CHAPTER 19
Regina stood alone outside the library doors, slowly pacing up and down the sidewalk. Elsa had decided that Shae and Regina would likely need some time to speak alone, and Robin had left as well, though his reasons were partly to do with his general fear of his true love's other true love. Shae had never bothered to hide her distaste for the noble thief, and, since Robin had been the object of her rage once before, he decided that it was best if he returned safely to his camp. Neither he nor Elsa knew what a grave mistake they had just made.
Regina re-entered the library after a time, and her heart began to race as she slowly walked through the shelves of books toward the back. She had no idea how Shae was going to react to her story of what could have been. She found the vampire sitting at the table where she, Robin, and Elsa had left her. She was staring down at the storybook page sitting on the table in front of her, her blood red eyes streaming with tears. Regina stood silently watching her for a while, not at all sure of what to say.
"Everyone could have gotten their happy endings." Shae muttered quietly, not even glancing up from the page as she finally broke the silence. "Snow and Charming, Emma, Remus, even Tink."
"Especially Tink." Regina muttered back with a laugh.
Shae chuckled too, wiping the tears from her face. "You know, this whole time, I thought Elsa and Robin were the ones that could have saved us from our darkness. But, turns out-"
"We could have saved each other." Regina finished for her.
Shae nodded slowly, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears rolled down her cold, pale cheeks. They fell silent again for a while, and Regina remained where she stood, biting her lip as she stared down at her feet. She glanced up when Shae slowly rose from her chair, and was alarmed and confused at the sudden fury in her eyes.
"Why the hell would you show me this?" Shae demanded, pointing a furious finger at the page. "What exactly are you playing at, Regina?"
Regina's mouth gaped open in shock. "P-Playing at? I… I-I don't understand, I-"
Regina gasped as Shae kicked out at the chair she had been sitting in, toppling it over. "You know that I chose Elsa." Shae snarled, her hand trembling as she pointed another finger at Regina. "It's already hard enough for her, for me. And now this shit?"
"Shae, I… I wasn't trying to, I-I didn't mean-" Regina stammered, pausing for a moment as she bit back the tears welling into her eyes. "I just… Thought you should know."
"Know what? That we could have lived happily ever after together?" Shae shouted, growing more and more furious by the second. "You're the one that screwed it all up by running off with your damn thief!"
Regina's hands began to tremble with rage, and she folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at her former lover. "And you're the one who decided to go running of with your damn ice witch."
"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Shae bellowed.
Regina only continued to glower at Shae, which made the vampire even angrier. She stomped over to Regina, who gasped in alarm as Shae grabbed her by the front of her blouse, and shoved her up against the bookcase behind her. Regina stared into Shae's blood red eyes, her own wide with shock, with fear. For a moment, Shae glared into Regina's deep, brown eyes, her fist shaking as she tightly gripped the front of her shirt. Regina gasped again as Shae suddenly closed the miniscule distance that remained between them, and kissed her.
It was an angry kiss, a furious kiss, but it was still filled with the same passion and desire that it always had been, the kind that made Regina's heart race. Regina dug her fingers into the back of Shae's head, squeezing a fistful of her messy black hair as their lips parted again and again with deep, passionate urgency. Shae grabbed Regina by her hips, and spun her around, pushing her quickly backward. Regina gasped once more as Shae shoved her roughly against the table, which turned into a soft moan as Shae bit into the tender flesh of her neck.
Regina wrapped her legs around Shae's waist, swiftly sliding her black leather jacket off of her shoulders. As her jacket fell to the floor, Shae found Regina's lips again, and they kissed furiously as Shae began working on the buttons of Regina's blouse. Regina moaned again, loudly this time as Shae roughly squeezed her breasts over her black lace bra. Regina swiftly undid the button of Shae's pants, and Shae gasped as she slid her hand down them, her blood red eyes snapping open.
Red, wide eyed eyes stared into brown, and they were both suddenly standing rigidly still. After a few long, startled moments, Shae stumbled backward, placing her hands on her head, her mouth opening and closing several times, her bottom lip trembling. Regina stared back at her in silence, both of them too shocked by their sudden, passionate moment, too startled for words. They gaped at each other in stunned and confused silence for several long moments. Shae then turned her back on Regina, and raced out of the library. Regina remained where she sat upon the table for a few moments, her head spinning, her heart racing. She then choked out a miserable, strangled sob, and slid down onto the floor on her knees, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. She picked Shae's jacket up from off the floor, hugging it to her chest, breathing in her familiar, intoxicating scent.
Meanwhile, Shae sprinted out into the woods, straight to the cabin where she had been staying. She burst through the door, her head spinning wildly, and found Elsa seated on the couch, patiently waiting for her. Elsa sprang to her feet, alarmed by Shae's loud and sudden entrance.
"Shae! You're back!" She exclaimed, her brow furrowing in concern over the crazed look on the vampire's face. "Are… You alright? You look-"
Elsa's question was cut off as Shae rushed toward her, and pulled her into her arms, kissing her deeply, desperately. Elsa's brow furrowed once again as she felt her lover's lips trembling against her own. She pulled away from Shae's embrace, opening her mouth to question her further. She stopped when Shae placed a quivering finger against her lips, and kissed her once again.
Shae pulled Elsa into the bedroom, and quickly undid the laces of her glittering blue dress. Elsa didn't speak as Shae made love to her, didn't question why her she was in such sudden, desperate need of her. She had no idea what exactly was within the mysterious storybook page. Whatever it was, whatever Shae had read, it left the vampire in such an agitated state that Elsa had never seen before. She had no idea the painful confliction that had suddenly taken hold of her lover's mind and heart.
Shae held Elsa's naked body against her own, her arms wrapped tightly around her as she fell asleep peacefully in her arms. She placed her lips against Elsa's shoulder, her blood red eyes streaming with tears as her thoughts once again wandered to Regina. She had tried so desperately to focus her full attention on Elsa, but she couldn't stop the passionate moment that she and Regina had shared playing itself over and over again in her mind. She knew that she loved Elsa, but she couldn't stop thinking about Regina, about the content, happy life they could have shared if she had chosen differently all those years ago.
"Shae?" Elsa whispered, roused from her slumber when she felt her lover's body shaking as she wept. "Are you alright?"
"Fine, I'm fine." Shae whispered back, curling her arms even tighter around her. "Just… Go back to sleep."
Elsa nodded sleepily, and she turned her head back, placing a light kiss on Shae's lips. "I love you."
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking from her eyes as Elsa rested her head back onto her pillow. "I… I-I love you too, Elsa."
XX
Regina and Shae kept carefully away from each other for the next few days, choosing instead to spend time with their other true loves, Elsa and Robin, trying desperately to forget the heated and passionate moment they had shared within the library. It left both of them frightened and confused, and they tried their best to focus their attention on the other people in their lives, the ones they had both chosen to be with, chosen to love. Despite their best efforts, Shae and Regina's thoughts were never far away from each other.
Regina, with Robin's help, continued to search for a way to free Marian from Ingrid's icy spell. Shae spent most of her time in the library with Elsa and Belle, sometimes accompanied by Emma and her parents, as the heroes of Storybrooke continued to search for a way to trap the powerful and elusive Snow Queen. Shae found it hard to focus as she read through book after book, tome after tome, her thoughts always straying back to Regina. Frustrated and angry, She decided to take a break one evening, and headed to Granny's Diner for a drink. She was sitting at the counter, alone, already on her fifth glass of whiskey, when the bell over the diner's door tinkled, and Mary Margaret walked it.
"Hey, Shae." Mary Margaret greeted her with a smile.
"Snow." Shae replied with a curt nod.
"You know, everyone calls me, 'Mary Margaret,' now." Replied Mary Margaret.
Shae chuckled dryly, and quickly shook her head. "Yeah, I'm not calling you that. It's dumb."
Mary Margaret opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again, and her brow furrowed in concern as she noticed all the empty glasses sitting on the counter in front of the vampire. "Are you, uh… Are you alright?"
"Peachy." Shae muttered, draining the glass in her hand.
Mary Margaret sighed, and took a seat next to Shae at the counter. "I think I know what's on your mind." She told her quietly. "Elsa told us all about the pages from Henry's book that Robin found."
"Fantastic." Shae mumbled, waving Granny down for another drink.
Mary Margaret fell silent for a moment as Granny poured Shae another glass of whiskey. "Have you heard the story about how David was supposed to marry Abigail, King Midas's daughter?" She asked, once Granny had walked away.
"Only half a dozen times." Shae replied, a bit sourly.
"He could have had everything, you know." Mary Margaret told her with another smile.
"Oh, now a full dozen!" Said Shae, her tone full of sarcastic chipperness.
Mary Margaret chuckled lightly, and went on. "He could have had the perfect life. King Midas was rich beyond compare, and an alliance with his kingdom would have made King George's flourish. He never would have wanted for anything."
Mary Margaret paused for a moment, staring sadly down at the counter. "He told me that he tried to love Abigail, and, for a moment, I think he really thought he did." She went on quietly. "But… But then-"
"Then he met you." Shae finished for her.
"Yeah." Mary Margaret whispered with a wistful smile. "You were there, actually, when he first fell in love with me."
"Yeah, on The Troll Bridge, I remember." Shae muttered, taking a large sip of her fresh glass of whiskey. "What exactly are you trying to say, Snow?"
Mary Margaret sighed once again, taking a moment to respond. "When David decided that he wanted to pursue me, he knew that he was going to ruin everything, his entire life." She explained in a quiet whisper. "He risked everything, was willing to give it all up, just to be with me. But, in the end, he told me it was… Worth it. Even after everything that's happened, everything that we all have been through, it was… So worth it."
Mary Margaret shifted slightly in her seat, turning to face Shae. "I guess what I'm trying to say," She began with another small, wistful smile. "Is that, if I've learned anything from all that David and I have been through, it's that, if you find someone you love enough to ruin your entire life over, then, it's just… Always worth it, no matter what."
Shae stared down into her half empty glass of whiskey, taking in everything that Mary Margaret had said. She sat in silence as Granny took Mary Margaret's order, thinking about Elsa, about the life they once had together, the one that they had started all over again now in Storybrooke, how happy she had been the last few weeks. She thought about the other life she could have had, the one with Regina. She bit her lip, fighting back against the tears that were welling into her eyes as she thought about their moment in the library just a few nights ago. She thought about the feeling of Regina's lips upon her own, the familiar and tantalizing curves of her body beneath her hands, the desperate and aching longing deep within her heart to feel it all again.
"You ok?" Asked Mary Margaret, as Shae slowly rose from her stool, her blood red eyes wide with a strange sort of determination.
Shae didn't seem to hear her, and the vampire didn't speak a word as she promptly left the diner.
XX
Regina was in her vault, staring down at the spellbook sitting in her lap, unable to focus on the words written on the pages. She breathed out a frustrated sigh, snapping the book shut and shoving it angrily off of her lap, where it fell to the floor with a heavy thump. She rested her forehead in the palms of her hands, her eyes straying to the two pages sitting on the floor near her feet. They were the pages that did and did not belong in Henry's storybook, the ones that told stories of what could have been.
Regina's hand quivered slightly as she picked up the pages, and she smiled a sad, wistful smile as she stared down at the picture of her and Robin kissing inside the tavern. His story was much the same as Shae's. He and Regina could have lived happily ever after together, the whole kingdom could have, if only she had chosen to go to him on that fateful day. She slowly flipped to the other page, and her heart ached with misery as she gazed upon the picture of herself lying in Shae's arms in the forest, smiling up at her as she placed her hand gently on her cheek. She had thought of little else but Shae since their encounter in the library. Even when she was with Robin, lying in his arms, kissing him, her thoughts always wandered to Shae, to the life they could have had together. It was making her miserable.
"Regina."
The pages fell from Regina's hands as she nearly leapt right out of her skin. Shae herself was standing at the bottom of the staircase leading down into her vault. She hadn't even heard the vampire's footsteps.
"Shae?" Regina whispered, staring wide eyed at her. "W-What… What are you doing here?"
Shae didn't respond right way. She stared back at Regina for several long, quiet moments, and Regina saw confusion, and a deep sorrow in her blood red eyes. "Ever since Elsa came back into my life, I've been trying to think only of her." Shae finally replied, her tone as quiet as a whisper. "She's just so… So kind, patient, and gentle. I've been trying so hard to give her all the care, and the attention, and the love that she truly deserves."
Regina breathed out a heavy sigh, slowly rising to her feet. "Why are you telling me all this, Shae?"
Shae took another few moments to respond, her hands trembling as she stared into Regina's eyes. "Because, I can't." She whispered, her own eyes glistening with tears. "Not anymore. Not today."
Shae crossed the room in three long strides, and pulled Regina into her arms, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Regina immediately threw her arms around Shae's neck, returning her kiss with the same amount of deep, passionate urgency. She knew it was wrong, they both did, but, in that moment, their longing for each other was somehow greater than it possibly ever had been before.
Shae placed her hands on Regina's hips as their lips parted, pushing her quickly backwards. Regina kept her lips firmly locked with Shae's as her back hit the wall, and she moaned softly as Shae laced her fingers in with her own, pinning her arms above her head. Shae broke away from her lips for a moment, staring deep into her eyes. Regina felt no fear this time, no anger, only a deep, desperate desire. She saw the same desire in Shae's eyes, and they both silently agreed over what they wanted, even though it was truly and deeply wrong.
Several of the buttons on Regina's blouse popped off as Shae tore it open, but Regina didn't even care. She let out another quiet moan as Shae buried her face in her breasts, kissing them both as she dug her fingers into her lacey bra. Regina grinned as Shae teased her, brushing her cold, pale lips gently against her own. She quickly moved them away, and Regina moaned again, loudly this time as Shae bit roughly into the tender flesh of her neck.
"Easy…" Regina whispered as Shae bit down harder, knowing full well that it was going to leave a mark.
Shae completely disobeyed Regina's warning, and quickly switched to the other side of her neck, sinking her teeth even harder into her flesh. Regina cried out in part alarm, part pleasure, and she grabbed a fistful of Shae's hair, yanking her face away from her neck. Shae grabbed on to Regina's hand, pinning both her arms back against the wall again. She grinned into her eyes for a moment, listening to Regina's quick and ragged breaths. In the past, when she was Queen, Regina had been the more assertive and domineering one, reveling in the fact that her Protector submitted to her every whim. Now, she positively melted in Shae's strong arms.
Regina gasped as Shae suddenly spun her around, pinning her arms to the wall again. Shae's cold lips pressed against her neck again, but, this time, she only kissed it as she slowly drew her hands down Regina's arms. Regina grinned, biting her lip as Shae pressed slow, deep kisses up and down her neck, her fingertips brushing against her breasts as she continued to slide her hands downward. She slid them all the way down to her thighs, bringing them up again, Regina's gray, pencil skirt sliding up along with them. Regina gasped once more as Shae pushed her panties aside, and slipped two fingers between her folds.
"Oh god…" Regina whispered, gasping again in delight as Shae slowly slid her fingers deeper and deeper inside her. "Oh, Shae… Yes…"
"You feel so good." Shae whispered in her ear.
Regina tilted her head back, moaning against Shae's lips as she kissed her. She took Shae's other hand, which was curled around her waist, and quickly drew it up to her breasts, sliding it underneath her bra. Shae moaned with her as she slowly pumped her fingers, and Regina tried her best to enjoy the pleasure of Shae's skillful fingers deep inside her. However, her discomfort over being pinned to the wall was too great, and she reached down, removing Shae's hand from between her legs.
Shae opened her mouth to protest, but stopped as Regina placed a quick kiss on her lips. She then grabbed onto the front of Shae's shirt, and pulled her quickly down the long, stone hallway, toward her magical safe room, where there was a bed within. She waved her hand at the mirror, pulling Shae in for another kiss as she waited for it to magically swing open. Once inside, they began tearing at each other's clothes, and Shae immediately plunged her face between Regina's legs as soon as they fell naked upon the bed.
The blankets and sheets fell into a tangled heap onto the floor as the two of them mage urgent and vigorous love back and forth nearly all throughout the night. Regina sank her teeth deep into Shae's flesh, raked her nails up and down her back, pulled roughly on her hair. She had to be much gentler with Robin during their own passionate love making, but, with Shae, she was free to be as violent and savage as she wanted. Regina immensely enjoyed it, and so did Shae. Elsa was a gentle woman, and, though Shae did enjoy her time in the bedroom with her Ice Queen, it was nothing compared to the savage and carnal desire she shared with the once Evil Queen.
Neither of them spoke as they lie in each other's arms, totally and completely spent, and they did their best to ignore the aching pang of guilt over what they had just done. Regina eventually fell asleep, wrapped up in Shae's arms, the half heart within both their chests nearly whole again as their naked bodies pressed against one another. As Shae held Regina in her arms, left alone with her thoughts through another sleepless night, she desperately wished that she could fall asleep beside her. She wished that she could close her eyes and be swept up in a dream, a dream where the immeasurable, crushing guilt she felt deep within her heart no longer threatened to consume her.
XX
The next morning, Regina woke to the bed within her vault empty. She sat forward with a sigh, burying her face in her hands as she tried to quell the shame and the remorse over what she had done. Tears began to well into her eyes as she slowly began to get dressed, and she chose to ignore her cell phone that was ringing once again. She didn't know who had been trying to call her, her heart too heavy with painful misery to care. She had betrayed the man she loved, the man that had chosen her over his wife, the mother of his child. Robin had risked everything for his love for her, and now…
"Well, look who's finally awake."
Regina whirled around, and found Shae smiling at her from the entrance to her safe room. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words were able to come out as she stared at her other true love's gorgeous, smiling face.
"I have something for you." Shae told her with another smile.
Regina stood in silence as Shae crossed the room toward her. She stopped just in front of Regina, who gasped when Shae removed her hands from where they had been tucked carefully behind her back. In Shae's hands, was a small, ornate hand mirror, it's handle and edges made of solid gold, a crack running down the middle of the glass.
"It's… The mirror. The one from our story." Regina breathed in wonder, staring down at the mirror now in her own hands. "It's… Actually real."
"Of course it is." Shae replied with a knowing wink.
Regina breathed out a surprised laugh, gently running her fingers along the mirror's cracked glass. "You know, in reality, it was actually The Genie that gave me a mirror." She whispered quietly. "But, now I know, that… It was always meant to be you."
Tears began to well into Regina's eyes as she gazed upon Shae's smile. Shae gently drew her into her arms, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Regina sighed, curling her arms around Shae's neck as their lips parted. She smiled against Shae's lips as memories of the previous night washed over her, memories of their loving, happy life she had read about in their story of what could have been. As quickly as her smile came, it faded, and she gently pushed Shae back.
"Shae…" She whispered, staring remorsefully into the vampire's blood red eyes. "Shae, what are we doing?"
Shae raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought that was pretty obvious."
Regina folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at the vampire. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
The grin on Shae's face slowly faded, and she breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, shoving her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "I… Don't know." She whispered softly. "All I know, is that ever since that night at the library, I just… All I can think about is you."
Regina sighed too, and she slowly nodded her head. "I know, you're all I've been thinking about too." She quietly agreed. "But… Shae, you have Elsa. And I have Robin."
"And Robin has a wife."
Regina bit her lip, nodding again. "I know, but, Shae, he… He chose me. He said as soon as we find a way to free Marian, he's going to sit her down and tell her that, as painful as it is, he just… Doesn't love her anymore. He loves me, and I… I love him."
Regina paused for a moment, biting back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. "And Elsa, she loves you." She went on, her voice quiet, heavy with sorrow. "She's seen what a complicated mess your life is, our life is. Most people would just walk away, but she's willing to work through all of it, all for you. And, I… I know… I know that you love her too."
"Yeah, I know, I… I-I do." Shae whispered, her own eyes shining with tears. "But… I also love you, Regina."
"I know." Regina whispered back. "And I love you too, Shae. But… We just… We can't do this. This can't happen again."
Shae breathed out a heavy, miserable sigh, and nodded. They stood in silence for a while, both of them thinking about the other people that they loved, their other true loves, the ones that they had betrayed. Though they both knew that what they had done was truly wrong, it had somehow felt just so incredibly right.
"Well, the way I see it," Shae slowly began with a smile, gently taking the mirror out of Regina's hands, setting it carefully down on the table next to her. "If we don't leave this room just yet, it still only counts as the one time."
Regina couldn't help but smile as Shae pulled her into her arms again, couldn't resist her cold but lovingly warm kiss. They quickly began to undress each other once again as their lips parted, and they fell naked into the bed together, not at all aware of the chaos The Snow Queen had ensued upon Emma Swan's life.
XX
Mary Margaret and David were sitting at the table within their tiny apartment, Elsa tending to an injured Henry just upstairs. Their hearts hung heavy with sorrow and concern over their daughter. The previous day, Emma and Elsa had finally succeeded in capturing The Snow Queen, though, unfortunately, very briefly. Before making her escape, Ingrid somehow cast a spell on Emma, which caused The Savior's own magic to spiral out of control. After nearly demolishing The Sheriff's station by accident, Emma fled into the woods. Unbeknownst to his other mother, and his grandparents, the next morning, Henry went in search of Emma. He returned to the apartment with a large gash on the back of his head, caused, unwillingly, by his own mother. Emma was heartbroken over harming her own son, and utterly terrified of her own powers.
Mary Margaret received an alarming phone call from her daughter not long after Henry's return. Emma had somehow found a way to get rid of her magic, and was determined to do so, despite her parents insisting that she shouldn't. Elsa was alarmed by this news as well, and instructed that Mary Margaret and David should call upon Shae for help. She insisted that the woman she loved would be able to convince Emma not to get rid of the very thing that made her special. David and Mary Margaret agreed, and they were both confused when Regina had been the one to answer Shae's cell phone. They quickly told Regina everything, and she was startled and irate over learning what had happened to Henry. She told them that she would be on her away immediately, and David and Mary Margaret were once again left confused when she said she would be bringing Shae with her.
"Where is my son?" Regina demanded loudly as she burst through the apartment door, Shae hot on her heels. "Is he alright?"
"He's fine, he's upstairs with Elsa." Mary Margaret replied gently. "Where have you guys been? We've been trying to call you all night."
"Well, I'm sorry if I don't respond to your every summons." Regina snapped irritably. "Now, can I please see my son? I need to-"
"Your shirt's on inside out." David suddenly cut it, looking at Shae.
Shae glanced down at her t-shirt, which was indeed inside out, frowning as she tugged at the tag poking out from under her chin. "And… Backwards." She mumbled, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Awesome."
Suddenly, Mary Margaret drew in an audible gasp, slowly rising to her feet. Her eyes were wide as saucers, and she pointed a quivering finger at Regina. "Is… Is that a hickey on your neck?"
Silence fell over the tiny apartment as David and Mary Margaret stared wide eyed at both Regina and Shae. Regina softly cleared her throat, carefully avoiding their gaze as she placed her hand over the bright red mark Shae's teeth had left on her neck the night before. Mary Margaret and David then shifted their gaze onto Shae, who stared silently down at the ground, anxiously chewing on her lip ring, hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket.
"You didn't." David muttered quietly, looking appalled.
"Oh, save your moral judgement." Regina snapped at him.
"Oh my god…" Mary Margaret whispered. "You… You guys… You-"
"Snow, just… Calm down." Shae cut in slowly.
"Oh my god! This… This is all my fault!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, staring at Shae with her hands over her mouth. "I mean, I was the one that basically told you to follow your heart. I… I just… I didn't think… Just… Oh my god!"
"SHH!" Shae shushed her, frantically waving her hands. "We know, ok? Just… Keep your damn voice down!"
"Oh, no… No, no, no…" Muttered Mary Margaret, shaking her head as she glared furiously at both Shae and Regina. "You need to tell them. You need to tell Elsa and Robin about what you guys did, you can't-"
"Shae!"
Shae whirled around, just in time to see Elsa, her other true love, rushing down the loft steps toward her. Shae exchanged a quick, anxious glance with the others as Elsa threw her arms around her, planting a grateful kiss on her lips.
"I've been so worried about you." Elsa said, placing her hands on either side of Shae's face, staring concernedly into her eyes. "Where have you been? You never came home last night."
"Yeah, I… I-I know." Shae stammered with a nervous smile. "I was, um… I-I was out hunting."
"Oh." Elsa muttered, brow furrowed in confusion. "Then… Why didn't you say something? I didn't-"
"I know, Elsa, I know. I'm sorry." Shae said in a rush, as a furious Mary Margaret opened her mouth to object to vampire's lie. "What exactly is going on? Is Henry ok? Snow said he's hurt, or something."
Elsa nodded, and she, David, and Mary Margaret (though a bit begrudgingly), quickly brought Shae and Regina up to speed on the situation with Emma. As soon as they were finished, Regina, who was, at the moment, more concerned about her son than The Savior, immediately headed up the loft steps to check on Henry.
"Elsa says that you're the one that can stop Emma from getting rid of her magic." Mary Margaret said to Shae, narrowing her eyes at her.
Shae raised a curious eyebrow at Elsa. "Me? W-Why me?"
Elsa smiled at the woman she loved, and Shae smiled back, grateful that Elsa had not noticed Mary Margaret's accusing glare. "Because, when I lost control of my powers, you were the one who convinced me that my magic was a gift, not a curse." Elsa replied, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "You helped me accept who I truly was, and I'm certain that you can do the same for Emma."
Shae exchanged a quick, anxious glance with Mary Margaret and David, then nodded. "Alright, I'll find her." She told Elsa with a smile.
Shae placed a light kiss on Elsa's lips, and scooped up a sweater hanging off the back of a nearby chair, which she recognized as belonging to Emma. She avoided everyone else's eye as she hurried out of the apartment. Mary Margaret took a step toward the door, but stopped when her husband grabbed her by the arm. David ever so slightly shook his head, and Mary Margaret hesitated for a moment, glancing between the door, to her husband, and to Elsa's hopeful, smiling face. She then breathed out a relenting sigh, and nodded. Though she was still furious over what Shae and Regina had done, she was more concerned about her daughter. She and David both silently hoped against hope that Shae would find Emma, and stop her from whatever she was about to do.
XX
Shae used the sweater she had taken from the Charming family apartment to track Emma's scent, and trees sped past the vampire in a whirl of brown and green as she rushed through the Storybrooke forest. She slowed to a walk as she spotted Emma's tiny yellow bug parked along a small road. Emma herself was pacing back and forth along the road beside her car, her hands glowing with a bright white light, crackling with the force of her out of control magic. Shae could feel the pulse waves of magical energy emanating out of The Savior's body. She had felt something similar the first time she had seen Elsa, but Emma's magic was far more powerful, and far more unstable.
"Emma!" Shae called out as she neared the car.
Emma whirled around, and her eyes grew wide with shock and panic when she spotted Shae stepping through the trees toward her. "No! Shae, stop! Stay back!" She shouted.
"It's alright, your parents sent me. They told me what's going on." Shae said in a gentle tone, stopping where she stood with her hands carefully out in front of her. "Emma, I don't know what exactly it is you plan on doing, but, you just… You can't get rid of your powers."
"I have to!" Emma exclaimed, her hazel green eyes streaming with tears. "Just… Just look at this!"
Emma held out her glowing hands, and Shae leapt back as a pulse wave of energy shot unwillingly from them. "See? You see?" Emma shouted, her eyes wide and wild with fear. "I have to stop this, I have to get rid of this!"
"No, Emma, you don't, it's alright-"
"NO!" Emma screamed, choking out a strangled sob. "You didn't see what I did, the way my parents looked at me, the way Henry looked at me!"
"I know, I know…" Shae said, her tone quiet and gentle as she slowly and carefully moved toward Emma.
"No, you don't, you don't know." Emma muttered, vigorously shaking her head. She drew back a step as Shae continued to advance slowly forward. "No… Shae, no… STOP!"
Another violent pulsewave of light magic shot out from Emma's outstretched hands, but Shae reacted swiftly this time. She threw up her hands, using her own magic to stop Emma's just before it struck. Emma stumbled fearfully backwards, and Shae raced forward, pulling The Savior into her arms.
Emma choked out another miserable sob as Shae wrapped her in a tight embrace. Emma sobbed bitterly into Shae's chest, digging her fingers into the back of the vampire's black leather jacket. Shae could feel the electric pulses of Emma's magic shooting through her body, but she kept her arms wrapped firmly around her, gritting her teeth through the pain. Emma's knees buckled, and Shae went down with her as she fell to the ground. Shae continued to hold her tight, and she remained quietly kneeling upon the ground, her heart aching as she listened to Emma's desperate and miserable sobs.
"Oh god, Shae…" Emma whispered, her whole body trembling. "I just… I just want it to stop. I just… Want to be normal."
Shae sighed heavily, gently and soothingly rubbing Emma's back. "I know, I get it, I really do." She whispered. She then pushed Emma away from her chest, and placed her hands on her shoulders, staring determinedly into her eyes. "Look, I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone. Not even Elsa, and not even Regina."
Emma's bloodshot, hazel green eyes grew wide, and she stared silently into Shae's for a moment. When she nodded, Shae released her shoulders, and she leaned her back against Emma's tiny yellow bug. Emma followed suit, waiting patiently and anxiously as Shae took a long while to respond. Shae spoke very little about her past, so she had absolutely no idea what she was about to tell her. By the look on the vampire's face, she knew that it was something serious.
"I had powers before I became a vampire."
Emma's jaw dropped open in complete and utter shock. "W-What? Seriously?"
Shae slowly nodded her head, her blood red eyes suddenly a million miles away. "I had magic. It was a lot like yours. It was… Unique, powerful."
"What… What kind of magic?" Emma asked quietly, her eyes wide.
Shae took another long moment to respond. Slowly, she turned her head to face Emma, and Emma's brow furrowed in confusion and concern when she saw an immense fear in Shae's eyes. She had seen something slightly similar in Shae's eyes when she had spoken about The Snow Queen. This fear, however, was somehow far greater. It was a fear that Emma had never, ever seen before in another person's eyes.
"Emma, there's a reason I've never told anyone this." Shae whispered softly. "There's very little I can say about it, even while we're alone right now."
Emma nodded hastily in understanding. "I just… I want you to know that I understand what you're going through." Shae went on in the same quiet tone. "I had a hard time controlling my powers too, but I had Remus, and… And Nadia. They supported me, helped me through it all. Once, I even found out a way to get rid of my powers, but, Remus and Nadia, they convinced me not to. They insisted that my magic was a gift, just like yours is."
Shae paused for a moment, shifting slightly in her spot, to better face Emma. "Look, I know you have a hard time trusting people, I get it, but… Emma, you can't do this alone. Your family may not completely understand you, but… They love you. They want to help, and you need to let them. Shutting everyone out isn't the answer, it never is, trust me."
Emma nodded slowly, taking in everything Shae had told her. She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking down her face, and Shae wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Emma rested her head against Shae's chest, keeping her glowing, crackling hands clenched firmly in her lap. The two of them sat in silence for a long while, Emma's thoughts filled with the horrifying fear she had seen in her parent's and her son's eyes, Shae's filled with confusion over Elsa and Regina. Shae desperately wanted to tell Emma what had happened, knowing that she was the one person who would listen and offer some sort of advice without judgement. However, she knew Emma was going through enough already, so she decided to keep her guilty conscience to herself.
"Thank you, for coming to find me, Shae." Emma whispered, smiling up into Shae's blood red eyes. "You're the one person who really does understand me. Oh, and, don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
Shae nodded with a grateful smile, and Emma nodded back, leaning back against her car again. "I know things have been kinda… Weird between us, since New York." Emma quietly went on. "But, Shae, you're… You're my best friend, and I… I love you. In, you know, a best friend kind of way."
Shae laughed, and slowly nodded her head again. "I love you too, Swan Song."
Emma nodded too, more tears spilling down her face as Shae pulled her into another tight hug. Emma bit her lip as she stared down at her hands folded carefully in her lap, which were still glowing and crackling with a bright white light. She then softly cleared her throat, and pulled away from Shae's embrace, slowly rising to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Shae questioned her, as Emma placed her glowing hand on the handle of her driver's side door.
"Look, I get what you're saying, ok?" Emma replied carefully. "But… Shae, I have to do this. You didn't see what I did to Henry."
Shae quickly scrambled to her feet. "Emma, I just saw Henry, he's fine, he's ok."
"Yeah, but, what if next time, he isn't?" Emma cut her off, biting her lip again as she stared down at her still crackling hands. "No, I… I-I can't risk that, I can't risk hurting him again. I… Have to get rid of this."
"Emma, no!" Shae exclaimed, tightly gripping Emma's wrist. "Look, I once told Elsa the same thing. Your magic is a gift, it-"
"No, it's not!" Emma shouted back as she wrenched her arm out of Shae's grip, her hazel green eyes welling with tears once again. "I have to stop this, I have to-"
"Emma, NO!" Shae said again, reaching for Emma's hand.
"STOP!"
Another violent pulsewave of magical energy shot out from Emma's hand as she threw it out toward Shae. The vampire was not quick enough to stop it this time, and she took the magical pulsewave full to the face. Her world was a chaotic blur as she spiraled backward through the air. The last thing she saw was a facefull of concrete, then everything went black.
XX
"Shae… Shae!"
Shae's eyes snapped open at the sound of a female voice, and she blinked confusedly for a few moments, trying to focus her eyes on her dark surroundings. Apparently, night had fallen over Storybrooke. Suddenly, the vampire's eyes focused, and she realized that the distorted faces that were swimming before her were that of Mary Margaret, David, Henry and Regina. Shae sat bolt upright, and quickly realized that she was sitting in the middle of a road, Regina and Mary Margaret kneeling on either side of her, David and Henry standing behind them.
"Are you alright?" Asked Regina, eyeing the vampire with concern.
"Yeah… I… I-I think so." Shae muttered quietly.
"What happened to you, Shae?" Mary Margaret asked with a frown.
Shae fell silent for a moment, her mind still muddled from being knocked out. "Oh god… I… I-I found Emma." She whispered, her blood red eyes wide. "I tried to stop her, tried to convince her to keep her powers, but… But she…"
"We know, we know…" Mary Margaret whispered back, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "When you didn't come back with Emma, we kinda figured out what happened."
"Do you know where she went?" David asked in a rush.
Shae shook her head, then removed Emma's sweater from where it had been tucked inside her jacket. "No, but I still have this."
Mary Margaret and Regina both helped Shae up to her feet. The vampire sniffed Emma's sweater carefully, then sniffed the air. "This way." She said, pointing a finger down the road in front of them. "Come on. I just hope it's not too late."
They all followed after Shae as she set off at a brisk pace down the road. Shae continued to follow Emma's scent, which lead them all to a large mansion on the outskirts of Storybrooke. Shae had seen the mansion only once before. She had happened upon it when she had been running from the billowing green clouds of Peter Pan's curse. Then, it had been dark, still, and eerily quiet. Now, there were bright, white lights flashing in the windows, a strange and loud humming noise emanating out from it.
"My god…" Shae whispered, staring at the strange mansion with wide, horrified eyes. "Emma's magic is even more out of control than before."
"We've gotta hurry." David whispered in return, his own eyes just as wide as Shae's. "We have to stop her, before-"
Suddenly, a pulsewave of magical energy shot out from the mansion. They all stumbled backward, shielding their faces from the pulsewave, Regina throwing her arms protectively around Henry. The air was suddenly quiet and still, and they all glanced back up at the mansion. There were no more flashing lights, no more loud humming. They stood rooted in their spots for a moment, their mouths gaping open in pure horror.
"No." Henry muttered, his eyes shining with tears.
"Oh no…" Whispered Mary Margaret. "Oh god… Emma!"
The others all hurried after Mary Margaret as she sprinted toward the mansion. They raced up onto the porch, Mary Margaret the first to reach the door. She wildly turned the handle, tugged on it, then breathed out a frustrated sigh.
"It's locked." She said to the others.
Shae shoved Mary Margaret, a bit roughly, out of her way, and outstretched her hand toward the door handle. She stopped suddenly, and they all whirled around when they heard rushing footsteps from behind them. It was Emma, followed closely by Hook, and also Elsa.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "Did… D-Did you do it?"
Emma shook her head. "No." She replied, smiling as she took Elsa by the hand. "All thanks to Elsa. She… Convinced me not to."
They all breathed out collective sigh of relief. Mary Margaret threw her arms around her daughter, and David threw his arms around both of them. "I'm so, so glad." Mary Margaret whispered, her eyes welling with grateful tears. "Please, don't ever change."
"We love you, no matter what." David said with a smile.
Emma nodded, her own hazel green eyes shining with tears, and her parents pulled her into another tight hug. Elsa stepped up to Shae, and Shae smiled back at her as Elsa smiled up into her blood red eyes.
"It wasn't me after all, it was you." Shae told her with a grin. "Looks like somebody was wrong. That doesn't happen often."
Elsa rolled her eyes, and Shae laughed as she gently shoved her shoulder. "I was only slightly wrong." Elsa replied with a grin of her own. "You did help, in a sense."
When Shae raised a curious eyebrow, Elsa stepped closer to her, gently placing her arms around her neck. "When I landed in this strange town, I was certain that without Anna, and without you, I was doomed." She went on with another smile. "But, I got control over my powers without you both. I realized that it's important to have people in our lives that accept us for who we are, but that alone isn't enough."
Elsa paused for a moment, and placed her hand on Shae's cheek. "We have to love ourselves too, and that's what I told Emma." She whispered, gently caressing Shae's cheek with her thumb. "She has to love herself the way her family does, and so do I, the way Anna loves me, the way you love me."
As Shae stared into Elsa's dazzling blue eyes, her heart ached with painful remorse over what she had done with Regina. She slowly removed Elsa's arms from around her neck, and she took both her hands into her own. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey." Emma said when Shae spun around. "Sorry about earlier. Are… You ok?"
Shae nodded, biting back the tears that had welled into her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." She replied with a smile. "So, I'm guessing you're in control of your magic again, right?"
Emma nodded back, a wide grin stretching across her face. "Absolutely."
Shae, Elsa, and the others watched as Emma stepped up to the edge of the porch, raising her hands toward the night sky. They all gasped in wonder as The Savior created a bright, dazzling display of fireworks amongst the stars. Emma turned her head back to smile at Hook as he placed his hands on her hips, and Mary Margaret smiled too as her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Shae curled her arm around Elsa's waist, and Elsa rested her head against her shoulder, both of them smiling as they watched the grand and magical fireworks display.
For a moment, just a moment, all of the guilt and the sorrow that had been plaguing Shae's heart and soul was lifted as she held Elsa in her arms. She then slightly turned her head, and caught Regina's eye, who had her arms wrapped around her son. Shae quickly turned away again, and she clenched her jaw tight as she heard a soft cough from beside her. Mary Margaret gave Shae a pointed, knowing glance, then turned her eyes onto Elsa, and tilted her head toward the mansion. Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly what Mary Margaret meant.
"Hey." Shae whispered to Elsa. "Let's go inside. There's… T-There's something I need to tell you."
Elsa nodded, brow furrowed in confusion at the grave and serious look on her lover's face. She followed Shae inside the mansion, and sat down in the chair Shae gestured toward. She waited patiently as Shae took a moment to speak. When she finally did, she slowly paced back and forth in front of Elsa, words tumbling from her mouth in an anxious stammer as she told her everything.
Shae started with what she had read within the mysterious storybook page, and she told Elsa the whole story. Elsa sat in quiet, reserved silence, her face a calm and collected mask as Shae told her what had happened between her and Regina in the library, and everything else afterwards, that she had lied when she said she had been out hunting the night before. When Shae was finished, Elsa continued to sit in silence for a moment, her lips pursed into firm line as she stared down at the floor.
"I see." She whispered quietly.
Shae's mouth gaped open, and it opened and closed several times in utter disbelief. "That's… T-Thats it? That's all you have to say?"
Elsa breathed out a heavy sigh, slowly turning her eyes up onto the woman she loved. "What exactly do you want me to say?"
"I don't know!" Shae exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "Yell at me, scream at me, hit me, even! Just… Tell me that you hate me, that I'm a fucking monster!"
Elsa sighed once again, and slowly shook her head. "I'm not going to do any of that, Shae."
"WHY NOT?" Shae shouted furiously, her blood red eyes wide and wild, shining with tears. "Dammit, Elsa… Why are you like this?"
"Like what?" Elsa asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"So… So kind, and patient, and understanding!" Shae shouted back. "It's just… It's… I-It's not fair."
Elsa breathed out a bemused laugh, slowly shaking her head again. "You're saying that my kindness isn't fair?"
"No, it's not!" Shae replied, biting back a sob as tears began to flow freely down her face. "Because… All I've done is… Take advantage of it."
Elsa remained silent as Shae squeezed her eyes shut, running shaky hands through her messy black hair. "It's… It's just…" Shae whispered, choking out a miserable, strangled sob. "Dammit, Elsa… It's just… NOT FUCKING FAIR!"
"Don't yell at me!" Elsa shouted, angrily rising to her feet.
"Sorry, I-Im… I'm sorry." Shae stammered quietly. She then choked out another strangled sob, placing her hands over her face as more tears streamed from her eyes. "Oh god, Elsa… Elsa, I'm… I'm so sorry."
Shae's knees buckled under the weight of the painful misery plaguing her heart and soul, and she fell on her hands and knees in front of Elsa, sobbing bitterly upon the floor. Elsa remained where she stood for a long while, staring down at the miserable, broken vampire sobbing at her feet. Her own heart ached with the pain of Shae's betrayal, for the way that she had blatantly lied to her. But, most of all, Elsa's heart aced with pity. After a time, she slowly sank down onto her knees, and pulled Shae gently into her arms.
"I forgive you, Shae." Elsa whispered to her, tears streaming down her face. "I forgive you."
Shae continued to sob into Elsa's shoulder, unable to find any words to say to the kind and gentle woman that loved her so very much. She wrapped her arms even tighter around Elsa, holding her desperately, gratefully. Elsa held Shae tight as well, placing her trembling lips on the side of her head.
"It hurts that you didn't keep your promise to give your all to me, to us." Elsa whispered, slowly and gently rubbing Shae's back. "But, you also said that this wasn't going to be easy. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, but, I just… I… I didn't think…"
Elsa trailed off into silence, biting back a sob as more tears rushed down her face. Shae pulled away from Elsa's shoulders, staring miserably into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Elsa." She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion.
Elsa nodded, smiling through her tears as she placed her hand on Shae's cheek. "I know, and I forgive you." She whispered back. "I can't promise that it'll be easy, but, I am willing to try and… Move past all this, and move forward, with you. If… If that's what you want, of course."
Shae nodded too, and she choked out another sob, placing a grateful kiss on Elsa's lips. "Yes, I… I-I do, of course I do." She whispered, pressing her forehead against Elsa's, smiling as she cupped her face in her hands. "Thank you, Elsa, I… I'm so sorry. I love you."
"I know." Elsa replied, gently brushing a stray lock of hair off of Shae's forehead. "I love you too, Shae."
Shae sobbed again with pure joy, placing another kiss on Elsa's lips. "Oh, Elsa…" She muttered, smiling as more grateful tears spilled down her face. "I… I don't think I really deserve you."
Elsa breathed out a laugh, and slowly shook her head. "Of course you do, Shae." She replied, gently caressing Shae's cold, pale cheek. "I truly wish that, one day, you can love yourself, the way I love you."
Shae sobbed with joy once more, and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman she loved, kissing her with grateful and desperate passion. She was left astounded by Elsa's uncommon kindness and patience, and, just around the corner, so was Regina.
The once Evil Queen had hidden herself in the shadows, watching and listening quietly as Shae bared her soul to Elsa. Part of her had been wishing and hoping that Elsa would never forgive her, leaving Shae free to be hers once again. Though her heart ached with misery over once again losing the woman she loved to Elsa, she was still grateful that Elsa found it in her heart to forgive Shae, glad to know that Shae was, once again, on the path to her happy ending. Her heart ached even more when she thought about Robin, about her own happy ending that she had possibly ruined. She hoped against hope that, like Elsa, Robin would be able to forgive her.
XX
Over the next several days, Shae spent every spare moment she had with Elsa, giving the woman she loved as much care and attention that she could, trying desperately to repair the damage that she had done. It was proving a difficult task, as Elsa's heart was still raw over Shae's betrayal, and Shae's still longed desperately for Regina. Though Shae no longer spoke of it, Elsa could sense that Shae's thoughts were never far from her other true love, the one that she shared a heart with. Still, though, the both of them worked hard to repair their relationship, determined to make things work, despite all odds.
Regina had tried to do much the same with Robin, which was proving equally hard. Much like Elsa had, Robin remained calm and collected when Regina told him all about what she and Shae had done. Also, much like Elsa, Robin was uncommonly kind and patient, and he forgave Regina for her betrayal. Still, though, Regina could see the immeasurable pain in his eyes. She was heartbroken when Robin told her that he needed some time alone, to think, and to process everything. She knew, however, that it was for the best, and she kept a careful distance from Robin, continuing her endless search through her spellbooks to find a way to free his wife, Marian. Just like Shae, her thoughts were never far away from her other true love.
Regina was sitting at her kitchen table one evening, pouring over yet another spellbook, when there was a knock at her door. When she opened the door, who she saw standing on the other side made her half heart nearly stop. She stuck her head out the door slightly, glancing all around her, perplexed when she found no one but Elsa standing on her porch.
"You know this is my house, right?" Regina asked, staring wide eyed at The Ice Queen. "I live here."
"Yes, I understand that." Elsa replied, a bit dryly. "May I come in?"
Regina hesitated for a moment, still confused, and a bit frightened, by Elsa's presence. She then stepped aside, allowing The Ice Queen into her home. "Can I get you anything?" Regina asked politely, and a bit nervously. "I have cider, made fresh this morning."
"Honestly, I could use something a bit stronger, if you have it." Elsa replied with an equally polite smile.
Regina nodded, and left Elsa in her living room to fetch some wine from the kitchen. Her hands shook slightly as she retrieved a bottle and two glasses from the cabinet. She wasn't sure why Elsa had come to see her, but, she did know, if the powerful and formidable Ice Queen decided to turn her into a frozen statue, even the once Evil Queen might be powerless to stop her.
"So, why exactly are you here?" Regina asked of Elsa, as she handed her a glass of wine. "Have you come to turn me into an ice statue?"
Elsa didn't respond right away. She carefully sipped at her wine, staring silently down at the carpet. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and set her glass down on the nearby end table. Regina took a small step back as she did, watching Elsa carefully, readying herself for a fight.
"No."
Regina blinked several times in surprise, her mouth hanging open. "No?" She asked, breathing out a shocked laugh. "You're… Not angry?"
Elsa breathed out a laugh of her own, slowly shaking her head. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm quite furious." She quietly and calmly replied. "Honestly, I don't even think, 'furious,' is the right word."
"I see." Regina said with a slow nod. "You… Certainly hide it well."
Elsa laughed once again. "Yes, I suppose I do." She muttered. "'Conceal, don't feel,' my father used to tell me, in regard to my magic, and my emotions."
"That seems… Rather unhealthy."
Elsa laughed again, loudly this time. "You're not wrong. I kept my emotions so tightly bottled up that, one day, I completely lost control. I plunged my entire Kingdom into an eternal winter by accident."
"Well, I can tell you from experience, leaving your emotions completely unchecked isn't exactly healthy either." Regina replied, laughing as well. "I was so angry and obsessed with vengeance that I cast a dark curse on my entire Kingdom. But that was on purpose."
Elsa laughed some more, picking up her wine glass again and raising it in the air. "Well, here's hoping that we both can find some sort of happy medium."
Regina chuckled as well, raising her own glass. "I'll certainly drink to that."
The two women stood in silence for a moment, both sipping at their wine. Though Regina was relieved to know that Elsa had not come to exact revenge upon her, she still continued to watch The Ice Queen's movements carefully.
"Regina, listen…" Elsa eventually said, her tone slow and quiet. "Shae doesn't know I'm here. She is… What I came to speak to you about."
Regina breathed out a heavy sigh, and nodded. "I thought as much." She said, gesturing toward her couch. Once she and Elsa were both seated, she went on. "Elsa, I want you to know that, despite how I feel, and what I've done, I… Have no desire to interfere in your relationship with Shae any more than I already have."
Regain paused for a moment, taking another sip of her wine, swallowing the hard, painful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "You make Shae very happy," She went on quietly, managing a small, weak smile. "And I've done nothing but cause her pain. If you are what she truly wants, then… I will not stand in the way."
"Funny, I came here to tell you the same thing."
Regina coughed and sputtered as her wine suddenly went down the wrong pipe. "I… I-Im sorry… What?"
Elsa bit her lip, staring quietly down into her glass for a moment. "I know Shae does love me, or… She wants to, and is… Trying to." She quietly replied. "But… I know she still loves you too. She's constantly thinking about you."
Regina shook her head bemusedly, still in shock over Elsa's words. "She… Told you that?"
Elsa slowly shook her head. "No." She whispered. "She didn't have to. I can see it in her eyes, the pain, the confliction. It's tearing her apart, and it… Pains me to watch."
Elsa breathed out heavy sigh, and Regina saw tears welling into her sparkling blue eyes. "I know that things with Robin are complicated as well." Elsa went on quietly. "But… I came here to tell you that, despite how I feel, if Shae is what you truly want, I will… Step aside."
Regina bit her lip, slowly nodding her head as she processed The Ice Queen's calm and gentle words. "Honestly, I'm not sure what I want, not anymore." She whispered softly. "Robin says that, once we unfreeze Marian, he will tell her that he's chosen me. But… I'm not so sure he should. I'm not sure if I can truly give my all to him, not with how I feel about Shae."
Elsa nodded in understanding, then chuckled lightly. "This is all just an awful mess, isn't it?" She asked, to which Regina nodded earnestly. "I suppose, since neither of us are sure what Shae wants, it would be best to let her decide."
Regina chuckled herself. "I'm not so sure even Shae knows what Shae wants."
Elsa opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when Regina's cell phone started ringing from inside her pocket. Regina pulled it out, frowning when she saw that it was Emma calling her. She held up a finger to Elsa, who nodded once again.
"Emma? What is it?" Regina said into the phone.
Elsa waited patiently as Regina fell silent for a moment. Her brow then furrowed in concern when Regina quickly stowed her phone back in her pocket, and leapt to her feet.
"We have to go." Regina whispered, staring down at Elsa with eyes full of panic. "NOW."
XX
"You're nothing but a filthy, blood sucking monster!"
"And you're nothing but a no good, two bit thief!"
Will Scarlet and Little John seized both of Robin Hood's arms, attempting to drag him backwards. "Come on, Robin, that's enough!" Will exclaimed.
David and Hook grabbed on to both of Shae's arms, desperately trying to pull her away as well. "Shae, stop it! Calm down!" Shouted David.
While Elsa and Regina were having a calm, quiet discussion, both Robin and Shae had been drowning their sorrows in alcohol. Robin was already deeply drunk when Shae stumbled in to Granny's Diner, having already gone through her stash of whiskey at her cabin. In his inebriated state, Robin's rage over what Shae had done with Regina boiled over. He immediately confronted the vampire as soon as he spotted her. Having already gone through nearly an entire shelf of whiskey herself, Shae was even more drunk than Robin was, and things quickly got out of hand. After Shae hurled a chair at Robin's head, and missed spectacularly, both her friends and Robin's dragged them out of the diner. Now, they were in the midst of a full on brawl in the middle of the street, more startled onlookers gathering around them by the second.
"What do we do?" Mary Margaret asked of her daughter as they watched from the sidewalk.
Emma breathed out a heavy sigh, and pulled out her cellphone. "I'll call Regina." She muttered as she dialed Regina's number. "She's probably the only one that can calm them both down."
"Let go of me!" Robin snarled at his friends Will and Little John.
"Get your stupid fucking hook off me!" Shae shouted at Hook. "Seriously, what kind of idiot has a hook for a fucking hand?"
Hook narrowed his eyes at Shae, grunting slightly as he attempted to keep Shae's furiously struggling arm firmly in his grip. "You're awfully drunk, mate, so I'll choose to ignore that slight."
"Regina! You need to get down to Granny's, fast." Emma said into her phone. She then chuckled, slowly rubbing her aching forehead. "Oh, you know, your two true loves are drunk and brawling in the street."
Mary Margaret raised her eyebrows in shock as Emma stored her phone back in her pocket. "Did you just hang up on her?"
"She already hung up on me." Emma replied, waving her hand dismissively.
"You don't even deserve her!" Robin spat at Shae in a drunken slur.
"Oh, and you do?" Shae demanded with a mocking laugh, hiccuping slightly as she did. "At least I can protect her!"
"Protect her from what, exactly?" Robin snarled, momentarily yanking his arm out of Little John's grip. "Way I see it, the only thing she needs protecting from is you!"
Shae let out a roar of rage, and Hook doubled over with his hand on his stomach as Shae slammed her elbow into it. Shae quickly freed herself from David's grip, and she rushed toward Robin. She cocked her fist, and took a swing at the thief, only to miss, and tumble drunkenly to the ground. As Hook and David both dragged the swearing and struggling vampire away from Robin, Mary Margaret and Emma heard a strange whooshing noise from beside them. Regina had appeared on the sidewalk in a puff of purple smoke, with Elsa in tow.
"Oh dear." Elsa muttered, staring wide eyed at the scene before them.
"Y-You're here… Together." Mary Margaret stammered, looking confused.
Regina sighed, brow furrowed as she watched her two true loves screaming at each other. "Yes, well, it looks like while Elsa and I were mending our differences with words," She began, heaving another sigh. "Robin and Shae decided to use their fists."
"Quite poorly, it seems." Commented Elsa, as Shae attempted to take another swing at Robin, only to miss again.
Suddenly, Robin broke free of Will and Little John's grip. Before either David and Hook could stop him, Robin swung his own fist at Shae, and it actually struck, colliding with the vampire's jaw. Shae fell backward to the ground, knocking both David and Hook off of their feet in the process.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit a woman?" Shae snarled at the thief from her spot on the ground.
"You're not a woman, you're a bloody demon!" Robin shouted furiously.
The vampire's blood red eyes flashed with rage, and she staggered up to her feet. "Call me that again!" She warned, pointing a shaky finger at Robin.
"DEMON!
"AAAHH!"
Shae rushed at Robin, and the gathered crowd all gasped in alarm as she tackled him off his feet. As the vampire and the thief wrestled around on the ground, attempting to land more blows on each other, Regina and Elsa both rushed forward, along with David and Hook, and Will and Little John.
"Stop it!" Regina shouted, standing firmly between Shae and Robin as the others pulled them to their feet.
Elsa stood beside Regina, glaring furiously at the two drunkards. "This is beneath you! Both of you!
"That's what she said!" Shae exclaimed, bursting into a fit of drunken giggles.
"That didn't even make any sense." Robin snapped at her.
"You don't make any sense!" Shae snapped back.
"ENOUGH!" Regina commanded, her and Elsa shoving both Shae and Robin back as they attempted to get at each other again. "Elsa, get Shae out of here!"
Elsa nodded, and seized Shae by the front of her jacket, as Regina seized Robin by the front of his. Elsa continued to drag a stumbling and grumbling Shae all the way back to the cabin in the woods. Shae's vision faded into a hazy blur as Elsa pulled her along, the whole world starting to spin wildly around her. She could hear Elsa's furious and chastising voice, but couldn't make out a single word she was saying. Suddenly, her drunken world gave a violent heave, and the last thing she saw was a hardwood floor rushing up to meet her, then everything went black.
XX
Shae woke slowly, her blood red eyes fluttering open and closed. She finally opened them all the way, staring up at the familiar sight of the ceiling of her cabin. She slowly sat forward, and realized that she was now in the bedroom, sitting on the bed. She frowned down at the beam of morning sunlight falling across her legs from the window. She had no memory of going back to the cabin. She buried her face in her hands, her head throbbing as she tried to piece together what had happened the night before. She remembered drinking alone in her cabin, then going to Granny's, and Robin Hood shouting angrily and accusingly at her. She remembered shouting back at him outside the diner on the street, but, after that, everything was incredibly hazy.
The vampire clambered out of the bed, and slowly staggered out into the living room, her head still spinning. She peered through still slightly foggy vision, and spotted Elsa sitting on the couch. Elsa turned around in her seat at the sound of Shae's footsteps, and Shae's heart sunk when she saw the look on her face. She was furious.
"Did… Did I pass out last night?" Shae muttered, rubbing her still aching forehead.
"Yes, you did." Elsa replied, raising an irritated eyebrow at her. "Has that ever happened before?"
"Once." Shae answered with a grimace. "I woke up in a brothel dressed in pink dress and a blonde wig. I'm still not totally sure what happened."
Elsa sighed heavily, obviously not at all amused. She slowly rose from the couch, and turned to face Shae. "Do you remember anything from last night?"
Shae bit her lip, nodding slowly in embarrassment. "Elsa, I… I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Neither do I." Elsa snapped in reply, her icy tone causing Shae to wince. Elsa then breathed out a heavy sigh, and Shae saw tears welling into her sparkling blue eyes. "No, that's not true." She went on in a whisper. "I know exactly what caused you to get as drunk as you did. You were trying to numb the pain."
Shae hesitated in remorseful silence for a moment, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Elsa cut her off. "It's alright, Shae, I've known about it for some time now." She said, doing her best to smile through her own pain. "I see it in your eyes every time you look at me, the pain, the confliciton. At first, I thought the two of us could work through it together, and, one day, you'd be able to put it all behind you."
Elsa paused for a moment, her voice cracking with emotion, and Shae watched in miserable silence as tears started to flow down her face. "That is clearly not the case, not anymore." She whispered, turning her back on Shae and slowly sinking down onto the couch. "I was convinced that, after all Regina has put you through, my love could help you overcome the feelings that you still have for her. Cleary, I was wrong, and now… Now I must move on."
"Move on?" Shae exclaimed, her jaw dropping open in horror. "Elsa, what… What are you saying?"
Elsa turned her head slightly toward Shae, her dazzling blue eyes streaming with tears. "It's clear where your heart truly lies, Shae." She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion. "And it's… Not with me."
Tears began to well into Shae's own eyes, and she quickly crossed the room, dropping to her knees in front of Elsa. "Elsa, no, don't… D-Don't do this." She stammered, gripping Elsa's trembling hands in both her own. "Don't give up on me. Please!"
"Shae, please, don't make this any harder than it has to be." Elsa pleaded, choking out a miserable sob. "I'm not giving up on you. I love you more than you could ever possibly know, but I told you that we must love ourselves too, and… And that is what I'm choosing to do. This is all… Shae, it's just too much. I… I just… I can't."
Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, biting back another sob as Shae broke down into bitter tears, dropping her head into Elsa's lap. Elsa wrapped her trembling arms around her, burying her face in the back of Shae's head, holding her tight as she cried with her. They wept in silence for a long while, both their hearts aching with painful sorrow, their bodies shaking with miserable sobs.
The guilt over all the heartache and the sorrow she had caused Elsa weighed heavily upon Shae. She had tried to give Elsa everything that she deserved, and she had failed. She failed the one person who had done nothing but love her, and, despite how much it hurt, despite how desperately she wanted to beg her to stay, she knew that she shouldn't, that it wasn't fair. She had to let Elsa go, just like she had been forced to do all those years ago.
"I'm sorry, Elsa." Shae whispered, staring miserably up into The Ice Queen's bloodshot blue eyes. "I'm so sorry. I wish… I wish I could fix all this."
"I know." Elsa whispered back, smiling through her tears as she placed her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "So do I. If only my cursed Aunt had never interfered in our lives, then, well… I suppose we could have gotten our happy ending."
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, nodding slowly as more tears spilled down her face. Elsa opened her mouth to speak some more, but stopped when, suddenly, Shae's eyes snapped open again. The vampire's tear stained, blood red eyes grew wide, and they were shining with a sudden realization.
"What if we still can?"
Elsa blinked several times in confusion. "I-I'm sorry… What?"
Shae didn't respond right away. Elsa watched her expectantly as she stared down into her lap, her eyes shifting wildly back and forth as she thought. After a few moments, Shae turned her gaze back up onto Elsa. Slowly, a strange sort of smile stretched across the vampire's face. Elsa gasped in alarm as Shae suddenly reached out and took her face in her hands, placing a firm kiss on her lips.
"Don't worry, I can fix this." Shae whispered, her blood red eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can fix… Everything!"
XX
Mr. Gold was behind the counter in his shop, staring down at the pointed blue hat sitting on the counter in front of him. He watched the stars magically swirling about on the fabric, silently seething with rage. When Emma Swan had come to him a few days ago, begging him for a way to get rid of her magic, The Dark One had been nearly beside himself with glee. He managed to trick The Savior into going to The Sorcerer's mansion, where the magical hat was lying in wait. If he could absorb The Savior's magic into the hat, then it would have more than enough power to free him from the tether that was The Dark One's dagger. He had been so tantalizingly close to his goal, before The Ice Queen decided to intervene. Though he was angry at this sudden wrench in his plans, he was still confident that he could attain his goal, especially now that he had his old nemesis, Captain Hook, carefully under his thumb.
Suddenly, the door to his shop burst open, and he quickly stowed the hat out of sight. "Ah, if it isn't our friendly neighborhood vampire." Gold said to Shae, putting on his warmest and most welcoming smile. "What can I do for you this fine day?"
"Cut the crap, Gold." Shae snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him.
Gold raised an eyebrow at the vampire. "I merely asked what it was I could do for you."
Shae opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again, and she slowly lowered her arm. "Oh. Right." She muttered with a frown. "Sorry, I'm used to you always being an asshole."
Gold chuckled amusedly. "That, dearie, is what I believe people in this world refer to as, 'The pot calling the kettle black.'"
Shae breathed out an irritated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't have time for this." She grumbled. "Listen, I'm looking for a book, a book that used to belong to me."
"Ah, yes, your fabled book of ancient elven blood magic." Gold replied with a knowing grin. "I'm quite familiar with it. Completely indescifrable by anyone who tries to read it, except, it seems, for you, and your friend Remus. Isn't that interesting?"
"Yeah, yeah. Fascinating." Shae muttered, waving her hand dismissively. "So, it's here, then?"
Gold chose not to answer Shae's question. Instead, he turned his back on the vampire, and disappeared into the back of his shop. Shae waited patiently for him to return, and, when he finally did, she smiled excitedly when he placed her old book on the counter in front of her. She reached for it, and her smile quickly faded when Gold placed his hand on top of it, wagging a finger at her.
"What the hell, man?" Shae exclaimed. "I thought you were done with this shit."
"I may a dutiful husband now, but I am still a businessman." Gold replied with a shrug, keeping his hand carefully on top of Shae's book. "In my line of business, it is important to see value in things that most people would not. And I know for a fact that, this dusty old book of yours, is quite valuable indeed."
"Is that so?" Shae asked dryly, raising an impatient eyebrow at Gold.
Gold nodded, and he remained silent for a moment as she slowly began to flip through the ancient pages of Shae's book. "Do you remember a certain potion Regina gave to you, the one that made you human in the land without magic?" When Shae nodded, Gold went on. "And where, pray tell, do you suppose she got such a potion? Powerful magic like that, and your book here, simply does not exist in The Enchanted Forest, after all."
The irritated glare faded from Shae's face, and her jaw slowly dropped open. "You…" She breathed, her blood red eyes wide. "You've been to my homeland."
Gold gave her a nod of his own. "Indeed I have. Though it's not quite as you've described it in the past, is it? I daresay it is somehow… Entirely different."
When Shae remained in shocked and fearful silence, Gold emitted a low, dark chuckle, and went on. "You see, when I was there, I happened upon some… Certain magical creatures." He said, grinning in a way that Shae did not like one bit. "Not vampires, as you'd think, but, in fact, elves. I learned that their language can only be read and understood by someone of elven blood. Curious that mere undead, bloodsucking creatures such as you and Remus are able to decipher their writing."
Shae clenched her fists, glaring into The Dark One's grinning eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Gold chuckled once again. "Of course you don't, dearie." He replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, your secrets are free to remain just that. I'm more interested in what it is you can offer me in exchange for your book."
"What do you want, Gold?" Shae snarled at him.
"My price is twofold." Gold replied, snapping Shae's book shut and sliding it toward her. However, his hands remained carefully atop the cover. "You will keep this conversation, and this deal, a secret from my wife. If you do not, then, well… I'm sure Regina will be interested to hear your own secrets, as would Elsa, I imagine, and The Charmings, and-"
"Fine!" Shae shouted, slamming her fist into the counter. "What else do you want?"
Gold fell silent for a moment, continuing to grin at Shae in a dark and devious way. "One day, I just might want you to translate this book of yours." He replied. "Who knows? There might be a spell or two in here that might be of interest to me."
"Fine." Shae said again. "You've got a deal."
Gold held out his hand, which Shae shook, though a bit begrudgingly. She then scooped up her book from off the counter, and headed toward the door. "Just out of curiosity," Gold called out to her. "What exactly are you planning to do with that book? You're going to need an awful lot of blood, or an awful lot of magic, to cast any of it's spells."
Shae paused with her hand on the door handle, smiling down at the book in her other hand. "I'm getting my happy ending."
Just around the corner, in the back of Gold's shop, Killian Jones swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He had been returning from another despicable task that The Dark One had sent him on, when he happened upon his tense and hushed conversation with the vampire. He quickly made his way out back out of the back door of Gold's shop. He had no idea what it was that Shae was planning to do, but, he could tell by the tone of her voice, it was nothing at all pleasant. He knew that she was desperate to get her happy ending, no matter the consequences.
"Emma! It's Killian." He said into the cellphone that Emma had given him. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but… We might need to stop Shae."
XX
Hook met up with Emma and her parents at their apartment. Elsa was also present, as she had run into Emma at Granny's. She had been in frantic search of Shae ever since she left the cabin in such a rush. The Ice Queen was left unsettled at the strange look in the vampire's eye, and her fears grew even worse when Hook told them all about what he had overheard in Gold's shop. With his heart still firmly in the clutches of The Dark One, Hook was careful to leave out the details of the deal that Shae had made with Gold, and the things he had heard about Shae's secrets. He simply told the others that Gold had freely handed over the book to Shae, nothing more.
With both Elsa and Hook convinced that Shae was up to something dubious, the others all decided to call upon more help, in the form of Regina. Elsa did remember seeing Shae's book of ancient blood magic, but, in the years they had spent together, Shae never spoke much about it. All Shae had told Elsa was that the spells within it were the most powerful and most dangerous form of dark magic she had ever seen. They thought that, maybe, Shae had talked more about the book with Regina, since had once been The Evil Queen, and had been as dark and black hearted as Shae once was. Their suspicions were, a bit unsurprisingly, correct, and they all waited with bated breath as Regina tried to recollect exactly what kind of dark spells were within Shae's book, and which one was she was planning on using.
"There was the one that could drain someone completely of their blood." Regina muttered, rubbing her chin as she thought. "That's how Remus and I saved her from the werewolf bite."
"Yes, yes." Hook replied, waving his hook dismissively. "What else?"
Regina bit her lip, frowning down at the ground as she racked her brain. "Let's see… There were several where you could use someone's own blood to control their minds, make them your puppet." She muttered quietly. "There was one that was basically necromancy, using a blood sacrifice to raise someone who was dead."
"I don't think so." Said David, quickly shaking his head.
Regina nodded in agreement, and fell silent for another moment, squeezing her eyes shut as she thought "There were a few that were used to summon demons." Regina went on. "We actually tried one once."
"You summoned a demon?" Mary Margaret asked, looking horrified.
"Well, we ended up having to banish it back to The Underworld. It wreaked total havoc on my castle." Regina replied with an innocent shrug. "Oh! There was one that Shae said could open up a portal to The Underworld itself-"
"The Underworld?" Emma exclaimed, her hazel green eyes wide with horror. "Jesus Christ! What kind of book is this?"
"Shae did say it was evil." Elsa said, breathing out a laugh. "I also remember her saying that most of the spells were… Unstable."
"Yes, she said that's why the elves outlawed blood magic." Regina replied, nodding in agreement. "Unlike regular magic, blood magic requires a lot more power, and it's possible to… Overpower it. That's actually what happened with our demon. We wanted to summon a low level one, one that we could bend easily to our will. Instead, we ended up getting a very powerful one, and it went wild, despite what we did. Shae named him, 'Quincy.' I'm not sure why."
"Sorry, Regina, but… None of that is helpful right now." Emma grumbled, then turned to Elsa. "What exactly did Shae say before she ran off?"
"She said that she was going to fix everything." Elsa replied, frowning down at her feet. "The way she said it made me think that she wants to fix more than just our relationship. I just… Don't know what she meant by, 'everything.'"
Suddenly, Regina drew in a sharp gasp, and she grabbed Emma's arm, who was standing beside her. "Oh my god…" She whispered, her brown eyes wide. "I think I do."
"What?" Asked Emma, staring back at Regina with equally wide eyes.
"I… I-I think…" Regina slowly stammered in reply. "I think Shae wants to… Go back in time."
Silence fell over the apartment as their jaws all dropped open in shock. "What?" The others all exclaimed in unison.
"Yes, I remember now, there's a time spell in the book." Regina went on in a rush. "Shae said that it's the most powerful and unstable of them all. She told me that she tried to cast it once, but it didn't work, and nearly leveled Dracula's entire castle. She said that, in order to cast it successfully, someone would need to cast it in a place where magic itself is weaker, someplace like-"
"Storybrooke." Hook finished for her.
"Wait, wait a minute." Said Emma, quickly shaking her head. "This is a book of blood magic, right? So how much blood would it cost to cast this time spell?"
"A hell of a lot, I'm guessing." Muttered David.
"Yes, but…" Regina slowly began.
Their brows all furrowed with concern over the knowing look in Regina's eye. "But what?" Elsa dared to ask.
"With enough magical power, any blood magic spell can be cast without an actual blood sacrifice." Regina explained. "Since Shae has, well… Changed, I'm guessing she doesn't actually want to sacrifice anyone, not this time, at least."
"So, how the hell is she going to cast this spell?" Asked Emma.
"If I had to guess," Regina began, breathing out a small laugh. "Using Storybrooke itself."
The others all glanced around at each other with confused expressions. "What the bloody hell does that mean?" Asked Hook, his eyes wide with fearful apprehension.
"She's going to drain Storybrooke of it's magic."
Their mouths all gaped open in complete and utter shock, and they stared wide eyed and confused at the once Evil Queen. "What exactly would happen if she did that?" Mary Margaret asked quietly, clutching baby Neal fearfully to her chest.
"Well, one of two things could happen." Regina slowly began to explain. "Storybrooke would, potentially, simply go back to the way things were when I first cast the curse. Except, there would be no magic at all, including no cloaking spell. It would simply be a regular town, which anyone could happen upon."
"And… What's the second thing?" Emma asked, though she looked to be quite afraid of the answer.
Regina took a moment to respond. She stared around at everyone's apprehensive but expectant faces, then breathed out a slow, heavy sigh. "The entire town could be destroyed."
XX
Shae was deep in the Storybrooke mines, the same spot where, not that long ago, she had been standing beside her true love, ready to die for her. Now, however, everything was different, and she had a different woman that she loved, one that loved her, and only her. She thought of nothing but Elsa as she drew a magical circle into the ground, her hands covered in blood. She left a small gap in the circle, leaving it, for the moment, unclosed. She rushed over to the body of the deer that she had killed, dipping her hands into more of it's blood, and began to draw strange and ancient runes upon the ground within the circle.
The vampire moved quickly and carefully, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the heroes of Storybrooke found her. She had seen the alarmed and confused look on Elsa's face, knew that Captain Hook had been listening in on her conversation with The Dark One. She didn't care, for, soon, none of it would matter. She was going to go back in time, to fix everything. She was going to stop Ingrid from casting her spell on her, and, if she needed to, stop Regina from ever casting her dark cuse. Despite her still intense and urenlenting feelings for her once Evil Queen, she knew that Regina had done nothing but cause her pain. Elsa, however, had brought her nothing but joy, nothing but love, and she desperately wanted to feel that love and joy again, without the baggage and the heartache of Regina's deeds.
"SHAE!"
Shae snapped her head up, momentarily distracted from her work when she saw a group of people rushing toward her. She clenched her jaw, and turned her attention back to her book, carefully following the instructions laid out on the open pages.
"Shae, STOP!" Regina shouted.
Shae ignored her, continuing to hastily draw runes into the dirt with blood. The Charmings, Hook, Elsa, and Regina all slowed to a stop, staring with wide, horrified eyes at the circle of blood that Shae was kneeling in the center of.
"My god…" Mary Margaret whispered. "Shae, what did you do?"
"Oh, calm your tits." Shae snapped irritably, not even bothering to glance up from the ground. "It's only deer blood."
Shae gestured to the dead deer that was lying a few feet behind her, and the others were slightly relieved to know that Shae had not sacrificed an actual human being. They all exchanged wary, uncertain glances for a moment. Then, Elsa stepped forward, her dazzling blue eyes welling with tears as she gazed out at the woman she loved.
"We know what you're trying to do!" Elsa called out desperately, her voice quavering with emotion. "But, Shae, you could destroy Storybrooke with this spell!'
"You don't know that!" Shae shouted back, pointing a shaky, bloody finger at Elsa, then turned her attention back to her work. "Besides, even if that's true, it won't matter. If I can actually do this, then Storybrooke will never exist in the first place. I'll stop Ingrid from casting her spell, stop Regina from casting her curse. Everyone will live happily ever after."
"What about Henry?" Emma exclaimed, her hazel green eyes welling with fearful tears. "Huh? What about him? I know you care about him just as much as the rest of us do. If you do this, then he'll never even be born."
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"
They all gasped at Shae's furious, roaring outburst. "Who knows? Maybe you and Neal will still find each other!" She shouted, pointing another quivering, bloody finger at them, her blood red eyes wide and wild. "And even if you don't then… Then so what? You won't even remember him anyway."
"Shae, just listen to yourself!" Cried Regina, tears welling into her eyes as well. "Even if Henry really is born, then he'll never be my son! Please, Shae, just listen, I-"
"I AM LISTENING!" Shae roared again, her whole body trembling with rage. "I've listened to you go on and on about happy endings, and about how you do still love me, but you also love Robin. Well, you know what? Elsa loves me, and only me!"
Shae paused for a moment, and her body began to shake even more violently, tears streaming from her eyes. "Elsa, I'm doing this for you." She whispered, turning her desperate, miserable eyes onto The Ice Queen. "I want us to have our happy ending, and this is the only way."
"Shae, NO!" Elsa sobbed, stumbling forward another step. "That's all I want too, but, not… Not like this, not with so much at risk!"
Shae paused again, squeezing her eyes shut, more tears rushing down her face. The vampire stood silently staring down at the ground, and, for a moment, it seemed that she was reconsidering her drastic and dangerous plan. As the others all exchanged quick, hopeful glances, Shae vigorously shook her head, and she balled her hands into fists, turning her red, bloodshot eyes back onto Elsa.
"You might not be willing to risk everything for our love," She whispered softly. "But I am."
Shae slapped her bloody palm onto the ground, atop the small, hand sized gap she had left in the circle surrounding her. The magical circle that she had created suddenly sprang to life, and it and the runes within began to glow with a bright, burning red light. The others all clamped their hands over their ears as an incredibly loud humming noise began to resonate off the walls of the mine.
"STOP!" Shae shouted as they all rushed toward her, firmly putting out her hand. "This spell is incredibly unstable! If you cross over the circle, the whole thing could explode!"
They all stopped in their tracks, watching in horror as Shae scooped up the book that was sitting at her feet, and began reading from it out loud in a strange language that only Regina had ever heard before. They stumbled backwards shielding their eyes as the glowing red light from the circle grew brighter and brighter, humming louder and louder with magical energy.
"GO!" Regina shouted over the din, throwing her arms over her head as rocks and pebbles cascaded down upon them. "Just run! I'll stop this!"
"Regina, no!" Emma shouted back. "You heard what she said, the whole thing could blow up, it could-"
"Dammit, Swan, for once, just don't argue with me!" Regina bellowed, tightly gripping both of The Savior's arms. She then glanced around at all the others for a moment, and, finally, her gaze rested on Elsa. "She's doing this because of me, because of all I've done to her. Please, let me fix this, let me stop her."
For another moment, one impossibly long moment, Regina and Elsa both gazed into each other's desperate, tear stained eyes. Elsa then tore her eyes away from Regina, and glanced over at Shae, the woman that she loved, the woman that was about to risk countless lives, all for her. She then glanced back at Regina, and nodded. Regina nodded back, and turned her back on them, taking a step forward toward Shae, and the sinister, glowing circle of magic that she had created. The others all immediately turned away, and raced back down the tunnel from whence they had came.
They ran, and ran, and ran, fast as all their legs would carry them, their feet pounding wildly into the dirt. As soon as they sped through the entrance to the mines, a massive, powerful, magical pulsewave eminated through the air. They all cried out in varying tones of shock and alarm as they were blasted off their feet. They landed face first in the dirt, their heads spinning, their bodies screaming in pain. All of them remained where they were for a few moments, heads spinning from the force of the blast. Elsa was the first on her feet, and she stared at the tunnel entrance of the mines. She waited patiently for the dust to clear, her whole body shaking. When the dust finally did clear, she waited still for another beat. Her heart dropped out of her chest when she saw the cave in.
"NO!" She screamed in horror, her sparkling blue eyes streaming with tears. "Regina? Shae? SHAE!"
XX
