Author's Note: The song being played in this chapter is Bloody Nails and Broken Hearts by Billy Talent. I hope you all don't find these notes too terribly annoying. I just don't want anyone to think I actually wrote these songs. I CAN write stories, I CANNOT write music.
CHAPTER 14
"Marian! I thought you were dead, I thought I'd never see you again!"
The party inside Granny's Diner came to a sudden, screeching halt. The diner was dead silent as everyone gathered inside stood in horrified shock, watching as Robin Hood embraced his once dead wife, his bright blue eyes streaming with tears.
"Mama?"
Marian released her husband, drawing in a gasp as she saw young Roland standing by his father's side. "Roland!" She exclaimed. "Oh, my baby!"
Marian fell to her knees in front of him, pulling the boy into her arms. Robin Hood knelt down next to her, wrapping his arms tightly around his wife and son. The party goers watched the once broken family now reunited, both Robin and Marian sobbing with grateful, unparalleled joy.
Emma Swan stood rigid in her spot, her heart hammering inside her chest. She tore her eyes away from Robin Hood and his wife, and slowly turned her gaze onto Regina. The once Evil Queen's eyes were wide with horror as she watched the man she loved holding his wife in his arms. She slowly turned her eyes onto Emma, her mouth gaping open in shock. Emma opened her own mouth to say something, anything that might help remedy the situation. She stopped when she heard the sound of low, muffled laughter from behind her.
All eyes turned onto Shae as the vampire held a hand over her mouth, attempting to stop herself from laughing. She failed immensely, and what started as a low chuckle, slowly grew into loud, raucous guffaws.
"Oh… Oh man… Oh… Shit!" She stammered through fits of giggles. "T-That's… She's… His wife? Oh my god… Oh my god! That's just… Oh, man!"
"Shae… Shae, shut UP!" Ruby muttered, shoving Shae's arm as the vampire continued laughing.
"I know, I'm sorry, I just- WOAH!"
Regina had suddenly shoved Emma out of her way, and stomped furiously over to Shae, her eyes flashing with rage. She seized Shae by the front of her jacket, and slammed her up against the wall, glaring viciously into her blood red eyes.
"What have you done?" She snarled in a low, dangerous tone.
"Woah, hey, look, I get why you'd think I had something to do with this, but I didn't!" Shae said in a panicked rush, raising her hands in careful surrender. "I swear! I washed my hands of all that the second The Wonder Twins here decided to bring her back with us."
Shae gestured over at Hook and Emma, who were both still looking utterly floored. Regina released Shae and spun around, turning her horrified, furious eyes onto Emma.
"You…" She whispered quietly. "You did this?"
"I… I just wanted to save her life." Emma meekly replied.
"You're just like your mother." Regina spat bitterly, her clenched fists shaking with rage. "Never thinking of CONSEQUENCES!"
Emma leapt back in fright, watching with wide, mortified eyes as Regina swept past her, stomping out of the diner's door. Emma stared between Hook, Shae, and her parents for a moment, then hurried after Regina into the night. As soon as the door swung shut behind Emma, Shae immediately burst into laughter once again.
"Oh, man… Oh, I really hate to say this…" Shae began, chuckling as she clapped Hook on the shoulder. "Actually, no, I'm really going to enjoy saying it. I fucking told you so!"
Hook swatted the vampire's hand away, glaring furiously at her. "Is that really bloody helpful right now?"
"Made me feel better." Shae replied, laughing even more.
"Shae, you have got to pull yourself together." Mary Margaret said scoldingly, narrowing her eyes at the giggling vampire. "None of this is funny. At all!"
"Oh, it sure as shit is!" Shae exclaimed. "Just a little while ago, Emma told me that I had friends now in Storybrooke that would help me through my problems with Regina. Who would have thought that you guys would literally solve all my problems for me?"
Shae sighed in a content and amused way, once again placing her hand on Hook's shoulder. "Seriously, dude, I have to thank you and Emma. You guys are-"
"Woah, wait!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, urgently grabbing Mary Margaret's arm. "Where'd Robin and Marian go?"
They all quickly realized that Marian, Robin, and also Roland were suddenly missing. Mary Margaret gasped in alarm, and rushed toward the door, carrying baby Neal carefully in her arms. The others hurried after her, not at all knowing what they were about to find outside. The situation was indeed tense, but, thankfully, no one had been harmed.
"Are you two together?" Marian was demanding of her husband, whose hand was placed gently on Regina's arm.
"Marian, please-" Robin began to plead.
"You and The Evil Queen?" Marian interjected furiously, drawing back a step, placing her hand protectively on Roland's shoulder. "Did you let her near my son? Don't you know what she's done, the terror that she's inflicted?"
"Hey! Is everything ok?" Mary Margaret called out as she and David hurried out onto the sidewalk, followed closely by Henry, Hook, Ruby, and lastly, Shae.
"Well, no one's been incinerated yet, so that's a good sign." David muttered with a small chuckle.
"Regina, you ok?" Asked Mary Margaret.
Regina replied with a small, exasperated shrug. Marian stared at Regina, and back to Mary Margaret's concerned expression for a moment, her mouth gaping open in horror.
"What is wrong with you people?" She exclaimed furiously. "Why are you talking to her? How can you stand beside her?"
Marian narrowed her eyes at Shae, pointing a furious, accusing finger at her. Shae bit her lip, a wide grin spreading across her face as she fought back more laughter. She once again failed, and doubled over with her hands on her knees, wheezing with fits of giggles.
"Oh, man! Oh, I'm sorry. It's just… It's too much!" Shae stammered, shaking her head and wiping away the tears of laughter on her face.
"I can't believe this!" Marian cried, her eyes wide with horror as she stared at her husband. "You and The Evil Queen? Robin, she was going to have me executed, all because I wouldn't tell her where Snow White was. She's a monster! Just like her damn vampire!"
"Wow, alright." Shae said with another chuckle. "I think I liked you better when you were unconscious. You're kind of a bitch when you're awake."
"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Robin Hood shouted, stomping up to Shae and pointing a finger at her as well.
The amused grin quickly faded from Shae's face. She swatted his hand away, taking an angry step forward. "Point that finger in my face again and I'll RIP IT OFF!"
"HEY!" David shouted, stepping between Robin and Shae, shoving them both back. "That's enough! Now is not the time for this!"
"Regina!" Emma suddenly exclaimed.
Shae and Robin Hood ceased glaring at each other and glanced up. Regina had turned away from them, and was stomping down the sidewalk, shoulders hunched, her fists clenched. Emma made to go after her, but Hook stopped her, grabbing on to her arm.
"Swan, no." He said sternly, slowly shaking his head. "No good has ever come from pushing that woman. Just… Give her space."
"It's what she does in that space that I'm worried about." David muttered darkly.
"You don't think she'll become evil again, do you?" Henry asked, his eyes wide with fear. When the others all exchanged silent, uncertain glances, the boy vigorously shook his head. "S-She can't! She's come too far!"
Emma sighed, gently and soothingly wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "I… Hope you're right, kid."
"Well, this has been one hell of a party." Shae said, grinning from ear to ear once again. "Seriously, you guys. This is, just… This is the best day."
Shae began laughing once again, and slowly shook her head as she pushed past Robin and David. Marian eyed the vampire warily as she stepped up to her, but Shae simply clapped her hand on the woman's shoulder, a wide grin stretching across her face.
"Welcome to Storybrooke, Marian!" She said chipperly. "I am so glad you're here."
XX
Regina tossed and turned in her bed for hours, unable to sleep, unable to get the horrifying image of Robin holding his wife out of her mind. She could even still hear the sound of Shae's laughter amongst the quiet chirping of the crickets. However, what made the former Queen most restless, was the bitter, sour taste in her mouth from the pure and unyielding rage that was boiling inside her stomach. The Savior, Emma Swan, had once again interfered in her life, and once again had ruined everything.
Regina sat up in her bed, her brow furrowed in confusion when she heard the soft sound of music playing. The sound seemed to be coming from inside her own home. She quickly vacated her bed and donned her robe, stepping out into the hallway outside her bedroom. As she slowly and carefully descended the stairs, she realized that the music was coming from the piano in her dining room. She recognized the song as Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major, her absolute favorite classical piece. There was only one person she had ever shared that information with, only one person that could perform it so skillfully.
When she stepped into her dining room, Regina drew in a soft gasp, stopping dead in her tracks in the doorway. Every single flat surface in the room, from the dining room table itself, the small end tables, and even the top of the piano, was covered in bouquets of large, blooming, bright purple calla lilies.
"Do you like them?" Shae asked from the piano bench, without even turning around. "I know they're your favorite. Even got them in your favorite color, too. Most people probably assume it's black, but I know better."
Shae removed her hands from the piano keys, and slowly turned around to face Regina, smiling a warm, gentle smile. Regina stood in shocked silence for a moment, her eyes welling with tears as she stared around at all the bouquets of her favorite flowers. She then narrowed her eyes at Shae, slowly folding her arms across her chest.
"Did you… Break into my house?"
Shae chuckled, slowly rising to her feet, giving Regina an innocent shrug. "Is it really breaking in if you still have a key?"
"It is, if you weren't invited." Regina replied irritably. "So, what, you thought you'd just barge in here and make some sort of… Grand, romantic gesture?"
When Shae shrugged at her again, Regina sighed heavily, slowly rubbing her forehead. "Oh, Shae… Shae, I can't do this. Not now."
"Hey, I gave you plenty of time to, you know… Recover." Shae replied, raising her hands defensively.
"A few hours?" Cried Regina. "Shae, I can't get over all of this in just a few hours!"
Shae sighed too, and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I know." She muttered. "But you can eventually, with some help."
"From who?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow at the vampire. "You?"
"Of course." Shae replied, giving her a wink. "I am your other true love, after all. You know, the one that isn't married, and never has been. Briefly engaged once. Well, twice, actually, if you count-"
"He wasn't married until you brought Marian here." Regina spat bitterly, pointing an accusing finger at Shae.
"Hey! I told you, I had nothing to do with that!" Replied Shae, pointing a finger back. "That was all Emma and the… Handless wonder!"
"Yes, well, you didn't exactly do anything to stop them, did you?"
"What was I supposed to do, Regina?" Shae cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "Kill her?"
"You were certainly prepared to kill Robin just the other night." Regina said with a shrug of her own.
Shae breathed out a laugh, shaking her head slowly. "If you only knew…"
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Asked Regina, once again raising an eyebrow at the vampire.
"Nothing, forget it." Shae replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry that we brought your boyfriend's wife back. None of us had any idea who she was, I swear. It was just… I dunno… Fate, I guess."
Regina breathed out a bemused laugh, eyeing Shae with utter disbelief. "Fate? You're saying that you think fate is the reason that Robin's dead wife is here?"
"Yeah, I really do." Shae replied with a serious nod. "You told me yourself that you still love me, and that's what makes this all so hard. But now? Well, now it's easy. Fate has given you one very obvious choice."
Regina bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears once again. "Shae, it's not that simple."
"Isn't it?" Shae exclaimed. "How do you think I knew to get you these flowers? How do you think I knew to play you Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major?"
Shae paused momentarily, her own blood red eyes shining with tears. "Because I know you, Regina." She went on quietly, her voice quavering with emotion. "I know you in ways that Robin Hood never will."
Regina turned her head away from her true love, tears falling freely down her face now. Shae slowly walked forward, stopping just in front of her, and gently taking her hand.
"You and I have fought so much darkness in our lives, in our very souls." Shae went on, her voice barely above a whisper, thick with emotion. "And we won. We fought, and we won, and we came out the other side stronger, together."
"Robin has battled his own demons." Regina said quietly, refusing to meet Shae's gaze.
"Demons?" Shae exclaimed with an amused snort. "He doesn't know a damn thing about demons. Not like you and I do."
Shae took another small step forward, closing the distance between them. She gently cupped her hand under Regina's chin, tilting her head upwards, forcing her to gaze into her blood red eyes.
"I know you, Regina." Shae whispered with a smile. She released Regina's chin, and sent shivers throughout Regina's entire body as she gently drew her finger down the side of her neck. "I know just how to touch you, how to kiss you."
Regina drew in a sharp breath as Shae's cold, pale lips pressed lightly against her own. She stood rigidly still for a moment, but then sighed, gently wrapping her arms around Shae's neck as their lips parted. Shae kissed her slowly, deeply, holding her gently in her arms. It was the kind of kiss that left Regina breathless, that set her heart racing. As she felt the sweet, familiar taste of Shae's lips upon her own, breathed in her intoxicating scent, she suddenly realized how terribly she had missed her.
"You can't tell me you don't still feel this." Shae whispered as she pulled away from their embrace, her hand placed gently on Regina's cheek. "You can't stand there and tell me that this doesn't still feel real."
Regina stared up into her true love's blood red eyes, her heart still hammering in her chest. She breathed out a shaky sigh, and drew back a step, removing Shae's hand from her cheek.
"No, I can't." She whispered back, more tears trickling down her face. "Of course I can't. I told you once before that I would never stop loving you, and… And I meant it, it's true. Even more so now that we share a heart."
"Regina, I… I don't understand." Shae quietly replied as she slowly shook her head. "If that's how you really feel then… I don't understand why this decision is so hard for you."
Regina breathed out a bitter, shaky laugh, shaking her head as well. "Neither do I."
Regina's face then twisted in sorrow, and she buried her face in her hands as she choked out a strangled sob. Shae gently drew her into her arms, holding her tight as she sobbed into her chest. Regina clung desperately to Shae, digging her fingers into the front of her leather jacket. Shae held her close as her body shook with sobs, Regina's tears soaking the front of her t-shirt.
"Shae, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." Regina whispered, staring miserably into Shae's blood red eyes. "I… I just… I can't…"
Shae smiled into her eyes, taking her face in her hands, gently brushing her tears away with her thumbs. She opened her mouth to reply, but then shut it again, choosing instead to lean forward once again, and place a tender kiss on Regina's lips. Regina sobbed against Shae's lips, Robin Hood's bright blue eyes flashing before her own. She pushed Shae back, vigorously shaking her head as she fought back more bitter sobs.
"Shae, stop, please…" Regina begged her, her heart aching with misery. "Please, this only makes everything worse."
"How?" Shae asked, reaching out and tightly gripping Regina's arms, staring desperately into her eyes. "How does this make it worse?"
"I don't know!" Regina shouted, yanking her arms out of Shae's grip. "I don't know, Shae. It… It just does. Please… Please, you have to stop."
"No." Shae whispered, shaking her head as tears rushed down her face. "No, I can't. I won't."
Regina drew in a startled gasp as Shae grabbed her roughly by her arms again. She stumbled backwards as Shae bared down upon her, and gasped again as she pinned her to the wall by her arms. Shae kissed her again, fiercely, desperately. Regina let out a muffled, strangled cry against her lips, trying to desperately to free herself from the vampire's painful iron grip.
In her panicked and fearful desperation, Regina let loose a blast of magical energy. Shae was sent hurtling across the room, and the sound of shattering glass broke chaotically into the quiet of the night. The bouquets of lilies tumbled from their surfaces as Shae crashed into the dining room table, her back slamming into the piano sitting against the far wall. She fell to the ground, the flowers that she had bought for the woman she loved falling onto the floor all around her.
"WHY?" Regina screamed, her whole body trembling. "WHY, SHAE?"
Shae groaned, pushing herself up onto her knees. She stared around at all the flowers lying wilted and ruined on the floor, her blood red eyes wide with horror. She turned her gaze onto Regina, her mouth gaping open in shock, her eyes streaming with tears.
"Why?" Regina repeated in a desperate whisper. "Why are you doing this?"
"BECAUSE I PROMISED YOU!"
Regina jumped, drawing back a step in fear at Shae's sudden, furious outburst. "Promised me?" She breathed quietly. "Promised me what?"
Shae hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut as more miserable tears fell from her eyes. Regina took another step back as Shae slowly rose to her feet, but the vampire remained where she stood. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, staring down at the floor.
"Do you remember the assassin that broke into your castle, the one that looked just like me?" Shae asked of her, her tone heavy with sadness.
Regina shook her head, and opened her mouth to reply. She quickly shut it again, her brow furrowing as she suddenly realized that she did remember the assassin disguised as her Protector. She glanced up from the floor and back at Shae, her eyes shining with understanding.
"That was you, wasn't it?" She asked, her brown eyes wide with shock. "The future you, I mean. Or the… Now, you."
Shae nodded slowly, continuing to stare down at the petal strewn floor. "I broke into your castle looking for Emma, and I… Bumped into you." She went on. "You kept trying to kill me, so I ended up having to tell you who I was, and where I came from."
Regina's brow furrowed in confusion once again. "I don't remember that conversation."
"That's because I made you take a memory potion." Shae explained, still refusing to meet Regina's gaze. "But, before I did, I… I told you all about us, and about what I was going to go back to."
Shae finally glanced up from the floor, her blood red eyes shining with tears once again. "You made me swear, Regina, you made me promise that, when I got back to the future, that I wouldn't give up." She went on in a whisper, her voice cracking with emotion. "You made me promise that I would fight for you, and I intend to keep that promise."
Regina turned her back on her true love, unable to bare the sight of her miserable, desperate eyes any longer. She buried her face in her hands, more tears leaking out of her own eyes, as her own heart ached with utter misery.
"I don't want you to fight for me, Shae." Regina told her quietly. "You… You shouldn't have to."
Shae quickly crossed the room in three long strides, gently placing her hand on Regina's elbow. "But I want to."
"NO!" Regina shouted, ripping her arm out of Shae's grip, turning her back on her once again. "Shae, please, you have to stop. You… You have to leave. Now."
"Right, so you can go running right back to Robin Hood as soon as I turn my back." Shae spat bitterly.
"NO!" Regina shouted again, rounding on the vampire furiously. "No, of course not! He's got a wife now, remember?" She paused, glancing away as she once again saw the painful sorrow in her true love's eyes. "I… I don't want to see him either. I don't want to see either of you, I don't want to speak to you. Not… Not now."
She turned her back on Shae once again, leaning her hands against the kitchen counter. "Please, Shae… Please just go away, just… Leave me alone. I… I just can't."
Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, running shaky hands through her messy black hair. "You know, I really was right all those years ago."
Regina squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the heart that she now shared with Shae shattering to pieces. She already knew what her true love was going to say next.
"Love is nothing but pain."
XX
After her grand, romantic gesture had failed, and she was once again rejected by the woman she loved, Shae retreated into miserable solitude within her cabin in the woods. She had absolutely no idea that there was once again a new threat to the town of Storybrooke. The very next morning after the party at Granny's that had taken a very grim turn, Storybrooke was besieged by what appeared to be some kind of giant snow monster. Emma, with the help of Hook, chased after the snow monster, and attempted to figure out who exactly had conjured it. Unbeknownst to them, the monster was conjured by a newcomer to their town: Elsa, Queen of Arendell.
Unbeknownst to the three time travellers, they had brought back from the past more than just Robin Hood's once dead wife. The strange urn that Hook had found within The Dark One's vault had slipped through the portal with them, and had fallen open upon landing in the future. Elsa had been trapped inside, and upon arriving in a new and strange world, she was shocked, confused, and, most of all, frightened. She had been on the run from Emma and Hook when, in her fear, she conjured the snow monster with her ice powers. The Queen of Arendell then proceeded to conjure a wall of ice, stretching all the way around the town. No one was going to leave Storybrooke, not until she found out where exactly she was, and why she had been trapped inside an urn. No one was leaving, not until she found her sister.
Emma, her parents, and Hook were too busy dealing with the new threat to the town to worry about their vampire friend. However, there were others that were, and Shae had several visitors to her cabin in the days following Regina's rejection. The first was Henry. After the power had mysteriously gone completely out inside her cabin one night, Shae decided to start a fire in the firepit that sat just outside the cabin. The crackling fire cast a warm glow upon the vampire as she sat alone, strumming on her guitar and singing a bitter, angry song.
"Now I know fairy tales don't come true,
And Cinderella don't fit the shoe.
Someday I'll get back the love I gave,
Someday you'll pay for the mess you've made.
From the start, drew a target on my heart,
So you can throw your poison darts.
You'll never kill, never kill, never kill.
You left a trail right from the start,
Of bloody nails and broken hearts.
And you keep tearin' them apart,
With bloody nails and broken hearts.
You left a trail right from the start,
Of bloody nails and broken hearts.
And I bet you thought I'd miss your bitter kiss.
Your bitter kiss, your bitter kiss,
I'll never miss your bitter kiss.
Your bitter kiss, your bitter kiss,
I'll never miss-"
Shae stopped short, listening hard as her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footsteps. She carefully set Bianca, her guitar, onto the ground, and slowly rose to her feet. She squinted into the night, and spotted the glow of a flashlight drawing closer to her cabin. Her eyebrows raised in shock as her visitor stepped through the trees.
"Henry?" She exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing out here? It's dark out!"
Henry stowed his flashlight in his pocket, and shrugged slightly. "I know, I just… Thought you might want some company. And I… I just…"
Henry stammered into silence for a moment, and he stared quietly down at his feet. "I-I know that New York was all fake and everything, but…" He went on, giving another small shrug. "But you're still my friend, and I… I miss you."
The slightly angry expression faded from Shae's face as Henry continued to stare down at the ground, slowly swinging his arms. She then sighed, and quickly rushed over to him, wrapping the boy in a tight hug.
"Oh, Henry… I-I miss you too, buddy." She whispered as she held him tight.
Henry smiled up at her as she released him. "Really?"
Shae smiled back, and nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry that we haven't talked or… Or hung out or anything. Just… Hold on, I'll get you a chair."
Henry waited patiently as Shae went back inside the cabin, returning once again with a wooden dining chair. "So, does your mom know you're here?" Shae asked the boy once they were both seated by the fire.
"Well… No, not exactly." Henry admitted with another shrug. "But Grandma, Mary Margaret, she knows I'm here. She said it's probably safer out here with you than in town right now anyway."
"What? Why? What's going on in town?" Shae asked, brow furrowed in concern.
"Well, there was the giant snow monster, and now the ice wall that took out the power lines-"
"Woah, wait a minute!" Shae suddenly exclaimed, urgently grabbing onto Henry's arm. "Did… Did you say… Snow monster?"
"Um… Yeah." Henry replied, confused by the sudden fearful look in the vampire's eyes. "It's ok, though, it's gone now. Nobody knows where it came from though."
Shae stared into the fire, her eyes suddenly far, far away, her hand still tightly gripping Henry's arm. Henry waited for a moment, and eyed her curiously as she continued to sit in what appeared to be shocked and fearful silence.
"Shae, are… You ok?" Henry asked her.
Shae blinked several times, and quickly released Henry's arm when she realized that she was still clutching it. She then cleared her throat, and hastily changed the subject.
"So, uh… H-How's your mom doing?"
"Which one?"
Shae chuckled lightly, slowly shaking her head. "Right, I keep forgetting that I need to be more specific." She muttered. "Uh… Both, I guess."
"Well, Emma's fine, I guess." Henry replied with a shrug. "Things are weird with her and Hook though. I think she likes him, but she keeps avoiding him or something. And Regina… Um, I… I don't really know."
Shae's brow furrowed in concern once again at the sudden sad look in the boy's eyes. "What do you mean?"
Henry bit his lip, staring out into the fire as well. "She sent me a note earlier, and… And told me to stay away." He answered quietly. "She… Doesn't want to see me."
Shae sighed heavily, gently patting the boy's shoulder as he glumly hung his head. "I'm sorry, Henry. I'm sure she's ok, she's just… Having a hard time right now. Everything is really complicated now that Marian is here."
"But, I just… I don't understand." Henry said slowly. "Now that Robin is with Marian then… Then my mom, she should be with you, right?"
"Yeah, you'd think so." Shae muttered sadly. "But, it's just… It's not really that simple."
"Why not?" Henry asked, looking even more confused.
Shae fell silent for a moment, once again staring into the fire as she pondered how to answer the boy's question. When she came up with nothing, she sighed again, slowly rubbing her forehead.
"Henry, I'm sorry, but… I think it's just something you're too young to understand." She finally replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cried Henry, looking offended.
"I don't really know, ok? It's hard to explain." Shae quickly replied. When Henry continued to eye her angrily, she went on. "Look, all those fairy tales you grew up reading, even the ones in that book of yours, the true ones… They're all about people finding their one true love, finding that one person that they're meant to be with."
Shae paused for a moment, trying to stop the snarl from spreading across her face as she thought about Regina and Robin Hood. "But, your mom… She's got two of those." She went on quietly. "Sometimes, someone can be in love with more than one person, and that's… Hard. Complicated. And… Messy."
"Kinda like when you were in love with both Emma and Regina?" Henry asked.
Shae sighed heavily again. "Yeah… Kinda."
"Do you still love her?" Henry asked in a quiet voice. "Emma, I mean."
Shae bit her lip, once again thinking hard about how to respond. "I think… In a way, yes, I do." She replied slowly. "Love can come in a lot of different forms, you know? I still care about Emma a whole lot, and I'm sure she cares about me too, and you, and Hook now, I guess. Which is just… Weird."
Henry nodded earnestly, causing Shae to chuckle. She then cleared her throat, and went on. "But, uh… I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I do care about Emma very deeply, but… But not in the same way that I care about Regina."
Henry bit his lip, nodding slowly as he stared into the fire, pondering the vampire's words. Shae watched him curiously as he began drumming his fingers on his legs in an anxious sort of way. When he finally glanced back up at her, there was a sudden immense sadness in his eyes.
"I-I… I'm really sorry, Shae." He stammered quietly.
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry about what?"
"Um… There's another reason I came to find you." Henry replied slowly. "There was something attached to my mom's note, something of yours. She wanted me to… Give it back to you."
Henry fumbled around in his pocket for a moment, and pressed something small, round, and metallic into the vampire's hand. Shae instantly knew what it was as the second it touched her palm. She stared down at her ring sitting in her hand, the tiny particles of stardust glowing ever so faintly in the firelight. She had given it to Regina the night of her battle with Zelena, the night that The Wicked Witch crushed her heart. Regina had been furious with her after finding her in bed with Emma, refusing to even speak to her for days. Despite the pain that Shae had caused her, Regina was able to forgive her, and once again placed Shae's ring on her finger, promised to marry her once her sister had been dealt with. Once again their true love had proven that it could overcome anything. But now, with another true love in Regina's life, everything was different, painful, and uncertain.
Shae clutched the ring tightly in her fist, squeezing her eyes shut as tears leaked down her cold, pale face. She tried to stop the overwhelming rush of emotion that was washing over her, but she just couldn't. She leaned forward, burying her face in her hands as she began to sob bitterly. Henry watched her silently for a moment, then hesitantly reached out, gently and soothingly rubbing the vampire's back.
"I'm sorry, Henry." Shae muttered once her tears had subsided. "I should be the one comforting you, not… Not the other way around."
"It's ok." Henry said, smiling sadly up at her. "It's… It's gonna be ok. You and my mom have found your way back to each other a bunch of times already. You'll do it again this time too. I know you will."
Shae clenched her jaw, fighting back against the immeasurable pain that ached within her heart. She straightened up, wiping the tears from her face, and managed a sad smile of her own.
"I hope you're right, kid." She whispered softly. "I… Really hope you're right."
XX
While Shae had been talking with Henry, Emma, David, and Hook discovered the source of the town wide power outage. A giant wall of ice was suddenly surrounding the town, and had knocked down several power lines. While carefully examining the ice wall, they discovered it's source, and the source of the snow monster that had attacked the town: Elsa of Arendell.
The heroes of Storybrooke immediately assumed Elsa was a threat. However, they quickly learned that Elsa was a kind and gentle woman, who was frightened and confused by the new world she had suddenly found herself in. She had no idea how she had been trapped inside the urn, or why, and all she wanted was to find her sister, Anna. David, with the help of Hook, managed to track down Bo Peep's magical staff, hoping that it would be able to show them where Anna was. However, all that came out of the staff was a faint, pulsing heartbeat. They still didn't know where Anna was, but they at least knew that she was alive.
Elsa was comforted to know that her beloved sister was indeed alive somewhere. She agreed to undo her spell that had created the ice wall, but was confused when she found that she couldn't. Her and Emma quickly deduced that there was something very wrong. Someone else was keeping Elsa's ice wall intact, someone who must have powers just like her's.
While Emma, Hook, and Elsa searched for the person that was maintaining the ice wall, and also Anna as well, Shae remained in isolation within her cabin, as did Regina, within her own home. Since the former Mayor didn't seem to want her job any more, Mary Margaret stepped in as Mayor of Storybrooke. She had sent out fliers for an event that she called, "The Mayor's Fireside Chat." Everyone in the town was welcome to attend, to learn about things going on in the town, and offer their own suggestions for improvements that could be made. Mary Margaret and David were both pleasantly surprised by the number of people that were gathered inside The Mayor's Office. Robin Hood had even brought Marian, in attempt to help introduce his wife to her strange new reality.
The new Mayor quickly lost control over her own meeting, panic ensuing when she told everyone about the ice wall. It grew far worse when Marian suddenly collapsed in her husband's arms. They all watched in horrified shock as streaks of her dark brown hair began to turn white, and her entire body began to frost over. The townsfolk immediately began throwing accusations at Elsa, but she insisted that she was not to blame. However, her words fell on deaf and furious ears, and Emma quickly removed her from The Mayor's Office. She left Elsa in the care of Hook, instructing him to take her to The Sheriff's Station, where he could keep Arendell's Queen safe and out of sight from the angry townsfolk. Meanwhile, Emma left with her father for Robin Hood's camp. They hoped that they would be able to find something that could tell them who had cast the icy spell on Marian, and why.
With very little knowledge of magic, and little other choice, Mary Margaret and David were forced to summon Regina. The once Evil Queen was not exactly happy to be helping the wife of the man she loved, but nevertheless, she did agree to help. Unfortunately, Regina had never seen any sort of spell like the one that had somehow been cast on Marian. She was at a complete and utter loss. Once again, with little other choice, they next decided to summon Shae. Robin was not happy about it, and neither was Regina, but both of them knew that Shae was from a whole different world, a world that was filled with all sorts of magic. They hoped that the vampire might know something about what was done to Marian, and, possibly, how to save her.
Mary Margaret sent Ruby after Shae, thinking that she likely had the best chance of coaxing the vampire out of her cabin. They placed Marian on the couch in front of the fire while they waited, thinking that the warmth might slow down the icy spell. However, the roaring and crackling fire seemed to have no effect. Marian's body was completely caked over in ice by the time Ruby finally returned, with Shae in tow. As soon as Shae stepped through the door, she immediately stopped in her tracks when she saw Robin Hood standing next to Regina. She stood in shocked silence for a few moments, staring wide eyed at the two of them.
"Nope." She finally said, vigorously shaking her head. "Nope, nope, nope."
Shae promptly turned on her heel, and stomped back out the door. The others all looked expectantly at Ruby, who breathed out an exasperated sigh.
"You guys, it took me forever just to get her here." She groaned. "It's someone else's turn."
"Here, hold the baby." Mary Margaret grumbled, holding baby Neal out to Ruby. "I've got this."
Ruby carefully took Neal from Mary Margaret's arms. Mary Margaret then marched out the door, her lips pursed in an irritated scowl. She returned a few moments later, dragging Shae back into the room by her ear.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Shae cried, rubbing her aching ear once Mary Margaret released her. "Jesus fuck… How? How are you so strong?"
"Must be all the diaper changing, I don't know!" Mary Margaret snapped irritably. "Now, please, just listen. We need your help."
"Jesus fucking Christ…" Shae muttered, slowly rubbing her forehead. "Just… Fine. What? What do you guys want? What did you do now?"
"You didn't tell her?" Asked Regina, raising an eyebrow at Ruby.
"No, of course not." Ruby replied with a snort. "She never would have come if I did."
"Why?" Shae asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at them all. "What's going on?"
"It's… It's Marian." Robin replied hesitantly. "Someone has… Cast some sort of spell or… Or curse on her."
Shae's blood red eyes grew wide with shock, and she slowly turned them onto Regina. "What the hell did you do?"
Regina scoffed indignantly. "Me? I didn't do anything!"
"Shae, it wasn't Regina." Mary Margaret cut in hastily. "That's why we brought you here. We don't know who did it, or what even… It is. Regina said she's never seen magic like this before."
"None of us have." Said Ruby.
"Alright…" Shae muttered, slowly nodding her head. "So what exactly is wrong with her?"
"See for yourself." Regina replied, gesturing toward the couch.
Shae followed behind Regina as she led her over to the couch, where Marian was still lying, completely covered in ice. As soon as Shae saw her, she drew in a sharp, startled gasp. She stumbled backward, several items from the fireplace mantle clattering to the floor as she knocked into it.
"Shae? Are you alright?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Shae, what's wrong?" Asked Ruby.
The vampire didn't seem to hear them. She stood rigid in her spot, her hand over her mouth, the other gripping the mantlepiece tight. She stared silently down at Marian's frozen body, her blood red eyes wide, and suddenly full of fear. Everyone gathered inside The Mayor's Office had known Shae for years, apart from Robin Hood. None of them had ever seen such a fear in her eyes.
"No… No, no, no…" Shae whispered, her hand dropping limply back to her side, her bottom lip trembling. "No… I-It can't be…"
"What's the matter with you?" Regina demanded, a bit irritably. "Do you know what this is? Have you seen it before?"
Shae blinked several times, finally roused from her shocked and fearful daze. She stared around at all of their expectant faces for a moment, her jaw still hanging open. She then quickly clamped it shut, and loudly cleared her throat.
"Nope."
They all gaped at the vampire in silent befuddlement as she stepped around the couch, heading for the door. Regina quickly stopped her, grabbing her roughly by the arm, jerking her to a stop.
"You're lying!"
Shae glanced down at Regina's hand on her arm, then back up at Regina herself, her lips curling into a snarl. She glared silently into Regina's eyes for a moment, then snorted, raising her voice to a high pitched, ridiculous tone.
"'Oh, I'm Regina, and I think I know everything!'" She cried mockingly. She then wrenched her arm out of Regina's grip, and rolled her eyes at her. "Ugh… Please."
"Are you mocking me?" Regina snarled furiously.
Shae snorted in amusement once again. "Oh, so you can tell when I'm lying, but you can't tell when I'm mocking you to your face?"
"So you are lying!" Regina exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger in Shae's face.
"Get your damn finger out of my face!" Shae shouted back, swatting Regina's hand away.
"Shae, please!" Mary Margaret pleaded. "If you know something, if you know how to save Marian, then you need to tell us!"
Shae glared silently into Regina's eyes for a moment, then glanced back down at Marian. Her blood red eyes were once again filled with the strange sort of fear as before as she looked upon Marian's ice covered body. She then breathed out a relenting sigh, turning her eyes back onto Regina.
"Look, all I can tell you, is that if you want to save your boyfriend's wife, you're gonna need to rip out her heart."
A horrified silence fell over the room, their jaws dropping open as they gaped at the vampire in utter disbelief. "What?" Mary Margaret exclaimed.
"She will do no such thing!" Robin Hood spat furiously.
"She will, if she wants to save her life." Shae spat back. "As soon as that ice touches her heart, she's dead, if she isn't already. From the look of her, it… Might already be too late."
Robin's bright blue eyes grew wide with horror. "Y-You're saying… That she might already be dead?"
"Maybe." Shae replied with a shrug. "It's hard to tell, without looking at her heart."
Robin turned to Regina, urgently gripping her arm. "Regina, please. If what she says is true, then… Then, please, you must hurry."
Regina hesitated for a moment, biting her lip as she stared down at Robin Hood's frozen wife. She then sighed heavily, and nodded. Robin and Shae both stepped back, and Regina stepped up to the couch next to Marian. She drew in a quick, steadying breath, and they all winced as she plunged her hand through the layer of ice around Marian's body, and into her chest. Her brow furrowed momentarily, and she grunted as she struggled against the icy spell. She then gave her arm one last heave, and it finally came free, with Marian's heart in tow.
"It… Seems to be untouched by the ice." Regina said as she closely examined the glowing red heart in her hand.
She then handed the heart over to Shae, who also carefully looked it over, holding it up and turning it from side to side. Shae nodded in agreement, and handed Marian's heart over to her husband.
"Looks like you got lucky." Shae told him, giving another shrug. "Her heart's fine, which means she's still alive. Now can I go?"
"Wait… But, she's still frozen." Robin Hood said, staring fearfully down at his wife.
"Yep." Shae replied simply. "I said removing her heart would save her, not unfreeze her. I have no idea how to do that. Have you tried an icepick? Or… A flamethrower? Oh! Molotov cocktails!"
"Shae, we are not setting Marian on fire." Mary Margaret said with an exasperated sigh.
"Do whatever you want." Shae replied, waving her hand unconcernedly. "I was mostly joking anyway. Only the person who cast the spell can undo it."
"So… She's doomed remain frozen like this?" Asked Robin Hood, his eyes still wide with fear.
"Until all you hero folks find whoever cast the spell." Shae said with another unconcerned shrug. "Have fun with that. I'm outta here."
Shae once again turned her back on them, and made for the door. She stopped, fists clenched in anger when Regina called out to her. "Shae, stop!"
"WHAT?" Shae exclaimed, whirling back around.
"How exactly do you know all of this?" Regina demanded of her. "How did you know to remove Marian's heart?"
Shae gave her another dismissive shrug. "I just do."
Regina narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the vampire, pointing another accusing finger at her. "You're hiding something… Why?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Yeah, actually, I think it does." Said Mary Margaret, also eyeing the vampire suspiciously. "You know who did this to Marian, don't you?"
"Nope." Said Shae.
"You're lying again!" Regina shouted furiously, pointing at Shae once again. "Why? Why all the lies, the deception?"
"BECAUSE IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS, REGINA!"
They all gasped at Shae's furious, roaring outburst. They stood quietly, eyeing Shae warily as the vampire's clenched fists began shaking with rage, her blood red eyes shining with tears.
"My secrets, my life…" Shae went on in a quiet, dangerous tone. "They stopped being any of your business the moment you kicked me to the curb."
Regina's mouth gaped open in horror, her own eyes welling with tears. "Shae… I-I just… I didn't-"
"Yes you FUCKING DID!" Shae roared again. She then rounded on Mary Margaret and Ruby, who both drew back a step at the fury in her eyes. "Don't come to me about shit like this again! I'm not in the business of helping people anymore."
Shae once again stomped toward the door, and, this time, nobody stopped her. The others all jumped slightly as Shae slammed the door shut behind her, and they all fell into a fearful and confused silence.
"What do we do now?" Robin Hood whispered quietly, looking to Regina.
"I'm… Not sure." Regina replied, slowly shaking her head. "I will go through my spellbooks and see if I can somehow find a way to unfreeze Marian. But, like Shae said, the only sure way to do it is find whoever cast the spell, and make them undo it."
"Somehow, I feel like it won't be that easy." Ruby muttered, breathing out a small chuckle.
Regina chuckled darkly herself. "No, it certainly won't." She murmured in a agreement. "When Shae saw Marian, there was a fear in her eyes unlike anything I've ever seen before."
"Yeah, I saw it too." Mary Margaret said with a nod. "And if Shae is afraid of whoever did this, then we definitely should be too."
XX
While Mary Margaret, Ruby, Regina, and Robin Hood argued with Shae over her closely guarded secrets, Hook had decided to disobey Emma's orders, and took Elsa to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop. Hook was not keen on sitting idly by while Emma searched for the person who shared Elsa's icy powers, so he decided to go on a hunt of his own, with Elsa in tow. He gave Mr. Gold one of the white hairs that had sprouted on Marian's head, and The Dark One was able to use it to cast a locator spell. He broke down the hair into magical snow flurries, and told Hook and Elsa that the magic within the hair would return to its source. Elsa and Hook followed the flurries of snow deep into the Storybrooke woods, where they happened upon a woman, a woman with light blonde hair, garbed in a sparkling white dress with a high, pointed collar. This strange woman appeared to have magic, the very same kind as Elsa's.
This woman seemed to know Elsa, but Elsa had no memory of her. The woman told her that her memories had been taken from her by the rock trolls, and that it was Elsa's own sister, Anna, that had trapped her within the urn. Elsa refused to believe it, but the strange woman told her that, like all other normal, non-magical people, Anna had grown to fear her sister and her ice powers. She had cast the spell on Marian in attempt to teach Elsa the lesson that, eventually, everyone turns on people with magic, even friends, and even family. They are all simply waiting for a reason to take drastic measures. The woman was about to use her powers to kill Hook, to once again try and teach Elsa the same lesson, when Emma and David arrived just in time to stop her.
The strange woman, who had been aptly dubbed as 'The Snow Queen,' somehow, someway, also seemed to know Emma. Just like Elsa, Emma had absolutely no memory of The Snow Queen. She had no idea what she wanted with her, Elsa, or the town of Storybrooke. Emma once again sent Elsa to The Sheriff's Station with Hook, who decided to actually obey her orders this time. Emma returned home after her long and tiring day, only to receive even more shocking news from her mother. Mary Margaret told her and her husband all about what had happened after they had left the meeting at The Mayor's Office. They all now knew that there was only one person who might know just exactly what The Snow Queen was up to: Shae.
They once again decided to send Ruby out to Shae's cabin, to see if the young she-wolf could gain any kind of information from the vampire about The Snow Queen. Shae, however, refused to say anything about the matter, keeping her secrets as well guarded as ever. Although Ruby had gone to see Shae for the purpose of gaining information, she quickly decided not to press the issue. She still cared very deeply for her ex-lover, and knew that Shae was already in an immeasurable amount of pain. When she asked about The Snow Queen, about why she had reacted so fearfully to seeing Marian, Ruby saw even more pain in the vampire's eyes. All she knew was that The Snow Queen was somehow tied to her past.
"I've worked really hard to put my past behind me." Shae had said to her. "But, for some reason, it refuses to fucking stay there."
After that, Ruby decided to drop the subject of The Snow Queen. Then, things between Shae and Ruby took a sudden and unforeseen turn. Ruby had taken Shae's hand in her own, and she saw a strange sort of hunger in the vampire's eyes. Suddenly, Shae was kissing her, touching her, their lips parting again and again with urgent and passionate ferocity. Suddenly, they were tearing at each other's clothes, and, suddenly, they were fucking on the couch.
The vampire and the werewolf's brief relationship had been filled with an immeasurable amount of attraction and desire, and they had been unable to keep their hands off each other for any longer than a day. That same passionate, carnal desire had not faded in the slightest, and they left chaos in their wake as they made urgent and furious love all about the cabin. They had finally made it into the bedroom, the blankets and sheets lying in a messy, tangled heap upon the floor. Ruby was on her hands and knees on the bed, and Shae knelt behind her, two fingers deep inside her, her other hand gripping a fistful of Ruby's hair. Ruby screamed and moaned with pleasure as Shae fucked her hard, fast, and deep, every so often slapping her backside with an open palm, something Shae knew full well that Ruby liked.
"Oh… Oh, fuck… Shae!" Ruby moaned between ragged breaths. "Oh god… Oh… FUCK!"
Ruby screamed with pleasure as her body tensed up, and Shae moaned with her, grinning as her hand was once again soaked with Ruby's cum. Ruby pushed herself up, leaning back into Shae, her chest heaving with exertion. Shae held her tight, pressing slow and gentle kisses on her neck as she shivered with pleasure. Ruby moaned softly, and grabbed onto the hair on the back of Shae's head. She jerked her head away from her neck, and kissed her cold, pale lips. They kissed slowly, deeply, Ruby continuing to moan softly as Shae slid her hand back down between her legs, gently fondling her womanhood.
"Oh god, Shae…" Ruby whispered against Shae's lips. "Oh, I missed you."
"I missed you too." Shae whispered back.
Ruby chuckled, biting her lip as Shae went back to kissing her neck. "Don't lie. You had Regina to take care of you."
"Nobody takes care of me quite like you do." Shae whispered in her ear, gently nibbling on her earlobe.
"Mmm… Well, I'm glad to hear that." Ruby replied with a grin.
Ruby suddenly turned herself around, grabbing Shae by her shoulders. She spun them both around, and shoved Shae roughly down onto the bed. Shae cried out in shock, moaning loudly as Ruby plunged her face between her legs. The vampire and the werewolf made furious, urgent love back and forth for several more hours, until, finally, they were both spent. Ruby lie on her back, her chest heaving after cumming vigorously once again. Shae pressed slow, deep kisses up and down her torso, worshiping her body with her hands, her lips, her tongue.
"Shae, there's… Something else I want to talk to you about." Ruby said after her ragged breaths had finally evened out.
Shae removed her lips from around Ruby's nipple, pouting slightly. "I thought we were done talking."
Ruby chuckled, grabbing Shae by her chin and pulling her in for a kiss. "I know, but it's important. Hold on, I need to show you something."
Shae bit her lip, staring longingly at Ruby's naked body as the she-wolf left the bedroom. She returned a few moments later, and pressed something small into the vampire's hand as she sat back down on the bed. Shae's blood red eyes grew wide with shock when she saw what exactly was sitting in her open palm: A magic bean.
"Where the hell did you get this?" Shae breathed in wonder.
"It was the only one Anton was able to grow." Ruby explained. "After… Well, uh…"
"After Regina destroyed the rest." Shae mumbled sadly. "But… Why do you have it? What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm, uh… I'm going back home."
Shae's eyes grew wide with shock once again. "What? Why?"
Ruby sighed heavily, her brilliant green eyes suddenly very sad. "Shae, my whole life I never really felt like I… Belonged anywhere." She replied quietly. "Even here in Storybrooke I still feel like… Like an outcast."
Ruby paused for a moment, biting her lip hesitantly. "I… I want to find my pack." She went on. "When I was with them… It was the first time in my life that I ever felt like I belonged."
"Why is that so important to you, Ruby?" Shae asked her quietly.
Ruby gave a small shrug. "I… Don't really know. Being with people that were like me, it was just… A feeling that I can't just give up. I've only ever felt it twice in my entire life."
"Twice?" Asked Shae, raising an eyebrow curiously.
Ruby nodded, smiling as she gently placed her hand on Shae's cheek. "When I was with my pack, and… When I was with you, Shae."
Shae stared into Ruby's eyes for a moment, and then sighed, her own eyes full of sorrow. "Oh, Ruby… I-I just… I… I don't-"
"Shae, it's alright." Ruby said with a sad smile. "I know what all this was. Regina rejected you, and I'm just your rebound."
"Ruby, come on, don't say it like that." Shae said with a groan.
"Why not? It's the truth." Ruby replied, chuckling lightly. "It's ok, really. I knew exactly what this was the moment you kissed me. I guess I just… Wanted to chase that feeling again. To see if this still… Felt the same."
"Did it?"
Ruby chuckled again, placing a light kiss on Shae's lips. "Well, sure, some of it did." She said with a grin. The grin then faded, and her eyes grew sad once again. "But… Not all of it. You're in love with Regina."
"And she's in love with Robin Hood." Shae muttered bitterly.
"Yeah, I know." Ruby muttered as well. "Which is why… I think you should come with me."
Shae's jaw dropped open in shock. "Say what now?"
Ruby sighed again, taking Shae's hand in her's, staring very seriously into her blood red eyes. "Shae, you're in so much pain right now." She said quietly. "And going back to The Enchanted Forest could give you a chance to get away from all this pain. You could… Start over, start a new life."
"With you, you mean. Right?" Shae said quietly as well, smiling a sad smile.
Ruby bit her lip, staring down at Shae's chest as she gently traced a finger along one of the vampire's many scars. "I'd be lying if I said that isn't something I'd want." She whispered, glancing back up into Shae's eyes. "But really I just… Want you to be happy, Shae. You deserve to be happy. You deserve someone who can… Give their all to you, you know?"
"Someone like you?" Shae asked with another sad smile.
Ruby breathed out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess so."
Shae laced her fingers in with Ruby's, gently pressing her lips to her cheek, kissing away the single tear that had leaked out of her eye. "Oh, Ruby, that's… That's all I want too." She whispered softly, her blood red eyes full of sorrow. "But… I just… I don't know. Regina, she's my true love. We're… Bound by destiny, or whatever. And we even share a heart now, which is just… Fucking nuts."
Shae sighed heavily, hanging her head as another tear rolled down Ruby's cheek. They sat in silence for a few moments, both their hearts hanging heavy with sadness.
"What does Granny think about all this?" Shae asked of Ruby. When the she-wolf didn't respond right away, Shae's eyes shone with understanding. "You… Didn't tell her."
Ruby slowly shook her head. "If I did, she'd just try and stop me, and get all… Emotional, and stuff." She replied with a small shrug. "Seeing her like that… I just… I don't know if I'd actually have the courage to go. You, Belle, and Mary Margaret are the only ones that know."
"I see." Shae muttered, nodding as well. "When are you… You know…"
"Leaving?" Ruby finished for her. "Tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?" Shae breathed in shock. "Shit… I… I just… I don't know… Do I have to decide now?"
Ruby laughed, slowly shaking her head. "No, of course not." She replied, gently running her fingers through Shae's messy black hair. "Actually, I'd prefer if you didn't. I'm not quite done with you yet."
Shae grinned against Ruby's lips as she kissed her, and the vampire and the werewolf continued to make urgent, passionate love until the wee hours of the morning. As Ruby fell asleep in her arms, Shae lie awake as she always did during the night, her mind fraught with uncertainty. She knew Ruby was right, going back to The Enchanted Forest, getting away from Storybrooke, from Regina, from Robin Hood, would only help ease the terrible pain she felt deep within her heart. She knew that, not only would leaving Storybrooke help ease her pain, it would allow her to escape from the events that were taking place within the town. Shae's past had once again come back to haunt her, and the vampire was not at all ready to face it.
XX
The next night, Ruby stood deep within the Storybrooke forest, sharing a tearful goodbye with her two dearest friends, Mary Margaret and Belle. She had waited for Shae for some time, but it appeared that the vampire had made her choice. Ruby turned away from the tear stained faces of her friends, reaching into the pocket of her red hood, where her magic bean was safely tucked away. She stopped suddenly, whirling around when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Ruby! Ruby, wait!"
"Shae!" Ruby exclaimed, smiling excitedly as the vampire jogged up to her. "You're… You're here! So you're coming with me?"
Shae exchanged a nervous glance with Mary Margaret and Belle. She opened and closed her mouth several times, then heaved a heavy sigh, staring down at the forest floor.
"You're… Not coming, are you?" Ruby said slowly, the smile fading from her face.
Shae heaved another sad, heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ruby." She whispered quietly. "I just… I… I can't."
Ruby stared silently into Shae's blood red eyes for a moment, eyes that were filled with immense sorrow. She sighed herself, slowly nodding her head, biting back more tears.
"I… Understand." She finally replied, managing a sad smile. "I just… I hope that you can find some happiness here, Shae."
"Yeah… You too." Said Shae, smiling a sad smile back. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Ruby nodded some more, trying to fight back her tears as she stared into Shae's blood red eyes. Suddenly, she was overcome with emotion, her face twisting in sorrow as the tears began to leak out of her eyes. Shae quickly drew her into her arms, holding her tight as she began to sob. Mary Margaret and Belle watched with heavy hearts as the vampire and the werewolf wrapped their arms around each other, both of their bodies shaking with sobs, neither one of them wanting to let go. Shae took Ruby's teary eyed face in her hands, kissing her deeply, desperately. Ruby kissed her back with the same amount of passionate desperation, tightly gripping the front of Shae's leather jacket.
"Ruby… Ruby, don't go." Shae whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Don't stay." Ruby whispered back.
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, hanging her head as more tears leaked down her cold, pale cheeks. Ruby took Shae's face in her hands, and placed a gentle kiss on the vampire's forehead.
"Goodbye, Shae." Ruby whispered, smiling through her tears.
Shae breathed out a shaky sigh, smiling back at her. "Goodbye, Ruby."
Ruby placed one last kiss one Shae's lips, then stepped back, giving her friends Belle and Mary Margaret one final nod. They nodded back, and Mary Margaret, Belle, and Shae watched as Ruby turned away from them, removing her magic bean from the pocket of her red hood. Ruby tossed the bean onto the ground, and they all jumped slightly as a gaping, swirling portal opened up before her. Ruby turned back, giving Shae one last smile, her brilliant green eyes filled with desperate longing, but also, hope. She then turned back to the portal before her, took a deep, steadying breath, and stepped forward.
A deafening silence fell over the Storybrooke forest as the portal closed, and Ruby was gone. Ruby's friends stared at the spot where she had just been standing, their hearts filled with sorrow. They stood in silence for a few moments, none of them knowing what to say.
"Oh god…" Shae suddenly whispered, her eyes wide, her bottom lip trembling. "Oh… Oh, what have I done?"
Belle and Mary Margaret rushed forward in concern as Shae suddenly collapsed onto her hands and knees, her body shaking with bitter sobs. Mary Margaret and Belle knelt down on either side of the vampire, once again at a loss for any comforting words.
"I… I should have gone with her." Shae sobbed, digging her fingers into the grassy ground. "Oh god… Why? Why didn't I go with her?"
"Because, Shae… You don't love her." Whispered Mary Margaret.
"WHY NOT?" Shae shouted furiously, pounding her fist into the dirt. "She's… She's perfect. She's everything I'd ever want in a woman. Things would have been so simple with her. They… They were simple…"
"I know, Shae, I know… I'm sorry." Mary Margaret said quietly, gently rubbing the vampire's back.
Shae sighed shakily, pushing herself up onto her knees. "Fuck… I really must be cursed or something."
"Cursed?" Asked Belle, furrowing her brow at Mary Margaret.
"I've lost every woman I've ever loved, ever cared for." Shae answered in a bitter whisper. "Regina's in love with someone else, Nadia was fucking murdered, everything with Emma was just… Fake memories. Ruby's gone now, and… A-And…"
Shae stopped suddenly, squeezing her eyes shut, shaking her head vigorously. "No… No, I can't… I can't talk about her, can't think about her… I… No, no, I can't…"
"Who?" Mary Margaret asked quietly. "Who, Shae?"
"There was someone else, before Regina… Wasn't there?" Whispered Belle.
Shae nodded slowly, and Mary Margaret and Belle stared wide eyed at each other. "What… Happened to her?" Mary Margaret asked slowly.
Shae shook her head, wiping at her tear stained face. "I… I don't know. It doesn't matter. She was taken away from me, just like all the others."
"Taken away?" Belle echoed, eyeing Shae with concerned curiosity as the vampire pushed herself shakily to her feet.
"Shae, wait!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, grabbing on to Shae's arm as she turned away from them.
"STOP!" Shae bellowed, wrenching her arm out of Mary Margaret's grip. "Dammit, just… Let it go!"
Shae suddenly gasped, clapping both hands over her mouth, her blood red eyes filled with horror. It looked as if she had just said something terribly wrong.
"Let it go…" She whispered, her bottom lip trembling once again. "Oh god… No… No, no, no…"
"Shae… Shae what's wrong?" Belle asked, eyeing the vampire with fearful concern.
Shae shook her head vigorously, slowly backing away from them, tears welling into her eyes. Before either Belle or Mary Margaret could say anything more, the vampire turned and sprinted into the forest, her body disappearing in a black blur of motion. The two women stood in baffled silence for a moment, utterly confused by the strange sort of fear that they had once again seen in Shae's blood red eyes.
"Let it go?" Belle asked, turning her wide, confused eyes onto her friend. "What exactly does that mean? Why did that upset her so much?"
"I have no idea…" Mary Margaret muttered darkly. "But one thing's for sure… Shae's hiding something, something big."
XX
After Ruby's departure back to The Enchanted Forest, Belle and Mary Margaret lent their aid to Emma and Elsa, who were still trying to deduce The Snow Queen's plan, and also find Anna. Meanwhile, Regina continued to search for a way to unfreeze Marian, but to no avail. Henry even embarked on his own secret mission, which he and Regina dubbed, "Operation Mongoose." He was determined to find the author of the magical storybook, and have him, or her, write his mother a happy ending. He had taken a job as Mr. Gold's apprentice, in hopes that something within his grandfather's shop would lead him to the author. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Gold was on a mission of his own. A magical hat that had once belonged to a powerful sorcerer had, once again, found its way into his possession. Gold planned on using the hat to free himself from the tether that was The Dark One's dagger, so he could leave Storybrooke with Belle, who was now his wife, and still retain his powers.
The heroes of Storybrooke knew that Shae could possibly hold the key to finding and stopping The Snow Queen, and continued to visit her out at her cabin, attempting to probe the vampire for answers. Already mentally and emotionally scarred after being rejected by her true love, Ruby's loss weighed heavily upon Shae. She remained in miserable and heartbroken isolation, slamming her cabin door in the face of anyone who knocked upon it. That was, until, one particular visitor came knocking, one that Shae had not at all expected.
"Regina?" She asked, her face plastered with shock. "W-What… What are you doing here?"
Regina bit her lip, staring down at her feet. "Honestly, I'm… Not quite sure." She muttered quietly. "Can… Can I come in?"
"I don't know, can you?"
Regina furrowed her brow at the vampire as Shae began giggling at her own joke. "Are… You drunk?"
"This is America, isn't it?" Shae asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't have to answer stupid questions while standing on my own property."
"Technically, this is Gold's property." Regina replied, folding her arms as well.
"Really?" Shae asked, eyebrows raised in shock. "Huh… Well, that explains the weird ass decorating."
Regina sighed exasperatedly. "Shae, please… May I come in?"
"Fine, fine…"
Shae stepped aside, allowing Regina to enter the cabin. In the years that Regina and Shae had lived together, both at Regina's castle and her home in Storybrooke, Shae had always been very tidy. However, the inside of the cabin where she had been staying, alone, was in absolute shambles, the hardwood floor littered with various empty bottles of liquor.
"Did you drink all of this yourself?" Regina asked in horror.
"You know how much it takes to get me drunk." Said Shae, giving her an unconcerned shrug.
"Yes, I know, but… My god, Shae." Regina replied, shaking her head bewilderedly.
Shae sighed irritably, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just… What do you want, Regina?"
Regina didn't respond right away. She once again stared silently down at her feet, biting her lip hesitantly. "I… Don't really know."
Shae snorted loudly. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know."
Shae watched with her brow furrowed as Regina's deep brown eyes began to well with tears. She continued to stare down at the floor, hesitating in silence for a few moments, refusing to meet Shae's gaze. When she finally did, Shae saw immense sorrow in her eyes.
"All of this… It hurts so much." Regina whispered quietly, wiping at the tears that were starting to leak down her face. "I miss Robin, and I just keep searching for a way to save his damn wife, to… Return her to him. I know it's the right thing to do, but… God, it just hurts."
Shae clenched her fists, trying to stop the snarl that was spreading across her face. "Why the hell are you telling me all this?"
"Because, you're the one person that I want to talk to." Regina replied, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "I do miss Robin but… Dammit, Shae, I miss you."
Regina wrapped her arms around her torso, biting back a sob. "I miss you so much." She went on, her voice barely above a whisper. "I miss your touch, your kiss, your… Your very presence. Shae, I just… I miss you."
Shae breathed out a bitter laugh, running a hand through her messy black hair. "What do you want me to say, Regina? That I miss you too?" She asked, her own eyes beginning to shine with tears. "Of course I fucking do. But that doesn't change anything. That doesn't change the fact that you went off and fell in love with someone else, and that you threw me out when I tried to go back to you."
"I know." Regina admitted miserably. "But I think… I think that was all a mistake."
Shae laughed again, eyeing Regina with utter disbelief. "You think?"
Regina nodded, her face twisting in sorrow, more tears streaming from her eyes. She quickly crossed the room, stopping just in front of her true love, gripping her hands tight, staring desperately into her blood red eyes.
"Shae, you were right." She whispered, smiling through her tears. "You're the one that stood by me, your love never wavering until I betrayed you. I… I tried to take your heart, I did take your heart. And yet… You still loved me, after everything I'd done to you. Shae, I… I just…"
Shae turned her face away as Regina's voice broke with emotion. Regina then reached out, turning the vampire's face back toward her, pressing a kiss firmly on her cold, pale lips. Shae hesitated for a moment, standing rigidly still, her body trembling. She then placed her quivering hands on Regina's hips, drawing her in closer, tears leaking from her eyes as their lips parted.
Just as it always did when the two lovers kissed, the entire rest of the world melted away around them. The pain Shae felt deep within her heart was momentarily lifted as she held the woman she loved in her arms, as she kissed her. Regina poured all her love into her kiss, and the vampire felt it. They stood locked in their embrace for a few long, passionate moments, their lips parting slowly, gently.
"Oh, Shae…" Regina whispered against her true love's lips, holding her face gently in her hands. "Shae, I love you."
Shae stared silently into her eyes for a moment, her bottom lip trembling. Suddenly, Shae's lips curled into a snarl, and Regina gasped in fright as she shoved her roughly backwards. Shae turned her back on her, stumbling forward a few steps, leaning her shaking hands against the kitchen counter.
"Get out."
Regina's jaw dropped open in shock. "What?"
"You heard me…" Shae growled. She then whirled back around, her eyes flashing with rage, pointing a furious finger at the door. "GET OUT!"
"W-What?" Regina asked again, her eyes welling with more shocked, confused tears. "Shae, I… I don't-"
"You don't get to do this, Regina!" Shae shouted at her, taking an angry step forward. "You don't get to decide you're going to reject me one day, and want me back the next! That's not how this fucking works!"
"How… How what works?"
"THIS!" Shae bellowed, her blood red eyes wide and wild with fury. "Fucking… Life! Love! You don't get to just change your mind whenever the hell you want!"
Regina choked out a sob, drawing back fearfully as Shae stepped forward, bearing down upon her, her blood red eyes full of vicious, painful rage.
"Now… Get. Out." Shae snarled at her.
"Shae… Shae, please…" Regina sobbed, reaching out and desperately gripping the front of her leather jacket. "I… I love you!"
"I DON'T CARE!" Shae screamed, shoving her back once again. "GET OUT!"
Regina choked out another sob, clapping her hands over her mouth, her eyes streaming with tears. Shae scooped up a bottle of whiskey from off of the kitchen counter, and hurled it at the wall next to Regina, where it shattered to pieces.
"GET OUT!" She roared, pointing at the door once again. "GO! NOW!"
Regina stood rooted in her spot for a moment, and Shae took another furious step forward. Regina quickly disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, reappearing in her own bedroom. She collapsed to the floor, her heart aching with misery over the pain and the malice that she had seen within the eyes of the woman that she loved. She curled herself into a ball, sobbing bitterly on her bedroom floor, her heart that she shared with Shae once again shattering to pieces. She had already lost one of her true loves, and now, it seemed, she had lost them both.
XX
The heroes of Storybrooke continued their fruitless attempts to speak with Shae about what she knew about The Snow Queen. However, after her painful and furious encounter with Regina, Shae all out stopped answering her door. Emma and the others were on their own. Whatever Shae knew about The Snow Queen, whatever her secrets were, there seemed to be no way to get anything out of her now. The vampire was distraught, angry, and broken, not at all interested in seeing or speaking to any of her friends.
While going through some boxes of old city records with Elsa one night, the two women made a shocking discovery. There were photographs in the box that had been taken by Sidney Glass, when Regina had him spying on Emma during her first year in Storybrooke. Several of the pictures were of Emma and The Snow Queen inside her ice cream shop, appearing to have some sort of heated discussion. Emma had absolutely no memory of their conversation, but she knew that there was one person who just might know something: Regina.
Emma loaded Elsa into her tiny yellow bug, and drove out to Regina's vault. Things had been extremely tense between Emma and Regina, and Emma was a bit nervous to confront her, especially since it had to do with their tumultuous past. She grew even more nervous when Elsa decided to remain in the car, thinking that Emma needed to have a conversation with Regina alone. Emma knew she was right, but was anxious without the formidable Ice Queen to back her up.
Emma's conversation with Regina was quick, curt, and altogether fruitless. Regina knew nothing about the pictures that Sidney had taken, and didn't even know where Sidney himself was. Emma returned to her car, crestfallen over once again learning no new information about the ever elusive Snow Queen. She started to panic when she found her passenger side door open, and Elsa missing. Emma immediately headed into the woods, and a few moments later, so did Regina.
Regina had lied to Emma when she said she didn't know where Sidney was. Regina had released him from his cell at the hospital, only to once again trap him within her mirror, just as he had been at her castle in The Enchanted Forest. Sidney, by way of a small pocket mirror, was leading Regina through the woods to The Snow Queen's lair. To Regina's dismay, she ran into Emma, who decided to join forces with her. The two women argued bitterly as they walked through the woods, stopping in their tracks when they happened upon a bridge stretching across a large ravine, a bridge made entirely of ice.
"Looks like Elsa was here." Emma muttered, staring at the ice bridge in wonder.
"Thanks, Ms. Swan, please continue to point out the obvious." Regina said with an eyeroll as she stepped toward the bridge.
Emma quickly grabbed on to her arm. "Woah, hey! We don't know if it's safe!"
Regina wrenched her arm out of Emma's grip, fixing her with a cold, irritated glare. She then took a careful step onto the bridge, pressing down on the first step with her foot, testing the ice.
"You were saying?" Regina said, raising an eyebrow at Emma.
Emma sighed irritably, following after Regina as she began to make her way across the bridge. "Ugh… I don't know why I even bother."
"Well, that makes two of us." Regina snapped over her shoulder. "Now, would you please hurry? I would like to find The Snow Queen before it's actually winter."
Emma was about to retort, but her words caught in her throat as, suddenly, a strong wind began to barrel by, causing the bridge to quake beneath their feet. Both Emma and Regina stopped in their tracks, gripping the railings of the bridge for support.
"Uh oh… Something's wrong." Emma muttered, her eyes wide with fear. "I-It's The Snow Queen… She found us!"
"Sidney…" Regina snarled, removing the small mirror from inside her pocket. She found Sidney grinning at her from within the mirror in a devious, knowing way. "TRAITOR! You've been working for The Snow Queen this whole time!"
"I'm the traitor?" Sidney snarled back at her. "I think Your Majesty should take a look in the mirror. And while you contemplate what you've done, know that she has a present for you, one that I'd say is very well deserved."
Regina let out a roar of rage, snapping the mirror shut and stowing it back in her pocket. She rolled her eyes irritably when she found Emma staring at her, mouth gaping open in indignant shock.
"Oh, save your moral judgement!" Regina shouted at her over the rushing gusts of wind.
Emma once again opened her mouth to retort, but shut it as the bridge shook dangerously. Suddenly, there was a loud crackling noise, and Emma whirled around to find the bridge beginning to collapse as the wind roared around them.
"RUN!" Emma shouted.
Emma and Regina sprinted forward across the bridge, trying as hard as they could to outrun the collapsing bridge behind them. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, their hearts hammering with panic. The two women stumbled slightly as the bridge gave a violent heave, and the stairs before them began to crumble, falling into the deep, rocky abyss beneath them.
"JUMP!"
There was a person standing at the edge of the cliff, a person dressed in a black leather jacket. Emma and Regina both sprinted forward, leaping through the air toward the cliff as the rest of the bridge fell away beneath their feet. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they sailed through the air, arms outstretched toward the cliff. Shae grabbed onto both their hands as they began to fall, and the two women cried out in pain as their bodies smacked against the cliff face. Shae grunted as she heaved both Emma and Regina up over the edge of the cliff. They lie face down on the grassy ledge, chests heaving with half exertion, half fear, both of them miraculously safe and unharmed.
"You guys alright?" Shae asked as she helped them both to their feet.
"Yeah, I think so." Emma said breathlessly, smiling gratefully at their vampire savior. "Thanks."
"What the hell are you doing out here?" Regina demanded, a bit irritably.
"Looks like I'm playing 'Captain Save-a-Hoe.' Again." Shae replied with an uncharacteristic giggle.
Regina folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at Shae. "Are you drunk again?"
"Oh, fuck off!" Shae snarled at her.
"Guys!" Emma shouted, pointing at something behind them, her eyes full of fear. "We've got a problem!"
Regina and Shae whirled around, and gasped when they saw what was lumbering toward them through the trees. It was some sort of warrior made entirely of ice, armed with a massive shield and waraxe. It stood as tall as two grown men, garbed in armor and a horned helmet, it's eyes glowing a bright blue from the eye slits of the helmet.
"What fresh nonsense is this?" Shae exclaimed, groaning in frustration.
The ice warrior roared at them, smacking his axe against his shield menacingly. Shae stomped forward, waving her arms at the monster.
"Yo, iceman! Over here!" She shouted at it.
The warrior roared again, the ground quaking beneath their feet as it barreled toward the vampire. Shae brought her arm up just in time, her superhuman strength stopping the swing of the warrior's axe. Shae let out a roar of rage herself, punching her free fist straight through the warrior's arm. It stumbled backwards, howling in pain as it's arm shattered to pieces. Shae looked back at Emma and Regina, grinning triumphantly.
"Uh oh…" Emma breathed.
Shae whirled back around, her stomach dropping out as the ice warrior's arm began reshaping itself. It roared at Shae once again, it's arm completely restored.
"That's not good." Shae muttered.
Emma and Regina cried out in alarm as the ice warrior scooped Shae up in it's massive, icy fist. Shae used her own fist to hit it in the side of it's helmet, causing it to stumble backward once again. It roared furiously in Shae's face, and proceeded to slam her into the ground, face first, over and over and over again.
"DO… SOME… THING!" Shae shouted between blows.
Regina and Emma both nodded at each other, and Regina summoned a fireball into her hand. She hurled it at the ice monster, and it bounced harmlessly off of it's shield. Emma brought up her hands, shooting a beam of light magic at the warrior. The warrior ceased slamming the helpless vampire into the dirt, howling in pain as it's other arm shattered to icy splinters. The warrior chucked Shae from it's hand, sending her hurtling through the air, where she crashed into a tree, falling limply to the ground. Emma and Regina watched in horror as the ice warrior's arm, once again, began to reform.
"That's definitely a problem." Emma said, her eyes wide with fear.
"Not helpful." Regina muttered in agreement.
"Try again." Said Emma, nodding determinedly at Regina. "Together."
Regina nodded back, and the two women brought up their hands, bending their knees in battle ready stances. Beams of glowing red magic shot out from Regina's hands, bright, shimmering white beams from Emma's. The ice warrior bellowed and roared in agony as the magic of the two women hit it straight in the chest. Emma and Regina pushed hard, and grinned triumphantly when they realized that their combined powers were actually working. The ice warrior was beginning to melt. It's legs slowly began to drip away, next it's torso, then it's massive, hulking arms. Finally, the monster's helmet clad head melted away, and all that was left was a giant, glistening puddle of water.
"We did it." Regina breathed in wonder, dropping her hands back to her sides.
Nearby, Shae emitted a feeble groan, picking her head up from the ground. "Oh god… Shae!" Emma exclaimed.
Emma rushed over to her, grabbing on to her arms as she staggered to her feet. "She's fine, she's basically indestructible." Regina said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch." Shae grumbled, rubbing her aching forehead with a painful grimace.
"You ok?" Emma asked her.
"Fine, I'm fine." Shae muttered as she adjusted her leather jacket. "What the hell are you guys doing out here, anyway?"
"Well, uh, I was looking for Elsa." Emma replied, glancing at Regina uncertainly. "And Regina, well, uh-"
"Wait, what?" Shae exclaimed, her blood red eyes wide with shock. "Did… Did you say Elsa? As in… The Queen of Arendell?"
When Emma and Regina both nodded, Shae's eyes grew wider still. "She's… She's here? In Storybrooke?"
"Uh… Yeah." Emma replied, exchanging a confused glance with Regina. "Why? Do you know her?"
Shae didn't respond right away. She stared down at the ground, her wide eyes once again filled with the strange sort of fear that both Emma and Regina had seen before. However, there was also an immense sadness in the vampire's blood red eyes. Shae blinked several times, clearing her throat loudly as she snapped back to reality.
"Nope."
Shae promptly turned on her heel, and began stomping away from them. Emma and Regina stared at each other in baffled silence for a moment. They both opened their mouths to call out to Shae, but shut them when they heard a soft and familiar voice.
"Come now, Shae, it's not nice to lie."
Emma and Regina spun around, and found The Snow Queen standing before them, once again garbed in her white, glittering, high collared dress. They glanced quickly back at Shae, who had stopped dead in her tracks, her clenched fists quivering. She then slowly turned around, her lips curling into a fearsome snarl.
"Ingrid." She said quietly, a devious, dangerous grin slowly spreading across her pale face. "Oh, I've been looking forward to this for a long, long time."
"I'm sure you have." The Snow Queen replied, smiling in a sad sort of way. "I'm sure you've been wanting to tear me to shreds ever since you left my Elsa."
The grin faded from Shae's face, her blood red eyes flashing with rage. "Left? LEFT?" She shouted, her fists shaking violently. "You mean after you forced me away?"
The Snow Queen smiled another sad, gentle smile. "Yes, and it appears I made the right decision." She replied quietly. "I've been keeping an eye on you, Shae. I watched as you joined forces with The Evil Queen, as you fell in love with her. I watched as you became the monster that I knew you were."
The Snow Queen, whose name was apparently Ingrid, momentarily locked eyes with Regina, who snarled at her just as maliciously as Shae was. "Elsa may have fell for your lies." Ingrid went on in the same quiet, gentle tone. "But I saw through them."
"I never lied to her, not ONCE!" Shae bellowed, pointing a quivering finger at The Snow Queen.
Ingrid laughed lightly, slowly shaking her head. "You may have convinced yourself of that, but I know better."
Shae let out a roar of rage, and charged at The Snow Queen. Emma and Regina were both knocked off their feet as Shae barrelled past them in a rushing black blur. She grabbed Ingrid by her throat, slamming her up against the tree behind her.
"You're going to pay, bitch!" Shae snarled in her face. "You're going to pay for taking her away from me!"
Regina and Emma had made it back to their feet, and they watched as Ingrid, who seemed calm and unconcerned despite her predicament, placed her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. Emma and Regina both gasped in horror as Shae's entire body immediately caked over in ice, just like Marian's. Ingrid shoved Shae away from her, and a hollow sounding thump resonated around the trees as Shae's rigid and frozen body toppled over onto the ground, her arm still outstretched into the air.
"Well, that was most unpleasant." Ingrid muttered as she straightened herself up.
Both Emma and Regina stood in shocked and horrified silence, neither of them able to speak as they stared down at Shae's frozen body.
"I'd expect someone like you to keep such company." Ingrid went on, narrowing her eyes at Regina. "But you, Emma… I expected better from you."
"What did you do to her?" Regina breathed, her mouth gaping open as she stared at the woman she loved, now completely frozen.
"Don't worry, she's still alive." Ingrid replied, waving her hand dismissively toward Shae. "She's simply… Out of the way, so I can take what I need."
The Snow Queen held out her hand, and, in a whirl of snow flurries, Regina's pocket mirror appeared in her open palm. Regina glanced down at her own pocket, then back up at Ingrid, her lips curling into a menacing snarl.
"Give me back my mirror, you-"
"No."
The Snow Queen outstretched her hand toward the once Evil Queen. Regina let out a muffled cry, clutching at her throat as Ingrid magically strangled her.
"NO! STOP!" Emma shouted, taking an angry step toward Ingrid.
Ingrid threw out her other hand, strangling Emma as well. Suddenly, a blast of bright blue, icy energy shot out from behind Emma and Regina. They both were released from The Snow Queen's spell as she was knocked off her feet. They watched in silent and grateful wonder as Elsa stepped forward, her flowing, glittering blue dress billowing out behind her.
"Enough!" Elsa shouted, her fists clenched in defiant rage. "If you want a fight, fight me!"
The Snow Queen pushed herself back up onto her feet. Elsa drew back a step, raising her hands in preparation for another fight. However, Ingrid simply smiled warmly at her, her eyes suddenly shining with tears.
"Well done, Elsa." She whispered softly. "You're finally letting go of your fear. There's hope for you yet. I'm… So proud of you."
"Let's finish this now, Snow Bitch!" Regina growled, taking an angry step forward.
The Snow Queen continued to smile at Elsa, not even bothering to glance at Regina. "No need. I have what I want."
With that, The Snow Queen named Ingrid disappeared in a whirl of white snow. Elsa dropped her hands back to her sides, and Emma breathed out a sigh of relief. Regina turned her back on both Emma and Elsa, hands on her hips, seething silently.
"Are you both ok?" Elsa asked in concern.
"We are now, thanks." Emma said with a grateful smile. She then rounded furiously on Regina, narrowing her eyes at the back of her head. "Why didn't you tell me about Sidney?"
Regina whirled back around, fixing The Savior with an irritated glare. "Because, despite what you think, we're not partners! I didn't ask you to tag along."
"Well, I did." Emma replied stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. "If you had told me, maybe you would have saved us some trouble."
"Tell you what?" Regina exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "That I put Sidney in a mirror to help me kill Marian, but then I changed my mind?"
Emma and Elsa's jaws both dropped open in shock, and Regina breathed out a bitter laugh, slowly shaking her head. "What's the point? You never would have believed me. I know you too well, Swan." Regina muttered. She then pointed a finger at Emma, glaring into her hazel green eyes. "Stop trying to get me to forgive you, it'll never happen."
"Stop it!" Elsa shouted, stepping between the two bitter women. "If you two don't mend your differences, Storybrooke doesn't stand a chance!"
Regina laughed sourly once again. "We never will." She snarled, still glaring viciously at Emma. "For one simple reason. I don't want to."
Emma clenched her fists, biting back the rage that was bubbling within her stomach. She and Elsa both watched curiously as Regina stomped over to the still frozen vampire, and knelt down beside her.
"What the hell are you doing now?" Emma asked with an exasperated sigh.
"Unfreezing my true love." Regina spat bitterly.
Regina bent over Shae's frozen body, and placed a kiss on the vampire's ice covered lips. Emma and Elsa both leapt back in shock as a pulsewave of magic emmenated from between Shae and Regina's lips as soon as they touched. A loud humming noise began to resonate around the forest and, suddenly, the ice covering Shae's body shattered to pieces. Shae's back arched, and she drew in a deep, shuddering gasp. She sat bolt upright, coughing and sputtering, her blood red eyes wide and wild.
"Oh… Oh fuck… C-Cold… So cold…" Shae muttered, her whole body shivering violently.
"Are you alright?" Regina asked, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek.
Shae's eyes grew even wider when she saw Regina kneeling beside her. A smile slowly creeped across her face, and she placed her hand on top of Regina's. They both smiled at each other for a moment, staring deep into each other's eyes. The smile then faded from Shae's face, and she pushed Regina's hand away from her.
"Um… Y-Yeah, I think so." She muttered. Her lips then curled into a vicious snarl as she searched the forest around her with her eyes. "Where the fuck's Ingrid? I'll rip that bitch's lungs right out of her goddamn chest and-"
"Shae?"
Regina and Emma both glanced at Elsa, who was standing rigidly still, her piercing blue eyes wide with utter shock. Shae turned her blood red eyes onto The Ice Queen, and she gasped. She slowly rose to her feet, placing her hands over her mouth.
"Elsa?" Shae whispered, her hands falling limply back to her sides, her bottom lip trembling. "Holy shit… It's… It's you. It's really you."
"Shae, what is this, what's going on?" Regina asked, glancing curiously between Shae and Elsa's shock plastered faces. "What are you- OH!"
Regina was once again knocked off her feet as Elsa stomped over to Shae, shoving Regina roughly out of her way. Regina gasped as she hit the ground, and Emma gasped as Elsa hit Shae in the face with her fist. Shae grunted painfully as The Ice Queen's fist made contact with her nose, and she instantly hit the ground, falling flat on her back next to Regina.
"Oh, god, right in the nose!" Shae groaned, holding her aching nose.
"WOAH! Elsa, stop!" Emma exclaimed, grabbing on to both of Elsa's arms as she stood over the vampire, fist raised in the air.
"What the hell is going on?" Regina demanded furiously, pushing herself back onto her feet.
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Elsa screamed at Shae, her normal calm, gentle expression filled with pure, unadulterated malice. "I don't want to see your face, EVER AGAIN!"
Elsa ripped her arms out of Emma's grip, taking a furious step toward Shae, her clenched fists shaking with rage. "If I do, I'll do much more than just punch it!"
With that, Elsa whirled around, and stomped away from them through the trees. Emma and Regina stared at each other in silent shock for a few moments, both of them utterly confused.
"What the shit?" Emma breathed, turning her wide eyes onto Shae. "Shae, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Shae grumbled, still rubbing her nose as she sat forward. "Man, she's got one hell of a right hook."
"What the hell was that all about?" Asked Regina as she helped Shae to her feet.
"Yeah, what exactly happened between you two?" Emma asked, breathing out a bewildered laugh. "She really seems like she hates your guts."
Shae brushed herself off, carefully adjusting her black leather jacket. She glanced silently between Emma and Regina's shocked and confused faces. She then straightened herself up, and fixed them both with a defiant glare.
"Don't worry about it."
"Shae!" Regina shouted angrily at the vampire's back.
"Shae, wait!" Emma exclaimed.
Emma and Regina both groaned in frustration as Shae sprinted away from them, her body disappearing in a black blur of motion. Emma shook her head in utter bewilderment, then turned to Regina.
"What do we do now?" She asked, throwing her arms up in the air.
Regina scoffed indignantly. "We? We aren't going to do anything." She said, glaring viciously at the blonde. "I'm going home, and you're going to leave me alone. Whatever happened between Shae and the Ice Bitch is no concern of mine."
"Regina, wait, please-"
Emma breathed out another irritated sigh, rubbing her aching forehead as Regina disappeared in a whirl of purple smoke. Emma then turned on her heel, stomping furiously through the woods, grumbling irritably to herself.
"Like dealing with fucking toddlers, I swear…"
XX
Emma returned to The Sheriff's Station, her head spinning over the events of the last few hours. After Shae disappeared without saying a thing, she attempted to question Elsa about her and Shae's apparent past. However, Elsa all out refused to speak about the matter, the room filling with snow flurries and the windows frosting over at the very mention of Shae's name. Emma decided to drop the subject, and Elsa left The Sheriff's Station, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts.
Emma was sitting in her office, going through a box of things that she had hung on to from her past, when Hook joined her. Within the box, Hook and Emma discovered an old video camera, one that Emma remembered well. She had made a friend named Lily when she was a young girl, a friend that she had betrayed and left behind, just like she had with Regina. Emma told Hook all about her old friend, and how terrible she had been feeling over what she had done to Regina. Hook did his best to console her, and he and Emma decided to watch the tape that was still in the old camera. What they saw on the tape shocked them both to their cores.
A young Emma had been filming in what looked to be a foster home. A boy in the home named Kevin stole the camera from her, and was scolded by the woman running the household, a woman that just so happened to be Ingrid, The Snow Queen. Emma was shocked, frightened, and confused. She had absolutely no memory of living with The Snow Queen as a child.
The next morning, Emma gathered together a group at The Sheriff's station, and showed them all the video that she and Hook had stumbled upon. Emma's parents were present, along with Mr. Gold and Belle, Hook, Elsa, and also, an extremely reluctant Regina. They were all just as shocked as she was, and began to discuss what exactly they were supposed to do with this new and startling information. Emma and Elsa had no memories of Ingrid, but it was obvious that The Snow Queen needed the two young women for something. What they didn't know, however, was what. But they did know someone who just might.
Once again, Elsa all out refused to speak about Shae, or join Emma, her parents, Hook, and Regina as they paid the vampire a visit at her cabin. Belle took Elsa to the library, thinking that there might be something there about The Snow Queen, or possibly Elsa's sister, Anna. Emma and the others got into their various vehicles and drove out to the cabin in the woods, determined to finally get some answers out of their vampire friend about The Snow Queen, and also, about her apparent history with Elsa.
Shae was sitting on the hardwood floor of her cabin, her back leaning against the wall. She took a deep swig out of her bottle of whiskey, staring down at the small, bronze badge in her hands. She gently brushed her thumb across the badge, the crest of Arendell's royal family carved into the metal. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking down her face as she remembered the day that Elsa had pinned it to her chest. She wore it proudly back then, but now it was nothing but a painful memory.
"Oh, Elsa…" She whispered, squeezing the badge in her shaking fist, more tears leaking from her eyes. "Elsa, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
"Hello, Shae."
Shae gasped, the badge slipping from her hand. She scrambled to her feet, her fists shaking with part rage, part fear as she saw who was now standing in the midst of her cabin.
"Ingrid." She snarled, staring daggers at The Snow Queen. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you." Ingrid replied, smiling a sad, gentle smile. "I've simply come with a warning."
"Warning?" Shae asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "What kind of warning?"
"You will stay out of my way, and you will stay away from my Elsa." Ingrid replied in a low, dangerous tone, slowly sauntering toward the vampire. "If you decide to interfere, if you lay a single finger on Elsa, then, well… I think you already know what exactly will happen to you."
Shae gasped as Ingrid reached out and grabbed onto her arm. She let out a strangled cry of pain, watching in horror as her arm began to frost over underneath Ingrid's hand.
"True love's kiss may have saved you last time." Ingrid whispered, staring into the vampire's terrified, blood red eyes. "But, trust me when I say, cross me, and I will make sure that your Evil Queen will never be able to save you."
"Stop… Stop it!" Shae exclaimed desperately, her hand shaking as the frost began spreading up her arm. "Please… STOP!"
Ingrid released her, and the vampire stumbled backward into the wall, clutching her arm as the frost began to dissipate. "Tread lightly, Shae." Ingrid went on in another calm, dangerous whisper. "Your friends are dangerously close to finding out your secret. How do you think your Queen will feel once she learns of your history with Elsa? I doubt she'll be pleased."
Shae jumped as there was a sudden knock at her door, and she jerked her head toward it. When she turned back to Ingrid, she found that The Snow Queen was suddenly gone, leaving behind a gentle gust of snow flurries. Shae breathed out a shaky sigh, bending over and picking up the bronze badge that she had dropped. There was another knock on her door as she carefully stowed it back in her pocket. She ignored her visitor, scooping up a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen counter, drinking deep.
"Shae, come on, I know you're in there." Came Emma's voice from outside her door.
"Just because I'm in here, doesn't mean I have to open the door." Shae called out in reply.
"Uh, yeah, I kinda think it does."
Shae groaned in frustration, slamming the now empty bottle of whiskey back onto the counter. She stomped over to the door and threw it open, her eyes growing wide with shock when she saw the group of people gathered on her doorstep behind Emma.
"Oh, good, you've brought the whole family." Shae said with sarcastic chipperness. "Even the little brother, the boyfriend, and the step-grandmother."
Shae pointed at baby Neal cradled in Mary Margaret's arms, then Hook, and Regina respectively. She then turned to Regina, chuckling slightly. "That's what you are, by the way. Which is just… Weird."
"Shae, please." Mary Margaret cut in gently, before Regina could retort. "You need to tell us what you know about The Snow Queen."
"And, more importantly, what happened between you and The Ice Witch." Said Regina, raising an eyebrow at the vampire.
The amused, slightly drunken grin quickly faded from Shae's face, falling into an irritated and furious scowl. She pointed a finger at Regina, her eyes flashing with rage.
"Don't… Call her that." Shae snarled in a low, dangerous tone. "I don't have to tell you anything. Go away."
Emma gasped, leaping back a step as Shae slammed the door shut in her face. "That went well." Hook commented blandly.
"Stand back." Regina muttered, pushing Emma out of her way and standing squarely in front of the cabin door. "I'm growing tired of this."
The others all cried out in alarm as Regina flicked her hands out in front of the door, magically blasting it away. Shae was knocked off her feet by the blast, falling flat on her face on the cabin floor.
"What the shit, Regina?" Shae shouted, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees.
Regina didn't respond. She stomped furiously into the cabin, seizing Shae by the back of her shirt. She pulled the vampire roughly to her feet, and flung her against the wall. Shae's back hit the wall, and Regina grabbed her by the front of her shirt, glaring furiously into her blood red eyes.
"Woah, Regina, are you sure you want to do this now?" Shae asked in a rush, grinning cheekily at her. "I'm all for a little aggressive foreplay, but, I mean, we've got an audience, and-"
"ENOUGH!" Regina shouted in Shae's face. "I've had enough of your games, your lies! You're going to tell us what you know, NOW!"
"FUCK YOU!" Shae shouted back.
"STOP IT!" Emma bellowed, stepped between them and pushing Regina back. "Dammit, I know things haven't been easy between the two of you, but this isn't helping. Just calm the hell down."
"I am calm." Shae said, grabbing her leather jacket from off the back of the couch. "I'm also leaving. Goodbye."
"Shae, stop! Please!" Mary Margaret pleaded, grabbing onto the vampire's arm with her baby free hand as Shae made for the door. "Please, we need your help."
"I told you, I'm not in the business of helping people anymore." Shae snarled, wrenching her arm away.
"Shae, it's The Snow Queen." Emma cut in hastily. "She's planning something for Storybrooke, something big, and… I'm pretty sure me and Elsa are both in a lot of danger because of her."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shae snapped irritably.
Emma, with the help of her parents, proceeded to tell Shae everything about what they had learned about The Snow Queen so far. Shae was shocked to learn that Emma and Elsa had no memory of her, even more so when Emma told her about the video tape. They questioned the vampire about Anna, who was still missing, but Shae insisted that she didn't know anything about the young woman's whereabouts.
"Last time I saw her, she was in The Enchanted Forest." Shae told them. "When I left Arendelle, she hadn't come back yet. When I saw Elsa, I assumed Anna was here with her, Kristoff too."
"No, unfortunately not." David said sadly. "Elsa has been searching for her ever since she got here."
"Ingrid…" Shae growled, balling her hands into fists. "She did something with Anna, I know she did."
"Aye, we're beginning think as such as well." Hook agreed in a dark tone.
"You said last night that The Snow Queen sent you away from Arendell." Emma said slowly. "Maybe she did the same thing to Anna. What exactly happened?"
"I'm more interested to learn what went on between you and Elsa." Said Regina, raising a knowing eyebrow at Shae. "It seems you're an old friend of hers, the kind that you punch in the face upon seeing again."
"She punched you in the face?" Asked Hook, and when Shae nodded, he chuckled bemusedly. "Bloody hell, mate… What exactly did you do to her?"
"Shae, please, you need to tell us what happened." Mary Margaret pleaded gently. "Elsa refuses to talk about it."
"Aye, she gets rather frosty at the very mention of your name." Hook said with a grin. "Pun only slightly intended."
Shae hesitated for a moment, staring around at all their expectant faces. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut, slowly rubbing her forehead.
"Fine." She muttered irritably. "Only because I know you bozos won't leave me the hell alone until I do."
They all watched as Shae stomped over to the kitchen counter, grabbing another bottle of whiskey. They waited patiently as she drank straight from the bottle. When she was finished, she heaved another heavy sigh, her blood red eyes suddenly filled with sorrow.
"Regina wasn't the first Queen I served." Shae said quietly. "Or the first one I… Fell in love with."
Their jaws all dropped open in shock. Emma gaped silently at her parents for a moment, then turned her eyes onto Regina. The once Evil Queen looked just as floored as the rest of them.
"What?" Regina breathed in shock.
"You broke her heart, didn't you?" Asked Mary Margaret, eyeing Shae accusingly. "That's why she punched you in the face. Regina did the same thing the first time she saw you here in Storybrooke. Well, technically she set you on fire, but-"
"Yes! Yes, I did, alright?" Shae exclaimed furiously. She hesitated for another moment, staring down at the floor, her blood red eyes welling with tears. "But, it… I-It wasn't my fault… I… I never wanted to…"
"Shae, what happened?" Emma asked gently. "Just… Start at the beginning. How did you even meet Elsa?"
Shae sighed heavily once again, taking another long moment to respond. They all watched silently as Shae continued to stare down at the floor, her eyes suddenly worlds away. She then shook herself, and finally glanced back up at them.
"Settle in, Charmings and company." She said, taking another swig from her bottle. "It's a long fucking story…"
XX
