CHAPTER 17

The people gathered inside the cabin in the woods sat in shocked silence as Shae finished her harrowing and heartbreaking tale. They gaped silently at the vampire, every single one of them utterly lost for words. They watched with heavy hearts as Shae drank deep from her bottle of whiskey, and wiped away a few stray tears that had leaked onto her cold, pale cheeks. She stared quietly down at the table, not wanting to meet anyone's pitying gaze, waiting for someone to say something, anything. After several long, quiet, agonizing moments, Captain Hook was the first to finally speak.

"Bloody hell, mate." He muttered, breathing out an astonished laugh. "The Ice Queen, The Evil Queen, The Savior… How exactly do you get all these powerful women to fall in love with you?"

"Dammit, Hook…" David groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, no, it's a fair question." Shae said with an earnest nod. "Now let me see, here… Well, I'm smart, funny, charming, ridiculously good looking. Oh, and most importantly, ridiculously good in bed."

Hook chuckled amusedly. "Perhaps I should ask you for some pointers some time."

"Oh, yeah, I'll teach a class!" Shae replied, grinning broadly. "I'll call it… 'How To Turn Emma On, 101!'"

"Dammit, Shae!" Emma exclaimed, groaning in frustration. She then turned to Regina, who had been staring silently down at the table. "Regina… You really didn't know about any of this?"

Regina breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "I had always wondered what exactly happened to you." She replied, turning her gaze onto Shae. "You seemed to be a totally different person than when we first met, just as I was."

Shae took another swig of her whiskey, sighing heavily herself. "Yeah, well… Now you know."

"I just… I don't understand." Emma muttered quietly. "Shae, why did you hide all of this?"

"You weren't really hiding it, were you?" Mary Margaret asked of Shae, her eyes full of pity. "It was just… Too painful to talk about."

Shae didn't respond right away. She stared down at the table they were all seated at, her blood red eyes suddenly worlds away. When she finally replied, her voice was quiet, and full of immense sorrow.

"I… I haven't even so much as spoken her name." She whispered, her eyes shining with tears. "Not since… Since…"

"Since the damned Snow Queen sent you away." Hook finished for her.

Shae nodded slowly, and the others fell silent for a moment, watching with heavy hearts as Shae wiped away more tears. "Shae, you have to go talk to Elsa." David said gently. "She may not remember Ingrid, but she definitely remembers you. She obviously still thinks that you were the one that killed her servants, and then… Disappeared."

Shae shook her head vigorously. "No… No, no, no… I… I can't." She stammered, her blood red eyes wide. "She… She won't want to talk to me."

"Of course she will." Mary Margaret said with a gentle smile. "Look, we'll go with you. We'll explain to her what happened, tell her everything you just told us."

When Shae continued shaking her head, Emma reached across the table and gripped her hand tight. "She's right, Shae. After everything that happened between you two, I think you owe it to Elsa to at least go talk to her." Emma paused for a moment, glancing anxiously at Regina, then back at Shae. "You… You owe it to yourself."

Shae chewed on her lip ring nervously, staring deep into Emma's hazel green eyes. After a few moments of hesitant silence, she breathed out a relenting sigh, and nodded. A few moments later, they all piled into their various vehicles, and headed to the library, where they had left Elsa with Belle. Emma, her parents, and Hook went in first, to explain to Elsa what had really happened all those years ago. Regina, however, remained outside with Shae. She stood in hesitant silence, watching as Shae leaned her back against the wall, and slowly slid down onto the ground.

"That was… Quite the love story you just told." Regina said with a weak smile.

Shae chuckled dryly as she lit a cigarette. "Yeah, uh… Did you miss the part where I was almost turned into a popsicle and sent away, never to see her again?"

Regina bit her lip, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Um… No, I… I heard all of that." She stammered quietly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Shae. Really, I am."

Shae took a long drag off of her cigarette, breathing out the smoke as she sighed. "Yeah… Me too."

Regina bit her lip again, standing in awkward silence beside Shae, unsure of what to say. She then breathed out her own sad, heavy sigh, and sat down on the ground next to her. Shae eyed Regina curiously as she took the cigarette out of her hand, and took a drag off of it herself.

"You hate cigarettes." She muttered, her blood red eyes wide with shock.

Regina shrugged, handing the cigarette back to Shae. "I only hated them because it made kissing you like-"

"Like licking an ashtray." Shae finished for her, breathing out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I remember."

They sat in silence for a long while, passing the cigarette back and forth, watching as the residents of Storybrooke went about their day, some of them glancing curiously over at the two women sitting on the ground in front of the library. Their silence was broken as Shae flicked the cigarette butt out into the street, and started to laugh.

"Do you remember that one time you got pickles on your sandwich at Granny's?" She asked Regina.

Regina laughed too, and slowly nodded. "Yes, you refused to kiss me for three whole days. Called them, 'Cucumbers soaked in evil.'"

Shae laughed some more, and Regina laughed with her. They fell silent again for a while, their smiles slowly fading as they both reminisced about simpler times, times when they had been together, when they had been happy. Shae fiddled with the ring on her finger, fighting back tears when she remembered placing it on Regina's.

"Regina, I'm… I'm sorry, for the other day, and for earlier." She said quietly, staring down at her hands folded in her lap. "Yelling and screaming at you like I did, it… It wasn't right."

Regina nodded, giving Shae another weak smile. "I'm sorry too. You're right, I don't get to just… Change my mind whenever I want. It's not fair, not to you."

Shae nodded too, managing a weak smile back. "I think with, um… Everything that's going on, the two of us should try and work on at least being, you know… Friends."

Regina raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Is that really something you want?"

Shae shrugged, and nodded some more. "Regina, you're the only person in this town that really understands me."

"What about Elsa?" Asked Regina.

Shae glanced away from her, swallowing the hard, painful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "I… I don't think she's going to want to talk to me." She muttered quietly. "Not even after she learns the truth."

"Really?"

"Would you?"

Regina bit her lip, staring down into her lap. Shae sighed heavily, and ran a hand through her messy black hair. "Just, um… Do me a favor, ok?" She asked of Regina. "Be nice to Elsa. She's probably the kindest person I've ever met. A little bossy, but, well… You know how Queen's are."

Regina chuckled, and Shae turned her gaze away from her, her heart aching as she saw the smile on Regina's face, the one that she loved so very, very much. The two women fell into silence once again, and sat side by side for another long while, watching the people of Storybrooke that went walking past the library.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina asked after a time. When Shae nodded, she hesitated to go on for a moment, biting her lip once again. "Do… Do you still love her?"

Shae glanced away from Regina, her brow furrowed as she pondered her question. She stared silently out into the street, and Regina waited patiently as Shae took another long while to respond. Regina's heart began to pound harder and harder in her chest as the seconds rolled by. Finally, Shae turned her head back toward her, and slowly, hesitantly, opened her mouth to reply.

Suddenly, the library doors swung open, and Shae closed her mouth again. Regina breathed out a low, irritated sigh as Emma stepped through the door. "Hey." She said with a smile. "So, um… We told Elsa everything, and she… She wants to see you, Shae. She wants to talk to you."

Shae's mouth fell open again, and she sat in shocked silence for a moment. "Oh." She muttered, her blood red eyes wide. "Um… A-Alright…"

Shae slowly rose to her feet, as did Regina. Emma stepped back, and her and Regina watched as Shae stood in front of the door, her hand resting on the handle. Emma and Regina exchanged an uncertain glance as Shae continued to hesitate, her hand trembling on the door handle.

"No… No, I can't." She muttered, stepping back from the door and vigorously shaking her head. "I… I-I'm not ready. I'm not ready for this."

"Shae, it's been over thirty years." Emma said, breathing out a laugh. "You've gotta talk to her sometime."

When Shae continued shaking her head, Emma sighed, and placed her hand on the vampire's arm. "Look, I know you're scared." She said gently. "But, it's like that troll guy said to you in your story-"

"Grand Pabbie." Shae corrected her.

"Right, yeah… What a weird name." Emma muttered, then quickly shook her head. "Right, so, it's like Grand Pabbie said. You've gotta let go of your fear."

"Let it go…" Shae whispered, her blood red eyes suddenly far, far away.

"Yeah, that's right." Emma whispered back, patting the vampire's arm. "Let it go."

Emma glanced anxiously at Regina, who refused to meet her gaze. Regina folded her arms across her chest, biting her lip as she stared silently down at the ground. She picked her head up as Shae stepped forward, and pulled the library door open. Regina and Emma followed closely behind Shae as she stepped through the door, and promptly froze in her spot as soon as she crossed the threshold. Mary Margaret, David, Hook, and Belle were all gathered around a small table near the front desk, and standing next to Belle, was Elsa.

Shae stood rigid in her spot, her eyes instantly welling with tears as she looked upon the woman that she had once loved so very, very deeply. She was exactly as Shae remembered her, right down to the glittering blue dress that she had magically fashioned for herself all those years ago. Elsa placed her hand over her mouth, and Shae saw tears in her dazzling blue eyes, the very same eyes that she had lost herself in so many times. The others watched with bated breath as Shae and Elsa both stared at each other in silence, neither of them able to even speak. Regina and Emma both watched Shae's face carefully, and neither of them had ever seen such immense sorrow and joy mingled together in anyone's eyes before.

Finally, after several moments of tense silence, Shae forced her legs to move. They felt like they were made of lead as she slowly walked forward. Elsa stood still, hand over her mouth, tears rushing down her face as she watched Shae walking toward her. Shae stopped just in front of her, opening and closing her mouth several times, her bottom lip trembling as she stared into Elsa's sparkling blue eyes. Elsa gazed back into Shae's own blood red eyes as they streamed with tears, and she slowly, hesitantly, reached out a quivering hand, placing it tenderly on the vampire's cheek.

Suddenly, all the pain, the heartache, and the sorrow that Shae had endured since returning from her near death experience weighed heavily upon her. The pain threatened to crush her as she felt Elsa's gentle touch, as she stared into her eyes, eyes that she thought she would never see again. Her head swam with memories, from the first time she and Elsa had kissed, to the utter misery she had felt after Ingrid had sent her away. She choked out a strangled sob, and, suddenly, her knees buckled under the weight of all the painful, bitter memories. Shae collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees before the woman that she had once loved, the woman whose heart she had unwillingly broken.

Emma and the others all rushed toward the vampire as Shae hit the ground, but stopped when Elsa held up her hand in a regal, commanding sort of way that only a Queen could. Elsa hesitated for a moment, staring down at the miserable, broken vampire that was sobbing on the floor at her feet. For a moment, Elsa reamined where she stood, staring down at her once Royal Protector with pity in her eyes. She then knelt down in front of Shae, and slowly, gently, pulled her into her arms. Shae buried her face in Elsa's shoulder, sobbing loudly as she felt her arms holding her tight. Even after thirty years, her embrace felt so incredibly familiar.

"Elsa… Elsa, I'm sorry…" Shae sobbed, pulling away from Elsa's shoulder, staring miserably into her piercing blue eyes. "I'm… I'm so sorry…"

"Shh, it's alright, it's ok." Elsa whispered softly, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "Emma and the others, they told me everything. It… It wasn't your fault."

Shae nodded, choking out another strangled sob. "Oh god… Elsa, I… I-I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Elsa whispered, smiling into Shae's blood red eyes.

Elsa wrapped Shae in her arms again as the vampire wept with part joy, part sorrow, her whole body shaking with violent sobs. The others all smiled at each other as they watched Shae and Elsa's emotional reunion, all except Regina. The once Evil Queen balled her hands into fists, seethingly silently as Elsa held the woman that she still loved in her arms, running her fingers through the messy black hair on the back of Shae's head. Unable to bare the sight any longer, Regina turned her back on the both of them, and promptly left the library.

Emma made to go after Regina, but was stopped by Hook. "Swan, no." He muttered quietly, grabbing on to Emma's arm. "Just… Let her go."

"You guys, you… You don't understand." Emma whispered, her eyes wide with a sudden horror as she stared around at Hook, her parents, and Belle. "Not only did I bring back Robin Hood's wife, I… I brought back Elsa, Shae's… Ex-girlfriend, who she obviously still has some sort of feelings for."

"Emma, it wasn't your fault." Mary Margaret said gently.

"I know, I know, but… I… I just…" Emma stammered. She then breathed out a miserable, heavy sigh, placing her hands over her face. "Oh god… What… What am I gonna do?"

The others all exchanged worried, mournful glances. "I… I don't know, Emma." Mary Margaret whispered.

They turned their attention back on the vampire and The Ice Queen as pulled away from Elsa's embrace, placing her quivering hands on her shoulders. "Oh god, Elsa…" She whispered, breathing out a shaky laugh. "Look at you, you… You haven't changed a bit."

Elsa laughed herself, wiping the tears away from her face. "Yes, well, I suppose being trapped in a magical urn for thirty years is good for the skin."

The smile quickly faded from Shae's face, and her mouth gaped open in confused shock. "Wait… What?"

Emma cleared her throat loudly, causing Shae to turn her head toward her. "Um, so… Remember that urn Hook found in The Dark One's vault?" She asked with a nervous smile. "It sort of… Came through the portal with us."

"And… And you were inside it?" Shae asked, staring at Elsa with wide, horrified eyes. "Holy shit, t-that urn… It was the one you found Ingrid inside of, wasn't it?"

"Ingrid?" Asked Elsa, brow furrowed in confusion. "She was… Inside the urn too?"

"Um, yeah, before-" Shae began to say, then stopped, her eyes growing wide again. "Oh, that's right… You don't remember her at all, do you?"

When Elsa shook her head, Shae sighed, and rose slowly to her feet, helping Elsa up onto her's. "So… What exactly do you remember?" She asked, a bit nervously.

Elsa sighed too, and slowly shook her head. "Not much, I'm afraid. It's all a bit… Hazy." She muttered. "I remember Anna leaving for Misthaven, and you returning after she wouldn't come back with you. And… And I remember my guards telling me what you had done, to Kai and… And the others. They told me that they tried to apprehend you, but you fled before they could even try, before they could even ask you why you would do such a thing. After that… Nothing."

"What about the urn?" Shae asked. "How exactly did you get trapped in there?"

Elsa shook her head again. "I… I don't know."

"Ingrid insists that it was Anna." David explained in a grave tone.

"What?" Shae exclaimed, her eyes filled with horror once again. "No! No, Anna would never do that! Elsa, she's your sister, she loves you! No, it was Ingrid, it has to be."

"Aye, we've been thinking as much." Hook muttered darkly. "What we don't know is… Why?"

"I think I might have an answer to that." Belle said, gesturing to the book that was sitting open on the table in front of her. "Elsa and I found this just before you all arrived."

The others all quickly gathered around Belle, staring down at the old, dusty book on the table. It appeared to be an ancient heraldry of Arendelle's royal line. There were small, painted portraits of the various Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses that had ruled Arendelle through the centuries. One of them was of Gerda, Elsa's mother, and beside hers were portraits of both of her sisters, Ingrid and Helga.

"Holy shit…" Shae whispered, staring wide eyed at the portrait of Helga. "Emma… She looks just like you!"

"Bloody hell, that she does." Hook muttered, his eyes just as wide as Shae's. "So that's why The Snow Queen is so obsessed with you, why she kept all those relics from your childhood."

"Relics?" Shae asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I have them here." Said Belle, stepping away from the table and over to the front desk, from which she retrieved a small cardboard box. "Emma and Hook found this in Ingrid's ice cream truck."

Belle dropped the box onto the table, and Shae immediately began rummaging through the various items within. "So, what, she came to this world looking for blondes?" Emma asked with a snort. "There's a lot more than just me."

"Don't I know it." Hook said, grinning cheekily at her.

"Hook…" David muttered irritably.

"Woah!" Shae suddenly exclaimed, staring wide eyed down at the object she had removed from the box, which appeared to be some sort of scroll. "This… This writing, it's ancient runic."

"Ingrid must have brought it with her from Arendelle." Elsa mused quietly.

"Wait a minute, you can read ancient runic?" Asked David, raising an eyebrow at Shae.

"Well, she did spend a lot of time in Arendelle." Mary Margaret said with a shrug.

"Oh, no, Shae can read and speak any language." Elsa said, turning to Shae. "It's part of your magic, right?"

Shae's eyes grew wide, and she suddenly looked very nervous as she stared around at everyone's expectant faces. "Did I say that?" She asked Elsa with a nervous laugh. "I never said that."

"Yes, you most certainly did." Elsa replied, folding her arms across her chest.

"Are you sure?" Asked Shae. "I mean, it's been thirty years, and you do have some memory loss."

"You guys, just… Enough." Emma said with a sigh, before Elsa could retort. "What exactly does that scroll say?"

"Right, sorry." Shae muttered, picking up the scroll again.

They all waited patiently as Shae's eyes scanned quickly over the writing on the scroll. As she read, her blood red eyes grew wider and wider. Finally, she slowly lowered the scroll, turning her wide, baffled gaze onto Emma.

"She wasn't just looking for blondes." Shae said quietly. "She was looking for The Savior."

"What?" The others all exclaimed in unison.

"This scroll, it's… It's a prophecy." Elsa explained, staring wide eyed at the scroll from over Shae's shoulder. "It says right here, 'The name of The Savior will be Emma.'"

"So… She knew." Emma breathed, her eyes just as wide as Shae and Elsa's.

"Even before you did, it seems." Elsa said with a solemn nod. "She knew you were powerful."

"But… Why?" Muttered David, his eyes full of fear. "What exactly does she want with Emma?"

"'The name of The Savior will be Emma.'" Shae read again from the scroll. "'And The Savior will become… Ingrid's sister.'"

Their jaws all dropped open in shock, and they stared wide eyed at the vampire. "What… What the hell does that mean?" Emma demanded, a bit angrily.

Shae sighed heavily, rolling the scroll back up and placing it carefully back in the box. "I think… Ingrid really believes in this prophecy." She answered slowly. "When she cast that spell on me, she said that she wanted a perfect family, a family that loves her and accepts her, like her sisters did. And since they're both gone-"

"She wants to replace them." Elsa whispered, staring at Emma with horror in her eyes. "With… Us."

Emma groaned in frustration, rubbing her aching forehead. "Jesus… I think I need a drink."

"Ditto." Shae agreed with a laugh.

"Why don't we all go to Granny's?" Mary Margaret offered. "We can get something to eat, something to drink, and… Process all of this."

The others all nodded in agreement. They started heading for the door, but Shae stopped when Elsa grabbed her hand. "Shae, wait." She said. When Shae turned around to face her, she paused for a moment, biting her lip hesitantly. "Now that I know the truth about what happened to you, I… Well, I'd like to talk some more, if that's alright."

Shae glanced back at Emma and the others, who were all waiting by the door. She then turned back to Elsa, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "Elsa, I… I'd love to, but… I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." She stammered quietly, gently squeezing Elsa's hand. "Earlier today, Ingrid showed up at my cabin, and warned me to stay out of her way, and to… Stay away from you."

Elsa scoffed, folding her hands across her chest. "I'm not afraid of her."

"Well, yeah, of course you're not." Shae replied with a slight chuckle. "She'd never do anything to hurt you. But me? She'll turn me into a frozen vampire pop with a flick of her damn wrist."

"Why don't you guys come to Granny's with us?" David offered with a smile. "We'll all be there to keep an eye out for Ingrid."

"I've gotten pretty good with my magic." Emma said, shrugging slightly. "I'm pretty sure between me and Elsa we can keep The Snow Queen at bay."

"I won't let her hurt you Shae." Elsa whispered quietly, smiling into Shae's blood red eyes. "Not again. I promise."

Shae stared into the dazzling blue eyes of the woman that she had once loved, eyes that had remained unchanged after thirty years. Suddenly, it felt like only yesterday Shae had been holding Elsa in her arms, kissing her, telling her how much she loved her. Her unbeating heart began to flutter inside her ribcage as she looked upon her smile, the same way that it did when she saw Regina's. She thought back to the question Regina had posed to her earlier. Shae was still unsure of the answer, but, as she stood with Elsa's hand in her own, her heart began to ache with a deep, desperate longing, and she fought against the powerful urge to kiss her.

XX

The Charming family, Hook, and Belle all took seats at the counter upon arriving at Granny's Diner, to better watch the door, in case Ingrid did decided to show her face. Elsa and Shae sat in a booth in the back, so they could have some privacy as they talked for the first time in over thirty years. It was awkward at first, neither of them knowing exactly how to start the conversation. However, after a few hesitant and uncomfortable moments, they began to talk and reminisce about times long ago.

"Remember when Kristoff tried to give Sven his own bedroom?" Shae asked, laughing as she did.

"Yes! Oh, the servants threw an absolute fit!" Elsa exclaimed, giggling as well.

"Especially when Olaf kept leaving puddles behind everywhere he went." Shae said with another laugh.

"Yes, I didn't exactly think about that when I created that snow flurry for him." Elsa admitted, a bit sheepishly. "I wonder what he's doing now? His last letter was completely indescifrable. The only two words I could make out were, 'people,' and, 'flowers.'"

"I thought it said, 'flounders.'" Shae muttered, frowning slightly.

"Flounders?"

"Yeah, like… The fish?"

Elsa blinked several times, brow furrowed in confusion. She then burst out laughing, causing Shae to laugh as well. Back at the counter, Emma smiled fondly as she watched the two of them laughing together. She then turned back around, breathing out a laugh of her own.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've heard Shae laugh in… A long time." Emma mused to the others.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Belle said, smiling fondly at Shae and Elsa as well.

"Aye, they seem to be quite the pair." Commented Hook, with a smile of his own. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it? What do you think would have happened if Ingrid had never cast her bloody spell?"

"Well, I'm guessing from that story she told us, Shae would be… A completely different person." David answered with a shrug.

"She definitely wouldn't have turned evil, or gotten with Regina." Said Emma.

"I dunno…" Mary Margaret muttered with a sigh, turning back to glance at the two laughing in their booth. "Maybe that wouldn't have been such a bad thing."

"So, you're back to wearing all black, I see." Elsa said to Shae, gesturing to her black leather jacket.

"Yeah, well, it's kinda always been my color." Shae replied with a shrug.

"Oh, I don't know, I really liked the navy blue coat." Elsa said, shrugging herself. "And the red sash. It really brought out your eyes."

Shae chuckled dryly, taking a sip from her glass of whiskey. "Yeah, because the blood red eyes are really something I want to stand out even more."

Elsa shrugged again, giving Shae a slight, sheepish smile. "I always liked them."

Shae bit her lip, and attempted to smiled back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah… I… I know."

They fell into awkward silence once again, neither of them sure of what to say next. "So… I'd very much like to hear about what you've been doing the last thirty years." Elsa said after a time, finally breaking the silence. "Time didn't exactly pass for me inside that urn, so I'm afraid I have very little to tell myself."

Shae chewed on her lip ring nervously, staring down into her glass of whiskey. "Right, um… Before I tell you, I… I need to… I-I need you to know…"

Shae stopped her anxious stammering, and breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. "Remember when I told you that… That you saved me from the darkness?" She asked, and when Elsa nodded, she went on. "Well, without you, I… Elsa, I was just lost. I gave in to the darkness, I was… Consumed by it. The last thirty years, they haven't exactly been… Pleasant. And I just… I-I don't-"

"Shae, it's alright." Elsa said gently, reaching across the table and squeezing Shae's hand. "You can tell me. You can tell me anything."

As Shae stared into Elsa's dazzling blue eyes, she knew that what she said was true. In the years they had spent together, Shae had shared everything with Elsa, every part of her life, the good and the bad. Elsa would always listen, always comment on Shae's past with logic and understanding. Shae silently wondered if Elsa would be so understanding once she learned about everything she had done in the past thirty years, what she had become.

Slowly, hesitantly, Shae began her story. She told Elsa everything, all the details about the dark and gruesome things she had done alongside Regina, who had once been The Evil Queen. Elsa listened quietly, her face a calm and collected mask as the words tumbled from Shae's lips. She told Elsa all about falling in love with Regina, betraying her, losing her heart, and gaining it back, as well as her love for Regina. Her voice began to quaver with emotion as she talked about nearly being killed by Zelena, and coming back from the brink of death, saved by her true love, only to find her in the arms of Robin Hood, her other true love. Elsa once again reached out and took her hand, and Shae held it tight, finding Elsa's touch comforting as she recounted the pain and the heartache that had been her life as of late.

The sun was setting over the town of Storybrooke when Shae finally finished her tale. Elsa sat in silence for a while, her sparkling blue eyes shining with tears as she stared at Shae. Shae stared down into her now empty glass, unable to bare the pity and the sorrow in Elsa's eyes.

"Oh, Shae…" Elsa whispered, slowly shaking her head. "Shae, I'm… I'm so sorry."

Shae breathed out a surprised laugh. "Sorry? You're… You're not angry? Elsa, I actually became the monster that Ingrid said I was."

"I know." Elsa replied with a solemn nod. "You have… Been through so much, Shae. I think if I had seen the horrors that you have, felt that kind of pain, I… I would have reacted much the same way."

Shae laughed again, shaking her head bemusedly. "That's just like you, you know." She said with a smile. "Always using logic and reason to explain anything."

Elsa gave her a modest shrug. "Is that really such a bad thing?"

Shae shook her head again. "No. Not at all."

Silence fell over their booth again, and they both stared down at the table, their hearts heavy as they thought over the dark and painful memories that Shae had shared. Finally, Elsa glanced up from the table, and Shae's heart ached when she saw the immense sorrow in her dazzling blue eyes.

"Do you still love her?" She asked quietly.

Shae sighed heavily, hearing Regina's voice echoing the same question in her mind. "Yes." She whispered in reply. "What we have, it's… True love. As much as both of us might want it to, I don't think that's something that will ever go away, especially now that we share a heart."

Elsa nodded slowly, falling silent for another moment. "What's it like?" She asked. "Having someone else's heart inside you?"

"Well, it felt kinda… Weird, at first." Shae replied with an uncertain shrug. "But it's really not so much different than before."

"I see." Elsa muttered, slowly nodding her head again. "I suppose when you share such a strong bond with someone, sharing a heart is quite easy."

Shae chuckled sourly. "If only…"

Elsa smiled sadly, hesitating in silence for another moment. "So… Do you think… D-Does she-"

"Love me too?" Shae finished for her, smiling a sad smile back. "Yeah, she told me so just a few days ago. But, I was so angry, in so much pain… I turned her away, screamed at her, told her that she can't just decided she loves Robin one day and me the next."

"You're not wrong, Shae." Elsa said in reply.

Shae breathed out another sad, heavy sigh. "I know." She whispered. "I just… I don't know what to do, Elsa."

Elsa sighed heavily herself, and silence fell between them for another moment as she pondered Shae's words. "Well, I'm afraid even my exceptional logic and reason is at a loss."

"I think that's a first." Shae replied with a chuckle. She then reached out and took Elsa's hand again, squeezing it gently as she smiled a warm, grateful smile. "Thank you. For listening, I mean. I haven't really talked about any of this stuff, and it… It helps."

Shae paused for a moment, her smile fading as she stared down at Elsa's hand in her own. "I… I know that it wasn't easy to hear." She went on quietly. "And I know you getting to Storybrooke wasn't exactly under the best circumstances, but… It's just… Really good to see you again. I'm really glad you're here, Elsa."

Elsa placed her other hand on top of Shae's, and smiled into her blood red eyes. "Me too."

As they both stared deep into each other's eyes, a sudden tension began to build up between them, a sudden heat. Once again, Shae felt like it had been only yesterday that she had been happy and carefree while in Elsa's loving embrace. Suddenly, her hands began to tremble, and she found herself staring longingly at Elsa's lips.

"Hey!"

Elsa and Shae both jumped, suddenly roused from their daze as Emma, her parents, Belle and Hook approached their booth. "So, it's getting pretty late…" Emma began to say with an apologetic smile.

"Oh. Um… Right, ok." Shae stammered, quickly removing her hand from Elsa's. "Yeah, I should… I should probably go."

"Wait! Shae, you can't just go out there alone!" Elsa cried as she clambered out of their booth after Shae. "It's dangerous! I've seen the kind of power Ingrid has over you."

"I'll be fine, I promise." Shae insisted gently.

"Please, allow me to at least see you safely back home." Elsa pleaded, gripping Shae's hand tight.

Shae hesitated for a moment, glancing anxiously around at Emma and the others. She then breathed out a relenting sigh. "Alright, alright. I know you won't take, 'no,' for an answer anyway." She said, chuckling lightly. "Come on, bossypants. Lets go."

"I am not bossy!" Elsa cried indignantly, following Shae toward the door.

"Um, yeah, you kinda are." Shae replied with another chuckle. "But, like… In a good way."

The others all watched with smiles on their faces as Shae and Elsa left the diner together, all except for Emma. The Savior stared silently down at the floor, her blonde brow furrowed deep as she thought about the look in Shae's eyes from only moments ago. She had seen the same look before. It was the same way that she looked at Regina, and had once looked at Emma herself. Now, she saw the same look in Shae's blood red eyes as she was talking with Elsa, as she smiled at the woman that she had once loved, laughed with her. Next, she thought about Regina, the pain she had seen in her eyes as she watched Elsa holding Shae in her arms. She had seen that look before, in the eyes of her old friend Lily, her friend that she had betrayed, just like Regina. Suddenly, Emma's heart began to ache with misery, and with guilt.

The others all turned toward Emma as she buried her face in her hands, breathing out a heavy, shaky sigh. "Oh god, you guys…" She whispered softly. "What… What have I done?"

XX

Elsa and Shae talked some more as they made their way toward the vampire's cabin in the woods. As she walked side by side with Elsa, Shae found herself reminiscing about the times when she and Elsa strolled hand in hand through the Arendelle Palace gardens. Shae had liked their nighttime walks best. The two of them would stop in the center of the gardens, and lie down in the grass, talking about everything and nothing as they gazed up at the moon and the stars. The twinkling stars had always reminded Shae of Elsa's eyes.

"Well, um… This is it." Shae announced once they arrived at her cabin. "It's not exactly Arendelle Castle, but, uh… It's alright."

"It is very… Rustic." Elsa commented, a bit hesitantly. "So, what exactly was Regina's castle like? Was it anything like mine?"

"Um… Kind of." Shae replied with a slight shrug. "Except a lot more sinisterly decorated. You know… Torture chamber, heads on spikes, stuff like that."

Elsa laughed, and Shae laughed with her. Elsa's smile then slowly faded, and she cleared her throat awkwardly, staring down at her feet. "Shae, there's… There's something I need to tell you." She began slowly. "You talk about your time in Arendelle like it was… A lifetime ago. I suppose it really was, for you, at least. But… But, for me…"

Elsa paused for a moment, and Shae's brow furrowed in concern when she saw tears welling into her sparkling blue eyes. "Shae, time didn't exactly pass for me in that urn." Elsa went on. "So… I… I guess what I'm trying to say… W-What I'm trying to tell you, is-"

"You still love me." Shae whispered.

Elsa sighed heavily, and slowly nodded. "Yes." She whispered back, smiling into Shae's blood red eyes. "I was so angry when my guards told me what you had done, in so much pain after you just… Disappeared. But now… Now I know the truth. Being here with you, I… Shae, I knew it the moment I first saw you again."

Shae breathed out an astonished laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Even after I told you about everything that I've done, you… You still love me?"

Elsa nodded, smiling as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "Yes. Very much so."

Shae laughed again, shaking her head even more. "Elsa, I… I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Elsa whispered as she took a step forward, placing her hands gently on Shae's chest. "Please, just… Just… Kiss me."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times as she stared into Elsa's piercing, pleading eyes. "Elsa, I… I don't know… I-I don't think-"

"Please." Elsa begged, more tears spilling down her face. "Please, Shae. Kiss me like you used to, like-"

The rest of Elsa's words were cut off as Shae pulled her against her body by her hips, and kissed her, just like she wanted. Elsa emitted a soft moan as her their lips parted, and she curled her arms around Shae's neck, gently squeezing a fistful of her hair. Tears began to leak from Shae's eyes as her lips slowly and gently parted against Elsa's again and again. The taste of her lips, the curves of her body, her scent, they were all so incredibly familiar. For a moment, Shae was transported back in time, to the last time she had kissed Elsa. It was just before her journey to go see Grand Pabbie, a journey from which she had never returned.

As Shae kissed the woman that she once loved, she found her mind beginning to wander, and it wandered straight to Regina. Suddenly, Regina's deep brown eyes were flashing before her own, and she found herself longing for her touch, her scent, her lips. Elsa must have sensed it, for her body suddenly tensed up, and she drew away from their embrace. Shae's hands fell away from Elsa's hips, and her heart ached with misery when she saw the pain and the sorrow in her dazzling blue eyes.

"I… I'm sorry." Elsa whispered, wiping the tears away from her face. "I just… I wanted to see if this still felt the same."

"Did it?" Shae asked her quietly.

Elsa shook her head, wiping at even more tears. "No." She whispered, her tone heavy with sorrow. "No, it… It didn't."

Shae nodded, breathing out a heavy, miserable sigh. "Elsa, I… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Elsa replied, smiling sadly as she gently took Shae's hand. "It's been over thirty years since we were last together. Your heart has moved on, Shae, and you don't have to be sorry for that."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with something, anything to say to the woman she had once loved, the woman whose heart she had broken. Elsa simply continued to smile at her, and Shae smiled back, once again astounded by The Ice Queen's uncommon kindness, patience, and understanding. Elsa then cleared her throat, releasing Shae's hand.

"Now, I… I think I need to be alone for a while." She muttered quietly. "But, I would… Like to see you again, if that's alright. I haven't really gotten to see much of this town since I've been here. Perhaps you could… Show me around?"

Shae nodded in agreement, smiling a warm, grateful smile. "Yeah, I'd… I'd love to."

Elsa nodded back, and she placed a quick, gentle kiss on Shae's cheek. Shae closed her eyes, tears leaking down her face as she tried to savor the feeling of Elsa's lips upon her cheek. She remained where she stood for a moment, watching as Elsa's glittering blue cape disappeared between the trees. As soon as she was lost from sight, Shae stepped inside her cabin, and immediately sank down onto the floor, her back pressed against the door.

Shae sat in the dark and the silence for a long time, her heart aching, her mind fraught with uncertainty. She wanted so desperately to run after Elsa, to kiss her again, to be wrapped in her loving, comforting embrace. However, she desperately wanted to go to Regina as well, just like she had been for weeks now. It was like it had been with Emma all over again. She knew she loved Regina, but seeing Elsa again had dredged up feelings deep within her, feelings that she could not ignore. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking down her cold, pale face as Regina's gorgeous brown eyes flashed across her mind. Somehow, someway, she could even swear that she could smell the scent of her perfume. The vampire was totally unaware that, at that very moment, only a few inches of wood stood between her and her true love, whose heart was aching for her as well.

Regina slowly slid down onto the ground, leaning her back against Shae's cabin door, trying to stifle her tears so Shae's sensitive hearing wouldn't hear her crying. After leaving the library, Regina had returned to her vault, to focus her attention back on trying to find a way to free Marian from Ingrid's icy spell. Unable to concentrate, unable to get the horrifying image of Elsa holding Shae in her arms out of her mind, Regina had made the decision to go to Shae. She needed to tell her how she felt, that she couldn't just be her friend, not when she was still so deeply in love with her. She needed to get to Shae, before it was too late, before she lost her like she had Robin, before she fell in love with Elsa all over again.

Regina had paused, quickly stepping behind a tree when she spotted Elsa and Shae talking just outside the cabin, trying to remember the words that she had been rehearsing on her way there. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat, and she had to stifle a horrified sob as she watched Shae pull Elsa into her arms, and kiss her. Regina pressed her back against the tree trunk, placing her hands over her mouth, fighting back against the urge to scream.

As Elsa swept past Regina hiding behind the tree, the once Evil Queen summoned a fireball into her hand, a horrible, terrible rage boiling within her chest. She raised her hand into the air, her whole body shaking as she glared viciously at the back of The Ice Queen's blonde haired head. She hesitated for a moment, and, suddenly, Elsa was gone. She extinguished her fireball, burying her face in her hands as she choked out a soft, strangled sob. That wasn't who she was, not anymore, and she knew full well that Shae would never forgive her if she harmed even a single hair on Elsa's head.

"Be nice to Elsa. She's the kindest person I've ever met."

Regina collapsed onto her hands and knees, Shae's voice echoing through her ears. She remained where she was upon the ground for a few moments, her tears dripping down onto the fallen leaves of the forest floor. She then scrambled up onto her feet, and rushed to Shae's cabin. She hesitated again, fist raised in the air just outside the door. Suddenly, she was overcome with emotion, and her knees buckled again. She slid down onto the ground with her back against the door, placing her hands over her mouth once again as she stifled her miserable sobs. It was too late.

Just like Robin could have saved Regina from becoming The Evil Queen, Elsa could have saved Shae from her own darkness. Regina knew that, unlike herself, Shae had changed, and had done nothing but good since arriving in Storybrooke. Unlike Regina, Shae deserved to have a happy ending, she deserved to be loved and cared for by someone who would never dream of hurting her, someone like Elsa. Unlike Regina, Shae was no longer a villian, and villians just don't get happy endings.

XX

After happening upon Shae and Elsa's passionate embrace, Regina retreated back into isolation. Despite her feelings for Shae, despite how much it hurt her to her very core, Regina knew that she had no right to interfere with Shae's relationship with beautiful and powerful Ice Queen, just like she had no right to interfere with Robin and Marian. She continued to search through every spellbook she had at her disposal, determined to find a way to unfreeze her true love's wife, determined to, for once, do the right thing. She saw and spoke to almost no one, except for her son, and also Emma. The Savior had gone to Regina the morning after she had found the woman she loved in the arms of her former lover. Already mentally and emotionally exhausted, Regina forgave Emma for bringing back Robin Hood's wife, and for bringing back Elsa. Regina knew full well that none of it was actually Emma's fault, and, finally, after so much malice and hatred, the two of them started to become friends.

Shae continued to spend more and more time with Elsa over the next several days, almost always accompanied by Emma, just in case Ingrid decided to show up. However, The Snow Queen continued to remain carefully and quietly out of sight, waiting for the opportune moment to finally cast her spell. Belle, with the help of her husband, Mr. Gold, had finally deduced what Ingrid's plan was for Storybrooke. She was going to cast the spell of shattered sight, which would cause everyone in town to give in to their deepest, darkest desires, and turn on each other, leaving no one left alive except for Emma, Elsa, and Ingrid herself. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Gold was on his own mission, and blackmailed Hook into helping him gather more and more power within the strange, magical hat, so he could finally be free of the dagger that controlled his dark and dangerous powers.

Emma had enlisted Tinkerbelle's help, and she, Elsa, and Shae were wandering the main street of Storybrooke, waiting for the former fairy to return with some pixie dust. Emma planned to use it on Ingrid, so they could trap her, and finally put a stop to her dark and twisted plan.

"So, you're saying that someone in this world wrote a story about vampires that… Sparkle?" Elsa asked of Emma and Shae. When they both nodded, she shook her head in complete befuddlement. "That… That is just… Absurd!"

"Right?" Shae exclaimed in agreement.

"I dunno…" Emma began with a slightly embarrassed shrug. "I… I kind liked it."

Shae stopped dead in her tracks, grabbing on to Emma's arm, looking positively appalled. "You shut your whore mouth!"

"Hey!" Emma cried indignantly. "Come on, the whole Edward and Bella thing, it was just… A good love story!"

"No way!" Shae exclaimed in protest. "I can name like… A million things that are a better love story than Twilight!" She then began rattling off different pairs of things, holding up a finger each time. "Granny and her crossbow, Leroy and his axe, Archie and Pongo, you and… What's his name!"

"You know his name." Emma said sternly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Right, right… 'Captain Hook.'" Shae replied with a snort.

"It's, 'Killian.'" Emma corrected, narrowing her eyes at the vampire.

"Right, right…" Shae muttered again.

Elsa laughed as Emma rolled her eyes at the vampire. They continued along down the street, stopping again when Emma gripped Shae's arm, pointing at the tiny frozen yogurt shop just ahead of them.

"Hey, let's stop in here!" She said, then turned to Elsa. "You've never had frozen yogurt, have you?"

"Frozen… What?" Elsa asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's like ice cream, except… Better!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. "And it's better for you."

"I don't think that's true." Shae said with a skeptical frown.

"Sure it is." Emma replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Come on, let's hurry before they get busy. This place has gotten super popular since Ingrid's shop shut down."

Emma pulled Elsa toward the frozen yogurt shop by the hand, and Shae trailed along behind them, chuckling all the while. Elsa stared all around her in wonder, absolutely astounded as she gazed upon the dozens and dozens of assorted toppings on display along the walls.

"T-Twenty-four… Toppings?" She asked the girl behind the counter, her sparkling blue eyes as wide as saucers.

Shae laughed as she removed several bills from her wallet, and set them down on the counter. "It's on me." She said with a smile. "Go nuts, you two."

Elsa and Emma both grinned at each other, and promptly scooped up the paper bowls that the clerk handed to them. Frozen yogurt was a bit too much for Shae's heightened sense of taste, so she stood by the door, watching with a fond smile as both Emma and Elsa began choosing their flavors and toppings. Emma, who was much more familiar with the process, joined Shae by the door when she was finished, and they both watched as the young girl behind the counter explained to Elsa what all the different toppings were.

"I'm happy you're feeling better." Emma said to Shae. When Shae furrowed her brow at her, Emma rolled her eyes, gently poking her in the side with her elbow. "Come on, this is the most I've seen you smile in… Well, a really long time."

Shae remained silent, and Emma sighed, slowly stirring her frozen yogurt with her plastic spoon. "It's because of Elsa." Emma told her with a small smile. "She's, uh… She's really great, you know."

Shae sighed herself, her blood red eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. "I know." She whispered softly.

Emma nodded, watching as Elsa piled chocolate sprinkles onto her already chocolate flavored frozen yogurt. "Shae, I've been thinking…" She began in a low tone. "Maybe all this with Regina, and us getting stuck in the past, it all… Happened for a reason. You and Elsa have such history together, and now it's kinda like you've both got a… Fresh start."

Shae breathed out another heavy sigh as she leaned back against the wall. "I know." She whispered again. "I've been thinking about that too. But, Emma… Regina and I, we share a heart now. We're tethered together even more so than we were before."

"Well, yeah…" Emma admitted with a shrug. "But, Regina's also tethered to Robin Hood."

"I know." Shae muttered once again. "Honestly, I… Feel sorry for her. Things were bad enough when you and I were… You know. And having two people that are her, you know, actual true loves… I can't even imagine what that's like."

"It's definitely been…" Emma began to say, pausing as she searched for the right word. "Tough. On both of you."

Shae nodded slowly, quietly muttering once more. "I know."

Elsa had finally finished piling as many chocolate flavored toppings as she could onto her frozen yogurt, and the three of them sat down at a table outside on the patio. Emma and Elsa both dug in to their frozen treats, and Shae watched them both with another fond and amused smile. Once finished, they continued on down Main Street, no particular destination in mind as they waited for Tinkerbell to return.

"Thank you, that was… Amazing." Elsa said, smiling at Shae as she gently squeezed her hand.

Shae nodded, smiling back at her. "You're very welcome."

Emma trailed along behind them, watching with a smile of her own as Elsa kept her hand in Shae's as they walked. Emma half expected Shae to recoil at her touch, but, surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she simply laced her fingers in with Elsa's, as if it were second nature to her. Emma had been noticing that, the more time Shae and Elsa spent together, the closer they became. On one hand, Emma was glad that Elsa was bringing some happiness into Shae's life, but, on the other, she secretly hoped that it wouldn't amount to anything more than friendship. She was finally starting to repair her relationship with Regina, and Emma knew that if Shae really did fall for Elsa all over again, Regina would never forgive her.

"Hey!"

Emma was roused from her quiet and anxious musings when Tinkerbell came rushing up to them. "I got it!" She announced excitedly, holding up a small vial of fairy dust.

"No way!" Emma exclaimed. "Mother Superior actually gave it to you?"

Tink bit her lip, exchanging a nervous glance with Elsa and Shae. "Um… Sure. We'll go with that."

"You stole it, didn't you?" Shae asked, raising a knowing eyebrow at the former fairy.

"Yes, alright, I did!" Cried Tink, throwing her arms up in the air. "She was being so damn stubborn about it!"

Emma rolled her eyes, chuckling lightly. "Let's just… Get to work before she realizes what you did."

"Right, so, what exactly is the plan here?" Asked Shae.

They all looked expectantly to Emma, who shrugged at them, rather uncertainly. "Well, um… We just, you know… Sneak in to Ingrid's lair and… Chuck the stuff at her."

"That is… A terrible plan." Shae replied slowly.

"Yes, I agree." Elsa agreed with a frown. "We should try and lure her out somehow. That way, we'll at least have the element of surprise on our side."

"Right, ok…" Emma muttered, slowly nodding. "So… How exactly do we do that?"

Silence fell over the group as they all stared down at the ground, brows furrowed in concentration as they pondered how exactly to lure the elusive Snow Queen out from hiding. Suddenly, they turned their eyes up onto Shae, as the vampire breathed out a low, slightly sour chuckle.

"I think I know exactly how." She said, her blood red eyes sparkling with an idea. "Tink, get that dust ready."

Tink nodded, and swiftly uncorked the vial, holding it up and at the ready. Shae then turned to Elsa. "Ready?" She asked her.

"Ready?" Elsa echoed, brow furrowed in confusion. "Ready for-"

Elsa didn't get to finish her question. Shae grabbed The Ice Queen by her hips, pulled her in close, and pressed a kiss firmly on her lips. Emma and Tink's jaws both dropped open in shock, and Tink slowly lowered her arm, gaping silently at Emma. Shae held their kiss for a moment, and Elsa stood frozen in her arms, too startled to move. Shae then pulled away ever so slightly, and blue eyes stared silently into red. For a moment, the two of them stood rigid in their spots, gazing deep into each other's eyes. Then, Shae placed her hand gently on Elsa's cheek, and kissed her again.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Emma, Tinkerbell, and the entire town of Storybrooke faded away around them as Shae and Elsa kissed. Elsa wrapped her arms around Shae's neck, and Shae drew her in closer, holding her tight as their lips parted slowly, gently. This time, Shae's thoughts did not wander away from Elsa. For the first time in a long time, the vampire's mind was free and clear of all the pain and the suffering she had endured since being restored to life. All she felt was Elsa's arms wrapped around her, her lips against her own, her nostrils filled with her comforting and familiar scent. Finally, after weeks and weeks of misery and torment, Shae felt a small glimmer of something that she hadn't felt in a long, long time: Happiness.

"You're… Making it snow."

Shae and Elsa broke apart, startled out of their momentary daze when Tinkerbell spoke quietly from beside them. They both glanced up, and found that there were indeed small flurries of snow falling from the sky just above them.

"Oh… Oh dear." Elsa stammered, her cheeks flushing with heat as she brushed the snow off of Shae's shoulders. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Snow…" Emma muttered with a disappointed frown. "But no Snow Queen."

"Damn." Shae grumbled, glancing all around her. "I thought that would work. I thought she would-"

"How dare you!"

All four women practically leapt out of their skin. They all whirled around, and gasped when they found Ingrid standing just behind them. Her clenched fists shook with rage, as she glared at Shae, pure malice in her eyes.

"I warned you, Shae." Ingrid snarled in a low, dangerous tone. "I told you to stay away from Elsa."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a very good listener." Shae replied with a shrug. "TINK, NOW!"

Shae leapt back a step, pulling Elsa back with her. She wrapped her arms protectively around Elsa as Tinkerbell hurled the contents of the vial in her hand at Ingrid. The former fairy's aim was sure and true, and the pixie dust shot through the air, straight toward Ingrid's heart.

Quick as a flash, faster than anyone could even blink, Ingrid raised her hand, stopping the pixie dust in its tracks. Tinkerbell and the others stood in silent, horrified shock, watching as the magical dust hovered in the air for a moment, falling harmlessly to the ground as The Snow Queen lowered her hand.

"Uh oh…" Tink muttered.

"You meddlesome little pest!" Ingrid spat, eyeing Tinkerbell with sheer contempt.

Ingrid threw out her arm, and a bright white blast of icy magic shot forth from her hand. All Tink had time to do was draw in a startled gasp, her eyes growing wide as the beam of magic shot straight toward her.

"NO!"

All anyone saw was a black blur of motion, and, suddenly, Shae was standing between Tinkerbell and Ingrid, her arms spread wide. The Snow Queen's magic hit Shae straight in the chest, and the vampire's entire body immediately caked over in blue, shimmering ice, just as it had before.

"NO!" Elsa screamed.

"SHAE!" Cried Emma.

"Unfreeze her!" Elsa demanded, taking a furious step toward her aunt, her sparkling blue eyes flashing with rage. "Unfreeze her, RIGHT NOW!"

"No." Ingrid replied, waving her hand in Elsa's direction.

Elsa gasped in alarm, staring down at her feet as Ingrid encased them both in ice. Emma and Tinkerbell both rushed at The Snow Queen, but were stopped in their tracks, unable to move as their feet were encased in ice, just like Elsa's.

"I warned her." Ingrid said quietly, shaking her head in a sad sort of way. "Now, no one will be able to save her, not even The Evil Queen."

"NO!" Emma and Elsa both screamed in unison as Ingrid stepped toward Shae.

The Savior and The Ice Queen both threw out their hands, and Ingrid was blasted away by the force of their magic. Tink threw her fist into the air, crying out triumphantly as The Snow Queen hit the ground hard. Elsa and Emma both raised their hands, readying themselves for another fight as Ingrid slowly rose to her feet. However, she remained where she stood, staring at the two of them with pain in her eyes.

"Emma, Elsa…" She whispered quietly, slowly shaking her head. "Don't you see? I'm only trying to protect you both from this… Monster."

"She's not the monster, YOU ARE!" Elsa shouted furiously, her bright blue eyes shining with tears. "I know all about what you did to her, how you took her away from me!"

"Oh, Elsa…" Ingrid replied, smiling sadly at her beloved niece. "I was only trying to help you."

"LIAR!" Elsa bellowed.

The powerful and furious Ice Queen threw her hands out again, and The Snow Queen was once again knocked off of her feet by Elsa's icy blast of magic. Ingrid rolled across the ground, pushing herself up onto her elbow when she came to a stop. Elsa's hands quivered with rage, and, for the first time since meeting her, Emma saw nothing but fury in her usual kind and gentle eyes.

"You'll see, both of you." Ingrid whispered, smiling another warm, sad smile. "Soon you will see her for the monster that she is, and you both will love me, like you did, once."

With that, Ingrid disappeared in a whirl of white snow flurries. As soon as she was gone, the ice covering Emma, Tink, and Elsa's feet shattered to pieces. Now free from The Snow Queen's magic, Elsa immediately rushed over to Shae, placing her quivering hands on the vampire's frozen face.

"Oh no…" She whispered, tears beginning to rush down her face. "No, no, no… Shae!"

"Elsa, it's alright, she'll be fine." Emma said gently. "I'll call Regina, she can unfreeze her."

"She… She can?" Tink asked as Emma pulled out her cellphone, hastily dialing Regina's number.

"Yes, with… True love's kiss." Elsa replied, a bit begrudgingly.

"Oh… Oh, I see." Tink muttered. "So… She's still alive in there?"

"Of course, only fire and silver can kill a vampire." Elsa answered, waving her hand dismissively.

"Dammit, Regina!" Emma shouted, glaring down at her cellphone in her hand. "Answer your goddamn phone!"

"I thought the two of you mended your differences." Said Elsa, raising an eyebrow at Emma.

"We did, but Regina tends to… Hold a grudge." Emma muttered in reply. "You guys stay here with Shae. I'll go find her."

Tink and Elsa both nodded, and Emma raced off down the street toward her tiny yellow bug. The fairy and The Ice Queen waited, and waited, and waited, occasionally having to shoo off curious passersby. A few of them happened to be Henry, David, and Mary Margaret, who was pushing baby Neal along in his stroller. Elsa and Tink quickly explained to them what had happened, and they all lent their aid to the search for Regina.

Tinkerbell sat down on the curb, watching helplessly as Elsa paced anxiously in front of her, throwing concerned glances at the statue made of ice that was now Shae every few seconds. She stopped suddenly, and Tinkerbell leapt to her feet when Mary Margaret, David, and Henry returned to them. Their hopeful smiles quickly faded. Regina was not among them.

"This is ridiculous!" Elsa exclaimed heatedly. "I will not sit here helplessly any longer!"

The others all exchanged curious glances as Elsa stood squarely in front of the frozen vampire. "Elsa, what are you doing?" Tink asked, breathing out a heavy sigh.

"Unfreezing her." Elsa replied with a determined nod.

Before anyone could do or say anything, Elsa threw out her hands, sending blue, icy beams of magic straight at Shae. They all leapt back, and watched with bated breath as Elsa sent a steady stream of ice magic right into the frozen vampire's chest. The Ice Queen held it there for a few long moments, then lowered her hands, and they all let out disappointed breaths. Elsa's magic had no affect, and Shae continued to remain as frozen as ever.

"She needs true love's kiss." Henry muttered sadly.

"True love's kiss…" Elsa quietly echoed, her bright blue eyes suddenly growing wide as she stared at Shae.

"Elsa, I know what you're thinking." Mary Margaret said gently, slowly shaking her head. "But, Regina, she's Shae's true love. She's the only one that can unfreeze her."

"Yes, I understand that." Elsa replied, a bit bitterly. "But… But it won't hurt to try."

The others all exchanged sad, knowing glances, but decided to remain silent, not wanting to quash Elsa's already fragile hope. They watched as Elsa stepped up to Shae, placing her hands gently on either side of her frozen face. She smiled as she stared into the vampire's now ice blue eyes, her own welling with tears.

"I love you, Shae." She whispered softly, then placed a gentle kiss on Shae's frozen lips.

The people gathered on the sidewalk all cried out in alarm, and Elsa, along with everyone else, leapt back as a pulsewave of magic shot out from between Shae and Elsa's lips. Suddenly, the ice encasing Shae's body shattered to pieces, and Shae herself drew in a deep, shuddering gasp. They all watched in complete and utter shock as she stumbled forward, collapsing to the ground on her hands and knees, her whole body trembling violently.

"S-S-Son of a… B-Bitch, that's c-cold!" Shae stammered, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. She then noticed Elsa standing before her, and her brow furrowed in confusion. "Elsa? W-What… What's going on?"

Elsa stood rooted in her spot with her hands over her mouth, unable to move, unable to speak. When she failed to respond, Shae shakily pushed herself up onto her feet. Her blood red eyes grew wide when she finally noticed David, Mary Margaret, and Henry gaping silently at her.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, brow furrowed once again.

Nobody moved, nobody replied, every single one of them too shocked and confused to even speak. Suddenly, the sound of car doors slamming shut broke through the silence. They all spun around, and found that Emma had finally returned, with Regina in tow.

"What's going on here?" Regina asked of them, then glanced at Emma. "I thought you said she was frozen."

"She was." Emma replied, looking just as perplexed as Regina. "Wait a minute… Did Ingrid actually unfreeze you?"

Emma, Regina, and also Shae, waited for a response, the three of them staring expectantly at the others. When they all remained silent, still too startled to speak, Tinkerbell finally replied. "No." She whispered quietly, staring at Elsa with wide, baffled eyes. "It… It was Elsa."

"Really?" Shae asked of Elsa. When she nodded, Shae grinned broadly. "Awesome! How'd you do it?"

Elsa finally lowered her hands, and opened and closed her mouth several times, slowly shaking her head. When she failed to respond, Henry was the one to answer. "She… Kissed you." He said, his tone just as shocked and quiet as Tink's.

The grin faded from Shae's face, and her jaw dropped open. "What?"

"We told her it wouldn't work." Whispered Mary Margaret, shaking her head in bewilderment. "But… But then it did!"

"W-What?" Shae asked again.

"Shae, She… She kissed you, and you… Unfroze." David explained slowly.

"What?"

"True love's kiss." Tink answered. "She… She used true love's kiss."

"What?"

Mary Margaret groaned in frustration, rubbing her forehead. "Please stop saying, 'what.'"

"Wait a minute…" Regina began slowly as she turned to Elsa, finally breaking her shocked and confused silence. "You're saying that you… Saved her with true love's kiss? You?"

Elsa nodded silently, still too stunned to speak. Shae gaped silently at her for a few moments, and then, suddenly, started to laugh. It began as a low, quiet chuckle, and slowly grew into loud, raucous guffaws. The others all stood in silence, watching Shae as she continued laughing in a nervous and slightly deranged sort of way, her blood red eyes wide and wild.

"This… T-This is… This is crazy!" She stammered, laughing even more. "This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!"

The others all continued to stand in silence, exchanging worried glances with each other as Shae repeated the same line over and over again, in varying, hysterical, fluctuating tones. She paced wildly up and down the street, running her hands through her hair, throwing them up in the air, occasionally pointing a shaky finger at them as she continued yelling.

"Are you broken?" Asked Tink, eyeing Shae with grave concern.

"What? No!" Shae exclaimed, finally stopping in her tracks. "This… This is just… FUCKING CRAZY!"

"Shae, please, just… Calm down." Elsa said gently, taking a step toward her.

"NO! No, no!" Shae shouted, stumbling backward a few steps, staring wide eyed at Elsa. "I… I just… I don't… I-I need to…"

Shae stopped her crazed stammering, and suddenly turned to Tinkerbell. She stomped over to the former fairy, and the others all gasped in alarm as she wrapped an arm around her waist, and hoisted her over her shoulder.

"Hey! What the hell are you-" Tink began to protest loudly.

Suddenly, Tink's words caught in her throat as Shae sprinted down the street in a black blur of motion. The vampire's head spun wildly as she ran as fast as her superhuman speed would carry her, straight to the convent. She found Mother Superior within, and had Tink quickly explain to her everything that had just happened. Mother Superior listened quietly, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper as Tink went on.

"When exactly did you meet Elsa?" She asked of Shae, once Tink was finished. "Was it before or after you met Tinkerbell?"

"I… I don't know." Shae stammered uncertainly. "I don't exactly remember meeting her."

"Wait, hold on." Said Tink, slowly shaking her head. "Right after I took your memories, you saw me standing in front of you, spoke to me for a moment, even. Do you remember that?"

Shae stared down at the floor in silence for a few moments, anxiously chewing on her lip ring, rubbing her chin as she thought hard. "Oh! Oh, ok, yeah." She finally replied, nodding hastily. "Um… Right, so, after that, I… I went inside a tavern."

"Yes, that's right." Tink affirmed with a nod.

"And… A-And, I remember… Drinking at the bar." Shae went on, squeezing her eyes shut as she pictured the memory in her mind. "Then, I… I remember feeling like I needed to… Get away, all of a sudden. Like I needed to leave The Enchanted Forest, get as far away as possible."

"I see." Muttered Mother Superior. "You did have Tinkerbell take your memories to assure that you would keep far away from Regina. It appears that your subconscious was urging you even further."

"What happened next?" Asked Tink, gesturing for Shae to go on.

Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, rubbing her forehead with a shaky hand. She knew exactly what she had done next. "That same night, I got on a ship." She answered quietly. "And, that ship… It… It took me to-"

"Arendelle." Tink finished for her.

When Shae slowly nodded, Mother Superior nodded back, sighing heavily herself. "I see." She muttered once again. "It's as I thought."

"What? What are you talking about?" Asked Shae.

"I told you once before, that when you chose to forget your true love, the powers that be granted Regina a second option, by way of Robin Hood." Mother Superior explained, her tone solemn and quiet. "It appears that those very same powers decided to grant you a second option as well, by way of Elsa."

Shae stood in shocked silence for a moment, her mouth gaping open at both the fairies. "What the fuck?" She breathed quietly, her blood red eyes growing wide and wild once again. "What… What in the actual fuck is happening right now?"

"I just explained it to you." Mother Superior replied simply.

"Yeah, I-I know, but…" Shae stammered, slowly shaking her head. "Just… Oh my god…"

Shae leaned her back against the wall, and sank straight down onto the floor. Tinkerbell and Mother Superior exchanged a concerned and sorrowful glance as Shae stared blankly at the opposite wall, her blood red eyes shining with tears. Tink then sat down next to her, and, surprisingly, so did Mother Superior.

"I don't envy you, Shae." Mother Superior said quietly, then breathed out a sour chuckle. "Though how exactly people like you and Regina were granted not one, but two true loves is beyond me."

"Hey." Shae muttered with a frown. "I thought we were friends now."

Mother Superior bit her lip, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, I just… Forget sometimes."

Shae nodded, turning her eyes back onto the wall in front of her. Tink leaned forward slightly, giving Mother Superior a reproachful glance, to which Mother Superior simply shrugged. The three of them sat in silence for a long time, Shae's mind swimming with the events of the last few hours, and everything that Mother Superior had just told her. The two fairies sat quietly on either side of her, not at all knowing what to say.

"What are you going to do, Shae?" Tink asked after a time.

Shae didn't respond right away, continuing to stare straight ahead of her. She then breathed out a long, heavy sigh, wiping away the tears that had leaked onto her face.

"I don't know, Tink." She whispered softly. "I just… Don't know."

XX

The next night, The Charming Family was gathered inside their tiny apartment, along with Hook and Elsa. Nobody in town had seen hide nor hair of Shae since the previous day, since the vampire found out that, not only was Regina her true love, but so was Elsa. Elsa herself was alarmed by the same news, but was mostly concerned about Shae. Emma and the others were concerned as well, none of them even able to imagine what their vampire friend was going through at the moment. Regardless, they all attempted to reassure Elsa that Shae would return eventually, once she was able to process this new and startling revelation.

"She'll be fine, I promise." Emma told Elsa gently. "She just kinda… Does this when she's upset. Remus did the same thing a while ago, when he thought Shae was dead."

"Maybe it's a vampire thing." Henry offered with a shrug.

Elsa nodded at the boy, breathing out a heavy sigh. Then, a small, wistful smile slowly crept across her face. "One time, back in Arendelle, Shae and I had a fight over… Oh, I don't even remember, probably something silly." She said with a chuckle. "She disappeared for three whole days, and, when she finally came back, she brought me this giant bouquet of Forget Me Nots. They're these tiny blue flowers that-"

"Oh, we have those in this world." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "They're very beautiful."

"Yes, they're… My favorite. Shae would always bring me some anytime I was upset." Elsa replied, smiling back at her. "Anyway, she apologized for leaving, and I scolded her, told her that running away from her problems was not the answer. It appears that she didn't fully learn that lesson."

"Yeah, well, it's a tough one." Emma said, chuckling dryly. "It took me… A really long time to figure that out."

"She will come back, though." Henry told Elsa with a confident smile. "She… Always comes back."

Elsa heaved another sad, heavy sigh, slowly shaking her head. "I'm not so sure, Henry." She whispered softly. "Not this time."

Suddenly, there was a quiet knocking on the apartment door, which caused them all to jump. David quickly answered the door, and, when it opened, they all heard an equally quiet, and very familiar voice.

"Is Elsa here?"

David nodded at the person on the other side of the door, and stepped aside, allowing their visitor into the apartment. Everyone's eyes grew wide when they saw who it was, and Elsa drew in a soft gasp, slowly rising to her feet. Shae had finally returned, and, in her hand, she was holding a bouquet of tiny blue flowers.

"You came back." Elsa whispered, her dazzling blue eyes shining with tears as Shae handed her the flowers. "And you… Brought me Forget Me Nots."

"Uh, yeah… They were hard to find, had to get them from the park." Shae replied with a nervous smile. "Technically illegal… Which I realize I probably shouldn't have said in front of both the Sheriff's."

"I think we can let it slide, just this once." David said, chuckling lightly.

"Why don't we all go get some fresh air, huh?" Mary Margaret offered, incling her head toward the door.

They all nodded in agreement, and Mary Margaret scooped up baby Neal from his bassinet, following the others over to the door. Hook, however, remained seated on the couch, staring intently at Elsa and Shae.

"Excellent." He said, casually waving his good hand. "Have a wonderful time."

"Killian…" Emma muttered with a sigh.

Hook glanced from Elsa and Shae, and back at Emma for a moment, then breathed out a heavy, disappointed sigh. He then vacated his seat, and followed Emma, her parents, and Henry out the door. As soon as they were alone, Elsa tossed her bouquet of flowers onto a nearby chair, and threw her arms around Shae.

"Where have you been?" She whispered as she held Shae tight. "Oh, Shae… Oh, I've been so worried about you."

"I know, I know… I'm sorry." Shae whispered back. She then stepped out of Elsa's embrace, ruffling her own black, messy hair. "It's just… It's a lot, you know? I… I needed to be alone for a bit to, um… Process all this."

"I understand." Elsa replied with a solemn nod. "I have been having a difficult time with it all myself. Your situation with Regina and Robin Hood is complicated enough, and now… Now I'm part of it. It's just… Madness."

Shae breathed out a laugh, slowly nodding her head. "Yeah, that's putting it lightly."

Elsa nodded back, and bit her lip as her eyes began to well with more tears. "Shae, I've already told you how I feel about you, how I still feel." She whispered quietly, placing a quivering hand on Shae's chest. "I can't even imagine how difficult and confusing all of this is for you, so I… I understand if you don't feel the same way."

Shae breathed out another laugh, and placed her own hand on top of Elsa's. "That's the thing, Elsa." She whispered back, smiling as her own eyes began to shine with tears. "I think… I think I do feel the same way."

Elsa's hand fell away from Shae's chest, and her mouth gaped open in utter shock. "What?" She breathed, her bottom lip trembling.

Shae smiled at her as tears began to fall down her face, and she gently took both of Elsa's hands in hers, her own quivering slightly. "Emma was right." She whispered softly. "Since you came back into my life, I haven't smiled and laughed so much, I haven't felt so happy in… A long time."

Shae paused for a moment, fighting to keep her tone even as tears continued to leak from her eyes. "And… And when I kissed you yesterday…" She went on, her voice quavering with emotion. "It… It felt… I-It just felt…"

Shae stopped her stammering, and quickly pulled Elsa into her arms. Elsa gasped as Shae's lips pressed against her own. She stood rigidly still for a moment, startled by Shae's sudden and gentle embrace. Shae drew her in even closer, and Elsa wrapped her arms around her neck, practically melting in her arms as their lips parted.

They stood locked in their passionate embrace for a long while, and, just like before, Shae found herself being transported back in time. She was standing at the top floor of Elsa's mighty Ice Palace, staring at Elsa herself garbed in her new, magically fashioned, glittering blue dress. She smiled as The Ice Queen's beautiful, sparkling blue eyes stared into her own. Suddenly, Elsa crossed the room toward her, took hold of the front of her black and maroon coat, and placed a kiss on her lips. She felt her heart, still and unbeating, flutter wildly within her chest. In that moment, as soon as Elsa's lips touched hers, she knew. She knew that she was madly and irrevocably in love with her.

"It felt… Like that." Shae whispered, drawing back from Elsa's lips ever so slightly.

Elsa smiled as she stared into the blood red eyes of the woman she loved, her own streaming with tears. "Oh, Shae…" She whispered back, placing her quivering hand gently on Shae's cheek. "Shae, I love you."

"I love you too, Elsa."

Elsa let out a strangled sob of joy as Shae kissed her again. The two lovers wrapped their arms tightly around each other, their tears mingling together as their lips parted again and again. As Shae held Elsa in her arms, as she kissed her, all the pain and the sorrow that had been weighing heavily upon her was lifted from her heat, from her very soul. Her unbeating heart, the one that she shared with her other true love, soared with a content sort of elation that she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"I… I can't promise that this will be easy." She whispered to Elsa, pressing her forehead against hers. She then cupped Elsa's face in her hands, and stared intensely into her dazzling blue eyes. "But, Elsa, I promise that I will give this everything I have. I will give my all to you, to us."

Elsa nodded, more tears rushing down her face as she placed her hands on top of Shae's. "I promise too." She whispered back, smiling into Shae's blood red eyes. "I know your situation, our situation is… Difficult. But, I promise that I will be right here with you through it all."

Shae nodded too, and laughed as Elsa threw her arms around her, gently running her fingers through her messy black hair. Shae held her tight, breathing out a grateful, contented sigh as she buried her face in Elsa's neck. They stood in the midst of The Charming Family's apartment for a long while, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, both of them grateful to be back in each other's loving arms once again.

Shae softly cleared her throat, and stepped out of Elsa's arms. "Now, um… I need you to stay here." She said, suddenly looking quite nervous. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

Elsa's brow furrowed in confusion as she wiped the joyful tears from her face. "Where are you going?"

Shae opened her mouth to respond, but shut it again, breathing out a heavy sigh. Suddenly, her blood red eyes grew very sad. "There's… Something I need to do."

XX

Regina was sitting on an old and battered trunk inside her vault, Henry's storybook sitting open in her lap. She stared down at the picture on the left side of the page, the one of her young self, walking away from the tavern where Robin Hood was drinking, walking away from her true love. She continued flipping through the pages, stopping at the picture of Robin standing hand in hand with Marian, on the day of their wedding. Next, she turned to the title page of Shae's story, and her eyes began to well with tears as she stared at the picture on the page. Shae was standing beside her past self, The Evil Queen, garbed in the long, black leather coat that Regina herself had given her. She had her arms folded across her chest, one of the cheeky and quirky grins on her face that Regina loved so very much.

She continued slowly flipping through the pages of Shae's story, which was also partly her own, stopping to glance at each of the pictures, pictures that were now painful memories. The first time Shae had kissed her, Regina finally telling Shae that she loved her just as she was about to be executed, Shae lying curled up in a ball on the floor of a dark dungeon cell, and Regina holding her in her arms the day they were finally reunited. Her eyes began to well with tears, and her half heart ached with misery as she turned to the final page, which depicted Regina, The Evil Queen, tearing out her true love's heart.

Regina wiped the tears from her face, and turned back a few pages, to a picture and the accompanying story, which were both relatively new. When Henry first decided to find the author of his storybook for his mother, he read through its pages again for the first time in a long while. He and Regina both were startled and confused to find that a new story had magically appeared within the book, the story of Shae walking away from her own true love, from Regina.

Regina stared down at the picture of Shae peering out from behind a tree at her and Rumplestiltskin, Tinkerbell standing beside her. Her brow furrowed as she thought about the mysterious author of the book, about the strange and powerful control he had over all their lives. She turned the page, and the next picture was of Shae walking away from the clearing where Regina now stood alone. Shae had her hands on her head, and her face was contorted in anger as she wrestled with the decision she had made. Regina brushed her finger lightly across the page, lingering on Shae's face. She silently wondered what could have happened if Shae had chose differently, what their lives would have been like if she had gone to her in that moment, just like she had always wondered what would have happened if she herself had gone to Robin. Regina squeezed her eyes shut, breathing out a heavy sigh. None of that mattered now. Both of her true loves were lost to her, her happy ending remaining out of her reach as Robin and Shae's hearts wandered away from her.

Suddenly, Regina was roused from her quiet, painful musings when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stone staircase leading into her vault. Her eyes grew wide, and her heart lurched when her visitor descended the last step.

"Shae." She whispered quietly. "What… What are you doing here?"

"I uh… I-I wanted to talk to you." Shae stammered in reply, her tone just as quiet as Regina's. "Regina, there's… Something I need to tell you, and I want you to hear it from me first."

Regina breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, slowly closing the book in her lap. "I already know, Shae." She replied as she stared down at the floor, not wanting to meet Shae's gaze. "You have… Decided to make things work with Elsa."

Shae stood in bewlidered silence for a moment, her mouth gaping open in shock. "How… How did you know?" She asked, her blood red eyes wide. "I didn't even know, or even… Decide, until a few minutes ago."

Regina breathed out a small chuckle, and slowly shook her head. "We share a heart now, remember?" She said with a weak, sad smile. "I felt it. It's difficult to describe what exactly I felt, but, I just… I knew, the moment you decided. You were content, happy, and I… I wish you both all the best."

Regina then got up from the trunk and set the storybook aside, turning her back on Shae, so she couldn't see the tears that were leaking from her eyes. Shae stood in silence for a moment, and Regina could feel her eyes drilling into the back of her head.

"That's it?" Shae asked her quietly.

"What exactly do you want me to say, Shae?" Regina asked in return, her own voice just as quiet. "Do you really expect me to beg you not to?" She breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, leaning her hands against the table in front of her. "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. How I feel no longer matters, not to you, and not to Robin."

"Regina…" Shae whispered, placing her hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "Of course it matters."

"Does it?" Regina asked, placing her quivering hand on top of Shae's. She then slowly turned around to face her, and Shae saw nothing but pain and sorrow in her deep brown eyes. "Does it really matter if I stand here and beg you not to be with her? Does telling you how much I still love you change the fact that Elsa has done nothing but love you too, and I've done nothing but cause you pain?"

When Shae only silently stared at her, her mouth hanging open slightly, Regina placed her hand gently on Shae's chest, and slowly shook her head. "You've been granted your happy ending, Shae." She whispered, more tears spilling down her face. "It's just not with me, and I simply have to… Accept that, and move on."

"Granted?" Shae asked, brow furrowed in confusion. "Regina, nobody's granted me anything."

Regina breathed out another sour laugh, and slowly shook her head again. "I'm not so sure about that." She muttered, picking up Henry's storybook from off the trunk. "Whoever wrote this book, holds all of our happy endings in the palm of their hand. Henry has been trying to find the author, to help me find my happy ending. He insists that it's with you, but… Obviously that's not the case."

Shae stared down at the book in Regina's hands, and shook her head in befuddlement. "You… You really think whoever wrote this book holds the power over your happy ending?"

Regina nodded, running her hand across the smooth, red leather of the book's front cover. "Yes." She whispered softly. "This book is enchanted, and very powerful. I'm written in as the villain, and, well… You know what that means."

"Regina, I was a villain too, you know." Shae replied with a weak smile.

Regina sighed, nodding again. "I know, but I was the villain." She whispered, more tears welling into her eyes. "And villians just don't get happy endings."

She turned her back on Shae once again, storing the magical storybook carefully away on one of the many shelves lining the walls of her vault. She rested her hand on the book's cover, and slowly turned her head to glance back at Shae. As she stared into the blood red eyes of the woman she still loved, her heart ached with sorrow, with longing. Despite how she felt, despite how desperately she did want to beg Shae on her hands and knees to choose her over Elsa, she knew that Shae had made the right choice. Shae had worked hard to change her own fate, a fate that had led her away from the once Evil Queen, the woman that had betrayed her and hurt her so many, many times. Despite how terribly it hurt, Regina knew that she had no right to interfere in Shae's life any longer. Elsa never had hurt her like Regina had, not once, and the both of them deserved their happy ending, together.

XX

After her painful conversation with Shae, Regina retreated into isolation once again, miserable and heartbroken after losing Shae to Elsa, and Robin to his still frozen wife. She continued to search for a way to remove Ingrid's icy spell on Marian, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Ingrid herself remained quietly out of sight. Nobody knew what exactly she was waiting for, but the heroes of Storybrooke did finally know what she was planning, and they continued to search for a way to stop her from casting The Spell of Shattered Sight.

Shae continued to spend as much time as she could with Elsa, still always accompanied by Emma. The first few days of their new relationship were a bit difficult, for they were both too afraid of Ingrid's wrath to be alone together. Belle agreed to help them, and turned to her husband, Mr. Gold, for aid. It appeared to his wife and all the others that he had turned over a new leaf, and he too agreed to help Shae and Elsa. He cast a protection spell around his cabin in the woods where Shae had been staying, allowing the newfound lovers to spend their nights alone together, wrapped up in each others loving embrace. Finally, after weeks of misery, Shae was happy, happier than she had been in a long, long time.

Though Shae was blissfully content with Elsa, her other true love, Regina, was never far from her thoughts. She was open about it with Elsa, who, in turn, was patient, kind, and understanding about Shae's lingering feelings for the woman that was also her true love. Elsa's kindness helped Shae through it all, and, slowly, she was finally beginning to heal. She hadn't seen Regina since she had told her about her decision to pursue a relationship with Elsa, thinking and knowing that it was for the best. She did learn, however, that Regina had, once again, found comfort in the arms of her other true love, Robin Hood.

Immediately after his wife had fallen under Ingrid's spell, Robin had attempted to perform true love's kiss. It hadn't worked, and Robin knew that it wasn't due to the power of The Snow Queen's spell; He was still deeply in love with Regina. One night, Robin found Regina within her vault, and told her how he still felt. Though he was a man of honor, and had made a vow to his wife, he could no longer deny his love for Regina, his true love. They spent a passionate night together, and, after that, Regina fell once again into his strong, loving arms. Though they both knew it was wrong, neither of them could help but find comfort and happiness within each other.

The strange, confusing, tumultuous love quadrangle seemed to be at peace, balance. That was, however, until Robin Hood made a shocking discovery, and it all came crashing to the ground. Shae had received a strange phone call from Regina one evening, and was told to meet her at the library as soon as she could. Regina had sounded very strange over the phone, and Shae immediately left her cabin in the woods, with Elsa in tow.

"Are you sure you want me to come along?" Elsa asked her nervously as they approached the library.

"Of course." Shae replied with a nod. "Whatever Regina has to say to me, she can say in front of you."

Elsa was incredibly skeptical, but she held her tongue, and followed behind Shae as she stepped into the library. It was dark within, except for a light that was shining at the very back of the shelves of books. Shae hurried toward it, and Elsa bumped right into her as she froze in her tracks. Regina was seated at a table, with Robin Hood sitting next to her.

"What's going on?" Shae asked, narrowing her eyes at the thief. "What's this dickbag doing here?"

"Charming." Robin commented blandly.

"No, I'm Shae. David is Charming." Shae corrected with a shake of her head. "Come on, man. Get it together."

"Shae, please." Regina muttered with a heavy sigh. "We… Need to talk. I was hoping we could do so alone."

Shae exchanged a quick glance with Elsa, then folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Elsa." She said sternly. "Besides, you brought dickbag here with you."

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Robin snapped irritably.

"Fine." Shae replied with a shrug. "'Buttface,' it is."

"Shae…" Elsa scolded quietly, placing her hand gently on Shae's arm. "Be nice."

Shae frowned at her, then breathed out a relenting sigh. "Fine." She grumbled, a bit begrudgingly. "Robin. Why is Robin here?"

Regina exchanged a quick, anxious glance with Robin, before she explained. "Robin… Found something." She replied slowly, uncertainly. "Something that is… Well, I think it'll be easier just to show you."

Regina nodded at Robin, who nodded back. He then reached into his bag that was sitting on the table, and removed a piece of paper. Shae stepped forward as he slid it across the table to her, and Elsa quietly followed suit. Shae's mouth gaped open, and her blood red eyes grew wide as she stared down at the paper in her hands. It looked exactly like one of the pages from Henry's storybook. The picture that was drawn upon it was of a young Regina, dressed in her nightgown, the one that she had been wearing the night Tinkerbell took her to the tavern, where Robin Hood, her true love, had been waiting. Regina was standing inside said tavern, her arms wrapped around Robin himself as they kissed.

"What the hell?" Shae breathed, turning her wide, baffled eyes onto Regina. "This… This never happened. Is this from Henry's book?"

"It is." Regina replied with a slow, hesitant nod. "And it also… Isn't."

"Huh?" Asked Shae.

"Look at this." Said Robin, turning Henry's storybook that was sitting on the table around to face Shae. He pointed to the picture on the page, the one of Regina walking away from the tavern. "This is page twenty-three, the story of what really happened."

"Wait a minute…" Elsa muttered, pointing at the corner of the page in Shae's hands. "This is also page twenty-three."

"Indeed." Robin replied with a nod. "And that page tells the story of what could have happened."

Shae turned the page over, and found that there were indeed words written on the other side, in the same script as the stories from Henry's book. Shae shook her head in complete and utter shock, turning the page back over, staring wide eyed down at the picture of Regina kissing Robin Hood.

"Where the hell did you get this?" She asked of Robin.

"I'm… Not entirely sure." Robin replied, slowly shaking his head. "I was here, trying to find some sort of information on this, 'Author,' that Regina had told me about, and it just sort of… Appeared to me. They… Appeared to me."

"They?" Asked Elsa, raising an eyebrow at the thief.

Robin remained silent this time, exchanging another nervous glance with Regina. "There was… Another page." Regina answered, shifting her gaze onto Shae. "One that you should see."

Shae set the page that she was holding down onto the table, while Robin removed another from his bag. He handed it to Shae, and, once again, her jaw dropped open, and her blood red eyes grew wide. She was suddenly staring at a picture of her past self, kneeling upon the ground in a small clearing of trees, trees that she recognized as being from The Enchanted Forest. She was cradling Regina in her arms, who had her hand placed gently on her cheek. They were both smiling at each other, staring deep into each other's eyes.

"That, is page forty-two." Regina said as she began flipping through the pages of Henry's storybook. "And so is this."

Shae tore her eyes away from the page in her hands, and glanced down at the book. "Woah!" She exclaimed as she saw the picture of herself walking away from Regina, who was standing in the same clearing from the other page. "That… That wasn't there before."

"I know." Regina replied, brow furrowed as she stared down at the book. "Henry noticed it a few weeks ago. By my guess, it appeared in the book after Tinkerbell told you about how she took your memories."

"I… I don't understand." Shae whispered quietly. "What does this all mean?"

"I think it means that Regina's fate could have gone in many different directions." Answered Elsa, her face a calm and collected mask.

Regina nodded silently, staring down at the table, keeping her gaze carefully away from The Ice Queen's. Shae stared down at the picture of herself holding Regina in her arms, and she slowly turned the page over, finding more words printed across the page.

"Did… Did you read it?" She asked Regina quietly.

"Yes." Regina whispered in reply.

Shae nodded, swallowing the hard lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "What, um… W-What happens?"

Regina sighed, her deep brown eyes suddenly very sad. "I think… You should find out for yourself."

"Perhaps we should give her some time." Robin Hood offered in a gentle tone.

Regina nodded, and she and Robin got up from the table. Elsa nodded too when Shae gave her a uncertain and hesitant glance, and she placed a kiss gently on her cheek. Shae watched her go for a moment, her blue, glittering cape trailing out behind her as she followed Robin and Regina through the rows of shelves. Shae slowly sank down into a chair, her head spinning, her hands shaking. She then placed the page on the table in front of her, and began to read.

XX