Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. Work and just life in general got in the way of my writing process for a while, but I'm back now and will hopefully be able to continue updating on a more regular basis. Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 21.

CHAPTER 12

The bright city lights sped past Shae in a blur as she drove a flashy red sports car through the streets of New York at an exceptionally dangerous speed. She used her lightning quick reflexes to weave in and out of traffic, while simultaneously glancing down at her phone, trying to choose a song to listen to on her drive back to the garage. She stopped when Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars popped up on her screen. She grinned, cranking up the lamborghini's stereo to full blast, drumming on her steering wheel as she sang along.

"This hit, that ice cold,
Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold.
This one for them hood girls,
Them good girls, straight masterpieces.
Stylin', wilin', livin' it up in the city.
Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent,
Gotta kiss myself, I'm so pretty."

Passersby on the street stared at the flashy red sports car as Shae momentarily stopped at a red light, the bass from the speakers shaking the entire car. Shae continued to sing along, grinning at a group of scantily clad women standing on the street outside of a night club.

"I'm too hot, hot damn.
Called a police and a fireman.
I'm too hot, hot damn.
Make a dragon wanna retire, man.
I'm too hot, hot damn.
Say my name, you know who I am.
I'm too hot, hot damn.
Am I bad 'bout that money?

Break it down."

Shae gave the women gaping silently at her a wink, and punched the gass as the light turned green. She lit up a cigarette as she continued driving, the tires screeching as she made a sharp left, and pulled in to the parking lot of a tiny, run down auto body shop. The parking lot was empty, the metal garage door shut tight. The shop appeared to be closed, but Shae knew better.

The vampire lightly honked her horn twice, waited for a beat, then honked a third time, just like she had been taught. She bobbed her head to the music, taking another drag off of her cigarette as she patiently waited. Finally, the garage door began to rumble upward and open. A man dressed in a gray tracksuit waved her forward, to which Shae nodded, and slowly proceeded into the garage. There were two other men in inside, one of them also dressed in a tracksuit, the other in a snappy suit and tie. They were sitting around a table piled with a variety of guns, stacks of money, and various bags of drugs. As soon as Shae pulled into the garage, they immediately leapt to their feet, their eyes wide as they stared at the lamborghini.

"I can't believe it! You actually managed to jack it!" The man in the suit cried as Shae got out of the car.

"Come on, Vinny, was there ever really any doubt?" Shae replied with a grin, lightly tossing him the keys. "Oh, and I sold those bricks you gave me."

"All of 'em?" Asked Vinny, raising an eyebrow skeptically at Shae.

Shae nodded, and removed a thick wad of cash from inside her leather jacket, pressing it into Vinny's hand. "All of 'em." She replied with another grin. "Oh, and you should check the trunk. I got you guys a little surprise."

The two men in tracksuits both raised an eyebrow as well, but, this time, at their boss. Vinny gave them a nod, and they nodded back, hurrying over to the trunk of the car. Shae leaned casually against the driver's side door, taking another drag off of her cigarette as the two men popped the trunk.

"Holy shit!" One of them exclaimed, staring wide eyed at Vinny. "It's Ronnie the Rat! She found the bastard!"

Vinny's eyes grew wide too as he watched his men dragging another completely unconcious man out of the trunk. "Nice work." He said, grinning at Shae in admiration. "You know, I was a bit nervous when your pal Remus told us to bring you on, with you bein' a girl, and all. But I'm sure as shit glad we did."

"Well, in the immortal words of Queen Beyonce," Shae replied, grinning back at him as she spread her arms wide. "'Who run the world? Girls.'"

Vinny chuckled amusedly, and momentarily turned his back on Shae as he stepped back over to the table he had been sitting at. When he returned to Shae, he held out several stacks of fresh bills to her. Shae quickly snatched them up, and held them up to her ear, flipping through them with her thumb.

"Ah, now that's a sound I love to hear." She said, breathing out a contented sigh.

"Yeah, well, you'll be hearin' it a lot more if you keep this up." Vinny replied, lighting up a cigarette of his own. "So, what's your boy Remus up to tonight?"

"If I had to guess, probably trollin' for dudes at the club." Shae answered with a shrug.

"Yo, you ever seen that guy work?" One of Vinny's men chimed in. "It's a damn spectacle. Dude probably gets more action in a week than any of us do in a fucking year."

Shae laughed loudly. "Yeah, he brings, 'The Art of Seduction,' to a whole new level." She replied, nodding in agreement. "Anyway, I'll catch you guys later. Call me when you've got another job lined up, alright?"

Vinny nodded, as he firmly clasped Shae's outstretched hand. "Will do. Just lay low for a bit, alright?" He said in warning. "That asshole Ronnie ratted on a lot of people."

Shae nodded back at him, and gave a casual salute to the other two men, who were busy zip tying Ronnie the Rat to a chair. She whistled the tune of Uptown Funk as she stepped out of the garage. She paused for a moment as the metal door rumbled shut behind her, and lit up another cigarette before setting off into the night air.

It had been six weeks since Shae had left Storybrooke, six weeks since she had lost everything. Elsa was back in Arendelle, a kingdom that Shae could never return to, and Regina was back in Storybrooke, likely wrapped in the arms of her other true love, Robin Hood. Remus, as well as Terry and Rosa, were heartbroken when Shae told them about everything that had transpired since she had left New York. The three of them did their best to help Shae cope with all that she had lost. At first, it was hard, and Shae was an absolute wreck. After spending a few days watching his best friend wallowing in her own misery, Remus had had enough.

Remus told Shae all about how, a few weeks after arriving in New York, he met a man named Vinny, who had been under attack from some thugs armed with guns. Remus saved Vinny's life, and Vinny promptly offered him a job. Remus continued to work for Terry and Rosa as a bartender at Eclipse, and, secretly, he began work on the side for Vinny's gang, which just so happened to be a branch of the Italian Mafia. And, not long after arriving back in New York herself, so did Shae. The work was morally questionable at best, but the money was good, and the work kept Shae's mind off of the people that she loved, the ones that she had lost. Slowly, she was finally beginning to feel some sort of contentment with her new life in New York, with her new job. After all, she had always been a villain, and she knew that she always would be.

After leaving Vinny's garage, Shae hopped on the subway, and headed downtown, toward Eclipse. Her mind started to wander as she sat and waited for the train to take her to her destination. It wandered where it almost always did, where she didn't want it to go. Her heart ached as she thought about Elsa, the moment when she had disappeared through the portal to Arendelle flashing before her eyes. Next, she saw Regina slowly shrinking away into the distance as she drove toward the Storybrooke town line, and watched as another woman that she loved, her other true love, disappeared forever.

Shae shook herself from her sorrowful daze as the train slowed to a stop. She rose to her feet, blinking furiously as she fought back against the tears that had welled into her eyes. As she stepped through the doors, a man who was entering the train knocked right into her.

"Hey! Watch it!" Shae grumbled, stumbling backward a step.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry, I… Shae?"

Shae had started walking again, but stopped when the man spoke her name. She turned back around, and her heart nearly dropped straight into her stomach. She found herself staring into a set of bright blue eyes, eyes that were all too familiar to her. They were eyes that she never thought she'd see again, eyes that she had never wanted to see again.

"Robin?"

XX

After getting over the initial shock of seeing Robin Hood, her true love's other true love, in New York, of all places, Shae invited him to Eclipse. Robin was overjoyed to see his old friend Remus again, but, Remus, on the other hand, was not at all happy to see the man who had stolen away the woman that his best friend loved. After stopping Remus from punching Robin right in the face, Shae led him to the back room of the bar, where Terry and Rosa had their office. Shae introduced Robin to the both of them, and, once they realized who he was, they gave the noble thief a much less than warm welcome.

Once the initial unpleasantness subsided, they all sat down in the back office, and listened as Robin told his story of why exactly he was now in New York. Apparently, despite Ingrid's death, her magic had still lingered within Marian, just like it had with Shae. Shortly after Shae had left Storybrooke, The Snow Queen's spell took hold of Marian once again, and she quickly began to ice over. Regina had been the one to offer a solution. She said that the only way to save Marian was to have her enter the world outside Storybrooke, where there was no magic to power The Snow Queen's icy spell. Knowing full well that Marian would not be able to survive in such a world on her own, she instructed Robin to go with her, along with their son, Roland.

Robin reluctantly agreed to Regina's plan. Though he loved Regina, though he had chosen her over his wife, he knew that he couldn't just leave Marian to an uncertain fate, completely alone. Regina gave him and his family a decent amount of money, and the address to Neal's old apartment. Then, she was forced to watch as the man she loved, her other true love, walked away, unable to ever return, just like Shae.

"It's been… Hard, adjusting to this new life, this new reality." Robin went on, his blue eyes full of sorrow. "Things are coming a long, though, slowly but surely. Still… I'd be lying if I said I didn't still think about Regina every day. She was finally on the path to the happy ending she so desperately wanted, and… And now-"

"She's alone." Shae muttered quietly.

Robin nodded slowly, his bright blue eyes shining with tears. "Yes, I'm afraid so." He muttered in reply. "Though she does have Henry, and Emma and her parents. I just… Hope that's enough. I hope she's happy."

"Well, I sure as shit don't." Rosa commented with a snort. "If you ask me, the bitch deserved what she got."

"Damn straight." Terry heartily agreed, giving his friend a fist bump.

"Guys!" Shae chided them.

"What?" Rosa exclaimed, giving Shae an innocent shrug. "I'm sorry, but… She broke your heart, chose this turkey over you. No offense."

"Um… None taken, I suppose." Muttered Robin, though he did, in fact look, slightly offended. "I'm sorry, but I really must be going now. Marian sent me out for groceries over an hour ago. She'll be wondering what's happened to me."

They all nodded, and Robin nodded back, rising from his chair. He started toward the door, but hesitated for a moment with his hand on the door handle. He then turned back to Shae, staring at the vampire with nothing but remorse in his eyes.

"I truly am sorry, Shae. For everything." He told her quietly. "I know it's impossible, but… I truly do hope you find your way back to your happy ending, whether it's with Regina, or-"

"DON'T!" Shae suddenly shouted, leaping up from her chair. She pointed a quivering finger at Robin, her blood red eyes flashing with rage, with pain. "Don't say her name. Just… Just go."

Robin breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, and nodded his head once more. He then took his leave from them, and Shae slowly sank back down in her chair as the office door swung shut behind him. Remus exchanged an anxious glance with Terry and Rosa, and they all sat in silence for a moment, none of them sure of what exactly to say.

"So… What will you do now?" Remus finally asked of his friend.

Shae raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Robin is here in New York now." Remus replied with a slight shrug. "Which means Regina is finally free of him."

"Yeah… So?" Shae slowly asked.

"So, aren't you gonna go ridin' off into the sunset after her, or some shit?" Asked Terry, with a flippant wave of his hand.

Shae sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair. "No." She muttered in reply. "I told you guys, once you leave Storybrooke now, there's no going back. Ingrid saw to that."

"Right, right." Mumbled Rosa. "But, I mean, if there was a way back, would you even want to go?"

Shae took a moment to respond, anxiously chewing on her lip ring as she thought. "I… Don't know." She finally replied. "It doesn't really matter, anyway. There's no going back. I'll never see Regina again."

XX

Shae left Eclipse shortly after that, telling her friends that she needed to be alone after learning this new startling information from Robin Hood. She stared down at the sidewalk as she set off toward the apartment that she shared with Remus. Rosa's question spun round and round in her mind. If there really was a way back, would she go? Should she go? She had no answers, and she put the question from her mind, knowing that it was impossible anyway.

The vampire paused for a moment, deciding that she needed some music to distract herself from her spinning thoughts. She removed a set of earbuds that she kept in the pocket of her leather jacket, and put them in her ears. Uptown Funk was still queued up on her phone, and she hit play, continuing along on her walk through the streets of New York. She bobbed her head to the music as she walked, focusing her mind on the beat, on the lyrics. Finally, a grin slowly creeped across her face, and she began to mouth the words as she began climbing the steps of her apartment building.

"Don't believe me, just watch.
Don't believe me, just watch.
Don't believe me, just watch.
Hey, hey, hey, oh!
Stop-"

Shae stopped dead in her tracks, yanking her headphones out of her ears. She stared wide eyed at the door to her and Remus's apartment, which was already standing open a crack. She remained rooted in her spot for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion. She knew she had locked the door before she left, and Remus had left even before she did. Something was very wrong.

Shae quickly stowed her phone and earbuds back in her pocket, and removed the small handgun from where it had been tucked within the back of her jeans. She flicked the safety off, and slowly pushed the apartment door open, gun at the ready.

"Whoever's in here, you picked the wrong fucking place to rob!" Shae called out as she peered through the darkness of her kitchen.

"No robbers here, dearie. Just little old me."

For the second time that day, Shae's heart nearly dropped into the pit of her stomach. She knew that voice. She reached out her gun free hand, fumbling along the wall for the lightswitch. When she finally found it, she flicked the apartment lights on, and her blood red eyes grew wide when she saw who was standing in the midst of her living room.

"Gold?" She whispered, slowly lowering her gun as she stared wide eyed at the old man. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"All in due time." Gold replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I believe you already know my associates here."

Gold gestured to the dark hallway to his left, which led back to both Shae and Remus's empty bedrooms. Two women slowly stepped out of the shadows, and Shae's eyes somehow grew even wider. She hadn't seen these women in a long, long time, but she recognized them immediately.

"What?" Shae breathed in shock, her mouth gaping open as she stared at Ursula the Sea Witch, and Cruella de Vil.

"Lovely to see you again, darling." Cruella replied with a grin. "I have to say, you are looking much better than when we last met. Much better, indeed."

"Behave yourself, Cruella." Gold chided her with a grin of his own. "I know for a fact that there is only one woman that our undead friend here is interested in. Oh, actually, I believe I misspoke. I suppose there's two now."

"SHUT UP!" Shae shouted, pointing her gun straight at Gold's head. "You'd better have a damn good fucking explanation as to why you broke into my apartment!"

"Wow, someone's got a temper." Ursula muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, well, like I said, you broke into my apartment." Shae snapped back at her. "So, I think that gives me the right to be a little cranky."

"Trust me, dearie, we had good reason." Gold cut in, before Ursula could retort. "I'd like to tell you a story, one about heroes and villains, one where where villains, such as ourselves, always lose."

Shae emitted a dry chuckle, and set her gun down on her kitchen counter. "I see." She replied as she stepped behind the counter, retrieving a bottle of whiskey from a cupboard. "So, that's what happened to you, isn't it? You've been banished, just like me. I'm guessing Belle finally saw through your bullshit. Good for her."

As Shae poured herself a glass of whiskey, Ursula turned to Gold, raising an eyebrow at him. "I thought you said she'd be on her side."

"She will be, once she learns of our plan to turn the tables." Gold replied with a shrug.

Shae raised another curious eyebrow at him as she took a generous sip of her drink. "Indeed, I did learn the hard way that the rules of good and evil do apply to me, as did you." Gold went on. "But, what if I told you that there is a man who can change those very rules? What if I told you that this man, once we find him, can finally give us the happy endings we've always been denied?"

Shae nearly spit out her whiskey as similar words tolled like a bell across her mind. She had heard them spoken many years ago, by the dark sorceress Maleficent. "Who exactly is this guy?" She asked, fighting to keep her tone even.

"Rumple here calls him, 'The Author.'" Answered Cruella. "Sounds awfully pretentious, if you ask me. I hate him already."

"'The Author?'" Shae echoed, snorting in amusement. "You mean, the author of Henry's storybook?"

"You know him?" Asked Gold, raising his own eyebrow at the vampire.

"Well, no, not personally." Shae replied with a shrug. "Regina told me that Henry had been looking for him, so he could have him write Regina a happy ending. You're telling me that this guy actually exists?"

"Indeed." Said Gold, nodding in affirmation. "He holds the key to all our happy endings."

Shae breathed out a bemused chuckle, taking another sip of her whiskey. "So, where exactly is this guy?"

Gold exchanged a quick, knowing glance with both Ursula and Cruella before he replied. "Storybrooke."

Shae blinked several times in surprise, her mouth gaping open. Then, she started to laugh, quite loudly. "Well, sorry ladies and gent, but you're shit out of luck." She replied, pointing an amused finger at Gold. "There's no way to get back to Storybrooke. Ingrid's ice wall had a-"

"A powerful cloaking spell woven in, yes, I'm aware." Gold finished for her, narrowing his eyes irritably at the vampire. "Trust me, dearie, there is a way back. That is where our two mutual friends come in."

Gold gestured to both Cruella and Ursula. Shae remained silent for a moment, eyeing the three of them skeptically. "Are you serious?" She whispered. When Gold nodded, her blood red eyes grew wide, and she ran a slightly shaky hand through her messy black hair. "How?"

Gold didn't respond right away. He slowly crossed the living room, leaning heavily on his cane, and stepped into the kitchen. He stopped just on the other side of the counter from Shae, who continued to eye him warily.

"First things first." Gold finally answered, his tone dark and quiet. "We came here today because we will need your help once we're back inside the town. I want your word that you will help us find The Author. If you do, then, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure he gives you the happy ending I know you desire."

Shae took another sip of her whiskey, staring silently back into Gold's eyes for a moment. Her gaze then shifted over to the kitchen window, and she leaned to the side, gazing down onto the street below. Suddenly, her blood red eyes grew wide.

"Right. Ok. Cool. Cool, cool." She finally replied, stammering anxiously all of a sudden. "I'm in. We just… Have to go. Now. Right now."

The vampire practically threw her now empty glass back onto the counter. Gold spun around, and he, Cruella, and Ursula all watched her curiously as she disappeared down the dark hallway toward her bedroom. The other three exchanged a momentary confused glance with each other, then they all huddled around the window. They gasped in alarm at what they saw; Several police cars lining the street below, and a score of armed officers pouring into the building one by one.

"My god." Breathed Cruella.

"That's a lot of cops." Muttered Ursula.

"Uh-huh." Shae agreed as she rushed back into the living room, carrying a black duffle bag. "Which is why we have to go."

Shae then began removing handguns from inside her duffle bag, shoving them into Gold and Ursula's hands. When she turned to Cruella, she removed her own from within her white fur coat. "Don't worry, darling, I've got my own." She said with a grin, holding up a small, but surprisingly ornate, silver pistol.

Shae nodded hastily, and they all watched as she began rushing around the room, shoving various items into her bag. "What exactly have you done?" Asked Gold, glancing warily back out the window.

"I, uh… May have been doing some work for The Mob." Shae replied, tossing another object into her duffle bag.

"The Mob?" Ursula echoed, her eyes wide with shock. "As in… The Italian Mob?"

"No, the one with torches and pitchforks!" Shae cried sarcastically, throwing her arms up in the air. "Yes, the Italian Mob! Now, do you guys have a car?"

"Yes, we brought mine." Answered Cruella.

"Good. Give me the keys." Shae replied, holding out her hand.

Cruella scoffed indignantly. "Absolutely not!"

Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on Shae's apartment door. "NYPD! Open up!" Came a man's voice from the other side.

The four people inside the apartment stood rigidly still, holding their breath as they stared wide eyed at the door. Shae then quickly rushed up to Cruella, and grabbed on to the front of her white fur coat. She yanked Cruella in closer, glaring furiously into her eyes.

"Bitch, if you want to get out of here alive, you'll give me those damn keys." She whispered dangerously.

Cruella glared silently back into Shae's eyes for a moment, then shifted her own over to Ursula and Gold. They both gave her a quick nod, and Cruella breathed out a relenting sigh. She rolled her eyes as she removed her car keys from inside her coat, and pressed them into Shae's hand. Shae nodded swiftly, and scooped up her guitar from where it was lying on the couch, shoving it into Ursula's hands.

"Seriously?" Cried Ursula.

"Can it!" Shae commanded, handing her duffle bag over to Gold. She then rushed over to the living room window, and shoved it open. "Come on, down the fire escape!"

Shae waited until Gold, Ursula, and Cruella were safely out of the window before clambering through herself. They all stopped, whirling around, when they heard a sudden bang from inside. The police had broken down the door, and were piling into the apartment.

"GO!" Shae shouted.

The others all began rushing down the fire escape as fast as they possibly could. Shae fired off a few shots from her pistol before hurrying after them. As soon as they made it down onto the street, Shae pressed the unlock button on Cruella's keys, and whirled around when she heard beeping from behind her.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She exclaimed when she saw Cruella's flashy, black and white car. "Cuz that's not conspicuous at all!"

"Don't you dare insult my car!" Cruella roared furiously.

"FREEZE!"

They all whirled around again at the sudden shout, and spotted several police officers standing in a line behind them, guns raised. Shae and the others all immediately took cover, ducking behind parked cars as they police fired at them. Ursula and Gold fired back with the guns that Shae had given them, but neither were any good with the firearms. Shae and Cruella's aim was much more accurate, and the two of them managed to take down a few officers.

There was a moment when the gunfire paused, as the officers began to reload their guns. Shae took the opportunity to race toward Cruella's car, and the others followed suit. Gunfire resumed as Gold clambered into the passenger seat next to Shae, Cruella and Ursula in the back. Before Ursula could even close the door behind her, Shae punched on the gas, barrelling headlong at the policemen. They all leapt out of the way, and, suddenly, Cruella's car was screeching out onto the streets of New York.

"Are you seriously texting right now?" Cried Ursula, as Shae removed her cellphone from her pocket while she drove.

"Calm your tits!" Shae snapped back. "I'm making a phone call."

"How is that any better?" Shouted Cruella.

Shae ignored the two women, weaving with expert precision in and out of traffic. "Remus, hey! You still at the bar?" She said into her phone. "Good. Listen, I need you to trust me, and not ask any questions right now. Go outside, and get in the car as soon as you see it." Shae paused for a moment, chuckling as she glanced into the rearview mirror at Cruella. "Oh, trust me, you'll know which car."

Shae tossed her phone over to Gold, who fumbled with it for a moment, but managed to catch it. Nobody spoke as Shae continued to drive at dangerous speeds, they couldn't. They bounced around in their seats, Cruella and Ursula knocking into each other several times as Shae took every twist and turn as fast as she possibly could.

Suddenly, Shae slammed on the brakes, and the others all shot forward in their seats. Shae rolled down her driver's side window, peering anxiously out into the crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk. She smiled when she saw her best friend bursting through the doors of Eclipse. She waved at him, and Remus waved back, rushing toward the car.

"Oh! Um… Hello!" He stammered, as he clambered into the back seat next to Cruella.

They were all jostled about again as Shae punched on the gas. "Remus, this is Cruella and Ursula." Shae said as she swerved around another corner. "And you remember Gold."

"Er, yes… Hello, again." Remus stammered again, staring wide eyed around at the people packed into the car.

"Well, hello there." Cruella said with a grin, snaking her arm around Remus's shoulders.

Shae emitted a grumble of frustration, rolling her blood red eyes into the rearview mirror. "Cruella, he's gay! Like, really gay!"

Cruella gave Remus a disappointed frown, and quickly removed her arm. "Oh, what a horrible waste."

Remus opened his mouth to retort, but shut it again as the sound of sirens blaring emminated from behind them. Remus turned around in his seat, his blood red eyes growing wide at the sight of police cars. "Is that the police?" He cried.

"No, Remus, it's the fucking circus!" Shae shouted back.

Once again, Remus opened his mouth to speak, but his words caught in his throat as Shae took another sharp turn, and his head smacked painfully against the window. "Where exactly are you going?" Gold demanded of the vampire in the driver's seat.

"Not super sure yet." Shae sharply replied.

Suddenly, more police cars came barrelling around a corner in front of them. "Shit!" Shae swore in alarm. "HOLD ON!"

The others were all thrown violently to their right as Shae made a very sharp, and very illegal u-turn. She miraculously managed to avoid getting hit by several oncoming cars, and, once again, Cruella's car was racing down the street at a breakneck speed. However, the police appeared to be just as equally skilled, and just as equally lucky, and the sounds of sirens and the accompanying flashing blue lights grew closer and closer.

"Shae." Remus suddenly muttered, staring wide eyed out of the windshield. "Shae, the bridge."

"I see it." Said Shae, a grin suddenly stretching across her face.

Gold, Cruella, and Ursula all followed Remus's line of sight, and they all gasped at what they saw. There was indeed a bridge lying before them, one that just so happened to be a drawbridge. Both sides of it were slowly rising into the air, preparing for the large ship that was waiting to pass in the waters below.

"Shae, it's going up!" Cried Remus.

"Bingo." Shae replied, her grin growing even wider.

Shae slowed her pace slightly, and began weaving in and out of the cars parked along the road, waiting for the bridge to lower itself once more. "No." Cruella whispered, her eyes wide with horror when she realized what Shae was about to do.

"You're insane!" Cried Gold, his own eyes wide with fear.

Shae barked out a laugh, expertly dodging around another parked car. "Thank god for that! Otherwise, this might not work!"

"It won't work!" Shouted Ursula. "You're going to get us all killed!"

Shae laughed once again, tightening her grip around the steering wheel. "Well, we're about to find out."

Now free of traffic, Shae punched on the gas once again, and the others were all thrown back in their seats. The car barrelled forward at an alarming speed, straight toward the ever rising bridge. Remus didn't even protest as Cruella clung to him in fright, and they all watched in horror as the gap between the two ends of the bridge drew nearer and nearer.

"HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS, BITCHES!" Shae bellowed.

Time seemed to slow to a horrifying crawl as Cruella's car sailed over the edge. They all screamed in terror, all except Shae, who was laughing in very loud, very deranged way. Their hearts nearly stopped as the car continued to sail through the air. Slowly, the front end began to tip downward, and they were jostled violently about as the tires made contact with solid ground once again. The tires screeched as Shae punched on the gas. Somehow, miraculously, they had made it safely across the gap, leaving the NYPD far behind.

"WOO!" Shae shouted, banging her hands excitedly on the steering wheel, laughing even more. "Now that's how you evade arrest, baby!"

"Are… A-Are we dead?" Stammered Ursula, her whole body trembling.

"Get off me!" Snarled Remus, shoving Cruella, who had fallen sideways into his lap.

Shae continued laughing, glancing over at Gold, who was sitting rigid in his seat, too startled and terrified to even speak. She then glanced into the rearview mirror, laughing even more when she saw the same pure terror in both Ursula and Cruella's eyes. Next, she turned Cruella's car onto the highway, following the green road signs that pointed the way to Maine.

XX

Shae kept on driving until the car's gas tank was nearly empty, and was forced to stop to refuel. While they were waiting, Shae explained Gold's plan to Remus, who was still vehemently against returning to Storybrooke. He reminded Shae about the horrors she had endured there, and insisted that nothing but more pain and misery awaited her, even with Robin Hood now out of the picture. Shae knew that he spoke nothing but sense, and was reluctant to leave her best friend behind once again. Suddenly, she was starting to rethink the agreement that she had made, albeit briefly, with Gold.

"You know, I'm starting to think that I shouldn't be going anywhere with you." Shae was saying to the old man, as she lit another cigarette.

"You're not supposed to do that around these things, you know." Cruella called out from the other side of the car, where she was pumping gas.

"Fucking bite me!" Shae snarled back at her.

"If you insist." Cruella replied with a grin.

Shae grimaced in disgust, turning her back on Cruella, leaning against the bumper of her car. "Listen, I know you don't trust me." Gold said in a slightly pleading tone. "I admit, our time together in the past has been less than… Ideal. But, now, our interests are aligned."

Gold paused for a moment, and placed a hand on Shae's shoulder, staring intently into her eyes. "You've lost all you have, as have the rest of us." He quietly went on. "I can get you back everything you've lost, and more. You just have to work with me, with us."

"You know, you talk an excellent game, Dark One," Remus began to say, folding his arms across his chest, eyeing Gold suspiciously. "What makes you think you can deliver on these promises when merely walking appears to be a challenge for you now?"

Gold clenched his jaw, glaring at Remus as he fiddled with his cane. "Oh, don't you worry, dearie. Soon, nothing will be a challenge for me." He growled, then turned his attention back on Shae. "Aren't you tired of always fighting, always losing? Robin Hood is gone now, which means that your happy ending, well, one of them, at least, is closer within your grasp than it ever has been. All you have to do now, is reach out and take it."

Shae exchanged an uncertain glance with Remus, but Gold quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her best friend from her view. "I know you don't trust me." Gold told her once again. "But, the good news is, you don't have to. All you have to do is lend me your aid, momentarily, and you will have everything you've ever wanted, plus more."

Gold held out his hand to Shae, and stared expectantly at her. Shae hesitated for a few moments, glancing between Remus's apprehensive face, to Gold's outstretched hand, chewing anxiously on her lip ring. She had thought of little else but Regina in the weeks she had been in New York. Elsa was lost to her, Ingrid's magic making it impossible to ever to return to Arendelle. She had thought Regina was lost to her as well, but Robin was out of the picture, and there was actually a way back to Storybrooke, back to the woman that she loved, the one that she had always loved.

Finally, Shae made her decision, and she breathed out a relenting sigh, shaking Gold's hand. "Excellent." Gold said with a satisfied smile. He then turned to Remus, and his smile turned into a frown. "And… You?"

Remus scoffed. "Absolutely not! I'm not stupid enough to make a deal with you. No offense, Shae." When Shae merely shrugged at him, Remus went on. "No, I am quite content with my life here, thank you very much."

Shae breathed out a heavy sigh. "Remus, you can't go back to your life in New York." She said, sadly shaking her head. "If the police are after me, then they're after you too."

Remus sighed himself, slowly rubbing his chin as he thought. "Right, you're right." He muttered quietly. "Well, then I suppose I'll go find myself a new life. Perhaps I'll venture to this, 'Los Angeles,' you're always going on about."

Shae chuckled, clapping her friend on the shoulder. "You'll love it there. I promise." She said with a smile. "Here, take this. It's more than enough to get you to LA, and then some."

Shae removed the wad of cash she had received from Vinny from inside her jacket, and pressed it into Remus's hand. "I don't suppose another speech from your best friend will do anything to change your mind?" Remus asked of her.

When Shae merely smiled sadly at him, Remus breathed out a heavy, relenting sigh. He then pulled Shae into a tight embrace, and both the vampires' eyes began to well with tears. "Good luck, Remus." Shae whispered to her best friend, her brother. "Keep in touch, ok?"

Remus nodded, wiping away a stray tear as he released Shae. "Good luck to you too, Shae." He whispered back, smiling through his tears. "If this Author really can do everything Gold says he can, then… Then I truly hope you do get your happy ending. After everything you've been through, you deserve it."

Shae nodded back at him, and squeezed her eyes shut as Remus embraced her again, tears leaking down her own face now. Remus gave her one last smile, and turned his back on his oldest and dearest friend. Shae was joined once again by Gold, Ursula and Cruella close behind him. The four of them watched as Remus set off down the road, holding out his thumb to passing cars.

"Now then, before we continue on our journey," Gold started to say, turning to Shae. "I think we should properly seal our deal."

Shae raised an eyebrow at the old man. "How?" She asked, eyeing him warily as she remembered how the last deal she had made had been sealed.

"The way I seal all deals of such importance." Gold replied, reaching into his jacket pocket. He produced a receipt from the items he had bought from the gas station, along with a pen, and handed them both to Shae. "With a signature."

Shae continued to keep one eyebrow raised as she blinked several times in surprise. She then breathed out an amused chuckle, taking the receipt and pen. "Whatever floats your boat, man." She mumbled with another laugh.

The vampire then scribbled out her signature on the back of Gold's receipt, and handed it back to him. She failed to miss the knowing and devious grin Gold shared with Ursula and Cruella. Shae had no idea what a grave mistake she had just made.

XX

Shae handed Cruella's car keys back over to her, and she sat in the backseat with Ursula as the group made their way to Maine, where Storybrooke was nestled away amidst a dense forest, hidden away from the rest of the world. Gold instructed Cruella to stop the car once the were deep within the large forest, the forest that was all too familiar to both him and Shae. Gold found a navy blue tie that he had attached to a tree the night he had been banished. Storybrooke lie just a few feet ahead, but, the problem was, none of them could see it, so none of them could enter.

Apparently, Gold had kept the exact effects of the cloaking spell a secret from Cruella and Ursula. All they knew was that Storybrooke was hidden, and had assumed that Gold had a way back in. The two women were quite furious with him, and Shae as well, when they learned that he, in fact, did not. Things quickly grew quite tense, and they began bickering amongst each other in the middle of the street.

"No more tricks!" Cruella snarled, leaning in close to Shae and jabbing her in the chest with a finger. "You owe us for what we did for you all those years ago. If we're about to walk into a trap, you'll tell us now!"

Shae held up a finger to Cruella, and reached inside her jacket pocket. "Hold up, I've got something that'll help."

Cruella's brow furrowed in confusion as she stared down at the stick of gum Shae was holding out to her. "How exactly is that supposed to help?" She demanded.

"Oh, it's for your breath." Shae replied with a slight grimace. "It's dogshit."

Cruella let out a enraged snarl as Shae laughed in her face, and she shoved the vampire roughly backwards. "Is she always like this?" Asked Ursula, raising an eyebrow at Gold.

"Yes, unfortunately, she is." Gold grumbled in reply, narrowing his eyes irritably at Shae. He then turned his attention back onto the two other women, who were still looking quite furious. "Ladies, please, I apologize for the deception. Believe me, though, there is a way inside the town. In fact, you won't just get in, you'll be invited in."

Ursula barked out a loud, disbelieving laugh. "Yeah, like those stupid heroes are going to invite us in with with you two by our side."

"See, that's where you're wrong, dearie." Gold replied, grinning in a way that Shae found quite unsettling. "They will invite you in, because we will not be by your side."

Shae's blood red eyes grew wide with shock as she stared at Gold. "Say what, now?

"Don't worry, it's all part of the plan." Gold reassured the vampire, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, listen closely. Here's what you need to do…"

Gold explained his plan to Ursula and Cruella, and, several hours later, Shae was sitting on a fallen log near the side of the road next to The Dark One. The sun had long since set, and the two of them were waiting patiently for Cruella and Ursula to return to them, as promised. Their fate, their happy endings, lie in the hands of the two villains, and Shae was not at all happy about it.

Ursula had dialed Regina's number from Gold's cell phone, and fed her a story about how she had stolen it from The Dark One, who had come to find her and Cruella. She said that he had told them all about a quaint little town where he had been living, until he ruined everything. She told Regina that Gold had said it was a town where villains looking to change their ways could find redemption, and that she and Cruella were looking to do just that.

Ursula had made the call on speakerphone, and Shae's heart lurched within her chest when she heard the sound of Regina's voice. It was something that she thought she would never hear again, and it was like music to her ears. Suddenly, her delight over hearing her true love's voice disappeared when they all heard the sound of a fearsome, bloodcurdling roar in the distance, from the the other end of the phone. Ursula and Cruella both recognized it as the roar of The Chernabog, a dark and dangerous creature they had fought in the past, alongside Maleficent. Ursula shared this information with Regina, and the two of them made their own deal. Regina said that if Cruella and Ursula could help her defeat The Chernabog, then they would be allowed to stay in Storybrooke.

"So, when Regina released the fairies from The Sorcerer's hat, she also released The Chernabog?" Shae asked of Gold as they waited in the darkness of the forest. "That was your plan all along?"

"Indeed." Gold replied with a sharp nod, keeping his eyes focused on the road, where Storybrooke's border was hidden. "Belle sent an email to a professor from Oxford, asking him to translate the spell for her. That professor just so happened to be me."

Shae breathed out a dry chuckle, taking a swig from the bottle of gin she had stolen out of Cruella's car. "Wow, you are one skeevy dude."

"I do what I must to get what I want." Gold replied, taking the bottle from Shae's hand and taking a swig himself. "As do you. I believe that's what got you banished, just like me."

Shae snatched her bottle out of Gold's hand, narrowing her blood red eyes at him. "I'm nothing like you." She snarled.

Gold barked out a loud, mocking laughing. "And what makes you say that? You are the one who was willing to destroy an entire town to cast your time spell, all to ensure that you your heart would be free to be with-"

"DON'T!" Shae roared, leaping furiously to her feet, her blood red eyes flashing with rage. "Don't say her name!"

Gold chuckled once again, grinning up at the vampire. "I must ask, what exactly is the happy ending you desire?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Shae. "Once we find The Author, you could ask him to unwrite Ingrid's spell, so you can return to Arendelle once again. Or, you could have him write a new story for you and dear Regina."

Shae opened her mouth to respond, but shut it again, anxiously chewing on her lip ring as she stared silently down at the ground. She had been turning over the same options in her mind ever since Gold had told her his plan. She had no answers, and it was driving her insane.

Suddenly, Shae was roused from her musings when she heard a quiet clattering from the road behind her. She whirled around, and Gold leapt to his feet. They both stared wide eyed at the tiny scroll that was suddenly lying in the middle of the road.

"What the hell is that?" Shae muttered.

"That, dearie, is what we've been waiting for." Replied Gold.

Gold limped out onto the pavement, leaning heavily on his cane, and Shae followed after him. He scooped up the scroll, and quickly unrolled it. Shae glanced down at the scroll from over his shoulder, and recognized it as the one that Emma had found within Ingrid's belongings, the one written in ancient runic. Gold then glanced up from the scroll, and Shae followed suit. The vampire drew in startled gasp at what she saw; Ursula and Cruella, grinning at them from beside Cruella's car. A few feet in front of them, was a thick red line, spray painted across the road, one that had not been there before.

"We're back, darlings." Announced Cruella.

"You didn't think we forgot about you, did you?" Asked Ursula, raising an eyebrow at The Dark One and the vampire.

Shae breathed out a surprised laugh, and hurried after Gold as he limped toward the Storybrooke town line. The air shimmered around both him and Shae as they crossed through the cloaking spell. Suddenly, Gold's tattered and torn black suit was whole once again, and he walked with long, purposeful strides, no longer in need of his cane.

"OOF!" Shae grunted, as Gold shoved the cane into her hands, smacking her in the gut with it. "Now that was just unnecessary."

"Oh, I quite disagree." Gold replied with a smirk.

"Nice duds." Commented Ursula, nodding at Gold's suit. "What exactly do we do now?"

"Now, we begin our task." Replied Gold.

As Gold, Cruella, and Ursula started toward the car, Shae chuckled, causing them all to turn back around. "Well, it's been real." Shae said with a grin. "Thanks for getting me back inside the town and everything, but I think I'm gonna go do my own thing now."

Both Ursula and Cruella's jaws dropped open in indignant shock as Shae began walking away from them toward the town. "Hey! You said you would help us!" Cried Ursula.

Shae turned back around, chuckling once again. "Yeah, well, my word is garbage to you numbskulls." She replied, giving them a casual and unconcerned shrug. "I've got my own fish to fry. Have fun looking for The Author."

"Don't forget, dearie." Gold said, his tone dark and dangerous. "We have a deal."

Shae had continued walking, but she stopped again, turning back around as she laughed even more. "Yeah, and I signed the back of a receipt. Not exactly magically binding."

Gold's lips curled into a dark and devious grin, one that gave Shae instant chills. "Are you sure about that?"

Gold held out his hand, which was momentarily engulfed in a cloud of bright red smoke. When the smoke cleared, he was holding a different sort of scroll, one that was much larger than Ingrid's. He then reached into his jacket pocket, and produced the receipt that Shae had signed. Shae watched in horror as her signature began to glow with a bright yellow light. It then disappeared from the receipt, and reappeared at the bottom of the unrolled scroll in Gold's other hand.

Suddenly, Shae felt very strange. Her whole body began to tingle, like millions of tiny pinpricks. She glanced down at her own quivering hands, her blood red eyes growing even wider when she saw that her body was glowing with the same yellow light as her signature. As quickly as it came, the tingling and the glowing dissipated, and she turned her wide, horrified eyes back onto Gold.

"I had a feeling you would decide to go back on our deal." Gold said with another dark and devious grin. "Which is why I had you sign that unassuming scrap of paper."

"Oh, Rumple, you are bad." Said Cruella, grinning as well.

In the time it took Shae to blink, Gold was all of a sudden directly in front of her. Shae cried out in alarm, stumbling backward, and falling to the ground. Gold slowly lowered himself to the ground as well, crouching down in front of the vampire, glaring maliciously into her eyes.

"Do you know what happens to people who break their deal with The Dark One?" He asked her in a whisper. He then breathed out a low chuckle, and slowly shook his head. "No, of course you don't. None of them have ever lived to tell the tale."

Shae remained where she sat upon the ground, too shocked, too horrified to even speak. Gold then slowly rose to his feet, turning his attention back onto Ursula and Cruella. "Now, then." He muttered, smoothing out his tie. "Our team is one member short. It's time to reunite the band."

Ursula and Cruella exchanged a quick, wide eyed glance. "You… Y-You mean-" Ursula started to say.

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Shae finally broke her silence, and her voice quavered with fear as she quietly whispered. "Maleficent."

XX

That night, Gold took Shae, Cruella, and Ursula to his cabin in the woods, the one Shae had once made her home. Now magically under Gold's thumb, Shae was forced to remain there throughout most of the next day. She longed to venture out into the town of Storybrooke, to see Regina, her true love, or even Emma, the friend that she had left behind. However, due to the deal that she had unwillingly made with Gold, she was unable to leave the cabin, and she sat within with Gold himself, while Cruella and Ursula freely wandered the streets of Storybrooke. Gold instructed them to continue along with their repentant facade, all the while forming his own dark and devious plans.

Gold was determined to resurrect Maleficent, and Shae quickly learned why exactly he had sought her out in New York. He needed her help with restoring Maleficent to life, by way of another deal he had made with the vampire. Gold forced Shae to translate a spell within the book of ancient elven blood magic that she had brought with her from her homeland, a spell that could raise the dead.

"This says that the spell requires the blood of those who have wronged the deceased person most." Gold muttered, staring down at the sheet of paper Shae had transcribed the spell onto. "How much blood, exactly?"

"Not much." Shae mumbled in reply.

"Really?" Asked Ursula, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the vampire.

Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, leaning forward in the chair she was sitting in within Gold's cabin. "If we were trying to resurrect a normal human, then no, it'd take a whole lot more." She begrudgingly explained. "But, since this is Maleficent we're talking about, it won't take more than a few drops."

"I see." Gold muttered once again. "Well, that is certainly good news."

"It is?" Asked Shae, raising her own eyebrow at The Dark One. "Who exactly do you need blood from? Who wronged Maleficent the most?"

Ursula and Cruella exchanged a dark, knowing glance, and they regaled Shae with a horrifying tale from years and years ago, back in The Enchanted Forest. It wasn't long after The Queens of Darkness had released Shae from her dungeon cell, when Maleficent's baby, her daughter, was taken away from her, by none other than Snow White and Prince Charming. Maleficent had sensed that Snow White was pregnant, and she told her and her husband that their daughter held the potential to grow into a powerful hero, with the potential of great good. She also told them that their child also held the potential for great evil, and a powerful, dangerous darkness.

Terrified by this information, Snow White and Prince Charming turned to a man called The Apprentice, who was aptly named, as he once was once apprentice to a great and powerful Sorcerer, the one whose mansion had appeared in Storybrooke. The Apprentice cast a spell to rid Snow and Charming's daughter of the darkness that lie within her. The spell transferred that darkness into Maleficent's baby, who was sent through a portal to The World Without Magic immediately after.

Shae was shocked by this information, especially when she learned that Emma, The Savior, still held the potential for great evil, even greater than Regina, or Maleficent herself. She grew even more nervous about the potential of encountering the dark sorceress again. She herself had also wronged Maleficent. She had made a deal with her many years ago, one that she did not keep. She knew that, after losing her baby, Maleficent's rage over Shae's broken promise would only be that much worse.

Gold sent Ursula and Cruella to his shop, which Belle was now in charge of, to steal a small trinket that once belonged to Maleficent. It was a rattle in the shape of a dragon's claw, a rattle that Maleficent had planned to give to her daughter. The theft was all a ruse, however, a ruse to lure David and Mary Margaret down into the mines, below the library, where Maleficent's ashes lie.

"It's time." Gold suddenly announced.

Before Shae could do or say anything, The Dark One waved his hand, and the vampire's vision was engulfed in a cloud of bright red smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was no longer within Gold's cabin. Shae suddenly found herself standing deep within the Storybrooke mines. Cruella and Ursula were standing before her, and, just behind them, Mary Margaret and David were lying on the ground, totally unconscious. Between them, was a pile of silver, glittering ashes, which Shae could sense a powerful and familiar magic from.

Gold removed a small pocket knife from within his jacket, and handed it to Shae. "You know what you must do." He commanded to her quietly.

Shae bit her lip, staring down at the unconscious faces of Mary Margaret and David. Though they had wronged Maleficent in the most horrible of ways, though were the ones that had banished Shae herself from Storybrooke, she desperately longed to wake them, to tell them what was happening, and beg them to help her. She so desperately wanted to be reunited with Regina, her true love, the one that she shared a heart with. However, she knew that it was impossible. She was The Dark One's pawn now, and she was forced to do as she was told.

Shae stepped up to David and Mary Margaret, and crouched down between them. She pressed the blade of the pocket knife into David's hand, and quickly drew it across his palm, making a large gash in his flesh. As soon as he felt the pain, David immediately snapped awake, just in time to see Shae do the same to his wife.

"Shae?" Mary Margaret whispered, peering up at the vampire through hazy eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Demanded David, staring bewilderedly down at the gash on his hand.

Shae hung her head in sorrow, holding the blade of the knife out over the pile of ashes. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Shae tapped her finger against the blade, causing several drops of blood to drip down onto the ashes. "The dark magic we're using to raise Maleficent doesn't require some silly little trinket from Gold's shop." Cruella sneered as Shae slowly backed away. "No, that was just a ruse to get you down here. We need something with a little more kick."

"Oh god…" Mary Margaret whispered, staring wide eyed at the pile of ashes, which were slowly starting to swirl in a circle. "We're too late."

Suddenly, a cyclone of black smoke burst forth violently from the ashes. David and Mary Margaret both leapt to their feet, backing away from the cyclone, as did Shae, as did both Cruella and Ursula. Shae's back hit the rocky wall, and she glanced to her left. Suddenly, Gold was gone.

Shae turned her eyes back onto the whirling smoke, just in time to watch it form into a great, terrifyingly large dragon. The dragon hung in the air before them for a moment, beating it's massive black wings. Then, it let out a fearsome roar, and it disappeared in another swirling tornado of black smoke. The smoke shot toward the ground, and Shae backed away even further, watching in horror as the smoke slowly dissipated. Maleficent now stood before them.

The dark sorceress was just as Shae remembered her. She was garbed in flowing black dress, and a horned leather helmet, her lips a shade of bright red. She was armed with the same staff that Shae had seen once before, the one that curled into a silver dragon at the end.

Maleficent, now in her human form, drew in a sharp gasp. Slowly, a dark and devious grin stretched across her face, one that gave the vampire chills, just like before. Her eyes then rested on Mary Margaret and David, and her grin somehow grew even darker.

"It's good to be back." She whispered.

"Maleficent." Mary Margaret whispered back, her clenched fists trembling as she looked upon the woman that she had so deeply wronged. "Whatever it is you think we did, you don't know the whole story."

"I know enough." Maleficent replied, her grin falling into a fearsome, vengeful scowl. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. That would be far too easy."

"You're going to tell everyone what we did first." Whispered David, his eyes wide with horror.

Maleficent laughed loudly, thoroughly amused by Prince Charming's worries. "I don't care about your secret. You can keep it as long as you like. I only care about one thing… Your pain."

Maleficent paused for a moment, her wicked grin returning as she slowly paced circles around David and Mary Margaret. "I want it be as long, and terrible, and unyielding as my own." She whispered dangerously, her eyes wide and wild with rage. "I'm going to revel in every torturous moment. And you? You're going to watch your world crumble."

"I forgot how much I missed her." Ursula whispered to Cruella.

"It's certainly going to be entertaining." Cruella whispered back, then glanced over her shoulder at Shae. "Isn't that right-"

Cruella suddenly stopped mid sentence. Ursula curiously followed her line of sight, and her eyes grew wide with shock. Shae was nowhere to be seen.

XX

Trees sped past the vampire in a rushing blur of brown and green, and Shae's feet pounded into the pavement as she sprinted down the road, toward the town line. Her heart ached with misery at the thought of leaving Regina behind once again, but she kept running, as fast as she possibly could. She had to get away. She had to free herself from The Dark One's control, had to get far away from Maleficent, before she could enact the consequences of breaking their deal. The sorceress had promised that they would be dire, and Shae believed every chilling word.

Her plan was to reenter the outside world, where she knew neither Gold nor Maleficent would dare go. She would be safe there, and, now that she knew that there indeed was a way back into Storybrooke, she would get a message to Regina. She hoped that her true love would find a way to stop Gold and The Queens of Darkness, so she could be reunited with her once again.

Shae smiled, her heart soaring as the thick red line stretching across the road finally came in to view. It seemed that Gold was too worried about remaining unseen by Mary Margaret and David to worry at all about his vampire charge. She reached her hand out toward the town line, the air shimmering around her fingers as they broke through the cloaking barrier.

Suddenly, Shae felt something take hold of her body, and she let out a scream as she was sent hurtling backwards. Her world was engulfed in chaos as she went spiraling through the air, and she grunted painfully as she smacked back down onto the road. She rolled and tumbled across the pavement, and a voice softly spoke when she finally came to a stop.

"Not even going to stop and say, 'Goodbye?' How rude."

Shae pushed herself shakily up onto her feet, her whole body trembling. She knew that voice. Slowly, she turned herself around, and cried out in alarm, stumbling a few steps backwards. Maleficent was standing before her, grinning in the way that gave the vampire chills.

"H-Hey, Mal!" Shae stammered with a nervous smile. "Wow, you look great, girl. Look at those guns. Have you been working out? I mean, probably not, since you've been dead and stuff, but still-"

Maleficent waved her hand in the air, and, suddenly, the words caught in Shae's throat. She opened her mouth to speak more, but found that no sound was able to come out. "Thank god." Said Cruella, rolling her eyes dramatically as her and Ursula stepped out from the trees. "She talks entirely too much."

"Agreed." Ursula muttered with a chuckle.

Shae slowly backed away as Maleficent began to advance toward her. "We had a deal, Shae." She whispered, her devious grin falling into a menacing snarl. "And I warned you about the consequences should you break it."

Shae's mouth gaped open in a soundless gasp as Maleficent rushed forward, and plunged her hand straight into Shae's chest. Maleficent grinned into the vampire's terrified blood red eyes, and Shae could feel her fingers curling around her heart. Suddenly, Maleficent's grin faded again, this time into a confused frown, when she realized that she was unable to rip out Shae's heart.

"Oh, I see." She mumbled quietly, staring into Shae's eyes. "Your heart is very well protected, and not quite your own, is it?" Maleficent then breathed out a low chuckle as she removed her hand from within Shae's chest. "Oh, well done, Regina. Well done, indeed."

Silence fell over the forest surrounding them for a moment, as Maleficent stared down at her feet, pondering what to do next. Shae thought about running again, but knew that it was pointless. Maleficent was much too powerful. She was doomed to whatever twisted fate the sorceress had in store for her.

Suddenly, Maleficent reached out, and seized Shae by the front of her jacket. Shae emitted another silent gasp, which quickly caught in her throat as Maleficent placed a kiss firmly on her lips. Once again, Shae felt a strange tingling sensation course through her entire body. The sensation grew and grew, and, suddenly, Shae felt extremely weak. Her knees buckled the moment Maleficent released her, and she collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees.

"What the hell did you just do to her?" Asked Ursula, staring at the trembling vampire with wide, confused eyes.

"I've stripped her of her magic." Maleficent replied, turning around to face her counterparts. "Did you really think that I sealed our deal the way I did just because I wanted to kiss this loathsome creature? Please."

"Well, what did you go and take her magic for?" Demanded Cruella, folding her arms irritably across her chest. "We could have used it, you know."

"Oh, please, her magic is pathetic." Replied Maleficent, waving her hand dismissively. "We can still use her, but, this way, she is much easier to control."

Maleficent turned back around, and Shae stared silently up at her, unable to move, unable to speak, completely and utterly horrified. Cruella and Ursula slowly stepped up behind Maleficent. The three Queens of Darkness stared down at the weak and powerless vampire at their feet, all of their lips curled into dark and devious grins.

"Don't worry, dears." Maleficent whispered, smiling at Ursula and Cruella, taking them both gently by the hand. "Now that I'm back, now that we're back, nothing can stop us now. We will get our revenge. We will get our happy endings. This, I swear."

XX

Shae spent the entirety of the next day brooding in silence, still unable to speak due to Maleficent's magic. She was forced to trail along silently behind Cruella and Ursula, while they explored the town alongside the newly resurrected Maleficent. Shae spotted many familiar faces as they walked through the streets of Storybrooke; Tinkerbell, the dwarves, Granny, Belle. They were all positively shocked to see her, but they kept their distance when they saw her amongst The Queens of Darkness. Shae desperately searched the streets for Emma and Regina, but saw neither hide nor hair of them. The only two people who might be powerful enough to free her from Maleficent's grasp, and Gold's, were nowhere in sight.

Later that night, The Queens of Darkness decided to celebrate Maleficent's return with some drinks at Granny's. However, none of them wanted to be bothered by the townsfolk, so they forced the diners out, as well as Granny herself. Granny was obviously furious, and demanded to know just what in the hell Shae thought she was doing. Cruella, Ursula, and Maleficent delighted in the fact that Shae was unable to answer to the old woman's accusations. Shae gave Granny the most apologetic smile that she could, hoping that it was enough, but knowing that it likely wasn't.

Shae was forced to watch silently as The Queens of Darkness ransacked the diner. They stole several bottles of liquor, broke plates and glasses onto the floor, and even set fire to one of the tables. Finally, they settled into one of the booths, and broke in to the stolen bottles of alcohol.

"Oh, this one's nearly empty." Said Cruella, frowning into the miniscule remains of the bottle of gin she was holding. "Go see if you can find us a new bottle in the back, darling."

Shae glared silently at Cruella as she raised an eyebrow expectantly at her. Then, she turned on her heel, and stomped into the back room of the diner, the cackling of the three women ringing in her ears. She wandered around in the kitchen for a moment, searching the many shelves of dry goods, and finally spotted one filled with various bottles of liquor. She scooped up a bottle of gin, pausing momentarily when a gallon of bleach on the rack of cleaning supplies caught her eye. She picked up the bleach in her other hand, and contemplated adding it to Cruella's gin. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and put the bleach back in it's spot.

As Shae made her way back toward the door leading into the dining area, she paused once again, smiling fondly at the framed picture hanging on the wall next to the door. It was of Granny, standing outside the front of her diner, her granddaughter, Ruby, smiling from beside her. Shae had thought a lot about Ruby since the night she left for The Enchanted Forest. Should have gone with her, she thought silently to herself. She begrudgingly tore her eyes away from the picture, and pushed through the door. She stopped dead in her tracks at what she saw, and the bottle of gin slipped from her hand, shattering onto the floor.

Ursula and Cruella were still sitting in their booth, but Maleficent was now standing by the door, next to none other than Shae's true love, Regina. Her raven colored hair had grown out some since Shae last saw her, and she had foregone her usual sensible pantsuit. Instead, she was garbed in a black leather pencil skirt, which accentuated her slender form quite nicely. She had on a black leather jacket to match, and had left several of the top buttons of her black blouse unbuttoned. Her lips were their normal shade of deep, sultry red. Shae swore that she could feel her unbeating heart stop all over again as she took it all in.

"Shae?" Regina whispered.

Shae shook herself from her stupor, and she quickly nodded her head. Slowly, a smile crept across Regina's face, the very smile that Shae loved so very much, the one that she had been dying to see since returning to Storybrooke once again. Just like it always did, Shae felt her half heart flutter wildly within her ribcage at the sight of that smile.

"Oh my god…" Regina breathed, placing her hand over her mouth in shock, her beautiful brown eyes shining with tears. "Shae!"

Regina rushed toward her, and Shae stumbled out from behind the counter. Suddenly, Shae was holding her true love in her arms once again. Suddenly, all of her worries melted away as the familiar feeling of Regina's arms curled around her neck washed over her. She breathed in the intoxicating scent of her perfume as she held her tight, never wanting to let go again.

"You came back." Regina whispered to her.

Shae opened her mouth to respond in the way that she always did when Regina uttered those words. She quickly shut it again, her blood red eyes growing wide with horror when she realized that she couldn't. When Shae failed to respond, Regina drew away from their embrace.

"What is it?" Asked Regina, brow furrowed in concern. "Shae, what's wrong?"

Shae turned her gaze onto Maleficent, who was grinning silently at her. The vampire then gestured to her own lips, then to Regina, and threw her arms exasperatedly up in the air. Regina followed her silent gesturing carefully, growing more and more confused by the second.

"Such a touching reunion." Maleficent sneered, turning to Cruella and Ursula. "What do you say, ladies? Should we let her speak?"

"Oh, go on." Ursula relented, waving her hand dismissively. "I was starting to miss that sharp tongue, anyway."

"I wasn't." Grumbled Cruella.

"Wait a minute…" Regina muttered, her eyes growing wide with sudden realization. "Did you… Take her voice?"

"Of course." Maleficent replied with an unconcerned shrug. "She talks entirely too much."

Regina breathed out a low chuckle, slowly shaking her head. "No arguments there."

Shae's jaw dropped open in silent, offended shock. Maleficent chuckled herself at the look on Shae's face, then waved her hand in the vampire's direction. For a moment, Shae felt a slight tingling sensation upon her lips.

"Hello?" She muttered, testing her voice. She then threw her arms triumphantly up in the air, laughing with joy over the sound of her own voice. "YES! Thank god! Finally, someone besides you three bitches can do some talking!"

Maleficent's lips curled into an angry snarl, and Shae let out a yelp of alarm when she raised her hand in the air once again. "AH! Woah! Woah, woah!" She stammered, drawing back a step, putting out her hands in careful surrender. "Sorry, I-Im sorry! Please don't take my voice again!"

"Fine." Maleficent growled, slowly lowering her hand. "But you're on very thin ice."

Shae breathed out a sigh of relief as Maleficent returned to her seat in the booth next to Ursula. Shae then turned back to Regina, smiling as she stared into her deep brown eyes. Though they were still the same eyes as they had always been, somehow, they were more beautiful than ever before.

"Regina, it's… I-It's so good to see you." Shae stammered quietly, fighting back the powerful urge to kiss her. Her blood red eyes then shifted quickly over to The Queens of Darkness, and she raised an eyebrow at Regina. "Um… What exactly are you doing here?"

Regina quickly shook herself from her stupor, feeling much the same as Shae was as she stared into her true love's blood red eyes. "Well, I heard that you all want to destroy the happiness of some certain heroes around here." She replied, fixing Shae with a chilling and familiar grin. "I want in."

"Oh, please." Cruella muttered with a disbelieving snort. "Everyone knows you're thick as thieves with those very heroes."

"Not by choice." Regina snapped in reply, shooting Cruella an icy glare. "You all know how much I wanted my revenge. But, in this town, I had to play nice to survive." She paused for a moment, quickly turning away from Shae's shocked and appalled gaze. "I was… Left alone, forced to watch as those damn heroes got all the happiness that I was denied. If their destruction is what you're planning, then I certainly want to have a hand in it."

"You really expect us to believe that?" Asked Ursula, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Regina.

Regina opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again when Maleficent answered for her. "Of course she doesn't." Said Maleficent. "That's why she's here. She wants us to see that she's still one of us."

"I am." Regina said determinedly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Then let's find out, shall we?" Maleficent replied with a grin.

Maleficent rose from her seat once again, and beckoned for Ursula and Cruella to do the same. They both obliged, and they all patiently waited as Maleficent began pouring shots of whiskey. Shae tried to catch Regina's eye, but Regina, for some reason, carefully avoided her gaze. Maleficent handed the now full shot glasses to Cruella, Ursula, and Shae. She paused before handing the last one to Regina, her dark and devious grin returning.

"Are you still a bad girl, Regina?" Maleficent asked her quietly.

Regina took the shot glass from Maleficent's hand as soon as she offered it to her. She downed it in one gulp, and Shae watched with wide, baffled eyes as she crushed the glass in her hand. The vampire felt another chill run down her spin as a grin just as dark as Maleficent's stretched across Regina's face.

"The worst." Regina whispered in reply.

"Good." Maleficent whispered back. "Come, sit with us."

Regina nodded as Maleficent gestured toward their booth. As soon as Regina took her seat against the wall, Shae made to take the one next to her. She stopped, narrowing her eyes at Maleficent as she quickly slid into the spot before she could. Shae glared at both Ursula and Cruella, who had taken the seats across from Regina and Maleficent. The Queens of Darkness all grinned as the vampire remained standing, silently gritting her teeth.

"God, you all suck." Shae muttered under her breath, turning around and grabbing a nearby chair.

"So, what exactly are you doing here with these three?" Regina asked as Shae took her seat at the end of the booth.

"Shae is after her happy ending." Maleficent replied, still grinning at the seething vampire. "Same as you, same as all of us."

"I see." Muttered Regina, accepting the glass of whiskey that Maleficent had poured. "And what exactly is that for you, Mal?"

Maleficent emitted a knowing chuckle, slowly shaking her head as she poured herself another drink. "Oh, that's something I'd much prefer to keep to myself. Ursula? Care to share yours?"

"Pass." Muttered Ursula. "Cruella?"

"Oh, my happy ending is quite intricate, darling, and carefully planned." Replied Cruella. "You see, it all starts with…"

As Cruella went on and on about the details of her own happy ending, which mostly involved abundant riches, and copious amounts of gin, Shae continued to desperately try and catch Regina's eye. She couldn't believe everything she had heard, that Regina was, once again, out for revenge. Shae knew that Regina had put all of that behind her, but, considering all that she had lost, she was starting to worry that everything Regina had said might just be true. She had to find out for sure, but with their present company, it was quite difficult.

Finally, Shae had enough of Cruella's rambling. She reached out, and bopped Cruella on the head with the palm of her hand, causing her to stop mid sentence. "Snooze!" Shae shouted. "Cruella time's over. Don't talk again for nine minutes."

Regina laughed loudly, and Shae smiled at her, feeling her undead heart fluttering within her chest once again. The sound of her true love's laughter was like music to her ears. For a moment, just a moment, she finally caught Regina's gaze. As quickly as it came, it went, and Regina's smile faded as she stared down into her glass of whiskey.

"And what about you, bloodsucker?" Ursula asked, raising an eyebrow at Shae. "What exactly is your happy ending?"

"I told you not to call me that." Shae snarled through gritted teeth, narrowing her eyes at Ursula. "And as far as my happy ending goes… That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

"Well, I'm assuming it has something to do with your Evil Queen here." Commented Cruella, gesturing to Regina. "Or, perhaps it's with your Ice Witch that I've heard so much about. Elsa, wasn't it?"

Shae's knuckles cracked as she balled her hands into fists, her blood red eyes flashing with rage at the utterance of her other true love's name. She sat rigid in her seat, one of her eyes twitching violently as the moment when Elsa's hand had been torn from her grasp flashed before her eyes. Suddenly, she was watching her disappear through the door to Arendelle all over again, and her heart ached with bitter, painful misery.

Shae leapt up from her chair, toppling it over in the process. The others all gasped in alarm as the enraged vampire seized Cruella by the front of her white fur coat, and wrenched her from her seat. They all watched with their mouths gaping open as Shae dragged her across the diner, and slammed her up against the counter.

"Don't you dare say her name, EVER. AGAIN." Shae screamed in Cruella's face, her blood red eyes wide and wild with rage, with pain. "If you do, I'll rip your lungs right out of your goddamn, FUCKING CHEST!"

Cruella chuckled lightly, apparently unbothered by the crazed vampire. "Oh, someone's touchy."

"I think we could all use some fresh air." Maleficent suggested in a quiet, equally unconcerned tone. "Why don't we go for a drive? Shae, unhand her."

For a moment, Shae merely continued to glare into Cruella's grinning eyes. She then released her, and drew back a step, her hands shaking as she clenched them into fists. Cruella chuckled once again, and patted the vampire on the cheek. Shae grimaced in disgust, swatting her hand away furiously. She leaned her hands against the counter as The Queens of Darkness exited the diner, squeezing her eyes shut as bitter tears leaked down her cold, pale face.

"Shae…" Regina whispered from behind her, placing her hand gently on Shae's arm. "Shae, are you-"

"DON'T!" Shae shouted, wrenching her arm from Regina's grasp. "Just… Don't."

XX

Shae was squashed uncomfortably between Maleficent and Ursula as they all piled into Cruella's car. To see if Regina truly was once again The Evil Queen, Cruella decided to play a game that she called, 'Don't Be a Hero.' She parked her car upon a set of train tracks, where a train happened to be travelling upon. Cruella instructed that the last one to save all their lives was the loser, and, as the train continued to barrel toward them, Shae started to panic. She was powerless to help, to do anything at all. But, at the very last second, they were all engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke. Regina had teleported the car safely across the tracks.

Ursula and Cruella were both angry over the fact that Regina was the one that had saved them, but Shae, however, was immensely relieved. Ursula and Cruella insisted that Regina could not be trusted. Maleficent disagreed, reassuring them that the once Evil Queen was merely rusty. Regina casually shrugged it off, and insisted that they all go out and find some real trouble.

Shae remained mostly silent as Regina and the others caused general mayhem amongst the town of Storybrooke. The vampire thought it all immensely childish, especially when they decided to set fire to a squad car, which belonged to The Sheriff's Station. Still, she remained quiet about her displeasure at their antics, patiently waiting for an opportunity to catch Regina alone. She had to talk to her, had to at least try and talk her out of, once again, enacting vengeance upon Snow White.

After causing trouble around town for a few hours, Maleficent decided that it was time to return to Granny's for more drinks. Even though she still didn't have her powers, Shae was still a vampire, and as the alcohol flowed, she remained much more sober than the rest. Regina, who had never been much of a drinker, was particularly inebriated. After several shots, she was slurring her words and giggling uncharacteristically as she spoke about her and Shae's dark and dangerous past. Ursula had been the one to ask, and Shae listened in sullen silence as Regina proudly told story after story about her and her Protector's evil deeds from back in The Enchanted Forest.

Finally, Shae saw an opportunity to catch Regina alone. Regina excused herself to the bathroom, and Shae remained in her seat for a moment, unable to help staring at Regina's backside as she walked away, which was accentuated quite nicely by her black leather pencil skirt. She then downed the rest of her whiskey, and quickly rose from her chair.

"And where exactly are you going?" Asked Cruella, raising an eyebrow at the vampire.

Shae gave her a simple wink from over her shoulder, and straightened out her jacket as she hurried after Regina. The Queens of Darkness watched her carefully, and Shae made explicitly sure that they saw her every move. She grabbed on to Regina's arm just as she was about to enter the bathroom, and, when she spun around to face her, placed a kiss firmly on her lips. Shae shifted her eyes back toward the table, and when she was certain that Maleficent and her counterparts had seen everything, she pulled Regina into the bathroom by her hips.

As soon as the door swung shut behind them, Shae pushed Reigna up against it. "What the hell are you doing, Regina?" She whispered, glaring furiously into Regina's eyes.

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing?'" Regina demanded with a small hiccup. "What are you doing?"

"I just, I… I-I needed to…" Shae stammered uncertainly, her angry snarl slowly fading as she stared into Regina's eyes. "I… I needed to…"

Shae trailed off into silence as she stared deep into her true love's beautiful brown eyes, their faces almost touching. She wasn't exactly sure if it was all the alcohol she had consumed finally taking effect on her, but she suddenly felt her head spinning. She shifted her gaze onto Regina's lips, which were her favorite shade of red. Unable to help herself, Shae pressed her body against Regina's, and kissed those lips once again.

Regina emitted a soft moan as their lips parted, their tongues brushing lightly against each other. She wrapped her arms around Shae's neck, entangling her fingers in her messy black hair. Due to her drunken state, Regina's kiss was uncharacteristically sloppy, her hands clumsy as she began to grope around Shae's body. Shae didn't care. She had been filled with so much fear over being under Gold's thumb, under Maleficent's. Suddenly, as she kissed the woman that she still loved, the woman that she had always loved, her worries melted away, albeit, only for a moment.

"Oh, Shae…" Regina whispered against Shae's lips. "Shae, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Shae whispered back.

Their lips crashed together again for a moment, but then Regina pulled away again, placing her hands on either side of Shae's face. "Promise me." She whispered, staring intently into the vampire's blood red eyes. "Promise you won't ever leave me again."

Shae stood silently staring into her true love's eyes, momentarily left speechless by the desperation in Regina's voice. Finally, she opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it again as Regina cried out in part pain, part shock. The bathroom door had suddenly swung open, and smacked her right in the back of the head.

"Sorry to interrupt," Cruella said as she raised an eyebrow at the other two, her tone laden with sarcasm. "But, some of us actually need to use the facilities."

Shae cleared her throat, grinning herself as she wrapped an arm around Regina's waist. "What do you say we, uh… Take this back to your place?" She suggested in a sultry tone.

Regina grinned back at her, nodding her head as she placed her hands on Shae's chest. Shae gave Cruella another wink, just before she was engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke. Regina immediately pulled Shae in for another kiss as soon as they appeared in her bedroom. For a moment, Shae couldn't resist her lips, and she almost forgot about why she had wanted to be alone with Regina in the first place. When Regina nearly fell over as she kicked off her heels, Shae suddenly remembered, and she reluctantly drew away from their embrace.

"Regina, listen." Shae said slowly, removing Regina's hands as she placed them on her chest again. "We… Need to talk."

Regina blinked several times in surprise, her mouth hanging open, a bit comically. She then emitted a loud, exasperated groan, dramatically rolling her eyes as she plopped heavily down onto the edge of her bed. She folded her arms across her chest, and Shae bit back a laugh as she pouted her lips.

"That's always a great way to start a sentence." Regina mumbled.

"I know, I know." Shae muttered in reply. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Regina. "Regina, what the hell are you doing? Are you seriously going after Snow again? I thought you were past all that, I thought-"

"No, no, no." Regina interjected, vigorously shaking her head. She paused for a moment, glancing anxiously all around the room, and Shae curiously followed suit, since there was literally no one else in the room. Regina then turned back to Shae, whispering loudly. "I'm a mole!"

Shae chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her. "A mole?"

"Yeah, but, not like… The kind on your face." Regina mumbled in a drunken slur. "The… The other kind."

"Yeah, I know what a mole is." Shae said in a rush. "So you're… Spying for The Charmings, or something?" When Regina nodded, Shae breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. That's good. So all that crap earlier… None of it was real?"

"Well, the things I said weren't." Regina replied with a shrug. "But the the drinking part, that was unfortunately… Very real."

Shae chuckled once again. "Yeah, I can tell. You've been-" She stopped mid sentence when Regina suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, her brown eyes wide. "Uh… Are you about to be… Very sick?"

Regina nodded, her face suddenly quite green. "Jesus Christ…" Shae muttered, carefully helping Regina to her feet. "Come on, hurry. Hurry!"

Shae hurried after Regina as she stumbled down the hall to the bathroom, and she even held back her hair as she vomited into the toilet. Somehow, Regina was even more inebriated afterwards. Shae had her hands full as she tried to put a very drunk, and very uncooperative Regina to bed. Both of them were completely unaware of what had just entered the town of Storybrooke, and just how much danger they were all now in.

XX

The quiet of the night was broken by the sound of leaves and twigs crunching underneath dozens of bootsteps. A small, ragtag group of both men and women dressed in medieval style clothing were trekking through the forest, their eyes shifting all around them. They stopped when they happened upon a road, and one of the men, their leader, held up his hand. He was a touch more finely dressed than the others, complete with a silk maroon vest, his jet black hair neatly combed. He stared intently at the green sign that read, 'Welcome to Storybrooke.'

"Storybrooke." He muttered, slowly stroking his chin.

Another man with shoulder length, dirty blonde hair stepped up next to him. "What say you, my lord?" He asked, his eyes shining with excitement. "Are they here?"

"Yes." The dark haired man whispered in reply. "In fact, they both are. One is… Far, but the other is much, much closer."

A grin slowly stretched across the blonde man's face. "Excellent!" He whispered excitedly back. "Let's go rip out their hearts!"

"Patience, my friend." Muttered the brunette. "There is powerful magic in this strange little town. We should be careful not to announce ourselves just yet."

"Understood, my lord." The blonde replied with a nod, his grin quickly fading into a serious and dutiful expression. "What would you have us do?"

The dark haired man pondered the other's question for a moment, stroking his clean shaven chin again as he stared at the green road sign. "Keep to the woods for now, and stay out of sight." He commanded to blonde after a few silent moments.

"Understood." The blonde said again, with a sharp nod. "And what of you?"

Finally, the dark haired man turned his gaze on to the blonde standing beside him, a dark and devious grin slowly stretching across his own face. "For now," He quietly replied. "I merely wish to catch a glimpse of my old, dear friend. I wish to see her smile, before I tear it right from her face."

XX

The next morning, Shae was gathered inside Gold's cabin with The Queens of Darkness, and Gold himself. She sat and listened, brooding silently as the others told Gold all about their antics the previous night. For some reason, Gold was particularly interested in Regina's sudden appearance.

"I see…" He muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Regina presents an intriguing possibility."

"Do you really think she'll help us?" Asked Maleficent, looking quite skeptical.

"Heartbreak turned her into a monster once." Gold replied with a slight shrug. "And her heart has been broken anew. She's lost both of her true loves, and is in great pain."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, darling." Cruella warned, shooting Shae an icy glare. "This one was getting awfully cozy with her last night."

"Relax, we just kissed, that's all." Shae muttered, rolling her blood red eyes. "As soon as we got back to her place, she almost ralphed all over herself. You guys got her white girl wasted."

Ursula snorted, folding her arms across her chest. "It's not our fault she can't hold her liquor."

"Nevertheless," Gold quickly cut in, waving his hand dismissively. "Once war hits Storybrooke, everyone is going to have to choose a side, even Regina."

"War?" Asked Shae, raising an eyebrow at Gold. "What war?"

A dark and devious grin slowly stretched across The Dark One's face, one that Shae did not like one bit. "The one we're about to start." He quietly replied. "And tonight, we're going to throw the first punch."

"Excellent." Whispered Maleficent, grinning herself. "What exactly are you planning, Rumple?"

"First things first. We need to sort out the situation with our Evil Queen." Gold replied, turning his attention back onto Shae. "You're going to pay a visit to dear Regina. You'll tell her that what happened between the two of you last night was nothing but a drunken mistake. You'll tell her that you've come back to Storybrooke to secure your happy ending… With Elsa."

Shae balled her hands into fists upon her knees, her heart lurching once again at the utterance of her other true love's name. "No." She snarled, glaring menacingly at Gold. "No way. That'll crush her."

Gold leaned forward in his chair, his dark and twisted grin returning once again. "Good." He whispered. "I need her crushed, I need her broken. That way, she will become The Evil Queen all over again."

"No!" Shae shouted, leaping furiously to her feet. "No, absolutely not! I won't!"

"Oh, yes, you will." Maleficent sneered. Shae held her ground as Maleficent stepped up close to her, jabbing her in the chest with a finger. "You will do as you're told, because you have to. You're nothing but a helpless little puppet now, remember?"

Shae gritted her teeth, seeting silently as she glared into Maleficent's eyes. Maleficent laughed mockingly right in Shae's face. The others all grinned at each other, and Maleficent took Shae's face in her hands, and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Now… Go." She whispered, grinning wickedly into the vampire's blood red eyes. "Go break Regina's heart."

XX

As Shae trekked through the woods toward Regina's house, doomed to break her true love's heart all over again, she had no idea that she was being watched. A tall, dark haired man in a silk maroon vest stood amongst the trees, his blonde haired friend at his side. They watched Shae walking through the forest, wide, devious grins stretching across their faces.

"There she is!" The blonde whispered excitedly. "Finally, after all this time! Finally, you'll have your revenge!"

The brunette emitted a dark and dangerous chuckle. "Indeed." He whispered back. "Just not today."

The blonde haired man's jaw dropped open in shock as the other turned his back on Shae, and began walking in the opposite direction. "Why not?" He questioned as he hurried after him.

"I sense that Shae is a pawn in some strange sort of game." The dark haired man explained as he continued walking. "One that we must put a stop to."

"What for?" Asked the blonde.

"There is something that I want, besides my revenge." Replied the brunette. "Something far more important."

The blonde man's equally blonde brow furrowed in confusion. "What exactly is that, my lord Dracula?"

Dracula stopped walking as he and his counterpart stepped out onto a road. He slowly turned around, his blood red eyes fixating on the large green sign before them, the one that read, 'Welcome to Storybrooke.' The blonde watched in curious silence as Dracula tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he drew in a deep breath through his nostrils. Finally, Dracula turned to his friend, another dark and devious grin stretching across his cold, pale face.

"Storybrooke."

XX