hand on Shae's cold, pale cheek, and leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on her lips. She held her there for a moment, feeling Shae's lips trembling beneath hers. When she pulled away, she found Shae's face was twisted in sorrow, tears streaming down her pale face.
"I was right, you know… All those years ago, the night we first met." Shae choked out weakly. "Love is pain."
Regina turned her face away, choking back a sob as tears streamed down her face. Shae reached out and grabbed the front of Regina's jacket, pulling her back in roughly. She brought her face up close to Regina's, glaring into her brown eyes.
"Loving you…" She whispered. "Is nothing but pain."
Regina felt a terrible, aching pain in her heart as it shattered to pieces. Shae slumped back onto the ground, her own heart laden with misery. Regina stared down at her as she began to sob bitterly, her whole body shaking with emotion. She then got to her feet, turning away from the woman she loved, the woman that had betrayed her for a second time. She held out her hand, and the last thing Shae saw before she fell unconscious was the beanstalks, the last hope the people of Storybrooke had of returning home, being engulfed in flames.
The Queen and the vampire had been, once again, completely unaware that they were being carefully watched. Once Regina had driven away in her car, and was safely away from the clearing, Greg and Tamara stepped through the cloaking barrier. Both their jaws dropped open in shock when they saw the roaring flames.
"What do we do now?" Tamara asked, her eyes wide with horror. "T-The beans, we needed those for the next phase!"
"Don't worry, we'll still be able to move on to the next phase." Greg reassured her. "I'd bet money that Regina took some for herself before she set the fire. We just have to find them."
Greg then noticed the unconscious vampire lying on the ground a few feet away from the blaze. "Ah, more good news!" He announced, pointing over at Shae. "Looks like we won't have to deal with the vampire to do it."
"Lover's quarrel?" Tamara asked, raising an eyebrow as she gazed over at Shae's senseless body.
Greg shrugged. "Guess so. Either way, we need to move fast. We need to get to those beans before Regina has a chance to use them. I can't let her get away. She still needs to tell me where my father is. She will tell me… One way or another."
XX
Emma sipped on her morning coffee as she drove behind David in his truck, Henry once again sitting in her passenger seat. Henry had asked to see the magic beans that they had been growing, and David and Mary Margaret, along with Leroy, who was in charge of the whole project, were happy to oblige. Henry was practically bouncing in his seat as they drove, and Emma was smiling down at him. She was still unsure about going back to The Enchanted Forest, but her son was obviously very excited about it. She was starting to think she would have no choice.
"You know, Leroy, we're going to need your help restoring the palace once we're back home." Mary Margaret was saying as they all got out of their cars and walked toward the seemingly empty field.
"Cosmetic, or total teardown?" Leroy asked.
"Uhh… Burn down." Mary Margaret replied, glancing over at her daughter.
Emma laughed, but her laughter instantly caught in her throat. They had just stepped through the cloaking shield, and were horrified by what they found. The beanstalks were all black and burnt to a crisp, every single one of them.
"What happened?" Henry asked, his mouth gaping open in shock.
"No… No, no, no…" David said in a panicked whisper, rushing forward and inspecting one of the beanstalks. "T-The beans… They're gone!"
They all stared around at each other in complete and utter horror, their mouths hanging open just like Henry's. Leroy's face then fell into a fierce snarl, and he balled his hands into fists.
"Nobody steals from a dwarf." He growled dangerously.
"I-I don't understand…" Mary Margaret breathed, her eyes shining with tears. "Who… Who would do this?"
Leroy raised an eyebrow knowingly at her. "Who do you think?"
"Hey, look!" Henry suddenly shouted, pointing a finger over toward the left side of the stalks. "It's Shae!"
In their shock at finding the burnt stalks, they had all failed to notice the person lying motionless on the ground. They all followed Henry as he rushed forward, and found that it was indeed Shae, lying unconscious on her back in the grass.
"Shae? Shae!" Henry cried, kneeling down next to the vampire and shaking her shoulder.
They all gathered around, and Emma knelt down on Shae's other side. The vampire's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she let out a soft, feeble groan.
"Shae! Hey, are you ok?" Henry asked her.
"H-Henry?" Shae muttered, staring dazedly up at him.
"What the hell is the bloodsucker doing out here?" Leroy asked, glowering down at Shae.
"Shh! She's saying something!" Henry told the dwarf.
Shae was muttering something incoherently under her breath, her eyes fluttering open and closed weakly. Henry leaned forward, holding his ear over Shae's lips.
"Uh… Blood? She said blood." He announced, gazing around at the others.
"She must be injured or something." Emma said, staring down at Shae with concern. "She needs blood to heal herself."
"Leroy, you're a good hunter." Mary Margaret said, turning to the dwarf and grabbing his arm. "Can you go find her a… Rabbit, or a squirrel, or something?"
Leroy furrowed his brow at her. "What? No way I'm helping The Evil Queen's pet!" He snarled. "She's probably the one who did this, her and Regina."
"If they did, why was Shae injured and left behind?" David mused quietly. "No… Something's not right here, something happened."
"Please, Leroy. Shae's the only one that can tell us what happened." Mary Margaret pleaded with the dwarf.
Leroy glanced silently between Mary Margaret and David's expectant faces for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine, I'll be right back." He said in a relenting grumble.
The dwarf then stomped off into the trees. Shae had fallen unconscious once again, and Emma and Henry both got to their feet. Henry stared around at his family, his eyes shining with tears.
"What are we going to do now?" He asked, glancing longingly over at the charred beanstalks.
"It's gonna be alright, Henry, we'll figure all this out." David told him gently, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
While waiting for Leroy to return, they all walked among the burnt stalks, searching them for any remaining beans that might have survived the fire. They all came up empty though, and their hearts hung heavy with sorrow. How were they going to get back to The Enchanted Forest now? More importantly, who had done this, and why?
Leroy finally returned, holding a furiously struggling squirrel by the scruff of its neck. Emma placed her arm around Henry's shoulders, drawing him away from Shae and the poor, defenseless animal that she was about to drain dry.
"You don't want to watch this, kid." Emma told her son gently.
"D-Do you really think my mom did this?" Henry asked her, his eyes glistening with tears once again.
"I don't know, Henry, I just don't know." Emma replied sadly. She then glanced over her shoulder, and saw that Shae was now sitting up. "But I know who does, come on."
"That's much better, thank you." Shae was saying as Emma and Henry returned to her.
"What happened to you Shae?" Mary Margaret asked the vampire.
"More importantly, what happened to our beans?" Growled Leroy.
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion, her mind still muddled from being knocked out. "Beans?" She asked.
When the vampire finally noticed the burnt stalks behind them, her eyes grew wide, and her jaw dropped open in horror. "Oh no…" She breathed.
Shae shakily scrambled to her feet, and they all watched with heavy hearts as she stumbled over to the charred remains of the beanstalks. She reached out to touch some of the burnt leaves, and choked out a sob as they crumbled to ash in her fingers. Shae fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands.
"No… No, no, no…" She muttered, her body shaking with sobs. "Oh god… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
"You're sorry?" Leroy asked furiously. "God dammit, I knew it! I told you guys it was her and Regina! You all were so convinced that they'd changed. Bullshit!"
"Leroy, that's enough!" David commanded. "We don't know that for sure. Any number of things could have happened, it could have-"
"No, he's right… The fucking dwarfs right…" Shae muttered miserably, getting back to her feet and turning to face all of them. "It… It was Regina."
A shocked silence fell over the charred and blackened field. Everyone exchanged a miserable glance, then gazed down at Henry. The boy's face was riddled with pain, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
"What?" He breathed.
Shae turned her tear stained face onto Henry, and she rushed forward, falling to her knees again in front of him, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Oh, Henry… Henry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I-I tried to stop her, I swear. But… I-I couldn't…"
"'Couldn't' or 'didn't want to?'" Leroy snarled at the vampire. "You probably helped her do this! The whole being knocked out thing, the crying, it's all more bullshit, just you trying to cover your own ass!"
"Leroy, stop, that's enough!" Mary Margaret scolded him, echoing her husband's words. She then turned her attention back to Shae. "Why, Shae? What happened? Why did Regina do this?"
Shae got shakily to her feet again, shoving her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket and hanging her head. "She… She overheard you guys talking yesterday." She replied, nodding at David and Mary Margaret. "She found out about your plan to either leave her here, or lock her up once we all got back to The Enchanted Forest."
"What?" Emma asked this time, staring at her parents in horrified shock.
David and Mary Margaret exchanged a nervous glance. "Look, we didn't have any other choice!" David exclaimed defensively. "Regina is just too strong! Just… Just look at what she's done here!"
Emma was about to reply, but her mother cut her off. "Listen, we'll… We'll talk about that later, ok?" She said gently, then turned back to the vampire. "What happened to you, Shae? Why did she leave you behind?"
"You really did try to stop her, didn't you?" David asked.
Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, running a shaky hand through her hair. "Not at first." She admitted sadly. "When Regina told me about your plan I… I was… Angry. I was going to help her destroy the beans, to… To get revenge. But… I changed my mind, tried to talk to her, tried to reason with her. But she wouldn't listen."
Shae's face twisted in pain again, and she buried her face in her hands, her body shaking with emotion. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered. "I-I… I really thought…"
"You really thought she'd changed…" Mary Margaret finished for her, glancing at her husband and daughter sadly.
Shae nodded, lifting her head back up, her pale face stained with tears. "She's so consumed by her fear, she always has been." She told them quietly. "All you people see is the rage, the evil, the lust for revenge… But really she's just so… Scared. So scared of losing me, losing Henry, that she'll do anything to hold on to us. Even… This."
She gestured miserably over at the charred remains of the beans, then hung her head, wiping the tears off her face. The others glanced around at each other, all looking hopeless and dejected. They would never get home now, Regina had taken away their only hope of returning to The Enchanted Forest. All was lost.
"W-We have to find her." Shae suddenly whispered, her red eyes wide with fear. "S-She stole a stalk for herself, was going to use it to take me and Henry back home before you all could. But… I-I have no idea what she's going to do with the beans now."
Emma exchanged a shocked glance with her parents and Leroy, and then looked down at Henry, whose eyes were now shining with hope. Apparently, all was not lost. Regina still had some beans, and they had to find them, quickly.
"Come on, we gotta hurry." David said urgently.
"W-Wait!" Henry cried out, grabbing his mother's hand. "When you find her… Y-You're not gonna hurt her, are you?"
"No, Henry, of course not." Emma told him gently. "We just want the beans she stole from us, that's all."
Henry nodded, and the boy stayed behind with Leroy as the dwarf continued to search through the charred stalks, attempting to find any other surviving beans. Emma, her parents, and Shae all sped off in search of Regina. They went to her house first, but found it completely deserted. The other two places they were likely to find Regina were her office, or her vault. They checked her vault next, but once again found it empty, so they hurried off to the town hall, where Regina had her public office.
To their surprise, they found Regina's office already unlocked, which was extremely unusual. They also found the beanstalk Regina had stolen, but were once again surprised to find that the beans had already been plucked off.
"Something's not right here." Shae muttered, frowning down at the empty stalk in it's glass tank. "Regina's too crafty, she wouldn't just leave evidence behind like this."
"Maybe she already used them to portal out of Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret offered.
"Without Henry?" Emma asked, raising her eyebrows at her mother. "Yeah, I don't think so."
Emma went over to the security alarm panel on the wall next to Regina's office door. Shae stood behind her, watching as she hit some buttons. "Says here the last time someone was in the office was around six this morning." Emma said. "They used an override code…"
"Why would Regina need to override her own alarm?" Asked David.
"She wouldn't." Answered Shae, looking troubled. "Someone else must have broken in here and stole the beans."
Mary Margaret wasn't convinced. "Why would you think that?"
"Because, we haven't found Regina anywhere, haven't heard from her." Shae explained. "If I know Regina, and trust me, I do, if she had the beans she would have made some sort of threat by now, demanded that you guys hand Henry over to her. No… Something's not right, something's happened to her."
"Gold." David suddenly said, his eyes growing wide. "He's the only other person, besides Shae, that could overpower Regina."
"No, I don't think so." Emma retorted, shaking her head slowly. "He's too busy with his new, er, old girlfriend. No, this wasn't Gold. This was Tamara."
A sudden silence fell over the group gathered in the Mayor's Office. Mary Margaret and David exchanged a skeptical glance, and Shae simply stared down at the floor, chewing nervously on her lip ring.
"Emma… Haven't you, you know, already gone down that road?" Mary Margaret asked her daughter carefully.
"Maybe not far enough." Emma replied, then turned to Shae. "Look, you said just yesterday that just because we didn't find anything doesn't mean there's nothing to be found, right?"
Shae heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I did, ok?" She admitted. "But if Regina's in trouble, we can't just drop everything to follow a hunch."
"It's more than a hunch and you know that!" Emma said fiercely, pointing a finger at the vampire. "Besides, we're not going to drop everything. You guys go to Gold, he might at least have something to help find Regina. I'm going back to Tamara's room."
Emma didn't bother waiting for a response from either her parents or Shae. She promptly turned on her heel, and stomped determinedly out of Regina's office. Shae chucked as she watched her go, then turned to Mary Margaret and David.
"Well, come on, Charmings. Let's go see The Dark One."
XX
Shae, Mary Margaret, and David all got into David's truck, and they drove swiftly down to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop. Shae chewed on her thumbnail nervously, her mind racing. What if something terrible had happened to Regina? The last time she had seen the woman she loved, the woman that was her true love, they had fought bitterly. What if the last thing Shae ever said to her was… She clenched her fists, biting back tears. They had to find her, and fast.
When they finally arrived at Gold's shop, they found him and Belle, who was actually now Lacey, sharing a drink together. Gold denied having anything to do with Regina's disappearance, and was stubbornly reluctant to even help. David quickly reminded him that he still owed the former Prince a favor, and Gold relented. He gave them a vial which contained one of Regina's tears, and told them that once it was combined with someone else's tear, all that person would have to do is drop some of the concoction into their eye, and they would instantly be connected with Regina. They would see what she saw, and feel what she felt. Shae immediately volunteered, but Gold said that the tears would only burn up in her blood red eyes. Mary Margaret stepped in next, and produced a single tear, which Gold added to the vial with Regina's.
With the vial of tears in hand, David, Mary Margaret, and Shae climbed back into David's truck, and he took them back to the tiny loft where he and his wife lived with their daughter, and Henry. Mary Margaret and David sat at the table, the vial from Gold sitting before them, and Shae nervously paced the length of the apartment.
"You don't have to do this, you know." David told his wife gently. "You've been through enough already."
"That's exactly why I have to do it." Mary Margaret replied determinedly. "My heart is blackened because of what I did to Regina. If I can help find her, help save her, maybe it'll help let some of the light back in."
"Oh, please!" Shae snapped sarcastically, rolling her blood red eyes. "You've got a tiny little black spot on your heart. So what?"
"So, I'd like to try and get rid of it, if I can." Mary Margaret replied.
Shae chuckled darkly. "Yeah, I don't think it works like that. Once you blacken your heart, it's black forever. Trust me, I know."
David and Mary Margaret exchanged a sad glance as Shae continued pacing the room. "Come on, Shae, you know that's not true." David said with a sigh. "What you did yesterday, trying to stop Regina, it was the right thing to do."
"Yeah, and look what doing the right thing got me!" Shae shouted furiously, rounding on David and Mary Margaret. "The woman I love is missing, probably in all sorts of danger, all because I was trying to protect you assholes! And you were just going to lock her up in a cell and force me to leave her there! Trust me, I won't be bothering to do the right thing anymore, not after this."
Mary Margaret sighed, taking the vampire's hand. "Shae, listen, I know you're upset but-"
"STOP IT!" Shae bellowed, ripping her hand out of Mary Margaret's grip, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Don't fucking touch me! Don't you dare try and start acting like you're my friend again, Snow White! I'm not falling for your fucking tricks any more."
Mary Margaret's mouth hung open in shock at Shae's sudden outburst, her eyes welling with tears. David placed his hand on his wife's, hanging his head sadly and sighing heavily.
"Just… Just do the fucking thing with the tears already!" Shae spat at them.
David nodded, grabbing the vial off of the table as he stood. He stood over his wife as she leaned her head back, and Shae waited anxiously behind him. He used an eyedropper to carefully lower a single drop of the tears into his wife's eye. He sat back down, and Shae stepped closer, both of them watching Mary Margaret carefully as she blinked several times.
"Well? Anything?" Shae asked her anxiously.
Mary Margaret sat silently for a moment, but then shook her head. "No, nothing. Maybe it didn't work, maybe-"
David and Shae both practically leapt out of their skin as Mary Margaret's eyes rolled back into her head, and her body suddenly jerked violently. Her mouth gaped open, and she let out a horrible, strangled scream of pain.
"SNOW!" Shae shouted, rushing toward her.
"MARY MARGARET!" Shouted David.
Shae and David cried out in alarm as Mary Margaret slipped out of her chair and onto the ground. She continued to convulse violently, screaming and howling in what appeared to be agonizing pain.
"SHAE!" She screamed. "SHAE!"
"Snow! Snow, it's ok, I'm here, I'm right here!" Shae told her desperately as her and David knelt on the floor beside her.
"SHAE!" Mary Margaret screamed again.
"I'm right here!" Shae shouted back at her, then turned her panicked eyes onto David. "Dammit, what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know!" David replied, looking just as panicked as the vampire. "Regina, she must be-"
He stopped short as Mary Margaret's convulsions suddenly stopped, and she slumped unconscious onto the floor. Shae and David exchanged another panicked glance as she continued to lie motionless for several long, agonizing moments. Her eyes then slowly fluttered open, and David and Shae helped her sit up.
"Mary Margaret, a-are you ok?" David asked his wife concernedly.
"Oh god… Oh my god…" Mary Margaret whispered, placing her hands over her mouth, her eyes shining with tears. "I-It was awful… T-The worst pain I've ever felt… Wherever Regina is, she's powerless, she can't fight back!"
"What?" Shae breathed, her red eyes still wide with panic. "How is that possible?"
"Could you see where she was, who was holding her there?" David asked in a rush.
Mary Margaret slowly shook her head. "I just remember… Pain, so much pain… And screaming."
She suddenly gasped, turning to Shae and grabbing the front of her jacket. "You… S-She was screaming for you!" She said, tears rushing down her face. "S-She wanted you… Wanted you to save her!"
Shae clenched her fists, rising slowly to her feet. She then let out a roar of rage, kicking a nearby chair and sending it flying across the room, where it shattered to splinters against the wall. David leapt to his feet, stomping over to Shae and grabbing her arm roughly.
"Hey! Calm the hell down, alright?" He shouted at her.
"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Shae roared back at him. "The woman I love is being tortured, crying out for me, and I'm stuck here with you idiots!"
"I know that, I understand that you're upset, but this isn't helping!" David replied sternly.
David went back over to his wife, who had gotten shakily to her feet. "Mary Margaret, I need you to focus, concentrate." He told her gently. "Even the smallest detail can help us find her."
Mary Margaret nodded, and David and Shae watched anxiously as she closed her eyes, focusing on the brief ordeal she had just went through. "I-I remember… My hands were strapped down, my legs… It was cold, and it… It smelled… Weird. Like… Sardines? Oh, I don't know, I'm sorry."
David breathed out a sigh, then kissed his wife's forehead. "It's alright, you just relax. I'm gonna call Emma and tell her what we know."
Mary Margaret sat back down as David stepped into the kitchen, pulling out his cellphone. She glanced sadly up at Shae, who had gone back to pacing the length of the apartment.
"Shae, I'm sorry." Mary Margaret said quietly. "I'm sorry for everything."
When Shae didn't respond, and only continued pacing, Mary Margaret sighed. "I'm sorry we were going to lock Regina up." She went on. "I-It wasn't right, we shouldn't have-"
Shae suddenly stopped pacing, turning to Mary Margaret and shooting her an icy glare. "You're damn right you shouldn't have!"
"Hey!" David said, shoving his cellphone back in his pocket. "Emma thinks she knows where Regina is. We need to get down to the docks, NOW."
The Charmings and the vampire all rushed back down to David's truck, and they were once again speeding through the town of Storybrooke. Shae clenched her jaw, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to leak out of her eyes. Only a few short days ago, she had been holding her true love in her arms, the two of them so blissfully happy to be reunited. They finally had a chance to start a new life, to start over, and now all this, it had happened all over again. Shae had betrayed Regina again, and now she was gone, kidnapped, and in a terrible amount of pain. Shae clenched her fists, and made a silent vow to never betray her again, no matter what.
Once they finally reached the docks, they hurried into the Storybrooke Cannery. They found it completely abandoned, and inside it was dark, cold, and definitely smelled like sardines. David gave Shae his extra sidearm, arming himself with his own gun. The crept slowly forward, carefully peering around the dark and abandoned cannery. After a few minutes of silent searching, they literally ran in to Emma and Neal. After they were all over the brief shock of almost shooting each other, Emma quickly came up with a plan.
"Alright, you guys take the basement." She told them in a commanding way. "Neal and I will search the main floor. Just be careful, this place is huge and dark, but Regina's got to be here somewhere."
They all nodded at each other, and Shae, David, and Mary Margaret made their way down into the basement. David took the lead, with Mary Margaret in the middle, and Shae at the rear, watching their backs. They had no idea who exactly they were up against, and they wanted to make sure they were covered from all angles.
"God, this place is huge." Mary Margaret whispered as they slowly crept through the damp and dark basement. "How are we even supposed to-"
"AUGH!"
"SHAE!"
Shae had suddenly fallen to her hands and knees, her gun sliding across the floor. She let out another howl of pain, falling on her back and clutching her chest. Her body jerked and convulsed as she screamed, just as Mary Margaret's had when she used the concoction of tears earlier. Her and David watched in helpless horror as Shae writhed and screamed on the floor in front of them. Suddenly, it all stopped, and Shae was left staring bewilderedly up at them.
"Shae! Shae, what happened?" Mary Margaret asked, kneeling down next to her.
Shae sat forward, still clutching her chest, her eyes wide with confused shock. "I-It's Regina…" Shae breathed, her face twisting in pain. "I-I felt it… The pain… I-It was horrible…"
"What? But… How?" David asked, looking down at his wife, immensely confused. "You used the tears, not Shae. How can she-"
"It's their true love, it has to be." Mary Margaret whispered in wonder. "It hurts here, right?"
She gently poked the left side of Shae's chest, right over her heart, and the vampire nodded. "But… How come you're feeling it now?" Mary Margaret asked, her brow furrowed. "You didn't before right?"
Shae shook her head, grimacing in pain again. "Whoever's doing this, they must have upped the pain, somehow they-"
Shae's words caught in her throat, and Mary Margaret and David gasped as she screamed in pain once again. She fell back against the ground, her body convulsing violently. Mary Margaret and David stared at each other, then back down at Shae, once again powerless to help her.
"GO!" Shae screamed at them, her red eyes wild with pain and fear. "HURRY! THEY'RE GONNA KILL HER!"
Mary Margaret and David rushed off, Shae's screams and howls of agony ringing in their ears. Shooting, agonizing pain shot out from the vampire's chest, and began to spread all throughout her body. She screamed into the quiet of the cannery basement, her vision going completely black.
"SHAE!" She heard Regina's voice screaming in her head. "SHAE, PLEASE!"
Shae was suddenly staring up at florescent lights, her body lying on something cold and metallic. The pain stopped, and a man's face loomed hazily over her.
"Your little vampire friend isn't coming to save you now, Regina." The man sneered. "No one is coming to save you."
Shae heard the sound of a man laughing through her and Regina's screams as the pain returned once again. Shae writhed and squirmed, digging her nails into the floor as the unbearable pain shot through her body.
"You feel that, huh?" The man asked as the pain stopped once again. "That's the end of you. Scary, isn't it? Now, you'll never hurt anyone, ever again."
Shae screamed, the pain in her chest worse than ever before. Her head bounced painfully against the ground as she uncontrollably jerked and convulsed, horrible, agonizing pain consuming her entire body. She heard the sound of laughter again over her and Regina's screams, a terrible, almost insane sounding cackle, delighting in the fact that Regina was in so much pain. Tears streamed out of Shae's eyes as she felt all of her true love's pain, her fear, her hopelessness. She clutched the sides of her head, the pain and the pressure threatening to make her head burst.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, it was all over. Shae's vision cleared, and she was staring up at the ceiling of the cannery basement once again, lying on the cold, hard concrete. She sat forward, all the pain suddenly completely gone. She sat in stunned silence for a moment before sheer panic took hold of her.
"No… No, no, no…" She muttered, pushing herself shakily to her feet.
She stumbled forward down the long, dark hallway, her mind reeling. Regina had been in so much pain, a pain unlike anything Shae had ever felt before. But it had so suddenly stopped. Why had is stopped? She gasped, stopping in her tracks when she heard the sound of gunshots from the end of the hallway. She raced forward, turning into a room at the end of the hall.
"REGINA!"
Mary Margaret was standing next to a metal table, her hand over her mouth, her eyes shining with tears. Regina was lying motionless on top of the table, her eyes closed. Shae walked slowly forward, placing her quivering hand on the forehead of the woman she loved. As she stared helplessly and hopelessly down at Regina's unconscious body, Shae noticed that there were strange looking wires connected to each side of Regina's head, her chest, and her arms. She followed the wires with her eyes, and turned around to find they were connected to some sort of machine at the other end, a machine that was now riddled with bullet holes.
"W-What is this?" Shae breathed, looking at Mary Margaret, her eyes welling with tears. "W-What have they done to her?"
"I don't know…" Mary Margaret replied in a whisper. "It looks like some sort of… Electroshock machine."
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking down her face. She stared down at Regina's unconscious body, a terrible, vicious rage boiling in her chest. Her ears started ringing, and her hands shook as she balled them into fists.
"Who did this?" She asked Mary Margaret. When she didn't reply, Shae grabbed her roughly by her shoulders, shaking her violently. "WHO DID THIS?"
"Greg! Greg Mendell!" Mary Margaret shouted, and stepped back as Shae released her. "T-That guy that crashed his car just outside of town."
"Right… I'm gonna go rip his lungs out."
"Shae, wait!"
Mary Margaret grabbed the vampire's arm as she turned to leave. "We have to get her out of here!" She said urgently. "She'll die if we don't get her help! We need to get her to Mother Superior."
Shae glanced over at the door, then at Mary Margaret, then down at the woman she loved. She swallowed hard, and nodded silently. Her and Mary Margaret began removing the wires from Regina's body and, once they were all disconnected, Shae carefully lifted Regina into her arms, cradling her unconscious body against her chest. She followed behind Mary Margaret as she led them out of the cannery, and toward David's truck, where they met up with David himself.
The ringing in Shae's ears returned once again, her vision fading in and out as the pure, unadulterated fury burned furiously deep inside her chest. She heard David talking to her from the driver's seat of his truck, but she couldn't make out anything he was saying through the blood pulsing in her ears. The only thing she felt, besides her burning rage, was Regina's limp body cradled in her lap, her head resting in the crook of Shae's neck. Shae pressed her trembling lips against Regina's forehead, tears rushing down her face as she made another silent vow. She would find the man who did this to the woman she loved, and she would tear him limb from limb.
Shae stared down at Regina's unconscious body lying in Mary Margaret's bed. She heard voices all around her, saw faces swimming before her eyes, but she was completely numb to it all. She only snapped back to reality when Mother Superior arrived, and she explained to them all that Regina had lost her magic due to the strange leather cuff that she was wearing. They all stood around anxiously as Mother Superior waved her wand over Regina's body, the cuff disappearing from her wrist.
"There, the cuff is off." Mother Superior announced, turning back to them. "I believe, given time and rest, she will recover, and her magic will return."
"'Time and rest?'" Shae exclaimed heatedly. "You're a fucking fairy! Just heal her!"
Mother Superior narrowed her eyes irritably at the vampire. "Unfortunately, I cannot." She said in an even but irritated tone. "My magic specializes in external wounds, and Regina's are internal. I don't know what it is that man did to her, but it is too strong for my magic to heal."
"Then you're fucking useless!" Shae snarled furiously, her clenched fists shaking violently with rage.
"Excuse me?" Mother Superior cried indignantly.
Mary Margaret quickly stepped in, taking Mother Superior gently by her shoulders and herding her out the door. Once the door had snapped shut behind her, Mary Margaret rounded on the vampire.
"Is it your personal goal to piss off everyone you come in contact with?" She asked her heatedly.
"Yeah, maybe it is." Shae snapped back.
Mary Margaret was about to respond when the door swung open again, and Emma walked slowly in. Shae momentarily forgot about Regina when she saw the look on Emma's face. She looked as if she had just seen something completely and utterly horrible, her face ghostly white and stained with tears.
"Emma? What's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked her daughter, her voice heavy with concern. "Where's Neal?"
Emma stared down at the ground for a long, silent moment, then turned her wide eyes onto her mother. "He's gone." She said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Tamara, she… She killed him."
Dead silence fell over the tiny apartment. Emma's parents slowly stepped forward, taking their daughter gently by the arm and sitting her down on the steps leading up to her and Henry's bedroom. Shae knelt down next to the bed, shakily taking Regina's hand and resting her head in the crook of her arm. She listened, tears running down her face once again as Emma slowly explained to them what had happened at the cannery. Tamara had shot Neal, then used one of the magic beans she had stolen from Regina to open a portal, to stop Emma from chasing after her. Emma tried to save him, but Neal had fallen through. He was gone.
"Emma… I'm so sorry…" David whispered, sitting down next to his daughter and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"How… How am I gonna tell Henry?" Emma breathed, tears rushing down her face.
Mary Margaret turned away, her heart heavy with sorrow. She went back over to Shae, who was now slowly dabbing a cold washcloth on Regina's forehead. She watched silently for a moment as tears spilled down the vampire's face.
"How is she?" Mary Margaret asked her quietly.
Shae slowly shook her head. "Still burning up."
Mary Margaret sighed, placing her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. "She's gonna be ok, you know."
Shae sighed too. "I know." She replied softly. "I-Its… Its just…"
Shae sighed again, sitting down on the floor and leaning her back against the end table next to the bed, more tears slowly leaking out of her eyes. "I can't stop thinking about… What if… What if that bastard had killed her?" She went on, her voice cracking with emotion. "You know what the last thing I said to her was?"
Mary Margaret shook her head slightly, and Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh. "I told her that… That loving her, is nothing but pain." She said, her face twisting and distorting in immense sorrow. "I don't care what happened between us… Just… Who… Who the fuck says that to someone they love?"
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, biting back a sob as tears rushed down her cheeks. Mary Margaret watched her for a silent moment, and then smiled slightly, though her eyes were still full of sadness.
"Well, you two have always had a vicious sort of love…" She said with a small shrug.
Shae burst out in bitter laughter once again, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah, we have, haven't we?" She agreed. "I don't know… I think maybe you were right, Snow."
Mary Margaret's brow furrowed in confusion. "Right about what?"
Shae slowly turned her tear stained eyes onto her, smiling sadly. "You told me once that… That people like us, an Evil Queen and a vampire, we're not supposed to have true love." She replied quietly. "I think you're right… But… Somehow, the gods must have fucked up, and it happened anyway. Or maybe they just thought it'd be funny, I don't know… Either way… I think that's why our love is so… Insane and… Angry, and weird. It's not supposed to be… But it is."
Mary Margaret sighed sadly, staring down at the vampire with pity in her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when her daughter stepped up next to her, still looking shaken.
"Hey, Emma, I-I'm really sorry about Neal." Shae told her sadly from her spot on the floor.
Emma nodded, managing a weak smile. "Thanks… I just… I wish I knew where Tamara went, and that asshole Greg." She replied quietly, wrapping her shaking arms around her torso. "They're obviously working together. I don't know what they're up to, but they need to be stopped. They… They need to pay."
Shae nodded slowly, and she gazed back over at Regina. Suddenly, she snapped her head back over to Emma, her blood red eyes wide. Emma and her parents all eyed her curiously as she scrambled to her feet, a slow smile spreading across her face, her eyes wide and wild. She then pushed passed Emma, Mary Margaret, and David, and rushed toward the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" David asked her, brow furrowed in confusion.
Shae slowly turned back around, a dark and devious grin on her face that gave the other three instant chills. "I'm going to find Greg and Tamara." Shae replied in an excited whisper. "I'm going to make them pay for what they've done."
"Shae! Wait!" Mary Margaret shouted, rushing forward and grabbing the vampire's arm as she threw the door open. "You can't kill them!"
Shae giggled in a devious sort of way. "Oh, I won't kill them. At least, not right away."
She made to step out the door, but Mary Margaret placed a hand on her chest, pushing her back. "Shae, stop! I know what they've done is terrible but killing them is not the answer. Its… Its not right!"
Shae's wild grin instantly fell into a fearsome glare, and she leaned in close to Mary Margaret. "I've already told you, Snow White… I'm done doing the right thing."
Mary Margaret gasped as Shae shoved her roughly out of her way. David rushed forward, placing his hands gently on his wife's shoulders. The door swung shut behind the vampire, and she was gone.
"S-Shouldn't we do something?" Emma asked, her eyes still wide with shock over the events of the last few hours.
"There's nothing we can do." David answered darkly. "Shae's too powerful, we'd never be able to stop her. The only one that can, the only that has any control over her, is Regina."
XX
Shae stomped through the woods of Storybrooke, one of Tamara's shirts clutched tightly in her hand. She had broken in to her and Neal's room, and was using the shirt to track Tamara's scent. It was leading her far into the woods on the outskirts of town. Emma had said that Tamara and Greg were working together, so she knew if she found Tamara, she would find the man that had tortured the woman she loved.
She stopped suddenly, carefully stepping behind a tree as she finally spotted them in a small clearing a few yards ahead of her. She stifled a laugh as her heart soared with exhilaration. She hadn't felt this feeling in a long, long time. It was the thrill she had always felt just before a kill. She wasn't just going to kill them, though, she was going to make sure they suffered. She was so tired of trying to be the good person the Charming family insisted she was. Shae knew exactly who she was, and it was time to finally embrace it.
"Does the home office know anything about it?" Greg was asking Tamara.
"Yeah, they did." Tamara replied excitedly. "You'll never believe what it does."
Shae's brow furrowed when she noticed a dark purple gem in Tamara's hands. She was just about to creep closer, when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She let out a low grumble, reaching into her pocket and frowning down at her phone that read 'Charming.' Shae gritted her teeth, glancing back up at Tamara and Greg, and down at her phone again. Her thumb hovered over the 'Decline' button, but she knew if she didn't answer, Charming would only keep calling. He was annoyingly persistent that way.
"What?" Shae growled into her phone.
"Shae! It's David." Came the voice on the other end.
"Yeah, I fucking know that, numb nuts." Shae spat irritably. "What do you want?"
"Have you found Greg and Tamara yet?" Asked David, his tone concerned.
Shae glanced back up into the clearing, where Greg and Tamara were still conversing in hushed tones. "They're in my sights, but I haven't done anything yet." Shae replied quietly. "Why? Gonna beg me not to kill them? Save it, Charming. I told your wife that-"
"Its Regina." David interjected. "She's awake. She's still in a lot of pain, but she's asking for you, practically begged me to call you. Shae, she… She really needs to see you right now."
Shae's heart practically lurched out of her chest. The woman she loved needed her, but the man that had tortured her for hours was just within her grasp. She couldn't let him slip away.
"Tell her I'm a little busy at the moment." Shae said through gritted teeth.
She heard David sigh heavily on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, I tried that, but she's a bit… Hysterical right now. She won't even talk to us until she sees you."
Shae bit her lip, glowering at Greg Mendell as David went on. "Look, I get that you want to make the guy who tortured Regina pay. But… Shae, she needs you right now. Save the vengeance for another day, please."
Shae clenched her fists, watching as Greg and Tamara hurried off in the opposite direction, and were lost from sight. She breathed out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her hair.
"I'll be right there."
Back at Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment, David stepped out of the kitchen, joining his wife and daughter who were standing next to the bed, where Regina was still lying, now fully awake.
"I just talked to Shae, and she's on her way." David announced with a small smile. "She said- WOAH!"
Chaos ensued for a brief moment as Shae appeared in their midst with a whirl of blood red smoke. Mary Margaret cried out in alarm as the vampire stumbled backward into her, and crashed to the floor, the exertion of teleporting causing the world to spin wildly around her. Mary Margaret knocked into Emma, causing her to trip over Shae, who was trying to get back to her feet. David tried to catch her, but failed, and suddenly they were all a chaotic tangle of bodies and limbs.
"OW!"
"Son of a-"
"Shae, what the hell?"
"Regina?"
"Shae!"
When Emma, Mary Margaret, and David finally made it to their feet, they turned around to find Shae sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped tightly and desperately around the woman she loved. Regina sobbed as Shae held her, her head buried in the vampire's neck.
"Regina… Regina, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Shae whispered, gently cupping Regina's face in her hands. "I'm sorry for what I said, for… For the fighting, for all of it."
"No, no, I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have…" Regina stammered, tears running down her face. "Oh, Shae… Shae, I love you, I'm sorry."
"I love you too…" Shae whispered back.
The two lovers kissed desperately and gratefully, their eyes streaming with tears. Emma and her parents all smiled around at each other. After all the horrors that they had faced that day, they at least got a little bit of joy from the fact that Shae and Regina's true love, no matter how insane and vicious it was, was restored once again.
"I'm so sorry they hurt you." Shae whispered to Regina, gently brushing her fingers along the bright red marks on either side of Regina's head. "I-I felt it, the pain… It was awful. I'm sorry I wasn't there, that I couldn't save you… I… Should have…"
Regina gently placed her fingers on Shae's lips as the vampire choked back a sob. "Shh, it's alright, I'm alright." She said soothingly. "You're here now, that's all that matters."
Shae nodded, taking Regina's face in her hands and kissing her again. Mary Margaret gently rubbed her daughter's back, who's own eyes were shining with tears, her heart aching with the loss of Neal, the man that she still loved.
"Where are they?" Regina asked, pulling away from Shae's embrace suddenly, her eyes full of malice. "Greg and Tamara?"
They all looked expectantly to Shae, who glanced away from them, nervously chewing on her lip ring. "Um, well, they're still alive but… They, uh… They got away." She replied slowly.
Regina's eyes suddenly grew wide, and the rage in them slowly turned into fear. "So… They… They still have it."
"Have what?" Asked Shae, her brow furrowed.
"The trigger."
They all stared around at each other in silent confusion. "The what now?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow at Regina.
Regina bit her lip, staring down at the ground, seemingly hesitant to explain. "It's a gem…" She replied carefully. "A gem that activates a failsafe in the curse. A failsafe that will… Destroy Storybrooke."
They all fell silent again, but this time out of horror, not confusion. "Why exactly were you carrying something like that around?" Mary Margaret demanded.
Regina was about to reply, but David angrily interjected. "She was going to destroy us!" He snarled furiously, pointing an accusing finger at Regina. "She was going to use the beans to take Henry and Shae back home with her, and kill us all in the process!"
"HEY!" Shae shouted, swatting David's hand away and rising to her feet. "You assholes were the ones that were going to leave her behind, or lock her up in a cell! Did you forget about that?"
"I think we have a more pressing issue." Regina cut in, her face grave. "I no longer control the trigger."
David glared down at Regina, pointing another finger at her. "And who's fault is that?"
Shae smacked his hand away again, and shoved him roughly backward. "Point that finger at her one more time and I'll fucking rip it off!"
"HEY!" Emma bellowed, leaping between Shae and David, shoving them both away from each other. "That's enough! Don't do this! Not now, not today!"
Shae and David silently glared at each other, their clenched fists shaking with rage. Shae's face suddenly softened, and she glanced down at Regina as she sat forward, gently taking her hand. Shae sat back down on the bed, and pulled Regina into her arms once again, kissing the top of her head. Emma breathed out a sigh. Regina really was the only one that had any control over the vampire.
"Look, obviously this trigger thing is really important, and we need to get it away from Greg and Tamara." Emma went on slowly. "But… I still need to tell Henry about… About his father."
Mary Margaret and David exchanged a sorrowful glance. "Emma, honey, I don't think now is the best time…" Mary Margaret said softly.
"Please! He… He needs to know." Emma begged them, her voice breaking with emotion. "Please… I… I don't think I can do it alone."
Mary Margaret and David's faces both instantly softened, and they rushed forward, gently wrapping their arms around their daughter as she choked back a sob. They both agreed to help, and the three of them left together to go find Henry, leaving Shae behind to look after Regina. After a bit of stubborn protesting, Shae convinced Regina to lie back down and rest. She smiled down at the woman she loved, and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
"We really have to stop doing this to each other." Regina said, her face twisting in pain as she laughed.
"Yeah, we really do." Shae agreed with a smile. "You know, Snow… Er, Mary Margaret, she said something about our… Relationship earlier that I thought was pretty accurate."
"Oh? And what exactly did Snow White have to say about our relationship?" Regina asked sarcastically.
Shae laughed again, slowly shaking her head. "She, uh… She said we've always had a vicious sort of love."
Regina laughed too, cringing in pain once again. "Yes, I'd say that is surprisingly accurate." She smiled up at Shae, but then her eyes suddenly grew very sad. "Oh Shae, I'm so sorry. I wish… I really want to be the person that you and Henry want me to be."
"I don't want you to be any kind of person." Shae replied with a shrug. "Well, an alive one would be preferable, but not totally necessary I guess."
Regina gave her arm a weak shove. "That's disgusting." She said scoldingly. "What I meant was… I want to be the… The good person that you both want me to be."
Shae sighed, gently taking Regina's hand. "Regina, I love you just the way you are, you know that." She told her quietly. "And Henry… Well, he does too… But yeah, you're right, he wants his mother to be good, to be the hero for once. And if that's really what you want to be for him, then… Well, you'll figure it out eventually. I know you will."
"I should probably start by listening to you more often." Regina replied with a smile.
Shae nodded her head vigorously. "Oh, yeah, everyone should listen to me, all the time, about everything. Duh."
Shae gave her a quirky grin, and Regina laughed. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and wrapped her arms around the woman she loved, kissing her gently. Shae smiled against her lips, breathing out a contented sigh.
After a few moments of enjoying the feeling of Regina's lips on hers, she pulled away, smiling gently into her eyes. "Hey, you need to rest, alright?"
"Hold me? Please?" Regina whispered, staring back into her blood red eyes.
Shae nodded, and climbed into Mary Margaret's bed next to Regina. She laid down on her back, and Regina slung her arm around across her torso, resting her head on Shae's chest. Shae wrapped an arm around her, gently running her hand up and down her back. They laid there in silence for a while, enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms again.
"What are we going to do?" Regina suddenly asked, tilting her head up to look into Shae's eyes. "About the trigger? I don't know what they plan on doing with it… I… It's all my fault…"
Shae wrapped both arms around her, holding her tight as Regina's eyes welled with tears. "Hey, don't think about that right now, ok?" She whispered soothingly. "Just try and rest, you need to get your strength back."
Regina nodded, and craned her neck up, placing a soft kiss on Shae's lips. She rested her head on Shae's chest again, and Shae resumed rubbing her back. As Regina fell asleep, Shae lie there worrying about the very thing Regina had asked. What were Greg and Tamara planning on doing with the trigger? Were they going to destroy Storybrooke? She had no answers, only more and more questions. She gently kissed the top of Regina's head, hugging the woman she loved tight once again, whispering softly to her.
"I won't let anything else happen to you. I promise."
XX
Shae and Regina shared a quiet and peaceful hour wrapped up in each other's loving embrace, completely unaware that utter chaos was about to ensue within the town of Storybrooke. Emma, David, and Mary Margaret returned to the apartment with Henry, who was thrilled to find that his mother was alive and well. Their joyous reunion was violently interrupted as the ground quaked beneath their feet, and everyone in the apartment began to panic. Greg and Tamara had activated the trigger, and the destruction of Storybrooke was imminent.
After they all got over their initial shock, and spending a few moments bickering amongst each other, they came up with a plan to save the residents of Storybrooke, and return to The Enchanted Forest before the town was destroyed. Mary Margaret was to take Henry to round up all the townsfolk, and David was going with Captain Hook, who had suddenly appeared to lend a helping hand, to steal back the magic beans from Greg and Tamara. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina were to venture into the mines to find the trigger itself. Regina had told them that though she could not stop the magic of the trigger, she could at least delay it long enough for Hook and David to get the beans back, and lead everyone safely back home.
Shae chewed nervously on her thumbnail as she stood in Granny's Diner with the rest of the residents of Storybrooke. She had wanted to stay by Regina's side, but Regina herself had insisted that Shae go with Mary Margaret and Henry, to keep her son safe, in case anything went wrong. Shae had protested loudly, but eventually relented after Regina continued to insist. She begrudgingly kissed the woman she loved goodbye, and there was something about the look in Regina's eyes when they parted that was making Shae incredibly anxious.
The vampire was roused from her nervous musings when David and Hook entered the diner, announcing that they had found the magic beans. Not a moment later, they were followed by Emma, but Shae's brow furrowed when she noticed that Regina was not with her.
"W-Where's my mom?" Henry asked, voicing the vampire's own concerns.
Emma didn't respond right away, staring down at her son with eyes full of sorrow. The panic already bubbling in Shae's stomach started to boil over.
"Emma, where's Regina?" Shae asked her quietly.
"Regina, she… She can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape…" Emma began slowly. "But…"
"But what?" Henry asked, his eyes wide with fear.
Emma glanced between her son and Shae, her eyes shining with tears. "She… She won't survive."
Shae's heart dropped out of her chest, and her mouth hung open in silent horror. She heard Emma speaking to her, felt her hand on her arm as she ran for the door, but there was a sudden ringing in her ears that drowned everything else out.
"Shae, stop!"
Emma was suddenly standing in front of her, her hands placed firmly on the vampire's chest. "Get the fuck out of my way." Shae breathed dangerously.
"I promised Regina I would get you and Henry back to The Enchanted Forest safely." Emma pleaded with her. "Please, Shae, this is what she wants!"
"I DON'T CARE!" Shae bellowed furiously. "I'm not letting her do this!"
Emma pushed Shae back again as she attempted to step forward. "It's already done, Shae!" She shouted desperately, tears now running down her cheeks. "If she stops now then the town will only be destroyed faster, there's no going back!"
Shae stared silently down at her, tears rushing out of her eyes as well. "Shae, please, she told me she wants to die a hero." Emma went on quietly. "Just… Please, let her do this."
Shae squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, clenching her fists tight. When she opened her eyes again, she nodded slowly. "Fine. But I'm not letting her die alone."
She pushed passed a stunned and silent Emma, stopping with her hand on the door handle when Mary Margaret called out to her. "Shae, wait!" She cried. "If you go to her, then you'll only die with her!"
Shae chuckled, turning back slowly with a smile on her face. "Fine." She replied with an unconcerned shrug. "Probably about time, anyway."
"Shae, no!" Emma shouted.
But Shae was gone, disappearing in a black blur of movement as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her toward the mines. As she ran, she realized that she was strangely at peace with what was about to happen. There had been several times in her past when she thought she would die at Regina's side, and now that it was about to happen, she could think of no better way to go. She could think of no better way to face death than by her true love's side.
Shae sped into the mines, slowing to a walk as she rounded a corner, and finally spotted the woman she loved. The purple gem that Shae had seen in Tamara's hands was floating in mid air, glowing with a bright blue light. Regina was standing behind it, tendrils of magical energy shooting into her hands that were outstretched over it. Regina's hands shook violently with the force of the energy, and she snapped her head up as Shae rounded the corner, her face stained with tears.
"No… No, no, no…" Regina muttered as Shae walked slowly toward her. "Shae, please don't… Please, just go!"
Shae stood on the other side of the glowing gem, reaching out and gently cupping Regina's face in her hands. She kissed her tenderly, feeling Regina's lips trembling beneath her own. She stared into her bloodshot brown eyes, slowly shaking her head.
"You're not doing this alone." She whispered.
Regina choked out a sob, shaking her head vigorously. "Shae, please…" She whispered back desperately. "Please, just go back!"
"I don't have anything to go back to, Regina." Shae replied as tears rushed down her face. "Not without you."
"You'll have Henry." Regina pleaded desperately. "Please, you have to take care of him, he-"
"He has a whole family to take care of him." Shae said, cutting her off. "My job is to take care of you."
"You'll die!" Regina sobbed. "Shae, you'll die if you don't go!"
"Well it's about damn time, isn't it?" Shae replied with a laugh. "Death has been waiting for me for over two hundred years now, it's probably best not to keep him waiting any more."
Regina hung her head, her whole body shaking with sobs. Shae took her face in her hands again, tilting her head back up and staring intensely into her eyes.
"Regina, please." She whispered, more tears spilling down her face. "You've made your choice, now let me make mine."
Shae waited, staring desperately into the beautiful brown eyes of the woman she loved. Regina finally squeezed her eyes shut, and nodded her head slowly. Shae stepped around behind her, and gently wrapped her arms around her, burying her face in Regina's neck. Shae held her tight as her own body began to shake with sobs, and they both stood in silence together for a while, the only sounds to be heard were their own quiet sobs, and the rushing and crackling energy from the glowing gem.
"Shae… Shae, I'm scared." Regina whispered as her body shook with the exertion of suppressing the trigger's magic.
Shae nodded, pressing a gentle kiss on the side of Regina's head. "I know, I am too." She whispered back. "But I'll be right here with you the whole time."
The vampire then breathed out a small chuckle, wiping a few tears off of her face. "Till the end." She stated quietly. "It's something Remus and I would always say to each other any time we were in a… A tight spot, one that we didn't think we would get out of."
Shae smiled a wistful smile, gently running her hand up and down Regina's arm. "It just meant that… That even though we were facing certain death, at least we were doing it together. We had each other, till the end."
Regina smiled too, turning her head to the side to gaze into her lover's eyes. "Till the end?" She whispered.
Shae nodded, smiling back into her eyes. "Till the end."
They kissed again, both their lips trembling as more tears rushed down their faces. Shae placed a quivering hand on the side of Regina's face, holding her there in their embrace. They kissed slowly, desperately, both trying to memorize the feel of the other's lips, knowing that it would likely be their last kiss before they faced their death.
"MOM!"
Shae and Regina both jumped, and their eyes grew wide as they saw Henry rushing toward them, followed closely by Emma, David, and Mary Margaret.
"What are you doing here?" Regina cried in shock.
Henry smiled up at his mother. "You were willing to die to save us, that makes you a hero." He said proudly. "Now we're gonna be heroes."
"W-What? What's going on?" Shae asked, still standing with her hands on Regina's shoulders.
"We're gonna open up a portal, and chuck this thing into the void." David announced, pointing a determined finger down at the glowing gem.
Regina shook her head vigorously, her arms vibrating with energy. "No! You don't know that it will work!"
"We have to try." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "It's the right thing to do."
"Everybody stand back." Said Emma, pulling out a small black pouch.
Shae glanced down at Regina, who nodded at her, her eyes shining with hope. Shae stepped around the gem once again, and joined the others as they all drew back behind Emma. Henry smiled excitedly up at the vampire, who smiled back, placing her hand gently on the boy's shoulder. They watched as Emma opened the pouch, tilting it into her hand. Their faces all suddenly fell; Something was wrong. Emma shook the pouch, then stared down inside it. All their hearts stopped dead when Emma slowly turned to them, her eyes wide with horror.
"It's empty." She breathed.
"Hook." David growled furiously.
"W-What do we do now?" Henry asked, glancing up at all of them.
No one responded to the young boy's desperate question, no one knew how. They all stared around at each other in silent horror. There were no more beans, there was no way out, no escape. They were all going to die.
"Mom… Dad…" Emma whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
David and Mary Margaret pulled their daughter and grandson in to a tight, desperate hug. Shae rushed back over to Regina, stepping up behind her again and holding her tight.
"Im sorry, Regina." The vampire sobbed, placing her trembling lips against the side of her head. "I'm so sorry… For everything."
"I'm sorry too…" Regina replied, choking out her own terrified sob. "I love you."
"I love you too." Shae whispered back.
Shae stepped back slightly as Henry rushed over to his mother, wrapping his arms around her waist as he cried. "It's alright, Henry, you'll be ok." Regina told him soothingly. "You were born in this world, you'll survive."
"But… I'll be alone!" Henry sobbed.
Shae placed her hand gently on the boy's head, her other arm still holding on desperately to the woman she loved. Regina sobbed again, staring down at her son.
"I love you, Henry." She whispered to him. "I just… I wish I was strong enough to stop all this… But… I-I'm just not."
Shae buried her face into Regina's neck, her whole body quaking with fear. This was it, it was all over. Her heart ached as she listened to Henry's terrified sobs. The poor boy was about to lose everything, his entire family. He would truly be alone.
"You may not be strong enough, but maybe we are."
Shae snapped her head up, and found Emma standing on the other side of the gem, her eyes shining with confidence. Shae gasped, staring down at Regina, watching as a hopeful smile spread across her face. Shae immediately grabbed Henry's arm, and pulled him around the corner, Mary Margaret and David joining them a second later. They carefully peeked out as Emma stepped up to the gem, mimicking Regina and holding her hands out above it. Her body jerked as beams of magical energy shot up into her hands.
A resounding humming noise began to eminante from the gem, and the ground started to shake violently beneath their feet. They all clamped their hands over their ears as the humming grew louder and louder, rocks and pebbles falling from the ceiling of the tunnel onto their heads as the ground quaked. The very air shook and shimmered with the power of the two women and, suddenly, a massive pulsewave exploded from the gem. The world was sent spinning around them as they were all knocked off their feet, and they all crashed into the wall behind them, hitting the ground hard.
Shae's ears were ringing like two tolling bells, and she lifted her head up, staring dazedly around her through foggy eyes. When Shae's vision finally cleared, and the ringing in her ears subsided, she realized that the humming had stopped, the ground was still, and the mines were silent once again.
"Regina?" She called out as she staggered to her feet.
When Shae only heard the sounds of the others groaning around her, she began to panic. She stumbled forward, rushing around the corner. Emma and Regina were both on the ground as well, staring dazedly all around them. Shae ran over to Regina, who was looking quite shaken, but otherwise unharmed.
"D-Did it work?" Regina asked as Shae helped her to her feet.
Shae turned around, and saw the trigger sitting on the ground behind her, now lying still and harmless. She scooped up the gem, turning back to Regina with a joyful smile.
"You guys fucking did it!" She exclaimed.
Regina laughed, grateful and joyous tears now leaking out of her eyes. She threw her arms around the woman she loved, kissing her passionately and gratefully. They stood locked in their embrace for a moment, both grateful to be alive, to be together. When they pulled away, they turned around and found that the others had gotten to their feet as well, Emma, David, and Mary Margaret sharing a joyful embrace.
"Gotta hand it to Henry, he sure is right about a lot of things." David said with a surprised chuckle.
"He sure is." Emma said fondly, turning around. "Isn't that right, kid?"
But Henry was nowhere to be seen. "Henry?" Emma called out, stepping around the corner. "He's gone!"
Regina stared up at Shae, panic in her eyes. They all rushed forward, back down the tunnel that led out of the mines. They called out to Henry over and over again, but received no response, fear and panic rising in all their hearts. Why would Henry just run away like this? Something was definitely wrong.
Emma suddenly gasped, and sprinted forward. They all hurried after her, stopping behind Emma as she picked up something off the ground. When she turned around, she was holding Henry's backpack in her hands, one of the shoulder straps torn off.
"They took him." Shae said quietly as she sniffed the air. "Greg and Tamara. I can smell them."
"C-Can you find them?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with terror.
Shae nodded hastily, taking Henry's backpack out of her hands. She gave it a careful sniff, then ran forward, the others following along behind her. The vampire tracked Henry's scent out of the mines, and all the way down to the docks. They rounded a corner just in time to see Greg and Tamara standing at the edge of the pier, with Henry between them.
"HENRY!" Emma screamed.
They all sprinted forward as Greg chucked the last magic bean into the water, and a glowing, swirling portal appeared where it landed.
"SHAE!" Screamed Regina.
The vampire immediately understood, and she was a black blur of motion as she sped forward. She reached out, grabbing the back of Henry's jacket just as Greg and Tamara jumped into the portal with him. The others cried out in alarm as Shae fell forward, and her upper body was lost from sight over the edge of the pier. Emma and David were the first to reach her, and they grabbed the vampire's legs just as she was about to slip over the edge. The portal suddenly disappeared, and Emma and David pulled Shae back over the ledge. Shae got to her feet, stumbling backward as she stared down at Henry's jacket clutched in her fist.
"NO!" Regina shrieked.
"HENRY!" Screamed Emma.
Shae's mouth gaped open in silent shock as she stared down at the jacket in her hand. Mary Margaret and David grabbed their daughter's arms as Emma ran toward the edge of the pier, screaming furiously into the air. Regina rounded on Shae, angry tears rushing down her cheeks.
"NO!" She screamed at the vampire, shoving her backward furiously. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HIM!"
Shae stumbled backward as Regina beat her fists into her chest, sobbing bitterly. "You were supposed to save him!" She shouted again. "Why? Why… Why didn't you…"
Shae wrapped her arms tightly around Regina as she sobbed into her chest. "Im sorry…" Shae whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
"We have to do something!" Emma shouted desperately. "We can't just let them take Henry!"
"They've taken Henry?"
They all whirled around, and found Belle and Mr. Gold approaching them. Regina pushed out of Shae's arms, and the vampire stood silently behind them as they all explained to Gold what had just happened, and demanded that he help them. Shae watched and listened quietly as they bickered and argued, trying desperately to come up with some way to save the boy. Shae's heart hung heavy with misery. She had failed, failed to save the son of the woman she loved. They had all been filled with so much hope, so much joy only moments ago, but now it was all dashed. Henry was gone, and there seemed to be no way to find him.
Their hope was suddenly restored when they spotted Captain Hook sailing back into the harbor on his ship, The Jolly Roger. Shae followed the group as they all rushed toward the ship, finding that Hook had suddenly had a change of heart. He offered up his ship and his services, along with the final remaining magic bean that he had stolen. All that was left to do was to figure out where exactly Greg and Tamara had taken Henry.
They all gathered in the Captain's cabin, and watched as Gold magically produced a glowing white globe. He pricked his finger, and dripped a few droplets of blood onto the globe. They watched in silent wonder as Gold's blood morphed into the shape of a small island, an island that none of them except for Captain Hook and Gold himself recognized. Greg and Tamara, for some unknown reason, taken Henry to Neverland.
"I've never been to Neverland." Shae said to Regina as they all exited the cabin and stood on the deck of Hook's ship. "It's kind of exciting, crossing worlds again."
Regina smiled weakly, and was about to respond when Gold cut her off. "It would be, dearie, if you were coming with us."
Regina whirled around, glaring at the old man. "What are you talking about? Of course she's coming with us!"
Gold simply shrugged. "I would think it would be in the town's best interest if our friendly neighborhood vampire remained behind."
Shae glanced around at the others, who all seemed to be just about as puzzled as she was. "Oh yeah? Why exactly is that?" Shae snapped at him, folding her arms across her chest.
"Storybrooke is no longer safe from the outside world." Gold replied darkly. "Someone with magical abilities needs to stay behind, to keep the town safe."
"Fine, you stay here then." Shae said with a simple shrug.
Gold chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "Afraid not, dearie. My power is the strongest out of all of us, and will be needed where we're going." He retorted. "You, however, are a perfect candidate to protect our lovely town."
"How so?" Emma asked, eyeing Gold warily.
Gold breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Just think about it. Shae here has powerful abilities, never sleeps, and is virtually indestructible. In fact, the only ones who actually know how to kill her are standing on this ship."
Shae stared around at everyone once again as they silently pondered what Gold had said. Shae's mouth gaped open in shock as they all looked at each other, and appeared to be silently agreeing with his words. Shae opened and closed her mouth several times in silent shock, and finally looked at Regina. Her eyes widened with horror as Regina bit her lip, staring up into her eyes with immense sadness.
"No." Shae told her sternly.
"Shae…"
"No way."
"Shae, just listen…"
"NO!"
"SHAE!"
Regina clapped her hands on either side of her lover's face, staring intently into her blood red eyes. "Gold's right." She said gently. "We're going to need a town to come back to once we find Henry. We need someone to stay and protect Storybrooke."
"Alright, you stay here then." Shae replied stubbornly.
Regina sighed heavily. "He's my son, I have to go."
"Then Emma can stay."
"He's my son too." Replied Emma.
"Well, then Gold…" Shae looked over at Gold, who only silently glared at her, and then she let out a frustrated groan. "Ok, what about The Blue Fairy? She's got magic, she can-"
"Shae, Gold is right." Mary Margaret said gently. "You're the best chance Storybrooke has."
"No! No, no, no." Shae replied, shaking her head vigorously. "You're not leaving me behind, I'm not going to just sit here while you guys-"
Shae's words were cut off as Regina took her face in her hands again, and kissed her deeply. Shae stood rigidly still for a moment, then sighed, placing her hands on Regina's hips. Regina slowly pulled away, glancing back up into Shae's blood red eyes, which were now shining with tears.
"Regina… No, please." Shae begged her desperately. "I just… I have to come with you. What if something happens to you? I… I just…"
Regina smiled sadly, gently brushing away the tears on Shae's face. "I'll be alright." She whispered softly. "Please, Shae. I need you to do this… For me."
Shae shook her head vigorously again, more tears rushing down her face. "Regina… You and I just… We… We just…"
"I know, I know… It isn't fair." Regina whispered again, pressing her forehead to Shae's, placing her hands gently on either side of her face. "But I need to find my son, and you need to protect Storybrooke. I got my chance to be a hero today, now this is yours."
Shae heaved a heavy, shaky sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears rushed down her face. Regina stared up at her, waiting anxiously. Shae slowly opened her eyes again, and nodded. She cupped Regina's face in her hands, staring deep into her eyes.
"Promise me… Promise me you'll come back." She whispered, her voice shaking with emotion.
Regina smiled up at her, gently caressing her cold, pale cheek. "I always come back."
Shae breathed out a laugh, wiping the tears off of her face. "That's my line."
"I know…" Regina replied, smiling sadly into Shae's eyes. "I love you, Shae."
"I love you too." Shae whispered back.
The two lovers kissed one last time, holding onto each other desperately. When they finally pulled away, Emma stepped up to Shae, placing her gold Sheriff's badge into the vampire's hand.
"W-What?" Shae breathed, brow furrowed in confusion.
"You're acting Sheriff till I get back, alright?" Emma replied with a small smile.
"M-Me? Sheriff?" Shae asked in shock. "No, they'll never listen to me, they-"
"Sure they will." Emma cut in. "You just gotta show them that you're there to protect them, that's all. You'll be fine."
Shae sighed sadly, then nodded. Emma smiled at her, and gently placed her arms around her neck, embracing her tightly. Shae exchanged a quick hug goodbye with Mary Margaret, and a handshake with David, and placed one last kiss on Regina's lips before she left the ship
"You'll find him." She whispered to the woman she loved. "I know you will."
Regina nodded, smiling up at her as her eyes streamed with tears. Shae smiled back, gently squeezing her hand. She then turned her back, biting back more tears as she turned away from her true love's tear stained face.
"Hold a moment." Gold suddenly said, grabbing the vampire's arm as she walked toward the gangplank. "I have a favor to ask of you."
Shae raised an eyebrow silently at the old man. He stepped closer to her, dropping his voice low. "Please, look after my Belle." He said, gazing out toward the young woman standing teary eyed on the docks. "She's my everything, and I want to know that she'll be safe."
Gold heaved a sad and heavy sigh, staring out at Belle with wistful eyes. "I don't plan on returning from this voyage." He said sadly. "So I have nothing to offer you in return. Just… Please, from one person in love to another."
Shae glanced over at Regina, who was watching her with tears rushing down her face. She then turned back to Gold, staring seriously into the old man's eyes.
"Promise me that you'll look after Regina." She replied quietly. "And I'll do everything in my power to make sure Belle is taken care of."
Gold nodded at her, holding out his hand. "I can agree to that."
Shae nodded back, and they both shook hands. Shae took one last, longing look at the woman she loved, who was now busy helping Hook tie off some ropes. She sighed, stepping down the gangplank and out onto the docks.
"You're… You're not going with them?" Belle asked as Shae stood next to her.
Shae opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat, and she bit back more tears. She slowly shook her head, and Belle nodded in mournful understanding. The two women watched as The Jolly Roger sailed away into the harbor. They saw Hook toss the magic bean overboard, and he turned his ship toward the gaping, swirling portal that had opened in the water. Shae jumped slightly as Belle took her hand, squeezing it gently as she sobbed bitterly. Shae gently wrapped her arm around the young woman's shoulders, and they both watched as the ship carrying the people they loved most was swallowed up by the swirling vortex.
Nearby, a man garbed in a black, hooded trench coat was watching with wide eyes as The Jolly Roger disappeared into the portal. He quickly pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a number with shaky hands.
"Hey! It's Carl." He said excitedly into the phone. "You'll never guess what just happened. They're gone, they're all gone! Snow White, The Prince, the Sheriff, even The Queen! Yeah, yeah, The Dark One too! I don't know, they got on a ship and opened up a portal of some kind."
The young man named Carl laughed in a dark and twisted way, watching as Shae and Belle turned slowly away from the docks, and addressed the crowd of people that were rushing toward them.
"That's right, the filthy bloodsucker is all alone now, no Evil Queen to protect her this time." He said gleefully into his phone. "Don't you worry, you'll be plunging your silver sword through the bitch's heart soon enough. You'll finally have your revenge."
XX
