CHAPTER 9
"HOLD ON!"
The crew of The Jolly Roger all grabbed on to the nearest steady surface that they could find, bracing themselves as Captain Hook started the ship's descent through the air, and into the Storybrooke harbor. The wooden planks beneath their feet shook violently as The Jolly Roger broke through the magical cloaking shield around the town. They plunged ever downward, and the ship jostled wildly as it crashed into the middle of the water.
Regina lost her balance as the ship lurched, and she stumbled sideways into Tinkerbell. Tink grabbed on to the back of Emma's jacket as she fell, and Emma pulled her mother down with her. David attempted to catch his wife, only to stumble forward, tripping over the women that had crashed to the ground. They lie in a tangled mess of limbs, groaning and grumbling in pain.
"Everyone alright?" Asked Hook as he grabbed on to the wheel of his ship, pulling himself to his feet.
"I don't suppose you could have made the landing any smoother?" Regina grumbled as she got to her feet, a bit unsteadily.
"Come now, love, where's the fun in that?" Hook replied with a grin.
Regina rolled her eyes at the pirate, brushing off the front of her pants and jacket. She glanced all around her as the others staggered to their feet, and spotted her son standing by the edge of the ship, gazing across the water at the docks of Storybrooke.
"We did it, Henry." She said as she joined him, placing her arm gently around his shoulders. "We're home."
Henry smiled up at her, and Regina smiled back, gently ruffling her son's hair. Hook turned the ship toward the harbor, and they all watched as a crowd of their friends and loved ones began gathering at the edge of the docks. Regina's heart began to race, her eyes scanning the crowd frantically, searching for the woman she loved. The last she heard, Shae had been bitten by the werewolf Aela. She had given the mermaid Ariel instructions about how to save her, but the young mermaid never returned to Neverland. She had no idea if Shae was even still alive, and she grew more and more anxious when she didn't spot her among the crowd.
The crowd clapped and cheered as the crew of The Jolly Roger descended down the gangplank. As the others were greeted with hugs and handshakes from their friends and families, Regina continued to search the crowd for Shae. When she still didn't see her anywhere, she began looking for Ariel, or Belle, or even Ruby, anyone who might be able to give her some news about the woman she loved. Finally, she spotted Belle among the crowd, sharing a tearful embrace with Mr. Gold.
"I knew I'd see you again." Belle was telling the man she loved.
"That's the last time I don't listen to you." Gold replied with a smile.
"Belle!" Regina said as she rushed over to them, her heart racing wildly. "Belle, where's Shae? Is she alright?"
"Yes, yes she's fine, she's alright." Belle replied in a rush. "Or… At least, I-I think she is."
The hopeful smile that had crept across Regina's face suddenly disappeared. "What do you mean, 'you think?'"
Belle exchanged a quick, anxious glance with Mr. Gold, who was looking concerned. "Well, w-we saved her from the werewolf bite, did everything you told Ariel to do." Belle answered quickly. "But… Afterwards she sort of… Went into a frenzy, like you said she might. She… Attacked Ruby, and then ran off into the woods. But… But that was days ago. I'm sorry but… No one has seen her since then."
Regina nodded slowly, biting her lip as tears began to well into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Regina." Belle said sadly, gently taking Regina's hand. "When I saw the ship coming in, I asked Ruby to go search the woods for her again. Maybe… Maybe she'll find her."
Regina nodded again, smiling weakly at the young woman. She removed her hand from Belle's, and turned away from her and Gold, walking slowly back over to the ship. She kept her back turned away from the crowd as she fought back her tears. She was immensely relieved to learn that Shae was indeed alive, but her heart ached terribly with her absence. All around her families and friends were sharing joyous reunions, and the one person that would actually be happy to see her, the one person she had thought about every day in Neverland, wasn't there to greet her.
"Honestly, there were a few times that I didn't think we'd ever make it out of that place." Emma was saying to Granny and the seven dwarves.
"Yeah, I'll say." David agreed with a chuckle.
"All that matters is that we did make it out, and that Henry is safe." Mary Margaret said. "And we owe it all to Regina."
The crowd began muttering in astonishment, and Regina turned around, finding Mary Margaret smiling warmly at her. Regina furrowed her brow, biting her lip anxiously when all eyes turned onto her.
"Seriously?" Leroy asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically at Mary Margaret.
"It's true." Emma replied with a nod. "Regina was the one that stopped Pan, and she bound his shadow to the sail. If it wasn't for her… We wouldn't have had a way home."
"She was a real hero." Said David, also smiling at Regina.
The crowd began murmuring again, their eyes filled with awe and wonder at learning that the once terrifying Evil Queen had suddenly become a hero. Regina bit her lip again, all the attention and open praise making her anxious. She turned to walk away, but was stopped by Emma, who grabbed her by the arm.
"Hey! Have you heard anything about Shae?" Emma asked her, looking concerned. "Is… Is she alright?"
"She's fine." Regina answered with a small smile. "Belle told me that they were able to save her from the werewolf bite, but she's… Been missing for days, apparently. Ruby is out looking for her right now."
Emma nodded, looking slightly relieved. "I'm sorry, Regina. I… I know you were really looking forward to seeing her."
"Yes… Yes, I was." Regina replied quietly, smiling sadly.
"I'm sure Ruby will find her." Emma said in a hopeful tone. "She's a great tracker, I'm sure she'll-"
"Hey!"
Emma and Regina both turned around, and found Ruby herself hurrying toward them, as if she had been summoned by Emma's very words. She exchanged a quick and excited hug with Emma, and Regina glanced over their shoulders, searching for Shae. Her heart sunk when she realized that Ruby had come back alone.
"Ruby, did you find Shae?" Regina asked her worriedly. "I-Is she alright?"
Ruby shook her head, her eyes immensely sad. "I'm sorry, Regina. I tracked her scent for a while but I lost it. I… I don't think she wants to be found just yet."
Regina nodded, giving the young she-wolf a small smile. "I see. Thank you… For looking, and for saving her. I am… Relieved to know that she's alright."
Ruby exchanged a sorrowful glance with Emma, and Regina turned away before either of them could say anymore. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting down hard on her bottom lip as tears began leaking out of her eyes. She knew that Shae was only trying to protect the people of Storybrooke from her own blood lust, but she so desperately wanted to see her. All she wanted was to be back in the arms of her true love.
The crowd eventually dispersed, and the people who had just returned from Neverland retreated to their homes for some much needed rest. A little while later, they reconvened at Granny's Diner, where a welcome back party was being thrown in their honor. Regina was reluctant to attend, her heart still heavy with Shae's absence, but she decided it would be best to go, for Henry's sake alone.
Regina was forced to watch as Rumplestiltskin and Belle clung to each other's hands, and Wendy was once again reunited with her brothers after many, many years apart. Even Tinkerbell had her own rather icy reunion with Mother Superior, aka The Blue Fairy, who had once been her mentor. In attempt to further reconcile with Tink, Regina attempted to convince Mother Superior to give Tink her wings back, but Mother Superior insisted that she couldn't. Regina bought the former fairy a drink, and the two sat at the counter together, both feeling quite miserable.
After having to watch Mr. Gold kiss the woman he loved for the umpteenth time, Regina had finally had enough. She got up from the counter, grabbed her jacket from the coat rack, and quickly and quietly stepped out of the diner. She started down the sidewalk away from the diner, clenching her fists inside the pockets of her coat as more tears began welling in her eyes.
"Hey! Regina, wait!"
Regina stopped, and turned slowly around to find Emma hurrying after her. "Hey, you ok?" Emma asked her concernedly.
Regina nodded, giving her a small smile. "I'm… I'm fine. I just think it's time for me to go home."
Emma sighed sadly. "Regina I… I'm sorry Shae's not here. I'd really like to see her too, but… But she's just trying to keep everyone safe, you know?"
"Yes, I know." Regina replied. "The same thing happened the last time she was bitten. The human blood, it was… Too much for her to handle. She disappeared into the woods for days."
"Regina…" Emma suddenly muttered, staring wide eyed over Regina's shoulder.
Regina, however, didn't notice, and continued talking as she stared down at the ground. "The last time she had Remus to help her through the bloodlust, but here she's… Alone. I don't know how-"
"Regina!"
"What?" Regina demanded irritably.
She finally noticed Emma gazing at something over her shoulder, and when she turned around, she gasped. Walking down the sidewalk toward them, with her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, and a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth, was Shae. She appeared to be deep in thought, her eyes focused down on the ground. When she finally glanced up, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her cigarette fell out of her mouth and onto the sidewalk as her mouth gaped open in shock.
"Regina?" She breathed, her blood red eyes wide as saucers.
Regina nodded silently, and Shae's pale face lit up with pure joy. "Regina!"
Emma drew back a step, watching with a wide smile on her face as Shae broke into a run. Regina choked out a sob as Shae swept her up into her arms, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her neck, gently squeezing a fistful of the hair on the back of Shae's head, sobbing with shocked and greatful joy.
"Oh my god…" Shae breathed, her own eyes shining with tears. "Are you really here? I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Regina laughed, placing her hands gently on either side of Shae's face. "You don't sleep. How could you be?"
Shae laughed too. "You're right. You're here, you're actually here!"
Regina nodded, and Emma turned away respectfully as Shae kissed her. Regina sighed contentedly, more tears of joy leaking out of her eyes. The entire rest of the world melted away as the two lovers kissed. For a moment, nothing else existed, nothing else mattered except for the two of them. They were finally back in each other's loving arms once again.
"Oh god… Regina, I missed you so much." Shae whispered when they broke apart, pressing her forehead to Regina's.
"I missed you too." Regina whispered back, gently caressing her lover's face.
Shae then finally noticed Emma, and her face lit up once again. "Emma! Hey!"
Emma laughed as Shae rushed over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're ok!" Emma said as she hugged the vampire. She then stepped back, looking Shae up and down. "You are ok, right? I mean, you look ok."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I promise." Shae replied with a smile.
"Hey, Emma, is everything ok? I heard-" Ruby started to say as she poked her head out of the diner's door. She stopped when she saw Shae, and she gasped audibly. "Shae!"
Ruby ran toward her, and Shae laughed as she threw herself into her arms. As Shae hugged Ruby tight, Belle stepped out of the diner, following her friend, and her face lit up with joy.
"Hey! You guys, Shae's back!" Belle called through the open door.
Belle gave Shae a tight and grateful hug as Leroy and his fellow dwarves rushed out of the diner. "There she is! The town hero!" Leroy exclaimed excitedly.
Shae was quickly lost from Regina's sight as more people flooded out of the diner, rushing to greet the vampire that had saved all their lives. Shae was bombarded with hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back by the dwarves, Ariel, Granny, Mary Margaret and David, and even Neal.
"Neal! Holy shit, you're alive!" Shae exclaimed as she hugged him.
"Eh, it takes more than a bullet and a portal to another world to kill me." Neal replied with a grin.
Shae laughed, her eyes wide with surprise. "Damn, I guess so!"
"Shae! Good to see you alive and well." Said Mr. Gold, shaking Shae's hand as he joined the group. "It appears I owe you my thanks."
Gold smiled affectionately at Belle, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Belle told me all about how you sacrificed your own life to save her. I will be forever in your debt."
Shae exchanged an anxious glance with Belle, and gave a modest shrug. "Uh, well, it really wasn't that big a deal, you know?"
Belle laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Shae, you threw yourself in front of a giant, rampaging werewolf for me."
"It was definitely a big deal." Leroy said, lightly punching Shae's arm.
"Indeed. No need to be modest, dearie." Gold said with a warm smile. "Please, if you ever need anything, you only have but to ask."
"Come on, I owe you a drink, sister." Leroy said, grinning up at the vampire.
"We all do!" Said Happy, patting Shae on the back once again.
"Seven drinks, huh? I'm holding you guys to that." Shae replied, grinning back at them. She then noticed Regina, who had stepped back as the others all greeted their vampire savior. "I'll uh… I'll be right in."
The group gathered out on the sidewalk all turned away, returning to the diner as Shae pulled Regina into her arms again, kissing her in a way that would make even the most stoic of people blush. Regina smiled against her lover's lips, wrapping her arms tightly around her. They stood there on the sidewalk together for a long moment, not caring if anyone was watching. They were too happy to care, too grateful to be back together again.
Regina and Shae finally broke away from their passionate embrace, and followed after everyone else, into Granny's Diner. Once inside, they sat around a table with Emma, her parents, and Neal. Shae was given seven glasses of whiskey by the dwarves, as promised, which she decided to share with everyone else, rather than drink them all herself.
"Oh! Uh, here, you can definitely have this back." Shae suddenly said, sliding the Sheriff's badge she had been carrying around across the table to Emma. "I do not want it any more. Damn thing almost killed me."
They all laughed as Shae eyed the badge warily. They talked and drank merrily, sharing stories about what had happened in Storybrooke and Neverland in the past few weeks. As they talked, Shae draped her arm around Regina's shoulders, and Regina intertwined her fingers with Shae's, stealing kisses from her whenever possible.
"What is it?" Regina asked her lover when she noticed Shae staring at her.
"Nothing, it's just…" Shae began, smiling down at her. "I've been dreaming about seeing that smile again for weeks."
Regina smiled, the very smile that made Shae's unbeating heart flutter. She tilted her head up, gently placing her hand on Shae's cheek as she kissed her.
"Jesus, and I thought these two were bad." Emma muttered, rolling her eyes and pointing her thumb over at her parents.
Everyone at the table broke out in laughter once again when Shae slowly raised up her middle finger, her lips still locked with Regina's. They sat around the table, sharing drinks and stories for a long while. The smile on Shae's face grew wider and wider as Neal, Emma, and her parents recounted to her all the things that had happened in Neverland, and all the things Regina had done to save their lives. Regina was grateful when they finally changed the subject, all the attention once again making her anxious. She grew even more so when she noticed that Shae had suddenly gone strangely quiet, and she kept catching her lover staring down at her, every time chewing on her lip ring the way she often did when she was nervous.
"Shae, are you alright?" Regina finally asked when the others began talking amongst themselves. "You're awfully quiet."
Shae didn't respond right away. She stared down at Regina, nervously chewing on her lip ring once again. "Um, yeah, I-I just…" She finally responded in an anxious stammer. "I need to… I need to talk to you, in uh… In private. Come on."
Regina's brow furrowed in concern as Shae rose from her chair. The Charmings, Emma, and Neal all gave her a puzzled look, and Regina shrugged at them, hurrying after Shae as the vampire pushed through the crowd toward the back of the diner. Regina's heart began hammering hard in her chest as Shae led her out of the diner's back door and into Granny's Bed and Breakfast. In all the years she had known Shae, she had never seen her in such an anxious and agitated state. Something must be very wrong.
"Shae, what is wrong?" Regina demanded as they stopped in the dark and empty common area of the hotel. "You're acting very-"
Her words were cut off as Shae took her into her arms, kissing her lips once again. Regina sighed, instantly melting in her lover's arms as she kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that left her breathless, the kind that set her heart racing. When Shae finally pulled away, Regina swayed on her feet slightly, the room spinning all around her.
Shae sighed heavily, smiling as she pressed her forehead to Regina's. "God, I missed you so much." She whispered. "These last few weeks without you have been… Just… The fucking worst."
Regina laughed, nodding in agreement. "I definitely have to agree. I never want to do it again."
Shae suddenly stared deep into her eyes, a strange sort of smile on her face. "Good. I don't either."
Shae leaned in, kissing her gently once again. Regina breathed out a contented sigh, and she wrapped her arms around Shae's neck. Her brow furrowed, and pulled back slightly when she felt Shae's lips trembling beneath her's.
"Shae… Are you alright?" Regina asked her worriedly. "You're shaking."
Shae glanced down at her quivering hands, nodding hastily. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I… I just… Um…"
Shae sighed, gently taking Regina's hands in both of her's. "Regina… I…" She began quietly. "I-I'm… So glad to hear about all the things you did in Neverland. I'm so happy that you're actually going down the path to real change."
Regina smiled up at her. "Yes it… It seems we both are."
Shae smiled back, and laughed lightly. "Yeah… Yeah I guess we're both turning into sort of… Heroes, or something. I dunno… It… It kinda feels nice, doesn't it?"
Regina nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes, it… It really does."
Shae nodded too, then gently caressed Regina's cheek with her cold, pale hand. "I just… I want to keep going down that path with you." She went on, smiling tenderly into her lover's eyes. "Through all the… The twists a-and turns and… Speed bumps, potholes, or… Or, whatever, you know? I-I want to… To be by your side, through all of it."
Regina's brow furrowed again as she listened to Shae's heartfelt but anxious stammering. "Oh, Shae…" She whispered, gently and soothingly rubbing her arm. "Shae, that's… That's all I want too."
Shae nodded in a satisfied sort of way, and smiled at her again. "Good. Cuz, uh… There's… There's something I want to ask you."
Regina watched curiously as Shae removed the ring that she wore from her own finger, holding it between both her thumbs and forefingers. Shae had always worn it for as long as Regina could remember. It had a thick, silver band, with some sort of strange symbol etched into both sides. The stone itself was rather large, round, smooth, and black as the night sky.
"I-I know it's not a… A diamond, so it's not exactly, y-you know… Traditional." Shae said, stammering awkwardly again as she stared down at the ring in her hands. "But, uh… Well, we've never exactly been a traditional sort of couple, so, uh-"
"Shae…" Regina breathed, her eyes wide. "W-What… What are you saying?"
Shae finally glanced up from the ring and into Regina's eyes. She smiled again, and Regina gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth as Shae dropped down onto one knee. Shae gently took her hand, holding the ring up in the other. For a moment, the room around them seemed to disappear, fading away hazily into the background. All Regina saw was her true love, on one knee before her. Shae smiled up at her, and tears began to well into Regina's eyes, her heart racing wildly.
"Regina… Will you-"
"Hey, guys, Archie made a cake, do you want me to- Oh!"
The intensity of their romantic moment was suddenly and rudely broken. Shae and Regina both snapped their heads to the side, finding a very surprised Mary Margaret standing in the doorway. There was a long moment of impossibly awkward silence as Mary Margaret stood rooted in her spot, both her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers. Regina stood with her hand over her mouth too, unable to move, unable to do or say anything. She stared wide eyed down at Shae, whose mouth was gaped open in horrified shock. She stared silently down at the ring in her hand, then up at Regina, then at Mary Margaret again.
"Dude!" Shae cried. "GET OUT!"
"Oh my god! Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Mary Margaret exclaimed frantically as she scurried away.
"Jesus fucking christ…" Shae muttered, hanging her head and shaking it slowly in disbelief. She then cleared her throat, picking her head back up and turning her eyes back onto Regina. "Anyway-"
"Yes." Regina whispered.
"Huh?"
"Yes!"
"Oh! Uh… R-Really?"
"Yes, yes of course!"
Shae's pale, red eyed face lit up with pure joy. She leapt to her feet and pulled Regina into her arms, kissing her deeply and ecstatically. Regina smiled as Shae kissed her, her heart fluttering with impossible joy. Tears began to leak out of her eyes as they kissed, her head spinning.
"Uh… Marry me?" Shae asked, finally finishing her question as she pulled back slightly.
Regina gasped in apparent shock. "Oh! Oh, is that what you meant?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at her lover. "Well, in that case, I'm not sure, I suppose I'll have to think about it…"
At the absolutely mortified look on Shae's face, Regina burst into laughter. "Kidding, I'm kidding!" She cried, placing a quick kiss on Shae's lips. "Of course I'll marry you!"
Regina laughed again as Shae narrowed her eyes at her, pouting her lips slightly. "That wasn't funny…" She mumbled irritably.
Shae continued to look upset for a moment, but she then laughed as well. She smiled as she pressed her forehead to Regina's, gently slipping the ring onto her finger. Regina sighed, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck as she kissed her again, smiling against her lips.
"I love you." Shae whispered to her.
"I love you too." Regina whispered back.
They kissed again, wrapping their arms tightly around each other. They stood together in silence for a long while, their surroundings once again fading into the background as they kissed. Their hearts soared with their deep and unyielding love for each other, and neither one of them could remember a time when they had been happier.
"Well, I think that was probably the most awkward proposal in the history of ever." Shae said with a chuckle once they finally pulled away.
Regina laughed, placing a light kiss on her lips. "It was perfect." She said, smiling into her fiancee's eyes. "Well… Except for the Mary Margaret part."
Shae laughed too, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "Yeah… That was not great."
Regina placed one more kiss on her lips, then took Shae's hand. "Come on, let's go tell Henry."
Shae nodded, lacing her fingers in with Regina's as they walked back toward the diner. Shae smiled at the woman she loved so very deeply. She had made the decision to propose to Regina quite suddenly, and she had been filled with worry that she might say no. She was immensely relieved that she had said yes, and she was so incredibly happy to start a new chapter in their lives. There was a time when Shae had thought that finding actual true love was impossible for someone like her, that Nadia had been her one chance. She now knew that it wasn't impossible. She had finally found her true love, and was prepared to spend the entirety of her life by Regina's side, no matter how long that may be.
Shae pushed open the door leading back into the diner. They walked down the hallway hand in hand, but suddenly stopped dead. The diner was dead silent, and every single eye in the room was on the two of them
"Well?" Mary Margaret asked excitedly.
Regina exchanged a glance with Shae, who gave her a shrug. She then sighed, rolling her eyes. The crowd cheered and applauded when Regina held up her hand, pointing at the ring on her finger. Shae and Regina were both lost from each other's sight as they were rushed by the crowd. The next few minutes were a blur of hugs, handshakes, and congratulatory exclamations, and Regina was shocked when she received a hug from each of the seven dwarves. She glanced over at Shae, who was looking just as baffled as she was as Granny threw her arms around her, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"So, when's the wedding?" Mary Margaret asked them with an excited smile.
"Oh, it's tomorrow, actually." Shae replied with an earnest nod. "We're gonna have it right here in the diner. Lasagna cool with everyone?"
Regina and Shae both laughed at the appalled look on Mary Margaret's face. "Kidding, I'm kidding!" Shae reassured her. "We've been engaged for literally five minutes, ok? Chill."
Mary Margaret rolled her eyes at Shae, causing her and Regina to laugh again. Regina's smile faded as Tinkerbell approached them, but it quickly returned as the former fairy gave her a tight, congratulatory hug.
"I'm so happy for you, Regina." Tink said, smiling warmly at both her and Shae. "For both of you. I'm glad you were able to find true love after all."
"Thank you." Regina said with a surprised but happy smile. "Oh, uh… Tinkerbell, this is Shae. Shae, Tinkerbell."
"Oh, yes, we've met before." Tink replied with a nod.
Shae raised an eyebrow at her. "We… We have?"
Tinkerbell's smile suddenly faded, and she clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide with shock. It looked as if she had just said something terribly wrong.
"Um, a-actually… No… No, I-I don't think so." She stammered hastily. "Must of been, um… S-Someone else."
Shae opened her mouth to question the former fairy more, but closed it again when Tink hurried away from them. She then exchanged a curious glance with her fiancee.
"That was… Weird." She muttered.
"Yes… Very." Regina muttered as well.
Shae and Regina both shrugged off their strange and awkward encounter with Tinkerbell, returning to their seats at the table. The party inside Granny's Diner suddenly had a dual purpose. They all continued to celebrate the return of their friends that had returned from Neverland, but they also celebrated Regina and Shae's sudden engagement, the two of them continuing to receive drinks, hugs, and words of congratulations from the residents of Storybrooke. Regina was able let go of the discomfort from all the attention as she sat next to her fiancee, her arm draped over her shoulders once again. She smiled into her eyes, feeling lighter and happier than she could ever remember.
Shae, however, couldn't quite shake off her strange conversation with the fairy Tinkerbell. She couldn't quite place it, but somehow Tink seemed familiar to her. As she tried to recall exactly how she knew her, she found that her memory was strangely cloudy. Her brow furrowed as she stared across the room at Tinkerbell, who was sitting alone at the counter.
"I'll, uh… I'll be back in a bit." She told Regina, placing a quick kiss on her lips.
Regina nodded, and Shae got up from the table, leaving her fiancee to discuss wedding dresses with a positively gleeful Mary Margaret. When she sat down next to Tinkerbell, the former fairy eyed her warily, taking a large sip of her drink.
"So… It's Tinkerbell, right?" Shae asked, keeping her tone casual.
"Yeah. And you're uh… Oh what was it?" Tinkerbell replied, tapping her finger on her chin as she thought. "Um… Shaun?"
"Shae." Replied Shae, raising an eyebrow at the fairy. "But I'm pretty sure you knew that."
Tink shrugged nonchalantly, taking another sip of her drink. "How could I? I only just met you a few moments ago. Never before that. Ever. Anywhere."
Shae chuckled, shaking her head slowly as Tinkerbell stammered into silence. "You're a terrible liar, you know."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do."
"No, I don't."
Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Look, all I know is that you seem really familiar to me, but when I try and remember why, my memory is all… Fuzzy."
Tink eyed the vampire nervously as she leaned in close. "I know what it's like to have memories erased, and I think someone's erased mine." Shae went on, dropping her voice low. "What I don't know is who would do that, and why… But I'm pretty sure you do."
A tense silence fell between them, and Shae stared at Tinkerbell expectantly. Tink sighed in a relenting sort of way, then glanced nervously over at Regina, who was still sitting at the table, talking with Mary Margaret.
"Not here." Tink whispered to Shae.
Shae nodded, and followed Tinkerbell toward the back of the diner. Tink pushed through the diner's back door, and stopped out in the hallway, turning back to face Shae. She glanced nervously all around her, and once she found that they were alone, she went on in a low, serious tone.
"You're right, your memories were erased." Tink told her slowly. "By… By me."
Shae's blood red eyes grew wide as saucers, and her jaw dropped open in shock. "What? Why? Why would you do that?"
Tink bit her lip nervously. "Because you… You sort of, you know… Asked me to."
Shae's eyes somehow grew even wider. "I… I what?" She exclaimed, her brow furrowed in utter confusion. "Why? What happened? What did I want to forget?"
Tink bit her lip again, and she stared down at her feet. Shae waited with bated breath as the fairy took a long while to respond. When she finally gazed back up at Shae, her eyes were suddenly very sad.
"I really shouldn't tell you." She said in a darkly quiet voice. "If I do, it'll only make things more complicated. For you… And for Regina."
Shae opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again, standing in silent shock over Tinkerbell's words. She gazed out of the tiny window in the diner's back door, staring at the woman she loved sitting at the table. Things had always been complicated between her and Regina, and Shae had a feeling that their relationship would never stop being complicated. She knew that she shouldn't add any more fuel to the fire, but she had to know exactly what kind of memories Tinkerbell had taken from her.
"Just… Just tell me." Shae said sternly, folding her arms across her chest. "What exactly did I want to forget?"
Tinkerbell sighed, taking another long moment to respond. When she finally did, her voice was quiet once again, her eyes again immensely sad.
"Regina. You… Wanted to forget Regina."
Shae's mouth hung open in shock all over again, and she slowly shook her head from side to side. "N-No… I… What?"
Tink nodded slowly. "It was years and years ago, back in The Enchanted Forest." She replied. "I… Used pixie dust to cast a spell, a spell that took you to your true love."
XXXXX
"LET ME OUT OF HERE YOU ASSHOLE!"
Tinkerbell pounded her fists furiously against the glass bottle that she had been trapped inside of. A large man with brown hair and a bushy beard sneered at her as he held the bottle in his hand.
"Quite the temper you've got there, fairy." He said, laughing as Tinkerbell toppled over as he gently shook the bottle.
Tinkerbell had grown tired of constantly being chastised by The Blue Fairy, tired of all her stern and stuffy rules. She had snuck away one night, and decided to spend some time among the common folk of The Enchanted Forest. She had travelled to a small tavern, where she met a group of knights, all with blazing red suns embroidered on their armor. The leader of these knights was fascinated when she told them that she was a fairy, and he listened intently as she told him all about her magic. He and his knights bought her drink after drink as Tink complained about Blue, about how stern and stubborn she was, and about all her insufferable rules. She found the knights to be good company, and she was having a grand time drinking and blowing off steam with them.
After many pints of ale, Tink had begun to feel quite woozy. The last thing she remembered was passing out at the table where she had been sitting with her new knightley friends. When she came to the next morning, she was horrified to find that she had somehow been trapped inside a bottle, completely powerless, being carried through the forest by the very men that she had thought to be her friends.
"Who the hell are you?" Tink demanded as she staggered back to her feet inside the bottle. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Name's Van Helsing." The bearded man replied. "And as far as what I'm going to do… Well, I'm not really sure just yet. Probably should just kill you. You damn fairies are full of dark, foul magic."
"Dark magic? What the hell are you-" Tink started to question, but stopped as she was jostled off her feet again.
Her world was engulfed in darkness as the man called Van Helsing stuffed the bottle into his satchel. Tink scrambled to her feet, beating her fists furiously against the glass again. She gave up after a while, slumping down onto the bottom of the bottle. She was furious with herself, furious at the men that had captured her. She buried her face in her hands, her head aching something terrible.
"Oi! Dog breath!" A woman's voice suddenly shouted.
"YOU!" Van Helsing bellowed.
Tink was thrown forward, her forehead smacking painfully into the glass. Outside her glass prison, she heard the sounds of some sort of fight breaking out. She was jostled about wildly inside the bottle, bouncing painfully against the glass walls as Van Helsing fought his apparent attacker. Tink cried out in shock as she suddenly rose into the air, her back slamming against the top of the bottle, and screamed as she instantly shot back down again.
Her bottle was suddenly still, and she groaned as she pushed herself back to her feet. She could still only see nothing but the darkness of the inside of the satchel, but it seemed that Van Helsing had stopped moving. Tink breathed out a sigh of relief. Maybe he was dead.
"STOP!" She heard Van Helsing shout.
"Finders keepers!" The same woman from before shouted back.
Tink fell backward as the satchel started moving again. Her world was turned topsy turvy as whoever was holding the satchel began running at an alarming speed. Tink bounced wildly around inside the bottle, her head smacking against the walls over and over and over again. She was suddenly thrown forward as whoever held the satchel stopped, her forehead bouncing painfully off the glass once again. She fell to the ground, panting heavily, her head spinning.
"I think that's far enough." Came the woman's voice again. "You alright in there?"
Tink squinted into the sunlight as the satchel was opened, and she threw her arms over her head, bracing herself as the bottle was lifted slowly into the air.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. Here."
There was a loud pop as the bottle was uncorked, and Tink was suddenly pulled backward by an unseen force. She went sailing through the air, and crashed to the ground face first. She groaned painfully, and when she opened her eyes, she realized that she was lying in grass. She breathed out another sigh of relief, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She jumped when she found a strange looking woman standing before her. She was garbed head to toe in black leather armor, with a black travelling cloak draped around her shoulders, an ornate looking sword strapped to her back. She was quite tall, thin, with a short crop of messy, unkempt hair on her head, just as black as her armor. What the fairy found the most strange about this woman, and slightly alarming, was her pale gray skin, and her blood red eyes.
"Are you alright?" The woman asked, holding out a hand to her.
Tinkerbell eyed the strange looking woman warily, silently staring up into her blood red eyes. The woman sighed heavily. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." She insisted again. "If I was, I would have just kept you in that bottle, yeah?"
Tink continued to stare silently at her, but she eventually nodded. The strange woman pulled Tink to her feet as she took her hand, and she smiled warmly at the fairy.
"I'm Shae." The woman said with a nod.
"Tinkerbell." Tink replied, nodding as well. "Um… I-If you don't mind me asking… What… What exactly are you?"
Shae scoffed, seemingly offended. "What is with you people here? What a rude question!"
"Sorry! I'm sorry." Tink replied hastily. "I-I just… I can tell you have magic. A-And you don't seem to be, well… Human."
Shae sighed, running her hand through her messy black hair. "Yes, well, that's likely because I'm not." She answered, a bit irritably. "If you must know, I'm a vampire."
"A… A vampire?" Tinkerbell breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. "That's… That's amazing! I've never met a vampire before!"
"No, most people from this world haven't." Shae replied with a shrug. "It seems my kind aren't very common here."
"Wait… You're from another world?" Tink asked, her eyes growing even wider as Shae nodded. "That's fascinating! What's it like? Your world, I mean."
Shae sighed again. "Look, I'd love to tell you all about it, but I really must be going now. It was nice meeting you, Tinkerbell."
Shae nodded at her, then turned her back on the fairy, walking briskly away from her. Tink stood in silent shock for a moment, but then hurried after her, her head spinning with curiosity about the vampire from another world.
"Wait!" Tink called out, falling into step beside her. "Hold on, if you're a vampire, how are you outside during daylight? Doesn't your kind, you know… Burn up in the sun?"
Shae gave her a quick, sideways glance as she continued walking. "No, no… We haven't been weak to sunlight in centuries. We've… Evolved, since then."
"Oh… Oh I see." Tink muttered. "So… How old are you?"
Shae scoffed again, her mouth gaping open in shock. "How rude! You people are awfully rude. No manners at all."
"Sorry! I-I'm so sorry."
"Fine, it's fine." Shae grumbled in reply. "Now just… Fly on home, fairy. You can still do that, right?"
"Well, yes, but… Shae, wait!" Tink said, grabbing the vampire's arm. "There must be something I can do to repay you. I'm pretty sure you just saved my life."
Shae shrugged unconcernedly. "Yes, well, all in a day's work. Goodbye!"
Tink grabbed Shae by the arm again as she turned to walk away. "Please! There must be something I can do. Anything!"
"Look, I don't need anything from you, alright?" Shae replied heatedly. "That man that captured you, Van Helsing, he hates magic and anyone or anything that has it. When I heard he had captured a fairy I… Well, I had to do something. I don't know what he was planning to do with you, but I imagine it was nothing pleasant."
Shae sighed heavily, her eyes suddenly very sad. "Besides, it… It's sort of… My fault that he's even in this world in the first place." She went on quietly. "I've seen what he does to creatures of magic, and I… I just couldn't sit idly by while he had another in his clutches. So… You don't owe me anything, I promise."
"But I want to!" Tink cried, grabbing Shae's arm again as she once again tried to walk away. "Please, I want to do something to repay you, to… To help you."
Shae sighed irritably, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Gods above… Fine, fine. If it'll get you to leave me be."
Tink waited patiently as the vampire thought, tapping her finger against her chin. Her heart raced with excitement. If she could actually help Shae, and use her pixie dust to do it, she could prove to Blue that she deserved to be a real fairy, that she could finish her training and set out on her own. She could finally do whatever she wanted. She could finally be free.
"Alright, alright, I think I do have something you could do for me." Shae said after a few moments of silence. "I don't suppose you fairies can… Travel between worlds?"
The excited smile faded from Tinkerbell's face. "Oh… You, uh… You want to go back to your world?"
"No, not particularly." Shae replied with a grimace. "When I left, my homeland was being consumed by war, so I have no desire to go back. But… But I left someone behind there, a very dear friend. I would like to… Find him, bring him here, like we had planned from the start."
Tink bit her lip, shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry, but… But I can't travel to other worlds. Fairy magic isn't strong enough for that."
Shae sighed sadly, nodding her head. "I see… Well, it was worth a shot. Thanks anyway."
Tinkerbell watched glumly as Shae turned away from her, once again setting off into the forest. She bit her lip, racking her brain, trying to think of something she could do for the vampire, something that could prove her worth to Blue. She suddenly gasped as an idea sprang into her mind.
"I might not be able to take you to your friend in another world." Tink called out to the vampire. "But I can take you to someone else."
Shae stopped, slowly turning around, eyebrow raised at the fairy. "Who?"
Tinkerbell smiled excitedly. "Your true love!"
Tink continued smiling as Shae gaped silently at her. Her smile then disappeared, turning into a frown as Shae burst into laughter.
"Oh, Tinkerbell, you're funny!" Shae exclaimed, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "You're a very funny fairy."
"I'm not joking!" Tink cried, stomping angrily up to the vampire. "I just learned the spell the other day, and I have some pixie dust left so-"
"Wait, wait… What do you mean you just learned it?" Shae asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
Tink winced, biting her lip anxiously. "Right, so… I have a confession." She replied slowly. "I, um… I'm not actually… A fairy. At least not yet. I-Im still, you know… In training."
Shae burst into laughter again. "Oh my… A novice fairy wants to take me to my true love?" She said through fits of giggles. "This sure is a funny sort of day."
Tink sighed exasperatedly. "Look, I may be a novice but I can make this spell work, I know it!" She said, stomping her foot irritably. "I can use my pixie dust to take you right to your one true love, your soulmate. Don't you want to meet him?"
Shae barked out another laugh. "Well if it's a 'him' then absolutely not!" She replied. "I've never been interested in men. With all the hair, and the body odor, and those… Those… Dangly bits between their legs? Ugh, no thank you!"
"Fine! 'Her,' then!" Cried Tink, throwing up her hands in despair. "Don't you want to find her? Your one true love is out there somewhere, and I can take you to her!"
Shae laughed again, rolling her blood red eyes at Tinkerbell. "Oh, please. Just look at me!" She cried. "I'm a bloody vampire! The creature that I am is dark and evil by nature, and I'm quite sure evil creatures aren't allowed true love. You're wasting your damn time on me."
"You saved my life!" Tink replied insistently. "That doesn't seem very evil to me."
"Yes, well, perhaps I do one good thing every few years, so what?" Shae spat at her. "Doesn't make me any less evil. You don't know the things I've done."
Tink frowned again, biting her lip as she stared down at the ground. "Well… So what? Who says creatures like you can't have true love? Show me the rulebook that says that!"
Tink folded her arms across her chest, nodding stubbornly. Shae raised an eyebrow at her once again, staring at her silently as she contemplated the fairy's request. She then breathed out a defeated sigh, and nodded.
"Fine, go ahead, cast your bloody spell." She muttered bitterly.
Tink's face lit up with excitement. "Really?"
"Yes, yes. If only to prove to you that you're wrong." Shae replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Now get on with it."
Tink nodded hastily, and Shae jumped, bringing her hand up over her eyes as there was a flash of bright green light. Tinkerbell had turned back into her miniscule fairy form, fluttering in the air before the vampire. She reached into the small leather pouch tied to the belt around her waist, and pulled out a handful of pixie dust.
"Ready?" She asked Shae with an excited smile.
Shae rolled her eyes again. "Yes! Go on, get on with it!"
Tink nodded again, and Shae stood rigidly still as Tink fluttered above her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as the fairy sprinkled the pixie dust over her head, and when she opened them again, she gasped, staring down at her own body as it began glowing with a soft green light.
"Now what?" Shae asked, glancing up at Tinkerbell.
"Watch." Tink replied with a grin.
She hovered in the air before Shae, and threw another handful of pixie dust out in front of her. Shae gasped, her red eyes wide with wonder as the dust formed a green, glowing trail, shooting into the air over the trees. It continued on and on, stretching as far as the eye could see through the air.
"W-What the bloody hell is that?" Shae breathed, looking anxious.
Tinkerbell smiled down at her. "That's your happy ending." She replied excitedly. "Come on, let's go find her."
Tink pulled out her wand, and pointed it at Shae. She slowly drew it upward, and Shae gasped again as her body rose into the air.
"Oi! Woah! Wait, stop!" Shae cried out, flailing her limbs as she began to panic. "C-Can't we just, you know… Walk?"
"Walk? No way, that'd take ages!" Tinkerbell replied with a laugh as she and Shae both rose higher and higher into the air. "You don't want to keep your soulmate waiting, do you?"
Shae opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a terrified scream as Tinkerbell shot off along the glowing trail of dust, pulling Shae along with her. They soared over the treetops, following the trail deeper and deeper into the forest. Tinkerbell couldn't believe the spell had actually worked, and she was impossibly happy to be helping someone like Shae find her true love. She knew that if she could help a vampire find her soulmate, then The Blue Fairy would have to acknowledge her skills. She would be a full fledged fairy before long.
"Will you calm the hell down?" Tinkerbell said irritably as Shae continued to scream and cry in fright.
"I DON'T. LIKE. HEIGHTS." Shae shouted back through gritted teeth.
Tinkerbell laughed, shaking her head slowly. "A vampire that's afraid of heights? Now that's something you don't see every day."
"Oi! It's pretty common fear, you know! It's damn near- AAAHHH!"
Shae shrieked again as Tinkerbell plunged downward, following the trail of pixie dust as it stretched over a large castle, shooting down into the forest beyond it. Tink slowed their descent as they broke through the trees, and when Shae's feet touched the ground, she instantly fell on her hands and knees. There was another flash of bright green light as Tink changed back into her human sized form, and she giggled as she watched the trembling vampire.
"Bloody hell… That was awful…" Shae grumbled as she got shakily to her feet. "I'll keep my feet planted firmly on the ground from now on, thank you very much."
"Oh, don't be such a wuss." Tink chided, shoving her arm playfully. "Now, come on. Your true love is this way."
Shae trailed along behind Tinkerbell as she continued following the glowing green trail through the trees. "Where the hell are we, anyway?" She asked, gazing all around her.
Tink shrugged. "Dunno, just outside some castle." She replied, then gasped excitedly. "Maybe your true love is some sort of Queen!"
Shae chuckled, rolling her eyes at the fairy. "Oh, I highly doubt that."
They walked in silence for a little while, and Tink suddenly gasped again, spotting two people in a small clearing a few yards ahead. She grabbed Shae's arm, pulling her hastily behind a tree. They both carefully peered out from behind the trunk, and Shae's eyes grew wide when she saw a woman standing in the clearing, the trail of dust leading right toward her, her entire body glowing with a pale green light. Shae glanced down at her hands, noticing that her own body was still glowing as well.
"My god… It… It actually worked." She breathed in wonder.
Tinkerbell smiled, nodding excitedly. "Come on, let's get closer look."
Shae followed the fairy as she crept closer and closer toward the two people in the clearing. One of them was a very strange looking man. He had shoulder length, sandy brown hair, and was wearing a strange looking coat that looked to be made out of the skin of a crocodile. Shae noticed that there was something very strange about his complexion. His skin was a sort of dark golden color, and it appeared to be sparkling slightly in the sunlight.
Shae froze as a twig snapped beneath her foot, and her and Tinkerbell immediately leapt behind another tree. They pressed their backs against the trunk, staring wide eyed at each other.
"What was that?" The woman in the clearing asked.
"Don't worry yourself about the noises of the forest, dearie." Said the man. "You're getting distracted again. You need to focus!"
"I am focusing!"
"Wait a minute…" Shae suddenly muttered. "I… I know that voice."
She carefully peered around the tree, and her eyes grew even wider as she finally got a better look at her supposed one true love. She was dressed in fine leathers, her raven colored hair tied back in a long braid. Shae pressed her back against the trunk again, her head spinning.
"No… No, no, no… No…" She stammered quietly.
"What is it?" Tink asked, peeking out around the tree to get a better look at the woman herself. She then turned back to Shae, frowning slightly. "Well, I think she's quite pretty!"
"No, it's not that!" Shae replied irritably. "I… I know her."
Tinkerbell's mouth gaped open in shock. "You've… You've met her before?"
Shae nodded slowly, her blood red eyes still wide as saucers. "Her… Her names Regina." She explained quietly. "She was… She was there, the day I came to this world. I literally ran into her as I came through the portal."
Tink gasped, her eyes wide with awe. "Oh my! It… It's fate then! Your true love must be incredibly strong."
Shae shook her head vigorously. "No… No it… It can't be… It… It just can't!"
"Shae, look at me." Tink said sternly, clapping her hands on either side of Shae's face and staring very seriously into her blood red eyes. "Pixie dust doesn't lie. That woman, Regina, she's your one true love, your soulmate. She's your chance at true happiness."
When Shae only continued to stare nervously at her, Tink sighed, releasing the vampire's face. "Look, I don't really know you, but I can tell that there's been a lot of… Darkness in your past, a lot of heartache." She went on slowly. "But Regina… She's your chance at a fresh start! No more baggage, no more sorrow or anger weighing you down. You can let go of all that if… If you just go to her, right now."
Shae bit her lip, staring down at the fairly silently. She then slowly peeked out around the tree again, gazing out at Regina, her one true love. She watched curiously as Regina held out her hand, and stared intently at it, squinting her eyes. Suddenly, a ball of fire appeared in her open palm, and she glanced up at the strange looking man standing before her. She smiled excitedly at him, and when Shae saw her smile, her unbeating heart fluttered wildly. She gasped, turning back around, clutching at her chest.
"You… You felt it, didn't you?" Tink asked, her eyes just as wide as Shae's, who slowly nodded. "That's amazing! Oh, I was right, your true love is strong!"
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop her head from reeling. When she opened them again, she found Tinkerbell still staring wide eyed at her, an astonished smile plastered across her face.
"You're… You're sure about this?" Shae asked her.
Tink nodded, her smile growing wider. "Absolutely."
Shae nodded too, swallowing hard, and straightening herself up. "Right, ok, um… H-How… How do I look?"
Tink frowned as she looked Shae up and down. "Well, first of all, you need to take this thing off. It's filthy."
Shae furrowed her brow as Tinkerbell untied her black travelling cloak, which was tattered and torn, spotted with mud. Tink then quickly adjusted a few of the straps on the front of her leather armor, brushing off some dirt on her shoulder. She frowned again as she stared up at Shae's messy black hair, and she gently tousled it with her fingers.
"Does it ever lie flat?" Tink asked, a bit irritably.
"No, not really." Shae answered with a shrug.
Tink sighed, pursing her lips. She then licked her fingers, and made to press down a wild strand of Shae's hair. "Oi! No, that's disgusting!" Shae cried, swatting Tink's hand away.
"Alright, alright, sorry!" Tink said, raising her hands in defeat.
She looked Shae up and down one last time, and nodded in a satisfied way. She then placed her hands on Shae's shoulders, smiling up at the vampire.
"You look great." She said. "Now… Go get her."
Shae nodded, and turned around, peering out around the trunk of the tree once again. Tinkerbell changed into her tiny fairy form with a flash of green light, and fluttered away into the air, leaving Shae to pursue her one true love. Tink's heart soared with excitement at a job well done. Her spell had worked, she had actually found true love for a vampire. She grinned, doing a somersault as she flew threw the air. She couldn't wait to tell Blue, to see the look on her face when she found out what Tink had accomplished. She would finally be a full fledged fairy, she would finally be free to use her magic the way she wanted.
XX
Later that same night, Tinkerbell went out in search for Shae, using her pixie dust to track down the vampire. She found Shae in a tavern, the very same tavern that Tink had been drinking at with Van Helsing and his knights the night before. Shae was sitting alone at a table in the back, drinking deep from a flagon of ale.
"Hey!" Tink said excitedly, sitting down across from her. "So, how'd it go?"
Shae shrugged silently, staring down into her flagon, and Tinkerbell's brow furrowed in confusion. "You should be glowing with… With new found love." She said, eyeing the vampire suspiciously. "Why aren't you glowing?"
When Shae only shrugged again, Tinkerbell gasped, placing her hand over her mouth in horrified shock. "You… You didn't go to her, did you?"
Shae sighed heavily, finally turning her blood red eyes onto the fairy. "No… I didn't."
Tink's jaw dropped open, and she shook her head slowly in disbelief. "I-I… I don't understand. Just… W-Why? Why didn't you go to her?"
"Because, I just didn't alright?" Shae exclaimed irritably. "None of your damn business, anyway."
Tink sat in utter shock and confusion as Shae got up from the table and stomped out of the tavern. Tink got furiously to her feet, and rushed after her into the night.
"Hey!" She shouted angrily. "Why the hell didn't you go to Regina? Why in the hell would you run away from true love?"
"Because everyone I've ever loved is FUCKING GONE!"
Tinkerbell flinched, stopping in her tracks as Shae rounded on her furiously. "I had true love once, alright?" Shae spat bitterly. "Do you know what happened to her? She was FUCKING. MURDERED."
Tink drew back a few steps, tears welling into her eyes as the vampire continued to bare down on her, her blood red eyes flashing with rage.
"And her brother?" Shae went on, her voice cracking with emotion. "I loved him too. It was a different kind of love, sure, but… But I loved him. He was my best friend, my brother, and he's gone now too. Probably dead, just like his sister."
Shae clenched her fists, and Tink once again placed her hand over her mouth as tears leaked out of the vampire's eyes. "Everyone I love is taken away from me." Shae said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I… I can't do it again. I won't."
"Shae… Listen to me, I know-" Tink began gently.
"NO!" Shae bellowed, causing Tink to flinch away again. "Don't. I'm not interested in any more of your damn speeches about true love and happy endings and… And all that shit."
Tink bit her lip, a few stray tears leaking out of her own eyes. Shae sighed, running her shaky hands through her jet black hair. "Trust me, if Regina really is my true love, then… Then she's much better off if I stay far away from her."
Tinkerbell watched as Shae furiously wiped the tears off of her cheeks, her eyes full of pity for the vampire. Suddenly, Shae gasped, her blood red eyes growing wide as she stared down at the fairy.
"That's it." She whispered.
"W-What's it?" Tink asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
A grin slowly spread across Shae's face. "You still want to pay me back for saving your life, right?" She asked, and when Tink nodded, she went on. "Good. Then I want you to make me forget all of this. Make me forget meeting you, and finding out that Regina is my true love. Can your bloody pixie dust do that?"
Tink bit her lip, and nodded hesitantly. "Yes, but… But Shae… You don't want to do that. You can't just… Forget your true love!"
"Yes I can, and I will." Shae told her sternly. "That way, I won't ever be tempted to seek Regina out, and she'll be safe from… From whatever curse that's been placed upon me that takes away the ones I love."
Tinkerbell sighed, staring up at Shae, her eyes full of pity and sorrow once again. "Are… Are you sure that's what you want?"
Shae nodded determinedly, and Tink sighed again, hanging her head in defeat. She reached into her pouch of pixie dust once again, and pulled out a handful, stepping up to the vampire.
"Thank you." Shae said, placing her hand gently on Tink's shoulder.
Tink nodded, and tossed her pixie dust into Shae's face. Shae wrinkled her nose, stumbling back a step as her body glowed momentarily with a soft green light. Tink watched miserably as Shae blinked several times, gazing all around her in confusion. When she finally noticed Tink standing in front of her, she gave a start, drawing back a step.
"Oh! Uh, hello." She said, still looking confused. "Er, sorry, do I know you?"
Tink sighed sadly, shaking her head. "No, you don't."
Shae eyed her curiously as Tink turned around and walked away, but then shrugged unconcernedly, going back inside the tavern. Tink walked slowly down the dirt path, shoulders hunched, her heart heavy with sorrow. She stopped suddenly when a glowing blue light caught her eye, and she gasped as The Blue Fairy fluttered down from the sky, hovering before her. There was a flash of blue light, and Blue shifted into her human sized form, her expression sad and disappointed.
"H-Hey, Blue!" Tink stammered chipperly. "Wow, you look great today. Did you do something different with your hair?"
The Blue Fairy was obviously not amused. "I know what you did, Green."
Tinkerbell sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "My name is Tinkerbell." She said sternly. "And uh… I-I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't done anything."
Blue folded her arms as well, raising an eyebrow at Tink. "Don't play coy with me." She replied irritably. "I know you tried to use the spell I taught you to find true love for a vampire."
"Alright, yes, I did!" Tink admitted frustratedly. "But I didn't just try, I actually did it! The spell worked but… She just… She didn't want her true love. But that doesn't have anything to do with me, right? All that matters is that my spell worked!"
"The fact that it worked is not the point, Gr- Tinkerbell." Blue replied. "You used your magic, which is supposed to be used for good, on a creature of darkness."
"So what?" Tinkerbell cried. "Fairies are supposed to help people, right? I helped someone! Er… Sort of."
Blue sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "We fairies use our magic for good, to help people who are good, not evil creatures like that vampire. You've broken the rules once again, Green."
Blue then held out her hand, fixing Tinkerbell with an icy stare. "Hand over your pixie dust."
"What?" Tink exclaimed. "N-No, but I-"
"No, no buts." Blue insisted sternly. "No more chances. You are banned from using pixie dust for the time being, and you will return with me to the fairy realm, where you will continue your training under my direct supervision, understand?"
Tink sighed miserably, slowly removing her pouch of pixie dust from her belt and placing it in The Blue Fairy's hand. Blue then sighed, her expression softening as Tinkerbell hung her head in defeat.
"I know your heart was in the right place." She said, gently taking Tink's hand in hers. "But… Well, I just hope that you take all this as a lesson."
Tink glanced back up at Blue, looking confused. "A lesson about what?"
Blue sighed, glancing over at the tavern, where Shae was drinking alone inside. "That vampire you met today, she's dark and she's evil, right down to her very core." She answered quietly. "And trust me when I say, that people like her… Well, they just don't get happy endings."
XXXXX
Silence had fell between the fairy and the vampire as they stood in the hallway outside Granny's Diner. Tink stared anxiously at Shae as she stared gazed at the ground, her blood red eyes wide as she processed everything Tink had just told her.
"So… I… I knew." Shae whispered. "I-I mean, I didn't, cuz I forgot, but… I just… I should have… W-Why didn't I… Oh god…"
She stammered into silence again, burying her face in her hands. Tink bit her lip, tapping her fingers against her leg as she contemplated what she should say next.
"There's… There's something else you should know." The fairy went on slowly.
"Jesus christ…" Shae muttered, dropping her hands back to her sides. "Just… What? What is it?"
Tink stepped up close to Shae, poking her in the chest and staring very seriously into her eyes. "If you really want me to tell you, you have to promise not to tell Regina." She said in a low tone. "If she finds out I told you, she'll put my head on a spike."
Shae opened her mouth to reply, but shut it again, her head still spinning. She looked out through the tiny window again, gazing out at her fiancee. Regina was now sitting next to Henry, her arm around his shoulders. She smiled at him, and Shae's heart fluttered just like it did every time she saw her smile. She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her forehead as she wrestled with the decision she had to make. She had no idea what exactly it was that Tink had to tell her next, but from the look on the fairy's face, it must be something important. She knew that keeping secrets from Regina at the very start of their engagement would not bode well, but she couldn't help herself. She had to know.
"Fine, I promise." She told Tink with a nod.
Tink breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, nodding back at her. "A few weeks after I met you, I… I met Regina." She slowly explained. "She was… Miserable, being in a loveless marriage to the king. I cast the same spell on her, thinking that it would take her to you. But… But it didn't. It took her to… Someone else."
Silence fell between them as Shae's mouth gaped open in silent horror. Tink's eyes were once again filled with sadness as she watched Shae open and shut her mouth several times, trying to come up with something to say.
"W-What?" Shae breathed when she finally found her voice. "Who? Who was it?"
Tink sighed again, and shrugged. "I… I don't know his name." She replied quietly. "I just know he was in a tavern, and he had a tattoo on his arm, a tattoo of a lion."
"How do you not know his name?" Shae asked, a bit angrily. "I thought you said you used your pixie dust to take Regina to him."
"I did, but… Just like you, she ran away from her true love." Tink answered bitterly. "She never even went into the tavern to meet him."
"Oh…" Shae breathed, her eyes still wide as she nodded slowly. "So… Well, you must have done the spell wrong then, right? I'm Regina's true love, I know it. She woke me up from a sleeping curse with true love's kiss and everything, so that must mean-"
"Shae, listen." Tink cut in gently. "This is why I said that what I had to tell you would make things complicated. Pixie dust… It doesn't lie, Shae. That man from the tavern, the one with the lion tattoo, he's… Regina's true love as well."
Shae shook her head vigorously. "No… No that's not possible! That's why they call it 'one true love,' cuz there's only one! She can't have… Have two true loves… Can she?"
Tink shrugged again. "I'm not sure. It seems that way but… I just… I don't really know, I'm sorry."
Shae nodded her head slowly, running a shaky hand through her hair as she turned everything Tink had said over in her mind. "Right… I think I might know someone who does. Wait here."
Tink furrowed her brow in confusion as Shae turned around, pushing through the door back into the diner. She scanned her eyes quickly over the crowd, and finally spotted Mother Superior standing near the counter.
"Yo, Sister Act, I need to talk to you." Shae said as she approached the nun.
"What did you just call me?" Mother Superior asked indignantly.
"Sister Act. You know, the movie." Shae explained quickly. "The one about nuns? Whoopi Goldberg?"
When Mother Superior continued to look puzzled, Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Just… Never mind. Come with me."
Shae grabbed Mother Superior by the arm and dragged her toward the back door of the diner. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mother Superior protested loudly. "Get your hands off me, I don't-"
Mother Superior stopped her complaining when Shae pulled her through the door, and she found Tinkerbell anxiously waiting on the other side.
"Green?" She asked, looking surprised. "What are you doing out here?"
"It's Tinkerbell, remember?" Tink replied, a bit irritably.
"Alright, alright, just… Tell Blue here everything you just told me." Shae said to Tinkerbell quickly.
Tink sighed heavily, and nodded. Shae waited patiently but anxiously as Tink explained everything they had just talked about to Mother Superior. When Tink told her about the possibility of Regina having two true loves, the former nun didn't look at all surprised.
"Yes, I have always wondered about that myself." She muttered quietly.
"Wait a minute… You knew?" Shae asked angrily. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
Mother Superior narrowed her eyes irritably at the vampire. "Well, you'll excuse me if I've never quite had the desire to hold a polite conversation with you."
Shae groaned frustratedly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just… Do you think… Do you think it's actually possible?"
Mother Superior exchanged a quick glance with Tink. "Well, yes, it appears it is." She replied. "Fairy dust never lies."
"I just… I don't understand how that's possible." Shae said, shaking her head vigorously.
"Well, as you know, there are forces at work greater than all of us out in the universe." Mother Superior answered. "I believe that after you chose to forget your true love, those very forces provided Regina with a… Second option. However, true love is a powerful force in itself, and you and Regina found each other regardless."
Shae sighed, placing her hands over her face once again. "Alright… So… Where the hell even is this guy with the lion tattoo?" Shae asked, shoving her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "D-Do you think he's here in Storybrooke?"
Mother superior slowly shook her head. "It's not likely. If he was, even under the curse, true love would have drawn him and Regina together, just as it did Mary Margaret and David."
"So, he's probably back in The Enchanted Forest then?" Asked Tink.
"Maybe he's dead." Shae said with a slight, hopeful smile.
Mother Superior narrowed her eyes at the vampire once again. "Yes, perhaps he is." She said, a bit bitterly. "Now then, are we done here?"
Shae nodded, and Mother Superior took her leave. Shae leaned her back against the wall, and slowly slid down onto the floor, staring out ahead of her at nothing in particular, her head reeling from everything she had just learned. Tink eyed her sadly for a moment, then sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a long while, Shae thinking, Tinkerbell not really knowing what to say. She could come up with no words that would comfort the vampire after learning that her true love's heart was linked to another.
"What do I do now?" Shae whispered, her eyes shining with tears.
"What is it you want to do?" Tink asked, crossing her legs and turning to face her. "Search your heart, Shae. Do you still want to marry Regina? Do you still love her?"
Shae finally turned her gaze onto Tinkerbell, and nodded slowly. "Yeah… Yeah, of course I do."
Tink smiled, patting Shae's knee. "Then there's your answer!" She said excitedly. "The man with the lion tattoo, he's not even here, he's not something you need to even worry about. Besides, your true love with Regina is stronger than anything I've ever seen. Just look at how you two met! It's no accident that she was there when you stepped through that portal. It was destiny, Shae!"
Shae nodded again, smiling back at the fairy. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess you're right."
Shae got back to her feet, helping Tink up as well. Shae then wrapped her in a tight and grateful hug, and Tink laughed, gently rubbing the vampire's back.
"Thanks, Tink." Shae told her with another smile. "I'm really glad you actually talk. In your movie you were more of the, uh… Silent type."
Tink's brow furrowed in confusion. "My what?"
"Oh, right, you don't know what movies are." Shae muttered with a frown. "Um… Well, uh… I-I don't really know how to explain that. Just… Thanks."
Tink nodded, smiling as Shae hugged her again. Tink stepped back, looking Shae up and down. She hastily adjusted Shae's leather jacket, and reached up, brushing a strand of her messy black hair away from her forehead. She then nodded again in a satisfied way.
"Now… Go get your true love." She said, smiling up at the vampire.
Shae nodded, and once again pushed through the door, hurrying back into the diner. Tinkerbell watched through the small window as Shae pulled Regina into her arms, and kissed her passionately. The two lovers smiled at each other, and Tink smiled as well. She was happy for both Regina and Shae. It seemed like The Blue Fairy had been wrong all those years ago. Maybe it really was possible for dangerous vampires and evil Queens to have happy endings.
XX
The residents of Storybrooke returned to their homes as the party at Granny's Diner drew to a close. Henry had requested to stay with Regina and Shae that night, which Shae found to be very strange. Shae had thought the boy was acting strange all night, but Regina was overjoyed by his request, so Shae decided to keep her mouth shut about it. She kept her mouth shut about the man with the lion tattoo as well, per Tinkerbell's request, and for her own general peace of mind. Tink was right, he was not something Shae needed to worry about.
Once Henry was sound asleep, Shae and Regina spent the first night of their engagement wrapped up in each other, making urgent and passionate love all throughout the night. Regina had just brought her fiancee to orgasm for the third time, and she smiled as Shae lay in her arms, resting her head between her breasts as she shivered with pleasure. As Regina gently ran her fingers through Shae's hair, she closely examined the ring on her finger. Regina had never paid much attention to it, but as she actually got a closer look at it, she found that it was a very curious ring indeed. There were two crescent moons etched into either side of the silver band, but what was most interesting was the stone itself. As Regina brought her hand closer to her eyes, she realized that there were some sort of specks inside the black stone, sparkling softly, almost like stars in the night sky.
"Where did you get it?" Regina asked her lover.
Shae tilted her head up, smiling when she saw Regina examining her ring. "Remus and I found them in an ancient elven ruin back in our homeland."
"Them?" Regina asked.
Shae propped herself up on her elbow, and nodded. "There were two of them, both forged from the same fallen star."
"A fallen star?" Regina breathed in wonder, staring wide eyed at the ring. "Are you serious?"
Shae smiled, nodding again. "Back in our homeland, there was a legend about two ancient elven lovers, basically the Romeo and Juliet of our land." Shae went on to explain. "The legend said that the woman was the daughter of a powerful elven lord, and the man was just the lowly son of a blacksmith. When they fell in love, the woman's parents were furious, and they sent their daughter away to another kingdom, to marry some other elven lord or something."
Shae paused, taking Regina's hand in her's, gently brushing her thumb over the ring on her finger. "Before his lover was sent away, the man found a fallen star. He crushed it up into dust, and used it to forge two rings. He gave her the one that he had carved two suns into, since she was the light of his life. He kept the one etched with moons for himself, since he was the moon in her sky, lighting her way through the darkness."
Regina smiled up at her lover, gently running her fingers up and down her arm. "That's quite romantic."
"Yeah, the elves were pretty damn corny that way." Shae chuckled in reply. "Imagine hundreds of Shakespeares, except with pointy ears and magic."
Regina chuckled too. "So… Is this stone really made of stardust?"
"Well, the stone is actually obsidian." Shae explained. "But there's stardust inside."
"What exactly is the purpose of the stardust?"
"I'm glad you asked, cuz that's the really awesome part." Shae said, grinning excitedly. "The stardust is magical, and when the two rings are close to each other, the stardust will glow, and the closer the rings are, the brighter the dust glows. The elven lovers used the rings to find each other again, and they ran away together, to live happily ever after, or, you know… Whatever. And Remus and I used them to find each other any time we got separated. Saved us from some pretty sticky situations a few times too."
"So… So Remus has the other ring?" Regina asked.
Shae sighed, nodding sadly. "Yeah… That's why the dust isn't glowing at all. He's… He's not even in this world."
Regina frowned as Shae's eyes suddenly grew immensely sad. She sat forward, and pressed a gentle kiss on her fiancee's lips. "I'm sorry… I… I miss him too."
Shae smiled, gently caressing her cheek. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see him again some day. He always has a way of turning up when you least expect it."
Regina nodded, placing another kiss on Shae's lips. Regina sighed, wrapping her arms around the woman she loved, holding her tight as their lips parted. When they pulled away, Regina smiled into her fiancee's blood red eyes.
"So… Once we're married, who's going to take whose last name?" Regina asked of Shae.
"Well, I don't really have a last name, so I guess I'll take yours." Shae replied with a shrug. "Unless you count the one I used when I was out in this world, but I just sort of… Made it up."
"What was it?"
"Cormac."
"'Shae Cormac.'" Regina muttered, testing the name on her lips. "I… Like it. Where did you get it from?"
Shae shrugged again. "I dunno, it kind just popped into my head one time when someone asked me what my last name was. Got a nice ring to it, but uh… I don't know."
"Maybe… We could make up our own last name." Regina offered with a smile.
Shae gasped excitedly. "Oh! Yeah! How about… 'Shae and Regina Skywalker?'"
Regina laughed, shaking her head slowly. "No, no, absolutely not."
Shae laughed too, placing a quick kiss on her lips. "Honestly, I don't really care. I just want you to be my wife."
Regina smiled as Shae kissed her again, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Speaking of which…" Regina said, pulling away slightly. "What do you want me to call you? After we're married, I mean."
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh, well… I mean, 'Shae' is still fine. But if you want to call me something else then I guess that's ok."
Regina laughed again. "I meant… Well, you'll call me your wife. But for you… Well, 'wife' just doesn't really seem… Well… You."
"No, it doesn't, does it?" Shae muttered, glancing away from Regina as she pondered. "How about… Partner?"
Regina thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I like it. You'll be my partner in love, and my partner in crime."
Shae laughed, grinning cheekily at her. "Well, I pretty much always have been your partner in crime. I love it."
"I love you." Regina said, smiling into her lover's eyes.
"I love you too." Shae replied, smiling back.
The two lovers kissed again, and Regina giggled happily as Shae rolled onto her back, pulling Regina on top of her. Shae wrapped her arms around the woman she loved as she kissed her again, sighing contentedly as Regina ran her fingers through her soft, messy hair. After another round of passionate and vigorous love making, Regina fell asleep peacefully in her fiancee's arms. Shae held her close, pressing gentle kisses along her neck and shoulders any time she stirred. The two lovers lie there in each other's loving embrace all throughout the night, completely unaware of the utter chaos that would ensue the very next day.
XX
The next morning, Regina awoke alone in her bed. For a moment, her heart was filled with panic. Had last night been some sort of dream? She then noticed Shae's clothes scattered around her bedroom floor amongst her own, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. She quickly got out of bed, and donned her robe. She poked her head into Henry's room, and smiled when she found her son sleeping peacefully in his bed. She carefully shut Henry's bedroom door again, and made her way down the stairs. As she neared the kitchen, she smell of pancakes being cooked wafted through the air. She smiled when she found Shae standing at the stove, whistling an upbeat tune.
"Good morning, beautiful." Shae said with a smile, turning around as Regina entered the kitchen.
Regina smiled too as Shae gently took her in her arms, kissing her tenderly. "I didn't know you could cook." Regina said with a surprised laugh.
"Just because I don't eat, doesn't mean I can't cook." Shae replied with a grin.
Regina laughed as Shae kissed her again, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Besides…" Shae whispered, pulling away from her lips. "There, uh… A different kind of breakfast I'm interested in."
Shae placed her hands on Regina's hips, and gently pushed her backwards against the counter. She grinned deviously into Regina's eyes, and kissed her again, slowly undoing the silk belt of Regina's robe. Shae's grin broadened as she admired Regina's naked body underneath her robe.
Shae leaned in for another kiss, but Regina placed her hands on her chest, pushing her back slightly. "Shae, Henry is right upstairs!"
"Don't worry, I'll be able to hear him coming." Shae replied with another grin.
Regina didn't resist this time as Shae kissed her urgently. She bit her lip as Shae pulled away from her lips and got down on her knees. Regina gasped, moaning softly as Shae placed a slow, gentle kiss between her legs.
"Oh, Shae… Oh god, I missed you." She whispered lustily as Shae began licking her from end to end.
"I missed you too." Shae whispered back, grinning up at her.
Regina moaned again as Shae found her clit, slowly and gently massaging it with her tongue. She dug her fingers into the edge of the counter, biting into her bottom lip as she reveled in the sensations Shae's tongue was providing her with. She grinned as Shae gently ran her fingertips up and down the underside of her thighs, gently teasing her lover with her soft touch.
Shae stopped, and Regina jumped, both of them startled as the landline phone began ringing. Regina decided to ignore it, and Shae laughed as she grabbed a fistful of her hair, shoving her face back into her womanhood. Regina bit her lip again, trying to remain quiet as Shae began licking her furiously. She gasped, a deep moan escaping her lips as Shae inserted two fingers inside her, and began pumping them vigorously.
"Oh god… Oh, Shae… Yes!" Regina whispered, digging her nails into Shae's scalp.
Shae lifted one of Regina's legs, placing it over her shoulder. Regina threw her head back, gasping loudly as Shae thrust her fingers even deeper inside her. Shae had always had a knack for finding the exact spot that drove her lover wild, and another moan escaped out of Regina's lips as she found it, working it harder and harder.
"God dammit!" Regina cried as the phone rang once again.
She pushed Shae away from her, and stomped irritably over to the phone. Just as she was about to reach for it, Shae wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her back. Regina drew in a sharp breath through her teeth as Shae bit in to the tender flesh of her neck.
"Leave it." Shae whispered in her ear.
Regina gasped as Shae slipped her hand down between her legs, gently stroking her finger across her already wet and swollen clit. Regina leaned back into her lover, tilting her head back and kissing her softly.
"You know as well as I do that they'll just keep calling." Regina whispered to her.
Shae breathed out a disappointed sigh, removing her hand from between Regina's legs. She kept her arms wrapped around her waist as she answered the phone, and Shae pressed against Regina's back, placing gentle kisses up and down her neck.
"What?" Regina suddenly exclaimed into the phone. "Oh my god… W-We'll be right there."
"What is it?" Shae asked in concern as Regina turned around, her brown eyes wide with shock.
"I-Its… Mother Superior." She breathed. "She's been murdered."
Shae and Regina hastily got dressed, and roused Henry from his peaceful slumber. They took the boy with them as they got in Regina's car, and raced to the convent. When they arrived, they found Emma, her parents, Neal, Tinkerbell, and Hook all gathered on the steps leading up to the convent. The others watched as Emma and David covered Mother Superior's body with a blanket.
Regina and Shae were both horrified to find out that Mother Superior had been killed by Peter Pan's shadow, who they had all assumed was still trapped in the mainsail of The Jolly Roger. Neal, Tinkerbell, and Hook left to retrieve the hollowed out coconut with the candle inside that they had used to trap Pan's shadow in Neverland, and the others stayed behind to discuss what to do next. They all were perplexed, knowing full well that there was only one person that could control the shadow, and that was Pan himself. However, Pan was trapped inside Pandora's Box, or so they all thought.
"You have to get Henry out of here." David said to Regina. "Pan is likely still after him, he's not safe out in the open."
"You guys will protect me, right?" Henry asked, looking up at Shae and his mother.
"Of course we will, kid." Shae said, patting him gently on the shoulder. "Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise."
"Come on, we'll go to my vault. You'll be safe there." Regina told her son with a gentle smile.
Regina wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulder, and Shae followed after them as they turned to walk back toward the car.
"Regina, wait!" Emma said suddenly, hurrying after them.
Regina and Shae both stopped, and Henry continued walking, stopping and waiting patiently by Regina's car. Emma gazed over at her son anxiously for a moment, then back at Regina.
"Just, uh… Keep a close eye on him, ok?" She said in a low voice. "He doesn't really… Seem like himself."
Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma. "Why? Because he asked for me?"
"No! I-I didn't… I didn't mean-" Emma stammered.
"That's exactly what you meant." Regina spat bitterly, taking an angry step toward her. "You can't stand the fact that I'm his mother too. And maybe, just maybe, he wants me when he's frightened. You forget, I have ten years of soothing his nightmares under my belt. He's fine."
Emma sighed heavily. "Regina, it's not you, I promise. I just… I have a gut feeling that something's off, ok?"
"Well then, maybe you can use that gut of yours to find Pan's shadow instead of worrying about who's going to comfort our son." Regina retorted fiercely.
Emma sighed again, turning to Shae. "Shae, can you please… Shae?"
Shae, who had been staring silently down at her cell phone, finally glanced up. "Hm?"
"What the hell are you doing?" Emma asked her.
Shae glanced between Emma and Regina, then back down at her phone. She then held it up, pointing at the screen. "Angry Birds." She said innocently. "I just beat level twelve!"
Emma sighed once again, and Regina rolled her eyes at her fiancee. "How is it that I ended up with a two-hundred year old child?" She asked, shaking her head bemusedly.
"Just lucky, I guess!" Shae replied with a quirky grin.
Regina rolled her eyes again, and grabbed Shae's arm, leading her toward the car. They drove speedily out to the cemetery and, once there, Regina went inside with Henry, sealing the doors behind her. She left the key with Shae, and instructed her to wait outside and keep watch for Pan, his shadow, or anyone or anything else that might try and harm Henry. Shae agreed, and she stood leaning against the wall of Regina's father's mausoleum, once again staring down at her phone, playing Angry Birds.
"God damn, fucking pigs." She muttered angrily.
"Shae! Shae, help!"
Shae gave a start, her phone falling from her hands. She quickly unlocked the doors to the mausoleum, and pushed aside the coffin once inside. She found Henry standing at the bottom of the hidden staircase, looking panicked.
"Come quick!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide. "It's my mom! Somethings wrong!"
Shae raced down the steps, and when they turned the corner, the vampire gasped. Regina was lying face down on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
"REGINA!" Shae shouted, rushing over to her.
Shae carefully rolled her over, and shook her by her shoulders, gently patting her cheeks. "Regina? Regina!"
When her fiancee's eyes didn't open, Shae began to panic. "God dammit… W-What the hell happened?" She asked Henry.
"I-I don't know! She just collapsed!" Henry cried in reply.
Shae glanced back down at Regina, but something lying on the floor near her caught the vampire's eye. She reached out, gingerly picking up a small, white bottle. She carefully examined it, running her finger across the fine, white powder gathered on the rim. She gently rolled the powder around between her thumb and forefinger, and gave it a gentle sniff.
"You sure about that?" Shae asked Henry quietly, slowly rising to her feet. "Or did you use this sleeping powder to knock her out?"
Shae turned around to face the boy, who was looking perplexed. He opened his mouth to respond, but then shut it again, sighing heavily as he hung his head. When he glanced back up at Shae, the look on his face sent shivers down the vampire's spine. It was a look that Shae had never once seen on Henry's face. It was a look of pure, unadulterated malice.
"Finally figured it out, have you?" Henry sneered at her.
"You're not Henry at all, are you?" Shae asked him quietly, her red eyes wide with shock. "I'm gonna guess… Pan?"
The boy that wasn't Henry smirked at her, giving the vampire a small nod. "That's right. You're not as stupid as you look after all."
The small white bottle fell from Shae's hand, and her eyes began to glow a bright, neon red. She outstretched her arm at Pan, his body slowly rising into the air.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Pan said with a grin as Shae held him hovering in the air. "You don't want to hurt poor Henry."
"You're not Henry!" Shae snarled at him.
"No, but I am in his body." Pan replied, still grinning despite his predicament. "And whatever you do to this body, you do to Henry."
Shae kept her hand outstretched at Peter Pan inside Henry's body, holding him in the air as she contemplated his words. She then slowly lowered her arm, her eyes fading back to normal as Pan's feet touched the ground again.
"I'm sorry we had to meet like this, Shae." Pan said, the evil tone in Henry's voice giving Shae chills. "Perhaps in another time, we would have been allies."
"I highly doubt that." Shae spat viciously.
"No? Well, not now, at least, but perhaps before." Pan said with a shrug, slowly pacing back and forth in front of Shae. "You know, I used to hear the most bone chilling stories about The Evil Queen and her vampire from The Enchanted Forest. I have to say, I'm rather disappointed. It was much too easy to incapacitate Regina, and you, well… You're simply going to let me go."
"Why in the hell would I do that?" Shae snarled, glowering at Pan.
"Because you're weak."
"You obviously don't know me very well."
"I think I know you well enough." Pan replied with another shrug. "I know that you wouldn't do anything to harm the son of the woman you love. Or, I suppose I should say 'fiancee' now. I don't believe I got to say congratulations on your engagement."
Shae clenched her fists, watching silently as Pan stepped over to a crevice in the stone wall, opening the small wooden box lying within it. He picked up the small scroll that was inside, and stepped back over to Shae, grinning darkly at her.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you? Love is nothing but weakness." Pan sneered at the vampire. "It's made you soft, you and your Queen. Which is why you're going to let me take this scroll, and walk out of here unharmed."
Shae squatted down infront of Pan, to better glare into his eyes that were actually Henry's. "We're gonna find a way to put you back in your own body, Pan." Shae said in a dark and dangerous tone. "And when we do, I'm coming for you, so you best be fucking ready."
Pan chuckled, patting the vampire on the shoulder. "Oh, I'll be ready. The question is… Will you?"
Shae straightened back up, glaring at the back of Pan's head as he walked away with the scroll in hand. Shae had no idea what exactly that scroll was, but in Pan's hands, she knew it did not bode well for the town of Storybrooke. She rushed back over to Regina, kneeling at her side as she shook her by the shoulders once again.
"Regina? Regina, wake up!" She shouted desperately, tears welling into her eyes. "Dammit, come on… Please, please wake up."
When Regina continued to remain motionless, her eyes still closed, Shae snarled in frustration. She leapt to her feet, bellowing out a roar of rage, slamming her fist into the wall. The stone wall cracked and crumbled around Shae's fist as she punched it over and over and over again. She finally stopped, her chest heaving with rage, and she kicked a nearby trunk, sending it flying across the room, various books and objects scattering about the vault.
"WHY?" Shae screamed into the air. "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?"
She sunk back down to the ground, leaning her back against the wall, tears streaming out of her eyes as she gazed over at Regina's unconscious body lying across the room from her.
"Why is it that every time I think I can finally sit back and enjoy my life with the woman I love, something fucking terrible happens?" Shae asked out loud.
Shae wasn't exactly sure who she was talking to, who or what exactly was responsible for constantly intervening in her and Regina's life. Whether it was god, or gods, or simply fate itself, Shae didn't know. All she knew was that she was angry at whatever force that was doing this to her and the people that she cared about most.
"Is it the vampire thing?" She questioned again. "Are we just fucking cursed or something? That doesn't really seem fair, you know. But… I guess that's kinda the point, right? 'Life's not fair.' I get it, I get it…"
Shae sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back against the wall. They suddenly snapped open as Shae's extra sensitive hearing picked up footsteps from outside the mausoleum, several sets of footsteps. She rose to her feet, bending her knees and readying herself for whoever was coming. She relaxed as Emma rounded the corner down the steps, followed closely by her parents, and Mr. Gold.
"Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, rushing over to her.
"We're clear down here!" Emma called up the steps, then turned to Shae. "What happened?"
"It's Pan, he switched bodies with Henry." Shae spat bitterly.
"Yeah, we already know." David said, eyeing Regina with concern. "What did he do to Regina?"
"He knocked her out with her own damn sleeping powder." Shae snarled, clenching her fists as she thought about Pan.
Mr. Gold waved Mary Margaret out of his way, and he bent over Regina, putting his hands out over her. Her body glowed with a soft blue light for a moment, and her eyes suddenly fluttered open.
"Regina!" Shae exclaimed, rushing over to her.
Shae pulled her to her feet, and wrapped her in a tight and grateful hug. Regina blinked several times in shock, then stared around at the others.
"What… What happened?" She asked as Shae released her.
"Pan." Shae said darkly. "Somehow he switched bodies with Henry."
Regina's eyes grew wide with shock, and then she sighed, rubbing her aching forehead. "And I fell for it." She breathed miserably.
"It's alright, Regina, we all did." Shae told her soothingly, gently rubbing her arm.
Regina nodded, glancing around at all the others. "I… I just… I wanted so badly to believe everything he was saying that I missed all the signs." She said, slowly shaking her head. "I just wanted to believe that… That he still needed me to be his mother."
"I still do."
They all spun around, and Shae furrowed her brow when she saw a tall, blonde haired boy dressed in a dirty green tunic standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Henry?" Regina asked, her eyes wide with shock.
Henry, who was in the body of Peter Pan, nodded, and rushed forward, throwing himself into Regina's arms. Regina held him tight, smiling up at Shae from over Henry's shoulder.
"So, what exactly did Pan want down here?" David asked, looking to Shae.
"Uh, I dunno. He took some kind of scroll." Shae replied uncertainly.
"Please tell me you didn't keep it down here." Gold said, staring wide eyed at Regina.
Regina glanced up at Shae, then Henry, then around at all the others. "Well… Where else would I keep it?"
"Keep what?" Emma asked, looking fearful.
Regina sighed, taking a moment to respond. "The curse."
Silence fell over the group as they all stared around at each other with wide, horrified eyes. "Y-You mean…" Henry began in a fearful stammer. "The curse?"
Regina nodded slowly. "But… Why would Pan want the curse? I've already cast it."
"And I broke it." Said Emma.
"Doesn't mean you can't cast it again." Gold said darkly. "And this time, without your parents' true love woven in, even you, Miss Swan, would be powerless to break it."
"I don't understand." David muttered as he slowly shook his head. "We're already in this land."
"Regina…" Shae said quietly, turning her wide, blood red eyes onto her fiancee. "What exactly would casting the curse in Storybrooke do now?"
Regina bit her lip, thinking quietly. "Well… Everyone would forget who they were, just like before, and time would stand still." She replied slowly. "But… This time, Pan would be in charge, not me."
"That's not all, dearie." Gold said in another dark tone. "The last curse was cast to serve your wishes, this one will be done according to Pan's desires. I would count on something dark and hellish."
"So… So what do we do?" Asked Mary Margaret, glancing nervously at her husband and daughter.
"We use the scroll itself." Gold replied, and when he received many confused looks, he went on. "The curse can only be undone by someone who used the scroll, and that's you, Regina. You must destroy the scroll, and both yours and Pan's curses will be ended. But, know this… There will be a price, a steep one."
Regina glanced up at Shae again, her eyes full of fear. She took Shae's hand, and Shae smiled nervously down at her, squeezing her hand gently and reassuringly.
"What do I need to do?" Regina asked Gold, her voice quivering slightly.
"First, we'll bring Pan to us with a little spell." Gold replied with a knowing grin. "A spell that will return him and Henry to their own bodies."
"Thank god…" Henry breathed.
They laughed at the relieved look on Henry's face. They exited the vault, and found Neal, Tinkerbell, and Hook waiting patiently outside. Once they had all grouped together, they quickly came up with a plan. David, Neal, Tink, and Hook hurried off to the convent to find The Black Fairy's wand amongst the departed Mother Superior's things. Gold said that he would need the wand to cast the spell that would return Henry to his own body and, once it did, Henry would have the scroll, and he would be able to bring it to Regina.
The others were all gathered inside Mr. Gold's shop, waiting for those who had went to the convent to return with the wand. The others were milling about the shop, quietly talking amongst themselves while Henry, who was still in Pan's body, sat on a cot, bouncing his legs anxiously. He gave Shae a weak, nervous smile as the vampire sat down next to him.
"Hey, you doing ok, kid?" Shae asked him, gently patting his arm.
"Yeah, I-Im just… Ready to be me again." Henry replied with another weak smile.
"Yeah, I bet." Shae said, breathing out a laugh. "Listen, uh… I-I know that this really isn't the best time with the whole uh… Impending doom thing going on…"
"W-What is it?" Henry asked, looking fearful.
"Well… Since it wasn't actually you in your body last night, I uh… I didn't get a chance to tell you something." Shae went on slowly. "Henry, I um… I asked your mom to marry me."
Henry's eyes grew wide with shock. "Y-You did?"
Shae nodded. "And uh… Well since you're her son, I probably should have asked you first, made sure you were ok with it-"
"Of course I'm ok with it!" Henry exclaimed, throwing his arms around Shae. "T-That's amazing!"
Henry released Shae, and leapt up from the cot, rushing over to his mother, who was talking with Emma. Regina's brow furrowed in confusion as Henry hugged her tight.
"Mom! You're getting married?" Henry asked, his eyes shining with excitement. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Regina laughed, giving Shae a surprised look as her fiancee stepped up next to her. "Oh, um… Well, with all the excitement I never really got a chance to."
"That's so awesome!" Henry exclaimed, once again throwing his arms around both Shae and Regina. "C-Can I be the best man?"
Shae laughed, wrapping her arm around Regina's shoulders. "Sure kid, of course you can."
"Awesome!" Henry said again.
"We're gonna have to get you a tux." Emma said, grinning at her son.
Henry nodded excitedly, smiling at his mother and Shae. "So… So what am I gonna call you?" He asked Shae. "Am I gonna have to call you 'mom' too?"
"Oh my god, no!" Shae exclaimed, looking appalled. "It's still gonna be just 'Shae,' alright?"
Henry laughed, nodding again. "So… So when's the wedding?"
"I don't know, we haven't really talked about it." Regina replied, glancing up at her fiancee. "But I… I can't wait."
"Me either." Shae agreed with a smile.
Shae leaned forward, kissing the woman she loved gently on the lips. Regina smiled against her lips, gently gripping the front of Shae's jacket. Even with the threat of another curse looming over them, all of Regina and Shae's worries melted away as they kissed. Shae silently vowed that as soon as Pan was taken care of, she would marry Regina as soon as she could. She loved her too much to wait for long.
David, Neal, Hook, and Tinkerbell finally returned with The Dark Fairy's wand, and Gold prepared Henry for the spell. They watched anxiously as Henry laid back on the cot, and Gold waved the wand over his body. They all gasped, and Regina gripped Shae's hand tight as Henry began shaking and convulsing as his spirit left Pan's body. Once the convulsing had stopped, they all rushed out onto the street, with Belle in tow, leaving Gold behind to wait for Pan to wake, and have a long overdue chat with his father. Shae tracked Henry's scent over to the clocktower, and they all gasped again with delight as Henry, now back in his own body, came sprinting out the doors of the library.
"Hey! You guys just saw me!" Henry exclaimed in protest as both Emma and Regina hugged him tight.
"We didn't see you." Regina said, her eyes shining with grateful tears.
"He's got it!" Emma exclaimed as Henry handed her the scroll. She then turned to Regina, nodding determinedly. "It's up to you now."
Emma pressed the scroll into Regina's hand, and the others all converged around her. Shae placed her hands gently on Regina's shoulders, smiling reassuringly as Regina turned her head back to look at her. They all gasped in fright as a beam of bright purple light suddenly shot out of the scroll. Regina's eyes instantly rolled back into her head, and she began to fall backwards.
"REGINA!" Shae shouted, catching her under her arms before she hit the ground.
"Oh my god!" Mary Margaret exclaimed as Shae knelt down on the ground, Regina lying totally unconscious in her arms once again.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asked, kneeling down across from Shae.
"I-I don't know!" Shae exclaimed, panicking as she stared helplessly down at the woman she loved lying senseless in her arms. "Regina? Regina!"
Regina suddenly gasped, her eyes snapping open. She glanced dazedly around at everyone, then up at Shae. She gasped again when she saw her fiancee, and she threw her arms around her, kissing her deeply and passionately. Shae's brow furrowed in confusion at the feeling of Regina's kiss, at the tears that were suddenly rushing down her face.
"Oh Shae…" Regina whispered, pressing her forehead to Shae's and gently caressing her face. "Shae, I'm… I'm so sorry."
"S-Sorry?" Shae asked, her eyes full of concern. "For what? Regina, what happened when you touched the scroll?"
More tears spilled down Regina's face as she gazed into her lover's eyes. "I… I saw what needed to be done."
Henry knelt down next to his mother, also looking concerned. "Mom… Are you going to be ok?"
Regina smiled sadly at him, gently placing her hand under his chin. "The important thing is… Is that you will be."
"No he wont!"
They all jumped, gasping and crying out in shock as they saw Peter Pan standing in the street before them. Regina and Shae both scrambled to their feet, and Regina gasped again when she realized the scroll was no longer in her hand. She glanced up at Pan, who was grinning at her, holding up the scroll.
"He has the-" Captain Hook started to shout.
Pan waved his hand, and all their bodies glowed momentarily with a pale red light. "The curse? That I do."
The entire group had been magically frozen in place by Pan's spell, all except Shae. When she realized what had happened, that Pan's spell didn't work on her, she laughed triumphantly.
"HA! Surprise, mother fucker!" She shouted. "Now, it's time for-"
"Oh, fly away, bat girl." Pan drolled, waving his hand again.
"No, wait-"
Shae words caught in her throat as she was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of bright green smoke. She felt herself being lifted in the air, and she squeezed her eyes shut, the wind rushing loudly through her ears as her body began spinning round and round wildly. As suddenly as it came, the spinning stopped, and her feet made contact with solid ground once again. She collapsed face first into the ground, and realized that she was now staring at grass and dirt.
"God dammit, Pan!" She snarled, pushing herself up shakily onto her knees.
She stared all around her, and when she saw she was surrounded by trees, she realized that Pan had sent her somewhere deep in the forest. She suddenly heard a strange sound coming from behind her, and she turned her torso around. She gasped in alarm, her eyes growing wide as saucers. Behind her stood the wishing well, with rolling clouds of bright green smoke billowing out of it, rushing straight toward her.
"OH SHIT!"
She scrambled to her feet and sprinted forward just as the smoke began to surround her on all sides. She kept running wildly, pushing her power of superhuman speed to its limits. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the smoke got farther and farther away from her. When it was finally lost from her sight, she skidded to a stop, her whole body shaking with fear.
"Shit… That was close…" She breathed, doubling over with her hands on her knees.
She took a moment calm herself, then straightened up, gazing all around her once again. Just ahead, she spotted some sort of large mansion that she had never seen before. She hurried toward it, and her heart leapt with excitement when she found a road. She rushed forward again, using her power of super speed to follow the road and make her way back into town.
She returned to the spot outside the clocktower where she had been before Pan sent her away, and she began to panic again when Regina and the others were nowhere to be seen. She rushed into the library, thinking that maybe they had gone inside to take cover, but she found it empty. Next, she sped over to Granny's Diner, and asked Granny and Ruby if they had seen what had happened. When neither Ruby or her grandmother had any answers for her, she continued her search, trying to remain calm as panic bubbled in her stomach.
She checked Gold's shop, Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment, and even Regina's house and her office inside the town hall. She grew more and more scared and frustrated when she found them all empty. She returned once again to the clocktower, and found the residents of Storybrooke rushing down the street, all in a panic as the rolling green clouds of Pan's curse drew ever closer.
"Whale! Hey!" Shae called out to Dr. Whale as she spotted him. "Have you seen Regina? Or… Or Emma, or Charming? Anybody?"
"Yeah, I just saw them loading up Emma's car with a bunch of stuff." Whale replied in a panicked rush. "I-I think they were headed to the town line."
"What? Why?" Shae exclaimed, growing more and more frightened and confused by the second.
"How the hell should I know?" Whale cried irritably. "There's a curse coming! It's not like I stopped to ask them."
Shae groaned, rolling her eyes at the doctor as he hurried off again. She then sped off herself, in the direction of the town border. As she ran with lightning speed, her head reeled with panicked thoughts. What the hell was going on? Why had Emma been packing up her car? She spotted a large group of Storybrooke residents as she finally reached the town line, and her brow furrowed in confusion when she saw Emma hugging her parents, all three of their faces streaming with tears. When she spotted Regina, she was hugging Henry, her own face stained with tears.
"Regina!" Shae called out as she rused up her.
"Shae!" Regina exclaimed, releasing her son. "There you are!"
Regina threw her arms around the woman she loved, and kissed her gratefully. The panic that was already bubbling in Shae's stomach threatened to boil over as she realized Regina's whole body was shaking, her lips trembling beneath her own.
"Regina… Are you alright?" Shae asked, holding her out at arm's length by her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "W-What the hell is going on?"
"Shae, I need you to listen carefully." Regina said, urgently gripping Shae's hands, her voice cracking with emotion. "In order to stop Pan's curse, I'm going to cast a spell, a spell that will wipe Storybrooke from existence and… And send us all back to the lands that we came from."
Shae's mouth gaped open in horror, and she shook her head slowly. "W-What? No! I-I'm going back to The Enchanted Forest with you!" She cried, staring fearfully into her lover's eyes. "I can't go back to my homeland… Regina, it's destroyed! It's probably nothing but ashes now, I-I can't-"
"You're not going back to your homeland." Regina cut in, her tone heavy with misery. "You're… You're staying here in this world. You have to go with Emma and Henry, you three are the only ones that can leave Storybrooke safely."
Shae gaped silently at her again, her blood red eyes wide with utter shock. "What?" She breathed, anxiously searching her lover's eyes. "N-No! No, I'm not leaving you!"
Shae, jumped, whirling around as she felt a hand on her arm. It was Emma, Henry standing close behind her, both their faces stained with tears.
"Shae, you have to." Emma said quietly, her voice heavy with misery. "It's the only way for Regina's spell to work."
"W-What the hell are you talking about?" Shae demanded angrily.
"In order to cast the spell, I have to give up what I love most." Regina explained, her eyes shining with tears. "That's Henry and… And you, Shae."
Shae shook her head vigorously, staring bewilderedly between Emma and Regina's tear stained faces. "No! T-There… There has to be some other way!"
"There isn't." Regina said, her face twisting with sorrow. "There is no other way. Please, you… You have to go."
"NO!" Shae shouted.
"Shae, please…" Regina begged her as she gripped the front of her jacket. "Please… Don't make this any harder than it already is. There's no time."
Shae shook her head again, her eyes welling with tears, her head spinning wildly. She placed her quivering hands on Regina's hips, and pressed her forehead to her fiancee's, tears spilling down her face.
"I can't…" She whispered, choking back a sob. "Regina, I… I can't just leave you."
Regina smiled up at her sadly, gently brushing away her tears with her thumbs. "Oh, Shae… I-It'll be alright. As soon as I cast the spell, you… You won't even remember me any more."
Shae drew back a step, her eyes growing wide with horror again. "What?"
"That's just how the spell works, Shae." Emma said, gently placing her hand on Shae's arm again. "It'll erase our memories, but… But Regina said she can give us new ones, happy ones. Right?"
Regina nodded, but Shae shook her head defiantly once again. "No… I don't want new memories. I don't want to forget you."
"Shae, please… I want to do this for you, for all of you." Regina begged her fiancee again. "You'll have a brand new life, a good one. You'll forget all about me, your homeland, The Enchanted Forest. You'll even forget that you were once a vampire."
"I can't forget about being a vampire, Regina." Shae replied, her voice and her eyes both filled with fear. "I-If I don't get the blood I need I'll… I'll die!"
"No, you won't." Regina said with another sad smile. "You won't be a vampire anymore."
Regina held out her hand, and a small, blood red vial appeared in her open palm with a puff of purple smoke. "This potion, it will make you human again." Regina explained quietly. "But it will only work in a land without magic. You have to drink it as soon as you cross over the town line."
Shae's mouth hung open in shock once again, and she shook her head bewilderedly. "W-What? Where the hell did you get that?"
They all jumped as a clap of thunder resonated through the air around them, the billowing clouds of bright green smoke from Pan's curse looming ever closer.
"There's no time." Regina said urgently, pressing the vial into Shae's hand. "Shae please, you have to do this, you have to go. If you don't then the spell won't work, and we'll all fall under Pan's curse."
Regina smiled into her lover's eyes, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek as more tears leaked out of the vampire's eyes. "It's time for both of us to be heroes again."
Shae choked out a sob, tightly gripping Regina's arms. "If this is what being a hero gets you then… Then I don't want to be a hero."
Regina nodded, and her face twisted in painful sorrow once again. Shae quickly drew her into her arms, and kissed her passionately. She poured all her love into one last kiss, holding the woman she loved desperately in her arms. Their tears mingled together as their lips parted, their hearts hanging heavy with sorrow.
"I love you." Shae whispered to her true love.
"I love you too." Regina whispered back.
Emma exchanged one last tearful embrace with her parents, and Regina held Henry tightly in her arms, one last time. Emma and Henry both stepped over the town line, where Emma's car was parked and waiting. Shae hesitated before crossing the line herself, and turned back to Regina.
"A-Are you sure this will work?" Shae asked her, holding up the red vial.
Regina bit her lip. "I… I suppose I can't be sure." She said hesitantly. "I've… Never used it before."
Shae nodded, then took Regina by the hand, staring seriously into her eyes. "If it doesn't, then… Then you can't erase my memories, I'll-"
"You'll die." Regina finished sadly.
Shae nodded again, then turned back to Emma and Henry, who were both waiting just across the line bordering Storybrooke. Shae stepped across the line, the air shimmering around her body as she broke through the magical cloaking barrier. She turned back to Regina and the others, and Regina smiled through her tears, nodding at her.
Shae uncorked the vial, and brought it up to her lips, tilting her head back and swallowing the potion in one gulp. She grimaced at the potion's strange taste, and, for a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Shae glanced up at Regina, and opened her mouth to question her. Suddenly, Shae's blood red eyes rolled back into her head, and everyone cried out in alarm as she collapsed to the ground.
"Shae!" Emma shouted as her and Henry both rushed over to her.
Regina watched helplessly from the other side of the town line as Shae's body began convulsing wildly. Then, a pulsewave of magic shot out of Shae's body, and she drew in a deep, shuddering gasp, sitting bolt upright.
They all gaped silently at Shae as they stared upon her now human body. Shae's messy crop of hair remained as jet black as ever, but her complexion and her eyes were completely changed. Her skin was tan and olive colored, with a slight golden undertone, as if she were somehow italian, or possibly latino. Her eyes were no longer blood red, but a bright, piercing blue. Somehow, Shae still did not appear to be quite human.
"What is that? What is that?" Shae asked fearfully, staring down at her own body. She placed her hand over her heart, and her brow furrowed in confusion. "My… My heartbeat… Oh… Oh god."
Emma knelt down next to Shae as the now former vampire seemed to be panicking, her breaths coming fast and ragged. "Shae! Shae, calm down." Emma told her soothingly. "Just breathe, ok?"
"No… No, no, no…" Shae muttered, her now blue eyes wide with fear. "I-I don't like it… I'm going back."
Shae scrambled to her feet and rushed back toward the town line. Regina grabbed onto her arms, pushing her back just before she crossed the line, and Emma gripped the back of her jacket.
"No… No, Regina… Regina, I can't do this… I just… I can't…" Shae stammered, tears rushing down her face once again.
"Oh, Shae…" Regina breathed in wonder, the magical barrier around the town shimmering as she reached out and touched Shae's face. "Oh… Look at you! You're eyes, they're… They're blue!"
"T-They are?" Shae asked, breathing out a surprised laugh. "It's been so long… I… I guess I forgot."
Regina smiled, more tears spilling out of her eyes as she cupped Shae's face in both her hands. "They're… Oh, they're beautiful…"
Regina stepped over the town line, throwing her arms around the woman she loved, kissing her deeply. Shae sobbed as she held her, both of their bodies shaking as they kissed desperately, neither one of them wanting to let go.
"Regina…" Emma whispered urgently, grabbing onto her arm.
Shae and Regina broke apart, and followed Emma's pointed finger with their eyes. The bright green clouds of Pan's curse were now only a few yards away, rolling and billowing ever closer. Regina hastily turned back to the woman she loved, and slipped Shae's ring off of her finger, gently pressing it into Shae's hand.
"Regina… No…" Shae whispered, choking back another sob.
"Please, take it." Regina whispered back, gently cupping Shae's face in her hands again, gazing into her bright blue eyes. "Maybe… Maybe with it, some small part of you will still remember me. Because I'll… I'll always remember you, Shae. I'll never forget you. I'll… I'll never stop loving you."
Regina smiled up into the eyes of her true love, tears streaming down her face. She slowly stepped backward, back over the town line. Shae clung desperately to her hand, and she choked out a sob as she released it, and Regina turned away from her, facing the looming green clouds.
The sudden ringing in Shae's ears drowned out everything else, and she screamed as she felt Emma's hands tugging at her arms, pulling her backward. She screamed and cried hoarsely into the air as she was dragged away from the woman she loved, watching as Regina pulled the small scroll out of her pocket, tearing the parchment in half as she unrolled it. Shae was shoved into the passenger seat of Emma's car, and Shae and Henry both turned around, gazing out of the back window as Emma drove away. Regina was holding her arms up in the air, tendrils of bright purple magic shooting out of her hands. Suddenly, the rolling clouds turned from green to purple. Shae sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut as Regina and the others were engulfed by the now purple clouds. She was gone. Regina, once The Evil Queen, always the woman that Shae loved more than anything in the world, was gone.
XX
Shae gasped, sitting bolt upright. She stared dazedly all around her, her eyes seeing nothing but a black, endless void. She gasped again as a tall, bright red door suddenly appeared in front of her, a door that seemed strangely familiar. She slowly pushed herself onto her feet, her heart hammering in her chest as she stepped up to the door. She turned the knob, slowly pulling it open.
"NO!"
She screamed, falling face first into the fiery burning room as an unseen force shoved her through the door. She scrambled back to her feet, turning around to find that the door had disappeared, replaced by a wall of fire.
"HELP!" She screamed, shielding her eyes from the roaring flames. "SOMEONE, HELP! PLEASE!"
She fell to her knees, throwing her arms over her head, screaming as her flesh sizzled and burned.
"REGINA!"
Shae's eyes snapped open, and she sat forward, her chest heaving, her entire body covered in a layer of cold sweat. She stared around her dark and quiet bedroom, and she breathed out a sigh of relief, trying to calm her pounding heart. She laid back down in her bed, placing her hands over her facing, breathing heavily.
"Hey…" The woman lying next to her muttered sleepily, peering at her through groggy eyes. "You ok?"
"Yeah… Yeah, I'm ok." Shae whispered to her. "Just… Just that dream again."
The woman sharing her bed mumbled something incoherently, throwing her arm across Shae's torso, resting her head on her chest. Shae smiled as she received a kiss on the cheek, and she wrapped the woman she loved in her arms, gently running her hand up and down her back.
"Mmm… I love you…" Her lover whispered.
Shae smiled again, sighing contentedly, the fear and panic she had felt from her recurring nightmare melting away as she held the one she loved in her arms. She tenderly kissed her forehead, resting her cheek on the top of her head, breathing in the comforting scent of her long, blond hair.
"I love you too, Emma."
XX
