CHAPTER 8

The residents of Storybrooke noticed a strange calmness in the days following the departure of The Jolly Roger. Without the constant conflict between Snow White, Prince Charming, and Regina, and Rumplestiltskin's general scheming, the town was quite peaceful. Day to day life went on, and the residents were, for once, actually quite content. All except for Belle and Shae, who were both filled with constant aching loneliness and anxiety in the absence of the ones they loved most.

Shae's job as acting Sheriff was proving to be quite dull. There was some excitement within the first few days when some newcomers arrived in town. One was Ariel, a mermaid who could cross through different realms. She was sent by Rumplestiltskin and Regina to find and bring back to them Pandora's Box, so they could use it to trap Peter Pan, and stop him from enacting his dark and dangerous scheme, and save Henry in the process. Ariel was shortly followed by two strange men, who attempted to steal Pandora's Box themselves, and return it to Pan. The strangers were revealed to be John and Michael Darling, and they were working for Pan in order to save their sister, Wendy. Ariel, with Belle's help, managed to convince them to hand over the box so Ariel could return it to Rumplestiltskin, and now the two brothers joined the residents of Storybrooke, waiting patiently for The Jolly Roger to return, hoping that the people in Neverland would save their sister as well as Henry.

Shae spent her days trying to distract herself from her pain and worry in as many ways as possible. Belle was trying to do the same, and often visited the vampire at The Sheriff's Station, or the abandoned cabin in the woods where Shae had been staying. Shae had found the cabin one night as she was wandering the woods, and decided it was a better place to spend her sleepless nights than Regina's house. Since Regina had left, Shae found her home to be too quiet, too empty. Belle felt much the same about Gold's house, and had been staying in a room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

Ever since Shae had arrived back in Storybrooke, Belle had been extremely wary of the vampire who had kidnapped her years past. But, in their shared grief, Belle had seemingly let go of any grudges she held, and her and Shae became fast friends. Shae enjoyed the young woman's company, and found that they had much in common. They spent many hours talking about books, sharing stories, and comforting each other when their pain and worry threatened to overwhelm them.

Shae and Belle were currently sitting in The Sheriff's Station, talking about Shakespeare, who they found they both shared a love for.

"I don't understand why everyone thinks Romeo and Juliet is such a great love story though." Shae was saying.

"Thank you!" Belle exclaimed in agreement. "I mean… They were essentially children, thought they were in love after meeting once, started a war, and then killed themselves!"

"Exactly!" Shae agreed, reaching into the bag of peanuts they were sharing, and tossing one up into the air, catching it in her mouth.

"Oh, I think I've finally figured out how to do that!" Belle said excitedly, reaching into the bag and grabbing a handful herself. "Watch this!"

Belle tossed the entire handful into the air, and managed to catch a few in her mouth, the rest falling all around her onto the floor.

"What?" Shae exclaimed as she laughed.

"The key is volume." Belle replied with a grin.

"Do you want ants? Cuz that's how we get ants." Shae said scoldingly, still laughing at her. "Besides, that's cheating."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"Glad to see our tax dollars are hard at work."

Belle snapped her head up, and Shae swiveled around in her chair. Granny was standing by the door, her arms crossed irritably, Ruby standing just behind her.

"You know this isn't a real town, right?" Shae asked Granny, raising an eyebrow at her. "I'm pretty sure you don't pay taxes."

Ruby let out an exasperated sigh, pushing passed her grandmother. "Shae, you need to come down to the docks right away." She said, her face grave. "Someone's been murdered."

Shae's eyes grew wide as saucers, and she exchanged a shocked glance with Belle. "Murdered?" Belle breathed. "W-Who is it?"

"I've seen the guy in the diner before." Granny replied with a sad shake of her head. "But I never got his name."

Shae sighed, rising to her feet and grabbing her jacket from off the back of her chair. "Always a crisis, isn't there?" She muttered. "Come on, Belle, lets go."

"Right behind you." Belle said with a nod.

Shae and Belle rushed down to the squad car, and followed Ruby's car down to the Storybrooke harbor. Once they arrived, the found that a crowd had gathered, forming a circle around the body that had been found. They pushed through the crowd, and found a quite grizzly scene. The man was indeed dead, and was lying on his back, his shirt ripped open. What was most shocking was the strange symbol that had been carved into his chest. It was a blazing sun, one that Shae had seen many times before.

"What is this strange symbol." Belle muttered as she knelt down next to the body. "Shae, do you recognize it?"

When she didn't get a reply, Belle turned herself around, craning her neck up to look at the vampire. Shae's eyes were once again wide as saucers, her mouth gaping open in shock.

"Hang on, I think I've seen that before." Ruby muttered from beside Shae.

"You have." Shae said quietly, turning her wide eyes onto Ruby. "It's the symbol of The Knights of the Sun."

Ruby's brow furrowed. "The Knights of the Sun…" She muttered again. "Wait… Those are… Van Helsing's men!"

"Who's Van Helsing?" Belle asked as she stood up.

Shae clenched her fists, her face falling into a menacing glare. "An old enemy of mine."

"Van Helsing?" Asked Granny, looking puzzled. "Isn't he that guy we all fought together back in The Enchanted Forest?"

"I thought you said he was dead." Ruby said, eyeing Shae curiously. "That Regina killed him."

Shae nodded, staring down at the body of the dead man. "She did."

XXXXX

The sounds of steel striking steel, and men's grunts, groans, and screams of pain rang out across the valley as the battle raged on. Shae stood back to back with The Evil Queen, Snow White and Prince Charming standing back to back beside them, the four of them surrounded by The Knights of the Sun. Shae was armed with her blue bladed sword, the black gem in the pommel gleaming as she struck out at any man who came within reach. Regina was armed with a sword made of black steel herself, and she launched fireballs at any knights who came into her range.

"WHERE IS HE?" Shae screamed in rage, plunging the tip of her sword through a man's throat.

"There!"

Shae glanced over at Snow White, who was pointing out in front of her. Shae followed her finger with her blood red eyes, and her lips curled into a wicked grin as she finally spotted her old nemesis a few yards away, fighting Regina's own black knights side by side with more of his fellow Knights of the Sun.

"Lets go!" Shae shouted at the others.

They hurried toward Van Helsing and his knights, cutting down any who stood in their path. They stepped over and around several knights as they rolled around on the ground, attempting to put out the flames that Regina had engulfed them in.

"VAN HELSING!" Shae bellowed.

Van Helsing swept his sword across the last remaining black knight's chest, and whirled around.

He grinned as Shae, Regina, Snow White, and Prince Charming walked slowly toward him. They stopped a few feet away from him, and stood side by side, swords at the ready.

"I was wondering when you were going to show your ugly face!" Van Helsing taunted as his men formed a line on either side of him.

"I have no interest in bantering with you today, Van Helsing." Shae snarled at him. She raised her sword, pointing the tip straight at the man's heart. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

Shae glanced away from her enemy, and turned to Regina who was standing beside her, sporting another devilish grin. "Your Majesty?" She asked pointedly.

Regina grinned back at her, summoning another fireball into her hand. "With pleasure…"

The Queen launched the fireball into the air above Van Helsing and his men, where it exploded into dozens of others, raining fire down onto the unfortunate knights. Many of them screamed in agony as their bodies were engulfed in flames, but several others, and Van Helsing himself, managed to raise their shields over their heads just in time.

"Kill The Evil Queen and those other two!" Van Helsing commanded the remaining men that stood beside him. "Leave the bloodsucker to me!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Shae snarled back at him as she readied her sword.

Van Helsing bellowed out a fearsome war cry, raising his sword into the air. He and his men then charged at the four standing defiantly before them, and Shae brought up her sword just in time to block Van Helsing's own.

"I've been looking forward to this for quite a long time." Van Helsing snarled in the vampire's face.

"So have I." Shae snarled back, her eyes glowing a bright, burning red.

Van Helsing was blasted back by Shae's telekinetic force, landing roughly on his back several feet away. Shae rushed toward him, and Van Helsing managed to throw up his sword just as Shae brought her's down upon him. He pushed back against Shae's force, groaning in exertion as the vampire pressed her sword closer and closer to Van Helsing's neck. Van Helsing used his leg to sweep Shae's feet out from underneath her, and she grunted as she hit the ground hard. Van Helsing threw himself upon her, but Shae sent him hurtling backward again with another forceful blast.

A group of Van Helsing's knights had broken away from their battle against Prince Charming, and they charged toward the vampire as she finally managed to get back to her feet. She bent her knees, gripping her sword in both hands, readying herself for the attack. Just as they were upon her, the men were all suddenly thrown back by a blast of energy. Shae gasped, whirling around to find a man standing behind her, a man with short brown hair, pale skin, and glowing red eyes.

"Took you long enough!" Shae said to him with a grin.

The man scoffed in an offended way, his eyes fading back to a deep, blood red. "Oi, that one's a handful, she is!"

Shae chuckled, and was about to respond when the brown haired vampire cried out in alarm. A woman clad in battle armor embroidered with a blazing red sun had suddenly leapt upon his back, wrapping her arm tightly around his neck.

"Surprise!" She shouted in his ear.

Shae cried out in shock as the male vampire fell backward, the woman still clinging to his back. He struggled for a moment to pry the woman's arm frown around his neck, then turned his blood red eyes onto Shae.

"Dammit, just go!" He shouted at her. "I'll take care of her!"

Shae nodded at the man, and turned back around just as Van Helsing was staggering back to his feet. Shae looked to either side of her as Snow White, Prince Charming, and Regina joined her once again, Van Helsing's men lying dead all around them.

"He doesn't stand a chance against all four of us." Charming said with a triumphant grin.

"Don't get cocky now." Shae told him sternly. "He's strong, and he's fast. Keep your wits about you, and try not to get in my way."

Van Helsing snarled at them, letting out a roar of rage as he charged toward them, sword in the air once again.

"Let's rip the wretched man's heart out." Regina said to Shae as she held a fireball in her hand once again.

Shae grinned at her. "With pleasure."

Regina launched her fireball at Van Helsing, and Snow White sheathed her sword, instead drawing her bow and swiftly firing off a silver arrow. Van Helsing dodged both fireball and arrow with lightning speed, leaping through the air at Shae. The vampire blocked his blow with her sword, and Charming entered the fray. Just as Shae had said, Van Helsing was shockingly fast. He crossed blades with both Shae and Charming, dodging arrows and fireballs left and right.

"SNOW!" Charming bellowed as Van Helsing hit his wife in the side of the head with his fist, knocking her senseless.

Charming rushed over to her, leaving Shae and Regina to face Van Helsing alone. "Useless idiots." Regina growled.

Shae chuckled darkly, readying her sword as Van Helsing paced back and forth in front of them, his chest heaving with rage. She glanced back over her shoulder, and saw that the brown haired man was still in the midst of a heated battle with the woman that head leapt upon him. Regina turned back as well, and she and Shae both gasped as they saw more of Van Helsing's men charging toward them.

"Go, I'll keep them off you!" Regina told Shae hastily.

Shae nodded at her, and turned back to face her nemesis. "Let's put an end to this, Van Helsing." She snarled at him.

Van Helsing grinned deviously, his eyes flashing with rage. "Aye, let's!"

The vampire and the werewolf charged at each other, and were once again locked in heated and furious battle. They danced around each other, blocking and parrying one another's blows faster than the human eye could see. A few times, one of Van Helsing's knights attempted to take the vampire down, but Regina dispatched each of them with well placed fireballs. Prince Charming managed to get his wife back on her feet, and the two of them joined Regina against Van Helsing's soldiers.

Shae was starting to panic. She could feel her strength waning as she continually used her power of superhuman speed to keep up with Van Helsing's blows. Suddenly, Van Helsing misstepped, and Shae finally saw an opening. She swiftly struck Van Helsing across the face with her free fist, using her sword to knock Van Helsing's own from his hand. Van Helsing stopped where he stood, glaring into the vampire's blood red eyes as she pressed the tip of her sword into his throat.

Van Helsing started to laugh, but his eyes showed only fear. "Go on, then!" He roared at Shae. "Finish it!"

Shae let out a dark and dangerous chuckle. "Oh, I will. I just want you to suffer first."

The vampire tossed her sword to the ground, and suddenly grabbed Van Helsing by his throat. She roared with rage, lifting him into the air and slamming him into the ground. She threw herself upon him, bringing her fist down onto his face over and over and over again, roaring and howling with rage into the night air as she did. When she stopped, she glared down at her nemesis, her chest heaving with rage, her face splattered with his blood. She grabbed Van Helsing by the front of his armor, and brought his now bruised and bloody face up close to her's.

"NADIA!" She screamed at him. "HER NAME WAS NADIA!"

Van Helsing coughed up a wad of blood, staring up at the vampire through swollen eyes. "Who… The fuck… Is Nadia?" He spat through broken teeth.

Shae jerked his face even closer to her's, glaring into his eyes. "She was the woman I loved, a woman who never did a thing to you, and you FUCKING KILLED HER!"

Van Helsing coughed up more blood, grinning at the vampire. "If she was a filthy bloodsucker like you, then she deserved to die. I just hope it was painful."

Shae's red eyes flashed with rage, and she slammed Van Helsing back onto the ground by his throat, hitting him in the face again and again. She stopped again, outstretching her hand toward her fallen sword, summoning it into her hand. Van Helsing closed his eyes, laughing bitterly as Shae held her sword in both hands, the tip pointed down at his heart.

"REGINA!" Snow White suddenly screamed.

Shae's head snapped up, and she saw that the woman she loved had fallen to the ground, one of Van Helsing's knights standing over her, sword raised in the air.

"NO!" Shae screamed.

She disappeared in a puff of blood red smoke, reappearing behind the knight. She plunged her sword through the man's heart, just as he was about to bring his own down upon The Queen. Shae wrenched her sword from his body, and the knight fell lifeless to the ground. Shae glanced down at Regina, whose face was twisted in pain as she clutched her side. Shae knelt down beside her, and saw blood pooling around Regina's hand.

"Are you alright?" Shae asked her, staring down in concern at the wound in her side.

"Fine, I'm fine." Regina replied, grimacing in pain. "W-Where's Van Helsing?"

The Queen immediately received her answer, and both her and Shae's eyes grew wide with horror when they heard a fearsome, bloodcurdling roar. They slowly turned their heads, and saw that Van Helsing had transformed into his hulking, half wolf, half man form. He turned his black eyes onto them, and he let out a low, vicious snal. He roared again, and took off at top speed toward them, his claws kicking up grass and dirt as he ran.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Regina watched the horror that unfolded before her eyes. Shae stood up, spreading her arms wide as she stood between her and the werewolf. Van Helsing was immediately upon her, and Shae's mouth gaped open as she let out a horrible, agonized scream. Van Helsing had opened his jaws, and closed them around the vampire's shoulder, sinking his teeth deep into her flesh. Shae was lifted into the air, and Van Helsing shook her violently from side to side, and when he finally released her, Shae was sent hurtling through the air. The vampire crashed to the ground, where she remained motionless.

"NOOO!"

Regina threw a fireball at the wolf, and he howled in pain as it hit him square in the chest. Regina staggered to her feet, summoning Shae's fallen sword into her hand. The black gem in the pommel glowed momentarily as Regina's fingers curled around the handle, and The Evil Queen let out a scream of rage. She ignored the pain from the wound in her side, and she charged forward, burying her sword in the wolf's chest.

Van Helsing roared and howled in pain as Regina stabbed him furiously over and over and over again. He finally collapsed to the ground, roaring furiously as the vengeful and enraged Evil Queen stood over him. He snarled at her and, just as he was trying to push himself back to his feet, Shae's sword flashed through the air. There was a sickening, squelching crunch as Regina separated the werewolf's head from his shoulders.

Regina's chest heaved with rage as she watched Van Helsing's body morph back into its human form, his lifeless eyes staring up at her from his severed head. The Queen didn't waste any time reveling in her victory, and she dropped Shae's sword from her hand, rushing over to the woman she loved, who was still lying on the ground.

"Shae? Shae!" Regina shouted as she knelt down next to the vampire. "Are you alright?"

Shae's only response was a horrible scream of pain, her red eyes gaping up at the sky, her body convulsing violently. The wound on her shoulder from Van Helsing's jaws was burning and sizzling, emitting a white smoke. With her heart hammering in her chest, and Shae's howls of pain ringing in her ears, Regina managed to remove Shae's black overcoat from her arm, and then her leather armor. She tore her cotton shirt open just above the wound, and gasped at what she saw. There were several bite marks in Shae's flesh, each of them a nasty, sickly shade of green. She pulled Shae's shirt open even more, and found that the veins in her chest were all turning green, the poison from the werewolf's bite spreading rapidly.

"NO!" Regina screamed as the woman she loved screamed and convulsed in pain. "No… No, no, no… Shae? SHAE!"

XXXXX

Ruby's brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at Shae. "So, if Van Helsing's dead, what are his knights doing in Storybrooke?" She asked. "Do you really think it's actually them?"

Shae shrugged, frowning down at the dead man. "It's possible, I guess." She replied quietly. "After he was killed, most of his men scattered back into the forest. They might have got swept up in Regina's curse and ended up here."

"But why now?" Belle asked. "The curse has been broken for a while now."

Shae opened her mouth to respond, and gasped as there was a sudden whooshing noise, followed by a hollow sounding thump. Belle whirled around, and gasped herself. Shae stepped closer to the body, and noticed that there was an arrow now protruding from the man's chest, right in the center of the sun carved into his flesh.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Shae asked in alarm, turning around and staring wildly all around her.

"Look, there's a note!" Belle suddenly exclaimed.

Shae whirled around again as Belle carefully removed the rolled up scrap of paper that was tied to the arrow's shaft. She unrolled it, and read aloud:

"To the filthy, blood sucking demon that calls herself Shae,

Your Queen is gone, there is no one left to protect you.

We are coming.

We will destroy you and everything you hold dear.

-The Knights of the Sun."

A sudden hush fell over the crowd gathered around the body of the dead man. They all looked at Shae, who was standing rooted in her spot, her eyes wide with horror. Van Helsing's knights really were in Storybrooke, and they were coming for her. Shae exchanged a nervous glance with Belle and Ruby, then suddenly turned around, looking to the faces of the gathered crowd.

"Round up everyone you can." She commanded seriously. "Tell them to meet in the town hall immediately. Storybrooke is in danger."

XX

A while later, Shae was standing outside of the town hall, anxiously chewing on her fingernail as the people of Storybrooke milled about inside. She took a drag off of her lit cigarette, glancing up and down the street. She was waiting for Belle and Ruby to return, whom she knew were her only two allies left in town. She knew she would need them if she was going to convince anyone in town to help with The Knights of the Sun.

Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh, flicking her cigarette out into the street. She had waited long enough, there was no more time to waste. The Knights of the Sun had to be found, had to be stopped, and fast.

"Yo! Listen up, fartwads!" Shae shouted over the noise of the crowd as she threw open the doors.

The crowd fell silent, parting hastily as Shae made her way to the front of the town hall. Once there, she turned to face them, all their eyes on her. Most were looking nervous, some fearful, and some, like Granny, were glaring at her.

"Storybrooke is in danger." She told them all in a dark and serious tone. "There's some people here, bad people, and they've just murdered someone. I think they've been here this whole time, but now, with all the people with any power in this town in Neverland, they've finally surfaced."

"Who are they?" Asked Archie, looking fearful. "W-What do they want?"

Shae clenched her fists, staring around at all the concerned faces. "They call themselves The Knights of the Sun."

"Wait a minute, I know that name." Leroy said, stroking his beard as he thought. "Aren't they those guys that we fought back home?"

"What are they doing in Storybrooke?" Asked Happy, Leroy's fellow dwarf.

"They're… After me." Shae replied carefully.

"We should just hand you over then." Granny asked as she glared at the vampire. "If that's all they want then they'll leave the rest of us alone, right?"

Shae eyed the crowd anxiously as there was some muttering of agreement. She then breathed out another frustrated sigh. "No, they won't!" She replied heatedly. "They won't stop at just me. They hate magic and anyone who has it, anyone who isn't human. The dwarves, the fairies, Ruby, they're all in danger too."

The crowd fell silent once again, and they all stared around at each other, their eyes wide with fear. "So… What do we do?" Archie asked Shae.

"Well, first, we need to find where they're hiding." Shae answered. "Then, we've got to-"

Shae stopped as doors to the town hall burst open, and Ruby came running in. She was panting heavily, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Ruby?" Shae asked as the she-wolf ran up to her. "Are you alright?"

Ruby shook her head vigorously, doubling over with her hands on her knees as she attempted to catch her breath. "Belle… S-She's gone… He took her." She stammered breathlessly. "I-I tried to… Stop him, but-"

"What?" Shae exclaimed, cutting her off. "Who? Who took her?"

Ruby shook her head as she straightened up. "I don't know, some guy in a trench coat."

"This guy, did he have blonde hair, goatee, scar on his cheek?" Shae asked her hastily.

When Ruby nodded, Shae breathed out a bitter laugh. "Carl." She spat bitterly. "He was Van Helsing's right hand man, his general. I should have known he'd be with them."

"There's more." Ruby went on gravely. "He told me to give you this, after he took Belle."

Ruby handed Shae another rolled up scrap of paper. Shae quickly unrolled it, her hands shaking slightly, and read out loud to them:

"I have your friend.

Meet me in the mines at sundown if you ever want to see her again.

Come alone.

-Aela"

"Who the hell is Aela?" Growled Leroy, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Aela…" Shae muttered under her breath. "I know that name…"

The vampire suddenly gasped, grabbing Ruby's arm. "Van Helsing's wife!" She exclaimed. "I haven't seen her since the battle. I assumed she was dead, but she must have survived. And now… Now she's here, and she has Belle."

She turned her blood red eyes back onto the people of Storybrooke. "This just got a whole lot worse…"

XXXXX

Shae stood side by side with Regina, both their eyes searching the battlefield wildly. Shae slashed out with her sword, and the soldier before her clutched at his throat as blood spilled from his wound. When he had slumped to the ground, Shae glanced up at the small ridge that stood several yards ahead of them. She growled in frustration, and glanced over at Regina, who was using her magic to send thick, green vines shooting out from the ground, wrapping them around several soldiers and squeezing the life out of them.

"Where are they?" She shouted furiously at Shae.

Shae glanced back up at the ridge nervously. "I… I don't know!"

Seemingly right on cue, Prince Charming and Snow White appeared upon the ridge. "Look!" Shae shouted, pointing up at them.

Regina used her black steel sword to cut down the soldier that was upon her, and whirled around. She grinned excitedly at Shae as a tall, brown haired man with pale skin and blood red eyes pushed passed Snow White and The Prince, standing at the edge of the ridge.

"TALLY HO!" He shouted raucously, raising his sword into the air.

"Oh, for god's sake…" Regina muttered, her grin disappearing as she rolled her eyes.

The brown haired vampire leapt down from the ledge, a score of Prince Charming and Snow White's soldiers charging into the valley behind him. Among the soldiers were the seven dwarves, all armed with their axes, Red, in her wolf form, and Granny, firing off arrows from her crossbow left and right.

"'Tally Ho?' Really?" Regina asked the other vampire as he joined her and Shae.

"What? I've always wanted to say that!" The vampire replied with a cheeky grin, very similar to the one that Shae always sported.

"I was starting to think you'd miss all the fun!" Shae said as she and the other vampire clasped each other's forearms.

"Me? Never!" The other vampire replied with a wink.

"Oh, good, you're here." Regina drolled sourly as Snow White and The Prince joined them.

"Any sign of Van Helsing?" Charming asked Shae and, ignoring The Evil Queen's heavy sarcasm.

"Not yet, but we'll find him soon enough." Shae replied.

"As I said before, he's likely at the center of the valley, surrounded by his knights." The brown haired vampire said seriously. "When we find him, we'll have to- LOOT OUT!"

He grabbed on to Shae, shoving her out of the way as a woman came hurtling through the air, her sword raised. She spun around to face them, grinning wildly as she readied her sword. She was clad in armor, similar to the kind Van Helsing and his knights wore, a bright red sun emblazoned on the chest piece. She had long, auburn colored hair that fell past her waist, a few strands braided with beads. She was armed to the teeth with various daggers and knives, and she wore warpaint, three black lines over each of her eyes, starting on her forehead and stretching down over her eyelids and onto her cheeks.

They all fell into battle ready stances, eyeing the fearsome looking woman carefully. "Good, you're finally here!" She said excitedly, glaring at the brown haired man. "My husband has told me all about you."

The brown haired stranger raised an eyebrow at her, glancing over at Shae. "Friend of yours?"

"Aela, Van Helsing's wife." Shae told him pointedly. "Careful, she's a werewolf, just like him."

"Oh, that's curious, I didn't think they allowed dogs to marry." The brown haired vampire quipped with another cheeky grin.

Aela let out a fearsome snarl, shaking her sword at him. "I'll make you eat those words!"

"No thank you, I've already had supper." The brown haired vampire replied.

Aela roared with rage, charging at him with her sword in the air. The others leapt back as the brown haired man brought up his sword, blocking her blow. His eyes then flashed a bright red, and he used his telekinetic power to send her flying backward. Once she hit the ground a few yards away, he turned to the others.

"A werewolf, you say?" He asked Shae, and when she nodded, he went on. "Right, take them and go, I'll hold this one off."

He turned back to glance at Aela, who was staggering back to her feet. "A-Are you sure?" Shae asked him concernedly.

The brown haired man nodded, and grabbed Shae by her shoulders, staring very seriously into her eyes. "Find Van Helsing, we cannot let him escape. He needs to pay."

When Shae nodded, the other vampire released her, and he turned back to face Aela. He rushed forward, and the other four watched anxiously for a moment as the werewolf and the vampire furiously crossed blades.

"Are you sure we should leave him with her?" Regina asked Shae, her eyes full of worry.

Shae chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." She replied with a knowing grin. "If you think I'm terrifying, you should see him in action."

"As lovely as that sounds, I don't think now is the best time." Snow White said, her tone heavy with sarcasm.

Shae nodded seriously, then grinned down at The Evil Queen. "Right, time to go skin us a wolf!"

XXXXX

Shae stared around at everyone gathered in the Storybrooke town hall. "What are you talking about, 'worse?'" Granny snarled at her.

"She's a werewolf, just like her husband." Shae explained, her eyes wide with fear. "He passed along his 'gift' shortly after they got married."

Granny snorted. "So? I've got plenty of silver arrows."

Shae shook her head vigorously, her eyes wider than ever. "No, no, no… You don't understand. Van Helsing was from my world, werewolves are different there, stronger and… A-And bigger, a lot bigger."

"So… So what do we do now?" Archie once again asked.

Shae stared around at all the terrified faces of the residents of Storybrooke, chewing nervously on her lip ring as she thought. She then turned to Ruby, who was watching her anxiously.

"Right, you, come with me." Shae said, pointing at Ruby. "The rest of you, go home, and lock your doors and windows. No one leaves their house after sundown, got it?"

"And just where the hell do you think you're going with my granddaughter?" Granny demanded furiously.

"Gold's shop." Shae told her with an icy glare. "I need some help finding something. Don't worry, I'll have her home soon."

Shae didn't bother waiting for a response from the old woman, and promptly marched toward the door. She threw open the doors to the town hall, and stepped out onto the sidewalk, lighting another cigarette as she headed toward Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Ruby asked the vampire as she followed along behind her.

Shae took a drag off of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out into the air as she turned to grin at Ruby. "If I'm gonna kill a werewolf, I'm gonna need my sword."

XX

Ruby and Shae searched the front of Gold's shop, and when they found nothing, they moved on to the back. The back room was quite large, and filled with rows upon rows of shelves, all laden with various objects and knick-knacks. Finding a single sword was proving to be a difficult task.

"What's so special about this sword, anyway?" Ruby asked as she searched the shelves.

"Well, for one, it's unbreakable." Shae replied from across the room, rummaging through an old cabinet. "It never dulls, never rusts. It's ancient too, made from the finest elven steel, folded with dragon scales."

"Oh, so that's why the blade is blue and all… Sparkly?" Ruby asked, and when Shae nodded, she went on. "Where did you even get a sword like that?"

"From my homeland." Shae explained. "It's so powerful that the ancient elves hid it in a cave, sealed behind a magical stone door."

"So how did you… Unseal it?"

Shae didn't respond right away, and when Ruby turned around, she found that she was gazing into the cabinet, her eyes suddenly very sad. When she finally did respond, her tone was quiet and dark.

"I had to perform an act of great evil in front of the door for it to open." She said. "An act as evil as the sword itself."

Ruby's brow furrowed as Shae slowly turned around to face her. "What did you do?" Ruby asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Shae stared down at her feet, nervously chewing on her lip ring once again. "Well, at that time, Remus and I were… Wanderers, taking on various jobs to make some coin. A local lord hired us to find the sword, to give to his new bride as a wedding present. He had no idea what it cost to open the door, and neither did Van Helsing."

"Van Helsing wanted the sword?" Asked Ruby, raising an eyebrow at the vampire.

Shae nodded grimly. "I mean, who wouldn't, right?" She asked with shrug. "Remus and I watched as he tried and tried to get past the door, and eventually he left when he could figure out how to open it. The door was inscribed with ancient elven runes, and Van Helsing didn't know how to read them. But Remus and I did, and we… We figured out how to open it."

Shae paused momentarily, her face immensely sad once again. "We convinced the lord and his bride to come to the cave." She went on. "And… And we… Killed them. Cut their throats right in front of the door. After that… It opened, and there was a chest just inside, a chest holding the sword."

Shae sighed heavily, running a hand through her messy, black hair. "The ancient elves of my homeland named it 'Vhenan'din.'" She went on with a sad smile. "Loosely translated, it means… 'Soul Eater.'"

Ruby breathed out a dark chuckle. "A gruesome name for a gruesome sword." She muttered. "Why the hell do you want that thing back anyway?"

Shae closed the cabinet doors, stepping over to another wall of shelving. "Like I said, it's unbreakable, strong enough to cut through even a werewolf's thick ass skin."

"And you really think it's here?"

"Gold said that all of our most cherished possessions wound up here in his shop." Shae replied with a shrug. "So if anything of mine did come over to this world, it would be that sword."

Ruby abandoned her search amongst the shelves, quietly mulling over everything Shae had just told her. She had known that Shae's past was dark, but she had assumed it had started when she joined forces with The Evil Queen. She had no idea that Shae's dark and evil history had started long before she even met Regina. Ruby sighed, pulling open the doors of another small, wooden cabinet. She gasped, staring wide eyed at what she found inside.

"Hey, I found something!"

Shae came rushing over, and excited smile on her face. "My sword?"

Ruby chuckled, shaking her hand slowly as she removed a long, black leather coat from the cabinet, handing it to the vampire. "Not exactly, but I'm pretty sure this belongs to you."

Shae gasped, taking the coat out of Ruby's hands. Her smile got wider as she stared down at it, brushing her fingers across The Evil Queen's sigil sown in to the left side. She grinned at Ruby, and removed her leather jacket, tossing it on the back of a nearby chair. She pulled on her old, black leather overcoat, smiling fondly as she adjusted it.

"Oh, Ruby, good find!" She breathed in wonder. "I was wondering what happened to this! I left it at Snow and Charming's castle after I betrayed Regina. Kinda just didn't feel right wearing it after that, you know?"

Ruby chuckled again, rolling her eyes as Shae gently and fondly caressed the leather of her old coat. She turned back to the cabinet to shut the doors, but gasped again.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "The sword, it's here!"

Shae stepped up behind her, and the vampire gasped as well. Her sword was in its ornate, black and gold scabbard, leaning against the back wall of the cabinet, the black gem in the pommel gleaming in the sunlight.

"Wait!" Shae shouted, grabbing Ruby's wrist as the she-wolf reached for the sword. "Don't touch it!"

Ruby stepped back as Shae released her arm, and raised an eyebrow at the vampire. "Why?"

Shae pointing at the black gem in the pommel of the sword. "This gem? It's called a black soul gem." She explained. "It's… Enchanted. It absorbs the soul of whoever is killed by the sword, that's how it gets its power."

Ruby continued to eye her curiously. "Alright… So… Why can't I touch it?"

Shae sighed heavily, glancing away from Ruby and at the black, bleaming gem. "When a soul is absorbed into the gem, it's absorbed completely. That soul, that person can't… Move on. It's trapped in there… Forever."

"Shae, what exactly are you saying?" Ruby asked, still confused.

"I'm saying that… That this sword, it's… Dark." Shae replied hesitantly. "Hell, it could only be found if someone was murdered right in front of it's door. So… It can only be wielded… By someone with a truly blackened soul. Or, you know… Heart. And the more people you kill with it, the more souls you absorb, the blacker your soul gets. And I've killed a lot of people with this thing."

Ruby's mouth hung open in shock, and she slowly shook her head. "But… Then you can't wield it any more." She replied. "You're… You're good now. Your heart's not black anymore."

Shae heaved another sad and heavy sigh. "I don't really think that's how it works, Ruby. Once your hearts black, its black forever."

Ruby shook her head again in stubborn disagreement. "No, that can't be true."

Shae raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure about that?" She asked with a sour chuckled. "I've seen my heart, pretty recently, actually. It may not be as black as it used to be, but it's still pretty damn dark."

The vampire reached out and grabbed the handle of the dark and evil sword. The black soul gem glowed bright for a moment, emitting a low humming noise. Ruby watched with wide eyes as the gem faded back to normal, and Shae pulled the sword out of the cabinet. She removed the ornate scabbard, and held the blade in front of her, turning it from side to side, watching as the blue blade glittered and sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.

"Hello, old friend." She whispered to the sword.

She put the sword back in its scabbard, and strapped it onto her back. Ruby followed after Shae as the vampire left the shop, setting off down the street toward the woods. Several residents gasped in shock at the sight of Shae clad in her long, black overcoat, the ends billowing out behind her in the wind. As Ruby watched them scurrying away, their eyes wide with fright, she was reminded of years ago, back in The Enchanted Forest, when the villagers in her town told her stories of the terrifying and malicious vampire woman serving The Evil Queen. They said that she had skin as pale as the moon, eyes as red as blood, and always wore a long, black coat. The villagers had warned Ruby that if she ever saw such a woman, she should run, run as fast as she could.

"So… What do we do now?" Ruby asked Shae as she hurried along behind her.

"We? We aren't gonna do anything." Shae replied, raising another eyebrow at Ruby. "You're going home."

"Shae, you can't go in there alone." Ruby pleaded with her.

"I have to." Shae insisted. "You heard what Aela's note said. If I don't go in alone, they'll kill Belle, and I'm not going to let that happen."

Ruby breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, but if something goes wrong, call me, ok?"

Shae nodded, and Ruby set off toward her Granny's diner. Shae went back to her cabin, where she waited patiently for nightfall. As soon as the sun was setting, the residents of Storybrooke all locked their doors, readying themselves however they could for whatever was about to come. The sun was slipping farther and farther behind the trees as Shae stepped out of her cabin, garbed in her long black coat once again, the sword called Soul Eater strapped to her back.

"Now then." She muttered, sporting a devious grin. "Time to go skin me a wolf."

XX

The Storybrooke mines were dark and silent as Shae crept slowly forward, the loose gravel crunching under her boots as she walked. A deep, seething rage was quietly boiling in her chest. She had really come to like Belle, and if Aela and her men had done anything to hurt her, they were about to face a reckoning unlike anything they had ever seen.

Shae rounded a corner, and found herself standing in the exact spot where she had been a short time ago. It was the spot where she had found the woman she loved standing before the glowing purple gem, the spot where she had been prepared to die by her side. Now, it was empty, except for the young, brown haired woman sitting against the wall, bound and gagged by ropes.

"Belle!" Shae exclaimed, rushing toward her.

Belle let out a muffled cry through the white cloth around her mouth, and Shae swiftly untied it. "Are you alright?" Shae asked, her brow furrowed in concern. "Did they hurt you?"

Belle shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She replied hastily. "But you… You shouldn't have come. It's a trap. They're going to kill you!"

Shae chuckled darkly as she started working on the ropes tied around Belle's hands and feet. "Yeah, I kinda figured that. I wasn't just going to leave you here, though."

Shae helped Belle onto her feet once she removed the ropes. She placed her hands gently on Belle's shoulders, and stared seriously into her eyes.

"Alright, you get out of here, go warn Ruby and the dwarves." She commanded sternly. "If I don't make it out of here, they might at least be able to stop Aela."

Belle shook her head vigorously. "No… No, I'm not leaving you here alone!"

Shae laughed, shaking her head slowly. "Look chick, you're cool and everything, and you're really smart, but you're not exactly Xena Warrior Princess, alright? Aela and her men will tear you to shreds if you stay here."

Belle sighed, smiling slightly as she nodded. "Alright, just… Be careful, ok?"

Shae nodded, and turned around as Belle hurried off back toward the entrance. Shae was about to head deeper into the mines, when she heard a frightened gasp from behind her. She whirled around, and her lips curled into a fearsome snarl when she saw Aela standing behind Belle, holding a dagger to her throat.

"Your little friend isn't going anywhere." Aela sneered at her.

Aela looked much different in Storybrooke than she had in The Enchanted Forest. Her long, auburn hair that was once wild and full of beads was tied up in a loose ponytail. In place of the battle armor that she had been wearing the last time Shae had seen her, she was dressed simply in brown leather boots, blue jeans, and a brown leather jacket to match her boots. She looked to be much less threatening, but Shae knew better.

"Let her go, Aela." Shae commanded in a dark and dangerous tone. "You've got what you want, I'm here, alone. She has nothing to do with any of this."

Aela chuckled as Belle struggled weekly against her iron grip. "No, I don't think so. I said I was going to destroy everything you hold dear, and you seem to be awfully fond of this girl."

"Moved on from your evil sorceress already, have you?" Came a man's voice from behind Shae.

Shae spun around again, and found at least a dozen men standing behind her, all with silver swords strapped to their belts. A blonde haired man with a goatee and a scar on his cheek stood at the front, grinning dangerously at the vampire.

"Ah, hello Carl." Shae said, sporting a grin of her own. "Nice scar you've got. Wherever did you get it from?"

Carl barked out a bitter laugh. "Well, lets just say it was a gift from one nasty bitch."

Shae gasped, holding her heart in a mockingly offended way. "Now, that's not very nice!"

Shae turned back to face Aela, who was still pressing her dagger to Belle's throat. "Listen here, I'm not going to tell you again. Let. Belle. Go."

Aela laughed at the vampire. "Once again, I'm going to have to politely decline." She replied. She then glanced down at the frightened Belle, removing the dagger from her throat and using it to gently caress her cheek. "I have to say, this one is much different than your normal choice of women. So… Weak, so fragile."

"Wanna bet, bitch?" Belle snarled.

Aela cried out in pain as Belle slammed her elbow into the she-wolf's stomach. With the wind knocked out of her, Aela released Belle, and stumbled back a few steps. Belle spun around, and clocked the she-wolf right in the jaw with her fist. Aela spun to the ground, and Belle immediately took off running out of the mines. Shae breathed out a surprised laugh. Maybe Belle was stronger than she thought.

"No, leave her!" Aela commanded her men as they made to chase after Belle. "The bloodsucker's right, we've got what we want."

Shae heard the sound of swords being drawn, but she kept her red eyes locked on Aela as the she-wolf staggered back to her feet.

"You killed my husband." Aela snarled at the vampire. "And now you're going to pay."

"Technically Regina killed Van Helsing." Shae replied with an unconcerned shrug. "I just did most of the work."

Aela chuckled darkly. "Oh, yes, I'm well aware of that." She sneered. "The Evil Queen is next on my list, once she returns from Neverland. Or maybe Pan will do the job for me, we'll just have to wait and see."

Shae drew her sword as she heard footsteps coming closer from behind her. "My last task will be to put my silver sword through the heart of that friend of yours." Aela went on. "Oh, what was his name…"

"Remus?" Shae asked, raising an eyebrow at the she-wolf. "Sorry, but he's not here. I haven't seen him since he turned up in The Enchanted Forest."

Aela gave the vampire a shrug of her own. "Oh well, I'll find him, don't you worry." She replied, drawing her sword and pointing it straight at Shae's heart. "That just means he's not here to protect you either. It's just you and me, bloodsucker, no more friends to keep you safe this time."

XXXXX

The morning sun shone through the windows of The Evil Queen's bedchamber, a beam of sunlight shining across the two lovers in bed together, locked in a passionate embrace. Shae had escaped from the bowels of Snow White and Prince Charming's dungeon only a few short days prior, and she and her Queen had spent every spare moment they could alone together.

"So, you say this curse is going to take us to a land without magic, yes?" Shae posed to her Queen, pulling away from her lips slightly.

When Regina nodded, Shae frowned, biting her lip nervously. "I am… Concerned."

Regina's brow furrowed as she gazed up at the woman she loved. "About what, my love?" She asked, brushing back a stray lock of Shae's jet black hair.

"I just… Are you sure I'll be able to survive in such a world?" Shae asked. "After all, the creature that I am is magical in nature."

Regina smiled, pressing a gentle kiss on her lover's lips. "Don't fret, I have taken care of all of that."

Shae raised an eyebrow curiously at her. "You have? How exactly did you-"

Shae's question was cut off by a loud bang as The Queen's bedchamber door burst open. The Captain of The Queen's guard bustled in, huffing and puffing, looking troubled.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen demanded irritably, pulling the blankets up over her naked breasts as she sat forward.

"Apologies, my Queen." The Captain replied, bowing low. "But a stranger has arrived, bringing urgent news about the man named Van Helsing. He says he will deliver his message only to you, Your Majesty."

Regina exchanged a baffled glance with Shae. "Van Helsing?" She breathed, then looked back at her Captain. "I'll be right down."

The Captain nodded, and bowed again as he made his exit. Regina and Shae continued to stare at each other in shock for a moment before both hastily got dressed. Van Helsing hadn't been seen in Regina's kingdom in month's, and neither she or her protector had even given the man a second thought since then. A little while later, The Queen was seated on her throne, her Royal Protector standing beside her. She commanded her guards to bring this stranger before her, and she and Shae waited patiently for him to arrive.

"Can I sit in your throne?" Shae asked her Queen as they waited.

"What? No, of course you can't!" Regina replied indignantly.

"Come on, it'll be a laugh!"

"Absolutely not!"

Shae crossed her arms over her chest, pouting slightly. "I sit in it sometimes when you're not here, you know."

The Queen's mouth gaped open in shock. "You do not!"

"I do so!" Shae replied with a cheeky grin.

Regina rolled her eyes, laughing lightly. She grabbed Shae by the front of her black leather coat, and pulled her down, placing a light kiss on her lover's lips.

"If you weren't so devilishly charming I think I'd have you beheaded." Regina told her with a grin.

Shae grinned back at her. "Well, it's a good thing I'm so devilishly charming then, isn't it?"

Regina laughed again, placing another kiss on Shae's lips. They both straightened up as the doors to the throne room swung open, and two of her guards marched in, the stranger that her Captain had mentioned placed between them.

Their strange visitor was quite tall and thin, with a short crop of warm, chestnut brown hair on his head. It was unkempt and messy, similar to Shae's, but where her's fell across her forehead, his stood up and out in the front. He was garbed in a simple black tunic, faded and worn, his boots caked with mud, and a tattered brown travelling cloak draped over his shoulders. Perhaps his most striking features were his pale gray skin, and his blood red eyes, eyes that were very, very familiar to The Queen.

The stranger strolled casually across the throne room between her soldiers, gazing all around him. When he finally turned his gaze upon The Queen, he stopped dead in his tracks, his blood red eyes fixed on Shae.

"Shae?" He whispered, his eyes wide.

Regina glanced up at her protector, who was staring at the man, her eyes just as wide as his. She then took a small step forward, squinting at the stranger.

"Remus?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Regina gasped softly, and a sudden silence fell over the throne room as Shae and The Queen both stared in wonder at their visitor. Shae had often spoke of her dear friend, her brother from her homeland. But she had thought he had been left behind when her and Regina destroyed the enchanted mirror. Was this man truly the same Remus?

The stranger with the brown hair nodded slowly, and a wide, baffled smile slowly crept across Shae's face. "Oh my god… Remus!"

Regina gasped again as she felt a rush of air from beside her, and there was a black blur of motion as Shae ran toward him. She threw herself into his arms, and he hugged her tight, laughing as shocked tears welled into his blood red eyes. Regina smiled, breathing out a shocked laugh herself. She could barely believe it, the man that Shae loved and missed so dearly was actually here, standing before her. She would finally get to meet this Remus that the woman she loved spoke of so often, and so fondly.

"Oh god… Oh my god…" Remus breathed in shock as he looked upon his dear friend, holding her out at arm's length. "I can't believe this, it's really- Oi! What? Hey!"

Shae had started poking and prodding Remus's face and forehead. Remus smacked her hands away irritably. "Stop that! What are you doing?"

Shae laughed, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "Sorry! I just… I-I can't believe it's really you!"

She resumed poking him, and Remus wrinkled his nose, swatting at her hands again. "Oi! Stop… Stop it!" He exclaimed, grabbing Shae's wrists. "Bloody hell, it's me, it's really me, alright?"

"Alright, alright!" Shae relented with another laugh. "Just… What are you doing here? How… H-How are you… Doing here?"

Remus raised an eyebrow at her. "That's not a proper sentence."

Shae shoved his shoulder irritably. "You know what I mean!" She exclaimed as Remus chuckled. "I-I thought… After I destroyed the mirror, I thought I left you behind!"

"I must have came through just shortly after you did." Remus replied with a shrug. "I was injured, and Van Helsing's men were hot on my tail, so I kept running. When I lost them, I eventually circled back, and was going to destroy the mirror myself. When I found it already broken, I had assumed it was Van Helsing."

"No, it was me, and-" Shae paused, turning around to find Regina had vacated her throne, and was waiting quietly, not wanting to interrupt their joyous reunion. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Remus, this is Regina, The Queen."

Regina nodded at Remus, holding out her hand as she stepped up to him. "Ah, Your Majesty!" Remus exclaimed, taking Regina's hand and lightly kissing it. "I see the rumors of your beauty are not at all exaggerated!"

Regina laughed lightly as Remus flashed a dazzling, white toothed smile at her. "Are all vampires this charming, or is it just you two?"

"Oh, just us, I'm afraid." Remus replied. "Most vampires are quite boorish. Shae and I, we are simply… Cut from a different cloth, so to speak."

Regina laughed again, nodding in agreement. "So it would seem." She replied with a smile. "I am so pleased to finally meet you. Shae has told me all about you and your… Adventures, together."

"Oh, she has, has she?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows at Shae. "Did she tell you about the time those cave trolls tried to cook us in a stew?"

Shae laughed, nodding her head. "Yes, and the time we stole that royal carriage."

"What about when you went missing for three days?" Remus asked, then turned to Regina. "I was frantic, right? Searched everywhere. When I finally found this one, she was drunk as a skunk, getting thrown out of a brothel, wearing a bright pink dress and a wig!"

Shae narrowed her eyes at her friend, pointing an accusing finger at him. "We agreed to never speak of that again!"

"She still won't tell me what happened." Remus said to Regina.

"And I never will." Shae replied with a defiant nod. "I will take that secret to my grave."

Remus chuckled, giving Regina a knowing wink. He then cleared his throat, and his smile faded from his face. "Well, as much as I'd love to continue sharing stories and exchanging pleasantries, I'm afraid there isn't time."

"Yes, my Captain told me you bring news about Van Helsing." Regina replied, her own face now growing quite serious.

Remus nodded gravely. "Indeed, I do. I've been tracking him for some time now, and I'm afraid he's been travelling your kingdom and those beyond it, spreading his foul hatred for magic everywhere he goes."

Regina's lips curled into a snarl, and she exchanged a dark glance with her protector. "Yes, I am well aware of that. He has been quite a nuisance ever since he came to this world."

"With The Queen's resources, we've been able to keep a close eye on him." Shae told Remus. "Last we heard he was travelling through a kingdom east of here."

"Yes, he was." Remus replied with a nod. "But it seems your scouts failed to mention his army."

Shae and Regina exchanged a baffled glance. "Army?" Asked The Queen. "What exactly is he planning to do with an army?"

Remus glanced over at Shae. "I'm afraid things are happening just as they did back home, my friend."

Shae's eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean-"

Remus nodded slowly. "I intercepted one of his men travelling in this direction. I thought he might be carrying battle plans, or something of the sort." He then produced a rolled up scroll from his belt, and handed it to Regina. "He was carrying a message. It's for you, Your Majesty."

Regina exchanged another shocked glance with her protector, and then hastily unrolled the scroll, reading its contents out loud:

"To The Evil Queen that harbors foul creatures of darkness,

My army is at your doorstep.

Release the bloodsucker that calls herself Shae into my custody, and surrender immediately.

If you refuse, there will be war.

-Abraham Van Helsing."

"Who the fucking hell does that idiot think he is?" Shae snarled.

"You've seen his army, yes?" Regina asked Remus, who nodded. "How vast is it exactly?"

"Quite vast, I'm afraid." Remus replied gravely. "But, the good news is, besides Van Helsing's own knights from our homeland, the rest of his army is made up entirely of common folk. Sure, he and his knights have taught them how to use a sword and shield, but they lack the tactical training of real soldiers."

"I see, that does put us at an advantage." Regina muttered. "But, if this army is as large as you say it is, we are still lacking in numbers."

"So… What do we do?" Shae asked, her eyes full of concern.

The Queen pondered silently for a moment, and Shae exchanged a nervous glance with Remus. Regina was about to reply, when the doors to the throne room suddenly burst open. Once again, Regina's Captain of the Guard came hurrying toward them, looking troubled still.

"Apologies again, Your Majesty." He said breathlessly. "You've received an urgent message from Snow White and Prince James."

"What?" Asked The Queen, yanking the scroll out of her Captain's hands. "What do those two idiots want?"

The Captain took his leave as Regina unrolled the scroll and began to read the message silently. Remus turned to Shae, raising an eyebrow curiously at her.

"Snow White?" He asked. "Isn't she that woman wanted for treason?"

Shae nodded, and Remus nodded back in understanding. "I see." He muttered. "What the hell kind of name is 'Snow White' anyway?"

"I know!" Shae exclaimed in agreement. "Pretty damn ridiculous if you ask me."

"Just who exactly names their child 'Snow White?'" Remus went on. "You don't see people going around naming their children 'Sky Blue' or… Or 'Grass Green.'"

"Or 'Dirt Brown.'" Shae threw in.

"'Or Blood Red.'"

"Oh, that's good!" Shae said excitedly. "I think I'll name my first child that!"

"You will not!" Remus replied incredulously.

"I will so!"

The Queen cleared her throat loudly before Shae could retort, and the two vampires fell silent, their faces growing serious once again.

"Right, what do Snow White and The Prince want?" Shae asked her Queen.

"They have… Proposed a truce." Regina replied slowly.

Shae's eyebrows raised in shock. "A truce? What for?"

"Apparently, they have received the same threat from Van Helsing as we did." Answered The Queen. "He's demanding that they release any magical creatures that they have in their employ into his custody, and surrender, otherwise his army will raze their castle after they're through with mine."

The vampires and The Queen all fell silent for a moment as they pondered Snow White and The Prince's message. Shae bit her lip, glancing over at her Queen, who she could clearly see was silently seething with rage.

"An alliance would give us the numbers we need." Shae said carefully.

Regina shot her an icy glare. "Absolutely not! I will not ally myself with the very woman I have sworn revenge upon!"

"Your Majesty, if I may-" Remus began.

"You may not!" Regina snarled at him.

"Oh my, quite a temper she's got, hasn't she?" Remus said, raising his eyebrows at Shae.

"Regina, please." Shae said gently, ignoring her friend. "I understand your desire for revenge, trust me. Those two locked me in their dungeon for weeks, and if it wasn't for that damn protection spell, they would be dead already. But… There's nothing we can do now, and with their army and yours combined, we just might be able to stop Van Helsing."

When The Queen continued to glare silently at her, Remus stepped in once again. "Your Majesty, Shae is right, Van Helsing needs to be stopped." He said in the same gentle tone as Shae. "He is a greater threat to this world than anything you've ever faced. Shae and I both have witnessed the utter destruction he can cause. He's the reason we left our homeland in the first place!"

Regina glanced between the two vampires, staring into their blood red eyes. They watched her anxiously and expectantly for a long moment, and then The Queen breathed out a begrudging, but relenting sigh.

"Fine." She said through gritted teeth, then turned to Remus. "But I will not have you going before Snow White and her Prince dressed like that. We must find something more suitable for you to wear."

As The Queen hurried off the find one of her servants, Shae turned to her old friend, looking him up and down. "Yes, you look bloody awful."

Remus gave her an offended scoff. "Well, pardon me, but I haven't been sitting all cozy like inside a palace for years, have I?"

Shae laughed loudly, throwing her arms around her old friend. "Oh, it's good to see you again Remus."

Remus laughed too, embracing Shae tightly. "It's good to see you to, my friend." He replied, smiling as he stepped back. "You know, I had heard rumors that there was a vampire serving The Queen in this kingdom, but I never would have thought it was you. Neither of us were ever content staying in one place for so long."

Shae smiled, glancing over at Regina, who was now having a heated discussion with one of her guards. "Yes, well, let's just say I've found a good reason to stay."

Remus glanced over at The Queen as well. "Ah, yes, I think love is as good a reason as any."

When Shae raised her eyebrows in shock, Remus chuckled. "Oi, don't look so surprised!" He said with a grin. "I saw the way you look at her, the way she looks at you. It's rather disgusting, really."

Shae rolled her eyes, shoving her friend's shoulder again. "So… A queen, eh?" Remus asked with a knowing smile. "I have to say, it's quite a step up from the last one."

Shae's mouth gaped open in horrified shock. "Remus! Don't you dare talk about her like-"

"Hold on, hold on!" Remus interjected hastily, waving his hands. "I meant that girl at the damn brothel! Not… Not Nadia."

At the utterance of her name, both their faces fell, and Remus stared sadly down at his feet. "No, Nadia was…" Remus went on, his voice cracking with emotion. "She was a Queen in her own regard, wasn't she?"

Shae smiled sadly. "That she was." She quietly agreed. "Listen… Regina, she's a powerful sorceress. Between the three of us, we just might have enough force to take Van Helsing down."

Shae placed her hand on Remus's shoulder, squeezing it gently and staring very seriously into his eyes. "We will finally avenge Nadia's death, Remus, I swear it."

XXXXX

The sun had set over the town of Storybrooke, and the residents all barred their doors, just as their acting Sheriff had commanded. The door to Granny's Diner was locked up tight as well, and a few residents were gathered inside, deciding that waiting out whatever was about to happen was better done together. The seven dwarves were all there, Granny and Ruby as well, and also Ariel, who was still searching the town for her lost prince, and had no other place to go.

"So… The Evil Queen's vampire is now The Sheriff of this town, and she's gone off to fight a… A werewolf?" Ariel asked of the others.

When they all nodded at her, she breathed out a surprised laugh, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "This world is… Very strange."

Everyone jumped as there was a sudden frantic banging on the door. They all whirled around, and found Belle waving at them from outside the diner, looking panicked. Ruby immediately unlocked the door, ushering the frantic woman inside.

"Belle! You're alright!" Leroy exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Belle replied hastily. "Listen, I need your help. Shae's in trouble. Those… Knights of the Sun, they only captured me to lure Shae into the mines alone. There's over a dozen of them, and that woman, Aela. As strong as she is, I don't think Shae can take them all on by herself."

Everyone gathered inside the diner exchanged a nervous but hesitant glance, and Belle breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Come on, you guys, we have to do something!" Belle pleaded with them. "We can't just let her die!"

"Belle's right, we have to stop them." Ruby said in agreement, standing beside her friend. "Besides, you all heard what Shae said. They won't stop at just her."

"We don't know that for sure." Granny retorted.

"Yeah!" Doc agreed. "Maybe once they have their vampire they'll leave the rest of us alone."

"Maybe they'll even leave town!" Sneezy threw in.

"You don't know that for sure!" Cried Belle. "Look, I know Shae and the rest of us all have our differences. I mean, she's the one that locked me in The Evil Queen's tower! But… But I forgave her for that, moved on. She's actually a really nice person underneath all the… The anger and the swearing… And the sarcasm."

"Belle's right." Ruby said with a nod. "Emma made Shae acting Sheriff for a reason. She trusted her with the safety of this town, of all of us. All she's trying to do is protect us, and we can't just let her die trying."

The dwarves, Granny, and Ariel all silently pondered Ruby and Belle's words, exchanging anxious glances. The dwarves then all nodded at each other, and Leroy stepped forward.

"Alright, sister." He said with a determined nod. "What's the plan?"

Belle's face suddenly fell as she glanced around at all of them staring expectantly at her. "Oh… Uh, I don't know. I don't really have one."

Leroy heaved a heavy sigh. "Alright, well, for starters, we'll need weapons." He muttered. "We've got our axes, Granny's got her crossbow, Ruby's got her wolf thing."

"I'm pretty good with a bow myself." Belle said with a shrug.

"What about a crossbow? I've got a spare." Granny asked her.

Belle nodded, and then they all looked expectantly at Ariel. "Uhh… Well…" The young mermaid stammered. "Does… Anyone have a trident?"

"I have a pitchfork." Offered Happy.

Ariel smiled, and nodded at the dwarf. "That'll work!"

"Alright, not exactly a group of trained soldiers, but it'll have to do." Leroy said, nodding slowly. "Ok, I've got a map of the mines at home. Everybody go arm up, and meet back here. Then, we'll put together a plan."

The group dispersed, and, a short while later, returned to the diner with weapons in hand. Leroy laid out his map of the mines on the counter, and they all began discussing a plan. As they all bickered and argued over the best plan of attack, Ruby was reminded of a similar situation, back in The Enchanted Forest. Snow White and Prince Charming had summoned The Evil Queen to their castle, to propose an alliance against their common enemy, Van Helsing. Coming up with a plan then took them hours, but they were eventually able to do it. She knew that if Snow White and The Evil Queen could work together and defeat an enemy, the people of Storybrooke gathered inside Granny's Diner certainly could.

XXXXX

The Evil Queen marched down the hallway inside Snow White and Prince Charming's castle, the two vampires, Shae and Remus, on either side of her. Surrounding the three of them, was an armed guard of Snow White and The Prince's soldiers, and even more lined either side of the hallway leading to the war room. Even though the spell that they had cast protected them from any harm The Queen could cause, they still seemed to be awfully wary of her.

"I have to say, you look quite dashing in that." Shae said to Remus.

The Queen had given Remus a suit of black leather armor, and all new weapons. She had even outfitted him with a long, black overcoat, her sigil sown into the left side, just like Shae's.

"Yes, I have to say I'm rather fond of it." Remus said, holding out his arms and admiring his new black leather coat. "I daresay the three of us make quite a sinister looking trio. I have the sudden urge to go pillaging!"

Regina chuckled. "Unfortunately, there isn't time for that." She said sourly. "We have to deal with Snow White and her idiot husband, and their gaggle of fools."

"'Gaggle of fools?'" Remus repeated, raising an eyebrow at The Queen.

"Yes, Snow White and The Prince are never far away from the seven dwarves they seem to be so fond of." Shae answered.

"Don't forget about that nasty old woman and her werewolf granddaughter." Said Regina.

"And that damn blue fairy." Shae snarled. "Oh, I wish I could just rip those tiny little wings right off…"

The Evil Queen and her vampire guard had finally reached the war room. Snow White and The Prince's guards threw open the doors, and they found the war table to be quite crowded already, just as they had suspected. Snow White and her Prince were both there waiting, along with their seven dwarves, Red and her grandmother, and also The Blue Fairy, fluttering around above their heads. As soon as the doors opened, the members of the table rose to their feet, their hands on their weapons, and more of Snow and The Prince's soldiers stepped forward, hands gripping the pommels of their swords.

"My, my, what a charmingly warm welcome!" Remus said with sarcastic chipperness.

"Who the hell are you?" Charming growled at him.

When Remus noticed The Prince, a wide grin spread across his face. "Well, I can be whatever you want me to be, handsome."

"No, no, that's Prince James." Shae told her friend, leaning in close to him. "Snow White's husband."

Remus's grin disappeared, and he eyed Snow White with a frown. "Oh, what a terrible waste." He muttered. "Still, doesn't mean I can't admire the view."

The Prince eyed Remus warily as the vampire winked at him. "Wait a minute, he's a vampire, just like the other one!" Grumpy the dwarf suddenly announced.

"What gave it away? The eyes, or the bad complexion?" Remus asked the dwarf, then turned to Shae and Regina. "I find it's most often the eyes."

"Well, I'm not surprised, you do have such stunning eyes." Shae said with a cheeky grin.

Remus grinned back at her. "Oh, why thank you, I-"

"Blue!" Snow White suddenly shouted.

Before either Shae, Regina, or Remus could react, The Blue Fairy suddenly shot toward Remus, pelting him in the chest with a ball of fairy dust. His whole body momentarily glowed with a soft, blue light, and Shae grabbed his arm as he stumbled back a step.

"What… What the hell was that?" Remus stammered, looking shocked and confused. "I… I feel strange… What have you done to me?"

"She's stripped you of your powers." Said Regina, glaring at Snow White and the Prince. "You're just as weak as one of them now."

Remus's jaw dropped open in offended shock. "Well, now that's just rude!"

"Regina, you try anything else and I swear I will show you no mercy this time." Snow White snarled dangerously at The Queen.

Regina scoffed indignantly. "What else do I even have left to try?" She demanded. "Besides, I didn't even try anything in the first place. Remus is here because he is an old friend of Shae's, and he's the one that has scouted the entirety of Van Helsing's camp."

"I see." Charming said, still eyeing Remus nervously. "Well then, you're all here because we have a common enemy. If we can set aside our differences and work together, then we might have a chance at stopping him."

"Yes, yes, why do you think we're even here in the first place?" Regina snapped at him.

"Well, I certainly didn't come back to spend another night in your dungeon." Shae said with a sour chuckle.

"Oh, you spent some time in their dungeon, did you?" Remus asked his friend.

Shae nodded. "Oh, yes. Several weeks, actually."

"Ah, I see." Remus muttered in reply. "Was it at least better decorated than this god awful room?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Shae replied with a frown, gazing around at the interior of the war room. "If anything, this room is far more drab than even the dungeons."

"Good lord, please tell me you've beheaded your interior decorator." Remus said to Snow White and Prince Charming.

"My god, there's two of them." Snow White said with an irritated sigh.

"Yes, they are quite a pair, aren't they?" Regina said with a chuckle, smiling fondly at the two vampires. "Now, shall we?"

Regina gestured at the table, and they all took their seats. The Queen sat across the circular table from Snow White and The Prince, and Remus and Shae sat on either side of her. Red took the seat on Shae's other side, and did not seem to be very pleased about it.

"Bloodsucker." Red said icily.

"Dog." Shae replied.

On Regina's other side, Remus was seated next to Grumpy the dwarf. "Good lord, do you dwarves never bathe?" Remus asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"At least I don't stink like a walking corpse." Grumpy snarled at him.

"HEY!" Charming shouted, rising to his feet and slamming his fist onto the table. "Enough! If we start bickering now we'll never get anywhere!"

"Yes, do play nice, you two." Regina said to the vampires as she rolled her eyes.

"He/she started it!" The vampires replied in unison, both pointing at the people seated on either side of them.

Once the initial discomfort and bickering had subsided, Prince Charming had one of his men produce a map of The Enchanted Forest. Remus pointed out the location where Van Helsing's army was camped, and, once they all started talking over a plan, the bickering resumed once again. They sat around the table, yelling at each other for hours, neither side agreeing upon much of anything. The main problem was that Charming and Snow White were concerned that they were going to sacrifice too many of their men.

"OI!" Remus shouted over the din of bickering, rising irritably to his feet. "This is war we're talking about, right? And you know what happens in a war? People bloody die!"

"Yes, we understand that!" Snow White snapped back. "All we're trying to do is make sure that as little of our people die as possible."

Remus breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, yes, that's all we're trying to to as well." He said, gesturing between himself, Shae, and Regina. "I told you, with the right numbers you needn't worry. Van Helsing's army is made up almost entirely of untrained commoners. I would hope your soldiers would have no problem dealing with farmers and sheep herders armed with swords."

"That's exactly the problem!" Charming exclaimed angrily. "Some of those people, are our people, led astray by an angry and powerful man. We're trying to save as many of their lives as possible too!"

Remus sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh, bloody hell… They're the enemy!" He cried desperately. "You don't try and save the enemy! That's not the fucking point!"

"Exactly." Agreed Regina. "To hell with those imbeciles! They've abandoned and betrayed you anyway!"

"Maybe, if The Evil Queen would step down, and let the rightful Queen rule the kingdom, then they wouldn't have abandoned us!" Snow White shouted angrily.

Regina and Snow White both rose heatedly to their feet, and the angry, bitter arguing resumed once again. Remus watched them for a moment, then sunk back into his chair, defeated.

"Is it always like this?" He asked of Shae.

Shae shrugged. "Dunno. Never planned a war with them before."

Remus sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at the map of The Enchanted Forest on the table in front of him. He suddenly sat forward again, pulling the map closer to him, his blood red eyes wide. Shae watched him curiously as his eyes scanned over the map. He suddenly sprang to his feet again, looking excited.

"OI! OI, OI, OI!" He shouted over the bickering, slamming his palm into the table several times. "I think I've got something!"

When all eyes were on him, Remus turned the map around to better face Snow White, The Prince, and Regina. "It's not much, but I do know there's a valley that sits just in front of Van Helsing's camp, here."

"What exactly is your point, bloodsucker?" Charming snapped irritably.

"Well, if you'd shut your gob for a moment, I'll tell you!" Remus snapped back. "My god, if only your wits matched your looks…"

Charming narrowed his eyes at the vampire, and Remus went on. "Alright, well, it doesn't show it on this map, but I know for a fact that there's a small ridge on either side of the valley, here, and here." He explained, once again pointing at the map. "If Van Helsing has this same map, which I'm most certain he does, then he doesn't know about the ridge. I think we could use that to our advantage."

Regina suddenly gasped, and gripped the vampire's arm. "Yes, I do believe we can." She said in an excited whisper. "If we split our forces, we can lure Van Helsing's army into the valley, and send two battalions around each side, over the ridges, like a… A pincer move!"

Remus smiled excitedly at The Queen, then glanced over at Shae. "Beautiful, and a tactical mind? She really is bloody brilliant, your Queen."

Shae rose to her feet, smiling fondly at the woman she loved. "Yes, she really is quite something, isn't she?"

Regina smiled back at Shae, and momentarily forgot where she was as she stared into the blood red eyes of her lover. She was quickly brought back to reality when Charming cleared his throat loudly.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" He asked. "Now, it seems we have a plan, but who's forces will do the luring, and who's will do the… Pincering?"

"I think I can answer that." Shae replied, then turned to her Queen. "Regina, I know you won't like this, but just… Hear me out."

Regina eyed her curiously for a moment, but then nodded. "Right, so, the entire kingdom knows all about the… Strife between us." Shae went on, gesturing between her and Regina, and Snow White and The Prince. "That being said, he will likely expect us to retaliate separately. In fact, I'm sure he's planning on it. But he would never expect us to join forces."

"Yes, I believe I see what you're saying." Regina muttered in reply. "You're right, I don't exactly like it, but I do think it's our best option."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Charming asked heatedly.

"Again, if you shut your damn hole, maybe they'll tell you." Remus snapped irritably. "My god, man…"

Regina chuckled, shaking her head slowly, then pointed down at the map. "Right, my forces will march here, drawing Van Helsing's army into the valley." She went on. "Once they're inside, I will send up a signal, and your forces will enter from the ridges. Your men will be much safer than mine, I assure you."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Remus cut in, shaking his head. "How do we know these two will actually send their men in? They might just retreat and leave us to die."

"You'll just have to trust us." Snow White replied with a small shrug.

Remus eyed Snow White and The Prince suspiciously for a moment, then shook his head again. "No, that's not good enough. I will remain here, and go with them to make sure they actually do their jobs."

"I don't very much like the idea of leaving you here with them." Regina replied, glaring at Snow White and Charming.

"And I don't very much like the idea of having a vampire in my castle!" Cried Snow White, glaring back at her.

"Well, we all have to do things we don't like from time to time, don't we?" Remus said with an unconcerned shrug. "So… Are we all in agreement?"

Snow White and The Prince exchanged a nervous glance, and The Queen and her vampires watched them expectantly.

"What about Van Helsing's soldiers?" Asked Snow White. "They're only commoners, we can't just-"

"Oh, for god's sake, woman!" Remus interjected irritably. "Will you just forget about that? I told you, they're the enemy! You can't be concerned about saving their lives as well as the lives of your own men. That's not how you win a battle."

"I have a right to be concerned if my own people are amongst the enemy!" Snow retorted.

Remus let out an exasperated groan. "Look, there's a saying that we have back in mine and Shae's homeland." He said, glancing over at Shae. "Do you remember it?"

Shae nodded. "Of course, I do."

Remus nodded back. "In war-"

"Victory." Shae answered.

"In peace-"

"Vigilance."

"In death-"

"Sacrifice." Both vampires finished in unison.

"With war, comes death, that's a fact of life." Remus went on in a dark and serious tone. "You two are rulers, yes? Then part of your job is making hard decisions like this one. It's your bloody job to figure out the best way to sacrifice the few, to save the many. This here, this plan The Queen has proposed, it's the best way to save the entire fucking world you live in."

Snow White sighed, exchanging another worried glance with her husband. She then turned back to Regina and the vampires, and nodded.

"Fine, we are in agreement." She said determinedly.

"Bloody hell, that took ages." Remus said to The Queen as the members of the table all rose from their seats, chattering amongst themselves.

"Yes, they are quite a difficult pair, aren't they?" Regina replied sourly.

Remus chuckled. "Indeed. I see why you hate them so much."

"Are you sure you'll be alright here?" Shae asked her friend, her red eyes full of concern.

"Oh, don't you worry about little old me." Remus replied with a cheeky grin. "I can handle myself, you know that."

Shae sighed, nodding her head in a relenting way. Regina stepped up to Remus, embracing him gently and placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Remus." She said, smiling up at the tall, brown haired vampire. "We'll see you very soon."

Regina stepped aside, and Shae threw her arms around her old, dear friend, hugging him tight. When she stepped back, the two vampires gripped each other's forearms, blood red eyes staring determinedly into blood red eyes.

"Till the end?" Remus asked.

Shae nodded. "Till the end."

XXXXX

The people of Storybrooke gathered inside Granny's diner had finally come up with a plan to save their acting Sheriff from The Knights of the Sun. They took up their various weapons, got into their various vehicles, and drove hastily out toward the mines. Once they arrived, they stopped just outside the entrance to go over the plan one last time.

"Right, just so everyone is clear on what to do." Leroy began in a hushed and urgent tone. "Once we're inside, we'll-"

He stopped short, and they all drew in a sharp, collective gasp as sounds of shouting suddenly echoed out of the mines. They stared around at each other with wide, fearful eyes, just as Shae came sprinting around the corner, being hotly pursued by at least a dozen men with swords.

"LOOK OUT!" She cried.

Shae ran smack into Ruby and Belle, and all three of them tumbled to the ground. Utter chaos ensued as the dwarves, Granny, and Ariel with her pitchfork intercepted the charging men, grunts, groans, and cries of pain rising into the quiet of the forest.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Shae exclaimed as Belle and Ruby helped her back to her feet.

"Rescuing you, of course!" Belle said, swiftly firing off a bolt from her crossbow, hitting one of the Knights of the Sun in the shoulder.

"Dammit!" Shae roared, slashing out with her sword, catching one of the knights across his back. "I told you all to stay home!"

"Yeah, well, I guess we aren't good listeners." Ruby replied, grinning at the vampire.

Ruby's body began to twist and morph, and she threw back her head, howling into the night air as she transformed into her wolf form. Shae leapt back as the wolf charged headlong into the fray, snapping her jaws around the arm of one of the attacking men.

"SHAE!" Belle suddenly shouted.

The vampire whirled around, drawing in a sharp breath as she found a man suddenly upon her, sword raised in the air. The man's body jerked violently, and his eyes grew wide as an arrow buried itself into his forehead with a hollow thump. As the man fell lifeless to the ground, Shae slowly turned around, and found Belle standing with her crossbow raised.

"Holy shit!" Shae exclaimed, a wide and surprised grin on her face.

Belle grinned back, curtseying in a mocking but proud sort of way. The two women turned around again, and Belle fired off another arrow, while Shae briefly crossed blades with another knight. The vampire swiftly knocked the man onto his back, and she plunged her soul sucking sword into his chest, the black gem glowing momentarily as his life drained away.

"There you are, bloodsucker!" Carl snarled at Shae, stomping furiously toward her, sword at the ready.

"Hello Carl!" Shae replied with sarcastic chipperness.

Shae took up her sword in both hands, bending her knees and readying herself for Carl's attack. Suddenly, there was a rush of air, and a shaggy, brown blur flashed before the vampire's eyes. Ruby came hurtling through the air, her jaws closing around Carl's throat.

"Goodbye, Carl!" Said Shae.

The vampire turned around again, surveying the battle. She watched in baffled surprise as the young mermaid Ariel hit one of the Knights of the Sun in the forehead with the butt of her pitchfork. When the man stumbled back dazedly, she flipped the pitchfork around, and bellowed into the night air as she jabbed the forks into the man's chest. She saw Granny hit a man across the face with her crossbow, then shoot a bolt straight into his forehead. Happy and Doc double teamed another, Happy swinging his pickaxe low, and Doc burying the tip of his axe into the back of the man's head as he fell face first to the ground.

"Where's Aela?" Belle asked as she stood back to back with Shae.

Shae scanned the battlefield again silently, and her brow furrowed when she realized that the she-wolf was nowhere in sight. She opened her mouth to respond to Belle's question, but her words caught in her throat as a loud, long, bone chilling howl reverberated off the walls from inside the mines.

"What was that?" Asked Ariel as she joined Shae and Belle, her pitchfork quivering slightly in her hands.

The wolf beside Shae let out a low, menacing growl, the fur on her haunches standing straight up as the sounds of thundering footsteps came echoing out of the mines.

"RUN!" Shae screamed at the dwarves and Granny, who were still in the midst of battle in front of the mine entrance. "GET BACK! RUN!"

But it was too late. The she-wolf Aela came pelting out of the mines, and the ground quaked beneath their feet at she leapt through the air, landing hard on her hulking, fur covered legs. Just like her husband, she stood about as tall as two grown men in her wolf form. Her body was covered with patchy, auburn colored fur, and her arms were the size of tree trunks, her claws as sharp as swords.

Aela let out a fearsome roar, knocking all seven of the dwarves off their feet as she swung out one of her beefy, hulking arms. Granny whirled around, and aimed her crossbow at the werewolf, the bolt shooting straight into Aela's chest. Unfortunately, the small, silver arrow only seemed to make the wolf more angry. She roared again, and Granny screamed as she was scooped up in the werewolf's massive fist.

Shae reacted swiftly, sending her sword sailing point first through the air, and Aela howled in pain as Shae's sword buried itself in her chest next to Granny's bolt. Belle and Ariel both rushed forward as Granny crashed to the ground, released from the werewolf's grasp as she stumbled backward, clawing at the sword in her chest. As Belle and Ariel pulled the old woman to safety, Shae used her superhuman speed to rush the wolf, leaping through the air and tackling her to the ground.

The werewolf and the vampire were a tangle of fur and limbs as they rolled across the ground. When they stopped, Shae was atop the werewolf, and she wrenched her sword out of her chest. Aela howled in pain once again, and swept out at the vampire on top of her with her massive claws. Shae was sent careening backward, her sword shooting from her hand as she flew through the air. Ruby let out a roar herself, charging at the wolf Aela as she got back to her feet.

Shae finally rolled to a stop, howling in pain as the claw marks on her chest sizzled and smoked. She groaned, picking her head up just in time to see Ruby shooting through the air at Aela. The hulking, enraged werewolf swung another massive, clawed arm, and Ruby was thrown back just as Shae had been.

"RUBY!" Shae screamed.

Ruby let out a high pitched yelp as she crashed into a tree, and whimpered weakly as she hit the ground. Shae scrambled to her feet, and sprinted over to her, skidding to her knees just as Ruby morphed back into her human form. Panic bubbled in her stomach as Ruby continued to lie motionless on the ground, bloody claw marks gaping on her neck, arm, and side.

"Ruby? Ruby!" Shae shouted, shaking the young woman by her shoulders.

Ruby's eyes fluttered open, and she groaned weakly. Shae breathed out a relieved sigh, smiling down at the young she-wolf. Ruby suddenly gasped, staring wide eyed in shock over Shae's shoulder. Shae turned around, just as the werewolf Aela roared furiously at Belle, who was desperately shooting arrows at the wolf with her crossbow.

The flow of time slowed to a slow, horrifying crawl as Aela fell back on her haunches, snarling athe young woman with the crossbow in her hands. She roared again, her massive fangs glinting in the moonlight. She charged forward, grass and dirt flying through the air as she pelted headlong toward the terrified Belle.

"BELLE!" Shae bellowed.

The vampire was a black blur of motion as she sprinted forward, and Belle fell backward, her crossbow falling from her hands as she tripped. Aela leapt through the air, her massive jaws gaping open toward the young woman's head. Shae suddenly appeared before Belle, standing in the werewolf's path. She threw up her arm, and the vampire's mouth gaped open as she let out a horrible, agonized scream, the werewolf's jaws closing around her arm.

Belle stared up in horror as Shae continued to scream, her flesh around Aela's jaws emitting a wispy white smoke. Grumpy, Sneezy, and Doc rushed forward, bellowing furiously into the night air as they raised their axes, leaping upon the werewolf and jabbing their axes into her back. Shae stumbled backward, clutching her arm as Aela's jaws gaped open again, and the werewolf howled in pain.

The rest of the dwarves joined their brothers, and Aela roared and howled as the tips of their axes were buried into her back. Shae outstretched her good arm toward her fallen sword, and it shot straight into her hand. She let out a fearsome war cry, and rushed toward the werewolf, sword raised. She leapt through the air, slashing her glittering, blue bladed sword across the werewolf's neck. The vampire landed lightly on her feet, and there were two, hollow sounding thumps as Aela's body fell backward, the dwarves scrambling to get away, and the werewolf's severed head landed on the ground at Shae's feet.

Aela's lifeless body morphed back into its human form, and Shae stared down into her gaping dead eyes, her chest heaving. Belle got slowly and shakily to her feet, and glanced over at Ruby, who was being helped up by her Granny. She felt a hand on her arm, and found Ariel standing beside her, looking a bit shaken, but otherwise unharmed. The dwarves were back on their feet as well, and they all slowly stepped up to the body of Aela the werewolf, now lying dead at Shae the vampire's feet.

"W-We did it!" Breathed Ariel, smiling excitedly at Belle.

"We did it!" Exclaimed Sneezy, hugging Doc and Happy around their necks, who were both standing beside him.

Belle breathed out a shocked laugh, smiling at Ruby as her grandmother fussed over the she-wolf's wounds. She ran her eyes over the seven dwarves, who were all a bit battered and bruised, some even bleeding, but nothing mortal. Ariel had a small cut on her arm, and Belle herself had remained unharmed. The young woman breathed out a sigh of immense relief. They had done it, and they were all safe.

Belle then glanced over at Shae, who was still standing with her sword in her hand, Aela's severed head at her feet. Belle's brow furrowed when she suddenly noticed that Shae's whole body was shaking. She gasped as her sword fell from her hand.

"Shae, are you al-"

"AUGH!"

Shae let out a strangled cry of pain, and suddenly collapsed to her knees, clutching her injured arm. Belle rushed forward, falling to her knees in front of the vampire.

"Shae! What's wrong? Are you ok?" Belle asked hastily.

Shae shook her head, her hands trembling as she rolled up her sleeve. Belle gasped again, staring wide eyed down at the fang marks in Shae's arm.

"Oh my god!" Ariel exclaimed as the others all gathered around the vampire.

"What the hell is that?" Asked Leroy.

The teeth marks in Shae's arm were a nasty, sickly green color, as if the werewolf's fangs had been laden with some kind of poison. Shae let out another cry of pain, and the others gasped in shock as the green coloring suddenly shot out into the veins of her arm.

"No!" Ruby suddenly cried, dropping to her knees next to Belle. "Oh no… No, no… She was bitten, wasn't she?"

Belle nodded, and Ruby reached out and grabbed Shae's face in her hands. "Shae! Shae, what do we do?" Ruby asked her desperately.

Shae shook her head again, her whole body quivering, her face breaking out in a massive sweat. "I… I d-don't…" Shae stammered. "Y-You… C-C-Can't…"

They all cried out in alarm as Shae's blood red eyes suddenly rolled back into her head, and she slumped backward onto the ground. They leapt back as the vampire let out a horrible, agonized scream, her body seizing and convulsing violently.

"What do we do?" Cried Ariel.

"Go! Get her to Dr. Whale!" Ruby commanded hurriedly. "I'll go get Mother Superior!"

The dwarves all carefully carried the seizing vampire toward the cars, her screams and cries of pain echoing around the trees. Belle sat in the backseat of Granny's car, holding Shae's head in her lap, gently brushing her hair off of her sweat covered forehead. She watched helplessly as Shae continued to howl in pain, her body convulsing, the wounds in her arm now leaking with a sickly green pus.

Everything happened very quickly once they reached the hospital, and Belle was in such horrified shock that she only got flashes of the things happening around her. Shae was pulled from Granny's car by a team of nurses, and Granny hastily explained to them what had happened. Shae was hoisted onto a hospital bed, still screaming, still writhing in pain, and was immediately carted away down a long hallway. The others had their own wounds tended to, and then were left in the waiting room, sitting and waiting in silent shock. Ruby eventually returned with Mother Superior, and Belle followed them both into the room where Shae was being tended to.

Belle gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock when she saw the vampire lying in the hospital bed, now unconscious. She had been stripped of her shirt and long black coat, and Belle, Ruby, even Mother Superior were horrified by what they saw. Shae's torso was riddled with long, white knotted scars, which was shocking in itself, but what was truly horrifying were the fang marks on her arm. They were still a bright, noxious looking green, and the apparent infection had spread rapidly up her arm, working its way across her chest, straight toward her heart.

"I'm afraid I'm at a loss." Dr. Whale said to them, his face grave. "I've given her something to knock her out, but even that might not last long due to her… Condition."

"Can you heal her?" Ruby asked Mother Superior.

"I can try." Mother Superior replied with a nod.

Dr. Whale, Belle, and Ruby all stepped back as Mother Superior stood beside the bed, pulling out her wand and slowly waving it up and down Shae's body. Ruby gripped Belle's hand, and the two women exchanged a silent, anxious glance. They watched with bated breath as Shae's body began to glow with a soft, blue light, but the wounds in her arm didn't seem to be getting any better. Mother Superior stepped back, turning to Belle and Ruby with immensely sad eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "This is beyond what my magic can heal."

"T-Then… What do we do now?" Belle asked, her eyes welling with tears. "She saved me, saved all of us! We can't just let her die!"

Dr. Whale exchanged a glance with Mother Superior. "I'm sorry, but… If Mother Superior can't heal her, then there's certainly nothing I can do."

"That's it?" Ruby breathed, tears leaking out of her eyes. "She's… She's just going to die?"

When Dr. Whale and Mother Superior both remained silent, Ruby choked out a sob, and she rushed over to Shae's side, staring down at her, her eyes wide with horror. She sobbed again, and slowly leaned forward, pressing her trembling lips to Shae's forehead. Belle stepped up to the other side of Shae's bed, staring down at her savior, her friend, who was now dying, all because of her. The once terrifying and evil vampire that had kidnapped her and locked her away in a tower had just sacrificed herself to save her, and now, she was going to die, and there was nothing Belle or anyone else could do.

Dr. Whale left momentarily, returning with the seven dwarves, Ariel, and Granny. The dwarves all removed their hats, staring in silent shock at the unconscious vampire. Granny gently rubbed her granddaughter's back as Ruby sat on the edge of the bed next to Shae, slowly running her fingers through her messy, jet black hair, now damp with sweat. Ariel, who hadn't known Shae very well at all, stood quietly next to Mother Superior, her face grave and sad. They all watched helplessly as the poison from the werewolf's bite slowly continued to spread across Shae's chest, growing ever closer to her heart.

"I don't care what anyone else says…" Leroy said quietly. "The bloodsuckers a goddamn hero."

"You're right…" Breathed Ariel, her eyes shining with tears. "She saved us… She saved all of us."

"And we couldn't save her…" Belle whispered miserably, her face contorting with pain. "Oh Shae… Shae, I'm so sorry…"

Belle pressed a gentle kiss on the vampire's forehead this time, more tears streaming down her face. They all fell silent again, the only sounds to be heard were quiet sniffles as they all bit back their tears. Even Mother Superior, who had thoroughly despised Shae for years, shed a silent tear for the vampire turned savior.

"Oh god… Regina… She doesn't even know." Whispered Ruby, her eyes wide with horror as she stared around at the others. "We… We need to tell her, she needs to-"

Belle suddenly gasped, reaching across the bed and grabbing Ruby's hand urgently. "Regina! Ruby, that's it!"

Ruby's brow furrowed in confusion. "W-What's it?"

Belle didn't respond, and instead turned to Mother Superior. "I-I know you can't heal her, but is there any way you can… I don't know, slow down the poison? Buy us some time?"

Mother Superior bit her lip, staring down at the unconscious vampire as she thought. "Actually… Yes, I believe I can." She replied with a small nod. "I can cast a… Preservation spell. It will freeze her body in this state, but I'm not sure for how long."

Belle nodded hastily, and stepped aside as Mother Superior once again stood beside Shae, waving her wand over her body. The others all eyed Belle curiously as she hurried over to Ariel.

"Ariel, I need you to go back to Neverland and find Regina." Belle told her seriously.

"W-What? Why?" Ariel asked, eyebrows raised in shock.

"Shae told me a story just the other day about how she survived a werewolf bite once before." Belle quickly explained. "Her friend, uh… Remus, I think she said his name was. H-He was able to… To cast a spell or something. And Regina was there with him! She might know how to save Shae!"

"Oh my god…" Ruby breathed, an excited smile slowly spreading across her face. "Belle, I think you might be on to something!"

Belle smiled back at her, her heart racing. "Mother Superior, how long will that spell last exactly?"

Mother Superior glanced up from Shae's body, which was once again glowing with a pale blue light. "I-I'm not sure, unfortunately." She replied with a frown. "I know very little about vampires, but I do know from the past that most spells cast on Shae tended not to last as long as they were supposed to."

Belle turned back to Ariel, taking both the young mermaid's hands in hers and staring very seriously into her eyes. "Ariel please… Please, hurry!"

Ariel bit her lip, staring silently between Shae, at everyone else's expectant faces, and then back into Belle's eyes. She then gave her new friend a determined nod.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She said.

With that, Ariel promptly turned on her heel, and hurried out the door. Belle looked around at all the others, who now had hopeful smiles stretching across their faces.

"What do we do now?" Leroy asked her.

Belle sighed, staring down at Shae's frozen, glowing body. "We wait. We wait, and we hope that Regina can tell us how to save Shae."

And wait they did. They waited, and waited, and waited, hours passing by. Mother Superior had to re-cast her preservation spell several times, and, for a few brief moments, Shae regained consciousness. Her agonized screaming had stopped, but each time she woke her entire body jerked and shook with pain, her blood red eyes staring up at the ceiling. Belle and Ruby tried to talk to her, told her that help was coming, but the vampire didn't seem to see or hear them.

The dwarves all returned to their homes to rest from their harrowing experience, and Granny tried her hardest to convince Ruby to go home as well, but she refused to leave Shae's side. Belle stayed with her, and so did Mother Superior, who kept casting her spell again and again every time the vampire woke.

Belle and Ruby both watched as Mother Superior once again waved her wand over Shae's body, freezing it in place. Belle glanced over at her friend, whose eyes were still red and puffy from crying. They were both immensely exhausted, but they continued to wait for Ariel to return, hanging on to hope that she would actually be able to find Regina.

Ruby had finally fallen asleep in her chair, and Belle's own eyelids were growing heavier and heavier by the second. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her head bobbed heavily into her chest.

"Ariel!" Mother Superior suddenly exclaimed.

Belle's eyes snapped open, and she gasped when she saw the young mermaid standing in the doorway. She urgently shook Ruby's shoulder, and the she-wolf snapped awake as well. They both rose to their feet, staring wide eyed at Ariel.

"W-Well? Did you find Regina?" Ruby asked her.

"I did." Ariel said, a wide and determined smile on her face. "I know what we have to do."

XXXXX

"Shae? SHAE!"

The sounds of battle rang hollow in The Evil Queen's ears as she stared helplessly down at the woman she loved, who was screaming and writhing in pain. Her body convulsed violently, the bite marks in her shoulder sizzling and smoking, emitting a sickly green pus. She placed a shaky hand on Shae's forehead, and gasped when she found her normally icy cold skin was suddenly on fire, sweat beading on her forehead.

"Regina! Are you alright? What's going-" Remus started to ask as he rushed over to her. He stopped dead when he saw his friend lying on the ground, howling in pain. "Oh no… No, no, no…"

He fell to his knees on Shae's other side, his blood red eyes wide, his mouth gaping open in horror. Regina gripped his arm tight, her eyes welling with panicked tears.

"S-She was bitten!" The Queen stammered. "Remus… Remus what do we do?"

"NOOO!"

Remus and The Queen both jumped when a sudden strangled cry of horror rang out across the battlefield. Aela was kneeling next to her husband's lifeless body, staring with wide eyes at his severed head lying a few feet away. She then snapped her head up, and her lips curled into a fearsome, enraged snarl, her eyes full of pure malice as she stared at Regina and Remus.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" She screamed at them.

Aela leapt to her feet, and sprinted straight toward them. Remus leapt up as well, and threw out his arm, sending the she-wolf careening backward.

"GO! Get her back to the castle!" Remus commanded to The Queen.

Regina watched for a moment as Remus drew his sword, and rushed off to face Aela once again. She then placed her hands on Shae's chest, engulfing them both in a column of purple smoke, reappearing with Shae in tow on the floor of her own bedchamber. Shae's agonized screams had finally stopped, turning in to grunts and groans of pain, and her body continuing to shake as the sickly green poison spread through her veins.

Regina held her quivering hands out over the bite marks on Shae's shoulder, attempting to heal them using her magic, but nothing happening. She choked out a terrified sob, panicked tears streaming down her face. She spotted a cloud of blood red smoke from the corner of her eye, and she glanced up just in time to see Remus appearing on Shae's other side.

"God damn bloody she devil!" He snarled, clutching the deep claw marks that were gouged into his chest.

"Remus, I-I can't heal her." Regina said as she stared up at him through wide, panicked eyes. "What… What do we do? WHAT DO WE DO?"

The Queen began to sob again, and Remus hurried over to her. He grabbed on to her arms, and pulled her to her feet, staring very seriously into her eyes.

"Regina, I need you to stay calm." He told her in a quiet and even tone. "There's a spell that I know of that I believe will help her, but I need more time. Is there anything you can do to… To stop the poison from spreading?"

Regina thought for a moment, staring silently down at her feet, then nodded hastily. She held her hands out over Shae's body, which slowly began to shimmer with a pale blue light. The groans of pain she was emitting suddenly stopped, and her body froze completely still in its place, her blood red eyes gaping open at the ceiling.

"It's a preservation spell." Regina explained to Remus. "I've… Frozen her body, but I'm not sure how long it will last."

Remus nodded in understanding. "Right, we must move quickly then." He muttered. "When Shae first came to this world, she had a book, an ancient book of spells. I'm assuming she still has it here somewhere, yes?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, it's here."

The Queen hurried over to the bookcase along the far wall, where she kept her most prized and powerful books on magic. She hastily scanned her eyes across the bindings of the books, searching for the one with strange, ancient elven runes on it, ones that only Shae, and apparently Remus, knew how to read. She finally found the small, leather bound tome, and she hastily grabbed it up. She rushed back over to Remus, and gasped in horror when she found him bent over Shae's body, using a dagger to cut long, deep gashes down the length of Shae's arms.

"Don't worry, it's all part of the spell." He told The Queen as he rose to his feet again. "Now, I need a… A vessel of some kind, like a… Goblet, or a chalice."

Regina nodded once again, and rushed over to her vanity, where she found a silver goblet sitting next to the mirror. She dumped the wine that was inside onto the ground and handed both the book and goblet over to Remus. The vampire placed the goblet on the ground behind Shae's head, and Regina watched carefully over his shoulder as he began flipping through the pages of the book.

"Have you done this before?" Regina asked him anxiously.

Remus nodded. "Once."

"Only once?" Regina asked in shock. "Wait a moment… You cast this spell when you tried to save your sister didn't you?"

Remus nodded again, continuing to stare down at the book in his hand. "But… But it didn't work." Regina went on, shaking her head slowly. "Remus, she died!"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, thank you." Remus spat bitterly. "But… But I believe I know where I went wrong last time. Ah! Here it is."

He had finally found the page he was looking for, and he set the book down on the ground next to the goblet. He then pulled the dagger from his belt again, and held his free hand out to The Queen.

"Right, give me your hand." He commanded her.

Regina eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

Remus sighed impatiently. "Did Shae not tell you about what this book is?"

"She said that it was a book of ancient elven magic."

"Yes, that is partly true." Remus replied with a nod. "But, it seems the part she failed to mention is that this is a book of dark magic, blood magic to be specific."

Regina's brow furrowed in confusion. "Blood magic?"

"Yes. It's not commonly practiced here, and it was illegal back in our homeland, but many mages and sorcerers practiced in secret." Remus explained in a grave tone. "Every spell in this book requires a blood sacrifice. Since my blood is not my own, and doesn't actually flow through my veins, I need yours."

"How much of it, exactly?" Regina asked warily.

"Well, normally… All of it." Remus replied with a shrug. "But, I believe if we cast this spell together, we will have enough magical power to only require a small amount of blood. Now, your hand please, Your Majesty."

Regina breathed out an anxious but relenting sigh, holding her palm out to the vampire. Remus nodded, and took her hand in his. Regina drew in a sharp breath as Remus drew his dagger across her hand, blood pooling instantly in the center of her palm. He then picked up the goblet again, and held it underneath The Queen's hand, her blood slowly dripping into it.

"There, that should be enough, I think." Remus announced after a few long moments of anxious waiting.

He set the goblet back down behind Shae's head, and once again took up the book. "Now, I need you to remove your preservation spell."

Regina nodded, and she held her hands out over Shae's body again. The soft, glowing blue light faded away, and she was once again groaning in pain, her body quaking violently as the poison from Van Helsing's bite spread further through her veins. Regina returned to her spot next to Remus, and she placed her hand on his arm. The vampire and The Queen both stared down at Shae for a moment, watching as she continued to writhe and groan in pain. They then exchanged an anxious glance, and they both nodded at each other.

Regina closed her eyes, pushing her magic into Remus's arm as the vampire began to read from the book, chanting in the strange and ancient language that Regina had heard only once before. When she opened her eyes again, Regina gasped in horrified wonder. Her blood from the goblet was rising into the air, hovering over Shae's body in a mist like form. Shae's back suddenly arched, and she cried out in pain as her own blood began streaming out of the gouges in her arms. Shae's blood flowed upward into the mist like cloud above her body, morphing with Regina's, the cloud growing redder and thicker as Remus continued to read.

Suddenly, a pulsewave of magic shot out from the cloud of blood. Regina and Remus both stumbled back a step from the force of the blast, and when they turned their attention back on Shae, they found that she was lying completely still, no longer convulsing from the pain. Regina immediately rushed to her side, kneeling on the ground next to the woman she loved. Shae no longer appeared to be in any pain, and the poison from the werewolf's bite seemed to have stopped spreading. But, Shae was looking even worse than she had before. Her skin was a shade of ghostly pale white, and her cheeks and eye sockets were sunken and sallow, like a corpse that had been dead for days.

"W-What happened?" Regina breathed, staring up at Remus with wide, confused eyes. "What did you do to her?"

"She's been completely drained of blood." Remus answered, kneeling down on Shae's other side. "The poison will no longer spread, for now, but in order to be completely healed… Her blood needs to be replaced."

A wide, hopeful smile slowly spread across Regina's face. "Well, that's easily done! I will have my servants slaughter our largest swine, and-"

"No, not a pig." Remus said quietly, his face suddenly very sad. "I think… I think that's what went wrong last time. My sister, Naida, she… She never fed on humans like Shae and I did, so when I cast the spell on her, I hunted down an elk to replace her blood with. But… The blood of animals isn't nearly as strong as the blood of a human."

The smile immediately disappeared from Regina's face. "So… You're saying she needs to drink human blood." She said in a horrified whisper. "But… Remus, she hasn't had human blood in years! She told me that it's addictive, that it took ages for both of you to rid yourselves of it."

Remus nodded solemnly. "Aye, that it did." He whispered. "But… I'm afraid it's the only way."

Regina bit her lip, staring down at the pale, sunken face of the woman she loved. She then sighed, holding out her arm to Remus. "Do it."

Remus nodded, and once again removed his dagger from his belt. He carefully took Regina's arm, and The Queen winced in pain as he made a long, deep cut across her wrist. Remus pried Shae's mouth open, and Regina held her bleeding wrist over Shae's lips. As soon as Regina's blood dripped onto Shae's tongue, the vampire's eyes shot open, and she drew in a great shuddering gasp.

"R-Regina?" She whispered weakly. "What… What's happen… I-I don't…"

"Shh, hush my love." Regina said soothingly, gently caressing her lover's cheek with her free, unbloodied hand. "Please, you… You need to drink."

She held her bleeding wrist out in front of Shae once again, and at the sight of the blood, Shae's eyes suddenly grew wide. Regina gasped as Shae reached out and grabbed her arm, clamping her mouth around the cut on her wrist. The Queen cried out in pain as Shae began to suck the blood out of her body, and Remus watched anxiously, his blood red eyes shifting back and forth from his friend to The Queen. Regina could feel the blood draining through her wrist, and she started to grow lightheaded. The edges of her vision started to grow blacker and blacker, her body growing weaker as Shae continued to drink.

"Shae! Shae, that's enough!" Remus shouted, wrenching Regina's arm from Shae's grasp. "Regina? REGINA!"

Regina fell sideways onto the ground, and the last thing she saw was Shae's back arching, her eyes glowing a bright, burning red as her veins pulsed with her blood. Then, everything went black.

XX

The Evil Queen groaned, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She suddenly realized that she was lying in her own bed, staring up at the ceiling of her own bedchamber. She sat forward, groaning again as her head pounded painfully.

"Oi! Easy now, you don't want to knock yourself out again."

Regina turned her head to the side, and found Remus sitting in a chair next to her bed. "W-What happened?" Regina asked him, squeezing her eyes shut as the world spun around her. "Where… Where's Shae?"

"Don't worry, she's right where we left her." Remus replied with a smile. "She's unconscious again, but otherwise alright."

Regina's eyes widened, a slow smile creeping across her face. "So… We did it?"

Remus smiled back at her, and nodded. "Yes, I believe we did. We saved her."

Regina's smile broadened, and Remus helped her out of her bed. He guided her over to where Shae was still lying on the ground, her eyes closed, her body still. Regina knelt down next to her once again, and relieved and joyous tears welled into her eyes. The bite marks on Shae's shoulder had completely disappeared, and her skin was once again it's normal pale gray color, her cheeks and eye sockets full once again.

Regina breathed out a shocked and relieved laugh, placing a shaky hand on her lover's cheek, finding that her skin was once again as cold as ever before. She leaned forward, placing a soft and tender kiss on Shae's forehead. When she pulled away, Shae's eyes suddenly fluttered open. Regina gasped as she felt hands grabbing at her arms, and she was pulled onto her feet, dragged away from the woman she loved.

"What the hell are you doing?" Regina demanded furiously, whirling around to face Remus.

"Regina, please, you need to be careful." Remus told her in a low voice, eyeing Shae warily. "She hasn't had human blood in ages, I don't know how she's going to react. She… She might try to hurt you."

"No, she won't. She won't hurt me." Regina replied determinedly.

She turned back to Shae, who was now sitting up, staring dazedly all around her. Regina slowly walked over to her, kneeling down at her side.

"Shae?" She asked carefully. "Shae, are you alright?"

Shae finally turned her blood red eyes onto The Queen, and they grew wide with shock, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Regina!" She exclaimed.

Regina laughed, throwing her arms around the woman she loved, holding her tight. She kissed her, relieved and grateful tears leaking out of her eyes. Suddenly, Shae's body went rigid, and she let out a soft, strangled groan against Regina's lips. Regina pulled away, staring into her lover's eyes. She gasped as Shae suddenly scrambled backward away from her, her blood red eyes wide with fear.

"W-What is this?" She asked as she staggered to her feet. "What have you done to me?"

"Shae, just stay calm, alright?" Remus told her gently. "You were bitten, but we were able to save you."

Shae stared wide eyed at her old, dear friend, her mouth gaping open in shock. "You… You gave me human blood, didn't you?"

Remus and Regina exchanged a worried glance, and Shae groaned again, vigorously shaking her head. "Oh no… No, no, no… Oh god, I can feel it…"

"Shae, it's alright." Regina said quietly, taking a step toward her.

"NO!" Shae shouted, staggering backward into the wall, covering her nose and mouth with her hand. "Regina, stay back, stay away! You… Your smell… I can… AUGH!"

Shae suddenly collapsed to her knees, clutching her head in her hands. Regina rushed toward her in alarm, but Remus grabbed her arm, pulling her back. When Shae raised her head again, Regina and Remus both gasped. Her eyes were glowing bright red, her lips curled into a fierce, terrifying snarl. Her face was no longer the face of the woman that Regina loved, it was now something else, something sinister and terrifying.

Remus shoved The Queen roughly backward as Shae charged at her, her body a hazy black blur. Remus threw himself at his friend, tackling her bodily to the ground. Shae roared and snarled viciously as the two vampires rolled around on the ground, tousling violently.

"Get off me!" Shae screamed at her friend. "I need it… I NEED IT!"

Regina had gotten back to her feet just as Shae managed to shove Remus off of her. She cried out in alarm as Shae rushed at her once again, and the vampire grabbed her by her throat, slamming her against the wall. Shae leaned in toward her neck, large, sharp fangs protruding from her lips.

"NO!"

Shae was torn away from her, and Remus sent her hurtling across the room. She slammed into the far wall, and crashed down to the ground. Remus stood between Shae and Regina as Shae groaned in pain, and slowly pushed herself up onto her knees. Her eyes were no longer glowing red, and she stared down at her own two hands in utter shock.

"Oh god…" She whispered, staring up at them, her eyes filled with horror. "Regina… I-Im so sorry… I… I couldn't stop myself… I… GAH!"

Shae clutched her head again, her face twisting as she struggled to remain in control of her bloodlust. Regina gasped as her eyes began to glow again, and she rose slowly to her feet, staring at The Queen with a fierce, hungry snarl. Remus bent his knees, readying himself for another attack, but Shae's eyes faded again, and she stumbled backwards.

"Shae… Shae are you-" Regina started to say.

There was another black, blur of motion, and Shae was suddenly gone. Regina and Remus turned just in time to see her leaping over the side of balcony attached to Regina's bedchamber. They both gasped, exchanging a horrified glance. They ran over to the balcony, watching as a rushing black blur sped away from the castle and toward the forest.

"W-Where is she going?" Regina asked Remus, her eyes wide with horror.

"I… Don't know." Remus replied slowly. "But… The whole kingdom is in danger with her running around out there. She's… She's in a total frenzy… I have to help her!"

Regina nodded, grabbing the vampire's arm urgently. "Go. Help her, and bring her back to me."

Remus nodded back determinedly. "I will, I swear it."

With that, Remus leapt over the railing of the balcony, and The Queen watched as he fell, landing hard on his feet at the base of her castle. He disappeared in a rushing black blur, and he hurried off after his friend, the woman that The Evil Queen loved with all her heart.

XXXXX

Belle, Ariel, and Ruby all stood around Shae's hospital bed, staring down at the once again unconscious vampire. After Ariel had told them everything Regina had said, they immediately summoned Dr. Whale. Through science and use of machinery, Whale was able to drain Shae completely of her blood, just as Regina had instructed. After that, the doctor performed a complete transfusion, hooking Shae up to more machines and replacing her blood with that of various bags of human blood that had been stored at the hospital. After the transfusion was complete, they were amazed to find that the bite marks in Shae's arm had disappeared, along with the sickly green poison that had been spreading through her veins. It had worked. They had saved the vampire that had saved Storybrooke.

When Shae finally began to stir, Ariel suddenly grabbed onto both Belle and Ruby's arms. "We have to get out of here." She told them seriously.

"What? Why?" Belle asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Regina said that last time Shae sort of… Changed, after she had human blood." Ariel explained hastily. "She went into a… A frenzy, attacked Regina. Her friend Remus was able to help her, but he was a vampire too."

The three women exchanged a worried glance, and Shae's eyes fluttered open. "You guys go, I'll be fine." Ruby said to the other two. "I'm a werewolf, my blood is toxic to her. She won't hurt me."

Belle and Ariel both nodded, and hurried from the room, closing the door behind them. They waited anxiously, pressing their ears to the door. They both smiled excitedly when they heard Shae's voice, and then Ruby's. When they suddenly began to hear sounds of shouting, they both furrowed their brows in confusion. They gasped in alarm when they heard a scream, and the sound of glass shattering. They threw the door open again, and rushed back into the room. Broken glass littered the floor, a cool breeze blowing into the room from the shattered window. Ruby was standing against the wall, her eyes wide with shock, her chest heaving, and Shae was nowhere to be seen.

"Ruby? What happened?" Belle asked her friend urgently.

Ruby shook her head slowly, her eyes still wide as saucers. "Y-You were right, Shae she… She freaked out, went crazy!" She said shakily. "Then she… Jumped out the window and took off. She's… She's gone!"

The three women exchanged a frightened glance, staring out of the broken window. "W-What do we do?" Ariel asked them.

"I… I don't know." Ruby replied quietly. "But… We gotta warn the town! If Shae is going through some sort of… Blood frenzy, then everyone is in danger… Again."

"No! Shae wouldn't hurt anyone… Would she?" Belle asked, a bit uncertainly.

Ruby shook her head again, staring at Belle and Ariel with grave and serious eyes. "You didn't see her, she's… She's not herself." She then turned to Belle, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are those silver bullets from Greg and Tamara still at Gold's shop?"

Belle nodded. "Yes, I think so."

Ruby nodded back, and sighed heavily, staring sadly out into the night through the shattered window. "Good, we're going to need them. Just in case."

XX